December Books

Books-December 2011
1. The boy in the suitcase by Lenexa Kaaberol and Agnette.Griis
2. The forgotten affairs of youth by Alexander McCall Smith
3. Grilling season by Diane Mott Davidson
4. The unbearable lightness of scones by Alexander McCall Smith
5. Charlie Joe Jackson's guide to not reading by Tommy Greenwald
6. A visit from the goon squad by Jennifer Egan
7. 13 1/2 by Nevada Barr
8. A fatal grace by Louise Penny
9. My nest isn't empty, it just has more closet space by Lisa Scottoline (audio book)
10. The elegance of the hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
11. All the pretty hearses by Mary Daheim
12. The distant hours by Kate Morton
13. The Neddiad by Daniel Pinkwater
14. The four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Waite Clayton
15. There goes the bride: Agatha Raisin by M. C. Beaton (audio book)

1. This has some elements of The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, but I did not like it as much. I think this is also a series, but will not plan to read any more.
2. I always love anything by McCall Smith. If you have not read the series with Isabelle Dalhousie, do. They are wonderful!
3. Another Goldie murder, I think I missed this one along the way as it is not a new book, but fun to read.
4. This is from the 44 Scotland Street series. Bertie has got to be my favorite character. Glad his father is getting some backbone.
5. Another book for kids about hating to read. Not compelling reading.
6. An interesting choice for the Pulitzer Prize in 2011. A series of short stories that are somewhat connected. Characters are not particularly likeable, but my interest was engaged in trying to ascertain the connections.
7. A stand alone novel by Nevada Barr. I have enjoyed her national parks mystery series, but this one was not as compelling. A little too creepy, but well written.
8. Second in the Three Pines mystery series. I like how she builds her regular characters, but leaves us some things we don’t know yet. Penny continues to win awards for these books.
9. Short, humorous essays read by the authors. I enjoyed listening to these and will look for the next essays by Scottolone.
10. Another top pick for 2011. An elegant novel with many layers of understanding.
11. Silly, mystery set in a bed and breakfast. Good reading for riding the bus.
12. This is the second book I have read by Morton. They are loooong, with multiple layers of mystery. Worth reading, but not every month.
13. Pinkwater writes a free-flowing fantasy for children that is a little hard to follow. Not my style.
14. A multi-layered novel largely about the women’s movement. Four young women meet at law school in the 80s and their lives intertwine for the next 25 years.
15. Agatha Raisin is a popular mystery series set in England. Raisin is a good detective, but desperate for male attention and the author writes tongue in cheek about her attempts to find a man.

November Books

Books-November 2011
1. Dead by midnight by Caroline Hart
2. Ellen's lion by Crockett Johnson
3. My life as a book by Janet Tashjian
4. Still life by Louise Penny
5. Just kids by Patti Smith
6. V is for vengeance by Sue Grafton
7. Super sad true love story by Gary Shteyngart
8. Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt
9. Al Capone shines my shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
10. I, Richard by Elizabeth George
11. State of wonder by Ann Pratchett
12. Flash and bones by Kathy Reichs
13. Look again by Lisa Scottoline (audio book)

1. I love the Death on Demand mysteries set on an island in South Carolina. The fact that they involve an improbable love story makes them cute and cuddly mysteries!
2. I can now get kindle books for free from the library. This was an old children’s book that I got and read on the ipad. Fun to see the pictures, but the book is a little weird.
3. A book for kids about a kid who hates reading. A little weird.
4. A new to me mystery series, set in Canada, just south of Montreal. Excellent writing and great characters. I will continue reading these books.
5. Read this for the feminist book club. Learned a lot about Patti Smith and her era. Not a fan of Robert Mapplethorpe, but Smith’s writing makes good reading.
6. What will Grafton do when she runs out of letters in the alphabet. I also wonder if Kinsey will ever get into the computer era. While Grafton’s books move more slowly through time, they are still moving forward.
7. A post-modern novel not for the feint of heart. I found this a little hard to read, but the futuristic predictions were interesting.
8. Roger Rosenblatt’s adult daughter dies suddenly of heart issues. He and his wife move in with their son-in-law and the three grandchildren. This is the story of the first year and how this extended family deals with their grief.
9. A sequel to Al Capone does my shirts. The characters are well-portrayed. The story gets a little fantastic, but is based on extensive research into the life of the families who lived at Alcatraz. Well-written children’s book.
10. A series of short stories almost all with an O’Henry twist at the end. Not as good as George’s novels.
11. One of the best books of 2011, and a surprise because it is realistic blended with fantasy, a genre I don’t generally like. Pratchett’s writing is superb!
12. The latest Bones book. Always fun to read. Maybe Tempe’s angst over not having a man in her life is getting a little old, but the stories are still interesting enough to read.
13. Scottolone is a great author to listen to. Not sure if she would read as well as she sounds. But, I have enjoyed her books on CD so far. This is a mystery/romance with some information on adopted children thrown in. Happy endings are not always realistic, but just what I like!

Max and Kate Banks

Max's Castle is the third book book about Max that Kate Banks has done, all are illustrated by Boris Kulikov. Once again, the word play is creative, and witty, written in a fashion to appeal to both the young reader and the adult who may be reading to a child.
Max's imagination takes over as soon as he has his brothers' interest and they build a castle with blocks. Some of the word plays: drawer turns into reward; sword becomes words and adder becomes ladder (borrowing an L from bugle) so the boys can escape from the snake in the basement. The bright pictures pull you in and the word play keeps your interest. I think i like Max's words the best of the three books, but this is a great addition to the collection.

Books about hating reading

Why are so many authors writing books for kids where the main character hates reading? In some cases, this may be done to pull kids in, to trick them and get them to like reading by reading about a character that resembles them. Janet Tashjian gives her character, Derek, life in My Life as a Book. But, Derek hates to read and will do just about anything to get out of it. Tommy Greenwald also does this with Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading. Greenwald also explains that Charlie Joe is named after his three sons, Charlie, Joe and Jack. Is this counter-intuitive that we are pushing not reading to get kids to read more?
I liked Tashjian's book better, there was more plot to sink my teeth into and the whole book was not just on how to avoid reading. I am about to share some of these books with middle schoolers that I know, so we'll see what they think.

October reads

Books-October 2011
1. Saxby Smart private detective by Simon Chester (intemediate book)
2. The accidental genius of Weasel high by Rick Detorie (graphic novel)
3. Rachel Spinelli punched me in the face by Paul Acampora (young adult)
4. Bad kitty meets the baby by Nick Bruel (graphic novel)
5. My diary the totally true story of me by Giles Tibo (picture book)
6. The gift of Grace by Grace Mary McClelland (picture book)
7. Limpopo lullaby by Jane Jolly and Dee Huxley (picture book)
8. Come on rain by Karen Hesse (picture book)
9. The Saturday big tent wedding party by Alexander McCall Smith
10. When good wishes go bad by Mindy Klasky
11. Sweet Jiminy by Kristen Gore
12. The monkey and the crocodile by Paul Galdone (picture book)
13. Chicken little by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley (picture book)
14. The day Dirk Yeller came to town by Mary Casanova, pictures by Ard Hoyt (picture book)
15. Valiant friend: the life of Lucretia Mott by Margaret Hope Bacon
16. Baby proof by Emily Giffin
17. The last letter by Kathleen Shoop
18. The taste of salt by Martha Southgate
19. Shakespeare's secret by Elise Broach
20. Sing Me Home by Jodi Piccoult (audio book)
21. The Fadeaway Girl by Martha Grimes (audio book)
22. The Widower’s Tale by Julia Glass
23. Al Capone does my shoes by Gennifer Choldenko (intermediate book)


1. A cute, if somewhat formulaic detective series for third or fourth graders. Saxby is quite smart, but he has some issues with social skills. His best friend is a girl who often helps him out in solving his cases.
2. Written by the author of the cartoon, “One Big Happy.” In his first year of high school, Larkin Pace has to keep a journal for English class. He adds some line drawings and opines on topics of his sister, his girlfriend, his love of film and his parents. A great book for junior or senior high students.
3. I loved this book. One of the secondary characters is on the autism spectrum, but is treated, for the most part, as just another friend by the main character. Deals with family issues, disability, anger management and life in small towns.
4. A graphic novel for mid to late elementary school. Not the kind of book I would want my own kids to read, although some parts were pretty funny. A somewhat sarcastic way to look at the world.
5. A diary that is designed to teach young children about peace and self-awareness. Very poetic and nicely done.
6. Grace McClelland, a young girl with mal-formed fingers on one hand, has written this book to inform others about how to treat someone with an obvious deformity. Somewhat didactic, but written with grace and good will.
7. The rains come and a family in Africa must take to the tops of the trees to be safe from the flooding. While in the tree, the mother gives birth to a new baby; then the whole family is rescued by helicopter. The pictures are wonderful, but can a woman really give birth in a tree?
8. Another book about rain, but in this one, the little girls are hoping for rain. When, at last, the rain comes, they dance and rejoice with their mothers and neighbors.
9. Another in the series of the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I could read these as fast as Smith writes them. The characters are so sweetly flawed, but so caring of one another, especially, Mma Romotswe. Keep writing!
10. A genie in a magic lamp story where all goes wrong, but ends up coming right in the end. Easy to read, but wouldn’t waste my time with more by this author.
11. I have to admit I picked this up because it was written by Al Gore’s daughter. It was very well written, dealing with racial issues in the deep south. She tells a good story and involves the reader in her characters. I would read more by her.
12. Based on an old folktale, the monkey manages to outwit the crocodile and avoids being eaten.
13. Another retelling of the sky is falling. Pictures are very colorful and the language is somewhat sarcastic in places, an interesting choice for a book for young children.
14. Dirk Yeller is a mean outlaw and he yells at and threatens the townspeople. Until finally, he is taken to the library and taught how to read. Once he knows how to read, he is content and stops being so mean!
15. We read this for book club this month. It is an old book, but very much worth reading if you can find a copy. Lucretia Mott was an amazing woman who fought for the abolition of slavery and for women’s rights. She was a good friend to Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Very inspiring!
16. Giffin wrote Something Borrowed and Something Blue. Claudia does not want a baby and married Ben who does not want a baby. When Ben changes his mind, Claudia must give in or move on. While the story is told in an easy going voice, the subject matter is deeper and Giffin handles it without giving in to easy answers.
17. Set in the last years of the 19th century, this outlines the life of a family that moves from Des Moines to the Dakota plains. Fires, snow storms, locusts and a philandering husband. Can it get much worse? Family relationships are examined in great detail, but I never felt very close to any of the characters.
18. Very well written, the story of a young African American woman whose brother and father are fighting alcoholism. Told in multiple voices, this is a compelling read, even if you don’t agree with Josie’s choices.
19. Although this was published in 2005, it just came to my attention now, right on the heals of Anonymous, another story about the true identity of Shakespeare. Hero and her sister are both named for Shakespeare characters. Hero is intent on finding a pendant that may help to prove that the writer of Shakespeare’s play was the illegitimate son of Elizabeth I. A well-told story about a young girl figuring out how to negotiate being an individual in a world where conformity is key.
20. Multiple issues: fertility, frozen embryos, right wing Christians, lesbians, alcoholism, and fidelity within a marriage. Piccoult develops characters well and this time, I even liked her ending. While it came a little quickly, it made sense considering the rest of the story. I still think her books are better to listen to than to read.
21. I listened to this off and on for about 2 months. I couldn’t really get into it. This is told in first person in the voice of a 12 year old. Emma is an amateur detective, wise beyond her years, who manages to solve a 20 year old kidnapping and avoid getting killed herself.
22. Anything by Julia Glass would be a good read. Strong characters, interesting issues and a good deal of wit thrown in for good measure. I wish she had more books out.
23. I read Al Capone does my shirts a few years ago and this one was equally good, a strong, entertaining novel for upper elementary and middle school. My one complaint is why does Choldenko have to make the girls all have such negative characteristics? Even the women are portrayed with a somewhat negative stance. The boys and men, however, are portrayed more realistically. Some are negative and most are more positive.

September books

Will try to get to this more in October. Read mostly children's and young adult books in September. Back to the semester and the days are just too full!
BooksSeptember 2011
1. Hidden by Helen Frost (young adult book)
2. The Sherlock files: the missing heir by Tracy Barrett (intermediate book)
3. Mystery by Jonathan Kellerman
4. Les miserables by Victor Hugo
5. Life is but a dream by Cheryl Sherman
6. Commentary on the whole Bible vol 1 of 6 by Matthew Henry
7. Missing on superstition mountain by Elise Broach (intermediate book)
8. Astronaut academy by Dave Roman (graphic novel)
9. Level up by Gene Luen Yang (graphic novel)
10. Killer Pizza, the slice by Greg Taylor
11. The map of me by Tami Lewis Brown (intermediate book)
12. When you reach me by Rebecca Stead (intermediate book)
13. Anya's ghost by Vera Brosgol (graphic novel)
14. My life undecided by Jessica Brody (young adult)
15. Lost, a dog called Bear by Wendy Orr (intermediate book)
16. One summer by David Balducci
17. Crazy love by Leslie Morgan Steiner
18. How to die of embarrassment every day by Ann Hodgman
19. Americus by MK Reed and Jonathan Hill (graphic novel)
20. Bake sale by Sara Varan (graphic novel)


1) Told in two voices, this is the story of a young girl who is abducted when a stranger steals her mother’s car. The abductor does not know she is in the car and she eventually escapes unharmed. The second voice is the daughter of the abductor. Years later, these girls go to the same summer camp and discover the identity of the other. Very well done.
2) A great mystery book for fourth to six graders who may delight in trying to solve the crime. Main characters are a sister and brother who are distantly related to Sherlock Holmes.
3) In stellar Kellerman fashion, there is blood and gore as well as psychological motivation. The clues are there, it’s not his fault that I usually miss them all!
4) It took several weeks to make my way through this tome; however, it was well worth it!! If you have not read this, get it free on your Kindle.
5) Not worth reading, not sure why I pursued to the end.
6) Another one that took months to go through. I am now contemplating, more Matthew Henry or move on to a more modern commentator on one of the books in the New Testament. Any thoughts?
7) Another mystery for young people. Why do authors, even female authors, feel they have to make girls peripheral characters? Can’t girls be brave and rescuers as well as boys?
8) A graphic novel about a young boy who goes away to school in outer space. All the usual school plots: bullies, bad teachers, etc, but this time it takes place in outer space.
9) Another graphic novel, this time for slightly older readers. The story is about a boy whose father wants him to be a doctor, but he wants to play video games. Through many tortuous incidents, the boy ends up being a surgeon and his years of conquering video games give him the skill: eye-hand coordination, that he needs.
10) A somewhat gory fantasy about a trio of high schoolers who fight monsters while working at pizza shop that doubles as a front for a monster fighting cadre of super stars.
11) When Margie’s mother leaves the family, this 12 year old takes matters into her own hands, commandeers her father’s car and tries to find where her mother has gone. Touching story of how Margie always feels inferior to her younger, smarter sister, but still feels the need to take care of her.
12) A Newbury winner, this book uses time travel to tell the story of how Miranda and Sal negotiate their sixth grade year, including how Sal’s life is saved by a classmate who comes back in time to save him from being hit by a bus. Stead uses L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time as a touchstone book for Miranda and as a way to explain time travel. Definitely one that I would recommend.
13) A graphic novel for high schoolers, this did nothing for me, but might be good for reluctant older readers.
14) Brooklyn is 15 and continuously makes bad decisions, so she decides to put her life decisions onto a blog and let readers vote on her decisions. Cute and perfect for upper middle school or early high school readers.
15) A story of a boy whose parents are divorcing. His dog is important to him so when the dog runs away while moving, it is devastating. The dog is soon found along with a new friend who loves animals. Pretty simplistic and a little didactic.
16) One of my book club members loves David Balducci, so I thought I’d give him a try. Formulaic writing, with no special style. Will not read any more of his numerous books; good, that will save LOTS of time!
17) Joined a second book club and we read this book, then talked for 2 hours about abusive men and abusive relationships. Kind of scary and kind of sad. One thing that came up was: how honest was Steiner in saying at the end that her life is now perfect? We will probably never know!
18)
19) A memoir written about the first 10 years of the author’s life. Supposedly geared toward intermediate kids and she writes directly to the kids at times. I am not sure if this will interest young readers, but I found it hilarious, as she is from the same era as me and many of the memories are all too familiar!
20) A graphic novel within a graphic novel. The story of a high school boy who loves books, has few friends and spends time at the library. The GN within is a fantasy and attempts are made to ban this book from public libraries. Great to share during banned book week (just past).
21) A graphic novel with main characters shaped like cupcakes and eggplant. Cupcake is trying to sell extra baked goods so he can go on a trip to Turkey with Eggplant. Not much plot, but cute pictures and this may entice some young person to read.

August Books, a long list, but some good ones!

Books-August 2011
1. Lost and found by Carolyn Parkhurst
2. This baby by Kate Banks (picture book)
3. Jack and the beanstalk by Nina Crews (picture book)
4. Fractions=trouble by Claudia Mills (intermediate book)
5. Oh, Harry! By Maxine Kumin (picture book)
6. Prudence wants a pet by Cathleen Daly (picture book)
7. The weird sisters by Eleanor Brown
8. Don't stop now by Julie Halpern (young adult)
9. Otto the boy who loved cars by Kara LaReau (picture book)
10. Melvin and the boy by Lauren Castillo (picture book)
11. Escape by night: a civil war adventure by Laurie Myers (intermediate book)
12. The lost sister by Russel D. McLean
13. The shimmering blond sister by David Handler
14. A cat like that by Wendy Wahman (picture book)
15. The lost and found pony by Tracy Dockray (picture book)
16. Jonathan and the big blue boat by Philip C. Snead (picture book)
17. Bone dog by Eric Rohmann (picture book)
18. Thelonious Mouse by Orel Protopopescu (picture book)
19. Long story short by Siobhan Parkinston (young adult)
20. The glass lake by Maeve Binchy
21. The one and only Stuey Lewis by Jane Schoenberg (intermediate book)
22. Shimmer by Alyson Noel (young adult)
23. The case of the nosy neighbor by Lori Copeland (audio book)
24. These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
25. The abandoned lighthouse by Albert Lamb (picture book)

1) I have read two of Parkhurst’s novels and loved them both. This is about a reality game on TV and focuses on a mother/daughter who need to communicate. Interesting premise and the games she made up for the game part were creative and seemed like they might actually show up on a TV show.
2) A lovely story of a toddler who is wondering about the new baby in her Mommy’s belly.
3) I liked this retelling of an old story with realistic pictures.
4) I like Claudia Mills’ take on early chapter books. Her characters are likable and nothing too bad ever happens. Would that we all lived in that world!
5) Harry is a helpful horse, cute story, a little contrived.
6) Prudence begs her parents for a pet and finally ends up with a puppy. A good story if parents are planning to get a dog.
7) I loved this book, it is written in first person plural in the voice of three sisters. Their father is a Shakespeare scholar, so there are an abundance of erudite quotes. Fun to read!
8) This is what happens when best friends (boy and girl) go on an adventure right after graduation. Oh, and yes, the girl is secretly in love with the guy. Does he love her, too?
9) Otto turns into a car and has a hard time finding others to play with. Or is it just a dream? Clever story and great illustrations.
10) Melvin is a turtle, brought home by a boy who finally realizes that turtles should live in ponds.
11) I did not like this book, for reasons enumerated in earlier posts.
12) A Scottish private eye; the story of a young girl who was kidnapped, or ran away. The main character finds her and she is safe. Good, but not really my type of story.
13) A great detective story with a white film critic and a black CT state trooper as the main characters. Kind of a fun read.
14) In case you ever wondered, this is what a cat wants in a best friend.
15) Too sophisticated for the intended audience. However, my daughter who is a horse lover would probably love this!
16) Jonathan takes a boat trip around the world, picking up his crew as he goes. Very nice pictures.
17) A little boy misses his dog who died; but he reunites with him on Halloween in the cemetery.
18) Thelonious loves the scat of jazz and makes beautiful music to the great annoyance of the cat.
19) Told from the point of view of Jonathan, this is the story of an abusive family and how the 14 year old boy tries to comfort and protect his 8 year old sister. Sad, but all too often, it may be true.
20) Read for book club, that was unfortunately canceled due to the Hurricane. A convoluted story of passion, love, marriage and betrayal, common elements in Binchy’s books. Well-told!
21) A short chapter book for young readers. Stuey has his share of problems, but they all get solved with relative ease!
22) A weird after-life story that throws in an historical perspective. With all the focus on vampires, ghosts and nether worlds, this book, part of a series will probably be a big hit.
23) I was not crazy about the voice of the person reading this book and the story itself was a little too preachy.
24) I read this in two days and requested another book by this author. Well-written, compelling characters and a little bit of a mystery, but the author gave good hints along the way.
25) A strange tale of a bear, a boy and his puppy spending the night in a non-working lighthouse. When the little boy and his dog climbed into a random row boat and floated out to sea, I thought it was a little over the top.

More books for kids

How to catch the kid market (or not)
Otto: The Boy Who Loved Cars by Kara LaReau (illustrated by Scott Magoon): Red-headed Otto loves car and has car paraphernalia all over his house and his room, including car pajamas and a bed shaped as a racing car, until one night he turns into a car and he can't eat, he can't get on the school bus and no one will play with him on the playground. When Otto wakes up the next day, he is glad to be a boy and finally willing to think about activities and food that do not involve cars. A simple object lesson with cut cartoony pictures, aimed at little boys who love cars, certainly a place for this one.
The Lost and Found Pony written and illustrated by Tracy Dockray: The pictures in this book are delightful, but the text and concepts are too sophisticated for a young audience. It reminded me of Black Beauty and the author alludes to this book in her end notes. This might be appropriate for older readers who love horses, but it failed to keep my interest.
Fractions=Trouble by Claudia Mills: Written for the second and third grade set who are just beginning to read chapter books, this tells the tale of Wilson who is a great artist, but needs help with fractions. A well-told school tale that should hold the interest of both boys and girls who are ready for early chapter books. Mills knows what she's doing.
Escape by Night: A Civil War Adventure by Laurie Myers: I was disturbed by this book on many levels. The title (A Civil War...) indicates a northern perspective, however it is set in Augusta Georgia. No one in the south would refer to this war as the Civil War; it is still known as the War between the States all over the South. The story itself is well told, has a nice plot and pulls the reader in to the adventure. It also will lead the teacher to talk about issues of slavery and right and wrong. However, the author refers to Woodrow Wilson at the end of the book, and infers that the main character is based on Wilson (who was called Tommy as a young boy). But, if the author did any historical research at all, she would know that Wilson is one of the most bigoted of our US presidents and did more than any other president to undermine the civil rights of African Americans, so it was a little galling to have him depicted in this story as a boy who went out of his way to help free a slave. When we present historical information to children, we need to be sure that we are presenting facts and not glorified myths.

Four New Picture Books

I recently received a box of new books for the fall list. Are these books the ones that will become classics? Probably not, but here are four of the picture books that caught my eye:
This Baby by Kate Banks: a great book for parents to share with young children when expecting a new baby. Written as a poem, it moves poetically through the wondering of what the new baby will be like. Lots of soft pictures of the mother's belly and toddlers wondering what is to be.
Jack and the beanstalk by Nina Crews: a new version of an old tale told with words and photographs, set in contemporary times. A good book to share with young children as a way to make comparisons.
Prudence wants a pet by Cathleen Daly: a predictable story about Prudence who begs and begs for a pet, trying out a branch and a stick before her parents finally give in and get her a kitten. Fun to share, not extremely memorable.
Oh, Harry! by Maxine Kumin, Kumin is a renowned American poet and this tale about a horse with a calming attitude is written in verse, albeit sometimes a little clunky. Harry can not only calm other horses, but has the ability to calm a mischievous 6 year old as well. Sweet story, pictures were stylized, not exactly eye-catching or appealing.
Next: some new fiction for young adults. Too many books!

July book list (sorry it is late!)

1. The forgotten garden by Kate Morgan
2. June Bug by Chris Fabry
3. Devil bones by Kathy Reichs (audio book)
4. No good deeds by Laura Lippman (audio book)
5. Kabul beauty school by Deborah Rodriquez
6. Soccer world Spain by Ethan Zohn and David Rosenberg (SLJ review)
7. Being me by Wendy L. Moss (SLJ review)
8. Listening is an act of love by Dave Isay
9. Middlemarch by George Elliot
10. South of superior by Ellen Airgood
11. Live to tell by Wendy Corsi Staub
12. A family affair by Mary Campisi

1. This was recommended to me by two of my sisters. It was a good read, if a little long. I liked the characters and the way the story played out. The author kept me guessing as to what would happen.
2. Written by a Christian author who wrote part of the Left Behind series for kids, I thought it would be a little preachy, but it was not. He said at the end that he was trying to retell the story of Les Miserables, so I had to download Les Mis on my Kindle, interesting connection.
3. About a third of the way through this book, I realized that I had read the book a few years ago. No matter, Kathy Reichs is a good story teller, even the second time around.
4. I had not read this one before, but I have read a few of Lippman’s books about Tess Monaghan, a Baltimore private detective. It made me think I should read more of these, fun to read about places in B’More that I now know and love!
5. We read this book for book club. I enjoyed Rodriguez’ style, but wondered as I read it about the veracity of her claims as well as the safety of some of the women since she was telling secrets about women still living in Afghanistan. It seems that NPR has done an expose of her and it seems that her memoir may not be all memoir. Perhaps it was too good to be true?
6. Reviewed for SLJ: good book, but where are the girls? Come on, Zohn, it can’t be that hard to give a few facts about women playing soccer in Spain!
7. A self-help books for tweens. Too bad we live in a society where they need this kind of help!
8. One of my faves this month. I would read this book again, or more from this author. So many truly wonderful stories. If you see this, you must read it!!
9. This has four good love stories, but lots of extraneous information. I felt like I slogged through it, bit by bit!
10. Right before vacation, I heard of this book on NPR. I downloaded it to Kindle and Chris and I both read it while we were in HI. It was a lovely story and very well told. I would look for more by this new author.
11. An old friend recommended this author and I was able to get this book on the Kindle. Suspenseful, good character building and tiny bit of romance. Would read her again.
12. 99 cents from Amazon on the Kindle. I just read this and could hardly remember it. Romance, but not well written. Don’t bother!

Listening is an act of love

I just finished reading Dave Isay's book of essays taken from the thousands of hours of recordings at the story corps project. The stories are funny and full of pathos, made me laugh and cry and feel great empathy for the people telling their stories. If you read one book this summer, let this be it! I had this for weeks from the library, wasn't sure if I would read it and almost took it back, then I finally opened it yesterday and couldn't put it down! So glad I didn't let this slip through my fingers!

June reading

Books- June 2011
1. Christmas at the mysterious bookshop edited by Otto Penzler
2. Simply from scratch by Alicia Bessette
3. Murder on the rocks by Karen MacInerney
4. Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
5. Then by Morris Gleitzman (young adult)
6. The widow's war by Sally Gunning
7. Nineteen minutes by Jodi Piccoult (audio book)
8. Empire of the summer moon: Quanah Parkee and the rise and fall of the Comanches the most powerful Indian tribe in American history by S. C. Gwynne
9. Dixie divas by Virginia Brown
10. Life is so good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman
11. Crunch time by Diane Mott Davidson
12. Daniel Derondq by George Elliot

1. Short stories by mystery writers that were commissioned by Otto Penzler one each year for several years at Christmastime. Each story is set all or in part at the mysterious  book store.
2. A love story and a story of grief, explores issues of broken families and friends that become our family, I was comforted by this book.
3. Formulaic mystery set at a bed and breakfast on an island in Maine, fun to read, nothing special!
4. A complicated story of a man who has two families, each including a daughter of roughly the same age, one daughter knows about the other and one does not, told in the voices of each daughter. Very well done.
5. Very well done, story of Jewish children who are running from the Nazis. Heartbreaking, and hard to read.
6. A kindle special recommended by two friends, Libby is at the mercy of her parsimonious son-in-law when he husband drowns. She finds a way to make the law work in her favor so she can stay in her house.
7. Another timely novel by Piccoult, well-written, bur some of the plot elements, especially the end were a little shaky, much easier to listen to her books than to read them.
8. Quanah Parker's mother was a white woman who was captured by the Comanches when she was young and then married a chief, and had three children, Quanah became the first and only chief of the Comanche tribe. Great read about the end of the Comanche nation.
9. Another formulaic mystery with a little bit of romance thrown in. I would not read another one by this author.
10. This book blew me away. If you read one book from this list, this is the one to choose. Thanks to my friend Kathy for recommending this.
11. I love Davidson's stories of Goldy the caterer who is always finding dead bodies and getting into trouble. But, it does seem that maybe Goldy could leaner a lesson or two and not meddle quite so much!
12. Very long and written with an old world style that makes it hard to read, but filled with pithy statements about life, particularly women's place in the world. Worth the time and effort.

Summer Reading

I read The Widow's War by Sally Gunning because it was recommended by two different people. There were times when I was reading this that I wasn't so sure if I liked it; but in the end, I did think it was pretty good. I am not a big fan of historical fiction, so that may have been part of my hesitation, or maybe it is a little slow in the middle. The book is set in the 1700s, and is based on a woman's right to rule her own life and have control over property, which she did not have at that time in the newly forming United States. I am also in the process of reading Daniel Deronda, which is set in the 1800s in England, but is basically about the same topic. It seems, unfortunately, that we could write a similar book today, and perhaps that is what Allison Pearson did when she wrote I don't know how she does it, a satirical look at the impossibility of motherhood and full time employment. In this century, we are not so much constrained by law, as we are constrained by nature or cultural mores that say that the mother should carry the greater part of child care duties.
Thanks for recommending books, keep those recommendations coming!

Book Club

Only three people came to discuss our book: Simply from Scratch by Alicia Bessette and one of them did not like the book so much that she didn't finish reading it. The story is about a young widow who is still in deep grieving a year after her husband's accidental death. There are many characters in the book who are suffering from one form of grief or another and I thought the author did a good job of bringing these story lines together. However, E thought the story was too contrived and artificial. L and I agreed that it was an easy read and in spite of the heavy topic, the characters made it an enjoyable story. I think the thing I liked the best was the fact that it ended with hope, the main character, Zell, was able to finally see through her grief and begin to live her life again.

Names in literature

Do you ever notice that certain names will pop up in literature? Right now I am reading three books that all have a character named Gwen or Gwendolyn. I recently started to read Daniel Deronda by George Eliot and the main character is named Gwendolen. When I opened Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones, I was surprised to see that the mother of the main character is Gwendolyn. In a third book, Murder on the Rocks by Karen MacInerney, one of the minor characters is named Gwen. I have also noticed lately that Lily is a very popular name for females in fiction, and that Audrey is making a come-back. Haven't noticed too many characters named Wendy, although that name originally comes from a fictional character. What names are you noticing in your reading?

Reading recommendations

Thanks to friends, these books were recommended:
The Help: I read this last summer and would agree it was a great book with lots to discuss. Our book club might read this even though many of us have already read it.
The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks: We read this in book club and agree with the friend who recommended it. Very good writing and a great read.
The Widow's War: I think my sister also recommended this a few months ago, will try to find it at the library.
Life is so good by George Dawson: will check this one out as well.
Any other recommendations?

May 2011 book list

Books-May 2011
1. 13 little blue envelopes by Maureen Johnson
2. The puzzle lady vs. the sudoku lady by Parnell Hall
3. Grounded by Kate Klise
4. How to be an American housewife by Margaret Dilloway
5. The heart of memory by Alison Strobel
6. Shoe addicts anonymous by Beth Harbison
7. I'll walk alone by Mary Higgins Clark
8. This is your brain on music by Daniel Levitan
9. Declaring spinsterhood by Jamie Lynn Braziel
10. Two of the deadliest by Elizabeth George
11. Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
12. All unquiet things by Anna Jarzab
13. Wicked prey by John Sandford (audio book)
14. Medical error by Richard Mabry, M.D.
15. The summer of hammers and angels by Shannon Wiersbitzky (SLJ review)
16. Russell's world by Charles Amenta III (SLJ review)
17. twelve rooms with a view by Theresa Rebeck
18. The ninth wife by Amy Stollis

1. A young adult novel about a girl whose aunt sends (from the grave) envelopes with directions to be followed; seemed fairly believable, except the girl was only 16 or 17 and traipsed all over the world by herself.
2. A silly mystery by Hall, he writes with a breezy style and his characters are somewhat contrived, but fairly amusing.
3. A wonderful tale for intermediate children, but why do so many authors for kids write about death?
4. Told in two voices, this looks at the difficult relationship between mothers and daughters particularly when they are not only struggling with a generation gap, but with a cultural gap as well, the mother was a Japanese war bride. Well told.
5. Savannah, a Christian motivational speaker, finds her faith in Christ has disappeared when she wakes up from a heart transplant. Interesting theme based on cellular memory.
6. Recommended by my sister, Katie, a little bit of a romance, along with the bonding of friendship around the love of shoes.
7. The latest Clark mystery, I’d say she is getting better again, it helps when she stays away from paranormal themes.
8. Maybe the hardest book I read this month. A little deep and I didn’t really need all the technical mumbo-jumbo, but came away with some new understanding of music. I liked learning about the way notes are measured and the distance on the sound meters between notes.
9. A quick read, free on Kindle. Of course, she falls in love with the guy next door and tries to eschew romance. Cute and perky.
10. Short stories by female mystery writers, runs the gamut from serious, gruesome to silly and nonsensical. All based on lust or greed.
11. Our book club choice of the month, very heavy reading. Hard to reconcile how we choose to treat other human beings. Written about females slaves in the 1850s, the reader knows they will be free in a few years, but the characters do not know this.
12. Nick’s girlfriend was killed, after a year, he and her cousin try to discover who the killer was. A surprise ending that was foreshadowed slightly. Well-done young adult novel.
13. The only way to go with John Sandford. Lots of plot lines, numerous characters, but a fun way to pass the time when in the car or working around the house.
14. Thumbs down on this one, billed as a medical mystery, the characters are not well developed and too much time is taken up with medical details. Who cares if the author is a medical doctor and knows all the right terms?
15. A story for intermediate readers about a young girl who overcomes the adversity of poverty to help her mother save their home. Lots of heart, predictable characters, okay story.
16. A picture book for kids about a boy who is autistic. Good book for siblings of an autistic child.
17. Maybe my favorite of the month. Well told, sassy voice, and characters that you have to like or hate.
18. Bess is a great character, 35, successful professionally, but still looking for love. She finally finds it only to learn that her beloved has been married 8 times. Will she dare to become the 9th? Love it!

Short Stories

Combining two favorite genres, mystery and short stories, I thought Two of the Deadliest compiled by Elizabeth George would be an easy favorite. But, it was just okay. The stories ran the gamut from humorous to quirky to deadly serious, but they just did not pull me in like I wanted them to.
On the other hand, I read Mary Higgins Clark's latest novel: I'll Walk Alone and found it to be back up to her previous standard. Clark is a master at the personal touch in a mystery, along with a touch of romance, giving a little bit of panic to boost the adrenaline. Lately, she has been throwing in too much of the paranormal and her plots have been quite thin. But, in this, she does a superb job of developing the red herring and her main character is likable, lovable and gorgeous to boot!

April Reading

Books-April 2011
1. Action starboard! By Victor Mays (gender study)
2. Singing for Mrs. Pettrigrew by Michael Morpurgo
3. Growing up bin Laden by Najwa bin Laden and Omar bin Laden and Jean Sasson
4. The mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
5. One of us by Mark Osteen
6. La's orchestra saves the world by Alexander McCall Smith (audio book)
7. Compulsion by Heidi Ayarbe (SLJ review)
8. One was a soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming
9. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks (audio book)
10. The scent of rain and lightning by Nancy Pickard
11. How to talk to an autistic kid by David Stefanski
12. Bad Samaritan by Aimee and David Thurlo
13. The virgin of small plains by Nancy Pickard
14. The other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
15. Fearless: Imagine your life without fear by Max Lucado
16. Great expectations by Charles Dickens
17. The Wyoming kid by Debbie Macomber
18. Anya's war by Andrea Alban
19. Odysseus the wanderer by Aubrey de Selincourt (gender study)


1. Another gender study book from the 1950s, main character: male, predominate character: male. Only four females in the cast of hundreds. Same old same old!
2. A rare gem of short stories written by Britain’s one time children’s laureate. Great stories and nice essays in between telling about the writing.
3. A friend recommended this book several months ago; just getting around to reading it now. It gives some good background on who bin Laden is/was and how he treated his own family. Pretty scary guy who started off as a mild mannered, family loving young boy.
4. The final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. These books go from violence to more violence; lots of blood and gore in this one. After much death and devastation, the wars are over and all live in a peace paid for with a very high price.
5. I loved this book about a family’s struggle to live with a child severely affected by autism. One thing that is too clear here: parents will do anything for their children, follow any advice and are often taken in by charlatans, all because they would love to alleviate the effects of this disorder, and give their children a normal life.
6. Great book to listen to. Not a part of a series and I have to agree with most reviewers who say that Smith does best with his series books. Maybe because this covered too much time, the reader did not get as intimate a look into La’s life as happens in the minutia written in his series books.
7. Hard to read and not very reader friendly, although it probably did give a fairly good picture of what it is like to live with OCD.
8. The long-awaited next installment in Julia Spencer-Fleming’s mystery series. She has written much in blogs and talked in interviews about the pressure to publish a book a year in this type of series. I have to say it did not live up to my expectations. That does not mean I won’t stop reading this series if she keeps writing. But, she focused too much on the issues in this book to the detriment of the human story that she tells so well.
9. We started listening to this on our way to Boston and couldn’t hear the second half on the way home because the battery died in the ipod. Typical Sparks. I knew someone would die, but he did fool me briefly in the end.
10. Another stand alone book by a great series writer. I was impressed with how she used weather in this book throughout the present day story as well as the flash-backs, almost as another character. Very nice story and lots of red-herrings.
11. Short and sweet, written by an autistic kid. Could be useful for a parent or classroom teacher to use, but only when talking to/about a high functioning autistic kid.
12. A sister Agatha mystery. Had not read any of these, and was not impressed, although the image of a nun, in habit riding a motorcycle with a big dog in the side car is one that I find quite amusing.
13. After reading Pickard’s latest book, I searched for and found this one at the library. Again, an old mystery, re-opened and solved 15 years later. She does romance well, in that it is a part of the story, but does not overwhelm the story.
14. Great book; see description of book club.
15. I have been reading this off and on for about two months. Lucado does a good job of finding passages related to fear in the Bible and making them relevant to present day life. The discussion section is something I will re-read to keep these ideas in front of my memory for a longer period of time.
16. Had never read this as a kid, although Miss Havisham is such an iconic character, I felt I knew part of the story already. Amazed at Dickens’ story telling ability and the way he gets the reader’s sympathy right where he wants it!
17. Second story about Wyoming by MaComber. Typical romance novel.
18. Set in the late 1930s, this tells the story of Anya’s Jewish family who have come to Shanghai from Odessa to escape oppression. Many great historical moments here. Not the greatest writing, but still worth reading.
19. A retelling of the Odyssey. Another great book I had never read. This was also written in the 50s and part of the gender study. Lots of men, just a few women. A losing battle!

Coincidents in reading

Have you ever noticed that when you read or become aware of a new word in one book, suddenly that word pops up everywhere you read? Or sometimes that happens with an event. This month, I was reading the Odysseus, the Wanderer, a retelling of the Odyssey, which naturally included many references to the Greek gods and the stories of how they originated. I was also reading Anya’s War, set in 1938 Shanghai. The main character was a young Jewish girl who was immersed in Greek mythology by her mother, so many of the incidents in this book were related to what happened to the Greek Gods. I found myself thinking: didn’t I just read about this? And then remember that I had just read a very similar story in Odysseus. Just reinforces the importance of background knowledge and how we learn/remember more if we have a hook to attach new learning to.

Baltimore Reading

Because of the holy week, we did not meet last Thursday for book club, but met today instead. We read and discussed The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore. This book is non-fiction and tells the story of two young men, both with ties to Baltimore. The one who wrote the book was a Rhodes Scholar and the one who did not write the book is in prison for murder. The very saddest part of the book to me was when the "other" Wes Moore signed up for, attended and successfully participated in Job Corps. He earned his GED, returned to Baltimore and worked for a year in landscaping and restaurant work. However, his potential salary was not enough to support his family and he eventually went back into the drug trade, ending up in prison for life. I do not condone the violence that he participated in. However, I do lament the fact that young men in our cities often do not have a reasonable opportunity to make a decent living. When opportunity does not exist, something will fill the void.
We all decided that we need to read something that is a little more up for next month, so Lisa (our organizer) is looking into getting us copies of Super Sad True Love Story, billed as a satire about love. How much more "up" can you get? Anyone out there have any other suggestions?
And did you notice, this month's book was about Wes, my new grandson's name?

Waiting room reading

We welcomed our new grandson this weekend, Wesley Romulus Asendorf was born early Sunday morning. Our hard job was waiting in the waiting room, so I had a full contingent of books. I started and finished reading compulsion by Heidi Ayarbe, a young adult novel about a boy with OCD. It was written in a postmoden way and I did not enjoy it, too hard to follow and too many unanswered questions. I also read Nancy Pickard's The Scent of Rain and Lightning. Pickard has written series novels for years and I love every book she has written. Her characters are well developed, and she sets you up to be just a little off-center, guessing who is the true villain.this was no exception! I also finished listening to The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks. The only way to do his books is to listen to them or watch the movies. The plots are heavy handed and you just know someone will die. I won't say who it is in this book, but he did fool me in the end. Welcome, Wesley, I'll look forward to sharing many books with you!

A family's pain

I bought One of Us by Mark Osteen a few weeks ago. He is an English professor at Loyola and I had heard about the book, written about his son's life and how his family dealt with Cameron's autism. I had other books to read and put it off; I think I knew it would be painful to read. And it was. But, it was so much more. Osteen is a beautiful writer and this book is written with so much candor, opening up his life and actions for our perusal, and with such great love. If you know of a family with an autistic child, read this book. If you want to learn more about the insidious disorder of autism, read this book. If you have ever suffered at the hands of your child (and isn't that all of us, even those of us with relatively normal children?) read this book. I was so involved in this book that I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. I could not put it down. I am in awe of the work Osteen and his wife did on behalf of their child. I am also in awe of his writing. You would expect an English professor to find just the right quote for anything he wants to say. And he did. But, what made this so very readable is that he did not hit you over the head with the quotes. They were subtle, sometimes humorous and always in keeping with the theme of any given chapter. Definitely the best book I have read in a while!

Children's Literature

What makes children's literature? Does a book become children's literature because of the author's intent in writing, or because of who the book appeals to? Robert Morpurgo was once the Children's Laureate for Great Britain. Some reviewers indicate that his stories are too sophisticated for children, but isn't that really the best children's book of all? One that appeals to children as well as the adults who read to children? I just read Morpurgo's Singing for Mrs. Pettigrew, memoir interspersed with short stories. The stories could be shared with children, but are appealing for adults as well. I had not read any of Morpurgo's work before this, but will keep my eyes out for his name now. Anyone heard of Why the Whales Came?

March 2011

Here's the list for March. I haven't posted for the past week or so, but wanted to get this out. Enjoy!
Books-March 2011
1. The Summer son by Craig Lancaster
2. The finer points of sausage dogs by Alexander McCall Smith (audio book)
3. Julie of the wolves by Jean Craighead George
4. Zita the space girl by Ben Hatke
5. Night train to Scotland by Sybil Burr (gender study)
6. The confession by John Grisham
7. Catching fire by Suzanne Collins
8. The nobodies album by Carolyn Parkhurst
9. The beauty bias:the injustice of appearance in life and law by Deborah L. Rhode
10. Mothers and other liars by Amy Bourret
11. A room with a zoo by Jules Feiffer (gender study)
12. The cat who brought down the house by Lillian Jackson Braun (audio book)
13. The world according to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith (audio book)
14. After summer by Nick Earls (gender study)
15. I don't know how she does it by Allison Pearson
16. An inconvenient marriage by Ruth Ann Nordin
17. Seven year switch by Claire Cook

1. Look up Craig Lancaster and see what it says about him as an author. I bought this book because the story was set in Montana and it turned out to be a pretty good story, maybe a little longer than it needed to b.
2. I love to listen to Smith’s book on CD. I put them on my ipod and then listen when I am waiting for the bus, or doing things around the house. If you have never heard of Professor Von Inglefeld, you are in for a real treat!
3. I read this because the fifth graders I work with are reading this in class and I had never read it. Beautiful language and a sad story about loss and survival.
4. A new graphic novel that I read so I could share with my fifth grade friends. I didn’t find it very engaging. Why do I keep seeing The Wizard of Oz in all the children’s books I read?
5. This was our book club book of the month. We all loved it. Grisham knows how to tell a story and he can also educate us at the same time.
6. One of the books published in the 1950s; the main character is very Nancy Drewish, although she lives in Scotland: brave, charismatic, can sail a boat by herself. The story is basically a romance with a little bit of mystery. Main character is a girl, but the book has 50 males and 22 females.
7. The second installment of the Hunger Games Series. I have enjoyed these books, but I am not sure how children as young as 4th and 5th grade are devouring these books. Very dark material for ones so young.
8. Probably my favorite book this month. I love how Parkhurst develops the story. She really pulled me into the mystery as well as the relationships between the characters. I will look for more books by her.
9. We are so caught up in superficial looks and this is not limited to our current culture. Rhode examines how the law can sometimes help against this bias, but unfortunately concludes that in general those unfortunate to be discriminated against have not legal recourse. It is legal to not hire (or fire) someone because of looks, weight, height and, as we all know, the size of her breasts!
10. I’m not sure why I read this whole book. The main character kept making bad decisions and the author was quite sympathetic to her, but it wasn’t working for me.
11. A gender study book where it seemed that the author was slightly more aware of his choices in gender for secondary characters. Females outnumbered males here and not all secondary characters were portrayed in gender-stereotypical ways.
12. I have read several of the Cat Who books. They are always fun to come back to. If you like a light mystery, with a touch of whimsical language play, give these a try.
13. This series revolves around a number of people residing in the same apartment building in Edinburgh. Bertie is six years old and has to contend with an overbearing mother and other trials. As a continuing story that jumps from character to character, it makes me feel like I am coming home when I read the next installment.
14. A very unusual love story, told from the boy’s point of view. It is a sweetly told tale and the author deals well with the sex angle. Haven’t counted yet, but it seemed pretty balanced.
15. A sharply funny look at the modern woman who does not have time to be the perfect wife, mother and employee. But, that doesn’t mean she is not going to try. Of course, someone will suffer and in spite of the laughs, the book is full of pain.
16. Sometimes I am not sure how I get sucked into free books on ebook readers. This book was not worth my time, in spite of the no fee to download.
17. A quick read, nice story, but nothing special.

March Book club

We read The Confession by John Grisham and we all felt the power of the book. If you haven't read it, and you want to, I'll just say: spoiler alert. In the story, a young black man is about to be executed for a murder he did not commit. All kinds of travesties were committed prior to and during his trial, but since he lived in Texas (substitute any number of states here), and he was young, black, relatively poor and powerless, none of these were ever considered and he was was convicted and spent 9 years on death row, finally coming to his execution date. In spite of a last minute confession by a serial rapist, the execution went forward and the rest of the story was the fall out of murdering an innocent man in the name of justice. Grisham makes an excellent point against the death penalty and it is hard to imagine that this is the act of a civilized society. While the story is obviously told along racial lines, black innocent man convicted of a crime against a white girl; white rapist/murderer who got away with it for almost 10 years, etc., we discussed the justice issues without talking too much about the obvious racist bias inherent within the death penalty in our country. Maybe we just had too much of that from last month's session. But, next month, we'll read and discuss, The Other Wes Moore, another non-fiction book set in Baltimore. What a great place to live!

New-to-me authors

I love discovering a new-to-me author that writes books that seem to be made just for me. Carolyn Parkhurst is my latest discovery and when I finished reading The Nobodies Album, I just wanted it to continue for about 1000 more pages. The story is narrated in the first person by a novelist who has suffered a great tragedy, both her daughter and husband died in a freak accident and she is left only with her son who eventually separates himself from her life. When her son is accused of murder, she is able to reconnect with him. There is a bit of a mystery: who really killed her son's girlfriend? And a smidge of romance. But, mostly, it is just a good story, about people I might like to meet, told in a wry voice with a great mixture of self-deprecation and reflection.
On the other hand, another new-to-me author is Amy Bourret. I am slogging through Mothers and Other Liars right now. I won't give away the plot, but will just say that the mother in this book is sickly sweet, too good to be true; yet she makes decisions that I don't think a mother would really make. So, she kind of lost me right from the beginning. And, the prose is too full of flowery metaphors and similes. It's like reading the high school English assignment where the students were instructed to use as many metaphors as possible in their writing. Even when the image is a good one, it still feels forced. Not sure if she has any other books out, but I won't be actively searching them out.

Christians and politics

I found a great book for free download on Amazon. You never know what you're getting when the book is totally free. You get what you pay for, right? But, in this case, the book would have been worth paying for. It's Healing for a Broken World by Steve Monsma. Monsma puts Christian principles in perspective when considering public policy and bases what he is saying on what is just and right for Christians to do. I love the idea of Christians being politically active without trying to impose moral majority views on the rest of the nation. If we really want justice, we will stop considering middle class tax cuts and inequities in funding for education. I've only read about half of the book so far, so haven't gotten to the chapter on poverty, but I will be interested to see what he has to say about this. Among my other reads this spring break week: Julie and the Wolves by Jean Craighead George, Fearless by Max Lucado, Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke, The Confession by John Grisham (talk about justice and actions taken in the name of Christians!), Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, and The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst. It's been a great week for reading. Haven't finished all of these, but have had a good time interacting with books in between writing reports and grading papers. Three days left before reality sets back in and meetings prevail!

Reading in the car

I have always considered myself lucky to be able to read in the car and for most of the car trips I have made over the years, I am not the main driver, so I take advantage of long car trips to get some good reading done. I've now made two trips between Baltimore and Rochester, NY in as many weekends. The first was for Carol's funeral and with Chris to do most of the driving, I finished off a few books last weekend, including Wading into Murder and Nightmare at the Bookfair. The trip I just finished was for a happier occasion, a baby shower for my daughter, and since she is 33 weeks pregnant and pretty uncomfortable, I got to do all the driving. You know what that means: recorded books! Lily lounged in the back seat with her pillows and books, and I sat in front with her mother-in-law listening to The World According to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith. I love everything he writes and the 44 Scotland Street series is some of his best work. If you are not familiar with this series, I highly recommend this. His tales of 6 year old Bertie, a gifted child in many ways, and his mother Irene are hilarious. Bertie just wants to be a normal boy, but his mother will not let him, pushing his to take saxophone lessons, yoga for children and Italian language lessons. Bertie's thoughts on these subjects are hilarious. Any mother who is in danger of pushing her children too hard needs to read about Bertie and Irene and see if she sees herself there.

February Reads

Another month comes to an end. I didn't think I would get too much reading done in February, but it must be those long cold winter nights are conducive to reading in bed. Here's the list for February:
Books-February 2011
1. Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer
2. The mysterious circus by Jane Langton (gender study)
3. The hunger games by Suzanne Collins
4. Nightmare at the bookfair by Dan Gutman
5. Lucy the good by Marianne Musgrove
6. Glorious by Bernice McFadden
7. Chicken Friend by Nicola Morgan (gender study)
8. Cactus Soup by Eric A. Kimmel (gender study)
9. Our kind of traitor by John le Carre
10. Walking into Murder by Joan Dahr Lambert
11. The hidden people of North Korea by Ralph Hassig and Kongdan Oh
12. My reading Life by Pat Conroy (audio book)
13. Wading into murder by Joan Dahr Lambert

1.Nancy Thayer writes women’s fiction. Her characters are almost all women and she writes from a woman’s perspective. I generally like her books, but don’t LOVE them.
2.This was one of the gender books I read this month, a medium length chapter book where the main character is male. The author had a balance of males and females to a certain extent, but it’s those walk-on roles that seem to trip up many authors. The policemen, for example: all male. Passersby, in this novel, some are female, but more are male. End verdict: 32 males, 22 females.
3.The hottest children’s novel series right now. They are currently making this into a movie that may be pretty scary if it follows the book closely. Well-written and compelling reading. I will read the next books in this series soon.
4.I read this on the recommendation of my fifth grade buddies. It is a pretty silly book. But, if it gets them reading, then it’s got something!
5.One of the new books I received this month about children with “issues.” In this case, Lucy seems to have ADHD. By the end, Lucy thinks of herself as good rather than bad, even though she has a hard time controlling her impulses. But, the author fails to address the fact that there are two bullies in the book and they are never really confronted as bullies. Lucy is the only one who has to adjust her behavior.
6.February’s book club choice. Read it, think about issues of race; and whether you are black or white, try to imagine the life and choices open to a black woman in the 1930s.
7.This one had a female main character and the final tally was 20 females, 19 males; just barely winning the count. At least the parents in this book do not following gender stereotypes. Becca, the main character, has a strong voice and learns important lessons through her mistakes. Wish it was that easy for all of us!
8.A picture book that retells the story of Stone Soup set in Mexico during the revolution. Dominated by males, not surprisingly, it is still a clever rendition of a favorite story!
9.I read this because John le Carre wrote The Constant Gardener and while I did not read this book, I loved the movie. I read all of Our Kind of Traitor, but I didn’t enjoy it. The story was too non-linear, had too many characters and none were that likable. le Carre won’t be on my list after this.
10.The first in a series of mystery novels set in England with an American protagonist. I like that the series is about a woman of a certain age who speaks her mind and races into danger with little thought. This was a inexpensive buy from Amazon for the Kindle.
11.While I prefer fiction to nonfiction, this book was definitely worth the time and effort to read it. The poor people of North Korea, literally and figuratively. I hope this terrorist regime will soon come to an end.
12.My top pick for the month. This is a regular book, but I listened to it on my ipod mostly while I was waiting for buses in February. There are a myriad of great quotes in this book. Conroy spends chapter after chapter discussing some of his favorite books and the people who influenced his reading life. What a great concept and great fun to read (listen to).
13.The second in the series by Lambert, the same main character, just a different mystery and set of bad guys. However, Laura has not learned anything from the dangers she faced in the first book. And she continues to get captured, knocked on the head and propositioned. Don’t know if I’ll go for the third or just let it go at two.

RIP Carol

From my eulogy for my dear cousin, Carol Anne Patt, who died unexpectedly on February 17, 2011. Carol, I will miss you as a reading partner and as a friend. You are beloved by so many:
One of the greatest memories I have is going to the national book fair on the DC mall. There we could listen to some of the greatest authors of our time, buy books and if we had the patience of Carol Anne, get books autographed. Many of you here today probably have a book that Carol waited on line to get autographed. The lines were long and the waiting could be up to 2 hours, but if Carol had a book to be autographed, she would wait. Last September, I did as I usually did and went to listen to an author or two, coming back from time to time to visit with Carol while she waited on line to get books autographed by Katherine Paterson. I got some good pictures of Carol while she was meeting Ms. Paterson. She told me she was getting books signed for Kerri and Kaitlin, which I am sure was true. But, at Christmas, I realized she had also snuck a book in there for me, signed by the author while I was snapping pictures. Sneaky, Carol, real sneaky!

Gym reading

When I go to the gym, I exercise because I feel I need to to keep my body healthy. But, I always take a book, I can read while riding a stationary bike, walking on the treadmill or using the stair master. It makes the time go faster and makes me feel more productive. Generally, I read a simple book, preferably a children's book, so it does not take too much brain power to comprehend. I just finished Hunger games by Suzanne Collins about a future dystopian society where the TV show, Survivor, is taken to a new level. Children are pitted against each other to the death, while the whole country watches them for entertainment. I read most of this in 30 minute increments, until I got so involved with it that I had to  take it home and finish it in one spurt. I started a new young adult novel today called After summer by Nick Earls. This is one of the gender studies books and it is a romance told from the perspective of the boy, giving a new twist to the girl pining for a boyfriend teen novel. It will probably be my gym book for a few weeks at least. Now if I could figure out how to read when I am swimming laps.

Understanding Culture

One of the things we know about reading is that we always read from our own perspective. This became clear to me last night when our local library book club discussed the book Glorious by Bernice McFadden. One of the main events in this book happens during the Harlem Renaissance. Easter, the main character, has written an outstanding novel, but her white benefactor steals the novel and enters it as her own in a writing contest. Easter also enters the same novel in the contest. The judges know that one of these women has stolen this novel and they ultimately choose to publish it under the white woman's name. Easter does not fight for her right to "own" this writing. The white women in my book club were outraged that she is not standing up for herself. The black women and I felt that Easter could not stand up for herself at that time in history and she knew no one would believe her. It was astounding to me that the whites could not understand how oppressive it was (and maybe still is) to be black in the 1930s, how beat down Easter was by her encounters with white people (some of which are described in detail in this book) and how she knew she could not fight the system.
We spent at least 30 minutes going round and round with the discussion and the final word from one of the white women was: She just needed to get a lawyer! As I stated at the beginning: we read from our own perspective. It was clear that we all saw this novel from very different perspectives!

Great Quotes

While waiting for the bus these past few mornings, I have been listening to a book by Pat Conroy called My Reading Life. It is read by the author, making it doubly enjoyable. I keep having to stop the ipod, mark the spot and come back to it later because he has so many great quotes. For example, in the first chapter where he is explaining his love of good literature, he says, "Books contain powerful amulets that can lead to paths of certain wisdom." In the second chapter, writing about Gone with the Wind, a touchstone book for him,  he says, "There is no passion more rewarding than reading itself, ... it remains the best way to dream..." I love the way he uses language. And I especially love hearing him read it himself. There are times when a writer's prose makes me want to stop and notice, to think about the way words are put together, to really marvel at the choice of vocabulary, sentence structure, and take the time to give credit to the author for such exquisite writing. Most times, I don't do this, but with the listening, especially with this book, it has seemed more compelling.  Either reading or listening, it is difficult to stop, to take the time to mark the place, to come back to the pieces of writing that pierce your heart. But, when I do take the time, it is always worth it!

Fiction versus nonfiction?

On this gorgeous Super Bowl Sunday, I have been blessed with time to read a few books. I have two non-fiction that I am reading to learn and two fiction, one for my book club and one to explore an author new to me. Although it is a tough read, the most compelling right now is called The Hidden People of North Korea by Ralph Hassig and Kongdan Oh. I have only read about 50 pages so far, but it is both fascinating and repellent as I read about the power of two men (Kim Il-Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il) to hold 20 million people hostage. The authors have interviewed hundreds of North Koreans who have escaped to the south or to other countries and have done extensive research to be able to verify the accounts they have heard. The people of North Korea have been kept in ignorance, are poorly educated, poorly fed and receive health care that is both antiquated and sporadic. All while the current leader, Kim Jong-Il, lives in one of his dozen modern, western-style villas complete with more food than most of his subjects see in six months. He publicly decries the starvation of his people, yet in private seems to not be affected by the hardships they face. What is it that makes a person able to ignore the rights of those less fortunate?

Kindle, ipad or traditional book?

Most of my reading is done the old-fashioned way, because I am too cheap to buy all the books I read, so I get them from the library. But, I have totally enjoyed reading on a the Kindle over the last few years and now, I am permanently attached to my ipad. The ipad has the option of reading on apple's book reader (the ibook, of course), the nook (Barnes and Noble), the kobo (Borders) or the Kindle for ipad. Maybe it's because I started e-reading with the kindle, but the kindle for ipad is my favorite on the ipad. And, customer service at Amazon beats the others hands-down. Every week or so, I go through the free book list, the $2.00 book list, etc. and see if there is anything worth my time. I try to keep two or three back-up books on the ipad, so if I get caught waiting for someone at a meeting, or just get caught in traffic, I always have something to read. Anyone like reading e-books more than regular. What's your fancy?

In hardcover this week, I am reading The Mysterious Circus by Jane Langton, an intermediate fantasy for the gender study, and The Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer. One thing that I find interesting is that the story is about three sisters who are close in age to my three children. Yet, I identify with them much more than I do with the older characters in this book. Is it because of my connection to my own sisters? Or do I just not want to admit that I am in my 50s (fast approaching 60) and still feel like a youngster? I like Thayer's books, although you could say they are fairly predictable. She writes character well and she gives me people to read about that I think I could be friends with.

January reading

Here's the list of what I read in January. If you want to read beyond the list, I have a few sentences about each book and how I would rate it. Let me know if any of these books are on your list, or if you have read these, what do you think?
Books-January 2011
1. Easily amused by Karen McQuestion
2. Crush by Alan Jacobson
3. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
4. Perfect on paper by Maria Murnane
5. Elizabeth Street by Laurie Fabiano
6. The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
7. Denim and diamonds by Debbie MaComber
8. Applying to College for students with ADD or LD by Blythe Grossberg (for SLJ review)
9. Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner (listened to via iPod)
10. Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park (for gender project)
11. We die alone by David Howarth (for gender project)
12. This life I'd led by Babe Didrikson Zaharias (for gender project)
13. Hangman by Faye Kellerman
14. The wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Morgan
1. I read McQuestion’s first book A Scattered Life on Kindle and enjoyed it. This one not so much. It made good beach reading, but can’t really recommend it.
2. A free book from Amazon Kindle. Long drawn-out story that would be better told in a made for TV movie.
3. Better than Corrections. Franzen is a great writer and his theme of freedom is readily evident throughout the book. I have to agree with Maureen Corrigan when she says, “Franzen gets more praise for doing what many fine female writers do ‘backwards and in heels.’”
4. Cute story, read it in Argentina and it turns out the author wrote it while taking a break from real life and moving to Argentina. (It is not about Argentina.)
5. Loved this historical fiction based on the author’s grandmother and great-grandmother’s real lives.
6. Maybe my favorite this month. Well written and compelling reading.
7. MaComber is an expert at romance writing. This one is set in Wyoming, so with a reduced price on Kindle, it was worth a go. Same story, different setting.
8. I read this for review on School Library Journal. If you have a high school child thinking of applying to college, it is worth the read, even if s/he does not have ADD or LD. Good organizational tips to keep everyone on the same page.
9. I love to listen to Weiner stories. She has a sarcastic style that comes across best in the spoken word. This one had two actresses playing the mother and daughter voices, convincingly and while there is not exactly a happy ending, there is a nice resolution to the relationship issues between the mother and daughter.
10. Park is a Newbery Award winning author. This is a sweet story about a Korean girl who doesn’t like being different, but finally recognizes that difference is okay too.
11. Great book! If you like adventure, this one is for you!
12. Another top book of the month! I loved Babe’s story and loved the way she told it. Wish she had not died of cancer at such a young age.
13. Kellerman does a good job of moving her series characters through the ups and downs of life while maneuvering through a gruesome murder or two at the same time. My favorite character is Rina. Any surprise?
14. A find from the new books shelf at the library. If you read it, let me know who you identify with more: Meg or Nancy? First wife or second wife? One of my favorite passages was when Meg, the first wife, was hungry for something to read after years in captivity and someone brings her a book, she speculates after seeing that it was nice and thick, "Dickens, perhaps. How silly to be so excited."

Somebody's daughter, Somebody's wife

Both Marie and Michelle are reading historical novels, a favorite for them. I tend to read more contemporary fiction, but if the story is good and well-told, the setting or period is less important.
Marie, I read The Apothecary's Daughter a few months ago and I agree, it is a nice story. And the author allows the main character (named Lillian, the same as my daughter) to be a person who makes real choices in her life, in spite of the fact that she is a woman. Michelle, I have never heard of The Hangman's Daughter. I'll have to check it out.
But, you bring up the point about how many books are titled somebody's daughter or somebody's wife. Think about all the recent novels that use this title structure. I am still trying to think of more than a handful of books that are titled somebody's son or somebody's husband. Even in the 21st century, women continue to be known by our parent (often the male parent) or our husband. What's up with that?
Speaking of historical novels, I started a new one this week called, The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran. (I had not even noticed the title, since it is not worded exactly like the others, but it does fit the pattern. One more to add to the list!). It is set in the late 1800s, early 1900s, and tells the story of how Henry Oades ends up with two wives. It's based on a real legal case from that era. I am about half way through and love how the author develops the characters.

Winter evenings

It's cold out, dinner's over and Chris and I are settled in our chairs reading. I finished This Life I've Led about Babe Didrikson. My favorite part was her description of how she competed in a National Women's Track Meet as the whole track team. There were 8 events and she took first place in 5 of them and tied for first in a sixth. Her "team" won! What a great story, sounds a little like Pippi Longstocking, but it's true!
I'm now on to Hangman by Faye Kellerman (wife of psycho-mystery novelist Jonathan Kellerman). This book is the latest in a series about a couple living in Los Angelos. The husband is a police officer of the highly intelligent kind, and it doesn't hurt that he's a hunk. The wife is much younger, Orthodox Jewish and they are always in the middle of some murder that he is investigating. Of course, she helps him figure it out and provides a stable home-life for their blended family. The first book in this series was The Ritual Bath, published in 1986, so I have known these people for 24 years now. The quality of the writing is not always stellar, but the characters are likable and they grow and change over the years. Kind of fun to follow them.
What are you reading? I'd love to hear about some of your latest meanderings through the library of the world.

Bathtub reading

I know it's not as cold here in B'More as many other places, but it's cold enough. When I got home today, it was so nice to take a nice warm bath and read a new book. I started reading This Life I've led , an autobiography of Babe Didrikson Zaharias. She was a very famous athlete in the '30s and '40s and just an all around amazing woman. The book is captivating.
We had our book club yesterday and it was a lively discussion. Most of the women felt like there should be some legal recourse for the Lacks family to benefit financially from the profit made over the years from selling Henrietta Lacks' cells. But, the book was pretty clear that it is unlikely to happen. We all agreed that the book does an excellent job of going back and forth between heavy scientific material and personal relationships and family matters. Definitely on the recommend list.

Back to school

Classes started today, so I will be doing more professional reading than I want to think about right now. I have a junior class of 25 students who will be working with emergent readers, so if any of you have a favorite children's book, let me know and we'll try to add it to our library.
Last night I finished a book for high school kids with ADD or LD who are applying to college. It was well written and very well organized. I have to submit a review of that today. Not exactly scintillating reading! But, still a worthwhile book.
I have also been reading Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park for my gender study project. When I read one of the gender study books, I count the male and female characters. The main character of this book is female and she has a male best friend. I haven't finished the count, but it looks like there are about an equal number of males and females. So, far, the study has shown that there are tons more males in children's books than females and the roles of the characters are very gender stereotypical. All the doctors are male, all the nurses are female, etc. Not sure what my conclusion will be, but it has been interesting to look at the books in a new way.

#1 Reader

On Fridays, I meet with a group of local fifth grade girls and talk about books. They are currently reading American Girl books, a book called Amulet (that I have never heard of), The Wimpy Kid books and Smile (another one I have never heard of). Both Amulet and Smile are graphic novels. It is great fun to have book discussions with them and to see what is interesting to them in books. Two of the girls made me a fancy card that said: "No. 1 Reader." It was a sweet gesture and one that touched my heart!
In addition to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, I am also reading Elizabeth Street by Laurie Fabiano. Right now is it only 3.99 on Amazon Kindle. It is a fictionalized version of a family story that involves the mafia, a kidnapping and a great earthquake in southern Italy in 1909. It is well-written and the story moves along nicely. I have enjoyed the way the author connects the characters from the 19th to the 20th and 21st centuries. Nice job!

Book club

I'm wondering how many have ever been in a book club? I was in one when I lived in Casper, and just joined one here in Baltimore. It is organized by the local Hamilton branch of the the Enoch Pratt Free Library System. We have only met a few times. The book we are reading this month is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. It is about a woman in Baltimore whose tumor cells have been grown a trillions times over to use in medical research. She was a poor black woman who was not asked if she would consent to the use of her tissue; and she died shortly after her cells were removed from her body. Her family has never benefited from this use of her tissue; and as the author writes, the ironic part is that many of her descendants are also poor and unable to afford medical care in spite of the fact that Henrietta's cells have been beneficial in developing all kinds of medical breakthroughs. I am looking forward to discussing this book with the bookclub next Thursday night.

Vacation reading

Just returned from Argentina and decided that for the new year, I would start a blog about what I have been reading. While on vacation, I finished reading about five books and started two others. One of the best was a young adult book called, We Die Alone by David Howarth. This was originally published in 1955 about an amazing survival story during WWII. Another that I really enjoyed was Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott. Well, I don't know if really enjoyed is a good description of how I felt. Lamott is such a great writer and I love how she uses language. (One of my favorite expressions was when one character said, "Don't smell the sweaty stuff"!) But, the book was about a teenage girl who spins out of control on drugs. So, a little heavy reading, but well worth the time.