Curious effect of dogs on our social lives

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Crimes of the Sarahs, Kristen Tracy

But I doubt that the Kalamazoo Police Department wants to lock up college-bound teens who volunteer at their local animal shelter and who are willing to clean out the dirtiest dog cages. And I bet none of our Michigan judges want to throw the book at four honor students who also happen to be outstanding altos...Why should the law be interested in us? We barely commit any serious crimes at all. At least for the moment.

The four Sarahs, who once were five, are close friends who can's stand to be separated from one another. They are all tightly controlled--and tightly wound--by their fearless leader, Sarah A. Sarah T., our narrator, practically has a panic attack at the thought of being kicked out of the group when she fails a free write (what other hazing ritual would honors students have?) about what she would be willing to do for her Sister Sarahs. After all, they've successfully managed to shop lift at almost every shop in town, have done some vandalism, and even stoop to pet-napping (twice) during the course of the novel.

Crimes of the Sarahs is a good book: funny with meaty ethical dilemmas. Sarah T.'s growth (not as dynamic as a "transformation") is believable, though she is a bit of dishrag. The plots (like the guy phase) and the capers (like attempting to take the pitbull) are hilarious, if a bit tragic. It's a tough theme: the bully who isn't an enemy, but who is cleverly disguised as your friend. I think the author does a good job with it and doesn't give us an after-school special ending.

Bones of Faerie, Janni Lee Simner

After a brutal war between humans and faery, the remaining humans who live in Liza's town deal ruthlessly with magic users who appear in their population: they kill them. When Liza's father exposes (as in "death by exposure" where you leave an infant or child in the wilderness to die, see Oedipus or Atalanta) and kills Liza's baby sister, Rebecca, and Liza's mother vanishes into the hostile wilderness, Liza decides to leave the town and find her mother. On her journey to find her mother Liza is accompanied by the cat Tallow and Matthew, a werewolf. Liza finds a new village where magic is cultivated, and they try to live peacefully with magic and the hostile environment.

This is a post-apocalyptic story, the aftermath of a genocidal war between human and faery. The landscape is filled with trees, rivers and plants that eat people, and magical bomb-rocks still litter the land. The humans too are also extremely ruthless and cruel, and Liza has to decide what path she will take: forgiveness and integration, or obedience to the Father.

E-books on VOA

This is a really good summing up of the ebook industry and some recent controversy.

Permanence: Tattoo portraits by Kip Fulbeck

Why did you get that tattoo? seems to be the question asked by Kip Fulbeck's book Permanence. This isn't a collection of flash, so it is not a book to get an idea about the type of tattoo that you want. It is a collection of pictures that reveal various tattoos and the recipient's (host's?) comments in a handwritten note next to the picture as to the whys and wherefores of their tattoo. The book does have some interviews with more famous tattoo artists, like Kat von D, and tattoo wearers (brandishers?). Most of the pictures are of normal people with a wide variety of tattoos, some fresh, some beautiful, some what-were-you-drinking?

City of Edmonton Archives makes over 25, 000 photographs available

The City of Edmonton Archives has a searchable database of photos. You can also browse through the 200 most popular images.

What! No photos of the Rat Hole?

Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

When distracted by a marriage proposal from a boy that she doesn't love, Mary forgets to watch over her depressed and erratic mother who is infected by the Unconsecrated (yep, that's zombies) who lurk outside of their city's fences. Mary's brother can't forgive her inattention and he chucks her out of the house.

Dependent on the mercy of the Sisterhood, a weird (as in wyrd) religious organization that rules their town, Mary begins training to become a Sister, but she can't be obedient. She reads books silently in her enclosed cell and meditates, which means she is driving the Sisters bonkers as they worry about what she is plotting--and, at night, she visits a wounded boy, the boy she really, really likes, which is a bit better sin than thinking too much quietly and gnashing your teeth with longing.

Mary also discovers that a young woman, a stranger, has come into the village through one of the secret paths protected by the Guardians and the Sisterhood. The Guardians and the Sisterhood have told the villagers that the paths lead nowhere, but Mary is fascinated. The Sisterhood decides to not reveal that a stranger has come into the village and Mary's curiosity about the stranger gets her kicked out and into the arms of the boy she doesn't want to marry (she wants to marry his brother who is engaged to marry her best friend--what's a zombie book without angst?)

But those zombie hordes: they have to get over the fence--especially when they have a speedy leader. Mary and her "husband", Mary's faithful dog Argos, as well as a young boy named Jacob, Mary's best friend and the boy Mary loves, in addition to Mary's brother and his wife, are forced onto the paths to try to find a way to escape from the Unconsecrated. Mary is determined to follow the path to the end, believing that the final gate leads to the mysterious ocean that her mother told her about. The ocean equaling freedom from the Unconsecrated and Mary's own restless heart.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a good book, a solid adventure and it has zombies--bonus points! But it does have problems. Mary, the mutineer, who just trudges around thinking really hard and not talking is hardly a revolutionary. She spends lots of time loinly longing for the boy she can't have, who is supposed to love her back but the Sisterhood says no, and he is engaged to her best friend, while her crush's brother is in love with Mary--GAH! Is this One Tree Hill with undead?

The Sisterhood is menacing, and it is implied that they know way more than they should about zombie making, but they're worried about teenage crushes and pouts? Mary appears to think hard and grind her teeth--so she is halfway to zombiedom--and worry that everyone dismisses her and her opinions--this is supposed to give the Sisters more than an eye twitch of annoyance? A more outspoken Mary and more time with the twisted Sisters might have helped this book, since an increasing menace within the supposed safe place, until the inside is as terrifying as the outside, is the hallmark of a great horror novel. Stephen King's The Mist is a perfect example.

The last half of the book is a heroic chase, with some small reprieves, and I preferred the story when it was less about loins and more about not becoming an entree. Mary does rise to the occasion when the zombies come over the wall, but you almost wish she would feed her companions to the undead. Except for Mary who is not quite believable as a mutineer, most of the characters were flat. The Sisterhood was diabolical, so more time spent with them and their psychological games might have been fun, but Mary seems absolutely powerless against them, though she does become a competent zombie slayer.

Points for zombies, Forest of Hands and Teeth is a mature, ghoulish Ember.

The Edgars

This year's winners and nominees.

Eon Dragoneye Reborn

Eon is selected as a possible apprentice to the Rat Dragoneye whose dominion year has arrived. Eon is the least likely candidate to succeed, not because he is a cripple but also because he is really a girl in disguise. Females are forbidden to approach the dragon as a candidate for Dragoneye, but her master has decided to take the risk, since he needs the money, and because Eon seems to possess an enormous spiritual energy.

Through the machinations of a corrupt Dragoneye, Eon doesn't become the Rat Dragoneye candidate, but she awakens a dragon, the Mirror Dragon, who has not shown itself in almost 500 years. Eon's arrival changes the political landscape. She recasts herself as a revolutionary and a monarchist (!!) but her confusion over her identity may make it impossible for her allies to utilize her powers.

Dragoneye Reborn is an acceptable girl-and-her-dragon court fantasy, but considering it's door-stopper size, I would have expected more character development, instead of the requisite "I am Eona [by the power of GreySkull]!" self-realization. One of the problems is too many characters, ally-wise and two stock villains--testosterone-poisoned bully and wicked uncle. However two of the allies, the eunuch and transgender court lady, were the most interesting aspects of the book, adding depth to Eon's own dilemma. I hope we can spend more time with them in the next, and final, installment.

13 bullets, online

You can read all of 13 Bullets, online, for free.

Enjoy...the bloody mayhem.