Book Worm Wednesday "The One and Only Ivan"

My daughter and I have a goal to read through all of the Newberry Award winning books.  We've started with the 2014 winner (blog post on that another day) and then we just finished the 2013 winner "The One and only Ivan"

       When I first started reading this book, which is written from the view point of Ivan a gorilla, I was very curious and a little wary.  Would it be a preachy "save the animals" book?  (Not that I don't think we should save the animals, I just don't like preachy.) Also the "chapters" were very short, some less than a page.  

     There is not a lot of action; not too much adventure.  But there are a lot of heartwarming relationships.  Ivan was taken away from his home and family and spent most of his life with humans and locked in his "domain" at the Big Top Mall.  His friends are Bob, a stray dog who sleeps on his stomach and licks leftovers off his chin, Stella, the elephant in the next cage, and Julia the daughter of the night custodian.  He is an artist.  And the main story is how he uses his art to save a baby elephant from a life of loneliness and 3 shows a day at the Big Top Mall.

By the end of the book I could see why this book was a winner.  E.  gave it 5 out of 5 stars too.

Thoughtful Thursday

I'm trying to get blogger to automatically post to Facebook when I make a new blog post

This is a test.

Thanks

Book Worm Wednesday -- "The Goldfinch"

      Lately I've been reading more "literary" books; books on best seller lists; books that are highly recommended; etc.  So how about a book that won the Pulitzer?  What makes a book a Pulitzer Prize winner?  And so, I put "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt on my e-library hold list and waited and waited.  Finally, it was available and I began to read.  It's taken me several months to finish this book because I couldn't seem to finish it in the given three weeks and had to but it on hold several more times.

   The Goldfinch is a story about Theo Decker, who's mother loves the painting of a goldfinch by Carel Fabritius.  And in a trip to the Art museum to see the painting. She is killed in a bombing, and, prompted by the ramblings of an elderly gentleman who is dying, Theo takes the painting.  

    I was intrigued by this first part of the book.  The story was compelling and interesting.  What would happen to Theo with his mother gone?  His father had abandoned them and no one knew where he was.  What would he do with the painting?  And what about the ring the old man had asked him to deliver?

      But even though the writing was excellent and some of the characters were interesting and fun to read.  I had a hard time slogging through the rest of the book.  I don't want to give any spoilers....but I will say that after the first part of the book the language of the characters deteriorate and Theo chooses to self medicate his PTSD.  I did not enjoy reading about the drunken/high exploits of Theo and his friend Boris in Las Vegas after Theo's father finally fetches him from NYC.  

      I did like the resolution of the problem of the stolen painting which happens 12 years later.  As a lover of mysteries and action books, there were several chapters that were exciting to read.  

     The very end, however, got wordy and philosophic.  Not that I mind a little philosophy but I didn't really agree with the author's idea that good can come from evil and that maybe the bad things were the lead up to the good.

       This would be a great book for a discussion: character motivations, symbolism, and plot ideas.  

       I'm still not sure what constitutes a Pulitzer Prize winning novel  Maybe I need to read the rest of the contenders in this contest.

   

Book Worm Wednesday - "As You Wish"

I just finished this delightful memoir of "The Princess Bride."  And I loved it.

It was a quick, easy read about the behind the scenes of the movie "The Princess Bride."  And after finishing it, I now know what makes the movie so lovable.  A lot of work, pride and heart went into the making of this movie.

The book is Cary Elwes' story interspersed with memoirs and comments from the other cast members and the directors.  There is no "dirt." All of the cast and crew got a long and worked well together.

The book is very positive and upbeat and was almost as fun as watching the movie or reading the original book "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman.