The Stolen by Alex Shearer

This book proves once again that there are lots of really good unknown titles that should be more famous. Sadly, fame is a limited commodity. Oh well, if you read this, and you happen to like a YA story about witches and stolen bodies, go and get this book right now! It's really worth the read.

The story centers around Carly and her new 'friend' Meredith. I use quotation marks because Meredith is like Haibara Ai but less likable (Haibara is a character from Detective Conan, and she acts like an adult). But then, Carly discovers that Meredith is actually a witch who stole her body. The real Meredith is actually the old woman Meredith claims is her grandmother. And so, Carly tries to help right this wrong.

What I love about this story was Carly. She's this really talkative girl who wants a sister/special friend. I wasn't sure if I'd love the story in the first chapter (This story is told from the first person point of view), but I fell in love with her voice and character. She's a truly likable heroine.

Another thing about this story is that it explores the youth/age idea. I think it's a very good wake-up call to all those young kids complaining about their lives. At least they have the energy to complain (I certainly don't). It's also a really good portrayal of how sometimes adults and kids can be condescending to the elderly - especially when you think the elderly in question has lost her mind. My heart just broke at some of the treatment that went on in the book.

My only complaint about the book is that they took Necromancy to be about magic. Strictly speaking, it's about raising the dead, which no one should do because it goes against the will of God (you shouldn't even be doing witchcraft in the first place). But that's me being anal about details.

Overall, this is a really enjoyable book. It's targeted at younger kids, but it'll probably appeal to older kids too.

Common-sense Supply Management by Dr. Tom Depaoli

*Note: If you're bored to death by business talk, you may want to skip this post*

I was really interested in this book because it claimed to have stories from "the supply-management trenches". I really love stories! And Supply-Management is quite hard. But, while this book has a good idea, the execution has something to be desired.

The first chapter just jumps into the stories, with only the headers telling you what you need to know. After that, the rest of the book is devoted to showing you how you can improve your supply management process. I think it would have made more sense if the stories were spread out throughout the book, and used to illustrate a point.

Another thing about this book is that it's very geared towards large corporations. Some of the techniques required (especially when it comes to the standards you expect of the suppliers) doesn't seem like it'd be effective for a small company with little-to-no bargaining power.

While this book is quite simple to understand, the reader has to understand what Lean and Six Sigma is before they start reading. These two are key terms which aren't explained till the end, in the glossary of terms. Simply put, both terms refer to techniques that are aimed at cutting down waste and getting things down right the first time.

So, is there anything that we can use in real-life? Well, if you're not in a corporate job, I think your take home would be "do your leg-work, put in your best and expect the best from others." I think it's a good idea to take home.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

Long Reads #18

I'm finally back with another Long Reads post! Hisashiburi desu ne~ (It's been a long time). This time, I'm focusing on book-ish essays:

My Father's "Eviscerated" Work by Raphaëlle Rérolle - This is actually a really good essay about Tolkien's legacy, and a little of what his family thought about it. For example, the Lord of the Ring film studios didn't want to pay royalties to the estate. That's not very fair. And sadly, the estate has no way to make sure that the films are true to the books (so if you don't like the films, just blame the producers).

It Matters if You're Black or White: The Racism of YA Book Covers by Annie Schutte - This is actually a really thought provoking covers. Even though I buy books based on whether the cover is attractive, I don't normally think much about the cover afterwards. She does make a compelling case for a bias towards Caucasian characters though.

YA Book Post - Whitewashing Covers by Diana Peterfreund - And here, one of the authors featured in the above article to say that her cover was accurate (surprise!). And yes, it does seem as though her protagonist is white, even though the word "brown" was used at one point. I think the point to take back from the two articles is: some covers are accurate, and some are not. Let's do all we can to change the inaccurate ones.

Royal Bodies by Hilary Mantel - I'm including this under the "books" category because Hilary Mantel is an awesome writer. Yes, this is the article that had everyone in shock because she said some bad things about Kate Middleton, but the real focus of this article is really how women like Marie Antionette and Anne Boleyn have been portrayed. A really good look if you're into historical fiction.

On Travelogues by Ian Manley - If you were to read only one article from here, read this one. It's so awesome that clicking the title will link you to the page (It's that good!). I may even subscribe to their RSS feed(; And this isn't in the article (but appeared when I saved to readability), but there's also a list of "enduring Travelogues in the Public Domain". This is a really great introduction to the history of the travelogue (also bemoaning how most travel blogs nowadays are awful - oops! I think my other blog falls under this!), and I think I'm going to read more travelogues as a result. Any reccomendations?

What about you? What have you been reading?

With or Without You by Domenica Ruta

When people say that reading lets you live a thousand lives, I'm pretty sure they're talking about memoirs as well. After all, Domenica Ruta's life is as unlike mine as could be possible, but after reading her memoir, I feel like I've (in some small way), experienced what she felt.

Ms Domenica grew up with Kathi, her insane, drug-addicted mother. Domenica isn't pretty either (so this isn't one of those Cinderella books either), but she does love to read. In her own words, she has a hunger for knowledge and

"Hunger like this is pitiful. It never affords you the luxury of distinguishing between useless and important knowledge, between good and bad words. And, like movies, bad words were another resource in which my family was truly rich."

And no, the love of reading and writing doesn't save her. Instead, she manages to acquire several addictions while pursuing her study.

So far, the book sounds bleak. But the way With or Without You is written is somehow matter-of-factly, as though this was normal and no sympathy is required. And in a weird way, this is true - her extended family is as dysfunctional as her, and what happens must have seemed normal.

The book ends (I can say this because the blurb mentions it), with Ms Domenica "living the life she grew up with". In other words, she gets sober. It's no miracle, it's a long, painful process, and I admire her all the more for it.

If you like memoirs, you have to read it.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.