More Heaven:Because Every Child is Special by Jo Anne White, PhD

August 25, 2016Leave a comment

More Heaven. Finished 8-22-16, 3/5 stars, special education, 232 pages, pub. 2016

Based on a true story, More Heaven is about six children with special needs and the remarkable teacher who gives them a chance at learning and life. Despite challenges and a lack of support, Miss Tina Randolph’s commitment to reach, teach, and inspire these children is unwavering. By accepting their uniqueness and participating in their private fantasy world, while at the same time engaging them in the real world, she eventually succeeds. Tina, her quick-witted teacher’s aide Kaye, and the children mount a tireless, daily battle to shift the tide toward the acceptance of people who are different. The experiment, begun in chaotic, uncharted waters, bridges the gap of understanding and paves the way for the inclusionary practices of education and society’s acceptance of children and adults with special needs. This is a road that continues to need paving, making the messages in More Heaven equally relevant today. The book evolved from an experiment in the Philadelphia school system in the late 1970s in response to the 1975 Education for the Handicapped Act, ruling that public schools in the US educate all children with disabilities, despite their severity. Previously, many of these special needs children were kept at home-isolated and denied access to the mainstream. More Heaven is a powerful story of compassion, determination, disappointment, triumph, and love. from Goodreads

Fictionalized journal entries from a teacher who is given the responsibility of teaching special education in the public schools make up this book. In 1975, it became mandatory that public schools offer free and appropriate education for all children, including those with physical or mental handicaps. I’m familiar with the law, called IDEA, and while this book didn’t delve too much into the specifics, it does touch on it a bit.

This book would be great for anyone who is interested in education, especially those with an interest in special ed. The kids each have their own quirks and the teacher and aide have hearts of gold and are willing to work with what they have. It’s a collection of snippets about kids with differences who come together like family in the end. As for it being of general interest, I don’t know. Given the journal format and the lack of any story outside of the classroom, it might not appeal to the masses.

Author Jo Anne White has spent years working with these children. She generously sent me this book and I want to thank her for her generosity.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

June 3, 20162 Comments

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Finished 5-13-16, rating 3.25/5, YA, pub. 1999

Unabridged audio read by Noah Galvin. 6.25 hours

Charlie is a freshman.

And while he’s not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can’t stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This is a book that has been embraced as a modern YA classic and for good reason. Charlie is a naïve, but insightful, high school freshman who is quite a loner after losing his best friend and he took a leap of faith in befriending Sam and Patrick, older and more worldly students. Charlie fits into their circle of friends because he is older and wiser than his years, even if he tends to cry and become flustered easily.

The book is a series of letters written to a virtual stranger over the course of the year. It masterfully touches on many serious problems that kids are dealing with, like suicide, abuse, sex, sexuality, abortion, drugs. I think this book would speak to mature teens and start much needed conversations. I liked Charlie but, maybe because I listened to this in too many sessions too far apart, I was ready for it to be over, hence the average rating. I honestly think that’s just me because, looking back, I really have no complaints.

I’m interested in watching the movie, mainly because I’d like to see Emma Watson as Sam.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

March 25, 2016March 25, 201610 Comments

The Bluest Eye. Finished 2-13-16, 3/5 stars, classic fiction, pub. 1970

Unabridged audio read by author, Toni Morrison. 6 hours 53 minutes.

Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl, prays every day for beauty. Mocked by other children for the dark skin, curly hair, and brown eyes that set her apart, she yearns for normalcy, for the blond hair and blue eyes that she believes will allow her to finally fit in. Yet as her dream grows more fervent, her life slowly starts to disintegrate in the face of adversity and strife. A powerful examination of our obsession with beauty and conformity, Toni Morrison’s virtuosic first novel asks powerful questions about race, class, and gender with the subtlety and grace that have always characterized her writing. from Goodreads

I LOVED Beloved when I read it in 2012, so it was a given that I’d read more Morrison for my Classics Club challenge. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel much of a connection to this book. As I’ve spent some time reading other reviews and then looking at my original review for Beloved I’m taking a guess that it was listening to it rather than reading it that lessened my enjoyment. I love Morrison’s magical writing, but I’m not sure I got that same magic while listening to her narration. My next Morrison book (and there will be more, she has a gift) will be paper, not audio. Here’s a sample…

You looked at them and wondered why they were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that it came from conviction, their conviction. It was as though some mysterious all-knowing master had given each one a cloak of ugliness to wear, and they had each accepted it without question…. And they took the ugliness in their hands, threw it as a mantle over them, and went about the world with it.

She is talking about the Breedlove family, the youngest Pecola, is the one who wants to replace her brown eyes with blue so that the world may find her pretty and worthy of notice. Hers is a heartbreaking story of neglect, abuse, and incest. The varying points of view both worked and didn’t. I loved her friend Claudia’s narration, she was my favorite character, but it’s also true that Claudia, although the same age as Pecola, had loving support. There was also some backstory for Pecola’s parents, that was intended to provoke some sympathy, but just didn’t do it for me. I liked that it was set near my neck of the woods and where Morrison was born in Lorain, Ohio.

This is a well-written story about race in 1960’s America from the perspective of young, pre-teen black girls. I own a paperback and would love to read it and see if my perception of the novel changes. I mean this is Morrison’s debut novel and led her to a world of love from readers and critics alike, so I know that I’m the outlier here.

This was my 10th selection for the Classics Club.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

December 26, 20153 Comments

Lord of the Flies. Finished 12-21-15, rating 3/5, fiction, 208 pages, pub. 1954

William Golding’s compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a coral island has become a modern classic. At first, it seems as though it’s all going to be great fun; but the fun before long becomes furious & life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic & death. As ordinary standards of behavior collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them—the world of cricket & homework & adventure stories—& another world is revealed beneath, primitive & terrible. Lord of the Flies remains as provocative today as when it was 1st published in 1954, igniting passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. Though critically acclaimed, it was largely ignored upon its initial publication. Yet soon it became a cult favorite among both students and literary critics who compared it to J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye in its influence on modern thought & literature. Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies has established itself as a classic. From Goodreads

I tried to listen to this one earlier in the year and the audio was unfortunately read by the author. I gave up fairly quickly and fared better with the print version. This won’t be making any of my favorite lists but I am glad I read it just because of its cultural impact and the influence it continues to have over 60 years later.

Think TV show Lost meets reality TV Survivor and you have an idea of where this slim classic is going to take you. Boys, aged 6-12, stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash struggle to join forces to survive. Ralph, leader, keeper of the conch shell and the voice of order, and Jack, wanna be leader of the island but starts with leader of the hunters, start off on the same side but as time goes by and boys struggle to do what needs to be done these two boys become enemies.

I loved the concept and, even with the sometimes stilted or dated writing, it was easy to read. I liked their struggles with how to make order out of nothing, but did find the descent into the surreal not as engaging. I wanted more reality I think. And as much as I hate to say this, I wonder if I was less engaged because it was an island full of boys?

I think this is one that would have benefitted from reading in class or with a group. I know I missed a lot of the symbolism and nuance. I’m glad I read it but it was just okay for me with the plusses and minuses being equal.

My 8th read for The Classics Club! I have 5 more years to finish my list of 50 classics 🙂

Shattered by Dean Koontz

December 11, 20159 Comments

Shattered. Finished 12-5-15, rating 3/5. fiction suspense, 289 pages, pub. 1973

The van was in back of them again. Closer this time. There could be no mistake–they were being followed.

RUN… OR DIE

But why? The question kept nagging at Alex and Colin as they left Philadelphia behind and sped toward their new home in San Francisco. Courtney would be waiting for the, ready to begin a wonderful new life with her husband, her brother…

RUN… OR DIE

Now, someone else is driving cross-country to see Courtney, too. Someone whose brain is rotting inside. Someone who knows their route, their stops, even their destination.

RUN… OR DIE

He’s got an ax. from Goodreads

I like Koontz but haven’t read too many of his older titles. Somehow this one ended up in Mt. TBR and I wanted something quick, so I picked it up and read it in about a day. Aside from it being quite dated – which felt quaint, even when a psycho was wielding an axe – it was fun.

Alex and Colin were pretty fleshed out characters for such a short book. I liked their relationship and the bonding road trip of the new family they were making with Courtney. Even though this was written over 40 years ago it seemed longer. It’s amazing how technology has really left stories like this in the dust. Now there would be pics posted on social media and to the police of the offending man.

I liked it well enough but wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it.

Stillwell by Michael Phillip Cash with a GIVEAWAY

April 9, 2015April 9, 20155 Comments

Stillwell. Finished 4-8-15, rating 3/5, horror, 232 pages, pub. 2013

Paul Russo’s wife just died. While trying to get his family’s life back in order, Paul is being tormented by a demon who is holding his wife’s spirit hostage on the other side. His fate is intertwined with an old haunted mansion on the north shore of Long Island called Stillwell Manor. Paul must find clues dating back hundreds of years to set his wife’s soul free.

from Goodreads

Paul is a mess after his childhood sweetheart and mother of his three young children wastes away from cancer right in front of him. His once successful realtor business has all but dried up along with the family’s savings. He is lucky to be surrounded by loving family who are willing to pitch in and help with cooking and homework. When an old family friend gives him the opportunity to sell his $20m mansion Paul knows he desperately needs the sale. Only the house is haunted and the scene of a murder-suicide or two and everyone knows it. When a demon starts visiting his dreams, Paul knows he is going mad.

This is more paranormal than true horror, in my opinion, and that’s not a bad thing. I liked Paul’s family and friend from work, who had been covering for him during his wife’s illness. The evil, dark manor was par for the course and the ghosts were spooky. I wish it had been a little longer and had more of everything. It was a super quick and enjoyable read.

Red Feather Productions sent me TWO copies of this book and I’d love to pass it on to one of you. First one who tells me they want it in the comments will get their very own copy 🙂

The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker

April 2, 20157 Comments

The Bride Collector. Finished 3-28-15, rating 3/5, thriller, pub. 2010

Unabridged audio 14 hours. Read by John Glover.

FBI Special agent Brad Raines is facing his toughest case yet. A Denver serial killer has killed four beautiful young women, leaving a bridal veil at each crime scene, and he’s picking up his pace. Unable to crack the case, Raines appeals for help from a most unusual source: residents of the Center for Wellbeing and Intelligence, a private psychiatric institution for mentally ill individuals whose are extraordinarily gifted.

It’s there that he meets Paradise, a young woman who witnessed her father murder her family and barely escaped his hand. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Paradise may also have an extrasensory gift: the ability to experience the final moments of a person’s life when she touches the dead body.

from Goodreads

As far as thrillers go, I thought this was good. I liked the focus on the residents of the psychiatric institute, especially since each of the characters was unique and interesting. The story told from Paradise’s viewpoint was, as you might expect, scattered and increasingly neurotic. It was an interesting and fresh view. Brad the FBI agent and the Bride Collector himself were both somewhat standard fare. Since the story really alternated between Paradise, Brad and the Bride Collector there were three very distinct and unsettling viewpoints. Brad and Paradise’s attraction was both unexpected and somewhat unbelievable.

I admit that the narration made this story seem so melodramatic that it may have contributed to my ambivalence toward the book. It didn’t help elevate it, that’s for sure. I thought the FBI’s use of the psychiatric institute seemed false. It seemed like Brad wasn’t doing any real detective work and just spent his days planning how to see Paradise again and use her real or imagined powers of seeing death from the dead’s point of view. I hope this is not how the real FBI operates. I’m okay with using alternative avenues of investigation, but it was the only avenue he was using.

I’ve been wanted to read Dekker for a while and I’m glad I finally got around trying one. I’m undecided on whether he’s worth giving a second shot. Any Dekker fans out there who have a favorite that I should try?

The Magician’s Lie by Greer MacAllister

March 27, 20157 Comments

The Magician’s Lie. Finished 3-25-15, rating 3.25/5, fiction, 320 pages, pub. 2o15

The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of her day, renowned for her notorious trick of sawing a man in half on stage. One night in Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt watching from the audience, she swaps her trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden’s husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that night, the answer seems clear.

But when Virgil happens upon the fleeing magician and takes her into custody, she has a very different story to tell. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless—and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie night, Virgil must decide whether to turn Arden in or set her free… and it will take all he has to see through the smoke and mirrors.

from Goodreads

I received this from the publisher courtesy of She Reads.

Ada Bates, grew up in a rural midwestern town on the generosity of family. Her mother chose a man for love and because of this Ada grew up intimated by boy and out of touch with any other family. When given a way out, through newly built Biltmore Manor, tragedy strikes. How does Ada go from here to Amazing Arden success? Virgil must wait an entire talk-filled night to find out.

I loved the time in Biltmore Mansion, and the appearance of man of manor, George Vanderbilt. I loved Ada’s struggle. She discovered New York City at the turn of the century which is very cool. She earned her fame by embracing her femininity and beating the crap out of a disgruntled man, also very cool. There is a lot to like.

My husband loves magic. He loves watching and reading about magicians and behind the scenes scoop. I don’t share this interest and so, for me, this book didn’t hold my interest as much as I think it might his. The detailed description of the acts will probably interest a lot of people, my husband included, but for me it felt like I skimmed most of that. Even aside from the magic, Ada/Arden, while having a great story to tell, didn’t really have me rooting too much for her. The story she weaved was good, but in her interaction with Virgil she was calculating and remote. I wanted to know how her story ended, but I guess I just didn’t care if it was true or not.

A solid read sure to entice magic lovers.

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

January 22, 2015January 22, 201524 Comments

84 Charing Cross Road, Finished 1-20-15, rating 3/5, 97 pages, pub. 1970

It all began with a letter inquiring about second-hand books, written by Helene Hanff in New York, and posted to a bookshop at 84, Charing Cross Road in London. As Helene’s sarcastic and witty letters are responded to by the stodgy and proper Frank Doel of 84, Charing Cross Road, a relationship blossoms into a warm and charming long-distance friendship lasting many years.

from Goodreads

Oh, bah humbug! I chose this universally loved short book for my first Classics Club read and now I’m not sure if I’m even going to count it. Is it too short? Should it be a novel? Is it even a classic? Feel free to add your two cents.

Okay, now to my second problem, I just didn’t get all the fuss. I’ve read lots of reviews (some by you!) to try to convince myself that I liked it more than I did but it just isn’t happening. I feel like the only kid in the classroom who doesn’t get it and while I hate to raise my hand and show my cluelessness, here I am doing just that.

This book is a series of letters sent between Helene, a New York writer, and Marks & Co., Booksellers, a London bookstore, between the years 1949-1969. Helene is searching for hard-to-find books and Marks & Co. is happy to send them her way. Since this takes place during wartime and some foods are being rationed, Helene takes it upon herself to send the bookstore treats through the mail. The staff fall in love with her letters and her generosity. She mainly corresponds with Frank Doel, but many of the workers there send her letters and she sends them customers when friends travel to London.

Helene seems like a very cool New York woman who loves to read and educate herself. I would have loved to have met her in person. This sentiment is repeated in everyone who read her letters to the store and they were all hoping that they would get to meet the writer, but 20 years go by with just the exchange of letters and occasional gifts. The letters themselves were sometimes interesting, sometimes not, and often there were so many years between letters that it just fell flat for me.

That being said I am planning on watching the movie with Anthony Hopkins and Ann Bancroft and see if that can bring it to life for me 🙂

A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve

December 23, 20147 Comments

A Wedding in December. Finished 12-22-14, rating 3/5, fiction, pub. 2005

Unabridged audio read by Linda Emond. 9 hours, 50 minutes

At an inn in the Berkshire Mountains, seven former schoolmates gather to celebrate a wedding–a reunion that becomes the occasion of astonishing revelations as the friends collectively recall a long-ago night that indelibly marked each of their lives. Written with the fluent narrative artistry that distinguishes all of Anita Shreve’s bestselling novels, A Wedding in December acutely probes the mysteries of the human heart and the endless allure of paths not taken.

from Goodreads

I find Shreve so hit or miss and this one is probably my least favorite of her books that I’ve read so far. It seemed like all of the stories led nowhere but to adultery. It was weird.

He had never been unfaithful to Evelyn, a fact that occasionally had seemed a kind of failure on Harrison’s part, a failure of the imagination. (Sunday)

That line kind of sums up for me how Shreve saw her characters and she decided to let them all imagine. It rubbed me the wrong way that almost every storyline came to this point. I’m the same age as these characters (43) and there is certainly more to looking back on life’s missed opportunities than to decide to act on those opportunities no matter the cost. Don’t misunderstand, infidelity is often part of a story but when there are 6 ‘storylines’ and 5 of them involve infidelity it gets old.

I realize this isn’t a proper review, but it’s almost Christmas and I need to finish wrapping, but I wanted to post my initial thoughts this year!

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