Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens

Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman

Native Son  - Richard Wright

What Alice Forgot - Lian Moriarity

Own the Day, Own Your Life - Aubrey Marcus

Countdown 1945 - Chris Wallace

Literary Quotables

As I read, if I find an interesting quote, a beautiful sentence, or simply something that strikes the right chord in me at that precise moment in time, I jot it down on a Post-It and then tuck it inside the front cover of my daily planner. Today, I realized I have so many Post-Its I can no longer make senese of them. Therefore, this feels like the appropriate place to curate them. 

"There's something very human about taking something great and ruining it just a little so you can have more of it."

"Two people don't grow apart, they let go."

"You gain knowledge through suffering."

"It will stay in your face until you handle it with grace.

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

"Most wars are won or lost in our own heads."

"A true leader stays exhausted, abhors arrogance, and never looks down on the weakest link."

Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins

Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins


Facing the mind-numbing prospect of running my first marathon since 2010 next summer, I've been on the hunt for books to fill my inspirational tank so-to-speak. Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins, filled it full to overflowing in one fail swoop. If you need a bit of a "come to Jesus" with yourself and your self-imposed limitations, for any reason, be it an athletic pursuit or not, this book needs to be on your "To Read List" a.s.a.p.

June-November 2019

So the summer and most of the fall sorta got away from me. Time to update my reading log! Want to know more about a particular title, let me know!

The Elephant in the Room: one fat man's quest to get smaller in a growing America by Tommy Tomlinson (NF)

The Five Love Languages (NF)

Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holliday (NF)

In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez (Historical Fiction)

Damnation Island: poor, sick, mad, and criminal in 19th century New York by Stacy Horn (NF)

I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alkirikna & Martin Gahnda (NF)

Taking Flight by Michaela DePrince (NF)

Elinor Oliphant is Perfectly Fine

The Library Book

The Great Believers

Dream Hoarders: how the American Upper Middle Class...  by Richard Reeves

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (YA FIC)

Lilac Girls by Martha Kelly Hall (FIC)

Everyday Millionaire by Chris Hogan (NF)

Talk to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell (NF)

Heartland: a memoir of working hard and being broke in the richest country on earth by Sarah Smarsh (NF)

Memory Man by David Baldacci (FIC)

Maybe It's You by Lauren Handel Zander (NF)

Maid by Stephanie Land (NF)

Between the Lines by Nicki Grimes (YA FIC)

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus (YA FIC)

Running: a love story by Jen A. Miller (NF)

May-June 2019

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey (NF/Self-Improvement)

The Girls of Murder City: Fame, Lust, and the Beautiful Killers Who Inspired Chicago by Douglas Perry (NF/Crime/History)

The First 20 Mintues: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, and Live Longer by Gretchen Reynolds (NF/Exercise Science)

It's Great to Suck at Something by Karen Rinaldi (NF/Self-Improvement)

The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard (NF/Historical Narrative/WWII)

Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly (NF/Historical Narrative/WWII)

On Trails: an Exploration by Robert Moor (NF/Science/History)

February-April 2019

The Serpent King  by Jeff Zentner (YA/Rosie/Battle of the Books)
Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina (YA/Rosie/Battle of the Books)
Hunger: a memoir of my body by Roxann Gay (NF - Memoir)
Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds (YA/Rosie/Battle of the Books)
Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown (NF - Self-Help)
Killers of the Flower Moon: the Osage Murders by Daniel Grann (NF-Crime)
Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Tech by Adam Alter (NF-Tech/Social Behavior)
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport (NF-Tech/Social Behavior)
The Point of It All: a Lifetime of Great Loves and Endeavors by Charles Krauthammer (NF-Biography)
Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude by Raymond Kethledge (NF-Self-Help)
Reclaiming Conversation: the Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle (NF-Tech/Social Behavior)
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra (Adult Fiction)
The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr (NF-Tech/Social Behavior)

January 2019

Damnation Island: Poor, Sick, Mad, and Criminal in 19th Century New York by Stacy Horn (NF)

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k by Mark Manson (NF)

You Are a Bada** by Jen Sincero (NF)

The Next American City by Mick Cornett (NF)

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain (F)

September - December 2018

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (F - Mystery)
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter (F - Mystery)
The Moonstone by Wilke Colllins (F - Original Detective Novel)
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck (NF - Travel Diary)
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Frederik Backman (F)
Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy (NF)
A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman (F)
The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon (YA)
Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts by Jaron Lanier (NF)
Less by Andrew Sean Greer (Pulitzer Prize)
Denton Little's Death Date by Lance Rubin (YA)
The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff (NF - Social Science)
Squeezed: Why Our Families Can't Afford America by Alissa Quart (NF - Social Science)
Natural Causes: an Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer by Barbara Ehrenreich (NF - Health)

June - August, 2018 --

The Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
Things that Matter by Charles Krauthammer
Simply Me by JoJo Moyes
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis
After You by JoJo Moyes
The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin
The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore
The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
Forgive me Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
Written ouf of History by Mike Lee
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Song of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
The Warrior's Ethos by Steven Pressfield

April through June, 2018 -- What've I've Been Reading

Here are the books that have occupied my reading time over the past few months. Can you notice any any themes:

-- The Four Tenancies by Gretchen Rubin

-- The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of the Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

-- The Family Gene: a Mission to Turn My Deadly Inheritance into a Hopeful Future by Joselin Linder

-- Movie Night With the Regans: a Memoir by Mark Weinberg

-- Drug Dealer, M.D.: How Doctors were Duped, Patients got Hooked, and Why it's so Hard to Stop by Anna Lembke

-- The Obesogene Effect by Bruce Blumberg

-- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

-- The Ominvore's Deliemma by Michael Pollan

-- Dreamland: the True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic by Same Quinoes

-- Mean Dads for a Better America by Tom Shillue

-- Educated by Tara Westover

-- Beartown by Frederick Bachman

-- The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

-- Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

-- Skin in the Game

-- Hidden Figures by Margot Shetterly

-- The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

-- The Third Twin by Ken Follett

-- Little Fires Everywhere by Celesete Ng

-- The Hammer of Eden by Ken Follett

Treating People Well: the Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life by Lea Berman and Jeremy Bernard


Two former White House Social Secretaries combined to pen this non-partisan guide that anyone could benefit from reading in this polarizing and tenuous time in our nation's history.

As I monitor the library thoughout the day, I often walk about, reading (I am a librarian after all...what else did you expect?). When a student inquired what I was reading one day, I showed him the cover, then, kiddingly, remarked that, "It's not something that comes naturally to me; I need to really work at it and read about how to do it!" As I thought about that comment, completely intended to garner a laugh, I began to see the truth, not just the humor, in the statement. Treating people well actually DOESN'T come naturally to any of us. We are, by nature...HUMAN nature...primarily concerned first and foremost with our own happiness and well-being. It does, indeed, take both intention and practice (and maybe reading and research, too) to become adept at treating other people well to a degree at which they are able to stop and actually take notice. This book focuses on the ways, both large and small, through which we can do that in our daily lives.

Berman, the Social Secretary during the George W. Bush administration, and Bernard, her counterpart in the Obama years, seamlessly work together to paint the behind-the-scenes picture of what it's like to keep people happy in America's House. From civilian visitors to visiting foreign dignitaries, from the First Lady to the Commander in Chief, the goal was always the same for Berman and Bernard: make each and every person feel important and cared for by anticipating their every need down to the most minute detail. By telling their most memorable stories, both illuminating and harrowing, they offer tried and true "Rules for Treating People Well" that are both practical as well as transferable to every day life.

This book is, hands-down, a great read for anyone, whether simply to learn more about the behind-the-scenes of the White House or to gather great advice to incorporate into is or her own "character" toolbox!

What I've Read Recently...

Over the past few months, my reading muscles have stopped their atrophy and are in a renewed state of rejuvination and growth. Here is a list of the books I've read since November, just after my last blog post:

1. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (YA)
2. Dumplin' by Julie Murpy (YA)
3. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (YA)
4. All-Amerian Boys by Jason Reynolds (YA)
5. Wonder by R.J. Palacio (YA)
6. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
7. Paper Hearts by Meg Wiviott (YA)
8. The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg
9. The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Itrube (YA)
10. Column of Fire by Ken Follett
11. An Amerian Marriage by Tayari Jones
12. Treating People Well: the Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life by Lea Berman and Jeremy Barnard
13. Everything Happens for a Reason by Kate Bowler
14. The Underground Railroad by Colsen Whitehead
15. Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth by Ben Shapiro

I'll do my level best to add in-depth reviews over the next few weeks.

iGen: why today's super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious, more tolerant, less happy -- and completely unprepared for adulthood by Jean M. Twenge -

From the renowned social researcher who brought us Generation Me, Twenge once again hits the mark with her pin-point accuracy of the social and emotional characterics of today's young adults and adolecents.

Just ten years removed from when I read Generation Me (review here) it hardly seems possible that the differences between the two generations can be so stark in such a short span of time.  If the Millenials were known for their confidence and high-levels of as-of-yet warranted self-esteem, iGen will go down as the generation of self-doubt, delayed social development, and, in common terms, "failure to launch." Although iGen is statistically the "play-it-safe" generation through their high school and teen years (lower levels of alcohol abuse, smoking, sexual experiementation, drug use, teen pregnacy, car accidents, gun violence, etc.), it is just this delayed development that seems to have placed them in a more tenuous position both physcially and emotionally once they hit their first foray into adulthood...college. Having not dabbled in the more risky behaviors while they were home in the relative safety of their parents as prior generations did, they are waiting until college to experiement with may risky behaviors. With less of a safety net when they fall, their falls seems to be harder, resulting in a emotional fragility not before seen and evidenced in the much higher rates of depression and suicide this generation is exhibiting.

Twenge points to one invention as the major culprit in this stark shift between Millenials and the current generation of young adults: the smart phone. The constant deluge of online activity with the inability to escape from the24/7 barbs and bullying that can accompany social media in the hands of socially inept young adults has created an environment wherein teens and young adults are unable to differentiate between life online and life off-line. Words in writing are as real and hurtful to them as actual actions, thoughts and ideas as dangerous as if the concepts they present actually occur. The line between real-life and imaginary seems to have been blurred to the point of no return. This is evidenced in the starting statistic relating to the idea of government prohibiting "hate speech" as 40% of iGen suggests it's okay for government to dictate speech, whereas only 27% of Baby Boomers agree, and a mere 12% of the Silent Generation would see government control of speech as acceptable. Thoughts, words, and ideas are more important and real than actions to today's teens and young adults.

The ways iGen has been influenced and changed by never knowing life without smartphones or online access goes far beyond social norms, deep into other arenas such as how they learn. Colleges professors are grappling with how to translate to this generation's nuances. As of yet, the chasm between common practice and iGen's unique learning style seems to still be too wide to cross.

I highy recommend any parent, educator, or manager to read this book in order to gain insight into today's teens and young adults. They are what we have created and they are the generation of the future.  

No Easy Day: the firsthand account of the mission that killed Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen -

Mark Owen is the Navy Seal credited with being the Seal who killed Osama Bin Laden during the top-secret operation at his compound in Pakistan. Mark is a witty, well-educated, introspective man who pulled no punches when recounting the most fateful day in the 10 year quest to bring the leader of Al Queda to justice.

Mark's story, of course, pivots on that day specifically, but the book does much more than give a blow-by-blow of the raid. Owen explains his own motivation to become a Navy Seal...not just a Seal, but the most elite of the elite. Drive, perserverance, loyalty, and patriotism are on full display throughout his story.

In a day when we as a nation cannot seem to agree on the most basic of ideals of what it means to be an American, Owen reminds us that it was not so long ago that we were much more united than we might recall.

The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday

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Not long ago I heard Ryan Holiday interviewed on a Podcast I subscribe to and found his story quite interesting. Hugely successful at a young age (read more about Holiday here), Holiday is an entrepreneur who looks to the wisdom of the Stoics to guide both his direction in business and in life.

The Stoics look at setbacks (The Obstacle) as opportunities. Removing the emotion from a setback, bum luck, or pretty terrible life occurrences forces you to see them from a completely different perspective. If you can't react emotionally, how do you react? Logically. Sensibly. Judiciously.

"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." 

~ Marcus Aurelius

How we respond to trial and tribulation is, in and of itself, what eventually defines us. Holiday argues throughout the book that obstacles don't inhibit success, they create it. He discusses the disciplines of Perception, Action, and Will, using important figures from history as examples of those who overcame obstacles to achieve mightily. Amelia Earhart, Theodore Roosevelt, Ulysses Grant, Steve Jobs, and John D. Rockefeller among others are counted as examples of historical figures who were able to meet adversity and overcome it in ways that exceeded societal expectations. 

As a whole, I'd have to admit that much of the book was common sense to me. However, it never hurts to read more about persistence and perseverance as both of these characteristics are in short supply at times in our society. The more persistent people we can add to this world, the better!

Happy reading!

Summer reading is the very best. Sadly, during the school year, I don't get all that much time to read. One would think it's a foregone conclusion that librarians read at least a little, if not a lot, during their typical work day. However, that would be a grossly incorrect assumption. Sometimes I try to squeeze in a few chapters when the library is especially quiet and serene (which isn't all that often when you're talking high schoolers). 

Lately, to bridge the gap between my DESIRE to read and my TIME to read, I've taken to listening to quite a few audiobooks. This summer, I almost constantly had a book going in my car as I traveled, in my ear as I did lawn work, or in my ear as I ran my daily miles or walked with my dogs. This has been, quite possibly, one of the best reading summers of my life as a result! Below you'll find the list of my "summer reads" along with links to summaries of them.

It is my hope (and of course it certainly rests eternal) that I will be able to give my own review of some of these as the year moves ahead as well as books I read (listen to? Can you still say "read"?!?) along the way. I started this blog A LONG time ago...elevenish years I think...and I'd like to update it more frequently starting now!

Mrs. Karcz's Summer Reads

• The American Spirit by David McCullough             
• The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield             
• Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
• A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz
• Calico Joe by John Grisham
• The Ranger Way by Kris Paronto
• The Chemist by Stephanie Meyer
• Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
• Last Words by Michael Koryta
• This Life I Live by Rory Feek
• Gizelle's Bucket List by Lauren Fern Watt
• Deep Work  by Cal Newport
• The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted by Elizabeth Berg

From a quick scan of my blog, one might gather that I've not actually done much reading as of late. One might, then, be correct. It seems that the fight between social media, television, and the good old printed word is being fought fiercely in my life at present. When short of time, I notice myself having the tendency to opt for electronic forms of diversion when I do, in fact, have that infrequent spare moment to relax. However, self-criticism is one of the most valuable forms of criticism in my opinion, so you can bet that now that I've had the epiphany, I'm going to face this malady head-on and overcome the affliction.

Below, I've simply taken the lazy way out for now by only listing the titles I've recently read.  Bonus points if you can see the theme...

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture and Crisis by J.D. Vance

Recents:

The Husband-Lian Moriarity
Big Little Lies-Lian Moriarity
The Last Anniversary-Lian Moriarity
In Trump We Trust - Ann Coulter
Salt to the Sea - Ruta Sepetys
Girl on the Train
Sing You Home - Jodi Picoult
Armaggedon: How Trump Can Win - Dick Morris
41 - George W. Bush
Wanderlust: A Modern Yogis Guide...-Jeff Krasno

Six Months and A World Away (or at least 500 miles)

When life hands you changes galore, what do you do? Well, apparently NOT blog for about six months....or at least the time it takes to uproot your life in Atlanta and resettle back home again in Indiana. That's what I do, at least. However, you DO keep reading even if it's slowly. A page here, a chapter there. Before you know it you've read another book. Sure, sure....maybe it took the ENTIRE SUMMER, but you did it. Persistence wins the race....or, at least, finishes the book!

In the midst of moving and trying to fit my life (and that of my husband and two dogs) back into a one-bedroom apartment, many of my books and book-logs have gone into storage. Without my books around I feel a tad bit lost...not at all like a librarian! Without my book logs I've managed to lose track of many of the books I've read over the past 8 months. However, below are the ones I KNOW I've read and a few reviews of the ones that really stood out!

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 Wild by Cheryl Strayed - This is the story of Strayed's 1,1000 mile journey, alone and unprepared, along the Pacific Crest Trail, a rigorous and challenging trail running from Mexico to Washington. At the time, Strayed was 26 years old and, effectively an orphan looking for her place in the world. After her father abandoned her, her siblings, and her mother at a young age, her family clung together and formed a tight-knit unit. However, after her mother was stricken with cancer and died quickly, Cheryl's family was torn apart, each left to go their own way in the world at much too young an age. Add to the mix an early marriage followed by an early divorce, and Cheryl was at a cross-roads looking for her own path. She found it on the PCT.  The book wonderfully joins stories of her life with her experiences on the PCT as the only woman through-hiker on a  year with record snowfall and other interesting challenges. Completely unprepared, she finds that she does indeed have all the strength it takes to make a journey of a thousand miles....even in boots that are too small with a Monster on her back.

I enjoy memoirs and biographies of all sorts, and this was one of my recent favorites. I learned quite a lot about nature (did you know that the PCT is longer than the Appalachian Trail? No? Me neither!) and simply about how to cope with losses far greater than I've experienced. Since I recently lost my father, many parts of the book struck a chord within me, especially as she struggled to find meaning in her mother's life....and death.

Just last week I saw a related article in the news about how her writing her book helped her find a long-lost sister....NPR -- The "Wild" Story of Cheryl Strayed and Her Long Lost Sister

Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley - Having watched his father, Charles Stanley, for many years on television on Sunday mornings, and having worked in Alpharetta, GA, where his church is, I was very familiar with Andy Stanley before reading this book. Now, after reading it, I am very mad at myself for not ever having visited his church in person while I had the opportunity to do so! Mr. Stanley is a wonderful writer and, one can assume, speaker as well.

This book is about the four emotions that are dubbed "enemies" of the heart....emotions that, if not held in check or confronted head-on, will lead to afflictions of the heart. Guilt, Anger, Greed, and Jealousy are the emotions that Stanley posits will lead to heart "sickness" without fail. Through Bible passages and examples from his own life, he provides wonderful examples of how each of these emotions can corrupt relationships and lives to the point of disrepair.

I'd recommend this book to anyone, whether you think your heart is "afflicted" or not. Just being aware of how these emotions can creep into our everyday lives will put you on alert for the first signs of sickness!

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - An amazing book by the author of Seabiscuit,  Unbroken is the story of Louis Zamperini, one of the fastest rising stars of long distance running during the early 40s. Already a medalist in the '36 Berlin Olympics as a teenager, he was quickly on his way to more Olympic glory and within sight of the first 4-minute mile. However, all of those plans were derailed, like those of so many of our Greatest Generation, when Japan attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor that fateful December morning. Louis' dreams of running quickly evaporated and, instead, he was called into war. 

As an Air Force bombardier, Louis' life quickly turned for the worse when his plan went down into the Pacific Ocean in May of 1943. Surviving leaping sharks, a quickly deflating raft, thirst, and starvation, Louis was driven to the limits of his endurance he'd so painstakingly honed as a runner. But that was just the start of Louis' trials. Louis was saved from sure death in the ocean, but by a foe much greater....the Japanese. From that moment on Louis battle of desperation and survival begins. Using the skills of a racer he uses his hope, resolve, and humor to triumph through the darkest days as a POW. 

Written flawlessly by a world-renowned writer, the reader cheers Louis on from the start and never stops pulling for the rebellious underdog, Louis Zamperini!

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

I picked up this book a few months ago in Barnes and Noble, but didn't buy it. My interest had been piqued as the memoir is my favorite genre. However, a few weeks later I happened across the same title in my Netflix queue. I decided to watch (since it was free) and fell in love with the characters in the made for Netflix adaptation of this true life story. Of course, then I had to read the book. And, as is usually the case, I would up confused. The two were nothing alike outside of the original premise; but, still, I loved them both on their own separate merits. I think you might, too!

Orange is the New Black is the story of Piper Kerman, a veritable WASP yuppie living in Upper Manhattan in the 90s. You know the type. Blonde, wealthy, graduate of Smith, with a great job and a boyfriend...the things every girl wants.  However, this doesn't seem to insulate her from paying the piper (PUN!) when her past comes calling. As a young 20-something Ms. Kerman was involved with a woman who was heavily into the drug trade and while globe-trotting and living an exciting life she, just once, happened to launder a suitcase full of money for her lover. Fast forward 10 years and the police came calling. Piper decided to plea her sentence instead of going to court so that she wouldn't risk a longer sentence. In the end she wound up doing 15 months in a federal women's prison (minimum security, of course).This book is not only her story, but the story of so many of the women she met. There is Natalie, her roommate. There is Pop, the Russian cook and mother to all. And so many others, too many to mention.

The book is intriguing, enlightening, and, at times, downright sad. Kerman takes on some of the bigger topics not often addressed: federal minimum sentences of minor drug offenses, lack of preparation for re-entry into society, and institutionalization, just to mention a few. Kerman does an amazing job of translating the story of so many different women, one of which nearly anyone can identify with. I'd recommend this book, highly, and in a heartbeat!

The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything by James Martin, S.J. - I mentioned earlier that at the end of last school year I moved back to Indiana. Well, that move found me accepting a position at a Jesuit Preparatory School. What? Well, that is kind of what I thought immediately after I'd made the decision. What does a librarian do when confronted with new and unfamiliar situations? She goes directly to the library (that was a trick question, of course).  In order to be prepared, I read this book over the summer so I'd know exactly what the Jesuit tradition of Catholicism was. And it was, indeed, and informative and helpful book! I learned all about the story of Ignatius, his conversion, and his formation of the Society of Jesus. It was incredibly useful to have all of the terminology down BEFORE I began work. It's a big like speaking another language. 

Leisure Reading And Other Boats I've Recently Missed

I just cannot seem to stay afloat with many things at the moment...updating this reading blog being one of them. Oy vey! So is life, I guess. Just when you think you're recovered from one of life's little challenges, yet another presents itself. Winter has blossomed into spring, and I'm still trying to work my way through the stack of books I set aside for all of those cold, snowy days. Maybe that's the problem.....there aren't enough cold, snowy days in Georgia!

However limited, enjoy my latest recaps...

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A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines - Chosen as one of our Mix Club Book Club reads, I really should have read this tome long, long ago. As a title on many summer reading lists and found in the curriculum of many an English classrooms around the nation, this book is a reminder of how far we've come in regards to Civil Rights in America and, more namely, the South. As a resident of said South at the moment, I often read stories in the news about draconian laws still in place or, more recently, a local school district who has integrated their Prom for the first time. I shake my head at how these practices can still exist in a time of racial-correctness, yet this is the sort of book that makes me realize just how impactful that time in history was.

Set in rural  Louisiana in the 1940s, Ernest Gaines tells us the joint stories of two young men. One, a young black man, nothing more than a kid, named Jefferson who is a reluctant party in a liquor store shoot-out which results in the death of the white store owner and him sentenced to the electric chair for murder and Grant Wiggins, another young black man who left this small, rural black community to attend university and then return to teach at the plantation school...a school in which Jefferson was his student. Through no choice of their own, the two men come together to form a bond stronger than either every imagined as Grant visits Jefferson in his cell at the request of his aunt.

Grant focuses his energy on Jefferson and attempts to explain the importance of Jefferson's death. At first Jefferson refuses to even acknowledge Grant, refusing the food his aunt has sent along. Eventually, though seen as a "hog" to his accusers, Jefferson and Grant embrace his fate and discuss heaven. When Jefferson asks Grant if he believes in Heaven, Grant says that he does not, and he explains that his atheism does not make him a good man. Jefferson, in turn, says he will save even Grant's soul if he carries the cross for the sinners on earth.  Grant explains that the black community has spent centuries enslaved to white mean, and when Jefferson's lawyer referred to him as a "hog", he attacked the will and intelligence of the entire black society . As a result, Jefferson has the opportunity to stand up for his community as he embraces his role as, one might term, a martyr.  He has, through no wish of his own, become a symbol to his people, and the way in which he faces and embraces his death comes to bear on their eventual self-confidence and potential of their collective futures.

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Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell  - I never, ever do two things:

1. Finish reading a book I dislike from the start
and
2. Write a review about a book I did not finish.

As such, I cannot write a review about this book. A selection for our Saint Francis Faculty Book Club, I tried to put myself out there and read something that was out of my comfort zone. Waaaaaaaaayyyyy out of my comfort zone. However, no go. Couldn't do it. With so many books out there that I truly WANT to read and so little time to do it, I put this one aside and faked my way through the meeting. That's what a good librarian does....shhhhhh.....don't tell! Heck, a few weeks later I even tried to watch the movie and couldn't follow THAT, either!

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The Paris Wife by Paula McClain -  A NYT bestseller for loads of weeks, the Saint Francis Faculty Book Club decided to embrace the historical fiction genre once again. I had my reservations, simply because, I guess, I'm not the biggest fan ever of Hemingway. Okay, so shoot me. It IS okay for an English major who is a Librarian to not be enthralled with all of the classic writers (at least I keep telling myself that, okay?).

The story of Ernest Hemingway and his wife, Hadley, the majority of the book is, shockingly, set in Paris. However, they are adventurous travelers, so the reader gets glimpses of America, Canada, Spain, Italy, and Austria during the post WWI culture of decadent and outrageous artistic development. With characters such as F.Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and many other prominent artists of the time being large parts of the plot, we see just how Ernest was influenced both in his craft of writing and his personal life by so many outrageously unique individuals. The rampant drinking, socializing, and over-the-top personal exploits of this time were an eye-opener for someone who had a much different vision of that time period. Nothing seemed out-of-bounds or off-limits in Paris at this time, and McClain certainly captured it with style.
From Ernest's time in Spain researching the bull fights in Pamplona during his creation of The Sun Also Rises to his infidelity that, finally, leads to his divorce, she paints a picture of Hemingway that many of us had only read about before, not seen.  However, she brings his mercurial personality to life and makes the reader cheer for Hadley to leave him to his own devices and demise (or, at least, I was cheering loudly).

I felt a range of emotions while reading The Paris Wife, from sadness to fury. At times I was irate with Ernest for being such a bum, seemingly the artists's plight, when he was capable of giving both himself and Hadley (and their son, no less) so much more. At other times I was sad that Hadley didn't have the self-confidence to leave Ernest when she knew he was cheating on her. As a whole, I'm very glad we chose this book as I learned so much about the world during that time and about Hemingway. And, as a result, I'm still totally okay with the fact that I don't care that much for his writing now that I know more about him as a man. :)

Other Books in the Works:

Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl
My Foot is too Big for the Glass Slipper by Gabbi Reece


Once again I am vowing to be better, to do better, to persevere and get more reading accomplished over the next few months. Those who know better do better, right? Right!