Will Grayson, Will Grayson

by John Green & David Levithan
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 7 discs
read by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl
genre: teen romance, friendship, GLBTQ acceptance

Will Grayson is friends with flamboyant and huge Tiny Cooper, who tries to set him up with Jane.
The other Will Grayson is an angry in-the-closet gay teen who's on anti-depressants. His "friend" Maura takes goth and darkness to new levels.
What I like about this story: the characters' growth as individuals, the compelling story.
What I didn't like: extreme profanity, the second Will Grayson's depression and anger.

Z is for Moose (That's Me!)

by Kelly Bingham
Hennepin County Library hardcover 32 pages
genre: picture book

This is on our 2013 Litwits list. A very cute book! Zebra is conducting a show of the alphabet, but his friend moose can hardly wait his turn. When M ends up as "mouse," moose has a tantrum. A funny story, an alphabet story, and a story of friendship as zebra makes sure that moose feels included.

The Time Traveler's Wife

by Audrey Niffenegger
PRMS paperback 536 pages
genre: romance, relationships, time travel

What an unusual book! I wonder how the author conceived of it. Henry DeTamble has a genetic disorder which causes him to time travel. He has no control over it, though, and ends up nude in a different time and place. The author weaves together his story with that of Clare, a girl he meets when she is only six and he is an adult. It is a strange friendship, with him knowing that they eventually get married and she curious about her own future. Odd, disturbing, beautiful, curious, interesting . . . this took me a while to read, but it was worth it! I love how Henry's personal story unfolded throughout the book.

Duma Key

by Stephen King
loaned by Jeff Beaudoin audioCDs 18 discs
read by Joe Slattery
genre: paranormal mystery

I usually don't like King's work that much; it tends to be too creepy. This one, though still full of the F-word and a bit scary, had some really interesting components. Edgar Freemantle is horribly injured in a construction accident. Though his life has been spared, his right arm is amputated, his right hip has major reconstruction, and his marriage is in a shambles. Struggling to regain his ability to do things and articulate his thoughts, he takes a year to go to the Florida Keys to begin his "next life." Duma Key has some very strange effects on Edgar, particularly in enhancing his artistic ability. His neighbors, Jerome Weyrman and Elizabeth Eastlake, make a tremendous difference in Edgar's life. "Perse" is sheer destructive evil. Intriguing story and not as violent as other King books I've read.

Riding the Bus with my Sister

by Rachel Simon
PRMS paperback 293 pages
genre: memoir

I finally read it! This was a Chaska community read a few years ago.After having read Simon's beautiful book this fall (The Story of Beautiful Girl), I really wanted to read her memoir. It's wonderfully written, with honesty and insight. She organized the book into the twelve months of the year, sharing childhood reflections along with insight gained from riding the buses with her mentally handicapped sister, Beth. The story is both complex and simple, with family dynamics, personal feelings of failure, and striving for a better life. A truly worthwhile read!

I need to photocopy the discussion of words and names on pages 99-100 . . . excellent to use with students!

I marked pages 228-229 when the author loses her cool with Beth for constantly turning the conversation to her own complaints. This resonated with me far too much! When I get frustrated with my dad, I just want to scream. I try to tell myself, "this is just how he is, Jeanne. He doesn't want dialog or discussion; he just wants to complain and go over the same things he continues to drone on about." But it doesn't change how I FEEL. These pages jumped out at me.

10/7/13 - Finally added the pages with words & names. I made marks to show the section in context, rather than cropping out all the extra.

In the Garden of Iden

by Kage Baker
subtitled "A novel of the company"
PRMS hardcover 329 pages
genre: ? fantasy / historical sci-fi?

A weird book, this one caught my attention when I was looking for mystery titles. It has immortal cyborgs and time-travel. It starts in the 2300s with Dr. Zeus and his brilliant plans. Then it moves to 1500s and Spain, with a little red-haired girl and the Inquisition. The girl becomes Mendoza, an operative with the company. She's a botanist who despises humans and is sent to England for her first mission.

Weird, smart, and full of history, theology, and science, I'm still not sure what kind of reader to recommend this book to. I'm also not sure if I will read on in the series.

The First Gardener

by Denise Hildreth Jones
Hennepin County Library paperback 414 pages
genre: Christian fiction

This was our May book club title. I didn't get into it immediately, but I'm so glad I read it! Mackenzie is wife to Governor Gray London of Tennessee. They are a loving couple with a wonderful daughter named Maddie. Tragedy and grief knock Mack off her axis. Her mom, Eugenia Quinn, is a nutcase. Jeremiah, the gardener for the mansion, is a gem. What a beautiful story worth reading. We had a good discussion at book club. I may have to find more of this author's books.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel

by Jeff Kinney
PRMS paperback 217 pages
genre: YA humor

I don't know why I keep reading these. Greg Heffley is such an egocentric jerk. But in some weird way, it's entertaining. Greg tries to get a date to the dance. He ends up going with Rowley and a girl, trying to leave Rowley out of it.

The Last Investigation

by Gaeton Fonzi
Hennepin County Library hardcover 400+ pages
genre: non-fiction Kennedy assassination

I couldn't finish this. There's just too much going on in my life right now. After the sensationalized Bill O'Reilly book, I really wanted a more academic and scholarly take on the Kennedy assassination. It is definitely more dense reading than the O'Reilly book, but also much more enlightening. I'll have to pick this one up at a later date. I don't think I even got to page 100. Had an infuriating conversation with my father-in-law, though.

The Book of Three

The Prydain Chronicles, book 1
by Lloyd Alexander
Hennepin County Library audiobook 4 discs
genre: children's fantasy adventure

Taran is the Assistant Pig-Keeper at Caer Dallben along with enchanter Dallben and retired soldier Coll. When Hen Wen, the prophesying pig escapes, Taran follows her and embarks upon a grand adventure. The Horned King is scary and on the move. Gwydion, the crown prince; Gurgi, Eilonwy, and others people Taran's world as he grows up (a little) and struggles with his choices.

Interesting, but I'm not sure I want to continue reading this series. It was a fine way to pass time on our drive through Iowa.

We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda

By Philip Gourevitch
Hennepin County Library paperback
genre: non-fiction genocide

I only got through chapter four. The book was due back, on hold for someone else, and I'm too busy right now anyhow. It is a chapter of recent history about which I am woefully ignorant. (I was taking care of little children in 1994 and not aware of much outside my home.) I am horrified by the murders, and fascinated by the history of the Hutus and Tutsis. I need to learn more and may get this book again later.

Throne of Glass

by Sarah J. Maas
Hennepin County Library hardcover 404 pages
genre: fantasy adventure romance

Ceaena Sardothien is an 18-year-old deadly assassin who has been in the prison hell-hole of Endovier. Crown Prince Dorian and Captain of the Guard Chaol come there to invite her to compete to be the king's Champion. The king - who has murdered her people, sent her to prison, and has the power of life and death over her.

At times, this book bugged me with its amateurish feel. I finished it in two days, however, because I wanted to know which guy she would end up with, who was the source of the evil, what Princess Nehemia was up to . . .

Again, I'm not in the mood to blog tonight. I enjoyed the book and am curious about what the author is working on for a sequel. Not going to be a highly recommended by me, though. It just wasn't stunning enough.

Hope Was Here

by Joan Bauer
PRMS paperback ? pages
genre: realistic fiction, coming-of-age

Hmmm. This was a re-read and I was just going to add some notes to my original post. But I cannot find an original post. Darn! I don't really feel like blogging.

Synopsis: Hope Yancey was left by her mother with her aunt Addie as an infant. She's never known a father and her mother drifts into her life sporadically, calling her "Tulip," a name given her at birth but which she shed on her twelfth birthday. Hope is an excellent waitress (like her mother) and makes a great duo with her aunt who is a marvelous cook. Their lives have moved them across the country, but Hope loves Brooklyn and her friends. Until they are double-crossed by a "friend" who takes their money and runs off with the night waitress and their trust. And so they move to a small town in Wisconsin to help G.T. run his restaurant. Dealing with leukemia, G.T. needs them. And the more they get to know him and others in town, the more they need him.

Eddie Braverman - young cook who didn't go to college because he's supporting his mother and sisters.
Deputy ??? - I can't remember her name. Tough cop from Minneapolis who isn't afraid of the crime in town.
Mayor Millhouse(?) - lying lowdown skunk
Sheriff - also a dirty dog

Some nice romance, great civics lessons, wonderful story. Won a Newbery Honor award.

Killing Kennedy: the end of Camelot

by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
Hennepin County Library hardcover 302 pages
genre: historical / biography

I don't really feel like writing this right now. I wish I had read it *before* book club. It was interesting, a little too much (how do these men know what Oswald was feeling and thinking in the last two hours before he was caught?) but I'm glad I've read it. Unfortunately, some people now think this book is "it" even though the authors state that we'll never know what really happened. I should have made notes as I read, because there were some things that caught my attention. I didn't realize that Marilyn Monroe's death was possibly NOT a suicide . . . . I am saddened by how rude the Kennedys were to LBJ after they used him to help win Texas in the election. I wonder about Marina and her children and how their lives have turned out. (Oswald's Russian wife) And I wish I had more time to read other books from other perspectives.

I made a note of this review quite a while ago . . . (adding it 7/2/13):
http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Kennedy-The-End-Camelot/product-reviews/0805096663
I find this intellectually stimulating, but have so many more things to attend to right now.

The Girl in the Glass

by Susan Meissner
Hennepin County Library paperback 325 pages
genre: Christian fiction, relationships

Basic story: young woman named Meg (Marguerite) has always wanted to go to Florence, Italy. Grandma promised to take her for high school graduation, but died when Meg was only 12. Dad promises to take her, but keeps flaking out. Meg called off an engagement when she realized she didn't love him as much as he loved her. She works at a publishing house and dates Gabe . . . on and off. Intermingled story line is the manuscript sent to her by Sophia, a native of Florence who lives across from a brother and sister team of photographer and author. Sophia's story is part memoir, part travelog for the beauties of Florence. Intertwined with these two stories is a narrative from Nora, a Medici who lived in the early Renaissance.

It was enjoyable, but not gripping. Meg's attraction to Devon (mom's younger boyfriend) was the most interesting part to me. I wish I could go to Italy. I'm a bit surprised at who Meg ends up with at the end of the book. The stuff with her dad was a bit much.

Her Last Death: a memoir

by Susanna Sonnenberg
Hennepin County Library audio 7 CDs
read by the author
genre: memoir, dysfunctional families

This was disturbing (as in, why did I listen all the way to the end?) but well-written. Sonnenberg is a gifted writer, but this story is either more fiction than fact, or she grew up in one of the most dysfunctional families I've ever read about. Her mother told her about orgasms when she was eight years old, offered her cocaine when she was twelve, and encouraged her to lose her virginity when she turned sixteen. Really?

Yet I was compelled by her story and her love-hate relationship with her mother. There were parts of her story that actually resonated for me with my own childhood! She is a very gifted writer, but her choice to use pseudonyms for everyone other than herself made me curious. So of course, I went online and did a little research.

Mom (Daphne in book) is Wendy Adler
Maternal Grandma (Patsy) is Eileen Walser, model
Maternal Grandpa (?) was Larry Adler, famous harmonica player
Eileen Walser's second marriage was to Arnold Maremont
Dad (Nat) is Ben Sonnenberg,editor / publisher of literary magazine
Stepmom (Isabelle) is Susan de Verges Snodgrass (marriage #2)
Dorothy Gallagher is Ben's wife #3

Paternal Grandpa is Benjamin Sonnenberg (?-1978), Russian immigrant
Sister (Penelope) is Emma Sonnenberg-Snowden-Jones

Half-sister (?) is Saidee Brown Sonnenberg
Stepbrother (Joe) is Stephen Verges

Husband (Christopher)
Sons (Daniel & Jack)

For a truly awesome review, read this: http://headbutler.com/books/memoir/her-last-death
Wow.

Her dad's autobiography is title Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy

Odd Interlude

by Dean Koontz
Hennepin County Library paperback 253 pages
genre: paranormal mystery

This shorter novel takes place between Odd Hours and Odd Apocalypse (Magic Beach & Roseland). Odd and Annamaria have just left Magic Beach and are driving along the California coast when they are drawn to Harmony Corner. There is "something" in this place that demands their presence . . . and off we go into mystery and mayhem as only Odd can do it. Wonderful little story. I'm hooked on this character! Can hardly wait until Deeply Odd is available! (I'm #232 on Hennepin County's waiting list for it; it's "on order" in their system.)

Everybody Sees the Ants

by A.S. King
Hennepin County Library hardcover 280 pages
genre: Teen realistic fiction

Lucky Linderman is a 15-year-old who has been terrorized by bully Nader McMiillan most of his life. His parents don't deal with problems directly and Lucky dreams himself into Vietnam where he tries to rescue his grandpa (MIA/POW).

Complex, harsh, beautiful, awful. This book is amazing. Some of my middle schoolers could definitely handle it, but it should absolutely be in high school collections.

Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit

by Francis Chan
Hennepin County Library paperback 166 pages
genre: non-fiction Christian faith

I love this book! But I'm torn about buying a copy to keep (when I'm trying to be frugal and decrease my possessions) or just re-checking it out from the library. Chan raises some important questions about faith and living for God versus self.

I want to take time to reflect on these passages:

I was vacillating between just getting out of this book whatever I could (and getting it back to the library since someone else was waiting for it) and wanting to own a copy. I'm trying to own fewer things, yet after paying $2.10 in overdues fees, I think I just want to own a copy. It would make a great devotional, in a way. He keeps writing that you should put the book down and pray about what he has brought up. I love how he keeps putting the focus onto God and God's Word. Phenomenal book.

Saturday Night Dirt

by Will Weaver
PRMS paperback 163 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

This is for 8th grade book club. I didn't especially enjoy it (especially compared to other Weaver novels). There were waaay too many characters for a short book like this: Trace, Mel, Johnny, Patrick, Beau, Amber, Tudy, Sonny, Leonard, Cal, Larry, Richie, . . . .it was a challenge to keep them all straight! Car racing. Okay.