Adult Read
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Oct.28, 2007, under Adult Read, Bullying, Grief, Humorous, Multicultural Fiction, Real life, Sam's Reviews, YRCA
Who would like this book? Sherman Alexie fans! New to Sherman Alexie? Go for this book if you want an honest portrayal of a geeky artististic teenager frustrated with his life on the Spokane Indian Reservation.
Why? The main character, 14-year-old “Junior,” loves to draw and think, but is geeky and gets beat up a lot on the reservation. His best friend, Rowdy, saves him until Junior decides to transfer to the upper class white school outside of the “rez.” Junior has a rough time as he straddles the two worlds: the tragedies made me cry and his resilient humor made me laugh out loud. Junior loves to draw, and the book has illustrations by Ellen Forney that fill in perfectly as Junior’s work. They complement Alexie’s prose perfectly. This book stands up as an excellent portrayal of a person who rises above the odds and seeks to make a better life for himself and his community. (An additional comment: Alexie includes a full portrayal of Junior, including his thoughts on masturbating.)
Eleanor’s Story: An American Girl in Hitler’s Germany by Eleanor Ramrath Garner
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Aug.21, 2007, under Adult Read, Historical Fiction, War
Who would like this book? Teens and adults who are interested in what it was like to live in Germany during World War II.
Why? It’s a good thing that Eleanor Ramrath Garner wrote this book because her story needs to be told. Their family, Germans who immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1930s, moved back to Germany on the eve of World War II because their father had been offered a job that he couldn’t resist. The book is a great example of perspective. We’re immersed in WWII, so we wonder how he could have made such a decision. At the time, though, Hitler’s intentions were debatable. When Hitler invaded Poland soon after their move, their father changed his mind, but it was too late to get back to the States and the family went through the horrors of WWII in Berlin. Ms. Garner has a remarkable memory. She includes copious details about their daily lives and relationships, giving rich insight into what it was like to live at the time. She keeps her focus on her own life, only including information about the wider war as she discovered it. She gives a good sense of coming-of-age. Warning: This book is not a page-turner. It takes patience to read it, but the perspective it brings is well worth the effort. It made me cry at the end.
The details: 269 p. 1999
Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Aug.13, 2007, under Abuse, Adult Read, Coretta Scott King, Grief, Historical Fiction
Who would like this book? Teens or adults who want a work of historical fiction that depicts the slave trade and plantation life in the South from the point of view of an African teenaged girl who becomes enslaved and a Southern white girl who is indentured.
Why? Copper Sun opens with an idyllic portrayal of Amari, a young Ashanti teenager who delights in the rhythm of life in her tribe and anticipates love with Besa, her betrothed. When her tribe welcomes the white visitors with warm hospitality, she is shocked when they respond with brutality. The book follows her story as she is enslaved, shipped to the colonies, and sold to a plantation owner in the Carolinas. At this point, the point of view of Polly is introduced. Polly, close in age to Amari, is a white girl whose family hs landed on hard times and who has been indentured to the same plantation owner for 14 years. The stark, unflinching presentation of the brutality and injustice of their lives is shattering, but their perseverance and growing friendship keeps hope alive and kept me spellbound. The other characters are well-drawn, giving insight into how and why people react differently to terrible situations. This book would be an excellent way to study this period of history and is well-deserving of its place as the winner of the 2007 Coretta Scott King Award.
The details: 306 p. 2006
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.29, 2007, under Adult Read, Fantasy
Who would like this book? Harry Potter fans far and wide!
Why? It’s the seventh book! I was, once again, captivated by the creative twists and turns of Rowling’s plot and satisfied by the reconciliation of all the plot’s demands at the end. I was surprised that the reading experience was primarily intellectual for me rather than emotional, but that could be because the conclusion brings so much together that it is mind-bending. Everyone will have their favorite parts, but mine is definitely the Silver Doe. Okay, I lied about my lack of emotion. Just thinking about the Silver Doe has me tearing up. Where’s my hankie? Another aspect of this book that amazes me: the countless, continual clever details. Just when I would start to think that the book could have used some editing (How many challenges does Harry need to face, really?), some little detail pops out that makes me shiver, smile, or roll my eyes. Open the book anywhere and start reading and see if you agree. I just reopened the book to page 292: Ron and Hermione are arguing about food. Yep, it’s a great little exchange, as are the rest of Ron and Hermione’s arguments (and Ron’s attempts at applying the principles in Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches, Ron’s birthday gift to Harry, charmed Hermione and me!). The plot, the clever details, the interaction of the characters, the power of imagination, the stamina — thank you, J.K. Rowling.
The details: 759 p. 2007
Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.29, 2007, under Adult Read, Battle of the Books 2007, Battle of the Books 2014-2015, Historical Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, Real life, War
Who would like this book? Anyone, teens or adults, interested in the Navajo culture, battles of WWII (Pacific), and the use of the Navajo language for the codes in the war will find this book riveting.
Why? Bruchac uses a Navajo grandfather as his narrator very effectively. The grandfather, Ned Begay, begins the story with his experiences growing up in an Indian boarding school where speaking the Navajo language was strictly forbidden. When he joins the Marines at age 16 (fudging with the truth about his age), he is trained as a code talker. In a significant irony, the Navajo language has been made the basis of the secret code for sending messages on the battlefield. Ned relates the details about the battles on Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa in a nonsensational, quiet voice that makes them all the more heart-wrenching. His humor and his reliance on traditional Navajo customs allowed me to see how he could endure so much brutality and still maintain his sanity. This book would be a good jump-off point for studying more about the Navajo culture, codes, and/or World War II.
The details: 231 p. 2005
The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.14, 2007, under Adult Read, Fantasy
Who would like this book? Teens and adults who read Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, His Dark Materials Trilogy Book 1.
Why? The Subtle Knife, His Dark Materials Trilogy Book 2, does not disappoint. It opens with a new character of our world, Will Parry, a 12-year-old who has had a lifetime of being invisible to cover for his unstable mother. A robbery, a murder, and an accidental discovery of a window into another world brings Will into contact with Lyra. Uneasily, they conclude that they must help each other, and they embark on a journey to find Will’s father, the Arctic explorer John Parry who has been missing for 12 years. The other characters – the aeronaut Lee Scoresby, the witch Serafina Pekkala, the power-hungry Mrs. Coulter, and many others – strengthen the plot. A suggestion: have a copy of The Amber Spyglass (Book 3 in the trilogy) ready to go. The Subtle Knife offers no independent closure, and it’s difficult to wait to find out the story’s next twist. This book is now ten years and is still as fresh and relevant as ever.
The details: 352 p. 1997
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.14, 2007, under Adult Read, Fantasy
Who would like this book? Teens and adults who like great fantasy, an endearing young female protagonist, and the intersection of science, magic, and theology.
Why? His Dark Materials Trilogy Book 1 has been widely acclaimed as a masterpiece, and I agree. I am mesmerized by Lyra, the young heroine whose mysterious origins (Is she really an orphan?)and quest form the large framework of the trilogy. Within that framework are layers of complexity: a fascinating concept of the soul as a personal “daemon” that takes on the form of animals, a presence of “Dust” that indicates a melding of science and theology, and a melding of place and time – Lyra’s “Oxford” is the same yet completely different than the present-day Oxford. Lyra is the best – she’s a tomboy with a quick wit and tremendous spunk who is passionately loyal to her friends and committed to finding the truth. Her passion and the evil that she must uncover drive the plot. Her quest entangles her with the mysterious and beautiful Mrs. Coulter and then brings her together with the renegade gyptians and an outcast bear as she journeys to the aurora in the North. Now is the time to read this classic, before the movie comes out.
The details: 399 p. 1995
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.14, 2007, under Adult Read, Grief, Historical Fiction, Multicultural Fiction, War
Who would like this book? Adults and older teens who were impressed by The Kite Runner and are ready for a second journey into Afghan culture and history, this time from the points of view of two women.
Why? This weighty, harrowing story of Mariam and Laila is gripping and deeply disturbing. An illegitimate daughter of a wealthy, well-connected businessman, Mariam has few options and is forced into a marriage with Rasheed, an older man who turns out to be a misogynistic wife-beater. Laila comes from a strikingly different part of Afghan culture but ends up in the same house as Mariam and Rasheed. The emotional power of the stories of Mariam and Laila explode as their lives connect. The backdrop of their tragic lives — the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the power of the Taliban — brings home the horrific impact that war has on individual lives. Hosseini writes with such vivid prose that reading the story of Mariam and Laila made me feel physically sick. This book is important, demanding, and unflinchingly sad.
The details: 384 p. 2007
The Killer’s Tears by Anne-Oaure Bondoux
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jun.11, 2007, under Adult Read, Grief, Multicultural Fiction
Who would like this book? Teens and adults who want a richly redemptive story that does not flinch when looking at the dark side of humanity.
Why? The Author’s Note at the end of the book states: “In Chile, the death penalty was given for the last time in 1985, and was officially abolished in 2001.” This story is an argument in favor of that action. Angel, the murderer, comes to the house at the end of the world where Paolo lives with his mother and father. Angel kills the parents but cannot do the same to Paolo. Instead, he begins to care for Paolo and finds that he is more than a murderer: “I’m just a murderer,” Angel whispered, “but I know one thing. When you’re sad and have the good fortune to find a shoulder to cry on, you shouldn’t hesitate.” (p. 79) Don’t let the grisly subject matter keep you away from this book.
The details: 162 p. 2003; Translation from the French in 2006.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jun.07, 2007, under Adult Read, Mystery, Uncategorized
Who would like this book? Teens and adults who love a good mystery and want to experience the Queen of the mystery novel at her finest.
Why? Murder on the Orient Express, published originally in 1934, is the classic mystery, with a movie from 1974 that is brilliant in its own right. This book and movie was a choice for our Bookworm Club, and I am elated because I somehow have missed both the book and movie. I love both of them. The book, with detective Hercule Poirot uncovering a murder that occurs on the Orient Express just as the train becomes snowbound, is an entertaining and fascinating invitation to follow the clues. The movie, with an incredible cast, stays true to the book and provides fun insight into Peter Sellars’ Pink Panther.
The details: 245 p. 1934 (2000 c.)
