Below is a summary of everything I’ve read so far this year, and what I thought of it. My goal is to add at least one book to this page every two weeks (and hopefully more). Happy reading!
| Title/Author | Genre | Description | Rating |
| “Trash” by Andy Mulligan (1/1/2011) |
YA Fiction |
From the Publication Page: “Fourteen-year-old Raphael and Gardo team up with a younger boy, Rat, to figure out the mysteries surrounding a bag Raphael finds during their daily life of sorting through trash in a third-world country’s dump.” My Notes: Raphael, Gardo, and Rat are all unique and likable characters, and it’s hard not to have an visceral reaction when confronted with the things they must do to survive. The story moves quickly – the book is only 229 pages long – and the mystery of the bag draws you in, at least at the beginning. I felt like the middle stretched believability a little, however, and the story was wrapped up a bit too neatly. Overall, this was a fast and interesting read – but it might have had a stronger emotional impact if the seriousness of the beginning had carried through to the end. |
3.5/5 |
| “American Gods” by Neil Gaiman (1/6/2011) |
Fantasy |
From amazon.com: “Released from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a mysterious stranger offers him a job. But Mr. Wednesday, who knows more about Shadow than is possible, warns that a storm is coming — a battle for the very soul of America . . . and they are in its direct path.” My Notes: Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors because of the consistent depth, humor, and nuance of his characters and the situations they find themselves in. American Gods is no exception. I was especially fond of “Mr. Wednesday”, a god who seems more human (flaws and all) than most humans. My only quibble is that the pace is a little slow in the second half. A great read for long plane rides (this book kept me from going crazy on the ride from NC to CA). |
4.5/5 |
| “Flight” by Sherman Alexie (1/16/2011) |
Fiction (older YA) |
From amazon.com: “A powerful, fast and timely story of a troubled foster teenager — a boy who is not a “legal” Indian because he was never claimed by his father — who learns the true meaning of terror. About to commit a devastating act, the young man finds himself shot back through time on a shocking sojourn through moments of violence in American history. When finally, blessedly, our young warrior comes to rest again in his own contemporary body, he is mightily transformed by all he’s seen. Simultaneously wrenching and deeply humorous, wholly contemporary yet steeped in American history, Flight is irrepressible, fearless, and again, groundbreaking Alexie.” My Notes: Sherman Alexie’s “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” is one of my favorite MG/younger YA novels, and I hoped “Flight” would strike a similar tone for a slightly older audience. Unfortunately, “Flight” is missing most of the wry humor of “Part-Time Indian”, and the themes of violence and tragedy are a bit too graphic for my taste. The novel is well-written and moves quickly, but it just didn’t resonate with me. |
3/5 |
| “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle (2/2/2011) |
MG/YA Fantasy |
From the back cover: “Out of this wild night, a strange visitor comes to the Murray house and beckons Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O’Keefe on a most dangerous and extraordinary adventure – one that will threaten their lives and our universe. Winner of the 1963 Newbery Medal, ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ is the first book in Madeleine L’Engle’s classic Time Quintet.” My Notes: Some books are timeless – the sense of wonder they evoke never fades. “A Wrinkle in Time” is one of those books for me. I read it for the first time in third grade, identified with the characters and the story in a way I never had before, and was inspired to read (and, eventually, write) as much as I could to capture that feeling again and again. Needless to say, it still inspires me (and if you’ve never read it, you should put down whatever you’re doing and get to it right now). |
5/5 |
