yowza!

Sorry for abandoning you little blog... here's a list of the things I have been doing instead of blogging:

• shepherding another group of talented and bright young things off into the world
• reading the third and final in the Milennium series
• watching A LOT of ordinary television, and one excellent series of Mad Men

but I am BACK SOON, with a review of...


















Until then, happy tales,
Barking Owl

Book h00T #18

Well, seven days and nine books later, I'm back from a lovely holiday in Bali. We stayed at a beautiful resort in Ubud, and I read and read and read. My idea of a perfect break!

Top of the pile was Judith Lanagan's The True History of The Hula Hoop. This is a dual narrative is told from the perspective of Catherine, an Australian traveling performance artist and Colombia, a 16th century Italian clown. The prose is interesting and well plotted. I learned a lot about the hula hoop too! Lanagan is a hula hoop performer herself and this comes through in her passion about hooping. I also loved the West Australian connection. Highly recommended.

Liar by Justine Larbalestier is about Micah Wilkins, a self-confessed compulsive liar. Talk about an unreliable narrator! Much has been written about this novel, and I'm certainly not going to spoil the surprises for you, so I'll just add that it is an exciting, tightly written narrative that will keep you thinking long after you have closed it. Loved it. The tagline is: "Read it to believe it" and you certainly should.

The last of my YA pile was The Crossing by Mandy Hager. This is the first of the "Blood of the Lamb" trilogy, but to be honest, I don't think I'll be reading the next two. I'm not sure if it is an overdose of post-apocalyptic novels, or just that I didn't warm to any of the characters very much. The concept is interesting, but the manipulation of religion irked me a little; it was heavy-handed in my opinion. The love story just didn't fire either. It is pacy, and younger readers might enjoy it (but I'd point them to the Moon Trilogy, The Other Side of the Island or Hunger Games instead.)

So, back to work on Monday... I think I'll cheer myself up by chatting with my classes about the great books I read over the two week break. And maybe, actually I'm pretty sure they will have some new titles for me to check out too.

Happy tales,

Barking Owl

HOLIDAYS!

In about four hours I'm heading off for a week in Bali, volcanic activity, tsunamis, and potential super typhoons couldn't keep me away.

In the suitcase, along with the sunscreen and the bathers are these:


















Along with some non YA choices, these should keep me busy by the pool :)

And great cover designs too dontcha think?

So, hooting these beauties when I return.

Until then, happy holidays and happy tales,

barking owl