Dandy Books

Dandy Books is a meme I began about books that are on my TBR list. They are mostly older books not necessarily from the current year. Hopefully I can make your list bigger!

Saint Iggy by K. L. Going

I am not so bad a person once you get to know me.

When Iggy Corso gets kicked out of high school, there's no one for him to tell. His mother has gone off, his father is stoned on the couch, and the phone's been disconnected, so even the social worker can't get through. Leaving his public housing behind, Iggy ventures into the world to make something of his life. It's not easy when you're sixteen, have no skills, and your only friend is mixed up with the dealer who got your mom hooked. But Iggy is . . . Iggy, and he has the kind of wisdom that lets him see what no one else can.

K. L. Going's third novel is a haunting achievement about a young man's tragic search for meaning in a world that to him makes no sense.

RD: 2008
Interest: I read the ending was freakin' sad. I like sad books *shrugs* I can't help it, I'm a masochist. ;) The story itself sounds pretty fascinating too.

Birdwing by Rafe Martin
Once upon a time, a girl rescued her seven brothers from a spell that had turned them into swans. But one boy, Ardwin, was left with the scar of the spell's last gasp: one arm remained a wing. And while Ardwin yearned to find a place in his father's kingdom, the wing whispered to him of open sky and rushing wind. Marked by difference, Ardwin sets out to discover who he is: bird or boy, crippled or sound, cursed or blessed. But followed by the cold eye of a sorceress and with war rumbling at his kingdom's borders, Ardwin's path may lead him not to enlightenment, but into unimaginable danger.

RD: 2007
Interest: Doesn't that synopsis just sound awesome? I love fantasy novels so I definitely can't wait to get to read this one.

Summerland by Michael Chabon
For over a century, the people of Clam Island, Washington, have enjoyed barbecues and baseball games and Summerland, on the Western tip of the island, where it never rains. The small beings -- known as ferishers -- who ensure this perfect weather, however, are threatened by an ancient enemy, and need a hero -- a baseball star, in fact -- to vanquish their foe. Summerland is the story of Ethan Feld, the worst ball player in the history of the game, recruited by a hundred-year-old scout called Ringfinger Brown, himself a Negro League Legend. Accompanied by his determined friend, Jennifer T. Rideout, and guided by a friendly werefox, Ethan struggles to defeat giants, bat-winged goblins, and one of the toughest ballclubs in the realms of magic, to save all the Summerlands, and ultimately the world.

RD: 2002
Interest: It sounds pretty neat and I loved The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

City of Beasts by Isable Allende

Alexander Cold is about to join his fearless grandmother on the trip of a lifetime.An International Geographic expedition is headed to the dangerous, remote wilds of South America on a mission to document the legendary Yeti of the Amazon known as the Beast.

But there are many secrets hidden in the unexplored wilderness, as Alex and his friend Nadia soon discover. Drawing on the strength of their spirit guides, both young people are led on a thrilling and unforgettable journey to the ultimate discovery . . .

RD: 2005

Interest: Even the title intrigues me.

Read any of them? What did you think? Interested?