Clever and multi-layered
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Reading this multi-layered novel was like unfolding an intricate origami figure.  While the foreshadowing may seem at times heavy-handed, rest assured you are in the hands of a gifted writer; there is a purpose to everything in the story.  The young, indiscreet Annie Black teases her future husband that she wants "to keep being badly behaved," but ultimately strives to uphold her end of the bargain to "be good" for the next 20 years of her marriage.  She remains attracted to her husband and " ... blessed by the existence on this earth of our three particular children, and ... (the) blessed task of keeping you all safe in the world."  When she is unable to keep her children safe and remain good, Annie's blessed life starts to unravel.  The ending took me completely by surprise.  Read this book!
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Cross-posted on Tween Book Blog.

Why I picked it up: I like kid detectives and fast-paced mysteries.

Why I finished it: Previously published overseas, Singapore's Greatest Kid Detective makes his U.S. debut in style. The book draws on famous Singapore locations for its setting and the diversity and the culture really come to life. So, not only does Sherlock Sam have mystery and intrigue, there's a history/social sciences lesson. Plus, all the talking about food was making me hungry - I love trying new foods and I'm eager to go to my local library to see if I can check out some books on how to experience some of the tasty treats I read about. Sherlock is a quirky character that is (intentionally) just as intelligent and resourceful as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective. The genius factor is played up just enough that readers will be able to follow most of Sherlock's logic and deductions, and we are in awe of the cleverness exhibited by the young detective. The husband-wife writing team has crafted a story that is sure to keep us on our toes until the final pages. I really enjoyed the illustrations because they brought the story to life. They reminded me a lot of the Big Nate comics the way the lines are drawn and the way drewscape uses visuals to really bring home the humor. It's a quick read sure to entice mystery lovers and reluctant readers alike. And be sure to check out Sherlock Sam's Blog and Facebook page for even more of the boy detective.
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This was a fun and interesting read. It's not my usual genre, but I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes fiction or fantasy of any sort. It flows well and I did not often find myself slipping out of the "reading zone." There are layers to the story and characters and it can be appreciated on more than one level. Each chapter/section covers a different smaller adventure within a larger continuous story, and these served a similar function as the short stories I usually read during my commute to work. Like the previous reviewer, I can also imagine sharing this book aloud with an older child and using the stories as a jumping-off point for some good discussions.
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More ambitious than your average New Who book, Wooden Heart delivers a mind-bending premise that does its best to keep you guessing. Adjoa Andoh is a fun, engaging reader -- I would really like to hear her do another one or several of these. Every character is treated with a deft hand - from the Doctor and Martha to the various villagers. Plus, the book gets an extra star for referring to the Doctor as a trickster god -- in a surprisingly rich and textured scene. As is the case with all the New Who books I've read, I yearn for more meaningful character exploration. Regardless, Wooden Heart is clever and satisfying.
133933
Clever and thought-provoking story which I had to finish in one night. It's not a long book, but I couldn't put it down and had to stay up an hour later than usual!
Binti is a beautifully drawn character and Okorafor is exceptional at fleshing out the reader's perception of worlds and people with tiny touches - without ever sacrificing the fast, taut pace of the story. I loved this, my only complaint is that I want to read more about Binti, right now!
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Clever and imaginative, which is a pleasant surprise in an anthology.  Plexico and Watson are particularly excellent, and I commend their other works as well.
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This is a fun and fantastic romp through the recent short fiction by Olsen.  Much more adventurous than his novels, these short works really seem to examine the ideas and techniques he pushes in his various  criticisms and writing guide books.
The stories cover both character  focused and idea focused stories, and all have a tighly wound wit and fun  sense of language play.  All reside in the realm of the fantastic in one  form or another, but those familiar with his other works won't be surprised  by this.  What is surprising is the haunting, thoughtful quality that the  stories seem imbued with.  No matter how bizarre the situations or  characters, they all sit deftly within their own logic and have much to say  about how and why we live.
The collages created with his wife are fun and  contain some interesting ideas, but in many ways seem to be a hipped up,  hyped up derivation of Barthelme's own collage work from the '60's with a  sense of almost trying too hard to be purposefully clever.
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Umberto Eco writes in "Foucault's Pendulum" of what I believe he called 'synchrony', the idea that there's a Theory of Everything connecting all secret occultish groups and their histories and practices. Who could have guessed such a thing might assume the form of a man, and, once more, a man in the tradition of Hammet's Spade or Chandler's Marlowe, though uniquely his own being.

MR. BLANK opens with a wide platter of possibilities. The main character, we learn, is a creep-for-hire employed by virtually every secret society within (and beyond) Wiki-able range. He's long been privy to the truth of Atlantis, JFK, aliens, and even, as he notes, Bigfoot's tax status (from where does Bigfoot gets his income? Maybe History Channel and Animal Planet royalties). Mr. Blank is whatever these groups need him to be on a given day. Until, well, someone goes a little murdery on him, and he has to figure out who. As one can imagine, the variety of suspects is daunting.

Daunting also, would be the writer's prospect of carving out a great romp through this world, this comically diverse world where one reader might want a story about the aliens, another about the Templars. The book offers much flexibility, which is why Robinson's focus on Mr. Blank himself, his pursuit and pursuer, is key to the novel's focused and engaging narrative, made all the more entertaining by the strikingly clever voice, full of wry, pop-cultured commentary and well-delivered, noir-ish humor that far lesser supernatural comic writers like Christopher Moore, who crams his passages with such flat inanity, could only wish to achieve.
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There is a lot to entertain readers of The Shadow of the Wind. This novel draws on many literary traditions--mystery, magical realism, and gothic romance, among others. The plot is like a Russian nesting doll set--seemingly never-ending in terms of new surprises, mysteries, and twists. A brilliant mix of characters populates the novel, including many eccentric and humorous minor characters. Zafon uses the motif of the search for identity which quickly turns into multiple searches for multiple identities. The setting of Barcelona from the 1930's to the 50's is so richly drawn, you come to realize it is another character adding to the mysteries that abound in this story, as well as another character in search of itself. Zafon is expert in pacing his plot and manipulating the moods of the story. I can only testify to my admiration of Zafon's work and my enjoyment in reading the novel. To attempt to summarize the story would result either in oversimplification or overamplification.
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Time-travel, magic, orphans, witches, and more, characterize John Stephens Emerald Atlas, first in his Book of Beginnings series. Three maybe-orphans struggle to solve the shifting mystery of their past, aided by characters whose loyalties prove hard to guess, and hindered by evil mistresses of dark orphanages, and even more evil witches. A wounded world carries echoes of Narnias winter; mysterious clues might remind you of the Mysterious Benedict Society; there are hints of Lemony Snicket in the orphans repeated misfortunes; and exciting battles might bring Lord of the Rings to mind. But the whole is put together with a nicely new, intriguing plot. The characters are fun. Big sisters seriousness is nicely balanced by her studious brother and brave youngest sibling. The recent past is a mystery slowly revealing its secrets. And the more distant past is an alluringly charming place with zany dwarves, mysterious wizard, and tortuous tricks of time.

The Emerald Atlas is a fast, exciting read, with nicely balanced shades of dark and light. Scary scenes are lightened by zany humor. Evil characters meet humorous counterparts. And the blend of magic and time-travel is given a pleasing logic all its own that truly holds together, making this a series Im eager to follow further. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: My husband continues to have impeccable taste when it comes to choosing books for me to read on planes!
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I adore this book.  Clever from beginning to end.  First, the idea:  a noir detective story, a la "The Big Sleep," set in middle school.  And the world these characters inhabit is complete:  the detective, the case to solve, the kingpin, his lackies, the swell girl--even the neighborhood "bar" where they can all hang out (I won't ruin what it actually is, because it's one of the many ingenious touches throughout this ingenious book).

Not only is the story flat-out funny and yet also sweet when it comes to family and friend relationships, the writing itself is first rate.  There were so many choice phrases I had to go back and reread, just to savor them.

I finished this book a few days ago, and have already recommended it to at least ten people.  Boys will love it, girls will love it, grown men and women will love it.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
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Bodies strangely preserved in peat bogs, an enchanting touch of Celtic-style magical realism and a well-developed plot linking three US cities (New York, Washington and Kansas City) with the wilds of Ireland on an ongoing controversy  toxic chemicals in everyday cosmetics  together create seductive elements in this surprising contemporary novel.
Not to mention a colorful cast of characters including conniving, profit-at-all-costs corporate leaders, power-hungry politicians, and strange literary bedfellows - a skin specialist, an investigative medical reporter and a beautiful celebrity - battling the powers-that-be for the benefit of humanity.
Theres also fast, crackling dialogue from both sides of the Atlantic, the urbane from the urban and the riotously funny from the rustic rural. Highly recommended.
So many dramatic elements, Pretty Ugly could easily be turned into a box-office hit.
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As someone who enjoyed Karen Kaplans Encountering the Edge, her memoir of seven years as a hospice chaplain, I looked forward to Curiosity Seekers and was not disappointed. She takes clever ideas and puts unconventional characters in amusing situations. Curiosity Seekers is a collection of five stories set in our future featuring the quirky Ackermans.  Full disclosure: Im thanked in the Acknowledgements for retweeting Karen Kaplan more than anyone else. I appreciate her thanks and after reading Curiosity Seekers, I remain a fan.

Escapade introduces Homer and Muriel Ackerman in the year 2045, both with their own ways of hunkering down into the past. Homer and Muriel are a middle-aged, contrarian, happily long-married couple, who trade gentle quips during their zany adventures. Homer restores books in an age where printed books have become scarce, replaced by quantum-books. Muriel creates greeting cards intended for one person, which she insists are to be hand delivered. Through one of Homers clients, they discover the existence of a group of Opting Outers, people who shun email, e-commerce, and other modern technologies. The Ackermans plan an exploratory visit to these seemingly like-minded folks and hijinks ensue. I enjoyed Kaplans take on the observers paradox: the act of observing causes changes to [that which] you observe. The Ackermans effect unexpected change in the Opting Outers, despite their efforts to fit in. I also noticed the observers paradox in the second and fifth stories.

A Dementia Returnee explores the case of a friend of the Ackermans, Virginia Boyden, who is among the first to be successfully treated for dementia in the year 2053. Both this story and the next share some themes with the much lauded novel Flowers for Algernon, though with a much lighter tone. The story comments on how we treat people with cognitive impairment, and imagines the experience of someone recovering from the condition. Kaplans insight as a hospice chaplain enriches the story, and her compassion and skill at listening also shine through.

Flowers for Ackerman - The protagonist in this story uses technology to try to forget something he/she wants to avoid processing. The story explores and comments on what our relationship with technology could become and reminds us of how that relationship has and will change. I enjoyed Kaplans humorous take on the matter and its my favorite story.

Gomer Gone Wayward includes a flashback to a time when Gomer was asked to restore a book with troubling content and introduces the Ackermans niece Beatriz, who was similar to [Gomer] and to Muriel: always in pursuit of curiosities.

Fighting to Listen continues Beatrizs story in 2095 and relates her familys adventure on the first mobile city that breaks out of orbit. Beatriz notes that, We might be more like the Opting Outs than we care to think. They were a small community with little outside contact. Sound Familiar? Kaplans masterful use of recurring themes strengthen the book and enriched my enjoyment of it.

Curiosity Seekers encourages you to look beyond what you know and experience an optimistic future with imaginative characters. I finished the book sharing a bit of Kaplans contagious optimism. Im happy that I spent time exploring with the Ackermans.
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Wow!  This is the first book in a long while that I  sat down and read straight through in one sitting, and then read it again the next day.  This book is layered and layered again, twisting through puzzles, puns and  wordgames that revolve back into itself.  It's wildly imaginative in its  style and content, and the over the top humor would suit fans of Pynchon  and Barthelme, but his control of the language and playfulness is even more  extreme once you allow yourself to dig in.  This is not a quick read for  the subway, but a novel that will challenge your expectations and ideas on  what a piece of fiction should and should not be.
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I'm new to the Swann series, and was thus a little worried about jumping straight into the second book without having read the first. Even with no prior knowledge of Swann and his former struggles, though, I was able to very quickly get an idea of who this man is. And what a man indeed! He's sharp, clever and witty but, unlike others he'll encounter, he doesn't love to hear himself speak. In this sense, he's got a lot in common with the rather laconic, old-fashioned hero of few words, and--strange as it may sound--his lack of narcissism actually makes him something of a role model in the increasingly solipsistic world we live in today.

Swann is certainly not without his flaws, though. The man is deeply pessimistic, but I guess he's had a hard run. At least his cynicism makes for some great humor. That was another plus of the book. I had no idea how absolutely hilarious this story would be! Since Swann is not just our hero but our narrator, we are privy to his thoughts, which are an enormous source of the novel's pleasure. He can also toss off clever one-liners with the best of them. The dialogue is oftentimes reminiscent of the sort you might find in the old Chandler novels/Bogey movies, but it's updated with a modern vernacular that makes it feel fresh and relevant (as opposed to merely more pastiche). A lot of dialogue in these types of books seems to exist purely to push the plot forward. What's nice about the dialogue in this book is that, although it can be light-hearted, it is not afraid to get philosophical.

Also, where a lot of genre fiction tends to fall flat on account of its two-dimensional characters, Swann is a fully fleshed out human being with a surprisingly poetic soul. He consistently demonstrates keen insights into the way people think, adding a layer of psychological depth to an already sufficiently rich story. Portions of the novel can be studied as a `how-to' when it comes to flattering and seducing others in order to bend their will towards your own.

Plot-wise, we're given a juicy story, brimming with tension, and complete with plenty of twists and turns. I won't give anything away, but it'll be of particular interest to anyone interested in rare books. Even if you're not, though, it's extremely entertaining just to be taken on this absurd tour through the seedy underbelly of the academic world. (Did you even know such a seedy underbelly existed?!?) The novel is entrenched in literary allusions and pop culture references, mixing the high and low to postmodern perfection. There's a surprising lack of blood/violence/murder, but that stuff can serve as a crutch that, luckily, Mr. Salzberg does not require to grip you till the very end.
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Recently our bookclub chose to read two YA novels. Of the two, this one was the clear standout for me. It sits in that genre called crossover fiction. It relates as much to older teenagers as it does to their parents.

With some novels which switch the narrative between two characters, and two different time periods, you can lose the flow of the story. This novel is clever in the way that the two characters not only have completely different voices, but the very look and feel of the pages themselves are different. When we are with Noah, the writing is poetic and the pages follow in this artisitc vein, with painted swirls and patterns of black & gray around the border. When we are with his twin sister Jude the pages are plain and simple. Thats not to say her story is simplistic. Far from it. Both characters are complex and have their own internal battles going on. The two stories are woven cleverly together towards the climax.

The story deals with themes which would challenge younger readers, such as sex without consent, death of a parent, parental infidelety, sexuality and addictions. As an ex teen librarian, I would recommend older teens and their parents read this book together, or that English teachers assign it as class reading. I am confident that in either a home or school setting it would spark some thought-provoking conversations. Its a book with many layers, but ultimately its about the complexity of the human heart and the consequences of choices.
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The writing, witty and fun, carries the reader through a variety of different arguments and proofs.  Though the style is a bit sarcastic, I get a sense that Mr. Knight wants us to enjoy the read and think of life in a  new way.  Despite the entertaining qualities and well discussed thoughts,  some aspects were perhaps just out-of-place rants against Christianity.  The book would do well to maybe drop these attacks and approach  religion/philosophy in a more mature, more intellectual view.  I enjoyed  Mr. Knight's reasoning and his fun examples.  Drawing on knowledge of  physics and philsophy, he presents  some very significant new arguments  concerning the physical as well as spiritual world.  I'd like to see more  from this author.