As I Lay Dying (William Falkner)

 

I always tell my students there are three types of books:

- candy (which is fun to eat....but if you eat it all the time, you get sick. However, now and then, it's a great treat)

- just right books

- challenging books

If you read challenging books all the time, reading is not fun. However, now and then, they're great. 

This was a challenging book for me. I'd read a bit and not really understand any of it....so then I'd watch a few youtube videos with lectures on Faulkner and I'd catch a few themes or character explanations and interesting symbolism and it would motivate me to continue on. If I had read this book by myself, it would have just been garbley goop. I'm really glad I read it though! Thank you book club for pushing me on. 

We always rate books at the end of our meeting. I wanted to refrain from rating this one. I feel like it's a book that if I were reading it solely on engagement, potential for discussion and writing style, I'd give it a 1 or a 2. However, having experts explain it really helped me appreciate it more and I'm sure if I actually studied it rather than casually read it, I'd like it even more.

This book made me reflect on my experiences compared to those of people in my family as my brother struggled through a cancer diagnosis and then passed away. We each had our own unique experience and the way Faulkner captured the unique experiences of each of the people in the Bundren family is really something else.

Goodreads says:

As I Lay Dying is Faulkner’s harrowing account of the Bundren family’s odyssey across the Mississippi countryside to bury Addie, their wife and mother. Narrated in turn by each of the family members -- including Addie herself -- as well as others; the novel ranges in mood, from dark comedy to the deepest pathos. Considered one of the most influential novels in American fiction in structure, style, and drama, As I Lay Dying is a true 20th-century classic.

This edition reproduces the corrected text of As I Lay Dying as established in 1985 by Noel Polk. 

Starfish (Lisa Flipps)

 

The idea behind the title is that when you're overweight, people are always trying to make you smaller. Be smaller. Act smaller. The only place the main character feels comfortable is in the water where she can be as big as she wants, spread out....like a starfish.

All the while I was reading this, inside I was saying, "Oh honey. I know. I'm sorry!"

One big theme in this book is the disapproval the main character feels from her mother because she's overweight. I don't think any mother would want to pass on that idea. It does happen and reading it was heartbreaking.

I remember my first diet.
I was four.
on Thanksgiving,
after I gobbled down turkey and
all the fixings and
reached for one of
Nana's oatmeal raising cookies,
Mom slapped my hand.
"That does it.
I'm putting you on a diet tomorrow.
You. Are. Fat."

Technically, Mom used fat
as an adjective
to describe me,
But with her tone,
she made it a noun
to define me.

Until that moment,
I had never thought about
my body being big
and big being bad,
something to be ashamed of,
to hide,
to hate.

But since then,
I haven't stopped thinking about it.

p. 47 Surgery. It's something many people choose. It seems really harsh, and scary.
"For a while your mom's pushed for
you to have surgery,
but I think you're way too young.
I've pushed for therapy because
I see the hurt in your eyes
from what people say and do to you."

The rules: 

No cannonballs.
No splashing.
No making waves. 
You don't deserve
to be seen or heart,
to take up room,
to be noticed.
Make yourself small.

Move slowly so
your fat doesn't jiggle,
drawing attention to your body.

If you're fat,
there are things
you can't have.

The fatter you are,
the lower you are
on the food chain.

When eating out,
never finish first.

When you hear laughter,
someone's laughing at you.

You need to bully yourself
as much as,
If not more than, 
Everyone else bullies you. 

Goodreads says:

Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this debut novel-in-verse.

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life–by unapologetically being her own fabulous self. 

A Twisted Tale (Carolyn Fisher)

 

There are so many things I love about this book:

* The similes are vivid!! eg The wind howled like a prom queen steppin' on a cow patty. Having stepped on a not totally dry cow patty more than once in my life, it creates a hilarious image in my mind!
* The silliness is just right for kids
* The illustrations are hilarious and made us really look and we discovered so many cute little details
* The 'about the author' has great connections to the story 
* The author is from Alberta and now lives in Calgary!

Goodreads says:
Bailey Tarbell is in a pickle. A tornado swooped down and sucked all the animals on her farm up into the air. When it finally spat them out again, they were all mixed up. The cow now clucks and tries to sit on eggs, the cat chases the dog who hisses and runs up trees, the pig quacks, the duck moos, and the chickens are all rooting in the mud. What's a farm girl to do? The vet is stumped, demonstrating proper behavior hasn't helped, even hypnosis is a flop. But then eureka! Bailey gets a brainstorm to beat that tornado. She loads all the animals into the truck and heads for the carnival! After a wild ride on The Twister the animals are all singing the right tunes again. But now Bailey is a little mixed up.... 

June 29, 1999 (David Weisner)

 

This story is so great. It takes you down one road and the end is a big surprise when aliens are dropping their vegetables. So many unanswered questions!

Goodreads says:

The lively imagination of Caldecott medalist David Wiesner forecasts astounding goings-on for a Tuesday in the not too distant future -- an occurrence of gigantic vegetal proportions.

State of Terror (Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny)

 

I don't usually read books like this but I saw a few interviews with Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny and so I was curious. I found the huge number of characters in the book tricky to follow but once I wrote down the names and could refer back to my list, I was able to follow the story a little better. This story isn't just politics and terrorists. It's also about friendship and family. When you get someone like Ellen as secretary of state, along comes her best friend and her children as well. That is often the case with women and I think it's a good thing. I also learned a bunch of titles in politics that I wasn't previously familiar with (FSO and HLI in particular!)

I was surprised when I would bring up this book with other people, how many people are Louise Penny fans. I just might have to read some more of her books!

Characters:
President Williams
Ellen Sue Adams (Secretary of State)
Scott Cargill - police (dies in Ch 19)
Aram Wani - bomber? (dies in Ch 19)
Aram Wani's wife/child
Anahita - FSO (Foreign Secret Operative) In a relationship with Ellen's son, GIL
Tim T Beacham
Dahirs - Anahita's parents
Zarahara Ahmadi - informant?
Bad Kotzting - Anahita waiting for his msg
Basher Shah - physicist released from prison by previous president
Gil - Ellen's son, Bashir Shah planned for him to be killed on bus, full anme: Gilgamesh
Dr Ahmadi - physicist
Betsy - Ellen's BFF, counselor, is followed
General Whitehead - chair of Joint Chiefs
Dunn - previous president (quite Trumpish!)
Katherine - Ellen's daughter, reporter
Quinn - Ellen's deceased husband
Boynton - works for Ellen
Barb Stenhauser President's Chief of Staff
Pete Hamilton - Dunn's former Press Secretary
President Nasseri - Iran
Akbar - picks up Gil in Pakiston
Grand Ayatollah Khosravi - Supreme leader of Iran, direct descendant of Muhammad
Denise Phelan - Genearl Whitehead's aide de camp
Hamza - helped Gil escape years ago
Mrs Whitehead - professor Martha Tierney, English Literature prof at Georgetown, Donne scholar

FSO = Foreign Service Officer

Goodreads says:

From the #1 bestselling authors Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny comes a novel of unsurpassed thrills and incomparable insider expertise—State of Terror.

State of Terror follows a novice Secretary of State who has joined the administration of her rival, a president inaugurated after four years of American leadership that shrank from the world stage. A series of terrorist attacks throws the global order into disarray, and the secretary is tasked with assembling a team to unravel the deadly conspiracy, a scheme carefully designed to take advantage of an American government dangerously out of touch and out of power in the places where it counts the most.

This high-stakes thriller of international intrigue features behind-the-scenes global drama informed by details only an insider could know.

Jennifer and Josephine (Bill Peet)

 

Pretty long story, but super fun about an old car and a cat who loves to lie in the car. Some reckless guy starts driving it around. The cat sticks with the car through reckless adventures until they find someone that treats it better.

Goodreads says:

A Bill Peet classic in which a rickety old car and a scrawny stray cat teach a lesson in the meaning of friendship.

Kids will love this classic story from popular author Bill Peet, with fun illustrations and a rhythmic, easy pace that is sure to delight. A perfect gift for the child in your life. 

A Symphony of Whales (Steve Scruch)

 

This is beautiful. It is based on a true story. Our students read a similar story in grade three in their Open Court anthologies. After we read it we had a big discussion about whether or not this really happened and students looked up additional information.

Goodreads says:

Glashka can . . . but with that mysterious power comes great responsibility. When she discovers thousands of whales trapped in a rapidly freezing inlet, she knows it is up to her to gather the people of her town to help them. Based on an actual event, this inspiring story follows Glashka and her people as they come to understand the importance of all life.