Tag Archive | surprises

Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, adapted by Stacy King, art by Po Tse (book review)

Jan13

book cover of Manga Classics Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen adapted by Stacy King published by Udon EntertainmentLove, misunderstanding,
ambition, social constraints,
Jane Austen told the story so well…

And Stacy King uses Austen’s own text along with Po Tse’s stylish illustrations to bring Pride and Prejudice  to lovers of classic lit, love stories, and manga in the newest of Udon’s Manga Classics series.

Which classic work would you like to see in manga style?
*kmm

Book info: Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice / Jane Austen; adapted by Stacy King; art by Po Tse. Udon Entertainment, 2014.  [series Facebook page]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Yes, a true manga version of Jane Austen’s classic tale of sisters, ambitions, misunderstandings, and love gone awry!

As you read it from back to front, enjoy Po Tse’s visual interpretations and Stacy King’s well-chosen selections from the original Austen text.

Mrs. Bennet is all a-flutter as the frenetic, social-climbing mother striving to marry her five daughters into higher social status. The aristocratic young men are portrayed as elegant and slim in their well-tailored attire, and the young ladies are most properly frocked, befrilled and doe-eyed (as manga style decrees).

This clever and enjoyable journey from countryside to country estate, from bad first impressions to proclamations of love and eternal devotion is one of the Manga Classics series by Udon Entertainment. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Book of Broken Hearts, by Sarah Ockler (book review) – memory is fickle; is love any different?

Jan6

book cover of Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler published by Simon PulseEl Demonio stealing Papi’s memories,
Family duty stealing Jude’s theater dreams,
Memories stealing Emilio’s happiness.
Can thieves be banished by hard work  – and love?

Jude is sure that Papi’s memory bank will refill if he can just ride once more on the Harley that took him up the Argentine mountains  read more here

Pills and Starships, by Lydia Millet (book review) – climate change, drugs, and lies

Jan3

book cover of Pills and Starships by Lydia Millet published by Akashic BooksToo sad to keep on living in a climate chaotic world,
her parents have chosen their time to die…
or is it the pharma talking?

Nat’s mom and dad – former environmental activists – could have waited just a few more years to invoke the Service Contract ending their lives, till the teen and her younger brother moved out as workers – why now?

In this too-possible dystopia, global warming has changed weather patterns, babies are now illegal, and new diseases mutating weekly make face-to-face contact rare.

Ask for Nat’s story at your local library or independent bookstore to see if she can find a way to keep her family together once she discovers the truths that pharma-corps are trying to hide. (I loved the book, but its title… not so much)

**kmm

Book info: Pills and Starships / Lydia Millet. Black Sheep/Akashic Books, 2014.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [author interview on NPR]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Preparing to honor her parents’ final week of life, Nat learns that big money uses pharma to trick the few remaining Americans into thinking that global warming has eliminated the entire natural world.

At a tropical resort devoted to final Contracts, the teen and her hackerkid brother discover real plants and animals and people who think for themselves.  Are pharma-corporations really lying to the public about imminent doomsday?

Her decision about joining the rebels must come soon, as her parents’ date with a lethal farewell drink in mere days will leave Nat and Sam in a group survivors’ home in Oregon – are her parents really sad enough about the state of the world to leave it forever?

When a mega-hurricane hurtles toward Hawai’i, will it be too late to rescue her not-old parents and not-old-enough brother?

Addressed to an imagined friend safely orbiting this climate-chaos world, Nat reflects in the Contract-provided mourning journal about Starships and Pills  and her unexpected opportunity to escape pharma-managed life… if she can. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

The Lost, by Sarah Beth Durst (book review) – lost her way & her self, forever?

Dec30

book cover of The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst published by Harlequin MiraBreaking out of her normal drive to work, speeding through the desert, away from cancer specialists and Mom’s insistence that everything is fine.

“Unfortunately, I seem to have packed all my emotional baggage for this impromptu road trip,” to where? Click to read more

Take Kids to the Bookstore Day is today! (we’re all kids, right?)

Dec6
sketch of open book with flowing bookmark by ee from openclipart.org

by ee from openclipart.org

Today is designated “Take Kids to the Bookstore Day” (well, officially “Take Your Child to the Bookstore Day” it says here, but I believe in arriving at book palaces en masse), so bring kiddos to your favorite bricks-and-mortar bookstore for a great Saturday outing (find your nearest independent bookseller using IndieBound search).

And what books should you point out to kids? Help young readers take www.abookandahug’s What Reading SuperHero Are You? short quiz, then discover new favorites tagged by their reader-type (or keyword or age) among the 7,000+ librarian-created reviews of books for babies, kids, tweens, and teens to start their own wishlists (I have over 300 posted there – search Manck).

If you’re heading for the bookstore alone to buy for kids, try Who’s On First  for anyone who loves baseball or funny books (my review here), Cornelia Funke’s Ghost Knight  for tweens hooked on mysteries or the medieval (review here), and Dave Roman’s Astronaut Academy series of graphic novels – Zero Gravity  (review) and Re-Entry  (review) – for the reader who’d enjoy Hakata’s classes in dinosaur-riding and fireball tournaments in space school.

Amid the holiday shopping frenzy of keyboard-clacking and mouse-clicking, please shop at the physical bookstores that bring authors to our own towns, plan fun events for all ages, and give us an opportunity to find that book we didn’t know we were looking for. Remember that BooksYALove always seeks out great YA books beyond the bestsellers for you (and never has ads or affiliate links).

Wishing you book serendipity all year!
**kmm

Get Happy, by Mary Amato (book review) – wanted: uke, dad, happiness

Dec4

book cover of Get Happy by Mary Amato published by EgmontTeen songwriter wants an ukulele and better days.
Teen’s long-gone dad wants to see her at last.
Teen’s hyper-organized mom wants him to stay gone.

As the Rolling Stones sang, “You can’t always get what you want,” but be assured that the teens eventually do get what they need, even if they don’t know what it is Read on, read on!

Soul still here? Meet Me at the River, by Nina de Gramont (book review)

Nov8

book cover of Meet Me at the River by Nina de Gramont published by Atheneum Books for Young ReadersMoving past grief means leaving Luke behind.
Tressa just can’t do that,
but she can’t find peace among the living either. read my recommendation

When you need to know How To Survive a Sharknado… (book review)

Nov6

book cover of How to Survive a Sharknado by Andrew ShafferMongolian Death Worm? Not my continent.
Sharktopus? Ain’t near the beach.
Firenado? Uh-oh, we’re in a high-risk area!

Whether you’re a fan of the Syfy TV-movie or just want to be prepared for every possible (or improbable) emergency, you will find plenty to chuckle about in How to Survive a Sharknado.

If you can’t find this tongue-in-cheek survival manual at your local library, check the Humor shelves of your favorite independent bookstore.

Which disaster – real or fictitious – worries you most?
**kmm

Book info: How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters: Fight Back When Monsters and Mother Nature Strike Back / Andrew Shaffer, with contributions from Fin Shepard and April Wexler. Three Rivers Press, 2014. [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy provided by BloggingForBooks/Crown Publishing; cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: As Mother Nature strikes back and epic disasters loom large, your best defense against Mega Pythons or a Polar Storm is to be well-prepared, using advice from those who know.

“Study – Avoid – Survive” – Sharknado expert Fin Shepard’s mantra for dealing with disasters is at the core of this clever guide by Andrew Shaffer, with info on the Unnatural Disaster Kit you should keep on hand, as well as Emergency Supplies list for your vehicle.  Preparation for dealing with more traditional danger is also highlighted.

Unnatural Disasters include perils created by Mother Nature like the venomous Beeclipse and sea+land SwampVolcano. Among the Monsters are super-sized Mega Pythons and labwork run amok like RoboCrocs. Each entry includes ratings for Threat to Humanity, Risk of Encounter, and Fin’s Wow That’s Freaky Factor.

In the multiverse, A Thousand Pieces of You seeking me; by Claudia Gray (book review)

Nov4

book cover of A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray published by HarperTeenEach choice you make creates a fork in time,
a new path in the multiverse through history –
Which dimension holds Meg’s happiness? Read more about this new book

Haunted high schools… double scary books!

Oct30

High school can be frightful for some folks, and when you add in some ghosts who never graduate… just plain spooky! Tread the haunted halls in these BooksYALove faves (and watch your back)… This way to scary school stories