Who Doesn't Love a Classic? discussion
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Reviews - Feb to March 2016
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NOT A CLASSICMe and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
★★★
Greg Gaines has started his senior year, and so far his high school social strategy had been working well. However, that begins to unravel after he starts visiting an old friend, Rachel, who has been diagnosed with leukemia after his mother urges him too. He and his friend Earl, long time film making buddies, end up working on a film for Rachel.
This book is at once poignant and funny, and you’d think that, along with some good writing, would make me love the book, particularly with some of the misguided honest of Greg, who is far more caring than he admits. But it wasn’t. Part of it was the massive amount of swearing by Earl, but also a fair amount by Greg. Realistic it may be, but it just spoils the atmosphere when it’s that rampant. Also, while I liked Greg okay, I didn’t connect with him as much as I would have liked to. Perhaps, also, there was too much expectation for this book to be stellar on my part having heard good things about it, but I was rather disappointed, but not enough to dislike it. There are better books out there.
I'm reading Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison which has been on my list for maybe ...oh... 30 years?! Anyway, I am glad I'm reading it and I want to read it, but it isn't my favorite kind of book. So I am getting through it 100 pages at a time, then I'm rewarding myself by reading something a little more cheerful! I'm on page 304 -- only 278 pages to go!! ;)
NOT A CLASSICProbability for Kids by Scott A. Chamberlin
★★
When I saw math, I was excited; math is a big deal in our house, and my eldest is now a math major in her junior year of college. We did plenty of math, and I fit our curriculum to each of our children’s needs. When I saw Prufrock Press, I was even more excited. After all, this is the press that gave us Philosophy for Kids one of our favourite books back when we homeschooled. But then I saw those dismal words “Aligns with Common Core Standards,” and then, inside, that Chamberlin is a Mathematical Educator, my heart sank. Nevertheless, I read every single page, hoping to find anything good, wonderful and commendable, and I did; it brought this rating up an entire star from what I give the entire mathematics philosophy of the Common Core to two stars.
The Pros – the activities in this book are well described, have excellent leading questions for teachers (whether in brick and mortar schools or at home) to help guide students in creative problem solving, and cover the six main areas of probability.
The Cons
First, these assignments are based on activities that have worked for gifted and talented students and are designed for students with strong math skills. I can see this working for gifted and talented students who enjoy math and for other strong math students who enjoy being creative. However, and this is a big however that virtually every mathematical educator I have met with one main exception, there is no such thing as any sort of math learning method that will work for all math students, and this is certainly no exception to the rule.
Second, at no time, before during or after are students permitted to be taught algorithms. For those of you who have spent a good deal of time away from school, algorithms (an algorithm is a procedure or formula for solving a problem) are what mathematicians, engineers and people who actually use math in the real world use. Why? Because they work and because they save a great deal of time. While having students explore ways to figure out how to solve problems first can help them better understand what they are doing, this book has been designed to be used in three different age categories, including high school.
Third, I think there is so much emphasis on always being creative, that the word is going to lose its meaning. I am a big fan of creativity; my math loving eldest writes stories and draws, my other two aspire to be musicians and have various creative abilities. But there is no way that all three of them approach math with creativity, despite a strong foundation doing that with them when they were younger. The fact is, it didn’t always work, and if my three children weren’t able to learn all their math exactly the same way, what about classrooms of children?
However, if this book were used for the stellar activities and then students actually got to learn the alogrithms at some point, then I think this could be used effectively in some teaching situations.
Mod
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The Princess Bride is probably one of my favorite movies of all time (I know all the lines by heart) and so I was very interested in reading this memoir by its star, Cary Elwes.
It's such a sweet book. You can tell everyone had a great time making this movie, which makes it even more special in my opinion. I loved all the little behind-the-scenes anecdotes that Cary includes. It makes me want to re-watch the whole movie to catch all the things he talked about!
So, if you're a fan of the movie, you'll appreciate this book.
Mod
Book Concierge wrote: "Karin - I deleted your comments about Mariana because you've moved that review to the CLASSICS folder."Thanks. I meant to do that, but must have forgotten.
NOT A CLASSICI Am Malala by Malala Yousaifzai
★★★
There is no question that both before and after she was shot, Malala Yousafzai was a courageous young girl who stood up for what she believed, allowed to do this by her supportive family. This book centres on Malala's life with her family and in her quest not only to become educated herself, but that all girls be educated. Much like Susan B. Anthony, she grew up in a home where the value and opinions of women was valued above society; in this case in a society that, under the fear of the rising terrorism my the Taliban, was moving back in a direction where women would have no value other than as the property of the men controlling their lives.
The story told is generally known, so I won't sum it up here. I was greatly disappointed by the quality of writing; Malala, based on her speaking abilities and grades, is obviously a bright young girl when this was happening. Urdi is her first language, and naturally when this book was being written she was still fairly new in the English speaking world. It's one thing to study English in your home country, but it's an entirely different kettle of fish to suddenly find yourself surrounded by it and to work on becoming fluent while recovering from severe injuries. However, she didn't write it alone. Speeches and books aren't written the exact same way. I felt the writing could have lived more, shown more of the depth of Malala. It was helpful that she was showing that she has normal fears and weaknesses common to youth and even adults, but I never felt it, just read the words about it. Even for a young adult novel I felt we were only scratching the surface and the book felt almost pedantic at times.
This is rather sad, because this story is one of many important stories that join together in a chorus calling for help for women in girls throughout the world. It helps open up a window into what it's like living through a terrorist war, but the writing missed the mark time after time.
I hope that someday as Malala matures, she will write something on her own, perhaps, that will help us understand better. Not everyone is a writer, of course, but I think in this case she was just too young when this was written to write it.
NOT A CLASSICMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
★★★
Jacob finds his grandfather dead in the woods, clearly attacked by some sort of beast. Jacob sees a monster, but naturally that couldn’t be, and since he was told tall tales by his grandfather all of his life, he is sent for therapy to recover from his shock. But after finding something very interesting left for him by his grandfather, he is soon begging to go to Wales to meet someone who has been writing his grandfather. He goes, along with his dad, and this is where things really begin to become peculiar. Jacob finds the remains of the orphanage his grandfather stayed in during part of WW II, and in it, a chest of some very odd old photos. The plot thickens, mysteries no sooner seem to be answered than they become all the more mysterious again. Jacob might be contemporary, but a good deal of this book is set in 1940 as well.
I enjoyed the characters, particularly Jacob, and found it easy to relate to him. I loved the photos, but I have always enjoyed photography, and particularly like to view old black and white photos in art museums. Riggs wrote the story after seeing photos, and they tie in beautifully. The writing is fine. So why just a like and not four or five stars? Without giving out any spoilers, I’ll put it in one word—paranormal. I am not keen on paranormal books as a rule, although I used to read more. There were a few other things, but again, no spoilers. I liked the characters enough that I am considering reading the next book in the series.
Mod
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
★★★
Jacob finds his grandfather dead in the woods, clearly attacked by some sort of beast. Jacob sees a monster, but natu..."
I read this recently. I think your review is spot on. Although I liked it, I am not sure I will continue with the series.
I didn't know there were sequels! I just ordered it from the library. I really like the idea that he makes up stories around these strange photographs.
Mod
All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
Book on CD narrated by Zach Appelman
4****
A blind French girl and a young German orphan find their lives intersect in the walled Brittany town of Saint-Malo in August 1944. Marie-Laure is 16, and has been blind since age six. Her father works at the Natural History Museum in Paris and she has learned much by exploring with her other senses – touch, smell, sound, taste. As the Germans occupy France, Marie-Laure and her father flee to Saint-Malo and the home of her great uncle Etienne (an agoraphobic since his return from fighting in WW I). Meanwhile Werner and his younger sister Jutta grow up in an orphanage in a mining town, where his genius for electronics comes to the attention of the Nazis and gains him entrance to an elite boys’ school.
The story is told in alternating chapters, and with alternating time frames. Each section begins with what is happening in Saint-Malo in August 1944, as the allies bomb the city, and the residents and occupying German forces seek shelter from the onslaught. But the story then separates as we follow these two different characters from 1934 onward, discovering how they come to both be in the town at that fateful time.
Doerr gives us wonderful descriptions, letting the reader experience the world as Marie-Laure or Werner does. The sections narrated by Marie-Laure are full of the use of her other senses as she tries to compensate for her lack of vision. We can smell the warm yeasty aroma of freshly baked bread, taste the salty air of a beach, feel the smooth yet textured shell of a whelk, or hear the soft strains of Clair de Lune or the screech and roar of incoming aircraft. Werner’s sections are much more internal, as he struggles with what is morally right in the face of his training (indoctrination) and obligation as a soldier of the Reich. He bears witness to horrors that Marie-Laure cannot see, or even imagine.
By the time their stories intersect I am as anxious as they are for relief from the war.
Doerr peoples the novel with a wide assortment of characters … from the competent housekeeper, to the single-minded sergeant major, they are all fully fleshed out, providing support on the one hand, or bringing cruel danger on the other.
The audio version is performed by Zach Appelman, who does a marvelous job. His gift as a voice artist makes it easy to believe he is speaking for a blind teenaged girl, a confused German boy, an elderly uncle, or a gruff soldier. As an added bonus the audio book begins and ends with the strains of Clair de Lune …. A haunting melody that is a perfect metaphor for this beautifully told story, and is still playing in my head.
Mod
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
★★★
Jacob finds his grandfather dead in the woods, clearly attacked by some sort of beast. Jacob sees a monster, but natu..."
This describes pretty much how I felt about it. It was an interesting book to read, but I don't think I'll continue with the series. Just something missing for me.
★★★
In this prequel to the Cinder series we follow Levana from the age of fifteen for a number of years, learning her backstory. Some of it we know from other books, but in case you are new to the Cinder series, there’s not really much I can tell you without spoiling those books, especially the first one. Suffice to say that it starts with the death of her parents and her older sister’s ascent to the throne of Luna.
Although I took out both the book and the audiobook from the library, I ended up listening to the entire thing. The audiobook performer does a great job of capturing Levana, but there is nothing likable about this twisted woman (that is not really a spoiler, since the is the chief antagonist throughout the Cinder series), despite the feelings and trepidations she may have. I liked this, but didn’t love it. It’s not required reading for the series, and I strongly recommend that you wait and read it after you read Cinder and Scarlet at the very least. I’m glad I read it after I read Winter, but given that there is a preview of Winter in it, you can read it either before or after; either way you’re going to know at least something about the last book you read
Mod
Those Who Save Us – Jenna Blum
4****
Dr Trudy Swenson is a professor of history at the Univ of Minnesota. After she goes home for her father’s funeral she begins to question her history, and her mother’s silence. She has always know that Jack wasn’t her real father – that he had married Anna and brought her and her daughter from Weimar Germany to the USA after WW2. But the questions about her past will not be silenced, and a research project to record interviews with German survivors of the war forces Trudy to confront her past.
The novel is told in dual timelines: the adult Trudy in 1990s Minnesota, and her mother, Anna, as a young woman in war-torn Germany (1941-1944). The reader is all too aware of Trudy’s past, while watching Trudy struggle to make sense of her dreams, her vague recollections, and the one clue she has found among her mother’s belongings.
I was not expecting much from this “book-club favorite;” I’ve been disappointed by so many books that were popular with book clubs. But I’m certainly glad I put my pre-conceived notions aside and read it. I found complex issues, well-developed characters, and a compelling narrative.
Are we doomed to love “Those who save us,” despite their otherwise reprehensible behavior? I was nearly as frustrated by Anna’s obstinate silence as Trudy was. Learning her story, what she felt forced to do to save her child (and herself) gave me some understanding into her character, her motives, her fears, and her reluctance to examine the past. However, my sympathies lie more with Trudy, whose life and potential for happiness is so damaged by the secret Anna refuses to reveal. And I am left wondering whether Jack ever made peace with Anna’s past … and if so, how?
While I'm not usually a fan of dual timelines, I think this book gives a very interesting perspective and has very effective storyline development.
Dog on It by Spencer Quinn★★★
Chet and Bernie are Private Investigators, or at least Bernie is, and Chet is the K-Nine school failure who almost passed but for one small glitch, and this is the first book in the Chet and Bernie Mysteries. Bernie is hired to find a missing girl who was missing, found and then missing again. We meet Suzie Sanchez, a reporter doing a story, who sticks around once the story is done, and it turns out this was for the best, for everyone concerned. As Chet and Bernie do their work, Chet has some adventures on his own, although not of his own choosing.
This is the second book I’ve read in this series; I first read the seventh book when my youngest teen gave it to me for Christmas. How could I not read a book from my son who worked so hard to find a gift he’d thought I’d like, even though he doesn’t really know my reading tastes, and who I would like to see read more. I have to say that I liked the seventh one a bit better, and laughed out loud. It may well be because the writing improves over time. It might also be the nature of the mystery; as a mother it’s harder to laugh in a book where it’s a missing teen at stake. It could be that it’s one of those “funny the first time but then the novelty wears off” for me type series as well. The only way I’ll know for sure is if I read one more.
If you like cozy mysteries, dogs and humour, then this is a series for you. Three stars means I liked it, but then I am not a big reader of mysteries (I read a few) and rarely read a book with a dog as the protagonist.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving★★★
This novel of sorrow and humour, isn't just the story of Owen Meany, but also of his best friend, John Wheelwright who narrates it. The book starts when they are eleven and in the first chapter Owen accidentally kills John's mother, although they are able to remain friends. It then covers many parts of the next 35 or so years in John's life.
Owen is unique. He is tiny, has a highly unusual voice and is extremely bright. He also, for much of the book, evidently knows the date of his death and what he's doing (this is not a spoiler). He has a driving faith that there is a Christian God, but he's neither pious nor zealous for the religious life. Much of this novel covers the events surrounding this vision of Owen's, but also how he and John both navigate the trials of youth and education, the pitfalls and joys of love, and how Owen helps John find out who he is and what he's good at. It is also, regretfully, rather political in the later parts, and I was not interested in hearing about Ronald Reagan and other issues of the time when this novel was being written.
The writing is strong, and Irving does an excellent job of filling out his characters. I liked this somewhat better than the only other book of his I've read, The World According to Garp, but I certainly didn't love it
Jerry-Book wrote: "His best book!"That's right, you really liked this one. I liked it better than I expected given that I didn't care for The World According to Garp. I just don't think I'm a big Irving fan, though, even though he can write and certainly knows his literature.
Fallen Land by Taylor Brown ★★★It’s the last year of the American civil war. Callum, fifteen and a seasoned horse thief has ended up with a group of outlaws in order to survive; Ava, seventeen and orphaned, is keeping the family farm going and staying alive. When the band Callum is with come across Ava, he kills a man to protect her from being raped, but ends up unconscious after having an ear shot off in a shot designed for his head by the man he killed to protect Ava, and has no idea what happens to her. When he finds out, he steals a great horse from the leader of the outlaw group, a former Colonel, and sets off to help her. In the end, he and Ava end up on the run from bounty hunters, fleeing for their lives on a remarkable horse, working hard to stay alive as they glean for food in a beautiful but ravaged land.
The writing is solid, and the description well done. Despite is shady background as an orphan trying to survive; it’s hard not to root for Callum who is clearly a gentleman when it comes to women, or for Ava who is a bright, resilient young woman with a mind and heart worthy of admiration. I liked this book, and if you enjoy the kind of one step ahead, physical peril and injury, fighting literally with people as well as the elements to stay alive, the horrors of war, then you will probably like this book better than I did.
Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio★★★.5 stars
When in Seattle, May 2nd, a rare late snowstorm known as a “Blackberry Winter” strikes, Claire is assigned a feature story on the last “Blackberry Winter” on May 2, 1933. As she investigates, we also go back in time as this is two stories; one of Claire, whose marriage is struggling one year after the tragic loss of her child, and the other of Vera, whose three year old son Daniel went missing in that late snowstorm in 1933, his teddy bear dropped in the snow. As Claire unravels what she can of the unsolved, and for the most part, ignored, disappearance of Vera’s son, she is forced not only to face her own life in a new way, but to find out how she and Vera’s past are linked.
This novel was written as well as the other book I read by Sarah Jio, Morning Glory. And while this is definitely a different pair of tales than the other, both involve the loss of children, grief and tragedy, so I think I read this too soon after the other. If you are a Sarah Jio fan and haven’t read this, or if you’ve never read anything by her, it’s worth a read if you like this sort of story with a mystery but that is not something that fits under the mystery genre per se, but is more mainstream. This novel was an instant best seller, and she won an award for a novel I have not read.
Karin wrote: "Dog on It by Spencer Quinn★★★
Chet and Bernie are Private Investigators, or at least Bernie is, and Chet is the K-Nine school failure who almost passed but for one small glitch, an..."
I've read the first four of the series, including this one. I listened to three of those four and found that the audio really enhanced Chet's voice -- I would recommend it. I've suspended the series because some of the jokes have gotten old by now, but I did enjoy them.
Megan wrote: "Karin wrote: "Dog on It by Spencer Quinn★★★
Chet and Bernie are Private Investigators, or at least Bernie is, and Chet is the K-Nine school failure who almost passed but for one sm..."
Thanks. I didn't go for the audio, and I can see what you mean by the jokes getting old. My son likes them, though, so I put a hold on one for him today. He just finished Paw and Order, which he gave me for Christmas and so started it all.
While this isn't a classic, it is a retelling of a classic.Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl ★
Sarah Ruhl has reimagined the myth of Orpheus though the eyes of Eurydice. You may wonder why a former thespian such as I disliked this so much. It’s simple; it smacked so much of the theatre of the absurd we used to do so much of back when I was a teen. I thought it was rather cool when I was a teen, but tired of it quickly. I wouldn’t like the most brilliant production of it. Nevertheless there are some stellar quotes on the back cover, selected from reviews from such periodicals as the New York Times and the New Yorker.
So, if you loved the theatre of the absurd (if you are old enough to remember it or are familiar with it somehow), or love weird plays or just love Sarah Ruhl’s work, then by all means, take a gander at this. I am sure there are people who love this. It’s a good thing this is so short, so I was able to force myself to read it for a group read. Now that I’m done, I’m glad I read it so I know what it is. Give me the original Orpheus any day of the week over this one, and I can’t say as I’m big that sort of thing as I used to be, either.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler ★★★★No one will be more surprised than I was that I enjoyed this novel at four stars; I read it for a group read, and at the beginning was sure it would rate no more than two stars. For one thing, the premise is not my cup of tea. For another thing, it took me quite some time to root for the protagonist, Lauren, since I didn’t warm up to her immediately. For the final reason, it was written in 1993 and set about ten years from where we are now, so already this won’t happen as written, because things would have to be different even now; it is usually a bit irksome to read novels like that, at least for me, although sometimes it can be rather interesting to think back on why someone would think that and set it now.
The book is set from 2025 to 2027 in California. Society is rapidly turning to anarchy; drought, poverty, a police force that charges fees to do nothing of any value, lack of education, jobs, a drug that turns people into pyromaniacs, murder, rape, starvation; virtually nothing is good. Lauren lives with her father, a Baptist minister, her step-mother and her younger siblings in a community that has been walled off to keep out arsonists, looters, rapists and so on. Her father still has a job as a college professor as well. From the start of the novel, Lauren is developing her own religion (this book goes from shortly before she turns 16 to the age of 18) and plans to help who she can even though she can see things are only going to become worse.
When her community is finally destroyed, she sets out on the road north from her neighbourhood near Los Angelos, with the one other survivor of her neighbourhood she sees. In addition to the struggles all are having, she suffers from hyperempathy, which means she feels both the pain and joy of others around her, making survival much more difficult since she will buckle with the same pain as that of an attacker she is fending off. There wasn’t anything about this book I would actually call science fiction, but it may be that later on in the series that will happen. But then, Octavia Butler didn’t set out calling her fiction scifi, either.
This book failed to get five stars from me due to the reasons I first thought it would get only two. But several things brought it up, not the least of which is that Butler could certainly write well and spin a story that kept me reading longer than I’d planned. The protagonist may be a teen, but this is not a young adult novel. While it is not extremely graphic, it still shows the brutality of many and doesn’t euphemize any of it.
Mod
Not A Classic-- but my first Kingsley Amis read--
Ending Up by Kingsley Amis, 3***s
This is a humorous book of five elderly people living together and taking care of each other...but they don't really like each other very much. It's not the best book I've ever read, but I did like it enough to want to read another by Kingsley Amis. The ending was different, but I think that made me like it more!
Mod
The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam – Chris Ewan
4****
Charlie Howard is a successful mystery author, writing a series that features a professional burglar, Faulks. As a sideline he – and I guess you could call it research – he also occasionally accepts a commission to steal certain items. When a stranger offers him an unusually high fee to steal a couple of seemingly worthless monkey figurines, his instincts tell him to decline while his curiosity urges him to comply. Before long he’s embroiled in a major intrigue, and a suspect in a murder.
This was a highly entertaining mystery. I couldn’t help but think of Lawrence Block’s Bernie Rhodenbarr series, but the comparison is a good one. The pace is quick, the characters interesting, and the charms of Amsterdam (a city I have visited) evident. I didn’t really like the way he revealed the culprit; bringing everyone together and having a long speech to lay out the crime and point out the responsible party (or parties) seems a bit tedious. Still, I was charmed by Charlie and want to read more of this series.
Mod
Everything I Never Told You – Celeste Ng
Audiobook performed by Cassandra Campbell.
4****
From the book jacket: “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. When Lydia’s body is found, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another
My reactions:
I love this kind of character-driven novel. Ng explores the nuances of family dynamics – how a parent’s own disappointments may translate into dreams for a child’s future, how a child may feel burdened by those dreams, how siblings may compete for or retreat from parental attention. More importantly, Ng looks at how everyone struggles to understand and love one another. And how large a role open communication (or lack of it) plays in our relationships.
Cassandra Campbell does a fine job narrating the audio version. She has good pacing, and I felt connected to the characters by her performance.
Who Doesn't Love a Classic?
Books mentioned in this topic
Everything I Never Told You (other topics)The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam (other topics)
Ending Up (other topics)
Parable of the Sower (other topics)
Eurydice (other topics)
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