Sex as a Second Language

by Alisa Kwitney
Hennepin County Library, hardcover, 328 pages

This wasn't quite as wonderful as I expected it to be (based on a review). There were a couple of parts toward the end that made me laugh, but it was overall a pretty cynical and somewhat shallow romance / mystery.

The parts that resonated for me were at the end, where aging actress Katherine Miner talks about the importance of teachers and the impact they can have on their students' lives. The other thing that struck me was the truth of how our society feeds upon celebrity and what a cruel thing it can be! It horrifies me how paparazzi stalk famous people - how creepy and invasive! Yet apparently, there are a lot of people who are hungry for that kind of information and willing to pay for trashy photos and trashy "news" about stars. Yuk.

Some of the characters were very interesting and reminded me of people I know. This book also reminded me a little of the "Nanny Diaries." I think New York must really be an extremely different environment than the Midwest!

Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss, and What I Learned

a graphic novel by Judd Winick
180 pages, Carver County

Well, in 1994, I sure wasn't watching MTV's "The Real World." This comic book author roomed with Pedro, an HIV-positive Cuban immigrant on a reality tv show. Pedro was 17 when he was diagnosed and 22 when he died. He was passionate about AIDS education and impacted a lot of people's lives.

The graphic novel is wonderful, but I think most appropriate for a high school collection. I especially liked the repetition of Pedro's tag line from his public speaking appearances: "Be safe, and remember to love each other." I also liked how the author explored his own biases and preconceived notions before getting to know Pedro and growing to appreciate him as a human being.

All the Way Home by Ann Tatlock

447 pages, Carver County

I actually had four copies checked out from the Carver County library simultaneously! Apparently, it was out of print so I got a bunch for book club readers. I actually read this a week ago (finishing it 15 minutes before the book club met!) and really enjoyed it.

The story centers around Augusta (Augie) Schuler and her friend Hatsune (Sunny) Yamagata. Augie's mom neglects her and her Uncle Finn is an angry man. When ChiChi and HaHa open their home to her, she thinks that being Japanese must be the best thing in the world. When Pearl Harbor is bombed, the Yamagata family is sent to Manzanar. Augie grows up isolating herself from others.

Twenty years later, she goes to Mississippi to interview Helen Fulton about the civil rights movement, only to discover her childhood friend. Surgically transformed to a white woman, Sunny welcomes Augie into her loving family once again.

The thing I liked best about this story was the overriding power of love. The hatred toward the Japanese during WWII and the hatred in the South during the 1960s were real and powerful, but this novel shows how love can overpower the hatred. The only part that was a bit too much of a "reach" for me was how quickly and easily they re-enter their friendship after twenty years of no contact. My favorite part was at the end when ChiChi and HaHa came to see Augie, their long-lost daughter (Musume).

Garage Band

by Gipi
Carver County Library
graphic novel, unpaged

I did NOT like this. Both the artwork and the writing are just too edgy for me. Of the four members of the band, there was only one who didn't creep me out. This just was definitely not my style. And I'm really glad that none of my children are like these kids.

My least favorite character: Alex, who is a fan of Hitler and treats his mom and aunt like slaves.

Between Sundays

by Karen Kingsbury
audiobook, Carver County Library, 10 CDs

Oh. My. Word.

I've read a couple of other Kingsbury stories and have thoroughly enjoyed them. But this one? Not so much!

Smarmy. Trite. Predictable. Annoying. Cloying.

Part of it might have been the reader's voice. Kathy Garver read it in an overpronounced, kindergarten teacher voice. Yuk. I listened all the way to the end and guess what? I was right - the 49ers won the Superbowl, Aaron Hill got saved, he really was Cory's dad, Aaron & Megan got married, and everyone lived happily ever after. Yawn.

Okay, the two things I really did like about this story were the emphasis on foster children and the author's note at the end. It made me think about the kids, especially teenagers, who languish in the "system" and then are on their own when they turn 18. I wonder if Louie and I will get to the point in our lives where we start adopting children who need a family and some extra love.

Jack

by A.M. Homes
paperback, district 112, 220 pages

I read this book for SEED class (diversity). It's about a boy who learns that his father is gay. Jack is a wonderful character. He is very realistic as he struggles with everything from driver's ed to how to understand his father's new life with his boyfriend Bob. Jack's friend Max Burka is rude and insensitive. As the story develops, Jack gets a look at what's really going on in Max's "perfect" family and it's a harsh wakeup call for him.

This is a delightful story - honest and sweet and a little bit painful.

The Plain Janes

by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg
Carver County library, paperback, unpaged

This was a wonderful book! I really enjoyed the story and will buy it for CMSW even though the protagonists are in high school. I had tried to buy this last spring (?) after reading a review, but it wasnt' available yet and I forgot about it. It's a graphic novel that deals with conformity, individualism, friendship, art, life, security, etc. Jane is a wonderful main character! Delightful book.

Teenage Tales

by Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman

I love this comic! I was laughing out loud (numerous times) and my boys were curious. Nick read it after I did, but I was already in bed when he finished so we didn't get to talk about it. So much of the humor hits the mark for those of us who work with young adolescents!

The Adventures of Nicholas

adapted by Helen Siiteri
photocopied by a former NP colleague

I can't believe I've had this for about four or five years! Time to return it, so I read it in under an hour. It's a version of how Santa Claus came to be (sort of - he dies at the end of the story). It's kind of cheesy and simplistic (and saccharine), but also very sweet. It actually brought tears to my eyes. It was fun to see how the author brought traditional elements - stockings, Christmas trees, holly, etc. into the narrative.

I found it (full text) at http://books.google.com - very cool!

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Subtitled: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures
by Anne Fadiman
Carver County Library, 330 pages

I actually read most of this back in December for Diversity class. I hadn't finished it by the time the class met, though, and intended to complete it. Well, I finally checked it out from the library and finished it today. It was a wonderful book that made me think hard. I love that the author didn't demonize the American doctors or oversimplify the events in the Lee family's lives.

Lia Lee's transformation from a relatively healthy baby with epilepsy to a vegetable is so terribly sad! It is especially frustrating to see how so much heartache and sorrow could have been avoided with better communication and understanding. In some ways, it's tempting to think that if not for our CIA and our actions in southeast Asia during the 1960s, a lot of people's lives would have been far, far better. Not that we could ever know or go back in time. . .

Probably the hardest part of this book for me was my own knee-jerk reaction to the Hmong religious practices. Reading about the spirits and the rituals to deal with them isn't really that much different from my reliance on the Holy Spirit and crying out to Jesus for deliverance. It just seems so very contrary to my beliefs.

The author has done a sensational job of researching this book and really looking at the situation from multiple perspectives. I hope that it is required reading for med students!

On the Wrong Tracks

by Steve Hockensmith
CD, Carver County, 9.5 hours
Read by William Dufris

I picked this because I thought Louie and the boys would enjoy it on our drive up to Strawberry Lake. Alex ignored it, but Morgan and Louie got a few chuckles. (I fell asleep.) Now that Louie and I have each finished listening to it, it's time to blog.

Very funny and a little "off" humor! Gustav & Otto Amlingmeyer are trying to work as detectives on the Southern Pacific railway. Lots of colorful characters and strange occurrences make this a rollicking story. Apparently, this is a sequel to "Holmes on the Range." I mostly liked it, but wish the author hadn't used quite so much swearing. For a family-friendly jacket and description, it needed some soap-washing of mouths. Still, it was an engaging enough mystery and adventure story to keep my attention to the very end.

Stuck in the Middle

subtitled: Seventeen Comics from an Unpleasant Age
edited by Ariel Schrag
Carver County, paperback, 210 pages

Well I'm glad I got this from the public library. I was debating whether or not to buy it for CMSW. In some ways, I think there are kids for whom these stories would really resonate. In other ways, it comes across as too cynical and harsh. Yes, many middle schoolers struggle with feelings of inferiority, teasing, acne, meanness, etc. but this is just a tough read if you're looking for positives. Plus, some of them use the f--k mode a little too freely.

My favorite stories were "Tips for Surviving Middle School" by Jace Smith, "Tina Roti" by Cole Johnson, "Hit Me" by Gabrielle Bell, "Crater Face" by Dash Shaw, and "Never Go Home" by Robyn Chapman.

No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club: Diary of a 60th Year

Written by Virginia Ironside and read by Sian Phillips, Carver County, audiobook

I didn't finish this book. I was on CD #2 and not really getting into it. Maybe it would resonate more for me if I were closer to 60. Usually, I "soldier on" even when I'm not enjoying a book, but yesterday at Book Club we talked about that mentality and it made me think that I tend to be a bit militant about finishing books even when I'm not really enjoying them.

So, basically, she's writing in diary format about her life. She's thrilled to be turning 60 and figures it makes her "a young old person" rather than "an old young person." In general, she's pretty pessimistic and I couldn't keep track of all the characters.

So - I'm moving on to the other half dozen books I'm trying to finish up. . .

If We Kiss

by Rachel Vail
paperback, CMSW, 259 pages with extras after

What a fun story! It looks like a fluffy piece, but it has some neat ideas in it. There were so many clever jokes that made me laugh out loud (like the cow part at the beginning), but I wonder if teenagers will "get" them.

Basically, Charlotte (aka "Charlie") starts a crush on Kevin (after a quick first kissing session) but before she can tell her best friend, Tess and Kevin are an "item." The pressure builds as Charlie's mom starts dating Kevin's dad. All she can think about is kissing Kevin!

I know that sounds lame and more shallow than The Great Gatsby, which I just panned, but this book is a sweet YA title. When so many teen romance-style books are downright slutty, this one is a breath of fresh air. Charlie struggles with the selfishness of wanting her own way versus being true to her friend. She grows as a character throughout the story and there are some hard lessons learned about honesty and doing the right thing.

Now I hope I can get kids excited about reading it. Truly, it's a better use of their time than the Meg Cabot books!

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald
on CD (Carver County Library) read by Frank Muller, 4.75 hours

Okay, sometimes I dislike audiobooks. There's no lingering over a phrase, or doing a quick re-read of a section, or seeing names clearly. Although I have read this before, it was in the early 80s and I didn't like it at all. Figuring that I was just too immature of a teenager, I decided to experience this classic work as an adult and see if I could find some appreciation for it.

Not so much. I would really love to talk with someone who's passionate about this work of literature. And I could easily find resources that talk about why it's considered great. But since this is my blog and I get to write about my reaction to it, here's why it bugs me:

1. Tom's hypocrisy, adultery, and cruelty.
2. Daisy's shallowness and insincerity.
3. Wilson killing Gatsby, when Daisy is the one who killed Mrs. Wilson.
4. No one showing up for Gatsby's funeral - what a pathetic life, filled with fair-weather "friends."
5. The way this story reminded me of "Room with a View" - why should I care about the lives of the idle rich?

Okay. So clearly, this is just not my kind of book. Some of the descriptive language is gorgeous. There are many symbolic motifs (and I remember them from high school English class). I really ought to try harder to understand the deeper meaning here, rather than just disliking the story itself.

In a way, it reminds me of "Lord of the Flies." I strongly dislike the story, but recognize what an amazing piece of fiction it is. It's powerful in eliciting a response! Maybe my brain is just getting mushy and I don't want to think that hard.