OMG my heart is broken

I was wondering why Nancy Pearl hadn't put up her November recommended reads when I stumbled across this: "Nationally known librarian and author NANCY PEARL has discontinued her Pearl's Picks reader's advisory to pursue other interests."

NANCY PEARL, YOU BROKE MY HEART. I love your picks. Please tell me what to read. Waaah.

Why, Donna, WHY?

I'm not going to post the cover of The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. It's CREEPY. So creepy that after I bought the book at a library book sale, I couldn't bring myself to read it for months because of the cover: all black, with a cutout of a baby doll's eyes. And there isn't even really a doll mentioned in the book! When I finally did read it, I kept it face down at all times when I wasn't reading it.

The Little Friend is a Southern gothic novel that takes place over a summer. (In that respect, I was thrilled to read it; I love reading books set in the same season.) I have to admire how completely Tartt switched from the New England/ivy league college setting of her first book, The Secret History, to the completely rural, class-conscious atmosphere of a small town in Mississippi. And her narrators switched gender, age and worldviews.

So the basic plot is this: 9-year-old Robin was found hung in his backyard; no one knows who did it. Twelve years later, Robin's sister Harriet decides she's going to find his murderer. And then she becomes involved with a certain trashy family and snakes and wow, Harriet's life is crazy and odd and gothic.

Tartt is a detailed writer and this book is certainly character-driven. (In my opinion, too character-driven. You get to know SOOO many people far too well.) Harriet is a fascinating character that's not entirely sympathetic. But that's okay, because otherwise she wouldn't have accomplished what she did. As for plot, well, random things happen. Like poisonous snakes nearly killing people. Looking back on it all, my main problem is that I didn't end the book feeling resolved on anything.

Here's my main issue and it's a bit of a spoiler: THE ENDING IS AWFUL. There's no resolution. None. Every single plot line is left open: Harriet's parents, what will happen to Danny and Harriet, the murder.....GAHHHH. Donna, you strung me along for 600+ pages; I WANT ANSWERS. I know, I know; life isn't pretty and full of answers but fiction isn't real life.

I just want to talk to someone else who read this book. Help me move on and resolve my issues...

Rating: 6/10 (more like a 8.5 for writing but a 5 for plot because I'm still so bitter)

Ah, Poe

Ah, Tap & Gown, with you comes the end of the adventures of Amy and Poe. It's a necessary end, as it'd be hard to continue writing about a college secret society after the main character has graduated, but still, no more Poe is a sad thing. (That being said, Poe did continue on as a patriach, right? Still two patriachs hanging out would be a bit sad.)

Tap mainly deals with the Diggers' trouble rounding up suitable candidates for class D178--and, as it's class D177 doing the picking, of course there's major trouble ahead...and reality hits for Amy and Poe--and everyone else who's graduating.

Rites of Spring (Break) is obviously the gold standard (Poe!!!!), but still I enjoyed this one. Diana Peterfreund has definitely developed as a writer and it's been nice to see how the quality of her writing has progressed. It was a quick read and I'm looking forward to Peterfreund's Rampant. Maybe I'll enjoy killer unicorns as much as I enjoyed Poe?

Rating: 8/10

Goodbye, Cottage Living

I love, love, love Cottage Living magazine. I discovered it in college and have been a subscriber for years now. So imagine my heartbreak when I received a postcard in the mail, letting me know that Cottage Living has been cancelled.

I was offered a subscription to Southern Living instead, but please--I live in Northern Ohio. I am so not living the Southern lifestyle. So goodbye, dear Cottage Living; I will miss you.

Holding my opinion until

The most bizarre thing happened to me. I was reading Cicada Summer by Andrea Beaty and hit page 138--which could've been the ending--or not. I don't know because the book REPEATED itself. It jumped from page 138 back to page 110 again. It was so bizarre! I even skim read those pages just to make sure it wasn't a postmodern ending or something like that. Nope. The printers had simply screwed up majorly and repeated a few chapters.

How sad for me! Now I have to request it from another library to see how it actually ends. (On a side note, sometimes books on Amazon have a "Look Inside" feature, which I have discovered how to manipulate. I've read whole chapters with that feature...but sadly, Cicada Summer did not have that feature available.) Until then, I'll hold my opinion of the book....other than this: isn't that a GORGEOUS cover?? It's simply beautiful and old-fashioned and a work of art.

March is such a long time away

I devoured Colleen Gleason's When Twilight Burns and now have to wait until March until the last book of the series comes out. March is also when Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn comes out.

I want to read these books now. March is SUCH a long time away!