Weekly Posts

As the assignments are getting more involved and are taking more & more time, I am going to stop posting to the blog.  I will however explore the resources included in the assignments.  Thanks for this worthwhile RA effort.

Week 5 - Building Base Knowledge (Part 2)

I've been checking the NPR website which continues to be filled with great recommendations.  The Mystery Readers (genre) website hasn't really changed since week 1.

Early Word is a fascinating resource.  I really liked finding out about the new category of books they call New Adult.  This is the age between adolescent and adult.  I also liked the New Title Release listing for the week of May 20.  This is just what I have been looking for.

The highly anticipated titles section is great. One of the titles is the Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud who also wrote The Emperor's Children.  This is a relatively slow paced story of a woman who falls in love with the family of a Lebanese-Italian student in her class.  I have started reading it and, while it pace is very slow, there is something in the lovely language and the way the author describes her feelings that holds my interest.

Week 4: Building Base Knowledge with Goodreads

Goodreads is really easy to use.  That's the first thing I noticed.  It was so easy to add books I've read.  Once I did that, I was amazed at the reading recommendations I received.  They were great!  Actually, I have some of them at home already, waiting to be read.

I sent a recommendation to a friend for the Divergent series. I've read the first 2 and can't wait for the third to be published. It's very similar to the Hunger Games. It is a dystopian society where teens struggle to save their world. It's a fast read with lots of thrilling adventures. It's a great book to recommend to teens who liked the Hunger Games and are looking for something similar to read.

Week 3 - RA Conversations

Conversation 1 - I really liked Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Try The Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Beyond the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez.
This is a true story about a hairdresser from Michigan who goes to Afghanistan with a group offering humanitarian aide.  She establishes a beauty school for Afghan women, which is no easy task, and they share their stories and their hearts with her.  This is a heartbreaking and heartwarming story told with humor and warmth.


Conversation 2 - Books about vampires, but not like Twilight.
How about the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris? This is a fast-moving, adult series with vampires, werewolves and other legendary creatures.



Conversation 3 - River of Doubt - Do you have something like this book about Teddy Roosevelt and an ill fated expedition to an uncharted river in the Amazon?

I would suggest State of Wonder by Ann Patchett.  This fictional story tells about a woman who travels to the Amazon to investigate the death of her colleague who was checking on the progress of a rogue scientist developing a fertility drug that could rock the medical profession and reap enormous profits.


I would also suggest my favorite, Unbroken, a fast-moving biography of Louis Zamparini who, along with his crew, crashed in the Pacific.

Week 2 - Appeal Factors

 
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Pacing:  I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next.  This is not always the case for a nonfiction title.

Characterization:  The main character, Louis, is a person you can relate to.  He had issues in childhood which became assets as he grew to adulthood.  He suffered unbelievably during the course of these events and yet managed to survive and do well.

Language.  The author, Laura Hilenbrand, writes beautifully and manages to capture the reader with her words. 

Setting:  The locations for these events move from the local neighborhood, to the Air Force, the airplane, life raft, ocean and island.  All of these settings are believable, well developed and the reader feels involved and can visualize each of them.

Detail:  Because of the research and the author's way with words, this story is rich in detail.  You feel you are in the raft, adrift in the ocean.  You feel you are in the POW camp and starving. 

Tone:  While this is a survival story, many of the men did not survive. The tone was often somber. But it was also shocking, heroic and joyous. 

Learning/Experiencing:  A story of survival is always a learning experience if done right.  And this was.

Black Fridays by Michael Sears
This is the story of Jason Stafford, a Wall Street trader who was sent to prison for some improprieties.  He's back on the street now and wants to get his autistic son back from his selfish, Southern Belle ex-wife, and of course, get a job.


Pacing: This is a slower paced book, but one that keeps your interest.  It's actually a financial thriller which grabbed my interest.

Characterization: The main character, Jason, was extremely wealthy, but lost his money when he was sent to prison.  His driving force is to reclaim his son "the Kid" and help him manage his autism.  Their relationship is funny, emotional, shocking, touching, and always unexpected.

Language.  This is the author's first book.  He worked on Wall Street and his knowledge comes through in the book.  Although it is mostly plot driven, there is something fresh about this book. It is beautifully written.

Setting:  Located mostly in New York, father and son travel to the south where mom and grandmother live.  Jason's apartment is sparcely furnished and very different from his previous life.  The primary setting, however, is present day Wall Street.

Detail: Because of the insider knowledge of Wall Street, the author is able to convey in simple terms, the complexity and mystery of this business. He discusses investments, accounting and other financial dealings in a way that even I can understand.

Tone:  The relationship of Jason and "the Kid" is compelling throughout the story. It also has all the elements of a thriller that kept me turning the pages to see what comes next. 

Learning/Experiencing:  I learned lots of insider stuff about Wall Street that I never knew.

Books & Genre Links

After checking out these links, I've decided on the NPR Book Link because I like the way it's organized and it isn't as slow as Goodreads.  Also, I've had some customers talk about books they've seen on the NPR site and have always wondered about it.  And, of course I want to support public radio.

It was a no-brainer to pick the Mystery Readers International  Genre link.  The first Journal in 2013 lists Environmental Mysteries which I really enjoy.

I was sorry that there weren't some other genre links to select from.

Done One!

That wasn't so bad!