You Had Me At Woof

Author: Julie Klam
Published: 2010, Riverhead
228 pages

Written by an active member of Northeast Boston Terrier Rescue, Inc., this is a compilation of Julie Klam's Boston Terrier rescue stories.  The subtitle is "How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness," and the chapters are divided into "Lessons" the author learned with the help of the various homeless dogs she encountered as a dog rescuer.  Some example chapters: "Lesson Six: How to Fall In Love... Again," "Lesson Seven: How to Mourn the Loss of a Friend."

I didn't love this book, mainly because I didn't think that her anecdotes connected very well to the chapter titles.  At times I couldn't even figure out what the chapter titles even meant, let alone how they connected to the text that followed.  A prime example of this is "Lesson Two: How to Find the Parachute Color That's Most Flattering to You," a chapter about the author's experience trying to become an animal medium so she can talk to her dog.  The ridiculousness of the story aside, I am utterly confused as to what the "Lesson" is and how it connects to the story itself.

Despite this problem (which I think could have been corrected by a keener editing eye), the stories are really funny, heartwarming, and her writing style is engaging and subtly hilarious.  Any dog lover will relate to the housebreaking horror stories as well as the sweet tales of the dog-human bond.  Her rescues were a great source of joy, but also of stress and heartbreak, and her stories do a good job of relating her (and her family's) conflicting emotions regarding every dog she took in.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge advocate of dog rescue (as opposed to buying a dog from a pet store), but I had no idea how complicated the rescue process can actually be.  What surprised me most about these stories was how many people can be involved in every rescue, and how much time, effort, and expenses these average people actually contribute just to save a dog's life.  I found Klam's honest depiction of the rescue process and the inner workings of the rescue group truly eye-opening and moving.

I know what you're thinking... Another dog book.  But I can't be fully blamed for this one because my Mom gave it to me for Christmas, along with training sessions for her very sweet but sometimes-rude granddog Cooper.  Thanks, Mom, he needs it!

Cooper, cutest dog in the world, engaging in a behavior that will soon be corrected by Grandma's gift of training

And after we're done with forming Cooper into a model citizen, I think I'll follow in Julie Klam's footsteps and start taking in some fosters to further complicate my life!

The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins
Published: 2008, Scholastic
374 pages

I realized that my last three posts have been about books that I absolutely hated, so I've decided to treat you all to a post about a book I would actually recommend.  That book is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  I heard great things about this book months ago, but it was another one of those really fun things that had to wait "until grad school is over" because it's part of a trilogy and I knew I would want to read all three in a row.  As it happened, grad school isn't technically "over" yet, but I read it anyway.  Story of my life.  During my undergrad, I read the entire Twilight series during the last couple weeks of the semester (yes, including finals week).  But enough about me.....

This book takes place in a place called Panem, a dystopia formerly known as North America.  Panem was once made up of 13 districts, but the 13th district revolted and was obliterated by the Capitol.  As punishment for the revolt, the remaining 12 districts are required to send one boy and one girl to participate in a gladiator-like battle to the death called The Hunger Games every year.  The last kid standing is the winner, and the rest are... dead.

When Katniss's little sister Prim is randomly selected to be District 12's contribution to the Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place.  Katniss is a hunter, good with a bow and arrow, but is still the underdog when she gets into the arena and is faced with kids who have been training their whole lives for the Games.  While the kids die one by one inside the arena, the public outside watches the Games unfold on TV.  The public's enthusiasm for the Games, complete with betting and sponsoring, is absolutely revolting, and Collins has done such a good job making it realistic that I found myself cringing the whole time I was reading.

I'm not giving away anything else about the book because I highly highly recommend going out and reading it yourself.  I know I am going to pick up my copies of the next two books (Catching Fire and Mockingjay) today!  Just as soon as I finish these last two grad school assignments.....

Armageddon Summer

Authors: Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville
Published: 1999, Graphia
272 pages

Told from the alternating points of view of two teenage narrators, Marina and Jed, this book is an account of a couple of weeks they spend camping on a mountain with a Christian religious group ("the Believers") who believes the world is going to end on July 27.  Both Marina and Jed are dragged up the mountain by their Believer parents, and while Jed is skeptical from the start, it isn't until Marina gets there that she begins to see what is going on around her and questioning her faith.  That's when things really start to get interesting... NOT!

For me, you can't really go wrong when you put religion, cult psychology, and the apocalypse into one story together, but this book somehow ended up being one big miss.  The narrators are far too mature to be even remotely believable, and the rest of the characters are just annoying.  The most likable character is actually the one who is supposed to be the most crazy, the leader of the pack Reverend Beelson.  I was expecting the narrative to be more about cult dynamics or psychology, but Yolen and Coville don't ever go there.  Instead, we just follow these unrealistic characters around as they internally debate their faith, experience a two-week-long camping trip, and a brief and completely unrealistic teenage romance.

I kept reading only because I thought the world was going to end eventually.  Honestly, that is the only way this book could have redeemed itself.  Instead, nothing ever happens except a bunch of people break into the camp and another bunch of people die in the ensuing riot.  Then everybody else just packs up camp and goes home.  Thrilling!  I wouldn't normally completely give away an ending, but I am advising you to never read the book yourself, so I don't think it matters much.

If you're interested in cults or cult psychology, I recommend watching the National Geographic special "Inside a Cult."  If not, then there are plenty of other things you can do that would be infinitely more entertaining and worthwhile than reading this book.

Under the Dome

Author: Stephen King
Published: 2010, Pocket (Reprint edition)
1088 pages

Don't waste your time.

The Dreamer

Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
Illustrator: Peter Sis
Published: 2010, Scholastic
384 pages

This is a fictional biography of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, focusing mostly on his childhood.  It details the possible relationships he had with his emotionally abusive father, loving stepmother, and two siblings.  He was a shy boy who had a stutter, but also had a way with the written word.  And that's as far as I can go in my description, because.......

I hated it!  I really just don't get it.  What exactly is the purpose of a "fictional biography"?  "Fiction" and "biography" are two completely conflicting concepts and I have no idea how they ever combined to become the most illegitimate child in literature.  Even more annoying than the whole concept behind the book is the fact that the story Munoz made up isn't even entertaining.  She skims the surface of what life may have been like for Neruda growing up, but never really goes in depth.  It is full of "blah" characters amidst a "blah" storyline.

For some reason completely beyond my comprehension, this book has received absolutely rave reviews.  It has gotten starred reviews (translation: "book of remarkable merit" for Kirkus) from all the major reviewing sources, which is virtually unheard of.  It is even in the running for the 2011 Newbery Medal!  To make matters worse, a very reliable source told me that it has a very real chance of winning!  Come on, Newbery committee, we can do better than this!

On the positive side, the book itself is very beautiful.  The cover is gorgeous, as are the illustrations by Peter Sis.  As far as content is concerned, though, it didn't even make me want to read any of Neruda's poems, which were right in the back of the book.  Not a very good sign, if you ask me.

Looking For Alaska

Author: John Green
Published: 2005, Dutton
221 pages

This is another book that really spoke to my morbid side.  It is written from the perspective of Miles, a teenage boy who ships himself off to boarding school in search of "the Great Perhaps" (a quote he borrowed from the last words of poet Francois Rabelais).  Once he gets there, he makes a few friends, including his roommate "the Colonel," and falls in love with the girl every other boy is also in love with -- Alaska Young.

The book is organized into two sections: "Before" and "After."  Toward the middle of the book, it's still unclear what pivotal event is going to transform the "Before" into the "After."  Then Alaska tragically dies.  And we have our pivotal event.  In the "After" section, Miles and the Colonel commit themselves to uncovering the mystery behind Alaska's death.

This book won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2006, and it is clear why.  The characters are extremely well-developed.  From timid, naive Miles to destitute, genius the Colonel to smart, strong, moody, feminist Alaska, Green has created completely believable characters.  Miles and the Colonel's journey through grief is touching, but it isn't complete over-the-top drama.  It maintains a sense of humor and lightheartedness while dealing with such an intense subject matter.  The characters and plot, while similar in setting, stand in stark contrast to the one-note characters and stereotypical plot I think Cormier created in The Chocolate War.

My favorite thing about this book is that Miles is obsessed with famous people's last words, and I've decided that I should start getting obsessed with that, too.  There are several good last words mentioned in the book, but my favorite are playwright Henrik Ibsen's, on page 11: "...he'd been sick for a while and his nurse said to him, 'You seem to be feeling better this morning,' and Ibsen looked at her and said, 'On the contrary,' and then he died."  I don't think it gets much better than that, but if I find any other good ones as I explore my new hobby, I'll let you know.

This is a great book for anyone, but especially for anyone dealing with grief.  The message I took away from Miles's journey is that death sucks, but life goes on and the best way to deal with losing someone you love is to celebrate his or her life, not completely bring your own to a halt.

The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials, Book 1

Author: Philip Pullman
Published: 1996, Knopf
399 pages

Philip Pullman is a genius.  I could talk about this book for days, but I'll try to reel it in as best I can.  This is Book #1 in a trilogy, and probably the only one I'll talk about unless I get requests to post about the others.  The other two are The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.  The truth is, there are so many underlying themes in all of these books that can go right over children's heads, but there is also a fantastic story that everyone can enjoy.

The story follows the child Lyra Belacqua, who is easily my favorite character ever created, as she travels to the North to save her friend and other children who have been captured to endure horrendous experiments at the hands of the Magisterium.  Pullman has created a truly magical world in which polar bears can talk, witches fly through the Northern sky, and all humans have animal counterparts called daemons.

In the midst of Lyra's adventure, Pullman manages to skillfully intertwine elements of modern science, my favorite being the Many-Worlds Theory of quantum physics.  If you're interested in that aspect, an entire book has been written about that alone: The Science of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials.

There has been a lot of controversy about this book, especially when it was being made into a movie in 2007, that stems mostly from Pullman's outspoken atheism.  There are certainly some elements in The Golden Compass that are anti-organized religion, but this theme is not as prevalent in the first book as it is in the second two (and definitely not as prevalent as it is in his latest book: The Good Man Jesus and The Scoundrel Christ).  And, frankly, the story is good enough that if you didn't know anything about the controversy before reading it, you might completely miss it.

Anyway, I'm glad I'm so obsessed with this book because now I can name my future spawn Lyra instead of "Ponyboy Curtis," which I was planning to do after reading The Outsiders and which is just not a socially acceptable name (no, not even for a librarian's child).  My future child thanks you, Philip Pullman.

Be the Pack Leader

Authors: Cesar Millan and Melissa Jo Peltier
Published: 2007, Crown Archetype
336 pages

Some people watch The Dog Whisperer “every now and then” or “if there’s nothing else on.”  I, on the other hand, am one of those rare people who actually goes out of my way to watch The Dog Whisperer.  I actually DVR it.  I should stop there, before I really embarrass myself.  On to the book!

If you are looking for a step-by-step guide of how to get your dog how to “sit” or “stay” or “speak,” this is not the book for you.  Cesar never claims to be a dog trainer.  He is an expert on dog psychology, and that is what this book is about.  He keeps to his usual guidelines of “Exercise, Discipline, and Affection,” and elaborates further on his principle of calm assertive energy.  He provides a list of tools (different kinds of collars, leashes, etc.) and suggestions for how to use them properly.  He also gives advice on how to deal with special situations (going to the vet, bringing a dog home for the first time, etc.).  He doesn’t, however, address the really important issues like stealing my socks, or waking up at 6:30am even on the weekends.

Cesar was recently in the news for criticizing Obama’s handling of his dog Bo, and I’m happy to report that the cutest dog in the world a.k.a. Cooper a.k.a. MY dog has slightly calmed his wild beastly leash-pulling ways and has become a sweeter little beast who happily trots behind me every morning.  Except when there are squirrels.  And except when, well… maybe he’s not that “calmed” yet.

Cooper, cutest dog in the world

There’s nothing life-changing, or even dog-changing, about reading this book, but it was an interesting read for someone as obsessed with dogs as I am.  I recently bought his new book, Cesar’s Rules: Your Way to Train a Well-Behaved Dog, and I’m looking forward to reading that as it appears to contain collaborations with other trainers.  Stay tuned.

My book cover images

Today I realized that I have been engaging in risky criminal behavior lately — copyright infringement.  And all for this blog!  For my first couple posts, I just went into Google images and did a quick browse for the title.  As a librarian, I should know that I can’t just right-click and do a “Save Image As” because that’s illegal.  Luckily, I found this article about LibraryThing giving away their cover images before the copyright soldiers tracked me down and arrested me.

So, thank you, LibraryThing!  And, readers, you should also send LibraryThing a thank you e-mail because the alternative was taking pictures of the covers myself, and you don’t even want to know what my trial pictures looked like.  Flash or no flash?  Indoors?  What if it’s raining?  Will a piece of construction paper make a suitable “background”?  Whatever, I took a photo class during my undergrad but apparently I absorbed the information like a sieve.

God Went To Beauty School (poetry)

Author: Cynthia Rylant
Published: 2003, HarperTempest
56 pages

I finally “get it.”  I get what it is about poetry that I’ve never gotten before.  Everybody is always saying things like, “I get it.”  “It really spoke to me.” “It really says something." about different art forms, and I’ve always heard “Blah, blah, blah, I’m a pretentious culture snob.”  Now, don’t get me wrong, some of those people still are pretentious culture snobs, but now I do see the grain of truth in their constant mutterings.  And I have Rylant to thank for that.

From my completely non-religious frame of mind, I have no idea what it is about a collection of poems about God that captivated me so much.  They are humorous, lighthearted, and convincing while still being respectful.

It’s unclear whether Rylant approaches it from a religious or non-religious standpoint.  She doesn’t say anything about it in the inner or outer covers nor does she mention her spiritual/religious preferences in her author bio.  And the great thing is, I don’t really care.  So if anybody feels the need to do the research for me and posts the answer, I will be forced to disable your sweet little comments because I think knowing might ruin some of this magic for me.  Remember, I am a librarian — If I wanted to find something out, I could and I would.

In related news, I am a pretentious culture snob who apparently likes poetry that doesn’t even rhyme.

And now for the main event: a sample, for all my fellow snobs….

God Bought A Couch
He ordered it from Pottery Barn
and He had a little trouble
because His credit card
billing address didn’t match
the delivery address.
They weren’t totally convinced
He was God.
Because for one thing
He got His credit card
bills in Hell
(just His quirky sense of humor)
and He wanted the
couch shipped to Heaven

Brilliant.

Briar Rose

Author: Jane Yolen
Published: 1992, Tor Books
241 pages

After finishing (and being very disappointed in) Zel, I started rethinking my decision to read Briar Rose, another reimagined fairy tale.  Fortunately, I decided to stick it out… And I couldn’t be happier with my decision!  In case any of you don’t know (I didn’t until I read this book), “Briar Rose” is another name for “Sleeping Beauty.”

To me, Briar Rose represents everything a reimagined fairy tale should be.  The story is new while still being recognizable.  Yolen takes the familiar Sleeping Beauty fairy tale and turns it into a Holocaust mystery.  We follow Becca, our main character, along on her journey to discover where her mysterious Grandmother came from and why she always claimed to be Briar Rose.

I’ve done a lot of Holocaust reading — fiction and non-fiction — but I’ve never read a Holocaust mystery.  “Historical Holocaust fiction” and “fairy tale mystery” are two concepts I would never expect to be a fitting description of a single book, but Yolen manages to pull it off without losing any of the horror of the Holocaust nor the fantasy of a fairy tale.

If you’re interested in Holocaust fiction or nonfiction (I know I am… very morbid, I know.  I’ll also read anything about the death penalty.  I swear I’m not maintaining this blog from inside a psych ward.) then this is a good book to add to your shelf.

How Angel Peterson Got His Name

Author: Gary Paulsen
Published: 2004, Yearling
128 pages

This book is the definition of “short and sweet.”  I read it in half a sitting.  Paulsen starts out with a lighthearted dedication: “This book is dedicated to all boys in their thirteenth year; the miracle is that we live through it” and carries this sweet humorous tone throughout his true tales of dangerous teenage boy behavior.

In the title story, one of Paulsen’s friends decides he wants to break the world record for speed on skis and the results, as well as the journey leading to the results, are hilarious.  All of Paulsen’s tales are endearing, with a sweet sense of nostalgia, and very entertaining.

Many reviewers laud this book as an ideal read for elementary-age or teenage boys, but I could see many girls really enjoying this book as well.  I know that my own thrill-seeking teenage girl self (I used to light rolls of toilet paper on fire “just because” and also “to see what would happen.”) would have really appreciated the antics these boys resorted to out of sheer boredom and curiosity.

The Chocolate War

Author: Robert Cormier
Published: 2004, Knopf (this version)
272 pages

Originally published in 1974, this book established Cormier’s strong footing in the YA market.  A lot of people are really crazy about this book, but I found myself slightly unimpressed with it.  It is certainly an entertaining read (I got through it in a matter of hours), but I just can’t relate to it as much as I can relate to other YA books that I’ve read.

The book is about a kid named Jerry Renault taking on The Vigils — a secret society that rules his elite boys’ prep school.  Jerry asks himself throughout the novel “Do I dare disturb the universe?” and he ends up disturbing at least his school’s universe when he rebels against The Vigils, with disastrous results.

Cormier raises some interesting questions about human nature, and the reason many reviewers have loved this book is because of his “uncompromising portrait of human cruelty” (School Library Journal) or his “good sense for the realistic” (Bestsellers).  I, on the other hand, think the portrait Cormier paints is so overwhelmingly negative and harsh that it becomes unbelievable.  There are many villains in the novel, and none of them have the redeeming qualities that would make them human.  Maybe I’m just lucky, but I’ve never met anybody as “bad” as Brother Leon or Archie, the two main villains Cormier creates.

The Chocolate War is nonetheless worth a read because a) it’s a classic, b) it’s entertaining, and c) maybe you’ll feel lucky for never having met anybody like Cormier’s villains (Come on, your ex-boyfriend really isn’t that bad).

Zel

Author: Donna Jo Napoli
Published: 1996, Dutton Books
240 pages

Zel is Napoli’s reimagining of the classic Rapunzel fairy tale.  I seem to be the only person who didn’t enjoy this book.  I have nothing against fairy tale retellings, but I do not think Napoli offers anything fresh or unique to the classic fairy tale, except for giving us more background information and painstakingly (emphasis on the pain) more detail.

Napoli goes in-depth about what it was like for Rapunzel to be locked up in the tower.  Rapunzel eventually goes mad (as would be expected from someone who is locked in isolation for years), and the imagery along the way is absolutely horrifying.  I appreciate that Napoli tries to give us a bit of realism, but for me it was just too much.

Napoli attempts to bring the tale down to earth, and what we end up with is something so grounded that it is a total bore.  It’s nice to see Rapunzel and the prince having actual emotions and fears and faults (as opposed to their stereotypical fairy tale counterparts), but at no point in the book do any of their emotions or fears or faults actually surprise me.  It is exactly what I would have expected from the original fairy tale version, just 240 pages longer.

I am going to stop calling this a “reimagined” fairy tale and call it just an “extended” fairy tale.  Maybe that will make it more tolerable for me.