Sports Illustrated Kids Pro Files: Baseball 
Publisher: Time Home Entertainment, Inc
Release Date: March 2012
Pages: 98
Source: Publicist

I’m calling this more of a spotlight than review due to how hard it is to review a non-fiction book like this. In 98 pages, Pro Files: Baseball covers 15 great players from a variety of teams. These aren’t old time legends ala Babe Ruth, but current players who are still in the game. Admittedly, I’m a bit out of the baseball loop anymore, but the players chosen such as Ichiro, Felix Hernandez, & Mariano Rivera had impressive stories & stats. Each player has 6 pages dedicated to them that include biographies, resume, personal and career stats, and how to play like them.

There were many things I really liked about this book, but I thought I would highlight just a few of them.

• The little inside information they gave on each player such as favorite cartoon character, favorite movie, and athletes they admired as a kid.
• That it told the good, bad, and ugly. Being a pro-ball player isn’t issue and certainly isn’t all sunshine and roses. I loved reading how a couple of the players really had a dip in performance but with hard work and determination they were able to make it back to the top.
• That baseball isn’t all about skill that you’re born with. The common thread that all these players had were how much hard work they put into the game. They were the first one on the field for practices, reviewed tapes of their pitches, and many other things.
• How many weren’t stars from the very start. Several were discovered in unlikely places, with small signing bonuses, but came and proved they had what it took. Sometimes it just takes that one person to believe you have something special before you can show it to the world.

There wasn’t anything I necessarily disliked about the book. I am a Chicago fan, so I was sad to see that no Chicago team players were included, but that’s okay. There are a lot of teams and players out there and not everyone can be considered an elite. I have a feeling that baseball fanatics will know most of the information provided as it was just the basics, but I think it’s a good book to have in a collection. In fact, I had one of my managers order it knowing our boys will eat it up. I plan to put my review copy in our summer reading book handouts and I don’t expect it to remain around long.

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Publisher: Dial
Release Date: May 2012
Pages: 545
Source: ALA (ARC)

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

Short of it:  While it got off to a slow start, Bitterblue was a worth the long wait. Cashore weaved the companion novels together gracefully. My only slight disappointment was I wanted more. The story wraps nicely, but I feel like there is still so much to tell. My hope is that Cashore will decide to revisit the Seven Kingdoms in the future.

Plot: The storyline for this one starts off quite slow, but for good reason. Bitterblue has been kept under mountains of paperwork since she took her reign and has no idea what is happening in her kingdom. The web of lies and deceit that Lech weaved was enormous and would have been difficult for Bitterblue to sort through with an army of help behind her. It’s near impossible to do when everyone is trying to derail her. Not to mention her own memories are quite hazy. Honestly, I’m glad Cashore didn’t rush that period of awakening, even if it meant a slowly, less-action filled beginning.

However, once Bitterblue starts to take action into her own hands, things really start to roll. I don’t want to give away too much of the book, so I won’t say too much more. Old favorites, including Katsa and Po, will return and the many truths will be revealed. The depths of Lech madness is horrifying, although not surprising. While Bitterblue will never know the full story to his madness, this is most likely for the best. I doubt any reasoning could make his madness okay. Not to mention anything more would have been too much for poor Bitterblue to handle. While strong, I believe knowing everything would have made her crumble.

Character: I liked Bitterblue. She was a bit naive and too trusting, but all things considered it is understandable. She had been thrown into this position when she was only 10 years old with very little training. The people around her were supposed to help build a better Kingdom, not keep her in the dark. Bitterblue does have spunk though. She may not be a Katsa, but in her position she could never be that brazen or bold. However, when she realized how many lies has been fed to her over the years, she had no problem finding out the truth on her own. Yes, she may have been a bit foolish at time, but she learned from every mistake and used it to make herself stronger. Bitterblue has all the makings of a good Queen and the legacy she leaves behind would make her mother proud.

I know this story is about Bitterblue, but I wanted to touch a bit on Po. Out of the characters we’ve seen before he around the most. Po has always been one of my favorite characters, but I felt like some of his charm was missing in this story. I can’t put my finger quite on it, but he felt different. I know a lot had to do with the guilt of hiding his secret, but that was something he had been dealing with most of his life. I know Cashore was trying to compensate for her “cureness” for being blind, but in the process she changed him. Don’t get me wrong, I still adore Po, but he just wasn’t the same. I’d be interested to see if anyone else felt the shift/change in him as well.

Romance: Oh, Saf and Bitterblue. I feel like I can’t say too much without giving anything away with this one. While they were from different worlds, they worked. Saf was the spark she needed to push her out of her shell and truly open her eyes. Without him, I thinks he would have stayed in the web of lies much, much longer than she did. He was her guide, per say, to a world she knew nothing about. His street smarts helped her get around and, honestly, stay alive. Yes, they fought, but there were true, deep feelings for each other. I was pleased with how Cashore handled their relationship, especially the final outcome.

I do believe there is a secondary relationship between Gideon and Bitterblue as well. Okay, so this may be reaching a little, but I think it’s still plausible, especially near the end. In no way, shape, or form does Cashore state they are romantically entwined, but there are little hints that they could be if Saf doesn’t work out. The seedlings are there, but I suppose it will be up to the reader if it ever blooms. (And personally, I think it will, but I don’t want to spoil things for anyone who has not read it yet.)

Writing: Cashore is a brilliant writer and Bitterblue is no exception. All three of her books have been captivating. The worlds and characters she creates are some of my favorite to exist. I was sad to turn the last page as it felt like I was saying goodbye to dear friends. I can’t wait to meet her next week and express my love in person. And I certainly can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.

Librarian-Mode: I’m going to assume that anyone who has read Bitterblue has already read Graceling and Fire as well. There are many great fantasy novels out there, but I think Tamora Pierce is one of the best matches for Cashore lovers, especially her Tricksters duo and Beka Cooper trilogy.