Puddin' by Julie Murphy

I loved this.  Just as I loved Dumplin', I could not put this down.  In fact, I was sitting in the sun reading it for so long, I got burned.  Those of you who know me in the real world know I'm dark enough to not burn, which gives you an idea of just how long I was sitting there.

First and foremost, Murphy or her publishers have this labeled as a "companion" to Dumplin', but I really feel you need to have read Dumplin' first.  There are several characters whose motivations and connections the reader would not understand if not having read Dumplin' first.  That being said, Dumplin' was awesome!  I didn't review it here, but for Nutmeg.  And I fought hard for it to be a nominee!

Puddin' focuses on two of the characters from Dumplin': Millie, who appeared in Willowdean's pageant, and Callie, who became Ellen's friend when she abandoned Willowdean.  See what I mean?  Without having read the first book, you'd not know that connection.

Plot synopsis: Callie and her gang of snob dance team members vandalize Millie's uncle's business when he pulls his sponsorship of the team.  Callie is the only one recognizable in the security footage.  Her sentence is community service: working for free to pay off the damage.  Thus, Millie and Callie will be spending a lot of time together.  They form a very unlikely friendship that reminds us friends do not need to look alike. 

I do believe there is going to be another book in the series, as the rest of this group of friends on the Island of Misfit Toys is explored.  Most were juniors in this book, leaving another year at Clover City High.  I'll be waiting!

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

Temper by Layne Fargo

This was recommended to me by Amazon.  I felt it was in keeping with my summer of girl power in featuring two strong female leads, so I bought it.  It has mostly 4 and 5 star reviews.

My review: eh.

So here's the premise: A small theater company in Chicago is putting on a play called Temper.  The main characters (in the play) are a what seem to be a fairly normal husband and wife, but the wife is pregnant and recently took the pills to induce an abortion.  He finds out, they fight.  In the play, the audience is not supposed to know what is her imagination and what is real.  She's teetering on the brink of mental breakdown. 

K.

Now here's where it gets weird.  Kira, the actress playing the female lead, and Joanna, the stage manager, are both in this "is this real or imagination" state.  They both seem to imagine things, act out responses in a fantasy world, then do something completely opposite in the real world.  They have the same circle of friends, but didn't know each other before Kira's audition, or did they?  Joanna randomly hooks up with Kira's ex while her roommate hooks up with the lead from Joanna's last play.  Lot of coincidence.  Oh and there's Malcolm, the director and lead male actor who is total jerk.  Or is that just the way Kira and/or Joanna want us to think? 

I. Was. So. Confused.

Then the ending was...well, predictable.  I saw it coming way in advance.

I also felt I'd read this theme of mental illness and play within another story thing before....oh, yeah, that Hamlet guy. And the "my anger made me do it!"...Anakin Skywalker whining came out of Kira a LOT.

I really thought I was going to like this, but after finishing it, I'm still not sure what was real and what either Kira's or Joanna's imagination.

So, a no from me.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

The Hello Girls by Elizabeth Cobbs

I hope you all had a happy and safe 4th of July long weekend!  We did so, with my family, after a week in Disney with the Band!

On to today's review.

First, I take issue with the subtitle: America's First Women Soldiers.  Not true.  This is about World War I and there were most definitely women who fought, whether formally or not, in prior American conflicts.  The biggest name that comes to mind is Harriet Tubman, who fought with the Union army in the Civil War.  Many women took up arms in the Revolutionary War.  So, there's that.

Now, there is so much importance in having this in our collection.  These women served our nation in communications.  They sacrificed to protect our way of life.  At a time when women could not vote, they flew to a foreign land in an essential service to the combat troops.  And like Tubman, they returned home to another battle on top of suffrage--being denied Veterans' benefits.  It would not be until 1979 that they earned the benefits entitled to them. 

What I didn't like was the writing style of this book.  I envisioned a narrative, and I think that's the goal, but the information was presented in a choppy way: a paragraph about this person or that item then off to something else.  It was extremely difficult to follow and took me a long time to get through.  It reads more like a reference work than narrative.

All in all, I'm glad we have this, but I would recommend it for research, not pleasure reading.

Ohhhh, and thanks to a secret source, I got a picture of the new library texted to me....IT'S GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.

P.S. About to put this on video on Classroom along with This Bridge Called My Back.  Had some technical difficulties!