Book Award Rules

I am down to reading final nominations and there is a policy about "revealing" those to the public (or more importantly publishers) before the award is announced so I will not be posting my reviews until after January 22nd. Check back then for updates and the announcement of the final list.

The Translator by Leila Aboulela

The story of (oddly enough) a translator:) This is about a Sudanese widow who has embraced her Islamic religion. She is living in Scotland when she start working as an Arabic translator for an Islamic scholar who is not a believer. After they fall in love she must decide what is stronger, her love or her faith. What this novel explores with great finesse is the true nature of faith. What it means to be faithful and what it means to give your life over to that. The language in this novel is a joy to read and the story is lovely. Highly enjoyable and different look at the Islamic faith.

The Lay Of The Land by Richard Ford

I hate it when I read a book and can appreciate the good points of it but not really be able to identify with the characters or lose myself in the book. Richard Ford is a technically gifted author with a huge following of appreciative readers but I have never been that enamoured of his writing. Perhaps it is because he so often explores "boomer angst" and I cannot really relate to it.

In this novel, realtor Frank Bascombe, previously appearing in Independence Day and The Sportswriter, finds that his wife has left him, his children's lives are in upheaval and he has been diagnosed with cancer. Sprinkled with quirky characters, this novel explores what it means to confront your own mortality and make peace with it. This was an exceptionally well-done novel that does have humorous moments and clearly shows the affection the main character feels for his friends and family. It also clearly shows the impact the last election had on large numbers of Americans

The Road by Cormic McCarthy

Oh my goodness. Last night I got home from a play at 11 or so and thought I would read for a little bit. I can safely say that I read one of my best books of the year.

The Road by Cormic McCarthy was stunning and completely different than anything he has ever written before. This is the story of a father and son who are traveling through a post-apocalyptic world in search of food, warmth, survival. The father hangs on to the last shreds of his morality because of the son's continued faith in their goodness. It is an amazing journey that explores the power of love in a world of no hope. One of the most profound reading experiences of my year.

Local Author

Joe Miller, the author of Cross-X: A Turbulent, Triumphant Season with an Inner-City Debate Squad, did a presentation about the book at my Rotary club this morning. I knew he was a local author but I guess I hadn’t realized that the school he is talking about was one I visited when I was a children's/ya librarian and that he is the same guy that has a blog that I read from time to time. Funny what a small world it is.

Tigers In Red Weather: A Quest For The Last Wild Tigers by Ruth Padel

Chronicling two years, eleven countries and countless dedicated guides, the quest to find and observe the wild tiger obsesses Ruth Padel in this poetic narrative. The simple descriptions illuminate the natural world and the obvious love that the author develops for tigers shines through. Personal narrative and private heartbreak are sprinkled throughout the text but at its heart is always the plight of the ancient tiger in a modern world.

House of War

House of War is the story of the Pentagon. The author, a self-described beatnik, is the son of a general who spent his career at the Pentagon. Noting ironically that the birth of the Pentagon matches exactly the birth of the Atomic bomb he takes through the years showing how each president has effect the nuclear arms race for good and bad. He also make a point of highlighting Gorbachev's key role in ending the cold war and starting the disarmament process. Despite years of trying implement reductions each president has made it worse, so by accident, others by design. In the authors opinion George W Bush is singlehandedly responsible for the return of the nuclear arms threat and has significantly increased the possibility of a nuclear warhead being used against the United States.

This is one big, scary book that has me anxiously waiting for a new president to undo the damage that the current administration has unleashed.

Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolution by Simon Schama

Very readable nonfiction account of a little known migration that resulted in runaway slaves siding with England during the American Revolution and their struggle to become free. The promised land is Sierra Leone and the unlikely moses was Thomas Clarkson, an undistinguished second son. After getting to know some of the slaves who had risked their lives to fight with the British army, Thomas became a relentless advocate for and leader of over 1,000 ex-slaves.

Sadly, the dream of abolitionists and Thomas Clarkson of a free black self-governing colony in Sierra Leone did not come to pass but the tale is still riveting and the historical figures are well drawn.

There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey To Rescue Africa's Children by Melissa Fay Greene

This is the book that is causing me to rethink my life and try to decide if I am living a meaningful life. Am I doing enough good or should I sell my possessions, move to Africa or India and dedicate my life to something more useful than having a socially conscious job and owning a home.

Haregewoin Teferra was a middle class woman in Ethiopia, a professional woman with an husband who was a teacher and two beautiful and beloved daughters. After her husband passes away she raises her daughters to adulthood. After one of her daughters contracts AIDS and dies, Haregewoin goes into mourning, believing her life is over. Her priest comes to her with a baby that has been orphaned by AIDS and starts her on a journey that transforms her life. She now runs an orphanage that is inundated with the children of the AIDS epidemic.

This is a appalling story of the utter waste of human life that the world has let continue long after successful treatments had been discovered to slow the disease and even reverse it in infants. It is also heartbreaking how painful death is for the millions of adults and children that have contracted the disease. The numbers of dead or dying are almost incomprehensible but threaded through it all is the reality that one person can make a difference.

This is a compelling story where facts are interspersed with personal stories of children that are alive, well and even in some cases, thriving because someone dared to ignore the stigma of AIDS to give these children a home and a chance. Better yet, it is also well researched and well written.

Ancestor Stones by Aminatta Forna

This would be an excellent book to use for a women's book discussion group. Set in Sierra Leone, it follows the lives of four sisters, born of different wives (co-wives) of a coffee plantation owner. Each of the women takes a very different path as they navigate the increasingly turbulent social and political landscape of their native county. Ironically, in the end they all end up back in their small village, living in the family compound as they tell their European born niece the stories of their lives.

Space Race: The Epic Battle Between America and the Soviet Union for Dominion of Space by Deborah Cadbury

Space Race is not a book that I would have picked up on my own but I really enjoyed it. Wernher von Braun was the scientist who was destined to find a way to take the USA to the moon. In spite of being a former Nazi with questionable knowledge of the human holocaust taking place around him, he became a star in the USA as he was praised, petted and feted by the press. Sergei Korolev toiled in obscurity for the USSR whose leaders had sent him to a Siberian prison, worked him hard enough to damage his health and contributed to the breakdown of his family.

The lives of the two dramatically illustrate the difference in the approach each government took to the race to get into space. Excellent, well written and surprisingly lively book about the great Space Race.

By A Slow River by Phillipe Claudel

By A Slow River is a French mystery. I have found that the French literary style is not a particular favorite of mine. I have a difficult time with novels that do not have one sympathetic character (or at least one that isn't too awful). The French authors I have read tend to have a writing style that creates an emotional distance from its characters. Oddly enough, I find this interesting and compelling in French movies. Can't explain why but I will give it some thought.

Anyway, because the murders take place during WWII which creates lots of interesting opportunities for plot twists and turns and I found the mystery a bit unusual, which given the number of mysteries I have read, is saying something. Ultimately though I did not find this compelling or interesting enough to keep me riveted.

Postings

Sorry it has been a while since I posted any reviews. I have about five waiting to be written but last week my uncle passed away and today my grandma did. I will try to get some of them written before I have to head home for the funeral.

Help!

It's happened. The person on the Notable Committee who hadn't turned in any nominations just turned them all in at once. They are all academic, scholarly, really big books. I was afraid of this. I am now up to about 40 books I need to read before January. Be thinking of me as I become a hermit.

No, go ahead, have fun, don't even give me, sitting alone, surrounded by teetering books, a second thought.

Music and Friends

Last night several librarian went out to hear a friend play in a band. http://www.myspace.com/thedannycooke

His band was fine (if a little odd) but the two that came after him were truly awful. Apparently they were trying for a mix between jazz and ambient but ended up with a cacaophony of sound. On the other hand, I can't remember the last time I went out with friends and laughed so much. It made a nice change in the way the rest of my social life has been going.

My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme

Although this book describes Julia's love of France and the time she and her husband spent there, it is really about the creation of "Mastering The Art Of French Cooking" 1 and 2. After falling in love with the food (and the country), Julia takes a cooking class at the Cordon Bleu and finds her true calling as a chef, teacher and advocate of French cooking.

This was such a fun read. Julia's personality shine through and you get a very real sense of who she is. It also vividly shows the loving and happy relationship she has with her husband who was enormously supportive of her newly discovered career while at the same time maintaining his own very prestigious career.

Young Friends Of The Library

The Young Friends of the Library, (21 - 40'sh) in case you are wondering, started a book discussion group at the beginning of the year. We have spent the year exploring international fiction and tonight we discussed a Czech novel, Too Loud a Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal , so I don't have a book from my list to report on today. I can say that that this book has a Kafkaesque quality that made it compelling if not particularly upbeat. It was a very good read and a great book discussion.

Music for the Bus

What I am listening to while I am reading on the bus.

Warning Sign by Coldplay
The Bad Guy by Reel Big Fish
Trouble by Coldplay
You're Pretty Good Looking (for a girl) by The White Stripes
She's a Knockout by Social Distortion
Special Needs by Placebo
Welcome To The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance
Pinch Me by Barenaked Ladies
Until The Day I Die by Story Of The Year
I'm Shipping Up To Boston by Dropkick Murphys
Shelter Me by Train
You Can't Lose A Broken Heart by Billie Holiday

Golden Country: A Novel by Jennifer Gilmore

This is a Jewish immigrant story that follows three people and their families as they struggle to attain the American Dream. This is a richly textured novel that captures the struggles, disappointments and heartache that comes with achieving your dreams. In general I enjoyed this story and cared about what would happen to each of the characters.

One quibble is that this first time novelist uses the word "screamed" far too often. Her characters screamed their way through the novel and this word didn't always seem to accurately describe what was happening at that moment. This was also mainly used with the female characters and made the female characters seem much less sympathic than they otherwise would have been. After a while, it became very jarring for me and threw me out of the story.

Newest Updated Booklist

Here is the newest, updated list. Everything that is in bold print is on my current must read before January list.

Abbott, Lee K All Things, All at Once
Aboulela, Leila Translator
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi Half of a Yellow Sun
Adrian, Chris Children's Hospital
Alderman, Naomi Disobedience
Ali, Monica Alentejo Blue
Allende, Isabel Ines of my Soul
Antrim, Donald Afterlife
Arana, Marie Cellophane
Armstrong, Karen Great Transformation
Arsenault, Raymond Freedom Riders
Baker, Calvin Dominion
Bayard, Louis Pale Blue Eye
Beachy-Quick, Dan Mulberry
Begg, Moazzam Enemy Combatant: My Imprisonment at Guantanamo, Bagram, and Kandahar
Belozerskava, Marina Medici Giraffe
Benni, Stefano margherita Dolce Vita
Berkowitz, Edward Something Happened
Berne, Suzanne Ghost at the Table
Bigsby, Christopher Beautiful Dreamer
Binelli, Mark Sacco and Vanzetti Must Die!
Bishop, Ted Riding With Rilke
Bissoondath, Neil Unyielding Clamor of the Night
Blum, Deborah Ghost Hunters: William James And The Search For Scientific Proof Of Life After Death In The Dawn Of The 20th Century
Bonner, Jeffrey P Sailing with Noah
Boudinot, Ryan Littlest Hitler
Boyd, William Restless
Boyle, T. Coraghessan Talk Talk
Brinkley, Douglas Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Brookhieser, Richard Divided Ground: Indians, Setlers, And The Northern Borderland Of The American Revolution
Brooks, Max World War Z
Brown, Frederick Flaubert: A Biography
Bruinius, Harry Better for All the World: The Secret History of Forced Sterilization and America's Quest for Racial Purity
Burt, Stephen Parallel Play
Busch, Frederick Rescue Missions
Butler, Robert Olen Severance
Cadbury, Deborah Space Race
Cahill, Carmen Bad Faith
Caldwell, Gail A Strong West Wind
Carr, Cynthia Our Town
Carrierre, Jean-Claude Please, Mr Einstein
Carroll, James House of War: The Pentagon and the Disastrous Rise of American Power
Cartledge, Paul Thermopylae: The Battle that Changed the World
Cartwright, Justin The Promise of Happiness
Cavanaugh, Jack Tunney
Chandrasekaran, Rajiv Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone
Chase, Clifford Winkie
Chayes, Sarah Punishment of Virtue:Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban
Child, Julia and Alex Prud'Homme My Life In France
Christianse, Yvette Unconfessed
Clarke, Susanna Ladies of Grace Adieu & Other Sagas
Claudel, Phillipe By A Slow River
Clover, Charles End of the Line: How Overfishing is Changing the World and What We Eat
Collins, Francis S. Language of God
Collins, Martha Blue Front
Cox, Michael Meaning of Night
Cruz, Cynthia Ruin
Dallek, Robert Let Every Nation Know
Davis, David Brion In Human Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World
Davis, Dick Trick of Sunlight
Decker, Shawn My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure
DeKok, Ingrid Seasonal Fires
Desai, Kiran Inheritance of Loss
Deslisle, Guy Shonzhen: a travelogue
Dideon, Joan We Tell Ourselves Stories: Collected
Donovan, Gerard Julius Winsome
D'Orso, Michael Eagle Blue
Drape, Joe Black Maestro
Edsall, Thomas B Building Red America: The New Conservative Coalition and the Drive for Permanent Power
Egan, Jennifer Keep
Eggars, Dave What is the What
Elliot, Jason Mirrors of the Unseen
Ensler, Eve Insecure at Last: Loosing It in Our Security-Obsessed World
Faulks, Sebastian Human Traces
Fenton, James Selected Poems
Finkel, Caroline Osman's Dream
Forbes, Charlotte Good Works of Avela Linde
Forbes, Peter Gecko's Foot
Ford, Richard Lay of the Land
Forna, Aminatta Ancestor Stones
Fountain, Ben Brief Encounters With Che Guevara
Frazier, Charles Thirteen Mooons
Freedman, Dave Natural Selection
Freudenberger, Nell Dissident
Fuentes, Carlos Eagle's Throne
Gallagher, Tess Dear Ghosts
Gaston, Bill Sointula
George, Margaret Helen of Troy
Getty, Sarah Bring Me Her Heart
Gibbons, Ann The First Human
Gien, Pamela Syringa Tree
Gilfoyle, Timothy Pickpocket's Tale, The Underworld of 19th Century New York
Gilmore, Jennifer Golden Country
Gluck, Louise Averno: Poems
Grande, Reyna Across a Hundred Mountains
Greene, Melissa Fay There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey To Rescue Africa's Children
Greenfield, Robert Timothy Leary
Groom, Winston Patriotic Fire
Guene Faiza Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow
Haddon, Mark Spot of Bother
Hampl, Patricia Blue Arabesque: a Search for the Sublime
Handler, Daniel Adverbs
Hayes, Terrance Wind in a Box
Heaney, Seamus District and Circle
Helms, Sarah Life In Secrets: Vera Atkins And The Missing Agents of WWII
Henderson, William Haywood Augusta Locke
Hendricks, Steve Unquiet Grave: The FBI and the Struggle for the Soul of Indian Country
Henriquez, Cristina Come Together, Fall Apart
Hix, H.L. Chromatic
Homes, A. M. This Book Will Save Your Life
Hoose, Phillip Perfect, Once Removed
Horne, Jed Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City
Hughes, Robert Things I Didn't Know: A Memoir
Idibly, Rayna Faith Club: A Muslim, a Christian, A Jew - Three Women Search for Understanding
Jacobson, Sid 9/11 Report: a Graphic Adaptation
Jennings, Kevin Mama's Boy, Preacher's Son
Jenson, Liz My Dirty Little Book of Stolen Time
Johnson, Steven Ghost Map
Jones, Edward P. All Aunt Hagar's Children
Joseph, Peniel E. Waiting 'Till the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America
Julavits, Heidi Uses of Enchantment
Just, Ward Forgetfulness
Kammen, Michael Visual Shock: A History of Art Controversies in American Culture
Karr, Mary Sinners Welcome
Kazin, Michael Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan
Kehlmann, Daniel Measuring the World
Kelly, James Patrick Feeling Very Strange
Kenneally, Thomas Commonwealth of Thieves: the Improbable Birth of Australia
Keret, Edgar The Nimrod Flipout
Khadra, Yasmina The Attack
Khoury, Elias Gate Of The Sun
Kinzer, Stephen Overthrow:America's Century of Regime Change
Knighton, Ryan Cockeyed: A Memoir of Blindness
Kosco, Bart Noise
Lansens, Lori Girls
Larson, Erik Thunderstruck
Lawrence, Starling The Lightning Keeper
Lawson, Mary Other Side of the Bridge
Ledgard, J.M. Giraffe
Lehrer, Jim Phony Marine
Lerner, Ben Angle of Yaw
Li, Laura Madame Chian Kai-Shek: China's First Lady
Lloyd, Seth Programming the Universe
Long, Dustin Icelander
Lord, Graham John Mortimer: The Secret Life of Rumpole's Creator: The Unauthorized Biography
Lucey, Donna M. Archie and Amerlie
Lynn, Barry W. Piety and Politics
Maathai, Wangari Unbowed
Mackey, Nathaniel Splay Anthem
Maguire, James American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds
Maheu, Layne Song Of The Crow
Malarkey, Tucker Resurrection
Marchetto, Marisa Cancer Vixen
Marcus, Greil Shape of Things to Come: Prophecy and the American Voice
Markoe, Merrill Walking in Circles Before Lying Down
Masters, Alexander Stuart: A Life Backwards
McCarthy, Cormac Road
McCauley, Stephen Alternatives to sex: a gay and obsessive-compulsive post-9/11
McKay, Ami Birth House
McMichael, James Capacity
Mendelsohn, Daniel Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million
Merridale, Catherine Ivan's War: Life and Death in the Red Army, 1939-1945
Messud, Claire Emperor's Children
Miller, Joe Cross-X: A Turbulent, Triumphant Season with an Inner-City Debate Squad
Moffett, Kevin Permanent Visitors
Mosley, Walter Fortunate Son
Munro, Alice View from Castle Rock: Stories
Naslund, Sena Jeter Abundance
Nazario, Sonia Enrique's Journey
Nielsen, John Condor
Notley, Alice Grave of Light: New and Selected Poems, 1970-2005
Ours, Dorothy Man O'War
Padel, Ruth Tigers In Red Weather: A Quest To See The Last Wild Tigers
Pardos, John Safe for Democracy: the Secret Wars of the CIA
Pearce, Fred When the Rivers Run Dry: Water the Defining Crisis of the 21st Century
Perry, Michael Truck
Phillips, Julie James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon
Pitlor, Heidi Birthdays
Pomfret, John Chinese Lesons: Five Classmates and the Story of the New China
Powers, Richard Echo Maker
Prager, Joshua Echoing Green
Robbins, James Last in their Class
Robertson, Jason Sense of the World
Russell, Karen St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves: And Other Stories
Rust, Elissa Minor The Prisoner Pear: Stories
Safina, Carl The Voyage of the Turtle
Sallis, Eva Fire, Fire
Sancton, Tom Song for my Fathers: A New Orleans Story in Black and White
Sanders, Scott Russell Private History of Awe
Satrapi, Marjane Chicken With Plums
Satterlee, Thom Burning Wyclif
Saunders, George In Persuasion Nation
Schaller, Thomas F Whistling Past Dixie
Schama,Simon Rough Crossings: Britain the Slaves, and the American Revolution
Schneider, Paul Brutal Journey: First Crossing of North America
Schrag, Peter California: America's High Stakes Experiment
Seife, Charles Decoding the Universe: How the New Science of Information is Explaining Everything in the Cosmos, from our Brains to Black Holes
Self, Will Book of Dave
Sheehan, Aurelie History Lesson for Girls
Slatalla, Michelle Town on Beaver Creek
Slavitt, David William Henry Harrison and Other Poems
Sloan, Richard Blind Faith
Smith, Lee On Agate Hill
Smith, Patricia Teahouse of the Almighty
Soyinka, Wole You Must Set Forth at Dawn: A Memoir
Stargardt, Nicholas Witnesses Of War: Children's Lives Under The Nazis
Stone, Peter Heist
Straight, Susan A Million Nightingales
Tallis, Frank Death in Vienna
Thomas, Scarlett End Of Mr Y
Tomlinson, Jim Things Kept, Things Left Behind
Trudge, Colin Tree: A history of What Trees Are, How they Live, and Why they Matter
Trueblood, Valerie Seven Loves
Umrigar, Thirty The Space Between Us
Unsworth, Barry Ruby in Her Navel
Vallgren, Carl Johan Horrific Sufferings of the Mind-Reading Monster Hercules Barefoot: His Wonderful Love and His Terrible Hatred
Walter, Jess Zero
Walter, Philippe Christianity
Waters, Sarah Night Watch
Wa'Thiong'O, Ngugi Wizard of the Crow
Weber, Katharine Triangle: a Novel
Welland, Sasha Su-Ling Thousand Miles of Dreams: The Journey of Two Chinese Sisters
White, Richard D. Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long
Winters, Kathleen Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Woodrell, Daniel Winter's Bone
Wright, Lawrence Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
Yeh, Jane Marabou
Yehoshua, Abraham Woman in Jerusalem
Young, Ralph F. Dissent in America
Zoellner, Tom The Heartless Stone