The Glass Castle

I read Jeannette Walls's book Half Broke Horses awhile back and really liked it.  I'd recently been told that her first book, The Glass Castle, was even better, so I decided to try it out. The Glass Castle is the true story of the author's childhood.  She lived in a pretty dysfunctional family in the 60s and 70s with parents who moved around constantly.  Even though her parents were smart, loving people, Jeannette and her siblings were often without a home and without food, and her dad was an alcoholic. The book chronicles her growing up years and how she eventually finds her own way away from her parents.

This was a really interesting book.  It was incredible to read the type of things the kids in the Walls family went through...and to think that this little girl became a famous author is pretty amazing. I mean, things like eating butter for a meal because you're so hungry and it's all there is....or having a cardboard box as a bed.  It's sobering to think that there really are kids out there living lives like that. It was a pretty sad book but had plenty of comic relief and tender moments.  The book kept me interested, so I finished it pretty quickly and really liked it.  I actually liked her book Half Broke Horses better than this one, but it was still a really good book.  It did have some bad language and some mentions of sexual abuse, so I'd definitely categorize it as an adult book.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel

I saw that Jeff Kinney came out with a new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, so I got it from the library to read it.  This book follows Greg as he looks to find a date for the Valentine's dance.

I have no clue why I keep reading these books, but I just can't help myself.  This book was still funny like usual, but I did feel like the series is getting a little old...lots of the same things.  Not much else to say about such a quick read.

* (1/3 = It was okay)

The Story of My Life

The Story of My Life is Helen Keller's autobiography, and I became interested in reading it because we've been talking a lot about Helen Keller in our house recently.  (Emmeline was really into the Helen Keller DVD in the Animated Heroes series.)  Helen chronicles her life experiences from childhood through college and how she gained her knowledge and education.

This was a very interesting read, but it took me forever to get through.  I actually didn't finish the version of the book I got from the library--it had 3 parts.  Part 1 was Helen Keller's autobiography, part 2 was letters Helen had written, and part 3 was a "supplementary account" written by the book's editor.  The autobiography was very interesting--it's quite fascinating to read how a deaf-blind woman learned so much through her teacher and experiences.  I didn't know much about the details of her life (besides what was in Emmeline's DVD--ha), so this was really cool to read.  Part 2, the letters, was less engaging but still occasionally interesting.  By part 3, I just wasn't really interested anymore.  I figured that if I kept reading, I'd like the book even less, so it was better to stop while I was ahead.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Happier at Home

I loved Gretchen Rubin's book The Happiness Project, so when I saw she had this new book, Happier at Home, I knew I wanted to read it.  The subtitle to the book reads: "Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life."  The book chronicles the author's resolutions to be more happy--focused especially on her home life.  She points out that it's not that she's not happy--it's just that she wanted to make her home happier by appreciating how much happiness was already there.

This was another really thought-provoking book.  It had lots of points that really stuck out to me and helped me realize where I can find more happiness in my life.  Not all of her points or experiences related to me exactly, but the book's overall ideas really resonated with me.  I realized how choices like getting rid of meaningful stuff or starting a memory box for my daughter or treating my husband better (or a myriad of other ideas) would bring me so much more joy in my life.  I liked a quote she shared from Walt Whitman: "Happiness, knowledge, not in another place, but this place, not another hour, but this hour."  So often it's easy for me to wait for happiness to come later...as soon as I get through this stage of life or as soon as this happens.  But, this book reminded me that now is the time to be happy: "How breathtaking, how fleeting, how precious was my ordinary day.  Now is now.  Here is my treasure."

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Unbroken

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand was recommended to me awhile back, and this month, it also happened to be my book club's book--so I finally got around to reading it.  The subtitle to the book gives a good synopsis: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.  The book tells the true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner on track to run a 4-minute mile when WWII hits and the next Olympics are cancelled.  Louie becomes a part of the military, and when his plane crashes in the ocean, he and the other survivors become stranded on a raft, floating aimlessly for more than 30 days with virtually nothing to eat or drink.  When they amazingly survive, Louie then becomes a POW under the Japanese, abused and tortured in unimaginable ways.

This is a truly amazing book.  It was daunting to me at first, but somehow the author makes this long, historical, nonfiction book absolutely fascinating and hard to put down.  Louie's story enthralled me, and I just wanted to keep reading all the time.  It was so interesting to read about what took place during WWII and was completely appalling to realize the way that POWs were treated by many Japanese.  The book really opened my eyes to the suffering that took place during WWII as well as the suffering that continued for so many veterans after the war.  The author's dedication at the end of the book was one I completely agreed with: "I come away from this book with the deepest appreciation for what these men endured, and what they sacrificed, for the good of humanity. It is to them that this book is dedicated."  The book also included a powerful and inspirational message of forgiveness.*  I loved this book!

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)


*The book's explanation of unlikely forgiveness reminded me of another amazing book called The Hiding Place, the autobiography of Corrie ten Boom, a Holocaust survivor.  Highly recommended as well.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

The librarian also recommended The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, while I'd somehow never read, even though I've read most of Kate DiCamillo's other books.  It's about a china rabbit named Edward Tulane who was owned and loved by a girl named Abilene.  Then one day, he becomes lost--and the book follows his journey from the ocean to a garbage dump to a home, from owner to owner to owner.  And, as the book jacket explains, "Along the way, we are shown a true miracle--that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again."

This is a really sweet book.  It's a quick read but is filled with lots of detail and emotion.  It was actually a pretty sad book at times but also inspiring to see how this rabbit toy could bring joy to the lives of so many during their time with him.  I thought it was a beautifully written book that make you want to keep reading the whole way through.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

The Diary of a Killer Cat

The librarian at a local elementary school recommended The Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine to me as a book I'd enjoy--it's a super quick read (like, it took me 5 minutes).  It's about a cat named Tuffy who gets in trouble from his owners (little girl named Ellie and her parents) for killing a bird.  Ellie tries to convince Tuffy to change his ways, but when a dead rabbit is dragged in, Tuffy is blamed for its death.  The book is told from Tuffy's point of view.

This is a really cute, fun book.  It's such a fun story for younger kids (probably age 7 or so) who want to read a simple chapter book.  It was entertaining and engaging with a clever perspective.  It wasn't long enough for be to be involved enough to rate it 3 stars, but there's nothing I really didn't like about it.  Good book.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)