Adult Read
Citadel by John Ringo
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Sep.28, 2011, under Adult Read, Science Fiction, Student Reviews
Who would like this book? Science Fiction fans who like Land, Sea, and Space adventure. (Mature readers)(First read Live Free or Die)
Why? Dana is a new recruit on the battle station Troy. When she first comes she is an EA (engineers apprentice) but after going up many ranks she is an EM (engineers mate). Butch just got out of high school and is looking for a job. He goes to the job office and gets recruited to be Optical Welding Technician. He has to go through school then training to gets to Troy. Tyler Vernon is the richest man in the solar system but now needs new ideas to defeat the Horvath. After a few days the Horvath come through the gate. Since two coxswains, or drivers, Glass, the CM, decides to make Dana the driver of Myrmidon 33. After getting halfway there, the Engineer noticed a flicker in the grapnels. Dana had to turn and go back to Troy. Most of the way there the Horvath come through the gate to attack Troy so they start closing the shuttle doors. Dana goes under the SAPL beam, back up, clears the doors, and turns the shuttle at max thrust. But more problems emerge when there is no fuel for the ships and now a different species is threatening to take terra the Rangora. Tyler decides to make Troy even better by adding an Orion drive so Troy is mobile. Read Citadel to find out what happens.
The details: 400 pp. 2011 Review by Mason
Anthem by Ayn Rand
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Oct.12, 2008, under Adult Read, Classic, Dystopia, Student Reviews
Who would like this book? I highly recommend Anthem by Ayn Rand to anyone who likes good literature.
Why? Anthem was only 105 pages, and the book was short and skinny, but Ayn Rand successfully hooked me by the first chapter, and kept me there the whole book! There was only two occasions in which I read Anthem, and I finished it on the second. The chapters are short, but the detail is plentiful, and it truly is riveting. I left off where Equality 7-2521 is recounting his past. Equality 7-2521 finds a sewer pipe from the Unmentionable Times with his only friend(it is illegal to favor one brother over others), and his friend wants to tell the city counsel, but Equality 7-2521 convinces him not to (it is illegal to not inform the city counsel of anything found from the unmentionable times). There Equality 7-2521 finds “glass globes” and eventually makes something from the Unmentionable Times that set off a string of happenings in which Tragedies and glories occur.
The details: 105 p. (253 p. with notes) 1995 edition; First published in 1938 Submitted by Chance
Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire by Julius Lester
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Sep.02, 2008, under Adult Read, Fantasy, Romance, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Anyone – teens or adults – who appreciates mythology, especially the story of Cupid and Psyche. If you just want a good romance, this book would also fill the bill.
Why? Julius Lester is a superb storyteller. In Cupid, he takes one of the best love stories of all times and gives the reader the treat of being told the story by a storyteller. The narrator of the book is a storyteller, and at times he interjects brief anecdotes from his life and at times addresses “the story” directly. Though some readers might find these asides distracting, I found them amusing and though-provoking. Whether or not you like this narrative complexity, the story of the gods is fantastic. Cupid’s jealous mother Venus, the exquisitely beautiful princess Psyche, and the ultimate “player,” Cupid, are the main characters. Many lesser gods, both Greek and Roman, are well-drawn and endearing characters. I love this book and recommend it highly.
The details: 208 p. 2007
A Girl from Yamhill: A Memoir by Beverly Cleary
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Aug.18, 2008, under Adult Read, Battle of the Books 2008-2009, Biography or Autobigraphy, Sam's Reviews
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Who would like this books? Anyone – teens or adults – who read and enjoyed Beverly Clearly’s books (books like Henry Huggins or Ramona Quimby) when they were younger. It would also be a good read for people who are interested in becoming writers or for people who are interested in daily life in the 1920s and 1930s.
Why? Beverly Cleary is a very remarkable person and writer with an amazing memory. She is also honest and does not edit uncomfortable events out of this highly readable autobiography. I have to admit a special connection to her story. I grew up in Portland on 77th street a number of blocks south of her house, and I went to Camp Namanu and have visual memories of most of the landmarks that she describes. Even though I am a couple of decades younger than she is, her descriptions of neighborhoods, libraries, farms, and schools brought back personal memories for me. This memoir is not only engaging to read as the story of her life through her graduation from Grant High School and her move to California for college, it is also a valuable source of information about coming of age in the 1920s and early 1930s. The precision of her memory astounds me. Throughout the book, she sprinkles lists of the books that she and her friends were reading, along with their music, their dances, and their classes in school.Her assessment of the boys throughout the upper elementary grades is hilarious. Her honesty about a dangerous uncle and about other family difficulties are noteworthy. The story reminds me of her books, simultaneously heartwarming and heart-crunching,with hilarity woven into the telling of everyday events. My only wish is that she would have kep on going through her college years. I went to her website (http://www.beverlycleary.com/beverlycleary/index.html) for more of the story. This book is a great choice for the 2008-09 Battle of the Books list.
The details: 344p. 1988
The Stout-Hearted Seven by Neta Lohnes Frazier
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Aug.10, 2008, under Adult Read, Adventure, Battle of the Books 2008-2009, Grief, Historical Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Sam's Reviews
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Who would like this book? Do you have relatives who came to Oregon via the Oregon Trail? Are you curious about what life was like for these pioneers? Are you interested in the conflict between the Native Americans and the new white settlers? You’ll want to read this book.
Why? The Stout-Hearted Seven tells the story of the Sager family, who leave Missouri in the spring of 1844 with the hope that a good life awaits them in the Willamette Valley. It’s amazing to read a story such as this one and realize that these people went through unbelievable hardship to get to the land where we now live. Ms. Frazier did lots of research to gain the perspective of the eldest Sager daughter, Catherine. She writes with a sense of fairness, balancing the family’s good and bad times. The excruciating and tragic situation with the Native Americans (referred to as either Indians or by their specific tribes) starts out in the background, but is thrust to the foreground dramatically. Frazier gives a fair but limited context for the tragic events in the last part of the story. There are a number of unfortunate typographical errors throughout the text, but they are minor. This selection for the 08-09 Battle of the Books is an excellent telling of a riveting pioneer story.
The details: 193 p. 1973 (reprinted 2006)
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.28, 2008, under Adult Read, Historical Fiction, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Adults who want a funny, moving novel from the point of view of Jacob, a 90 – or 93-year-old, who is looking back to his coming-of-age with the circus.
Why? I picked up this book with hopes that it would be a good choice for middle school students. Because of some scenes that are violent and overtly sexual, it fits best for high school and older. Though I realized this age restriction early in the book, I could not put it down. As he narrates the story, Jacob is either 90 or 93 (he can’t remember and doesn’t care), trapped in a nursing home that he disdains. His current, depressing situation is juxtaposed with his coming-of-age story. One week short of graduating from Cornell as a veterinarian, Jacob’s parents are killed in a car accident, he discovers that they have left a pile of debt, and he walks away from his final exams. His walk does not stop until he hops a train that happens to be carrying a circus: Jacob’s real education has begun. Set against the great depression, Water for Elephants made me care deeply for Jacob, Marlene, and Rosie the elephant. I am so glad that I took the time to finish a non-middle school book because I loved the ending.
The details: 335 p. 2006
Dark Angel by David Klass
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.02, 2008, under Adult Read, Bullying, Grief, Real life, Sam's Reviews, Thriller
Who would like this book? Older teens (mature 8th graders and up) and adults interested in the issue of crime, punishment, and the nature of evil and who want a riveting read.
Why? Jeff Hastings, the 17-year-old narrator of this book likes his normal life in a small New Jersey town. We soon learn that he’s so happy with soccer, school, and a girlfriend because his life used to be a kind of hell when his family lived in the town where his older brother, Troy, murdered a boy and was sentenced to life in prison. When news comes that Troy is being released from prison early and plans to live with his family, Jeff’s life is overtaken by his fury and his futile efforts at secrecy. A few of the events between Jeff and Troy seem contrived, but that didn’t keep me from losing sleep while I read deep into the night. Klass got me good with this study of evil and with the decisions that Jeff had to make.
The details: 312 p. 2005
The Pox Party: Taken from Accounts by his [Octavius Nothing’s] Own Hand and Other Sundry Sources by M.T. Anderson
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.02, 2008, under Adult Read, Grief, Historical Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Printz Award, Sam's Reviews, Teen Top 10, War
Who would like this book? Teens and adults interested in the events leading up to and during the Revolutionary War, especially as it relates to slavery in the North. Readers need to be prepared for writing that is in the tradition of eighteenth century, educated writing and a disturbing experiment that takes the “Age of Reason” to extremes. If you want a challenging, worthwhile book, this is it!
Why? The Pox Party is Volume 1 in the series The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation. (The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves comes out on October 14, 2008.) The book is an ambitious undertaking. Most of it is narrated by Octavian Nothing, a young African American slave who does not realize that he is a slave at the beginning of the book. He narrates his story in the elegant, arch style of the eighteenth century because he is being educated by the philosopher/scientists at the The Novanglian College of Lucidity in Boston. The nature of his education slowly unfolds, and it is deeply disturbing, as are the events that overtake Octavian when the finances of the College dissolve and the Revolutionary War overtakes the nation. During times when Octavian is silenced by duress, the story is told through letters, newspaper clippings, and scientific papers. The extent of M.T. Anderson’s research and his mastery of style and mood are noteworthy. It also deals with significant ideas – slavery, human rights, war, racism. It’s not surprising that this book has won a number of prestigious awards.
The deatils: 351 p. 2006
Bone by Bone by Bone – by Tony Johnston
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jan.13, 2008, under Abuse, Adult Read, Bullying, Historical Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Real life, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Teens and adults interested in the racist reality of the south in the 1940s. Anyone who appreciates Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird will not want to miss this book.
Why? David’s father, Dr. Franklin Church, is the doctor of their Tennessee town. Dr. Church is also an extreme racist and member of the local Ku Klux Klan. From David’s birth, his father has planned his life for him: he hung a skeleton above David’s crib so that his infant son could start learning the bones and grow up to be a doctor. It does not go down well with him, then, when David (as a young boy) befriends Malcolm, an African American. Dr. Church lays down the law harshly, forbidding David to see Malcolm. Of course, the two young boys can’t stay away from each other, and their friendship blossoms as they pursue imaginative adventures together. In a setup such as this one, the reader knows that the outcome will not be a good one, but let me reassure prospective readers that Malcolm does not die. I also need to warn prospective readers that the language is raw, true to what would be used in the 1940s in the south. Dr. Church does not use “African American;” he uses the “n-word.” Johnstone has based this story on her own experiences growing up in the south. From them, she has crafted a stunning, riveting work that left me breathless and in tears. Read it for the history, for the well-drawn characters, and for David’s final decision (don’t peek).
Shakleton’s Stowaway by Victoria Mckernan
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Nov.25, 2007, under Adult Read, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Sam's Reviews, YRCA
Who would like this book? Adults and teens who love adventure, specifically the harrowing story of survival of Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance in the ill-fated attempt to cross the Antarctic in 1914.
Why? I’ve been mesmerized by the survival of Shackleton and his men since reading Caroline Alexander’s 1998 nonfiction account in The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antactic Expedition, so I was excited about reading this fictionalized account. I was not disappointed, and I found it amazing that as I finished reading it, a cruise ship retracing Shackleton’s journey hit an iceberg and sunk! If Shackleton catches your interest, don’t miss Mckernan’s well-researched and well-written tale from the point of view of young Perce Blackbarrow. Perce really was a stowaway on the Endurance, and his experiences are an excellent way to capture the excruciating events as they struggle to survive and the vivid personalities of the crew. Once I was halfway through the book, I couldn’t put it down (even though I know what happened), and I was blubbering at the end. The men are so stoic, somebody has to cry! I highly recommend this book.
The details: 336 p 2005 (Hardback); 317 p. 2006 (Paperback)
