Book Drops: Ash by Malinda Lo

Ash by Malinda Lo.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-316-04009-9

Ash, by Malinda Lo, is a retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale. Just like the original fairytale, Ash is orphaned by her parents and comes to live with an uncaring, cruel stepmother and 2 stepsisters. There are also fairies, magic and a kingdom with an eligible prince. However, Lo alters the tale and Ash is not the sweet Disney Cinderella that a lot of us know her as. Ash is a little tougher, a bit more outspoken, and is not searching for that love from her stepmother that we see played out in so many versions of Cinderella.

After the death of her mother, Ash stumbles upon the world of fairies. Growing up in the country, Ash and her village still practice the old ways, which still acknowledges the magic in the world. As she copes with her mother's death, Ash is drawn more and more towards this alternate world. She meets a fairy prince, Sidhean, and though he pushes her away, she continues to try to find her way back to the fairies.

Shortly after her mother's death, Ash's father falls ill and dies. After this, Ash's tale follows that of the original Cinderella story, and becomes the servant to her stepmother and stepsisters. During, this time, she has a chance meeting with the King's Huntress, Kaisa, whom she admires and soon becomes infatuated by.

As time goes on, Ash, becomes torn by her love of the Sidhean and her growing love for Kaisa. Whom will she choose? Death or Life?

This story is similar to the Mystic and Rider series by Sharon Shinn. It is a great story and an interesting take on Cinderella. Definitely, worth reading.

Book Drops: "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd.

A Monster Calls is a wonderful, dark and hopeful tale. Conor wakes up in the middle of the night anticipating the arrival of a monster. A monster that takes the shape of a yew tree. His only solace from the monster comes during the day, however, this is what he has to confront the fact that his mother is battling cancer and has become weaker and sicker due to the treatments that are supposed to help her. It has been going on for awhile and Conor seems to have called upon this monster to help him...and her.
A Monster Calls is beautifully illustrated by Jim Kay. His illustrations are dark and inky and convey the fear and pain that Conor is experiencing.
This is a very difficult book to read if you have ever experienced someone battling cancer. It really reminded me of my own experience when my dad was fighting stomach cancer. The anger, the fear, the loss, it is all here. However, it is a good way to help kids understand that it is ok to feel angry, to think those thoughts that they do not want to speak and to not feel guilty for wanting to let their loved one go. Honestly, I bawled after I finished this book, but I am glad, that there is a book like this out there that kids and adults can read to help them cope with the journey of losing a loved one who is fighting a disease.

Book Drops: The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

Have you ever been "in the zone?" It could be in anything: writing, sewing, drawing, shooting hoops, running. I like to run. When I'm running everything disappears. It's just me and the music I'm listening too and the world. Nothing else.

But what would happen if you couldn't do that thing you love any more? The thing that draws you into your own space for awhile? What if you lost something? What if you lost your arm? What if you lost your leg?

In The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen, Jessica Carlisle is a 16-year old track star. Running is her life, her dream. However, after a track meet, the school bus she was riding in gets hit by an uninsured driver. Her injury is so bad that she has to have her leg amputated. The Running Dream is Jessica's journey to dealing with that loss and finding a way to keep her dream of running alive. She discovers people she used to ignore. She discovers people who inspire her. And along the way, she figures out that she's lucky to be alive, lucky to have people who support and love her.

This is now in my list of top books for 2011.

Even the breakdown of the book is worth noting. Part 1: Finish Line; Part 2: Headwind; Part 3: Straightaway; Part 4: Adjusting the Blocks and Part 5: Starting Line. It is a very fast read..it reads a bit like a race.

Also, if you were inspired by Bethany Hamilton's book Soul Surfer, you will be enjoy this story as well.

*Soul Surfer, the movie, is actually coming out on April 8.

Book Drops: The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

What a heartwarming and heartbreaking read! It is such a different take on writing a story, using words and defining them with the story of a relationship.

I would definitely recommend this for probably 9th graders and up. There are some experiences that I think 7th graders don't really know about. Not saying that 7th graders haven't been in love but there are certainly things in this book that they could not relate too.

It's a pretty quick read too.

Book Drops: Tall Story by Candy Gourlay

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay.

I read a review of this book in School Library Journal and was surprised that the main characters are Filipino. I find it is a challenge to find young adult novels featuring Filipinos. We have a lot of Japanese, Korean and Chinese YA books but Filipino is rare. We do not have that many Filipinos are our school, so far, I have had 2 students..but most go to other schools but we do have a strong Asian community so I thought it would be great to have a book that also covers Filipino culture.

I have to say, as a Filipina, there were so many things in this book that I could relate to but I think, a lot of Asian and immigrant families could relate to as well. Tall Story takes place in the Philippines, where Bernardo grows up, and England, where his mother, step-father and half-sister lives. It is filled with Filipino superstitions and tales that I remember hearing as a kid, as well as the Filipino love of basketball, and life as a family split between continents. Growing up, my folks spent years trying to get our Lolo (grandfather) to America, Bernardo's family spends 13 years waiting for approval from the British government to have him reunited with his family. These challenges are still occurring today. For example, my mom is just got approval for sponsoring my uncle and his family, we've been in the United States for 30 years.

Gourlay's story is deals with challenges that immigrant families face, the challenges of reuniting, sibling relationships and issues of growing up, finding one's self and being accepted. It was a good read and a nice reminder of my own childhood.

Book Drops: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie. New York: Dutton Children's, 2010. ISBN: 978-0525423645

Why I Picked It Up: I mentioned on Friday, that I read an interview in SLJ with Ally Condie. This book already received some notice so I asked Max to pick it up. I love the cover and it sounded like it would be a good bit of scifi/romance and I tend to enjoy those books.

Why I Didn't Put It Down: Matched is another dystopian novel. Similar to Hunger Games and The Uglies. Society appears so perfect. You don't even have to worry about finding the perfect mate because it's done for you. You don't even have to worry about dying..because when it's your time and you have lived the optimal amount of years, well, "they" let you rest. Everything is wonderful and there are even pills created to help you live your life. How could anything go wrong in a world where everything is decided for you?
That's when it happens. The once in a blue moon event where the match the government choose for you is a mistake. The mistake leaves you wondering and if you are anything like Cassia, you will not let it go. There are two faces on the microchip they give you. Both faces you know, one is Xander, the perfect boy and Cassia's best friend, the other is Ky, a bit of an outsider but he also is in your circle of friends. What do you do now? In order to find out, you need to read the book.

Who Would I Recommend This To: All of the kids who loved Hunger Games. However, I do have to preface this by saying that Matched does not have as much action as Hunger Games did. It is more of a science fiction romance and more on the romance side of things. I enjoyed it and there were some interesting twists. I definitely am looking forward to the second book.

Hurray for another Rick Riordan Adventure!!!

This is the 3rd time I'm writing this post. You figure I would give up but I wanted to write it.

What Did I Read: Rick Riordan's The Lost Hero, Book 1 of the Heroes of Olympians.

Why Did I Pick This Up: RICK RIORDAN! I loved the Percy Jackson series and I was really excited to know that we would be returning to Camp Half Blood for this new series. Also, t he kids are super excited about this book. One student and I already have a favorite character - Leo Valdez!!! Go Leo! Go Hephaestus!!!

Why I Finished It: I couldn't put it down. I had to, of course, because I do need sleep but wow! what a fun exciting read. I loved the diversity of the characters, Piper is Native American and Leo is Latino. This gave Riordan the opportunity to mention myths from other cultures that are similar to the Greek and Roman mythologies that he is introducing to kids. I think, in a way, this might catch a kid's attention and spark their curiosity to learn more. It is funny, exciting, suspenseful and full of action and of course, we are introduced to a host of new gods, monsters and heroes. More evil, more good.

Who Would I Recommend This To: The growing Camp Half Blood campers and anyone who loves mythology or fantasy. Anyone who loves a good adventure and hero quest story.

Go Coach Hedge!!!!

Graphic Novel Friday : "The Runaways-dead end kids"

This is so late but today was very busy at work. We have grades due, comments to right, helping students finish projects and prep for finals, plus, I had to substitute and did not have that much time to sit in front of my computer.

I ordered a number of graphic novels for the library that have been on a number of YALSA, Booklist, and Publisher Weekly lists and this was one of them. Plus, I heard from my friend, RAPatton, that this was a good series. So, this Friday's graphic novel pick is The Runaways: Dead End Kids by Joss Whedon, Michael Ryan and Christina Strain. Published by Marvel. ISBN: 978-0-7851-2853-3.

In this comic, the kids have made a deal with one of the most evil villains in New York City, a deal that they will regret. In order to escape, the end up jumping back in time, to a time where unions were beginning to form, where kids still worked in factories and married, and where there were other "Wonders." The runaways have also traveled to a time where different factions of those wonders are close to war. Though these other groups are trying to manipulate them for each groups purpose, the runaways stay true to the family. The story moves quickly and is filled with really amazing images that you would expect from Marvel. The different styles that separate each chapter compliment each other well though they are strikingly different. The pages devoted to each chapter are softer and less stylized than the main sections of each chapter which adds to the transitions in the story.

I was not disappointed by this series. All the recommendations were worth it. I would say that this is not for children but appropriate for middle and high school. I am happy that it is now part of our collection. Even if we don't own every part of this series, at least students who like graphic novels will be able to read it and have an introduction to this series.

Book Drops: "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness (rated 4 stars)

The Knife of Never Letting Go: Chaos Walking: Book One

by Patrick Ness

Book 1 of the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness is an incredible space adventure. A couple of things I associated with it while reading – the Firefly series (hello, Nathan Fillion) because of the space cowboys feel and the Disney movie, “Up”, because the dog “talks” and in one seen, a giant bird, like Kevin, briefly makes an appearance.
Todd Hewitt, is turning 13. He’s finally going to be a man. In Prentisstown, 13 is the year boys transition to manhood. The thing is, Todd, is the last boy in Prentisstown. There are no women. The other thing about Prentisstown is that you can hear everyone’s thoughts, or noise, including the animals. For the past couple of months, Todd, has pretty much been alone, well, he does have a dog, Manchee, who he never wanted. Men do not talk to boys in Prentisstown. Why that is Todd does not know. He just accepts it because that is how it has always been.
One day Todd is wandering around the swamps, the only place a person can get away from the noise, when he stumbles upon a weird patch of silence. Silence does not exist…or does it? This “silence” will lead to the destruction of all that Todd knows about Prentisstown and the New World.
This book moves very quickly. It also brings up questions of what would happen if you could not block out all the information that is constantly floating out at you, or how do you keep a hold of your own identity, and also how far would you go to protect your self? There is a lot of violence (against women, boys, animals and aliens) so I would say this is for middle school and high school. Also, the only drawback is that this is NOT a stand alone book. You will have to read Book 2 to find out what happens next – The Ask and the Answer will be out in Sept. 2009.

See more about The Knife of Never Letting Go: Chaos Walking: Book One

Book Drops: "Alligator Bayou" by Donna Jo Napoli (YA) (rated 5 stars)

Alligator Bayou

by Donna Jo Napoli

Calogero is running. Running to get help. Running to get away. His uncle, Giuseppe, just shot Dr. Hodge, who was beating his Uncle Carlo with a pistol. This is bad. This is the worse thing that can happen. Uncle Francesco told them all to not cause trouble because of what happened in New Orleans. But how long can someone sit and take the hate, take the ignorance, take the lies? Calogero runs and runs.

The story of the Italian immigrant experience in the south is not something I have been exposed to. The things we usually read about are the Italian immigrants who settled in New York. We watch movies like the Godfather and television shows like the Sopranos but do we ever learn about the ones who settled in the South? Do we learn about the Sicilians who were farmers and not part of the mafia? Not really. Here is a fictional story about the Sicilian experience in the South, specifically Tallulah, Louisiana. Based on real life events, Donna Jo Napoli creates a believable novel about the bigotry, alienation, friendships, and lives of 6 of those immigrants.

The whites tolerate their presence until they start losing money, the blacks are wary but eventually open up their homes to them, and they are away from most of the other Sicilians in the area. Calogero and his family do not understand why they cannot serve the blacks and do not understand the animosity of the whites. They are just trying to live their lives but it seems that in 1899, confrontations could not be avoided when a group hates your people so much and believes you are lower than a dog.

“Alligator Bayou” is a very powerful novel. It introduced a story that we rarely hear about and lets us not forget that ignorance, prejudice and bigotry can lead to violent ends.

If you are interested in more about the Italians in the Southern states, Napoli has a good afterword that has some links to articles she read and other information about resources she used.

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Book Drops: "The Rock and The River" by Kekla Magoon (YA) (rated 5 stars)

The Rock and the River

by Kekla Magoon

This book deserves awards and I hope it wins for YALSA’s “Best Books for Young Adults” this year or next year. Actually, I hope it wins most of the awards out there for teen/ya books. Yes, it is THAT good!

“You can’t be the rock and the river” Stick says to Sam. Sam Childs is a son of Civil Rights leader, Roland Child, and younger brother, to Stick, who at 17 decides to join the emerging Black Panther party in Chicago, Illinois. Roland Childs represents the “old way” of thinking (pacifism) and protesting for civil rights, while Stick is the new way. Sam is caught in-between wanting to be both “the rock and the river.”

The novel starts off with Sam at another rally. You can feel his apathy. He is young, he has always gone to these things but does he really understand why? At one point, Sam thinks, “I was tired of marking, of protesting. Of leaning my back against a wall and expecting the wall to move. I wanted to rest.” He knows it is important but as you go along further in the story, you can see that he does not fully grasp the importance of what his father is doing and later, what his older brother is doing.

Kekla Magoon vivid writing brings out the tension between a son struggling to find his own way in a time of intense transition at home and the world at large. She does not sugar-coat anything and there is some graphic violence. It is very powerful and ties how both movements goals were the same but the approaches were different and how a kid can figure out the right thing to do and come to his own no matter how angry, frustrated, sad and torn he feels.

This is for middle schoolers and high schoolers. You could use it in a history class. Also use it with Christopher Paul Curtis’ “The Watsons Go to Burmingham.” I cannot rave enough about this book. Excellent. Fantastic. Worthy of any school and public library collection. I seriously better see some of those award stickers on this book!

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Book Drops: "after the moment" by Garrett Freymann-Weyr (YA) (rated 3 stars)

After the Moment

by Garret Freymann-Weyr

Leigh Hunter was in love. Love that was so intense all he wanted to do was take care of the girl, Maia Morland. It has been 4 years since he last saw her and now there she is at a cocktail party standing before him.

The novel goes through recollections of those months he fell in love with Maia and how it ends to 4 years later at the cocktail party. Maia is strange. She is not conventionally pretty but something about her pulls Leigh to her. He wants to protect her. He wants to fix her.

However, in fixing her, he ends up destroying her and what they had. Sad, intense and at times graphic, this shows how doing things for love can sometimes break things.

I think, if you like Laurie Halse Anderson, you might like this. It is definitely milder than Speak or Wintergirls.

More on Garret Freymann-Weyr here

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Book Drops: "Simon Bloom: the Octopus Effect" by Michael Reisman (Children's/YA) (rated 4 stars)

Simon Bloom: The Octopus Effect

by Michael Reisman

This is Book 2 of the Simon Bloom series by Michael Reisman. I have not read the second but it is good as a stand-alone from the series. Reisman places a list of characters at the beginning as well as a glossary at the end to help keep new readers up to speed with what happened in the first book.

Simon Bloom, is a twelve year old kid, who has to save the world! Again! from the evil Sirabetta (aka Sara Beth). Along with his friends, Alysha and Owen, Simon must stop Sirabetta, who has some how regained her powers, which are activated by tattoos of various scientific formulas that cover her body. Along the way, Simon, Alysha, and Owen meet more people from the various scientific orders that were formed to help keep science moving forward. Some of these people are friends and of course, some of them are foes.

I love how this book is filled with science references, covering things from physics, biology and chemistry. There is also a little history spread in and as a kid reading it, there are lots of different things to learn, like the scientific name of saber-toothed tigers and characteristics and habits of octopi.

It is interesting how individuals are given their powers from “super” books, like the Book of Physics, which Simon becomes the Keeper of or the Book of Biology. The Books are linked to the universe and can transfer powers to the individual in charge of them. Some of the great fun of this book, is the scenes when people try out their new powers. For example, on pg. 167, Simon is given some traits of the octopus and his transformation is pretty gross. He has the flexibility trait and can stretch and shrink his arms and body. The way Reisman describes it is pretty nasty but I’m sure a boy and even girl reading it would find it hilarious and fascinating. Who doesn’t want powers?!? Even if they are weird and gross.

The fight scenes (yes, multiple! the kids and their friends get attacked by giant mammoths at one point) are really fun to read and you can feel the tension between the characters. There are really funny moments as well that had me laughing out loud. Fun read especially for those kids who love science.

Definitely good for 5th – 8th grades depending on the level of the reader. Good stuff!

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Book Drops: "Living Dead Girl" by Elizabeth Scott (YA) (rated 5 stars)

Living Dead Girl

by Elizabeth Scott

If you like “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson or “Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold, you will probably like (though I am not sure “like” is the proper word) “Living Dead Girl” by Elizabeth Scott.

This book is written mainly as “Alice’s” thoughts. She has just turned 15 and is no longer looking like a “little girl,” which is what her kidnapper, Ray, craves and needs. It is really uncomfortable to read but you cannot put it down. She blocks him out when he touches her and disappears into her mind when he beats her. She replays the moments when she was kidnapped and how he keeps her as “his little girl.”
She lives in an apartment and is invisible. Or she feels invisible. No one knows and no one cares or questions why she is not in school. She wants to escape. But in order to escape, she would need to find a new “Alice.” Can she do that? She is empty and doesn’t care. She wants to be free. She really just wants to die. For the 5 years to end. 5 years of raping, abuse and death threats…

This book is 170 pages of uncomfortable intense moments. It is not for a young reader but for a mature middle schooler and high schooler. Though, it could be used as a discussion point with a younger reader (6th grade maybe 5th if they are mature). It covers issues of abuse and safety and survival. But it is disturbing so if you do have it in your collection and see a younger reader checking it out, I would warn them.

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YA Book Review: "How To Ruin A Summer Vacation" by Simone Elkeles

Amy is on a plane with a man she barely knows. Well, she doesn't barely know him, he IS her biological father. But all of sudden, after years of barely being there, she has to go to Israel with him. Israel to meet a grandmother she never knew she had and family she's never met. Plus, the only thing she knows about Israel is what's on the news and that's that Israel is a war zone. A WAR ZONE! Her absent father is taking her to get killed!

Amy doesn't know what to expect and all she can think of is the worst case scenario.

How To Ruin A Summer Vacation is a humourous coming-of-age story about a teenage girl who comes to terms with her father, her Jewish heritage and her ignorance of her own heritage. Amy is annoying in the beginning but in the end she does grow up.

This book wasn't on All Consuming but if I had to rate it, I would give it 3 stars. Definitely good to have at the beach.

YA Review: "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson (rated 4 stars)

Wintergirls

by Laurie Halse Anderson

The phone kept ringing that night. Ring. Ring. Ring. Lia picks up the phone from underneath the pile of dirty clothes, it rang 33 times. Earlier, her stepmother told her that Cassie, her best friend, was found dead in a motel room. Dead. And alone. “33 times” the number and the word plays over and over in her head. They were supposed to do this thing together. They were each other’s support and then she was dumped and now Cassie is dead.

“Wintergirls,” like “Speak,” is another intense realistic portrayal of how girls struggle to maintain expectations that society places on them as well as they place on themselves. Lia is sick but she is not ready to acknowledge it. Her best friend is dead and she didn’t help. Anderson takes us on the downward spiral of Lia’s mental state as she tries to deal with the loss of her friend, her parents divorce and her own insecurities.

It is a work of fiction but this novel gives readers a glimpse of how people can self-destruct and how difficult it is to get out of whatever abyss someone in is mentally and physically. Definitely, worth reading but I had to temper it with some light-hearted movie watching when I finished.

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YA Review: "Graceling" by Kristin Cashore (rated 5 stars)

Graceling

by Kristin Cashore

Kasta is a killer. At 8 years old, she started training with the king’s guards. At 8 years old, she killed a cousin with one strike.

For years, Katsa has done the bidding of her king, maiming or killing those who crossed him. But now in her teens, she no longer blindly executes orders. She questions their validity and has begun going out on her own to right those that have been wronged. She is graced, born with two different colored eyes that mark her as someone with a gift. Her gift is killing, or is it?

After years of working for the King Randa, Katsa finally draws enough courage to leave the kingdom and those she loves. She sets out to help another graceling find the truth behind an unexplained kidnapping. Along the way, she finds out more about herself and what she is capable of.

It is a great, fast-paced story. It is good for boys and girls. It is a romance but that does not take away from the intense fight scenes and the suspense of figuring out why the kidnapping happened. It is great for a summer read and you will not want to put it down.

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YA Review: "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson (rated 5 stars)

Speak

by Lauriel Halse Anderson

It is the 10 year anniversary of the publication of “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is a National Book Award Finalist and was awarded the Printz Award for Excellence in 1999. This book deserves the praise and recognition it received. A television movie was aired on Showtime and Lifetime in 2005 and stars Kristen Stewart, of Twilight.

This intense novel deals with the issue of rape. Melinda Sordino is an outcast. The only thing that her ex-friends and others know about that night is the Melinda called the cops. As she climbs into the bus that first day of school, no one talks to her. No one sits with her. Someone throws a Ho-hos wrapper at her head. As the year goes on, Melinda gets tormented, she becomes more of a loner, her grades drops and she ditches school. She loses her voice. She stops caring.

Anderson does an amazing job of portraying Melinda and the tension and torture she feels after her ordeal. It is a year long journey in which Melinda finds her voice, finds her strengthand power.

It is a fitting read given the media attention to Rihanna and Chris Brown, though that is about domestic abuse. It will make you uncomfortable but maybe it will help someone find their voice if this is happening to them.

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YA Review: "How Not To Be Popular" by Jennifer Ziegler (rated 3 stars)

How Not to Be Popular

by Jennifer Ziegler

Sugar Magnolia Dempsey, aka Maggie, has hippie nomadic parents. She just started settling into life in Portland, Oregon. She has a best friend but better still, she has a boyfriend, Trevor. Now they have to move…AGAIN! And this time, they’re going to Austin, Texas.
This time, there’s more heartache because she is in love. How can they move when she’s finally found someone? Parents can be so clueless!
Maggie vows to not make friends, not be social and become complete nobody to protect herself from the pain of moving and losing friends. She vows to be unpopular. However, that plan fails. In her attempt to be unpopular, Maggie draws more attention to herself and ends up getting more than she bargained for.
This a a great summer read for a middle school and even a high school girl. It’s funny and times and Ziegler starts each chapter with a “rule” or “observation” about the unpopular. It’s a very quick read and is pretty predictable but if you want something light and feel good this is one to pick up. There is a nice twist at the end that made it much better but still it’s a pretty predictable romantic comedy read.

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Living like a Hermit

The last couple of weeks I feel like I have pretty much just holed up in my studio and have not gone out much. Granted, I have been sick and I put my self on a pretty tight budget (I've gotta save money for China) - so I ended up reading a whole lotta books. I try to write little book talks here and I was going to try to be ambitious and do mini movies but I think that may be a little too much for me at the moment.

I also have been in a locked in my headspace kind of place so I tend to not want to be around people...

But here is a list of what I have finished reading. I always wondered how those librarians who give those book talk workshops do it and now I know. (1) they don't sleep
(2) they don't go out
(3) they don't have tv (or they do and they don't really like to watch it)
or
(4) they have tv but only receive 1 channel so really what is the point? (that's me!)

Here are books I have finished:

• Ancient Philosophers by Don Nardo. This 110 page book is a brief introduction to ancient philosophy and covers both the east and the west. Nardo focuses on Democritus, Plato, Aristotle, Buddha and Confucius but he also mentions Socrates, Thales and Theophrastus. It contains maps of where these different philosophers lived in relation to one another as well as illustrations and depictions of these men. He pulls out the main questions that each philosopher focused on, writes on their childhood and lives as well as each man's contributions. In the end, there are passages attributed to each philosopher that asserts their contributions or views on things Nardo mentions in the earlier chapters. For example, Nardo writes about how Aristotle believed that slavery was natural and excerpts a passage from Politics to support this point. For Buddha, Nardo emphasized that Buddha focused on suffering and the passage is about how evildoers will not go unpunished. It is short but filled with a lot of good information and a great list for those interested in reading more. As always, Nardo is very accessible for those of us who are not philosophy majors or experts.
• The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. This is based the true story of a German boy named Helmuth Hubener, who at age 16 was tried and executed by the Nazis for spreading "propaganda" on the truth about the war. Bartoletti interviewed Hubener's friends, 2 of who helped him spread his fliers and also were tried with him. It is told with Hubener in prison counting down the days to his execution looking back at his life. His family was very patriotic towards Germany. It is another perspective, one that I do not think we really acknowledge. The Germans who were against Hitler but also loved their country. Life and decisions are much more complicated than they seem. Bartoletti also included photographs of Hubener, his family and his friends.
  
• When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris. This was much better than Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim. Sedaris again takes us on a hilarious ride as we catch glimpses of his life with Hugh and his family and living in France and then in Japan. The last tale focuses on Sedaris' quitting smoking. I can say that I know exactly how he was feeling except I did not spend $20,000 to do it. I really enjoyed his stories of following Hugh, who sounds like he's a speed walker, and his quest to quit smoking and his impressions of people. One of my favorite stories is about a plane ride where he doesn't want to give up his seat. His lozenge ends up somewhere awkward. You read it to find out where and what happens.
  

Also in my hermitude, I watched a couple of movies, which at the moment, I cannot remember any of the titles of..One of them was "27 dresses" - meh. Also watched "There Will Be Blood" - I don't get the big deal. Why all the hype? Daniel Day Lewis' character, Daniel, is an a--hole but I guess, it was a masterful performance of an a--hole. Then I watched some old favorites, like "Kinky Boots."