tiny pink books

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
Hyperion, 2006

In theory Blue Bloods has everything going for it:  it’s YA, it’s got vampires and it’s got upper class Manhattan elite.  I guess was expecting a sort of Twilight meets Gossip Girl bit of fun and I ‘m pretty sure that I am not alone in this, judging from the busy circulation rate of this title in my local library.  Anyway, I’m sorry to say that I was disappointed.

Blue Bloods is the first book in a series of vampire meets Gossip Girl style YA books.  The characters are a bunch of rich, upper east side, private school kids a la Gossip Girl.  They all go to this small, fancy private school and come from elite and powerful families in some way or another.  There’s a catch though–they’re vampires!  In Blue Bloods the vampire teens learn about their vampire status and long vampire history (going back to the days of the pilgrims and beyond!).  There’s also a strange and powerful enemy rumored to be hunting vampires, but the society seems unconcerned.  Unfortunately, there’s just too many characters and the drama surrounding the story really isn’t that developed, at least in this first book.

I think what is most disappointing about Blue Bloods is that it doesn’t succeed on being catty or biting (ha!) enough to pull off the whole “Manhattan elite” thing that Gossip Girl commands.  There’s a materialistic, snotty vibe that feels like it was lifted directly from the Gossip Girl style, but instead of being snarky and kind of devilishly fun, it feels flat and becomes rather irritating.  Also, the vampires in Blue Bloods aren’t quite as intriguing as they should be.  De la Cruz’s vampire concept is kind of interesting, but the writing doesn’t manage to make it as sexy or as dark as a vampire book should be.  I was left unsure of who I would recommend Blue Bloods to.  It’s too simple and formulaic to hand to any discerning Twilight fan and it’s not quite nasty enough to give to a Gossip Girl fan.  I think maybe it would be suitable for younger YA readers, who are not quite ready for the thickness of Twilight or the scandal of Gossip Girl.  I definitely think that there’s a place in the library for Blue Bloods (and it is checked out more often than not at my library), I just don’t think it’s the most high quality or fun to read book of its kind.  It is simple enough for younger YA’s to follow though, so long as they are unconcerned with the content, which contains some sexual scenes and references and a whole lot of materialism.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Harper Collins, 1998

Another perfectly accounted Bill Bryson adventure, this time along the Appalachian Trail, is presented in A Walk in the Woods.  Despite his limited wilderness survival and backpacking experience, Bryson becomes intrigued with the idea of hiking the Appalachian Trail, a more than 2000 mile trail stretching from Georgia to Maine.  His old friend Stephen Katz tags along too, providing just the right dose of humor and drama to round out this travel account into the kind of perfect balance of sarcastic wit, historical fact, ecological science, and emotional drama that makes Bryson’s books so readable.

Bryson presents a good background and history of the trail, and of American wilderness in general, deliverying factual information without every sounding like a textbook.  His humble treatment, particularly his fear of all wild animals, especially bears, makes him a funny and likable narrator.  His attention to the little details, sometimes absurdly so, makes you feel like your traveling with him, from small Southern towns in Georgia to the deepest, darkest woods of Maine.

I think the appeal is also very wide when it comes to A Walk in the Woods.  Backpackers and hikers, of course,  will enjoy it, not just for its scrupulous attnetion to life on the trail, but also for its humorous take on the hardships of backpacking.  I also think that anyone looking for a humorous personal account of travel or a nonfiction book about one of America’s largest, yet possibly least well known landmarks, will also be satisfied with this one.

The Bones of the Moon by Jonathon Carroll
Orb Books, 2002

The Bones of the Moon is an interesting little book about Cullen James.  Cullen is happy with her life.  She has a wonderful husband, a healthy baby daughter, and loving friends.  Everything seems very wholesome and normal until Cullen begins to have very clear and sequenced dreams of a journey through a magical land with a boy named Pepsi.  Her dreams in this land become a second life, of sorts, as she finds herself on a hero’s quest.  Strangely, the dreamworld and the waking world begin to collide as the quest peaks in its intensity.

It’s easy to describe The Bones of the Moon simply as magical realism.  It starts out as realism with a hint of magic, but slips further and further to become almost pure fantasy by the end.  Although I don’t think that Bones of the Moon is Carroll’s best book, I did enjoy it.  Carroll’s ability to create this fantastic dream world, which could easily read like an overly wacky children’s novel or fantasy epic, and writes a restraint that keeps both Cullen’s waking life and her dreamlife connected.  It’s a quick and simple read that kept me entertained for the most part.  Although I would say that there are some part that lag, I would recommend this book to readers seeking a fiction with a bit of magic or fantasy.  Carroll fans will approve.

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
2001

I picked up Good in Bed, yet another chicklit book with a cover that’s screams, “This is chicklit!!!” making it sort of embarrassing to hold in sight on the train, because I read through my library pile and needed something to get me through the commute.  I have been going through a recent bout of fickleness with books lately– picking them up, reading 50 pages, and putting them back down again with no interest in continuation.  Luckily, Good in Bed, despite its desperately female cover, struck my interest and allowed me to actually finish a book for the first time in a couple of weeks.

Anyway, on with the book.  Good in Bed is a humorous and touching tale of Cannie, an entertainment columnist going through a breakup and entering the next phase of her life.  Cannie is witty, sarcastic, and, oh by the way, she’s fat.  Not only is Cannie well above average in size, but she’s confident, strong, and comfortable in her skin.  The book begins as Cannie is horrified to read a column in a women’s magazine by her ex-boyfriend Bruce, “Loving a Larger Woman.”  Humiliated and, eventually, regretful of the breakup, Cannie must go through a lot of soul searching and upsets to figure out what she wants out of life and how to get it.

So, all in all, Good in Bed is a pretty good read.  Sure, it has just about every chicklit cliché in the mix (small, spunky doggie companion, entertainment journalist job, faithful BFF, etc.), but the character of Cannie is fresh and the story actually has some interesting appeal.  I was not at all surprised when I read an interview with the author in which she cites She’s Come Undone as her inspiration.  It reads a lot like She’s Come Undone, except Good in Bed is a lighter and fluffier.  I was frustrated at times with this book for lacking in substance, but overall, I’d have to say that I enjoyed my reading of Good in Bed and that I wouldn’t be totally averse to picking up another of Weiner’s books if the mood strikes me.  I’d recommend this to readers who want well crafted chicklit that’s heavy on the wit and emotion.