Bloggin' 'bout Books: 05/23/11

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama

- Alaska

- Arizona

- Arkansas

- California

- Colorado

- Connecticut

- Delaware

- Florida

- Georgia

- Hawaii

- Idaho

- ~~Illinois~~ (1)

- ~~Indiana~~ (1)

- Iowa

- Kansas

- Kentucky

- Louisiana

- ~~Maine~~ (1)

- Maryland

- Massachusetts

- Michigan

- Minnesota

- Mississippi

- Missouri

- Montana

- Nebraska

- Nevada

- New Hampshire

- New Jersey

- New Mexico

- ~~New York~~ (1)

- North Carolina

- North Dakota

- Ohio

- Oklahoma

- Oregon

- Pennsylvania

- ~~Rhode Island~~ (1)

- South Carolina

- South Dakota

- Tennessee

- Texas

- Utah

- Vermont

- ~~Virginia~~ (1)

- Washington

- West Virginia

- Wisconsin

- Wyoming

- Washington, D.C.*

International:

- England (2)

Armchair BEA: Because I'm Lazy Like That

2:52 PM

I wasn't going to do Armchair BEA, mostly because I'm just too lazy to post every day, but I feel like I'm missing out on all the meeting/greeting fun. I should be able to handle the first post at least. So, here goes:

My name is Susan and I blog from the excessively sunny state of Arizona. Since I grew up in the excessively rainy state of Washington, I still feel a little blinded by all this sunshine. Maybe that's why I spend so much time sitting inside (where there's AC and ceiling fans) reading books. Or maybe it's because I just love to read - always have, always will.

I'll read just about anything (unless it involves math, politics, or idiotic celebrities), but my favorite books are mysteries; nice, thick family sagas; and anything dystopian. For me, reviewing books is almost - almost - as fun as reading them.

In my real life, I'm also a wife (of 14 years) and a stay-at-home mom (of 4 kids). When I've got a spare minute (and my nose isn't buried in a book), I also like to cross-stitch, listen to music, play word games (Scrabble, anyone?) and attempt to write fiction.

Welcome to Bloggin' 'bout Books, which I've been writing for about 5 years (Really? Whew.). I review all kinds of books in an honest, tell-it-like-it-is fashion that some people find refreshing and others find, well, mean. Which is weird, since I'm totally not. Mean, that is. I love finding new book blogs, so please leave a comment with a link to yours and I promise to come visit.

Happy Armchair BEA!

Middle Grade Historical Ultimately Forgettable, But Fun Nonetheless

1:00 AM

(Image from Indiebound)

As a member of the infamous Button clan, 12-year-old Tugs knows she's destined to live out the same kind of luckless existence experienced by all her relations. After all, Buttons don't win things, they don't accumulate wealth or titles, heck, they don't even dream of traveling beyond rural Iowa. What chance does Tugs have of being any different? Some, apparently. At least that's what she thinks when she wins two competitions in a row - a feat unheard of for a Button. With the scent of possibility in the air, Tugs reexamines everything around her, wondering for the first time who she really is. Is she "just a Button" like everyone says, or something more?

Buttons aren't, as a general rule, solvers of mysteries. But when Tugs meets Harvey Moore, a dapper entrepreneur from Chicago, she knows there's more to him than he's sharing with the unsuspecting residents of Goodhue. His plan to bring a newspaper to the small town seems fishy. Especially since it involves Goodhue residents investing heavily in the project. Tugs can't prove anything - Buttons aren't detectives, for heaven's sake - but that doesn't stop her from trying to outwit the mysterious Mr. Moore. Armed with her new Brownie camera, she's determined to do a little investigative journalism of her own. It's not a very Button-like pursuit, but then, Tugs isn't an ordinary Button. Not anymore.

By saving her town from a slick con artist, Tugs aims to prove she's more than a stereotype, more than just a hapless Button. But are her assumptions about Harvey Moore correct? Or will her investigation turn into the kind of flop for which her family is famous?

The Luck of the Buttons, a middle grade novel by Anne Ylvisaker, brings the 1920s to life in a fun romp of a story. The period detail, plus the engaging main character, keep the book lively, despite a rather generic plotline. Tugs' voice isn't quite strong enough to make the story really stand out, but the book is a quick, entertaining read, even if it is ultimately forgettable.

(Readalikes: Reminded me a little of The Danger Box by Blue Balliet)

Grade: C

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG

To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The Luck of the Buttons from the generous folks at Candlewick Press. Thank you!