November Status Report

91 down, 9 to go! I just may actually reach my goal. Of course I always hoped I would, but now it's looking more and more like a sure thing. Still it'll be tight...9 books to read in one busy month.

I had a lot of make-up reading to do this month, but a handfull of good young adult fiction and some Christmas books did the trick. Many of my reads this month may have been short, but they were long on insight and enjoyment.

On to the finish line!

BOOK 91: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events), by Lemony Snicket

Rating: 4 stars

Cover synopsis: In this short book, the three Baudelaire siblings encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

This is a clever book to read. My only major beef was that it was too short. But the series has 13 books in it, so I'm sure I can get my fill.

From the deliciously evil villain to 3 clever and brave children to the smart-but-clueless adults, this was a fine first book in a series of what I'm sure will be unfortunate events. But hopefully they'll culminate is some sort of happy ending? Though, to be honest, I'm not sure I can trust the author to give me that... Should be an interesting ride.

BOOK 90: 39 Clues: Beyond the Grave, by Jude Watson

Rating: 5 stars

Cover synopsis: Amy & Dan rush off to Egypt, but when they arrive, they get something completely unexpected -- a message from their dead grandmother, Grace. Did Grace set out to help the two orphans...or are Amy and Dan heading for the most devastating betrayal of them all?

This was a fun read for several reasons: First, Egypt is awesome. Two, it delves deeper into the relationship between Amy & Dan and Grace. And Three, it didn't feel compelled to trot out every competing Cahill family. It just stuck with the ones crucial to the story. (And showed us a compelling side of Irinia that I can't wait to see what becomes of her.)

I enjoyed the parallel between the search of Egyptian tombs and the clues Grace left Amy and Dan from "beyond the grave." A well-written and enjoyable book. Much better than book 3 was! (Thank goodness.)

BOOK 89: A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

Rating: 5 stars

Cover synopsis: "Bah!" said Scrooge. "Humbug!" With those famous words unfolds a tale that renews the joy and caring that are Christmas.

When I was a kid, my grandma gave me a nice copy of this book -- bound in red leather with gold trim, beautiful illustrations on the crisp pages, published in 1938. And after reading the Dickens biography "The Man Who Invented Christmas," I felt compelled to pull this volume off the shelf.

And I'm glad I did. I've read this book perhaps 5 times before, but it meant so much more to me now that I have a family of my own. Christmas has always held a special grip on my heart. I love the sounds, the sights, the smells...and reading Dicken's rendition of Christmas always gets me excited. I can hear, I can see, I can smell the celebrations leaping off the page, whether it's Fezziwig's ball, Scrooge's nephew's dinner party, or the humble gathering at the Cratchit home.

This book IS Christmas.

BOOK 88: The Christmas Box, by Richard Paul Evans

Rating: 4 stars

Cover synopsis: The touching story of a widow and the young family who moves in with her. Together they discover the first gift of Christmas and learn what Christmas is really all about.

This is a sweet little story about a father coming to learn what it means to be a parent and understand the love of his child. It's a nice tie in to what the book calse the first gift of Christmas: love. God loved us so much he sent his Son to die for us.

A bit sentimental and predictable, but it was a nice read to kick off the Christmas season.

BOOK 87: Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer

Rating: 5 stars

Cover synopsis: Reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion, Jon Krakauer reached teh summit of Mt. Everest on May 10, 1996. This is the terrifying story of what happened that fateful day at the top of the world, during what would be the deadliest season in the history of Everest.

This was a fascinating first-hand account of what it's like climbing Mount Everest, as well as what it's like when things go wrong on top of Mount Everest. I appreciated that Krakauer approached this story as a journalist, interviewing everyone he could, because he wasn't sure he could trust his own version of things, due to the brain-altering affects of oxygen depletion and extreme exhaustion.

The book is very detailed -- but I didn't feel bogged down by the details. My only gripe is that Krakauer would switch between calling people by their first or last names, so I had difficulty keeping the wide range of characters straight.

It's an interesting experience reading a story when you know how it ends -- especially a tragedy. But Krakauer wrote the tale so deftly, that I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen anyway! And there were a few surprises along the way -- especially the tale of Beck Weathers -- that made me gasp out loud. Extremely well-written, introspective and suspensful. An incredible book.

BOOK 86: Holes, by Louis Sachar

Rating: 5 stars

Cover synopsis: Stanley Yelnats's family has a history of bad luck. A miscarriage of justice sends him to a boys' juvenile detention center where he must dig a hole a day, five feet deep, five feet across, in a dried-up lake bed. The warden claims this labor builds character, but that's a lie. Stanley must try to dig up the truth.

This is a fun, well-written tale about the hand of fate at work in the lives of a couple of teenage boys -- as well as their ancestors. The characters are fleshed out nicely, and although there are some dark sides to the tale, it is light and often humorous.

I love the way Sachar weaves several stories and legends into one. Even though they go back more than 100 years, they all fit together like a puzzle.

I also love a good happy ending. :)

BOOK 85: The Man Who Invented Christmas, by Les Standiford

Rating: 3 stars

Cover synopsis: Just before Christmas in 1843, a debt-ridden and dispirited Charles Dickens wrote a small book he hoped would keep his creditors at bay. The book imediately caused a sensation and it breathed new life into a holiday that had fallen into disfavor.

The synopsis for this book sounded incredibly interesting. Unfortunately, the book was incredibly dull. I often felt that I was reading a history text book, or even a graduate student's thesis.

I also felt like the title and synopsis were misleading. This isn't a book about A Christmas Carol and how it revitalized the Christmas season. There is, I think, a chapter or two about that. But the rest of the book is a general biography of Dickens -- his writings, his business dealings, his debts... Which may be interesting, but it wasn't what I thought I signed on for.

I gave the book 3 stars because it is thorough, and I learned some things about both Dickens and Christmas that I had never known before. But I was so disappointed in this read, I probably should have given it 2 stars.

BOOK 84: Girl in Blue, by Ann Rinaldi

Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: When Sarah's father promises her hand in marriage to their despicable neighbor, she disguises herself as a man and joins the Army during the Civil War. When she is found to be a woman, Allan Pinkerton offers her a position as a female spy.

I give this book 4 stars for the story, but Rinaldi's bland writing style would get perhaps 2 or 3 stars. Still, the plot was enough to redeem the book. Sarah's adventures in running away from home, joining the Army, working in a military hospital, crossing enemy lines in the middle of night, going off to battle, experiencing the shock of killing someone, getting discovered, becoming a spy, falling in love and getting her heart broken...these were fantastic. And when she goes home in disguise to check on her family, I didn't know what to expect.

But, alas, Rinaldi's writing style left much to be desired. This story in the hands of a different author could have had so much more punch. I know it's young adult fiction, so she may have just been writing for a younger audience. But I don't think you should have to write or talk down to kids. You should write a good book so that kids -- and adults -- can enjoy it.

BOOK 83: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling

Rating: 5 stars

Cover synopsis: The seventh and final installment in the epic tale of Harry Potter.

The good news: I've finished Harry Potter. The bad news: I've finished Harry Potter.

Let me explain.

When I read Harry Potter, nothing else matters. My house is a disaster, my kids spend more time in front of the TV so I can use that time to devour "just one more chapter..." I pretty much let things slide because the narrative consumes me and I can focus on nothing else. So on the one hand, I'm glad I'm finished because I can go back to being a good parent and wife.

On the other hand, it's always hard to get attached to a set of characters and have them consume so much of my imagination for the past few weeks only to let them go and move on. Not to mention that reading such a well-written, engrossing tale ruins other books for me for a while. It takes a while for my high standards to come back down to earth while reading other books.

Either way, I've finished, and it was a much different experience reading the series this time, knowing how it ends. But somehow, I don't think it diminished the suspense at all! I was still gripping the arm of the couch, heart racing, mind racing, feeling that if I put it down to make dinner I would miss something and the action would pass me by.

Thankfully, it didn't, and I did, eventually, get my family fed. :)

BOOK 82: In The Dark Streets Shineth, by David McCullough

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Cover synopsis: A compelling story about the spirit of Christmas and the power of light to shine in difficult, dangerous times. Also sharing the stories behind the songs "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas."

This is a tricky book to rate, because if I were rating the book, I probably would have given it only 3 stars. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderfully well-written. But as a book, it's a bit too brief. I was left wanting more. It's more like a magazine article. I finished the entire book in 10 minutes. I was hoping to get a little more info on the Christmas in 1941 (right after Pearl Harbor was bombed).

However, the DVD that comes with it deserves 4 stars. The book, it turns out, is just the text of the DVD. But it includes the music of the Tabernacle choir, plus the sights and sounds of the Christmas season. It's a much richer experience. A nice way to get in the Christmas spirit.

BOOK 81: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling

Rating: 5 stars

Cover synopsis: The war against Voldemort is not going well. And yet, life goes on at Hogwarts. Under Dumbledore's guidance, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort -- and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability.

It was after seeing the movie for this book last year that I finally felt compelled to read the Harry Potter series. And I've been hooked ever since. Though, it's worth noting, the movie for this book is probably the most different from the text than any of the other 5 movies before it.

Book 6 takes us on a fascinating exploration of Tom Riddle's transformation into Lord Voldemort. It also takes us deeper into the dark arts, the meaning of the prophesy, and the character of Severus Snape. The last few chapters are nothing short of gripping (and heart-wrenching).

Yet, as always, Rowling weaves a tale of adolescent life -- friendships, humor, school stress, first love...

Now on to the last book!