Annotation # 5- First Love by James Patterson and Emily Raymond

Pull up a chair, the owl is in.

So there's still a while to go in class,  but this is the last annotation. To review, we've gone on a Heist,traveled to the past and  met The Woman in Black, traveled to the future for The Selection, and had fun with Brooklyn Girls ( plus some fun involving bookstores, trains, dancers, and dogs.) For this last annotation, it's Young Adult (YA), which is a coming-of-age story featuring a teen.

About the Owl and Young Adult-
When I was a teen, I did read YA ( like Judy Blume, Lurlene McDaniels, Norma Fox Mazer.) But after awhile, I found it a bit predictable and cheesy, and jumped in the adult thrillers of John Grishman and Michael Crichton. Then toward the end of high school, Harry Potter came out and since then, have jumped back into the stories involving the ups and downs of adolescence. I really love chick lit ( and the girly the better),but also supernatural/paranormal ( like Twilight), historical, and sci-fi dystopia. ( I also love visiting the somewhat cheesy teen paperbacks of my youth.) In fact, I almost considered revisiting the past ( or a sport-oriented read like Mike Lupica), but one of the prompt inspired me to choose....



 
Title:First Love
Author: James Patterson and Emily Raymond
Genre: YA, Realistic Fiction, Romance
Publication Date: January 13, 2014
Number of Pages: 288
Geographical Setting: Portland, Oregon, various states during the road trip ( California, Colorado, Nevada, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina)
Time Setting: 21st Century, during the summer
Topics: First Love,Runaways, Road Trips, Cancer

Characteristics of a Young Adult Novel(as Featured in this Book)

• The main characters are teens: good girl Alexandra "Axi" Moore( and told from her point of view) and rugged charmer Oscar Robinson ( who goes by " Robinson" in the book and being a high school dropout/musician/car enthusiast , is the "bad boy" in YA terms.) Adults and other teens are minor characters of wisdom and support.
• Hoping to shake her "GG" nickname ( and escape the problem of her alcoholic dad and absentee mom), Axi decides she and Robinson need to take an spur-of-the moment road trip to  find themselves (and to tell him she loves him).
• It reads fast but can be enjoyed at a leisurely pace ( actually recommending to read it slowly due to the social issue and emotional tone that follows).
• Youthful,carefree voice till the social issue, then emotional and poignant. 
• Storyline revolves around a social issue (cancer),

 Characteristics of Romance ( as Featured in This Book)

• As mentioned, Axi is the typical good girl who studies hard, has no criminal record. Robinson is charming, bit mysterious (and a bit of a bad boy.)
• Emotional, moving language, makes the ordinary seem magical ( such as  playing in the desert as if it is snow or spending a quiet night watching fireflies.)
• Social issue (cancer) actually does affect the youthful, carefree tone of the story (and the road trip) making it more moving and poignant until the highly emotional ending. Also explains the common bond the teens share and makes them wise beyond their years.
• Although a romance blossoms during the course of storyline(and they do have sex toward the end), there isn't a happy ending because.... one of the teens dies. Surviving teen learns to live life to the fullest, to look at the good and bad side of life.

Plot Summary- Oregon teen Alexandra "Axi" Moore is a "good girl" who studies hard and doesn't have a criminal record. One summer, she decides to shake her image by take an impulsive road trip with best friend/possible boyfriend Oscar Robinson. Amidst stops in Hollywood, Las Vegas, and the Big Apple, the friendship turns romance blossoms. Until....


My take- I've read Patterson's romantic but weepy novels( which are good, really different from his gritty crime mysteries), so I knew right away what to expect ( plus Patterson mentions in the dedication at the start of the book that this is inspired by a past love who died too young.) I grew to like Patterson's and Raymond's reckless but emotional road trip of GG (Good Girl) and her scalawag, even when the cancer subplot was revealed ( both teens were being treated for cancer, but one is terminal, sniffles) and that it actually made the story more poignant up to the emotional ending ( and I so wept. Seriously, there should have been a pocket of Kleenex in the book.)
Obviously, this would be more for teen girls who favor emotional reads similar to Lurlene McDaniels (or women who favor Nicholas Sparks or Richard Paul Evans. Not really a guy read, especially with dialogue like "“I watched the way our fingers intertwined, and I thought, What are hands made for but this? For holding. For holding on."). Overall, a good read I would check out again and again (with lots and lots of tissues.)

Read-a-Likes ( From Novelist)

• What My Girfriend Doesn't Know  by Sonya Sones- Sequel to What My Mother Doesn't Know, it's a novel in verse story about how a reputation of an unpopular teen rises while dating a beautiful, popular girl ( like First Love, it's a fast-paced read and features the subjects " First Loves" and "Teenage boy/girl relations")
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli- Popular student Leo Borlock falls for an eccentric girl named Stargirl. ( Like First Love, it' has a "Moving" tone and features the subjects " First Loves" and "Teenage boy/girl relations")
• Nothing to Lose by Alex Flinn- After traveling with a circus for a year, a teen runaway returns home after learning is mother is being accused of murdering his stepfather. ( Like First Love, it's a fast-paced read and features the subject " Runaways.")

I'll still read YA books ( again, they has so improved since I was a teen. I'm currently reading Belle Epoque, which is about a teen runaway hired to be an ugly companion for a wealthy girl in 19th-century Paris. Very interesting and rich in detail. )

Thus concludes the annotations, hope you enjoyed them and will check the books out. I'll post my prompt later tonight or Thursday.

Annonation # 4- Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess

Pull up a chair, the owl is in.



glitter-graphics.com

To the male readers, now's the time to pretend to be girls or leave the room because things are going to get giggly and girly ( and we might be  throwing pillows and singing ABBA songs into our hairbrush microphones.) This genre annotation is women's lives and relationships, which is a storyline built around the ups and down of a woman ( or what I like call " As long as I have my ( BFFs/ sisters/Mom/ boyfriend/other) I can survive (big bad city/ cheating boyfriend or husband/ big bad boss/other).")

About The Owl and Women's Lives and Relationships-
Oh my gawd, I love this genre!!! I think I've read a ton of them. Though a bit predictable (and sometime dumb and annoying), they are addictive as the chocolates and shoes the heroines devour in their journey of self- actualization(and they're so pretty). They are a fun, sassy read on a weekend, curled up in your face mask and bunny slippers. They are the best friend that never lets you down, always there to pick you up when you have a bad day (and with a cute, bubbly  CD, even better!!)Some of my faves are:

•  Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
• Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Branshares (even the sad, very adult fifth book)
• Little Women by Lousia May Alcott*
• Mother-Daugther Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick*
• The Daughters series by Joanna Philbin 

* I think based on the criteria in our text, they count in this genre.*

I had a hard time choosing just one, but I did. I chose....

Title: Brooklyn Girls (also known at Brooklyn Girls: Pia)
Author: Gemma Burgess
Genre: Women's Lives and Relationships/  New Adult/Contemporary Chick Lit-Romance 
Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Number of Pages: 320
Series: Brooklyn Girls, # 1
Geographical Setting: Brooklyn, New York
Time Setting: 21st Century
Topics: Young Women, Female Friendships, Self-actualization, Food Trucks
Characteristics of Women's Lives and Relationships( as Featured in This Book)

• Mood is offbeat and sassy, offering glimpse into the struggles of post-college adults.
• Story is presented in first person by Pia Keller, a Swiss-Indian twenty-something girl with a degree in art history. Fresh out of college, she's sharing a brownstone in Brooklyn with four other twenty-something girls. Also some minor characters, including charming Brit Aidan, grumpy neighbor Vic, creepy loan shark Cosmo, and a cute but rusty food truck named Toto.
• After some racy Facebook pictures cost Pia her job, her parents tell her she has eight weeks to find new employment or move in with them in Zurich. Pia finds success in the world of food trucks. Other issues include substance abuse, money, relationships and death ( sister of grumpy neighbor Vic dies but the girls pull together to help him and in return, he saves them from the loan shark and his hit men).
• Definitely a contemporary setting, filled with witty language, pop culture references and slang.Also explores a bit of world of the food truck industry.
• About as fast-paced as a New York cab, but easy to stop and start without losing any flow.

New Adult 101-
When I looking up read-a-likes for this book, I saw it was listed as "New Adult fiction". I figured it was because it was a new book, but I Googled the word and turns this is a new but controversial genre featuring college/post college characters leaving home to experience their new life as adults. Most people are for this genre, others feel it's just oversexed YA. I'm writing my topic paper on this, wish me luck.

Plot Summary: Meet Pia Keller. A 22-yr old Brown art history graduate, she's sharing a Brooklyn brownstone with four other girls- wild child Angie,uptight math whiz Maddy, practical Julia and her little sister Coco. But oopsh, some racy Facebook photos cost her job. Faced with an ultimatum to either find a new job in eight weeks or live forever with her parents in Zurich, Pia goes on an adventure featuring hangovers, cute British boys, creepy loan sharks, and a cute pink truck named Toto. Perhaps growing up won't be so bad after all.

My Take: I looooooooooooooooooove it ( especially with a  Sara Bareilles CD!!) It's  a little like HBO's Girls but with more likable characters. I love Pia's transformation from spoiled Ivy-League princess to strong, confident food truck seller ( a few meltdowns, but it's due to a creepy subplot involving a loan shark and a run-in with an ex-boyfriend). I love her friends and how they always stick together, no matter what (plus we'll learn more about them in future books.) I love the minor characters, like charming Aidan and Pia's cute pink food truck Toto ( yes, I feel it counts as a character) and the witty, youthful language of twenty-somethings ( "oopsh" is my new favorite word, plus "ladyb----").
I did not favor creepy loan shark Cosmo or his hit men. I felt it was very out of place and dark, had me worrying about Pia and her pals ( but no worries, things work out in the end.)
Overall, a fun read. I just put in a purchase request for Love and Chaos, the second book in the series, and look forward to more in the future.

Read-a-Likes ( From Novelist)

• Call me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Philips- After being ostracized for halting her friend's wedding, Meg  Koranda finds herself in a hostile Texas town while falling for Ted Beaudine. ( Like Brooklyn features witty language and the subjects " young women" and "men/ women relationships".)

• The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine- Modern-day take on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility set in Westport, Connecticut. (Like Brooklyn features witty language and the subjects "Self-fulfillment in women" and 'Men/women relations".)

• Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas-   Steamy historical romance where an heiress agrees to a marriage of  convenience with a viscount. (  Like Brooklyn features witty language and the subjects " young women" and "men/ women relationships".) 

Again, this is my favorite genre and keep reading this genre. ( I'm currently reading something now called Sleepaway Girls which is teen chick-lit.) I'm also going to be seeking out this "New Adult" genre ( most of them  look interesting, just wish they were listed in the catalog as "New Adult" instead of "college stories", " contemporary romance" or "erotica".)



Well, got a paper to work on, wish me luck. The final annotation won't be till April, Young Adult ( teen fun, yah, play some sugary pop music now).

Annonation # 3-The Selection by Kiera Cass

Pull up a chair, the owl is in.

Actually the owl is not in a happy mood. Besides trying to find items for a big report, this  annotation is my (and according our text, most librarians) least favorite genre-science fiction, which is a story that takes place in a "what if" future and occasionally features aliens, robots, technical jargon and unique but hard-to-pronounce character and/or planet names (presented with a really cool cover.)

About the Owl and Science Fiction-
While I love the rebooted Doctor Who and the Star Wars franchise ( 4-6 and the  Ewoks cartoon series from the mid-80s), I've never been a sci fi geek. Every time I've tried it, I get through two chapters and give up. ( But the covers are cool!!) For some reason, I do like the  teen and juvenile dystopia books (Hunger Games, Unwind, and Among the Hidden. True, they present a dark and war-torn future, but they are a little more believable than flying cars and weird space outfits with high collars.) After trying to read Ursula LeGuin's Eye of the Heron ( cool cover, by the way) I went on Novelist to see what was similar to the popular teen dystopia trilogy Divergent  and found...


Title: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Genre: Sciene Fiction/Romance/ Teen Lit
Publication Date: April 24, 2012
Number of Pages: 327
Series: The Selection trilogy, # 1
Geographical Setting: a futuristic country called  Illea ( formally the United States)
Time Frame: ???
Topics:  Contests, Dystopias, Social Classes, Teen Romance

Characteristics of Science Fiction ( as Featured in This Book)

• Set in the future, in a caste-divided country called Illea ( formally the United States). Citizens are divided up into eight different social classes, ranging from 1 ( rich and famous) to 8 ( poor and homeless).
• Moral, social, and ethical issues are explored in the plot, particularly in the Selection, a dating contest created by the Illea government to seek a princess for Prince Maxon.
•  Language is visual and evocative, helps in world-building ( process of creating an imaginary world) or "otherness". 
• Tone is somewhat dark but romantic.
• Very fast-paced, youth-driven ( most of the characters are teenagers).
•  Series driven ( ends in a cliffhanger, action will continue in books 2 and 3).

Characteristics of Romanace ( as Featured in This Book)

• America is a bright, strong-willed teen that remains true to herself during the contest. Her love interest are the hard working, lower caste Aspen and sweet but somewhat clueless Prince Maxon (who becomes a better person as he gets to know America).
• A few misunderstandings cause American and Aspen to end their secret romance. Chance does bring Aspen to the palace to explain the misunderstanding and declare his love, but creates a rift in America's budding relationship with Maxon.
• Unlike most romance, we don't a happy ending.. yet (  we get a cliffhanger because there are two more books.)

Plot Summary:In the futuristic caste-divided world of Illea ( formally the United States), a contest called the Selection has been created to help Prince Maxon find a mate.  One of the contestants, America Singer, only signs up to financially help her family (and because her secret, lower caste boyfriend, Aspen, encouraged her.) But as America gets to know Maxon, she questions all that she knows and all that could be.

My take-I actually enjoyed this Hunger Games ( minus the bloodshed but lots of pageantry) meets The Bachelor ( minus the Rose Ceremony but plenty of drama) book. Really like America Singer, who is very down to earth and nice to everyone, even the villainess Celeste (also love the story of how she got her name). I really like her budding relationship with Maxon ( sort of hate you-love you relationship one would one in romantic comedies, especially one date that lead to her kneeing him in the groin) than her secret relationship with Aspen ( who becomes a jerk after she is Selected).
 I'm not sure Cass does a great job in establishing Illea. We get a few details about some of the caste levels and some of the rules and regulations ( such as having sex before marriage leads to jail) but very little as how Illea is formed ( we get some idea during the girls' princess lessons. It's too hard to explain other than it involves a third world war that leads to China somehow overthrowing the US's bankrupted government.) Also, the rebel attacks are bland ( we never see the rebel forces. The girls are told to hide, some descriptions the guards are fighting the rebel forces happen , then it's all safe for everyone to come out.)
 Other than the  undeveloped setting, it's a good read. I'm curious about what will happen in The Elite ( just requested it) and The One ( coming May 2014. Also saw there is a novella prequel called The Prince and The Guard.)

Read-a-Likes ( From Novelist)

•  Wither (Chemical Garden trilogy 1)  by Lauren DeStefano- After genetic engineering  has turned every human being  into living time bombs, young girls are kidnapped and forced into marriages to repopulate the world.
• Matched ( Matched trilogy 1) by Allison Condie- Seventeen year-old Cassia lives in a dystopian society where citizens are "matched" by the government. When "matched" with her childhood friend, Xander, she looks happy toward the future. But questions arise when another face shows up on her matched disk.
• Mockingjay ( Hunger Games trilogy 3) by Suzanne Collins- In the conclusion of the series, two-time Hunger Games winner Katniss Everdeen must save true love Peeta from a vengeful Capitol.

I'll probably stick to  the teen and juvenile section for science fiction but I might also do paranormal romances ( some of Susan Grant's novels sound real funny) and steampunk.

Oh yes, it's ladies' night , and we're feeling right(actually women's lives and relationships is the next genre). Really looking forward to it, pajama party, anyone?

Annotation # 2- The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Pull up a chair, the owl is in.

Actually the owl should be hiding under the covers because this genre annotation is all about horror, which is a tale where nightmares and monsters come to life to evoke fear and unease from the reader (and possibly sleeping with the lights on!!!)

About the Owl and Horrors- I actually do read horrors, but usually during the fall and mainly YA and children's. ( Yes, children's does have some horror books. Mary Downing Hahn, author of Wait till Helen Comes, is perhaps the best in horror and ghost stories, but there is also the popular R.L. Stine series from the 90s', Goosebumps.) I've read very little adult horror and figure working with a classic might be less bloody and gory. Searching  Goodreads for horror classics besides Dracula and anything Stephen King, I chose....

Title: The Woman in Black

Author: Susan Hill

Genre: Horror/Gothic-Historical

Publication Date: First published October 10, 1983 ( Recent Publication: January 2012

Number of Pages:164

Geographical Setting: England

Time Frame: Victorian Period
Topics: Haunted Houses, Ghosts,  Revenge, Secrets

Characteristics of Horror ( as Featured in This Book)

•  Author uses language in adjectives and descriptions to set the dark and gloom of the story. In Hill's England, the weather is always cloudy or foggy, never a bright sun in the sky.
• Hints of gloom and menace  are featured throughout the story to evoke the reader's response.Hill slowly builds to greater horrific events in the last chapters of the book (including  a very gruesome ending.) Strange occurrences include a child's cries in the marshes, a ghostly pony and cart, and a woman described as having a pale, wasted face and dressed in all black.
• Brave and  a non-believer of ghosts, the events at Eel Marsh House shatter Arthur Kipps and continue to haunt him years later.
• Just when it seems the ghost of the woman in black is gone, she extracts revenge on Kipp's first wife and child. The memory of this last act haunts him years later when he is older and remarried (also during Christmas as his stepchildren tell ghost stories.)

Plot Summary: As his stepchildren gather round the fire and tell ghost stories on Christmas Eve, Arthur Kipps is haunted by memories of the past. At the start of his legal career, he was  sent to a small remote town to  settle the finances of the late Mrs. Alice Drablow. During his trip, strange and horrific occurrences happen, including an encounter with a  ghostly woman all dressed in black. 

My Take: This was a pleasant little horror book ( I know, "pleasant" and " horror" don't seem right together, but for this, they do.) It had the right amount of old fashioned creepiness (and because there is hardly any sex or foul language, I'm thinking it might be okay for a child age 12 and up. They might need use the Internet to look up any unfamiliar terms. I had no idea what a "pony and trap" was until I looked up and saw it was just a pony and cart.)  I actually think the book ends better than the 2012 film adaptation with Daniel Radcliffe ( saw it was  previously adapted to film in 1989 and is also a long running play at the Fortune Theater in London.) Obviously for folks that expect a lot of blood and death every ten pages would not like this book, for folks that want a pleasant scare, it's worth a read.

Read-a- Likes ( From Novelist)

• Turn of the Screw by Henry James- Another horror classic set in Victorian England where frame of story and first person narration slowly build to nightmares and chills
• Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James-  Set in the 1920s Sarah Piper is sent out to a small remote English town to help a ghost hunter investigate the mystery of Maddy Clare. ( I've read this and it's quite good.)
• The Ghost Writer by John Haywood- Australian Gothic/suspense story in which a man because obsessed with a centuries old manuscript from his grandma.

I'm also recommending All the Bad Ones, Wait Till Helen Comes  and The Old Willis Place by Mary Downing Hahn and Haunting of Hill House  by Shirley Jackson.

I'll probably still read horror for the teen and juvenile audience (and still during the fall, but with the winter we're having, seems perfect.) In reading about the genre in the text, I'd be willing to try  Clive Barker (especially Mister B. Gone, sounds funny) Stephen King ( when I know I'll have more time than a few weeks), Dean Koontz ( particularly the Odd Thomas books) and King's  son, Joe Hill ( especially since Horns is being turned into a movie with.. Daniel Radcliffe).

Next time's annotation is science fiction. Oh........ oh.... ugghhhhhhhhhhh.!!!

Annotation # 1- The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

Pull up a chair, the owl is in.

I hope you all enjoyed last week's annotation because there are more to come ( five to be exact). Some genres will be what I like, others.... well I gave a try. For the first annotation, it's thriller, which is an fast-paced  story centered around a profession  with lots of dangerous but exciting thrills and chills.

About the Owl and Thrillers- Until now, never knew that the authors that I enjoyed back in the 90s when I was teen, John Grisham and the late Michael Crichton, were thrillers. Also loved the crime/caper romps of the late Elmore Leonard (like  Out of Sight.)  I was considering revisiting a Grisham or Crichton novel ( or something in that style), but really wanted something fun. So.......


 Title: The Heist
Author: Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
Genre: Thriller/Caper/Humor
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
Number of Pages: 320
Series:  Fox and O'Hare, #1
Geographical Setting: California and various parts throughout the US and the world ( including Mount Athos, Greece and Indonesia)
Time Period: 21st Century
 Topics: FBI Agents, Con Artists, Swindling, Heists

Characteristics of A Thriller( as Featured in this Book)

• Moves at a fast pace, with lots of  dangerous twists and turns faced by the protagonist(s).
• Somewhat extensive  weaponry jargon that is FBI related, but does not distract from plot. Most of the plot revolves around the art of conning, which is glamorized to the point of creating a great movie.
• Being that this is a caper/heist thriller, has a bit of lighter, slapstick tone (with some dark and menacing spots.)
• Features a very strong, smart hero ( a female FBI agent.) Antihero is  a dangerously charming con artist, can't be trusted ( but is quite lovably, which is not of the norm). Also not of the norm is that although our hero ( heroine) does bring the antihero down, they end up working together ( with hints of sexual tension.) Secondary characters, such as Fox's team members and O'Hare's are developed more for humor. Villains are pathetic and wussy than menacing ( but they do get their just desserts.)

Plot Summary:  Kate O'Hare is a fierce and dedicated FBI agent, always determined to get her man. For the past five years, she's been tracking down Nicholas Fox, a handsome and dangerously charming thief who loves a thrill of a  good con. But when he's finally captured, he strikes a deal with FBI: work with them in bringing down criminals worse than him.
Along a ragtag team of con artists, wild chases,  and exotic locations, it going  take more than  a pile of Toblerone bars for Fox and O'Hare to work together and bring their man in...without killing each other first.

My Take:  This was a hooot!!!!!!!!!!!!! (And possibly by pairing with another writer, Evanovich has made me a fan again.) I loved every page of it, think Castle-meets-Catch Me If You Can. ( In fact, Nathan Fillon would be perfect as the fast-talking, handsome bad boy Fox. ). In comparing this to Leonard, this is more of a breezy beach read, doesn't really have the dark, edgy tones (and yes, there is violence, but it's more comedic than graphic.) I can't wait for The Chase, the second book in the series ( it comes later next month) and the day Fox and O'Hare become ... Fore.


Read-a-Likes ( from Novelist)-

• The Hot Rock by Donald Westlake-First in the John Dortmunder series, this offbeat caper follows a gang of jewel thieves caught up in international intrigue. (There are 12 books in the series.)
• Mr. Monk Cleaned Out ( Monk # 10) by Lee Goldberg-Based off the popular series, it features the topics " Caper novel" and " Swindler and Swindling", and plot involves a corrupt investment banker. (Currently are 17 Monk books).
• Dirty Money by Richard Stark ( aka Donald Westlake)- For those that want something as dark and gritty as Leonard, Westlake wrote another series, Parker, under a different name. This is the 24th and final book in the series ( Westlake died in 2008) and features a bank heist wrong.

Yes, I would definitely read a thriller again ( most definitely the Caper/Crime novels. There's a few Leonard books I have yet to read, like Road Dogs. Also want to read Marne Kellog's Kick series and Westlake's Dortmunder series.) I would also read the straight and serious stuff ( just finished  Midnight by Kevin Egan. Very chilling. Also saw that Grisham is now writing a  legal thriller series for kids called Theodore Boone.)

Next time's annotation is a horror classic. Oh.. fun.