The Heartbreak of The Kid

The Kid is not a book for wimps. 

Sapphire brings us the story of Abdul, son of the recently deceased Precious Jones, heroine of Push: A Novel.

Sapphire has a gift with language, writing poetic, heartbreaking prose about the raw and ugly corners of the human psyche.  The Kid has moments of breathtaking beauty, when Abdul lets dance take over his body and his keen, intelligent mind.  It also has explicitly disturbing passages of abuse, pain, and utter revulsion. 

Come over to the BlogHer Book Club and see what I thought of The Kid.  Stay for a while to read some of the other reviews and join the discussion about this undeniably powerful story.

What Happened to Goodbye - A Book Club Selection

A lifetime ago (literally, since it was before Dylan was born!) I taught middle school language arts.  One of the things I loved was finding quality young adult literature; books I thought my students would love but that I found interesting to read and well-written.

Sarah Dessen is a young adult writer, but she crafts characters and books that adults can enjoy alongside the teenagers in their lives.  I recently read What Happened to Goodbye as a BlogHer Book Club selection, a book about a teenage girl who changes her name and changes her look in an attempt to change her past. 

Interested?  Come over to the BlogHer Book Club to see what I thought about Mclean Sweet's attempts at reinvention.  Hope to see you there!

Dylan's not reading What Happened to Goodbye

in the interest of full disclosure and all

I just can't resist a cute reading photo

WWJAD? - What Would Jane Austen Do?

If you missed my first book review post for the BlogHer Book Club, you can read about my geekiness giddiness here.

We've moved onto the classics, more specifically Jane Austen. 

Well, not exactly the classics, but a lovely piece of non-fiction by Austen scholar (yes, there are male Austen scholars) William Deresiewicz. 

See what I thought about Deresiewicz's attempt to analyze his personal growth through the self-help advice of Ms. Austen. 

And the next time you find yourself in a rut, just ask yourself: "What Would Jane Austen Do?"

(Also, if you're twiddling your thumbs one night, trying to decide whether you should read the latest BlogHer Book Club selection, feel free to click on the button on the right.  It will take you to my latest review.)

Introducing My Inner Bookworm

My inner bookworm has been dormant for a while. 

I read all the time, but Curious George and Angelina Ballerina are enjoyed more by the light of day than the soft glow of a lamp near the couch after Abbey and Dylan go to bed.  Now that my nights aren't filled with feedings and countless wakings, I've actually had the chance to read books that don't rhyme or have more pictures than words.

But what to read?  I'm lucky to have the time to sink into a book, but I definitely don't have the opportunity (or children with a mute button) to meander through the adult collection at our library.

Enter the BlogHer Book Club. 

Stars must have aligned in some cosmic party fashion, because not only did I find this fabulous club, I've had the opportunity to review some of the book selections!  My dormant little bookworm is dancing for joy.

Pull up a chair and see what I thought about Jean Kwok's Girl in Translation.  Kimberly Chang is a character you will become infatuated with immediately and fall in love with as you continue reading, even when she's doing things that make you want to throw the book across the room.