Parenthetical.net

I just cataloged a novel called No Cream Puffs, by Karen Day. It’s about a girl in 1980 Michigan who plays baseball on the boys’ team.
The girl’s name? Madison.
I’m skeptical. I don’t know any 39-year-old Madisons. I sure do know a lot of twelve-year-old Madisons, though.
What do [...]

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If you’re waiting with bated breath for reviews of all the books I’ve been reading, you might have a bit of a wait — say, a couple of months or so. I have 5 or 6 reviews in the pipeline, because the reading hasn’t slowed down nearly as much as the writing. And [...]

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Via Omnivoracious:
Roald Dahl: sexiest spy in America
Not to give away the best part, but…

She proved such a tigress in bed that Dahl later claimed to have begged his superiors to take him off the assignment. He was ordered back to the bedroom, and told to close his eyes and think of England.

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Did any of you ever read this book as a kid? It involves a duck named Henry, who is making dinner for his friend Clara when he notices an ant in his kitchen. According to this review, what ensues is “adorable” and “hilarious.” According to young me, it was horrifying. Henry [...]

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I sat on this review for a few weeks, because I didn’t want you to forget about it — it is fabulous, and any of you who love Alanna or Jacky Faber (or any fantasy/adventure, really — this book is perfect adult crossover material) should run to your local bookstore or library to make Katsa’s [...]

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That little icon over there refers to what I’ve been calling the “Secular Humanist Hippie Stamp of Approval.” As I think you’ll all agree, that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. I’ve developed sort of an obsession with this concept, though, so I decided it needs an icon.
Here’s the deal: I’m [...]

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The only people in Samara’s life are her neglectful mother, her mother’s abusive live-in boyfriend, and her favorite chimpanzee at the zoo… until elderly Mr. Brook subs for her regular English teacher and changes her life with some poetry.
Sound like a cliche? Well, it… pretty much is. The book is only 173 small-format [...]

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