Warriors 1: Into the Wild

Written by: Erin Hunter

First line: A half-moon glowed on smooth granite boulders, turning them silver.

Why you should read this book: Rusty, a young house cat, hears the call of the wild, takes off into the little bit of forest beyond his village, and is inducted into a new world of free clan cats, who live cooperatively in small groups where they care for one another and defend their territory against outsiders. Scorned as a soft and useless "kittypet" who may be unfit for forest dwelling due to his association with the "twolegs," Rusty gets lucky, showing up at a time when Thunderclan's low birth rate and apparently high mortality rate means they are in need of new members, and he is accepted as an apprentice warrior and given the apprentice name, Firepaw, as he learns the ways of his new world. But all is not peaceful in the forest, as the dangerous machinations of the devious Shadowclan and potential betrayals within Thunderclan itself threaten to destroy Firepaw's new home before he even has a chance to prove himself.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Honestly, there are dozens of better-written fighting animal books; I'd read Redwall or Watership Down or Guardians of Ga'hoole before I got into a relationship with this slow, written-by-committee, lowest-common-denominator series (unfortunately for me, I've already read those books and this was the series my stepdaughter wanted me to commit to, which I did, because I love her and not because she's qualified to write literary criticism).

Dragon's Year in Review

Stats! We got stats!

32 picture books
9 novels
9 nonfiction
30 YA/juvenile literature
5 memoir/biography
9 short story collections
1 reference book
3 graphic novels
3 poetry

3 books I can't easily classify

104 books total

Which is really pretty abysmal. All I can say is that I worked a lot this year. I had 2 short stories published. I finished writing 2 novels. I read a couple unpublished novels that didn't make this list. And it took me more than 2 months each to wade through The Dancing Wu Li Masters and Partner to the Poor. Theoretically, I could review another Rosemary Wells book right now, but I'd have to get out of bed to find it, so the count stands at 104. Disregarding the kids' books, I scarcely averaged 1 serious book a week.

The YA count was huge, primarily due to the 15 volume Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, plus the Hunger Games, plus my friend Nova's novel, Imaginary Girls. 

Two of my mentors, Jaimy Gordon and Bonnie Jo Campbell also made the list this year (both with award-winning novels) as did my darling friend, KJ Kabza, with his collection of previously published short speculative fiction. Wow, I know a lot of writers. 

Oh! While I'm name-dropping, I also visually interpreted a poem from one of Ofelia Zepeda's books for the kids at the elementary school where I'm a literacy volunteer, and my fiance emailed Ofelia Zepeda a photograph of the bulletin board (they're both employed at the University of Arizona) and she wrote back, telling him to thank me, and that it was beautiful. And Tom Angleberger also emailed, thanking me for my review of Origami Yoda on another site, saying that I was pretty much the only reviewer to get his book, and I interviewed him. I should publish that interview....

Also this year, my local library system purchased 2 books that I suggested! Partner to the Poor was one. I'm still waiting for the second (about octopus intelligence) but they've cataloged it, so I'm guessing it will be available pretty soon. And, if you didn't catch it above, I'm engaged, so look out for my upcoming review of Miss Manners' Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding. Anyone who knows me will be surprised that there's any element of dignity to my wedding.

Happy New Year!

 

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 15: The War of the Ember

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: The light of the low-hanging, full-shine moon slipped into the cave, making it glow like a lantern of ice, above that tiny gut of sea linking the Southern Kingdoms to the Northern Kingdoms.

Why you should read this book: Everyone knew it would come to this: on one side, Nyra and her Pure Ones, aided by the Striga and an army of runaway Dragon Owls, with hundreds of hagsfiend eggs just about to hatch; on the other side, Coryn and the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, supported by wolves, bears, snakes, and a host of other surprising factions and creatures. The prize is the right to rule the world, choosing either a path of darkness or one of light. Sacrifices will be made, lives will be lost, but in the end, only one creature can decide the ultimate fate of the powerful, magical Ember of Hoole and, therefore, the fate of the world.

Why you shouldn't read this book: If you haven't read the previous 14 books, it will be pretty difficult to decipher. Aside from a cast of dozens of characters, many of whom have strange names, and the invented words of the Hoolian language and the various words used by other species, there are several other languages being spoken. Decoding the end of this story is a challenge even for those who have been following the whole way through.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 14: Exile

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: "All right, Otulissa, how does this sound for the lead article?"

Why you should read this book: While Soren and the Band are sent off to do some research for Otulissa, the mysterious Striga develops a close relationship with the King and begins to institute an unusual campaign against frivolity and vanity. Otulissa soon discovers that books are disappearing from the library, while the Band learns that book burnings and owl-burning are growing common on the mainland, the work of Puritanical Blue Feather Brigades. When the Band and knowledge itself are under attack, brave owls must stand up to combat censorship (with a great homage to Ray Bradbury) and save the Great Tree once again.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You believe that some ideas, and the people who espouse them, should be set on fire.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 13: The River of Wind

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: Threading through the roar of the waterfall, the scratch of pen on parchment could be heard.

Why you should read this book: When the elusive hermit-scholar Bess discovers evidence of and a map to reach the mysterious Sixth Kingdom of Owls across the Unnamed Sea, it's up to Coryn and the Chaw of Chaws to investigate. Meanwhile, Nyra is up to her old tricks, and this time, her target is Soren's own daughter, Bell. A strange blue owl who tries to rescue her helps tie these two story arcs together.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You think you can trick karma.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 12: The Golden Tree

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: "Look at me, look at me!" the Great Gray hooted.

Why you should read this book: The action returns to the present as the presence of Coryn and the magical Ember breathe new life into the Ga'Hoole tree and the Guardians' society, but Coryn can't be certain that the Ember doesn't bode evil, and is increasingly sure that his own mother is the most dangerous threat imaginable. Attempting to help snap him out of these dark thoughts, Soren and the Band take Coryn on what is meant to be a pleasure trip, but quickly turns into another deadly adventure when he discovers the existence of an ancient artifact that could reintroduce dark magic into the world. In his absence, the Guardians fall under a strange obsession with the Ember and forsake all their principles, really frinking off Otulissa and Madame Plonk in the process.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're all for the worship of idols.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 11: To Be a King

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: It matters not who I am, only that I tell the rest of the tale...

Why you should read this book: Hoole brings his followers to the Great Ga'Hoole tree and begins to lay the foundations of his utopian, egalitarian society, knowing that an epic battle with the hagsfiends is imminent. While he and his friends travel north and south, gathering skilled workers, laying out a spy network, and preparing for war, a particularly evil, intelligent, and Machiavellian hagsfiend called Kreeth uses her magic to create a magical hagsfiend baby who can shapeshift into the form of any kind of owl. The three-novel story arc recounting the ancient legends is completed with a satisfying confrontation, and resolved in the present-day frame as the main characters learn the lessons of the books.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You always prayed for a baby, and when your wish came true, you didn't like the looks of the kid.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 10: The Coming of Hoole

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: Octavia, the pudgy, elderly, blind nest-maid snake, slithered out onto the branch outside her old master's hollow.

Why you should read this book: Coryn and Soren, now accompanied by all their friends in the Chaw of Chaws, continue reading from the secret, ancient books found in their old mentor's chambers, and continue to learn about the time of legends and magic. Little Hoole, the noble child of Queen Siv and King H'rath, hatches out, to be raised in isolation by Grank, the first collier, and Theo, the first blacksmith, so that his existence remains a secret from all the hagsfiends who would use him to further their own dark intentions. With murder, intrigue, bravery, subterfuge, the tale unfolds as many owls, wolves, and polar bears work to ensure the little owl grows into the king his people need to overcome the evil that has infested their world.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You had to give your child up to be raised by another, for his own protection.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 9: The First Collier

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: Call me Grank.

Why you should read this book: Lasky takes a fresh look at her popular series, using the familiar characters only as a frame for the first part of the story of Grank, the first collier, who tells his tale in first person from the pages of an ancient manuscript. In times long past, dark magic threatens owls across the north lands, but especially the Queen Siv and her unhatched egg, the future King Hoole. Many of the legends and language from earlier in the series are explored in detail in another fast-paced adventure, brimming over with supernatural effects and brave deeds.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're pregnant.

The Guardians of Ga’Hoole Book 8: The Outcast

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: You are a mask.

Why you should read this book: In exile from his hateful family, young Nyroc begins to explore the world and contemplate the terms of his destiny. To this end, he changes his name to Coryn and journeys to Beyond the Beyond, for what purpose he can only guess. Along the way, he begins to hone his skills as a hero while collecting allies, until multiple character converge at the sacred volcanoes and the plucky owl can discover the fate that the world offers.

Why you shouldn’t read this book: You consider your own offspring, or other people’s children, perfect sacrificial lambs.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 7: The Hatchling

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: "It's the hatchling," a young owl said as the group watched Nyroc, only son of the great warrior Kludd, begin a power dive.

Why you should read this book: The Guardians of Ga'Hoole series takes a different turn, and gives evil a new face, as the action shifts to the enclave of the Pure Ones, where Kludd and Nyra's newly hatched son, Nyroc, demonstrates his amazing ability to do everything his mother asks of him. Nyroc is a likable little owl, clever and open-minded, who possesses talents far beyond anything his power-hungry mother can guess at. Will he grow up to fill his father's battle claws, or will there be tasks set before him that he simply cannot answer to?

Why you shouldn't read this book: You think asking a kid to murder his best friend is a great test of loyalty.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 6: The Burning

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: "Night gathers and your time has come," intoned Barran the large Snowy Owl and monarch of the Great Ga'Hoole Tree.

Why you should read this book: The Chaw of Chaws heads to the Northern Kingdoms, charged with myriad, imperative tasks: they must escort Dewlap, the owl who betrayed them, to the care of the Glauxian Sisters on Elsemere Island; visit the Glauxian brothers, where they will study war strategy and replace the Fleckasia book destroyed by Dewlap; find a snake names Hoke of Hock and convince him to rally the Kielians to their cause; recruit more allies from among the Frost Beaks and Glauxspeed artillary on the Firth of Fangs; and finally, receive the ice weapons and training available only in the Northern Kingdom. The journey is dangerous and the timing difficult, since the clock is ticking toward winter's arrival and the Pure Ones' are fortifying their position in advance of the Ga'Hoolian invasion. Kraals, turnfeathers, katabatic winds, and painful separation all lead up to the thrilling conclusion, as the Ga'Hoolians seek to capture St. Aggie's from the Pure Ones.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You didn't understand half the words in the previous paragraph.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 5: The Shattering

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: It was the same.

Why you should read this book: The battle between good and evil takes a cerebral turn, waged in this book in the mind of young Eglantine, as she becomes a pawn of the Pure Ones, the integrity of her brain and gizzard shattered by the power of flecks. While Otulissa furiously plans an offensive attack that the older owls will never sanction, a new owl, Ginger, poisons Eglantine's mind until she can't tell the difference between dreams and reality, and inadvertently begins supplying information to the enemy. Can Eglantine recover the fragments of her mind in time to save herself and her friend Primrose from a horrible fate?

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're a treacherous traitor and you're just starting to feel a little bad about it.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 4: The Siege

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: Sparks flew off his beak as the owl, mad with rage, careened through the night sky.

Why you should read this book: The stakes have been raised as Metal Beak, revealed as Soren's brother, Kludd, further reveals the depths of his evil and depravity, along with his utter hatred for his brother. Meanwhile, Soren and his chaw of chaws have been entrusted with a terrifying and important mission: to return to St. Aggie's as undercover agents and determine whether the academy has been infiltrated by the Pure Ones. War between the Guardians and the Pure Ones is imminent, and the Pure Ones have on their side greater numbers, superior weaponry, and a fierce rage that drives them onward toward genocide.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're a double agent.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 3: The Rescue

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: The tail of the comet slashed the dawn and in the red light of the rising sun, for a brief instant, it seemed as if the comet was bleeding across the sky.

Why you should read this book: The game is afoot as Soren and company take a note from Harry Potter and begin sneaking out from Ga'Hoole to take on the missions the adult owls are too reluctant or befuddled to organize. Ezylryb, Soren's favorite teacher, has been missing for months, and Soren and his friends are determined to track him down while they learn more about all the secrets being kept from them. At last, the young owls are to become brave doers of great deeds, and, along the way, will penetrate the veil between this world and the next, discover the hidden past, and unmask their greatest enemy.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're trapped in the devil's triangle.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 2: The Journey

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: Soren felt the blind snake shift in the deep feathers between his shoulders as he and the three other owls flew through the buffeting winds.

Why you should read this book: With great difficulty, Soren and his new friends Gylphie, Digger, and Twilight, along with his old blind snake nanny, Mrs. P., arrive at last at the Great and supposedly mythical Ga'hoole Tree, which is very real, and full of very important owls who are a lot nicer than the owls at St. Aggie's, but still keep secrets and expect the young owls to obey the rules. Their little band is housed together but must train for different specialties, and Soren begins to learn what it means to be an owl, along with the other lessons he must master on his way to becoming a doer of noble deeds. However, he still pines for his little sister, Eglantine, and wonders about all the evil, known and unknown, that exists in his world.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You are a wet pooper with no sense of humor.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 1: The Capture

Written by: Kathryn Lasky

First line: The world spiraled, the needles of the old fir tree blurred against the night sky and then there was a sickening sensation as the forest floor raced toward him.

Why you should read this book: Like all the barn owls in the Forest Kingdom of Tyto, little Soren is growing up under the care of two loving parents and a doting blind nurse snake, his life filled with wonderful ceremonies, comfort, safety, and adoration of his baby sister, Eglantine, until the day that his sociopath older brother pushes him out of the nest, leaving him vulnerable to the rash of kidnapping that's been going around. Captive of the moon blinked owls at St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls, Soren struggles to maintain his sanity in a world where asking questions is a punishable offense and bizarre and un-owl-like practices like sleeping at night while staring at the moon are designed to hypnotize every kidnapped owlet into complacent servitude. With his new friend, the tiny elf owl Gylphie, Soren is determined to learn the secrets of St. Aggies, escape his imprisonment, and return home to his family before similar disaster strikes his darling Eglantine.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't let your minions ask questions, either.