Book review - King Dork Approximately

Title: King Dork Approximately
Author: Frank Portman
Genre: realistic fiction/humor
Similar books: Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film About the Grapes of Wrath by Steven Goldman
                     Lexapros and Cons by Aaron Karo
Rating:

Be ready to laugh

Summary: Life is changing quickly for Tom, the titular King Dork. in the wake of scandal his assistant principal has vanished and the school is closing its doors. For the first time in his school career Tom will be separated from his best friend Sam. Can Tom figure out the social structure of his new school, make his band a success, and get a real girlfriend at last?
My opinion: King Dork got a chuckle and an eyeroll from me. Fun, I figured, but not really something to write home about. This sequel, in the other hand, felt far more clever and noteworthy. I marked several passages I wanted to remember, either because they were thought-provoking or stinking funny. There is sufficient explanation for those who haven't read the first volume but not so much as to annoy those who have. A clever read for the dorks among us.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Six faces of Doctor Who

For some time now, I've wanted to repaint a Rubix cube. With Christmas on the way I finally have an excuse. I found a cube at Dollar Tree, peeled off all of the stickers, and painted these Doctor Who themed images on it with acrylic paint. While the central screw makes painting the images a little tricky, I'm pretty pleased with the final result.

I managed to line u the hole with the angel's mouth on this one.

Book review - Suspicion

Title: Suspicion
Author: Alexandra Monir
Genre: mystery/magical realism
Similar books: Impossible by Nancy Werlin
                     Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Rating:

Not my favorite

Summary: Seven years ago, Imogen's parents died in a fire that destroyed the family manor. Ever since, she has been living in New York with her new guardians. When she is forced to return to England, Imogen learns that the Rockford estate holds many dark secrets, at least one of which will change her life.
My Opinion: I go back and forth with this book. On the one hand, it has pretty good atmosphere. The world of Rockford manor is nicely described, plenty of background description to help us visualize the setting. The characters are okay. Imogen and her friends have decent depth. Everyone else is sort of nebulous and changeable. A certain amount of uncertainty is necessary given the nature of the plot, but some of the lack of characterization goes too far. The plot is sort of messy, one moment tight and tense, the next loose and kind of sloppy. I thought the ending was a little haphazard and could have used a little more foreshadowing. Still, it's a pretty decent read especially if you like magic and English gentry.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Books on screen

Basil of Baker Street/The Great Mouse Detective

These days, both this book and the movie are pretty obscure. In spite of reading the book and seeing the movie, both during my childhood, I only recently connected the two. To be honest, they don't have terribly much in common apart from character names. In the book, Basil idolizes Sherlock Holmes and spends many hours observing the great detective. the movie's Basil may as well be Holmes and barely seems aware of his human counterpart. The plots are entirely different. The book deals with the kidnap-for-ransom of two mouse children, lured away by their abductors with candy. In the movie it is the father who has been taken by the villainous Ratigan in order to overthrow the queen. Perhaps the Disney writers thought that children would respond poorly to the notion of being kidnapped (though you would think the idea of having your parents stolen would be far worse) or perhaps they were simply looking for a plucky young heroine. Notably, each version of the story tells us something about the era. the book was published in the 50s and stars adults who rescue children who's foolishness allowed them to be captured. The movie was released in the late 80s and is far more action oriented, showing a young girl acting on her own. 
If you're fond of an older writing style, a traditional detective, stick with the book. But if you like more humor, songs, and child heroes the movie is well worth watching.

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?
King Dork Approximately by Frank Portman
At the end of King Dork, Tom had suffered a head wound that led to some mild memory loss and a lot of sympathetic attention from girls. Now that things are getting back to normal, Tom finds himself questioning just what normal really is. The rest of his tenth grade year finds him questioning relationships, secrets, rock and roll, and pretty much everything else he thought he understood.
I found King Dork, pretty amusing and endearing. As I've started reading this sequel I imagine my reaction will be the same. The narration style is a little different with this one, though, so be prepared for that.
 
What did you recently finish reading?
The Sham by Ellen Allen
Ever since she moved to Clevesham a year ago, Emily has been planning for the day when she will leave. With that day nearly upon her, she's trying to stay focused, to avoid trouble. Then she meets Jack, a mysterious boy who's been living with a group of Travelers. Jack is noble, handsome, and sick. His memory is failing and his body seems to be falling apart. Clevesham seems to be falling apart too. Strange graffiti has been showing up around town. And girls are disappearing. How will Emily know who to trust and what to believe?
This is a slightly odd, rather British, mystery. I really wasn't clear on exactly what was happening until the very end. 
 
What do you think you will read next?
Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay
Yay for fractured fairy tales! This one promises to take Sleeping Beauty from a passive character, waiting for rescue, to a hero in her own right.

Redwall mice

My niece has a birthday coming up. As the librarian aunt, I always give the kids books. But I also like to give them something fun. This has gotten harder as the kids get older. Now that my niece will officially be a teenager, I had a hard time thinking of what to give her. Luckily, she's a big Redwall fan, so I was able to put together this little polymer clay figure inspired by Father Abbott.

 

Book review - Rebels By Accident

I'm very excited today to be a stop on Patricia Dunn's virtual tour for her new book Rebels by Accident. Here is my review!

Title: Rebels by Accident
Author: Patricia Dunn
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Does My Head Look Big in This by Randa Abdel-Fattah
                      #16thingsithoughtweretrue by Janet Gurtler
Rating:

Eye-opening

Summary: Miriam has always been a rule-follower. The one time she decides to rebel by sneaking out to go to a party, she and her best friend Deanna are arrested. Her parents have had enough. They send her to Egypt to spend the rest of the school year with her grandmother. Miriam expects to spend the year locked in her room, studying. Egypt has a lot more to offer than she expected, especially when a girl named Asmaa incites a rebellion.
My Opinion: There is a lot to like about this book. Miriam and Deanna are realistic, likeable characters. They make bad choices and are frequently guided by fear. the atmosphere is excellent. We see Egypt as this odd combination of the traditional and modern (much like my favorite character, Sittu). It does feel like a lot happens in this book in a very short time. We're talking about a matter of days. This is only a minor complaint, though. Just consider all that this book accomplishes: a more realistic picture of Egypt in the modern era, Miriam coming to an understanding of what it means to be Egyptian and Muslim, etc. If you're like reading about journeys of self-discovery and global education, this might just be the book for you.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.



Like the sounds of this book? Want to read a little bit more? Sourcebooks and Patricia Dunn have provided this teaser.

Rebels By Accident Excerpt

Sixteen (well, almost sixteen), and I’m behind bars. Okay, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic. It’s not as if I’m locked up with serial killers or slashers, but I’m in a cell. Deanna’s with me, along with about thirty other underage girls who were also at the party and didn’t run away in time or convince the police to let them go.

As we piled into squad cars, I watched these girls (and even a few guys) put on all the moves—-crying, flirting, screaming, fainting, even begging—-to get out of the arrest, but none of it worked.

I have to say Deanna gave it her best. Not being able to crack a smile really worked to her advantage when the officer in charge said to her that he was glad someone was taking the situation seriously. She wasn’t kidding when she said she was a great litigator like her mom. When the cop found me hiding in the bathtub with the shower curtain drawn (could I have picked a more obvious place?) and dragged me downstairs with the rest of the crowd, there was Deanna, telling the police we shouldn’t be responsible for the actions of some stupid guys who brought beer to the party. She almost had one cop convinced to let us go when Karen, the bane of my existence, stepped forward and threw up on his shoes.

All through elementary school and middle school, Karen and her drone Beth talked trash about me and my family. Their favorite insults were that my dad was in Al--Qaeda and my mom was only one of his many wives.

At least she’s not in our cell. They put her, and all the other vomiting kids, in a separate cell—-with buckets.

Still, it stinks in here. I stick my nose between the bars, trying to breathe air that doesn’t smell like puke, beer, or raw fish. Who has an open sushi bar at a high school party? Then again, what would I know about parties? This is the only party I’ve been to since first grade.

“Come on, Mar. It’s not that bad.” Deanna pushes against my shoulder. I don’t budge. I don’t say anything.

“Funny how we started the night trying to break into the party, and now we just want to get out.” Deanna stands closer to me, but I can’t even look at her. If I do, I’ll start to cry. And I’m already the biggest freak at school.

“Look, I know you’re flipping out here, but everything will be okay.”

“Are you kidding me?” I turn to her and lower my voice. “I’m in jail. Do you know how happy this is going to make my parents?”

“Happy?”

“Now they can feel totally justified when they never let me leave our apartment again.”

“Relax.”

Relax? We’ve just been arrested! We are in a holding cell with girls who have picked on me—-or, worse yet, ignored me—-since kindergarten. On top of that, my parents are going to kill me! Why did I let Deanna talk me into going to this party?

Okay, the truth: she didn’t have to talk me into anything. I wanted to go. I would’ve done anything, even lie to my parents, to crash a party. I knew I wasn’t invited and that I’d probably be kicked out as soon as someone saw me. But forcibly removed—-by the police? That I didn’t expect.

Still, I shouldn’t blame Deanna for helping me get what I wanted. But I do. It was an amazing night of music and dancing. Yes, I danced with three guys! And nobody made jokes about my dad being a towel--head or my uncle being Bin Laden…Tonight I was dancing and laughing. I wasn’t a freak or a weirdo; I was just another girl having fun.

“Actually,” I say, turning to Deanna, “thanks.”

“You’re thanking me?” she asks.

“Hey, I know I’m in big trouble but tonight was an adventure—-probably the last one I’ll have until I’m thirty.”

“Don’t mention it,” she says. Most people would say she has no expression on her face, but I can tell she’s smiling