Standing at a creepy Crossroads

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein

I'm a scaredy cat. A big, huge baby. I don't handle suspense well and am so the person who will flip to the end of the book early to see if a character is still around. Yeah, I know, ridiculous, but having that pit-in-the-bottom-of-your-stomach fear is a rush that I love to hate. It's my own personal horror-coaster.

So when I picked up Grabenstein's book and saw this creepy tree on the cover, of course I couldn't walk away. It was like the cover was calling to me. The tree reminded me of one outside my parents house on West 84th that would bang againsy my window for no apparent reason. That house was nuts, with cold pockets and creepy sounds everywhere. Possessed by the memory of that place, I flipped open the cover and the first sentence sent shivers down my spine: "Have you ever seen a face hidden in the bark of a tree and known that the man trapped inside wanted to hurt you?" Creep-py! And I hate to admit it, but yeah, I have felt that way. It's why I can't do haunted houses.

But wait, it gets better. The main character lives on West 84th. No need to do a double take. My old street. My old tree. The rest of the book was one random coincidence after another. Street names, store names, character names. All things from my past but with a crazed ghost floating around. I wanted to put it down, but I was so horrified I couldn't. This is a book about a haunting, and I think it's safe to say, it haunted me.

Want to be haunted? Check it out. Since all good ghost stories should be read out loud, be sure to get the audio.

Miraculous Journey of Edward Trulane

"Miraculous Journey of Edward Trulane" by Kate DiCamillo.

The heart breaks and breaks

and lives by breaking

It is necessary to go through

dark and deeper dark

and not to turn

- Stanley Kunitz

I was visiting some friends of ours at Fairfax when someone recommended I review Edward Trulane. I love this book, and I'm glad they brought it to the front of my mind.

I could tell you that the reason why this book is so exciting is that you watch a toy bunny go all over the world, or that I'm fascinated by the fact that people can be connected to one another over generations by a solitary item. Or maybe confess that as a kid I secretly thought my stuffed animals were alive and couldn't let the unicorn be next to the elephant on my bed because, well, you know, they had "issues". But really, I think this book is rocks beause of the poem that starts off the whole book. It says it all.

It is necessary to go through the hard stuff to get the good stuff. One is not mutually exclusive to the other. And deep down, we all love it. There's a reason why people watch dramas. I was talking to a friend last week who told me that he thought my life story was really interesting and that on some level he was jealous. And the whole time he said it, I was thinking how I was jealous of his life story. I think its safe to say that everyone who reads this book will be a little jealous of Edward's story. We all want to be taken on an adventure.

So thanks to my Fairfax friends for helping me get refocused. As always, I love hearing suggestions on what book I can't live my life not knowing, so please keep them coming.

That is my necessity for going through the dark.

Judging Coraline

Being the time of love and romance (Happy V-day, by the way) I know it's socially appropriate to be saying we like what's within, and that image isn't everything. That is good advice for people, but I have to admit, I totally judge a book by it's cover. But I mean actual books and actual covers. It's my firm philosophy that if a publishing company doesn't want to invest money for an interesting cover, then they probably don't have much faith for the content within.

My love of the superficial is what attracted me to Neil Gaiman's Coraline. I discovered this book at an outlet bookstore about five years ago, and I'll be honest, if it wasn't for the creepy image of girl holding a candle I probably wouldn't have given it a second glance. What sold me on it, (quite literally, in fact, this book is in my personal collection) was the craziest review printed on the back cover from one of my all-time favorite authors, Terry Pratchet. He said, "this book will send a shiver down your spine, out through your shoes, and into a taxi to the airport". There was no way I could pass up a book with that review!

A little love goes a long way, and I'm really glad to see the movie industry showing some love to Neil Gaiman. It's about time someone realized how fantastically creepy his work is and made something into a film. Talk about paying it forawrd, thanks to the film launching, they just releaser the Coraline graphic novel and audio book.

I'm doing my part to spread the joy. I am going to this movie in a matter of hours and am stoked. I am so pumped I re-read the book this morning. I'm dying to know if the movie's look matches the book.

Fall in love with a little hate

Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech

Ever heard the phrase "poetry in motion?" Sharon Creech is moving poetry to the next level. This book tells the story of Jack, his teacher, and a cat that he despises. He has good reason to hate that cat; it is the example of all of the cruminess that is in his life. The cat is nothing but trouble. What makes this book more then just a story about a boy and his rage is how it is told. At first, it looks like a diary, but then you realize each dated entry is a poem. Really, really cool poems.

Creech is an author who knows how to reinvent the obvious. I knew she wrote good stuff after reading her Newberry Medal winner Walk Two Moons, but I can't help but feel Hate That Cat knocks Moon out of the water. It transcends the typical limitations of the novel and makes you think that perhaps poetry isn't just for weird people who were beret's and dress in black. As an added bonus, at the end of the book Creech gives a list of other great finds poetry-wise that are equally as interesting.

Do you think poetry should be heard and not read? This novel also comes in audio book form. Be sure check out either and fall in love with a little hate.

Don't bury Charlie Bone!

Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

The other day and I saw the Twilight movie, again, and had my first viewing of the newest Harry Potter movie that will be released next year. (The trailer looks fantastic, by the way. Check out our MySpace page to get a sneak peak) Every time I see Harry Potter, I feel a little bit sorry for this fantastic series that got lost in the shuffle; Charlie Bone. Don't get me wrong, I love the Potter books probably more then is healthy. I was the person who waited in line at midnight to get the books on the day they were released, I still go to the midnight showings of the movies, and it is more then possible (cough) that I had my sister buy me a time turner for Christmas a few years ago. But in the mystical magic that is the Harry Potter phenomenon, Nimmo's fabulous series of books got overlooked.

Similar to Harry, Charlie is a boy who mysteriously discovers his magical powers and is sent off to a school for gifted students. Aside from them both having a father who died under questionable circumstances, this is where the similarities end. Charlie's gift is that he can communicate with people through photos. I used to think that if I had a supernatural power I would want it to be time travel or mind reading, but after the Bone books, I'm starting to rethink the photo thing isn't a bad gig.

Looking for something to listen to while your doing the dishes? This series also comes in audio book form. So for those of you who loved Harry Potter and are looking to fill the void now that the last book has been published, check out the Charlie Bone series. It's worth digging up.

It's so dangerous it's delicious!

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson

I just finished the best audio book of 2008. I have always been a James Patterson fan, but I'll admit, I was a little worried about this new alien hunter series. I am so glad that my love for his writing trumped my fear because I fell in love with this recording.

The story itself was great with the typical fast moving plots and unexpected twists that you expect from Patterson. What made this experience so amazing, though, was the reading itself. Milo Ventimiglia, the hunky guy who plays Peter Petrelli on Heroes, does a stellar job depicting the countless characters. How he managed to make aliens sound so normal is beyond me.

If you've never listened to a book on CD before, start with this one. Still not convinced that audio books are the way to go? We carry this title in traditional book form as well. I have it on good authority that this series will soon be released in graphic novel form, so be sure to check back with us to be the first to get your hands on a copy.