Rutabaga's Reads 2013: Part 9

Welcome to this edition of Rutabaga’s Reads 2013! Lately, I’ve been giving my compilations nicknames, as I don’t always know on the first save whether the compilation will be Part 7 or Part 10 or Part 15. This compilation was nicknamed “Part Siblings,” because all four titles were given to me by my siblings (two brothers, a sister-in-law and a sister-in-law-to-be) for my birthday. I say, “Thank you! You’re super smart for knowing me so well!”

Alice in Zombieland (Sept. 25, 2012) by Gena Showalter.

Perhaps surprisingly, this was my first zombie book. Alice “Ali” Bell never believed in the monsters her father saw. She figured they were the byproduct of a man so paranoid and delusional that he was certifiably insane. Unfortunately for Alice, her dad was right. Monsters – zombies – are real, and she will strive to fight those undead to avenge her family. But how does she do that? There’s so much to learn about spirit form, Blood Lines and not speaking at certain times. Fortunately for her, there’s a fantastically well-chiseled hottie named Cole Holland, though he may or may not be of questionable character and act as the leader of a serial criminal group. Nice, right? Okay, so Cole’s not a criminal – he just looks like one, albeit a very handsome one – and he can help Ali. By learning, Ali’s home life with her grandparents and social life with her new friend Kat will suffer. But suffer she will, because she can’t tell them the truth. It all just bites.

            I am not a fan of zombies, and while reading this book didn’t catapult me into liking zombies, I did like this book. It is fun and flirty, push and pull, occasionally sappy and mostly fierce. It is part light-hearted and danger-dark, sad-morose and high-school-dramatic, delightfully-eccentric and action-packed. Showalter creates a new zombie mythology with its own set of rules. If you’re a fan of YA fantasy fiction, give this book a go. Don’t ignore it just because it has to do with zombies. Embrace it. Or at least give it a little taste.

Bossypants (Apr. 5, 2011) by Tina Fey.

Although I’d heard of this book and thought about reading it, I only this year considered putting it on a gift wish list. Thank you, Diane, for giving me the idea to put it on a list!

            It’s been awhile since I’ve actually read a non-fiction book and even longer since I’ve read a memoir. “Bossypants” chronicles various stages in Tina Fey’s life in humorous ways that end with making a valid point or an entertaining one. The book, which is roughly 250 pages long, is separated by chapters with titles such as “What Turning Forty Means to Me” (which contains two lines of text), “Sarah, Oprah, and Captain Hook” (which is thirty-seven pages long) and “My Honeymoon, or A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again Either” (which gives me another reason not to go on a cruise). Sometimes Fey’s words have you thinking that you’ve totally had that happen to you or you wish-you-said-that-out-loud-but-didn’t-because-you’re-that-nice/mature/grown up. A lot of the time her words have you laughing or cringing inwardly or wondering why she wrote that.

            I chuckled throughout the book, though not in one long laugh (because who could really laugh that long in one breath?). For those who like to know, choice words do come up in the book. “Bossypants” is at times and all-together witty, sarcastic, light-hearted, stone-faced, ridiculous, enlightening and funny. As entertaining as I found it to be, I know this won’t be for everyone based on reading interests, time and/or the known inclusion of vulgar words. If you take nothing else away from this review, know that she grew up middle-class and is more similar to us than not, but who happens to be far more publicly known than we are!

Clockwork Princess (Mar. 19, 2013) by Cassandra Clare.

[WARNING: SPOILERS -- if you haven’t read the previous books]

“The good suffer, the evil flourish, and all that is mortal passes away” is what immortal warlock Magnus Bane tells a rather distraught William Herondale, which explains the tone of much of the book. Will is a Shadowhunter of the London Institute, as is his best friend and parabatai, Jem Carstairs. With Tessa Gray, they all suffer together and as individuals. Will is torn over his love for Tessa, knowing she’s engaged to Jem; Tessa not only loves both Will and Jem, but she’s still being pursued by Mortmain; and Jem’s life is rapidly deteriorating, especially when the yin fen is nowhere to be found. Mortmain jumps in full violent force with his army of clockwork creatures (automatons) and his evil-bad self flourishes. For all that the Shadowhunters (a.k.a. Nephilim) are – angelic blood runs through their veins – they are still human and lead mortal lives. What would it be like to live eternally and watch all your loved ones die? How would you survive the deaths of the many you love?

            By the Angel, it’s all so dramatic (in a good literary way). Clare’s prose in the final installment of The Infernal Devices trilogy sparkles as brightly as a roomful of royal gems. I daresay that this trilogy is better than The Mortal Instruments (TMI) series, though I’m a dedicated fan of that series, for it came along first. “Clockwork Princess” includes multiple references to TMI, providing answers to questions you may or may not have had. It is rich in detail and deep in its measure of love and struggle, good and bad. For me, the conclusion offered a very satisfying end to a supernal YA fantasy trilogy.

            Book One in the trilogy: Clockwork Angel

            Book Two in the trilogy: Clockwork Prince

Sleep No More (Oct. 16, 2012) by Iris Johansen.

Sandra Duncan is not the motherly type, but she’s Eve Duncan’s mother, and she’s come to appeal to Eve’s because-you’re-my-daughter side. Sandra wants Eve to find Beth Avery, a woman only slightly older than Eve who’s been confined to a “behavioral health” facility for over a decade. Beth has recently gone missing, and the lack of information about Beth is mysterious. She enlists the help of Detective Joe Quinn and a very reluctant and snappish Dr. Kendra Michaels, who has the unique ability to find clues that others usually miss. Other characters abound as well, including a caregiver at the health facility, Jessie Newell. It seems that the more they uncover about Beth’s history – including the discovery that she was heavily sedated and kept more prisoner than resident-in-healing – the higher the body count rises. Who’s behind it all? A presence from the powerful Avery family? An assassin with his own agenda? Or are both groups intertwined?

            “Sleep No More” is a mystery-thriller that is classic Johansen. The “good” characters have heart, but there’s plenty of violence, vileness and hate. It’s very cat-and-mouse. For those familiar with Johansen’s thrillers, there are no surprises. She’s very consistent. Her Eve Duncan character is featured in many novels, but this could work as a standalone. I am intrigued by her new character, Jessie Newell. Not much is mentioned of his past, which I think could be colorful. I wouldn’t be surprised to see his character pop up in a future novel.