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"It had just dawned on her to wonder what the book might want from her" (87).

Kai Grove has never met the great-aunt with whom she'll be living for the summer.  Lavinia Quirk, a shockingly spry 86-year-old who listens to hip hop, resides in a house that's just as wonky as she is.  So, really, 12-year-old Kai shouldn't be surprised when she finds a strange old book among the eclectic offerings on her aunt's shelf.  Titled The Exquisite Corpse, it tells an old-fashioned tale about a boy who discovers magic.  Not all that unique, perhaps, until Kai writes in the book and it writes back.  At first she thinks she's imagining things or that Lavinia's playing a joke on her, but soon, she can't deny that something very real—and extremely strange—is happening to her.  Kai came to Texas wanting an adventure; it seems she's found it.  

Like Kai, Leila Awan has traveled to a faraway place seeking new experiences, preferably romantic, exciting ones like those she reads about in her favorite novels.  Staying with her uncle's family in Lahore, Pakistan, should offer Leila plenty of unique opportunities; so far, though, she's got little to Skype home about.  Then, she finds an intriguing book in her uncle's library, The Exquisite Corpse.  Leila's hoping the tale inside will be "both utterly romantic and moderately gruesome" (21).  What she finds is something rare, something magical, something that freaks her out completely.  When Leila writes in the book, it writes back.  Completely creeped out, she tries to destroy the book.  It resists her attempts, relocating itself and demanding her attention.  Little does Leila know, a girl her age on the other side of the world is having similar struggles with her copy of the same strange book.

As the story inside The Exquisite Corpse continues to unfold, both girls find themselves enraptured by the romance and mystery of a couple named Ralph Flabbergast and Edwina Pickle.  Their real-life struggles in Texas and Pakistan are confusing enough without the addition of this crazy magic.  And yet, it's as if destiny is drawing them to it, to each other.  The question is: Why?  Are they supposed to change Ralph and Edwina's fate?  What about their own?  What will happen to them all when the story finally comes to an end?

In the introduction to A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic by Lisa Papademetriou, the author talks about the invisible threads she believes connect people who are meant to find each other.  Through the adventures of Kai and Leila, she explores this most fascinating of concepts.  The fact that she uses a magic book to do it just makes the premise all the more compelling.  With an imaginative storyline, fun characters, and an intertwining plot that jumps between the present and the past, A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic is an enchanting, multi-layered novel.  Both a rollicking yarn and a poignant tale about finding one's true self, it's a bewitching read that I enjoyed immensely.  If you like upbeat middle grade stories sprinkled in fairy dust, this one's for you.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of novels like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brasheres and When the Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little)  

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs)

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic from the generous folks at HarperCollins.  Thank you!

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Everybody loves movies, but since not everyone digs the same flicks, it can be difficult to find one that appeals to the whole family.  Case in point:  Typically, my 6-year-old princess wants a girly movie; my 10-year-old boy begs for something with lots of action; my teenage daughter prefers rom coms; my 16-year-old son groans at anything too juvenile; my husband always suggests sci fi; and by this time, I just want an aspirin.  The solution?  Usually we settle on Studio C.  A great alternative option, it's true, but if you're really sold on family movie night, here's a suggestion:  pick up 101 Movies to See Before You Grow Up by parenting/entertainment blogger Suzette Valle.  It will give you plenty of family-pleasing ideas (although it should be noted that some of the films she suggests are rated PG-13).

In a fun, easy-to-read format geared toward kids, this informative guide discusses 101 popular movies.  For each, it lists a plot summary, people who worked on the film, its rating, release date, and interesting trivia related to the movie.  It even provides a space to record when you saw the film, with whom you viewed it, and your rating (1-5 stars)/review.  Bright colors throughout as well as whimsical illustrations by Natasha Hellegourach make thumbing through this book a real delight for fans of all ages.  I suggest placing it on the coffee table in your t.v./family room to remind you which movies you've seen and which you still need to experience.    

While 101 Movies to See Before You Grow Up really isn't meant to be read cover-to-cover, that's what I did.  And what an enjoyable experience!  I had a great time learning about all these movies, 84 of which I'd seen (guess I can't grow up quite yet).  Some of the plot summaries were a little too informative for me, but overall, Valle provides lots of useful information for each flick.  I especially appreciated the variety of movies that were highlighted—it's a mix of cinema classics (It's a Wonderful Life; Mary Poppins; To Kill a Mockingbird; etc.), newer action/adventure favorites (Back to the Future; Jurassic Park; Pirates of the Caribbean; etc.), beloved animated films (Toy Story; Despicable Me; Shrek; etc., sports/school picks (Cool Runnings; Remember the Titans; Dead Poet's Society; etc.), and even some documentaries (March of the Penguins; Super Size Me; Spellbound; etc.).  Although I didn't agree with every selection (Jim Carrey's Grinch?  No, thank you.), most got my hearty approval. 

If you're looking for a holiday gift for your family or for a friend/co-worker who adores movies, you can stop searching.  101 Movies to See Before You Grow Up by Suzette Valle will make any film lover happy.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie (ha!), it would be rated:

for mild descriptions of violence

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of 101 Movies to See Before You Grow Up from the generous folks at Quarto Books.  Thank you!

2.  I wish for the Book Genie to bring my favorite authors back to life so they can write more books.  This means you, L.A. Meyer, Maeve Binchy, L.M. Montgomery ...

October 1922—On a warm day in Milan, Italy, the life of 19-year-old Isabella Berotti changes forever.  One moment she is gliding through the busy marketplace on the arm of her handsome husband, their unborn child nestled safely in her womb.  The next, Luigi lies dead in the street, blood streaming from a bullet wound in his chest.  A second shot rings out, felling Isabella, who barely survives the injury.  The bambino inside her is not so lucky.

Ten years later, Isabella is still haunted by the violent death of her husband.  As a Blackshirt—one of Mussolini's elite soldiers—Luigi was in a dangerous line of work.  Still, why him?  Why her?  Their shooter has never been brought to justice and the police claim to know nothing.  Isabella doesn't believe them.  Someone knows something, she's sure of it.  But, questioning authority in Fascist Italy is never a good idea, so Isabella distracts herself with work.  As an architect in the most prestigious firm in Bellina, one of Mussolini's new cities, she has the privilege of designing beautiful new buildings and homes.  Her work is the center of her life, the only thing that keeps her moving forward.

Little does Isabella know that her life is about to change in an instant once again.  When a strange woman approaches Isabella, begging the architect to watch her young daughter, she doesn't have time to react, let alone refuse.  Moments later, she's horrified when the mother throws herself off a clock tower, plummeting to her death.  The woman hinted that she knew something of Luigi's death—now Isabella will never know what it was.  Unless the child knows.  Trying to simultaneously protect 9-year-old Rosa and extract information from her throws Isabella into the middle of a dangerous political battle.  Surrounded by enemies, she doesn't know who to trust.  With her neck and that of the girl who's reawakened her mother's heart on the line, Isabella doesn't know what to do, where to turn.  Mussolini's goons lurk down every possible road and of one thing she's certain—they want her dead.

The Italian Wife by Kate Furnivall is one of those novels that just gets everything right.  In vivid, painstaking prose, the author builds a setting so rich, so authentic, it was as if I had truly stepped into Fascist Italy (and wanted to step right out, thank you very much).  Because their tension, their fear, their desperation, and their anger felt so palpable, I had no trouble at all empathizing with the characters.  I rooted for them without hesitation.  Character-driven though it may be, The Italian Wife doesn't skimp on plot.  There's plenty of pulse-pounding action, nail-biting suspense, and life-or-death twists to keep a reader glued to her seat.  Although the book clocks in at 411 pages, I never got bored with it.  It kept me riveted to the very end.  There's so much to love about this one that I honestly can't come up with any complaints (be amazed, be very amazed).  If you like tense historical thrillers, this is the book for you.  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of several WWII novels, including The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah; The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff, and Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (one F-bomb, plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, and mild sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of The Italian Wife from the generous folks at Penguin Random House.  Thank you!