April Books

I was able to complete 8 books in March. For the missing reviews from this particular post, see here and here.

First up, well, after American Gods, was the 2008 Printz Award winner, The White Darkness. I remember getting this book last year at the library and passing it up because it didn't seem too interesting, and I admit only picking it up recently because it won the award. The book details a girl named Sym's life and her obsession with Antarctica. She has always been sort of slow (she lost her hearing at a young age) and shy and fancies the long dead Antarctic explorer, Titus Oates. When her Antarctic dream becomes a reality, she discovers that her obsession has been fueled over the years by the madness of her Uncle Victor. Her uncle's agenda obviously makes the "vacation" to Antarctica a bit dangerous, especially when he blows up an airplane and takes Sym and two others on one crazy ride to find a portal to another world. I liked all of the action and adventure along with the beautiful and harsh descriptions of Antarctica (a place I would like to see someday) but thought that even a naive person could figure out that her uncle was a little on the crazy side from the beginning.

I began Dachshunds for Dummies back in February and finished it on a plane ride to Colorado. First, I never thought I would read a "For Dummies" book. Second, I never thought I would read one straight through. Jon and I have wanted a dachshund for quite a while now, especially since we met Rosie, the miniature brown and tan smooth beauty in Colorado, and the (hopefully) mother of our future puppy. It's always good to do research on a breed to make sure the dog is right for you, and thanks to Ashley's recommendation, this appears to be the best reference out there. I obviously can't quite judge this book yet, as I do not own a dachshund, but I did learn a ton about training, different dachshund personalities, and back problems because of their long bodies. More than anything, the book has made me really excited about getting a dachshund and starting my family. For now though, I am content to live vicariously through Ashley, who owns three of them (God Bless her.)

While my dad was stuck at the hospital in Colorado, I had to make to emergency runs to the book store to have enough to read during my prolonged stay. I had to pick up the new Philip Pullman book because I adored the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. This little novella details the beginnings of the friendship between Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison. After winning a hot air balloon in a poker game, the 24 year old Lee travels with his dæmon, the awesome Hester, to the Arctic island of Novy Odense. Here, Lee gets entangled with a crazy scheme that forces him to face his past nemesis and puts his life and others at risk, especially after he befriends the loathed bears (Iorek) on the island. Like Lyra's Oxford, the story was great and I loved the illustrations and the game, but I can't help but think that Pullman could be working on The Book of Dust or a Sally Lockhart novel instead. Regardless, I'll take anything at this point, as I enjoyed learning more about the characters from the trilogy.

I also picked up A Tree Grows in Brooklyn while in Colorado. I've been meaning to read this for a while now and felt this was a good opportunity. Plus, I haven't read enough American literature so far this year. I also am a sucker for novels set in New York. I'm not the biggest fan of cities, but New York has a special charm. The book details the lives of a poor Brooklyn family, particularly focusing on the daughter, Francie. It doesn't necessarily go in chronological order, but you follow the family from the parents, Katie and Johnny's first meeting up through Francie's teenage years. Obviously, living poor is rough and it has a strong influence on the tone of the book. The story made me cry, not because it was necessarily sad, which many parts were, but the writing is absolutely beautiful. I find myself wanting to be Francie's friend when she feels alone, and enduring her heartache both when she loses her father (this isn't a spoiler because it's laid out from the beginning) and experiences her first love and heartbreak. I think even reluctant readers would enjoy this book.

Back to my normal TBR pile, I moved on to Three Little Words. I generally like memoirs, and unlike some people, don't really care if they are fictionalized. This one is aimed at a young adult audience and describes Ashley Rhodes-Courter's life in foster care and eventual adoption. I've always been interested in adoption, not because I have any experience, but because I have a hard time understanding couples with awesome parental potential, but with infertility problems, who will go to great lengths to have a flesh and blood baby, when they could adopt a willing child. The processes are equally difficult, but to each his own. Anyways, Ashley's experience had MANY ups and downs, because of the state system's neglect of her and her brother's case, and case workers who looked the other way when she was put in awful foster homes. When she was adopted by a great family, she eventually became an advocate, and now currently speaks all over the country on adoption and foster care issues. It was a good and enlightening read (especially realizing that the only people who actually helped her were volunteers,) and I would love to hear her speak someday.

I had to break up Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell up a bit because it is super long with tiny print, and I mentally can't handle that. Laika was a good book to split up volumes one and two and also marks my first graphic novel of the year. I added it to the library's collection because it was on YALSA's list for Best Graphic Novels, 2008. I initially liked it because it has three things I love on the cover: a dog, space, and cool illustration technique. The story details the extremely unfortunate decision made by the Russians to send a dog up into space with no return plan (and to celebrate the 50th year of the revolution.) In fact, the public didn't know until 2002 that the dog died after only hours in space (instead of the poisoned food that would peacefully put Laika to sleep after days in space and before the satellite broke up) of stress and overheating. There are many compassionate, but blind characters in the novel, including the head of the Sputnik (I and II) project, Korolev, who once spent time at a Gulag, and who eventually jumps at the chance to sacrifice a dog for the sake of science. After all, and as many characters in the program also felt, "it's just a dog." The story is also interspersed with more humane characters like Mistress Yelena, who takes care of the dogs living at the space program's quarters, etc. She becomes particularly close to Curly, who becomes Laika. This book is not sappy or too anthropomorphic. It is very well done and a beautiful memorial to a beautiful dog.

There won't be many books in May. I'm still plugging through Jonathan Strange and will also begin a re-read of The Mists of Avalon. Both will be split up with other books, but it's going to be a slow reading month overall.