Young Adult

Discovering Betsy-Tacy #5: Heaven to Betsy and Maud Hart Lovelace Challenge Wrap-up

Michelle4 Comments

Heaven to Betsy

Knowing she looked pretty now, feeling successful and gay, Betsy smiled.
“How do you like high school?” she asked.
“I like it.  Do you?”
“I think it’s just Heaven.”
“Heaven to Betsy!” he said.

When I first considered reading the Betsy-Tacy books, Emily told me that I had to at least get to Heaven to Betsy to make my decision about them even if it meant skipping earlier books to get there.  I didn’t skip any books, but I have been anxiously awaiting the high school books.  The Earlier books are fine, but definitely meant for young readers.  Emily was right.  Heaven to Betsy was simply wonderful and could be enjoyed by anyone.

Heaven to Betsy is the first of the older Betsy-Tacy books.  I got my hands on one of the new editions that bundles it with Betsy in Spite of Herself (which I’m itching to read but making myself finish some other books first).  In Heaven to Betsy, Betsy is just starting her first year of high school.  It opens with her away from home for the summer and feeling very homesick.  When she returns, she finds out her family is moving and she will no longer live across the street from Tacy.  Tib has moved back to Milwaukee by this time.  All of these changes put Betsy in a “mood.”  But this all changes when she starts making new friends and becomes very, very interested in boys.  All of her adventures as a teenager left me grinning from ear to ear as I read.

Reading about Betsy’s high school years really didn’t seem that different than my high school years.  Passing notes, talking on the phone, gossiping, and hanging out with friends.  “The Crowd” as Betsy’s group of friends was called was similar to the group I hang out with (including the swapping of affection).  Of course, my friends and I had an even less creative name and just referred to everyone as “The Group” which was sometimes broken down to “The Boys” and “The Girls.”  Betsy experiences her first crush, her first kiss (on the cheek), and her first heartache.  Growing up in 1900s Minnesota didn’t really seem that different than growing up in 1990s Michigan was for me.

The Rays are such an amazing family.  Mr. and Mrs. Ray have the kind of marriage that must make even happy couples jealous.  And what wonderful parents they are – always listening to their children and understanding their troubles.  When Betsy and Julia want to become Episcopalians, their Baptist parents see that they are serious and allow them to make that important decision.  This book also made me wish I had a sister.  Although I love him, my brother was no Julia.

The Rays home seems so cozy and inviting.  I want to have a home like that someday.  I love the idea of Sunday Night Lunch.  Anyone can stop by and Mr. Ray does the cooking.  A night for friends, family, and fun.  Go here to check out a real life Sunday Night Lunch.

At first, I was afraid that Tacy was getting left behind as Betsy experience high school, but throughout the book you can tell they are still close and the book ends with a touching scene of the two of them.

I can’t wait to keep reading these books.

Maud Hart Lovelace Challenge Wrap-up

By finishing Heaven to Betsy, I have completed the Maud Hart Lovelace Challenge (my first completed challenge ever!).  For this challenge, I read:

  • Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill
  • Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown
  • Heaven to Betsy

My favorite book was, of course, Heaven to Betsy, but I enjoyed them all.  Thanks to S. Mehrens of A Library is a Hospital of the Mind for hosting this challenge.  If you want to read other reviews,click here.

My Halloween Resolution

Michelle10 Comments

My last post notwithstanding, I have decided that I have been reading too many young adult novels lately.  I’m 26.  I’m married. I have a real job. Yet I keep reading books meant for teenage/pre-teen/even-younger-than-that girls.  Part of this is due to my Betsy-Tacy journey.  Part of this is due to my Post-War and Peace lack of attention for big books.  And partly is is just because some good young adult books have recently been released or discovered.

But I don’t want to read only YA books.  There are a lot of good grown-up books out there that I want to read.  So I’m instituting a new rule.  I need to keep at least a 1:1 ratio each month (starting in November of course).  For every YA book I read, I need to then read a non-YA book.  This will allow me to shift my focus back on some of the other books I want to be reading.

I also want my husband to respect me again. (I told him he would like this post and he asked if he was in it.  I said no and he said he likes when he is in my posts so this is me mentioning him).

But I do still have Catching Fire to read…and the Betsy-Tacys…and…

The Hunger Games

Michelle5 Comments

Around the time that Catching Fire came out this year, I began hearing of the buzz around this series. So I requested a copy of The Hunger Games from the library and calmly waited until it came in. Then I devoured it (that pun might be intended). I read it in 3 late night reading sessions last week after Husband had gone to bed forcing myself to put it down each night so that I could get a few hours of sleep. The plot moved quickly, the premise was fascinating, and the characters came to life. Like most young adult books, the writing may not be fantastic, but the story makes up for it.. I’m saving the sequel, Catching Fire for the read-a-thon and the wait is killing me.

The Hunger Games

For those who don’t know, the Hunger Games is a dystopian novel taking place sometime in the future in what is now the United States. The Capitol rules the outlying Districts and to show its control and prevent rebellion, every year 2 teenagers – Tributes – from each district must take part in a competition to the death that is nationally televised. The winner returns to a live a life of luxury in his or her district. This year Katniss takes her younger sister’s place as a Tribute. Peeta, a boy her age, is chosen as the second Tribute. Together they journey to the Capitol where they must participate in the pomp and circumstance leading up to the games and then fight for their lives
once it begins.

This book is sort of a mash-up of The Lottery and The Most Dangerous Game with a little love story thrown in for kicks. I highly recommend it to those of you out there who love a good young adult dystopian novel.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Michelle1 Comment

Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The

I just finished reading this book and immediately got on my computer to tell you all about how wonderful it is.  I loved it.  I started it yesterday and couldn’t put it down.  I even read it during intermissions at the (poorly-lit) hockey game last night.

I read it based on Emily‘s recommendation of it.  I thought it would just be a good story of a girl at boarding school and a secret society.  Despite spending my entire academic life in public institutions, I’ve always been fascinated by the secret societies at prep schools and the Ivy League colleges.  But this book turned out to be so much more.

Frankie is the kind of girl that I want to be.  The feminist who actually tests the gender roles around her.  As much as I may talk about feminist ideas, I still have to ask one of the men at work to change the water bottle or kill the palmetto bug  (the Floridian’s nice way of saying “cockroach”) I find in my office.  I can’t completely break out of the female role I was molded into.  In my profession, I occasionally will have to brush up against the Old Boys network just like Frankie so I enjoyed living vicariously through her.

I also enjoyed the way she thinks.  The decision-making process she goes through during every conversation.  The neglected positives.  It made it all rather enjoyable to read.

And I’m glad that I learned that a female peacock is a peahen and together they are peafowl.

Everyone should go out and read this book.

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