ah.... fairy tales

Have just figured out – Undercover Boss = Cinderella! No wonder I’m such a sucker for this show.

Disguised as a lowly worker whose real worth is hidden by strange facial hair or harsh makeup and fake nails, UB toils at various jobs within the company for several days. The hotter and grungier (cleaning port-a-potties, landscaping, snaking drains), the better. During these trials, UB sufferers humiliation, makes friends, and occasionally is horrified by the people who work for the company. Always, he or she comes to appreciate the effort required to do these frontline jobs every day, and the sacrifices workers are making for their families. (To drive home this point, the show's producers are sure to have lined up people with whom the boss can empathize.) 

At the end, UB gets a reverse makeover and is “revealed” to coworkers in some palatial office or ranch or winery or estate, where cash prizes and favors are bestowed on the employees who helped during the previous week. Like Cinderella’s stepsisters, disloyal, rude, or incompetent workers are offered a path to improvement. Implicit is the threat that if they don’t shape up, they will be shown the door of the palace.

And everyone lives happily ever after under UB’s newly empathetic management.

Book du jour: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

by Rae Carson  

Prayer candles flicker in my bedroom.

In this debut novel, a fat girl finds her own strength and learns to be queen. It’s gotten rave reviews and blurbs, including by Tamora Pierce (“engrossing”), and should appeal to fantasy fans who like their heroines brave and sensitive. Some elements reminded me of Harry’s journey in The Blue Sword, but the setting has a distinctive Spanish flavor. The real draw is a sympathetically flawed protagonist who gradually comes into her own.

According to the author’s blog, sequel The Crown of Embers is due fall 2012. Excellent.

Book du jour: The Inquisitor’s Apprentice

by Chris Moriarty

The day Sacha found out he could see witches was the worst day of his life.

I’m really glad that this novel was acquired in a multi-book deal, because 300 pages is just not enough time to spend in Sacha Lassky’s alternate turn-of-the-last-century New York. This book gets the ball rolling nicely, grounding us in Sacha’s particular family, neighborhood, and magical tradition before the plot spirals into the city’s wider world when Sacha gets a job with the NYPD’s most notorious Inquisitor. A fun range of characters and lots of action and magic. Next installment, please!

Book du jour: Anna Dressed in Blood

by Kendare Blake

The grease-slicked hair is a dead giveaway—no pun intended.

Not your average ghost story: teenager Cas “Don’t call me ghostbuster” Lowood dispatches dangerous ghosts on his own, without drama. Then he meets Anna. She’s a special case, and he’ll need backup to cope with her.

While I thought the plot was uneven, requiring some uncharacteristic lapses of attention to detail on Cas’s part to keep the twists coming, I enjoyed the world, atmosphere, and character dynamics very much.

According to the author’s blog, the sequel, Girl of Nightmares, is on the way. (Amazon.com lists a release date of August, 7, 2012. Put it on the calendar!)

Great bookish moment

It rained yesterday. We stayed on the boat all morning, watching videos and waiting for the rain to let up for the long walk up to the parking lot. Cabin Boy is working on potty training, so he ran around Mr. No-pants. By noon, the rain was somewhat lighter, so we put on our coats and boots (and pants) and splashed our way to the car. At the library, Cabin Boy rummaged in the tubs of board books, per usual. By himself, he picked out A Potty for Me. Sitting on the steps in the kids’ area, we read it twice. Then he insisted that we check it out. He was totally intent on the book—it spoke directly to his experience!

It's so satisfying to find the right book at the exact right time.