And now for a brief message from the emergency broadcast system...

I haven't been reading anything lately, but mostly because I haven't been able to help at my son's school library lately. I should be there on Thursday this week, so I'm hoping to find a new series of books to read. The "Dear America" books seem very interesting, but I'm kinda in the mood for some good ol' fashioned fiction. If there's anyone out there reading this that has any suggestions, I'd be happy to take them!
On another note, I hope I don't ever offend anyone with my book reviews. This blog can be a great place for me to vent my under-appreciation of certain literature, but I also worry about being overly negative. Plus, it's so damn easy to judge someone else's work. I've made some half-hearted attempts to write myself, so I fully understand how difficult it truly is. I also understand how much of yourself gets wrapped up in what you write.
That said, I hope to have a new review on here soon. I'm going nuts without anything to read--the back of the cereal box is getting really old!

Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie by Kristiana Gregory ***

I'm yet again reviewing a book for kids, but this is again because I've been working at my son's school library once a week & it's hard for me to not start perusing the titles in my spare time.

This book is part of the Dear America series, which seems to basically be fictional diaries of different young women thru the history of our country. This one is based in 1847 & is subtitled The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell.

It's a very quick read & does a good job of describing the difficulties of the people who attempted the trek west back in the day. I'm sure the author used as sources some of the real diaries that exist from back then & blended them into the story she came up with. I think it's especially good since it also touches on things that any 13 year old girl would be thinking about: boys, dresses, worries about younger siblings, being tired of said siblings, etc.

Overall, a good book about a very interesting topic.

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd ****

This book is part of the growing genre that have people with Asperger's as the hero of the story. Ted (love that name!) is the boy at the heart of the book. He & his sister Kat try to solve the mystery of what happened to their cousin, Salim, when he didn't come down off the London Eye.

The book is written for kids, but as all good books are, everyone will enjoy it. It is a true mystery & I couldn't figure out the ending at all before I got to it.

While getting my picture of the book's cover for my blog, I happened to read Ms. Dowd's brief biography. I was very dismayed to see that she died of breast cancer not long after this book was published in 2007. Cancer sucks--that's all I can say.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult **

I'd never read a Jodi Picoult novel before, so when I saw this one in a pile of books my mom was getting rid of I took it home. The basic premise is the anatomy of a high school shooting, from the morning it happens, then jumping back in time & then forward from that day. The idea seems good, everyone wonders what goes through the mind of a teen who decides they can't take it any more & will kill their school mates. But I felt there were many flaws in this book. Some were just me being nit-picky, like finding four really obvious editing problems ("he" instead of "she", referring to something that wasn't possible in the time line given, etc etc), but some others were just things left unsaid. I wanted to know a little more about some of the characters, & I really wanted to sympathize with the shooter but had a hard time doing so. I guess I just wasn't that into the subject, maybe, but I kept wanting the teens to get over the popularity thing & get on with their lives.

I was disappointed in the book in general--it seemed like the kind of book that an author rushes to finish because of commitments to the publishing house. I still would like to read some of her other books, though, because I fear this one didn't do her justice.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling *****

This has been quite a journey for me. A coworker of mine pointed out that it's not the journey most people who've been reading Harry Potter for 10 years had--they had 2 years between books, where as I had maybe one day at times! But I have to say I think fate had it's hand in this. From the time I started this series until now, it has been for me intimately tied to my father. From the time that it became apparent that he was slowly descending into death, to now, 3 days after his remains were laid to rest, this has been for me an escape. Not just an escape, though, but very much something I needed.

As I read these books, I told myself over & over, "When I'm done I'll be better. I'll be back to normal & able to function. When I'm done this will be over, & my dad will be laid to rest & that will be it." In a way, this has been true. I do feel better. I do think I will be able to function again. Dad is laid to rest.

"That will be it", though? I think that's just dumb optimism! Let's face it, when you lose someone that has been a large part of your life there's never a point where you simply stop thinking about them. They're always there, just like Dumbledore in his picture frame.

This book was about life & death, as all good books are. If I were to wax philosophical, I'd say that Joseph Campbell would have been proud of ol' J.K. She totally captured the hero character that has been a part of humanity for all of our existence. The Harry Potter books have their flaws, but they deliver exactly what we need--hope for ourselves, for our future, for being human. Every story we tell ends up with that question we want answered--are our lives worth anything?

As I'm sure many people were, I'm drawn to the character of Snape. I've been fascinated with who he was supposed to be from the very first book. I had my theories. I felt very disappointed in the 6th book, I didn't want to be wrong. After reading Chapter 33 in this book, though, I had to read it again. And again. And then I knew.

The real hero, after all, is Snape. And oddly enough, it always was. Because, as Joseph Campbell would tell us all, a real hero is flawed.

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Click here for a great blog post my husband wrote about my dad.

Harry Potter's 5 & 6 by J.K. Rowling ****

I've had to double up on my reviews since I'm neglecting my posting duties. I really don't have much to write about either book, other than I can't wait to get the last book tomorrow. I can also say I'll be glad when I'm done with the series--I've not only neglected posting, but I've neglected doing much of anything else. And since cleaning is always on the bottom of my list...you get it.

My dad's memorial service was this past Saturday. We inter his remains this coming Saturday. So I have to say this too--Harry Potter has helped me through some tough times. Hokey, I know, but these books have really helped me keep my mind off some of the harder thoughts. So thanks, J.K.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling *****

Yes, I've given this 5 stars. It's hard to believe that J.K. Rowling could write not just 3 good books, but 4 in a series, so I'm giving it to her on that. Also, on her great ability to have the seriousness of the stories equal the growing maturity of the characters in the books. It's been amazing how she totally understands what is important to 14 year olds in this book! Plus, the story gets darker, as it needed to. This series has been just the thing I needed right now to keep me from getting too down.