It's Monday and life is rolling right along....

Hi there ladies and gentlemen! How are you doing?

This summer thing is finally starting to feel natural. I don't have to remind myself anymore that David doesn't have to catch the bus. We have settled into a routine of sorts - Tuesday is library and storytime day, Wednesday is movie day, and on Thursday we try to plan something special, like a trip to the playground or a friend's house. I have a big stack of books to read with David this summer. We are currently reading The Tale of Despereaux. While we don't have any major plans for summer, I am looking forward to many good days with my favorite little guy and little girl.


Read This Week:

Now I See You
By Nicole C. Kear



Frog Music
By Emma Donoghue


Posts from this Past Week:
It's Monday
Wednesdays with David: Frozen
Reviews of Boy, Snow, Bird; The Rise and Fall of Great Powers; and Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys


Reading Now:

Moby-Dick
By Herman Melville


Love and Treasure
By Ayelet Waldman


Up Next:

The Winter's Tale
By William Shakespeare


What are you reading this week?

Review: Wild Things

Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys

By Stephen James and David Thomas

Tyndale House Publishers January 2009

368 pages

From the library

When I was pregnant with David, I went to get my usual sonogram to find out if this precious little one was a boy or a girl. The tech moved the wand around a bit and said, "Well, I'm not 100% sure but I think that it is a girl." I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I have three younger sisters. I was a babysitter/mother's helper extraordinaire. I could handle this.

The tech then asked me to go walk around a bit and come back so she could get a better reading of the heartbeat. I came back and she moved the wand around again. After a moment of silence, she said, "Oh. That's not a girl."

I cried.

What in the world was I going to do with a boy? I knew nothing about those little loud, dirty things. 

Six and a half years later, I still sometimes find myself wondering what in the world I am supposed to do. How do I wrangle this small person with so much energy? That's where Wild Things comes in. If you are the parent of a strange person who tracks dirt into your house and makes your bathroom a danger zone, this book is for you.

Stephen James and David Thomas have double know-how for this particular book. They are both fathers of boys and both men work as therapists with children and adults. Their book is broken up into several sections. The first part is entitled "The Way of the Boy" and it breaks down the different stages from toddler to adulthood, with an emphasis on the developments that your son is going through during that stage, what he needs from you, and tips to put those concepts into practice. After that, James and Thomas tackle the things that are unique and challenging about the minds and hearts of boys. They spend time on the ways that boys learn, their need for unstructured and physical play time, and the unique ways in which mothers and fathers can create bonds with their sons.

I knew that this book would resonate with me as a parent from the beginning, when the authors write that the book's subtitle is not haphazard. They note that teaching is important but when we say that we can 'mold' or 'shape' our children, we are implying that our children will turn out perfectly if we achieve certain goals. "It [nurturing] first takes into account who a boy is created to be, and then looks secondarily at our role as influencers on that design...Boys need us first to recognize who they are. Then they need the help of wise and committed adults in navigating the way from boyhood to manhood." 

My favorite thing about this book is how precise it is. Instead of just giving vague ideas, there are tips at the end of each chapter that will help you integrate the things boys need at that particular stage. For example, in the section about a boy's brain, they teach that boys are not great at impulse control, multitasking, or talking about their feelings.Then they recommend lots of time for active play and breaks when needed. The authors also advise that you teach your son how to articulate their emotions and create opportunities at home that will use their vivid imagination and intellectual strengths. 

Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys is a great resource for anyone who is raising or working with boys. It is clear on every page that both writers have a heart for boys and young men. The genuinely want them to succeed at every stage of life and they want you as their parent, grandparent, teacher, or coach to be a part of that success. This is a book I will be referring to often as my son grows up. 

Note: This book is written from a Christian perspective, but the authors don't beat you over the head with it. There is so much in this book that will be applicable for all parents, regardless of your beliefs. I think everyone can agree that we should teach our children that there are things in the world that are bigger than they are, right? 

Review: The Rise and Fall of Great Powers

The Rise and Fall of Great Powers

By Tom Rachman

The Dial Press June 2014

384 pages

Read via Netgalley

Tooly Zylberberg is finally living a quiet and consistent life. As the owner of a small bookstore in Wales, her days are filled with books and thankfully little human interaction. Tooly avoids conversation when possible because conversation leads to questions and questions reveal that Tooly has answers she doesn't want to share. As a child, Tooly traveled the world in the company of a quartet of caregivers: Paul is a quiet computer genius who travels from country to country to set up computer systems for embassies; Sarah is a mysterious beauty with a penchant for disappearing; Humphrey is an elderly Russian man who adores reading and Tooly; and Venn is the cryptic and charismatic leader who orders all of their lives and then vanishes without a trace. Each of these adults had a profound effect on Tooly and when she is called to care for one of them, she is determined to find answers about who they are and who she is as a result of knowing them.

Tom Rachman's debut novel The Imperfectionists dazzled me completely and it was one of my favorite books of 2012. I have been waiting (im)patiently for another book and was thrilled to get the chance to read his newest novel. The Rise and Fall of Great Powers is extremely different from its predecessor. The Imperfectionists casts a wide net and introduces its readers to the entire staff of a small Roman newspaper. We spend a chapter, or short story, with each characters and slowly understand the connections between them. Conversely, The Rise and Fall of Great Powers is all about Tooly. While we spend time with each character who impacted her life, their importance is relative to Tooly's life and how she viewed each of them at different points.

I'm having a hard time putting my feelings about this book into words. At times, I felt like nothing was really happening and I was, I think, even more frustrated than Tooly at just how little she knew about herself and the people in her life. The story takes place in three timelines: her childhood, her twenties, and the present. Moving between the three time periods is precise, as each one segment gives us just a bit more information. Like Tooly, we are dropped into new landscapes with regularity and Mr. Rachman is able to make Bangkok, Manhattan, and Wales come to life with ease.

This book is about the way that history shapes us personally and collectively. While specific historical events certainly matter to the characters, the reader can really feel the weight of history with the giant changes between the world of Tooly as a child and the world she sees as an adult. Perhaps ironically, this book also focuses on the danger of learning about life and people from the pages of a book instead of from real life experiences.

In spite of my reservations, I finished the book and found myself happy that Tooly had made progress in discovering the truth about her past and embarking on her future. While The Rise and Fall of Great Powers can be tough to read while you are working through it, I suspect it is also a story that benefits from multiple readings. A second or third read will illuminate the clues you missed during the first time and give you added insight to Tooly's past and our own connections with each other. This strange bunch of characters has been on my mind often since finishing this story and I think they will be living there for quite a while. 

Wednesdays with David: Frozen

Frozen: The Essential Guide

By Barbara Bazaldua

DK 2013

63 pages

From the library

The story: Do you know a child between the ages of birth and twelve? Then I know that you know this story. But for those of you who have just returned from a long space mission or deep undercover, let me tell you the basics.

Anna and Elsa are sisters and princesses of the kingdom of Arendelle. When their parents die, Elsa is next in line to take the throne. The small problem is that she has the magical ability to control ice and snow, but she can't predict when the powers will begin or stop them once they do. When her powers go haywire at her coronation, she flees the kingdom. Anna goes after her with new friend Kristoff and his reindeer Sven. Can she convince Elsa to come back home and undo the eternal winter that has taken over their kingdom?

Mama opines: So Frozen is everywhere. I prayed extra hard for my son's bus driver after David told me that they had daily singalongs of Let It Go on the bus. You really can't escape it.

As far as books go, though, this one is pretty cool. It breaks down the plot of the movie for small readers and then adds in lots of extra tidbits for fun. Here's a page from the book:

Thoughts from David: This book is all about Frozen. That movie was made just one year ago. The characters I like are #1 Elsa, #2 Anna, #3 Olaf, #4 Kristoff, and last of all, #5 Sven. Wasn't that winter wonderland awesome? I can't believe that Elsa's magic struck Anna in the heart. Wasn't it funny when Olaf sang that song about summer and then Kristoff said that he was going to tell him at the end of the song and Anna said, "don't you dare!" I can't believe that the duke tried to get the upper hand but fell back onto the lower hand. Marshmallow was the scariest character, wasn't he?

The movie has so many cool things. Well, the book does the opposite and tells you about the movie. Once you read this book, you will want to get the movie! And well..I don't know. I guess I should just say one more thing. I can't believe it. The one thing I really like about the book is that it kind of reminds me of the songs  Let It Go and Do You Want to Build a Snowman? 

Happy Reading!

Review: Boy, Snow, Bird

Boy, Snow, Bird

By Helen Oyeyemi

Riverhead March 2014

308 pages

From the library 

Boy Novak finally gathers up the courage to escape her tyrannical rat-catcher father and the cold loneliness of New York City. She finds a small town, a job, and a handsome widower to love. Boy marries Arturo and becomes part of a long-established family and stepmother to a beautiful little girl named Snow. But when Boy gives birth to her own daughter Bird, she discovers that the Whitmans have been keeping a big secret. Tension builds until Boy makes a choice that will forever change their family. Boy, Snow, and Bird must confront their most closely held beliefs about themselves and each other. 

Boy, Snow, Bird is marketed as a Snow White retelling and in a sense, it is that. At a very basic level, Boy becomes the wicked stepmother when she finds her loyalty divided between her own daughter and the daughter of another woman. But this book is so much more than that. Oyeyemi looks at racial, gender, and familial identity through a very unique lens. She also grapples with questions of beauty and perception. This is seen most strikingly through the Whitman women and their interaction with mirrors. Boy very much enjoys looking at herself in the mirror. Snow does sometimes, but worries that she can't see her reflection at certain times. Her half-sister Bird discovers that she rarely has a reflection - she can't be seen by herself or other people.

This story focuses heavily on the things that aren't done or said. It is one of those stories where not much seems to be happening, but everything is happening to these characters in small, quiet moments. Fairy tales and their retellings can be difficult because we get seemingly one dimensional characters, moments of magic next to moments of real life, and sometimes inexplicable plot points. That is certainly the case with this book.

Oyeyemi has a very distinct writing style and I found myself intrigued for much of the story. Towards the end, though, she reveals something very crucial which left me scratching my head. It just felt incredibly out of place as if the author decided that this thing should happen, regardless of whether or not it fit with the tone or plot of the rest of the story. 

Boy, Snow, Bird  is a novel that is difficult to describe. Whether you actively enjoy it or not, this book is one that begs to be considered, to be re-read and to be thought about as the author subtly raises questions and leaves you to answer them. The writing is captivating and this is a story that demands to be noticed. 

My review of Mr Fox by Helen Oyeyemi

It's Monday and summer is here!

This was a very momentous week around here. David finished his first year of school. Kindergarten is over and we have two months of summer fun ahead! First day and last day of school photos are below. I will just be sitting here sniffling (or trying to figure out what in the world we are going to do all summer!).

       

        

Read This Week:

Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys
By Stephen James and David Thomas


Posts from this Past Week:
It's Monday
Top Ten Tuesday: Summer TBR List
Reviews of The Girls at the Kingfisher Club and Blacklist


Reading Now:

Now I See You
By Nicole C. Kear



Moby-Dick
By Herman Melville



Up Next:

Frog Music
By Emma Donoghue



What are you reading this week?

Review: Blacklist

Blacklist

By Jerry Ludwig

Forge Books June 2014

416 pages

Read via Netgalley

After years away, David Weaver is returning to Hollywood to bury his father. Teddy Weaver was a respected director before McCarthy's blacklist forced him to take his family and flee the country, leaving his life and career behind. David needs a job, any job, and it turns out that his father's old partner could use an assistant. The families broke ties when Leo Vardian testified against his father. In spite of his anger, David takes the job with the hope that he will be reunited with his old girlfriend - Leo's daughter Jana. The pressure of working for the man who informed on his father is only compounded by the snooping around of FBI agent Brian McKenna and the "journalism" of columnist Joe Shannon. But things go from frustrating to dangerous when informers start turning up dead and David is the prime suspect. 

Jerry Ludwig chose a fascinating time in history as the focus of his first novel. During the 1940s and 1950s, Senator Joe McCarthy and the House Committee on Un-American Activities accused people of sympathizing or colluding with the Russian Communists. Many of the people summoned before the committee were in the arts - actors, directors, musicians, and artists. This was, in part, because many of those working in creative industries had  liberal politics. But it was also a calculated move to publicize McCarthy's efforts to eradicate communism in the US. The people called before this committee would be "forgiven" if they named other sympathizers, real or imaginary. Those who refused lost their jobs and were "blacklisted," and would never find work or respect again. Aside from being fascinating, this time in history is deeply personal to Mr. Ludwig. In the afterword, he details how people he knew were touched by McCarthy's witch hunt. 

Unfortunately, this very sad and interesting period and setting aren't enough to save this story. Our tale revolves around three characters - David, his girlfriend Jana, and Brian, the FBI agent who pressured David's father and is now investigating him. We get chapters from each of their points of view, all in the first person. Unfortunately, I never really believed any of them. They felt like caricatures with a few defining qualities instead of reasoning behind their decisions and characters that evolved with the story. David was angry, and we hear every other chapter or so how he is fighting to keep his anger in check. Jana is devoted to her father and David and we get that in spades. FBI man Brian is misunderstood and we read often about how he is actually a good guy who everyone thinks is bad. 

However, it is great fun to peer around the back lots and glamorous offices of Hollywood and the mystery itself is a fascinating one. Individuals who gave up others to the House of Un-American Activities are found murdered and all signs point to revenge. David quickly becomes a suspect, especially when Agent McKenna discovers that he was drunk on a night in question and can't remember where he was or what he did. As the murderer escalates, the tension builds and the conclusion is perfect for this tale of drama and secrets. 

Blacklist is a taut mystery threaded through a shameful time in American history. Mr. Ludwig's commitment to giving voice to the people silenced by McCarthy is admirable and evident throughout the story. While the setting sparkles with possibility, the flat characters keep this story from becoming a star. 

Review: The Girls at the Kingfisher Club

The Girls at the Kingfisher Club

By Genevieve Valentine

Atria Books June 2014

277 pages

Read via Netgalley

On the hazy floor of the speakeasies, twelve girls dance until they drop. No one is sure who they are, but it seems certain that they won't let any man get too close and that they watch out for each other. Their names are unknown, but most of the regulars refer to them as 'the princesses." The secret is that the girls are sisters. They escape from their home and their distant father at night and head out to dance under the watchful eye of their oldest sister Jo. But things do not remain footloose and fancy-free for long. The police are beginning to crack down on the establishments that are disobeying the rules of Prohibition. But even more frightening than the idea of jail is the fact that the girls' father has suddenly realized that they are of an age when they can be married off.

I started reading The Girls at the Kingfisher Club with a fair amount of hesitation. I knew that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to take twelve female characters who were close in age and make the reader feel as if they were distinct people. But author Genevieve Valentine brings these characters to life and makes us feel as if we know each one of them. Part of this is done through a wry sort of narration. Because siblings can know us better than anyone else, the narration will report something that one of the sister said or did. We then find out the truth that only one or two of the sisters know about that specific thing.

We see the story through Jo's eyes. She is willing to sacrifice everything for her sisters - love, a happy future, even her freedom. Keeping her sisters safe has hardened her, but the love behind her choices is obvious. Jo is simultaneously the one who gives them their freedom to dance and the one who realizes that they must keep secrets and always be vigilant. Sometimes their safety takes precedence over happiness and Jo carries the heavy knowledge that her difficult choices distance her from her sisters in much the same way that they are distanced from their cruel father.

The only downfall of this novel is the character of the girls' father. At times, it seems that he is being oblivious or cruel just for the sake of being that way. Since the girls barely know their father, the reader doesn't get insight into his past or his personality. There were moments when I had trouble believing that a real person would do the things that he does. But I suppose that is the necessity of fairytales, even those that are set in the Roaring 1920s. We must have a villain of unimaginable cruelty who our heroines must battle against.

The Girls at the Kingfisher Club took a while to really hook me. But as I read, I really became invested in  the lives of these twelve girls. As a sister, I admired their bond and the ways that they helped each other. You will take joy in their revels, relate to their bonds with each other, fear for their future, and hope that they each find the freedom to make their own choices and find  happiness.

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer TBR

What ten books are you excited to read this summer? Check out everyone's lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. 

The Visitors by Sally Beauman (July)

A coming-of-age story in 1920s Egypt centered around finding Tutankhamen's tomb. 

Friendship by Emily Gould (July)

A debut novel about trying to maintain your friendships during the big life changes of your twenties.

Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique (July)

A multi-generational story about love and magic in the Virgin Islands

Landline by Rainbow Rowell (July)

Rainbow Rowell has a new book. Let's be honest, we are all going to be reading it.

Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen (July) 

Something to hold us over until Once Upon A Time comes back to TV!

The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman (July) 

The last book in the trilogy!

Speak by Nish Wiseth (August) 

Jesus knew how to use a story. Why don't we do the same?

The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar (August) 

A psychologist breaks ethical rules by befriending a patient.

What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund (August) 

How do we take the things we read on a page and use them to create pictures in our minds?


Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher (August) 

A frustrated English professor gives voice to his grievances through a series of letters of recommendation.



What are you looking forward to reading during the lazy, hazy day of summer?

It's Monday and this week flew by!

Holy cow, this week went by quickly! On top of the usual schedule, I've been trying to get some things cleaned and organized before David gets out of school (only two half days left!). We also had a family birthday this weekend and two church services on Sunday. I feel like my reading is really slacking and I'm tempted to say that it will pick up in the next week or two. But when I think about the two active kiddos that I will be spending every day wrangling, I'm not so sure that will be the case!

Read This Week:

The Rise and Fall of Great Powers
By Tom Rachman


Posts from this Past Week:
It's Monday
Wednesdays with David: Lego Chima
Reviews of Astonish Me, Chasing God, and Orfeo


Reading Now:

Moby-Dick
By Herman Melville


Wild Things: The Art of Raising Boys
By Stephen Jame and David Thomas


Up Next:

Now I See You
By Nicole C Kear


What are you reading this week?

Review: Orfeo

Orfeo

By Richard Powers

W. W. Norton and Company January 2014

369 pages

From the library

Peter Els is a retired composer who has found a new hobby. He has started to look for the beautiful patterns of music among the intricacies of microbiology and perhaps, to leave a bit of music on a strand of DNA. When the police show up on his doorstep, they find Peter's home laboratory suspicious and before he knows it, his supposed terrorist exploits have made him more famous than his music ever did. Peter runs away, reflecting on the journey that bought him to this point and turning to the people who have never left his mind and heart - his ex-wife, his daughter, his best friend, and his students as he decides where to go from here. 

Orfeo is told in dual storylines. In the present, Peter is on the run. He doesn't believe that he is guilty but he does want to tie up some loose ends before he turns himself in for a hopefully quick and painless investigation. As he travels, he delves back into his past - his love of music, his struggle to find a balance between making art and finding personal happiness, and the ways he let down the people he loved.

Part of the genius of this novel is the way that Powers describes music. As someone who was raised in a musical home and still sings and plays, I found that he captured the ways that music stretches and changes us with beautiful precision. More than that, I think that the reader who is not a musician would be tempted to find a place for music in their lives after reading Orfeo. Peter and this story explore what music can accomplish and where its limits lie in the midst of its cyclical nature, as the composers and forms that were passe just a few years ago are suddenly new and exciting again.

"Once, when he was young, Els had believed that music could save a person's life. He could think of nothing now but all the ways it might get a person killed. 

From the first leaping figure in the strings, Els heard again the problem with music. Even the slightest tune sounded like a story. Melody played on the brain like a weather report, an avowal of faith, gossip, a manifesto. The tale came across, clearer than words. But there was no tale." 

Peter wants what all artists want - that one perfect piece that will outlive him, that will make his friends and family proud to have known and loved him. But he has to balance the compulsion to create with the necessity to create and maintain bonds with those same people. 

"She'd given him years to make his mark - so many of them - and he hadn't delivered. And yet there was nothing, absolutely nothing at all he could gift her back, except this holdout search for what the world wouldn't give."

While reading Orfeo, we are treated to the rare author and rarer story that don't make the reader choose between science and art, gorgeous prose and a compelling story, or intellect and emotion. Els is just as likely to ponder the inner workings of a piece as he is to marvel over the story behind its creation. This gorgeous novel will make you  marvel over the precision and beauty of language and all the while, it shyly suggests that you might want to give your dusty keyboard another look.

Review: Chasing God

Chasing God

By Angie Smith

B & H Publishing January 2014

203 pages

Book provided by publicist for review

Angie Smith became a Christian as an adult and she was determined to do this thing the right way. She took lots of notes, she bought the big commentaries, and decided that she could be the perfect believer by sheer force of will. But she quickly realized that it was never enough - she was never knowledgeable enough or good enough. She was checking things off from her checklists one by one and chasing after this idea of a God who loved her, but she wasn't getting anywhere. Angie finally realized that she needed to stop running. God didn't need to be caught; he was simply waiting for her to look at Him, standing right next to her.

The Bible tells us pretty clearly that we do not need to do anything. Jesus died for us because He loves us and now we are free to love and be loved by Him. Angie realized that she was looking to reach goals that were man-made. She reached some of them, but there was always a new list of goals to achieve. The problem, of course, was that the goals were not God's goals. Reading a certain number of verses each day or attending every church service for a year will not allow you to know God more if you are not seeking Him.

Angie hits on so many things that make us freeze in place as Christians. She writes about the fallacy of worrying about our salvation, the tendency to mistake emotions for certainty, the ways in which we are always getting ready to know God instead of just starting, and the terrible misunderstanding that God only gives us what we can handle.

“The notion that our Abba Father would dispense injury based on our ability to “carry it” is injurious to our relationship with Him and casts light wrongly on our human capacity instead of His generous dispensation of grace…Do not believe for one moment that the good and bad that happen to you is in equal proportion to how much you can handle without cracking. Because if we could do such a magnificent job of managing things, the sacrifice of Jesus would have been unnecessary.”

I have read all of Angie's books. I started with I Will Carry You, her heartbreaking memoir of losing her daughter and have since read What Women Fear and Mended. This author is at her best when she can be open, kind, and funny all at the same time. She does that here on every page, as she shows us how to know God instead of chasing after our ideas about Him. Chasing God is Smith's best book yet. 

Wednesdays with David: Lego Chima

Lego Chima: Official Guide

Scholastic August 2013

128 pages

From our library 

The story: This isn't a story, per say. Instead it tells young Lego fans everything they need to know about the world of Chima - characters, powers, and their history.

Mama opines: Well, friends, we have hit official Lego mania status here. Anything with a Lego logo on it is coming home with us and that includes books from the library. David seems to understand this particular franchise much better than I do. It seems to have something to do with animal warriors with powers. It sounds a bit like Star Wars to me, what with the magical "life force" that they call Chi. The long and short is that six year old boys seem to think that it is awesome.

Thoughts from David: Today was a really hard day. I can't believe that I am talking about...oops. I forgot! I wasn't supposed to be talking about my day. I was supposed to be talking about my book.

Ok, ok, ok, ok. Now that we've gotten done with that business, let's get on to the book! Time to turn and flip the pages. There are a few characters that I like. Their names are #1 Laval the Lion, #2 Cragger the Crocodile, #3 Eris the Eagle, and also #4 Gorzan the Gorilla and finally #5 Crooler the Crocodile.

Ok, now we will be talking about my favorite vehicles, which are #1 Laval's Royal Fighter, #2 Lennox's Lion Attack, #3 Eris' Eagle Interceptor and #4 is Gorzan's Gorilla Striker and #5 is Cragger's Command Ship and #6 is Worriz's Combat Lair.

So now we will turn on to the final part. What I really like about this book is that there are many things that guide you, like the Legend of Chima and the legends of Chima too. As many of you have been wondering, maybe we should get on to the things about the life forces of Chima. Now the life force is Chi, of course. The lions have all the Chi in a pool called the Sacred Pool and well, the people who drink in the first place were animal people.

Now we will finally do the final thing which is learning about Chi Up. When someone grows up in Chima, they get a power up thingie and well, there is also something called a Chi Up moment. Well, there's a giant surge of power and they get speed and strength. Chi Up can last for minutes or hours. If the warrior is bad, it will be red. If he is good, it will be bright blue.

Well, that's it, folks. See you next time!

Happy Reading! 

Review: Astonish Me

Astonish Me

By Maggie Shipstead

Knopf April 2014

272 pages

From the library

Joan Joyce is just one of many members in the ballet corps. Her biggest claim to fame is helping famous Russian dancer Arslan Ruskov defect and escape to America. But Arslan views her as just one of many admirers and Joan comes to accept that she will not have an amazing career like he will. Instead of pursuing ballet, she marries former boyfriend Jacob and focuses on raising their son Henry. He has many things in common with his mother and as his star begins to rise in the world of ballet, Joan realizes that Arslan must come into their lives again. The consequences of their reunion will forever shatter their carefully composed lives.

I almost didn't read this book. I found Shipstead's debut fine, but not a story that I adored. Astonish Me, however, is an excellent book and I'm so glad I added it to my reading list. The two stories seem to almost be opposites, which speaks to this writer's talent. Seating Arrangements is about losing inhibitions - the setting is a weekend of alcohol and sexual liaisons. In this tale, everything is about control. Dance is about controlling your movements, your diet, and your body.  The characters are desperate to maintain control over their lives, their loved ones, and their destinies and the realization that such a thing is not always possible is both horrifying and elating. 

This story operates on dual planes - the first one is all about relationships. But the second is about longing and settling. Joan did everything right to achieve a career in ballet, but finds herself living an ordinary life. Her son Henry longs for success and recognition, at any cost. Arslan flaunts his fame, searching for something that fills the emptiness of leaving behind his native land and everything that he loved.

Joan and her husband Jacob sustain a mediocre relationship. Both love the other, but they need things from their partner that they are either unwilling or unable to give. The spouses find themselves on opposite sides of almost everything - Joan is all about physicality even when she has stopped dancing professionally. She still eats sparingly and keeps her body in dancing shape. Jacob, on the other hand, is all about intellect. He works as a teacher of advanced students and is more concerned with expanding knowledge than with maintaining a perfect physique. 

Parts of the plot seem overly familiar and perhaps predictable, but the reader won't mind. Shipstead understands longing and is able to articulate it in a very urgent and lovely way. Astonish Me is one of my favorite books of the month, if not the whole year. 

It's Monday and I am a happy theatre girl!

Did anyone else watch the Tony Awards this weekend? This theatre major had a lot of fun and my dear husband watched with me because he is a charming and wonderful guy.

It was probably a good thing we had something to watch on TV because we were about ready to become one with the sofa on Sunday night. We successfully started an evening worship service tonight at our church. It has been a lot of work and a lot of love and we are so happy it went well...and awfully tired too.


Read This Week:

Blacklist
By Jerry Ludwig


Boy, Snow, Bird
By Helen Oyeyemi


Posts from this Past Week:
It's Monday
May Wrap-Up
Reviews of American Dervish and Whispers of Hope


Reading Now:

The Rise and Fall of Great Powers
By Tom Rachman



Moby-Dick
By Herman Melville


Up Next:

Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys
By Stephen James and David Thomas


What are you reading this week?