The Journal of Curious Letters

The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It's hard not to compare every YA book with Harry Potter esp. since a lot of YA books read a lot like Harry Potter. This, too, is about a boy (Atticus, aka Tick ) who is awkward and nerdy who finds he is chosen (along with a smart aleck girl and devil-may-care boy) to help save lives by mysterious means. There are flying motorcycles, and a wise English elder (Master George), a giant, an annoying dwarf, and Tingle Wraiths. I suspect that even his birthmark that he covers up with a striped scarf, marks him as the Most Special of the special youths (not unlike a certain scar, ahem). But we will have to continue to read the series to find that out.
If that all sounds hauntingly familiar, it is. But there are differences, subtle though they may be. Master George is quick to point out that the special "magic" that is exhibited is not magic at all, but science (Quantam Physics) that is behind it all. Perhaps one of the most welcome differences is Tick's home life is loving and caring. Tick's father in particular is supportive and compassionate.
It's an OK book, with a good message and the fight scene near the end was actually exciting. It's not Harry Potter but it's as good of a copy cat as I've read. (And I suspect that most YA, for whom it's written, won't even care.)

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The Ghost at the Table

The Ghost at the Table: A Novel by Suzanne Berne


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book. It was everything I hoped Sing Them Home would be. It's a book about the relationship between two sisters and how they remember their childhood and the events that happened when they were children. Berne perfectly captures how memories of the same time can be so different and how we perceive ourselves may not be how others see us. The only wish I could have is that Berne would write a sister novel from the perspective of the other sister!
P.S. No swearing or sex!

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Love is a Mixed Tape

Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time by Rob Sheffield


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Rob Sheffield takes an original spin on the memoir: he relates everything that happens in his life to music. He starts each chapter with a mixed tape listing from that point in his life or that exemplifies the feelings of that time. Unique idea. Probably would have been better if the book actually came with those songs. Unfortunately, being a few years younger and not exactly in tune with his musical tastes, I couldn't relate as much to what he was trying to portray. In fact, he relies so heavily on song, artist, and movie refrences that I didn't know that I never really cared about him or his wife, although I really wanted to.
I would recommend this to Alyssa if she is ever delayed at the airport or is bed bound for some reason, if only because he lives in Charlottesville, VA, and you may get a kick out of knowing some common places.

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Man in the Dark

Man in the Dark: A Novel by Paul Auster


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I have a list of books that I pick from at random, partially based on what is available at my library. Why this was on my list, I don't know. I think the review probably said something about "alternate realities" and I bit. I always bite hard on that stuff, but this time I got a mouth full of paper. Half-way through the book, I thought, are you serious? Someone got this published? Then I read the book jacket and found out Auster is an award-winning author. Go figure.
The book is about a man with insomnia who dreams up an alterate universe where America is at war with itself instead of Iraq and Owen Brick (the main character in this fantasy) must kill the man dreaming up this alternate America in order to end the war. Which could be an exciting premise but it's poorly developed, goes nowhere, and ends in the middle of the book. What this book really is is a stream of conscience book where an author makes up stories to divert himself from thinking of the horrible things he, his daughter, and his grand-daughter are suffering through. His conversation with his grand-daughter at the end, about how he and his wife fell in love, fell out of love, fell back in love is mildly interesting, like reading someone's diary would be. But in the end that's all this book was to me, mildly interesting. Here are the main themes: War is awful. Love can be war. Life goes on.

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Fast Food Nation

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I would have given this book 4 stars if I had not read it 8 years after it was published. It is a well organized, well researched, well written attack of the fast food industry.
I have to admit my initial reaction to Schlosser's acerbic and condescending criticism was to defend the fast food industry. So what if McDonald's introduced the first "assembly" line kitchen to increase speed and efficiency? It's called innovation. So what if the majority of fast food employees are teenagers that work less than 40 hrs./wk. (so they won't qualify for benefits) and the jobs require little training? What else are teens going to do for summer jobs--and what teen wants to work 40 hrs./wk. anyway (esp. during school)? So what if the fast food industry panders to children with toys and playlands? It's a crime to try to make children happy at a restaurant? Scholsser also seems to have a deep set dislike for Disneyland, whose connection to fast food I never really understood, other than they both were born in Southern CA. He also seems to think that kids wearing cowboy clothing is really important.
But then. Then he delves into the food production issues and it is hard not to agree with Schlosser that food safty and production in this country have some major issues. He writes about the problems with horrific details and then expounds on our government's lack of ability to correct it. I think I was more outraged by our government's lack of concern for its people and the way big business owns and controls the government. I mean, this is not just the food at McDonalds, but the food we buy at the grocery store and that is served to our children in our schools.
He does end with a good example of how by demanding changes from fast food chains, who are the largest buyers of food commodities, they in turn can bring the needed changes to food production/safety faster than the government obviously can. Some of these changes are already taking place as an afterword in the paperback edition I read relates. You can see changes since the book was written such as fast food offering more healthy choices, esp. to children. Perhaps what I learned most from this book, is that if there is an issue you care about, don't appeal to the govt. for help--talk with your money. Find a business that you can persuade with your dollar or publicity, and the needed changes will happen.

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Indignation

Indignation by Philip Roth


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was my first Roth novel. Novella. Short story expanded into a novella. Here's what I liked: I liked his effortless style; nothing fancy and poetic, just good crisp writing--very timeless. I liked the theme of following life backwards, to the one action that created the domino that got you to where you are. I liked the irony of how the characters fear a certain outcome, and by trying to prevent it, actually produce that exact outcome--I've always been facinated by that. What I didn't like: I don't know. But I do know it was an ok book, but not one that I loved or thought was amazing.


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Nineteen Minutes

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This would probably be more like 3.5. Picoult really writes well and gives the reader a lot to think about. But it ended flat with me--the big reveal played more to surprise the reader than to be consistent with the characters, I felt.

Nineteen minutes is about Peter, picked on his whole life, who wakes up one day, takes 4 guns to school and shoots 10 people dead, wounding 19 others. It is also about Josie, who used to be one of Peter's only friends, only to abandon him to be part of the popular crowd. The parts I connected with best are from the points of view of Peter's and Josie's parents, as they wonder what they could have done to make things turn out differently. As a parent, it is hard not judge yourself for the actions of your children, and it is hard to know what they need or how to help them. It's also easy to take them for granted. In that way, this book really inspired me to try to connect better with my kids, and to be thankful for them.

Picoult writes well, getting under the skin of multiple characters without losing the reader. She's descriptive and emotive and the plot moves along well. There are a few factual errors that I found distracting though, like saying Peter's eyeglasses that help him see far away make his eyes look big--I know from experience that it would be the opposite, they would make his eyes look small. And then there is a pivotal point near the end that involves a sock, when she makes a point to describe Peter wearing flip flops. And like I said, the big reveal doesn't track with me--unless she's just trying to make a point about gun control.

A friend gave this to me, saying Picoult was her favorite author. I did enjoy it enough that I'll put My Sister's Keeper on my list.


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