"Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World"

Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World (Sept. 16, 2014) by Ella Frances Sanders.

It is a long title, but it is expressing a lot. As the author asks right away in her introduction, “How do you introduce the untranslatable?” Mostly you say some words and launch right into the compendium of words. That’s really what this is. It’s slim as far as books go. Each word has its own spread, and there are only 52 “untranslatable” words. Untranslatable doesn’t mean there are no words to describe this collection of international words. It means that there isn’t a simple, one-or-two-word direct translation (e.g. ¡Hola! = Hello!, Grazie = Thank you).

            To entice any logophiles out there or those who are just plain curious, here is a sampling of what you will find in this book.

1)      The next time you notice sunlight filtering through the trees, you are noting Komorebi (Japanese) n.: The sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees.

2)     The Finns must really like their reindeer, which would make Frozen’s Sven very proud. Next time you see a real or animated reindeer, you can wonder about Poronkusema (Finnish) n.: The distance a reindeer can comfortably travel before taking a break.

3)     This one is for all the married women out there who’ve ever received a gift from a spouse with a guilty conscience. The word Drachenfutter (German) n.: Literally, “dragon-fodder.” The gift a husband gives his wife when he’s trying to make up for bad behavior.

            I LOVED this little book. Then again, I love words, so this makes sense. I was intrigued from the first “untranslatable” word that I saw. The greatest thing about this book aren’t the fun words (though the words are great), but the cultural importance of it all. Studying languages is challenging and traveling to other countries is expensive, but this little compendium can open up vistas of awareness. The words introduce you to other languages without the stress of memorizing them, and it’s fun, fascinating and sneakily educational all at the same time! I do wish there were page numbers, and the illustrations are quirky (this is not a bad thing). I think the font could’ve been cleaner – instead of looking like someone wrote it – but that is a little nitpick. This book is terrific, and I hope it does well enough that the author is encouraged to compile more such compendiums.

"The Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

This is the fifth story in The Heroes of Olympus series. It is a concluding novel. Like always, I promise not to include any major spoilers (e.g. how it ends), but there will still be spoilers. Again, not super-spoilers and perhaps not spoilers to the untrained eye, but spoilers all the same.

The Blood of Olympus (Oct. 7, 2014) by Rick Riordan.

There’s nothing like a countdown to an end-of-days, is there? The monsters wonder why their enemies bother trying to save the day, and the heroes continue to battle on. Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Jason Grace, Leo Valdez, Piper McLean, Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque are aboard the Argo II battling across Europe to reach Athens before the Feast of Spes and to prevent Gaea’s wakening. Naturally, Gaea has promised all of her monster children (a.k.a. allies) the world once it is devoid of gods, demigods, enemies of any kind and mere human mortals. They split up in various locations, but each is fraught with danger. There’s Kymopoleia (look her up!) at the bottom of the ocean, angry giants (they’re all over) and Nike, the Greek goddess (not the brand name), the latter of whom they abduct, and she’s really not happy about it (who can blame her?). But never fear, there’s also Festus, Buford the Wonder Table (now happily complete with a yelling Coach Hedge holographic image) and the newly invented Valdezinator (sadly, there’s only one in existence and the god of music has it).

            In other various parts of the world, Nico di Angelo, Reyna Ramírez-Arellano and Coach Hedge are trying to get the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood. They hope it will bridge the rift between the Greek demigod camp and the Roman demigod camp, Camp Jupiter, of which Reyna is still praetor (even though Octavian doesn’t heed this). Reyna is determined to present the Athena Parthenos to the Greek demigods despite being hunted by a giant who, of course, wants her to die a slow, painful death. Still, the constant threat of danger doesn’t mean she doesn’t worry about her past ghosts. And she isn’t the only one disturbed by haunted memories, painful emotions and pent-up anguish. Nico is really hurting and feels there is no one he can confide in. He’s also fighting so he doesn’t get lost in shadows. Meanwhile, Coach Hedge is very worried about his wife, Mellie, and is anxious to return to her. At least he’s able to send her paper-airplanes-on-the-wind messages.

            Like its predecessors in The Heroes of Olympus and even Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, this story is full of action and adventure, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There are dangers around every bend, meaning there’s never a dull moment. “The Blood of Olympus” has as much excitement and adventure as a ventus has air … which is to say, quite a lot and rather constant. In fact, there’s so much adventure and danger that any sporadic moment of romance feels a little awkward, but no worries. The reader will remember the monsters and the heroes and maybe even the name Kymopoleia. But that isn’t to say it’s all action and adventure and no feeling. Nico and Reyna emote the most, as both of them are also journeying toward self-love and acceptance, though Jason and Leo are trying to find where they belong, even amongst friends. The tricky part is that they’re figuring this all out while battling mythological monsters and an evil earth goddess in a fiery (sometimes literally) cataclysmic showdown of good versus evil. This prophecy-driven adventure is a wonderful tale, bound to entertain the minds of many, regardless of age. I had a great time reading this concluding novel; I found it to be highly entertaining and as fantastical as the mythology behind it.

            According to the author, this story marks the end of his focus on the Greeks (and Percy Jackson). But for those who’ve read the book, he doesn’t totally squash the idea that the adventure can’t continue later …

            Out of politeness, I didn’t include the Great Prophecy poem in my Percy Jackson compilation. At that time, I felt it was only fair to include the poem representing each book. But now that this series is concluded, I feel all right including it here, for those who want a quick reference to it. (If you don’t, quit reading now!)

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,

To storm or fire the world must fall.

An oath to keep with a final breath,

And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

"Becoming Bea" by Leslie Gould

Becoming Bea (Oct. 7, 2014) by Leslie Gould.*

A job as a mother’s helper/housekeeper/cook comes at an opportune time for Beatrice Zook. She doesn’t have to go to Montana with her sister, brother-in-law and mother. She can remain the homebody that she is, except at Nan and Bob Miller’s, where she’s helping to care for their three preemie Bopplis. The newborns are, understandably, a lot to handle, especially when the triplets are colicky through the night! Bea hasn’t handled babies much and is almost fearful at first, but it turns out that she has a way with the little ones.

            The one she doesn’t have a way – of patience – with is Benjamin Rupp. Bea and Ben have known each other since before they can remember, and Ben really knows how to push Bea’s buttons. She might say that he is A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G and P-R-E-T-E-N-T-I-O-U-S. They’re each other’s biggest competition when it comes to words and getting the last word. I guess that happens when you have two lovers-of-words – L-O-G-O-P-H-I-L-E-S – butting personalities. Ben is antagonistic toward Bea, but perhaps he doesn’t mean to be. Attraction is waiting under the surface if they can both get past the other’s façade and understand past hurts.

            Normally, the only Amish fiction I read is authored by Beverly Lewis, so it’s reasonable to say that I have a high standard when it comes to Amish fiction. This was the first story I’d read by Leslie Gould, and I was pleased by the overall story. Gould presents a solid plot with characters that are well-fleshed-out. It’s easy to assume that the Amish are naturally patient, but patience is something that Bea struggles with, and I appreciated that Gould created Bea in that light. I know I related to her, and I’m guessing many others do as well. I also liked her inclusion of spelling words. It strengthened the connection between Bea and Ben and their competitive spirits toward one another. I also connected to the characters through their academically competitive spirits. Bea’s increasing maturity and growing confidence throughout the story is nice to read, and I always love to read stories situated in Lancaster County. I didn’t feel lost not having read the first three books in the series, but I’d start at the beginning of The Courtships of Lancaster County series. If Gould’s first stories are anything like this one, they are G-E-M-S!

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”