pbadeer's 2010 Challenge - Thread #2

Can't believe I have multiple threads, but I figured since I hit the 75 mark, this was a clean place to make the break.

Thread #1 is here

Congrats on finishing your challenge! :) Feels good to have it done way ahead of time, doesn't it?

.

Completed Book #76 - School for Scumbags by Danny King – 4.5 stars

This book was a pleasant surprise. Having never read any of Danny King’s other works, I picked this solely on its quirky description – a reform school which teaches juvenile delinquent how to be BETTER criminals. Although I was initially concerned that tidbit would be a spoiler, it is included in the description on the copy I had, and pretty much right at the beginning it becomes clear what kind of school it is. One of my favorite parts – which I still chuckle over – is on the first day of the school, one of the students is told to empty his pockets in front of the class. He spills out drugs, cigarettes, a switchblade and pornographic playing cards. The teacher’s response is that he’s “clean”. The narrator’s response is something along the lines of “Clean?!?!? What the *#&%** are they looking for? Alien Embryos?” The dialog – although more off-color than my usual taste – is witty, intelligent and always original. King does an exceptional job developing the characters, and you quickly become invested in their welfare.

I listened to this title as an audiobook, and the British narration provided a unique component to the writing. It is based in London, and the students come from all walks and districts, and their accents as relayed by the audiobook proved a great bonus. Where dialect can sometimes be troublesome (or annoying) in print, the audiobook waded through all of it and created believable and surprisingly sympathetic characters. Highly Recommended.

See Full Review Here

Congratulations on hitting 75 books, Patrick!

School for Scumbags sounds Wishlist-worthy. (adds it) I'll just ignore LT's prediction I won't like it. :P

Congratulations on your 75 books read.

Found you and starred you!
Congratulations on meeting the challenge, and congratulations for TWO threads...:)

Congratulations on making the challenge!

>>5 saraslibrary: - that's OK - LT told me I wouldn't like it either:)

#9: Yeah, isn't it weird how inaccurate that thing is? But what's even weirder is that I still like clicking on it, even though it's rarely right. :) The little things that amuse me here on LT.

hmm. The "Will you like it" seems to work, mostly, for me. And it says I would love this book. I shall have to look closer.

.

Completed Book #77 - Old School by Tobias Wolff – 4 stars

Old School is the perfect read for the Library Thing audience. Taking place at a private boys’ school in the 60’s, the students are described as being just as enamored of their classmates’ writing ability as their ability in the field of sports. Every year the boys compete for a chance to meet with a visiting author by writing the best story/poem. The book follows the efforts of one of these boys, a scholarship student trying to prove not only his writing ability but his ability to fit into the rather elite and rarified world of his private school compatriots.

I think this book could have had more “meat” to it, but the pieces that are there are very good. While some of the students are not particularly well developed, Wolff is successful in introducing the characters of the visiting authors (Frost, Rand and Hemingway) in short but convincing order. The struggles of the main character, on many fronts, are enough to keep the reader engaged throughout.

#11: I'm glad it works for you. :) It's usually 50/50 with me, so I tend to ignore it.

#12: I already have that one in the BlackHole. One of these days I will get to it!

.

Completed Book #78 - The Winning Delegate by Kerem Turunc – 2.5 stars

I got this book because it seemed the perfect primer for me to get a better idea of Model United Nations, a program my daughter took at summer camp and may continue in the MUN program at her school. Unfortunately, the depth of this book made it, if not a little beyond me, definitely beyond my level of interest.

The initial section on the history and organization of the United Nations itself proved well written and somewhat interesting. I was embarrassed at how little I knew about the United Nations. But the same depth and care the author showed for explaining the UN became tedious when explaining the inner workings of MUN. In the end, I’m not sure who the target audience for this book should be. I think I was looking for a more “superficial” overview of structure, so the depth of description of committees, procedures, etc. were unnecessary and dull. But the flip side, someone already in MUN would know most of the details he provides, and there was less information on how to “win”.

The book may best serve (at least our family) as an easy reference guide for all of the committees from the UN, some bibliographic and appendix detail, etc. For that, the book was well researched and may prove a useful guide afterall.

See Full Review Here

Welcome to the multiple thread gang.

And, congratulations on reaching the 75 challenge goal.

Yes, congratulations! I'm just inches away from hitting 75 also.
School for Scumbags is going on the list. Thanks for the review!

#15: I think I will be skipping that one!

.

Completed Book #79 - Pope Joan by Donna Cross – 4 stars

This is first and foremost a NOVEL - but it is theoretically based on the idea that there was in fact, a female pope. Falling between Leo and Benedict III in the 9th Century, as the author outlines in the historical notes at the end of the book, there is circumstantial evidence to believe that there was a Pope John VIII - who in fact, was a woman and reigned for 2 years.

If you read it simply as historical fiction, it is very well written. The author - who evidently has written a lot of non-fiction - researched this era VERY well, and the treatment of lepers, the idea of Supreme Justice, the use of Tinction for the Eucharist, the attack of Rome by the Seracens, etc are all well woven into the lives of the characters. When you add the idea that there could actually be some fact to it, the book moves to a different level. Recommended - whether you think there could have been or was a female pope or not.

.

Completed Book #80 - Just Jane by William Lavender – 3.5 stars

Think of any book you’ve read by Ann Rinaldi written about the American Revolution. Double the number of people who are wounded, die or go insane. You’ve got Just Jane.

Just Jane is a YA novel written about the life of British native, Lady Jane Prentice, newly arrived in the colony of South Carolina on the eve of the American Revolution. Torn between the loyalist side of the family and the “rebels” (who also happen to be within the family), Jane must decide which side is right and realizes the answer to that question isn’t always very clear.

While well-written, Just Jane was just plain. Although admittedly unfair to Lavender, in my opinion, he tackled a subject and time period already well covered in YA literature, and others have done it better. There was so much inter-family strife, and the rather uncharacteristic addition of the issue of slavery, that I occasionally lost the thread and thought we were talking about the Civil War.

In the end, although enjoyable, there are better books available on very similar themes.

See Full Review Here

#19: Just discovered I already have Pope Joan in the BlackHole. Guess I really ought to read it!

.

Completed Book #81 - Little Big World: Collecting Louis Marx by Jeffrey Hammond – 2.5 stars

Since I am an avid collector of a number of different items, I was confident I would appreciate Hammond's thin volume on collecting. What I had not taken into consideration is that none of my collections include toys. I have never arranged my Saltglazed Stoneware into a fort and I have never thought of my turn of the century stock certificates as anything but cool to look at. In order to fully appreciate Hammond's work, I believe I would need to engage in some good-old-fashioned political smack talk with my presidential campaign buttons - fully expecting them to respond - and then I'll either understand his work...or be so far gone not to notice.

He may have hit it on the head in his last chapter when he explains that non-collectors do not understand collectors. And evidently, neither do other collectors.

There was some good writing in this slim work. I chuckled at several of his situations and found good solace in the final chapter on the overall phenomenon of collecting. But then the toys started talking to each other. Then to him. Then to each other again. Add a debilitating level of detail of not only Marx toys but the characters and situations they represent (I know more about Roy Rogers than I ever cared to learn) and you have a work which I couldn't wait to end.

An interesting concept poorly executed.

See Full Review Here

#21: Too bad about that one, Patrick. I hope your next read is better!

.

Completed Book #82 - The Chatham School Affair by Thomas H. Cook – 4.5 stars

Had it not been for the September TIOLI “Back to School” challenge, it’s unlikely I would have ever picked up this book. I’m very glad I did.

This was my first Thomas H. Cook title, but it will definitely not be my last. His writing style was almost poetic, balancing a narrative based in the present day reminiscing about events from the 1920’s. The undercurrent of the novel is basically a “mystery”, but the true nature of the mystery is released in extremely small pieces, each with a tiny bit of foreshadowing providing insight into the true story. Not until the final chapter does the final piece of the puzzle drop into place – and the resulting picture isn’t anything you had expected.

In retrospect, the “meat” of the novel isn’t particularly original, it’s the means by which the meat is served which makes the difference. Highly Recommended.

#23: That one looks good! Thanks for the recommendation, Patrick.

.

Completed Book #83 - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – 5 stars

Re-Read (actually a re-listen on audio) - this time with my 11 year old daughter. As good as I remember. Admittedly a little cringe-worthy as I experienced it through my daughter's ears, but she's always been mature beyond her years and it gave us a good chance to discuss "things".

Patrick
I'm adding book #80 to my list.

.

Completed Book #84 - Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel – 5 stars

Admittedly, I'm a little embarrassed to add this to my "book read" thread, but I did choose it as a 40th anniversary read of its publication in 1970 - and I had never read it before. I love the soundtrack to "A Year of Frog and Toad" and had no idea the songs were based so closely on this text. As I read it, I had the songs playing in my head, with my favorite "Frog Looks Funny in a Bathing Suit" leading the way (I'm still humming it while typing the review". Just something easy and fun to break up the day.

#28: Why should you be embarrassed? A lot of us read children and young adult books here in this group. Just join with the rest of us in our second childhoods :)

I used to love reading "Frog and Toad" books to my kids when they were little. This book bring back great memories. Thanks for the trip down "Memory Lane".

> 28

I'm still humming it while typing the review

That reminds me of when my oldest was son little and I'd play a favorite record of children's songs for him. One of the songs was about how an elephant walks. I remember my husband telling me that the song wouldn't leave him and that he kept singing it at work (while working as a laborer for a construction company). Of course, he got strange looks from the other guys! :)

*sings* "The elephant goes so slowly...Oh, so very slowly. He doesn't like to move too fast...because he is so big and fat! Rumble, rumble, rumble! Hear the jungle rumble..." :D

Nothing wrong with reading children's books! It's not worth being embarrassed over. As Stasia says, many of us here read "children's books"... heck, often they're better than the "adult" books I pick up...!

.

Completed Book #85 - 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff – 4 stars

What a great book. I actually had thought I had read this before, but after seeing some recent reviews and comments, I realized that I had only seen the movie - a long time ago. So I picked it up and very glad I did. A wonderful book for the LT audience with all of its literary references. Quick and easy read (I read it on a flight from DC to Chicago with time left over for a nap).

Highly Recommended - and if you read it this month, you can join me over on my October TIOLI - "The Big 4-0: Read a book published in 1970" - in celebration of my 40th birthday this month.

#33: I am glad you enjoyed that one, Patrick! It is one of my all-time favorites.

.
Completed Book #86 - Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl – 3 stars

Based on the reaction above, I’m almost afraid to say that I really didn’t care for this book very much. Far more familiar with Dahl through his movie adaptations than the original texts, I have read a couple of his books and liked them. While reading this one, I found myself really wanting it to end. As a typical Dahl, it’s not a “sweet” story, but I’m not really sure where the message on this one lies – that if you are mean, you won’t get what you want. Or if you are wily, you can steal anything you’d like and not get caught. Because both messages are there –and the latter one is the stronger of the two. But, it was an easy read, and I can check off another pseudo classic.

(In my defense, I normally LOVE reading children’s books. Where the Frog and Toad book above differs is that it’s basically an overblown picture book – I believe I read the entire thing while shaving. It seems like it should have counted as half a book as opposed to Book #84 and that’s the only reason I hesitated to list it.)

.
Completed Book #87 - Time and Again by Jack Finney – 4.5 stars

Normally, Science Fiction/Fantasy is not my thing. But after reading Time and Again, I have to admit that there is reason to reconsider. I loved this book. Prior to discovering it as a possible option in my TIOLI challenge to read a book published in 1970, I had never even heard of this book or its author. Evidently it was made into a movie, but I somehow missed that as well. It was exceptionally well written, and the characters are well developed in both the current and past. I became emotionally attached to all of them and cared about their situations.

I will say that had I been from New York – or at least been more familiar with NYC – I think this book could have been even better. So much detail was put into the differences between 1970 and 1882 street scenes, architecture, politics, etc., that I actually wished I could picture more. But it’s done well enough that even a New York neophyte will appreciate the comparisons. The resolution at the end was deftly handled, and for that reason, I don’t think I’ll tackle the sequel. I liked the tidy ending, but given enough time, I may reconsider.

.
Completed Book #88 - Sweet and Low by Rich Cohen – 2.5 stars

This book was one of the first books added to my wishlist when I first joined LibraryThing. Unfortunately, I do not know how I found it and/or who recommended it, but I’ve always been on the lookout for a copy of it. When I finally came across a first edition, I snatched it up and couldn’t wait to tackle it. Boy was I disappointed.

First, the dust jacket descriptions and comic book style art puts the title in a far more lighthearted framework than it actually is. Although well written with some areas of humor and outright guffaw inducing one liners, the overarching narrative is a very serious, and debilitatingly detailed, outline of the birth, growth and bumpy roads of both Sweet ‘N Low (the pink packeted artificial sweetener) and the family who built it. Upon finishing it, I felt somewhat deceived (even my 11 year old daughter looked at the cover and said it looked like a fun read. Moral: Don’t judge a book by its cover) and definitely disappointed.

See Full Review Here

.
Completed Book #89 - A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck – 4 stars

A cute book that was actually a re-read for me. This time I listened to it with my daughter who needed to read it for a book competition at school. A neat insight into rural life after the depression. This book is a follow up to A Long Way from Chicago but is written in a way that references the first book enough so you know what you need to know, but you won’t feel like you’re missing anything if you haven’t read it. This book can stand alone – but both books won Newbery medals, so they are both worth checking out.

I enjoy Richard Peck's books! He captures so much in a few pages.

#35: I am going to have to see where my copy of Time and Again is. I have owned it for a couple of years at least, but still not read it.

I have finally gotten 84 Charing Cross Road from the library and plan to read it today. It consistently gets positive reviews like yours.

#28-9: What Stasia said: don't be embarrassed by reading kids books. I do it too! :)

#31: LOL! Oh, I'm sure his coworkers knew the lyrics to the song too. ;)

#35: Small world. I bought Fantastic Mr. Fox this week and was going to read it yesterday, but . . . excuses, excuses, I know. ;) Have you already seen the movie? I've been curious about watching it (the same with Where the Wild Things Are--how are they going to pad up the script to make an entire movie??), but I wanted to read the book first.

Ooh, Richard Peck. I haven't read him since . . . hmm, I think it was Ghosts I Have Been back in elementary or middle school. :O I really need to read some more by him. Thanks! :)

I love Peck's books. The ending to AYDY brought tears to my eyes. A Teacher's Funeral and Here Lies the Librarian are also fun.

.
Completed Book #90 - Clementine by Sara Pennypacker – 3.5 stars

Another children’s book read along with my daughter for her school’s Battle of the Books competition. I really need to start picking my own children’s books. I do like children’s books, but I found this one written so directly for the child audience (as it should be) that I couldn’t fit myself into it. My daughter never acted like Clementine, and even my daughter had a hard time relating to the characters in the book. Would an 8 and a 9 year old really think using Sharpie markers to color their hair was acceptable? It’s “cute” and predictable and everything a children’s book should be, but I feel other stories provide that same baseline with a better and more believable storyline and character set.

#41: Would an 8 and a 9 year old really think using Sharpie markers to color their hair was acceptable?

I would say 'No.' A four or five year old, possibly.

I think I will skip that one.

Idk. I've seen teens take a Sharpie to just about anything (yes, including hair) if they're bored/creative enough.

.
Completed Book #91 - Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell – 3 stars

Read for this month's "Stasia Recommends" TIOLI read, I likely would not have picked this up had it not been for her review. Maybe it's because I'm a guy, but I think I was missing something in this book. It's not really "about" anything. If it were a mystery, I'd call it a cozy. But there's no mystery. It's simply a classic story about the residents of Cranford, who even the opening of the book points out, are all women. The men evidently find other things to do and other places to be, so what's left are a bunch of pleasant busy-bodies interested in each other's welfare.

By no means would I consider this a bad book, it just didn't end up being as engrossing as I think it could have been. The writing was actually quite nice, but since it is 150 years old, it is no more than what it was originally put forth to be - a nice story. A cozy. (I guess I don't do cozy)

Sorry you did not enjoy it more, Patrick. I 'do' cozy a lot - I grew up with them, since that is a lot of what my mother reads - so that may account for why I loved it so much.

I hope you enjoy your next read more!

> 44

Not so sure about the story. I often am not crazy about "cozy", but I do like the cover art! :)

.

Completed Book #92 - Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brien – 4 stars

Another book which I read along with my daughter for her Battle of the Books competition. It was enjoyable, and worthy of the 1972 Newbery Award. Not sure if it’s strong enough to stand alone for those used to adult literature, but a great joint read between parents and kids

.

Completed Book #93 - The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry – 3.5 stars

It’s been a while since I tackled a traditional mystery. Not sure this was the best one to re-cut my teeth on. I love British writing, and the 19th century is always a popular era for me as a lover of historical fiction, but as the first installment of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series, it had rather too much “romance” in it. Very proper Victorian romance, but if she “hated him” one more time, I thought I was going to spit up. Not sure if it was possible to solve the mystery until the solution landed on me like a ton of bricks, but that’s not really a big deal for me. Seems like a prolific series, so it must be popular, but unlikely one I will continue

#47: I prefer Perry's Monk series to the Pitt series myself.

I have that Anne Perry book here on my shelf to try...it's funny because every time I pick it up I wonder if there will be too much romance in it for me, and I put it back down! One of these days...

#47: I'm glad you liked Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. I haven't read it in ages, but I remember the movie much better. Thanks! Now I know what I can rewatch tonight. :)

.

Completed Book #94 - The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel – 5 stars

Admittedly, I know less about WWII than I probably should, and I am interested in Art History far more than my actual knowledge of the subject would indicate. After reading this book, I feel enlightened. Edsel does a wonderful job of outlining some of the more important events of the war in relation to the history and historical artifacts impacted by those events. Doing so helped the flow avoid a heavy handed rehash of the military history many may already know. On the flip side, by explaining the historical context of many of the works of art and monuments and the impact of the war, the book avoids drifting into a sterile art history research paper. Highly Recommended.

See Full Review Here

.

Completed Book #95 - Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata – 3.5 stars

An interesting approach to covering one of America’s more shameful eras – the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. This one told through the voice of Sumiko, an American born child of a Japanese flower farming family. Providing a view of life prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor but primarily focusing on the family’s relocation to Poston, Arizona on the lands of a Native American Indian Reservation. Adding to the narrative is the tension between the Japanese internees and the local Native American population.

Although I found the book interesting in the depiction of life in the camp, as a children’s book, the entire narrative was a little shallow. But perfect for introducing an uncomfortable subject to a youth audience.

NOTE: I listened to this on audio, and at the end, there is an interview with the author which was interesting as well outlining why she was moved to write this book and the experiences of her own Japanese parents.

.

Completed Book #96 - Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars – 3.5 stars

The Newbery winner of 1972, Summer of the Swans seems to be on the edge of what Newbery used to be and what it seems to have become – an old fashioned story with a social conscience. Summer of the Swans introduces a character with developmental disabilities, but from a condition developed during a childhood illness which caused brain damage. Given the era, it is not as “edgy” as some of the more recent winners and would be a great family read, but in such a slim volume, none of the characters seem as developed as they could have been.

.

Completed Book #97 - Barn Blind by Jane Smiley – 2.5 stars

Let me begin by saying that Jane Smiley appears to be a talented writer. I have never read anything by her before, but her ability comes through this title. Even if the title itself has a horrible collection of characters and cringe worthy plot development. I found myself actively disliking each character, and as one became sympathetic, something would happen to harden me against them again. Let’s analyze – Mom: egotistical control freak mastering the art of conditional love. Dad: enabler. Kids: self centered individually and collectively jealous of each other competing for their parents’ attention.

The entire story revolves around their family horse farm in Illinois, and as a born and bred Illinoisan, I found the continual comparisons of Illinois as inferior to the east coast increasingly offensive, but that’s me being petty. But the horsing world plays a MAJOR part of this book. Since I know nothing about horses, other than some $2 betting at Arlington Race Track when I was a kid, I did not appreciate the clear knowledge the author had of this topic. For an equestrian, that may help carry this book further, but for me, I found I just wanted it to end so I could be free of the dysfunction.

Since I am confident that Smiley intended all of this, she gets full credit for achieving her goal – but for actual reading enjoyment, it falls flat for me.

See Review Here

#51: I already have Monuments Men in the BlackHole. Just have to track down a copy!

Jane Smiley does not do it for me as a writer either. I tried her Moo, which is supposedly one of her best, and did not care for it. I have not read any of her others.

I just read through your threads and enjoyed your reviews! I added many of your reads from this year to my TBR pile. And I love that you read so much with your daughter!

Thanks Andrea. My daughter has always loved to read - and be read to. Now that she's older, we don't read aloud as often as we probably should, but since I sell audiobooks for a living, we always listen to something together in the car. I am convinced that her love of reading - and her strong vocabulary - has been strenghted with audiobooks.

.

Completed Book #98 - Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan – 4 stars

An interesting memoir by one of the 10 kids in this family, raised by an alcoholic father and a stay at home mom who supplements the family’s income by entering poetry and jingle contests.

I found the book most interesting in the sense that I had no idea that such a “contesting” culture existed in the 50’s/60’s. There were magazines dedicated to announcing the contests and clubs around the country with members who worked together to come up with the best entries.

On the surface, it’s well written and enjoyable, but I think it was a little superficial and more focused on carrying an interesting narrative than a true discussion of their situation. It read a little like a user’s guide to “The Secret” where the family has a financial problem, mom wins a contest. It seemed too simple, and the level of detail (including one particular discussion on the times of day members of the family went to the hospital) stretched the idea of a factual biography.

.

Completed Book #99 - A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History’s Greatest Traveler by Jason Roberts – 4 stars

A fascinating biography about a blind man in the 19th century who traveled over 250,000 miles around the globe without any guides. As a member of the Naval Knights of Windsor (an honorable order of infirm former Naval officers – he was a lieutenant in the British Navy before losing his sight) records of his activities still exist although little had been written from a scholarly standpoint. The narrative read more adventure novel than biography. Recommended

.

Completed Book #100 - The Clumsiest People in Europe by Todd Pruzan, ed – 3 stars

First thing to know about this book - it was written in the mid 19th century by a woman who never left the UK. She was a somewhat famous children's author, and everyone assumed that these travel diaries were authentic, until her niece exposed her after her death.

Knowing that she made all of this up is the only thing that keeps this book even remotely worth printing today because it is so far past politically incorrect, it sits firmly in the xenophobic/racist/anti-semitic realm. But because it's fake, hopefully you can look past it and read the humor.

Virtually every country is described in a negative light, calling citizens, lazy, dirty, ugly, murderous, wicked, drunks, etc. Her favorite criticism is waging against non-christians not keeping the sabbath holy.

Unfortunately, the novelty runs far too long, so it became a little repetitive at the end. Too bad, since she saves the United States for the end where New Orleans is described as a dangerous place to live for both the body and the soul.

The redeeming values come into play simply as a snapshot of history - real or imagined - as she describes countries which no longer exist and cultural events and mores which seem very current. Her comments on slavery seem very modern at the time (from a US view), but considering slavery was abolished in the UK prior to her writings, those views seem very relevant.

So not a wholehearted recommendation, but definitely worth a skim if you come across a copy.

#55: I have already read that one, so I can dodge that BB.

#56: I have had A Sense of the World in the BlackHole for a while now. I definitely need to find a copy of it!

I think I will pass on The Clumsiest People in Europe.

Congratulations on hitting 100, Patrick!

#56: Wow! I don't know if I'll ever get around to reading A Sense of the World, but I'm definitely interested enough in googling the guy! Thanks. :)

#56 - Thanks for bringing this book to our attention. I looked it up in Google Books and read the part about Belgium. Very funny and partly true, but then so would most be if one writes about my country. I browsed through some of the other countries as well and thought the cliches were hilarious. I agree that reading the whole book might be a bit much to endure but what a funny and original book you found. How on earth did you find it?

>>59 Trifolia: - I found it at my favorite used book store in Prince Frederick, Maryland. I haunt the travel section, and this was in there. It's still considered non-fiction, even if she made it all up. It serves as a perfect example of why I like the TIOLI challenges. I knew there was a challenge this month to read a book which had long been out of print, and in looking at this one, that's exactly what the intro outlined. I'm not sure I would have picked it up had it not been for the challenge, but it was an interesting add.

I don't have it with me, but I do remember one thing about Belgium. How could she talk about the "Mannekin" and NOT talk about what he is doing. I had no idea he had be dressed up in outfits as far back as the 1840's, but I guess she was too much of a prude to include his actual activity.

I'm pretty far behind in getting my reads posted, so I'll put these in to keep me straight and maybe get back and fill in some reviews/comments when I have more time:

.

Completed Book #101 - Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson – 2.5 stars

This was another book I listened to with my daughter for her Battle of the Books. I had read it before, and I was as disinterested in the book this time as I was the last. Admittedly, as a book of poetry, an audio version may not be the best media to appreciate the "art". In audio, a Haiku just sounds like someone got lazy when writing their paragraph. It's won tons of awards, and does an adequate job of capturing the "feel" of an urban teen, just not my thing.

.

Completed Book #102 - From Altoids to Zima: The Surprising Stories Behind 125 Famous Brand Names by Evan Morris – 4 stars

Loved, Loved, Loved this book. The stories about some of the products were always interesting and most were new to me. The only thing which kept the book from getting a higher rating from me is its formatting. Alphabetical by Theme didn't seem the strongest method, but in the end, the humorous undercurrent was enough to carry the book.

.

Completed Book #103 - Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine – 4 stars

Completed Book #104 - A House Reunited by Jay Winik – 4 stars

This was an audiobook from the Modern Scholar collection by Recorded Books. I like these titles, and this was no exception. What I was unaware of when I started was that the title goes along with his April 1865 and pretty much addresses the Civil War ONLY within that time frame. A few historical notes are thrown in, but so much detail is dedicated to this one month period, I learned a lot of events which I had never heard of - or even thought about. For example, everyone knows that Robert E. Lee surrendered in April, but there were two other southern generals still active at the time Lincoln was shot, so it was reasonable to think the assassination could have revitalized the other armies. Narrated by the author, the narration wasn't all that it could be, but I got over it as the interest of the narrative itself became more dynamic

.

Completed Book #105 - A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway – 3 stars

My first Hemingway title, I was less than impressed. More a narrative of the time (Paris after WWI) than a true memoir/biography of Hemingway, I did not find myself particularly drawn to any of it - and in some cases, I was actually put off of some of the real life characters (including Hemingway). Clearly this was not designed to make a lot of friends - and maybe that's why it wasn't published until after he died.

.

Completed Book #106 - American Nerd by Benjamin Nugent – 2 stars

Oh, what a disappointment. Of all of the books I planned to read this month, this was right near the top. But the book did not deliver anything I had thought. For one, it took itself far too seriously. Picture someone writing a doctoral dissertation on stereotypes, then clean it up with some chapter headings and a few one liners, and you'll get this book. This has SOOOOO MUCH potential, but what came across was a sterile, analytical, nit-picky analysis of the concept/creation/interaction of the "nerd" that I really didn't care. And let's be clear that I chose this book because I thought it might be written ABOUT me. The only highlight to reading it - I'm not nearly as much of a nerd as I thought. Maybe a true nerd would enjoy it more.

I will have to look for A House Reunited because I loved Winik's April 1865. Thanks for the recommendation, Patrick!

I'm (still) reading From Altoids to Zima. Enjoying it though I find I can't read it for long. It's more of a "pick it up from time to time and read a little" kind of book.

I'm glad you suggested it for TIOLI. I probably would not have heard of it, otherwise.

.

Completed Book #107 - Maps and Shadows by Krysia Jopek – 3.5 stars

Read as an Early Reviewer, I felt the book could not decide whether it was a work of poetry, a work of fiction or a memoir. It is technically billed as a novel, and in its purest sense, that's exactly what it was. But since the story is real (when Russia attacked Poland at the start of WWII (under the terms of a secret agreement with Germany to allow Russia to recapture land they lost after WWI) they deported over a million Polish cititzens to Siberia), and the author's family was impacted by this in real life, there is a lot of historic fact packed into it - and far more than what you would normally expect. References to what happened after the war and inclusion of facts of WWII really help bring the novel into clear relief.

As a work of historical fiction, it performs well, but there are a few writing techniques which caused me some distress. Each chapter is broken into the voice of a different family member as they experience their deportation. The result is that some of it is repetitive - as we get the same experience from different points of view - and the characters within the chapters aren't as well defined as they should be so I often became confused on who was speaking. Also, since the author is a poet, she introduced poems in between chapters and each chapter itself was introduced by a sort of poetic text. I did not appreciate these and I felt they did not help tie the narrative together.

.

Completed Book #108 - Room by Emma Donoghue – 4 stars

There is not much I can say that hasn't already been said about this - except that I didn't think it was as mind-blowing as so many others have indicated. I found parts of it dragging, and I actually skimmed a couple of sections. (In my opinion) the first person narrative by the five year old becomes tiring and repetitive and in the second "half" of the book, it kind of gets in the way. It was an interesting concept and well done, but I could have lived without reading it.

.

Completed Book #109 - Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris – 4 stars

The second book in the Harper Connelly series, I find this is about as close to mindless lit as I can get. It's an interesting concept (after being struck by lightning, Harper gains the ability to communicate with bodies/bones and determine their causes of death) and offers a different insight into paranormal novels. Just as good as the first one, but I am concerned a "romance" may be blooming which would kill my interest in the rest of the series. But this one is still good.

Hmmm. I have Maps and Shadows as an ER book, and I'm hoping to get to it very soon. (I was hoping to have got to it before now, but...)

It sounds like it's a bit of mixture.

>>65 Eat_Read_Knit: - at least it's short. The basic story was interesting and I learned a lot about an aspect of history I hadn't even heard of before. I think a lot will depend on your view of poetry. Maybe it was there to beef it up (it would have been REALLY short without the poems and poetic interludes) but since I don't like poetry, I felt it didn't offer anything.

#66 Okay. I don't mind a bit of poetry, so maybe I'll get on with it a bit better. We'll see.

.

Completed Book #110 - Heaven in Stone and Glass by Robert Barron – 2.5 stars

I have a strong interest in architecture, but less of an interest in the fundamentals of religion. From the architectural standpoint, I found the book extremely interesting with some great factoids about the symbolism and structures of medieval cathedrals. Unfortunately, my ambilvalence toward the latter caused me to become irritated by the increasing frequency of the use of scripture to support the discussion. It belonged there - I just didn't appreciate it. In the end, the heavy handed religiosity interfered with my ability to plod through a relatively slim text (only 128 pages and it took me over a week)

I LOVE the cover of Maps and Shadows!

.

Completed Book #111 - The Secret School by Avi – 4 stars

I run hot and cold on Avi. Some books I can't put down, others I don't know why I picked them up. This was a keeper. Short (about 150 pages), this book takes place in rural Colorado in the 1920's. The local school teacher needs to leave school two months before the end of term, which will require the students to repeat their lessons the following year. So Ida, one of the 8th graders scheduled to move on to high school - but only if able to take the end of term exam - takes over and teaches the other kids in the 1 room schoolhouse. Fairly predictable and very little creativity in plot development, but it provides a good view of the era in both the locals' viewpoint of schooling in general and girls' schooling in particular. Good for that tween audience. A wholesome, but still interesting, read.

.

Completed Book #112 - The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman – 3 stars

This book has gotten a lot of good press and was just added to the New York Times'
List. I have a one word response: WHY??????

I found this book circuitous and confusing. Character development was moderate at best, and in the end, almost all of the characters he developed turned into jerks. And Most Notable Books of 2010 let's just say that PETA would have a fit at the ending. And all of it was unnecessary. The concept of the book is actually interesting - but it literally took me most of the book to understand it. An English Language newspaper is founded in Rome in the 1950's, and this book explores its employees both from the beginning, middle and end of the paper's lifespan. The problem was, I was completely in the dark that they were all at the same paper. I thought we were exploring different papers and didn't understand the different decades. Once I realized they were all inter-related, it was interesting to see how they affected each other, but the interconnections were weak, and could have been more dynamic.

.

Completed Book #113 - The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson – 4.5 stars

For as much as I disliked The Imperfectionists, I loved The Dragonfly Pool. My daughter and I have read almost all of Ibbotson's books together (very sad to learn of the author's death earlier this year), and this was a great example to remember her by. Another strong female protagonist, this book offered a little something extra which is explained in the author's note at the end - the boarding school described in the book is based on the school Ibbotson herself attended when she left Vienna during WWII. A little more "unbelievable" than some of her other stories, but the message is strong. A great read.

Hi Patrick

Have you read Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson? If not, I highly recommend it!

Congratulations on reading #113 books thus far this year!

. Source - Early Reviewers

Completed Book #114 - Stray Sod Country by Patrick McCabe – 2 stars

It has been over a week since I finished this book, and I still don’t know what to say about it. I know that a quick summary would be:

If this book hadn’t been given to me as an Advance Review copy, I would never have finished.

Guilt and obligation are not strong reasons to read a book. Admittedly, sometimes after forcing myself to struggle through a book, the ending is sufficient to redeem it. This was not one of them.

Taking place primarily in the late 50’s, the novel follows the lives of the residents of Cullymore, Ireland. Including snippets on religion, alcoholism, infidelity, class relations and the IRA, the story is “told” by an omniscient narrator who occasionally involves himself in the action. But who is the narrator? He stands in a corner, but cannot be seen. He knows the inner thoughts of the characters, but they do not know him. Satan is the most obvious answer, but if that’s the case, he’s not too bright – or very successful. Sure, he wreaks some havoc, causes some people to go crazy, and gets some people killed, but some of the more obvious targets of his wrath seem to turn out OK.

Conceptually, this book should have worked – it’s the reason I requested it (quirky demon trouble makers are right up my alley) – but it didn’t...

See the rest of the review Here

. Source - Recorded Books audio

Completed Book #115 - Toros and Torsos by Craig McDonald – 3.5 stars

This is the second Hector Lassiter book by Craig McDonald, but the books aren’t necessarily written as a series (I believe I could have read this one without having read “Head Games” (his Edgar Award nominated book for best first novel)).

Hector and his buddy Ernest Hemingway begin this tale in the artists’ haven of Key West, Florida in the 1930’s, but someone has a slightly different aesthetic vision. Instead of creating unique works of art on canvas, bodies are being left around the island, murdered and then “altered” to depict known works of Surrealism. As the murders move from Florida to Mexico to Spain and then back to Florida, their frequency and their proximity to Lassiter keep the narrative moving.

See the rest of the review Here

.

Completed Book #116 - I’m Perfect, You’re Doomed: Tales from a Jehovah’s Witness Upbringing by Kyria Abrahams – 4 stars

I have developed a fascination for memoirs of unknown individuals with quirky pasts. They must contain humor, and they need to stay away from tales of childhood abuse, or anything too serious. This book fit my needs perfectly.

Admittedly, for anyone with a true interest in the development of the Jehovah’s Witness religion, this book should not be their first resource. I did learn a lot, but always through tongue in cheek comments and exaggerated descriptions of childhood antics. Unlike her parents, Kyria Abrahams was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness from birth. Like a lot of kids, what she learned in childhood has stuck with her, so even as she “re-examines” her faith, the reasons behind her faith haunt her.

This book is probably not for everyone’s tastes. it is written with a very “odd” sense of humor. My personal favorite: Smurfs are the agents of Satan. But for those who are entertained by such thoughts, I would highly recommend this book.

. Source - Recorded Books audio

Completed Book #117 - The Winds of Autumn by Janette Oke – 3.5 stars

The Winds of Autumn is the second title in Oke’s “Seasons of the Heart” Series. I was first attracted to the series because, on audio, it is narrated by Johnny Heller – one of my favorites. I do read inspirational fiction on occasion, but it has never been one of my “go to” genres. I am always a little leery of an overtly “Christian” narrative. I’m not a heathen (although reading some of my posts, I sometimes come off that way), but I am also not looking for an author’s bible-thumping-holier-than—thou diatribe on how true Christians should live. I enjoy this kind of writing from more of a “wholesome” perspective – and the first book in this series (Once Upon a Summer) seemed to follow more of that line.

But The Winds of Autumn pulls out the big guns (maybe that’s a poor metaphor) of Christian fiction covering Evolution, the Will of God, Forgiveness and the duty of a pastor. It all got a little heavy. Because it is a work of fiction, Oke hits the reader with all of these concepts, provides her own opinions through the voice of the characters, and then saunters on unperturbed. And it was this nonchalance which is what left me with a feeling of animosity toward the writing – particularly regarding her take on the discussion on Evolution. In my opinion, this was a perfectly acceptable platform on which to address the issues/concepts of Evolution vs. Creationism, and also perfectly acceptable (since she was the author) to head the debate down her preferred path. But instead, in the debate between the scholar and the future preacher, to the scholar’s position points for Evolution, the only response for Creationism was “because the Bible says so”. Admittedly, I have never chosen to pursue this argument personally (one way or the other), but I have a feeling the Creationists have a little more to say about it than, “the Bible says so.” And my rather skewed perspective of “forgiveness” is probably best left out of a review of a book of fiction.

She’s a good writer, capable of creating great imagery and developing strong characters, and for this, I completely understand her popularity in this area of writing. But for my interests, this will likely be the last of her books I will attempt for a while.

#74: Adding that book to the BlackHole, as well as Head Games.

Nice reviews as usual, Patrick!

. Source - Recorded Books audio

Completed Book #118 - The Rescuers by Margery Sharp – 4 stars

Although it’s trite to say – this is definitely a case where the book was better than the movie. Actually, in this case, it’s almost better to ask what did the movie have to do with the book??? Other than some mice, and something about the Prisoner’s Aid Society, the two have no correlation. The book has no little girl, no jewel filled skull, no alligators, no scary steamboat, and the only message in a bottle occurs in a completely different context.

But after getting over the shock that Miss Bianca isn’t actually a member of the Prisoner’s Aid Society, the story was a fun read, and maintains its relevance 50 years later...

See the rest of the review Here

#77: Hmm, I don't know whether I'm relieved the book and movie are so different from each other. I really liked the movie, and had no idea it was based on a book. I'll still look for it, though. I love animals as the main characters. :)

P.S. Thumbed ya.

I did not realize the movie was based on a book either! Thanks for the recommendation and review, Patrick.

.

Completed Book #119 - Daughters of Britannia: The Lives and Times of Diplomatic Wives by Katie Hickman – 3 stars

I really wanted to like this book, but it suffers from a great lack of structure. Keeping track of the women, where they resided(particularly when some of them served in mulitple locations) and in which era became a burden I could not maintain. It became increasingly difficult to determine whether comparisons were being made between two ladies who served in the same location at the same time versus two ladies who served at the same time at two different locations. Top that with comparisons between ladies of different times and different locations and you understand why a cheat sheet became necessary. Even the listing in the front of the book fell short of assistance because it was sorted by timeline, not alphabetically, so to use it as reference required searching the entire list for names.

With that said, there was some skilled writing on evidence here...

See the rest of the review Here

.

Completed Book #120 - Santa Responds: He's Had Enough...and He's Writing Back by Santa Claus – 3 stars

I picked this book up on a whim and thought my off-kilter sense of humor would appreciate it. And while a lot of it was funny (spoiled and demented children write letters to Santa, and each one is paired with Santa's reponse), the author depended too much on crude language and included a few too many political jabs (at both left and right) and off color references for my taste. Definitely not for kids, but if you think the idea of called a kid a spoiled brat could be humorous, you could give it a peek.

.

Completed Book #121 - Matchless by Gregory Maguire – 3.5 stars

I was somewhat disappointed in this one. Maguire has never been one of my favorites, and I have never been able to get into his other "retellings", but this one was really short, part of an NPR program, and I thought it was worth a try. Although billed as a retelling, Matchless - even by the author's own admission - really just takes the same story of the Little Match Girl and drops it in the middle of another story of people living in the same town of the Little Match Girl. He stayed very true to the original, but the surrounding story was somewhat misguided. If you scrape for a moral, it seems something like "steal from someone who has even less than you do, and you'll be rewarded for it". He is a good writer, I just think I'm missing something in it.

Happy New Year, Patrick! I am looking forward to more of your reviews in 2011!

2010 is at an end. Here is my link to 2011: http://www.librarything.com/topic/105708