More of the DNF category

Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith

From Amazon: With a wink and a nod to Bram Stoker, New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith unites the casts of Tantalize and Eternal in a delicious dark fantasy her fans will devour. Quincie P. Morris, teen restaurateuse and neophyte vampire, is in the fight of her life -- or undeath. Even as she adjusts to her new appetites, she must clear her best friend and true love, the hybrid werewolf Kieren, of murder charges; thwart the apocalyptic ambitions of Bradley Sanguini, the seductive vampire-chef who "blessed" her; and keep her dead parents’ restaurant up and running. She hires a more homespun chef and adds the preternaturally beautiful Zachary to her wait staff. But with hundreds of new vampires on the rise and Bradley off assuming the powers of Dracula Prime, Zachary soon reveals his true nature -- and a flaming sword -- and they hit the road to staunch the bloodshed before its too late. Even if they save the world, will there be time left to salvage Quincie’s soul?

From Me: I’m a little over teen paranormal but this one is fresher than most. Not quite enough to keep me reading at the busy end of the year but I flicked thru it to the end. The Light wins because the heroine keeps faith (which was a hard thing to get my head around, given she’s a vamp) and true love conquers all. Three stars for the bits I did read.

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson

Embargoed until May 2011 but from the back of the book: Christine wakes in a strange bed beside a man she does not recognise. In the bathroom she finds a photograph of him taped to the mirror, and beneath it the words “Your husband.” Each day, Christine wakes knowing nothing of her life. Each night, her mind erases the day. But before she goes to sleep, she will recover fragments from her past, flashbacks to the accident that damaged her, and then – mercifully – she will forget. Chilling, exquisitely crafted and compulsively readable, S. J. Watson’s debut novel Before I Go To Sleep is a psychological thriller of the highest order. It asks primary questions. Are there things best not remembered? Who are we if we do not know our own history? How do we love without memory?

From Me: It’s unfortunate but right from the start this reminded me of the Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore movie 50 First Dates. And as this debut novel takes itself very seriously indeed this probably won’t be the author’s favourite comparison. However Rowan Jaffe is to adapt it into a screenplay and I think it would be better on the big screen. It’s not often I say that but this should translate well to a two hour thriller. If you want to see a cover there are a couple of versions floating around the net - I prefer Text's australian cover to the English version (was the designer channelling Meyer's Host?) but this far out from publication neither may be final.

Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman

From Amazon: You’re waiting for the postman--he’s bringing your A level results. University, a career as a journalist--a glittering future lies ahead. But when the doorbell rings it’s your old girlfriend; and she’s carrying a baby. You’re fine to look after it, for an hour or two, while she does some shopping. Then she doesn’t come back and your future suddenly looks very different.

From Me: I think this is the first title I’ve read that tackles the issue of teenage pregnancy from the father’s POV and it does it very well. I know it’s the first Blackman I’ve read (whenever I’ve thought about Noughts & Crosses it just hasn’t been on the shelf) but it won’t be my last.

Told alternately from the POV of Dante, 17 and with his life planned out and younger brother Adam, casual and seemingly carefree, it’s clever, insightful and oh so real – teenage pregnancy, abortion, homosexuality, death of a parent, suicide – there are a lot of topics in this book but they are covered very well, and very competently. There is also a lot of joy – I am assuming Blackman is a mother herself as the way she describes the overwhelming feelings of happiness and completeness that you can feel from just a simple thing – your child’s smile – is spot on, as are the descriptions of the despair that being so bloody tired from caring for a baby can bring on.

Five stars easily. Read it.

Rosebush by Michele Jaffe

"Jaffe manages the suspense marvelously while also unfolding Jane's emotional life...a winner." --Kirkus

From Amazon: Instead of celebrating Memorial Day weekend on the Jersey Shore, Jane is in the hospital surrounded by teddy bears, trying to piece together what happened last night. One minute she was at a party, wearing fairy wings and cuddling with her boyfriend. The next, she was lying near-dead in a rosebush after a hit-and-run. Everyone believes it was an accident, despite the phone threats Jane swears were real. But the truth is a thorny thing. As Jane’s boyfriend, friends, and admirers come to visit, more memories surface, not just from the party, but from deeper in her past . . . including the night her best friend Bonnie died. With nearly everyone in her life a suspect now, Jane must unravel the mystery before her killer attacks again. Along the way, she’s forced to examine the consequences of her life choices in this compulsively readable thriller.

From Me: I devoured this title – had to keep looking up from it tho to make sure I’d get off the train at the right stop! It’s cunning and thrilling, clever and devious and a very good teen read. It’s described by the publisher as Mean Girls meets Rear Window and that’s very apt. The suspense was very well played out and enjoyable even if it had me on edge for most of the night (I nearly hit the roof during one scene of S2 Mentalist finale - not cool. Laughable, but not cool).

There were a couple of moments when I went What??!! And another few I scoffed, but according to the resident teen it’s very realistic with regards to the almost compulsive need Jane has to fit in and be popular, and how she’s blinded to a lot of other things.

If you’re not or never have been one who feels a need to fit in this may not be the read for you, however Jaffe is now on our library list.

Matched by Ally Condie

From the publisher: ON HER SEVENTEENTH BIRTHDAY, CASSIA MEETS HER MATCH.  SOCIETY DICTATES HE IS HER PERFECT PARTNER FOR LIFE. EXCEPT HE'S NOT.
In Cassia's society, Officials decide who people love. How many children they have. Where they work. When they die. But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy, she is determined to make some choices of her own. And that's when her whole world begins to unravel . . .

This book is really clever. Really, really clever. With simple, not flowery prose, and inclusion of some classic poems it’ll drag you in. I absolutely devoured this book (despite it being a teen read) and I’m looking forward to where it might head in the next book of the series. By turns chilling and uplifting, with (again) clever use of classic poetry, it’s an easy recommend for any teen girl (especially as it doesn't contain any sex) and best of all, it’s a series!!!

Ally , you probably won't get to read this but it would be really interesting written from Xander’s POV too. No pressure!

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on that sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas

A Kiwi Night Before Christmas by Yvonne Morrison & Deborah Hinde

From the publisher: The much-loved poem by Clement Clarke Moore, originally released under the title 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' but better known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' is given a new slant in this Kiwi version. The weather is fine and hot and the family is staying at the bach for the Christmas holidays when a white-haired man in black singlet and shorts appears in the sky riding on a tractor drawn by six sheep. This is the ultimate read-aloud for Christmas in New Zealand. The rhyming text flows off the page and Deborah Hinde captures the colour of a truly New Zealand festive season. This new edition includes a full-colour press-out model of the beach bach that children can make for themselves, and a music CD!

The CD was still on rotation when I went up for my late night check on the boys, which should go to show that it’s still a favourite after a few years and readings. In this case the publisher’s blurb is completely accurate and the words just trip along. It was in this story that little Brian’s parents first appeared.

Santa’s Kiwi Holiday by Maria Farrer & Deborah Hinde

From the publisher: After all his hectic work Santa feels he needs a rest. He scans the globe for where to go. He wants sea and sun, not ice and snow - mountains, rivers, native bush. So where does he choose? Why sunny New Zealand of course. Over the days that follow Santa visits popular tourist sights throughout New Zealand until, with batteries thoroughly recharged, he returns to his North Pole home to prepare for next Christmas.

Reading this book reminds me of the John Hore Grenell version of “I’ve Been Everywhere, Man”. As a family we’ve tiki-toured our own country first of course so where Santa goes, we paved the way (sometimes literally although Bran has now outgrown that unfortunate stage). Love the illustrations on this one.

And here the link to Grenell’s version and a little bit of trivia for the John Denver fan – guess who he got the name from? Scroll to the bottom for a bit of a surprise.

Here Comes Santa: Mini Christmas Pop-Up by David Pelham

From the publisher: It's Christmas Eve, and Santa Claus is ready to deliver toys and goodies to all of the lucky girls and boys. Join Santa in this fantastic mini pop-up as he guides his trusty reindeer through a sleepy town to bring cheer and laughter to all on Christmas Day!

Being from 2008, this one could be a little harder to get hold of that our usual books, but it has its beautiful moments. The scene with the child lying in bed, pretending to be asleep yet as you move the page you can see the eye move – genius construction. So delicate, yet so real! This isn’t one to leave unsupervised with the toddlers as the pages may be destroyed (Santa’s hat on the last page is slightly askew in our copy) but the rhythm and rhyme are gorgeous.

Brian, The Big Brained Romney/Brian Saves Christmas, by Yvonne Morrison & Deborah Hinde

From the publisher: Brian is a new lamb born to a couple of the sheep that pull Santa’s tractor. But Brian doesn’t like rugby – or flying, for that matter. He’d much rather gaze at the stars than fly through them. But brainy Brian’s talents prove essential when the team are fog-bound on Christmas Eve.

Best read in the same tune as “Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer”, this is one we purchased as we loved this combinations version of a Kiwi Night Before Christmas (ours is complete with the bach but it comes in all formats, including a board version for little hands). What’s even better is our kids know someone who’s a bit like Brian, very smart and not easily merged into the group of rough-and-tumble boys that populate the school ground. So while the kids didn’t enjoy my singing voice much, we did have a good time spotting the “Kiwi” bits and a discussion about how it takes all sorts to get the job done.

The Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg

I am, quite frankly, a square. I like to know who, what, where – so much so that my loving family call me “Paulapedia”. Sometimes it’s not said with affection, but there you go. Sometimes my curiosity leads us on to greater things – and our December Reads are one of these things. And no, we’re not going on about the other things right now. That would be wrong on so many levels.

So we watched Tom Hank’s Polar Express a few years ago (I think we were sweltering in Bali at the time. Not so apt). As part of the special features there was an interview with Hanks and his wife Rita, talking about their family traditions. One was that the children chose a Christmas-themed story each night and the family sat down to read it together. Of course it's an idea I had to steal. And share. Lots of sharing!

This year we’re close to the 23 books we need (we read from the Gospel of Luke on Christmas Eve). To add to the fun, I wrap them all individually and they go into a basket. This year Bran chose the first title and yay! It’s the Polar Express. A perfect start to the month.

The basics of the story is a young boy is staying awake, trying to hear Santa’s arrival. Instead he hears the brakes of a steam train – the Polar Express. He jumps on board and heads to the North Pole and a major adventure.

If you haven’t read the book, you can get a preview at Google Books. Polar Express Google Books