Book Review -- The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick


My rating: 4 of 5 stars





My journey thru juvenile fiction continues (while trying to tackle the mammoth Wolf Hall) with The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick.

A delightful tale reminiscent of the 1st Homer’s Odyssey, Homer Figg leaves home in search of his brother who has been illegally sworn in as a member of the Union army by a nasty Uncle Squint. He doesn’t encounter Sirens or a Cyclops, but does come across a conductor, slave catchers, Quakers, a traveling medicine show, and the legendary Union commander, Col. Chamberlain.

Homer is desperate to find his brother in the vast Union army. To keep his journey alive, he weaves imaginative tales and passes them along as truths to whomever will listen and ulitmately, helps him along his way. He eventually finds Harold at the battle of Gettysburg where they both witness the most horrific battle known to America.

Homer’s wit and determination are endearing. And the cast of characters that surrounds him are equally entertaining. For those emerging readers who aren’t familiar with Civil War history, this is also a good book for a fictional account of the Battle of Gettysburg. The author does a tremendous job describing the battle from an eyewitness point of view without overwhelming the reader with a more mature, description of the devestation.

A whimsical book, with equally whimsical characters that can be enjoyed by youth and adults alike.

Book source: public library

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2nd Wednesday -- Wolf Hall Wednesday Read Along

Welcome to the second weekly discussion post as we continue grinding our way through Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. I'm slightly behind schedule reading -- I planned on having 200 pages read by today, but I'm about 20 pages short. Not too bad in the scheme of things. I am still really liking this book -- Ms. Mantel has taken an often told historical period and made it modern and engaging.

Before we get started, my partner, Leah of Amused by Books, was dealt a terrible tragedy with the unexpected death of her father last weekend. She is taking either a temporary or permanent hiatus from our read along, for obvious reasons. She needs to care for her self and her family. I wish her love, comfort and peace of mind during this heartbreaking loss.

One of our read alongees, Elise of Once, Oh Marvelous Once, is going to share some of her thoughts about the book in light of Leah's absence.

To this point, what or who do you find the most intriguing:

Gerbera Daisy Diaries: This story is not new – it’s the subject of many historical fiction novels, it’s been made into a major motion picture – but overall, I’m surprised at how fresh Mantel’s writing makes this feel. This conflict with Henry/Katherine/Anne/Wolsey/Norfolk/Suffolk – could be any modern day powerplay. Cromwell could just as easily be a Hollywood agent as he tries to get his “client” the King, what he wants. It just shows that human nature is really timeless. People having been trying to “have their cake and eat it too” for millennia. Also, Cromwell is fascinating. He survives (or it seems he will – I haven’t gotten to that point) his association with Wolsey to become an advisor to the King. Washington lobbyists could be so lucky!

Elise: I don't know this story hugely well, I have a friend who is Henry VIII mad and want to call her and find out the specifics because I am so confused!! I'm also confused by popular culture and history and really struggling to take this as a story in itself, and not a strict true historical account. I keep thinking back to The Other Boleyn Girl (of which I have only seen the film, not read the book) which is apparently quite fictional, and am completely confused now!! However I am really interested in the character of Rafe, a young man taken in by Thomas Cromwell. He seems like a smart kid and I feel that he is important to the story. Not sure where it's going with him or if I'm right though!!

So far, Anne is still on the periphery, but do you have any thoughts or feelings about her:

GDD: Years ago, there was a book written (in the States anyway) called “The Rules.” In its essence it was written as a template to find the man of your dreams by doing, or not doing, certain things. Every time Anne is referenced or introduced in dialogue I immediately think, “She was the FIRST Rules woman!” She used every womanly sexual instinct (good and bad) to get what she wanted. Not sure Henry was the man of her dreams after all, since she lost her head over him. But it worked for awhile. Also, and this is a segue, but, Henry and Anne remind me of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, two people who couldn’t live with or without each other for very long.

Elise: Well I know that she is going to end up headless at the end of this story! I feel that she is a bit of a femme fatale, that she will do anything to get her way. Mary (her sister) has identified her virtue of 'perseverance' and I think it is historically clear that this is true. Anne is like that girl at school that you never speak to, but know about. She is always around and always the centre of gossip but not someone that you would ever have the courage to speak to or even want to speak to. She is also currently too much on the periphery for me to feel any emotional connection or empathy towards her.

What, if any, are your thoughts on the religious conflict:

GDD: Not being Catholic, I’m at a disadvantage of not knowing doctrine or cannon law to understand the intricacies of what happened, but as a spiritual/religious person, I’m gobsmacked that this was so ruthless, political and so NOT spiritual. Now, I’m not totally naïve to know that the Papacy was not the most honorable institution at this time and prone to corruption, but the wheeling and dealing that took place to get this done, initially, is against all that I believe.

Elise: This isn't something that has really affected me so far. Is that a terribly naive and ignorant thing to say about this book? Probably! I understand that during this time period, Henry's desire for a marriage annulment or divorce resulted in the creation of the Church of England as a separate entity and resulted in Henry VIII's excommunication by the Pope. It is so ruthless and cunning that I find it difficult to associate this with any form of fact. At the moment for me, it is great as part of a fictional plot, but I think once I've finished and reflect I will be able to appreciate the impact of it all.

Thank you Elise for sharing your thoughts.

If anyone is reading along with us and would like to ask/offer discussion issues, feel free!

Book Review -- One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia


My rating: 5 of 5 stars








Not since the March sisters have I enjoyed a set of siblings as much as I did Delphine, Vonetta and Fern in Rita Williams-Garcia’s One Crazy Summer.

Delphine is in charge of caring for her younger siblings as they travel across the country to visit their mother, Cecile, who abandoned them when Fern (the youngest) was an infant. Dreaming that their trip to California will be full of movie stars and trips to Disneyland, the girls are rudely awakened when their mother wants nothing to do with them and turns them loose to fend for themselves. Instead of a magical reunion, the sisters spend their days at the Black Panther summer camp where they are “taught” and fed for 4 weeks. When their Mother and two Black Panther militants are arrested, the girls truly learn about their mother and why she left so many years ago.

This was an absolutely delightful book. The dynamics between the sisters and the “rolls” they play were entertaining and complicated: Delphine – mother hen and mature beyond her 11 years, yearns for friends and childhood experiences; Vonetta is the attention seeker and the attentions he seeks often brings discord; and “Little Girl” Fern who can’t go anywhere without her Miss Patty Cake doll (who is a character in and of itself) but wants to be grown up too. Not having sisters myself, I’m unsure how sisters interact, but Ms. Williams-Garcia convinced me that all sisters are equally amusing, complex, argumentative and joyful as these three.

With their Mother’s self imposed absence, the girls must create a community with the teachers and other children at summer camp. They experience firsthand the racial tension and conflict of 60s. They are truly cared for by this “village” of people while on their 4 week vacation. Finally, with their “dream vacation” about to end, the girls and their Mother begin to learn and understand more fully what it’s like to be mother and daughters.

One Crazy Summer will light up your heart and make you want to squeeze your kids just that much tighter.

Book source: Public library

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Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy!

I was off this weekend to spend Mother's Day with my Mom, and see my oldest niece graduate from college -- and when I got home, I was thrilled to find this:

Thanks to my lovely friends at Reading for Sanity for bestowing such a floral appropriate award!

There were some very small rules* for passing along this award...but I'm going to stick with one, because she is sunshine!

Tracy M at Dandelion Mama

*I hope you will forgive me for ignoring the rules on these awards. Awards don't mean anything if you have to fill a quota when you give them out to someone. 12 people were required for this award. I like to read blogs but I don't read them THAT much and I would have had to surf the net pulling blogs I'd never heard of or read to fill those kind of numbers.

Enjoy Tracy's blog -- she is uber-Mama!

Perfect for Mother's Day -- 2011

OK, you can't purchase this book for Mother's Day, but keep it in mind for next year. My dear friend and fellow Mormon Mommy Wars writer, Tracy M, is featured in this soon to be published anthology. Tracy is a phenomenal writer. Truly inspired. I'm sure the other essays are equally outstanding, but I'd buy it for Tracy's alone.

Maybe if I butter her up enough, she will send me a copy!



Dance with Them: 30 Stumbling Mothers Share Glimpses of Grace

Edited by Kathryn Lynard Soper

Segullah Books, 2010; 230 pages

Jacket liner-notes:
When it comes to mothering school-age children—biological kids, step kids, or even the kids next door, with or without a partnering spouse—one of the biggest challenges is maintaining connection and balance during nearly constant flux. Each day we negotiate matters of independence, control, tolerance, closeness, expectations, safety, trust, acceptance, boundaries, conflict, and, perhaps most of all, the difficult reality that both mothers and children must learn through experience. Our mothering relationships are like intricate dances through time and space, forming patterns as unique as our individual children. And just as we’re getting our footing, the rhythm is sure to shift.

Enjoyable as a sequel to The Mother in Me as well as a stand-alone volume, this anthology of personal essays and poetry begins on the first notes of middle childhood and concludes with the finale of high school graduation. Its pages explore a wide variety of turning points that come in the outward motion of family life and the inward dynamics of personal growth. To be sure, the dance of motherhood is often more of a stumble. But with candor, insight, and the bittersweet inspiration Segullah writers are known for, these thirty contributing authors convincingly show that even the clumsiest of dancers have moments of grace.

For a review of this book and to read an excerpt of Tracy's essay, please read one here.

In The Mail

I know there is a weekly meme called "Mailbox Monday" -- but I very rarely get books in the mail, let alone on Monday (hint, hint publishers!), so when I do, I have to post them when I get 'em!

Today I received:

Amazon.com Review
Kathleen Alcalá's first novel, Spirits of the Ordinary, opens in 1870s Mexico where Zacarias Caraval abandons his family and the religion of his fathers--Judaism--to search for gold in the desert. His wife, Estela, responds by declaring herself independent and taking a lover--an action frowned upon in the small village of Saltillo. Zacarias's wanderings take him into the mountains of Northern Mexico and to the cliff dwellings of Casas Grandes, where he witnesses a massacre--an event that will have a profound affect on him and will eventually send him back to the faith he has abandoned. Spirits of the Ordinary is the first book of a projected trilogy and judging by the quality of Ms. Alcalá's work so far, the next two volumes will be eagerly awaited.

I won this from a book giveaway on Color Online, a blog whose focus is "on women writers of color." I have been trying to beef up the diversity of authors that I read...this book will help me in that endeavor.

And from author Jennifer Ross:

From Booklist
Ansley thought her fiancé, Parish, loved her unconditionally until he dumps her. In order to escape the subsequent gossip and pity, she heads to New York City to visit her maternal grandmother, Vivian, whom she has never met. While Vivian is delighted to have the chance to reconnect with her family, she currently has problems of her own: her recently deceased husband’s creative tax shelters have brought down the wrath of the IRS, specifically agent 1432. As a way of coping, Ansley begins baking cupcakes, and as she mixes up batches of home-baked goodness, she realizes she may have stumbled on the answer to her and her grandmother’s problems. Striking the perfect balance between tart wit and sweet romance, Ross spoons up a thoughtful blend of chick lit and women’s fiction, complete with a tempting assortment of cupcake recipes, the icing on this irresistible culinary literary creation.

Doesn't this sound delightful? Once I'm done with Cromwell, Wolsey and Henry VIII, I think I will devour Cupcakes as the perfect literary dessert!

Welcome to Wolf Hall Wednesdays Read Along!

Today is the inaugural post of my my series -- Wolf Hall Wednesdays -- with Leah at Amused by Books, as we navigate, discuss and encourage each other through our reading of the Man Booker Prize Award winning novel, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.

This is a month long goal to read all 560 pages by May 31st. Each Wednesday, we will report back to each other and those who want to participate (remember it is a read along!). It's not too late to join us! I'm already behind schedule, but life can't stop entirely for Wolf Hall. Nonetheless, we have begun our reading -- and so far, LOVE the book in spite of its heft. Here are our first thoughts on the book:

1. What do you think of Mantel's writing style?

Amused By Books - Honestly, I was surprised that she jumped right in without really setting up the story. Yes, there was the whole part before the book began where she outlined chapter by chapter with each character that was in it like it was some sort of play but I am not going to spend my time flipping back and forth to that like it's some sort of reference book. I've got better things to do with my time -like read! I do appreciate the genealogy and some set up like that but I also want some of the scene to be set in a historical fiction. It does appear to jump around from chapter to chapter. I'm finding it a bit confusing.

Gerbera Daisy Diaries:

My 1st thought when I cracked the cover: when an author devotes 4 pages to names/characters and who they are before the book even starts, it doesn't bode well for this reader. That being said, I'm surprised how I'm FOLLOWING it! I actually like her writing style. I was expecting old fashioned, Shakespearean-like prose, for some reason, so the fact that she's writing with modern language is a huge plus. You are farther along than I am, so it could get more confusing the deeper you get into the book. Ugh.

2. What do you think of the historical setting?

ABB - I've read a lot of books recently set during Henry VIII's reign and so I am somewhat familiar with this time frame and I am glad of that. I don't think I would know what was going on if I hadn't read some of these recently, or at least it might take me a lot longer to figure it out. Barring that though, I like that Mantel doesn't have her characters talk with too much affectation so that they are pretty easy to understand and it doesn't always feel like it's set so long ago.

GDD:
It goes without saying that one of the reasons this book intrigued me so WAS the historical setting! I LOVE this time period. Not that I’ve taken tons of classes or spent time reading books on Tudor England, but I am a closet anglophile, so this is great. And, I echo the above, I was expecting a much more difficult time trying to “read” this – but she isn’t using any antiquated English for her characters. Thank goodness!

3. Are there any stand out characters for you at this early stage?

ABB
I like Cardinal Wolsey - he seems to be a trouble maker. I am not saying I like him morally - just that he seems to be stirring up trouble.

GDD
So far the only two major characters that I’ve had to get a grasp on are Cromwell and Wolsey. If there is any truth to her historical fiction, I had no idea Cromwell left home at 14-15 yrs old and that his father was such a brute. I love Cromwell’s relationship with his wife, Liz. And the dynamic between Wolsey and Cromwell is so intriguing! I can’t wait to see what happens, because honestly (historically), I don’t remember!

This is a huge, dense, book – but if I can stay on track with my reading – I think I can accomplish this! Don’t give up on me Leah!

Book Review -- The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt


My rating: 5 of 5 stars






Toads, beetles, bats…

Gotta love a kid who learns to swear from Shakespeare.

But Holling Hoodhood (blame his ever insensitive parents for that name) learns that and so much more at Camillo Junior High School on Long Island, New York.

Holling is the kind of kid who isn’t quite cool enough to keep the bullies away, but well rounded enough to accept his 7th grade teacher's recommendation that they study Shakespeare together, agrees to be Ariel in The Tempest and saves his sister from getting hit by a bus, although, I’m sure he thought twice about it. He is a kid who loves the Yankees, but when snubbed by Mickey Mantle because his was wearing yellow tights, his friends come to his rescue and reject the baseball superstar. Young love in Jr High isn’t easy either – when an interest develops between Holling and Meryl Lee (the daughter of Mr. Hoodhood’s chief business competition in town) things become complicated when their parents profession nearly dooms them, in true Romeo & Juliet style. And then there is Mrs. Baker – the teacher who coaches, edifies, trains, tutors, and inspires Holling to search for the man he will become.

There isn’t much more than I can say but, I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Every word, every scene, every conflict, every emotion. Every step Holling takes to look beyond himself and the world around him -- to his friends, to his sister, to school work, to the Vietnam conflict – was a delight to read. It was witty, thoughtful, poignant, and nostalgic.

If there is such a thing as a 7th grade Renaissance Man, Holling Hoodhood has it nailed.

Book source: Library copy

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And the winner is...

Julie P from Booking Mama!

Julie -- I hope you enjoy A Ticket to the Circus.


You will probably read it before I do.

Last Day for Book Giveaway!

Don't forget to become a follower, leave a comment and contact email to have a chance at Norris Church Mailer's memoir, A Ticket to the Circus -- deadline tonight!

From Goodreads.com:
A great American love story, this warm, funny, revealing memoir introduces the world to Norman Mailer’s greatest inspiration, his wife of more than thirty years. Like Zelda Fitzgerald before her, Norris Church Mailer has led a life as large and as colorful as her husband’s—and every bit as engaging.Growing up a strict Free Will Baptist in the South of the 1950s, Norris Church, christened Barbara Jean Davis, was crowned “Little Miss Little Rock” at the age of three and always knew that life had more to offer her than the comforts of small-town Arkansas. But she could never have guessed that in her early twenties she would date future president Bill Clinton (and predict his national victory even after he lost his first run for Congress), or that the following year she would meet Norman Mailer, who was passing through town giving a lecture at the local college. They fell in love in one night—and their marriage lasted thirty-three years. Despite her enduring love for the man, Norris found life with the writer full of challenges—from carving out her own niche in the wake of five ex-wives and numerous former girlfriends, to easing her way into the hearts of her seven stepchildren, to negotiating the ferocious world of Mailer’s fame, friends, and literary life. The couple’s New York parties were legendary, and their social circle included such luminaries as Muhammad Ali, Jacqueline Kennedy, Truman Capote, Gore Vidal, and Imelda Marcos. Their decades-long obsession with each other, as seen in the intimate letters that Norris reveals here for the first time, was not without tests and infidelities; theirs was a marriage full of friendship, betrayal, doubts, understanding, and deep, complicated, lifelong passion.With southern charm and wit, Norris Church Mailer depicts the full evolution of her life, from her childhood all the way through her intense marriage with Norman and his heartbreaking death. This unforgettable memoir will enchant readers with its honesty and insight into how we grow up and how we love.