Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow

To start, I loved Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow.  I've already ordered a copy for my nephew who is coming down with the flu so that my sister has something awesome to read him as he recovers.  I can't wait to recommend it to other people.  Now on to the review.

Quick Summary: Jacob Wonderbar--the bane of substitute teachers everywhere since his father left--trades a corndog for a spaceship.  With his two best friends, Sarah Daisy and Dexter, he blasts into space where he accidentally blows up a few star systems, effectively breaking the universe and preventing him and his friends from returning home.  Confronting space pirates, royalty, Substitute teachers, and scientists, the three friends need to protect their friendship and and find their way home.

I loved the characters.  It was refreshing to have a main character who was good at heart, but is TROUBLE at the same time.  I love those kids.  I was that kid.  The fact that Jacob was a pain in the butt for his subs made me love him.  Sarah Daisy and Dexter were also well-developed and totally different from Jacob and each other.  All of the characters were unique, funny, and interesting.  Even the space ships.  Yes, the spaceships talk.

As for the story--the whole book is fun.  So fun.  The kids are in outer space and there is so much opportunity.  Nathan definitely capitalizes on it.  I loved the planet Numonia where days and nights were each 30 seconds long.  The people would fall asleep in the middle of speaking and spend weeks accomplishing small tasks--like a feast or short walk.  It was so ridiculous; it was great.  Then, obviously, Jacob has to land on a planet full of substitute teachers.  It's only fitting.

The book is funny, but smart.  I don't know why I'm so surprised.  Nathan's blog is funny and smart and the book was so Nathan.  I suppose that's what they call voice.  I think it was so noticeable to me because this is the first time I've read a debut novel by someone whose writing I was already familiar with.  

I'm already excited for the sequel: Jacob Wonderbar for President of the Universe.  This book counts toward the following challenges: 100+ and the Fight or Flight mini-challenge (spaceship flying!) for the Hogwarts Reading Challenge.  Track my progress on the 2011 Challenges Page.

Book Blogger Hop: 5-27-5/30

"What book-to-movie adaption have you most liked?  Which have you disliked?"


I love this question!  I love reading (obvi) and I studied film at college.  I even did an independent study on film adaptation, because it is something that really interests me.


SO....


Favorite Film Adaptation:  Harry Potter.  Even though I didn't love the latest installment, the Harry Potter franchise has brought one of the most beloved series to life.  They kept the magic and stayed true to the characters while at the same time making great movies.  It struck the perfect balance for me of how to walk the line between making an awesome movie and not betraying your built in audience.


Least Favorite Film Adaptation: Percy Jackson.  I felt betrayed.  Aging Percy may have seemed like a good move to broaden the audience, but it made Percy annoyingly immature.  Also, the removal of Kronos as the bad guy made the whole movie a little too melodramatic for my tastes.  It was like Harry Potter if they decided not to include Voldemort.


And a bonus, because I love this topic so much...
Adaptation I am most looking forward to: One for the Money.  The adaptation of the first Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich has a great cast and some great source material.  The only thing I'm worried about is that it has been turned into straight Rom-Com.  We shall see.


I can't wait to see everyone's answers!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets... Again

This is an attempt at a short reader-friendly post, because I know I can get a little...wordy.  And I figure if I can't write a short review of a book I've read 100 times and reviewed before on this blog, then I am hopeless.

For those who haven't read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the loose plot is that orphan Harry Potter attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year of school.  There are a series of attacks on students, whispers from a strange voice only Harry can hear, and talk of The Chamber of Secrets, a secret room in the castle where one of the school founders, Salazar Slytherin, hid a hideous monster that will rid the school of any students without proper wizarding heritages.

I did not do that justice.  (I hope you have read it.)  One of the things that really struck me this time through is that the chamber of secrets isn't mentioned until about halfway through the book.  There is a ton of set up in the first half.

If you haven't read the book (again, I hope you have), it probably sounds terribly boring.  That's how you describe books where the reviewers say "Stick through the first half, it picks up around the middle and you don't want to miss the end!".  But... Harry Potter is never slow.  Every single page is exciting and has conflict and fun.  JK Rowling takes Harry, puts him in a bad situation, makes it as bad as you think it can go, then makes it even worse.

Harry is miserable and abused with his aunt and uncle.  Dobby didn't just make it difficult for him to stay out of their way.  He showed up at the absolute worst time ever, then actively got Harry in trouble.  THEN, the letter arrives from the Ministry of Magic alerting Harry's Uncle that he is not permitted to do magic and, no longer frightened of Harry in the slightest, Vernon Dursley locks Harry in his room--bars on the windows and everything.

This review is longer than I was hoping it would be and there is still so much to talk about.  I'm sure I'll review it again soon, so I'll leave you with my final thoughts: the books flow so effortlessly.  There is not one single page that isn't entertaining.  It's intimidating, but inspiring.

This book counts toward the following chanllenges: 100+, Read Me Baby One More Time, and the Hogwarts Reading Challenge.  Track my progress on the 2011 Challenges Page.

The Latest Amazon Kindle and Kate Spade Great Gatsby Cover

My original kindle broke.  Just a little.  Even though I still read a lot of hardcover and paperback books, I really can't live with the idea of not having my kindle available to me.  So I went to Target and bought a new one.

See my original Kindle 2 Review and below I will highlight some of the differences along with my favorite features.

Kindle Differences:
-The latest kindle comes in either black or white.  This time around I chose black.  I love it so much more than the white and am glad I have two options.
-The newest kindle is available in wifi/3g, wifi, and wifi with ads.  I bought the wifi and have yet to regret not getting the 3g version.  My last kindle was 3g and I don't even notice the "downgrade".  I'd love to hear from anyone who has the wifi with ads.  Are they intrusive?
-The buttons have moved.  The one that immediately threw me is that the power button moved from the top to the bottom.  Not a big deal.  The most noticeable change is that the biggest buttons on both sides of the kindle are the forward and back buttons.  This makes reading such an easier process.  Shuffling the other buttons to accommodate this works very well once you're used to it.
-They say it's lighter and the screen is crisper.  I didn't really notice.  I have a pretty heavy cover for both of the kindles and have never been distracted from my reading by the format.
CONCLUSION: The kindle keeps getting better and easier to use!

Features I still love:
-It's easy to underline and take notes.  I love underlining and making notes, but I hate defacing physical books.  The kindle makes it easy!  (I still need to verify if these features are now available for personal document PDFs... they weren't in the Kindle 2 and it is a feature I would love to see.)
-You can see popular highlighted passages when you read.  This is especially noticeable when you're reading a best-selling book like The Four Hour Work Week.  Great passages are underlined lightly in gray with this little message: 1,456 underlines.
-The popup dictionary is still helpful.  I'm planning on relearning French and will replace my Kindle dictionary with a French-English dictionary in order to work through some French literature.  I love reading and I think if I have a goal to work toward I will be more likely to follow through with my language learning.  (I would love to read something by Victor Hugo in the original language.)
CONCLUSION: I still love my Kindle.

Case:
-I have been salivating over this series of kindle covers by Kate Spade for some time.  But I had the Kindle 2 and not the latest generation.  In replacing my Kindle, I was probably most excited for the opportunity to purchase this cover.  All of the Kate Spade Kindle cases are beautiful, bright, clean designs.  But yellow is my favorite colors, The Great Gatsby is my favorite book, and this case just takes my breath away.  (I also love Great Expectations and if they weren't so expensive, I would have bought them both.)
-The inside is VERY simple.  At first this kind of bugged me, but once the Kindle was in and I was reading, I really appreciated it.  Even though there are very bright colors, the case is not distracting while reading.  I think that distraction is a definite possibility for a cover that has anything going on inside.
-I still ADORE the kindle locking system that works with most of the cases available.  My kindle really feels secure.  I would have liked a small loop over the bottom corner of my kindle to secure the right side to the case, but so far, I have not had any issues with the security of my kindle in its case.
CONCLUSION:  This cover is gorgeous.  Just look at the pictures.  I'm in love.

I'll let know how my customer service experience goes.  Happy reading!

Book Blogger Hop 5/20-5/23/2011

"If you were given the chance to spend one day in a fictional world (from a book), which book would it be from and what would that place be?"

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  That world is so vivid and wonderful I can read the books over and over again and not get bored.  In the fourth book, Voldemort isn't in full power yet, so I'd have a reasonable expectation of staying safe, plus the added bonus of either the Quidditch World Cup or the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  As a spectator with a one day pass to the world, book four has the most to offer (because let's face it, after that I don't want to be a muggle in a wizard world).

Festival of Books: Other Highlights

I meant to post this last week, but figured I'd rather post some book reviews and then blogger went down.  So, my wrap up post for the LA Times Festival of Books... which was awesome.  I can't wait for next year.

Random thoughts and points from the panels:

-While talking about page/word counts, most of the authors said that you should write the right length for your story.  Most said they never had their editor ask them to revise solely based on word count.  Elizabeth Eulberg said that when she finished Prom and Predjudice she was worried about the word count, but her editor told her that she told her story and not to worry about it.  The only writer who had had a problem was Lisi Harrison.  Her book The Pretty Committee Strike Back was too short and when her editor demanded that she increase it's length she added a ten page packing list for her main character's camping trip.

-Lisi Harrison also mentioned she wrote 40 page outlines, an idea I find terrifying.

-Read a lot and know the roots of whatever genre you're writing in.

-I forget who said this, but it made me laugh: Selling an idea is like someone saying "I'm starving.  Will you cook me something?"  But first you have to butcher the cow and they're standing over you asking if it's ready yet.

-Dialog is important.  Don't forget to use it.  It makes a story easy to read and a page (or pages) with no dialog can intimidate a reader into putting your book down.

Tips for attending next year:

-Wear comfortable shoes and a hat.  I wore sneakers and got blisters.  I also got a sunburn on my scalp where the part in my hair was.  Now my skin is peeling and it looks like I have dandruff.  Not very pleasant.  Maybe next year I'll read this post and prevent it.

-Definitely need to bring: Sunblock (learned that the hard way last year), sunglasses, bottled water, snacks/lunch.  Food is expensive and there is a lot of walking.

-Only go to signings of authors you really admire and bring their books from home.  Books are expensive.  I spent forty bucks on two books at one signing.  And it was first thing in the morning, so I carried those hardcovers around all day.

-Switch between stages and lectures.  The stages are fun and the sunshine is one of the perks of living in Los Angeles.  I love YA, so I tend to camp out at that stage, because there is always going to be something to interest me.  The lectures, while harder to find, tend to have really interesting speakers and are air conditioned.  I use the standby line instead of purchasing tickets and have never had a problem.

-Be friendly.  Everyone there loves books as much as I do.  I usually make new friends while in line.

-Find the bathroom when you get there (preferably one near food) and learn your way around based on that point.

-Double check your schedule, but be flexible.  If you miss something, just move on to something else.  I went to the YA stage instead of the YA lecture that I had meant to attend.  While I loved the panel at the YA Stage, I missed out on an air conditioned event with an author I was really looking forward to listening to.  Even so, I ended up learning a TON at the panel I actually attended.

Delirium

Delirium is a dystopian set in a futuristic America where love is considered a disease.  At the age of 18, citizens undergo a procedure to make them unable to love (or really feel any strong emotions, although fear tends to stick around).  Because of her disgraceful family past, Lena lives in fear of contracting the disease and counts down the days to her procedure.  When she falls in love, she has to decide whether she has been lied to her whole life, or if she is only experiencing symptoms of the disease.

Each chapter has a quote from literature in the new society, whether it be a government pamphlet on the dangers of love or a quote banned for being a dangerous idea.  It allowed me to really immerse myself in this new culture.  This backdrop allowed the writer to have a lot of fun.  Lena falling in love with no frame of reference for anything she is feeling was at times hilarious, but always charming.  The backdrop also allowed potentially cliche moments to become new and special.  At one point Alex is reciting love poems to Lena.  In any other story this would be unbearably cheesy.  But Lena has never read or heard poetry before (it's banned), so it subversive and intimate.  It feels natural instead of like the guy is trying too hard.

Part of me wants to say that I found the beginning of the book slow.  But, honestly, if the beginning had been any quicker, I'd be complaining that the love between Lena and Alex developed unnaturally fast.  The slower beginning also allowed the relationship between Lena and her best friend Hanna to develop.  This was something that I really loved about Delirium: It wasn't just about romantic love, it handled the powerful love between friends as well and became so much more than two lovers who couldn't be together.

The end broke my heart, even though I should have seen it coming.  I can not wait to read more of Lena's story.

I received a free e-galley of this book through NetGalley.  It counts toward the following challenges: 100+, Maine for Where Are You Reading, and the Fight or Flight Mini Challenge for the Hogwarts Reading Challenge.  Track my progress on my 2011 Challenges page.

Away Laughing On A Fast Camel

This is going to be a short review, because there is only so many times I can say that I love this series.  Away Laughing On A Fast Camel deals with Georgia's heartbreak after the Sex God leaves her for "Kiwi-a-go-go-land" (New Zealand, I think).  It also introduces a new love interest, Massimo the soon to be christened Italian Stallion (I think that comes in book six, but it's always how I think of him) and strengthens the relationship between Georgia and my favorite love interest, Dave the Laugh.

It's a pretty long series for books about the ups and down of a fourteen year old girl.  I mean, Harry Potter was only seven books.  Still, I don't get bored.  Some reviewers have commented that they get bogged down by Georgia's made up slang, which gets more and more in depth as the series goes on.  I, however, find it charming.

I love getting to know the characters better in each book.  Everyone is so over the top crazy that to me they seem real.  Real people are INSANE and these characters are... out there.  I love Georgia's crazy antics.  Like Gerogia, I find myself in "situations", even though I'm now old enough to know better.  I love the writers voice, the let's go down to the disco viking dance, and Georgia's impression of a lockjaw germ.  Like I said, there are only so many times I can say that I love this series.  I think I've hit my limit.

This book counts toward the following challenges: Read me baby one more time, 100+, and 7 i n a series for the Hogwarts Reading Challenge.  Track my progress on my 2011 challenges page.

Festival of Books: Why Write YA?

I spent a lot of time at the YA stage.  The downside was that I had to sit in direct sunlight, the upside was that the stage had GREAT authors and great topics.  One question that came up over and over again was "Why write YA?"

The first item this came up was during the first panel's Q&A when a woman asked (in a very condescending tone): Why do you write YA and not adult books or anything else?  After this, the moderator made sure to ask it himself in a less offensive way before taking questions.  But the answers were great, and a few things kept popping up at the different panels.  Here are the highlights:

-YA explores a lot of the feelings of insecurity, or challenging the establishment, and finding your place in the world.  Adults still feel all of these things, but it's no longer okay to talk about them.

-A number of writers thought they weren't mature enough for adult books and many of these same authors said they wrote about teens because they were so traumatized by their own teen experiences.  This was often in jest, but I think it goes back to the first point... the teen experience is more universal than the name would imply.

-Some of the writers also thought you could explore darker, racier, more mature topics than in children's books.  Garth Nix actually made the point that it's Young Adult and not Older Children's.  He said you can do anything, you just have to be careful with how you present the material.  Books are a fantastic opportunity to grapple with these tough issues without teens having to experience awful and difficult things in real life.

-One of the biggest points made was that YA as a label is relatively new.  It seems to be a marketing tool to get books to teen readers, but it doesn't mean that these types of books haven't always existed.  Good fiction is good fiction and kids will always find the books that are right for them, whether it's labeled "Children's" "YA" or "General Fiction".

I like reading YA, I like writing YA.  It has very little to do with the age of the protagonists or intended audience.  I'm drawn to the themes often explored in YA... finding yourself, rebelling against the established order, fun stuff like that.

Festival of Books: RL Stine

Every year the LA Times puts on the festival of books, which is AWESOME.  There are a ton of panels, a ton of signings, and just a ton of things to do for people of all ages and interests.  Last year was my first year attending and it will definitely be an annual event for me.  

I'm going to write a few posts about it this week, because it is so amazing, but RL Stine deserves his own post, because A) he is hilarious on twitter and B) I learned a lot during the 15 minutes he spoke.  RL Stine's talk was at the Target kid's stage and he did a sort of interactive, choose your own adventure story.  I kept being struck by how beautifully the presentation illustrated how a writer sets up a story.

So we have this ghost story set up... there's a ghost in the barn and he wants a head, so don't go in the barn.  And the main character doesn't believe that the ghost story is true, so does he go into the barn or does he just ignore it?  Obviously, he goes into the barn.  At least he does if you want a ghost story (I think RL even made a joke along those lines after the vote came in that the main character should go into the barn).  So... you need your character to make a choice to start the story, react to whatever the inciting incident is.

Later, the boy is facing the ghost who wants his head and the boy has two objects on the floor.  One is a book called "How to Keep Your Head" and the other is a quarter.  Which does he use?  Obviously the book.... which says "Use the quarter".  This was hilarious, but also illustrated that if your character is going to use something out of the ordinary to defeat the antagonist... you have to exhaust all your obvious options first to make it believable.

I was excited to see a writer who made an impact on me as a fourth grader with Goosebumps and still stays relevant in my life through twitter (where he posts some of the most morbidly hilarious news I have ever read).  I didn't expect to have such a great reminder of how to tell a story.

A is for Alibi

I know this is an iconic series, so I feel like I should like it.  But it's just okay.  A lot of it is my personal tastes.  A Is For Alibi is straight up mystery.  I'm pretty sure they're great, if you are into that sort of thing, but I found the first half slow and the laughs few.

I also couldn't get myself to care about the main character, Kinsey, or the mystery itself.  Kinsey is okay, I just didn't love her, and couldn't invest any feelings into whether she solved the case or not.  At times she seemed incredibly stupid... like not bringing her gun into a house where there might be a killer lurking, because she is worried about being found over a dead body with a gun.

Like always with a mystery, I made a guess about the killer and solution during the first half of the book.  While my guess was ultimately correct, I wasn't invested one way or the other.  The second half of the book picked up and there were several intense, suspenseful scenes, but it never seemed to carry from scene to scene and the ending was incredibly abrupt.

One thing I did love about this book was the opening.  It sets up the character and story perfectly right off the bat.  A lot of people love these books.  They are huge sellers, so I feel like I'm missing something.  At the very least, I have discovered some things about my reading tastes: I enjoy mysteries, but only when they are incorporated into another genre.  And that's okay.  They put lots of different books out for lots of different readers.

This book counts toward the following challenge: 100+, Harry Potter Reading Challenge Hide and Seek mini challenge.  Track my progress at my 2011 Challenges Page.