Will Grayson, Will Grayson

by John Green & David Levithan
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 7 discs
read by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl
genre: teen romance, friendship, GLBTQ acceptance

Will Grayson is friends with flamboyant and huge Tiny Cooper, who tries to set him up with Jane.
The other Will Grayson is an angry in-the-closet gay teen who's on anti-depressants. His "friend" Maura takes goth and darkness to new levels.
What I like about this story: the characters' growth as individuals, the compelling story.
What I didn't like: extreme profanity, the second Will Grayson's depression and anger.

Z is for Moose (That's Me!)

by Kelly Bingham
Hennepin County Library hardcover 32 pages
genre: picture book

This is on our 2013 Litwits list. A very cute book! Zebra is conducting a show of the alphabet, but his friend moose can hardly wait his turn. When M ends up as "mouse," moose has a tantrum. A funny story, an alphabet story, and a story of friendship as zebra makes sure that moose feels included.

The Time Traveler's Wife

by Audrey Niffenegger
PRMS paperback 536 pages
genre: romance, relationships, time travel

What an unusual book! I wonder how the author conceived of it. Henry DeTamble has a genetic disorder which causes him to time travel. He has no control over it, though, and ends up nude in a different time and place. The author weaves together his story with that of Clare, a girl he meets when she is only six and he is an adult. It is a strange friendship, with him knowing that they eventually get married and she curious about her own future. Odd, disturbing, beautiful, curious, interesting . . . this took me a while to read, but it was worth it! I love how Henry's personal story unfolded throughout the book.

Duma Key

by Stephen King
loaned by Jeff Beaudoin audioCDs 18 discs
read by Joe Slattery
genre: paranormal mystery

I usually don't like King's work that much; it tends to be too creepy. This one, though still full of the F-word and a bit scary, had some really interesting components. Edgar Freemantle is horribly injured in a construction accident. Though his life has been spared, his right arm is amputated, his right hip has major reconstruction, and his marriage is in a shambles. Struggling to regain his ability to do things and articulate his thoughts, he takes a year to go to the Florida Keys to begin his "next life." Duma Key has some very strange effects on Edgar, particularly in enhancing his artistic ability. His neighbors, Jerome Weyrman and Elizabeth Eastlake, make a tremendous difference in Edgar's life. "Perse" is sheer destructive evil. Intriguing story and not as violent as other King books I've read.

Riding the Bus with my Sister

by Rachel Simon
PRMS paperback 293 pages
genre: memoir

I finally read it! This was a Chaska community read a few years ago.After having read Simon's beautiful book this fall (The Story of Beautiful Girl), I really wanted to read her memoir. It's wonderfully written, with honesty and insight. She organized the book into the twelve months of the year, sharing childhood reflections along with insight gained from riding the buses with her mentally handicapped sister, Beth. The story is both complex and simple, with family dynamics, personal feelings of failure, and striving for a better life. A truly worthwhile read!

I need to photocopy the discussion of words and names on pages 99-100 . . . excellent to use with students!

I marked pages 228-229 when the author loses her cool with Beth for constantly turning the conversation to her own complaints. This resonated with me far too much! When I get frustrated with my dad, I just want to scream. I try to tell myself, "this is just how he is, Jeanne. He doesn't want dialog or discussion; he just wants to complain and go over the same things he continues to drone on about." But it doesn't change how I FEEL. These pages jumped out at me.

10/7/13 - Finally added the pages with words & names. I made marks to show the section in context, rather than cropping out all the extra.

In the Garden of Iden

by Kage Baker
subtitled "A novel of the company"
PRMS hardcover 329 pages
genre: ? fantasy / historical sci-fi?

A weird book, this one caught my attention when I was looking for mystery titles. It has immortal cyborgs and time-travel. It starts in the 2300s with Dr. Zeus and his brilliant plans. Then it moves to 1500s and Spain, with a little red-haired girl and the Inquisition. The girl becomes Mendoza, an operative with the company. She's a botanist who despises humans and is sent to England for her first mission.

Weird, smart, and full of history, theology, and science, I'm still not sure what kind of reader to recommend this book to. I'm also not sure if I will read on in the series.

The First Gardener

by Denise Hildreth Jones
Hennepin County Library paperback 414 pages
genre: Christian fiction

This was our May book club title. I didn't get into it immediately, but I'm so glad I read it! Mackenzie is wife to Governor Gray London of Tennessee. They are a loving couple with a wonderful daughter named Maddie. Tragedy and grief knock Mack off her axis. Her mom, Eugenia Quinn, is a nutcase. Jeremiah, the gardener for the mansion, is a gem. What a beautiful story worth reading. We had a good discussion at book club. I may have to find more of this author's books.