Tweaks

Now that I’m on a slightly less hectic schedule for the summer, I’ve been trying to pay more attention to Up Past Bedtime. From here on out, you’ll be seeing a few different things. The main one is a ranking system for my reviews! I think I do a pretty good job of describing what I do and don’t like about the books I review, but I thought it would be even more helpful to give each review a concrete ranking. In addition to my thoughts and comments, I’ll be using the following rankings when I review a book:

Up ‘till dawn: This book was amazing and I happily forfeited sleep in order to keep reading.

Early morning hours: This book was great and I kept bargaining with myself for “just one more chapter!”.

Good night’s sleep: This book was good, but I put it down once the clock hit bedtime.

Turn in early: This book couldn’t even keep me going until my usual bedtime.

I also want to start adding in more non-review material. News about movies based on YA books, etc.

I hope these little changes provide some improvement to the blog! Keep an eye out!

Cooking with Harry!

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

by Dinah Bucholz

I just wanted to share a quick look at one of the awesome books I received for my birthday! One of my fabulous coworkers (and fellow book fanatic) presented me with the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook last week! I don’t really have experience with “unofficial” books - in all honesty, that word makes me think of unauthorized biographies by crazed or angry fans of various celebrity personalities. But this cookbook is not like that. Yes, the author is obviously a fan, but this is such a sweet form of fan-dom! One of the aspects of the Harry Potter books that I’ve always loved is the rich description and detail JK Rowling provides, and these recipes help bring that to life. I love any scene that takes place in the Weasley house, because I can just imagine how cozy and lived-in it must feel. And the scenes from Christmas Day in the first book - the feast, Harry and Ron toasting marshmallows and crumpets over the fire in the Griffindor common room - I can just imagine being there!

This cookbook includes recipes for dishes and snacks mentioned in all seven HP books, as well as some other British-type recipes. Each recipe is preceded by a little description of which book it made an appearance in, and most include some fun facts about the history of the foods! I’m particularly interested in making the chocolate birthday cake that Hagrid presented to Harry on his eleventh birthday, as well as the crumpets that Harry enjoyed while talking to the Minister of Magic after he blew up Aunt Marge and took the Knightbus out of Little Whinging into London.

I promise to share the results as soon as I start cooking!

A Match Made ... By Someone Else

Matched

by Ally Condie

Do you ever see a book and dismiss it without much more thought because you think you know the general subject matter and assume it won’t interest you? Well, Matched was one of those books for me. For some reason I had assumed it was science fiction-y, and as I’m not crazy about that genre, I always glanced right over it when I saw it on the shelf. Several times. Luckily, I picked it up recently and figured out I was totally wrong and had been missing out on a real treat.

Summary

What if you lived in a world where everything was perfect and orderly? Disease and suffering do not exist, people are placed in the best jobs and living situations for their capabilities, and everything is taken care of and makes sense. This is the world that 17-year-old Cassia lives in, and she has complete trust in the Society officials who keep things running. On the night we meet Cassia, she is on her way to her matching ceremony, where she will learn the identity of her future husband - i.e., her match, and she couldn't be happier with the way things are going.

But there is a glitch that occurs when Cassia goes home and reviews the card of information about her match. She briefly catches a glimpse of another boy's photo. A boy whom she was not matched with, but who, in that brief flash of a photo, raises questions in her mind: what if he is the right one? What if she had a choice?

What follows is a personal struggle in which Cassia begins to see and consider everything in her world differently. She takes a different look at the order and control imposed on her life by the Society, and wonders if this might not be the best way to live. She fights with her own emotions and thoughts, grappling with the success she has seen the Society maintain versus the feelings she cannot deny inside herself. These thoughts and questions drive the story, eventually forcing Cassia to make decisions she never thought she would face.

Worth staying up past bedtime?

When I plucked this book off the shelf at the library, I finished the first three pages before looking up and remembering I was at work. So yes! Author Condie’s description of the Society and the rules and regulations that are maintained are fascinating, and (for me) raised questions about our current ways of living and the impact that technology and information overload can have on people. Cassia’s debate about which boy she should pick got a little old at times, but she was very representative a 17-year-old in that respect. I devoured this book and have already been suggesting it to friends!

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

A book!

It's a Book
by Lane Smith

Oh, the book. Everyone wants to know what will happen to it in the years to come. I'll leave that debate alone for today, and instead bring you a fun look at what might happen to those who don't get enough exposure to real books.

Summary
Lane Smith's It's a Book is a picture book that readers young and old can appreciate. A monkey, dressed in a tiny hat and a polka-dotted shirt, just wants to read his book. However, he is continually interupted by a donkey, err, a jackass, as he is labeled on the first page (does this make it wrong for young readers?) who wants to know what the book is. Our curious friend peppers the monkey with questions about the book: "Does it need a password? Can it play music? How do you scroll down?" Tired of trying to explain that "it's a book," the monkey hands it over, only to watch as his irritating companion becomes engrossed in the story of Long John Silver. So the monkey does what any self-respecting book lover would do. He leaves to go to the library, telling the donkey that he does not, in fact, have to charge the book for him when he's done - "it's a book, jackass."

Worth staying up past bedtime?
A book about a book that makes fun of the ever-encroaching world of electronic gadgets and toys? Absolutely worth staying up for! Any adult will appreciate the monkey's exasperated responses to the ever-curious and technology overloaded donkey, and tech-savvy youngsters are sure to be amused by the reparte as well. The illustrations are quite entertaining, and the finale of the whole discussion ("I'm going to the library") was just right.

Recommended for any age. Just be prepared to explain what a jackass is if you have young readers present!