May wrap-up

Read:
Adult Fiction:
*Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (homeschool, Classics '09, 999 Challenge, 1% Well-Read 2)
*The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (1% Well-Read 2, What an Animal, Dewey's Books, Book Awards 2, RYOB, Countdown Challenge, What's in a Name 2, 999)
*Lord of the Flies by William Golding (homeschool, What an Animal, 999, RYOB)

Graphic Novel Fiction:
*The Tale of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot (Graphic Novels Challenge, Dewey's Books, Support Your Local Library, 999 Challenge, What an Animal)
*Fables: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham (Once Upon a Time III, Graphic Novels, Countdown, RYOB)
*Fables: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham (Once Upon a Time III, Graphic Novels bonus, Countdown, RYOB)

Middle Grade Fiction:
*The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater (read-aloud with boys, Spring Reading Thing '09, What an Animal)

Adult Non-Fiction:
*Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby (RYOB, Essay Challenge, Spring Reading Thing '09)

Young Adult Non-Fiction:
*Chew on This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson (homeschool)

Graphic Novel Non-Fiction:
*The Stuff of Life: A Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA by Mark Schultz (Science Challenge, Non-Fiction Five, Graphic Novel Challenge, Countdown Challenge, Dewey Decimal)

Essays/Articles:
*"South Africa: Statistics and Country Report," Global Studies: Africa by Thomas Krabacher, Ezekiel Kalipeni, and Azzedine Layachi (for homeschool)
*"The Long Journey of a Young Democracy," The Economist: March 3, 2007, reprinted in Global Studies: Africa by Thomas Krabacher, Ezekiel Kalipeni, and Assedine Lavachi (for homeschool)
*Creating Keepsakes (cover to cover) June 2009 issue (for fun)

Watched:

On TV:
*Harper's Island (for fun)
--"Bang"
--"Thwack"
--"Sploosh"
--"Thrack, Splack, Sizzle"
*House (for fun)
--"Under My Skin"
--"Both Sides Now"
*Crimal Minds (for fun)
--"Roadkill"
--"Amplification"
--"To Hell...And Back"


On DVD/Video:
*10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America by The History Channel (for homeschool)
--"When America Was Rocked"
--"Freedom Summer"
*The Presidents by The History Channel (for homeschool)
--"Cleveland to Taft: 1885-1913"
--"Wilson to Franklin D. Roosevelt: 1913-1945"
--"Truman to For: 1945-1977"
--"Carter to George W. Bush: 1977-Present" (that "Present" having been 2005)
*Delores Claiborne (for fun)
*Volcano (for fun)
*Criminal Minds (for fun)
--"Broken Mirror"
*Mississippi Burning (for homeschool)
*Lord of the Flies (for homeschool)
*Aftershock: Beyond the Civil War by The History Channel (for homeschool)
*NOVA "Cracking the Code of Life" (for homeschool)

Created:

Cards:










































































Scrapbook layouts:



























































































Baby afghan:

we interrupt this blogging break...

to do some mini babbling...

Because I'm using these books for challenges, I feel I have to say something about them. In other words, this is my pathetic attempt at assuaging my guilt.

Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby.

*I did a really good job at doling these out sparingly (like one a week) for a while. Then I chucked all willpower straight out the window and simply devoured the rest in one sitting. Oh well. I am somewhat comforted by the fact that I have Songbook sitting on the shelf waiting for me.
*I totally lost count of how many times I laughed out loud.
*An unforeseen event: I am now thinking about NOT reading a book I had long planned to read. And it's not even that Mr. Hornby didn't like the book. He did. But in speaking of The Road, he said, "There are some images now embedded in my memory that I don't especially want there."
*At first I was rather proud of myself for keeping down the number of books to add to my wishlist. By the end, though...well...
--Tender Hooks by Beth Ann Fennelly
--Digging to America by Anne Tyler
--Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning by Jonathan Mahler
--Stasiland: Stories from the Berlin Wall by Anna Funder
--Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow
--Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
--A Disorder Peculiar to the Country by Ken Kalfus
--The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
--The Ghost by Robert Harris

Looking for Bobowicz and The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater.




*Our first venture into the books of Daniel Pinkwater. Won't be our last. While not our favorite ever read-alouds, they were still nonetheless very enjoyable.
*Written decades apart, these two books follow the stories of two different generations of kids and their relationships with a 266-pound chicken named Henrietta. Yes, a 266-pound chicken can cause a great deal of mayhem. But trust me, she's a very sweet chicken.
*These books have a wonderful, almost-but-not-quite old-fashioned feel to them. Maybe it's just the way Pinkwater very much captured the feelings of my own childhood, the freedom to explore, the need for adventure. Of course, those things haven't gone out of style (just ask my kids!) so I'm not sure why I used the term old-fashioned. I just can't quite capture the feeling I'm looking for here. Oh well.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

*One day, after telling Annie to read the next two chapters of this book, she said, "Good. I love this book...it's so creepy!" And that is exactly how I remember feeling about it when I first read it in middle school. When I read it as a kid, I saw myself on the island and found it very scary. Reading it now, I couldn't help but picture my kids on the island. And that's even more disturbing. A lot more disturbing. One more example of how motherhood impacts my reading. And of course, that's not just true of motherhood but of all our experiences--they all play a part in how any book might affect us.
*I know a lot of people hate this book, but I just can't help but like it. I admit that I'm much more of an emotional reader than an intellectual one. Not that those two things are mutually exclusive by any means. But what I mean is that I'm not all that adept at analyzing what I read. I just go with my gut and my heart. But reading books with Annie tends to make me search a little deeper, and we definitely had some great discussions during this book. Are people born "good" or "evil"? What does it take to be a good leader? What does it mean to be "civilized"? How responsible are we for the well-being of others? Discussions about mob mentality. Racism. Symbolism.
*There were times when the writing frustrated me. Not that it's difficult reading. More that at times I had a tough time visualizing his descriptions. Likely that was just me. At other times, however, I liked the writing a great deal, as here: "He forgot his wounds, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet, rushing through the forest towards the open beach." This sentence, in context, was extremely vivid in my mind.
*All in all, while this book may not make my top 5 reads of the year, I really do think I liked it as much this time around as I did as a kid.


Fables: Animal Farm and Fables: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham.

*The Farm really can't be all that far from here...if only I could find my way through their protective spells.
*What are the chances of reading about a pig's head on a stick in two different books on the same day?!!
*Goldilocks--a fomenter of revolution...who'da thunk it?

*As much as I loved Animal Farm, it pained me horribly to see Shere Khan die. In fact, I'm having a hard time accepting it when any of the characters die. I mean, they're just not supposed to, right?!!

*Okay, in moving on to Storybook Love, I have to say I've changed my mind about that last statement. I was more than happy to see a couple someones bite the dust. If they really did. Yeah, I can't really say anything more for fear of spoiling.
*This one started and ended with little side stories that didn't have much to do with the main story arc. While I honestly did enjoy them, especially "Bag O' Bones," I do prefer the main story. And I'm eager as hell to crack open the next one to see what's going to happen with Snow and Bigby!
*Despite the fact that I'm now just through #3 in the series, I'm already soooo sad thinking about getting to the end. I hope no one will hurt me, but I think I may just like these more than The Sandman. Then again, maybe not. That's a very tough call. Especially since I'm not even half way through either series yet.



The Stuff of Life: A Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA by Mark Schultz.

*This book totally rocked! (Yes, I think my lovable science nerd husband is rubbing off on me.)
*Seriously, if you'd like to learn about genetics, DNA, inheritance, etc., I just can't recommend this book highly enough. It's extremely accessible. In one way, it's a tad cutesy, but it is by no means simplistic.
*Because I read this for the science challenge, I wrote a short review here if you're interested.

Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want to Know about Fast Food by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson.

*Yep, same guy who wrote Fast Food Nation, which by the way, I am even more anxious to read now.
*This book made me sad. It also made me mad. Usually at the same time.
*Had I not already joined Annie in the meat-free lifestyle, this book surely would have done it. Not that this book is any way, shape, or form an attack on people who eat meat. Honest.
*Frankly, I think this should be required reading in schools. It is that good. And it is that important.

*****

and while I'm at it, I might as well get caught up on meting out the blame...

from the library:


*Javatrekker: Dispatches from the World of Fair Trade Coffee by Dean Cycon (point for Eva!)
*No More Strangers Now: Young Voices from a New South Africa interviews by Tim McKee
*The Sandman: A Game of You by Neil Gaiman
*The Sandman: Fables & Reflections by Neil Gaiman

from PaperbackSwap:



*Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger (point for Eva!)
*Feed by M.T. Anderson
*Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books by Francesca Lia Block
*The Witching Hour by Anne Rice (point for Chris!)

bought with gift card:



*Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
*Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon (point for Melody!)
*Lux the Poet by Martin Millar
*The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (point for Becky, who first made me add it to my wish list, and point for Chris, who shoved me right over the edge and made me buy it!)

from the little closeout books store:



*The Midnighters: Blue Moon (book 3) by Scott Westerfeld
*The Magic Thief: Book One by Sarah Prineas (point for DesLily!)
*The Treasures of the Weatherby by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
*The Epidemic: A Global Story of AIDS by Jonathan Engel

and last, but not least, the books I just wanted so bad I had to order them:



*Bad Science by Ben Goldacre (point for Nymeth!)
*The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel

*****

I will publish May's wrap-up tomorrow, but other than that I'm still on my mission to get through this school year. Will hopefully be back in a few weeks. 'Cause damn, do I miss you all!

blogging breaks and other bits

1. Wow...I'm so not alone, am I? I'm so sorry to hear that so many of the people I adore are feeling as overwhelmed and stressed out as I am. (There is that feeling that it's nice not to be alone, but I swear I would much rather be alone in this than to have others feeling it, too. If that made the slightest bit of sense.)

2. I've decided to take desperate measures. A blogging break. They seem to be quite popular these days. And I think there's good reason for that. Even something we love so much can become stressful when we can't achieve some sort of balance. And that's what I'm off to work on. I just want to focus on getting through this last 6-ish weeks of school and get this house de-cluttered to a state where I don't feel stressed by the mile long list of projects nagging at me. Then I will try tackle that seemingly always out of reach goal of "balance." Homeschool. Family. Housework. Reading. Creating. Socializing/blogging. Being still. There has to be a way to make them all fit.

3. And while I will be gone for the most part from this blog, I will try to visit you all when I can. I think I might perish from sadness if I couldn't touch base with my friends, after all. (And I will probably post my monthly wrap-up, as I just add to my draft as I finish something anyway. It's my personal way of keeping track of what I'm reading and how my challenges are going. The whole list thing, you know. What can I say, I'm an addict.)

4. Before I go AWOL, I thought I ought to get updated on the blame game. So, here's my loot from Mother's Day:



Well, most of my loot. I forgot to put the tin of my favorite cinnamon tea in the picture. And the most awesomely cool bookmark in the world. Gray made it for me, but I'm already using it so I forgot to stick it in the picture. And Annie made me that coyote figurine. Don't you just love it?!! Okay, maybe you don't. When she made it at her art class, all the other kids made fun of her. But I'm completely in love with it...I think it looks like a really cool piece of folk art and it will be forever proudly displayed in our home! And they also gave me Neko Case's Middle Cyclone and Great Lake Swimmers' Lost Channels CDs. And all the rest is books! Books, books, books. With lots of blame to be dished out.

*The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Other Stories by Carson McCullers (Eva's fault!)
*Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism by Ha-Joon Chang (Eva's fault!)
*Nocturnes by John Connolly (Somer's fault!)
*The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (Trish's fault!)
*Kockroach by Tyler Knox (Dewey's fault!)
*The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (Nymeth's fault!)
*Songbook by Nick Hornby (Nymeth's fault!)
*Mirabilis by Susann Coral (Chris's fault!)
*Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist (Chris's fault!)
*Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest (Chris's fault!)
*The Upright Man by Michael Marshall (someone may be owed blame for this, but I have no clue who...I have no recollection whatsoever of adding this to my wishlist)
*Does Anything Eat Wasps? by NewScientist
*One Day the Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War by Charles London
*Jerusalem 1913: The Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict by Amy Dockser Marcus
*Eternally Bad: Goddesses with Attitude by Trina Robbins
*Fables: Homelands by Bill Willingham
*Fables: Arabian Nights (And Days) by Bill Willingham
*Fables: Wolves by Bill Willingham
*Troll's Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
*The New Weird edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer

5. Okay, I'm sort of having a hard time signing off here, knowing that I won't really be back for so long. But there's no point in dragging it out, is there? See you next month. I'll miss you!

friends make all the difference

It's almost eerie. It's always wonderful. The way that friends give you that unexpected boost just when you need it most. I'm sure you know the feeling, even if I'm not putting it into words very well.

Latest case in point:

This arrived in the mail yesterday. From one of the sweetest people on the planet...Chris. He remembered that I really wanted to read this book, and so he just hauled off and got it for me. And what was even better was his note (on the cutest freakin' Where the Wild Things Are postcard, I might add). I just felt my spirits lift and my attitude brighten! Perfect timing, I tell you.

And you know what, if you've read Chris's post today, he sort of puts into words exactly what's had me down. As he said, "I need to slow down…life has felt like chaos lately. And it’s not really bad…I haven’t been feeling bad, just overwhelmed." I swear, I could have written those very words myself!!! That is exactly how I've felt my life has been the past several weeks. Everything is absolutely fine. I'm not unhappy. I feel blessed beyond measure. But I'm just so damn tired and overwhelmed by all there is to get done...and by all the things that aren't getting done because of more pressing issues. Do you know that feeling? The one where you know you have no right to complain...the one where you can't possibly conceive the reasons that you have been given so much in life when others who surely are more deserving have so much less...the one where you can honestly say "life is good!" and believe wholeheartedly that it's true...all combined with the uncontrollable urge to just cry because you feel like you're suffocating and you just want to escape from under the enormous pile of obligations that you're buried in? Yeah, that feeling.

And hence, the added specialness of a friend's thoughtfulness. Thank you, Chris! Your heart is made of gold, and your timing is exquisite!

(BTW, speaking of generosity and thoughtfulness, I can't wait to share what my wonderful cuz-in-law/friend, Jean, sent us from her adventures in Vietnam! I just need to get some photos first.)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time...random thoughts

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon.

Yes, I know the rest of the planet read this book five years ago. What can I say, "cutting edge" and "Debi" just don't belong in the same sentence. Anyway, this is definitely one of those cases of better late than never, because I absolutely loved this book! Really, truly loved it.

You know, I'm not even sure I've ever read a review of this book. (I suspect most of you read it in the days before I started blogging.) But I had certainly heard of it, word of mouth and all. And I've honestly wanted to read it for a very long time, but just could never seem to get around to it. What finally pushed me over the edge was Charlotte Moore, author of George & Sam: Two Boys, One Family, & Autism. She mentioned really enjoying The Curious Incident and stated how very authentic it felt to her. To me that was high praise, and it seemed time to get off lazy butt and go dig the book off the shelves.

So, what did I love so much about this book? Is it cheating to say nearly everything? The book is told from Christopher Boone's perspective. In fact, Christopher wrote the book...it's his written version of the story of finding his neighbor's dog, who had been killed with a pitchfork, and his subsequent story of detecting to find out who had done it. Christopher is a fifteen-year-old boy with an autism spectrum disorder. I fell completely in love with Christopher and found myself feeling utterly privileged to be allowed to view his world through his eyes. (And yes, I do know this is a fictional book, but it was one I found so incredibly believably that I couldn't stop myself from feeling these emotions.)

And speaking of emotions, Christopher does not intuitively understand the emotions others are feeling. So his narrative doesn't ascribe emotions onto others. Yet he talks about the things that happen, the words that are spoken. And somehow you end up with a remarkable full story of what his parents, particularly his father, are going through. In case you haven't read this, I don't want to go into particulars, but Christopher's father does something that I find unbearably despicable. And yet I can't find him thoroughly unlikable. It is so very evident to the reader how much he loves his son. Being human, he is certainly fallible. But he never stops trying to do everything he can for Christopher, even if his judgments are sometimes faulty.

But there is so much more I loved about this book, too. Coming from Christopher's perspective made this a thoroughly unique experience. Christopher loves mathematics and science. He loves logic and figuring out puzzles. And all these things come out in his writing. The chapters, instead of being labeled with cardinal numbers as is usual, are numbered by prime numbers. He includes diagrams and sketches. He explains scientific phenomena. And none of this is ever for a second boring, but instead completely fascinating.

If I have any complaint at all, it would be that it seemed to end so quickly. But to have it done any other way, I suspect, would have taken away from its authenticity. So it's actually not a complaint at all.

Compelling. I see no way this book won't make my top reads of the year list.

*****

Other opinions:

Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf (Okay, how did I not know that Dewey had reviewed this?!!)
Michelle at 1 More Chapter
Rebecca at The Book Lady's Blog
Blue Archipelago
Natasha at Maw Books Blog

If I've missed your review, please forgive me. And leave me a link in the comments and I will gladly add it to the list. Thanks.

*****

I have loads of blame to dish out (yes, Rich spoiled me rotten for Mother's Day), but I'm so behind in absolutely everything (including blog reading, for which I truly apologize) that I'm afraid I'm probably just going to have to wait a day or two to get to it. Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

Jane Eyre...random thoughts

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

I finally finished Jane Eyre. Okay, so I finished it days ago, but I've been a bit lazy about posting about it. Frankly, I just don't know what to say. I would like to be able to tell you that my irrational fear of 19th century British lit has now been conquered, but I see no point in lying. While I did enjoy this book far more than I ever would have guessed, I don't see that any passion has been kindled in me or anything.

Okay, back to this book...yes, it was a delightful surprise. I love Jane Eyre, the character. Seriously adored her. Wished time after time that I had her poise and patience, and even more, her independence and self-assurance. She won my heart completely.

Now as for her two "love interests"...is it awful of me to say that I didn't particularly like either one of them? Tough. I didn't. Is it because I take the opportunities available for women today so much for granted that I can't quite appreciate that times were different then? Maybe. But I found Mr. Rochester to be horribly manipulative. There were actually many things about him I did like, but I have a thing about manipulation, and it just left me unable to truly trust him. Anyway, at least he truly loved Jane, which puts him a fair step ahead of St. John. Yes, St. John was a good and pious man. But I cannot stomach someone who believes they can possibly know the "only" righteous path in life for someone else. Whatever. Honestly, I'm just not much of a romance fan, so maybe that's why I had trouble with both of these men.

Truthfully, for me the best part of the book was the beginning. I loved reading about Jane's childhood. Not that her childhood was in the least bit enviable, of course. But this part of the story sucked me right in. I loved watching Jane grow up, find herself, trust herself, stand up for herself. I loved her friendship with Helen. (And despite the fact there was no missing what was coming, I bawled like a baby during one part.)

Another thing I loved about the book was the haunting atmosphere that pervaded Thornfield, even during the happier times. While not downright creepy, there was certainly a bit of a sinister feeling. And yes, the "secret" was a big part of what I enjoyed about this book, too.

And you know what, it's funny...there were a couple of too big to believe coincidences in the story. In another book, I think they would have driven me to distraction. Driven me crazy. But for whatever reason, I found them only mildly annoying here. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I suppose it can be counted a good thing. And overall, I can count many more good things about this book than I can bad. I am very glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave this book a go. (But no, neither Jane Austen nor Charles Dickens is next on my reading list. Sorry. Sophistication simply doesn't run in my blood.)

*****

Other opinions (all of which are undoubtedly more coherent expressed than mine):

Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot
Becky at Becky's Books Reviews
Raidergirl3 at An Adventure in Reading
Melissa at Book Nut
Matt at A Guy's Moleskin Notebook
Alyce at At Home With Books
Tammy at Tammy's Book Nook
Rebecca Reid at Rebecca Reads

Please forgive me if I missed yours. And do leave a link in the comments, and I will happily add it to the list. Thanks.

new neighbors

Housing starts appear to be up in our neighborhood. Pictured here is one of four new homes currently under construction in the highly desirable "shed eves" area.

While I applaud their industriousness, I do wish they'd checked zoning laws. I'm fairly certain that area has been zoned as "laundry hanging."

fiasco

Last evening was supposed to be a period of calm, quiet time. A time I counted on to get caught up with everything I needed to have ready for school today. Rich took the kids off to their final swimming lessons of the session. I decided to surprise them with some fresh-baked cookies. After throwing a batch in the oven, I sat down at the computer to type up some things.

But not two minutes later, the door bell is ringing. Grabbing a robe, as I'm clad in my summer pjs, I went to find our neighbor from down the street standing there on our porch. He wanted to let me know that Bacon had somehow gotten out of the backyard and was running free. Sure enough, I as I stepped out I saw the little escapee four houses down in the opposite direction. Now, I couldn't exactly be angry...I mean, any pooch is going to take the opportunity, when given, to get out and see a bit of the world, right? But I was a bit irked that he refused to come back upon hearing me yelling at him to do just that.

Then, before even making it out of our own yard, I managed to step on a thorn-like object measuring approximately 1.5 inches in length. Ouch. Really. So now, we don't just have a fat woman running down the street in her pajamas calling her damn dog, we have a fat woman running down the street in her pajamas calling her damn dog...and leaving a trail of blood. Oh yes, I'm sure it was a lovely sight.

Well, many thanks are owed to my neighbor at the corner who went out and caught the selectively deaf beagle in question. It is somewhat nightmarish to even imagine what I must have looked like. But to add insult to injury, by the time I got back to the house, the smoke alarm was going off. Upon returning from swimming just minutes later, the kids all opted for ice cream sandwiches over freshly burnt cookies.

as has long been established, I cannot say "no"

Lazily copied and pasted from my reading challenge blog, my latest weaknesses:


Date: May 15th through August 15th of 2009

Host: Maggie

For details: Click here.

The challenge (put simply): Read three books set in the south by southern authors.

My list:

*A Painted House by John Grisham

*A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

*The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

...or whatever strikes my fancy at the time

Notes:
Maybe the third year is the charm when it comes to actually finishing this challenge. ;) I considered not joining this year...I mean one can only fail at something so many times before one starts feeling like a real loser, right? But then I got to thinking about a couple of books that I likely wouldn't have read if not for this challenge, like The Secret Life of Bees and Sonny's House of Spies, and it made me sad to think that I might be passing up finding another treasure if I didn't join. Sound reasoning, if you ask me.

*****


Date: May 1st through September 1st of 2009

Host: Chris.

For details: Click here.

The challenge (put simply): Read 1-5 books related to the environment or green-living, plus commit one green reading act (see Chris's post for explanation).

My list (I'm shooting for three):

*Walden by Henry David Thoreau

*Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine

*Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert

*The Diversity of Life by E.O. Wilson

...or whatever strikes my fancy

Notes:
I love this challenge! I have no idea yet what my green reading act may be...we already do all the things she had listed, right down to already planting a new tree in our yard this year. But hopefully I'll be able to come up with something new.

*****


Dates: Perpetual--WooHoo!

Hosts: Suey and Jessica

For details: Click here.

The challenge (put simply): Read the Printz winners. And honors, if you're so inclined.

The list:

2009
Jellicoe Road, by Melina Marchetta
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation; Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves, by M.T. Anderson
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart
Nation, by Terry Pratchett
Tender Morsels, by Margo Lanagan

2008
The White Darkness, by Geraldine McCaughrean
Dreamquake: Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet, by Elizabeth Knox
One Whole and Perfect Day, by Judith Clarke
Repossessed, by A.M. Jenkins
Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath, by Stephanie Hemphill

2007
American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation; Volume I: The Pox Party, by M.T. Anderson
An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green
Surrender, by Sonya Hartnett
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

2006
Looking for Alaska, by John Green
Black Juice, by Margo Lanagan
I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak
John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth, a Photographic Biography, by Elizabeth Partridge
A Wreath for Emmett Till, by Marilyn Nelson

2005
how i live now, by Meg Rosoff
Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel
Chanda’s Secrets, by Allan Stratton
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, by Gary D. Schmidt

2004
The First Part Last, by Angela Johnson
A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly
Keesha’s House, by Helen Frost
Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler

2003
Postcards from No Man’s Land, by Aidan Chambers
The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer
My Heartbeat, by Garret Freymann-Weyr
Hole in My Life, by Jack Gantos

2002
A Step From Heaven, by An Na
The Ropemaker, by Peter Dickinson
Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art, by Jan Greenberg
Abrams Freewill, by Chris Lynch
True Believer, by Virginia Euwer Wolff

2001
Kit’s Wilderness, by David Almond
Many Stones, by Carolyn Coman
The Body of Christopher Creed, by Carol Plum-Ucci
Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, by Louise Rennison
Stuck in Neutral, by Terry Trueman

2000
Monster, by Walter Dean Myers
Skellig, by David Almond
Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
Hard Love, by Ellen Wittlinger

Notes:
Proof that my brain is in a state of decline...I could have sworn I'd signed up for this a few weeks ago. Oh well. Better late than never.

what is my problem?!!

Okay, so our library sale started Friday. We were there as the doors opened. Of course. So I'm walking around, scouring all the tables, and all the boxes under the tables, and all I could think was that this year's sale was a big disappointment. And this is where the "problem" comes in. See, I came away with 10 books! And I'm thinking this is a disappointment?!! I fear I may not have been happy unless I needed a U-Haul to carry my purchases away. I'm out of control. It's quite sad. I need help.

So anyway, here's what I got:



And yes, there is some blame to be apportioned:

*Sowing the Dragon's Teeth: Land Mines and the Global Legacy of War by Philip C. Winslow
*Troll Bridge: A Rock 'N' Roll Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple (Point for Nymeth. Okay, so she didn't actually review this particular book, but it is nonetheless her fault entirely. Because of this review for Pay the Piper, which I already acquired but haven't yet read.)
*Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen (Point for Becky, because of this review.)
*History of the Present: Essays, Sketches, and Dispatches from Europe in the 1990s by Timothy Garton Ash
*Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto
*Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss (Point for Alison. I was intrigued by this book the moment I first heard of it, but it was this review that assured that it would eventually make its way onto my TBR pile.)
*A Pocketful of Poems: Vintage Verse selected by David Madden
*Second Nature by Alice Hoffman
*The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli
*On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Point for Nymeth. Yep, this review.)

*****

And, for no reason other than I'm trying to put off making a science test, I thought I'd share some proof that spring is truly here in our neck of the woods:

The Tale of One Bad Rat...random thoughts

The Tale of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot.

There are times when I am rendered speechless by an author's ability to tell a tale so effectively. And there are times when I am rendered speechless by the sheer magnitude of the tale being told. This book hit me on both accounts. It is the story of a teenage girl. A girl who has suffered abuse at the hands of her father for years. A girl who runs away from home to escape the abuse. Helen's story, while fictional, plays itself out countless times in the real world. I sometimes felt nearly suffocated by the pain...because I knew that as I read this story there were thousands upon thousands upon thousands of flesh-and-blood Helens hurting at that very moment. Having said that, it may now seem odd to say, but this book was truly a book of hope. Of healing. Helen's abuse was shown in flashbacks during her journey forward to a new life. This journey forward wasn't an easy one for Helen, as I imagine no journey out of pain ever is.

Since I am so inadequate in my ability to share my thoughts, let me just share some words of others...

"This book is a gift to humanity." (Chris at Stuff As Dreams Are Made On)

"There are many ways to fight child abuse and incest. The important thing is not how you do it, but that you do it, and The Tale of One Bad Rat does it." (Andrew Vachss, from the book cover)

"What Helen went through is expressed in a subtle but absolutely clear way. Most of all, it’s her emotions that are addressed. This is not a book that tries to simplify things. We get the whole thing – all the difficult and contradictory feelings..." (Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot)

"...the book is one that stays with you..." (Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf

"So, yes, there's more than one layer to appreciate..." (Valentina at Valentina's Room

"The more child abuse is discussed in society or fiction in whatever medium, the more likely it is that the victims will realise that it is something that happens all the time, that they can speak out, be believed, and get it stopped." (Bryan Talbot)