Baking Cakes in Kigali

Baking Cakes in Kigali
Gaile Parkin
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press (August 18, 2009)
5/5 stars


Angel Tungaraza moved to Kigali, Rwanda from her native Tanzania when her husband took a job at the local university. An accomplished cake maker, Angel adds extra income to her large family and gives herself much joy by making custom-ordered cakes for friends, neighbors, and strangers who have heard the good word about her fabulous creations. In addition to being a "professional someone" (as she would call herself), Angel is Mama to her five orphaned grandchildren, confidant of friends and strangers, and a true example of a good woman.

Each chapter centers around one of Angel's cakes, giving the reader shorter stories inside the larger story. It is a story of family, of community, of all manners of love and reconciliation, and of course, of beautiful cakes. I wish I could explain the plot better, to show how desirable a read this is, but I simply can't. Suffice it to say that it is a surprisingly complex plot, despite this books benign face, with Angel facing several interesting ethical issues as well as the range of various good, bad and amusing situations.

Ms. Parkin uses the fact that Angel is an outsider to Rwanda to easily explain the current situation and the bloody past of this country. It never feels contrived; the explanations happen very naturally--as does most everything in this book. . . It all feels very natural. Customs are clarified, situations set up, the reader gently led here and there and yet, it just feels "real" and lifelike, always smooth and believable. Even the conversations, held in a manner so different from Western conversations, become so real that when a Westerner does appear, using typical Western speech, it seems brash and out of context.

This is truly a masterpiece, a first novel of the highest quality. It is a lovely, heartwarming book that sparkles with gentle wit, at times tugs the heartstrings, but is above all, a joyful experience. I can not recommend this novel highly enough. What a pleasure, what a delight. I expect to see much more of Ms. Parkin in the future.

The Dud Avocado

The Dud Avocado
Elaine Dundy
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: NYRB Classics; 2nd printing edition (June 5, 2007)
5/5 stars

The Dud Avocado tells the story of Sally Jay Groce, fresh out of college and ready to live life to it's fullest in Paris. Once in Paris, she goes "more native than the natives" trying to cram as much "living" as she can in two short years. Sally Jay's attempts to live it up lead her into many roles, from mistress to actress to homebody, and she embraces every role with gusto--usually with disastrous results.

Dundy's 50 year old classic is fresh and witty, and sometimes a bit racy, and her prose is as close to perfection as one can find. Add this to Sally Jay, a protagonist so alive and real, and it is easy to see why this book gained such a following upon publication.

Here is an excerpt from chapter 3, one of my favorite bits, to give an example of the delicious flavor of the Dud Avocado:

At eleven o'clock that night, in one of my dangerous moods--midnight-black, excited and deeply dreading (as opposed to one of my beautiful midnight-blue ones, calm but deeply excited), my nerves strung taut to singing, I arrived at the Ritz, only to discover all over again what a difficult thing this was to do. I tended to loose my balance at the exact moment that the doorman opened the cab door and stood by in his respectful attitude o f"waiting." I have even been known to fall out of the cab by reaching and pushing against the handle at the same time that he did. But this time, however, I had disciplined myself to remain quite, quite still, sitting on my hands until the door was opened for me. Then, burrowing into my handbag, which suddenly looked like the Black Hole of Cacutgta, to find the fare, I discovered that I needed a light. A light was switched on. I needed more than a light, I needed a match or a flashlight or special glasses, for I simply couldn't find my change purse, and when I did (lipstick rolling on the floor, compact open and everything spilled--passport,m mirror, the works) I couldn't find the right change. We were now all three of us, driver, doorman and I, waiting to see what I was going to do next. I took out some bills, counted them three times in the dark until I was absolutely certain that I had double the amount necessary, and then pressed it on the driver, eagerly apologizing for overtipping. Overcome with shyness I nodded briefly in the direction of the doorman and raced him to the entrance. I just won. Panting and by now in an absolute ecstasy of panic I flung myself at the revolving doors and let them spin me through. Thus I gained access to the Ritz.

I guffawed out loud so often throughout the Dud Avocado; I read parts aloud to my husband; I laughed at and cried with Sally Jay. . . in short, I lived this book. It was pure joy to read, and one that I will certainly read a second time.

The Child Thief

The Child Thief
Brom
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Eos (August 25, 2009)
3/5 stars


The Child Thief is a retelling, of sorts, of the story of Peter Pan. Peter, the Child Thief, steals children from this world to take into his world to use against his enemy in the long-going war in Avalon. To take a child through the Mist into Avalon, the child must go willingly with Peter, so he spends considerable effort winning the child over. Peter only picks the runaway, the abused, the abandoned child--the ones who would be eager to escape this life for the next.

The stories of the children he "steals" are full of violence and abuse (sexual, emotional, physical) and despair, all told in grim detail. While they are glad to escape from the lives, the new life Peter grants is not all that much better.

In this version of his story, Peter is not the typical hero, but is a selfish, complex, nearly amoral character. His back story is told in flashbacks through out the book, as the reader gradually comes to learn what influences have made him as he is.

Brom's writing is excellent, hence the third star. With his complex characters and thorough descriptions, he continued to propel me through the pages long after I had lost interest in the bleak, sometimes terrifying, plot. Despite not being able to enjoy this book, I would be interested in reading more by the author; his storytelling was just that good.

This is a dark, graphically violent and generally disturbing book, full of profanity and pain. In my opinion it is not one that should be given a general YA label; in fact, it is more appropriate for adults. I would advise parents to read it before giving it to a YA reader.

The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning

Brennan Manning
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; (March 1, 2009)
5/5 stars

Manning's writing style in the Furious Longing of God is very personal--sometimes it feels too personal, as though he were a very intimate friend talking straight to me. This fabulous little book is not centered around any one denomination, only around the love of God, for us little ragamuffins. It is a profound book, a moving book, a much needed book for those of us buffeted by doubt and in need of trust.

This is not be Manning's most polished book, and at times it seemed a little bit choppy. However, he still brought all of it together so that the ending pointed back to his beginning so beautifully.

I highly recommend this, or any Manning book, to Christians not bound by religion and looking for a true relationship with a loving God.

The Millionaires by Inman Majors

The Millionaires tells the story of two brothers, J.T. and Roland Cole, of questionable reputation, bringing the World's Fair Expo to Tennessee in the 1980's and delving into gubernatorial politics.

While the actual prose itself was mechanically well-written (though the lack of quotation marks for spoken words kept me backtracking to see if a character was thinking or speaking, which was annoying), for me there was no real spark of life in the characters. Then there was the odd "cut scenes" between chapters. They were laid out like a movie script, not easy to follow and, far from segueing the chapters, felt stilted, distracting and unnecessary. Also the "New South" feel was, to a life-long Southerner, not realistic and somewhat stereotyped.

In addition to this, there was the problem of the plot. It is, quite frankly, an almost to the date and circumstance retelling of the life of C.H. and Jake Butcher. The Butcher brothers were quite famous in the 1980's, at least in Tennessee. Just like J.T. and Roland Cole, they were banker brothers of questionable reputation who brought the World's Fair Expo to Tennessee (Knoxville, Knox County in real life, Glenville, Glen County in the book). Jake Butcher ran for Governor, like his fictional counterpart Roland and the brothers were investigated just like in the book.

Some things in the book were such exact copies of the real life Butcher brothers that it was worrisome. Just one example: Jake Butcher built an impressive, tall, mirror walled bank with lovely fountains in downtown Knoxville that is a landmark of the Knoxville skyline--the tallest building in town. Here is a description from the book of Roland's bank:
"It was a damn awesome sight, the building, from any angle or vantage point you might choose for the viewing. Standing on Franklin Street, Roland's angle was straight up, like looking at a plane overhead. What he saw were twenty-nine stories of green mirrors on a shiny, rectangular tower, the mirrors catching and reflecting the sun's light and sending it in darting rays across the shadowed and dreary downtown below. Was there a better phrase than dwarfing the skyline? Obliterating the skyline? Inventing a skyline?"

Nothing on the Advanced Reading Copy credits the real life Butcher brothers with inspiring Mr. Majors by their life, so my husband (who was unable to finish the book, stating it just got "too boring") emailed him on our behalf to get the scoop. Mr. Majors replied, "I anticipate that reviewers in Tennessee will note the parallels in the novel to real life events" and "when I talk about the book to folks who aren't familiar with Tennessee, I mention the inspiration for the plot" and no, "the publisher will not be including a note about the book's inspiration." He goes on to say, that he "never pictured real people as I was writing the book, not for one second or one sentence" Wow. That's rather hard to believe, given things as detailed as the example above and the fact that he just admited that C. H. and Jake Butcher ARE the inspiration for the plot. . . This answer gave me a sense of unease, a distrust of the author that made me even less able to sink into his narrative.

Overall, with the writing style and my mistrust of the author, I was unable to enjoy this book or read it as closely as I generally do. Granted, I had a hard time getting over the obstacle of seeing the storyline so obviously the uncredited life of the Butcher brothers--and the fact that, knowing that, I already knew what happened. Would someone without my knowledge of Tennessee history enjoy this book? I don't know, but I did not see enough other redeeming qualities to think so.
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Here is Mr. Major's email in full:
I anticipate that reviewers in Tennessee will note the parallels in the novel to real life events. When I talk about the book to folks who aren't familiar with Tennessee, I mention the inspiration for the plot, so that's warranted (and expected) if your wife mentions it in her review.

To answer your question, the publisher will not be including a note about the book's inspiration. The main reason being that I never pictured real people as I was writing the book, not for one second or one sentence. So though the plot may be inspired by real life events, the characters and scenes are all invented. A note, it seemed to me, would lead readers to believe that I had some kind of inside scoop on real events or actual people when I don't, and would distract them from the primary themes I'm trying to explore.

I was interested in writing a book about brothers (I have one that I'm very close to), ambition, and that large group of people my parents age who moved from southern farms and small towns to the city, and the effect that move had on them. There's a lot of my brother and me in the Cole brothers and a lot of my dad and uncles. So if the characters in the book are acting/thinking/feeling like any real life counterpart, the last name would have to be Majors. Looking at things in the rearview, the late seventies and early eighties seems like a really specific point in time in the south to me. This was still pre-cable, pre-sunbelt migration on a massive scale. I wanted to capture this moment in time just before the south tipped once and for all away from being a truly heterogenous region. That my father's generation would be in middle of that, this generation of farm boys and kids from small towns, as the south became urbanized and suburbanized and lost much of its rural heritage !! and identity, was really interesting to me. So basically, I just used the plot to explore themes I was interested in (the nature and cost of ambition/competitive but loving brothers/the changing south). I wasn't interested in writing about real people or telling biography or history, but in themes, and trying to find characters in which to express those themes.

I'm guessing I'll be answering questions about real life correlations from here on out. To his dying day, Robert Penn Warren swore that Willie Stark was not, in fact, Huey Long in All the Kings Men. Not sure how many people believe him, but I do.

My Little Girl by Tim McGraw and Tom Douglas

My Little Girl
by Tim McGraw and Tom Douglas
illustrated by Juilia Denos
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 21, 2008)

The story is simply and easily told: a Dad and daughter day of doing nothing in particular, but having fun just doing those things together.

While the story idea is nice and is something we taught our daughter--that "doing nothing" can be a very special day--the story itself was a bit too sappy sweet for my taste. I'm sure there are super lovey dad's out there, but for most women that I have known, this was not the case. Given that as my guideline, this book may not be for every Dad and daughter, especially if the child in question is old enough to wonder why her dad isn't like the one in the book. Furthermore, it just didn't feel "natural" to my mind.

One minor point that niggled at me was the dog. I couldn't understand why the dog's odd (un-child friendly and not read-out-loud friendly) name was included. McGraw family dog? Douglas family dog? It just felt out of place and baffled me.

The art work was lovely! Bright and flowing water colors and very real and personable looking characters. I was enchanted by it. Ms. Denos did a fantastic job. She deserves 5 stars for her art, and I wish there was some way to rate illustrations alone. Without her art, this would have only been a 2 star book.

I honestly think that they are planning on using Tim McGraw (and Faith Hill's preface) as the selling point for this book, and got the feeling the book was more about them (how much they love their children and family life) than it was about a general dad and daughter.

Passport Into the Wild

Passport Into the Wild
by Jack Hanna (4/5 stars)
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 72 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (September 30, 2008)

This book has the reader "travel with" Jungle Jack across the seven continents as he shares adventures and photos. It comes with a "passport" and stickers that are to be used at the end of "exploring" each continent, along with questions to answer and stir up young minds.

Each continent is given a fact page, and four pages of photos with notes, the center of which fold out into 40-inch wide double pages. The photos are bright and fascinating and the information, while sometimes seeming basic, is still quite interesting. It is a book that a child will return to again and again through-out several years.

My only complaint is that is so very short. Other than that, it is a lovely book and can be very educational while still being entertaining. It would make a wonderful gift for children interested in animals.

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Thanks to Amazon for this Amazon Vine book to review.

Boogie Knights

Boogie Knights (4/5 stars)
words by Lisa Wheeler and pictures by Mark Siegel
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books (August 5, 2008)
Seven knights are sleeping tightly when they are awakened, in ones or twos, by odd music and sounds. As they go to investigate, they each discover the rockin' Monster Ball. A side story, told only in pictures, shows the little prince also trying to see what is going on and meeting a ghost princess in the bargain.

The tale is told mostly in rhyme, with some cute lines and some groan-worthy puns. There are times when it seems like the actions just aren't explained well enough, and times when the story-rhymes just don't seem to flow. The fun repetition sounds and bouncy word play make up for a lot, though, and will make it very enjoyable for children in the 4-6 age range, especially those still learning to read or that love the sound of words.

The illustrations, on the other hand, are wonderful--a solid 5 stars. Expressive and beautifully colored, these illustrations could probably tell the story on their own, as they do in the parallel story of the prince and princess.

An enjoyable book overall, I would expect the words and pictures to make it a favorite for many of the pre-school crowd.

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Thanks to Amazon for this Amazon Vine book to review.

Jack and the Box

Jack and the Box
Art Spiegelman (1/5 stars)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Raw Junior, LLC (October 21, 2008)

In this bizarre, "first comic for brand-new readers", Jack (a rabbit) is given a box as a gift from his parents. What comes out is a creepy, unappealing Jack-in-the-box type character that startles his parents, and scares Jack quite badly. The parents laugh it off and Jack politely thanks them (is this a subtle teaching to not address our fears) and tries to play with the toy. This toy, far from being a positive influence on Jack, brings out anger, fear, and eventually what might be a good time but looks more like a Seuss-ian want-to-be frantic playtime in which a lamp is broken but no one has to face consequences.

Jack and the Box is listed as for ages 4-8. Now, if you've ever been around kids, you know that this is a rather broad age spectrum. What is appropriate for age 4 is not necessarily appropriate for age 8 and vice versa. This book, to my mind, is not suitable for such a broad range. As a matter of a fact, I'm not certain it's suitable for young children at all. Fans of the author, perhaps, or teens that like creepy books, but not for "brand-new readers" as the front cover claims.

If I sound negative about Jack and the Box, it's because I feel negatively towards it. I found it an unpleasant reading experience and would not read it to a child. This opinion is based on several readings (I hoped it would get better), because I don't take it lightly when I give such a negative review. However, I feel that this book is just not right for the age group it's intended--perhaps the author or publisher has no real experience with children?--and that it would genuinely be scary for some. Each individual parent would need to make that decision for their own child, of course. However, even as an adult, reading for only for myself, I was totally unimpressed, and quite a bit creeped out.

Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea

Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea
Charles Seife (3/5 stars)
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (September 5, 2000)

In Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea, Seife first gives the history of the zero, in mathematics and social history, as well as it's non-history (why it was rejected in some cultures). He explains the resistance of the Greeks to the idea of the zero, why the Catholic Church rejected the zero and also how it was used in much earlier societies. These first chapters are well worth reading, blending history, math and mathematical history in a fascinating tale.

From there, the author begins to blend the idea of zero with other "dangerous" mathematical ideas (including "infinity"), and with his intermingling of ideas he looses the persuasiveness of his argument. It's hard to follow and/or believe that "zero" did this or that, when the zero he is talking about isn't actually "zero". Confused? So was I. He seemed to loose his focus and clarity from around chapter 6 to the end.

There are some rather high mathematical principals and examples throughout the book, which were difficult for me (not the world's best mathematician) to follow, and Seife often assumes that if one is reading Zero, then one is a mathematician, not a layman. This occurred more often in the later chapters which were troublesome in other ways, so I might just not have been as willing to try to understand the math, as I was having a hard time understanding the author's arguments.

On the whole, Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea felt like a thesis that was expounded out to be a full-length book. It would have been much better, in my opinion, if Seife had stopped at around chapter 5, the first chapters being where his knowledge, insight and humor shone through.

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Read in September for both the Nonfiction Challenge and as "Z" for the A-Z Title Challenge.

Gettysburg: the graphic novel

Gettysburg: the graphic novel
by C.M. Butzer (1/5 stars)
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 80 pages
Publisher: Collins (December 23, 2008)

Gettysburg: the graphic novel gives a very brief account of the battles that took place, and then dedicates the rest of the book to the building of the National Cemetery and the speeches by Edward Everett and President Lincoln at the dedication of Gettysburg National Cemetery.

Presented in graphic novel style, this book could have been a wonderful illustration of these most decisive days of the United States' Civil War. Instead, it appeared as a odd piece of "feel-good" propaganda, giving the idea of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address as setting in motion a whole chain of civil rights movements. Apparently the author did not research the Emancipation Proclamation very much; Lincoln freed the slaves in the Southern states (states he had no jurisdiction over at that time) and did nothing for the slaves in the Northern states that were still in the Union. It's interesting to note that at the time of the war, there were more "Free Blacks" (as they were called) in the Southern states than they were in the Northern states.

And, with such a focus on slavery, a child that reads this novel is going to come away with the untruth (that is still being taught in our schools) that slavery was the cause of this war. States Rights were the issue, not slavery. But, Butzer is very specific in letting the reader know that the "repulsive institution of American slavery" is the direct cause of the war.

In addition, Gettysburg: the graphic novel is grossly biased in favor of the Union side, to the point still referring to the Confederacy as "Rebels"! Is this a contemporary account? Or an educated historical rendering? Or, perhaps neither. Butzer also misrepresents, hopefully accidentally, General Lee's orders to forage for food by illustrating it with looting. Anyone who has studied General Lee and his armies knows that he did not allow looting and that provisions were paid for, granted it was in Confederate money, but that is still not the looting that was illustrated.

Gettysburg: the graphic novel is also, unfortunately for a book supposedly drawing on "primary sources", cursed with historical inaccuracies. For example, the gatehouse to Evergreen Cemetery is shown as being built as part of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. That gatehouse was built in the 1850's and was standing when the battles were taking place. Perhaps he meant to show that it was being fixed from the damage? So it's just an error by negligence and not an outright falsehood then?

Sadly, the bibliography was not included in the ARC, because I would like to have seen the sources Mr. Butzer used that listed Lincoln's African-American Valet, William Johnson, as his "friend" (as well as on several other points). I think this was another case of the author attempting to color the reader's view of Lincoln.

Overall, this was a poorly written book and while it not might fool a reader who has previously studied up on the subject, it should not be given the chance to fool readers who don't have prior knowledge. Giving this to our children to read is placing prejudice and inaccuracy in their hands in the guise of truth and I adamantly advise against it.

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Thanks to Harper Collins for the Advanced Readers Copy.

The Toss of a Lemon

The Toss of a Lemon
Padma Viswanathan (4/5 stars)
Hardcover: 640 pages
Publisher: Harcourt; 1 edition (September 8, 2008)

The Toss of a Lemon is the beautifully written, gently told lifetime story of Sivakami, a Brahmin woman, and her household. The reader follows Sivakami from her marriage ceremony in 1896 at ten, through her widowhood at eighteen, her establishment of her own household (against custom) and then watches the paths taken by Sivakami and her children and grandchildren until death in 1962. The focus easily changes between Sivakami and other family members, presenting a full and fascinating picture of a Brahmin household and of life in India at that time. This was a book I read slowly, not because it was tedious or difficult to read, but because I wanted to savor it, and not miss any, even minor, detail.

Unlike many historical novels, The Toss of a Lemon is very realistic in that, though there are many major historical events happening, they are not generally immediately effecting Sivakami and her family. This was quite refreshing and gave this novel the feel of real life.

In a way, I was reminded of the novels of Jane Austen, in which not a whole lot happens that might be considered earth shaking and yet, one must keep reading. Sivakami and her family were so well fleshed out, their lives so fully drawn, that I grew to know them, and their domestic concerns were of great importance to me, as well. And while it is a family epic, so to speak, I was not overwhelmed by length of the story or by many changes in characters.

The one discordant note in this lovely work is that Ms. Viswanathan tended to switch back and forth between present tense and past tense verbs. I found that to be distracting and as a result, could not give The Toss of a Lemon a full five stars.

Despite that, The Toss of a Lemon is truly a wonderful book that brought alive a time and place and culture of which I had no previous knowledge. I most certainly recommend this!

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Despite the fact that Ms. Viswanathan is not a Indian citizen, I'm choosing to use this book for "India" for the ORBIS TERRARUM Challenge. She used her grandmother's own stories as a base for The Toss of a Lemon and did quite a bit of research. I learned so much about India through this book that I feel I can safely use it for that challenge.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine program for the Advanced Reading Copy! :)

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Communists

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Communists
Daniel DeFoe 4/5 stars
Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Pantheon (October 31, 2006)

In this, the Pirates! most recent escapade, they find themselves in London with the Pirate Captain mistaken for, and arrested in lieu of, Karl Marx--due to the beard of course. This horrible case of mistaken identity--Marx's beard is no where near as luxuriant as the Pirate Captain's beard!--leads to a strange adventure in which the Pirates attempt to clear the Communists of some extremely bad press (including claims of drowning kittens). Can-can girls, opera singers plus deranged genius equal excitement for these nameless pirates, but with such a spirited leader (and thankfully a second-in-command with his head on straight), the Pirates are sure to save the day.

As with the other Pirates! books, this is a lighthearted story with lots of laugh out loud bits and is just plain quirky fun. It's not, however, as fully enjoyable as, say, the first Pirates! book. At times, it felt a bit strained, and I went paragraphs without exploding in laughter, as I've come to expect from Defoe. It also lacks a strong conclusion and has a weaker plot that the first two. That's not to say it wasn't good, but it fell just short of great.

One of the best things about the Pirates! books is the funny little lines Defoe uses for title chapters. They a) have nothing to do with the chapter and b) are different between the table of contents and the chapter title. This gives an extra little dimension of fun to the reading.

If you like silly fun, give Defoe a try. I recommend the first book, The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists.

The Almost Moon

The Almost Moon
Alice Sebold 4/5 stars
Hardcover: 304 pages (out in Paperback - Sep 8, 2008)
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (October 16, 2007)

Helen Knightly has spent all her life looking after her mother, Clair, in some form or fashion, being tied to her in an unhappy, unhealthy, unrelenting relationship that has taken a toll on her in various ways. Now, Clair's dementia has reached the point that something has to be done; she is going to have to leave the house--a task that was psychologically painful and difficult for Clair--as she is no longer fit to stay home by herself. Helen is relieved and anxious at the same time and as she deals with her mother's vitriolic tongue and loose bowels, she surprises herself by smothering Clair.

Over the next 24 hours, Helen behaves as irrationally as any human being would, becomes entangled more and more in a web of lies and (through memories) exorcises some of the demons of past as she deals with the mental illness of her family.

Sebold has done an incredible job of writing about mental illness, and as an author she passes no judgments, gives no advice, just has Helen tell her story and leaves the rest to the reader. In Helen, one sees a character so human and unpredictable that it was almost uncomfortable at times to read her thoughts, feeling like an intruder or eavesdropper.

I read several negative reviews and I think it was really Sebold's amazing talent that prompted these. Those readers that complained about this or that action of Helen's appear to have been expecting Sebold to pass the appropriate (to them) moral judgments on said action and when she didn't these readers assume she condones these actions. Other readers couldn't believe Helen would act the way she did, having apparently never acted irrationally under stress themselves, and didn't see the deep realism of Helen's character acted out in her irrationality.

I found it a very moving book and at times it was too emotionally taxing and I had to take a break from it. It's hard to say I "liked" it, because, how can one "like" a story about mental illness in all it's dirty, real life, day-to-day struggles. I was reminded of Nabokov's Lolita--I didn't "like" the subject matter, but loved the book. This is another instance of that. The Almost Moon, while not for everyone, is a emotion-packed, realistic novel from a very talented author.

My friend, Deb, passed her copy onto me to read (you can read her review here) and I'd like to pass it on to someone else. After all the adamant negative review on amazon, I'd like to see what other people have to say about. If you're interested in reading it, especially in reviewing it (even if it's just a line or two), leave me a comment. I'll wait till this time next week and if more than one person are interested, I'll do a random number generator and send it out.

Hate That Cat

Hate That Cat
Sharon Creech 5/5 stars
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Joanna Cotler (September 23, 2008)

Wow! What a lovely book! I was taken from laughter to tears and back and finished with a sense of absolute satisfaction. It's a simply stunning book!

It it told all from the point of view of Jack's writing journal, directed to his teacher Miss Stretchberry. Apparently, Miss Stretchberry was Jack's teacher last school year (during the book Love That Dog), but not having read that book, I'm going only on what I've picked up from Jack's journal. His class in school is learning poetry, and through Jack's attempts and one sided conversations with his teacher, the reader learns so much about Jack, his relationship with Miss Stretchberry and his family--and about poetry!

Ms. Creech tells more in this one sided story that many books tell for all their omnipotent narrators! It was a thrill to watch Jack grow emotionally, to see how his poetry progressed, to see his family through his eyes, and to be a part of the gentle, gradual changes in Jack himself.

This would be a wonderful book to read out loud with a child, in part because of some of the beautiful wording and language in this book that so deserves to be shared but also because some rather important elements are implied (perhaps known if you read the other book?)and younger readers might have a more difficult time processing the clues. Otherwise, I cannot begin to recommend this book enough, even for adults, and look forward to reading the poets she mentioned as well as Ms. Creech's other books. As soon as this is published (September 23, 2008), I recommend purchasing it for yourself or your children!

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ARE copy reviewed for Harper Collins Children's.

The Good Thief

The Good Thief
Hannah Tinti 4/4 stars
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: The Dial Press (August 26, 2008)

Ren has no memories of, or even idea of, life outside the orphanage with the monks. He was left there as an infant and has spent all his eleven years imagining who he might be, and why he is missing a hand. Then one amazing day, Benjamin Nab appears, claims him as his long-lost brother and his life makes a drastic change from the comforting, if sparse, routine of the monastery to a whirlwind life involving crime, confidence trickery graverobbery, Resurrection men, hired murderers, a motherly housekeeper, a mysterious dwarf, a sinister factory owner and--most importantly--the answers to his past.

Ren is a wonderfully sympathetic character while Benjamin Nab is, I hate to admit it, an attractive rogue that one can't help but like despite his crimes. Ben's partner Tom has a deep sadness that shows itself in depression and drink and comes out slowly over the course of the story. The minor characters are well-written and engaging, Mrs. Sands, for example, with her hinted back story. And while I was able to figure out most of Ren's history about 3/4 of the way through the story, that made it no less enjoyable or thrilling.

I had some qualms about half way through the book, thinking that petty crime was being a bit too glorified, and perhaps wasn't going to be shown as "not okay", but I was satisfied in the end; it wasn't preachy or moralistic but the life of crime was shown to be of no benefit. I was also quite pleased with how Tinti chose to end the book--I'll not say more than that but any other way and I would have thought less of Benjamin.

Overall this was a wonderful story that will appeal to children and young adults (and adults, of course!) who enjoy a sometimes dark adventure with well written characters and a sound plot line.

Gideon: The Cutpurse

Gideon the Cutpurse: Being the First Part of the Gideon Trilogy
by Linda Buckley-Archer (5/5 stars)
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (June 27, 2006)
Also published as The Time Travelers (US Title)


My husband stopped by the library the other day, to pick up some books that were on reserve for me and came home with this book. The librarians had just gotten it in and, knowing me, added it to my stack. They made an excellent choice!

Peter Schock's birthday treat has been canceled and instead he is forced to spend the day with strangers: Kate Dyer and her family to be exact. Wanting to show off her Dad's Van de Graaff generator, Kate persuades Peter to ride with them to the laboratory where Dr. Dyer works. The hilarity caused by the Van de Graaff generator startles Kate's dog, Molly, who jumps through the office window, gets shocked by Kate and runs down the hallway into another room that houses an experiment. Kate and Peter run after Molly, stumble through swirling light, and awake to find themselves in 1763.

It is their great fortune that their arrival, while witnessed by the fearsome and evil Tar Man, is also witnessed by Gideon Seymour. His account of their arrival helps them to piece together what has happened and he offers to help them find the Tar Man, who has the experimental machine they arrived in and that will hopefully take them back home.


The book is filled with the children's amazement and often disgust at the 18th century, which is quite fun. There are highway men, evil doers, tales of bravery and redemption and change of heart, and many well-written characters that are easy to care about.

As the Kate and Peter try to get home, Kate has unswerving faith in her father's ability to find them but Peter (who's last word's to his father were "I hate you") is filled with doubt and mixed feelings about his family. They, especially Peter, form a strong bong with Gideon and when he finds himself in grave peril, they are only too glad to help him.

This is a wonderful book, full of emotions and action and great story line. I wasn't too keen on the ending, though, feeling that it really didn't need to be made into such a cliff-hanger so that it could be a trilogy. But, then I read what book two is about and I have somewhat changed my mind. I'll hold off on that, perhaps hasty, judgment until I read this next installment.

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I'm using this as the "G" Title for my A-Z Title Challenge, having read the British copy. Thank goodness, as the US title is totally different. Which makes me ask--WHY are the titles different some times? That simply drives me to distraction!! It is very trying to someone that reads British authors; I think there is a new book out, one that I can't find, only to discover that it's just titled differently. I hate it. I demand universal titles!

Tideland

Tideland
Mitch Cullin (2/5 stars)
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Dufour Editions (December 5, 2005)

At first I was blown away by Tideland and the protagonist Jeliza-Rose, with no one for company but various pieces of Barbie dolls picked up in a 5/$1 bin at the thrift store, running wild in the wilds of rural Texas. I was enchanted by the Southern Gothic flavor, by Jeliza-Rose's voice--at once childish and yet overly mature for her age--and by Cullin's descriptions that had me right there, running beside Jeliza-Rose watching the lightening bugs and worrying about bog men.

But then he lost me.

He took the grotesque element of Southern Gothic to the maximum; it was as if he set out to add anything that might possibly be appalling or unappealing or just plain, well, grotesque without making it really fit the plot, throwing it in willy-nilly just for the shock factor.

Now, I'm sure that's not the case, but unlike other Southern Gothic authors (Flannery O'Conner springs to mind) who are making a point with their grotesque and unappealing characters and situations, in Tideland, they were just there. It went from a book that, in the first couple of chapters, I was certain would be a 5 star favorite, to being a barely acceptable "okay" by the time I finished slogging through it.

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Read for the "C" author for my A-Z Author Challenge.

The Evolution Man: Or, How I Ate My Father

The Evolution Man: Or, How I Ate My Father
Roy Lewis (5/5 stars)
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Vintage; 1st Vintage Contemporaries Ed edition (August 30, 1994)

Ernest is young man growing up in a not-so-typical Pleistocene family. His father, Edward, has invented portable fire and is pushing, pushing, pushing for mankind to evolve at at faster rate. Uncle Vanya thinks they are flirting with disaster, what with all this eating of animal flesh and using fire, and what were they thinking coming down from the trees in the first place, but Father continues on his scientific (and otherwise) experiments. These experiments put Ernest and his brothers in all kinds of interesting predicaments (which, frankly, beats beating flints all day long) as they hurry to advance their horde out of the Pleistocene era into a new and glorious future.

This is not a slap-stick funny book, it is an intellectually funny book that also has hilarious moments. I had to go for the dictionary a few times, which was funny in and of itself--getting the dictionary to look up a big word that some caveman is using. It's also an allegory of sorts, a stop and think kind of book. Even while I was laughing my head off about Uncle Vanya warning Father about the dangers of progress and telling him to go back to the trees, I could. . . well, I could see both sides--hear myself in both sides actually. I've never read a book like it, quite frankly. I picked it up because Terry Pratchett mentioned it as his all time favorite book and I can see the attraction. It's one I will have to read again, digest, laugh and think over some more.

Lewis' writing is wonderful; droll, dry wit and amazingly detailed description sandwiched in with just darn good writing. His pictures of family life are so real that I dare say he's warped any historical notions I may have had of the Pleistocene era. Overall, this is just a masterful book, but I recognize that I may not be for everyone because it's a book whose humor is not just laid out for you--you have to think a little too.

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Read for the letter "E" in my A-Z Titles Challenge.

Automated Alice

Automated Alice
Jeff Noon (2/5 stars)
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Transworld Publishers (December 1, 2000)

Alice, of Wonderland fame, is visiting her Great Aunt Ermintrude and very unwisely lets her parrot, Whippoorwill, out of his cage. Whippoorwill flies into the grandfather clock, and Alice (dragging her doll Celia with her) climbs in after him but ends up in the future--1998 to be exact. The future is populated by people that are mixed breeds of animal and human, and is ruled by the frightening Civil Serpents. To return to her own time, Alice (and her now automated doll, Celia), must find Whippoorwill, her missing jigsaw puzzle pieces, solve the Jigsaw Murder of which she's been falsely accused and hopefully, discover the proper usage of the ellipses.

While Automated Alice promises much in it's early chapters, Noon is unable to deliver more than the occasional clever wordplay. The plot is unfulfilling, almost contrived at points. He tries hard to create the same bizarre feel that Carroll's books have, but is unsuccessful; instead Automated Alice feels frantic and unintelligible. The idea was great, but the delivery was poor.