The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man

Another rollicking trip through an alternate steam punk  universe with my favourite characters Burton and Swinburne.  If I thought that the first book Spring Heeled Jack was a little on the gross side, I suspect it was just trying to warm me up for the extremely revolting content of this one.   Things are afoot, the plot has thickened so much that there is another book in the wings, and I reckon it will be a doozy.  Can’t wait!

The Cat's Pajamas

The Cat’s Pajamas is dedicated to Ray’s wife Maggie who passed away a few weeks before publishing.  The short story ‘The House’ must have been written for her once he could start writing again, the sentences within say so much about how he was feeling.
The rest are quite an eclectic collection, all with an almost crazy idea and an important message to them.  It is all a part of the world of Ray Bradbury, and a significant collection which I think I will re-visit often.

A Sentimental Journey

I could probably spend years of my life thinking and writing about the stories of Ray Bradbury, it would be the masters program of my dreams, studying, understanding, and re-imagining, the genius of the man.  From one standpoint, it is so simple to see what he planned for each book, why he assembled and reassembled such stories in this collection and that collection, and the greater joy of enjoying yet again a favourite story, in a new setting, adding nuances that were not there before, just because he wanted you to feel some other way before you re-read something of his.
There is so much to think about after each story, there are messages here, important ones, that I think he hoped we would understand and that would somehow change the way we thought about life.
With age, he just kept on improving, getting richer, more mature.  This collection proved this repeatedly, as he and his characters took a sentimental journey, having written this just ten years before his death.   This was the first time (after reading this book in 2002), that I started to dread the inevitable, that at any time he would no longer be with us, so I began treasuring everything written after that, knowing that it might be his last book, always hoping for just one more story.

Bobcat and Other Stories

These short stories are well written and, I only guess here, have a unifying theme of desire.  Not, of course, of the same type of desire.  I have to admit I was pretty bummed about the topics.  There wasn't anything here that uplifted me emotionally (it was mostly in the other direction...down, even with the story Slatland), and I was very thoughtful after reading each story.  This isn't something I am comfortable with, but I welcome it because each new experience is a challenge and I felt that I could probably spend a lot of time pulling apart each story and finding new nuances I hadn't experienced the previous reading, which means that at a later date I will come back and re-visit this book, and of course, I will keep an eye out for Rebecca Lee's future works.

A Medicine For Melancholy

A medicine for melancholy, an excellent theme for a book and a magical short story as well.  This collection is stunning because of the emotions it evokes.  One moment you are transformed by awe, romance, or beauty and the next moment/story you are jolted out of complacency by a story that impacts you to your very soul.  Amongst the beauty and the romance is cruelty, ignorance, and evil,  it’s a very potent cocktail, that needs to be drunk off fast, and then slowly digested, savouring all of the effects each flavour evokes (corny I know, but you can excuse me can’t you?  I have been reading Ray Bradbury after all!). 

Verily, A New Hope...

Okay, I will admit it.  I am a hopeless fan of the fiction sections of Quirk Publishing.  So when they come out with something as crazy as this, I am a sucker for it and will grab it off the shelf with an ‘Ooh’ of appreciation and a twinkle in my eye.  I never suspected this of myself, it was a surprise to me when I first spotted Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in the book store, and I admit that I did resist for a while, until Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters showed up under my Christmas tree, and that was it, I was hooked.
So this new book is not only something different again from the usual but has the usual quirky spin to it.  The inclusion of certain familiar dialogues had me falling out of my chair with laughter, because it was so unexpectedly surprising.  I have always enjoyed the use of those lines and passages that are so familiar to me in an interesting and often funny way, I don’t view this as disrespect of the original work but as a loving homage to what has come before, and also an opportunity to introduce such old works to a new audience, because after all, why would someone want to stop at just the one thing when there is so much more out there to enjoy?
I love the asides, so beloved of the original Shakespeare, and used to maximum comedic effect here.
So if you love Star Wars and Shakespeare this is a lot of fun, and if you are a high school English teacher I heartily encourage you to get the gratis study guide online at quirkbooks.com/ShakespeareStarWars  your students will love it!

Kid Lit #2

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher.

The story begins in a most intriguing way…“My sister Rose lives on the mantelpiece.  Well, some of her does”.  It is quite the hook.  I just had to know what went on from there, and, as you can tell from the first two sentences it was mostly bad.  This is not a feel good story.  I have to say that by the end of chapter nine I was ready to put the book down because it just hurt too much.  I take issue with some solutions found to deal with serious problems for the main protagonist and his friend, and I am concerned with the impression they leave.  I wouldn’t want someone to think that this is the way to behave, especially after working so hard to promote the message of tolerance.

2. A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle.

After the raw emotions of the last book,  reading A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle was like a soothing balm.  Before I even read the first page I was already feeling better.  The book is beautiful inside and out. I have always thought it is great when the book is physically lovely, the illustrations, and the paper had a warp and weft to it that was just nice to the touch.  It adds to the over-all experience, and makes you think that you have treasure in your hands
The subject matter was beautiful as well.  I loved how these four generations of women interacted together, I loved their language (Irish vernacular),  their sense of humour (also very Irish), and how it was all so soft and gentle.  After I was done I wanted to rush out and buy whatever else Doyle has written, because I was so moved by this wonderful book.

 3. Skinny by Donna Cooner.

I have to admit that I did not want to read this book.  It is obviously an ‘issue book’ and I am not too keen about this particular issue, self image.  Eventually though, after the initial angst and misery, I was interested in Ever’s story.
I guess my biggest fear with books like these is the way that the issue is resolved.  I am always worried that the means to the end are not the healthiest, and will perhaps be the popular, idealized norm… overweight girl is miserable, loses weight , gets a makeover, is now the most popular girl in school and trips off into the sunset with the football captain, tra la shallow la.   I am very happy to report that this doesn’t happen in this book (the idealized norm part!  What… did you think I would give you spoilers?).   This is a really good book!  One, I think, that should be in high school libraries, not just because of the issues, but because the author shows that everyone has feelings and has their own problems, and that there are more important things in life than being like everyone else.   The author did this very well, and in a way that I think a teenage girl would be able to understand and empathise.

  4. Infinity Ring: The Trap Door by Lisa McMann

Since it is the third book in a series the story didn’t make too much sense up front, but since you are dumped right into the story it keeps you distracted from the fact that you don’t really know what is going on.  There are little pieces of information through out the book so you get a bit of back story, while you are zipping along each page (it’s fast paced and full of stress so you want to rip on through), there’s a little history, some science fiction, and some references to things that kids might want to look up if they are interested, plus I believe there is a website and online games, so there is lots to keep a kid interested.

5. The Candy Shop War: Arcade Catastrophe by Brett Hull

This book puts me in mind of a saga, in it’s breadth and scope.  It’s a lot to begin with, especially if you don’t have the background from the first book to carry you forward, but fortunately  Hull catches you up throughout the book, so you understand what is going on, and above all makes you want to reads the first one just so you don’t miss anything.  There is a lot more to think about in this story, and there are messages here that aren’t obvious, it’s the thinking kids story, packed full of action and deeds and a little magic, perfect for a saga length tale.