This is another amazing book, but it has to be read with an open mind. In the beginning of the book, David, a doctor is forced to deliver his and his wife Norah’s baby because there is a terrible snowstorm and the other doctor can’t make it in time. Shortly after Norah gives birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy, Paul, she begins to contract again and unexpectedly gives birth to another baby, a girl, whom she names Phoebe. Being a doctor, David immediately notices that the baby has Down syndrome. Not wanting his wife to raise a child who will die young, he tells the nurse to take the baby to an institution. Because this book takes place during 1964, when doctors still gave women gas during childbirth, Norah was passed out during this whole thing and David tells her that the other baby died. Norah is devastated by this and is never the same after. When the nurse gets to the institution, she is horrified by the institution and decides to keep the baby. The rest of the book chronicles Caroline’s (the nurse) life with the baby and Norah, David’s, and Paul’s lives. It is a very emotional book, and as terrible as David’s decision was, details throughout the book make it more understandable, although never right. His sister actually died young because of a heart condition and his mother was destroyed. He did not want this to happen to his beloved Norah. Phoebe ends up doing very well living with Caroline. I don’t want to give any more away, so you have to read the book if you want to know more and see how it ends!
The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls June 7, 2008
I can easily say that The Glass Castle is one of the best books I have ever read. Written by Jeannette Walls, it is the shocking story of her life. Walls, who is now a successful gossip columnist for MSNBC, had a childhoos that was far from easy and even farther from normal. Her mother was a distracted artist and her father was an alcoholic. Her parents were never able to afford a proper home and they were constantly moving their four children at the spur of the moment. Her memoir reveals many details about Walls’ life that make her success in life so amazing. It definitely provides food for thought, especially considering the fact that Walls has made a career for herself, while her mother has decided to live in the streets. There is a scene in the book where Walls sees her mother picking through the garbage dumpster in a parking lot, while Walls is being driven to her destination and is wearing nice clothes. Walls does not pass any judgement on her parents, who caused her life to be as crazy as it was, but instead just tells the story as it is. This book can’t be understood until you read it.
The Nanny Diaries – Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus June 1, 2008
I read this book after seeing the movie, which I loved. I actually ended up loving the book too because it was different enough from the movie that it held my interest, but the characters were pretty much the same, which I liked. I usually try to stay away from movies when I have already read the book because I don’t like it when my images of the characters are not the same as they are shown in the movie. I don’t like not being able to remember the way I pictured the characters when I read the book. The Nanny Diaries is about a college student, referred to only as Nanny, who starts working for the X family, taking care of their preschool age son, Grayer. The X’s are rich and difficult to work for. Mr. X is never home and Mrs. X is very demanding, to say the least. She makes unreasonable requests and expects Nanny to be available every second of every day, while she herself is out being social and pretending she is the best mother ever. The book recounts Nanny’s experience with Mrs. X, as well as her developing relationship with Grayer. This book is very entertaining, provoking both laughs and tears. I do have to say that the ending of the movie is better than that of the book, but I think the book is still great, and definitely worth the read.
My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult May 18, 2008
I will admit that this book was slightly depressing, okay maybe really depressing, but it was worth it. It is about Anna, a thirteen year old girl, who is seeking legal medical emancipation from her parents, who had her created to be a genetic match to their other daughter, Kate, who has leukemia. Anna is tired of being forced to undergo medical procedures to keep Kate alive. Blood is one thing, but when it comes to donating a kidney, a more invasive procedure, Anna decides that she wants to be responsible for her own medical decisions. It’s not that she doesn’t want to help Kate; she just doesn’t want to continue to be used. She was never really asked if she wanted to do any of these things, not even when she gave bone marrow to her sister through a painful procedure when she was younger. She was just expected to do it. It is told through the voices of Anna, her parents, Sara and Brian, Jesse, Anna and Kate’s brother, Campbell, Anna’s lawyer, and Julia, Anna’s guardian ad litem as well as Campell’s ex-girlfriend. This allows the reader to understand all sides of the issue. They are all understandable, and it is impossible to completely side with one person. Anna seems heartless when she doesn’t want to help her sister, but at the same time, it is her body and her decision. This book held my attention all the way through to the end, which came as an incredible shock. Even though one of my friends whom I lent this book to guessed the eding, I didn’t see it coming. My friend is just really talented when it comes to predicting what will happen. Anyway, if you read this book, make sure you have plenty of tissues ready. I don’t want to give it away, but I was upset for the rest of the night after finishing the book. I couldn’t believe the ending – it was one of those endings that is sad but also has a good side to it. I would definitely recommend this book, along with the warning that it is extremely emotional.
The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro April 24, 2008
Like The Bean Trees, I read this book for English class. It is told from the viewpoint of Stevens, an English butler who is very dedicated to his job and his employer. Throughout the entire novel, Stevens is taking a “motoring trip,” at the suggestion of his current employer. While he is on this trip, he thinks about his career and various events that have occurred and how he handled them. This may not exactly sound interesting, but turned out to be a relaxing, enjoyable read and even had some funny parts, particularly concerning Stevens’ obsessions, including his preoccupation with his ability to “banter.” This is a good book to read when you are not rushed and are able to appreciate its unique style.
The Bean Trees – Barbara Kingsolver April 24, 2008
I was assigned this book over winter break and I began to read it with absolutely no expectations. That said, I was much more than pleasantly surprised with this book. The Bean Trees is the story of Taylor Greer, a woman from Kentucky who decides to travel out west in search of a new life. What she doesn’t expect is to end up taking care of a three-year-old, who was literally placed in her car. Eventually, Taylor stumbles upon two new friends: Mattie, who owns an auto repair shop, and Lou Ann, who is a new mother and worried about everything. These characters are all so well developed and the book is so well-written that I was sad to come to the end, which I will say is very good. I would definitely recommend this book - I enjoyed it so much that I actually bought two more of Barbara Kingsolver’s books, including Pigs in Heaven, a continuation of The Bean Trees which I will write about after I read it.
Introduction April 8, 2008
Hello! On this blog, I will be posting reviews of books that, as the title suggests, I think are worth reading. As someone who loves to read, I am always looking for new things to read and I am constantly recommending good books to people, which is the goal of this blog.
