Mutation: Phoenix Files #3

by Chris Morphew
student's copy paperback 311 pages
genre: YA dystopian

Finally! This third segment is told from Jordan's point of view. She's a kick-butt no-nonsense girl who is liked by both Luke and Peter but maintains friendship with both. The three now have trackers / supressors implanted in their lower backs. This part of the story gets even darker and creepier with Peter's former friends up to something and a mad scientist laboratory out in the bush.

I need to tell my student to stop loaning me his books! I don't have time to read so much.

Contact: Phoenix Files #2

by Chris Morphew
student's copy paperback 309 pages
genre: YA dystopian

This story was told from Peter's point of view. He's my least favorite of the trio of teens trying to figure out what's really going on in Phoenix and how they can stop the end of the world. This one gets even more intense with the creepy factor and an innocent character's death. These stories are addicting . . .

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

by Ernie J. Zelinski
Hennepin County Library - paperback and audiobook
229 pages, 8 discs
read by J. Charles
genre: non-fiction, self-help

Random notes (as I was at stoplights, etc.):

Brainstormed list of things I'd like to "do" in retirement:
prayer and Bible study
ministry
travel
walks
quilting
volunteer (Meals on Wheels, DARTS, Habitat for Humanity, Respite / Foster care, tutoring)
grandchildren?
swimming

This was in response to his stressing having a "purpose" in retirement. This part is easy for me! I love to help others and serve. I have lots of interests and little time to pursue them. The word BLESSING kept coming to mind.

The first part of the book energized me! I'd heard somewhere that you should plan to live until 90. He says plan to live to 120 and live each day as though it's your last (or something along those lines). Financially, I don't know what that "should" look like. I really appreciate the fact that his focus isn't on money; it's on life choices. He does point out that you can earn more or spend less. He also talks about working part-time to help finance retirement. He ends the book by saying "spend it all!" Hard to do when you don't know how long your life will last . . . and it's kind of cool to leave money to others who can be blessed by it.

Be a "connoisseur" of life. I like that! It got really, really old when he was warning about boredom in retirement. I cannot fathom getting bored. Life has so much to offer!

The section on not spending retirement watching TV was beaten to death . . . seriously? Do people do that? Sit and watch television for hours and hours each day? Not worried about that. Yet he brought it up in almost every chapter! Ad nauseum . . .

Ironically, he talks about having structure to your days AND being spontaneous. Whatever. Some of his life philosophy stuff was too trite to even reference with specifics.

Every time he talked about using the internet for doing research and read out the entire address "double-you, double-you, double-you dot trivago dot com" . . . made me wish I was reading the print version so I could just jump down to the next chunk of text.

Another problem with the audio version (and the print, for that matter) was the author's extensive use of lists. I fast-forwarded over ten-plus minutes of him listing activities you can do in retirement. Really. I think every chapter had lists in it. You could rename the book "Retirement for people who can't think for themselves."

Okay, enough slamming. I kept with the book for the entire experience for a reason!
1. I loved the positive "you can do this" message. I told Louie about some of the things I got from this book. He's still focused on the financial aspects of retiring and I'm really bad about that. We're going to crunch numbers this summer.
2. I liked the chapter on travel! One of the things I'm definitely looking forward to even before we retire.
3. I really liked people's personal testimonies about what a difference retirement made in their lives. A lot of these folks retired before "traditional" ages of 62, 65, etc. Very encouraging!

Besides the ability to skip over sections (like lists, or being single), the other thing I liked about the print version is the inclusion of comics! I listened to the audiobook in my car, then checked the book for the comics I'd missed after I got home. I'm not sure how much of my irritation with this title was the writing and how much was the reader's voice. In any case, it was worth experiencing this title. It's definitely different from anything else I've read and got me thinking even more about my future.

I also made a note to talk to Betsy Lasch and Judy Shallow about retirement . . . I really want to follow through on this!

Something True

by Kieran Scott
YAC book PRMS hardcover 279 pages
genre: YA romance

This is book three in a trilogy, but that's not what made it "not work" for me. True Olympia is actually Eros, but she's been banished to earth to be a normal mortal teenager until she can join three couples ("love matches") and return to Olympus. Her beloved, Orion, has had his memory wiped by Zeus, and he is dating Darla who is pathetically attached to Veronica Vine, an absolutely shallow and selfish girl.

Misunderstandings and love triangles ensue. Artemis and Apollo get Hera's permission to head to earth to confront Eros. Yada yada.

My favorite parts were when Orion had flashes of memory of his previous life. I liked Hephastus as Heath, too. I'll donate this rather than spend money buying books 1 and 2 to have a complete set.

Walking: the Ultimate Exercise for Optimum Health

by Dr. Andrew Weil and Mark Fenton
Hennepin County Library audiobook 2 discs
read by the authors
genre: non-fiction, wellness

Short and to the point. I listened in my car, but disc one is really about WHY you should walk (easy, inexpensive, lifelong, etc.) and disc two is really for you to use to stretch out, move, walk faster for greater benefits, and cool down.

I made a note - copy disc 2, put it on mp3 player, and WALK! I really think I mostly just need to be motivated to do what I already know is good to do. I spend too much time on my butt!

The four tips for faster walking technique are:
1. Stand Tall (posture!)
2. Focus on quicker, not longer steps
3. Bend your arms (90 degrees, arc from along waistband in back to chest high in front)
4. Push off of your toes (show someone behind you the bottom of your shoe)

Warm-ups:
1. Ankle circles - R to R side in slo-mo, L to L side - 5-6 each side
2. Leg swings - swing from the hip like a pendulum - slow, controlled - each leg 5-6 times
3. Pelvic loops - hands on hips, soft knees, feet and shoulders stationary - to the L and the R
4. Change light bulbs - reaches overhead - both hands up, reach further up with one, twist, change sides
5. Arm circles - hold arms out like a T, make small circles forward and back, then bigger circles, etc.
6. Torso twists - hands on shoulders, slowly twist L and R

I'm already tired of this and I don't want to grab images from the booklet. I'll either get it from the library again when I'm actually ready to use it (or buy it on Amazon).

Taming the Dragon Within: How to Be the Mother-in-law You've Always Wanted

by Leanne Braddock, Ileene Huffard, & Zannette Uriell
personal paperback 280 plus appendixes
genre: non-fiction relationships

Ginee Scott gave this to me before Alex and Stacie got married and I've finally read it! (The last three years have been quite full of life events.) I didn't find it to be super helpful, but perhaps I need to ask Stacie about the things I say or do that bug her. I definitely marked the chapter about grandparenting . . . that will be new turf for me and I want to be a blessing to both generations!

Page 44 - the sit-down talk caught my attention. I am glad that Morgan and I are able to talk with one another pretty easily. I want to have a conversation with him about his relationship with Angela's family. I sometimes am oblivious to others' perspectives and I know he can be, too.

Page 63 - I love the section on "leaving and cleaving" and especially the directions given to the Israelites. It's so important for a young couple to spend time getting to know one another better and forging their new relationship.

 

Chapter 5 on Communication . . . I could highlight the entire chapter! Chapter 6 on Conflict Resolution is also helpful.

Page 128 - The section on cut-offs (and the impact on several generations) was concerning. I know of far too many people who have had relationships severed and it is heart-breaking to me. It's hard work to deal with conflict, hurt, and forgiveness, but it is so important.

Page 158 - I love the section on humor! I often say, "I'd rather laugh than cry." The reasons humor is important?
1. The funny line and the bottom line intersect! (employers appreciate humor)
2. Jest for the health of it! ("laughter enhances respiration and circulation, oxygenates teh glood, suppresses the stress-related hormones in the brain, and activates the immune system")
3. Humor as an antidote to stress
4. "A smile is the shortest distance between two people."
5. The HAHA-AHA connection (between humor and creativity)
6. The laughing-learning link
7. Your resilience quotient
8. Humor as a saving (and amusing) grace for the planet (build bridges)

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 . . . .