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Before I Forget: a mish-mash of book comments
Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 1:15PM I’ve read a few books lately that I haven’t had time to blogify. Here are some brief reactions to the most interesting of the recent list, divided into books for kids and not so much for kids.
Kid Books
Where I Live by Eileen Spinelli
This gentle set of poems tells the story of Diana and why her family had to move. All of the poems (except one) is told from Diana’s perspective. Diana wins a contest and likes constellations, her friend Rose, her grandpa, and sometimes even her sister Twink. I really liked this book. Several poems could stand alone, but the collection offers an interesting departure from a typical early-chapter-book-prose structure. It might be a great jumping-off point to encourage a child to try to write a poem, or for a kiddo who is already cantoically inclined (to sort of steal a word from another recent read, Stagecoach Sal by Deborah Hopkinson). It has been nominated for a Texas Bluebonnet Award this year.
Strega Nona’s Harvest by Tomie dePaola
I love Strega Nona. I think I want to be Strega Nona when I grow up. Tomie dePaola has written several books featuring this grandma witch and her friends. Apparently Big Anthony never learns. This time his shenanigans highlight once more the importance of generosity and community (and giant vegetables!).
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
I’ve read this book before and was inspired to return to it during Banned Books Week. This book is based on the bonding relationship of two male chinstrap penguins at the Central Park Zoo. It is among the most challenged books of the past four years. I didn’t talk about banned books with the kids before we read it, but when we finished reading it the other night, Sonar X6 said, “I bet this is a banned book somewhere.” I asked why he thought that and he said, “Because some people don’t think families should have two dads like that, or that kids should read about families like that.” We all had a lovely talk then about how all families are different, but one thing they share is love. That conversation grew to include comments on problems with stereotypes in general, and the kids were more open about the kinds of behavior that is tolerated in their social set and what sorts of things might lead to teasing and judgment. Any book that gives me a chance to talk understanding and tolerance with my kids, and leads them to think and talk to me about their own experiences with intolerance is a winner.
Not-Kid Books
The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad
Unlike many of the books on today’s list, this one was not fun for me. I found it very difficult to read because the descriptions of women’s treatment just kept making me angry and unhappy. The bookseller of the title is Sultan Khan (not a real name), an Afghani businessman, but the book is about more than just Khan. It is about his family and business interactions and is a cultural/social snapshot of post-9/11 Afghan life. Seierstad lived with the family for a time in order to write this profile. Perhaps because she spent more time with the women, perhaps because she was troubled by the lives of the women, Seierstad spends much more time describing the negotiations of life for Khan’s two wives and the other women of his family. The book also touches on life before and during the Taliban regime, suggests the complexity of tribal negotiations and of gender hierarchy. What is weirdly absent from the book is western military. There is hardly an American or European soldier to be seen in this book even when the aftermath of decades of war is highlighted in the bleak landscape. I follow news and events fairly well most of the time, and didn’t learn anything new about the socio-political situation of Afghanistan per se, but I understand better how little I know and understand about Afghanistan and its culture. The book is not without controversy for Seierstad and the family she depicted.
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
This was a smart book. This is the kind of paranormal book I’d like to write. Smart, independent female characters, practical magic that’s just ambiguous enough that you might call it science, and a steeplejack (everyone needs a hot, educated steeplejack). The academic setting reminds me of A. S. Byatt’s Possession (loved that one too). Written by a Harvard grad student who can trace her lineage to the Salem witches, there’s a hint of autobiography amped up with paranormal fantasy. I learned a great deal about the Salem witches and their historical milieu, but the lessons are neatly disguised and didn’t drag the story down. I have one more thing to say about this book, but it’s a bit of a spoiler, so I’ll keep it to myself for now. Let me know if you’ve read it and we can dish together about the nemesis (what? that doesn’t reveal anything).
Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
I love the Stephanie Plum novels. For me, they’re like potato chips. I don’t eat potato chips very often, but when they’re in the house, I tend to eat the whole bag at once, by myself, after the kids go to bed. Something about these books makes me stay up late even when I know I shouldn’t. If there’s one in the house that I haven’t read, I have to read them straight through. Fifteen was no exception. My favorites in the series are the first four and number seven, and those ones bear rereading for me. As the series has gone on, they’ve taken on their own conventions. Like a particular brand of sweat pants, you know what you’re going to get. That said, I was a bit disappointed in Fifteen. For all the talk of barbecue sauce, this one was a little less tangy and zingy than some. There are hints that Stephanie feels like she’s stuck in a rut, and maybe the routine of this one emphasizes that better than anything. I’m hoping for some surprises in Sixteen.
Anticraft: Knitting, Beading, and Stitching for the Slightly Sinister by Renee Rigdon and Zabet Stewart
Like the deliciously wicked, irreverent, and occasionally obscene webzine of the same name, this book is packed with craft projects that don’t evoke stereotypical mid-century granny-craft. From knitted bondage gear to liquor bottle cozies and creaturific menstrual cup cozies, this book delivers sinister/sexy craft goodies with humor and saracsm.
Books, Kids, Read Something, Sonars in Words ;)
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