The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley

The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley, set in Elizabethan England, is the story of Katherine Bab, an orphan and talented embroiderer who longs to know her true history. On the day that her best friend, a farmer boy named Christian, proposes to her, a strange, sick woman shows up at her house and demands that Kat’s caretaker, Grace, give her a mysterious necklace. Both the mysterious woman and Grace die of the plague the next day, and Kat finds the hidden necklace with the help of Grace’s deaf daughter, Anna. Against Grace’s last wishes, Kat leaves for London with Anna in an attempt to find out more about herself and to escape from Christian’s startling proposal. When Kat arrives in London, her flaming red hair and beautiful embroidery quickly get her summoned before Queen Elizabeth, and she is made one of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting. As Kat gets closer to the queen, rumors swirl about their very similar appearances, and Kat begins to uncover the truth about the necklace and her heritage. All the while, surrounded by suitors, Kat just can’t keep her mind off a certain sheep farmer…

This book, full of romance, intrigue, and beautiful dresses, will especially satisfy anyone who loves historical fiction or the Elizabethan Age. The clothing and setting are lavishly described, and the many historical facts make this book a fun learning experience as well. The Seymour family especially is explored in great detail, as apparently there is a missing daughter in the family (who knew?).

As for the heroine, Kat is spunky, determined, and likable. Her “sister” Anna is sweet, but doesn’t have much importance in the story besides making Kat feel guilty. Kat is pursued at court by two charming gentlemen, Nicholas and Rafael. Nicholas is the stereotypical pretty-boy, but Rafael has an intriguing storyline that is unfortunately left mostly undeveloped. Queen Elizabeth is actually one of the main characters in the story, adding a unique twist to the book. She is portrayed as both powerful and vulnerable, a combination that makes her seem human and realistic. Christian is, of course, the requisite sweet, caring farmer boy who has loved Kat her entire life.

I really enjoyed The Stolen One. The story is interesting and moves along quickly, especially as Kat finds out more about herself. Making Queen Elizabeth an important character really added depth to the story. However, the only complaint I have about the book is Kat’s apparent bipolar-ness. When she leaves Christian, she claims she could care less about him, but two chapters later, she longs to return to him all the way from London just because he breaks his foot. Also, she claims to care so much about Anna, but completely ignores her once she is accepted at court. Besides this, The Stolen One was a very enjoyable historical mystery/romance that I would recommend to any YA reader.

~Angela

P.S. You can buy The Stolen One here.

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Just in time for hot chocolate and mini marshmallows, I’m reviewing a sweet novel perfect for the holidays, Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors. The book, set in the Norwegian-influenced town of Nordby, Washington, revolves around Katrina Svenson and her grandmother’s coffee shop. Katrina, who spends every afternoon working in the coffeehouse, feels like she doesn’t have a direction in life. Her best friends, Vincent and Elizabeth, already have their futures planned out, but she doesn’t even know what she likes to do, besides work in the coffeehouse. However, her life turns upside down when she nonchalantly gives some food to a guy she finds sleeping in the alley beside the coffee shop. The guy, Malcolm, finds her at school the next day, begging her to be able to grant her greatest desire, but Katrina just thinks he’s crazy. To get him to leave her alone, she lies to him, resulting in two wishes that cause unhappiness in her life. Malcolm refuses to leave until he finds out Katrina’s “true desire”, and she begins to realize that Malcolm isn’t exactly human, but possibly an angel. In addition to giant rats, traitorous best friends, and villainous next-door neighbors, Katrina now has to deal with something even crazier: falling in love with an angel.

While often sweet and heartwarming, this book has both its upsides and downsides. When I first saw the cover, I felt like it was screaming I AM CLICHÉ at me. However, you should ignore the strange long-haired, glowing boy on the cover, as the book is not actually that bad. As I began to read, I found that I actually did like it. Katrina is sweet and realistic, and her two best friends are developed well. The plot is an interesting concept, and the small-town setting really adds to the book. However, as I continued reading, a few things started to bother me. Katrina began to seem whiny, as she constantly moans about her “lack of talent” and uncertain future. Since when is everyone supposed to know exactly what they want to do with their life when they’re only in 10th grade? The rest of the book is enjoyable, even though it can be a bit uneven. It’s hard to believe that a book that features such hilarious thoughts as “Is it easier to kick a guy in the balls if he’s wearing a kilt?” could be the same book that contains the horrendous sentence “His thighs spread out like corduroy logs”. The only other thing that bothered me was the ending. Everything works out much too perfectly, giving the ending an almost fake feel. However, Coffeehouse Angel was a fun, quick read, and I would recommend it for anyone with some extra time on their hands.

~Angela

P.S. You can buy Coffeehouse Angel here.

Green Books Campaign: Only Milo

This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 100 bloggers are reviewing 100 great books printed in an environmentally friendly way. Our goal is to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books. This campaign is organized by Eco-Libris, a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.

Only Milo, by Barry Smith, is printed on FSC-certified paper to support the environment.

Credit for the Green Books Logo goes to Susan Newman.

Synopsis:
Meet Milo, a closet writer who emerges from his dull, SPAM-flavored retirement to become an unseen force in the literary world. But when Milo's illicit ghostwriting is nearly exposed on national television, his options are limited. In a world of egotistical, no-talent authors and duplicitous, back-stabbing publishers, how can Milo achieve the recognition he deserves?

Review:
Completely unpredictable, Only Milo is a highly shocking and enjoyable read. The novel is simple to read, but has enough surprises and thrills to keep any reader enthralled. Readers gain insight into the twisted mind of a murderer through a riveting and brilliantly executed plot.

It is no wonder that Hitchcock comparisons have been made.

However, while Only Milo is easy to praise, it does have a few weaker points. One that stood out to me was just how far-fetched the murders became. Personally, I found this distracting. Even so, the escalating absurdity of the homicides could have been used for satirical means, so I'll leave this particular point for the reader to interpret.

Like all strong novels, Only Milo pushes the reader to question things they usually overlook. I began to question the effect that murder TV shows (such as Dexter) could have on society. These shows aided in the murder plans in Only Milo.

Overall? A strong novel that suspense/conspiracy fans will certainly adore.

~bella aire~

An Interview with PJ Hoover! (Questions by Jeannie Jones)

This interview was conducted by Jeannie Jones, our newest and youngest reviewer. She enjoys all types of fiction and is a member of our new NSCG middle grade branch. See her review of PJ Hoover's The Emerald Tablet here. For those who have already read The Emerald Tablet, look for it's sequel, The Navel of the World.

1. When you were a kid, did you enjoy writing as much as you do now?

No way! I never wanted to write as a kid. I didn't think I was very good, and all I wanted to write were humorous poems. I thought I could never find enough words to make up an entire novel and was always astounded by authors and their ability to do just this.

2. Which do you enjoy more- writing or reading?

Writing when the words are flowing, and reading when they aren't. Actually, I think it's important to have a great mix of the two. Reading makes my writing better, and writing makes my reading more interesting.

3. What are the books you’ve published since The Emerald Tablet about?

THE NAVEL OF THE WORLD is the second book in the trilogy that started with THE EMERALD TABLET. It just came out in October 2009. That's the only one published so far, but here's to keeping fingers crossed! And the most fun part about THE NAVEL OF THE WORLD is time travel :)

4. Does your real life ever inspire your books and writing? If so, how?

I love finding inspiration everywhere I can. I use books, TV, music, and hobbies, just to name a handful or inspirational sources. I love Rubik's Cubes, and so I created the Kinetic Orb in my books. I loved the song ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK, and so I set a scene in THE EMERALD TABLET in Bangkok. Finding inspiration everywhere is one of the most fun parts of being a writer.

5. When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?

I only realized I REALLY wanted to be a writer after the birth of my second kid. I was an electrical engineer for fifteen years, but had a hard time balancing the demands of engineering and giving my kids all the attention I wanted to give them. I started writing to see how it would go, and I found I loved it. It suited my personality super well, and I enjoy the heck out of it.

6. How did you get your first book published?

I met an editor at the SCBWI conference in New York one year who offered to read my manuscript. She gave me amazing feedback, and once I revised, I asked her if she'd read it again. She did, and after a couple more rounds, she bought the entire trilogy.

7. What are your favorite books to read?

In middle grade, I loved the PERCY JACKSON series and am enjoying the GREGOR series immensely. In YA, I loved THE HUNGER GAMES and THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH. These are books I would have loved to have written!

8. How did you pick the names of the characters in The Emerald Tablet?

There were various ways. For some of the more common names, I looked to my yearbooks. For the more unusual ones, I had fun using a random name generator. For example, Proteus Ajax came up via a random name generator. Pretty cool, huh?

9. Are there any special locations where you like to write best?

I have an office in my house, so at home, that's the only place I write. When I need to escape from the house, I head to the library. I find getting away from distractions like laundry and the dishwasher help me get more done.

Thank you so much for having me!

-PJ Hoover

The Emerald Tablet by PJ Hoover (review by Jeannie Jones)

For our first review in our middle grade branch, Jeannie Jones has reviewed PJ Hoover's The Emerald Tablet. Later today an interview with the author will be posted. Make sure to stop by!

Note: All MG reviews and interviews are composed by MG-aged NSCGs.

The book, The Emerald Tablet, is one of the best books I have ever read. The thing I love most about it is the fantasy and suspense. It is about a boy whose name is Benjamin, and he thinks he is just as normal as everyone else. But one day his mom disappears into a pinprick of light, and Benjamin doesn’t know what happened to her. Then a man appears on Benjamin’s mirror.

What do you think will happen to Benjamin and his mom? Join Benjamin on his wild journey to find out.

Lovers of books full of fun and action will enjoy this novel. They won’t want to put it down. Trust me!

JEANNIE JONES

Upcoming: The Unveiling of a New NSCG Branch and a Green Books Campaign

Some exciting events are coming up for the NSCGs.

1. Thursday, Nov. 5: The Unveiling of a New NSCG Branch- While we typically do reviews for YA and older, there has been so much interest in Middle Grade fiction that the NSCGs have added a MG Branch. This branch will feature MG books reviewed by MG-aged readers. Our first review will be of PJ Hoover's The Emerald Tablet. An interview will be included. Both the review and interview were conducted by a middle grade reviewer. (Note: If any MG publishers/authors are interesting in sending us a book for review, send an email to not_so_cg@yahoo.com)
   
2. Tuesday, Nov. 10: Green Books Campaign- NSCG goes green in the Green Books Campaign. We will be reviewing the environmentally-friendly Only Milo in support of this campaign.

Make sure to stop by for both events!
~bella aire~