Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Jun 20

#13: White Teeth (Zadie Smith)

by kennithfreeman

National bestseller White Teeth was the first novel by author Zadie Smith. First published in 2000, the book is a mixture of humor, wit, and in-depth examination of the human condition. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and plan to re-read it again in the future.

White Teeth opens with a gripping scene in which Samad is attempting to commit suicide when his plans are foiled by a well-meaning shop keeper. Samad is a practicing Hindu who lives in England along with his best friend, Archie. The two had served together in World War II (although they had seen little fighting). Their common experiences linked them for life. Now living in London, Samad finds himself struggling to pass on the traditions of his Indian heritage to his children. The father fears that his sons have been negatively influenced by the Western way of life and have become too English. In order to halt the effect of modern society on his children in his personal struggle against modern progress, Samad makes a decision that will forever impact the lives of his entire family. The novel traces the effects of that single decision upon the family and all they encounter.

White Teeth beautifully explores the inevitability of change in modern society. Advancements are made in science while fanatical religious groups seek to halt the progress. Younger generations find fault with the ideologies of their parents. The old desperately struggle to maintain the familiarity and tradition of the past. In each of these struggles, everyone thinks their ideals are correct and should not be opposed. Conflict arises, events are set in motion that cannot be halted, and the generational and ideological chasms deepen. Smith forces the 21st century reader to face his own biases and consider the impact they are having on their family and society as a whole. White Teeth is a tremendous read that I think will quickly become a modern classic.

fiction Reading with Jacqs

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Jun 8

#12: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (J.K. Rowling)

by kennithfreeman

When Harry Potter made his way to American bookshelves in 1998, I was a graduate student who had just started working with the children’s ministry of a local church. In that position, I felt the need to read the controversial book in order to have an opinion to share with children and their parents. As I read, I was looking for problems…..and found some things that I thought parents should know before making their own decision about the book. In my search for information, however, I missed the story and excitement of Rowling’s characters. Almost 17 years have passed since the novel made its American debut and I have found myself wondering what all the hype was about, so I decided to read the series this summer. What I found was a charming book filled with moral dilemmas, images of pure love, and the challenges of finding your own identify during childhood. Additionally, I only found a few scenes that I found questionable for pre-teen readers (the target audience of the book). Instead, what I discovered is that I was enthralled by the story and simply could not put the book down. I have actually had to forbid myself from returning to the library to pick up the next installment before I finish a couple of other books that are on deck.

I realize that I am just beginning my journey with Harry, Hermione, and the rest of the cast at Hogwarts, but I am definitely excited to see how the story continues. I’m just glad I don’t have to wait as long as the original readers did to find out what happens in the next year of school.

fiction Series teen

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Jun 4

#11: The Good Thief (Hannah Tinti)

by kennithfreeman

I am loving having a little down time to dive back into My Library Shelf project! I returned by reading The Good Thief. Since I was unfamiliar with Hannah Tinti’s writing, I didn’t really know what to expect. I found myself immersed in a great story and a fan of the author’s writing style.

The Good Thief is the story of Ren. Ren is living in a Catholic-run orphanage in New England and is constantly getting in trouble. His hopes of being adopted are constantly dashed because potential parents view his missing hand as an insurmountable obstacle. Just as Ren begins to accept a future that will include being sold into the army when he reaches age 18, his fortune unexpectedly changes. A young man of questionable intentions arrives at St. Anthony’s to select a son. Ren is adopted in spite of his handicap and it seems his luck has changed…..or has it?

The Good Thief follows Ren and his mentor, Benjamin, as they struggle to stay alive while avoiding trouble with those who want to hurt them. The plot twists and turns unexpectedly and will keep the reader coming back for more. This book was one of my favorites of the year so far and I’m definitely looking forward to reading Tinti’s other novel, Animal Crackers, in the future.

For now, I have another book on the horizon. June’s selection of the Reading with Jacqs project is White Teeth by Zadie Smith. I’ll start this national bestseller later today.

fiction My Library Shelf

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May 26

#10: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Ken Kesey)

by kennithfreeman

My feelings about One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest changed throughout my time reading the May selection for my reading project with Jacqs. From the beginning, I found myself confused by the voice of the narrator and unable to identify with the characters Kesey had created. Once I neared the end of part one, however, things changed. I suddenly realized that this novel was not simply about patients in a mental hospital. Instead, Kesey explored those individuals who exercise domination and manipulation in order to gain control over others. The patients became all of us who have been subjected to emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of those in authority — in the work place, in the classroom, in the church. In this light, themes of man’s need to gain personal freedom from oppression and the power of laughter and self-confidence rose to the front of my reading. Suddenly, I found myself standing shoulder to shoulder with Big Chief and McMurphy as they struggled against the vile Nurse Ratched. I quickly identified some Nurse Ratched’s in my own life and I understood that freedom comes in many forms — sometimes tragic — but always resulting in the desired freedom.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a story that speaks to the value of humanity and the plight of the mentally ill and oppressed in our society. Was it my favorite book ever? Not by any means. However, it spoke to me and I will forever be grateful for my time spent in the Ward with these gentle, charming patients.

classic fiction Reading with Jacqs

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Mar 31

#6: Carthage (Joyce Carol Oates)

by kennithfreeman

Let me yell it from the rooftop: I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Carthage was the March selection of the Reading with Jacqs project that told the story of the Mayfield family. Living in a small New England town, the Mayfields have two daughters: Juliet (the pretty one) and Cressida (the homely smart one). Juliet is to marry Corporeal Brett Kinkaid, a local football star and war hero. Tragically, Kinkaid returns from Iraq with great physical and emotional trauma. Shortly after calling off the wedding, Kinkaid and Cressida are seen together at a local bar. When Cressida doesn’t return, the small town assumes the worst and Kinkaid is the prime suspect.

Carthage explores the issues of loss, grief and anger while also considering the plight of the outcast and victimized. Things are not always as they appear, and one moment’s justified anger may become repentance when truth is brought to light. One of my favorite passages of the novel comes from part two:

She’d fled. Like a kicked and terrified dog she’d fled. Like a dog she’d wished only to hide, and lick her wounds. Her shame that was a kind of wound. It did not occur to her, it had not once occurred to her, that others might have been injured as well. “But they didn’t love me. Did they?” (Oates, 330)

Oates so clearly conveys the confusion of the character as she comes to terms with her actions. Although the novel is markedly dark in tone, its text is thought-provoking and firmly places Oates among the important authors of our day. Carthage is definitely a worthwhile read.

What’s next on the list for Jacqs and me? We’re heading back to the classics and reading Great Expectations together in April.

fiction Reading with Jacqs

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Mar 13

#5: The Crazyladies of Pearl Street (Trevanian)

by kennithfreeman

As I continue reading my way through the THO-TRE shelf of the Poplar and White Station branch of the Memphis Public Library, I am happy to say that The Crazyladies of Pearl Street was a pleasure to read. I had never encountered Trevanian’s writing and can now include him among the list of modern writers that I greatly enjoy reading.

Crazyladies is narrated by Jean-Luc, a pre-teen boy living in an Albany, New York slum with his mother and sister. Set in the 1930s and 1940s, Luke learns about the world’s challenges with the innocence of youth through his interactions with the people of Pearl Street and the surrounding community. The narrator understands love (and lust) at the Catholic School. His understanding of the European crisis is shaped by conversations with the Jewish store owner on the corner and his family’s prized possession, a second-hand radio. Having been abandoned by his father throughout his early years, Luke finds himself dealing with the pressure to provide for his mother and sister while growing to resent the responsibility that he never asked for. When a young cowboy arrives in the slum, Jean-Luc hopes the man will be a new father figure that he can admire that will also provide for the struggling family. Despite hopes and promises, the young family finds themselves deserted again, struggling to make ends meet in a new location without a job.

Trevanian combines artfully developed characters with gentle humor and heart-warming drama in a wonderful tale of trial, war, and heartache and its impact on a growing boy. I look forward to exploring more of Trevanian’s novels in the future.

fiction My Library Shelf

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Feb 16

#4: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Mark Haddon)

by kennithfreeman

The February selection for the “Reading with Jacqs” project was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The book is basically a mystery narrated by a young English boy, Christopher, who is a highly functioning autistic. The mystery begins with the death of a dog, Wellington, that our narrator finds with a lawn fork stuck in him. His search for the cause of the dog’s death leads to the instruction by his aggressive father to “stop sticking your nose in other people’s business.” Christopher decides to write a book detailing his search for answers. When his father trashes the manuscript as a punishment for Christopher’s persistent search for the dog’s murderer, the search for his prized notebook leads to an unexpected discovery that shapes the course of the rest of Christopher’s adventures.

Mark Haddon eloquently expresses the quirkiness of an autistic boy and takes the reader deep into the inner-workings of the mind. Every detail of the book — including the numbering system used for the book’s chapters — are designed to paint a clearer portrait of our main character. At times difficult to process because of the tangents Haddon’s writing includes, it quickly becomes clear that we are seeing the world through the eyes of the disorder. What I found most intriguing is that the novel is not about the disorder; autism is simply a fact of Christopher’s life that partially defines him. Although I don’t normally read mysteries, I found myself immersed in the tale of Christopher, his family relationships, and the curious incident that links them all together.

What’s next on my reading list? I’ve just begun Trevanian’s The Crazyladies of Pearl Street. I’m hoping to make a nice dent in it during tomorrow’s snow day from school.

fiction mystery Reading with Jacqs

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Feb 2

#3: Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned (Wells Tower)

by kennithfreeman

Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned is the debut collection of short stories by the American author, Wells Tower. I was thrilled to see a brand new voice included on “My Library Shelf” project. However, reviewing a collection of unrelated stories can be challenging.

The theme of familial relationships united many of the stories in Everything Ravaged. Sometimes the families were traditional; others were groups with common bonds that made them like family. Almost without fail, the families described would be classified as dysfunctional. A teenage girl preparing for a tryst with a man older than her father. A boy is sexually molested in a carnival bathroom while his father is on a blind date. A pre-teen boy pretends to pass out in the driveway due to the exertion caused by walking to the mailbox; his charade leads to the intervention of the police.

Tower’s stories are enjoyable pieces for the most part, although they left this reader a bit unfulfilled with each conclusion. The issue for me was not that things were left unresolved; consistently, the story just seemed to end abruptly. There was no ambiguity to be considered. There was no image that was burned into the mind’s eye. After reading the final story, I admitted that they were nicely told….but I wouldn’t say they made a tremendous impact on the audience. They were simply stories — in the most basic sense of the word.

I read the collection. I wouldn’t be opposed to reading Tower’s future works. Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned did not inspire me to actively seek out the author’s periodical publications. I’m left a little uninspired to say the least.

What’s coming up for me? I’ve got several books in the active stack at the moment.

  1. The Crazyladies of Pearl Street – Trevanian
  2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon
  3. Menahem Pressler: Artistry in Piano Teaching – William Brown
  4. Mendelssohn: A Life in Music – R. Larry Todd

With that stack of books, I suppose I should get my glasses on and get to work.

fiction My Library Shelf short stories

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Jan 28

#2: Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoevsky)

by kennithfreeman

It took me 28 days, but I am happy to say that I finally made it through to the end of Crime and Punishment, the first selection in this year’s “Reading with Jacqs” project.

A bit of background before diving into my feelings about the book. Jacqs is my oldest niece who is a fellow book lover. While visiting on Christmas Day, we abruptly decided to read a book a month together. We’ll alternate who selects the book each month and at least six of the total selections will be classics. Somehow, I got chosen to make the first choice. Since both of us had adored reading The Brothers Karamazov and had a little extra time in the month of January, I decided on Crime and Punishment. What was I thinking?

Crime and Punishment is a tale of evil actions and their impact on the criminal as well as those surrounding him. Raskolnikov is struggling to feed himself in 19th century Russia. As a result of his hunger (or so he claims), Raskolnikov gruesomely murders an old pawn broker with an axe. When her young sister unexpectedly arrives on the scene, Raskolnikov kills her as well. The criminal searches the apartment and finds treasures that he ultimately hides beneath a boulder, taking none of it for his immediate gain. Much of the rest of the novel examines Raskolnikov’s apparent madness as his guilt eats away at him. His family members are kept at arm’s length. His friends are confused by his behavior. Raskolnikov convinces himself that he didn’t commit a crime since the old woman really didn’t deserve to live.

Hidden within the story are multiple references to death and resurrection. Crosses are found at the scene of the crime and reappear throughout the novel. The story of Lazarus’ death and resurrection features prominently into the novel’s moving center section. Raskolnikov is found ill in the hospital in the epilogue during Lent and Holy Week. His ultimate healing — a resurrection, of sorts — comes when the woman who loves him, Sonya, sacrifices herself by agreeing to wait for his release from prison in seven years. In many ways, Sonya becomes the Christ-figure in Crime and Punishment.

While I enjoyed the philosophical discussions and many religious references, I found the novel to be plodding and difficult to read. As Jacqs and I chatted online, she commented that she clearly understood how the book would have been successful as a serial. The reader needs to take breaks frequently to process the implications and recover from the extreme volume. The passage that I enjoyed the most while reading Crime and Punishment came at the end of the epilogue:  “But here begins a new account, the account of a man’s gradual renewal, the account of his gradual regeneration, his gradual transition from one world to another, his acquaintance with a new, hitherto completely unknown reality. It might make the subject of a new story — but our present story is ended.” Boy, was I glad to finish that one!

February’s selection was made by Jacqs — The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon — and arrived in the mail today. I’ve got a few days before I get to start that one, but I’m certainly hoping for a better experience than my time with Crime and Punishment. If you’d like to join in the conversation of February’s book, grab a copy and get to reading. You’ll be more than welcome!

classic fiction Reading with Jacqs

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Dec 31

#22: The Oriental Wife (Evelyn Toynton)

by kennithfreeman

My final book of 2014 was another installment in My Library Shelf project. The Oriental Wife was a book that was both engaging and confusing at the same time. The story begins with three young German children who find themselves dealing with the horrors of the 1930s. Ultimately, all three find themselves in the United States, but things do not turn out any smoother for them. It seems the book itself is a study of the impact of human loss and human cruelty.

The confusion came on several levels. First, there is the issue of the title. What in the world does the idea of an “oriental wife” have to do with anything in this story? There are references at the end of the novel to a wife of a Indo-Chinese businessman who leaves New York unexpectedly, but Toynton does not establish a clear connection between the figure and the rest of the story. My other issue with the book is its abrupt shifts and lack of continuity. Divided into three parts, the book is united by returning characters. However, the lives of these characters seem totally different than what was observed in the previous section. For instance, part 2 centers around the severe illness of Louisa and her apparent helplessness. By the time we begin part 3, Louisa is living in a boarding house where she requires little assistance for her disability and it is her ex-husband who is now sick with terminal cancer. While there is a certain amount of karma in this aspect of the story, the end of the book focuses on Louisa’s daughter to such a large degree that the idea of revenge is completely loss.

The writing had potential. I found myself thrust into the author’s world. It simply lacked development of plot. This is the only work by Toynton on my library shelf….and I don’t intend to seek out other works by this horribly confusing author.

fiction My Library Shelf

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