[  Mood: Amused ]

Charles de Lint is a Canadian author, who actually hails from my town of Ottawa (some of his books have been even set here). He has written many, many novels and won the World Fantasy Award. Recently, I picked up his 2004 novel, the Blue Girl.

Our main character, Imogene is determined to change. A new school means a new beginning, right? First step is to find a friend that is completely different from the group she used to run with. Who cares that this friend, Maxine, is an outcast with a control freak for a mother. Imogene’s grades are going up and she is learning to control her temper.

But there’s a problem.

Imogene’s new school is haunted by the ghost of a student who threw themselves off the roof years ago. He’s got a crush on Imogene and has turned to his fairy friends for help. Unfortunately the fairies involved have some problems with making the best choices. Their attempts to get Imogene to notice them bring the attentions of something far more sinister. Add to that the reappearance of Imogene’s childhood imaginary friend, who can now be seen by other people, and you have an exciting book.

Well written, this book is aimed at the teen set. There is tension, smart plotting and a real sense of what high school is like. Fans of de Lint’s Newford set (of which this book is a part)will recognize some characters as spear carriers. Imogene is a very powerful character, a real role model for troubled teens trying to straighten out.

This book will find its way into an upcoming After Harry.

[  Mood: Happy ]
[ Currently: Taking a break from cleaning ]

Those of you who have been here for awhile, know that I read Laurell K. Hamilton. A lot. And I analyze her. A lot. So you know I am going to read the latest of her novels.

This instalment sees our heroine, Meridith (Merry), back in LA and carrying twins that have six different fathers. (Don’t ask it’s complicated.) And while she is now the undisputed heir of the Winter Court, Merry wants nothing to do with the politics and has fled to LA. (Again, don’t ask it’s complicated.)

Buy her exile is not exactly peaceful as the lesser fey are being murdered by a serial killer and Merry is called in by the local PD to help with the investigation. And this is where this book takes a sharp left from the rest of the series in that it has a plot.

Of Hamilton’s series, the Merry Gentry series has been the most clearly erotic. Hamilton has admitted as much. Yet in this installment, Hamilton follows the trend of her last Anita Blake book and includes a plot that is more than than a thinly veiled excuse for her characters to have sex. And the plot is not bad – not brilliant, but not bad.

Die hard fans, do not fear! Hamilton has not become a vestial virgin with this book. There are sex scenes enough to tantalize the most jaded reader (there’s tenticle sex), but they aren’t the sole reason for this book. And given what Hamilton has produced in the past, that’s a high compliment.

Not high art, but a nice way to spend a couple of hours on a lazy summer day.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[ Currently: Taking a break from cleaning ]

Muslims are the baddy due jour. When anyone is in need of a scapegoat or villain and doesn’t have time to do their research, they turn to the followers of Mohammed. Hollywood, Republicans, Fox News, all have engaged in this fun-time building of a Muslim stereotype, so that non-muslims think they know what Islam is all about, how it is practiced and the like without ever having talked to a real muslim. Missing from the weaving of the narrative are Muslim voices.

Enter into this Michael Muhammed Knight and his novel "The Taqwacores".

Yusuf Ali is an engineering student who lives off campus in an all-Muslim house full of the Taqwacores. He lives with Umar, a supposedly the straight-edge Sunni who is covered in tattoos; Rabeya, a burqa-clad riot grrl; and Jehangir, the dope-smoking mohawked Sufi.

Plot wise, not much happens in this book. It is more of a series of charater vignettes leading to Yusuf leaving the house to head home, Yusuf asks questions about the validity of the Islam practiced by he and his housemates. Hardcore followers of punk music, the people in the house drink, do drugs and have sex.

This book is supposed to be the Generation X of the North American Muslim youth. Contriversial, even banned in some countries, the book portrays a group of Muslims who see themselves as religious, but aren’t the stereotypes you see on TV. Full of profanity and explicit scenes, this books seems to want to shock its reader with how the characters behave.

In spite of all this drama, I found the book difficult to finish. At times I just didn’t care about the characters enough to push through what, at times, was a rudderless narrative. Althought this could be because as a non-muslim, I missed half of the references in the novel.

This is a take it or leave it novel. If you really want a look at contemporary Muslim life, try the works of Randa Abdel-Fattah or Rukhsana Khan.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[  Currently: Working Editing a podcast ]

I love mysteries. There is just something about trying to figure out who done it and why that just turns my crank. Hense why this book shows up here.

Sophie Katz started writing murder mysteries as a way to work through some issues arising from her divorce and watched it evolve into a nive living. She is even developping a screenplay for her latest novel, that is until the producer is found dead in his bathtub, Police believe it is a suicide, but Sophie isn`t so sure.

Sophie’s life gets even wierder when scenes from one of her novels are staged by a stalker. The cops thinjs she crazy or guilty of the crimes herself. So she has to figure out who is behind all this before she ends up the victim of a murder plot she thought up.

Author Kyra Davis has created a funny, chick-lit murder mystery with a smart, if sometimes hapless heroine. There are also plenty of quirky charaters and a little romance, making this a good bet for the Stephanie Plum crowd.

[  Mood: Very Sad ]
Someone near and dear to me has been diagnoses with breast cancer. (Not me people, this isn’t one of those "a friend" kind of things.) To help cheer them up, I am looking for songs about breasts. This person has a slightly naughty sense of humour, as in she titters like a drunk librarian when I tell off colour stories and jokes.

Edit: So send me your suggestions.