The Giver: a brief review

This was one of those books that I was embarrassed to have on my list. Embarrassed, or ashamed of the school system that picked out my assigned reading. Either way, I managed to go 25 years without reading this classic Young Adult book and it has successfully been crossed off the list. Before my review though, let me apologize for the creepy quality of my picture. I've gotten lazy with the last couple books and just taken the picture wherever I happen to be reading when I finish...and the dark brown couch maybe wasn't the best background for the black book cover, which also looks like it's floating in midair a little bit. But whatever. You can tell what book it is and I guess that's the point.

Lois Lowry's classic book The Giver is maybe one of the first dystopian books we have, paving the way for the thousands of similar books/trilogies we have now. (I'm kind of just saying this without any actual proof that she's the original, so if I'm wrong just let it go. She clearly came way before Matched and Divergent and Delirium and all those, which is all I'm saying.) There's a purer quality to this plot because of that than when you read some of the newer ones. Although I've read all those newer books I just mentioned and enjoy them quite a bit, you kind of can't help but feel like they're all just variations of each other. You can't feel that way reading this classic because...it's a classic. (I actually just now bothered to look up when it was written. I'm going to go ahead and stick with my point that 1993 makes it a classic.) Brief plot synopsis: Jonas has grown up in his picture perfect society where spouses and children and careers are chosen for you by the powers at be, and there are no problems. No variations, no conflict, and pain, and no questions. But when Jonas reaches age 12 and is given his career assignment as the new Receiver, who will receive all memories and truths from the world of old from his mentor The Giver, everything changes. He sees things from the world that used to exist (ours) and is able to experience and feel them as The Giver shares those memories and truths with him. And the more he learns, the more he questions the perfect world he's been living in all along.

This was a really great book. I really enjoyed reading through the perspective of Jonas - who narrates - and learning things in pieces as he shared them with you. This futuristic world created by Lowry certainly doesn't smack you in the face with the harshness and evil of The Hunger Games' Panem, but the reader eventually learns enough to become just as angry and offended over the course of the book. Something that I thought was interesting is that lots of the societal qualities touched briefly upon in this book (spouses are chosen for you, life paths and careers are chosen for you, you are given medicine upon reaching puberty that eliminates all sex drive and interest in the opposite sex) are all central plots of recent dystopian books...supporting my theory that this really is one of the ones that laid the foundation for the entire genre we're so familiar with now. Another small note that kept cracking me up as I read is that this book is a mere 170-something pages long. In an incredibly small amount of words, Lowry successfully crafts an entire plot that is engaging, interesting, and detailed from start to finish. Some of those newer dystopian books I keep referencing feature writing that takes twelve pages to simply introduce a scene when Lowry managed to write the entire scene in one page. So gold star, Lois.

Bottom line, this is a book that's still taught in schools for a reason. I missed out on it in my small-town public education, but I shouldn't have and it's ridiculous I waited so long to read it myself. It's great, and it'll make you think. Read it.

Mockingbird: a brief review

Despite the fact that this latest book is a Young Adult book and a National Book Award winner, it's also a type of book that I haven't had much experience with. After reading this one, though, I think it's a world I need to read a lot more about.

Kathryn Erskine's Mockingbird is the story of fifth-grader Caitlin, who has Asperger's. Although much plot comes from the fact that Caitlin's mother died several years ago from cancer and her only brother died recently in a middle school shooting, the real uniqueness and true conflict comes from the fact that Caitlin is the narrator. Because she has Asperger's, she obviously tells the entire story through the lens of Asperger's. The reader gets the story in pieces and often has to read between the lines to know what she's talking about, and/or wait several chapters to get more information. It sounds like it would be confusing as a reader, and honestly it is...at first. But as with any unfamiliar style of writing (the southern drawl of Their Eyes Were Watching God and the British old school of Jane Austen, as examples), it becomes a second nature for the reader the more embedded into Caitlin's mind you become. She tells the story of her last several months of elementary school with the typical black and white, emotionless affect that comes with Asperger's. Meanwhile, her father is desperately trying to pick up the pieces of his life and mourn his son appropriately while dealing with his daughter's lack of understanding.

Although I really was touched by the overall plot and story, I think what interested me the most was the adults' reactions to Caitlin. Several different teachers, a guidance counselor, and her own father have constant interaction with her throughout the book, and it's so interesting (and convicting, from the eyes of a teacher and future parent hopeful) to see the frustration in their responses. Frustration, I might add, that Caitlin herself doesn't see because of her inability to read facial expressions and social cues. She is frustrating and she is difficult, and it's a hard call to know how you would respond to a student or a child in these situations. To be an adult mourning the loss of both a wife from a tragic disease and a son from a senseless classmate's murdering spree...while having a daughter who struggles with emotional connections and empathy and who brings it all up constantly without realizing how painful it is would be incredibly difficult. Seeing the transformation in Caitlin's character throughout the book is pretty cool and the ending is very sweet, but I think I would recommend this book the most for the discussion of Asperger's and our role as adults in the lives of these children. It's certainly a rising reality and we never know who will come into our lives that we will have a huge impact on. This is an easy way to get a glimpse into the mind of a fictional child with Asperger's and to reflect on how we might treat them if given the chance.

My Sister's Keeper: a brief review

This book goes under the list of books that I feel like everyone has read but me. I watched the movie when it came out, but I was so annoyed by my sisters' reactions ("THAT'S NOT HOW THE BOOK ENDS!") that I guess I subconsciously put it off. But at some point I found it at a 2nd and Charles sidewalk sale for about $3 and...here we are. I own it, I haven't read it, and I'm checking things off the list. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure I picked the right season of my life to pick this one off the shelf, but I managed to enjoy it all the same.

Here's the basic plot of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper: Kate Fitzgerald is diagnosed with a difficult strain of leukemia when she's just two years old, and when her older brother isn't a match for any transplants or donations, her parents decide to conceive a genetically perfect match of a sibling. Although they fully intended to love their new daughter just as much as any other child, the lines between daughter and donor become blurred immediately when they take Anna's cord blood moments after her birth. Years later, after multiple surgeries and somewhat involuntary donations, Anna hires a lawyer and files for medical emancipation from her parents. Kate is in desperate need of a kidney and Anna is drawing the line.

This particular Picoult book has everything you would want and expect from one of hers. A tragic and heart-wrenching story you'd never want to have happen to your family, ethical and moral discussions about how you should or should not handle those tragedies, dramatic courtroom scenes, a star-crossed romance that's both amusing and frustrating, and crazy twists at the end that you don't see coming nor do you want to accept even though they make for a pretty awesome ending. I do recommend it for an easy - but sometimes emotional - read, but I guess I would have to warn that there are some heavy family issues and discussions that aren't for the faint of heart. It's really not bad, just something to be aware of before diving in.

That Summer: a brief review

Not to toot my own horn or anything...but I'm on Day 2 of my book challenge and I've already finished Book 2. Is it possible that my speedy reading is due mostly because I'm choosing super easy and short Young Adult books? Perhaps. But I'm enjoying it. Not to mention that if I keep knocking the easy ones out this fast, I'll be able to buy a book sometime this decade.

Other than the fact that Garth Brooks has an old song with the same title, I'm not really sure why I chose this particular book to read next. Just kind of grabbed it, knowing it wouldn't require many brain cells. Sarah Dessen's That Summer tells the story of 15-year-old Haven's months in between her father's wedding to the local weather girl and her sister's wedding to boring and stable Lewis. With so much of her life changing all at once, Haven responds in typical adolescent fashion...awkwardly and dramatically, although maybe legitimately. Throughout the summer Haven's rekindled friendship with her older sister's ex-boyfriend continues to grow, and it's not until the end of the book that she realizes that reality may differ from her memories.

This book was an easy summer read, living up to my expectations fully as far as brainless reading goes. I actually think I found it a little too brainless...not much actually happened in the plot until the very end, and although there was an interesting twist I didn't find that it really made up for the rest of the blah. I have two other Sarah Dessen books on my list and I'm still interested to read them, I just think this one was a slight dud.

Who Could That Be at This Hour?: a brief review

Before I do my tiny little book review, I need to say that this book challenge has been a serious "duh" moment for me. I have the kind of personality that dives into things a little too aggressively/obsessively, and so when I got my Kindle about a year and a half ago I said goodbye to "real" books. I would buy them on my Kindle, read them on my Kindle, and then if I really liked them I would buy the real-life version to display on my shelves (much to the confusion of my husband). I forgot about libraries, I forgot about borrowing books from friends, and I forgot about reading the 91 perfectly good books I already had sitting on my shelves waiting to be read. Forcing myself to step away from the Kindle and read some actual hard-backed books for a change has been like removing a blindfold. I don't have to pay (twice) for a book just to read it. I have a whole world of free and already-paid for books available. Duh. And while that probably doesn't sound like rocket science...it's honestly been a little exciting for me to realize. Or...remember. Whatever. Here's my book review.

The first book in Lemony Snicket's new All the Wrong Questions series, is just as quirky and clever as I thought it would be. Who Could That Be at This Hour? starts to tell the story of Lemony Snicket's adolescence and rise to fame in the field of mystery-solving and secretive writing that we're familiar with in his Series of Unfortunate Events books. In this book, Snicket describes the beginning of his career as an apprentice to a somewhat worthless chaperone who is teaching him the ways of the secretive sleuthing society he becomes so involved with later on. In typical Snicket form, though, he leaves lots of holes in the plot and questions unanswered. You as the reader needs to do some thinking along the way to fill in some of the holes...but you should also be prepared to not ever get some questions answered. But there's not much new there.

It's super fun and a quick read, and it's everything you would want a Lemony Snicket book to be. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

My Own Personal Book Challenge

I love to read, and always have. But sometimes when your husband is working second shift all summer and you're trying to stay awake until ridiculous hours in the night when he gets home, it's easier to put a movie on. And while I also have always loved watching movies, I think we can all agree that reading a book makes you feel a little bit better about yourself than watching yet another movie. So I've been making a conscious effort here recently to choose books over movies (much more, anyway). And right around the time I decided to read more...I also realized the vast amount of books that I own that I've never read. 91 of them, in fact. That's a whole lot of books that I've paid for and brought home and found a home for on my walls of bookshelves, but have not given the decency of reading. Obviously I wanted to read them at some point. That's why I bought them. And now it's time to read them...before I buy another book. (Eek!)

More for my own record keeping and not so much because I think you'll care, these are the books on the list. Please don't judge/mock me for the classics and well-read books that are on this list that I've never read. Especially considering how much I love reading. And teaching English to children.


FICTION:
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
4. Bright Young Things - Anna Godberson
5. Countdown - Deborah Wiles
6. Ten Little Indians - Sherman Alexie
7. Number the Stars - Lois Lowry
8. The Giver - Lois Lowry
9. Flygirl - Sherri Smith
10. Out of My Mind - Sharon Draper
11. The Battle of Jericho - Sharon Draper
12. Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry - Mildred Taylor
13. The Fox Inheritance - Mary Pearson
14. Who Could That Be at This Hour? - Lemony Snicket
15. The Great Wall of Lucy Wu - Wendy Wan-Long Shang
16. Star Girl - Jerry Spinelli
17. If I Should Die Before I Wake - Han Nolan
18. Mockingbird - Kathryn Erskine
19. One Crazy Summer - Rita Williams-Garcia
20. The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
21. My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
22. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
23. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
24. Someone Like You - Sarah Dessen
25. That Summer - Sarah Dessen
26. Just Listen - Sarah Dessen
27. Left Behind - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
28. Tribulation Force - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
29. Nicolae - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
30. Soul Harvest - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
31. Apollyon - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
32. Assassins - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
33. The Indwelling - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
34. The Mark - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
35. Desecration - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
36. The Remnant - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
37. Armageddon - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
38. Glorious Appearing - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
39. Fame - Karen Kingsbury
40. Family - Karen Kingsbury
41. Forgiven - Karen Kingsbury
42. Found - Karen Kingsbury
43. 1984 - George Orwell
44. Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller
45. The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane
46. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
47. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Tennessee Williams
48. The Hundred and One Dalmations - Dodie Smith
49. Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne
50. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne
51. Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
52. Alice and Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
53. Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Caroll
54. Dracula - Bram Stoker
55. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
56. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
57. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
58. Wuthering Heights - Charlotte Bronte
59. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
60. Silas Marner - George Elliot
61. How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill - James Patterson
62. Get Me Out of Here - James Patterson
63. The Worst Years of my Life - James Patterson
64. My Brother is a Big, Fat Liar - James Patterson
65. I Funny - James Patterson
66. Bud, Not Buddy - Christopher Paul Curtis
67. The Schwa Was Here - Neal Shusterman
68. Pop - Gordon Korman
69. The Big Field - Mike Lupica
70. Heat - Mike Lupica
71. Hoot - Carl Hiassen
72. Flush - Carl Hiassen
73. New Boy - Julian Houston
74. Prom - Laurie Halse Anderson
75. Twisted - Laurie Halse Anderson
76. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne
77. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
78. Slumdog Millionaire - Vikas Swarup
79. Push - Sapphire

NONFICTION
80. A Little Bit Wicked - Kristin Chenoweth
81. A Long Way Gone - Ishmael Beah
82. Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand
83. Band of Brothers - Steven Ambrose
84. The Jungle - Upton Sinclair
85. Invictus - John Carlin
86. Cheaper by the Dozen - Frank Gilbreth
87. Zlata's Diary - Zlata Filipovic
88. The Invested Life - Joel Rosenberg
89. Because He Loves Me - Elyse Fitzpatrick
90. Radical - David Platt
91. The Ragamuffin Gospel - Brendon Manning


Like I said...don't judge me. I know there are a whole lot of books on this list (Harry Potter...The Great Gatsby...The Kite Runner...) that most people read ten to fifteen years ago. But I guess I was reading other books ten to fifteen years ago and forgot about these.