JA Reads

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson Poem

noreply@blogger.com (J.) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 06:52:00 +0000

Before I return this book to the library (and then subsequently put it on my "to buy" list), I want to get down this poem that the main character, Lennie, writes about the loss of her sister:

From "The Sky is Everywhere book trailer,"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q687NX-0kE

   Grief is a house
   where the chairs
   have forgotten how to hold us
   the mirrors how to reflect us
   the walls how to contain us
   Grief is a house that disappears
   each time someone knocks at the door
   or rings the bell
   a house that blows into the air
   at the slightest gust
   that buries itself deep in the ground
   while everyone is sleeping
   Grief is a house where no one can protect you
   where the younger sister
   will grow older than the older one
   where the doors
   no longer let you in
   or out (73)

The poetry throughout The Sky is Everywhere is a good example of why I loved this book. It made me think of Freak Magnet by Andrew Auseon, which I read recently as well. Both books had the characters' dealing with tremendous difficulties and experiencing new love. Also, in both books. the female protagonist wrote poetry. The poems and plot in The Sky is Everywhere connected with me in a way that was authentic, whereas the poems and plot in Freak Magnet left me indifferent. I understand the characters are dealing with different issues and perhaps Auseon meant for Gloria's writing to be typical cringeworthy adolescent emo poetry, but it made me want to skip passages of the book. It took away from the characters' real struggles, because I didn't see Gloria as a girl who would write such terrible poetry.

Not a very coherent or thorough critique, but this poem from Nelson's book reminded me of a time when I felt so bogged down by loss. It brought me back to that time, reminded me how far I've come, and also captured what can never change. There is always grief.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour Playlists

noreply@blogger.com (J.) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 06:40:00 +0000

Okay, just to get this out of the way, I will probably review the actual book, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson later, but I really enjoyed it and it gets 4/5 stars for me. The score could be higher but I read it after being on an epic high from just meeting, falling in love with, and saying goodbye to Marcus Flutie and the Jessica Darling series which ended A-MAZINGLY: ZOW! Needless to say, any book to follow would be a bit of a letdown - that this one made such a great impression on me following MARCUS FREAKING FLUTIE speaks very highly of it.

I borrowed A&RED from the library, although I will be buying it post-haste now, so I wanted to get down the playlists as an iTunes downloading reference for me - I would typically expect for the author's website to have this info up as seems common for most YA authors these days, but Matson doesn't even have her own website! Therefore, I thought this would be a good resource for those who've read the book and want to explore the music, as well as a good teaser to interest those who haven't read the book. I hope you enjoy! Obviously, all credit where it is due, with Morgan Matson. Also (I think) obviously, the later playlists may give slight spoilers as to the direction the story takes, if you're familiar with the songs.

Roger Playlist #1: "'Leaving California'" aka 'Hitting the Road' aka 'Snacks are Important, But Not Quite as Important as Tunes'" (p. 44)

"Going to California" - Led Zeppelin
"Drive Away My Heart" - Ida Maria
"California in Popular Song" - The Lucksmiths
"I See You" - Mika
"Travel Song" - Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin
"Miss California" - Jack's Mannequin
"The General Specific" - Band of Horses
"I'm Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" - Billy Joel
"Life in the Fast Lane" - Eagles
"Birds of a Feather" - The Rosenbergs
"Limelight" - Rush
"All My Stars Aligned" - St. Vincent
"Unhurried Heart" - Harlem Shakes
"The Wild" - Princeton
"I Stand Corrected" - Vampire Weekend
"In California (Live)" - Neko Case
"Nobody Lost, Nobody Found" - Cut Copy
"Vanilla Twilight" - Owl City
"Adrift" - Jack Johnson

Roger Playlist #2: "'What Do You Mean We're STILL in California?!' aka 'The Very Long and Winding Road' aka 'The Ballad of Amy's Lost Sunglasses'" (p. 77)

"Wine Red" - The Hush Sound
"Heartbeats" - The Knife
"16, Maybe Less" - Calexico/Iron and Wine
"Human" - The Killers
"West Coast Friendship" - Owl City
"Forest for the Trees" - Alright Alright
"Buildings and Mountains" - The Republic Tigers"
"Transcontinental" - Pedro the Lion
"It Won't Be Long" - The Smithereens
"Drive Away" - The All-American Rejects
"She's the One" - Caribou
"Next Exit" - Interpol
"We Are Lost" - The Like
"Get Back (Where we Started From)" - Army Navy
"Get Gotten" - Ben Lee
"Wandering" - The Hidden Cameras
"What Else Is There?" - Röyksopp
"Can't Go Back Now" - The Weepies

Roger Playlist #3: "'Road to Nowhere' aka 'Cruise Control on Highway 50'" (p. 90)

"Long, Lonesome Highway Blues" - Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band
"Go Places" - The New Pornographers
"I'm With You" - The Ponys
"Live to Tell the Tale" - Passion Pit
"Highwayman" - Willie Nelson
"Stunner Shades in Heaven" - Princeton
"Fake Empire" - The National
"They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!" - Sufjan Stevens
"Moonshine" - Feeder
"Familiar Landscapes" - A New Found Glory
"Show Me What I'm Looking For" - Carolina Liar
"Le temps perdu" - Carla Bruni
"Sons and Daughters" - The Decemberists
"Strangers" - The Kinks

Roger Playlist #4: "'Hillary & Edmund Hit the Highway' aka 'People Who Take Pictures of Trees'" (p. 110)

"Colorado" - Grizzly Bear
"Young Folks" - Peter, Bjorn and John
"I Am John" - Loney, Dear
"Unknown Legend" - Neil Young
"Break It Out" - The Rocket Summer
"No You Girls" - Franz Ferdinand
"Surf Colorado" - Bowling for Soup
"Just Like Heaven" - The Cure
"The First Single (You Know Me)" - The Format
"Gravel" - Ember FX
"Rootless Tree" - Damien Rice
"I Figured You Out" - Elliott Smith
"Baby, It's Fact" - Hellogoodbye
"Free" - cat Power
"Don't Forget to Breathe" - Beulah
"Love Like a Sunset, Part I" - Phoenix
"Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" - We Are Scientists
"A Year in the Past, Forever in the Future" - Dashboard Confessional

Picture from AnnaReads

Roger Playlist #5: "'No Place Like Home' or 'Why Won't Amy Buy Sunglasses?' or "The Sunflower State'" (p. 157)

"Where Is Home?" - Bloc Party
"Jolene" - The Weepies
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (cover) - Call Me Kevin
"Brand New Day" - Joshua Radin
"Starlight" - Muse
"Even Fairy Tale Characters Would be Jealous" - PlayRadioPlay!
"Daylight" - Matt and Kim
"The Dark in You" - Plushgun
"100,000 Fireflies" - The Magnetic Fields
"Wake Up" - The Secret Handshake
"Dust in the Wind" - Kansas
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" - Elton John
"I'll Do the Driving" - Fountains of Wayne
"Time After Time" (cover) - Quietdrive
"Faith in Fast Cars" - The Format
"Wonderful You" - The Dandy Warhols
"Take a Chance on Me" - Erasure

Roger Playlist #6: "'Tornado Season??' aka "~~Ice Cream~~ Frozen Custard Headache'" (p. 181)

"Ghost" - Neutral Milk Hotel
"November Rain" - Guns N' Roses
"Sugar, We're Goin Down" - Fall Out Boy
"Route 66" - Chuck Berry
"Morning Calls" - Dashboard Confessional
"All My Days" - Alexi Murdoch
"Not the Same" - Ben Folds
"Hearbeats" - José González
"Here (In Your Arms)" - Hellogoodbye
"The Weight" - The Band
"The Bird and the Worm" - Owl City
"Cast No Shadow" - Oasis
"It'll All Work Out" - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"This Time Tomorrow" - The Kinks

Roger Playlist #7: "'Missouri-Illinois-Indiana-Kentucky' aka 'When will Amy be the DJ? WHEN?' aka '1500 miles on 400 dollars...'" (p. 207)

"Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" - Sufjan Stevens
"Going Back to Indiana" - Jackson 5
"The Trick to Life" - The Hoosiers
"No More Runnin" - Animal Collective
"Globes & Maps" - Something Corporate
"All Hail the Heartbreaker" - The Spill Canvas
"Old Flames" - Harlem Shakes
"Don't Wake Me Up" - The Hush Sound
"My Beautiful Rescue" - This Providence
"Beating Heart Baby" - Head Automatica
"Song in My Head" - Sherwood
"Nightswimming" - R.E.M.
"Ulysses" - Franz Ferdinand
"Good Arms vs. Bad Arms" - Frightened Rabbit
"Late in the Evening" - Paul Simon
"After Hours" - Caribou
"The Good Ones" - The Kills
"Sunlight in a Jar" - The Lucksmiths
"Where the Story Ends" - The Fray

Amy Playlist #1: "'Going to Graceland' or 'Roger Gets an Introduction to Musical Theater'" (p. 272)

"Avenue Q" - Avenue Q
"One Short Day" - Wicked
"All That's Known" - Spring Awakening
"Someone Like You" - Jekyll & Hyde
"When I Look at You" - The Scarlet Pimpernel
"All the Wasted Time" - Parade
"I'd Give it All for You" - Songs for a New World
"I Believe" - Spring Awakening
"I Can Do Better Than That" - The Last Five Years
"The Best of All Possible Worlds" - Candide
"Bill" - Show Boat
"Consider Yourself" - Oliver!
"This Night" - Movin' Out
"Where Did We Go Right?" - The Producers
"Wheels of a Dream" - Ragtime
"Still Hurting" - The Last Five Years
"You Can't Stop the Beat" - Hairspray
"For Now" - Avenue Q
"Nothing in Common" - Wearing Someone Else's Clothes
"Remember?" - A Little Night Music

Amy Playlist #2: Pay No Attention to the Boys Behind the Curtain/The Henry Gales (p. 284) [a fictional demo/band]

Roger Playlist #8: "'Pennsylvania, Here We Come' aka 'Journey's End'" (p. 335)

"How to Say Goodbye" - Paul Tiernan
"It'll All Work Out" - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"The Trees and the Wild" - Matt Pond PA
"No Myth" - Michael Penn
"Slow Pony Home" - The Weepies
"How We Roll" - Plushgun
"The Resolution" - Jack's Mannequin
"World Spins Madly On" - The Weepies
"Signal Fire" - Snow Patrol
"Live to Tell the Tale" - Passion Pit
"What's So Bad (About Feeling Good)?" - Ben Lee
"Young Folks" - Peter, Bjorn & John

Amy Playlist #3: "'The End of the Road' or 'The Beginning'" (p. 338)

"All Shook Up" - Elvis Presley
"I Guess This Is Goodbye" - Into the Woods
"New Music" - Ragtime
"The Joy You Feel" - The Light in the Piazza
"I'd Do Anything" - Oliver!
"Goodbye Until Tomorrow" - The Last Five Years
"All That I Am" - Elvis Presley
"It Would Have Been Wonderful" - A Little Night Music
"We're Okay" - Rent
"With So Little to Be Sure Of" - Anyone Can Whistle
"Come What May" - Elvis Presley

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

noreply@blogger.com (J.) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 07:52:00 +0000

It's a bit odd to start out talking about this book, since it's not really a typical pick for me, but I just finished it and I want to get down why I disliked it.

I have been on a young adult kick recently because it's often easier to get through them quickly (this doesn't mean there isn't a ton of quality there, as with any other so-called genre) and school has been insanely mind-consuming. I got through The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot in one day; I haven't been able to get past Chapter 3 of Ulysses yet in the past four months. Anyway, I've seen Libba Bray mentioned in the Acknowledgments section of quite a few books I enjoyed, so my interest was piqued. I'm a save-the-best-for-last person, so I typically like to got through an author's work beginning with the less famous and ending with the most famous book(s). Donc, I read Going Bovine first. I wasn't enthused by it, but the writing was good, and I thought I might like the story of Bray's first series better. Now, here I am.

The Sweet Far Thing is the third and final book in what is called the Gemma Doyle Trilogy (this also includes A Great and Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels). I really had no idea what this series was about when I started it other than it had some kind of supernatural element in it, which I am fine with if it's done well - as with anything else. This is the beginning of Amazon's description of the first book: "A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complciated and unusual first novel." That sounds kind of awesome to me. I love the Victorian-era! And let's face it, almost every story could be improved if it were set at a boarding school! A Gothic mansion mystery? Hello, Jane Eyre is one of my all-time faves! Gossipy romps with cliquey girls? Yes, that was my high school life!

Okay, minor spoiler alert: I've concluded that maybe I'm just not cut out for the fairy genre. I'd be interested in trying it out again, so I can decide if it's the genre or the story.

This story just didn't hold together for me. The writing was good. Honestly, sometimes I had to pause for a minute to admire Bray. For instance, here: "They gossip over their needlework, small stitches to match their small talk" (718). Very nice, right? But to me - even in a supernatural world - for a story to be successful it must have some internal logic that holds up to scrutiny, that can be followed, that - within itself - makes sense. To me, these books did not have that. Could I explain the plots of these books to people? Yes. Could I justify why things happened the way they did other than that they were written that way? Often, no. In contrast, many smaller details were left unexplained in the Harry Potter series, but overall the world made sense and I understood it enough to extrapolate my own explanations for things that remained less than opaque at the end of the series. I found that with Bray's books, I was just reading to see what happened, but I was unable to form any expectations because the world didn't make sense to me.

In addition, I found it hard to like or sympathize in the long run with the characters. When Forever Young Adult reviews a book, they ask "bff charm?" I don't think I would give a BFF charm to any of these characters. Ever. At any one time in the books. Maybe Kartik.

Really, very little happens in the books. Gemma doesn't know what to do and plays irresponsibly and wonderfully with her powers for most of the book. Her friends are selfish but still her friends (this, I think is actually realistic for many girls this age, and I admired that it was portrayed as simply a part of their friendship). Others doubt Gemma, and she doubts herself. She investigates, but often half-heartedly, and is often a bit oblivious. Then some action happens (very quickly). Then...the ending. I must just say, what? Kartik?! And throughout it all, whenever something actually resolves or moves forward, I'm left going, "o-kay," rather than "cool, that makes sense."

So I'm conflicted. I really didn't enjoy these books, despite Bray's writing skills. I was 80% through The Sweet Far Thing and then procrastinated finishing it for a few days - not because I was delaying the sorrow of finishing it, but because I really wasn't that interested in the ending. However, I have a sick need for finishing things (see, why I read all three of these books. Also, duh, Ulysses.) so I came back to it and got it done. Bray is a talented writer, which explains why I've now read all four of her novels even though I didn't really enjoy any of them. But, I have so far not been able to fully engage with her stories. I will be interested to see what she does next.

Postnote: P.S. I did not like what she did next (Beauty Queens) any better, unfortunately. I won't give up! I will eventually read one of her books and find it completely enjoyable!

Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (J.) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 06:56:00 +0000

This blog is basically meant to serve as a sort of journal to help me remember what I've read and why I reacted to it the way I did. If that interests you, follow along!