"Chimney Pond Tales" by Beth Harmon and Jane Thomas (illustrator), is a posthumous collection of the stories of Leroy Dudley—early 20th century mounta...more"Chimney Pond Tales" by Beth Harmon and Jane Thomas (illustrator), is a posthumous collection of the stories of Leroy Dudley—early 20th century mountain guide to celebrities, artists, scientists and lovers of the out-of-doors—who lived his life in the shadow of Maine’s Mount Katahdin. A popular spinner of out-sized tales (most centering on his hard-won friendship with the mythic Pamola, the Penobscot Indian god of thunder tasked with protecting the mountain), Roy came to be sought out as much for his humor and Will Rogers-like delivery as his skill as a guide.
Dudley’s many yarns, re-crafted by Harmon with wry and obvious affection and graced with Thomas’s whimsical illustrations, speak to a life that was rich and successful in the ways that truly matter—in the lives he touched with his stories and his deeply-felt connection to the natural world. Harmon’s narrative sings with the sights and sounds of Mount Katahdin, imbuing Roy’s stories with an authorial voice rich with Down East vernacular and subtle social commentary. This is storytelling at its very best. (less)
I’m a sucker for this type of mystery: a smart, wounded, tough-as-nails yet emotionally vulnerable protagonist, dead-on dialogue, terrific sexual tens...moreI’m a sucker for this type of mystery: a smart, wounded, tough-as-nails yet emotionally vulnerable protagonist, dead-on dialogue, terrific sexual tension, and a man-I-never-saw-that-one-coming ending that leaves me thinking about the book for days.
The protagonist in Jennifer Blood’s "All the Blue-Eyed Angels" is the plucky, thirty-something female journalist, Erin Solomon, who’s come home after many years to the small, coastal town of Littlehope, Maine in hopes of uncovering the real story behind a fire that killed an entire religious cult living on a local island when she was a child—the same island where her father later committed suicide.
Unfortunately, very few of Littlehope’s residents are happy to see her—understandable considering she’s hell bent on writing a book about a past they seem determined to keep under wraps. The notable exceptions to this less than enthusiastic reception are her sexy ex-lover and his equally sexy roomie—an FBI agent with a steamy libido and his own, mysterious agenda. As for the rest of Littlehope, someone is permanently hushing up any resident Erin suspects has a promising lead, this as her list of suspects continues to grow—a list that comes to include her estranged mother who’s carrying far too many secrets of her own, and who may or may not be at the center of a longstanding cover up.
In "All the Blue-Eyed Angels," Blood has given us a powerful, emotionally complex story peopled with fully-realized characters and terrific, well-honed prose. Thankfully, this is but the first in the Erin Solomon mystery series. I’m very much looking forward to the others. (less)
"You Can't Shatter Me" is a moving young adult novel that grapples with the universal problem of bullying. A blend of magical realism and philosophy,...more"You Can't Shatter Me" is a moving young adult novel that grapples with the universal problem of bullying. A blend of magical realism and philosophy, it is at heart a very spiritual story without being heavy-handed about it.
Sixteen-year-old Carly Simmons, a girl with "insipid grey eyes, mousy hair and thunder thighs," daydreams about being a courageous, avenging superhero. Both she and the nerdy Dylan have both suffered at the hands of Justin, the school bully, and watched helplessly while he abused others.
Carly and Dylan share a love of art and a hatred of injustice--commonalities that nudge their friendship toward first love as they grapple with the problem of Justin. When Carly takes the initiative and stands up to him (a parallel to Dylan's standing up to a father who bullies him about his choice of art over engineering as a future career), she becomes the focus of his abuse. But Newland reaches well beyond the act of bullying itself and the often devastating effect on its victims, examining not merely the complex reasons many kids don't report such incidents, but the reasons bullies choose to abuse others in this way.
With the help of her hippie grandparents, Carly learns how to rid herself of the fear that feeds the bully's need for attention, instead using the spiritual light inside her to disarm him--offering friendship to one who has himself always been abused and afraid, in hopes of helping him relate to others in a more healthy way.
Newland's characters are well drawn and realistic and the story emotionally satisfying, but for this reader the real joy of the novel is the author's structural vision and creative use of metaphor. Throughout the book, which alternates between Carly's and Dylan's perspectives, the problems they face take on actual physicality, becoming outsized physical objects that have to be vanquished superhero-style with the right attitude or action. In addition, the storyline is peppered with metaphors to writing, to the scripting and crafting of one's life being much like the creation of a story (which, of course, it is!)--sometimes even backing from the actual narrative so the characters can discuss the decisions involved in the scene they are trying to create.
With "You Can't Shatter Me," Newland has given the teen reader an accessible and engaging primer on ways to handle what, for many, is a devastating situation-one they often feel powerless to change. Parents should be advised that the story contains sexual innuendo and occasional rough language, so is perhaps not best suited to younger readers. (less)
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