Tuesday night, my dad and I went to see Garrison Keillor read poetry from his new book, O What a Luxury: Versus Lyrical, Pathetic & Profound. The event was sponsored by Rainy Day Books.
Publisher’s Description: O What a Luxury: Verses Lyrical, Vulgar, Pathetic & Profound is the first poetry collection written by Garrison Keillor, the celebrated radio host of A Prairie Home Companion. Although he has edited several anthologies of his favorite poems, this volume forges a new path for him, as a poet of light verse. He writes—with his characteristic combination of humor and insight—on love, modernity, nostalgia, politics, religion, and other facets of daily life. Keillor’s verses are charming and playful, locating sublime song within the humdrum of being human.
Most of the poems he read were really funny – I’m sure his delivery made them even more humorous than if you just read them yourself. The one he wrote for his wife when she was in the first trimester of her pregnancy was not only funny, but spot-on. I was a little surprised that a man could empathize so well with what a woman goes through in pregnancy. A few of his poems were quite political, which I didn’t mind at all since we’re on the same side. I wouldn’t call myself a Garrison Keillor fan – I’ve never read any of his books and only listened to him on NPR a few times – but I enjoyed myself quite a bit at this event. My dad and I talked to him afterwards and he was so nice and seemed genuinely interested in what my dad (a Garrison Keillor super-fan) had to say. Here we all are:
October 10th, 2013 in
Books |
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Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Paperback Release Date: 2008
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Same Kind of Different As Me is the story of Ron Hall, a wealthy white art dealer and Denver Moore, a homeless black man that Ron and his wife Deborah befriend.
I read this book because it was a selection for my stay-at-home mom’s book club. It’s definitely not a book I would have picked up on my own, as it has a heavy focus on Evangelical Christian religious doctrine and that’s not really my thing. I even felt kind of duped by this book because the blurb on the book jacket doesn’t mention anything about God or religion; I felt like they were trying to draw in unsuspecting readers who wouldn’t normally read the book. From some of the reviews I read on Goodreads, I’m not alone in feeling this way.
Ron starts out as a snobby, racist and classist jerk of a guy who is convinced to work at a homeless shelter by his selfless and giving wife Deborah. (Why does Deborah put up with this guy? Good question.) Deborah feels that God is telling her that Ron should become friends with Denver, who has a reputation of being the meanest, most stand-offish homeless man at the shelter. Ron loves and trusts his wife so he does what she asks.. At first, it’s clear that Ron thinks he is doing Denver a big favor by even talking to him and that Ron thinks he is inherently better than Denver because he is rich and white. Thankfully, as Ron gets to know Denver, he realizes that he isn’t better than him and that he been judgmental and wrong in his preconceived notions about homeless and black people. We also learn that Denver isn’t really as mean as he seems.
I appreciated how honest Ron was about how he wasn’t the greatest person when he first started working at the mission. I didn’t relate to the heavy-handed religious aspect of the book and found the constant references to prayer monotonous but I did like reading about Denver’s life and the development of his relationship with Ron.
Buy this book at:
Rainy Day Books
October 3rd, 2013 in
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Nikki and Deja: Substitute Trouble by Karen English
Publisher: Clarion Books
Release Date: July 9, 2013
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Deja is dismayed to learn that her teacher has had an accident and a substitute will be taking her place. Under the new sub’s care, nothing is the same in Room Ten. A few of the class troublemakers plot to take advantage of the clueless teacher, and soon other students join in. Should Nikki and Deja go along with the rest of the kids in tormenting him? Should they help him out by tattling on their classmates? Or is there another way to handle the situation?
There are several Nikki and Deja books in this series but each one can stand alone. I’ve previously reviewed Nikki and Deja: Wedding Drama. These books are intended for beginning readers, ages 6-9. Even though the two main characters are girls, my nine year old son enjoyed this book.
This book illustrates why it’s important to behave for a substitute teacher and follow the rules at school in general in a fun way. Nikki and Deja are good girls who follow the rules without being tattletales or goody-goodies. I appreciated how the girls figured out how things would be different if the first sub was more sure of himself.
I really like how this series features children of color without race being the central issue to the story. They add a nice bit of diversity to our home library.
(I received this book courtesy of Amazon Vine.)
For more reviews of books for children and teens, check out Booking Mama’s feature, Kid Konnection, posted on Saturdays. If you’d like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children’s books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, you can go to her site to leave a comment and your link .
October 1st, 2013 in
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The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger by Jenny Meyerhoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher’s Description:
Fifth grader Louie Burger figures that with a goofy name like his, he must be destined to be a king of comedy like his idol Lou Lafferman. But he’s only ever performed his stand-up act in his closet, where he and his dad created the most exclusive comedy club ever—if by “exclusive” you mean that no one’s ever allowed inside. With the school talent show coming up, Louie’s wondering if now is his moment to kill (that’s comedian talk for “make actual people laugh”). And maybe, if he brings down the house, he’ll win back his former best friend Nick—who seems to be turning into one of those annoying sporty types—and fend off his dad’s home-improvement obsession, which threatens to remodel Louie’s comedy closet into a private bedroom for his older sister. Barftrocious!
This was a funny book that did a good job of incorporating a lesson about facing your fears and not giving up without being heavy handed. Your child probably won’t even realize that this story has a moral! With Barftastic as part of the title, I was worried that this book would be over the top gross but it wasn’t. There is some barfing and some barf talk but it’s used sparingly.
I wouldn’t call this a graphic novel – there is an illustration every few pages or so. The illustrations are a cute addition to the story. I think that fans of Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid will enjoy reading about Louie Burger.
(I received this book courtesy of Amazon Vine.)
For more reviews of books for children and teens, check out Booking Mama’s feature, Kid Konnection, posted on Saturdays. If you’d like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children’s books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, you can go to her site to leave a comment and your link .
September 26th, 2013 in
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This past week was slow and boring. Why? Because I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia again! My lungs are so fired. Unlike last time, I remained conscious the entire time so I was able to get some reading and reviewing done. I did hesitate to start reading until my second day in because I was afraid I would end up in a coma and forget everything I read. Of course that would be the worst part about being comatose, right??
I was also able to keep up with all the blogs I follow and leave some comments and everything. That was nice but not nice enough for me to want to go back to the hospital any time soon. You hear that lungs? Straighten up and fly right!
September 22nd, 2013 in
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Peyton Place is the 1957 movie based on the novel of the same name written by Grace Metalious about a small fictional New England town. I’ve wanted to see it for a long time just because Peyton Place is so popular it’s become a synonym for a scandal filled small town. I finally decided to bite the bullet and watch it after it was mentioned in the book Necessary Lies. In Necessary Lies, naive social worker Jane, sees it and is shocked by what’s in it. I really wanted to find out what would be so shocking for a movie made in the late 1950s.
Of course nothing in this movie was shocking by today’s standards but I can see why it was when it was first released. The word sex is used several times, which I can imagine took people aback. Also, one teenage girl tells a boy, “It’s about time you learned that girls want to the same things as boys and they have the right to know how.” What?? Girls like sex too? Revolutionary! Seriously, I’m sure that was a revelation for some at that time. Heck, it might still be a revelation for some people today!
This was a good movie but at 2 hours and 37 minutes, it was about 37 minutes too long. There were several long, meandering scenes that I thought could have been edited down without losing anything. The acting was very affected and dramatic but I think that was the accepted style of acting for that time period. The same goes for the overly dramatic, tympanic score. I’m so glad movies of today aren’t scored that way.
In researching the movie, I learned that it is watered down compared to the book. Now I feel like I must read the original novel to get the full scoop. Apparently the novel has quite a back story as well and there are also books written about the real life story of the author and the town she based Peyton Place on. I have opened up quite a can of worms for myself by watching this movie!
September 19th, 2013 in
Movie Reviews |
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Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Publisher: Doubleday
Release Date: June 11, 2013
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.
When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn’t know is that Nick’s family home happens to look like a palace, that she’ll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick’s formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should–and should not–marry.
This was one of the most fun books I’ve read in a long time. It’s a wonderful comedy of manners about of segment of Asian society that is so opulent, it’s almost unbelievable. However, after a perusing a few reviews written by people who have lived in this part of the world, it appears that it is actually pretty accurate. All of the societal rules that must be obeyed to avoid shaming oneself and one’s family reminded me very much of a Victorian novel, which I love.
As a former CPA myself, I must share my favorite quote:
The only acceptable majors were medicine and law (unless you were truly dumb, in which case you settled for accounting).
Even though it was satirical and funny, it was compelling too. I was up way past my bedtime several nights in a row, unable to stop reading. At almost 400 pages, it’s a hefty read but even so, when I was finished, I wanted more. I would love it if Mr. Kwan wrote a sequel or some kind of spin-off featuring some of the same characters.
The author includes dryly funny footnotes explaining certain expressions or traditions that really added to my enjoyment and understanding of the story. I thought it was a creative touch. Crazy Rich Asians is escapism at its finest.
(I received this book courtesy of Amazon Vine.)
September 16th, 2013 in
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Poor Neve – she is definitely suffering from third child syndrome. She started preschool almost two weeks ago and I’m just now posting about it! She goes to school two days a week and loves it. Her teacher tells me that she talks about “my boys” (Cash and West) all day long. Cash gets home from school in time to go with me to pick Neve up from school. When he walks into her classroom, she runs over to him, throws her arms around his legs and squeals, “Cashy, my Cashy!” So sweet – they have such a strong bond.
September 14th, 2013 in
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Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau
Paperback Release Date: March 8, 2011
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187–424—one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary rules. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of acceptance.
I’m writing this review assuming you have watched the Orange is the New Black TV series on Netflix. If not, step away from the computer and binge watch it immediately. It is a MUST SEE. Great storylines and fantastic acting.
The book Orange is the New Black is decidedly less dramatic than the TV series. After reading it, I understand why the series is “inspired by” rather than “based on” the book. For instance, in real life, when Piper ends up with an extra screwdriver, she freaks out for a moment and then tosses in a Dumpster, never to be thought of again. The whole incident takes about two pages. In the series, an entire episode was based on the screwdriver and it caused an uproar in the whole prison.
The book shows more graphically how horrible Danbury actually is and how inequitable and arbitrary sentencing can be from prisoner to prisoner, usually depending on class and race. Piper doesn’t rant and rave about this or the ineffectiveness of prison as a rehabilitative tool, she just lets her experience and what she observed speak for itself.
I did find Piper to be a little pretentious in the first half of the book. It seemed at times like she thought she was the only well-educated white woman to ever be in prison, which I don’t think is the case. However, I felt like she redeemed herself to me in the last couple of chapters. And I still definitely enjoyed the book. It wasn’t as compelling as the TV series but it was more educational. It’s a good read to get your fix until the next season of Orange is the New Black is released. (And the book is so far removed from what is happening on the series at this point that I don’t feel like reading it will spoil the second season for you.)
Buy this book at:
Rainy Day Books
September 5th, 2013 in
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Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: September 3, 2013
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
There is a prequel to this book called The First Lie, available on e-book for 99 cents. It’s only 39 pages long. I went ahead and bought it since I didn’t have to pay for Necessary Lies but I going to say it – this trend of super short prequels on ebooks really annoys me. It seems like it’s just a way to get one or two more dollars out of the person buying the book. Thirty-nine extra pages could have easily been included in Necessary Lies, having a separate prequel is ridiculous. But I guess I’m a sucker because I bought it even though I was mad about it!
Anyway, enough ranting! On to my review of Necessary Lies. First, the publisher’s description:
After losing her parents, fifteen-year-old Ivy Hart is left to care for her grandmother, older sister and nephew as tenants on a small tobacco farm. As she struggles with her grandmother’s aging, her sister’s mental illness and her own epilepsy, she realizes they might need more than she can give.
When Jane Forrester takes a position as Grace County’s newest social worker, she doesn’t realize just how much her help is needed. She quickly becomes emotionally invested in her clients’ lives, causing tension with her boss and her new husband. But as Jane is drawn in by the Hart women, she begins to discover the secrets of the small farm—secrets much darker than she would have guessed. Soon, she must decide whether to take drastic action to help them, or risk losing the battle against everything she believes is wrong.
Set in rural Grace County, North Carolina in a time of state-mandated sterilizations and racial tension, Necessary Lies tells the story of these two young women, seemingly worlds apart, but both haunted by tragedy. Jane and Ivy are thrown together and must ask themselves: how can you know what you believe is right, when everyone is telling you it’s wrong?
Even though Necessary Lies is a work of fiction, it’s an accurate account of the way the Eugenics Sterilization Program worked in North Carolina. I was shocked to learn that this barbaric program was in place up in until 1974. The characters in Grace county are typical of the kind of people who were affected by this horrifying program.
I appreciated Jane’s struggle with the program, on the one hand wanting to be a good social worker, on the other hand not knowing if following the rules actually made her a good social worker. This book was also an eye-opening look of what it was like to be a woman in the 1960s. Jane’s doctor won’t prescribe her birth control pills without her husband’s permission!
This book also did a good job of portraying the cycle of rural poverty and just how hard it to break as well. The author made me feel deep sympathy for Ivy and her family.
This book was a compelling story with a couple of very surprising plot twists. It was extremely well-researched as well. Necessary Lies would be an excellent book club pick; you will want to discuss this book with somebody after you read it, if only to vent your frustration with North Carolina during this time period. This is the first book I’ve read by Diane Chamberlain and I’m looking forward to reading more by her. I highly recommend Necessary Lies.
(I received this book courtesy of the Amazon Vine program.)
September 3rd, 2013 in
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Tuesday night, my dad and I went to see Garrison Keillor read poetry from his new book, O What a Luxury: Versus Lyrical, Pathetic & Profound. The event was sponsored by Rainy Day Books.
