Shug

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

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

Truer Than True Romance

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

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

Chinese Cinderella: the true story of an unwanted daughter

by Adeline Yen Mah
PRMS paperback 205 pages
genre: memoir

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

The Greatest Generation

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

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

Darcy's Story

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

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

The Loud Silence of Francine Green

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

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

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

Twilight

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

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

The Hobbit

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

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

Mates, Dates, and Inflatable Bras

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

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

The reader did a nice job!

The Secret Language of Girls

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

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

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

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

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

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

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

Deceived

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

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

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

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

Messenger

by Lois Lowry
PRMS paperback 169 pages
genre: YA SciFi

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

The Dog Says How

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

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

Catching Fire

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

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

Skeleton Man

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

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

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

Eggs

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

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

The Lost Symbol

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

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

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

The Silent Gift

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

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

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

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

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

A Touch of Grace

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

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

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

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