Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The innkeeper is younger than he appears, and he chooses to be called "Kote."  It's not his real name.  He has reasons not to tell his new neighbors that he is really Kvothe--a man known in legend and song as a magician, a musician, a hero and a few other things.

Now, the Chronicler has tracked him down and Kvothe tells the entire story of his life for the first time.  The story will take three days to tell.  The Name of the Wind is the narrative of the first day.  The second day's narrative is told in Book #2 of the Kingkiller Chronicles: The Wise Man's Fear.  

Epic fantasy with magic, adventures, love and hate, and battles between good and evil.  Nick Podehl narrates the audiobooks beautifully, keeping the narrative line tense and engaging.

Recommended for readers and listeners ages 12 to adult.  Violence is mostly (but not entirely) off-page.  Book #1 has no sex or nudity, but Book #2 has much more (mostly off-page) of both, including Kvothe's account of a several-month's-long-tryst in the land of the Fae. 

Read the series slowly--Book #3, tentatively called The Doors of Stone, is not yet scheduled for release!

Raven Boys

Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Blue Sargeant is not a psychic.  Well, not exactly.  She doesn't find hidden things using the Tarot cards, or see the future in a bowl of cranberry-grape juice, or discover the truth by touching an object that belongs to a suspicious person.  Blue amplifies psychic energy...and when she meets up with a group of boys from exclusive Aglionby Academy who are seeking the body of centuries-old Welsh king, their quest becomes more intense.  And more mysterious. And more sinister. And more dangerous. 

 

The magic of this darkly imaginative twisting story is lushly written.  The characters are wonderfully portrayed, and although very different from each other, join into a strange and compellingly cohesive circle.  The relationships are not straightforward and are more convincing because of the complex, jagged edges.  This book is first in a projected quartet; the second book, The Dream Thieves, is scheduled for release on September 17th, 2013.

 

Cussing, person-on-person violence, death, magic, and a sweet-but-not-straightforward romance. 

 

The audiobook is gorgeously read by Will Patton, with buffer music composed and performed by the author.  Highly recommended for readers 14 to adult.

Starting From Here

Starting From Here  by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
You wouldn't want Colby's life.  Her mom died of cancer.  Her truck driver dad is gone most of the time.  And her girlfriend just dumped her...for a guy.

Then by chance Colby rescues Mo, a stray dog hit by a car.  Mo survives the amputation of his leg, and caring for him propels Colby into friendships she would never have imagined. 

This potentially too-sweet story is enlivened by an imperfect central character with the knack for screwing up relationships.  Fortunately, Colby is determined to live with her own choices, and the strength of her character makes up for a lot of bad judgement.  Supporting characters are worthwhile as well:  her buddy Van, her absent-but-loving dad, and the cute girl at school who just might forgive Colby's screw-ups, if only she gets the chance.

Recommended for readers ages 14 to adult.  No violence; some cussing, some kissing, and one very tactful incident of Star Trek Sex.

Blud and Magick

Blud and Magick  by Preston Norton

Edwin the Educated, one of the surviving Sages of Hazirrez Tower, is given the responsibility of raising a baby girl created from the ashes of the ultra-evil wizard Remmus Alrad.  He takes her away from the magickal realm of Trivaesia into the mundane world of Oklahoma, calls her his "niece" and pretends to everyone that she is completely normal.  But on the first day in a new school, 14-year-old Darla ("Alrad" spelled backwards--get it?) learns that her teacher isn't really her teacher, that her uncle isn't really her uncle, and that she is...not human at all.

The writing is rife with clichés (a hunchback guarding the castle and a vampire seeking revenge?  Really?) and many of the settings and themes seem copycatted from Harry Potter.   Not recommended for discerning readers, but teens seeking fast-moving paranormal  fiction with minimal originality or character development will enjoy the action and not worry about the lack of depth. 

No sex, no drugs.  Some magickal bloodshed, a potentially deadly virtual-reality game that is a dead ringer for Quiddich, and a dragon.  Sequels are clearly planned, and the sequels will probably include some romancing.

Drama

Drama  by Raina Telgemeier, with color by Gurihiru

Middle-school student Callie loves everything theatric. 

She loves the lights, she loves the music, she loves the audience, she loves the costume vault, and she loves being set designer for the school production of "Moon Over Mississippi." 

Although Callie and her friends focus a lot of attention on the play, there is still plenty of time and energy to devote to the other kind of middle school drama:  the boyfriends, the girlfriends, the getting-togethers and the breakups.

Callie's friendship with the other drama kids is absolutely on-target, and the graphic novel portrayal of life behind the stage is note-perfect.  Racial and sexual diversity is portrayed realistically and with charm; no cussing, no violence (except a bit of social back-stabbing from the leading lady), a few sweet kisses, and a bunch of growing up for almost all the characters.

Highly recommended for drama kids, aspiring drama kids, and retired drama kids, ages 12 to adult. 

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer  by Lish McBride
College dropout Sam ("Samhain Corvus LaCroix") feels lost in a dead-end burger-flipping job in Seattle's U-District...until a seriously creepy dude called Douglas takes a seriously unhealthy interest in Sam.  The next morning, Sam's smart-alecky girl-buddy's head is delivered to him in a box.

Ooky?   Actually, no:  it's hilarious.

Because Brooke's head is still smart-alecky. 

It turns out that Sam's talent as a necromancer has been disguised all his life, but now the secret is out and there are dead things showing up everywhere.  Including the panda cage at the zoo, and certain high-profile rock bands. 

It also turns out that Seattle isn't just full of dead stuff.  It's also full of werewolves, witches and various other fey creatures, including a bum-kicking hybrid were-hound who looks great in a Batman t-shirt.

And this book?  It's full of awesome.  Think smart-talking slapstick "Ferris Bueller" meets ultra-camp "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Minor cussing, blood, zombies, battlefield violence between the bad guys and an impromptu cavalry of witches and weres, Star Trek sex, and waffles. 

Highly recommended for readers ages 14 to adult.

ULTIMATE Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook

The Ultimate Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook by David Borgenicht, Joshua Piven and Ben H. Winters

At last, all of the accumlated survival wisdom from the 13 Worst Case Survival books is compiled into one gigantic volume of preparedness.  Everything from "How to Wrestle Free from an Alligator" to "How to Survive an Alien Abduction," from "How to Remove Stains from Carpet" to "How to Jump from a Building into a Dumpster,"  and from "How to Treat a Severed Limb" to "How to Survive Nuclear Fall Out" -- it's all here, plus much more. 

 

With important points emphasized in red print, and line drawings to illustrate important concepts, the information is presented clearly, concisely, and with characteristic humor.  You may never need to know "How to Stop a Car With No Brakes," but there's no telling when you might need to know "How to Detect a Letter Bomb" or "How to Survive a Zombie Attack." 

The information is great, and the book is easy--and fun--to read.  I wish the authors had cited their source material.  They say that their material has been derived from "experts in the subjects at hand, as recorded by accomplished journalists and writers."  The Table of Contents is useful, but there is no index, making the book more of a browsing favorite than an actual survival resource.

The book contains descriptions of bloody situations (plane crashes, bear attacks, and accidental dismemberments), and sexual situations (including fake sexual situations, as in "How to Fake an Orgasm"), as well as descriptions of unwise activities (sword fights, crossing buildings on a wire, and breaking into cars).  The humor diffuses most of the situations that some readers may find offensive.

Recommended for recreational readers and survival wonks, ages 12 to adult. 

Still Life with Shape-shifter

Still Life with Shape-shifter  by Sharon Shinn

Melanie has been keeping her half-sister Ann's secret since they were both young children:  Ann is a shape-shifter who periodically takes the shape of a white dog.  When investigative reporter Brody Westerbrook asks to interview them both, Melanie automatically refuses...but Ann does not.  Gradually, Brody's life becomes intertwined with the lives of the sisters, and gradually the secret is shared with a few more people.  But when Ann's poor health seems to be overwhelming her, they must reach out to the only stranger who might be able to help.

Gentle themes of love, loyalty, grief, and friendship draw readers deeply into the story. The first-person perspective changes narrators throughout the book, and at first the connection between characters is confusing, but the author carefully interweaves the tales so that by the final page, the story is completely cohesive and it all makes sense.

This book is written and marketed for adults, but teen readers fascinated by magic and non-traditional shapeshifters will enjoy the story. 

Minor cussing, minor violence (including some parental bullying) and off-page sexual situations.  This book is part two of a shape-shifter trilogy, but stands alone nicely.  Recommended for readers ages 14 to adult.

The Brides of Rollrock Island

The Brides of Rollrock Island  by Margo Lanagan

Misskaella Prout is ugly and outcast, unloved by her family, mocked by the women and rejected by the men of Rollrock Island. 

Though she has a magical talent to pull selkies from out of their seal-skins and into human shape, she does not stop with merely conjuring a lover for herself.  Instead, Misskaella also creates a deep and complex revenge against the island people by providing--for a price--a beautiful seal-wife for each man on the island.  Enchanted by the fey sea-wives, the men abandon their human families, mortgage their wealth, and deny that their lives are anything but wonderful.  The selkie women are helpless without their seal-skins...but when their sons steal back the coats, life on the island changes dramatically once again.

A complex and beautifully written story of hatred, love, magic, revenge, and eventually, redemption.  No cussing, minimal violence, and some on-page sexual situations between humans and selkies in (mostly) human form.  Highly recommended, ages 14 to adult.

Viva Jacquelina!

Viva Jacquelina! by L.A. Meyer

 

The irrepressible Jacky Faber is pressed into service yet again for British Intelligence...this time, in Spain and Portugal.  She charms her way into the household of the artist Francisco Goya, participates in the running of the bulls, and collects secret information during trips to the palace in Madrid. 

 

But when the Spanish Inquisition shows up (who expected THAT?!), Jacky hits the road again, cavorting with Romani (gypsies) as she heads towards the relative safety of the harbor in Gibralter.  And from there...well, that will be the next book!

 

Fans of the series will love Jacky's typical madcap adventures as she rubs shoulders with famous figures from history and literature.  Some cussing, some bloodshed, and a few sexual close-calls.  I look forward to hearing the audiobook version, recorded as always by Katherine Kellgren.   Recommended ages 13 to adult.