A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Title: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Author: Betty Smith

Pages: 493

Genre: Classic

Grade: A

Synopsis: Francie Nolan and her younger brother are growing up very poor in Brooklyn at the beginning of the 20th century. Their father is a friendly singing drunk and their mother is a beautiful realist. The children often know what it is like to go to bed hungry and collect scrap metal and junk for pennies. Their parents had very little education, but their mother has her mind set that her children will graduate from high school. On the recommendation of her mother (the children's grandmother) they read a page a day from both the Bible and Shakespeare. This is the story of Francie Nolan growing up.

My Review: There isn't much that happens in this book, but it is a page turner nonetheless. While reading I think that I experienced almost every emotion from happy and sad, anger, love, pity, joy, pain and understanding. One of the most intriguing parts of the book are the parts where the author gives little glimpses into the minds of the characters. While reading this book I often felt like I was watching a movie and wished that others around me could watch with me.

From the Book: "(p. 62) Mary was convinced that because of some sin she had unwittingly committed in her life, she was mated with the devil himself. She really believed this because her husband told her so. "I am the devil himself," he told her frequently."

"(p. 83) The secret lies in the reading and writing. You are able to read. Every day you must read one page from some good book to your child. Every day this must be until the child learns to read. Then she must read every day, I know this is the secret."

"(p. 166) For quite a while, Francie had been spelling out letters, sounding them and then putting the sounds together to mean a word. But one day, she looked at a page and the word "mouse" had instantaneous meaning. She looked at the word, and the picture of a gray mouse scampered through her mind. She looked further and when she saw "horse," she heard him pawing the ground and saw the sun glint on his glossy coat. The word "running" hit her suddenly and she breathed hard as though running herself. The barrier between the individual sound of each letter and the whole meaning of the word was removed and the printed word meant a thing at one quick glance. She read a few pages rapidly and almost became ill with excitement. She wanted to shout it out. She could read! She could read!"

"(p. 297) No, Katie never fumbled. When she used her beautifully shaped but worn-looking hands, she used them with surety, whether it was to put a broken flower into a tumbler of water with one true gesture, or to wring out a scrub cloth with one decisive motion--the right hand turning in, and the left out, simultaneously. When she spoke, she spoke truly with the plain right words. And her thoughts walked in a clear uncompromising line."

The Geography of Bliss

Title: The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World

Author: Eric Weiner

Pages: 325

Genre: Travel, Non-fiction

Grade: B+

Synopsis: Eric Weiner (pronounced 'whiner') wants to find the happiest places in the world. He's not exactly the happiest guy but thinks that maybe location has something to do with it. He travels to 10 countries, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Bhutan, Qatar, Iceland, Moldova, Thailand, Great Britain, India and The United States and informally researches whether or not people in each country are happy. His research mainly consists of talking to locals, American expats and happiness experts. He also does his best to live like the locals (i.e. very extravagantly in Qatar while rooming with an old babushka in Moldova).

Disclaimer: The book isn't dirty by any means, but be forewarned that the language can be a little crude.

My Review: This was quite an enjoyable read. A couple of the chapters drag on for a little longer than feels necessary, but on the whole, the book is very interesting and funny. Weiner's writing style is very relaxed and conversational and I really enjoyed his ability to throw in random facts and humor. The book really was quite funny. I only included two quotes on this review, but there were many, many that I would liked to have included. I particularly enjoyed learning a bit more about all of the countries that he visited and there were even a few that I added to my list of countries that I simply must visit before I die. In other words, I am very jealous of the travel that Mr. Weiner went on.

From the Book: "(p. 7, The Netherlands) And so I do. I have inter course, right there in the Hotel van Walsum dining room. I enjoy it very much, this unhurried dining experience. I sip my beer, stare into space, and, in general, do nothing--until the waiter brings the grilled salmon, indicating that, for now, my inter course is over."

"(p. 302, India) Emma has just returned from a visit to her factory. On the floor, she has spread piles of bags. They are everywhere, and they are beautiful. I'm tempted to get naked and roll around in the pile but restrain myself. This is a forgiving place, but even the inhabitants of 1 Shanti Road have their limits."

the secret history of moscow

Title: the secret history of moscow

Author: Ekaterina Sedia

Pages: 303

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Grade: C-

Synopsis: People all over Moscow are disappearing and a few people are claiming to the police that the people that are disappearing are actually turning into birds. Galina's sister Masha is one of the disappeared. Galina, a policeman Yakov and a street painter, Fyodor, head out to try and track down where all the birds are going to when they enter an underground world full of Moscovites from past and present as well as beings from Russian folktales. Galina, Yakov and Fyodor continue to try and track the birds down on a quest in a strange underground world.

Disclaimer: The language in the book is fairly fowl.

My Review: I had a hard time following along with the storyline in this book. The title of the book gets an A, but the story within the book was not nearly as good as I hoped. I didn't realize the book was a fantasy until I started reading it and it is quite an unbelievable one at that. I was sorely disappointed (and yes, the language is foul).

From the Book: "(p. 198) The bird Gamayun was related to Alkonost and Sirin in some vague fashion--even the most casual observer would've noticed that all three of them were not entirely birds; they had the faces and breasts of women, severe but beautiful. And when their lips opened, they sang in women's voices, deep and rich and bittersweet."

The Secret Life of Bees

Title: The Secret Life of Bees

Author: Sue Monk Kidd

Pages: 302

Genre: Fiction

Grade: A

Synopsis: Lily Owens has very faint memories of her mother who was tragically killed when she was just a young girl. Every succeeding year, her father grows meaner and meaner and more abusive towards Lily. When her black nanny is thrown into jail, Lily comes up with a plot to break her out and then runaway. Set in South Carolina in 1964 they have nowhere to go because nobody will take in a white child and black nanny. They make it to Tiburon, South Carolina where they are taken in by a trio of single beekeeping ladies.

My Review: I can't remember the last time that a book made me cry but this one did. Set in a time and place where racism was the rule the author introduces us to characters that truly look beyond the color of a person's skin. Whenever I read a book set in this time period I am embarrassed for the way white people treated other races. It is a despicable part of American history. What I especially liked about this book is that racial issues weren't the theme of the book but almost everything that happens has to be understood with racial inequality in mind. This is a sad, inspiring, thought-provoking story.

From the Book: "(p. 71) Standing there, I loved myself and I hated myself. That's what the black Mary did to me, made me feel my glory and my shame at the same time."

"(p. 149) "Egg laying is the main thing, Lily. She's the mother of every bee in the hive, and they all depend on her to keep it going. I don't care what their job is--they know the queen is their mother. She's the mother of thousands.""

"(p. 215) Sometimes I didn't even feel like getting out of bed. I took to wearing my days-of-the-week panties out of order. It could be Monday and I'd have on underwear saying Thursday. I just didn't care."

Cheaper by the Dozen

Title: Cheaper by the Dozen

Authors: Frank B. Gilbreth Jr., and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Pages: 180

Genre: Autobiography

Grade: B+

Synopsis: This book is the true story of the efficiency expert Frank Gilbreth and his wife's adventures of raising 12 children. Two of his children reminisce about the experiments and excitement of growing up in a house where the father is a motion study expert. He often uses his children as guinea pigs for his newest hypotheses and teaching methods.

My Review: This was quite an enjoyable and quick read. I had to look up whether or not this book was billed as a true story or not (it is) because some of the stories are quite off the wall - but not quite unbelievable. If nothing else, the book is good for displaying various teaching methods. Some of which work and some of which don't.

From the Book: "(p 2) Dad took moving pictures of us children washing dishes, so that he could figure out how we could reduce our motions and thus hurry through the task. Irregular jobs, such as painting the back porch or removing a stump from the front lawn, were awarded on a low-bid basis. Each child who wanted extra pocket money submitted a sealed bid saying what he would do the job for. The lowest bidder got the contract."

"(p. 54)"I give nightly praise to my Maker that I never cast a ballot to bring that lazy, disreputable, ill-tempered beast into what was once my home. I'm glad that I had the courage to go on record as opposing that illegitimate, shameless flea-bag that now shares my bed and board. You abstainer, you!""