Dune by Frank Herbert

rating: 4/5
genre: science fiction

book 3 of 5 for the Classics Challenge 2009
book 10 of 10 for the Book Awards Reading Challenge II

Despite my limited knowledge of the science fiction genre, even I can tell that Dune is a masterpiece, just like the cover of my book says.

The planet of Arrakis is a massive desert and the only reason humans have found a way to make it hospitable is because of the great wealth it contains. Enter Paul Atreides - the boy with powers so deep and defined that they become legendary. His arrival on Arrakis sets in motion a series of events that will change the course of the universe. Treachery and duels, battles and mysterious sand creatures - Dune takes the imagination and pushes fast forward, daring us to keep up with the history and community the Herbert has created.

Dune has a spiritual element, a religious and mystical undercurrent that I found fascinating. The powers of certain characters, their abilities and knowledge, made the story so much more interesting. Not only that, but the history of this planet and the people on it was so rich and immense, I felt as though I truly had dropped into a parallel existence. I really liked the focus on ecology and the relationship between people and the land they live on and try to tame. I almost felt, sometimes, like I was reading a mystery because so many intriguing facts were revealed throughout the book that we didn't understand at the beginning.

And while I am sure in many ways this book deserves five stars, here is why I cannot, for my own self, give it that last star: it made my brain work far too hard. Call me a wimp, call me a dolt, it's okay. I am not a science fiction junkie, I'll admit it. It took me the first 1/3 of the book to confidently tell the difference between the names of a planet, a city and a Duke's last name because they were so similarly spelled. I had to keep flipping to the appendix in the back to remind myself of what words mean. This may not bother some people, and that's fine. For me, it distracted me from the flow of the story to have so much unfamiliar introduced so quickly. I will admit, though, that by the middle of the book I knew where I was and who people were and I was anxious to find out how Paul's story would resolve. Even though I was sometimes bogged down by the more theoretical parts (which I learned to skim, sorry), I was not disappointed by this book.

To conclude, this book may not be for everyone - if you hate science fiction on principle, do not even pick it up. But for those who love adventure, complex plots and deep thinking, and are willing to give it some effort, I would be very surprised if you didn't like this one.

Review: Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

genre: young adult

rating: 4/5

In 1935, Moose moves to the island prison of Alcatraz, along with his mother and his older sister. His father is already there, waiting for them - he's gotten a new job as electrician and guard at the prison. The small "non-prisoner" community has few children, so Moose is forced to play with whoever is available and there are all kinds of new rules he's forced to learn and follow.

Moose's story, told in diary format, is not just about himself living in an incredibly unique place, but also about his sister, Natalie. Nowadays, Natalie would be diagnosed with autism, but during the 30s, she was just weird and different and terribly challenging. Moose loves Natalie, though, and so much of the book is his interactions with her and the rest of his family, how they cope with having a sister with such stressful needs.

The time and place feels very authentic and the fact that it takes place on Alcatraz is just, well, cool. The author really did her research about the time period when Al Capone was there and I loved the interplay with Moose, his love of baseball, his family and the island itself. As a reader, though, sometimes I felt like the author left me hanging. A diary entry would end and the next one would begin and something important happened in between that we just have to assume went well.

That being said, I'd highly recommend this book for preteens/early teens, especially those who know or are related to someone with a disability. You not only get a sense for how far our society has come in accepting and providing for those with disabilities, but also, Moose is just a regular boy. He likes regular things, he makes choices and has to take the consequences and having an older sister who is obsessed with buttons and throws massive tantrums is just a part of life. All while living on an island full of the nation's worst criminals. Again, cool.

Review: The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

genre: children's literature
rating: 4/5

The subtitle of this book is: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy. Those four sisters, ranging in age from 12 to 4, get in all sorts of troublesome and wonderful situations while staying for the summer in the cottage of a Massachusetts mansion. Their gloriously literary and low-key father loosely rules the roost and generally lets the girls do whatever it is they please as long as no one gets maimed or drowned.

It's not a plot intensive book, my nearly 9 year old and 6 year old (a girl and boy, respectively), both enjoyed this tale for its mild adventures and the silly antics of the sisters. The dog, especially, made my kids laugh. The neighbor boy's mom makes a fabulous villain while the Interesting Boy himself is a darling and I wish he was in my neighborhood to play with my own children. The writing is cheery but thoughtful and sometimes the girls have, rightly, some pretty strong feelings that I think are well played out.

While my 6 year old son really liked it, I think if he'd been much older he might've gotten a bit bored during some of the parts about the 12 year old girl. Her storyline was a bit mature for him (she develops a crush on a boy) but my 9 year old really liked that part :) I tried to skim over it as I read out loud but near the end I couldn't, it was too much a part of the story.

I think what I, as an adult, liked most about reading this book was the relationship between the members of the Penderwick family. They have their own acronyms for things, they watch out for each other (or at least intend to) and I liked the way they stuck together when the outside world seemed to be against them. Despite their issues (which every family has, of course), I think it's a really pleasant example of a stable family and of normal sibling relationships. I also liked how they spend their time running around outside, shooting arrows and playing soccer and exploring instead of just sitting and playing the computer or watching tv.

If only our summer could be as full of friends and adventure - we had a great time reading this one.

Review: Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

book 2 of 4 for the It's the End of the World Reading Challenge II
book 2 of 5 for the Classics Challenge 09
Genre: post apocalyptic fiction
Rating: 5/5

What if the tension between the USSR and America in the 50s ended less peacefully, maybe involving exploding warheads and a nuclear holocaust? How would the common American rural town cope in such a situation?

Such a situation is at the heart of Alas, Babylon. The tiny town of Fort Repose, Florida, manages to survive the initial onslaught - but moving forward in world suddenly transformed into the dark ages proves to be an even bigger challenge. Florida itself is beautifully described and its bounty and climate plays an essential role as haven and provider. Our main characters are just normal people, flawed yet with untapped strength that catastrophe and necessity bring to the forefront. Other characters, of course, use the disaster to get gain, prey on those who have supplies, or live in denial until it's too late.

More interesting than the characters though, for me, is just the situation they found themselves in and how they got inventive about making life work again. That part was certainly the most intriguing. When Frank switched to the more military side of things my interest waned a bit, but those parts didn't usually last long. I think, perhaps, that Fort Repose was almost a bit too spared - sometimes there seemed to be a few too many good coincidences, but I liked it that way. It's hard to have a story about a town's survival if everyone gets horrendous radiation sickness :)

This book is amazing because it felt completely plausible - it's quite a wake up call, I can imagine it scaring the pants off of people in the 60s, realizing how easily fiction could've become fact. The science felt authentic and the military side of it did too (as far as I could tell). I read this book in essentially one sitting, it was that good.

Review: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

book 1 of 5 for the Classics Challenge 09
genre: non-fiction, letters
rating: 5/5

Helene Hanff lives in New York City and is an avid book lover. She much prefers second hand copies (oh so like me) and would rather write to a used book shop in London and order books than walk herself 15 blocks to a local one.

This book is their correspondence. Helene is a smart-alecky writer, humorous and persnickety. I was amazed by her book lust and the titles she was out to find. I often had to read parts of her letters outloud to anyone that would listen, I thought they were so witty. The time period is just post World War 2, so from the reply letters you get an interesting, if brief, look at the lives of normal people during a time of reconstruction.

The back of my copy has a review that claims this book is a "treasure." I couldn't pick a better word. It's a must-read for booklovers.

Review: Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier

genre: fiction
rating: 4/5

Lady Dona St. Columb is so unhappy with society life in London, that she just leaves it. She packs up her kids, their nurse (of course) and removes to the countryside. There she hopes to find some peace and a period of solace from the frippery and falseness that is being the wife of the inebriated and daft Lord. St. Columb.

Life along the river is blissful and the bounty of nature itself seems to fill her with more of a sense of purpose, a love of what is real and unspoilt. And when news of a French pirate reaches her, curiosity leads to a confrontation that takes Lady Dona on an adventure that will change her view of life, and of herself, forever.

At first, Dona bothered me. Her selfishness seemed to be her main characteristic. But the more I read, the more I related to her hatred for pretending to be someone she's not, for having to spend her life being on show instead of being able to live on her own terms. And while I could never really agree morally with her choices, I had so much sympathy for her reactions and I stopped questioning her motives. She's not a heroine, by any means, but she did feel real and fleshed out.

Her interactions with the Frenchman, her pirate, are so beautifully written, so romantic. And our French pirate - he's one of the more passionate and believable characters I've maybe ever read. I could imagine him and his expressions so perfectly in my head. du Maurier has a gift for writing simple and yet vivid descriptions and her dialogue is witty and unassuming. Even though this story is, when I think of it, so very unbelievable, she somehow got me to believe it. It's romantic and scandalous and adventurous. The most pleasant journey I've ever taken with a pirate.

Review: Unwind by Neal Shusterman

book 1 of 4 for the It's the End of the World II Challenge
genre: young adult/post-apocalyptic
rating: 5/5

If you're anything like me, Unwind will knock your socks off. Imagine a future world: it's illegal to terminate a pregnancy, but parents and the state have the right to "unwind" (or retroactively terminate) any teen between the ages of 13 and 18. To unwind: to surgically divide up a body into ALL its parts and distribute them to people who need those parts. So, in a way, you're not really dead, right? You're just "divided" or "alive in a different way." Right.

For three very different teenagers from three very different backgrounds, this future is real and is out to get them. These "unwinds" find themselves trying to survive - find a safe place where they can hide out until they turn 18 and can no longer be unwound. I love that I had no idea where this book was going, time after time. The ethical issues are staggering and beat at the heart of what it is to be alive. The complexity of the characters made me never sure of what choices they would make, and I love that. While the idea of retroactive abortion sounds incredibly gory, the book never is - it's written with care and depth. It's an empowering and intriguing look at finding your strength and being willing to stand up when the time is right.