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Showing posts with label Ann Dee Ellis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ann Dee Ellis. Show all posts
Saturday, February 03, 2018
Ann Dee Ellis' Newest a Winner in My Book
1:30 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
I usually write my own plot summaries, but I love the publisher's description of You May Already Be a Winner by Ann Dee Ellis so much that I'm going to use it instead:
Twelve-year-old Olivia Hales has a foolproof plan for winning a million dollars so that she and her little sister, Berkeley, can leave behind Sunny Pines Trailer Park.
But first she has to:
· Fix the swamp cooler and make dinner and put Berkeley to bed because her mom is too busy to do all that
· Write another letter to her dad even though he hasn’t written back yet
· Teach Berk the important stuff, like how to make chalk drawings, because they can’t afford day care and Olivia has to stay home from school to watch her
· Petition her oddball neighbors for a circus spectacular, because there needs to be something to look forward to at dumb-bum Sunny Pines
· Become a super-secret spy to impress her new friend Bart
· Enter a minimum of fourteen sweepstakes a day. Who knows? She may already be a winner!
Olivia has thought of everything . . . except herself. Who will take care of her when she needs it? Luckily, somewhere deep down between her small intestine and stomach is a tiny voice reminding her that sometimes people can surprise you—and sometimes your family is right next door.
There's so much to love about this novel that I don't even know where to start. Olivia is a likable, sympathetic heroine who's quirky and kind. Although she seems a little immature for a 12-year-old, she's very capable but also realistically anxious about her family's precarious situation. The story takes place in Provo, Utah, a quaint college town in which I lived for six years. You May Already Be a Winner shows a different side of the familiar city, which surprised me and made me love this tale even more. If you enjoy poignant but entertaining middle grade fiction, be sure to pick this one up. You won't be disappointed.
(Readalikes: I'm so bad at this lately. A bunch of titles should probably be coming to mind, but I'm drawing a blank. Suggestions?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and violence
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of You May Already Be a Winner from the generous folks at Penguin. Thank you!
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Top Ten Tuesday: My (Even-Though-It's-Not-Over-Yet-I'm-Still-Playing-Along) 2017 Reading Favorites
7:07 AM
Even though the year isn't *quite* over yet—thank goodness, since I've still got 50 books to read to reach my goal of 200!—I'm going to play along today and talk about the best reads I enjoyed in 2017. In the "Books Read in 2017" section at the bottom of my blog, you can see that I starred 22 books as favorites, so I'll have to narrow it down to my 10 most favorite. Before we get to that, though, I want to mention two things:
(1) I'm hosting a fun giveaway that hasn't received a lot of entries yet. This means your chances of winning a copy of Celebrate Every Season with Six Sisters' Stuff are really, really good! Thick and glossy, this cookbook retails for $22.99. It's full of yummy recipes, easy crafts, and fun ideas for every season of the year. Whether you want this for yourself or for Christmas giving, you have to enter to win. Take a look at this post for more details. Good luck!
(2) Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme. It's a great way to discover new blogs, give some love to those you already visit, and, of course, add some intriguing new reads to Ole Mount TBR. To join in, all you have to do is click on over to The Broke and the Bookish, read a few guidelines, make your own list, then have a good time hopping around the book blogosphere. If you want to add some pizzazz to your Tuesday, TTT is the ticket.
Okay, here we go with my Top Ten Favorite Books of 2017:
1. The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny—I adore the Chief Inspector Gamache series, so it's not surprising that both installments I read this year made it to my favorites list. All the books are excellent. This one, eighth in the series, is an especially intriguing "locked room" mystery set in a remote monastery that does not allow visits by outsiders. Until a monk turns up dead. Gamache and his right-hand man are called in to find the killer.
2. How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny—This mystery, ninth in the series, revolves around a dead woman who—Gamache is surprised to discover—is not just any old lady, but a celebrity with a very, very interesting history. As he investigates her murder, Gamache also has to deal with personal and professional turmoil, all of which make this novel difficult to put down.
3. The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron—This was the first book I read in 2017 and boy, did it start my reading year off right! This YA novel is unique and intriguing. The less you know about it going in, the better. Trust me, though, it's worth the read.
4. The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry—I read this one, an even more unique YA novel, because it was nominated for a Whitney Award. It ended up winning in the YA General category and also being selected as a Michael L. Printz Honor title, neither of which surprised me at all. It's a lovely historical that's interesting, exciting, and well-written.
5. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate—Adoption stories always reel me in, and this one was no exception. The novel tells a heartbreaking story based on the real-life antics of Georgia Tann, a money-hungry woman who basically sold babies for her own profit and gain during the 1930s and 40s. Ultimately hopeful, it makes for an engrossing read.
6. Worth the Wrestle by Sheri Dew—I loved this inspirational book about wrestling with your questions and doubts. Dew writes in an uplifting, engaging way that just speaks right to my soul. This is a life-changing book, which I absolutely adored.
7. You May Already Be a Winner by Ann Dee Ellis—I enjoyed this quirky MG novel set in a locale (Provo, Utah) with which I'm very familiar. It's about a young girl living in a trailer park who dreams of winning the lottery and making a better life for herself, her mother, and her younger sister. It's a sweet read about appreciating what you have—even, maybe especially, when it seems like you don't have much at all.
8. Wool by Hugh Howey—This dystopian chunkster may look intimidating, but it's actually very readable. The world it introduces is complex and fascinating. I loved immersing myself in this one.
9. Lemons by Melissa Savage—This MG novel is as bright and enjoyable as it sounds. It stars two Bigfoot hunters who make a startling discovery right in their own backyard!
10. My Bonny Light Horseman by L.A. Meyer—I've long been a fan of the irresistible Jacqueline "Jacky" Faber. Her adventures never fail to make me smile. Since her creator passed away suddenly in 2014, I am reading the series slowly, savoring each book, knowing there will be no more. This one, sixth in the series, is just as delightful as all the rest.
There you go, my Top Ten. You can see the other 12 books I enjoyed most this year by scrolling to the bottom of my blog and checking out the titles on my "Books Read in 2017" list that have asterisks. So, what do you think of my list? Have you read any of these? What were the best books you read this year? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor.
Happy TTT!
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Before the Year Ends: A Belated Top Ten Tuesday List
11:21 AM
If you want to join in the TTT fun, it's not too late. Click on over to The Broke and the Bookish, read up on the TTT rules, make a list of your own, and have a jolly old time hopping around the book blogosphere. It's a great way to find new book blogs to love. The last thing on Earth I need is more titles on my TBR
Here we go with the Top Ten Books I'm Looking Forward to Reading Before the End of the Year:
1. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah—I loved The Nightingale, so I've been anxiously awaiting a new novel from Hannah. There's not a lot of info on this one, but apparently it's about a family struggling to survive in Alaska. I'm down with that. (Even though this one doesn't come out until February 2018, I'm hoping to get an ARC to read this year. Keep your fingers crossed for me.)
2. The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis—My book club chose this book for our October read. Even though it's one of my husband's all-time favorite books, I haven't read it yet. We saw the play on Valentine's Day a few years ago, which sounds like the ultimate irony. In actuality, The Great Divorce has nothing to do with romance—it's an allegorical tale about heaven and hell, good and evil, etc.
3. You May Already Be a Winner by Ann Dee Ellis—I enjoyed Ellis' The End or Something Like That, so I'm interested to see what she does with this MG novel about a girl's plan to win a million dollars in order to save her family from their depressing trailer park existence.
4. Murder On the Orient Express by Agatha Christie—With the movie coming out soon, everyone wants to read this one (as evidenced by the fact that there's a looonnnggg wait list for it at the library). I first read And Then There Were None years ago, so it's definitely time for me to try another classic Christie mystery.
5. Caroline by Sarah Miller—I was a raging Little House on the Prairie fan as a child. It's been that long since I've read the series; I'd like to re-read it soon, then move on to this novel written from Mrs. Ingalls' perspective.
6. Reading People by Anne Bogel—Another thing I was obsessed with as a kid was those personality quizzes you could always find in teen magazines. Reading People goes beyond those to discuss how personality shapes everything we do. Sounds fun!
7. The Emperor's Ostrich by Julie Berry—I'm a big Berry fan, so I'm excited to read her new MG novel about a young dairymaid who sets off in search of her lost cow with a magical map to guide her way.
8. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence—I adore books about books, so this one sounds right up my alley. It's a collection of love and break-up letters written by a librarian to the tomes she loves and loathes.
9. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan—This novel about a woman who's on a quest to understand the life of her missing father has been getting a lot of buzz. I'll be interested to see if it deserves it or not.
10. Healing Your Family History by Rebecca Linder Hintze—I'm so Mormon that another thing I'm totally obsessed with is genealogy. Lately, I've been able to help other people research their own family trees. Listening to their stories has made me absolutely fascinated with how all of us are influenced by our family histories. My husband keeps recommending this book, which talks about how to break free from destructive familial patterns, to everyone he knows.
So, there you have it. I'm hoping to read 77 more books this year to hit my goal of 200 and these are just ten that are on my list. What else should I read before 2017 disappears? What titles are you still hoping to read this year? Leave me a comment and I'll gladly return the favor.
Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Clipped, Quirky YA Grief Novel Memorable And Affecting
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Best friends aren't supposed to die. Especially when they're beautiful, vibrant and only 14 years old. Elderly people have trouble with their hearts, not teenagers. That's why it's still so hard for Emmy Anderson to believe her BFF Kim Porter is dead. Kim, on the other hand, embraced her impending demise, even making vehement promises to visit Emmy from beyond the grave. Emmy has clung to those vows, but apparently, Kim has forgotten her. Aching with grief and loneliness, Emmy can't let her friend go. She has to find a way to talk to Kim.
Then, Emmy—who assumed she just sucked at communicating with departed souls—gets a shock: she can see dead people. She spies her nasty science teacher, Emmy's uncle (who is thankfully not naked), even a teenage boy who perished in a tragic roller coaster accident. It seems the only ghost she can't see is the one she desperately needs to find. As Emmy comes to term with her new talent as well as her old pain, she finally realizes that the only way to move forward might be to let Kim go. If only it were that easy ...
Kids-dealing-with-the-loss-of-a-loved-one books are a dime a dozen. Thus, it takes a lot to make one stand out. With her newest, The End Or Something Like That, Ann Dee Ellis succeeds in creating a grief novel that's both memorable and affecting. I've thought a lot about why this one stands out; I think it boils down to three things: writing style, setting, and an overall quirkiness. Although The End or Something Like That is billed as a YA book, it's got more of a middle grade tone. Emmy's clipped, choppy narration makes her seem younger than her years, while at the same time giving her a more realistically teenage thought process than is usually found in YA novels. This, coupled with the intensity of her pain, makes her a wholly sympathetic (although not always likable) heroine. As for setting, there's just nowhere quite like Las Vegas. Its boisterous falsity provides the perfect backdrop for this story about what is real and what is truly important. The unique setting gives The End Or Something Like That part of its quirkiness, but the rest of it comes from larger-than-life characters and the oddball situations they find themselves in. Although the novel deals with familiar themes, it's these three things, coupled with Ellis' strong prose, that makes this story stand out. While it didn't blow my mind, I definitely enjoyed this quick, quirky read.
(Readalikes: I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The End Or Something Like That from the generous folks at Penguin. Thank you!
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