Bethany Larson

Waiting on Wednesday: Bright’s Passage

March 9, 2011

Title: Bright’s Passage

Publisher: The Dial Press

Pages: 208 pages

Release Date: June 28, 2011

Henry Bright is newly returned to West Virginia from the battlefields of the First World War. Grief struck by the death of his young wife, and unsure of how to care for the infant son she left behind, Bright is soon confronted by the destruction of the only home he’s ever known. His only hope for safety is the angel that has followed him home from the trenches of France and now promises to protect him and his son.

Together, Bright and his newborn, along with a cantankerous goat and the angel guiding them, make their way through a landscape ravaged by forest fire towards an uncertain salvation, haunted by the abiding nightmare of his experiences in the war, and shadowed by his dead wife’s father, The Colonel, and his two brutal sons. — Goodreads

If I had only read the jacket copy/summary of this, and had no idea who Josh Ritter is, I doubt I’d pick up this novella. Well, that’s not necessarily true–anything that has a “cantakerous goat” in the description is something I would pick up on principle. However, it’s not just the cantankerous goat that has me itching to get my hands on this sucker. The draw for me, is the author.

For those of you who aren’t acquainted with Josh Ritter, let me quickly introduce you–he’s my favorite singer/songwriter, other than Bob Dylan. His songbook is full of beautifully-written, emotional, imagery-laden stories bursting with American history, folklore, and, at times, pop culture. But not of the Britney Spears sort. Praise God.

Based on my knowledge of his songwriting skills, it just makes sense that the man should write a book, and I am SERIOUSLY excited about reading it. Because I’m obsessed with his music (…and his smile…), I feel that I can say with a good amount of certainty that I will be obsessed with the book as well. And if you’re interested in Bright’s Passage, and you should be, you can download the first chapter (!!!!!) here.

If for some reason you are a crazy person and you aren’t interested in this most-probably-amazing novella, at least check out the videos below. You won’t regret it.

Before you go, let me know what book you’re oh-so impatiently waiting on in comments, so that I can add them to my Goodreads shelf. Yay books!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Top Ten Tuesday: My Top 10 Dynamic Duos

March 8, 2011

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday (hosted by the ladies at The Broke and The Bookish) is all about dynamic duos–those great literary couples, friends, enemies, siblings, and rivals that you just can’t get out of your head. Check out my Top 10, in no particular order, and let me know who your favorite literary dynamic duo is, in comments!

1. Elizabeth Bennett & Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride & Prejudice)
Greatest couple ever? Yes. Definitely yes.

2. Alex & Jonathan (Everything is Illuminated)
This one might be a little weird, but I loved the unusual, hilarious, educational, and deeply understanding friendship that grew between Alex and Jonathan in this book.

3. Sarah & Becky (A Little Princess)
This story is one of my all-time faves, and I love love love the beautiful friendship between Sarah and Becky.

4. Katniss & Peeta (The Hunger Games trilogy)
Every girl needs someone as constant and pure and loyal as Peeta in their lives. Although I wanted to slap Katniss every now and then, I found the relationship between these two to be vibrant in how real it seemed.

5. Felicity Merriman & Elizabeth Cole (Felicity series from American Girl)
I am obsessed with colonial America, and grew up absolutely in love with the American Girl series in general, but especially with the stories of Felicity Merriman. (Partly because of the time period, and partly because she was also a red head with freckles.) The friendship between passionate, impulsive, independence for America leaning Felicity and demure, sweet, loyalist Elizabeth was amazing. They were two young girl growing up in such a tumultuous (but exciting!) time, and found a way to remain best friends despite their families’ political differences. LOVE IT.

6. Tiny & Will Grayson (Will Grayson Will Grayson)
I thought this friendship was hysterical and sweet and refreshing and great.

7. Sherlock Holmes & Watson (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)
If there is a smarter, more hilarious, and quippier friendship than the one between these two, I don’t know if I could handle it.

8. Q & Radar (Paper Towns)
John Green is the best at creating hilarious friendships. I loved the banter between Q & Radar in this book and desperately wished that I knew someone whose parents collect something hysterically racist.

9. Harry Potter & Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter series)
This was actually the very first “dynamic duo” that popped into my mind. And, yes, there are great relationships/couples/friendships in this series, but I would argue that the relationship that is most dynamic is the one between Harry & Voldy. Argue with me if you wish. 😉

10. Clary & Simon (The Mortal Instruments series)
Yes, I do love Clary & Jace together, but I have a huge soft spot for Simon. I love the best friendship between him and Clary. And, really, how lucky is she that gets to have BOTH Jace & Simon in her life?

Review: You Killed Wesley Payne

March 3, 2011

Title: You Killed Wesley Payne
Author: Sean Beaudoin
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Relase Date: February 1, 2011
Pages: 368
Genre: YA, Mystery

When hard-boiled seventeen year-old Dalton Rev transfers to the mean hallways of Salt River High to take on the toughest case of his life. The question isn’t whether Dalton’s going to get paid. He always gets paid. Or whether he’s gonna get the girl. He always (sometimes) gets the girl. The real question is whether Dalton Rev can outwit crooked cops and killer cliques in time to solve the mystery of “The Body” before it solves him.–Goodreads

I sooo, sooo dig this book. I love old school, pulp, detective novels and movies, and this book is definitely a modern take on that style and genre. The main character, Dalton, fancies himself a detective, and takes a case where he has to solve the mystery of who killed Wesley Payne, a student at Salt River High, which is basically the scariest sounding high school I’ve ever heard of–everyone is part of a clique that not only has a specific angle, but also a racket, and is comprised of smooth-talkin’, cold, business-only kind of teenagers. The girls fall into two categories: kick ass femme fatales and doe-eyed blondes with a secret, and the guys are all just crooked–not one of them is genuine and nice. (Okay, well maybe two of them are.)

The main character, Dalton, is a weird mix between Jason Schwartzman’ s affably puckish character on Bored to Death and Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s determined, so-serious-its-scary character (who gets beat up a lot) in Brick. [Sidenote: If you haven’t seen Brick, you should watch it.] Dalton has good detective instincts, but he relies on detective novels (that won’t necessarily help him in real life) to guide him in his investigation. However, the kid has cajones and the ability to make himself believe that he’s confident and tough. As he learns, those two traits will get him pretty far.

The most striking thing about the book is the language. It evokes the prose in old school pulp fiction novels, full of sass, gumption, and cheekily subtle turns of phrase. And for those of you who aren’t as familiar with the vocab, never fear! There’s a glossary in the back.

But language isn’t the only throwback in this novel. The book follows the typical pulp fiction story arc, full of melancholia, disappointments, twists, turns, surprises, and double-crossings. It’s a fun read that ends very differently than you think it will, and it keeps you guessing and surprised the entire time.

Waiting on Wednesday: Entwined

March 2, 2011

Title: Entwined
Author: Heather Dixon
Pages: 480
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it’s taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He’s trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.–Goodreads

There’s something about a book cover with a gorgeous ball gown, a lush forest, and a Gothic castle that just makes me giddy. So despite the fact that many of the earliest reviews of this have so far been lukewarm, I am still gonna give it a shot and, if nothing else, stare at the cover and pretend the book is great!

I’m also really intrigued by this whole having eleven sisters thing. I have one sister and though we get along, I can’t imagine having eleven siblings! Especially sisters! Can you imagine the chaos? And the clothes? And the bitchy fights?! However, if they’re stepping through an enchanted passage to dance in a silver forest, I’m thinking that they probably get along juuuust fine.

What books are you (not so) patiently waiting on? Let me know in comments!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Top 10 Tuesday: Books I’ve Bought, But Haven’t Read

March 1, 2011

tags: Top Ten Tuesday

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday (hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and The Bookish) is all about those books you couldn’t resist buying, but then never got around to reading.

To be completely honest, this list was kind of hard for me to think up. I have a MASSIVE amount of student loans, so I typically go to the library, borrow books from friends, or raid the ARC shelf at work. So, I stretched the rules a little to include books I checked out, but never read, and still had a bit of a hard time coming up with 10. What can I say, I tend to read what I check out/borrow/buy!

Without further adieu, heeeeeeere we go!

1. Anthropology of an American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann

This is one of those books I bought on impulse and really only because I thought the title was cool. I know that it’s very critically acclaimed and that it’s supposed to be awesome, but it is SO THICK. I just look at it and feel stressed about reading it, which is awful. It’s just that I have so many other books in my stack right now! . . . I need to stop making excuses and just read it, but that hasn’t quite happened yet.

2. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

So, I was a history major in undergrad and actually really love reading academic, non-fiction history books. If I’m going to read a book like that, this one is kind of a standout–it won a freakin’ Pulitzer Prize. But every time I pick it up I get distracted by a shiny YA book . . .

3. Impossible by Nancy Werlin

There’s really no excuse for why I haven’t read this–every time I look at it on my bookshelf I think “Hey, I should read you.” And then I just don’t. I shall remedy this as soon as I’ve finished You Killed Wesley Payne. (Which thus far is awesome!)

4. Leviathan by Scott Westerfield

Okay, this one is kind of embarrassing since it’s so beloved and acclaimed, but I just could NOT get into this book. It’s one that I checked out from le bibliotheque, and I really gave it a shot–I think I was about 100 pages in before I just gave up. Maybe I’ll pick it up again so I’ll stop feeling shame.

5. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

This is another one that is probably unforgivable, and like Impossible, is a book that I desperately want to read. So many books! So many things to do! Not enough hours in the day!

6. 50 American Revolutions You’re Not Supposed to Know by Mickey Z

Alright, I bought this funky little book at Urban Outfitters during a clearance sale thinking it’d be fun just to have around. And while it looks nice sitting on my bookshelf, I can honestly say that I haven’t touched it since thumbing through it at the store.

7. The Complete Works of Shakespeare by William Shakespeare

This was a book that was gifted to me at graduation. *puts on pretentious nerd glasses* I’m actually quite well-versed in Shakespeare and was super excited to receive the gorgeous, leather-bound edition. I planned to read every play and every sonnet. *takes pretentious nerd glasses off* I have not accomplished that goal. And, interestingly, the plays that I haven’t really read are the histories!

So, there it is, in all of its shameful glory. Feel free to let me know how horrible it is that I haven’t read any/all of these in comments!