Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

Kelly was an acquaintance in college. She was larger than life, gorgeous, a little older than me, and seemed like one of those natural, New England Irish beautiful girls to which life came fun and fast.
I think she hasn't changed much. Only, I know her much better now, even though I haven't seen her in 22 years. Her second book, Lift, was the one I learned of first, and read it, loving it. It is also reviewed in a past review. That being said, these are books for adults. Mainly because Kelly is very open in her books. She doesn't hold back- which is the source of charm in her writing, but maybe TMI for the kiddos. Maybe. Middle Place is the account of Kelly's relationship with her parents and her childhood juxtaposed with her adult life and diagnosis with breast cancer in her 30's. So far, so good, as she is still on this earth, raising her children and hopefully, writing. But still a close up account of this life. I find myself identifying so closely with Kelly, even though I have not been diagnosed with breast cancer- she is just so accessible. And inspiring. This is a great gift to yourself, or your adult girlfriends.
Loved It.

Somewhere Inside by Laura and Lisa Ling

I know I live in a news vacuum. I don't watch television news, don't read a paper and only sporadically hear anything on the radio. Since Paul Harvey died- a close friend since toddlerhood when if I was quiet during Paul Harvey I would be rewarded with a bologna sandwich- I have heard even less. Miss you Paul! And I completely missed the detention of Laura Ling. I was familiar with her sister Lisa, having seen her once or twice on The View back when the babies were small and I could do things like watch daytime television while nursing. So, the first I heard of this book, the story of the arrest and detention of journalist Laura Ling in North Korea in 2009, was on NPR just before leaving for China. The China/North Korea border is quite far from where we were travelling, as we were near the China/Myanmar, China/Laos borders, but I was still intrigued.
The book is written from Lisa's perspective, in California, juxtaposed with the perspective of Laura, in North Korea. The women are not "writers", they are journalists and the account ends up a little dry. But, for that, you start to understand the deep division between the two worlds. I couldn't help but be distressed by the difficulty of getting Laura and her also arrested collegue, Euna, out of North Korea. Especially considering sister Lisa, fighting tooth and nail for her only sibling, had "Al" (Gore) and "Oprah" on speed dial. Friends with politicians, media moguls, Hollywood stars, she had the ear of just about anyone with power in the US. And STILL it was nearly impossible. The "King of Pop" even offered his services, and that might have worked, Kim Jong Il being a big fan, except Michael died days after his offer. This book is maybe a must read for teens growing up in a time where the most secluded and insular nation in the world is testing nuclear weapons.
Now residing on Eldest's bedside table, will be at the top of her book queue. Both my girls have asked to read this one. I'm hoping they will.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I caught wind of this book from various sources, wanted to read it, but could never quite remember the name when I was at the library. So, I finally did a internet search with the words "Guernsey" and "Potato" because that is all I could remember. Lucky for me, the internet delivered. Handing me this complete gem of a book. War makes for a tender subject, often too depressing to really enjoy- especially WWII. Those darn Nazis were truly abominable. Guernsey, a little island in the English Channel, was occupied by the Germans for several years during the war. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society walks us through the occupation and beyond- all in letter form! Truly, I thought the entire book, composed of only correspondence, would drive me crazy. But I found I quickly forgot about the format, and just hungered to read the next letter! Who doesn't love getting a letter, anyway? There is love, death, forgiveness, compassion, friendship, generosity, adversity, twist and turns- all wrapped in great humor and depth and sent through the post. No sooner had I finished it then I tossed it on daughter #1's bed with a post it- "read me". She finished in a few days, and started mooning away, loving it too. It is now on daughter #2's bedside table.
READ ME.

Out to Canaan by Jan Karon

I'm wading through series currently, I suppose! This is #4 in the Jan Karon Mitford Series. I have blogged on this series before, but there are folks that may have missed my endorsement of this book series, and it would be a shame to overlook mentioning it again as it is really terrific. Karon is masterful in making adventures happen in a sleepy mountain town- with a greying preacher and his growing group of friends and loved ones. All, without making it gory or horrifying and keeping it exciting despite the seemingly ho-hum subject. I LOVE reading this series, and four books in have yet to be bored or disappointed, and no nightmares. They are a solid and fun choice for more advanced little readers, youth readers and me. Also, Grandma and even male persons.... the hero is an ol' preacher man. Goodgoodgoodgoodgood. Get the message?

Catching Fire, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

These are the final two books in the Hunger Games trilogy. They have attracted quite an audience of youth readers, and sucked me in right away as well. These are violent books. Okay, exclamation point! A cautionary tale of power in the wrong hands, and the bloody revolution that follows. It centers around Katniss Everdeen, a teenager forced to grow up before her time by a dysfunctional and twisted government. She is the tide that brings the wave of revolution to her country, and believe me, it is a pretty horrible life. So, why do I like the book? Triumph of good over evil? Hope? Optimism that it will come out okay in the end? Hunger to know what happens next in the string of horrible happenings? I don't know. Somehow I got plucked up and couldn't stop reading once I'd started. Most of the kids who had seen me reading the trilogy said the same thing; "I didn't like the last book as well as the first two." After reading the last one cover to cover in about a day, I'm not sure why. I thought it brilliant. After questioning one such young one (daughter #2) I think it may be that book 3 is more about the revolution as the whole, and the more central relationship and romance between Katniss and Peeta is pretty tanked (what with Peeta being tortured into lunacy and Katniss being the poster girl for the rebel forces). Still, this trilogy is a pretty exciting roller coaster ride....

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Series by Steig Larsson

I suppose you have to be living under a rock somewhere to not have heard of this series. It seems to be the "Twilight" of the adult reading crowd. But, in case you haven't already been tipped off- prepare! This is a trilogy by a Swedish author who died before the books went big time worldwide. There are Swedish film versions of the books, and a Hollywood production is now underway starring Daniel Craig and a lesser known actress in the title roll. And what a juicy role it will be! The Girl of the Dragon Tatoo, the Girl Who Plays with Fire and the Girl Who Kicks the Hornets Nest( the three book titles) is Lisbeth Salander, an eccentric, asocial, genius with a horrific past and a strong sense of self. Mikael Blomkvist is the other main character who merrily kicks at the hornets nests as well. The Hornets don't have a chance. He is journalist, she is....hard to explain. In any case, these are powerful books. Riveting, though one must pay attention because you can get entangled by Anderssons, Jacobssons, Niedermanns, Niermans Etc. Hard to tell who's who at times- but well worth the attention it demands. In addition to the required attention, one must be up to the subject matter which is REALLY NOT FOR CHILDREN. That understood, this is a great trilogy to sink you into the depths of winter in cold Sweden. Top notch.

The Seekers: the quest begins by Erin Hunter

This author has two series from which I have reviewed books. The other was the Warrior series, about a society of cats. This series, The Seekers, is about bears. There are stories about three bears in this starter to the series. A polar bear cub, a grizzly cub and a black bear cub. A few chapters into the book, I was close to tossing it in the tub when I got out to dry off. I couldn't tell if this was just a way to point out the hopelessness of humanity, or just the inevitable awfulness of life in general. Global warming is melting the polar ice caps, and the polar bears are suffering greatly, then the momma bear gets eaten by killer whales, leaving her two cubs to fend for themselves- on separate ice shelves as the ice is melting too rapidly for proper polar bear life. The grizzly mom loses one cub to some degenerating disease (brought on by living too close to the thoughtless, toxic human race) and then in despair, abandons her other, healthy cub. The black bear cub is born and raised in captivity, but longs for freedom and escapes to the wild. Okay, well, I did get caught up in the drama eventually. AFTER I decided not to go all Plath. The thing is, they're pretty cool adventure stories, but drowning in angst. Do we put this on the kids, figuring they won't get the depressing theme, but will thrill to the adventures of the scrappy little bears? Or, do we not submerge them in the "horrible humans" mantra? I kinda think maybe Pooh is a better bear to love.

Maybe this time by Jennifer Crusie

I have reviewed this author before, and this book holds true. This is an Adult book. Okay?
But strange, funny and just for fun. I read it after Halloween, and it would have been so apropos for the holiday. The heroine is still attracted to her ex, and vice versa, ends up in a haunted house trying to care for two abandoned children- abandoned by all but the ghosts. There is deadly ghosts, sarcastic ones and possesed ghost whoopie. Crusie's standard Ice Queen Mother-in-law, that thaws only for the quirky herione and equally prerec. flighty mother of herione make their appearances along with a paranormal academic, gritty medium, horrible blonde and amoral Don Juan. The scenario pulls the divided couple back together, they bond forever, save the kids, eradicate the ghosts, mostly, and live happily ever after in German Village.

Once Upon a Time: four modern day romance stories with all the enchantment of a fairy tale. By 4 separate authors Published 2000

In my search for "appropriate" romance for my teen, I had little hope for these, and they surprised me. They are fairly short stories, and each one loosely followed a familiar tale; Snow White, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood- etc. They also had the prerequisite heroine who is quirky and smart, not knowing she needs saving, or at least not saving by the strong, sensitive handsome man to whom she is attracted, blahblahblah. The main twist to these stories, one I found somewhat intriguing, is that the characters are Christians, and are active in their beliefs. That IS a twist, and somewhat refreshing. Plus, the romances were just that- romance, not sex stories. Not featuring young girls sneaking out of houses for late night rendevous with teen boy lotharios. Goodie.
So, yes, this is drivel, but wholesome drivel.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I vaguely remember reading this in grade school. I don't think I liked it, maybe even understood it. I don't know if that is due to my level of understanding, or the fact that it was "required reading".
Now,like The Scarlet Pimpernel, a "classic" that I can get behind. I know both my girls, ages 15 and 12 have read this, and enjoyed it, so maybe it was just me!
In any case, the book is fascinatingly rich and layered and smart. Told from the perspective of Scout, an 8-9 year old tomboy during the depression, the story unfolds not as an "event" but, as in life, a series of moments that just happen. I think sometimes To Kill a Mockingbird is thought of as a law story. Maybe the movie puts more emphasis on the trial. I think it is a story about a town, a time, a family whose father happens to be a lawyer. This is how our lives shape. If Scout's father had not been the trial lawyer, she still would've been vaguely aware of what was happening in her small town, but because it is her family, we are put deep inside those days.
I loved the "new teaching" at the school, Scout is told her reading and writing at home is ruining her education- We're still struggling to figure out how best to educate our children. And, I love Atticus. He's a wonderful character and gives me parental aspirations. I also hope to raise a boy such as Jem.
The subject of the trial is an alleged rape, but the story being told with an eight year old voice keeps it a bit nebulous "had his way with me" and pseudo-factual.
The subject of the book- people, and the setting - Alabama in the 1930's, means a hard look at prejudice and the struggles of the black community still living in a "white world".
I was reluctant to read it, as I recalled enough to know "bad stuff" happens. I thought maybe Jem or Atticus gets killed. Well, "bad stuff", indeed does happen, but the family makes it through the whole book, not unharmed, but not "Lovely Bones"'ed either. (Lovely Bones not recommended for kids, or for me either. Read it, it's demented.)
If you, like me, haven't read this book since grade school, pick it up again. And it is a good one to get in the hands of your strong readers before it is "required"- in case they're like me too.

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

I think this book was what I had wanted The Grapes of Wrath to be. It is the story of a man's life in rural Kentucky, through the years of the depression and into the changes of the 20th century. He is a simple man of observation, yet, married to a woman, in his mind, who is married to someone else. He is a man of routine and strange faith. He sees his world keenly and feels the rhythms of the biology. He is a searcher, a sloth, a barber, a loner at the center of his society. This book begged to be read a chapter at a time, not poured through at all. But, have no fears in handing this to your kids, or putting beside your own bed. It will make you see your world more clearly, and perhaps define your own desires for simplicity. Wendell Berry is also a poet, and this book is in a way a medatative poem for the quiet soul.

The Singing- final book of the Pellinor Series by Alison Croggan

Number four, and final one in the series, The Singing brings Maerad and Hem back together to conclude their adventures and save the world. Continuation of The Crow, The Singing is still full of evil sorcerers and lots of traveling, but ends with the culmination of the forces of good to triumph, leaving the good guys behind to enjoy blissful, trouble- free lives...? In any case, burdens lifted, love recognized, bad guys all gone. I did enjoy the characters and perils of the Pellinor Series.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

"A Classic" often translates to "an unbearably boring, or depressing instrument of written torture." We put "great works of literature" on the required reading lists of our young minds and willfully assume their eyes will be opened, minds enlarged, blah,blah,blah.. by Crime and Punishment? I, too, suffered through years of grade school summer reading lists. Turned me right off of "Classics". But, in my unforced maturity and ungoverned library wandering, I occasionally attempt a "Classic" with undetermined air.
Thus, the choice of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Now, having poured through the book pulled chapter by chapter, I wonder how on earth it ever made it to the "Classic" designation! It is a really fun book! A swashbuckling romance. Sure, it was written in 1902 by a Hungarian Baroness, so has pedigree. But, this is a Classic worth reading. I highly recommend it for your advanced young reader. Not basic prose, it will increase vocabulary but I believe, keep the reader engaged nonetheless. Perfect romance for the tween or teen. This is romance without sex, love with sacrifice, and it all comes out well for the good guys! Loved it.
Reminiscent of The Three Musketeers by Dumas, it's what a Classic can be.

Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres

This is a wonderful little book! It is an account of a real dog's life, as well as can be pieced together for this dog without boundaries. He lived in the undeveloped outback of Australia, my guess is the 60's or the 70's? And he was a dog with a reddish coat, yellow eyes, and tons of personality. He made friends with everyone, traveled the trains, buses and cars of the area for years, crisscrossing from the sea shore to the mines. Known by most folks as "Red Dog". The one man he came closest to claiming, died unexpectedly in a motor cycle accident, and Red Dog was then claimed by all and owned by none. The little drawings in the book are charming, and Red Dog is an amazing critter. This is not a tear jerking "Marley ad Me" type story. This is better. Great read for you and your kids.

Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie

Okay, this is a ROMANCE author who does not write children's books. If you are purely looking for suggestions of what to pick up for your kid's bedside table. Skip this book. Skip this author. But, these are deliciously fun reads for the adult who is looking for a "beach read". I bought this book for the plane ride to Bejing, or Newark, or Kunming, or where ever I was when I began to feel stir crazy. I wasn't a chapter in before I realized I'd read it before. I'm pretty sure anyway, even though it was a recent copywright. But, it didn't matter. It was still ridiculously fun and swarmy. The author sets her books in the area in which I live- even more fun to be in on the secret. I swear she takes parts of the fictional town of "Temptation" from my own town. In the very first chapter, in which the flesh pink water tower is described in detail- I said "That's my town!"
So, not for the kids, but a must for the lover of a frippery romance set in their own backyard!

The Crow- Third book in the Pellinor Series, by Alison Croggan

The first two books in this series written for young adults were told from the point of view of the heroine, Maerad. The Crow is a complete switch to a book about her brother, Hem. I was a bit disappointed at first, as I was itching to know how Maerad was faring, but you get attached to young Hem, and after a while, don't mind at all. Hem and Maerad are up against some evil characters, you know, all things dark and destructive types, and face the end of the world as they know it. Of course, they have the key to changing all that and saving the world- if they can only figure it out in time. The book is somewhat violent. Battles and such mostly are, and some bad kids- but they're kind of possessed. For the child reader who likes fantasy, I think they are a decent choice, and the main characters find strength in making selfless and kind decisions, as well as digging deep to be brave and true. Next book in the series? Not sure, but will get it on my request queue at the library soon!

In the Woods by Tara French

My oh my! I've some catching up to do! I read this book on the flight home from Bejing. It is a mystery, and does suck you in, a "who dunnit" that you merely guess at until the end. It takes place in Ireland( way closer than Bejing!) which is one of my favorite settings for a book. But it is not a romantic vision of the country. It is a murder, of a young girl, which doesn't make me happy. And there is an interwoven intriguing backstory of the disappearance of two other young children some years before. The main character completely loses his marbles in the course of the story, eventually solving the murder mystery, but leaving the older mystery unsolved, which left me a-hangin'. It is not a book for kids. NOPE. Not even close. But, for adults who love a mystery (or who are trapped on a 14 hour flight) it's a well written, decent choice.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Another book recommendation by my 'tween and seconded by my teen. I finally got to the top of the library loan list and picked up my copy. Within 24 hours of starting it, I was done. It's a page turner, big time. Talk about disturbing and violent! It is a Lord of the Flies mash up with 1984. And I think "Wow, my kids read this? And liked it?" But, I suppose they are the age when they get Golding and Orwell put in their hands, too. And, the book is riveting.
In a future country on the land of what is currently the USA, the citizens are repressed, enslaved and impoverished. The government has an annual Game for the whole country that pits children against one another in a fight to the death. So, really creepy. But, what may be the most creepy of all is that when you read the book, you forget how abysmal the premise really is, and just go with it. YIKES! It really sucks you in, and makes you accept. The hopeful thing is perhaps after you are done, you will think about the awfulness of the whole deal. And, perhaps chores aren't quite as bad when this alternative is considered.... I am chomping at the bit to go after book number 2, Catching Fire. And will keep you posted!

The Riddle; Book 2 in the Pellinor Series by Alison Croggan

I enjoyed the first installment enough to try the second... and now looking forward to the third! These are fantasy books, and have violence. NOT for younger kids, but I think okay for the 'tween and teens. In The Riddle, our heroine is searching for answers, as well as her identity. She spends a lot of time in the extreme cold, so plan to read under covers, by the fire, or in a hot bath to combat the feeling of frostbite. Names are sometimes hard to follow in this series, and the author has created elaborate backstory and history that are presented as appendices. But the books are engaging enough that I plan to read the third book; The Crow, on the flight to China this weekend. Hopefully it will keep my mind off of being in a cramped seat for WAY TOOOOO long!

Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden

For anyone who thought extreme wealth was the answer to the good life- read this and feel awesome about your strapped check book and loving family.
For anyone who has a teen who thinks you are a bad parent because you have a curfew, they have to do chores, you didn't buy them the latest ____, this might be a reality check.
The author, Wendy Burden, is the great, great,blah blah blah granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbuilt, whose eventual heir married a Burden, also of extreme wealth. As the title implies, this ancestry does not seem to ensure a prosperous and happy life. Suicide, alcoholism, neglect, drug abuse, yikes! All there. No one is unscathed, but the author seems to have a sense of humor that has allowed survival in a family with a worse than average guarantee. Her mother is a complete void, although at least still occasionally present between tanning trips to the islands, marrying an arms dealer and being a drunk. Dad committed suicide. Grandparents, enormously, gratuitously wealthy are also alcoholics and eccentric, if not insane. This book can be very funny, in a sad sort of way, and certainly proves the "wealth does not bring happiness" adage. I don't think a good choice for kids, but for your older teens, perhaps.....but probably not. And if you're a mother, you can feel like an Academy of Motherhood award nominee after reading. If you are a Dad, all you have to do to improve on Mr. Burden's performance is to not kill yourself. Pretty low standards.

Chelsea, Chelsea, Bang, Bang by Chelsea Handler

Not for kids, not for kids.
I think I was not old enough to read this book, and perhaps am scarred for life.
And it was a little hilarious.

The Naming - First book in the Pellinor Series, by Alison Croggan

In FB lingo; "like"! This is the first book in a series that definitely reminds me of other fantasy series of the ilk, like the series by Terry Goodkind and the more kid friendly Eragon Series by Christopher Paolini. The difference in this series is the "chosen one" that will save the world is not a young, untested, flawed and secretly powerful male wizard. It is a girl. I had not felt slighted by the other heroes being heroes, but now that I've found a heroine, well, it is kinda fun. It is a longish book, mostly traveling around encountering good folks, and bad things, and you get a bit exhausted by all the travel, even if you are just lying in the tub. But I'm definitely looking forward to getting the second book in the Pellinor series and finding out what happens to Maerad, Cadvan and Hem. Love? Darkness? Adventure!

Stranger in Paradise by Robert B. Parker

For years I have enjoyed sharing a bathtub with Spenser, Jesse and Sunny. Robert Parker's heroes/heroines are flawed and funny, and until his recent demise, the author was prolific enough that there was always an unread Goodguy/Badguy novel to pop open while I soak. None of these novels are for kids, but if you're looking for a fast moving, easy, entertaining book, you know, kinda fluff? Look here. This isn't romance, and not really whodunit, but tougher romance and Iknowwhodunit. Just, well, fun.
Guess I'm in the mood for fun! We'll see what I pick up next...

Ruby by Francesca Lia Block and Carmen Staton

Ruby has had a bad life. Correction: Ruby's Dad is a very bad man, and has made her life dark. This makes this book unripe for childhood reading. But the book is somehow not too dark, and somewhat predictable. Ruby is infused with some sort of pagan mythicism, that makes her"know" things, and she does some majick...I'm not sure. I think I liked this book, but in a "was I sleeping when I read it?" kind of way. Oddly, I believe I have read this book before. Don't know when, but evidently since 2006- it's pub. date. So.... either I have a bit of "knowing", or the book isn't very memorable. I read it again with a deja vu feeling, but couldn't tell you how it turned out. Now I can, as I just finished it. Give me a year and maybe I'll pick it up and it will seem vaguely familiar again?
Really, it seemed kind of like an outline to a larger novel, or a trippy "did someone put something in my drink?" evening in Bogata.
Either way, can't really say "skip" or "read", but don't give it to the kidlets.

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

This is the sixteenth book in a series about bumbling bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum. These books are not quite ready for childhood consumption, but there isn't a more entertaining series available between two covers. I laugh aloud at every one of these books. If you are one of the rare skips that hasn't heard of Evanovich, go take out One for the Money. It will take you all of an evening to read, and you may not be able to quit until it is done,but you will have a lot of fun.
Character I most resemble in this series? Rex.

The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank

This is an odd book. It is about dating, and relationships. Adult ones, so not a book for the kiddies, or even the teens.
But it is a bit odd. It is mostly told from the perspective of Jane. Chapters jump a bit through her life, and tell the story of her loves. In the middle of the book is a chapter from the perspective of Nina, who doesn't know Jane, although they live in the same building. Nina has a grown son who announces he has impregnated two different women- and is about to be a double father. I kept thinking somehow this chapter about Nina and her children (and eventual grandchildren) was somehow going to tie in with Jane's life. I don't think it ever did. Just a random chapter in the middle of the book.
But, it is a fast, fun read. Perfect for a subway commute or waiting in the parking lot for soccer practice to be through. Not a book to stay with you, I don't think. But, hopefully the moral has better sticky stuff; Be Yourself.
Okay?

Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost

I'm obviously a little anxious about my impending trip to the far east. This book's subtitle is "One man's attempt to understand the world's most mystifying nation". Sounds like it might be helpful. I think instead I'm more anxious. It sounds like breathing will be challenging, as not only am I going to the Himilayas, where oxygen is scarce, apparently, the pollution in China is abysmal. On the other hand, I've been practicing two phrases that I think will be most comforting; "Qingwen. Wo buhui dun zhege cesuo. Youmeiyou biede cesuo keyi yong?" Translated; "Excuse me, I am not proficient at squatting. Is there another toilet option?" And, the more simple, but perhaps more crucial "Zhege zhende shi jirou ma?"Translated; "Are you sure that's chicken?" Thank you Mr. Troost for these helpful navigators. Unfortunately, he also points out that learning something in Mandarin does not mean you'll be understood by those who speak Cantonese, or the other 291 languages in the country of China. It's not that I'm expecting to be understood by the 1.5 billion inhabitants of China, but I'm afraid I may not be understood by any of them. I will be an unintelligible, blonde, tall, Laowei female wearing scuba gear. If you are feeling disheartened about living in the Good Ol' USA, picking up this book will make you feel much better. As usual, much of the language that crosses all barriers would never cross my Grandmother's threshold, and once again, it seems harder to avoid members of the sex trade in this country than here in the rural cornfields of middle America. Not sure I would share this book with my kids, unless they were of the mind to get a back pack and head for the Orient to find themselves. Cruising through these pages might make them skew their travels more towards Norway. "Jeg er glad Norweigans bruk toilet papir!" Translated: Heck, you don't even need me to translate it.

Candy Freak by Steve Almond

Mallo-Cups, 5th Avenue, Turtle Bar, Necco Wafers, Original Bubble Yum, Harry London's Mint Bar..just getting started. I am a freak. There are certainly many of us, but perhaps Steve Almond is a bit more freakish than most. The guy has a serious affinity for candy, and a sensual attachment to the ultimate sweet. The way he describes a chocolate enrober is positively poetic, and a bit too intimate for comfort- but no doubt you start thinking about the waves on top of your bar a bit more. This book is not for kids. Toooooo bad, as candy freakdom starts in childhood, and kids understand candy. Now, certainly you'll be able to share parts of the book, or at least knowledge gleaned from the book with your children- but don't hand this one over, okay? If you are a foodie, this book will appeal to you. If you like candy, this book will appeal to you, and if you are a freak, what are you waiting for??? I have started looking at the candy aisle in a much friendlier way, and with a detective's nose, looking for the obscure small candy companies with the kahunas to duke it out on the same shelves with the big three (that being, Hershey's, Nestle and Mars). And you need kahunas, as well as the bucks to shelve out "shelving fees", which is what you pay the store to put the product on their shelves, and it is in the multi thousands. Just look at Walmart, or your grocery store, and see how many candy products are not from the big three that you can put your hands on.... pretty sparse. Candy used to be very regional. Each area of the country, each state, had their bars and they were fresh and local. Not so any longer. With my new found knowledge, I am looking for a Idaho friend to send me an "Idaho Spud" and a Iowa friend to ship me a "Twin Bing", and a California friend to post me a "Aba-Zaba". Also accepting Five-Star Bars, Valomilk and Goo Goo Clusters- my mouth is as open as my curiosity. And I am frantically sharing all these tastes with my children before the little candy companies melt and go the way of the Caravelle Bar...extinct.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

Earlier, I reviewed, positively, the first installment in the Mysterious Benedict Society series. I have been reading this first book aloud to my youngest son, and for the first time, I get tired of reading aloud before he gets tired of listening to me! My eldest daughter, also a fan of MBS has likewise been settling down on the porch swing to read a chapter or two to her brother and we are near the end! Thus, I decided to see if the next book would be worth dangling as a literary carrot in front of my boy's nose.
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey is maybe even more fun! Bad guys, good guys, riddles and action heroes, another yarn about the team of prodigious youngsters defeating evil with brains, determination and teamwork. This time, the characters are already devoted friends, but they are still learning about one another, as well as developing themselves. Mister Benedict, narcoleptic as usual, and his evil brother, Ledroptha Curtain, are absent most of the book, but are the puppeteers of the tale. Number Two (okay, who in the world would allow themselves to be nicknamed "Number Two"???), Rhonda, and Milligan are all there, as well as the baddies from MBS the first. The action travels through Portugal, Holland, and another mysterious island (not "Nomansan" this time)! And through it all, the clever capering kids.
Allow your own little adventurers to set sail on the Shortcut with the kids of the Mysterious Benedict Society and partake in a safer version of a perilous journey!

Lunatic Express by Carl Hoffman

Later this year, I will be traveling outside my comfort zone. Where I know no one, and I will stand out like a circus freak at the yacht club. Because of this, I find my book choices leaning towards "HELP"! Lunatic Express, written by journalist Carl Hoffman, is his personal Odyssey,over 5 months, traveling on the worlds most dangerous and fatal public transports. Think ancient buses careening around mountain passes in South America, bumper-car style Matutus in Africa and enormously overcrowded ferries and trains in southern Asia. I figured, an account of the worst in the world will give me some measure of comparison, and I will feel safe. And, I do find myself a bit encouraged. Nearly everywhere he travels, an English speaker finds him, and even where he doesn't find a conversant, he encounters most generous hospitality by the poorest people in the world. Unfortunately, the hardest time he has communicating is where I'm headed. Huh.
While this book is an account of sweaty, dirty, loud crushes of humanity, it is mostly about connection. A connection perhaps seen least in America, where we have personal space and lots of privacy, and relative wealth and use that as an insulator. After a trip around the world in third class, what depresses the author most is the Greyhound bus from Las Vegas. Can't say I disagree. Vegas creeps me out big time. And it is those contrasts in travel and home that bring the author to epiphany.
Interestingly, it seems that folks in countries that speak little or no English, they know curse words. So, they appear in the print, an invitation from a South American prostitute as playful question: "*&%$#-*&%$ ?" Or, just a statement by an Indonesian cabbie. Otherwise, good choice for the teen kid contemplating a back packing trip. They may see the benefit of Europe!

Eragon , The Inheritance Series, by Christopher Paolini

One of my favorite fantasy series ever penned! Really, really terrific, especially if you like fantasy stories. This series was written by a young man. He was in his early teens when he began writing the first book, Eragon, and by the time he was 19 he was a New York Times Bestselling author. Three books have been published in the series, and I gobbled them up like Ms. PacMan in her prime. These books are smart. But, they are a bit violent, and sometimes a bit gory- think destruction of bad ogres, but in a "written by a 17 year old geek" kind of way. Young Mr. Paolini has followed the old adage, and written about what he knows. And this kid has a ACTIVE imagination. He knows a LOT about Dragons. He knows about magic, and pride, and trust and cooperation, and bad guys. He does not know about courtship and dating and marriage and sex. He doesn't write about what he doesn't know. This is a good thing when it comes to finding great books for kids. Not that it is a "kid's book". Like The Christmas Song: Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire...this is a book for kids from one to ninety-two. Well, perhaps one is a little ambitious. I still recommend Goodnight Moon for this crowd, or a rousing oration of Ferdinand The Bull.
In Eragon a 15 year old boy finds a dragon egg, then joins the anti-government underground movement, then fights the battle of Farthen-dur, killing a shade (evil sorcerer).... this is the synopsis of the first book, as told by my 12 year old, who has read this book approximately 7 times. I have to point out that in the book, there is a wonderful relationship built between the boy and his dragon, and alliances with strong characters and it is actually quite a long book. Certainly, you can't just read one, you'll have to trip back to the library for a copy of Eldest, then Brisingr, then, like my kids, wait painfully for the next, perhaps last, installment of the Inheritance series!

Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics by Simon Mawer

This is a cool little book. About 150 pages, and a size the feels good in the hand (about 7.5" X 10'), I think this is how science should be introduced. In the context of history and biography, science is about people. Anyone who has sat through as many science classes as I have knows that at times, science is exciting (blow up stuff in a test tube!) and at times, excruciatingly boring (if you add a benz to that molecule, what shape will it become and what organic compound will it now be?) And yet, my kids, and yours, have a lot of science to come in their next 12-20 years of schooling. (Husb. and I slogged through 45 years combined..) So, how to get them interested and invested?
Gregor Mendel is no Robert Pattison, he wasn't Hollywood Handsome(he looked like Garrison Keillor) and he wasn't glamorous (he grew thousands of peas and was a friar!) but he was interesting, and simply methodical. What he conceived and figured out, through persistence and mathematical evaluation put us on the scientific road that leads us today into gene mapping, cures for disease through genetic manipulation and cows that can produce on average 23 gallons of milk a day. 23 GALLONS. Unfortunately there were some majorly bad turns in the road( like Eugenics which gave Nazi Germany a scientific basis for the holocaust). Reading this book will give a face not just to Mendel, but Sturtevant(DNA mapping), Watson and Crick (the crazy boys of double helix fame) and Punnett (a real square). And perhaps when they sit in their first genetics class and the teacher begins to introduce deoxyribonucleic acid, they'll think- "Yeah, yeah, when is lab? I want to try using restriction enzymes to cut up DNA, then using electrophoresis, separate out the fragments, then switch my fragment with a copy from a bacterial plasmid using a ligase enzyme! That would be so cool. I could then grow my gene on a culture. Cloning dude. Cloning..."

The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells

Cally Lily Ponder's mother, M'dear, runs the Crowning Glory Beauty Porch- a glassed in section of their front porch, and the family dance lesson business the Swing-n-Sway. They live in La Luna, Louisiana a tiny town filled with love and the excellent characters that grow in the south. Southern fiction has the bestest characters! Well, okay, Evanovich's Trenton New Jersians from the One for the Money series are pretty bestest too.
Having tweaked my lumbar spine a bit, I'm spending more time reading right now, and this one went down in the afternoon with about 3 tall glasses of lemon water. I needed extra water due to tear-induced dehydration, but I wasn't much for refilling my own glass, so snagged a kid periodically to do so instead. That's right. I cried. Now this isn't always a ringing endorsement for me when deciding what book to read, or what film to see. For instance, Angela's Ashes made me cry. So does The Diary of Anne Frank. But these also leave me feeling hollow, and a bit depressed. Not so with Calla Lily. I cried, yes, but I didn't feel bad. And that, is an art. Calla Lily falls in love, gets her heart broken, moves to the big city: N.O. falls in love again, gets her heart broken, moves back to La Luna and finds love again. Happy Ending. Yeah! Too bad a few key folks had to die along the way- thus the tears. Rebecca Wells' Ya Ya Sisterhood was one of my favorite books in the 1990's. I entertained the career option of buying a large convertible and becoming an alcoholic but didn't see how it would pan out. On the other hand, I was not a fan of Little Alters Everywhere. So, I was unsure if I was ready to dip again into the booze infused prose of Wells. I was ready. On the other hand, the one without the scotch, neat, I'm not ready to hand this one to the kiddies. When they're 30. Or 40 and they've tweaked their back thus prostrate.

Hunting Warbirds; the obsessive quest for the lost aircraft of WWII by Carl Hoffman

Unexpectedly interesting! I don't think much about WWII. Perhaps is scares me in a way, as I'm not sure our current American population has it in them to pull off another trick like that. Can we buckle down and get going when the going gets tough? Not sure. Not sure.
But this is a story about aviation ingenuity and the admirers of such. After the war was declared over, the thousands of planes built in such a short time here in the US- mostly by housewives, were considered junk. And treated as such, they quickly disappeared in junk yards, smelters and sunk in the drink. Very few survived intact, and by the time collectors started to care, those few survivors were very valuable. The rare warbird in the backyard already snatched up and in a museum or private collection left seekers of the planes looking for hidden treasure. This book covered the story of the existing warbirds, but then tells us the stories of recovering crashed beauties. Much of the book details the recovery attempt of the Kee Bird, a B29 bomber that crashed in Greenland, nearly perfectly preserved. Greenland isn't green. It is harsh and mercurial and inhospitable. And the men that devoted themselves to bringing her back faced more than they had bargained for; lying on the tundra with some bent props, a shiny fuselage, clean paint and mostly functioning, the Kee Bird looked like she could just take right off....
There are a few vulgar words. Men living by themselves for weeks on the tundra don't necessarily filter. But, this is a book that might open new windows of interest for the reader. Aviation Ingenuity. American Determination. Good book.

Look me in the eye; my life with Asberger's by John Elder Robison

The cover alone is reason enough to read this book. The image of the boy with the squinched up face in a red checked collar buttoned shirt is a volume of its own.
Asberger's syndrome is like "Autism lite". Recognized relatively recently, it is part of the spectrum of Autism- a condition seemingly more and more common in our lives today. John Elder Robison writes of his life with straightforward, brave truth. And his life is remarkably interesting. His parents are dysfunctional- to the point of straight-jacketed insanity at times- and his undiagnosed Asberger's makes understanding social interaction very difficult for young John Elder. But, he discovers electronics and with Asbergian focus makes a niche for himself in the world, creating sound systems for Pink Floyd and exploding guitars for Kiss. He tries corporate life for a time and eventually settles into his own business of repairing Rolls Royces. All the while taking us through the ups and downs of living a life as an oddball. In one of his later chapters he explains the thought process of marrying his second wife "Unit Two". Unit One being the elder sister and Unit Three the younger sister. I laughed aloud for this one, and decided Unit Two might be Saintly One.
Although he didn't participate in the drug/booze/sex culture around him, he did travel with rock bands for several years, and this culture is described. There is some foul language in the book as well. For these reasons, not a great book for the kids. Too bad, as I think this generation will be encountering Autistic conditions far more often than my own. Empathy stems from knowlege and this book gives you a lot to think about.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

Set in the time of the Blitz, just before the United States threw our hat into the arena of WWII and before the horrors of Nazism became known. When we relied on the wireless and the telegraph to bring us our news. When a censor with a button in front of him had the power to blank out any air time, at his discretion. When to speak to someone who wasn't in the same room, you either had to go find them, or write them a letter. Al Gore hadn't "discovered" the internet, there wasn't any texting, or cell phones, or even a portable tape recorder, and the operator and the postmaster had hands that guided telephone calls and letters where they were intended to go. People touching. The Postmistress leads us into this time of uncertain reception and human connection, weaving together the lives of the characters through distance like frail threads of a spider's web. No one escapes the web, and several get tangled irretrivably.
Frankie Bard, the tough girl reporter, in Europe to tell it straight. Will Fitch, the young doctor with a chip on his shoulder, just married to Emma, whose identity is through the existence of her husband. Iris- the Postmistress herself, an old maid falling in love with Harry Vale, kind and flawed. It is a captivating book in its realness, and frustrating as to our ignorance given hindsight. And, although it is a good, quality adult read, its realness envelops the notion of casual, nameless sex or perhaps even "stress relief coupling". So, another I'll not recommend for my own kids, nor yours.

Blue Adept by Piers Anthony

I continue to be interested in this older fantasy series- for the second time around. I read the series as a teen, and remembered it! I reviewed the first book, Split Infinity earlier in this blog, and deemed it not completely suited to the young reader. Still, I enjoyed it enough that I looked forward to rereading this second installment. Our hero, is learning his abilities of magic, slaying dragons and winning the love of women in two different worlds, all while following his own moral code. The bad guy turns out to be not a guy at all, and there is perhaps a bigger bad guy that we haven't yet met.
Again, the moral code followed by the hero, Stile, is likely not the same one we want our children to adopt, and there are a lot of naked people here, often doing what naked people tend to do, nakedly. "Naked" being a favored word of the author, also "desmesnes" and "oath". I guess I put this series in a more acceptable category than the very good, if occasionally disturbing and frustrating Confessor series by Terry Goodkind, but not as appropriate as the excellent and engaging Eragon series by Christopher Paolini- boy, I really should review that one!

Dante's Daughter by Kimberley Burton Heuston

Have you ever read Dante's Inferno? Me neither, but I've heard of it. Remarkable as it was written in the 14th century. Evidently by a guy named Dante. Italian guy. Unfortunately, reading Dante's Daughter didn't get me any closer to knowing about Dante's Inferno, although I gather that Inferno was the first selection in a three part poem.
Not really a history book, but an easy, undemanding story of a girl in 14th century Italy (and France)who happens to have a famous father,although not necessarily famous in a good way. I liked this book and as compared to the young adult selections that are mainly about gossipy boy crazed "modern" girls, it is a huge step above. And, not often do we contemplate the life of a teen in Italy of 1310. There are bits and pieces of romance, a few kisses and a "happily ever after" type ending, but it is not a guide to catching a man- despite the narrow choices of a post-Crusade era woman.
I would have liked at least part of the most famous poem to be recorded in the back of the book. I think I would prefer the story had been told by Dante himself, but as no one alive knows the real story, I guess getting a young adult reader to broaden horizons is best done from the voice of another young adult. And, the reference of "Dante's Inferno" will have a bit more meaning to the person who has read this book. Maybe, even, spark enough interest for them to pick up a translated copy of Dante's work? Sign me up!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Wow. Great book. Really. I had no idea what this book was about, but selected it in my continuing search for New York Times Best Sellers my children can read, without permanent mental damage. SCORE!
Set in early 1960's Mississippi and told from the point of view of two black maids and one white single woman in her 20's. Circumstance brings them together to write a secret book, nonfiction, of what it is like to work for a white family. You care about the characters, you fear for their safety and hurt for their pain. You cheer for their resilience and small triumphs and you are disappointed by their failures.
This is fiction, but written by someone who lived the process of being raised by a black woman in their own white home. Given early civil rights Mississippi, there is some violence, some drinking,and a few swear words. But a teen reader will find themselves educated more about drinking, violence and swearing by listening to 15 minutes of pop music, and educated by this book about love, power, and the deep southern roots of racial inequality. If you're library folks, get yourself on The List for The Help. Immediately.

Redwall by Brian Jacques

Truly evil creature, bumbling hero. Mice. Couldn't get into this book! Maybe the basics in black and white are satisfyingly simple for the young. I found it distasteful. You are set up to only hate the evil rat, and I'm not a big fan of hate, and I don't think it gives kids enough credit for understanding the subtleties of life. For instance, in Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, Peter is not all good. He's capricious and spoiled and stubbornly selfish. Captain Hook is a nemesis, but he has boyish insecurities and a great fear of the crocodile. Neither is all good nor all bad. Perhaps Peter Pan is a bad comparison, as this book is not in the same vein, but I hope it serves. There are no redeeming or empathetic qualities attributed to the evil rat/king/pirate etc. and I just didn't care to waste any time wondering if he would invade the Redwall Abbey, kill the peaceful mice there and enslave the population. I'm pretty sure the uncoordinated, young dreamer mouse would man up, get a pair of flip flops that fit better and do in the bad guy at the end of the book. Books that make me not even see the chapter breaks are worth it; the page turners. Reading Redwall, I mostly just hoped it would get better. Abandon all hope ye who enter there.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

This book is a little bit twisted, strange, and inexplicable at times, but Aimee Bender's mellifluous prose is enough of a reason to read this book. Each paragraph is like a perfect bite of casserole, texture, flavors and satisfaction on your fork. I found myself re-reading sentences, just to enjoy them again.
The main character is a young girl, who finds at age nearly-nine, that she can suddenly taste the base feelings of the creator of the food, in fact, the exact location of the ingredients and the emotion of all who have touched the ingredients that go into a food. The experience is no pleasure and she finds herself unable to properly understand, or explain how this changes her life. The family dynamics were always a little off, but she tastes too much neediness and solitude in the lovingly crafted meals of her mother, or the hasty, hollow nothingness snacks of her brother. And strives to find meals made in factories, or meals made by someone with uncomplicated sadness.
In the book, the mother has an affair that the girl discovers because she can taste the thrill and the guilt in the pot roast. She does some kissing in high school and there is a sentence about losing virginity in the college years, but sex is not a main theme here. There are one or two common profane words, but the majestic, simple, feast of the prose is worth hazarding for the older child. My 15 year old read the first few chapters aloud in the car on the way to the library, and we laughed and mused and enjoyed together. Because of its popularity, I had to take it back, but she was hooked and wants to get herself on the request list.

Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco

Unusual for me, I was lost after the prologue on this book. I believe I got this on an NPR list of what to read, and it didn't take long to realize the reviewer and I are of disparate opinions. This book, it seems is about a Philippino man who was an author, and who may or may not of been writing a book that may or may not have been upsetting to the politics of the Phillipines, and may or may not have been killed/committed suicide. In any case he is dead. I think it is non- fiction. But, after 30 pages, I just didn't care. So, on to the next. I would have said "too many fish in the sea" but after BP's contribution, I'll just say, too many books on the nightstand.

The Tender Bar by JR Moehringer

Well, the County Fair was really wonderful and exhausting. I finished The Tender Bar just as we finished our preparations to kick off the start of the fair, with no time to spare to write about the book. It is an interesting, fulfilling memoir. I chose it on the recommendation of Andre Agassi, and understand why he loved it so much. I haven't been to a bar in years, but if there were one in a 15 mile radius, I might have given it a try! This book may not be for teens, certainly not for kids. The bar is a main character, so, picture drinking. New York drinking. Great Gatsby drinking. Still, the "tender" in the title lets you know that this is about love and relationships, it is about family, and loss, and moving on and thinking big, and worrying bigger. Worth reading, especially for adults, but I think more of a book for those old enough to be eligible for the draft, or for one on draft.

The County Fair by Me

I am still reading! Currently working through The Tender Bar by JR Moehringer- a great memoir, but, thinking not on the list for the kiddos... but I'll be taking a little hiatus due the annual jewel in the crown of country life- The County Fair.
The Fair is a source of material for me every year, and I spend my evening recounting the events of the day-the hog show! the naughty mare! the lady who can't walk around the fair anymore, but has a sturdy motorized chair to get her up to the stromboli window! Ah, the Fair. I send these little gems out to my friends and family on my email list. So, if you are not fortunate enough to be a part of your own county fair, and would like to be added to the Fair Update, let me know, and I'll let you in on the riches.

Split Infinity by Piers Anthony

Another trip into my reading past, I read this book as a teen. I'd like to say I turned out okay, so if I read it, it must be suitable for teens. Nope.
Instead, as an adult, I have a bit more perspective! I recalled really enjoying this fantasy series by P.A. and, again, this reading, I really enjoyed the first installment of Split Infinity. Science Fiction Fantasy Adventure!( With lots of casual sexual content). There are no explicit sex scenes. All is implied. But all things being equal, I'm not sliding this one across the table for my girls, or boy. Perfect woman robots, sexy unicorns that morph into women, and a studly jockey. Piers Anthony, (nee; Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob) had fun with this one, and I'll let my kids discover it themselves when their idea of a perfect evening is watching the sun set in the bathtub and reading a book before bed.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Again! A Find! An eminently readable book written for children. This one is for ages 8-80. No bad language, no sexual content, and only mild violence- a good guy/bad guy type of thing. If you have to put this book in a category, how about "Kid Power Thriller", starring brainy orphans who become spies and save the world. I am going to get my 9 year old reading this, then my 11 year old, and then my 15 year old, as they will all think it's terrific. There are sequels, and I certainly can't speak to those (repeat: see entry Clan of the Cave Bear) but if they are as much fun, you can pick up the stack and your kids will read there way to a fun summer.
Another Hit.

The Blind Side; Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis

In 2006 I gave this book to my husband. I wrote in the inside flap "I know your time for fiction is scarce, I hope this is up to the challenge." I don't remember what made me buy the book. A piece on NPR? Maybe he had made a declaration "I want to read more" and I took it seriously. Dangerous- I have in the past week declared that I want to get a masters in cytology, that I would like pet bats and that I'm not allergic to poison ivy. None of these are still on my list of self truths. In any case, he never read the book. I didn't either. It was a football book. Between the Buckeyes, Gators and Steelers I get enough football just walking through the living room with the laundry basket. Fast forward a few years, and I see the book at the library. On the shelf behind the desk with the coveted tomes that have been requested by people who don't want to have to wait until it is languishing on the regular shelves but aren't ponying up to Amazon.com either. I recognize the spine. I read the title. I think "AH HA!" Sure enough, at home, on the library shelf with the Tom Clancys and In Search of Excellence is The Blind Side, patiently waiting to be discovered.Waiting for me.
Well, let me tell you, I know alot more about the Left Tackle. And Bill Walsh's offense, and Lawrence Taylor, and John Ayers. And I know the story of Michael Oher, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. It is a great story. I think the movie was quite a success, and no wonder after reading the book. Tweens and teens will like this one, and although I know the boy readers will quite enjoy the sports theme,it isn't a "boy book". In its own way it is a romance. It is certainly about love. There is a little violence- on and off the field, and the language has some bits that are rough, but it doesn't lessen the gift of this book. Read it.

Lift by Kelly Corrigan

This is a beautiful little book about life as a mother. Joyful, and honest and validating. You know Kelly Corrigan because she is you, and your sister, and your best friend. I did know Kelly. We went to University together. She was a year ahead of me in school and gorgeous- in a natural enviable way. What I call New England Pretty. Like she could whoop you in lacrosse then serve you up a lobster, all without worrying about her hair or losing the natural blush to her cheeks. Kelly Corrigan always seemed -real. She writes that way too. She gives a voice to my motherhood. This book is written to her children, Georgia and Claire. A "what you should know about me, about us, right now" memory. Curiously I have a Georgia too, and maybe more "curiouser and curiouser" I've been writing to my babies since before the first one hatched. 16 years of letters to my children. Kelly"s LIFT is WAY more concise, and likely MUCH more legible! I have not discussed my letter journals with my children, because I don't know when they will read them. 18? When I'm dead? Hmm. I think I've always thought to hand them over when the first one becomes a parent. Kelly has the same question. "When will you read this?" Only, in her case, her kids will certainly read it, and in my case, there might be no one hardy enough to slog through all those journals. In any case, I want my kids to read LIFT. Maybe not now, but certainly when parenthood is looming. Moms, READ THIS BOOK. And, instead of another What to Expect when you're Expecting, give LIFT at the next baby shower!

Crazy for the Storm; A Memoir of Survival by Norman Ollestad

I am Crazy for this book!
I had hoped it would be a story about the extraordinary strength of kids. It was!
I had hoped it would be a record of the deep love between a father and son. It was!
I had hoped it would be uplifting and... it was!
I had hoped it would be a book that would captivate the imagination and appreciation of boys and girls. It will!
BUT... Perhaps not in the way I had hoped.
For the adult, this is a "do not miss". Unfortunately, although the childhood of Mr. Ollestad was amazing and fantastic in many ways, in others, it is the childhood of 1970's beach bum California. Free lovin' and well, free. TMI (too much information) for the young adult. And, while I don't think these gems of memory serve the story itself, it does speak to the context of the childhood experience for the author.
The book flips back and forth each chapter between the plane crash and subsequent hairy hours and the memories of childhood. It is absolutely shocking each time I realize the kid is 11. Years old. And the father I was prepared to dislike I ended up thinking might have some parenting pointers. Crazy.

Open by Andre Agassi

Erma Bombeck once said "Don't confuse fame with success; Madonna is one, Helen Keller is the other."
I tend to choose biographies of the successful, steering clear of the famous. But which is Andre Agassi? One way to find out! This Autobiography lays it all down. It reads like a first serve- 130 mph and nothing to lose. Agassi wrote this without fear(or his ghostwriter did...he gives credit at the end.) Believe it- he does not wear rose colored Oakleys or shrink away from the truth. He shares his insecurities, and dependance, his hard, focused, unloving father, failed relationships and drug use. Also, his strong friends, discovering a purpose and finding forgiveness and love.
No doubt, Agassi was famous. He and I are close to the same age. Growing up in my house we didn't play football, we played tennis, and the same for our TV habits. That little box showed that the young Andre Agassi was different. He played exciting tennis, and looked nothing like Jimmy Connors. He had a bit of Bjorg about him....lots of hair, but also an earring! and compelling expressive eyes. Something about him was captivating, more than Boris Becker, who was awkward and had no visible eyelashes or Pete Sampras who never seemed to have an expression at all. I watched him play tennis throughout high school, college, and then lost track while I was in veterinary school (lost track of most everything that wasn't vet related during vet school). He didn't miss me. He was still there playing. I had babies. Lost track of most everything but the babies during the infant and toddler years, but once again when I popped my head out of the sand- there's Agassi, still on the court. Bald, more chiseled, divorced (wait- he got married? To Brooke Shields?) and still compelling. Maybe his autobiography is more interesting to me because I remember so many of those matches as well. Yet another Agassi-Sampras final? But, I don't think so. I think even my teens would be captivated by his story. If I encouraged them to read this. Agassi was not usually known for his on court decorum. He was not adverse to yelling profanities during matches, which resulted in warnings and even getting tossed off the court like one of the balls he would fire into the top of the stadium when frustrated. These moments are recalled in the book, so if you don't want your children to read words like $^%&*^%$@#!*) ^%&$%#@&*^! then this is not a good choice. Likewise if you want your child to revere sports figures as heros. This "hero" does Crystal Meth, drinks a LOT and lies. But he comes clean on the page. Break point for honesty. He comes clean, becomes clean, finds his confidence, finds his love, forgives his father, is not unkind to his exes, and pays his taxes. He grows up, and becomes a man- a good one. I really, really liked the book, and it is not "chick lit", so keep in mind for a teen boy!
So, is Andre Agassi successful, or just famous? ...
I'll give him a little credit for both.

Animals Make Us Human, Creating the Best Life for Animals by Temple Grandin

Summer is nearly here, and in rural towns all across America, the main event of the summer is the County Fair. Here in rural Ohio, the County Fair is takes on great importance. The 4-H is a large organization with hundreds of kids eager to show off their steer, rabbit or raspberry-orange muffins. But, county fairs are taking on another element in recent years, one of debate in the animal welfare arena. As a Veterinarian, I think the welfare of animals is extremely important! I also think animals have a place in the food chain. The children exhibiting their animals at the county fair should be presenting the ultimate in care and lifestyle for these animals, and the ones that end up in the slaughter house are due a simple, stress-less, humane slaughter, as are all animals- food or pet. There are groups in this country who would like to legislate that animals no longer being used for food. One method of pressing their platform is to spotlight mistreatment and abuse of animals. Now present at County Fairs are representatives of these groups sent to try to find evidence against the kids presenting livestock projects at the Fair. Kids are being told not to speak to anyone who asks questions about their animals, or anyone who seems pushy. This makes me very sad. These children are the ones who will be growing our food in the future. If their future means people trying to legislate them into other professions, they will need to be armed. Armed with knowledge. I think the best way to ensure animal welfare is to educate! I want these kids to be able to speak intelligently, and knowledgeably about animals and their welfare- to anyone who will listen.
Temple Grandin has been finding her way into the spotlight for a few years now, this year a HBO movie was made about her life, starring Clare Danes. Temple Grandin is an amazing woman. She is autistic, and has used that dominate feature to gain insight into life through the eyes of animals. She has specialized for many years in creating ways to make the ends of their lives graceful. She has a unique alignment to the feelings and thoughts of the livestock and pets we raise. And the methods of slaughter have changed largely due to her teachings.
Animals Make Us Humanis the ninth book by Temple Grandin. Its chapters are species specific, and provide wonderful insight into the way emotions work in our animals. From Dogs to Zoo critters, she writes about the unique features of each species and how to make their lives good ones. Any kid involved with an animal should pick up this book and at least read the chapter of that species, but may enjoy learning about them all! Learning Theory, Negative Reinforcement and the FEAR system all become understandable ideals. We need to make sure that we look at life through the eyes of our animals, and this book allows us to see. This book is a step in animal education.

If you have a County Fair, go. Do try and talk to to the exhibitors, let these kids share their projects, and watch. I have seen kids with ice packs on their dairy calf's neck, because it is hot. Or ones fanning flies away from their steer, because their steer doesn't like flies. Watch a kid bathing their chicken, and taking a toothbrush to clean every scale on it's leg and another spraying his hog with a water bottle for hours so the hog can rest comfortably. Not every animal gets this kind of treatment, but the more these kids learn about their animals, the better the welfare of all shall be.

Things I Want My Daughters to Know by Alexandra Stoddard

Alexandra Stoddard is familiar to me. She is so like the Chic yet real, wealthy yet a bit shabby women I looked up to growing up in New England. Life isn't perfect and they understand this shouldn't be the illusion they create, but instead allow yourself to create the best with what surrounds you. Which comes out looking rather ideal, if not perfect. She is a designer by trade but has morphed into more of a lifestyle guru. This book is another in her string of lifestyle manuals, aimed at her daughters- but that is because she didn't have sons! The advice in here is not gender specific. Okay, the blurb "Learn to Style Your Own Hair" might be a little girlie, but mostly these are more gender neutral items. And, I think this book will mean different things to different ages. You can read this at 14 or at 40, and still find some good analysis for your own doings.
And, there are no sex, language or violence warnings for this book!
Give it to your daughter, or son (if he is confident enough to read a book about life choices that has the word "daughter" in the title) and let them cruise through the bits and pieces at their own pace. Maybe it is not a sit down and read all at once kind of book, more of a read a few pages and then a few tomorrow kind of book. But it is a kind book. And Moms, remember, you are all daughters too!

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Under the "New York Times Bestsellers" heading- still striking out on finding one in this category to recommend to my kidlets.
This is a good book. I cried, I stressed, and in the end, it came out okay. I do like a happy ending! And, really, "as compared to" it is not an unthinkable choice for my older teen. The book is about adults so the main characters are in relationships. One is in a marriage that is losing traction, one is in a relationship that mostly seems to be about sex- but the sex scenes aren't very graphic. The book is about relationships though- between parents, between parents and their children, between siblings, between lovers, and how all these relationships are shaped. The cold and distant elderly mother of the story holds the turning point, and her revelation of what she suffered in WW2 changes the perceptions of all the characters. The story of her suffering in Leningrad is heart wrenching, but is not The Diary of Anne Frank also a story about love amongst horror? And Anne Frank is on many "Required Reading" lists (another group I find interesting and sometimes exasperating) for teens. So, I may have struck out on finding a book appropriate for the preteen/tweens but, I think this might be a real stunner for the older teens- and their moms&dads!Just beware there is sex, and drinking (the family bonds a bit over shots of Russian Vodka) suffering of war (real) as well as love, forgiveness and a bit of a far-fetched fairy tale ending (much needed after starving babies)!

How Do I Love Thee - three stories by Lurlene McDaniel

Sigh. This is "Romance for Young Readers". Lurlene McDaniel is a romance writer for teens. I bought this as another attempt for my romance seeking daughter several years ago when she was about 12. I stuck my courage to the sticking place and forged my way through all three stories. Boy, was I glad to finish! And, never subjected the poor child to the book.
Let's start with the good. There are some positive messages for teens; acceptance, commitment and decisions=consequences. The age of the characters is high school, but the characters weren't drinking, or taking illegal drugs.
Now for the rest.
As for sexuality, there is kissing, which maybe doesn't bother me as much as the "Love at First Sight" conditioning. And, the sneaking out at night to meet, which somehow seems more removed in Shakespeare than in McDaniel. Does reading Romeo and Juliet or seeing West Side Story encourage kids to sneak out to meet a lover any less than a cheaply written teen paperback? I think so.
Yet, I think my biggest complaint is the assumption that the reader doesn't deserve better dialogue, better writing.
Example: Random page
"There's no way out?"
"Not unless you're a seagull. But as soon as the tide comes back in, you float right out. Neat, huh?"
"Not as neat as you," he said. He reached for her, pulled her close, and felt the warmth of her body against his. "What do you do when you come out here?" he asked, pressing his mouth into her thick, dark hair which smelled like flowers.
"I think," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I think about having a regular life. I think about what I want to do with whatever time I have left to live."

See what I mean? It reads like a script from the soap opera I was in during the 80's. Even then, as a teen myself, I knew the writing was cheesy and awkward, overly dramatic and just plain unreal. Yet, there seems to still be a market-smaller to be sure- for the soap opera. Maybe this book is raising the feeder market....
"OH, Steve, how can I live without you? You are my breath, you are my blood."
"My Darling, never will you have to know. I will be by your side forever! Or, until Margery's twin sister who is my mother's long lost embryo gets out of the insane asylum and kidnaps me to create a baby so she can replace her failing kidneys..."

A Light in the Window by Jan Karon

I'm very attached to my dear little priest. I've never had an actual Priest, as my religious affiliations have never included such, but I'd think about becoming Episcopalian if Father Tim were in my hometown. Okay, I don't really have a hometown either, but that is another story. This is the second book in the Mitford Series. I read the first one a few months ago and reviewed it on my Facebook Page, but as shown by the Clan of the Cave Bear series, you really can't tell a book by its cover, or judge a series by one book. I really enjoyed the first book; At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon, so forged ahead to test the waters of the next in the series. So far so good as they say! This book is charming, and full of the same oddball southern characters as the first. And, as I mentioned before, having lived in The South for many years, there are no characters like Southern Characters. It is also a romance. Yes, a romance about a Priest. All of the angst of first love (at 60) along with a healthy dose of chasteness. Karon allows bad things to happen to the characters- but in this case, it is not murder, mayhem, rape, dismemberment, and horror. It is the bad things that make up most of our lives, like misunderstandings, poor judgement that gets someone hurt (but not "kilt") and the closing of our favorite little restaurant. I have become fond of the kooky old folks, the challenged young boy and, of course, my priest, and look forward to reading the next installment. This seems to be a good series for the teen/tweens, although it remains to be seen if they can continue to relate to the main characters as they are a good bit older than my target audience. Still, my eldest girl has read both At Home in Mitford and A Light in the Window, and enjoyed both. Recommended.

Buy Cialis? REALLY?

Well, I asked the advice of my dear friend Trish; how do I know if anyone ever looks at this thing? Am I making recommendations for any actual human children? Have I saved any parent indecision in the bookstore or library? How does one know? So, she emailed me with advice about "Widgets" and "URLs" and "HTMLs". Sigh. Undaunted, I worked on finding a counting widget. I tried several. The first one stubbornly refused to start at "zero" and began at 355623. The next time I looked, it said I had had 8000+ visits. Hmmm. Evidently defective. So, on to the next. I really didn't want a counter if it meant stuff was going to pop up on the screen and drive me and everyone else crazy, but how do you know? Several attempts later, I came up with one that seemed simple and actually began with the number "0". YIPPEEEE. Only now, I notice there is small words above the counter that say "buy cialis". Ugh. So, please, don't buy Cialis unless you need it for erectile dysfunction. In which case, I don't believe my counter will have had any influence on your choice of pharmaceutical.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

As I want to find a bestseller I can recommend to my children, I also want to find "required reading" that I like. I know I read The Great Gatsby, probably about the time I picked up Clan of the Cave Bear for the first time. I remembered COTCB, remembered liking it. All I remember about Gatsby was thinking the houses were big. Is this because the book wasn't very good? Was it because I was 14, and couldn't relate? Or, was it because it was....."required reading"? After reading Gatsby again, I think it was mostly the second choice. Gatsby is hard for a 14 year old to "get". Rich, spoiled, needy, pompous, partying narcissists make up the bulk of the characters. The shallowness of Daisy is depressing, the neediness of Gatsby equally so. I don't think I appreciated the weakness of the characters as a 14 year old. As an adult I found the book frustrating and sad. No one gets out unscathed in The Great Gatsby. You find yourself hoping for a happy ending, while all the time seeing there is no such thing when you start with such unhappy people. The narrator keeps you reading the book, because the poor guy is able to see more than the surface, but given no power to change people or events.
So, while it may come to a "Required Reading List" near you, if it doesn't, I think Gatsby is still unfathomable and unrelatable to most teens/tweens. If is is required, you have an opportunity to discuss the themes- drinking, drinking and driving, infidelity, more drinking, extreme wealth coupled with extreme irresponsibility, untrue love, suicide, and the importance of having a gardener.

Saddled, How a Spirited Horse Reined Me in and Set Me Free by Susan Richards

Here was another woeful attempt at finding a New York Times Bestseller that I could recommend to my kids. Hey-(Hay is for horses)I really enjoyed the book, and chose it because what teen/preteen girl isn't into a story about a horse?! But My Friend Flicka this is not. This is an auto biography about a woman with a troubled childhood (very) who becomes an alcoholic with a wife-beating husband and a pattern for self destruction. I have carefully chosen my path so my children have a good chance of not having to experience these things as children, and I can't see myself recommending they read about them either. Plenty of time to be an adult, when life shows itself in all facets. For now, I like to show them the art of the possible. Fortunately, Richards has a deep love and attachment to horses, and one horse in particular who becomes her lifesaver. This horse is the focus of the woman, but not necessarily the narrative.
Still, I always have some angst when faced with statements like the one Richards makes on page 158; "I concluded there were two kinds of crazy people: the ones who knew they were crazy and the ones who didn't. Those who didn't were the ones you had to worry about." So, I start to worry about myself. I don't think I'm crazy. That makes me one of the dangerous crazies. Then, as I ruminate about this, I come to a third conclusion. There are the crazies, the crazies who don't know it, and the rest of us, who don't tend to hang out with alcoholics, batterers, drug dealers, or their counselors. Maybe because Susan Richards spent the first 18 years in a really screwy, unfriendly family, then the next 12 years in a booze filled haze, the next 10 years in hiding and then the next 10 becoming a drug counselor for addicts, she tends to have a narrow view of the population. This is what I hope. I also hope to allow my kids the security to not have to deal with the screwy, the beaten, the boozed up and the addicted until they are able to handle these facts of life without internalizing or normalizing them. There are better things to consider normal.

Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel

I read this book while in probably, 10th grade. My friend Jane, who also introduced me to Madonna, leant me her copy, full of admiration for Ayla- Clan of the Cave Bear's leading lady. Much like Madonna, Ayla's Clan might be best reserved for adult audiences. The book is excellent. It sucks you into a prehistoric, neanderthal world and the life of a young girl of the human "Others" trying to fit in and survive. No doubt it is a difficult life and you cringe for the child trying so hard, yet faced with a formidable enemy. Ayla is successful in some ways just the same, and extraordinary in her success. You absolutely root for this girl in a "good guys vs. bad guys" way. And, who really thinks much about life in the ice age? Well, when you're reading this, you'll be thankful for the industrial age. Still, Clan of the Cave Bear has neanderthal sex in it. Forbidding and strange to a 15 year old, kind of annoying to a 42 year old. I didn't have a "NO WAY" response to letting my eldest read this book, and I liked it so well, I went back to the library to get the sequels. Valley of the Horses, Mammoth Hunters, Shelters of Stone, and Plains of Passage all follow Ayla. But in Valley of the Horses, Ayla meets Jondalar and the series turns into mostly "Rated X" fare. That took me right off the fence! The books are for adults. Even if COTCB could be handled by a teen, to introduce them to a character that inspires such devotion, then tell them "Nope, can't read the sequels" will instead inspire rebellion and lead to WAY too much knowledge.

Warriors: Firestar's Quest by Erin Hunter

My third grade son checked this out from the library, I think so I could read it! I have found it more difficult to get my son interested in reading, where as my girls were easily engaged. Finding books interesting to a 8 year old boy that don't feature potty humor or pictures has been a challenge. At 510 pages, this is more book than my third graders attention span can handle. Still, if you have a kid who does read larger volumes, it is not a difficult read, and a pleasurable one! The idea is not a new one; a society of animals who have rules, law, families, language, memory, religion, love, enemies, regrets, etc. much like Watership Down or The Hundred Acre Wood. What was interesting was the choice of felines. Cats are the only domesticated species that can successfully be feral, and domestic, even switching between both modes in one lifetime. The cats of the Warriors series are Clan Cats, Rogues, or Kittypets. The society is of the Clan Cats, but Rogues and Kittypets can join a Clan, and Clan cats periodically go to live the simple life of the kittypet. The author is evidently a student of cat behavior, and many of the cat characters reminded me of cats in my life and my profession as a Veterinarian. Although the book is written for a child audience, it was entertaining enough for me to wonder how it would all turn out for Firestar and Sandstorm(his mate). Some violence- the cats catch bird, mice, voles etc. for food and have a battle with the rats of the Twoleg barn (how one deserted barn could support the hundreds of rats living there was one of the unanswered puzzles for me)but language is clean, and no sexual content warnings (another puzzle was how so many un-neutered cats lived together with so few kittens?). With more than a dozen Warriors books available, if you judge an entire series by one book ( hazardous, I realize) a child invested in this series could have many trips to the library with this Clan.

Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B. Cooney

Young Adult Fiction- Good for you, Caroline B. Cooney! I get excited about readable young adult fiction. Menelaus,Agamemnon, Paris, Helen of Troy...it has been a long time since I've read Homer. Yet the characters in The Iliad and The Odyssey were warmly familiar from those high school days. Now, I don't think either of my girls have read Homer yet, but after reading Goddess of Yesterday, they will be able to relate more closely to this B.C. classic. Throw in a dash of Medusa and Athena, Cassandra, Castor and Pollux, and you realize why the old Greek stories are still so engaging. I'm not sure if you can really call it "Historical" fiction as I'm not sure how clear we are on the actual history of the time, but certainly it is set in another time in history. There is a some non-graphic violence('twas a violent time- the Trojan war- thousand ships, etc.) and a kiss. A little "love at first sight for the Princess" stuff, but certainly not the main theme, or even much of a topic. This could be a "Do not miss!" for the preteen and teen crowd. Putting it right to the top of the list for my girls.

A Good Dog; the story of Orson, who changed my life by Jon Katz

So, yesterday I hitched up the trailer to "Blondie", my monster truck, and headed off to pick up my new horse. I wrapped the big guy's legs, put on a head protector and stuffed him into my "three horse trailer" like a sausage into a casing. First hint that this was a REALLY BIG horse? No sooner did I slip out the back and close the door, when the kicking and stomping started rocking my 42'rig back and forth. Well, nothing for it but to get Blondie started! We left the farm, and I plowed across Ohio like a cat with a balloon tied to its tail. To put it diplomatically, my passenger was un-calm. I have to admit, it did occur to me "What have I gotten myself into this time?" and I even cursed a bit, which then I virtuously decided to transform into prayer, because the Lord Knows, cursing never did help much. I think the prayers did. I think it calmed down the black beast behind me, but it calmed me a lot too. And as I rocked around yet another exit ramp, I thought of Jon Katz. He, too, found himself in those "What am I DOING here" moments with an animal. For Mr. Katz, it is dogs, one particular dog- Orson (formerly known as Devon). For the love of an animal, there are certain folks who turn their lives upside down. Jon Katz dumped his on it's backside, buying a farm close to the Vermont border so his dog could have sheep to...see? Because Orson is not a Sheep Dog. He is a sheepdog- a border collie, but one with, shall we say, issues. And, the book is a travel through his time with Orson, but also some of the other dogs who are part of his, and Orson's life. The book does have an expletive or two, used in the manner of explosive expression, not as an adjective or verb. As with my rocketing truck and trailer ride yesterday, the cursing doesn't help Jon much either. I'm on the fence about recommending a book with base language, but really, the book is a good one, so you can decide for your own kids about the "word". It does speak to loyalty and devotion, love, beauty, and commitment to a dog (oddly, he does leave his wife and child in New Jersey to go live on a farm in upstate, so there's a relationship that puzzles me...) And, I have to say, although I enjoyed "A Good Dog", I liked Jon Katz's "The Dogs of Bedlam Farm" even better!

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

A few years ago, whilst on vacation in some city or other, I had enough time to enter a book store coupled with a desire to buy something for my children. We live in the boonies; three story bookstores, with coffee shops and moving staircases do not abound! Plus, bookstores of any size make my limbs tingle with anticipation. My eldest was 12 or so, and was wanting to read about romance. Hmm. 12 year old romance. Wuthering Heights? I went to the "young adult" section and found young patrons, asking them for advice. One suggestion was "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" ( don't know how to underline in this program, if Mrs. Lowe- 7th grade English teacher- is reading this, don't feel responsible. You taught me English, not word processing). I picked up this and several others, found a park bench without a sleeper and plopped down to read. I really liked this book. It was good fun. It has themes of deep friendship, loyalty, kindness and determination. But, it also has themes of early death, sex, divorce and searching for your identity as a teen. I think a good guideline is 14 years old before taking on "The Sisterhood". And, use it as an opportunity to openly chat with your teen about the sexuality, insecurities and independence the characters experience.

Julie and Julia By Julie Powell

I reviewed this on my Facebook Page already, but since I am still reading it, I thought it still relevant to the blog. I could review it before I was finished, because the appropriateness level was quickly measured at "not". As a Mom Tested Book, it failed. As for Me-tested, it's a go. I find it charming and relatable, having forged through a bit of Julia myself. Really, a trip to the DMV is easier than hard-boiled eggs JC style. But, the author is a true, occasionally faulty, admittedly potty mouthed adult. Save for the formerly innocent reader.

Charles Darwin; The Concise Story of an Extraordinary Man by Tim M. Berra

I think biographies can be terribly interesting, or frightfully indulgent. I prefer ones about folks who are written about for their effect on history. Maybe not even the well known, and certainly not the celebrity. I chose the Darwin book, as there is a movie being made about his life, making the subject somewhat current. Also, with the Creationism-Evolution debate, I think opinion based on understanding as well as conviction is more confident. Read, learn, decide.
This is a little ( concise indeed!) book,100 pages, with pictures and illustrations. It is not a kiddie book, but it is also not penned as a frolicking adventure. I found it interesting, but perhaps, not memorable. It did not hold the interest of my 'tween. If she were doing a report on Darwin, this would have been an excellent choice, but her tastes lean more towards Galileo, Witch Trials and Chickens. It did get lost in the no-mans-land of her room. She owes $0.20.

Blog?

Yet another new entrant into the world of "Blogging". No idea what I'm doing! But, never did stop me before. Thanks Trish, for dragging me farther into the 21st.

This Blog is to be a help mate for parents like me; during the past 15 years, I found three children under the cabbages and they are readers. BIG readers. Perhaps this is genetic. I still remember "27" as the book limit when checking out from the Mark Twain Library in my early years. Frustrating to be so limited.

In any case, reading is certainly the relaxation past time of choice here on our farm, and I know from those early reading years that not all reading material is equal (especially when it comes to appropriateness for les petit-choux)! So, I read. Sometimes I pass the book through the 5' tall door that leads to the clothing massacre that is my children's rooms. This is done with the understanding that Mom does not have the fortitude to relocate the book once passed, so the book must appear back on the library table to be returned, or else the fine is on you. Often times the book doesn't pass through the door.

I think, perhaps, my opinions on these books might be useful for other parents with "a book a night" kids looking for new reading material that doesn't inspire delinquency. And, some recommendations for the adults too (delinquency permitted).

So, putting this blog in the ground, and see if it grows anything. My peas and lettuces are coming along nicely, maybe this blogging thing will work too.