Great Books, part 3

I usually go for the dead teens books. However, last year's "No more dead teens" group really must have meant it because there were no dead teen books this year. So I chose "An Element of Danger".

1. In Epoch by Timothy Carter, everyone is going to die. Because the world is going to end. Vincent has been waiting for this, since his parent's religion has been proclaiming the end of the world for years. However, he discovers that it really is going to happen when he starts to see elves, pixies, and demons. And he learns that every civilization has its epoch and when it's over, it's over. Usually, there are portals that transport creatures from the ending epoch away, however this time something is blocking the portals and Vincent and his friends can't find out why, it's the end of everyone. I liked this story. I thought it was clever and unique. I'd recommend it to those who like fantasy and well as teens into rebellions.
2. In Boot Camp by Todd Strasser, Garrett, an incredibly bright teenager, is kidnapped in the middle of the night sent to a juvenile detention facility for delinquent teens. His parents have arranged this because he skips school once in awhile, breaks curfew, and won't stop dating his former teacher, who is 8 years his senior. A Lake Harmony, teens must admit their mistakes and confirm to their parents expectations to be released. If they don't, they will stay there until they are 18. Garrett is forced to endure both physical and mental abuse. This story is very powerful and is a strong and disturbing indictment of the boot camps that have sprung up all over the world.
3. In Right Behind You by Gail Giles, 14 year old Kip McFarland has spent the last 4 years in a psychiatric ward for violent offenders. When he was 9, he killed a young friend after setting him on fire. After his release, "Wade" moves to Indianna, but life is too good and his secret is revealed. Forced to relocate once again to Texas, Wade wants to trust Sam, his beautiful neighbor, who has her own past. But will she ever accept him for what he is? This is an interesting story told as the story is revealed to Sam. I thought it worked well.
4. This year's Kevin Brooks contribution is Being. This is the story of 16 year old Robert who goes to the hospital for a routine endoscopy (are endoscopy's really routine for 16 year olds?). Once there, he discovers that he is not human and mysterious people are after him. I thought the story dragged, especially after Robert and Eddi skip to Spain. I don't want to reveal too much, but the ending was really awful. I don't know why all the violence, especially when no answers resulted. No who is Robert, no who are these people after him. Not satisfying at all. After a pretty good start, there was so much potential in the story, but none of it was realized. I did not enjoy as much as last year's much more powerful, and equally violent, but fully wrapped up Road of the Dead.

Great Books, part 2

When choosing my Great Picture Books group, I usually try to look for a theme or topic that I think will contain books I can use in drop-in story times. I usually try for some sort of animal group (you can almost always find a book or two to use with animal books). This year, there didn't seem to be an animal group, so I chose "Home Sweet Home".

1. In Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk, Sam is a mouse who lives in a library. One day he decides to write his own book. He leaves it in the collection where it is found by the librarian. Sam continues to do this and his books become very popular. When asked to come and meet the children, Sam does something to encourage the author in everyone to emerge. This is a cute story with bright and vivid illustrations. A little long for the typical story time, but would be good to use with a kindergarten - second grade class.
2. In The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend, Jack the cat is hungry for omelets, so he builds the perfect nest to attract a chicken to supply him with some eggs. It's the perfect plan until a chicken, a duck, and a goose all lay claim to the nest, leaving Jack many more complications than he anticipated. Nice illustrations, fun use of language and not too long. This would work well for a drop-in.
3. In Some Dog by Mary Casanova, George has had a wonderful life as with his owners and they find him very special. All that is threatened by the arrival of a stray puppy who is full of mischief and energy. Can George compete with Zippity? A nice story. Maybe a tad bit long. Could be used with an older group.
4. Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine is based on the true story of Henry Brown, a slave who first loses his parents and then his wife and children. With nothing to lose and help from the underground railroad, Henry shuts himself into a packing crate and is mailed to freedom in the north. A very powerful and inspiring story, beautifully illustrated. Would be a good choice for an elementary school age program. Would be good for Black History Month programs.
5. Stealing Home by Robert Burleigh is two stories in one. First it is a simple descriptive story of how Jackie Robinson stole home plate during game one of the 1955 World Series. It is also the story, told in baseball card fact boxes on each page of Robinson's integration into Major League Baseball. Nicely illustrated. The layout is a little complex in that I needed to read the facts separate from the story or else the story got lost for me. I'd recommend this as a one on one read with a child/student.

Great Books, part 1

I have started reading for the Great Books Workshop in April. This is an annual workshop featuring a noted children's author or illustrator as the speaker (this year, Bruce Coville) and 3 discussion sessions. What this means for my reading project is that I'm stepping away from adult genres and am taking a look at some children's titles.

This month I tackled my "Great Books for Kids" books. This category is for upper elementary and middle school books. I chose the "Little Intrigues" group.

1. The case of the left-handed lady by Nancy Springer features 14 year old Enola Holmes (the younger sister of Sherlock) trying to evade discovery by her brothers (since she is living on her own) and trying to locate the missing Lady Cecily. Enola is extremely clever and capable and does "quite well on her own". I like this book and think that it will appeal to middle school girls looking for an independent heroine who is having a great adventure.

2. Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. LeFevers features another clever, capable and independent heroine. This time it is 11 year old Theodosia, who spends most of her time in the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London, where her father is head curator and her mother is traveling the world (currently concentrating in Egypt) looking for artifacts. Theodosia can feel the black magic emanating from the artifacts and must embark on a true adventure to recover and return a most powerful amulet, the Heart of Egypt. There a little Indiana Jones feel to this one and enough skulduggery that boys, able to look beyond the female title character, may enjoy this as well as the girls will.

3. In The Theft & the Miracle by Rebecca Wade, 12 year old Hannah Price is not particularly popular. She is a little overweight and acne prone. And she is a wonderful artist. One day she finds shelter from the rain in the local cathedral and, as if in a trance, draws a remarkable likeness of a statue of the Virgin and Child. The next day the Child is stolen and Hannah is caught up in the effort to find it before it is destroyed. This is an interesting story and was a quick read. It has an underlying message of esteem and self acceptance which may be of interest to girls of this age.

4. The Secret of the Priest's Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story by Peter Lane Taylor chronicles the true story of a group of Ukrainian Jews who survived the Holocaust by moving into a series of gypsum caves. The book details an expedition to explore the caves and recover artifacts with the true story and recollections of the survivors themselves. Photographs document both time periods. This is a tremendous story of people working together to ensure the survival of the whole group. It is almost unimaginable to conceive of how they accomplished this. A good story for the history and the inspiration for both boys and girls.

Non Fiction

Inspired by Deborah's universe books, this month I listened to a Non Fiction title. I decided to try the bestseller, Marley & Me: life and love with the world's worst dog, by John Grogan. Despite the fact that I am in no way, shape, or form a dog person, I really did enjoy the book. The episodes flowed smoothly and painted a wonderful portrait of this crazy dog. He sort of reminded me of my neighbor's dog . . . and also of my kids in a way. I really felt like I knew the dog and I definitely had to brush back the tears when it was time for Marley to go. As it's bestseller status will attest, many people are already familiar with this book. But it is definitely one to recommend - for the dog people, for the cat people, for the relationship people - which, when you think about it, it just about everyone.

Romance

This month I decided to read a romance book. I decided to read a romance paperback series book, because, to my recollection, I have never read any series books before.

So I went right for the jugular with a Harlequin Blaze book. This series if one of the most explicit of the paperback series (as evidence by the lack of clothes on the cover). It is true what they teach you in those reader's advisory classes.

I read Baby, It's Cold Outside, by Cathy Yardley (see, it had a holiday theme and everything), in which hot shot Colin returns to his small hometown and has a fling with local golden girl Emily. Will the one night stand turn into something more? Of course it does. That's the whole point of romance novels, isn't it?

It was a quick read, an okay diversion from the holiday madness of mid-December. Would recommend to those looking for something more explicit.

Mysteries

For November I read a Mystery. I do cross over into this genre once in awhile, so I picked an author/series I hadn't read before. I listened to "A" is for Alibi by Sue Grafton. It was a pretty good story that did keep me interested. I'm not so great at figuring it all out, and I was kept guessing on this one. I can see why the series is so popular and the customers have plenty to chose from since the series is up to "T", which is due out this week.

I wasn't so thrilled with the reader of this tape. She seemed to me to be trying too hard to play the unemotional, hard-boiled PI. It was a little too much for my taste.

Endless Universe

Endless Universe: Beyond the Big Bang by Paul J. Steinhardt and Neil Turok
Instead of a "big bang" where time and space sprang into existence 14 billion years ago, the authors postulate a cyclical universe that has always existed and will continue to exist. The authors theorize there have been countless big bangs -- calling this M theory. This theory says the universe contains objects called "branes" (short for membranes). Two branes engage in an endless cycle of "collision, rebound, stretching and collision again."
I understand virtually nothing of the rationale behind this new theory except that it is intriguing to me that this theory apparently answers the multitude of questions/problems that arise when considering the Big Bang model. Even Stephen Hawking calls it "a challenging alternative to the accepted picture of the Big Bang and the future of the universe."

Jinx by Meg Cabot

Jinx by Meg Cabot

Jean Honeychurch hates her nickname “Jinx,” – though she does believe it is well deserved – remember the tornado that hit the day she was born. She moves to Manhattan to stay with relatives in order to get away from a “situation” that had developed back home in Iowa. At least she had been looking forward to seeing her cousin Tory. But the Tory she meets is far different than the fun-loving girl she remembers and it is very obvious that Tory does not want Jinx there.

Tory is playing a dangerous game with magic and seems to think that Jinx knows all about it and is in competition with her. Jinx tries to behave as if that is silly, but is it? Add the boy that they both have a crush on in the mix, and the competition really becomes fierce.

This is a suspenseful story that leaves you guessing until the end. Young adults will enjoy it.

Beyond the Earth

If you want to learn about the world beyond terra firma, these are the two books to read: An Ocean of Air by Gabrielle Walker and Death by Black Hole by Neil de Grasse Tyson. Both are well-written and geared to the lay person readers. I now understand -- in the most simplistic of terms (smile) -- the skies beyond terrestial earth -- from earth's atmosphere to the farthest reaches of the universe.
Did you know?
Because of the broiling activity taking place in the sun, it takes 1,000,000 years for a photon to travel from the center of the sun and finally leave the sun. If that same photon were able to travel without interference, that journey would take 2-3 seconds.
All the water in the oceans can be accounted for by the water added by comets (those icy snowballs from the outer solar system) hitting the earth for the past 4.5 billion. That puts into perspective how long a billion years really is.

More Science Fiction & Vampires, part 2

This month I read Laurell K. Hamilton's Killing Dance. This is book 6 in the Anita Blake, Vampire Slayer series. I may be cheating in calling it Science Fiction, but some library systems (including mine until they changed the catagloging) do file this title in Science Fiction. It would be the alternate reality/fantasy aspect of SciFi - not the traditional outer space type.

I have been enjoying this series for a couple of months now. Like the Charlaine Harris series I talked about in my Vampires, part 1 post, this series has vampires (as well as shapeshifters, fairies, trolls and let's not forget zombies) interacting in the world with us normal (non preternatural) folk. But that's were the similarities end. The Harris series has a light, fun tone to it. This series is dark and gruesome (very graphically so). Now there is violence in the Harris series - there has to be - you can't kill vampires without staking or beheading or some other really permanent way. It's just that the Anita Blake series takes it to another level. Where Sookie is a cocktail waitress, Anita is a necromancer (she raises zombies for a living). And she's the licensed official state vampire executioner. And one of her best "friends" is a monster hit man (the challenge of killing humans was gone, so he pretty much specializes in killing things that go bump in the night). This takes her involvement in the preternatural world to another level.

I would recommend these books to people who like vampires and even those who like serial killer/thriller type books. People who like monster books might like them as well. There is a developing sexual theme that is increasing as the series plays out. Anita is torn between the master vampire of the city and the leader of the werewolf pack. It looks like this will continue to develop in future books.

Science Fiction

For October, I tackled Science Fiction, definitely not my first choice of genres. I chose to read a "classic" hoping that the lasting appeal of the story would be reflected in the writing, etc. I listened to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

It was not bad. Some of the reviews of this book call it hysterically funny. I found it amusing and often ironic, but it didn't make me fall over laughing. I enjoyed the exploits of Earthman Arthur Dent as first his house, and the the whole Earth, are destroyed in the name of more efficient transport routes. The characters are fun and I loved the idea of the travel guide.

I went into the book saying that I wasn't going to go on to the rest of the series. But I may, one day, when I have nothing else to read.

There's enough scifi/techie stuff in here to appeal to the traditional reader, but the humor and fun make it also appealing to the rest of us.

The Twilight Saga

I read the much buzzed about YA Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. I was transported to the little town of Forks, Washington where a teenage love triangle has just sprung into bloom. This is not a typical love triangle, however, (nor is it entirely teen-aged!) consisting of a human girl named Bella, a vampire, Edward, and the werewolf, Jacob. They’re pretty indulgent books, with entire paragraphs dedicated to Edward’s hard marble-like skin and deep, endless ocher colored eyes, (not to mention Jacob’s inhumanly warm, russet colored skin) but I was fascinated by the story, to be honest!
One of the more interesting plot lines is the existence of the ancient coven of vampires in Italy known as the Volturi. They are a collection of especially talented vamps that make sure their entire race stays under the human radar. One vampire myth is also squashed with the revelation that the sun does not burn them. They avoid it because if they ARE caught in the sunlight, it would attract lots of unwanted attention from humans for their skin sparkles like thousands of diamonds, and casts tiny little rainbows everywhere.
There are three books so far. Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, with the next book, Breaking Dawn, tentatively set to be released Fall of ’08. Meyer leaves lots of burning questions unanswered, including The Big One. How will Bella give up her humanity and forsake her parents to become immortal for Edward?

African American Fiction

This month I chose to read some African American fiction titles.

1. I just finished listening to Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. I don't think I can say that I enjoyed it, the story is not a pleasant one, but I certainly felt the power of it. Set in 1941, eleven-year-old Pecola, viewed as ugly by everyone in town, wishes for blue eyes. The abusive situations as well as her self hatred/hatred of her racial identity are all very disturbing issues. And they are issues that we don't want to have to deal with. The layout of the book was a little problematic for me. The story was told in several different voices and it wasn't always clear to me who was narrating and when chapters had ended. I think listening to the story may have compounded this problem because I could not see the switches take place. This version was superbly narrated by Lynne Thigpen. I also contained an afterword written by Morrision in which she, among other things, discusses her dissatisfaction (30 years after writing the novel) with the way she structured it. As I said above, I did not particularly enjoy The Bluest Eye, but I think that it was a necessary read for me by one of the most important and celebrated authors of this era.


2. I also read Dirty Game by Shannon Holmes, one of the most recognized urban fiction authors. I will start by saying that I wanted to read B-more Careful, Holmes' first novel which is set in Baltimore, but all of the copies were unavailable. So I picked up this one off the new books shelf. This is the story of Destiny Greene, daughter of two street cons. Destiny is raised by her father Ken-Ken after her mother is shot and killed while still pregnant with the child. Ken-Ken vows to go straight and raise his daughter right. Which he does, for the most part, until he is paralyzed and Destiny takes to the streets to support them. The story is fast paced and easy to follow. I read it in only a few sittings. The biggest problem is that Holmes didn't seem to know how to end it. And even though all the right people get their just desserts, I didn't feel like the loose ends were quite wrapped up the way I wanted.

FBI Thrillers

I just finished reading the latest Savich and Sherlock FBI thriller, Double Take by Catherine Coulter. This, as usual added new agents to the mix, but was basically a sequel to Point Blank (2005). It wraps up the story of Sheriff Dixon Noble's missing wife, Christy. I found it a little bit contrived (just how many identical looking women are really out there), but it basically kept my interest until the end (just to see exactly how it was going to end). I like this series of books for a couple of reasons. I like that Savich and Sherlock often drive the action, but are not always the central characters. And there's just enough romance to be believable for the most part and not totally shoved down your throat. People following the series should be satisfied. I'd also recommend the series to those who enjoy Iris Johansen's Eve Duncan books.

The Gresham Chronicles

It's ironic that lisa chose to read some inspirational fiction this past month, as that was my choice as well! Great minds think alike, eh?

I read Lawana Blackwell's trilogy The Gresham Chronicles: The Widow of Larkspur Inn, The Courtship of the Vicar's Daughter, and the Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark. These books could also be classified as historical fiction, as they are set in the late 1800's. In the first book, you are introduced to Julia Hollis. A young widow from London, who by financial hardships, was forced to move herself and her three children to the quaint little village of Gresham. It chronicles her quest to build a new life for herself, and in the process, find new love.

The second book tells the tale of the town vicar's daughter, Elizabeth Phelps, and her own quest for love, which she finds in the arms of one she (and her father) fought so hard to forget. The third book leaves you with Lydia Clark, who thought she was content with being a school mistress AND spinsterhood, but finds she wants more when her desire for true love is awakened by a man whose affections lie with a different woman.

Pretty much all of these characters, along with a slew of less prominent ones, exist in the background of all the books in the series with interesting sub plots that constantly shift from one loveable character to the next. The writing was descriptive, but not overly flowery. The stories stick to the doctrine of faith that if you put your trust in God, He will show you the best path in life to walk (which isn't always the one we think it should be). Blackwell is not preachy, but she gets her message across. It seems to me that there is something in these stories for a wide range of age groups. Possibly YA and up. My favorite character was probably the owner of Gresham's general store, Mr. Trumble, who spews malapropisms constantly. I'm glad I gave this genre a chance, I really enjoyed the series!

Rash by Peter Hautman

Rash by Pete Hautman
In the late 21st century, American society that has decided it would "rather be safe than free" and life is very restricted. Any physical activity is regulated – Bo runs track, but only with full body armor and a helmet. Emotional issues are also regulated – it is a crime to deliberately hurt someone’s feelings. Bo is pushed too far by a bullying classmate and lashes out. Of course, Bo is the one caught and he is sentenced to jail in the frozen tundra.
The prison warden likes Bo’s running skills and chooses him to be a member of the prison football team – a game played like Bo had never seen before. It is a brutal game with no protective equipment at all.
In the meantime, Bork (an avatar created by Bo in a class assignment) tracks him down and somehow is able to help.
Rash is reminiscent of Holes by Louis Sachar, but without the depth of character and plot development. There are many unanswered questions about plot and character development that leave the reader wondering about the reasoning behind certain happenings. You never quite understand how Bork is able to do what he does – and I think that could have made an interesting sidebar in the plot.

Inspirational Fiction

Okay, okay, I'm back. I have been reading, really I have. I just haven't blogged about it. All the books I read this month fall into the library's Inspiration Fiction genre. I have never really ventured into this genre. I did listen to the whole Left Behind series over the years. I thought I should, it was so big a number of years ago. But other than that, not much else.

So for this project, I wanted this month to try a broad range of titles. The world of inspirational fiction is changing, growing to demonstrate people living an inspirational life within the more gritty experience of the real world today. The titles I have read this month definitely represent this trend.

In The Shunning by Beverly Lewis, a young Amish girl struggles with the restrictions of her life while preparing for her marriage to the bishop. Interesting look at a part of society that I don't know too much about. The story was, however, a little forced and contrived for my taste. A little too obvious in parts and way too much reliance on miraculous coincidence.

At Home in Mitford, the first in Jan Karon's Mitford Series, introduces the reader's to Father Tim, the village rector, overwhelmed by the daily life and demands of the parishioners he loves so much. It is a quiet and quaint story of the goings on in a small town. An interesting glimpse for a city girl, like me.

The Negotiator by Dee Henderson is the first in the O'Malley Series. This series was first recommended to me a number of years ago by my mom. The O'Malley's are a group of 7 high achieving siblings. They were all orphans in the same orphanage who adopted each other, choosing a new surname in the process. Each book in the series centers on one sibling and their coming to faith in the midst of a very turbulent world. In this book, Kate, a hostage negotiator, finds her faith in the midst of a horrible airplane crash and the crushing health news of a loved one.

Thr3e by Ted Dekker was a typical thriller. It actually kept me guessing for the majority of the book. The ending, which I won't reveal, violated some of the tenants of psychiatric medicine as I understand it (but then maybe I just don't know). The main character is a seminary student, however, the faith in this book was more so an examination of the constant struggle between good and evil. This book is definitely a crossover between inspirational and mainstream thrillers.

I think that there's one more book on my list to read, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I'll comment on it later if I can work it in.

I'm In

I received your invitation to join your blog. Interestingly, it is now listed as one of my blogs along side my first blog "Random Thoughts" -- I didn't know that would happen. And, so far, the two of us are listed as team members -- neat. I also noticed all the "labels" you set up -- I'm glad I saw them, it will be a reminder for me when I start some serious blogging.

Wild about Harry!

I finished listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yesterday afternoon - after threatening my kids to leave me alone so that mommy can listen to her very important book! I will not give away any of the details, but found that everything was wrapped up nicely into a very satisfying ending to the series.

James Patterson, part 2

Just finished listening to James Patterson's The Quickie on CD (co-authored by Michael Ledwidge). James Patterson falls into 3 categories: Alex Cross books (love them), Women's Murder Club books (like them a lot), and those other books (can take them or leave them). Oh, just realized there's a 4th category: Maximum Ride (not bad, if you can get past the flying kids angle).

Anyway, The Quickie falls into the "those other books" category. Many of them are co-authored (as this is). They often have these head scratching plot twists that seem to come out of left field. They tend to be quick reads, lots of action, good for the beach type of books. And unfortunately, since the books are so plot/action driven, there's very little investment in the characters - to the point of who cares what happens to them. This one pretty much fits this bill.

Lauren has caught her husband cheating on her and decides to have a revenge one night stand with a co-worker to even the score. And from there things fall apart quickly and completely. I can't say much more because I don't like to give away the details.

I listened to the book, very quickly (Harry Potter is coming tomorrow, you know), and it kept me interested. But I can't say that I really cared about Lauren or her plight. Is she good or bad? What about everyone else? Who knows, who cares. The final twists were not anticipated. Kind of in a what else can happen sort of way. But the fact that they were there was not a surprise (especially after last year's Beach Road).

I'd give the book to Patterson fans, most of whom know about the categories and will read it as such. It's not the best book, but it's not the worst one either.