Discount Armageddon

There are mice. Talking. Religious. Mice.

That is all.

Ok, that is not all. Fine. I picked this up because I love Rosemary and Rue as a series.  I dig this book because there are no vampires, werewolves (ok, yet) there is only science. Who doesn't have a secret obsession with cryptozoology? Ok. Maybe obsession is exaggerating. But really, it's a different take on the "traditional" urban fantasy stance - the Boogyman is real, and it's sexist to think that Boogymen are only men.

This book was a lot of fun - McGuire is always great for a laugh. I like how she explains cryptids, and gives a back story for those who aren't as familiar with the less-common mythical creatures. The book felt similar to early Supernatural episodes - there's a whole other world, full of everything that that goes bump in the night, and you were raised by a crazy family who set death traps to make you late to dinner so they could get the last piece of pie. Ok. I made up that part about the pie, but at my house getting the last piece of pie was a big deal.

There are also Mice. Aeslin mice. They're awesome - arguably the best part of the book. Hail. I may have loved them because I just read the Bloggess' Lets Pretend This Never Happened. I kind of picture them in real life, living in her house and it is practically magical. They live with Verity in her tiny sublet apartment and they had me actually laughing out loud. They worship her, and throw festivals to celebrate everything and that's just awesome.

In all honesty, I didn't love this book as much as I love her Rosemary and Rue series. I think as a series it has a lot of potential. I'm iffy on her being a ballroom dancer, but props for moving away from the more 'norm' UF career paths. And for a vampire not being a central character. Yet (?).

City of Man's Desire: A Novel of Constantinople

I was lucky enough to have won this book in a Goodreads contest. To be totally upfront, I probably would not have bought it on my own. That's not a fact though - I love anything historical (well documented) and have a weird love for Constantinople - or at least the romance of what I imagine Constantinople was. There are a few cities that I feel that way about - Marrakesh, Constantinople, Vienna... cities I would love to visit just because I've built them up in my mind. People always tell me I'll be disappointed, but I wasn't dissappointed when I finally got to Beijing, Florence and Barcelona, so whatever people. Whatever.


Regardless, I was excited to have won this book, and was thrilled when it finally came. I did, however make the mistake of bringing it with me when I went to visit my mom, and since I was "reading too many other books" she promptly stole it and read it first. Traitor. I finally got it back from her, and I devoured it - as much as this book can be devoured. This book is a love-letter to Constantinople, and it's written exactly how I wish I could write to the cities I love.  Golna brings the city to life, you feel like you are there, seeing the people, drinking the Turkish coffee and seeing everything Constantinople was at the turn of the century. 

I loved how Golna writes about this time in the history of Constantinople - it was a turbulent time for the people and the city itself.  The book was very real to me - each of the characters are so humanly flawed which I loved reading about.  I'm a little hesitant to write a review about this book other than I really really enjoyed it.  It's well documented I love historical fiction, and this book did not let me down. It's not a quick and easy read, but it's one I would recommend without hesitation - to fans of historical fiction and not!

Lets Pretend This Never Happened.

I've been reading the Bloggess for years, and while I always got a kick out of her posts, it was the idea of tormenting her husband with a Giant Metal Chicken I could get behind. Anyone in a relationship longer than a few years can get behind that, since we all have our Giant Metal Chickens. 

Jenny is basically who I want to be when I grow up - no, really. That's a little terrifying, but it's true. 

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of her book. Basically the best review I can give this book, is that as a librarian I'm pretty much giddy with excitement waiting for the things people will come tell me after they've read this book. From the (boring) I loved that it was an honest look at mental illness and survival (very true) to the (no seriously I can not wait) YOU LET MY CHILD READ THIS AND NOW THEY WANT A DEAD SQUIRREL PUPPET and THIS BOOK IS BLASPHEMY AND READING IT KILLS PUPPIES AND KITTENS.

I pretty much giggled in excitement when I found out I was getting the advance copy, and then waited not really patiently to get my copy and then it came and I was away and that basically destroyed me and there was a 3 day long emotional trauma period. Anyways. I finally got to my copy and it was everything I wanted it to be. Heart-breakingly (also, it tries to auto-correct breakingly to lawbreaking. Fitting) wonderful, actually laugh out loud funny (not just LOL'd) and hands down one of my favourite memoirs and books out there.Go. Buy it. As soon as you can. I might buy it again so I can see the pictures. But then, I kind of loved that they were blurry (they were blurry because it wasn't a final copy.) (though really, they should always be blurry I think.) (it adds to the MYSTERY). But I'm weird.

The book comes out April 17, and is pretty much available everywhere.

The Night Circus

I'm guilty of it, you're probably guilty of it - I buy books based on the cover. Look, I know. I'm a librarian. I get it. That's not HOW you should choose a book. There are better ways. I'm also guilty of NOT buying books based on the cover, and missed out on one of my favourite series for years because of it.

Whatever.

At any rate - I was wandering around the book store, and the cover caught my eye - I was burned out from a consulting gig, I wanted something with a bit more ... something ... then the urban fantasy I've been burning through, and a bit less substance than the Biography I've been warily eyeing and knowing I should just start already.  My roommate finished it before I got around to it on the pile of books to read and her liking it is generally a good sign that it's something I'll like.

This book took me forever to read. I read it pretty much a chapter at a time (which is very, VERY unlike me) and it took a solid month for me to finish.  The thing is, it's not because I didn't like it. I get why there were mixed reviews of it, and I get why there was a love/hate relationship with it a lot of readers seemed to have.  It's a bit of a slow book, and very layered - you need to pay attention to a lot of subtleties, or you're just going to get bored.

I, personally wasn't bored. I am firmly on the camp that this is one of the best books since ever, and I'm planning to recommend this book a lot, to (almost) everyone.  The imagery of the Circus was beautiful and made me wish there was something like it - it brought back that childhood memory of the fantasy and whimsy of the Circus' we went to as kids, the same Circus' that going to as grown ups lost a bit of their magic to adult eyes.   The book is high magical realism and I would say even if you end up on the not liking it, it is well worth a read.

American Gods

I love Neil Gaiman. A Lot. I get that you maybe don't. I do. I really do. I don't agree, but I do. I read American Gods 10 years ago when it first came out, and while it maybe wasn't EVERYTHING I wanted it to be, it was pretty damn close.

I've had more then a few people talk to me about it, and how they don't get Gaiman's books, and in particular, didn't get American Gods. Here's the thing about Gaiman - what he writes is Good Literature. He's not a writer I plow through, he's a writer I read.I admittedly read this book the day it came out - I'm not sure why I waited to write/blog my thoughts about it but I did.

Also, I feel I'm waxing poetic. Annoying. Here: Neil Gaiman. You get him or you don't.

I've always kind of loved the idea that gods do not exist on some vague eternal plane, but that they rather rise, and fall with cultures and civilizations and people and places. There's a lot of discussion about the similarities between the gods, and I love how Gaiman touches on that. I also love the idea that we have to be careful when we try and make gods into simple human forms - even putting aside my own beliefs to me the idea of simplifying our own theology is something to be careful about.

It's something of a cautionary tale - be careful what, who and how we worship, since the idea of gods lurk in our subconscious.American Gods is well worth a read. I've picked it up more then a few times over the past few years, and the 10th anniversary edition did not disappoint. I was THRILLED when I found out HBO and Gaiman are turning it into an HBO series. It's pretty much perfect for it. By pretty much, I mean totally. By totally, I mean I may just die. It's possible.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

Oh Christopher Moore. I adore you. I didn't always adore you, but I promise, I was wrong. I think I didn't always adore you because I first read Practical Demonkeeping when I was a little too young. Just a little. ok, I was 12 when I picked it up. Maybe wasn't the best call.

I'm sorry. It wasn't until I met my boyfriend and he was BLOWN AWAY I hadn't read Lamb that he pretty much gave me no option but to read it. This was 5, almost 6 years ago. So, hey. Long time coming. Apologies. I feel justified about writing this review now, because I have read Lamb since on almost a yearly basis. Yes, really. I've also since read everything Moore has written and loved it. Even Practical Demonkeeping. In particular, Fluke, A Dirty Job and The Stupidest Angel. But I digress. We're talking about Lamb. Focus.

Lamb is pretty much brilliant. I don't care if you're an Atheist, Jewish, Christian, FSM, you'll probably like it. Moore writes Comic Fantasy - Do not take him seriously. His novels usually involve conflicted everyman characters struggling through extraordinary circumstances - in this case, some poor schmuck who has the good (bad?) fortune of being Chirst's Childhood Best Friend. I know right?!  


The book is the parts of Joshua Bar Joseph's life that didn't make it into the bible. It starts with him constantly bringing a lizard back to life, moves on to his trying to figure out Sin (and hey, lucky Biff is the Guinea Pig) and moves onward and upward to why Jews eat Chinese food for Christmas (my mom was thrilled to finally have a rationalization).


Look, if you take your religion very conservatively, you probably shouldn't read this book. It's speculative fiction, re-interprets the life of Jesus, speculates on the gaps in the gospels and discusses the possibility of other religions being vital to the formation of Christianity.

Moore starts the book with the quote "God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh" (Voltaire). He's not wrong.

The only difference between a rut and a grave is their dimensions. Ellen Glasgow

I've been slack on blogging for a while. Well, two weeks (ish) but that's enough of a while for me. There are some huge life changes coming up for me, and without getting into any detail, I'll be in and out for a while.   I'm on Goodreads a fair bit, and I'm thinking new blog direction, new life direction new... everything. Change is good, right?

my read shelf:

I found that I find the things that you find important rather peculiar

I'm the first to admit that I think YA fiction is wonderful. No, really. I read it surprisingly often, and so do most of the people I know. Granted, a lot of those people are librarians, but not all of them are and that's what's important. To be 100% clear I am not talking about Twilight. My dirty librarian secret is that I've never actually read Twilight. Don't get me wrong, I have my own Super Secret Guilty Reading Pleasures (and there's more where that list comes from), but YA isn't one of them.  I'll also be the first to admit that sometimes I'm surprised to figure out that a book I'm reading is in fact YA fiction. More to the point, something I think about more and more as I feel more and more drawn to children's and youth librarianship/literacy is what books to recommend to teens and pre-teens when they ask for something "like (or not like) Twilight."

It's the age old question of what is appropriate to recommend, what is appropriate to recommend for different groups... it's a hard line to figure out. Book series I read when I was in the 13-19 year old stage were pretty varied, and ranged from Tamora Pierce to Tanya Huff to Anne Bishop (who even though I read it, I would hesitate to recommend to someone who was as old as I was when I read it).  I was lucky when I was a teen - my mom was a voracious reader, and she encouraged me to read anything and everything. I read Rohinton Mistry, Michael Ondaatje, most of the classics and pretty much anything I could get my hands on.  The thing is, when I was working with youth for Now Hear This)) I noticed that a surprising amount of parents were pretty conservative when it came to what they thought their kids should, and could be reading. Books my not only my mom, but my fairly conservative private school had no issue encouraging us to read were books that the schools and parents I was working with found "questionable."  We dealt with it on a case by case basis, one of my main objectives was to discuss with the parents and schools why they found the books "questionable" and explained to them why I thought they weren't. Since I never actually stopped reading YA fiction, both for work and pleasure, I felt (and feel) pretty confident in suggesting the following series to most teens, and most parents of teens!

Mercedes Lackey's 500 Kingdoms is one of those series. I grabbed it off the adult fantasy shelf at Chapters, and it wasn't until my roommate and I were joking we should write or edit Harlequin Romance novels to pay our way through grad school that I realized not only is this series technically a Harlequin Romance novel, but the first book off their Luna young adult label. It never occurred to me (or my roommate) that this was the case. In related news, this is a fabulous series and you should go read it. I have lent it to everyone ranging from a 17 year old girl to a 32 year old guy, and not only did neither of them realize it was a romance novel, but they both loved it so much they went out and bought their own copies of the entire series.

A friend of mine in real life introduced me to a friend of hers from Twitter who I met randomly at a TFC game then ran into at the Chapters she managed recommended the next series to me (yup. That's important.). I was hemming and hawing in the Fantasy section (over if I was going to read Patricia Briggs, something I've already discussed my being ridiculous about) and flipped out when she found out I hadn't read the Study series by Maria V. Snyder. In fairness, she was 100% right. It's a fabulously written YA series (that oh, hey, also in the adult fantasy section of Chapters). It's a series I can get behind recommending to anyone - it's historical(ish) with a little bit of... almost steampunk-ishbutnotreally with a kind of sci-fi-ish element. Tough to explain, but very much worth the read.  Very very much.

This being said, I really do think there are a ton of  books that are really YA friendly - and I'm not talking the (obvious) Tamora Pierce and Patricia C. Wrede books. Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a fabulous book, so is the entire OZ series (it's quite long, and quite wonderful). Percy Jackson I personally love, but then, it's Greek mythology, so no-brainer. Harry Potter is the old stand-by (do I date myself when I say that one of the worst work experiences I had was when I was working at an Arts Camp, I remember Harry Potter coming out and we had to stop the kids from reading so they could do crafts and play sports. It was awful, and we all felt terrible). Last (but nowhere least) the Bartimaeus trilogy is also fantastic. I tend to lean towards series when I'm recommending YA books - I find most of the readers like building a... friendship? with the characters. By readers, to be clear, I'm including myself!

Elle Me dit

If you look back (wayyyy back) to when I first started this blog it`s pretty clear I didn`t have a focus to it. I posted it kind of like my version of a memory book- I wrote recipes (which I`m tossing around posting again), pictures of where I went (I used to do way more apparently) and as a journal to the process of library school there in the end. What I didn`t talk about it seems, is what I was doing for a living. Who knows why, because at the time what I was doing was actually pretty fun. I was working in not-for-profit and I was fortunate enough to work with a pretty varied group of organizations doing everything from running Toronto Buskerfest to my personal favourite, Now Hear This)).

Now Hear This)) is a youth literacy project based out of Toronto and works mainly with the Catholic School Board (though when I was there we did private workshops, and worked with the TDSB as well) and had the purpose of bringing accessible literacy to the classroom. It`s a fabulous program - in the main program, SWAT (Students, Writers and Teachers), writers come into the classroom for about half a semester and teach students part of their English curriculum. As the site says "These workshops help develop literacy skills, cultivate talent and creativity, encourage self-expression and foster analytical and critical thought. Writers and teachers develop writing exercises together that complement course curricula and engage students in material they might otherwise find difficult and alienating."

Now Hear This)) is where my passion for literacy comes from - I believe so strongly that all people need for literacy is a chance. It's a fabulous program - I saw student after student who said they "hated to read" or "found books and writing boring" take a shift to the complete opposite direction, and, after the program was completed write, submit and have some pretty amazing works published in the Anthologies (they look slick, right!).

A big part of the reason I want to be a librarian is because of the work I did, and saw at Now Hear This)). Literacy is kind of like an invisible wall - many of the students I worked with thought they couldn't read, or that it was boring, or dumb, or whatever because they hadn't had a connection to it. When a writer came into their classroom and made it different, and therein interesting, literacy didn't seem so hard. It's one thing for a teacher to tell you to write an essay on the Shakespeare. It's another thing completely for a writer to tell you to read a graphic novel and that it's ok to write a paper on it, but oh hey, why don't you take a look the original play too, you might like it.

There are so many types of literacy - computer, math, dance, comics, and the list goes on. When you want to encourage literacy, embrace it in every form and use one form of literacy as a stepping stone for other forms of literacy.

A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is .... possibly going to by my favourite novel. I say that a lot. That I LOVE book X or Y, and I do. Most of the books I post about on here I love, because... why else would I post about them?

Anyways the novel is full of appealing elements: Oxford, Oxford libraries hidden manuscripts, secret societies and artifacts, history, science and magic. Not to mention witches and vampires and demons (oh my.) (sorry).

The thing is, I should be annoyed at this book. The heroine is a little annoying in her denial of reality, the hero is so smugly old fashioned and the book is verging on a romance novel. But I don't hate the book. The exact opposite in fact. The other thing is every other person I've talked to about it have also loved it. One was my roommate (notoriously picky about anything fantasy related) (though we have similar tastes so...) (ok, we may or may not be reading the same copy, and may or may not be fighting over who gets it) (ok, I may or may not have kidnapped the book to Waterloo). Another was another librarian - the thing with that one though, is it happened in the middle of a job interview. I was asked what I was reading (a shockingly common (ok, not shocking at all) question in library job interviews) and when I mentioned this book the other librarian launched into how much she loved the book. And then we both proceeded to inform the other two people that they had to read it, because it is fabulous.

I'll say it again - this book is fabulous. I'm about halfway done, and already bemoaning the fact that the next one won't be published until this summer.  For the first time in a long time, I'm not just reading to read.  So do yourself a favour and go pick up this book.