A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

 I don't use this word often when it comes to books.  But this time, there is no other word that works.  It is Breathtaking.

Did that help? :)

Ok so why should you read this book.  It's YA, more like JF fantasy.  It was written by Patrick Ness.  BUT the idea was gifted, bequeathed to Ness from Siobhan Dowd - a writer in her own right - before she died of breast cancer.  It is sparsely written, beautifully illustrated (though I read the version without illustrations as my kindle doesn't do illustrations really.   it's one of the older ones.)   I read it in all one sitting, which I think you kind of need to because it is so sparse, and it is so impactful.  To read it in portions I think would be like interrupting a symphony in random places.  To fully appreciate it, to take it all in, I think you have to read it in one sitting.  (I'm sure you don't have to, but I can't imagine breaking this up.)

Reading this book was like watching someone come into their own.  Like watching some one come into the same levels of reputation (for lack of a better term) as Gaiman, or Bradbury, or Pratchett.  He's not the same.  But he will fill in nicely at the table.   some might say the torch is being passed.  I'd say rather that it's someone lighting their own torch from another's, or bringing their own torch to light the way as well.   I think i may have a new favorite author to add to my list if all of his works are like this.

This is one book I truly hope they do not make a movie of, because there is no way they cannot muck it up.  (Of course there's already talk about a movie in 2016... but I hope that is only rumor.  It is too perfect on the page to put on screen.)

It is not what you think it is.  This is not horror.  There is no dystopian hunger games.  There is no one coming to rescue Conor (the main character, all of like twelve years old) and take him away to wizard school.  This is a book about stories.

  His parents are divorced.  He and his mom live in Ireland.  His dad moved to America.  Conor's mom has cancer and isn't getting better.    Then his grandmother is called to come help, and Conor can't stand his gran.

  But that is not where we begin.  We begin when the  yew tree in the field comes rushing up to conor's bedroom window, roars at him through the window, tears the wall off, and promises that he will come again.  And all Conor says is, "Is that all you've got?"  "Are you not terrified?"  "I've seen worse."   When Conor wakes up in the morning, house is put back together, and there is no clue as to the monster who came to call.  Except the leaves on the floor.

That is how we begin, and I don't want to say anymore.  But it is truly breathtakingly beautiful.  it is nourishing.  It is beautiful.  This book is art.  It is spellbinding.  And you absolutely must read it.

The People in the Trees

A couple years ago I watched the new (not so new now) Sweeny Todd with Johnny Depp, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter. directed by Tim Burton.  It was beautifully directed. The singing  was incredible.  It had Tim Burton's signature style.  It was striking to look at.  The acting was riveting.  My heart was in my throat.  In a word the whole thing was riveting.   It had all of the elements of a masterpiece.

 But Sweeny Todd does not have a happy ending (which is not a requirement for me by the way).  Those of you who know the film or the musical already know this, and are probably yelling to me, "What were you expecting!! It's Sweeny Todd for Pete's sake!!! It's subtitled  the DEMON BARBER! of Fleet Street!!"

Yeah, well you could say I was naive.  I didn't know.  I didn't expect what happened to happen.  It was a punch to my gut, while ripping my heart and lungs out.

After watching the film, (and determining that I never needed to see that again,) I felt like I needed to take a shower in maple syrup, and dust myself in powdered sugar.  That's how dark it left me feeling.
I feel even stronger about The People in the Trees by Yanagihara.

 The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara is vile.

I'll be honest.  I couldn't finish the book.  The narrative structure is interesting.  It's told in two first person point of views.  One portion of the book (the majority) is the memoirs of  Dr. Norton  - a man in prison for child molestation.  He was a great scientist.  He won the Nobel.  He made huge advances in a previously unknown disease, and adopted forty three (yes 43) children from the island where he studied, children who were dying, whose parents pushed them into his hands so they could have a better life.  His children went on to teach at places like Bard, become doctors, scientists, writers.

 The other portion is written in the voice of his colleague who worked in the lab with him for years,  a friend who has remained steadfast in his loyalty to his colleague.  It is this man that Norton entrusted his memoirs for editing and publication. (The device is meant to present the book as Norton's memoirs with his colleagues comments and footnotes in a few sections.) The author is gifted.  There's no doubt about that.

But for all its interesting narrative structure, its beautiful language, I got bored.  So I did what probably a lot of readers do, but won't admit to: I skipped to the ending.  When I say ending, I don't mean the last page.  I mean the last chapter, chapter and half.

(SPOILERS)

 Norton is accused of molesting his children.  We are led to believe that he is innocent.

The last section details minutely his multiple rapes of a specific adopted son.  It is also in this chapter that he said that he had had other boys before this specific one in question - some of them his own children.  He convinces himself and grooms his children to believe that this is his way of loving them, and that it is fulfilling to pass it on.  He is teaching them it is ok to rape, to manipulate their power and position with others to continue this love he shows and gives to them.

  I literally threw up in my mouth.

 I don't typically write negative reviews.  But I write this one as a warning.

  Yes, I didn't finish the book.  Yes I skipped portions.  I will absolutely admit that.  But this is my opinion on what I read.  (Note the phrase what I read).   

What I read is vile and repulsive.   It puts us in the mind of a child molester who rationalizes his behavior as love.  In detail. The last detailed bit of course changes the rest of the book with its presence - knowledge that had been denied the readers regarding the case and characters is revealed.  It shifts from one aspect of a story to a drastically different, dark, horrific story.

  The author is gifted.  The pull that off takes skill. The language is beautiful.  Like Sweeny Todd, it has all the elements of a masterpiece.  BUT I  felt like I had to go take shower in maple syrup, dust myself in powdered sugar and go sleep in unicorn footie pajamas to wash the stink off me.

Give it a try if you want.  But don't say I didn't warn you.

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

                To be honest, I tried to put this book back.  I didn't have enough time for ANOTHER book.  I still have three on my nightstand.  Not counting the Kindle. 

                But as our daughter was happily situated in the children's corner: shoes off, lounging on the horse and the bean bags and surrounded by Scaredy Squirrel books (really fun kids books, by the way), I wandered the stacks, and somehow found this.   I read the first couple pages, the liner, the back and thought, "Sure, why not?"   

                But I got nervous when I saw the stack of books piling up before me, and  I actually put this book down.  Another time.  Still, I couldn't shake it.  Something about it, stuck in my head and I picked it back up, and put something else back.  Give it a try.  Nothing lost if I return it unread, unfinished.   So I tried it again when we got home, and I didn't put it down for about an hour and a half - a pretty good report for a book I wrote off as a maybe.    Don't you love those surprises? I sure do. 

                 In a nutshell, Joe Talbert is a college student and he has a problem.  Truth be told, he has LOTS of problems: drug addict mother;  Jeremy his autistic younger brother who he tries to take care of because their mother doesn't;  Lila the girl he thinks he likes; and a very big writing project for his biography class: Write the biography of a complete stranger.  So, Joe Talbert goes to the old folks home, and finds someone that doesn't get visitors and hopes for the best.    Who he gets is Carl Iverson:  convicted murderer of a fourteen year old girl, who has been paroled from prison because he's dying of pancreatic cancer.      When Carl agrees to tell Joe his story, his honest death bed confession, Joe is nowhere near ready for the story that follows.  Even worse: he's not ready to begin to question the conviction of what was believed to be an open and shut case.    

                I don't do spoilers, but wow.  Just wow.  Go read this

                  I love a good mystery.  I love Inspector Lewis; Endeavour;  Case Histories; The Escape Artist.  That kind of thing.  (Those are all Masterpiece Theater/BBC shows available on Netflix, or Amazon.  All are worth your time and while.  The Library even has some of the Inspector Lewis seasons.  :)   The Life We Bury  by Allen Eskens  fits right in there.  It's thrilling, well written, compelling, and more than anything else, it tells a great story.  

                Now, I know that some people don't do mysteries or murder mysteries because of the MURDER part of it.  some mysteries or crime stories can be gratuitous with blood and gore.  Lots of details,  chilling images.  That kind of thing.  I don't do that.  I can't handle those things.  When I first watched Silence of the Lambs (it was on TV) I couldn't watch TV for a couple days because I thought Hannibal Lector was going to come out of the screen and get me.    Irrational?  Yes.  But did the images and stories stick with me?  Yes.    I have to be careful.  So I don't do gore and gross. 

                This book doesn't do that.  The crime scene descriptions are objectively shown through court documents, or the photos used in the case.  The images aren't lingered on.  It's not Dickens.  There's a couple scenes that are recalled in a memories by a main character.  It's important to see them and hear them, But again, it's not gratuitous.  It's not lingered on.  It's acknowledged and shown as it is a part of the story that is necessary, but then we move on. 

                As far as murder mysteries go, as far as books go,  this is excellent.  But clear out a day, because it's not going to let you do anything else.  It's not overly literary.  It's not going to make you work too hard.  It's not going to use words that you have to look up in the dictionary.   But the plainness of the language, and the tightness of the writing makes it more compelling.  It's perfect for a beach read, a weekend read, airplane, or just to try something different. 

                Recommendation:  quick, surprisingly satisfying.  Watch for the author's next book.

                

Letter to the Editor

Some of you may have seen the article in last week's paper.  if not I'll include a link.  A couple parents were objecting to their eighth grade students reading  stories by Shirley Jackson (The Lottory), Jack London (we all know him right? To Build a Fire; Call of the Wild; White Fang...)  Poe (please tell me you know him!), and Stephen King (again...  Carrie; It;....) 

They also objected tehre was a countdown in the class room referring to when the HungerGames movie was coming out.  the parents objected to the whole books and movie about kids killing kids...and likened it to Columbine, intimating that this material might cause another Columbine-esque incident.


 Here is the Link
http://wcexaminer.com/index.php/archives/news/28504

I was incensed.  So I wrote a letter to the editor.. (it was too long.. and upon learning other information I asked that it not be edited and published.)  But I am including it here...

I cannot verbalize how upsetting this article is to me, as a teacher, as
  someone who has multiple degrees in the humanities, as a writer..... This
 objection is outrageous.

 I read those books. I read Jackson, Poe, and London. I continue to read
 those authors. I was reading Poe when I was younger than eighth grade. I
 have not become a mass killer. I did not shoot up my high school, nor was I
 traumatized by this reading material. Rather it deepened my love of
 literature, and I discovered different genres that I adore.

 Did any of you become mass murderers from reading these stories? Did any
 student become a witch or wizard after reading Harry Potter? Did anyone
 receive telekinetic gifts, and reap revenge against their entire senior
 class after their prom? No? Anyone? (I suspect it takes more than just
 reading Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, or Suzanne Collins to create a mass
  murderer.)

 If you disagree with the reading material, read it with your child, and
 discuss it. Open the lines of communication between your student and
 yourself. Allow the child to make an educated decision rather than all out
 forbidding it from their sight. Discuss why what you see in the text is
 inappropriate. Talk to them about the differences between the book and real
 life. Talk to them and see why they like or don't like the book or reading
 material. Listen to the student.

 If you think a child of eighth grade age is unable to make that decision, be
 aware of what your child is watching. How many scenes of violence will they
 see on tv or in films? How many movies do the good guys kill the bad guys?
 How many tv shows geared towards the tween and teen set, have sexual
 innuendos, or more? Even Disney's Phineas and Ferb shows violence. By eighth
 grade students are likely to have been exposed to drugs, alcohol, and
 sexuality. They are already making these decisions.

 What of the Twilight series that was gobbled up by so many, that had a
 graphic birth scene, a headboard breaking sex scene, attempted suicides...?
 What of Lord of the Flies (kids killing kids)? Romeo and Juliet (sex
 between minors, drugs, blatant disobedience to parents, dirty jokes, and a
 double suicide?)

 These authors are expected in college and are considered classics for a
 reason. (When I was in graduate school, Pulitzer Prize Nominated author E.L.
 Doctorow spent a good amount of our fifteen weeks studying Edgar Allan Poe,
 as one of the best examples of the short story. These are the authors
 acknowledged and admired by other writers.)

 By not teaching Poe, Jackson or London, our students are being set behind
 other students as they approach college. But they also are behind, because
 these authors are such a part of our collective culture. It'd be doing them
 a disservice to not teach our students these authors.

 No, you will not please everyone. But do we not teach WW2 because of the
 atrocities that happened there? Do we not teach the Civil Rights Movement
 because of the murders, where ACTUAL people killed ACTUAL children (Hello,
 Emmit Till)? No. Students are expected to know and understand these things.
  Why is literature any different?
  To remove these authors from the curriculum, to not be aware of a series
  that has gotten children reading and kept them reading, and to not stoke
  that excitement, as a reading arts teacher would be foolish. (Have the
  parents who objected to the Hunger Games countdown, actually READ the Hunger
 Games?)

 To rephrase a question: Did anyone become Anne Frank, hiding in the Secret
 Annex during WW2? Could we tap into her fears, her thrills, her realizations
 at thirteen years old? Did anyone find themselves with Huck Finn as he and
 Jim ran away on the river, both escaping? Or did anyone find themselves on
 the trail with Sherlock Holmes, piecing together the mystery, and still able
 to beat the bad guy, rarely with the use of a gun, showing the strength of
 brains over brawn? (Yet we also realized that Holmes was incredibly flawed,
 and occasionally wrong, just like us.)

 Truth be told, ALL good literature is dangerous. All good literature makes
 you think differently, makes you see things in a way you hadn't. It adds to
 us, and helps develop as people.

 Open your minds, and open the books.
 ~



  But then in speaking to my friend who is a teacher, and who knew more than what the article said, or what they knew, I learned that while Poe, Jackson, King, and London are the highlighted authors, the class was also reading other authors  Ayn Rand (are 8th graders ever really ready to handle Ayn Rand? Much less a piece that describes a character losing her virginity and how great the sex was?)  
It looks like there were fine pieces, standard pieces, and then there were indeed inappropriate, and just poor decisions... What the article does not say was that  while it looks like the class was just counting down until the Hunger Games came out in film, they went and saw it as a class, after having read it togetehr as a class.  (I am not necessarily objectuinig to that, I am pointing out that there is information not given in the article that may change the light of things.. or it may not.)

   So my question I have here is this:

  What makes a book or a short story appropriate for the students?  while I do not disagree with reading Poe, London, Shirley Jackson, or Stephen King (depending on the piece)... what makes a piece right or wrong?  What is the appropriateness factor? what are the guidelines?   How do we handle this? Do we send out papers to all the parents saying these are the pieces your children are slated to read, if you do not like it, please discuss with your child an appropriate alternative?  do we give the parents fair warning?  Do we make the curriculum subject to change per the parents decision?  (but then shouldn't those parents who object so heartily to what their children are reading and lerning simply take their kids out and charter school them, or homeschool them?)   or do we just allow book banning to happen in our own area? 
 
My other question I still have is this:  If we teach World War 2, and all its atrocities in an age approrpiate manner, then why is there more wiggle room and objection room for against teachers when it comes to literature?
 
My mother did not want me to read Lord of the Flies when it was done in school.  She thought it was a terrible book.  You know what? I loved it.  I still love that book.  She didn't forbid me from reading it.  She and I talked about books frequently (she was a librarian after all), and I knew that if I didn't want to read a book I could propose another one to my teacher.  I never did that.  Rather I typically read above my class level.

    I am grateful that she let me read, and make my own decisions.  I am grateful she also taught me the standards by which to judge a good book.

   In the LDS church there are thirteen snippets that summarize the faith, written by Jospeh Smith Jr, after he got asked for umpteenth time to summarize the church's beliefs.    These are called the Articles of Faith. 

  The thirteenth article of faith is the longest but it also the one that is most applicable to every day life I think.. and it's what I try to use when I judge a book, or film, or music, or even tv shows..

  "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous,
and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow
the admonition of Paul - We believe all things, we hope all things,
we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all
things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or
praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

Reading is a highly personal experience.  We each bring our own backgrounds, our own feelngs, and our own interpertations to the table each time we read.  And we do it  EACH time we read, even the same book, can be colored differently in multiple readings.  Some may read into the text, hunting for symbolism, interpertations, while others may not.

Sometimes blue curtains, are just BLUE Curtains.  (go google it)

so what do we do folks?  What do you think?

 




 

Where the Wild Things Are

I have always loved this book.  I only recently rediscovered how much I loved this book when I read it to my daughter last night. 



  Just such an amazingly beautiful, simple, gorgeous little book, that has had more than one incarnation.

You are probably well aware of the Spike Jonze film that came out a few years ago.  It got mixed reviews, but I kind of love it just because of the sheer beauty, creativity, and depth that it took to develop this 'simple' kids book, into a film.  If nothing else, it is a really beautiful art project.

Here's the trailer that you've probably already seen.

 

It has moments that break your heart, moments that you rampage, moments that you dance.  But it takes all of those things that are part of our own childhoods, the scary bits,the happy bits, the confusing bits, and puts them in front of us, with the Wild Things and Max....

 And what book would be complete without a Book On Tape recording?   Except, Where the Wild Things Are is mostly a picture book...... So how do you do that?

Well, let's listen to Christopher Walken. (or more likely an impersonation..) - warning - two swear words in here.

As the grains of sand in an hourglass....

I shudder to review and see the last post was what, in January, or even December?  Egads I have fallen off the wagon with this!

Not because I no longer care about books or the library but because, life happens.  It makes it hard to be a consistent blogger, or blog follower and for that I apologize.

So what is new, what has happened?

Most poignant, is that a literary tradition and mystery has come to a complete close.  The Poe Toaster is no longer.  This year was the third year the toaster didn’t come to pay his respects.  And with that some little part in my middle school fascination with this had a pity party.

To those of you just joining the already over party, the Poe Toaster was the man who, every year on the poet’s birthday, went to Poe’s grave, laid three roses (in a specific pattern known only to the toaster and to caretaker f the cemetery) and half a bottle of cognac.  According to Wikipedia, the first knowledge of the toaster goes back to the ‘30s, though he wasn’t mentioned in publication until the 50’s.  The original Toaster passed on in 1998, and left the tradition to a ‘son,’ but the consistency since then has been spotty, until 2009 which was the last time the Toaster arrived.

I always loved this story ever since Mr. DeLeo told it to my eighth grade class.  So when the tradition ended, some little part wanted to sit with my trapper keeper and cry.

But alas, we move on.

Our beloved library has had to reduce their hours!!!!!!

   Should we organize some sort of run/walk for Our Library to raise money or something?  Because I hate to think of a day when they may not be around enough for all of us!  A town without a library  is not a town I want to be in!  Think it over folks.

Hunger Games Movie is coming out.  Have we all seen the trailer?    i would embed the ideo but it's disabled. so I am afraid yuo have to go and search it out on youtube.com.  sorry.

 But here's is the music video for the theme song Safe and Sound, with Taylor Swift and the Civil Wars.  apparently it's capturing the whole eerie feeling of the book in song and video.  So high hopes there.

Sherlock comes back in May for BBC and Masterpiece Theatre.  Fabulous stuff all over that.  Here is the trailer for the Scandal in Belgravia episode (based on Scandal in Bohemia.  The naked woman fyi is Irene Adler.)






  And on that note, let's all welcome each other back.. :)

hobbit trailer!!!

just listen to them sing! OH MY GOSH! uncontrollable giggles and shudders. oh please. oh please oh please this is sooo not the 70's/80's animation thing i grew up with (though that gollum still gives me nightmares...) this is beyond incredible. this is beyond cool. i have to go have a little dance right now. excuse me. because i have been saying little quiet hopeful artistic prayers for the hobbit since it went out of Peter Jackson's hands early on (anyone who can do Heavenly Creaturs, King Kong, The Frighteners, and the LOTR sereis... can do this.) and now it's back in his incredibly capable hands (along with del toro i think? who did Hellboy and Pan's labryinth :) because this song and clip makes me grin uncontrollably. and as it is in the beginning - the hobbit... this is just yay!