Published in 2004. 374 pages.
I read Dessen's Just Listen during the summer last year. My daughter recommended The Truth About Forever to me as her favorite of Dessen's books. I enjoyed them both and look forward to reading more.
Dessen talks about The Truth About Forever on her website.
2008.68
Published in 2006. 335 pages.
First sentence of the prologue: Only three people were left under the red and white awning of the grease joint: Grady, me, and the fry cook.
First sentences of chapter one: I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other.
Last sentence: For this old man, this is home.
Basic concept: Ninety-year-old (or maybe 93-year-old) Jacob Jankowski reminisces about his life at age twenty-three as a veterinarian with a traveling circus during the Great Depression.
Why I read this book: I put Water for Elephants on my to-read list back in October 2007. I heard good things about it all last year, but I hadn't yet made the time to read it - although I really did want to read it at some point. (I was a little hesitant, I think, because I knew that the book was, at least in part, about a circus, and I am not a fan of circuses. I also always worry a little when I've heard so many good things about a book; can it possibly be as good as everyone says?) In December, my book club did a Christmas book exchange, and I was thrilled to receive a copy of Water for Elephants. This was fortuitous as well, since the book was chosen as our book for January's meeting (which is on Wednesday).
Why I loved this book: Once I starting reading, I just couldn't put this book down. The story was compelling, and the writing style was comfortable. I loved the character of Jacob, and the alternating scenes between his time with the circus in the 1930s and his time at the care center in his nineties was the perfect way for the reader to get to know and understand him. The prologue sets up a bit of a mystery, too, about which I wanted to learn more. All in all, a terrific read!
Something I didn't love: There were a couple of graphic scenes of sexuality that I wouldn't have missed. The scenes could have been less explicit, maybe even left out all together. Their presence makes my recommendation of the book as a winner of an Alex Award in 2007 - for adult books that are appealing to young people, ages 12 to 18 - less enthusiastic than it would otherwise be.
Something I didn't understand: One of the discussion questions in the back of my copy indicates that the author has said that the "backbone" of the novel "parallels the biblical story of Jacob" in the book of Genesis. I am fairly biblically literate, and this statement didn't make any sense to me at all. I googled it and found this discussion on amazon.com - interesting, but I'm still not sure I really see it.
Other book bloggers' reviews of Water for Elephants:
If you have read and reviewed this book, I would love to link your review here. Please leave me a comment or email me your link!
I didn't do particularly well with the 2008 TBR Challenge. I read just three books from my main list and four from my alternates list, for a total of seven of the twelve required. That's not going to dissuade me from signing up for the 2009 TBR Challenge though. Maybe this year I can make a dent in my massive TBR pile!
Originally published in 2002.
Newbery Honor in 2003.
Audio book read by Chad Lowe.
This was my first outing with Hiaasen, but I'm sure it won't be my last. Hoot was his first novel for young people, and, as stated on the audio book case, is "full of his trademark satirical wit, revealing the good, the bad, and the screwy state of Florida." A full synopsis can be found on Hiaasen's website here.
2008.52
Originally published in 2005.
Abridged audio book read by the author.
Subtitled Murder, Magic, and Madness
at the Fair That Changed America.
Published in 2003. 447 pages (including Notes and Index).
National Book Award Finalist in 2003.
Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime in 2004.
I'm getting terribly behind on my reviews. I finished The Devil in the White City - which was June's pick for Book Buddies - at the end of last month. I had been wanting to read it for some time, and I had borrowed a copy several months ago from my sister Elicia. I'm glad I finally got to it!
In the interest of getting a review (any review!) posted, I'm just going to say that I greatly enjoyed this non-fictional account of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair intertwined with the tale of a serial killer who was operating in that area at the same time. The juxtaposition of these events is brilliant - the contrast between those who were building and creating and one who was cunningly ending life. One especially fun story for me was the creation of the first Ferris Wheel, designed in an attempt to outdo the Eiffel Tower from the previous World's Fair. Well-researched but written more like a novel, The Devil in the White City is a great read!
If you have read and reviewed this book, I would love to link your review here. Please leave me a comment or email me your link!
Published in 2000. 230 pages.
First sentence: Milo wasn't the first boy to kiss me but he was the first one to bite me.
Basic premise of the book: When fifteen-year-old Hannah Ziebarth discovers she's pregnant by her boyfriend Milo, she believes that everything will be all right. But her pregnancy isn't the only difficulty in her life: she and her mother are still trying to come to terms with her father's unexpected death, and Mrs. Ziebarth's response has been to withdraw into her bonsai plants, never leaving their home, not even capable of making her own sandwich for lunch. From the back cover: "Louise Plummer tells Hannah's powerful story from three perspectives in this tale of loss, recovery, and self-discovery." In addition to Hannah's perspective, we hear from Hannah's best friend Trilby and from Milo's younger brother Roman.
What I thought of the book: I wanted to absolutely love this book! I've read all of Plummer's previous young adult novels and enjoyed them all, especially The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman. This one had great potential - but while I did like it and do recommend it, I finished the book feeling somewhat disappointed that it didn't live up to my expectations. One disappointment relates to the "three perspectives" of the story. Roman's perspective in particular was too limited to fulfill its promise.
The meaning of the title: When I first picked up this book, I expected that the "dance for three" related to the main character, her baby, and the baby's father. There is that, of course, but the symbolism goes beyond that. There are the three perspectives of the novel - not just Hannah's voice, but the voices of two other people peripherally affected by Hannah's pregnancy. There is also the "dance for three" of Hannah and her parents, a dance that affects everything that happens after Mr. Ziebarth's death. Finally, the actual words of the title come into the story as Hannah watches a baby and its parents at an outdoor concert she attends during her pregnancy; this "dance for three" helps Hannah decide what she wants for her life and for her baby.
Personal connection to the book: In some sense this book is about "my people." The book is set in Salt Lake City, near where I live. Hannah and her mother belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), as I do, and although there is no discussion of their religious beliefs and little about their involvement in their congregation, their concerned bishop plays a pivotal role in the outcome of the story.
Recognition given to the book: A Dance for Three was an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults in 2001; the entire list is here. It also received the 2001 Association for Mormon Letters (AML) Award for Young Adult Literature; there is a nice review on the AML website (here).
2008.18
Published in 2001. 664 pages.
First sentence: I could hear a roll of muffled drums.
Brief plot summary: Told from the viewpoint of little-known Mary Boleyn (the "other" girl of the title), this is the story of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII.
Why I read this book: A friend recommended this book to me some time ago, but I hadn't gotten to it yet. In December, I decided to put it on my 2008 TBR Challenge list, and then when Emily picked it as our IRL book club read for February, I had to read it now.
What I thought: When I was a child, historical fiction was a favorite genre of mine. I haven't read a lot of it in recent years, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I only had a cursory knowledge of Tudor England before reading The Other Boleyn Girl, but I'm eager now to learn more. Philippa Gregory appears to research her topics well, even if some people have taken exception to her conclusions. She certainly writes a compelling story. As she has stated,
I am very pleased when I can tell a slightly different story from the conventional one, especially if it makes readers see the more usual story in a different light. I like to give people a sense of a different sort of past. I like to challenge the conventional views.
"If women could only have more," I said longingly. "If we could have more in our own right. Being a woman at court is like forever watching a pastry cook at work in the kitchen. All those good things, and you can have nothing." [p. 304.]
The words froze on my pen, I could not say that I regretted loving William, for every day I loved him more. In a world where women were bought and sold as horses I had found a man I loved; and married for love. I would never suggest that this was a mistake. [p. 518]
Published in 2005. 314 pages.
2006 Newbery Honor Book.
First sentence: Miri woke to the sleepy bleating of a goat.
Last sentence: From the cracks in the rocks all around, the miri flowers were already blooming.
Why I read this book: I've been meaning to read a Shannon Hale book for quite some time. My daughters are both fans, and because Shannon is a Utahn, I feel a sense of connection to her as well. When my church women's group book club discussed Princess Academy as a possibility for February's meeting, I highly encouraged that idea. We often choose books that I have already read - which is okay with me - but it's more fun when I get to read along, and having a deadline always helps my motivation in getting to something on my to-read list.
A brief description of this book (adapted from the ALA's description on the 2006 Newbery Medal and Honor Books page): Miri and the other young women of her rocky highland village are forced to leave their close-knit community to attend the "Princess Academy" when the palace priests divine that the prince must choose a bride from the territory where the girls live. Like the miri flower, which sprouts from the cracks in the linder rock, Miri proves herself to be strong, resilient, and courageous. The book is a fresh approach to the traditional princess story with unexpected plot twists and great emotional resonance.
My thoughts about this book: I love princess stories! Or maybe I ought to say that I love princess stories that are other than the "happily ever after" drivel I detest, ones that celebrate the strength, uniqueness, and often contrariness of the girls involved. Princess Academy met all my expectations. Miri is my hero!
A couple of favorite passages:
"The only thing I wish is that whoever does become the princess is happy, I mean really, really happy. Otherwise, what would it matter, right?" [pages 108-109]
Miri slumped onto a boulder. "What should I say? That I like him so much it hurts?"
"Maybe you should tell him."
"But what if I do and he looks at me like I'm salt fish rotten in the barrel, and then I can never be his friend again?" [pages 169-170]
Author Shannon Hale, who has published five novels for young adults and one adult fiction book to date, was born on January 26, 1974, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She and her husband Dean Hale and their two young children currently reside in South Jordan, Utah. You can find out more about her - including bios as written by her husband and by her son - here. Her website also includes the following princess tips - which I think give some insight into who Shannon Hale is.I created this blog at the beginning of 2007 and thereby entered the fun, adventurous world of book blogging! Little did I know what was in store, as I soon discovered the even more fun, more adventurous world of reading challenges. One of the first I stumbled across was the 2007 TBR Challenge, hosted by MizB - but it was too late to join up. This year I'm in! And I'm going to join the Yahoo TBR Challenge group as well.
