The Poet X

Today's post is on The Poet X by ERlizabeth Acevedo. It is 268 pages long and is published by HarperTeen. The cover is a colorful one with the main character in the corner with the title in her hair. The intended reader is someone who likes books in verse and teens learning to find their voices. There is some foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-  young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world. Debut novel of renowned slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo.
Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.
But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.
So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.
Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

Review- A moving story about a young woman finding her voice and dealing with all that brings to her life. Xiomara is the quiet one who talks with her fists and has more doubts than her mother thinks she should. She is growing in her body and dealing with the attention that beings. She is a young woman who just wants to be heard by those around her. The poems are interesting, the style is engaging, and story is full of character and details. I was very moved by the relationship between Xiomara and her mother; it is very honest, it is difficult, and is at times hard to read because I think that most teen girls have a similar relationship with their mothers to some degree or another. I would highly recommend this book.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given this book as a gift.

1913:The Year Before the Storm

Today's nonfiction post is on 1913:The Year Before the Storm by Florian Illies. It is 266 pages long including a bibliography and is published by Melville House. The cover is a picture of couples skating on a frozen pond. The intended reader is someone interested in history, ground work for World War I, and about famous people for one year of their lives. There is no language, talk of sex, and talk of violence. Teenagers and adults would get the most enjoyment out of this book. The story is told in third person with some first person letters added for favor. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Just before one of its darkest moments came the twentieth century's most exciting year.

It was the year Henry Ford first put a conveyor belt in his car factory, and the year Louis Armstrong first picked up a trumpet. It was the year Charlie Chaplin signed his first movie contract, and Coco Chanel and Prada opened their first dress shops. It was the Proust began his opus, Stravinsky wrote The Rite of Spring, and the first Armory Show in New York introduced the world to Picasso and the world of abstract art. It was the year the recreational drug now known as ecstasy was invented.
It was 1913, the year before the world plunged into the catastrophic darkness of World War I.
In a witty yet moving narrative that progresses month by month through the year, and is interspersed with numerous photos add documentary artifacts (such as Kafka's love letters), Florian Illies ignores the conventions of the stodgy tome so common in “one year” histories. Forefronting cultural matter as much as politics, he delivers a charming and riveting tale of a world full of hope and unlimited possibility, peopled with amazing characters and radical politics, bristling with new art and new technology... even as ominous storm clouds began to gather.

Review- This was an engaging read. Illies does a very good job with both his history and his storytelling. Everyone of importance is talked about here. Who was born this year, what artists and writers were doing, what business men and world leaders were planning. Everyone who has or had impact on society is talked about. The way the year is told is as a narrative. The reader goes from one or two lines about what Kafka is dreaming out to two or three pages about who Picasso is sleeping with or running away from. I knew most of the people in this year but not all so now I have more I need to read about. The threat of 1914 is not overwhelming. At times the reader can see where something is going to go wrong but most of what is told is in the moment. Just like we do not know what 2015 will be the people in 1913 really had no idea what was going to come in 1914. Illies makes the book just that about 1913 with really no idea about what is going to happen next. A lot like life.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

John Quincy Adams: American Visionary

Today’s nonfiction post is on John Quincy Adams: American Visionary by Fred Kaplan. It is 673 pages long and is published by HarperCollins. The cover has a picture of Adams on it looking very dignified. There is no strong language, no sex, and no violence in this book. But it is written in a very scholarly tone so I think that older teens and adults are going to enjoy this book the most. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- In this fresh and lively biography, rich in literary analysis and new historical detail, Fred Kaplan brings into focus the dramatic life of John Quincy Adams- the little-known and much-misunderstood sixth president of the United States, and the first son of John and Abigail Adams- and persuasively demonstrates how Adams’s inspiring, progressive vision guided his life and helped shape the course of America.
Kaplan draws on a trove of unpublished archival material to trace Adam’s evolution from his childhood during the Revolutionary War to his brilliant years as secretary of state to his time in the White House and beyond. He examines Adams’s myriad sides: the public and private man, the statesman and writer, the wise thinker and passionate advocate, the leading abolitionist and fervent federalist who believed strongly in both individual liberty and the government’s role as an engine of progress and prosperity. In this ways- and in his energy, empathy, sharp intellect, and powerful gift with words both spoken and written- Adams was a predecessor Lincoln and , later, FDR and Obama. This sweeping biography makes clear how Adams’s forward-thinking values, his definition of leadership, and his vision for the nation’s future is as must about twenty-first century American as it is about Adams’s own time.
Meticulously researched and masterfully written, American Visionary paints a rich portrait of the brilliant leader and his significance to the nation and our own lives.

Review- I did enjoy this biography but it is not easy to read; it is 672 pages long and only 17 chapters. It is very scholarly and very in-depth to the subject. I knew very little about Quincy Adams before this book and now I like our sixth president. Much of Kaplan’s resources are letters and dairy entrees from Quincy Adams himself so I feel that I have a good idea about how the man really was. Kaplan’s’ writing style is readable but the subject is very intense. Kaplan gives a full account of Quincy Adams life from birth to death. He gives full essays that Quincy Adams wrote; gives full length poetry and dairy entrees. Those touches give this biography something very special and genuine. My only complaint is that it is only 17 chapters. When you sit down to read it you are going to be there awhile so I had to make sure that I had everything that needed to be done before I sat down with this book. I do recommend it and I did enjoy it very much.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I was given this book by HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.

Reached

Today’s post is on Reached by Ally Condie. It is the last in her Matched trilogy. It is 512 pages long and is published by Dutton. The cover is silver with Cassia in a red dress coming from a broken red sphere and the title is red. There is no sex, no language, and no violence in this book. The story is told from Cassia, Ky, and Xander’s points of view changing from chapter to chapter. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- All will be sorted. Cassia’s journey began with an error, a momentary glitch in the otherwise perfect façade of the Society. After crossing canyons to break free, she waits, silk and paper smuggled against her skin, ready for the final chapter.
The wait is over.
One young woman has raged against those who threaten to keep away what matters most- family, love, choice. Her quiet revolution is about to explode into full-scale rebellion.
With exquisite prose, the emotionally gripping conclusion to the international bestselling Matched trilogy returns Cassia, Ky, and Xander to the Society to save the one thing they have been denied for so long, the power to choose.

Review- I really enjoyed this series. This series is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. It is very slow to build. There are no action scenes like in other dystopian novels that are very popular right now. This series is more real I think. It is about three people choosing. The main characters are important to the overall plot but they are not the movers or shakers. Cassia does not lead or make others rebel against the Society. I think that the story is very natural. Most people in life do not lead the masses. They live their lives in quiet rebellion of whatever; just like Cassia, Ky, and Xander. Now this novel has more going on in it than the previous two but I think that it works. The Rising rebellion comes into full focus and all the choices made matter. I like the sense of peace of the end. Not everything is finished. People died and others are still missing but Cassia and the others have made peace with what has happened. I look forward to what Condie is going to write next.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money.

To The Letter

 

Today’s nonfiction post is To The Letter by Simon Garfield.  It is 464 pages long including notes and index. It is published by Gotham Books.  The cover has the title on envelopes and the author name on a smart phone.  There is some language, talk of sexuality, and talk of violence but in none of that is very graphic. The intended reader is someone who likes nonfiction and history but Garfield is a very good writer so give him a try.  With some personal letters aside most the story is told from third person perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Letters have the power to grant us a larger life. They reveal motivation and deepen understanding. They are evidential. They change lives, and they rewire history. The world once used to run upon their transmission- the lubricant of human interaction and free fall of ideas., the silent conduit of the worthy and the incidental, the time we were coming for dinner, the account of our marvelous day, the weightiest joys and sorrows of love. It must have seemed impossible that their worth would ever be taken for granted or swept aside. A world without letters would surely be a world without oxygen.

To The Letter is a celebration of the intrinsic integrity of letters, which is lacking from other forms of written communication, and of the rewards of letter writing as a practice that has dictated and tracked the progress of civilization for more than five hundred years. From Roman wood chips discovered near Hadrian’s Wall to the wonders and terrors of e-mail, Simon Garfield explores how we have written to one another over the centuries and what our letters reveal about lives. He considers the role that letters have played as a literary device in Shakespeare and the epistolary novel, and he delves into the great corresponders of our time- Cicero and Petrarch, Jane Austen and Ted Hughes ( and John Keats, Virginia Woolf, Jack Kerouac, Anais Nin, and Charles Schulz).
Throughout he uncovers a host of engaging stories, including the very particular advice by best-selling letter-writing manuals, the tricky history of the opening greeting, the ideal ingredients for invisible ink, and the sad saga of the dead letter office. As the book unfolds, so does the story of moving wartime correspondence that shows how letters can change the course of life.
At a time when the decline of letter writing appears to be irreversible, To The Letter is a rallying cry to put pen paper and create “a form of expression, emotion, and tactile delight we may clasp to our heart.”

Review- This is Simon Garfield’s new book and it is fantastic. It is funny, it is tragic, and above all it is human. From the humble beginnings of letter writing (mostly about who bought what and when) to the current age of instant contact Garfield takes the reader on quite a journey. Interspersed between the chapters is a real life love story that happened between letters in World War II. I love every minute of this book. The writing was so good, the research solid, and the little details that Garfield gives the reader just make the story within the story most special. One interesting thing that I learned while reading this book is that if you miss getting letters in the mail you can sign-up for a Letters-by-mail service for Five Dollars a month. You will get a hand written letter by someone famous once a month. You can write them back if you want. Here is a link to the website if you are interested- http://therumpus.net/letters/ . So if you are lonely or just want a personal-like letter then Simon Garfield has the answer for you. 

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Dreams of Steam

Today's post is on Dreams of Steam edited by Kimberly Richardson. It is a short story anthology and is 246 pages long. The cover has a woman reading with a boiler behind her. The intended reader is someone who likes steampunk. There is language, talk of sex, and some violence in this anthology. Age 16 and up just to be safe. The stories go from third person close to first person from author to author. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- This is Steampunk! Travel back to a time when steam powered inventions ruled the land, water, and sky. It's a time of extraordinary contraptions and innovative ideas created by men and women who dared to ask the question, “What if ?”. Peer through the glazed window into a world long gone, but not forgotten. Make a cup of tea, find a comfortable chair, strap on your goggles, and be amazed at the power of steam!

Review- This is a pretty good anthology. Like all anthologies some stories were better than others but in my opinion there are only two weak stories of the seventeen offerings. The stories cover everything from airships flights to building mechanical limbs to replace the ones lost in war. Every flavor you could want in both steampunk and short stories. The poetry was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. My favorite story was For the Love of Steam by Missa Dixon. She writes from the perspective of a beloved dog Charlie. Charlie just wants his mommy to be happy again now that the war is over. She lost a leg in the war but she built herself a new one. So she ends up building new arms and legs for people who lost them in the war and Charlie gets a new Daddy. The thing that I really enjoyed about this story was how real the chracters were to me. You can feel how sad Charlie is for his mommy and how happy everything is at the end of the story. The story is so uplifting. Another favorite is In the Mountain Skies by Stephen Zimmer. It is about a man who goes from place to place stopping evil forces with his cat. Together they keep people safe from the things that go bump in the night. For this story it was the world that got me. Zimmer made it so clear and real to me. I believed in the monster and in the magic spring. If you are looking for a quick read or something steampunk or just something different try this one.

I give this anthology a Four out of Five Stars. I get nothing for this review and I bought this book with my own money.

October Mourning

Today’s Non-Fiction post is on “October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard” by Lesléa Newman. It is 112 pages long including notes, explanation of poetic forms, and resources at the end of the volume. The cover is a scene from the area where Shepard was beaten; it is in tired colors of tan, white and blue. There is a fence stretching across it and going to the back of the book. This book can be read by anyone over the age of about sixteen. There is language, talk of the violence that killed Shepard, sex, and other adult themes. So parents read this with your young adults and talk with them about it. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- On the night of October 6, 1998, a gay twenty-one-year-old college student named Matthew Shepard was lured from a Wyoming bar by two young men, savagely beaten, tied to a remote fence, and left to die. Gay Awareness Week was beginning at the University of Wyoming, and the keynote speaker was Lesléa Newman, discussing her book Heather Has Two Mommies. Shaken, the author addressed the large audience that gathered, but she remained haunted by Matthew’s murder. October Mourning, a novel in verse, is her deeply felt response to the events of that tragic day. Using her poetic imagination, the author creates fictitious monologues from various points of view, including the fence Matthew was tied to, the stars that watched over him, the deer that kept him company, and Matthew himself. More than a decade later, this stunning cycle of sixty-eight poems serves as an illumination for readers too young to remember, and as a powerful, enduring tribute to Matthew Shepard’s life.

Review- I admit that I was jaded coming in to reading this. The author’s information at the back was all about what awards she has won, what books she has written, and at the bottom it says she works closely with the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Yes I read author’s bios if I do not know the author. I thought that she was just using a horrible tragedy to make more renown for herself. I do not think that now. Newman was going to speak to Shepard’s group the day before he was attacked. She walked into a storm of grief and fear. I cried while reading this. I remember when this attack happened. The way that Newman helps the reader connect with the fear, pain, grief, and loss of Matthew is beautiful. The only thing I would change would be the author’s bio because it feels that Newman is ringing her own bell. I understand that is something that all authors (no matter what of) have to do but I, personally, do not think that this book is the place to do it. Read this book and think about your gay friends, co-workers, or family. I saw my close gay friends when Newman talked about how Matthew was strung up to die alone. It broke my heart. There is no resolution in this book but that is because there is no resolution in the real world either.

I give this book Five out of Five. I get nothing for my review and I was given this book to review for an assignment in graduate school.