Z - A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
For those of you who know me, I suspect you're already chuckling at the title of this book.  Yes, I LOVE The Great Gatsby, yes,  I have a phone cover of Gatsby, and yes, I even wear my Gatsby t-shirt on the first day I begin teaching it to my freshman.  With that said, though, I abhor most all the characters within the book - petty, greedy, selfish, racist, anti-semitic, Nick, Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby are all pretty much lousy human beings.  Yet, I love the writing, the themes, the beauty of the story.  So...of course when Z came out, I purchased it on the first day.
So many myths and urban legends surround this 'Jazz Age' couple; I was curious as to what was true and what wasn't.  The story focuses on Zelda, whereas most everything I've read always centered around Scott.  The story of their courtship, the early wild days of marriage before a child, the 'lost generation' of the expats in Europe, the alcoholism, the friendship with Hemingway, the mental illness...it's all covered here.  However, Fowler also explores what it meant to be a woman back then, and what happens to an independent-minded woman when she runs up against the unwritten rules for 'wife-dom' in the 1920's and '30's.  I found Zelda fascinating, sad, and tortured, and Scott as rather pathetic, obsessive, and also tortured.  I wonder where life would have taken these two if they had not joined their negative, destructive forces with one another?  Great read if you have an interest in the literary days of the past, as well as enjoy historical fiction.  Not only did I learn a great deal, but I enjoyed the journey tremendously.

The Messenger by Marcus Zusak
Zusak is technically a 'young adult' author, though to be honest, I've never seen him that way.  While he may write shorter books, nothing simplistic or immature exists in his writing.  If you read his first book, The Book Thief, you completely understand.  That book featured Death as the narrator, during the Holocaust in Germany.  Yet it was different than literally every other book about that time period, that I have ever read.  Zusak sees life uniquely.  Many of my students have been so entranced by The Book Thief that it actually was able to turn them onto the lost art of reading, something they never thought could happen.  The Messenger is so far removed from his previous book, it is like another author wrote it, except for the uniquely obscure way of looking at life.  The main character, Ed, is quite a bright young man  who is choosing to drive a taxi, hang out playing cards with a tight circle of friends, fight with his mother, and do...not much with his life.  Yet one day, a card comes for him in the mail - not a greeting card, but a playing card from a deck.    Ed spends the rest of the book figuring out a variety of 'messages,' while at the same time figuring out life.  This book is quite intriguing, would be an interesting book club read, and is appropriate for all age levels.  I was quite fascinated by both the story and the prose style. It was also a stellar reminder of how we are able to touch people, whether they be strangers or friends, in both simplistic and complex ways.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
Okay, Picoult has been my 'dirty little secret' in the past.  Always on the bestseller list, but not always with the best books, the woman can usually write a story that I cannot put down.  My Sister's Keeper (great book, lousy movie) and Nineteen Minutes (horrifying look at a Columbine-type situation) were not easily forgotten and read quite quickly.  However, I had not read one of Picoult's numerous books in quite some time, having gotten a bit burned out as well as disappointed in some of her later books.  The Storyteller, though, is another home-run.  As I read the blurb on audible.com, it seemed fairly straight forward...young girl (Sage) meets old gentleman (Joseph), who asks her to help him kill himself.  Yet, as the story plays out, we find out the hidden Nazi secrets of both Joseph and his brother, as well as Minka, Sage's grandmother and a Jewish prisoner.  The story of the Nazi soldier and the Jewish slave laborer are extraordinarily intense, and I've read numerous Holocaust books.  This book is extremely well-researched, using details and stories from past survivors.  Throw in a bit of a love story with a Department of Justice lawyer, a scarred and tortured main character, a slimy funeral director, and Picoult has another pretty good hit on her hands.  Though many of the Auschwitz scenes are graphic and disturbing, these scenes are not thrown in gratuitously but truly lend the story the authenticity needed to make it 'real.'  I highly recommend.

NEW BOOKS!!

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
   This is an amazing non-fiction book, focusing on one of the particular slums of Mumbai.  I had heard about it for months, seen it on numerous 'must-read' lists, but just hadn't felt compelled to read it, thinking it would be far too depressing.  Ultimately, I listened to it on audible.com, therefore I'm not even going to attempt to spell out any of the names! Suffice it to say, it is not a book I will forget any time soon.  The story begins with the focus on a Muslim family of garbage collectors, with a son who is the 'king-pin' amongst the other boys, has a sickly father and a rather temperamental mother.  We also follow the story of a social climber and politician who will literally do anything to ensure her, and her daughter's, movement up the ladder.  And yes, we are introduced to a caste system that is, unfortunately, still alive and well in India, no matter how
'modern' they say they are.  We see the graft in government, the corruption in the police, the complete absence of medical care and education, and the true horror of the slums of Mumbai.  Well worth your time, though your stomach will churn in spots and your mind will want to deny that humans are treated as such.

The Paris Wife by Paula McClain
Admittedly, I am a historical buff and a fan of books based on real people.  This one is a doozy.  I had avoided McClain's book, as I'm not really much of a fan of Ernest Hemingway.  In a college lit class, I was forced to read The Sun Also Rises, never completely understanding the dynamics of the characters, or to be honest, really caring.  I finished the book wondering what all the fuss was about Hemingway.  Since then, I have studiously avoided teaching any of his works in my English classes, perhaps unfairly, perhaps not - it remains to be seen. However, the story of his life is quite fascinating, and The Paris Wife covers his first five years of writing, his marriage to a slightly older woman, and the life of the 'Lost Generation' in 1920's Paris.  I studiously avoided reading about Hemingway on Wikipedia, so I could discover for myself the interesting facts and tidbits of his life.  Most intriguing to me, was the inspiration for The Sun Also Rises - and yes, it now sits on my high school desk, waiting to be read once again (I'm hoping 30 years later, I will see the value).  Through these five years, we meet many of the 'biggies' of American literature, such as Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and my personal favorite, the drunken and crazy American couple...the Fitzgeralds.  Read in just two days, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
I had read the inside flap of this book frequently, never really that intrigued by the idea of a couple who lives out on a deserted island, keeping the lighthouse. Was I ever mistaken.  This is one of the most beautiful books I have read in a quite some time - I HIGHLY recommend it.  The story line is simple; .a baby is found in a rowboat - the couple keeps it.  Fast forward...let the drama begin.  The woman is a protected, beloved only child after her brothers are killed in WWI, while her husband is a decorated veteran, traumatized by his own wartime experiences.  Their marriage is complex and complicated by their inability to bear living children, as well as his PTSD.  The other character, however, is the lighthouse. The island itself sits between the Indian Ocean and the Southern Sea that leads to Antarctica; it is a world unto itself.  I found myself fascinated with the life of a keeper, wondering when the looming houses became automated and ended a way of life for so many.  First time author Stedman can write, seriously.  Her writing is lyrical, poignant, yet not verbose; she gets to the plot line without droning on endlessly about the scenery, yet keeps one reading as she draws out the quiet mystery and drama.  Loved loved loved this book.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
In my search, as an English teacher, for a non-narrative, non-fiction book to teach at the high school level, everyone kept referring me to a Gladwell book. He has three bestsellers - The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers. After looking at the three of them, I decided perhaps his latest one would be the most high-interest for students.  However, I found it wasn't just about my students; I was hooked from page one and finished it the next day.  The story looks at the studies and statistics surrounding people and companies that succeed, exploring the idea of "what makes one successful."  Needless to say, I was shocked by some things, not by others.  For instance, our favorite line to our girls their entire childhood and still into adulthood is...Work hard and good things happen.  Outliers taught me that still holds true, though 10,000 hours seems to be the needed turning point for success.  However, so much more exists that aids in one's success...when you were born, your cultural background, and so many other things I had never even considered.  This is an engrossing, fascinating book - I highly recommend it.

Ghostman by Roger Hobbs
Early one morning last fall, I saw my friend Chuck Robinson at the gym.  Consumate bookseller and owner of literally the BEST independent bookstore to be found, we, of course, engaged in our usual conversation about our latest favorite books.  I was in awe over Yellow Bird, and he was fascinated by a new young author he had just met, as well as his first novel that Chuck literally could not put down.  His words to me were..."Someone should put this young man to work for the FBI - he knows far too much about the underworld."  Hobbs is a 23 year old young man, recent graduate of Reed College, and since it takes a couple years to the actual publishing phase...you can do the math on how young he was Ghostman.  This is a rock-n-roll, hold onto your pants, edge of your seat, and every other cliche, kind of thriller.  A 'ghostman' is a person who doesn't actually exist, living so far off the grid no one can find him.  Our hero (who knows what his real name actually is??) is a professional thief and he's got a bit of a problem on his hands, as well as a past history that plays into his current situation.  Hobbs weaves the two stories seamlessly together, creating a page-turner like no other.  As Chuck's blurb said on the back of his book..."we will be reading this young man's work for years to come."  Hobbs is the real deal and Ghostman is a legitimately awesome read.
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