My Favorite Reads: Treasure Island

At Home With Books has a weekly meme where we can all talk about books we read and loved before we started blogging. Hope you enjoy my reminiscences!

The book: Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson - published in 1883 - 224 pages

What is is about: This is the story of young Jim Hawkins and his adventures with the pirate Long John Silver in his search for buried treasure.

Why I love it: This is an adventure story meant to be enjoyed by children but it is not "just" a kids story. There is fun and adventure, yes, but there is also friendship and a blurred line between right and wrong. Is Long John Silver "all" bad? If he is a pirate, how can he be "good" in any way? What is the "right thing" for young Jim to do? These are not simple questions to answer nor are they simply the problems of children. Of course, for the most part I love the book because it is FUN ... but the morality issues it weaves in are what make it an enduring classic.

Other thoughts: Two things come to mind ...

First, there's a relatively new book out called SILVER, by Edward Chupack that is a retelling of this book. I have it on my shelf waiting to be read.

And second, I've seen many of the movie adaptations of this book but my favorite will always be The Muppets Treasure Island. Here are a few clips for your viewing enjoyment:





Do I own it? I fell in love with this book in middle school. I'd check it out from the library over and over again, reading it at home and in class (stuffed in my desk so the teachers couldn't see) until I finally lost it. That was the first book I ever had to pay the library for ... I was mortified. I never did find it, and I've never bought a copy for myself. I might get one for Kiddo one day though ...

Would I recommend it? Oh yes, most certainly. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book (but of course I'm biased!).

The Local News

The Local News

by Miriam Gerhow
368 pages

About the Book

Here’s an excerpt from what Publisher’s Weekly had to say about this book: “Bright, precocious but socially awkward Lydia Pasternak reports on the aftermath of her older brothers disappearance in [The Local News]. Danny was everything Lydia wasn't: at ease with their parents, popular in school, physically imposing, beloved by the opposite sex. Danny went from being Lydia's playmate in their youth to her tormentor in high school, so his disappearance leaves Lydia with some very mixed feelings, one of which is relief. As time goes on and the weekend search parties prove more and more fruitless, Lydia struggles with the fact that her geeky best friend, David, has feelings for her; she also obsesses over the private investigator hired by the family and allows herself to be sucked into the social world Danny once dominated. Lydia’s perspective gives this [book] an unflinching quality as she details the emotional damage that reverberates even through her 10-year high school reunion.”


My Thoughts

I have mixed feelings about this book. In fact, it has been several days since I finished reading it and I still can’t decide exactly what I want to say about it. To make this easier for me I’m simply going to list my thoughts as they come to me …

• The book is very well written. It moves along at a steady pace, never seeming to drag or feeling choppy anywhere.
• A few of the main characters, specifically Lydia and Lola, are VERY convincing. These girls could be walking the halls of the high school near you right now (well, ok, it is summer right now, but you know what I mean).
• Although the book deals with sad circumstances, I didn’t feel weighted down with sadness as I read. Lydia’s apathy (along with her other issues) allowed me to keep an emotional distance that enabled me to read this book. Without Lydia, I might have struggled with the topics raised. However, looking back on the book now, it is incredibly sad; the family goes into a downhill spiral after Danny’s disappearance and it is painful to watch in retrospect.
• I really didn’t like any of the characters. This is my biggest complaint about the book and the reason that I’m struggling so much to review it. Yes, Lola was a sweet girl, but I still didn’t like her much. Danny’s friends were all super-macho jocks. Lydia … well, she is unique to be sure, but I didn’t really LIKE her either.
• The book comes to a somewhat abrupt ending. There is some resolution to the issues raised at Lydia’s 10-year reunion but then the book just stops. Period. I’m not a big fan of that type of ending.

As I said, I have mixed feelings on this book. In my recent review of BELONG TO ME I complained that things were a bit too neatly tied up at the end; now I'm complaining that there IS no ending ... I'm sure you're thinking that I need to make up my mind already!


Other Opinions

Since I'm somewhat ambivalent about this book I figure I'd share with you what other bloggers are saying. Most of them seem to really like it, so I guess I'm in the minority here ...

• A recent guest post ReadingGroupGuides praised this book saying, "The story is a page-turner with a quality reminiscent of Jodi Picoult's ability to explore complicated dilemmas without attempting anything so trite as solving the problem." (Maybe that is part of my problem- I'm not a big Picoult fan!)
  
• Books on the Brain says, "I loved this book and couldn't put it down."
• Redlady's Reading Room calls it "haunting and compelling."
• Peeking Between the Pages actually liked the ending. She says, "The end of the novel brings things together nicely as it takes us to Lydia as an adult attending a school reunion and coming to terms with who she is, what she wants and what the disappearance of her brother has done to her life and her."

If you also reviewed this book I'd be happy to add your link to this list - just let me know about it in the comments.

In spite of my mixed feelings I'm sure that many of you would enjoy this book (especially if you like Jodi Picoult - it DOES remind me in some ways of her books). And if your book club is interested in talking with Miriam you can request that through her website: www.miriamgershow.com.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to review this book.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Garth Stein
336 pages

*** The Plot ***

I liked the summary I read at this site so I'm just going to copy it here:

On the last night of his life, Enzo (a dog) reflects on the life he has shared with his human family: Denny, Eve, and Zoe. Through Enzo's eyes (an interesting perspective), we witness the best and worst of human behavior and learn a little something about car racing, too.

Of course there is much more to the book than that but that IS the gist of it.


*** My Thoughts ***

Bloggers have been raving about this book for quite some time now. I recommended it to a friend (before I read it myself) and she loved it. In fact, she and her sister both nominated it for our book club to read. I wasn't sure it was exactly my kind of thing but I figured I'd give it a shot ... and then I got a copy from a publicist, so I figured I was "meant" to be reading it right now.

It just took me a few days to read. The plot moves along quickly, Enzo is a unique narrator, and the writing is well done. On the whole I thought it was good. Not great, but good. If I had to describe it in one word I'd say ... cute.

Maybe I'm callous, I don't know, but I just didn't LOVE this book as much as most other people seem to. I love dogs so that is not the problem. I'm glad that I read it and I have a list of people I'll be recommending it to, but I won't be counting it among my favorites of the year.

Sometimes discussing a book at book club changes my opinion of it somewhat; I'll be interested to see if that happens with this one. I'll be sure to update you after our meeting on 7/19.

(Garth Stein is rather attractive, don't you think?)

*** What Fun! ***

Despite my rather luke-warm feelings about the book I do have to say that the marketing that has been done for this book is FANTASTIC. Garth has a wonderful website (www.goenzo.com) chock full of interviews, photos, and promotional material for readers to play around with. I made a custom poster for my book club's meeting, printed some decorations, and even found a link to make iron-ons for t-shirts! There are also discussion questions for book clubs - always a helpful thing. Plus there's a video of Enzo, which I posted on my book club's blog. I had a blast preparing for this book club meeting, thanks to all the materials available from Garth.

By the way, that is Garth with his dog, Comet, in the photo. Comet was the model used for the US hardcover edition of the book. I learned that from Garth's site too. ;)


*** Movie News ***

The book is being made into a movie! Here are the details, as found on Haute or Not:

We had the great pleasure of meeting with Garth Stein the other evening before a book signing here in Miami and he wanted to give Haute or Not? Readers an “inside scoop.” Stein has just signed a deal with Universal Studios to film the movie, The Art of Racing in the Rain. It will star Patrick Dempsey (McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy), who we absolutely love !!!

So, what do you all think about that little bit of news?


*** Other Links ***

• Upcoming tour stops - is Garth coming to your town?
• July 22 Garth will appear on Book Club Girl On Air
• I included links to several reviews up above - if yours was not on there I'm happy to add it here.
  

Moll Flanders

Moll Flanders

by Daniel Defoe
audio book: 12.5 hours
originally published in 1722

The complete title is actually as follows:

The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, Etc. Who Was Born In Newgate, and During a Life of Continu'd Variety For Threescore Years, Besides Her Childhood, Was Twelve Year a Whore, Five Times a Wife [Whereof Once To Her Own Brother], Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon In Virginia, At Last Grew Rich, Liv'd Honest, and Died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums.

Before we even get to the book itself, you’ve got to love that title! It’s sort of a summary of the book and a title all in one, AND it is very catchy too.


About the Book

I usually give a summary of the plot here but the extended title already did that for me. Makes my job much easier, I must say.

I listened to this book after seeing the review posted by Books ‘N Border Collies. After I started it, I realized it will also count for the 1% Well Read Challenge – bonus!


My Thoughts

This book is fascinating. Although it did drag in a few parts, most of the time I was enthralled with the story. Moll’s telling of her life’s adventures is interspersed with remonstrances to the reader/listener to learn from her mistakes. These side notes were just as enjoyable as the story itself.

The book really is a morality lesson, showing by example what NOT to do in any given situation. This is expounded upon in the author’s note at the end as well, but it is apparent throughout Moll’s tale that her goal is to instruct.

One thing that did bother me though … if you’ve read the book, please chime in on this one. What the heck happened to all her children?! I know that at least one was given away to be cared for by someone else, but did the story ever explain what happened to the rest of them?! Lezlie did tackle this question on her blog, but I'm still not satisfied because I don't know what HAPPENED to the children.

A quick note on the audio version: The narrator, Virginia Leishman, did a wonderful job. I’d definitely pick up other books that she’s narrated.


Your Thoughts?

This is definitely a classic novel. Have you read it? Do you want to? If you’ve reviewed it, give me your link and I’ll post it here.

Read With Me?

I'm making great progress on the 1% Well Read Challenge this year. Unlike last year when I had to cram in a few short stories to beat the deadline, this year I think I'll finish ahead of schedule - yea!

This month I'm going to start The Last of the Mohicans (maybe finishing in August, depending on how quickly it goes). When I finish I will have my own movie night to rewatch the Daniel Day Lewis movie version ... oh how I LOVE that movie!

In October I'm going to try Frankenstein (in honor of Halloween of course). The last two books on my list are Cranford and The Lion of Flanders and I'll read them at some point before December 31.

So I'm wondering ... does anyone want to read any of these books with me? I thought it might be fun to do joint reviews or at least to both be reading and posting about a book at the same time.

If you are interested, or think you MIGHT be interested, let me know in the comment section. If no one replies then I'll read happily on my own. :)

Friday Finds 07/10/09

Welcome to Friday ... where I'm sitting at my desk at work falling asleep less than an hour after I arrived. Yeah, this is going to be a long day.

Anyway, here are the books that I added to my TBR pile this week:


Alex and Me, by Irene Pepperberg - This seems to be the month of bird books ... last week I wrote about Wesley the Owl and now I've got Alex the parrot. At Home With Books reviewed this memoir about life with this incredible bird and it really sounded interesting. My mom had several parrots over the years and although I can't say I'm a bird-lover, I do appreciate the unique behavior and personalities that birds can display. And this book sounds fascinating!



The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution, by Linda R. Monk - RebeccaReads says that this book "takes the Constitution of the United States, including its amendments, and dissects it line by line, explaining the historical significance and the modern significance of the wording. She does so in layman’s terms, with amusing quotes in the margin, case studies in shaded boxes, and photos and illustrations. It is easy to read, and easily accessible." I'd love to have this on my reference shelf to browse through from time to time.

Modern Spice: Indian Inspired Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen, by Monica Bhide - I didn't think I'd ever add a cookbook to my TBR list (since I really don't like to cook) let alone one about Indian food (since I've never actually eaten it before) but something about this post by S. Krishna's Books got me excited about this particular cookbook. I love that she tried out some of the recipes - it makes me want to get in my kitchen and concoct something tasty!




Just three titles for this week. Hop over to Should Be Reading for more Friday Finds*, and let me know in the comments if any of these books look good to you.

My Favorite Reads: The Mists of Avalon

I've been wanting to write about some of the books I read prior to blogging and now I have an excuse: At Home With Books's meme, My Favorite Reads. The idea behind this weekly event is to share with your readers some of the best books that you read BB (Before Blogging). I won't participate every week but I will chime in from time to time. I've made a list of some books I want to share with you and I'll tackle one whenever I get a chance.


This week I'm going to talk about a book that I LOVE with all my heart, THE MISTS OF AVALON. I've read this book at least twice, listened to the audio version once, and watched the TV miniseries based on it as well.

The book: The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley - published in 1982 - 912 pages

What it is about: The book is a retelling of the King Arthur story through the eyes of the women involved. Focus is on Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar, and other female characters. More time is spent on their lives and the mystical/druidical background of the story than on Arthur himself.

Why I love it: This book has it all - strong and powerful women, love, lust, betrayal, adventure, you name it. The story is full of details that immerse you in the lives of these people.

Other thoughts: This is one of those books where learning something about the author leads to a deeper understanding of the book. When my book club read this (at my prompting of course) we saw that the author's feminism and religious beliefs came through very clearly in her writing. That was something I didn't know before reading about the author.

Would I recommend it? Before blogging I'd have said yes unreservedly - this is a fantastic book in every way. However I've read on several blogs that people find this book challenging so now I'm a bit leery about recommending it. I guess I'd have to say that if you DO find it challenging, it is VERY worth the effort you put into it. For me, this is a "must read" for just about everyone.

Do I own it? Yes I do. This is one of the few books in my "permanent collection" as I call it. I don't know where I got it originally (likely from my dad), but I've had it since middle or high school. During my "romantic" phase in high school I pressed a rose between the pages ... and it is still there. I have no recollection of who gave me the rose but I've still got it all the same.

Castle Rackrent

Castle Rackrent
by Maria Edgeworth
176 pages
first published in 1800

For this year's 1% Well Read Challenge I decided to focus on older books. As I did last year, I chose books based solely on their titles - if they sounded interesting, they went on my list. For the most part my strategy works well; after all, it brought me Evelina, The Castle of Otranto, and Phineas Finn. Castle Rackrent is another matter though ...


About the Book

Here's what Amazon.com says: "Thady Quirk - or "honest Thady" - having lived on the estate of Castle Rackrent for most of his long life, takes it upon himself to "publish the MEMOIRS of the RACKRENT FAMLY." Speaking in Irish vernacular, he describes the masters he and his family have served under: Sir Patrick, who fills his house with guests and drinks himself to death; Sir Murtagh, his heir, a "great lawyer," who refuses - "out of honor" - to pay Sir Patrick's debts; and Sir Kit, who gambles and eventually sells his estate to Thady's son. Through Thady's memories of these landowners (and the tenants who all too often had to pay for the landownders' indulgences) we gain a picture of feudal life in Ireland before the Irish Revolution. Thady is an unreliable narrator who, it appears, cannot - or does not - tell the whole story. Which leaves a question. Is Thady a naive and loyal servant or is he a clever and self-serving man who knows how to get his point across and his plans accomplished without seeming to know what he is saying or doing? Adding to the underlying irony of the narrative is the contrast between Thady and the anonymous, condescending British voice of the mock glossary of terms. Humorous and biting, Castle Rackrent is a largely unrecognized jewel of social satire."

And later, "With her satire on Anglo-Irish landlords in Castle Rackrent (1800), Maria Edgeworth pioneered the regional novel and inspired Sir Walter Scott's Waverley (1814). Politically risky, stylistically innovative, and wonderfully entertaining, the novel changes the focus of conflict in Ireland from religion to class, and boldly predicts the rise of the Irish Catholic bourgeoisie."

According to wikipedia this book "is often regarded as the first historical novel, the first regional novel in English, the first Anglo-Irish novel, the first Big House novel and the first saga novel." That's a lot to attribute to one small book!


My Thoughts

Based on everything you've read above, you'd think this would be a pretty good book. Unfortunately it didn't like up to the hype for me. Thady tells his story in a very rambly way, relating anecdote after anecdote, conversation after conversation, and never really seems to have a point. I mean, his point is to tell the stories of the Rackrent heirs - which he does - but the whole thing seems rather pointless to me.

I did quite enjoy the snarky comments inserted by "the editor" though. There are even footnotes to help explain some of the Irish vernacular, and the footnotes are great! Below is an example of one of them - be sure to read it with a bit of snark:

English Tenants: An English tenant does not mean a tenant who is an Englishman, but a tenant who pays his rent the day that it is due. It is a common prejudice in Ireland, amongst the poorer classes of people, to believe that all tenants in England pay their rents on the very day when they become due. An Irishman, when he goes to take a farm, if he wants to prove to his landlord that he is a substantial man, offers to become an English tenant. If a tenant disobliges his landlord by voting against him, or against his opinion, at an election, the tenant is immediately informed by the agent that he must become an English tenant. This threat does not imply that he is to change his language or his country, but that he must pay all the arrear of rent which he owes, and that he must thenceforward pay his rent on that day when it becomes due.

That wasn't the best of them but it WAS one of the shortest and it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.

I'm not familiar with the author but it seems she was well-respected in her day and afterward. The version I read (posted on gutenburg.org) included an introduction by Anne Thackeray Ritchie, daughter of William Thackeray, in which she praised Ms. Edgeworth's writing very highly. (Honestly, the introduction was almost better than the book itself.)

So yes, this book gets credit for being the first historical novel, etc., etc., but the story itself isn't all that great ... it's the snarky editor and the footnotes that are worth reading.

The Triumph of Deborah

The Triumph of Deborah
by Eva Etzioni-Halevy
355 pages

Before I begin, I'd like to apologize to the author for taking so long to review her book. I really wanted to read it but life conspired to prevent me. First it was other reviews that I'd committed to, then it was the fact that I lost the book not once but twice (how embarrassing!). So Eva, I'm sorry for not getting this review completed sooner - the book was very enjoyable.


The Official Summary

"The richly imagined tale of Deborah, the courageous Biblical warrior who saved her people from certain destruction. ~~~~ In ancient Israel, war is looming. Deborah, a highly respected leader, has coerced the warrior Barak into launching a strike against the neighboring Canaanites. Against all odds he succeeds, returning triumphantly with Asherah and Nogah, daughters of the Canaanite King, as his prisoners. But military victory is only the beginning of the turmoil, as a complex love triangle develops between Barak and the two princesses. ~~~~ Deborah, recently cast off by her husband, develops a surprising affinity for Barak. Yet she struggles to rebuild her existence on her own terms, while also groping her way toward the greatest triumph of her life. ~~~~ Filled with brilliantly vivid historical detail, The Triumph of Deborah is the absorbing and riveting tale of one of the most beloved figures in the Old Testament, and a tribute to feminine strength and independence."


My Thoughts

I'm a bit torn on this book. On the one hand, I really enjoyed it but on the other hand, there were things that I didn't like so much.

• The Pros: This is a fascinating story. The Biblical story of Deborah (more details on that below) is a very interesting one to begin with, and the author of this book definitely captures the drama inherent in it. ~ The characters are well written and mostly believable. ~ The author does a great job of capturing the intense emotions between men and women- love, lust, jealousy, hurt, and so on. ~ I always wanted to keep reading, to find out what happened next. ~ I enjoy books that make me look at familiar characters from the Bible in a new way (as in THE RED TENT - a great book!). ~ So on the whole, this was a good book.

• The Cons: Although I enjoyed the sometimes flowery language used by the author, I think she used a few too many similes; it is OK to just say "it is what it is" ... you don't always have to say "it is like a ...." ~ The male/female relationships in the book were a bit troubling to me. They were very well written, as I said above, but there was so much inequality in one particular relationship and that really bothered me. That is not the fault of the author though, as I think she represented what relationships were truly like at the time - but it really did bug me. ~ There was almost constant sex in this book. Not in detail or in a crude way, but one particular guy was having sex just about every other page (he "lay down with" his maid, or "he came to" his wife, etc.) and it got to be a bit much for me.

The Historical Background

This book is based on the Biblical Old Testament story of Deborah. The story starts in the book of Judges, chapter 4, verse 4, and continues until chapter 5, verse 31. Many of the characters in the book appear in the Bible (Deborah, Barak, Deborah's husband Lapidoth, and the Canaanites King Jabin and the the warrior Sisra) but very little is told about their personalities or actions.

The author included a note at the end describing some of the liberties she took with the female characters. She explains the background of some of her choices but makes little mention of the
major "enhancements" she made to the story.


My Final Thoughts

As with other books like this, you can't take the story as a representation of fact. Instead I like to think of these kinds of books as color added to a black and white photo; they may not be the exact colors of the original item, but their addition enhances your understanding of the real thing. In this case, I think the story strayed rather far from the original Biblical version, sort of like adding neon colors to a black and white photo of a tree; it's not a bad thing but it can be misleading. I prefer to think of this as a stand-alone story rather than an interpretation of a Biblical story - I can enjoy it for what it is much more that way.


Your Thoughts?

What do you think? Is this something you'd like to read? Do you like reading re-interpretations of older stories? of Bible stories? If you've read it, do you agree with my comments?

I'd love to post links to other reviews here so please include them in your comments.

• Out of the Blue: Book Reviews - this is the review that originally put this book on my TBR list
• Booking Mama - really enjoyed this book
• Diary of an Eccentric - wasn't very familiar with Deborah's story but still really liked this book
  

Monthly Recap: June 2009

This first month of summer was a killer for me as far as reading goes. I only completed a small number of books (although I've got a few others almost finished) and really don't feel all that accomplished at the moment. But I DID have a great vacation and I AM enjoying the warm weather, so those are good things.

Here's a recap of my June ...

Books - 3 (992 pages)

• A Sense of the Mysterious (224 pages) - fascinating collection of essays on science and personal creativity
  
• Belong to Me (390 pages) - had some great characters but I didn't love it
  
• The Last Queen (378 pages) - LOVED this book
  
• I'm also steadily working on Gone With the Wind but since it has over 800 pages I won't be finished for a while (and I'm not including those pages in this month's count as the book isn't finished yet).
  

Audio Books - 2 (27.5 hours)

• Wuthering Heights (11.25 hours) - this is an all-time favorite of mine and I tremendously enjoyed revisiting it
  
• The Egyptologist (16.25 hours) - an odd book but I enjoyed it
  
• I'm also working on both Moll Flanders and Tides of War ... just a few cassettes to go in each book.
  

Mom & Son Book Club -

• We didn't read together at all this month but Kiddo did read some of a Star Wars book on his own while we were in Disney - that's a big deal for him!
  

Other Stats

I gave up on several books this month:

• Red Rain - the story couldn't keep me interested
• Journey to the Center of the Earth - the audio book narrator was horrendous
• The Secret Doorway - I did read the most important parts though

I added 6 books and a movie to my TBR list, had lunch with a fabulous blogging buddy and wrote a post commemorating D-Day. And of course I visited Disney World for about a week - ah, heaven!

How did June treat all of you?