April 2017

The Bluest Eye

By Toni Morrison

This was a good time to read The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.  Although originally published in 1970, I’m sure that the living conditions of African Americans living in poverty still exist in many parts of our country today.  Any progress that we’ve made alleviating both poverty and racism is in the process of being undone by the current administration (2017).  The resurgence of white supremacy and ultra conservative politics has paved the way for a return to an America that doesn’t care about the lives of its poorest citizens.  Books, such as Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, can help us develop some understanding of what it is like to be an African American living in poverty.  The story is told through the eyes of children.  It’s emotional and moving.  Definitely a significant read!

There Are No Children Here

By Alex Kotlowitz

I listened to the reading There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz while reading The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.  The two books have many parallels, although they were written two decades apart.  Alex Kotlowitz is a writer and reporter.  There Are No Children Here is the true story of two young boys living in the Henry Horner Homes public housing project.  Originally published in 1991, the book is still relevant.  It gives real insight into some of the economic and racial issues that have led to the Black Lives Matter movement in our country today.  It is definitely a must read for anyone wanting to understand poverty and racial issues in America today in 2017.

The Giver

By Lowis Lowry

I recently discovered The Giver by Lowis Lowry.  I picked up a copy in Spanish from our local bookstore, but wanted to read it in English first.  It’s a dystopian young adult novel that held my interest as an adult, which is true of many of Lowry’s other books.  The story takes place in the future where life is safe but controlled.  The book was so enjoyable, I plan to read the rest of the series, in addition to trying to read it in Spanish.  The Giver is definitely a good read!

Everything We Keep

By Kerry Lonsdale

I picked Everything We Keep up as a Kindle First Read selection.  It was a mildly entertaining, chick lit book.  There was mystery and a romance, actually several romances.  It held my interest and was a quick break from heavier reading. 

The Happiness Project (addition)

By Gretchen Rubin

This year, I've also been reading Rubin's page-a-day calendar, A Happier 2017.  I've gotten it via daily emails and have totally enjoyed reading her daily happiness tips.  It's a daily reminder to focus on little moments of happiness in my life.

M is for Magic

By Neil Gaiman

I love to listen to Neil Gaiman read his own books and M is for Magic was not an exception.  His reading enhances the magic of the story, or in the case of M is for Magic, the stories.  It is a series of unrelated short stories.  As always, it was filled with unexpected twists and unusual stories.  Definitely a good read and a great listen!

Neil Gaiman Audio Collection

Written and Narrated by Neil Gaiman

Once again, I have to say how much I love listening to Neil Gaiman read his own work.  For this audio collection, he read three stories for children: Wolf is in the Walls, Cinnamon, Crazy Hair, and The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish.  The stories included some suspense, some humor and lots of twists.  All four stories were definitely engaging for me, an older adult.  I plan to share them with my ten-year-old grandson the next time he visits.  Definitely a great listen!

The Last Séance

By Agatha Christie

The Last Séance is a short story by Agatha Christie.  I listened to the audio version and didn’t realize that.  I was a bit shocked when it was over.  The ending was a little bit of a twist, but it felt complete.  It was a short, but good listen.

The Night Bookmobile: A Graphic Novel

By Audrey Niffengger

The Night Bookmobile is a beautiful graphic novel by Audrey Niffenger.  It’s an intriguing story with lovely illustrations.  I love books about books and/or book readers.  This fit the bill perfectly.  It was my introduction to Audrey Niffengger, author of The Time Traveler’s Wife.  I plan give that one a try and look for other graphic novels by Niffengger. 

Crimes Against a Book Club

By Kathy Cooperman

Crimes Against a Book Club by Kathy Cooperman was another Kindle First Read book selection.  It was a better than average, chick lit book.  I always like books about books and/or book readers and Crimes Against a Book Club included both.  Each chapter began with a flashback to a book read by one of the members of the book club.  They were nicely selected to relate to what was going on in each chapter.  I found myself laughing at quite a few points.  Crimes Against a Book Club was a quick and entertaining read.

Hatchet

By Gary Paulsen

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen was a recommendation by my sister, who thought it might be of interest to my ten-year-old grandson… and it was.  He loved it and I did, too.  He is interested in anything survival related and is a big fan of The Hunger Games.  Hatchet was a perfect shared read-aloud.  (I have to mention that ten-year-olds are not too old to enjoy listening to a good story.)  We were both totally drawn into the world of the main character, Brian.  The story tells how a 13-year-old boy survived a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness.  It was graphic at times, but that added to the realism.  By the time the book was finished, we were both ready for more.  Thankfully, there are several sequels.  Hatchet, book 1 in the Brian’s Saga series, is definitely a great read!

Brian’s Winter: Bk 3

By Gary Paulsen

After reading Hatchet, my grandson and I decided to skip The River, book 2 in the Brian’s Saga series.  My grandson wanted to hear Brian’s complete survival story, including winter, so we chose Brian's Winter.  We agreed that we would go back and read The River later.  I think it was a good decision.  I, too, was left wondering what would have happened to Brian if he hadn’t been rescued.  Could he have survived a winter in the Canadian wilderness by himself?  I won’t give away any spoilers, except to say that this book did not disappoint.  Brian’s Winter was another great survival read.

Brian’s Return: Bk 4

By Gary Paulsen

Brian’s Return is the fourth book in the Brian’s Saga series by Gary Paulsen.  I read Hatchet and Brian’s Winter with my 10-year-old grandson.  My husband had joined us for the reading of Brian’s Winter.  He, too, became hooked on the story, so we decided to listen to book 4, Brian’s Return, on our way home to NJ.  It was a little bit different.  As you can tell from the title, this time Brian voluntarily returns to the woods.  The why and how are explained, along with a different survival adventure.  Both my husband and I loved the book.  It was a great audiobook and helped make a long road trip go quickly.  Definitely a good read and/or listen!

Brian’s Hunt: Bk 5

By Gary Paulsen

Brian’s Hunt is the fifth book in the Brian’s Saga series by Gary Paulsen.  Once again, Brian is alone in the Canadian wilderness… voluntarily.  In this book, he encounters a new adventure, where his survival skills are tested to their limits.  He helps to heal a wounded dog, which becomes a companion and significant part of his story.  Brian’s Hunt is just as engaging and exciting as all of the other books in the Brian’s Saga series.  It’s a great read.

March 2017

Mudbound

By Hillary Jordan

I have to preface this review with the statement that this is totally my own opinion.  I realize that Mudbound is a popular and well-liked book.  That being said, I would give it one star because I was able to read the book to the end.  I didn’t hate it, but I also did not like it.  I was going to give it a second star for the fact that this was Hillary Jordan’s first book.  That, however, is not a good reason to raise the rating of any book. From my perspective, it was a giant cliché. There was no depth to the story.  Characters and situations were stereotypical.  I particularly did not like the epilogue.  It appeared that the author wasn’t able to or didn’t want to resolve the storyline.   It just stopped and everything was explained, somewhat, in the epilogue.    

There are much more profound and moving books on the topic of racism.  I found a Huffington Post article, 16 Books About Race that Every White Person Should Read.  Some of the books on the list may evoke uncomfortable feelings, which is something that happens when we step outside of the box and challenge our own preconceived notions, misconceptions and/or biases. Those books, along with a few others, have been added to my reading list. 

The Nest

By Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

I listened to the Audible version of The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney.  The story revolved around four upper class siblings squabbling over an inheritance.  There were several well-used, middle-aged adult themes: drug use, relationship problems, biological clock, and money.  It was mildly entertaining.  I didn’t hate it.  It was the second book that I’ve read this month ending with an epilogue.  In both cases, it seemed like the author couldn’t or didn’t want to resolve the storyline.  The story just stopped and everything was tied up neatly in the epilogue.  That’s an OK solution, but not my favorite. The narration by Mia Barron was good.  For me, The Nest was a mildly engaging audiobook.

Truly Madly Guilty

By Liane Moriarty

Truly Madly Guilty is a new book written by my favorite ‘guilty pleasure’ author, Liane Moriarty.  All of Moriarty’s books present flawed characters from dysfunctional families and/or relationships.  Frequently, the evolving and/or dissolving relationships are between sisters.  In Truly Madly Guilty, the major conflict is between two life-long best friends.  Mother/daughter and husband/wife issues also come into play throughout the story.  While all of the characters were well developed, I particularly related to Erica.  Both she and her husband had significant personal struggles.  I liked the growth that they experienced individually and as a couple.  While not a ‘happily ever after’ ending, I liked the way their issues were resolved by the end of the book.  I think I would have enjoyed having Erica as a friend, despite her issues.  I was sorry that others did not appreciate her friendship, and that she did not always appreciate herself.   I loved the book and would definitely recommend Truly Madly Guilty.

The Sense of an Ending

By Julian Barnes

I picked up The Sense of an Ending because I heard that it was coming out soon as a movie.  I always like to read the book first, even before hearing other people’s comments about a movie adaptation.  The small, 163-page book was riveting.  I could not put it down.  One of my favorite passages was about forgetting things:

‘… You can sit there and try to force your memory into giving up the name of that acquaintance, flower, train station, astronaut… Or you can admit failure and take practical steps with reference books and the Internet.  Or you can just let it go--forget about remembering--and then sometimes you find that the mislaid fact surfaces an hour or a day later, often in those long waking nights that age imposes…’ (page 122)

The book is a novella about forgetting, remembering and, sometimes, just not understanding.  I loved it.  It’s a great read!

McGraw Hill Easy Spanish Step-By-Step

Barbara Bregstein

The McGraw Hill East Spanish Step-By-Step truly was easy and one of the best books for easy grammar that I’ve found so far.  The book was divided into three sections:  Section I: Elements of a Sentence (9 chapters); Section II: Objects, Reflexive Verbs and Present Subjunctive (4 chapters); Section III: Preterit Tense, Imperfect Tense and Double Object Pronouns (2 chapters).  I appreciated the detailed explanations and examples.  The majority of the book was easy to understand and very helpful.  I got a bit lost in the third section, possibly because my English grammar knowledge is not the best.  I was able to complete all of it and am sure that it will all make sense with time and further study.

Here are my general impressions:

·      It is very easy to understand.

·      There are answers to most of the exercises in the back of the book, so you can check to see if your answers are correct.

·      The explanations are clear and have good examples.

·      A lot of vocabulary was introduced and used in practice exercises.

·      There are plenty of practice exercises.

·      Each chapter ends with a short story and related comprehension questions.  (I wish that answers for these questions were included in the answer key.  They are not.)

·      At the end of each of the major sections, there was a long list of infinitives to be translated.  These did not all relate to the exercises that had been completed.  I did each list, but am not sure about the value of lists of words with no context.

Overall, this was a one of the best books I’ve found for self-study.  I would recommend using it in conjunction with an online app, such as Duolingo or Rosetta Stone.  I’ve found that they all support and reinforce one another.

January and February 2017

A Man Called Ove: A Novel

By Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman is a sweet, without being overly sentimental, novel.  There were sad parts and I cried at the end, but it was not a sad novel.  The characters were well developed and I felt that I knew them all.  I don’t want to see the movie because I have a very specific vision of each one in my mind.  I enjoyed the book so much that I want to keep my own vision of the characters, the place and the story.  It’s a book that I’ll remember and will probably revisit.  For me, A Man Called Ove was an emotionally moving read.

The Aviator’s Wife

By Melanie Benjamin

I think I would give The Aviator’s Wife 3½ stars, if I could.  I liked the book and enjoyed reading it.  The historical novel is based on the life of Anne Morrow Lindberg, wife of Charles Lindberg, the first person to make a solo flight from the USA to France in 1927.  The book explores their relationship, his influence and her personal growth.  The historical details of the times were interesting and engaging.  I also enjoyed reading about Anne’s life.  While much of the book was based on fact, there is also much that wasn’t.  At times, I felt that characters and relationships were portrayed as either all good or all bad.  They were presented as either the best or worst archetypes/icons of their times.  For me, that made Anne, and especially Charles, seem not quite real.  Perhaps that was their persona in public, but I can’t help but feel that there was more to them and to their relationship.  After reading some of the writing of their daughter, Reeve Lindberg, I think that is truly the case.  My conclusion is this:  The Aviator’s Wife was a good book.  It inspired me to read more about the life of Anne Morrow Lindberg and to revisit some of her writing, especially Gifts from the Sea.

After attending a book club meeting and finishing Under a Wing by Reeve Lindberg, I would still give The Aviator’s Wife 3 ½ stars.  However, I have changed my opinion about the characters slightly.  Many of the people in the discussion group presented details about Charles Lindberg that were new to me.  Perhaps he was as evil as he was presented in The Aviator’s Wife.  The consensus of opinion seemed to be that Charles Lindberg was not a nice person.  I have written about Reeve Lindberg’s portrayal of her father in a review of Under a Wing: A Memoir.  While aware of many of her father’s failings, she obviously loved him and presented a very different Charles Lindberg.  Reeve Lindberg’s writing and the book club discussion both enriched my reading of The Aviator’s Wife.  They have reinforced the concept that characters, whether real or fictional, can be seen and portrayed from many different perspectives… by authors and by readers. 

Under a Wing: A Memoir

By Reeve Lindberg

Under a Wing is a short, sweet memoir written by Reeve Lindberg, daughter of Anne Morrow Lindberg and Charles A. Lindberg.  Even though it was written when Reeve Lindberg was a much older adult with a family of her own, many of the stories seem like they are written through the eyes of a child.  Ms. Lindberg presents details and anecdotes from her childhood through the years to her father’s death and her mother’s battle with dementia.  All of her siblings are included in the stories.  They were also included in the black and white photos in the center of the book.  She writes with honesty and with her own perspective, having been a member of the family.  While some of the material is sad, it is not a sad book.  There are an equal number of happy memories of daily interactions within the Lindberg family.  The one thing that I had to remember was that this was a memoir written through the eyes of the youngest child in the family.  I totally enjoyed this very quick read.  It gave a very different perspective on the Lindbergs, particularly Charles A. Lindberg.  It was definitely a good read and contributed to my overall knowledge of the Lindberg family.

Hardwiring Happiness

By Rick Hanson

I listened to the Audible version of Hardwiring Happiness, which was narrated by the author, Rick Hanson.  The book included a lot of familiar background material that provided new insights, as well as a good review of psychology 101.  I have mixed feelings about listening to the audio version.  Hanson’s narration was excellent and it was helpful to just be able to listen and do the meditations.  His reading of the practice exercises made them very easy to follow.  However, I did miss seeing the charts that were included and may actually check the book out of the library, so I can review them.  I think the ideal way to do this book would be to have both the audio and hard copy available.  It was definitely a valuable listen and might be even more so if read.

2/17 My only book in February was the actual reading of Hardwiring Happiness.  After listening to the audio book, I thought it might be helpful to read the book and see the charts.  The reread was valuable, but the charts didn’t add much to my understanding.  Hanson does explain the charts on the audio version and that really is enough. For me, the most important idea for both versions of the book was the ‘Absorb’ concept.  Taking in and absorbing good experiences is something that I do not regularly do.  I’m going to try to be more mindful about positive experiences in my life… allowing them to settle into my body and taking time to absorb them.  I stand by my original opinion that Hardwiring Happiness is a valuable read, in any format.

Books for Living

By Will Schwalbe

I loved Books for Living!  It is one of my favorite kinds of book… books about books.  Will Schwalbe has written about some of the books that have been most meaningful in his life.  The variety of genres included children’s books, classic literature, modern fiction, non-fiction and even a cookbook.  Although each chapter was devoted to a particular book, numerous other related titles were also mentioned.  It would be difficult for me to choose a favorite chapter, as they were all meaningful.  Will Schwalbe is an avid reader and an engaging writer.  I checked Books for Living out of the library, but it is a book that I am going to put on my wish list.  It needs to be on my bookshelf for frequent rereads.