Listening to a Books on the Nightstand podcast, one of the hosts talked about girlchild.
Basically he said:
Girlchild by
Tupelo Hassman – This is a book that truly blew me away. Uncomfortable
and unbearably sad at times, this story of young trailer park resident
Rory Dawn Hendrix features writing unlike anything I’ve read before.
I 100% agree. I couldn't sit and read this in one go, no matter how much I liked it.
Let's start somewhere here:
1) This is the author's debut novel and I'm amazed and in awe. The writing was skillful but packed an emotional wallop. It was truly a messy book but put together so well. Kudos Tupelo!
2) The story of Rory Dawn Hendrix is heartbreaking. Because of her family she is described as one of the "third generation bastards surely on the road to whoredom". girlchild depicts a life in a trailer park outside of Reno and it's not a pretty life. It's not even an okay life. It's a sad, scary life that Rory Dawn tries to make sense of using the Girl Scout Handbook from the library.
The end is unresolved. You root for Rory Dawn but somehow you just aren't sure she's going to make it out of the life she was thrown in to.
Uncomfortable, heartbreaking, with an optimistic twist in there.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
In My Father's Country by Saima Wahab
Once again, prompted to get a book based on an interview on The Daily Show (http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-august-7-2012/saima-wahab). Jon Stewart hasn't steered me wrong yet.
Saima was just a little girl in Afghanistan when the Russians were invading. She survived a bomb dropping on the room where she was sleeping, being hit by a bus, and being a woman in Afghanistan. Based on the book, she's an anomaly. Her dad was very progressive, so much so he had a radio show to encourage others to rebel. He was taken by the KGB and never returned. From there, the family went to the grandfather's village. The grandfather, or Baba, was another progressive soul who refused to treat the granddaughters in the fashion that other Afghan women were treated. The kids were sent on to America (Portland, OR) to live with uncles when they were young.
Saima obviously has a forceful personality, by her own admission, but she puts it to good use. Wanting to re-discover her father's country for herself, she signs up for a deployment with the US Army to be an interpreter. She then moves on to another job, still deployed in Afghanistan, still helping bridge the gap between the American soldiers and the Afghan people.
The way women are treated is heartbreaking. But it's encouraging that not all parents, not all families, treat the women this way. Saima had a great family that knew she was destined for greater things (When a son is born, fathers go out into the street to shoot guns. When Saima was born, her father went out and shot his gun. He thought she was going to do more than many sons.).
I got some interesting insight into a culture I just don't understand and also more empathy for the soldiers deployed over in a foreign land.
Saima was just a little girl in Afghanistan when the Russians were invading. She survived a bomb dropping on the room where she was sleeping, being hit by a bus, and being a woman in Afghanistan. Based on the book, she's an anomaly. Her dad was very progressive, so much so he had a radio show to encourage others to rebel. He was taken by the KGB and never returned. From there, the family went to the grandfather's village. The grandfather, or Baba, was another progressive soul who refused to treat the granddaughters in the fashion that other Afghan women were treated. The kids were sent on to America (Portland, OR) to live with uncles when they were young.
Saima obviously has a forceful personality, by her own admission, but she puts it to good use. Wanting to re-discover her father's country for herself, she signs up for a deployment with the US Army to be an interpreter. She then moves on to another job, still deployed in Afghanistan, still helping bridge the gap between the American soldiers and the Afghan people.
The way women are treated is heartbreaking. But it's encouraging that not all parents, not all families, treat the women this way. Saima had a great family that knew she was destined for greater things (When a son is born, fathers go out into the street to shoot guns. When Saima was born, her father went out and shot his gun. He thought she was going to do more than many sons.).
I got some interesting insight into a culture I just don't understand and also more empathy for the soldiers deployed over in a foreign land.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost
Plucked from Audible.com, this was a well-read....travel book? Let's call it a travel book. Non-fiction, this details Troost and his girlfriend, Sylvia's desire to just do something, get away and escape reality. Only in their 20s, going to a war-torn, desolate area for humanity work sounded good to them. Cue Tarawa.
I will admit I have never heard of Tarawa, let alone be able to point to it on the map. It's on the equator, which means it's HOT! (as Troost mentions many times) and it's a small little island that barely has a functioning plane, a runway where children and pigs play, no electricity, no running water and no discernible way to get rid of waste.
It's clearly not the island paradise Troost and Sylvia were expecting. But they stayed for 2 years while Sylvia worked to educate and help the natives. This is truly a book of misadventures as the city folk get used to life on a remote island (where dog-eat-dog has a whole new meaning and fish is your meal for every meal for years). There were many many laugh out loud moments and just as many moments where I found I was just smiling, which probably confused other drivers who passed me.
Yes, it's a travel book, but you get schooled in Tarawa history. I felt a little abashed that I didn't even know battles had been fought there, with many lives lost. Troost wasn't condescending but obviously felt that Americans should know this history, and he's right.
I would recommend listening to this book because the narrator, Simon Vance, did a wonderful job.
Aside: the title is a bit misleading although the history of the island is discussed and there are cannibals involved and apparently a close island to Tarawa is known for oral sex....so....not so misleading?
I will admit I have never heard of Tarawa, let alone be able to point to it on the map. It's on the equator, which means it's HOT! (as Troost mentions many times) and it's a small little island that barely has a functioning plane, a runway where children and pigs play, no electricity, no running water and no discernible way to get rid of waste.
It's clearly not the island paradise Troost and Sylvia were expecting. But they stayed for 2 years while Sylvia worked to educate and help the natives. This is truly a book of misadventures as the city folk get used to life on a remote island (where dog-eat-dog has a whole new meaning and fish is your meal for every meal for years). There were many many laugh out loud moments and just as many moments where I found I was just smiling, which probably confused other drivers who passed me.
Yes, it's a travel book, but you get schooled in Tarawa history. I felt a little abashed that I didn't even know battles had been fought there, with many lives lost. Troost wasn't condescending but obviously felt that Americans should know this history, and he's right.
I would recommend listening to this book because the narrator, Simon Vance, did a wonderful job.
Aside: the title is a bit misleading although the history of the island is discussed and there are cannibals involved and apparently a close island to Tarawa is known for oral sex....so....not so misleading?
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen
I've put myself on a book diet so everything here on out should be from my stacks or borrowed from the library or other people.
This one is a library book. I have to say it makes me happy that my library lends ebooks. Just makes things so easy.
I like Gerritsen but I find I tend to skip over her books. This one was interesting and different than what I expected. In modern day, Julia is digging a garden in her new, rundown, backyard when she ends up striking a skull with her trowel. Cue dozens of medical examiners digging up her entire yard. We discover that the bones are old, approximately 1800s old. Julia meets up with a neighbor who is curious about the bones. They chat and part ways. An old man calls Julia, a cousin of the previous owner, and offers up documents that his cousin kept that might reveal who the bones belong to and Julia takes him up on his offer.
The real mystery is set in the 1800s and involves Oliver Wendell Holmes and the West End Reaper. It's interesting that the exciting part of the book, the mystery to solve, is set so far in the past.
There's a pretty good journey to discover owner of the bones (and we do) but that proved fairly insignificant compared to the other things we discover.
This one is a library book. I have to say it makes me happy that my library lends ebooks. Just makes things so easy.
I like Gerritsen but I find I tend to skip over her books. This one was interesting and different than what I expected. In modern day, Julia is digging a garden in her new, rundown, backyard when she ends up striking a skull with her trowel. Cue dozens of medical examiners digging up her entire yard. We discover that the bones are old, approximately 1800s old. Julia meets up with a neighbor who is curious about the bones. They chat and part ways. An old man calls Julia, a cousin of the previous owner, and offers up documents that his cousin kept that might reveal who the bones belong to and Julia takes him up on his offer.
The real mystery is set in the 1800s and involves Oliver Wendell Holmes and the West End Reaper. It's interesting that the exciting part of the book, the mystery to solve, is set so far in the past.
There's a pretty good journey to discover owner of the bones (and we do) but that proved fairly insignificant compared to the other things we discover.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Wow.
I haven't read a book in a long time that caught me off guard like this one. I found out about it through the Books on the Nightstand podcast and was intrigued when they said you HAD to have someone to discuss this book with. They are right and I have no one :(
It starts out fairly tame. We have Nick and Amy, a seemingly "perfect" couple who are going through a rough patch but coming up on their 5th anniversary. The story is told alternating between Nick's current story and Amy's old diary. On the day of the anniversary, Nick heads to The Bar he owns with his twin sister and Amy goes missing, seemingly taken right out of her house.
The police are called and it's beginning to look pretty bad for Nick.
I cannot say anymore because I want you to happen upon the twists and turns. I want you to gasp and say "Oh HELL no" like I did. I want you to read this book in one day because you have to know what's happening. And then I want you to discuss it with me!
Hurry!
I haven't read a book in a long time that caught me off guard like this one. I found out about it through the Books on the Nightstand podcast and was intrigued when they said you HAD to have someone to discuss this book with. They are right and I have no one :(
It starts out fairly tame. We have Nick and Amy, a seemingly "perfect" couple who are going through a rough patch but coming up on their 5th anniversary. The story is told alternating between Nick's current story and Amy's old diary. On the day of the anniversary, Nick heads to The Bar he owns with his twin sister and Amy goes missing, seemingly taken right out of her house.
The police are called and it's beginning to look pretty bad for Nick.
I cannot say anymore because I want you to happen upon the twists and turns. I want you to gasp and say "Oh HELL no" like I did. I want you to read this book in one day because you have to know what's happening. And then I want you to discuss it with me!
Hurry!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz
I have a love/hate relationship with Odd. Not him, in particular, just the books. Odd Hours, the predecessor, was good, if a little too wordy but the others I just didn't like as much. But, I'm nothing if not dedicated and loyal, so I bought the new Odd book.
It's been a few days since I finished it but I think I liked it. It strayed a bit from the formula, of Odd helping deceased spirits, and I wasn't sure I liked it because that was the one quality about Odd that I loved.
He still sees and helps a spirit (2, if you count the horse) but the rest of the novel is pure sci-fi/weirdness. Koontz has always had me believe his stories might be plausible. And this one is the same way....if a bit a of stretch.
I don't want to give too much away, but Odd and AnnaMaria (from Odd Hours) have found themselves drawn to Roseland, a little estate that is anything but ideal and rosy. It takes a bit to figure out HOW it's not right but once Odd does, well, it flies right into the weirdness and creepiness and doesn't stop until the end.
Oh yes, Odd gets in touch with a new famous spirit. It should lead to some great stories if the new spirit sticks around.
Final decision: this is a good Odd book. Not great, like the first one, but good and different.
It's been a few days since I finished it but I think I liked it. It strayed a bit from the formula, of Odd helping deceased spirits, and I wasn't sure I liked it because that was the one quality about Odd that I loved.
He still sees and helps a spirit (2, if you count the horse) but the rest of the novel is pure sci-fi/weirdness. Koontz has always had me believe his stories might be plausible. And this one is the same way....if a bit a of stretch.
I don't want to give too much away, but Odd and AnnaMaria (from Odd Hours) have found themselves drawn to Roseland, a little estate that is anything but ideal and rosy. It takes a bit to figure out HOW it's not right but once Odd does, well, it flies right into the weirdness and creepiness and doesn't stop until the end.
Oh yes, Odd gets in touch with a new famous spirit. It should lead to some great stories if the new spirit sticks around.
Final decision: this is a good Odd book. Not great, like the first one, but good and different.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
I was curious about this Percy Jackson character so I checked this out from the library, knowing full well it's a YA book (and I got burned with Twilight).
Some spoilers lie here.....
My reaction to PJ is quite the opposite to Twilight, I'm happy to announce. This is clearly written aimed at a younger audience but I enjoyed the story of Percy finding out he's a demi-god with Poseidon as his dad. Percy never knew his dad and never knew why he always had trouble not getting kicked out of schools. Once he ends up at the summer camp for demi-gods, he finds his place and some new friends (Annabeth and Grover - love Grover!) along with some enemies. Every god has an enemy or more, right?
Because it looks like camp has been breached, when a hellhound comes after Percy, it's decided Percy must go on a quest with AnnaBeth and Grover. His mission is to find the lightning bolt that was stolen from Zeus, who believe Poseidon is behind the theft, allowing Percy to steal it. It's also thought that Hades took it to start a war on Olympus.
On their quest, the trio face monsters, monsters and more monsters. Then descend into the Underworld to meet Hades himself.
No more spoilers but their quest isn't over and Percy proves himself a worthy little god.
Some spoilers lie here.....
My reaction to PJ is quite the opposite to Twilight, I'm happy to announce. This is clearly written aimed at a younger audience but I enjoyed the story of Percy finding out he's a demi-god with Poseidon as his dad. Percy never knew his dad and never knew why he always had trouble not getting kicked out of schools. Once he ends up at the summer camp for demi-gods, he finds his place and some new friends (Annabeth and Grover - love Grover!) along with some enemies. Every god has an enemy or more, right?
Because it looks like camp has been breached, when a hellhound comes after Percy, it's decided Percy must go on a quest with AnnaBeth and Grover. His mission is to find the lightning bolt that was stolen from Zeus, who believe Poseidon is behind the theft, allowing Percy to steal it. It's also thought that Hades took it to start a war on Olympus.
On their quest, the trio face monsters, monsters and more monsters. Then descend into the Underworld to meet Hades himself.
No more spoilers but their quest isn't over and Percy proves himself a worthy little god.
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