It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent over at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers decided to put a children's and YA spin on it and they invite anyone with an interest to join in. You can participate by creating your post then visit one of their sites to add your site. Finally, visit at least three participant blogs and comment to spread the love.

If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at my Goodreads shelf. Images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Previous Week: 

Picture Books

Of the three, Dusk was my favorite. Like the companion book Snow, Dusk is a quiet, somewhat contemplative type of book. It made me smile to see the many holiday lights lighting up the dusk. Little Red Writing was especially fun because I happened to read it on the National Day on Writing. It was also a reminder that NaNoWriMo will be here very soon and I may have to cut through the underbrush of my novel to stick to my path. Mister Whistler was amusing. Anytime characters are in boxer shorts, my students are sure to giggle.

Middle Grade 

I reviewed The Twistrose Key here. Fun fantasy. In Bluffton, Matt Phelan brought the past alive. It also inspired me to check YouTube to refresh my memory of Buster Keaton.

Young Adult 

I listened to Liar and enjoyed the audio. The title really explains a lot. This is a book that cannot be talked about much without giving away too much, but let's just agree that the title is very appropriate. Monstrous Beauty is a haunting story that pulled me in and wouldn't let me go. I think it was my favorite of the week. I don't go in for mermaid stories, but this one had fantasy, mystery, romance and tragedy so there was a lot going on besides the mermaid thing.

Non-fiction

Biographies have always interested me and this one is no exception. I reviewed it here. I loved learning more about Caldecott, but even more about the evolution of picture books.

The Coming Week:

I am in the middle of Winger and am finding it amusing. I also found the audio of Fangirl today! Score. I started listening to it while doing the laundry and making dinner. I know I need to read some books for review this week, but also have a huge pile from the library - maybe P.S. Be Eleven and Every Day After. Have a great week of reading!

Review: The Twistrose Key

Title: Twistrose Key

Author: Tone Almhjell

Publisher: Dial

Pages: 336

Available: October 22, 2013

Review Copy: Edelweiss Digital ARC

Summary: When a mysterious parcel arrives at her family’s new home, eleven-year-old Lin Rosenquist has a curious feeling she’s meant to discover what’s inside.

Much to Lin’s surprise, the ornate key contained in the parcel unlocks a spellbinding world called Sylver, hidden behind the cellar door. Sylver is an enchanting land of eternal winter, inhabited by animals that shared a special connection with children in the real world, either as beloved pets or tamed wild animals. In death, they are delivered to Sylver, where they take on a curiously human-like form and still watch over the children they cherish. While Lin is overjoyed to be reunited with her beloved pet, Rufus, she soon learns that the magic of the Petlings and Wilders is failing, and snow trolls want to claim Sylver for themselves. Lin must discover a way to stop them and save this enchanted world.

Full of charm, suspense, and heartfelt emotion, this memorable classic in the making will leave readers breathless. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

My Thoughts: Going into the story, I was a bit concerned. Within a handful of pages we have a young girl going through a door and into another world where it is permanently winter and animals behave as humans. Sound familiar? Only if you have read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Fortunately, after those brief nods to C.S. Lewis, The Twistrose Key took on a life of its own.

I appreciated Lin's courage, curiosity, and her ability to "bring her brain to the party." When she finds a key, she immediately sets out to investigate. Don't you just love wonderful old mysterious keys? They whisper of so many possibilities and Lin loves to puzzle things out. She uses what she knows combined with her creative thinking to work through many dicy situations.

Another fun part of the book is the relationship she has with her pet who has become a Petling in Sylver. Their friendship is rich and made me wish for a similar reunion with my childhood pets.

Beyond the friendship, there is a layer of high fantasy at work too with trolls, a winter prince and plenty of magic. I am not generally eager for winter, but Almhjell has created an enchanted frozen world that makes me wish for snow and a great sledding hill.

There were a few illustrations in the digital ARC, but I am looking forward to seeing the completed book so I can get the full effect. Almhjell's detailed world building certainly gave the illustrator plenty of material to use.

I would recommend The Twistrose Key to young fantasy lovers who are undaunted by 300+ pages.

Extras:

Chapter 1

Author Interview via Tidy Books