The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship Of Her Own Making

Summary from goodreads:
Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.  With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. 

I wanted to be swept away by the magic and the whimsy of this novel but I had a hard time getting into it. I started it before my vacation. Gave up and read something else. And then I tried to read it after my vacation. I gave up and read something else. And then I got even farther into the book (about 80 pages) and gave up again. I came back to it and the rest managed to fly by, but it was hard to become comfortable with this writing style for me.


I think you can already tell how the book is going to go, just by reading the title. Every sentence is wordy and complex. All the descriptions are way over the top. It feels very Alice in Wonderland-ish, but it's just so very long.... For me, it was just too much, but I've read tons of reviews that absolutely rave about this book.


And I can see why, because holy cow was the plot good. 


It was a brilliant weaving of events, places, objects, characters. It felt Newbery-ish in that way and I've been hearing buzz that it's high in contention for the Newbery. I'd be surprised, though - Newbery hasn't picked many fantasy books recently. 


Anyway, by the end I was completely in love with the characters and even a little misty-eyed at one point. The villain is a fantastic, complex creation. And September is very likable. Nay, lovable. And my favorite character was half dragon (ok, technically half Wyvern) and half library. What's not to love? This book came really close, but I just don't feel like I can give it a completely glowing review because the language and story-telling style were hard for me to get into.


P.S. And I have to mention that part of the reason I picked this up in the first place is because September is from Omaha! Since I lived there for three years I thought it was fun to have it mentioned so often, even if the Green Wind never mentioned Omaha without insulting it. :D

Illusions

This is Aprilynne Pike's third book, sequel to Wings and Spells. I was a little disappointed to find out that it wasn't the last book in the series, though. Apparently it will be a four book series. Better be. I hate waiting to find out what happens in a series. This is why I loved Gone With the Wind. Have a long story to tell? Put it all in one massive book! Nobody does that anymore, no doubt because it's far more lucrative to release four books than one 1,000+ page book.

Now that I'm done complaining, I will tell you that I actually really enjoyed this book. I really wasn't impressed by the second, so this came as a surprise to me. I think I was just in exactly the right mood when I picked this up. I wanted something light and fluff and magical and that's what this is. I also really love that Aprilynne Pike is an LDS author and keeps her books really clean. I won't say much more about the plot because I don't want to give you any spoilers. My only other comment on this book is that I still wish Aprilynne Pike would flesh out her mythology more instead of focusing so much on that wretched love triangle. There are some really interesting magical elements in this book and I find Laurel's powers fascinating. Hopefully there's much more of that in the final book, which I'm wishing I could already read because this book has a nasty cliffhanger. Mean, mean, mean. Why do they do that to me?

Toads and Diamonds

Diribani has come to the village well to get water for her family's scant meal of curry and rice. She never expected to meet a goddess there. Yet she is granted a remarkable gift: Flowers and precious jewels drop from her lips whenever she speaks.

It seems only right to Tana that the goddess judged her kind, lovely stepsister worthy of such riches. And when she encounters the goddess, she is not surprised to find herself speaking snakes and toads as a reward.

Blessings and curses are never so clear as they might seem, however. Diribani’s newfound wealth brings her a prince—and an attempt on her life. Tana is chased out of the village because the province's governor fears snakes, yet thousands are dying of a plague spread by rats. As the sisters' fates hang in the balance, each struggles to understand her gift. Will it bring her wisdom, good fortune, love . . . or death?

So, I started this book, got about twenty pages in and put it down. I read several books in between before I got back to it. It's a bit of a slow start, and I hard a hard time getting into the setting (based on Indian culture). Once I was in, though, it flew - and I ended up really loving this book. I've always been a fan of fairy-tale retellings, and this one's a bit obscure and isn't done as often. There are two stories told in this book, one for each sister, and Heather Tomlinson did an awesome job of weaving them together. Truly well done with just the right touch of romance. 

My Unfair Godmother

Official blurb:

Tansy Miller has always felt that her divorced father has never had enough time for her. But mistakenly getting caught on the wrong side of the law wasn't exactly how she wanted to get his attention. Enter Chrysanthemum "Chrissy" Everstar, Tansy's fairy in shining, er, high heels. Chrissy is only a fair godmother, of course, so Tansy's three wishes don't exactly go according to plan. And if bringing Robin Hood to the twenty-first century isn't bad enough for Tansy, being transported back to the Middle Ages to deal with Rumpelstiltskin certainly is. She'll need the help of her blended family, her wits, and especially the cute police chief 's son to stop the gold-spinning story from spinning wildly out of control. Janette Rallison pulls out all the stops in this fresh, fun-filled follow-up to the popular My Fair Godmother.


I have NEVER laughed so hard out loud while reading a book. That's it. I'm completely sold on Janette Rallison. I'm ready to check all her books out from the library; I don't care if the titles sound like cheesy teenage stories.

Besides being funny, this book had so much heart. I ached for Tansy while I was reading the first chapter. She's such a good heroine. She's not perfect and she learns so much about how to forgive herself and others and make the most out of her life. I loved her! And all the other characters were equally lovable and fabulous. There are themes in this book that aren't just for teenagers, but situations and moments that really spoke to me about the human experience we all go through. Good. Good. Good.

Have I convinced you yet? You really need to read this book. And My Fair Godmother too.

Entwined

First off, it's a gorgeous cover, no?

Official blurb:

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.


But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.


Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.



This is another retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses fairy tale and it's quite good. BUT.... I have to say that I liked Princess of the Midnight Ball a bit better. Still, this is probably my favorite book genre, so I pretty much ate it up. The writing was lovely and there was some great emotion in the story. My complaints are that the world Heather Dixon created could have been more unique; it seemed to be a carbon copy of our world. I don't know - I just like my fantasies to feel... well, I'm not sure, but I want to travel somewhere. Most of the problem came out in the language. One character was obviously british, another obviously german, another french, etc... The main character kept saying "Great scott!" which got on my nerves because it's such a colloquial saying. And maybe it just reminded me of Back to the Future too much. I thought Heather Dixon could have stretched her imagination just a bit more on the language and character names.

But the characters themselves were fantastic. I loved Azalea and Lord Bradford and all the sisters, particularly Bramble. The King was a great character - very complex and dynamic. And I have to say that Lord Teddie (aka Lord Haftenravensher) made me laugh out loud several times. When this happens, Sarah looks at me and says, "Mom... is your book funny? Will you read it to me?" Yes, Sarah. I'll let you read this book someday. It's funny and sweet and very clean (I'm loving all these LDS authors who are publishing YA books!).

The Ordinary Princess

Goodreads says: Along with Wit, Charm, Health, and Courage, Princess Amy of Phantasmorania receives a special fairy christening gift: Ordinariness. Unlike her six beautiful sisters, she has brown hair and freckles, and would rather have adventures than play the harp, embroider tapestries . . . or become a Queen. When her royal parents try to marry her off, Amy runs away and, because she's so ordinary, easily becomes the fourteenth assistant kitchen maid at a neighboring palace. And there . . . much to everyone's surprise . . . she meets a prince just as ordinary (and special) as she is!

I LOVE this book! I had forgotten completely about it until I recently stumbled on it over at amazon. I read the description and realized that this was one of my favorite books as a child. It was so fun to read it again. If you like Gail Carson Levine or Shannon Hale or fairy tales in general, you will enjoy this book. I love the twists and turns in the plot and how plucky and enjoyable Amy's personality is. She refuses to let her parents hire a dragon to lure in an unsuspecting prince (for the purpose of marrying her off), so she runs away and manages to figure out her own destiny. She works and enjoys it! She thinks for herself! She doesn't mind getting dirty! Needless to say, she's far different from her vapid and gorgeous (and insipid) sisters. And she's all the better for it. This is a great story for young girls (or anyone) with a very good moral. It is a short read - just over 100 pages. Definitely next on my list of 'to-read to Sarah' books. I'm so excited to share it with her.

My Fair Godmother

This. This is exactly what I'm looking for when I read YA books usually meant for teenagers. I absolutely loved this book. About half-way through I looked at Jon and said, "I'm buying this book." It shouldn't have taken me so long to actually read this book, because I've been hearing from book bloggers and author blogs (namely Shannon Hale) that it's amazing. It was Janette Rallison's other titles that turned me off. Things like Revenge of the Cheerleaders, and It's a Mall World After All. I was worried that this would be a ditzy teen novel, and I was wrong. While it does begin with a teenage/high school-ish setting, most of the book takes place in medieval times.

It's about Savannah, recently dumped by her boyfriend (so he can date her older sister), who qualifies for help from a fairy godmother. Only instead, she ends up with Chrysanthemum (Chrissy) Everstar - who is only a 'fair' godmother with a tendency to seriously mess up wishes. I won't tell you much more, but before you know it, Savannah is stranded in medieval times along with a friend and, essentially, hilarity ensues. That and some serious character development. I loved Savannah; she was a strong heroine, which is exactly how I like my female protagonists.

The plot is multi-layered and interesting. Lots of little details and crazy twists. Fun magic, emotional moments, great romance. Believable characters. Funny, witty. I'm a fan. It reminded me of two of my favorite books: Ella Enchanted and Goose Girl. But not really, because it was completely original. Oh, and did I mention that Janette Rallison is an LDS author? No need to worry about swear words or any inappropriate material of any sort. This is the kind of book our teens should be reading. It has definitely fast-tracked itself to the top of my to-buy list. Fans of YA lit, fantasy, romantic comedy, and fairy-tales: this book is for you!

Princess of Glass

This is another sweet story from Jessica Day George. It takes the tired out Cinderella plot and reinvents it in a beautiful way. I can't say, though, that I loved it as much as Princess of the Midnight Ball. And maybe it's just because I read it after Mockingjay. Unlike, Mockingjay, Princess of Glass IS a fairy tale. No one you love dies a horrible gruesome death and everyone who deserves it lives happily ever after. After reading Mockingjay, this book was actually very soothing on my scoured raw emotions. But, I can't help it if I found Princess of Glass just a little bit dull in comparison. The romance also left a little bit to be desired. In fact, a quote from the 1995 Sense and Sensibility movie comes to mind...

MARIANNE

Can the soul truly be satisfied with such... polite affections?

That about sums it up. I just had a hard time believing that this was a story about true love when the characters seemed so young and so... politely friendly to each other. Anyway, just my opinion. I still think it's a fabulous young teen book.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

This little beauty was a Newbery honor book for 2009. I have to agree with a friend of mine who recently told me she thought it should have won the medal. When You Reach Me was interesting and had a cool plot, but Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is spectacular. It is moving and has an incredible message. In a way it reminded me of The Tale of Despereaux because of it's profound simplicity. I loved everything about it.

The Amaranth Enchantment

I really liked this book. It is fantasy, and almost a Cinderella retelling (sorta, but not too much). There was a touch of sci-fi, which I don't think really worked in this book, but for a fantasy/princessy/YA story, it was nice to find something a little different. Some really fun and memorable characters are in this book as well. You won't regret reading it.

Princess Ben

Princess Ben came as a bit of a disappointment, although she came highly recommended. I think this book would be great for 7-9th graders, though. Ben (short for Benevolence) got on my nerves at times, but aside from that I loved the plot. It was just a bit juvenile for my tastes. Which doesn't make a lot of sense, because I read a lot of children's/YA lit and love it, but for some reason this one just seemed way too young for me.

Ella Enchanted

I love this book. Love, love, love, love it. It is about 500 quintillion times better than the movie of the same name. If you've seen the movie but haven't read the book, don't hesitate. The movie is deceiving in its mediocrity, because the book is first rate. In fact, it may be my favorite YA novel of all time. It is so clever!!! Ella is cursed with obedience. If someone were to say, "Ella, tie your shoes," or "Ella, cut off your own head," she'd have to do it. It is hilarious, emotional, magical, and ultra fabulously romantic.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

This is a must read. I say that a lot, but this time...well...you just have to read it. It is so awesome!!!

Beauty

Another read for my Children's Lit class. Beauty if McKinely's most popular book, and incidentally, my personal favorite McKinley work. Everything about it is gorgeous and perfect. Love the heroine, love the story (retelling of Beauty and the Beast), love the setting, love the pure magic of it all.

Spindle's End

Robin McKinley is the queen of fairy-tale retellings (I think I've already said that on this blog...). Spindle's End (a retelling of Sleeping Beauty) is a must read for the fairy-tale enthusiast. Just like Beauty, Spindle's End delivers with its beautifully described world and compelling heroine. No, Rosie is no Disney princess, but maybe that's why I loved her so much. :D Aside from that, Robin McKinley is probably the only author I know who can add so many details to her stories without bogging down the plot. This book is pure magic.

Princess of the Midnight Ball

What can I say? Princess of the Midnight Ball is my kind of book. I absolutely loved it! It was so beautifully written. This book is a retelling of the story of the twelve dancing princesses, and I just ate it up. It is my favorite Jessica Day George book yet (serious praise, considering my love of Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow). Perfect, perfect, perfect. Go read it.