My bank account is tight. I'm not broke by any stretch of the imagination--a fact for which I am extremely grateful--but my budget is nonetheless restrictive. With all the house costs and payments and repairs over the last year, I don't have much financial leeway these days. Not when there is debt to be paid, savings to be built, and badass retirement to plan for.
As I've mentioned before, I've been itching to get out of town. This past weekend, I spent a few days in Fairhope, Alabama, a fun, pretty town on Mobile Bay that my aunt and uncle recently moved to. We had a great time, and despite the fact that they're less than three hours away, it felt different from home. Which was exactly what I needed.
I've got a few other trips on the horizon: a robotics training upstate, a baptism in Tennessee, a beach trip with the family. But the truth is, there aren't many places I can afford to go right now. So I read. Don't get me wrong; reading can't replace real travel experience. There's nothing that can rival getting lost in the streets of Paris or trying to find your way back to the train station in a country that doesn't speak your language. But when the furthest away you can afford to get is your cousin's apartment in South Carolina, you need another way to escape. So I read.
This summer, the library has become my best friend. Over the years, I have tried bookstores and rental sites and kindle downloads. But in the end, nothing can replace the feeling of a (free) solid book between your fingers. There is no greater escape than fiction, and no greater way to get it than the library.
Sure, some people may defend book-buying. A bookstore is certainly set up better for browsing and selecting books than a library is, I'll give you that. But a library is sacred. It is a place that so values text that it gives it away for free. It's like winning the lottery. In fact, I calculated my library-based savings since January of this year, and it came out to somewhere around $200.
Save the Earth. Save the bank. Save yourself from wanderlust when it threatens to swallow you whole.
I've written and re-written this post a few times, trying to find the best way to express my bibliophilia, the "places" I've been, and I've settled on a list. This year's reading list. I'm always looking for good book recommendations, and I figure that if you're reading this blog, you probably don't hate books either. Maybe you'd like a recommendation while you're at it. (Two birds! One stone!)
Below is, therefore, a complete list of the books that I have read to completion within the last seven months. It does not include a few books that I abandoned midway through (not good enough to finish), and it does not include any books that I am currently reading, since I can't give a good review of something I still might not finish. I have not omitted any books I've read, no matter how terrible the writing (*cough*romancenovels*cough*), and while I apologize profusely to my IQ for the points I've lost it (*cough*romancenovels*cough*), it's only fair for me to be honest. The list is in approximate chronological order, starting with the book I read first and ending with the book I last finished.
Side note: The blurbs in italics are summaries from Amazon or Goodreads. Feel free to skip these paragraphs at your leisure. The commentary below them doesn't depend upon you reading the summaries, so if they're boring or too long for you or you just don't feel like reading them, skip away!
A Man Called Ove
At 59, Ove is a grumble Gus of the first degree. Rules are made to be followed, signs are meant to be obeyed, and don’t even get him started about computers and mobile phones. In truth, Ove has been this way his whole life, but he’s gotten worse in the last four years since his wife, Sonia, died, taking with her all the color in a world Ove sees as black-and-white. Ove has decided life without Sonia is not worth living and plans to join her in the next world. But a young couple and their two children (a third is on the way) move in next door, his oldest friend and most feared enemy is about to be forcibly removed to a nursing home, and a street-scarred cat insinuates itself into his life. Suddenly, Ove’s suicide plans get delayed as he helps solve neighborly crises large and small. Though Ove’s dark mission mitigates any treacly upstaging by animals and small children, readers seeking feel-good tales with a message will rave about the rantings of this solitary old man with a singular outlook. If there was an award for Most Charming Book of the Year, this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down. --Carol Haggas
I loved this book. I find that my favorite stories are the unpredictable ones. The stories in which love is not forced, and transformation is gradual and meaningful. This book won over my heart, and I'd read it again in a heartbeat.
Noggin
Travis Coates has lost his head—literally. As he dies from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, his head is surgically removed and cryogenically frozen. Five years pass, and, thanks to advances in medical science, it becomes possible to reanimate his head and attach it to a donor body. Travis Coates is alive again, but while his family and friends are all 5 years older, Travis hasn’t aged—he is still 16 and a sophomore in high school. Awkward? Difficult? Puzzling? You bet. In the past, the two people he could have talked to about this were his best friend, Kyle, and his girlfriend, Cate. But now they’re part of the problem. Kyle, who came out to Travis on his deathbed, has gone back into the closet, and Cate is engaged to be married. Stubbornly, Travis vows to reverse these developments by coaxing Kyle out of the closet and persuading Cate to fall in love with him again. How this plays out is the substance of this wonderfully original, character-driven second novel. Whaley has written a tour de force of imagination and empathy, creating a boy for whom past, present, and future come together in an implied invitation to readers to wonder about the very nature of being. A sui generis novel of ideas, Noggin demands much of its readers, but it offers them equally rich rewards. Grades 9-12. --Michael Cart
I have this tendency to write to authors when I really like their books, or I feel that I need to tell them something. Obviously, this is a worthless endeavor if you really want to tell J.K. Rowling that she should have put Harry and Hermione together in the end (though apparently she's already figured that out). But with small-time authors like John Corey Whaley, you've got a shot to actually reach the author. So I emailed JC, as I like to call him in my head, and told him how much I liked the book. Also, that we were born in the same state (Louisiana) and have the same favorite word (defenestration). Which probably makes me sound like a stalker, but don't put that information on your website's bio if you don't want people to know. Anyway, he wrote back pretty quickly...
Hey there Rebekah!
Wow--thanks so much for this lovely, very sweet email! And I can't believe we share a favorite word! I tried using it in a book title once, but the book wasn't very good, so I tossed it. Haha. And Louisiana too! Crazy. Well, I'm from around Shreveport, so we sort of grew up in different worlds, even though they're so close.
I really really appreciate your comments on Noggin---this is my favorite part of the job! Good luck with your writing and teaching and meandering. I think I have a PhD in it! Haha!
Best,
Corey
Sigh...I'll never wash this computer screen.
The Giver
In the "ideal" world into which Jonas was born, everybody has sensibly agreed that well-matched married couples will raise exactly two offspring, one boy and one girl. These children's adolescent sexual impulses will be stifled with specially prescribed drugs; at age 12 they will receive an appropriate career assignment, sensibly chosen by the community's Elders. This is a world in which the old live in group homes and are "released"--to great celebration--at the proper time; the few infants who do not develop according to schedule are also "released," but with no fanfare. Lowry's development of this civilization is so deft that her readers, like the community's citizens, will be easily seduced by the chimera of this ordered, pain-free society. Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment--the rigorous and prestigious position of Receiver of Memory--he, too, is a complacent model citizen. But as his near-mystical training progresses, and he is weighed down and enriched with society's collective memories of a world as stimulating as it was flawed, Jonas grows increasingly aware of the hypocrisy that rules his world. With a storyline that hints at Christian allegory and an eerie futuristic setting, this intriguing novel calls to mind John Christopher's Tripods trilogy and Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl. Lowry is once again in top form--raising many questions while answering few, and unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers. Ages 12-14. --Publishers Weekly
Apparently my middle school reading teachers failed me because I never read this book in school, and I'm told that everyone reads this book in school. I loved it, needless to say, but it was a complicated love. I felt conflicted in the end. If you've ever seen the movie Whiplash (the one with the drummer and the abusive teacher), you get what I mean. Things don't necessarily work out the way you think they should, or the way that you want them to. In this book, you're left with a moral question: what does it mean to live? And how much is it worth?
Wedding Night
Kinsella’s latest romantic romp revolves around two sisters with very different notions about love. Impulsive Lottie is expecting her boyfriend, Richard, to propose to her; she’s floored when he instead suggests a vacation using his frequent-flier miles. When Richard balks at the idea of marriage, Lottie breaks up with him. She runs straight into the arms of an old flame, Ben, with whom she spent a magical summer at the age of 18 on the island of Ikonos. Ben is more than ready to rekindle their relationship and walk down the aisle with her. When Lottie’s practical older sister, Fliss, gets wind of her plan to marry Ben, Fliss is determined to stop the nuptials. Ben’s coworker Lorcan seems equally opposed to the wedding, and Fliss thinks they’re set, until Lottie and Ben have a hasty ceremony and jet to Ikonos. Fliss decides she has to sabotage the honeymoon in the hopes of getting Lottie to see that she’s making a huge mistake. There’s plenty of silly fun to be had in this charming comedy of errors. --Kristine Huntley
All of Sophie Kinsella's books are pretty dumb. I'll give you that much. In general, they are extremely predictable and indulgent. But sometimes you need stupid in your life. Now that I've rid myself of cable and the Hallmark Channel is out of reach (unless I can change B's mind about letting me watch it on his TV...), I've got to find my predictable love stories somewhere else. It's funny; I never feel satisfied when I finish these books, but I always come back for more. My relationship with romance novels, I suppose, is like a romance novel itself. I love to hate them, and I hate how much I love them.
Lost and Found
One of my favorite things about books is that they give you a glimpse into another world. It's one of the things I appreciated most about dating "Jack," and one of the things I cherish about conversations with strangers. My life is not most people's lives. I have loving parents and siblings and friends, a solid decent-paying job, and guy who likes me enough to see me every day. Reading shows me the lives that are not like my own. In this book, you meet three major characters: a girl whose mother leaves her, a bitter old woman stuck in her own home, and an old man trying to keep living. None of these lives are like my own, but I left like one of them as I read. Their pain was my pain. Their joy, mine too. And their final victory, all the sweeter.
The Continuity Girl
Another dumb novel from the world of chick lit. The story was amusing, but it's hard to understand why this gynecologist takes anything more than a cursory interest in the main character. Not the most believable story line, but still fun. Read at your discretion.
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventure
The story begins with a vacuum cleaner. And a squirrel. Or, to be more precise, a squirrel who gets sucked into a Ulysses Super Suction wielded by Flora’s neighbor, Mrs. Tickham. The rather hairless squirrel that is spit out is not the same one that went in. That squirrel had only one thought: “I’m hungry.” After Flora performs CPR, the rescued squirrel, newly named Ulysses, is still hungry, but now he has many thoughts in his head. Foremost is his consideration of Flora’s suggestion that perhaps he is a superhero like The Amazing Incandesto, whose comic-book adventures Flora read with her father. (Drawing on comic-strip elements, Campbell’s illustrations here work wonderfully well.) Since Flora’s father and mother have split up, Flora has become a confirmed and defiant cynic. Yet it is hard to remain a cynic while one’s heart is opening to a squirrel who can type (“Squirtl. I am . . . born anew”), who can fly, and who adores Flora. Newbery winner DiCamillo is a master storyteller, and not just because she creates characters who dance off the pages and plots, whether epic or small, that never fail to engage and delight readers. Her biggest strength is exposing the truths that open and heal the human heart. She believes in possibilities and forgiveness and teaches her audience that the salt of life can be cut with the right measure of love. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: DiCamillo has a devoted following, plus this book has an extensive marketing campaign. That equals demand. Grades 3-6. --Ilene Cooper
A book about a squirrel transformed by a vacuum cleaner into a thinking, typing creature of the same species. What more could you want in a book? Read it with a kid when you get the chance. It's more fun that way.
The Half-Made World
Gilman’s steampunk-influenced third novel blurs the lines between genres. It’s set in a universe that is distinctly not our own, one dominated by the people of the Gun, who carry demon-possessed guns that give them supernatural abilities, and the people of the Line, whose world includes sentient engines. The fight between the Line and the Gun comes to a head when both sides hear that the famous general of the lost Red Republic may still be alive and could hold the key to a secret weapon capable of stopping the never-ending war. Much of the book is dedicated to the creation and explanation of Gilman’s complex world, with detailed descriptions of the strange landscapes, which melds with the plot as Dr. Liv identify? travels first to a mental hospital at the edge of the wilderness and then deep into the unknown West. Suggest this complex tale to readers of Emma Bull or adult fans of Wrede’s Thirteenth Child. --Jessica Moyer
Let me warn you, this book starts slowly. For the first hundred pages, I had to flip back to previous chapters to remember who was who. I had to force myself to continue reading. By the end of the book, though, I couldn't put it down. I found myself utterly fascinated by the world that the author had created. There are so many characters and places, the story resembles Dickens' Bleak House in structure more than your average sci fi novel. The geography was not that of Earth, but you understood the old and new parts of it. There were elements of the Wild West, but it went a step beyond, leaving a country not just uncivilized or even undiscovered, but uncreated. There is an edge of the world. It's like the 1800s meets post-democratic America meets the beginning of Earth's formation. There are political forces that are more like spirits than people. Machines give orders. Haunted guns control their keepers. And all of the various plots and threads weave themselves together at the end of the book. If you're looking for something to rival your own impressive imagination, check this one out.
Fortunately, The Milk
Gr 3-6-A tale of the bravery and selflessness exhibited by a father taking care of his children while his wife is away. Despite Mom's advance warning, the family finds itself ready for breakfast but without milk for cereal and tea, so Dad takes a trip to the store to get some. Upon his long-awaited return, he gives the children a fantastical and descriptive explanation of the adventures he faced while trying to make it back home. Not only did he embark on a time-traveling hot-air balloon ride with a stegosaurus, but he also confronted pirates, aliens, wumpires, and a volcano god, never losing possession of the milk. Gaiman knocks it out of the park again with this imaginative story. His outrageous plot is perfectly paced to keep advanced and reluctant readers enthralled, and his use of onomatopoeia and humorous descriptions will make the book hard to put down. Reminiscent of Roald Dahl's titles, it will sweep children away into an unimagined world and make them wonder if their own parents have ever had any secret adventures. Young's frequent black-and-white cartoons add to the wackiness of this tall tale.-Amy Shepherd
I loved this book. I loved it so much that a few days after reading it, I turned around and read it aloud to my homeroom class. Because it's fun and witty and imaginative and creative. It's well-illustrated. Because the humor is great for both kids and adults, like a Pixar movie on a page. I laughed, and I laughed again. Read this book anywhere, anytime, with anyone who's old enough to get a joke. It's great.
Belzhar
Gr 9 Up—Devastated by the death of her first love, 15-year-old Jam Gallahue is having difficulty moving on with her life. After nearly a year of being mired in grief, her parents send her to a boarding school in rural Vermont that specializes in "emotionally fragile" teens. Once there, she is surprised to have been one of five students selected by the legendary Mrs. Quenell for a class called Special Topics in English. It seems that the entire semester—Mrs. Q's swan song before retirement—will be devoted to the works of Sylvia Plath, and the students are given special red leather journals in which to record their reactions to the assigned readings. Jam is unenthusiastic at first until she realizes that these are no ordinary journals. When she and her classmates, all of whom have endured debilitating losses, begin to writing in their pages, they are transported to their former lives, at least for a while. The teens bond over their experiences in what they call Belzhar, and are able to share their stories and look out for and protect one another. As the semester progresses and the notebooks begin to fill up, they must each confront some inner demons and make some tough choices about their future paths. Wolitzer spins a smart and engrossing tale of trauma, trust, and triumph. She is respectful of the intelligence and sophistication of the teens while acknowledging their vulnerability and lack of life experience. Their voices ring true and the emotional truths are authentic—even for those readers unwilling or unable to embrace the magical realism. Exploring the themes of self-reflection and the recurring notion that "words matter" make this title a perfect choice for book groups and discussions.—Luann Toth
I'm not a huge fan of Sylvia Plath or sad stories, so I checked this book out with a fair amount of doubt in my mind. But as soon as I started reading, I was hooked. The book is so unpredictable that I couldn't put it down. I finished it within a day or two, giving way to its other-worldly elements and twist ending and characters that pull at your heart. If you've ever watched Dead Poets Society and liked it, you'll probably like this, too.
Wonderstruck
In a return to the eye-popping style of his Caldecott-award winner,The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick’s latest masterpiece, Wonderstruck, is a vision of imagination and storytelling . In the first of two alternating stories, Ben is struck deaf moments after discovering a clue to his father’s identity, but undaunted, he follows the clue’s trail to the American Museum of Natural History, in New York City. Flash to Rose’s story, told simultaneously through pictures, who has also followed the trail of a loved one to the museum--only 50 years before Ben. Selnick’s beautifully detailed illustrations draw the reader inside the museum’s myriad curiosities and wonders, following Ben and Rose in their search for connection. Ultimately, their lives collide in a surprising and inspired twist that is breathtaking and life-affirming. --Seira Wilson
Surprisingly, I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I had seen the movie The Invention of Hugo Cabret and loved it, so when this book ended up in my classroom at the end of the school year (left by some student or other), I thought I'd give it a shot. As I've said, I'm all about free books and literary adventures. But the story fell flat to me. I was intrigued by the illustrations, but less so by the writing. Hopefully when you read it, you disagree.
Also, an aside: I brought this book with me to Charleston and had absolutely no desire to carry it all the way back to New Orleans, as heavy as it was. I thought about giving it to the first kid that I saw in the airport, but I thought a parent might be creeped out by it. I thought about "accidentally" leaving it at security. I thought about leaving it in an airport bookstore. But the fear of getting arrested kept me from doing any of those things. It turns out that airports get people extra-paranoid, myself included. I ended up putting on my best acting job and "accidentally" leaving it on top of a trash can in the airport as I threw away my lunch. I really hope some kid picked it up and enjoyed it. But it probably got thrown away. I should've taken it with me.
Love by the Book
A hilarious and refreshingly honest foray into modern dating, Age, Sex, Location is Bridget Jones's Diary for HBO's Girls generation. An American living in London, Lauren is intelligent, beautiful and loves to party. So why can't she convince a man she isn't after something more serious than scrambled eggs and goodbye in the morning? Determined to snare some regular male affection, she embarks on a project: each month she will follow the rules of a different dating guide - from refusing to pay the bill to chatting up every man in her path - and will switch seamlessly to the next book at the end of each month. Lauren's love life is about to get scientific...
Like The Continuity Girl, this book isn't worth your time. The love plot is even less realistic than the two former romance novels I've mentioned, as it spends inordinate amounts of time on cheap sub-plots and leaves the main character with a guy she (and you) barely know. However, like all "good" romance novels, the book follows a predictable structure, so you know who she'll marry well before she does. I should've left this one on top of the airport trash can.
The Martian
Remember Man Plus, Frederik Pohl’s award-winning 1976 novel about a cyborg astronaut who’s sent, alone, to Mars? Imagine, instead, that the astronaut was just a regular guy, part of a team sent to the red planet, and that, through a series of tragic events, he’s left behind, stranded and facing certain death. That’s the premise of this gripping and (given its subject matter) startlingly plausible novel. The story is told mostly through the log entries of astronaut Mark Watney, chronicling his efforts to survive: making the prefab habitat livable and finding a way to grow food, make water, and get himself off the planet. Interspersed among the log entries are sections told from the point of view of the NASA specialists, back on Earth, who discover that Watney is not dead (as everyone assumed) and scramble together a rescue plan. There are some inevitable similarities between the book and the 1964 movie Robinson Crusoe on Mars, but where the movie was a broad sci-fi adventure, the novel is a tightly constructed and completely believable story of a man’s ingenuity and strength in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Riveting. --David Pitt
OH MAN OH MAN OH MAN OH MAN. This is such a great book. I hope you've made it this far in the blog post because this book is going to change your life! Okay, maybe not change your life, but let me illustrate this book's merits as best as I know how: B loves non-fiction. He watches non-fiction, he reads non-fiction, he listens to non-fiction. He has little to no interest in fiction, though he did pull a few novels out of storage after he read this book. In any case, after much gushing on my part, I convinced him to read it, and he could not put it down. He read it in less than a week. Mr. "I haven't read a novel in ages, I'm too busy to read" would periodically send me pictures of his favorite passages as he read during the day, and he would put off hanging out with me at night so that he could read. And I wasn't even mad because I loved it that much too. Everyone I know that's read it has loved it. You will. I have no doubt.
What the italicized summary doesn't tell you (if you read it) is that the writing is fantastic, and the character's voice is so crisp and witty, you want to be his best friend. Plus, there's loads of crazy stuff that happens that could scientifically actually happen. You want to read this book, trust me. And then you should come see the movie version with me when it comes out in the fall (Matt Damon, ow ow!).
If This Isn't Nice, What Is?
Master storyteller and satirist Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most in-demand commencement speakers of his time. For each occasion, Vonnegut’s words were unfailingly unique, insightful, and witty, and they stayed with audience members long after graduation. As edited by Dan Wakefield, this book reads like a narrative in the unique voice that made Vonnegut a hero to readers of all ages. At times hilarious, razor-sharp, freewheeling, and deeply serious, these reflections are ideal for anyone undergoing what Vonnegut would call their “long-delayed puberty ceremony” — marking the passage from student to full-time adult.
After reading the first of this compilation of graduation speeches by Vonnegut, I wanted to read everything he'd ever written because I was so impressed by what he had to say. By the third speech, I was tired of reading the same thing over and over, and he seemed to be becoming more crotchety and opinionated as time went on. This is my exception to the did-not-finish-and-won't-include rule because I'm pretty sure the few speeches I didn't read were exactly like the ones I did read.
A part of the book I loved, though, was Vonnegut's insistence on the importance of the Beatitudes. Why, he poignantly asked, do Christians insist on putting up the Ten Commandments in public places--a text from the old testament--when the Beatitudes would serve mankind far better? An interesting thought from a self-proclaimed Humanist.*
*A humanist, as it has been described to me, is essentially an atheist who believes in a moral code. I apologize if that is an incorrect description. I am only recounting what has been expressed to me by a friend who also lays claim to the title of Humanist.
Here Where the Sunbeams are Green
In this ecological mystery set in the shadow of a Central American volcano, two sisters contend with odd portents, like fungal toe flowers that pop up on one of the girls’ feet, as well as ancient legends of eternal youth. Twelve-year-old Mad, more interested in poetry than suspense, narrates the story of how she and the more rambunctious Roo determine to get to the bottom of their ornithologist father’s increasingly odd behavior. He is seeking a Lazarus species of bird that may still haunt the jungle surrounding the superswanky eco spa that hired him. The spa’s minions, meanwhile, seem to be brainwashing Dad while also keeping an all-too-close eye on his family. Enter a local bird-loving boy who helps the girls out, while adding a touch of PG romance to Mad’s life. The narrative drags a bit here and there, but Phillips does build a lush atmosphere of cloying, tropical beauty, punctuated by the volcano’s rumblings. Mystery fans looking for exotic settings and spunky heroines will find this a book to luxuriate in. Grades 4-7. --Karen Cruze
You may have noticed that I have a fair number of young adult and children's books on this list, despite the fact that I am very nearly thirty. I attribute this in part to the importance of keeping up with what my students are interested in, but the greater attributed part is simply a love of books meant for not-yet-adults. Why? Because they're fun and engaging and sincere. They don't mire themselves in big words and heavy language because they don't adhere to the principle of certain writers (if you can't understand it, it must be deep) and certain other writers (the denser the writing, the better it must be). I am not a self-flagellating reader. I do not care for an author's ego. I have no interest in flogging myself with pompous "literature." I'd rather read a book with great characters, a well-developed world, and a plot that surprises me. This book, like so many wonderful children's books, does just that. If you haven't read a kid's book in a while, try this one out. It's worth a read.
The Room
Bjorn is a compulsive, exacting bureaucrat who discovers a secret room at the government office where he works--a secret room that no one else in his office will acknowledge. When Bjorn is in his room, what his coworkers see is him standing by the wall and staring off into space looking dazed, relaxed, and decidedly creepy. Bjorn's bizarre behavior eventually leads his coworkers to try to have him fired, but Bjorn will turn the tables on them with help from his secret room. Author Jonas Karlsson doesn't leave a word out of place in this brilliant, bizarre, delightful take on how far we will go--in a world ruled by conformity--to live an individual and examined life.
Upon starting this book, the main character reminded me a fair bit of Dwight from The Office. And then I thought maybe he had Asperger's. And then I didn't know what to think and who to believe because the story and characters are so well-crafted that you're constantly doubting what you'd thought before. It's a weird book, for sure, but everybody needs a little weird in their life, right?
How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why it Happens
In How We Learn, award-winning science reporter Benedict Carey sifts through decades of education research and landmark studies to uncover the truth about how our brains absorb and retain information. What he discovers is that, from the moment we are born, we are all learning quickly, efficiently, and automatically; but in our zeal to systematize the process we have ignored valuable, naturally enjoyable learning tools like forgetting, sleeping, and daydreaming. Is a dedicated desk in a quiet room really the best way to study? Can altering your routine improve your recall? Are there times when distraction is good? Is repetition necessary? Carey’s search for answers to these questions yields a wealth of strategies that make learning more a part of our everyday lives—and less of a chore.
Unlike B, non-fiction is not my jam. I love a good book on psychology or learning, though, so I picked this one at the beginning of the summer to delve into. At school, we've been working on ways to help students improve study and learning habits, and it seemed only right to read more on the subject so as to inform our endeavor. I learned all kinds of interesting stuff, like how often to study for a test based on when you have to take it, and the importance of changing up where you study to strengthen neural connections and recall. I highly recommend this book, but set aside some time to read it, so you can take it in at your own pace.
The Invention of Wings
Inspired by the true story of early-nineteenth-century abolitionist and suffragist Sarah Grimké, Kidd paints a moving portrait of two women inextricably linked by the horrors of slavery. Sarah, daughter of a wealthy South Carolina plantation owner, exhibits an independent spirit and strong belief in the equality of all. Thwarted from her dreams of becoming a lawyer, she struggles throughout life to find an outlet for her convictions. Handful, a slave in the Grimké household, displays a sharp intellect and brave, rebellious disposition. She maintains a compliant exterior, while planning for a brighter future. Told in first person, the chapters alternate between the two main characters’ perspectives, as we follow their unlikely friendship (characterized by both respect and resentment) from childhood to middle age. While their pain and struggle cannot be equated, both women strive to be set free—Sarah from the bonds of patriarchy and Southern bigotry, and Handful from the inhuman bonds of slavery. Kidd is a master storyteller, and, with smooth and graceful prose, she immerses the reader in the lives of these fascinating women as they navigate religion, family drama, slave revolts, and the abolitionist movement. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Beginning with her phenomenally successful debut, The Secret Life of Bees (2002), Kidd’s novels have found an intense readership among library patrons, who will be eager to get their hands on her latest one. --Kerri Price
Somewhere around the time I read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time (just after graduating from college), stories of race and inequality began to have a stronger presence in my reading. I think, at the very core, I find myself curious, unable to understand the hate that pervades these stories, the hate that fueled slavery and segregation. The hate that fuels racism today.
I was reading this book when the news about the Supreme Court's decision on gay marriage came out, and there were plenty of angry comments on social media to counter the joyous ones. As I read these posts, I couldn't help but think about the story I held in my hands. I couldn't help but wonder, what will people think when they look back on this day two hundred years from now?
This novel, set in the early 1800s, recounts the lives of an socially-elite family in Charleston and their slaves in a beautiful and heart-wrenching story of the fight for freedom from slavery and the resistance that meets it. The characters are strong and substantial, and the events they initiate and respond to take you to places you wouldn't expect. It's a must-read.
Match Me If You Can
Annabelle Granger has no idea why rich, gorgeous, and successful sports agent Heath Champion needs a matchmaker, but she is more than happy to take the job. Annabelle, who recently inherited her beloved Nana's matchmaking business, sees Heath as the key to her economic future, so she uses a connection with a friend to set up a meeting. It only takes a few minutes with bold, brash, and work-obsessed Heath for Annabelle to understand exactly why her new client might have had trouble finding the woman of his dreams. With a wicked wit and saucy charm, RITA Award-winning and best-selling Phillips fashions a deliciously fun romance between a testosterone-rich, irresistibly sexy hero and a sweetly endearing, yet feisty-to-the-core heroine who proves to be more than his match. --John Charles
[Insert prior commentary on romance novels here] The only difference is that this one focuses a little more on the sexy. I spent a lot of the time that I listened to this audiobook thinking about all the ways that romance novels play into gender stereotypes and assume that women want something that's dangerous or that they're not sure they want. Case in point: a subplot in this novel has a man blackmail a woman into dating him, he engages the woman in sexual intercourse without her consent (though apparently she wants it), and then they're in love and get married. I mean, call me crazy, but if B blackmailed me into dating him and then tried to pull something like that, he'd be in serious pain.
Seriously, female romance novelists, can we please make womankind seem less pathetic and indecisive?
***
Right now I'm reading Just Call Me Superhero, a book about a group of disabled teenagers and a support group they get conned into attending. At my current place in the story, I'm kind of pissed at the main character because he's a huge jerk, but I'm hoping there's some redemption before the end of the book.
After that, there's a novel called The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, which is apparently about a failing bookstore and a mysterious package. Needless to say, I'm excited to read this one! [As you might venture from the title, this is not a romance novel. As such, the mentioned package is an actual package, not a euphemism for male genitalia. (Thank god.)]
So, take a moment this week to consider visiting your local library. And if you're feeling extra generous, they're always looking for ways to fund their amazing offerings.
New Orleans Public Library Website
Donations page
Amendment 1 (7/10/15):
Just Call Me Superhero is pretty bad. The main character redeems himself somewhat, but the author seems to try to reveal some big secret that I cannot decipher. I literally googled the book to see if someone else had figured it out and was willing to tell. One reviewer put it best (I'll paraphrase): "Either the author is too oblique or I am too obtuse." Skip this book.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is lovely. I just finished it, and my face is still a little sticky from tears. It is well-written, funny, and touches that little bit of your soul that many books don't quite reach. I loved the story. I loved the characters. I loved the world.
Amendment 2 (8/5/15):
Never Let Me Go
Luckiest Girl Alive
The Girl on the Train
Modern Romance
One Day
Thanks for the recommendations. I wrote down several that I'm inspired to read. Enjoy vicarious wander-lusting.
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