Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

"The system was simple. Everyone understood it. Books were for burning, along with the houses in which they were hidden.

Guy Montag was a fireman whose job it was to start fires. And he enjoyed his job. He had been a fireman for ten years, and he had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs or the joy of watching the pages consumed by flames, never questioned anything until he met a seventeen-year-old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid. Then Guy met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think. And Guy Montag suddenly realized what he had to do..."

"The novel presents a future American society in which the masses are hedonistic and critical thought through reading is outlawed. The central character, Guy Montag, is employed as a "fireman" (which, in this future, means "bookburner"). One rainy night returning from his job, fireman Guy Montag meets his new neighbor Clarisse McClellan, whose free-thinking ideals and liberating spirit force him to question his life, his ideals, and his own perceived happiness."

Although this was a fast/easy read, I really enjoyed it and had a great discussion with my book group about it.

Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick

We just read this book for my book club. A perfect November choice. I think this is a must read. It is the historical account of the Pilgrims, their treacherous voyage on the Mayflower, and the Indians who helped them to survive (who they in turn destroyed). It is the story of Plymouth Colony. It was fascinating to find out the real story, as opposed to the blissful myth we are familiar with, and realize how basically through nothing but sheer luck the Pilgrims survived. It is also an eye opening account of the war we never learned about; King Phillip's War. I have to say I found myself favoring the Indians and wishing the Indians had just slaughtered the dang fanatical Pilgrim's when they first landed. But I suppose I should be grateful things worked out how they did, or else I wouldn't be here today. Anyway, an eye opening read. Well written and well researched.

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

The narrator in this book is Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old autistic boy who knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057.  Late one evening he encounters the dead body of his neighbor's dog and is determined to solve the mystery of who would murder this nice poodle, though specifically told by his father to "stay out of other people's business."

Told in first person, this novel shows the world through the eyes of a boy with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, complete with his inability filter the overwhelming amounts of minute information we receive through our senses at any given moment, his inability to relate to or be touched by other people, his dislike of certain colors, and his need for all things to be in a certain order.  Yet, Christopher is a delightfully sympathetic narrator and hero.  I couldn't help but admire him for his challenges, the implicit humor, and the innocence and sweet certainty of his personality and his assessment of every situation.  He is removed from feelings and responds only with logic, and often times, this means that what is an everyday event for the rest of us requires heroic efforts from him.  Of course, he gets more than he bargained for when he starts his investigation. 

It's a fascinating book not only for the interesting plot, its characters and their relationships, but mostly because of the glimpse into what life on the autism spectrum might be like.  And equally interesting for it's perspective on the everyday challenges that face the parents of children with autism, and the both frustrating, humorous, and endearing parts of building a relationship with that child.  Would make a great book group discussion book as well.

Note: there is a bit of language used by the characters out of anger, as well as some discussion/explanation of extramarital relationships, though nothing explicit.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This is one of the better books I've read in a while. It is about the "colored help" in Jackson Missisppi at the height of the civil rights movement. It spotlights, two maids and one white woman. They come together, at great risk to themselves to tell the story of what it is like to be a black servant in the Jim Crow South. It chronicles the very complicated relationship these maids have with the children they tend and the white women who rule over them. It was nuanced and insightful. Each characters voice was believable and well written. It was very gripping and made the time on my plane ride whiz by. I highly recommend this book.

The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas

The Diary of Mattie Spenser is a fiction, presented in the form of a journal and accounting for three years in the life of a woman (from 1865 to 1869), who leaves family and friends and the small Iowa town where she grew up, to follow her husband in the wild plains of Colorado Territory. Mattie’s husband is Luke Spenser, considered as the best catch in town, being handsome as well as brave for having fought in the war against the South. So, when Mattie (who thinks of herself as plain and thinks she will remain a spinster) is proposed, she does not try to question the motivations hidden beneath this unexpected proposal; she accepts both marriage and the difficult life Luke offers her.

In a voice that really gives the impression of a true testimony, the narrator, Mattie Spenser, tells her journey in a covered wagon, her settlement in a sod house on the frontier; the harsh climate, the isolation, lack of comfort, lurking dangers as well as the joys, disappointments and hardships of domestic life. Beside the greatest threat represented by the Indians, Mattie Spenser has a more private battle to lead: with few knowledge on marital matters, she tries to get closer to a husband who, though never mean, remains distant. She also has to bear the difficulties of pregnancies far from civilization, and to deal with numerous deaths among her acquaintances. But her more difficult trial is maybe her discovery of the truth behind her husband’s behavior, that she will finally learn in the most tragic of circumstances.

This journal follows Mattie’s progression, from a naive young girl full of illusions to a mature woman who has overcome prejudices, learned that rules don’t always apply outside civilization and also managed to find her place and a sense of belonging, after many doubts and personal battles.

A Guide To The Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Grayson

I personally love the books of Alexander McCall Smith, so when I picked up this book I was pleasantly surprised by the gentle humorous style which reminds me so much of Smith's writing. This is a book about Mr. Malik, a widower, who has a crush on the widow Rose Mbikwa, the woman who leads the weekly bird walk in Nairobi. Anyway as the book progresses Mr. Malik finds himself involved in a competition with an old school mate (his old nemesis) Mr. Kahn, to see who can spot the most species of birds in Kenya within a week. The winner of the competition gets the privilege of asking Rose to the premier social event in Nairobi, the Hunt Club Ball. There are adventures along the way, and Mr. Malik remains a true gentleman throughout the competition. It was a fun glimpse into Nairobi, and the birds of Kenya. If you are a birdwatcher don't miss this book, but certainly even non-birdwatchers will also enjoy it. I really loved this wonderful, light, entertaining book.

No Shame, No Fear and Forged In the Fire by Ann Turnbull

I've been debating posting these books, since I read them earlier this summer. The main plot is kind of predictable and although enjoyable not particularly noteworthy. But I am posting about them anyway because the subject and setting was fascinating. No Shame, No Fear is about a Quaker girl living in England in the seventeenth century and the persecution that came with being a Quaker at that time. I had no idea about the Quakers and I found reading about them fascinating. Their views were revolutionary. They believed in people being able to feel the Spirit without a paid clergy and that all people are equals despite social class, gender, or any other factor. Quite a radical concept for that time. The book sent me to Wikipedia and many other websites learning about them. The book Forged in the Fire is the sequel to No Shame No Fear and is about the same characters who move to London. The story itself wasn't as interesting to me as it was to read about the Plague and the Great Fire of London, that occured in the same year. I found both topics totally fascinating, learned a lot, and went online to read more.

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver

This is the second book by Barbara Kingsolver that I have recommended on this blog. The first being The Poisonwood Bible - still one of my all time favorite reads. But back to Animal Dreams. I first read it about 10 years ago but I recently was in need of good book so I picked it up again. Wow! Ten years later, I read it with a completely different perspective and understanding. I must admit I didn't enjoy it quite as much this time around but I still think it is worth reading. Especially because Kingsolver is such a talented writer. I apologize if this is a copout - but I am stealing the summary from the back of the book:

"Animals dream about the things they do in the day time just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life." So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache trainman and latter-day philosopher. But when Codi Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi comes back to Grace, Arizona to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father. What she finds is a town threatened by a silent environmental catastrophe, some startling clues to her own identity, and a man whose view of the world could change the course of her life. Blending flashbacks, dreams, and Native American legends, Animal Dreams is a suspenseful love story and a moving exploration of life's largest commitments. With this work, the acclaimed author of The Bean Trees and Homeland and Other Stories sustains her familiar voice while giving readers her most remarkable book yet.

I would rate this PG-13 for language and adult scenes.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

The Goose Girl is a retelling of a Grimm's fairy tale (not one that I had heard of before). Ani is the Crown Princess of Kildenree and betrothed to the Prince of Bayern. She travels from her home to Bayern with her maid in waiting. Her maid in waiting turns traitor and claims to be the princess rather than Ani. Ani bides her time working for the King as a goose girl, trying to determine how to prove the maid false. Along her journey she finds friends and help in unlikely places, including herself.
There are two other books about Bayern including Enna Burning and River Secrets. Both are worthy tales, but The Goose Girl is the most intriguing.

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

This novel looks back at a pretty dark time in American history, the witch trials of Salem. Kent is actually a 10th generation descendant of Martha Carrier, who was hanged as a witch in 1692, and writes the story of Sarah, Martha's daughter. Sarah is only 9 years old when her mother, brothers and herself are all charged and imprisoned for witchcraft. She very poignantly tells her tale looking back over the many years of her life. It is hard to imagine a time when whole communities could be taken in by something so irrational but the fear and uncertainty brought on by a life that was hard and unpredictable along with the pettiness of man set a strong back drop for the events which took place.
I really appreciated this intimate portrayal of the Salem witch trials. Where The Crucible set the stage for the events, the Heretic's Daughter gave detail and made it real for me.

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeanette Walls

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

Love, LOVED this book. A quick and very entertaining read.

Love Walked In by Maria De Los Santos

What a good read. I finished this today and I really enjoyed it. It starts out as a romance story, but quickly progresses in a direction you would not expect. A young terrified girl tries her best to cope on her own as her mother slides into mental illness. A woman living in Philadelphia, managing a cafe, is sure she has met the man of her dreams when Martin walks into the cafe. He looks like Cary Grant, acts like Cary Grant, and is her ideal of perfection. Meeting him begins a chain of events that lead to love. Real true love. But not the real true love you would expect.

I loved the characters, I loved the story. It was touching and soulful.

Books About the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies

I just wrote a very long post for my personal blog listing 4 different books about the Willie and Martin handcart companies. I was going to write a separate post for this blog but to save time - just check my blog if you are interested. Here is the link to the post:
http://almosthalfwaythere.blogspot.com/2009/06/price-they-paid.html

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Socity By Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I LOVED this book. It is written all in letters and is the story of an woman writer and friends she makes from the Island of Guernsey and there amazing stories of the occupation of their small island.

The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan

"While running for judge, Cowen roamed all over Dallam County and saw firsthand how the dirt-packed winds were taking the life out of the place. He drove for days without seeing a single green thing. He saw farmhouses without a chicken or cow. He saw children in rags, their parents too frightened of dust pneumonia to send them to school, huddling in shacks shaped into wavy formations on the prairie, almost indistinguishable from the dunes." (The Worst Hard Time, pg. 177)
"The dust in Kansas was falling in heaps; a team of scientists calculated that during the storms of March and April of 1935, about 4.7 tons of dust per acre fell on western Kansas during each of the blizzards" (The Worst Hard Time, pg. 188)
"How to explain a place where black dirt fell from the sky, where children died from playing outdoors, where rabbits were clubbed to death by adrenaline-primed nesters still wearing their Sunday-school clothes, where grasshoppers descended on weakened fields and ate everything but doorknobs? How to explain a place where hollow-bellied horses chewed on fence posts, where static electricity made it painful to shake another man's hand, where the only thing growing that a human or cow could eat was an unwelcome foreigner, the Russian thistle [tumbleweed]? How to explain fifty thousand or more houses abandoned throughout the Great Plains, never to hear a child's laugh or a woman's song inside their walls? How to explain nine million acres of farmland without a master? America was passing this land by. Its day was done." (The Worst Hard Time, pg 306)
The Worst Hard Time written by Timothy Egan is a powerful record of survivors of the dust bowl of the 1930's. During an already dark and dismal nation-wide depression, the great plains suffered almost a decade of blowing dirt and dust that almost completely wiped out this part of the country. I had heard a little of this catastrophe - one of the worst in American history. In reading The Grapes of Wrath, we learn about people who escaped the disaster. This book is about the people who stubbornly hung on to what was left of their farms and lives and waited it out. One thing I found very interesting about this story is that it reveals the cause of the dust bowl - it wasn't just drought - and also how it was man that actually helped to remedy the problem.
I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this book.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The setting is the future ruins of North America. The population is divided into 12 districts and ruled by the Capitol. Each year the Capitol holds the Hunger Games requiring 2 youth from each district as tribute. These 24 kids are placed in an arena concocted by the Capitol. These gladiators must fight to the death because the Games end only when one survives. Sixteen year old Katniss volunteers as the female tribute from District 12 in place of her younger sister. A skilled hunter and tracker, she will need these traits to stay alive in an environment where even the elements are against you.
I thought this book was incredible! I read most of it in a single day (if you can count staying up until 3 am the next morning). The depth of the characters and the intense plot do not disappoint. Just a warning though, this is the first book in a trilogy so be prepared for a certain amount of plot to be unresolved. The next book, Catching Fire, comes out this September.

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophi Kinsella

With the same wicked humor, buoyant charm, and optimism that have made her Shopaholic novels beloved international bestsellers, Sophie Kinsella delivers a hilarious new novel and an unforgettable new character. Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets:

Secrets from her mother:
I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur.
Sammy the goldfish in my parents’ kitchen is not the same goldfish that Mum gave me to look after when she and Dad were in Egypt.

Secrets from her boyfriend:
I weigh one hundred and twenty-eight pounds. Not one eighteen, like Connor thinks.
I’ve always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken.

From her colleagues:
When Artemis really annoys me, I feed her plant orange juice. (Which is pretty much every day.) It was me who jammed the copier that time. In fact, all the times.

Secrets she wouldn’t share with anyone in the world:
My G-string is hurting me.
I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is.

Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger.

But come Monday morning, Emma’s office is abuzz about the arrival of Jack Harper, the company’s elusive CEO. Suddenly Emma is face-to-face with the stranger from
the plane, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her. Things couldn’t possibly get worse—Until they do. (from Here)

LOVED this one VERY funny! Again I read it in a day, again adult language and themes.

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

When twenty-eight-year-old Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital, she’s in for a big surprise. Her teeth are perfect. Her body is toned. Her handbag is Vuitton. Having survived a car accident—in a Mercedes no less—Lexi has lost a big chunk of her memory, three years to be exact, and she’s about to find out just how much things have changed.

Somehow Lexi went from a twenty-five-year-old working girl to a corporate big shot with a sleek new loft, a personal assistant, a carb-free diet, and a set of glamorous new friends. And who is this gorgeous husband—who also happens to be a multimillionaire? With her mind still stuck three years in reverse, Lexi greets this brave new world determined to be the person she…well, seems to be. That is, until an adorably disheveled architect drops the biggest bombshell of all.

Suddenly Lexi is scrambling to catch her balance. Her new life, it turns out, comes complete with secrets, schemes, and intrigue. How on earth did all this happen? Will she ever remember? And what will happen when she does? (from Here )

I really like this book and finished it in a day. I thought it was pretty funny and a fun story. There is some language and some adult themes.

Dark Angel by Robert Kirby

A friend of mine loaned me this book when I had my last baby. I was highly skeptical for 2 reasons: the plot seemed hokey and it was a "mormon" novel. But I picked it up and couldn't put it down, which was good because I was constantly feeding my newborn. Kirby is a Mormon satirist who has a column that pokes fun of Mormon culture in the Salt Lake tribune. This book is not satire, however. I would put it in the same genre as These Is My Words. It is the story of a young girl growing up in Salt Lake Valley during the Brigham Young era. She is the daughter of the first wife of a polygamist bishop. (See, ick, right?) Robert Kirby handles the polygamy issue with humor and sympathy. Anyway, she is a tomboy and when a mysterious man saves her and her sister from a pretty bad situation the family takes this mysterious Dark Angel in. He sleeps in the barn and helps out around the farm. Rumors about this cold blooded stranger take the community by storm and the plot thickens. Anyway, it was a great read. I loved imagining the Salt Lake Valley back in the pre-overdeveloped era. I loved the portrayal of the family. I really loved this book. It was a very fun read. My mom read it and loved it too, and was also surprised she liked it so much. And it is hokey and silly at times. But still it is a fun read.

The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith

This is the fifth book in the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. This is a delightful, charming, easy to read series about Mma Ramatswe - an African woman living in Botswana and her simple but interesting life as a detective. I haven't read all the books but of the few I have read - the first one is my favorite. But all the books are very funny and quirky.

If you want a real treat - get the first book on audio CD read by Lisette Lecat. She is incredibly talented and her accents are lovely! I couldn't help but hear her voice in my head as I read other books in the series. I loved it!