Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Go Set a Watchman: a novel by Harper Lee is the sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, though Watchman was actually written first.  Thought to be a lost manuscript, this story was recently rediscovered and published.  This reviewer's understanding is that it was published without the blessing of its author, who has lived a very reclusive life since TKAM's publication.  It appears that Lee had very little if anything to do with the editing process of this novel and it shows.  Amateur mistakes can be found throughout.  The crux of the novel isn't introduced until Chapter 8 and it starts off almost sounding like it is going to be a romantic story between Scout and Henry.  Once the race card is drawn, the novel actually seems to take off and becomes a more interesting read.  Parts of the story feel disjointed and some description of the main characters and setting are lacking.  I would recommend this only for people who are curious about the characters and their story.  This is not nearly as literary a novel as TKAM.  I went into this with low expectations and was not disappointed.  However, readers who are expecting another incarnation of TKAM will be sorely disappointed.  I do not hold this against Harper Lee, however. I hold it against greedy publishers looking to make a buck.  The book jacket claims the greatness of the manuscript, but I found it sorely lacking.  Not highly recommended. 288 pages.

Literary Rogues by Andrew Shaffer

Literary Rogues: A Scandalous History of Wayward Authors dishes out the dirt on authors ranging from the Marquis de Sade to the Beatniks and beyond.  Sex and drugs are not just for rock stars.  Before rock stars, writers filled the news with their scandalous exploits.  Today's authors have nothing on the writers of yore.  In fact, as Shaffer concludes his retelling of these tales, he wonders where the cowboys have gone.  The Kardashians seem so glib compared to Sade and some of the other writers discussed here.  This is a great book for anyone interested in literary history, particularly its seedy side.  The impact of the "rock-n-roll" lifestyle on writers and their writing is touched on in each story.  This book will make readers hungry to do more research on their favorite authors to find out more.  Highly recommended for literature and history buffs. 320 pages.

Catch the Fire by Peggy Taylor and Charlie Murphy

Catch the Fire: An Art-Full Guide to Unleashing the Creative Power of Youth, Adults and Communities is a guide written by Peggy Taylor and Charlie Murphy for using creativity in almost any type of gathering or conference.  The book describes a systematic way of using creativity with large groups to foster empowerment.  The main subject matter for the group is irrelevant.  This book walks facilitators through methods of getting groups to think more creatively in their everyday lives.  This can translate into work, school, or recreation.  The exercises cover most of the fine arts and can be used with relatively little knowledge of art or creativity.  The idea is to get people thinking.  Though many of the discussions in the book center around youth gatherings, the authors make it clear that these same methods work with adult and intergenerational gatherings as well.  The exercises are very open-ended and are meant to allow for adaptation and creativity on the part of the facilitators.  This is a wonderful read for anyone who is interested in leading groups using creativity and the arts.  Highly recommended for facilitator of any type. 320 pages.

Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon

Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon is a dual biography of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley.  They were mother and daughter, though they never knew each other since Wollstonecraft died shortly after childbirth.  These two legendary women have more similarities than differences even though their lives took different turns.  Gordon examines both women's lives in alternating chapters and talks about their achievements in reference to the developing Romanticism that was sweeping Europe at that time.  Each woman played a pivotal role in the Romantic movement as a whole.  Also includes tales of their lives with William Godwin, another famous writer who was also husband to Wollstonecraft and father to Shelley.  Their friendships and relationships to lovers are documented in their letters and other writings as well.  Some of the notable characters include Coleridge, Percy Shelley, and Byron.  Highly recommended for anyone interested in the birth of feminism and the Romantic period as a whole.  672 pages.

"Verdi" by Janell Cannon

From the author of "Stellaluna," this story is about Verdi, a newly hatched, baby python with bright yellow skin and black stripes.  Before leaving, his mother tells him that he'll grow up to be big and green, but all of the adult pythons that Verdi meets seem lazy and boring and don't want to play with him.  So he does crazy acrobatics around the jungle alone until one day he notices that some of his skin is turning green.  But as he grows up, he discovers that he doesn't have to give up being playful. 

This is another lovely book full of colorful and detailed drawings of pythons and other creatures found in the jungle that will win over readers, even those who don't like snakes.  46 pages

"Stellaluna" by Janell Cannon

I first read this children's book when I worked as a teacher's aide many years ago, and it has become one of my favorites.  Stellaluna is a fruit bat who is separated from her mother when they are attacked by an owl.  She lands in the nest of Mama Bird and her three babies where she is taught to live and eat like they do.  This means flying during the day, no more hanging upside down, and learning to live on insects, none of which seems right to Stellaluna.  Will she ever be reunited with Mother Bat and others of her species?

The beautifully colored and detailed drawings of the bats and birds are the biggest draw of this book.  There are even small drawings at the top of every other page showing Mother Bat's search for her baby.  The story is compelling and explains the differences between birds and bats in ways that children can understand.  "Bat Notes" at the end explain more about "the only mammals capable of powered flight."  I highly recommend this book to all children as well as any adults who are fond of bats.  46 pages.

"Not My Father's Son: A Memoir" by Alan Cumming

Alan Cumming survived a horrible childhood with an abusive father in Scotland to become a very successful actor, writer, singer, producer, and director.  (He won a Tony Award for Cabaret in 1998 and is now a regular on TV's The Good Wife.)  This memoir tells parallel stories from Alan's memories of abuse and his journey as an adult to find out more about his maternal grandfather who died in Malaysia in 1951.  He did the latter for the television show Who Do You Think You Are?  His mother's family were never told the truth about his grandfather's death, and at the same time as filming, Alan's father drops a bombshell on him after more than a decade of silence.  So there are two mysteries that he's trying to solve, and both are bound to cause emotional upheaval for him, his mother, and his older brother.

This is an excellent, well written, and riveting memoir about secrets, lies, misconceptions, and mental illness, and what they do to families.  It is not a complete autobiography of the author's entire life but about how he survived his childhood as well as two enormous revelations that happened in his 40s.  I admired Alan Cumming before I read this and that admiration is even greater now.  Highly recommended.  294 pages.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Summary: "In their first adult novel, authors Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan take on a story of romance and rivalries inspired by today's most talked-about royal couple: Will and Kate. "If I'm Cinderella today, I dread who they'll think I am tomorrow. I guess it depends on what I do next." American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy-tales. Her twin sister Lacey was always the romantic, the one who daydreamed of being a princess. But it's adventure-seeking Bex who goes to Oxford and meets dreamy Nick across the hall - and thus Bex who accidentally finds herself in love with the eventual heir to the British throne. Nick is everything she could have imagined, but Prince Nicholas has unimaginable baggage: grasping friends, a thorny family, hysterical tabloids tracking his every move, and a public that expected its future king to marry a native. On the eve of the most talked-about wedding of the century, Bex reflects on what she's sacrificed for love -- and exactly whose heart she may yet have to break."

I adore this book. So very much. I don't think my review can do it justice.

For something that seems like fan-fiction of Kate Middleton's life (another reviewer's words), The Royal We is a truly emotional and poignant story. Bex and Nick and everyone else are full, real and flawed characters. I cried multiple times: happy tears, sad tears, tears I didn't understand. 

10/10 would recommend! 

454 pages

Genius in Diguise

Genius in Diguise
Thomas Kunkel

In a great paradox of American letters, the urbane and witty New Yorker was founded by a former tramp newspaperman from Colorado with a 10th grade education. Yet Harold W. Ross revealed an irrepressible spirit, an insatiable curiosity and a bristling intellect--all the qualities that distinguished The New Yorker (Amazon.com)

I have always liked the New Yorker magazine as well as the time period.  This book covered both topics.  Kunkel writes well and gives a well-rounded history of the man and the magazine.  I was struck by how many really famous writers got their start, or enhanced their reputations, with the New Yorker.  

The book is very readable...even the appendices, which reproduce some of the edit sheets that Ross did.  Very interesting.  497 pages.

"When the Fly Flew In . . . " by Lisa Westberg Peters, pictures by Brad Sneed

This is a cute children's story illustrated with wonderfully fluid watercolors about four animals slumbering in their little boy's room when a fly enters and causes chaos.  The pictures are perfect with lots of interesting details for kids to discover.  The long haired, white cat looks a lot like one I had many years ago - beautiful!  32 pages.

"Bossypants" by Tina Fey

The best parts of this memoir, in my opinion and in no particular order, are:

1. learning how Fey got that scar on her jaw.
2. her stories of working at Second City and Saturday Night Live, including her appearances as a certain vice presidential candidate.
3. her observations on the treatment of women in comedy and show business.

I would call this a light memoir since large parts of her life are omitted.  She admitted to a lot of shortcomings and praised many of her former coworkers, which I liked.  I still think she and Amy Poehler are the best anchors that "Weekend Update" has ever had.

Audio:  5.5 hours
Print:  272 pages

"fawn" by Nash Summers

This novella (the first letter is not capitalized) is about two boys in the small town of Heaven.  Rust has dark red hair, is small for his age, and likes to make art out of found objects in nature, at least while he's not sitting under a large pine tree daydreaming and writing letters to people he doesn't know.  Ancel lives in a rented, dilapidated house near Rust's home with his abusive father and gentle German shepherd.  He's quiet and mysterious and the object of Rust's dreams.  He floats in and out of Rust's life, disappearing for years and reappearing unexpectedly.  Written from both boys' POVs, Nash conveys descriptions of their thoughts, feelings, and surroundings very well without resorting to constant similes, especially with Rust.  He's a special character in a lovely story whom I won't soon forget.  78 pages (Kindle edition).

I am the Mission by Allen Zadoff

Summary: "Teen assassin Boy Nobody is sent on a mission to assassinate the head of a domestic terrorism cell, but his mission turns up more questions about his job than answers."

I am the Mission is the second book in the Unknown Assassin series, after I am the Weapon. Boy Nobody takes on the name of Daniel in this book, and also experiences a change of setting to New Hampshire. Daniel's thoughts and realizations throughout this book are great. It also has a lot of suspense, action....and death.

I enjoyed this follow-up installment even more than the first one. "Daniel" faces bigger challenges than ever, from the Program, his memories and his new "mission." The ending will definitely leave you "hanging," and I can't wait to see what happens next! 

421 pages

The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark #1) by Bree Despain

Summary: "In this modern retelling of the Persephone myth, Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, is sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead." 

The Shadow Prince is the first book in the Into the Dark series. Even though it started off a little too slow for my tastes, the story eventually picks up the pace. I couldn't put it down! It left me wanting more and eagerly waiting for the next book. The story alternates between Haden and Daphne's POVs. It is FULL of mythology, with the story of Persephone and the story of Orpheus intertwined. 

It isn't as witty as the Percy Jackson books, but the mythology is still woven throughout the story in a nice way. Some plot points are painfully obvious, but others deliver on shock value. 

I really enjoyed it! 

481 pages

Bettyville: a Memoir by George Hodgman

George Hodgman grew up in Madison and Paris, in Northeast Missouri. After college, he moved to New York City and worked as an editor and author. A few years ago, he came home to check on his Mother, Betty, who, at 90, is becoming more and more confused and less and less able to function on her own. Having lost his job, he ended up staying in Paris to take care of Betty.

In this memoir, he writes about his childhood in rural Missouri, his parents, Betty and Big George, and his feeling of having 'something wrong' with him all the time. As a gay man in a household and a town where homosexuality was never spoken about, he felt compelled to get away, even though he loved his home and loved his town.

And he writes about taking care of an elderly parent who can no longer be the independent person she wants to be, the one she always was. He writes with low-keyed but powerful imagery of the frustrations and sense of uncertainty of becoming the parent to a parent.

A beautiful, well-written exploration of family, friendship and community.

288 pages

Liar, Temptress, Soldier Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott

During the U. S. Civil War, women played much more of a role than history would lead us to believe. Here, Karen Abbott writes of four women, 2 Confederate and 2 Union, who did their part for their respective sides.

Belle Boyd was a southern belle who became a courier and spy, seducing men on both sides along the way.  Emma Edmonds was a young Canadian woman who posed a man, joining the Union army. Rose Greenhow was a well-connected Washington, D. C. socialite who had affairs with influential Northern Politicians to gather intelligence for the South. Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy Richmond abolitionist with Northern roots,  orchestrated an espionage ring right under the noses of suspicious rebel detectives.

Using primary source materials, the author alternates chapters between the lives of these fascinating women.

533 pages

Phantom of the Opera by Gaston LeRoux

There are rumors of a phantom living at the Paris Opera House, and he makes himself known to the managers through letters and malevolent acts. Singer Christine is kidnapped by the phantom and is taken to his home in the cellars of the Opera where he reveals his true identity to her simply as Erik, though not his real name. He plans to keep her there for a few days, hoping she will come to love him.

But she causes Erik to change his plans when she unmasks him and, to the horror of both, beholds his noseless, lipless, sunken-eyed face which resembles a skull dried up by the centuries, covered in yellowed dead flesh. Fearing that she will leave him, he decides to keep her with him forever, but when Christine requests release after two weeks, he agrees on condition that she wear his ring and be faithful to him. But he hears her telling her childhood friend Raoul that Erik abducted her. Raoul promises to take Christine away the next day to a place where Erik can never find her.   Neither is aware that Erik has been listening to their conversation and that he has become extremely jealous.

The next night, Erik kidnaps Christine and forces her to promise to marry him, lifting  his mask to kiss her on her forehead, and is given a kiss back. Erik reveals that he has never received a kiss (not even from his own mother) nor has been allowed to give one and is overcome with emotion. He lets makes Christine go after exacting a promise that she will visit him once on his death day, and return the gold ring he gave her. Upon his death, she returns to his lair, buries him and returns the gold ring.

469 pages

first published in 1910

The Pearl That Broke its Shell by Nadia Hashimi

In 2007, nine-year-old Rahima lives with her parents and four sisters in Kabul. Her father is increasingly dysfunctional, and the family is barely surviving. With no brothers to protect them, the girls can seldom leave the house, even to attend school.  Her mother decides she should become a bacha posh, a girl who dresses as a boy so that she can go to the market, and escort her sisters when they go out.  This is an ancient Afghan custom which allows a girl to dress as, and be treated like, a boy until she is of marriageable age.

Rahima is not the first in her family to adopt this custom. A century earlier, her great-great grandmother, Shekiba, left orphaned by an epidemic, saved herself and built a new life the same way. As a young girl, Sekiba was scarred by kitchen oil and reviled by her family. She eventually made her way to the king’s palace in Kabul, dressing as a man to guard his harem.

For a few years, Rahima enjoys freedoms unavailable to most girls. But when she is 13 she is forced to marry a vicious warlord who decides he wants her for his wife.  She finds strength in her aunt’s stories of her ancestor Shekiba. Alternating between the two, Hashimi weaves a compelling tale of two women, separated by a century, who seem to share a destiny.

Recommended for those who enjoyed 'The Kite Runner'.

469 pages

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Summary: "When wealthy, seemingly perfect Brittany and Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, develop a relationship after Alex discovers that Brittany is not exactly who she seems to be, they must face the disapproval of their schoolmates--and others."

Perfect Chemistry is the classic trope of pretty girl falls for bad boy, and it's really juicy! It has a few other typical high school tropes, but the story was still intriguing. The intensity of the story had a lot of potential, and while I don't think it was as good as it could have been, it was still a great read. I enjoyed Alex's character, and his inner turmoil of living up to his gangbanger reputation in the attempt to protect his family was refreshing. 

The series continues with Rules of Attraction and Chain Reaction featuring Alex's younger brothers, Carlos and Luis, as the main characters. I might skim those for some more details on Alex and Brittany!

359 pages

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist is born in a workhouse in 1830s England. His mother dies just after Oliver’s birth. Oliver spends the first nine years of his life in a home for young orphans and then is transferred to a workhouse for adults. He is eventually apprenticed to a local undertaker, but runs away and travels toward London. He is half-starved and exhausted when he meets a boy his own age just outside the city. Jack takes him home with him; he lives with Fagin, a career criminal who trains orphan boys to pick pockets for him.

 After a few days of training, Oliver is sent out with two other boys to pickpocket. He is caught but Mr. Brownlow, the victim, Oliver to his home. Mr. Brownlow is struck by Oliver’s resemblance to a portrait of a young woman that hangs in his house. Oliver thrives in Mr. Brownlow’s home, but is captured by other gang members  and returned  to Fagin.  Fagin sends Oliver to assist in a burglary, and Oliver is shot by a servant of the house and taken in by the Maylie women who live there. They grow fond of Oliver, and he spends the summer with them in the countryside.  When they come to London, they reunite him with Mr. Brownlow.   Mr. Brownlow adopts Oliver, and they and the Maylies retire to a blissful existence in the countryside.

362 pages

Copyright 1837

"Bear, Otter, and the Kid" by TJ Klune

Book description:  "Three years ago, Bear McKenna’s mother took off for parts unknown with her new boyfriend, leaving Bear to raise his six-year-old brother Tyson, aka the Kid.  Somehow they’ve muddled through, but since he’s totally devoted to the Kid, Bear isn’t actually doing much living—with a few exceptions, he’s retreated from the world, and he’s mostly okay with that. Until Otter comes home.  Otter is Bear’s best friend’s older brother, and as they’ve done for their whole lives, Bear and Otter crash and collide in ways neither expect.  This time, though, there’s nowhere to run from the depth of emotion between them.  Bear still believes his place is as the Kid’s guardian, but he can’t help thinking there could be something more for him in the world... something or someone."

This is the first book that I've read by this author and found myself both liking and being annoyed with his writing.   Klune tells an interesting story of abandoned brothers trying to survive day to day with the help of their friends.  Told from Bear's point of view, the reader gets plenty of exposure to his neuroses and inner thoughts, especially his analogy of slowly drowning in the ocean when he gets anxious.  The first part of the story isn't linear, and the chapters are so long that I got a bit confused with the timeline.  It eventually straightened out, though.  My favorite character was the Kid, a smart, intuitive, and compassionate vegan who seemed to be able to deal with life better than Bear.  350 pages (Kindle edition).

Secrets of my Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita

Summary: "Longing to experience the life of a "normal" teenager, sixteen-year-old actress Kaitlin Burke assumes a false identity to attend a local high school." 

Secrets of My Hollywood Life is the first book in the Kaitlin Burke series, and it was a quick and fun read. I enjoyed Kaitlin's voice. Kaitlin gives an inside glimpse into a young celeb's life in Hollywood: all the gossip, pressure, and tabloid stuff that you normally don't get to see. Her attempt to go undercover as a high school student was really enjoyable. I wish I could have read this series as a teenager, but I'll continue reading it anyway! 

242 pages