June Book Club Selection

"I was born with a reading list I will never finish." —Maud Casey

We've had our eyes on Melville's Benito Cereno ever since a favorite friend declared it a must-read classic. Then we found out it's a novella. For two girls knee deep in reading material and fresh outta time, that's a deal maker. So while we try to catch up on our other book club reading (165 pages into Beartown and officially hooked* but haven't even cracked open A Word for Love—should I be admitting that?) all of you organized readers can dive into Mr. Melville. We pinky promise to be up to speed by the end of the month (really).

Still need convincing to brush those cobwebs off the part of your brain needed to tackle Melville's ornate language? This review from the folks over at Shmoop (Spark Notes with a sense of humor) should do it:

Long before the crew of the Black Pearl cried mutiny, Jack Sparrow's predecessors ruled the Seven Seas in Herman Melville's Benito Cereno. Old Hermie's version is no Disney theme park ride, though, so buckle up for a tale of dastardly double-crossers and struggles against the forces of evil. We're talking psychological drama and an ending that could rival The Usual Suspects or The Sixth Sense.

Sold.

*Beartown took me a while to get into but now I'm finding it hard to put down. And be forewarned: language is super salty at times. 

Posted by Rachel

The Sneak Thief

“A person can be educated and still be stupid, and a wise man can have no education at all.”

These are the opening lines of The False Prince, the book Jonah handpicked for us to read before bedtime: “If I had to do it all over again, I would not have chosen this life. Then again, I’m not sure I ever had the choice. These were my thoughts as I raced away from the market, with a stolen roast tucked under my arm. I’d never attempted roast thievery before, and I was already regretting it. It happens to be very difficult to hold a chunk of raw meat while running. More slippery than I’d anticipated. If the butcher didn’t catch me with his cleaver first, and literally cut off my future plans, I vowed to remember to get the meat wrapped next time. Then steal it.”  Jennifer Nielsen, young adult author, had me at roast thievery. Couldn’t help but think my boy Jones made an educated, wise choice for we three. 

Sage, an orphan boy, is a smart, troublesome, brave sneak thief that may well endear you like the other thieves we love: Liesel Meminger, Robin Hood, and The Good Thief (to name a few). The stray boy ends up being a pawn in a cunning and dangerous plan. He and three other motherless children are forced to compete for the role of Prince of Carthya, as part of one regent’s deceptive scheme to gain power over the kingdom. If Sage is chosen, he will be a puppet to a ruthless conniver.  If he loses, he will surely be put to death.  

The False Prince was a page turner. Nielsen created action Tom Cruise would approve of—in fact, Jonah read the book with his class before it became our nighttime ritual. Still he pleaded with me to “read one more chapter.”  And then another. And “just one more.”  With the current push to get boys reading, Nielsen has served up a winner. (Not to worry, girls will love it too.) This fast-paced read has some twists that parents may see coming, but your kids will definitely be intrigued and surprised. I dare you not to fall in love with a roast stealing, clever, bold, principled young boy who, in no way would have chosen a life that may or may not involve inheriting a coveted throne. 

Posted by Tracy

Be The Hero Of Your Book Club (2017)

“We love to buy books because we believe we're buying the time to read them.”― Warren Zevon

Time. I'm fresh out of it. Might have something to do with kids home from college and our new furry four-legged friend named Charlie. Sadly, time doesn't come wrapped up with the purchase of a new book, so once again, I'm getting creative. Odds are you are too. Since busy seems to be the new normal (blah) the pressure to pick a winner for book club can be pretty daunting. No one has time to read bad books and heaven forbid you be the one to pick a dud. Gasp. Thankfully, we've got your back with this year's list of guaranteed crowd pleasers (for last year's list, click here). 

BEST BOOKS FOR A GREAT DISCUSSION

A Gentleman in Moscow (read our review here)

Girl at War (read our review here)

FOR HISTORICAL FICTION FANS

News of the World (read our review here)

FOR THOSE CRAVING A REAL WHODUNNIT

The Dry (read our review here)

BEST BOOK WE HAVEN'T READ YET

Beartown (We've got high hopes)

Posted by Rachel

A Maid's Tale

“Mama used to say, you have to know someone a thousand days before you can glimpse her soul.”

We got skunked. Not one post outta us last week.  Rachel at least has an excuse—she’s got a brand new baby at her house.  A baby with hair and a tail that wakes up in the night.  Opting for a new pup is just one more proof that Rachel has more compassion than me. I, however, have no excuse…for not posting and for not being more compassionate. But it’s a new day.

My boys and I are almost finished with Jonah’s latest kid lit pick. So for now, I thought I’d post about another young adult fave. If you haven’t met Shannon Hale, it’s time to make an introduction. She’s a fantastic young adult author; for me, she has yet to disappoint. Book of a Thousand Days is set in far off Mongolia. Lady Saren and her maid, Dashti, are locked in a tower for 7 miserable years. Told in journal form, Dashti chronicles their imprisonment because Lady Saren refused her father’s command to marry a fiend who happens to be a Lord. The women finally make an escape, only to encounter more ironic twists.  The ending will surprise you, and Hale’s prose will delight you.  This was an entertaining read—it feels like a modern day Grimm.

Posted by Tracy

New Gift Guide

"People who say that I'm hard to shop for must not know where to buy books." —unknown

Happy news! We've updated our gift guide with our favorite picks for moms, dads, and grads! Feel free to help yourself to a few while you're at it. You deserve it.

So Long, Sweet Scout

Dogs speak words

But only poets

And children

Hear

—Patricia MacLachlan

Scout, our sweet golden, died in February. He was diagnosed in late December with lymphoma and the vet gave him two to six months to live. Turns out six weeks was all we got. His medicine stopped working, his tail stopped wagging, and his eyes, oh those eyes, told me what my heart couldn't bring itself to see, and I knew. The house, once full of the sounds of a large tail thumping, claws clicking across the wood floors, and the happiest growl you've ever heard, is now audibly and achingly silent.

It's taken me a good long while to be able to write about it. For days after dear friends did what dear friends do best: pour out love. Tray, of course, sent comfort between the pages of the perfect book. She knew I'd be reaching for reads that lift and The Poet's Dog did just that. Beautifully.

It's a story of two children, lost in a snowstorm, rescued by a dog named Teddy who is lost in grief. The three find refuge in the cabin that once belonged to Teddy's owner, Sylvan—a gentle poet who died just days earlier. As the snow continues to pile up outside and the wind howls, a friendship forms that will begin to heal Teddy's broken heart and help him see that Sylvan hasn't really left at all.

This little story of love and loss, written by Newbery-winning Patricia MacLachlan, will help children (and grownups) navigate their way through grief with the quiet assurance that those we love never leave us completely. They are there, if we only remember to look with our hearts, continuing to watch out for us through the love and friendship of others. I know it's so with my own gentle poet gone too soon and dear dad whose twinkling eyes made my world feel safe. And now sweet Scout is there with them, as they wait, and watch, and pour down love.

Posted by Rachel

Throwback Thursday

“Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.” 

Steph Curry is draining buckets. Heart Emoji. He just banked in a threeee! What a great way to end the day. Throw in a little chatter about books and I’m golden. It’s Thursday, so time to talk of reads gone-by. Maybe sports on the brain brought Mitch Albom to mind? Albom, originally a sports columnist, has written several best sellers—the very best of which is Tuesdays with Morrie. 

If you haven’t read Tuesdays with Morrie, promise me you will. Soon. This book is portable magic. What began as a labor of love to help Albom’s sociology professor pay mounting medical bills commensurate with a terminal illness, resulted in the best-selling memoir of all time. The accomplished journalist reconnected with his dying professor for the final months of his life. I’m grateful to have gotten a glimpse into Morrie’s study each Tuesday, where he shared irresistible wisdom with his “former” student. Wisdom about how to better live and how to better love. Morrie is the consummate teacher. And his finest classroom proved to include a hospital bed and an oxygen machine. Just thinking about this gift of a book reminds me, once again, that “The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and let it come in.” 

Posted by Tracy