The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Yes, I'm aware that I'm the last person on the face of the planet to read this one, but I resisted it because of its genre. I have a really difficult time reading fantasy. For me to love a book, the story has to be believable and the characters have to find a way to my heart. A large part of my reading experience involves visualizing the story as I'm reading. When it comes to fantasy novels, I have a tremendous amount of difficulty visualizing the events and setting. It takes a pretty darn good author to convince me that the events and setting are plausible. Therefore, I avoid these types of books and happily get lost in time with historical fiction, or gasp over the trials and tribulations of someone's life in a memoir, or work my way through a realistic/contemporary novel because I know there will be characters involved in real-life situations that I will hopefully never have to endure (and maybe a few that I wish I could).

So coming from someone who couldn't get past the first 10 pages of Harry Potter and coming from someone who refused to even look at the book covers of the whole Twilight series and join the cult, The Hunger Games went surprisingly well for me. Surprise ~ surprise!

Had I looked a little closer at the author's name, however, I probably would have surprised myself sooner rather than later. About five years ago, I had been a teaching intern at Suzanne Collins's daughter's school. And I just so happened to be working one on one with a student in her daughter's class the day that Mrs. Collins had come in to talk to them about a recent book she had just published, Gregor the Overlander. Honestly, I remember thinking that this too was a book that I would never read because of its genre. But I found Mrs. Collins to be extremely giving of her time and generous with the answers she provided to her daughter's classmates. Over the last couple of years working in that same elementary school and a few others, I noticed that students were eating up her books. They were really enjoying them. They were giving these fantasy novels a chance. . .and I wasn't.

Suzanne Collins, thank you for writing the one fantasy novel that I have actually enjoyed! For the most part, I found the novel believable and I could visualize the characters and the post-apocalyptic setting. I will say, however, that I did have trouble visualizing the whole attack scene towards the end of the novel involving the muttations and the cornucopia. (Is this cornucopia sitting on its side? Is it standing upright? How are the characters hanging on to it? Are they inside of it? Outside of it? How are they shielding themselves?) But I shocked myself with this one. I really did enjoy this novel. I guess I'm breaking out of my shell (or cornucopia) for the new year.

On Fire for the New Year

I can't believe a new year is upon us again! Where does the time go? Who knew that a year ago as I was working for pennies trying to land a permanent teaching position that I'd be sitting here today with my dream job in my hands. 2011 has been very good to me. 2011 has also been extremely busy. But I like it that way. I've fallen behind on my reading and blogging, but I'm hoping to get caught up in 2012. . .

As I ring in 2012, I actually feel like I'm finally part of the digital age. (Is that even the correct terminology? I don't know. I'm not technologically savvy. But I like to pretend that I am). So, I received some of those pre-paid credit card/gift cards from family for Christmas. And now I was left with the big decision ~ What's a girl to do with a bunch of gift cards? Decisions, decisions. Of course, I had a gazillion ideas running through my head ~ a new watch, an I-pod, jewelry, clothing, boots, the possibilities were endless. And because I actually have a job this year and don't need to rely on gift cards to buy toothpaste and shampoo, I decided that this year I wanted to spend those gift cards on an actual "gift," something that I would never in a million years decide to buy for myself.

So, of course, I found myself in Target this week (I actually found myself there four times this week) because I really did need toothpaste and shampoo. While I was there, I decided to venture into the electronics section. For anyone who knows me, you know that this is a huge deal. I'm like a fish out of water in that department, flopping helplessly away as I try to wrap my strained mind around the purposes and uses of these gadgets and gizmos. I was originally there to look at the I-pods, but I wasn't convinced that I wanted one. Then something drew me to the Kindles. I started looking at the Kindles and playing around with the demo pieces they had on display. And lo and behold, I suddenly had an urge to buy a Kindle Fire. It was speaking to me, "Pick me, pick me." I don't know why or how I suddenly became enamoured with the Kindle Fire. But the next thing I knew, I was traveling all over the State of Connecticut in search of the last retailer on the planet who just happened to have the last Kindle Fire in stock. No one had one. But that's okay because Amazon did! Woo-hoo! And it was on my doorstep by Thursday afternoon.

Like I said, I'm not technologically savvy, but I have to toot my own horn for a minute. I am quite impressed with my digital prowess as of late. I know nothing about routers, modems, Wi-Fi, what-have-you; but I had that Fire set and ready to go and hooked up to Wi-Fi in less than two minutes. I love how it's so easy to use and so easy to navigate through.

So now that I have this new toy, I have to "train" myself to read digital books as opposed to "real" books. I've always been resistant to e-readers in the past because I was afraid to lose that connection to books, the overall charm and nostalgia of sitting down with a good book in my hands, turning and flipping through the pages, blah, blah, blah. But I actually took to it like a fish to water. I was no longer flopping helplessly. I was swimming!!

Because I get a free month of Amazon Prime with my new Kindle Fire, I decided to take advantage of its perks and benefits and "borrowed" a book from the Kindle borrowers' library to sort of ease myself into this new e-reader experience. My induction began with 7 Days to Say I Love You. It had gotten a solid 5-star review, which is why I gave it a shot. It's no literary masterpiece by any means, and there are quite a few misspellings and grammatical errors; but it's an okay story. It's a memoir of a man's experience with watching his father die of liver cancer and how he has just a short amount of time left to tell his father that he loves him. It's an easy, quick read and was a good way to get myself started on my e-reader journey; but it's certainly not a memorable read.

I also got caught up with a few non-digital books that I had been hanging on to and had never gotten a chance to sit down with. I zipped through The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. It's historical fiction based on Ernest Hemingway's first marriage and told from the perspective of his first wife. Again, I got the book because the reviews were good; but sadly, this one was not memorable for me either. There wasn't a whole lot of information driving the story. And really, there was no story here. It's just a constant back and forth from Paris to Switzerland to Spain, writing, skiing, and bullfighting. I had trouble finding the author's purpose. Was I supposed to feel sorry for Hadley Hemingway? because I didn't. I'm sorry your husband was a struggling artist. But how much could they have been struggling? They lived in Paris, vacationed in Spain and Switzerland, left their child to be raised by several nannies and partied and got drunk every night. Ah, well. To each his own. The book was just really flat.

A book that definitely was not flat and will stick with me for some time is Jenna Blum's Those Who Save Us. This one is hauntingly disturbing but a great read. It really highlights and details the unfathomable challenges and decisions people were faced with during WWII just to secure their own survival.

Phew! There was a lot to say, but I suppose that's because I've been out of the scene for a while. Here's to 2012 and to hopefully it being just as successful or even more so than 2011. Happy New Year!

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

She was a mother of five, a terrific cook, loved to go out dancing with her cousin, and never went out without making sure her red toenails were painted to perfection. Although she was a poor tobacco farmer, she lived life to the fullest. Except to her family and small community, this woman was unknown to the world. But then cervical cancer changed the course of her history, her children's history, and that of the world of science forever.

Her name was Henrietta Lacks. She was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951 for treatment of an agressive strain of cervical cancer. Cells from her tumor were taken without her knowledge or consent. Those cells have launched a scientific revolution, responsible for discoveries including the polio vaccine, chemotherapy treatments, and invitro-fertilization procedures. She died nearly 60 years ago, yet her cells continue to thrive and continue to be used for scientific and medical research. But while her cells have been mulitiplying and while researchers and doctors have cashed in on discoveries related to her cells and while the public benefits from vaccines and treatments that her cells have helped discover, Henrietta Lacks's children have not faired as well.

As I am not the scientific type, I went into this read with a little trepidation. But I am so glad I went for it. This novel brings to life the fact that behind all medical research, there is indeed a human connection involved. Because we are so wrapped up in finding cures and breakthroughs, we lose focus of that emotional factor. This book reminds us that behind that cancerous tumor, behind those cancerous cells, there once lived a human with a life and a family, someone who was loved and someone who had loved back. And that person deserves a name, and her history deserves to be preserved, and her family deserves to be dignified. Henrietta Lacks will now truly be immortal thanks to Rebecca Skloot.

To Kill a Mockingbird

It's a funny thing when you go back and re-read a book. Sometimes you remember it word for word as it's unfolding; sometimes you pick up interesting little bits and pieces that you never caught before; and sometimes it's a whole new story as if you've never read it in the first place. For some crazy reason, when I started reading this one again, it was like I had never read it before. I can only think of two possible explanations why I don't remember To Kill a Mockingbird.

First of all, I know this was assigned reading in high school, which might explain why I didn't remember a whole lot of it. I usually don't like to be "told" what I "have" to read. I like to make choices for myself. So there is some possibility that the inner rebel in me had come out (as it did when I had to read Moby Dick) and made the choice not to read it with the hope of being able to fly by the seat of my pants on just the class discussions themselves.

Secondly, I do remember watching the movie in class after we discussed and finished the book. I remember Boo Radley, Scout, and her brother Jem; and most of all I remember the court trial. So perhaps I'm just remembering the movie and not the book. . . or confusing the movie with the book. . . or maybe I just truly don't remember anything about it at all.

Oh, well. Whatever the reason may be, I discovered new information in this story that I had somehow escaped my teen years. It took me a long time to read this one, but it was worth the re-introduction.

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

It feels good to be back into the reading scene again! My normal routine of sitting in a cozy spot with a hot beverage and a good book had been taken over by nights of reading professional books, grading assessments, organizing a classroom and curriculum binders, and settling into the routines of the first weeks of school. It's been crazy! Oh, how I miss my books and having that free time to myself. But I love my job and wouldn't change it for the world. My students are wonderful! I just love them and know that it's going to be a great year for all of us! And now that we have all hit the ground running at a steady pace, I can get back into a normal routine for myself at home ~ mainly my passion for reading!

I picked up Hillary Jordan's Mudbound a while ago at Borders when they were having their going-out-of-business sales. My friend Pam had recommended it to me. Pam is awesome! She reads everything and always fills me in on the best books, and this was no exception. Mudbound is a fabulous, intense, emotional read. Only a few other books have ever brought me to tears, and this is now one of them.

Set in rural Mississippi during World War II, Mudbound is a shocking and honest look into the world of hate and racial discrimination. Told from the perspective of several narrators, both black and white, Jordan allows her readers to develop deep, personal, sympathetic connections with her some of her characters and a deep, emotional disgust for others. It's a tale of two families and how their lives have been torn apart from the same tragedy and their own unique way of dealing with the tragedy. What a great novel to get me back into routine! It just enveloped me and evoked so many emotions and is a true example of why I love literature.

13 Rue Therese by Elena Mauli Shapiro

I fell in love with this book before I even read the first word.  The black and white photograph on the front cover sparks an instant sense of mystery. There is something about her shabby, unkempt hair that makes me wonder ~ Who is this woman? and Why is her appearance shaggy and unkempt, or is this just the style of the time?

Colored photographs of artifacts, again, items telling of the time and history of the world, greet the reader every few pages and was the second thing about his novel that caught my eye.  These items are the personal affects of a woman named Louise Brunet, and they open the reader to a world of mystery and wonder about their initial owner.  Letters, postcards, photographs, gloves, pen holders made from German bullets are a few of the artificats whose own stories are pieced together revealing the life behind the mysterious woman on the front cover, Louise Brunet.

The Black Rose by Tananarive Due

"Which has made your life more difficult, Madam Walker?  Being Negro, or being a woman?"

"In my shoes, Mrs. Trask, it seems like only a white woman would even ask that question."

Sharp-tongued, witty characters always grab my attention, and I just loved this question and response from The Black Rose.  Madam C.J. Walker spent years learning how to speak eloquently and eventually built her confidence to stand up to people who felt entitled to kick her down.  And when she stands up for herself in the book, you can't help but jump out of your seat and cheer for her.

The Black Rose is the story of Sarah Breedlove's rise from poverty to wealth as Madam C.J. Walker, the first black, female millionaire. Although the novel is a work of fiction, it is infused with historical facts and the research of Alex Haley (author of Roots).  With little education but with a strong work ethic, Madam C.J. Walker became a business savvy entrepreneur who formulated and sold her own line of beauty products to which her sales allowed her to build her own factory and empire from the ground up.

Whether you are black, white, purple, green, female, or male, this novel is an affirmation of how far hard work, dedication, and the desire to succeed will take you in pursuing your own dreams.