It's the First Day of School...Forever! - R.L. Stine

It's Artie's first day of school.  Between the syrup in his hair, his dog attacking the principal, losing a priceless scorpion, making enemies of the most popular kid in school, and having to navigate a totally creepy basement, it isn't a great day.  Then he goes to bed.  And wakes up to begin the first day of school.  This time he tries to do things differently, but it doesn't improve his situation.  Things get weirder and creepier with each first day of school.  Just when you're ready to call in the SWAT team to help this kid out you make it to the last chapter and realize....well, you'd have to read the book to know that!  R.L. Stine does what he does best with laughs and chills and tosses in a Twilight Zone worthy twist at the end.

Beauty Queens - Libba Bray

I really enjoy Libba Bray's writing.  I like her blog, I enjoyed her gothic YA series (A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, The Sweet Far Thing) and her Printz award-winner Going Bovine.  Beauty Queens was very enjoyable, although not on par with Bovine.  A group of teen pageant contestants crash-land on a tropical island, although, as we come to find out, not a deserted one.  Some of the funniest moments come early, as when Miss Texas leads the girls in a prayer of thanks for their survival and is interrupted by the death of Miss Delaware.  This book is not for overly sensitive types. 

I enjoyed the satirical portrayal of the media, big business, the world of teen-girl beauty, stereotypes and expectations.  What I did not enjoy as much was a point about mid-way through when the cast of a bad-boys reality program shipwrecks on the shores.  Too much pairing off and a little too...formula may be the word I'm going for.  However!  In all, I definitely recommend this book as a thought-provoking, laugh-provoking read suitable for all, except possibly Texas beauty queens. But then again, people can surprise you...

The Ordinary Princess - M. M. Kaye

I recently re-read this book and loved it as much as ever.  Princess Amy (technically Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne) is the youngest of seven princess, each beautiful and perfect with blond hair and blue eyes.  On the day of her christening she is given a fairy gift, the gift of being ordinary.  Amy grows up being the only one of her family to appreciate this as a gift and when it comes time to marry her off she realizes that for the sake of the kingdom and her own happiness it's best to strike out on her own. 

There are so many things to love in this book, the tongue-in-cheek over-the-top descriptions of the palace and kingdom, and the plot line itself.  Amy doesn't have a makeover in a montage scene, she doesn't "learn a lesson" and suddenly find her ordinariness vanishing.  What she does do is focus on what she wants and develop her personality and skills and along the way finds a beau worthy of her who sees her for who she is and appreciates that.  When she and the beau realize that each has been keeping a secret from the other, there is no rom-com argument or misunderstanding or hurt feelings.  I always wonder at those moments in movies and books: if these two people are meant for each other yet can't even communicate or give the other the benefit of the doubt and a civil discussion, then what hope of "happy ever after" is there?  If they get this bent out of shape over a simple misunderstanding that could easily be remedied with a five-minute conversation what will happen the first time they disagree on dinner or groceries or what movie to watch? 

Back to the book, Amy and Perry fall in love but instead of running away and living in the forest (tempting though that may be) they devise a way to meet their responsibilities and satisfy their families and live happily ever after in their own way.  That's how you know it's a fairy tale, but a very enjoyable and rewarding fairy tale to read.

Big Wheat - Richard A. Thompson

This was a very enjoyable book.  It felt rushed at the end and at only 246 pages I don't think there would have been any complaints about a few more chapters.  Set just before the Dust Bowl days when threshing operations traveled throughout wheat country helping farmers bring in the harvest the government had promoted, the story's main character is Charlie Krueger.  A North Dakota farm boy with plenty of reasons to leave town, he does just that one night and stumbles across a serial killer with a self-appointed mission to cleanse the land with blood.  Charlie finds a new life and a new name traveling with a unique group of people. 

Charlie and his friends were likable and I appreciated how they approached and adapted to situations instead of wasting time with disbelief or arguments.  No doubt that helped the story move along as quickly as it did. 

Tonight I Said Goodbye - Michael Koryta

The first in the Lincoln Perry PI novels, this book explores crossing the Russian mob.  In case anyone was considering it - don't, it's not a real good idea.  A father is found dead and his wife and daughter have vanished.  The man's grieving father asks Perry and his partner to find out what happened to the wife and daughter, even if it turns out to be as the police suspected and his son killed them before committing suicide.  The team takes the case and it isn't long before the FBI, former Marines, and the mob are involved.  Not a bad start to the series.  The book moved quickly and the supporting characters were engaging to read about.  I haven't yet read more books but I'm hoping that Belov, a key Russian figure, is visited again.

Red Mutiny - Neal Bascomb

A great non-fiction book that reads at the pace of a thriller.  Recounting the eleven days of the 1905 mutiny aboard the Battleship Potemkin.  The author did extensive research to take the reader back aboard the ship, from the unrest brewing among the crew to the maggot-filled meat that was the breaking point, to the desperate attempt to survive once it became clear the rest of the fleet would not follow suit.  Not only are the scenes on deck engaging, but the historical context fleshes out the drama of the action. 

This book really made me aware of how many people were eager for revolution but had the foresight to see that the hard-line Bolsheviks were not necessarily the ideal option.  So many times it seems like history is made without a thought to long-term consequences, and it is good to know that the views and thoughts of those who were not swept up in the winning team survive.  It's especially refreshing on the days when it feels like only hard-core right and left wingers make the news or have any impact- it's good to remember that the voices of moderation and reason endure.  They may not sway the masses or hold power, but they are heard and remembered.

So Cold the River - Koryta

First off let me say this book did not need to be 500 pages long. I really enjoyed the first book I read by this author, Envy the Night. It was similar to other stories set in the north woods type of places, this time in Wisconsin. But So Cold the River took a really long time getting somewhere in Indiana. The setting was excellent, especially knowing that the towns of French Lick and West Baden do house some amazing hotels. However, I still think this story looked way better in the author's head than it does on paper.

Quick summary: failed filmmaker with psychic undertones takes on a job for a rich Chicago lady to do a film on the town her father-in-law hailed from. The town is also the site of a mineral springs. Only trouble is, once the filmmaker takes a swig of the decades-old spring water he starts seeing the past and interacting with it in an increasingly unnerving way.

The parts of this book that were enjoyable were most definitely the "flashback" scenes. I kept reading through much of the rest of the book hoping to get to another glimpse of the past. The twist wasn't necessarily hard to see coming, but it was enjoyable and lightly thrilling. Many of the characters come halfway off the page development-wise. I felt like I almost cared...but not quite. The main character is not particularly likeable but overall this was a diverting summer read. More than anything it serves as a travel brochure for the area in Indiana where it is set. At the end of the story I did not have chills anywhere but I did have the urge to google the old hotels.