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 . . . 

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.

 

Say You're One of Them

by Uwem Akpan
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).

My dilemma - can I actually stop after only two stories?  I read Ex-mas Feast and Fattening for Gabon, but do not really want to make myself read What Language Is That?, Luxurious Hearses, and My Parents' Bedroom. Or perhaps I will . . . the stories are gripping and important in a sense. But really, really depressing.

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.

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:

• 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

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:

• 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 312 - Amanda is remembering her baptism at age eight. "Standing there, I had an epiphany of sorts, if you can call it that at such a young age. With every Bible study and Sunday school lesson, every youth group meeting and choir rehearsal - it had all come down to this. I was loved. Not just by God but by these people, this community, this church. As they sang the hymn, they were telling me I mattered, that my soul was worthy of being saved, that I had a place to call home." Beautiful! I want everyone who comes to church to know this!



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!

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:

• 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

Disliked:

• 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 . . .  

I actually marked page 76. This paragraph was distressing! "It was meant to be sweet, but it wasn't what I needed to hear. I wished she could have said that I was already something special to her, like I was to my father. But I guessed she would never stop wanting more for me, more from me. Maybe that's what mothers did." This comes after her parents are saying goodbye. Her dad is so sweet - unconditional love. Her mom's goodbye is less heartfelt.

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.

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.

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!

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:

• 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

Disliked:

• 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

It took until disc 9 out of 10 for us to learn why Addison's appearance was so repugnant to anyone who saw him. The title became clear here, too. We never really learned the full mystery of the clears and the fogs, but it was classic Koontz storytelling. I still like Odd Thomas the best of all his stuff that I've read so far.

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.

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.

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 . . . .

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

• small
• great maps
• organized by regions and features

Discover Maui by Lonely Planet (ISBN 9781742206288) - by Amy Balfour

• also organized by region
• great color-coding
• a previous reader highlighted in it!
• "best of" feature (beaches, dinners, etc.) 
• great "insider" advice

Maui Great Destinations (ISBN 9781581570472) - by Carol Fowler

• 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.  

Maui Revealed (ISBN 9780996131803) - by Andrew Doughty

• 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! 

Maui: Must-Do Hikes for Everyone (ISBN 9780899976259) - by Sara Benson

• 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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

• 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.

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.

The Bronte Plot

by Katherine Reay
Personal paperback 330 pages
genre: contemporary Christian romance

Liked it, but didn't love it. Her Dear Mr. Knightley was more enjoyable. Still, I loved the literary allusions (though I've never read anything by Gaskell and now feel that I must) and the story was pleasant enough.

Lucy Alling works in a design shop with owner Sid McKenna. When James Carmichael walks into the shop, they go from the sale of a book to a first date to being inseparable in just a few pages. Lucy's "the ends justify the means" mentality becomes a problem and James' grandma's (Helen) agenda changes all their lives.

page 37 - James says to Lucy -  "I've never heard anyone talk about books like you do. It's like they're your friends."

page 130 - Helen says to Lucy - "You are your own person and I wouldn't worry about the stories. We all compare our lives to them. That's why we love them; they help us understand ourselves."

page 139 - Lucy's observations on eyes when trying to figure out why Dillon was questioning her. "His eyes were hazel and clear and it struck her how much one could see in another's eyes. They shadowed under the strains of lies; they drifted in dreams or peace; they widened in surprise and fear; they darkened in tension; and worst of all, they sharpened in manipulation. She knew that one, had seen it in others and felt it within herself. Dillon's eyes carried nothing beyond open interest and innocent curiosity." (Plus - I liked Dillon!)

page 148 - Lucy and Helen visit Westminster Abbey and have an intense experience. I love this scene! It made me want to visit London.

page 263 -  "Come further up, come further in!" "Our new battle cry?" "That's a wonderful thought and very appropriate. For both of us." I love Lucy and Helen having their adventure in England together.

page 266 - "If everyone got what they wanted, were pleased with the result and with her for accomplishing it, why should they pay attention to the process? To her? Why, in fact, did the process matter? She sank onto the wall. Because it does. It mattered just as James's regard mattered."

I ended up having to buy this book because the wait list at the library was so long. I don't think I'll keep it, though. Like I said - Liked, didn't love.

Paper Things

by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Hennepin County Library hardcover 376 pages
genre: upper elem realistic fiction

Linda Dierks recommended this book about an eleven-year-old girl Arianna and her eighteen-year-old brother Gage. Their father died in Afghanistan and their mother passed away from cancer (?) when Arianna was seven. When Gage is old enough, he moves himself and sister out of their guardian's home. Although Janna is suspicious, they do a good enough job of convincing her that they are okay . . . except that they're not. Homelessness begins to take its toll on both of them as they struggle to find a place to sleep, enough food to eat, and time to do all the things that need to be done. This is beautifully written and brought me to tears a few times. In so many ways, though, this is more a book for older elementary kids than for middle school. Arianna wants to be a patrol captain more than anything . . .

When her best friend Sasha (who doesn't know her truth) hears Arianna's "love letter from a fraction (her way of trying to help Sasha learn the math), Sasha lashes out. "I tuck the words show off and weird, which have the weight and sharpness of scissors, inside an invisible pocket, where I can take them out and examine them when I'm alone." Jacobson expresses things beautifully - Reggie's wishing planes, Gage's disappointment, Arianna's work at Head Start as a volunteer, etc.

When the homeless Reggie offers to let them stay in his storage unit, he says "But I'm luckier than a lot of folks, and you can be sure I'm grateful for all that I've got - like new friends." I love when people's positive attitude trumps their situation.

page 253-4: "That's the great thing about librarians; they'll help you find information without being too nosy." Love this!

Walking Papers: A True Story

[Subtitled: the Accident that Changed my Life, and the Business that got me Back on My Feet]
by Francesco Clark
Hennepin County Library audiobook 6 discs
read by Kirby Heyborne

This is a fascinating story and Heyborne brings great expression to the reading of it - Clark's young life changed forever by a late-night dive into the shallow end of a pool at age 24. His broken neck, SCI, surgery, therapy, and everything that goes with a life-changing event made me both sad and hopeful.

I remember when Christopher Reeve broke his neck and I scoffed at all the attention and money that went to help a superstar. What about ordinary people? Louie pointed out that ordinary people would benefit from the research and advances *because* of Reeve's celebrity. Yeah. Didn't think about that. Hearing the author's admiration of Reeve reminded me of this long-ago conversation.

Listening to this was hard for me because of everything that happened with Sam. At times, I thought that Clark was a little too whiny . . . but I get whiny too without as much cause. And I'm sure for all of Sam's incredibly positive attitude, there are times she asks the hard questions too. I wish I could talk with her.

This is a fascinating story about SCI and recovery. It's also about the human spirit. Clark recognizes that his family and their incredible support made a huge difference to him. How maddening to have insurance companies dictating the level of therapy, supplies, etc. What transformations in his life! Pre-accident, soon after, and years later continuing to "get better" (his words). I'm glad I "read" this book.

The Fate of Ten

Lorien Legacies #6
by Pittacus Lore
PRMS hardcover 399 pages
genre: YA action, SciFi

I love these books! They're just fun page-turners. It still bugs me that you have to read a page or two of each chapter to know who's talking. The fonts are different for four, six, and Marina, but not significantly enough for me to just jump in and know whose "voice" I'm hearing. Once again, Setrakas Ra is on the move and doing his evil deeds . . . I can hardly wait for the next book!

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy

by Julia Quinn
Hennepin County Library audiobook, 8 discs
read by Rosalyn Landor
genre: historical romance

I like Quinn's writing well enough, but this one didn't do much for me.
The secret was not what I expected - better than I thought it would be.
The resolution was blatantly obvious.
The "romance" was disappointing . . . I think because most of the descriptions were about Iris' appearance instead of Richard's. Other than him constantly running his hands through his hair and his dark eyes, we don't get enough of his presence as a romantic figure.
Not sure why I keep investing time in books like this . . . a little escapism, I guess.

Soul Eater

by Atsushi Ohkubo
Hennepin County Library paperback 200 pages
genre: YA manga, adventure

I read this based on a student's recommendation. I only read a portion of it . . .same old, same old. Fighting with loud exclamations, a child-like babydoll character, a busty and shapely (and nude) adult woman, . . . I don't really understand why some of my students read so much of this. I am happy to provide as many graphic novels (and even manga) as my budget will afford, but I simply don't have the money to start a new series. (And if I did, I wouldn't choose to spend it on this.)

From the back "Maka is a weapon meister, determined to turn her partner, a living scythe named Soul Eater, into a powerful death scythe - the ultimate weapon of Death himself!" The story prologue opens with Soul Eater eating his 99th human soul and needing only to eat the soul of a witch to become a death scythe. It doesn't get better after that . . .

A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog

by Dean Koontz
Hennepin County Library hardcover 271 pages
genre: non-fiction, pet memoir

Koontz' writing style draws me in. I love his love of language, and while I'm not a fan of golden retrievers, I understand perfectly how one can adore the pet "child" of the household. I'm tempted to buy a copy (or two) of this book . . . for myself to re-read, to give as a gift when others' pets die, . . . and just because I love his way with language. Some of this felt over-the-top (Trixie as otherworldly, almost holy) but he put his prose into context. And it's personal. He tells about the transformation Trixie caused in his own life and in his wife's life. Beautiful book!

90 Miles to Havana

by Enrique Flores-Galbis
Hennepin County Library paperback 292 pages
genre: YA historical, coming of age

Opening on the eve of the Cuban revolution, this story follows Julian ("Who-li-an") from a New Year's fishing expedition with his family and beloved Bebo to a new life in Connecticut. His relationship to his older brothers, friend Pepe, and others carry the story along. I was reading this one along the theme of civil rights, but it is a very different kind of story. It is a wonderful story regarding multiculturalism. In a relocation camp (and in Miami), the Cubans, Mexicans, and other Spanish-speakers have their own culture clashes. Julian loves to draw and is good at figuring things out by using his wits and his hands. This is a delightful story, but it didn't resonate for me as much as Paperboy did.

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos

by Deborah Heiligman
Illustraged by Leuyen Pham
Hennepin County Library hardcover 32 pages
genre: Children's biography

Pam Silverain recommended this to me. I had never heard of Erdos before but love the story of his life as a mathematician extraordinaire! I love that he called colleagues' children "epsilons" since they were "small amounts." I love that he took what could be considered a solitary pursuit and shared so extensively with other mathematicians. The author recommends the books The Man Who Loved Only Numbers (Paul Hoffman) and My Brain Is Open (Bruce Schechter). There is also a documentary called N Is a Number. These all sound very interesting! Perhaps I need to own a copy of this picture book to share with future grandchildren . . .

Paperboy

by Vince Vawter
Hennepin County Library hardcover 221 pages
genre: YA historical, coming-of-age

Oh my word. I *loved* this book! I was reading it to evaluate its use for our students in their Civil Rights unit. At first, I thought it was perhaps a bit too "young" for our kids, but now I'm not so sure.

Eleven-year-old Victor Vollmer is in the seventh grade because he is bright, but he was almost held back because of his severe stuttering. He loves words, but struggles to say them. Set in Memphis during the 1950s, Victor takes over his best friend's paper route for the month of July while Art ("Rat") is visiting his grandparents' farm. Doing the route opens Victor's world in unimaginable ways.

Initially, I was going to make a pros/cons list for using this book. Right now, the kids read Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands. Not having read that title yet, I'm not sure if Paperboy has enough of the same civil rights content that the teachers want. It is, however, an amazing and rich story. I will probably buy a copy for PRMS and invite the teacher to read it (or have some of our capable students read it and make a recommendation). I loved the focus on words and language - both spoken and written.

For Such a Time

by Kate Breslin
Hennepin County Library paperback 418 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

Overall, I really like Breslin's writing. She is a talented author who creates characters with depth. Setting the story of Esther in Nazi Germany makes sense on some level, but it is somehow disturbing to set a love story in the Holocaust. This book just didn't work well for me as a reader. Both Hadasseh and Arik were compelling characters, as were Joseph, Morty, Helen, and others. But the evils of Nazi Germany don't lend themselves well as a setting for a love story. On page 89, at the Commandant's dinner party, I thought it would not at all be realistic for a group of German leaders to brush off the harsh comments that Arik made about the SS. In any case, I finally got "into" the story around the mid-point and found it more compelling to read the second half. I'm glad I read her other book first. (This one was her first novel published.) I won't spoil the ending, though I definitely saw it coming. She did an excellent job with the inclusion of Bible verses at the start of every chapter.

MAD Magazine

I grew up on MAD magazines and loved them - Spy v. Spy, Sergio Aragones, the fold-in back page, the satire, . . . .so I bought a copy at Half-Price Books. The April 2004 edition, I found the humor to be nasty and the magazine that I loved so much as a kid to be mean and pointless. Sigh. Growing up and maturing is a good thing, but I sometimes miss my childhood. I am glad I can find humor elsewhere. And I wonder how much my addictive reading of these as a kid shaped my attitudes . . . I won't miss the magazines, but wanted to record my thoughts here.

(When I started teaching at NPMS in 1997, the library had a subscription. I read one to refresh my memory and there was a LOT more sexual content and drug humor than I remembered from my own childhood. I cancelled that subscription!)

On the Road

by Jack Kerouac
Hennepin County Library audiobook 9 discs
read by Will Patton
genre: realistic fiction

This is one of those books I've heard of but never read before. Besides his name, I only knew the phrase "beat generation" in relation to this work of fiction. I didn't like it and I want to do some reading online to figure out why it was/is such a commonly referenced work of fiction. Below are my stream-of-consciousness notes written while I was driving . . . I know, not safe. But I can jot without looking at my hand.

Beat Generation / hipster - set in 1947, when was it written?
Too many characters! Why mention every single person they hung out with? Who cares?
"Yo!" gun / "queers" in a bar in San Fran / alcohol (throughout the entire book - they consumed a LOT of alcohol)
Of Mice and Men reference . . . Billie Holliday Lover Man
What did Sal's aunt think of all the comings and goings? Why did she put up with it?
Dean is mentally ill.
Music - important to the characters, progression of styles, interesting historically
Drug culture of 1940s, 50s - really?! I didn't think there was much of that going on. But perhaps the fact that Kerouac wrote about it was part of what made this book such a big deal - he acknowledged a part of society that most people pretended didn't exist?
Stealing / speeding / delinquents . . . I don't like Dean, Sal, or Ed very much.
Negroes - admiring tone AND racist attitudes . . .
"fags"
"It's not my fault." - Seriously?! Haven't you people heard of personal responsibility?
Generation . . . selfishness and self-centeredness
Degenerates
Some very beautiful language in places. Is Sal the writer based on Kerouac himself? It seems so.
Wanderlust. Across the country and back again. Repeat. Mexico.
Mexican whorehouse - conscience? Yuk. These guys are jerks. And drunks.
Why does Dean bother to get married?!?!?! Mary Lou, Camille, Inez. Four babies with three women and he's not sticking around to help any of them.
Sal Paradise - cool name.
Ending - what happened to Dean?
Why was Sal always such a patsy, letting life happen to him and following the younger Dean around as though he were amazing?

Okay - time to read *about* the book so I have a better understanding of why it matters in American literature.

From Wikipedia (with hyperlinks removed):
"On the Road is a novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across America. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagonists living life against a backdrop of jazz, poetry, and drug use. The novel, published in 1957, is a roman à clef, with many key figures in the Beat movement, such as William S. Burroughs (Old Bull Lee) and Allen Ginsberg (Carlo Marx) represented by characters in the book, including Kerouac himself as the narrator Sal Paradise."

See Me After Class: Advice for Teachers by Teachers

by Roxanna Elden
Hennepin County Library paperback 197 pages
genre: Non-fiction advice

At first, I *loved* this book and thought about buying lots of copies for teachers. She uses humor and "straight talk" to communicate both the joys and frustrations about teaching. But some of her advice is horribly out-dated (or I just work at too progressive of a school). This edition was published in 2013, but still has advice on taking phones away from students, behavior management whose goal is to keep kids quiet and still, etc. With the personalized learning we're doing, the vast majority of the book just doesn't fit our school culture. Her tone and humor kept me reading to the very end of the book, though!

Page 3 - "Acting like a hard job can be done easily is a sure way to do it wrong. The knowledge teachers need is complicated, it's important, and it's way more than anyone can learn in one year. The great teachers of the future know they're not great yet. They know they're making mistakes, and some of those mistakes are big. They're sorting through a million pieces of advice, each starting with the words 'All you have to do is . . . ,' until they want to lie on their backs in the school hallway and yell, "This is all the time and energy I have! Can someone please tell me what I should really spend it on?"

Page 31 - "You will realize that some parts of teaching make you very happy, while others make you very unhappy. You have the right to focus on the parts you love as often as possible, forgive your mistakes, and give yourself credit for what you're doing right. It's also okay to accept that some things are not under your control and to focus your efforts on the things that are. Wen all else fails, cursing into a cabinet works surprisingly well." (referencing an earlier paragraph)

Page 40 - She's writing about being at a workshop on getting organized. "I slumped farther down in my chair every time I heard the words color-coded or of course you have already. By the end of the presentation, only my neck and shoulders were touching the seat. I was no more organized, but I was fully convinced I had no business being a teacher - or maybe even alive - at my current organizational level." She later made another joke about the color-coded people . . . very funny!

Pages 52-55 - She writes about everyone having strengths and how important it is to capitalize on your personal strength areas. Here are the ones she references: patience and understanding, perseverance, knowledge of your subject matter, knowledge of the neighborhood, sense of humor, organization, large size, loud authoritative voice, energy, good people skills, work ethic, stage presence, confidence, character, creativity and problem-solving skills, ability to stay calm and think clearly under stress, sassy attitude, kids of your own, ambition, and a positive attitude and a passion for teaching. I like how she emphasizes positives, but acknowledges the negatives for each of us.

Page 94-95 - She advises teachers to have students write their own failure notices. Sadly, I accidentally deleted page one off my phone instead of uploading it. I don't necessarily like her script, but I love the idea of it. Here's the second page of content on this topic:

 

She included a poem she wrote (Roxanna Elden) titled All of the Above. I'm including it here because it's easily available online. It definitely makes a point about teaching (and standardized testing . . . ).

 

The Scottish Bride

by Catherine Coulter
Hennepin County Library audiobook 9 discs
read by Anne Flosnik
genre: historical romance

Dumb. And yet I listened to the entire thing. I almost ejected disc one and moved on to something else, but no. I kept listening. Handsome widowed vicar Tysen Sherbrooke has just inherited a castle and a title in Scotland. His ten-year-old daughter disguises herself and tags along. (Little kids - in a romance novel? Please.) His entire personality changes immediately and drastically when he encounters Mary Rose. The usual ensues. Conflict, passion, stupidity. The last portion of the story made me mad when Tysen's dilemma was between being happy (and a kind, loving father and husband) or following God . . . ahem. I mean being serious and devout in his parishoners' eyes. Yuk. Can't believe I wasted as much time on this as I did.

Post 1,000! Must be Momentous

Okay, when I saw that this was my 1,000th post on this blog, I simply couldn't write about the audiobook I just finished. It was much too banal of a book. I love reading! I'm a little obsessive, finishing books that are truly not worth the time. Just for a change of pace, I'll list a few of my all-time favorites.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I have read it at least six times in its entirety
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
The Holy Bible (this list is NOT in "top ten" format)
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman (published the year I was born!)
Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup (NOT the movie . . . never seen it. Don't want to.)
any Calvin and Hobbes collection
The Hiding Place by Carrie ten Boom
The Bone series by Jeff Smith

This was harder to do (spontaneously) than I expected! I read almost anything I come across. When I asked Louie what my favorite books were, he said "Jane Eyre" and "Pride and Prejudice." When I told him I had those already, he said, "You read the Harry Potter books a lot." Yep. I've read the entire series three times. And I've read Tolkien's Fellowship books once per decade since the 1970s. There are a lot of books I re-read . . . and a lot of others I experience once and move on from. That's why I blog. To keep track of the titles and my initial reactions.

If you're a regular reader of my blog, I'd love for you to leave a comment! I sometimes feel as though I'm writing in a void (and this is actually a storage spot for my thoughts, not an audience-driven vehicle). I love to read AND to connect to other readers!

Amazing Grace

by Megan Shull
PRMS discard, hardcover 247 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

This was a super quick read, but I'm still getting rid of it. Published in 2005, I'm not sure it's ever been checked out. This is a great "romance" title for my younger readers. Grace Kincaid is an ultrafamous tennis prodigy and cover girl model who decides at age 15 that she wants out of the high-pressure world. Her mom sends her to an Alaskan island to live with a friend so Grace can hide out as a normal teenager. She meets fun-loving Fisher and Teague (incredibly handsome), chops wood, and starts to find herself . . . when the paparazzi get wind of where she is and she has to leave this paradise. Enjoyable, nothing profound. Sweet first romance.

The Memory Weaver

by Jane Kirkpatrick
Hennepin County Library paperback 327 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

I didn't really get into this book, though I finished reading it. Skipped book club tonight, too . . . not like me. The author didn't engage me in the story, starting with a convoluted set-up - a long list of characters, a map, a prologue set in 1847, and then a story that goes from her earliest childhood memories (but not the one in the prologue) to her mother's funeral when Eliza was thirteen. There were many times when I had to force myself to read on. Either this was simply not the right book for me at this time, or Kirkpatrick's style just doesn't resonate for me. There were some nice moments and some very thoughtful observations, but overall I just didn't like the book.

I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Rebel Allies

by Pittacus Lore
PRMS paperback 355 pages
genre: YA adventure, SciFi

Three more novellas to whet the appetite for the Lorien Legacies! The first one (The Fugitive) is Mark James' story as he heads to the Southwest to find and save Sarah. While on the run, he connects with the mysterious Guard. The other two stories - The Navigator and The Guard - take us in to Lexa's world on Lorien and on Earth. Lots of adventure and stitching together the bits and pieces of the bigger story. Now on to The Fate of Ten!

(written nearly a month after I actually read it . . . as I'm unburying my home desk from too many scraps of paper . . . )

The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results

by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
Hennepin County Library hardcover 224 pages
genre: NF motivational

This is the second time I've tried to get through this short book. In some ways, it has a great message that I can take to heart. In other ways, it is simply too rah-rah, of the world, business-success-oriented. I feel bad that I've had it three days over the due date with such a long waiting list. It was on our summer Litwits reading list and I just couldn't get into it in August. And now I'm struggling to finish the last 40 pages. But it WILL go back today, whether I finish it or not.

www.The1Thing.com is apparently the motherlode of info that they gathered (and a book trailer).

I kind of wanted to record the "Big Ideas" at the end of each chapter, but I'm feeling lazy and time-crunched. I've looked a bit online, but here's one I grabbed a pic of earlier this summer:

 

There are lots and lots of these "Big Ideas" and they are worth looking at. I am going to move on with my life, however, and perhaps get back to this book at some future point in my life. Also, someone pencil-underlined throughout this library book and that was very frustrating! I almost went through it with an eraser, but . . . I'm more interested in finishing the reading first! 

And I think part of my issue with this book is that if I work to identify the One Thing that matters most to me, I would have to say my faith. If I focus more time, energy, and attention on my faith, I would quit my job (and our income would drop drastically). I am not sure at this point in my life WHAT I want. I'm too young to throw in the towel (and I do love learning), but I am either mid-life crisis-ing or not listening to God's call. In any case, this book is just not the right book for me at the right time.

The Amazing Book is Not on Fire

The Phil and Dan book!
My students were so insanely excited to see this on my desk as part of the Young Adult Choices books that I took it home overnight to preview. These two guys, Dan Howell and Phil Lester, are YouTubers who have a huge following. The bits of the book that I read were quite good and/or quirky and/or very relevant for middle schoolers coming of age. One excerpt:

 

The artwork, notes, photos, etc. really add to the story of these two young men and how they got started on their YouTube careers.

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out

by Susan Kuklin
Hennepin County Library hardcover
genre: YA NF

I confess - I ran out of time to read this and had to get it back to the library. I paged through it and it looks interesting. I have a small budget which is already gone, so I opted to get "Some Assembly Required" at Half Price Books. This one may go on a future buy list, but I may need more balance than just transgender titles . . . the GLBTQQ group in our school would love to see more books - fiction and NF - that are of interest to them.

The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings: J.R.R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams

by Philip Zaleski and Carol Zalesky
Hennepin County Library hardcover over 500 pages
genre: non-fiction

9.17.15:

Ugh! I didn't spend enough time with it and now I'll have to get it again. Fascinating to read about these authors' lives!

10.6.15:
I marked a bunch of pages and have pictures on my phone, but not enough time to do anything with them right now. I don't even have this on my request list . . . I am time-management crunched!

11.15.15
For only having read a very small portion of the book (fewer than 50 of the 500 pages), I sure took a lot of photos! I'm just going to leave them on my hard drive. I'll just include two here (perhaps to motivate me to get the book again and actually read it!):

The language in this passage is so very beautiful to me. These men were so amazing.

No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness

By Michelle Segar
Hennepin County Library, paperback, 221pages
Genre: non-fiction, self-help

This book is amazing. I seriously thought about buying my own copy (and still might). Her examples and research really resonated with me. I need to get this back to the library, so I'm going to make note of the things I most really to remember.
- doing what you enjoy is a better motivator for exercising - and it works
- MAPS are Meaning, Awareness, Permission, and Strategies
- start by taking any and every opportunity to move, in any way possible, at whatever speed you like, for any amount of time
- your MEANING for exercise creates your relationship with and approach to exercise
- move exercise from a chore to a gift
- AWARENESS helps you identify what's been standing in your way and discover physical activities that motivate you
- do what feels good, build positive experiences with physical activities
- people tend to approach things that feel good and avoid things that feel bad
- research shows that when you choose to make movement a regular party of your life for personally compelling reasons and choose to move in ways that feel good to you, you are more likely to stick with exercise and maintain weight loss
- count everything and choose to move!
- treasure hunt: Opportunities To Move (OTM)
The long cut
The phone moment
Active waiting
The movement snack
Couple's cruise
Boogie break
Green getaway
It's a gift
Friend fitness
Family fun
Walking meeting
Recess
The soulful stroll
Coffee walk
Doggy destinations
Office sprints
Cleaning calisthenics
Be a sport
Gym genius
The leisurely stroll
Walk the airport, airplane
One-minute workout
The snow shuffle
- reward substitution helps change movement from a chore to a gift
- listen to your body's messages and do what you like
- "gift" yourself with movement and and every way you can
- make it a game to discover OTMs
- pages 117-8 great takeaways, bit I don't want to record them all here.
- walking is wonderful
- giving yourself PERMISSION to prioritize your own self-care - to feel better every day - provides the fuel for your daily roles and goals and powers your sense of well-being
- avoid caretakeritis (pic):

- make self-care a priority! (Pic)

- give yourself permission to stop following should
- give yourself permission to make daily self-care a top priority
- pretend if you need to take care of yourself
- change your mindset
- what sustains us, we sustain (pic)

- you are the energy center of your life
- amazing paradox: giving to yourself means giving more to others
- the gift of physical movement becomes essential fuel for what matters most
- are you thriving or just surviving? What do you need right now?
- check in on your priorities
- great take-aways on pages 187-8 (pics)
- use learning and negotiation STRATEGIES to sustain the lifelong gift of physical activity
- #1- use learning goals to get intrinsic motivation, persistence, and resilience
#2 - begun with the end in mind
#3- use sustainable self-care as an essential strategy for well-being
#4- integrate one new behavior at a time
#5- strengthen the core - build consistency before quantity
- #6- bring your learning to life
- great takeaways on pages 182-3
- Sustainability training
- make a self-care negotiation plan
- phase one is planning and previewing
- give physical activity clout
- plan the weekly logistics
- create a continuum of success where you are successful if you for in at least one planned activity
- decide to confront challenges, not roadblocks
- bring friends and family on board
- use if-then planning
- dance with your challenges- be flexible and improvise
- hesitate before you respond to a request
- listen to your body's messages
- learn the links- make physical activity relevant and compelling
- evaluate and recalibrate with compassionate non- judgment
- the learning process never ends

I took photos of a bunch of other pages, but this is enough for now. I really enjoyed this book and it is helping me to make healthier choices for myself! 

Above posted 11.16.15, below added 2.2.16:
Notes on random paper from last fall include my most important projects right now:

• finish Alex & Stacie quilt
• get house put back together
• faith / being Jesus-centered
• health - get BP below 140/80
• plan Yellowstone vacation
• clear clutter in home
• get ready for school year
• move on MakerSpace

Do what you enjoy for physical activity
MOVE however possible, at whatever speed you like, for any amount of time.

I also had some notes that were in response to questions in the book . . . I really should just buy and own a copy of it!

Notes on awareness (and my "whys" for exercise) - Dread is too strong a word. Aversion of indifference (or mild dislike) is more accurate. I kind of DO think there's a "right" way to exercise and if I don't do it that way, why bother? I usually don't exercise in ways that don't feel good to me! (But then I'm disappointed in myself for not doing what I "should" do.

I made a list of ways that I LIKE moving my body . . . and I hope to exercise in those ways.

Then I made a note that said "Ch. 5 pg. 84" but I'm not sure why. Maybe that's where I was when I started reading this book in the summer. Then I got it again and finished it in the fall. And now I'm getting rid of scraps of paper in my office. Done?

The Freedom Summer Murders

by Don Mitchell
Hennepin County Library hardcover 196 pages
genre: YA NF history

I also read this one a few weeks ago. It was depressing, naturally. Very well-written and informative, it focused on the three young men murdered in June 1964 in Mississippi. James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner were killed by KKK members (in cahoots with, if not led by, the sheriff!) because they were trying to register black people to vote and teach about their rights as Americans. I don't know if it's more sad that this happened or that people got so upset because two of these men were white . . . what an awful chapter in American history! But it's important to know about things like this. The book was very well-done. My heart breaks for those boys' moms.

Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley

by Sally M. Walker
Hennepin County Library audiobook 3 discs
read by J.R. Horne
genre: YA NF history

I listened to this a few weeks ago, but I really enjoyed it. It is impressive that people continued to go down in this submarine in the 1860s even after it sank three times! After being on the ocean floor for over 100 years, it was an historic and scientific find. The author's research and the narrator's vocal work brought the story of the Hunley to life very effectively. I found the first section on the Civil War work to make and use a submarine to be more compelling than the scientists' efforts to uncover what happened to it almost 150 years later . . . but it was all very interesting. I am no history buff, but I recognize the importance of finding and researching this machine and the men who developed it and went to war in it.

As a side note, I think of the developments in naval technology from the Civil War to WWI (and what I read in the Lusitania book) . . . absolutely amazing!

The Story of Classical Music

by Darren Henley
Hennepin County Library audiobook 4 discs
read by Marin Alsop
genre: YA / kid non-fiction, music history

This was very interesting and I *love* that there are so many excerpts - over 150 music clips. You could *not* get that from a print book! I did NOT like the obnoxious sound effects they included, especially the sound of a tape fast-forwarding. Some of the background noises also seemed incongruous to the narration. Despite these flaws, the story was clear and interesting and the musical selections were fantastic! It made me want to grab a lot of classical CDs and listen to the full works! This is one I'd re-listen to so I could glean even more . . . there were some composers I'd never heard of, though most were familiar names.

The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America

by Timothy Egan
Hennepin County Library audiobook 9 discs
read by Robertson Dean
genre: YA Non-fiction history

This was a fascinating book! I almost want to get the print version to see photographs, but probably won't. I already admired TR as a president, but I am so very glad that he and the Progressive party pushed through so much national wildlife space. I was horrified (but ultimately not surprised) at the big business people (timber, mining, railroads) and the politicians in their pockets who did everything in their power to strip the new Forest Service of money and support. The fire of 1910 decimated millions of acres and some towns, especially in Idaho. This was a well-researched and well-written history. I had never even heard of Gifford Pinchot before! The thought of "conservation" being a new concept is so odd now . . . but I also see the unfolding of history and attitudes, even extending to my childhood with Smokey the Bear and now a more "natural" attitude toward fire and its role in forests. Interesting stuff! The vocal work was very well-done.