Books I read on my recent vacation

Highlights from the books I read on my recent family vacation to Central Oregon.

1. One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson
Babe Ruth hits 60 home runs and is part of the best team baseball has ever fielded; Al Capone is quite happy about prohibition in Chicago; Charles Lindbergh is the first to fly over the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer---the first talking motion picture, is released; Henry Ford stopped making the Model-T and shut down his line for a few months before introducing the Model-A; Work on Mt. Rushmore begins; Showboat debuts on Broadway forever changing musical theater; Radio was king but Philo Farnsworth is busy creating and patenting parts for television; Jack Demsey fights Gene Tunney in a controversial boxing match. It all happened in one summer in America. The summer of 1927.

We listened to the audio version of the book read by Bryson himself.  Very, very interesting and educational.  With just enough of Bryson's humor to keep us happily listening. Our vacation took us 1400 miles from home and back. We listened to the audiobook for the majority of the trip, finishing just a half hour from home. (4.5/5 stars)

2. A Matter of Souls by Denise Lewis Patrick

"From the shores of Africa to the bowels of a transatlantic ship to a voting booth in Mississippi to the jungles of Vietnam, all human connection is a matter of souls. In this stirring collection of short stories, Denise Lewis Patrick considers the souls of black men and women across centuries and continents."---Goodreads

I liked some of the short stories better than others but all help to highlight the experiences of black men and women, mainly in America. I read it as a possible Mock Printz selection. (3.5/5 stars)

3. All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

"An engaging, heartfelt story where family secrets unfurl and the past reshapes the present in surprising ways. Fannie Flagg has crafted a love letter to the courageous women who accomplished the extraordinary on the homefront during World War II."--Beth Hoffman, author

Sookie receives news that changes how she views her world and her mother. What she learns opens up the past all the way to the Second World War and the women who held important roles in the war effort. I enjoyed the book much more the second half as these details were revealed.

30 books Summer Reading Challenge

17 / 30 books. 56% done!

Update on the death of Chris McCandless

Chris McCandless, 1992

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is one of the books GKHS students can read for their summer reading assignments. It is the account of a young man, Chris McCandless, who goes off to the wilds of Alaska and ends up starving to death. Or at least at face value he appeared to starve to death. Krakauer thinks he was inadvertently poisoned. Now there is more scientific evidence to prove that the later is true. Read this article by Jon Krakauer written for the New Yorker Magazine, September 12, 2013. It adds some new information that can be added to the discussion about the book.  Take a look.

Friday Memes...THE ALL-GIRL FILLING STATION'S LAST REUNION

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Participants don't select their favorite, coolest or most intellectual books, they just use the one they are currently reading. I'm reading:

Book: The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

Book Beginning:

Pulaski, Wisconsin, June 28, 2010. 'A few years ago, if someone had told me that I would be at this reunion today, I wouldn't have believed them in a million years...And yet, here I am!'---Mrs. Earle Poole, Jr.

Friday 56:

Who would name their child Ginger? We had a golden retriever named Ginger.

Comment:
The Book Beginning quote comes from the epigram at the beginning of the book but it isn't from someone famous. It is by the main character in the book. Flagg is so clever. Page 56 is actually right at the point in the story when the plot unfolds so my quote is a little obtuse so as to not give anything away.

Anne

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts, August 7

Bookish (and not so bookish) thoughts hosted at Bookishly Boisterous

I'll keep this short since I am on vacation so I haven't had a lot of bookish moments this week.

1. I went in a used books store in Sisters, Oregon this afternoon and I didn't see a single book that I wanted to buy. Granted I didn't spend a lot of time in it but on my quick perusal through the store all I found myself interested in were the old-fashioned prints they offer for sale. I think this is a first.

2. So far we've traveled 15 hours by car on our trip and only managed to listen to 10 of 14 discs of our audiobook, One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson. I am enjoying it a lot but think we should be further along. Don't you?

3. I managed to write a blog post this morning while my husband was off golfing. The topic: Print or E-reader. I'd sure appreciate if you would visit that page and make a comment.  I also suggest that you click the link I've provided on that post to read about some of the research on reading materials in the digital format on comprehension. It is rather disturbing.

4. My dear mother, who is 85 years old and as sharp as a tack, is part of book club and reads something everyday.  She is a tremendous testimony to power of reading on brain health. Stay sharp---read something every day!

5. I'm off to bed with my latest book, The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg. I'm hoping I finish the book tomorrow. I am ready to be done with it. Ever feel that way?

Print or e-reader?

I am a holdout. I do not own an e-reader.

When I talk about books I picture the print edition with the cover the publisher selected for it. When I go to the pool or take a bath, I worry about keeping the book dry.

And speaking about worrying, I worry about is happening to the publishing industry and for our nation when this industry can no longer afford to publish print editions of books. Will children even bother to learn to read if they don't have a book to hold?

When I traveled to Europe this summer I lugged along three books in my suitcase, so did my daughter. We swapped them around with each other and then left them behind when we were done with them. When we started our week-long vacation last Friday I had four books in tow and hoped that would be enough to get me through the week.

Friends always tell me that they love their e-reader and gush how much less books cost in this format. That might be the case, but I generally don't buy books for myself. I check-out library books or audiobooks. That means I get the books for free. I know that the library also has e-books to check-out, but that is beside the point.

There is actually some scientific evidence that we retain more information when we read text on paper compared to what we retain from what we read in the digital format. Maryanne Wolfe, a developmental psychologist and cognitive scientist from Tufts University says, "there is physicality in reading, maybe even more than we want to think about as we lurch into digital reading---as we move forward with perhaps too little reflection. I would like to preserve the absolute best of older forms, and know when to use the new."

In an interview with Huffington Post, author Lev Grossman said this about whether he preferred print or e-books:

Print. I'm very crusty on this issue. When I die I want to leave my kids a roomful of books, not a chunk of plastic that they have to guess the password to. I think Maurice Sendak said it best: 'It's like making believe there's another kind of sex. There isn't another kind of sex. There isn't another kind of book.'---Huffington Post, August 5, 2014

I feel the same way. When we die I guess we could hand off our e-reader to our children and grandchildren but there is something much more compelling about a library full of old family favorites. But it is more than just sentimentality for me.

Hasn't anyone read a Sci-Fi book where no one knows how to read anymore because all information comes directly into our brain from feeds? And in those books, what happens to societies when their people stop reading. It is never good.

Plus, what happens if in real-life, not sci-fi novels, some catastrophe causes massive power outages for days/weeks on end. What will people read when their e-reader batteries die? You get my point.

So, having said all this, does it come as a surprise to you that I am seriously considering getting an e-reader?

Why, you might ask, would I want to buy one since I am so clearly standing on my principles on this subject?

Well, truth be told, it is for a purely selfish reason. I want an ARC version of a book that is due out in October. I've been told the publisher will likely only give it to me in the e-book version. But procrastination is still on my side and I haven't actually purchased an e-reader, yet. If I delay much longer there will be no point because the book in question will already be out in print. When I borrow it from the library I will worry about keeping it dry in the event of a rainstorm.

Your thoughts?

TTT: Nonfiction books I recommend

Nonfiction books I recommend to readers who don't think they like reading nonfiction:

1. One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson---Bryson is a master storyteller so his nonfiction reads like one big, gigantic story. You will be captivated by the events of the summer of 1927 viewing through his expert lens. Pick up any book by Bryson for a nonfiction treat.

2. Hot Zone by Richard Preston---with the re-emergence of ebola in Africa, this book, written in 1994, it will open your eyes to this horrible, devastating disease. It reads like a murder mystery.

3. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell---Vowell takes several vacations to visit the sights where US Presidents were assassinated. Along the way the readers learns interesting facts about the presidents, the assassins, and the politics of the day. Written in a very humorous style, it is a fun book to read.

4. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Stories of Those You Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan---Egan, a journalist for the New York Times, interviewed people who survived the Dust Bowl in the 1930s then put their stories together to give the reader an insider's view of what it was like in those days. Why can't high school history teachers make history so interesting?

5. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed---read this book quickly before the movie comes out starring Reese Witherspoon. It is about Cheryl Strayed's hike along the Pacific Coast Trail twenty years before the book was written. She was supremely unprepared for her hike yet she prevailed.

6. How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig---I am a huge fan of this book. If you have children, read this book. If you like Shakespeare, read this book. If you can read, read this book.

7. Fourth Down and Inches: Concussions and Footballs Make-or-Break Moment by Carla McClafferty---I read this book with horrified interest. Science has uncovered many details about the lasting effects of concussions on athletes of all types, not just football players. This book was written for teens and reads quickly.

8. Unbroken: a World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand--- the story of Louis Zamperini, an American Olympic athlete who gets shot down over the Pacific by the Japanese. This is his story of survival and redemption. Hillenbrand is a tremendous writer. Her book Seabiscuit is also a must-read nonfiction book.

9. Bomb: The Race to Build---and Steal---the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin--- Written for teens this book is a fascinating look at the making of the atomic bomb.

10. Bossypants by Tina Fey---a memoir full of the humor one would expect from this comedian.

Classics Book Club Spin #7

It is time for the Classics Club Spin again! I have never joined this challenge before and hope that it inspires me to read more challenging books from my TBR list. To play, make a list of 20 books before next Monday, August 11. On that day, a number will be chosen, and your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to read the selected book by October 6. (No matter what, you win! For more details, visit the Classics Club blog).

The event hosts suggest making a list with 5 books you can't wait to read, 5 books you dread, and so on.

Here is my list. I am really hoping they don't pick #17. Ha!

1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
2. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
3. A Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
4. Middlemarch by George Eliot
5. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
6. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
7. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
8. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
9. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
10. Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
11. The Trial by Franz Kafka
12. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
13. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
14. Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow
15. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
16. Wild Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
17. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
18. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
19. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
20. Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

Sign up and join me. On August 11th the number will be announced which will correspond with the classic book I will read before October 6th. You can create your list of 20 classic books and read that book or join me and read my "winning" book.

Gandhi: My Life is My Message

Mahatma Gandhi, the great prophet and statesman from India lived almost his whole life on center stage and yet he maintained his message of positive change through peaceful resistance throughout his whole life. Gandhi, His Life Was His Message by Jason Quinn is a graphic (illustrated) biography of the this great man. Sachin Nagar, the illustrator, brought Gandhi's story to life through his masterful drawings while Quinn took the details of his life and summarized the important points down to manageable points.

I liked the book quite a lot. I am not a Gandhi scholar so I needed something introductory about the great Indian statesman. Starting at his birth and early years the reader travels with Gandhi to England for his legal training, to South Africa where he honed his message of peaceful resistance fighting for the rights of Indian nationals living there. And finally back to India where he succeeded in helping Indians gain independence from the British Empire.

The reader gains an appreciation that Gandhi was just a man with a lot of strength of conviction. He had an arranged marriage, but came to love and cherish his wife as a strong helpmate throughout their life together. One of his sons was estranged to him another died young. He grieved for his children. He stood up for the rights of those people with no rights which caused him to loose friends and very nearly his wife. He spent years in jail for his beliefs. He nearly died fasting for those beliefs, too. He was a man with a message, but he was just a man. He was killed after gaining independence for India when tension between Hindus and Muslims flared. His death, to some degree, helped cement his message in to the hearts of the people of the world. If only we would continue to follow his message today.

Not everyone loved likes this book as much as I do. One blogger, reporting on Goodreads said:

A book with a few emotional high points that is otherwise mediocre in every way. As a biography it does little besides chronicling event after event in Gandhi's life, adding no nuance or complexity to his character. As a graphic novel, it pushes no boundaries; it is full of art that is attractive but does nothing to distinguish the book.-Olag Kagan

Perhaps this reviewer knows more about Gandhi than I do but I thought the book was a good introduction to Gandhi and his life's message. The end of the book even has a very helpful timeline of his life events. In addition, there is another page of his famous quotes. I purchased this book for myself but now I will donate it to my library in hopes that several students will be motivated by Gandhi's message that one can make the world a better place.

30 books Summer Reading Challenge

14 / 30 books. 46% done!

Sunday Salon...August 3rd

Reporting from Boise, Idaho.

Weather: Hot. Last night we thought we were in for a whopper of a thunderstorm but thankfully that didn't happen because...

It was an outdoor wedding. My nephew, Brent, married his high school sweetheart in a very precious ceremony on the grounds of their school, College of Idaho. The photo was taken by my husband of the newly married couple taking communion, between the heads of the groom's parents (my sister). I didn't secure any permissions to post their photos so I figured this one was OK since no faces were shown.

Brent's face when Alethea was coming down the aisle was the most clearly loving and delighted I have ever seen on a groom's face...and I've been to a lot of weddings. Young love. So sweet.

Blowing bubbles on the new couple

Now the family shifts from Boise to Eagle Crest, Oregon for a week-long vacation/family reunion. All my siblings and their spouses will be there, along with my folks. In years past, all of our collective nine children (and now spouses and significant others) also have been with us. But this year we seem to have reached a turning point with jobs, grad school, and their busy lives, so only four of them will be with us and only two for the whole week.

Books read this week:

• A Matter of Souls by Denise Lewis Patrick...short stories about the African-American experience going as far back as the days of slavery and forward to the 1960s and the Civil Rights movement.
• The Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith...the end of the world as recorded by a very horny teenage boy. This book may prove to be a problem for me. Please read my review to see what I mean.
• Gandhi: My Life is My Message...a graphic biography by Jason Quinn with illustrations by Naresh Kumar

Currently reading:

• One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson...this is the audiobook we are listening to en route to Boise (and back.) It is about the summer of 1927 and all the weird, wonderful things that happened that year: Babe Ruth hitting 60 home runs; Charles Lindbergh the first to fly from New York to Paris; prohibition and the cast of characters associated with that failed social experiment are three of the topics covered so far.
• The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg...I'm only seven pages in. I hope it is another funny, whimsical novel by Flagg.
• The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker...I've made a bit more progress on this LONG audiobook. I'm on disc 13 of 22.

Lucky I'm in Love with My Best Friend: instead of a first dance, Brent and Alethea sang a "first song". This is the song they sang together:

Snapshot Saturday...August 2nd

We are in Boise for my nephew's wedding tonight. In preparation for the day, my husband and I had pedicures. We sprung for the Special which was a Fruit-themed scrub. It was very decadent. My husband has never had a pedicure before and now he is spoiled, thinking that they are all so wonderful. He was actually sighing with contentment. It was quite cute, actually.

My feet soaking in the cucumber and melon scented bath. My husband's feet were soaking in orange scented water.

Our chairs were giving us massages as the gals worked on our feet and legs.

Don with legs wrapped in warm towels and feet in bags of paraffin.

Pretty toes, waiting to dry.

Snapshot Saturday is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.