Pam Webb

a writer's journey as a reader

Archive for the category “reviews”

20 Nov 2013
2 Comments

Dear Mr. Knightley


While the title sounds like yet another Jane Austen spin-off, Dear Mr Knightley, is actually an updated version of the classic epistolary coming-of-age novel, Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster. Debut author, Katherine Reay, openly has the character borrowing both from Austen and Webster, which is either annoying or endearing. It’s the reader’s choice.  And that’s what the storyline becomes: annoying at times, yet also endearing at other times. It’s annoying to continually have Austen and company quotes tossed about throughout the storyline, yet, on the other hand, it’s also endearing to have a character who relies on literature as a means of survival. One of the stumbling blocks in determining audience appeal is pinpointing whether this is a YA novel or not. Although the protagonist is in her twenties, her lack of confidence and bevvy of relationship problems produce a character voice of someone closer to high school age. As for the storyline itself, there is intrigue and momentum as the plot eventually reveals the identity of Mr. Knightley.

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image: GoodReads.com

Young protagonist Samantha Moore, has bounced in and out of foster care when younger, but life becomes better when she becomes a recipient of a foundation grant allowing her to enroll in a prestigious journalism program. One of the stipulations is keeping her mysterious benefactor, Mr Knightley, apprised of her academic progress. Straight up missives about tough professors would be boring, of course. Instead, through her correspondence with Mr Knightley, we learn all about Sam–her inability to have meaningful relationships, her doubts, her fears, her failings, her victories, and finally her accomplishments.
While the  beginning is a bit rough, the middle makes up for it. But the ending–though fitting for the plot direction, is a bit unrealistic. Then again, happy endings are one reason we select escape reading. And it is easy to escape into Dear Mr. Knightley–who wouldn’t want a mysterious benefactor, one who listens silently and produces a magic wand at the right moment to make life a bit easier?
Fans of Austen and other classics will relish the quotes liberally decorating the story throughout. And those who want a light romance with a hint of mystery will appreciate the story as well.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This book was provided, by BookSneeze®, in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

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14 Nov 2013
13 Comments

A Bit of Bard for the Kidlits


List of titles of works based on Shakespearean...

How well do your kids know this guy? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Shakespeare. He probably isn’t on most parental to-do lists when it comes to childhood enrichment items. Then again–why not? We trot our kiddos to soccer practice, piano lessons, and the library to enrich their lives, why not foster the love of the Bard at an early age?
Acclaimed playwright Ken Ludwig believes infusing the Bard into our children’s lives is an essential, endearing adventure to undertake. His How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare is both inspirational and inventive in its approach. Although I no longer have kidlits at home since my progeny are now building their own nests, I can still adapt Ludwig’s methods by amending them to classroom instruction, especially since the ninth grade Common Core curriculum has a Romeo and Juliet section.

Teaching Shakespeare to our children is a notable endeavour. Ludwig states a few of his goals as to why he taught Shakespeare to his children on page 11:

  • giving them tools to read Shakespeare’s works with intelligence for the rest of their lives
  • enriching their lives
  • exposing them to literature to inspire them toward achieving great lives as they grow
  • providing meaningful shared experiences

Cool. Those are pretty much my intentions when I teach Shakespeare to my classroom kiddos.
Ludwig hits all the essential values of the “why” of Shakespeare:
1. The richness of imagery
2. The lilt of rhythm
3. The nuances and playfulness of language
4. The importance of memorizing and tucking away forever a few exceptional passages to pull out and nibble on throughout life
5. The joy of exploring character

Shakespeare’s plays showcase poetry at its best. Why wait until the kinder are all grownup before relishing the richness of English language? I am always amazed when I get a ninth grader who states, “Shakespeare? Who’s Shakespeare?” Admittedly that confession is rare. Unfortunately, the only Shakespeare most students know is Romeo and Juliet. On the other hand, by the time they leave high school they will become acquainted with at least three plays and a a handful of sonnets.  Sadly, I didn’t have any Shakesperience until I began teaching it.  That’s nearly thirty years of being Bardless.  Shocking, I know.  Now I’m a professed Bardinator and hope to put my acquired knowledge to page, one of these days.  We’ll see.  I have too many books in want of writing as it is.

For now, I am thrilled to introduce Shakespeare to my freshmen and strive to induce appreciation for his words and wit.

Mass-produced colour photolithography on paper...

Anyone out there have the Bard on their parent list? Is it squeezed in with ballet and soccer?

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30 Oct 2013
7 Comments

Poe Is the O in October


Word association time.  Let’s go with Poe:

  • creepy
  • scary
  • gruesome
  • mesmerizing
  • madness
  • death
  • Pits
  • Pendulum
  • Hearts
  • Ravens
Edgar Allan Poe Museum (Richmond, Virginia)

Edgar Allan Poe Museum (Richmond, Virginia) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yeah, ravens. Who doesn’t know The Raven? Don’t tell my freshmen, but after we get their poetry notebooks all turned in we are pretty much done with the curriculum poems and now it’s verse revelry. This is where I bring out poems that I’m hoping will be memorable.  I like to bring out The Raven because, of course, it’s well-done, it’s a classic, it’s a trademark, and plus it’s creepy.Come on, you know what I’m talking about. A guy passing a quiet evening in his library and a crazy overgrown crow bops in and redundantly cries “Nevermore!” That’s nutsy stuff.

There are scads of versions to pursue–everything from the smaltzy Vincent Price movie to Christopher Walken’s chilling audio clip to The Simpson’s animation silliness. While all these have their own value, I have discovered my new favorite.

I’d love to know what you think.

Christopher Lee is riveting, and the illustrations–I never knew they existed!

So–Poe is the O in October not only because he left this world in such an ambiguous way on October 7th, but also because he is Oh So Creepy and for me October is the creepy month. I’m not going there about the bizarre event of parading kids around at night in costumes to hit up strangers for candy (don’t get me going on that one)–no, no, it’s not really that. It’s more due to the fact that October signifies the diminishing of daylight and I sorely miss my daylight. It’s darn right creepy to wake up at 5 am in pitch black and then have it just as light deprived at 5 pm. October must have inspired Poe to dwell so much in darkness.  He definitely rates the King of Oh-My-Goodness-That-Freaks-Me-Out writing.

English: Cover of the pulp magazine Weird Tale...

English: Cover of the pulp magazine Weird Tales (September 1939, vol. 34, no. 3) featuring The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. Cover art by Virgil Finlay. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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25 Oct 2013
4 Comments

Oh Willa–Your Pioneers!


''The Song of the Lark ''Oil on canvas, 1884

”The Song of the Lark ”Oil on canvas, 1884 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As I continually research my own pioneer novel-in-progress, I return to favorites for inspiration.  Having reread most of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House of the Prairie series, I am moving on to more grown-up fare such as Willa Cather’s Midwest trilogy of My Antonia, Song of the Lark, and O Pioneers!

Cather’s writing continually surprises me with its subtle acuity. She follows the nineteenth century omniscient style of narration that is no longer in vogue, yet as I read her seamless insights into each character, I realize I am easily visiting each character’s thoughts while still in the scene. That’s art.  It adds so much more dimension to the reading  that I find myself slipping from third person limited into omni in my own writing. *Sigh* Maybe I shouldn’t be reading Willa Cather–at least until I get my manuscript’s revisions tidied back up.

In that regard, unless you have your own concerns about being overly influenced while writing your own pioneer epic, I suggest rereading or experiencing Willa Cather’s O Pioneer!

Cover of "O Pioneers!"

Cover of O Pioneers!

Why?

It’s good stuff.  Really good stuff. Setting, for instance.  Turn to page 97 of your Random House Vintage Classic version and feast:

(Part III: Winter Memories: I)

Winter has settled down over the Divide again; the season in which Nature recuperates, in which she sinks to sleep between the fruitfulness of autumn and the passion of spring. The birds have gone. The teeming life that goes on down in the long grass is exterminated. The prairie-dog keeps his hole. The rabbits run shivering from one frozen garden patch to another and are hard put to it to find frost-bitten cabbage-stalks. At night the coyotes roam the wintery waste, howling for food. The variegated fields are all one color now; the pastures, the stubble, the roads, the sky are the same leaden gray. The hedgerows and trees are scarcely perceptible against the bare earth, whose slaty hue they have taken on. The ground is frozen so hard that it bruises the foot to walk in the roads or in the ploughed fields. It is like an iron country, and the spirit is oppressed by its rigor and melancholy. One could easily believe that in that dead landscape the germs of life and fruitfulness were extinct forever.

Personification, alliteration, imagery galore, tone, diction–it’s a banquet of literary delight.  Cather dedicates this full exposition to set up how this coldest of seasons affects the characters.  Steinbeck did much the same in Grapes of Wrath. Remember the turtle scene?

Sometimes I think we forget the importance of slowly revealing the story in our pressing need to “let’s get on with it” plot modernity mentality. Yet, there is an absolute pleasure in immersing oneself in the cadence of well-placed and balanced words.

Oh Willa–your pioneers keep singing to me of your prairie love through your song of fields, seasonal cadence, and your indelible tribute to those who left their mark upon the land.

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19 Oct 2013
5 Comments

Saving For The Rain


Collapsed umbrellas a temple in Japan.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Good advice is like an umbrella when it rains–some use it, others don’t.
Dave Ramsey’s ministry of financial advice is much like the umbrella analogy. Some people are in the middle of a financial drenching but they still won’t open the umbrella of good, solid financial advice. Ramsey does his best to provide umbrellas through his numerous books and radio show, and his Classic Edition of The Total Money Makeover provides solid, sound financial principles.
Even though this is basically a reissue of his 2003 version, it still packs lots of sense.
In his introduction he makes the statement,”I am positive that personal finance is 80 percent behavior and only 20 percent head knowledge.” That could explain a lot about the financial crisis in our country. Learning to spend money is much easier than learning to save it.
Quite a bit could be learned from just flipping through the inspirational stories. So many people have benefited from learning to hold off and hold on, to get a hold of their finances.
In a nutshell, Ramsey promotes these principles:
Cover of "The Total Money Makeover: A Pro...

Cover via Amazon

1. Create a small emergency fund of $1000
2. Pay off all debt
3. Establish a full emergency fund to cover several months of living
4. Invest for retirement
5. Create a college fund for the kids
6. Pay cash when possible
7. Have fun
8. Give unto others

What is really appealing about Ramsey’s principles is that he perpetuates the idea of having fun and giving to others–it’s not all about amassing money like a Scrooge. What is not appealing about the book is that it is not only repetitive, it is basically a repackage of every other book he has published. However, no matter how many times he says it, it is still great advice, and if a person is looking for a plan on how to get out of debt, or is wanting to learn how to start saving early to stay ahead later or needs some encouraging testimonies of how others beat their own debt troubles, then this is a book to have on hand.
Folksy, down-to-earth, sometimes corny in approach, Ramsey never fails to inspire the goal of saving for those rainy days.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

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01 Oct 2013
7 Comments

Male Bonding


50 years of Bond films
is definitely a time of reflection.

The six James Bond actors of EON Productions f...

The six James Bond actors
of EON Productions films, as they appear in their individual gun
barrel sequences, from left to right – Sean Connery, George
Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel
Craig. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last night The MEPA and
I rented Skyfall to celebrate that I arrived
home with absolutely no papers to grade. Perhaps the first time
since school started.  Although we experienced
Skyfall in all its IMAX wonder, there’s
nothing like cozing up on the sofa in my IKEA robe with a handful
of chocolate macaroons, watching a Bond flick with my favorite guy
next to me. Who needs to wait for the weekend?

Bond. James Bond.

English: James Bond films

English: James Bond films
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

He is part of the culture. An
icon. An institution.  And he’s held his age quite well,
considering he’s been shot at, tortured, survived impossible
reckless encounters with cars, rockets, really big men with iron
teeth–let alone his penchant for fast women and fast cars.
Drinking martinis alone should have aged him. I’m thinking the
choice of Bond reflects what we expect of our male ideal. Sean
Connery: THE James Bond–cool, calm, quick with a well-place quip.
A man’s man, and every woman’s ideal. Connery reflected the
sixties male of being in control of his environment, and that
included women.

Sean Connery at the private party after the pr...

Sean Connery  (Photo
credit: Wikipedia)

Roger Moore: It must have been tough following Sean’s footsteps. Sean exuded capability, while Moore
attempted charm. He tended to mistake panache for pandering
and I just couldn’t warm up to his lack of physical prowess.

English: Sir Roger Moore

English: Sir Roger Moore
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Timothy Dalton: Dalton had the
looks, charm, and physicality of the suave secret agent. I had
hoped for a longer run.

Pierce Bronsan: A great
transition from Remington Steele to steely nerves and smooth demeanor.  Bronsan brought class to the series and reflected the nineties male who still showed a bit of chauvinism towards women, but also respect–once they earned it.

English: Brosnan Pierce at Cannes in 2002.

Pierce Bronsan (Photo
credit: Wikipedia)

Daniel Craig: When Bronsan got
bounced from the series the pressure must have been tremendous for the next Bond in question, yet this blonde Bond has transcended and
redefined the role. He epitomizes the tough male who is willing to show his compassionate side. I see Craig’s Bond as the modern King Arthur, tough yet revealing a vulnerability. Bond. If you think about
it, he is a reflection of what we expect out of our males for that
particular era. So, bond today?  No pressure, guys. Just
be good with a punch, be it verbal or physical, and don’t forget to shake your martini. Oh yeah, it’s okay to shed a tear for a fallen comrade, should the need arise. Any votes for
your favorite Bond?

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20 Sep 2013
6 Comments

The Morphing of the Omni Narrator


Right now we are toughing out poetry with my freshmen. *sigh* “We study poetry because oral storytelling came before the written language came into existence, plus many of the elements we study in poetry exist in fiction–you know, like imagery, diction, syntax, metaphors, analogies–so get to know poetry and you’ll understand and enjoy fiction that much more.”  And the question? (Jeopardy music, please)

Why do we study poetry?

Returning to the anticipated second quarter…(quick, quick, I’m losing them)

Once I get to short stories in the curriculum it’s pretty easy sailing, since my students are versed in plot, characters, setting, and such. Theme sometimes throws them; however, point-of-view gets them pondering. For instance, trying to explain the omniscient narrator is tricky these days. Back when, I used to say, “The Omniscient narrator is a lot like God–you know, everywhere and knowing everything about everybody.” I’m getting less comfortable about using that analogy in such a forthright manner.  I still believe it’s a valid analogy, yet don’t want to offend any of my students.  Let alone get the ACLU or other NSA types coming after me.

Cover of "The Long Winter"

Cover of The Long Winter

Another problem with trying to explain the omniscient narrator is that the old-fashioned version of the narrator filling into the details has changed into something quite different. For instance, I recently reread The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (don’t snicker, it’s a great read, besides it’s for research–really) and Wilder includes in the story what’s happening to the town’s people and to Almanzo and Cap who are all caught up in a grueling blizzard, in an inclusive fluid manner.  I rarely come across this type of narrative style today. As Bob Dylan once said, “Times they are achanging.”

In the last few years I have noticed a trend where the omni narrative is now designated as separate chapters.  This at first proved quite annoying because the point-of-view kept changing. One chapter would be one character, the next a completely different one.  I felt like I was juggling characters to the point of wanting to run an Excel sheet to keep it all straight.

The last few novels I’ve read have run this narrative style, and every new book I’m pulling from my suggestion list and review newspapers seem to be pandering this new style. I keep checking them out though.  I’m either getting used to this new kaleidoscopic style of story-telling or I’m so starved to read I’m willing to put up with it.

Here are some examples of recent titles with the switch-hit character changing technique. Enjoyable reads all, but fret and nuisance, doesn’t anyone write in the old-time omni narrative style anymore?

http://www.goodreads.com

http://www.tumblr.com

http://www.tumblr.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any thoughts, Book Boosters?

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26 Aug 2013
3 Comments

BookSneezing: Jesus, My Father, the Cia, and Me


When my review journal closed up shop I suddenly felt like Linus when Lucy grabs his blanket away: “Aauugh–I need my review books!” Fortunately more and more publishers are realizing the value of promoting authors through review opportunities. This is where BookSneeze comes in. Odd name, but it got my attention. Like most review platforms, a person fills out the application, gets accepted, selects a book, reviews it, and then posts it. Oh, and the disclaimer statement:

Disclaimer

I received these books for free from the publisher through the booksneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

My first BookSneeze selection is:

Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me
You have to admit the title is catchy. It’s also a bit misleading. This isn’t a memoir about how a hardened CIA agent finds Jesus, or is even about the radical transformation of a born-again spy, instead it is a fascinating account of how the author coped with having a father who happened to be a CIA agent. Jesus provided the glue that kept the author from flying apart during his dysfunctional childhood, although the author didn’t realize it until he was an adult.
Writing with candor, Ian Cron provides a glimpse into that secret life of being a spy kid, although Cron didn’t find out about his father being a CIA agent until his mother pulled him aside when he was a sophomore in high school. Unfilled question blanks about his father began to get answered, but it didn’t necessarily help the bonding process. The biggest problem in the author’s life was not having a CIA agent for a father; it was having an alcoholic for a father.
Sometimes we go on a search for something and do not know what we are looking for until we come again to our beginning. –Robert Lax
This quote at the beginning of the book provides the nucleus, for the author was on a quest for his father’s approval throughout his life; however, this quest also became a search for who he was as a person.  This is a truly mesmerizing chronicle of the author’s journey of trying to understand his father so that he may understand himself. Throughout the havoc of growing up with an alcoholic parent we also see how a mother’s love provided an anchor, how friends provided support and diversion, and how mentors provided counsel until healing, forgiveness, and acceptance finally occurred.The author has a talent for weaving in levity while relating the pain of his circumstance. The only downside is that sometimes there were continuity lags as the author switched from the present to flashbacks. Overall, the book is well-written and a recommendation for those interested in overcoming difficult childhoods or for those who are curious about what it might be like to be a real “spy kid.” While this is non-fiction, I can’t help but think it would be an intriguing novel. And yet, if it were a novel, some would no doubt find it a little difficult to believe. However, as they say: the best stories are always the true ones.
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07 Aug 2013
7 Comments

What Price for Truth?


I am not prone to read books about the Holocaust. My mother, being German and having lived through the horrendous devastation of WWII, is my reminder of the harsh cruelties of war. I do though enjoy parallel plots and historical mysteries, and I picked up Sarah’s Key at the library for those two reasons, hoping its Holocaust story would not be too overwhelming. Unfortunately I found myself too much involved in the story before realizing the story would not have the happiest of endings.  So this serves as your SPOILER ALERT–if you can’t bear books of tragedy then I suggest finding another novel.  However, if you are attracted to the likes of The Kite Runner, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and The Life of Pi, that is a story where redemption is featured, then you might seek out Sarah’s Key.

While most Holocaust stories focus on German Jews, other countries also persecuted their Jewish countrymen. In France, in 1942, the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup took place, where over 4,000 French Jews were taken to the Velodrome (an outdoor sports arena) and detained for days in inhumane conditions. They were eventually deported to the camps. So shameful became this event that is was not taught in schools, and no photographs remained.  Out of sight, out of mind. Yet, an event of such magnitude is not forgotten, and its truth resurfaced as Julia researches the event for the magazine she works for.

Sarah’s Key is twofold, a parallel plot: Julia’s and Sarah’s. Julia Jarmond is an American journalist who has married a Frenchman and embraces her life in France. She is assigned to write an article about the Vel’ d’Hiv as the 60th anniversary draws near. Sarah Starzynski is the parallel story taking place in 1942. She is ten when the police come for her family and she thinks to protect her younger brother by locking him in the cupboard. Her story is about returning for him. As Julia researches the article she focuses on Sarah and becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her because Sarah did not die in the camp.

I stayed up all night reading this novel, something I am not in the habit of doing. Quite frankly, I abandoned Julia’s story and read Sarah’s instead, returning to Julia’s after completing Sarah’s. Her story is riveting. As much as I wanted her to have a happy ending, it did not end well, but her devotion to her brother is moving.  Her story stayed with me long after closing the book.

Recently, I discovered the film, and of course knowing the novel, I was a bit reluctant to watch it.  Fortunately, it was filmed with sensitivity and the actress playing Sarah is phenomenal. The weaving of the two stories, Julia’s and Sarah’s’ is handled much better in the film than it was in the novel. I actually suggest watching the film first, and then read the novel.

Sarah's Key

Sarah’s Key (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Both the novel and the film explore the aspect of truth. How important is it? Is it necessary to reveal the truth? What is the ultimate price for realizing the truth? For a country, there came the reminder of a shameful historical past.  For Julia, it was the realization that her devotion lay stronger for her child than her husband.  And for Sarah–for Sarah the truth became unbearable.  At one point, Julia’s husband, angry at her obsession with researching about Sarah and her family, wonders about the value of truth. “Is anyone happier for it?”

Truth hurts. There is a price for truth. Sarah’s Key is a different slant on the Holocaust, but for me, it is a reminder that truth is what we seek, although its answers often wound.

Emily D painted this portrait of Truth:

I did mention the novel also addresses redemption. Sometimes discovering the truth or revealing it serves as a catharsis, and a person is relieved to have Truth’s brightness purge the darkness that can come by trying to hide it.
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03 Aug 2013
8 Comments

Ten Sites for Book Lovers


It’s time to contribute my own top ten list. Of course it’s related to books!

1. NY Times: what books are top sellers?

2. GoodReads: a community of like-minded bibliophiles where we share, compare, review, and discuss the books we read. I most appreciate the site for its book list feature.  I have been able to track down books I’ve read since childhood.  This has solved many of those “What was the name of that book?” questions.  Another feature I use is to bring up similar lists of interests when I am shopping for another read.

3.Wikipedia : ssh, don’t tell my students, but I refer to Wikipedia to get background information on authors and their works. I often get behind the scenes info and author history that helps me better understand and appreciate what I am reading, plus there are external links to adaptations (gotta see the flick after reading the book).

4. Book Crossing: this site proves the saying, “If you love something you will let it go.” The concept is to register a book with the site and then attach the registration marker in a book. And then…leave it.  The idea is someone will pick it up, go to the site, plug in the registration number, leave a few words about the book, and it’s hoped they will leave it for someone else. If you have ever come across the “Where’s George?” stamped on a dollar you have discovered the serendipty of the moment.  Who else has read this book? What travels has it seen?

5. Shmoop : looking for summary, theme, symbolism, the why-should-I-care factor for reading your book? This is the site.  Witty literary analysis provided by PhD students and other smarties, helps shed a flashlight on those hard to fathom passages.

6. Bookspot: what books have earned awards?

7. The Gutenberg Project: a  digital library with over 42,000 full texts of public domain books.

8. Amazon: buy your book right here. I often rely on it as a means for finding authors and their books, and similar subjects.

9. Overbooked: Overbooked’s mission is to provide timely information about  fiction (all genres) and readable nonfiction for ravenous and omnivorous readers (from the site).

10.  Bibliomania: reading and study guides galore and then some

Other recommendations:

Ellyssa Kroski created a worthwhile list of her own: 10 Websites for Book Lovers

Laura DeLeon provides a list of free book reads:  Web Reading 

Saratoga Springs Library:  Websites for Readers 

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