Books I read in 2009

I really liked the whole premise of this story and the plot kept me turning pages until it was done. A fourteen-year old girl is playing a sophisticated role-playing game in a games center of the future: when connected with the gaming computer she sees, hears and feels everything in the game very realistically. A huge amount of pressure is on the girl to win the game as quickly as possible or very dire consequences will result. I really enjoyed the story because I love fantasy video games myself, and I had a chuckle over the way the story incorporates some aspects of video gaming: the infinite number of "lives" a player gets and gender issues from short-sighted gaming programmers who forget that girls play these games, too. Recommended for young people.

A ninth grade girl discovers a pair of sunglasses that changes the way she sees the world. Actually, it reveals fantastic things that are there, but that other humans cannot see. My favorite part was her rant against opthalmologists, and the plot kept me glued to the book until it was done. Vivian Vande Velde joins my list of must-read authors, although I noticed on Amazon that she writes some darker stories that I would probably avoid. Recommended for young people.

I really loved this book. Esther Friesner is going on my list of authors to read. First of all, "Temping Fate" is correct. (not "Tempting Fate") The story is about a modern American high school girl who gets a summer job for a temp agency. Her first temp job is working for the Fates, yes, the Fates of Greek mythology. The Fates have updated themselves. One could even mistake the oldest Fate for a typical American soccer mom, if it were not for her day job. Anyway, I found the book very funny. The heroine reminds me of one of my daughters. My favorite part was the wedding fiasco scene. The groom gets turned into a gerbil, the flower girl runs off with the gerbil in her basket, and it just gets chaotic and hilarious from there. Recommended for young people.

Set in medieval England, a rustic young man and a Chinese girl (escaped from a freak exhibit) take on and slay a dragon. The whole thing about the way the Chinese people abused their daughters by breaking and binding their feet grosses me out, but it is a historical fact. Other than that, it is a very good plot about two courageous young people. Recommended for young people.

I am not exactly sure why I have never read Terry Brooks before, except for the fact that I have always suspected that he writes nothing but serial books, and the cover art on some of the books turns me off a little. That said, I really did enjoy this one, and it is a story that stands alone. It's got a bit of everything fantasy: a witch, a wizard, fairies, a talking dragon, a demon horde, etc. My favorite part was the way the main character is from our world, but through a series of very likely sounding events ends up in the other (fantasy) world. Family-friendly content and recommended for young people.

I would give this book just an "okay" rating. Without trying to write a spoiler, my reason for this is that I felt that the prophecy was not fulfilled, although I am sure the author and some readers would argue differently. Other than that, it was a rather sweet, family-friendly story, with a tad of magic, and a tad of romance. Recommended for young people.

When the witch Brume informs you that you are going to have a bad day, believe her. This book is another great read by Patricia A. McKillip. I found her writing very thought-provoking way in an introspective way. A few quotes: "The way to destroy a heart is to make it unrecognizable to the one possessing it... Do you know yourself?... I don't know anything... Then you know something important." I also love lines like this one: "He lay there on the forest floor; dazed and half-dreaming, while his life pieced itself together with a needle as sharp as sorrow drawing threads of every color from gold to blood to bone." The plot is so engaging I could not put the book down, and ooh, she seems to love to write about those magical dual identities, but I wish, just a little, that she had written a slightly more romantic ending. I think if Patricia McKillip ever decided to write a romance it would be awesome. Recommended for young people.

I must admit I have never read a book by Mercedes Lackey before because I know she writes a lot of serial books. I have been trying to avoid serials ever since I got hooked on Harry Potter. (I hate the suspense of waiting for the next installment.) Anyway, I found this little gem of just 120+ pages and no apparent sequels. The cover art was beautiful. I think I would call this story a classic damsel-in-distress piece in a medieval magical setting, although she does try her best to to rescue herself. When I was around page 115, I was getting a little worried about how it would end, but thank goodness, a romantic, satisfying finish. Recommended for young people.

With this catchy title, I just could not resist picking this book up. The story is about two teenagers who find a book that teaches them about becoming wizards. I have always liked that concept about books having the answers to life's problems. Of course, they immediately embark on trying to rid themselves of the bullies that torment them and end up on some adventures that make them feel like they are in way over their heads. I must admit rather sheepishly, that I could not help but be reminded of Pixar's "Cars" during the intelligent car scenes, although they are really nothing at all alike. My favorite part is when the girl realizes that she got rid of her bully with confidence and standing up for herself... magic was not really needed. I also enjoyed some of the astronomy and physics (old loves of mine) that got worked into the story. Recommended for young people.

Accomplished YA author Jane Yolen teamed up with her rock musician son Adam Stemple to write this novel and the one following, "Pay The Piper." I like these books because they combine reality and fantasy in an interesting blend, like Diana Wynne Jones does: life is not as mundane as it seems. In this book, a boys' rock band, a harp prodigy, and a court of beauty contestants end up in a land of trolls, the big scary kind that like to eat people. Some parts of the story would have been a bit too scary if not for the occasional lyrics posted at the beginning of the chapters that proved that our heroes would survive their trials to write about them! My favorite part was when the rock guitarist and the classical harpist (a teenage boy and girl) teamed up to play a magic fiddle: he fingered the chords and she manipulated the bow. Another great thing about this book is that it is a mere 200 or so pages... easy to finish in a few hours. Recommended for young people.

I really hope Jane and Adam will team up to write more of these rock-and-roll fairy tales. This one is based on the legend of the Pied Piper. You guessed it: the Piper is the lead musician in a rock band. It turns out that he is really a prince of Faerie, not a nice fairy land, but the somewhat formidable place of very long-lived, magical people who do not particularly care what happens to humans. The heroine of the story is a fourteen year old girl who attends a rock concert and accidentally discovers the band is not exactly what it seems. My favorite part is when the Piper is within inches of getting his curse revoked, but is disappointed when the mortal girl (our heroine) has not fallen in love with him, the thing that would finally break the curse. He is a somewhat evil character, but one still sympathizes with him a little since he has been paying for his sin for hundreds of years. There is still a satisfying resolution and a happy ending. Recommended for young people.

I picked this one up because I remember reading her "Magical Beasts of Eld" a number of years ago and loving it. I liked this book too, but not as much as some others on this list. Without trying to write a spoiler, let me just say I found the dual identities and manipulations of the characters rather confusing by the end. Other than that, it was very beautifully written, and family-friendly. One thing I must say I liked about this book is that one of the characters (not the main one) who made a self-discovery about her magical self and turned out to be something of a heroine by the end was a middle-aged woman with grown children. With the fantasy genre being replete with teenage and twenty-something heroes and heroines, it is nice as a middle-aged woman myself to have a middle-aged heroine. I will probably seek out some other of McKillip's books to read. Recommended for young people.

This is an "oldie" by McKinley. I think I have read and loved nearly everything she has written, but realized recently that I have never gotten around to this vintage novel of hers. It was great, of course, with a strong female protagonist and an appealing blend of martial and magical elements. Recommended for young people.

These two books are probably best read together. The first book is mostly about a war and the second about court life and a romance. If you have looked at all my recommendations you may guess by now that I like books with a little romance without being blatantly "romance novels" which are usually too sappy or spicy. Okay, that said, my favorite part was "the kiss," especially the why and when. Recommended for young people.

Good story. Strong female characters. My favorite part was the conversations with the dragon. How can a creature so articulate enjoy eating "food," i.e. human beings, that are also articulate and intelligent? Recommended for young people.

Pretty good. Strong female characters, journey/quest oriented story. Recommended for young people.

I have been looking for light fantasy to read, as opposed to dark fantasy. This book seems to fit the bill. The setting is a modern New York City, but the heroine finds that she has unique abilities: she is so ordinary she can do no magic at all. I thought the story creative. The romantic sub-plot remains unresolved by the end of the book but there are at least 3 more books in the series, so maybe something happens eventually. (After all, Shanna Swendson has written romance novels.)

{Update: I have read the sequel to this book, and I was so disappointed I will not be reading any more of this series. There are some semi-sexual scenes, and although the heroine is still somewhat "chaste" by the end of the book, it is not for the lack of trying. I really cannot recommend these books now.}

This is a science fiction book, so it is not my usual type of read. I mainly picked it up because I read and enjoyed some of Card's fantasy last year. I would call this an action-packed story, but I am not likely to foray into more sci-fi anytime soon. For those who like sci-fi, I recommend this book.

I have been a big fan of Diana Wynne Jones for years. Her book "Howl's Moving Castle" has been one of my favorite "love" stories for years. This book is billed as a sequel to "Howl's Moving Castle", but really it is a sequel to "Castle In The Air" which followed "Howl's Moving Castle." I very much enjoyed returning to Sophie and Wizard Howl. I call this one a great fantasy and magic book for young people, but read the first two books first.

This book and its two sequels are set in England in the early 1800's. The two main characters, Kate and Cecy, write letters back and forth to each other. There is a lot of "stuffy" (in my opinion) Jane Austen-type stuff about the social customs of the day. There is also magic and some mysteries to be solved. I loved the happy ending, though some of the slow pace of the plots drove me nuts. (The characters just seemed to go on and on about their dress-shopping and their tea-drinking.) I found the authors' explanation of how they wrote the book using "the Letter Game" very interesting. I recommend this book and its two sequels to young people and anyone else who would like this setting.

More adventures of Kate and Cecy from The Chocolate Pot above, but this time the writing is in a journal format. That makes it a bit more fun, when the two write about the same event from a different perspective. One of my favorite parts is when one of the brides must learn the facts of life from her mother-in-law just before her wedding night. (Not that they go into much detail--it's still a squeaky clean book-- but I found the situation hilarious). The action seemed to move along a bit quicker than the first book, or maybe I just got used to the setting and the style. Recommended for young people.

(I wonder how the authors decide whose name gets listed first?) This book takes place ten years after the first two, when Kate and Cecy are both busy young mothers. There is still plenty of magic and mystery about. As a mom of seven I was particularly entertained by the antics of the children. Of course, I never had to deal with any kids of magical talent, thank goodness. Recommended for young people.

After enjoying the Kate and Cecy books, I thought I would read some more Patricia C. Wrede. I am reviewing these two books together here. They take place in a magical Regency England like the above. They are even better reading compared to the above for having a quicker pace and more action, in my opinion, and less of the social and period fluff. A satisfying romantic ending to the second book. Recommended for young people.

After waiting patiently for something magical to happen in the first quarter of the book, I was rewarded with an enjoyable read for the rest of the book. I was slightly disappointed in the end; it is a happy ending, but not as big a happy ending as I usually enjoy. (Sorry, I won't go into much detail about it... it might spoil it for you.) Still I recommend it, and I recommend it for young people.

This book is a sequel to "A College of Magics" above and I liked it even better, though I recommend you read the first one first. I really loved seeing an American character in a magical English setting, and he was not portrayed as a boob or "ugly American" either. I did sympathize with his loathing of tea. (Trust me, I am getting sick of merely reading about tea. I may need to switch fantasy settings, soon.) My favorite part of the book was seeing two of the characters have a magical "advantage" because of (shall we say) their "virtue." I found the ending very sweet and satisfying, and it made up for the slightly flat ending of the first book to me.

This book was a disappointment. I read it all the way through because I kept hoping the female protagonist would decide she was mistaken about life-long love for a man being a shackle, but to no avail. Also because of the sexual content in this book, I do not recommend it to anyone. Also, there was some disturbing violence in the back story.

I loved this most recent book of McKinley's. I think her writing just gets better and better, the more she writes. I thought her use of bees and honey as an element to the main character's magic rather original and interesting. (Warning to dieters: after reading this book, I just had to buy a two-pound jar of wild honey and bake homemade bread to eat with it.) My favorite part was the suspenseful build-up to the duel scene that is the climax to the whole story. I was just about biting my nails off. The ending was very happy. Recommended for young people.

This book is the first of "The Sevenwaters Trilogy" set in pre-Christian Ireland. I was really moved by the courage and strength of the heroine, and I found myself brushing aside a tear or two, which I haven't done for a book in a long time. The only caution I have about the book is that there is a rape scene detailed in about a page and some marital intimacy described in about a paragraph. I usually cannot tolerate much violence and sex in books or other media, but I felt in this story that the violence worked because there was not a voyeuristic feel to the scenes, the story does not seem to justify any immorality of any type, and it gives us a sense for how strong and courageous our heroine really is. Until I finish the rest of the trilogy, I will reserve judgment on recommending the entire trilogy, but as a stand-alone story, I recommend "The Daughter of the Forest."

{Update: I have read the other two books in the trilogy, because I just cannot leave a series alone apparently. The other two books were a disappointment in their sexual content and in the way they justified it. Sorry, can't recommend them.}

As usual, I will need to finish reading the series before I decide to recommend it, but Book 1 is pretty good. There is a brave, young female heroine, and the premise about the power of the shamers is interesting.

{Update: Having finished the Serpent's Gift and Shamer's War, I have mixed feellings about whether to recommend the trilogy or not. Mostly I object to one of the "good guys", the protagonist's mother deliberately having children while intentionally omitting a marriage to her children's father. Fortunately for the story, this problem does not really emerge until the third book. I would give the trilogy a "blah" rating for family values and not really recommend it for young people or anyone else.}