The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
Summary: Amir, the son of a wealthy Afghan man, witnesses a horrendous act committed against his childhood friend and spends the next two decades trying to forget what he saw.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Comments: I had heard a lot about this book and wasn't sure I was going to be able to handle it. That is why I put off reading it for so long. But I am glad that I did. I am also glad I went into it knowing that some things would be hard for me to read. I think having that background made it easier to handle. While I liked the story and the message of this book a lot better than Splendid Suns, you don't get the same feel for the changes Afghanistan underwent as a country.
For this book alone, I thought that the message of forgiveness and redemption were so powerful that they overshadowed all the hate and brutality. This would be a great book club book (with the right book club), as there are so many things I would love to discuss about it. Just as long as you can stomach a little violence...
Monday, March 24, 2008
Thunderstruck
Thunderstruck by Erik Larson. Nonfiction
Summary: The true story of Marconi, inventor of the wireless telegraph, and a murderer by the name of Crippen, and the way their lives intersect in 1910.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: Jeff and I listened to this book on cd on our drive to NC. It was very entertaining, and told like a story instead of boring facts. Larson also wrote Devil in the White City, which I loved, and this book didn't disappoint. I'm sure anyone who was alive in 1910 would've heard the story of the manhunt for the doctor, although it was all new to us. It deals with a murder, and while there are some things that made us both say, "sick," it wasn't any worse than an episode of Forensic Files. I would recommend it, and if you haven't read Devil in the White City, I would definitely recommend that one.
Summary: The true story of Marconi, inventor of the wireless telegraph, and a murderer by the name of Crippen, and the way their lives intersect in 1910.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: Jeff and I listened to this book on cd on our drive to NC. It was very entertaining, and told like a story instead of boring facts. Larson also wrote Devil in the White City, which I loved, and this book didn't disappoint. I'm sure anyone who was alive in 1910 would've heard the story of the manhunt for the doctor, although it was all new to us. It deals with a murder, and while there are some things that made us both say, "sick," it wasn't any worse than an episode of Forensic Files. I would recommend it, and if you haven't read Devil in the White City, I would definitely recommend that one.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Love Stargirl
Love Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. Juvenile fiction, sequel to Stargirl.
Summary: Stargirl, a sixteen-year old girl who named herself, begins a new life in Pennsylvania, changing the lives of everyone she comes in contact with, just as she did in Arizona.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: I love Stargirl. The first book is one of my favorite juvenile books of all time. She is such a unique character, quirky yet supremely caring. She doesn't care what anyone thinks of her, but embraces what makes her different. Unlike the first book, when she tries to change who she is to please someone else, in the sequel she is true to her individuality, and enhances the lives of people young and old. I loved this book, not quite as much as the first, but nearly as much so. The book is in journal form, a letter to the boy she left behind in Arizona. It took me a little while to get into the different method of storytelling, but I found myself feeling empty when it was over. If you liked Stargirl, you'll like this sequel. And if you haven't read either, but love a good juvenile book, DEFINITELY check it out!
Summary: Stargirl, a sixteen-year old girl who named herself, begins a new life in Pennsylvania, changing the lives of everyone she comes in contact with, just as she did in Arizona.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: I love Stargirl. The first book is one of my favorite juvenile books of all time. She is such a unique character, quirky yet supremely caring. She doesn't care what anyone thinks of her, but embraces what makes her different. Unlike the first book, when she tries to change who she is to please someone else, in the sequel she is true to her individuality, and enhances the lives of people young and old. I loved this book, not quite as much as the first, but nearly as much so. The book is in journal form, a letter to the boy she left behind in Arizona. It took me a little while to get into the different method of storytelling, but I found myself feeling empty when it was over. If you liked Stargirl, you'll like this sequel. And if you haven't read either, but love a good juvenile book, DEFINITELY check it out!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
My Sister's Keeper
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Summary: Thirteen year-old Anna, who has spent her entire life donating parts of her body to her older sister who has leukemia, files a law suit against her parents asking for medical emancipation when her sister needs a kidney transplant.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Comments: I really wanted to like this book, as there was so much to like. The story moves extremely quickly, as you are immediately drawn in. You discover early on that Kate Fitzgerald was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia at two years old and that Anna was "genetically engineered" to be able to donate to her sister. She is the perfect match to donate plateletes, bone marrow, and eventally, a kidney. In fact, that was the reason she was brought into the world. She was never asked for her consent, but it was assumed by her parents (her mother in particular), that she would be willing to do whatever it took to keep her older sister alive.
There are so many topics for discussion; controversy over Anna's existence to begin with, moral and ethical responsibility to our children, playing favorites with one and how it affects the others... It would make a great book club book EXCEPT for one thing: the language is really terrible and unnecessary (isn't it always the case with language?). If somehow the offensive language could be removed, I would give it a 4, because it was very thought-provoking, tearing at your heart without being depressing. I can't really recommend it, but it any of you have read it (or aren't bothered by 15+ F-bombs), I would love to hear what you have to say, especially about the ending.
Summary: Thirteen year-old Anna, who has spent her entire life donating parts of her body to her older sister who has leukemia, files a law suit against her parents asking for medical emancipation when her sister needs a kidney transplant.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Comments: I really wanted to like this book, as there was so much to like. The story moves extremely quickly, as you are immediately drawn in. You discover early on that Kate Fitzgerald was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia at two years old and that Anna was "genetically engineered" to be able to donate to her sister. She is the perfect match to donate plateletes, bone marrow, and eventally, a kidney. In fact, that was the reason she was brought into the world. She was never asked for her consent, but it was assumed by her parents (her mother in particular), that she would be willing to do whatever it took to keep her older sister alive.
There are so many topics for discussion; controversy over Anna's existence to begin with, moral and ethical responsibility to our children, playing favorites with one and how it affects the others... It would make a great book club book EXCEPT for one thing: the language is really terrible and unnecessary (isn't it always the case with language?). If somehow the offensive language could be removed, I would give it a 4, because it was very thought-provoking, tearing at your heart without being depressing. I can't really recommend it, but it any of you have read it (or aren't bothered by 15+ F-bombs), I would love to hear what you have to say, especially about the ending.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Elijah of Buxton
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. Juvenile fiction (ages 9-12). Newberry Honor winner 2008.
Summary: Elijah, the first free-born child in Buxton, a settlement of freed slaves in Canada, is learning things about life and trying to find a way to make the lessons stick.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Comments: I loved this book. As a teacher, I instantly began planning how this book could be used in the classroom. It would be a great part of a slavery unit, and an awesome read aloud (provided the teacher could pull off the dialect). But I think kids will pick it up and read it on their own and still love it. It's an amazing blend of story telling and history, dealing with slavery without being depressing.
Summary: Elijah, the first free-born child in Buxton, a settlement of freed slaves in Canada, is learning things about life and trying to find a way to make the lessons stick.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Comments: I loved this book. As a teacher, I instantly began planning how this book could be used in the classroom. It would be a great part of a slavery unit, and an awesome read aloud (provided the teacher could pull off the dialect). But I think kids will pick it up and read it on their own and still love it. It's an amazing blend of story telling and history, dealing with slavery without being depressing.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Splendid Suns
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner)
Summary: Set in Afghanistan over the course of three decades, Mariam and Laila, the wives of a man named Rasheed, struggle to find their place in an ever changing and volatile country.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Comments: While the story is so well-written and intriguing it's hard to put down, this book is in no way a "quick read." The book clap calls the book "heart-wrenching," and I couldn't think of a better word to describe it. We have heard so many things about the oppression of Afghan women, especially after the Taliban took over, yet I haven't ever completely identified with what it must have been like for them. The story is a beautiful blend of love, hate, domination and friendship and I would recommend reading it, as long as you are prepared for some heartache. I came away feeling so grateful to live in this country and to enjoy basic things like being able to walk down the street with my children that we normally might take for granted.
Summary: Set in Afghanistan over the course of three decades, Mariam and Laila, the wives of a man named Rasheed, struggle to find their place in an ever changing and volatile country.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Comments: While the story is so well-written and intriguing it's hard to put down, this book is in no way a "quick read." The book clap calls the book "heart-wrenching," and I couldn't think of a better word to describe it. We have heard so many things about the oppression of Afghan women, especially after the Taliban took over, yet I haven't ever completely identified with what it must have been like for them. The story is a beautiful blend of love, hate, domination and friendship and I would recommend reading it, as long as you are prepared for some heartache. I came away feeling so grateful to live in this country and to enjoy basic things like being able to walk down the street with my children that we normally might take for granted.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Feathers
Feathers by Jaqueline Woodson. Juvenile fiction (middle grades). Newberry Honor book this year. Eleven-year-old Frannie discovers how hope is like feathers (like the Emily Dickensen poem says) when a new boy, nicknamed Jesus Boy for his white skin and long hair, shows up in her class.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Review: Jaqueline Woodson has been recognized for her thought-provoking novels aimed at middle grades. In my opinion, there are not enough good books whose main characters are black. Woodson does a great job of writing about a way of life that is very foreign to me, yet creating characters who I connect with and care about. I was particularly impressed with the way she dealt with religion and hope, and the way Frannie experiences each. It was very refreshing and I think it would be a great classroom book, providing many opportunities for discussion. I enjoyed it, as I have other books she has written and believe that the novel deserved being mentioned as a Newberry Honor book this year.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Review: Jaqueline Woodson has been recognized for her thought-provoking novels aimed at middle grades. In my opinion, there are not enough good books whose main characters are black. Woodson does a great job of writing about a way of life that is very foreign to me, yet creating characters who I connect with and care about. I was particularly impressed with the way she dealt with religion and hope, and the way Frannie experiences each. It was very refreshing and I think it would be a great classroom book, providing many opportunities for discussion. I enjoyed it, as I have other books she has written and believe that the novel deserved being mentioned as a Newberry Honor book this year.
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