Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

She wanted to say more, and maybe she would... someday.

Review: The Boy Who Made it Rain by Brian Conaghan

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Suitable for age 16+
When a school tragedy happens, you may lay the blame on society, the Internet, TV or violent films. Not many of you think it could be the parents' or teachers' fault, do you? But then, is it? We have our say, spout off opinions in different directions according to our view of the world. In this novel, too, they all have their say, but who's right?
At only sixteen Clem's world is turned upside down. His Willy-Loman-like father, a travelling salesman and a loser, is transferred from Eastbourne to Glasgow and along with him go Clem and his meek accommodating mother. But Glasgow is rough and Clem's posh English accent is not well-accepted in the sink school he attends. And he's a brilliant scholar. He soon becomes the target for McEvoy's group of thugs for whom slashing faces is the most important ambition in their depraved lives. When a school tragedy happens, you probably lay the blame on society, the Internet, TV or violent films. Not many of you think it could be the parents' or the teachers' fault, do you? But then, is it? We all have our say, spout off opinions in different directions according to our view of the world. In this novel, too, they all have their say, but who's right?
Author biography
Brian Conaghan was born and raised in the Scottish town of Coatbridge. He is a graduate of Glasgow University, where he received, among other qualifications, a Master of Letters in Creative Writing. After living and working in Italy for five years he now teaches English in a Dublin Secondary School.

MY TAKE:

There are plenty of books about bullying and what happens to the kids who are bullied, but I haven't read anything like this book before.

The Boy Who Made It Rain is the story of Clem, a new student in Glasgow who was bullied by some kids. The book is told in two parts. The first part is told by other characters while the second part is just from Clem's point-of-view.

I liked the book's style. It's almost like watching a documentary or time capsule videos. The characters sound very authentic. I had a hard time reading through the chapters that were told with a Scottish accent. If it had been in a movie or show, I think it would have been easier for me to understand the words.

The younger characters felt a little more real than the adult characters, though. The older characters felt just a little bit cliche and clinical. The teenagers, however, were brash and crude and authentic.

I had a feeling what the ending would be, but I didn't get a full picture until the last chapter. The title only makes sense in the last chapter, and at that point, the prose became sort of rambling and poetic and a lot like Clem was losing his mind. I didn't particularly like the ending as I didn't feel it to be completely believable, but the book overall was pretty good.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sparkling Books for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. The style is inventive.
2. The voices of the characters are mostly authentic.
3. Clem is a little bit different from most of the bullied characters you read about.

THE BAD:

1. The catalyst to the ending didn't feel like enough to me.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

They were my favourites at that time. Not now. I still like them and all, but you know what young peopole are like.

READ IT IF:

1. You like interesting narrative styles.
2. You are looking for books that talk about bullying.
3. You are looking for books on tough subjects.

RATING: 



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In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

FROM NETGALLEY:

Heads in Beds by Jacob Tomsky

Review: Sisters' Guide to NYC Cupcakes by Nanette McLain, Nerissa Pinkston, Nichelle Walters

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Use this unique travel guide to make the most of your trip to New York City and all the cupcakes it offers. No trip would be complete without visiting Chelsea, Union Square, the East Village, NoHo, SoHo, Nolita, and the Lower East Side. This guide highlights bakeries in each of these areas. The tour was developed based on personal wanderings of three rural Missouri sisters in New York City. The sixty-four-page guide is the perfect size to tuck in a bag while traveling throughout the city. This limited-edition book published by the Donning Company Publishers of Virginia Beach, Virginia, is a must have.
Nanette McLain is from Queens, New York. She is a social worker for a large non-rofit agency serving NYC and Long Island. Because of her growing knowledge of the city, she is a fabulous tour guide for her sisters and friends who visit. It was one of these explorations that sparked the idea for a cupcake travel guide. Nerissa Pinkston is from a rural community in Missouri. She is an RN for a home health agency. When she finds extra time, she loves to escape to faraway places. New York City has been a favorite stop since her younger sister moved there. Nichelle Walters is from a suburban community near Kansas City, Missouri. Before having children, she taught sixth graders in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. She is now a stay-at-home mom. Traveling with two of her sisters has been a delight. They have enjoyed Barcelona, Paris, London, and cities throughout the US, including New York City.

MY TAKE:

Ah, New York. I didn't quite get on the cupcake bandwagon here in the Philippines because most of them are really expensive or seem overpriced and/or overrated. However, I might consider doing the cupcake tour thing if ever I'm in New York. :)

Sisters' Guide to NYC Cupcakes is part New York tour and part cupcake guidebook. The stores are arranged by their locations so it's easy to go from place to place.

The pictures, color palette and layout are very pretty and perfect for a book on cupcakes. I also liked that aside from giving a brief description of the store and its offerings, the book points out some nearby attractions you can see in the vicinity of the cupcake stores.

The only thing I didn't like as much is that for most of the stores, the portion dedicated to discussing the specialties of the store read a little bit more like marketing copy than what you would expect from a guide book. I think it would have been better if instead of using vague terms, they described the ingredients ala what food critics do to make it sound more appealing.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookmasters for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. It's more than just a food guidebook.
2. Nearby tourist-y sites are highlighted.
3. The layout is pretty.

THE BAD:

1. Some of the descriptions read like marketing copy.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

A trip to the Lower East Side would be incomplete without a stop at Babycakes.

READ IT IF:

1. You're going to New York.
2. You like cupcakes.
3. You like going on tours.

RATING:



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Review: Secret Battles of Genghis Khan by Daryl Gregory

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Genghis Khan was one of the greatest military commanders and leaders in world history. He conquered lands from the Middle East to the Pacific Ocean in a life filled with one military victory after another until his death.
This is the story of how a boy named Temujin became that man, the battles that solidified his fearsome reputation, and the enduring legend of his life.
Written by Daryl Gregory with art by Alan Robinson.

MY TAKE:

It has been years since I've had lessons on Asian history so I've forgotten much of what I know about Genghis Khan.

The Secret Battles of Genghis Khan tells the story of Temujin, the boy who would be Genghis Khan. It starts from when he was a baby until he became a leader of men, and is told from Temujin's point-of-view.

I learned a lot about Temujin's life. I never knew that he was named after a Tatar chief that his father had captured. History classes should consider making this book an optional or required read for students as it would be so much easier for them to absorb the material if it was presented in graphic novel form.

The illustrations make use of dark lines and colors that are perfect for depicting the hard life of Temujin.

Thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the e-ARC. Publication date of Secret Battles of Genghis Khan is on July 31, 2012.

THE GOOD:

1. You learn a lot about the life of Temujin.
2. The artwork is perfect for the subject matter.
3. It's a great way to learn without being bored.

THE BAD:

1. Some might not prefer the harshness of the characters' looks.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

No man or tribe would ever again rob me of what was mine.

READ IT IF:

1. You like history.
2. You are interested in learning more about Genghis Khan.
3. You like learning things but get bored easily by textbooks.

RATING: 



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Review: Grammar Girl's 101 Troublesome Words You'll Master in No Time by Mignon Fogarty

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Millions of people around the world communicate better thanks to Mignon Fogarty, aka Grammar Girl, whose top-rated weekly grammar podcast has been downloaded more than 40 million times. Now she's turning her attention to solving your worst problems-one troublesome word at a time.
Are you feeling "all right" or "alright"? Does "biweekly" mean twice a week or every two weeks? Do you run a gauntlet or a gantlet? Is a pair of twins four people or two?
The English language is always changing, and that means we are left with words and phrases that are only sort of wrong (or worse, have different definitions depending on where you look them up). How do you know which to use? Grammar Girl to the rescue! This handy reference guide contains the full 411 on 101 words that have given you trouble before-but will never again.
Full of clear, straightforward definitions and fun quotations from pop culture icons such as Gregory House and J. K. Rowling, as well as from classical writers such as Mark Twain and Benjamin Franklin, this highly-useable guidebook takes the guesswork out of your writing, so you'll never be at a loss for words again.

MY TAKE:

While not as irritating as wrong grammar, wrong word usage can be pretty annoying sometimes.

Grammar Girl's 101 Troublesome Words You'll Master in No Time explains the proper usage of the words based on different styles (APA, Chicago Manual of Style, etc.). It also gives examples and advice on what you should do if you plan to use the particular word.

Most of the words that were discussed in the book are words whose proper usage is familiar to me. However, since I'm a bookworm, I might not be the target audience for this book. I see the book becoming very popular with the college crowd, though, and also those who are trying to improve their writing skills.

What is unusual but nice about this book is that the examples are quotes taken from books, movies, and articles. This makes the book more appealing to the younger generation as they can see how the word or phrase is used in the "real world".

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. It considers different styles so you can determine how you should use the word depending on the style you or your editors prefer.
2. The examples are not boring and generic.
3. The entries are well-organized.

THE BAD:

1. Some of the words may already be familiar to the readers.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Your team is dealing with the Great Mayonnairse Panic of 2007. I'm worried it might spread to other continents. - Lisa Edelstein as Dr. Lisa Cuddy in the TV series House M.D.

READ IT IF:

1. You get confused by some words and their proper usage.
2. You don't like boring grammar books.
3. You want to be a better writer.

RATING:



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Review: Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Nature Calls by Bathroom Readers' Institute

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Earth's teeming biosphere comes to life in this wild book about all creatures great and small! With Nature Calls at your side, you'll encounter bizarre beasties and experience incredible natural wonders. So burrow in and read about...

• An ape that fries burgers and a lizard that plays video games
• The search for the mysterious rhinoceros dolphin
• The explosive history of America's deepest lake
• A petrifying waterfall that turns toys to stone
• Two real continents that sank (like Atlantis)
• Cats Vs. Birds: the Feline-Avian War
• The history of dirt

And much, much more! 

MY TAKE:


I'm a fan of the Bathroom Reader books, and even though I'm not particularly fond of reading nature books, I still enjoyed this book a lot.


As the title suggests, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Nature Calls is a collection of short, medium and long articles about animals, insects, and anything related to nature. There are also quizzes, quotes and trivia.


Some of the articles, mainly the ones that were more encyclopedia-like in nature wasn't particularly my type. However, I really enjoyed the articles that were anecdotal. I particularly liked the stories that show how humans and pets related to each other.

What makes this book different from other nature books is the trademark Uncle John humor. Well-placed jokes make even the more boring topics interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley and Portable Press for the e-copy.


THE GOOD:

1. It will appeal to non-nature lovers as well.
2. It's funny.
3. Tons of trivia mean that even those who think they know a lot about nature will still find something new here.

THE BAD:

1. Some of the articles may be boring for some.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

According to Professor Ervin, there's not much difference between a crowd of soused monkeys and a human cocktail party: "You have one who gets aggressive, one who gets sexy, one who thinks everything's funny, and one who gets really grumpy. The binge drinkers gulp down the alcohol at a very fast rate and pass out on the floor."

READ IT IF:

1. You're a nature lover.
2. You have a short attention span.
3. You're looking for a bathroom read that you won't feel compelled to finish in one sitting.

RATING: 



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