Printz Buzz

With the end of the year fast approaching, the Mock Printz Awards are all the buzz.  One book that has gotten so much is Holly Black's The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.  I had recently read Black's Doll Bones, which is getting Newbery buzz, but IMO, it is too good to actually win.  I like vampire books.  But I am not a fanatic about them.  I loved listening to Dracula.  And I loved the Twilight books, even though I was Team Jacob.  The Coldest Girl was pretty good.  It was long man, really long.  I listened to it on 3 speed and it was still long, but yet, the world that Black has created is amazing.  I really feel like I want to know more about it.  I wonder if I should have read it, but I don't know, it was super long.  I like Tana, the main character, who lives in a world where vampires are known evil things in this world.  Folks have to be pretty careful not to get caught out after dark.  Infected folks and vampires live in places called Coldtowns.  There is a lot of vampire myth and lore packed into this book.  Even though vampires are deadly, they are pretty sexy too.  Still, if I had to pick a vampire to be my man, it would be Lucius Vladescu.  When will Ms. Fantasky bring him back!  If you like a good vampire story, though, you won't be disappointed in Coldest.  It is creepy. 

 

Scary Dolls, Again!

The Doll Bones is another scary doll book! But I am not sure if this doll is haunted or not.  I just don't know if the magic was real magic-magic, I do think it might be.  This is a growing up story.  A death of childhood kinda thing...but it is hopeful.  And just magical.  This is a possible Newbery, too.  Three kids, on the verge of beings teens.  Two girls and guy and a journey to put a dead girl's soul to rest.  It made me wonder if the legends in the book are true.  But I can't find anything about it when I google!

No More Worries

Finished The Good Neighbors tonight with the third installment, Kind.  I also found out what kith means!  I gotta say that it wrapped up nicely, but I still am sticking with a 3 out of 5 star rating for each of the books and a 3 overall.  I did like the story.  One reviewer on goodreads.com said that it was a good story that  maybe didn't have the right format.  That kinda makes sense to me.  It IS a good story, so I want to read more of Holly Black.  And you can't beat the art work.  Excellent.  But overall, it just didn't go deep enough for me.

Define "good"

I admit that most of my fairy knowledge comes from Disney.  Tinker Bell and those chicks in Sleeping Beauty, who I just learned are named Flora, Fauna and Merryweather.  I know Sleeping Beauty and Peter Pan were around a long time before Disney made them into cartoons, but I admit, it is the Disney fairies that I know and love.  I always thought that three Sleeping Beauty faires were named Bibbity, Bobbity, Boo!  Ha!
So as I am reading The Good Neighbors Book Two:  Kith, I am thinking, "good" neighbors?  Dudes these fairies are evil!  And they are!  And while I don't believe in fairies, I have to say I just felt a little weird about calling out the fairies as evil.  The ones in this book are pretty scary!  I was glad I got my hands on the second book so quickly after finishing the first.  Looking forward to the final one.  Only thing is, still not quite ready to change a 3 star rating to anything higher, but maybe after the third!  And what is a Kith?

And Like a Good Neighbor...

It was Barry Manilow who wrote the State Farm jingle.  I think everyone knows that.  I never knew that faires were called "good neighbors."  The Good Neighbors: Kin is the first graphic novel in a series of three by Holly Black.  The art work is done by Ted Naifeh.  It's the story of Rue, who has a LOT going on in her life.  Her mother is gone, and she might be a fairy.  Her dad is accused of killing one of his students and his wife (Rue's mom.)  Also, Rue is starting to see things, vines, horns on people, that kind of thing.  I only gave this three stars, but I bet I will be giving it more than that once I read the second and third books, which I will, for sure!  Very captivating and original and I loved the art work.