The Heretic's Daughter - Kathleen Kent

Summary:  Martha Carrier was one of the first women to be accused, tried and hanged as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts. Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and willful, openly challenging the small, brutal world in which they live. Often at odds with one another, mother and daughter are forced to stand together against the escalating hysteria of the trials and the superstitious tyranny that led to the torture and imprisonment of more than 200 people accused of witchcraft. This is the story of Martha's courageous defiance and ultimate death, as told by the daughter who survived. (Summary taken from author's website)
  
My Review:  I'll cut to the chase and say that although I did not like the first half of this book the second half made reading through it worth it.  The first half was too raw, mean and salacious*.  It left me feeling mean, which I don't really need in my life.  I just have a hard time with the portrayal of the 1600s as such a glum, hypocritical and hardscrabble world.  Was it?  I don't know.  Do you know?  No.  So lets not assume that all life in this century was callous and unkind.

With the second half of the book I was drawn in, the characters became more caring and human, rather than the carnal portrayal that the book began with.  And of course, this could have been purposeful, as the daughter began to grow up (because of the dreadful circumstances she was in) she could see a greater dimension to her mother, to life in general and therefore I, as the reader also became aware of it.  This was accomplished so well that when I finished the book I was willing to dismiss the beginning and say that I enjoyed the reading.  

I recently read The Year of Wonder set in 1666 (this was set in 1692) which dealt with many of the same issues in this book.  Greed, superstition, sexism among the similar topics.  And frankly, both had that sort of glum bias against the century, which perhaps it deserves (bubonic plague in one and witch trials in the other). However I thought that The Heretic's Daughter handled the issues more realistically and in a way more applicable to the here and now.  The story explained well how something like the Salem witch trials could come about in that time and place.

The book took a broader view (culturally and geographically) than what I remember The Crucible focusing on, which is really the only other witch trials book I've read.   Despite my living in and loving the town the trials took place (because that should mean I automatically know everything) I ended up spending a lot of time on wikipedia and other reference sites brushing up on my history.  There was definitely some literary license taken and it was done in a way that told the story "better" than it might have been told. 

A final note.  What is with authors' lately taking a pass when it comes to naming their books?  Please, no more wife/daughter titles.  Nothing relegates a book to being viewed as "for women only" than a title like that.  Give your book credit as having a broad appeal by naming it better.  (FYI, Kathleen Kent's next book is titled The Wolves of Andover.  A big improvement.)

My Rating:  4 stars.  

To Sum it Up:  An examination of one family embroiled in a tragedy for human-kind that deserves an audience beyond women's book clubs.

*Salacious is apparently my new favorite word as I used it in this review, and this one.  Authors, let it be known - although not as bad manipulating me, feeding me salacious details is a waste of my time.

FlashForward - Robert J. Sawyer

Summary:  The story of a world-shattering discovery at the CERN research facility in Switzerland. The research team of Lloyd Simcoe and Theo Procopides is using the particle accelerator at CERN in pursuit of the elusive Higgs Boson, a theoretical subatomic particle. But their experiment goes incredibly awry, and, for a few moments, the consciousness of the entire human race is thrown ahead by about twenty years. 

While humanity must deal immediately with the destructive aftermath of the experiment — thousands were injured and killed as every single person's body was left unconscious in the here-and-now — the greater implications take longer to surface. People who had no vision of the future seek to learn how they will died, while others seek out future lovers. (summary from jacket cover)
 
My Review:  Do you remember that old TV show called...wait, what was it?  Oh, yes - LOST.  When the show ended Mindy posted some suggestions of books that one might read to help combat the inevitable withdrawal that we "Losties" were facing*.  It was a nice thought, but my plan was instead to find another epic TV show to pine away for week after week - and my show of choice was FlashForward...which of course, was canceled after one season. 

Major frowny-face + whiny voice : I really wanted to know how it ended!

Luckily I remembered that I could perhaps read on occasion and with a few well place hints, Voila! I got this book for Christmas.

Because I had already basically heard this story before I feel a bit biased in my judgment.  I found I wasn't as enthralled with the individual characters in the book as I was with those in the show.  Likely this was because on TV they had more time to develop the characters and to add additional layers (a HUGE conspiracy layer was added in the show).

But hey, visions of the future combined with world-wide catastrophe; as far as fiction goes that is top-notch in my opinion.  Add a bit of intellectual play with quantum theory and I'm your gal.  The book was well-written and kept my interest, even though I already sort of knew what might happen.  And although the details were different between the TV show and the book, the ending of the book gave me just enough ideas of what could have happened that I was able to imagine an appropriate ending to the TV show.

So, as I said - I am probably biased on my opinion, having "seen the movie" before reading the book.  But if you want to "find out what happened" I recommend this one.  And if you have no idea what I'm talking about and continued reading this far despite my incredibly pedestrian obsession with a TV drama I'd guess that you would like the book even better than I did.

One more thing, this book was written in 1999 but set in 2009.  So while the plot and theoretical concepts are ultimately what make this book worth reading it is also amusing to hunt for the author's guesses on what "the future" (ie, our recent past) would look like.  Lets just say, he misjudged on the prevalence of "publish on demand;" didn't guess that Wikipedia or DVDs would be en vogue; and was one more person who didn't for see Great Recession.

My rating:  3 stars (3.5 if you haven't watched the TV show)

Sum it up:  I love reading books really, really quickly - particularly over Christmas, when it is more socially acceptable to abdicate parenting to friends and family.  This was a really good book to do that with.

*The question is - Mindy, have you watched LOST from the beginning yet?  If I had to guess I'd say you were a Sawyer girl...

The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson - Jerome Charyn

Summary:  The inner life of Emily Dickinson was creatively effulgent, psychologically pained and emotionally ambivalent, as reported by Charyn, who here inhabits the mind of one of America's most famous poets. Charyn parrots the cadent voice of razor-sharp Dickinson, beginning in her years as the tempestuous young lyricist who aims to choose my words like a rapier that can scratch deep into the skin. (Summary from Publisher's Weekly via Amazon.com - Image from books.wwnorton.com - Book provided free for review).

My Review:  It goes with out saying that creating a novel about "the secret life" of a well-studied historical figure carries some heavy risk.  However I am entirely uneducated about Emily Dickinson so I felt free to read the book without worrying to much about authenticity.  I was enthralled with the voice of the narrative with its, not surprisingly, lyrical prose.

Much of the novel had the feel of a introspective auto-biography but, even without my knowledge of Dickinson's life, I could tell the difference between what was fact and what was most likely invented.  This was because the inventions were often times tinged with salaciousness or attempted to provide shock value.  That said, the fictionalized insertions did deal with rumors or suspicions that might hover around Dickinson's life (ie, rebellion, secret romances, lesbian tenancies, mental illness).  These details only added to a picture of the whole person, rather than narrowly defining her as a single stereotype. 

I would have liked to have been exposed to Dickinson's poems in my reading.  They were absent.  But I guess that Dickinson's poems were absent in the public realm throughout her life, so perhaps it is fitting.  This book was about Emily Dickinson's life, from which sprang her poems, not about the poems themselves.    

My Rating:  3.5 (probably a 4 if I had a previous familiarity with Dickinson)

To Sum it Up:  A lyrical look at the (imagined) life of an American icon..

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

Summary: This novella by English author Charles Dickens was first published by Chapman & Hall on 19 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visitations of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. 

The tale has been viewed as an indictment of nineteenth century industrial capitalism and was adapted several times to the stage, and has been credited with restoring the holiday to one of merriment and festivity in Britain and America after a period of sobriety and sombreness. A Christmas Carol remains popular, has never been out of print, and has been adapted to film, opera, and other media.  (image from virgin media and summary from Wikipedia)

My Review:  Not only is this A Christmas Carol, it is THE Christmas Carol...a story that most Americans have seen in multiple movie recreations or plays and one referred to at Christmas time as often as any bible story or tale of reindeer.  But, have you read it?  I hadn't until it was the book club pick for December.  If you haven't read it, forget about picking up this year's NYT bestselling holiday tearjerker - get this instead.

At 100 pages this book is easily adapted into a movie.  The script is generally taken directly from Dicken's words and you will probably find no surprise plot twists.  It is simply the act of reading that gives this story a greater depth.  In fact, because the visual "imagination" of reading it is unnecessary (I pictured a cross between Mickey's Christmas Carol and Muppet's Christmas Carol...judge me as you may) as I read my mind wandered instead to the whys of the story.  Why did Dickens include certain details?  Why did the ghost of Christmas Present phrase it that way?  And of course the most interesting question of all...how does this apply to me?

The book club discussion was an excellent way to start to the holiday season.  Our discussion focused less on the caricature of hard hearted Scrooge and more on the reasons that young Scrooge turned away from life and towards money.  You see, not many of us are extremely wealthy and frugal business men.  If we are wealthy we spend the money, mostly on ourselves and family, and if we are poor...well, we may be frugal, or we may just be envious and equally self-serving.  And so we talked about how to avoid becoming obsessed with money and about how incredibly blessed we are to live in our luxurious 1st world homes (I say this with no sense of irony as I sit in my 850 sf condo after two years of my husband being partially employed).  We talked about how giving a gift gives you more dopamine than getting a gift.  We talked about wealth as a curse...or not.  We discussed the merits of Santa verses parents as the prime gift giver.  We talked about a lot more questions.  All of this, from 100 pages; from a story I've heard at least thirty times in my life.

This is a story you should READ once in your life...if not every year.  And then discuss it. 

Merry Christmas.

My rating: 5 Stars

Sum it up:  Discuss it over the Thanksgiving table next year in order to influence your gift giving and general Christmasy attitude in 2011.

Misconception - Avner Hershlag

Summary: When Dr. Anya Krim, the First Lady's fertility specialist, delivers a grossly deformed baby of undetermined sex, she tries to figure out how the child was conceived. But, before she is able to determine the baby's origin, she diagnoses a pregnancy in Megan, a Senator's daughter, who has been in a coma for two years. The question of who has impregnated Megan leads to a shocking suspicion based upon the FBI's DNA fingerprinting results. At the same time, the First Lady's last-ditch attempt to have a child runs amok when the safety of her embryos is threatened. Anya not only has to secure the embryos she created. She must now prove that no one has altered them genetically. (summary from book cover, book given free for review)

My Review: I, like the author of this book, am a fertility expert...give or take the medical degree, or any medical schooling whatsoever. Nevertheless, as the mother of two children conceived via IVF, I was the obvious choice for reviewing this book. And yes, I did neglect those sweet little tow-heads whilst I frantically read to find out the ending of the story. Sadly, it wasn't worth it. The concept behind the book is compelling, but the writing is mediocre, the plot a bit too action packed to be believable, and the details behind the fertility and cloning verging on salacious. So, as you can see in my rating I subtracted one star for each of those flaws.

Why was the writing mediocre? I've passed the book on (used book swap) so I can't quote it exactly but the author actually used the phrase "he had no problem raising a flag for her" in reference to the love interest being attracted to the main character. Seriously. Gag me. There were other cliche phrases, poor descriptions, and generally unpolished prose.

My Rating: 2 stars

Sum it up: This page turner could have used a few more revisions.

The Good Son - Michael Gruber

Summary: Sonia Laghari, a Pakistani-American writer and psychologist, sets up a conference on peace in Kashmir, the most terrorist-infested place on earth, only to have her and her small group of pacifists abducted and held captive by terrorists, who may or may not be manufacturing nuclear weapons. All but doomed to a public beheading, Sonia uses her familiarity with Islamic doctrine as well as her knowledge of Jungian psychology in an attempt to enlighten her deeply conflicted captors. (Summary from Amazon.com, Book given free for review)

My Review: If it weren't for the beginning and the end, this book would be one of my very top recommendations. I nearly put the book down after the first chapter - we enter into the bedroom with Theo, presumably "the good son", and his longtime casual sex partner and thus commences a crude description of the goings on. Not too graphic but unnecessarily descriptive. This scene was the only one I recall throughout the book but I signed on for a political thriller, not a tawdry fiction. Upon reflection I can see that this was used to show Theo as a flawed character but oh, there are so many better ways to do this.

As I read on I began frantically dog-ear-ing pages (Mindy gasps in horror) for future discussion, which is one of my personal signs of a compelling read. My dog-ears include discussions about religion (culture) vs. spirituality (faith), a lot of explanation regarding the abuse of women by extreme Muslims, a distancing of the core of Islam from fanaticism, the separation between tribal tradition and Islam (see culture vs. faith), the influence of place on our sense of self, how the oppression of women leads to women being oppressors, and plenty of insight* into Muslim culture along the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.

*Of course the author is a Caucasian professor in America so this begs the question of how accurate is his portrayal of the Afghan/Pakistan (specifically Pashtun) world? My book club often debates if a story is more accurate if told my someone inside or outside a culture. If being "inside" lends authenticity or if being "outside" removes bias. Then follows the question, because I am reading this story from "outside" does the fact that I think it seems realistic have any bearing whatsoever? Oh, so many interesting questions.

And then there is the ending. Eh. It is well done in that it answers the big questions but then leaves you with a few that keep you thinking once you've put the book down. It also makes you question some character assumptions you made throughout the book. But the surprise twist, which one begins to suspect, just wraps everything up too nicely. I just couldn't believe that x, y AND z all happened at the same time and the same place.

My Rating: 4 stars - The meat of the novel is so thought-provoking that, despite the tawdry opening and unbelievable ending, it still merits a recommendation.

In one sentence: Skip the opening, suspend belief at the ending and discuss what is in between.

The Not So Big House - Sarah Susanka

Summary: Architect Susanka believes that the large homes being built today place too much emphasis on square footage rather than on current lifestyles. Here she shows how homes can be designed to feature "adaptable spaces open to one another, designed for everyday use." She describes how to examine occupants' lifestyles, how to incorporate the kitchen as the focal point of the home, how to give the illusion of space, and how, with storage, lighting, and furniture arrangement, a smaller home can be comfortably livable. Photographs of contemporary homes as well as those by Frank Lloyd Wright and other modern architects illustrate Susanka's ideas and show the timelessness of the style she advocates. (summary copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. as posted on Amazon.com)

My Review: I am reviewing this book, not because I recently read it (I read it 8+ years ago), but because I highly recommend the ideas it advocates. As in, I actually recommend this book to people who ask me to design a house for them. At the time I originally read it, the nation was caught up in rising property values, driven by "re-sell," and many homeowners were concerned only with square footage. In this atmosphere the ideas in the book would help a homeowner to value and create a home, rather than just an investment. It advocates for considering how you will live in the house, not how the next person will - in essence, enjoy the house because it fits the needs of your family - live in the moment.

On the other hand, perhaps you have a home that was once spacious and luxurious, then two kids and one tanked realty market later you are, ahem, stuck with what is a quaint little cottage on good days, and on bad days a tenement house. In this case reading this book will make you feel like you are making a specific lifestyle choice - so that you too can enjoy the moment.

This book was originally released in 1998, over a decade ago, championing the idea that we should embrace life, use our resources wisely and build better, not bigger. Since then idea that homes can be cozy and customized has been embraced by home remodel TV shows, magazines and blogs.

The advice in this book is mainly geared to people who are building new, or doing major remodels or additions, but the concepts are applicable to anyone. In addition, there are a series of books by this author that address existing homes.

Disclaimer - if you currently live in a home you are happy with, I might not recommend reading this. There is a chance that the author might gently rub you the wrong way when describing what she sees as negative about many recently constructed house. However, if you are planning to build either your dream house on a large or small budget, this is a book you MUST read.

My Rating: 4 stars

In One Sentence: If you think you want more more more - read this book before you raise a hammer.

True Story : Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa - Michael Finkel

Summary: In True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa, disgraced New York Times writer Michael Finkel recounts the story of the murderer who assumed his identity and examines the reasons for his own fall from journalistic grace, in a memoir that is gripping, perceptive, and bizarre. In 2002, Finkel, a rising star at the Times, was fired for fabricating a character in a story about child laborers in Africa. Just as the story of his downfall was about to become public, he learned that a man named Christian Longo, arrested in Mexico for the murder of his wife and three small children in Oregon, had been living under an assumed identity: Michael Finkel of The New York Times. Sensing a story--and an opportunity for redemption--Finkel contacted Longo, initiating a relationship that would grow increasingly complex over the course of Longo's trial and conviction. (Summary taken from amazon.com reviewer Erica Barnett)

My Review: This is a prime example of turning lemons into lemonade. Imagine being caught in a lie that destroys your career at the exact same moment that your identity is stolen by a murder...not a good day. Unless you can get the only interviews with said murderer and write a book about it.

The bizarre fact that both stories parallel each other makes for a well organized story and an interesting study of the similarity and differences between the two "main characters." (It is a non-fiction, are there still main characters?) Essentially it presents a spectrum of narcissism and lets you wonder where you fall. Not surprisingly the author tries hard to present himself as a penitent man hoping to return to good graces, with the understanding that having been branded, professionally, as a liar we have no reason to believe him. This is a book you want to discuss with a psychologist (we had one in our book club at the time) for real insight into various pathologies, including your own. (Yikes.)

The subject matter, the gruesome murder of a woman and her children, is presented in a factual reporter-like way. It was neither sensationalized nor sanitized. I was nervous about reading it, and it is horrifying to think that anyone could do that to their family, but it didn't give me nightmares or cause me to distrust mankind.

**Sidenote: If you like this book you'd probably like "Devil in a White City" by Erik Larson and maybe "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote.

My Rating: 4 stars

In one sentence: If you tell a big lie, write a parallel story about a murderer and you'll come out smelling like roses.

Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

Summary: Originally published in 1951 for adults, it has since become popular with adolescent readers for its themes of teenage confusion, angst, sexuality, alienation and rebellion...The novel's protagonist and antihero, Holden Caulfield, has become an icon for teenage rebellion.

The novel was included on a 2005 Time Magazine list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923. It has been frequently challenged in the United States for its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality and teenage angst. It also deals with complex issues of identity, belonging, connection, and alienation. (Image from Amazon.com - Summary taken from Wikipedia.com)

My Review: This was another book club assigned classic that I missed in high school. Written in the 1st person voice of a high school junior in the 1950s this book was among the first of the "stream of consciousness" narratives that are now so common.

I read the first few chapters of the Catcher in the Rye out loud as my family started out on a road trip. Because of the 1st person voice, and a juvenile one at that it was fun to read, despite my frequent need to substitute dang, heck and gosh.

The loose plot chronicles the downward spiral of a good-hearted troublemaker. It was full of outrageous events that remained believable. I read with trepidation, afraid the story would end with tragedy like so many 10th grade English reading books do. It didn't - although many moments are, by themselves, heartbreaking or tender.

Although Holden's inner dialogue tended to be repetitious it was written with such sincerity that it was endearing. Ultimately, the dialogue was familiar to my formerly 17-year old self. Although I have never hired, then rejected, a teenage prostitute, the rambling, doubt-filled, idealistic thoughts embodied the teen age years. Years where, even under the perfect circumstances, life and the pressure of choices weighs on each person.

A note on the controversial nature of this book. Um...I wasn't offended. This might be a commentary on me, or on society... or just on me. I only really noticed the language when I was reading it out loud and the teenage sexuality wasn't terrible shocking, frankly, it was nothing you wouldn't hear about on Oprah. Let me know if you disagree.

My rating: 4 stars - I'm going to vote with the English teachers and Time Magazine on this one.

Sum it up: Classic, timeless, smart, teenage angst.

The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Summary: In 1792, during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, an English aristocrat known to be an ineffectual fop is actually a master of disguises who, with a small band of dedicated friends, undertakes dangerous missions to save members of the French nobility from the guillotine. (Summary courtesy Amazon.com)

My Review: Dashing hero, dangerous setting, beautiful woman, a secret society, crafty viliian. Sigh...all the things needed for an action-adventure.

This book is filled with the delicious suspense of watching the heroine slowly discover who the Pimpernel is and realize how terribly she misjudged her actions. The process is terribly romantic and, if you strip away the "cleverest woman in Europe" and the rich dashing nobleman, the fateful misunderstanding between the two is easy to relate to (effective communication is key in any relationship!).

Wikipedia and I agree that the Scarlet Pimpernel is the Batman of the 1790s with the same gorgeous, arrogant and lazy cover that the newer Batman utilizes. (I'll let you guess who I was imagining as the Pimpernel :)

While not literature, this book is a classic and very worth reading. It is set during the French Revolution and describes the actions of the rebellion in a negative way (its hard to sugar coat the daily murdering of 100+ aristocrat men, women, and children). For that reason it was educational and a reminder that I know very little about non-US history. I am now adding "Tale of Two Cities" to my reading list.

My rating: 4 stars

Sum it up: A quick read if you want to snuggle down with a dashing hero for the evening.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbary

Also reviewed by Heather.

Summary: We are in the center of Paris, in an elegant apartment building inhabited by bourgeois families. Renée, the concierge, is witness to the lavish but vacuous lives of her numerous employers. Outwardly she conforms to every stereotype of the concierge: fat, cantankerous, addicted to television. Yet, unbeknownst to her employers, Renée is a cultured autodidact who adores art, philosophy, music, and Japanese culture. With humor and intelligence she scrutinizes the lives of the building's tenants, who for their part are barely aware of her existence.

Then there's Paloma, a 12-year-old genius. She is the daughter of a tedious parliamentarian, a talented and startlingly lucid child who has decided to end her life on the 16th of June, her thirteenth birthday. Until then she will continue behaving as everyone expects her to behave: a mediocre pre-teen high on adolescent subculture, a good but not an outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter. (Summary taken from Powells.com)

My Review: If ever there was a book club I hated missing it was the one where we discussed this book. The content of the book was ripe with discussion topics. Class, potential and mediocrity, intelligence, fear, Art, Beauty, culture. Also up for discussion is the writing style as the interesting use of two narrators with above average intelligence begs the question "is what they say intelligent and grammatically correct?? Finally, there is the plot, and the characters themselves, to discuss.

I'd deem this a excellent book club book (which as I consider it is probably one of my highest recommendations) simply because it wasn't written to be. It lacked some of the bubbly feel good nature of the books that land solidly on certain "book club" lists and it avoided being overly emotional in a way that sucks you in and then leaves you feeling (the dreaded word) manipulated.

Ah yes - the ending...well, it has a twist. But it didn't effect the book for me. The point of the story was not for A to lead to B to lead to C, the point was an examination of the above listed concepts. So regardless of the plot I was satisfied by the discussion within the pages.

Finally, lest the above comments sound stuffy and snooty, this book danced with humor, emotion, and moments that were enjoyably school girl-ish (the boy asks the girl out, their first date, etc.).

My Rating: Ugh...4.5 or 5? I can't decide...4.75 but I'm rounding up in the categories listing.

Sum it up: The best book club in Massachusetts gives this book two thumbs up.

Matchless - Gregory Maguire

Summary:

Each year, National Public Radio asks a writer to compose a story with a Christmas theme. In 2008, Gregory Maguire offered a new twist on a classic tale, reinventing the Hans Christian Andersen classic "The Little Match Girl."

When the story was first translated from Danish and published in England in the mid-nineteenth century, the match girl's dying visions of lights and a grandmother in heaven were often interpreted as metaphors of religious salvation. In Matchless, Maguire adds a different dimension to the story, intertwining the match girl's tale with that of a young boy, Frederik, whose own yearnings are the catalyst for a better future for himself and his family. Maguire uses his storytelling magic to rekindle Andersen's original intentions and to suggest transcendence, the permanence of spirit, and the continuity that links the living and the dead. (Publisher comments as posted on Powells.com)

My Review: First things - before reading this review, but more importantly, the book you should familiarize yourself with the story of "The Little Match Girl." The easiest way to do so is by watching this short Disney peice - The Little Match Girl.

The beauty of this book is its pacing. Though the content of the story is at minimum, young adult level, it is a short, quick read and told with one or two sentences a page, accompanied by a simple illustration. If it were printed out with no page breaks I would have begun skimming immediately - thats the curse of a speedy reader. However with this story the process was much more cathartic and delightful. Read a few words, glance at the picture, turn the page; repeat. I realize now that perhaps this is why I liked "Tale of Despereaux" as well. Telling a story with few words takes infinitely more talent than using as many as possible.

I was unfamiliar with the Hans Christian Anderson story this tale was based on but after brushing up on my fairy tale knowledge I think that the original story and this expanded version merge seamlessly, although in a heartbreaking way. The story has the typical Maguire-esque crisp realism, colored with sadness as well as hope.

My Review: 4.5 stars

Sum it up: It's not the usual sugarplummy Christmas story but rings true if your life is filled with both heartbreak and hope.

Your Family Constitution - Scott Gale

Summary: What do you get when you cross two working professionals, two active kids and a dog? Chaos! For more than a decade, Scott Gale and his wife, Karen, juggled three bowling bowls- kids, personal needs, and careers. Clear and consistent expectations simply did not factor into their frantic lifestyle. In the wake of a Mother's Day family meltdown, Gale took time to evaluate his family's challenges and induce change, piecing together a powerful tool to restore family harmony. This 'Family Constitution' became the catalyst for clarity, consistency and commitment ('3C's), enabling his family to enjoy mutually understood boundaries and much-needed structure. Your Family Constitution shares Gale's innovative parenting tool and, more importantly, reveals the step-by-step process he went through to become a happier and more effective parent. (Excerpt from an editorial review found on Amazon.com - image from )
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Emily's Review: This book is an anecdotal guide to establishing family rules and expectations. Scott Gale relates how his family reached a point where he felt all order had broken down and then details how they came to a solution that validated each member of the family. As far as I could tell the author doesn't have any formal counseling training and so his story of how and why is what he uses to authenticate his advice. Despite his lack of training, the advice makes sense and seems applicable to most family dynamics.

The basic idea is to establish rules and consequences that seem fair and understandable to all family members. By doing this everyone knows what is expected of them, and what they can expect from others. Doing this reduces conflicts about the fairness and consistency of family rules while treating children with respect.

This book has some very helpful tips for parents on examining your values, guiding principles and potential problems. It also emphasizes the importance of both parents agreeing on these topics, providing a checks and balances dynamic among the family "leadership." Having this discussion with your spouse would be an excellent foundation for establishing family rules of any sort.

My family is very young and the children don't need a lot of rules, yet. However my husband and I could benefit greatly from some establishing some codified expectations between ourselves in order to minimize (or even end!) our frequent power struggles over who gets to do what when.

Her rating: 3.8 stars. I'm a sucker for credentials so I'm cutting some points because it entirely based on the anecdotal experience of one family.

Sum it up: A great workbook for outlining your family's goals, priorities and expectations and for letting each family member feel like they are contributing to the family.
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Heather’s Review: In this book Scott Gale details the makings of a family constitution, which is basically a tool used to keep the family on the same page when it comes to expected behavior and family values. The constitution addresses each family’s individual goals. It lets each member know exactly what is expected of him or her and lines out the consequences, as well as the rewards, for behaviors. It makes complete sense that families run more smoothly when both children and adults have guidelines to follow, and have participated in the making of these said guidelines.

While Gale beautifully lays out the steps to creating such a document, readers should be forewarned that discipline and reward techniques are not discussed within the pages of this book. The method the Gale family used for creating their family system is talked about and that’s a starting place but be prepared to research other places to find effective behavior modifications for your children. The author does offer a web site in relation to the book where additional insight is given, http://www.yourfamilyconstitution.com/ .

Her rating: 3.5 Stars, great idea just didn’t feel complete enough to stand on it’s own.

Sum it up: An important piece for implementing strategies to create harmony within a household.
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Average Rating : 3.65 Stars
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Ish - Peter H. Reynolds

Summary: Ramon loves to draw: "Anytime. Anything. Anywhere." When his older brother laughs at one of his pictures and points out that it does not look like a real vase of flowers, a dejected Ramon crumples up all of his efforts. However, he soon learns that his younger sister has hung the discarded papers on her bedroom walls. When he declares that the picture of the vase doesn't look like the real thing, she says that it looks "vase-ISH." The child then begins to produce paintings that look "tree-ish," "afternoon-ish," and "silly-ish." His "ish art" inspires him to look at all creative endeavors differently. (Summary by Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI via Amazon.com)

My Review: I was disappointed by this book. I recently spent some time creating an Amazon wish list of books for my daughters (Christmas is coming after all) and this book often came up as a book that "people who bought the book on your wish list also bought..." So when I saw it at the library I snatched it up and read it as soon as I got home.

The premise is nice and the story starts off well enough. However I thought the second half - after Ramon discovers "-ish"ness, rather mediocre. It was as if the author knew he had an idea that us feel-good, artsy parents would like (dare I call myself artsy?) and decided to coast. With some expert wordsmithing I would have jumped on the "Ish" bandwagon, but it didn't have that. A children's story, told in few words must be well crafted. I had no desire to read this book more than once, so back to the library it went.

The illustrations were done by the author, and they were great. If the narrative had been two notches better I could have really liked the book.

My Rating: 2 Stars - I won't be adding it to my kids "wish list," regardless of what those other Amazon shoppers do.

In one sentence: Concept, illustrations and good writing are key in making a good children's book.

The Host - Stephenie Meyer

Read the Guest Review By Alicia here

Summary: Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.

Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves — Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love. (Publishers summary provided by powells.com)

My Review: This book is better than Twilight. Its true. It isn't as fun to read as Twilight and you won't fall desperately in love like you did when you read Twilight, but it has more depth and, probably because it is a single book it is more concise and better written (in my non-english major opinion).

The major issue addressed in The Host is what it means to be "human". What a broad question and what an interesting discussion can result (trust me, we talked about it at book club, not related to this book and the gloves came off). There are also themes of body verses mind and loyalty. And there is a love story (or two).

In a recent review Mindy talked about how J. K. Rowling has "insane character development" among other qualities and that got me thinking about the characters in this book. I loved the narrator, who happens to be a body snatching alien. I cared about all the other characters if/because she cared about them. (I did read this in short 10-20 minute bursts while nursing, that may have affected my emotional attachment). Each character had certain character traits that they strictly followed. There was very little surprise in what they did, you knew that they were: determined, or insightful, or thoughtful, or judgmental, or accepting, or passionate and therefore you knew how they would react. Some complexity in character would have made me care more for the other important characters.

As you read this book watch out for the clever way Meyer avoids needing to delve too much into the technical aspects of the aliens. Because the story is first person, if the main character didn't know much about the technology of the aliens then Meyer didn't have to write it. This lack of detail keeps the book from becoming overly "sci-fi" which I didn't mind one bit. I give her credit for taking this shortcut!

My Rating: 4 stars

In one (incomplete) sentence: Fun to read, very interesting premise.

Escape - Carolyn Jessop

Summary: When she was eighteen years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger: a man thirty-two years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives...Over the next fifteen years, Carolyn had eight children and withstood her husband's psychological abuse and the watchful eyes of his other wives who were locked in a constant battle for supremacy.

Carolyn's every move was dictated by her husband's whims....For in the FLDS, a wife's compliance with her husband determined how much status both she and her children held in the family. Carolyn was miserable for years and wanted out, but she knew that if she tried to leave and got caught, her children would be taken away from her. No woman in the country had ever escaped from the FLDS and managed to get her children out, too. But in 2003, Carolyn chose freedom over fear and fled her home with her eight children. She had $20 to her name. (Review from publishers comments via Powells.com

My Review: Incredible.

The bad kind of incredible.

I couldn't tear myself away from the story of the raid on the FLDS polygamist ranch in Texas last April. My heart ached, both at the thought of those poor little girls being married off to old men, and at the fear and confusion all the children must have felt when they were taken from their families. I could understand the community's horror and having their temple searched just as I could understand the reasons the authorities search it. At the time I had a negative opinion of polygamy, especcially within these extreme communities, yet I still allowed for a bit of "let them believe what they want, I'll believe what I want" to exist in my thoughts. But just a bit - because the fact is, 16 year old girls should not be married to 50 year old men.

Then I read this book and got a first hand account of what an 18 year old thinks when she is married to a 54 year old man in a lightening quick ceremony. I read about a system that not just allows the hitting of a child, but encourages it. I read about good people, thinking they are doing God's will, who became pawns of men with too much power and no authority.

Mostly I read about a woman who was treated as property, as a cheap tradable commodity. About a "family" where many of the sister-wives developed mental illnesses as a result of severe mental, physical, and sexual abuse.

The story Carolyn tells is of the extreme end of the spectrum (though I imagine there are easily far worse stories to be found in the FLDS community) and certainly there are functional and happy polygamist families. Aside from polygamy alone, this book illustrates cult mentality, the corruption that comes from power and the real cultural sickness caused when women (and by extension families)are degraded. I still believe the general principle that consenting adults should have the legal right to exersice their religious beliefs. But in this community that is not part of the process. The people, men and women are taught that they don't have the right to say no to their leaders. Coersion by fear is not consent.

This book had a number of aspects that affected me personally. I cringed when Carolyn described the reaction that people in the nearby "normal" community had when the polygamists came to town. I lived in that town, I was the reaction she described (the curious stares and the name calling, not the rock throwing).

As a Mormon (the FLDS are a group that broke from the LDS, or Mormon church, in the late 1800s, they have some similar beliefs and mindsets...and some that are vastly different) it made me think twice about some of my beliefs. I can see how some of my thoughts are on the same spectrum as those that have turned corrupt within the FLDS and especcially made me aware that some of my assumptions about authority need to be tempered by my belief in personal revelation and agency.

My rating: 4 stars. If you are interested in the subject matter this is a book you worth reading. Also worth reading to see that severe gender-inequality exists in our free country and worth reading to understand why not treating women, men, and families with respect can become devestating to a culture.

In one sentence: Carolyn Jessop tells a story of a community that is odd to begin with and becomes (pardon my non- eloquence) more and more messed up as the story unfolds.

The Route - Gale Sears

Summary: Zipping along life's highway . . . Fifty makes you think. Thirty makes you morose, and forty makes you panic, but fifty makes you think. Half a century, and what is my life? Does it resemble anything I dreamed at sixteen, or expected at twenty, or hoped at twenty-five? What am I doing here? . . . I thought of climbing to the top of a high mountain in Tibet to consult a wise man, but I like vacations where there is indoor plumbing and vegetation. Since I already attended church, I thought perhaps I could pay closer attention. Maybe I'd been missing a great fundamental truth. Well, come to find out, I had been missing something. . . . Carol, a middle-aged wife and mother, is pondering the meaning of life. On a trip to the grocery store to find some energizing dark chocolate, she sees a sign asking for volunteers to deliver meals to the elderly. When Carol decides to take a chance and help out, she¹s in for a life-changing and route-altering‹ experience. (summary from galesears.com - image from walnutsprings press)

Here at Reading For Sanity, we are of several minds (and ratings) on this book. Here’s three opinions from three reviewers who are at different places in their lives.
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Chris’s Review: I loved this book! It drew me in on the very first page and didn’t let go of me until the last. I found myself riding along with Carol as she delivered meals, getting to know and love the people she delivered the meals to, and feeling the emotions she felt as she got to know each person. The names on Carol’s delivery list became more than just names to her (and me), they became real people with amazing lives.

The author did what a good author is supposed to—she made me feel like I was part of the story that was unfolding. I laughed at what “old age” sometimes makes people say, I cried because of all the sadness and loneliness in their lives, I felt anger at the way some of their children treated them and I even felt guilt (mostly because I have and 86 year old mother and a sister who lives in an assisted living center). The characters ranged from kind, gracious and loving people living in nice, but humble homes, to ornery people living in trailers or run down apartments. Their stories were all different but in the end they all needed what Carol could and did give them---LOVE.

My Rating: 5+ Stars

Sum It Up: I was telling people about this book before I’d even finished it. I would recommend it to anyone. It was a wonderful read!
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Emily's Review: I was intrigued by the summary of this book. It looked to be a nice read with the possibility of introspection and occasional bits of wisdom. And gratefully, that is what I got.

I appreciated that this was a book about a fifty-year-old woman, written by someone…ahem, who I would guess is about that age as well. The introduction of the book explains that this is a novel based on the author’s similar experience. Because of its basis in reality it has a perfectly plausible “plot” (really more of a collection of moments and events), and the authors thoughts and reasons for starting this volunteer experience are those I could imagine myself having. Okay, so actually I have thought these things (minus the being fifty part) and even looked up the meals-on-wheels in our area.

The narrator of the story serves a group of people that I found as fascinating as she did. As I read of her interactions with them I felt like I got to know them just as she did. Introducing the reader to these people is the point of the story and the part I most enjoyed.

This book fits in the category of “what I’ve learned in my life” memoirs (I’m assuming its mostly true, even though billed as a novel) and functioned best under that role when simply telling the story. It was less successful when the author pointed out “what had been learned,” generally by using (over-using) the phrase “I made a mental note to…” I could have done without nearly every “aside” of this type; they watered down the message by taking away my own incentive to try and seen the meaning in the stories she told.

My Rating: 3.5 stars – Worth reading, not life changing.

Sum it Up: A nice read with the possibility of introspection and occasional bits of wisdom.
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Heather’s Review: Gale Sears begins her novel, The Route, in a uniquely captivating manner. It almost seems like the narrator of the story, Carol, is writing a letter to the reader about what it feels like to turn fifty after spending life as a SAHM when all the children have left home. Carol speaks in a witty manner about filling the void in her life, quickly drawing the reader in. Unfortunately the book quickly loses momentum in the next chapter as the story turns from an amusing narrative of one lively lady’s life to a chronicle of her volunteer experiences with brief glances into the lives of the seniors she delivers meal to. Carol loses her substance and charm, becoming a character that merely exists on Thursdays (her volunteer day).

I longed for more detail into Carol’s life and felt that this lack of information left Carol a one-dimensional character.I would not consider this novel especially thought provoking, however it did contain quite a few enjoyable antedates and quotes worth a minute or two of pondering. The story overall, while leaving much to be desired, did a good job of showing the benefits of volunteering from both the receiving side and the giving side. It left me longing to be of more service to others.

My Rating: 2.5 Stars, I wouldn’t say that I didn’t like it, I just didn’t find it as enjoyable as many of the books I have given 3 stars to.

Sum it up: A quick and mildly entertaining glance into the power of volunteering and the beauty of age.
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AVERAGE RATING : 3.67 Stars

Available at Amazon or Deseret Book.

Don't forget to check out Gale's blog or Walnut Springs Press blog for more great book suggestions.

Would you like to win a free autographed copy of this book?!?! Just comment on this review and you'll be entered to win.

The Shyness Breakthrough - Dr. Bernado Carducci

Summary: Is Your Child Being Held Back By Shyness? Dr. Bernardo Carducci, one of the world's leading authorities on shy behavior, shows you how to help your child join the fun by plainly explaining: The causes of childhood shyness (it's not genetic). Why children don't just "grow out of it". And why it's crucial to address shyness early in life... (Publishers comments taken from powells.com)

My Review: I realized that my daughter needed help with her shyness at a doctors visit. We were there for her younger sister’s one month check up and she was happy to show off the baby, but when the very kind doctor, who we’ve visited often, turned his attention to her, she froze, making no movement, noise or eye contact, until he turned away. Suddenly I flashed back to my “shy” childhood and internalized the distress she must have felt at not knowing how to respond and her anxiety at being the center of attention. While some may say that for a two-year old to be shy is “developmentally appropriate” it was just too close to home for me to let go.

Soon after this incident I picked this book up from the library, but it sat unopened until a week or two later when I saw in my daughter’s eyes how much she wanted to join in playing with some girls from church, but didn’t dare leave my side, and so chose instead to play at my feet in another room while I met with their mothers. As her still sometimes shy mother my heart was breaking.

This was the only book at my library that addressed shyness, so perhaps there is a better resource out there, but I strongly recommend this book, or one like it. I definitely recommend it to parents who have an obviously shy child, to read sooner than later. I also recommend it to parents with mildly shy children how are likely to “grow out of it” on their own. I recommend it to parents who were themselves shy, and to those who have always been outgoing and don’t know how to deal with their own shy child. I even recommend it to parents who have out-going children that are showing anxiety about starting school, moving, or other major life changes. You see, being shy is so painful, even physically, that if you can help at all, you are giving your child a great blessing.

This book describes some simple ways to help your child develop the confidence and social skills to navigate themselves into adulthood. Generally they are common sense things that you just didn’t think about. My husband and I immediately started doing one of them, explaining in advance where we were going, who would be there, what would be going on and some ideas of things she could do; and quickly noticed an increase in our daughter’s ability to cope with various situations.

Reading this book also gave me incentive to respect my husband’s parenting style. The author believes that shy parents “pass on” shyness to their kids because of behaviors they model. When I asked my husband if he was shy as a child he looked at me blankly as if he had never considered being shy. I then realized that while I may be passing on my shy tendencies, he is passing on his out-going tendencies. As I pay attention now, I see him doing things the book recommends, and he didn’t read the book!

The one criticism I have of this book is the author's tendency to hyperbolize, which I find dilutes a message, as well as use, at times, an emotional tone. However, as you can tell by reading my review, as a shy person, this topic can be emotional, and you can tell by the writing that the author empathizes with his audience.

My rating: 5 stars

In one sentence: The last section is a good read for any parent whose older child is facing a change, but a MUST for those with “shy" children of any age. I plan to buy this book and refer to it as my children grow.

Into the Minds of Babes - Lisa Guernsey

Summary: As a mother, Lisa Guernsey wondered about the influence of television on her two young daughters. As a reporter, she resolved to find out. What she first encountered was tired advice, sensationalized research claims, and a rather draconian mandate from the American Academy of Pediatrics: no TV at all before the age of two. But like many parents, she wanted straight answers and realistic advice, so she kept digging: she visited infant-perception labs and child development centers around the country. She interviewed scores of parents, psychologists, cognitive scientists, and media researchers, as well as programming executives at Noggin, Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, and PBS. Much of what she found flies in the face of conventional wisdom and led her to conclude that new parents will be best served by focusing on “the three C’s”: content, context, and the individual child. (Publisher comments taken from Powells.com)

My Review:

I love browsing the “New Non-fiction” tables at my library. I picked this up because I was in the midst of a change in my two-year-old’s TV watching habits. My recent pregnancy, resultant bed-rest, and concluding (thankfully) with “tired mother nursing an infant” had increased her TV watching from none - to a LOT of Seasame Street,” for which I was feeling guilty, and like I’d let down my standards. Because of the topic I assumed this book with guilt me into cutting back the amount of TV she was watching to “pre-pregnancy” levels (or increase my guilt when I didn’t).

Imagine my surprise when it completely justified, in a positive way, the TV my daughter was watching and in fact convinced me to add other children’s shows to the line-up. But wait, I don’t recommend this book because it justifies me, but rather, because it is an broad look at TV and children that relies on scientific information while and taking into account the realities of raising an child (or two) from birth through pre-school. I was so interested in what the author was telling me that I felt breathless as I read - does it make me lame that I would describe this as a "page turner"? This book was so balanced that I wish wish wish the author would research for me: vaccinations, methods of education, and whether or not I should move nearer my family.

A few highlights from the book:

While there are studies on how children learn from pre-school programming, this is in its own infancy and the kids heavily exposed to the newer programming (ie, Baby Einstein) haven’t even graduated from elementary school yet. So stay tuned for further research.

One of the most important and eye-opening things I learned was the effect of background noise on the development of language and vocabulary. If you have the TV, or radio, on all the time, even if no one is watching, you should read Chapter 4.

This book gave me “permission” to expand the shows my daughter watches to from just Sesame Street to include Thomas the Tank Engine, Dora, Barney, and Blue’s Clues. Within reason of course. (In fact it made me feel like I was short changing her by not letting her watch these shows, which some studies have shown increase vocabulary and “pro-social” skills.)

This book affirmed my decision not to let her watch full-length animated shows until she is older.

In addition to examining the effects of TV watching, this book taught me a lot about the cognitive development of my children.

My rating: 5 stars, a must read for parents of pre-schoolers.

In one sentence: A refreshingly and excitingly unbiased and realistic examination of TV's place in our homes.

The Good Good Pig - Sy Montgomery

Summary: “Christopher Hogwood came home on my lap in a shoebox. He was a creature who would prove in many ways to be more human than I am.” --From The Good Good Pig.

A naturalist who spent months at a time living on her own among wild creatures in remote jungles, Sy Montgomery had always felt more comfortable with animals than with people. So she gladly opened her heart to a sick piglet who had been crowded away from nourishing meals by his stronger siblings. Yet Sy had no inkling that this piglet, later named Christopher Hogwood, would not only survive but flourish–and she soon found herself engaged with her small-town community in ways she had never dreamed possible. Unexpectedly, Christopher provided this peripatetic traveler with something she had sought all her life: an anchor (eventually weighing 750 pounds) to family and home. (From back of book)

My Review: When my book club host for July picked a book titled “The Good Good Pig,” well the jokes ran rampant for a few minutes. I mean really, the story of the extraordinary life of a pig? Didn’t we all read this in elementary school? Let me guess, there is a spider, and a rat… It seemed a bit too silly for the likes of us (haughty indignation). “Oh, don’t worry” the host said, “it’s a true story AND was featured on NPR”. With those magic words we all settled down to read the book. (Although the last book I chose based on an NPR recommendation was a big disappointment.)

Within the first three chapters I was ready to adopt a pig and raise it like as my child (though to be honest I changed my mind once the pig topped 400 lbs).

Like many memoirs this book had a predictable rhythm. This one was: educational anecdotes from around the world, involving either pigs, or other animals encountered in the authors extensive travels, then a tie into the life of Chris the Pig, and his family. I enjoyed both the anecdotes and the running narrative because they were interesting and uplifting. There were some aspects of the author’s story that I raised an eyebrow at, mostly in regards to how she claimed to like, and relate to, animals better than humans (which seems like reverse discrimination to me), but overall the story was one of love and respect between family, neighbors and the entire animal kingdom.

Who could object to that?

Some of the members of my book club thought the book was too slow moving to enjoy. But I thought it had a nice relaxing pace with a plot that doesn’t suffer if read in bits and pieces. I’d recommend keeping the book in the car for those random moments of waiting; by the bedside for winding down at night; or, as was my case, to pick up every two hours while feeding an infant. (Although I will warn you, that nursing a baby while reading about the a sow laying on her side feeding her young is a bit…er…close to home.)

My rating: 4 stars

In one sentence: The grown-up version of Charlotte's Web, minus the spider. (Thank heavens!)