by Jonathan Mooney and David Cole
Hennepin County Library paperback 277 pages
genre: non-fiction, education
This was kind of disappointing, since it mostly focused on providing tips for students with disabilities to succeed in college. I had hoped it would focus more on K-12.
I did like the emphasis on personalized learning! That fits with what we're doing in district 112.
Page 72 - ". . . the act of self-reflection can be an empowering experience. Looking at your past, present, and future is not only good for the soul, but it also can be good for the budding pragmatist inside all of us." This section on personal narrative included:
Have compassion - for yourself and others in your past. Understanding, not blame.
Look for the story - look for threads, patterns, events that stick out
Look for blood on the floor - what were the hurts in your past?
Look for the gains - What did you gain from your struggles? Your successes?
Look for lifesavers - Who are the people in your past who believed in you and loved you?
Ask big questions -
Find the joy - find it and hold on to it
page 97-98 Seven Habits for Highly Disorganized People (this made me laugh, but also realize how tough it is for people like this):
Habit 1 - Mark your territory (binders, book bag, etc.)
Habit 2 - Find it a home (routine / place for everything and everything in its place)
Habit 3 - Personalize It (set up a system that works for YOU)
Habit 4 - Make It Essential - put things in your notebook that make you NEED it
Habit 5 - Avoid Notebook Cross-Over (one subject per notebook, less confusion)
Habit 6 - Make Time to Declutter (on a regular basis!)
Habit 7 - Watch Out for Transitions (between classes, especially)
So . . . interesting problem. When I got to page 129, I realized that there was something funny. In this copy of this book, pages 129-160 are from a completely different title. They are pages from The Mind of God . . . and yet pages 128 and 161 are from this text. Too bad this book is on hold for someone; I'm pretty sure the library will yank this out of circulation as soon as I show them the printing error.
page 188-9 Top Ten Ways to Make Spell Checking More Effective. Interesting section! Some of these are helpful for my students. (Though the last comment is "screw spelling.")
page 210 - "Our Favorite Study Tip - According to Jacobs and McNeely (1992), information learned at the point of orgasm during sexual intercourse has a 98 percent likelihood of being retained for later use. We don't make this stuff up. We just report it." This is one of those places where the book is clearly written for a young adult audience! It does make me curious about how such a study was conducted . . . and what kind of new information people are learning during intercourse.
page 247 - "School develops and values less than 10 percent of what it means to be human and to live a full life. Learning outside the lines and living a life less ordinary is about moving beyond blackboards and academic success to creating experiences that embrace and nurture the parts of our selves that are left unrealized by traditional education." I really did appreciate their perspective on schooling. I'm glad that the traditional ways are changing! (At least at my school.)
I loved the end section on the Eye to Eye program where college students with disabilities and/or ADHD went into elementary schools and worked with kids like them. Very, very cool!
Sunday, June 05, 2016
Saturday, June 04, 2016
The Secret Life of Bees
by Sue Monk Kidd
PRMS paperback 302 pages
I read this a long time ago (I'll unearth my review, if I can find it. It's pre-blogger.) Then I had some book club kids read it and we watched the movie after school in March(?). It was interesting to guide their discussion when I only had vague memories of the story, so I had to do a re-read. I only finished it this past week!
page 9 - the Women's Club bars Lily from Charm School because she has no mother or grandmother to present her! Imagine - a child who needs female guidance and instruction more than any other is refused that guidance. In essence, she's punished for being motherless. So sad!
page 12 - This made me chuckle. As Lily is pondering what her life would be like if Rosaleen could adopt her (if Rosaleen were white or Lily were black), she thought, "Once in a while I had us living in a foreign country like New York, where she could adopt me and we could both stay our natural color." (The idea of New York being a foreign country made me laugh, not the dilemmas of a motherless child pondering how to get past racism's barriers.)
page 147 - When Lily and August are talking about the house's ugly "Pepto Bismal" pink and making May happy. "You know, some things don't matter that much, Lily. Like the color of a house. How big is that in the overall scheme of life? But lifting a person's heart - now, that matters." Later, August says, "I love May, but it was still so hard to choose Caribbean Pink. The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters." So true! Sometimes I'm appalled at my selfishness and how hard it is to choose lifting others up over my own wishes.
page 148 - The secret life of bees. The beekeeping and honey are beautifully woven throughout the story. August teaches Lily about bees and about life.
page 188 - When May goes out to the wall alone. I don't know if this bothered me as much the first time I read it as it did now when I knew what would happen . . .
page 209 - I love how Lily is accepted by the Daughters of Mary and she is able to laugh about the white people's mortuary with its drive-through window! "I thought of that policeman, Eddie Hazelwurst, saying I'd lowered myself to be in this house of colored women, and for the very life of me I couldn't understand how it had turned out this way, how colored women had become the lowest ones on the totem pole. You only had to look at them to see how special they were, like hidden royalty among us." I remember from my first reading of this book how much I loved the Boatwright sisters and their friends in the Daughters of Mary.
page 236 - When August and Lily finally have their big talk . . . "Because you weren't ready to know about her. I didn't want to risk you running away again. I wanted you to have a chance to get yourself on solid ground, get your heart bolstered up first. There's a fullness of time for things, Lily. You have to know when to prod and when to be quiet, when to let things take their course. That's what I've been trying to do." I love her wisdom. I sometimes wonder if I'll ever get there myself.
page 242 - When Lily comes to the conclusion that she is unlovable, it is so heart-breaking. Sadly, I can think of students who behave as though they are unlovable. I am so glad she has August to encourage her.
When she confronts T. Ray and asks who actually shot her mom when Lily was four years old, he answers that she did it accidentally. But then Lily thinks that T. Ray lies a lot. I think that was one of the things that frustrated me the first time I read this book. What actually happened? Did Lily accidentally shoot her mom? Or did T. Ray murder her in his anger and blame the "accident:"on a preschooler who couldn't really remember what happened? I like resolution!
I can't find my response from when I first read this book, but now this one is recorded here!
PRMS paperback 302 pages
I read this a long time ago (I'll unearth my review, if I can find it. It's pre-blogger.) Then I had some book club kids read it and we watched the movie after school in March(?). It was interesting to guide their discussion when I only had vague memories of the story, so I had to do a re-read. I only finished it this past week!
page 9 - the Women's Club bars Lily from Charm School because she has no mother or grandmother to present her! Imagine - a child who needs female guidance and instruction more than any other is refused that guidance. In essence, she's punished for being motherless. So sad!
page 12 - This made me chuckle. As Lily is pondering what her life would be like if Rosaleen could adopt her (if Rosaleen were white or Lily were black), she thought, "Once in a while I had us living in a foreign country like New York, where she could adopt me and we could both stay our natural color." (The idea of New York being a foreign country made me laugh, not the dilemmas of a motherless child pondering how to get past racism's barriers.)
page 147 - When Lily and August are talking about the house's ugly "Pepto Bismal" pink and making May happy. "You know, some things don't matter that much, Lily. Like the color of a house. How big is that in the overall scheme of life? But lifting a person's heart - now, that matters." Later, August says, "I love May, but it was still so hard to choose Caribbean Pink. The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters." So true! Sometimes I'm appalled at my selfishness and how hard it is to choose lifting others up over my own wishes.
page 148 - The secret life of bees. The beekeeping and honey are beautifully woven throughout the story. August teaches Lily about bees and about life.
page 188 - When May goes out to the wall alone. I don't know if this bothered me as much the first time I read it as it did now when I knew what would happen . . .
page 209 - I love how Lily is accepted by the Daughters of Mary and she is able to laugh about the white people's mortuary with its drive-through window! "I thought of that policeman, Eddie Hazelwurst, saying I'd lowered myself to be in this house of colored women, and for the very life of me I couldn't understand how it had turned out this way, how colored women had become the lowest ones on the totem pole. You only had to look at them to see how special they were, like hidden royalty among us." I remember from my first reading of this book how much I loved the Boatwright sisters and their friends in the Daughters of Mary.
page 236 - When August and Lily finally have their big talk . . . "Because you weren't ready to know about her. I didn't want to risk you running away again. I wanted you to have a chance to get yourself on solid ground, get your heart bolstered up first. There's a fullness of time for things, Lily. You have to know when to prod and when to be quiet, when to let things take their course. That's what I've been trying to do." I love her wisdom. I sometimes wonder if I'll ever get there myself.
page 242 - When Lily comes to the conclusion that she is unlovable, it is so heart-breaking. Sadly, I can think of students who behave as though they are unlovable. I am so glad she has August to encourage her.
When she confronts T. Ray and asks who actually shot her mom when Lily was four years old, he answers that she did it accidentally. But then Lily thinks that T. Ray lies a lot. I think that was one of the things that frustrated me the first time I read this book. What actually happened? Did Lily accidentally shoot her mom? Or did T. Ray murder her in his anger and blame the "accident:"on a preschooler who couldn't really remember what happened? I like resolution!
I can't find my response from when I first read this book, but now this one is recorded here!
Wednesday, June 01, 2016
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
by Jesse Andrews
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by Thomas Mann and RJ Cyler, with five others
genre: YA realistic
I really disliked this. I listened to the whole thing because I kept waiting for it to get better. It didn't. In the guise of writing a college admissions letter, Greg Gaines writes about his life and especially his senior year of high school. He uses a lot of self-deprecating humor, only he really is an incredible jerk.
The language is extremely crude - plenty of F-bombs and extensive use of the Lord's name in vain. The narrator (Greg) is unlikable (as he points out himself) and his friend Earl is definitely a more developed human being (which Greg also points out). It's hard to empathize with someone who is as self-centered and shallow as Greg. I did like Earl as a character, even though he is also quite crude.
One review I saw called it the "poor man's Fault in Our Stars," but the only real comparison is that they're teenagers and one has cancer. That's not enough to make them similar stories. We only get to know Rachel through Greg's eyes and he's mostly focused on himself. The boys' film-making was interesting, but not enough to redeem this story. And it seems a bit too much that they destroyed eight years' worth of movies - the originals upon creation and the DVDs when Rachel died.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by Thomas Mann and RJ Cyler, with five others
genre: YA realistic
I really disliked this. I listened to the whole thing because I kept waiting for it to get better. It didn't. In the guise of writing a college admissions letter, Greg Gaines writes about his life and especially his senior year of high school. He uses a lot of self-deprecating humor, only he really is an incredible jerk.
The language is extremely crude - plenty of F-bombs and extensive use of the Lord's name in vain. The narrator (Greg) is unlikable (as he points out himself) and his friend Earl is definitely a more developed human being (which Greg also points out). It's hard to empathize with someone who is as self-centered and shallow as Greg. I did like Earl as a character, even though he is also quite crude.
One review I saw called it the "poor man's Fault in Our Stars," but the only real comparison is that they're teenagers and one has cancer. That's not enough to make them similar stories. We only get to know Rachel through Greg's eyes and he's mostly focused on himself. The boys' film-making was interesting, but not enough to redeem this story. And it seems a bit too much that they destroyed eight years' worth of movies - the originals upon creation and the DVDs when Rachel died.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
The Vintage Caper
by Peter Mayle
Hennepin County Library audiobook 6 discs
read by Erik Davies
genre: mystery
I grabbed this one for our trip to the lake and found it boring. Louie liked it, though, so that's nice!
Lots of very expensive wine gets stolen from the wine cellar of egomaniac jerk Danny Roth (LA entertainment lawyer). The insurance company sends Sam Levitt to investigate. Sam goes to Bordeaux and works with sexy French (but engaged to be married) Sophie to find out what happened to the wine. It had it's moments of humor and intrigue, but didn't keep me awake. I'm glad my husband liked it. Davies' vocal work was fine; I just didn't like the story.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 6 discs
read by Erik Davies
genre: mystery
I grabbed this one for our trip to the lake and found it boring. Louie liked it, though, so that's nice!
Lots of very expensive wine gets stolen from the wine cellar of egomaniac jerk Danny Roth (LA entertainment lawyer). The insurance company sends Sam Levitt to investigate. Sam goes to Bordeaux and works with sexy French (but engaged to be married) Sophie to find out what happened to the wine. It had it's moments of humor and intrigue, but didn't keep me awake. I'm glad my husband liked it. Davies' vocal work was fine; I just didn't like the story.
The Tent
by Gary Paulsen
PRMS hardcover 86 pages
genre: YA fiction (historical?)
This is super short, with only 86 pages and lots of white space. As I've been weeding my collection, it's so hard for me to get rid of books that seem interesting and/or were written by authors I admire. This one had lots of stereotypes (preachers with big hair, phony messages, etc.) but a wonderful change of heart that surprised and delighted me.
Basically, a teenager named Steve and his dad Corey are dirt poor with tough prospects. Corey decides to become a traveling preacher and get rich. Steve thinks he's kidding but goes along with it. They end up becoming very successful financially, while pushing aside their reservations about the right or wrong of what they're doing.
Chapter headings:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also
Ye cannot serve God and mammon (money)
A man's life consists not in the abundance of things which he possesses
Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction
Take heed and beware of covetousness (greed)
Watch and pray that you fall not into temptation
A corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in choke the Word
pages 68/69 have Steven contemplating their wealth and standard of living. "Was it bad, he thought, to tell people about God and get money for it?" "And his objections went." "And he changed." The transition from a kid with a conscience to a kid who's all about what he can get . . . was disheartening.
pages 78-84 Corey and Steven catch one another's eyes in the tent. "The same look. The edge, the hard cut of guilt, of doubt . . . " I love how the story changes here! What a lovely surprise ending.
PRMS hardcover 86 pages
genre: YA fiction (historical?)
This is super short, with only 86 pages and lots of white space. As I've been weeding my collection, it's so hard for me to get rid of books that seem interesting and/or were written by authors I admire. This one had lots of stereotypes (preachers with big hair, phony messages, etc.) but a wonderful change of heart that surprised and delighted me.
Basically, a teenager named Steve and his dad Corey are dirt poor with tough prospects. Corey decides to become a traveling preacher and get rich. Steve thinks he's kidding but goes along with it. They end up becoming very successful financially, while pushing aside their reservations about the right or wrong of what they're doing.
Chapter headings:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also
Ye cannot serve God and mammon (money)
A man's life consists not in the abundance of things which he possesses
Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction
Take heed and beware of covetousness (greed)
Watch and pray that you fall not into temptation
A corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in choke the Word
pages 68/69 have Steven contemplating their wealth and standard of living. "Was it bad, he thought, to tell people about God and get money for it?" "And his objections went." "And he changed." The transition from a kid with a conscience to a kid who's all about what he can get . . . was disheartening.
pages 78-84 Corey and Steven catch one another's eyes in the tent. "The same look. The edge, the hard cut of guilt, of doubt . . . " I love how the story changes here! What a lovely surprise ending.
The One Good Thing
by Kevin Alan Milne
Hennepin County Library paperback 363 pages
genre: Christian fiction, relationships
We're discussing this at book club tonight! The prologue didn't grab my attention, but when I got to know the characters (Nathan, Halley, Ty, and Alice) I was drawn in. I couldn't believe the book had me crying in the first quarter of it! I don't usually care enough about the characters to cry at the start of the book.
page 168 - Madeline's school experience broke my heart. I know too many students who go here: "I didn't cry. I was used to it, sort of numb. This wasn't any worse than what I experienced on a daily basis. But still, right then I could feel something inside of me sort of . . . crumble, I guess. Or burst. Or evaporate. I think it was my will. From that moment on, I stopped caring. About anything. After hearing how awful I was so many times, I concluded that everyone else must be right."
page 312 - Alice *knowing* that Madeline was hiding something. I think Alice was my favorite character. "I don't know how a seventh-grader knows I'm lying, but I do know that the look on her face and the sound of her voice is killing me." Ah! I don't want to write any spoilers! Suffice it to say, that when deception is used, it generally makes things worse instead of better.
page 330 - Grandpa and Ty are talking by the rock polisher. Ty - "How did he do it? How did he help so many people?" Grandpa - "The only way you can, one person at a time." I loved the stones and the symbolism of making a conscious choice to get out of your comfort zone to help others.
Author's Note - " . . . opportunities for kindness, service, selflessness, and love of our fellow man abound, so long as we're willing to open our hearts and lend a hand." So very true! I love that this message was well-delivered without being preachy. What a cool and wonderful book! I would like to find others by this author.
Hennepin County Library paperback 363 pages
genre: Christian fiction, relationships
We're discussing this at book club tonight! The prologue didn't grab my attention, but when I got to know the characters (Nathan, Halley, Ty, and Alice) I was drawn in. I couldn't believe the book had me crying in the first quarter of it! I don't usually care enough about the characters to cry at the start of the book.
page 168 - Madeline's school experience broke my heart. I know too many students who go here: "I didn't cry. I was used to it, sort of numb. This wasn't any worse than what I experienced on a daily basis. But still, right then I could feel something inside of me sort of . . . crumble, I guess. Or burst. Or evaporate. I think it was my will. From that moment on, I stopped caring. About anything. After hearing how awful I was so many times, I concluded that everyone else must be right."
page 312 - Alice *knowing* that Madeline was hiding something. I think Alice was my favorite character. "I don't know how a seventh-grader knows I'm lying, but I do know that the look on her face and the sound of her voice is killing me." Ah! I don't want to write any spoilers! Suffice it to say, that when deception is used, it generally makes things worse instead of better.
page 330 - Grandpa and Ty are talking by the rock polisher. Ty - "How did he do it? How did he help so many people?" Grandpa - "The only way you can, one person at a time." I loved the stones and the symbolism of making a conscious choice to get out of your comfort zone to help others.
Author's Note - " . . . opportunities for kindness, service, selflessness, and love of our fellow man abound, so long as we're willing to open our hearts and lend a hand." So very true! I love that this message was well-delivered without being preachy. What a cool and wonderful book! I would like to find others by this author.
Monday, May 23, 2016
3 Days Off
by Susie Morgenstern
PRMS (deleting) Hardcover 89 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
The reason I'm deleting this one from the collection is that it is not one likely to be a hit with my students. Although it's quite short, there are no chapter breaks - just the three days of suspension. It's written from the perspective of a high school boy in France. He's not exceptional until his teacher pushes him one day to share what he's thinking / daydreaming about . . . and he blurts out, "I'd like to rip your skirt off and see what I find underneath."
Thus begins his three-day suspension from school. There were parts of this book I liked. "The idea of adding more to her (his mother's) misery made him feel bad. It would be one abandonment on top of another. Misery must be an even heavier burden to bear than a future." "He felt terrible. But he said nothing. Life wasn't like a rough draft on the computer. You couldn't erase your mistakes by saying you were sorry."
When he spends time helping the two men unload crates, that really resonated. "He had no idea how much money could ever repay the backbreaking work they did every day. The constant physical effort, the strain. No amount of money could compensate for that continuous agony." I love that he feels a strong connection to them when they part. "He felt like he had met two of the best people on earth, and felt a tug at his heart to watch them go."
But my favorite line is on page 10: "She (Mademoiselle March) had seen Dead Poets Society and wished she were a teacher like Robin Williams in the movie. She had all the motivation but not the talent. Not everyone can be gifted. One day people will realize that a good teacher is above all a virtuoso."
Basically, William is a hormonal teenager who thinks about (but doesn't have) sex all the time. This is actually a fairly contemplative book for older, more cynical teens.
PRMS (deleting) Hardcover 89 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
The reason I'm deleting this one from the collection is that it is not one likely to be a hit with my students. Although it's quite short, there are no chapter breaks - just the three days of suspension. It's written from the perspective of a high school boy in France. He's not exceptional until his teacher pushes him one day to share what he's thinking / daydreaming about . . . and he blurts out, "I'd like to rip your skirt off and see what I find underneath."
Thus begins his three-day suspension from school. There were parts of this book I liked. "The idea of adding more to her (his mother's) misery made him feel bad. It would be one abandonment on top of another. Misery must be an even heavier burden to bear than a future." "He felt terrible. But he said nothing. Life wasn't like a rough draft on the computer. You couldn't erase your mistakes by saying you were sorry."
When he spends time helping the two men unload crates, that really resonated. "He had no idea how much money could ever repay the backbreaking work they did every day. The constant physical effort, the strain. No amount of money could compensate for that continuous agony." I love that he feels a strong connection to them when they part. "He felt like he had met two of the best people on earth, and felt a tug at his heart to watch them go."
But my favorite line is on page 10: "She (Mademoiselle March) had seen Dead Poets Society and wished she were a teacher like Robin Williams in the movie. She had all the motivation but not the talent. Not everyone can be gifted. One day people will realize that a good teacher is above all a virtuoso."
Basically, William is a hormonal teenager who thinks about (but doesn't have) sex all the time. This is actually a fairly contemplative book for older, more cynical teens.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
13 Gifts
by Wendy Mass
Hennepin County Library audiobook 9 discs
read by Kathleen McInerney
genre: YA realistic with some magic / fantasy elements
I am only on disc 3, but I have to blog some of my thoughts! I don't know if it's because I went from a kick-butt teen book (Dorothy Must Die) to a tween "oh no! What will I do?" angsty thing or if this book just really sucks . . .
Tara, the seventh grade protagonist, cannot speak up for herself. At all. Irritating! Her parents are overprotective, making her wear pads and a helmet just to ride her bicycle, but then on the spur of the moment, they send her alone on a train to spend months with relatives she barely knows?
She doesn't want to impose on her aunt and uncle by telling them that her cell phone, iPod, and $200 spending money were stolen from her on the train!!!!! But she does concoct a scheme to steal some of her uncle's "extra" collectible comics to sell to have spending money . . . how could she possibly be so deluded?
This book is bugging the heck out of me. It's almost painful to listen to, and it's not because of the reader who has a fine voice. The story does NOT resonate for me in any way. I'm sticking with it to see which readers it might appeal to and why. How do I booktalk something I think is stupid???
Okay, now I've finished the entire book. The middle section, where the kids were seeking the items on the list, was a truly enjoyable part of the book. And I *loved* Ray, the Aussie "house help" at her aunt and uncle's house.
However, I still ended the book jotting "Stupid!!" on my car notes pad of paper. Emily goes into Tara's suitcase and mails her letters without permission. "I hope you don't mind . . . " Arg! These people have no idea how to just communicate with one another! And her parents putting an offer in on a house after promising "no more moves." And adults (her mother specifically) making irrational decisions because of a love potion twenty-five years earlier???!?!? I am so glad I'm done with this book! Clearly, it is written for younger readers. I will booktalk this to my sixth grade girls, playing up the friendship piece, the odd things that happen, and young movie star Jake Harrison . . . .
Hennepin County Library audiobook 9 discs
read by Kathleen McInerney
genre: YA realistic with some magic / fantasy elements
I am only on disc 3, but I have to blog some of my thoughts! I don't know if it's because I went from a kick-butt teen book (Dorothy Must Die) to a tween "oh no! What will I do?" angsty thing or if this book just really sucks . . .
Tara, the seventh grade protagonist, cannot speak up for herself. At all. Irritating! Her parents are overprotective, making her wear pads and a helmet just to ride her bicycle, but then on the spur of the moment, they send her alone on a train to spend months with relatives she barely knows?
She doesn't want to impose on her aunt and uncle by telling them that her cell phone, iPod, and $200 spending money were stolen from her on the train!!!!! But she does concoct a scheme to steal some of her uncle's "extra" collectible comics to sell to have spending money . . . how could she possibly be so deluded?
This book is bugging the heck out of me. It's almost painful to listen to, and it's not because of the reader who has a fine voice. The story does NOT resonate for me in any way. I'm sticking with it to see which readers it might appeal to and why. How do I booktalk something I think is stupid???
Okay, now I've finished the entire book. The middle section, where the kids were seeking the items on the list, was a truly enjoyable part of the book. And I *loved* Ray, the Aussie "house help" at her aunt and uncle's house.
However, I still ended the book jotting "Stupid!!" on my car notes pad of paper. Emily goes into Tara's suitcase and mails her letters without permission. "I hope you don't mind . . . " Arg! These people have no idea how to just communicate with one another! And her parents putting an offer in on a house after promising "no more moves." And adults (her mother specifically) making irrational decisions because of a love potion twenty-five years earlier???!?!? I am so glad I'm done with this book! Clearly, it is written for younger readers. I will booktalk this to my sixth grade girls, playing up the friendship piece, the odd things that happen, and young movie star Jake Harrison . . . .
Caregiving: the Spiritual Journey of Love, Loss, and Renewal
by Beth Witrogen McLeod
Hennepin County Library paperback 233 plus endpages, index, etc.
genre: non-fiction, caregiving (duh.)
I really tried to get into this, but it simply did not resonate for me. I liked leafing through and reading some people's personal experience stories, but I didn't like the author's philosophical blah blah blah. It has some rave reviews, so I have to conclude that it simply isn't the "right book at the right time" for me. Everyone's experience is different; I don't think my experience resonates much for others. (Though a colleague said I should blog about some of the things I've dealt with over the last five and a half years, caring for elderly parents. I'm seriously considering it.)
One page really really spoke to me, so I scanned it to include it here:
I don't think I've reached my limits, but I've definitely been pushed far, far out of my comfort zone. I believe I'll need to write a letter to send to my three siblings-in-law . . . but I'll clear it with Louie after writing / before sending. The stresses are not just me being selfish. I'm not a huge fan of the multigenerational household, but I'm grateful to God that we are able to provide a home for Lou.
Hennepin County Library paperback 233 plus endpages, index, etc.
genre: non-fiction, caregiving (duh.)
I really tried to get into this, but it simply did not resonate for me. I liked leafing through and reading some people's personal experience stories, but I didn't like the author's philosophical blah blah blah. It has some rave reviews, so I have to conclude that it simply isn't the "right book at the right time" for me. Everyone's experience is different; I don't think my experience resonates much for others. (Though a colleague said I should blog about some of the things I've dealt with over the last five and a half years, caring for elderly parents. I'm seriously considering it.)
One page really really spoke to me, so I scanned it to include it here:
I don't think I've reached my limits, but I've definitely been pushed far, far out of my comfort zone. I believe I'll need to write a letter to send to my three siblings-in-law . . . but I'll clear it with Louie after writing / before sending. The stresses are not just me being selfish. I'm not a huge fan of the multigenerational household, but I'm grateful to God that we are able to provide a home for Lou.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Game Changer: John McLendon and the Secret Game
by John Coy, illustrated by Randy DuBurke
Hennepin County Library hardcover unpaged
genre: Everybody / Non-fiction / sports history
This is the first book I've read from our Summer 2016 Litwits titles! It was very interesting . . . and courageous for both coaches! This was three years before Jackie Robinson integrated baseball and six years before the NBA was integrated. I'm so glad Coy wrote this book. What an incredible part of history that is probably unheard of for most Americans. The illustrations show such expressiveness on the players' faces as they move from uncertainty and trepidation to confidence and joy in the game. The artist's palette also adds so much tone and mood to the story through the darks and lights. Great book!
Hennepin County Library hardcover unpaged
genre: Everybody / Non-fiction / sports history
This is the first book I've read from our Summer 2016 Litwits titles! It was very interesting . . . and courageous for both coaches! This was three years before Jackie Robinson integrated baseball and six years before the NBA was integrated. I'm so glad Coy wrote this book. What an incredible part of history that is probably unheard of for most Americans. The illustrations show such expressiveness on the players' faces as they move from uncertainty and trepidation to confidence and joy in the game. The artist's palette also adds so much tone and mood to the story through the darks and lights. Great book!
Monday, May 16, 2016
Fairy Tail 1 / Fairy Tail: Blue Mistral 1 / Fairy Tail: Ice Trail 1
by Hiro Mashima / Hiro Mashima and art by Rui Watanabe / Yuusuke Shirate
Hennepin County Library, paperbacks, approx 200 pages each
genre: YA manga fantasy action
I really, really dislike manga. But I have students who *love* it, so I continue to read and consider their recommendations. I have very little money to spend, so I am really not in the market to invest in a new series this year.
Fairy Tail - the usual boobs, big eyes, fighting, and strange noises. Wizards, powerful objects, and magic guilds. Lucy connects with Natsu and Happy (his cat with wings sidekick). The storytelling is meh. This is just not something I enjoy. I did like the author's choice to explain honorifics and his choice to include them in the story.
Fairy Tail: Blue Mistral - more of a middle-school version. The witches are 12-year-olds. I didn't read the whole thing because I got the gist of the story from the Fairy Tail original. "She may only be 12 years old, but Wendy Marvell is already a member of the magical guild Fairy Tail, and a powerful dragon slayer wizard. Even so, she's a little nervous when she sets out for the town of Nanalu for her first solo job: to discover why some of the locals have been mysteriously disappearing!"
Fairy Tail: Ice Trail - I read almost half of this one. Lots of fighting. Much, much more fighting. Nano Leaf is a girl who can speed up time inside an egg (that's her power). The evil Chrono-guy (don't remember his name) wants her to quickly incubate a demon's egg so he can continue with his evil plans. The mysterious boy who has the "magic of freedom" gets involved in saving her and defeating the bad guys. When the most evil guy is released from a high-security prison and he releases all the other prisoners, telling them to murder the guards . . . I decided I'd had enough.
If I had a LOT of money, I think I'd buy the Blue Mistral series . . . but I think students would like the original Fairy Tail the best.
Hennepin County Library, paperbacks, approx 200 pages each
genre: YA manga fantasy action
I really, really dislike manga. But I have students who *love* it, so I continue to read and consider their recommendations. I have very little money to spend, so I am really not in the market to invest in a new series this year.
Fairy Tail - the usual boobs, big eyes, fighting, and strange noises. Wizards, powerful objects, and magic guilds. Lucy connects with Natsu and Happy (his cat with wings sidekick). The storytelling is meh. This is just not something I enjoy. I did like the author's choice to explain honorifics and his choice to include them in the story.
Fairy Tail: Blue Mistral - more of a middle-school version. The witches are 12-year-olds. I didn't read the whole thing because I got the gist of the story from the Fairy Tail original. "She may only be 12 years old, but Wendy Marvell is already a member of the magical guild Fairy Tail, and a powerful dragon slayer wizard. Even so, she's a little nervous when she sets out for the town of Nanalu for her first solo job: to discover why some of the locals have been mysteriously disappearing!"
Fairy Tail: Ice Trail - I read almost half of this one. Lots of fighting. Much, much more fighting. Nano Leaf is a girl who can speed up time inside an egg (that's her power). The evil Chrono-guy (don't remember his name) wants her to quickly incubate a demon's egg so he can continue with his evil plans. The mysterious boy who has the "magic of freedom" gets involved in saving her and defeating the bad guys. When the most evil guy is released from a high-security prison and he releases all the other prisoners, telling them to murder the guards . . . I decided I'd had enough.
If I had a LOT of money, I think I'd buy the Blue Mistral series . . . but I think students would like the original Fairy Tail the best.
Caregiver's Handbook: A Practical, Visual Guide for the Home Caregiver
by several contributers at Dorling Kindersley
Hennepin County Library paperback 219 pages
genre: Non-fiction self-help caregiving
This was concise and interesting. The contents include:
Becoming a caregiver
Making changes to the home
Diet and health
Social and mental well-being
Maintaining and aiding mobility
Comfort in bed
Personal care
Day-to-day nursing
First aid emergencies
End-of-life care
Resources
I actually got kind of agitated reading this. I "get" that many, many people in my generation are caregivers for elderly parents . . . but I still struggle with the role. I struggle with my siblings in-law and their lack of understanding about how much our lives have changed by having my father-in-law living with us. I spent five and a half years (along with my three siblings) caring for our elderly parents. I'm so grateful we all chipped in and took turns! I'm so glad all three of my sons helped out when they could. I wish I could convince my siblings-in-law to step up and help us out. I'm glad my father-in-law doesn't need nursing care (yet).
Page 201 had a section on "caring for yourself." It's actually in the section on bereavement. Since my dad was still alive four months ago (Jan. 16), I sometimes forget to cut myself some slack. "Don't expect too much from yourself. Giver yourself permission to be disorganized and make mistakes for a while." It's just hard right now, at the end of the school year, to take this advice to heart.
Hennepin County Library paperback 219 pages
genre: Non-fiction self-help caregiving
This was concise and interesting. The contents include:
Becoming a caregiver
Making changes to the home
Diet and health
Social and mental well-being
Maintaining and aiding mobility
Comfort in bed
Personal care
Day-to-day nursing
First aid emergencies
End-of-life care
Resources
I actually got kind of agitated reading this. I "get" that many, many people in my generation are caregivers for elderly parents . . . but I still struggle with the role. I struggle with my siblings in-law and their lack of understanding about how much our lives have changed by having my father-in-law living with us. I spent five and a half years (along with my three siblings) caring for our elderly parents. I'm so grateful we all chipped in and took turns! I'm so glad all three of my sons helped out when they could. I wish I could convince my siblings-in-law to step up and help us out. I'm glad my father-in-law doesn't need nursing care (yet).
Page 201 had a section on "caring for yourself." It's actually in the section on bereavement. Since my dad was still alive four months ago (Jan. 16), I sometimes forget to cut myself some slack. "Don't expect too much from yourself. Giver yourself permission to be disorganized and make mistakes for a while." It's just hard right now, at the end of the school year, to take this advice to heart.
Dorothy Must Die
by D.M. Paige
Hennepin County Library paperback 452 pages
genre: YA fantasy
I'm not sure who recommended this book, but I wish I knew so I could discuss it with them! In this weird tale, Amy Gumm (a nobody from Kansas) transports to Oz in a tornado. Only Oz was revisited by the legendary Dorothy, who has taken control and is trying to steal all the magic in the land.
Liked:
- inventiveness of story
- twists I didn't anticipate
- action
- drew me in!
Disliked:
- Amy making so many stupid decisions that endangered other creatures' lives
- Amy as protagonist . . . strong or weak? determined or wishy-washy?
- from reading the back flap, I *knew* the story would get drawn out for several books . . . I wish they would have left it more up in the air.
I don't know whether I want to read the rest or not. I would definitely buy this series for a high school collection. Although many of my middle schoolers could handle the swearing and length, it might be daunting for the majority (and I have almost no book budget).
Hennepin County Library paperback 452 pages
genre: YA fantasy
I'm not sure who recommended this book, but I wish I knew so I could discuss it with them! In this weird tale, Amy Gumm (a nobody from Kansas) transports to Oz in a tornado. Only Oz was revisited by the legendary Dorothy, who has taken control and is trying to steal all the magic in the land.
Liked:
- inventiveness of story
- twists I didn't anticipate
- action
- drew me in!
Disliked:
- Amy making so many stupid decisions that endangered other creatures' lives
- Amy as protagonist . . . strong or weak? determined or wishy-washy?
- from reading the back flap, I *knew* the story would get drawn out for several books . . . I wish they would have left it more up in the air.
I don't know whether I want to read the rest or not. I would definitely buy this series for a high school collection. Although many of my middle schoolers could handle the swearing and length, it might be daunting for the majority (and I have almost no book budget).
Thursday, May 12, 2016
R&R Reading
While we were at the lake over the weekend with April 30th, I also read two of the Mrs. Pollifax books. I'm not sure why I enjoy them so much . . . and it's weird to read a spy/suspense book multiple times when you already know how it turns out. I guess this is like vegging out in front of a tv.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People
by Jane Bryant Quinn
HC hard 227 pages
genre: NF, financial planning
I need to just go out and buy her books! Even though this is an older title, there's a waiting list and I've barely started. Writing this entry at the library before I drop it in the returns bin.
I have a short to-do list from the part I did read, but it's not here with me.
Seriously. I like her writing style, her no-nonsense advice, and starting to wrap my brain around this important stuff. Since I have a B&N gift card, I should just treat myself to one or two of her books.
HC hard 227 pages
genre: NF, financial planning
I need to just go out and buy her books! Even though this is an older title, there's a waiting list and I've barely started. Writing this entry at the library before I drop it in the returns bin.
I have a short to-do list from the part I did read, but it's not here with me.
Seriously. I like her writing style, her no-nonsense advice, and starting to wrap my brain around this important stuff. Since I have a B&N gift card, I should just treat myself to one or two of her books.
Monday, May 09, 2016
The Prodigy
by Alton Gansky
PRMS discard paperback 340 pages
genre: Christian fiction
I couldn't tell by reading the blurb if this would appeal to my students or not, so I started reading it at lunch time. I decided to remove it from my collection, but really enjoyed it. The story opens with teenage Mary giving birth to a boy she names Toby. The boy's father is MIA (and violent when he does come around) and by the time he is six, Toby and his mom are headed across country to avoid dad's cruelty.
Toby is special in that he can sense people's emotions and detect when something is wrong with them. He also can heal. This book was not at all what I expected and I really enjoyed it - the suspense, the characters' lives coming together (Thomas, Pratt, etc.) I'm going to see if anyone at book club wants it.
page 132 really resonated with me. "As the dark of the predawn surrendered to the pressing light of daybreak, a new and troubling realization surfaced in Pratt's mind. What troubled him was not Thomas but a nerve that the young student had struck. Was he, Dr. Aaron Pratt, professor of theology, paddling around in the shallows? Did he still have the youthful zeal to know and experience God that Thomas York possessed? A disturbing thought began to ache in his soul. He could recite scores of Bible passages, converse intelligently about church history, and shed light on every nuance of theological debate. So what? Did that make him a good Christian?"
page 333 on the airplane (the climax of the action for sure) - I love when Toby confronts Wellman and the evil "shadow man." When he quotes Scripture, I was so glad Thomas gave him his own Bible. A voracious reader, Toby soaked up knowledge quickly.
A very cool book. About 15 years old, but I like the suspense and storytelling style.
Wow. Um. As I finished this entry and was putting the author's name as the label, I saw that I already had "Gansky" in my blog. Hmm! After I posted, I searched the name . . .. and found that I read and blogged this exact title seven years ago! How could I have enjoyed the book (both times) yet have NO memory of ever reading it before? That's kind of sad, but also why I blog my books. I read a lot, but I also forget a lot.
PRMS discard paperback 340 pages
genre: Christian fiction
I couldn't tell by reading the blurb if this would appeal to my students or not, so I started reading it at lunch time. I decided to remove it from my collection, but really enjoyed it. The story opens with teenage Mary giving birth to a boy she names Toby. The boy's father is MIA (and violent when he does come around) and by the time he is six, Toby and his mom are headed across country to avoid dad's cruelty.
Toby is special in that he can sense people's emotions and detect when something is wrong with them. He also can heal. This book was not at all what I expected and I really enjoyed it - the suspense, the characters' lives coming together (Thomas, Pratt, etc.) I'm going to see if anyone at book club wants it.
page 132 really resonated with me. "As the dark of the predawn surrendered to the pressing light of daybreak, a new and troubling realization surfaced in Pratt's mind. What troubled him was not Thomas but a nerve that the young student had struck. Was he, Dr. Aaron Pratt, professor of theology, paddling around in the shallows? Did he still have the youthful zeal to know and experience God that Thomas York possessed? A disturbing thought began to ache in his soul. He could recite scores of Bible passages, converse intelligently about church history, and shed light on every nuance of theological debate. So what? Did that make him a good Christian?"
page 333 on the airplane (the climax of the action for sure) - I love when Toby confronts Wellman and the evil "shadow man." When he quotes Scripture, I was so glad Thomas gave him his own Bible. A voracious reader, Toby soaked up knowledge quickly.
A very cool book. About 15 years old, but I like the suspense and storytelling style.
Wow. Um. As I finished this entry and was putting the author's name as the label, I saw that I already had "Gansky" in my blog. Hmm! After I posted, I searched the name . . .. and found that I read and blogged this exact title seven years ago! How could I have enjoyed the book (both times) yet have NO memory of ever reading it before? That's kind of sad, but also why I blog my books. I read a lot, but I also forget a lot.
Friday, May 06, 2016
F-Stop: A Love Story in Pictures
by Antony Johnston and Matthew Loux
Hennepin County Library paperback 167 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, realistic
Although this is marketed to teens, I see the target audience as 20-somethings. The main character, Nick Stoppard, is a college graduate trying to make a living as a photographer (though he isn't a good one, with his degree in English and a lack of training). He meets a model and gets thrust into the high-fashion world with his "new" style (various body parts) and a fear of being found a fraud. Nice story. I enjoyed the story more than the art (very angular). I definitely wouldn't buy it for my middle school collection, but it is a nice story about being true to yourself and your friends.
Hennepin County Library paperback 167 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, realistic
Although this is marketed to teens, I see the target audience as 20-somethings. The main character, Nick Stoppard, is a college graduate trying to make a living as a photographer (though he isn't a good one, with his degree in English and a lack of training). He meets a model and gets thrust into the high-fashion world with his "new" style (various body parts) and a fear of being found a fraud. Nice story. I enjoyed the story more than the art (very angular). I definitely wouldn't buy it for my middle school collection, but it is a nice story about being true to yourself and your friends.
Monday, May 02, 2016
Sabriel
by Garth Nix
PRMS hardcover 292 pages
Hennepin County Library audiobook with Tim Curry doing vocal work
genre: YA fantasy
I started this on audiobook, but disc three kept skipping and I couldn't clean it well enough so I just grabbed the book off my shelf.
This is old-school fantasy, with magic, necromancers, and an evil creeping over the land. Sabriel is eighteen and she can travel into Death. She inherits her father's bells and bandolier (and super cool sword), but that means he's in trouble. She travels into the Old Kingdom to find his body to try to reunite his spirit with it. I'm still not sure if I liked this book or not . . . I am glad I read it and I am curious to read the next book, but I am so short on time!
PRMS hardcover 292 pages
Hennepin County Library audiobook with Tim Curry doing vocal work
genre: YA fantasy
I started this on audiobook, but disc three kept skipping and I couldn't clean it well enough so I just grabbed the book off my shelf.
This is old-school fantasy, with magic, necromancers, and an evil creeping over the land. Sabriel is eighteen and she can travel into Death. She inherits her father's bells and bandolier (and super cool sword), but that means he's in trouble. She travels into the Old Kingdom to find his body to try to reunite his spirit with it. I'm still not sure if I liked this book or not . . . I am glad I read it and I am curious to read the next book, but I am so short on time!
Number the Stars
by Lois Lowry
PRMS hardcover 137
genre: YA historical fiction
I had to re-read this because it has been two or three DECADES since I last picked it up. A student of mine is playing Annemarie at Stages Theatre this month. It is such a short little book, but covers the changes in Denmark at the start of WWII. The occupation by German soldiers, the scarcity of foodstuffs, the dangers for the Jews, . . . Annemarie and her best friend Ellen are affected by it all.
little sister Kirsti, dead older sister Lise, Lise's fiance Peter, Uncle Henrik, . . . the fishing boats, Norway.
I'm kind of curious to do some research on the Danish resistance, but lack the time.
Now that it's refreshed in my memory, I need to get tickets to see the show!
PRMS hardcover 137
genre: YA historical fiction
I had to re-read this because it has been two or three DECADES since I last picked it up. A student of mine is playing Annemarie at Stages Theatre this month. It is such a short little book, but covers the changes in Denmark at the start of WWII. The occupation by German soldiers, the scarcity of foodstuffs, the dangers for the Jews, . . . Annemarie and her best friend Ellen are affected by it all.
little sister Kirsti, dead older sister Lise, Lise's fiance Peter, Uncle Henrik, . . . the fishing boats, Norway.
I'm kind of curious to do some research on the Danish resistance, but lack the time.
Now that it's refreshed in my memory, I need to get tickets to see the show!
Stars Over Sunset Boulevard
by Susan Meissner
Hennepin County Library paperback 352 pages
genre: historical fiction
I read this over a week ago and book club discussed it exactly a week ago. Upshot? Not Meissner's best, but pleasant enough. The modern-day frame story was not very effective or purposeful; it's just a Meissner technique that actually distracts in this book.
Violet Mayfield heads to Hollywood in 1938 after "her dream of becoming a wife and mother falls apart." She gets a job as a secretary, meets and moves in with Audrey Duvall (almost a decade older, far more glamorous and worldly, but also a secretary). The two women share their stories and lives bit by bit until jealousy and lies wreak havoc. It's a bit overwrought.
There was definitely a theme of being wanted. "It's intoxicating to be treated like you're a rare gem. There's no other feeling in the world like it." (page 14) When Audrey is talking about what Selznick did to get Clark Gable to play Rhett in Gone with the Wind, she says, "Can you imagine being wanted that way? Can you imagine what that must feel like?"
There were two places where I wondered if proofreaders exist any more. Page 132 has "Audrey watched Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara continue her search for Dr. Meade. She imagined herself in the drab . . . " (Shouldn't it be "continued"?) And on page 276, "Why are you are here?" (Verbatim. Read it aloud.)
Page 252 resonated very strongly for me. Violet is parenting little Lainie solo AND caring for her mother-in-law while Bert is off in the military. Her resentment toward her m-i-l . . . yeah. I get that.
On page 322 (and in other spots), I was struck by the strong bond of friendship between these two women. That made Violet's pettiness seem even more pointless.
I loved this! "'That hat is the color of envy and greed,' Violet murmured. 'Not always. Not today.' Audrey took her hand in a gesture of solidarity. 'Today green is the color of life springing up out of the earth, Violet. Today it's the color of new beginnings.'"
In the reader's guide and Q and A with the author, I was disappointed in Meissner's comment that fear and love are closely intertwined. I don't agree. I was also surprised that the title of the book didn't seem nearly as significant as something about the nightingale would have been. The book was less Christian that her previous books . . . and Jodi pointed out that she's with a different publisher now. I hope this is not a sign of the "new" Meissner. I like her older books better!
Hennepin County Library paperback 352 pages
genre: historical fiction
I read this over a week ago and book club discussed it exactly a week ago. Upshot? Not Meissner's best, but pleasant enough. The modern-day frame story was not very effective or purposeful; it's just a Meissner technique that actually distracts in this book.
Violet Mayfield heads to Hollywood in 1938 after "her dream of becoming a wife and mother falls apart." She gets a job as a secretary, meets and moves in with Audrey Duvall (almost a decade older, far more glamorous and worldly, but also a secretary). The two women share their stories and lives bit by bit until jealousy and lies wreak havoc. It's a bit overwrought.
There was definitely a theme of being wanted. "It's intoxicating to be treated like you're a rare gem. There's no other feeling in the world like it." (page 14) When Audrey is talking about what Selznick did to get Clark Gable to play Rhett in Gone with the Wind, she says, "Can you imagine being wanted that way? Can you imagine what that must feel like?"
There were two places where I wondered if proofreaders exist any more. Page 132 has "Audrey watched Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara continue her search for Dr. Meade. She imagined herself in the drab . . . " (Shouldn't it be "continued"?) And on page 276, "Why are you are here?" (Verbatim. Read it aloud.)
Page 252 resonated very strongly for me. Violet is parenting little Lainie solo AND caring for her mother-in-law while Bert is off in the military. Her resentment toward her m-i-l . . . yeah. I get that.
On page 322 (and in other spots), I was struck by the strong bond of friendship between these two women. That made Violet's pettiness seem even more pointless.
I loved this! "'That hat is the color of envy and greed,' Violet murmured. 'Not always. Not today.' Audrey took her hand in a gesture of solidarity. 'Today green is the color of life springing up out of the earth, Violet. Today it's the color of new beginnings.'"
In the reader's guide and Q and A with the author, I was disappointed in Meissner's comment that fear and love are closely intertwined. I don't agree. I was also surprised that the title of the book didn't seem nearly as significant as something about the nightingale would have been. The book was less Christian that her previous books . . . and Jodi pointed out that she's with a different publisher now. I hope this is not a sign of the "new" Meissner. I like her older books better!
Friday, April 22, 2016
Mutation: Phoenix Files #3
by Chris Morphew
student's copy paperback 311 pages
genre: YA dystopian
Finally! This third segment is told from Jordan's point of view. She's a kick-butt no-nonsense girl who is liked by both Luke and Peter but maintains friendship with both. The three now have trackers / supressors implanted in their lower backs. This part of the story gets even darker and creepier with Peter's former friends up to something and a mad scientist laboratory out in the bush.
I need to tell my student to stop loaning me his books! I don't have time to read so much.
student's copy paperback 311 pages
genre: YA dystopian
Finally! This third segment is told from Jordan's point of view. She's a kick-butt no-nonsense girl who is liked by both Luke and Peter but maintains friendship with both. The three now have trackers / supressors implanted in their lower backs. This part of the story gets even darker and creepier with Peter's former friends up to something and a mad scientist laboratory out in the bush.
I need to tell my student to stop loaning me his books! I don't have time to read so much.
Contact: Phoenix Files #2
by Chris Morphew
student's copy paperback 309 pages
genre: YA dystopian
This story was told from Peter's point of view. He's my least favorite of the trio of teens trying to figure out what's really going on in Phoenix and how they can stop the end of the world. This one gets even more intense with the creepy factor and an innocent character's death. These stories are addicting . . .
student's copy paperback 309 pages
genre: YA dystopian
This story was told from Peter's point of view. He's my least favorite of the trio of teens trying to figure out what's really going on in Phoenix and how they can stop the end of the world. This one gets even more intense with the creepy factor and an innocent character's death. These stories are addicting . . .
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free
by Ernie J. Zelinski
Hennepin County Library - paperback and audiobook
229 pages, 8 discs
read by J. Charles
genre: non-fiction, self-help
Random notes (as I was at stoplights, etc.):
Brainstormed list of things I'd like to "do" in retirement:
prayer and Bible study
ministry
travel
walks
quilting
volunteer (Meals on Wheels, DARTS, Habitat for Humanity, Respite / Foster care, tutoring)
grandchildren?
swimming
This was in response to his stressing having a "purpose" in retirement. This part is easy for me! I love to help others and serve. I have lots of interests and little time to pursue them. The word BLESSING kept coming to mind.
The first part of the book energized me! I'd heard somewhere that you should plan to live until 90. He says plan to live to 120 and live each day as though it's your last (or something along those lines). Financially, I don't know what that "should" look like. I really appreciate the fact that his focus isn't on money; it's on life choices. He does point out that you can earn more or spend less. He also talks about working part-time to help finance retirement. He ends the book by saying "spend it all!" Hard to do when you don't know how long your life will last . . . and it's kind of cool to leave money to others who can be blessed by it.
Be a "connoisseur" of life. I like that! It got really, really old when he was warning about boredom in retirement. I cannot fathom getting bored. Life has so much to offer!
The section on not spending retirement watching TV was beaten to death . . . seriously? Do people do that? Sit and watch television for hours and hours each day? Not worried about that. Yet he brought it up in almost every chapter! Ad nauseum . . .
Ironically, he talks about having structure to your days AND being spontaneous. Whatever. Some of his life philosophy stuff was too trite to even reference with specifics.
Every time he talked about using the internet for doing research and read out the entire address "double-you, double-you, double-you dot trivago dot com" . . . made me wish I was reading the print version so I could just jump down to the next chunk of text.
Another problem with the audio version (and the print, for that matter) was the author's extensive use of lists. I fast-forwarded over ten-plus minutes of him listing activities you can do in retirement. Really. I think every chapter had lists in it. You could rename the book "Retirement for people who can't think for themselves."
Okay, enough slamming. I kept with the book for the entire experience for a reason!
1. I loved the positive "you can do this" message. I told Louie about some of the things I got from this book. He's still focused on the financial aspects of retiring and I'm really bad about that. We're going to crunch numbers this summer.
2. I liked the chapter on travel! One of the things I'm definitely looking forward to even before we retire.
3. I really liked people's personal testimonies about what a difference retirement made in their lives. A lot of these folks retired before "traditional" ages of 62, 65, etc. Very encouraging!
Besides the ability to skip over sections (like lists, or being single), the other thing I liked about the print version is the inclusion of comics! I listened to the audiobook in my car, then checked the book for the comics I'd missed after I got home. I'm not sure how much of my irritation with this title was the writing and how much was the reader's voice. In any case, it was worth experiencing this title. It's definitely different from anything else I've read and got me thinking even more about my future.
I also made a note to talk to Betsy Lasch and Judy Shallow about retirement . . . I really want to follow through on this!
Hennepin County Library - paperback and audiobook
229 pages, 8 discs
read by J. Charles
genre: non-fiction, self-help
Random notes (as I was at stoplights, etc.):
Brainstormed list of things I'd like to "do" in retirement:
prayer and Bible study
ministry
travel
walks
quilting
volunteer (Meals on Wheels, DARTS, Habitat for Humanity, Respite / Foster care, tutoring)
grandchildren?
swimming
This was in response to his stressing having a "purpose" in retirement. This part is easy for me! I love to help others and serve. I have lots of interests and little time to pursue them. The word BLESSING kept coming to mind.
The first part of the book energized me! I'd heard somewhere that you should plan to live until 90. He says plan to live to 120 and live each day as though it's your last (or something along those lines). Financially, I don't know what that "should" look like. I really appreciate the fact that his focus isn't on money; it's on life choices. He does point out that you can earn more or spend less. He also talks about working part-time to help finance retirement. He ends the book by saying "spend it all!" Hard to do when you don't know how long your life will last . . . and it's kind of cool to leave money to others who can be blessed by it.
Be a "connoisseur" of life. I like that! It got really, really old when he was warning about boredom in retirement. I cannot fathom getting bored. Life has so much to offer!
The section on not spending retirement watching TV was beaten to death . . . seriously? Do people do that? Sit and watch television for hours and hours each day? Not worried about that. Yet he brought it up in almost every chapter! Ad nauseum . . .
Ironically, he talks about having structure to your days AND being spontaneous. Whatever. Some of his life philosophy stuff was too trite to even reference with specifics.
Every time he talked about using the internet for doing research and read out the entire address "double-you, double-you, double-you dot trivago dot com" . . . made me wish I was reading the print version so I could just jump down to the next chunk of text.
Another problem with the audio version (and the print, for that matter) was the author's extensive use of lists. I fast-forwarded over ten-plus minutes of him listing activities you can do in retirement. Really. I think every chapter had lists in it. You could rename the book "Retirement for people who can't think for themselves."
Okay, enough slamming. I kept with the book for the entire experience for a reason!
1. I loved the positive "you can do this" message. I told Louie about some of the things I got from this book. He's still focused on the financial aspects of retiring and I'm really bad about that. We're going to crunch numbers this summer.
2. I liked the chapter on travel! One of the things I'm definitely looking forward to even before we retire.
3. I really liked people's personal testimonies about what a difference retirement made in their lives. A lot of these folks retired before "traditional" ages of 62, 65, etc. Very encouraging!
Besides the ability to skip over sections (like lists, or being single), the other thing I liked about the print version is the inclusion of comics! I listened to the audiobook in my car, then checked the book for the comics I'd missed after I got home. I'm not sure how much of my irritation with this title was the writing and how much was the reader's voice. In any case, it was worth experiencing this title. It's definitely different from anything else I've read and got me thinking even more about my future.
I also made a note to talk to Betsy Lasch and Judy Shallow about retirement . . . I really want to follow through on this!
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Something True
by Kieran Scott
YAC book PRMS hardcover 279 pages
genre: YA romance
This is book three in a trilogy, but that's not what made it "not work" for me. True Olympia is actually Eros, but she's been banished to earth to be a normal mortal teenager until she can join three couples ("love matches") and return to Olympus. Her beloved, Orion, has had his memory wiped by Zeus, and he is dating Darla who is pathetically attached to Veronica Vine, an absolutely shallow and selfish girl.
Misunderstandings and love triangles ensue. Artemis and Apollo get Hera's permission to head to earth to confront Eros. Yada yada.
My favorite parts were when Orion had flashes of memory of his previous life. I liked Hephastus as Heath, too. I'll donate this rather than spend money buying books 1 and 2 to have a complete set.
YAC book PRMS hardcover 279 pages
genre: YA romance
This is book three in a trilogy, but that's not what made it "not work" for me. True Olympia is actually Eros, but she's been banished to earth to be a normal mortal teenager until she can join three couples ("love matches") and return to Olympus. Her beloved, Orion, has had his memory wiped by Zeus, and he is dating Darla who is pathetically attached to Veronica Vine, an absolutely shallow and selfish girl.
Misunderstandings and love triangles ensue. Artemis and Apollo get Hera's permission to head to earth to confront Eros. Yada yada.
My favorite parts were when Orion had flashes of memory of his previous life. I liked Hephastus as Heath, too. I'll donate this rather than spend money buying books 1 and 2 to have a complete set.
Walking: the Ultimate Exercise for Optimum Health
by Dr. Andrew Weil and Mark Fenton
Hennepin County Library audiobook 2 discs
read by the authors
genre: non-fiction, wellness
Short and to the point. I listened in my car, but disc one is really about WHY you should walk (easy, inexpensive, lifelong, etc.) and disc two is really for you to use to stretch out, move, walk faster for greater benefits, and cool down.
I made a note - copy disc 2, put it on mp3 player, and WALK! I really think I mostly just need to be motivated to do what I already know is good to do. I spend too much time on my butt!
The four tips for faster walking technique are:
1. Stand Tall (posture!)
2. Focus on quicker, not longer steps
3. Bend your arms (90 degrees, arc from along waistband in back to chest high in front)
4. Push off of your toes (show someone behind you the bottom of your shoe)
Warm-ups:
1. Ankle circles - R to R side in slo-mo, L to L side - 5-6 each side
2. Leg swings - swing from the hip like a pendulum - slow, controlled - each leg 5-6 times
3. Pelvic loops - hands on hips, soft knees, feet and shoulders stationary - to the L and the R
4. Change light bulbs - reaches overhead - both hands up, reach further up with one, twist, change sides
5. Arm circles - hold arms out like a T, make small circles forward and back, then bigger circles, etc.
6. Torso twists - hands on shoulders, slowly twist L and R
I'm already tired of this and I don't want to grab images from the booklet. I'll either get it from the library again when I'm actually ready to use it (or buy it on Amazon).
Hennepin County Library audiobook 2 discs
read by the authors
genre: non-fiction, wellness
Short and to the point. I listened in my car, but disc one is really about WHY you should walk (easy, inexpensive, lifelong, etc.) and disc two is really for you to use to stretch out, move, walk faster for greater benefits, and cool down.
I made a note - copy disc 2, put it on mp3 player, and WALK! I really think I mostly just need to be motivated to do what I already know is good to do. I spend too much time on my butt!
The four tips for faster walking technique are:
1. Stand Tall (posture!)
2. Focus on quicker, not longer steps
3. Bend your arms (90 degrees, arc from along waistband in back to chest high in front)
4. Push off of your toes (show someone behind you the bottom of your shoe)
Warm-ups:
1. Ankle circles - R to R side in slo-mo, L to L side - 5-6 each side
2. Leg swings - swing from the hip like a pendulum - slow, controlled - each leg 5-6 times
3. Pelvic loops - hands on hips, soft knees, feet and shoulders stationary - to the L and the R
4. Change light bulbs - reaches overhead - both hands up, reach further up with one, twist, change sides
5. Arm circles - hold arms out like a T, make small circles forward and back, then bigger circles, etc.
6. Torso twists - hands on shoulders, slowly twist L and R
I'm already tired of this and I don't want to grab images from the booklet. I'll either get it from the library again when I'm actually ready to use it (or buy it on Amazon).
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Taming the Dragon Within: How to Be the Mother-in-law You've Always Wanted
by Leanne Braddock, Ileene Huffard, & Zannette Uriell
personal paperback 280 plus appendixes
genre: non-fiction relationships
Ginee Scott gave this to me before Alex and Stacie got married and I've finally read it! (The last three years have been quite full of life events.) I didn't find it to be super helpful, but perhaps I need to ask Stacie about the things I say or do that bug her. I definitely marked the chapter about grandparenting . . . that will be new turf for me and I want to be a blessing to both generations!
Page 44 - the sit-down talk caught my attention. I am glad that Morgan and I are able to talk with one another pretty easily. I want to have a conversation with him about his relationship with Angela's family. I sometimes am oblivious to others' perspectives and I know he can be, too.
Page 63 - I love the section on "leaving and cleaving" and especially the directions given to the Israelites. It's so important for a young couple to spend time getting to know one another better and forging their new relationship.
Chapter 5 on Communication . . . I could highlight the entire chapter! Chapter 6 on Conflict Resolution is also helpful.
Page 128 - The section on cut-offs (and the impact on several generations) was concerning. I know of far too many people who have had relationships severed and it is heart-breaking to me. It's hard work to deal with conflict, hurt, and forgiveness, but it is so important.
Page 158 - I love the section on humor! I often say, "I'd rather laugh than cry." The reasons humor is important?
1. The funny line and the bottom line intersect! (employers appreciate humor)
2. Jest for the health of it! ("laughter enhances respiration and circulation, oxygenates teh glood, suppresses the stress-related hormones in the brain, and activates the immune system")
3. Humor as an antidote to stress
4. "A smile is the shortest distance between two people."
5. The HAHA-AHA connection (between humor and creativity)
6. The laughing-learning link
7. Your resilience quotient
8. Humor as a saving (and amusing) grace for the planet (build bridges)
Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander
by Phil Robertson
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by the author (introduction) and his son Al Robertson
genre: Non-fiction memoir
I didn't like this nearly as well as the book by his son Willie and daughter-in-law Korie. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that a self-professed "redneck" would say things that bug me so much. His comments on food and cooking would have been fine - mom's homemade dill pickles and no junk food around - but his disdainfulness toward "yuppies" who live in suburbs and eat in restaurants because they "don't know how to cook." . . . whatever.
Cold. Not sure what my note refers to (and I shouldn't try writing while I'm driving) but I remember him talking about how cold their house was and how they slept close to their siblings to keep warm.
"Man can't live on fruits and vegetables alone. At least, real men can't." Apparently vegetarian men aren't real.
I agree with his point about the importance about kids playing outdoors and getting exercise, but his way of communicating this is so incredibly condescending!
There were a lot of the same stories as in his son's book. This was neither good nor bad, but I definitely liked Duck Commander Family better.
I am SO not into hunting and killing animals, so those parts didn't resonate for me AT ALL.
His rules for being Happy, Happy, Happy:
Rule 1: Simplify Your Life (Throw away your cell phones and computer, yuppies)
Rule 2: Don’t let your grandkids grow up to be nerds
Rule 3: Learn to cook
Rule 4: Don’t try to figure out women (they’re strange creatures)
Rule 5: Always wear shoes (Your feet will feel better)
Rule 6: Put the bottle down (You’ll thank me in the morning)
Rule 7: Buy a house near water (It’s a lot more fun)
Rule 8: Never sell yourself short (You never know, you might become a millionaire)
Rule 9: It’s cheaper to hire your relatives (Unless you don’t like ‘em)
Rule 10: If you’re going to do something, do it right (instead of doing it again)
Rule 11: Suck the head of a crawfish
Rule 12: Learn to forgive (Life’s a lot easier that way)
Rule 13: Share God’s word (It’s what he asked of you)
Rule 14: Read the Bible (We can still save this once great country – it’s not too late)
I thought about adding my notes on these, but it's enough. Moving on to the next book . . .
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
read by the author (introduction) and his son Al Robertson
genre: Non-fiction memoir
I didn't like this nearly as well as the book by his son Willie and daughter-in-law Korie. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that a self-professed "redneck" would say things that bug me so much. His comments on food and cooking would have been fine - mom's homemade dill pickles and no junk food around - but his disdainfulness toward "yuppies" who live in suburbs and eat in restaurants because they "don't know how to cook." . . . whatever.
Cold. Not sure what my note refers to (and I shouldn't try writing while I'm driving) but I remember him talking about how cold their house was and how they slept close to their siblings to keep warm.
"Man can't live on fruits and vegetables alone. At least, real men can't." Apparently vegetarian men aren't real.
I agree with his point about the importance about kids playing outdoors and getting exercise, but his way of communicating this is so incredibly condescending!
There were a lot of the same stories as in his son's book. This was neither good nor bad, but I definitely liked Duck Commander Family better.
I am SO not into hunting and killing animals, so those parts didn't resonate for me AT ALL.
His rules for being Happy, Happy, Happy:
Rule 1: Simplify Your Life (Throw away your cell phones and computer, yuppies)
Rule 2: Don’t let your grandkids grow up to be nerds
Rule 3: Learn to cook
Rule 4: Don’t try to figure out women (they’re strange creatures)
Rule 5: Always wear shoes (Your feet will feel better)
Rule 6: Put the bottle down (You’ll thank me in the morning)
Rule 7: Buy a house near water (It’s a lot more fun)
Rule 8: Never sell yourself short (You never know, you might become a millionaire)
Rule 9: It’s cheaper to hire your relatives (Unless you don’t like ‘em)
Rule 10: If you’re going to do something, do it right (instead of doing it again)
Rule 11: Suck the head of a crawfish
Rule 12: Learn to forgive (Life’s a lot easier that way)
Rule 13: Share God’s word (It’s what he asked of you)
Rule 14: Read the Bible (We can still save this once great country – it’s not too late)
I thought about adding my notes on these, but it's enough. Moving on to the next book . . .
Saturday, April 02, 2016
Mamba Point
By Kurtis Scaletta
PRMS hardcover 271
Historical fiction? 1982, VHS tapes, Atari Pac-Mac . . .
Realistic fiction?
(I talked with some students about it and they said realistic fic . . . I love my genrefied collection!)
12 year old Linus and older brother Larry (“Law”) move with mom and dad to Liberia where dad will work with the U.S. embassy. Linus has been a scaredy-cat and wants to create a
new reality . . . but they see a black mamba snake (actually grey . . .
very dangerous, very fast) as soon as they get off the airplane. Then
Linus starts seeing one whenever he goes outside.
He gets to know a “Charlie” (a street seller of
masks, etc.)named Sekou who tells him about a kaseng – a connection with
an animal that is almost supernatural.
Matt is the kid downstairs who likes to stay
indoors and play games. He’s kind of antisocial. There are lots of
characters, details, etc. that are with me now but will likely get lost
with time. Ah well. I wouldn’t mind re-reading it with
a group of kids if the opportunity arises.
This started slowly for me, but I got more and more
engaged in the story as it went along. I liked how Linus changed, but
kept some of his sweet qualities (like caring about the two kids –
Gambeh and Tokie – who are clearly poor and hungry).
I wondered if Linus was imagining the snake, then I
wanted people to know about his connection to it, then . . . yep, I
cared about this kid and his deadly “pet.”
Spoiler (sort of) Toward the end of the book, when
he is saying goodbye to his mamba, he thinks “So you can be whoever you
want” and “It poked its head up, as if it wanted me to pay close
attention to its next point: So can you, it said.”
I’ve met the author at a signing event. I loved
this book and his note at the end about his experience as a kid in
Liberia. I look forward to reading more of his work.
Friday, April 01, 2016
Say You're One of Them
by Uwem Akpan
PRMS hardcover 358 pages
genre: short stories, realistic
Likes:
Dislikes:
PRMS hardcover 358 pages
genre: short stories, realistic
Likes:
- This is unlike anything I've ever read before.
- Although the stories make me sad, I think it's important to be aware of others' realities. Storytelling is a powerful way to share.
- Themes of Christian faith in the midst of the despair . . .
Dislikes:
- So incredibly depressing! A 12-year-old girl prostituting herself so her family has food to eat, families sniffing strong glue to stave off hunger pains, children being sold into slavery by family members to have a higher standard of living, corruption, . . . ugh.
- Language. Thankfully, I know French and am pretty good at figuring out meanings from context. Sentences like this were off-putting all the same: "N'do na dio face se, military face. Den una no go know again wheder I dey vex o, wheder I dey sad o, wheder I dey lie o . . . I mean, even now, who tell una say I dey happy wid una?" It kind of hurt my brain to "translate" this into understandable language as I was reading.
- I've already decided I'll delete it from the collection. I can't see this as a book middle schoolers would choose and it doesn't really fit the curriculum (8th grade social studies . . . but not in a convenient way).
Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back
by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent
Hennepin County Library audiobook 4 CDs
read by Dean Gallagher
genre: non-fiction memoir
Colton Burpo was a normal four-year-old with a tummyache that wouldn't go away. By the time he was operated on for a burst appendix, his situation was grave. This story is more about his dad and mom and what they experienced, but Colton's extraordinary encounter with Jesus in Heaven is why the book exists. I really enjoyed listening and believe the reality of Colton's experience. Gallagher's vocal work was excellent and I'm glad this story has been shared.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 4 CDs
read by Dean Gallagher
genre: non-fiction memoir
Colton Burpo was a normal four-year-old with a tummyache that wouldn't go away. By the time he was operated on for a burst appendix, his situation was grave. This story is more about his dad and mom and what they experienced, but Colton's extraordinary encounter with Jesus in Heaven is why the book exists. I really enjoyed listening and believe the reality of Colton's experience. Gallagher's vocal work was excellent and I'm glad this story has been shared.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Silver Linings Playbook
by Matthew Quick
Hennepin County Library audiobook 6 discs
read by Ray Porter
genre: realistic fiction
Though there were plenty of F-bombs, this book really drew me in. I had seen some of the promos for the movie, but wasn't really sure what it was about other than mental illness. Pat Peoples is the main character. The story opens with his mother getting him out of "the bad place" - a psych hospital where he's been in lockup. He thinks he's been there for months, but it has actually been years (three? five?).
"During his years in a mental health facility, Pat Peoples has formulated a theory about silver linings. He believes that his life is a movie produced by God, that his mission is to become physically fit and emotionally supportive, and that if he succeeds, his happy ending will be the return of his estranged wife, Nikki. But when he goes to live with his parents, everything seems off."
From my jotted car notes:
Hennepin County Library audiobook 6 discs
read by Ray Porter
genre: realistic fiction
Though there were plenty of F-bombs, this book really drew me in. I had seen some of the promos for the movie, but wasn't really sure what it was about other than mental illness. Pat Peoples is the main character. The story opens with his mother getting him out of "the bad place" - a psych hospital where he's been in lockup. He thinks he's been there for months, but it has actually been years (three? five?).
"During his years in a mental health facility, Pat Peoples has formulated a theory about silver linings. He believes that his life is a movie produced by God, that his mission is to become physically fit and emotionally supportive, and that if he succeeds, his happy ending will be the return of his estranged wife, Nikki. But when he goes to live with his parents, everything seems off."
From my jotted car notes:
- Kenny G music - though it makes perfect sense by the end of the book, every time his aversion to this came up, it made me giggle. Who could have such a strong aversion to smooth jazz? "I fear him more than any other human being."
- Repetition - it was interesting how often the author used repetition to emphasize something. I almost thought the CD was skipping at first, with a sentence that I'd just heard a short while earlier repeated verbatim. It was purposeful, though. At times, it seemed as though Pat was younger or more stupid than I'd expected. Not sure if it was Quick's writing style or Porter's vocal work, but I wondered if he'd had electroshock therapy and his brains were scrambled (more than just the mental illness).
- Mom - I loved the mom character and her love for her son.
- The Eagles chant - wow. Talk about rabid fans. I had to look this up because it was such a huge theme in the book.
- I would love to see this movie . . . especially Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
The Feathered Bone
by Julie Cantrell
Hennepin County Library paperback 369 pages
genre: Christian realistic fiction, relationships
We had a great discussion on this book last night - I wish Jen had been there! The book was intense and somewhat depressing, but very well-written. The story opens with three moms (Amanda, Beth, and Raelynn) and their three kids (Ellie, Sarah, and Nate) on a school field trip to New Orleans. It was hard at first to figure out who was who, but it quickly fell into place. Beth is Preacher's wife - they are loving, solid Christians. Amanda is married to Carl, who is not a very sensitive spouse. Raelynn is a single mom who had an abusive marriage. In light of a terrible crisis with Hurricane Katrina as a follow-up, I don't want to spoil the story for anyone who might read it, so stop here (or where I actually placed the spoiler alert).
My marked pages / notes from reading:
page 4 - referring to the teacher - "She is young and not yet burned out from the never-ending demands of public education." This made me smile. Yep.
page 5 (and more later) - I'm somewhat horrified that these parents took their kids to a Mardi Gras store / museum. "Inside the gift shop, students explore rows of spirit dolls and voodoo pins, while Sarah and Ellie move to the collection of intricate masks." I probably have too much of a knee-jerk reaction to this kind of stuff, but I just don't understand why these parents would agree to this kind of trip! Others at book club weren't put out at this, pointing out that it's a part of the state history / culture . . . .page 27 had the main character Amanda giving her daughter encouragement to approach and talk to a woman who has chicken bones, tarot cards, half-melted candles, etc. at her table. Um, no thanks. I'd try to keep my innocent child AWAY from someone like that.
page 29 - Title source! The woman gives a feather to Sarah, saying "Your very own feathered bone." They talk about the feather being strong enough to bend without breaking (unlike the whalebone used in corsets previously) and that the feathers were meant to allow birds to fly. There was a LOT more of this theme of sparrows, feathers, flying, and freedom throughout the book. (like page 76, with Gator's chained dogs and the memory of the caged sparrow)
page 34 - "No matter how much love my mother gave me after the adoption, even more so after her divorce, I was unwanted, abandoned, and unloved from the start." This is so heart-breaking. Amanda, our main narrator, is in so much pain! This made me think of Katie and her concerns with the book.
***SPOILER ALERT!!!***
page 87/88/89 - I loved Amanda's gratitude list. Sometimes making a conscious choice to consider your blessings can completely change your attitude and perspective. Then on the next page, we hear from Sarah! It was so nice to know she was still alive . . . and to hear her sweet "voice" in her notes to the sparrow.
page 122 - When Beth talks about comforting people who are struggling with tragedy and pain, especially with losing a child, she says, "If you want to ask God, 'Why me? Why my children?' that's okay. Ask him. Because his son was killed too. That's what the crucifixion is really about. God stands with us through our suffering. The loss. The pain. He understands." Then when Amanda asks her if that's what she still believes, after Sarah was taken, Beth replies, "I don't know." We had a great conversation about this and about maintaining faith in the most difficult of circumstances.
page 128 - this is where I stopped to check how many more notebook entries from Sarah were in the book. Her captivity lasted for years! It made me think of Jaycee Dugard. It made me sad and want the book to hurry up and get to the part where we find out what happens to Sarah. I definitely empathized more with Sarah and Ellie than most of adults in this story . . .
page 162 - I loved this! An elderly lady finally contacts her sister (after the evacuation of New Orleans due to Katrina) and looks at Ellie to say, "See there? Never give up." This moment made it even more hard for me to take when Ellie committed suicide. So incredibly sad!
page 179 - Not sure why I marked Carl's meanness, but I definitely felt so much compassion for Amanda (and women in similarly abusive situations). "You think we all need Perfect Amanda to swoop in and save us. Well, guess what? Nobody needs you. Nobody evens wants you. What we want, what we need, is for you to either grow up and pull yourself together, or stay out of our lives. Leave us alone. Stop running around in circles trying to fix everything. You mess things up, don't you see? You can't even iron a shirt!" I am so incredibly grateful to be married to my sweet, kind, wonderful husband. (Of course, I can't imagine putting up with this kind of crap from a man . . . . )
page 237 - "I sit quietly, letting Ellie release her thoughts, knowing there's not a word I can say to make this better for her. I listen." Sometimes just being there and listening is the best we can do!
page 243 - Ellie kills herself. No! I was sobbing through the next ten or so pages and could barely read . . . further trauma for Amanda. Too much pain and hopelessness. Then on page 264, "'Why'd she leave me, Raelynn? Why'd Carl leave me? Why does everybody I love leave me?' As I say these words, my entire life flashes before me. All the abandonments. Every one of them." I'm so glad she has good friends like Jay, Raelynn, Beth, and Viv!
page 283 - when Amanda remembers Ellie talking about peacock feathers "They don't have pigment in them. It's actually their structure . . . how they're made . . . and the color only really comes through when it finds light. Bird, butterflies - they were made for the light." I love how this theme of light and feathers is woven throughout the story.
page 309 - When Amanda goes to visit the chapel in the bayou, I only like the part where she read the founders' The Beatitudes of a Christian Marriage:
page 324 - they found Sarah!!!
page 337 - from Sarah's journal - "We all have a feathered bone. It's called hope. If we hang on to hope, if we don't let anybody break us or make us forget who we are, then we will always be free."
page 357 - Sarah is seventeen now and sharing her story. I am still skeptical that a child taken at age 12 and used as a prostitute for four years could maintain her faith and positive outlook . . . it makes for a very nice story. She talks about corsets and the change from whalebone to featherbones. "That's how I started to think of myself. Like a feathered bone. I kept a little sparrow feather with me through the whole journey, and when I'd start to think I was going to break, I'd hold my feather and remind myself that I was stronger than I looked."
page 364 - Sarah again - "That's what I had to learn. Some people nudge us into the dark, others toward the light. We just have to be smart enough to know the difference."
Okay, not my favorite book we've read and discussed, but quite good. Definitely a book that drew me into the story!
Hennepin County Library paperback 369 pages
genre: Christian realistic fiction, relationships
We had a great discussion on this book last night - I wish Jen had been there! The book was intense and somewhat depressing, but very well-written. The story opens with three moms (Amanda, Beth, and Raelynn) and their three kids (Ellie, Sarah, and Nate) on a school field trip to New Orleans. It was hard at first to figure out who was who, but it quickly fell into place. Beth is Preacher's wife - they are loving, solid Christians. Amanda is married to Carl, who is not a very sensitive spouse. Raelynn is a single mom who had an abusive marriage. In light of a terrible crisis with Hurricane Katrina as a follow-up, I don't want to spoil the story for anyone who might read it, so stop here (or where I actually placed the spoiler alert).
My marked pages / notes from reading:
page 4 - referring to the teacher - "She is young and not yet burned out from the never-ending demands of public education." This made me smile. Yep.
page 5 (and more later) - I'm somewhat horrified that these parents took their kids to a Mardi Gras store / museum. "Inside the gift shop, students explore rows of spirit dolls and voodoo pins, while Sarah and Ellie move to the collection of intricate masks." I probably have too much of a knee-jerk reaction to this kind of stuff, but I just don't understand why these parents would agree to this kind of trip! Others at book club weren't put out at this, pointing out that it's a part of the state history / culture . . . .page 27 had the main character Amanda giving her daughter encouragement to approach and talk to a woman who has chicken bones, tarot cards, half-melted candles, etc. at her table. Um, no thanks. I'd try to keep my innocent child AWAY from someone like that.
page 29 - Title source! The woman gives a feather to Sarah, saying "Your very own feathered bone." They talk about the feather being strong enough to bend without breaking (unlike the whalebone used in corsets previously) and that the feathers were meant to allow birds to fly. There was a LOT more of this theme of sparrows, feathers, flying, and freedom throughout the book. (like page 76, with Gator's chained dogs and the memory of the caged sparrow)
page 34 - "No matter how much love my mother gave me after the adoption, even more so after her divorce, I was unwanted, abandoned, and unloved from the start." This is so heart-breaking. Amanda, our main narrator, is in so much pain! This made me think of Katie and her concerns with the book.
***SPOILER ALERT!!!***
page 87/88/89 - I loved Amanda's gratitude list. Sometimes making a conscious choice to consider your blessings can completely change your attitude and perspective. Then on the next page, we hear from Sarah! It was so nice to know she was still alive . . . and to hear her sweet "voice" in her notes to the sparrow.
page 122 - When Beth talks about comforting people who are struggling with tragedy and pain, especially with losing a child, she says, "If you want to ask God, 'Why me? Why my children?' that's okay. Ask him. Because his son was killed too. That's what the crucifixion is really about. God stands with us through our suffering. The loss. The pain. He understands." Then when Amanda asks her if that's what she still believes, after Sarah was taken, Beth replies, "I don't know." We had a great conversation about this and about maintaining faith in the most difficult of circumstances.
page 128 - this is where I stopped to check how many more notebook entries from Sarah were in the book. Her captivity lasted for years! It made me think of Jaycee Dugard. It made me sad and want the book to hurry up and get to the part where we find out what happens to Sarah. I definitely empathized more with Sarah and Ellie than most of adults in this story . . .
page 162 - I loved this! An elderly lady finally contacts her sister (after the evacuation of New Orleans due to Katrina) and looks at Ellie to say, "See there? Never give up." This moment made it even more hard for me to take when Ellie committed suicide. So incredibly sad!
page 179 - Not sure why I marked Carl's meanness, but I definitely felt so much compassion for Amanda (and women in similarly abusive situations). "You think we all need Perfect Amanda to swoop in and save us. Well, guess what? Nobody needs you. Nobody evens wants you. What we want, what we need, is for you to either grow up and pull yourself together, or stay out of our lives. Leave us alone. Stop running around in circles trying to fix everything. You mess things up, don't you see? You can't even iron a shirt!" I am so incredibly grateful to be married to my sweet, kind, wonderful husband. (Of course, I can't imagine putting up with this kind of crap from a man . . . . )
page 237 - "I sit quietly, letting Ellie release her thoughts, knowing there's not a word I can say to make this better for her. I listen." Sometimes just being there and listening is the best we can do!
page 243 - Ellie kills herself. No! I was sobbing through the next ten or so pages and could barely read . . . further trauma for Amanda. Too much pain and hopelessness. Then on page 264, "'Why'd she leave me, Raelynn? Why'd Carl leave me? Why does everybody I love leave me?' As I say these words, my entire life flashes before me. All the abandonments. Every one of them." I'm so glad she has good friends like Jay, Raelynn, Beth, and Viv!
page 283 - when Amanda remembers Ellie talking about peacock feathers "They don't have pigment in them. It's actually their structure . . . how they're made . . . and the color only really comes through when it finds light. Bird, butterflies - they were made for the light." I love how this theme of light and feathers is woven throughout the story.
page 309 - When Amanda goes to visit the chapel in the bayou, I only like the part where she read the founders' The Beatitudes of a Christian Marriage:
- Blessed are the husband and wife who continue to be considerate and affectionate long after the wedding bells have ceased ringing.
- Blessed are those mates who never criticize or speak loudly to one another and who instead quietly discuss their disagreements and work toward solutions.
- Blessed are they who thank God for their food and who set aside time each day to read the Bible and pray.
- Blessed are they who love their mates more than any other person in the world and who joyfully fulfill their marriage vows in a lifetime of fidelity and mutual helpfulness to one another.
page 324 - they found Sarah!!!
page 337 - from Sarah's journal - "We all have a feathered bone. It's called hope. If we hang on to hope, if we don't let anybody break us or make us forget who we are, then we will always be free."
page 357 - Sarah is seventeen now and sharing her story. I am still skeptical that a child taken at age 12 and used as a prostitute for four years could maintain her faith and positive outlook . . . it makes for a very nice story. She talks about corsets and the change from whalebone to featherbones. "That's how I started to think of myself. Like a feathered bone. I kept a little sparrow feather with me through the whole journey, and when I'd start to think I was going to break, I'd hold my feather and remind myself that I was stronger than I looked."
page 364 - Sarah again - "That's what I had to learn. Some people nudge us into the dark, others toward the light. We just have to be smart enough to know the difference."
Okay, not my favorite book we've read and discussed, but quite good. Definitely a book that drew me into the story!
Saturday, March 26, 2016
The Selection
by Kiera Cass
PRMS hardcover 327
genre: YA dystopian fiction
Since a LOT of my students are reading this series right now, I thought I'd better check it out. Glad I did, but of course now I need to read book two . . . Basic plot - 35 girls from the 35 different regions are picked by "lottery" (not really) to go to the palace and get to know the prince so he can choose one to be his bride. Rebel attacks make things interesting (I hope we learn more about the rebels in the next book), but it's pretty much a bunch of girls trying to make the prince like them best. There's a little "survivor" element in that the girls don't want to get sent home early. America is the only one not fawning over Prince Maxom, because she's already in love with Aspen, who's unfortunately in a lower caste than her.
Liked:
PRMS hardcover 327
genre: YA dystopian fiction
Since a LOT of my students are reading this series right now, I thought I'd better check it out. Glad I did, but of course now I need to read book two . . . Basic plot - 35 girls from the 35 different regions are picked by "lottery" (not really) to go to the palace and get to know the prince so he can choose one to be his bride. Rebel attacks make things interesting (I hope we learn more about the rebels in the next book), but it's pretty much a bunch of girls trying to make the prince like them best. There's a little "survivor" element in that the girls don't want to get sent home early. America is the only one not fawning over Prince Maxom, because she's already in love with Aspen, who's unfortunately in a lower caste than her.
Liked:
- getting drawn into the story
- characters -mostly America's spunk
- caste system and how it's determined
- futuristic version (post WW4) of North America, China, etc.
- it's already flying off my shelves, but now I can booktalk it better
- very reminiscent of Hunger Games without the teens killing each other off
- illogic - don't think too hard if you read this and just want to enjoy it
- love triangle flip-flopping / Aspen made his choice and America needs to move on. Maxon deserves better.
- staying up until 11:30 p.m. to finish it! And now I have to read the next book . . .
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Island of Silence (The Unwanteds #2)
by Lisa McMann
Hennepin County Library hardcover 406 pages
genre: Children's fantasy fiction
I only read this because my sixth graders in book club were reading it. The first part of it, I was bored and thought it was written to appeal to very young, very dull children. Then it got more interesting and by the time I finished it, I knew I had to read book 3 to find out what happens next!
The title is a misnomer - the island of silence is discovered, but we learn almost nothing about it.
The kids and I had a good discussion and all agreed that Simber was our favorite character. The whole Alex / Aaron twin thing is irritating. Why wouldn't the adults in powerful positions keep a closer eye on these special kids? Duh.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 406 pages
genre: Children's fantasy fiction
I only read this because my sixth graders in book club were reading it. The first part of it, I was bored and thought it was written to appeal to very young, very dull children. Then it got more interesting and by the time I finished it, I knew I had to read book 3 to find out what happens next!
The title is a misnomer - the island of silence is discovered, but we learn almost nothing about it.
The kids and I had a good discussion and all agreed that Simber was our favorite character. The whole Alex / Aaron twin thing is irritating. Why wouldn't the adults in powerful positions keep a closer eye on these special kids? Duh.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Bruiser
by Neal Shusterman
PRMS paperback 328 pages
genre: YA supernatural (but mostly realistic)
This one surprised me! It wasn't at all what I expected and it kept drawing me in more and more. (I should've expected that from a Shusterman story.)
The story is told from multiple points of view, but the change in narration is clearly marked.
Tennyson and Bronte - male and female twins / he plays lacrosse and can be a bit of a bully / she is smart, sensitive, and looks for "projects" / their parents are literature professors whose marriage is crumbling
Katrina - Tennyson's girlfriend
Brewster - a brooding loner who loves angry poetry
Cody - Brew's little brother, seemingly fearless
Uncle Hoyt - took Brew and Cody in when their mother died. He's a nasty drunk
I tagged a page at the end of the book, but I don't want to blog about it. This story unfolded more and more as it went on. There's so much happening here! I think I need to get a group of readers to read and discuss this. Amazing book.
PRMS paperback 328 pages
genre: YA supernatural (but mostly realistic)
This one surprised me! It wasn't at all what I expected and it kept drawing me in more and more. (I should've expected that from a Shusterman story.)
The story is told from multiple points of view, but the change in narration is clearly marked.
Tennyson and Bronte - male and female twins / he plays lacrosse and can be a bit of a bully / she is smart, sensitive, and looks for "projects" / their parents are literature professors whose marriage is crumbling
Katrina - Tennyson's girlfriend
Brewster - a brooding loner who loves angry poetry
Cody - Brew's little brother, seemingly fearless
Uncle Hoyt - took Brew and Cody in when their mother died. He's a nasty drunk
I tagged a page at the end of the book, but I don't want to blog about it. This story unfolded more and more as it went on. There's so much happening here! I think I need to get a group of readers to read and discuss this. Amazing book.
Nimona
by Noelle Stevenson
PRMS hardcover 262 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, fantasy adventure
This one had great reviews, but at first I didn't like it. Nimona was too pushy and obnoxious. It didn't take long for me to be won over by her, though (like supervillain Ballister Blackheart). Nimona's a shapeshifter who comes to Blackheart to work as his sidekick. Sir Goldenloin is the hero (The Official Hero of the Institute) who is out to stop Blackheart, though the two used to be friends and comrades.
There's a moment on page 99 during a fight between the two men when Goldenloin is at Blackheart's mercy.
Blackheart: "What if I cut off your arm right now? (something that Goldenloin caused to Blackheart years earlier) Then you'd see how fast the Institution would cast you aside. Just like they did me."
Goldenloin: "You wouldn't."
Blackheart: "No, I wouldn't. And I'm the villain. What do you suppose that says about you?"
I quickly grew to care about Blackheart and Nimona and what would happen to them. I loved this book and will re-read it for sure!
PRMS hardcover 262 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, fantasy adventure
This one had great reviews, but at first I didn't like it. Nimona was too pushy and obnoxious. It didn't take long for me to be won over by her, though (like supervillain Ballister Blackheart). Nimona's a shapeshifter who comes to Blackheart to work as his sidekick. Sir Goldenloin is the hero (The Official Hero of the Institute) who is out to stop Blackheart, though the two used to be friends and comrades.
There's a moment on page 99 during a fight between the two men when Goldenloin is at Blackheart's mercy.
Blackheart: "What if I cut off your arm right now? (something that Goldenloin caused to Blackheart years earlier) Then you'd see how fast the Institution would cast you aside. Just like they did me."
Goldenloin: "You wouldn't."
Blackheart: "No, I wouldn't. And I'm the villain. What do you suppose that says about you?"
I quickly grew to care about Blackheart and Nimona and what would happen to them. I loved this book and will re-read it for sure!
Innocence
by Dean Koontz
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by MacLeod Andrews
genre: suspense, supernatural thriller
Addison Goodheart - fearsome creature, cast out at age 8, mother committed suicide, "father" also a fearsome beast, took Addison in when he showed up in the city, father was murdered when Addison was 20, story opens when he is 26
Gwenyth - recluse, can't stand to be touched
Ryan Tellford - attempted rapist, museum curator, murderer, thief
Teague Hanlon - guardian for Gwyneth, benefactor
Not sure how to blog about this without spoiling the story. I'll start with likes and dislikes:
Liked:
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by MacLeod Andrews
genre: suspense, supernatural thriller
Addison Goodheart - fearsome creature, cast out at age 8, mother committed suicide, "father" also a fearsome beast, took Addison in when he showed up in the city, father was murdered when Addison was 20, story opens when he is 26
Gwenyth - recluse, can't stand to be touched
Ryan Tellford - attempted rapist, museum curator, murderer, thief
Teague Hanlon - guardian for Gwyneth, benefactor
Not sure how to blog about this without spoiling the story. I'll start with likes and dislikes:
Liked:
- narrator's voice - fantastic vocal work!
- mystery - drew me along, I wanted to know the answers
- Addison and Gwenyth were wonderful characters, complex and good at heart
- some of the creepy stuff was too creepy - the pedophile pornographer, some of the murders and evil . . . too much nasty
- some of the pseudo-religious themes. Really? It was almost as bad as that moment in the Star Wars movie when we learn that Anakin is . . . whatever. Holy. Didn't work for me.
- ending was way too pat
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
How to Make Your Money Last: The Indispensable Retirement Guide
by Jane Bryant Quinn
Hennepin County Library hardcover 348 pages
genre: Non-Fic finance
I read a review in the Star Tribune and was intrigued. I hate financial stuff, but I really do want to retire in eight years. I'm only on page 180, but it's due back at the library today (long waiting list). I will probably have to re-check it out this summer. Her writing style is easy to read (for the most part) and she has clearly done a lot of research. I'm interested in getting some of her other books, too.
page 67 under the heading "Too Many Choices! Where Can I Get Help?"
In looking at when to draw benefits relative to your age, your spouse's age, and maximizing your benefit amount over your lifetime . . . she recommends using AARP's free Social Security Calculator online. Her caveat, "Unfortunately, this calculator lacks flexibility. It assumes that all married people want to maximize their monthly checks when your actual goal might be to maximize your lifetime benefits as a couple." She also recommends AnalyzeNow.com (another free site) to include other types of income. "But it's strictly for do-it-yourselfers who know their way around Microsoft Excel." Piece of cake!
page 170 under the heading "Investing Your Retirement Plan"
She has a lot of bulleted points of advice . . . the one that jumped out at me talked about having index funds as opposed to other types of investments. I need to contact ING (and AXA and AIG???) and find out where my money is. I hate this stuff! She says of index funds, "These funds, essentially run by computer, invest in the market as a whole. Years and years of studies show that the returns from index funds beat a large majority of the funds run by individual managers. They're also lower cost."
I also tagged page 173 with a question about high fees . . . I don't really know what fees I pay.
I think I'll check out some of her other books and maybe re-check this one over the summer. At some point, I may just need to buy finance books. I need to start wrapping my brain around all this if I'm truly going to retire in eight years.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 348 pages
genre: Non-Fic finance
I read a review in the Star Tribune and was intrigued. I hate financial stuff, but I really do want to retire in eight years. I'm only on page 180, but it's due back at the library today (long waiting list). I will probably have to re-check it out this summer. Her writing style is easy to read (for the most part) and she has clearly done a lot of research. I'm interested in getting some of her other books, too.
page 67 under the heading "Too Many Choices! Where Can I Get Help?"
In looking at when to draw benefits relative to your age, your spouse's age, and maximizing your benefit amount over your lifetime . . . she recommends using AARP's free Social Security Calculator online. Her caveat, "Unfortunately, this calculator lacks flexibility. It assumes that all married people want to maximize their monthly checks when your actual goal might be to maximize your lifetime benefits as a couple." She also recommends AnalyzeNow.com (another free site) to include other types of income. "But it's strictly for do-it-yourselfers who know their way around Microsoft Excel." Piece of cake!
page 170 under the heading "Investing Your Retirement Plan"
She has a lot of bulleted points of advice . . . the one that jumped out at me talked about having index funds as opposed to other types of investments. I need to contact ING (and AXA and AIG???) and find out where my money is. I hate this stuff! She says of index funds, "These funds, essentially run by computer, invest in the market as a whole. Years and years of studies show that the returns from index funds beat a large majority of the funds run by individual managers. They're also lower cost."
I also tagged page 173 with a question about high fees . . . I don't really know what fees I pay.
I think I'll check out some of her other books and maybe re-check this one over the summer. At some point, I may just need to buy finance books. I need to start wrapping my brain around all this if I'm truly going to retire in eight years.
Tuesday, March 08, 2016
After
by Francine Prose
PRMS hardcover 330 pages
genre: YA dystopian fiction
This is one that kids haven't been checking out and it's getting a little ratty, so I read it over a lot of lunch periods. After a school shooting at neighboring Pleasant Valley High School, things start to change at Central High. Rules get more strict and kids start disappearing.
Filled with brainwashing emails to parents and crazy events, this was captivating but ultimately disappointing. At the end, a remnant of kids and parents leave town.
Sequel? Not sure she has enough fuel for more. I'm done with one.
PRMS hardcover 330 pages
genre: YA dystopian fiction
This is one that kids haven't been checking out and it's getting a little ratty, so I read it over a lot of lunch periods. After a school shooting at neighboring Pleasant Valley High School, things start to change at Central High. Rules get more strict and kids start disappearing.
Filled with brainwashing emails to parents and crazy events, this was captivating but ultimately disappointing. At the end, a remnant of kids and parents leave town.
Sequel? Not sure she has enough fuel for more. I'm done with one.
Sunday, March 06, 2016
The Dead I Know
by Scot Gardner
YAC book PRMS hardcover 201 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
Aaron Rowe is a teenager (17ish?) who walks in his sleep and has disturbing recurrent nightmares. He goes to work for a local mortician who is hard-working, well-respected, and kind.
I liked this book, but it took me a while to get into the story. Aaron is a great kid who had a traumatic incident in his past. He also is becoming a care-giver for Mam, the responsible adult in his life, as she slips toward dementia.
Well-written in terms of character development, I don't see lots of middle schoolers enjoying this. Aaron is a very special young man and his past is a mystery until the end.
page 144 has a very powerful passage on memory loss. Again, not sure this will be a strong connect for middle school kids . . . .
YAC book PRMS hardcover 201 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
Aaron Rowe is a teenager (17ish?) who walks in his sleep and has disturbing recurrent nightmares. He goes to work for a local mortician who is hard-working, well-respected, and kind.
I liked this book, but it took me a while to get into the story. Aaron is a great kid who had a traumatic incident in his past. He also is becoming a care-giver for Mam, the responsible adult in his life, as she slips toward dementia.
Well-written in terms of character development, I don't see lots of middle schoolers enjoying this. Aaron is a very special young man and his past is a mystery until the end.
page 144 has a very powerful passage on memory loss. Again, not sure this will be a strong connect for middle school kids . . . .
Saturday, March 05, 2016
Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family, and Ducks Built a Dynasty
by Willie and Korie Robertson
Hennepin Library audiobook 5 discs
read by the authors
genre: NF, memoir
I first heard of Duck Dynasty when my brother-in-law joked with one of my bearded sons that he was ready to become a member of DD. I enjoyed this audiobook for the most part - hearing about the background of the family and the company. I love how they included Scripture and personal stories. Korie's voice wasn't the best for audiobooks - she often spoke quickly and without much emotion. Listening to this made me very curious to watch an episode of the show. I love the fact that they seem to be very genuine - in their enjoyment of duck hunting, in their love of family and the Lord, and in their down-to-earth view of things. I'm not a hunter (and never realized how many people actually are into this . . . ) but I enjoyed the story of the Robertson family. There were recipes at the end of each chapter, but I don't think I'd ever make any of them. I might just try to buy some of Phil Robertson's cajun seasoning, though. Yum!
Hennepin Library audiobook 5 discs
read by the authors
genre: NF, memoir
I first heard of Duck Dynasty when my brother-in-law joked with one of my bearded sons that he was ready to become a member of DD. I enjoyed this audiobook for the most part - hearing about the background of the family and the company. I love how they included Scripture and personal stories. Korie's voice wasn't the best for audiobooks - she often spoke quickly and without much emotion. Listening to this made me very curious to watch an episode of the show. I love the fact that they seem to be very genuine - in their enjoyment of duck hunting, in their love of family and the Lord, and in their down-to-earth view of things. I'm not a hunter (and never realized how many people actually are into this . . . ) but I enjoyed the story of the Robertson family. There were recipes at the end of each chapter, but I don't think I'd ever make any of them. I might just try to buy some of Phil Robertson's cajun seasoning, though. Yum!
Wednesday, March 02, 2016
The Phoenix Files #1 The Arrival
by Chris Morphew
owned by a student paperback 291 pages
genre: YA SciFi Dystopian
A student loaned this to me (his personal copy) and asked me to read it. It was engaging, quick, and left me wanting to know "what's next?" This is book one and definitely invites you to continue.
Luke Hunter's mom and dad have just divorced. His mom takes a new job and they move to a new town called Phoenix (somewhere in Australia). Only things aren't quite what they seem. Jordan (a girl) is the other "new" kid and the two of them are determined to figure out what's going on.
From Goodreads:
Luke is having a rough year. When his parents split up, his mum drags him to Phoenix, a brand-new town in the middle of nowhere.
But Phoenix is no ordinary town. There are no cars, no phones and no internet. Luke thinks this is as weird as it gets.
Then he discovers that someone is plotting to wipe out the human race. Phoenix is suddenly the safest and most dangerous place on earth.
And the clock is already ticking.
There are 100 days until the end of the world.
Liked, but didn't love. Not easy to buy on most sites . . . not sure if I'll invest or not. Very appealing to struggling readers, I would think.
owned by a student paperback 291 pages
genre: YA SciFi Dystopian
A student loaned this to me (his personal copy) and asked me to read it. It was engaging, quick, and left me wanting to know "what's next?" This is book one and definitely invites you to continue.
Luke Hunter's mom and dad have just divorced. His mom takes a new job and they move to a new town called Phoenix (somewhere in Australia). Only things aren't quite what they seem. Jordan (a girl) is the other "new" kid and the two of them are determined to figure out what's going on.
From Goodreads:
Luke is having a rough year. When his parents split up, his mum drags him to Phoenix, a brand-new town in the middle of nowhere.
But Phoenix is no ordinary town. There are no cars, no phones and no internet. Luke thinks this is as weird as it gets.
Then he discovers that someone is plotting to wipe out the human race. Phoenix is suddenly the safest and most dangerous place on earth.
And the clock is already ticking.
There are 100 days until the end of the world.
Liked, but didn't love. Not easy to buy on most sites . . . not sure if I'll invest or not. Very appealing to struggling readers, I would think.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
The Unwanteds
by Lisa McMann
PRMS hardcover 390 pages
genre: YA fantasy with dystopia
Tagged "The Hunger Games Meets Harry Potter," I'm not sure I can agree. The elements of dystopia and magic are there, but this book lacks the rich depth of Panem and Hogwarts (as do the characters). But this seems written for a younger crowd - the text is widely spaced, the characters are pretty innocent, and the "gee-whiz" quality is strong. This is a nice story about twins Alex and Aaron - one who is "unwanted" and sent to his death (because of his love of art) and one who toes the line and has aspirations to reach the highest levels of government in Quill.
There were some things I really enjoyed - the statues who came to life, the blackboard beings with snappy wit, etc. I don't think I'll continue on with this series, though. It's nice to know what it's about for recommending it to some of my readers.
PRMS hardcover 390 pages
genre: YA fantasy with dystopia
Tagged "The Hunger Games Meets Harry Potter," I'm not sure I can agree. The elements of dystopia and magic are there, but this book lacks the rich depth of Panem and Hogwarts (as do the characters). But this seems written for a younger crowd - the text is widely spaced, the characters are pretty innocent, and the "gee-whiz" quality is strong. This is a nice story about twins Alex and Aaron - one who is "unwanted" and sent to his death (because of his love of art) and one who toes the line and has aspirations to reach the highest levels of government in Quill.
There were some things I really enjoyed - the statues who came to life, the blackboard beings with snappy wit, etc. I don't think I'll continue on with this series, though. It's nice to know what it's about for recommending it to some of my readers.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Welcome to Night Vale
by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by Cecil Baldwin
genre: I have no clue . . .
I'm not sure who recommended this to me (or why)but I cannot finish it. I might have stuck with it for curiosity's sake, but someone else is waiting for it and I am really not enjoying it. It is one of the most bizarre things I've read and like my re-read of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I feel as though I need to listen to my inner voice saying "I just don't like this. It's okay to stop."
"Bizarre" is the most accurate word I can use to describe it. The contradictions get old after a while. Something always was / never was, someone did / never had . . . I have read enough to understand that the book is based on a podcast with a cult-like following. Fine. It's still not my cup of tea. I'm not sure what the hype is about, but I'm not ready to listen to the podcast (or finish this book) to "get" it. I was on disc four out of ten and I'm okay with being done and not finding out what happens to Jackie, Diane, Josie, or Josh.
Josh and his body morphing was also pretty bizarre. And statements like "Tarantulas are simple creatures." (First the house thought it. Then Diane thought it.) "The avocado was fake. All avocados are fake." Just weird. The vocal work was fine; I'm guessing it fits the whole Nightvale scene pretty accurately.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by Cecil Baldwin
genre: I have no clue . . .
I'm not sure who recommended this to me (or why)but I cannot finish it. I might have stuck with it for curiosity's sake, but someone else is waiting for it and I am really not enjoying it. It is one of the most bizarre things I've read and like my re-read of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I feel as though I need to listen to my inner voice saying "I just don't like this. It's okay to stop."
"Bizarre" is the most accurate word I can use to describe it. The contradictions get old after a while. Something always was / never was, someone did / never had . . . I have read enough to understand that the book is based on a podcast with a cult-like following. Fine. It's still not my cup of tea. I'm not sure what the hype is about, but I'm not ready to listen to the podcast (or finish this book) to "get" it. I was on disc four out of ten and I'm okay with being done and not finding out what happens to Jackie, Diane, Josie, or Josh.
Josh and his body morphing was also pretty bizarre. And statements like "Tarantulas are simple creatures." (First the house thought it. Then Diane thought it.) "The avocado was fake. All avocados are fake." Just weird. The vocal work was fine; I'm guessing it fits the whole Nightvale scene pretty accurately.
Vacation Dreaming
I got different books on Maui (because it's February in Minnesota - duh). I didn't read them thoroughly (travel books aren't very scintillating) but I wanted to record some impressions here before I return them to the library.
Fodor's InFocus (ISBN 9781400008896) - no author listed
Fodor's InFocus (ISBN 9781400008896) - no author listed
- small
- great maps
- organized by regions and features
- also organized by region
- great color-coding
- a previous reader highlighted in it!
- "best of" feature (beaches, dinners, etc.)
- great "insider" advice
- all black and white photographs (Hawaii doesn't look quite as appealing when it's not in color)
- organized differently - I like it - by history, culture, dining, lodging, etc. rather than by region of the island (West, South, Central, Upcountry, etc.)
- great descriptions of restaurants, prices, etc.
- This one is fantastic! I will either get it again from the library (waiting list) or just buy it. I may buy it on my phone ($7? on GooglePlay) so I can have it offline if/when we actually go . . . . dreaming big time!
- It is now March in MN . . . and I'm just adding to this post from 2/24. I actually have one more book on hold at the library. Apparently, I'm not the only one who wants to go!
- This book has a lot of text - probably why I like it - with great history, background info, etc. I have really enjoyed reading it and I want to keep on, but it's due back.
- Page 210 has a list of places you can go sailing with (thinking of Louie here). Page 22 has things you must pack. There's a pronunciation guide . . . so much!
- In addition to all the text, there are the usual recommendations for where to stay, eat, go, etc.
- I love this book!
- The two pages in the preface with the info on difficulty, length, uses, terrain, etc. - very handy! I love that one of the icons is for lava flows . . .
- I think Haleakala National Park will be a must-do.
- I'm not a die-hard enough hiker to have this title be super important to me. It would definitely be a win for people who love to do lots of hiking.
Your Sacred Yes
by Susie Larson
Hennepin County Library paperback 217 pages
genre: Christian non-fiction, encouragement
This is the second time I've had this book from the public library and haven't finished it. Even though it's short, it's packed with so much great content that I want to savor it. I really should just buy my own copy! I would actually love to do this as a Bible study with a group of women. I love the mix of personal illustrations, thoughtful questions, Scripture verses, etc. It's well-written and encouraging.
Her sections are The Sloppy Yes, The Shackled Yes, and The Sacred Yes. Of course, I didn't get to "sacred" yet . . . and I think I need to. Fine. I'll put it on my Amazon list. And then I can write in it, highlight it, etc. I love her ideas at the end for the six week Faith and Fitness Challenge. I want to try it, but right now might not be the right time.
Hennepin County Library paperback 217 pages
genre: Christian non-fiction, encouragement
This is the second time I've had this book from the public library and haven't finished it. Even though it's short, it's packed with so much great content that I want to savor it. I really should just buy my own copy! I would actually love to do this as a Bible study with a group of women. I love the mix of personal illustrations, thoughtful questions, Scripture verses, etc. It's well-written and encouraging.
Her sections are The Sloppy Yes, The Shackled Yes, and The Sacred Yes. Of course, I didn't get to "sacred" yet . . . and I think I need to. Fine. I'll put it on my Amazon list. And then I can write in it, highlight it, etc. I love her ideas at the end for the six week Faith and Fitness Challenge. I want to try it, but right now might not be the right time.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
The Newsmakers
by Lis Wiehl
Dakota County Library hardcover 336 pages
genre: realistic fiction
Although this is our book club title, I wouldn't classify it as Christian fiction . . . if I didn't already know that Wiehl writes as a Christian, I just wouldn't identify it that way. Erica Sparks is a wonderful character - a horrible childhood, a flawed past, striving to become something more, invited to join a huge network news show. When odd things start happening and she asks too many questions, her life is clearly in danger. That sense of danger and action was built well throughout the story.
page 28 - she mentions the North Korean hack of Sony and the Target breach. It works perfectly in this book, but how quickly will that become outdated? I always question the use of modern, relevant details . . . because they definitely date the book. There are a LOT of things in this book that will read differently in a few years.
page 57 - the scene she describes about her parents making fun of her for doing well in school is so sad! I know that there are parents who tear their kids down instead of building them up. "School was her sanctuary - if it hadn't been for the nurturing teachers and her guidance counselor, who recognized and encouraged her promise, she never would have made it to Yale, where Archie Hallowell took her under his wing."
page 129 - When Erica ducks into a small church as she's starting to panic, she finds peace. I love this! And calling it a sanctuary . . . I think we use that word too freely when we're describing a room. A sanctuary is a safe place, a haven.
page 140 - "Erica believes deeply in democracy . . . and . . . is profoundly troubled by ideologues who cast compromise as a bad thing. Compromise builds unity, and unity is strength. A house divided will not stand. We're all in this together."
page 184 - As Erica remembers the last time she saw her mother and hopes (briefly) that she'll be encouraged, her mother stings her again. "But just remember, you can change a lot of things in your life, but you can't ever, ever change where you come from. And deep down, you'll never be better than any of us." Nasty.
page 259 - " . . .Donald Trump - that bloated, orange-faced freak - wants to be his BFF." This made me chuckle. Except that it's so incredibly scary that Trump is seriously one of the top contenders in the presidential race right now.
page 287 -When Erica finally slips and drinks alcohol (after two years of sobriety!), I wanted to cry. Nooooo! Don't do it! Call Moira!
Dakota County Library hardcover 336 pages
genre: realistic fiction
Although this is our book club title, I wouldn't classify it as Christian fiction . . . if I didn't already know that Wiehl writes as a Christian, I just wouldn't identify it that way. Erica Sparks is a wonderful character - a horrible childhood, a flawed past, striving to become something more, invited to join a huge network news show. When odd things start happening and she asks too many questions, her life is clearly in danger. That sense of danger and action was built well throughout the story.
page 28 - she mentions the North Korean hack of Sony and the Target breach. It works perfectly in this book, but how quickly will that become outdated? I always question the use of modern, relevant details . . . because they definitely date the book. There are a LOT of things in this book that will read differently in a few years.
page 57 - the scene she describes about her parents making fun of her for doing well in school is so sad! I know that there are parents who tear their kids down instead of building them up. "School was her sanctuary - if it hadn't been for the nurturing teachers and her guidance counselor, who recognized and encouraged her promise, she never would have made it to Yale, where Archie Hallowell took her under his wing."
page 129 - When Erica ducks into a small church as she's starting to panic, she finds peace. I love this! And calling it a sanctuary . . . I think we use that word too freely when we're describing a room. A sanctuary is a safe place, a haven.
page 140 - "Erica believes deeply in democracy . . . and . . . is profoundly troubled by ideologues who cast compromise as a bad thing. Compromise builds unity, and unity is strength. A house divided will not stand. We're all in this together."
page 184 - As Erica remembers the last time she saw her mother and hopes (briefly) that she'll be encouraged, her mother stings her again. "But just remember, you can change a lot of things in your life, but you can't ever, ever change where you come from. And deep down, you'll never be better than any of us." Nasty.
page 259 - " . . .Donald Trump - that bloated, orange-faced freak - wants to be his BFF." This made me chuckle. Except that it's so incredibly scary that Trump is seriously one of the top contenders in the presidential race right now.
page 287 -When Erica finally slips and drinks alcohol (after two years of sobriety!), I wanted to cry. Nooooo! Don't do it! Call Moira!
Dante's Inferno
by Christos Gage, writer and Diego Latorre, artist
Hennepin County Library paperback unpaged
genre: graphic novel, "based on the video game"
So some of our Adventures eighth graders decided to read Dante's Inferno. I read part of the Wikipedia entry since I've never read the full translated work (or the original, for that matter . . . Fourteenth century Italian poetry is not on my "faves" list). I also do NOT have time (or the desire) to read the full work at this point in my life. When I was looking at options at the public library, I saw a graphic novel and thought that might work.
There actually was a lot of content that is true to Dante's work - the nine circles of hell and the different types of sinners in each. Dante was sort of led through by the poet Virgil . . . Well, from the Wikipedia entry on the video game:
"The story is based on Inferno, the first canticle of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, and shares many similarities with the poem. The game includes damned found in appropriate circles of hell and various other monsters from the poem. The game follows the exploits of Dante (reimagined as a Templar Knight) as he journeys through the nine circles of Hell to reclaim the soul of his beloved Beatrice from the hands of Lucifer."
I wasn't sure why Beatrice played such a huge role in this graphic novel except for the fact that sex and violence are the two key pieces of this type of video game and she was in full-frontal nudity throughout the entire story. She seems to have an extremely minor role in Dante's work . . . but quite a major one in this graphic novel.
The artwork was kind of cool and kind of creepy, but eerie fits when you're traveling through hell. Dante is re-imagined as a Crusades warrior (and a rather vicious one at that). I'm glad I read it; I have a somewhat better feel for the scope of the work (and Inferno is only one PART of the Divine Comedy!) and don't feel a need to invest more time in this.
Hennepin County Library paperback unpaged
genre: graphic novel, "based on the video game"
So some of our Adventures eighth graders decided to read Dante's Inferno. I read part of the Wikipedia entry since I've never read the full translated work (or the original, for that matter . . . Fourteenth century Italian poetry is not on my "faves" list). I also do NOT have time (or the desire) to read the full work at this point in my life. When I was looking at options at the public library, I saw a graphic novel and thought that might work.
There actually was a lot of content that is true to Dante's work - the nine circles of hell and the different types of sinners in each. Dante was sort of led through by the poet Virgil . . . Well, from the Wikipedia entry on the video game:
"The story is based on Inferno, the first canticle of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, and shares many similarities with the poem. The game includes damned found in appropriate circles of hell and various other monsters from the poem. The game follows the exploits of Dante (reimagined as a Templar Knight) as he journeys through the nine circles of Hell to reclaim the soul of his beloved Beatrice from the hands of Lucifer."
I wasn't sure why Beatrice played such a huge role in this graphic novel except for the fact that sex and violence are the two key pieces of this type of video game and she was in full-frontal nudity throughout the entire story. She seems to have an extremely minor role in Dante's work . . . but quite a major one in this graphic novel.
The artwork was kind of cool and kind of creepy, but eerie fits when you're traveling through hell. Dante is re-imagined as a Crusades warrior (and a rather vicious one at that). I'm glad I read it; I have a somewhat better feel for the scope of the work (and Inferno is only one PART of the Divine Comedy!) and don't feel a need to invest more time in this.
Friday, February 19, 2016
The Truth about Lord Stoneville
by Sabrina Jeffries
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by James Clamp
genre: historical romance
The story was okay, but the vocal work was irritating. The reader's voice wasn't nearly deep or intriguing enough for Oliver and the weird Boston voice for Maria was just irritating. The story of the Stonevilles (Oliver and all his siblings and grandmother) was pretty good. I like the other story by her that I've read better.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by James Clamp
genre: historical romance
The story was okay, but the vocal work was irritating. The reader's voice wasn't nearly deep or intriguing enough for Oliver and the weird Boston voice for Maria was just irritating. The story of the Stonevilles (Oliver and all his siblings and grandmother) was pretty good. I like the other story by her that I've read better.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
The Impossible Knife of Memory
by Laurie Halse Anderson
PRMS hardcover 391 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
Hayley Kincain has spent so much of her teen life watching over her father that she endangers her own future. His PTSD and alcoholism threaten her well-being and she doesn't even realize that she's in over her head. When Finn comes into her life, new possibilities arise. But memories and pain can be hard to overcome.
Ugh. So not in the mood to blog right now. I liked this book a lot. It felt real. Hayley's dislike of school was very realistic. I like other titles of Anderson's better, but she's writing for teens. I have some mature readers who will "get" and appreciate this book.
PRMS hardcover 391 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction
Hayley Kincain has spent so much of her teen life watching over her father that she endangers her own future. His PTSD and alcoholism threaten her well-being and she doesn't even realize that she's in over her head. When Finn comes into her life, new possibilities arise. But memories and pain can be hard to overcome.
Ugh. So not in the mood to blog right now. I liked this book a lot. It felt real. Hayley's dislike of school was very realistic. I like other titles of Anderson's better, but she's writing for teens. I have some mature readers who will "get" and appreciate this book.
Sunday, February 07, 2016
Serafina and the Black Cloak
by Robert Beatty
Hennepin County Library hardcover 293 pages
genre: YA supernatural, scary
I wish this book hadn't been talked up so much. I enjoyed it, but had higher expectations and didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
Serafina is an odd girl, living in the basement of the Vanderbilt mansion in the Carolina mountains. Her pa is the chief mechanic and she is the rat-catcher, but she stays hidden from most other people in the huge house. One night, the Man in the Black Cloak appears and overcomes a girl in a yellow dress. Serafina fought him off, but didn't save the girl. No one believes her story and instead they search for the missing child.
The story has great elements of mystery and fear. It is clean enough for my younger readers.
Hennepin County Library hardcover 293 pages
genre: YA supernatural, scary
I wish this book hadn't been talked up so much. I enjoyed it, but had higher expectations and didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
Serafina is an odd girl, living in the basement of the Vanderbilt mansion in the Carolina mountains. Her pa is the chief mechanic and she is the rat-catcher, but she stays hidden from most other people in the huge house. One night, the Man in the Black Cloak appears and overcomes a girl in a yellow dress. Serafina fought him off, but didn't save the girl. No one believes her story and instead they search for the missing child.
The story has great elements of mystery and fear. It is clean enough for my younger readers.
Saturday, February 06, 2016
Sketches from a Spy Tree
poems by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
illustrated by Andrew Glass
PRMS hardcover 64 pages
genre: YA prose poetry realistic fiction
I don't love the artist's style. I was trying to decide whether to keep or ditch this book . . . it's not very appealing, IMO. But reading it opens one to a kid's world of hurt and perceptions about life. Anne Marie is angry about her dad's leaving the family when she was almost nine (he left right before the birthdays) and her twin sister Mary Anne doesn't seem to carry the same baggage. This isn't a fabulous story, but it definitely has merit. I'll hang onto it for now (in realistic fiction) and share it with my readers who enjoy prose poetry.
illustrated by Andrew Glass
PRMS hardcover 64 pages
genre: YA prose poetry realistic fiction
I don't love the artist's style. I was trying to decide whether to keep or ditch this book . . . it's not very appealing, IMO. But reading it opens one to a kid's world of hurt and perceptions about life. Anne Marie is angry about her dad's leaving the family when she was almost nine (he left right before the birthdays) and her twin sister Mary Anne doesn't seem to carry the same baggage. This isn't a fabulous story, but it definitely has merit. I'll hang onto it for now (in realistic fiction) and share it with my readers who enjoy prose poetry.
Go Set a Watchman
by Harper Lee
PRMS hardcover 278 pages
genre: realistic fiction
I'll start with general thoughts and reactions, then write specifics (which will be complete spoilers if you've not read it!).
I resisted reading this book for a while, skimming the news about it and initial reviews. I don't believe that Harper Lee ever wanted this book published. I think her sister protected her and her "new" lawyer took advantage of a vulnerable adult. It distresses me to think of Lee, elderly and without her dear Alice, being convinced / coerced to publish Go Set a Watchman.
Once it was actually published, the "revelation" that Atticus was a bigot / racist didn't bother me as much as the thought that there was a reason the publisher encouraged Lee to write about Scout's childhood (rather than green-lighting this book when it was received). Knowing that this was Lee's true first novel (but unpublished until recently), I didn't expect the masterpiece that To Kill a Mockingbird has proven to be.
Then two of my eighth graders wanted to do this title for book club and I knew it was time. It took me a long time to "get into" the book, but once I got past Part I, it went quickly. Overall, I liked it. I was surprised at how many literary and cultural allusions went over my head! It made me want to do some research so I could understand the references. Enough for generalities; time for specifics.
***SPOILER ALERT***
page 5 - "Cousin Joshua looked like a ratty Algernon Swinburne." This was my first "What?!" moment. Am I supposed to know who Algernon Swinburne is? This was only page 5 and I already felt slightly lost. There were hundreds (or at the very least, several dozen) references that I simply didn't "get."
page 13 - "Just about that time, Jean Louise's brother dropped dead in his tracks one day . . . " I read that and my brain just stopped. What?!?! How did Jem die? How could she mention this so casually? As a person who adores TKAM, this was a huge bombshell-drop.
page 90 - I don't really remember Dr. Finch (Atticus' brother) from TKAM (I'm overdue for a re-read), but I loved his character in this book! "Home for nineteen hours and you've already indulged your predilection for ablutionary excesses, hah!" I love the way he talks and his attitude, even though he frustrates his niece.
page 95 - From Isaiah 21:6 "For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth." I love when I find the source for the title of a book. I'd love to have a discussion with other readers on their interpretation of the meaning.
page 99 - "Uncle Jack, what does D.V. mean?" "Dr. Finch sighed his you-have-no-education-young-woman sigh, raised his eyebrows, and said: 'Deo volente. God willin' child. 'God willin.' A reliable Catholic utterance.'" What I liked best about this was that it made me feel a little less stupid. I didn't know what D.V. meant either. Jean Louise was obviously a very well-educated adult, yet she wasn't shy about asking her uncle the meaning of this expression.
page 109 - I just got the warm fuzzies reading the paragraph about the one criminal case Atticus had taken, knowing it was the one in TKAM. I truly need to re-read that book now that I've read this one.
page 115 - "Atticus killed several birds with one stone when he read to his children . . . " What an excellent thing he did as a parent! Even though he read whatever was on hand (some of it not child-appropriate), he read to them. That investment of time makes a huge difference in children's development.
page 166 - When Aunt Alexandra is ranting about the NAACP and the "uppity Yankee Negroes," I understand Jean Louise's frustration with Maycomb. Historically, more people would agree with Alexandra (especially whites in the South) than with Jean Louise. So sad.
page 181 - "Blind, that's what I am. I never opened my eyes. I never thought to look into people's hearts, I looked only in their faces. Stone blind . . . Mr. Stone. Mr. Stone set a watchman in church yesterday. He should have provided me with one. I need a watchman to lead me around and declare what he seeth every hour on the hour. I need a watchman to tell me this is what a man says but this is what he means, to draw a line down the middle and say here is this justice and there is that justice and make me understand the difference. I need a watchman to go forth and proclaim to them all that twenty-six years is too long to play a joke on anybody, no matter how funny it is." When the two eighth grade boys and I discussed this book, one of them commented on the lack of a central conflict. I believe that the disconnect between Scout's childhood memories and coming to see how things are as an adult is the central conflict. This paragraph at the end of chapter 13 is her dawning awareness.
page 188 - "When he turned around Jean Louise saw amusement banish the indignation in his eyes, then meld into an expression she could not read. She heard him mutter, 'Oh dear. Oh dear me, yes. The novel must tell a story.'" Again, Dr. Finch is such a complex character. I'm not really sure what he means by this. Jean Louise also finds him to be enigmatic. "What do you mean by that?"
page 198 - "The only thing I'm afraid of about this country is that its government will someday become so monstrous that the smallest person in it will be trampled underfoot, and then it wouldn't be worth living in. The only thing in America that is still unique in this tired world is that a man can go as far as his brains will take him or he can go to hell if he wants to, but it won't be that way much longer." Dr. Finch sounds very much like a republican or libertarian . . .
page 229 - When Henry (was he even in TKAM?) and Jean Louise are fighting about Atticus, Henry shares that "A long time ago, the Klan was acceptable, like the Masons." And he says that Atticus joined basically to understand what made them tick. Atticus as a Klan member is probably one of the things that disturbs readers most. ". . . your daddy did and still does get mighty uncomfortable around folks who cover up their faces. He had to know who he'd be fighting if the time ever came to - he had to find out who they were. . . . " The way Henry told it, it wasn't so distressing to me but it definitely made Jean Louise upset.
page 239 - I finally got to the point where I was so sick of the references I simply didn't understand that I put a post-it in and made a note that "someday" I would own my own copy of this book and mark it up, research, write in it, etc. This would be a great title to use as part of an adult discussion group.
page 246 - Atticus and Jean Louise are having a pretty heated discussion. "Honey, you do not seem to understand that the Negroes down here are still in their childhood as a people. You should know it, you've seen it all your life. They've made terrific progress in adapting themselves to white ways, but they're far from it yet." He goes on to talk about how the NAACP is causing trouble and black people voting will cause more problems. Yeah, I'm so glad Lee published TKAM instead of this sixty years ago . . .
page 249 - I love Scout's rant! "Why in the name of God didn't you marry again? Marry some nice dim-witted Southern lady who would have raised me right? Turned me into a simpering, mealy-mouthed magnolia type who bats her eyelashes and crosses her hands and lives for nothing but her lil'ole hus-band. At least I would have been blissful. I'd have been typical one hundred per cent Maycomb; I would have lived out my little life and given you grandchildren to dote on; I would have spread out like Aunty, fanned myself on the front porch, and died happy. Why didn't you tell me the difference between justice and justice, and right and right?"
page 261 - Uncle Jack (Dr. Finch) asks Alexandra for some "missionary vanilla" and when she resists, he yells, "Gracious God, Sister, get me some whiskey!" I love him and I love learning a new expression.
page 264-5 - "Every man's island, Jean Louise, every man's watchman, is his conscience." Again, I don't feel wise enough to really understand what Dr. Finch is talking about, but I loved this passage.
Overall, I liked the book more than I expected. I definitely see why her publisher encouraged her to write this story from Scout's childhood p.o.v. The scenes where Jean Louise is flashing back to her childhood and youth are the best parts - playing missionary, the high school dance, etc. I was very impressed with my two eighth grade students who talked about the meaning they got from the book and their comparisons to TKAM.
PRMS hardcover 278 pages
genre: realistic fiction
I'll start with general thoughts and reactions, then write specifics (which will be complete spoilers if you've not read it!).
I resisted reading this book for a while, skimming the news about it and initial reviews. I don't believe that Harper Lee ever wanted this book published. I think her sister protected her and her "new" lawyer took advantage of a vulnerable adult. It distresses me to think of Lee, elderly and without her dear Alice, being convinced / coerced to publish Go Set a Watchman.
Once it was actually published, the "revelation" that Atticus was a bigot / racist didn't bother me as much as the thought that there was a reason the publisher encouraged Lee to write about Scout's childhood (rather than green-lighting this book when it was received). Knowing that this was Lee's true first novel (but unpublished until recently), I didn't expect the masterpiece that To Kill a Mockingbird has proven to be.
Then two of my eighth graders wanted to do this title for book club and I knew it was time. It took me a long time to "get into" the book, but once I got past Part I, it went quickly. Overall, I liked it. I was surprised at how many literary and cultural allusions went over my head! It made me want to do some research so I could understand the references. Enough for generalities; time for specifics.
***SPOILER ALERT***
page 5 - "Cousin Joshua looked like a ratty Algernon Swinburne." This was my first "What?!" moment. Am I supposed to know who Algernon Swinburne is? This was only page 5 and I already felt slightly lost. There were hundreds (or at the very least, several dozen) references that I simply didn't "get."
page 13 - "Just about that time, Jean Louise's brother dropped dead in his tracks one day . . . " I read that and my brain just stopped. What?!?! How did Jem die? How could she mention this so casually? As a person who adores TKAM, this was a huge bombshell-drop.
page 90 - I don't really remember Dr. Finch (Atticus' brother) from TKAM (I'm overdue for a re-read), but I loved his character in this book! "Home for nineteen hours and you've already indulged your predilection for ablutionary excesses, hah!" I love the way he talks and his attitude, even though he frustrates his niece.
page 95 - From Isaiah 21:6 "For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth." I love when I find the source for the title of a book. I'd love to have a discussion with other readers on their interpretation of the meaning.
page 99 - "Uncle Jack, what does D.V. mean?" "Dr. Finch sighed his you-have-no-education-young-woman sigh, raised his eyebrows, and said: 'Deo volente. God willin' child. 'God willin.' A reliable Catholic utterance.'" What I liked best about this was that it made me feel a little less stupid. I didn't know what D.V. meant either. Jean Louise was obviously a very well-educated adult, yet she wasn't shy about asking her uncle the meaning of this expression.
page 109 - I just got the warm fuzzies reading the paragraph about the one criminal case Atticus had taken, knowing it was the one in TKAM. I truly need to re-read that book now that I've read this one.
page 115 - "Atticus killed several birds with one stone when he read to his children . . . " What an excellent thing he did as a parent! Even though he read whatever was on hand (some of it not child-appropriate), he read to them. That investment of time makes a huge difference in children's development.
page 166 - When Aunt Alexandra is ranting about the NAACP and the "uppity Yankee Negroes," I understand Jean Louise's frustration with Maycomb. Historically, more people would agree with Alexandra (especially whites in the South) than with Jean Louise. So sad.
page 181 - "Blind, that's what I am. I never opened my eyes. I never thought to look into people's hearts, I looked only in their faces. Stone blind . . . Mr. Stone. Mr. Stone set a watchman in church yesterday. He should have provided me with one. I need a watchman to lead me around and declare what he seeth every hour on the hour. I need a watchman to tell me this is what a man says but this is what he means, to draw a line down the middle and say here is this justice and there is that justice and make me understand the difference. I need a watchman to go forth and proclaim to them all that twenty-six years is too long to play a joke on anybody, no matter how funny it is." When the two eighth grade boys and I discussed this book, one of them commented on the lack of a central conflict. I believe that the disconnect between Scout's childhood memories and coming to see how things are as an adult is the central conflict. This paragraph at the end of chapter 13 is her dawning awareness.
page 188 - "When he turned around Jean Louise saw amusement banish the indignation in his eyes, then meld into an expression she could not read. She heard him mutter, 'Oh dear. Oh dear me, yes. The novel must tell a story.'" Again, Dr. Finch is such a complex character. I'm not really sure what he means by this. Jean Louise also finds him to be enigmatic. "What do you mean by that?"
page 198 - "The only thing I'm afraid of about this country is that its government will someday become so monstrous that the smallest person in it will be trampled underfoot, and then it wouldn't be worth living in. The only thing in America that is still unique in this tired world is that a man can go as far as his brains will take him or he can go to hell if he wants to, but it won't be that way much longer." Dr. Finch sounds very much like a republican or libertarian . . .
page 229 - When Henry (was he even in TKAM?) and Jean Louise are fighting about Atticus, Henry shares that "A long time ago, the Klan was acceptable, like the Masons." And he says that Atticus joined basically to understand what made them tick. Atticus as a Klan member is probably one of the things that disturbs readers most. ". . . your daddy did and still does get mighty uncomfortable around folks who cover up their faces. He had to know who he'd be fighting if the time ever came to - he had to find out who they were. . . . " The way Henry told it, it wasn't so distressing to me but it definitely made Jean Louise upset.
page 239 - I finally got to the point where I was so sick of the references I simply didn't understand that I put a post-it in and made a note that "someday" I would own my own copy of this book and mark it up, research, write in it, etc. This would be a great title to use as part of an adult discussion group.
page 246 - Atticus and Jean Louise are having a pretty heated discussion. "Honey, you do not seem to understand that the Negroes down here are still in their childhood as a people. You should know it, you've seen it all your life. They've made terrific progress in adapting themselves to white ways, but they're far from it yet." He goes on to talk about how the NAACP is causing trouble and black people voting will cause more problems. Yeah, I'm so glad Lee published TKAM instead of this sixty years ago . . .
page 249 - I love Scout's rant! "Why in the name of God didn't you marry again? Marry some nice dim-witted Southern lady who would have raised me right? Turned me into a simpering, mealy-mouthed magnolia type who bats her eyelashes and crosses her hands and lives for nothing but her lil'ole hus-band. At least I would have been blissful. I'd have been typical one hundred per cent Maycomb; I would have lived out my little life and given you grandchildren to dote on; I would have spread out like Aunty, fanned myself on the front porch, and died happy. Why didn't you tell me the difference between justice and justice, and right and right?"
page 261 - Uncle Jack (Dr. Finch) asks Alexandra for some "missionary vanilla" and when she resists, he yells, "Gracious God, Sister, get me some whiskey!" I love him and I love learning a new expression.
page 264-5 - "Every man's island, Jean Louise, every man's watchman, is his conscience." Again, I don't feel wise enough to really understand what Dr. Finch is talking about, but I loved this passage.
Overall, I liked the book more than I expected. I definitely see why her publisher encouraged her to write this story from Scout's childhood p.o.v. The scenes where Jean Louise is flashing back to her childhood and youth are the best parts - playing missionary, the high school dance, etc. I was very impressed with my two eighth grade students who talked about the meaning they got from the book and their comparisons to TKAM.
Wednesday, February 03, 2016
The Wikipedia Revolution: How a Bunch of Nobodies Created the World's Greatest Encyclopedia
by Andrew Lih
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by Lloyd James
genre: non-fiction
Couldn't even finish the first disc, although the content was interesting and the author uses some fantastic expressions to communicate.
NO:
Hennepin County Library audiobook 8 discs
read by Lloyd James
genre: non-fiction
Couldn't even finish the first disc, although the content was interesting and the author uses some fantastic expressions to communicate.
NO:
- reader's voice is super irritating
- published seven years ago . . . no longer truly relevant (though interesting history of Wikipedia)
- I forgot what else bugged me. The reader was going super slowly, as though talking to preschoolers (or the elderly). It just didn't work for me.
The Lighthouse Land
by Adrian McKinty
PRMS hardcover 387 pages
genre: YA adventure with some SciFi
I had to force myself to read this one to the end. It just didn't work well for me. There are some nice elements, but it felt forced and unfocused. I marked one spot to identify this WTF? quality (sorry for the implied crudity).
page 279 - "He was only thirteen and puberty had hit the same time as cancer, amputation, and silence. Jealousy was something Laurence Fishburne did as Othello at Shakespeare in the Park, not something Jamie was intimately familiar with. His feelings toward Lorca were just a confused melange of irritation and resentment."
Not sure which type of reader this book would appeal to, but it did not work for me. Not the wormhole to another planet, not Jamie's sad life story, not his "romance" with Wishaway. Just didn't work. Answered my question about whether to invest in the other two books of the trilogy, though. No.
PRMS hardcover 387 pages
genre: YA adventure with some SciFi
I had to force myself to read this one to the end. It just didn't work well for me. There are some nice elements, but it felt forced and unfocused. I marked one spot to identify this WTF? quality (sorry for the implied crudity).
page 279 - "He was only thirteen and puberty had hit the same time as cancer, amputation, and silence. Jealousy was something Laurence Fishburne did as Othello at Shakespeare in the Park, not something Jamie was intimately familiar with. His feelings toward Lorca were just a confused melange of irritation and resentment."
Not sure which type of reader this book would appeal to, but it did not work for me. Not the wormhole to another planet, not Jamie's sad life story, not his "romance" with Wishaway. Just didn't work. Answered my question about whether to invest in the other two books of the trilogy, though. No.
Tuesday, February 02, 2016
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by Cassandra Campbell
genre: non-fiction science
Wow! This was amazing. I had heard about it and got the audiobook for my dad. I was curious and kept it for myself! In 1951, Henrietta Lacks died from cervical cancer. Before her death, the doctor had taken a sample of the cancerous growth and a scientist at Johns Hopkins cultured it. Unlike most other cell samples, this one grew and grew. It kept growing and living and soon was shared globally. Over the decades, much research has been conducted using these "HeLa" (from her name) cells.
Skloot does an amazing job of unfolding the story partly chronologically, and partly as she uncovered the story herself. Henrietta's daughter Deborah becomes a huge part of the story as she alternately cooperates with Skloot and refuses to talk to her. There were parts of this story that horrified me (like when they finally found out what had happened to Deborah's older sister Elsie) and made me smile or laugh. The human aspect is as fascinating as the scientific aspects of the story.
I don't want to write a spoiler here, but I am so very glad I invested the time in listening to this story all the way to the end (including the author's interview). What an amazing journey! Campbell voiced it well. Skloot did a fantastic job researching and writing.
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by Cassandra Campbell
genre: non-fiction science
Wow! This was amazing. I had heard about it and got the audiobook for my dad. I was curious and kept it for myself! In 1951, Henrietta Lacks died from cervical cancer. Before her death, the doctor had taken a sample of the cancerous growth and a scientist at Johns Hopkins cultured it. Unlike most other cell samples, this one grew and grew. It kept growing and living and soon was shared globally. Over the decades, much research has been conducted using these "HeLa" (from her name) cells.
Skloot does an amazing job of unfolding the story partly chronologically, and partly as she uncovered the story herself. Henrietta's daughter Deborah becomes a huge part of the story as she alternately cooperates with Skloot and refuses to talk to her. There were parts of this story that horrified me (like when they finally found out what had happened to Deborah's older sister Elsie) and made me smile or laugh. The human aspect is as fascinating as the scientific aspects of the story.
I don't want to write a spoiler here, but I am so very glad I invested the time in listening to this story all the way to the end (including the author's interview). What an amazing journey! Campbell voiced it well. Skloot did a fantastic job researching and writing.
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