Book Giveaway at J. Kaye's Blog

Another book blogger, J. Kaye, has recently posted a review of the book Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans. She is also giving away a copy of the book to one winner. Just leave a comment on her review to be entered in the give-away.

I used to live in New Orleans, and the city holds a special place in my heart (as it seems to for everyone who has ever lived there). The book sounds wonderful to me, and I definitely want to read it - even if I don't win the give-away. What a perfect book to read for this last week of Mardi Gras season!

P.S. Check out NOLA.com for full coverage of Mardi Gras and live web cams of the Mardi Gras parades this weekend through Tuesday!

Memoir Review: Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life

Anytime I have happened to come across Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s writing (often in her past columns in Parenting magazine while waiting in a doctor’s office), I have always ended up laughing out loud, so when I heard that she’d written a memoir, I knew I’d enjoy it.

“I was not abused, abandoned, or locked up as a child. My parents were not alcoholics, nor were they ever divorced or dead. We did not live in poverty, or in misery, or in an exotic country. I am not a misunderstood genius, a former child celebrity, or the child of a celebrity. I am not a drug addict, sex addict, food addict, or recovered anything. If I indeed had a past life, I have no recollection of who I was.

I have not survived against all odds.
I have not lived to tell.
I have not witnessed the extraordinary.

This is my story.”

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life is not an ordinary memoir; in fact, it’s quite unique. By her own admission at the start of her memoir, Amy writes in a “choppy, random, segue-free” style. Her memoir, as the title suggests, is written in the format of an encyclopedia, with alphabetical entries about…well, everything. From Anxious, Things That Make Me to Crossing Guard to Wordplays, Amy includes a bunch of random musings that add up to a fairly complete picture of who she is and what her life is like.

This sort of haphazard style might not appeal to everyone, but I really enjoyed her book. As I expected, Amy’s writing often made me laugh, and I enjoyed getting to know her. It probably helps that she and I have had similar lives – both born in 1965, both grew up in the suburbs in the 70’s with a younger sister named Beth, both now writers and mothers.

The memoir begins with an overview of American life in the early twenty-first century, including facts like the top CNN stories from 2000 – 2005, highest-rated TV shows, childhood rhymes, common slang, colors of the rainbow, and colors of the J. Crew catalog. You know right away that Amy has a unique and humorous way of looking at life.

As for her encyclopedia entries, they range from observations of the world around her to facts about herself and thoughts and feelings on a wide variety of subjects. I especially enjoyed her fascination with coincidences and wordplay. Some entries are a single line and some go on for pages. Many are accompanied by illustrations. A few of my favorites among the shorter entries:

“Amy Rosenthal:
My father-in-law informed me that my married name could produce these two anagrams: Hearty Salmon. Nasty Armhole. I cannot tell you how much I love that.

Bowling:
It would be difficult to convince me that leaning has no effect whatsoever on the outcome of my bowling.

Butterscotch:
I love butterscotch but rarely think to seek it out.”

As with the Butterscotch entry, I often found myself thinking, “Yes! Me, too!” as I read. As a bonus, this was the perfect book to read on a sick day, requiring little sustained concentration and producing plenty of laughs. I felt like I had made a new friend by the end of the book.

If you want to know more about Amy and her books (she has also written many children's books), visit her website. There are some wonderful videos there, as well, including her award-winning Kindness Thought Bubble.



 240 pages, Broadway Books

     

Great Books for Kids and Teens

I'm pleased to announce that I have just launched my new book review blog, especially for kids and teens: Great Books for Kids and Teens.

From now on, I'll post reviews of all kinds of books for kids, teens, and young adults (mostly for middle grades and up, but I'll include some for younger kids as well) at the new blog, and will use this blog for grown-up book reviews, though I may occasionally include a teen/YA book here if I think adults will like it, too.

So, take a look and let me know what you think! I plan to add new reviews at least once or twice a week, so check back often.

Memoir Review: Waiting for Snow in Havana

“The world changed while I slept, and much to my surprise, no one had consulted me. That’s how it would always be from that day forward. Of course, that’s the way it had been all along. I just didn’t know it until that morning. Surprise upon surprise: some good, some evil, most somewhere in between. And always without my consent.”

That’s the beginning of Carlos Eire’s remarkable memoir, Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy, a National Book Award winner. His story begins on January 1, 1959, when President Batista fled from Cuba and a new leader, Fidel Castro, was suddenly in charge. With plenty of flash-backs and flash-forwards, Eire writes of his childhood in Cuba, both before and after the revolution.

Although the historical context is critical to the story, the first part of the book focuses on Carlos’ childhood before the revolution: the memories of a little boy (he was eight in 1959) running around the neighborhood with his brother and friends. He shares stories of their adventures – stories much like those of any young boy – against the backdrop of a tropical paradise. There are tales of ultra-rich friends who live in mansions; stories of flying kites, swimming at the beach, and setting off firecrackers with his friends; and admissions of a terrible fear and loathing of the ever-present lizards.

In some ways, though, Carlos’ childhood was unusual. His father, a judge, firmly believed that he had been Louis XVI in a past life and that his wife was Marie Antionette. He is sometimes full of fun, taking the boys on exciting outings around Havana, and other times absent and uncaring, obsessed with his collection of arts and antiques.

While I enjoyed the tales of childhood joys and struggles, the book becomes much more fascinating as the revolution unfolds. Eire describes the changes that occur in his neighborhood, his school, and his country from a child’s perspective, sometimes flashing forward to relate to what happened from his adult point of view. Eventually, when it becomes apparent that Cuba is changing in dramatic and dangerous ways, Carlos’ mother makes arrangements for he and his brother to flee to the United States (it was easier for children to leave than adults). So, in 1962, eleven-year old Carlos sees Cuba for the last time from his airplane seat, leaving behind everything and everyone he knows, except for his brother.

We also learn, in bits and pieces, about what happened to Carlos and his brother after they arrived in the United States and how the author grew up to be the man he is today, but the focus of the book is on those first eleven years in Cuba, how they helped form his view of the world and of himself.

I enjoyed this book very much and passed it along to my husband, who’s reading it now. Not everyone in my book group liked it as much as I did, but we all agreed that we learned a lot, and we certainly had plenty to talk about during our discussion of the book. Some felt that the first part of the book was too much like any childhood memoir, but I happen to like childhood memoirs, so I enjoyed that, as well as the second half of the book. I learned a lot about Cuba and Castro’s revolution – I had no idea that 14,000 Cuban children had been airlifted out of Cuba to the United States at that time – but I also enjoyed the author’s reflections on how his boyhood shaped the adult he is now.

If you’re interested in learning more about Cuba’s revolution after reading this book, you might also enjoy the movie, The Lost City, set during the same time period.

Young Adult Review: Go Ask Alice

I must be the only the person on earth who was a teen in the 70's and never read Go Ask Alice, the anonymous account of a teen girl who becomes addicted to drugs, but it's true. I recently picked up the audio version of the famous book at the library and listened to it for the first time during several car trips.

I was stunned by the power and emotional impact of this story, as I suppose many people have responded to it since it was first published in 1971. So, I was equally stunned and sorely disappointed to discover that it is now widely assumed to be a work of fiction. I just finished reading a summary of Go Ask Alice on scopes.com, the go-to place on the web for debunking urban legends. I was crushed to find out that the book is not the real-life diary of a teen, as it is presented.

I do tend to be gullible in these sorts of things, mainly because I'm an optimist and idealist; I just want to believe that people are incapable of deception, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary! I tend to take things at face value.

However, while this particular deception is disappointing to me, it doesn't change my opinion of the book overall. I found much of the "diary" to be quite realistic, even reminiscent of my own high school journals, especially in the way that the narrator vacillated between cheerful optimism and dark despondency. Isn't that the essence of being a teen?

Perhaps the format I chose impacted my experience as well. Maybe the diary entries would have seemed less real if I were reading them rather than listening. The young narrator of the audio book did a great job expressing the highs and lows of the teen's high school life and her shame at her descent into drug addiction. When she talked, in a low monotone, about the horrible things that happened to her while she was high and living on the streets, my heart broke for her, and when she was back with her family and happily trying to put her life together, I cheered for her.

Despite its controversies and deception, Go Ask Alice remains a touching and disturbing portrait of how drug addiction can destroy the life of a smart, sweet young girl. Certainly, even if this account is fiction, the things that happen in the book do indeed happen to real people. I think all teens (and all parents) should read this book. It affected me deeply.

AUDIO:

Favorite Books of 2008

Several years ago, I began keeping a book journal so that I could keep track of what I read. At this time of year, I like to look back at what I enjoyed in the past year. By my count, I read or listened to 59 books in 2008. Here are some of my favorites (in addition to those I reviewed in this blog previously):

One Mississippi by Mark Childress – This book made it onto my list of favorite books of all-time. I laughed, I cried…no, I really did! It’s a hilarious, spot-on portrayal of high school life and of the early 70’s. When his father suddenly moves the family from Indiana to rural Mississippi, sixteen-year old Daniel feels like an outsider, until he meets Tim, another outsider who finds humor in everything. The boys’ friendship is tested by a terrible accident on prom night. The author successfully weaves together laugh-out-loud moments, serious themes, and a heart-breaking climax.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult – It wouldn’t be a “best of” list without at least one book by Jodi Picoult, who writes riveting novels that explore the gray areas of life. This one centered on a school shooting, something that’s been in the media a little too often lately. But, as usual, Picoult takes a unique look at the subject: the novel is written from many different perspectives, so you see not only the viewpoint of the victims’ families but also the shooter himself, as a sweet but bullied child; his parents; and his childhood friend. As with all of Picoult’s books, it was compelling and thought-provoking. I finished the hefty volume in 3 days, then lent it to a friend who also finished it in 3 days!

Too Close to the Falls by Catherine Glidner – I love memoirs, and this one was my favorite of the year, plus a huge hit with my neighborhood book group. Cathy had an unusual childhood, growing up in the 50’s as the precocious daughter of the town’s pharmacist in Niagara Falls, NY. At the tender age of three, her pediatrician suggested she work for her father to harness some of her unlimited energy and imagination. She has a talent for remembering the tiniest details and relating them from the perspective of her young self.

Jumper by Steven Gould - This is an older book, targeted at teens, but I’d never read it before, and I loved it! I’m not a huge science fiction fan, but I love books about time travel. This one was actually about teleportation, but it had the same appeal for me. Seventeen-year old David is being beaten by his abusive father when he suddenly finds himself miles away in one of his favorite places, the public library. He discovers he can “jump” from one place to another under certain circumstances but has no idea how or why. David tries to learn to live with his new talent in this fast-paced coming-of-age novel with in-depth characters and plenty of exciting plot twists and thought-provoking ethical questions. I didn’t like the sequel, Reflex, nearly as much, nor the movie-version book, which was an entirely different story, but the original novel was excellent.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson – I’ve been dying to read this book for a couple of years, and I finally borrowed it from my neighbor last month. It was just as compelling as I’d expected. Greg Mortenson tells the amazing story of how he came to devote his life to building schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. After almost dying on the way down from an unsuccessful ascent of K2, Greg was nursed back to health by the compassionate villagers of Korphe. When he saw the village’s children studying by squatting on the cold ground and drawing with sticks in the dirt, Greg promised to return to build the village a school. He was incredibly naïve and had no idea of the kinds of barriers he’d encounter, but he kept his promise, and building schools became his life’s work. It’s an inspiring story that kept me riveted.

Rules by Cynthia Lord – This is a book for middle-grade readers that will also appeal to teens (and adults, too!). Twelve-year old Catherine tries to navigate her pre-teen life while also living with her 8-year old autistic brother. She sets rules for him to follow, to help him seem more normal to the outside world. When Catherine befriends a 14-year old paraplegic boy who can’t speak, she is forced to reassess her ideas about what is normal. Catherine is a funny, warm narrator, and this book is a must-read for anyone who knows someone with autism. I listened to the audio version, with a wonderful reader who perfectly captured Catherine (my review of Rules will appear in a spring issue of Family Fun magazine).

I hope to post reviews here more regularly this year, so check back soon! I’m also planning to create a separate blog for my reviews of kids’ books, since I read and review far more books than I’m able to publish in Family Fun magazine. Let me know what you think.

Fiction Review: The State of Me

I loved this first novel by Nasim Marie Jafry, but I suppose I should begin with a bit of disclosure. Jafry, like me, has a chronic illness, an immune system disorder known in the U.S. by the embarrassing name Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and in Jafry’s Scotland and other countries as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). She and I both write blogs about living with CFS/ME, and I have followed her blog for several years. So, it is as if an old friend (a virtual friend) has published her first novel.

The main character, Helen, is in college as the novel opens. She is smart and vibrant, living a typical college life, filled with classes, friends, parties, and boyfriends. Helen and her roommate, Jana, head off to France for a semester abroad, leaving Helen’s boyfriend Ivan behind. While in France, Helen suddenly becomes ill – so severely ill that she has to return home to her parents’ house in Scotland. As you might have guessed from my introduction, Helen is eventually diagnosed with ME. The novel follows the next fifteen years of Helen’s life, as she struggles with learning to live with her illness and find romance.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from The State of Me. After all, I live with the challenges of this illness myself every day. Why would I want to read about it in my fiction as well? I wondered whether the book would be depressing – 500 pages of living with ME.

I was pleasantly surprised, though. For starters, the novel is very well written, with realistic dialogue, characters that you come to care about, and an engaging and fast-paced plot. A fast-paced book about being bed-ridden? Yes! Jafry is a wonderful writer, and she brings her characters alive so that you can’t wait to turn the page and see what happens next. In fact, I read this hefty novel in only a few days because once I started, I had trouble putting it down. And it wasn’t at all depressing. Funny, sexy, uplifting, sometimes a bit sad, but never depressing.

Although Jafry does address issues related to ME/CFS in the novel, she does it in a way that doesn’t detract from the fact that this book is, first and foremost, a novel. It’s about so much more than living with chronic illness. It’s a book about friendship, family, love, and life. I came to care about Helen and wanted things to turn out well for her. I laughed out loud, cheered her on, and yelled at her. After all, isn’t that what fiction is supposed to do – make us feel something? By the time I finished The State of Me, I felt as if its characters were a part of my own life, and I was sorry to say good-bye.

(P.S. Besides enjoying the characters and plot, I had fun with the language of this novel, since it was written by a Scot. I enjoyed trying to figure out what the Scottish words and phrases meant from context and was mostly successful. I had no trouble translating brolly to umbrella by the way it was used, for instance, although I am still wondering what kind of holiday Hogmanay is?)

You can visit the author's blog here.
 

512 pages, The Friday Project Limited

I couldn't find The State of ME on Bookshop or Book Depository, but you can buy the e-book on Kindle or the paperback through Amazon.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Young Adult Fiction: The Book Thief

Although The Book Thief by Markus Zusak was published as a Young Adult book, one of my grown-up book groups recently read it for our September selection. The response was unanimous - everyone loved it! As soon as I finished it, I lent it to my neighbor, who was similarly impressed and then recommended it to her friends. That's the way it goes with a unique and well-written book.

And The Book Thief is certainly unique. The story is narrated by Death. Yes, you read that correctly, and Death is a surprisingly sympathetic and endearing character who tells this story from a unique perspective. While this choice of narrator seems strange at first, it works quite well.

The book thief of the title is a young girl named Liesel who lives in Nazi Germany at the time of World War II. Death first encounters Liesel when she is just 9 years old and her brother dies. He sees Liesel take her first book, The Grave Digger's Handbook, even though she can not yet read. Liesel goes to live with foster parents in a very poor section of a small town and encounters all sorts of characters, some friendly and some more sinister. While going to school, taking part in Junior Nazi activities, and helping her family harbor a hidden Jew, she continues to encounter both Death and stolen books, and both have a significant impact on her life.

Anyone who loves to read will appreciate the positive role of books in Liesel's life and in the lives of those she cares about. In fact, it is a book - her own hand-written life story - that ultimately saves her life. This is one of those books that takes you through every emotion imaginable. And after all, isn't that the point of a really good book: to make you feel something? The Book Thief does that and more.

Due to its subject matter and setting during the Holocaust, The Book Thief is most appropriate for older teens or adults.

Author Interviews Online

My new favorite website is Titlepage which features author interviews on an hour-long show, posted once a week. The show is very well done. Each week, the host interviews a group of four authors whose recent books are somehow linked. For instance, one week the four guests had all recently published nonfiction books; another week, the show featured four first-time published novelists.

It's a great show if you love books, and the best part is that you can watch it whenever it is convenient for you. I look forward each week to spending a lunch hour with my laptop next to me.

Take a look, and tell me what you think!

Funny Column About Book Tours

Just had to share this hilarious column from the Philadelphia Inquirer, written by Lisa Scottoline about her experiences on book tours.

Having experienced empty chairs at a book signing myself (well, except for my immediate family and a couple of close friends), I found this especially funny. I loved her column, so I guess I'll have to try one of her books. From what I read on her website, it seems that she writes "sexy legal thrillers" and her books have won awards and been very popular.

Memoir: Three Little Words

Ashley Rhodes-Courter lived in fourteen different foster homes in nine years. Her memoir chronicles her childhood spent as a victim of a badly broken foster care system, yet she sees herself as more of a survivor and advocate rather than a victim.

Ashley’s story begins with her earliest memories (based in part on stories told to her by her family). Her mother was only seventeen when Ashley was born. They lived for awhile with her mother’s sister, then with a boyfriend and a new baby brother. When Ashley was just three years old, and her brother Luke still a baby, police removed them from their house, and the progression of foster parents began.

Ashley and Luke were bounced from one foster home to another, sometimes together, sometimes apart. She stayed in some homes for years and in others for just a day or two. For years, no one explained to her why this had happened, where her mother was, or what she could expect in the future. Some of her foster parents were caring, kind people; others were indifferent, crowding too many children into small homes. One foster mother was as evil as any fairytale stepmother, mentally and physically abusing Ashley and the other fourteen children in her care.

Fortunately, Ashley was an intelligent and resilient child and eventually escaped the foster care system that was responsible for so much pain in her life. She is now a college-educated twenty-two year old who is a vocal advocate for adoption and foster care reform. Simon & Schuster published Three Little Words within their teen division, but the memoir is fascinating and compelling for readers of any age. From the adorable picture of Ashley dressed as an angel on the cover to the acknowledgements, notes, and photos at the end of the book, I could scarcely put it down.

P.S. The three little words aren't the ones you're thinking of!

Young Adult Fiction: Click

I just read the recently released young adult novel, Click, by David Almond, Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, Deborah Ellis, Nick Hornby, Margo Lanagan, Gregory Maguire, Ruth Ozeki, Linda Sue Park, and Tim Wynne-Jones. Yes, you read that correctly; this novel has 10 authors!

The concept behind Click was to start with ten bestselling, award-winning writers. Each one wrote a single chapter in the novel. As you can imagine, each chapter has its own unique style, but it works. The end result is a novel that tells a story, but with many surprising twists and turns. It’s part character-study, part mystery, part teen angst, part comedy, with a bit of science fiction thrown in.

The novel opens with two siblings, Maggie, middle school-age, and Jason, a high school senior, struggling in their own ways with the recent death of their Grandpa “Gee”. Gee was a famous photographer who traveled all over the world, and he left each of his grandchildren with a puzzling gift: an old camera and a box of photos for Jason and a handmade box of seashells for Maggie.

The story unfolds as Maggie and Jason each come to terms with Gee’s death and their own changing lives, while they try to make sense of what Gee has left them. Within the format of the book’s changing authors, some chapters deal with one child or the other, some address Gee’s past, and some are actually about the subjects of certain photos that Gee left to Jason. The threads are all gradually woven together, as Maggie and Jason each find their own path to the adults they will become.

More character driven than action-oriented, this book will probably appeal to teens and young adults (and grown-ups, too!). Though the changing authors and various story threads might be distracting to some readers, I thought the editing process was effective, producing a book that tells a full story from different perspectives.

Click was a quick and pleasant read for me, and I enjoyed sampling the writings of ten different authors (I had only read one of them before). In fact, the book has inspired me to check out other offerings from some of these writers. As an added bonus, all proceeds from Click are being donated to Amnesty International.

Fiction: China Run

I just finished reading my book group’s latest selection, China Run by David Ball, and my initial reaction is, “What an amazing book.” With its unique plot, likeable characters, and intense suspense, this book gripped me in a way that I haven’t experienced in a long time. I struggled to put the book down each night at bedtime and often ended up dreaming of it during the night!

Six American families are in China for the final stage of their adoption of Chinese baby girls. As they await their babies’ visas, each family has bonded with its baby for several days when they receive word from the orphanage director that a mistake has been made. They are told they received the wrong babies and must return them immediately. Distressed and confused, three of the families comply with the request, but the other three parents feel they can’t give up their new family members and instead take off on their own for the nearest American embassy, hoping to resolve the mix-up.

That hasty decision turns into a nightmare as the three families flee from Chinese authorities and end up in a dangerous and complicated journey across the cities and countryside of China. The main character, Allison, is one of the parents who chose to run, along with her new Chinese baby and her nine-year old stepson. A massive manhunt ensues, with the whole world watching, as Allison tries desperately to keep her children safe and ensure that her baby won’t be taken away.

Along the way, they meet many Chinese citizens – some helpful and some sinister – as they try to thwart the enormous web of authorities that are after them. Meanwhile, one of the police investigators begins to uncover a terrible secret behind the orphanage and the error that initiated this situation.

Ball describes the sights, sounds, and smells of China so that you feel you are right there with Allison, on the run in an unfamiliar land and surrounded by a language and culture you don’t understand. We see the beauty of China’s landscapes and the qualities of its people and feel the terror of being alone in a foreign place.

At turns thought-provoking, terrifying, and touching, this intriguing and suspenseful novel will keep you reading late into the night.

Fiction: Orbit

I bought a signed copy of Orbit by John J. Nance from Chinaberry for my husband for Christmas. Of course, the best thing about buying a loved one a good book is that you get to read it, too!

Orbit is a gripping suspense novel, the kind that is easily devoured in a couple of days. The plot is unique and intriguing, pulling you in immediately. Kip Dawson is a typical American husband and father who wins a contest with a prize that will fulfill his lifetime dream: to travel in a spacecraft. It's 2009, and private space travel has become a reality. Kip's prize includes two weeks of ground school, followed by a flight in a small spacecraft that will orbit Earth several times. Of course, some problems crop up, and Kip eventually finds himself alone in the tiny ship, miles above the Earth. It's a classic Gilligan's Island "3-hour tour" set-up.

After that, though, Orbit takes off on its own path. While Kip is trying to figure out how to get back on the ground safely, he discovers an onboard laptop computer and begins typing a personal journal. He knows there's a good chance he won't survive, and typing his thoughts and the story of his life provides an outlet for him and perhaps, he thinks, a record of what happened for some future generation. Since the ship no longer has radio contact with the ground, Kip is unaware that everything he types is being instantly downloaded through an internet connection and read by millions of people all over the world.

Kip's physical situation provides plenty of suspense to the story, while his journal and its effects on his family and the rest of the world give the book an emotional depth that's often missing from suspense novels. It's fascinating to listen in on the thoughts of a man who believes he'll be dead in a few days.

This is the first book of John Nance's that I've read (he's published seventeen prior novels). Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced, thoughtful Orbit.

What To Read Next?

I finished a book last night, so today I was faced with a wonderful decision: what to read next? My "to-read" pile is bigger than it's ever been, with stacks of books teetering on the shelves of my bedroom bookcase. They all look so enticing...

There are several books that my neighbor/book group buddy has lent me, including The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I've heard from many people that this is an excellent book, and I love memoirs, so it's certainly tempting. I'm wondering if my other book group might be interested in reading it, though, so I set it aside for now.

I have a couple of classics that I've been meaning to read. My list of "Great Authors I Can't Believe I've Never Read" is fairly long. My stack currently includes two from that list: Emma by Jane Austen and Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut.

Then there are some favorite authors waiting in my stacks. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb is on my shelf, but I loved She's Come Undone so much that I don't want to devour this one too quickly. I borrowed Summer Sisters from my mother-in-law at Thanksgiving. I don't expect it to be great literature, but I loved Judy Blume as an adolescent. I almost started that one today.

I have several books I've borrowed from my mother, including Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haigh. I read about this one in the Bas Bleu catalog awhile back and have wanted to read it ever since. Ken bought me The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon for Christmas, but it's one my book group is considering, so I decide to wait.

On Ken's side of the bookcase, there is a similarly enticing stack, many of which I chose for him with the intent of reading them myself! He's got Grisham's first foray into non-fiction, The Innocent Man, which my mom brought over this weekend and said was great. I gave him Richard Ford's Independence Day for Christmas, but he says he'll have to reread The Sportswriter first. That would be a two-book commitment for me, too, so I hold off for now. I also gave Ken Orbit by John J. Nance from the Chinaberry catalog and can't wait to read it myself. Our son, Jamie, gave Ken House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, a young adult sci-fi thriller whose cover is cluttered with awards, but it sort of seems unfair to read his gift before he does.

Finally, I have piles of middle-grade/young adult review books. I picked up Isabel Allende's Forest of the Pygmies today but saw it was the third in a trilogy, so I guess I better read the first book first.

So what did I choose after all that deliberation? The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult, another gift from Ken, called to me. She is one of my all-time favorite authors. I've only finished the Prologue, but she's already sucked me in. Ah, so many books, so little time...

Favorite Books Read in 2006

This was the first year I’ve kept track of what I’ve read, so I thought it would be fun to take a look back at my year of reading. I read about 45 books this year on my own and read aloud another 10 – 12 to our boys at bedtime (and I may have missed a few!) I’m definitely reading more – and a much wider variety – than I used to, and I’m enjoying my fuller reading life immensely. Here are some of my favorites from this year, including a few that make my Favorite Books Ever list as well.

She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I was stunned by Lamb’s writing. I read this book non-stop over the course of a few days, driving my husband crazy because I hardly set it down. I lived and breathed the world of Delores for days, thought about her, and even dreamed about her. Lamb (a man, no less!) has an incredible ability to make Delores real, and the story of her life is the story of real life, full of pitfalls and joys and overcoming adversity. I recently grabbed a second-hand copy of Lamb’s other masterpiece, I Know This Much Is True, and I can’t wait to dive in and lose myself again.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. How did I live for 41 years without reading this compelling classic? I’m embarrassed to admit I once thought it was a book about hunting! The characters, the plot, the setting, and the background of 1940’s southern segregation all kept me captivated. Definitely on my best-of-all time list.

The Ride of Our Lives by Mike Leonard. I saw Mike Leonard’s video clips on the Today show about his trip across the U.S. with his parents and couldn’t wait for his book to come out. It was wonderful – a combination travelogue and tribute to his parents and grandparents. The book was funny, touching, and inspirational and made me wish I could hang out with the Leonards. My husband enjoyed it as much as I did.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I’m probably the last reader alive to finally discover this best-seller. My book group read it last winter, and I missed the meeting but eventually got to the book last month. Wow. It was just as incredible as everyone had told me. Engaging and entertaining but also very educational, the book drew me in. I came to care for the characters. The story itself was compelling and had emotional depth, and I learned so much about Afghanistan and its people. Books like this are so important in our global community; they help us to recognize the basic humanity that we all share, no matter what our religion or culture.

March by Geraldine Brooks (won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2006). I thought I didn’t like historical fiction before I read this book for one of my book groups. I loved it and never wanted it to end. Set during the Civil War, it tells the story of Mr. March, father of the famed Little Women, and what happens to him while he’s away from his family serving as a minister in the war. His story and his character were compelling, but I was also transfixed by the details of the war, slavery, and plantation life.

The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty. The plot sounds a little strange, but this book has plenty of heart. It’s the story of a man considered by himself and everyone else to be a complete loser – overweight, chain-smoking, drinks too much, and stuck in a dead-end job. Then, his beloved parents die in a car crash. In his grief (and drunken stupor), he takes off on his childhood bike and ends up on a trip from his home state of Rhode Island all the way across the U.S. to California. It’s the tale of his life-changing journey, both physical and emotional.

The Ha-Ha by Dave King. My aunt lent me this book, and I was surprised to find myself captivated by its unusual main character. Howard is a Vietnam vet whose head injury left him unable to speak or write. His life of silent isolation is interrupted when an old girlfriend leaves her nine-year old son in his care while she checks into rehab. While the cautious relationship between the two might seem predictable at first, there are plenty of surprises and emotional depth, and the story never becomes overly sentimental. I found myself thinking about Howard long after I’d finished the book, always a sign of a good read.

I can't wait to see what wonderful books 2007 will bring!

Memoir/Travel: 12,000 Miles in the Nick of Time

Browsing through our local used bookstore one day, I spied a tattered copy of a book that's been on my want-to-read list for several years. Despite its poor condition, I bought that copy of 12,000 Miles in the Nick of Time: A Semi-Dysfunctional Family Circumnavigates the Globe, by Mark Jacobson, and am so glad I did.

Jacobson's account of a trip around the world with his wife and three kids, ages nine, twelve, and sixteen, is part family memoir and part travelogue. I love to travel with my family (see our latest trip blog) and I love to read (and write about) family, so how could this book miss?

It's not just the genres that appeal, though. Jacobson, a writer who has contributed to such icons as Rolling Stone and Esquire, has an appealing voice that pulls you in and makes you feel a part of his family. His honesty provides that essential intimate tone of a good memoir, and his talent as a writer keeps you reading.

Their trip was no highbrow tour with stays at five-star hotels but an attempt to recreate the hippies-with-backpacks trip around the world that he and his wife had taken twenty years earlier. I'm sure you can imagine how his three New York City born and bred kids responded to his attempts to show them the Real World. To give you a glimpse of their trip, consider that the phrase "mucky dung-strewn back alleyways" is used in the very first sentence of the book.

Jacobson brings you along as his family travels through India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Jordan, Israel, and France. Readers listen in like a fly on the wall to experiences that are sometimes hilarious and sometimes sobering.

Alongside the engaging tales of their trip, Jacobson shares his introspective musings on being a parent, watching his kids grow up, and the effects of travel on their relationships. I found myself frequently nodding and marking passages like this one describing what happens when, as a family, you leave your home and all of your stuff behind to travel together:

"What remained was us. Little us, nuclear us. For the moment, the entropy that inevitably flings things and people apart was suspended. The force field of our own making ruled the day, a most favorable kind of gravity. We were together.

...That's really what this trip was, a grand, somewhat nutty gesture, a tribute to the ephemera of our lives together."

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have since passed it on to my husband, who's now laughing out loud and saying, "Hey, listen to this..." just as I did to him while I read it. I was sorry when the book ended, just as I am whenever one of our family trips ends. As Jacobson puts it, "The return to normalcy was fast approaching. Trip Time, that little rip in the continuum of Regular Time, was zipping shut."

Fiction: The Art of Mending

One of my book groups recently read The Art of Mending. This was the second Elizabeth Berg novel I've read, and I was once again pleasantly surprised by this talented writer who kept me reading long past my usual bedtime.

The Art of Mending is a story about family relationships. The narrator, Laura, is a 50-ish woman who is happily married with two teen-aged children. She, her brother, and her sister all head back to their childhood home, as they do every year, to stay with their parents and attend the state fair. This year is different, though, as her younger sister confronts her with stories of a childhood completely different than what Laura remembers, and the entire family tries to deal with an unexpected tragedy. The novel follows Laura's family as they struggle to understand, forgive, and begin to heal.

It's a testament to Berg's skill as a writer that I related so well to Laura, despite the fact that the events in the novel have little relation to my own life. She has a way of giving her characters such depth that you can't help but identify with at least some of their thoughts and feelings. I kept marking passages as I read, sentences and paragraphs that seemed to perfectly reflect my own view of the world, like:
"...No matter what anyone said, it seemed to me that not only can you go home again, you are helpless not to."
"There are random moments...when I feel a wavelike rush of joy. This is my true religion: arbitrary moments of nearly painful happiness for a life I feel privileged to lead."

All of the women in my book group enjoyed this book and had no trouble finishing it in time for our meeting (a rare occurrence with our busy lives!). I, and several others, especially liked the unique way that Berg wove together the past and the present. Throughout the novel are brief descriptions of old family photos, providing insight into literal snapshots of Laura's childhood without the distortion of her memories or current perspectives. In this way, the reader slowly develops an understanding of the siblings' childhood and how it affects each of them today.

The title of the novel refers to Laura's passion for sewing, and especially quilting, and the analogy of mending family relationships:
"As for mending, I think it's good to take the time to fix something rather than throw it away. It's an antidote to wastefulness and the need for immediate gratification.....You'll always notice the fabric scar, of course, but there's an art to mending: If you're careful, the repair can actually add to the beauty of the thing, because it is testimony to its worth."

One woman in my book group remarked that the passages about sewing, fabrics, and quilting were especially compelling for her, since she, her mother,and her grandmother had sustained a long family tradition of quilting. I found this statement interesting, since no one in my family can sew at all (we're more into cooking!), yet I thoroughly enjoyed the book also. This is Elizabeth Berg's talent: to tell an interesting story in a way that makes every reader feel she is speaking to you personally.

Memoir: Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life

One of my book groups selected Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life by Queen Noor this spring. Unfortunately, I missed the group discussion, but I did read the 440-page book and learned a great deal.

Leap of Faith chronicles the life of Queen Noor, an American woman (Lisa Halaby) who married King Hussein of Jordan and became Queen. The book begins with an overview of Lisa's privileged childhood and family history. Her paternal grandfather immigrated from Syria to the United States when he was twelve years old, and Lisa had long been intrigued by her Arab roots (her mother's family was European). After graduating from Princeton with a degree in architecture and urban planning, she worked in the Middle East and met King Hussein, a longtime friend of her father.

She and King Hussein fell in love and married, and Lisa became Queen Noor Al Hussein of Jordan. Queen Noor tells of the joys and challenges of suddenly becoming royalty, raising a family, and gradually taking on personal missions to improve health and education and promote peace.

I found Queen Noor's tone a bit detached and cool, although some of what she shares is quite personal. The book didn't have the sort of "talking to my best friend" confidential tone that makes many memoirs so compelling, probably in part due to Queen Noor's very public life.

Despite this minor flaw, I was fascinated by the book and had no trouble finishing it. While the details and struggles of Queen Noor's personal life were interesting, as is any glimpse into the celebrity world, the book's information and insights into the complicated politics of the Middle East were even more absorbing.

I'm embarrassed to admit how little I knew about the history and culture of this conflict-ridden region. Perhaps I didn't retain much from my school History classes because they focused on dull facts and dates. That wasn't a problem here; it was fascinating to read about the Middle East from the perspective of one of its leaders. Queen Noor's book not only tells of her life but also details her husband's views, priorities, and actions. I was pleasantly surprised to learn of King Hussein's passionate commitment to peace above all else in a region long known for violence and war.

I was also enlightened to read about America and our foreign policies from the point of view of an Arab leader. I remember learning about the Camp David talks and subsequent peace accord while I was in junior high. Here in the United States, President Carter was viewed as a hero for his work with Egypt and Israel. Queen Noor explains how King Hussein was frustrated and dismayed by the Camp David talks because they occurred just as he was on the verge of finally coordinating a peace conference among all nations of the Middle East. By pulling Egypt and Israel out on their own, President Carter actually created a great deal of tension in the Arab world. This was a viewpoint I had never considered.

All in all, I thought Leap of Faith was a very enlightening and thought-provoking book. I learned a lot about this critical region which continues to be in turmoil, gained some new perspectives, and enjoyed the insights into royal life in the public eye.

Middle Grade Fiction: The Roman Mysteries

My 11-year old son, Jamie, was assigned to read a mystery book and an historical fiction book for his 6th grade Reading class. Browsing the shelves of the library, we came across a single series that met both requirements, and we discovered a new household favorite.

Imagine if Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys traveled back in time to Ancient Rome, and you have a sense of Caroline Lawrence's Roman Mysteries series. The books succeed on two levels. They are fast-paced, suspenseful mysteries that keep you turning the pages way past bedtime, as well as fascinating and accurate accounts of life in ancient Rome.

The first book, The Thieves of Ostia, takes place in 79 AD in the Roman port city of Ostia. Twelve-year old Flavia, the daughter of a sea captain, meets her three new friends in this book: Jonathan, son of a Jewish doctor; Nubia, an African slave girl rescued by Flavia; and Lupus, a mute beggar boy. Yes, it seems like an unlikely group of friends, but it works. Lawrence makes the characters seem real and worthy of our attention.

Like most young sleuths of fiction, the four children encounter new mysteries to solve in each book, from determining who is killing neighborhood dogs in the first book to tracking down kidnappers and missing children in The Pirates of Pompeii to finding the source of a plague in The Enemies of Jupiter.

While the mysteries are exciting, it's just as compelling to read about the children's daily lives. Woven into the books are many details of food, clothing, architecture, and culture. In book #2, Secrets of Vesuvius, we experience the famous volcanic eruption with the children; in The Gladiators of Capua, we witness the games and shows of the new Colosseum. The books also offer a broadening world view as they deal with issues like slavery and religious tolerance.

Lawrence's books have been acclaimed for their accurate historical portrayal. In some cases, this means dealing with issues that are violent or otherwise distasteful to our modern sensibilities, like the realities of slavery or the gory fate of many of the participants at the Colosseum. To counter these sometimes gruesome details, the main characters tend to react in ways that we would today - sickened by mistreatment of slaves or the "games" at the Coliseum, for instance. Some critics have complained that the main characters' actions (and, indeed, their unique friendship) mars the historical accuracy, but I like the way Lawrence deals with the unsavory aspects of the time by providing admirable heroes and heroines that modern kids can relate to and respect.

When we go to the library, Jamie immediately heads to the L's to see if any of Lawrence's books are available (they're often all checked out). He and I have both enjoyed reading this unique series, and Jamie is very excited about studying Ancient Rome in Social Studies now.