Soooo....

I got my first book list for Nutmeg.  There are 12 on this list!  I ordered them all from Amazon.  I am happy to say I will be donating all of the Nutmeg contenders at the end of my participation on the committee next May (2018).  My committee chair emailed us that our first face-to-face meeting will be mid-January.  As I mentioned before, I may not have a lot of free time to read "for pleasure" while I'm engaged in reading the Nutmegs.  That being said, I have a few books already on reserve at WHPL that I'll read and review for sure.  Annnndd, although I can't say anything about the books on the list, I CAN say one of the first 12 has already been reviewed here ;)

Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS to see when I've posted a new review.  I promise to try!

 

Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett

I have no idea who put this book on the WHHS LMC wishlist via our online supplier.  When I threw a classic Mrs. W. tantrum and got a little money to buy books in October, it was added to the cart with the others.  It could've been my counterpart Mrs. Lynch or our amazing secretary Mrs. Taylor.  It could've been me and I just don't remember.  Either way, I'm glad it's part of our collection.

When it came out of the box, I saw the tagline "It's good to be afraid.  It means you still have something to live for."  The review snippets on the back sounded intriguing as well.  I thought, well, once it's ready to go on the shelf (after labels are stuck, it's stamped, and all that), I'll take it out.  And I did.

I read this in one Saturday afternoon while my husband washed the vehicles.  I couldn't stop turning the pages. 

A review on Amazon sums up the novel perfectly:
"Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn"

Twins Ashlyn and Rhys Larkin are raised by a single non-working mother in New York City.  They attend a private high school.  Already you (if you are from the Northeast especially) are asking how does a single parent without a job hold an apartment in NYC and send her kids to a very elite prep school?

Nina, their mother, was raised on a commune in Kansas.  Yes, you read that right.  A commune in Kansas.  She apparently got pregnant at 17 and left.  We learn Ashlyn has visions, perhaps of a psychic nature, and that Nina believes in healing and protective tattoos.  She also has a patch of real grass growing in the middle of her room.

As the visions grow stronger, particularly of a dead girl who seems to be the victim of a hanging, Ashlyn returns home from school to find her mother gone and the apartment full of crows, which are a harbinger of death in pretty much all literature.  Ash and Rhys also find a suitcase full of gold, strangely adorned with the same symbols tattooed on the female twin.  Believing their mother has returned to the commune, they head for Kansas.

What follows is a tale of prophecy, destiny, choice, forbidden love, death, destruction, betrayal and redemption.  Ashlyn and Dane, her Romeo if you will, are beautifully tragic.  The ancient mythological tale of being granted immortality is tied into the Spanish conquistador Coronado and the Native American Indians of the Plains and the Southwest.

And of course, there is the the sinister, and I mean seriously sinister, cornfield of modern day horror.

Although I'm not usually big on cliffhangers, I hope there is a sequel.

Totally a recommend!

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

If you've been in the LMC lately, you've probably seen me on a cleaning spree.  My OCD couldn't handle the disorder any longer.  Last year I did a big cleaning during midterms in late January, but since we are not having those this year, it's good thing I started now!  I know it's awesome I have to clean so much, because it means y'all are taking out books!!

Anyway, in cleaning fiction, I pulled two copies of this novel out to be moved to the shelf to the left.  I was intrigued by the cover and figured, well, I've only got a bit of time before the reading for Nutmeg starts, so let me read what I can now!  I'm glad I did!  I even went in search of info on a movie adaptation (the rights have been purchased).

Celia is the 6 year old illegimate daughter of a traveling illusionist, known by the stage name of Prospero.  When her mother commits suicide, she leaves a note of how to find her "strange" child's father.  We learn Prospero is really able to do magic and uses it to do incredible "illusions".  Prospero sees Celia has the same gift and begins training her.  Soon after they are visited by a man in a gray suit, whom we are to call Alexander.  Alexander and Hector (Prospero) make a bet, but we are not privy to the details.  Alexander, also know as Mr. A.H., visits an orphanage seeking a strange child (we see echoes of He Who Must Not Be Named here).  He adopts Marco and trains him, to compete with Celia.

As time progresses, Celia and Marco's lives become increasingly intertwined through the Night Circus they have created.  It is the chess board of their game so to speak.  Eventually they realize they are competing against each other, but still do not know what they are competing for or what the end game is.  We, and they, realize they are in love.

I adored the characters in this novel.  Twin kid magicians Poppet and Widget very much remind me of the kitten twins on Thundercats (they even have kittens as pets).  I wanted to reach into the pages and punch Marco's first lover Isobel when truth is revealed.  There are several subplots that add to the story.  I cried, yes, in the karate studio, when Marco and Celia....well, I won't spoil it here.

I hope you'll check it out!

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Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

I loved this book!  I read it in one afternoon while my husband and son visited Nana.

Madeline is 18 and has an autoimmune disease that requires a sterile environment.  She is homeschooled via Skype, has a visiting nurse, and is lucky to have a doctor for a mother.  Her father and brother were killed in a car accident when she was an infant.  Half-Japanese and half-African American, her only friends are online.  Until Olly moves in.

Olly and his family move in next door.  He seems to be a real-life Spiderman, scaling the houses with ease.  His father is clearly an alcoholic and his sister Kara is smoking in secret in the garden.  Kara and Olly attempt to befriend Madeline by bringing over a cake they admit their non-baker mother made.  Madeline's mother adamantly refuses them access to the home.  Olly and Madeline find a way to communicate: letters marked on windows, miming, and online chat.

Madeline convinces her nurse and friend Carla to decontaminate Olly and let him in.  They conspire to hide the truth about the increasing number of visits and the physical contact between them.  It all comes crashing down when Madeline sees Olly's drunk father about to hit him and runs outside, with her horrified mother chasing after her. 

Banned from the computer, Carla fired, Nurse Ratchet hired, Madeline decides the life she has is not worth living.  She convinces Olly to run away with her, even though she may die shortly after being exposed to the real world.  Madeline chooses Hawaii, as it is the last place her entire family vacationed before her brother and father were killed.

I'm going to stop the summary there.  What happens next is beautiful, heart wrenching, magical, and appalling all at the same time.

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Good news and bad news

First, the good news:
I was chosen to serve on the High School Nutmeg Book Award Committee for 2017.  I'm honored to represent West Haven in choosing the high school level nominees for the next award cycle.
That being said, it's a huge responsibility.  I'm expected to read 100 books over 9 months.  Which leads me to...
The bad news:
I cannot share any information about the 100 shortlisted books or the 10 eventual nominees.  That means I won't be able to review them here on the blog.  I am not sure how much extra reading time I'm going to have once this process starts.  I'll be sure to let you know when I'll be shutting down the review in advance.
Then, follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS to see when I start to post again.
<3 Mrs. W.

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

This novel was recommended by Amazon and it did not disappoint.  Although on the long side, the main character, Josephine, is 17 and it is thus tagged YA.

I was worried at first that I was looking at a romance in the Victorian era.  If you want to read some fabulous books of the sort, check out those by my friend Christi Caldwell, a native Westie.  Instead, it was more of a murder-mystery with some light Romeo and Juliet-like love thrown in.

Josephine is the only child of wealthy "old money" parents.  She is away at boarding school when the news comes that her father has died in what is believed to be an accidental shooting.  The news is delivered by Bram, widely expected to propose to Jo in the very near future, and his sister, Jo's lifelong friend.

Jo does not believe her father shot himself accidentally.  He was extra careful with his firearms and would never clean a loaded weapon.  She instead thinks he may have committed suicide.  A trip to the newspaper, one her father actually owns, confirms her suspicions: everyone thinks it was a suicide covered up by Jo's uncle Philip.  En route, she meets Eddie, a cub reporter.  Eddie's best friend Oscar is the junior coroner.  Neither believes it a suicide; rather a murder.

The three form an unlikely partnership on a mission to uncover who killed Jo's father, each for their own reasons.  In the process, Jo breaks every societal rule about young women of her time.  Her father is more important than propriety.  Eddie and Jo share an infatuation, perhaps even puppy love, for each other.  It's endearing at first.  They don't, however, live happily ever after...

Read my newest post for info about the future of this blog!

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Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker

Mixed review on this memoir.

Parker, who I know as the female lead in RED and RED 2, writes a series of letters to the men in her life (mostly in pseudonym).

Some are incredibly moving, for example to her grandfather and her son at the moment of his birth.  Some are funny, such as the one to the hippie stoner with a crush on her.  But others are just too free flowing "stream of consciousness" to follow where she is going.

Really not much more to say!

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We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

A nerd and a fashionista become step-siblings.  All the implied hilarity does occur, along with some incredibly heartwarming moments in learning what family really means.

Stewart is likely on the Spectrum, perhaps an Aspie.  He admits to be an intellectual genius but way below on social skills.  He's a list maker and a tinkerer.  Stewart and his Dad Len are on their own after the death of his mother from cancer.

Ashley is on the top of the social ladder.  She is Queen Bee at her local school.  Ashley and her mother Caroline are shocked when her father Phil comes out as gay.  To help him get on his feet, Caroline allows him to move into their laneway house (a smaller home on their property).  He has started dating.  Although she doesn't care, she is afraid a homophobic friend will discover the truth.

Caroline and Len had been long time friends when they find themselves single and alone.  One thing leads to another and suddenly Stewart finds himself moving in the Caroline and Ashley.  He's happy to have a sister.  Ashley doesn't feel the same way.

I have to admit I hated Ashley at first.  She was mean, cold hearted, and stuck up.  I know this is intentional on the author's part, making her a stereotypical airhead with a pissy attitude.  Her boyfriend Jared I hated even more.

There are multiple lessons within the story, about friendship, family, acceptance, and reputation.

I am happy to say it's on the wish list.

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Placebo Junkies by J.C. Carleson

Whoa.  Just whoa.

I did NOT see THAT coming.

Audie is a mentally ill teenager about to age out of the foster care system.  She lies about her age, moves in with a male and female friend, and becomes a professional paid medical study volunteer.

Now, I bet you've seen those billboards on 95 or maybe in the Register looking for medical study volunteers.  I have some VERY mixed feelings.  When traditional treatment did not help my mother, she volunteered to be part of a drug study.  This miracle drug was seriously going to kill cancer.  It could wipe out leukemia.  Unfortunately, it killed my mother in the process, along with another study participant.  I'm happy to say that drug will never see the light of day.  In addition to those patients who are terminal and looking for a miracle, are healthy every day people volunteering to take part in studies and be compensated for their time.  Some are pretty mundane.  I did one in college where I had to answer questions on body image (please see my review of Dumplin').  Others not so much.  Without human trials, we would not have some of the drugs that save lives today.  However, there are most definitely cases where "healthy" volunteers are recruited from homeless shelters and outpatient mental health clinics.  Desperate for money, many of these people will do whatever study is asked of them, even if they do not understand what they are consenting to.

As for Audie, we learn she was a foster child, her biological mother was a drunk/drug addict who died.  Now, at 17, she is close to no longer being a ward of the court.  One of her child psychologists suggests she try a new medication as part of a study.  And thus, her career as a guinea pig begins.

I could not stop turning the pages on this one.  And I was shocked, floored, speechless as we near the end.

Be advised, there is a LOT, and I mean A LOT, of profanity and some sexual content.

On the wish list now!

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Happy Thanksgiving!  I'll be with friends and family over the next few days, so look for book reviews to start up again in early December!

The Witches, Salem 1692 by Stacy Schiff

When I had a classroom of sophomores in English II, we began the year with Miller's The Crucible.  I always opened with the statement that the play was historically inaccurate.  I'd say something to the effect of "do not think you are going to read this play and call yourself an expert on the Salem Witch Trials; you will make a fool of yourself".  The reality though is that Miller's play has taken the place of true history, in part because just about every teenager in America reads his version, whether in American Literature or U.S. History.  Even if they don't read it, they've likely seen the Winona Ryder/Daniel Day-Lewis movie version, since it's on all the time.

To combat this syndrome, I'd try to sneak in some accurate history Reading for Information stuff along with my curriculum requirements.  I'd try to get in the Carrier trial piece in our anthology or something of Mather's.  I'd also try to point out spots that aren't plausible in true history.  Abigail was a child, she was not an overly sensual 17 year old out for Proctor's hand in marriage.

Reading Schiff's book, I found myself learning new things just a few pages in.  I've been to Salem half a dozen times, both as a chaperone and with family.  I've read a lot of background material (for anything I taught, not just Salem).  I've watched the Ghost Adventures episode on Bridget Bishop (and yes, I snuck in a clip from that too!).  I still learned a TON of new information.

When I review a book, you know I've either really liked it or see its value in adding it to our collection by telling you I'm buying it.  Unfortunately, we are frozen budget wise at WHHS right now.  We were able to get a small book order in (still waiting on the actual check to clear though...) just days before the freeze took effect, with some significant tantrum throwing by yours truly.  As such, I am ordering it via Amazon using our bottle drive funds!  Look for it after Thanksgiving!

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The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher

In my experience, kids and adults alike either love or hate steampunk as a literary genre.  That of course refers to those who know what steampunk even is.

So a little lesson here.  Steampunk is rooted in science fiction/fantasy.  Stories feature inventions and technology as envisioned by those in the 1800s might have.  The primary means of power is steam and dress resembles that of the Victorian era when pictured graphically.  My husband, son, and I dressed as a steampunk family for an "old-time photo".  It's old meets newly imagined.  Giant flying airships powered by steam.

Why is it a love or hate thing?  I'm not entirely sure.  I am not a huge fan, but I'll read it.  My first steampunk experience was a free Nook Book a few years ago, Viridis by Calista Taylor, which was a hybrid romance-steampunk novel.  Butcher comes from the fantasy genre (based on reviews I read prior, he's not an author I know well).  Many reviewers suggest they came to this novel by way of his prior series.  Let's also get out of the way, for my student readers in particular, this is a long book.  About 650 pages.  It's not a one-day read.  As it is a first serial, there is a lot of setup and background information that needs to be conveyed to get you to read book 2 when it arrives.  I myself was not engrossed enough to get myself on the waiting list for book 2, but if a student suggests it, as they did with this one, I certainly will read it.

Yes, that's correct.  This is a student suggested read.  I take these suggestions most seriously of any.  Students trump family, friends, colleagues, book reviews, movie previews, prior experience, basically anything else.  If one of my kids is reading it, and says I should, that's going to be my next read!   

You also know I love animals.  Some of the best characters are not human.  There's a literal cat fight.  It was awesome.

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Saturn Run by John Sandford and Ctein

I am fairly certain this was recommended based on my high reviews of The Martian or perhaps one of the other sciencey books I've read and reviewed.  It was a long read (470+ pages) and yes, there is a ton of physics stuff.  But, overall, enjoyable.

It's 2066.  A hippie surfer working at Caltech (Daddy got him the job) assigned menial tasks notices something very strange happening in the rings of Saturn.  Very quickly, the people of Earth have the answer to whether we are alone in the universe or not. 

Sandy turns out to be way more than a stoned dropout.  He's former military, suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Between discovering the alien activity, a knack for cinematography, and his resume as an officer, he's added to the mission.  Clover, an anthropologist (also a stoner), and Cassie, a reporter, join the scientists on the journey.

The Americans are in a space race with the Chinese.  The original intent was colonization of Mars.  Now all attention is turned to Saturn, to make contact with the visitors and perhaps get hands on their technology.  What happens when two warring nations show up at the same time?

Trust me, if you're an American, you will hate the Chinese characters.  I'm guessing someone who is a loyal Chinese will hate the American characters.  It's part of how well developed they are.  No matter who you are, you will love Clover's cat Mr. Snuffles.  You'll also love the alien communicator, who the landing party  name Wurly because it looks like an old jukebox.  Google it if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

All of the science fiction is backed up with science fact (as much as we know in 2015 that is) in the epilogue. 

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Fortunate Son by John Fogerty

I really, really, really wanted to like this memoir.  I have been a Creedence Clearwater Revival/Fogerty fan for, well, as long as I can remember.  Their/his music was some of the earliest I can remember coming out of my Dad's speakers.  I went to his most recent concert at the Oakdale.  I wanted this to be another great music memoir we could add to our collection.

Unfortunately, I found the narrative too choppy to follow.  Fogerty bounces around the memories of his childhood so much, it's tough to keep the timeline straight.  This continues into the Creedence days.  There are also interwoven commentaries from his wife Julie.  The only bit that is crystal clear is the vignette regarding the copyright trials, when Fogerty fought for the rights to the music he wrote.

Much of what appears in the memoir is played in the opening video to Fogerty's current concerts, just in a much more succinct manner.

Disappointed to say the least.  

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Deep South by Paul Theroux

Many people want to travel the world.  And Paul Theroux did, going to Africa and Asia.  What he realized though, was that he had never traveled to the South.  The real "deep south".  How can one travel the world and not have traveled within our own country?

The fact is, our country is ginormous.  It's huge.  And each region has its own isms reflected in its food, customs, religions, cultures, music, holidays, celebrations, every aspect of daily life.

Here in New England, summer means carnivals and Six Flags.  Hot dogs and the beach.  Fall means a rainbow of colored leaves, pumpkin everything, and Halloween.  The whole family together on Thanksgiving, with traditional food.  None of this new fangled recipe nonsense in magazines.  Winter is skiing and snowboarding.  Hockey.  Christmas lights and honoring holiday traditions of a plethora of different religions.  Spring time brings baseball and allergies.  Daffodils.  We speak faster than other regions.  We are addicted to Dunkin Donuts.  We mix New York and Boston.  The Cape.  Vermont and New Hampshire.  Yankee Candle.  Long Island Sound.  Clam chowdah and lobstah rolls.  The T and Fenway.  Hunting, boating, fishing.  The 4th of July.

You can see how devoted we are to our homes.  About 5 years ago, my sister decided to move to California.  Then when her fiance, an officer in the Air Force, was transferred to the D.C. area, they settled in Charlottseville, Virginia.  Going to visit her was like visiting a different world.  We stayed overnight in Manassas, visiting the historic Civil War battlefield and watching a re-enactment.  We met an actor playing a New Hampshire doctor.  He told us his character was a very smart man, then whispered "for a Northerner of course", not knowing we were "Yanks".  People open carry and fly the Confederate flag.  We were only a few hours from home, but it was like being transported to a different country.  Driving North, from Charlottesville to Hershey, we went on back roads.  Churches and crosses every where.  The sky was bluer.  The grass was a different shade of green.

Theroux is from Cape Cod and decides to head to the South, somewhat of a midlife crisis.  He's a white, privileged, middle-aged Northerner in a foreign land.

Life moves much slower in the South.  I have a friend living in Georgia for the past twenty years.  I can't talk to her on the phone because. she. talks. so. darn. slow.  People are identified by race and respective church.  Both define one's "people".  Here in the North, we'd think a stranger asking questions was suspicious and would likely ignore them.  Theroux finds people are eager to offer him a meal or drink and talk about the past and present.

Race dominates many of the stories he hears.  Segregation and the Voter ID law come up frequently.  Food is a major thematic topic.

The book is organized into vignettes, which can be read independently of the whole.  This would make a great text in modern regionalism and the study of the disparities between the American people, often o generalized by media outside our nation.  Americans are X and Y, but in reality we run the gamut A to Z.

There is nothing new about the travel story or the journey to find oneself story, which Theroux admits early on.  What makes this different is that is really about the people he meets and what life is like for them, when viewed by an outsider welcomed in without reserve.

I plan to recommend some of the stories to my colleagues for use in English II (American Lit), U.S. History, Issues in Government, Philosophy, and Psychology.

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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Early last week I noticed quite a few of the LMC regulars reading a bright orange book.  When I asked, they told me it was for English.  Now, I've only been gone from the department a year, so I was really, ahem, curious about the book.  I ended up in Mrs. Mattson's room at the conclusion of parent visiting to try to fix an attachment she had been emailed.  There happened to be one on a cart she said I could borrow.

I've been laid up at home recovering from minor surgery.  I started reading this shortly after my son got on the bus and was done by noon.  It is a quick read and quite enjoyable.

I can't spill too much here, because like I said, it's in the curriculum, meaning there are going to be assessments and I don't want to be the SparkNotes du Jour.  The main character is either an aspie or an autistic savant.  He's a lot like Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory and Colin in An Abundance of Katherines (see my previous review).  In fact, I was going to suggest Haddon had maybe riffed off John Green's Colin, but this novel was actually published 3 years earlier.

I was Googling for some background info when I found the novel was adapted into a play.  It's currently on Broadway.  Field trip anyone?

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Reckless by Chrissie Hynde

This is a review of Chrissie Hynde's memoir Reckless: My Life as a Pretender.

I know what you are thinking.

WHO is Chrissie Hynde?

She's a Pretender.

And just WHAT is a Pretender?

Open iTunes or Amazon Music.  Search for The Pretenders.  Play songs "I'll Stand By You" and "Brass in Pocket".  That voice?  That's Chrissie Hynde.

I bet you knew at least some of the lyrics to those two songs.  The Pretenders (meaning Hynde's voice) had a unique sound that sticks in the listener's memory.

Chrissie Hynde had two doting parents, a house in suburbia near the dying city of Akron, a college education at Kent State (yes, she was on campus for the Massacre [if you don't know what I'm talking about, Google it or ask Mr. Kirch or Mr. Takach]).  She was not interested in an education, a career, motherhood, or anything really except drugs and music.  She was a happy vegan, a stoned hippie, a music lover, and sorta talented at art and singing.  Then fame happened.

On the dust jacket, above her brief bio clip, is a note that we are living in the age of great rock memoirs.  This is true for Hynde's story.  She doesn't hold back.  As with Willie Nelson's most recent book that I reviewed last June, this is sex, drugs, and rock in the 60s and 70s.  It's not butterflies and rainbows, but it IS a story of finding oneself and our bond with music.

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Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

I'm the fat girl.  I'm probably the fittest fat person you know (or follow as the case may be).  I do power yoga twice a week, Zumba twice a week, and jog 3 miles or more on Fridays (Saturdays if we have a home game).  No, I'm not a Crossfitter or organic health food nut.  I like pasta too much for my own good.  But even my doctor says my weight should mean high blood pressure or diabetes or some other disease attributed to being fat.  Nope.  My blood pressure is actually low (even more surprising since I was once a smoker).  My cholesterol is below normal.  My sugar and insulin are normal.  Yet, here I am.  Size 14/16 on the bottom and 18/20 on the top.

Dumplin' attracted me by the tag line "go big or go home".  Kinda my own mantra, though for different reasons.  My parents were dead at 56 and 53 (cancer took my mother, a heart attack from his own stubborness about smoking took my father), so I really shout YOLO, literally and figuratively.

Willowdean is one of the fat girls.  As if this isn't enough to make high school tough, her mother is the chairwoman of the local beauty pageant.  Will is of course never expected to enter.  One summer though, everything starts to change.  Not one but two boys show interest in her.  They don't seem to be off-put by her figure.  In a chain of events I won't spoil here, Will and 3 other "fat" girls enter the contest.  With the help of two drag queens and Dolly Parton, they are going to take the Clover City pageant by storm.

Running my first competitive 5K was probably my Dumplin' moment.  I did not finish last.  Will doesn't win the pageant, but she wins in other ways.

Definitely a recommend and now available in the WHHS LMC.

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Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

I didn't finish this book.  I got a whopping 58 pages into it and gave up.  I should've stopped 20 pages ago.  Nothing is happening.  Farmer marries former Disney mermaid.  Has two children. Dies of heart attack.  Former mermaid/Cinderella finds God.  Older son is a spoiled rich brat who gets himself sent to boarding school by rebelling with drugs, sex, and alcohol.  He's screws around, might be bi.  He meets beautiful model.  They get married.  Move into a basement apartment in NYC.  He wants to be an actor.  Seriously, that was all 58 pages summed up.  BORING.  No idea where the story is going, and frankly I don't care.  
 

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

This novel was on Amazon's list of best books of the month.  I am warning you, it's not for the faint of heart.

I've read some of Slaughter's work before, but this one is definitely the creepiest and goriest (is that a word)?  There were a few spots I skipped ahead because I wasn't too keen on the details of sexual violence.  I also considered not writing a review for the blog, but I would bet the ALA would be disappointed in me.  The world ain't unicorns and rainbows.  The reality is that the violence against women portrayed here exists in our world.  Ignoring it doesn't make it go away. 

Julia was nineteen when she disappeared.  She was a college student, out for a few drinks with friends, when she vanished on the walk back to her dorm.  At the time, the police dismissed her disappearance as a free spirited girl off on her own adventure.  Her father never gave up looking for her.  His obsession led to his divorce and estrangement from his other daughters.

Lydia, the next oldest, is the troubled child.  Drugs, sex, alcohol.  She is hooking for drugs when she discovers she is pregnant.  Dee's birth straightens Lydia out.  She uses knowledge from her father's veterinary practice to get a job as an assistant groomer.  A few years later, she owns a home and her own mobile grooming business.  Her daughter Dee wins a scholarship to an elite prep school, she has a steady boyfriend (a mechanic named Rick), and a plethora of pets. 

Claire, the baby, is married to a wealthy businessman, Paul Scott.  He is more computer nerd than Wolf of Wall Street, and Claire finds him "safe" (compared to the men her sisters ran around with).  They do not have children nor pets in their gated mansion.  Claire need not work, but spends her time volunteering. 
   
The sisters have not spoken to each other in nearly twenty years, when Claire and Paul are held up leaving a bar.  Although they give the man their money, phones, and jewelry, he stabs Paul, who then dies.  It becomes clear to the reader something is really messed up when Lydia tells Rick she is happy Paul is dead and then attempts to urinate on his grave. 

Claire returns from the funeral to find her home broken into (as 300 guests are set to arrive for the memorial).  The FBI wants to question her, her husband's business partner is threatening her for files, and the local PD seems to be brushing her off.  As Claire digs into Paul's things, she begins to unravel a web of lies and discovers Paul is not who he says.  It is much, much worse than the embezzlement she suspects. 

I won't spoil anything further.  Just be aware there are some pretty gruesome scenes of sexual violence.  I am happy to say, though, karma wins in the end.

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The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz

I really had to push myself to get through this book.  It was a recommendation from Amazon and is a Newbery Medal winner.  I was waiting for something to happen.  The novel is written in the form of a diary and reads like a memior.  The problem was that nothing exciting seemed to happen in the main character's life.

Joan is a farm girl, replacing her deceased mother as being in charge of the household duties like cooking and cleaning, taking care of her father and brothers.  Her father pulls her out of school, demanding she focuses on her work rather than an education.  When she asks for money (the egg money from selling the chickens' eggs, that typically goes to the woman of the household), her father refuses.  Joan goes on a "strike" and as punishment, her father burns her books.  Joan runs away to Baltimore.

Joan is taken in by an Orthodox Jewish family; she lies about her age and uses the alias Janet.  She finds conflict with her own faith (Catholic) and city versus farm life.

There are definitely some philosophical moments, things like women's rights, intellectual and religious freedom, what makes a family, respect, financial responsibilty.  But nothing happens.  Nothing.

Have to say, not a book I'd recommend!

Follow me on Twitter @RamblingsLMS.  Tweet what you're reading using #whhs #read.  Submit your reviews to The Rostrum via email.

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

Stieg Larsson died in 2004.  His "Millennium" series, probably better known as the Lisbeth Salander trilogy, was published after his death from a heart attack.  A fourth novel remains unpublished.  I feel this novel is being marketed as that "fourth" novel.  In fact, an entirely separate author wrote this one, hired by Larsson's publishing company, likely to keep the Salander name fresh as the fourth novel remains embroiled in court battles over Larsson's estate and works.  It was a mistake.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo remains one of my favorite books. Its sequels, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, were not as good in my opinion.  Larsson died without finishing any of them.  According to his fiance, there are rough outlines of what would be 10 Salander novels on his computer.  I do not believe he intended the novels to be published at all, and that books 2 and 3 were nowhere near complete as thought. 

Now we have a problem in that many questions left unanswered have been, even though they may not fit in with what Larsson had planned!  The biggest being Lisbeth's sister Camilla.

Wholly unimpressed.  Waaaayyyyy too much fluff, not enough Lisbeth.

Tweet what you're reading and share it with The Rostrum! 

Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran.

Eh.  That's my review.  Eh.

I saw this book on display at the circulation desk of WHPL when picking up a hold.  The cover looked interesting, as the dust jacket sounded.  Figured, why not?

Sita is the oldest daughter of a widower in India, prior to British rule, in the mid 1800s.  Treated like a son, allowed an education and physical activity, she has already hit puberty, thus an arranged marriage is likely out of the question.  Her mother dies in childbirth with her younger sister.  Sita's grandmother attempts to sell her into a brothel, but her father rejects the plan and vows she will earn a spot in the queen's all-female guard.

Sita trains with a neighbor and becomes skilled in archery, firearms, knives, swords, and combat.  She swears her allegiance to the queen and passes the trial with flying colors.

Sita is an outcast, as she is from the villages, not the city of Jhansi, like most of the other members of the guard.  Nonetheless, she becomes one of the queen's favorites and guides her mistress through the birth and death of a child, the king's infidelities (with other men), and lastly, wartime.

Here are some of the issues I had in reading:
The novel is written with Indian names and spellings (rightfully so).  I had a hard time keeping straight who was who with the true names, so I gave everyone pseudonyms.
Sita's grandmother pissed me the heck off.  Get off your high horse lady and protect your granddaughters.
Why did the king need to be a closet gay?  Was it really necessary?  Would that not have, in reality, shamed the queen?  Would it not have made Jhansi look weak?  How would homosexuality be OK, but an unmarried daughter not be OK?  It really felt like "here's a current topic, let me throw it in".  The real king (and this is a fictionalized account of a true story) might really have been gay, and frankly, I don't care.  It just didn't feel needed in this particular version of the story.
Shakespeare?  Sita was well-versed in Shakespeare?  The author states this is fact in her notes.  Again, maybe so, but it felt wholly unrealistic. 

So, eh.  Just eh.

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Read something you like and want to share it with WHHS?  Email me your review to appear in The Westie Review corner of The Rostrum!   

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

Daughter of the Loom by Peterson and Miller

Mrs. Patricia Libero, our Board of Education Chairwoman (and Mrs. Gardner's aunt and long-time friend of my Dad's), donated several books to the WHHS LMC upon cleaning out her mother's home library.  Some were added to our collection, some were donated to the Public Library, some are now part of the book tree (yes, it's back!), and a few came home with me.  This was one that I chose to take home.

I have family ties to Lowell, Mass.  My grandfather was given up at birth in Cambridge.  He bounced around foster homes and orphanages until he turned 18 and joined the Navy.  One the places he was fostered was in Lowell.  And by fostered, I mean he was child labor for an upholsterer.  So, naturally, I was intrigued by the description on the cover about the Industrial Revolution and the mills of Lowell.  This is the first in a series, of which there are 3.  All of them will be added to our collection in the LMC.

Lilly is the youngest child of a farmer in what was East Chelmsford, now Lowell.  Sadly, her parents are now both deceased and Lewis, her older brother and a gambling addict, has sold off the farm to the factory investors.  Lilly has no choice but to seek work in the mills she despises.  Worse, she learns her former love is one of the investors. 

Lilly is on a mission, one she believes God has set for her, to sabotage the mills from within while earning enough to survive.  She befriends the matron of her boarding house and the other miller women living there.  Lilly is not the only one out to ruin the mills though.  I won't spoil any more. 

This was a pretty quick read, done in an afternoon.  Be aware, there is much conversation about God and being Christian, just in case that's not your cup of tea.

My one wish is that there was more background information given in this piece of historical fiction. 

@RamblingsLMS
#whhslmc

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

This was on the NYT bestseller list for a while, so I put in a request for it at WHPL.  It took nearly all summer.  To be honest, I'm not sure it was worth the hype!  I did not feel all of the characters were developed well enough to flesh out the plot.  I feel like I know more about the sassy gay friends than the main antagonist.  More on that in a minute.

Clare is getting married.  Her best friend and maid of honor (and seriously obsessed bordering on crazy) Flo is throwing her a hen party.  This is what we call a bachelorette.  The story takes place in England, but there is not enough to confuse the reader with British vs. American English.  Flo invites dozens of people, but only a handful show up.  These include Nina (one of the sassy gay friends), Tom (the other), Melanie (a new Mom), and Leonora (who has not seen Clare in 10 years and is not invited to the wedding). 

Now, WHY do we need TWO stereotypical homosexual characters?  I mean, every stereotype known is thrust on these two characters--from Nina being a big girl to Tom being in theater--it was overkill.  Trying to be inclusive?  Didn't know which fit better (gay guy or lesbian woman)?  It was almost silly.  Melanie also serves no purpose other than to find the phone line has been cut when she tries to call home to check on her new baby. 

Someone cuts the phone lines.  There are footprints in the snow.  Drunk (and some high) playing with a Ouija board.  Sound a little cliche?  It was. 

We later learn Leonora once dated the future groom.  When he is shot in the dark, it becomes a blame game.

I won't spoil who did it vs. who gets the blame.  I barely made it to that point anyway.

All in all, I can't say I'd recommend this one!  I really wanted to, but without any feeling toward the characters (neither love nor hate), I had no vested interest and really didn't care by the end.

Speaking of which, there is a cliff hanger at the end.  If you haven't figured it out by reading my previous posts....I HATE THAT!!!!!  And it was a STUPID one at that!!!!!

#whhslmc
@RamblingsLMS

Welcome Back!!

Just wanted to give a quick hi and welcome to our new and returning readers!

We are very excited in the LMC for the new school year!

Bookmark this blog to read about upcoming events, LMC news, and Mrs. W.'s book reviews.

You can also follow Mrs. W. on Twitter at @RamblingsLMS.

Remember to turn in your summer reading forms to either your English teacher or the Library Media Center.  The prize drawings will be held September 13th!

Attention Incoming Freshman!

From Mrs. Gardner:
ATTENTION ALL INCOMING WHHS STUDENTS - Freshman Orientation will be held on Friday, August 21st from 8:00am – 11:00am. Students will tour the school, have a breakfast snack in the cafeteria, tour the library, meet with Freshman Academy teachers, meet the administrators, security and school counseling, and participate in a raffle. Buses will be available at 7:15am from all West Haven Elementary Schools (Stiles, Molloy, Forest, Thompson, Pagels, Mackrille, Haley, Washington, and Savin Rock). Parent Orientation will be held at 8:30am in the auditorium. Doors open at 7:30am for students to pick up their orientation packet with their schedule and locker combination. Looking forward to seeing you on Friday!

Plot Holes and Loose Ends!!!!!

I am angry.  Last night I finished Black Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin.  It was a page-turner for sure!  I could not put it down.  Once I finished it, I put it down.  Hard.  Slammed it.  So hard my husband jumped.  There were holes all over the plot like the Swiss I'm using in his lunch wraps this week.  So many loose ends you could trip over them.  What. The. French. Toast?!?!?! 

Tessie was teenager when she was abducted from her usual jogging path.  She was found, barely alive, in a ditch on a nearby farm with three other dead young women.  A witness claimed to see a large black man leaving the area at the time she would have been thrown there.  A quick trial, white girl accuses black man of abduction/torture/rape, and the accused is sentenced to death.

Fast forward fifteen years.  Terrell has exhausted all of his appeals.  His execution is rapidly approaching.  Several groups, from those who proclaim his full innocence to those who feel he was railroaded due to race to those who are simply anti-death penalty, beg Tessie, now Tessa and mother to Charlie, to reconsider her testimony as a teen. 

Tessa has been keeping a secret all these years.  She does not believe Terrell is guilty.  Every few years a patch of Black-Eyed Susans, like the ones she was found in, appear near where she is living or a property important to her.  Her best friend disappeared immediately after the trial.  There have been threatening notes. 

I have to say I was surprised by finding out "whodunnit".  But at the same time, there are huge holes in the plot!  I felt like I was watching the old movie Clue.  No matter which ending you think is correct, there are problems with each.  Really, is Tessie crazy or not?  What was going on with her best friend and father?  How does she have such a great relationship with Charlie's absentee military father?  Why does the author feel the need to bring up tampons so many times?

Readable, but not a recommend.

The new hashtag will be whhslmc!

 

Sequel Disappointment

Sometimes the sequel is better (Terminator 2: Judgement Day, The Empire Strikes Back).  Sometimes the sequel is a huge disappointment (Jurassic Park 3, The Phantom Menace).  Dark Eden: Eve of Destruction falls into the disappointment category.

I eagerly requested this after reading Dark Eden (read the review below).  I wish I hadn't.  Will and 5 of the other "cured" teens are locked in the missile silo under the pond after being summoned back to Fort Eden.  They are sent on what seems like wild goose chases, and it is not clear who is on which side.  I almost gave up reading about halfway through.  I couldn't keep straight which kid was in which room and who was working with or double crossing whom.

There was a touch of supernatural in the original and that continues in this sequel.  Science and magic intersect.  The question (inspired by Jurassic Park no less) "just because we can do something, should we?" is central to both novels.

All in all, I can't say I recommend this one.

Now that summer is drawing to a close, I won't be hashtagging my tweets relative to book reviews to summer reading.  I am looking into what to use to draw more students into my reviews.  I don't want to use the generic whhs.  If you have a suggestion, get in touch with me!

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

Mia is the younger daughter of a wealthy judge in the Chicago area.  Her sister Grace is the judge's protege: straight A's, graduated magna cum laude, law school, making firm partner in less than 5 years.  Mia, on the other hand, spent her teenage years behaving like a juvenile delinquent.  Her father bribed the police to not charge her after nights of binge drinking and pot smoking.  On her 18th birthday, Mia packed up and left.  She became an artist, then an art teacher at a school for troubled youth.  Her tiny apartment costs nearly her entire salary.  Their father still pays for Grace's lavish apartment.

One night Mia is to meet her on-again off-again boyfriend at a bar, but as often happens he is a no show (it may be inferred he is sleeping with his boss).  Mia meets a handsome man and, slightly tipsy, returns to his house for a no-strings one night stand.  Instead, she finds herself being kidnapped.  Colin is a hired hit man, with instructions to deliver her to an African terrorist.  Colin is suspicious however that Dalmar will do more than just hold her for ransom.  Getting cold feet at the drop off, he takes Mia to his father's abandoned hunting cabin in Minnesota.

Over the next few weeks, Mia and Colin, calling themselves Chloe and Owen, form a bond.  They have to depend on each other or they will freeze to death in the Minnesota winter.  Whether Stockholm syndrome (having feelings for your kidnapper) or something else, they become lovers.  Although she does not know it, Mia/Chloe becomes pregnant.

Back at home, Mia's mother desperately tries to hold out hope her daughter is alive.  Meanwhile the judge seems uncaring.  Eve becomes more and more attached to Gabe,the detective assigned to her daughter's case.  When Mia is finally "rescued", she develops traumatic amnesia.  She is unable to remember what happened.  Her parents assume the pregnancy is a result of rape. 

The story flips back and forth from the perspective of Eve, Gabe, and Colin/Owen and flashback to present and reverse.  But let me just say, the ending was a TOTAL surprise.  The last chapter is told from Mia's perspective in retrospect.  It explains everything.  And, just WOW.

Remember to tweet what you're reading at #whhssummerread
 

Long Lost by Harlan Coben

I am a fan of Coben's books.  Not a huge, get on the waiting list fan, but I tend to like what I read of his.  This was the second book I picked up the other day at WHPL while my son was upstairs.  It is a sequel apparently, but that did not hinder my understanding.  There were a few references to prior events, but not enough to confuse a new reader.   

Myron, a sort of sports agent sort of private investigator sort of lost soul, gets a call from a former lover.  Terese is in Paris and needs help.  She doesn't elaborate.  Having just been dumped by his longtime girlfriend, Myron sets off for Paris to find and help Terese.

Along the way, we meet Win--a rich, and I mean super rich--eccentric who likes young Asians and old Scotch.  He's comic relief in a really weird sort of way.  We also meet Terese's now remarried ex-husband, who has serious issues, his new wife and child, a Muslim radical nicknamed Dr. Death, and two former female pro wrestlers: Big Cindy and Esperanza.

The story is a crime thriller, but it gets off on the slow side.  Things pick up mid-book in my opinion.  Imagine a wickedly evil radical Muslim terrorist group masquerading as a right wing Conservative Christian group.  Save the Angels' mission is to end abortion, stem-cell research, and place unwanted IVF embryos with adoptive families.  I won't spoil what the group is really up to.  It's downright scary that it could be true and actually happen.

Note there are allusions to sex, but nothing mentioned outright.  There are also references to post-9/11 torture styles, but nothing overly graphic. 

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Those Girls by Chevy Stevens

This was a tough read.  I picked it up on a whim at WHPL.  My son was upstairs in the Graham Room getting (yes, more) Weird School books, so I meandered around the new fiction.  The cover looked interesting, as did the snippet on the jacket, so I checked it out along with another book.

I found the writing style to be similar to Gillian Flynn's (of Gone Girl fame, but this was more like Sharp Objects or Dark Places).  I also wish we lived in a world where events like this were only fiction, but alas we hear and read about abductions, hostages, and sexual violence almost daily.  

Jess, Courtney, and Dani live as ranch hands in Canada.  Their mother is dead.  Their father is an abusive alcoholic who disappears for weeks at a time.  Other people watch out for the girls, giving food and clothes when they can, but the girls have also learned to steal what they need.  A loaded shotgun keeps them safe.  When their father returns, drunk and abusive as ever, he gets furious with Courtney.  He has heard rumors of her sleeping around (which are entirely accurate).  Being drunk, he gets carried away in beating her as punishment.  Jess picks up the shotgun and kills him.  Dani, as the oldest, knows what will happen if he is found.  They will be split up, in worse foster homes than ever.  The girls make a run for it, heading for Vancouver, where they can get lost in the city.

Along the way, their battered truck breaks down, but they are "rescued" by the nephews of a local auto shop owner, Brian and Gavin.  I say "rescued" because these young men have rather evil intentions.  The girls are beaten, raped, and tortured.  None of this is described in detail; the author leaves the horror up to the reader's imagination, which inherently makes things worse.  The girls manage to escape with help from a local pub owner, who sets them up with a contact in the city who takes in runaways and juvenile delinquents.  He helps them procure new identities and he and his wife arrange a cheap apartment and jobs.  Several weeks pass when Jess, now Jamie, realizes she is pregnant by Brian.

The intention is to give the baby up for adoption, but Jess/Jamie cannot go through with it and keeps the baby girl, naming her Skylar.  Dani becomes Dallas; Courtney becomes Chrystal.  17 years pass while Dani/Dallas becomes a gym instructor and boxer and Jess/Jamie works the front desk at the gym and as a hotel maid.  Chrystal/Courtney gets involved in drugs.

Jess/Jamie never tells Skylar the truth, instead fibbing she was the product of a summer fling with no way to contact her father.  One night, in a drunken-high stupor, Chrystal/Courtney lets slip what really happened.  She tells Skylar one day she will get revenge.  The next day, she disappears.  Skylar deduces she has gone to find Gavin and Brian and takes off after her aunt.

The remainder of the story is a page turning, quick moving series of events.  Gavin and Brian are no better than when we last saw them 17 years ago. Although Brian has married and has two children, Gavin seems to be sicker than before, especially with the comments he makes toward and about his existing and new found nieces.

Again, this was a tough read, but it was also inspiring.  I have two younger sisters and would do anything for them.  Dani, Jess, and Courtney go through horrors I cannot even fathom, but their bond is unbreakable.

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P.S. I plan to keep the reading blog going after summer reading is over!

 

In the Country: Stories by Mia Alvar

One of my favorite books is Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldua.  In the collection of short stories and poems, Anzaldua gives a view into the world that is the gray area between American and Mexican, white and Latina, male and female.  This is common for many cultures and races.  It is a world many women and girls, including many of students, inhabit.  Where does one culture end and another begin?  What is life like in the middle?  Can a girl be one or the other?  Both?  Does she have to choose?  Should she?  Can someone "white" be a part of the borderland of another culture or race? 
In less than two weeks my sister will marry a Filipino-American with strong ties to Miami.  Does this make him sorta Latino?  He fought for our country in the Air Force.  Does that make him more "white"?  What happens to my sister?  She and I are mutts, American as they come: English, Irish, Scottish, Canadian, French, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Penobscot, and a bunch of other stuff thrown in.  Does she automatically join the Filipino culture?  Or does marrying her make him more white?  Does her eating Filipino food and speaking Tagalog mean she "identifies" a different way now? (For the record, she can speak French and Spanish, too).  But I can speak Italian and eat carbs, unlike her.  So, am I more Italian than she is?  Let's not forget we have a middle sister.  She married a Mexican.  And he's a Catholic.  Now what? 
I think you can see where I'm going with this.  Race and culture and self-identification are really at the forefront of our news and lives right now.  My son is lucky to be exposed to and accepted into so many different peoples, and I am blessed that he accepts others who are "different" than he is without question.  For those in Alvar's stories however, the battles are never easy.  Alvar's stories are of the Filipino, which is perhaps why I picked it up in the first place.  Class, culture, race, and religion collide.  It makes planning a cross-cultural wedding a first world problem indeed.  I hope reading this will help me in understanding my new brother-in-law's family's culture and heritage.   
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P.S. Thank you to everyone who called, emailed, texted, or FB messaged after Sienna's sudden passing.  XOXO 

   

The Loss of a Pet

This morning our Golden crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I will not be blogging any reviews in the near future. Thank you for understanding.

Dark Eden by Patrick Carman

I am not a fan of the werewolf-vampire-fairy subgenre of YA Lit.  In fact, if I know there are werewolves, vampires, or fairies in the story, I likely won't even start it.  With a title like Dark Eden, you figure one of those is probably going to appear.  That being said, there was no mention of them on the back cover, just a hint about a supernatural ending.  It was actually the front cover that caught my eye.  If I didn't know any better, I'd swear the young couple were young versions of my husband and I: tanned girl with dark brown eyes and super long almost black hair; fair skinned blonde guy with icy blue eyes.  We were 20 and 18 when we met.  Seriously, it's kinda freaky.

Eden refers to an abandoned military fort, but of course the name is symbolic, as in Garden of.  Where things end and begin, right?  Will is a psychiatric mess, being home-schooled because of anxiety.  His doctor has just about given up on him.  She proposes sending him on a week long retreat in the company of six other "cases" (kids of the same age with other psych issues, namely irrational fears) to her mentor.  Dr. Stevens convinces Will's parents and before he knows it, a van drops him and the other six teens at the old fort, now a country hideaway for her reclusive mentor Dr. Rainsford and the handywoman Mrs. Goring.  I liked the play on the classic horror movie handyman in turning her into a ferocious plunger wielding bad cook with a foul mouth!

But Will isn't about to play along with the doctors' mind games.  On the road from where the van drops them to the door, he takes off into the woods.  Later he will make himself a basecamp in the fort's bunker.  Little does he know, he's walking right into a trap.

This novel was a quick read, just a morning in the sunshine, but it did make me jump a few times with some creepy plot twists.  There is, in fact, a supernatural "ending", but it really paves the way for the sequel  Eve of Destruction.    

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