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House of Dance, by Beth Kephart
I'm copping out on this one. I read it in 10-20 page snatches over the last ten days or so, which left me with sketchy impressions that simply do not do the book justice. Regrettably, I did the same thing to Kephart's last book, Undercover. *sigh* I can tell you this much, anyway: House of Dance is very well written, to the extent that I seem to have paid more attention to the language and phrasing than the story itself. Every time I dipped into it, I found pretty snippets of language to linger over. For a REAL review, may I direct you to Little Willow's livejournal, which features both a review of House of Dance and an interview with the author. Next time Beth Kephart writes a book, I will sit down and read it. I promise. She's too good to keep wandering in and out of like this. And next time I have a week like this, I'll have the decency to read non-fiction. (Available in May)
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Leepike Ridge, by N.D. Wilson
It's official: I don't get this book. C'mon - corpses, caves, treasure - what's not to like? I wish I could tell you. Loads of people are bonkers for it, many of them people I like a whole lot, people with taste similar to mine. Back when HDS was open, I had no trouble hand selling Leepike Ridge to adventure-loving kids. But readng it myself? Oy. Months ago I tried and only made it to page 60. This time I stuck it out, but all along I felt like I was skimming, even though I wasn't. The characters and the plot just. didn't. penetrate. I wasn't involved and I didn't feel suspense. And I am very, very much in the minority. Besides that, I'd be remiss if I didn't make sure you know that even though I'm not crazy about this story, a lot of the writing in it is quite good. Check out the first sentence: "In the history of the world there have been lots of onces and lots of times, and every time has had a once upon it." How cool is that as an opener? Stuff like that is sprinkled all through Leepike Ridge. So this is by no means a bad book. It's just not a Sarah book.
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I don't care if you love Strunk & White or hate them - read this book. It delivers exactly what the subtitle promises: "A writer's guide to punchier, more engaging language and style." Arthur Plotnik doesn't just tell you how to be spunky and punchy, he shows you on every last page. Not only do fun, familiar examples of juiced-up writing by contemporary authors litter each chapter, Plotnik himself has written the surrounding how-to text with exactly the sort of literary ka-pow he's advocating. In other words, the bugger's just plain fun to read. Fans of The Elements of Style need not worry - despite the obvious spoof of the title, this book is not by any means a bash-a-thon of Strunk and White. Matter of fact, Spunk and Bite is an excellent counterpoint to that old standby. Sure, Plotnik challenges his readers to stretch, bend, and break those tried and true (and sometimes stale) rules laid down nearly 90 years ago, but he also shows the pitfalls of going overboard. Rules without merit don't tend to last the better part of a century, after all. (I'm hoping this review is spunky enough to do Spunk and Bite justice - in spite of blatantly exceeding my hypen quota, that is...)
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This is so good I'm going to quote the introduction in full: If you had lived in 1841, the name Laura Bridgman would have echoed through your home, your school, your neighborhood. It would have rung out in the streets of Boston, in the halls of Congress, and across the ocean to England and Europe and beyond. By the time Laura Bridgman was twelve years old, she was that famous.
Like all children, you would have loved and admired her. You would have named your favorite doll after her....And then you would have poked out the doll's eyes. I just love that. You may not have heard of her (unless perhaps you've recently read a book called Miss Spitfire!) but without Laura Bridgman, there would have been no Helen Keller. Laura's education began to change the way the world saw disability, and it's a delight to see her getting the attention she deserves. This is biography at its best - snappy, accurate writing with just the right amount of context. There are no imaginings or dramatizations here to sully the facts, yet the text is lively and engaging. Matter of fact, it didn't make a difference that I've already read and/or own most of the authors' sources on Laura; the information still felt fresh. Oh, and did I mention that one of the authors is herself blind and hearing impaired? Yeah. The lady knows of what she speaks. One last note: click here to see my very own authentic Laura Bridgman signature. It's proudly mounted on my wall alongside her compatriots Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan.
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Newes from the Dead, by Mary Hooper
So, this girl in 17th century England is "wronged" (I think you can figure out what that means, yes?) brought to trial for a crime she didn't commit, hanged, and then wakes up on the dissection table. Oh, and get this -- it's based on a true story. Gruesome enough for you? Heh. It was enough to make me bump this one up to "Must read." If that doesn't sound like fun, just don't pick it up. But if a taste of the macabre puts a twinkle in your eye.... Truly, Newes from the Dead is not overly gory or explicit. Alternating points of view heighten the suspense as Anne recounts her personal history from inside her coffin and a medical student records the astonishment that accompanies her attempted dissection. It's no small feat that each perspective soon becomes equally compelling. An interesting aspect of the plot I hadn't anticipated: The religious controversy and implications that erupt when Anne begins to awaken. (Puritans tend to get awfully bossy when a corpse shows signs of resurrection, though perhaps not in the way you'd expect.) If I can be the slightest bit picky, I would say that I did get a little tired of Anne reminding me that she's cold, dark, and immobile at the beginning of each of her chapters. When the main character's trapped inside a coffin in a coma-like state, it doesn't often slip your mind. Other than that? Wow.
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Spunk and Bite, by Arthur Plotnik
