What I Read This Week – 5/16/13 – 5/22/13

Another kid book?! Yep. And I’m not even sorry.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

The One and Only Ivan tells the true story of Ivan, a gorilla living in a tiny, sad roadside mall. He was raised from a baby by humans who insisted on dressing him as a child, so he’s never really experienced life outside the human realm. When a baby elephant is brought to the zoo, he realizes that he needs to change things.

This is one of the simplest stories I’ve read in a long time, but also one of the most powerful. Ivan muses on such topics as art, imagination, memory and friendship, all in a beautiful, profound way. This would be the perfect read aloud book for the little ones, I think. It’s going on my hypothetical list for my hypothetical future children, that’s for sure.

The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse

And now for something completely different…

Look, guys! I’m reading a book written for grown-ups! Oooh. Weird, I know.

I might be a little biased about this book. It’s about a neighborhood in LA that I like quite a bit, and I spent a lot of time just daydreaming about where the characters were. So yeah. Take this review with a grain or five of salt. That being said, The Madonnas of Echo Park is one of the best representations I’ve read of LA. The author constructs a bunch of interlocking stories around Echo Park, the predominately Latino neighborhood of Echo Park that over the past ten years or so has undergone some very intense gentrification. These stories investigate racial relationships, socio-economic conflicts, mother vs. daughter strife and other large themes, while still always keeping an eye on the narrative and characters. Because of such a great attention paid to telling a damn good story, this book never feels preachy or overwrought (like the slightly similar movie Crash. Ugh.) Loved it, and now I’m even more excited to get back to LA!

What I Read This Week: 5/9/13 – 5/15/13

A friend just accused me of reading mostly YA lit. Usually, I’d argue, but after this week, I don’t really have a leg to stand on. At least it was the good stuff!

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

Ed is an underachiever. He lives with a stinky dog, drives a taxi for a living, and spends a lot of time lusting after his friend Audrey. It’s only when a mysterious ace card with a cryptic message on it arrives for him that his life gets shaken. And boy does it. Now Ed is the messenger, but he needs to figure out exactly what the messages are…

Zusak wrote the absolutely lovely, but heavy The Book Thief, so I knew that this novel wouldn’t be a light, silly read. Although this book has a lot of YA themes (friendship, discovering your calling, a bit of love, etc), it doesn’t ever pander to the reader. Yes. Some things are a bit less subtle than they would be in an adult novel, but the writing is so simplistically beautiful that you don’t care all that much. This is a book that I really do believe would fit in just as well on an adult shelf as it would a thirteen year old’s.

And you know, I came away wanting to do a bit of good in the world, but not feeling conned into it. That has to be a good thing.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity is popping up everywhere, as it is getting a ton of attention for being one of the year’s best YA novels. I heard about it on NPR. You know you’re big when you’ve hit NPR.

I just … I couldn’t get into it as much as other people are. The novel is about two young women who sign up to join in the British war effort in WWII. One is captured by Nazis and interrogated, and the story takes off from there. It’s easy to ruin the plot, so, yes, I’m keeping it vague on purpose.

Yes. The book is a great portrayal of female friendship. Yes. It’s refreshing to not have a love triangle plot. Yes. It’s well-plotted.

But…I just found it kind of boring. I usually have a problem with books about war, as I find myself trying too hard to keep track of all the equipment and missions and subterfuge, etc. I think that keeps me at a distance from the actual emotional heft of the story. So, you all shouldn’t listen to me on this one. I’ll bet you’ll like Code Name Verity more than I do. Everyone else does.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

And to end it all, a YA graphic novel!

American Born Chinese starts as three narratives – the story of China’s Monkey King, a coming of age story about a Chinese kid in a mostly white school, and a satire of a sitcom about a kid whose extremely, horribly stereotyped (buck teeth and everything) Chinese cousin comes to stay. By the end of this slim book, all three stories have interwoven into one powerful message about identity and self-confidence. As always, I’m never sure how to rate a graphic novel, as I’m not very familiar with the genre, but I know that this one really did get to me and made me consider the outcast story in a new way. Recommended.

What I Read This Week – 5/2/13 – 5/8/13

Two British-ish books about ordinary people living in extraordinary times. Two meh reactions.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

People love this book. It has been recommended to me a few times, and for good reason. I love the UK. I love history. I love books. I love potatoes. How could this not be a homerun?

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a book told through letters, from the people of Guernsey who lived through the German occupation to an author who becomes enthralled in their story. There is some really great material to work with here, as the Channel Island occupation is a very odd story, with a lot of ambiguity. Unfortunately, those opportunities were squandered in order to tell a predictable love story instead. All the characters are sweet and boring. The bad guys are the most cardboard characters out there.

In the end, I found the book pleasant, but not mind-blowing.

Another book that could’ve been great, but fell short!

Jessie lives in the UK in the not-so-distant future, where a horrible hybrid of Mad Cow Disease and HIV is attacking pregnant women, killing them before they can give birth. As the human race panics, Jessie tries to navigate through the normal adolescent dramas, while trying to figure out how to make a difference in this new world.

This book has a brilliant concept, and the writing is smart, but the plot just seems to lie there. There isn’t the necessary spark to take this book from good to amazing.

What I Read This Week– 4/25/13 – 5/1/13

Charlotte Street by Danny Wallace

There’s a certain type of British novel that I like — sad sack guy goes through break up, goes on some crazy adventures, meets some fun characters, and comes out a slightly better person. High Fidelity is obviously the apex of this genre, but Charlotte Street wasn’t a bad addition. Jason is still fuming over a break-up, living in a squalid London flat with his goofy friend Dev. He has a pointless job and a whole lot of self-loathing. One night, as he helps a cute girl get in a taxi, he accidentally ends up with her disposable camera. With help from a boisterous crew of characters, Jason is decides to try to track the girl down with the clues from her photographs.

This was a trifle of a book, but honestly a really fun one. Even at his whiniest, Jason is fairly sympathetic. His relationship with Dev is a sweet but still realistic example of adult friendship. The relationship angst, while hilarious, comes from a real enough place. All good things for a breezy, summery read.

 

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Where’d You Go, Bernadette was one of the 2012 hit books, and I can see why. Bernadette is the wife of a Microsoft executive (and TED star), the mother of a star student at a very exclusive private school, and a former rising architecture star. Now, she spends most of her time hiding in her vine covered mansion, figuring out ways to avoid or anger the obnoxious mothers at her daughter’s school. And then, after booking a trip to Antartica for the family, she disappears.

This is also a pretty breezy read, thanks in part to its epistolary format. I always find that books in letter format are quick going, as you get to flit from character to character. Well, unless you’re talking about Pamela. Gah. That was hard going for young English major Mandy. Yikes.

But yeah, a satirical mystery about the overly rich. Again. Summer read. Apparently, I’m preparing for summer break a little bit early.

What I Read This Week – 4/18/2013 – 4/24/2013

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

This is the third book by Laurie Halse Anderson I’ve read this year. Yeah. I’m trying to get caught up on the important YA authors of the past decade all at once.

Fever 1793 felt like the most traditional of the books I’ve read by her. This is a straight up historical fiction novel about Mattie, a fourteen year old girl who lives through the horrible yellow fever epidemic that swept Philadelphia in the summer of 1793. Although, yes, the book is a traditional YA novel, it really does not hold any punches when it comes to describing how the epidemic killed indiscriminately, leading to general panic and suspicion. I hadn’t actually learned about this period of American history, so I found it fascinating. Anderson put in a lot of research, which with her really skillful handling of character and plot, makes the book a quick, engrossing read. Maybe I should learn all my basic history through YA novels. Couldn’t hurt.

The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay, PhD

I should’ve read this book when I was 20. Really. Reading it at 27 (almost 28!) means that I’ve already made a lot of the decisions that the book is discussing. Jay is a therapist who works almost exclusively with privileged, somewhat spoiled twenty somethings. Honestly, this book is all about first world problems. First world problems are still problems, but it does get a bit wearing to hear about a girl’s hook-up issues. ANYWAY, through all this work, she has come up with some advice for us troubled young adults.

Basically it boils down to:

Don’t waste time. Get a job. Be in relationships that work. AND DON’T FORGET ABOUT THAT BIOLOGICAL CLOCK!

Yeah, I found the book off-putting. Most of the research was things I’ve already heard, so I didn’t find myself ever being shocked at any stats. Also, her idea of success seems very hetero-normative and conventional…and this is coming from a fairly conventional girl! Maybe I’m just tired of hearing that I should’ve gotten pregnant 6 months ago. Maybe I’m just grumpy.

To give the book props, it did make me think about some issues that do tend to come up in my social circle, so I guess it hit home more than I’d like to give it credit. But still. I think there are probably some more interesting books about young adulthood out there. I just need to do a bit of searching to find them.

What I Read This Week: 4/11/13 – 4/17/13

Gotta say — two NONFICTION books in a week? Guys. I’m on a roll.

Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History by Florence Williams

How to talk about this book without getting overly personal? Hm. Well, let it be said that I, like most women, have a love/hate relationship with boobs. I’ve always been busty, which led to some pretty awkward, trying to hide myself junior high and high school years. Not only did shirts not fit right and I had back and shoulder pain, I also got to deal with the creepy old men who would stop me at my local gas station to tell 16 year old me that they appreciated that I had a “curvy, womanly body.” Dude. You’re the creepiest.

It’s only as I’ve gotten older that I’ve become more comfortable with that very public part of the female body, but even so, I can’t quite figure out their power.

So, when I saw a nonfiction book about breasts, I knew I had to read it. Florence Williams’ book is more about the science behind breasts and breast health than the sociological aspects of the body part. Between breast milk harboring chemicals from the environment and all the risk factors of breast cancer…I now see my chest as a ticking time bomb. Terrified. This is an eye-opening book for any breast haver/lover out there, but be ready to be schooled on all the ways your breasts could really screw you over.

The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb

As you can imagine, I’m a bit interested in running right now. As running is often a solitary activity, it doesn’t seem like the best subject for a book about sports drama. Au contraire.

The Perfect Mile follows Roger Bannister, John Landy and Wes Santee as the three men pushed themselves to break the four minute mile barrier. These are not today’s runners. They were amateurs with jobs beyond being athletes. They didn’t have technologically advanced shoes or tracks. And yet, they were determined, driven, and, above all else, fast. Athletic bragging rights and national pride (British, Australian and American, respectively) were on the line. Although running until you literally collapse may not be attractive to most readers, it becomes a thing of beauty in this book. Highly recommended, especially to those who would like a bit more inspiration to lace up their running shoes and get out the door.

What I Read This Week: 4/4/13 – 4/10/13

Bring on the sad teenage girls who are determined to self-destruct!

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

This is one of those classic trash novels that I had heard referenced to a billion times, but had never actually read. Now I can say I have…and probably won’t remember a whole lot about it in a few months. It was certainly a fun ride though!

Three young women move to NYC in the 1940′s with dreams of stardom and independence. They work in menial office jobs, date thrillingly rich but otherwise horrible men, and slowly become addicted to a staggering amount of pills.

I can see why this was a huge hit when it came out. There’s all sorts of what must have been scandalous sex at the time (although a starlet trading a BJ for a role doesn’t seem all that odd in today’s world of sex tapes setting up careers). Some characters were supposedly based on real celebrities. Even now, 40 years later, I saw the glaring Judy Garland reference.

So yes, fun, slightly seedy beach read. Anything more than that? Eh.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

After reading Speak a couple months ago, I decided to look a bit closer at Anderson’s works, as I would like to stay aware of who is on top of the YA world. Well, the YA world that is actually decent and not paranormal romance, thankyouverymuch.

Like Speak, Wintergirls deals with some very real, very touchy subjects. Lia and Cassie are high school girls, battling with horrible eating disorders. After Cassie is found dead from the effects of bulimia at the beginning of the book, Lia has to learn how to deal with her own guilt and continuing mental health problems.

Although I have never struggled with an eating disorder, I found the narrator frighteningly easy to understand, even as she is doing things to herself that are beyond comprehension. That is both the best thing and the worst thing about this novel. While I consider myself a pretty stable person, I found myself thinking in calories even more than I usually do after I finished this book. It was amazing how the narrator had managed to sneak her way into my brain and got me hung up on food more than I usually am. I wonder how teenage girls who suffer from ED would respond to it. Could it be triggering? Healing? I would love to know.

What I Read This Week: 3/28/13 – 4/3/13

The End of Men and the Rise of Women by Hanna Rosin

First of all, when you work in an office where you are the only female employee amongst a sea of dude oil engineers, be ready to get teased mercilessly when you pull this book out of your backpack. They’re just intimidated.

I’m a huge Hanna Rosin fan, mostly from her work on the Slate XX Podcast, and I have been dying to read this book for a few months. I think like most women in their late twenties, I have seen both sides of this issue.

On the one hand, I am in a graduate program that is probably 85% female. I know that more women go to college. I, like many of my female friends, have work in higher positions than my male partners, and I’ve made more money than they have at times. I don’t blink when I have a female doctor.

And yet, most of my professors in my undergraduate program were male. Male politicians are endlessly arguing over womens’ health. And, even if it seems to happen a lot, that whole making more money than your male partner always seems to add tension to a relationship that wouldn’t be there if the roles were reversed.

What gives?

Hanna Rosin argues for the rise of women and the slow decline of the male position while looking at middle-class Americans hit by the recession (the loss of manufacturing jobs is a whole lot harder on men who can’t seem to adjust as well as women can), the astronomical rise of women in higher education, and the new type of marriage in which men and women switch off being breadwinners. She even looks abroad to South Korea, where women have moved from being coffee-fetchers in offices to executives who work 15 hour days in just a decade. In looking at these new opportunities for women, she also delineates the problems that come up, especially with work hours and child care.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s extremely readable while still touching on issues that are extremely relevant…well, at least relevant to this 27 year old, over-educated, single woman.

Still, I would’ve liked to see a bit more attention paid to the injustices that still are very present. Yes, I may make more than my twenty-something, childless male counterparts, but I probably won’t be at 40 for lots of complicated reasons. And why is it that men still seem to hold the political floor so firmly in America?

But all in all, a thought-provoking read.

What I Read This Week: 3/21/2013-3/27/2013

Library: An Unquiet History by Matthew Battles

There are weeks when I get to read a whole bunch of fun books that I have been excited about forever! And then there are weeks when all I manage to get through is a book for school. And you guys then have to read about it. Sorry.

My favorite class in information/library/archives/whatever you want to call it so far has been “Collecting New Media.” This class could also be titled “Sit around and talk about interesting subjects with smart interesting people,” because that’s pretty much all we do. A class about how one collects new media lends itself to a whole bunch of “So what is a library/museum/archive exactly?” type of conversations, which I believe this book was supposed to help illuminate.

Matthew Battles book tracks the development of the library through history. Books were burned (and not burned, as is the case with the Library of Alexandria), books were buried with scholars, books were kept private and then finally opened to the public. With all this, there are questions of intellectual freedom, the power of the library over its users and, yes, questions of what actually makes a library.

Although I find all those topics interesting, I found this book a bit dry. I really just wanted to get through all the ancient stuff and get to today…which never really happens. I also would have loved to read more about librarians rather than libraries. Battles seems to focus more on the books and buildings than the people, which is frustrating.

I did learn that librarians did really well in the beginning of Nazi Germany, because they totally just went along with the regime, helping out the Nazis with getting rid of those pesky, non-Nazi party line books and whatnot. Honestly, this was the most important lesson out of the book. Librarians tend to be rule followers (no matter how much you read about those riot, punk librarians…by and large librarians love their rules and systems), while they still espouse the ideals of intellectual freedom. Don’t let rules cloud your overall judgement about what’s right. A good lesson for everyone, not just librarians.

Also, because of this section of the book, I may have unintentionally likened librarians to Nazis in class today. I expect my faculty advisor to throw me out of school at any minute.

What I Read This Week: 3/14/2013 – 3/20/2013

I read not one, but two really fantastic lady coming of age works this week. What?! I know. It was spring break.

In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard

The world of ninth grade dramas and catastrophes, the small and the large, is delicately yet accurately shown through the eyes of a fourteen year old girl in In Zanesville. The unnamed narrator has always viewed herself as a sidekick to her best friend, but she’s forced to start coming into her own when she’s fourteen. This book doesn’t have a clear overall plot arc, but instead focuses on scattered events — the narrator being unexpectedly invited to a cheerleader’s make-out party, her family’s distress as her father spirals into debilitating alcoholism, having a house accidentally set on fire during babysitting… It’s rare to see a book that describes so perfectly how it feels to be fourteen. Confusing, exciting and kind of horrible.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Wild got a lot of attention around the blogosphere last year, so I will be just one of a thousand voices urging you to read it.

While Cheryl Strayed was about thirteen years older than the narrator of In Zanesville when this memoir takes place, it deals with a lot of the same theme of figuring out how to be a grown up. Strayed was in her early twenties when her mother died of cancer, and her whole family seemed to just drift away. Her happy marriage soon floundered, and she found herself sleeping around a bit and dabbling in hard drugs. In a desperate attempt to straighten things out, she decided to hike the ridiculously difficult Pacific Crest Trail from the deserts of Southern California to Washington. She is ill-prepared and scared, but along the way meets amazing, helpful people who support her in her quest to shed the past.

Although the memoir genre can easily tip into maudlin or egotistical territory, Strayed manages to write Wild so you are with her, not just watching her. You want her to get through it. You want her to be better. If you’ve ever felt adrift or confused after a hard life change, you’ll feel Strayed’s pain.

You’ll also feel it when she describes her toenails falling off. Yeah. That stopped me from doing any crazy hiking.