Isis Orb

Isis Orb by Piers Anthony, 289 pages

“In Xanth, everyone has a talent. But that doesn't mean everyone loves his talent, and no one understands that better than Hapless. Endowed with the ability to conjure any instrument he wants, Hapless could be an extraordinary musician if only he could play a tune that didn't fall ear-piercingly flat. His one desire is to find an instrument he can play--and maybe a girlfriend or three. But like music, women have never been his forte. When the Good Magician hears about Hapless's desperate desire, he sends the young man on a quest to find the elusive Isis Orb, a magical talisman that could fulfill his wish. But the mysterious Egyptian goddess for whom the orb is named guards the enchanted object and won't let anyone see it--let alone use it. Setting out to achieve the impossible, Hapless meets an eclectic mix of creatures that join him on his journey. Like the musically challenged Hapless, they all have wishes they hope the Isis Orb will grant. But the only way they can control the orb is to capture the five totems from the regions of Xanth: Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and the Void. Together, this motley crew will heroically fight dragons, a six-headed griffin, and even a beautiful, seductive water gorgon who tries to rain on Hapless's parade.” Xanth is still fun.  It’s very silly, but the stories are still good and don’t necessarily have to be read in any order.  I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy.

Look Alive Twenty-Five

Look Alive Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich, 311 pages

“There's nothing like a good deli, and the Red River Deli in Trenton is one of the best. World-famous for its pastrami, cole slaw, and for its disappearing managers. Over the last month, three have vanished from the face of the earth, and the only clue in each case is one shoe that's been left behind. The police are baffled. Lula is convinced that it's a case of alien abduction. Whatever it is, they'd better figure out what's going on before they lose their new manager, Ms. Stephanie Plum.”  This book didn’t make me laugh out loud like some have, but it was still entertaining.  Fans of the series will want to read it, but its not the right book to start with in this series, and it’s definitely not the best on the series either.  I enjoyed it but I didn’t love it.

Deal Breaker

Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben, 339 pages

Myron Bolitar is a sports agent with a complicated back story. It is explored as book goes along but also leaves room for character development further in the series. Myron was a star basketball player whose career was ended by injury before he could make his NBA debut. He is also a lawyer who worked for the FBI in some capacity. Finally, he is a smartass and the story is told with wit.

His biggest client is a rookie NFL quarterback. Just as he is about to sign his contract things get complicated. There are signs that his girlfriend who is missing and presumed dead may still be alive. Bolitar is determined to find her if she is alive. 

I listened to this as an audiobook. I thought the narrator, Jonathan Marosz, did an excellent job. I thought his deadpan conveyed the humor well and was serious when needed.

Please Bury Me in the Library

Please Bury Me in the Library by J. Patrick Lewis; illustrated by Kyle M. Stone  32 pages

 As I was sauntering through the St. Louis Public Library the other day, the title and cover art of this book caught my eye. Before I was able to pluck it from the shelf, I was already rethinking my decision to be cremated when my time comes. However, realizing that this would never be possible, I simply walked to the Issue Desk and checked it out.

I was expecting a little story of a mouse (after all that is the critter on the cover) who loved to read and seldom ventured outside the library’s walls.  The critter was at home in the shelves of all the various genres and subject. Imagine my surprise when I finally opened the cover and found a delightful little book of poetry (and considering that it’s April and National Poetry Month, it seemed like destiny).

Inside are 15 delightful, humorous poems that made me smile. My absolute favorite is the title poem, as I believe that being buried in the library would be its own paradise.  “Please Bury Me in the Library” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine

ThePurloining of Prince Oleomargarine by Mark Twain & Philip Stead, 152 pages

"Based on a set of unfinished Mark Twain notes for a children's story, this is the tale of Johnny, a young boy with a magical ability to speak to animals who sets off to rescue a stolen prince." This is a very simple book that would be easy to read for beginning readers.  It might be a hard sell because the illustrations are muted and some kids might think that it looks dull but it’s a funny story that has enough adventure to be interesting and I think that a lot of kids would like it if they give it a chance.

Laugh Out Loud

Laugh Out Loud by James Patterson & Chris Grabenstein, 275 pages

“Imaginative middle schooler Jimmy follows his dream to start a unique book company while he is still a child.” This book may not be laugh out loud funny, but it is a lot of fun.  Kids who have read Patterson’s other books will enjoy meeting some of the characters they know and love from other books in this story and they will enjoy the humor in this story as well. 

Dangerous Minds

DangerousMinds by Janet Evanovich, 317 pages

“Buddhist monk Wayan Bagus lost his island of solitude and wants to get it back. The island was about two hundred miles northeast of Samoa. It had a mountain, beaches, a rain forest, and a volcano. And now it's gone. Poof! Vanished without a trace. Brilliant and boyishly charming Emerson Knight likes nothing better than solving an unsolvable, improbable mystery. And finding a missing island is better than Christmas morning in the Knight household. When clues lead to a dark and sinister secret that is being guarded by the National Park Service, Emerson will need to assemble a crack team for help. Since a crack team isn't available, he enlists Riley Moon and his cousin Vernon. Riley Moon has a Harvard business degree and can shoot the eyes out of a grasshopper at fifty feet, but she can't figure out how to escape the vortex of Emerson Knight's odd life. Vernon has been Emerson's loyal and enthusiastic partner in crime since childhood. He now lives in an RV behind Emerson's house. Together, this ragtag, mismatched trio will embark on a worldwide investigation that will expose a conspiracy one hundred years in the making.”  I didn’t think this was quite as funny as the Stephanie Plum series but it was still pretty good.  I definitely want to keep reading the series and I think that people, especially women, who like humorous adventure will like it.

Eugenia Lincoln And The Unexpected Package

Eugenia Lincoln And The Unexpected Package by Kate DiCamillo, 88 pages

“When an unexpected package containing an accordion arrives, Eugenia Lincoln tries to get rid of the instrument by selling it, destroying it, and giving it away, but nothing works.” Eugenia would hate that people think this, but she is hilarious! Her outlook on life causes her to say things that made me laugh out loud several times. Even though she herself is not very happy very often, she, and this book, are capable of inspiring joy in others. This is a great choice for beginning chapter book readers.

Trouble Is A Friend Of Mine

Trouble Is A Friend Of Mine by Stephanie Tromly, 337 pages

Zoe is new in town.  When Digby shows up at her door, she thinks he’s weird and rude and wants to avoid him but Digby keeps showing up in her life and eventually drags her into hilariously dangerous situations while trying to find a teen that has been presumed kidnapped.  Digby thinks it may be related to his sister’s disappearance many years ago.  Despite Zoe’s initial dislike and reluctance to get involved she eventually finds herself inexplicably drawn to Digby and the trouble that surrounds him.  This book was funny and the story was awesome.  I didn’t have any problems with suspension of disbelief in the story, despite the improbability of some of it.  I would highly recommend this for many teens.

Applewhites Coast To Coast

Applewhites Coast To Coast by Stephanie S. Tolan, 309 pages

The Applewhites are traveling across the country, showing their unique educational philosophies to different groups and organizations, videotaping their efforts as they go, in an effort to win a contest.  At first, this seems interesting and fun, but as television gets involved, and crowd appeal, some of the Applewhites start to think that a popularity contest is not what they signed up for.  E.D. is conflicted about many things.  She misses her traditional education and is torn about her feelings for a new member of their little group.  Melody is a beautiful, troubled teen that Jake seems interested in and E.D. doesn’t know how she feels about that.  Melody also seems to want to help E.D. improver her appearance and E.D. isn’t sure how she feels about that either.  This was a fun installment to the Applewhite adventures.  I really liked it and would give it to kids who like realistic and humorous stories.I read this as an ARC and the library does not own it at the time of this review.

Applewhites At Wit’s End

Applewhites At Wit’s End by Stephanie S. Tolan, 253 pages

The Applewhites are back again.  This time, the manager of their family trust has embezzled all of their money and they are in danger of losing their home.  They decide to run a summer camp for creative kids to make money in an attempt to save their property and way of life.  Once they get started, they realize just how much work it will be, and when the kids start arriving, they really figure out what they are up against.  However, it looks like everything might work out, until they start getting threatening letters from the state about permits and health code violations.  If they can’t figure everything out, they may have to close.  This was a hilarious sequel to the first book, Surviving The Applewhites.  It could be read as a stand alone book, but any kid who reads it will want to read the first one anyway.  This is a great choice for kids who like realistic and humorous fiction.

Surviving The Applewhites

SurvivingThe Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan, 216 pages

“Jake, a budding juvenile delinquent, is sent for home schooling to the arty and eccentric Applewhite family's Creative Academy, where he discovers talents and interests he never knew he had.” This is a fantastic realistic story, although it is a little outlandish.  The Applewhites are everyone’s eccentric aunt, except that the whole family is like that, with the exception of daughter, E.D.  This is a great pick for kids who like funny stories as well.

Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year

Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year by Anne Lamott        272 pages

I’m not a parent. I’ve been a step-parent twice over. Still no matter whether it’s biological or vis marriage, nothing, and I mean nothing, can prepare you for parenthood.

Such was the harsh reality novelist Anne Lamott. She found herself pregnant and alone (ie: without a husband or reliable partner). However, Anne is not alone. She has a bevy of friends and neighbors with a speckling of strangers thrown to help her.

Anne was absolutely sure that she would have a girl. If she was going to do this, God would give her a girl, another female in the house. She was a girl; she could raise a girl. But when she learned that the blossoming bud inside was a boy, well, she could hardly comprehend it. She never fully accepted her fate until her son, Sam, was born. This is not the journey of pregnancy; it’s the journal of that first year, in all its glory and its horror.

Some of the journal entries are short, some a bit longer, and some last almost two pages. It’s isn’t a day-by-day account. Who has time for that when there is a colicky baby screaming at the top of his lungs?

The entries are equally poignant and humorous. I laughed so hard at times that I woke hubby, who was asleep in another room. Anne’s entries also have a cadence to them. From I love him so much, he’s the best baby ever to he’s trying to kill, I hate him, I laughed and cried.

My favorite account occurs not to long after Sam and Anne are home. She has to take his temperature. When she learns that anal, not oral, is how this is done on babies, it’s laugh at loud hilarious, especially when she describes how his tiny rear-end erupted like a full-scale volcano, spewing feces everywhere.

I recommend Operating Instructions to everyone. It’s short and easy to read and leaves the reader, or at least this one, with a new-found respect for new mothers. Therefore, Operating Instructions receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

And One Last Thing

AndOne Last Thing by Molly Harper, 310 pages

"Lacey Terwilliger's shock and humiliation over her husband's philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike's company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike's family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike's defamation lawsuit.  Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family's lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.  Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?"  I've really enjoyed all of Harper's supernatural romances.  They're all funny and this book is too.  Anyone who's liked her other books will probably like this also despite its lack of supernatural characters.  Fans of the romantic comedy will also like this book.

Malcolm Under The Stars

MalcolmUnder The Stars by W.H. Beck, 257 pages

This is the sequel to Malcolm at Midnight, which I liked a lot.  In this adventure, Malcolm, the rat in Mr. Binney's fifth grade classroom, discovers more problems at his beloved McKenna School.  This time the problem facing the Midnight Academy, the group of classroom animals from the school whose mission it is to protect the teachers and students, is larger than any they have ever seen before.  The school has significant problems that will cost a lot of money to fix and the board is discussing the possibility of closing the school.  This is devastating to the animals and to several of the kids and teachers as well.  There is one hope for the Midnight Academy; the promise of a legendary treasury hidden by Ernie Bowman, a former employee of the school.  If the Academy can find it, it may be enough money to save the school.  I really enjoyed this, maybe even more than the first book.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes animals, especially with a fantastical bent.  This is probably best for fourth through sixth grade.

Class Election

ClassElection by Neil Swaab, 232 pages

This is the sequel to The Secrets To Ruling School Without Even Trying.  Max Corrigan is back, as incorrigible as ever, and this time he’s encouraging the new kid to run for class president.  He’s got a foolproof way to get the new kid elected and, as in the first book, it relies on enlisting several people’s help along the way.  Some of Max’s ideas are a little less than ethical, but the new kid seems to recognize this and is willing to take the risks.  This book definitely had a surprise twist near the end.  I liked this book even better than the first and would recommend the series to fans of the Wimpy Kid series.  They are great for middle to later elementary school age kids.

The Secrets To Ruling School Without Even Trying

The SecretsTo Ruling School Without Even Trying by Neil Schwab, 226 pages

“It's the first week of middle school, i.e., the Worst Place in the Entire World. How do you survive in a place where there are tough kids twice your size, sadistic teachers, and restrictions that make jail look like a five-star resort? Easy: with the help of Max Corrigan, middle school "expert" and life coach. Let Max teach you how to win over not just one, but all of the groups in school, from the Preps to the Band Geeks. Along the way, Max offers surefire advice and revealing tips on how to get through universal middle school experiences like gym class, detention, faking sick, dealing with jocks and bullies, and acing exams (without getting caught cheating).”  This is a fun book for kids.  This is the Reading Pays book this fall and I’m pretty sure it will be an easy sell to kids if they like humor in their stories at all.

Tricky Twenty-Two

Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich, 292 pages

This is another typical Stephanie Plum novel.  Stephanie is chasing the criminals who have skipped out on their bonds with her sidekick, Lulu.  One of her skips is a college student nicknamed Gobbler.  Through Gobbler, Stephanie finds out that there might be some shady dealings with the faculty and staff on campus.  In addition, Stephanie has been helping Ranger with a bodyguard assignment, which ends up relating to three different murders.  Just to top off Stephanie's week, Joe broke up with her.  Of course, Stephanie's cars end up being totaled, or blown up, or filled with geese, which only adds to the hilarity.  I thought this book was pretty funny.  I laughed out loud a couple of times and I enjoyed this addition to the series.  I wouldn't say it's the best one, but it was fun and anyone who likes the series or humorous fiction will enjoy it.

The Flinkwater Factor

The Flinkwater Factor by Pete Hautman, 249 pages

This was a bizarre but fun book.  There are what seems to be several different stories in this book that all come together in the end.  Flinkwater is a place where several geniuses live.  They work for ACPOD, which creates robots.  Several people become comatose, apparently from watching the same computer program, a talking dog appears in town and Ginger, the main character, finds out more about the Sasquatch in town than she thought possible.  Ginger, along with the boy she wants to marry, Billy, and another friend, Myke, set out to solve the problems in Flinkwater before Homeland Security tries to take them in as terrorists.  His book is actually pretty funny and has some fun real science and also some fake science.  One of the great things about it is that at the end Hautman talks about what is real, potentially real soon, and fake.  This is a good one for kids who like realistic science fiction.

The Rest Of Us Just Live Here

The Rest Of Us Just LiveHere by Patrick Ness, 317 pages

This book was an odd combination of realistic fiction and fantasy.  Most of the book is about this group of friends, with regular problems.  This is told from the perspective of Mike.  He and his sister, Mel, have both had some problems since their mother's big campaign for lieutenant governor.  Mel developed an eating disorder and nearly died while Mike developed a severe problem with OCD.  Mike is hopelessly in love with another friend, Henna, whose dad is a preacher and whose mom is a podiatrist and who plan to take her on a mission to Africa for the summer right after graduation.  Mike's best friend, Jared, is gay.  He's also part god.  And this is where some of the fantasy creeps in.  Every few years something bizarre and strange happens in their town that the adults never acknowledge but the teens all know is supernatural.  The group they call the Indie kids are always at the heart of it and at the beginning of each chapter we get a synopsis of what's happening with that story.  Jared being part god is part of one of those strange occurrences.  This might be my favorite book by Ness so far and I've liked all of them pretty well.  Something about the mix really appealed to me and he really made me care about these characters.  I would highly recommend this for almost any teen, but definitely for fans of realistic fiction and fantasy.