What Momma Left Me

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by Renee Watson
ages: 10+
First sentence: “I don’t have many good memories of my daddy.”
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Review copy provided by the publisher

Serenity is 13 years old; her brother Danny is 12. And they just watched their their mother violently die.

Starting life over with their grandparents — their mother’s parents — isn’t easy. There’s a new school, new rules at home which include, and all the haunted memories that comes with their mother’s death. On top of that, they suddenly find themselves as PK’s — preacher’s kids, or in this case, grandkids — since their Grandpa is a preacher, and all that entails. Serenity seems to find solace in that, but Danny; let’s just say that Danny’s tendency is to turn out as well as their drug-dealing father.

Let’s just say that this one is very realistic.

Very. Realistic.

Depressingly realistic.

I know there are kids out there who live like this. And kudos to the grandparents who are trying to raise their grandkids right. But. Oh, it was so heartbreaking to read. Heartbreaking that these kids were caught up in adult problems, and going about making the same choices their parents made. Heartbreaking that there are people out there who call themselves parents, and yet never take time to take care of their kids. Heartbreaking that books like this are needed in order to give kids hope that things may turn out all right. Hopefully.

It’s well written enough, with poetry scattered through, drawing on Maya Angelou for strength. The chapter titles were from the Lord’s Prayer, as well, which I thought was a nice touch.

It’s still a depressing book, though.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

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Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe
by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
ages: adult
First sentence:”I touched down in Afghanistan for the first time on a raw winter morning in 2005 after two days of travel that took me from Boston to Dubai via London.”
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Life is not easy in Afghanistan. It hasn’t been for a long time, now. Between the Soviet occupation, the civil war, the Taliban, and the U.S. retaliation, everyday life for Afghanis is difficult, to say the least. Especially for the women. Especially during the Taliban years, when they were essentially relegated to their homes; held prisoner in their own houses.

With the men and boys fleeing to Iran and Pakistan for work, and to avoid being force-drafted into the Taliban army, how do these women — some of them highly educated — provide for themselves and their families?

Lemmon focuses on one family — the five sisters of the title, but one, Kamila, in particular — who take the bull by the horns and, working within the Taliban’s rules, manage to find a way to thrive under the strict rules and foreboding environment.

On the one hand, what Kamila does in creating a sewing/tailoring business that provides merchandise to local stores and employs local women and girls truly is an inspirational thing. Her innovation and resilience is impressive; she worked within the bounds the Taliban set, and only once did she ever come close to going afoul of the Amr bil-Maroof, the police who enforced the strict morality code. Even then, she was able to talk her way out of things. Her faith and optimism are amazing; if she believed it could be done, she found a way to make it so.

However, it seemed that Lemmon was trying too hard to make the book inspirational. it’s hard to pinpoint, exactly (and it may work for some people), but it’s overall feeling was: “This is INSPIRATIONAL. Pay attention!” The blurbs on the back don’t help: this book will Change Your Life. (And given Greg Mortensen’s problems, having a big blurb on the cover by him doesn’t really help with the credibility.) Additionally, while it’s a non-fiction book and telling is to be expected, there was way too much telling and not enough showing. She told me that the women were scared by the Taliban; she never showed me. She told me that they worked hard, were stressed, and yet overcame all; she never showed me. The other problem was time: the movie covers 13 years, and yet reads as if Kamila achieved all this in a matter of months.

I’m sure there are better books about women under the Taliban, ones that show how resilient and strong they were in spite of everything. And while this is an impressive story, this book is not one of them.

Close to Famous

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by Joan Bauer
ages: 11+
First sentence: “The last place I thought I’d be when this day began is where I am, which is in a car.”
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Things in this book that I’m getting mightily tired of:
Dead parent (this time, it was in Iraq; at least it wasn’t cancer)
Small town as a place of Redemption and Wholesome Values (why doesn’t anyone ever write about how confining a small town can be?)
Cooking/food as a means to Overcome Everything
Mom’s bad boyfriends (this time there was domestic abuse)

Things that worked reasonably well, even though I’ve seen them before:
Children who have a Brilliant Talent (in this case, baking) that Brings The Town Together
Faded Hollywood stars who have Lessons to Teach
Pursuing your dreams as a Means For Happiness
Big Bad Businesses that Promise Things to small towns but Never Follow Through (a prison was built outside of this town, and they promised lots of jobs. Of course, it never happened. Likewise, there was a small subplot about a big business trying to buy out a church. I never quite understood what the purpose of that one was.)

Things that I actually liked:
The cover
That the main character couldn’t read. There was no explanation given, no label; she just has a hard time reading. Bauer handled it well, the shame our main character, Foster, felt because she couldn’t read and her desire to want to read as well as her inability to overcome this. It was a damning portrait of schools: she slid through the grades because no one wanted to hold her back, and yet no one took the time to help actually teach her to read. If she hadn’t moved and found a group of people who were willing to help, then what would have happened to her? It made me angry at the teachers and the schools that let her slide, that never saw Foster for what she was: a person who needed help. Argh.

Things I wished the book had included:
Recipes!

I think the ultimate problem with this book is that it was too much like several others I’ve read and/or tried to read (Rocky Road, Scones and Sensibility, Dear Julia, Waiting for Normal, Okay for Now, The Dancing Pancake; not to mention It’s Raining Cupcakes, which I actually didn’t read, but C did), that I felt more annoyance than enjoyment while reading. Which is too bad, because I usually like Bauer’s books.

How Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy

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by Crystal Allen
ages: 12+
First sentence: “Since Saturday, I’ve fried Sergio like catfish, mashed him like potatoes, and creamed his corn in ten straight games of bowling.”
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Lamar has got it going on. Sure, he lives in small-town Coffin, Indiana. Sure, he’s got asthma, which keeps him from playing champion basketball like his older brother Xavier. Sure, he’s 13 years old and doesn’t have a girlfriend (what’s the deal with 13-year-olds and girlfriends these days?). But he’s the King of Sriker’s bowling alley. He knows his game, he knows he’s good. He’s got it going on.

It’s frustrating, though, being 13-years-old and living in Xavier’s shadow. Everyone in town — their father included — respects, admires and cheers for Xavier. And Lamar? He’s just a bowler. The epitome of lame, even if he is the best in the town.

Enter Billy Jenks. Sure, he’s trouble, but he’s offering Lamar a chance to earn some money to get the dream bowling ball he’s always wanted, and maybe he’ll get some respect as well. And it seems like Billy is a kindred spirit (okay, so it wasn’t in those words exactly): he gets where Lamar’s coming from. He understands. Until it all goes south.

I was torn about this one: the characters were tough for me to like; I don’t know exactly why I was turned off by Lamar, but I was. I understand he was trying his best, doing his best, working towards things, but I just never connected. And I didn’t particularly like his friends, brother, or dad. (His eventual girlfriend, on the other hand, was a spitfire. Can we have a book about her please?) I did, however, like that when things went south, and Lamar’s actions have serious consequences and he faced them without blinking. No whining, no blaming. Just sucked it up, and took it.

However, while I liked that part, I did feel it veered into the saccharine at the end. Sure, a happy ending is nice, but this one seemed a bit, well, over the top. All love and happiness and goodness and lessons learned. It left me kind of… meh.

That said, I think it’s a good debut; I’ll be interested to see what Allen has to offer next.

Audiobook: The Wee Free Men

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by Terry Pratchett
read by Stephen Briggs
ages: 9+
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I first read The Wee Free Men two years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the time I spent with the book. It’s hilarious, adventuresome, cool, and Tiffany Aching, even when she’s just 11 years old, is a force to be reckoned with. There’s a power in her, a determination. I love that in this world, all it takes to be a witch is powers of observation and the knowledge that you’re the only one who can do anything about the situation.

There’s magic, of course, but it’s not flashy magic. It’s quite, subtle, and still there, even after you know how it’s done.

That said, I loved hearing this book read aloud. Even more so than when I read it. It’s fine reading it and all, but nothing — nothing! — is funnier than someone doing a spot-on Scottish accent for the Nac Mac Feegle. And the voice for Toad? So deadpan, so hilarious. I laughed. So hard. Often. And I actually got the section near the end when Tiffany goes up against the Queen; something which I remember eluding me when I read it. Perhaps because listening to it means I go through things more carefully than when I read them? Whatever it is, listening to the audiobook made this books so much more loveable and enjoyable than it already was.

Which means, of course, that I’m going to have to listen to the rest of the Tiffany Aching books.

Audiobook: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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by C. S. Lewis
ages: 7+
read by Michael York
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I don’t quite know where to start with this. I read the books for the first time in college, and I think I liked them. Though I’m nowhere near the Lewis devotee as some. (Including Hubby.) I saw the movie, but wasn’t impressed. And, honestly, I didn’t remember much about the story.

But, there had been some talk around the house about the Narnia books, mostly because we’d just watched The Voyage of the Dawn Treader movie. A and K were curious about the stories, so I picked up this one to listen to while we were on the trip.

And, to be thoroughly honest, it didn’t stick with me. Sure, I enjoyed it while I was listening to is, as did A and K. But, two weeks later (there is a reason I put posts up right after I finish things), all I can remember about the story was that it was nice. And that I was surprised at how little the Pevensie kids actually did. Mostly it involved them reacting to events, getting caught up in events and watching events unfold. Very rarely were they actual active participants in the story, which disappointed me.

But the younger girls enjoyed it, and Michael York did an admirable job reading it. And it kept everyone from arguing in the car for a few hours. So it wasn’t really time wasted.

The Last Little Blue Envelope

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by Maureen Johnson
ages: 13+
First sentence: “It was that time of day again.”
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It’s been forever and a year since I’ve read 13 Little Blue Envelopes, and while I remember enjoying it, I didn’t remember much else. I wanted to read this book not so much because I was invested in the story of Ginny and her quest to do what the letters from her (now dead) aunt instructed, but because I adore Maureen Johnson and her writing. I’m on board for any story she wants to tell.

Thankfully, MJ made it easy for me to pick up this one without revisiting the first one.

Apparently (since I didn’t remember that), Ginny’s backpack with the letters in it got stolen at the end of the last book. (Hence the need for a sequel. And for the title.) She’s basically given up ever completing the quest, and has tried to move on with her life, filling out college applications. It’s all just okay, being normal. Then out of the blue, a guy named Oliver contacts her: he has her letters, and he’s willing to give them back to her. For a price.

And, off she goes on another adventure. This one will take her across France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Ireland. It will involve romance, but again only in a subtle, understated way. It’s more about tying up loose ends, saying goodbye and learning about art. There’s a lot about art, actually, something which I thoroughly enjoyed.

It’s a good book; intelligent fluff for those who think their books should be smart and fun as well as swoony and sweet.

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette

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by Jeanne Birdsall
ages: 10+
First sentence: “The Penderwick family was being torn apart.”
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How can I express my love for the Penderwicks?

Honestly? I can’t. I adore them, I want to be a part of their world.

Though I’ve noticed something: I think the Penderwicks are better when they’re on vacation than when they are at home.

This time, newly wed Dad and Iantha are off to England for a conference/honeymoon and Rosalind is off to a much-deserved vacation with her friend Anna to New Jersey. The rest of the Penderwicks — acting OAP (Oldest Available Penderwick) Skye, Jane and Batty, plus honorary Penderwick brother Jeffrey — are off with their Aunt Claire to a lovely little cottage in Maine for two weeks.

Perhaps it’s the lovely little cottages that make the books so wonderful? I’m beginning to think that everyone should have a vacation at a lovely little cottage.

Things happen at Point Mouette, of course. They meet a lovely next-door neighbor, Alec, who has an annoying dog but a wonderful piano; some more honorary siblings and a first-love in Mercedes and Dominic, who are staying at the Inn with their grandparents. They have adventures, discover things, bond, fight, and are just thoroughly wonderful.

I know this has been said many times, but it’s really the main charm of the book: I love how Birdsall combines an old-fashioned feel with the modern times. These books aren’t historical, they aren’t set anytime other than present, and yet they feel timeless. You could picture Anne Shirley or the March sisters having the adventures that the Penderwick girls have, and yet threaded through the books are modern themes like divorce and bad mothers and cancer. It’s a wonderful balance, something which gives these books their charm, and pulls readers in (and it’s not just adults; my daughters adore the Penderwicks) and holds them there, making them fall in love with the characters.

This is why I read.

Reread: Wildwood Dancing

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by Juliette Marillier
ages: 13+
First sentence: “I’ve heard it said that girls can’t keep secrets.”
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When I last visited the book, I had issues with it. Specifically, I had issues with a subplot wherein a character, a woman, wasting away pining for her True Love. It soured the book for me, and even though M really liked it, I didn’t change my opinion.

But my in-person book group chose it for their book for August, and I had time and figured it was a light vacation read, so I thought I’d give it another try.

It’s a clever twist on a couple of fairy tales, deftly combining vampires with The Frog Prince and the Twelve Dancing Princesses. The Transylvanian setting was lush and Marillier knows how to spin a story. One of the comments I remembered people saying in favor of the book was the relationship between Jena and Gogu, her frog. It’s a good relationship, fun and witty. But, even with that, I had issues.

I really disliked the treatment of the sisters by Cezar. I know you’re not supposed to like it; he’s the “bad guy” after all. But, it was really unsettling to me this time around. I had to put the book down several times, and found myself desperately loathing having him around. I almost didn’t finish the book because of him, this time. Perhaps it’s a good thing that I had such a violent reaction to him: it means, to a large extent, that Marillier did her job well.

And as for Tati and Sorrow, the pair that soured the book for me the first time around? Yep, still didn’t like them. Still became impatient with Tati and her wasting away for True Love. Still impatient with the idea of True Love, and how worthless an idea it is. I do prefer Jena and Gogu’s relationship; at least there’s mutual trust and understanding there. Perhaps Marillier meant Tati’s to be a counterbalance to the more down-to-earth Jena? I don’t know. But Jena, as spunky and brave and cool as she was, wasn’t enough to save the novel for me.

June Jacket Flap-a-thon

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This is totally me being lazy here. I’m in Boston, and I’m on vacation, so I’m putting up the four jacket flaps that I had already set up before we left. Happy July!

Waiting for Normal (Katherine Tegan Books): “Addie is waiting for normal. But Addie’s mom has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, jubilation or floom, her way or no way. All or nothing never adds up to normal. All or nothing can’t bring you all to home, which is exactly where Addie longs to be, wiht her half sisters, every day. In spite of life’s twists and turns, Addie remains optimistic. Someday, maybe, she’ll find normal. Leslie Connor has created an inspirting novel about one girl’s giant spirit. Waiting for Normal is a heartwarming gem.”

Dragonfly (Marshall Cavendish): “Sworn enemies… Forced to marry… And unite a divided land. Princess Taoshira of the Blue Crescent Islands is appalled when she is ordered to marry Prince Ramil of Gerfal. And he’s not too pleased, etiher. She is used to a life of discipline, ritual, and splendor. He is used to hunting and carousing. They hate each other on sight. But both of their countries are under threat from a fearsome warlord, and the only chance of peace is to form an alliance. When Tashi adn Ramil are kidhnapped, they fear there’s no escape — from their kinappers or from each other. Can they put aside their differences long enough to survived ambush, unarmed combat, brainwashing, and imprisonment? And will the people they meet on their adventure — including a circus strongman, a daring rebled leader, a sinister master of spies, and the best female fighter they have ever seen — help them or betray them to the enemy? THe latest novel from Nestle Prize-winning author Julia Golding, Dragonfly is a thrilling mix of fantasy and adventure.”
Link
Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer (Broadway): “What is it about sports that turns otherwise sane people into raving lunatics? Why does winning compel people to tear down goal posts, and losing, to drown themselves in bad keg beer? In short, why do fans care? In search of answers, Warren St. John seeks out the roving community of RVers who follow the Alabama Crimson Tide from game to game. A movable feast of Weber grills and Igloo coolers, these are hard-core football fans who arrive on Wednesday for Saturday’s game: The Reeses, who skipped their own daughter’s wedding because it coincided with a Bama game; Ray Pradat, the Episcopal minister who watches the games on a television beside his altar while performing weddings; and John Ed, the wheeling and dealing ticket scalper whose access to good seats gives him power on par with the governor. In no time at all, St. John buys an RV (a $5,500 beater named The Hawg) and joins the caravan for a full football season, chronicling the world of the extreme fan and learning that in the shadow of the stadium, it can all begin to seem strangely normal. Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer is not only a hilarious travel story, but a cultural anthropology of fans that goes a long way toward demystifying the universal urge to take sides and to win.”

Other books read:
Mad Love
Alibi Junior High
Cicada Summer
Magic Under Glass
Play, Louis, Play!
Scones and Sensibility
A Thousand Days in Tuscany
Sean Griswold’s Head
Runemarks
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
The Heart of a Samurai
Gods Behaving Badly
The Trouble With May Amelia
Twelfth Night
Southtown (DNF)
A Corner of the Universe
Pastwatch