Top Ten Tuesday: Unique Books (2)

Top Ten Tuesday: Most unique books I've read recently (since April 2014)

1. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

This raunchy, bizarre, smart and compelling sci-fi novel defies description – it's best to go into it with an open mind and allow yourself to be first drawn in, then blown away. ---Rolling Stone

2.  How to Tell Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You by Matthew Inman

If your cat is kneading you, that's not a sign of affection. Your cat is actually checking your internal organs for weakness. If your cat brings you a dead animal, this isn't a gift. It's a warning. How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You is an offering of cat comics, facts, and instructional guides from the creative wonderland at TheOatmeal.com.-Gooreads

3. The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith

The author of Printz Honor book Grasshopper Jungle returns with another genre-bending literary exploration of the absurd. Once again blending multiple story strands that transcend time and place, Grasshopper Jungle author Andrew Smith tells the story of 15-year-old Ariel, a refugee from the Middle East who is the sole survivor of an attack on his small village. Now living with an adoptive family in Sunday, West Virginia, Ariel's story of his summer at a boys' camp for tech detox is juxtaposed against those of a schizophrenic bomber and the diaries of a failed arctic expedition from the late nineteenth century. Oh, and there’s also a depressed bionic reincarnated crow. -Amazon.com

4.  Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

Ishmael is a half ton silverback gorilla. He is a student of ecology, life, freedom, and the human condition. He is also a teacher. He teaches that which all humans need to learn -- must learn -- if our species, and the rest of life on Earth as we know it, is to survive.- Ishmael.com

5.   The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Díaz finds a miraculous balance. He cuts his barn-burning comic-book plots (escape, ruin, redemption) with honest, messy realism, and his narrator speaks in a dazzling hash of Spanish, English, slang, literary flourishes, and pure virginal dorkiness. —New York Magazine

6.  March: Book Three by John Lewis

"An incredible accomplishment. It is the history of John Lewis, the civil rights movement and his role in it... a book that explains -- more deeply than anything else I've ever read -- the methods and the moral foundations of the civil rights movement, how civil rights activists did what they did and won what they won, and how they had the strength to do it in the most difficult circumstances imaginable." -- Rachel Maddow
"The closest American peer to Maus has arrived." -- The Washington Post

7.  Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

An enchantingly twisted modern fairy tale, perfect for those who prefer Grimm to Disney. Inventive, darkly magical, and beautifully written, it will stay with me for a long time.― Kendare Blake

8.  My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand

The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.---Goodreads

9.   Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable-Path Adventure by Ryan North

Romeo loves Juliet. Or Rosaline. And Juliet loves Romeo. Or Viola. Or Orlando. It's Shakespeare as you've never played him before.  In this choose-your-own-path version of Romeo and Juliet, you choose where the story goes every time you read!---Amazon.com

10. Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach

'America's funniest science writer' (Washington Post) Mary Roach explores the science of keeping human beings intact, awake, sane, uninfected, and uninfested in the bizarre and extreme circumstances of war.---Amazon.com

Peek below the line to look at the books I had on the list the last time TTT did this topic:

Sunday Salon---Spring Break report

Part of the NYC skyline

Weather: Overcast but not raining. There were a few moments of clearing today. The street trees are almost done blooming. Spring is here.

Part of the World Trade Center memorial. Roses are placed on the names of victims on their birthdays.

Spring Break in New York: last Sunday night we climbed aboard an airplane for a red-eye flight to New York. We flew through the night and I slept very little. We arrived at 7 AM, EDT. Our goal for the day was to make our way to Yonkers and Carly by 5 PM so we obviously were not in a hurry, which was good since our plans went awry almost immediately. As we rode a train leaving New Jersey we were detained because a train in front of us derailed. We had to jump over to the PATH train which travels to the World Trade Center. We decided to take the detour, even though we were dragging our bags behind us. This was our first visit to the site of the WTC since the completion of the memorial. We decided against going in the museum. (See note above about dragging our bags.) It was a touching experience. We also stopped in St. Paul's chapel across from the WTC and had a serendipitous moment since a Baroque ensemble was rehearsing with original instruments which included a lute and a oboe d'amore or a shawm (we couldn't tell which it was.) Next, we found a French Pastry shop and took our time over a ham and cheese croissant and a cafe latte. We caught the local #2 subway to get us close to Yonkers and finally Ubered our way for the last leg. We had enough time to take a short nap before our reunion with Carly. We closed out our first day in New York at Gianna's Restaurant in Yonkers, a wonderful spot we discovered  in August when we were in the state helping Carly move in.

Carly and Don contemplate a Renoir at the MET

Day two: Carly doesn't have classes on Tuesdays and every other Friday. So we all got up early and hightailed it into NYC to get in line for rush tickets at a Broadway theater. Carly is already good at navigating her way on the transit systems of New York. We took a train from Yonkers to Grand Central Station and then a subway shuttle to Times Square. We stood in line for about an hour but got rush tickets to see Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, starring Josh Groban. After purchasing tickets we had a lot of time to kill so we found our way to the Natural History Museum but couldn't believe how long the line was to get in so decided to march across Central Park and go to the Metropolitan Art Museum (MET) instead. After many hours and very sore feet we consulted the map and realized we had seen about 2% of what there was to see. We will have to go back some day, several times. After a quick dinner at Black Tap which specializes in Crazy Shakes we made our way back to the theater for a fabulous, mind-blowing theater experience. What a day!

Before the musical: Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812

Day three: Don and I made our way into the city early again hoping for another set of rush tickets. Quickly, however, we missed Carly's skill at navigating the transit system. We marched off the train in the wrong direction, dumped out into a part of town we didn't recognize, got lost walking around trying to find our way back. Our mishaps with the train and subway system continued throughout the day. We did find our way to the theater in time to get rush tickets for a matinee of Beautiful: the Carole King Story. Between getting the tickets and the show we made our way downtown, with another subway flub, to the Strand Bookstore. Though I enjoyed it, I hate to tell you this New York, Powell's Bookstore in Portland is bigger and better. Ha! Back to the matinee, we had a big laugh because it looked like the average age of the attendees was 70 years. The show was fabulous. We both loved Carole King so much when we were in secondary school. She has had an incredible career. We made another train choice goof-up but finally got on the right train and found our way back to Yonkers.

Don riding the bomb from Dr. Stranglove at the Alamo Drafthouse cinema

Day four: Our feet were too sore to make another trip into the city so we stuck around Yonkers for the day. Carly gave us a tour of Sarah Lawrence College where she is attending graduate school. It was good to see the spots where she hangs out during the day. We can now picture her life in New York more fully. That evening we went to see the movie, Logan, at the Yonkers Alamo Drafthouse cinema. The cinema has a new and funky concept where you can order food from a menu and it is delivered to your seat. They also have a great selection of draft brews and ciders. Logan wasn't my style for a movie selection but the experience was lots of fun.

At Rockefeller Plaza

Day five: After a late start we made our way back to New York City for another shot at a Broadway show with Carly. This time we planned on buying our tickets from TKTS so we had no idea what show tickets would be available. Times Square was just crawling with people, the TKTS line was so long, and it was windy and cold. Through an incredibly lucky event we were allowed to skip and go to the head of the line and we got discounted tickets to Amelie, a new musical on Broadway.  Once again after getting the tickets we had to kill some time before the show. We started with an early dinner at Juniors, home of the world famous cheesecake and delicious Reuben sandwiches. Yum. After dinner we had to keep warm somehow so we took a self-guided walking tour of Times Square and Rockefeller Center, spending a bit of time thawing out in two different churches, including St. Patrick's Cathedral. We loved the show, Amelie, which just officially opened this week, even though we were sitting in the front row!

Inside St. Patrick's cathedral

Day six: After a morning of shopping and helping Carly decorate her apartment we made our way to New Jersey to visit our friends Carol and Ken. What a fun visit. I'm counting it as one of my 60 for my 60th events. We've known Ken forever and Carol since they got married 34 years ago. We love you guys! Their son, Kevin, joined us for dinner. It is so fun to see our children grow into adults.

Waiting for the musical Amelie to begin. Me in the spotlight.

Day seven: our flight left Newark Airport at 6:45 AM, with the time change we were home by 9:30 AM. We stopped off at a favorite breakfast restaurant on my way back from the airport, The Sunbreak Cafe. I napped for a few hours while Don watched golf on TV. Now tomorrow we head back to work.

It shouldn't surprise you that I didn't get much reading done, but I did finish Upstream by Mary Oliver. Check out the my review by clicking the hyperlink. I also made progress on my spin book, Tales from the South Pacific. I'm at 83%.

Speaking of Josh Groban: Have you heard his single from Beauty and the Beast? Check it out.


What a week!

Upstream by Mary Oliver

Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver is a collection of essays by one of my favorite poets. Some of the essays are short, paragraph-long reflections and observations, while others are longer, more in depth essays on a variety of topics.  The book is divided into five sections. The first section contains essays on nature and reading and writing. Most give the reader an opportunity to pause and reflect.  As she looks back on her childhood and past years she is struck by many blessings.

I quickly found for myself two such blessings--- the natural world, and the world of writing: literature. These were the gates through which I vanish from a difficult place... And this is what I learned: that the world's otherness is antidote to confusion, that standing within otherness--- the beauty and the mystery of the world, out in the fields or deep inside books --- can redignify the worst- stung heart (14). 

I read the way a person might swim, to save his or her life. I wrote that way too (16).

Oliver hands out little quips of advice in this section, also:

You must not ever stop being whimsical./// And you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for your life (19).

She also mentions several times how much she appreciates form and structure, not only in nature but in literature. Perhaps that is why I enjoy Oliver's poems so much--- she follows and uses an understandable structure when she writes.

Section two essays focus on Oliver's observations of nature. Here she talks about daily walks where she notices animals and birds. Section three contains four literary analysis essays.  The first is about Ralph Waldo Emerson and, by extension, his famous book, Nature. I've not read Emerson but after reading this essay I want to give him a try. I love what Oliver has to say about him as a man and a writer.

The best use of literature bends not toward the narrow and the absolute but to the extravagant and the possible. Answers are not part of it; rather, it is the opinions, the rhapsodic persuasions, the engrafted logics, the clues that are to the mind of the reader the possible keys to his own self-quarrels, his own predicament. This is the crux of Emerson, who does not advance straight ahead but wanders to all sides of an issue; who delivers suggestions with a kindly gesture--- who opens doors and tells us to look for things ourselves. The one thing he is adamant about is that we should look--- we must look...(68-9).

Her essay on Walt Whitman and Leaves of Grass was of special interest to me since I just read it. I wish I had the opportunity to study Leaves of Grass under the tutelage of an instructor who understands its complexities but I will suffice with a few notes from Oliver here on the greatness of this volume of poetry.

Of all American poems, the 1855  Leaves of Grass is the most probable of effect upon the individual sensibility. It wants no less. We study it as literature, but like all great literature it has a deeper design: it would be a book for men to live by. It is obsessively affirmative...It offers a way to live, in the religious sense, that is intelligent and emotive and rich, and dependent only on the individual--- no politics, no liturgy, no down payment. Just attention, sympathy, empathy...Brawn and spirit, we are built of light, and God is within us. This is the message of his long, honeyed harangue (107-8).

This section also contains essays on Edgar Allan Poe and on the poet Wordsworth. Both essays shed light on the writings and lives of these great writers.

Sections four and five contain essays on a variety of subjects: building a small house with her own hands, a bear's visit to town, more observations on nature, and a tribute to her hometown. My favorite from these sections is a reflection Oliver offers at the end of the essay on owls. She knows there is an owls nest someplace and she walks all over looking for it.

And I walk on, over the shoulder of summer and down across the red-dappled fall; and when, it's late winter again, out through the far woodlands of the Province Lands, maybe another few hundred miles, looking for the owl's nest, yes of course, and looking at everything else along the way (139).

Mary Oliver reminds us in Upstream that it is not attainment of the destination but the journey that holds the magic, but we must stop and take note as we travel on. She encourages us "to discover awe and wonder in life's smallest corners" (book jacket).

All quotes from print edition of Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver, Penguin Press, New York, 2016.

Sunday Salon---April 2nd---Poetry edition

April is National Poetry month. This Sunday Salon is dedicated to poetry and beauty and simplicity it brings into my life.

Hello Lilian Willow, and Noah, the oak tree I have hugged and kissed every first day of spring for the last thirty years. And in reply its thousand of leaves tremble! What a life is ours! Doesn’t anybody in the world anymore want to get up in the middle of the night and sing?---Mary Oliver, "Upstream".

Weather: Sunny, with blue skies, for the moment, a respite from the nearly continual rain. I know the feeling that Mary Oliver, my favorite poet, expresses about wanting to celebrate nature when it seems like everyone else just wants to focus on themselves.

The whole wing of the airport hushed...tilting our heads up.---Ellen Bass, "Gate C22".

Heading to New York for Spring Break: Tonight we are taking the red-eye from Sea-Tac to Newark, heading to New York to see our daughter.  The poem, "Gate C22" by Ellen Bass is a favorite poem and it is so irresistible. It tells the story of a couple who reunite at the airport and "kiss and kiss and kiss," so much so that everyone quiets down in the terminal watching the holy reunion. We obviously won't kiss and kiss Carly, but we will likely hug and hug, another happy reunion.

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice---Mary Oliver, "The Journey"

Still conflicted about retirement this year: No one is telling me I HAVE to retire but a lot of people are telling me I should. I STILL don't know what I want to do, which is really an answer in itself. I love Mary Oliver's poem, "The Journey", which advises the reader to heed the inner voices. I am trying to listen to these.

I sing the body electric,... 

The exquisite realization of health; 

O I say these are not the parts and poems of the body only, but of the soul, 

O I say now these are the soul!---Walt Whitman, "I Sing the Body Electric"

Ah-h-h---I had a pedicure yesterday and it felt so good. Everything about it, especially the hot wax and the leg massage, was invigorating. The thought ran through my head that this must have been what Walt Whitman meant when he wrote the poem, "I Sing the Body Electric", since every nerve cell seemed to be stimulated and calmed at the same time. It felt like a celebration of my body.

The Lord is my light and my salvation---whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life---of whom shall I be afraid?---Psalm 27:1

Lenten exercise: This year for Lent I decided to pray a Psalm every day. Lest you think I am either amazing or bragging, I am six days behind my schedule. So I am definitely not amazing. It has been harder than I thought it would be because it seems like many of the psalms, many more than I thought before I started, are variations on, "See those guys over there? They are my enemies. Go get 'em God." That is not exactly what I think of when I think of prayer. The psalm I prayed today, Psalm 27, was a good one which spoke to me of comfort and protection.

Last Night as I was sleeping, 
I dreamt---marvelous error!---
that a fiery sun was giving
light inside my heart...Antonio Machado, "Last Night As I Was Dreaming"

Lenten theme: The theme of the sermon series at our church these weeks leading up to Easter have been about the elements: water, fire, earth, and wind. Gary, our pastor, has got us searching out references in the Bible on the elements and how they were used to explain concepts to the people living during those days. Today's theme was fire. It might be a stretch, but I adore this poem by Antonio Machado, and it seemed to match today's theme of fire.

I could never have dreamt that there were such goings-on
in the world between the covers of books, 
such sandstorms and ice blasts of words,,, 
such staggering peace, such enormous laughter, 
such and so many blinding bright lights,, ,
splashing all over the pages
in a million bits and pieces
all of which were words, words, words,
and each of which were alive foreverin its own delight and glory and oddity and light.
---Dylan Thomas, "Notes on the Art of Poetry"

Books completed this week (Does it surprise you I found a poem about reading? Ha!)

• Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrow---I read this after I came upon it during inventory in the library. It is really a fascinating story. Print.
• All Better Now by Mary Wing Smith---a memoir about a girl whose life was saved by a car accident because it helped doctors discover a huge brain tumor. I also bumped into this book during inventory. Print.
• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi---a book club selection that I finished late. Very good. Click the hyperlink for my review. Audio.
• If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo---I've been dawdling thorugh this book since February. The story of a transgender youth. I read it for my Read All YMA challenge. It won the Schneider Family Book Award this past year. Print.

Currently reading:

• Upstream: Essays by Mary Oliver---love it. She is just sharing little thoughts on her life and inspirations for her poetry.  10%, Print.
• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman---this popular book is for an upcoming book club. One gal suggested it because everyone in her other club loved it. While another club member who had read it said she didn't care for it. I am somewhere in the middle, neutral. 50%, audio.
• Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener---my Classics Club Spin book. 35%, print. 

I keep collecting books I know
I’ll never, never read;
My wife and daughter tell me so,
And yet I never heed.---Robert William Service, "Book Lover"

Purging my TBR pile. This week I spent a little bit of time purging book titles off my Goodreads To-Read list. Every time someone mentions a book they like and think I should read I add the title to this list. It was up to over 65 titles, many added as long ago as 2011. Many I couldn't remember why I added or who suggested I might like the book. I purge the list down to 50 titles, which is still a lot. And I made a little pledge to myself that I am not "allowed" new titles without either reading a book off the list, or purging another title. We'll see how long that lasts. When I found this poem, "Book Lover" by Robert William Service, I could totally relate to buying books I know I will never read. Oh dear.

Let me conclude this blog post with one more question by Mary Oliver, from "The Summer Day". I hope you have a answer for yourself. Enjoy reading some poetry this month!

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” 

Review: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Back in 2009 the Obama family, for a family vacation, visited Accra, Ghana. I remember seeing footage of their visit on the nightly news. I was surprised to learn that there was an old castle in Ghana called Cape Coast Castle. It was at that spot more than 250 years earlier where slave traders set up shop and began the horrifying business of trafficking in human lives. On the compound which held the castle, there was also a dungeon which could hold over 200 prisoners at a time for weeks/months until they were forced aboard ships bound for America and the Caribbean. The Obamas wanted to see Cape Coast Castle with their own eyes because Michelle was a descendant of slaves. Obama said it reminded him of the Nazi concentration camps and he was saddened to recognize how some humans have a capacity to commit great evil.

Homegoing is a historical novel set in the Gold Coast of Africa (now Ghana) starting in the eighteenth century up to the present day. Each of its fourteen chapters are stories about the descendants of two half sisters, Effie and Esi. Effie is married off to a slaver who lives in the castle, in opulence she didn't even know existed prior to moving in. Her son is educated in England and returns to Ghana to continue in the "family business." Meanwhile, her half sister, Esi, is held in the dungeon just yards away which is so crowded when one woman urinates it trickles down both prisoners' legs. Each subsequent chapter is told from the point of view from one of the descendants of these two women. Effie's descendants lived in Africa and even after seven generations were able to trace their lineage back to her. Esi's descendants lived in America. Many were slaves or enslaved by racism and inequality. Esi's family didn't remember her. Both girls were given a special pendant from their mother, but Esi lost hers in the dungeons under Cape Coast Castle.

All fourteen stories, for this book really is a collection of short stories, coalesces into a moving and phenomenal whole at the end of the novel when two characters, one from each branch, meet and make their way back to Africa. The term "homegoing" traditionally referred to slave funerals. It was believed that the dead slave's soul would return the to land from which he/she was stolen. The Urban Dictionary defines it as a cerebration of one's life. This is separate and distinct event from a funeral. As the novel comes to its conclusion, readers are given a clear sense of the importance of homegoing. We cannot really know ourselves if we do not know our roots.

The book is remarkable. When I was in the middle of it I kept thinking I couldn't bear it to listen any longer because the stories were so bleak and depressing, such horrors were inflicted on so many people. But I was assured by EVERYONE who had read the book that I must just stick with it. Once all the fourteen stories were stitched together and I was able to see the whole story together the novel almost burst forth with flames. It is that amazing and powerful. Yes, I listened to the audiobook, read by Dominic Hoffman who lent his lovely African accent to the work. It was also amazing.

I really recommend that you read the author interview done for Barnes and Noble Book Reviews called Who Stays and Who Is Taken: Yaa Gyasi on "Homegoing." Gyasi has a remarkable story herself and this interview broadened both my interest in the book and the stories within the story. At one point in the interview she was asked about what made her uncomfortable with the story and this is part of her response:

I felt, again, if I was going to tell this story, I couldn’t just avoid talking about the parts of it that make me uncomfortable. So I felt like I really needed to take a look at the ways in which Ghanaians were complicit in the slave trade, not in a way to put blame on anyone, but to tell a more fully-rounded story than the one that we usually hear.

This was certainly new information for me to digest. So much of the story of slavery is told from the point of view of what happened once the slaves reached American soil. I've never read anything about what happened from the African side of the ocean, how the members of different tribes preyed on  people from other tribes, essentially selling their countrymen/women into slavery. There is a very dark history on both sides of the Atlantic.

When asked what she hopes people will take away from her novel, Gyasi said,

I think the thing that I most wanted this novel to do was to show that people who are caught in these really difficult, traumatic situations, things like slavery, things like the Holocaust — It happened to individuals who are just like us, people with hopes and dreams and fears just like we have, not to a nameless, faceless mass. 

I really appreciate how personal all the stories of each of the fourteen individuals were. I could clearly picture the lives, the triumphs and the horrors of each generation. Gyasi should be applauded for bringing history to life in this remarkable way.

This is a tough novel. I usually review YA novels on this blog, but I would not recommend this book to any but the most mature and strongest teen readers. It was well worth the effort it took to read it but I do not think the average teen is willing to work as hard as is required to get the full benefit from this book. I'd love to be proven wrong, however. Please let me know if you are a teen who read and appreciated this book.

Format: Audible.com

Stars: 4.5/5

Recommendations for Spring Break reading...

Today I sent out an email to my staff with suggested books and topics for Spring Break reading. Here is that email:

Hey folks, it is that time to start thinking about the vacation ahead and for me that always involves deciding what I will read on the plane/next to the pool/ in my own backyard (depending on my plans.) Consider checking out a book or two from the GKHS library. Here are a few suggestions:

Like something lighthearted?

We have a lot of books by Harlan Coban, John Grisham, Tom Clancey, Jodi Picoult, Michael Crichton, Nicholas Sparks

Want to read what the kids are reading? Here are a few titles of books our teens are reading:

• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K Johnston
• The Memory Book by Lara Avery
• Character, Driven by David Lubar

Prefer nonfiction? I suggest---

• -The Shift: one nurse, twelve hours, four patients by Theresa Brown
• -When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanathi
• -How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig
• -Hidden Figures: the American dream and the untold story of Black women mathematicians who helped win the space race by Margot Shetterly
• -Grunt: the curious science of humans at war by Mary Roach (Pierce Reads 2017! book)
• -Radioactive: how Irene Curie and Lise Meitner revolutionized science and changed the world by Winifred Conkling

Want to read a new book and be the first to tell me what you think?

• The Art of Secrets by James Klise (mystery)
• The Sky Between You and Me by Catherine Alene (written in verse)
• Caravaggio: painter on the run by Marissa Moss (historical fiction)
• City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie Anderson (set in Kenya)
• One by Sarah Crossan (conjoined twins)

Like historical fiction? Me, too, so I suggest:

• -The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry (1200, France, Inquisition)
• -The Plot Against America by Philip Roth (Fractured history of WWII in America...it reminds me of what is happening today in our country)
• -Serena by Ron Rash (before environmentalism; timber barons, 1920s)
• -Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (memoir of the author growing up during Civil Rights era)
• -March, Books 1-3 by John Lewis (a three book set of graphic biographies about the life of an American hero and icon, John Lewis)
• -Boxers/Saints by Gene Luen Yang (a two-book graphic book about the boxer rebellion in China)
• -My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, et al (a fractured history of Lady Jane Gray, queen of England for 9 days; very funny)

Adult books with crossover appeal for teens:

• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
• Shattered Sea series (Half a King, Half the World) by Joe Abercrombie)
• Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (a true-life novel)
• The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (set in Barcelona, translated from Spanish)
• The Martian by Andy Weir

Anne suggests (I like quirky books, so beware)

• A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
• I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly
• The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater (Raven Boys is #1)

Want something to read on your iPad? We have a few eBooks (all YA titles). Here are the steps to find them and check them out:

Go to the GKHS Library home page

Login (top right corner)

Click Catalog tab

Click on Destiny Discover listed on left side column

In Search bar, type eBooks.

See all eBooks

Check out the titles you want to read.

Download Follett Brytewave K-12 Edition from Self Service (Free) as your reader.

Enjoy book!

(My favorites on the list are: The Unlikely Hero of Room 13-B; We are the Ants; All the Bright Places)

Want to know how to get a ebook or audiobook from the Pierce County Library? I have a bookmark with directions. All you need is your library card and you can shop from your iPad or computer. Drop in or send up a student for the bookmark. Or just head over to their website, you should be able to figure it out. http://www.piercecountylibrary.org. 

Still nothing sounds good to you? Come in and I will help you find something.

Happy Spring Break. Happy reading.

-Your beloved (ha!) librarian, Anne

TTT: Authors I Have Met in Person

Hosted by The Broke and Bookish

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I have actually met in person. 

1. John Green, author of several of my favorite YA books: Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, and The Fault In Our Stars among them.

2. Jay Asher, another YA author. His book 13 Reasons Why is being made into a movie now.

3. Frank McCourt, the author of Angela's Ashes and Teacher Man. I met him the year before he died.

4. Suki Kim author of the nonfiction book Without You, There is No Us about her experiences in North Korea.

5. Kim Derting, a YA author who lives nearby in community not far from here. Her series, The Body Finder, is very popular in my library.

6. Sherman Alexie is another Washington State author. I have heard him speak several times and read many of his books. He writes about the Native American experience. His most popular book is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

7. Leslye Walton, I loved her YA book The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. When I met Miss Walton I sort of screamed/swooned. Ha!

8. Frank Beddor. Frank's series The Looking Glass Wars has recently become popular in my library after languishing on the shelves for years. He now has a new graphic series, Hatter M. which is building up its own following. I met him last year at the Cavalcade of Authors West last year and spoke to him on the phone earlier this year. He kindly replaced a few books which were poorly bound by one of his publishers.

9. Kazu Kibuishi. the author and illustrator of the wildly popular graphic novel Amulet series. I love it that his photo is actually one of his illustrations.

10. William Ritter is another YA author I met at the Cavalcade of Authors West last year. Kids love, and so do I, his Jackaby series.

11. Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See which was my favorite book read in 2015. He is a very interesting guy.

12. Marissa Meyer, the Cinder series, is another local author. I attended her launch party for the finale book Winter. She and her books are wildly popular with girls.

Sunday, er, Monday Salon, March 27

Long-time friends

Weather...guess. You are right. It is raining, again. It is so soggy outside. Yesterday two ducks were swimming in an impromptu pond at the curb in front of my parents' house in Eugene.

Hard week: Last Sunday I reported that my dog's cancer was spreading and the vet warned us it was time to start thinking about euthanasia. We still thought we had a few weeks. By Tuesday that timeline got shaved down to two days and on Thursday we had her put down. It just broke our hearts to make the decision but we couldn't stand to see her suffer either. I wrote a blogpost Saying Goodbye to Muffy which was both heartbreakingly hard but also cathartic to write. I'd be honored if you would read it by clicking on the hyperlink. Rita, Don, and I were with her at the end. Carly, living in New York, had called in and spent some FaceTime with Muffy the day before. (I admit that FaceTime is not very satisfying with a dog.) Now we are rearranging our lives around a dogless house. We cleaned up her dog toys and bedding, removed her crate, washed and put away the dog dishes, and tossed the rugs we had placed on the hardwood so she could actually walk around. We even moved the cat food bowls down to the floor. Cat food bowls have been on the counter for years. If we left them on the floor, Muffy would eat their food. This morning both cats stood on the counter meowing, wondering where we had put their food. Sigh.

Muffy and one of her girls. Last day.

Best and longest friend visit: My best friend from junior high school through college days drove up from Portland on Wednesday for a walk and visit. She lives in Singapore, was in Portland for a conference, and decided to reconnect for a lovely afternoon. Unfortunately the weather didn't hold so we sat in a  Italian bakery and ate pastries and drank tea for hours. We had so much to talk about, we could have talked for days rather than hours. Thanks for the visit, Rita, I love you.

Trip to Oregon: We drove south to help my mother celebrate her 88th birthday and to make sure that my father was doing as well as she reported, after a health scare earlier in the month. Dad looked good. Mom was jubilant. My younger sister drove over from Boise, my older sister hosted a party for mom and we had some wonderful together time.

60 for my 60th: My afternoon visit with my friend Rita and the week-end visit with my sisters and parents brings my total over 20. This is so much fun reconnecting with friends. I recommend it.

Spring Break next week: We are heading to New York to see Carly. I am looking forward to seeing my girl!

University of Oregon basketball: The UO Men's basketball team is going to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. Yippee! In case you want to see a sped up version of the whole game (with every score), here you go:


and the UO Women's Basketball team is going to the Elite Eight game tonight against UConn. The clip is from the locker room after their Sweet Sixteen game against Temple.



Books read this week:

• Long May She Wave: a graphic history of the American flag by Kit Hinrichs---I enjoyed this over-sized book which highlights the history of the US flag and all the paraphernalia related to it.
• Dog Heaven by Cynthia Ryalant---a children's book which came along at just the time I need it to give me a perspective on heaven for dogs. Thanks, Theresa, for the recommendation.
• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo---a middle grade book about a remarkable dog, Winn-Dixie, who helps a young girl make friends and find her place in a new community. Another sweet dog book to help me cope with the week.
• Dog Songs by Mary Oliver---I read a few poems from this small volume. Oliver is a great dog lover, too, and has experienced the death of a beloved pet, eulogizing it in poetry.
• Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach---this is the Pierce County Reads! book for the year. Don and I listened to it going to and returning from Oregon. We got trapped in traffic so we were able to finish the whole thing on the one trip. I like Mary Roach's approach to research and her writing style is inviting, even funny at times. Some of the subjects in this book, though, were pretty disgusting.

Currently reading:

• Homegoing by Gyassi---I missed the book club where this book was discussed but I am determined to finish it. 80% complete. Audio.
• Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener---this is my Classics Club Spin book for the quarter. It is short stories of sailors fighting in the Pacific in WWII. So far my imagination hasn't been piqued but I haven't gotten far. 15%. Print.
• If I was Your Girl by Meredith Russo. I just picked this book back up after a month-long hiatus where I had to set it aside. My goal is to finish it by Friday. 23%. Print.

What I hope to read/finish during Spring Break:

• Dear Bob and Sue by Matt Smith. A book club selection for the upcoming month. Print.
• Tales from the South Pacific by James Michener. Don't know if I can finish it but I'd like to complete a fair chunk of it during my week off from school. Print.
• When We Collided by Emery Lord...a YA book which won the Schneider Family Book Award last year. It has been on my bedside table for far too long. Print.
• I also want to find an audio book to listen to and a e-book to download on my iPad. I guess I'll have to do a little shopping on the library catalog.

Have a good week!

Friday Quotes, Because of Winn-Dixie

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. Share the opening quote from the book.
The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice.  Find a quote from page 56.

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. This is the book I'm reading right now---

Title: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Book Beginning:

My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes and I came back with a dog.

Friday 56:

And Winn-Dixie stood and stared back at her. He didn't hardly move. He didn't wag his tail. He didn't smile...He just stared at Gertrude [a parrot] and she stared at him. And then she spread her wings out real far and flew and landed on top of Winn-Dixie's head.

Comment: We had to have our dog put to "sleep" last night so I am feeling quite sad and tender today. I'd be honored if you would check out the tribute I wrote to Muffy here. Because of my sadness, today I decided to read a quick, middle-grade book about a wonderful dog, Because of Winn-Dixie written by a masterful author. Don't you just love the book beginning? I'm hoping that Winn-Dixie will work her magic on me like she did for Opal.

Anne

Saying Goodbye to Muffy with a look at the literature

Memories of Muffy on a better day

Today we will put our dog to "sleep." She has a horrible cancerous growth on her leg. It is time to end her suffering. Since I first talked about this on my Sunday Salon post last week I have heard from many, many friends who have had to face the same situation and can empathize with our pain. We know we are not alone.

I wanted to eulogize Muffy for the good dog that she was but unlike my favorite authors who have been able to put pen to paper to extol the virtues of their dogs or of dogs in general, words seem to be eluding me right now. Therefore I will grab a few of their words. I hope these words will not only bring solace to my soul but will also be a salve to yours, if you are also going through a similar situation with a beloved pet.

I hope there is a pet heaven. If there is, as Cynthia Rylant tells us in her children's book Dog Heaven, there will be fields and fields for running, ponds full of geese for barking, tables to lay under, and lots of biscuits to eat. Biscuits in every shape and flavor. God loves dogs and in heaven all dogs are good. And, at the end of our life, our dog will be waiting for us, as she waited for us to get home from work or school here on earth. Muffy will especially like the dog biscuit part. She is definitely a food-lover.

Enzo, the canine narrator of the book The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, heard that when a dog comes to the end of his life "his soul is released to run until he is ready to be reborn" (316). When it is his time to leave, Enzo sees another world where he is free and he wants his master to know he is OK.

There are no fences. No buildings. No people. There is only me and the grass and the sky and the earth. Only me...I take a few steps into the field and feels so good, so nice to be in the cool air, to smell the smells around me. To feel the sun on my coat...I gather my strength and I start off and it feels good like I have no age at all, like I am timeless. I pick up speed. I run... I bark twice so he knows, so he remembers.

Bailey, another canine narrator, knows she needs to help her master. But she is not sure how. After many incarnations she finds he way back to her original master and is able to assist her master with what he needs most, to find love. It was her purpose in life to be there for him and to teach him this. (A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.) I'm pretty sure that Muffy's purpose was to fill a void we had in our lives at the moment she entered in. We got her during a very stressful period for our family. Don was deployed to Iraq for a year. When we got Muffy suddenly we all knew we'd be OK. (And we were!)

We learn so much from our dogs if we are willing to pay attention. My favorite poet, Mary Oliver, is quite a dog lover and has written a whole volume of poems, Dog Songs. dedicated to them, She, like all of us who love our pets, talks to her dogs and imagines that they answer back. In this poem she imagines a conversation with her dog Percy:

In another poem written after Percy dies, Mary Oliver eulogizes him in a beautiful poem. One line jumped out at me: "And you loved Anne." Mary's partner's name is Anne. It is my name, too. If I were to write the poem I would say this about Muffy---

"And you loved Anne and Don and Rita and Carly...your people."

Enzo, wise Enzo,  also reminds us---

To live every day as if it had been stolen from death, that is how I would like to live. To feel the joy of life, as Eve felt the joy of life. To separate oneself from the burden, the angst, the anguish that we all encounter every day. To say I am alive, I am wonderful, I am. I am. That is something to aspire to. (The Art of Racing in the Rain.)

He also reminds us that we should always try to improve on one thing dogs are really good at---listening. Really listening. Not just hearing and preparing to tell our own story as soon as the person stops speaking. He said, "Learn to listen! I beg of you. Pretend you are a dog like me and listen to other people rather than steal their stories.” Muffy was a great listener (unless there was a laser pointer in sight.) She would perk up her ears and look right at you, and you could tell she was listening and trying to understand what we were saying. She would also remind us, and did everyday, that we are all wonderful and lovable.

Winn-Dixie, the adorable mutt who changes Opal's life in Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, understood the importance of proximity. "He [Winn-Dixie] sat down next to me and leaned into me the same as I was leaning into my daddy" (182). All the people in the book recognized how special this dog was and in the end, they celebrated his life,

Dunlap cracked his knuckles and said, 'Well, are we gonna sing or what?' 'Yeah,' Stevie echoed, 'are we gonna sing or what?' 'Let's sing,' said Sweetie Pie, opening her eyes and sitting up straight. 'Let's sing for the dog.'

Today, I want to sing for the dog, Muffy, the special dog in our lives. The dog who knew how to listen and loved to sit close to us. The dog with the most amazing, soft, huge ears that we used to tease were "as soft as dog ears." I want to sing out in celebration of a dog who loved us unconditionally and in return modeled how to accept love. My heart is breaking but I am comforted thinking about Muffy running through fields, barking her head off, and eating biscuits whenever she wants. And in the end, I hope she will be there to greet us on the other side.

Muffy, if there is a dog heaven, I hope that there are plenty of things to chase, even if you never catch them. I hope that you always get to the food bowl first and not have to nip at the cat to get out of the way. I hope that there will be long walks full of good, stinky things to smell. I hope there are lots of good hiding places for your bones and lots of stuffy-toys with fake eyes you can pull out and squeakers you can destroy.

Muffy, you have made us laugh more times than I can count. I even chuckled this morning, even though you were feeling so poorly, when you tried to break up Don and I as we kissed goodbye for the day. You also did take your job as PDA police very seriously. With your comedic antics you endeared yourself to us. "It is hard not to fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor" (Because of Winn-Dixie). And fall we did.

And thank you, Muffy, for reminding us that it is wonderful to be alive, even when it hurts because we will miss you so much.

Love, Anne and all your people

May there always be blue balls, green grass and good places to roll around in heaven.