I decided to give young people's literature its own category in my favorites, as I read so much of it this year. It's been wonderful to have two kids that enjoy books and ask me to read with them often. (I did ask Skye to help me put together a list of her top five or ten books this year, but as we looked through her 2008 book list, she couldn't choose. She loved them all!)
I am not going to include picture books here, just books for older readers, middle elementary and up.
Favorite book:
The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963
Christopher Paul Curtis
How do I sum this one up? It's one of those books that makes you laugh a lot, and cry a lot. It's about so many things: what it means to be a family, where home is, racism in America. I was especially impressed with how Curtis explains the "why" of racism. That's the question every kid asks, and a question adults have a hard time answering: Why are people racist? Why do some people have such strong racist feelings that they do horrible things, hurting innocent people, even children? In the book, when the main character asks this tough question, his parents have a difficult time explaining why. It's his older brother that helps him process the sad things he's learned.
Favorite (start to a) series:
The Penderwicks and
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street
Jeanne Birdsall
Skye and I read these for our mother-daughter book club. These stories of a family with four girls are reminiscent of classic young people's literature. Jeanne Birdsall was a great reader as a child, and she says in this interview that "the first Penderwicks is really a love letter to the books I read as a child." She lists some of them: "Noel Streatfeild’s books, All of a Kind Family, Edward Eager, E. Nesbit." I love the list at the end of that interview of all the books mentioned by Jane, the biggest reader in the Penderwicks family. My daughter's online nickname here, Skye, comes from her favorite Penderwicks girl. Birdsall plans on three more Penderwicks books, and we look forward to them.
Favorite author discoveries:
Sharon Creech
One of Skye's friends always sings the praises of Sharon Creech when we talk books. In working on a Brownies Try-It badge, they were challenged to read something recommened by the other. Skye and I both read and enjoyed Granny Torrelli Makes Soup and Pleasing the Ghost, and we look forward to more Creech stories.
Ellen Raskin
This author is a re-discovery for me. Skye and I read The Westing Game and The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel) for her school book club last year. I remember carrying that second one around with me in elementary school, facinated by it. I love Raskin's quirky sense of humor and creative puzzle stories.
Andrew Clements
What a great writer for kids! Frindle was Skye's choice for our first time hosting mother-daughter book club. I've read another of his since (The Landry News) and Skye's read at least two more (The Janitor's Boy and Lunch Money). We don't think you can go wrong with a Clements book. (And how cool is it that Brian Selznick does the illustrations?)
Honorable mention:
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Excellent! I missed this one as a kid, so it was a treat to read it with Skye.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Another pick from our mother-daughter book club. Beautiful writing, beautiful story.
Babymouse books by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
These comics are great! I love that a sister/brother team writes them. Check out Babymouse's neat website.
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
How can you not want to read a book with a title and cover art like that? MBS did not disappoint.
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath
This is a possible future mother-daughter book club read. Think of the food possibilities for this party! Great story; I want to read more Horvath.
Showing posts with label book reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book reviews. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
My Best of 2008: Nonfiction
Part two of the best books I read this past year will focus on nonfiction. I read a lot more fiction than nonfiction, so this will be a shorter list, but it was hard to pick favorites because they were all quite good.
Out of the eleven works of nonfiction I read this year, I think my favorites would have to be these two:
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs
Jacobs is both funny and earnest in his pursuit, and his account of this year is very entertaining as well as enlightening. I love people like Jacobs, who jump so completely into a project, and I love people like his wife, who bring people like Jacobs back to earth with firm, funny, needed reminders of what's truly important.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
A friend lent me her copy of this memoir, telling me it was a facinating read. I'm not big on stories of horrible childhoods, but this book is much more than that. Wow, what a childhood! Walls' parents were brilliant, self-absorbed, creative, neglectful, and eccentric idealists. Walls writes about them and about her growing-up years truthfully, from her point-of-view as a child, living in this sometimes confusing, often dangerous, always exciting family. It's facinating, heartbreaking and inspiring. (Are those enough adjectives for you?)
Honorable mention goes to many of the others I read this year:
The Soup Peddler's Slow and Difficult Soups: Recipes & Reveries by David Ansel
Cool book. Yummy soups! Jen and I made one together.
Heart in the Right Place by Carolyn Jourdan
You can read my review of this book here.
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
Gilbert's search for self is funny, honest, and sweet. (Of course I loved the Eat section the best.)
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
What a neat graphic memoir for young adults.
Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
I loved reading this memoir of his childhood and young adulthood, exploring identity and race. Really thoughtful, insightful, and honest, as well as funny at times and touching -- not in an overly sentimental way, but in a quiet and important way, if that makes sense.
French Milk by Lucy Knisley
This graphic memoir of a mother/daughter trip to Paris brought me back to my year in France, and I'm grateful to Knisley for the lovely visit!
Immoveable Feast: A Paris Christmas by John Baxter
Another vicarious trip to Paris for me, and a perfect book to read in December. Slowed me down again when things got hectic.
Out of the eleven works of nonfiction I read this year, I think my favorites would have to be these two:
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs
Jacobs is both funny and earnest in his pursuit, and his account of this year is very entertaining as well as enlightening. I love people like Jacobs, who jump so completely into a project, and I love people like his wife, who bring people like Jacobs back to earth with firm, funny, needed reminders of what's truly important.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
A friend lent me her copy of this memoir, telling me it was a facinating read. I'm not big on stories of horrible childhoods, but this book is much more than that. Wow, what a childhood! Walls' parents were brilliant, self-absorbed, creative, neglectful, and eccentric idealists. Walls writes about them and about her growing-up years truthfully, from her point-of-view as a child, living in this sometimes confusing, often dangerous, always exciting family. It's facinating, heartbreaking and inspiring. (Are those enough adjectives for you?)
Honorable mention goes to many of the others I read this year:
The Soup Peddler's Slow and Difficult Soups: Recipes & Reveries by David Ansel
Cool book. Yummy soups! Jen and I made one together.
Heart in the Right Place by Carolyn Jourdan
You can read my review of this book here.
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
Gilbert's search for self is funny, honest, and sweet. (Of course I loved the Eat section the best.)
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
What a neat graphic memoir for young adults.
Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
I loved reading this memoir of his childhood and young adulthood, exploring identity and race. Really thoughtful, insightful, and honest, as well as funny at times and touching -- not in an overly sentimental way, but in a quiet and important way, if that makes sense.
French Milk by Lucy Knisley
This graphic memoir of a mother/daughter trip to Paris brought me back to my year in France, and I'm grateful to Knisley for the lovely visit!
Immoveable Feast: A Paris Christmas by John Baxter
Another vicarious trip to Paris for me, and a perfect book to read in December. Slowed me down again when things got hectic.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
My Best of 2008: Fiction
How do I write this post? I've been avoiding it for almost a month now. Choosing my favorite books read this year has been a delightful challenge. I read some really good stuff.
I've taken my friend Jennifer's idea and decided to split this into three different posts: favorite fiction, favorite nonfiction, and favorite literature for young people. (This way, I can include more books and won't have to cut my list too ruthlessly.)
My absolute favorite of this year is actually not a choice. It's an "of course, what else would it be?" The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a wonder. If you haven't read it yet, you must. Now to the challenging picks....
Favorite Fiction
If The Book Thief belongs in a category all its own (Almighty Winner of 2008, perhaps?), then the first place prize for my favorite fiction books has to be split between these two:
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
I scooped these stories up like spoonfuls of ice cream. Well, no, not exactly like ice cream. They go down easy, but they aren't happy stories. Many of them are painful or melancholy, but she writes them so beautifully that they made me happy. I'd read one and then sit with it awhile. Lahiri shows exactly what a great storyteller can do.
The Rain Before It Falls by Jonathan Coe
My Uncle Charlie introduced me to this lovely novel. Again, the story is painful and melancholy, but the telling is gorgeous. I was so engrossed in this book that I dreamed of the characters and settings every night that I read it.
Second place for fiction goes to these three winners:
Hens Dancing by Rafaella Barker
Now, this one was a happy book. It's perhaps the book that made me laugh out loud the most this year, and for that it gets second place. It's written in a wonderful style with a great voice: Venetia is a hoot.
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
I smiled my way through this novella. It's smart and funny and an absolute treat for a book lover.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
"A book that's fun to read, and that teaches you something" -- that's how this one was described at Conversation with Books this year, an annual event put on by my alma mater. I loved this very satisfying epistolary novel, and I expect I'll reread it someday. I borrowed Jennifer's copy, but I think I'll get the paperback when it comes out.
Honorable Mention:
The Girls by Lori Lansens
Conjoined twins?? Yes!
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Rightly a classic. I put it here, but it is often categorized as YA lit.
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Stories of an important book -- a work of art -- and the people whose hands it passes through.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Historical mystery (before and after World War I in England); a great start to the series. I want to learn more about Maisie.
Donna Leon's Inspector Guido Brunetti mysteries
I love spending time in modern-day Venice with Brunetti (and his family). I read the first three this past year.
I've taken my friend Jennifer's idea and decided to split this into three different posts: favorite fiction, favorite nonfiction, and favorite literature for young people. (This way, I can include more books and won't have to cut my list too ruthlessly.)
My absolute favorite of this year is actually not a choice. It's an "of course, what else would it be?" The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a wonder. If you haven't read it yet, you must. Now to the challenging picks....
Favorite Fiction
If The Book Thief belongs in a category all its own (Almighty Winner of 2008, perhaps?), then the first place prize for my favorite fiction books has to be split between these two:
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
I scooped these stories up like spoonfuls of ice cream. Well, no, not exactly like ice cream. They go down easy, but they aren't happy stories. Many of them are painful or melancholy, but she writes them so beautifully that they made me happy. I'd read one and then sit with it awhile. Lahiri shows exactly what a great storyteller can do.
The Rain Before It Falls by Jonathan Coe
My Uncle Charlie introduced me to this lovely novel. Again, the story is painful and melancholy, but the telling is gorgeous. I was so engrossed in this book that I dreamed of the characters and settings every night that I read it.
Second place for fiction goes to these three winners:
Hens Dancing by Rafaella Barker
Now, this one was a happy book. It's perhaps the book that made me laugh out loud the most this year, and for that it gets second place. It's written in a wonderful style with a great voice: Venetia is a hoot.
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
I smiled my way through this novella. It's smart and funny and an absolute treat for a book lover.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
"A book that's fun to read, and that teaches you something" -- that's how this one was described at Conversation with Books this year, an annual event put on by my alma mater. I loved this very satisfying epistolary novel, and I expect I'll reread it someday. I borrowed Jennifer's copy, but I think I'll get the paperback when it comes out.
Honorable Mention:
The Girls by Lori Lansens
Conjoined twins?? Yes!
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Rightly a classic. I put it here, but it is often categorized as YA lit.
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Stories of an important book -- a work of art -- and the people whose hands it passes through.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Historical mystery (before and after World War I in England); a great start to the series. I want to learn more about Maisie.
Donna Leon's Inspector Guido Brunetti mysteries
I love spending time in modern-day Venice with Brunetti (and his family). I read the first three this past year.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Felix recommends... (Autumn '08)
Felix and I are enjoyed books about fall and Halloween this season.
Favorite fall books:
~ Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
~ Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, also by Lois Ehlert
~ Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber with beautiful illustrations by Leslie Evans
Favorite Halloween books:
~ Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler
~ Boo! Made You Jump! by Lauren Child (a Charlie and Lola book)
~ Halloween Bugs by David A. Carter
Other favorites:
~ Mrs. McNosh books (Sarah Weeks)
~ the Froggy books (Jonathan London)
~ Fireman Small (Wong Herbert Yee)
A wonderful new discovery was author Amy Hest. Felix loved both her books about Baby Duck and about a little bear named Sam. I love that Baby Duck makes up songs, and they don't necessarily rhyme or have a particular form. They remind me of the songs in the Frances books, very true to what a little kid would create. The illustrations in the Sam books, done by Anita Jeram, are gorgeous. I love her artwork.
Favorite fall books:
~ Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
~ Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, also by Lois Ehlert
~ Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber with beautiful illustrations by Leslie Evans
Favorite Halloween books:
~ Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler
~ Boo! Made You Jump! by Lauren Child (a Charlie and Lola book)
~ Halloween Bugs by David A. Carter
Other favorites:
~ Mrs. McNosh books (Sarah Weeks)
~ the Froggy books (Jonathan London)
~ Fireman Small (Wong Herbert Yee)
A wonderful new discovery was author Amy Hest. Felix loved both her books about Baby Duck and about a little bear named Sam. I love that Baby Duck makes up songs, and they don't necessarily rhyme or have a particular form. They remind me of the songs in the Frances books, very true to what a little kid would create. The illustrations in the Sam books, done by Anita Jeram, are gorgeous. I love her artwork.
Skye recommends... (Autumn '08)
For our mother-daughter book group, we read:
~ The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, Jeanne Birdsall
~ Esperanza Rising, Pam Munoz Ryan
~ The Mysterious Benedict Society, Trenton Lee Stewart
We recommend them all!
On her own, Skye read Lunch Money by Andrew Clements, which inspired her to open a savings account and think of money-making tasks she could do. She also enjoyed Paddington Here and Now, the only book on the Roald Dahl Funny Prize shortlist that we could find at our library. She said, "This book is a very calming one to read, Mom. It makes me feel peaceful." I read it, too, and I think it's the London atmosphere -- "Let's have elevenses!" -- she's describing. Pretty sweet!
Other highlights this season were the Babymouse graphic novels and Bailey School Kids books for quick reads. She loved Diary of a Wimpy Kid and read it in one afternoon. She also enjoyed a re-read of Bunnicula.
~ The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, Jeanne Birdsall
~ Esperanza Rising, Pam Munoz Ryan
~ The Mysterious Benedict Society, Trenton Lee Stewart
We recommend them all!
On her own, Skye read Lunch Money by Andrew Clements, which inspired her to open a savings account and think of money-making tasks she could do. She also enjoyed Paddington Here and Now, the only book on the Roald Dahl Funny Prize shortlist that we could find at our library. She said, "This book is a very calming one to read, Mom. It makes me feel peaceful." I read it, too, and I think it's the London atmosphere -- "Let's have elevenses!" -- she's describing. Pretty sweet!
Other highlights this season were the Babymouse graphic novels and Bailey School Kids books for quick reads. She loved Diary of a Wimpy Kid and read it in one afternoon. She also enjoyed a re-read of Bunnicula.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Felix recommends... (Summer '08)
This summer, the kids and I read lots of books together. We did some themes (caterpillars/butterflies, chickens & ducks, birds) and Felix found a few favorites in these categories:
~ Bob and Otto by Robert O. Bruel & Nick Bruel
~ the Duck in the Truck books by Jez Alborough
~ Little Red Bird by Nick Bruel
We read a lot from the 20th Century Children's Book Treasury, and everything Mo Willems was a reading staple. (He's got some great beginning reader books now featuring Elephant and Piggie.)
More of Felix's summer faves:
~ The Little Cat Baby by Allan Ahlberg
~ Silly School by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
~ Max's Bunny Business by Rosemary Wells
~ the Skippyjon Jones books by Judy Schachner
~ Bob and Otto by Robert O. Bruel & Nick Bruel
~ the Duck in the Truck books by Jez Alborough
~ Little Red Bird by Nick Bruel
We read a lot from the 20th Century Children's Book Treasury, and everything Mo Willems was a reading staple. (He's got some great beginning reader books now featuring Elephant and Piggie.)
More of Felix's summer faves:
~ The Little Cat Baby by Allan Ahlberg
~ Silly School by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
~ Max's Bunny Business by Rosemary Wells
~ the Skippyjon Jones books by Judy Schachner
Skye recommmends... (Summer '08)
This summer, Skye browsed through books about pet birds (she really wants a bird!), beginning knitting books (she's hoping to learn soon), Garfield comics, joke and riddle books, and books of magic tricks. She read easy series chapter books (Beast Quest, Pokemon), Warriors graphic novels, and a couple of titles nominated for the Maud Hart Lovelace award (Three Good Deeds and Punished!).
Together, we read Forest of Secrets, the third Warriors cats book. For me, this was the best one yet. I just checked, and it looks like this one was written by a different author from the first two, so maybe this is why. (The Warriors books are written my several writers; go here and click on "Meet Erin Hunter" to learn more about them.)
Our most exciting reading news this summer is that we started a mother-daughter book group! We are both really enjoying it. All of the titles we read and discussed this summer were excellent and made for great gatherings:
~ Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park
~ Frindle by Andrew Clements
~ The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
(More later on these titles and our meetings!)
Together, we read Forest of Secrets, the third Warriors cats book. For me, this was the best one yet. I just checked, and it looks like this one was written by a different author from the first two, so maybe this is why. (The Warriors books are written my several writers; go here and click on "Meet Erin Hunter" to learn more about them.)
Our most exciting reading news this summer is that we started a mother-daughter book group! We are both really enjoying it. All of the titles we read and discussed this summer were excellent and made for great gatherings:
~ Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park
~ Frindle by Andrew Clements
~ The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
(More later on these titles and our meetings!)
Monday, December 01, 2008
Felix recommends... (Spring '08)
My three-year-old's favorites:
~ Kitten's First Full Moon, Kevin Henkes (Great illustrations -- won a Caldecott Medal -- and Felix loves the happy ending.)
~ What a Treasure!, Jane and Will Hillenbrand and Little One Step, Simon James (Felix had to act these stories out after reading them.)
~ SuperHero ABC, Bob McLeod (So much fun!)
~ A Visitor for Bear, Bonny Becker and Kady Macdonald Denton (A very cute story, with beautiful illustrations.)
~ Knuffle Bunny, Mo Willems (Thanks to our library, we also recently found the Scholastic animated version, which features the voices of Mo, his daughter and his wife. Very cute!)
~ Here’s a Little Poem, complied by Jane Yolen (What a great anthology! Although the poems are collected with very little ones in mind, both of my kids enjoyed this together.)
~ Kitten's First Full Moon, Kevin Henkes (Great illustrations -- won a Caldecott Medal -- and Felix loves the happy ending.)
~ What a Treasure!, Jane and Will Hillenbrand and Little One Step, Simon James (Felix had to act these stories out after reading them.)
~ SuperHero ABC, Bob McLeod (So much fun!)
~ A Visitor for Bear, Bonny Becker and Kady Macdonald Denton (A very cute story, with beautiful illustrations.)
~ Knuffle Bunny, Mo Willems (Thanks to our library, we also recently found the Scholastic animated version, which features the voices of Mo, his daughter and his wife. Very cute!)
~ Here’s a Little Poem, complied by Jane Yolen (What a great anthology! Although the poems are collected with very little ones in mind, both of my kids enjoyed this together.)
Skye recommends... (Spring '08)
Here is a summary of my then eight-year-old daughter's reading adventures from last spring:
~ Thanks to a friend, she discovered Sharon Creech. She read Granny Torrelli Makes Soup and Pleasing the Ghost. The second was her favorite.
~ For her school book club, she read The Westing Game and The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel) by Ellen Raskin. Such neat puzzle mysteries! Raskin is lots of quirky fun, and very clever.
~ From a stack of Maud Hart Lovelace Award 2007-08 nominees, she chose Lulu’s Hat by Susan Meddaugh. It's a short chapter book with a great, magical story.
~ We discovered a new Gail Carson Levine book: Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand. We read the first Levine fairy book together and really enjoyed it. She read this one on her own. Levine is a wonderful storyteller.
~ Read-aloud with me: Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. We both absolutely loved it.
~ Thanks to a friend, she discovered Sharon Creech. She read Granny Torrelli Makes Soup and Pleasing the Ghost. The second was her favorite.
~ For her school book club, she read The Westing Game and The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel) by Ellen Raskin. Such neat puzzle mysteries! Raskin is lots of quirky fun, and very clever.
~ From a stack of Maud Hart Lovelace Award 2007-08 nominees, she chose Lulu’s Hat by Susan Meddaugh. It's a short chapter book with a great, magical story.
~ We discovered a new Gail Carson Levine book: Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand. We read the first Levine fairy book together and really enjoyed it. She read this one on her own. Levine is a wonderful storyteller.
~ Read-aloud with me: Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. We both absolutely loved it.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Felix recommends... (Winter '08)
(In this blog, my four-year-old son will be referred to as "Felix," after one of his favorite Rosemary Wells characters.)
Felix loves books. He loves it when anyone reads to him, and I often find him paging through books on his own. Here are a few of his favorites from last winter:
~ Anything Rosemary Wells. Particular favorites are the McDuff books, the Max and Ruby stories, and, as I mentioned above, Felix Feels Better.
~ Toot and Puddle, the first in the series by Holly Hobbie. These two little characters are lovely friends to get to know.
~ Maurice Sendak's Nutshell Library, especially Chicken Soup with Rice. Flashbacks to my childhood!
~ Lynley Dodd's Slinky Malinky and Hairy Maclary books. The rhymes and great illustrations make these extra-fun read alouds.
~ I Love My Little Storybook by Anita Jeram. Reading this one with him was a huge treat. He really connected with the theme: Books are wonderful company!
~ Baby Bear's Chairs and the How Do Dinosaurs... books by the prolific Jane Yolen. What a fun author to get to know.
Felix loves books. He loves it when anyone reads to him, and I often find him paging through books on his own. Here are a few of his favorites from last winter:
~ Anything Rosemary Wells. Particular favorites are the McDuff books, the Max and Ruby stories, and, as I mentioned above, Felix Feels Better.
~ Toot and Puddle, the first in the series by Holly Hobbie. These two little characters are lovely friends to get to know.
~ Maurice Sendak's Nutshell Library, especially Chicken Soup with Rice. Flashbacks to my childhood!
~ Lynley Dodd's Slinky Malinky and Hairy Maclary books. The rhymes and great illustrations make these extra-fun read alouds.
~ I Love My Little Storybook by Anita Jeram. Reading this one with him was a huge treat. He really connected with the theme: Books are wonderful company!
~ Baby Bear's Chairs and the How Do Dinosaurs... books by the prolific Jane Yolen. What a fun author to get to know.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Skye recommends... (Winter '08)
(I've decided to call my nine-year-old daughter "Skye" in this blog, after her favorite character in The Penderwicks.)
This is the first in what I hope to be a series of posts with recommendations from my two kids. Since I've been neglectful of this blog, I'm going to go back to the books I wrote down that they enjoyed this last winter. And I'll start with my now nine-year-old...
Skye and I read Ella Enchanted together for a book club she was in at school. (When I saw her come home with this, I couldn't resist asking her if I could read it with her.) We both loved the creativity of this retelling of the Cinderella story. Ella is smart and brave and lots of fun, and the land she lives in is full of interesting magic. We recommend the movie, too. It's much different from the book, but it's quirky and entertaining.
She also read two classics for her bookclub on her own: Mr. Popper's Penguins and Pippi Longstocking. She laughed a lot during Mr. Popper, and shared funny bits out loud with me. Pippi had her giggling throughout her reading.
A friend recommended A Book of Coupons by Susie Morgenstern to me, saying she loved reading it aloud to her students. (My friend is a school librarian/media specialist.) When I showed the book to Skye, she asked me to read it to her. We both thought it was a very sweet story, and a little different from the kinds of stories we are used to. (It ends differently than we expected.) Morgenstern, the author, was born and grew up in the U.S., then moved to France when she fell in love with and married a French man. She writes in French, so we read a translation.
Two series Skye recommends: She read and enjoyed a couple of Chet Gecko mysteries, and she's always game to read (or re-read) a Judy Moody book.
This is the first in what I hope to be a series of posts with recommendations from my two kids. Since I've been neglectful of this blog, I'm going to go back to the books I wrote down that they enjoyed this last winter. And I'll start with my now nine-year-old...
Skye and I read Ella Enchanted together for a book club she was in at school. (When I saw her come home with this, I couldn't resist asking her if I could read it with her.) We both loved the creativity of this retelling of the Cinderella story. Ella is smart and brave and lots of fun, and the land she lives in is full of interesting magic. We recommend the movie, too. It's much different from the book, but it's quirky and entertaining.
She also read two classics for her bookclub on her own: Mr. Popper's Penguins and Pippi Longstocking. She laughed a lot during Mr. Popper, and shared funny bits out loud with me. Pippi had her giggling throughout her reading.
A friend recommended A Book of Coupons by Susie Morgenstern to me, saying she loved reading it aloud to her students. (My friend is a school librarian/media specialist.) When I showed the book to Skye, she asked me to read it to her. We both thought it was a very sweet story, and a little different from the kinds of stories we are used to. (It ends differently than we expected.) Morgenstern, the author, was born and grew up in the U.S., then moved to France when she fell in love with and married a French man. She writes in French, so we read a translation.
Two series Skye recommends: She read and enjoyed a couple of Chet Gecko mysteries, and she's always game to read (or re-read) a Judy Moody book.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Heart in the Right Place by Carolyn Jourdan
Yesterday, I posted about our Reading Circle's group reads. I've read most of them this year, but Heart in the Right Place is the only book I posted about in the discussion threads for our group reads that we post each month.
This afternoon, I was excited to see a comment left here by Carolyn Jourdan, the author of this book. It's a pleasure to "meet" her!
Here is what I posted on our Reading Circle's discussion thread [with additional comments from me]:
I'll end this post by saying that I gave this book as a birthday gift to a good friend of mine. She reminds me a bit of Carolyn -- gives of herself whole-heartedly, and works tirelessly to help her community. I hope she enjoys the book as much as I did!
This afternoon, I was excited to see a comment left here by Carolyn Jourdan, the author of this book. It's a pleasure to "meet" her!
Here is what I posted on our Reading Circle's discussion thread [with additional comments from me]:
I thought this was a lovely memoir. As I got into the book, I laughed at the lazy country-chic picture on the cover; Carolyn Jourdan's story definitely did not include much hanging out on a country porch! [Jourdan moves back home to help her father with his medical practice while her mother is ill. They don't have time to lounge around in a comfy rocking chair on a scenic porch; they are too busy serving the people of their community.] Although I found the title a bit cheesey when I started, by the end of the book I could see why she chose it, as it really does describe what this memoir is about. [From the start, Jourdan gently and effectively weaves the theme put forth in the title into her story.]
I loved meeting the people in her hometown, and enjoyed her descriptions of the situations that came up in the doctor's office. I admired her father -- we need more people in the world like him! -- and her, for the good work they did and their patience and skill with people. I loved learning about Carolyn: her humor, her determination, her openmindedness and her caring heart.
I wonder what she's doing now. I wonder what the people in her community will do when her father needs to retire. I think I'll check out her website right now.
ETA: You can hear Carolyn read parts of the book here.
And you can read about her writing process here.
And this entry begins to answer my questions.
I'll end this post by saying that I gave this book as a birthday gift to a good friend of mine. She reminds me a bit of Carolyn -- gives of herself whole-heartedly, and works tirelessly to help her community. I hope she enjoys the book as much as I did!
Saturday, June 09, 2007
January 2007
Books bought/received:
Nine Parts of Desire, Geraldine Brooks
The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro
Prep, Curtis Sittenfeld
Gilead, Marilynne Robinson
I purchased the first three books at the used bookstore with money my parents gave me for Christmas. (They told me to use it for books, of course. :) ) A friend had two copies of Gilead, and she gave me one, a beautiful hardcover. She’s been telling me I should read it, and now I think I’ll have to! From what I’ve heard, I think I’d really like it. Alas, I didn’t read any of the books I bought/received in the month of January.
Books read:
The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, Helene Hanff
(Started 12/31/06, finished 1/5/07.)
In the late 1940s-60s, Ms. Hanff corresponded with a bookshop in London, specifically with one of its sellers, a Mr. Frank Doel. She compiled their correspondence in 84, Charing Cross Road. This book is a sort of sequel to that one; in it, she shares the journal she kept on her long-awaited trip to London after publishing the book. Do read 84, Charing Cross Road first, but then enjoy her sweet, funny descriptions of her London adventure. Ms. Hanff is one in a million.
Celebrations, Maya Angelou
(Started 1/2/07, finished 1/5/07.)
Although it contains some lovely and important poems, this collection was a disappointment to me. I think, because it contains such a small number of poems (12), the publisher decided its layout should be like a gift book. Each poem takes up many pages, with only a few lines per page, to make the book thicker. Turning so many pages makes it hard to stick to the natural rhythm of the poems. Reading them aloud helped, and Ms. Angelou is a classic, despite the presentation. Addendum: I checked out the CD of this book from the library, and really enjoyed hearing Ms. Angelou read the poems. Her short description of the significance of the rock, river, and tree in “On the Pulse of Morning” was quite helpful, too.
Suite Francaise, Irene Nemirovsky
(Started 1/5/07, finished 1/22/07.)
This book is comprised of two novellas Ms. Nemirovsky wrote about the German occupation of France, and uniquely, she wrote them in that country as the occupation was happening. She had planned for this work to be composed of five parts, but only completed drafts of the first two before her death. (She died at Auschwitz in 1942 at age 39.) Her daughters kept her notebooks, but found it too painful to open and read them. Finally, Denise did, and she found this treasure.
Of course, the story surrounding this book makes it all the more compelling, but it is worth reading just of its own merit. The first novella describes several different groups of people, of different classes, backgrounds, and outlooks, all rushing to evacuate Paris as they’ve heard the Germans are about to invade. We follow their stories and get to know them; this way, we get to see human foibles and folly as well as human generosity and the strength of spirit that can emerge during a crisis.
In the second novella, Nemirovsky tells the story of a small, occupied French town. We watch its people figure out how to get through daily life with German soldiers in their midst, and we observe the soldiers trying to find some normalcy in a life where they could be called up to fight again the next day. The author focuses on one young woman whose estranged husband is a prisoner-of-war, and the German officer she has been ordered to welcome into her home.
Nemirovsky’s two stories are in little need of editing, amazingly. These unpolished drafts show her talent and power as a writer. The book includes appendices: Nemirovsky’s notes detailing her plans for the five parts of this book, letters from the time of the piece (hers, her husband's, etc.), and an introduction to the French edition that gives a good, short biography of Nemirovsky.
The Inimitable Jeeves, P.G. Wodehouse
(Started 1/23/07, finished 1/30/07.)
Bertie Wooster is a young aristocrat: lazy, good-humored, and with little common sense, he narrates the stories. This device works well, as Bertie is hilarious to listen to. Jeeves, his valet, is a wonder, not only in getting Bertie dressed presentably, but especially in getting him out of scrapes. Helping Bertie out of an unwanted engagement, dealing with Bertie’s friend Bingo who falls in love with every woman he meets, and aiding Bertie with some of his ill-placed bets are just a few of the many ways in which Jeeves demonstrates his inimitable talents. I’d never read Wodehouse before – what a treat!
Nine Parts of Desire, Geraldine Brooks
The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro
Prep, Curtis Sittenfeld
Gilead, Marilynne Robinson
I purchased the first three books at the used bookstore with money my parents gave me for Christmas. (They told me to use it for books, of course. :) ) A friend had two copies of Gilead, and she gave me one, a beautiful hardcover. She’s been telling me I should read it, and now I think I’ll have to! From what I’ve heard, I think I’d really like it. Alas, I didn’t read any of the books I bought/received in the month of January.
Books read:
The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, Helene Hanff
(Started 12/31/06, finished 1/5/07.)
In the late 1940s-60s, Ms. Hanff corresponded with a bookshop in London, specifically with one of its sellers, a Mr. Frank Doel. She compiled their correspondence in 84, Charing Cross Road. This book is a sort of sequel to that one; in it, she shares the journal she kept on her long-awaited trip to London after publishing the book. Do read 84, Charing Cross Road first, but then enjoy her sweet, funny descriptions of her London adventure. Ms. Hanff is one in a million.
Celebrations, Maya Angelou
(Started 1/2/07, finished 1/5/07.)
Although it contains some lovely and important poems, this collection was a disappointment to me. I think, because it contains such a small number of poems (12), the publisher decided its layout should be like a gift book. Each poem takes up many pages, with only a few lines per page, to make the book thicker. Turning so many pages makes it hard to stick to the natural rhythm of the poems. Reading them aloud helped, and Ms. Angelou is a classic, despite the presentation. Addendum: I checked out the CD of this book from the library, and really enjoyed hearing Ms. Angelou read the poems. Her short description of the significance of the rock, river, and tree in “On the Pulse of Morning” was quite helpful, too.
Suite Francaise, Irene Nemirovsky
(Started 1/5/07, finished 1/22/07.)
This book is comprised of two novellas Ms. Nemirovsky wrote about the German occupation of France, and uniquely, she wrote them in that country as the occupation was happening. She had planned for this work to be composed of five parts, but only completed drafts of the first two before her death. (She died at Auschwitz in 1942 at age 39.) Her daughters kept her notebooks, but found it too painful to open and read them. Finally, Denise did, and she found this treasure.
Of course, the story surrounding this book makes it all the more compelling, but it is worth reading just of its own merit. The first novella describes several different groups of people, of different classes, backgrounds, and outlooks, all rushing to evacuate Paris as they’ve heard the Germans are about to invade. We follow their stories and get to know them; this way, we get to see human foibles and folly as well as human generosity and the strength of spirit that can emerge during a crisis.
In the second novella, Nemirovsky tells the story of a small, occupied French town. We watch its people figure out how to get through daily life with German soldiers in their midst, and we observe the soldiers trying to find some normalcy in a life where they could be called up to fight again the next day. The author focuses on one young woman whose estranged husband is a prisoner-of-war, and the German officer she has been ordered to welcome into her home.
Nemirovsky’s two stories are in little need of editing, amazingly. These unpolished drafts show her talent and power as a writer. The book includes appendices: Nemirovsky’s notes detailing her plans for the five parts of this book, letters from the time of the piece (hers, her husband's, etc.), and an introduction to the French edition that gives a good, short biography of Nemirovsky.
The Inimitable Jeeves, P.G. Wodehouse
(Started 1/23/07, finished 1/30/07.)
Bertie Wooster is a young aristocrat: lazy, good-humored, and with little common sense, he narrates the stories. This device works well, as Bertie is hilarious to listen to. Jeeves, his valet, is a wonder, not only in getting Bertie dressed presentably, but especially in getting him out of scrapes. Helping Bertie out of an unwanted engagement, dealing with Bertie’s friend Bingo who falls in love with every woman he meets, and aiding Bertie with some of his ill-placed bets are just a few of the many ways in which Jeeves demonstrates his inimitable talents. I’d never read Wodehouse before – what a treat!
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