January Reading List
It's that time again: the monthly reading review is out.
This month I had the pleasure of securing time to get into a book sent to me by the Rose's in Portland. I got the book in the mail way back in November, but, what with the NaNo insanity, I did not want to start it and then get distracted. If I learned anything from "The Legacy of Emily Hargraves"
it is that I was going to need some brain power for the next book from Alan Rose.
1. "Tales of Tokyo"
by Alan Rose-- Now, I don't know if Alan knew what I was up to when he sent a copy of this book to me via Robyn, but the story was all but my own. This novel follows a small group of unlikely friends who are thrown together by a common choice: they have all gone to Tokyo to teach English. Eerie.
Besides the too numerous to count moments of "YES! That is exactly what I am feeling," this book will capture your heart as you root for the characters to win over death. Rose tells you up front that someone is going to die, that death is after one of the characters, so I'm not giving anything away. However, the manner in which death collects is such a surprise that you will stay up many a late night to finish this one. It's not a quick or easy read at around 600 pages, but if you like it as much as I do you'll be glad because the end just comes too soon.
2. "Dead in the Family"
by Charlaine Harris-- I've read this one before, but I got a copy in Oslo for some traveling reading after I read everything else I had brought along. Silly me, I put it in my checked bag without thinking and just now got around to reading it again. After Alan Rose's book, this was about all I could handle.
3. "Billie Standish Was Here"
by Nancy Crocker-- This is a book that should be in middle school classrooms across the nation. This book raises many issues of race, class, and gender, as well as issues of justice, family ties, and finding a place in the world. I'm really surprised that this book isn't adorned with medals from Newberry and that ilk. Maybe in a few years it will be once people discover it. Having said that it needs to be in middle school classrooms, I must also say that it had me thinking about where I stand on issues raised in the novel. Billie Standish is such a great character that she will have you right with her as she grows up.
4. "The Broken Bridge"
by Philip Pullman-- I'm a Philip Pullman fan. I have been for years. I found this previously impossible to find book in the SEV library and was thrilled to do so. This is more along the lines of his "Ruby in the Smoke"
series starring Sally Lockart than the "Golden Compass"
series with Lyra. In this novel, you will meet a girl who has lived for 16 years believing lies, and when she discovers these lies she is determined to get to the bottom of things. If I'm comparing, and that's what I do, Ginny, the main character, is not as rounded out as Lyra or Sally. If I had read this book first, I may not have noticed, but having read the other books first I know Pullman is capable of so much more.
5. "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven"
by Sherman Alexie-- I've been working on some lesson planning and I reread this looking for a short story to use along with poetry and songs addressing the topic of the American Dream. I thought I might find something interesting in this from a Native American point of view that I could contrast with the European descendant American point of view that established the traditionally held view. I was right, but I had to get past some F-bombs and other language before Alexie settled down into story telling and quit trying to "stick-it" to, well..., whomever he was ticked at at that time. From a teaching point of view, the crass language really adds nothing to the character or the plot of the tales. It seems to be just for shock value in the first few stories and then it stops. Those of you who know me, know my view on this man and we really don't need to go into it here, but his writing is good after he gets over his need to make a splash.
This month I had the pleasure of securing time to get into a book sent to me by the Rose's in Portland. I got the book in the mail way back in November, but, what with the NaNo insanity, I did not want to start it and then get distracted. If I learned anything from "The Legacy of Emily Hargraves"
it is that I was going to need some brain power for the next book from Alan Rose.1. "Tales of Tokyo"
by Alan Rose-- Now, I don't know if Alan knew what I was up to when he sent a copy of this book to me via Robyn, but the story was all but my own. This novel follows a small group of unlikely friends who are thrown together by a common choice: they have all gone to Tokyo to teach English. Eerie. Besides the too numerous to count moments of "YES! That is exactly what I am feeling," this book will capture your heart as you root for the characters to win over death. Rose tells you up front that someone is going to die, that death is after one of the characters, so I'm not giving anything away. However, the manner in which death collects is such a surprise that you will stay up many a late night to finish this one. It's not a quick or easy read at around 600 pages, but if you like it as much as I do you'll be glad because the end just comes too soon.
2. "Dead in the Family"
by Charlaine Harris-- I've read this one before, but I got a copy in Oslo for some traveling reading after I read everything else I had brought along. Silly me, I put it in my checked bag without thinking and just now got around to reading it again. After Alan Rose's book, this was about all I could handle.3. "Billie Standish Was Here"
by Nancy Crocker-- This is a book that should be in middle school classrooms across the nation. This book raises many issues of race, class, and gender, as well as issues of justice, family ties, and finding a place in the world. I'm really surprised that this book isn't adorned with medals from Newberry and that ilk. Maybe in a few years it will be once people discover it. Having said that it needs to be in middle school classrooms, I must also say that it had me thinking about where I stand on issues raised in the novel. Billie Standish is such a great character that she will have you right with her as she grows up.4. "The Broken Bridge"
by Philip Pullman-- I'm a Philip Pullman fan. I have been for years. I found this previously impossible to find book in the SEV library and was thrilled to do so. This is more along the lines of his "Ruby in the Smoke" series starring Sally Lockart than the "Golden Compass" series with Lyra. In this novel, you will meet a girl who has lived for 16 years believing lies, and when she discovers these lies she is determined to get to the bottom of things. If I'm comparing, and that's what I do, Ginny, the main character, is not as rounded out as Lyra or Sally. If I had read this book first, I may not have noticed, but having read the other books first I know Pullman is capable of so much more.5. "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven"
by Sherman Alexie-- I've been working on some lesson planning and I reread this looking for a short story to use along with poetry and songs addressing the topic of the American Dream. I thought I might find something interesting in this from a Native American point of view that I could contrast with the European descendant American point of view that established the traditionally held view. I was right, but I had to get past some F-bombs and other language before Alexie settled down into story telling and quit trying to "stick-it" to, well..., whomever he was ticked at at that time. From a teaching point of view, the crass language really adds nothing to the character or the plot of the tales. It seems to be just for shock value in the first few stories and then it stops. Those of you who know me, know my view on this man and we really don't need to go into it here, but his writing is good after he gets over his need to make a splash.
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