BOOK REVIEW: "Astray"

Astray
By Emma Donoghue
Copyright 2012
Little, Brown & Company
Short Story Collection
1 Bookmark

What a disappointment.  I gave high marks to a previous book by this author, Room, reviewed here.  I suppose I expected something along the same writing style with the clever twists one normally finds in short story collections.  Instead, the author provides an assortment of stories with a somewhat historical relationship, but I never really felt like the tie-in made much sense.

A synopsis of the book I read before adding it to my queue indicated the stories would all be related to some kind of travel.  But the theme was really more about people immigrating or living somewhere that was not their place of birth. 

None of the stories was really all that interesting, in and of themselves.  I did think the last story in the collection, called "What Remains", was at least somewhat well-written and had some heart to it.  But many of the other stories carried a kind of "ick" factor that was hard for me to ignore. 

The only really interesting thing about this collection, in my opinion, was the slight historic twist in each of the stories.  The author took a little-known fact, based off historic letters or newspaper accounts, and wrapped a fictional story around that small piece of history.  Sometimes it worked, other times it seemed extremely contrived.

I didn't really care for most of these stories.  Nearly all of them had some sort of deviant, disturbing or sexual piece to them that was really the only "twist" in the story at all.  The first story in the collection called "Man and Boy" details an incident regarding an elephant that is sold from one circus to another and the weirdly loving relationship between the elephant and his caretaker.  Another story, "Daddy's Girl" tells about a young woman dealing with her father's death, further complicated by the fact that upon his death it was discovered her father was a woman.

Nor did I think any of the stories really gave us anything useful or heartfelt to take away from them, with the possible exception of "What Remains".  I kind of felt like I wasted a lot of valuable reading time getting through Astray. 

Going to have to say that I really don't recommend this one. 

BOOK REVIEW: "Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life"

"Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life"
By Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D.
Copyright 2006
Vintage Books
Non-Fiction
4 Bookmarks

I know I've been a slacker on the book-review front lately.  Busy life with work and family the last couple of months, but I have had the chance to read a couple of books in that time. 

My reading "theme" lately has been books that might help to improve my attitude.  Stress is just a killer for positivity, after all. 

I discovered this gem from a list of recommended reading in one of my other recent reads, How Children Succeed by Paul Tough, reviewed here. 

Sometimes I "may" have a bit of a negative attitude, and this book has a great way of explaining why.  According to the author, the way we explain things to ourselves has a profound impact on the way we view the world around us. 

"Self-talk", in other words, is sort of a self-fulfilling prophesy.  Seligman uses several examples of areas in our lives that are impacted profoundly simply by the way we talk to ourselves about them.

Everyone has a thinking style, but Seligman asserts that we all have the ability to change the way we internally explain the reasons behind the things we experience and, thus, change the way we think.

My opinion of the book was pretty good.  I felt like the author did a great job explaining "why" we think the way we do.  It was easy to apply it to my own internal "talk" and, of course, attitude.

Anyone who reads this book can take the quick optimism assessment and learn about their own thinking style.  The author then gives many tools for changing that thinking style into something more positive.

I actually got a lot out of the book and felt it was definitely worth the read.  The author goes to great lengths to help you see how the thinking styles can apply to many different areas of our lives: family, athletics, school, work, health, etc.

Lots of good info in this one. 

BOOK REVIEW: "How Children Succeed"

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
By Paul Tough
Copyright 2012
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing
Non-Fiction

4.5 Bookmarks

This one was recommended to me by a friend who happens to be a school teacher.  I was looking for some way to encourage my daughter to be a little more focused on the important things in life and she told me about this book.  Interestingly enough, the principal at my daughter's middle school also mentioned this book at Back to School Night, which was another good recommendation!

I started off with the expectation that I would find ways in this book to help my daughter be successful.  Instead, I found some fascinating information, based on case studies and real life examples of Paul Tough's main assertion, which is that success is based more on a child's character rather than their intelligence.  Skills, such as optimism, perseverance and "grit", are more likely to lead a child to success than just simply being smart.

Tough asserts that parents are more influential with these characteristics than anyone else.  Studies show that children who come from stressful backgrounds (abject poverty, divorce, chaotic homes) have altered brain chemistry that makes it more difficult for them to form and keep the character skills necessary to be most successful in life.

Schools are leaning on this research as they add more intensive character-development programs to their curriculum to give children additional support in developing these important characteristics.  But it really comes down to the parents.  Do you hug your child every day?  Does your child feel safe?  Does your child feel loved?

This book explained a lot of my own characteristics, but also helped me to see that the best ways to help my daughter be successful may not be by pushing her to study more, or work harder, or be more organized (as much as my OCD-self would LOVE for her to do those things!)  It comes down to making sure she has a safe environment, doesn't feel threatened, and has the security to be able to devote the portions of her brain necessary to develop good character.

How Children Succeed was a great book, but it had a few too many anecdotes and not quite enough "what to do about it" stuff.  With a little more "how to", it may have gotten 5 bookmarks.  But still, a very important read for anyone who has children or works with children.  Read this one!

BOOK REVIEW: "The Buddha in the Attic"

The Buddha in the Attic
By Julie Otsuka
Copyright 2011
Alfred A. Knopf, Publisher
Historical Fiction

4 Bookmarks

A poignant look at Japanese "picture brides" brought to San Francisco in the early 20th century. These girls and women were married to Japanese immigrants without ever having met, only seeing a picture of the man they married, then leaving their families and setting sail for the United States and a new life without knowing anything that was in store for them. 

The book is written in a beautiful sing-song fashion that feels like a poem.  It is the story of numerous women, not just one, and gives an all-encompassing description of the lives these women traveled into.  The women who arrived only to find the picture they'd been sent was 20 years old...or belonged to another man.  The women who arrived to find lives as migrant workers, instead of the beautiful homes with white picket fences that their husbands had described to them.  They arrived to find harsh lives and sacrifice awaiting them, instead of the opportunity they had been promised.  They arrived to find harsh judgment from their new countrymen, and found it easier to live in secluded areas surrounded by their own.

Eventually the women experience childbirth, the good and the bad that go along with it. They experience the joy of motherhood and the grief of lost children. They also experience condemnation due to the color of their skin and shape of their eyes when Japan attacks Pearl Harbor.  And, eventually, they disappear into nameless internment camps across the country.

The book is written in the first person, "Some of us chanted Buddhist sutras while we worked and the hours flew by like minutes," "We simply worked. That was all," or "We were the best breed of worker they had ever hired in their lives."  Each sentence describing another person in the "we", another experience, another feeling.

I liked the style of this one, the emotions it brought up, and the bits of history from a time in our country we would be hard-pressed to truly understand.  A quick and heart-felt read.  Good for a book club, or just a rainy Saturday afternoon. 



  

BOOK REVIEW: "Nothing Happens Until It Happens To You"

Nothing Happens Until it Happens to You: A Novel Without Pay, Perks, or Privileges
By T.M. Shine
Copyright 2010
Crown Publishers
Adult Fiction

3 Bookmarks

Well, here's another of your fairly typical "Oh my heavens! I just got laid-off!" books.  Perhaps in the current employment climate, that's appropriate.  This one, though, was pretty humorous, even from the beginning. 

Jeffrey Reiner is a low-key newspaper guy.  Only he really doesn't do much at his job.  Like, really not much at all.  Instead, he socializes a lot, and comes up with crazy ideas that don't really go anywhere.  And, it seems, the economy and his lack of productivity finally catch up to him and he's on the chopping block. 

He starts out his unemployment by doing all the things he's supposed to do (encouraged by his highly-energetic wife, Anna); filing for unemployment, seeing an employment counselor, working on a resume, etc.  But soon his enthusiasm fizzles out and he starts really freaking out about the small number of days he has left on unemployment.  This soon leads him to start grasping at employment straws; i.e. hooking up with a guy known only as 'enterprising dude', who puts him to work in a Statue of Liberty costume, delivering pizzas, and eventually breeding fish in a muddy trough.  All the while, Jeffrey worries about where his wife is and what she is up to, as it seems she is having an affair with a drug salesman (the legal kind). 

As Jeffrey goes a little crazy and his world starts spinning around him, he has a few epiphanies and big garage sale and that's pretty much the end of the story.  Didn't care for the lack of resolution at the end, but there were some pretty funny moments in the book, and it was generally well-written.  Just not a great ending. 

BOOK REVIEW: "Organizing the Disorganized Child"

Organizing the Disorganized Child: Simple Strategies to Succeed in School
By Martin L. Kutscher & Marcella Moran
Copyright 2009
HarperCollins Publishing
Non-Fiction

3.5 Bookmarks

Stuck at home recovering from a cold has finally given me the opportunity to catch up a little on my writing.  I read this little ditty at the beginning of the school year for my now middle-schooler.  Love her dearly, but organization has not been her strong suit over the years.

While it had some great suggestions for standard organization, some of the ideas don't work with all children.  Getting an organized homework area set up is a great idea, but keeping it organized and usable is an entirely different story!  Setting up a single binder or notebook for each subject is a great idea, but when the student doesn't remember to write notes in the correct notebook, it sort of defeats the purpose.

One of the best suggestions in the book was to have an assignment calendar on the wall of the homework area so the student can keep track of upcoming assignments.  If only those assignments would write themselves on that calendar, though, because the child doesn't ever remember to do it.  

My favorite parts of the book were the "how to take a test" section and the "how to take notes" section.  With lots of great tips and practical information, these seemed like areas we could really improve on and utilize.  Wish I had known some of these strategies when I was in school! 

I do wish the book had had more guidance on teaching the value of organization, not necessarily just the basic "where to file papers" stuff.  So much of the book was just very basic and practical information. I was hoping for something a little more in-depth to really address the nitty-gritty problems associated with disorganization. 

BOOK REVIEW: "The Portrait of a Lady"

The Portrait of a Lady

By Henry James

Original Copyright 1881

Current Copyright by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

Classic Literature

2 Bookmarks

Ahhh yes.  Just what you wanted.  A book that took me a full two months to read.  I'm sure this will be on top of everyone's reading list knowing THAT little bit of information.

I've actually tried to read this book before.  The last time I tried to read it, I only made it in about eight pages before I was bored silly.  But I was reminded that this is a classic; I decided there had to be some redeeming quality to it, so I gave it another chance.  Booooo on me. 

The Portrait of a Lady begins on the lawn of an old English country house, with some boring dialogue between a Lord, the owner of the house and his sickly son.  Not a lady in sight.  Eventually, the lady in question does show up; Isabel Archer, whose great plans in life involve NEVER letting a man make any decisions for her. 

Isabel is in the unfortunate position, however, of having every man she meets fall in love with her.  As these "gentlemen" fall all over themselves to do everything they can to woo the "lady" (who, by the way, never really seemed to have enough redeeming qualities to warrant such attention), she simply lets them down as gently as she can and moves on to the next man. 

The hilarity of that is evident when poor Miss Archer finally chooses a husband and really chooses the wrong guy for all the wrong reasons.  Unhappiness ensues. 

I never really "got" the purpose of the book.  And, frankly, was pretty disappointed with the conclusion.  There were a few chuckle-worthly paragraphs of dialogue and a few witty lines here and there, such as Isabel's attempt to avoid having to view a tedious collection belonging to one of her suitors by stating, "I don't want to know anything more - I know too much already. The more you know the more unhappy you are."  Or the description of her jealousy of her cousin, "She envied Ralph his dying, for if one were thinking of rest that was the most perfect of all.  To cease utterly, to give it all up and not know anything more - this idea was as sweet as the vision of a cool bath in a marble tank, in a darkened chamber, in a hot land." 

A truly disappointing waste of a large number of hours of my time. 

BOOK REVIEW: "The Summer We Read Gatsby"

The Summer We Read Gatsby

By Danielle Ganek

Copyright 2010

Viking Penguin Books

Adult Fiction

3 Bookmarks

I've never been back East, let alone to the Hamptons.  But it certainly is fun to read about!  When a favorite aunt passes away and leaves her Hampton home to her two nieces, the half-sisters come together to make a plan for what to do with the home, a run-down cottage with a hefty tax bill.  Practical Cassie, the narrator, thinks the only thing to do is sell, while flighty Peck (the romantic, I should add), does what she can to convince her otherwise. 

The title of the book comes from a romantic experience Peck had in her youth with a young man who gave her a copy of The Great Gatsby.  Never forgetting him and carrying that torch for years and years, Peck finally runs into him again while the girls are trying to figure out what to do about the house.  In the meantime, Cassie runs into an old flame of her own and isn't quite sure how to handle it. 

With a mysterious artist holed up over the garage, a locked safe with no known combination, numerous Hampton parties, and a lively group of friends, the story never bores or disappoints. 

Fun book, although I frequently wished I was sitting on the beach while I was reading it! 

SONG OF THE DAY: What If This Storm Ends

What If This Storm Ends
(Part I of The Lightning Strike)
By Snow Patrol

Theme song for "Act of Valor", and is also featured in the trailer for Disney's upcoming "Epic".  Love me some Snow Patrol. 

RANDOM COMMENTARY: RHS Class of 1993 Reunion

Rigby High School
Class of 1993
20-year Reunion

In honor of our 20-year high school reunion, I'm helping the organizers by putting together some fun write-ups about some of our classmates.  Here's a link to the first one:  Whatcha Doin'? Where Ya Been?

Reunion scheduled for July 6th.  Details available at the above link. 

BOOK REVIEW: "The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship"

The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship

By Lisa Verge Higgins

Copyright 2011

Hachette Book Group

Adult Fiction

4 Bookmarks

Oh what a fabulous find this book was!  Highly recommend this one to any reader who appreciates a friend, has an unrequited love, or has ever lost someone important to them.  Higgins does a fabulous job of tying together the lives of four friends who each bring their own experiences and circumstances to the table. 

When Rachel is diagnosed with a terminal illness, she does what she thinks best by giving a last request to each of her friends.  As the friends determine how to accomplish the tasks given to them, they find out some amazing things about themselves, but they also find out more about Rachel and who she was as a person.

Jo is faced with demons from her past as she turns her whole world upside-down to take over where Rachel left off.  A true rags to riches girl, Jo has to become a person she never thought she would be.

Sarah was my favorite character in the book.  The free-spirited Doctors Without Borders nurse who lives her life in the third world has spent 14 years longing for a man she once had a brief fling with.  When forced to find out once and for all if there is still any connection, she comes to a surprising realization.

For Kate, doing something to re-ignite the spark in her marriage has been an impossibility.  When Rachel tasks her with stepping well outside her comfort zone, Kate realizes she has more inside her than she ever thought possible.

This book would be great for a book club, or just a fantastic vacation read.  It was written with such love and care, it was easy to fall in love with every single character.  I was sad when I got to the last page. 

BOOK REVIEW: "Fear and Yoga in New Jersey"

Fear and Yoga in New Jersey

By Debra Galant

Copyright 2008

St. Martin's Press

Adult Fiction

3.5 Bookmarks

Yes, once again I have picked up a book solely because I liked the title.  I've never seen the movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", but I have heard of it and thought this was a clever little plagiaristic twist. 

Okay, on to the story.  This is definitely a "story" story, about a New Jersey family living the life.  The mom, Nina, has just opened her own yoga studio, but is continually faced with bad luck, perhaps due to some unpleasant feng shui left over from the previous tenant.  The dad, Michael, has been laid off and his family faces financial turmoil as he deals with the emotional implications of being unemployed.  Their son, Adam, is a typical materialistic teenager who grows ever more jealous of a certain Jewish girl in his school who is showered with gifts and an enormous party for her bat mitzvah.  Adam decides he wants to embraces his half-Jewishness so he can have a big party and tons of gifts, too.  

The author throws in a set of meddling in-laws, some mob connections, a lawsuit and an overzealous TSA agent for a twisting and turning series of plot lines and side stories.  I was certainly never bored while reading this one, and actually, it was a bit tough to put down. 

With a little bit of a slapstick style, Galant brings the characters to life and winds the story up into a tornado before bringing it to its somewhat simplistic resolution.  It was a fun read!

BOOK REVIEW: "Living (Well!) with Gastroparesis"

Living (Well!) with Gastroparesis

By Crystal Zaborowski Saltrelli CHC

Copyright 2011

Self-published

Non-fiction

3.5 Bookmarks

So in the ongoing saga that is my health, after a recent visit to the emergency room and five weeks of testing, I was finally diagnosed with a condition called Gastroparesis.  I had never heard of such a thing and had to research to find out what it was, how it was going to impact me, and how I was going to manage it. 

A lot of the information available online was the same: since there is no cure, and very few treatment options, most guidance is really just about how to control the condition through diet.

I found a great website called Living with Gastroparesis and I ordered this book from the author.

The book is organized with different sections addressing the basics of the condition, treatment options, nutrition, lifestyle and coping.  I really liked the way the book was written in a question and answer format, since I have had many of the same questions myself.  The author, who suffers from the condition herself, has spent years researching it and learning how best to cope with the symptoms. She shares her knowledge and experiences in a very sympathetic and informational way.

Another section of the book that I found really useful was the recipe section.  Having some additional options for food choices was great! 

My only real disappointments with the book were that it was a bit simplistic (written at a very easy reading level, which may actually be a positive to some people), and also that it didn't have a "magic pill" for fixing all this (I think most people with chronic conditions are continually searching for such a thing).  For anyone with this condition, "Living (Well!) with Gastroparesis" is a must have.  May also be of interest to dieticians and nutritionists, as most don't know much about the condition.  Probably not really of interest to anyone else.

BOOK REVIEW: "Miss Wyoming"

Miss Wyoming
By Douglas Coupland
Copyright 1999
Vintage Contemporaries
Adult Fiction

3.5 Bookmarks

What a crazy ride this book was!  Summarizing will be tough, but I'll give it my best shot. 

Susan Colgate, former beauty queen and now paparazzi favorite, disappears from a plane crash in which every other passenger dies.  When she suddenly reappears a year later, it's bedlam. 

John Johnson, famous Hollywood producer is obsessed with Susan.  John, who stages his own little disappearing act, finds that living on nothing isn't to his taste.  When, at last, Susan and John meet in person, it's love (or something sort of like it) at first sight.  But Susan's existence is a crazy one as she deals with her former beauty queen circuit mother, the fact that she's hiding everything about the time she was away, all the while trying to tape together the remnants of her career. 

When John meets a video store clerk with a shrine to Susan (which he, of course, purchases immediately), things start to get a little intense. 

I won't ruin the ending because it's a pretty good one.  I liked this book.  The satirical nature of the story flowed fantastically from the "toddlers in tiaras" set all the way to the Hollywood wife of a rock star segment.  It was a fun read from Coupland, and just as typically quirky as you would expect from him. 

BOOK REVIEW: "The Beach House"

The Beach House
By Jane Green
Copyright 2008
Viking Penguin Publishing
Adult Fiction

3.5 Bookmarks

Nan Powell is eccentric.  Everyone knows it.  Even she knows it.  She lives in an old, run-down house on a very expensive piece of land that has been in the family for more years than anyone can count.  And Nan has run out of money.  As she struggles to figure out how she's going to save her home (turning it into a pseudo-bed and breakfast), the story flips to the lives of the people who will eventually become her guests.

A couple of divorcee's with stories to tell, Nan's son Michael who has found himself in a difficult situation, and soon even a few children join in their new adventures.  And Nan has found that she is thrilled to have herself surrounded by so many people that she loves.

Throw in a sleazy real estate developer, a handsome landscaper, and  a long-lost husband, and you have quite a tale to tell. 

I thought this was quite a pleasant read.  Frankly, I wish I had been sitting on the beach while reading it (especially with the temperatures in the single digits today).  Kind of a mindless relaxation read (which is sometimes the very best kind).   

BOOK REVIEW: "1984"

1984
By George Orwell
Copyright 1948
Harcourt Brace and Co.
Classic Literature
2 Bookmarks

You know how sometimes everyone knows something you don't?  And they mention it, not really enough to tell you much about it, but just enough to remind you that you know nothing about it? 

For me, that's "1984".  I've heard references to it pretty much my whole life, but never had the opportunity (or requirement) to read it for some reason and never really knew the story. 

Yeah okay so I kind of knew the gist of it.  You know, big brother watching you all the time, etc.  But I didn't really think it was going to be so dark and icky.  And frankly, that's what it was. 

Having the telescreen in your house watching every move you make, no privacy (even of thoughts), no choices, no loved ones, no sex (WHAT????), it was all just a bit overwhelming.  And then on top of that, the constant brainwashing to avoid any "wrong" thoughts from appearing on your face. 

It was quite disturbing.

Which, I guess, is the whole point. 

I actually didn't mind the first two-thirds of the book so much, as the main character kind of wrestles with his inappropriate thoughts.  But once they "catch" him and he gets locked up and tortured, I was done. 

I know, I know.  The whole point of the book is to warn us of what the world could come to if we let those in power to continue allowing their power to grow.  I get that.  I really do.  I just didn't really care for the story.

If it isn't a requirement for English class, I don't recommend it.