If You Loved "The Giver". . .

Son by Lois Lowry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was so excited to see that Lois Lowry had written a conclusion to the "The Giver" series. Of the three prior books written ("The Giver", "Messenger" and Gathering Blue"), Giver has been my favorite. I was eager to see what, if anything would be revisited in "Son".

Son is divided into three "books".

• Book One revisits "The Giver" but from a different perspective.
• Book Two deals with "Water Claire" and has what I thought was a truly shocking ending. Not sure how I managed to go to bed and wait another whole day to read Book Three.
• Book Three brings the quartet to conclusion.

I left feeling unsatisfied with the ending (which is why this review is 4 stars and not 5). Not necessarily with how it ended, but it seemed a little rushed to me. I've still been thinking about it though, so I must like it better than I thought.

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Is This the Hasid Way?

Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book wasn't quite what I expected. For some reason, I was expecting it to be to similar in style to Lauren Winner's "Girl Meets God". In Winner's book, she speaks with such love and regret about leaving some of the Jewish traditions behind. Of course, Lauren was not a Hasidic Jew.

My main impression after reading this book was a feeling of disbelief. How can it be that in America girls and women can live such oppressed lives. How can it be that girls (at least in this particular Hasidic community) are discouraged from speaking and reading in English, and from reaching their full intellectual potential. How can it be that a 17 year old young woman and her husband cannot know how to consummate their marriage?

I am not entirely unfamiliar with Hasidic customs from reading the novels of Chaim Potok. For instance, the custom of married woman having to wear a wig as a head covering. However, Potok's novels seem to deal with Hasidism in a more tender way. He points out the rigidness of this facet of Judaism, but through a lens of kindness. You won't get that feeling from this memoir. In fact, you'll cringe at some of the stories and practices that Deborah shares. She is very frank, particularly as regarding the sexual struggles of her marriage, her desire to be viewed as an independent and worthwhile woman, and her impatience with the restrictions put on her as a Hasidic woman.

I am not a Jewish woman, much less a Hasidic Jewish woman, so I cannot know what it feels like to be a woman living in such a community. It seems like the rules would chafe my independent spirit, but perhaps, if I grew up in the Hasid way, I would have a love and respect for these customs that is escaping me. However, if girls are truly discouraged from reaching their full potential, then I do find that to be oppression.

After finishing the book, and prior to writing this review, I googled Deborah Feldman and found that there are those that are accusing her of lying in her book. Are these attacks against her because she has exposed the Hasidic community, or has she told untruths? I don't know the answer to that question, but I can tell you it was an interesting book, a quick read, and will provide you with some food for thought--particularly if you research other reviews and blogs after (or before) reading.

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Catherine: From Girl to Queen

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads, I was so excited to win this book, thank you.

Catherine the Great is a fascinating woman and Robert Massie has done a great job capturing the role she played in history.

I didn't know a lot about Catherine when I began reading, but as I learned about her, she became very real and I was eager to continue reading to learn more about her. It is so interesting that this young German princess, who basically self-educated herself, became such a powerful woman. Married to a weak man, who ignored her both sexually and intellectually, she kept her eyes open for opportunities to learn, grow, and gain the respect and admiration of the Russian people. Although she obviously liked power,I still liked her and sympathized with her struggles. I was impressed that although she believed in a monarchy, she still had a hope to change the system of serfdom in her kingdom. It also impressed me that she did not condone the torture of captured enemies. However, she still pretty much turned a blind eye to the murder of her husband so she could gain the throne.

Isn't it interesting, that the games that we play in the world now have been played since the beginning of time? When her husband wouldn't consummate their marriage, she was encouraged to have a sexual relationship in order to conceive a child. How could it not matter that the child was not conceived by royalty when that child would eventually gain the throne?

What I find so interesting though, is that this strong, intellectual woman, who was Queen of Russia, always had to have a "boy toy" around. In total I think she had something like 12 of them throughout her reign (the older she got, the younger they got). So okay, she's the Queen, and she has boy toys, we can cut her a little slack, it's a lonely job, right? But she lets these boy toys, at least some of them, make her second guess her decisions. That's just wrong. I expect more from a strong intellectual woman. She is so nice to these men in her life too. When she's done with them, she doesn't just boot them out, but usually gives them at the very least a home, a title and an allowance.

I was so impressed with Catherine's sense of justice in the beginning stages of her reign. Have you ever noticed how as people get older they get more opinionated and less tolerant? The same thing happens with Catherine. There are of course, scary things happening - Marie Antoinette, for instance, gets beheaded. Catherine certainly doesn't want to fall to the same fate and thus begins squashing down those who advocate for a more permissive society.

Catherine the Great did, overall, create a society that welcomed more intellectuals. She collected a massive art collection. She never stopped learning. She did not allow herself to become defeated by her circumstances. She was politically savvy and expanded the kingdom of Russia. She wasn't snotty. When she gathered her court around her in the evening, she wanted them there as friends and did away with ceremony. She liked to laugh and play. The palace parks were open for everyone (nobles and common people) as long as they were dressed decently. The role she played in history is a large one. If you'd like to learn more about her, this book is a great place to start.

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A Real Page Turner. . .

The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved the book. This was the first time I ever "read" an audio book, and it was a little challenging for me.

From the first chapter I was drawn into Twiss and Mille's lives. I was eager to get back into the story every day, and could hardly stand the fact that I couldn't read ahead to the end, which is a habit I engage in with the written page. In a way, I was a little obsessed with their lives as I wondered, how would it all end?

The reviewers are all over the place, some hating it and some loving it. Like all good stories, I think some bits of it are unbelieve-able, and yet believe-able at the same time. Is it sad, and discouraging sometimes, yes indeeed, but isn't that real life? We all make do with the lives we have,and sometimes we do well and sometimes we don't. In many ways this is a story about being dealt a hard hand in life, but persevering and making do nonetheless.

The other theme in the story is about the unselfishness (some might call it foolishness) of a gentle soul. In our world today, the person who is unselfish, or turns the other cheek, is looked at with sneering and contempt. We don't often acknowledge the beauty in the self-sacrificing act, nor honor the people who choose to live that way. Being meek and humble of heart is not considered a virtue. I personally think it is though, and who knows what rewards will be bestowed on those humble souls.

I love Twiss for her wild waywardness, and her contrariness. Sometimes we hold our emotions too close, and what comes out is not our real self. Twiss is a contrary but interesting and loveable character.

There were times in the story, when I had an inkling of what was going to happen and thought, oh no, not that! And then the "oh no" moment happened, propelling me to the wondering of what will happen next.

In sum, I was drawn into the characters of "The Bird Sisters". I looked forward to my evenings when I could begin listening again, to find out what was going on in their household. I kind of miss them, now that I'm done with the book.

Not sure what I think of an audio book. I will most likely try more books this way as you can multi-task (knit, do dishes, walk) and still be involved in a good story. . .

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Is Life Comprised of "Beautiful Ruins"?

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of the main reasons I picked up this book was due to the many outstanding reviews it received from other readers. However, if you are a reader who does not like switching between time and place and character, this book may not be for you (there are a number of switches of that sort). If you can stick with it though, those forays into earlier times will lend a deeper understanding of the characters in "Beautiful Ruins".

The book begins with the dramatic title "The Dying Actress",  which lays the groundwork for the entire book, although it will take a few twists and turns before you'll make those connections.

I've heard this book compared to "Bel Cantu", but (I know some of you will find this hard to believe), that was not one of my favorite books, so don't let that sway you to, or away, from "Beautiful Ruins".

Basically, I think this story is about our humanness. We are all human. We have dreams. We have failures. We make choices. Will those choices be for our good and the good of others?

The descriptions of Florence and the tiny towns surrounding, as well as the people of those towns were engaging and add to "Beautiful Ruins" charm.

The last chapter "Beautiful Ruins" ties everything together, and gives a lot of depth to the title. You will ponder the "beautiful ruins" in your own life upon completion of the story.

Upon reading this review over, it's almost like a non-review. I choose not to write about the characters or specific experiences as I don't want to give anything away. There is an interesting twist involving Richard Burton, which gave me a tickle. Overall, I think you will enjoy this book and getting to know the characters in it.

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Lily's Crossing: A Review

Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As I consider what I liked best about this story, I think it is the expression of Lily's contrary feelings. Remember when you were young and you loved your mom, but you disliked her too? When your mom showed you expressions of love, you may have shunned them. Contrary. A perfect expression of those teenage emotions. And stubborn. Too stubborn to give in to those soft feelings.

Lily has those feelings towards her Gram. She feels mad at her dad who is leaving her to serve in the war. She doesn't have a mom, she died long ago. Her best friend Margaret is leaving for the summer too. So Lily tells lies and stories to comfort herself. The only good thing is she is at her beloved home by the ocean in Rockaway. While there Lily has some adventures with a new friend, Albert, who has been orphaned by the war and has his own struggles.

In essence, this story is about Lily's beginning to grow up. To understand that love and life is complicated.

I really enjoy reading teen/young adult fiction. For one, you can read a story in an afternoon, and secondly, it's often better than much of the adult fiction that's out there.

If you read aloud to your children, this would be a good option for your upper elementary student. If you just want a story to while away a few hours, this would fit the bill.

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Libraries, Bookstores and Cats

The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap: A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book by Wendy Welch

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Prepare yourself to be charmed by "The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap". I was charmed to win this book from Goodreads (thank you GR!). 

If you love books, old houses, cats, and did I say books, you will enjoy this story about Wendy and her husband Jack. And, just a disclaimer here, there is a cat in the book, but it really won't be mentioned in this review.

Wendy and Jack had a dream of opening a bookstore . . . some day. Little did they know that some day would sneak up on them with the spur of the moment purchase of an Edwardian home in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Wendy and Jack put their hearts and souls into turning their new home into, well a home, and a bookstore. You will laugh with them, and shake their head with them as they make their dream become a reality. In fact, you will shake your head quite a bit, because in a sense their dream became a reality in spite of themselves. It goes to show that heart and determination can lead to success, even without a business plan.

This is what I love about this story. Wendy and Jack's love and acceptance of each other, their adaptability to making their dream become reality, their love of books, their belief that a bookstore is not just a bookstore, but a community gathering place. They didn't realize the stories they would gather as they moved forward in their journey, and how the ripple effect of the bookstore would change not just them, but others as well.

More things I love - the fact that they name book titles throughout, so I (and you) can add books to your read list (mine just gets longer and longer). The lovely quotes at the beginning of each chapter. The description of the bookstore, which sounds a lot like home. I also love the little stories they tell about "book reunions", the moment a browser runs across that great book they read, or had read to them, in their childhood.

The following excerpt will give you an idea of Wendy's love for books:

"I remember as a very young child being warned that libraries and bookstores were quiet places where noise wasn't allowed. Here was yet another thing that adults had gotten wrong, for these book houses pulsed with sounds; they just weren't noisy. The books hummed. The collective noise they made was like riding on a large boat where the motor's steady hum and tickle vibrated below one's sneakers, ignoble until you listened, then omnipresent and relentless, the sound that carried you forward. Each book brimmed with noises it wanted to make inside your head the moment you opened it; only the shut covers prevented it from shouting ideas, impulses, proverbs and plots into that sterile silence. What an enigma (a word my young self wouldn't know for years) that such a false sense of quietude should be imposed on this obviously noisy place."

I especially like the idea of books shouting out ideas, a great description of the feeling I get when I walk inside a bookstore, or spy a book on a friend's table or desk. I just have to pick up those books and take a peek inside. Sometimes it's all I can do to prevent myself from walking off with it.

So, lovers of books, pick up this book for a journey through the celebrations and pitfalls of opening your very own bookstore. Enjoy!

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