Enjoyably Enigmatic

It's been two months without blogging and in that time, my life has changed in the best way possible.  I've landed my dream job in children's book publishing, settled into a charming apartment in Boston, and am soaking up the last glorious rays of summer.

So picking right up from where I left off, I'm going to tell you about this sensational book I just can't get enough of.  The Blackhope Enigma by Teresa Flavin contains so many elements that excite me in a children's book.  Are you ready for this?  Prepare yourself.  Layers upon layers of paintings supplying a series of worlds to explore.  Labyrinths that either act as portals or harbor dangerous monsters.  Mythical creatures, pirates on the high seas, an evil counterfeiter, and magical passwords.  And, to top it off, some Italian art history.

The three-second plot: Sunni, Blaise, and Dean find themselves accidentally yet irrefutably inside a Renaissance master's oeuvre and getting home is no easy feat, especially as the action picks up and villains come out of the woodworks.

This is such a quick and enjoyable read that kept me guessing and finally reveling in the cleverness of its conclusion.  Flavin's vision is intricate, mysterious, and undeniably alluring.  If you like losing yourself in someone else's world, The Blackhope Enigma should be at the top of your list!

Your 5 Summer Must-Reads

Okay, okay, so I haven't been blogging. But I do have a pretty legitimate reason! I'm currently part of a very intense 6-week program at the NYU Summer Publishing Institute and I've barely had time to read before bed (let alone have a minute for myself). But honestly, it is so worth it. Even if I'm embarrassed to say that Ally Condie's Matched is being consumed at a glacial pace.

So until I can read children's books again at my usual speed and create more reviews, you'll just have to settle for some great suggestions.

Your Spectacular Six Week Reading List (Teen Edition)

1. Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt.

Doug Swieteck is stuck in a dismal town with no friends and a miserable family. His peers think he's a chump, his teachers think he's a thug, and everyone else judges him based on his cad of a brother. The way Doug sees it, he's got nothing going for him...until he meets Lil Spicer, an unanticipated force propelling him to find something he cares about. Throughout the story, Doug is pulled between his passion for drawing birds and living an apathetic existence, between finding happiness and giving up. The deeply embedded tension is what I like best in this coming of age story as it's a remarkably realistic take on the complications of growing up. Very compelling and nearly impossible to put down.



2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

I really can't say it enough. Read this book! I don't know how many times I've tried to explain the premise of the story only to feel as if my words fall flat. I simply can't do it justice - it's that good. In an annual deathly lottery, the lives of 12 children are placed in the hands of the Hunger Games, a ruthless and gruesome fight for survival in a meticulously manipulated arena. This year, it's Katniss's turn and she's not going down easy.



3. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan.

Carter and Sadie Kane thought they saw it all when their dad blew up the British Museum, but that's before they realized that the Egyptian gods were walking among them. Besides, it really didn't help that their dad accidentally released Set, an evil god determined to increase his own power and unleash chaos across the globe. The best part of the book is that it's formatted like an audio recording as Carter and Sadie, much to the reader's amusement, bicker constantly while telling their story. Very addicting. I admit, I may have been inclined to read up a little on Egyptian deities...but for the juicy stuff, you really should consult the Kanes.


4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Told from the perspective of Death, a witness to the horrors of Nazi Germany, comes the tale of a foster child in the outskirts of Munich. Liesel Meminger lives with a patient, kind-eyed accordionist who teaches her how to read and his sour wife who loads her up with laundry deliveries and calls her a saumensch every chance she gets. As Liesel gets acclimated to the Hubermanns' way of living, three things change her life. First she befriends Rudy Steiner, the boy next door and her partner in crime. Then she befriends Max, a jew hiding in her basement under the stairs. In the midst of this, she steals books and develops an unquenchable thirst for words. Zusak's storytelling is irresistibly poignant. Be prepared with a box of tissues for some heart-wrenching moments!

PLUS...

5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. The movie is coming out. Harry Potter is amazing. What are you waiting for?!

This Little Piggy Went To The City

Have you ever heard of a pig that could twirl on its snout? If not, it's time to meet Porkelia - the one and only! Porkelia is an especially talented pig with lofty aspirations of becoming a Rockette. She has the highest hoof kick in town and the sass to go with it. Plus it's preordained. After spicing up her wardrobe and practicing her signature moves, Porkelia sets off to the big city to pursue her dream.

Or so she tries. All it takes is a ramshackle apartment, a dismal job selling blenders, and tired hooves after late-night dancing gigs for Porkelia to realize just how unglamorous life is before you truly make it. As the years go by and loneliness sets in, this little piggy longs for her comfortable sty of warm mud and porcine companions.

And then the unthinkable happens. Porkelia becomes a Rockette! Fame, riches, gossip - the full scope of stardom. (Not that any of us doubted it for a second.) As she's making hoof-snout rotations in a gold lamé leotard and drinking tea with the Queen, will she remember her sty pals back home?

Porkelia, A Pig's Tale is a star in the making. With its charming storyline, rhyming couplets, and plump pink protagonist, Lindy Tucker's book is hard to resist. The pink and gold illustrations twinkle just as brightly as the star spot art on each page, reminding us never to give up on our biggest dreams.

Boarding School Blues

As a boarding school lass myself, I always enjoy reading books that take place in that tucked away, institutional setting. I am often frustrated, however, at how unrealistic it all is. As far as most unfamiliars are concerned, boarding school elicits mental snapshots of teenagers frolicking chaotically about in preppy attire - no parents, no rules, just freedom. I hate to shatter this fantasy, but boarding school was by far the most structured, stressful phase of my existence. Not at all like fiction paints it to be.

Freefall, the high-tension, thought-provoking debut from Dartmouth student Ariela Anhalt, is the first example I've found where students aren't protected from the outside world by the "school bubble". As this book decrees, actions have consequences and serious misdoings aren't necessarily shielded from the law. In a fencing team initiation gone wrong, a student ends up dead - smashed against the rocks after falling from a cliff. Hayden and Luke are the only two students present for the tragedy. In fact, Luke witnesses his best friend shoving Russell over the edge...no, scratch that. Luke isn't sure what he sees. But the event causes him to question everything, especially as the demons he tries to suppress bubble messily to the surface.

While I was reading this book (and quickly, I might add), I was continually struck by Anhalt's remarkable insight into the mentality of a teenage boy who is angry at the world and doesn't know why. As a reader, I experienced frustration towards Luke and the wrath he fails to control, a sure sign that Anhalt did the best job possible of portraying him. A commendable effort!

Super Sleuth Nancy Drew

Having a penchant for mystery novels, it is not surprising that these roots were planted by the infamous Nancy Drew series. As a little girl, I remember thinking Nancy Drew was the most clever "titian blonde" out there - and I wanted to be a private eye just like her, digging up clues and unmasking the bad guys. I found the mysteries ambitious to solve, which placed Nancy high in my esteem. After all, reading mystery novels is like playing Sudoku or tackling the New York Times crossword puzzle - the end result is much more satisfying when a real challenge has been surmounted.

One of my favorite whodunits is The Mystery At Lilac Inn, the fourth volume in Carolyn Keene's series. I devoured the story this Sunday - probably for the first time in over 10 years - while sunning outside, appropriate given that the setting is picturesque Lilac Inn perched on a flowing river and surrounded by quaint little cottages and lilac groves. The book begins with Nancy's visit to her dear friend Emily Willoughby, who is opening the historic inn with her fiancé. Emily's excitement, however, is tainted by her employees' fears that the inn is haunted. To make matters worse, her precious inheritance of beautiful, shimmering diamonds is stolen right out from under her nose at a dinner party. Nancy insists on getting to the bottom of this foul play, which is evidently linked to a serious concern of her own - someone is impersonating Nancy Drew and doing a fine job of it.

Full of adventure and high-risk moments, Nancy Drew's shrewd investigative skills are assayed like never before. Even as a 22-year-old revisiting my childhood sleuth, I found the mystery compelling and was delighted with the 1960's charm incorporated throughout. Nancy is right up there with my favorite, Hercule Poirot, and I can't help but laugh picturing them as associates - a short prying Belgian with a large mustache and a fresh-faced American girl of 18.

When In Rome

If you've got the travel itch, it's high time to join Dodsworth on some of his adventures. With escapades in hot spots New York City, Paris, and London, Dodsworth and the duck - certainly an unusual companion to jaunt around Europe with - take Italia by storm in Tim Egan's latest, Dodsworth in Rome.

As Dodsworth marvels over the Roman aesthetics, the duck indulges his taste buds - proving that Rome has something spectacular to offer everyone. It wouldn't be a true Roman Holiday without sightseeing on a vespa, licking gelato by the Trevi Fountain, and feasting the eyes on the Sistine Chapel (even if the duck has some minor critiques to offer Michelangelo). And the way that duck throws pizzas has one wondering if he's of Italian descent...

As with most grand adventures, trouble isn't too far behind. Egan keeps readers on their toes with surprises on every page, reminding us that travel abroad is a mixed bag of splendid experiences and unforeseen setbacks. The way Egan depicts his characters in both words and illustrations, you can tell he is quite fond of conscientious Dodsworth and the mischievous duck. After reading Dodsworth in Rome, I am too.

Incorrigible...And Proud Of It!

This book should come with a warning. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling claims it's for children ages 8-12. What it should say is, "intended for children ages 8-12 but equally as captivating for readers older by, say, 10 years."  

Maryrose Wood resurrects Dickensian England as the setting for her story starring Miss Penelope Lumley, a 15-year-old graduate from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females who sets out into the secluded countryside to begin her new position as governess for the children of Ashton Place. With dreams of teaching Latin and geography, it is much to Miss Lumley's surprise to discover three unkempt, tangle-haired children in the stables, howling like wolves and rolling about in the hay. It will take all of her knowledge, resourcefulness, and patience to domesticate the three Incorrigibles, especially in time for Lady Constance's extravagant, all-frills Christmas Party. Will Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia learn to stop chasing squirrels and start declining verbs?  

If you enjoy Jane Eyre, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, and other such charming stories about governesses in the remote English countryside, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place is right up your alley. The lovable wolf-children, fast-paced adventures in governessing, and sharp, smart-as-a-whip narration à la Lemony Snickett will bind you to your seat, eyes wide and fingers flipping. 

I can't wait to read the sequel, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery!