![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
You know, even though I've been researching time travel novels (I have one), I haven't gotten the impression that they are taking over the US YA readership or anything. Today at the library, half the books I pulled off the shelf had time travel in them. A lot on the same themes--some kind of mechanism, someone's disappeared, and the kids have to travel not only through time, but also space, to visit every interesting spot of history imaginable. (And no, my book does not travel all over creation just to teach a history lesson.) Strange what kinds of themes get emphasized in different places, isn't it? (I've never seen any squirrel books here, for example, even though US children's book editors are complaining they're being overrun.)
Recent books I've read:
Twilight (actually, reread). I discovered the foreign languages shelf at the bookstore this week (and I've been slogging through German all this time!). And Twilight was face-out, in lovely (and cheap) paperback, and I couldn't resist. Yum.
The Steps Up the Chimney, by William Corlett. One of those British fantasy MGs about kids going away to the countryside and discovering magic in a house. Strange side rants about the kids' aunt and uncle's state of not being married. And rants about vegetarianism. I suppose if they play into the plot in later books in the series, I could put up with it, but so far in book 1, it looks like the author just wants to rant. And they are odd subjects to rant about in a MG fantasy. Also, why is one of the main characters named William? Wish fulfillment?
Books on the nightstand:
The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith. I really liked Portuguese Irregular Verbs (I AM married to a German professor, after all). This one is a bit slow going. It's kind of episodic so it's easy to put down. The African culture stuff is cool, though. My sister-in-law left it by mistake when she came to visit, and I'm trying to decide if it's cheaper to mail this very copy back to NYC, or to just have Amazon send her a new one.
Stormbreaker, by Anthony Horowitz. Believe it or not, I haven't read any of these, and I don't know anyone who has (except for er, some of you livejournalers. But I haven't seen any of the intended readership reading them.) Ack. I am SO having a hard time getting into it. There's tons of action, but I don't feel like I know any of the characters, and I just can't suspend my disbelief at the action. This is not a complaint that it's a terrible book! It's just not a book for me. (Ugh, now I sound like a rejection form!)
Fire and Hemlock (in German) by Diana Wynne Jones. I REALLY liked that one, and since it's been awhile and since I've never read it in German I think I'll give it a go. I know, I need to read new things, but sometimes you want to relax with a book you know you'll like.
Little people want to go to the park. Only 400 words today. Hopefully tonight I can get more done.
Recent books I've read:
Twilight (actually, reread). I discovered the foreign languages shelf at the bookstore this week (and I've been slogging through German all this time!). And Twilight was face-out, in lovely (and cheap) paperback, and I couldn't resist. Yum.
The Steps Up the Chimney, by William Corlett. One of those British fantasy MGs about kids going away to the countryside and discovering magic in a house. Strange side rants about the kids' aunt and uncle's state of not being married. And rants about vegetarianism. I suppose if they play into the plot in later books in the series, I could put up with it, but so far in book 1, it looks like the author just wants to rant. And they are odd subjects to rant about in a MG fantasy. Also, why is one of the main characters named William? Wish fulfillment?
Books on the nightstand:
The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith. I really liked Portuguese Irregular Verbs (I AM married to a German professor, after all). This one is a bit slow going. It's kind of episodic so it's easy to put down. The African culture stuff is cool, though. My sister-in-law left it by mistake when she came to visit, and I'm trying to decide if it's cheaper to mail this very copy back to NYC, or to just have Amazon send her a new one.
Stormbreaker, by Anthony Horowitz. Believe it or not, I haven't read any of these, and I don't know anyone who has (except for er, some of you livejournalers. But I haven't seen any of the intended readership reading them.) Ack. I am SO having a hard time getting into it. There's tons of action, but I don't feel like I know any of the characters, and I just can't suspend my disbelief at the action. This is not a complaint that it's a terrible book! It's just not a book for me. (Ugh, now I sound like a rejection form!)
Fire and Hemlock (in German) by Diana Wynne Jones. I REALLY liked that one, and since it's been awhile and since I've never read it in German I think I'll give it a go. I know, I need to read new things, but sometimes you want to relax with a book you know you'll like.
Little people want to go to the park. Only 400 words today. Hopefully tonight I can get more done.
