So of course when a sequel came out and I had to keep reading.

… Before the end of The Search for WondLa, Eva Nine had never seen another human, but after a human boy named Hailey rescues her along with her companions, she couldn’t be happier. Eva thinks she has everything she’s ever dreamed of, especially when Hailey brings her and her friends to the colony of New Attica, where humans of all shapes and sizes live in apparent peace and harmony.

But all is not idyllic in New Attica, and Eva Nine soon realizes that something sinister is going on—and if she doesn’t stop it, it could mean the end of everything and everyone on planet Orbona …

This second book in the series, A Hero for WondLa, brings all that was well done about the first and adds in more details and more depth to the characters. DiTerlizzi continues his wonderful world building and adds in a real sense of danger and menace to this book in the form of the humans Eva Nine finally meets.

Like all good world builders, DiTerlizzi has created a world filled with interesting creatures and cultures that seem to have ancient and complex histories behind them. And just when you begin to think the story might be simple he adds in a twist or a layer of complexity. And yet there is a simplicity and beauty to the story that makes it a real joy to read.

For those who read the first book this is an obvious must read. If you haven’t yet read WondLa I highly recommend it before starting the second book.

The only problem? Now the wait for the third book begins …

Cover of The Hunger Games

Well, I finally broke down and read the first book in the Hunger Games series – the aptly titled The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I had downloaded the series on the Kindle when they offered a highly discounted version and figured with the movie out and all the discussion that I might as well read it.

And perhaps it was due to all the hype but quite frankly I was a little disappointed. Sure, it is in many ways an imaginative example of world building and setting the stage for some interesting characters and some powerful emotions.

And I don’t mean to say it wasn’t entertaining because it was and I enjoyed it. The story really kept you moving forward and you wanted to find out how all the dynamics would play out.

But from a literary perspective it just didn’t wow me. It was interesting and creative and entertaining but just wasn’t one of those books where you end thinking: “Wow, that was awesome.” Or one where you immediately want to jump into the next book. I am, however, pretty clearly an outlier on this one.

One explanation for this might be my heavy dislike for angst of a certain youthful kind. I hated it in the later Harry Potter books for example and I disliked it here. Granted, Katniss’s angst is not all that over-the-top but the whole “is the love interest between her and Peetra real or not?” aspect just grew sort of old for me.

In case you have been living in a cave or something here is the publishers blurb:

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don’t live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival

And as is the case with so many first in a series books, it seemed surprisingly shallow in terms of character depth and, to a lesser extent, plot. The simplicity of the prose allows Katniss to shine but, outside her relationship with Peetra and a little with Rue, it is a very interior story. It will be interesting to see how this plays out as the series continues.  And it is of course, a young adult novel so I am not exactly the target audience.

This probably seems like nit-picking, and I am sure the hype surrounding the books and movie led to my disappointment, but for whatever reason this one fell a little flat for me.

But it was a quick and enjoyable read nonetheless; with an imaginative world and a fast paced plot.  I am sure I will read the rest of the series soon and hope to see the movie as well.

Here is the succinct product description on Amazon:

Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind this fragile community.

It is a very interesting story that moves from Utopian to Dystopian and an ambiguous ending.   And I enjoyed is simple yet compelling style. The lack of any real context of back story helps ratchet up the tension and drives the story forward.

Clearly an allegorical warning or commentary on the dangers of seeking to sand off all the edges and remove any sense of danger from freedom; about how “sameness” – even well-intentioned attempts to avoid conflict and hurt feelings – can morph into oppression.

Philosophically I cheer on any such message, but the question is whether the message over-comes the story and results in bad literature that tells a story I agree with.

I don’t think this is the case. I think the skill with which Lowry tells the story and the evocative way she makes the reader think about the ideas is artful and literary even if there is a clear and strong message.

Young Adult Fiction

A large chunk of my reading this year was YA (30 of 79 books were roughly in this category) so I had a lot of books to chose from in 2011. So here are ten of my favorites in no particular order:

1. 

   Cover of The Wednesday Wars

   I am going to cheat a little and put two books by Gary D. Schmidt on the list, Okay or Now and The Wednesday Wars.  ”Great stories, great characters, imaginative settings and clear writing make these two books great reads. I highly recommend them.”

2. I am also going to put N.D. Wilson here because I can’t choose just one of his wonderful books I read this year: The Dragon’s Tooth (start of the new Ashtown Burials series) and the entire 100 Cupboards series)  ”… if you like large, complex and imaginative fantasy series this one is a must read.”
3. Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby “Kirby weaves a great tale. There is historical detail, psychological insight, mystery, intrigue and more.”
4. Skellig by David Almond “It is a simple and yet powerful story of friendship, family, compassion and faith.”
5. The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi “The world DiTerlizzi has created is captivating and mysterious enough that you want to keep reading; not just to see the next illustration but to dig a little deeper into the mystery.”

Non-Fiction

I also read more non-fiction in 2011 (25 books) so this a large list to choose from as well.

1. Love Wins by Rob Bell – The most controversial book of 2011 – and of recent years – in the evangelical world. I have avoided reviewing it because of the difficulty of covering all of the various issues and debates but it is a powerful book (I read it three times).  ”… the overwhelming reaction I had to the book was one of inspiration and deeper thought. Few people I have read challenge you to rethink your ideas and reshape your perspective better than Bell.”
2. Three and Out: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football by John U. Bacon  “… if you are simply a fan of college football, or interested in big-time college athletics more generally, it is a fascinating read. “
3. God Is Red by Liao Yiwu.  ”If you feel sorry for yourself, read this book. If you think American politics are bad, read this book. If you need some inspiration for your faith, read this book.”
4. James Madison by Richard Brookhiser  ”Brookhiser writes popular history as it should be: learned and insightful but not exhausting; with sharp writing not afraid to offer an opinion but not polemical for the sake of scoring points; with prose that is clear and a joy to read.”
5. American Grace by Robert Putnam, David E. Campbell  ”… a fascinating and informative look at religious life in America.”

Adult Fiction

I read very little “adult” fiction this year and so don’t have much to recommend. One of my goals for 2012 is to read more and better fiction.

1. The Magician King by Lev Grossman “Even if you don’t think he quite pulls it off I think he will keep you entertained and intrigued about the process; make you think about your expectations and conceptions of genre and story.”
2. The Break by Pietro Grossi “… further proof that you don’t need a thousand pages to create evocative and beautiful prose – or to create a compelling story.”
3. Little Elvises by Timothy Hallinan “… another enjoyable romp through Los Angeles with a memorable cast of characters, Hallinan’s dry and wry sense of humor, and a twisting plot that leaves you rushing to figure out the mystery at the heart of the story.”

What books were your favorites from 2011?

For the first time since I have been tracking them, I read 75 books in a year – 79 actually.  That is six more than I read in both 2008 and 2009 but I actually read 19,672 pages in 2009. Must have been reading longer books (a couple of Kindle Singles I counted as book too).

Goodreads has the details. Here is the raw data I have compiled

Total books read: 79
Total Pages: 19,135
Young Adult Fiction: 30
“Adult” Fiction: 14
Non-Fiction: 25
Faith/Theology: 12

I guess I knew this, but what really jumped out to me is how much YA fiction I read. Combine this with a theological focus and you have a lot less “adult” fiction.

In another post I will try to sort out my favorites from 2011.

Description:

Cover of Skellig

Ten-year-old Michael was looking forward to moving into a new house. But now his baby sister is ill, his parents are frantic, and Doctor Death has come to call. Michael feels helpless. Then he steps into the crumbling garage . . . What is this thing beneath the spiderwebs and dead flies? A human being, or a strange kind of beast never before seen? The only person Michael can confide in is his new friend, Mina. Together they carry the creature out into the light, and Michael’s world changes forever. . . .

I really should have read this book a long time ago.

It is a simple and yet powerful story of friendship, family, compassion and faith. It is written with directness and yet somehow also manages to be mysterious and keep the magic just off stage – and thus the reader yearning for more – until the end. Almond doesn’t insist that the story be “explained” or that everything be wrapped up neat and tidy by the end – the mystery is allowed to be just that, a mystery.

There are powerful emotions at work and yet it didn’t strike me as overly sentimental or emotionally manipulative. The emotions are real and presented honestly – they resonate with the reader no matter what the age.

And the characters are equally real and believable despite the shortness of the book which says something about the author’s talent. He really captures the dynamics involved in new friendship, family and school. He doesn’t overload you with details or explain everything. Instead you feel like you are dropped into a real family, neighborhood, school, etc. As the story develops you meet the characters and get to know them via their interaction with Michael and thus through his eyes.

This is another example of what children’s or young adult literature can be; full of life and ideas but powerfully explored through story.

I think PW got it exactly right:

British novelist Almond makes a triumphant debut in the field of children’s literature with prose that is at once eerie, magical and poignant.

I am going to read the prequel, My Name Is Mina, very soon. I am not going to regret not having read a book for months this time around …

Related articles

• My Name is Mina by David Almond – review (guardian.co.uk)

A modern fable for children and adults: a story of one man’s quest for eternal life and how finds it in the most extraordinary of ways—in the grand tradition of Saint-Exúpery’s The Little Prince

When we first meet 93-year-old millionaire Baron Lamberto, he has been diagnosed with 24 life-threatening ailments—one for each of the 24 banks he owns! But when he takes the advice of an Egyptian mystic and hires servants to chant his name over and over again, he seems to not only get better, but younger.

Except then a terrorist group lays siege to his island villa, his team of bank managers has to be bussed in to help with the ransom negotiations, and a media spectacle breaks out . . .

A hilarious and strangely moving tale that seems ripped from the headlines—although actually written during the time the Red Brigades were terrorizing Italy—Gianni Rodari’s Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto has become one of Italy’s most beloved fables. Never before translated into English, it’s a reminder, as Rodari writes, that “there are things that only happen in fairytales.”

What makes the story interesting is adroit blending of the all too believable with the incredible – the fabulism and humor blended with the more serious aspects like media spectacles  and the threat of terrorism. The characters interact in humorous but totally believable and understandable ways. We recognize the stock type characters (dedicated butler, lazy but greedy nephew, board of directors and their secretaries, and the townspeople) and enjoy the humor of Lord Lamberto’s new-found youth.

When the band of Lamberto’s take over the island and issue their demands the story takes a turn toward the even more incredible but at the same time very serious.

But there is a surreal quality to it and there was little resolution to the story – it just kind of ends (it did, however, include a twist I didn’t see coming which is always fun). In this way it reflects its connection to classic fables which often lack the tidy resolutions and clear messages we often produce today. But for me, something just didn’t click – there seemed to be no rules or overarching template.  Anything can happen and probably will; which again, can be fun but also frustrating.  The Complete Review also found it a bit too freewheeling and disjointed.

An interesting and fun read but I didn’t find it as poignant as many other reviewers.

Perhaps it is the nature of a children’s book to be too simplistic for “adults” or that we seek to make sense of everything when the author isn’t attempt to do so.  And I will confess that I often fail to “get” the symbolism and/or underlying meaning behind fables and allegories or stories with these elements.  So  as always, your mileage may vary depending on taste and mood.

But if you like lighthearted and whimsical stories with a touch of the fantastic this is one you will enjoy.

Related articles

• 46 Down, 6 To Go – “Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto” (52 Books, 52 Weeks) (largeheartedboy.com)

Having barely escaped the revolution they had a huge (if accidental) part in causing, sharp-eyed orphan Mosca Mye; her guard goose, Saracen; and their sometimes-loyal companion, the con man Eponymous Clent, must start anew.

All too quickly, they find themselves embroiled in fresh schemes and twisting politics as they are trapped in Toll, an odd town that changes its entire personality as day turns to night. Mosca and her friends attempt to fend off devious new foes, subvert old enemies, prevent the kidnapping of the mayor’s daughter, steal the town’s Luck, and somehow manage to escape with their lives—and hopefully a little money in their pockets.

In the eagerly awaited sequel to Fly by Night, acclaimed storyteller Frances Hardinge returns to a vivid world rich with humor, danger, and discovery.

This one has a serious idea below the surface as well: that treating people differently based on arbitrary standards warps and poisons society. Hardinge powerfully portrays how society becomes stratified with those in power using fear to divide and conquer.

Hardinge is incredibly inventive in her world building; incorporating the role of names and social standing into her complex religious structure of gods and goddesses. She then folds the politics and culture into the mix.

The book’s length (it is nearly 600 pages), however, requires a level of concentration that I admittedly lacked at times. I felt like the plot meandered a bit and the tension ebbed and flowed rather than building. In the middle I wasn’t sure exactly where the book was headed. But the conclusion is strong and there are a number of plot twists that keep the reader guessing.

Readers looking for a meaty series to sink their teeth into will enjoy this creative and intelligent pair of books.

Here is a good description from an education site:

Greek classics, with all their complexities, are understandably a little difficult for younger children to understand, but hey, with sea monsters, one-eyed giants, beautiful royalty, sailors on a dangerous sea, angry gods and goddesses, powerful enchantresses that can turn people into animals, and other strange creatures, there’s not much more than an adventure-craving reader could ask for in a book. Mary Pope Osbourne has retold The Odyssey for middle-grade readers, breaking it up into volumes of 8 or 9 chapters each. Large, readable print, and a “classic” look add to the appeal while the books also include additional information about Homer and The Odyssey, a map of the voyage, and a list of gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece. Also, a pronunciation guide to the names is appended, making the difficult job of stumbling through those long Greek names a little easier for youngsters.

I am not an expert on the Odyssey, or Greek mythology, by any means but I thought the series was a well done children’s version of this epic tale.  More thoughts below.

Osborne packs as much of the emotion and action into the stories as she can while keeping it simple and at an appropriate reading level. Obviously, you lose some of the depth and literary power when you simplify in this manner. But it is a great way to introduce the characters and the story arc.  You can glean a basic understanding of the Greek gods and goddesses and the basic plot of the Odyssey.

One things that struck me as I was reading was the smallness of the world at  the time.  Technology has “flattened” our world and make information ubiquitous. News flies around the world at the speed of light.  In this story, people must find out news by word of mouth as best they can. There is a great mystery as to what has really happened and who you can trust to provide accurate news from afar.  Odysseus‘s family is cut off from any real knowledge of what has happended and is forced to try and make sense of the scraps of legend and gossip that find their way to Ithaca.

I was also struck by how long Odysseus is kept from his family. Twenty years away from you wife and son!  No communication for twenty years. I am not sure why, but that struck me as an incredibly long time to be separated; and to hold on to your belief that your husband or father was still alive. The fact that story of his journey home is delayed and delayed by tragedy after tragedy really accentuates the tension and the weariness of Odysseus.

Image via Wikipedia

The other thing that really stands out is the role of hospitality in Greek culture and myth. Time after time Zeus is called upon and his protection of the stranger is invoked. Hospitality for strangers is a necessary part of a culture where death by the elements is a real threat and where there are not hotels readily available for travelers.  You welcome in the weary traveler because you know you just as easily be in the same situation.  Of course, you could also be showing hospitality to a disguised god or goddess!

But as noted above, this is also an important part of both entertainment and news gathering.  You invite a traveling stranger in to tell you about the wider world they have seen and to perhaps bring news of events.  The stories and myths of the oral tradition were of course part of the court entertainment but so were the tales and experiences of travelers and strangers.

As noted above, the volumes include a handy map of Odysseus’s Journey and a glossary of the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece (with pronunciations). Reading this children’s version made me want to go back and re-read the full story. And perhaps I will.

So if you have young readers who are looking for action and adventure, and a helpful introduction to this classic story, I recommend this well done series.

The king of a Northern land, having refused to marry off his beautiful eldest daughter and deed some of his holdings to a nearby chieftain, is now at war. He sends Harald, his youngest child and heir to the throne, along with Asa, the eldest daughter, and his middle daughter, Solveig, to a remote land to keep them safe. The king also sends a handpicked group to accompany them. As the novel opens, they await supplies before winter freezes out any vessel’s passage by water. A ship eventually arrives with the king’s personal guard–20 hearty berserkers wrapped in animal skins, led by Hake, a giant to rival Thor, and the king’s skald, Alric. When someone poisons the berserkers, everyone suddenly becomes a suspect.

Solveig, the only one of the king’s children who feels she has no purpose, narrates the story. At Alric’s urging, she begins to cultivate her gift for weaving a tale–and her narrative holds us in her spell. Her recurring nightmare suggests that she may also have the gift of foresight, in addition to her skills as a keen observer and storyteller. Matthew Kirby’s story peels away like layers of an onion. Two-thirds of the way into the book, Solveig reveals a structure to the novel that serves a dual purpose. Every piece of this puzzle, infused with Norse lore, fits together.

Young adult fiction tied to myths and stories? Yep, that’s me.  And it turned out to be a gripping and imaginative story with great characters and a unique setting. Kirby really explores issues of trust in a community pushed to the brink while at the same telling a powerful coming of age story about a child awkwardly trying to find her identity (in contrast to the beautiful sister and the young brother and heir to the throne).

Three reasons you should read this one:

1) Great characters. Starting with Solveig this story is a mix of great characters. As noted above, Solveig struggles to find her place in the world. She is plain and has no clear place in the hierarchy of her community. Her sister is the beautiful princess who reminds everyone of her beautiful mother and whose beauty brings status to her father the king. Her brother is the young heir to the throne full of youthful energy and already showing signs of strength and courage.  But it turns out she does have gifts and these will play a more important role in the life of the community than anyone would have predicted.

In addition you have Alric the sklad who is mentoring Solveig but who seems to lack any clear allegiances or commitments except his own safety. And Per the warrior Solveig idolized – who she thought was different from all the rest – but who is revealed to be all too human; and like everyone else with suspect motives and desires. Or Hake the frightening berserker who of all people seems worthy of trust. The interaction of these, and a number of interesting side characters as well, makes for fascinating reading.

2) Great setting. The tension starts from the very beginning with the idea that the ice flow will trap this party in place over the course of the winter. As the harsh winter descends Kirby ratchets up the tension with intrigue and violence. Trapped between the fjord and the glacier, and forced to live and eat in one building, the royal family shares space with warriors and servants.  Soon nerves are frayed and friendships are threatened.  This also serves as a great stage for the story elements as Solveig struggles to come to terms with being a skald and her gifts and identity. The sense of being trapped; the picture of a community pushed to the edge; the harsh reality of the Norse world are all captured here.

3) The power of story. Kirby not only weaves a great story himself but artfully explores the power of story in “real” life. He shows how we use stories to find our place in the larger world and to make sense of ideas, emotions, history and relationships.  Stories can alter our mood, change our perspective and unite a community - among other things.   kirby both shows this with his own skillful narrative and highlights it within the story using the Norse myths and the stories Alric and Solveig tell.

As should be clear from the above, Kirby weaves a great tale. There is historical detail, psychological insight, mystery, intrigue and more.  And of course, there is a climatic conclusion.

A great story for readers young and old.

Related articles

• The Big Idea: Matthew J. Kirby (whatever.scalzi.com)