Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford


As Henry Lee is grieving over his wife death from cancer and worrying about the relationship he has with his son the news of a historic discovery reminds him of his childhood. The belongings of Japanese- American families forced to evacuate during WWII are discovered in the basement of the historic Panama hotel in the international district in Seattle. Henry grew up in the area and recalls the prejudice he suffered as a Chinese-American going to a white school. He also remembers the Japanese-American girl he met there and formed a special bond with during that tumultuous time.



I have been interested in reading this novel since it won the Whitney Award in 2009, but didn’t get around to it until my church selected it for book club last month. I had to leave for a family reunion before the book club meeting, but I enjoyed the book despite not being able to discuss it with people. One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the setting. I felt like I was wandering the streets of Seattle with the little boy Henry as he suffered the loneliness of trying to fit into two different worlds. I think the author portrayed his struggle to identify himself as either American or Chinese when he was such a mix of both that he wasn’t fully one or the other.

The highlight of the story for me was the love story between Keiko a Japanese American girl that suffers the same identity crisis, but has to suffer through the prejudice that was leveled against the Japanese in America after Pearl Harbor. I felt that their love story tempered the harsh plot events in the story. It was uplifting to watch these two transcend the cultural boundaries of their countries and form a friendship that helped them both weather the tough times.

Then just as Henry and Keiko are discovering the truth of their feelings for one another Keiko is forced to relocate to an internment camp for Japanese Americans with her family. This is a well-told tragic love story that ends on a hopeful note.

So I really enjoyed this book a lot. There were wonderful characters, a great setting, and a story layered with diverse and interesting conflicts. I recommend that if you are into historical novels that you go forth and read it.

Author Jamie Ford website

Picture Books: Mo Willems

Picture books: Mo Willems

Knuffle Bunny

Trixie loses her favorite animal. She and her father must rush across the city to save it.

This is a charming little picture book. The illustrations consist of black and white photos of the city, while the Trixie and her family are illustrated in cartoon. At the end of this book you’ll love Trixie, her parents, and her beloved stuffed animal Knuffle bunny.

Knuffle Bunny Too

Trixie discovers that she is not the only one that owns a Knuffle Bunny. She goes to school and finds that another one of the girls in the class also owns a Knuffle Bunny. The two then proceed to try and show each other up. The teacher confiscates both Knuffle Bunnies and returns them at the end of the school day. Trixie wakes up in the middle of the night only to realize that she has the wrong Knuffle Bunny. Something must be done!

This story is also similar to the first book. Cute and charming and full of humorous and sympathetic characters. My favorite illustration is the frazzled looks on the dad’s faces at the end of the book. What a father won’t do to keep his little girl happy.

Knuffle Bunny Free

Trixie’s family is on their way to visit the grandparents. On the way there the unthinkable occurs. Trixie loses Knuffle Bunny on the plane. Her dad tries to call the airline, but nothing can be done. Knuffle Bunny is gone. Can Trixie learn to live without her dearest Knuffle Bunny?

So the Knuffle Bunny saga continues. I think it is fun to read a series of picture book stories where the character stays the same but continues to grow older in them. I think it is interesting for children to see characters in the book grow up like them. This one is longer and more complex than the other two bookd probably to correspond with the age of the Trixie.

City Dog, Country Frog (favorite of the week)

City Dog goes to the country and meets a new friend—country frog. This tale of friendship and change has gorgeous watercolor illustrations. I loved to read this one to my little one so she could see all the green rolling hills and the cute friendship between frog and dog. We get to watch them play together during the different seasons of the year.

Edwina: the dinosaur who didn’t know she was extinct.

Everyone in the Neighborhood loves Edwina the Dinosaur. She is always willing to help out and bake cookies. Only Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie is grumpy about this fact because dinosaurs are supposed to be extinct. He tries to tell everyone this but nobody listens.

I found this little story humorous, as Reginald gets more and more frustrated about people not listening to him. He is quite the dramatic little fellow. I also liked Edwina the service-oriented dinosaur. If only there were more Edwina’s around the world would be a better place.

Visit Author Mo Willems Website

What I am reading to celebrate the Fourth!

Visit Author's Website

This is a humorous little read for those that love the founding fathers and early U.S. history.  The author tells a humorous little story from the childhood of the founders John Hancock, Paul Revere, Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. The little anecdotes are based on folklore or extrapolated from the known character of those included in the book. The point of the book is to be more clever and funny that completely factual. To compensate the end of the book is a true or false test so that the reader can separate the truth from the false. I love this funny little book and enjoyed reading it this week so close to our nation's birthday.  '

Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

Finn and Claudia managed to escape the insane prison Incarceron, but now that he is on the outside Finn doesn’t feel free. He thinks that the suffocating procedures of the realm are just as stifling as being trapped inside Incarceron. Especially since Claudia believes that he is the real Prince Giles and the heir to the throne, and he still can’t remember anything about his past. Then a man pretending to be Prince Giles comes to court and he knows things that Finn can’t remember. Now Finn has to prove that he is the real Prince Giles or be killed by the Queen.

Inside Incarceron Keiro and Attia are trying to survive the harsh conditions that are slowly getting worse. The prison is distracted from its true purpose—taking care of the inmates—and is focused on creating a body so it can escape. The desire for escape fuels the quest for the glove of Sapphique, a mysterious magical artifact that is supposed to help the wearer escape from the prison.

So,the sequel to Incarceron I enjoyed this book and found it entertaining. It won’t be one of my favorites of the year, but I really enjoyed revisiting the characters. I think my favorite character by far is Jared. For some reason he fascinates me. I think it is partially because he seems the most good-hearted of all the main characters, and he makes interesting stuff happen when he is around. I bet some will be unhappy about his fate in this book, but I am kind of pleased that he still gets to hang around. I was worried that his sickness was going to kill him, but the author successfully found a way to preserve him—at least in spirit. I found it interesting that we found out how fake the outside world was in this novel, and intriguing that it was so similar to Incarceron in many ways.

Yet, we never really find out why Prince Giles was sent to Incarceron, and some other backstory threads were kind of left hanging. The immediate plot and character arcs were interesting and satisfying, but some of the world-building and backstory plots were left unwrapped up. So while I really enjoyed hearing the end of this tale and more about the characters the book didn’t fill all the expectations I had for it. I sort of wanted the mystery parts resovled, but the author focused more strongly on the action-adventure plot lines. So entertaining to read, but not everything I wanted.

Author's website

More about the Husband and a Project Revealed

So, the theme for this week shall be the husband! It was father's day last Sunday, and so he deserves a little love, a little recognition, and few extra short story sells.

Short story sells?

Yes, that is right. I have neglected to announce that the brilliant writer husband has something you can read. Right now. Only a mouse click away.

Last month we released his short story "Killer"  as a e-book on Amazon Kindle. We also started up a little business called Wandering Leaf Publishing. Yea! Where we plan to write and release e-book stories together.  Tis one of the huge projects that I've been meaning to reveal for a while, but hadn't got around to yet.

So without further ado....



Wandering Leaf Publishing would like to announce the release of its first short story in e-book format.

"Killer" by Kindal Debenham

A brief glimpse into the mind of a serial killer. Meet Daniel, a former employee of the Center for Disease Control, who has turned to a life of murder. A 3,000 word short story.









A sneak peek:

"So I guess I killed them all.

It didn’t seem like I had succeeded at first. My last try had been far too obvious, and as a result, I found myself very much in jail. That’s never a good sign of success."


Now Avaliable for purchase at amazon.

Problems finishing books (also a review of The True Adventures of Hector Kingsley by Kindal Debenham)

So, I've been struggling to keep up with this blog each week. I can't seem to read books fast enough because real life keeps interrupting.

I was halfway through reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and then the book was due back at the library right before we had to leave for a family reunion to Utah. So, I have put in a request for it again because there is a waiting list. A small one but a waiting list none the less. I was really liking it too! But I am mad because I spent all that time reading and now there is no review to show for it at the end of the week. bah! I want to finish a book! 

I am currently halfway through Sara Zarr's  How to Save a Life but am finding it way too depressing to continue. What can I say? I like happy books. I didn't think this book was going to be quite so sad or so full of tragedy ridden cliche. I am really tired of the mom's boyfriend being abusive plot line. Tell another story people!!!!! I am sorry. This is mean to the author Ms. Zarr. I really did like her other books, but this one is just too much.

In addition I just read my husband's novel manuscript The True Adventures of Hector Kingsley. I actually finished it and I must admit it has been the most enjoyable read out of the three titles I've mentioned. It was funny, charming and just a fun ride. I think my husband is a brilliant writer. There were typos and mistakes, but I challenge you to show me another author that can write such a tight plot line in only a second draft! It is seriously AMAZING! But maybe I only admire this skill because I can't plot a story to save my life. I can't tell you the number of times my husband's clear-sighted advice has helped me to wrangle in my stories that never seem to end.

Anyway Hector is an Investigator entrenched in the streets of Victorian Era London. In true steam-punk style the world has been affected by a material called the Distillation. This material once discovered in the vast regions of the Arctic began to change the face of the world. The distillation was appreciated first as a catalyst for machinery and inventions across many disciplines, and then it became apparent that it had serious side-effects on those humans that had handled it so carelessly. Mutations began to appear among the populace, mutations that seemed to reflect the inner character of those who came in direct or prolonged contact with it.

So, now Hector not only solves ordinary run of the mill crimes, but crimes that involve golems, trolls, werewolves, and other once human creatures out to fulfil the bidding of their evil crime lords. Nearly out of funds to sustain his housing and food costs Hector takes on two investigating jobs after his American friend, a Ms. Patricia Anderson gives his name over as a reference. The first involves the assassination attempt of a Lord Pevensly, a nobleman renowned for his generous charitable contributions and controversial stances in Parliament. The second, the vandalism of a vulnerable school for children affected by the Distillation.

So, there is the blurb. My favorite character has got to be Ms. Patricia Anderson herself, a bold pants-wearing, carbine-toting, woman straight from the wild-west. She is totally in love with Hector and Hector is totally in love with her, but they just won't admit it yet! So frustrating those two. So, my husband is planning a sequel, but he won't start writing it till September. What shall I do? I miss the book already. sigh. I am already giving him hints about what types of scenes he should insert.

I would like to see Benjamin and Hector do such and such I say...

Oh, and you have to do this plot-line sometime! It would be hilarious. *wink wink*

Dear Hubby! When will Hector and Patricia kiss? huh? huh?   

He is quite gracious to bear my annoying prodding, but I think he is just happy that I actually like the book. I hope one day you all get to read this manuscript in book form. I would like to have enough money to have my husband write at home all day. I'd bring him sandwiches at lunch time and make sure he got to play with our little one everyday just when she was the happiest, and not fussy and grumpy. or screaming in the middle of the night for a hour straight just cause she wants to. Arrggg! Also, that means I'd get more books about Hector Kingsley in a very prompt fashion. plotting plotting....anyone want to be his patron? You will get lots of free books. It is tempting isn't it?

Picture Books: Mem Fox

In where I talk about the sampling of picture books I got from the library this week.


Picture Books: Mem Fox

Where is the Green Sheep

This picture book was one of my favorites to read to Sera. One it has sheep and I like sheep. Two it has a nice rhythm when you read it, and so it is fun to read. Three, it moves at a quick pace and has interesting pictures. In the book we meet all kinds of sheep in couplet type pairs.

Here is the blue sheep

And here is the red sheep.

Here is the bath sheep

And here is the bed sheep.

Yet there is the eternal quest for the green sheep. Where is he? Well you have to read to the end to find out.

Hattie and the Fox

This little story is about Hattie the hen who lives on a farm with a bunch of other animals. One day she spots a nose coming out of the bushes. The nose is quickly joined by two little eyes. The animals react as a fox slowly inches out of the bushes and into the barn yard. Who will save the day and chase away the fox?

This was a fun little book to read. The animals repeat the same chorus over and over as each new body part of the fox appears out of the bushes. This was a fun little tale, but I didn’t really have a huge preference for it.

Hunwick’s Egg

I didn’t like this one so much as the others. Hunwick, a bandicoot, lives in a desert and on day he finds a smooth oval egg. Hunwick asks around, trying to figure out if anyone lost an egg or knows someone who lost an egg. No home is found for the egg so Hunwick takes the egg in and waits for it to hatch. He keeps waiting, and waiting, and waiting but it never hatches.

The twist ending is that the egg is a rock and not an egg. I was excited to see the egg hatch, and see who this new little egg person would be, so I was disappointed when my expectations were let down when the egg turned into a pretty rock at the end of the book.

Guest post by Joseph Vasicek

I am currently in Utah for a family reunion. So this week I conveniently have a guest post by Joseph Vasicek. I met Joe during my BYU days while participating in a writing group there. He is currently doing a blog tour for his most recently indie-published book Genesis Earth, which I critiqued while in progress. Visit his awesome Blog here. You can find reviews and buy his book here on amazon.

Do Mormon writers of science fiction and fantasy have a unique perspective because of their faith? certainly!

One of the most obvious examples of this would be Eric James Stone's Nebula Award winning novelette, That Leviathan Whom Thou Hast Made. In that story, an LDS character quotes from the Book of Mormon while trying to save a sun-dwelling alien convert to the church from religious persecution. That is certainly a story that only a Mormon could have written.

I think it goes a lot deeper than that, though. You don't have to include explicitly Mormon themes to have a unique perspective; if you're living close enough to your beliefs, I believe it will come out naturally. I see this in works by such authors as Dan Wells, Dave Wolverton, Orson Scott Card, Stephanie Meyer, and Brandon Sanderson; even though their fiction might not refer to explicitly Mormon concepts or ideas, their spiritual sensibilities certainly inform how they address universal issues such as the problem of evil, the meaning of free agency, the importance of love and the power of redemption.



Science fiction in particular is one of the best genres for addressing issues related to faith. Even more than mainstream fiction, sf probes for meaning and depth, exploring new worlds of possibility while at the same time relating everything back to the human condition and our place in this boundless universe. Because of this, it's no wonder that so many works of science fiction refer to religious ideas or include religiously motivated characters--sometimes to promote an anti-religious bias or agenda, but more often than not to provide an extra layer of depth and meaning.



I wrote an article on the origins of the science fiction and fantasy community at BYU last year for Mormon Artist magazine, in which I was fortunate enough to interview several influential Mormon writers. From that experience, I realized that there's an urgent need for more LDS voices in sf&f--that we have so much of value to offer the community.



Certainly, we shouldn't be preachy or overzealous about it, since all that does is drive people away. But the more we write, and the more we write honestly, the more we enrich the genre and thus enrich other people's lives.



When I wrote Genesis Earth, I didn't set out to write about faith or sprituality. I did want to write about the human condition; to question whether we're all just automatons moving about in a predictable universe, or whether we're infinitely creative free agents in a universe of boundless wonders.

Quite unconsciously, the story of my main character (Michael) became a journey of faith. As the son of two well-renowned astrophysicists, he grew up with a deep devotion to science. Unfortunately, this also means he feels a tremendous amount of pressure to live up to his parents' expectations--a conflict that underscores the entire novel.

Michael's mission partner, Terra, is almost the exact opposite of him. She's a rebel who does not share his views on science and openly question some of his deepest, most personal beliefs. But I didn't just want this to be a story of disillusionment; I wanted Michael's faith to grow and mature, not just wither away and die. I suppose that was my LDS sensibilities speaking to me. So Michael's story became a deeply personal journey of discovery, and when he found the thing that helped him to come to a new realization of his faith, it surprised me just as much as it surprised him.

No matter what you believe, I think it's important to write honestly, especially when writing science fiction. If you do, your beliefs and values will inevitably come out in your voice, often in ways you would least expect. That's the way to be unique, and the best way to "let your light so shine."

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

 Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

"What if your first love was literally sitting right in front of you?
According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own." (summary from publisher website) 

 

At first I was a little worried to read Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt. I had read the first book in her princess series and really enjoyed it, but it was more along the lines of fantastical fiction. Sean Griswold’s Head sound serious and heavy. A father gets diagnosed with MS. Then the summary gave me some strange vibes. Focus object? Therapy? I felt hesitation.



Then I read a positive review of it by Janssen at Everyday Reading and decided to take the plunge. I am very glad that I gave the book a chance. I ended up enjoying it. I really liked Payton’s voice. She has a very funny way of describing her feelings mostly with odd and self-conscious metaphors that are charming. The author does an excellent job of showing how Payton’s life was impacted by her father’s MS. The author manages to convey the depth of Payton’s distress without the book feeling like a pity party. In fact I really sympathized with Payton and was willing to watch her as she tried to figure out how to cope with her distress.


In the middle of all her stress and grief Payton’s focus object—Sean Griswold—brings a bit of light heartedness to the book. Payton does a bit of gentle mocking of Sean’s big head, but finds herself inspired to get to know him better as a result. What results is a genuine and honest teenage romance story. I also loved the fact that the author had a light touch with the romance plot line. Not too sappy and just the right amount of sweet.


So, next time I see a contemporary novel by this author I will not hesitate, but leap to give it a chance.

Lindsey Leavitt's Blog

Picture Books: Eric Carle

Picture Books: Eric Carle


I’ve been reading a lot of picture books to the baby girl recently, and not as many novels as I would like. So, I realized that I’m not really that qualified to review pictures books, but I wanted to keep a record of what I read to the little one so that if/when I decide to build a library of children’s books I’ll remember which ones that I thought were worth reading .



The Very Quiet Cricket

This is the story of a newly hatch cricket. He has a little bit of trouble making noise at first. Each time another bug greets him he tries to chirp back, but he can’t make any sound. At the end he meets a pretty little cricket and when he rubs his wings together to greet her he finally makes a sound.

I find this little story to be satisfying and cute. The last page has an electronic chirping sound to simulate the sound of our brave hero’s first chirp. This is one I could read to the girler often.

Will You be My Friend?

This is a unique book about a mouse looking for a friend. The book has no text, and the reader is supposed to make up the story as they go along. The book is intended for children just learning to read and learning how books work. As in they have to physically turn pages in order to find out what will happen next. Eric Carle uses the art work as cues to aid the child by putting the tail of the next animal in the story on the page before it appears. This also leads the child to predict what animal will appear next, which is reportedly an important reading skill.
The girler wasn’t developmentally ready enough for this one. At, you know, two months old. Though, part of the reason I record what I am reading is that perhaps a book like this can serve her better later. At least I know books like this exist.



The Very Hungry Caterpillar




This was a book given to me at my shower and I really love it. It tells the story of a newly hatched caterpillar, who is very hungry. Each day he eats more and more food until he is huge and goes into a cocoon and becomes a butterfly.




I have read this one over and over to the girler. She seems to like it a lot. I don’t know if it is because of the brightly colored pictures, and unique page sizes that makes it more interesting, or if she enjoys listening to me read the text. It is short and sweet so it is very easy to finish quickly, which is important in the short attention span of a newborn.

She doesn’t seem to like Goodnight Moon as well, though it is similar, and I wonder if it is because it has too little text. She doesn’t get to listen to the cadence of my voice as much and turning the pages in between short lines makes the sound choppy.
The Grouchy Ladybug
This book tells the story of a Grouchy Ladybug that refuses to share aphids with another ladybug. He challenges the Ladybug to fight, who accepts the challenge. In a fit of bravado he claims that he needs to fight a bigger opponent and runs off.
So, the book continues as the Ladybug goes off to find bigger and bigger opponents to fight. Very similar to the Hungry Caterpillar, but the pages are set up with the times of the clock instead of the days of the week. A lot longer than the Hungry Catapillar, and a bit more complex.

I didn’t like this one as much as the hungry caterpillar. The book ran a bit too long for me. I got bored of the same thing about half way through. Girler didn’t show a negative or positive preference for it either way.

Papa, Please get the moon for me

This was a cute little story, but was kind of annoying to read. The daughter requests her father to go and get the moon in the sky. Her father follows her request and gets a huge ladder, and climbs all the way up to the moon.
This book is unique in that is has a lot of pages that fold out to show huge pictures of papa’s ladder, his climb to the moon, and the moon. I found the fold out pages to be a little bit annoying to deal with, and I kept thinking about how easily they would tear if girler wasn’t a newborn and instead a toddler who handled books roughly.
What age are these types of books appropriate for? Mature enough not to tear a book to pieces, but immature enough to still enjoy a picture book. Does anyone out there have an answer?