Voyages of the Pyramid Builders by Robert Schoch

If you've followed this blog for a while, you know I have a thing for the "Unexplained".  I'm eagerly awaiting the return of The Curse of Oak Island on History and I never miss a new Ancient Aliens.  I've really been fascinated lately by cross-cultural similarites between ancient civilizations.  These are peoples separated by vast expanses of land and sea (and time periods), but bear remarkable similarities, more than can be discounted as just coincidence.  One such example is the building of pyramidal structures.

The author is a contributor to Ancient Aliens, although there are no mentions of ancient astronaut theory in the book.  He is also a Yale educated geophysicist and professor at Boston University.  More than likely, if you've ever watched anything to do with the Great Sphinx, you've seen him on TV.

Schoch takes the reader through time, examining ancient cultures from Egypt, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, North, and South America.  Yes, of course he talks about the pharaohs and the Mayans, but there are many other ancient cultures who built pyramids and pyramid-like structures throughout the world.  Schoch argues there are too many coincidences among these ancient cultures to believe they existed in complete isolation from each other.

He theorizes, and backs up with evidence from various fields of science and expertise, that cross-oceanic travel existed long before Columbus (more on that in a minute!) and the plethora of "explorers" (we know money was the real driving force behind exploration and the subsequent exploitation of Native cultures) who came to the New World.  Human DNA, plant and animal species, structures (like pyramids and towers), oral/pictorial/written myths and legends, and methods that resemble others from around the globe at a time that conventional textbooks tell us was impossible.  It was an in depth and thorough argument that, despite dates and names galore, holds the reader's interest.

Alright, how did I come across this book, since it's from 2003 and not in our library (school or public)?  Well, going back to Oak Island and Ancient Aliens for a second, we know that the Micmac, a branch of the Algonquin, bear a symbol that strongly resembles the Knights Templar flag.  We also know their oral legend talks about the white gods who arrive by sea, predating Columbus.  This alludes to the Vikings having long before had charted their way into North America (hello, football team and Leif Erickson day).  We still don't know who built the Money Pit on Oak Island or why.  Inscribed stones in Nova Scotia and Minnesota have very similar writing (read about this further in anything by Scott Wolter or watch his show on History America Unearthed).  My family once owned land not too far from Oak Island.  I have Penobscot, another Algonquin tribe, heritage.  You could call me obsessed.  I'm okay with it.

I think I've rambled enough on this review (really, it's hard to review non-fiction when you really like the topic and agree with the findings; it's much easier when it's bad or wrong).  The thing is, now I've got a bunch of other books to track down that Schoch mentions.  I do hope there are updated versions with new information.             

Have you read something awesome lately?  Tweet it with #whhs #read.  Drop off or email your typed review to The Westie Review, a featured column in our school newspaper, The Rostrum.

Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS

Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten

Wow.  Just wow.

One of the reviews on Amazon called this YA novel a "serious mindf*ck".  I think I have to agree with that sentiment.

This was on Amazon's list of best YA picks for autumn.  I requested it from WHPL, and I can say it's now on the WHHS LMC wish list.

June and Delia were best friends since elementary school.  Then one night Delia, June, and June's boyfriend Ryan get drunk.  Ryan and Delia imply they have a sexual history that June did not know about.  Later, while June is puking, they may resume doing so.  Both deny it, but Delia won't look June in the eyes.

As Delia falls further and further into drug and alcohol abuse, June chooses Ryan and distances herself from her former best friend.

Then, over the Christmas and New Year's break of their junior year, Delia kills herself.  She douses herself and her stepfather's woodshed in lighter fluid and sets herself on fire.  There is nothing left but her titanium chain (which doesn't melt).

June knows Delia was terrified of fire.  She and Delia's current boyfriend Jeremiah doubt Delia really killed herself and believe she was murdered.  But who killed her?  Ryan? Her new best friend Ashling?  Her pervert stepfather?  Her hormonal and pregnant mother?  Her dealer?  Is Jeremiah hiding something?

There are a million twists and turns in this short novel.  I promise you, you have NO IDEA what really happened to Delia or what the fall out from her death will be.  And the ending was a pure O.M.G. moment.

Some other notes: The Westie Review, our student driven book discussion group, will have a corner in our student newspaper The Rostrum!  Any and all students are welcome to join either or both!  Email me or see me in the LMC if you are interested!

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

This book was recommended to me via Amazon's suggestions based on previous history.  I'm not sure what exactly led to that, but I requested it from the library and picked it up, along with a few others, last week.  Since it is an older book (2006), it has a longer checkout period and went to the bottom of my "to read" pile.  Then yesterday happened.  

Yesterday marked two years since my mother died of cancer.  I woke up sad.  I donated 11" of my hair to Locks of Love.  I felt uplifted and humbled by the Facebook comments about it.  My husband had to cut down a tree at his mother's house that had held his childhood treehouse.  He was sad, and I felt sad for him.  My mother-in-law took my son to Barnes and Noble and ran into my high school best friend.  Their selfie popped up on Facebook.  I laughed thinking imagine if WE had cell phones back then.  I joined my husband shooting.  I still really stink at it, so I felt embarrassed and down on myself.  I'm taking care of my sister's critters while she's away.  I drove over to find I locked the lock I don't have a key for.  That might've been the breaking point.  I cried on her back steps while her dog barked at me then pooped on the floor.  My husband had to come over and break into their house via a bathroom window.  I went home exhausted from a ridiculous emotional roller coaster.

Long story short, I needed to read something funny and happy.  I pulled this out and started reading early afternoon.  While it certainly isn't going on the all-time favorites list, it was a good read that had me smiling.

Colin is a half-Jew former child prodigy who only dates girls named Katherine.  His best friend Hassan is an Arab Muslim, who is also an overweight nerd.  Both speak multiple languages, use "fug" instead of "f*ck* (I won't spoil why), and struggle with the social conventions of American high school society.  They up and decide to take a summer road trip in Colin's beat up old car known as The Hearse.  They drive from the suburbs to Chicago with no real direction or plan and end up in Gutshot, Tennessee.  

Through a bizarre and comical chain of events, they take up residence with a paramedic in training, Lindsey, and her textile factory owning and town historian mother, Hollis, in their bright pink mansion.  Lindsey has a boyfriend also named Colin, former football captain and local big-shot.  Hollis hires Hassan and Colin to interview the old people she hasn't gotten to yet in creating the town's history.  Over the next few weeks, dotted with hilarious and yet deeply philosophical moments, Hassan and Colin really figure out who they are and what they want in life, culminating in a feral hog hunt that does not disappoint.

Being that Colin is a genius, there is a fair bit of math and foreign words, but all are footnoted.  The author even had a real-life math genius write an appendix to prove Colin's theorem correct.  I know I passed the AP Calculus exam, but I skipped the appendix ;) 

Summer Reading Raffle Winners

Congratulations to our Summer Reading Raffle Winners!

Kindle donated by Mrs. Lynch: 

Leanna Corvera

Kindle donated by Mrs. Woychowski: 

Alexandra Criscuolo

Viva Dance gift certificate donated by Kelvia Aguilera: Anh Ha

Duffy’s gift certificate donated by the Walsh Family: Jasmine Hasty

Duchess Diner gift certificate donated by Maria Toussas: Sumedha Chowdury

Goldworks gift certificate donated by the O’Brien Family: Emani Stallings

Amazon gift card donated by the Lynch Family: 

Kobe Brantley

Subway gift card donated by the Lynch Family: 

Brandie James

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Absolutely adored this book!

Eleanor is starting a new high school.  She has spent the previous year in foster care.  Her father has a new fiance and stepson and therefore cares not for his own children.  Her mother has remarried and has a new baby.  This is in addition to the other 4 she already has.  Eleanor's stepfather is an abusive alcoholic who clearly has a perverted sexual attraction to his stepdaughters.  Upon their marriage, Eleanor, her siblings, and mother move to Richie's old neighborhood in Omaha.

Park has always been different.  He is half-Korean.  His father is from the old neighborhood crew, same as Richie.  Park is a disappointment to his father.  He can't drive a manual stick shift.  Park and his brother have been taking Martial Arts since childhood, but although he is good at it, he's not really into it.  He'd prefer to read comic books and make punk mixtapes.  He dares to wear eyeliner.  It is 1986.

It is only two black girls who will befriend the bedraggled red-head.  Eleanor wears whatever her mother can buy at Goodwill.  The other white girls treat her poorly and make fun of her for being a little chubby.  Park learns Eleanor has been reading his comics over his shoulder on the bus.  They become friends and eventually a couple. 

Park and Eleanor must keep their relationship secret from Richie.  They go through all the trials of teenage love and then some, thanks to Eleanor's home life.  When things finally reach a breaking point, Park redeems himself in his father's eyes in his efforts to save Eleanor.

A really great read!  Thanks to the student who recommended it!

Living in the Dark Ages!

Although tech services says our district Outlook mail is fixed, I just tried to send an email to a trusted recipient and had it bounced back. 

In the interim, please note:

If you are a teacher or student at Carrigan, Bailey, or WHHS, you can email each other using your school issued Gmail.  You cannot send or receive an email to anyone without an apps.whschools.org address.

You can send messages via FB or Twitter to me and I'll try to get them to the right person.

Most advisors and coaches share a cell number with kids.  They may have be able to get an important message to a teacher via text. 

PowerSchool remains down at this time.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

"So in order to understand everything that happened, you have to start from the premise that high school sucks.  Do you accept that premise?  Of course you do.  It is a universally acknowledged truth that high school sucks.  In fact, high school is where were are first introduced to the basic existential question of life: How is it possible to exist in a place that sucks so bad?" Greg Gaines, chapter 1

Yep, pretty much.  Greg is a senior.  He is chunky, slightly pimply, and has a sinus condition.  He's not a goth, not musician, not an athlete, not a nerd, not a Christian, not black, not anything.  He just wants to get through senior year without someone beating him up.  He wants to make and watch movies with his best colleague Earl.  All of that comes crashing down though, soon into the school year.

Greg and Earl are polar opposites.  Greg's parents are affluent; his father is a hold-over hippie professor.  His mother is super sappy.  One teenager sister going through a phase and a six year old surprise sister.  They have a cat.  Named Cat Stevens of all things.  Earl, on the other hand, is one of at least 7 half brothers.  His mother is an alcoholic; his father is in Texas, stepfather in prison, Mom's boyfriend MIA.  He is black while Greg is white.  Nonetheless, they form a bizarre friendship over film-making.

Rachel and Greg went to elementary school together (a private Jewish elementary school).  Rachel is diagnosed with leukemia.  Oddly, it is the same type that took my mother's life in 2013.  For some reason, Greg's mother and Rachel's mother think they once dated and are still very good friends (both false).  They orchestrate a meeting for Greg to cheer Rachel up.

Nothing goes according to Greg's plans.  In fact, things go completely the opposite.  It's funny, heartwarming, heart wrenching, silly, strange, and sad all at the same time.

Now, I really thought I'd like to watch the movie that just came out based on the book.  However, I watched the trailer.  I think the movie way over does the heartwarming part and leaves out a lot of the silly and sad.  It remains to be seen at this time.

Also, don't forget to get those summer reading forms in!  Due by Friday 1:45 p.m.!

Follow me on Twitter at @RamblingsLMS