"The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

"The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

I. forgot. to. review. a. book!  I knew there was one I had read during the busy part of summer that I never wrote about! I recently asked for memoir/biography recommendations on Facebook and my cousin said "The Glass Castle" in a comment, then it hit me like a flash of lightening!  The title I forgot to review!  I'm glad she brought it up, because it really was a moving read.  It's just that my mommy brain has too many holes in it.

"The Glass Castle" is a memoir.  One of Walls' earliest memories is boiling hot dogs for herself for lunch on a gas stove top.  At the tender age of three.  Let that sink in for a minute--a three-year-old handling gas flames and boiling water, unsupervised.  Her little dress catches on fire and her mother rushes in from the other room, where she had been painting.  She puts out the fire but recognizes little Jeannette is in need of medical care.  She borrows a neighbor's car to rush her to the hospital, where she is treated for a few weeks for her burns that cover much of her torso.  Until her father decides he's fed up with doctors and their western medicine.  He decides to check Jeannette out of the hospital "Rex Walls style," grabbing his daughter from her hospital room and heading to a get-away car.  Just one of the anecdotes of Wall's unconventional upbringing.

Unconventional?  Certainly.  Neglectful?  Absolutely.  Abusive?  Too a degree, I'd say.  Many readers would argue that the intensity of the neglect inflicted upon Walls and her three siblings was abuse.  But the children were never beaten by their parents, however, they were put in countless compromising situations that put their mental, emotional, and physical well-being at risk.  Story after story in Walls' arsenal of personal history left my jaw scraping the floor.  I cannot fathom any parent putting their children through the conditions the Walls children had to endure:  not enough food, inadequate clothing, parents splurging money on booze and art supplies instead of providing for basic needs, moving frequently to avoid run-ins with authority, a house so poorly insulated that icicles formed on the inside walls, using a bucket for a toilet inside the kitchen.  It goes on and on and on.  

I was constantly expecting a diagnosis of some mental or emotional disorders for the parents, but it never reached that point.  The children lived with their parents' illogical and selfish choices until they were old enough to fly the coop.  One by one, they left home and went to New York City, where they scraped a living for themselves and finally got to live in a way they chose.  Just when they thought they're getting control of their lives again, Rosemary and Rex follow their children's lead and come to New York, also.  Jeannette has to learn how to deal with her parents in her new life and the new roles she's adapted to.

This book will constantly surprise you.  Truth is stranger than fiction in this case.  And the story-telling is so comfortable for the reader to dive into.  Despite the horrific tales, you can also cheer when Jeannette overcomes her obstacles.  I can't overemphasize how impressed I was with the almost objective way Jeannette recreated her childhood experiences.

"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

I finished listening to "Insurgent" last week.  For a few days, for a few hours at a time, you could find me hunkered down on my couch with ear buds in my head while working on a crocheting project, occasionally interrupted by children and housework.  It was a very happy time, though, when I could live in this semi-hypnotic state, engulfed by fabulous story-telling and "double crochet, double crochet, double crochet, chain chain, repeat."  Bliss, indeed.

The saga continues for Tris and Four, along with Marcus, Peter, and Caleb, as they arrive in the peaceful headquarters of the Amity faction following the Dauntless attack on Abnegation, courtesy of an Erudite simulation.  But you know a couple of Dauntless won't last long in the peaceful banjo-strummin', hand-holding atmosphere of the Amity farm life.  Especially after Tris learns Marcus knows the secret behind the Erudite attack on Abnegation.  She'll risk almost anything, even her relationship with Four, to find out the truth behind her parents' deaths, .

Throughout "Insurgent," Tris is tortured by memories of some of her actions during the Erudite attack on Abnegation.  She can't forgive herself for the act of self-defense, and she's ashamed to confess to those closest to her, especially Four.  When he does find out, he is injured by the fact she wouldn't trust him enough to tell him herself.  In fact, the majority of this story is Tris being reckless and bristly because of the conflicting emotions she's bottling up inside.  She feels her life is only worth something if she sacrifices herself for the greater good, like those who sacrificed their lives for her survival. 

I loved this follow-up to "Divergent," but I hated how Tris treated Four throughout the book.  But that's a Dauntless romance for you, I guess.  I kept wishing they'd just kiss and make-up and she'd stop picking fights.  By the end she got all her ducks in a row.

(I listened to this one on audio book, and I have to say, the narrator did a FANTASTIC job when Tris is given the Amity peace serum.  It was probably funny in print, but it was over-the-top hilarious hearing the narrator's ditzy voice inflections when Tris is under the influence.  The. Best.)

The set-up for "Allegiant" has left me WAY too excited for its release.  I know I should have waited to start this series, but what can you do?!  Oh, re-read the books, I guess!

"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate"

Ever since I read "Heaven is Here..." by Stephanie Nielson, I've been checking in on her blog every now and then. In one of her posts, she mentioned this being one of her new favorite books. I was planning a 20 hour drive to see my parents and saw this in the audio books section at the library and thought it would be perfect for my trip.

Calpurnia Tate is 11 in 1899 and is the only girl in a family of all boys. Her mother is intent on making her more domestic in the arts of homemaking, but Calpurnia has much different interests. She is fascinated with the world around her and why things are the way they are. As she explores her world, she begins to also see her grandfather in a much different light.

I loved being able to listen to this book- especially when I was all alone in my car for hours at a time! :) It's a great book for girls that are more interested in things other than what the social norm expects of them. However, I felt like it smacked a little too much of feminist ideals. Calpurnia is constantly asking why: "Why can't girls be scientists? Why do girls have to stay home and cook and knit?". Questions that I'm sure girls had during that time period, but I don't know. Something about it just made me think the author may have been trying too hard to let girls know they can be anything they can.

Anyway, other than that little bit, it was a great book. I laughed out loud a couple of times at the wit and humor the author displays and loved the characters' development throughout the story.

"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand

"Unbroken"

I took AP US History in high school, but I don't remember much at all what I learned about WWII.  And what tidbits I do remember all evolve around the European side of it.  Sadly, most of what I know about America's involvement in the Pacific side of WWII comes from the 2001 movie "Pearl Harbor."  Yup, my familiarity with history is pretty sad.

After several recommendations, I finally decided to try "Unbroken."  I actually had it loaded on my iPod for months and months, but didn't start listening to it until a few weeks ago.  It was a wonderful reading by actor Edward Hermann (I recognized his voice, but looked over his filmography and the only movie of his I've seen is "Overboard"--funny I remember his voice from such an obscure and long-ago appearance).  

"Unbroken" is the life story of Louis Zamperini, a first-generation American born of Italian parents.  He was a hellion as a boy, causing his parents great amounts of angst and frustration.  As a young man, his older brother Pete trained him up as a runner, and he found state- and nation-wide recognition for his achievements on the track, ultimately forming him into an Olympic runner in the Berlin games of 1936.

With the onset of the war Louis was called up to serve as a bombardier and served several successful missions over the Pacific.  One sad day his plane was gunned down and he and two of his crewmen were stranded on a raft in the ocean for 47 days.  They were taken prisoners of war by the Japanese, and the following years of interrogation and POW camps where horrific and difficult to comprehend.  But the Japanese lost and Louis finally went home, believed dead by the military for years.  

His post-war recovery was gruesome, but he finally found hope in Jesus Christ through a tent revival by none other than Billy Graham.  He repaired his life and committed himself to helping troubled boys, much like his brother had helped him when he was young.

The strongest impression I got from this book was, "How much more can a man live through?"  I listened to the audio book, like I've mentioned, and it had a total of 214 tracks.  I kept watching as I progressed through the story as it got more and more incredible, stretching the imagination almost by the minute.  And then I'd see how many tracks were left in the story, my jaw dropping to see how much of the story was left to be told.  Again and again I wondered what else a man could endure and still survive.

I'm not prone to tears when I read, but "Unbroken" brought me close so many times.  The Bird.  That's all I will say.  This book will change the way you think about humanity.

Click here to read Micaela's review of "Unbroken."

"Reached" by Ally Condie

"Reached" was released in November 2012.  In September or October I put in a purchase request with my library for copy of the audio CDs.  They're usually very good about fulfilling purchase requests as long as they think there will be a big enough demand for that title, especially if it's part of a series.  So I thought acquiring "Reached" would be a no-brainer.  When December came and went I finally put my name on the book waiting list, believing the library either couldn't purchase the CDs at that time or lost my request.  When I was #9 on the book reserve list, I got an email saying the CDs were available for me to pick up.  Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

"Reached" is the third book of the "Matched" trilogy. I was very happy when I started listening to it and learned my guess that "Reached" would be narrated by the three main characters--Cassia, Ky, and Xander--was correct.  Ally Condie has a fantastic talent for creating her stories.  I felt as I listened to it that Condie gave birth to her stories through words like a stone cutter reveals a statue hidden in rock.  Her poetic imagery and symbolism were so natural, it felt as though those elements in the story always existed; she was able to expose them and mold them to give the words their own voice to be heard.

And I have to say I really adore the book covers.  The art and aesthetic appeal really draw me in.  I find myself staring at them in sequence as Cassia emerges from her glass bubble.  As she destroys it, she becomes reborn herself.  It just makes me all sorts of happy.

Finally, I listened to the entire series on CD.  Books on CD can be fantastic little productions.  I like the feeling that someone is reading me a bedtime story, like when I was a little girl.  All three audio books were a pleasure to listen to.

My "Matched" review can be seen here.
My "Crossed" review can be seen here.

"Driven" by Larry H. Miller

"Driven"

Stop number three on the biography train!  Toot toot!  (I know that was a ridiculously cheesy into--but I won't apologize for it!).

I picked up "Driven" because, well, like most books, friends and family had talked about it and made me curious.  And because it was an autobiography, I couldn't help myself.  I did borrow it from a friend, but covered most of the book on audio CD.  Thank heavens for my iPod.  (Tangent:  My hubby bought that for me on Valentine's day when our second child was less than a week old.  He said he knew I would just love it.  Truthfully, I had never once thought an iPod was something I needed.  Even though it's an older model, it does exactly what I need it to do, and it is a wonderful little gadget.  It's even my favorite color--green.)

Larry H. Miller is an iconic figure for the state of Utah.  The funny thing is, I lived in Utah until I was 24 and I didn't realize how far-reaching his business and philanthropic dealings were.  That man, through his goodness of heart and talents, did so much for the state of Utah.  He didn't just own the Utah Jazz and dozens of car dealerships.  He had pet projects that benefited groups as well as individuals.  He really wanted to make the community better.  He wanted to do so much good with his life and money there wouldn't be any more good things to do.  He was an impressive man.

But, like all men, he had significant downfalls.  His biggest shortcoming was fatherhood.  He pretty much missed out on his children's upbringing because he confused being the breadwinner as fulfilling his role as father.  But I think after he realized the magnitude of his mistake, he tried his best to make it up to his adult children.  And his poor wife, Gale, taking care of five children and a busy husband.  But I'll have to say, having the kind of resources that were available to her probably made the near-single-parent mode she endured for so many years a bit easier to shoulder.  

I loved the audio book because the epilogue was written and read by Gale Miller.  It almost seemed her voice cracked with emotion several times, but who am I to say that's not what she normally sounds like.  

The book was published posthumously; Larry Miller died on February 20, 2009.  The book was published in 2010.  Doug Robinson, a Deseret News writer, was working on the book with Larry for the last seven months prior to his death.  

I really recommend this read.  Even if you don't know anything about Utah, or don't really care to learn anything about Utah.  I think Utah and Utahns are a misunderstood group of people, and I think this man's life could teach you a thing or two about that unique and special place.

"Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe

Book club is tomorrow, so I didn't finish this book with much time to spare!  I would never have pulled it off if I hadn't listened to the CDs.  If I were reading a hard copy, it would have taken me a loooooong time.  I think I enjoyed it more as I listened to it than I would have if I read it. It's long, it's old, it's wordy.  But I liked the grandfatherly voice telling me the story.

I didn't know this was one of the oldest books printed in the English language, so that made it more interesting for me to read.  I mean, this book is nearly 300 years old!  There are not many books that old that people still read and know the general story line.  Another thing I didn't know what how religious this book was.  It accounts Crusoe's sins and conversion to Christianity, and the character elaborates in great detail his feelings on repentance and providence.  One negative to listening to this book than reading it was I missed out on noting all the quotes or passages that moved or inspired me.  There are two that I manage to remember:

"I have...often observed, how incongruous and irrational the common temper of mankind is, especially of youth, that reason which ought to guide them in such cases, [namely] that they are not ashamed to skin, and yet are ashamed to repent; not ashamed of the action which they ought justly to be esteemed fools, but are ashamed of the returning, which only can make them be esteemed wise men." 

and
 
"It is never too late to be wise."


There were parts of the book that rankled, but they couldn't be helped.  If you consider when the book was written compared to the modern era we live in, there are just simply going to be points that will be perceived as politically incorrect.  First, the treatment of animals.  I am NOT an animal activist.  I don't like cats and dogs.  My family maintains a small fish tank and my children understand that is the extent of pet ownership we'll ever reach in this home.  But when they kill the lion but refuse to eat the meat, or tease then shoot the bear, these were both senseless and unwarranted instances of animal abuse.  (I have to keep telling myself it's just a story and not take it too seriously.)  I was also frustrated that Friday talked about the bears on his homeland of Trinidad.  I'm not an island girl, but my instinct told me bears do not reside in the Caribbean.  I did several online searches about the wildlife in Trinidad and nowhere did I find bears listed as natural inhabitants of that island.  I also asked my husband, who lived in Jamaica for two years, if there were bears in the Caribbean and he was fairly certain there were not.  And after the instances of animal abuse and incorrect accounts of island wildlife, I didn't like that once Friday was rescued by Crusoe, Friday instantly submitted himself to a Master.  I didn't like Crusoe automatically presuming ownership of another man, which Europeans seemed so fond of doing to less-developed civilizations.  But, that's just a reflection of the era in which the book was written and the world Defoe knew.

All in all, I did enjoy the core of the book, which is Robinson understanding his dependence on God.  No one sat there and told him God saved him and providence supplied his safety and needs, but he learned it himself through his own survival and began to see God's instructing Robinson in His own manner and methods.

"Crossed" by Ally Condie

"Crossed" is the sequel to "Matched."  I had heard most readers didn't like it as much as the first.  I enjoyed it very much, however, not as much as the first.  There were some parts where the transition of certain ideas didn't flow smoothly and I had to skip back to re-listen to certain passages so I could catch up to what was going on in the story.

 There was one slightly bigger thing that bothered me. There are four groups addressed in the book:  the Society, the Rising, the Farmers, and the Enemy.  But the Enemy is only referenced to, it's never explored.  The characters take for granted the Enemy is who the Society and Farmers say it is, and there is not much information to go off of aside from the fact the Enemy exists and shoots at certain groups from time to time.  I'm just hoping the question of the Enemy is answered in "Reached" (released November 13, 2012).

I liked the introduction of a few new characters, and I hope some them carry on into the next book.  "Crossed" was written from the duel perspectives of Ky and Cassia, and part of me wonders if "Reached" will alternate between Ky, Cassia, and Xander.

I'm really looking forward to "Reached" and need to be sure my library has a purchase order in for it.  Two months isn't too long to wait!

"Go Forward with Faith: The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley" by Sheri L. Dew

Book two in my series of biography reading.  For now, it just makes sense to keep going with the prophets of the LDS church, though I do want to branch out and read other biographies.  I got the CDs from my library, and when I went to load them onto iTunes I discovered I had the abridged version of the book.  Abridged!!!  I was upset, but I knew they library didn't have the full book on audio and I didn't want to wait another week to get it started by requesting it via inter-library loan, so I proceeded.  When I listened to Pres. Monson's biography, I loved all the little tidbits of history included in his story.  I was afraid of being disappointed by Pres. Hinckley's book with only the most significant events touched upon, but I wasn't.  Gordon B. Hinckley was my prophet, at least the prophet of my youth.  I remember the day President Hunter died; I was in 8th grade and it was announced over the loud speaker in my junior high (chalk one up to 'things that would only happen in Utah county').  I was sitting in my natural sciences class.  I remember the press conference a week later with Pres. Hinckley, Pres. Monson, and Pres. Faust.  Pres. Hinckley conducted the temple dedication session I attended when I was 16 at the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.  He was always the voice of comfort and guidance through my teen and young adult years.  I remember exactly where I was when news of his death reached me four years ago--I was about 5 months pregnant with my third child and I was reading in my bathtub.  I remember it was late in the evening when the phone began ringing.  Derek came into the bathroom to tell me President Hinckley had passed away.  I felt as if the air had been knocked out of me, and I mourned the loss of my leader.  I loved listening to the stories in Dew's book because I had many memories of the events described in the later years.  More than once, tears swelled in my eyes because the Spirit spoke to my heart in testimony that this man was the Lord's prophet on the earth during those many years, and the work he did in service to his God and the members of the church was truly great.  What Pres. Hinckley did with temples over the earth was truly a blessing to all members of the church.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I was born and raised in this beautiful gospel as has my ancestry for several generations.  I love the Gospel of Peace and our Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness for His children.

"To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson" by Heidi Swinton

Through a series of events, I've decided it would be beneficial to me to start reading biographies and study biography.  I started with the biography of the 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Thomas S. Monson.  I started off reading the book, but I knew if I were to ever make it through I would need to get the audio CDs.  Plus, the book was heavy.  I mean, I've read several thick books in my life, but for some reason this one was very weighty, as if it reflected the life of the man in heaviness.  That sentence came out all wrong, but in my head it makes sense.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this story, and Heidi Swinton did a fabulous job writing the life of the man who has been in church service over 60 years of his life.  She's my new role model.  And the life of the man himself is of course, marvelous.  There's no way I can summarize on this blog the biography of the living prophet on the earth, except to say how it moved me.  I kept mentally kicking myself, asking, "Why didn't I read this sooner?  Are all the prophets' biographies this special?  I need more!"  

I have just started my venture into biographies, and this was a big life to start with, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  If you've ever heard a song that touched your heart, or a verse of scripture that seemed to make time stand still and you could see your life and surroundings clearly for that brief, frozen moment, then you'll understand how this book made me feel.  I felt privileged for the movement of the spirit as I heard the stories of work and faith of this amazing man.

Question for readers (don't be bashful, speak up):  What biographies would you recommend to me?