JUNE 2017

Watership Down by Richard Adams / A / ***1/2 / Hard Copy
I read this book as part of my book challenge. I don't particularly love books about animals, and this was the story of a group of brave rabbits that leave their warren and strike out to start a new home.  In the story the rabbits have human traits (bravery, spunk, compassion, etc). Maybe rabbits do have some of those traits as well.  I really had to force myself to read this book, I won't lie it was a rough slog to the end.... but by the time I finished I was actually kinda touched. I grew to love some of the characters and enjoyed the world that was created.  I could see why it was on the classic list. 

The Whistler by John Grisham / A /***1/2 / Kindle
I think I have read every John Grisham book ever published. His early ones are the best. As I read this one, it reminded me of his early books... organized crime / intrigue / gritty lawyers.  But then all of a sudden it just kinda ended without the customary thrill.  Despite that, he is still one of my favorite authors to read.

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen / YA / *** / Hard Copy
This book is the sequel to the one I read last month that I kinda freaked out about. And in a lot of ways, it was better. And in some ways, it was worse.  There was less weird "yuck" stuff, and some of the back-story of how the Tearling came to be was explained.  Some of my favorite book characters are delightfully flawed... but in this series the main character remains troublesome to me.

I plan to keep reading.

The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey / A / **** / Audio
So much to say about this book! I've been thinking about it A LOT.  Growing up in Moab, Abbey was a local legend. Though never a member, he is considered the father of the "Earth First!" movement, those radical eco-terrorists from the 1980's that promoted industrial sabotage . The antics of the EF! group were taken from the pages of "The Monkey Wrench Gang".  

The four main characters were written as cartoon-ish and almost absurd, but I love that they didn't fit the regular stereotype of tree-hugging hippie.  There was the wise and eloquent doctor (the financier and morale compass in his insistence that no violence could be  committed against people), his always bored feminist girlfriend from the Bronx (a self-aware slut), a polygamist Mormon tour guide (a jack-Mormon who prayed several times for a precision-type earthquake) , and a manic anti-social Vietnam veteran with PTSD. They meet on a river trip down the Grand Canyon and bond over their desire to  free the Colorado River by blowing up the Glen Canyon Dam.  In order to prepare, they start small - destroying earth moving equipment on a road project, then progressing to energy stations and bridges.  They have one wild adventure after another as the law tightens the noose around them.

The whole thing is implausible and borderline absurd .... and I think Abbey did this on purpose.  It has the feel of a dime-store western complete with a corrupt Sheriff and Wiley E Coyote type escapes. 

Abbey addresses very tongue-in-cheek the fact that the gang is saving the wilderness while driving gas-guzzling jeeps, throwing beer cans out the window, and driving giant Caterpillars off cliffs and down into the canyons they hold so sacrosanct.  

While this book did not make me an Abbey disciple (he appears to be somewhat of a sexist pig with a potty mouth and without a single politically correct thought regarding Native Americans), I can't help but bond with someone what understands that the smell of sagebrush after rain is the sweetest fragrance on the face of the earth. I was really moved when Hayduke (the veteran) gave his soliloquy about how when he was a POW his thoughts of the desert kept him sane. And while I also don't plan to drive an earth-mover off a cliff, it did make me think about my own actions in regards to the earth.
I am glad to see the current trend towards increased stewardship of the planet. Whether you believe in climate change or not, it is easy to see that we could (and SHOULD) be doing a lot more to take care of the earth.  As Abbey said, "Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit".


The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner / YA / *** 1/2 / Hard Copy
A few months ago I read a book called, "The Thief".  I loved the main character, Gen.  This book continues his story and proves that he really can steal ANYTHING.  I love the way Turner writes characters. They are so REAL and complex. I love characters that make me feel emotions. And the characters of this series do that.

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner / YA / ***1/2 / Hard Copy
This book is the third book in the series (see number 2, above).  The story was way more slow moving than the other two books, but I had faith that the author was just patiently building up to a humdinger of an ending.... and I was right.  Turner is a genius. And she is like JK Rowling in that every little sentence means something for the future.  

The Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner / YA / *** / Hard Copy
This book is the fourth book in the series (see number 2 and 3, above). This story moves away from Gen and switches to the story of another character from book 1.  It was a good book, but not as good as the other three.  That being said, it had it's genius twists and political scheming that I loved from the others.  The funny thing as I was searching for a photo of the book to use in this post I found out there is a FIFTH book.... YAY!


Armada by Ernest Cline / YA / *** / Kindle
This is a book by the author of "Ready, Player One".  "Ready Player One" was set in the future but was a 1980's culture trip. Darren, Nathan, and I all read it, but Darren probably got the biggest kick out of the book as he was so into movies and video games from that era. "Armada" was the same way but more focused on old video games.   I am sure there were references I didn't even understand.

In the book, the world is getting invaded by aliens. The governments of the world have known this was coming, and years ago prepared by launching several video game platforms that would simulate battle conditions. Now, these top video-gamers from all walks of life must join together to save the world.  The premise was very "Ender's Game"ish, but the books are entirely different. It was a fun little romp.

The Kiss of Deception by Mary Pearson / YA / **** / Hard Copy
When I describe the plot line of this book it sounds like one that has been told and told but it really was a well written story. The princess runs away from her arranged marriage to live in hiding as a commoner.  Two men follow and find her, an assassin hired for political purposes and the groom she never met.  They are living in disguise as well, trying to decide what action to take. 
This book had some great world building and an interesting back story. It was really well written.
I liked this one and was thrilled to realize it is part of a series that has several more already published. Yay!

I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan / YA / *** / Hard Copy
I liked the story behind this one... two brothers living with a mentally ill father that doesn't ever stay in one place very long. The only stable thing they have is each other. In their current town Sam makes friends with Emily. She helps him out while respecting his reality.  The story comes to a head when their father feels threatened by the changes happening with his sons and takes off with the boys, endangering their lives.  It was a sweet story. My only problem is there was a sub-story of another boy that liked Emily. He was rich, entitled, and made to look and act like a buffoon. It was a really odd inclusion to the story.

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth / YA / **** / Hard Copy

I actually read this one a while back and forgot about it until I saw it sitting on the shelf at the Library a few days ago. This was written by the author of the Divergent series. It takes place in a new world with new characters and a new story line. It was fantastically written. The world building was rich and diverse and the characters fantastically written. I was really impressed by this one. Can't wait to read more.

The Best Man by Richard Peck / JF / **** / Hard Copy
I will always love Richard Peck as he gave me "A Year Down Yonder" and "A Long Way from Chicago".  I checked out this book just based on him being the author and needing a feel good story. I found from reading the cover that he has written a LOT of books. I really enjoyed this story. It follows a 5th grade boy (Archer) over several years. It is told from his perspective and chronicles little life events that happen to him in his life both at home and in school.  It ends up being this beautiful story about love... love between friends, parents, grandparents, and extended family.  It was both funny and poignant. This book got some pretty rough reviews as it does have a story-line about the boy's gay uncle. Personally, I thought it was timely, not "in your face", and beautifully done. Good job, Mr. Peck.