The Search Committee

by Tim Owens
Hennepin County Library, paperback, 389 pages
genre: Christian relationship fiction

First-time author. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. I hope this isn't what the Presbyterian church is really like . . . not many of the characters seemed to have much of a personal relationship with the Lord. Great character study - I enjoyed Frankie's and Travis' narratives the most.

We had a wonderful discussion about it at Fish Tale last night (and yes, the cheesecake was wonderful).

An Invisible Thread

subtitled: The true story of an 11-year-old panhandler, a busy sales executive, and an unlikely meeting with destiny

by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski
Hennepin County Library, hardcover, 238 pages
genre: memoir

Maurice and Laura. Child and adult. Black and white. Shockingly poor and extremely sucessful. This is a wonderful narrative of the two people, how they met and mattered to one another, and how their histories shaped their lives. Amazing story. I'm glad I read it. Similar in ways to Same Kind of Different as Me, but basically secular.

Frank: The Voice

by James Kaplan
Hennepin County Library audioCDs (18 discs)
read by Rob Shapiro
genre: biography

This was a fascinating but also disturbing story. I didn't know much about Frank Sinatra, but he certainly wasn't someone I'll ever hold in very high regard. Despite the impact his mother Dolly had on his psyche, he was an arrogant, shallow, selfish person. He cheated on his wife horribly and treated his friends like dirt.

Listening to so much detail about his life made it hard to have the narrative stop when he won his Academy award for From Here to Eternity. He had another lifetime (and two more wives, I believe) after that! The author went into great detail about recording sessions, conversations, etc.

My favorites: asking my father-in-law if he had ever heard Sinatra sing live (he had) and getting curious about some of the songs and movies mentioned. I just got FHTE from the public library - I've never seen it before. I found myself Googling Montgomery Clift, Ava Gardner, etc. A small part of me wants to read a biography that goes from 1954 to the end of his life. I also got curious about his first wife and his children. But what a skunk of a man!

6/9/12 - Louie and I watched From Here to Eternity last night . . . how sad that the romantic relationships were so messed up! Interesting that this was the Academy Award winner in 1953.

The Orchid Affair

by Lauren Willig Hennepin County Library audioCDs 13 discs read by Kate Reading genre: historical romance Decent story, but also frustrating. Why do I listen to romance stories?! Interesting look at France just after the revolution. Didn't care for the juxtaposition of the modern day characters against the historical backdrop. Laura's characterization was bizarre - confident or unsure? Spy or neophyte? Sultry or uptight? Andre Jaouen worked well as a hero. Good enough story to keep me reading. Not good enough for me to recommend to others.

Tintin in America

by Herge PRMS 62 pages YA graphic novel adventure This is not my favorite Tintin book, but it’s the only one in this collection. I love Snowy and his resourcefulness! This is an interesting historical view of Europeans’ opinions of the U.S. in the 1930s. Weird mix of Chicago gangsters and wild west Indians. Enjoyable, but not the most engaging of the Tintin stories. (I actually missed Thompson and Thompson and Captain Haddock.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

by Trenton Lee Stewart
PRMS hardcover 485 pages
genre: mystery adventure

What an interesting story! This would be a wonderful title for LAX 6, but not the fantasy title we were seeking. Four children "pass" a strange series of tests that bring them to Mr. Benedict. Full of clever wordplay and strange situations, this book is absolutely delightful! I love how it is smart, but not too mature in content. It can be so hard to find books for excellent young readers. Stewart has a hit here. I may have to read books 2 and 3 now . . .

The Magician of Hoad

by Margaret Mahy Hennepin County Library paperback 411 pages genre: fantasy In trying to find a good title for LAX 6 in the fantasy genre, I've been previewing a lot of books. This one has many assets, but is overall too odd and uneven. I enjoyed it enough to finish it, but not enough to recommend it. Heriot, Cayley, Dysart, Linnet . . . none of them really engaged me. The King of Hoad, Betony, Carlyon, . . . . magic. peace. heroes. mumbo-jumbo trying to sound important. I'll pass on this one.

The Disappearing Spoon

by Sam Kean Hennepin County Library audioCDs 13 hours genre: science read by Sean Runnette Although I didn't enjoy chemistry in high school, I LOVED this book about the periodic table. From the jacket: "THe periodic table is one of our crowning scientific achievements, but it's also a treasure trove of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession." The author presents the stories behind the discovery of elements in such a fascinating manner that I found myself wanting to look at a periodic table. This story was absolutely wonderful! (And I don't really like chemistry much - the author is a very good storyteller indeed!)

The Cloud Searchers

Amulet: Book Three
by Kazu Kibuishi
PRMS hardcover 198 pages
genre: YA fantasy adventure graphic novel

I am really enjoying this series! I love the scene in the bar (reminiscent of the Star Wars cantina scene) and the new aspects of Prince Trellis. Looking forward to book four.

The Tale of Despereaux

by Kate DiCamillo
PRMS paperback 280 pages
genre: children's fantasy

I thought I had read this before, but I was just mixing it up with Edward Tulane. Lovely story of a small mouse with big ears who falls in love with a princess.

A student had donated a book and I was looking forward to collecting more copies for the sixth grade book / movie unit. When I looked at the donated copy, though, I noticed the words "junior novelization." Sure enough, after DiCamillo's book was made into a movie, someone else made a book of the movie . . . and changed the story too much for me. Instead of opening with Despereaux, the novelization opens with The Rat (Roscuro) and a sailor named Pietro. Sigh. This is one GONE book!

The original tale is quaint and sweet. It's a bit on the young side, but that makes sense. Her intended audience was not my middle school kids.

Dewey the Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World

by Vicki Myron & Bret Witter
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 7 discs
read by Suzanne Toren
genre: memoir, animals

I finally broke down and got the audio version, even though I own the paperback. I spend too much time in my car to not use that time to get more "reading" done. Overall, I really enjoyed this book by Vicki Myron. She intertwines her life story with that of Dewey Readmore Books, who was left in the book return on a frigid night.

I guess I'm just a library nerd. This appeals to me in that I love books and libraries, too.

The Red Pyramid

by Rick Riordan
Kane Chronicles 1
PRMS paperback 516 pages
genre: fantasy / mythology adventure

Carter and Sadie are siblings being raised apart. Egyptian mythology, good vs. evil, Sadie is younger but also bolder. Their uncle Amos. Goddess Bast. Lots of fighting and travel portals.

Good, but I'm too tired to blog.

Amulet:: The Stonekeeper's Curse (book two)

by Kazu Kibuishi
PRMS hardcover 217 pages
genre: YA graphic novel fantasy

I am really enjoying this series! Not sure why it has taken me so long to read more of it. The surprising thing in this volume is that the elves are the bad guys! I didn't realize in book one that they were elves. Now I'm very curious about the elven prince and his role in the story. I love the fox character and am glad that Emily's mom is okay.

Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck
CMSE hardcover 107 pages
genre: classic American literature, historical fiction, relationships

I hadn't read this in over twenty years and had recommended it to David C. (who had to read a classic American work and does NOT like to read). I think he ended up going with Fahrenheit 451. I had forgotten how much swearing and slang was in this short little book (more like a novella than a true novel). Perhaps its length is what made so many English teachers choose it for high school students to read - at least it's short!

I loved seeing the way the different men communicate with one another. George and Lennie have such a simple yet profound relationship. Slim is my absolute favorite. I wish Lennie had been able to have a stuffed animal or a fur coat to fulfill his desire to pet something soft . . .

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

by Brian Selznick
PRMS hardcover 530 pages
genre: YA historical fiction

This was a re-read so that I had the story fresh in my mind when I watched Hugo. Lovely story. I actually liked the movie a lot, although it deviated from Selznick's book a fair amount. I loved learning about Georges Melies (the first time I read this) and seeing how his life story came to life. Wonderful. Glad I could share it with Louie!

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen

by Eric Berlin
Carver County Library kit book paperback 209 pages plus answers
genre: YA mystery

Loved it! Most of the mysteries were pretty easy to figure out. I wonder if the kids saw the note at the front of the book that you could go online to print out the puzzles. This will be fun to talk about. The wooden puzzle pieces, the town's history, the hidden treasure . . . all added up to a wonderful book in the same vein as The Westing Game. Good stuff!

Melonhead

by Katy Kelly
Carver County book-club-in-a-kit paperback 210 pages
genre: children's humor

It will be interesting to hear the kids' opinions (6th grade book club). I thought it was too "young" and not terribly funny. I liked how very "boy" Melonhead was - not really thinking about the consequences of his actions. I also liked that he and his friends weren't malicious (or even mischievous in a Dennis the Menace sense) but they were definitely getting into a lot of trouble. I marked a few spots to bring up at our discussion. Their rhyming name game was also kind of cute.

Hunger Games (US magazine)

Editors of US magazine
PRMS paperback 72 pages
genre: movie fandom

Lots of pics, interviews, etc. Interesting.

Odd Hours

by Dean Koontz
read by David Aaron Baker
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 7 discs
genre: paranormal mystery

Another wonderful Odd Thomas story! Odd is drawn to a coastal town, but he isn't sure why. Now that Elvis has moved on, Frank Sinatra is showing up regularly in Odd's life (as is Boo, one of the rare dog ghosts). Odd thwarts a nuclear terror plot, but encounters many interesting characters along the way. And he uses a gun! Anna Maria is strange, but since she leaves the town with Odd at the end of the story, I'm sure we'll get to know more about her in the next story.

To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel

by Siena Cherson Siegel
artwork by Mark Siegel
PRMS hardcover unpaged
genre: graphic novel memoir

Wonderful! I have tried ordering this many times, but it has not shipped to me until now. (Thank you, Amazon!) Siena shares her lifelong love of dance, her parents' divorce, and her decision to move in a different direction as an adult. Her husband illustrates her story beautifully. Dance lovers will definitely enjoy this well-told story.