Summer Reading 2016
Unbearable Lightness
By Portia de Rossi
Reveiwed by Melyssa Jaskiewicz
When I told my husband I was reading Portia de Rossi’s memoir, he responded with “Why would you want to read a book about some privileged rich girl?” To be honest I had the book for over a year before I picked it up. I had seen it on the Ellen show and I love Ellen so I bought it. I then found myself staying up until midnight with a headlight on, reading in bed while everyone else in the house sleeps. It’s captivating – the demons inside this women, the light shed on an industry most of the world puts on a pedestal. It reminded me of what was told to me years ago, “You never really know what goes on when a person closes their bedroom door.” To hide who you are, to suppress your being, to pretend all the time, it must have been exhausting. It speaks to all women who strive to be perfect, showing that perfection and happiness are not related at all. At points in the book, she seems determined, strong, and disciplined. At others you see the real side of her, the darkness, the irrational destructive behavior.
Victory Over Japan
By Ellen Gilchrist
Reviewed by Jennifer Carrigan
Books of short stories have been my go to as of late, reason being, I don’t seem to have the attention span that I once had. I am going to chalk it up to a busy schedule with lots of balls in the air (definitely not a reflection of my age). One of the things that I love about Ellen Gilchrist’s books is that I find them just as entertaining at 50 as I did in my early 20s. She is an author who makes me laugh out loud, cry in my pillow and seethe at bad decisions some of her characters make. In “Victory Over Japan”, Gilchrist engages us immediately with rich and eccentric characters - her go to character is the “deliciously flawed Southern woman”. Each of the 14 stories opens with a line that captures us immediately. For example “”Rhoda was fourteen years old the summer her father dragged her off to Clay County, Kentucky, to make her stop smoking and acting like a movie star.” The best part about Ellen Gilchrist and “Victory Over Japan”, is that if you enjoyed this book, she has written 13 other story collections and 8 novels that will keep you entertained for weeks to come!
Girl A
By Girl A
Reviewed by Brittany Tait
“Girl A” is based on a true story about a witness who came forward to take down a sex trafficking ring throughout parts of England. The novel is a personal account of all that this young girl went through including being a victim of the ring and how she overcame her struggles after she went through the attack. The book goes into many details of her life both past and present, however, to this day, her name has never been revealed. It is one part of her life that was not taken from her by the perpetrators and exploited by the media when sharing her story. While this non-fiction novel is hard to read at times due to the details, it is an extremely interesting story and restores hope that a justice system can punish those that do horrible things. I highly recommend this book to any true crime fan.
Warriors: Into the Wild
By Erin Hunter
Reviewed by Jack and Will Bearden, twin brothers age 10
Note: “Warriors: Into the Wild” is a children’s fantasy novel that was published in 2003 by Harper Collins and written by Erin Hunter. “Into the Wild” is the first book of in a series of forty-four books. Following are head-to-head reviews of this title, with each brother sharing his own take on the story.
JACK’S REVIEW This book begins with a pet named Rusty who has an urge to leave the safety of his home and go to the wild. The book is a story about cats and tribes and it is awesome. I have read this one, and almost all of the others in this series, and enjoyed them all. The storyline starts off with a pet cat who is orange-furred and who lives in the Twoleg place, or the place of the humans. Behind the place of the people is a forest full of cat clans: Windclan, Shadowclan, Riverclan and, the best, Thunderclan. Rusty is the hero in the story, and Tigerclaw, who is part of Thunderclan and dislikes Rusty because of a secret between the two, is his rival. Rusty meets Greypaw of Thunderclan in the woods and, after fighting together, Greypaw introduces himself. Then Bluestar, the leader of Thunderclan, appears and asks Rusty to join their clan because they need more warriors to fight against the other clans, to defend their territories, and have enough food to eat. Rusty is shocked, and heads back home where he realizes that he wants to be more than just a house pet. Rusty joins Thunderclan, who changes his name to Firepaw as a warrior apprentice. The struggles between the clan continue, and Rusty-now-Firepaw joins in the fight for food along with the other Thunderclan cats. I really enjoyed the book; it was interesting and it’s about cats, which I love. The purpose of the book was more about introducing the cats to the reader, but it’s a great book for anyone about survival, adventure, and fantasy. I would highly recommend it to people who love cats, or any animals really, and enjoy a bit of mystery. Oh, and by the way… the ending has a big surprise. But you’ll have to read it to find out!
WILL’S REVIEW This book is a cat book that’s both exciting and addictive. The setting is in a forest called “White Heart Woods” with different clans of wild cats who live there. The main character is a former housecat named Rusty, later known as Firepaw. Firepaw is caught by a Thunderclan patrol when he attempts to catch a mouse in their territory. He learns about their way of life and they ask him to join their clan. Rusty joins because he wants more of a life than his comfortable and easy living in a human home. There are four clans that each have different strengths: Windclan is fast, Shadowclan is strong, Riverclan is smart, and Thunderclan is peaceful. The clans live behind the Twoleg place in the woods. Although all of the clans are rivals in the story, the main rival is a warrior in the clan that Firepaw joins, named TigerClaw. He is a smart and strong wildcat, and he does something bad and Firepaw catches him in the act. The main reason I enjoyed this book was because of the characters and the conflict. The story was a bit confusing at times because some things weren’t explained right away. Overall, though, I would recommend the book because it’s intriguing and Firepaw is a character that a reader can love.
Everybody’s Fool
By Richard Russo
Reviewed Jo Ana Finger
Set in New Bath in upstate New York, “Everybody’s Fool” by Richard Russo is the slightly whacky story of a small town that has never measured up to its classy and pricier neighbor, Schuyler Springs. The novel opens as Douglas Raymer, Chief of Police, faints into the open grave of his nemesis, Judge Flatt. Filled with self doubt and perceived inadequacies since childhood, Raymer’s ready to resign after a particularly trying day. Raymer’s obsessed with discovering the identity of his dead wife’s lover. When he finds a garage door opener that is not his, he is set to open every garage door in New Bath in order to learn the man’s name despite the warnings of his sharp-tongued dispatcher, Charice Bond. Charice manages both Raymer and her elegant but neurotic brother, Jerome. Sully, Raymer’s long time adversary and aging bad boy, is filled with regrets for the past and hobbled by congestive heart failure. His affair with a married woman defines his existence as does his love for the son he benignly neglected. Rub Squeers, Sully’s bumbling but endearing companion, spends his days worrying that Sully is no longer his best friend. Then there’s Carl Roebuck, whose shady business schemes are finally about to implode. This novel about a struggling small town is filled with offbeat, flawed characters. Russo treats his subjects with compassion, honesty, and humor. “Everybody’s Fool” takes an understanding look at human nature and is a really good read.
Hunt for the Bamboo Rat
By Graham Salisbury
Reviewed Wyatt Stanley, age 13, rising eighth-grader at Christ Our King
“Hunt for the Bamboo Rat,” by Graham Salisbury, is a historical fiction loosely based on an actual story of a Japanese American boy named Zenji during War World II. He was recruited by the U.S. Army Corps of Intelligence Police his senior year in high school to become an American spy in the Philippines after graduation. This story was exciting, as Zenji tried to gather information for America without getting caught by the Japanese. As the story unfolded, Zenji was finally captured and tortured by the Japanese secret police. However, he never revealed his true identity as the “Bamboo Rat” so his life was spared. He then became a servant for a Japanese officer and secretly helped Filipino rebelsscape Japanese prison camps. When the U.S. invaded the Philippines, Zenji escaped to the jungle where he fought to survive the natural elements and a physical injury. This book was an exciting story about War World II and how a young American tried to survive and be brave for his country. Zenji loved America and was willing to sacrifice his own life to help America win the war. I would recommend this book to any middle schooler who enjoys history and survival stories.
Leviathan Wakes
By S.A. Corey
Reviewed Yvonne Michel
A new SyFy series aired recently called “The Expanse”, which was fantastic in both production value and story line. The series was based on the first book in a series by S. A. Corey, “Leviathan Wakes”. The New York Times called the book “a modern masterwork of science fiction where humanity has colonized the solar system.” I greatly enjoyed the SyFy series and got the book it was based on. Seeing the film version in no way spoiled the reading of the book, so I say watch it then read it. S. A. Corey, the pen name of Daniel Abraham and writer Ty Franck, frame a compelling tale of compromised heroes racing to confront powerful, but corrupted foes as Earthers, Martians, and Belters contend for control of essential resources needed for living in the solar system. What is especially thrilling about the book is how the authors blend the science of living in the low gravity Mars and the very low gravity of space station habitation into the narrative as people, all humans, expand life into space. Seeing ourselves in the not so very distant future, living large, but still prey to our instincts for group identity, power, greed, and human connection, is an intellectual exercise as well as pure entertainment.
The Hired Girl
By Laura Amy Schiltz
Reviewed by Vijaya Bodach
“The Hired Girl” by Laura Amy Schlitz is the best fiction I’ve read this year and I read a lot. At the end of it one just wants to go back and read over. It’s in a diary format and I can only wish to write so beautifully in mine! Yes, I found myself jealous of a fictional character -- Joan. She’s based upon the author’s grandmother. I loved that she had the gumption to run away from home (her father is a mean man who burns her three treasures) and go after the dream. And does she ever! She providentially ends up working in a good Jewish home. And since she knows not a whit about Jewish people other than the Bible and Ivanhoe, it is interesting to see her learning about Jewish customs from a Catholic viewpoint. I liked that being religious was simply a part of who she was. The relationships with the various members of the family were richly drawn, and I especially loved the relationship between the older orthodox Jewish servant and Joan. And Joan, only 14 (but pretending to be 18) finally gets a bit of mothering and fathering that she is desperately in need of. This is a book I’ll be reading many times. Ms. Schlitz, you’ve done it again! I’ve read all her books. Everything she writes is gold.
Between the World and Me
By Ta-nehisi Coates
Reviewed by Anonymous
Reading “Between the World and Me” by Ta-nehisi Coates was very eye opening. I grew up learning about the Civil Rights Movement and thinking it was something that had come and gone once the wrongs were righted. I could hold onto this view because as a white person I hadn’t ever experienced things to change it. During the recent years of political and social unrest I have had some good if uncomfortable talks with my African American friends. One thing I wasn’t able to fully understand was the anger that was there. I thought “but I’m not racist” why would they seem angry when talking to me. Coates eloquently and thoughtfully lays out why the anger is there. Why it isn’t over sensitivity. Why everything is not alright. Here on Daniel Island we are in “the bubble.” Let’s use this place of privilege, not to hide from the world, but to make it better. It’s not enough to personally be “not racist”, we need to be anti-racist. Our neighbors deserve better. Our children deserve better.
For the Love
By Jen Hatmaker
Reviewed by Deetz Hanna
Ladies, Jen Hatmaker is speaking our language. She is warm, funny, relatable... did I mention funny? This book will have you laughing until you cry as you think, “It’s not just me?!?!” Then, while you are laughing she’ll slip in some challenge to the typical way of thinking, and you’ll be like, “Wow, I hadn’t thought of that, that way, but she has a point.” It is a quick and thoroughly enjoyable read.