Title: My Most Excellent Year
Author: Steve Kluger
Pages: 403
Publisher: Dial Books (Penguin)
Copyright: 2008
Format: Hardback
Rating:

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Welcome to Steve Kluger week here at The Bluestocking Society! This week I’ll be posting reviews of Kluger’s three most recent books, a giveaway of one of Kluger’s books, and an interview with the man himself.

I can’t remember where, exactly, I first heard about this book, but it was on a blog. And the enthusaism for the book stuck with me. So much so that I ordered the book from Amazon on a whim. It then languished on my shelf for over a year. And then it won the Nerds Heart YA tournament. And I still didn’t get to it right away. It was just a couple of months ago that I finally read it. And the blogosphere was right. This is an amazing book.

My Most Excellent Year is actually the most excellent senior year of the three main characters – T.C. Keller, Augie Hwong, and Alejandra Perez. And that’s all you should really know before your jump in, except that their story is told using a variety of mediums, including emails, school essays, texting, etc.

I wholeheartedly loved this book. I laughed out loud through the whole thing – so much so that my husband kept asking me WHAT exactly I was reading. And I had to answer that I was reading one of my new favorite books. Everything worked for me. The writing is incredibly fresh. The characters are real. The situations, while unlikely, are believable and interesting. And Kluger’s use of various media (texts, emails, instant messaging, and prose) to communicate the story was very effective. I’d recommend this for teens and adults alike.

Come back for the rest of Steve Kluger week:
Monday – Review of My Most Excellent Year
Tuesday – Review of Almost Like Being in Love
Wednesday – Review of Last Days of Summer
Thursday – Interview with Steve Kluger
Friday – Steve Kluger Giveaway

My Most Excellent Year, by Steve Kluger

Other Reviews:
Nerds Heart YA Tournament Final Round (Part I & Part II)
Book Dweeb
Bookshelves of Doom
Linus’s Blanket
Reviewer X
Sassymonkey Reads
Stuff as Dreams are Made On
Valentina’s Room
YAnnabe
The YA YA YAs

Buy My Most Excellent Year at Powell’s Books or Amazon.com.

Title: The Jewel Trader of Pegu
Author: Jeffrey Hantover
Pages: 227
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Copyright: 2009
Format: Paperback
Rating:

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I’ve had this work of historical fiction on my TBR stack for over a year. I shouldn’t have waited so long to get to it.

The synopsis:

Abraham, a twenty-eight-year old widower, travels from the Venetian Ghetto to the Burmese kingdom of Pegu, to buy jewels for his uncle in the last years of the 16th century. A quiet, withdrawn man, Abraham, far from kin and community, finds the ways of the Peguans and their Buddhist beliefs strange and baffling. He must confront his own taken-for-granted world as he struggles with a series of moral choices which test his very sense of self. Taking residence in a house previously occupied by another Italian trader, he soon learns the Italian indulged in a native sexual ritual involving young brides – a duty Abraham, too, is expected to fulfill if he wants his family’s business to succeed. Abraham is repulsed and refuses, but the success of his venture forces him to reluctantly reconsider. An accidental death leaves Mya, a young bride from the village, at his doorstep. An act of generosity leads to a love, and both are reborn through their love as the empire crumbles around them. Surrounded by danger, torn between the demands of his God and the yearnings of his heart, he must make a fateful choice that will change his life forever and affect all he holds dear.

This is a solid work of historical fiction. Hantover is clearly a talented writer. The story is very poetic and romantic – without being cheesy or erotic. Historical fiction can often come across as a research project with a few characters thrown in. Here, though, the historical elements are fascinating and mixed into the story with grace. I especially enjoyed learning about a culture that I knew nothing about. For example, I learned that the women of Pegu, afraid of looking like dogs, filed down their incisors and blackened their teeth. That is a great detail that added appropriate depth to the story.

I love the epistolary form – letters written by Abraham, mixed in with the thoughts of Mya. I was drawn into this story of love and adventure, almost without my knowing it. Abraham is a lovable, flawed character. His pontifications on religion and morals were insightful without being preachy. In fact, this book caused me to reflect on the bases of my own values and religious beliefs. Rarely does a work of fiction affect me in such a manner. I would highly recommend The Jewel Trader of Pegu.

Check out Jeffrey Hantover’s website for an excerpt and a reader’s guide.

The Jewel Trader of Pegu, by Jeffrey Hantover

Other Reviews:
Booking Mama
Diary of an Eccentric
Fresh Ink Books
HistoricalNovels.info
Linus’s Blanket

Buy The Jewel Trader of Pegu at Powell’s Books or Amazon.com.

Title: A Field Guide To Burying Your Parents
Author: Liza Palmer
Pages: 304
Publisher: Hachette
Copyright: 2010
Format: Paperback
Rating:

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When Grace Hawkes’s mother died five years ago, she bolted from her life and shut down emotionally. She cut off contact with her three siblings and left her boyfriend. Now, her father, who abandoned the family twenty years ago, is dying. As Grace rejoins her family at her father’s deathbed, she must face a myriad of emotions about the death of her parents, the meaning of family, and the ability to love again.

This is a quick, easy, and enjoyable read. The writing flows well and is pretty witty. Grace is an interesting character, as are her siblings. The story is pretty simple but sufficient. However, be warned, you must suspend some disbelief. There are some really forgiving characters. And, as a lawyer, I must heartily object to the final legal scene as very unrealistic. Despite some flaws, A Field Guide To Burying Your Parents will certainly keep you entertained.

Check out Liza Palmer’s website for more information about the book and to hear her read the first chapter.

A Field Guide To Burying Your Parents, by Liza Palmer

Other Reviews:
Amber Stults
Booking Mama
A Bookworm’s World

Buy A Field Guide To Burying Your Parents at Powell’s Books or Amazon.com.

Title: The Kitchen House
Author: Kathleen Grissom
Pages: 365
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Copyright: 2010
Format: Paperback
Rating:

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When Kathleen Grissom contacted me about reading her recently published first novel, The Kitchen House, I was hesitant because I was expecting a baby any day. However, I read though an excerpt online and noted that The Kitchen House had been selected as a National Blue Ribbon Choice of the Book of the Month Club and was hooked. This turned out to be exactly the book I needed to get me back into the reading groove.

Orphaned on the ship from Ireland to America, seven-year-old Lavinia becomes an indentured servant to Captain James Pyke and is sent to work in the kitchen house with some of the tobacco plantation’s slaves. Despite her white skin, Lavinia is adopted into the slaves’ makeshift family that includes Belle, the Captain’s illegitimate daughter, and Mama Mae, the matron of the family and highest ranking female servant. Lavinia learns to be a good worker and observes with some confusion the disorder and dysfunction of the Captain’s family. As Lavinia grows into a young woman, the color of her skin and her loyalty to her adopted slave family forces her to make difficult decisions that cause turmoil and tragedy.

I really enjoyed this book. The subject matter wasn’t always pleasant, but I was drawn into the setting and the characters. I only had time to read this book at night, but I found myself thinking about it during the day and being excited to get back to it at night. The writing flowed so seamlessly that I can’t believe that this is Grissom’s first novel. And, a huge accomplishment in historical fiction, the historical details were perfect in their placement. Grissom used historical details only to add realism to the plot and not just to add in interesting tidbits she learned during her research. Also, Grissom gives this slave story enough of a twist to make it unlike any other book I’ve read on the subject.

Perhaps the strongest element of this book besides the writing was the characters. Lavinia and Belle were great narrators. The bulk of the story is told from Lavinia’s point of view, but she is unreliable to the extent that she is very naive and childlike. Belle’s brief contributions simply added an adult (and slave) perspective without reservations. The rest of the characters were interesting, well drawn, and realistic. I particularly enjoyed Mama Mae, Papa George, and the rest of the slave family.

My only major complaint about this book is that there are about 300 pages of set up for about 50 pages of climax and resolution. I was so involved in the characters that it was very disappointing to have the action begin and add so abruptly. Despite the pacing issues, this is a tremendous book that I highly recommend.

The Kitchen House, by Kathleen Grissom

Other Reviews:
Confessions of a Bibliophile
The Literate Housewife Review
A Reader’s Respite

Buy The Kitchen House at Powell’s Books or Amazon.com.

Here is an abstract of my literary doings in February.

Books Read

The Kitchen House, by Kathleen Grissom – 2/28/2010

February Total = 1
Year-to-Date Total = 3

Again, this was a slow reading month. I have just in the last week begun reading again after having my baby.

Book Club

Fairy Tale Month, including Beauty, by Robin McKinley; Meeting – 2/18/2010

I missed the meeting this month because I had a baby (and a c-section) on the ninth. I enjoyed Beauty, though.

Coming up next month: Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier

Challenges

Check out my Challenges page for updates anytime.

Reading Deliberately – 2/12 [ends 12/31/2010]

The Pulitzer Project – 9/83
The Printz Project – 5/11 (+4 Honor books)
The Newberry Project – 18/89 (+7 Honor books)

Monthly Highlights

• I had my baby on February 9th! All other activities came to a screeching halt.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog this month!

Here is an abstract of my literary doings in January.

Books Read

Last Days of Summer, by Steve Kluger – 1/5/2010
The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien – 1/18/2010

January Total = 2
Year-to-Date Total = 2

This was kind of a slow reading month, what with being nine months pregnant. I’m anticipating that the next few months will be slow as well. :) I really enjoyed both of these books.

Book Club

North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell; Meeting – 1/21/2010

Our meeting this month was a lot of fun. We had a good discussion about the book and the BBC mini-series. In fact, we viewed a number of clips from the mini-series.

Coming up next month: Fairy Tale Month, including Beauty, by Robin McKinley.

Challenges

I’m keeping my challenges sparse in 2010. Check out my Challenges page for updates anytime.

Reading Deliberately – 1/12 [ends 12/31/2010]

The Pulitzer Project – 9/83
The Printz Project – 5/11 (+4 Honor books)
The Newberry Project – 18/89 (+7 Honor books)

Monthly Highlights

• I held a giveaway for five copies of American Rust.
• And, I’m STILL trying to catch up on book reviews, so be patient with me!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog this month!

According to the all-knowing Random.org, the authors of comments 10, 27, 18, 5, and 12 are the lucky winners of a paperback copy of American Rust. So, congratulations to

Lara,
Ellie W,
Deborah R,
olduvai, and
Debbie Lester.

Winners, please email me your mailing addresses as soon as possible.

Thanks again to Spiegel & Grau and TLC Book Tours for allowing me to host this giveaway. Also, remember to check out TLC’s website for American Rust’s tour schedule.

And the 2010 John Newbery Medal goes to:

When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead

And the 2010 Michael L. Printz Award goes to:

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray

Gotta go! I have to go to the bookstore!

I read and reviewed American Rust about a year ago, and really loved it. It even made my 2009 top 10 list. Today, American Rust is being released in paperback by Spiegel & Grau!

To celebrate the paperback release, Spiegel & Grau and TLC Book Tours have afforded me the opportunity to giveaway FIVE freshly minted paperback copies of American Rust. To enter, leave a comment on this post. U.S. and Canadian addresses only, please. I’ll announce the winners on Tuesday, January 19, 2010. Good luck!

American Rust is also touring with TLC Book Tours in January and February on a number of great blogs. Check out TLC’s website for American Rust’s tour schedule. Also, make sure to stop by Philipp Meyer’s website for more about the book.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want to structure my reading in 2010. I primarily want to make progress on my own lists and goals and challenges.  I have felt swept away, at times, by the blogosphere and its contagious love for new books and challenges.  I really do love that aspect of things, but I’d just like to refocus. Apparently, I am not alone in this feeling; it seems that 2010 is officially going to be the year of reading deliberately.

I’ve selected twelve categories that I would like to explore more this year.  My goal is to read at least one book in each category.  I’m also going to try and time some of the categories to coincide with blog events.  See?  Making the blogosphere work for me.  Here are my categories:

1. Jane Austen
2. Charles Dickens
3. Ian McEwan
4. John Steinbeck – East of Eden, in March with the Classic Reads Book Club
5. J.R.R. Tolkien – The Hobbit, in January with the Lord of the Rings Read-a-Long
6. British Mystery or Comedy
7. Russian author
8. Old Classics
9. Nonfiction
10. Poetry – in April for National Poetry Month
11. Pulitzer Winners
12. Published in 2010

Here are some others who are reading deliberately this year:
1330v
The Book Lady’s Blog
Books and Movies
Care’s Online Book Club
Galleysmith
Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?
Linus’s Blanket
The Literate Housewife
Medieval Bookworm
Nomadreader
Rebecca Reads
Shelf Love

Won’t you join us?