100 Cupboards

by N.D. Wilson
Read by Russell Horton
Scott County Library, audiobook on CDs (6 hrs, 23 min.)

Interesting story. This is one I think I would've enjoyed more reading the text instead of listening, though Horton has a wonderful voice. The girl characters drove me batty! They were such brats. I just wanted Henry to knock his cousins down. The tone of the story was a little dark - kind of like Coraline in its creepiness, especially with the cupboard that led to Endor. Richard was a delightful character and Zeke provided a nice surprise at the end. I don't think I'll bother with the sequel, though. And I'm not sure about buying this title for school. Not sure if it would appeal to a very wide range of readers.

Schooled

By Gordon Korman
CMSW, paperback, 208 pages

I really enjoyed this! Nothing complex or deep, but a lovely little story. It's a lot like Stargirl, but much more lighthearted.

Capricorn Anderson has grown up on a commune with his grandma, Rain. When Rain falls and breaks her hip, Cap ends up staying with a social worker and her gorgeous but angry daughter. Cap has no clue how to function in a normal middle school and the results are both funny and endearing.

Waiting for Daybreak

by Kathryn Cushman
paperback, Carver County library, 315 pages

I liked this one! It was about two female pharmacists - Paige and Clarissa. Book Club discussed it last night, and Jodi called the characters "Whiney and Witchey" - pretty accurate, but I still liked it. Dawn was an interesting character - it would have been nice to see her story played out. Ora was my absolute favorite! What a saucy old gal. I liked the romance, too. I read this about three weeks ago and am just blogging now . . . Hard to stay on top of this!

The Master Quilter

by Jenifer Chiaverini
Carver County Library, hard cover, 327 pages

I did not enjoy this one. Too many problems, too little communication among friends (until the very end), too much repetition. The story is told from multiple characters' points of view and tends to cover the same info from a different perspective. All in all, the story got old fast. It did make me appreciate my husband, my job, my friends, etc. in contrast to these women's issues. Probably my least favorite Elm Creek book so far, and it didn't even make me want to work on a quilt at all.

The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman
CMSW, hard cover, 311 pages (yes, I read the acknowledgements)

I loved this book! I read it in one sitting, though it kept me up late on Friday night. Bod Owens is a great character and his development is fun to follow. The ending made me cry, even though it was happy. I felt so sorry for this solitary little fellow. His aloneness resonated with me.

Logistically, I had to ignore the fact that an 18-month old was able to get out of his crib, across the room, down the stairs, and out to the graveyard before the highly efficient killer made it from the parents' room to the sister's room to the baby's room. Not too believable . . . but irrelevant. I enjoyed the story.

Specials

by Scott Westerfeld
CMSW, paper, 372 pages

I really disliked this book for the first half. Shay especially had changed so much as a character compared to when we first "met" her in book one. The specials are nasty - cruel and powerful. I also disliked the fact that the author seemed to glorify cutting, with the main characters feeling "icy," focused, and powerful when they cut themselves. With students who use cutting as a way to deal with emotions, I think this is irresponsible for a YA author.

Anyhow, by the end of the book, I liked the story. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll just say that I'm a very character-driven reader and Tally isn't my favorite character in this series. Now on to Extras!

Brave New World

by Aldous Huxley
CMSW, hardcover, 177 pages

This took me a while to get through, as short as it is! I wanted to read it at the same time that Nick was reading it for British literature class, but I had to force myself to pick it up and read a few pages. I don't like this book. It falls into the same category as 1984 and other bleak writings from earlier this century. I should really research more about the political and ideological landscape of this time period . . . I realize there are good reasons for the inclusion of these titles in classical "canon" lists.

In a nutshell, this book illuminates a future world of constant (but not deep) happiness, since all humans are programmed constantly to be content with their lot in life. Science has created a false utopia with the drug soma relieving any negative thoughts or feelings that do come up. Bernard is different from other people and wants to experience things for himself. When he and Lenina visit a reservation with savages, he brings home John who has grown up as a "savage," but is the most civilized person at all. The story ends tragically.

I'd still love to talk with Nick about this one . . . I wonder what he thought of it.

The Cradle Will Fall

by Mary Higgins Clark
Beaudoins' condo, paperback, 314 pages

I just picked this up to while away some time and it ended up helping me stay awake so we were ready to leave the condo at 4:00 a.m.! I figured if I went to bed, I might not wake up in time, so this thriller helped me stay up.

A doctor is doing some weird experiments on his patients. When he is "forced" to kill one of his patients to protect his secret, things start to unravel. At first, suspicions fall on the woman's pilot husband. But the noose is tightening. Great thriller. Classic MHC.

The Chase

by Susan Wales and Robin Shope
lent to me by Kim Enfield
paperback, 363 pages

Interesting thriller / romance
My favorite part was the last section when all the pieces started coming together. Some of it was a bit over-wrought and almost melodramatic. It was also hard to conceive of someone who was a hard-hitting investigative reporter deciding she was ready for a small-town sedate life so quickly. I liked the character of Craig, of course. I'm a sucker for the handsome, wonderful man who happens to be a faithful believer. I also loved the scene when Jill decided to surrender her life to the Lord. Christmas is a great time to get to know Christ!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (her niece)
hardcover, mine, 278 pages

I'll have to blog later. I'm running out of time! Excellent book. Swept me up.

Later:
Told entirely in letters, this story of a young woman dealing with post-WWII emotions captivated me. Juliet Ashton is the central character who is drawn to the island of Guernsey, which was occupied by German forces during the war. Just a lovely, lovely book! There were times I almost made a "cheat sheet" of all the different characters, but I read it quickly enough (on the beach in Naples, Florida) that I was able to keep it all straight. The romance, the history, the characters - all made it a delightful read! This is our CMSW book club title for March. I look forward to the discussion!

Spelldown

by Karon Luddy
CMSW, hardcover, 211 pages

I see why the elementary schools unloaded their copies of this! The protagonist, Karlene Bridges, is a foul-mouthed, horny eighth grader. Though I found some of it offensive, (especially her loose use of the Lord's name as one of her many swear words), there were some redeeming qualities. The power of love speaks loudly throughout this book. Karlene's love of her older sister, the Harrisons' loving home in contrast to Karlene's more difficult home life, and ultimately, Karlene's love for her alcoholic father.

Billy Ray was my favorite character - so sweet, gentle, and strong. The wordaphile in me LOVED the words and definitions sprinkled throughout the book. (Yes, I know I invented a word there.) The Latin class was a cool piece, too. Definitely a good book for my brainy, mature kids.

Pretties

by Scott Westerfeld
CMSW, paper, 370 pages

Tally has undergone the operation to become a pretty, but her friends in the "Crim" clique include Zane who seems very different from everyone else. Together, they strive to find out what Croy, an ugly, meant when he crashed a party in new prettytown and told Tally that he was hiding something for her. The cure. Interesting to see where the author has taken the story, especially with the visit to the wildlife preserve. Shay's character seems so very different from when we first met her.

Anne of the Island

by L.M. Montgomery
Carver County Library, paperback, 298 pages

Anne at college in Redmond. Older, wiser, less fun. An enjoyable book, but with the bittersweet tang of growing up and leaving childhood behind. Her rejection of Gilbert Blythe was easy to see coming. What a silly girl!

Tornado

by Betsy Byars
home, paperback, 49 pages

What a sweet little story. Not sure why it's down in my piles of papers by my desk. I think I'll see if the Prip boys would enjoy it. It's the story of a family who sits out a tornado in the cellar by listening to Pete's stories about his childhood dog. Short little kid chapter book - an "I can read" kind of thing.

Uglies

by Scott Westerfeld
CMSW, paperback, 425 pages

I started out listening to this on CD, but it was much too annoying. The reader's voice was making me crazy and I wanted to see how the story went. This is one of our 7th grade novel choices.

Tally Youngblood is a 15-year-old who is awaiting her sixteenth birthday and "the" operation that will turn her from an Ugly into a Pretty. She thinks up daring tricks, like sneaking into New Prettytown to see her best friend Peris, who is startled to see her and asks her to not get into trouble before she turns pretty and joins him. Soon she meets Shay, another 15-year-old who likes to do tricks. But Shay has no desire to ever turn Pretty, a fact she slowly reveals to Tally, asking her to run away and join the Smoke, a group of runaways.

Liked the dynamic in the Smoke, especially David's character. Loved the hoverboards. Didn't like the self-centered immaturity of Tally. Or the attack on the Smoke.

Anne of Avonlea

by L.M. Montgomery
Hennepin County Library, audioCDs, 9.25 hours
read by Barbara Caruso

Delightful sequel to Anne of Green Gables, but I don't like this reader quite as well. I suppose Anne needed an "older" voice, but her Marilla was especially crusty. I like the dynamics between Anne and Gilbert as well as the changes in Mr. Harrison. The story line with Miss Lavender isn't quite as captivating for me.

Anne of Green Gables

by L.M. Montgomery
Hennepin County Library, audioCDs, 10 hours & 21 minutes
read by Kate Burton

I love this story! I am glad, though, that it is no longer one of the 8th grade novels. I just don't see it as something that most 21st century 13-year-olds can really relate to much. Anne is an imaginative, creative, somewhat careless orphan adopted by elderly siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert.

The reader is perfect for this story! She captures the characters beautifully and brings Anne's wistfulness to life. This is one of those "classic" books I should have in my home library for re-reads from time to time. Lovely.

Three Cups of Tea: The Young Reader's Edition

by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin
Adapted by Sarah Thomson
CMSW, paperback, 209 pages

This is our February book club pick. I really enjoyed it, and am curious now to read the original version. I did like the fact that this version included an interview with Mortenson's daughter Amira and had lots of color photos. What an incredible young man to take an experience like getting lost on a mountain and turn it into a life-changing opportunity for so many people in Pakistan and Afghanistan!

The most surprising thing to me was that he got married six days after meeting Tara! His persistence and determination to follow through on his promises are also admirable.

Finn's Going

by Tom Kelly
CMSW, hardcover, 278 pages

This was a very challenging read. Not sure I can recommend it to my students. Even though the protagonist is only ten, the writer's style is very stream-of-consciousness. The British terms and expressions are beyond those I've ever encountered. It took me a while to understand some of them. Honestly, I still don't know which brother is which. It's obvious from the start that something tragic happened to one of the twins, but it takes to the very end of the story for the explanation to come out. In the meantime, the reader wonders what the deal is with otters. And is this Danny or Finn who's sharing his grief with us? He tells Airplane Kev that he's Danny. But then he responds to his dad's "Hello, Finn" at the end with an affirmative. The title also plays into this ambiguity. Is "Finn's Going" in reference to the boy who died? Or does it refer to the remaining brother's going through his grief? All in all, not terribly accessible for most of my readers.

Rhubarb

by Garrison Keillor
Carver County Library, audioCD, 77 minutes
read by the author

A fun grouping of summer stories in Lake Woebegone. I like how he added local references for his live audience while he was on tour. Sometimes his stories make me sad, especially when the small-mindedness and meanness of small-town life come through (like the boy who was pressured into wearing a yellow ribbon at school even though he didn't want to), but more often the stories make me laugh. I especially liked the way he talked about rhubarb and how everyone thinks it's unique to their area.