Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2)

Title: Dragonfly in Amber

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Pages: 33 discs

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B-

Synopsis: Claire Randall has been back in the twentieth century for about 20 years and now it is time for her to tell her story to her grown daughter and to visit the Scottish Highlands where she had spent a few years back in the 1700s. The book expounds on Claire and Jamie's time in Paris as well as on the battles between the British and Scottish fighters.

My Review: For a book that is around 750 pages (or 33 cds in my case), it seemed like there was not a lot of substance and that not a lot happened in this book.  For the parts of the book where things did happen, it simply wasn't as interesting as the first book.  It looks like there are a total of 13 books in the series, but I think I'm gonna pass on the rest.

Flora & Ulysses

Title: Flora & Ulysses

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Pages: 233

Genre: Fiction, Newbery Award

Grade: B+

Synopsis: While reading a comic book, Flora Belle Buckman sees her neeighbor vacuum up a squirrel.  Flora gives the squirrel CPR and the squirrel comes back to life with superhero like powers. Flora takes the squirrel home where they become the best buddies.

My Review: This was another book that we listened to on a road trip this last summer.  My kids just loved it, I thought it was a little kooky, but still enjoyable. Well worth a listen if you've got kids around to join in.

The Crossover

Title: The Crossover

Author: Kwame Alexander

Pages: 240

Genre: Poetry, Young Adult, Newbery Award

Grade: A

Synopsis: 12-year-old Josh Bell and his twin brother Jordan have mad skills in basketball that they got from their father who had played professionally when he was younger.  The story is mostly told in a poetic verse and a series of poems describing Josh and Jordan's playing on the court, about their crushes and about some of the struggles that they are facing at home.

My Review: We listened to this book on a road trip this last summer and it was a hit in the car. The book is in a similar style to the musical Hamilton, where the story is told almost through a rap-like verse.  Extremely clever and well done.

Hello, Universe

Title: Hello, Universe

Author: Erin Entrada Kelly

Pages: 320

Genre: Children's Fiction, Newbery Award

Grade: A

Synopsis: Chet Bullens is a bully who's prank leads to the shy boy Virgil Salinas being trapped at the bottom of a dry well with his pet guinea pig Gulliver. Virgil's friends Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, Kaori Tanaka, who is a self-proclaimed psychic, and Kaori's little sister Gen embark on a quest to try and find out what happened to Virgil when he missed his appointment with the self-proclaimed psychic.

My Review: We listened to this audiobook on one of our road trips last summer and the girls just loved it.  Every once in a while they still reference this book in random moments, which is probably one of the best recommendations that can be made.

The Last Days of the Incas

Title: The Last Days of the Incas

Author: Kim MacQuarrie

Pages: 546

Genre: History

Grade: B+

Synopsis: This is the story of how the Incas were conquered by the 54-year-old Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and his band of 167 men.  When the Spaniards landed on the coast of Peru, the Incas had just finished fighting a bloody civil war that pitted two of the Incan sons of the previous emperor against each other and their respective armies.  After taking control of the Incan empire and setting up shop, the original conquistadors were all richer than they had dared dream, which inspired numerous other low-class individuals from Spain and the old world to try and make a name for themselves in the new world.

My Review: My goal was to finish this book before we made our trip to Machu Picchu last summer, but I was only about halfway done at the time.  However, there is something inspiring about reading a book about the Incan empire while riding the train to Aguas Calientes, which is the Peruvian town that sits just below the mountaintops where Machu Picchu sits. This isn't just a rough overview of the downfall of the Incas, it is an in depth look at the timeline and locations where the large Inca empire remained throughout their fighting with the Spanish.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo

Title: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo

Author: Amy Schumar

Pages: 323

Genre: Autobiography

Grade: B

Synopsis: Amy Schumar is a comedian who has apparently lived a full enough life to warrant writing an autobiography. The book is mainly a collection of essays and stories of her life trying to make it as a comedian and having as much sex as she possibly can (yes, really).

My Review: I actually found this book to be more entertaining and enjoyable than I had expected.  I'm not sure if I've actually seen anything that shes in besides SNL, so I'm not terribly familiar with her, but the book felt like an honest view into her life interspersed with loads of lame jokes.

My Story

Title: My Story

Author: Elizabeth Smart

Pages: 7 discs

Genre: Memoir

Grade: A

Synopsis: Elizabeth Smart was abducted at knife-point from her bed in her home in Salt Lake City by Brian David Mitchell in June of 2002. She was taken to a camp high up in the Wasatch Mountains  and kept there with Mitchell's other wife, Wanda Barzee, for months before moving with her captors to San Diego, California.  Mitchell, Smart and Barzee stayed in San Diego for about 6 months before hitchhiking their way back to Utah. Their intent was to head back up to the same camp in the mountains, but while making their way north and while walking along State Street in Sandy, UT the police apprehended Mitchell and Barzee and returned Elizabeth to her family after being with her captors for 9 months.

My Review: Most of us are pretty familiar with Elizabeth Smart's horrific story and this book outlines the details of her abduction and captivity. The writing was a little repetitive and at times defensive. I tend to give my highest marks to books that make me feel something or make me want to be a better person and this book fit the bill.  Maybe it was hearing Elizabeth read the words of the book herself on the audiobook copy that I listened to, but when I finished the book I realized that I had been strengthened by Elizabeth's faith, beliefs and toughness.  I want my daughters to grow up with these same convictions and Elizabeth has become a more-than-worthy role model for the young LDS generation.  She suffered from many of the worst abuses imaginable, but as she puts it in the conclusion of the book (and I'm only paraphrasing because I don't have a written copy), "At the time of this writing I am 25 years old.  I've been on this earth for 307 months and of those 307 months I suffered the abuse of Mitchell and Barzee for 9 of them.  The other 298 months have been happy and spent with my family who loves me.  I cannot let those 9 months define who I am."

During the worst moments of Smart's life she was witness to miracles, kindness and generosity from the most unexpected places.  I hope to be able to both recognize these sorts of miracles in my own life (I know they exist!) and to be able to be that miracle in somebody else's life if God is willing.

I donated to the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, and you should too: http://elizabethsmartfoundation.org/donate/donation/

Dorothy Must Die: Stories

Title: Dorothy Must Die: Stories

Author: Danielle Paige

Pages: 392

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B-

Synopsis: This book is a collection of three prequel novellas to the popular Dorothy Must Die series.  The books take place after Dorothy Gale has returned from Oz.  This book contained the first 3 stories, 0.1, 0.2 & 0.3, and apparently there are also 0.4-0.9 as well as the three books of the Dorothy Must Die series.  The stories were No Place Like Oz, The Witch Must Burn and The Wizard Returns.

My Review: For me, The Wizard of Oz is just ok.  It's a story that has been overdone and these books fit into that same mold. The premise was interesting, but I just never caught the bug.

Tiny Dancer

Title: Tiny Dancer: The Incredible Tue Story of a Young Burn Victim's Journey from Afghanistan

Author: Anthony Flacco

Pages: 243

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: In the summer of 2001, 9-year-old Zubaida Hasan falls into a kerosene fire in rural Afghanistan.  She is severely burned all over her body and the family lives far from any medical facilities.  Miraculously she survives, even though the local Afghani doctors only suggestions to the parents are for them to pray for her to have a speedy death.  After a few months the scar tissue on her body and face is building up to such an extent that her chin is fused with her torso and it is even pulling the skin from around her eye sockets. (You may have even seen her photo before). Her father is desperate to save her and travels with her to the nearest American Army Base where she is seen on the streets by an American Green Beret who takes pity and begins campaigning for her to get help. Eventually Zubaida is brought to Southern California where she undergoes a series of treatments and surgeries to remove the excess scar tissue.

My Review: This is an incredible true story and a reminder of how blessed I am to live in a country with access to some of the best medical care available. The risks of living and growing up in the USA are far less than are faced by other children throughout the world.  The book was also a nice reminder of the humanity around us. So much of what we hear these days is only the bad and yet there are good people across the globe who are still trying to be good and willing to help those in need.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

Title: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

Author: Dave Eggers

Pages: 485

Genre: Memoir

Grade: B

Synopsis: This memoir is about life after Dave's parents both died within an month of each other. Dave was 21, his older brother was 24, his older sister was 23 and his younger brother Toph was 8.  The responsibility of caring for his younger brother fell largely to him.  He brought Toph to live with him in his small apartment in Berkeley and they existed more like roommates, than a parent-child relationship. 

My Review: I generally enjoyed this book, but after reading it I wasn't sure if it was a memoir or a work of fiction.  My gut tells me that the truth may have been stretched, but that mostly, this was a memoir. It's been a few months, but I believe there was a good amount of language.

The Associate

Title: The Associate

Author: John Grisham

Pages: 373

Genre: Fiction, Thriller

Grade: B

Synopsis: In true John Grisham fashion, this book takes us into the life of a busy attorney working for a prestigious law firm. Kyle McAvoy was a star student at Yale Law School. His father wanted him to stay and work for his firm in Kyle's hometown, but Kyle had his sights set far higher. However, based on some incidents in his past, he is ripe to be blackmailed by some folks with deep pockets.

My Review: It's been a few months since I read this book.  I remember that I enjoyed it just as much as most Grisham books, but that it wasn't specifically memorable. Sometimes it's nice to read a thriller that sucks you in and doesn't let you go until you finish it.

Rant

Title: Rant

Author: Chuck Palahniuk

Pages: 320

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: Buster "Rant" Casey is a serial killer who relies on totally unorthodox methods. He starts an urban demolition derby where drivers and teams roam the city looking to hit and mark other cars involved in the derby (mixed in with the general public).  This weekend event, known as "party crashing," becomes quite a dangerous pastime.

My Review: While I generally enjoyed the book, I spent large chunks of it having no idea of what was actually going on.  This may be one of those books where more and more of it would make sense if you read it a few times but I don't plan on doing that...

A Burglar's Guide to the City

Title: A Burglar's Guide to the City

Author: Geoff Manaugh

Pages: 296

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: Geoff Manaugh explores how building design and architecture as well as city planning and design is exploited by criminals in their thievery and other malfeasance. The premise is that criminals and other fugitives see things differently than most people on the street.  Where a regular guy may see an impenetrable bank vault, the thief is considering ways to tunnel into the vault from the sewer tunnels below, or he (or she...) may know where they can be spotted by police helicopters or patrols.

My Review: This was an enjoyable side read.  It wasn't a book on my list, but when I passed by this copy on display in the library it caught my eye and it was pretty interesting.  With my background in working with architects on building design, I found this book to be related to the decisions that architect's are making everyday in trying to design a building that is safe and useful.

The Princess Bride

Title: The Princess Bride

Author: William Goldman

Pages: 398

Genre: Fantasy

Grade: B

Synopsis: Most everyone knows this story at least a little bit.  The most beautiful girl in the world marries the most handsomest prince in the world, but things don't entirely go as planned.  Because the girl's true love is the man in black who will stop at nothing to get her back.  Fencing, fighting, chasing, hate, battles of wits, feats of strength, quicksand, torture, murder and love. The book has it all.

My Review: I only vaguely remember the movie, but as I read the book I was able to recall some of the different parts of the movie that terrified me when I was younger. Generally, I liked the book. What I didn't really love was the whole charade about how the author William Goldman has reconstructed the S. Morgenstern classic book, but removed all of the boring parts. I think that attempt is much better recreated in the movie than the book.  But now I need to go re-watch the rest of the movie.

Everything is Illuminated

Title: Everything is Illuminated

Author: Jonathan Safran Foer

Pages: 12 discs

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: Jonathan Safran Foer (the author) arrives in the Ukraine with a photograph of the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis back during WWII.  He has hired a tour guide and driver to help him get around, but his guide is a terrible translator who mangles the English language and the author is forced to ride in the back of the van with an undersexed dog named after Sammy Davis Jr.

My Review: The book was definitely clever and funny, but a little hard to follow at times.  It is a mix between letters and the narrative of a book being written and response letters, and it was often hard to identify where everything fit in the narrative. 

Disclaimer: There is a good amount of language, so be aware.