The Mansion

I read The Mansion, a short story by Henry van Dyke, for my book club.  I had never heard of this book before, but it apparently is a must-read each Christmas season along with A Christmas Carol.  I was able to read The Mansion (a super quick read) for free on the Internet.  It is about a religious man named John who is very wealthy, donates to charities, and seems to live a life without error.  However, one night in a dream, he finds that the mansion he expected to find for his reward in heaven is not at all what he expected.  The lesson in the story comes near the end where John asks the Keeper of the Gate, "What is it that counts here?"  and receives the answer, "Only that which is truly given. Only that good which is done for the love of doing it."

This is a really wonderful story that was very thought-provoking.  It was so easy to relate to the main character as he desperately tried to explain to the Keeper of the Gate all that he had done for good on the earth.  He then with disappointment received an explanation that he had already received his reward for those acts: "Would you be paid twice?"  It made me really think about how I should seek do good in this world without needing praise or recognition--the reward may not come in this world but in the next.

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

The Son of Neptune

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan is the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series.  It tells the story of three demigods who must unleash Death, who is chained, which prevents anyone (including monsters) from staying dead.  I won't elaborate further on the plot so I don't give anything away since this is part two in a series.

I really liked this book--it got me interested quicker than the first book in the series and was a fun read.  I loved the side stories that went with each character and how details were released throughout the story.  The characters were great, the story was exciting, and the ending was great.  It tied up loose ends but also introduced exactly what to look forward to in book 3.  Too bad it doesn't come out till Fall 2012!

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

Wonderstruck

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick is written in the same format as another book he wrote a few years ago called The Invention of Hugo Cabret (which I loved).  The author combines pictures and words to tell a story--a few pages of pictures followed by a few pages of words, repeated throughout the entire book.  Wonderstruck tells two different stories--Ben (in words) is searching for his father, while Rose (in pictures) sets out on a quest of her own.

Even though this book looks massive, it's a quick read.  (Thanks to half the pages being pictures, and the text pages aren't very full.)  It's a fascinating story that kept me enthralled and excited about what was to come.  I loved the unknowns that were revealed throughout the book, loved the distinct characters, and loved how everything came together.  It was a fun book with beautiful illustrations and a feel-good story.  Highly recommended.

Rating:  * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

In the Garden of Beasts

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson was this month's book for the book club I'm in.  It is the true story of William Dodd, a history professor who unexpectedly becomes America's ambassador to Germany in 1933.  He brings along his wife and young adult children.  The book chronicles the transformation the family goes through over time--from admiring Hitler to being repulsed by him.  It is a fascinating look (through primary sources and accounts) at how America viewed Germany at the beginning of Hitler's "reign" in Germany and the role of the Dodd family in all that took place.

This was a very interesting book.  I am always happy to be "forced" into reading a book I wouldn't normally read.  I really love books about WWII but typically pick up historical fiction more than nonfiction.  But this book read like a story and kept me interested in what took place.  I was very involved with the people in the story and learned a lot about this pre-WWII time period.  [A sidenote here is that this is the first book I've ever read on a Kindle.  (No, I did not get a Kindle.)  When I put this book on hold at the library, for some reason, I was number 400-something, which meant I was never going to get it in time for our meeting this week.  So, a lady in the book club lent me her Kindle. Nice!]

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

The Throne of Fire

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan is the second book in the Kane Chronicles, which I started a few months ago.  It follows where book 1 left off.  In this book, Apophis (the Chaos snake) is rising, so Sadie and Carter take it upon themselves to bring Ra, the sun god, back to life.  The book follows Sadie, Carter, and their friends as they try to bring together the worlds of gods and magicians.

I liked this book more than the first one for some reason, maybe because I was just more familiar with the story background.  I like the alternating point of view between Sadie and Carter, and the book was full of adventures.  It was a fun read that kept me interested and anxious to read throughout.

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

After Tupac and D Foster

After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson was a Newbery Honor book from a few years ago.  The book is narrated by a 12-year-old girl who describes life on her block, her friendship with Neeka and the new foster girl D, and how they follow the what happens to their favorite rapper, Tupac.

This was a really well-written book--Jacqueline Woodson's books just seem to have a beautiful flow of words, so it's a nice read.  I didn't really love the story or feel too particularly attached to the characters, but it was okay enough that I finished the book.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)

Yellow Star

I decided I wanted to read Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy after my Grandma mentioned in one of her weekly family e-mails that she had read it. This book is the true story of a girl named Syvia who was 4 years old when the thousands of Jews in her town in Poland were sent by the Germans into a ghetto. As the book tells, "At the end of the war, there were about 800 survivors. Of those who survived, only twelve were children. This is the story of one of the twelve." The author of the book is the niece of Syvia.

This was a really incredible story. I really have a special place in my heart for Holocaust books, and this was another touching and inspiring book. I was so involved in the book as I read about Syvia's childhood in the ghetto and about her brave, selfless father. This was a quick read, written in a first person, from a child's eyes.

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