#46: Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie is this year's selection for All Holman Reads, a program implemented at my youngest daughter's middle school.  Every student in the school will read this book this winter/early spring.  I couldn't wait until then to read the book.  Besides, if I read the book now and the book is in the house, Emily might actually begin it and finish it by early spring.  Yes, it will take her that long to read this 273 page book.  One that her mother couldn't put down and read in a day. Oh well.  She's not entirely like me, I guess.

Sonnenblick's book is the story of Steven, an eighth grader, and his little brother, Jeffrey, who is four. They have a fairly typical relationship, despite the age difference, and Steven thinks Jeffrey is the "most annoying thing in the world." The story changes dramatically when Jeffrey develops Leukemia and Steven starts re-thinking his relationship with his brother and his place in the world.

I loved this book for many reasons, but it's overall positivity of a rather heavy subject is high on my list.  For instance, when Steven is feeling pretty low, discouraged, and neglected,  Mrs. Galley (Steven's counselor) challenges Steven, on page 184:

Instead of agonizing about the things you can't change, why don't you try working on the things you CAN change? 

What a great way to look at the world! While it doesn't happen immediately, Steven does resolve to find things he can change (like his attitude) about the horrible situation his family suddenly finds thrust upon them.  If all of us could only be as positive! 

Now, it's not all sunshine, roses, and lollipops.  Even the sunniest, brightest people have moments of despair, but Steven manages, through his journal, to work through his feelings.  I particularly like the entry he writes on page 196 of the book.  His english teacher gives him this prompt: If you could pick one word in the English language to describe the universe, what would it be? Why?  Steven's word choice: UNFAIR.  That boy is brilliant!  The universe is terribly unfair.  And he proceeds to give all sorts of reasons why this is so, from cancer in his four year old brother, to the piano prodigy's broken arm, to bad guys walking the street.  Steven is absolutely right.  But I love that he writes about it, gets it out, and continues to focus on the things HE can change.  I also love that in the world in which I live, and in which my girls live, a life where they have been getting medals their entire lives for things they didn't really earn, they are beginning to learn the truth.  Life isn't fair and sometimes it just plain stinks.  I appreciate Emily's school reiterating this important life lesson.  

I also appreciate Steven's ah-ha moment on page 237 where he says, "for possibly the first time since all of this had started, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and thought of other people's situations."  If only everyone, everywhere would do this all of the time.  Can you imagine what sort of world we could have if everyone thought about others first, rather than themselves?  It would be a lovely world indeed.  

I think Holman has done an outstanding job in selecting yet another novel that will make their students think, and think beyond themselves.  Steven and Jeffrey's story is a moving one.  I am better for reading this book.  Holman's student body will be, too. 

Happy reading, everyone! 
:) Dodie

#45: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

There's absolutely little that I can say about this book without spoiling it, so instead I am going to quote the writer of the reader's group guide that follows the text:  "In a story full of surprising twists, Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl tracks the course of a marriage gone spectacularly wrong."  It is the marriage of Amy (Amazing Amy) and Nick, two people that on the surface seem superbly matched.  Throughout the course of this page turner, you realize that appearances can be deceiving and that not every couple's story has a happy ending--or even a fair ending.

I read this book quickly so that I could see the movie with Rob this weekend, but I can tell you that it's impossible to read this book slowly.  I found myself reading during any 5-10 minute snippets I might find myself lucky enough to have: while waiting to pick up the girls in the carpool line, while my breakfast sandwich was cooking, while I waited for the girls to come downstairs for breakfast.  It was so good I was frustrated that I had to go to work or be the mom.  Yesterday I came home from work and read for and hour and a had before I had to pick up the girls from school.  I finished it last night while the girls did their homework.  More than once while I read I found myself with my mouth hanging open in disbelief about what I had read.  I even shouted a "No way!" at one point last night.  This book is amazing!  Truly.  I can't wait to see the movie.  I just hope they don't cut the story too much.

My last comment will be this.  A few years back the teacher down the hallway from my classroom told me that she had never met a child with one or both parents being a psychologist/psychiatrist who wasn't a total emotional and/or academic mess.  Well folks, once you meet Amy, you just might agree.  I totally do.

This one will be on my Top 10 list for the year.  It's worth reading.  Very worth reading.

Happy reading!
-Dodie

#44: The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

I read The Best of Me when it was first released and apparently (after re-reading my original post about the novel) I wasn't impressed.  Well, that just goes to show that:  1.  You can benefit from re-reading books and 2. Your state of mind impacts your thoughts in terms of what you read. I finished my second reading of The Best of Me yesterday morning and I loved the story.  LOVED.  I cried a lot of tears.  I don't think I cried at all when I read this the first time.  What was wrong with me??

Amanda and Dawson's story was not the typical Nicholas Sparks story.  No one was dying (although someone did die during the course of the story) and it was a darker story than what I am used to with Sparks.  But, those facts did not make it a sub-par story.  It was a beautiful reminder that our lives turn out the way they are supposed to, no matter what we do to alter our paths.  It is also a reminder that life is hard and being an adult, and making adult choices, is really hard.  But, in the end life turns out as it is supposed to.

May we all have a stranger in a blue windbreaker guiding us through life, keeping us safe, and helping lead us to the right choices.

Happy reading (or re-reading) everyone!
:) Dodie

#43: The Giver by Lois Lowry

I had every intention of re-reading The Giver (I read it a million years ago when I first started teaching) and then seeing the movie when it hit the theaters this summer.  Neither happened.  But, I was able to finally re-read the novel over the weekend.  Now, I just need to wait for the movie to hit Red Box.

The Giver is a very powerful story that, I feel, every American student should be required to read prior to graduating High School.  It's going to be required reading in my house even if it's not read for school.  If you have ever wondered what life with zero individuality and zero emotions would be like, then you should read  The Giver.  And, if you ever need a reminder about how lucky we are to be granted the freedoms given to us as citizens of the USA, you should read The Giver.

The Giver is the story of Jonas and his family unit during the year he turns 12 in a community far, far, far (I hope) in the future.  Jonas' community is free of pain, war, hunger, and poverty.  And while this sounds lovely to some, the lack of emotion and love did me in.  For example, families are created--adults apply for mates (who they never have a physical or emotional relationship with) and when they want children, they apply for those.  Birth Mothers have the children.  50 children are born each  year, no more, no less.  Each family gets one girl and one boy.  And, they are named when they are given to the families.  "Parents" do not get to choose names.  "New children" (babies) are cared for by Nurturers until they are placed with a family. There are various milestones children reach each year in this community, from wearing jackets, to hair ribbons, to getting bikes, and to finally being assigned a job for life at age 12.  It is this ceremony that we get to read about in The Giver.  Jonas is turning 12 and is "selected" to be the receiver of memories for his community. This is a job that requires much pain and anguish for the person who takes on this role.  So, much, in fact, that the current Receiver is in too much pain and must pass the memories on to Jonas in order to ease his burden.

I won't divulge anymore of the story, because it's too good to spoil (and a very quick read at about 180 pages), but I will comment on how sad this story made me.  Everything that I love about my life doesn't exist in Jonas' community.  They feel no love, they see no colors, there are no seasons, people are "released" when they are too old or can't conform (and released does not mean that they are sent out to another neighboring community...you will have to read the book to find out what happens when people are released).  It makes me sad.  But, at the same time, it makes me so grateful for the life I have.  I chose my husband, we made our girls together, we get to vacation, and to chose the jobs we have.  I feel lucky to be able to make choices about every aspect of my life.  I can't imagine living in Jonas' world and pray that I never have to.

Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie

#42: Kiss and Make Up by Katie D. Anderson

Kiss and Make Up is an ideal novel for teenage girls (12-16 maybe).  I read it because a friend of a friend wrote it and I thought perhaps my 13 year old daughter might enjoy reading it.  After this post is done, I am going to leave the book in her room.  It's a good one for girls to read.

Kiss and Make Up is the story of Emerson Taylor, a 16 year old girl with a unique gift--she can see into people's minds when she kisses them.  With declining grades and the possibility of being forced to leave her private school because she's not doing well, Emerson decides to use her gift as a short cut to studying and begins kissing boys, and a lot of them, to improve her grades.  Oh my!

About half-way through the book I really began to wonder if the story was ever going to make kissing boys for personal gain seem like the wrong thing to do and I was happy when Emerson's plans began to go awry.  My fear, as a mother of two girls, is that I don't want my girls ever to think that it's OK to kiss a million boys.  Emerson eventually learns very important lessons about both kissing and studying hard in school, which made the mom in me stand up and cheer!

On a side note, I absolutely loved the make-up tie in.  Emerson's aunt (Arch, who is raising Emerson and her sister Piper) is a Stellar Rep (akin to a Mary Kay consultant) and as a result Emerson is very into make-up, particularly lip gloss (which works with her desire to kiss).  By the end of the novel, Emerson has become a Stellar rep and is helping her friends reach their beauty potential.  It's a cute side story and helps to round out Emerson's character.

I loved this adorable story and hope that Katie writes more!

Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie

#41: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken is one of those books that you see everywhere.  I saw it first in stores and was slightly intimidated.  It looked like one of those books I was not smart enough to read.  Then, I saw my mother-in-law reading it and heard her raving about it.  I saw it on my vacation to Hawaii, where I finally bookmarked it in my mind as a book I needed to read.  Then, I saw a preview for the movie version of Unbroken that is coming in December so the book soared to the top of my must-read list.  It has taken me weeks to finish this book, but tonight I have the satisfaction of saying that I finished it and am now well-versed in the amazing story of Loius Zamperini.

As a student, I never really learned about WW2.  For whatever reason, each and every year, my social studies/history teachers always returned to the dawn of man and moved forward, stopping pretty much at the same place every year: WW1.  I can't say that I even know that much about WW1 because any information taught about it was crammed in at the last minute when my brain had already checked out for the summer and was already sitting by a pool somewhere.  I couldn't tell you anything about the Korean War, I know a little more about Vietnam (but not much), but WW2 I know next to nothing about.  So, I have tried to teach myself by reading about this war (and visiting Pearl Harbor twice now in my lifetime) and learning as much as I can. Helping my girls study for their History classes have helped, too.

The funny thing is, reading Unbroken felt, at times, as though I was reading a book for a class.  It is a slow read (which I read recently that reading slowly is good for your brain and your body, so hooray for that!) and you really do need to read every word (although I will admit that in some of the battle scenes, I did not read every word.  I couldn't.  Same for the parts in the camps. It was too hard to read every word).  I found that the last 100 pages were turned very quickly.  It was exciting to read how Louis' story turned out in the end.  Read the epilogue.  It is SO worth your time.

Unbroken is the true story of Louis Zamperini from his boyhood days to his final days, and everything in-between, with particular emphasis on his time as an Olympic runner and a WW2 Air Force Pilot.  This memoir is written by Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit, and it is superbly done.

However, it wasn't an easy story to read.  Aside from the length of the story and the detail packed story that made for a slow read, the details are often so horrifying it's hard to read them.  It's hard to believe that men were forced to live as Louie lived and forced to endure all that he did.  My heart felt pain for these brave men and I felt grateful for their service and their sacrifices.

As I read, I only marked one section--a section dedicated to dignity:

Men subjected to dehumanizing treatment experience profound wretchedness and loneliness and find that hope is almost impossible to retain.  Without dignity, identity is erased.  In it's absence, men are defined not by themselves but by their captors and the circumstances in which they are forced to live. (pgs 188-189)

The idea of preserving one's dignity stuck with me as I read Unbroken and it seems to be true of any terrifying situation as well as being true of our daily lives: all we really want is to preserve our dignity.  To move through life knowing who we are and to be proud to hold our heads high.  When these brave men were forced into situations where their dignity was compromised, that's when the enemy began to win the fight.   I will never again take lightly the privilege of walking through life on my own, making my own choices, and answering only to myself and my conscience.  What an amazing privilege it is to be a free American.  

Thank you, Louie, for sharing your story.  It is a powerful one.  

Happy reading everyone! 
:) Dodie

#40: Anything He Wants by Sara Fawkes

Reading this Fifty Shades of Grey want-to-be novel was a total and complete waste of my time.

Don't waste yours.

Happy reading, of something other than this book.
:) Dodie