11.
Author: Donna Andrews
Title: Cockatiels at Seven
Publication: New York: St. Martin's Press, 2008
Pages: 301 pages
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition: Purchased January 29, 2010
Date Completed: January 30, 2010
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Cockatiels at Seven was just what I needed. Every Meg Langslow book offers me a new way to connect with the cooky protagonist, whether it's faires, geeks, or head-strong toddlers. In Cockatiels at Seven Andrews scales back her cast of characters, which allows the reader to focus on the plot as opposed to tripping over beasts and relatives and beastly relatives. I like Meg and Michael, and I can't wait to see what shenanigans await them in the next book.

Challenges
75-Book Challenge: Book 11
1010 Challenge: American Authors 5
Off-the-shelf:

10.
Author: Kalayn Price
Title: Once Bitten
Publication: Bell Bridge Books, 2009. Kindle Edition.
Pages: 272 pages
Genre: Horror
Acquisition: Free from Amazon.com
Date Completed: January 7, 2010
Rating: 2 stars out of 5

From the cliched title to the sophomoric attempts at a plot, Once Bitten is a dud. I downloaded Price's debut novel to my Kindle when it was offered for free on Amazon, and my only consolation is that I did not actually purchase the book.

In an attempt to preserve a sense of mystery and intrigue readers, Price withholds almost all information about her characters, her world(s), and the plot in general. While some attempts are made towards the end to develop relationships and provide a love interest, the attempt is really too little too late. Without any kind of emotional investment the reader has no reason to continue the reading.

The one quality that might be considered redeeming is that there is little to no sexual content. Therefore, if parents are looking for a contemporary horror novel without graphic material for very young adults, Once Bitten may be a safe alternative to other popular publications.

9.
Author: Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
Title: Naptime is the New Happy Hour, and Other Ways Toddlers Turn Your Life Upside Down
Publication: New York: Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2008.
Pages: 208 pages
Genre: Nonfiction, Humor
Acquisition: Borrowed from Alison 1/24/10
Date Completed: January 25, 2010
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

I read Stefanie Wilder-Taylor's first book, Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay, when my first born was six months old (just 20 days after reading The No-Cry Sleep Solution - ha!), and really enjoyed her lighthearted and honest representation of new parenthood. It isn't easy, and it isn't always pretty, but Wilder-Taylor was able to sit back and laugh, and I really appreciated that.

So when a friend (whose son is two days older than my own firstborn son) offered to let me borrow Naptime is the New Happy Hour I knew I was in for a treat. True to form, Wilder-Taylor presents a hilarious look at raising miniature people, and isn't embarrassed to own up to her toddler's cookie intake, or her apprehensions about everything from potty training to preschool. As a mother I don't agree with everything she says, but I don't have to - I appreciate her laid-back attitude and observations even if I don't agree with her conclusions. And the point of the book is to entertain, not instruct on "the" way to raise your kids.

And entertain she does. I really enjoyed this sequel, and would recommend it not only to moms of toddlers, but to anyone who interacts with small children (or maybe just their parents...).

Challenges
75-Book Challenge: Book 9
1010 Challenge: Nonfiction Book 2
Off-the-shelf:

8.
Author: Sue Grafton
Title: 'E' is for Evidence
Publication: New York: Bantam Books, 1994.
Pages: 200 pages
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition: Purchased before 1998
Date Completed: January 20, 2010
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Consistent with previous books, entertaining, and off my shelf. But, oh my, what a terrible cover.

There are certain details I remember from the series from years ago, and this book delivered one (the conclusion). There's another scene in the back of my mind, and I'll be interested to see in which book it pops up.

Challenges
75-Book Challenge: Book 8
1010 Challenge: Tower Book 7
Off-the-shelf: Book 8

7.
Author: Sue Grafton
Title: 'D' is for Deadbeat
Publication: New York: Bantam Books, 1994.
Pages: 240 pages
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition: Purchased before 1998
Date Completed: January 18, 2010
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

The Kinsey Millhone mysteries continue to improve as the series progresses. Grafton is dedicated to realism in her novels, and she focuses on the little details (grocery shopping, eating dinner, the barriers Kinsey faces) to create the proper perspective. In previous novels these details were a bit tedious, but Grafton finds a nice balance of day-to-day and suspense in 'D' is for Deadbeat.

Challenges
75-Book Challenge: Book 7
1010 Challenge: Tower Book 6
Off-the-shelf: Book 7

6.

Author: Darren Shan
Title: [Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare]
Publication: Kindle Edition, August 2008
Pages: 272 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Horror
Acquisition: Purchased January 2010
Date Completed: January 16, 2010
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare is the first in another young adult horror series that has been gaining popularity lately. While I typically enjoy young adult fiction, Cirque du Freak is a much younger YA book than I typically read, and I had to stop and remind myself to consider the intended audience very frequently.

The story line is slow to build, with most of the action and suspense saved for the end. The writing itself felt a bit clumsy, but once again this could be a product of authorial intention (writing for a young audience). I would certainly recommend the Cirque du Freak series for young readers (age nine or so), but I don't think I'll continue the series myself.

Challenges
75-Book Challenge: Book 6
1010 Challenge: Suggested by Others Book 1
Off-the-shelf:

5.
Author: Verlyn Flieger
Title: Pig Tale
Publication: New York: Hyperion, 2002
Pages: 321 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Acquisition: Purchased January 2010
Date Completed: January 15, 2010
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

In the spirit of fairness I want to begin my review with a confession: I adore Dr. Flieger. In 2007 I took her graduate seminar on Tolkien at UMCP, and from the very beginning I admired her on several levels. Because of this my review may be partial, but my enjoyment of her novel is very real.

Pig Tale is a fairy tale of the classic sort, before the creation of childhood and the evolution of "age-appropriate" ideas for children's literature. It is dark and occasionally repulsive as it honestly presents some of the darker traits that come with small (and large) communities. The surreality of fairy tales and magic is limited, allowing Flieger's novel to function as a traditional folktale rather than a contemporary fantasy, dripping in mythology and tricks. The story carries a timeless and placeless quality that will allow it a kind of longevity, and the characters themselves are as real as they are ugly. The reader grows with Mokie, and the careful pacing of the novel allows for a high level of interest that is ultimately rewarded.

Technically, Pig Tale is published as a young adult novel, but I think it is worthy of a larger audience. I thoroughly enjoyed my own reading, and can't wait to read it to my boys.

Challenges
75-Book Challenge: Book 4
1010 Challenge: YA Book 1
Off-the-shelf:

4.
Author: Daniel Hahn
Title: Poetic Lives: Coleridge
Publication: London: Hesperus Press, 2009..
Pages: 168 pages
Genre: Biography, poetry
Acquisition: December Library Thing Early Review
Date Completed: January 13, 2010
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

In a sentence, Poetic Lives is exactly what it claims to be - a "short, authoritative biograph{y} of {one of} the world's best known poets, illustrated by extracts from {his} work".

My initial reaction to Hahn's biography was not positive; the writing is terse and distant, and the juxtaposition of Hahn's biography and Coleridge's often amazing poetry did not seem flattering to the project as a whole. If asked to write a review based on the first thirty pages or so I would have said that it reads like a wikipedia article with none of the charm.

However, I took a step back from the work, read the back cover (from which I took the above quotation), and settled back in to read the book as it is intended. The "Poetic Lives" series does not claim to present in-depth and thoughtful biographies; rather, the goal seems to be to place a poet's work within the context of their lives so that an audience may better understand the work itself. And this is exactly what Poetic Lives: Coleridge accomplishes. Coleridge was inspired by life, and so looking at some of his work as part of his biography helps focus a reading of his poetry in the proper light. In this way this short volume is very interesting.

Poetic Lives: Coleridge is not an overly-scholarly publication, but I would imagine that it would be very helpful and enlightening for students, particularly undergraduates who are studying the Romantics for the first time. The lack of "scholarship" also opens the book to a wider audience, making it suitable for popular reading for anyone with a passing interest in Coleridge and his work.

Challenges
75-Book Challenge: Book 4
1010 Challenge: Poetry/Plays Book 1
Off-the-shelf:

3.
Author: Bill Bryson
Title: A Short History of Nearly Everything
Publication: New York: Broadway Books, 2003.
Pages: 478, not counting notes
Genre: Nonfiction, science
Acquisition: Off my partner's shelf
Date Completed: January 13, 2010
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

I believe it was Stasia that remarked that Bryson's book is anything but "short", and in 478 pages of general text he attempts to cover, well, nearly everything about our planet.

A Short History of Nearly Everything is highly regarded by several men I admire, including my grandfather, my partner, and his grandfather. Each has read Bryson's book a number of times, gaining new insight each time. They never fail to recommend the book to others, and I picked up the book this month fully prepared to be amazed.

Unfortunately, I am not as enthralled with Bryson's work as my relatives. The general writing of A Short History of Nearly Everything is interesting and easy to follow, and is directed towards a general audience that makes the book approachable as a whole. In terms of its content the book is a general glossing of all scientific studies, focusing largely on the questions of how and why our planet came to be, what keeps it going, and how it all ended up with us. My interest varied with each chapter; passages dedicated to subjects I already find interesting were informative and entertaining, but my attention drifted on subjects I either find dull or simply too outside my area of understanding.

I would recommend A Short History of Nearly Everything to those with an interest in reading general science books, but it may not hold your attention if you're more interested in the humanities.

Challenges
75-Book Challenge: Book 3
1010 Challenge: Nonfiction Book 1
Off-the-shelf: Book 6

A night on the town with Mel Brooks

Young Frankenstein is my favorite Mel Brooks film, and one of my favorite movies of all time. So when my husband pointed out Young Frankenstein the Musical in the Kennedy Center magazine I simply didn't have the strength to resist.

Luckily, my husband appreciates Mel Brooks, and so do a couple of our friends, so we were able to make quite a night out of it. With music and lyrics by Mel Brooks himself I didn't think we could go wrong.

The evening started with dinner at Brasserie Beck on K street. I ordered a fillet with green peppercorns and cognac sauce, and it was amazing. But the gateau of chocolate was nearly lethal. I wish I could remember the wine we ordered, but I wasn't paying close enough attention. In the end all I can really say is that I thought dinner was fantastic.

After a leisurely meal we drove to the theatre just in time to get settled before they dimmed the lights. The Kennedy Center is a great venue for the performing arts (even if their statue of Kennedy leaves much to be desired), and our seats offered a clear and comfortable view of the show.

Roger Bart (from "Desperate Housewives", apparently, but also Carmen Ghia in The Producers) plays young Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of the late Victor von Frankenstein. A humble professor of medicine, Frederick fights his family legacy, even after he learns that he is the sole heir to his crazy grandfather's land and fortune. However, the pull of the "family business" proves too much, and Frederick finds himself singing and dancing down the same path of his deceased relatives.

Roger Bart is a fantastic Dr. Frankenstein. Pulling not only from Gene Wilder's original representation, but also seemingly from characters such as Leo Bloom of The Producers (or maybe his former part in the most recent film), Bart makes the role his own while still giving the audience a bit of the doctor that has long been familiar. Bart's Frankenstein is more of a showman than a mad scientist, and he skillfully translates the role from film to stage musical.

The rest of the cast, however, leaves something to be desired. No one else in the cast seems to evolve in their role, and resorts to shouting or exaggerating the dialog as if to play up the film references without actually acting out the part. Their portrayals left me longing for Teri Garr, Marty Feldman, and Madeline Kahn. However, Roger Bart's performance and Mel Brooks' musical compositions pull it through, making Young Frankenstein the Musical a delightful stage production, and a treat for every Mel Brooks fan.

"Deeeep, looooovvveee....."

2. Andrews, Donna. The Penguin Who Knew Too Much. 1.04.10

This is a pretty standard Meg Langslow book: random assortment of animals + father who takes WAY too many liberties + random corpse = mystery. I really enjoyed the slightly over-the-top turns that Meg Langslow novels take, and found the ending pretty interesting. The Meg Langslow books are a dependable and consistent cozy mystery series.

Well, I'm off to a slow start this year. Here's book #1:


1. Grafton, Sue. 'C' is for Corpse. 1.3.10.

What I appreciate most in Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series is her attention to realism. Kinsey Millhone is a professional private detective, licensed by the state, and operating in "the real world". The books stick to this idea, and present mysteries in an almost pedestrian manner; while in the middle of a case Kinsey stops by her office, sorts through her mail, drinks coffee, and goes grocery shopping. The little details of the day-to-day are all there, and while they may come off as a bit tedious at times (usually when you've read several books in a row, all with the same details), the overall effect is one of grounded reality. Kinsey is not a super hero; it is not unusual for her to encounter some extreme scenarios because it is in fact her job to pursue mysteries - or insurance fraud (after all, both pay the bills). 'C' is for Corpse is not an extraordinary book, but I can appreciate it for its consistency, and will continue to work my way back through the series.