Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein

Title: Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein

Author: Linda Bailey; Illustrated by Júlia Sardà

Publisher: Tundra

ISBN: 9781770495593

Length: Unnumbered + "Author's Note" + "Sources"

Obtained: Library hardcover picture book

Comments:

I have a series of Frankenstein programs scheduled for work, and I've been reading some Frankenstein related books (just kids books so far). This is one of them, but I realized when I finished it that the author, Linda Bailey, is Canadian, so I'm posting to fulfill the 12th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.

 This is a children's book that looks into Mary Shelley's background from her childhood on. It focuses on what inspired her creation of Frankenstein, from her "dreamer" nature as a child to the challenge that prompted the story. The illustrations are charming, and I couldn't help but like Mary her past and creativity is uncovered.

Rocket Boys

Title: Rockets Boys aka October Sky

Author: Homer H. Hickam, Jr. [Website][Twitter][Facebook] aka Sonny

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Series: Coalwood, Bk 1

ISBN: 038533320X

Length: 368 pages

Obtained: Library book club copy

Why this book?:

For a book club.

Comments:

I found this very interesting.  It reminded me why I enjoy memoirs.  The rocket part was interesting, and I was rooting for the boys to succeed (I do like that kind of story), but I was especially interested in the coal mining town and family aspect.  I have some of that in my ancestry, and I found myself mentally picturing my relatives in this town (though it seemed like it may not exactly be the usual).

I checked out the next book, The Coalwood Way, though to be honest I don't know if I'll get to it soon.  Nevertheless, I definitely want to continue reading Homer Hickam's books.  I'm not sure if I want to see the movie or not... That can always be a scary prospect.

Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness

Title: Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness

Author: Alexandra Fuller [Website] aka Bobo Fuller

Publisher: Penguin Books

ISBN: 9780143121343

Length: 227 pages + "Nicola Fuller of central Africa: The Soundtrack" + "A Guide to Unusual or Foreign Words or Phrases"

Obtained: Library book kit copy

Why this book?:

It was chosen for a book club discussion, and I was determined to actually read the discussion book this time.

Comments:

Well, it was interesting.  Different.  I didn't really know what to expect, so I can't say it wasn't what I expected.  But it rather wasn't.  I did a bit of looking things up in the middle of the book - lists books by African authors, reviews for a couple of those books, reviews for this book, reviews for the author's first book Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight...

I read two other books set at least partially in Africa immediately before this, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden. And this book is rife with racial references, race had been a subject in The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden, and is apparently a hot topic world-round.  I know the U.S. has been going through a lot, and the book community.  But I'll be honest - I'm one of those ignorant Americans, because while I had a vague idea of racial tensions historically in South Africa, was not aware of much of the history and racial perspectives and war demonstrated by some of the events and discussion of this book.  I knew pretty much nothing about Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.  So that was very educational for me.

Also interesting was the way mental illness was presented.  That's another subject I've been seeing more of in my reading - and it's a subject that hits much closer to home for me personally.  Alexandra seems to sometimes treat it as a joke, sometimes brushes it off, and sometimes presents it in the tragic way it can be.  I guess I can understand all of those reactions - I've certainly felt and had all of them - and still I wasn't experiencing these events the same way as Alexandra did as she walked the reader through them.

The third point, though, is actually something that was noted in one of the reviews I read on Goodreads.  That review referred to this book as a "love letter" to Alexandra's parents/family.  I was about half way in when I read that, and the thought stuck with me.  Even as Alexandra is describing parts of her life - things her parents (primarily her mother) have said, done, or experienced that seem horrible, sad, off-the-wall, etc., you can feel the love that she holds for them and that they hold for her.  I definitely think that reviewer got it right.

Overall, I thought this was a thought provoking book.  I'm still up in the air as to whether I might go back and read some of Alexandra's other books.  Perhaps someday.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)

Title: Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)

Author: Jenny Lawson [Website][Twitter][Facebook]

Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books

ISBN: 9780399159015

Length: 313 pages + "True Facts"

Why this book?:

It was for a book discussion group.

Comments:

There is a lot of poor language (curse words and such) and, as someone in the discussion said, "crude topics".  I'm not a fan of either.  But if you looked past that (and I can see where it would be difficult to overlook, because it is frequent), then the book is SO FUNNY.  I snickered out loud as quite a few of the scenarios presented.  And despite a lot of real and pretty depressing topics discussed, I found myself really enjoying it.  It was a great pick-me-upper.  Which is interesting, because one of those pretty depressing topics discussed is mental illness, which usually hits too close to home, but wasn't an issue with this book.  I think that may have been at least partially due to how well Jenny conveyed what would have been horrible moments with humor and spunk.

I don't read memoirs often, but some of them are more enjoyable or interesting to read than other.  This was one of those.  So much so that I intend to read Jenny's second book, Furiously Happy.

Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times

Title: Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times

Author: Jennifer Worth

Publisher: Penguin Books

Series: Call the Midwife, Bk 1

ISBN: 9780143123255

Length: 319 pages + Appendix "On the difficulties of writing the Cockney dialect" + Glossary

Obtained: Library book club kit copy

Why this book?:

This was this month's book for the discussion I've begun leading.

Note: I read the print and ebook editions of this book. 

Comments:

I was worried this might drag for me the way August's memoir was.  To my great relief, not only did this not drag, but if flowed.  I quickly found myself caught up in the descriptions (not something I usually say) and characters Jennifer met during her time midwifing in the 50s in the docklands of London.

Jennifer discusses the good, bad, and ugly.  Some stories brought a smile, stories of warmth found even during strained situations.  Others were sad or sickening in turn and showed the dark side of humanity.

The book certainly brought interesting discussion (for which I was relieved as well).  I don't have much to say about it now, but I am most definitely glad I read it.

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened

Title: Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened

Author: Allie Brosh [Website][Website Pt 2][Twitter][Website Facebook]

Publisher: Touchstone

ISBN: 9781451666175

Length: 369 pages

Obtained: Library copy

Why this book?:

I saw it on Wowbrary.  It looked interesting.  I started it on a whim.

Comments:

Very interesting.  Parts are funny, especially relating to the dogs and some of the childhood stories.  And parts were surprisingly deep.  My father has issues with depression (a lot more long term than I get the impression Allie's was, but still) and has actually attempted suicide, and it was interesting to see it from that perspective instead of the family members, and in such a descriptive way.  And of course parts are just okay.  But I don't expect anyone trying to be funny to strike me that way every single time.  Anyway, I'm glad I read it.  I spent some interesting time browsing Allie's blog about midway through the book.  And I ("duh" moment) realized she's the one that does that "clean all the things!" which is very amusing in context.

 

Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean

Title: Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean

Author: Jackson Galaxy with Joel Derfner

Publisher: Tantor Audio

ISBN: 9781452607610

Length: 5 Discs (6.5 hours)

Obtained: Library audiobook copy

Comments:

First, sorry about the cover being blurry.  I could only find the correct pic in a smaller size and when I made it bigger... Well that's what happened.  Anyway.

I was familiar with Jackson Galaxy from his television show on Animal Planet, My Cat from Hell, when I saw this audiobook come through my department.  I considered it, but ended up passing.  Then my grandmother gave me a page from a magazine with some animal books she was interested in, and this was on it.  Again, I considered it and decided to pass.  Then I was checking it in and... fine, I'll read it already.

It was interesting.  The language was a bit distracting, especially as this was in audio.  I'd be pulling up for gas, and he'd start F this and that, with kids in a nearby car staring, and I couldn't get that the car off fast enough.  Beyond that, there wasn't quite as much about how Benny (the cat) influenced his life as there was about what a mess he was, but that didn't bother me as much as it apparently did some.  And there are tips recapped at the end (they are kind of scattered throughout the book, but this makes them more obvious).

I don't regret reading this, but I would have rathered less of the poor language, or perhaps it would have been better to try in print.  And I will keep watching the show.

Seal Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy Seal Sniper

Title: SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper

Author: Howard E. Wasdin & Stephen Templin; Read by Ray Porter

Publisher: Blackstone Audio (Print: St. Martin's)

ISBN: 9781441786326

Length: 9 1/2 hrs

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

I was checking some audiobooks in, and this happened to be one of them.  I paused long enough to start reading the back blurb, then set it aside to look at later.  Soon, I found myself deciding I'd like to try it.  When I first started listening I was unsure.  He was just... such a guy.  I think it was more the actual writing than the way Ray Porter read it too.  I'm sure I'm explaining it poorly, but it made connecting difficult.  Anyway, I adjusted quickly enough.  Pretty much once he went back to his childhood and background.

Anyway, parts of the book were funny; parts were shocking (I don't remember what it was but I actually gasped and covered my mouth while listening to one part).  And still other parts were a string of jargon I'm just not gonna understand (types of weapons and ammo, etc.).  Some of the political insight was interesting because I was still a child at the time and didn't really understand what was going on.  Like I remember seeing something on the news about the Gulf War before we went out one evening.  The bits about his training was definitely interesting.  Now I'm curious to try some other books about the military.

It seems Howard Wasdin and Stephen Templin also have a YA version of this called I Am a SEAL Team Six Warrior Memoirs of an American Soldier.  And more recently they've written a fiction book called SEAL Team Six Outcasts.

The Pregnancy Project

Title: The Pregnancy Project: A Memoir

Author: Gaby Rodriguez with Jenna Glatzer

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR

ISBN: 9781442446229

Pages: 216

Obtained: Library copy



My Comments:

When I saw this on Wowbrary, I was intrigued.  I place a hold on it, checked it out, returned it, and repeated about 2 or 3 times before I finally broke the cycle and actually read it.  (Other people had holds on it so I couldn't renew it.)  Once I started it I was hooked.  I lost a lot of sleep reading it, but staying up late (2 - 3 am) and getting up early around 6-7am.  By 9:30am I had finished it.

I thought Gaby was a very brave and intelligent girl.  And mature too.  I certainly wouldn't have put so much thought into a project like that so early on.

The topic itself - stereotypes, especially regarding teen pregnancy, is interesting.  I don't watch the TV shows revolving the subject, but I've had teen moms in my extended family.  What I liked best, perhaps, about the way Gaby addresses the subject, though, is that she spoke out of experience (even if it was secondhand).  She had family with teen pregnancy, alcoholism, etc.  And of course there's the positive message.  While she addresses the statistics and current issues surrounding the topic of stereotyping, she also looks at what can be done to create change, both for herself and others.

Overall, I'm glad I took the time to read this.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

Title: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

Author: Vicki Myron with Bret Witter (Read by Suzanne Toren)

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Text Copyright Date: 2008

Production Copyright Date: 2008

ISBN: 9781600243820

Length: 4 Discs (Approx. 4.5 hours)(Abridged)

Book Description (from back cover of case):

How much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandonned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.

Dewey's story starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility (for a cat), and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most.

As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally, amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history.

Read by:

Suzanne Toren did a good job — for the most part — of reading this. Her voice would go softer when she was trying to portray certain emotions, and that helped set the mood. I have to say, though, her imitation of a man's voice was horrible. All men sounded the same...and they sounded weird.

Comments:

Of course I couldn't resist reading a book that combined cats and libraries. Two of my loves there — animals and books. Vicki makes it clear from the beginning that the book is about Dewey and his nineteen years with the library. That implies a beginning, middle, and end.

So, the beginning (first disc) had me misty eyed nearly the entire time. When Dewey's aweful beginning wasn't being described, his touching effect on everybody around him was. And my emotions were kicked in high gear.

Discs 2 and 3 (the middle) were not so emotional; they were interesting (to me at least). I have some backround in discusion of library history, layout, and Carnegie from my library history and philanthropy classes, but I had to wonder, though, how interesting the majority of people reading/listening would find it. Dewey's popularity continues to grow, Vicki describes some of her own issues...

And that brings us to the end (last disc). I felt a sick feeling in my stomach when I put this disc in. When was Dewey going to die, how was he going to leave life? It was obvious he's no longer alive so... Anyway, by the end I was sobbing. It probably didn't help that my family just had a family cat put down for health issues a couple weeks before.

Overall, I liked the beginning, the middle tended to be a bit slow, and the end was difficult, but very real. This is another book that definitely worked better as audio (except the men's voices) for me than print.

the ride of our lives: Roadside Lessons of an American Family

Title: the ride of our lives: Roadside Lessons of an American Family

Author: Mike (Michael) Leonard (Read by Marc Cashman)

Publisher: Books on Tape Books on CD (A division of Random House)

Text Copyright Date: 2006

Production Copyright Date: 2006

ISBN: 1415927227

Length: 7 Discs (7 hours 50 minutes)(Unabridged)

Book Description (from back cover of case):

An uproariously funny audiobook from NBC's Today Show correspondent Mike Leonard.

Mike Leonard is a lucky man. It's not everyone who get parents like Jack and Marge. At eighty-seven, Jack is a pathological optimist with an inexhaustible gift of gab. Marge, Jack's bride of sixty years, though cut from the same rough bolt of Irish immigrant cloth, is his polar opposite — pessimistic and proud of it. What was their son, Mike, thinking when he took a sabatical from his job with NBC News so he could pile these two world-class originals along with three of his grown kids and a daughter-in-law into a pair of rented RVs and hit the road for a month?

Mike was thinking that he wanted to give his parents teh ultimate family reunion. And so, one February morning, three generations of Leonard set out on their journey under the dazzling Arizonia sky. Thirty minutes later, one of teh humongous recreational vehicles has an unplanned meeting with a concrete island at a convenience store. Thus begins the adventure of a lifetime — and an absolute gem of an audiobook.

I decided to read this because...

I said in my introduction post of this blog that I'll read just about anything. That doesn't mean, however, that I don't tend toward certain genres - and away from others. This isn't my usual sort of book. So why did I read it?

I was exploring the local library's website, and came across a program all the libraries in this area (from several districts) are involved in to, I guess, community build. This program has a family theme and suggested three books, one adult, one YA, one children's. This was the adult selection, and I decided (being the flexible — when it comes to books — person I am), to give it a try.

I almost ordered the print copy, but saw an audiocopy was available and thought it would be the perfect medium to read this type of book. A choice I do not regret.

Read by:

As a newcomer of sorts to audiobooks, who reads the audiobook is a big deal. My first audiobook (by Luanne Rice, I don't remember the title) was so slloooowwww and dragggged out. I finished it just to get it over with and expect I would have liked it in print better. My second audiobook — The Big Sleep, a classic detective book — was read by Elliott Gould. He was perfect for that type of detective narrating (BTW, for those who don't know, Elliott Gould is also an actor. I recognized his voice — not his name — from the Ocean's (11, 12, 13) movies). Anyway, I was a bit aprehensive about which way this one would go.

It took me a couple tracks to get comfortable listening to Marc Cashman read this book, but by the end, when he says (on the last track) "This is Marc Cashman," I mentally protested. Seriously, for a couple seconds, I was all, "No you're not! You're Mike Leo... Oh. Yeah. You're the reader. You're Marc Cashman." (Kinda embarrassing to admit.) He was fairly good at accents, of which he had several to read. Texas Southern, N'Awlins Southern, Georgia Southern, Rhode Island Eastern... Not to mention young (child), young (teen), elderly, middle aged... and male/female (female was, as could be expected, his weakest, in my Midwestern American opinion).

Leftover Comments:

This is already long, so I'll try to keep the rest short...

The story itself was fun and often times funny. It had its poignant moments, its thoughtful moments, its interesting moments, its inspiring moments, and its boring moments (this is a man writing about his life — no one's life is always interesting, even when edited for a book). In the end, I'm glad I decided to try it.

As a(nother) side note: Language I could have ignored in a print book — mostly sh- and various forms of the Lord's name (which may or may not bother you, depending on who "you" are) — was much more out there and difficult to ignore.

Tuesday (5/5) Teaser

Hosted by: MizB (@ http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/)

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall to a random page.
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• Share the title of the book that you're getting your teaser from... That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!Please avoid spoilers!

I have two (this is becoming a more frequent occurrence) books I'm reading. A cozy mystery and a non-fiction/memoir.

Here is the cozy teaser:

I forced a laugh—which sounded only slightly less phony than it actually was. "Probably just has an active imagination."

From p. 79 of The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion by Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle, aka Alice Alfonsi & Marc Cerasini).

Here is the non-fiction/memoir teaser:

One morning during residency, at our usual post-rounds seven a.m. team breakfast (after arriving for duty a couple hours earlier), my colleagues and I were joking around—and fantasizing—about the life of dermatology residents. One of the more contentious members of our group decided to put them to the test.

From p. 61 (a not so random page—the book opened to where my bookmark is) of Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside by Katrina Firlik.