July Books
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn: This was a very entertaining novel told in letters. The residents of the (fictional) country, Nollop, have a great respect for language. Their hero is Nevin Nollop, author of the well-known sentence containing all 26 letters of the alphabet "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" which is inscribed on a memorial statue of Nollop in the middle of town. One day the letters of the sentence begin to fall off the statue. As they do so, the island's council bans the use of each letter that falls. The resulting constrictions of language send the entire country into catastrophe. It's up to the title character, Ella Minnow Pea, to save Nollop. I loved the vocabulary. I started underlining all the words I didn't know. Watching the way the characters get around the banned letters is very entertaining also. Highly recommended for anyone who likes language.
The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil: I read through this almost in a sitting, I was so curious about how it would end. It's the story of a librarian who is hired by an eccentric rich man to try to find a pocket watch, designed for Marie Antoinette, that's been missing for thirty years. However, neither the watch, the quest, nor the employer turn out to be what they seem.
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks: A moving family saga about three generations of women and their experiences in a summer cottage at Mistik Lake, a tiny forest community in Northern Canada with a large Icelandic population. Three bittersweet love stories. The writing was very sensual, I could really see everybody in the story. A cut above most YA novels.
Callie's Tally: An Accounting of Baby's First Year (Or, What My Daughter Owes Me) by Betsy Howie: Betsy Howie decided to keep a running tally of what she was spending on her daughter from the moment she discovered she was pregnant. This was partly so she could present Callie with a bill, and thereby teach her important lessons about independance and fiscal responsibility, but mostly because she needed some aspect of motherhood that she could keep clearly organized. The rule is simple. For each purchase she asks herself, would I buy this if I didn't have Callie? If the answer is no, it goes on Callie's tab. This memoir is both funny and stressful. Howie's hard adjustment to motherhood comes across as harried and miserable more often than it does joyful. For those who are curious about the final numbers, in her first year of life Callie racks up about $10,000 of debt, but brings in about $4,000 in tax credits and gifts.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacquelyn Winspear: This is the first in a series about Maisie Dobbs, a young woman living in 1930's England who starts her own detective agency. The actual mystery is secondary to the story of Maisie herself, and much of the book is told in flashback. Maisie began as a maid but was recognized for her amazing intellect by her employer who helped her to get an education and eventually go to Cambridge. Maisie uses psychology and a strong belief in the mind-body connection to help people see the truth, her real motivation for going in to her line of work. Very well written.
The Scent of Waterby Elizabeth Goudge: I picked this one up because it was a Nancy Pearl recommendation. It's a very peaceful book. The main character, a middle aged business woman, moves from London to a tiny country town when she retires. The book tells the stories of all the residents and how they are effected by the introduction of a new neighbor. Not a lot of plot except for the day-to-day struggles of the characters. There's an ongoing theme about learning to take life slowly and retain your childlike sense of wonder. It was slow-paced, but very refreshing.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: I put off reading this for a long time. There's been so much hype about it I thought I'd probably be disappointed by it, and I don't usually care for vampire stories. I finally gave in and picked up a copy though, and once I started it I couldn't put it down. This is an amazing adventure love story. I also don't agree with the people who're trying to depict Bella as being a spineless heroine. On the contrary, I think she's very strong. Being self-sacrificing doesn't mean she's not a strong character.
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer: The saga of Edward and Bella continues. I stayed up way too late reading this. Loved it, even though I spent much of the book being furious with Edward.
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer: I think this one is my favorite of the series so far. I'm definitely rooting for Edward over Jacob. Jacob is sweet, but too immature for Bella. Can't wait for the final installment!
The Host by Stephenie Meyer: I wasn't sure I was going to like this one at first because the beginning is kind of confusing. In the story aliens who live inside host-bodies have taken over humanity. The narrator is one of these aliens, newly moved in to a human woman host. I got sucked in to the story very quickly though, and in the end I was racing to finish it so I could find out what happens. More than just a sci-fi story, the major theme is questioning what it means to be human. Very good.
The Grand Complication by Allen Kurzweil: I read through this almost in a sitting, I was so curious about how it would end. It's the story of a librarian who is hired by an eccentric rich man to try to find a pocket watch, designed for Marie Antoinette, that's been missing for thirty years. However, neither the watch, the quest, nor the employer turn out to be what they seem.
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks: A moving family saga about three generations of women and their experiences in a summer cottage at Mistik Lake, a tiny forest community in Northern Canada with a large Icelandic population. Three bittersweet love stories. The writing was very sensual, I could really see everybody in the story. A cut above most YA novels.
Callie's Tally: An Accounting of Baby's First Year (Or, What My Daughter Owes Me) by Betsy Howie: Betsy Howie decided to keep a running tally of what she was spending on her daughter from the moment she discovered she was pregnant. This was partly so she could present Callie with a bill, and thereby teach her important lessons about independance and fiscal responsibility, but mostly because she needed some aspect of motherhood that she could keep clearly organized. The rule is simple. For each purchase she asks herself, would I buy this if I didn't have Callie? If the answer is no, it goes on Callie's tab. This memoir is both funny and stressful. Howie's hard adjustment to motherhood comes across as harried and miserable more often than it does joyful. For those who are curious about the final numbers, in her first year of life Callie racks up about $10,000 of debt, but brings in about $4,000 in tax credits and gifts.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacquelyn Winspear: This is the first in a series about Maisie Dobbs, a young woman living in 1930's England who starts her own detective agency. The actual mystery is secondary to the story of Maisie herself, and much of the book is told in flashback. Maisie began as a maid but was recognized for her amazing intellect by her employer who helped her to get an education and eventually go to Cambridge. Maisie uses psychology and a strong belief in the mind-body connection to help people see the truth, her real motivation for going in to her line of work. Very well written.
The Scent of Waterby Elizabeth Goudge: I picked this one up because it was a Nancy Pearl recommendation. It's a very peaceful book. The main character, a middle aged business woman, moves from London to a tiny country town when she retires. The book tells the stories of all the residents and how they are effected by the introduction of a new neighbor. Not a lot of plot except for the day-to-day struggles of the characters. There's an ongoing theme about learning to take life slowly and retain your childlike sense of wonder. It was slow-paced, but very refreshing.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: I put off reading this for a long time. There's been so much hype about it I thought I'd probably be disappointed by it, and I don't usually care for vampire stories. I finally gave in and picked up a copy though, and once I started it I couldn't put it down. This is an amazing adventure love story. I also don't agree with the people who're trying to depict Bella as being a spineless heroine. On the contrary, I think she's very strong. Being self-sacrificing doesn't mean she's not a strong character.
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer: The saga of Edward and Bella continues. I stayed up way too late reading this. Loved it, even though I spent much of the book being furious with Edward.
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer: I think this one is my favorite of the series so far. I'm definitely rooting for Edward over Jacob. Jacob is sweet, but too immature for Bella. Can't wait for the final installment!
The Host by Stephenie Meyer: I wasn't sure I was going to like this one at first because the beginning is kind of confusing. In the story aliens who live inside host-bodies have taken over humanity. The narrator is one of these aliens, newly moved in to a human woman host. I got sucked in to the story very quickly though, and in the end I was racing to finish it so I could find out what happens. More than just a sci-fi story, the major theme is questioning what it means to be human. Very good.