Bright Silver Figure of Rain; Twelve Rose Love; Readers' Magic Skeptic Daughter; Full Mystery Fight

[maribou]

Silver, A Figure of Speech, Bright Days, Stupid Nights, Someone to Love, and After the Rain, by Norma Fox Mazer
I went on a binge, after being saddened by the recent news of her passing. Strangely, the ones I liked best this time were not the ones I liked best last time - as a teen I think I read my copy of Silver to pieces, and yet now it was my least favorite of these fives. As a group, they were satisfyingly solid, with quirky characters and juuuuuust enough melodrama.
(231/275, 232/275, 233/275, 234/275, 235/275)

Bone: Rose, by Jeff Smith (illustrated by Charles Vess)
I had somehow forgotten that I'd already read this chunk of Bone and I thought it was a NEW chunk that took place between the story actually told here, and the regular time of the series. So I was unreasonably disappointed. But the illustrations are gorgeous. I always liked the Pogo parts of Bone better than the moral fantasy parts though.... or I suppose I liked the combination - and there's not much Pogo in these parts. Do love that dragon.
(236/275)

The Twelve Days of Christmas, by Gennady Spirin
The Christmas Magic, by Lauren Thompson, Illustrated by Jon J. Muth
Two of the best of the kids' books I read with an eye to possibly making Christmas presents out of them. These didn't quite make it to present status but were good enough to read twice each. (I'm not counting the ones I read once, or flipped through.) The Christmas Magic was just lovely, and may achieve present status next year.
(237, 238/275)

Readers' Advisers at Work: A Survey of Development in the New York Public Library, by Jennie M. Flexner
Awesome for the historical context and the sheer dedication of the author - and she comes across as witty and intelligent, too - but NOT recommended as advice. Which, you know, is what I expected.
(239/275)

The Ninth Daughter, by Barbara Hamilton
Historical mystery featuring Abigail Adams as a somehow plausible sleuth. Completely nifty except I was in a MOOD the whole time I was reading it, so I did not go all squeeful, but more thought "wow, if I wasn't in such a mood, I would totally be squeeful about this.... *wistful sigh*". Very much looking forward to the next one, and hoping I'm in a better frame of mind to appreciate it. (Did not stop reading it, and save it for later, because I knew if I read something less good I would be in even MORE of a mood, for what that's worth.)
(240/275)

Spirituality for the Skeptic, by Robert C. Solomon
This book weirded me out because I'm used to ideas this insightful being presented by people who are much better writers. Not that it's badly written. But the writing is popular-academic and serviceable, not brilliant like the other authors I've read who write about this sort of thing (eg Walter Kaufmann).
(241/275)

Full Circle: Ninety Years of Service in the Main Reading Room, by Josephus Nelson et al
Delightful cross between a coffee table book and a pamphlet, telling the story of the Library of Congress reading room. I really really have to make it to the LoC one of these days.
(242/275)

Looking for a Fight, by Lynn Snowden Picket
Fierce, funny, honest book about trying to be a boxer. I tend to prefer memoirs where the author hasn't polished the humanity out of their character, and I found the subject (aggression, personal violence, or whatever you want to call it) fascinating too.
(243/275)

The Mystery of Grace, by Charles de Lint
I felt like this book would've been better as a short story than a novel - the characters felt underdeveloped and didn't ring true. Or there were... there were scenes where the dialogue and characterization didn't ring true, is what it was. There were other scenes where the same characters came right off the page, but overall it was uneven. I really liked some of the ideas and images though. Not one of my favorite de Lints, but good enough company for a couple of wintry afternoons. I just get frustrated that ALL of his books can't be as amazing as his best books are.
(244/275)

Comments

[stolen-tea.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, what would you say de Lint's best books are? I think I'd like to get a better impression of his work than the one I have from reading only "Svaha".

[maribou]

My favorites are Trader, Someplace to be Flying, The Little Country, and Memory and Dream, but there are many many excellent ones.

If you want sort of an overview and you like short stories, I recommend reading "Dreams Underfoot," which is followed by "Ivory and Horn," and then "Moonlight and Vines" and then "Tapping the Dream Tree" - these form kind of the core of his Newford stories. I think they get stronger as they go on but if you DO like them, you will spoil later developments if you start at the end. And they're all good.

The very best would be if you can find the SFBC collection of the first three of those (just called The Newford Stories). Otherwise, start with Dreams Underfoot and then go to either one of my favorites or Ivory and Horn (which I do love as well).

But if you'd like something more grounded in a traditional story than eclectic, "Jack the Giant Killer" and "Jack of Kinrowan" are AWESOME. And set in Ottawa. And Jack is a decidedly modern young woman who kicks butt. (yes, CdL was doing it WAY before the modern urban fantasy craze kicked in.)

[maribou]

PS I really enjoyed Svaha but I don't feel it's representative.