The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

I have heard about this book for years and have several friends who are fans of the Bayern series. I finally picked up a copy. (Actually I was trying to give Shannon Hale a chance to redeem herself in my eyes after the Actor and the Housewife disaster.)

I enjoyed reading this story. Its re-telling of a Grimm's fairytale, which I knew nothing about. Maybe that's why the book felt so dreamy and magical. Of the Shannon Hale books I've read, I think her writing style worked the best in this book.

I liked the character of Ani. I especially liked the decisions she makes once she gets to Bayern. I think she is a strong female protagonist for upper elementary/middle school readers.

I do think the story started too slow. I think the build up of her feelings about her life, being a princess, and her relationship with her mother could have been conveyed more briefly. I was also confused when Ani's special power of talking with animals, especially birds, kind of transformed into the power to talk to and use the wind. It seemed weird to me.

Overall I think this is a nice middle grades book. I'm interested in reading the other stories in the series.

The River Why by David James Duncan

How about a couple of mini-posts since my summer is fading fast? Lists are so much easier than real writing. I've read a few books in between my beaching, hiking, laying arounding.

I re-read The River Why in July. I really like this book, but it had been YEARS since I read it last. Like, maybe before having kids. It is long, and, at the risk of using terms I don't fully understand, I would say this in an EPIC novel. But I didn't even think of stopping reading, it's that good.

Things I really like about this book:

1. Bill Bob. Gus's younger brother has all these amazing terms and ideas. The segment where he explains to Gus about Garden Angels might be one of my favorite passages ever. The dreefrees, all of it. I love smart kid characters.

2. Personal growth. Like any sucessful epic novel (in my definition), Gus learns through his life experiences and comes to some important conclusions. It also has the feel of philosophy books, some of which Gus reads. You know like, Candide, Tao, Bhagavad Gita, those kind.

3. The dialouge between characters in this book is great. I think Duncan creates very entertaining, eccentric characters, and makes them believable. Crazy, but believeable. This, of course, leads to very entertaining conversations between them.

4. When Gus meets Eddy. I love the moments where he tries to talk to her but can't. And then the night they sat by the fire and tell each other everything. Doesn't every great relationship have one of those nights toward the beginning? It make me sentimental to think of it. Plus, I love a little romance in a big novel, and their's is magical.

5. It's toward the beginning, but I really like his references to Jesus leading his disciples to catch the 153 fish. I enjoyed his speculation about why there is a specific number, you know, who counted the fish.
Some new things I found out: This version was a 20th anniversary and had a cool afterward by David James Duncan. He talked about getting inspired to write this book, and getting it published, and other stuff. I found if very interesting, of course I like his writing style. His parents were conservative and religious, and he wasn't. He was facing the Vietnam draft, which reminded me of The Brothers K. Anyway, he talks about getting the idea to boil down all the conflict with in a family to one issue, fishing. And that's what he did with this family. I thought that was a cool idea. I'm always fascinated with how people translate their life experiences into works of fiction.
He also talks about novels creating an atmosphere where readers discover their inner wisdom. And I'm sorry Mr. Duncan, but I already returned the book, so I can't use a direct quote. Which would explain it much better.
Also, some people have made a movie of this book. I'm so curious to see when it might come out. They bought the rites 20 years ago, so there's some controversy, and lawsuits involved. But my research online shows that it was shown at some film festivals this year, so I'm assuming they need more money to actually release it. I'll cross my fingers.
One day I took this book to the gym to read on the stationary bike. I ran into a friend who asked me what it was about. And I said, "Well, fishing." Then I tried to explain a bit more.
So, in summary, Gus graduates from high school, takes out a one year lease on a cabin, then proceeds to follow his well-crafted plan to fish as many waking minutes as possible. It doesn't provide him with the fulfillment he expected, so then he figures out what really makes life meaningful, and so on. Oh, and his dad is a famous fly-fisherman, English and educated. His mom is a bait fisherwoman, and kind of a hill-billy. His family is awesome.
Anyone else read this? Like or Dislike?

ScreamFree Parenting

So I've seen this title around, and kind of dismissed it. But I read a comment on another blog, that made me curious. I liked it.

I would say that it is more philosophy than practical "how-to's", although the author does include examples and stories.

Initially I was a little put off by his writing style. He comes off a little pompous, and seemed like he was trying to hard to convince you that his "ScreamFree" patented principle was unique and contrary to all that you've ever heard before. But its not. That being said, his ideas are still good. They are common sense. I think you can summarize his whole philosophy to the idea of keeping yourself calm and incontrol at all times. And I think we all want to do that, and know that that is how we should parent.

The author uses several catch phrases that he repeats. One that I thought was good was “In order to be in charge you have to bring yourself under control.” And that is the best part of this book. It doesn’t give you any illusions about your own powers, but instead focuses on what you can realistically do to have great results in your family.

Another thing I really liked is "if you are experiencing a pattern of behavior with your children, you are some how contributing." And ALL patterns can be changed. If one person changes what they are doing, the pattern has to change. This makes sense to me, and doesn’t require blaming the whole problem on the child or the parent.

Another piece of wisdom is that “no one is always ever anything.” Don’t you hate when someone labels you or assumes you are going to react a certain way, when you know you won’t? He explains, just because a child acts a certain way in a situation 10 times doesn’t mean he will do the same the 11th time. Labels limit our children’s freedom to evolve and develop. I loved that, for me and my kids. I love the belief that we can always change and improve ourselves and our behavior.

A few more nuggets of wisdom:

Insanity is “Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.”

“Asking any child, from toddler to teenager, to account for his motivation at the time of his mistake is a fruitless exercise. He simply doesn’t know most of the time. And your need to know is much more about you than it is about him.”

He paraphrases four levels of love as defined by a French monk: 1)I love me for my benefit. 2) I love you for my benefit. 3)I love you for your benefit. 4) I love me for your benefit. More than parenting, this really got me thinking about friendship and service, and what my motivations are.

The same chapter was titled, “Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First.” I liked it. “The less we take intentional retreats for ourselves, the more we will find ourselves unintentionally finding ways to escape.”

Sometimes the examples that Runkel uses don’t seem to correlate well with the point he is trying to make. Other times he takes too long to explain or get to the point. Overall, I liked reading this book. It did make me think about several different aspects of parenting, and relationships in general. I recommend it because even if you don’t buy into his ideas, I think it will inspire you to evaluate yourself and your thoughts on parenting!

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

My mom loaned me this book and reminded me of what happened in Sarajevo in the early 90s. I kind of remember "Benefits for Bosnia" during my freshman year of college, and I feel guilty I didn't know more of the plight of this city. As the story takes place, Sarajevo is surrounded by snipers, "the men in the hills," who target civilians sending shells and bullets at random into the city. The water supply, electricity, everything has been cut off from these people. Their lives are in constant danger.

I really liked this book. It focuses on 3 characters who are living in Sarajevo during the seige that lasted about 3 years. It is fiction, but I'm sure paints a very realistic picture of how the war affected everyone's daily lives. It is so sad. The chapters alternate between a father carring empty plastic bottles tied to a rope across town to get water for his family, a man heading to the bakery where he works so he can eat a meal, and a young woman who is a defensive counter sniper.

The story is inspired by true events. Twenty-two people in line for bread were killed, and an acclaimed cellist witnessed it all. He then chose to play his cello, Albinoni's Adagio in G minor, for 22 days, in public, in their honor.

The Cellist is introduced in the first chapter, but then is only mentioned by the others. He is used as a catalyst for self-reflection and reasoning in the other characters lives. They are not heros, but they are trying to find meaning and purpose in the horrific situation they find themselves.

I liked the writing style of this Steven Galloway. I liked how it realistically shows the tragedies of war, without being gratuitous or gory. The characters are interesting and likeable.

Here are some quotes:

"But he could not refuse her. No person he would want to be would do that."
"Even if every building is rebuilt so it's exactly as it was before, he doesn't know how he could sit in a comfortable chair and drink a coffee with a friend and not think about this war and all that went with it. But maybe, he thinks, he would like to try. He know he doesn't want to give up the possibility."

In recalling his son's birth:
"Afterward he had an overwhelming feeling of benevolence, not just for his son, but for the world around him, wishing it were everything it wasn't, wondering what he could do to make things better."

the summer i turned pretty by Jenny Han

I enjoyed this sweet Young Adult Summer Romance. I would have really liked it when I was 14.

It is a story of a girl who spends every summer at a beach house with her mom, brother, her mom's best friend and her two sons. Who, of course, are handsome, funny, and cool. The story is sweet, as all the teenagers are dealing with different emotions of growing up. There's divorce, first kisses, cancer.

Belly is the girl, of course she has an embarrassing nickname. Most of this book is cliche, and would make a sweet teen movie. One thing that I really liked about Belly's character is that she bravely faces situations. There are a handful of times where she sees something, or hears someone talking about something, and I think she's going to hide and pretend she didn't. But she doesn't, she confronts them head on. I liked that about her.

There is a vulgar insult hurled from one of the minor characters in the story, and some mention of "getting to second or third base." But it doesn't explain what that is. Just so you have a heads up if you want to recommend it to a younger reader.

It was a nice story, and mainly made me nostalgic for the summers I spent reading books like this!

NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

Often I forget where I first hear of a book, or who recommended it. I usually just put holds on them online right away, and then by the time they come in I don't remember. But I'm pretty sure I first heard of this book from Kacy, whose blog is awesome. So of course I trusted her opinion. And, phew, this was a worthwhile read for me.

First complaint, the title. I understand it needs to be catchy, but I think the subtitle, New Thinking About Children, is more representative of what you'll find as you read. And there are lots of new ideas in here. Some are kind of obvious, but others are more surprising. Overall I found it very intriguing.

Sometimes it is hard for me to get through non-fiction books. Especially ones that deal with a lot of statistics and results. I really am interested in those things, but I'm skeptical. Like I have to think if those could actually prove something else, and if I really believe the results really show what the author is telling me they show. I felt that way especially when I read Blink, but this is a way better book.

So here are somethings I thought were cool:

When you praise children, make sure to emphasize their effort, which is something they can control. Like if your child does well on a math test, don't say "you are so smart at Math." Because then, if and when they do poorly, they will think it's out of their control, they just aren't smart enough. And even worse, they won't try hard things because failing will mean they aren't smart. But if they understand they did well because they studied and worked hard, then if and when they do poorly, they will think they just need to work harder and study more. Doesn't that make perfect sense? These studies were very cool to read.

I thought the info on why kids lie ( to avoid punishment and to make their parents happy) were interesting too. And especially the part about tattling, because isn't tattling the worst? But their studies show that kids actually only tattle once for every 14 times there is an offense. So maybe give them a break, they were trying not to.

Third grade is when public school curriculum gets much harder because kids are asked to reason through math problems instead of just memorizing, and read for comprehension and not just to learn how to.

The need to do intelligence testing at an older age (at least the end of 2nd grade), and to retest students was very interesting. When you test really young, like kindergarten, you are mostly testing social skills and good parenting. Well, that's over simplifying, but it's too hard to explain briefly.

The chapter that follows gifted education is about sibling fighting. Both of these are real concerns and interests of mine, so by this point in the book, I was totally hooked.

I especially like the idea that if siblings fight, but also spend lots of time playing together and enjoying each other, they will probably stay friends as adults. Phew! It's much better to be best friends/worst enemies, than to take no interest in each other. The latter kind of siblings probably won't be friends as adults.

I also like the explanations about teenagers risk taking. My favorite part was that when teenagers argue with their parents, it usually means they are telling the truth, and they think there's a chance they might be able to get you to change your mind. So if they argue with you it's more respectful than if they lied to avoid any conflict. Like they lie and then just do what they want. It's more intersting than I'm making it sound.

I have read the concept before that you should listen to your kids, and maybe be flexible to change your mind about something, or to compromise. This reinforces their ablity to stand up for their ideas and to present their case. But of course you should never give in just to get them to shut up! I really believe this, and with my obnoxious children, I usually have to remind them that if they want to suggest something or make a deal with me they need to talk to me politely and I would be glad to consider it. At least when I feel like being a good mom.

And then on another note, "being disciplined is more important that being smart...being both is not just a little better, it is EXPONENTIALLY better." I think that makes perfect sense. Being smart is nice, but you have to have self-control and work hard to actually accomplish anything. I think, and so does Po Bronson.

There is a great study of a new preschool/kindergarten curriculum called Tools of the Mind. I am totally going to have my kids set goals for what they want to accomplish each week this summer. Maybe have them write up play plans too. You have to read the book to understand what I'm talking about.

And lastly, the speech studies with the 9 month olds were so cool. Turns out it doesn't matter how much you talk to your babies, but how quickly you respond to their efforts to talk. Kind of made me wish I had an infant to try it out on.

Sometimes I had a hard time really getting the common thread of each of the chapters. They were all cool, and seemed like pretty fresh and new ideas, but not always inter-related. The Conclusion chapter finally helped me understand the authors' thoughts on what all these had in common.

Have you read it? What parts did you find interesting. I'm sure I've left out some really important parts!

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The Thirteenth Tale is one of those books that I have seen around and heard bits and pieces about for awhile. I mainly like to read books that people LOVE, because I'm picky. So I finally picked up a copy after hearing people use the L word.

This story is dark. That's my over all impression. It has interesting characters, good mysteries, and a story within a story within a story really. There is modern (1980's maybe?) woman who is an expert on old books, and she is approached by a dying famous, successful writer who wants to finally divulge her life story. The truth this time. Margaret has her own secret past that has shaped her life, and she decides to take on this writing assignment.

I was a bit disappointed in the Margaret story. I felt like the author kept coming back to it and giving us a few details then immersing us in Vida Winter's story. The back and forthing was kind of weird for me. I'm not sure if the book would have been any better without giving us so much of Margaret's, but I think I would have preferred it. It felt kind of like extra stuff to me.

Just as with The Book Thief, I am in awe of Setterfield's ability to come up with such a crazy, complicated story. I definitely give her credit that the story is in the style of the Bronte sisters. Remember how I read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall a little while back? It's been years since I read Jane Eyre, which is consequently mentioned throughout The Thirteenth Tale, but I know it well enough to categorize this in the same genre. That being said, it's not my favorite type of book.

And since I'm starting with the negative first, the most disturbing part of this book to me (and there are quite a few to choose from) is the idea of an evil child. Adeline is so awful. Most of the book I kept the hope that she grows out of it in the end (you'll see why as you read) but sadly, that isn't the case. Maybe it's just too close to home for me with my 4 stinkers, but it was upsetting. If you've read it, you understand that she wasn't given a fair chance from the beginning, so maybe I can pass it off as one of those terrible results of horrific circumstances.

Now, after all that, I did like this book! I recommend it! Specifically if you like Emily and Charlotte's work. But just know I warned you of the DARKNESS.

At the beginning, Margaret is asked in a letter by Vida Winter to write her biography, and Margaret has no interest. She doesn't think of herself as a contemporary writer, and has no interest in Ms. Winter's wildly popular fiction. UNTIL she starts to read her books. Then she is hooked, and I love the description of how she devours them. "these days when i read all day and half the night, when I slept under a counterpane strewn with books, when my sleep was black and dreamless and passed in a flash and I woke to read again--the lost joys of reading returned to me." Nicely said.

Here's another example of Setterfield's good writing:

"the water logged sky that pressed down claustrophobically on the land, on the road, on the car."

"Weightless, I wandered all night long in Miss Winter's story....peering at the mysteries beyond its bounds."

I loved Miss Winter's description of the characters in her future books appearing to her as a large group, then disappearing one at a time as she wrote each of their stories. Her explanation for why she was finally telling her life story, was that her sister was the only one left in these visits.

I also liked Margaret's description of reading books in a row, "You leave the previous book with ideas and themes--characters even--caught in the fibers of your clothes, and when you open the new book, they are still with you."

I'd love to hear why you did or didn't like this book. I can think of many reasons for both. Plus I have more thoughts about the ending, but I don't want to spoil anything.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This is a great book. I've taken awhile to write up this review because there is just so much to talk about. It was recommended highly to my by many friends, and now I recommend it to the rest of you!

It is told from a very unique perspective, Death. During the first part, the style was kind of bugging me, but after I got in about 50 pages or so, I was really hooked. I also hated the violence, especially when it was directed at poor Liesel.

The Book Thief takes place during World War II, so of course it is filled with sadness. And like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, it shows the horrors of war no matter which side you are on. It was very interesting to read about the less obvious ways the character's lives were affected by war, ways you don't usually think of. Thankfully, like Man's Search for Meaning, or Life is Beautiful, it shows the triumph of the human spirit, and the power of kindness. SO that is good!

I loved Liesel and her relationships with Papa, Rudy and Max. The characters are great in this story. Very original and well developed. While you feel terribly for all of them, none of them are pitiful. They have these small victories that make them heroes. For example, one day after finding a coin and buying one piece of candy to share (they count their sucks), the book says, "The day had been a great one, and Nazi Germany was a wondrous place." And you actually feel that way.

I love books that focus on the power of books. Liesel is at least 10 before she really learns to read, and then it becomes central to her life. I always love that. She underlines the words she doesn't know then paints them on the walls of the basement to practice. So great.

I enjoyed Death's narration more than I thought I would at first. He often foreshadows by saying, "the next time I saw him..." or talks to the reader directly about the significance of a moment, like "he put his arm around her, best-buddy style, and they walked on....You can love Rudy for that, if you like." And again, that's exactly how you are feeling.

One of my favorite parts in the book is when Liesel is reading aloud in a crowded bomb shelter and, "A voice played the notes inside her. This, it said, is your accordion." Her Papa was an accordion player, and it had brought comfort to many people through out the story. This was such a magical moment when she realizes the gift she has to share and bring comfort to others.

I really liked this book. I've mentioned it tons of times, but I enjoy how novels written for a young adult audience can touch on difficult topics, but still protect you from horrific details or imagery. This book made me cry, and did find its way into my dreams, but I wasn't haunted by nightmares.

What did you love about it?

The May Queen edited by Andrea N. Richesin

subtitle: Women on Life, Love, Work, and Pulling it all Together in Your 30'sAttention: This is in no way a self-help or motivational book (COLBY!)
What this book is, is an interesting collection of essays by women about their 30's. Many of them center on moments of enlightenment or change. Many are about motherhood and marriage. But the editor did a fabulous job of getting a variety of writers. She explains that there was "no single image of womanhood that we are striving for." The subject, writing style, life style, each is refreshingly different. And I think because of that I felt like I was gaining all sorts of different insight and ideas. And you know what? It was motivational for me. I didn't feel unaccomplished, or like I've put my life on hold for the last 11 years since I started my career as a mother, not at all. But it did get my mind going. I love that all these women have lived different lives, but the point is we all have something to say.

I kind of felt like I was reading a literary magazine. The stories are all short and worked great when I only had a few minutes to read here and there. I'm kind of sad that I've run out of them!

Three more things I liked:

1) Each chapter started with a quote. I'm a fan of that.
2) Most of the essays had digressions and ramblings. I'm also a fan of those.
3) At the back of the book is a photo and short bio of each of the women. I flipped back to see the women over and over. I loved that part.

Here are a few quotes from the various authors:

"I could tell her that, in a way, the pressure's off, and that there's a new set of challenges ahead." Jennifer Weiner

"They are friends who have stuck around since I was five and friends who I was smart enough to spot when I was older." Sara Woster

"Thank G-- all those men were just not that into me. They did me a bigger favor than I could have ever known." Veronica Chambers

"I was able to muster the courage to take a step toward my deepest dream while still staying light enough on my feet to follow the path when it took a most unexpected turn." Tanya Shaffer

"No matter what the journey you chose, if you hang on, it will ultimately lead you to discovering your true nature." Samina Ali

"I ran through a roster of all the men I knew. And I realized there wasn't one whose face I wanted to see staring back at me for the rest of my life--except my husband's." Heather Chaplin

"I cried through the mask as John held his dangling body up for me to behold...And from then on, everything up to that point in my life was utterly insignificant." Erin Cressida Wilson

"Twenty years of writing was only practice to do that thing that everyone I went to school with did right away..." Erin Cressida Wilson

"For me, at least, going to the margins was something I had to do as a younger feminist, but to stay there would just be admitting I couldn't handle the rest of the world." Jennifer Baumgardner

I loved this last quote because I think it rings true of any extreme views, including religion. What good is it to set yourself apart if you can't participate in the world? I was thinking of working together for good, sharing opinons, evening influencing people. You can't do that if you ostracize yourself.

A few of my favorite essays:

Wide Awake by Marisa de los Santos (the reason I found this book)
She explains the feeling of getting up early with your toddler to keep him from waking up the baby, then goes into how she arrived at the decision to have kids. As with everything she writes, it's her words and phrases that get me everytime.

A Hungry Balance by Julianna Baggott
She writes about balancing, or not balancing, being a mother and a writer. How she knew she must have a family and write, if she gave up one she would resent the other. I loved how she didn't tell people she was a writer, but instead told them she was a stay-at-home mom, knowing the sterotype that would occur. I loved this essay.

I'm the One by Erin Ergenbright
She writes about bad relationships, and one particular break-up. She writes about coming out of it and finding herself.

A Random Sampling Age Thirty to Forty by Ayun Halliday
This was creatively done in lists. Lists of things that she did or didn't do in different decades of her life, goals she had, things that didn't happen to her, things that affected her. I enjoyed reading these.

To All the Men I've Loved Before by Amanda Eyre Ward
She writes a series of letters addressed to the men she has loved, like old boyfriends dating back to childhood. They are funny, interesting, and seemed honest. I loved this idea, and think it would be fun to write up my own.

This collection might be one of those things you can only like if you relate to the time of life. I really liked reading them, and reflecting on them. I recently turned 35, and have been reflecting on that quite a bit myself.

I'd love to hear which ones you liked if you pick this up!

The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland

I loved this guide. It had a ton of tips that applied to me, and tons that did not.

My 10-year-old read it as much as I did. I found it very helpful both before and during our Disney vacation.

I checked it out from my library and kept it until it was determined "lost" and I was "charged," but I live in a nice library district and they don't really charge you as long as you return it.

And consider this mini-review an explanation for my blogging absense. Fun family trip, fun out of town guests, not much reading time.

But the children's book blocking my library card was found last night. My husband, my hero. Now I'm back in business.