The Finishing School

I enjoyed a quick read last week, Scottish author Muriel Spark's 2004 novella "The Finishing School." Spark is best known for "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," originally published in 1961, and I think "The Finishing School" is her 22nd book. It's a short, quirky tale about the relationship between Rowland, the principal of a private secondary school and Chris, one of the school's pupils, a seemingly confident boy of 17. Rowland has been struggling for years with one form or another of writer's block, as he tries to get a foothold on his novel in progress. Chris on the other hand, audaciously flaunts the ease with which he is constructing his own book, an historical novel about Mary Queen of Scots. As you can guess from the plot, the tension in the story is spare and comedic. Interestingly, the tone occasionally reminded me of Alexander McCall Smith's "Sunday Philosophy Club" titles...could it be the Scottish voice coming through?

The Thirteenth Tale

Jean recommended The Thirteenth Tale at our last Information Meeting. I just wanted to add my praise of this first novel by Diane Setterfield. I loved it. Now I am listening to it on CD and catching all the clues that evaded me the first time.

Y Great Books

I already talked about "The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs" at our info meeting. Another creepy read is "Freaks: Alive on the Inside" by Annette Curtis Klause. She is a librarian for Montgomery County and is most famous for "Blood and Chocolate" her vampire novel that was recently released as a movie (and it received terrible reviews).

Freaks is very hard to categorize because it is part historical account of life in freak shows in 1899, but there are very many elements of a fantasy novel (an Egyptian mummy comes to life), with lots of romance, adventure and humor.

Abel Dandy is born perfectly normal to a legless father and an armless mother. He is the abnormal one in the freak show world so he sets out to make his own way in the world as a knife thrower in the circus.

This is definitely for the more mature, older Y reader. But when do they come up the desk and ask for a recommendation?

Letters from Rapunzel

I picked up Letters from Rapunzel by Sara Lewis Holmes from the new Y books and was immediately intrigued. It is a first novel, a contest winner and I think, very well written. It also deals with clinical depression in a way that is realistic but not depressing in itself. The book is set up as a series of letters written to a post box that our heroine, calling herself Rapunzel, believes belongs to a friend of her father, who is currently away. Through these letters, Rapunzel comes to grips with her father's depression (she calls it the evil spell), her own lousy grades, and a maturing relationship with her mother. All this is done with intelligence, compassion and humor, with some interesting twists. It is a good general read, and also one to remember for someone who is dealing with this issue.

Reading what's on the "New" shelf

Does anyone read James Patterson? I have read almost all of his books and I still don't know how I feel about him as an author. They read quickly, so that is one big reason that I keep reading him. But, of all he has written, there is one of his books that has stuck with me... Judge and Jury. It was typical of his books until the end. Then I hated the end. Everytime I see someone check this book out I want to say to them, please let me know what you think about the end. It would make for a good book discussion. I don't want to give anything away, so I am not saying much here. But, if anyone has read it and has a thought I would be interested in hearing it.

Other thoughts on the books on the New shelf...

Hide by Lisa Gardner - good read, I love Lisa Gardner

I Heard that Song before by Mary Higgins Clark - Not even good by MHC standards

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy - Not very memorable which is unusual for MB.

Thought this might be helpful if anyone asks if you have heard anything about these books.

Mary

Coraline

Yesterday I read Coraline by Neil Gaiman. I had read about this book in review form somewhere saying it was a scary book for kids... and it is! It was an eerily weird story about Coraline, a girl who is bored in the last days of summer. She is intrigued by a door in her family's flat that seems to lead to a brick wall- except that sometimes it opens into a long, dark, damp hallway. What lies beyond that dark hallway is for the reader to find out, but suffice it to say that if you were to venture down that hallway, you better be sure you're carrying a round stone with a hole clean through the center. You also better have your thinking cap on! Great story, a fairly easy read for upper elementary, with a few pictures.

Rich's Recent Reads

I am finishing in the car a new Karen Armstrong bio of Muhammed, that while not exciting is telling! It's a four star, based on information and the quality of the writing.
I also just completed a too short memoir of Calvin Trillon's wife called About Alice, read by the author. It's a four star read because I knew so little, and to his family and freinds she meant a lot! She nearly always appeared in his New Yorker pieces over the last 35 years or so, and in his books about eating and living.
In a hard copy text, I slowly made my way through this year's Newbery, Higher Power of Lucky, which I read slowly because I like Lucky, her friends and step-mother so much!
Last, I am reading a new Y title by Cynthia Rylant called Ludie's LIfe, circa 1910 same lonesome Appalachia territory as many of her Y titles. All in verse, and reads easily. Thumbs up to Ludie for sharing her story, and in the opening page, she reveals (about children)
"all in all,
six were too many
and one
would have been just fine!"
Gotta go! Rich

I'm in!

Thanks for the invitation! My goal this summer is to read all the SRC books, ha ha ha. Definately some in each grade and I also want to begin reading Black Eyed Susan Books.

Lately I read Journey to the Bottomless Pit: the Story of Stephen Bishop and Mammoth Cave which is a J book about a slave that was one of the first guides to visitors to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and did most of the exploring of this cave. It's a National Park now and the largest cave in the world. The second largest, somewhere in the Ukraine, is only 1/3 its size. I wanted to read this as we will be there next weekend.

At any rate, I think you can recommend it to any boy with an adventuresome spirit because it's quite interesting how this young man explores this cave basically with a lantern. It would also appeal to anyone intested in African American history. The author is Elizabeth Mitchell.

What its all about...

So I've given up on the Newbery Challenge, but I'd still like us all to have a way to share what we're reading beyond the basic conversations at the desk or at a staff meeting. Post as much as you want... just the title of a book you've finished with a thumbs up or down or a star rating or write a full-on review. Just share with us!

:)