Lost in a Good Book

by Jasper Fforde
Hennepin County Library, paperback, 399 pages
genre: SciFi, mystery, humor

Loved it! Another clever Thursday Next story in which Landen is eradicated, Thursday joins jurisfiction, and Miss Havisham drives like a lunatic.

Deuteronomy

Contemporary English Version
narrated by Jonathan Davis
Hennepin County Library, audioCD
genre: Holy Scripture

I got behind on my reading schedule and decided to use an audio version to "catch up" on some of the Old Testament. I like this translation and the narrator's voice is fantastic. As I drove and listened, though, I found myself wanting to open my Bible and read the text. I hit "reverse" a lot so I could re-listen to passages. If I could afford to, I'd love to have the entire Bible on audio in contemporary English. Then I could spend more time listening to Scripture!

The Burning Bridge

book two in The Ranger's Apprentice series
by John Flanagan
PRMS, hardcover, 262 pages

Loved this! I missed the wonderful reader's voice and accents from listening to book one, but the story is filled with adventure and a bit of mystery. Morgarath attacks, the rangers are amazing, and the king's daughter Cassandra is in danger. The ending surprised me, since it's a cliffhanger. Now I have to read book three!

 

<Above published on 8.22.10. Below added 5.16.23.>

 

Libby ebook

While in Costa Rica, I read book one in/on Libby and immediately checked out book two!

 

I only bookmarked one passage, but had forgotten that this was a cliffhanger so I hurriedly got book three . . . 

 

Chapter 14: "'Then don't!' Gilan said forcefully. 'Self-doubt is a disease. And if it gets out of control, it becomes self-fulfilling. You have to learn from what happened . . . Use the experience to make you stronger.'"

 

Gilan is older than Will and was also trained by Halt. Will needs to build his confidence, and Gilan's advice is sound. In this story, Will and Evanlyn are taken by the Skandian raiders who had been mercenaries for Morgarath. Horace has an amazing battle.

 

These books are so addicting! I went immediately to book three.

Here Burns My Candle

by Lynn Curtis Higgs
Kim C's copy, 454 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

I don't mind that I missed the book club discussion on this book. I didn't like it. Set in Scotland during the 1745 rebellion, this book is based on the story of Ruth from Scripture. Infidelity, poor communication, unhealthy relationships, etc. This just didn't do it for me. I think everyone else really liked it, but it was the same with Higgs' retelling of Jacob & Esau. This author's style just doesn't inspire me.

Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul

by various authors
paperback from ?, heading to the donation bag, 328 pages
genre: short stories, inspiration

None of the Chicken Soup books are especially grand, but this one was especially drab. I have a few up at the lake (pet lovers, etc.) and sometimes it's nice to read a short story to wind down to sleeping (not that I get wound up at the lake). Sometimes I even tear up at an especially touching story. But this collection was dull, vapid, . . . there may have been a few stories that engaged me as a reader, but it wasn't worth the mind-numbing pablum that the collection represents. Yuk.

The Hundred Secret Senses

by Amy Tan
Mary Verbick's copy, hardcover, 358 pages
genre: relationships, mysticism, Chinese culture

Mary lent this to me quite a while ago, after we had talked at school book club about how depressing so many Chinese stories are. This was when we talked about Shanghai Girls. Though Tan's book is more upbeat, it still made me feel sad. Olivia's frustrations with her mother, Kwan, and Simon were all portrayed very realistically. The writing is beautiful and I found myself drawn in, especially by Kwan's stories of her previous life as Miss Moo. The ending felt unresolved, but hopeful. Kwan was an amazing character, albeit bizarre. I'm glad I read it.

Dear Enemy

by Jack Cavanaugh
Hennepin County Library, paperback, 283 pages
genre: historical fiction, Christian inspiration

Wow! What a page-turner. I started this last night and couldn't put it down! This is our church book club title (for next week's discussion). Set in France during WWII (and in California afterward), it tells of nurse Annie Mitchell, her brief marriage with childhood friend Keith, her friendship with Marcy (aka "Mouse"), and her unusual relationship with a German soldier named Karl.

This was well-written. I don't think I've read any of Cavanaugh's books before . . . I need to track down some of his other titles. The only thing that didn't work for me was the lack of explanation for why Karl knew English so well and why he didn't use it for the first day he and Annie were together in the woods. The whole putting-off-the-marriage to Stan part was a bit odd, too, but I liked this story a lot!

I can hardly wait for the discussion. I've missed the last three or four months of it!

Independence Hall and The White House

by Roland Smith
I.Q. #1 & #2
1 - Caver County Library, paperback, 293 pages
2 - Ben B's copy, hardcover, 256 pages
genre: YA spy fiction

Cliffhanger! Book 2 ends with Malak just having kidnapped the president's daughter, Bethany. The plot is strange, but the storytelling is delightful. Q (short for Quest) is the son of singer Blaze (and an absent guitar player father). When Blaze marries Roger, another musician and songwriter, Q gains an odd stepsister in Angela Tucker. Book one takes place in the week after the wedding. Book two takes place in one day.

Think James Bond or Jason Bourne written for young adolescents. Enjoyable.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglas Adams
Carver County Library audioCDs, 6 hours
read by Stephen Fry
genre: SciFi humor

Thanks to Mason, I "re-read" this book that I haven't touched in almost thirty years. Not sure why I enjoyed it enough back then to read the rest (Restaurant at the End of the Universe, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish, and Life the Universe and Everything). It is as stupid as I expected (or stupider? grin). Now I'm really glad I convinced Mason that this wouldn't be a good choice for our eighth grade book club. It's very inane, only occasionally funny, and the ridiculous names just beg the question "Why?"

Zaphod Beeblebrox
Bartislartfast
etc.
Doesn't do it for me. I'm getting rid of all four paperbacks in the next donation box.

The reader, however, was fantastic! Inflection, character voices, etc. were all fantastic.

The Ruins of Gorlan

by John Flanagan
Carver County Library, audioCDs, 7.75 hours
performed by John Keating
genre: YA historical fiction / adventure

Louie and I enjoyed this story of Will, Horace, and the other orphans in book one of The Ranger's Apprentice series. Although Will has always wanted to become a knight / warrior, he is taken in by the ranger Halt (pronounced "Holt" by Keating). Morgarath is the Great Enemy, but he doesn't figure into this story too much. My favorite scene was the reconciliation between Will and Horace. Halt is a wonderful character! Enjoyable story and I got book two from PRMS today.

 

<Above entered on 8.19.10. Below added 5.16.23.>

 

Libby ebook

I was looking for a quick read on my phone for a trip to Costa Rica and I grabbed this story. I knew it was a quick, enjoyable book but had forgotten how addicting these are!  

Since this was an ebook, I was able to bookmark passages! (As opposed to listening to it . . . )

Chapter 1: "In fact, it was this tendency that often led to trouble between them: Will was yet to learn that having the last word was not always a good idea."

The conflicts between Horace and Will were exacerbated by Will's quick wit and quick tongue. This reminded me of my sister Louise as a teenager. She got into so much trouble with her sassy mouth!

Chapter 4: "Willpower, he thought abstractedly, recognizing the play on the boy's name."

I love that Baron Arald recognized how hard it was for Will to stand before the craftmasters and other orphans and be discussed. Holding back tears when you are upset is hard indeed!

Chapter 16: "Like most cooks, once she had prepared a meal, she had little interest in eating it. Her real pleasure lay in watching others enjoy the results of her work - and listening to their praise."

When one prepares food as an act of love, this is so true! Poor Jenny didn't know why Horace was in a foul mood.

Chapter 22: "But it had his shoulder and body weight and months of suffering and loneliness behind it - the loneliness that only a victim of bullying can know."

Vindication! I love that Horace and Will became friends, but I'm sorry that Horace had to experience some of the cruelty he had dished out to Will when they were children. Horace getting to punch out the chief of his bullies is sweet. Halt made this all work out well.

King of the Mild Frontier: An ill-advised Autobiography

by Chris Crutcher
Hennepin County Library, audioCDs 4:54
read by the author

What an amazing writer! Crutcher's childhood and youth formed him into the therapist and writer he is now. His candor and humor are engaging. I found myself wanting to write him a letter, thanking him for using his talent to touch people's lives. I've always been a bit gun-shy about having his books in a middle school library (because of the swearing and intense content), but I had students go through Whale Talk enthusiastically. Some of my readers are ready for this. His autobiography will be another easy book-talk for me. Incredible.

5/23/13
Did a re-listen in the car with Louie, Morgan, and Nick on our way back from Alex's wedding. I thought the boys would appreciate some of the "guy" humor and I was right. I don't care for his theology, but he is a wonderful storyteller with an interesting take on life. I can see why he has been successful in his work as a therapist working with people who have anger issues.

The Monk Downstairs

by Tim Farrington
Hennepin County libraries

I also read this one quite a while ago. I'm not sure if we did it for book club at school or if someone just recommended it to me. It was weird - both enjoyable & frustrating. The author's back story has some strong parallels to the characters in the book. I liked the romance, but not all the flaky, New Age-y stuff, especially with the female character's mom.

Talking to the Dead

by Bonnie Grove (?)
EP library (I think)
genre: Christian fiction

I read this quite a while ago. It was a Spirit of Life book club title. The main character has just lost her husband and is doing some heavy-duty grieving. As she moves (or doesn't move) through life without him, different people bring different things to her. I liked the crazy older gal the best. Her sister's story bothered me the most. As the truth about her relationship with her husband unravels, we got a clearer picture of the reality of her situation. She sees him and talks with him throughout the book - hence the title.

The Mountain Between Us

by Charles Martin
Hennepin County Library audioCDs, 10 hours
read by George Newbern
genre: "Women's Fiction" - chicklit?

Dr. Ben Payne & reporter Ashley Knox end up taking a charter flight together to avoid a storm that will snow them into Salt Lake City. The pilot has a heart attack and the two passengers are stranded in the mountains with severe injuries. As they fight for their lives, Ben's relationship with his wife Rachel is unfolded in a series of tape recordings that he makes for her.

This was disappointing to me since I really love Martin's other books that I've read. It comes to close to Nicholas Sparks' style and his stuff is way too maudlin for me. I liked Grover (the pilot) and some of the survival stuff. But on a relationship level, I thought this book was a big disappointment.

The Eyre Affair

by Jasper Fforde
my copy paperback 374 pages
genre: British mystery with lots of humor and clever wordplay

Yes! I had first listened to a Fforde story a few years ago and was torn between "this is too bizarre" and "I love this!" When I saw this book in a library book sale, I snatched it up. This is book number one in the series about Thursday Next and Spec-Ops. Guess what's on my reading list now??? These stories are very, very odd, with people going into and coming out of books. There's time travel and a host of other strange stuff happening but they are super-clever and fun to read!

Journey to the Center of the Earth

by Jules Verne
audioCDs read by Simon Prebble

Nick and I listened to this on our road trip to see the U of MN solar car team. It was fun, but not my favorite Verne story. Nick and I both laughed at some of the scientific info in it . . . fun theories (and how do we really know what's in the earth's interior???)

Fearless Fourteen

by Janet Evanovich
AudioCDs read by Lorelei King
genre: humorous detective story

Listened to this with Louise in June when we went to the quilt show. Laugh-out-loud funny writing. A bit crude, but an enjoyable story. Lula and grandma were the funniest. Zeke is a teenager whose mom needs to be bonded out after she robs a liquor store. While the bonding is on hold, our detective takes responsibility for the gamer and a host of other odd characters.

The Mouse that Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence

by Henry A. Giroux
PRMS hardcover 173 pages
genre: social analysis

I picked this up from school in the spring shortly after I had read the other book on Walt Disney. It took me 'til last month to start reading this. I ended up just doing a skim-read because it was so dry. It seemed more like a research paper than compelling non-fiction. His premise is that Disney is the "world's most influential" corporation in terms of cultural practices. He argues that in the guise of promoting innocent fun for kids, Disney has actually created children-as-consumers. This just didn't do it for me. And it definitely isn't going to work for my middle school readers. I have a "delete & donate" sticky on it for back-to-school time.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation

by M.T. Anderson
subtitled: Volume One - The Pox Party
Carver County Library, AudioCDs 8:19
read by Peter Francis James

This is one of those books that I "had" to read. I've read so many positive reviews of it that I just couldn't ignore it. It's an amazing book that I absolutely hated. James' voice is fantastic and he brought the story to life vividly. Unfortunately, it's a story of evil and hypocrisy. The members of the "Novanglian College of Lucidity" are testing a hypothesis about the inferiority of blacks in Revolutionary America. Octavian is their subject. He and his mother are treated royally in some regards, but the evils of racism and intellectual arrogance shine through. Ultimately, this is an incredible, haunting story that made me think. But I didn't enjoy the story.

Black Duck

by Janet Taylor Lisle
Carver County Library, audioCDs, 5.5 hours
read by David Ackroyd
genre: YA historical fiction, adventure

One of the 2010-11 MHL nominees, but I'm not sure I'll promote MHL this year . . . This was a good story and well-read, but I think I'd have enjoyed it more just reading the text myself. Two boys discover a dead body on a local New England beach during Prohibition. Jeddy, the son of the police chief, and Ruben are both drawn into the rum-running business, but in different ways. Their lives and friendship never recover. Tom Morrison was my favorite character. The story is told through an old Ruben Hart relating the tale to aspiring writer David.


Interesting! My memory of Black Duck was "not impressed." Then when I was subbing last month, I re-read the first five or so chapters to be ready for a group of students I was going to have that day. I found myself so engaged with the story that I checked a copy out yesterday and finished reading it in print. I really liked it! (It isn't that I think Dan Ackroyd did a bad job with the vocal work, necessarily; I think it's more that I enjoyed the text without his interpretation of the characters.)

This time around, I liked David helping elderly Ruben with his yard work. A lot of the ethical considerations of the Prohibition era also resonated for me (especially in light of the current political and social climate).

Page 12 Ruben is defending his dad's honor. I love how each of the boys believed the best about their dads, but am sad that their friendship was fractured by loyalties. (I had made a note when I subbed about "commerce and greed" but don't know what passage it referred to . . . different editions have different paginations. Ah well.

Page 145 "He must make ten times on smuggling what I clear in legal sales in a month. It's money, not law, that speaks loudest to him." Sad but true for many people. Ruben's dad is referring to Mr. Riley here. " Later that page: "It seemed unfair that a man of my dad's worth should be forced to go against his moral conscience in order to keep his job. That wasn't something that should be asked of anyone, I thought, and I was amazed that my mother would advise such a thing."

Page 217 Tom - my favorite character! "'I'm lifting my finger in the direction of peace and quiet,' Tom replied. 'Money's no answer to what's needed in my life.'" I love it when people value better things than money!

Page 237 - "There are times when truth becomes invisible, I think, beyond the reach even of those who believe they're closest to it." Again, this makes me think of the current cultural climate and it makes me sad.

Plum Lovin'

by Janet Evanovich
subtitled "A Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers" novel
Hennepin County, audioCDs 3 hours
read by Lorelei King

Glad this was short - shouldn't have spent the time. Cruder than usual, didn't make me laugh out loud. King does a fantastic job with the voices and really brings the characters to life. The story just didn't do it for me. Stephanie teams up with Diesel, yet another sexy man in her life, to find the bad guy and bring romance into hapless lives in time for Valentine's day.

The Help

by Kathryn Stockett
Jenifer's copy, hardcover, 451 pages

PRMS book club title for May(?) - What an incredible book! I'm so glad we decided to read this one, even though I missed part of the discussion. As I read the first few chapters, I had to flip to the back jacket to see who the author was. A white woman! Incredible first novel. The story is told from the perspectives of three women in 1962. Mississippi and the growing civil rights movement create a realistic, turbulent location for Aibilene and Minny - aka "The Help" of the story. Skeeter's growing awareness of the chasm between her world and the world of these women made me think of we all have something of a blind eye for situations that we don't necessarily want to think about. Powerful book, but painful too. I loved it.

I'm such a dork that I wanted Celia and Johnny to take Minny and her kids in to their huge house! I'm such a Pollyanna sometimes . . .

This was blogged on 7/11/10 and I just listened to the audiobook. I love this story! And I strongly dislike the reality it represents in a fictional manner. The vocal work was done by Jenna Lamia (Skeeter), Bahni Turpin (Aibileen), Octavia Spencer (Minny), and Cassandra Campbell (additional narration). The audiobook brings to life the joy, pain, irony, and nuance of 1962 Jackson, Mississippi. I am still amazed at the power of this story.

The Love Revolution

by Joyce Meyer
Hennepin County Library, audioCDs, 8 hours
read by Sandra McCollom (Joyce's daughter)
genre: Christian living / inspirational

This took me a while to "get into" - I think I might actually enjoyed reading the text more than listening. Joyce's teaching is really powerful, though. There were times when I listened to just the right concept at the right time. I love how she uses Scripture for her basis of teaching - that's why it's so powerful. If all Christians truly loved the way Jesus taught us to, it would revolutionize the world. This is one I wouldn't mind owning - the teachings are that meaningful. I would love to be part of the revolution that changes the world through Jesus' love!

Her Mother's Hope

by Francine Rivers
Kim C's copy, hardcover, 483 pages
genre: Christian fiction, relationships, historical fiction

This was a very engaging book. My big frustration was with the main character, Marta, not talking with her husband or her daughter Hildemara about her childhood, her dad, her sister Elise. I wish I'd been able to go to the discussion for book club. It sounds as though they had a great conversation about mothers and daughters and the relationships that can get sticky. Communication is such a key!

Overall, I enjoyed this story of Marta overcoming horrible odds to be successful. I just thought she turned too bitter and nasty after she got married. Hildemara was a delightful character. The scene that really hit me hard was when her cruel teacher overheard her telling her sister about praying for the teacher. Powerful!

Keeping Up!

Wow. I haven't really read a lot lately, but definitely more than I've blogged! I'm going to play catchup and apologize in advance for the lack of quality and thought. I'm in "get-r-done" mode.

The House That Cleans Itself

by Mindy Starns Clark
Hennepin County Library, paperback, 234 pages
genre: self-help / housekeeping

I am torn between wanting to buy a copy of this book and just starting with the notes I've made to see how it goes. I will be gone too much in the next few weeks to start this system. I love her tone and the fact that she struggled for a long time with the clutter and lack of cleanliness that I am dealing with. I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle this, though. It will take time to go through the whole house and change how we do things. By the end of the book, I thought, "well, we're not THAT bad around here." But I recognize that we have too much clutter and we need to make some changes so our house is more enjoyable. I may be checking this one out again. Or simply buying a copy.

The Fallen

volume one in "The Nine Lives of Chloe King" series
by Celia Thomson
Hennepin County Library, paperback, 250 pages
genre: YA paranormal romance

A very intelligent young lady highly recommended this to me. She is an avid reader and I eagerly picked this up to see what she was enjoying so much. I'm not sure why she recommended it so highly. The sexual innuendo? The risky behaviors? The slight mystery of why Chloe seems to be turning into a cat? I found it abrupt, poorly developed, and ultimately pointless. I have no empathy for Chloe or her friends, Amy and Paul. I certainly don't care about Xaviyer, Brian, or Aleyc. I do care that a young woman I have a good opinion of is raving about a book with such careless teen use of alcohol, swearing, dishonesty, and sex . . . but I probably won't see her to tell her what I really think of this book. I won't be reading the rest of this series!!!

Airborn

by Kenneth Oppel
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10.5 hours
genre: YA adventure

This was a re-read. Loved it! Except that Kate was really irritating (author's portrayal, not the voice talent). I enjoyed the full-cast audio. It was very rich and enjoyable. Matt Cruse is a wonderful hero. This is a delightful story with good and evil, plenty of heroics, and a touch of first romance.

Airman

by Eoin Colfer
PRMS hardcover 412 pages
genre: YA adventure, historical

This took me a loooong time to get through. Conor Broekhart has a fascination with flying. Set in the late 1890s on the Saltee islands, we see Conor's birth, childhood, downfall, imprisonment, and triumph (naturally). I ended up enjoying it, but it took a while for the story to develop enough for me to care.

Dovey Coe

by Frances O'Roark Dowell
PRMS, hardcover, 181 pages
genre: YA coming-of-age, mystery

Dovey Coe is a smart-mouthed Appalachian girl whose older sister Caroline is a true beauty. The wealthy town bully, Parnell Caraway, starts wooing Caroline as she's preparing to go to teacher's college. Dovey is fit to be tied! Along with her deaf mute brother Amos, she prefers trekking all over the mountains, hunting and gathering plants, to any social activity.

This is a re-read for me (though I missed the seventh grade book club discussion last Thursday). I remember not having been impressed with this story the first time I read it, but not why. In re-reading it, I think part of my issue is how quickly the story resolves once Parnell dies. The seriousness of his death is only briefly mentioned, as Dovey realizes that his sister Paris and his mother are sad that he's gone. Even her relationship with Amos doesn't seem to be a strong enough thread to hold the story together.

Shanghai Girls

by Lisa See
PRMS paperback 309 pages
genre: historical fiction, China, relationships

I finally finished this, even though the book club discussion was last week . . . it was a sad story, filled with sorrow and disappointment. I think the thing that shocked me most was seeing the picture of the author on the back page. She doesn't look oriental at all! I definitely empathized more with Pearl. May just seemed too selfish and shallow. Sam was my favorite character, though, and his story most resonated for me. What a powerful story!

The above was written on 5/24/10. I added the notes below in spring 2017.

I grabbed the audiobook because I didn't remember the details of the story and enjoyed the vocal work by Janet Song on this. WARNING: There are spoilers in my notes!!!

•  Pearl is so sad, she feels so unworthy
• the Japanese - murdered the wheelbarrow puller, raped Mam. No, Pearl! Stay in hiding! Mom's strength - wow. so sad.
• "What can I do?" This got old after a while - Pearl is such a victim. (What did I think of this the first time I read it? My notes above don't indicate.)
• arranged marriages . . . Sam is a good guy, but Vern is only 14 years old! And he has issues . . . 
• conversation with Sam and Pearl - the honesty and closeness - I loved this!
• "None of that Jesus thinking sank into us." - Pearl's observations of the missionaries in Shanghai and how her family got what they wanted without buying in to the beliefs.
• white - the color of death
• Sam's suicide . . . devastating.
• perceptions / jealousy, victimhood, accusations, honesty, built-up resentments
•  ending - what?!?! Pearl is going to Red China to find Joy? Ugh!
• Sisters' story, really.

Oggie Cooder

by Sarah Weeks
PRMS paperback 172 pages
YA friendship / self-esteem

Oggie is a fourth-grade boy with thrift store clothing and a strange talent: he charves (chews / carves) processed cheese. This story is cute and has a good lesson about being yourself. The characters are mostly stereotypes, but Oggie himself is an anachronism. Pretty young for middle school, but might appeal to some sixth graders.

The School Story

by Andrew Clements
Hennepin County Library, audioCD 3:18
read by Spencer Kayden
genre: YA kid empowerment

Cute story, but definitely an older elementary title. The protagonists are sixth graders and I think this book will appeal to third through sixth graders. Natalie Nelson is a talented writer who is working on a novel called The Cheater. Her best friend Zoe thinks it is good enough to be published, and is strong-willed enough to make it happen. The two girls overcome many obstacles and learn a lot along the way. Enjoyable story - Clements is good at these!

Kayden's narration is very good - easy to listen to, and nice character distinction.

The Radioactive Boy Scout

by Ken Silverstein
subtitled: The Frightening True Story of a Whiz Kid and His Homemade Nuclear Reactor
PRMS hardcover 203 pages
genre: biography, science

Wow. It's scary how much this story makes me think of my son Alex. I don't think he would go this far. It would be really interesting to have him read this book and give me his perspective. David Hahn was fascinated by chemistry, atomic energy, experimenting, and science in general. The fact that he got so far on his own is stunning. With some guidance and direction, he probably could have been a successful scientist. I wish he hadn't backed out of the full-body scan. I'm curious about how much radiation is in his body. What a scary, fascinating story.

Remember Me: Women & Their Friendship Quilts

by Linda Otto Lipsett
loaned by Mary Verbick, paperback 135 pages
genre: history / quilting

The women featured in this book had records left behind - their signed friendship quilts, but also letters and photographs handed down. Their stories are fascinating, but it makes me think of how many people have left no record at all. The popularity of friendship quilts gave interesting insight into people's lives in the 1800s. The women who lost husbands in the Civil War struck me the most. Raising children alone in relative prairie and not even knowing if your spouse was alive or not - horrible! What an interesting book, though not strong in a narrative sense.

Loving Will Shakespeare

by Carolyn Meyer
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 6.5 hours
read by Katherine Kellgren

Interesting premise - since we know so little about William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway, what might their relationship have been like? But this story disappointed me. It felt as though it took forever to build to a climax and then was over far too quickly. What a sad story. My favorite part was the budding romance between Agnes and Will. I liked when she had words with Joan and Joan Little.

It would be interesting to include this title with the middle ages books that Sarah is having kids read. Some of the historical details were truly interesting. Overall, though, I wouldn't recommend this to my middle school readers.

Rowan Hood: Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest

by Nancy Springer
Hennepin County Library, audioCD 4 hours
read by Emily Gray
genre: YA adventure, magic

Rowan's mother has just been murdered and she sets out to find her famous father, Robin Hood. Only he doesn't know she exists . . . There were parts of this story that were very enjoyable and parts that were exasperating. Too much preteen girl angst. It was funny listening to it with Louise and Ann on our quilting weekend. They were yelling at the stereo as I had, "Just tell him!" This will be a good book to recommend to 6th grade girls who like fantasy and adventure stories.

Stolen in the Night

by Patricia MacDonald
Hennepin County Library, paperback, 374 pages
genre: murder mystery

I'm not actually done with this one yet, but I've exceeded maximum checkouts. I started by getting this on CD for my dad. He enjoyed it but couldn't finish because the CDs were so scratched. So I checked it out and started reading aloud. Then he went to Florida. I had the brilliant idea of reading it and saving as mp3 files. . . I'm only on chapter 11 and it's been months. I'm going to bite the bullet and just buy a copy of it.

So far, I'm frustrated by the paradox: was the DNA test wrong or did she identify the wrong person? I love that Ernie just brought up another possibility: someone different from the abductor committed the murder. Cue creepy music. I really want to see how this ends!

Nation

by Terry Pratchett
PRMS paperback 367 pages + afterword
genre: adventure, philosophy

Very interesting book! The story of Mau and Daphne, being a child and becoming an adult. A giant wave that wipes out a village and a shipful of people. Belief, religion, relationships, good & evil. I wish I had read this in time to talk about it with the book club! It has a lot going on in it!

The Blind Side

by Michael Lewis
PRMS paperback 339 pages
genre: sports biography

This telling of Michael Oher's life story was fascinating. Now I'm ready to see the movie! And I'm curious to know more. As the author points out in the afterward, he was too impatient to wait to see how Michael's story turns out. This young man went from a homeless, uneducated teenager to a member of a wealthy white family who was courted by many football programs. The Duohy family made such a huge difference in his life! The historical info on football was less interesting to me, though some of it amazed me. I didn't really know who Lawrence Taylor was, but for one man to impact the game so much is incredible. What an intriguing story. Kudos to the author's wife for pointing out that it was a story that needed to be told! Miss Sue is my favorite person in this story - the educator.

Whale Talk

by Chris Crutcher
Hennepin County Library, audioCD, 6:32
read by Brian Corrigan

I just noticed on the back that this audiobook is recommended for ages "10 and up" - seriously?!? It's another powerful Crutcher story, well-written and intense. But the language is vintage Crutcher - lots of swearing, including liberal use of the F-word. The language shouldn't deter teen or adult readers, though. There is an incredible story of power, morality, family, and honor.

TJ is a complex character - powerful athlete who won't play on school teams because he won't buy in to the "jocks rule" mentality. A mixed-race boy in a mostly white community, his adoptive parents and his counselor Georgia have helped him tame the rage that he learned early in his young life. A decent, good person, TJ tries to make a point with the newly formed swim team.

What an incredible story! This one was easy to booktalk to 8th graders (part of their coming-of-age and making-a-difference literature circles). I loved it!

Kim

by Rudyard Kipling
Hennepin County Library audioCD 10.5 hours
read by Ralph Cosham
genre: historical fiction / classic literature / adventure

I don't think I would have ever read this text cover-to-cover. I was curious about this legendary Kipling story, but I struggled to finish it even in audio version. The narrator was wonderful, but the story meandered too much for me. There was a lot of it that I missed because the names and some of the ideas just didn't sink in. I think I'll just summarize here by copying from the back flap:

"Kimball O'Hara is . . . (covered by barcode) . . . streets of India. As a boy, he shows self-reliance and resourcefulness, running errands for Mahbub Ali, who works for the British Secret Service. Kim also meets a Tibetan lama who is on a quest to be freed from the Wheel of Life and becomes his disciple. Together they have wonderful adventures on the exotically colorful Grand Trunk Road through the Indian countryside. Then Kim is pulled into the great game of British imperial espionage and becomes a member of the Secret Service, even capturing documents from the enemy spies. Yet Kim is greatly attached to the lama and begins to feel the conflicting pulls between a life of contemplation and one of action."

I don't regret reading it, but it wasn't one that I enjoyed a lot. Kim, along with The Life of Pi, and one other that I read in the past year that is set in India (Ann's book club title . . . ) all give me an interesting idea of what India is like as a country and a culture.

Heart and Soul: The Story of Florence Nightingale

by Gena K. Gorrell
PRMS hardcover, 135 pages
genre: biography

Interesting book! I have read other articles and a shorter children's biography of Florence Nightingale, but this one was much more informative. She was a very driven woman. One fact that stunned me was "in her lifetime she wrote about thirteen thousand letters, and published some two hundred books, pamphlets, and papers." There were others who were also pushing for reform in the medical field, but she was tireless! And she was an acquaintance of Queen Victoria. Interesting how frustrated Nightingale got by her lack of power in a male-dominated world. Very interesting book. Gorrell does a nice job of blending the story of Florence's life with photographs, documents, and information about other world events at the time. The Crimean War was just once piece of Florence's fight for reforms at a time when many doctors scoffed at the idea of germs.

Though Waters Roar

by Lynn Austin
Hennepin County library, hardcover, 428 pages
genre: Christian / historical fiction

This generational story stretched from Hannah helping with the Underground Railroad to Bebe and the temperance movement through Lucy and the women's right to vote, and was framed by Harriet's struggle with her identity and cause. Each of these women, and the men in their lives, have an interesting story to tell.

I thought there was a bit too much time-hopping at the start of the story, but it became clearer as the story went on. Enjoyable. Good discussion at the Fish Tale! I love my book club.

City of Bones

by Cassandra Clare
book one in The Mortal Instruments
Becky C loaned it to me, hardcover, 485 pages

Hmmm. This one didn't do it for me. I'm a bit surprised that it's a "New York Times Bestseller" - wonder if that happened before or after Stephenie Meyer endorsed it as a "story world I love to live in." It has some interesting characters and scenes, but I found it to be too dark. The romance angle was also disappointing (spoiler alert!) . . . when the sparks between Jace and Clary fizzle upon their learning that they are actually siblings. I don't even want to read the rest of the series to find out what happens. The scene in the church was most disappointing to me. Jace's abrupt change of allegiances in the final scene with Valentine put the nail in the coffin, so to speak. I'm glad Becky has found a series that she loves, but I don't share the love!

Shug

by Jenny Han
Hennepin County Library, audioCD 6 hours
read by: Liz Morton
genre: YA coming-of-age

Interesting! At first, this story drove me crazy. Annemarie "Shug" Wilcox is starting seventh grade and everything seems to be changing. Her best friend Mark is hanging with the "guys" and spending less and less time with her. Elaine is starting to hang out with the popular girls, and her family seems to be falling apart. I ended up really liking this story. It's got some wonderful scenes dealing with friendship, peer pressure, etc.

Truer Than True Romance

by Jeanne Martinet
PRMS paper 112 pages
genre: humor / romance

What a hoot! When I saw this on the media center shelf, I did a double-take. This is a snarky, sarcastic take on the stereotypical 1940s romance comics. The original splash page is reprinted next to this author's rewritten story lines. A comics-lovers delight. I'm going to send it to the high school, because I don't think most middle schoolers would get it at all. It's hilarious!

Chinese Cinderella: the true story of an unwanted daughter

by Adeline Yen Mah
PRMS paperback 205 pages
genre: memoir

When a student told me I "had" to read this, I was glad to comply. Now, like that student, I want to read Falling Leaves, which is Mah's full autobiography, and an award-winning book. What a horrible childhood - to be blamed as an infant for her mother's death and then treated like a non-person by her stepmother . . . at first, I actually thought she was a bit of a whiner ("poor me"), but as the story went on, I was saddened by the gap between what could (and should) have been for her and her siblings, and their reality. I am curious now to read Falling Leaves. One of the most stark scenes, to me, was when her father had to ask her what her Chinese name was because he didn't remember that (or her birth date). A well-told story.

The Greatest Generation

by Tom Brokaw
Hennepin County Library hardcover 390 pages
WWII non-fiction / heroes

I didn't finish this in time for book club discussion, but found that I was somewhat disappointed in the book. I've heard so many rave reviews of it that I think I expected more. My favorite chapters were on Dr. Van Gorder and Mary Louise Roberts Wilson. I guess in general, I liked the down-to-earth stories of the ordinary people. Even though Brokaw included a "shame" category, the book overall seemed to idealize the generation. We had a great discussion about that. I definitely think that there can be a general social mentality even when there are "good" and "bad" individuals in every era. I think the "me" decade was a time of great selfishness although there were many generous caring people and events at that time, too. Interesting book. Those of a slightly older age were really curious to hear what the 20-somethings thought of the book, but most of the younger book clubbers hadn't read it . . .

Darcy's Story

By Janet Aylmer
Hennepin County Library paperback 268 pages
genre: Victorian romance

I picked this one up when I already have too high a stack of books to read. The title caught my eye! I love Darcy and Elizabeth. It's basically a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice through Darcy's eyes. Though written very true to Austen's original, it lacked something for me. It just seemed like a summary . . . though a pleasant and enjoyable one.

The Loud Silence of Francine Green

by Karen Cushman
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 5:36
read by Anaka Shockley
genre: YA coming-of-age

Cushman's stories are so thought-provoking! This one is about quiet, obedience Francine and her controversial neighbor Sophie Bowman. Set in cold war America, this was especially enlightening after having read Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation." Francine is a good Catholic girl who just tries to stay out of trouble, especially from Sister Basil. Sophie asks questions which provoke.

I'm not sure which of my students would enjoy this kind of book. Cushman is one of my favorite authors of historical fiction for young adolescents. This one reads as though she lived portions of it! Francine shelving books at the school library made me laugh.

Twilight

by Stephenie Meyer
my copy, hardcover, 498 pages
genre: YA romance, paranormal

Re-read for 8th grade book club. I liked it less than the first time I read it. The discussion was very interesting! Most (but not all) of the girls liked it. Most (but not all) of the guys did NOT.

The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien
our library, paperback, 1977 printing

I re-read this for 8th grade book club, since it's been at least a decade since I've read it. It was a much quicker read than I remembered . . . in the past, the entire adventure seemed so much more drawn-out. I'd forgotten how the confrontation at the Lonely Mountain ended (after Bilbo's "trade" with the Arkenstone). Never count out the goblins and wargs! Beorn is my favorite character, and I'm curious to know more about the necromancer. It will be fun to booktalk this with the kids tomorrow.

Mates, Dates, and Inflatable Bras

by Cathy Hopkins
Hennepin County Library, audioCD 3 hours
read by ???
genre: YA British chick lit

What a fun little story! I'm glad I listened to it. It was not what I expected from seeing this series of books. It's a lot like Rennison's Georgia Nicholson books, but sweeter in a way. Lucy is such a genuine 14-year-old with her worries and joys. This is a really neat little friendship story. Now I know the type of reader to booktalk it to . . . and I'm curious to read some of the other "Mates, Dates . . . " titles.

The reader did a nice job!

The Secret Language of Girls

by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Hennepin County Library audioCD 3:52
read by Michele Santopietro
genre: YA (very young!) chick lit

This book has the *coolest* image and title, but the story just doesn't deliver. I think the reader's voice didn't do justice to the characters, because I enjoyed it a bit more when I read the text in the print copy in my collection.

But the story just didn't work for me even though there were some neat girl moments . . . this would resonate for certain sixth grade girls. But the shifting between Marylin's, Kate's, and even Petey's perspective was disconcerting. The story seemed to shift abruptly from the start of school to Halloween to . . . It seemed more like a string of vignettes than a cohesive story.

I did like certain scenes (e.g. Marylin's first kiss and the disappointment that goes with it, Kate's friendship with Andrew) but it isn't one that I'll be able to enthusiastically booktalk with my students.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

by Jeff Kinney
PRMS hard cover, 217 pages
genre: YA humor

I'm torn. Greg is such a repulsive child - lazy, selfish, rude, etc. Yet these books are so delightfully written (with the exception of #2) that I really do enjoy reading them. There are moments of such pure honesty that Greg, Rowley, and their families are endearing. This summertime experience makes a fun read!

Deceived

by James Scott Bell
Hennepin County, paperback, 327 pages
genre: Christian mystery / adventure / relationships

This book had its good points and bad points. I don't like it when writers start by introducing a dozen different people in a handful of scenarios in the first ten pages. I actually made a "cheat sheet" to keep track of the characters and their situations. Arty is one of the most important characters in the story, even though he falls off a cliff in the first chapter and . . . well, no spoiler alerts here. Mac was my favorite character - I like how he kept working out his faith even when it was really hard. Our discussion tonight was good, but we were frustrated by a lot of unanswered questions.

What exactly happened when Liz pulled the trigger in the graveyard?
How did Mac's position with his daughter and ex finally turn out? (Did he actually just walk away from her and not seek to see her ever again?)
What happens with Rocky?

An enjoyable and action-packed enough book . . . I won't be seeking out this author's other titles.

Messenger

by Lois Lowry
PRMS paperback 169 pages
genre: YA SciFi

What a quick read! I love how it pulled The Giver and Gathering Blue together. I'm a bit disappointed in Lowry, however. The fact that Kira's world had changed so dramatically seems too simplistic. And the change coming over the Trade Mart and the people was never really explored. Matty's sacrifice was cryptic, but that fit with the rest of this intriguing series. Now I wish I had time to go back and re-read the other two. I wonder why Cina dislikes Gathering Blue so much???

The Dog Says How

by Kevin Kling
Carver County Library audiobook 3.75 hours
read by the author

Local playwright Kling has hit the jackpot with this collection of autobiographical stories. I had a good belly laugh on my way to work one morning. "Taxidermy with love" was one of my faves. Having three sons, a lot of the "guy" humor hit the mark for me. His voice is unique, and his tone comes through in both his writing and reading. Delightful storyteller! This one is a gem. The only thing I didn't like was his liberal use of the Lord's name in vain . . . it's always hard for me to hear that.

Catching Fire

by Suzanne Collins
PRMS hardcover 391 pages
genre: YA adventure, futuristic, survival

Sequel to The Hunger Games, I can hardly wait for book three to come out this summer! I'm not going to write much about it, because I hate spoilers and I'm so thankful that none of my students spoiled this one for me. This was not predictable and the almost-400 pages felt far too short. What an engaging scenario Collins has created! It's both horrifying and fascinating. Reminiscent of Jackson's The Lottery, it has appealing characters in Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Cinna, and even Haymitch.

Skeleton Man

by Tony Hillerman
read by George Guidall
Carver County Library audiobook 6.5 hours
genre: mystery, adventure

Liked: . . . the reader's voice, the good guys won, some of the Grand Canyon & Hopi Indian info

Disliked: the repetitive storyline! Every time a new character was told the details of the plane, the diamonds, etc. it was like a joke - how many times does the author need to share the exact same info?! Also, who was the main character supposed to be? Leaphorn? He was hardly part of it at all. Jim Chee? Bernie? Joanna Craig? This just didn't work. It was pretty annoying.

Eggs

by Jerry Spinelli
PRMS paperback 220 pages
genre: YA, coming of age

This was a re-read for sixth grade book club at school. David and Primrose are unlikely friends, but they definitely connect in a meaningful way. My sixth graders really liked this - one said the nightcrawler scene was her favorite. David's mom has died; Primrose's mom is self-absorbed and emotionally stunted. The two of them work through some of their issues together with a mix of humor and sadness.

The Lost Symbol

by Dan Brown
my sister's copy, hardcover, 506 pages
genre: thriller, mystery, suspense

I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as The Da Vinci Code. There didn't seem to be a compelling reason for the CIA to behave the way it did (both initially, when they were draconian, and later when they were lenient). The "national disaster" seemed overwrought. The nasty gory stuff was interspersed with long diatribes about ancient mysticism and it just didn't work for me.
What did I like about it? The Washington D.C. lore - I love that city! It's gorgeous and I could spend weeks there, exploring its treasures. An interesting note about this book - really short chapters make it seem more like a "quick" read (133 chapters plus a prologue & an epilogue).

That said, I'll put other people's opinions in the comments below.

The Silent Gift

by Michael Landon Jr. & Cindy Kelley
Hennepin County Library, paperback, 362 pages
Christian / inspirational fiction

The best part about this book was Jodi's ranting and raving about how much she disliked it during our book club discussion. I wasn't quite so vehement, but it's one of the less cohesive stories I've read in a while.

Mary gives birth underwater after her husband has driven the car off the road and watches as it sinks. Jump eight years. Mary is a devoted mother to the deaf and mute Jack, but her husband Jerry is a mean, selfish, abusive jerk who can't stand either one of them. Travel through most of the midwest encountering rich people, scoundrels, governors, jail, a poor house with a psycho doctor, a circus, revenge plots, etc. Until you get to the end and Jack shares his insights from beyond the grave.

It wasn't a terrible book, but it was far from great. My favorite part? Listening to Jodi talk about how stupid it was. Now *that* was entertaining.

(This was originally & incorrectly posted in a different blog. I've altered today's post date of 8/23/11 to the original one.)

A Touch of Grace

by Lauraine Snelling
Hennepin County Library audioCD 11.5 hours
read by Stina Nielsen
historical fiction / Christian / romance

I cannot believe I even got this one! From the cover, it looked a lot like Janette Oke-style storytelling or one of those Amish romances that drive me nuts. But I did. And no matter how crazy it made me, I listened to the whole thing! Grrr. What a poor use of drive time.

Repetitive, over-wrought, and maddening. The narrator's voice was fantastic - she created the characters and related the story effectively. But the writing was . . . did I already say this? . . . repetitive!!! The exact same phrases were used as the main character, Grace, contemplated her feelings for Toby, suffered over whether or not her sister had forgiven her, and wondered about Jonathan's intentions.

Jonathan, his sister, and their spunky neighbor were my favorite characters. I liked the lack of swearing and crudity.

Skybreaker

by Kenneth Oppel
PRMS hardcover 544 pages
YA adventure with scifi / fantasy elements

Matt Cruse is once again off on an adventure with Kate de Vries. This time, they have banded with the arrogant Mr. Slater and the questionable Nadira.

Loved it! Fun, wonderful story!

The View From Saturday

by E.L. Konigsburg
PRMS paperback 163 pages
YA relationships

I re-read this to jog my memory and decide to whom and how to recommend it. Four sixth graders tell their piece of an overlapping story as their teacher, paraplegic Mrs. Olinski, keeps us up to date on how these four became an academic team that called themselves "The Four Souls."

An enjoyable story, but it's definitely for a younger mature reader (young in years; mature in reading ability). These are four intelligent, articulate youngsters. My favorite part of the book was the current academic challenge competitions, not the reflections upon their past lives.

H.I.V.E.

by Mark Walden
PRMS paperback 309 pages
YA / action

The Higher Institute of Villainous Education has abducted some of the brightest and most evil-prone children on the planet. The purpose of the school is to provide villain training. Some of the children, led by Otto Malpense, want to escape HIVE's island location and regain control over their own lives.

This story was enjoyable, but mostly predictable. It reminded me of a cross between Artemis Fowl and Alex Rider. My favorite character was Wing Fanchu - it will be interesting to hear more of his story in the next book. I'm also curious about the identity and motives of "Number One."

Get Out of that Pit

by Beth Moore
Carver County audioCD
read by the author
subtitled "Straight Talk about God's Deliverance"

I usually really enjoy Beth Moore's teaching, but this one didn't connect for me. I thought about sharing it with Ann, but that might be a bit much for her. I liked her down-to-earth conversational style, though she talked really darn fast. I like her illustrations. I thought about any "pits" I might be living in, but couldn't relate too much. She's great at encouraging, though, and I appreciate that about her.

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
Hennepin County Library, hard cover, 308 pages

What a fascinating book! I heard about it on Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog, and am so very glad I got it. These brothers have studied why some ideas (like urban legends and good marketing campaigns) "stick" in people's memory and why other ideas don't (like so much of what is shared in businesses, classrooms, etc.!).

Sticky ideas follow the "SUCCESs" checklist: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional Stories. I'll recommend this one to my principal. I'd love to see this as an all-school read (the way Sue had us do at NP). Fascinating book!

The Dive from Clausen's Pier

by Ann Packer
Dakota County Library, hard cover, 370 pages

Carrie Bell has been ambivalent about her relationship with Mike, her job, her future . . . and then a group of friends picnic up at Clausen's Pier. When Mike dives in, he breaks his neck in the shallow water. Now Carrie's dilemma gets even tougher.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. There was enough to pull me along to see what happened next. At the conclusion, though, I was disappointed. Carrie didn't seem to grow or change as a character at all. She didn't seem to ever figure out what she really wants out of life. She just went along, drifting from one situation to the next, hurting others and apologizing profusely.

I look forward to the book club discussion, but don't know how I'd rate this book. At times, it was quite engaging.

The Last Olympian

by Rick Riordan
PRMS, hardcover, ? pages

Wow. This series just got better and better with each book. I really enjoyed this conclusion to the story as the Olympians and the Titans do battle. Percy has grown and matured, other characters' storylines and futures are more thoroughly dealt with, mysteries are woven and unwoven. Delightful!

Never Sniff a Gift Fish

by Patrick F. McManus
Carver County Library, audioCD, ~6 hours
narrated by Norman Dietz

This humorous look at sportsmen's lives was more fun than I expected. I can't believe I've had it sitting around so long (at least one renewal so far). My dad will enjoy this title! It pokes fun at hunting, fishing, men, their wives, etc. Dietz's voice is perfect for this title.

Persuasion

by Jane Austen
home, hardcover, 116 pages

Anne Elliot is not nearly as likable as Elizabeth Bennett, but I enjoyed this story anyway. Reading too much of this type of fiction makes me impatient and bored with the idle rich. Yet at the same time, the excellent manners and restrained passions are intriguing. Mrs. Russell's interference prevented me from appreciating much of anything about her.
There are two Austen works I've not yet read, but here's the order of preference so far:
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
Persuasion
Emma

The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman
illustrations by Dave McKean
PRMS hardcover 312 pages

This was a re-read for the eighth grade book club, except I didn't finish it before we discussed it. Interesting that in general, the girls disliked it and the guys liked it. I definitely enjoyed it more the second time around. It was less strange to me and I was able to enjoy the details more. It's an unusual book about Nobody (Bod) Owens being raised in a graveyard by the ghosts. The nature of the Jacks (mortal?) and Silas is never very clear, but it doesn't seem to matter.

Waiting for Normal

by Leslie Connor
Carver County Library, audioCDs, 6.75 hours
read by Angela Rogers

At first, the reader's voice kind of bugged me. She sounded too young, somehow. But by the end of the story, I was crying my eyes out. Addie is the daughter of a very dysfunctional woman. I think the hardest part for me was knowing that kids like Addie exist everywhere - even at my school. Inattentive parents, a lack of guidance and support, challenging situations . . . this was a powerful story.

Chobits

by "Clamp"
volumes 1-8

This manga series caught my attention when I ordered a set off Amazon. Volumes 1-5 were already in my collection and it cost as much to order the set of eight as it did to order just volumes 6-8. When my para was getting ready to add them to the system, some of the content caught her eye. So I took them home to read.

Volumes 1 & 2 seem to exist to grab readers - to titillate and entice. I think what shocked me the most was that they are created, written, and drawn by a group of women! They objectify and sexualize women in such a gratuitous and blatant way! With the successive volumes 3-8, that element dies down and the story line develops more, but that saddens me as well.

Chobits are somewhat mythical persocoms who are such highly developed humanoid robots that they can actually learn and feel emotions. The main character falls in love with his persocom and they have a happy-ever-after experience.

Is this a Japanese cultural statement? Perhaps if electronics develop enough, people don't need to bother with human relationships. They can just have a computer that looks and acts perfectly in accord with one's wishes. No thanks.

No Talking!

by Andrew Clements
Carver County Library, audioCDs, 3 hours
read by Keith Nobbs

Although it's a very elementary-school story (most of Clements' books are . . . ), I enjoyed this tale of boys vs. girls. The main character decides to be completely silent for one day after learning about Gandhi. He blows it, but learns that it's possible to avoid talking. When he challenges one of the most chatty girls to a contest, the all-out silence upsets some teachers and the principal, who demand that they act and speak in a "normal" manner. The first lunchroom / principal scene is my favorite part of the book. This is just a very "young" read.

Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination

by Neal Gabler
Carver County Library, audioCDs, 8ish hours
*abridged*
read by Leonardo Leoncavallo

I usually don't read abridgements, but I missed that detail until the story was over. This was a fascinating look at a very interesting man. In some ways, I was appalled by Disney and his choices. In other ways, I love that he overcame some very serious problems in order to become successful. The author's "voice" was odd - sometimes seeming to adulate Disney and other times painting him as a sad little loser. This makes me want to read other books on Disney. How sad that his nephew Roy just died. The dynasty belongs to others. I had never realized how huge a role his brother Roy had played in building the Disney empire. Very interesting story. The reader's voice was fine, for the most part.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Demigod Files

by Rick Riordan
PRMS, 140 pages, hardcover

A student told me I "had" to read this before reading book five. It's a delightful little book, written as though told to other demi-gods. There are three short stories, some interviews, drawings, etc. I enjoyed the three stories and how they enriched our view of some characters (especially Clarisse and Nico). Delightful book. Quick read.

Crooked House

by Agatha Christie
Dakota County Library, audioCD 5 hrs, 45 min

Typical whodunnit, but with characters I've not met before. Charles Hayward is in love with Sophia Leonides, but when her grandfather is murdered, their engagement is put on hold. The cast of characters and the "obvious" murderer(s) only point to a much more complex answer. The ending was fantastic!

The Battle of the Labyrinth

by Rick Riordan
PRMS paperback 361 pages

In this installment, Percy and friends try to find Daedalus in the labyrinth that he built. They know that Luke will try to attack Camp Half-Blood through an entrance to the labyrinth. Adventure, danger, and some flirting ensue.

I'm so glad that kids are excited about reading these books and getting genuinely interested in mythology as a result! I'm looking forward to reading the last book to see who will fulfill the prophecy.

Life of Pi

by Yann Martel
Dakota County Library, audioCD, 11.5 hours
read by Jeff Woodman

This was both fascinating and infuriating. What an odd mix of zoology and theology in the guise of a survival adventure. Piscine (Pi) Patel is traveling from India to Canada with his family when their ship sinks. The only human survivor, Pi is on a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutang, and a Bengal tiger.

Least liked: the hyena eating the zebra live, the muddied theology of being a devout Hindu and Christian and Muslim successfully. The ending. Grr! The way Richard Parker was mentioned for many chapters without me having a clue who he was.

Most liked: the beautiful way he uses language! Some of the passages were so striking, I wanted to stop and write them down. I liked the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker. The survival aspects of the story.



I liked the book much more the second time around. I almost wish I owned a print copy . . . and may yet buy one.

• "Fellow students . . . who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright." I had to be parked and hit the back button to listen to this and get the wording right. I love the way he expresses things!
• I made a comment about science vs religion . . . the character is a double-major in those fields and makes some very interesting observations. It apparently bothered me the first time, but I appreciated the insights this time.
• I made a note about the rich detail and beautiful language.
• Pondicherry, India and Toronto, Canada
• Richard Parker . . . fascinating
• Mr. Kumar (atheist teacher) and Mr. Kumar (Muslim baker) - both had a profound impact on young Pi.
• Piscine / pissing / Pi - school kids can be so mean. I love his solution to the name issue!
• seven months at sea! 1977-78
• killing sea turtles - makes me sad. 
• Zebra becomes young Chinese sailor with broken leg / hyena and man in other lifeboat becomes cruel French cook who killed a man and a woman and was killed by Richard Parker / the orangutang Orange Juice became Pi's mother / the tiger Richard Parker . . . becomes Pi!
• the ending . . . what's the true story?
• 100 chapters with #99 being the alternate story
•  

Leepike Ridge

by N.D. Wilson
PRMS paperback 224 pages

Tom doesn't like his mom's boyfriend. When he rides a large styrofoam "raft" on the river, he actually falls asleep and ends up sucked under a ridge into the mountain. Missing and presumed dead, Tom just wants to survive. First he lands on a beach-type area with a dead body. After locating the dead man's helmet, he begins to explore.

Filled with adventure, danger, and a little bit of mystery, this book kept me wanting to find out what happened.

Some of the passages were odd . . . like the author's opening on "onces."

Can You Keep a Secret?

by Sophie Kinsella
Carver County Library, audioCD, 6 hours
Read by ??? (the author?)

I probably shouldn't have listened to the whole thing, but there were parts of it I really liked.

Disliked: the F-word, the casual attitude toward sex, religion, morals, etc.
Liked: Jack's romantic side, some of the humorous situations, her cousin getting a comeupance

Rules

by Cynthia Lord
PRMS paperback 200 pages

I'm glad I finally read this! I like the story of Catherine and her struggle to have a "normal" life, though her brother David has autism and affects her daily existence. Funny, sweet, and touching, this book centers on Catherine's desire to have a friend over the summer while her best friend is staying with her father in California. Between Kristi, Jason, Ryan, and her own family, Catherine is caught between doing what she wants and doing what's right.

Added 2/21/13 (initial post of 11/29/09)
I re-read it to prepare for the 7th grade book club discussion. It's such a lovely little book. Catherine is a bit young to be so agitated by her brother's challenging behavior, but her friendship with Jason truly brings out the best in her (ultimately). Kristi is the new neighbor Catherine hopes to befriend. Ryan is the mean neighbor boy who clearly likes Kristi. Jason is in a wheelchair and cannot talk. His book of words (to point to) becomes a crucial part of the story as Catherine uses her artistic talent to make new word cards for him. The author's notes at the end were interesting.

The Traitor's Gate

by Avi
Carver County Library, audioCD, 8.25 hours
Read by John Keating

Very much reminiscent of Dickens (and many of the characters are reading David Copperfield as it is published in the newspaper), The Traitor's Gate follows young John Huffam as his father is put into debtor's prison. John is the only family member with any sense and it's up to him to figure out what is going on.

This would be a good book for any of my bookish students, especially those who enjoy mysteries, but I don't think it will have broad appeal.

The Titan's Curse

by Rick Riordan
PRMS paperback 312 pages

Book 3 in the Percy Jackson series. Thalia, Annabeth, and Percy rush to help Grover retrieve two half-bloods from a mysterious school. But more and more dangerous monsters are loose and on the attack.

Like: action, mythology woven in, some unexpected turns
Dislike: Nico disappearing without a trace, Bianca's body not being found . . . too many loose ends (so read the next book already!)

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

by Jordan Sonnenblick
PRMS paperback 273 pages

This was a re-read to prep for our 8th grade book club meeting. I still love this book! I cried even harder this time than the first time I read it.

Our discussion yesterday was good. I enjoy this group of young people and liked hearing their perspectives on this story.

Steven is a drummer with a little brother who gets luekemia. Sonnenblick (a teacher) uses a very authentic voice for his protagonist! Wonderfully written, this book is a pleasure.

The Glass Castle

by Jeannette Walls
Chaska H.S. paperback, 288 pages

This is our next school book club title. I finished it with tears streaming down my face. Though Walls makes a point of not blaming her parents, this book made me so sad. It's great that she and her siblings have turned out okay, but their parents were selfish and irresponsible. It saddened me and it will be interesting to have our discussion on this book!

The book is extremely well-written. Her prose is beautiful and evocative.

What It Felt Like

by Henry Allen
PRMS hardcover, 158 pages

When I saw this in the colletion, I was curious. I'm not much of a history buff, but this stream-of-consciousness book interested me. Some of the references went right over my head, but many made sense. It definitely gave me the sense of each era (American decades from 1900-2000). One thing that struck me was the 1920s being such a jaded, lawless time. At times, it seems as though the modern era invented apathy and evil. Of course, that simply isn't true. I was eager to get to the decades I've lived through to see how much the text resonated for me. It was interesting . . . and definitely told through one person's lens.

The Sea of Monsters

by Rick Riordan
PRMS, paperback, 279 pages

Delightful, of course. My students were appalled that I hadn't read past the first Percy Jackson book. In this one, Percy has dreams of Grover in danger. Percy and Annabeth set out with Percy's new "friend" Tyson, who happens to be a young cyclops. Adventure, humor, and relationship lessons happen.

All Fishermen Are Liars

by Linda Greenlaw
Hennepin County Library, audioCD, 6 hours
read by the author

The title caught my attention (for my dad) and I decided to listen to it first. It was enjoyable, though the language was a bit salty for me. I've not read or heard of this author before, but if my dad enjoys the collection of stories (absolutely true, if you can trust fishermen), I may have to look at some of her other work. This story made me even more curious about "The Perfect Storm," which I've heard is an amazing story!

My Heartbeat

by Garret Freymann-Weyr
PRMS, hardcover, 154 pages

A sixth grader returned this, saying she didn't think it was an appropriate book. Noticing the Michael Printz award sticker on the front, I knew that I would have steered her to something else had I been working with her during checkout time. I took it home and read it. It will stay in this collection, but is definitely intended for a more mature reader.

Ellen is a 14-year-old who doesn't socialize well with her peers. Starting in prep school offers her a new chance, but she is most comfortable with her older brother Link (short for Lincoln) and his best friend James. She's long had a crush on James, but knows that he just sees her as "the kid sister." When girls at school make comments on the relationship between Link and James, Ellen starts to see something else entirely. Reading everything she can about homosexuality, she sees her brother war with himself and eventually reject James.

For the most part, I thought this was a sensitive and well-written story. Ellen's thoughts and feelings are genuinely curious and loving. Her parents and their fears are realistic. The family's tendency toward silence and avoidance is believable.

The most frustrating paragraph clearly telegraphs the author's opinion:
"Now it's not a big deal. There's AIDS to worry about or getting attacked by a redneck, but that's about it. Only people who don't know better still think it's shameful or wrong to be gay, but not people we know. Not smart people."

Wow. Although this is the *character's* statement, I would say it quite likely reflects the author's perspective on homosexuality. So all devout Christians, muslims, Jews,etc. must be rednecks or non-smart people. That's a pretty big statement.

The Diamond of Darkhold

by Jeanne DuPrau
PRMS hardcover 285 pages

For the most part, I really enjoyed this fourth installment in the Ember series. Doon and Lina head off to Ember to see if they can get at any supplies that will help them stave off starvation in Sparks. Adventure, danger, mystery - there's a little of everything.

I'm baffled by the ending, though. Other than the requisite happy-ever-after, the author's tie-in to Yonwood left me confused. It doesn't help that book three felt like a disconnected pre-prequel to me. I should go online and play detective. Or maybe I'll ask kids who've read it what they think the ending was about. The connection feels tenuous to me, but I'm glad that Doon's and Lina's story resolved.

 

<Above posted 11.10.2009. Below added 1.28.2025.>

 

Libby audiobook / read by Katherine Kellgren

Libby eBook 

 

I listened to this book to "finish" the series. I don't plan to re-read the prequel . . . I vaguely remember disliking it and feeling that it didn't set up the City of Ember trilogy very well. (Also, why is Book 3 the prequel and Book 4 the storyline that follows Book 2?)

 

After I had listened to almost half of this, I had to get an ecopy to finish reading. Why? 

 

Because the part where Doon was forced to help Trogg and his family find things in the deserted city made me so frustrated. I understand that for people who can't read, books just seem like handy fuel for fires. But to smash things and trash rooms is so very short-sighted. You're already living in a post-disaster world where resources are scarce. Why wouldn't you be careful in case something is needed in the future? 

 

Chapter 16: "He's old, and it's hard to be happy when you're old."

 

Maggs answers Lina's comment about the horse Happy not looking very happy with this comment after saying "he used to be happy." Ouch! I want to grow old AND be joyful.

Chapter  26: "Edward became known to the roamers in the area as someone who would buy books of almost any kind. After a roamer's visit, the library was sometimes actually crowded with people stopping in to see what was new."

Yay for libraries and the people who curate them!

Chapter 27: "'You know, son, I don't think there's such a thing as an easy life. There's always going to be hard work, and there will always be misfortunes we can't control lurking out at the edges - storms, sickness, wolves. But there is such a thing as a good life, and I think we have one here.'"

I really liked Doon's father, Loris Harrow, and wished he'd been a more prominent character throughout the stories.

Skeleton Creek: Ryan's Journal

by Patrick Carman
JES, hard cover, 186 pages

Mystery. Suspense. The book is a teenage boy's journal about the mysterious happenings at the Dredge (#42 asset). I chose to just read the book without going online and watching the related videos. I think I'm missing too much from the Sarah half of the story. If/when I have time, I'll go to www.sarahfincher.com
Here are the passwords in order:
houseofusher
theraven
pitandpendulum
amontillado
drjekyllandmrhyde
peterquint
lucywestenra
miltonarbogast
tanginabarrons

I can see why the multimedia approach appeals to kids. The story was interesting, with clues about gold, alchemy, etc. leaking out. But it didn't feel complete at all. Good to know that in terms of booktalking it.

Canoeing with the Cree

by Eric Sevareid
Hennepin County Library, audioCD, 3 hrs 45 min.
read by John Farrell

In 1930, the author and his friend Walter Port convinced the Minneapolis Star to finance a canoe trip from Minneapolis to the Hudson Bay. The boys were newly graduated from high school and full of enthusiasm. What an adventure!

My dad really enjoyed this story, so I decided to listen to it, too. As I was in the car listening, I wanted to see a map and trace their journey. They persevered through things that would have deterred most people. What an amazing story! It's definitely a product of its time, though, with references to "half-breeds" and other derogatory terms for the Cree Indians.

All in all, though, a cool story. I love that they were successful despite so many people telling them they'd never make it.

Who Killed My Daughter?

by Lois Duncan
PRMS paperback 354 pages

Lois Duncan's daughter was shot in the head in 1989 while driving from a friend's house. This book is the story of a mother's odyssey to uncover the truth.

Most of us in book club did not like it, primarily because of her reliance on psychic readings (and the grammatical oddness of reading their reports). Some of us took issue with the contrast between her stated perspective of being over-protective and her permissiveness with Kaitlyn (e.g. letting her move out and live with her boyfriend at age 18).

All of us empathized with a parent's pain. Many were frustrated with a lack of conclusion (since no one has been charged with the murder).

Most of us wondered how this ended up on the 7th grade LA reading list, even as a lit circle option. . .

There is so much more interesting info on the case available on the websites that follow:
If you’re curious to read more current info, check this out: http://www.johncooke.com/kait.htm
And if you really want to know more, go to ,http://kaitarquette.arquettes.com/index.htm

Beautiful Windows: The Ultimate Window Treatment Book

Dakota County Library, paperback
747.5 Beaut

Great photos and instructions. I used this book for making Roman shades for the lake.

Luke's Story

by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
in the Jesus Chronicles series
Dakota County Library, hardcover, 391 pages

A fictionalized account of Luke (Loukon) as he grows from a slave boy to the doctor known in Scripture. Interesting, but not gripping. If I had realized that the entire gospel of Luke and the book of Acts was in the book, I wouldn't have felt a need to keep running to find my Bible and compare the story to what's written in Scripture.

I suppose it's a way for the gospel to be "brought to life" for secular readers, but I guess I prefer to read the Bible itself and pick up novels for fiction reading. Just my opinion. I think Charles Martin remains my favorite Christian author of all time.