Legend of the Hempstocks

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman is the author’s most recent book and another brilliant escape into magical realism. After returning to his home town, a man finds his way down to the old farmhouse and pond that he had forgotten existed. Once he gets onto the property, a flood of memories returns, nightmares and miracles that were long forgotten. The Hempstock women live on this farm. When the boy was seven he became friends with Lettie Hempstock, a girl who looks eleven, but is wise and capable beyond her years. One day she took him to the other side of the farm with the orange skies. What was supposed to be a quick trip to quell a problem turned into a nightmare that left the boy marked and unleashed a terrible force on this world and especially the boy’s family.

Gaiman did a marvelous job creating a beautiful story and legend in under 150 pages. The man is a marvel. The Hempstocks, especially Lettie and Old Mrs. Hempstock, are extraordinary characters that made me feel safe within the covers of the book. They’re comforting, friendly, wise, and trustworthy. I wanted to walk into their kitchen and sit down for a meal. The story is rich, but contained. Gaiman didn’t try to overdo the details or explain everything about who or what the Hempstocks are. This left me both satisfied and craving more. I wanted more about the women who police unknown creatures, yet lead an unassuming life. Although I’m happy it wasn’t a Tolkein-esque novel, Gaiman certainly has a story worthy of many more tales.

The author does a beautiful job of representing childhood in his character and throughout the novel. The boy keeps to himself and is a book fiend. Gaiman is a lover of stories and he always has superb portrayals of the impact of books. In this novel, it’s no different. The boy finds his escape, bravery, and ideas about how to be adventurous in his stories. All of the reading the boy does, along with being a child, helps him understand and deal with the world of the Hempstocks and the frightening world beyond the farmhouse.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a book that will stay with you. I enjoyed reading it and hope that Gaiman will write more about the Hempstocks.

[Currently, I’m reading Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book and one of the ghosts is a witch with the last name Hempstock…]

If you enjoyed this novel try these others:

• The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. A boy finds refuge in his books after the loss of his mother, but soon his fairy tale world starts becoming real and mirroring his real life.
• Touch by Alexi Zentner. Sawgamet is a town filled with legend and superstition. A man reflects on his childhood and the stories his grandfather told him about the magical and mysterious logging town he built.
• Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. Two boys must save the souls of the townspeople, when a mysterious man comes to town. Suddenly dark secrets and wishes come to the surface and the boys learn you must be careful what you wish for.  

A Monster Calls

 “’You do not write your life with words, the monster said. You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.´” A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is a story about truth, power, and life. Conor begins getting nightly visits from a monster who insists on telling him three tales. Where regular children might be afraid of a giant monster at their window, Conor has another nightmare that haunts him. A nightmare he fears more than anything else, because it speaks the truth. During the day, Conor must face a reality he hates. His mother has cancer and everyone treats him differently. His teachers pity him, his classmates can’t look at him, and the only person treating Conor like a real kid is his bully. His nightly visitor becomes normal, but this monster is demanding from him something he’s not willing to face. The truth.

Patrick Ness wrote a beautiful book. A book that speaks the truth: the ugly, wicked, honest truth. This is a children’s book and addresses life and illness unlike any children’s book I’ve encountered. It isn’t smiles and pats on the back, it’s real life. Fear, anxiety, anger. Real feelings. One message of the book, speaking truth, applies to all of us. Speak the truth to children and this book does that. Illness is a part of life and it’s good that there is a book that kids who may be surrounded by it can turn to.

Conor is a great character. He is not a polished boy who finds a way to be good, but a kid who is going through a tough situation and acting out because of it. He does some terrible things, he feels hurt, angry, and sad and takes it out on those around him. Haven’t we all done that? I didn't particularly like him, but i

t was nice to read a fictional character who acts like a real person.

My favorite part of the book was the ink drawings. They are creepy and sinister looking and paired so perfectly with the text. It added a different element to the story. The drawings also make this a more appealing book to reluctant readers.

I highly suggest this to adults and kids alike. It’s a beautiful story that encompasses storytelling elements and difficult subjects in an accessible way.

Though She Be Small...

Jeannette Walls is known for Half-Broke Horses and The Glass Castle, two books about the author and her family. In Walls new book, the audience meets Bean and Liz, two girls with a neglectful mother, who make their way across the country to find family.

In 1970, Bean, the youngest, and Liz, the eldest daughter of Charlotte, an aspiring singer/actress, leave their house when police arrive to check in on them. Their mother isn't around much and often leaves them at home to go to L.A. The girls don’t want to end up in the system, so they hop a bus to Virginia, their mother’s original home, and meet their uncle. The mansion that the family lived in is now decaying and neglected, and Uncle Tinsley does not have the time or resources to fix it up. Although he is a good and loving man, the girls feel they need to help out financially, so they get jobs with Jerry Maddox, the foreman at the local mill. The girls don’t know about the history between this man and their uncle along with the problems that Maddox creates in town. Unfortunately, Liz is embroiled in an incident that turns her life upside down and Bean, the optimist, will do anything to get her sister justice. This is a story of courage and family.

Bean is a fierce, funny, sweet girl who wants to protect her family. Although she is younger than Liz, she is wise beyond her years and loyal. Liz is a brilliant girl. She is talented and witty, but becomes withdrawn in her new setting. They make a good team and Walls does a wonderful job of illustrating the sisterly bond. Charlotte, their mother, is a frustrating, pathetic character. Throughout the book, I just wanted to slap her. She claims that her girls are her world, but will abandon them and her responsibility for weeks at a time because she either has a “job” or needs space. Her behavior when she is around is manic and insecure. It seems she is the child in their trifecta, rather than Bean and Liz. Some people aren't meant to have children and Charlotte is a one of them. Then we have Uncle Tinsley, a loving man who hasn't done much since the mill his family owned was sold. Most of the adults in this novel all have some sort of deficit, which seems to be a theme in Walls writing. The one adult who seems to be without fault is Bean's aunt who works hard to provide for her family on a meager income and loves them fiercely. 

I enjoyed this story, but I didn't feel satisfied in the end. The big plot point wrapped up, but we’re still left questioning what will happen with the family and the girls down the road. I wanted the story to dig deeper and although it hit on some hard points, I wish Walls would keep going. School integration, neglect, and misuse of the law are some of the mentioned themes that could be further explored. There was a lot to be examined in these pages and I felt it was not satisfyingly done. The characters were fleshed out beautifully, but the plot needed more exploration.

If you are a fan of Jeannette Walls and The Silver Star then here are some other titles that may interest you.

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Walls mentions Lee’s novel in The Silver Star and there are similar themes of injustice, racism, and creative, sharp young girls.
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is a coming of age story about a young girl growing up with a poor, but tight knit family in the slums of Brooklyn.
• Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. Like The Silver Star, this is a coming of age story and a book marketed to adults, but easily transferable to young adults. It’s about a young girl who recently lost her uncle, the only person she could relate to, and how she deals with that. 

Heartwarming Summer Reading

After finishing Saving Ceecee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman, I wanted another sweet, easy to read book. Luckily for me, Hoffman just released a new book called Looking for Me. Like Ceecee, this novel takes place in the South and is about family.

Teddi is a middle aged woman who has the fortune of not only pursuing her passion, but making money off of it. Teddi is the owner of an antiques shop in Charleston. She has a knack for finding beauty and life in the most abused of furniture and bringing it back from the brink of the garbage lot. Although originally from Kentucky, Teddi has found a place, good friends, and customers in Charleston and even a surprising new romance. However, Teddi is still dealing with the loss of her brother who ran away decades ago and hasn’t been heard from since. She still carries the hope of one day finding him. Teddi weaves her story through the ups and downs of her family history in Kentucky, and her present life in Charleston.

Charleston and Kentucky play vital roles in Looking. The reader gets the sense of the woods and farm land in Kentucky, but I found that Charleston was not as well highlighted. Compared to Hoffman’s first novel, Saving Ceecee Honeycutt, where the setting was described and the reader truly got the sense of the surroundings; Charleston’s descriptions missed the mark. Not to say it wasn't a perfectly lovely novel. For those looking for something a bit nostalgic, comforting, and moving, this is a good pick.

Here are a few similar novels:

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
A character driven story about a young woman and the three women who take her in. This is a novel with a strong sense of place and memorable characters.

Tapestry of Fortunes by Elizabeth Berg

An engaging and heartwarming read, Berg writes about women’s lives. Cecelia decides to sell her home and road trip with three other women in search of things and people they are seeking.

The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs

The main character also works with antiques and it is about discovering your roots and making your way in the world. Tess finds out she is to inherit an apple orchard and be part owner with a half-sister she didn’t know existed.

Defending

I typically don’t read mystery/thriller and police procedurals are a far cry from my comfort zone, but Defending Jacob by William Landay was a book club read, so I bared my teeth and read on.

Andy Barber is a DA in Boston, Massachusetts. When the murder of a kid who goes to his son’s school is discovered, Andy is the attorney in charge of the case. Shortly after starting the investigation, however, he is pulled off the case and asked to take leave because his son is the lead suspect in the case. What follows is the story of Andy and his family dealing with the investigation and trial of Jacob, Andy’s son.

The book is a police procedural from Andy’s perspective. The audience sees into the mind of a former DA and gets the nitty gritty on how court proceedings work, witnesses act, and justice is not always so just. If you enjoy Law and Order this may be right up your alley. The court details and testimony bored me for the most part. Personally, I enjoy police shows, but those only last an hour and aren’t as in depth as this book. It was certainly interesting to hear about how attorneys work their craft and seduce the jury, and about how evidence and testimony are used and misused. Interesting and frightening.

The ending to the book was a bang, but without any follow up, leaving the reader guessing what really happened. I wanted more and it just ended. After reading through pages of boring details about whether blood would spatter or just pool, I wanted a bit more information about the big events at the end.

Landay went to law school and his knowledge is put to good use in this book. Although I was not a fan of the plot of the novel, I found Landay’s scope and writing intriguing. The illusions to what would happen (“we didn’t know at that time…”) both annoyed and compelled me. I wanted to know what was coming, but I also hate those cheap tricks.

All in all, not my cup of tea. Although I felt it lacked a few more details at the rich parts and too many details at the mundane sections, the insight into a lawyer's mind was a different experience that I can see a lot of people enjoying.

Here are some read alikes:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Good Father by Noah Hawley

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Persian Giggles

My job requires me to talk about books and reading. You can imagine how much I hate this (read: sarcasm). Well a week ago I told a coworker to pick out a book for me to read. Something that maybe I would not read on my own, but wasn’t leaps and bounds out of my comfort zone. She gave me Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas.

The book is a memoir of Dumas’s experience growing up as an Iranian in America. It focuses on her family, with an emphasis on her father, and her experiences as a foreigner in this country. Her family originally moved to California before the Iranian Revolution, so her experiences before and after those events took place completely changes her outlook on life in the US. Although it has its serious points, this is a fun read. From going to a sleep away summer camp to bringing stuffed grape leaves to school events, Dumas’s retelling is humorous and light hearted.

Although I was not laughing out loud, I did find the light tone of the book easy to read and fun to pick up. Dumas speaks to the reader in an accessible way and although her family’s cultural background is very different from my own, her stories rang a bell. I found myself nodding along as she retold her stories of family eccentricities because they sounded a lot like things my family did or would do.

If you’re up for something light and enjoy a different perspective on our American life, try Dumas’s book.

Here are some similar reads:

• Laughing Without an Accent: adventures of an Iranian American, at home and abroad by Firoozeh Dumas

• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

• Journey from the Land of No: A girlhood caught in revolutionary Iran by Roya Hakakian

• Lipstick Jihad: A memoir of growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni

National Pet Month

Animals are pretty awesome. Statement. No need to even ask your opinion because if you don’t like animals, then I don’t like you. Seriously, you probably don’t have a soul. Well April is National Pet Month, so for the occasion, I read Oogy: the dog only a family could love by Larry Levin.

Oogy is the story of a beautiful puppy who was used as bait for fighting dogs and overcame it to become an amazing family member to one lucky family. Oogy was found with half a face because, as a bait dog, another dog attacked and mutilated him. He was a puppy taken to the animal ER and expected not to make it out, but with the help of committed doctors and staff, this resilient puppy returned to health. What is truly extraordinary about Oogy’s story is that even though the dog had obviously been through traumatizing experiences at the hands of humans, he was gentle, loving, and friendly to everyone he met. Never did he snap or show resistance to anyone or anything he came in contact with. Oogy went to a home with the Levins where he thrives. Not only is he a remarkable animal, but he found a remarkable home with people who love him like a son/brother.

Oogy’s story is inspirational. To think that an animal would still trust and love humans after his ordeal is mind boggling. That is the part of the story I loved. Do you think a human could do that? The Levins spoil Oogy and for good reason. To them, he is not just a pet, he’s an individual who has seen and felt more hurt than anyone deserves, and he is a member of the Levin family. At points I felt the level to which Larry went with his pet was a bit overboard, but I’d try to remind myself that Oogy is more of a son to them than a pet. This was not a spectacularly written book and I found myself getting frustrated at chapters that were not about Oogy, but considering the book is barely 200 pages, I skimmed through it pretty quickly.

I recommend skimming through this book. Read the chapters about Oogy because he is an amazing animal and his story is sadly rare. Not many fighting dogs have happy endings. Luckily, this one does.

If you enjoyed this story here are some other suggestions

•  Dewey: the small town library cat who touched the world by Vicky Myron
•  The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick’s dogs and their tale of rescue and redemption by Jim Gorant
• A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

Holiday Reading: Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a fantastic holiday. You gather to enjoy a delectable meal (so long as whoever cooks it is a good cook), you relax, watch football or movies, and give thanks for what you have. No worries about buying presents or having to prepare more than just the meal. It’s truly a lovely holiday.

Well for Thanksgiving, the first book I read was An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott. Alcott, the author of Little Women, sets a quaint scene of family life in early 1800s New Hampshire. The Bassett’s are in the midst of preparing for the Thanksgiving feast that will occur the next day. The girls help their mother cook, while the boys do chores and care for the animals. Suddenly, mother gets word that her mother has become very ill and she must rush away with Papa to be by her side. This leaves the children alone at the house with the oldest child being 16 year old Eph and 14 year old Tilly in charge of all the kids. Now unlike today’s children who would probably run rampant, these children do their chores and maintain the house. The next day, Tilly decides to continue with the Thanksgiving feast anyway because Papa is supposed to be coming home for dinner. Thus her and the girls start cooking their mother’s recipes from memory, which, of course, ends up being a bit of a culinary adventure.

This is a sweet story. It gives the reader a descriptive sense of home life during the time and introduces a loving family. The story reminded me a bit of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stories in the Little House on the Prairie series. The way the family divvies up chores and interacts with one another is similar to Wilder’s accounts. It’s always fascinating to me to hear about how people lived when they had to make most things themselves and live a self-sustaining life. This is a very short account of that.

The story is about fifteen pages long, so yes it is very short. Think of this as a good story to tell your children on the Eve of Thanksgiving. It’s warm and easy to get through. Some of the language is outdated, but remember this takes place in the early 1800s and was written in the 1800s, so it’s no wonder some vocabulary and syntax are old fashioned.

If you enjoy adorable things and family events, then sit down for 20 minutes and read this story. If you regret it, it was only 20 minutes!