teaser tuesday (67)

It's Teaser Tuesday, a bookish blog meme hosted every week by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here's how it works:

Grab your current read and let it fall open to a random page (or if you're reading on an electronic device, pick a random number and scroll to that section). Post two or more sentences from that page, along with the book title and author. Share your find with others in the comments at Should Be Reading, and don't give anything vital away!

“‘Welcome, September, to the city of Westerly, my home, where live all the Six Winds in nothing at all like harmony.’

‘It’s…very nice. And very cold. And I seem to have lost one of my shoes.’”

p. 6 of Catherynne M. Valente’s The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

witchlanders

Love.

That word doesn’t reference the content of this book, but instead how I feel about it. In particular, I am in love with the world of the Witchlands, with its red zanthia trees, its fields of hicca, the verdant valley and the mountainous backdrop. Lena Coakley has imbued the setting in her debut novel with something magnetic and deep, full of possibilities and beauty and peopled with flawed, courageous and mad characters. I am so very happy I read this book!

High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.

Witchlanders is, without a doubt, high fantasy. It is exactly what I’ve been craving in a story – strong world-building, mysteries upon mysteries, tensions running high among characters who may or may not have the motivations they claim aloud. It is also a feast for the imagination.

There were descriptive passages of Witchlanders where the mention of stark music and magic made me think of nothing so much as Adele’s raw and powerful song Someone Like You. I don’t know if I’ve ever matched a song and a story so closely in my head before, but the bittersweet lament seemed to fit the mood. I think you may see what I mean when you read Witchlanders for yourself.

The setting, of course, is not the only consideration. Let’s talk characters. Ryder is sure of himself and stubborn in it – he won’t accept a new reality until it’s forced on him. That immovability was so like my brother Peter’s personality that I accepted it immediately (you know you know someone like this. trust me). After all, it’s a standard convention that the stubborn ones need to be knocked over by magic before they’ll believe in it, right?

The story’s two small weaknesses, if they can be called that, were in the opening pages and the rushed pacing at the end. The opening of the book was the larger of the two, because I think it could turn less persistent readers away. I’ll just put it out there: the first bit, in Ryder’s home? Confusing. Partially because he’s confused, and partially because he is dealing with an unstable person, and the rest because everyone’s name is unusual and unfamiliar at that point. If you can push past this and acclimate to the world Coakley has created, you’ll get sucked into the story and its striking landscape.

Recommended for: fans of fantasy (and especially high fantasy), those who can appreciate the ordinary magic of a landscape, appreciators of complexity of life, and anyone who has ever thought that singing is a sort of enchantment which never seems to get its due.

september is for zombies (and book blogger appreciation week)

For the last couple of years I’ve participated in Velvet’s September Zombies celebration for the month of September, and this year it’s no different. It’ll really pick up towards the end of the month, so watch out for some zombie-related content here at Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia and at vvb32reads from September 20th-30th (including a giveaway opportunity!).

Also in the near future: BBAW, or Book Blogger Appreciation Week. BBAW is in its fourth year in the book blogging world. On my blog this year’s event will feature an interview swap, daily blogging topics (if I get around to them) and a giveaway. The official dates for BBAW are September 12-16. Check in for the interview swap on September 13th!

Tell me: are you participating in September Zombies and/or Book Blogger Appreciation Week?

stir it up!

Book blogging is life-changing. Or at least reading-life-changing (I think I’m safe with that assessment). I’ve been influenced by other bloggers more than I ever imagined possible when I started out. It has come to this: I hardly ever read a book anymore if I haven’t previously heard about it through my network. And, funnily enough, sometimes books hear about me and come searching. Or make that a book’s author. In this case, Ramin Ganeshram scouted me out via Reading in Color (a really fantastic blog!), and had a publicist send her novel Stir It Up! for review. When you read the synopsis, you’ll see why this one ‘fit’ me exactly.

A Trinidadian-American girl’s dream is challenged by her family...

Thirteen-year-old Anjali's life is rich with the smell of curry from her parents' roti shop and an absolute passion for food. More than anything, Anjali wants to be a chef who competes on a kids' cooking reality TV show. But Anjali must keep her wish a secret from her family, who thinks Anjali's passions are beneath her. Thank goodness for Deema, Anjali's grandmother, whose insight and love can push past even the oldest family beliefs. Woven with recipes that cook up emotions and actual culinary recipes that make food, this novel is as delicious as it is satisfying.

Take a talented kid with the skill and drive to succeed. Mix in one special opportunity, along with family pressure and disapproval. Add in a questionable decision, forgiveness, and bake with a touch of real life, and you get… Anjali’s story!

Stir It Up! is a middle grade contemporary novel filled with food, cultural lessons, and best of all, healthy family dynamics. One of the things I liked about the book is that Anjali and her family cooked together (watch out: it all sounds delicious and it will make you HUNGRY), and the recipes for that food were included at the end of each chapter. In fact, I tried one myself. If you want to check out Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies, I suggest you go out and get yourself a copy of Stir It Up!

Other pluses: introduction to Trinidadian-Indian-American culture, and the tight family scene. I can honestly say that I learned about food and more, but I never felt as if I was reading an educational book – just an enlightening one. Also, the protectiveness and cohesiveness of Anjali’s family reminded me of my own close-knit family. Bonus factor: Anjali’s best friend Linc (I have a brother named Lincoln!).

As Anjali is the main character, most of the book centers on her and her experience. Though she learns powerful lessons, she focuses so much on negative emotions that it is hard to get in her skin. I found Anjali interesting, but I could not connect with her. Favorite characters included Deema, with whom I’d like to sit down and sip tea and talk about life, and Chef Nyla, who helps kids learn to cook on a daily basis. Those are two wise ladies!

Recommended for: fans of contemporary middle grade fiction, anyone who has watched food shows and wondered about what goes on behind the scenes, and those looking for a good dose of diversity in their reading AND their food. Delicious!

Fine print: I received a copy of this book for review from Scholastic.