Another attempt at heart-tugging

The faculty book club selected this one because it has gained so much attention lately, and because we wanted something light and quick, to balance the craziness surrounding the end-of-year activities, the construction, the packing, the classroom and library moves, and so on. Well, it WAS quick. Not too challenging. A real folksy language style, with vivid descriptions of northwest Iowa which made that whole area sound appealing. (Of course, fond memories of my own childhood spent in Iowa might have been evoked by those descriptions in the book.)

As to my overall reaction to the book -- well, have you seen or read about that goofy dog Marley? This is another in a long series of memoirs featuring a family changed forever by a beloved pet. The family, in this case, is the staff of the public library in Spencer, Iowa -- and the entire population of Spencer, if the author is to be believed. Are you familiar with the term "anthropomorphism"? Giving human characteristics and personality to a non-human. Well, this book provides an excellent example. This cat, Dewey, thinks, has feelings and opinions, is empathetic to others in pain, has learned the daily schedule and plans to be at certain places at certain times, and practically speaks - his intentions and beliefs are so clear to those around him. The strength of his personality permeates the town, softens the stubborn opposition of the Village Board, raises money when it's needed, increases the number of visitors to the library, comforts the homeless, sick, and lonely -- well, you get the picture. Where would Spenser be without its beloved Library Cat?

In short -- yes, a quick and not-unpleasant read. I'm sure the people of Spenser, Iowa LOVED it. And it was okay.
2 out of 4 stars

Catching Up

It has been quite a while since I updated my reading list, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been reading. This past month I've tackled a variety of book topics and genres (as you can see from the images uploaded to this post). I LOVED This I Believe - was inspired and awed by the quality of writing by people famous and not-famous. This book originated with a radio series in the 1950's, during a time of upheaval, disillusionment, mistrust, and cynicism (sound familiar?) A group of guys decided to invite people to focus on what they DO believe in, what their hopes and dreams are, and on what basis they make daily decisions as they live their lives. The resulting essays were read aloud (by the writers themselves) and played on a radio show --- which was revived just a few years ago. I was amazed that anyone could condense their world view into a couple hundred words (how would one decide on just-one-principle to write about?) The language/vocabulary/sentence structure was more complex in the 1950's essays than in the 21st century essays (what does that say about our declining willingness to challenge ourselves intellectually?) But the people are the same - and the struggles which we all face are universal. I made a vow to write my OWN "This I Believe" essay by the end of the school year.
4 out of 4 stars

Mr. Forberg recommended The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - and then I read a couple of reviews and heard about it from several other people who said it was "one of the best books of the last couple years." So I picked it up, and it's a long book. Written by a Swedish author, now deceased. A mystery -- always a favorite genre! An old man hires a recently-disgraced financial journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, (convicted of libel, destined for prison) ostensibly to write a book describing the old man's family history - but in reality he wants him to investigate the disappearance of his young niece 35 years ago. The old man's family is wealthy and powerful - but as the journalist soon learns - full of its own share of kooks. Another main character is Lisbeth Salander, a much-tattooed secretive girl who is an expert computer hacker - whom Mikael hires to do some investigations. We learn a little about Salander's past, which has led to her isolation, insistence on personal space, and inability to trust anyone --- but I'm hoping that a sequel will tell more of her story. This novel, it turns out, is one of those modern tales which is SO realistic and possible that it reflects the reality of no-clear-endings, and everything is NOT neatly packaged and tied up as it would be in an Agatha Christie story, for example. So -- more depth in story and character - but also more to think about after one finishes the novel. Can't wait for the next in the series (Stieg Larsen had handed in the manuscripts for the series before he died in 2004).
4 out of 4 stars

And for my 3rd book of the month, I finally read Crank, by Ellen Hopkins. It tells the story of a girl whose life changes when she gets hooked on crystal meth. I loved the poetic style, cringed at the pain and ruined relationships, the hidden-ness of Kristina/Bree, her toughness and her vulnerability, and the mistakes she makes along the way. I can see why this is a popular book, though -- her struggles are realistic, and she tells her story with visually-pleasing poems. (Aren't those called "Concrete Poems" when the shape of the words on the page reflects the subject matter? There are poems shaped like a cross, like waves, like a Christmas tree, etc!) Fun to read -- and hard to read, too.
3 out of 4 stars