Welcome Back to School!!!

The 2012-2013 school year begins today in Cobb County.  Curiosity and trepidation fill the school buses as kids start a new grade.

Will I like my teacher?  
Will I have too much homework?  
Will I have friends in my class or classes?
What will happen this year???

Parents have just as many questions, wondering if they (the parents) will like the teacher, if their child/children will do well academically and socially, and if they will be able to afford all the related expenses (PTA, school supplies, foundations, new clothes, more school supplies,...)

Though I have said this before, I will say it again - talk to your child's teacher.

Teachers really are human, too, and will not either send you to detention or hate your child because you want to talk to her (or him).  So ask the teacher how she wants to communicate, either email, notes from home, or phone calls, and then treat her as a participant in your child's life.  I make a point of asking what is the teacher's preferred method of communication, even if the teacher says that all methods are acceptable.  Why?  Because the teacher either have 20-30 parents to communicate with (in elementary school) or hundreds of parents (in middle and high school), while I only have 1-8 teachers on my end.

Remember, opening the lines of communication now will help the rest of the year flow more smoothly.

Book Review: "The Magic Thief" by Sarah Prineas

The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pick up this book and read it!!!!

If you like adventure, read it.
If you like fantasy, read it.
If you like magic, read it.
If you like good characters, read it.
If you like evil characters, read it.

Basically, "The Magic Thief" has it all!

I checked this book out of our local library because I love reading fantasy books with magic in them. I have a few other books that I am reading at the moment, so I didn't give "The Magic Thief" much thought. Then I opened it up and began to read. About 100 pages later, I realized that I hadn't put it down.

Sarah Prineas' writing is deceptively simple, easy to follow, and fun to read. She weaves the words around, giving just enough details for you to see a picture in your head without boring you to death with the color of each flower petal. She weaves more words around and poof! Nicely developed characters, appropriate to their place in the story. She weaves even more words and a plot appears. Sometimes I felt that the bad guys were a bit obviously the bad guys, but so do several characters in the story. So instead of feeling badly written, it felt like the slimy people were clearly slimy to everyone.

As an added bonus, this book works for kids as well as adults. So if you are looking for the next book series to read with your kids, viola!

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Book Review: "Once Burned" by Jeaniene Frost

Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am a Dracula fan. I read the book and shivered at the potent darkness; I watched "Bram Stoker's Dracula" with Gary Oldman and wept at the depth of his emotion; I read "Ano Dracula" and wondered how London would be if Dracula won (instead of Van Helsing).

But I have found my favorite Dracula here, in "Once Burned". Vlad Basarab Tepesh (or "Master" for his servants and human fold) calculates every move with ruthless care, keeping to his strange moral path to ensure safety for himself and his people. But a sense of loss and longing haunt the man, obvious in how he keeps everyone at arm's length, even those closest to him.

Especially Leila, the heroine and protagonist of the novel. Leila faces Vlad with an open mind and heart, separated from the rest of humanity because of her unwanted abilities. Yet she can touch Vlad, and that touch sparks more emotions and reactions in her that she knows how to handle.

I love that "Once Burned" is a story about love, revenge, vengeance, discovery, and healing. I love how Vlad and Leila learn about each other, drawing closer than either one wants to admit. And I love how Ms. Frost balances the characters, so that both help each other out.

Now, I wait with bated breath, wishing I had a Tardis to jump ahead in time to read the next book in the series.

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Review of "Twelfth Night" as performed by The New American Shakespeare Tavern

Veronika Duerr as Viola and Jeff McKerley as Malvolio

The comedy "Twelfth Night" is one of Shakespeare's comedy that I have never either seen nor read before now.  But when this play opened up last week, I decided it was high time to correct that oversight and to introduce my kids, 10 and 13, to Shakespeare.  I have been to the Shakespeare Tavern downtown only once before, and I love "Irma Vep" so much I saved the ticket stub.  But would they do a reasonable Shakespeare?

The acting company at The New American Shakespeare Tavern did not disappoint.

We arrived early, per instructions  at "How It Works" on the website, and waited a few minutes to be seated in the main area.  Once seated, we grabbed a quick dinner (they serve an interestingmenu) of Rainy Day Tomato Soup and Cornish Pasty, then we discussed what to expect from the play.

A little while later, the magic started!

While the actors speak in an older dialect of English, we understood what was going on, with both of my kids asking only a minimal of questions regarding plot.  The costumes, the props, the music - all of this only enhanced the superb acting from the entire cast.  Feste, the fool, was the hands down favorite, with Malvolio a close second.  An unforeseen highlight was a rude woman who walked in front of the stage during a scene with Malvolio.  The actor watched her walk out of the tavern area, made a funny comment, then kick with his feet, mimicking a dog covering up his excrement.   

All of the actors were phenomenal - Viola, Olivia, Orsino, Sebastian, Antonio, Maria, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, Fabian, Feste, and of course, Malvolio - I will potentially have problems watching them in other roles, since they are now ingrained in my mind and memory as the cast of "Twelfth Night".  I only say "potentially" though because they will undoubtably portray other characters with the same skill, and I will once again swear never to see them differently.  

The first question my kids asked after the play was, "Can we see it again?  And bring friends?" The second question was "Can we see more plays here?" 

Bravo, Shakespeare Tavern!  You have begun converting the younger generation from video gamers to Shakespeare lovers.  Take a bow - you deserve it.

Book Review: "Discount Armageddon" by Seanan McGuire

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Discount Armageddon" by Seanan McGuire promises a good story - and the story fulfills the promise with gusto. In the beginning of the book, you meet Verity Price, a cryptozoologist with aspirations to be a professional ballroom dancer. The first several chapters vacillate between current action and providing background information for the reader, then it's full steam ahead.

I love how the author, Ms. McGuire, balances suspense and comedy within the story. The Aeslin mice are my favorite supporting cast - I almost wish I had my own splinter colony living in my house.

As for the characters, everyone seemed deep enough for their participation in the story. The only place where I wished for a bit more is the interaction between Dominic and Verity. For solid enemies, it seems like they learn to tolerate each other a bit too quickly. Not that I'd change their story, it just seems too convenient.

I recommend this book to anyone who has a few hours to spare.

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Book Review: "Wolfsbane and Mistletoe" by Various Authors

Wolfsbane and Mistletoe by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow - this book took me by surprise! I expected good stories, but not the depth, variety, and sheer creativity in this collection of short stories.

Let me do a quick summary of the stories:

"Gift Wrap" by Charlaine Harris - Sookie Stackhouse finds a naked man in her woods on Christmas eve. It's a nice, short story with little drama and a lot of cheesiness.

"The Haire of the Beast" by Donna Andrews - A brother asks his sister to help him make a werewolf potion. Things go a little awry. I actually laughed out loud reading this one.

"Lucy, At Christmastime" by Simon R. Green - A sad story about a vampire in a supernatural bar on Christmas Eve. I liked this one, even though it seemed more thoughtful and less action-oriented than the other stories.

"The Night Things Changed" by Dana Cameron - Imagine that vampires and werewolves are the world's supernatural police. That's the underlying concept behind this particular story. I must admit, I thought about that concept a few times, and I like how the author does it.

"The Werewolf Before Christmas"  by Kat Richardson- A werewolf eats Rudolph, and has to do penance for Santa Claus.  The story adds several twists to the Santa Claus legend, giving it more power and more depth.

"Fresh Meat" by Alan Gordon - A man who runs a dog-training kennel has an assassin after him. I really cannot say more without giving away too much. Again, a winning story that relies on creativity and brains, as well as doggie power!

"Il Est Ne" by Carrie Vaughn - A story about a man who is turned into a werewolf and runs away from his life meets a lady werewolf and learns how to live life again.

"The Perfect Gift" by Dana Stabenow - This is the only story that I didn't immediately love. The characters in the beginning of the story discuss a situation that needs to be resolved, but the author doesn't give enough information about it. I felt like I needed to draw way too many conclusions.

"Christmas Past" by Keri Arthur - Nominally, this story is about two people going after vampires who are killing charity workers. But the story really revolves around Hannah and Brodie's broken relationship. I love how the author weaves both stories together to create a believable tale.

"SA" by Joe Konrath - A man starts to poo out strange objects - coins, earrings, and other assorted stuff. I know that sounds like a crazy way to start a story, but the entire thing works, and works well. It also has Santa Claus as the bad guy - a neat twist.

"The Star of David" by Patricia Briggs - Okay, this is the story I wanted to read badly enough to buy this book. David Christiansen shows up in "Moon Called" as a secondary character, but he struck me in that book as an interesting man, someone I wish I knew more about. Well, here it is, more about David and his family. I love how the author creates her characters - three dimensional and full of emotion. I just wish she wrote more about David and his life.

"You'd Better Not Pyout" by Nancy Pickard - Two Russian vampires decide that Santa Claus must be a vampire, and they travel to the North Pole to find out. I must admit, I have never before thought of Saint Nick as a vampire, but the story provides to think about on that speculation.

"Rogue Elements" by Karen Chance - I love this story! Actually, I read another short story by Karen Chance in another anthology with the same characters. In fact, the other story references this one - a fact that completely made my day! Lia is a war mage given the impossible task of finding a lost werewolf in Las Vegas. Need I say more?

"Milk and Cookies" by Robin Thurman - Told from the point of view of a nice thirteen year old brother, this story relays how the brother, Nicky, must deal with a bully and the Christmas holidays at the same time. Oh, and finding the perfect gift for his little sister.

"Keeping Watch Over His Flock" by Toni L. P. Kelner - A young werewolf breaks most of the pack rules and now must face the pack. It's a cute story with a happy ending.

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Book Review: "An Exercise in Futility" by Steve Thomas

An Exercise in Futility by Steve Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"An Exercise in Futility" by Steve Thomas tells the story of a war between nomadic tribes, the Gurdur, and their ancient enemies, the Kalhar. The story focuses on a small set of people, from the protagonists Ezekiel and Charity, as well as their families, to the antagonists, Emperor Kathelm and General Meunig. Each character tells part of the story, creating a patchwork of viewpoints.

I found the book a quick and entertaining read. While I found some of the plot to be predictable, the author created such a good story that I didn't mind the predictability. The characters grew within the story, each of them coping with the whims of fate.

I highly recommend this book to people who like fantasy books.

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