fiction – Page 2 – Peaceful Reader

My first book of 2014

I want to do a better job of keeping up with book reviews especially when I’m reading such good stuff. This week I finished The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho. He is one of my favorite authors because his writing always stretches my own thinking.

{2006}

A Middle Eastern couple from Beirut travel to Romania to adopt a child. They have a wonderful life and feel that the only thing missing is a child. After days of trying to decide on one baby in an overflowing orphanage the woman chooses a gypsy baby and names her Sherine. A family uncle later reminds them that Sherine, now a young lady, will want to go out into the world with a less ethnic name and he nicknames her Athena. She adores this new nickname and perhaps that small gesture of a name change helped to transform her. She has always been a religious child and feels a deep connection to the church.

She marries young, bears a son but chooses not to stay married and to raise her son on her own. Her love for her son transforms her everyday life and she begins to look more deeply into her heart and soul. Coehlo writes so gracefully that you fall in love with this woman as she questions, transforms and believes in something greater in all of us. Told through alternating points-of-view we get to see Athena from all angles and how each person is affected by her. Through some of the more learned characters seeking answers about Athena{the witch} we get some profound dialogue:

The character Antoine Locadour, historian explains life and the changes that Athena is experiencing using the philosophy of Carl Jung:

“…we all drank from the same spring. It’s called the “soul of the world.” However much we try to be independent individuals, a part of our memory is the same. We all see the ideal of beauty, dance, divinity, and music.” (170)

and

“Society, meanwhile, tries to define how these ideals should be manifested in reality. Currently, for example, the ideal of beauty is to be thin, and yet thousands of years ago all the images of goddesses were fat. It’s the same with happiness; there are a series of rules, and if you fail to follow them, your conscious mind will refuse to accept the idea that you’re happy.” (170)

and continues with

“The Shadow is our dark side, which dictates how we should act and behave. When we try to free ourselves from the Persona, we turn on a light inside us and we see the cobwebs, the cowardice , the meanness. The Shadow is there to stop our progress, and it usually succeeds, and we run back to what we were before we doubted. However, some do survive this encounter with their own cobwebs, saying: ‘Yes, I have a few faults, but I’m good enough, and I want to go forward.” (171)

Athena, through her encounter with Edda learns more about her own female center and to trust in herself and what she understands as Mother Earth, a female God. I loved the journey this book took me on as I have every book Coehlo has written. My other favorites are The Alchemist and By the River Piedra I sat down and cried. Find Paulo Coelho at his website. I picked this one up at a used book sale and I’m making it my quest to read the rest of his books.

Top Ten Tuesday; Top Ten books that make you think…

It’s been awhile since I’ve particpated in The Broke and the Bookish’s weekly Tuesday meme and as I mentally promised to blog more in September I’m jumping in. There were several on her list that I completely agreed with.

1. The Book Thief-Death as a character was an amazing point-of-view to read from. This should be required reading at the high school level.

2. Revolution-I didn’t know much about the French Revolution before reading this book and I had to do some research to make it all fit together.

3. One Thousand White Women-made me question my knowledge of Native Americans and our government. Plus the whole book makes you feel like you are reading a true account and I kept having to tell myself “this is fiction, this is fiction…”

4. Along Way Gone: Ishmael Beah’s tale of his years as a boy soldier in Sierra Leonne. I had to stop many times to readjust my ideas and attitudes toward the human race. My husband lived in Sierra Leonne as a young boy and we shared many in-depth conversations about this country.

5. The Poisonwood Bible-Challenged my ideas of what a family and faith meant.

6. The Lacuna-like Revolution this book made me search for more information about the artists and the time period, opening up a whole new era for me.

7. The Red Umbrella-I learned so much about Cuba and what it was like for immigrants to settle here.

8. The Newman’s Own Organics guide to the good life-This was the first great book I read about being mindful of all that I did. Simple things stuck with me like why preheat as the first step of a recipe. Yes, we know that when baking something it is important to preheat but for cooking dinner there isn’t a reason in a world for that oven to heating up the entire time I work on a casserole in order for it to cook properly. If you lean toward organic this is an essential guide.

9. NutureShock-Made me rethink how I teach and how I parent; mind-blowing and well-written.

10. Stiltsville-A brilliant novel that shares so many snapshots of our world; women, gay, rich, poor, married, divorced, difficult and happy that you can’t help but think more profoundly after reading this adult novel.

The Wild Girl by Jim Fergus

I read several books while I was on vacation in Colorado and this one was by far my favorite. About a year ago I finished One Thousand White Women by Fergus as well and loved it. My friend, Rocky, lent me the book and then gave me this one to read. It’s always interesting to me how some people hit upon an author they like; it’s like the stars and the moon aligning just right as you search a book store which is how he felt. I appreciate his trusting nature because both books sat on my to-read pile for a few months before I had the chance to read them. He’s been patient with me though because he knew it was worth the wait. Thank you, Rocky!

The Wild Girl; The Notebooks of Ned Giles, 1932 (2005) shares two separate stories that merge into one well-crafted historical fiction gem. From the point-of-view of La Nina Bronca (a Native Apache girl) and Ned Giles we can fully appreciate each angle of the story. La Nina is hunted by the evil Billy Flowers and his pack of mangy dogs through wild Mexican terrain. He is an expert tracker and she is exhausted and starving. Once his dogs tree her he takes her in to the closest town and drops her off with the local authorities. It was all about the hunt for him yet Flowers’ part in the story is not over-he’ll be back! Ned Giles encounters La Nina Bronca weeks later as he comes through town heading to Mexico for an Indian Expedition meant to bring home a young Mexican boy kidnapped by an Apache tribe.

Fergus writes well from a female perspective and it is easy to fall in love and have the most empathy for La Nina Bronca because he’s framed her with such a beautiful yet violent story. Ned also is an easily understood character as he is a young orphan out in the world searching for his way. Fergus adds in a memorable cast of characters that help both Ned and La Nina Bronca along on their journey. Tolley, a gay socialite, is hysterical and balances well against Margaret, the more serious sociology student, sent on the expedition to learn more about the tribe. Billy Flowers and Indio Juan serve as crazy antagonist’s on both sides of the clan.

I hope Fergus continues to write and that my friend Rocky will keep lending them to me. I read this one faster than One Thousand White Women so I’m improving my turn-around time-now I know that inside the pages of a Jim Fergus novel lies a good and enticing story!

Find more about Fergus here at his website.

emma and me by elizabeth flock + A Giveaway!!

emma and me (2004)

elizabeth flock

292 pages

I don’t even know where I picked this book up – it does have a second hand sticker on it- but one that I don’t recognize so I can only presume the book has had a history before it fell into my waiting hands. I love it when a book finds you at just the right moment in your life.

The opening sentences slam you:

“The first time Richard hit me I saw stars in front of my eyes just like they do in cartoons. It was just a backhand, though-not like when I saw Tommy Bucksmith’s dad wallop him so hard that when he hit the pavement his head actually bounced. I s’pose Richard didn’t know about the flips I used to do with Daddy where you face each other and while you’re holding on to your daddy’s hands you climb up his legs to right above the knees and then push off, through the triangle that your arms make with his. It’s super fun. I was just trying to show Richard how it works. Anyway, I learned then and there to stay clear of Richard.” (9)

As a reader I was stunned and sad but pulled in by this little voice of eight-year-old Carrie. The abuse she suffers at the hands of her stepfather and her mother’s neglect are juxtaposed around her original family story; one where happiness played an important role and her father was kind and playful. Flock twists the story from Toast, NC to a tiny mountain town where Carrie meets several unusual characters that see right through her family’s struggles. I can’t give you any more details so when you read it the story can unfold and surprise you.

I loved Flock’s writing style and would enjoy reading more of her work. Carrie’s voice will stick with me for a long time to come. Because this book has already been through several readers I want to keep it traveling along. I will send this book to one lucky reader leave me a comment about one striking childhood memory and I will pick one unique answer. Include your email and I will get the book to you quickly!

This book is on my TBR Pile Challenge and the first book I’ve read on my list. Lisa from Books Lists Life encouraged me to read it and it was a perfect book to start with- Thanks Lisa! I hope the rest of my choices thrill me as much as this one did!

*the book does have some pencil marking in it from a child’s drawing hand-this amused me as the story is about a child, it is only on the first few pages and does not interrupt the story in any way but thought I should mention it in case you are one of those paperback book swap people who like pristine books.*

Restoring Harmony

by Joelle Anthony

(2010)

Never has a book made me want to pull up my American roots and transplant myself in Canada. Restoring Harmony did! Anthony, a Canadian, has done an amazing job of highlighting the U.S.’s decline against the more agrarian and successful Canadian landscape. This is a dystopian novel for a middle grade audience and a glimpse into a future that I can imagine much more readily than the worlds created in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games or Michael Grant’s Gone series, both more shocking and scary societys.

Synopsis:

Molly McClure lives with her family on a secluded Canadian island where they grow their own food, rely on solar panels for energy, and horse-drawn wagons and boats for transportation. It’s a simple life with a happy family where Molly begins her days playing fiddle on the front porch. Through a cyberspeak conversation (skype-like) Molly’s mom, who happens to be pregnant, has reasons to believe her own mother may have died. Molly’s dad and siblings hold a meeting in the barn and elect her to be the one to travel to Oregon and bring her grandfather back to the safety of the island. Along her travels she meets a cast of very interesting and likable characters, including a handsome ruffian nicknamed Spill.

My thoughts:

Reading the inside jacket cover of this book inticed me so much I read it within days of opening the envelope it came in. I loved how the title and the cover illustration matched so well. I was drawn to Molly’s character and the way she handles her adventurous trip to the states after the Collapse of 2031. I love having a book in my hand that keeps me reading and commenting (out loud) as I progress. While the U.S. of 2041 is not in great shape (I loved how train travel was slow and erratic but really the only means to get anywhere) it still has vestiges of community. It shows, without being overly didactic, how important simple skills might be: like tending your own garden.

Molly’s ability to adapt, improvise and think made her a true heroine of the future and in this way she did remind me of the great Katniss (The Hunger Games). I loved how it dealt with real problems of today-oil is gone, the infrastructure is crumbling and big cities are in greater trouble than small communities. Even though there are easy solutions within the story structure I think Anthony raises very real issues born from our own self-centered, enviormentally -abusive ways. Our dependence on crude oil will eventually get the better of us. I hope Anthony has a sequel in the works so I can read more about Molly and her extended family.

Rating:
5/5 stars
highly recommended
for middle grade and above

Other reviews to enjoy:
Jen of Devourer of Books
S. Krishna’s Books
Tina’sBookReviews
Jessica at Shut Up! I’m reading
***I won this book in a giveaway hosted by Joelle Anthony at The Debutante Ball. Thank you, Joelle, for personally signing and sending my copy! I’m glad to have my own copy because I think I’ll reread this one, even though I’m not a rereader.

Singing for Mrs. Pettigrew-Teaser Tuesday

What a lovely holiday it has been. Something very special about having an extra day off. Tomorrow is Tuesday and back to school.Ugh! Graduation project must be done-check. Inventory and state reports need to be done. No more classes to brighten my day. Reports cards need to be done. Lots of quiet time with paper work will fill my day!

Without further ado Teaser Tuesday is waiting…Should be Reading has all the rules posted so you too can play along.

Cherry sat with them by the fire till it died away to nothing. She longed to go, to get home among the living, but the old man talked on of his family and their little one-room cottage with a ladder to the bedroom, where they all huddled together for warmth, of his friends that used to meet in the Tinners’ Arms every evening. There were tales of wrecking and smuggling, and all the while the young man sat silent until there was a lull in the story. “Father,” he said. “I think our little friend would like to go home now. Shall I take her up as I usually do?” (44)

Singing for Mrs. Pettigrew; Stories and Essays from a Writing Life by Michael Morpurgo

Why is it I can never just pick two sentences.. the whole quote works so well for me.

Enjoy!

Family Reading

Peaceful girl and I have been reading quite a lot lately and I’ve been remiss on writing about these books.
Last night we finished Ruby Lu, brave and true by Lenore Look, illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf (2004). We read this one because our friend, V, said the second one (Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything) was great. we thought we should read the first one first and it was also great! Ruby loves doing magic, loves living on 20th Avenue South and thinks everyone should wear reflective tape. Her neighborhood is the fun kind, where everyone plays together and gets along-that is until Christina moves in. Christina wears summer clothes not sweaters and makes fun of Ruby and her friends on 20th Ave. South but eventually she comes around. Ruby is especially adorable when she finds she will need to share her room with her young cousin, Flying Duck, who is soon to emigrate to America. Flying Duck arrives wearing some reflective tape of her own! Peaceful girl and I are excited to check out Ruby’s next book. Lenore Look has a popular new series out, Alvin Ho-I think there are two books so far!

Highly Recommended for Elementary Fiction

5/5 peaceful stars

Recently we finished Henrietta; there’s no one better by Martine Murray. This one was just plain silly and I still don’t really get it. Henrietta likes to make things up and her mind moves fast, lightning fast-so fast it didn’t all gel together-for me or little girl. Read more here.

Recommended for the fun drawings-Elementary Fiction

2/5 peaceful stars

A while ago Peaceful Girl and I finished The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler and loved it. What girl doesn’t dream about waking up and finding out you’re a mermaid. Emily lives on a boat with her mom and everything is smooth until she takes her 7th grade swim class and grows ah yes, a mermaid tail. Lots of fun discoveries about her family are uncovered and there are two more books rounding out this fantasy series. Recommended Elementary Fiction -(while she is in 7th grade the audience is more elementary-4th-5th grade) 4/5 peaceful stars

What are you reading with your children??

3 Choices

I am caught between 3 exciting book choices.

1. The evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
2. Envy, the third Luxe by Anna Godbersen
3. Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

Tough choices, I know!! I have two long distance friends getting ready to read Calpurnia Tate with me-then we hold an online book conference. We have yet to really make the book conference work, it a right tool problem but we are still working on it. We’ve read 13 reasons why and Liar together thus far.

Janssen at Everyday Reading got me hooked, absolutely hooked on the Luxe series and the third one has been waiting on my actual tbr pile since Halloween weekend. This one has been taunting me but I’ve had other had-to-reads until now.

The Jodi Picoult choice while not as thrilling perhaps-only because it is older- has been languishing on my hurry and read pile because it belongs to someone else. A few years ago my friend Jess and I had a thing about reading all the JP books and this is one of a few I missed. I did start it the other night and just like other Picoult stories it has me intrigued.
I think these three will easily carry me through Thanksgiving. I’ll be required to do my share of the cooking but the down time will be relading time at the log cabin in the woods.

Read what SLJ has to say about Calpurnia Tate.
I found an excellent interview w/ author Jacqueline Kelly at HipWriterMama