Books read

Here's a picture collage of the books I read and reviewed for the month of August and September 2010.

"Al Capone Does My Shirts"

YR, by Gennifer Choldenko, 2004, 228p, rating=2

"When Moose's family moves to Alcatraz Island so his father can work as a guard and his sister can attend a special school in San Francisco, he has to leave his friends and his winning baseball team behind.  But it's worth it, right?  If his sister, Natalie, can get help, maybe his family will finally be normal.  But on Alcatraz his dad is so busy, he's never around.  His mom's preoccupation with Natalie's condition (today, it would be called autism) is even worse now that there's a no extended family to help with her tantrums and constant needs.  And of course, there's never enough money.  When Moose meets Piper, the cute daughter of the warden, he knows right off she's trouble.  But she's also strangely irresistible.  All Moose wants to do is protect Natalie, live up to his parents' expectations and stay out of trouble.  But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away. (book's synopsis)

I don't agree with the enthusiasm for this book.  A Newbery Honor, really?  At least it didn't win. 

I wanted to like this book.  A story about families living on Alcatraz where the worst of the worst convicts reside was alluring.  But this book just didn't cut it.  The characters developments were horrid.  Moose was wishy-washy, Piper incredibly reckless, and the adults were idiots.  The only character that the author got right was Natalie.  Plus, the whole 'let's see how close we can monopolize Al Capone' story line was weak in aligning with the characters. This is where I wish I was articulate because I want to spell out how the characters broke this book for me and therefore how silly the story became.  ~Anyone out there that has read this book and see what I see and can help effectively describe the bazaarness?  Oh well, maybe it's just me.

"The Diary of Anne Frank"

Non-fiction, play, by Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett, 1956, 174p, rating=4

This is a two act play first presented in Cort Theatre, New York, New York on October 5, 1955.  The husband-and-wife authors of this book dramatized Anne Frank's story based on the book Anne Frank:  Diary of a Young Girl. 

Simply a tender dramatic composition.  I was picturing myself in the audience of this play.  I kept myself alert and focused.  I wanted all my senses functioning. This book delivered.  I saw and felt much...  fear, anxiety, hope, laughter, innocence, loyalty, desires, friendship, tolerance, madness, humanity, and so forth.  A bitter sweet taste of what would be found in the book it's based on --a young girl's memoir of her days of hiding from the Nazis in World War II.  Moreover, this play was successful in bearing one of Anne's last observations in her diary:  "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.".  For the most part, Anne's smiling spirit was showcased.

Anne's story doesn't get old and continues to be heartwarming.  But don't worry, this was tenderly written so you'll only need one tissue ... maybe a Brawn kind of paper towel for some. 

One day I'll read Anne's book.  I'm just not ready right now ... no paper towels in the house.

"Thirteen Reasons Why"

YA, by Jay Asher, 2007, 288p, rating=3.5

"Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier.  Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.  Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a first-hand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself--a truth he never wanted to face." (book's synopsis)

I'm finding it difficult to critique a book that contains a heavy subject such as found in this book.  My mind is cluttered with cargo loads of thoughts and I'm having a hard time sifting and collaborating them to something that is concise and neat.  So let's see where my typing fingers take us!  Here goes...

The writing style was interesting and so it was easy to move from one page to the next.  It's how the characters carry the serious subject matter that gets edgy.  As an adult, we might be quick to judge those that seek suicide as a resolve to problems.  One might say that it's a coward's way out.  Perhaps that is what some readers see of Hannah Baker.  But we have to remember that Hannah is a teenager and the book is addressing teen suicide.  At that age, many think that the world revolves around them.  It's a vulnerable age of discovering and developing oneself.  Everyone around them can be influential.  Henceforth, they're still children.  So this book actually portrays the struggles of teenagers fairly accurately.  You're going to find:  labeling, promiscuity, deceit, rebellion, back stabbing, recklessness, etc.  You're also going to find an array of emotions ... anger, love, jealousy, fear, hate, denial, etc. etc.  And in this particular case, Clay and Hannah were at opposite ends of the 'how to deal with life' spectrum.  That is why Clay is ignorant and Hannah careless.  That's how the author molded them to be, as examples not the rule.  The purpose of their stories was to help convey the destructive potential of one's affect on another, hence the 13 reasons why.  In other words, what a seemingly harmless act might be detrimental to another. 

You've made the author happy because you got the message if:  you've made a vow to be more careful in how you deal with people; if you're a teenager that can relate to Hannah but know better how to reach for help; if you're more aware of the signs of someone contemplating suicide and act promptly; or if you could relate to the guilt trip that the "13" felt.  Then I like to add that it's not practical to go tip-toeing through life for the sake of the weak.  Instead we must arm our children with confidence, wisdom, and security so that they can make better decisions.

This book is not without flaws, but the essential message is there for the taking.
 
My quote-ables:
"I want to push Stop on the Walkman and rewind their whole conversation... But I can't.  You can't rewrite the past." pg 60.
"And that's why I put you on these tapes.  To let you know that what you do affects others.  More specifically, it affected me." pg 95.
"I guess that's the point of it all.  No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people.  Oftentimes, we have no clue." pg 156.
"You can't go back to how things were.  How you thought they were.  All you really have...is now." pg 206.

I Won!!!

Yeay, I won this book from Suko's Notebook.  I'm sooooo jazzed!!  My very first win!!

I'm so doing a happy dance right now!!!

Thank you so much Suko.  Can't wait to get it!  :) 

Pondering the Scriptures Sunday #2

Today's scripture is found in James 1:5 and goes as follows:

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

This is an invitation to those seeking guidance or divine learning to ask God and He will kindly reveal it to you without reproach.  I suppose you may ask any concerns that you want insights to.  Perhaps particularly, yet not limited to, spiritual matters. 

This brings to mind what a friend told me once.  He said that if you have car problems, you would take it to a mechanic and similarly if you have spiritual problems then you take it to God.  That makes sense.  So if ever I want truth, I take it to God.

"The Secret"

by Rhonda Byrne, 2006, 198p, rating=1

"The Secret has been passed down through the ages... coveted, hidden, lost, stolen, bought for vast sums of money, and known by some of the most exceptional people who ever lived: Plato, Galileo, Da Vinci, Beethoven, Edison, and Einstein, to name but a few.

The Secret book reveals how you can change every aspect of your life. You can turn any weakness or suffering into strength, power, unlimited abundance, health and joy.

Everything is possible, nothing is impossible. There are no limits. Whatever you can dream of can be yours, when you use The Secret." (book's website)

An inviting looking book... pretty paper, fancy pen-to-ink kind of font, and a neat small book.  The promise of revealing the secret was also alluring.  The temptation worked.  I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar!  I acquired the book and read it. 

Oh my, a potential life changing kind of theory but with a hidden cult feel to it.  I'm for the basic premise of positive thoughts bring positive karma.  I can run with that, but to say that your thoughts summoned all your negative circumstances is a stretch.  So the malnourished children of the world sent out negative vibes to keep food away from them?  Your child had so many negative thoughts that he brought leukemia upon himself?  You asked to be raped?  Then, it looks like money does grow on trees and cars, houses, jobs, spouses, etc. fall from the sky.  All you have to do is order what you want from the Universe, pretend you already have it, and then it will magically come to you.

Much of the statements found in this book out of context is sound and plausible.  These statements from past great minds and modern gurus independently are words of inspiration to improve your life.  Like, be grateful for what you have now, love yourself and everyone, and there is power in positive thinking.  So there are some truth in the book to make it appear that the whole theory must then be on the ball.  But it's a gimmick.  I don't see a bio on the author.  The gurus and past great minds have one spelled out to prove credibility but all we know of the author is that she stumbled into the secret and generously compiled a thesis of it for us.  This could be interpreted that she's a businesswoman out to make a buck and laughing her way to the bank.  Yet, I really don't know that and perhaps she is sincere in her invitation to help us better ourselves.  Except that there are flaws in her overall hypothesis so just be careful how far you follow The Secret.