Diary: A Novel

I am DONE with Chuck!
This is the craziest book I have ever read! While ordinarily that would be a GOOD thing, I think I know why it's NOT. This story totally turned whack-a-doo three quarters of the way into the book. I wasn't prepared for that. I resisted it, and I did not enjoy being messed with like that. I'm not really sure why, but I think I would've appreciated the plot twist more if I had been eased into it, rather than having it smash me in the head like a sledgehammer on page 200 of a 261 page book.

That said, I'm not even going to try to summarize. Read the back cover of the book, and if that piques your interest, give it a whirl. It's a quick read, and it will make you think.

Lincoln's Grave Robbers

One of my advanced fifth grade social studies students introduced me to Lincoln's Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin. With a lexile level of 930 and high interest subject matter, this book is a great nonfiction choice for strong readers who also enjoy history. The plot revolves around a crazy scheme hatched by a group of counterfeiters in the 1870s to steal the remains of Abraham Lincoln from a memorial in Springfield, Illinois and hold them for ransom. It details the efforts of the newly formed Secret Service agency to thwart the plan.

Choke

Choke is an interesting and disturbing book by the author of Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk (Paula-nick). While I have no interest in the premise behind Fight Club, my daughter convinced me to read a different Chuck book because of his unusual writing style and odd characters. Choke centers on a med school dropout/sexaholic character who makes money by pretending to choke at fancy restaurants. The story did hold my interest, spun out of control in the middle, and ultimately I was disappointed by the over-the-top ending. I will try another Chuck book; however, maybe Invisible Monsters or Lullaby.

House of Sand and Fog

I enjoyed reading the House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III, even though I feel pretty beat up by its ending. Why did it have to be soooooo sad? I guess down deep I'm just an optimist who like Rodney King, wonders why we can't all get along. Even though I didn't particularily like some of the characters, I cared about what happened to them because they were so real and thoroughly developed. Reading from the perspective of the exiled Iranian colonel and his family was enlightening. I actually empathized more with them than I did the recovering alcoholic American woman as they battle over the ownership of a small seaside bungalow outside San Francisco. This story truly is an American tragedy. I can't wait to watch the movie to compare the characters on screen to those lingering in my head.

American History

 

OK, so I for real just finished reading 1776 and started reading John Adams even though I posted them last July. I love reading on my phone, but I only downloaded the sample of Adams so I'm not looking forward to switching to the actual heavy, awkward book. This is the time of year when I really get into teaching about the American Revolution so I also rented the musical 1776 and watched it along with the PBS classic about the French and Indian War called The War That Made America. I really want to be reading The Traitor's Wife and Sophia's War during April vacation, but I may have to save them for the summer. Ah, summer!