Camper

Book Club: The Kennedy Detail

It has been ages since I've done a book related post - though I haven't stopped reading.  In fact, over the last few years I have used a fun little site, Shelfari, to keep track of what I have read as well as to scope out items for my to-be-read list. (Shelfari isn't the prettiest site nor the most tech savvy but I have enjoyed the 50-Book Challenge group in particular as a resource - if you decide to check it out.) 

So, in the new year, as we revamp Camper a little bit, I thought I would restart the book club.  I enjoy reading for a number of reasons - broadening my horizons, escaping day-to-day life, marveling in the beauty of the English language (at least when left to a more artful writer).   Another reason is the window a good book offers to reflect on life.  Such was the case with my latest literary endeavor.

I think I have mentioned here before the fact that I am a serious Kennedy fan.  My dorm was covered in Kennedy prints, last fall during our trip to Boston I realized a long dream of visiting Kennedy's birthplace and the Kennedy library.  My history thesis was on Kennedy.  I have read dozens of books about the entire family.  From the age of roughly 13 I was bound and determined to name my daughter Kennedy (and then I married a man named Johnson and decided that was just too dorky!)  But I digress . . . . The point is when the new book written from the perspective of Kennedy's Secret Service Agents came out it was a no-brainer present that thankfully my mom didn't disappoint in getting for me at Christmas. 

As I read the chilling (literally - there were several times I had goose bumps all over) account of what the men charged with protecting Kennedy endured those dark days after Dallas I was struck by several thoughts.  On the one hand I finished this book just as news was breaking of last weekend's shootings in Arizona - talk about spooky timing.  The events in AZ and the completion of The Kennedy Detail left me amazed at what we ask our leaders to risk and to give up every day.

My day job brings me in contact with government officials on a daily basis. And in an age when partisan bickering is enough to turn the most politically minded off, and when society's level of trust in government is at an all-time low, working with elected officials can be very disheartening.  (As it was when I watched an elected official who is notoriously wacky ask Gwen Ifill where her family came from.  She answered Barbados and he then asked how they got there.  With great poise Ifill flatly responded "I'm pretty sure on a slave ship." And yes, this man of great wisdom and discretion has been elected multiple times.)  So, when witnessing things like that one can understand why public approval of all elected officials is so low. 

But, I am also fortunate enough to meet and get to know the finest of those individuals called to public service. Those who inspire and who are willing to take the constant criticism and the time away from their family and the long hours doing an often thankless job because they believe in our form of government and want to help make our country better. As I finished The Kennedy Detail and watched the unfolding horror of what happened to Rep. Giffords, I was struck anew of how lucky we are that there are good people willing to sacrifice - literally everything - to make our world a better place.

And so this is my long-winded way of highly recommending The Kennedy Detail.  As a history buff it was a book I couldn't put down.  Even if you aren't a Kennedy-nut or a history major like myself, it's an amazing view into an event that stopped time and from a perspective that has not been told before. 

K

The Time Traveler's Wife - The Movie

OMG!  Adam and I read this book almost two years ago. I finished it while on a plane to a business meeting and sat there like a fool sobbing! I loved, loved, loved this book!  And have been so excited by the movie.  I love both Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams.  Adam was nervous because the release date kept moving back and that doesn't usually bode well. But I saw an interview a few weeks ago with Rachel that said the delay was the need to reshoot a few scenes and Eric had shaved his head for another role so they had to wait until his beautiful wavy locks grew back.  That made me feel better and this preview looks amazing!  I cried just watching it and can't wait to see it!

Book Club: Three Cups of Tea

It has been ages both since I've posted at all and since I've done a book selection.  In general life has just been crazy the last few weeks with several new projects at work and the great icepacolypse of 2009.  On the book front, I've read several titles but just haven't posted on them for no other reason than sheer laziness.

However, my most recent read is one I simply must recommend. Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea is an inspiring must read!  Three Cups tells the story of how Mortenson's near death experience on K2 led him to what would become his life's calling - building schools in impoverished Pakistan and Afghanistan in an effort to spread peace through education. His is a story that almost seems unbelievable and truly illustrates what a difference one person can make. 

And beyond inspiring you to make a difference for those less fortunate it is a fascinating look at another culture.  Mortenson's experiences shed light on a way of life in a region all too often branded in our news as little more than a terrorist hot spot.  Mortenson illustrates that the basic desires of people in Pakistan and Afghanistan really aren't that different from our own.

Three Cups is a fast read and one that is guaranteed to leave a mark - assuming there is a heart beating in your chest.  While I strongly urge you to read it - I would be remiss if I didn't warn you that Mortenson's successes will likely leave you wondering what it is you spend all of your time doing.

If you want more info on the book or Greg Mortenson's crusade to spread peace through education and opportunity, check out his website.

Book Club: Breaking Dawn

****SPOILER ALERT****
If you are a Twilight series fan and have not yet finished Breaking Dawn - be forewarned - the following discussion could ruin your day with spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.

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I have to start this review with an account of my participation in the Joseph-Beth midnight release party.  Shana and I laughed and wondered the whole way up there if we would be the oldest people there. We were not. There were a lot of parents there supervising their giddy teenagers. Shana and I weren't even the oldest people in line anxiously awaiting the chance to get our grubby hands on the book.

The release was a blast. A fun, festive atmosphere with kids dressed up like forks (the book takes place in a town called Forks).  Team Edward shirts were everywhere - we only counted one Team Jacob shirt. Shana and I were good and sat out the trivia contest and let a young lady take home the free book - though we totally could have kicked her ass! I got a very clear, Alice-like glimpse of what my future holds in approximately 13 years when Campbell is a teen girl squealing and giggling around our house. My ears are still ringing from the deafening scream that shook the building at midnight as the first girls in line grabbed their copies and went running out the front doors. 

I am so glad we went and was, in all honesty, busting out of my skin as much as any thirteen year old girl there to get the book and read it.  Which I have done.  I spoke few words to Adam this weekend as every minute of free time was spent devouring the book.  My anticipation was well-worth it as Breaking Dawn was, in my estimation, the best book of the four part series.

Meyer's writing style is straight-forward and easy to read - as always. She will not compete for one of the great word smiths of all time like Toni Morrison or Harper Lee.  But she does tell one hell of a story.  As with all three of the other books I couldn't put it down.  Edward and Bella stalked my dreams. I cried at the joy of their wedding, laughed out loud when Jacob imprinted on Renesmee and was again reading through tears as Bella said goodbye to her daughter - choosing to sacrifice herself in hopes that Renesmee could live.

I've said it with all three of Breaking Dawn's predecessors, the story may be set in the lives of teens but the books hold a great deal of promise and entertainment value for adults, too.  So little of the stories - none of this last one - deal with high school and the melodrama that makes life so trying.  In this book in particular I had to remind myself that Bella and Edward were frozen at eighteen and seventeen respectively.  The characters do not read like children and what they face is far from infantile. I could honestly feel the terror and pain of facing the loss of your child as I read of Bella's dilemma.  So, for any adult out there that has not tried these books out, if you like a good yarn, enjoy a good dose of entertainment and fantasy - and a great love story - then you have to read these books!

Meyer out did herself with this series finale. I can't imagine that anyone out there is disappointed by the ending.  Even the one, sole girl rooting for Bella and Jacob to end up together can't be saddened by him finding his soul mate in Bella's daughter. I can't wait to reread these books with Campbell when she is older. And as Adam will contest I probably won't wait that long to reread them myself.  Afterall, I've already read Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse three times each!

Book Club: Thunderstruck

Thunderstruck by Erik Larson is a non-fiction account of how the lives of a murder and an inventor entwined during one of the most sensational manhunts in British history. Thunder reads much like a novel and is intriguing and educational. I learned more than I ever thought I would about how telecommunications began. To me the story of Marconi's unlikely road to inventing the telegraph waffled between interesting and tedious at times.  However, the story of Scotland Yard's pursuit of "The North London Cellar Murderer" is compelling from start to finish.

Overall it is a good read. I read most of it on the way to Kiawah for vacation and it was an apt choice for such stop and go enjoyment.  Larson's prose was well-crafted and has left me intrigued to try his other true-life murder mystery account - The Devil in the White City.

      3 of 5 stars

Next Selection: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. This novel about love, mystery and life with the circus comes highly recommended from a dear friend!

Book Club: Dreams of My Father

While it would appear to anyone tracking how long it has been since I announced this book that it has taken me two months to read Obama's first book, this is not the case. I must admit I tucked The Other Boleyn Girl in before starting Dreams in order to read it before the movie. (As a brief aside, the book is much better than the movie.)

For anyone wanting to know who Barack Obama the man is, you need look no further than the pages of this book.  Dreams of My Father is an unabashed look at what it is to grow up of mixed race in America - an enlightening view for those of us blessed with fair skin and the perks that come along with it.  Obama wrestled with how to be black without that presence in his life everyday.  Reading his life's story one understands that he truly does see the world through many lenses - a perspective that makes him uniquely suited to lead our melting pot nation.

At a time when the media is fixated on the idea that Obama is out of touch with average Americans I wish the press would pay attention to this book - to more than the passages acknowledging drug use. As Reverend Wright's anger and frustration at his government dominate headlines, I wish the media would look to Obama's struggle with such bitterness throughout his life. For those that insist Wright's focus on skin color must translate to a similar obsession on Obama's part I wish they would read this book.  Obama is not out of touch with the average American.  He wants to be defined by his race no more than the average white southerner wants to be defined by a racist heritage.

"I  had stumbled upon one of the well-kept secrets about black people: that most of us weren't interested in revolt; that most of us were tired of thinking about race all the time; that if we preferred to keep to ourselves it was mainly because that was the easiest way to stop thinking about it, easier than spending all your time mad or trying to guess whatever it was that white folks were thinking about you."

This passage struck me because throughout this campaign I have found myself wondering what black people think of skinny white girls like me who are running around with Obama stickers on their cars. Aware of lingering racism, I grew-up wondering in the back of my mind if anything I did could be wrongly construed as such.  To learn that the same insecurities plagued Obama and his friends was just one example in this book of how truly similar we all are.

In Dreams of My Father, Barack Obama talks about healing from start to finish. He often doesn't use that word but in his search for self and heritage and harmony, he is seeking to heal, to meld the diverse parts of himself. It is this same sense of healing - both racial and non - that he seeks to bring to our country now, at a time when we have so much healing to do. Anyone questioning Obama's character or understanding of what it is to be American and to love a country and want to work to make life better for all of us needs to read this book.

  4 of 5 stars

Next selection: Thunderstruck by Eric Larson. Thunderstruck is the historical tale of Hawley Crippen and Guglielmo Marconi, of murder and invention.  It is the account of one of the greatest criminal chases of all time.

Book Club: The Book Thief

The Book Thief should join Anne Frank's diary as a must read for young adults. The perfect fictional compliment to Anne's story, The Book Thief is the story of a young girl, Leisel, growing up in the shadow of Nazi Germany and The Fuhrer.  Told from the perspective of Death, this story is haunting and beautifully written.

Even as a grown adult who has read many books, seen many movies, even taken a college course on the Holocaust, I was struck by the story.  I found myself in tears at one point imagining the horrors of the Berlin bombings and living through war - a tragedy we in America have never faced as private citizens. The book made me face the fear that, in the ever shrinking world in which we live, such a safety from destruction may not grace sweet Campbell's life.  That is how alive these characters become as you read the story Death has to tell.

A fabulous read. A truly creative perspective. I highly recommend this book.

    4.5/5 stars

Next Selection: Barack Obama's Dreams of My Father

Book Club: The Road

Cormac McCarthy'd Pulitzer winning novel, The Road, proved a challenging read for me.  In this case, the struggle was a testament to the author's skill and achievement.  McCarthy's story of a father and son wondering the roads of a post-apocalyptic America in a struggle to survive is deeply moving - a true rendering of the pain and discomfort each character feels. 

I quit this book twice before finally finishing it. I couldn't help but picture Campbell in the place of the boy and I didn't like the feelings associated with that picture.  I finished the novel last night before bed and my dreams were haunted by images of tarps and a hungry Campbell. 

Unlike Adam, I didn't necessarily find the ending uplifting but I am glad he pushed me to finish the book.  It is a starkly realistic and captivating look at life and death, love and sacrifice.  The road is, in my interpretation, a metaphor for life and the father and son experience the highs and lows together as the father tries to teach the boy how to survive on his own in preparation for the day when he must continue down the road alone.  It explores the fear all parents have of leaving their children behind "unfinished" and alone.  I know mortality was something I took for granted before Campbell came, just knowing I would die one day and being content with the days I had in hand and hoping I was making the most of them.  But since Campbell entered the picture I can sympathize with the father's fear of mortality - his and his child's.

The Road is a gripping, wonderfully written novel.  I would recommend reading it if a disturbing read is your style.  I don't think anyone could possibly read this work and not feel changed and altered at the end.

        3.5/5 stars

Next selection: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  The Book Thief is the story of a little girl surviving in Nazi Germany whose love of books leads her to steal -or save - pieces from book burnings.

Book Club: Eclipse

Wow.  I am officially going through withdrawal. After reading all three of the books in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series in less than a week, spending every minute of spare time turning the pages and devouring her delicious stories, I have the shakes now that I am done.

Eclipse brought the story of Bella and Edward to a fitting but not perfect pause (not an end, as thankfully a fourth book is in the works).  As I mentioned in my last review these are light reads, not overly thought provoking.  The prose isn't lyrical like a good Toni Morrison.  But the characters are well-developed (I'm still in love with Edward) and my heart raced during the climactic battle scene as anxious as Bella to learn who would live and who would die.

At one point in the middle of the pivotal chapter, two pages of my book were seamlessly stuck together - so completely that I honestly thought I had picked out a bum copy that was missing a crucial two pages.  I cussed out loud.  Thankfully I eventually got the pages apart (I guess turning them back and forth angrily and repeatedly in a short period of time will do that).

One way I judge a good work of fiction is whether or not the narrator's voice stays with me.  The last time I was left with character echoing through my thoughts so completely as Bella is now was with Memoirs of a Geisha.  Meyer's relationships are complex even for this young adult book and the characters are well explored.  They become friends, you feel like one of the Forks gang or a member of the Cullen clan by the time you finish the books.  I can honestly say I miss Bella and Edward.  So much so that I am having to fight very hard to stifle the urge to re-read all three books again starting NOW! (If it weren't for the fear that Adam might divorce me I would probably do just that.)

          4/5 stars

So, somewhat reluctantly I move on to my next book.  The Road by Cormac McCarthy.  Adam just finished it and promises it will move me deeply.  I'm a little nervous as the book gave Adam nightmares.  I have another lighter read in the queue to follow this one up just in case.  Plus, there is always a return trip to Forks to lighten my mood . . .

Book Club: Twilight and Half Moon

First things first. I apologize.  I cheated.  I read the next two "selections" without writing in between.  But, that just speaks to how wonderful Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series is! Fabulous!!! The essence of page-turning pleasure.

Bella, a high school junior, finds herself in a new school when she moves to live with her father. She hates the idea until she sees Edward - who turns out to be both a vampire and her soul mate.  The three-part tale follows the ups and downs of this improbable love.  Meyer weaves a delicious tale as she builds this love story.  You will find yourself in love with the characters -  yes, I have a literary crush on Edward - pulling for them to beat the odds.

Twilight and Half Moon are both easy, enjoyable reads.  Like the Harry Potter series, they are primarily aimed at the tween population but appeal to adults as well.  The wit of the dialogue and banter between Bella and Edward left me embarrassed to realize I was smiling to myself.  Thankfully I was not in public - unlike when I wept at the end of The Time Traveler's Wife while flying cross-country.

These books are the perfect vacation, beach or, in my case long weekend, reads.  (Adam is still annoyed that I spent every spare minute this holiday weekend reading - but I couldn't put the books down.) If you don't have a vacation or holiday looming on your immediate horizon - don't wait to read these books!

I feel confident that you will be glad you didn't wait and will have as much trouble putting these books down as I did.  You'll soon forgive me for reading two books for one post!  And now that this post is finished . . . off to read the third in the installment!

     4/5 stars
Next selection: Eclipse

Footnote: Twilight the movie is currently in casting and is tentatively scheduled for release at the end of the year.  For Harry Potter fans - Robert Pattinson (aka Cedric Diggory) will be Edward and Kristen Stewart (Panic Room) will be Bella.