1776

Title: 1776

Author: David McCullough

Genre: Nonfiction/History

Price: $11.47 (paperback on Amazon)

ISBN: 9780743226174

I should say, before I dig into the book itself, that it took me about a month and a half to finish this bugger (hence the two month gap between this entry and the last). Now, you don't necessarily have to use this piece of information as a guide for whether the book is good or not. I have a toddler at home, so finding time to sit and read (and really digest what I've read) is pretty difficult. That said, let's get on with it.

David McCullough's novel-like depiction of one of the most tumultuous years in America's Revolution, 1776, propels readers back in time to witness the actions and emotions of the Revolutions most dynamic and interesting characters. Most of us have had the basic run-down of the American Revolution went (we won, right?) and can even name a few key battles, but McCullough offers so much more. Through the use of letters and diary entries along with fairly interesting narration, the reader follows the plot of the war along with Washington, Nathaniel Greene, Henry Knox, Cornwallis, General Howe and his brother, Admiral Howe, and many other soldiers, civillians, congress and parliament members coming from both sides of the conflict. It is the smooth use of letter and diary snippets that truly brings the book to life.

McCullough is also able to offer pieces of personal information that one may not have had through a basic knowledge of the Revolution and it's figures. When he offers small bits of information about King George's marriage and his love for farming, you are more ready to see that while the Americans had every right to feel as though they had been wronged, King George may just be more than a crazed tyrant, and that there were more politics involved than cruelty.

McCullough also writes a great deal about Washington and his love for his burgeoning new home, Mount Vernon, providing bits of letter from the General to his friend back in Virginia, over seeing the remodeling of the home. Washington would often go from discussing how the campaign was going to what kind of paint he wanted used in a particular room. Besides the glimpses into extraordinary men's ordinary goings-on, McCullough draws from the diaries and letters of unknown men, young men often farmers turned soldiers. These accounts of the war and what it was "really" like provide a human side that often isn't felt in a U.S. History class.

The other winning quality of the novel is the general easiness of the "plot". You don't have to be a huge history buff to get what's going on and to be interested. McCullough finds a way to make a story everyone knows the ending to intense.

My one complaint with the book were the occasional bouts of awkwardness in the writing. There would be times when I had to stop and reread a sentence or passage several times. The wording would not connect as clearly as it could. This made getting through the book as quickly as I'd like very difficult.

All in all, the book provided a unique look at a year in our country's history. By providing a personal side to the Revolutionary War and allowing a glimpse into the lives of our country's heroes, McCullough creates a vivid account of our country's birth and reminding us all of how truly lucky we are.

Comparable Reads: Not being one to read a lot of non-fiction, I can't think of anything that is comparable off the top of my head. McCullough has written several other historical books, including a Pulitzer Prize winning biography of John Adams (HBO made a mini-series based off the book).

Who this book is for: I think this book is for the average Joe who's taken some interest in his country's history. McCullough's style caters to a more broad audience, not just the history buffs who enjoy miring through complex and antiquated texts. Because McCullough breaks down what's happening instead of assuming we all paid attention in U.S. History, the book is more enjoyable and reads like a novel. It think it would also make an especially great read (at least parts of it) for a high school history class, or would even make a good example for a high school English class in how even non-fiction texts can have a voice and plot and don't have to be dry and boring.

Happy reading!

The Voyage of the Artic Tern

Title: The Voyage of the Arctic Tern
Author: Hugh Montgomery
Illustrator: Nick Poullis
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Price: $16.99 (hardcover)
ISBN: 0763619027

The Voyage of the Arctic Tern is a far-flung tale of an ancient fisherman, Bruno, searching for redemption after he brings about the demise of his fellow villagers after a bargain gone bad with a vicious Viking, Mad Dog. Bruno is sentenced to a life of immortality to suffer the guilt of killing his friends, and he can’t be freed until he saves a life, rescues one betrayed, and finds and gives away great wealth. And while those may seem like daunting tasks for one man, Bruno receives help in these tasks. There is Stephen Hunter, a Lord and seaman, Christopher Edge, a physician with a specialty in poisons, and Adrian, a talented cook and barman. All three work with Bruno across time and sea to help him towards his goal of mortality.

The most engaging and interesting part of this book is the fact that it is entirely in verse—rather like an epic poem for kids. I was surprised to find a piece of YA fiction in verse, because that doesn’t strike me as something a kid would want to read. And while I was pretty worried about reading a sort of modern epic poem (especially after having spent a semester with Milton in a Renaissance Literature class), I was pleasantly surprised. The writing was neither too heavy nor too Dr. Seuss-y (I love Dr. Seuss, but there’s a time and a place). It was enjoyable and even more entertaining to read allowed. My one complaint is that the rhyme scheme did not always feel consistent, meaning you weren’t always positive how or what the author was trying to rhyme. While it doesn’t really affect the reading of the story, for those of us who have had various English epics thrust down our throats, it’s a bit disconcerting.

The story itself is as interesting as the mode it is presented in, however, it is very simple. There are no real big surprises or plot twists, but the endearingness of the story is enough to keep you interested, along with your investment with the characters. Bruno the fisherman is silent and somewhat brooding, but kind, and the reader isn’t aware of his sordid past until farther into the book. The other three main protagonists are the sort of people to be admired—noble, loyal, and intelligent. And the antagonist, Mad Dog, is someone to be despised and somehow seems to step out of the pages the most strongly out of all the characters (except perhaps Bruno). The characters strong admirable or despicable traits lend them well to a somewhat moralistic story about the triumph of good over evil, even if it takes two thousand years.

One of the best features of this story is how the author takes the time to bring the reader from the present into the past, giving parts of a story that could have happened yesterday as well as two hundred years ago. He also takes the time to point out locations that still exist, according to him, in Plymouth, England (where most of the story takes place). It adds a really pleasant air of truth to a story one would most likely never believe to be true. He is also just vague enough where, if you have the imagination for it, you could believe the written events just might have occurred.

Another very fun quality to the story are the sort of foggy and eerie illustrations. There are illustrations on nearly every page and they are done in such a way that they put you in the mind of mist and fog, which is often described, in the book. You can’t quite make out a character’s face or pick out distinct features on a building. It fits well with the vagueness the author features as he mentions certain figures (such as an unnamed queen of England in search of peace with Spain).

All in all, the book is a fun read, particularly enjoyable on a sunlit porch looking over the water. It intrigues the imagination and tickles the tongue.

Comparable Reads: It makes me think of the stories I read late in elementary school. There is something C. S. Lewis-esque about it, but not quite so morally driven and much less fantastical. It also made me think of a movie: Pirates of the Caribbean. While you don’t have Captain Jack Sparrow, the high adventure and conniving pirates sort of take you there.

Who this book is for: The age set for this book is definitely middle to late elementary school aged and into middle school. That’s not to say older children wouldn’t like it, or you couldn’t read it to your younger ones, though. In fact, I see this book best being used for rainy afternoon or nights with the family during summer break. Parents should enjoy reading this aloud to their kids, and I think the kids, at any age, would enjoy having it read to them. I think that kids could have a great time imagining the story to be true and spending a day at the ocean spotting the Arctic Tern among the waves, or searching for lost treasure.

Despite the thickness of the book, it is only 212 pages long, and I’d say only 20 to 25 lines per page, due to the fact that it’s in verse. I think the book could be managed quickly. I also think it’d be a useful opener for teachers to use to introduce epic poems. An elementary or middle school teacher could read this to her class, or have her students read it to give a taste of the parts of an epic poem and to bring about others, such as The Odyssey.

That said, this book is definitely not for everyone. The verse, I imagine, could make it unpalatable for more people than if it were just written in prose. For me, it makes the book, for others, I could the verse ruining the experience. It does rhyme, but as I mentioned before, I don’t feel as though it’s Dr. Seuss-y. I think it’s mostly a matter of personal taste.

Happy reading!

Nevermind the Goldbergs

Title: Nevermind the Goldbergs
Author: Matthue Roth
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Price: $16.95 (hardcover)
ISBN: 0439691885

When first approaching Nevermind the Goldbergs, I was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of the idea behind the novel. You have Hava, a punk-rocking seventeen year old who's from New York City and happens to be an Orthodox Jew. While in the city, she inhabits a very enclosed world, filled with rules, beliefs, and ideas completely foriegn to those in the secular world. When cast for a television sitcom about a family of Orthodox Jews (like the Cosby's, only Jewish, the book says), Hava is thrown into the Hollywood world, a place that doesn't exactly embrace all the conservative tenants that Orthodox Judaism does (like shomer negiah--girls aren't supposed to touch boys they aren't related to). Reader is compelled to watch Hava navigate this strange new place with a certain amount of cynicism, arrogance, and a surprisingly genuine love for her religion and God.

The biggest thing I can say for this book is that it educates you. Clearly Matthue Roth has a brilliant knowledge of Orthodox Judaism--not just the extensive and numerous laws and rules, but the culture and daily life that goes along with it. There were so many nuances between Hava and the other Jewish characters, particulaly once out of the sheltered neighborhood in New York, that you felt like you were in on an inside joke you otherwise would be clueless about. Roth suddenly makes you this honorary member of the Orthodox Jewish community, where you eat and pray with the characters and understand the numerous difficulties in being a very religious person in a very secular society.

But that's just one small part of the book. The story is really Hava's story, and unfortunately, I found her to be barely palatable. She (and many of the other key characters) is unlikable. While her conflicting emotions about the situation she had been flung into were understandable and natural, her handling of them mad her come across as a bit of a bitch. She tries very hard to maintain a sort of cool, mainstream appearance while maintaining her religion at the same time. While admirable, her belief that she is doing it well leads to a sort of "cooler-than-thou" attitude that isn't flattering. While I understand and know first hand, having been a teenage girl myself, that these feelings and behaviors are common and relatable, the writing doesn't make them feel common or relatable.

There are other character issues as well--no one seems to like each other. Hava doesn't seem to care for any of her friends at home and is only friends with them because she is forced to spend time with them. The actors with whom she works are, for the most part, not likeable (either weak-willed or incredibly catty and two-faced) and they don't seem to like Hava. There is back-stabbing and a sort general stand-offishness (or cruelty, even) that is bandied between the characters. For example, I was completely taken aback by the nastiness between Paula, the actress portraying Hava's onscreen mother, and Hava. At one point Paula puts a television in Hava's dressing room with live feed from her dressing room, so Hava can watch her having sex with another actor. Disgusting, right? Unbelievable that a forty-year-old woman would do that to a seventeen year old, right? And I'm supposed to enjoy reading about these people? Not so much...

That said, all the main characters have multiple dimensions. While you may not like them, you get why they are the way they are. Hava and one the girl playing her sister on the sitcom, Evie, need to grow up. They need to mature and learn that the world does not revolve around them, though with fame being thrown in their faces, I see this will be hard.
See, I'm talking about them as if they're real people. While Roth may not have crafted the friendliest of characters, he has gone beyond the one-dimensional heroine and created a complex person.

Another issue I had was how Hava arrived in Hollywood. The novel starts with her leading a normal life in New York--going to school, hanging out with friends, and enjoying her favorite music. While at school one day, she gets a call that she's been cast in a sitcom. Did she audition? No. Did she send in a tape or headshots? No. She was "discovered" by producers, somehow, after she was in a rather play about composer John Cage. She flies out to Hollywood the next day and starts filming shortly after. And her conservative parents are okay with it. Does this seem a little strange to you? First of all, I don't know what parent, religious or not, let's their underage seventeen year old just go to California alone, with no supervision, to be on television. That struck me as extremely odd and kind of a cop-out on Roth's part. Shouldn't there be some tension between her and the parents? An argument? Something?! Secondly, and perhaps this is just my naivete about how Hollywood works, but would they really cast a complete nobody in just a day? That struck me as odd, too.

When authors sort of take the easy way out and don't bother to give an explination for things (and I felt this happened a lot over the course of the book), it makes it very hard on the reader. If I am not fully invested in what you have to say, meaning, I'm not willing to believe everything you tell me, the story becomes nothing more than a poorly told fairy tale.

I think, perhaps, the fact that I wasn't privvy to everything that was going on kept me from enjoying the book. Hava's relationships with people for example--one moment they're cool and fun, the next they're losers, or vice versa, and there is no explination for the sudden change. Or how and why she does certain things. There are a couple of times where Hava runs off when she should be filming the T.V. show. You get the impression that she's frustrated, but nothing's happened. I spent a great deal of time sitting there, book open in my lap, jaw dropped, asking, "But why?"

Roth does an excellent job in crafting complicated characters in interesting situations. I kept reading because I wanted to what Hava would do next, and wondered if she would remain Kosher or how she would (or if she would) maintain shomer negiah. Despite my feelings towards the characters, I wanted to know the end (though I had to push myself to get there). In any case, the idea behind the novel was a good one, the characters well crafted (for the most part), if a bit mean, but the plot was too thick, too confused, and trying to be too many things at once (a coming of age story and teen drama mixed with an homage to Judaism, punk rock, and California).

Comparable Reads: I honestly can't think of anything I've read that it's like. Uniqueness is something Roth seems to have going for him. If you've read it and can think of something, feel free to leave a comment.

Who is this book for?: This book will, at the very least, intrigue your smart-ass teenage girl. Hava isn't a mirror, like many heroine's in these types of books tend to be, but a mannequin. You might have the same clothes, and similar figure, but she's completely different and almost unrecognizable at the same time. That idea, I think, can be intriguing to teenager who is struggling to fit in, but doesn't want to fit in at all.

Happy reading!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Title: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Author: Sherman Alexie
Illustrator: Ellen Forney
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Price: $8.99
ISBN: 0316013692

If you're one of those people who's a sucker for a good go-get-'em story, this is it. Sherman Alexie's first novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is a true-to-life novel written from the perspective of a fifteen-year-old boy, Junior Spirit, a Spokane Indian, living on a reservation in Washington State. Junior was born hydrocephalic ("water on the brain" as Junior puts it) and not expected to survive, and if he did, he would live as a vegetable or with mental retardation for the rest of his life. Sounds like a fun book, right? Well, Junior turns out okay--he's actually a pretty smart kid with a love and talent for drawing. When a teacher at his reservation high school suggests (well, practically demands) that he transfer to a school off the reservation that would better fuel his potential, he does. Alexie describes and artist Ellen Forney shows a boy who's past tells him he should not succeed, but he does anyway.

This novel would not be nearly as intriguing if it were not for the setting. For those of us who didn't know much about life on an Indian reservation, this was a wake-up call. This is not simply some kid in poverty trying to fight for a better life. He is trying to beat off generations of abject poverty, distrust of an entire group of people (white people), and a cycle of abuse and alcoholism. The serious lack of hope slaps you in the face while reading certain passages. Alexie, having grown up on the reservation where the story is set, is well aware of this life and does not sugar coat the situation. While Junior is a funny and bright kid, a blast listen to, there is a sense of bitterness when you read about his life on the reservation and the painful awareness he has, knowing everything Native American's have lost as a people. Reservation life is a major player throughout the book. Junior has to face the biogtry at his new school (he is the only other Indian there, as the book says, besides the mascot), but he also must face the anger of community members back on the "rez." While Junior is already grappling with typical teenager crises, he must also maneuver between two cultures and try to maintain an identity.

And it's not just the bitterness that you can hear when you read Diary but every other emotion that Junior experiences. It feels as though Alexie froze his voice at fifteen and was able to put it on the page. For anyone who has any extended interaction with fifteen-year-old boys, you'll hear them here. There is a certain friendly self-conciousness that travels with kids at that age, and it's here in this book. And it's there in a variety of scenes, not just in the ones that are authentically "boy" (boners, girls, masturbation, fighting, sports), but in other, more serious topics (racism, hope, death). And since Junior is a cartoonist, there are a number of really great accompanying illustrations, which enhance the whole experience of reading Junior's words, because you are privvy to both forms of his thoughts.

This is also the first book I've read in a long time that actually had a natural plot. It didn't seem quite so contrived, or like a teen drama series on T.V. So many books in this genre have a very predictable plot: things suck, something changes, things suck less, things are GREAT, something happens, things suck more than ever before, things get better and/or are great again. Here, the good and the bad come all at once, or take turns, but I kept waiting for that terrible thing to happen (and terrible things do happen), but there isn't that dramatic, hear-wrenching moment where everything in Junior's life is destroyed. Things get hard, yes, not to minimize some of the heart-breaking things that occur, but some good parts of life are preserved. Junior remembers that, despite all the crap life is throwing at him, life is still worth living. This is one of the most important messages in the novel--no matter what, life is still worth it, you can move on, and you can have hope.

Comparable Reads: The best thing I can compare this to is Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks and Catcher and the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Junior reminds me of Bone and Holden in the sort of tough-kid acidness and the general weird-brilliance all three seem to posess. So, if you've read either one of those books and enjoyed them, this is a definate must-read.

Who is this book for?: Give this book to your middle to high school aged son, cousin, brother, nephew, best friend, whatever. It's hysterical, talks about heavy subjects without getting corny or actually feeling heavy, and is just overall fantastic. I also think it'd be a good choice for someone who isn't a big reader. It's a fast read, the language is accessible, and it has pictures (who doesn't love pictures?!). Fair warning, though, it CAN get crude. My tolerance is pretty high, but if you're a parent handing this to your kid for summer reading, be warned: there is talk about masturbation, erections, and sex. Nothing graphic and probably not anything most teens don't already know and talk about, but it's good to know.

Happy reading!!

What's this about?

What I'm about to share with you are my adventures in literature--the ups and downs, the great triumphs and the unbearable losses. I love to read, and it's a passion that I want to share with others, either through teaching, writing, or through this blog (if anyone bothers to read it). Over the course of the summer, and hopefully through the upcoming Fall and Spring semesters, after I finish a book (hopefully there will be many), I plan on posting a review. If anything, the writing of the review will be an exercise for me in working with literature, something I certainly need. At the most, I hope this blog might someday become a tool for someone in choosing a good book. I don't claim to be an expert in literature, inherently knowing what is "good" or what is "bad" by our culture's somewhat arbitrary standards (I still don't get what's so great about Hemmingway...), but I read a ton, and I read a pretty large variety of books, and that, I feel, gives me some level of credibility. Expect to see everything from old classics (think Dickens, Austin) to contemporary (McEwan, Atwood) to completely random children's books I've been reading my 14 month old. And please, please feel free to let me know you're reading along. Comment on reviews. Tell me they're great, tell me they're total crap. Let me know if you've read the book, too, and what you think! I want to know that I'm not the only one on this adventure. So, c'mon, let's go!