Monday, April 30, 2012

Disgrace

Disgrace

by: J. M. Coetzee
4.5/5 stars
Reviewer: Lydia


Published at the beginning of the millennium, J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace is a searing novel that touches upon and struggles with themes of gender, race, and power. Coetzee’s story is centered on David Lurie, who, at 52 years of age, chooses to retire from his position as a college professor after being involved in a nasty scandal with a student. Distant and adrift, he decides to visit his daughter in the South African countryside near Cape Town.
While there, he struggles with his daughter’s simple way of living, as well as resigning himself to the fact that his “little girl” is all grown up. The bond between father and daughter is put to the test during an afternoon of violence that shapes the rest of the novel. Both characters struggle with regaining their place in a world that has revealed the darker side of human nature.     
Disgrace is a short and easy read, as Coetzee’s writing style is minimal and clear. However, do not let the simple style fool you; it is a raw, enigmatic, and challenging novel that requires multiple readings in order to grasp the full range of meaning. Disgrace will not disappoint, as it is a text that sheds light on many controversial topics in today’s world.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Paper Towns

Paper Towns

by John Green
4/5 stars
Reviewer: Marina



Margo Roth Spiegelman is almost a legend in her high school.  She is popular, pretty, wacky, and comes up with bizarre and extravagant pranks.  One of her quirks is her habit of running away from home and leaving unspecific clues to her whereabouts (for example MISP in her alphabet soup when she ran away to Mississippi).  After Margo surprises Quentin with a night of pranks during their final month of high school Margo disappears yet again and Quentin feels it is his duty to find her.  The novel follows Quentin and his friends on their journey to find Margo and the completion of their final days of school.  This is not a mystery that you will be able to figure out before the characters, instead you piece together clues with Quentin and his friends.  There is also much more to the story than a simple mystery.  Within the main body of the book, the story is mostly serious and heavily entrenched in Margo’s mystery.  The first 80 pages and the last 60 pages, however, have a far different and more enjoyable feel.  Both of these sections are laugh out loud funny (even with the serious questions being raised) and have a fast paced roller coaster feel to the plot.  Perhaps the book would have been better with more of this feel woven throughout, but it would definitely not have been as successful without it.  When all is said and done, the book is an enjoyable read and a fascinating mystery.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Bindi Wildlife Adventures: Trouble at the Zoo

Bindi Wildlife Adventures: Trouble at the Zoo
by Chris Kunz
4/5 stars
Reviewer: Sue



Summary:  Bindi, the daughter of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, is celebrating her 11th birthday with an underwater-themed party at the Australia Zoo.  All the guests come dressed up as underwater sea creatures, ready for a fun filled day at the zoo.  Everything is going perfectly until someone tries to steal an Eastern Water Dragon from the zoo.  Bindi’s brother, Robert, sees the incident, and with help from Bindi and a macaw, they are able to rescue the exotic animal. 


Review:  Trouble at the Zoo is the first in a series of six books about Bindi’s life, and conservation.  While Bindi is celebrating her birthday, she is also using the proceeds from her birthday party to go towards preventing whaling in Antarctica.  There is an underlying message about nature, animals, and conservation in the book.  At the end of the book is an Animal Fact File section that gives interesting facts about some of the animals in the book.  While I enjoyed reading this book, and think young readers will also enjoy it, I would have loved to see some actual photos of the animals and the Australia Zoo (which is also where Bindi and her family live).


Monday, April 23, 2012

The Guinea Pig Diares (A.K.A. My Life As An Experiment)

The Guinea Pig Diaries (re-titled My Life As An Experiment)

By A.J. Jacobs
4/5 stars
Review by: Marina


This is the third book by A.J. Jacobs that I have read.  Normally I’m not a huge nonfiction reader, but since I finished with school I’ve found a little more time in my life for it.  Previously I read his books A Year of Living Biblically and The Know-It All, about living by ALL the bible’s rules for a year and spending a year reading the Encyclopedia Britannica for a year, respectively.  I thoroughly enjoyed Jacobs’ writing in both these books as well as his anecdotes about his experiments.  I’m frankly a little surprised it took me so long to pick up his third book- The Guinea Pig Diares which also seems to be retitled to My Life As An Experiment  according to his website and a recent search on Amazon.  This book, like his previous two, also follows a year of his life, however, this time he takes on 10 different experiments (not at the same time) over the course of the year.  Everything from doing everything his wife tells him, to living like George Washington, to outsourcing his life.  His writing is humorous and engaging and I was thoroughly fascinated in every experiment- in fact some of them I kind of want to try myself!  The only drawback I found to the book is in the narrating of the audiobook which I found somewhat annoying at times, however, the book itself was enough to pull me through the mediocre narration. 

Friday, April 20, 2012

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

The Adoration of Jenna Fox 

by Mary E. Pearson
4/5 stars
Review by: Marina

 Pearson’s science fiction story of a girl discovering her identity brings up a plethora of philosophical issues and questions for you to ponder as you gobble up this novel.  You meet Jenna as she has awoken from what she believes is a coma after a horrendous accident and is working to discover who she is and was, what her parents are hiding from her, and why her grandmother does not love her anymore.  As the story progresses, Jenna’s humanity comes into question.  While it is easy for a novel with such heavy topics to become heavy handed with the author’s opinion, Pearson does a superb job of leaving it to the reader to come up with her own answer.  Even though author’s opinion is likely easily guessed, the book makes a wonderful starting point for serious discussions on patient rights, the nature of humanity, the ethics of science, and identity.  Beyond these serious questions and topics, the story itself is entertaining and well thought out.  Jenna is a likeable character who, through her struggle to figure out who she is and was, is very relatable.  The interspersing of free-verse poetry with Jenna’s day to day reflections adds interest to the book and works well to distinguish between the normal Jenna and the Jenna who is stuck in a limo-like world.  Pearson does an excellent job creating a thought-provoking novel with a fascinating story.    

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Children Make Terrible Pets

Children Make Terrible Pets
by Peter Brown
5/5 stars
Reviewer: Dawn


(Click on the picture to see availability in library catalog)


Summary:
Lucy is a pink-skirted, hair-bow wearing bear, who is out practicing twirls in the forest one day, when she discovers a 'creature' watching her. This 'creature', as it turns out, is a human boy and after naming him Squeakers, she takes him home to be her new pet. They have a wonderful day of playing, eating, and napping, but Lucy soon finds that her new ‘pet’ ruins furniture, throws food, and is impossible to potty train (in a litter box nonetheless). Just when things can’t get any worse, Squeakers disappears. After searching high and low, Lucy makes a discovery and learns whether or not children do make good pets.


Review:
Peter Brown has created a simple, funny, and sweet story about a topic that is sure to come up in every child’s life- getting a pet. With soft-hued illustrations on varying wood frames, the tone has a playful quality that matches the book’s woodsy setting. The dialogue between Lucy and her mother, and Lucy and Squeakers is just hilarious. This book would make a great read aloud for Kindergarten to 3rd graders. It is also a fun story to sit down with alone and read a few times over. A funny book with a touching lesson!

Monday, April 16, 2012

The Night Circus

The Night Circus

by Erin Morgenstern
5/5 stars
Review by: Marina


Click on the image to go to the library's catalog.




I was not expecting to enjoy this book let alone to have it make the best books I’ve read in recent memory list.  The night circus is not your usual circus.  It arrives with no warning or announcement, appearing overnight in a field near town decked only in black and white and open only between the hours of dusk and dawn.  Le Cirque de Reve (the circus of dreams) is exactly what its name implies- a mystical, magical circus full of your wildest dreams.  Underneath the magic of the circus lies a fierce magical competition between two opponents for an unknown prize for the winner and an unknown fate for the loser.  Read this book, unravel the mystery of the competition, and plan what tents you will visit when the circus shows up by you.  This is a novel you are sure to get lost in and never want to leave the world that Erin Morgenstern weaves so delightfully. 

Friday, April 13, 2012

Fancy White Trash

Fancy White Trash 

by Marjetta Geerling
4/5 stars
Review by: Marina

Click on picture to go to the record in the library's catalog.

Abby Savage is the only normal one in her crazy, Jerry Springer show family.  Her mother has been married and divorced from her father twice and on her third marriage with “The Guitar Player” who has been around the block with both of Abby’s sisters.  In response to her family’s flexible morals and driveway fights that entertain the neighborhood, Abby developed her own set of rules for love to ensure she does not wind up like the rest of her family.  Problems arise when her ex-boyfriend (and best friend’s older brother) shows up in her life again and does not meet any of her rules, especially since she thinks he might be the father of her niece.  Geerling’s writing, while unexceptional, is solid and humorous.  Abby’s mood shifts from teasing and sarcastic to tears realistically, given her chaotic situation.  The novel is predictable, but Abby’s personality, the quirks of her family, and the side story of her best friend coming out of the closet are enough to keep the pages turning.  Throughout the story Abby is the first person to make snide remarks about her family and also the first to defend it, clearly illustrating the love-hate relationship so many of us are familiar with and the strong bond of the Savage family despite its extensive problems and backstabbing.  Between the realistic depiction of family dynamics and the human nature habit of wanting to watch the train wreck, this novel will be sure to delight.    

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Escaping Titanic: A Young Girl's True Story of Survival

Escaping Titanic: A Young Girl's True Story of Survival
by Marybeth Lorbiecki
4/5 stars
Reviewer: Christi



Summary: Twelve-year-old Ruth Becker is sailing on the Titanic's maiden voyage. The unsinkable ship's luxury is beyond her wildest dreams. But in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912, Ruth and her family are suddenly aware that the grand ship is in trouble. Her mother, brother, and sister escape on a lifeboat.


Review: This would be a great story to read aloud in class. It’s not too long and it is told from the point of view of 12yr old Ruth. I wish there was a little more detail, but for a child just learning about the Titanic, it would be a great starting point. Thinking of all that Ruth saw and heard you can’t help but imagine the horror and feel sad. I appreciate the last page of the book talking about the real Ruth and a little bit about her life.


Monday, April 9, 2012

Ape House

Ape House

by Sara Gruen
3/5 stars
Reviewer: Marina




Apes and monkeys are not exactly my thing, but then again neither are circuses and Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants won me over so I finally gave her newest novel a try and listened to Ape House on Audiobook.  I can’t say that I was as happy with this novel as I was with Water for Elephants, but it was definitely still a good read (or listen) and worth a try if you’ve liked her before. 
                
Ape House starts with the story of John Thigpen a struggling journalist doing an article on the Great Ape Language Lab.  In this lab, Isabelle Duncan studies a family Bonobos (a specific type of great ape) and their language acquisition skills and computer literacy.  Shortly after John leaves, the lab is bombed by eco-terrorists and researcher Isabelle Duncan is seriously injured physically as well as emotionally when the bonobos that are like family to her are taken away to an undisclosed location for undisclosed purposes.  Thus ensues the hunt to find out what happened to the apes and how to get them back.  An interesting story that at the very least will have you doing your own research on the interesting bonobos. 

Friday, April 6, 2012

Going Bovine

Going Bovine 

By Libba Bray
5/5 stars
Reviewer: Marina



Cameron Smith is an average slacker high school student who gets diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s disease (or more commonly thought of as mad cow) and is told there is no cure.  After talking with a punk rock angel, Cameron escapes the hospital with his dwarf roommate, Gonzo, and starts on a wild cross-country adventure to save the world and cure himself.  This adventure is peppered with visits from the punk rock angel, Dulcie, and “dreams” of being in the hospital bed still.  Bray masterfully weaves together a serious story about the big questions and issues in life with the kooky antics of trip riddled with hallucinations and an ancient Norse god turned lawn gnome.  Not only will this story have you questioning reality, thinking about your own mortality, and most likely crying your eyes out, but it will also have you laughing out loud at Cameron and Gonzo’s adventures.  The teenage characters in the novel are realistic in actions and speech, using slang and four-letter words in a natural and unforced manner.  Going Bovine is a fabulous combination of serious, thought-provoking, and laugh out loud humor.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Prison Puppies

Prison Puppies

by Meish Goldish
5/5 stars
Reviewer: Roberta


Summary: This is a factual book about the PBB (Puppies Behind Bars) program .  This is a program where a prison inmate raises puppies that later work as service dogs.  They get the puppies at about eight weeks old and raise them for about 18 months.  They spend all their time with the inmate trainers, sleeping in their cell and going to their prison job with them.  The only thing they can’t do is eat with them because they are not allowed in the prison cafeteria.
     Gloria Gilbert Stoga, who worked for the mayor’s off ice in New York city started the program because there were not enough people around to train service dogs.  She thought prison inmates could do the job.  At first people were afraid the inmates would treat the dogs badly or train them to attack prison guards.  But in 1997, Gloria was allowed to test the program starting with inmates raising 5 dogs for 18 months. 2 became service dogs.  With that PBB got started rolling.
     To take part in the program, inmates must have good records in prison, do reading assignments and homework, take tests and be trained on how to be a trainer.  All dogs used are either Labradors or Retrievers.  Puppies learn basic things like “heel” and “sit” but also learn how to open doors, turn lights on and get bottles from refrigerators.
     Do the puppies ever get to leave the prison?  Volunteers take the puppies in the outside world on buses and subways and on streets and in malls so that they get used to being in the outside world where they will be service dogs.
     PBB dogs serve as service dogs to blind and disabled people.  In 2006, they started being trained for veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan who had post-traumatic stress disorder. Some PBB dogs are trained to become bomb sniffing dogs.
     The PBB puppies help the inmates also.  They learn to be patient and to be responsible for something besides themselves.  They are also contributing to society by training the dogs.  It’s a program that works for everyone.

Review:  As I passed this book on display, the title appalled me.  Thinking of dogs being in prison was not a very happy idea for me.  But I was amazed by this book and how the prison inmates raised the puppies to be service animals. The book was fascinating and had color photographs of the dogs with the inmates and also working as service dogs.  I recommend this book for any dog lover, particularly those with an interest in service dogs.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Welcome

Welcome to Round Lake Reads- A blog devoted to reviewing good books!

Tune in regularly for new book reviews from the friendly staff at the Round Lake Area Public Library. Monday's we will feature Adult books, Wednesday's we will feature Children's books, and Friday's we will feature Teen books.

Feel free to join in the conversation and post your opinions.