Moon Over Manifest

I'm not sure what's going on with Isaac and I reading lately but we haven't finished a book together since October. We've read plenty-- three (partial) books, to be exact. But he tells me he's bored with the book and I'm not about to force it on him. I feel like that's how kids come to hate reading--when it's shoved down their throats. And I'll admit, it's been a concern of mine lately as he's suddenly been less and less interested in reading. So when 2/3s of the way into Clare Vanderpool's Moon Over Manifest he said he didn't want to read it anymore, I didn't push the issue and finished the book myself.
We had picked the novel because it won the Newberry Award this past year and received great reviews. It's historical fiction, which neither Isaac nor myself care much for, but that I thought we'd get past because of the quote on the cover reading, "The best book I've read in years."
Not sure what that woman has been reading, but I have to disagree.
It was a good book, but it was the ending that made me feel this way, not so much the majority of the book. It kind of dragged on, which is why it lost Isaac who was really trying to give it a chance. In my opinion it should have been edited down some. (Possibly even significantly if the audience was intended for middle-grade children.) But it's a nice story about identity, friendship, family, and belonging and Vanderpool is a strong writer. The story is layered so the reader is learning about Abilene Tucker, the main character, as well as an entire cast of characters from the town twenty years earlier. If you like slow-paced historical fiction, this is a book for you.

This Book Is Overdue!

I'm behind with blog entries as there are a few books I've read that I haven't yet written about. Here's my first catch-up one-- Marilyn Johnson's This Book is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All. This book was actually the first Playaway I ever listened to. (I've kind of lost interest in the whole Playaway thing recently, by the way. The last book I listened to (which I still need to write about!) may be my last for a long time.)

I "reread" this book because I remembered it being a nice tribute to librarians and libraries, a book I walked away from with a new appreciation for a profession and institution of which I've always thought fondly. My library is actually in pretty big trouble, which as of right now, is not public knowledge yet. I'm preparing for the news to hit and thought I'd get a lot of "ammo" from this book. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. It's an enjoyable book if you *love* librarians (or are one) but most of the book is her stories and personal anecdotes rather than a defense for libraries, which was what I was looking for.



Marilyn Johnson



I still enjoyed the book. I probably would've put it down right now were it not for the fact that I'd contacted the author and told her about the pending issue with the library and had her reply so quickly and kindly offer her support. (Not because I wasn't into it but because it hadn't been that long since my listen and I've got a zillion other books to read...) The stories are often quirky, sometimes funny, usually interesting. (There's a chapter about librarians on Second Life that gets a bit long.) But again, I'd only say you'd love this book if you're a library enthusiast like myself.

The Marriage Plot

It's always exciting when an author I love has a new book out. Even more exciting is the day I pick up the book from the library after having it on hold for two months, as was the case for The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides. It took me a little while to get into the book, but once I did, I absolutely loved it. Today I heard about a review that said the plot was trite, which seems harsh to me, though it is true the book is more character-driven than plot-driven. (For the record, I love character-driven novels and the lack of a real storyline doesn't bother me. One of my favorite books, Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks, has no plot whatsoever and I still adore it.)

The novel is basically a love triangle between a girl (Madeline) and two guys (Mitchell and Leonard). It takes place in the early eighties after the trio graduates from college. Mitchell is in love with Madeline and Madeline loves Leonard. Yes, there is the tortured unrequited love angle, but I'm a sucker for that stuff. And I loved the ending. I had thought I knew how it was going to end (and how I hoped it would) and it was different (and better) than I'd anticipated. While I truly loved this book, I'm hesitant to recommend it since it is so character-driven and I know that kind of book doesn't have mass appeal.

Lately I've been thinking about how there is masculine writing and feminine writing--not so much because of the subject, but because of the style. Some voices are very gender-oriented and I love when writers can transcend that. Eugenides is an androgynous writer, if you will. His writing is direct and enjoyable.



Jeffrey Eugenides



Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Further proof of my nerdiness-- I read a grammar book for fun. I wouldn't say that grammar has ever been a passion of mine, but perhaps a slight peripheral interest. (I was the one person in my class who enjoyed diagramming sentences.) Mignon Fogarty's Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing made the topic of grammar interesting, relevant, and fun. She really knows her stuff and has a podcast and a website work checking out: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

I found a student's guide to writing that she wrote as well. Isaac is reading it now and said that he finds it interesting and informative. So I'm officially promoting geekdom to future generations.



Mignon Fogarty



The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

Today my book club met to discuss a novel that I chose, Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I felt bad almost immediately after picking it when I got responses from people in the group who said they'd sit out this month due to the immense length of this book, and the guilt was compounded when I began the first chapter and kept needing to look up words. (I'm not talking about a couple, but what felt like one per paragraph.) I picked the book because though he says now he's never even heard of it, I swear years ago my brother told me about it. (If not, I had a dream he did because the memory is very vivid.) So the seed was planted then, and later I learned it won the Pulitzer Prize (another seed). Last year I read his newest book, a collection of personal essays called Manhood for Amateurs (and really enjoyed it). I later read another nonfiction book of his (Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands--a collection of essays about--you guessed it--reading and writing) and thought it was funny that this man is famous for his fiction and I am a fiction junkie (not that you can tell with all the nonfiction I've been reading lately) yet hadn't read any of his. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay seemed like a good place to start since those seeds had been planted and then right before it was my turn to pick the next book for book club, I came upon a used copy of the novel and wah-lah, it seemed like "fate."

So here's the low-down about the book-- it's an incredible, complex novel with a wonderful, fascinating storyline BUT is written in this totally pretentious manner. It's very showoff-y with his big obscure words and analogies within analogies within analogies. (Who writes metaphors for their metaphors?) If you can get past these things, it's a very worthwhile read. It's a historical novel, set in the late 1930s about two cousins who create comic books about an escape artist superhero who fights the Nazis (one of the cousins is a Jew who immigrated here from Prague to flee the oppression there and his motivation behind the comics is to save money to get his family over here to safety as well). I don't want to tell more than that in case anyone wants to read it because it truly is a wonderful story. Alan was turned off by the book when I'd read aloud some of the words being used, but when I raved on about the actual story, he said he'd like to read it--uttered right before starting a completely different novel. Ah, someday...I suppose it's a book you have to be in the mood for to really enjoy.

Second Nature

Some books take an unnaturally long time for me to get through, as was the case with Michael Pollan's Second Nature (his first book). In fact, I think I started it in May. I liked some essays more than others and generally speaking, found the first 1/2- 2/3 of the book more interesting than the end so I abandoned it for months. Eventually though the spine kept whispering "only 50 more pages... 50 more pages..." and I relented and finished.
Michael Pollan is amazing with words. I think reading something like the Omnivore's Dilemma, you miss that because the subject is so absorbing that the material takes center stage rather than his writing. Second Nature is a collection of essays about gardening and so the topics aren't super gripping, though they are interesting. It's a nice, quiet book.

Bossypants

Another fun listen on the Playaway was Bossypants by Tina Fey. My sister is a huge Tina Fey fan and I will admit to having very limited exposure to her work, but checked it out from the library since I figured it'd be entertaining and that I could chat with my sister about it. I was definitely right about the entertaining part. Tina Fey is a very funny woman and I laughed a lot. I ended up checking out the book from the library too because she talks about referring to a pdf to see photos but I wasn't up for downloading it just so I could glance at a couple of pictures for a minute. Alan ended up reading most of the book, which I loved since one of my favorite things is when he reads books that he finds funny. There's something about him curled up with a book, laughing hysterically that strikes me as adorable. I'm willing to bet though that the audio book is a little funnier. At some points there are scripts printed in the book but the actual skits are 'played' on the audiobook. Either way though, I think it's safe to say it's funny and entertaining... unless you can't stand Tina Fey, which some people certainly cannot, according to some of the "fan" mail she shared.

High Tide in Tucson

Here is a book that was one of the treasures I found while perusing used books. My heartbeat quickened when I spotted 'Kingsolver' on a book in a pile of detective stories and I snatched it up when I saw it was a nice copy of something I hadn't read. Score!
One of my all-time favorite writers is Barbara Kingsolver. I absolutely *love* her books. They hit me on multiple levels because they are readable stories with likable characters and the writing is beautiful and smart, a bit sassy sometimes-- but then there is a social justice issue slyly woven in as well. (Ah, thinking about her novels makes me anxious for the release of her next novel, whenever that may be... I may need to reread one of her older ones to quench the craving.)
Hide Tide in Tuscon is a collection of personal essays. It was such a treat reading, especially because in a couple essays she talks about writing and her career. She talks about fan mail and book tours and people's responses to her work. She also talks about motherhood and parenting, among other things. There were some essays I liked more than others, but really, it was all good. This book is one I will definitely be rereading, which means it is a typical Barbara Kingsolver book--one that is so good, you'll want to go back.