MMGM: The Tale of Mally Biddle by M.L. LeGette

Published: November 21st 2012
ISBN: 1481003208
Genre: YA fiction, fairy tales and fantasy, historical fiction Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Themes: adventure, friendship, loyalty, bravery, class
Add it on: Goodreads, / Amazon / Barnes And Noble/ *Indie Bound*

About The Book: When Mally Biddle agreed to spy upon the King of Lenzar and his overbearing knights she knew she was heading into danger. She didn’t know she’d find a family unlike any other.

Posing as a servant in Bosc Castle, Mally serves tea and restocks the fires for the most dangerous men in the kingdom. Her goal is to learn the truth of what happened sixteen years ago, when the infant princess met her death … a death that has more questions than answers.

Along her search for the truth, Mally meets the energized Lita Stump, the strict and matriarchal Meriyal Boyd, and the opinionated Archibald Diggleby. Then of course there are the knights: Sir Leon Gibbs who is slicker than a greased hog, Adrian Bayard, hot tempered and violent, and the worst of the lot: Sir Illius Molick, Captain of the Knights. And then there is Maud, a mysterious woman who just might know everything…

First Line: He sat at a small table in a dark corner.

One Great Line: “You know what I know, Mally. Now you must decide what to believe.”

What Others Are Saying: "This was a delightful book filled with excitement and more than a little espionage. Mally is a bright, strong character that is far from happy playing the delicate victim. She speaks up for herself and stands up for what is right, she doesn't hide her talents, but uses them to help those around her and she is loyal and protective of her friends and family. While I admit it was a bit predictable, it was still a fun read. This would be a fantastic book for a young girl and I think boys would enjoy the adventure in it as well. I especially appreciate that it is a book I could recommend to a ten- or twelve-year-old and not worry about inappropriate content. It is a very sweet book and very well written." — Smart Girls Read

More Bloggers Weigh In:

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

WitchMag's Boekenplank

Fly High

What I Thought: Mally is a stong heroine and I enjoyed following her adventure. LaGette did an excellent job of flushing out her character, often showing the precarious balance of fear and bravery one must have to survive. The "Gooseberry wine, blackberry mead, five-year-old cheddars the size of wagon wheels..." descriptions of food or the "large, black rat (that) sat on the counter, his bald tail wrapped...," all served to created a sense of being there. This is a great adventure, even though Mally is seventeen, this is appropriate for the younger teens and advanced young readers. I recommend this highly as an historical fiction that portrays a time of knights and kings and the contrasting realities of the servants. 

About The Author: M.L. LaGette

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Who: Melissa LeGette lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright.Her imaginary world is always fantastical.

When: Oddly enough it was my mom who suggested the profession. I was busily penning my first novel and telling her all about it when she asked, “Melissa what do you want to do when you grow up?” (I was probably 15 at the time.) I said, “I don’t know.” (And I really didn’t.) She then said, “Why don’t you be a writer?” The question rather blew me away. It had never dawned on me that I could be a writer. But it was so obvious. I haven’t looked back since.Oddly enough it was my mom who suggested the profession. I was busily penning my first novel and telling her all about it when she asked, “Melissa what do you want to do when you grow up?” (I was probably 15 at the time.) I said, “I don’t know.” (And I really didn’t.) She then said, “Why don’t you be a writer?” The question rather blew me away. It had never dawned on me that I could be a writer. But it was so obvious. I haven’t looked back since.

Celebrating Teen Read Week: Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

In support of ALA's Teen Read Week I'll be highlighting a new TEEN read each day. 

Challenge yourself!

Published: February 12, 2013
ISBN: 039925692X
Genre: YA, historical fiction
Publisher: Philomel Books
Themes: adversity, achieving goals, character, race, class
Add it on: Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes And Noble/ *Indie Bound*

About The Book: It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer.
She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street. Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

What Others Are Saying: "Josie's narrative features a Dickensian array of characters; the mystique, ambience, and language of the French Quarter; a suspenseful, action-packed story; and a coming-of-age realization that personal decisions ultimately shape one's future. With dramatic and contextual flair, Sepetys introduces teens to another memorable heroine." —School Library Journal

"Josie wants more for herself. She is smart, but her intelligence does not automatically free her from social confines. Like every young woman, Josie must negotiate a world where her body is valued over her mind. Her awareness of this difficult position may be what helps her get out of the Easy and into life." —New York Times

What I Thought: Sepetys has a rich lyrical style that carefully weaves a plot full of deeply complicated characters. Set in New Orleans the southern flavor comes through and made this tale enjoyable. Josie is a strong heroine. Her journey to rise above shows how how strength combined with the help of others can help you accomplish anything.

About The Author: Ruta Sepetys

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Who: "In addition to music and writing, I enjoy serving on the Board at the University, collecting eccentric art, and pondering life's mysteries over long meals with my friends and family. I have a passionate love for paper and vintage ephemera. I'm quite good at crying, dancing like a strumpet, laughing too loud, and traveling. In my travels, I have visited 42 countries on six continents. My adventures have inspired dozens of stories and seeing that I am fond of both sitting and being melodramatic, my husband suggested I write a novel.
So I did." — Ruta Sepetys

MMGM: A Week With Fiona Wonder by Kelly Huddleston

Caution: This book is actually YA. I believe depending on the upper middle grade reader, it could be appealing to them. This book deals frankly with real issues: single parenthood, healthcare, economics, class, etc. There is profanity, but it is not superfluous. 

Date Published: Feb 1, 2013

ISBN: 0615722822
Genre: Upper Middle Grade, contemporary fiction
Publisher: Open Books
Themes: friendship, family, home, cultural diversity, class, healthcare
Add it on: Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords

About The Book: It is exactly one week until sixteen-year-old Mercy Swimmer is to play out a dream scenario: to spend an entire week with movie star Fiona Wonder, the prize awarded to the winner of a contest staged by a teen magazine.
Mercy is kind and compassionate and always tries to see the best in everybody, even when those around her do not respond similarly. For example, her mother’s snippy, hot-tempered friend Nikki is a kleptomaniac who constantly belittles her boyfriend. Her best friend Valerie has anger issues and a weight problem. Beautiful but cold Lady Redding, Valerie’s mother, feels entitled to everything even as others go without. And Mercy’s mother, a severe asthmatic who works two menial jobs in a “dead mall”, seems to care more about Fiona Wonder and Mercy’s upcoming week with her than the pressing issues in their own lives.
       Everything is on track for Mercy’s upcoming week with Fiona Wonder, but when her mother’s asthma flairs up, Mercy’s world turns upside down and she is faced with a decision that will ultimately challenge her own capacity for compassion.
        A Week with Fiona Wonder shines an intense light upon the dire consequences of social exclusivity and suggests the alternatives of inclusion, empathy and, indeed, mercy.

What Others Are Saying:  "An ageless lesson told in a wonderfully contemporary way. Highly recommend!"—Susie Duncan Sexton, author of Secrets of an Old Typewriter: Stories from a Smart and Sassy Small Town Girl

"As the novel progresses and Mercy's frustrations with the people around her increase, however, another side of her character begins to emerge, one which surprises and disturbs her. She's sucked into new feelings of hurt, anger and vengeance, and before she knows it, it's too late - there can be no return to innocence. As Mercy herself tells us, 'No one knows what goes on inside a black hole unless you're actually in one, and if you're in one then you're already gone.' "  —Gregory Heath author of The Entire Animaland Thoughts of Maria

Some Blogger Reviews:Belle's Book Bonanza
Charles Ray's Ramblings
Minding Spot

What I Thought: Whenever I find a book with reviews across the board high and low, it almost always turns out there are many issues at play. And more often than not, I find myself drawn in with a desire to discern the writers intent, what is he/she really trying to say. That was the case with this book. 
     At the risk of sounding presumptuous, I'm going to  say, I get it. One of the biggest complaints about the book was that the title was misleading, the book addresses the week before the appointed movie star prize. Most Americans, especially teens, are caught up in the daily lives of celebrities. They focus on them, schedule their lives around their performances and clamor to read the latest gossip. The author is shinning a light on the underbelly of all that hero worship, the realities that face the majority of Americans. The 99%, struggling everyday to stay ahead of the bills, put food on the table and take care of their families. 
     The book follows Mercy, a fifteen year old who is faced with the daily tension of healthcare issues, poverty, prejudice and neglect. Each page is full of tension of her everyday life. Many reviewers said they found the book depressing, I see that. I saw something deeper, an amazing teenager dealing with adult issues, a young girl forced into adulthood and responsibility and then almost exploding under the pressure. You may not "like" the characters, their selfish self-preservation. There is no argument that they are real, complicated and all of them are scratching their way to survival in a world of high housing costs, skyrocketing tuition, low income, joblessness, lack of healthcare, etc. It becomes clear why the thought of a future and what that will look like is a luxury, only the rich can afford. 
    I applaud Huddleston for taking this head on. It is rare that anyone speaks honestly about the lives many of American teenagers face everyday of their lives. I thoroughly enjoyed the brash honesty, no punches were pulled here, characters difficult to like, let alone connect to. I believe this perspective is important to give voice to.

About The Author: Kelly Huddleston
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Interview on Moronic Ox
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Online Article Worth Reading
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Who: 
Kelly Huddleston is the author of the novels A WEEK WITH FIONA WONDER, ALONE IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS and THE PERFECT PEARL. Her work has been called original, accomplished and well-crafted.

Five Reasons I Wrote The Book- If you don't read anything else about the book, read this!

Next Week: Back to strictly fun with Cloneward Bound by M.E. Castle the second book in the Clone Chronicles.

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