Learning to Sing Hearing the Music in Your Life by Clay Aiken

   I have to say, I didn't know a lot about Clay Aiken before the book. I remembered him losing and I remembered seeing him recently and thinking, "Yikes! Not so good." I'd also heard about him having a baby with his friend, something I don't mind saying I thought was a bad idea, not to mention selfish. I really thought it was yet another example of celebrities thinking about what they want while giving shockingly little thought to what would be good for the children in their lives. (Think names like Audio Science and Huggle Bunny Snufflewuffer. Okay, I made the second one up, but really, is it any worse than some of the others your thinking of right now?)
   Neither of the items on my current list of Clay Aiken knowledge were in the book.
   The book is disjointedly written. It is separated into topical chapters that are composed of short anecdotes that are supposed to relate to the musically themed chapter names. I didn't get the feeling that the chapters were meant to be a compilation of anecdotes though, which led to the disjointed feeling. I kept waiting for the stories to tie together, but they never seemed to quite do it. It was simply written and easily read; a good thing since I got tired of waiting to learn more.
   Here's the rub. Despite Aiken's best efforts, I ended up not liking him very much. The effort he expended to make the reader believe he's just folks became an example of he "doth protest" too much. There were times as a reader/observer that I did root for him/feel for him; there are instances in his life that make it impossible not to. Overall though, he spent so much time trying to pat himself on the back without letting the reader catch on that I walked away feeling insulted. A little more candor and I would have walked away feeling more respect for him.
   A side note: as a mother I found some of his stories of the treatment he was subjected to reprehensible. I don't understand the just plain meanness and torment that his mother allowed him to receive. It was difficult for me to learn; I could not share his enthusiasm for his mother after that. (Whether she acknowledged and apologized for it Clay Aiken doesn't say.)


Favorite Quote:

"Hard work is not a value you enjoy as you acquire it. But it is a value you come to appreciate later-and disdain the absence of in others."


Overall Opinion:

If you like it, it's easily read and the time passes quickly. If you don't like it, it's easily read and the time passes quickly.


Rating:

5


  

Tenth Week Wrap

   Wow. Wow. Wow. Ten weeks and it feels like 100. Kidding. It does feel good though! This tenth week saw my (now) 11 year old's birthday sleepover (birthday table picture above, the rats and roaches are cupcakes), two important school meetings, a very special retirement, new library friends ("Hello!"), more blog design/setting figuring (yay) and the daily minutia that makes the world go round.
   I've also discovered my online library account. My library card was previously misplaced for a verrrry loooong time. I have also discovered Mango, another library resource that I am very excited about taking advantage of. I hope to hablaing or sprechenzieing soon. If you have your card you should definitely take a peek!
   Let's see the facts and figures. Three more books completed (definitely getting antsy to complete one shelf, any shelf), a discovery that the children's paperbacks allow me to run on the treadmill while I read (a definite, and welcome, time killer), another gem (Th1rteen R3asons Why) and yet another week that I have been unable to muster the enthusiasm necessary to read California's Stately Hall of Fame. (Nonfiction you are not enjoying is much more difficult to choke down than fiction.)



Book of the Week:

Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher


On that note, this is a wrap!

The Dream Thief by Shana Abe

   Second in Shana Abe's Drakon series is The Dream Thief. The Dream Thief follows Amalia, youngest daughter of Rue and Kit Langford, and Zane, erstwhile apprentice to Rue. Zane is sent by the Langfords to locate and return Draumr, the drakons legendary diamond. Unexpectedly and unhappily, to Zane, Amalia appears on the same trail.
   Amalia sees the future in her dreams, a secret she has kept from everyone. Another secret? She dreams of Zane, and her dreams bode naught but ill for her kith and kin.
   I liked the first and third book in the series. The first, The Smoke Thief, was new and there was just enough to keep me interested. The third, Queen of Dragons, well, the gap in between the two had me interested because I had to work to figure out what I was missing. There just wasn't enough in The Dream Thief to keep me hooked.
   Reading this book after its following title left me with more questions than I originally had reading the third before the second. I think that's one of the reasons I struggled so much with it. I was reading for answers and seemed to come up short. Odd.


Favorite Quotes:

??? (That is a direct quote; it just so happens to be mine and not the author's.)


Overall Opinion:

Definitely read the books in order. You avoid confusion and will probably enjoy it more.


Rating:

Eh.


P.S. Look for this one in the large print section. :)

Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher

Teen Fiction Pick

   Read, read, read this book. When you're done reading it, buy it. After you buy it give it to the nearest 9th-12th grader you know. Then buy another one to keep for yourself. Until you find another 9th-12th grader. In between buying and giving tell every adult who even knows a kid to read it.
   Th1rteen R3asons Why is one of the best books I've ever read. Period. The narrative, the style, the language, the characters, the suspense, the drama, the first page, the last page; everything. I picked it up today at about 1pm and read it until I finished it (it's 8:20pm).
   Jay Asher tells the story in a dual first person narrative. His narrators are Clay and Hannah. Clay is listening to Hannah's story as she tells it on tape; while he listens, he remembers her and learns about her. Clay doesn't want to know this story, but he must listen and learn. He must listen because Hannah is dead and he's one of the reasons.
   Their story is amazingly told. Hannah's reasons, small ones by themselves, are overwhelming together. Clay's anguish and desperation as he learns about them is crushing. I understood Hannah, but I felt Clay. His struggle to change her course, knowing that it was over, and still trying to stop it was so real that I felt myself mimicking his reactions before I realized it. Just as I was ready to stop reading because I didn't want to see what was coming next, Clay would want to stop the tape. And just like Clay, I had to finish the story.
   Read, read, read this book. When you're done reading it, buy it. After you buy it give it to the nearest 9th-12th grader you know. Then buy another one to keep for yourself. Until you find another 9th-12th grader. In between buying and giving tell every adult who even knows a kid to read it.


Favorite Quotes:

"Around the opposite sex, especially back then, my tongue twisted knots even a Boy Scout would walk away from."

"At school there are few loves that compare to the one between Tony and his car. More girls have dumped him out of car envy than my lips have even kissed."


Overall Opinion:

It is hauntingly desperate and vibrant in its desperation.


Rating:

Read, read, read this book. When you're done reading it, buy it. After you buy it give it to the nearest 9th-12th grader you know. Then buy another one to keep for yourself. Until you find another 9th-12th grader. In between buying and giving tell every adult who even knows a kid to read it.

Connections Epiphany

   So, so, so excited! I've been reading my McCain book and have come across two connections to two other library books and, I have to say, it has tickled me pink!! I was going to post it, but then lightening struck. I have added a new page called "Connections" to keep a running tally of the books that link to one another.
   In order to keep it from becoming too cumbersome with endless cross references, I'm going to put the most recent book with its connected books and link the titles to their initial review posting.
   Hmmm, I think I'll also list links on the original posts at the bottom too. (Oh my gosh, I'm feeling like a bit of an organizational genius!)
   Also feeling a bit nerdy that this makes me as excited as it does. Eh (shoulder shrug, eye roll), still excited!!  : P

The Lost Diary of Don Juan by Douglas Carlton Abrams

   Hmm...Where to begin...Historical fiction, check. Character development, check check. Love story, check check check. Better than I anticipated? Check.
   I have to say that I was not particularly interested in reading The Lost Diary of Don Juan for no real reason other than to say it just didn't quite call to me. As a matter of fact I believe that I purposely placed it back on the shelfat the bookstore during a previous perusal before my Venture began. To be fair in my review, I wouldn't purchase the book now, but it was not a bad read.
   ...Hmm...Hmm...Hmm...
   How should I review this title. I am feeling, strangely, more ambiguous now that the book is done and I must needs place my thoughts in keyboarding. If I were writing, I think there would be lots of crossing out and revisions (I prefer pen to pencil and eraser; if you change your mind about something you wrote it's still there in pen for the plucking).
   Okay. The historical portion of the book, i.e., the Inquisition, the Indies trade, the laws governing behavior for prostitutes vs. courtesans, the general daily life, were all intriguing (here's to finding nonfiction books on Spain and the Inquisition in general). The portion of the book that is pure fiction I found to be less grab you by the seat of your pants. That being said, Douglas Abrams did a good job developing Don Juan from a carefree libertine, though one who held to a certain personal standard, to a more introspective human being. Mr. Abrams characterization of Don Juan's personal beliefs allowed him to make that jump believable.
   To the story. This is wherein lies the conundrum. I found the story portion to be just okay. I'm thinking (I can hear The Thinker, as portrayed in Night at the Museum 2, in my head as I type) that the reason I feel so conflicted about this particular book is because I really enjoyed the mechanics and details used to make the time real, but was only mildly interested in the story itself. The tale just seemed to be one that has been told, repeatedly.
   Well, if anyone reads this and walks away confused as to whether or not they should actually give the book a try, the fault is clearly mine. I cannot think this rambling review would do any less.


Favorite Quotes:

"My heart was pounding as if someone were knocking urgently at a door that would not open."

In reference to a mirror:
"Such vanities were forbidden in the convent, and I had never seen my reflection. I glanced both ways and then looked upon my own face. I was surprised by how much older I was than in my reflection."

"His stringy mustache descended over the corners of his mouth like the tail of a mouse that seemed to be twitching..."

"The hip of the prostitutes vibrated like a bell that had been rung frantically to announce a fire in the city."


Overall Opinion:

Give it a shot. Let me know why it's good, bad or indifferent.


Rating:

I Think it's a So-So

Ninth Week Wrap



Some of my personal flair. Yes, that is an authentic Archie Fan Club Button. My membership card is pictured in one of the other wraps. Yup, that's why I am sort of a big deal. :)

    Nine weeks in and 36 books read. YES!! That's just over 1 book every two days. Dare I say it? Yes, I dare. F-U-N is spelled R-E-A-D. And thanks to the Victorville City Library it is a fun that I can afford!! Thank you Victorville City Library. Speaking of the Library, welcome to my "Venture", it has been a pleasure doing business with you.
   On to wrapping the week. My ninth week saw a renewed interest in the gym (6 straight days!), my little one cheering at the fair (she is loud, LOud, LOUD!!) and life changing events for my extended family (faith means hopeful sorrow). I also returned some and borrowed some. I really thought it would be enough to take all my books back at once, but I can't keep waiting three weeks to see what my new picks will be.
   I was going to say "Speaking of" picks, but it seems I've already used the phrase. Hmmm...what to say instead? pondering...pondering...pondering...Ah hah! While I am on the subject of picks, it seems that, once again, my book of the week is one that challenged my thinking. I like that. This is the reward for my epiphany. To date two of the three books I have been most challenged by were books that I would never have read had I continued to use the library as a source for books that I already knew I was looking for.
   As a child the library was a place of great wonder and excitement. It was thrilling to walk in the doors and see the veritable smorgasbord before me; I never knew what I was going to find. There would surely be times that I was looking for something in particular, but for the most part every spine was new. Every title was a treasure just waiting to be taken. As an adult with my grown up senses and sensibilities the library changed. It became a place to search for specific titles, certain authors. When I walked into the library I was no longer on an expedition; I had already made up my mind. It is no wonder that my library excursions were no longer pleasurable.
   Yet...the discovery is renewed. This venture has renewed my zest for the library. Shaking off the shackles of my grownup determinations and returning to the thrill of my youth has reinvigorated my love of reading and made it new again. Now, when I enter my library the only decision that is already made is that I will be taking the next books on the shelf, but what's inside them is anybody's guess. I am discovering new authors, new characters to befriend and scold, encourage and dislike. I'm learning new facts and figures. I'm cementing ideas and stretching ideology. I am having F-U-N spelled R-E-A-D.


Book of the Week:

Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa



Here are the newest books as of Saturday:

Youth Fiction

The $66 Summer by John Armistead
Going Through the Gate by Janet S. Anderson


Teen Fiction

Jailbait Zombie by Mario Acevedo


General Fiction

The Rainaldi Quartet by Paul Adam
The Dream Thief by Shana Abe


Nonfiction

How to Lose Your Ass and Regain Your Life by Kirstie Alley

Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa

   Mornings in Jenin is at once a beautifully written, tragically told story of Amal and her Palistinian family after the 1948 establishment of Israel. The author's telling is almost poetry; her turn of phrase and descriptive use of language create perpetually moving imagery that draws you into Amal's world allowing you to be an invisible witness in their daily lives. The use of both first and third person perspective is never jarring and only adds to the experience as you switch from observer to participant.
   Susan Abulhawa is a skilled and talented author whose writing convincingly proselytizes. Her personal perspective is clearly in evidence. I am not sure if her goal is to win converts to the Palistinian cause or to just convince her readers to consider its causes and reasons (though I have my suspicions). Either which way, I believe she succeeds in some measure of each.
   Herein lies the challenge her book was to me. My sympathies have never leaned to Ms. Abulhawa's and yet her book leads me to the desire to learn more. There is probably some truth to her story, but I believe in her description of a pre-Israeli Palestinian paradise like I believe in a pre-European Native American paradise; which is to say that I don't. However, I am curious to educate myself on the geopolitical history of the time as well as the actual events that occurred during the timeline of her Amal's story.
   An author who inspires their readers to want to learn more through the sheer force of their fiction is someone to talk about.



Favorite Quotes:

"The women laughed goodheartedly. 'Come, daughter. Come back to the world of women.' "

"It was a rotten quietude, devoid of fury, love, despair or even fear."

"One garment at a time, he dressed himself in vintage dignity..."

"Even when my body grew to big for his lap, the sun always found us cuddled together with a book."

"We hugged to seal our promise."

"In that week I see how familiar words can break like glass and reassemble into goblins that waylay the mind with their claws."

"They laughed, one raspy and toothless, the other like a sputtering malfunction."

"The pipe still smelled of the honey apple tobacco that Baba had smoked, the scent of my father's labored breath and tired clothes when he unleashed his love through the pages he turned for me at dawn."

"To the great irritation of Miss Haydar, we became quite fluent in this speech, which we put to use poking fun at her corpulence and nostrils, which started at the human and ended just before the clown."

"There is nothing quite so pure, as if pieces of God live in the faint breaths of babes. In Falasteen's yawn, I caught a whiff of divine promise, bequeathed even to us."

"Rage nominated me to hell."



Overall Opinion:

You may find yourself feeling scorn, disbelief, sorrow, anger and hope. You might wonder how much Abulhawa can expect you to stretch your credibility or feel her character's betrayal . You might believe there is a history you were unaware of. You will, however, feel that you have stumbled upon a book that you must read.



Rating:

9

Getting Lost with Boys by Hailey Abbott

I'm going to follow the classic maxim, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

For more on my opinion of Hailey Abbott's books see The Perfect Boy and The Secrets of Boys.


Favorite Quote:

None


Overall Opinion:

Yet another insipid and uninspiring story of an underage, girl who discovers herself thanks to the attentions of an over 18 year old who truly understands the real her. Disregard the liquor he gives her or the fact that she's only 16; she has her father's credit card, uninvolved parents and, as always, the unending fashion commercial.


Rating:

-10

Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

   Here is a classic example of oversight. It didn't even occur to me that Down the Rabbit Hole was written by the same Peter Abrahams who wrote Delusion. Not until I had both books in front of me to write my reviews did I notice the similarity. If I'm being totally candid, it took me until I checked the author's picture in both books to figure it out. Eep.
   If you already read my posted review of Delusion, you will know that I was ambivalent, though willing to give him another shot. Well, this was his other shot (though, who are we kidding, if there's another one on the shelf I'll be reading that too).
   Down the Rabbit Hole was an enjoyable mystery. It began well and ended well. It is written for teens without dumbing down to reach its audience. I liked Ingrid, or Griddie as she prefers to be called, though she is the only one to call herself that. I liked the story and I liked the connection to Alice in Wonderland, that isn't what you might believe it to be if you go by the book's title.
   It's the first book in the Echo Falls Mystery series and I'm looking forward to getting to know more about the characters in the series. There are plenty of threads left to be pulled that Mr. Abrahams was kind enough to place. It was a smart move that is sure to invest the reader with a desire to make Echo Falls a place they would like to visit.


Favorite Quotes:

"He was the kind of dog that in a cartoon would harrumph a lot and play second fiddle."

"What was crimson? Just a mealymouthed color that didn't have the guts to be red."


Overall Opinion:

It's one of those teen books that kids will enjoy and adults will forget is for kids.


Rating:

8

Open An Autobiography by Andre Agassi

   Everything I knew about Andre Agassi prior to reading his book: he played tennis, was with Brooke Shields, his face was recognizable to me. What I know about Agassi now is, well, more than that. Open was a good book, written in a way that was seemingly, pardon the phrase, open and fair to those around him. In an autobiography, I think those are good attributes.
   Mr. Agassi is a driven man, raised by a driven father. He lived a professional life he didn't want and was seemingly unachored, personally, until he found a purpose greater than himself that he could fulfill because of his professional life.
   When writing about people he doesn't like or with whom he personally struggled, Andre Agassi is either tight lipped or balanced in his description of the problems. To wit, his relationship with Brooke Shields which, from his description leads the reader to conclude that it was more a poor match with neither one being the complete bad guy. Though he is clear that his decision to propose was poorly made leading to an inevitable conclusion.
   As a person who appreciates spouses who are careful in their speech about each other to outsiders and generous in their praise of the other, I liked his approach to Brooke Shields and I loved the way he spoke about his current wife and their children.
   Mr. Agassi was fair to his family and spoke plainly about his father when he could have been ugly. His confusion and apathy, his immaturity and contrariness are well-spelled. I think the reader will walk away thinking he's a complainer who could have changed his life but didn't or someone who was genuinely torn and lost and didn't develop the maturity neccessary to deal with his life or a bit of all those things (the opinion that's closest to mine).
   The thing I liked most about this book was its lack of quotation marks. It seemed to keep a rhythm and flow that kept you in the book and left the feeling that you were remembering the events with him, rather than being told about the events by him.


Favorite Quotes:

"Her name is Wendi. She's one of the ball girls, about my age, a vision in her blue uniform. I love her instantly, with all my heart and part of my spleen."

"I try to rest, but it's hard with an albino pit bull eyeing you."


Overall Opinion:

You want to pat him on the back and shake sense into him by turns, but you also want to hear how his story ends.


Rating:

8
  

Delusion by Peter Abrahams

   In the mystery/suspense genre, Delusion began better than it ended. The book follows Nell Jarreau as she learns that the man she testified against and whose conviction her testimony was instrumental in winning might be released from jail due to new, exonerating evidence.
   Peter Abrahams does lead to wonder about the veracity of the evidence, the motive(s) behind its hidden whereabouts and the secrets of the characters. However, the mystery soon unravels and the reader is left with the sneaking and sinking suspicion that they've read this story or seen the movie before. When the reader starts to figure out the answer without any evidence to the contrary, it becomes difficult to want to read the rest of the story for any other reason than just to see its inevitable conclusion.
   I found myself scanning toward the end of the book instead of enjoying the words on the page. Mr. Abrahams kept me interested enough in the first half of the book that I my interest is piqued sufficiently to give him another shot.


Favorite Quote:

"That sounded all right to Pirate. A Jew would have been better, of course, as everyone knew. But, hey! No reason this specialist woman couldn't be a Jew. He almost asked."


Overall Opinion:

A beginning strong enough to leave me disappointed with its obviousness. Disappointed. Maybe next book.


Rating:

6

Eighth Week Wrap

   A day late this week. Running around yesterday took all my time. Errands, Cub Scout rocket launching, sick children, sick me, gym time (oh yeah, baby), all add up to 1,2,3, no time for me...to do the wrap. This wrap is a short wrap because it was a week of short books.
   The week was composed of back to back field trips to the Los Angeles Zoo (6th graders) and Calico (5th Graders), the usual Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Cheer and huh, I have no idea what else. Hmmm, would that be a good or a bad thing that I don't remember the week. Maybe we'll just call it uneventful and leave it at that. Oh! It also had a birthday party (giggly girls) and the first sleepover for my #4 (equally excited, we musn't say giggly, boys).
   As you can see from my earlier post, I did stop by the library for a midweek haul; much, much fun. I am almost done with the original books. But, man!, am I struggling with California's Stately Hall of Fame. I thought I would muscle my way through it last week, but found instead that I've put it down and have not been sorry to leave it. I know, I know. I am reading my way through the library. I will finish it...eventually. Though I think it might take me a renewal to do it.
   Library reading wise, this past week has shaped up to be a bit slow. That is not to say I haven't been reading. I read Dead Reackoning by Charlaine Harris. I love, love, love her Sookie Stackhouse series and had been waiting on pins and needles for the latest release. (Which was not a disappointment, by the by.) I also read Shakespeare's Counselor, same author, another series I enjoy and would like to see more of. I also like the Bard's cameos in the Sookie books, very fun.
   Back to work. Four more library books are completed with two in the chute (fist shaking at California's Stately Hall of Fame). Looking forward to reviewing Open, which should be today or tomorrow. Must check my list for what's ahead.

Favorite Book of the Week:   Tudor Portraits

Most Disappointing Book of the Week:    Flight

Flight by Sherman Alexie

   Teen fiction pick.
   I think this book wanted to be good; it almost was. Zits is a fifteen year old, turnstyle foster kid. He is half Indian and Irish; the Indian part is, to him, the important part. He is in and out of jail and angry, angry, angry. Admittedly, his circumstances have given him little to feel safe about. During his latest detention Zits meets a boy who feeds the white man as oppressor/Indian as victim/government is evil ideology that Zits is teetering on. (The kid is white, by the way.)
   Upon Zits' release from detention the kid finds him and they spend time together. The kid, Justice, grooms Zits until a fateful event is reached. At the event's conclusion Zits finds himself inexlicably time traveling through different Indian/Army conflicts. Each conflict illustrates the good and bad nature of both the Indians and the white men. Personal growth and realization occur.
   Here is the problem. Problems? Yes, problems. The initial time traveling is too abrupt and jarring; it throughs you off. I'm sure that Alexie is trying to get the reader to feel the panic and confusion of Zits; it doesn't work. You end up thrown out of character rather than feeling part of the character.
   Zits' use of profanity attempts to walk the line between youthful, angry context and profane; it mostly falls on the side of profane. It just doesn't work very well. The book in general doesn't work very well, which is sad because when I read the book I really, really wanted it to work.
   Zits and his story of loss, redemption and the desire of a boy to be loved by a mother and, especially a father, was such a great idea. It just seemed that Alexie's style and use of mechanics weren't able to get out of the way of his idea.



Favorite Quotes:

Zits:
"I wish I lived back in the seventies. As ugly as I am, I might have been the biggest rock star in the world."

"My mother died of breast cancer when I was six...I sometimes wish she'd died when I was younger so I wouldn't remember her at all."


Overall Opinion:

I wish the writing was as good as the idea of the story.


Rating:

4

Mid Haul

   Okay. I couldn't wait. I had to go to the library and return some of my finished books so I could get new ones (one for one picks). I couldn't help it; I kept wondering what was next on the shelf. I got to find out!!! (You only really
get the enthusiasm if you say it while clapping giddily.)
   So far, there are no new books on my shelves that I have to backtrack to; yay! We'll see if that's still true when I go back for my next picks. There are only three shelves of A books in the fiction section and I'm approximately a fifth of the way through the first shelf. Yes. That's an exciting thing.
   Can't wait until I can go back (remember to clap like a fool while jumping up and down to feel the excitement)!

Mid Haul Picks

Fiction:

Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa
The Lost Diary of Don Juan by Douglas Carlton Abrams

Nonfiction:

921
Learning to Sing Hearing the Music in Your Life by Clay Aiken

920
Hard Call Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them by John McCain

Youth Fiction:

Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander

Teen Fiction:

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Skellig by David Almond

Youth Fiction Pick:
   Skellig is a sweet, earnest tale of love, discovery and mystery. Michael's baby sister is very sick, he has discovered a stranger in the garage of his family's new home and he has a new friend. I'm not sure what else to really write without giving the tale away.
   Suffice it to say that Skellig was a good book. There are a few instances of the word "hell", as in the curse, not the location. When it comes to swearing in youth/teen fiction I'm of the context and usage frame of mind. I had no problem with Skellig.  My eight year old has started the book and I'm curious to hear his opinion of the tale.


Favorite Quote:

Mina: " ' Sometimes we think we should be able to know everything. But we can't. We have to allow ourselves to see what there is to see, and we have to imagine.' "


Overall Opinion:

I think it's a book list book for 3rd and 4th graders.


Rating:

Borrow It For Your Boys And Girls

The Secret School by Avi

   Youth Fiction Pick
   What a pleasant one hour read! It's 1925 and Ida Bidson, along with her fellow classmates (all 7 of them), have just learned that their teacher has to leave her post to tend her ailing mother. On top of that, Mr. Jordan the head of the school board, will not be retaining another teacher since the year is almost over. Ida and her friend Tom Kohl must finish the year in order to take the eighth grade end of year exam to qualify for high school.
   Aahhh, what do you do when your dream to be a teacher faces an untimely end for the lack of one yourself? The Secret School is charmingly told, with characters that you can't help but like. It also, importantly, draws a contextual picture of the time that allows the reader to grasp what it was like to live in a small farming town at the time of the story.
  

Favorite Quotes:

"It's hard being patient," Ida replied, "if there's nothing to be patient for."

Tom telling Ida what his uncle told him: "Said, 'If you want to try something new, and you're not scared, means you're not really trying something new.' "

Tom's mother to Ida: " 'Not seen you for the age of the dog.' "

"Sure as aces."


Overall Opinion:

This would be a good read alone or read aloud book.


Rating:

I really liked it, and my eight year old son, really liked it too.

Tudor Portraits Sucess and Failure of an Age by Michael Foss

This was a really interesting book. Rather than focusing on the monarchy, which I assumed based on the title, Mr. Foss introduced the other main characters of the age. More, Walsingham, Gilbert, Greshem and even Mary Tudor; which was interesting because she was a monarch.
   Tudor Portraits gave an inside look at the time and background of the age. It elaborated on the economic picture, the familial, political and economic ties of the eras main players and, what I thought most intriguing, drew a portrait that included the context of the time. I've read some nonfiction that covered the 16th century before, but it usually focused on the monarchy and it was really interesting to draw that focus out and learn more about the movers and shakers behind the throne.
   I really enjoyed learning about how these people were perceived by the men of their day. In a time of religious persecution, corruption and class distinction, it appeals to my desire for a broader understanding to know where they fit in on the days scale. Were they more, less or average? Were they held in general esteem or were they reviled? Was their motive only money? Were they genuinely seeking religion or was it a power ploy?


Favorite Quotes:

His (Sir Thomas Greshem) pleas, backed by certain influential men and supported by Dansell's unfailing ability to bungle..."

Queen Elizabeth:
"Now the wit of the fox is everywhere on foot, so as hardly a faithful or virtuous man may be found."

"The brutal may show a disinterested lust for blood, but the courtier of gentle breeding, if he is to gain honour from the squalors of war, must endow the terrible business with noble purpose."

Richard Hooker:
"In polity as well ecclesiastical as civil, there are and will be always evils which no art of man can cure, breaches and leaks more than man's wits hath hands to stop."

Robert Greene written in his Repentance:
"I light amongst wags as lewd as myself, with whom I consumed the flower of my youth."

Describing the gypsies, Robert Borde is quoted, "They be swart and do go disguised in their apparel contrary to other nations. They be light-fingered and use picking; they have little manner and evil lodging, and yet they be pleasant dancers."


Overall Opinion:

I definitely appreciated the book. My only request would have been a current day comparison of money at some point. That would have really helped for the framing.


Rating:

Good Snapshot Read

murder suicide by Keith Ablow

   Alrighty-roo. If there is another Keith Ablow book on the shelves when I go back to the library, I won't be disappointed. murder suicide takes place earlier in Frank Clevenger's (the protagonist) chronology than The Architect. Going backwards with a serial character can sometimes be a little off putting for me because the later you find the character, the more he/she is usually developed. I still liked Frank. Granted I have only read two books that feature him, but still, I like him.
   Dr. Ablow does another fantastic job of keeping the suspense keen enough that you can't wait to solve the mystery without drawing the tension so tight that you just want to get it over with. Kudos. There are enough possible suspects that it could be anyone which eliminates conclusion jumping. It's more like conclusion hopping, you change your mind back and forth as the story progresses.
   Well developed characters (definitely rooting for Billy), no skimping on the psychological analysis (Clevenger is, after all, a forensic psychiastrist), strong visual imagery that enhances the drama and suspense.


Favorite Quotes:

"Snow's wife had never seen him undress, scarcely seen him naked. Their sex was something stolen from one another under the covers by night."

"'It's early,' Billy blurted out, then looked down self-consciously, as if he'd dropped his veneer of cool somewhere near his feet."


Overall Opinion:

Is it suicide or is it murder? I'm not telling. Read the book and find out for yourself.


Rating:

Read it!

Seventh Week Wrap

All mine! (Sometimes) I share.

   A slow and wonderful week. I was on the cusp of finishing three more books in addition to the three I reviewed, but only finished one (review to come). Time just got away and daily work had to be done.
   I'm almost finished with Tudor Portraits. I was in the middle of it when I realized that I wasn't tracking too well and so, epiphany. I decided to take notes (my husband has been teasing me about "learning on my own" since he caught me). It's great fun. I started my own personal encyclopedia of facts while I read. I know, I know, it sounds nerdy, but I am loving it. It's crossreferenced and alphabetized with bold fonts, italics and four sections. Heeheehee, I love it!
   I can't wait to add to it from other books and when I catch things that don't mesh I'll get to learn which is fact, which is fiction and which is perspective. Yowza! Do I know how to have a good time or what?!
This week saw Mother's Day, Scouts, Cheer, Camporee and the great, great news that my first has a job (Thank you, God!). My husband grilled on our new barbecue for Mother's Day dinner, perfect, and installed a new rainfall showerhead, delicious. At Camporee my second and third shot rifles, #2 compensated for the wind and got his shot in the 9 ring: awesome, #3 was homesick the first night and called me the second to excitedly tell me how he burned his hand in the peach cobbler and was having a fantastic time: wonderful.
   The week begins anew and asame, but with it will come more family tales, endless rounds of Slug Bug, Cruiser Bruiser and Cop Pop, making tracks to school and scouts and cheer, whining, scolding and laughing, watching Friends at night with my husband and, of course, more books. Same old, same old, same wonderful, terrific, fantastic.
   Sometimes you just can't help but love the same old!

The Architect by Keith Ablow

   Keith Ablow is a forensic psychiatrist. When I see him on the news expounding on this or that I find him to be intelligent and straightforward. As a writer I find him to be an entertaining author with an engaging protaganist. It is fitting that his main character is also a forensic psychiatrist, write what you know indeed.
   The Architect is the first of two Dr. Ablow books that I checked out in this week's haul. It was smartly written and features Dr. Frank Clevenger, a personable good guy who does his job well and seems to be doing his darndest to tread water in his personal life. I was definitely rooting for him. Ablow's book reminded me of James Patterson's (one of my favorite thriller/detective go to authors) Michael Bennett and/or Alex Cross series; also personable good guys treading water.
   This book kept me turning pages, the characters were well developed, the storyline was intriguing and the tension was good. I love me a surprise ending and was thrilled to find that this book had one. (So often the books I've read in this genre don't.) Good relaxing day read.


Favorite Quotes:

"Bright white Chiclets for teeth."

"He had visited the prisoners at Middleton many times. The three officers behind the huge plate glass window in the lobby, cashiers of humanity, knew him well."


Overall Opinion:

I'm thinking about adding Ablow to my Patterson lineup.


Rating:

Definitely a Read Worth Reading

The Secrets of Boys by Hailey Abbott

Disclaimer: I am experiencing a lower than normal threshold for suffering fools lightly.

   Written in the vein of modern TV shows and movies that portray children as adults, The Secrets of Boys continues this dubious tradition. The kids are sixteen and running around with adults who somehow don't seem to mind that their companions are underage. I suppose as long as kids dress in the right labels, have their own rides and can drink without getting the grown ups busted for giving alcohol to minors it's all okay. After all girls + high heels + professional (read: uninvolved) parents= maturity and the ability to make adult decisions.
   Ahhh, young love. Cassidy Jones is shy and artistic and wears kitten heels and shops at Bebe, Kenneth Cole and Theory. (She also wears DKNY, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein and Cynthia Rowley and eats at Nobu. I know this because Abbott feels the need to name drop at every opportunity. There is nary a mention of any wearable item, without a designer. One gets the feeling she might be paid by the mention.) Cassidy also has a devoted, needless to say, hunky boyfriend of two years. Will she lose her virginity to him? Oh no. Not Cassidy.
   Cassidy gives it up to Zach, her 19 year old TA that she's known for two minutes (she's in a summer college french class). Of course, he is wonderful and understands her and helps her to come out of her shell as no one else can. When he stops talking to her the day after he gets her to tell him she wants to have sex with her, does that end things? No(!) don't be silly!! She talks to him and convinces him that a summer romance is the perfect thing, since of course he was just trying to avoid hurting her since he would be moving back to New York after the summer.
   Aaahhh. To be so young and misunderstood. But don't fret mon chere, Ms. Abbott is here to explain to all "mature" youth everywhere that she understands that they're not just teenagers, they're young adults.



Favorite Quote:

"If they were any more anal retentive, we wouldn't need a bathroom."


Overall Opinion:

I am just so relieved that I now have the definitive book of modern advice for teens. When my daughter comes of age, apparently it's 16, but I might get ahead of the ball and start prepping her at 14, I can pull out this book and she'll have all the answers. Because she sure won't want to wait until she's married to have sex and it's almost just as Puritanical to wait for the boy who loves you. The one for her then, must surely be the adult authority in the room who is the only one who can see her for who she truly is. It will be okay, really, because as Zach tells Cassidy, "Hey, I know a worthy student when I see one."


Rating:

Please. Must I?

Christina Aguilera by MaryJo Lemmens

Disclaimer:  For everyone who loves press releases and believes a publicist's every word, this biography is for you. For those of us who think biographies should be written more objectively, put the book down and run, don't walk, away. 
   I wondered at the cover, but since it was on the shelf and had a 921, I assumed (my own fault, I do know the wise saying) that it was next on my shelf pick. After I saw the first page I rechecked the spine and noticed the YA. And you know what? That only made it worse for me. Shame on you MaryJo Lemmens, shame on you. For writing such an unquestioned piece of fluff and delivering it to a youthful audience you should be ashamed. Did you merely solicit Christina Aguilera's agent/publicist/manager/lackeys as your background sources? Did it cross your mind once(?!) to avoid even the slightest bias? Was the relative lack of worldly knowledge or the general naivete of your proposed audience simply a green light to insult them with your "work"? Does it mean anything at all to you that you had a golden opportunity to reach a youthful audience and enhance their knowledge and critical thinking through a subject that might attract otherwise nonreaders and instead you threw it away? You should be relegated to Teen Beat, since it appears you are incapable of writing anything more than promotional publicity.
   One of my biggest problems with this biography is the lack of objective investigation into Aguilera's background. Case in point. Aguilera's father was in the Army. She states that moving so often caused a lack of close friendships and difficulty in her life. Her parents divorced when she was seven, how many close friends do you have in kindergarten and first grade that are irreplaceable? How many best friends do you have when you're three?
   Moving on from that, admittedly minute, argument, here is the larger one. Aguilera states her father was abusive. I am not disputing that. I am taking umbrage at her painting the military in general as being rife with domestic violence. Aguilera is quoted in a USA Weekend magazine as saying, "The MPs would come, but a lot of them were doing the same things [to their wives and kids]." ????????? Her mother divorced her father when she was seven; again, how much could she really have known about the world around her?! A lot of the MPs were beating up their families?! And it just gets a pass? In a book? That's supposed to be nonfiction? No contextual framing? No fact checking? Nothing?!
   I know I don't know what she heard growing up. I know I don't know how the situation was handled at the time. I know that I was not there. But is it possible, just possible, that perhaps things weren't done because charges weren't filed? Perhaps her mother was reminded, by her husband or someone else, that her husband's career and their livelihood would be affected by charges. But, even were that the case, wouldn't the decision to file have been her mother's and not anyone else's? Does it really mean that "domestic violence was quite common on military bases"? Is someone who was seven and younger capable of determining that charge? "In her experience...there were few support systems families could turn to for real help." Wow, I didn't realize that by the time you turn seven you have learned how to access services and determine that they have been exhausted. Way to leave it at that Ms. Lemmens. Way to drop that unchallenged picture on any kid who picks up the book and then walks away with that nugget as golden based purely on the location of your book. Because if it's nonfiction it has to be true, right?
   The book is rife with how beautiful, talented, wonderful, etc., Christina Aguilera is. When the slightest negativity about her personality or approach is mentioned, the Aguilera spin on why she behaved or said what she did is the last word on it, thereby giving Aguilera's point of view the last impression.
   Had this book been an autobiography I would have found it less insulting; you expect people to write about themselves less candidly and more myopically than an outsider. But who needs to do it for themselves when someone else can do it for you. As the writer says, "She may not be the squeaky-clean role model of modesty and virtue that some people would like her to be but she is a role model in another way; she is a strong woman who can stand up for herself, fight for what she believes in, and always stay true to herself. As far as positive messages in the media go, that's about as good as it gets." Brava, MaryJo Lemmens, brava.


Overall Opinion:

I hated it. It's an insult to kids by completely dismissing any opportunity to treat them to a book written intelligently and engagingly.


Favorite Quote:

Not being a large fan of bootlicking, I couldn't find one.


Rating:

A complete waste of time!!!

Sixth Week Wrap and The New Haul

   It's been a good reading week; though not all the reading was good. I am incredibly pleased with the overall selections of the last haul. I am also pleased because they were all free reads. Yay, Victorville City Library!
   This new week brings a new haul. I choose a few extra books feeling flush and triumphant, and a little ambitious again, off the completion of last week's books. I also chose extra because, like castor oil (never tasted it, but I've read that it's not so good), some things when they must be tasted are better tasted quickly. In plain language, reading two more Hailey Abbots in quick succession is more palatable to me than knowing there's one more waiting for me. (Cue the Jaws soundtrack and a whispered prayer to the Patron Saint of Library Readers that there aren't any more lurking in another reader's hands just waiting for me when I go back.)

*Off to finish a (non-library) book before I pick up the kids. Finish the Wrap and the Library Picks when I return.  :)*

Aaaand, I'm back.

   This week's reading reminded me of how much I love to read. There are so many things you learn while reading. The greatest thing about reading is the unlikely information you find in the unlikeliest places. You can read junk and still learn a new word, or read fiction and learn some obscure piece of trivia. My husband consistently asks how I know certain things, and my answer, invariably, is that I just know it, I read it somewhere. Nonfiction, obviously, imparts lots of knowledge. Nonfiction also poses its own unique challenge; in the presence of "authoritative" factual information the reader must sift through the author's perspective and objective. Thus, one book leads to another. One book leads to a raft of knowledge and many divergent paths of self education. (I know my metaphors are mixed, sometimes I do that.)
   I was also inspired to write about my love of words today. It happened while adding to my Words Page. I was adding hobnob (a word I always liked) and learned its etymology (dictionaries are fun!). That was all it took to excite and inspire me and I was off. Once again, I found myself being introspective inspite of myself ;).
   Enough of that. On to this week's favorite and The Haul.

This week's favorite:

A Useful Woman The Early Life of Jane Addams by Gioia Diliberto because I learned a lot, it made me think, it included trivia (what is a corduroy road?) and used words like higgledepiggledy [sic].

The Haul:
Fiction:

The Architect by Keith Ablow
murder suicide by Keith Ablow
Delusion by Peter Abrahams

Nonfiction:

920s
California's Stately Hall of Fame by Rockwell D. Hunt
Tudor Portraits Success and Failure of an Age by Michael Foss

921s
Open An Autobiography by Andre Agassi
Christina Aguilera by MaryJo Lemmens

General
The Wit & Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln by Anthony Gross


Teen Fiction:

Getting Lost with Boys by Hailey Abbott
The Secret of Boys by Hailey Abbott
Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams
Flight by Sherman Alexie


Children's Fiction:

Skellig by David Almond
The Secret School by Avi

Hey! I just learned how to link my posts. Cool beans!! Now if they're linked, then they've been read and reviewed.

Profound and Mundane by Melissa Diaz

   I love words! Some words feel good in your mouth when you say them. Some trip off your tongue, they can't wait to get out. Some words make you stumble when you try to say them. Some words make you laugh when you hear them. And some words, very special words, spark profound feeling in your soul. These special words are attached to memories and thoughts, to emotion and experience. Words are beautiful and encompass more than the simplicity of their letters and their respective arrangements.
   I love learning new words, revisiting old words and learning more about both new and old words.There is something delightfully magical about definitions. They open new vistas and widen horizons. Learning the etymology of a word allows you to glimpse the past as though in a snapshot; something that captures a moment in time.
   Once you learn a word it never goes completely away. It is a gift you hold forever; just when you have forgotten it, you come across it in a book or conversation, and there it is, waiting for you again. Like a childhood treasure you unexpectedly come across in a long forgotten box, a little dusty, a little worn, a little forgotten, it comes back to you with the shiny, sparkly newness of old.
   Some are words are fun and evoke childlike memories of Easters and running with laughter and family and friends; a word like "hippity hop". Some words feel good in the forming like "smother" and draw a picture that makes you whets your appetite for rich ice cream smothered in warm, gooey hot fudge. Some words are simple and short, mundane words: "I do"; profound in their simplicity they bind people in vows of companionship, honor, integrity and duty. Strung together in a phrase, the words "wall", "tear", "this" and "down" became "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." A simple phrase made of simple words that changed the world.
   Words are powerful beyond measure and have been used to spark creation: "Let there be light." Words worship: "As the deer panteth for the water so my soul longeth after you." Words decry in fist shaking defiance and beg in knee bent pleading. Words blaspheme and pray. Words stroke ego and humble haughtiness. Words cast down and lift up. Words close minds, open eyes, bar entry, throw wide the doors.
   Words inspire imagination, draw pictures and, when they're written with sparklers, make the young smile with the magic they hold in their hands and the old(er) smile with delight for the joy they see on their little ones faces and memories of themselves when they too wrote with magic in the sky.
   Words are confusing and apt, misspelled, ridicuously long and absurdly short, phonetically challenging, dull and overlooked... beautiful. They make up spelling lists (childhood's bane), grocery lists (adulthood's mundane), spelling bee lists (viewer's confusion), wishlists (buyer's economic infusion). They create poetry; "The Road Not Taken", "I Hear America Singing", "The Women Who Went to the Field", "City", "Paul Revere's Ride", "The Cow".
   Words reveal this, my meager thought. They reveal my stupidity and my profundity. They reveal my baseness and my integrity. They reveal my flaws and my perfections. They reveal me; and that is why I revel and cringe in words.

A Useful Woman The Early Life of Jane Addams by Gioia Diliberto

   I have been waiting for enough time to write this review. This book gave me a lot to think about and was so worth the time it took to read it! A Useful Woman is the type of 920 book that makes the genre as good as it is; informational and enjoyable. Gioia Diliberto writes clearly, appreciates the reader's need for context clues and cites well.
   Jane Addams was completely new to me; I knew nothing about her before reading the book and resisted a Wikipedia sneak peek to find out. I'm glad I did. It was fun to meet her as I read the book and, I think, a little less confusing. Jane Addams was a feminist, activist, unionist, charity working liberal. She put her time, money and life where her mouth was and agree or disagree with her she lived her beliefs. Keep in mind that Jane Addams was born in 1860, a different time indeed.
   A little about me. I am almost ardently anti-union, I enjoy spending money on May 1 because it's May Day and have little sympathy for feminism as it is known today. That being said, I also believe there was a time when unions and feminists were necessary and on the right side of the issues more often than the wrong side. Jane Addams' era was one of those times. She provided educated women an opportunity to work and gave educational and vocational opportunities for the poor by running Hull House. She worked hard and dedicated her life to improving the lives of the poor and uneducated in a concrete way. Ms. Addams saw traditional charity as little lasting help and believed that education and vocational instruction were the way to change lives.
   Jane Addams was not perfect, and in fact, was a pacifist (something that goes against my moral grain), but she stuck to her guns. I always appreciate someone who says what they mean and means what they say. Whether I agree or disagree with someone, I respect those who stand by their opinions; it seems that Jane Addams was one of those people.
   Gioia Diliberto emphasizes the "drudgery" of a woman's life in the home as though all women were unhappily confined. It's an obviously feminist perspective, but seemed pretty fair in her assessment of Jane's good and bad characteristics. Jane Addams' perspective that women were morally superior is an expression of the time that seems to still abound today in the argument that there would be fewer wars if women were in charge. Both are arguments that are equally silly then and now.
   One of my favorite things about the book was that Diliberto didn't tell the reader how much money Jane was left and leave it at that. She went on to tell the reader what the money would be worth today; it is something that makes a difference in understanding the context of the time.


Favorite Quotes:

Written by John Addams (Jane Addams' father) in his diary, "Integrity above all else. Am firmly impressed that 'Honesty is the best Policy,' and hope that I may by all means and through all hazards stick to the above Proverb. Let come what may, let me stick to the above."

Written by Jane Addams, "Life's a burden, bear it. Life's a duty, dare it. Life's a thorn crown, wear it. And spurn to be a coward!"

Jane Addams: "If you don't take charge of a child at night you can't feel a scared trembling little hand grow confiding and quiet as soon as it lies within your own."

Ellen Starr, one of Jane's friends: " I love Franscesco better than any child in the world. I would like to own him if I could make enough money to buy his clothes & food...we omit the small circumstance that his parents probably want him. Italians never give up their children."

In response to the district's corrupt alderman, Johnny Powers, who bought off the constituent's: "Indeed, what headway can the notion of civic purity, of honesty of administration make against this big manifestation of human friendliness, this stalking survival of village kindness? The notions of the civic reformer are negative and impotent before it. They give themselves over largely to criticisms of the present state of affairs, to writing and talking of what the future may be, but their goodness is not dramatic, it is not even concrete and human."


Overall Opinion:

What an interesting book. Full of history and contextual references.


Rating:

9


Links to: Hard Call Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them by John McCain with Mark Salter

Intimate Enemies by Shana Abe

   Here is an example of a junk food, almost a complete waste of time and intellect, romance novel (Hailey Abbott, take note). It was engaging enough to make up for being in the romance genre. The back story was developed sufficiently and it did not waste any time by trying to accomplish too much in the telling. I would say that Intimate Enemies was more romance than Abe's Drakon series books reviewed last week.

Favorite Quotes:

None


Overall Opinion:

If you're reading through the library, you won't be completely upset that this is the next book on the shelf.


Rating: 5

The Perfect Boy by Hailey Abbott

   Teen fiction section pick. If there is a perfect example of unchallenging, trite drivel for kids, then The Perfect Boy is the perfect selection. Ciara is a high school girl who has spent her time being a player (for the sake of this book, that means kissing random boys), and just realizes that the thrill she once felt has turned to ashes. Determined to change, Ciara decides that she the summer she spends with her father in Santa Barbara she will pick the perfect boyfriend and stop being a player.
   The author feels the need to name drop fashion designers everytime she describes Ciara's clothes (tiresome), spends no time developing the great friendship that two of the girls are supposed to have developed (confusing), and throws in the fact that Ciara's parents' divorce might have something to do with her behavior as a casual afterthought rather than the eye opening epiphany she tries to make it seem.
   I think The Perfect Boy is a teen attempt at the romance genre and Ms. Abbott would have been better served had her editor took a red pen to the deeper storylines rather than leaving them so obviously neglected and wilted. There is an instance of underage drinking (it does not turn to drunkenness), but if that doesn't bother you there is still no reason to read the book.

Favorite Quotes:

None


 Overall Opinion:

I am dearly hoping this is the only one of her series that my library has.


Rating:

1