My Brilliant Friend (L'amica geniale #1)

My Brilliant Friend (L'amica geniale #1) Elena Ferrante, Ann Goldstein (Translator) 4/5	Published 2011 First Sentence "This morning Rino telephoned."
Publisher's Description: A modern masterpiece from one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense, and generous-hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante’s inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship. The story begins in the 1950s, in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else. As they grow, as their paths repeatedly diverge and converge, Elena and Lila remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiments of a nation undergoing momentous change. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her protagonists, the unforgettable Elena and Lila. Ferrante is the author of three previous works of critically acclaimed fiction: The Days of Abandonment, Troubling Love, and The Lost Daughter. With this novel, the first in a trilogy, she proves herself to be one of Italy’s great storytellers. She has given her readers a masterfully plotted page-turner, abundant and generous in its narrative details and characterizations, that is also a stylish work of literary fiction destined to delight her many fans and win new readers to her fiction.
Dear Reader, This book was a delight and was completely unexpected. I took one look at the cover (not the one I used above, that one was changed for the paperback, thankfully) but this one: This looks like a book I would COMPLETELY avoid. Not only does it depict a woman in a traditional wedding gown and two little children following behind... but has a beautiful scenic view. Yeah, not for me at all. However, the cover of the girl amongst the shadows... now that is intriguing. After reading the book, the paperback cover definitely does justice to the book that the hardcover took away from. I don't want to focus on this, since it's been mentioned by a bunch of people reviewing this book, but I did have to speak my peace. Getting back to this epic Italian literary tale, I was completely ensnared into the lives of Elena and Lila. At first I thought this was going to be a cautionary tale of how careful you have to be picking friends, but while this might be a lesson early on, the story takes a bigger look at friendship. Part of the charm is the setting, Italy. When I think of Italy I see romance, gondolas, high fashion and great food (I have to admit that I've traveled to Italy a few times) but My Brilliant Friend gives you a sneak peek at a different Italy, one with rags, struggle, traditions and epic family battles. I've heard and experienced the powerful Italian personalities, but this book really brings it to light. All of the characters speak their mind, swearing at one another, professing love, throwing themselves into romance and passion. Who wouldn't want to read that? I have to apologize though, I might be mixing my feelings for the second book in the series with this one. Right after this book ends (on a cliffhanger), I picked up the next one and started reading it that same night (no sleep for the addicted reader). This novel follows the girls early childhood years, which is a great set-up but lacks the relatability with my current feelings and situations. I did connect with a few nostalgic childhood references but overall the charm was held within the differences. I loved experiencing and learning about the Italian traditions, the struggle the lower class Italians had to overcome was eye opening, from the challenges of keeping up good grades to remain in school to learning your work trade passed down from the family (giving you no room to create your own future). This book is very unique, I'm not very fond of being sucked into a series, my "too little books, too little time" motto gets in the way. However, this is a series that I don't regret starting and will eagerly anticipate the next one. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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Little Man

Little Man Elizabeth Mann 4 / 5	Published May 16, 2014 First Sentence "At first, the hollering seemed like part of his dream."
Publisher's Description: A light-hearted tale of a boy who gains self-confidence with the help of some timely mentoring. Albert is short -- very short -- and he hates it. His older brothers are tall like his father, but he takes after his petite mother. He wears too-large hand-me-down clothes from his bigger brothers. And worst of all, his very best friend moved away to Brooklyn during the school break. It was all so unfair. Albert is beginning Middle School on Little Scrub, the small Caribbean Island where he lives. As he steps on the bus, and sees the older kids, he feels smaller than ever. They take one look at him and howl with laughter, chanting "Little Man, Little Man, you so small, didn't hardly see you at all." Things go downhill from there, and would've stayed down if it wasn't for an encounter with Peachy, the leader of a troupe of stiltwalkers. The stiltwalkers do a lot more than walk: they dance and leap across the sand on spindly eight-foot high wooden stilts, their brilliantly colored costumes shimmering in the moonlight. Peachy invites Albert to join the high school students he teaches to stiltwalk. It's not an easy decision for Albert. Would they laugh at him even harder than the Middle School kids? And he is queasy about heights. The thought of wobbling around on those skinny wooden sticks makes him woozy with fear. But Albert is won over by the thought that one day he might actually be up there, tall as a palm tree, dancing around without fear or hesitation. Besides, desperate times call for desperate measures and nobody was more desperate than Albert. Slowly, as his stiltwalking improves, Albert finds his self-confidence grows. He becomes less of a target for teasing at school and he makes some new friends.
Dear Reader, We were lucky enough to briefly meet this author during the Blogger Conference this year in New York this past May.  She seemed really enthusiastic about her new book, and I can understand why: this is her first real "baby."  All of Mann's (don't you love her aptonym for this book?!) other works were non-fiction titles about various landmarks of history.  This is her first novel, and how much she cares about her characters - particularly Albert - really shines through. It's strange, though, because we received this is a bound galley (aka an ARC) and for some reason I had been under the impression that this book wouldn't be released until August 19.  However, it turns out that it went on sale May 16, so unfortunately this is not a "preview" review for y'all.  It's just a normal one. :) It was such a great pre-teen book, though.  I can't wait until my nephew is old enough to pass it along to him; I intend to hold onto it until then.  I think it was great in the way it could appeal to young boys: there wasn't a ton of romance in it (although there was a sidebar crush), and it was a wonderful story about family, friendship, and learning how to make the best of what you've been given.  Little Man, better known as Albert, is a young Caribbean boy whose friend recently moved to New York (his father went there to teach Caribbean Studies in the United States).  So he's lost his best friend at the same time that he is about to start middle school, and is unusually short for his grade (he's also skipped a grade, which is always difficult at that age and that point of development).  He feels puny and insignificant compared to his peers around him, and that translates into unhappiness as he begins (what I believe is the equivalent of) the seventh grade.  However, he soon meets this great group of high schoolers who perform as stiltwalkers, which helps Albert to both feel like part of a community and also earn some "stature" (in more ways than one), which he feels is vital to someone who feels as short as he always does. I loved this book because of the wonderful characters that Mann creates, as well as the vivid storytelling that goes along with them.  Albert's family is made up of a solid father character, a caring mother, and two older brothers who love him despite their teasing.  The stiltwalkers (known as Moko Jumbies) according to the book, are a tradition that stretches back centuries, through Trinidad and originally Africa.  So the tradition combined with the modern take in the book blend well together.  I especially like seeing everything through the eyes of a young boy who sees it all as very exciting and feels all the potential of learning something new.  This didn't feel contrived or as if it were trying too hard; it felt like a real, believable story of a young boy trying to figure out his place in the world.  While it's not a book I would have normally sought out, I enjoyed the storytelling and the setting, and I would certainly recommend it, especially to a young boy struggling to define himself. Yours, Arianna

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