Green River, Running Red...random thoughts

Okay, I told myself that I was going to be better about reviewing the books I read this year. Not that I would write better reviews, just that I would review more of the books I read. And here I am, procrastinating already. I finished Ann Rule's Green River, Running Red a week ago, but just haven't been motivated to write about it. But since I'm about to finish another book (finally!), I figured I'd better just go ahead and jot down a few thoughts.

I know I've talked before about trying to figure out why I even enjoy reading true crime books, because frankly, on the surface, it just seems a rather morbid way to spend one's time. The best I've been able to figure is that it's the mixture of psychology and police work that intrigues me. Or maybe I should say "used to intrigue me." Because honestly the last couple I've read have not been particularly satisfying reads. And I don't think it's because they were poorly written books; I think it's just that my tastes have changed.

Anyway, about the book. Ann Rule, former police woman, veteran crime reporter, and author of numerous true crime books, tells the story of the Green River murders. It's a story that covered nearly twenty years, and of course, a story that has never ended for the families of the victims. One of the things I love about the way Ann Rule writes her books is the way she brings the victims to life. It's evident that it is the victims of crime that motivate her. In the case of the Green River murders, most of the victims were prostitutes, young women living on the edge of society. Many in the public choose to not think about these women, many even blame these women for their own deaths. But Rule never treats them with anything less than complete respect. She introduces us to these women, and I can't imagine anyone not caring about them after reading their stories.

Rule also greatly respects the work of the detectives involved. She chronicles the exhausting work carried out by so many. Detectives who also cared about the victims and their families. Detectives who often took a lot of abuse from the media for not solving the case for so many years. Detectives whose own lives suffered, physically and mentally, from the overwhelming strain of this case. But Rule wasn't blind to the occasion mistake made in the investigation. She kept it real.

One thing I didn't like about this book was Rule's personal involvement. Now granted, there were times when she really did have a part in something going on. But at times I felt she inserted herself into the story in places where she didn't need to. That it was simply superfluous.

And there was one very big question left hanging for me. Serial killers generally do not slow down. So why after killing nearly 50 women in just a couple years time, did things change? He did not, in fact, stop murdering innocent women, but he certainly did not follow the typical pattern of escalation. It was mentioned that he didn't feel the need to kill as often after he remarried, but that seems a superficial explanation to me. The psychology-junkie in me just wished that had been discussed in more depth.

Okay then, review done for my first read of the year. I can now cross it off my to-do list. And if anyone out there reads true crime and would like my gently used copy, just say so in the comments. (If there's more than one of you, we'll do the old random.org thing).

Looking for Alaska...random thoughts

My first review of the year. But not the first book I finished, because I actually finished it right before Christmas.

This is my first book for the Dewey's Books Challenge. And such an appropriate start to the challenge it is. The story:
1. I bought this book a while back because of Dewey's review. (Oh my goodness, there are so many, many books I can say that about!)
2. The book ended up buried in the TBR piles as more and more books poured into the house.
3. Nymeth wrote this incredible review, which caused me to dig the book out of the piles and put it on my nightstand. (This is supposed to ensure that I will get to a book soon. However, it doesn't really work.)
4. As Nymeth and I spent many hours sharing our shock and grief during the week following Dewey's death, she suggested it might be a good time for me to read this book. That's where things maybe get a bit too personal, and not appropriate for a book review. But suffice it to say, that Nymeth's suggestion was a very special gift. Because it is a very special book. And it will always remind me of the very special friend we lost when Dewey passed away.

So, what's so special about this book anyway? Where do you even start with a question like that? I think I loved everything about it. I didn't make a "top reads of 2008" list, but if I had, this surely would have made the top 3.

Yes, I now understand what Dewey and Nymeth and so many other people love about John Green. This guy can write! I wish so much he'd been out there writing when I was in my teen years. Because he "gets" teenagers. It is so evident in his writing that he likes teens and he respects teens.

The characters in Looking for Alaska are so authentic. In fact, if I had to choose one word to describe everything about this book, I think "authentic" would be it. But who are these characters, and what is the book even about? The story is told by Miles Halter. A high school kid from Florida. It's not that he's picked on, or singled out, but he doesn't really have any friends either. He decides to head off to the private school in Alabama that his dad once attended. He goes in search of what he calls the "Great Perhaps."

And what he finds is a place to belong. This place is with his new friends, Chip (the Colonel), Takumi, and the irresistible Alaska Young. Some might label them "the wrong crowd," but they are definitely the right crowd for Miles. With these new friends, Miles is able to accept himself, to grow, to discover what's important in life. And to struggle with the unfairness that is a part of living in this world. This is a story of friendship, of finding one's place.

It is hilarious, and it is heartbreaking. It is one very emotional read. And there is so much to this story that I just don't want to mention, because if you haven't read it, you need to discover it all for yourself.

I know I'm simply not talented at the art of book review. And it seems I do the worst job on the books I love the most. So, instead of trying to say any more, I'm just going to leave off with a few of the myriad of passages I marked in this jewel of a book.

I wanted to be one of those people who have streaks to maintain, who scorch the ground with their intensity. But for now, at least I knew such people, and they needed me, just like comets need tails.

It as not an eventful day. I should have done extraordinary things. I should have sucked the marrow out of life. But on that day, I slept eighteen hours out of a possible twenty-four.

And so we gave up. I'd finally had enough of chasing after a ghost who did not want to be discovered. We'd failed, maybe, but some mysteries aren't meant to be solved. I still did not know her as I wanted to, but I never could. She made it impossible for me.

Before I sign off here, I just want to say thank you to Chris and Robin for hosting the Dewey's Books Challenge. It means so much to so many people.

Johnny Big Ears, The Feel-Good Friend...random thoughts

Johnny Big Ears, The Feel-Good Friend by John Paul Padilla

Me: So guys, what did you think of the book?

Gray: You mean like a rating?

Me: You could give me a rating, or you could just tell me what you thought about it.

Gray: Well, maybe a 3-. (That's out of 5.)

Max: Yeah, it's a medium book, I guess.

Me: Can you tell me anything you did like about it?

Gray: I don't know.

Me: Do you think it had a good message?

Gray: Yeah. Don't be mean to other people...

Max: Wait, what's a message?

Gray: You know, what's the book trying to tell you.

Max: Oh.

Me: I thought the message was also that we should always remember that we're special just the way we are.

Gray: And we should try to ignore it when other people say mean things about us. Like used to happen to me.

Me: Johnny Big Ears made it sound like it was easy to ignore when kids teased you...

Gray: Well it's not that easy.

Me: I know, sweetie, it isn't. But it is good to always remember how special you are no matter what other kids say.

Max: How come all the kids looked like teenagers when they're all in kindergarten?

Gray: Yeah, those kids look like they're thirteen or fourteen, not five.

Me: I can't argue with you guys there. So any other thoughts?

Max: Well, nothing happened.

Gray: Yeah, it really wasn't much of a story.

--And there you have it, as close to the exact words of our conversation as I can manage. As you can see, the boys didn't love the book. They didn't hate the book.

Personally, I hate to be too hard on a book that really does carry such a positive message, but I did have problems with it. For one thing, I simply couldn't figure out what age this book was directed at. It's about a little boy's first day in kindergarten (although as both Gray and Max said, the kids look more like 8th graders). The message is certainly appropriate for kindergartners, but the book seems far too wordy for most kids that young. And though the boys didn't seem to notice, I had big problems with the constant switching of the tenses. I'm not sure if it was deliberate or just poorly written. Maybe I'm being too picky, but I hate seeing bad examples of writing like that for children who are really just gaining steam in their own writing at this age.

Okay, as I said, I hate to be too hard on this book. If this book can help even one child see him/herself as special and unique just the way they are, then obviously it is truly a worthwhile book. I think that maybe as a mom of a little boy who has been bullied and teased, I was hoping for a little more substance. Oh let's be honest, I was daydreaming about it doing miracles...and that's a terribly unfair starting point to be judging a book from.

Dracula...random thoughts

Dracula by Bram Stoker.

At the risk of exposing the breadth of my ignorance, I have to say that I honestly knew very little about this book before I read it. Seriously, I knew it was set in Europe and that Count Dracula is a vampire. And thanks to Deslily's review (that I only skimmed because I knew I was about to read the book and didn't want to accidentally learn anything) I knew the story was told through letters and journal entries and the like. Beyond that, nothing. And though I've heard the movie is nothing like the book, I've never seen it anyway. I truly am pathetic, aren't I?

Second admission, while I was actually quite excited to read it, I have to admit I was also a bit reluctant. After my less than wonderful experience with Frankenstein last year, I feared I simply wasn't cut out for the classics of horror.

I'm delighted to say that my fears were unfounded; yes, I was extremely surprised by how much I loved this book. I will admit that it started a bit slow for me, but by the time I hit page 50 or so, I was totally hooked!

The story itself is quite suspenseful. We follow Count Dracula, an aristocratic vampire, from Transylvania to London, England, through the eyes of a Jonathan Harker, a lawyer unlucky enough to have been hired to take care of some legal matters for the Count. In Whitby and London, we meet the rest of the cast of unfortunate people who will eventually take it upon themselves to stop the Count.

But as nail-biting as this tale is, the book offers so much more. The atmospheric elements surround and transport you to the late nineteenth century. From the cliffs at Whitby to the rugged mountain pass in Transylvania, it is a haunting trip back in time. You feel the fog settle around you.

And the characters. From the beautiful, tragic Lucy to the eccentric, brilliant Dr. Van Helsing to the insane, yet very complicated Renfield. Stoker did a wonderful job in bringing these people to life...and beyond.

I realize most people have already read this book, but if you happen to be one of those people, who like me, have been avoiding this book for one reason or another, I strongly recommend you rethink your reluctance. I can definitely understand how Dracula has come to be "a classic".

*****

For more lucid thoughts on Dracula, you may want to try these reviews:

Deslily at Here, There, and Everywhere

Becky at Becky's Book Reviews

Nicki at Fyrefly's Book Blog

If you've reviewed this book, please feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll add it here.

*****


Oh how sad I will be to see RIP III come to an end!

We Have Always Live in the Castle...random thoughts

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.

In this experimental schedule thing, I've set Thursday aside for book reviews. So it's a really good thing I never got around to reviewing this book before my little blogging break. Otherwise, I'd have nothing to review, because I can't seem to finish any books lately. :(

On the other hand, I wish I didn't have to review this book...because frankly, I just don't know how. I truly adored this little book, but I cannot figure out how to talk about it. (You have no idea how tempting it is to just link up Eva's and Nymeth's reviews and call it good. After all, they are responsible for putting me in this position!)

While very short, at just over two hundred pages, this book packs a punch. I found it to be quite a unique little read, and maybe that's why I'm having trouble putting my thoughts into words.

Merricat Blackwood, her sister Constance, and their Uncle Julian have been living a life of near total isolation for the past six years. Though one discovers why fairly early in the story, I still don't want to give that away here. As reader, you know all is not right with this family...you can just feel it. In fact, the whole feeling of this book is so delightfully, yet subtly, eerie.

Merricat's perspective, from which this story is told, is so utterly unique. There is something "off" with Merricat, yet I found myself very drawn to her. She exudes a childlike innocence, and yet you know there is more going on with her. And the powerful love between these sisters is undeniable. In so many ways, they view their life as nearly idyllic. But of course, it can't last...

I find myself full of little bits and pieces of things I'd like to say about this book, but can't seem to find a way to organize them coherently without giving too much away. Let me just share the first paragraph of the book...if it doesn't totally grab you, then maybe this book just isn't for you.

My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead.

*****

If for some reason that passage didn't sell you, you really should go check out both Eva's and Nymeth's reviews. (In fact, I'm going to have to go back and read them again to remind myself of just how beautifully they managed it!)

Eva at A Striped Armchair
(By the way, Eva was very kind, and let's one know where to stop reading her review if planning to read the book. I'm very glad I took her advice at the time!)
Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot
(I am so glad I just reread her review, because it turns out she was wonderfully able to put into words one of the things I really wanted to talk about, but couldn't figure out how. It's the part about it being so incredibly sad. Yep, definitely go read her review!)

And if there's anyone else out there with a review of this book, feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll be sure to add it here. Thanks.

*****


Hard to believe, but I actually officially finished a challenge! But I most definitely haven't finished reading for RIP!

*****

And totally unrelated:
--I hate it, but I finally decided I just couldn't catch up and clicked the old "mark all as read" button again. That's such a painful thing to do, isn't it?

--As far as "the schedule" goes, Thursdays are also the day we announce the week's point-winners for Annie's vocabulary game over on our homeschooling blog. There's still plenty of time to join in this quarter's game. :)

--Also, as far as "the schedule" goes, Fridays are to be another book review day (so this week, I'll be silent) and they are to be my day to update our goings-on on the homeschool blog.

--Yeah, I know all this "scheduling" talk makes for riveting reading...HA! Don't worry, I'll be done announcing my plans by Monday. :)

The Witches...random thoughts

The Witches by Roald Dahl.

I was a big reader as a kid. But you know, I've come to the conclusion that I must have read a lot of crap. I'm only half kidding there. While I really did read all the time, I honestly remember very little of what I read. Now on the one hand, the books I read really weren't crap, after all, they certainly set up a lifelong love of reading. But on the other hand, I find it utterly amazing how few of the children's classics I've actually read. Take Roald Dahl...The Witches is my very first venture into his world. But you know, instead of regret, I think I'll take the attitude of joyful anticipation in knowing there's so many more wonderful books out there for me to discover.

The Witches hooked us (Gray, Max, and I) from page one:

In fairy-tales, witches always wear silly black hats and black cloaks, and they ride on broomsticks.
But this is not a fairy-tale. This is about REAL WITCHES.
The most important thing you should know about REAL WITCHES is this. Listen very carefully. Never forget what is coming next.
REAL WITCHES dress in ordinary clothes and look very much like ordinary women. They live in ordinary houses and they work in ORDINARY JOBS.
That is why they are so hard to catch.
A REAL WITCH hates children with a red-hot sizzling hatred that is more sizzling and red-hot than any hatred you could possibly imagine.

Can't you just tell that it's going to be a delightfully thrilling book just from that opening?!!

It is the story of a boy, who comes to live with his beloved Grandmamma in Norway after his parents are killed. His grandmother is an expert on witches, and she begins teaching her grandson about the precautions he should be taking. For one thing, while, as we learn in the passage above, witches look like ordinary women, there are clues that one can look out for. For example, witches always wear gloves because their fingernails aren't of the human variety, but are more like animal claws. Secondly, witches wear wigs, because they are all actually bald.

Witches, by the way, live all around the world in every country. They form a sort of organization, headed by the Grand High Witch. She travels the world, attending a sort of witches' convention which is held in each country, each year.

Now the boy and his grandmother are forced to move back to England because of a stipulation in his parents' will. After the boy finishes up the school year, they plan to spend the summer holiday in Norway. But the grandmother suffers a slight illness, and her doctor insists she vacation closer to home. And this is how they end up at the Hotel Magnificent at the very same time as the witches' meeting in England.

One day, the boy finds himself accidentally locked in a huge meeting room at the hotel with a bunch of women from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Of course, these women aren't who they say they were. In fact, they aren't really women at all. Every witch from England is in this meeting hall. And the boy overhears their diabolical plan for ridding England of its children once and for all...

I honestly can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. It was a pure delight, but definitely not a delight of the sugar-coated variety. In fact, at the start I worried just a wee bit that it might be slightly too scary for the boys. But it wasn't. No, they loved every word of it! In fact, this is the very first chapter book that I've read to them that Max actually stuck with for each and every page. While he loves for us to read him shorter books, he tends to get bored with the couple chapters a night routine of a longer book. Not this time, let me tell you...he exclaimed that it was his favorite book ever! (Shocking, considering it wasn't even about cats.)

The Island of Dr. Moreau...random thoughts

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells.

I read my first book by Wells (The War of the Worlds) earlier this year, and was so delightfully surprised by how much I enjoyed it. While I'm not sure I enjoyed The Island of Dr. Moreau quite as much, the reasons for that have nothing to do with Well's writing. For there is something about his writing that I really adore. I'm not sure if I can adequately explain it, but to me, it seems to have this unique combination of intelligence, beauty, and complete down-to-earthness. (A gift I obviously don't possess, as can be witnessed in the use of "down-to-earthness" as a word.) He just has a wonderful way of using language in a way that is both expressive and thoroughly lacking in pretentiousness.

No, it wasn't the writing that marred my enjoyment of this book. Actually, it was my own weak stomach. There were parts of this book that left me feeling physically ill. Not a figure of speech, but honest-to-goodness sick to my stomach.

The telling of the story begins with Edward Prendick's experience after being rescued at sea after a shipwreck. At the time of his rescue, he has been afloat for some time, and would probably not have lasted much longer out on the open ocean. His rescuers are an odd lot. The drunken captain of this boat is an obnoxious man. He is delivering a fellow named Montgomery, along with his strange companion and several animals, including a puma, a llama, and a multitude of rabbits, to an island seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It was Montgomery who saved Prendick's life, but it seems as if he did so merely as a diversion as opposed to any real desire to help out a fellow human being. Upon arriving at the island, Prendick is put in an impossible situation...the captain won't allow him to stay aboard the boat and Montgomery won't allow him to come onto the island. However, Dr. Moreau, the man truly in charge of the island, relents when he finds that Prendick has some scientific training.

And here is where things truly take a turn for the macabre. For Dr. Moreau is no ordinary doctor, no ordinary scientist. In fact, it turns out that there is a reason why the name was so familiar to Prendick. For Dr. Moreau had been famous in the London news some ten years earlier for his experiments in vivisection. After that, Dr. Moreau had disappeared. And Prendick now finds that he has continued these experiments in earnest here on his own little deserted island. And yes, it is here in some of these descriptions, that I had a hard time pushing my way through.

But I must say that I'm quite glad that I did stick with it. For the book, while horrific, has so much to offer. I don't want to give away what happens during the rest of the book for those who have never read it, but I do want to say that it is not merely a gruesome tale of evil experimentation on animals. It has great relevance even today. For medical and scientific ethics will always be relevant. Though experiments of the sort Dr. Moreau seem clearly abhorrent to us, what about experiments in genetic engineering or in stem cell research? And no, I'm not saying that I think these avenues of research are wrong. And I'm definitely not wanting to start any debate here on my little blog about it. I'm merely saying that I found this book full of thought-provoking material.

Along with the issues of medical ethics, there's much to ponder on the subject of what makes us human. I was reminded a great deal of Shelley's Frankenstein as I read this book, both because of this question and more obviously because of the two obsessed men featured in these stories. (Okay, I admit it...I was also reminded of the episode of Gilligan's Island where the mad doctor scientist takes the castaways to his island where he's doing mind transfer experiments on animals. Hey, I never claimed to be an intellectual.)

So, despite some unpleasant images, I'm quite glad I read this book. And it definitely made for an appropriate R.I.P. read. Finally, I just want to share one line that I particularly loved:

An animal may be ferocious and cunning enough, but it takes a real man to tell a lie.

*****

If you have also reviewed this book, please feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll add it here. Thanks.

Becky at Becky's Book Reviews

The Stand...random thoughts

The Stand by Stephen King

Let me just say from the start that my objectivity when it comes to this book is somewhat in question. Okay, it may be non-existent. I've simply been in love with this book for far too long. As scary as it is to admit, I first read this book nearly 30 years ago. Before that time, I'd certainly had books I'd adored as a kid. But The Stand was the first adult-ish book that just totally captivated me. I'd read a couple other Stephen King books prior to this, and really loved them, but even they hadn't prepared me for the experience I would have with The Stand. It was so much more than a great book to me. There have certainly been other books that have drawn me into them so much that I feel I'm living them, but none before or since has done that so completely as The Stand. Around this house, we speak of the characters in this book as if they are real people. For in my mind, they are so alive that I simply can't banish them to the world of fiction.

Somewhere along the line I lost count of how many times I've read this book. Minimum count is six. But I think it's really seven or eight. This time around I read the "complete and uncut" version. It's the version I recommend, as it has all of the story King originally wanted told. Yes, it adds hundreds of pages to an already lengthy book. And yes, the book I originally fell in love with was the originally published shortened version. And at this point, after having read both more than once, I'm not even 100% sure of all that is missing from the shortened version. But I do remember being amazed upon first reading the uncut version...I couldn't believe that the publishers had made King cut so much "good stuff".

Anyway, what is the book about? Ultimately, I suppose it boils down to your basic good vs. evil story. But really, that doesn't do this book justice at all. While it is as simple as that, it is also so very much more complicated than that. The powers that be in the good old U.S.A. had cooked up some very nasty germs. Human error and human terror ultimately result in said nasty germs finding their way out of super-secretive government facility, where they manage to wipe out in the neighborhood of 99% of the human population. We witness government denial, militaristic clamp-downs, and the basest of human behaviors as society falls apart. But we also meet the people who will make sacrifices through the coming months that will help the human race survive. These people are not of the too-good-to-be-true variety. No, they are good people, but they are real people, people with weaknesses, people who make mistakes.

There's way too much to the book to explain everything, so it will sound terribly simplistic when I say that the survivors of the plague in the U.S. end up in two camps, the "bad guys" in Las Vegas and the "good guys" in Boulder, CO. Please just trust me that it is not nearly so simplistic. And the whole idea of "good guys" and "bad guys" is not nearly so simplistic either. Tom Cullen, who just happens to be one of my favorite people in the book, is a mildly retarded man with an extraordinary gift of understanding. At one point, when he is trying to get back to Boulder, or "the free Zone" as they call it, he thinks about the differences.

He lay in the shade of the big rock and watched the sky darken. The stars began to peep out. He thought about Pringle's Potato chips and wished he had some. When he got back to the Zone--if he did get back to the Zone--he would have all of them he wanted. He would gorge on Pringle's chips. And bask in the love of his friends. That was what was missing back there in Las Vegas, he decided--simple love. They were nice enough people and all, but there wasn't much love in them. Because they were too busy being afraid. Love didn't grow very well in a place where there was only fear, just as plants didn't grow very well in a place where it was always dark.

As I said, this story is just too big to summarize adequately. It's good vs. evil. It's human frailty. It's love and sacrifice. It's society crumbling. It's struggles with rebuilding a society, and questions about whether that's even a good idea.

Stephen King has multitudes of fans. *Raising my hand* (Though I freely admit it's been a very long time since I've read anything by him other than a handful of short stories.) But he also has many detractors. And while I certainly realize that not everyone enjoys the type of stories he writes, horror stories, stories with supernatural elements, sometimes stories with a bit of gore. I can certainly understand that. But I've never quite been able to understand those people who claim that the man simply can't write. I guess my standards for good writing just differ from some of the experts on such matters. But to me, good writing is as simple as telling a great story, making characters truly come to life, and making me "feel" something in a powerful way.

Yes, I do agree that there are those with a tremendous gift with words. People who can make words sound like music. Ray Bradbury comes to mind. And in mind, Stephen King isn't quite that type of writer. Though I don't think he's entirely lacking in this gift either.

From here you could actually see Gary, because the industrial smokes that usually poured from its factory stacks were absent and the air up that way was as clear as it was down here. Chicago was a dream wrapped in summer haze, and there was faint blue glint to the far northeast that was either Lake Michigan or just wishful thinking.

But while it is a delight to read the words of a lyrical author, I don't believe that is the only kind of author that can qualify for that subjective category of "good writer". Yes, I do know that I have no "qualifications" for judging good writing. I have no literary degree, and can't even intelligently discuss books in the way so many people can. (Just reading my reviews gives proof of that.) I just come at it from the point of view as your average reader.

I said earlier that what really makes a book for me are a great story, real characters, and an emotional connection. So, it is easy for me to see why this book continues to be my favorite book ever. First, I'm a sucker for a great post-apocalyptic tale, and The Stand is truly the ultimate story in this genre in my eyes. It's just a great story. Despite its 1,153 page length (in my hard cover version), it never slows, it never feels too long. Though at times it does get a bit heavy to hold. :) Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, the characters in this book are so well-developed, are so utterly human, that I truly feel I know them. I most certainly love many of them despite the fact that my brain tells me they're only fictional. And finally, we come to that emotional connection. Yes, there are many, many books that make me cry. This is definitely one of them. And there are many, many books that make me smile because they touch some very special part of my heart. Again, this is definitely one of them. There are books that scare me. Again this one qualifies. Stephen King makes me "feel" so much throughout the course of this book...from the utter terror of Stu's escape from Stovington to the horror of Larry's journey through the Lincoln tunnel to the revulsion of Lloyd's existence locked in a jail cell when no one else there remains alive to the innocent jubilation of Tom when he finds the bike that Nick fixed up for him to the heart-breaking agony when Larry, Glen, and Ralph have to leave Stu...I could go on forever. But I won't, as I'm fairly sure I've already gone on far too long as it is.

*****

If you've reviewed this book, please feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll add it here. Thanks.

*****

I started this too early to use it for the RIP Challenge, but it would make a great read for it! It does "unofficially" count towards my End of the World, Chunkster, Decades, and A-Z Challenges.

a book, a short story, and a pile of tiny stories

First up, The Missing Girl by Norma Fox Mazer. This is the only book I've finished in the past couple weeks, and it was a while back that I actually finished it. I've been working my way through The Stand and catching up on my major backlog of scrapbooking magazines, but not getting much other reading done.

Anyway, The Missing Girl is the story of five sisters, Beauty, Mim, Stevie (born Faithful), Fancy, and Autumn. In a way I hesitate to call their family dysfunctional, but I do think it an appropriate label. The girls' parents are not alcoholics or drug addicts, they don't physical or sexually abuse the girls. But nor are they truly there for the girls. The father had an accident and badly injured his back. He has not been able to work since this accident, so money has been extremely tight. He has also pulled away from family life in many ways since the accident. And the mother, well, she seems unwilling to even try to deal with the stresses of their lives these days. So it is left to Beauty, at age 17, to take care of her sisters in many respects.

Life isn't easy for the girls, and something they don't know will soon make their lives so much worse. For there is a man, a sick, depraved man, who watches them. And eventually he kidnaps one of the girls. I won't spoil the story by telling you who he kidnaps or what happens from there. But I will say that while the kidnapping and what follows is the suspenseful part of the book, it's not what truly made this book so worthwhile. No, that was the girls themselves. They got under my skin. Each one, so unique, so human. Each one with their own strengths and weaknesses. And the way they related to one another. They felt so incredibly real, so human, that you couldn't help but get attached to them.

***

Now, a short story. Now, I fully admit that I have a hard time reviewing books. And I have an even harder time reviewing short stories. People like Nymeth and Stephanie and Carl make it look so easy. Whether it really is easy for them, I don't know, but they sure make it look effortless. Case in point, yesterday Nymeth reviewed a few stories, including one titled "The evolution of trickster stories among the dogs of North Park after the Change". She left me so intrigued that I had to immediately use the link she provided and go read the story myself. And now here I am, stuck trying to put into words my feelings about this story. It's the story of what happens in one particular park after the Change...the Change being an event which gave all domesticated animals the ability to speak in the languages we humans use. This story depends on all the stories within the story, and it is both this concept and the stories themselves which really fascinate. I've only recently really gained an appreciation for folklore, and this was just a treat. I'm having a hard time putting my feelings into words here, but "The evolution of trickster stories among the dogs of North Park after the Change" may well be the most original story I've ever read. Seriously. It's entertaining. It's sad. It's uniquely written. But most of all, it is thought-provoking. Extremely thought-provoking.

(I actually read another fabulous short story recently, but I can't seem to remember to ask Jean where it is going to be published. See, it was written by her son. And of course, she did tell me already, but my darn brain won't hand over the information. Hopefully, she'll read this and fill us all in, because I most definitely highly recommend it.)

***

And now for the tiny stories. For those of you who don't know, a tiny story is a story 100 words in length. Exactly 100 words. With no word repeated. It doesn't sound all that difficult to do, right? Wrong! It is soooo hard! Well, I guess I can only speak for myself. Maybe it comes much easier to some. But for me, well, it took hours upon hours to put together my tiny story. I would find a repeated word and have to rewrite sections. Then find another repeated word, and so on, and so on, and so on... Anyway, my effort paid off. During RIP II, Carl ran a tiny stories contest, featuring stories of the dark and creepy vein. And he posted the stories here at the beginning of RIP III. Now, I truly don't believe I deserved to win, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't totally thrilled about it! Beyond it just feeling really good, as many of you already know, Carl gives out the most amazing prize packages in all of blogland! Seriously, this guy is nothing if not generous! Thank you, Carl! And I highly recommend going over and reading everyone's stories...they are absolutely fabulous!!!

The Killer Angels...random thoughts

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara.

Truth be told, I did not want to read this book. I made myself read it, because I wanted Annie to read it for homeschooling. Why was I so afraid of it? I think I feared it was going to be very dry, and full of talk of weapons and tactics and strategy. I honestly don't mind reading about war, but I get really bogged down when a book starts getting into all the minutia of a particular battle. I don't know squat about weapons, and my eyes tend to glaze over if book goes into too much detail on that front. But there most definitely are some unbelievably fabulous books with the theme of war, both fiction and non-fiction. And you know what...I discovered this is most definitely one of them! (By the way, had I realized before I started reading it, that this was the book that the movie Gettysburg was based on, I wouldn't have had any reservations at all. Love that movie!)

Anyway, it's not that this book doesn't mention weapons and tactics and strategy, but those things are not the focus of the book. Nor is the focus of the book the causes of the American Civil War. It's not that these things are ignored, they're simply not the backbone of this book. No, this book is about people. About the individuals, the officers involved in the Battle of Gettysburg.

Michael Shaara writes in a letter to the reader:

You may find it a different story from the one you learned in school. There have been many versions of that battle and that war. I have therefore avoided historical opinions and gone back primarily to the words of the men themselves, their letters and other documents.

And the story that emerged from his efforts is a powerful one. As I read, I wasn't judging the men as "right" or "wrong" as is so easy to do when you're reading about war. No, I was too busy admiring these men, for their bravery, for their loyalty, not necessarily to a cause but to the men who served beneath them, for their sheer and honest humanness. These were men being torn apart by this war. In some cases, men forced to fight against their dearest friends. Men knowing they must follow orders, despite knowing the disaster that lie ahead.

Highly recommend it.

*****

If you have reviewed this book, feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll add it here. Thanks.

*****

Read for:

Homeschooling.


Book Awards II. (Pulitzer Prize 1975)

The Two Towers...random thoughts

First of all, I just have to say thank you to you all for the incredibly sweet comments you left yesterday! I was literally left in tears over all your kind words! There are still times when this whole blogging thing just totally amazes me...how I can feel so close to people I've never even met. How people I've never laid my eyes on can bring me such joy. How I can consider people whom I will probably never see face-to-face real, true friends. Yep, it still boggles my mind at times. Anyway, thank you!

So, about this book...

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien.

What really can I say about it? You know, how exactly do you go about reviewing a book that nearly everyone on the planet has already read? A book that is so adored and treasured. I'm at a loss. Truly. But I feel like I "should" say something since I've used it as a challenge read. So, I'll just throw out a few thoughts and call it good.

I think I mentioned (but I'm too lazy to actually go look) when I finished The Fellowship of the Ring, that I had come to think of my reading time spent with these books as a "gift to myself". That's really what it is. I know it's taken me forever to read The Two Towers, but the reason isn't because I didn't enjoy reading it or that it didn't hold my interest. Quite the opposite, in fact. I wanted to savor the experience. So I refused to pick it up for a minute here, and five minutes there like I do with most books. That's just how most of my reading is fit into my days. But this wasn't a book I picked up as I stirred the spaghetti sauce or waited on hold "for the next available customer service representative". No, I saved this for those rare times when I could curl up and know that I could read uninterrupted. Sometimes that meant I went for a couple weeks without picking it up, but I was always carried immediately right back into Middle Earth as soon as I opened the pages again.

This is one (well, by one, I actually mean the trilogy) of those rare books, that so gracefully takes you away from your own life and transports you to its own world. You don't just imagine you're there...you ARE there. I have to admit, in some ways, I didn't love this second book as much as the first. It's just that I enjoyed the story in the first better; I loved when they were still all together. But then again, with the second book, I was for some reason more able to enjoy Tolkien's extremely beautiful writing. I know some people think he can really babble on at times, and I think that notion is what kept me from reading these books for so long. But if what he's doing is babbling, I say babble on! His rich descriptions are one of the reasons I think I can so easily "live in" this story.

It was dreary and wearisome. Cold clammy winter still held sway in this forsaken country. The only green was the scum of livid weed on the dark greasy surfaces of the sullen waters. Dead grasses and rotting reeds loomed up in the mists like ragged shadows of long-forgotten summers.

You not only see it, but you feel it and you smell it and you can even nearly taste the air, can't you?

Every step was reluctant, and time seemed to slow its pace, so that between the raising of a foot and the setting of it down minutes of loathing passed.

I literally felt my body shrink up in fear and dread as I read this. Seriously, could he have worded that any more perfectly? I think not.

Oh man, it's me who is beginning to babble now, isn't it? Only I don't do it with such skill and grace and beauty, so I'll just shut up now.

*****

If you've reviewed this, please feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll post it here. Please! These books obviously deserve better than my rambling.

*****

Read for:

Pure and utter enjoyment!

Inklings Challenge.

Numbers Challenge.

Initials Challenge.

Stuart Little...random thoughts

Stuart Little by E.B. White.

Okay, I'm just going to keep this one short and sweet. Actually, probably not so sweet, as I really didn't like this book at all. And that's why I'm just going to keep it short. I don't look forward to the hateful comments I may receive for not falling in love with this beloved classic...obviously I'm kidding, as book bloggers are among the sweetest, most courteous people on the planet.

Anyway, I personally find it hard to believe that this story was written by E.B. White. I disliked Stuart Little nearly as much as I adored Charlotte's Web. Maybe my expectations were too high. But I didn't feel like Stuart Little held together as a cohesive whole...it felt more like snippets of stories thrown together. With Stuart as the thread that loosely tied them. And frankly, I didn't find Stuart all that charming a character. (And I certainly have nothing against talking rodents as characters, as I loved Despereaux and Mrs. Frisby and Templeton....) On top of these things, I found parts of the book dreadfully dull, particularly the couple of chapters about the boat race on the pond in the park. I'm sure boating aficionados would have no trouble with this section, but the boys and I didn't understand half the words in there as it was overloaded with sailing jargon.

But speaking of the boys, they had a different take on the book than I did. They rather enjoyed most of it. (Though they didn't enjoy the boat race either.) Gray thought the chapter where Stuart Little played substitute teacher for a day was particularly funny. Max, of course, loved any mention of Snowbell the cat (big surprise, huh?).

Something we all agreed on...the ending was just plain weird. I thought that maybe it was just the grown-up in me that objected to the ending. (Stuart has left his family without a word to them to go in search of a friend, and he obviously has no plans of coming back. This is a family who, by the way, has always cherished him and taken very good care of him.) But it wasn't just the adult viewpoint...Gray and Max both thought it totally weird, too. They simply couldn't believe that the book was over, and asked if there was a sequel.

Surely there is a reason why this book is so well-loved by so many, but it just escaped me. Possibly it was just my mood while reading it. And possibly I just totally missed the boat. But for whatever reason, this book just didn't do it for me. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

By the way, Annie and Rich arrived home from a jog just after the boys and I finished the book last night. She says, "Well, if you wanted to read another good one by E.B. White, you should have read The Trumpet of the Swan, not Stuart Little." Gee, thanks for the timely advice, Annie.

*****

If you have also reviewed this book, feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll post it here. I'd love to see some other points of view! Thanks.

*****

Read for:

Celebrate the Author Challenge.

Well-Rounded Challenge.

Initials Challenge.

Read-aloud to boys.

Sonny's House of Spies...random thoughts

Sonny's House of Spies by George Ella Lyon.

First off, just let me say that I adored this book. Absolutely adored it. This is one of those times that I wish I rated books, just so I could give this one top marks. A big thank you to Medbie, for it was her wonderful review which brought it to my attention.

Sonny's House of Spies is essentially a coming of age story, set in rural Alabama in the 1950s. We first meet Sonny at age nine, when his father walks out on the family. But most of the book takes place four years later. Sonny's older sister, Loretta, is as smart as she is smart-mouthed. And his younger brother, Deaton, was too young when their father left them to even remember him. So in many ways, Sonny feels alone in his quest to understand what happened, and alone in his loyalty to his long-lost father.

There is so much going on in this book, but I don't want to give anything away. Family relations, racism, religion, homophobia...all that and much more.

But what is it that I loved so much about this book?

Maybe top of the list, comes the writing. I felt myself transplanted to the South with every page I read. I'm willing to bet I could turn to nearly any page in the book and find a passage worthy of sharing, but I'll just share a few:

We sat right up front, of course. And it was hot, hot, hot. All the windows had been propped open, but it was one of those afternoons when the air lay on top of you like a big cat, and no waving of cardboard Jesus-at-the-door fans could make it get up and move.

You get people in your house and give them food and it's hard to get them out. This crowd stayed till five-thirty and when they finally left even the furniture looked tired.

My head hurt, my stomach felt all pinched up, and my heart was pumping dread instead of blood.

Many a time this book brought a smile to my face. Once it had me nearly rolling on the floor with laughter. And twice the tears rolled as hard as that laughter did.

But in addition to the writing and the story itself, there are the characters. Oh, how I love the characters in this book. Especially Sonny. And Loretta. And Mamby. The people in this book, the likable and unlikable both, just feel so real.

This book is housed in the young adult section in our library. And while I feel it is entirely appropriate for those readers, I also think it's one of those books that can only bring you more as an adult. Truly a sweet, heart-breaking, wonderful book.


*****

If you have reviewed this book, feel free to leave a link in the comments, and I'll add it here. Thanks.

Medbie at Medb's Montage

*****

Read for:

The Southern Reading Challenge. (Though it wasn't one of my original choices. Bad me.)

Death: The High Cost of Living...random thoughts

Death: The High Cost of Living by Neil Gaiman.

I must start out by saying that I loved this book! I loved it, I loved it, I loved it!

I first heard of it when I read Nymeth's post about her favorite books. I thought it sounded wonderful, but despite the fact that she said that you didn't need to read the whole Sandman series first to enjoy and appreciate this book, I kept telling myself that I should. (Read all of The Sandman first, I mean.) That is, until I happened to see Death in the library...and then Nymeth's review started dancing around in my head and I simply couldn't resist.

I'd already met Death at the end of Preludes and Nocturnes, and was quite intrigued with her. And she only became all the more likable in this book. You really want to be her friend...she's not only incredibly sweet and down-to-earth, but owing to who she is and her circumstances, she comes off a bit crazy. And what are her circumstances? Well, once every hundred years, Death gets to take human form and come be amongst mortals as a mortal herself. And this is where we see her in this book.

The story is actually told by a teenage boy named Sexton, who happens to contemplating suicide. Not because his life is so horrible. But because it is so meaningless. Death (a.k.a. Didi, to the people she meets this day) saves Sexton when a refrigerator falls on him in the garbage dump. In so many ways, the day Sexton and Death spend together is incredibly ordinary. Getting just this one day per century as a person, Death truly appreciates the things we take for granted. Like what she has to say about eating an apple..."I said, don't apples taste great? I mean the way they taste. And the texture. And the way when you chew them they kind of crunch and the juice runs out in your mouth. Isn't it amazing?" And you know what, it is amazing...but how often do I stop and think about it that way? Sadly, not enough.

Anyway, back to their day. As I said, in many ways, their day was quite ordinary. But in others, well, definitely not. I mean how many of us have a woman claiming to be 250-years-old threaten to carve our face with a broken bottle if our friend (that would be Death, in this case) doesn't go find her heart for her?

And through this ordinary, yet so definitely not ordinary day, Sexton begins to rethink the gift that is life. Was this Death's intention all along? I'm not sure...I've been mulling this over in my mind since I finished the book yesterday, and I can't decide what I think. Maybe I don't want to make up my mind.

Anyway, in case you didn't catch it earlier...I really, really loved this book!

*****

If you've also reviewed this book, feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll add it here. Thanks.

Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot
Rhinoa at Rhinoa's Ramblings
Valentina at Valentina's Room

*****

Read for:


Graphic Novels Challenge.


A-Z.

Six Modern Plagues and How We Are Causing Them...random thoughts

Six Modern Plagues and How We Are Causing Them by Mark Jerome Walters.

I was inspired to pick up this book at the library after reading New Guinea Tapeworms and Jewish Grandmothers by Robert S. Desowitz. The basic theme of that book had been how we as humans were exacerbating many infectious disease problems in the world through our altering of the environment. And while I enjoyed that book, it was, at times, a bit much for a non-scientist as myself to get through. Not to mention that it was written in the 1980s. Six Modern Plagues sounded as if it might be a nice follow-up on the subject. And I'm pleased to say it was. I honestly had a hard time putting this book down...it was a truly fascinating look at the relationship between human actions and infectious disease.

From the introduction:

So closely are many new epidemics linked to ecological changes that they might rightfully be called "ecodemics."

Intensive modern agriculture, clear-cutting of forests, global climate change, decimation of many predators that once kept disease-carrying smaller animals in check, and other environmental changes have all contributed to the increase.

Each chapter focuses on a different disease, Mad Cow Disease, HIV/AIDS, Salmonella DT104, Lyme Disease, Hantavirus, and West Nile Virus. In addition, the author also talks a bit about SARS in the epilogue. He discusses in a very down-to-earth manner how these diseases have come to affect the lives of humans, as well as the reasons why we are dealing with them in the first place.

*****

If you have also reviewed this book, feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll post it here. Thanks.

*****

Read for:

Non-Fiction Five '08. (substitute)

Becoming a Superhero...random thoughts

Becoming a Superhero by William D. Smith.

I have to admit that when I read "William D. Smith tells the story of young Billy, a boy who wants to grow up to be a superhero" in the info on this book, I figured it could go either way. Of course, that's true of any book, but I really thought this one had the potential to be a real winner or a real loser. And I'm now happy to report that it definitely falls in the winner category.

It really is a delightful little book, one that both the boys and I enjoyed. Those recommended ages they slap onto books said it was for kids 8-12, but it was quite suitable for my 5- and 7-year-olds. Max wouldn't have been able to read it to himself, but it was perfect for our read-aloud.

The story is a semi-autobiographical telling of the author's life as a boy in a Pennsylvania coal town in the mid-1940s. Billy comes from a somewhat dysfunctional family, but is still surrounded by love. His constant sidekick, and oft-time nemesis, is William, his shadow.

It's a very family friendly book, and yet Billy isn't always an angelic little boy. What kid is, right? William does his darnedest to keep Billy out of trouble, but isn't terribly successful. In chapter after chapter, we get to read about the episodes that make up this 10-year-old boy's life, everything from the soapbox derby to his attempts at flying to "funeral vacations" to his first job as a paperboy to flushing his harmonica down the toilet.

As an added bonus, we get to see a slice of life during the last year of WWII. From a kid's perspective. Billy talks about how he had to save his allowance to buy war bonds, and how he collected scrap metal to help the war effort, and how he loved collecting war trophies, including his prize German army helmet.

And throughout the book, through all the stories, runs this theme of heroes. Billy wants badly to be a superhero. Hence his attempts at flying. He spends a lot of time trying to figure out how one attains superhero status. But as he grows, he learns a lot about who the real heroes are in life. And in one very scary incident, he even proves that he himself is a hero, though that was the last thing on his mind at the time.

Okay, now I have one small complaint to make. The cover really bugged me. The book is about a 10-year-old, and is supposedly aimed at readers aged 8-12. So why does the little boy on the cover appear to be about 3-years-old?!! And don't think this fact escaped Max and Gray either...they were not thrilled about the fact that I was going to read them this book "for babies". I know, I know, the whole judging a book by its cover thing. But why look for trouble, if you know what I mean.

*****

If you have also reviewed this book, feel free to leave a link in the comments, and I will include it here. Thanks.

*****

Read for:

Read-aloud to the boys.

For review.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox...random thoughts

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson.

First off, let me say thanks to Becky, for it was she would urged me to pick this book up. Secondly, let me say that I have no idea of how to review this book. The problem being that I just don't want to give too much away. This is truly a book where you want to allow things to be slowly revealed to you.

I can say that Jenna Fox is a 17-year-old girl, who is trying to discover who she is. But not entirely in the way a normal teenager must search for their identity and meaning in life. No, Jenna just woke up from a coma and doesn't remember anything about herself. Gradually, she remembers little snippets about her former life, but nothing that gives her a feel for "who she is".

Maybe that is all any life is composed of, trivia that eventually adds up to a person...

I found that to be an interesting thought. But believe me, this book is nowhere as simple as I've made it sound.

It is definitely one those books that gets you thinking about many issues. Most especially, what is it that makes us human?

And there's lots to ponder in the realm of medical ethics.

And I must admit, as a parent, it left me a little unsettled, thinking about the lengths I might go to save one of my children.

Okay, I realize this isn't much of a review...like I said, I really don't want to give anything about the story away. But I loved it. I found Jenna utterly believable. And I loved the interesting way the book was written...in short "not quite chapters". And the way the author made me think about the meaning of words that inhabit our daily lives.

*****

If you have reviewed this book, feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll add it here. Thanks.

Becky at Becky's Book Reviews
Kim at Bold Blue Adventure

*****

Read for:



A-Z Reading Challenge.








42 Challenge.













The YA Reading Challenge. (a substitute)

Sky Burial...random thoughts

Sky Burial by Xinran.

I've been awfully irked with myself lately for joining so many challenges. So many that I rarely seem to finish them. But this book was truly an example of the good that comes from reading challenges. What would the chances have been that I would have read this book without Joy's A-Z Reading Challenge? I can honestly say, practically zero. But I needed an "X" author, so I picked this one up from the library. And wow...am I glad I did! This may well make my top five reads of the year.

But you know, it's hard to explain what I loved so much about it. I've read that it's a love story. And it is, but it's so much more than that. It's one woman's journey from China to Tibet to search for her husband who is supposedly lost in the war. Young doctors in China, Shu Wen and her husband, Kenju, are married only a few weeks before Kenju heads off to Tibet with high hopes of helping the people there. Just a couple months after this Wen receives word that her husband is killed. But no one seems to have any more information than that. Wen decides that she must go to Tibet to find her husband, so she joins the army as a doctor.

What follows is a thirty year journey to the truth. It is a heart-breaking, fascinating journey. Early on, Wen is separated from her fellow Chinese. But not before saving the life of a young Tibetan woman, whose story is equally as interesting as Shu Wen's. Because of Wen's kindness, this young woman then helps keep Wen alive. They are taken in by a nomadic Tibetan family who truly live off the land in this very beautiful, but very harsh land. Wen very slowly learns their language and their religion and their way of life.

You know what...I am really not doing this book justice. It's such a touching story. It's rich in culture. It's rich in beauty. It's rich in emotion. And yes, we do finally learn of Kenju's fate, which is a powerful story all on its own.

*****

If you have reviewed this book, feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll be happy to add it here. Thanks.

Natasha at Maw Books
Medb at Medb's Montage
Melody at Melody's Reading Corner

*****

Read for:


The A-Z Challenge.

We Are On Our Own...random thoughts

We Are On Our Own: A Memoir by Miriam Katin.

Another Holocaust story. Another personal story. Another thought-provoking story. Another story that left me counting my infinite blessings.

I don't mean to say that this book is a rehashing of stories I've read before. It most definitely is not. It is yet another unique look at a slice of the horrors of World War II. Instead, the idea I meant to convey is that this period in world history is so full of stories. Of heart-breaking stories. Of hopeful stories. Of stories that seem so hard to comprehend, and yet shockingly are all too true.

We Are On Our Own is the story of a very young girl and her mother told in graphic novel form. Her courageous, intelligent, determined mother. This was quite a unique viewpoint. For the events most significant to a young child are probably not the events that would stand out most to an adult.

While her father is off fighting in the War, Miriam and her mother are home in Hungary. Certainly life is different than it had once been, but the sheer terror that Jews elsewhere had been facing hadn't quite reached them yet. But then, of course, that changes. Through some very smart, very brave actions taken by Miriam's mother, they avoid being deported by the Germans. They escape Budapest, and the book follows their survival through the next year as they run and hide.

One of the aspects that touched me the most in this book was the way she dealt with God. I don't know how to quite explain it, but watching the way a child tried to fit God into the reality of the horrible existence she was living was incredibly powerful.

*****

If you've reviewed this book, please feel free to leave a link in the comments and I will add it here. Thanks.

Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf
Natasha at Maw Books
Heather at A Year of Books

*****

Read for:


Graphic Novels Challenge.

New Guinea Tapeworms and Jewish Grandmothers...random thoughts

New Guinea Tapeworms and Jewish Grandmothers: Tales of Parasites and People by Robert S. Desowitz.

No clue how to review this book. None at all. But since I read it for the Non-Fiction Five Challenge, I guess I have to at least make an effort. Though frankly, I do not foresee convincing anyone to go pick up this book. Not because I didn't enjoy it, I'm just not sure how many people who read my blog are looking to brush up on their knowledge of parasites. Then again, who knows. :)

This was quite a different kind of read for me. Aside from stuff for homeschooling, the only science-type reading I generally do is more of a natural history nature. So, this was horizon expanding, to say the least.

I worried a bit before starting that this book might be above my head, not being a scientist myself. There were a few times when I had to reread a page here and there when he got to talking about evolutionary biology and speciation in parasites, but overall it was very lay-person friendly. The above mentioned parts were also the least interesting to me, and luckily didn't take up much of the book.

In fact, really the major focus of the book was more about how man-made ecological and environmental changes have historically been to blame for making infectious diseases worse. The book is full of examples illustrating this. In some instances, these environmental changes have even been made with the best of intentions, yet have still had catastrophic results. And often, the results are unknown to the world at large because they affect the poorest of the world's people.

Unfortunately, this book was written in the 1980s, and things can change a lot in that amount of time...I really hope to follow up on some of these stories if I can. In fact, this book interested me so much, that I ended up picking up a book from the library titled Six Modern Plagues and How We Are Causing Them by Mark Jerome Walters.

On an unrelated note, Eva has mentioned in the past that science writers tend to have this compulsion to try to be funny, but often fall short. I think think you could place this scientist in that category, too. But honestly, his attempts at humor never really bothered me.

*****

If you have also reviewed this book, feel free to leave a link in the comments, and I'll add it here. Thanks.

*****

Read for:

The Non-Fiction Five Reading Challenge.