48 HBC Update 2

Time after update 1: 1:53

Since my first update, I read A TIME TO DANCE and wrote reviews of A TIME TO DANCE and COLD CALLS.  I also wrote two reviews for TGTBTU.  I spent twelve minutes finishing my review of "The Kraken King and the Scribbling Spinster" by Meljean Brook, which has an Asian hero.  I also spent 30 minutes writing a review of SIDEKICK by Auralee Wallace, in which a major character is Indian.  (Well, it isn't said outright, but her name is Indira and there is a reference to her having dark skin.)

Adding in a couple of minutes for this post and I am at 4 hours.  I am going to spend a little time blog hopping now, and then start CALIFORNIA BONES by Greg van Eekhout.  I'll also listen to a bit more of FAT ANGIE while I pack.

ETA:  I spent 40 minutes on social media and then 30 minutes listening to FAT ANGIE.  This will probably be my last update for awhile.  I'll be reading a lot as I get ready and travel tomorrow, but probably won't write an update until sometime after I get there.

ETA2: I accidentally listened to 30 extra minutes of FAT ANGIE.  Now it's really time for me to sleep.

48HBC Review: Cold Calls

By Charles Benoit
Available now from Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Review copy

I first heard of Charles Benoit when I saw him at the Austin Teen Book Festival.  I thought his book YOU sounded interesting, not the least because it was written in second person.  I never picked it up though, but I remembered his name.  His latest release is COLD CALLS, a high-tech thriller about three teens: Eric, Shelly, and Fatima.

Each of the teens has a secret that someone has found out.  And that someone is calling them, blackmailing them, and forcing them to bully someone at their school.  It gets them all put into an alternative program, where they meet and decide to track down their harasser.  It's an intriguing plot,  but COLD CALLS' biggest problem is having too much plot.

The story is driven by the fact that each of the teens is willing to bully someone else in order to have their secret kept.  Their motivation is key to the story working.  But each of the characters felt so shallow.  The weakest is Fatima, who doesn't get a point of view chapter until halfway through COLD CALLS.  It felt like Eric got the greatest focus in the novel, but he doesn't have much of a personal arc.  Shelly has the strongest emotional arc, but it felt like it cut away from her at a dramatic moment and then came back to her personal story once she was over it.

The super bully is chilling, but left me a bit cold.  COLD CALLS has some interesting things to say about the relationship between bullies and victims, but it felt like it went slightly over the top.  Again, it seemed like a bit more character development might've made it all work better.

I did think that the plot was interesting and moved along at a good clip.  There is quite a bit to discover, as the secrets unfold bit by bit and the three teens start getting closer to the antagonist.  COLD CALLS does engage with interesting ideas.  As I mentioned before, there is the nature of bullying.  There's also themes of personal responsibility, protecting private information in a digital world, and confession.  It's a decent choice for anyone looking for a quick, thrilling read.

Note: This review took me 20 minutes to write.

48HBC Review: A Time to Dance

By Padma Venkatraman
Available now from Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin Random House)
Review copy

Veda is a Bharatanatyam dancer in Chennai who has just won an important competition, one that could maybe convince her parents that she's serious about becoming a professional dancer.  A car wreck on the way home destroys her foot, and her leg is amputated below the knee.  Veda struggles to recover when she's offered the chance to join a medical trial and get an advanced prosthetic.

I know the barest bit of Bharatanatyam from my lessons on South Indian music.  Author Padma Venkatraman allowed me to visualize it, despite my unfamiliarity.  She describes the poses and feelings beautifully.  As Veda learns to dance again, she comes to a new understanding of the meaning of the dance.  The spiritual and religious meaning of Bharatanatyam is explored, as well as what that means for Veda and her own relationship with Shiva.

A TIME TO DANCE is told in verse (a wonderful form for describing dance).  However, Venkatraman's long, fluid lines read almost like prose.  This is not a book that will trip up a reader unfamiliar with or intimidated by poetry.

Dance is not the sole focus of A TIME TO DANCE.  Veda's family is very important to her, particularly her beloved Paati.  She struggles to hang out with her friends the same as she did before the accident, and doesn't know how to handle the overtures of friendship from her former dance rival.  She crushes on the doctor who gets her into the prosthetic trial and her new beginning dance teacher, who is her age.  Then, of course, there is Veda's relationship with her body.  She loved its strength, but she feels like she lost her beauty when she lost her old dancing ability.

I highly recommend A TIME TO DANCE.  Veda is a compelling heroine who undergoes a complicated personal journey, and Venkatraman's writing is gorgeous.  It's also an intriguing glimpse into another culture.

Note: It took me 50 minutes to read A TIME TO DANCE.  This review took me 15 minutes to write.

48HBC Update 1

I finished COLD CALLS, which took a little less than an hour.  (50 minutes, actually.)  I listened to FAT ANGIE for one hour and one minute.

Before I write a review of COLD CALLS, I'm taking a brief break to go get dinner.  I had leftovers for dinner, but I left them at work.  (Yes, it was brilliant.)  Luckily, I have a coupon for a free sub at the new Jersey Mike's.  I'll probably read on my Kindle while I'm there.  First up on my Kindle is A TIME TO DANCE by Padma Venkatraman.

This update took two minutes to write. Total time so far: 1:53

The 48HBC: Starting Line

It is time for the Ninth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge.  This is my official starting line.  I am attempting to read and review as many diverse books as possible in the next 48 hours.

There are some complications; I'm going out of town since I was acutely ill Memorial Day weekend and didn't see my family.  Hopefully I can read in the car while my dad drives.

I'm going to start by listening to FAT ANGIE by e.E. Carlton-Trujillo while I do chores.  Then, I'm going to start reading COLD CALLS by Charles Benoit.