Sappy title, great book. Yes, we’ve all heard of Betty Smith’s oft-assigned classic, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. But did you know she wrote many other fine novels, all with the same bittersweet tone as Tree? Joy is about the day to day struggles of a young married couple in the 1920’s, who manage to wring a little happiness out of life despite all their trials and tribulations. And boy, do they have some trials! Can you imagine trying to live on $5 a week in a two room apartment, going to law school and keeping your brand spanking new marriage from falling apart? That’s what Carl and Annie are up against, but they are determined to make it, no matter what. Smith knows her characters well, and by the end of this story, you’ll swear you know someone just like Carl or Annie, too.
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
“They seek him here, they seek him there, those Frenchies seek him every where. Is he is heaven? Or is he in hell? That demmed (said w/ an English accent) elusive Pimpernel!” During the French Revolution, when the French aristocracy were literally losing their heads to the peasants, there was one brave Englishman who risked his life to save as many innocent people as he could from the cruel guillotine. He was called The Scarlet Pimpernel, after the little red flower he left in his mysterious wake. Was the Pimpernel a real person? Not exactly, but he was based on real people who did try to help French aristocrats escape during the Revolution. The Baroness Orczy wrote a rich fictionalization of this imaginary hero, whose exploits include breath-taking rescues, swash buckling sword fights, and dizzying romance. Oh! Has historical fiction ever been this much fun? Even though this story has gone through many incarnations (several movie versions, a Broadway play) the original novel is still tops.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
Although this is a somewhat depressing book, it has quite a bit to say about human nature and how we all try to make meaningful connections with one another. In a small Southern town, Mick is a thirteen-year-old who dreams of leaving everything behind and becoming a famous composer. Biff is a restaurant owner who wonders what the heck he’s going to do with the rest of his life now that his wife has died. Jack is the local drunk who is looking for any kind of salvation, and Dr. Copeland is an African American physician who can’t understand why the other Blacks in his town won’t take more responsibility for their lives. All of them have found some relief talking to John, a deaf mute who provides each of them with what they need most-someone to listen. What they never stop to consider is that John may have problems-big problems-of his own. Each lonely character’s heart is hunting for something-love, compassion, answers to life’s big questions. And it’s a hunt that most of us can relate to. A deep, little bit weepy, read.
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
Fourteen year old Will Tweedy can’t believe it! With his beloved grandma not even cold in her grave, curmudgeonly Grandpa Blakesee has up and married again! And not just anyone-Grandpa has picked the sweetest flower on the vine, the town milliner (who also happens to be a Yankee!), Miss Love Simpson. Gums are flappin’ and tongues are waggin’ all over town, but no one is more confused than Grandpa’s own kin. Will knows he ought to be mad for grandma’s sake, but Miss Love is so sweet he doesn’t know what to think. And it’s just about the time of his grandpa’s new marriage that things start happenin’ at an alarming rate in the turn-of-the-century, sleepy town of Cold Sassy…country, quirky and oh so funny, Cold Sassy Tree is a hoot and a holler of a good classic read.
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Nick’s a straight bass player in a queer core band, sometimes called The F*offs, sometimes called Porn Yesterday, and occasionally None of Your Business. He’s trying to forget Tris, his ex-private school girlfriend who goes through nice boys like Kleenex. Norah is an indie-band spotter, a smart, flannel-clad straight-edger who prefers that no one know her father is a very famous record executive. She’s trying to forget Tal, a pretentious eco-warrior who never thought she was good enough for him. They meet in a dark club, share a serious kiss under bizarre circumstances (don’t ask) and head off into the Manhattan night to see if they can make their straight edges overlap. Nick and Norah will share one wild night that could amount to nothing or lead to forever. This novel is so hot it’s cool, penned in alternating chapters by hipster authors Rachel (Gingerbread) and David (Boy Meets Boy). Strictly for the PG-13 crowd, (note to readers: you’ll never look at a soda machine quite the same again) this out loud and proud tribute to sweaty punk music and raging teenage hormones will leave you head thrashing for more! And please make sure you see the a-mah-zing movie version starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings which, while not entirely true to the text, is still about six kinds of awesome!
Born to Rock by Gordon Korman
Leo Caraway is a straight-A, (as in grades) Type A, (as in hyper-organized) kind of guy, so his Young Republican world is completely rocked when he accidently discovers that his biological dad is none other than King Maggot, the lead singer of the famous punk band Purge. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, Leo has just lost his financial ride to Harvard, and is looking for a way to score some hard cash for school. It occurs to him that his newly discovered millionaire dad might be willing to part with some change if Leo can get close enough to give King’s heart (and purse) strings a little tug. So that’s how Leo finds himself spending his summer vacation on the road with Purge, slinging speakers and moving microphone stands, while trying to show King Maggot a little father/son love. But just when Leo is about to hit up King for his tuition, the paternity test results that King ordered at the beginning of the summer come back and both Leo and King are in for another big surprise. Hilarious, and sporting a fabulous cover, Born to Rock is a great story about family, punk music, and discovering your true, bad ass self.
Heavy Metal and You by Christopher Krovatin
Sam may not be in a band, but what he knows about heavy metal could fill an encyclopedia. Sam lives for Slayer concerts, hanging with his best friends, and getting drunk on Saturday night. That’s why no one is more surprised than he is when he falls for preppy, straight arrow Melissa, who not only has never heard of any of Sam’s favorite bands, but after a disastrous experience in a mosh pit, wants him to give up metal, his best friends, AND drinking. While Sam may be willing to sacrifice his friends and stay dry for a few weekends, giving up his metal is out of the question. Can this relationship be saved? Does Sam even want to? Newbie author Christopher Krovatin was born in 1985, which makes this Gen-X reviewer feel a little old. But Krovatin’s spot on dialogue and no-holds-barred look at the inner life of an enthusiastic metal head gave me a real appreciation for a type of music I bypassed altogether as a teen. A little raunchy and a lot honest, this short, funny novel will leave you wondering how far you would go for love.
The Orpheus Obsession by Dakota Lane
Anooshka Stargirl may have an unusual name, but every day of her life is depressingly the same. Her cool older sister Moon recently moved to New York City, leaving Anooska to care for their manic depressive mom, who acts more like a child than a parent. When she wants to escape her mom’s suffocating hold, she hangs out with her best friends Raphael and Agnes or her beloved parakeet Zack, and dreams of escaping to New York like her sister. Then, one summer weekend while she is visiting Moon, they meet Orpheus, pretty boy alterna-rocker of the moment, equal parts Beck and Bright Eyes. Anooshka is smitten, and instantly becomes an Orpheus groupie, obsessively reading his blog, attending his concerts, and eventually ending up in his bed. But what is true love for Anooska may just be another notch in the bedpost for Orpheus. Or has the groupie with a heart of gold really softened the cynicism of this elusive rock star? Dakota Lane keeps you guessing about the nature of this Francesca Lia Block-flavored rock and roll relationship ’til the bitter end, and gives real insight into the intoxicating power of music and how it can play with our emotions.
Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L.Going
Troy is fat. Not just a little chubby, but nearly 300 pounds of grade A blubber. In fact, he is so fat and so miserable that he contemplates throwing himself off of a NYC subway platform just to end it all. That is when he meets his grunge guardian angel, Curt McCrae. Curt is a local legend around Troy’s school, as he fronts an awesome downtown punk band. Despite being a high school dropout, Curt is a phenomenal guitarist and decides that Troy’s fate is not to be squished flat on the tracks, but instead to be his band’s new drummer. Together, the two forge an unlikely friendship in the dark and smoky world of New York’s punk scene. Making a commitment to help each other fight their addictions (Troy’s to food, and Curt’s to drugs) these two anti-heroes just might make it. Funny, sad, and sometimes, really gross, (Troy re-visits all too often in his first person narrative two particularly yucky body functions: sweat and puke) Fat Kid is ready to rule your world and your heart from page one.
Rock Star, Superstar by Blake Nelson
High school junior Pete has always been a straight arrow. He’s a smokin’ bass player, but he likes the notes to stay on the page, and no improvising, please. Pete believes that control and precision are what define “good” music. Until he joins up with the Carlisle brothers and their band, The Tiny Masters of Today. Billy Carlisle is a complete improvised terror on the mic, and he and Pete are constantly at each other’s throats. But somehow, someway, the music they make is amazing, even if it never is quite the same song twice. As their local reputation grows, the guys find themselves being hailed as bona fide rock stars, complete with hot girl groupies and record deals in the making. But can Pete handle school, his growing relationship with his quirky girlfriend, Margaret, and being in one of the coolest garage bands in Portland? This book is not for you if you loved Rachel Cohn’s Pop Princess, or Meg Cabot’s Teen Idol, or are glued to the TV set when Simon Cowell speaks. This book is for those who dig bands like The White Stripes, Pearl Jam, Nirvana or even the old school G & R (before Axl got all Botoxed) and wonder what it was like for those guys when they were first getting started. I have a feeling that it was a little like this perfect gem of a book. All music aside, this is also one of the finest books I’ve ever read about the development of a romantic teen relationship (between Pete and Margaret) that depicts it like it really is. This book rocks, HARD!
The Exes by Pagan Kennedy
It would be bad enough having to see your ex-girlfriend or boyfriend everyday at school or work. But what if you were in a band with your ex? And you were getting too successful to leave it, even though it was starting to drive you crazy seeing him or her all the time? That’s the story, morning glory, behind Pagan Kennedy’s band book The Exes. Walt is still crushing on Shaz, Shaz is pretty sure she’s into girls, and Hank and Lilly are trying to find a way to still get their fix off each other without Lilly’s boyfriend Dieter finding out. Can the four of them deal with all the behind-the-scenes emotions AND rock Boston? The ending may leave you to draw your own conclusions about where this indie group is going to end up, but as usual, Pagan Kennedy, with her wide knowledge of pop culture, does not disappoint.
Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys by Francesca Lia Block
Cherokee sings and plays the tambourine. Witch Baby is on the drums. Raphael is lead guitar and Angel Juan keeps time on the bass. Together, they are the Goat Guys, and their band is just as mystical and magical as you would expect any creation of Francesca Lia Block’s to be. The trouble starts when Raphael gets serious stage fright and can’t keep it together for their first public performance. So, Cherokee goes to Coyote and gets a pair of magic goat pants that makes Raphael’s stage fright disappear. But with his new found confidence, Raphael starts buggin’ out on a power trip and even though the band is doing great, Cherokee is worried that they may start destroying themselves from within. Can she get Coyote to take back the power before it’s too late? A short and completely fantastical band book that pushes the bounds of reality.
Chartbreaker by Gillian Cross
This is the story of Janis Mary Finch, or just Finch, thank you very much. Finch is grateful to her band, Kelp, for helping her escape her dreary existence as Janis Mary, big boned boring high school student. But she is finding out that assuming the role of Finch, young British rock star on the edge, comes with a whole new set of problems that the old Janis Mary couldn’t even being to imagine, starting with the crazy love/hate relationship she has with Kelp’s lead singer, Christie. Through all the touring, recording, and performing, Finch wonders if it’s all worth it if she can’t have Christie, and in the last climatic scene in the novel, you’ll find out if Finch is a hard-core rock and roll goddess or just a soft-hearted teeny-bopper after all. A band-tastic book that’s set in London, so you get a taste of that great English slang and beat.
Orfe by Cynthia Voigt
Enny and Orfe have been tight ever since Orfe purposely projectile-vomited on Enny’s elementary school tormentors. Now, they’re in college and Orfe wants Enny to manage her new band. No problem — except Orfe is hung up on Yuri, this druggie fresh out of re-hab, and while the music’s always right, Enny’s got a feeling that Orfe and Yuri may be all wrong. Can Orfe’s music save Yuri from the depths of drugged-out despair? Or will Yuri break Orfe’s heart along with her music? This is a fairly deep read, despite its short length. Voigt based the story on the legend of Orpheus, so be prepared — there’s substance to these lyrics.
Geniuses of Crack by Jeff Gomez
Indie band Bottlecap has finally made it big. Mark, Steve and Gary follow fame to L.A. where they find that going commercial is, unfortunately, the only way to go. Band leader Mark tries to keep both artistic control and his superficial girlfriend, Corinne, from getting out of hand. Steve is hanging out with Sam, their weird mooching neighbor who claims to be some kind of artist but nobody knows just what kind, while Gary, nostalgic in the way only slackers can be, is on a mission to find old Atari equipment and woo his new girl, Whitney. Can three slacker guys from Kitty, Virginia, beat the corporate wolves of California? Probably not, but they’re going to go through a lot of angst trying. If you want to find out how Bottlecap was first formed, read Gomez’s first novel, Our Noise, of which Geniuses is a spin-off.