OCTOBER 2017

The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer / YA / ***1/2 / Hard back
This book had a "John Green" feel to it with a band of real but quirky characters, witty dialogue, and funny but authentic situations.  A group of misfits attend a prestigious school for the Arts, which is being overrun by a sleazy reality TV show.  This group of friends decide to engage in some rebellious intellectual warfare to get their school back.  The plot line and the conclusion are a little cheesy, but I just loved the relationships between the group members, their families, and their teachers. These teens actually felt like real teens... with moments of humor, convincing friendship, and just enough self-doubt. I enjoyed this story - there were some great laugh-out-loud moments.  This was the first book in a long time that I didn't want to put down.


The Accidental Highwayman: Being the tale of Kit Bristol, His Horse Midnight, A Mysterious Princess, and Sundry Magical Persons Besides by Ben Tripp / YA / *** / Hard back
Kit is the man-servant of an English Lord... who is really a Highwayman.  Charged by his dying employer to take up his cause, the humble Kit finds himself on an adventure to rescue a princess and save the day.  He is helped on his way by a host of magical creatures. It was fun and amusing at first, but quickly became a bit boring.  I didn't love it, but didn't hate it either.

Descent: A Memoir of Madness by David Guterson / A / **1/2 / Kindle
This is a short book written by David Guterson ("Snow Falling on Cedars", "East of the Mountains") relating his spiral into depression after the events of 9/11.  It relates how he felt, the consequences his illness took on him and his family, and what he did to try and help himself. Eventually, the fog "lifted" and he was able to find his way out. This little memoir was interesting but not really engaging.  What I got from it is that Guterson uses words beautifully.  

A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George / A / ***/ Kindle
I checked out this book on overdrive, not realizing it was number 19 (NINETEEN!!) in a series.  To the author's credit, there were only a few times I wondered if I should know more about some of the characters than what she was telling me.  I don't usually read mysteries, but I did enjoy trying to figure out who done it ( I didn't figure it out).  The writing was good as the author presented a lovely array of characters and slowly revealed more and more things about each, making you wonder who the murderer was....but then the author threw in some pretty graphic molestation sequences that seemed out of sync with the rest of the book and were unnecessarily graphic.  It really ruined this book for me.



The Nix by Nathan Hill / A / **** / Kindle
I started this book last summer and my loan period with overdrive finished before I was done with the book... the fact that I was willing to wait another several months until it became available again for checkout should tell you something.  I can't even begin to explain what this book is about... it involves a mom who abandoned her son when he was a young boy. It involves the son, now a professor of English that feels stuck in his life.  It involves quite a few other people but never to the point it felt overwhelming. It goes back and forth in time to explore the pasts of the son, the mother, and eventually even the father as the son explores why his mother walked away and who she is now. It sounds like a super heavy book, and it was poignant, but it kept a nice balance.  At times it was even hilarious.  The characters were all flawed which made them real.  It was a really lovely, complex book. If I had to sum it up it would be the idea that the things you love the most may someday hurt you the worst.  This was fantastic writing.


Where She Went by Gayle Forman / YA / *** / Kindle
This is the sequel to, "If I Stay" - the story of a girl who is seriously injured in an automobile accident that also killed her parents and brother. While in her coma she has the opportunity to choose life or to join her family in death. She stays, but after healing physically she then chooses to leave behind the life she had before. Part of the collateral damage from this choice is her boyfriend, Adam, who begged her while she was in her comatose state to stay. This is his story in the years after. For the sappy plot line both books are actually pretty engaging. 

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk / YA / **** / Kindle
This Newbery Honor winner tells the story of young Annabelle, a farm girl living a life of love and security in rural Pennsylvania during the 1940's.  She recognizes the hardships her family faces and doesn't want to add to the burden by reporting that she is the target of a bully in her school.  Annabelle feels the need to exhibit her own courage, and does so with great resilience and ingenuity when the problem escalates to involve other members of the community.
This book has a "To Kill a Mockingbird" flavor, as a young girl tries to figure out her place in a confusing adult world.  The Boo Radley of the book is named Toby, a physically and mentally wounded WWI vet that lives in the woods and rarely speaks.  Annabelle is supported by a loving extended family that has taught her to work hard and be kind.
I liked this one... any book that focuses on the need for kindness and understanding is a great read no matter the genre.



The Girls by Emma Cline / ****1/2 / A / Kindle
Evie is 14 and her world has taken a drastic tilt. Her parents have just divorced. Her mother is dating. Her best friend has abandoned her. Everything just feels cruel to a girl that, at the base of it all, just wants to be seen.  She is growing up in the 60's with easy access to drugs, alcohol, pornography, and money.  The vibe of the time is love and peace but she doesn't feel any of those things.

One summer day she meets some girls in the park who are confident, mesmerizing, and independent.  They don't care about the rules and they don't care about societal restraints. Evie starts spending time with their group, who is led by the charismatic Russell.  Living on an abandoned farm where everything is shared and everyone works together, Evie is happy to finally have someplace to belong.  

Over the  course of the summer, Evie is exposed to increasingly serious situations. She alternates between spending time at the "ranch" and in her own home, where her mother barely notices the changes happening to Evie. Changes are also happening at the ranch as the situation with food and resources begins spiraling down-hill while the probability for catastrophe starts ratcheting up.

This book had fantastic storytelling and use of language - I was seriously mesmerized the entire time. I read it in one afternoon as I couldn't put it down. I've never been really interested in stories about cults and the hippie movement - what was engaging to me is that I could totally feel the wanting of Evie. I remember those feelings as a young teen myself... just wanting to be loved and to belong.  The things you felt at that age were just so raw and strong.  The author very realistically showed how you could take the emotions of an angry and lonely girl, add drugs and a place to belong, and understand why Evie did the things she did.  The author had a harder time making the connection to me on why some of the larger group was able to commit such horrible acts of violence.

I learned later this story was loosely based on the Charles Manson / Sharon Tate story - but as I didn't know that story it would not have mattered to me, anyway.  If the women had attacked their original target I would be more likely to believe it due to the deprivations the man had helped inflict on them; but the innocent people that were killed made no sense to me and the author didn't make it something that could be understood.

The Scythe by Neal Shusterman / YA / **** / Kindle

THREE AWESOME BOOKS IN A ROW! A HAT TRICK! 

This book by the author of "Unwind" creates a new future world where there is no disease, no poverty, and no war.  Rather than a government, all decisions are made by a computer (the Thunderhead - which is a play off of Google's
 Cloud), which also contains all the memories and history of man-kind.  This artificial intelligence has solved all the problems of the world, so there is no misery and no death. Everything is fair.

Medical technology uses something called nanites that keep bodily functions in perfect balance and can heal citizens from everything including death (except by fire). Citizens lives for hundreds of years and can "reset" themselves to any age.

With an increase in population and need to balance resources the Thunderhead determines that a certain number of people must be "gleaned" each year... meaning they must die for the good of all.  The Scythes are a specially trained group that gently and mercifully fulfill this task for society.

The book begins when two teens, Rowan and Citra, are chosen to apprentice a Scythe. 

This book has fantastic world building, subtly revealing how things have changed since our own time in both physical infrastructure as well as emotional thought. The author touches several times on the changes that happen to the passions and drives and desires of a population that have no physical needs and will live for hundreds of years.  An example of this is the loss of religion as humans now see themselves as their own saviors, so faith becomes irrelevant. Another example is the reoccurring question of would we really enjoy a limitless life?

The story has an almost Star Wars feel as the Scythes have a very Jedi master type approach to training their apprentices to do their jobs rationally and compassionately.  One of the premises of a Scythe is that if you enjoy killing, you shouldn't be a Scythe.  It also has a very "The Giver" feel to it, as the apprentices must study and contemplate what it means to be human before they are given the responsibility of taking a life.  

The story has a fantastic plot filled with action and intrigue. Both Rowan and Citra appropriately grow in the story and make decisions and actions that stay true to their age and character the entire time. There is no annoying or angsty YA behavior.  This book was so well written. I am excited as it appears that there will be a sequel (called The Thunderhead) and that this book has been optioned as a film.

BOOKED by Kwame Alexander / YA / ****/ KINDLE

FOUR GREAT BOOKS IN A ROW! WOOT WOOT look at me!

This book is by the author of "Crossover", the 2015 Newbery winner. Written in the same prosaic style, it tells the story of Nick - a teenager that loves soccer, his friends, and his mom.  Nick faces real problems as he deals with trouble at home, bullies, meeting parental expectations, and trying to get the girl.  It is fun and gritty and emotional and hopeful.

While this wasn't as amazing as "Crossover" it was still such a great read. I can't wait for Nathan to read it, too.

The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope / YA / **1/2
This is the book selected for my Book Group in November.  It is a cute and light-hearted love story about a young woman sent to live on the old family estate with her eccentric uncle. Visited by a series of ghosts, she learns about their lives during the Revolutionary War.  The story was predictable and not terribly engaging but it was a fun Halloween read.

JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER 2017

This is that happens when I wait to do my book list... I can't ever remember what I read.  And sadly, most of my reading was just bleh.  Nothing really stood out. I started and didn't finish a record number of books (which is NOT like me). I've just had a solid three months of unsatisfactory reading.

Here are a few I do remember:

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My story of the 1945 Selma Voting Rights March by Lynda Blackmon Lowery / YA / ***1/2 / Kindle
One of my favorite things is to read a book and become curious about some facet of it, causing me to want to learn more.  I obviously know about Martin Luther King and the Civil Right Movement but I had no idea about Selma and voting rights and Bloody Sunday. I was not aware that younger children were often protesting, as missing work was impossible for many adults. This book was written as a memoir by a girl who was part of a peaceful protest but then was gassed and physically attacked on Bloody Sunday.  I was shocked this even happened. I ended up reading quite a few things online about the event and the subsequent march to Montgomery.  The author was quick to say that even though what she went through on Bloody Sunday was scary and painful, she felt like this was a turning point as people around the nation came together in their behalf. 
This book was a really quick read but packed a punch as to content.It included photos, simple illustrations, and the lyrics to several marching songs. 

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn / YA / *** / Kindle
This teen novel had one of the best opening paragraphs EVER. It was fantastic. The idea of this story was so great, but the actual implementation of it was a little flat.  It tells the adventures of two teenagers as they alternate leaving a red notebook all over New York City for the other person to find.  They get to know each other through the words on the pages as well as the locations the book is left. It had a fun city vibe to it.  I had a hard time feeling like I knew the main character, Dash. He was a paradox.  But overall, this was a fun read.

Tell The Wolves I'm Home: A Novel by Carol Rifka Brunt / A / **** / Kindle
Favorite Quote: "If my life was a film, I'd have walked out by now."

It is fun to me that when I think of a book sometimes I also have a memory of WHERE I read it. This one was on deck of a cruise ship.  Ahhhh fantastic.

This is a story of family and AIDS.  I liked this one as it took place back in the 1980's when AIDS first became a big crisis.  I remember those times... people were just afraid because there was so much that was unknown. June (14) and her Uncle Finn have a special relationship. They are "kindred spirits". In the first 1/3 of the book, Finn passes away from AIDS.  June is approached by Toby, Finn's partner, whom she didn't even know existed. They become friends, grieving together and supporting each other as Toby also becomes sick.  June and Toby are forced to keep their friendship a secret, as June's family think that Toby "killed" Finn by giving him AIDS on purpose.  Also part of the story line is June's relationship with her passionate and sometimes vindictive sister, Greta.
I thought the characters were well written and the story had a good arc to it.  At times the writing was super poignant and riveting.  It was worth a read.

The Fixer: by Jennifer Lynn Barnes / YA / ** / Kindle
Oh my. This one was so ridiculous that I had to remind myself that even though I love Young Adult fiction, I am NOT the age that this type of book is written for. Basically it is the story of a teen girl, Tess, who moves to Washington D.C. to live with her sister. Through a serious of extremely implausible coincedences, she and her friends uncover a high-level political conspiracy. It felt very Scooby-Doo.  It would help if I liked the main character, but I felt like zero emotion.

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur / A / ** / Kindle
This book was recommended to me by Juliana. It is billed as poetry, but honestly the selections were not poetry to me but rather a series of well-written thoughts.  Breaking up a sentence with spaces does not make it poetry.  That being said, there were some really powerful selections.  It is the type of book you need to read SLOWLY. It is presented in four parts, each dealing with some type of sorrow or loss. Some of it was so gritty and raw it was uncomfortable to read.. which is the point I think.  Some selections were tender and poignant.  I am not into strong emotion or overly sexual writing, so I didn't really enjoy this book, but I can see why it is so loved.  It is NOT for children by any means. If the writing doesn't shock you, the pictures will. 

The Fate of the Tearling: A Novel (The Queen of the Tearling Book 3) by Erika Johansen / YA / ** / Kindle
Reminder on this series: I kinda hated the characters in the first one but the story line was pretty good so I kept going. The second book was better even though it took some surprising twists, so I kept going. The third book was a disaster to me. Too much story. Too many characters. Too many plot lines.  I hate when the totally evil 'bad-guy' turns into a weak enemy. Hated this book.

The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge by Michael Punke / A / *** / Kindle
I read this one solely because the movie won so many awards. It is a story of a mountain man who is mauled by a bear and then left to die by two men charged with his care. The rest of the story tells of his gritty survival and his search to find the two men who abandoned him.  The ending was weirdly abrupt. I've heard the movie is different, so I'll have to check it out next.

Flight by Sherman Alexie / YA / **** / Audio
I had such mixed feelings about this one.  I have traditionally loved anything I've read by Sherman Alexie (especially 'The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' and 'The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven'). I listened to this one, and the first problem I had was that the narrator didn't sound "indian" to me. I was really bugged by this, and looked up the narrator... only to find out that he is, in fact, native american.  Who knew that the native americans I grew up with sound different? But they do. I got over this quickly and now when I think of this book I "hear" the voice of the narrator.
It is a powerful story of a young indian boy who runs away from a series of terrible foster homes and goes to a bank with a gun to commit an act of violence. He has an out of body experience as his "spirit (?)" goes into the body of a series of different people from the past including a police officer during the Civil Rights movement, a native american boy before the battle of the Little Big Horn, an indian tracker in the 19th century, a pilot, and a few more I don't want to share as they are spoilers. I didn't always "get" the lesson I was supposed to probably be learning, but in the end this book left me literally SOBBING.  Despite all the grit and language and violence, this book was hopeful and quirky and sometimes bizarre. 

The Hired Girl by Laura Schlitz / YA / ***1/2 / Hardback
This book won quite a few awards, so I think I expected too much of it. It tells the story of a young girl (14) who runs away from her hard and emotionally abusive life on the family farm to work as a servant in the big city.
I liked the dynamics between Joan, the family she works for, and the friends she makes along the way. It was interesting to read about that time in history, especially from the perspective of a jewish household.  I just didn't LOVE the book for some reason... the naive antics of the bookish and imaginative Joan made me feel like it was trying a little too much to copy "Anne of Green Gables".
The second half was not as delightful as the first half.


Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin / YA / *** / Kindle
This was in interesting book that was really character driven. It tells the story of three sisters bonded together by their mother's illness.  Let me make it clear that this is not another "cancer" book.  It does involve illness, but also betrayal and growing up and family and forgiveness.  I liked it but didn't love it.  It was interesting, though.


Vassa In the Night by Sarah Porter / YA / ** / Hard Copy
I do not know why I keep reading some of the stuff I read. I picked this one up as it had a blurb on the cover by Leah Bardugo (WHO  I LOVE ) but man Leah, you let me down. This story is just WEIRD.  Normally I like weird... but this was beyond weird. I think it was based on the Russian folktale of Vasilisa ... at least elements of it felt a little familiar... but because I'm not familiar enough with the folktale I possibly didn't make connections I should have. Some elements were just creepers. And I admit I didn't "get" it.  The sad part is that it was really engaging at the beginning. Oh well....

 Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare / YA / ***/ Hard Copy This is the first in the Dark Artifices series, and is one I read before. I had to re-read it because the second book came out and I couldn't remember what the first one was about in enough detail.  That is what I like about Cassandra Clare, not only is she the best writer ever for dialogue, but she also writes richly detailed stories. Anyway, I didn't enjoy the book as well this time around. That being said, these books are still better than a lot of what I've read this month. Anyway, this one seemed more juvenile - like Cassandra had a girlfriend night and had them brainstorm her book and put in every single plot they gushed about.

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare / YA / *** / Hard Copy
This book is a product of our times. For a while all the books included vampires of some sort. Then love triangles. Then the government being corrupt. Now, it is LGBTQ rights.  This book not only jumps on board but tries to drown you with it.  Considering that about 4% of the population is LGBTQ, it doesn't make sense that probably 80% of the characters in this book are something other than heterosexual.  This isn't the reason I didn't love the book, however. I'm just pointing out some of the problems. I love Clare, I own all her books. It hurts me to not love this book. I understand she is writing for a teen audience and I am obviously not a teen... but this one just didn't have the magic. For whatever reason I didn't feel the feels on this one. Characters were introduced in such a detailed way you were sure they meant something to the plot.... nope.  Whole diary sections were included which made sure they meant something to the plot... nope.  Our emotions are jerked around and it just didn't feel fun anymore. There are too many characters and too many unnecessary links to characters in her other books.  So sad....

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.

FEBRUARY - MAY 2017 BOOK BAG

FEBRUARY:



Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow / A / **** / Hard Copy

I spent most of my month reading this book. It took me FOREVER for some reason. I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as I did the book on George Washington by the same author.  That being said, I was in total awe of the man himself.  He had vision, passion, and an amazing work ethic.  He not only had good ideas but was able to influence public opinion in order to make these dreams a reality.  The sheer number of pages that this man wrote in his lifetime is quite unbelievable.   It was remarkable to learn of his legacy and see how it has affected our lives as Americans more than 200 years later.   This book just reaffirmed my belief that God had his hand in the creation of this country. Good job, Hamilton.  You are so awesome someone should make a musical about you... with rap music....

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner / YA / **** / Kindle
I like this one. It is a YA story about a thief secretly released from prison in order to help the government gain access to an ancient treasure.  The thief, Gen, is a total punk with tons of delightful attitude and witty one-liners.  The story was a little slow moving, but it did have a great plot twist I totally did not see coming.  

The Hypnotist's Love Story: A novel by Liane Moriarty / A / ***1/2 / Kindle
I think Moriarty may be the best character author EVER.  It wasn't my favorite of this author but Moriarty's books are ALWAYS entertaining.  It had a really good premise that would have made this a real thriller in line with "The Husband's Secret" but Moriarty surprisingly didn't go down that road.   It was a good solid read that I enjoyed.

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton / YA / *** / Kindle
This book had a LOT of similar elements to "Blood Red Road" that I also recently read.  It had a great start with the main character, Amani, entering a shooting contest disguised as a boy in order to try and earn money to get out of town before she is forced into an unwanted marriage by her Uncle.  The rest of the story tells about her journey.  This is where it got kinda convoluted. It was this weird mix of wild west and Arabic folklore while also being kinda sorta a fantasy book. It had a steam-punky background and a rebellion thrown in.  It was just a lot of stuff.....  

MARCH:

Small, Great Things by Jodi Picoult / A / **** / Kindle
An African American labor and delivery nurse, Ruth Jefferson is on trial for the murder of a newborn baby she tries to save after she was told she could not care for the baby at the request of the white supremacist parents.
This book tells the story from the point of view of Ruth, the father of the baby, and Ruth's lawyer.

This book was a page turner.   I was a little hesitant that Jodi Picoult (white) could appropriately show what racism looks like, but I admire her willingness to not shy away from difficult topics. 

This book is very compelling and very, very relevant.  The characters were very real and very layered.

Even though I didn't love the ending, this is one of the best I've read by Picoult. I couldn't put it down.  

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm / JF / *** / Kindle
This was a cute coming of age story of a young girl sent to live with relatives for the summer.  It had a "Year Down Yonder" feel to it.  It was fun for me as the book took place in Key West, and I could picture some of the locations.  It had the right mix of adventure, humor, and heart.

Now That You're Here by Amy Nichols / YA / *** / Kindle
Danny is somehow jolted into a parallel universe.  He must band with the uncool nerd squad to figure out how to get home.  The problem is, maybe he now wants to stay.
This one wasn't too bad. I liked how the nerds were the heroes of the story in all their weirdness.

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson / JF / ***** / Kindle
Oh Mrs. Woodson. Your books just make my heart so happy.  This was another great one.  I loved the style, the characters, the arc of the story.  Thanks for being amazing.

APRIL:


Moby Dick by Herman Melville/ A / **** / Audio
This is another classic that I avoided due to length and then ended up really enjoying. I listened to all 30 hours of this book as I drove back and forth to Panguitch (3 hrs per day, 4 days per week).  It still amazes me that it took 14 hours before they killed a dang whale .....  

The Zookeeper's Wife  by Diane Ackerman/ A / **** / Audio
This is a true story about the Zabinski family - zookeepers of the Warsaw zoo during German occupation during WWII. Though it was advertised as a book about how they helped over 300 people escape from the Nazi's, it was much more than that.  It was an interesting look at life during wartime.  I think some readers may not enjoy all the detail the author provides or the tangents she goes off on occasionally, but I enjoyed it.  The narrator for this audio book was really excellent. As I was finishing the book I found out that it is being released as a movie.

MAY:


A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee / JF / ***1/2 / Kindle
A cute story set in Victorian England about a prim, proper, and privileged young girl named Annabel sent to live with her eccentric Aunts while her mother travels abroad.  The Aunts are really witches... and of course Annabel turns out to be one, too. The magical world is in mortal danger, and the instruction book for witches indicates the only person that can save them is  "A Most Magical Girl".... our heroine Annabel. The rest of the book tells of her adventures to retrieve the "good" wand.  This book had a cute story line and some fun characters.

Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America's National Parks by Mark Woods / A / ***** / Kindle

Favorite quote: "We save rivers and canyons and mountains, and they save us".

This may be my favorite book of the year. The premise of the book is that the author, in commemoration of the first 100 years of the National Park Service, went on a year long quest to explore the future of the parks.  This book was part travelogue, part informative essay, part memoir, part tribute.  It was surprisingly poignant at times.  It made me want to be outside.  It made me more aware of the obstacles being faced by the park system.  And it made me hopeful that all those weekends spent dragging the kids to the National Parks will mean something to them, someday. 

Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty / A / ***1/2 / Kindle
This book is yet another example of Moriarty's ability to write real but quirky characters. This book tells the story of three couples and their thoughts/feelings/actions leading up to and after a horrific event. The author doesn't immediately tell exactly what happened that eventful day... leaving you guessing for much of the novel.  This would be a fun beach read. 

The Queen of the Tearling: A Novel by Erika Johansen / YA / ** / Kindle

Princess Kelsea has been hidden away from the enemies of her kingdom until she reaches the age to ascend the throne.  This book tells the adventure of her travels to reach her kingdom as well as the struggles to clean up the mess left behind.  The story line was excellent, but I did soooo many problems with this book.  I liked it and I didn't like it at the same time.   

Characters:
Some of the characters were great. Some were sadly lacking, including the main character. She is weirdly written. She is kind. She wants to do right. She is totally shallow. She is constantly checking out the men in the book (regardless of age and circumstance) and deciding if they would be worth her time. She is worried about her weight.  She has lousy judgement.  Her Uncle, the regent, was made out to be a buffoon-type character. This didn't make sense... he needed to be more smart and evil.  

Kingdom building:
Another problem I had was that the book was set in medieval times (they wore dresses and rode horses and had swords) but then the book kept talking about America and Europe and the British and the crossing from the old world to the new.  Crossing from WHERE?  Is this even still EARTH? What the heck is going on here?  It is like this book doesn't know where to be. It is post-apocalyptic but you don't know how they got this way. As one reviewer said: :"Now people can’t even build a printing-press anymore… however they can do cosmetic surgery and organ-transplants. I was tempted to start a drinking-game for such world-building inconsistencies but my liver is not that strong."

Odd Pacing:
"We didn't send the tribute to the Red Queen. She is going to kill us in three days. In that time I am going to have a dress made and build a library for poor people and make friends with the servants because I am a such a good, kind queen." I don't know about you, but I would rather have my leader maybe mobilize some troops and gather in some food supplies for a siege, ya know?

Religion bashing:
The author made it a very clear point that organized religion is of the devil.  I am fine with an atheist character. But it felt like an anti-religion lecture. Toooo much already, okay?

Weird obscenities:
The worst part was that there were these weirdly random sexual scenes or expletives thrown in.  I actually don't have a problem with these things in books if they support the story.  But these were just STRANGE and honestly kinda squeechy. It was like the author decided she needed some shock factor and just threw in some stuff. IT WAS WEIRD.

All this being said, I plan to read the second one. WHY??? I DO NOT KNOW. I CAN NOT EXPLAIN IT.  I read online that Emma Watson is going to make this movie. All I can say is WHAT???  I need a nap.

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah Maas / YA but should be A / *** / Hard Cover
This is the third book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series.
This series started out as a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast but then morphed into something else. This book neatly wraps everything up, and while I appreciate the author wanting to wrap up loose ends I don't appreciate the levels she went to in order to give everyone a happy ending.  It got a little ridiculous. 

A warning with all three: they are completely inappropriate for teens (the intended audience).  I came across the first book (A Court of Thorns and Roses) because Elissa had checked it out from the school library. I read it first and promptly told her it wasn't something she could read unless I edited out a few parts here and there. I've said over and over again I don't mind sex in books, but I guess I should say I don't mind traditional love scenes.  But this was toooo much. The second and third book were even worse. I had forgotten just how graphic they were.  The sad thing was that it was totally unnecessary.  It was bad enough I warned the Librarian at our local library.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas / YA but should be A / ***1/2 / Hard Copy
When I was reading book three I could not remember some of the plot lines, so I quickly reread the first book. 


Runaway Jury by John Grisham / A / ***** / Hard copy
Emily was reading this, so I gave it a re-read.  This is one of my favorite Grisham books. 

Saga of Shahrzad and Kahalid 1: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh / YA / *** / Hard Copy
This is a retelling ( I think) of Arabian nights.  It wasn't amazing, but it wasn't bad, either.  

Reading Goal Update

2016 READING GOAL THAT HAS EXTENDED INTO 2017

Still plugging away at this.... so close... the funny thing is that now I found a list of the top 300 books ever. I have read about 180 of them.... and now I want to read all of THOSE, too. Sigh.....  

Click HERE to read about my reading goal.

The only change from January was that I got Moby Dick read (actually, I listened to it.  Like all 30 HOURS of it.  It was a nice companion to my drive to Panguitch every morning at 6:30 a.m.).  Only 12 more to go!  I am about halfway through Don Quixote and am also reading Watership Down currently.

# 16 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - February 2016

# 18 Memoirs of a Geisha - March 2016

# 32 The Picture of Dorian Gray - January 2016

# 33 Crime and Punishment - July 2016

# 41 Dracula - January 2016

# 49 The Lovely Bones - February 2016

# 59 Anna Karenina - January 2016

# 61 Lolita

# 62 Slaughterhouse-Five - June 2016

# 64 Catch-22

# 66 Dune

# 68 Watership Down

# 70 The Stand

# 72 Frankenstein - June 2016

# 73 Great Expectations - January 2017

# 75 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

# 76 Angela's Ashes

# 77 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - July 2016

# 80 The Bell Jar

# 83 The Color Purple

# 86 The Brothers Karamazov

# 91 Siddhartha - January 2017

# 92 Don Quixote

# 94 A Prayer for Owen Meany - May 2016

# 95 Vampire Academy - January 2017

#96 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - January 2016

#98 Moby Dick - April 2017

# 104 Interview with the Vampire - January 2017

# 105 Middlesex