Pure Titan-ium

I was a bit down on poor Rick Riordan and the dauntless Percy Jackson when I posted on The Sea of Monsters, and I'm fairly certain that its very poor etiquette to speak of a new book while bloging about another. The Titan's Curse pulled me back in somewhat, mainly because the characters were interesting and the pace made much more sense. I can't help but confirm that the Harry Potter conundrum has resurfaced however. Annabeth has disappeared in this tome, and you will recall that Grover was missing in the last one. Remind you at all of how Hermione and Ron both had their moments of solo glory in Harry Potter. I thought so. On the bright side it does bring the scintillating possibility of Percy and Annabeth engaging in some Olympian lovin' if she declines the invitation to the immortal lesbian hangout that is the Hunters of Artemis.

Riordan does a deft job of bringing in at least half a dozen story-lines in this book which while still unclear will certainly have a huge impact on what is to come in the future of Camp half-Blood. Straying from the familiar pattern to weave in new elements is always risky, however he has the talent as a writer to tackle it. The Titan's Curse is also much darker, forcing the issue of death, especially the death of the young into focus. Its well handled, and his deference to the importance of loyalty, even after death makes a nice moral grandstand.

The humor is always enjoyable in Riordan's writing, and he take multiple opportunities to bring new major gods and goddesses into the ray, always with a humorous flair. The approach of the final showdown between Percy and his comrades with Luke and Kronos weigh heavily at the book's conclusion, however the narrative arc give a satisfying conclusion for now. On the downside a few elements do leave the reader unsatisfied, even slightly confused. THe biggest disappointment character-wise was the introduction of Dr. Chase, Annabeth's father who is oft mentioned, but is seriously flat and goofy as a character when he actually shows up. Bianca has the makings of a good character, however her brief journey through may also leave you feeling short changed. Finally, the title. Now I know author's seldom have a say in what the title is, and more often are unsatisfied. However they usually make sense, even if they aren't very good. I actually had to sit and think about what the title really meant at one point. It is mentioned (I went back and looked) but its so brief, and so tangled up in the fray at the books epic conclusion, you'll probably miss it. Hint: What did Chicken Little say?

Tower of Power

I was excited to move on to the next book in this series, and I have to say I enjoyed it better than the first. The pacing was better, the mystery well developed and interesting, and the characters evolved in a way that made you really relate to them. The one element that was lost from the first book was that fascinating element of our heroine Mary Quinn's Cantonese ancestry. 

The premise of the story, that Mary is going undercover as a twelve year old boy, Mark, is as old as the hills. However it remain irresistible, at least to me. I love a good cross-dressing story, from Yentyl on up. THe reversal of gender roles between Mary and her on-and-off beau James Easton also definitely turned the tales. James just returned from India has contracted malaria and is now weak and has to rely on Mary, a weak defenseless female. THe love story is satisfying without taking over the crux of the story. In a way its almost disappointing that Y. S. Lee has only planned on writing a trilogy because I feel like The Agency could have a longevity that keeps it fresh and interesting .

Bloody Short

Novellas are an anomily in the world of literature, they just don't seem to fit anywhere. To be honest I think it might be generous to call the laterst Blue Bloods "book" (as the author terms it) from Melissa de la Cruz even a novella. I've read longer short stories. The Blue Bloods series is strange (and not just because of the vampires) because I always really enjoy reading the stories while I'm reading them and then once I finish I can't really remember what they're about. They're fluff, but usually fluff doesn't slide away so quickly. Regardless this particular novella was straightforward enough that anyone with even a passing knowledge of the series and its characters.

The first vignette featuring the long suffering Oliver, best friend and long unrequited lover of the series heroine Schuyler is a little random. I felt a bit cheated because it was clearly a thinly veiled promotion for her new series coming out next summer The Witches of East End. Secondly after suffering through Oliver's angst for half  a dozen books now it was more than a tad unbelievable that he would be cured of his tortured affliction with magic scrambled eggs and sex with a witch. Just Saying.

The second story deals with the mysterious Allegra, Schuyler's archangel mother recently risen from her self imposed coma. There are a lot of unanswered questions in the series about her and her relationship with Schuyler's father. THis story actually raises more questions than it answers, sure we see a young, stereotypical love story emerge. We see that Allegra's twin/soulmate Charles is a creepy weirdo, and a premonition is thrown in for good measure but overall I'm not really sure what the point of this one was.

THe third of the stories was clearly the one fans were waiting for, the illicit bonding of our Blue Bloods Romeo and Juliet. It was sappy, far fetched, and over the top, precisely what you would expect. It certainly cemented that this was much more about the love than the fangs. The results of this no-no bonding (see: eternal wedding) will be much more interesting. I guess I'll have to wait for the next books and hope at least a few heads roll.

A Ring-A Ding-Ding, London Calling

I read Tangerine, Edward Bloor's breakout, award-winning novel when I was in middle school, right after it came out in 1999. It was the librarian's selection for our middle school book club ( we had also read the young Harry Potter in book club, just before it became huge). It wasn't a book I would have picked up on my own and after twelve years I still remember it as being surreal, like a story set in a Salvador Dali painting. It was a good book but in my memory I can't keep the weirdness straight.

I haven't checked in with Bloor since, though a quick database search  on my local library website shows he has published four or five books since Tangerine. I was browsing the YA section of the Pawtucket library, and grabbed this book both based on the clever cover and the author's name before being pulled into an excruciating conversation about graphic novels with the YA librarian. I'm sorry, I appreciate the effort and time people put into them, but as far as I'm concerned, they're still comic books, which I have zero interest in reading.

That being said it was a phenomenal choice, by far the best book I've read this year. Unfortunately I somehow forgot to post on it when I read it, so it's posted slightly out of reading order if you look at the list. Its a time travel story, however time travel is rare in the narrative. The focus is on  the journey that the main character Martin takes. His discovery of what really matters to him in life, his journey towards fulfilling his own spirituality, and his acceptance of the order of things, including the reality of his own family. His story is one of the most real views of family I've ever seen, in YA or adult fiction. Some might argue that it is too adult a portrayal for a YA novel, and the whole story is very adult in both its plot an themes.

Death is a prominent feature, some of it very violent. The repercussions of this, both in this world and the next are also called into question. I like the message of the story, that there is moral gray areas in life, however at the end all humans have to answer one question, what did you do to help? In its ideology it reminded me a lot of Agnes of God, where a lot of questions are asked, but many left unanswered. This is a criticism of a lot of reviewers, but unfortunately I can't count that among the faults. Spirituality is a messy business, which Martin admits, however he like all of us does his best. Its basic Catholicness appeals to me, the idea of doing your first nine Fridays, not because you necessarily believe it will help, but because it comforts you. Saying a prayer for someone's immortal soul, because after death its the only way to continue to show your love. London Calling isn't a happy story, then again any story can be happy. Its a real story about ordinary people living their lives, whether now or in the past. The time travel is just a vehicle to show us that. 

An Affair to Remember

I confess, I library book stalked this book. It came out yesterday, and I had already put a hold on it, so as soon as the library processed, I got a call for it. Then I read it, and no you don't have to point it out that I have no life. I know. I embrace it in fact. I have an undying devotion to Lauren Willig, she could write children's books about talking vegetables and I would still read them. I confess however that I was not particularly psyched about this one, before it came out at least. 

I can't exactly pinpoint why, but I did have the same doubts about The Mischief of the Mistletoe, the Christmas novel I read last month. In the end I loved it, laughed like silly and it put me in an appropriate holiday mood. That being said the past 2 novels in the series, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine and The Betrayal of the Blood Lily were less appealing to me than the start of the series, which may have a lot to do with this. The core players in the story, the ones that readers came to love, fell by the wayside for a large part. Some of this had to do with setting (Blood Lily took place in India) and the fact that the characters were not part of the original network of spies that the first few books centered around. The Mischief of the Mistletoe and now The Orchid Affair have returned to the fold so to speak, and I think are better for it. 

We see the famed Selwick Spy school in action, something Willig has hinted at through the previous seven books, but which we only see in action now. We also return to France, setting for the first book. Thirdly it is  strictly spy story, rather than the past three books which have been more parodies of spy novels where our unsuspecting heros and heroines stumble across clues and get sucked in. Laura Griscogne, the heroine is a trained spy in the guise of a governess, a pairing of a classic nineteenth century novel plot with a new twist. There is also an excellent double blind involving our hero Andre Jaouen. Do you like gypsies? Of course you do, and you're in luck because we also get to hitch a ride with a wandering acting troop. The romance is more of a slow simmer than a towering inferno, Willig has definitely gotten more timid as her writing matures. While I do wax nostalgic for the old school sex bonanzas, I can appreciate that she tempers the amorous activities of her characters based on situation and personality. Even when there are a lot of love scenes they're never gratuitous or tawdry. 

Its a great book, Willig will keep you involved in the past, perhaps not so much in the future. Her modern-day heroine and story teller Eloise is on a less-than-wild-ride to Paris with her boyfriend. These plots are the only real complaint I have with the story, they are a little on the flat side, you're not exactly charging through the intermediate historical chapters to find out if Eloise and Colin end up having to share a hotel room with his sister. In the end however its not important. As far as I'm concerned Lauren Willig can do whatever the hell she wants, talking vegetables or not. Oh wait, she already did that, I almost forgot about good ole Turnip Fitzhugh. I should go to the guillotine for that, its almost as bad as Augustus Whittlesby's poetry.

Under The Sea of Monsters

All right I admit it, I've bought in, at least partially, to the Percy Jackson cult. I still am looking forward to The Throne of Fire, the second book in the Kane Chronicles trilogy, more, but I've at least partially bought in. 

The son of the sea god literally goes to sea in this book, and the adventures are far more in the fantasy realm than the fringes of reality we saw in The Lightening Thief, but the fast pace and verbal zingers continue. As in the first book there is a double edged quest, save Grover the lost satyr/bestie of Percy and retrieve the Golden Fleece to save the dying tree which controls the fate of beloved Camp Half-Blood, his only true home. Oh did I mention Percy also gets a Maury Povich-like reunion with his half brother Tyson, who happens to be a Cyclops? And why not, single eyes have been chic since pirates started wearing eye patches. 

This book definitely delves in to the psyche more with out wounded demigods with lingering parent issues, understandable with Percy now saddled with a slow monster that loves ponies for a brother (face it, throw in a desire to buy underwear at K-mart and an awkward kiss with Annabeth in an elevator and you have a teenage remake of Rainman). Annabeth herself has a disquieting brush with bondage tied to the mast of a ship and the island of the Sirens, where she pathologically is fantasizing about lunch with her parents and the favorite hunky villain Luke. The best part of The Sea of Monsters comes from the big reveal at the end of the rebirth of Thalia, daughter of Zeus. Not only is she the possible other option to fulfill the prophcy Percy is dreading, but Annabeth's hints about how close Thalia and Percy are in personality, and how their could be real friends. The Harry Potter parallels continue to avalanche in, but unlike some others on the criticism circuit I can't fault Riordan for that. There are a few classic forms for stories, don't fix what ain't broke.

How Many Miles To Babylon?

The writing team of Candice Proctor and her husband Steve Harris makes me more than slightly nervous when I read them. The Babylonian Codex is the third book in their co-written series of thrillers about rogue CIA agent Jax Alexander and seriously unlucky and PTSD suffering remote viewer Tobie Guinness. I picked up the first on a whim in one of my Friends of the Library bookstore deals, for a thrifty quarter. The second I bought for a bus book, when I, in a moment of weakness agreed to chaperone my sixteen year-old cousin Madeline's sophomore field trip to New York City. Between the bus being late (by many hours) and traffic I finished it in a day. I scared the ever-loving shit out of me, I kept expecting the bus to be shot up or bombed.

As a former Army and Federal Government intelligence man, I have no doubt that Steve Harris knows where more than a few bodies are buried. I what he shares of the government's bad behavior is just the declassified stuff, can you even imagine what we don't know. Trust me you'll be paranoid too. I, despite my trepidation, bit and bought the third book and have to admit that it, in my humble opinion, is the best yet. The first book had a good concept but was a bit random. The second I found a lot slower. They're all good stories, with lots of shoot-em-up, James Bond-esque tricks, car chases, and scenarios. The cast of characters is also always large, which can make it a challenge to keep up at times, the second book set in Russia was particularly troubled in some respects. A certain amount of background in the government and military hierarchy is also necessary, otherwise you'll quickly get lost.

Like most of Candice Proctor's other stuff, romance and mystery alike, the characters are all well developed, and have a complete and fascinating backstory. The idea of remote viewing is a fascinating one, and in their author notes copious references are given (all very welcome and informative) including the push to read The Men Who Stare At Goats (they also insist, book not movie, which I greatly admire). It's the idea of remote viewing, the ability for a person, through meditation and focus to see the location of a target in a sealed opaque envelope, that lead me to classify this as Fantasy. Tobie is a crack remote viewer, reliable almost all the time, a rarity in itself. Even the book admits that reliable remote viewers typically are about are common as lightening striking twice, but the act that she also has some kind of weird force field which disrupts electrical gadgets in close range of her crosses from the unusual to improbable. 

The book leaves on a good note, of course all entries in a series do. I'll keep an open mind however because I think that the relationship between Tobie and Jax, while completely platonic, has reached an interesting juncture. Their associating is cementing, so the books no longer seem like random meetings or forced acquaintance, and Jax has also started to overcome his prejudice towards remote viewing, which seems promising. He also wrecks cars like most people use Kleenex, which I confess i really enjoy.