Some Overdue Reviews

A total mish-mash, today, of books that got buried on my TBR pile through absolutely no fault of their own. They are new to me, anyway, and hopefully still new to you!

9780062302038

Rosenthal and Reynolds make a great team, once again. Spare text and simple illustrations combine perfectly to speak volumes, as Little Miss becomes a big sister... 

Then...Ow.

NOW!

WOW!

What now?

...and then discovers all the joys (and the minor tribulations) that come with that new title. A possibility for children about to welcome a new sibling, but also an endearing reminder later on of how nice it is to be - or have - a big brother or sister. I can see this one going under more than a few Christmas trees!


9780062342294

Love the Chickies! Their earlier titles are very popular with our youngest set, and the squishy but sturdy board book covers have held up very well. As with the others, little ones (and their grown-ups) will relate easily to the silly Chickies' pattern off getting dirty, resisting a bath, resisting getting out of the bath, and then getting dirty all over again.

   

Switching gears JUST a tad, this is my new favorite YA series. Yes, there is a love triangle, yes, it's a story of a girl discovering she has a hidden power, but no, you haven't read this one before. I wouldn't have picked the first one up myself if someone hadn't said the same to me and they were so right! Give yourself time to read it in a few long sittings, because the world building is strong, and it can be hard to pull yourself back to 'reality'. I just finished the second in the series (because those darn patrons kept putting in requests before I could get to it), and it was even better than the first - not always the case in series! That one came out in July, and we reportedly have to wait until August of 2016 for the third. Get on it, Pearson! 

Review: The Miles Between, by Mary E. Pearson

9780312659264

Seventeen-year-old Destiny keeps a painful childhood secret all to herself until she and three classmates from her exclusive boarding school take off on an unauthorized road trip in search of "one fair day."

This is going to be one of those how-it-made-me-feel reviews. You know how, when you read some books, it affects the way you think and act? With this one, I felt myself being more patient, more accepting of other people - never a bad thing! Possibly because Destiny is very much resigned to the way things are going to play out, and despite her intense misgivings, she mostly just lets them be. Even when she feels the need to step in and try to direct someone's thoughts, she then checks herself and steps back, to allow them their own feelings (no spoilers - I'll just say page 76).

Another thing I noticed, in keeping with the idea of a fair day, is that I started noticing things in real life that were 'fair'. I stole a few minutes to read another chapter (or two) before going into Walmart (implied 'ugh'). The first thing I was searching for was just a vague idea in my mind...something I wanted for Shane's birthday...a vague size, vague color, and I would need to be able to do this thing to it...that! It's perfect! And with wheels, even better than perfect! (You'll have to wait for another blog post to see what it is.) Then, the very first wedding card I picked up was absolutely perfect for my brother and future sister-in-law - no need to gag through several dozen on my limited lunch hour. Finally, the FIRST carton of eggs I opened was perfect, no cracks. Guys, that NEVER happens!

Okay, nothing monumental there, but I noticed the good things more, which, again, is never a bad thing.

Then. Then there was the secret. I thought at first I might know what it was, but...this is Mary "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" Pearson, so I knew it wouldn't be too predictable. And, I knew from reading other very vague reviews that this isn't a sci-fi book like the Fox series, so that ruled out some possibilities. The more I read, the more I REALLY REALLY wanted to know what the secret was! I have never been a flip-to-the-end kind of reader, but I was very tempted...fortunately, I was too invested in the story to cheat myself of any of it. There are wonderful lines to savor, like, "Even now I'm afraid, but I'm in a new place, a place where I can't go back, a place I am being sucked to against my will, a place where a soft underside is exposed." Parts like that make plausible how much Destiny's personality, and in fact her life, change in this one day.

And then about page 165 (shortly after the above quote), I started blinking back tears. Darn contacs.

Page 212 got really blurry, too. They need to talk with the printer.

Finally...oh, man. I was right after all. But, holy crap.

No gift giving suggestions with this, because while there are a million symbols along the way, the books stands all by itself. Give it to any teen or young adult in your life - with a box of tissues, maybe, and a promise to go get coffee and discuss it the moment she finishes it (which means you need to read it, too!) Guess I had a suggestion after all.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to reapply my mascara.