Losing a Limb

Children, we are going to discuss a very sad topic today. That's right, it's books where major characters lose a limb/eye. My sister has very strong feelings to this effect. Whole series of books are ruined for her if someone loses a finger. Eyepatches gross her out. I usually laugh: so some guy in a fantasy book lost a hand? Big whoop. It's fiction, it doesn't bother me! Well, I'm reading book eleven of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. And I love 'em, love 'em, love 'em. They're huge, they have tons of characters, they're fabulous. But today in my reading, someone lost a hand. A major character. Lost a hand. And I lost it. I almost started crying. My favorite character, who has suffered plenty, lost a hand. I'm horrified, appalled, and so angry! Why, why, why? Why, Robert Jordan?! You've already hinted since book one that there's plenty of death and mayhem in store in the final book, why must people be maimed as well? This is worse than that guy in the Deryni books. Worse than Sun Wolf in Barbara Hambly's books. So much worse. And the worst part is: I can't tell anyone who the character is, because I don't know anyone who has read this far in the series yet! Dang!

Octavian Nothing

Alert reader Nikki logged on to the blog to say that her favorite books of the year were M.T. Anderson's "Octavian Nothing" and "The Book Thief" by Marcus Zuzak. I agree about Octavian Nothing, although I just barely read it, so it couldn't count for 2006. It was a wonderful book, and I'm glad that it was recognized by the Printz Awards, and won the National Book Award. I am a big fan of the Printz Awards, that recognize great YA books like Octavian, "How I Live Now" and "Skellig". I haven't read "The Book Thief" yet, but I plan on it. I saw it some time ago at the store, and thought it looked interesting. Thanks for the recommend, Nikki! PS-Octavian Nothing is sometimes hard to locate on searches, because the actual title is: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party. I believe that our library has it listed under The Pox Party, but everyone just calls it Octavian Nothing.