Merry Wanderer of the Night:
poetry

I have more mini-reviews today, because these both also fall under the category of wanted to/should have loved these books, But.

First is May B. by Caroline Starr Rose. This is a book that I really should have loved. It's written in verse, which I'm pretty sure most people know how much I absolutely adore. It's historical fiction — life on the prairie — which I've been totally fascinated with for as long as I can remember. And it's a survival story taking place in the midst of a crazy, nasty blizzard. Oh ya, and, the importance of reading and language plays a large part in the growth of the main character. Umm, yes please.

I was in love with the idea of a historical fiction story being told in verse. I feel like non-Contemporary verse novels are rather rare, so I was really excited for this one. But for some reason, the execution was really lacking for me. May is sent by her parents to live/work with a newlywed couple because her family needs the money her servitude will bring. But shortly after May gets there, the wife (who is from the city and really struggling with the vast prairie life) decides she is going to leave, and the Mr. goes after her. He's only supposed to be gone for a day, but he never comes home. May is left completely alone as winter approaches and she has no idea how to get home.

That is enough for a compelling story. But there were other things added to the story that I assume were meant to give depth to the story and to May's character, but instead just felt underdeveloped and tacked on to say — Look!! Character growth! May should have been a strong character, but I never really believed that she was, I only ever believed that I was supposed to think she was. I just never felt a true sense of connection with May and honestly thought the inclusion of May's struggles to read were overdone and unnecessary, constantly pulling me out of the story and severing whatever connection had started to form. I don't know why that was. Reading is (obviously) a big deal to me, but it never felt natural or necessary. It always felt to me like a plot device, and a poorly disguised one at that. This is actually a story I think might have worked better in traditional prose (although it pains me to say this) and although, overall, I did enjoy the story well enough, it's not a book I'll be recommending much, although if you are already interested, I suggest you give it a try anyway. I will definitely try the author again, and I think this is a book worth giving a chance, even if it didn't quite click for me.

On a completely different note, I have always been completely fascinated by true crime stories, and serial killers and other morbidly interesting stuff. So when I saw Green River Killer: A True Detective Story by Jeff Jensen on Netgalley, I was like — Yes! Win! The Green River Killer was a big deal for a lot of years, killing a tragically large number of women and eluding the police for a very long time. And, because I really am morbid, I was excited to read a story written by the lead detective's son and told as a graphic novel.

Unfortunately, the idea behind the book was the most interesting part of it. I found myself very disappointed in the actual contents of the book. The story had a very strange chronology that didn't flow well and it made it really hard to be interested in the story. There were random and unexplained jumps in time and setting that were never explained and it made the story really awkward to read.

And, the illustrations, while well drawn, weren't very distinct, and I'll admit that there were times I wasn't sure who was actually depicted. They all kinda just looked the same to me.

I feel like this is a story that could have been amazing. As the son of the lead detective on such a high profile case, you would have a lot of different information and a different view of the case than most people, and I feel like there could be a lot of really solid material for a book. Unfortunately, this one just didn't work for me and I ended up spending a good 85% of the book bored and wishing it were over.

*Disclaimer: Both of these books were electronic ARCs received via Netgalley.

Earlier today, I posted an awesome guest post from author Lisa Schroeder about why she writes and loves Contemporary. She's offering a signed copy of one of her novels, Far From You (in my blog) and I figured that today was a good time to review the book myself.

Far From You is actually Schroeder's least well known book (heard that one from the author herself). It doesn't get the attention that her others have, and after reading it, part of me can understand it. With each of the other books, I had a pretty good idea what the story was going to be about. Not so with Far From You. In Far From You, Schroeder has actually crafted a much subtler story. It's harder to summarize, harder to explain, but it's one of those stories that niggles in the back of your mind, reminding you at odd moments that it's been there.

I don't know if that even makes sense, but I can't think of any other way to describe it. After I had finished, I thought about it, recognized that I still loved Lisa, but that this wasn't my favorite. It's still not my favorite (The Day Before gets that prize by a long shot, because it really was just that awesome). But the more I think about this one, the more I feel that its subtlety is what makes it so strong.

Alice is just this side of bitter. She's had to deal with an awful lot of painful changes for one so young and she doesn't really know how to cope with it all. She's not totally sure what to think about the new step-mom and half sibling, she's still trying to cope with the death of her mother and she's at that age where you are trying to learn about yourself and who you are. And then, Alice, her step-mom and the baby get trapped in a snow storm. They turned wrong, the car is low on gas and they are stuck in a snow drift. And things get pretty desperate very quickly.

This story is more internal and reflective than most I've read. There are very few characters, the setting is dire, but the same and Alice finds herself with large amounts of time on her hands, with nothing to do but wait for help or death. Her step-mom leaves to seek help, leaving Alice with this tiny baby, no food and a car that's nearly dead.

Alice becomes a strong person in that car, waiting for life or death to take her, and she becomes a fighter. She does what little she can to keep the baby warm, to protect each of them, and as she does this, she opens herself up to more than she had previously and she allows herself to love more fully. She spends a lot of time thinking about the people at home, her choices, her future and quietly, and without fanfare begins to mature.

I really appreciated that this book didn't require a boy to inspire change (although if I remember right, she does have a boyfriend back home...) and I also liked that the change was hers, and although it was, in part, inspired by a brush with death, even that is quieter than we as readers are used to. There was no crazed madman chasing after her, no apocalypse, no rouge government, no drug overdose or catastrophic accident. There was merely snow. Snow that piled and piled and cold that seeps into your bones and robs your breath. That kind of cold and desperation can make a person into many things and I loved watching Alice grow into herself. She's not perfect and there is still more she could change, but she accomplished so much throughout this short novel and it's a book that leaves you with your heart full.

(Can I just say that this is by far the most beautiful of Lisa's book covers (and IMO the hardcover is... rather ugly) but this is gorgeous, simply stunning and I feel like it captures the soul and heart of this book incredibly well.)

Read all about it: Why Ashley loves verse novels.

I'm a few days late with this, because life has been crazy, but a while ago, Alissa of The Grammarian's Reviews asked for people interested in guest posting on her blog and since I love having guest posts, and writing them can be a lot of fun, I was like — Dude! I'm all for that. And the two of us settled on a post about Why I LOVE verse novels since, well... I do.

So, I wrote this totally awesome post about it, and it is visible on her blog! I'd love it if you went and checke it out! Go see what I think of verse novels, why I think you should read them AND my top three recommendations for all those of you just waiting to be verse lovers too!:)

If any of you have talked to me, chances are really good that I've mentioned how much I love Lisa Schroeder. I read The Day Before first, (read my review here) and was blown away by Lisa's insane talent as a verse novelist. I decided I absolutely needed to read more. So I did.

I had heard people talk about I Heart You, You Haunt Me and I'd seen it around the online bookish world some, but I wasn't really interested in it. (I know, I know! I'm sorry!) I don't really do ghosts/paranormal and the cover made me think it was going to be something light & fluffy and silly. I'm literally cringing as I write this, because there's not much that could be farther from the truth.

This is a story of Ava, a young girl trying to accept her boyfriend's death. Neither of them are quite ready to let go, and so, they don't. Jackson comes back to Ava and lingers.

I loved the way Lisa crafted the ghosts in this story. Jackson is not the typical specter, let me come float about the house and whatevs. It's done so subtly, almost like he's just barely more than a memory come to life. His presence is near Ava when she is alone, and he can occasionally whisper into her mind. But he can't go where there are others and Ava is still alive, which means she can't spend all of her time, locked in her room with the memory of a lost love and the almost touch of his ghost.

I've never had such a short book (just over 200 pages in verse) affect me so hard. Lisa is a genius. She has this intense honesty to her writing that makes it emotional, pure and without agenda. It is truth in writing and she breathes life into these characters she puts on the page in so few words.

I find it hard to classify this book, because even though the story deals with a ghost, which to me automatically shifts the book into the paranormal realm, this is a book that feels wholly contemporary. And knowing me, and how much I love contemporary, that's pretty much the highest compliment I can think to give a book about ghosts.

I do also want to mention the verse style briefly (or as briefly as I ever get...) I love verse novels. I talk about them often, recommend them frequently and seek them out actively. But there is a very delicate balance with verse novels. A verse novel is written in sparse, spare language. Every word is important and because you have so few, every single one needs to matter significantly. When done well, it is some of the absolute most powerful writing I have ever read. But when it's not done well, it can fail... horribly.

So let me tell you this — If you are wary of verse novels, scared to try them because you think you hate poetry or because you've heard from people who didn't like some, or maybe because you didn't like a previous novel, give Lisa a try. She is, hands down, the author I recommend beginning verse novels with. (I have references for this...) The only other verse novelist that I've personally read that I believe has anywhere near such a firm and powerful grasp on verse is Ellen Hopkins and she can be intimidating for a brand new verse reader (and that's a whole different conversation).

So I challenge you to give Lisa Schroeder a try. The Day Before is my favorite of the two of her novels that I have so far read (although I plan to start Chasing Brooklyn tomorrow:) ) but I Heart You, You Haunt Me is also a stunningly brilliant book. Either of these are a phenomenal place to start and I'm willing to bet that they will open your eyes and your mind to a whole new world of books. Let Lisa take you there.

Sorry that this post is going up way later than normal — I've already had 2 posts go up today (crazy scheduling) and wanted to have them at least a little spread out. And, I had some stuff come up after work that I wasn't expecting... Sorry.:)

Anyway, I wanted to do two mini-reviews, both Printz Honor winners and both that, although dealing with different issues, both do have a similar emotion tied into the story.

First is Keesha's House by Helen Frost. It's a story written in verse about teenagers struggling to find their place in life, struggling to make it from day to day. The story is told in a series of poems written by/about different characters in the story. Although most of the poems are from the seven teenagers, there are a few verses from the POV of the family or adults these teens left behind and we do get to hear from Joe a time or two as well (more on him in a sec). Keesha's dad is an alcoholic and abusive, so she leaves. She finds Joe's house, and Joe lets her stay. She pays what she can in rent and is able to have a place for as long as she needs it where she feels safe. Initially, I was worried about this — Adult man letting teenage girl stay in his home... Screams creeper. But it worked. Somehow, especially after we read the poems from Joe he really is just a super nice guy trying to do for kids what his aunt did for him — provide a safe and comfortable place where these kids can just feel secure. Several of the other teens in the story spend time at Joe's, although they hear about it through Keesha and she becomes almost the protector. She's the one that lets them know that there is a safe place they can go if they need to, a safe place for them when they feel they have no other options.

My heart broke for so many of these kids. One mistake that changed their lives, one life ruptured through someone else's mistakes, some who just can't seem to keep their head above water. I wished so much for these kids to be safe, to have people in their lives who love them and would care for them. It's a short book, just over 100 pages but every page counts, every page brings you into their lives, makes you care for them more and more and you just open your heart to these kids. It makes me wish that all kids would be able to find a place where they can stay, a place where they were able to find a temporary haven.

This is a book I don't think should be missed, a book that I think is important. If you are looking for a quick but powerful read, grab this one.

My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr is another emotional read, although this one is written in more traditional prose. In this story, Ellen absolutely loves her older brother Link, and his best friend James. She's more than a little in love with James, but it's a little bit of a joke between them, pretty much understood to be a school girl crush. But then, she hears people talking about the two of them at their school, asking if they are a 'couple'. She's never really thought about it before, and doesn't really understand much of what it means, so she asks. She knows it's getting into a messy area, because in her family, you walk away... You do not talk about the tough stuff. But she is so confused and so desperately wants to know and understand her brother better that she asks. And everything changes.

Link is not gay. He's very adamant and defensive about it. James is, or not, or is. He's not really completely sure, but he's also not terribly concerned with giving it a label. He loves who he loves and I never got the feeling that he cared if the person was male or female. He loves Link but nothing sexual has happened between them and Link won't even talk about that possibility. But when Ellen forces it into the open, it ruptures the dynamic of their friendship.

Link and James stop hanging out, Link gets a girlfriend and Ellen and James start spending more and more time together.

I liked a lot about this book. I loved the way that Ellen sought out information on a subject that she didn't understand. She bought books, asked questions, looked up information online and tried talking to others about it. I also loved the initial time that Ellen and James spent together, because it taught her a whole new, and much broader way of viewing the world.

But I'm not sure I loved the direction the book went, especially the changes in certain relationship dynamics.

But then again, I'm torn. When you read a book, there is a certain expectation in the resolution. We expect a certain amount of closure, a certain level of completeness. And this book didn't really have that. Yes there is a lot of improvement, a lot of growth and maturation, but a lot was left very much up in the air. And I've decided that I'm okay with that. Because real life is messy. And in a story like this, there is no complete happy ending, there is no pretty package tied with ribbons and that's okay. Because it's real. There were some places the story went that I didn't really love, but the book was real. Life isn't clean, life doesn't always follow orderly and organizable paths. Often it's crazy, messy and hectic and you know, it's nice to read a story that ends without that completeness because it means that the characters don't have to end, just because the book has.

I read The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder back in April and I loved it. Like, I really, really loved it. But for some reason, I kept putting the review off. It's now much closer to the review date and I spent a lot of time on Twitter yesterday convincing one of my Twitter friends to read this book. (who absolutely loved it, despite being very wary of the verse style) Because I've spent to much time recently thinking about this book, talking it up to people and convincing them to read it, I thought today would be an appropriate time to post my review.

I honestly don't know where to begin with this book. This book has so much going for it, so many great things about it that it's impossible to identify all of them within the space of one review.

This book is Amber's story and when the book starts, the only thing we know is that it is the day before something huge is to take place. We don't know what, we don't know why or how. All we know is that today is the last day before Amber's life changes forever and she has decided to make this day her own. She writes a note to her family, gets in her car and drives to the beach where she plans to spend the day being by herself and sorting through her emotions. But then she meets Cade. And Cade has a secret too. While reading about him, you just know that there is something more to his day at the beach. Something more that he's not ready to face. He's living today like it's his last.

Amber feels drawn to Cade and he feels the pull as well. They decide to spend the rest of the day together and they both decide that there are to be no questions. They are not to talk about what they are escaping from, and they will just take this day at the beach.

I really enjoy novels in verse and I seek them out. I've read a fair number and I believe I can say that Schroeder has got it going on! She is one of the most truly gifted writers in verse that I have ever read. She knows exactly how much information to give a reader to peak their interest while not giving too much away. She knows the exact balance between suspenseful interest and frustration because we don't know anything, and that scale never tips toward the negative. Her verses are stuffed full of emotion, loaded with feeling and the characters are no longer confined to the pages. They are real to me.

I refuse to give any spoilers away to this story, because part of the magic of this book is the discovery of what tomorrow will bring for both characters. But I will say that what Amber faces is worth the stress she's feeling and it is something that has refused to leave my mind in the two months since I read this book. I find myself constantly thinking about this book and the people in it. I've talked about it many times with family members and with friends, both in real life and online. It won't let go of me. This book has got such a hold on me that I don't think I'm ever going to forget it. This is a book I can easily see myself rereading time and time again.

Lisa Schroeder is an author who has definitely earned herself a place on my permanent I love you shelf. She is amazing and if you have yet to read a book by her, FIX IT!! Fix it NOW!

Oh, and if you are hesitant to read this one because of it's verse style? Just tweet me (@BasicallyBooks) or drop me an email. I'll convince you.:) Take a chance on this author, because I find it impossible to believe you will leave this book disappointed or unmoved.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World ARC Tours.

I have never reviewed a poetry collection on this blog before, and there is a reason for that: I rarely read poetry. The only poetry collection I've ever read the majority of is The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson and I read that because I was taking a class on Dickinson. I just don't do poetry very often. But after I read The Bell Jar I just couldn't get enough of Sylvia Plath. I needed more and I needed more immediately. Ariel

is a lot like The Bell Jar but in poetry form, at least in my opinion. I won't even pretend I understood the whole collection. I didn't. Not even close. Poetry is a challenge to me and it always will be. But that doesn't mean I didn't like it.

This collection is intense. It feels a little bit like psychiatric meeting and Plath is telling you everything in these quick, abrupt pieces. If you don't pay attention you'll miss the clue. The collection started well considering I totally marked up the third poem, The Rabbit Catcher. And the fifth poem, The Applicant, is hardly readable in my copy anymore. I'm glad I read The Bell Jar before Ariel because I feel it gave me a little more insight into what she might be talking about. There is a lot of birth and vaginal imagery in these poems and considering The Bell Jar deals a great deal with a fear of motherhood it was easy to connect the feelings together. Some of the poems are extremely sexual and violent in my opinion, The Jailor is one that comes to mind off the top of my head. And it is terrifying: "I am myself. That is not enough." and "Surely the sky is not that color,/ Surely the grass should be rippling." But there are some moments where something really beautiful and not so harsh appears like in The Rival, "If the moon smiled, she would resemble you/ You leave the same impression/ Of something beautiful, but annihilating."

I really don't know what else to say to review a poetry collection. I enjoyed the experience of reading this poems. They were mentally stimulating but not overbearing for me. I read several in one sitting and I reread several on their own. I guess that's the thing about this collection. I don't entirely know what to say because even after reading it for four weeks I'm still not entirely done with it. I have a feeling I will continue to read this for months or years and always find something new or see something different. I haven't read any analysis of any of these poems either because I just wanted to see what I could find for myself. Maybe someday I will look into analysis more but for not I'm enjoying exploring Ariel on my own.

This collection earned an A. What can I say, I dig Sylvia

Do you read a lot of poetry? Do you find that you can actually finish a poetry collection, or does it take longer for you to get through them?

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I just spent one hour at the main library looking at articles in Persuasion (Jane Austen Journal) and The Gaskell Society Journal because I have to write a paper proposal. I then had to copy all of those articles, which took the bulk of my time. Now I have to leave for my earthwords Literary Magazine staff dinner soon. One good thing did happen while I was the library though, I found English Love Poems

and did some reading while I was copying. Thought I would share an Emily Bronte poem in hopes of lightening everyone's workload tonight, although I'll admit it's not the happiest of poems.

Remembrance

Cold in the earth -- and the deep snow piled above thee,
Far, far removed, cold in the dreary grave!
Have I forgot, my only Love, to love thee,
Severed at last by Time's all-severing wave?

Now, when alone, do my thoughts no longer hover
Over the mountains, on that northern shore,
Resting their wings where heath and fern leaves cover
Thy noble heart forever, ever more?

Cold in the earth -- and fifteen wild Decembers,
From those brown hills, have melted into spring;
Faithful, indeed, is the spirit that remembers
After such years of change and suffering!

Sweet Love of youth, forgive, if I forget thee,
While the world's tide is bearing me along;
Other desires and other hopes beset me,
Hopes which obscure, but cannot do thee wrong!

No later light has lightened up my heaven,
No second morn has ever shone for me;
All my life's bliss from thy dear life was given,
All my life's bliss is in the grave with thee.

But, when the days of golden dreams had perished,
And even Despair was powerless to destroy,
Then did I learn how existence could be cherished,
Strengthened, and fed without the aid of joy.

Then did I check the tears of useless passion --
Weaned my young soul from yearning after thine;
Sternly denied its burning wish to hasten
Down to that tomb already more than mine.

And, even yet, I dare not let it languish,
Dare not indulge in memory's rapturous pain;
Once drinking deep of that divinest anguish,
How could I seek the empty world again?