Forthcoming Joy In This Economy

As this economy slinks ever more hell-ward I have been spring cleaning both my house and my habits. As a single income family that hopes to one day become rich off darling husband's teaching job we have batten-downed the financial hatches. In reality this means that I have to be picky with my purchases of pure joy.

I must limit my book intake to those authors I truly love and can't do without. Robin McKinley, Carol Berg, Mercedes Lackey, and Charlaine Harris to name a few. This makes the release of a new books a bit like what Christmas should be (without the fights). The impatiens wonder, the barely contained excitement, and the staying up till ungodly hours reading once the box has been torn asunder.

The above book cover is one of those kind of joys. I hadn't heard a thing for years and just this week I found this and a pre-order on Amazon. I think it will be the last book in a series by Megan Turner who received the Newberry for "The Thief" (book one). If you haven't read these books - YOU SHOULD! They are some of the best YA literature being written today; and not a vampire in sight!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Hugo is a 12 year old who is good creating mechanical things. He lives in the walls of a Paris train station where he keeps the clocks running. Isabelle is a bright girl who loves to read and who's Godfather runs the toy shop Hugo is so fond of watching. Can a broken Automaton make them friends and can the man in the moon make them happy? With the flicker of old movie magic nothing is impossible

I’ve just finished this most wonderful book: “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick. Part picture book part novel this story is about dreaming, magic and movies, but it's also about secrets. I would love to see Mr. Selznick get a Newbery for it. I haven’t come away from a book like this since Tale of Desperoux! I felt like a kid being read to. The sketches that make op part of the story add to the feeling of magic and imagery. This book goes on the favorites shelf and will likely be read many times.

It has a mechanical man in it – an automaton and here’s a link the author shares about one in Philadelphia.

http://www.fi.edu/pieces/knox/automaton/