What I have been reading in October

Three Cups of Tea / Graig Mortenson
Pillars of the Earth / Ken Follett
The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd Eighth Grade Bites / Heather Brewer
The Hunger Games / Suzzanne Collins

Well what a super month of reading October turned out to be. First I was inspired by our Book Club Pick, Three Cups of Tea / Graig Mortenstern. This is the true tale of a super hero. The word used to describe him most in our discussion was persistent. The work of building 50 some schools for girls in Northern Pakistan was gruelling with extreme difficulty and hardship to endure. I would not be the person Graig turned out to be sleeping in my car or on friends floors so that I could eek out some savings from my meager nurses' salary. No, I was amazed that against all odds he kept at it even in the face of losing everything he held onto his dream. Thank goodness for his goodness. I am inspired to try to be a better person and do something to help someone. Maybe I can help one small person one day, if I take the time to prepare now. I hope so.

Picking up the Pillars of the Earth after reading about Graig I was introduced to the vilest villain that I have read in a long time. While everyone in this book is most interested in self-promotion which is far different from the self sacrificing motives in Three Cups, there is one particular character that is just pure selfish evil. William Hamleigh really is despicable. I had to keep turning the pages quickly to get past the bits describing his vile acts. This was a good thing, since the librarian that signed out my hold on this book told me there would be no renewals on this title. It is an Oprah Book so there are many others waiting to read it. I wanted to get because Kevin had said it was a good read years ago when it first came out. Now they are preparing to make it into a Mini-TV-Series. I wanted to read it before watching it. I hope they censor out some of the grosser bits for that. I found it to move well and maintain interest while entertaining. It is an interesting time piece, not a masterpiece like Umberto Echo's Name of the Rose, but somewhat satisfyingly set in time and space. Told from the layman's point of view it ought to be rough around the edges. No real need for an extension, 1000 pages flew by with this tale.

Next for some fitting Halloween reading. The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd Eighth Grade Bites / Heather Brewer filled the bill with humor and a tantalizing introduction to a 5 book series. Vlad is a sympathetic character going through High School and getting by on blood bags hidden in his chocolate Twinkies. I loved this familiar world with a supernatural twist:-) I can tell this will be a fun winter while I troll through the next 4 books. Mr. Otis has many more doors to open I am sure.:-)

The intrigue and odd bite in the Vlad tales paled in comparison to The Hunger Games by Suzzanne Collins.
Katness is such a strong character, a champion for survival, and an honest voice. Her point of view is in the moment with vivid descriptions of the extreme violence she is forced to endure as a participant in the games. A futuristic science fantasy like no other that I have read, it reads like a fast paced action thriller. The romance is endearing yet all a part of the game, really. This read was a delight. I know I was embarrassed into reading it when Stacy our Scholastic Representative asked me if I had read it yet? and I had to answer no, again this year. She has been very enthusiastic about this trilogy. The kids have been too. It would have been difficult for me to hang onto this book for ling since everyone has had to be reading it since it broke onto the scene. I am glad I finally took the time for it. Not much time really, it keeps you up until you get through it with the amazing world and circumstances it creates. I think I will read the sequels before the kids now though. That has to be the librarians perk:-) I highly recommend this read. Until next time happy reading.

Louise Riley Bookclub

I went to the Louise Riley Bookclub blog today and found out what books we are reading until January.

I am a little disappointed that I have read most of them. I think this may be a good thing though since we are talking about the books at least I am familiar with them already so the pressure to do two or three reads pre session will be off. The list follows:

Three Cups of Tea
The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
The Old Man and the Sea

This list represents heroic literature, a humanitarian icon beyond all normal reason, a determined little book club that can, a superhero of monolith proportions, and a stuborn old coot. I think I love these titles and will have a great time talking about them. I must say the treat of the mechanical dog at our last meeting was beyond all expectations for the talk about Farhenheit 451. I might have to think about a few possible treats for the next meeting:-) My belly says Non Food would be best:-)

Welcome to my new Blog!

On this Blog I will be posting comments and thoughts on books and videos that are impacting my life. I welcome discussion and recommendations. Hope you enjoy as much as I will! 


~Karen