Russian Winter

I am almost embarrassed to admit how much I enjoyed this book, with its overt, unabashed "chick book" premise and cover. I've recently reacquainted myself with ballet, to a slightly obsessive degree. When I was small, and very girly, I thought of myself as a cultured balletomane, in love with the only real ballet I'd seen-- The American Ballet's performance of the Nutcracker, choreographed by and starring Mikhail Baryshnikov (which I bought myself for Christmas this year). I wanted to be a ballerina, with a flowy tutu accentuating every poised leap and twirl... doesn't nearly every 5 year old though?

Russian Winter is a love story without all the roses and chocolate, and with enough regret and betrayal to make things interesting. It was a story about people living in the high society of Russia during Stalin's rule, a different perspective than most similar-period pieces. It was definitely a chick book, but literary enough to hold my attention, care about the characters, and want to figure out the whole story along with them. Plus, there was a bitchy old woman; and I LOVE old people, especially when they're feisty.
There are several storylines interwoven. The most important two being Nina Revskaya--ballet dancer, Soviet defector. We see her turn from a young, naive, loving corps member to a driven, hardened prima ballerina in the Bolshoi Ballet, to a hurt, scared, angry and embittered old woman. Then we have Grigori Solodin who is a middle-aged professor searching for his birth parents, hoping to find meaning within that knowledge.
I read Russian Winter on a plane on my way to my parents' house over Thanksgiving--a trip I was not planning to make until my grandfather died less than a week before. I suppose it stuck out on my shelf-o-ARCs because it seemed fluffy and girly and something that would take my mind off of things. Of course, the tutus, the love story, and the mystery of the necklace were the girliest, fluffiest parts about it--this was a novel rife with betrayal, heartbreak, and (again) Stalinism (I seem to read books in thematic pairs...*shrug*). Still, it provided the escapism I needed and I got sucked into the story.

Russian Winter is by Daphne Kalotay. It is available in hardcover now but comes out in paperback in May.

To Kill a Mockingbird

So I recently, for work, reread for the second time (so read for the third time) in my life, To Kill a Mockingbird. I think, by far, my favorite thing about that book is that it has been a different book every single time I've read it.
The first time, I was maybe 13 years old, in 7th grade, and it was largely a book about some kids who were afraid of their neighbor and eventually weren't scared of him because he saved them. That's what I remembered.
In 10th grade, it was on the class list again (I'm thinking this was shortly after they started trying to design state standards...bleah!) and the entire class protested: "But Mrs. Burtoft, we read this in 7th grade with Mrs. Martin! We already read it, we don't need to read it again!" and I remember Mrs. Burtoft's then infuriating answer, "You may have read it but you didn't understand it." So, I read it again, and realized (quietly to myself, as I had been unsuccessfully trying to dispel my goody-goody/suck-up image for 4 years) that I didn't understand the book in 7th grade, at least not fully. That read produced a story about racism, a glimpse of the soon-to-change South, before the civil rights movement but with a glimmer of it's eventuality.
This last time, I volunteered to lead a 50th anniversary book discussion group at work. As a 24-year-old former English and Education major, a graduate of a bachelor's program and "college life" itself (sort of), somewhat more experienced at life than my former, teen-aged selves, I approached the book once again. I read a book with a series of vignettes about citizens of the depression's small-town South; a piece mostly character-driven rather than plot-driven (though the plot certainly helped shape and flesh out a lot of the characters). I saw excellent characterization and believable, rich description of what the children -- Scout, Jem, and Dill -- were seeing and experiencing, from their perspective. I saw allusions to and integration of more history than I remember. I saw subtleties in relationships, I saw strengths and weaknesses of individuals and humanity. And, humor! a lot of it!
In articles I read after the fact in preparation for the discussion, in one of the rare interviews Harper Lee gave, she told interviewer Roy Newquist:

"I would like to leave some record of the kind of life that existed in a very small world. I hope to do this in several novels to chronicle something that seems to be very quickly going down the drain. This is small-town middle-class southern life as opposed to the Gothic, as opposed to Tobacco Road, as opposed to plantation life.
As you know, the South is still made up of thousands of tiny towns. There is a very definite social pattern in these towns that fascinates me. I think it is a rich social pattern. I would simply like to put down all I know about this because I believe that there is something universal in this little world, something decent to be said for it, and something to lament in its passing.
In other words all I want to be is the Jane Austen of south Alabama." ~Harper Lee 1964

As we all know, To Kill a Mockingbird is the only novel Lee ever published. Her aversion to interviews have given her the stigma, for better or worse, of the reclusive artist. With the classic's bestseller success by word-of-mouth alone (in a world before Twitter and Facebook and other social networking marketing-necessary implements of today), it's placement in high schools across the country, and the fact that it, 50 years later, still sells almost a million copies every year, maybe Lee achieved her goal to preserve the world in which she and Scout grew up in with one novel.
As I said near the beginning, this book has been a completely different experience with each crack of the first page all the way to the end. I love the fact that I had read it twice before, basically knew what was going to happen, but it still gripped me. That, I believe, is the mark of a true classic.


Formalities
I got some information and details and quotes from these places:

Harper Lee's interview with Roy Newquist originally published in his book Counterpoint in 1964.

Information in the publicity of the book (or lack thereof) from this article by Publisher's Weekly:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/soapbox/article/43637-the-no-publicity-bestseller.html

Let the Great World Spin

I've apparently been on a contemporary Irish literature kick this year, as two books so far fall into that category (Colm Toibin's Brooklyn and this one by Colum McCann). This novel comprises vignettes of several very different individuals who are all connected by two events within the same few days in New York City: one being a car crash, the other, the tightrope walk that took place between the World Trade Center towers August 7, 1974.
The book basically retells the same two stories from each character's point of view, but because of how McCann's writing style with each retelling embodies that of the character as they would be telling it, and because we get different perspectives and bits of information that we can then piece together ourselves, it never gets boring and nothing feels repetitive or even repeated, for that matter. There is no struggle to make every character congenial or even sympathetic. Instead, we get distinctly complex, distinctly human actions, emotions, thoughts that are sometimes downright unlikable. There's a lack of judgment from the author in spite of the clearly stated moral convictions of the characters that leaves it up to the reader to decide how they feel about each person they "meet" and each story they share. It is clear early on that some of the narrators are a little unreliable (whether they are uninformed or biased) but together, their stories flesh out the big picture really well.
What I really liked was how each character's views built upon and colored the stories of the previous ones, adding bits of information (and a lot of misinformation--which I *really* liked...it leaves the reader saying "wait now, that's not right..." fun, fun, fun!) without feeling like anything was set up. It wasn't different precise perspectives/accounts of the exact same things over the few days; it was how their lives were and how they were changed, it was where they were and what they were doing, on their own. The reader merely gets a peek into their heads and what they were thinking. There's no interrogation or prompting questions, almost like (and even more candid at times than) narrative journal entries.
Let the Great World Spin was also extremely descriptively rich. From the way one character notices another holding their teacup, to the way graffiti looks in a subway after dark, something unique to each characters senses is conveyed to the reader's absolute delight.
This is a book I plan to reread at least once. I want to see what I've missed in little details and how they relate to understanding the situations and characters as a whole, getting just a little deeper into their heads and the events as they were. I read it largely because it's the store's staff bookclub this time around, but I would recommend it to just about anybody. It's funny and heartbreaking without being too sappy. The way it's written, with all the vignettes, makes it easy to put down and pick back up if you're someone who doesn't have a whole lot of time to sit down and read an entire novel in one go (also why I like short stories when I'm busy).

NYT Article on the Evolution of Parents in YA Literature

This article was in the New York Times today and I found it interesting:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/books/review/Just-t.html?pagewanted=1

In the YA literature class I took in college, we discussed the "absent" or "incompetent" parent as often being a main component in the central character (a 12ish-year-old child) developing the skills necessary to handle the task at hand once the plot started rolling. If the parent is the same loving, doting parents as say Ward and June Cleaver, the child is still dependent on them, turns to them when there's trouble, and the problem is resolved with almost no conflict in 1/4 the amount of time. They wouldn't need to fix things themselves, it wouldn't be believable if they did.
You have to isolate the child to where they'll fend for themselves to make them the protagonist. They have to be forced to rise to the occasion. Getting rid of the parents is the simplest way to do it. When the parents are absent or unreliable, the child is forced to find the means to resolve conflict on their own. They can also get away with doing so many more things to drive the plot line than the typical child would be permitted.
This lack-of-parents is not such a new thing, like the article may seem to suggest at points. Disney movies are infamous for motherless children--usually as the result of the mother dying before the child is born. They're rife with evil stepmothers. Most, if not all, are based off of old fairy tales (however loosely) written hundreds of years prior to Disney's colorful, possibly "tamed" adaptation. So why all the widowing and orphaning? Character and plot development.
Consider Cinderella--what would that story be like if her mother and father had both still been alive when the prince was seeking a beautiful bride? You can get rid of the evil stepmother and stepsisters. Cinderella's probably not going to have to do chores either, she has a house full of servants to do them for her. With both of these factors gone, would she be as humble or gracious? It's now just the story of a rich girl growing up in her house with her parents and the prince is looking for a princess/queen and throws a ball. Cinderella buys fancy material and her servants make her a fancy dress and she goes to the ball and everything's grand, the prince thinks she's hot, they get married. No conflict. Boring. Also, the prince's main attraction to her was that she was different from all the other girls. Having grown up in the exact same circumstances now, would she be any different? Would the prince still even want her? If not, then all you've got left is a story about a rich girl with perfect parents and servants. The end.
The difference with today's novels is that the problems the parents face seem to be more internal, they're grappling with psychological hurdles. Many times, the parents are good people, they're just having a tough time. The child is forced to "grow up" themselves and take on a roll of caretaker either for themselves, siblings, the parent, or all three. These more real-world situations show most kids that they don't have it so bad. Or, in the unfortunate event that they do, that someone else has gotten through it--they can, too.
The children reading these YA novels are also looking for an escape. In a world where adults get to make all the decisions and it's parents, police, teachers, and other grownups "fixing" things, children like imagining that one day they can make a difference. Reading these books, kids can relate to the characters, feel like they are helping solve the mysteries and saving the day. This propels them to have that hope and naivete about the future we lose in our teenage years, sinking us into angsty despair. Eventually we grow out of it, but the world isn't half as rosy as it once was.

Palace Beautiful

Okay so this book is pretty much based on a shared dream of every single 8-to-15-year-old girl. The premise is that three girls find a secret room in the attic of an old house with a diary in it left there by a girl their same age over sixty years ago.
The book takes place in the 1980's (which is why the cover looks like the books I, myself, read in the early 80's--an attribute I love for authenticity's sake and worry about for the sake of the book in that kids these days will not be attracted to the dated-looking cover...maybe their parents will?) in Utah and the diary they find is from 1918 during the flu epidemic.
The story is really well written for the age it's geared toward. Sadie is an artist and each chapter is given its name after one of the colors mentioned within it--all of which are rich in personality and description (ex. "used-to-be white", "nail-polish pink", "fuzzy monster green").
There are parts of it that are very depressing and verge on despairing at times, where I had to remind myself that, since it's a middle reader book, things would eventually turn around. Despite tragedy, the overall message of the book is one of hope and the importance of familial connection and friendship.
Reading it, kids will become fast friends with the characters and wish even harder to find that little alcove under the stairs or hidden door in the basement. The reading level is set for 10-year-olds. I'd say the content and writing would be good to hold the interest of some older but less confident readers as well especially since the main character's age is 13.

Brooklyn

In honor of this novel's coming out in paperback today, my first post is about Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. An Irish immigrant, Eilis is young, in her early twenties, when her sister finds a job for her overseas in America. Throughout the book, she struggles to decipher the meanings of, among other things, "home" and "womanhood" as she deals with homesickness and first love.
As odd is this is going to sound, it was refreshing to see the perspective of an immigrant from post WWII era. A bildungsroman that can be appreciated by the wisdom that comes with age (and hindsight) and the search for (and confusion about) the self that is so easy for youth to identify with, Eilis's story is one that resonates--especially in women--with a range of ages. The humanity in each of Toibin's characters is easily believable, lovable, and therefore forgivable all at once.
It did take me a little while to become emotionally invested. I think because while I was reading, Eilis and I were both trying to figure out where she was and what sort of character she was at the same time. Later on, this proves to be a strong bonding element in the reader-character relationship. A sweet girl, eager to please, she was almost too sweet for me (a little boring, perhaps?) in the beginning. When conflict was introduced, she began to show her emotions more, revealing someone much more complex with more than simply new surroundings to get used to. Once I became attached to Eilis and cared about her story, it held me.
The (arguably ambiguous?) ending possibly being my favorite part, may leave some readers feeling unsatisfied or even angry, but that's what I loved about it! It begs to be discussed over coffee.
Like Eilis herself, it was a quiet, yet moving novel. Those of you who are looking for something to give to your great aunt or grandmother, Brooklyn is a good choice.
This recommendation sounds like an advertisement. I'll find my critic's voice soon enough, I promise.

numero uno

okie dokie so i still think blogs are silly (and i really hate the word "blog", it's terrible) and i'm sure nobody really cares what i think about the books i read (especially since most of them are for kids...) but i like most of them and for some reason feel compelled to let the internet know that they exist and they're good (or crap). for those of you who don't know me*, i work at a local bookstore and feel like the little 3-sentence-long rec tags i write for the shelves, because of their size and my inability to be concise, do not provide an entirely accurate portrayal of my views of the book. not that lengthening the review will guarantee you'll know exactly what i thought when i read it, but, it'll help...maybe.
anywho, yeah. don't ever feel obligated to read this if you know me* because you know me, i won't bring it up in conversation or quiz you about the most recent posted book...i really don't care. i'm also not going to pretend i'll be even a little regular with these things. just, when i have free time, if there's anything i've read recently that's worth mentioning, it'll be up here. i'll also try to include an age guide to let y'all know whether the book is for adults or kids and maybe it'll help some of you find things to gift to young'uns, maybe?
i highly encourage dialogue from you guys, if you're interested--whether it's a question about what i've said or what i've neglected to mention, your own experience with the book, or a recommendation of another book.
anywho, that's it for my first post. happy reading!

*if you don't know me...who are you, how did you find this, and what possessed you to read it? don't get me wrong, you're as welcome as anyone...it's the internet and trying to claim that anything on the internet is exclusive would be really dumb and defeat the purpose of posting it there. i'm just curious about any readership i've acquired from people who aren't forced to socialize with me on a regular basis and feel, out of guilt, that they have to pay some attention to this despite that entire paragraph stating pretty much that they can completely ignore it. anyways, stranger, hello! and what's up?