Ali's Choice

When my mother, the Benevolent Book Goddess and tech geek, rushed out to buy one of the first Amazon Kindle eReaders and gushed about how cool it was, I have to admit I was pretty obnoxious in my refusal to even hold it.  I just couldn’t imagine reading a book on a computer screen.  After about a year of my Mother asking me if I wanted her Kindle [there’s a button to turn pages on both sides and it was hard for her to hold it], I finally decided to try it out – and was blown away!  I absolutely love the little thing and the fact that around half my books on there were downloaded FREE was a fantastic bonus!  Now, those of you with kids can understand the tendency to do this:  when I get something, I must then get my kids something, too.  I think it’s a balance thing.  So, after getting myself a couple of books, I started looking around for something for Ali, my 6-year old daughter. 

First, you have to understand that my daughter loves being read to. She just started to read for herself last year, but together, we have gone through an insane number of books. Oh, and we don’t read the books – we make a production out of it.  I am the silly voice maker, the get off the floor acter-outer and the freaky face-maker of readers.  So, her favorite books are always going to be the ones where I have a horrible British accent [‘a-low gov’na], act like an animal, or some other such craziness. Here are two of her very favorites that never [and I mean never] get old for her.



Mo Willems - Genius!



We call them “The Pigeon Books.”  That pigeon is one of the funniest characters in children’s books I’ve come across.  He begs, he pleads, he threatens [sound familiar parents?], and he teaches. The very first time I read The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, my daughter looked down at the floor sheepishly [she recognized some of her own tactics].  I immediately opened it back up and gave it the full-on Brit treatment. She fell out laughing.  When the last page was turned, she looked at me and said – with a straight face – “that pigeon’s kind of a brat isn’t he!”  It took every ounce of willpower I had to hold in the maniacal laughter.  Mo Willems is awesome.  Check out his Knufflebunny books, too!

             Another favorite is Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton (who also wrote Russell the Sheep – another good one).  Splat is a neurotic cat whose fur seems to float on the page.  In fact, Ali reached out her hand to see if he was fuzzy like he looked on the page. Her very favorite Splat book is Love, Splat because she’s into all that mushy love stuff.  That one is a sweet, funny Valentine's story.  But the one she likes me to read the best is Splat the Cat because it’s all about Splat going to school for the first time and how he overcomes his anxiety. It was a great book for her to read, especially last year as she entered kindergarten. She's kind of a worrywart herself, so she relates.



Mmmmm....hamburgers!

            Okay, so back to the Kindle. The only book of these three I downloaded to the Kindle was Stick Dog Wants a Hamburger  [because we already own the other two].  I got Stick Dog for FREE from Amazon.com.  Tom Watson takes it to the next level with his hilarious comparisons and descriptions. It’s a little long, but I split it up into two separate bedtime readings, which worked great [especially since my throat was getting a little sore from doing the voices].  A few words of caution:  Although this book was great – funny and smart with lots of action, there are a few things worth knowing before reading it.  First, it’s really for kids 6+.  Second, it’s going to make your kid want to run around like a small Tasmanian devil.  Third, prepare yourself for snickers, giggles and outright horselaughs every time you say one of the character’s names. Finally, it may cause a gigantic urge to grill out some thick, juicy hamburgers.  We liked the book, and the drawings showed up really well on the Kindle.  Since they're pencil drawings and because the Kindle is black-and-white, they looked good.  I won’t hesitate to download another picture book if it turns out as great as this one.

            All in all, I am extremely satisfied with my Kindle, and now that I can get some really cool books like Stick Dog for free [or close to it], within a couple of minutes, without even leaving the house, I greatly fear that I’ll need to keep a good supply of throat lozenges handy for some marathon reading sessions.

Hostage to the Devil

Here’s how my life works:  I read an article or book and I think to myself - “Is this true?”  So, of course, like any other well educated American, I hit the Internet to see what’s out there on that particular subject.  As I research, I become intrigued by a related word, phrase, picture or name and I follow that link further into the Internet cosmos until I find something that finally gets my full attention [Why, yes, I do have a touch of ADHD] 

This particular fall down the rabbit hole led me to Hostage to the Devil, a free e-book by Malachi Martin.  There are people out there who feel very strongly that the devil exists and influences our lives on a daily basis.  “Ah, yes,” you may be thinking, “the ignorant, the fundamentalist, the religious fanatic!”  Or, you could be thinking more along the abstract “Evil exists, yes, but only as construct of humanity – a classification of aberrant social behavior“ [Ok, so maybe only the anthropologists out there are thinking that.]

~~Of the five case studies presented in this book, I could only make myself read through the second.~~


Whatever it is you are thinking, it can’t compare to “I no longer want to read this book, “which was my exact thought around page 117, followed by “I want to delete this book from my computer’s hard drive and then have my computer blessed by a religious person.”  This is not an exaggeration.  I don’t think I’ve ever read anything as truly creepy as this [and I’m a Stephen King fan!].  

Two things stood out:  First, there are grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the book that I know, on a rational level, were most likely caused by the OCR program that scanned this book in, but…there is a part of me that thinks that the errors are there on purpose.  For what purpose, I don’t know – or maybe won’t permit myself to guess at, but I have a pretty vivid imagination, and what I come up with is something like a secret demonic code that is unwittingly translated as you read and hard-wires  your brain into receiving Satan and all his minions into your subconscious.  [Sounds fun, huh?] 

The second thing that I could not seem to reconcile was the startling intelligence behind the writing in this book.  You can immediately tell that an educated person – an intellectual, in fact – wrote this book.  Having my liberal arts education turned on its ear was hardly comforting.  This intelligence coupled with the glaring mistakes in grammar and punctuation is creepy in and of itself, and lent the book an overall dark and disturbing energy. 

I never did finish the book.  [And I probably will delete it from my hard drive.]    



The American Heiress

My mother, or as I like to call her “The Wonderful Book Giver,” lent me this book over the long 4^th of July holiday weekend.  Usually I will read whatever she does because she has excellent taste in books and most everything else, but I was hesitant. It looked like some kind of summer romance novel, and, well, I’m just not a big fan.  But, in deference to her, I opened it up.  I turned to the first page and read an entry from Titled Americans, A List of American Ladies Who Have Married Foreigners of Rank, 1890, and I was hooked.

Set during the late nineteenth century, The American Heiress captures the excesses of this time perfectly.  The American nouveau riche (immensely wealthy American magnates) threw lavish parties, built huge mansions, bought extravagant wardrobes and generally aspired to be the gentry of America.  Gild is the thin veneer of gold over a lesser metal, and Mark Twain coined the term “Gilded Age” to describe this particular era due to the fact that underneath all the beauty and luxury is the unscrupulous business practice of making huge profits off of the poor man’s sweat, blood and tears. 

Based on the life of Consuelo Vanderbilt who married into British aristocracy, Goodwin’s Cora Cash also aspires to marry well.  An Americanized version of gothic fiction and mystery, Goodwin’s talent as a storyteller is revealed when she begins to peel the layers back and expose the true natures of the characters and their places within the complex network of class and race constructs of both American and British society, vestiges of which still exist today. 

I was pleasantly surprised with the depth of this book.  It’s a very good read. 

Fantasy Four!

I have finally resurfaced!  The last episode of The Game of Thrones on HBO has ended, and with it my only reason for watching television – at least until the Sons of Anarchy rides again.  Hello, my name is Michelle and I am a fantasy addict.  I cut my first teeth on the Narnia and Oz novels.   Yes, I do know what House I would be in if I, too, could be lucky enough to go to Hogwarts.  Can you hear the wolves in the walls?  So, in keeping with the spirit of my addiction, I'm taking this opportunity to pay homage to four of my all-time favorite fantasy series writers.  Hopefully, my picks will spur you to read or to re-read these engaging and compelling books. 

First up is Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series.  Oh yeah, fantasy lovers, you know who I’m talking about!  Tar Valon “witches”, a Dragon Reborn, and the Seanchan… oh my! This is my second time through this series (I’m currently on Book 5 of 14) and it just keeps getting better.  Robert Jordan’s prose is like “buttah.”   The characters are as real as a writer can make them, full of angst, envy, cruelty, love and every emotional mixture possible.  But the real reason I love this series is that I cannot even begin to guess what is going to happen next.  There are more twists to this plot than taffy.  The plot is thick, complicated and full of mysteries.  What I call perfection!  An epic tale for every generation, this series is one of the standards by which fantasy writers are rated.  Some readers, however, may feel that the loss of Robert Jordan before the completion of this masterful work may be detrimental, but after reading The Gathering Storm, Book 12, I think Brandon Sanderson has done a wonderful job in keeping true to Jordan’s style.  I am eagerly awaiting A Memory of Light, Book 14 due sometime in 2012.  I keep busy by checking the webpage www.dragonmount.com for more information.  If you like fantasy and haven’t read this series – do so immediately.  If you like fantasy and have read this series – you should read it again! It’s simply that good.

The second series is A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin.  This series is my current obsession as revealed in the preface to this blog.  I think I read the first four books in one weekend.  The fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, is due to be released on July 12, 2011 or, as I like to say, 14 days, 5 minutes and 10 seconds.  Picture a world united, yet with visible fissures threading throughout the land.  Along those fissures small dominoes are arranged upon which are inscribed the sigils of houses and marks of marriages, oaths of honor, friendship, kinship, gold, love, duty, revenge, betrayal – all leading to one man barely holding it all together.  Now, push one and see what happens.   Intrigued?  Who wouldn’t be?  The plot is a finely plaited, silk snare.  The connection to the characters is immediate and intense.    The books are so astonishingly good that HBO has produced The Game of Thrones series, the first season of which aired earlier this spring.  The show has generated a good metric ton of new fans and made the old ones pant with anticipation, myself included.  I try to keep up on www.georgerrmartin.com.  Read these books – I promise you will not be disappointed! 

The Kingkiller Chronicles is the next must-read series.  I fell in love with Patrick Rothfuss’s first book, The Name of the Wind, before I had finished reading the first sentence of this 662-page book.  I’ve now read that particular book three times.  The just recently released second book of the trilogy, The Wise Man’s Fear, is just as good as the first.  I fear there will be a few years to wait before the final book is released.  Meanwhile, I can savor the books again and again. I also entertain myself by reading Rothfuss’s blog on www.patrickrothfuss.com.  Kvothe, the main character, is totally unique and is only one of two characters with whom I have ever felt such a deep kinship (the other one, in case you’re interested, is Jamie Frazier from the Outlander series).   Since I am neither a man, nor a warrior (nor a Scot!) it must be the multilayered and deep emotional awareness of the characters that I find so irresistible, even when they or their actions aren’t so appealing.   I haven’t figured out yet where Kvothe is going, or why, or even the nature of his purpose.  You may think that confusing, but it’s not.  It’s rather compelling, actually.  Rothfuss is a storyteller, and a good one.  He makes you forget the plot and, instead, lures you in with a fine riddle, a note of sweet music and the whiff of an alluring scent.  And, of course, Kvothe. 

Are you thinking that all these are fine and good, but isn’t there at least ONE series that is actually completed?  You are in luck, my friend!  The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie is one of the best I’ve read.  It’s fresh… bloody fresh!  Abercrombie is so very good at keeping the voice of the main character true throughout this series.  By that I mean to say that the main character, Ninefingers, is confronted with all sorts of life-altering scenarios, but his core remains steadfast.  The characters in this series pop with life, and the battle scenes seem breathtakingly real.   Yet, I found myself laughing out loud in many places and snickering in others.  A wry, twisted humor is not easily pulled off, but Abercrombie is a master.  I reveled in these books and especially enjoyed the ending.  This series is very, very good and I highly recommend it.        

Well, there you have it friends - my top four fantasy series picks.  I went with my heart and chose those closest to it.  I have no doubt you will enjoy just as much! 

Do You Hate Your Job?

Someone told me when I entered the workforce at 15 that I would soon find out that “work” equals drudgery.  I remember smiling and nodding, but heading off to my first job just as happy and excited as I could be.  As strange and unbelievable as this may sound, I have always loved my jobs.  Whether it was waiting tables, which I did for 6 years, or retail (2 years), corporate (4 years) or government (3 months, so far), I’ve always had the mentality that I’m there to do the best job possible and mostly enjoyed the work.  What made some of these jobs miserable were the people I worked with or for - the complainers, the gossipers, the no-matter-what-it-will-never-work-ers, the stallers and the bullies.  I just have very little patience with people who don’t try their hardest at their job, ESPECIALLY if they’ve been doing that same job for a long time.  Or think that the workers “just do ________.  It’s not rocket science.”  So, when I read The Three Signs of a Miserable Job by Patrick Lencioni, it certainly connected with me. 

Think about it – we spend more time at work than any other place.  Our workplaces and co-workers are a huge part of our lives.  It stands to reason, then, that when “managers cannot see beyond what their employees are doing and help them understand who they are helping and how they are making a difference, then those jobs are bound to be miserable” (235). 

Consider how much more fulfilled and satisfied with your job you would be if your boss/manager took the time to get to know you personally, took time to measure your success through steps that are easy to understand and easy to implement. Plus, could give you guidance on exactly how big an impact your job has on customers, your boss, the company and yourself.  Yes, Lencioni states, you actually ARE important!  Surprise!! 

Now, you’re probably thinking you don’t want to read another stale, boring self-help book.  Well, that’s good, because Lencioni gives all this information in “The Fable” – a story that follows manager, Brian Bailey through a rough spot in his career to the path of his eventual development of a management strategy of three-parts he calls Anonymity, Irrelevance and Immeasurement. 

The underlying truth in this book is this:  “When people lose sight of their impact on other people’s lives, or worse yet, when they come to the realization that they have no impact at all, they begin to die emotionally.  The fact is, God didn’t create people to serve themselves.  Everyone ultimately wants and needs to help others, and when they cannot, misery ensues” (232).

The same goes for people like me, who naturally tend to be positive and idealistic, at least initially, and who tend to chafe when working with co-workers and bosses who are frequently negative and passive-aggressive.  Lencioni helped to reinforce the belief that behavior is learned, and that while the atmosphere of a workplace is usually set by managers/bosses, employees are not completely powerless.  If employees begin to use some of the techniques Lencioni outlines, the company culture can begin to change for the better. Even better is to give this book to your manager, even if you have to sign it “A Secret Admirer.” 

I definitely recommend this book – GOOD!

Tapestry - A Celtic twist on the classic tale of good versus evil!

A twelve year old boy, Max McDaniels, is surprised by a mysterious letter from a mysterious person informing him of his heretofore unknown magical purpose.  (Hmmmm….sounds familiar).

Once Max has been confirmed, he chooses to attend the Rowan School to develop his abilities.  He is magically paired with roommate David, a brilliant but strange boy.  The students and faculty are drawn into the fight alongside the “Agents” to prevent the arch-villain, Astaroth, from regaining power.  (He Who Must Not Be Named, anyone?)

Why bother to read another Harry Potter spinoff, you ask?  Well, what it lacks in plot originality, it makes up for by including Celtic mythology and the depth of character development.  Although “The Cattle Raid of Cooley” is not retold as lyrically as I would have preferred, it nonetheless steals the spotlight, and leaves you wondering exactly how Max will fit into the grand scheme of things.  What middle-schooler can tell you about the Tuatha De Danann, selkies and other Irish folktale elements? Sure, we know all about leprechauns, but there’s a whole wealth of Irish stories that will entrance young readers, and this book is a great stepping stone!  

No matter how great the story elements, it’s the characters which make or break a book, and Tapestry has both!  Max and David develop slowly, but much is learned (or guessed), and the bond between them becomes quite strong.  One gets the feeling that there is more to this pairing than is revealed in this, the first book of a series.  I have my theories. 

Tapestry is a juvenile fantasy book that has lots of character and some original story elements within a tried-and-true formula.  I recommend it.  

GOOD.