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