Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Title: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Author: Jonathan Safran Foer

Pages: 326

Genre: Fiction

Grade: A-

Synopsis: Oskar Schell is nine-years old and lives in Manhattan with his widowed mother after his father is killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center.  Oskar (who carries his own business cards) identifies himself as an inventor, explorer, jeweller, vegan, pacifist, percussionist and many other things.  One day after his father's death he finds a key in his father's closet and he is convinced that it was left for him. Now the only thing left for him to do is to track down the lock that this key fits.

My Review: Oskar Schell always seems to have about a million things going through his mind and this book seems to capture everything perfectly.  He's a bit of an unusual nine-year old kid, but one that becomes endearing after you get used to his quirks and manias. I really liked this book.

The Black Circle (The 39 Clues #5)

Title: The Black Circle (The 39 Clues #5)

Author: Patrick Carman

Pages: 4 discs

Genre: Children's Fiction

Grade: B+

Synopsis: Dan and Amy Cahill have followed the clues to Russia where they are being helped by an anonymous individual who signs all messages with the initials NRR. Dan and Amy aren't sure if this is somebody who they can trust, but they feel like they don't have any other options.  The tasks they're given require them to join up with another team as they have a very limited time to criss cross Russia searching for clues.

My Review: Another [unbelievably] amazing adventure for Dan and Amy Cahill.  I especially enjoyed this one because it took place throughout Russia. Ada gives it two thumbs up as well.

The Candy Shop War

Title: The Candy Shop War

Author: Brandon Mull

Pages: 8 discs?

Genre: Children's Fiction

Grade: B+

Synopsis: A new Candy Shop opens on Main Street and Nate, Summer, Trevor and Pigeon are especially excited after they meet the sweet shop owner, Mrs. White, who recruits them to help her out with a few things.  As payment the children are given candies that allow them to do all sorts of things, such as defy gravity, change their appearance or become unbreakable.

My Review: Ada and I listened to this book on our short, ill-fated visit to Las Vegas (where we watched the Utes get creamed by Oregon in the Pac-12 Conference Tournament).  It was perfect for such a trip and Ada just loved it.  I think that she ended up listening to most of the book a couple more times before I had to return the discs to the library.  I like Brandon Mull's Fablehaven Series better than this book, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Following the Light of Christ into His Presence

Title: Following the Light of Christ into His Presence

Author: John Pontius

Pages: 255

Genre: LDS, Religion

Grade: B

Synopsis: Just as the title describes, this book is about following the Light of Christ through personal revelation.  Holding onto the iron rod and recognizing and acting upon the promptings of the Spirit are all keys for doing this.

My Review: The content in the book is decent (although it felt like about 1/3 of the book was just quotes from Bruce R. McConkie), but something about the material presentation just felt a bit off-putting and often came across in a holier than thou style (Not to mention that it took me almost 3 months to slog through).  However, as is usually the case, there was still plenty to think about and ideas and impressions of behaviors to implement in my own life.

The Boy in the Suitcase

Title: The Boy in the Suitcase

Author: Lene Kaaberbøl

Pages: 10 discs?

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: Nina Borg is a nurse for the Red Cross who is contacted by her friend Karin with a key to a public locker in a train station.  When Nina gets to the locker she finds a heavy suitcase and upon opening the suitcase she is shocked to find a young boy inside.  The boy speaks no English (or Danish as in the original), so Nina embarks on a quest to find out more about this boy in the suitcase.  When her friend Karin is brutally murdered, Nina realizes that her life is in danger as well.

My Review:  It was tough for me to get into this book as it jumped around quite a bit and things were hard to follow in the audio version as I wasn't always sure when a new section started and it was sometimes difficult to catch the different place-names.  Once I had that down, then I started enjoying the book more.  Apparently it was quite popular in Denmark, but it just ended up being ok for me.

Nineteen Minutes

Title: Nineteen Minutes

Author: Jodi Picoult

Pages: 18 discs

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B+

Synopsis: The book takes place in a small town in New England.  An unhappy high school student brings an arsenal of guns to school looking for the jocks and popular kids killing 10 and wounding many others.  The best witness for the defense is the judge's own daughter, but she claims to not be able to remember anything about the whole ordeal.

My Review: I initially started listening to this book without knowing anything about it and when I realized that it was about a school shooting then I was going to skip it and move onto a different book (I didn't have a whole lot of interest in getting into the details of a school shooting).  However, after reading some reviews of the book online I decided to stick with it and I was glad I did because the book wasn't that bad and it makes a good case that there are always two sides (or more) to every story.  The shooter isn't excused from the damage or killing that was done, but you certainly feel for him as well as the victims.

A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again

Title: A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again

Author: David Foster Wallace

Pages: 378

Genre: Essays

Grade: D

Synopsis: The book is a collection of essays on topics from a Cruise Ship in the Carribbean to the Illinois State Fair and from tennis in the hot and humid Midwestern summers to a long analysis of the films of David Lynch.

My Review: The first essay wasn't too bad, and neither was his essay about the Illinois State Fair (although it was quite long), but I could barely make it through the other essays in the book before giving up entirely.

Still Life with Woodpecker

Title: Still Life with Woodpecker

Author: Tom Robbins

Pages: 288

Genre: Fiction, Humor

Grade: B+

Synopsis: Princess Leigh-Cheri, a red-headed, vegetarian lives with her exiled royal parents in Seattle.  The liberal Leigh-Cheri travels to Hawaii with Gulietta, her family's last loyal servant, to go to the CareFest gathering where her idol Ralph Nader will be speaking.  While there she meets Bernard Mickey Wrangle, who is an outlaw bomber that has been running from the law for decades.  After Bernard (also known as the woodpecker) sets off a bomb at the CareFest, Leigh-Cheri places him under a citizen's arrest, before falling in love with him.

My Review: This is without a doubt one of the strangest books that I have ever read, but I really enjoyed it. I think Alison was sick of me reading it because I often broke out into laughter while reading.  Aside from the theme that redheads are from another planet, I'm not sure I can do this book any justice by attempting to describe it any further.

Disclaimer: There is some love-making and other descriptions of an adult nature.

From the Book: "(Pg. 8) Once, Princess Leigh-Cheri used a papal candlestick for the purpose of self-gratification. She had hoped that at the appropriate moment she might be visited by either the Lamb or the Beast, be, as usual, only Ralph Nader attended her."

"(Pg. 52) To Gulietta, indoor plumbing was the devil's device. Of all the follies of the modern world, that one struck her as the most unnecessary. There was something unnatural, foolish, and a little filthy about going indoors. Ont he European estates where she was reared, it was common practice for servant girls to lift their skirts outside. Gulietta had seen no reason to alter her habits in Seattle. Despite the difficulty there of doing one's natural duty without being rained upon or receiving from a blackberry bramble a bite as sharp as hemorrhoids, she felt comfortable--happy, even--when she could squat in fresh air. Besides, it was an opportune way to spy frogs."

Blind Descent

Title: Blind Descent

Author: Nevada Barr

Pages: 11 discs

Genre: Mystery

Grade: B

Synopsis: A woman on an expedition to map yet unvisited areas of Lechuguilla Cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park is injured deep inside the cave and must be transported out through the treacherous cave.  Her only request is for her friend, Mesa Verde park ranger Anna Pigeon to come down with the rescue team.

My Review: I've had Blind Descent on my list of books to read for ages.  However, I don't think that this is the book that I was thinking when I originally put it on the list (there is a small handful ok books with the same name...).  I didn't love this book when I first started it, but after a few CDs, I was enjoying it.

The Disappearing Spoon

Title: The Disappearing Spoon - And other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the Periodic Table of the Elements

Author: Sam Kean

Pages: 11 discs

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade: A-

Synopsis: This book explores the origins of the periodic table of the elements and specifically many of the stories behind the creation of the periodic table and of the elements themselves.  The periodic table of the elements is one of mankind's crowning achievement, and has unlocked many mysteries of the Universe and will potentially give us something consistent to communicate with once we have made contact or been visited by aliens...  A few tidbits from the book: Gandhi hates iodine, gallium melts at 84 degrees (thus creating the perfect disappearing teaspoon), Lewis and Clark can be tracked across the continent by the mercury in their waste and Marie Curie's was a regular magician with her glowing radioactive elements.

My Review: This book had a perfect mix of chemistry, physics and stories to keep the book interesting and to ensure that there is something intriguing for everybody.  I've always had a fascination with the elements and I really enjoyed this look at the elements on an individual level and how they fit in the table and relate to their neighboring elements.

Beyond the Grave (The 39 Clues #4)

Title: Beyond the Grave

Author: Jude Watson

Pages: 192

Genre: Children's Fiction

Grade: B+

Synopsis: The search for the 39 Clues continues with Dan and Amy Cahill zipping from Japan to Egypt to search for the next clue within one of the many ancient tombs.

My Review: I thought this was the best book of the series so far (but that's not saying a whole lot...). This one takes the kids throughout Egypt, which is always a fun country to read about.

Shen of the Sea

Title: Shen of the Sea: Chinese Stories for Children

Author: Arthur Bowie Chrisman

Pages: 221

Genre: Children's Fiction, Short Stories

Grade: B

Synopsis: This book is a collection of Chinese stories (not authentic, but written by an American in the "Chinese style") that won the Newbery Medal in 1926.  The stories are witty and clever and explain how many things that are used in China today actually came to be, including gun powder, kites, printing chopsticks, tea and fine china.

My Review: Honestly, I've been fairly disappointed with the Newbery Medal winners from the 1920's so far.  The stories in the book were enjoyable, but were fairly simplistic and was more of a chore to read than something I was truly interested in.

The Sword Thief (The 39 Clues #3)

Title: The Sword Thief

Author: Peter Lerangis

Pages: 156

Genre: Children's Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: Dan and Amy Cahill continue on in their search of the 39 clues for a chance to find out what the greatest family secret in the world is.  The book starts where book 2 left off, in Rome where they had found a sword that would lead them to their next clue, which appeared to be in Tokyo, Japan.

My Review: These books are great (for 8-9 year olds).  I'm not sure why I'm reading them, but I've been sucked in now, so I'd better keep on keeping on.  Nothing believable and completely ridiculous, but still enjoyable.

Naked at Lunch

Title: Naked at Lunch: A Reluctant Nudist's Adventures in the Clothing Optional World

Author: Mark Haskell Smith

Pages: 320

Genre: Memoir?

Grade: B

Synopsis: The history of nudism is intertwined with stories from the author's experiences while venturing into the hidden world where clothes are options.  From a nude cruise, to resorts in the USA and Europe and hikes through the Alps, the stories and experiences are quite interesting and sometimes a bit irreverent.

My Review: Sometimes you walk by the New Releases table at the library and something catches your eye.  With a title such as this one I was sucked in from the get go.  The book was quite interesting about a topic that I hadn't thought a whole lot about (besides the rumors from camping with scouts in the Uintah Mountains that there was a nudist resort nearby)...

Let the Great World Spin

Title: Let the Great World Spin

Author: Colum McCann

Pages: 351

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B+

Synopsis: The book is a collection of interconnected stories about people and events from one August day in New York City in 1974.  On this day a man mysteriously begins tight-rope walking on a cable strung between the two newly completed, 110 story World Trade Center Towers.  Nobody knows who this man is, or how he was able to string the cable from tower to tower, or even gain access to the roofs of the towers.  The tightrope walker captivated the people below, once they started noticing the ant sized exhibitionist from the ground below.  All the while, there are other people living their daily lives including a group of prostitutes in the Bronx, a young Irish Monk who lives among them, a gathering of mothers in a Park Avenue apartment who mourn the passing of their sons in Vietnam, a judge who wants to be remembered, and a young artist and her boyfriend who are involved in a hit and run while high on drugs.

My Review: I had a hard time following this story for the first few chapters, once I was able to keep track of the different characters I really started enjoying this book.  Rather than having one single protagonist, instead there is the event that loosely ties everybody together (i.e. the tight-rope walking between the World Trade Center towers). I'm always intrigued that everybody has a story to tell and this book explores that concept in a really interesting way.  The book itself is a little more artsy or allegorical than I usually like, but I still found it enjoyable.