"The Last Bride" by Beverly Lewis

The Last Bride (Apr. 1, 2014) by Beverly Lewis.

For Amish couple Tessie Ann Miller and Marcus King, love knows no bounds, even though her father forbids her to marry Marcus. Though they know it to be unseemly in the eyes of the Amish and perceived as a rebellious act, they secretly elope and marry in the English world. They live as singles, being sneaky to find time to be a married couple. Tessie looks forward to the day when Marcus declares that they can tell their Amish community of Hickory Hollow that they are wed. But that day never comes. On top of that, Tessie is shouldered with knowledge which she wants to keep to herself, but will eventually become known whether she wants it to or not. Because, soon enough, it’ll show.

            Levi Smucker is a right good fellow. And Tessie Ann has held a special place in his heart of late, or so it seems from the attention he’s been giving her. Also, Tessie’s dad approves of the match. Has Levi taken an interest in Tessie out of personal interest or is he being prodded in her direction by one Ammon Miller? Not that it matters, really, since Tessie feels she can never love another. Besides, soon the grapevine will include Tessie, and surely that will scare away any potential suitors. Won’t it?

            Tessie’s sister, Mandy Yoder, has worries of her own. Married to Sylvan, it would have been expected that they’d already have started a family. And yet. Mandy is still not in the family way. It churns her insides and hurts her heart to see other young Amishwomen with child. And what of Sylvan? They do not talk much. He was not her first beau; Sylvan was her dad’s choice, and she followed his wishes. But where is the love? And why does Mandy feel so stifled in their quiet house?

            The “unthinkable” events are predictable, but that doesn’t mean the book is mundane. Quite the opposite, in fact, if you consider the thread that Lewis weaves through the story. The main character, Tessie Ann, finds herself in a plight that is technically acceptable, but she doesn’t have any proof for the People and is therefore seen as sinful by them. To read as her character tests the limits of her emotions and her strength of character is fascinating and heart-wrenching. The story is full of the faithful and compassionate, but it isn’t without the strict and unyielding.

            This contemporary Christian fiction story is another winner from Lewis. Despite the roiling and the turmoil, Lewis manages to write in an almost soothing way. Perhaps because you know there will be a nice ending and definitely because she’s an excellent writer. And, as a random aside, one of my favorite characters in all of these books is the Wise Woman, Ella Mae Zook. I want her character to be around, like, forever, because she is that awesome!

Other titles in the Home to Hickory Hollow series:

            Book One: The Fiddler

            Book Two: The Bridesmaid

            Book Three: The Guardian

            Book Four: The Secret Keeper

"The School for Good and Evil" by Soman Chainani

The School for Good and Evil (May 14, 2013) by Soman Chainani.

The School for Good is all light and pristine and clean while the School for Evil is all dark and decrepit and dirty, so why would anyone ever want to be Evil? In this book, you don’t get a choice. 120 students per year are chosen by the School Master based on the Pure Good or Pure Evil that resides within them. All of them are descendants of fairytale characters – familiar and non – except for two. There are two Readers, and both hail from Gavaldon of the Woods Beyond. The School Master comes every four years, and every four years the people of Gavaldon worry about their children being kidnapped. But Sophie is not worried. Blond-haired, doe-eyed and pretty-in-pink, Sophie wants to be taken and dropped off at the School for Good so she can meet her prince. Her sort-of friend, Agatha, doesn’t believe in fairytales. Still, she doesn’t want Sophie to be taken. When she is, she tries to protect her, but is swept away with her …

            … And lands in the School for Good. Sophie is dropped unceremoniously into the School for Evil. Sophie is convinced that she is in the wrong school, and even Agatha feels out-of-sorts with Good. She’s like an ugly duckling in a roomful of swans, while Sophie is the swan with the ugly ducklings. Sophie is convinced that her fairytale lies with the School for Good, so what is Agatha doing in her school wearing her pink clothes and eating her dainty food? Agatha just wants to return home, but the only way that might happen is to live through a fairytale. The tricky thing, though, is that the villain always dies in the tale. But who’s the real villain?

            There are books I read swiftly because I read them posthaste, and there are those that I read swiftly because I want to. This middle-grade story falls into the latter category. I loved this book. I would recommend this to anyone with a love of fantasy and fantastical stories, especially if you like those that draw from fairytales. I recommend this especially for those who have middle-schoolers or those who teach middle-schoolers. The book is geared for ages 8-12, but I’d recommend 4^th graders on up, perhaps younger if the students are advanced readers.

            “The School for Good and Evil” is wonderfully imaginative, though Sophie drives me crazy sometimes. She’s a very selfish girl who does “good” for all the wrong, selfish reasons, yet she believes that she is truly a good person, both beautiful on the inside and out. Agatha is much more down-to-earth, perhaps because she’s always viewed herself as plain and ugly, but that is part of her character’s appeal. She is more relatable.

            Chainani’s story is not a Disney fairytale, though I suppose it is a fairytale of some sort. There is darkness in it, and one part of the story made me so mad, but I won’t go into it, lest I give something away. The action is intense, the characters are well-developed, and the plot is both fairytale-familiar and completely-other at the same time. This fantasy tale is sophisticated and is quite the debut from this author. I need to get my hands on the second book asap! I don’t normally grade books, but I give this one an A!

"Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)" by Mindy Kaling

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) (Nov. 1, 2011)

   by Mindy Kaling.

How do I describe what this book is about? I suppose it’s part memoir or autobiography, but that makes it sound deliriously boring, and it’s certainly not a boring book. In fact, it’s exceedingly humorous, and I laughed aloud so many times – usually whilst eating lunch at work – that I’m surprised none of my co-workers witnessed this and called me out on it. (Or perhaps they did and didn’t come forward to admit it, instead worrying internally about my sanity and keeping it to themselves.) The back cover pegs this book as Humor-Essays, which isn’t very helpful. So I’m going to go with the author’s description. She notes that she wrote it in a way that reflects how she thinks. It’s a book about “… romance, female friendships, unfair situations that now seem funny in retrospect, unfair situations that I still don’t think are funny, Hollywood, heartache, and my childhood.” Kaling writes in essay form, story form and sometimes with the use of lists.

            One of my favorite lists in her book falls within the chapter ‘When You’re Not Skinny, This Is What People Want You to Wear.’ She then proceeds to list those items and tells you exactly why they are no good. For example: Navy, which, in her words, is “the thin-lipped, spinster sister of black.” I also liked Sherlock Holmes-style cloaks: “This I don’t mind so much, as long as I have a pipe and a monocle.”

            And quotes. Oh, there are so many funny ones. But one that sticks out in my mind, which I found amusing was this: “In psychology, (okay, Twilight) they teach you about the notion of imprinting, and I think it applies here.” Of all things, she’s talking about not being an athlete and goes on to say, “I reverse imprinted with athleticism. Ours is the great non-love story of my life.” Hilarious and superb, I tell you!

            Although I just finally read this book, I do remember it catching my eye when it first came out thanks to the clever title alone. And I’m kicking myself now for taking so long to read it! You read this book by this person who now has fame and fortune, and you realize how much she might remind you of someone you know. Maybe even yourself. (I was gleeful to read her chapter on ‘Revenge Fantasies While Jogging.’ So happy that I’m not the only one who imagines revenge fantasies. Ha!)(This is not a joke.)

            The thing about famous people is that they seem to be on such a different plane than us that they might as well come from another planet, but I didn’t get that from Kaling. In fact, her stories sound so much like the wishes or insecurities (or revenge fantasies) that we might have, that reading her story is like discovering a kindred spirit. One who is hilarious, bubbly and entertaining even through the tough stuff of growing up and chasing her dreams.

            This post is longer than I’d anticipated. But I’m not normally a very brief person, so I left it at this length. If you made it all the way through this post, I hope you want to read this book, too. You should read it. Sometimes it’s a little dirty, but it’s all sorts of humorous.

"House of Ivy & Sorrow" by Natalie Whipple

A big THANK YOU for this book goes out to my brother and newest sister-in-law. They have great taste, as this was one of my birthday books from the couple.

House of Ivy & Sorrow (Apr. 15, 2014) by Natalie Whipple.

“They say a witch lives in the old house under the interstate bridge.” Because she really does. Just ask seventeen-year-old Josephine “Jo” Hemlock. The witch is her grandmother, after all: Dorothea Hemlock (a.k.a. Nana). They reside in [fictional] Willow’s End, Iowa. Jo has kept her magical life secret from her non-magical one, mostly because telling others about it would be breaking major witching tradition. She’s about to let others in on the secret, though, and not by choice. Of all people, Nana makes that decision when the Curse that’s killed many witches, including Jo’s own mother, finds them in Willow’s End. Magical barriers are in place, but the shadows are strong, and Jo doesn’t know their source. In theory, if she can discover that, she can figure out who killed her mom, prevent herself from being Cursed and save her friends, a couple of whom don’t go unscathed.

            Outsiders who know nothing of magic may assume that it’s simply a battle of good witch versus bad witch. Light magic versus dark magic. But all magic is dark. It comes down to that some witches are more responsible with their magic than others. In their world, you control magic or go crazy when it consumes you. Which sort of witch would you be? And why?

            I’ll be honest. With all of that ivy, the cover is very busy, and I initially figured I wouldn’t read it for that reason. But after reading two of Whipple’s books and enjoying them, I put this book on my birthday list as one of my “must-haves.” And I’m so glad I did, because it read swiftly. The book is something of a supernatural YA thriller. Despite its title, it’s not the darkest book I’ve read, though there is sorrow and pain. There’s also suspense, but it’s not so scary you want to sleep with the lights on. I enjoyed Whipple’s version of witching tradition, but what I really appreciated was the strong bond, not just between Jo and Nana, but of sisterhood. I’m not only referring to blood relations (Jo doesn’t actually have any sisters), but of the bonds between women, whether they’re related or not. Love is a bond that binds and woe to anyone who tries to break it!

"Perfect Lies" by Kiersten White

Perfect Lies (Feb. 18, 2014) by Kiersten White.

Tap tap tap tap. 4 taps. 4 is a good number. But things are not good for Sofia “Fia” Rosen. She sent her sister away. She killed Annie, except Annie’s not really dead. But she has to be so Phillip Keane and his Keane Foundation can’t manipulate her or threaten her life to control Fia. Fia has perfect intuition, and she’s with James Keane, whom she loves, so he must be a right choice. Right? Fia is recruiting, but the visions are never good. Dead. Always dead, floating down the river. Fia recruits so she can take Phillip Keane down and protect her sister. Too bad Annie feels so useless being away from Fia, for it may push her to do the unthinkable to save her own sister. From whom are they being saved, though? The Keane Foundation or Rafael Marino? And what’s so significant about a girl named Sadie Kavadellis?

            White’s story flips between the viewpoints of Annie (the elder sister) and Fia, and she did a great job of making them distinctive characters. Even supporting characters are easily discernible thanks to the traits White has given them, and I’ve noticed that distinct supporting characters aren’t always achieved. She makes it look easy. The sisters’ love for each other is strong, even amidst Annie’s feelings of uselessness and Fia’s brokenness. “Perfect Lies” is the concluding YA novel in a duology (see “Mind Games”) that is arresting, fast-paced, troubling and awesome in a twisted way. I totally got lost in the book. Maybe literally. Hopefully not permanently. (Get to know Fia, and you’ll understand why I wrote that.) As Annie says of Fia, “We still orbit the brilliant, chaotic burning of her star.” That’s pretty much true, and now this book has given me a complex. Not really … tap tap tap tap.