Just a couple memoirs...

Memoirs are all over the place - from people who have lived full lives to others who just want to write about a specific incident in their possibly still young lives.  I never think that I would have much to write about if I sat down and tried to tell someone about my life - but then I read some of these books and I think, well, perhaps everyone does have a story to tell.  Some more insightful or inspiring or instructive or interesting than others.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanthini:  This book been sitting in my bedside table for quite awhile and I haven't been able to bring myself to read it. It just seemed too sad - since it's been all over the news that it was written by and about a young successful doctor at Stanford who dies of cancer. But, it's been recommended by so many people that I decided to make this my first read of 2018. Kalanithi is a beautiful writer - this book is short and can be read quickly, but I found myself reading slowly (and with my breath held), both because I wanted to savor the prose, but probably also because I knew what was coming. The book recounts his love of literature, and how he came to be a doctor - the grueling hours he put in, and the constant thinking he did about the meaning of life, even amidst so much pain and trauma. Even knowing what was going to happen, I couldn't stop myself from crying at the end. The thought of losing a spouse or a child or a father is so tragic - but there was also an incredibly peace that came from Kalanithi's words. My understanding is that Kalanithi's spouse, Lucy, is now in a relationship with a man who lost his own wife to cancer (her memoir was also published posthumously: The Bright Hour). I find the idea of making and finding that connection quite comforting. Facing the same fate, I don't think I would have made the same decisions as Kalanithi in terms of work and family, but that's obviously impossible to know - and reading this book (as probably with any book about someone dying far too early), I think it's made me rethink some choices, and certainly reevaluate my general outlook on life - and I suppose that's a good thing, especially as a way to start out a new year.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson: Given my line of work as a capital habeas attorney, I am interested in most books having to do with the mess of our criminal justice system, and anyone who is attempting to tackle this huge problem.  Bryan Stevenson is well known in the world in which I work - as a crusader and tireless advocate.  So, I pre-ordered his memoir when it came out, and read it in just over a day.  It's well-written and easy to read - Stevenson tells the story of his upbringing and career, interspersed with the stories of a couple of his clients - clients whose cases best illustrate the problems he is trying to address in his representations - problems with racism at every stage of our system - and the effects that this racism has had, not just on individuals, but on entire communities.  At the end of this - I cried - mostly as a result of Stevenson's beautiful writing, and the way he was able to articulate so many of the feelings that I have had doing this work.  But, I still wished there had been more about his own life in the book - it didn't seem like much of a memoir to me.  There were certainly some tid-bits of his life, and his opinions about the system - maybe something that wouldn't have been as well-received had the book been billed as non-fiction simply about the work.  But, I found myself wanting to know more about how he lives, how he balances, how he gets up in the morning - and then I thought, well maybe someone who has made this huge of an impact doesn't really get to have much of a life.  He has dedicated everything - to the point that the work really is his life.  It is admirable, but is it healthy?  Does that matter?  Are we, as a society, dependent on having people - in all kinds of professions that benefit the greater good - who don't need/want/realize they need or want that kind of balance?  This is an important book that I wish everyone would read - particularly people who don't otherwise think much about our criminal justice system.  I think Stevenson has a kind and brilliant perspective to share - and maybe if each one of us does something, it wouldn't fall on just a few to do everything.

A Few Quick Fiction Reads

Over the past couple years, I have fallen behind on my book reviews.  Luckily, I keep track of what I've read on Goodreads.  At present, I appear to have about 80 books that I have read, but not yet reviewed.  I have also set my reading goal for 2018 at a book a week.  So, it looks like I better get blogging if I want to clear out the backlog!  So with that, here are a few (shorter than usual) reviews of some books I've read in the not-too-distant-past!

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang: I haven't read many graphic novels in my time, but at the beginning of last year, my 6-year-old son started to get really into them.  So while he read ones aimed at kids, I decided to try a few geared more toward adults (or older kids in this case).  I picked up American Born Chinese at the library - it's about a young Chinese-American kid growing up in a community surrounded by white people.  It's also about the Chinese fable of the powerful Monkey King.  The book flips between the stories, and tells the painful, but all too common tale, of those who are different trying to fit-in, questioning their identities, and ultimately (hopefully) discovering what's really important.  I'm still at the point where I'd rather read this story in prose - but I appreciated the exercise of reading in this way - not just with words, but incorporating everything going on in the illustrations.  My goal in 2018 is to read a few more of these graphic novels.  Maybe even a couple of the series that my son enjoys!

Elanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: I'm generally a big fan of YA literature- I loved it when I was a YA myself, and I like getting recommendations from current YAs.  It's great to know that they're out there discovering a love of reading - but I also think that when I read what they like, maybe it gives me a little window into understanding them a bit better.  That being said, the older I get, the harder it is to read these YA books - I feel like "no one talks like that!" or "no one thinks like that!" But, of course, the truth is - we did all talk and think like that at one point in time.  Life is dramatic.  Love is dramatic.  Emotions are all over the place.  And, so with that background - I read Eleanor & Park, a quirky little story about first love between two sixteen-year-olds - and brings back that special feeling of being completely misunderstood, but then finally finding that person who seems to kind of understand. 

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green:  I never read Green's incredibly popular book The Fault in Our Stars.  Given the subject matter, I didn't think I could handle it.  But, it was also a reminder that I need to read these books closer in time to when they come out, so that I haven't been "ruined" by movie trailers.  And so, I picked this one up, as soon as I made it through the very long queue at the library.  Turtles All the Way Down is the story of Aza, a 16-year-old girl who has lost her father and suffers from a debilitating anxiety disorder.  When the father of one of her old friends disappears, she re-ignites her friendship with him.  While reading this, I found Aza's discussions about her anxiety exhausting and repetitive.  But, as I was annoyed, I did realize that well, this is how people who suffer from anxiety actually feel - and my irritation was probably how many of her friends felt (as later described in the book), and what further leads people like her into self-doubt and social isolation.  So, while not enjoying the book, I also found myself feeling terrible for being annoyed by Aza's circumstance.  After finishing the novel, I went online to read reviews - I was looking both for reviews by teenagers, to see if they found the friendship/romance plot realistic (or even if unrealistic, if they "liked" the relationship), and I was also looking for reviews by people who suffer from anxiety to determine whether they found Aza to be a relatable realistic portrayal of their circumstance.  I found reviews from many teenagers who suffer from anxiety - and most of them seemed to love the book - and to find comfort in her character.  So, even though I did not enjoy this book, reading those reviews made me appreciate all the more.  So, kudos to Green for apparently accurately depicting the teenage condition once again, and for giving the kids what they want, and certainly need. 

Clara's Pick of the Week: Notebook of Doom

Clara stumbled upon this series at our library the other day:  The Notebook of Doom.  We checked out the first book in the series, Rise of the Balloon Goons.  A young boy, Alexander Bopp, has just moved to the town of Stermont.  The town seems relatively normal at first, but Alexander soon finds out that it is filled with monsters.  He finds The Notebook of Doom, which is filled with drawings and descriptions of all the various monsters around town - how to spot them and how to fight them.  Clara loved the first book - and has decided to be a "balloon goon" for Halloween.  We quickly read the second and third books in the series, and are waiting on a few more from the library.  These are easy-to-read chapter books, with fun illustrations thrown in - and the feel of a real notebook, with thoughts and pictures in the margins.  A good transition series from picture books to full-fledged no illustration chapter books!  We can't wait to see what monsters Alexander and his friends encounter next!

Ben's Summer Pick: I Survived!

My six-year-old son (like a lot of people) has a fascination with natural disasters.  I'd think this was strange, but my older brother and his 10-year-old daughter share the same interest, and I grew up watching shows like Stormchasers and Extreme Weather, never quite understanding it all.  But, clearly they are not the only ones because there are all kinds of books for kids on disasters.  A couple months ago my son had an absolute blast reading a book called The Surviv-o-pedia.  It is, as the title suggests, an encyclopedia of dangerous situations that people have survived - from shark attacks to quicksand to natural disasters.  It's filled with crazy stories and factoids, and he loved telling me about all the situations I'd probably rather not hear about!  After he finished this, we went on a search for other similar books - we found a few in the non-fiction section, but then stumbled upon an interesting fiction series called I Survived!  

There are about 18 books in the series - each tells a fiction story about a boy who survived a real-life disaster.  I thought this might satisfy Ben's disaster curiosity, while also teaching him a little history.  He has enjoyed some more than others - his favorite so far is I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980  and I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii.  It has been fun to hear him talk about the stories with so much excitement and a little bit of fear.  I hope he won't become a stormchaser, but I don't mind him reading about these things in the comfort of our own living room!

Clara's Pick of the Week: Cowgirl Kate & Cocoa

My four-year-old daughter, Clara, has developed a recent fascination with horses.  Her biggest dream in life at the moment is to someday ride a horse, and she has asked me to borrow as many books as possible from the library about horses - real horses, as well as story horses.  So, I anticipate a few more horse-themed posts here in the near future.  But, in the meantime, one easy-to-read chapter books series we discovered and have been in enjoying is:  Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa.  After the first book introducing us to the characters, a young girl and her silly talking horse, we read the following:

- Cowgirl Kate & Cocoa: Partners
- Cowgirl Kate & Cocoa: School Days
- Cowgirl Kate & Cocoa: Rain or Shine
- Cowgirl Kate & Cocoa: Horse in the House (my personal favorite)
- Cowgirl Kate & Cocoa: Spring Babies

Snails & Trees

It's Earth Day weekend and the weather is beautiful.  A perfect time to think about nature and spend time enjoying some fresh air.  Yesterday, I took a trip to the library with all three kids.  Alice requested books about "how seeds grow, and plants and trees."  Clara requested, "books about snails so we can learn more about how they grow and what they eat."  We succeeded in our quest, and enjoyed the following titles yesterday evening at bedtime:

Books about seeds and trees:

- A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston
- What Kind of Seeds are These?  by Heidi Bee Roemer
- The Little Plant Doctor: A Story About George Washington Carver by Jean Marzollo
- Who Will Plant a Tree? by Jerry Pallotta
- Be a Friend to Trees by Patricia Lauber

Books about snails:

- Are You a Snail? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries
- The Biggest House in the World by Leo Leonini
- Snail: Fun Snail Facts and Photos by Alma Ray

Then today, the kids put their new knowledge to use and spent the afternoon observing snails and seeds, and generally enjoying being outside and celebrating the creatures and plants around us!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick

A couple years ago, I read The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick on my own.  I remember it being a charming story of a young boy living on his own in a train station.  The boy winds all the clocks in the station, and becomes obsessed with finding/stealing mechanical parts in order to restore an automaton.  The book contains wonderful black and white illustrations that not only go along with the written story, but also tell parts of the story.  Last month, my girls' pre-school teacher started reading this book to the class.  We decided to pick it up again at home to follow along, so both my older son and I could engage in conversations with the girls about the book - and we could all enjoy the magic together!


The book has been a jumping off point for so many fun projects at school, many of which have spilled over to home.  These have included:  black and white drawings, playing with wind-up toys, and tinkering with clocks.

Clara tinkering with a clock

She wants to become an horologist!

Old movies also play a role in the book, and one day the father of one of my girls' classmates came to show the kids an old projector and they watched a film on the wall.  Magic also plays a role in the film with the main boy, Hugo, learning sleight-of-hand tricks in order to obtain the parts he needs for his automaton.  I'm excited for the kids to learn a few tricks of their own!

Getting ready to watch an old film

Watching a film on a sheet on the wall