Let Me Finish!

by Minh Le, illustrated by Isabel Roxas
Hennepin County Library hardcover picture book
genre: children's book

This was fun! The main character is a book-lover who keeps getting interrupted by animals who spoil the story. The illustrations are engaging and it's a delightful little book.

The City of Ember

by Jeanne DuPrau
Scott County Library audiobook 6 CDs
read by Wendy Dillon
genre: YA dystopian

I looked for my "previous" entry on this book (knowing that I had read it before) and only found book four in this series that I blogged about in 2009! So clearly, I read this book a long, long time ago. The "re-read" was interesting. There were details I had not noticed or remembered. Having seen the movie sometime within the last few years, I knew that it was extremely different than the book.

Here are some of my car notes:

• This takes place in the year "241" . . . and the builders / planners made the instructions to be accessible in 200-220 years. Uh-oh!
• A class of 24 twelve year-olds . . . would estimate an overall population of ??? Just curious. And at the end of the book, we learn that 100 elderly men and women went into Ember with 100 babies. 
• two years earlier, Lina's dad died from coughing sickness and "a few months later," her mother died in childbirth. Poppy is 1 1/2 years old and is referred to as a "baby," but nothing about diapers . . . 
• Doon - super serious, with anger issues / Lina - light hearted, but responsible (for toddler sister and aging grandma with memory issues)
• Doon's dad is wise about anger and its mastery of you bringing unintended consequences. (Like later, when Doon accidentally crushed the snail.)

I enjoyed this book and almost wish I'd saved it for when we were driving up north!

The narrator did a fine job, though the wheezing sound effects for the mayor and some of the other vocal characterizations got a bit irritating. I didn't realize the author's name was pronounced "Dee-Pro" and not "Dee-Prow" . . . I've always said it with the "ow" as in "owie" sound.

The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss

by Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt
Hennepin County Library hardcover 290 pages
genre: non-fiction, biography of sorts

I didn't like this as much as I anticipated. I like Anderson Cooper a lot, but didn't realize he was Gloria Vanderbilt's son until recently. I was curious and requested this from the library. There's a waiting list, so I read it yesterday.

I liked the photographs. I found some of their storyline interesting. I don't have a lot of empathy for Vanderbilt . . . she may be 92 and wiser than in her youth, but that's not really saying much, is it? Everyone has a past and a story. I really liked Cooper learning more about his mom and her life while she's still here. Too many of us have a "someday" in mind that never comes. Hearing the stories and capturing them before people are gone is so very important.

page 108 - Vanderbilt writes, "What am I if no longer an ardent Catholic? An agnostic, I suppose, but I do believe in a mysterious force secretly in charge of our destiny, enabling us to make life bearable and keep moving even when times are tough. The end will turn out as it was always meant to be. Yes, from the beginning, we have nothing to do but wait." That is such a sad way to think . . . I'm glad her son challenges her in his response, but eternity is a long time to spend having rejected God.

page 252 - Vanderbilt writes, "As death approaches, I no longer imagine a diamond at my secret core. Instead, I see shimmering flashes of moonlight on the calm of a midnight sea." She seems to have jumbled many different philosophies and ideas into her own personal belief system. Ultimately, their conversations just make me sad.

The Lucky Few: Finding God's Best in the Most Unlikely Places

by Heather Avis
Hennepin County Library paperback 216 pages
genre: non-fiction, adoption journey

I don't remember where I read a review for this book or heard about it, but I'm so glad I got it from the library! What an honest and powerful look at this family's journey to parenthood. Although I can't relate to their specific experiences of infertility, adoption, or parenting children with Down Syndrome, Avis' writing drew me in and really impacted me. I can think of several people to recommend this book to!

page 71 - "I would soon learn the need I felt to defend our decision and convince people of our daughter's worth came from within myself. In the days that followed our big scary yes, I was the one who needed the most convincing that we'd made the right choice." Kudos to her and her husband for agreeing to adopt a child with Down Syndrome *and* needing open heart surgery! And kudos for her being completely honest about the doubts and fears as well as the joys and rewards!

page 89 - "Every parent I know does everything in their power to keep their kids safe and alive. It's basically a parent's number-one job." Sometimes when I struggle with other people's parenting choices, I have to remind myself that we all (mostly) love our kids and are doing our best for them. I say mostly because there are some truly messed-up humans who hurt their own children instead of caring for them.

page 113 - "But in that moment, I also knew I needed to be careful not to let my own comfort get in the way of others' needs. I was reminded that when I'm uncomfortable, I have the chance to know God more fully." I love this attitude! I need to develop it in my own life.

page 118 - "And maybe my gain would ultimately result in the best kind of loss of all - the loss of my selfish desires." This line really resonated with me! I struggle with my own selfishness, yet I keep returning to it. If I can ever truly LET GO of my selfish desire and seek God's perfect will, I know that I will be so blessed and joyful. Yet I continue to struggle with this.

page 159 - "So many of us have a child who is challenging to enjoy. Friends, I want to tell you that it's okay." This made me think of a time when I shared with someone that when Morgan was a baby, I understood how some people shake their babies. They looked at me in horror! I explained that I would never have done it; I knew enough to put the crying baby in the crib and walk away. They really didn't understand what I was saying . . . and I thought I'd better watch what I say and to whom. Sometimes, we need to acknowledge and talk about the things that we struggle with. It's important that we support one another as parents!

page 182 - "You can't let your feelings get in the way of the truth of God's goodness." I love how Heather and her husband Josh work together. What a godly couple! I love their faith and love!

page 186 - "There is just something spectacular about a human growing another human." Amen! Pregnancy is miraculous! Having experienced it three times, it makes me sad that some women who truly want this experience are unable to . . . and others see it as an inconvenience to  be aborted.

page 215 - "Eight years ago, God shined a light into my wilderness, and Josh and I stepped off our path of easy, normal, and nice to go after it. He took our muddied clothes, tired souls, and broken hearts, and from our humble offerings created a crazy masterpiece. He took our meager yes and used it to stir up hearts and change lives. There is absolutely no way to know the ripple effect we create when we say yes to God's seemingly terrifying invitation." Awesome! I want to be obedient to God. I need to pray and listen for His leading in my life!

I love all of page 216, but I'll just grab a few lines:
"The truth is, I'm average at best. But I serve a grand God, and I've been lucky enough to answer when He calls. He does the rest."
"I believe that at some point in our lives each of us has the opportunity to leave our comfortable path and head into the wilderness."
"I think about how lucky all of us are when we finally allow God to gently push us toward the places where he's waiting to be discovered."

This book was such a blessing! Even in the acknowledgments, I love what she says to her husband and to Jesus . . . just cool!

Filmish: A Graphic Journey Through Film

by Edward Ross
Hennepin County Library paperback 177 pages plus endnotes
genre: graphic novel non-fiction

This is one of those rare times in my life that I decided not to finish reading the book. It is well-researched and well-drawn, but I don't care deeply enough about film to really enjoy it. I recognized some of the films (Rambo, Wizard of Oz, etc.) and had absolutely no clue about others. The endnotes provide a wealth of additional information, but I just didn't find it compelling. It's like a graphic novel version of a college text on film history, techniques, and psychology. I think it would take a serious movie buff to enjoy this book.

The Cardturner

by Louis Sachar
Scott County Library audiobook 6 CDs
read by the author
genre: YA realistic fiction

Hmm. A book about teenagers and bridge. It kept my attention, for the most part. There was way too much of explaining bridge, though. The audiobook had a foghorn noise to signal that a more detailed explanation was coming . . . and I grew to hate the sound of it.

In the essential story, Alton becomes the cardturner for his blind great-uncle Trapp. Trapp is a crotchety old man who can remember the cards after hearing them once. Alton's parents are horrid - only fostering a relationship with this "favorite" (and very wealthy, childless) uncle to try to get into his will. I only realized *after* I had finished the story that my dad would have *loved* it! He and my mom used to host bridge parties and their "post-mortems" on the hands played and the bidding would go all night long. It drove us crazy as kids! "You should have bid two no-trump!" Ah well, I don't think many middle schoolers will read this book.

Notes:
I never knew there was a correct order - spade, heart, diamond, club.
Annabelle - intriguing storyline
Alton is a *wuss*!!! His "best friend" Cliff steals Katie from him, then moves in on Toni. Say something, Alton!
I loved his sister Leslie! She was a gem.

 

<Wrote the above on 6.14.2017. Added below on 5.15.2022.>

This book was being discarded at New Prague Middle School, so I grabbed it off the "freebie" cart. It was fun to read the print book and put post-its in. I still don't want to learn to play bridge . . . it sounds too complicated for me!

Page 12 - "And, and, and . . . That's the trouble with money." 

Alton and Leslie are listing all the things they could have with Great Uncle Lester's money. They keep adding more items to their wish lists. Sadly, that IS the trouble with money. There's never enough. (Seriously, do people like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk realize how ridiculous they are?)

Page 37 - "I'm not being unintegritary,"

This made me laugh! Alton is referring to having integrity, but his creation of a new word is a bit of a tongue twister. I like making up words, but this is unique. He was arguing with his mom about returning the $75 Trapp gave him for being his card turner.

Page 40 - "Maybe I should have given Leslie a cut."

After his mom insisted Alton return the money, Leslie pointed out to their parents that such an action might convince Uncle Lester that they didn't need money . . . and cut them out of the will. Taking his great uncle to play bridge four times a week meant Alton was earning $200 weekly. Leslie is such a fun character in this book.

Page 83 - "But in case you haven't noticed, I have a deranged personality. I don't like people telling me how to do things. It makes me feel stupid. I have this need to figure things out for myself."

I don't think that trait makes Alton deranged! A lot of us like to figure things out for ourselves. It's just helpful if we're willing to listen and learn from others, too.

Page 97 - "He'd love it if you played bridge. He's always saying how he wishes more young people would take up the game. He's afraid that bridge is like a dying culture. He's worried that in like thirty years, there will be no one left to play it."

Toni and Alton have their first phone conversation. Toni's observations about Lester and bridge are spot-on.

Page 119 had the boiled egg (without shell) into the bottle with a small opening using a match. It made me think of subbing in Kalal's 8th grade science class and doing this experiment as a demo of how air pressure works!

Page 114 - "He said that synchronicity was different from a mere coincidence. With synchronicity you feel that there's a definite connection. You just don't know what that connection is."

When Alton goes on to talk about his former neighbor and classmate Doug Bridges, the story is both cool and eerie. I love this kind of stuff!

Page 187 - "I always make the biggest fool of myself just when I think I'm being clever."

Alton remembers the curious questions he asked Trapp (Great Uncle Lester) and realizes too late how painful the memories of Annabel were for him.

Page 213 - "'He took me in without asking any questions. He bought me new clothes, and quickly became like a father to me, the way a father is supposed to be, the father I never had. He told me about my mother, my real mother. I knew it was painful for him to talk about her, but those stories helped fill a void inside of me. I found out who I was. I loved my mother, and through his stories, somehow felt loved by her."

Toni's mom Sophie shared what a powerful impact Lester Trapp had on her life. Actions speak louder than words!

Page 222 - "I remembered something Trapp had told me once about his bridge-bum days. Even though he had had very little money, those days were the happiest of his life. He told me that the secret of success was to never spend more than you had. 'Don't use credit cards. Don't owe anyone money.' Once you go into debt, he had said, you lose your freedom."

Those are great words of wisdom!

I have to say, I'm a little shocked that this is the only Sachar title in my blog. Has it been so long since I've read other books of his? I re-read Holes last year (for at least the third time) but I guess I'm not as diligent about blogging as I thought I was!

Sewing Machine Books

I didn't spend a lot of time with any of these, but they helped me with my "research" to buy a new machine.

The Little Guide to Mastering Your Sewing Machine by Sylvie Blondeau

• 2015
• basics / beginner
• clear, well-written, and well-designed
• I like her emphasis on knowing yourself and your own style, preferences, habits, etc.

Sewing Machine Secrets by Nicole Vasbinder

• 2012
• pg. 21 - stitch types
• pg. 22-23 - features
• pg. 24-27 - mechanical vs. computerized
• pg. 58-61 - clean and maintain
• good illustrations and photos
• great explanaztions

 The Sewing Machine Master Guide: from Basic to Expert by Clifford L. Blodget

• 2013
• jackpot!
• he covered all the things I wanted to read about and think about
• this book helped me make up my mind

America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't

by Stephen Colbert
Scott County Library audiobook 3 CDs
read by the author
genre: satire

What I liked:

• the observations on today's government, economy, health care, etc.
• the "interviews" with citizens on various topics (my favorite was the Canadian talking about health care)
• Colbert is intelligent and observant

What I disliked:

• some of his crudeness bordering on nasty
• some of his diatribes against liberals or others . . . I wonder if people ever take him seriously? I know some people who agree with some of the rhetoric he's spewing. He means it as satire; but what if folks think "yeah! That's right!" as he's ripping people's point of view
• lots of swearing

Eleanor Roosevelt and the Arthurdale Experiment

by Nancy Hoffman
PRMS discard hardcover 97 pages plus endnotes
genre: non-fiction

I was trying to do more weeding before I left PRMS. This title has not been checked out in the eight years I've been there. It made me think of the Gantos book Dead End in Norvelt . . . and I think I appreciated learning about this topic all the more for having read the fiction title first! Eleanor Roosevelt was an amazing woman! This experiment was pretty expensive (and widely criticized at the time), but it was courageous and life-changing for the families who got to live in this community. This brief book was well-researched and had lots of quotes from people who lived in Arthurdale.

Saint Odd

by Dean Koontz
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 CDs
read by David Aaron Baker
genre: paranormal mystery

* This includes spoilers! I highly recommend you read / listen to the books in order!*

Baker's vocal work is simply perfect for Odd Thomas. I was in tears by the end of the book. Part of me didn't really believe that Odd would die. I don't often cry for the death of a fictional character.

celadon - what color is that? I guessed blue, but had to look it up.
(From www.beautycolorcode.com :)


What was book 7? Have I read it? List from Wikipedia . . . yes, I read Deeply Odd. The Satanic cult was a bit too dark and creepy for me. Probably why I wasn't in a hurry to read Saint Odd, though it was published two years ago.

• Odd Thomas
• Forever Odd
• Brother Odd
• Odd Hours
• Odd Apocalypse
• Deeply Odd
• Saint Odd

 Amaranth - again, my curiosity was piqued. It seemed so mystical in the story, but it's an ancient grain (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranth).

Contumax / Potestas . . . . more weird cult stuff. I'm not so curious anymore.

I like Odd Thomas, Chief Porter, Ozzie Boone, . . . and am sad to say goodbye to this series. Though a part of me wonders if Koontz is leaving the door open to a series about Stormy and Odd and whatever they're dealing with in the next life.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, parts one and two

by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne,
based on an original story by J.K. Rowling
donated copy, hardcover, 308 pages
genre: play script, fantasy

I'm so glad I read this! At first, it really bothered me and I didn't like where the story was going . . . but it made sense by the end. I liked some of the new Potterverse perspectives. I did *not* like the crummy parenting that Harry and Ginny gave to Albus! Dude! How could they be so clueless?!

Delphi was only a little bit of a surprise, since it has been hard to completely ignore references to this story. I don't know that I'd like to see the play, but I'll enjoy re-reading this book.

I loved the friendship between Albus and Scorpius! In fact, Scorpius was my favorite character. The time travel and alternate realities got a bit mind-bending at times. Most of all, this seems to be a story about parents and children. A tale as old as time!

The Martian

by Andy Weir
PRMS paperback 369 pages
genre: SciFi

Oh my word! I loved this book! It had some coarse language, but also some delightful humor. My brain ignored most of the science / tech language, but I appreciate how nerdy Weir is about this topic and applaud him for his novel. Now I want to see the movie. I'm so glad that after he posted his story free online, he was able to make money off this work. Amazing! It also was interesting to read this so soon after watching Hidden Figures . . . go, NASA and smart people!