People are the same everywhere

(This book takes place in contemporary Jeddah, a coastal city in Saudi Arabia.) Nouf ash-Shrawi, 16, disappears 3 days before her wedding. A truck and a camel disappear, too. She comes from a wealthy family, and her brother Othman asks his old friend Nayir, a desert guide, to find her. After a couple of weeks Nouf's body is found. When Nayir goes to the coroner's office to claim the body for the family, he overhears an argument between two people: the coroner and a lab assistant, Katya. Nayir, devout and modest, is horrified to see a woman who is unveiled working where she might be with men. But when the police officially close Nouf's case, citing an accidental death by drowning, Nayir and Katya end up working together to track down some unexplained details - things that Nayir couldn't understand about the crime scene, and things that Katya noticed during the autopsy that are being swept under the rug.

What I loved about this book was the realistic way it portrayed the lives of both men and women in a modern and changing Mideastern world -- in a country that is caught between preserving the "old ways" that have identified their culture and the new ideas brought through commerce and communication with the rest of the world. What is one to think about a woman who doesn't recognize that those traditions and rules that were intended to protect her, but rather sees them as stifling? Nayir, who has no experience with women (he is an only child who was raised by his elderly uncle), feels that he is putting his soul at risk as he pursues the truth for the sake of his good friend Othman -- even if it means violating society's rules about men and women being alone together.

This book develops its characters well as it describes the culture and society without judgement. It's also a page-turning mystery. If you like this book, you will probably also like its sequel, City of Veils.

4 out of 4 stars!

A not-so-surprise ending

Yes, spoilers here. So don't read on if you like the suspense of a slowly-revealed mystery. But then, that's my biggest objection to this book -- her usual twist at the end is such a disappointment. This novel introduces us to Jacob, an older teenager with Asberger's Syndrome who has been accused of murdering the college student who tutored him on handling social situations. Jacob's fixation on forensic science has led him to follow local and national cases, to conduct his own tests, to set up "crime scenes" at home for his mom and brother to "study," and to insist on a regular daily viewing of a CSI-type TV show during which he records observations in several notebooks. This "hobby" brings him to the attention of the local police and leads to his arrest after the murder.

Jacob's mother Emma, divorced and employed as an advice columnist in the local paper until forced to quit after Jacob's arrest, hires a VERY young and new attorney, Oliver, to defend him. Throughout the book we readers are well-educated about Jacob's "condition" - and about the hardships that his mother has endured in trying to ensure for Jacob a life as normal as possible. But now his only hope lies in claiming that Asbergers is the cause of his loss of control -- for while his mother doesn't believe he is capable of murder, she apparently somehow thinks that he is guilty, and will try anything to keep him out of prison. Jacob's younger brother Theo has not had a normal childhood, either -- the whole family's routines, eating habits, etc. revolve around Jacob's unpredictable tantrums, quirks, and preferences.

Although it went on in minute educational detail about Asberger's Syndrome, the descriptions made it seem as if Jacob's traits represent the full spectrum of AS -- whereas I know that the syndrome can take a wide range of characteristics, and can vary greatly from person to person. Picoult obviously had a reason to write this novel, and as always her characters are painted clearly and deeply -- but the mystery itself was a disappointment. I would give this book only 2 out of 4 stars.

Creepy Irish ghost story...

Three dead women are found by the postman in a house at the end of a lane, in a small town just outside Dublin. One woman died from having her head bashed in, presumably by the shovel found upstairs, next to the emaciated bodies of her two nieces who had been imprisoned, fed rat poison, and slowly starved to death. Shortly after the grisly discovery, Niall, an aspiring graphic artist who works at the post office, finds an unclaimed package in the dead letter bin, mailed by Fiona Walsh (one of the dead girls) to "anyone at all" in the post office. It turns out to be Fiona's diary, and once Niall opens the book and begins to read, he is dragged into a world of fairy tales and evil. Fiona and her sisters grew up in a town in West Cork, and Niall goes there to follow the story.

How much of the tale is fanciful or exaggerated? How much is just a romantic telling of something very real and horrible? Fiona and her sister are dead -- and so is their Aunt Moira. They all had been involved with a traveling storyteller named Jim. And it is Jim's story that forms the spellbinding tale which leads to the final chapter of doom.

Read this one with the lights turned down low -- to get into the mood of horror and things-that-go-bump-in-the-night. Or keep all the lights on to their full brightness so you won't get too freaked out. I give this book 3 1/2 stars for spinning such an intriguing yarn.

Like "24" for teens

The Long Way Home, by Andrew Klavan. A Homelanders book.
A thrill a minute, this book reads like a pitch for an action movie. I can see it now -- all the narrow escapes, high speed chases, and the scene where our hero just HAS to go into that dangerous place to get the clue he needs to clear his name. It's all in here. If you like that type of movie, you'll enjoy this book about Charlie, who is on the run, trying to avoid both the police, who want him for murdering his best friend, and the Homelanders, a group of terrorists out to destroy America. They seem to think he was a member of their group who has betrayed them, and now they want him dead. But Charlie can't remember whether he was or wasn't. And he can't remember murdering his friend. In fact, the entire last year has been erased from his memory. To find out what really happened, he must return to his hometown, where he connects with some good friends who believe in him. Including Beth, whom he remembers liking a lot. But he can't remember that they had actually been an "item," which apparently they were. Before his life got so complicated. And dangerous.

One interesting element of this book was that the language was suspenseful but 'clean' -- and there were many references to the values that Charlie holds. He remembers many debates/discussions with his American History teacher, who seemed to constantly challenge Charlie's faith in God, his belief in his country, and his willingness to express his admiration of a good way to live. so, though I wouldn't call this overt Christian fiction, it doesn't try to hide positive values or role models from the reader.

This is the second in a series, which began with The Last Thing I Remember. The 3rd book, The Truth of the Matter, is due out this November.

I give it 3 1/2 out of 4 stars.

Can't Stop Readin' Those...

As addictive as Jay's potato chips, the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins has gripped RB's reading world. The 1st book in the series was selected as the Eng. 10 summer read, and several sophomore classes are embarked upon a research project based on the 2nd book, Catching Fire. The 3rd and final book in the series, Mockingjay, was just released a couple of weeks ago, and true fans have "flocked" to purchase or borrow it. I myself had to wait for my husband and daughter to finish our copy before getting my turn.

The tone of Mockingjay is different from the first two. While they were based on the to-the-death games imposed on the other 12 districts by the ruling "Capital," there was still an element of adventure and suspense. This third book gets right to the point and doesn't let the reader escape from the absolute control and unrelenting terrorism practiced by the Capital. Yes, people died in the other books, but we weren't slammed in the face with the brutality, torture, and genocide. Mockingjay makes it clear that Collins was writing about war, violence, and totalitarian governments. While The Hunger Games could have been compared to the TV show "Survivor," there is no chance that Mockingjay can be considered light-hearted fun. Still well-written and gripping, though. And the love triangle between Katniss, Gale, and Peeta continues . . .

I give this one 3 1/2 stars out of 4.

Futility of Africans' Plight

The Faculty Book Club chose this book for our April book, so I took it with me to Mexico over Spring Break. What a downer! Apparently Oprah and Anderson Cooper had raved about this book and how it would open one's eyes to the reality of what so many people in Africa are dealing with. The books has won multiple awards. So I went in expecting to be enlightened and inspired. Instead, I found it unrelentingly depressing. There are three short stories and two longer novellas - each one centering on a child living in a different country. The first one deals with an impoverished street family. The oldest, a 12-year-old-girl, is supporting the family through prostitution. She's giving the secrets of the trade to her 10-year-old sister to get her ready. The narrator brother is destined to go off to school - he is their future and their hope. But he can't stand the guilt - so runs away. HOPELESS. Then there is the story about an uncle who "saves" his niece and nephew from their parents who are dying of AIDS -- only to sell them into slavery. HOPELESS. Follow that story up with the one about a young man running away from marauding revolutionaries in the Islamic north to the Christian area in the south (his mother was Islamic; his father was Christian). He is on a bus -- and the very long story deals with the people on the bus talking about the politics, religion, and other philosophies -- and his fear that he'll be discovered and killed. Which is what happens at the end. HOPELESS. Or how about the one where a Rwandan family is destroyed when the father is forced by tribal revolutionaries to murder his wife -- and the reader knows that his children are also facing imminent death. HOPELESS. Why am I telling you the end of these stories? To save you from the depression that enveloped me after trudging through this collection. The thing is, you come out of this book without any idea of what will ever solve the problems all those people are facing. The conflicts based on colonially-imposed borders and the inequality (politically and economically) between factions is not going away. The disease, poverty, and overall lack of hope for a decent future seem unrelenting. I was not enriched by reading this book. Nor was I disturbed in a good way -- one that might have encouraged me to take action to improve the situations. The stories were poisons that infected me - and I just needed a good Disney movie or two to clear them out.

1 out of 4 stars.

Camelot's little brother

When one thinks of the Kennedy's, how many of us think of Teddy? Well, maybe I'm thinking of people in MY generation as opposed to those of you currently in high school. Us old folks tend to think of JFK and Bobby -- but how much of our remembrances are centered around their assassinations rather than their leadership or their impact on legislation? In actuality, Teddy, as a longtime leader in the Senate (the longest-serving in American history) until his death this past August, had perhaps the most enduring impact on social and political policies of all the Kennedy's. Throughout his early life he had his brothers' popularity to live up to (and sometimes to overcome).

I haven't read many biographies lately -- and only picked this one up because my two Book Clubs are doing it. But I am very much enjoying it! A co-writer is not mentioned (though my skeptical self wonders about a possible staff of ghost writers), and I was impressed at the writing style - how the chapters are organized and titled, and the way he told the stories of his childhood, education, and policial life - and how he told of coming into his own. He admitted using lots of notes, letters, and other sources to remind himself of dates, speeches, and so on, and those details added a lot to the writing -- but the strength of the book comes from his personal voice, which is self-deprecating and honest. His references to his parents are unfailingly loving and admiring -- the same with his references to other family members. He gives perspectives on his colleagues which provide a behind-the-scenes look at the daily life of a legislator. I found that enlightening, and gave me an admiration for the work that they do. He readily admits without excuses some of his escapades, which led to my trust when he insisted that some things of which he has been accused (Chappaquiddick) did not happen the way the media portrayed them. (for example, he was kicked out of Harvard for a year when he allowed a friend to take his Spanish final, an impulsive mistake that he confesses and regrets.)

He knows that his family has a lot of money, and we readers can easily see how that money provides some great opportunities, as in travel and education, as well as the THINGS - homes, boats, and so on. He probably takes those things for granted to some extent, but he also clearly outlines the high standards and expectations to which he and his siblings are held. "Of those who have plenty, much is expected." While growing up, they were expected to be well-prepared for dinnertime conversations on a variety of topics (announced daily via a notecard on the hallway bulletin board) from the situation in Uganda to possible solutions to the hunger crisis. Over the years this very public family suffered tragedy again and again - of the 9 children, Joe, Jack, Bobby, Kathleen all died early; Rosemary's mental problems were increased as a result of a faulty surgery; and Teddy's oldest son had a childhood cancer which resulted in amputation of a leg. Throughout it all, Kennedy maintained his positive attitude of hope, belief in the basic goodness of people, and the conviction that if we all work hard enough for justice, society as a whole will benefit. The many photographs scattered throughout the book help to remind we readers that these larger-than-life people were real. The names we know from history were down to earth family people facing many of the same issues as the rest of us, enjoying holidays and special events with their family, laughing together -- just like us. It's easy to forget, in the stories and the pictures, just how different their situation has been. What a fun close-up of the lives of the Rich and the Famous.
Because I learned so much and enjoyed the writing style, I give this book 3 1/2 stars out of 4

Gothic Romance and Suspense - with a twist

Kate Morton is an Australian author who has erupted onto the world scene with these wonderful stories of 20th century characters involved in mysteries involving both World Wars, secrets, social position, relationships, and the usual assortment of screwed-up family dynamics.

The Forgotten Garden opens with a little girl being found alone on a dock in Brisbane, Australia in 1907. The dockmaster takes her home until he can find out where she belongs - and he and his wife end up raising her. He finally tells her when she's was 21 that she had been adopted, and years later, after she died, her granddaughter travels to England to try to find out where the grandmother had come from. All she has to go on is a white suitcase with a book of illustrated fairy tales inside, which the little girl was carrying when she was found. There is romance, intrigue, and Dickensian settings.

The House at Riverton tells the story of a former maid in one of the fine country mansions owned and occupied by a family of "landed gentry" in Yorkshire, England. The story is told in flashback as the former maid, now in her 90's, remembers her life for a movie director making a film about the rich family, which was made famous when a prominent poet killed himself at one of their parties -- amid suggestions of a love affair with one daughter, an engagement to another . . . What this old woman remembers about what REALLY happened makes the story, but of course the truth is not revealed until the very end.

Both of these are good books to grab when you're ready to curl up under a blanket, sipping a cup of hot chocolate in front of a roaring fire. Dive in!

Both books earn 3.5 stars out of 4

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

I'm addicted . . .

As promised in my earlier post, I will first finish telling about In The Woods. WOW! I have discovered a new author that I want to keep reading til all hours of the night. As I already mentioned, we were challenged to find out who killed the 12-year-old girl, and as Rob and Cassie investigate, various members of her family become suspects, along with neighbors, some of the archaeologists working on the dig where she was found, and even Rob himself, as he is connected to this area and to the unsolved crime - the disappearance and possible murder of his two best friends 20 years ago. I'd better not say anything more - but the depth of the characters in this novel, the beautiful writing that urges you to re-read some passages over 2 or 3 times, the realistic descriptions of a new (to me) culture in modern-day Dublin, and the unlikely turns in the story make In the Woods a definite 4 out of 4 stars.

So . . . when I finished, I immediately went out and got The Likeness. In this story, Cassie Maddox reappears (about 6 months after In the Woods finished up). She is called to the scene of a murder by startled detectives who fear that she has died -- because the dead girl is a "dead ringer" (sorry) for Cassie. Years ago, when Cassie was just getting started in her career, she worked an undercover operation at Trinity College, under the name of Lexie Madison. And the identification on the body of the dead girl is --- you guessed it --- Alexandra Madison (aka Lexie). There is no evidence - so the police don't know whom to suspect or why. Cassie is persuaded to go back undercover as Lexie - people are simply told that Lexie was stabbed, but recovered. The dead girl had been living with four other 20-something graduate students in a big old house that one of them had inherited from a rich old uncle. After a week of intensive study of her new character, Lexie/Cassie falls seemingly naturally into her new identity - and takes up the relationships with her housemates. There are strange vibes among them - she discovers that none of them is allowed to talk about their past, and they all speak as if they are a family, and they all inherited the house. When she takes her nightly walk, she feels as if she's being watched -- and why shouldn't she? Someone DID stab Lexie, after all, and that someone is still out there. This is another nail-biter. I'm busy checking my public library to discover what else Tana French has written, and if there's nothing, I just can't wait til she finishes her next book!

Another 4 out of 4 stars!

A great mystery!

This story takes place in contemporary Dublin, where a 12-year-old girl has been murdered; her body was found by archaologists - she was laid out on an ancient stone used for sacrifices centuries ago. In this same location about 20 years ago, three 12-year-old kids went into the woods and disappeared. Well, two of them did -- the third was found hours later with his arms wrapped around a tree, his shoes filled with blood. He has no memory of what happened. This boy became a policeman when he grew up, and he is one of the detectives trying to solve the crime of the current murder. Perhaps he'll also be able to find out what happened to his two friends, who were never found.
He realizes that he probably shouldn't even be connected to the case because of his personal involvement, but only his partner knows his story, and she leaves the decision up to him.
I'm only about halfway through this story, but I LOVE the mystery, the description of the characters and their relationships, and the just-slightly-different culture that is Dublin. And I'm being good - I haven't read the end of the book yet, and I'm trying really hard not to. I will update in a week or so when I finish, but so far, I would highly recommend this one.

Four stars

!

Favorite Book of 2008 -- what's yours?

Mrs. Duell challenged all the RB teachers to identify their favorite book that they read this past year (don't you just love all the end-of-the-year Best-Of lists?) Believe it or not, I have kept track of all the books I've read this year (and the movies and plays I've seen -- what a nerd, right?) But that list is at home. Nevertheless, it took me only a moment to think of my favorite. The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield, was at the very top of a long list of great books that I met this past year. It had suspense, drama, well-developed interesting characters, humor, pathos, and a satisfying ending. It was very well written, which captured my admiration -- it's fun to observe how an author structured a book, and to be still surprised by wonderful turns of phrase, delightful word choices, gorgeous passages... So - what it's about - - - Margaret Lea works at her father's rare book shop and hides the pain of her knowledge that her conjoined twin sister died on the day they were born, in the very operation that saved Margaret's life. After she wrote a biography that reveals her understanding of sibling (and specifically twin) relationships, she was contacted by reclusive author Vida Winter to write her biography. Miss Winter has spent a lifetime telling various biographers varying fantastic stories - but she vows that THIS time she'll tell the truth. Margaret combines interviews of Miss Winter with independent investigations. Vida tells about the once-proud Angelfield family from Yorkshire, who lived in an estate now fallen to ruins. There was eccentric and seductive Isabelle, her sadistic brother Charlie, and Isabella’s oddly disturbing twin daughters Adeline and Emmeline. A governess, a doctor, a few devoted servants, an abandoned baby, and a streak of madness and murder run through Angelfield. What do these characters have to do with Vida Winter? Finding out will keep you pasted to the pages of this wonderful novel. Grab it for a cold winter's day -- or couple of days. I guarantee you won't be able to put it down.

4 out of 4 stars

Suspense -- and empathy, too, in this book

Ms. Hayes' freshman English classes have been reading Stuck in Neutral, by Terry Trueman, so I decided to read it, too -- it's been on my "to-read list" for quite a while. It was a fast read, and a real page turner. Shawn is a 14-year-old boy who has cerebral palsy, and therefore has no control over his muscles. We the readers are able to hear his thoughts, and he sounds like any other kid his age, though he is very honest about his abilities and disabilities, his desires and wishes, and his relationships or lack thereof. Shawn can't speak, feed himself, control his bowels, stand, or let anyone know his thoughts. His parents have been divorced for years. Shawn, his brother, and sister live with their mom, and Dad is not too far away. He had written a Pulitzer-Prize winning poem about Shawn years ago that won him a lot of acclaim, and now he is appearing on TV to suggest that too much money is spent to "educate the uneducable" -- and he features an imprisoned man found guilty of murder after he killed his brain-damaged 2-year-old son. Shawn comes to suspect that his father plans to kill HIM, too. And if that IS his dad's intention, Shawn knows he can't do anything to stop it.

This was an enlightening book which made me really think. I found it especially moving that the author has a son much like Shawn - and he must have wondered whether his son has deep thoughts, whether he knows things and is aware of his world as Shawn is. That thought is both sad and hopeful. I highly recommend this book -- and can't wait to read its partner-book, Cruise Control, told from the point of view of Shawn's brother Paul.

Edgar Sawtelle, part 2

So I finally started reading Edgar (in SPITE of Oprah's recent attention to it!), and so far, it's wonderful! I love the characters, the setting, the pacing -- and the constant sense that something horrible is going to happen -- I just keep turning the pages waiting for that next shoe to drop. It's interesting to be immersed in the life of dog breeders - how it's a living, but also a series of continuing relationships. I'll keep you posted on further impressions, but at this point, it's a very-thumbs-up recommendation. Please respond if you agree OR disagree - - -

Oprah ruins a good thing? You tell me!

So - Oprah has just announced that The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski, is the new selection for her Book Club. In the past, such pronouncements have been the kiss of death for me, as I found that so many of her books were just continual doom-and-gloom --- about people who had horrible depressing lives (who often raised themselves up, so there's hope for us all!) -- but you still had to wade through a lot of description of depravity.

Edgar Sawtelle has been on my "TO READ" list since I started hearing and reading rave reviews from various people and publications. It is listed as amazon.com's "Best of the Month June 2008". The story sounds intriguing -- a young boy, forced to escape into the wilds of far-northern Wisconsin to avoid his possibly murderous uncle, has three dogs as his only companions. He is mute, and communicates via sign language. The reviewers praise the novel for its use of language, and descriptions of the young boy, his striving to survive against formidable odds, and the relationships that are described in the book. Well, it SOUNDS like something I'd like, but do I change my prejudice against "Oprah books" and give it a try? If any of you have read this one, let me know your opinion.