Congratulations to the Sammy Keyes and the Power of Justice Jack giveaway winner!

We have a winner!  Karen will be the proud owner of a signed copy of Sammy Keyes and the Power of Justice Jack.  Congratulations to Karen.

(Karen, I have sent you an e-mail; please reply with your mailing address so we can get the book to you.  And congratulations again.)

Lucky Like Getting to Be Thirteen Twice: Sammy Keyes and the Power of Justice Jack Giveaway

I have won two books by Wendelin Van Draanen.  I first won an advanced reader copy (ARC) of an upcoming book through a giveaway on her blog.  And I just won her "Free Book Friday" ("FBF") Twitter giveaway, for a signed copy of one of the Sammy Keyes books.  Both times, I was very excited.  There's just one little hitch -- they're the same book!  So I'm now the proud owner of two copies of Sammy Keyes and the Power of Justice Jack.

I feel a little bad, knowing how many other fans have been trying to win a free book and haven't won any yet, and here I have an abundance of Jack.  So I figured I'd do a giveaway of my own.  I'm willing to have my signed FBF copy of Justice Jack sent directly to a Sammy Keyes fan anywhere in the world.  I'd prefer the book to go to someone who hasn't gotten a chance to read it yet, doesn't own it yet (obviously), hasn't won any of Wendelin's giveaways before, and is a Sammy Keyes/Wendelin Van Draanen fan.

To enter, submit two comments here: one explaining how well you fit the criteria*, which I'll publish to the blog.  The other comment, I will not publish (I have to approve all comments before they are published); it should contain your e-mail address so I can contact you in case you win.  I will only e-mail the winner to work out the logistics of how to get the book to you, and I won't use any e-mail address for any other purpose, nor will I share the e-mail addresses with anyone.  I will determine the winner from all entries submitted by 12:01:00am EST, January 1, 2014 (so get the entries in before the end of the year!), from among those closest to meeting the criteria stated above, using a random number generator (random.org).  If no entries meet all 4 stated criteria, I'll choose from those who have met 3 of the criteria (doesn't own it, is a fan, + either of the other two).  If no entries meet 3 criteria, I'll choose from those who meet 2 (doesn't own it and is a fan).  If there are no entries meeting these 2 criteria, I'll keep both copies.

*You don't have to write an essay, just explain how well you fit the criteria.  For example, "I checked JJ out of my library, but I don't own it.  I won an ARC of Wedding Crasher once from Wendelin's blog" (just winning something from Wendelin's blog tells me you're a fan) or "I haven't gotten to read JJ yet!  I'm a huge fan of SK, but I didn't know Wendelin had a blog or Twitter account.  I'm going to check them out now."  I reserve the right not to publish anything offensive or obscene.  Also, I will not publish anything that I feel contains personally identifying information in it (such as e-mail addresses), for your protection (that's why I ask for you to submit two separate comments, so others can see the entries, but your privacy will be protected).

Wall of Fame and Wall of Shame

I've come across some really beautiful passages -- and some pretty awful ones.  I thought it might be fun to record examples of each.  Please note: just because a writer appears on the Wall of Shame, that doesn't mean that I think all (or even a small percentage) of their writing is awful; it just means that I found that one particular excerpt an example of what I personally consider bad writing.  I've explained why I think it's bad.  You might disagree.  I personally find it comforting to think that even some of the most renowned writers still occasionally write poorly; it helps quiet down my inner critic so I can "just write."

Wall of Fame

1. "The whole restless mob of us on spread blankets in the dreamy briny sunshine skylarking and chiacking about... Yachts run before an unfelt gust with bagnecked pelicans riding above them... The gone and taken are with them in the shade pools of the peppermints by the beautiful, the beautiful the river.  And even now, one of the here is leaving... The silver-skinned river." - Tim Winton, Cloudstreet
   • Imagery done well.  Unique, careful word choices (and order) bring each part into focus until you're standing on the riverbank in Perth, smelling, tasting, seeing, hearing, touching, feeling...  This is the kind of writing I like to read slowly, savoring it like dark chocolate.  (I can actually feel it in my mouth; it begs to be read out loud.)
2. "insert quote here"

Wall of Shame

1. "The sky was a cold iron-grey, like the underside of a shield." - J.K. Rowling, The Casual Vacancy
• This might have been an acceptable analogy in Harry Potter.  At least the characters in that book were exposed to suits of armor (including, presumably, shields).  However, neither the characters nor the modern-day readers of The Casual Vacancy have any idea what color the underside of a shield is -- most of us don't even know what color the overside of a shield is!  And yet most of us understand "iron-grey."  The simile adds nothing and actually detracts from the imagery as it brings to mind castles and knights and all kinds of things that don't belong in Pagford.
2. "A point of exclamation marks that sky
    In ringing orange like a stellar carrot." - Sylvia Plath, "Departure of the Ghost (The Ghost's Leavetaking)," from The Colossus and Other Poems
   • I must confess that Sylvia Plath is not one of my favorite poets -- especially her early work.  In "Departure of the Ghost, " she's writing about dawn, and so the first line and a half of this couplet would seem to indicate the sun.  And then... carrot.  Combined with "point of exclamation" (and emphasized by the following line, which describes its round "period"), my mind envisions a carrot floating in the sky.  It's absurd.  The imagery doesn't match the surrounding imagery at all.  This simile stands out given the heavy layering of mythic and religious references throughout the rest of the poem.  The emotions it invokes do not match the seriousness of the piece, either.  Unless there's some symbolism I'm completely overlooking, the carrot was chosen for its color without considering the shape.  (Even over water, a sunrise doesn't look like a carrot.  It just doesn't.)
3. "next example"

The Most Emotional Sammy Keyes Book Thus Far: Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City by Wendelin Van Draanen

I haven't cried so much reading a Sammy Keyes book since Psycho Kitty Queen.  But I have never laughed harder throughout the series (I laughed uncontrollably at least 6 different times), and I was left with such a sense of happiness when I finished that I'm still grinning nearly an hour later.

In Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City, Wendelin Van Draanen masterfully weaves several story arcs into a wild but totally believable caper that plucks Sammy out of Santa Martina and sets her loose on Vegas.  Van Draanen's rich, three-dimensional, dynamic characters drive the plot, so that no matter how ridiculous the situation Sammy ends up in, you know exactly how she got there, and it's utterly believable.  The themes of family and trust shine through without being pounded to death.  Some of the other Sammy Keyes books have ended with a short "I learned something today" reflection that others might have found a bit preachy (though I never found them to be), but there's none of that here.

Sammy Keyes is primarily a mystery series, but the mystery always goes hand in hand with the events of Sammy's life.  Sammy spends most of this book in crisis mode, so she's not actively trying to figure out mysteries most of the time (she's focused on finding her mom, which is a mystery, but not one she or we can really solve).  But as a reader, you know the main mystery's there, and you can solve it, even though Sammy is not (until the last moment).  And there are actually at least two sub-mysteries for which there were ample clues sprinkled so that a fan of the series could solve them just before Sammy did.  And while the mystery may not be the best mystery of the series, the plot more than makes up for it.  (My favorite mystery of recent books was Wedding Crasher.)

One caveat: while this book could be enjoyed on its own, it's made richer (both emotionally and in solving the mysteries, through understanding the personalities involved) by knowing the history of the previous books.  This is the 16th book of the series; starting with it would be akin to starting Harry Potter with Half-Blood Prince.

If you're looking for a phenomenal mystery series, in which the clues are cleverly sprinkled throughout each book so that a careful reader can solve the mystery, without resorting to any discernible formula, I can't recommend Sammy Keyes highly enough.  Or if you're looking for a spunky, kind, believable heroine who manages to get herself into the craziest, funniest messes imaginable, again, Sammy Keyes is your girl.  Showdown in Sin City will be a highlight of the series, but every reader should take the entire wild roller-coaster ride Wendelin Van Draanen has masterfully designed to bring you there.

Running to Your Dreams: Wendelin Van Draanen's The Running Dream

I approached The Running Dream with some trepidation. I have read several other "recovery from a physical injury" books, but this one struck close to home: as a high school track athlete, I injured my knee and have since gone through two surgeries, numerous reinjuries, physical therapy, and chronic patellar tendinitis. Even though it had been years since I'd been able to run long distances, I still missed it, and I was scared to reopen old wounds and desires.

Yet I felt compelled to read it, having read several of Wendelin van Draanen's other works, knowing that she is a former track athlete (and current marathoner) herself, and knowing how much research goes into her books. I'm so thankful I did.

My fears were correct; The Running Dream made me re-experience many emotions: the sudden loss of being a member of a team, the grief over not being able to do your favorite activity any longer, the worry that people will only see your scars instead of your formerly "hot legs," the frustration of not being able to do things that once were second nature to you, the stress of missing school and having to catch up, the concern over the effect of your rehab on the time and finances of your family...

But it also made me remember other experiences: new friendships with people you otherwise might never have met, the gratitude for friends who stand by you and help you laugh, the patience that you can only develop through trials, the realization of what really matters to you, the joy in simple movement you rediscover as your body heals, the reminder that recovery (like all things worth doing in life) is done "step-by-step-by-step-by-step."

It's easy for "recovery from injury" books to get bogged down in the specific details of the particular injury/illness the person is recovering from, or to focus too much on the "stages of grief" and the protagonist's inner struggles. The Running Dream falls into neither trap. It is obviously well-researched and gives enough detail to help the reader imagine what it's like to suddenly not have one of your feet.

In one particularly vivid scene, the protagonist, Jessica, takes a shower for the first time after losing her leg, and is frustrated over how long it takes her to get up the stairs and how difficult it is to get into the tub. But then while bathing, she conducts a thought experiment on how difficult it would be to lose a hand instead. This scene stands out because it is one of the few that really focuses so much on Jessica's difficulties; in other scenes, they're there in the background, but the other concerns of her life are increasingly the focus as she adapts to her disability.

The Running Dream starts off in Jessica's hospital room, where she's alone with her thoughts. These scenes are mercifully short, giving the reader a glimpse into the despair and sorrow that comes with losing a limb, without wallowing in it. This enables the reader to fill in the details from their own imagination, while the story moves on to explore broader themes of friendship, teamwork, the power of a community, seeing people for who they are on the inside instead of what they are physically, and the importance of staying the course when facing joys and pitfalls in pursuing a goal.

One of Wendelin van Draanen's strongest writing traits is her interesting, memorable, realistic, dynamic characters. The Running Dream is no exception. The characters are all loveable yet flawed -- which somehow just makes them more loveable. Jessica is talented, strong, dedicated, caring, and team-oriented, but she's also insecure, bad at math, and occasionally grumpy and self-centered (understandably so, given what she's gone through, and yet she realizes that she must turn her focus outward again as she copes with her disability). Her best friend, Fiona, is enthusiastic, organized, loving, and energetic, but she sometimes is overbearing and speaks before she thinks. Jessica's new friend, Rosa, is a philosophical "math genius" who is sometimes content to let life happen to her (or just pass her by). The Running Dream suggests that perhaps Facebook was correct that "friend" is a verb -- an active, continuous verb. Jessica realizes how tenuous friendships can become if you don't work to maintain them, especially when the things you have in common slip away.

The romance in The Running Dream is a mere side-story to reinforce the theme that character is more important than the outer package (even when the outer package is attractive). It's refreshing to see a healthy teen romance that becomes an important part of Jessica's life without consuming her other interests and responsibilities. However, the romance is just a side-story, and so much of it is left to the reader's imagination.

The main arc of the story is focused on Jessica re-establishing her personal identity, realizing that she's still the same person, and regaining her ability to run. Throughout the book, little bubbles of hope rise to the surface, building to a triumphant finale. The book is grounded in reality; there's no promise that a prosthesis will suddenly make everything completely better. Success requires hard work and dedication. But with hard work, dedication, and the support of friends and family, you can be happy working towards your goals, because happiness is in the journey, not just at the destination.

The Running Dream is truly one of the most uplifting, inspirational, hopeful, triumphant books I've ever read. When I finished reading it, I got up and ran. Just 50 steps, but I ran. And the next day, I ran two sets of 50 steps. I've continued to build my mileage, slowly, through run-walking. I've faced setbacks, even a period of not being able to run at all for 4 months. But throughout the difficulties, I remember the lessons I learned from The Running Dream: how every goal must be tackled step by step, to focus on the bigger picture (realizing that even with setbacks, if you keep moving forward, you'll still end up farther along than if you'd just given up), how setbacks build character and strengthen resolve, the importance of doing what I love because I love it, not to compare myself to my past self.

I can say with certainty that I would not be running today if I hadn't read "The Running Dream." I have loved running since before I can even remember (I used to escape and run laps around church as a toddler). I have tried countless other times to start running again, but it was only after reading The Running Dream that I was able to be gentle enough with myself, to give myself permission to build literally step by step, and to be patient and not give up in the face of setbacks. This book has changed my life. I still think about it and look to it for inspiration at least once a week, even though it's been over a year since I last read it. I've read it more than once, and it helped me find perspective and strengthen my resolve in the face of other difficulties besides running.

They say you can't put hope in a box, but as long as you can fit The Running Dream in a box, you can. I recommend it to anyone struggling with any kind of setback, from 12 to 112. It is a book with layers, one that will continue to inspire on each reading (and even between readings). It just might change your life, as it did mine.

Note: The Running Dream is deceptively short and uses simple vocabulary, but it is by no means simple itself. I have worked with middle and high schoolers who struggled with reading, and many of the books for "reluctant readers" I've read with them were "babyish" (their word, not mine). I think The Running Dream would be excellent for this demographic; it is accessible but thought-provoking.

ReJoycing that I didn't attempt Finnegans Wake: James Joyce's Dubliners

I'm a dual Irish citizen, but growing up in the U.S. I had very little exposure to Irish literature in school: Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett in AP English Literature and Part VII of "Station Island" by Seamus Heaney in Intro. to Poetry Writing in college.  I've read more Heaney, several contemporary Irish authors, and some Yeats, Kavanagh, Pearse, and Wilde (well, part of The Picture of Dorian Gray, anyway), but despite all the pubs and festivals named after him, I had yet to read any Joyce.

Thus, in early January, James Joyce topped my "to read" list for 2012.  Several friends tried to warn me away, so I read more about his writing style.  I knew that he had written short stories, the semi-autobiographical A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses, and Finnegans Wake.

 Now, the song "Finnegan's Wake" is a fun, funny little Irish ballad about a man who falls off a ladder at work because he's drunk.  At his wake, a fight breaks out over whether he's the nicest corpse you've ever seen, and the "corpse" revives when someone spills liquor on him.  However, as I read about Joyce's Finnegans Wake, the words "stream of consciousness" and "Jabberwocky" jumped out at me.  Faulkner's A Light in August was hard enough to get through, but that crossed with made up words?  For 600+ pages?!?  No thanks!

I was leaning towards either Dubliners or Ulysses.  A collection of short stories seemed easy to read in snippets, and I was particularly intrigued by Dubliners ever since I'd heard that Cathie Ryan's song "Eveline" was inspired by one of its tales.  Regarding Ulysses, I was in Dublin before and after Bloomsday in 2000 -- though I missed it so that I could see Newgrange, Tara, and Drogheda.  Any novel that could continue to inspire people to celebrate it more than a century after it was written had to be a good read.  The library made the decision for me, since it only had Dubliners available.

You can read my long, detailed reactions to most of the stories (or skip to the end for the snarky version) after the jump.

Chekhov's "Chekhov's Gun" Gun: Anton Chekhov's The Sea-Gull

Anton Chekhov had a very firm opinion about loaded guns in stories: "One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it."  The non-firing of a Chekhov's gun can leave the reader with an unsettled feeling at the end of a piece of literature.*  When I saw a loaded gun appear in Act II of Chekhov's The Sea-Gull, I became excited since I knew it would be fired by the end of the play.