Traveling With Pomegranates

Traveling With Pomegranates
by Sue Monk Kidd & Ann Kidd Taylor
Sycamore Public Library call number: 306.8743 KID

The first time I picked up this book I was developing a book club series based on travel around the world. I had enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and the subtitle of this book (A Mother-Daughter Story) caught my attention. I read it again because I'm thinking of traveling to Greece, and because I am a re-reader of books I love.

This non-fiction book covers three journeys made by Sue Monk Kidd and her just-out-of college daughter Ann Kidd Taylor, to Greece and Turkey in 1998, to France in 1999, and to Greece in 2000. More than just a chronicle of travel from home to far-flung lands and back again, the writing focuses on the inner journeys both women face, from depression and loss, to the search for one's self as a writer, to saying goodbye to parts of the self as they transition from one phase of life to the next. The writing alternates between Sue (the mother) and Ann, often (but not always) overlapping, covering the same episode in their travels from each perspective and elaborating on the experience with a combination of considered depth and just-jotted-down freshness. You are in the moment with each woman as she experiences it, and you are with them as they, as Anais Nin is quoted in the book as saying, "write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection."

Everything about this story rocked. The descriptions of landmarks, food, people, emotions, and soul-searching all spoke to me. I really enjoyed learning the backstory of one of my favorite novels, I loved the tag-team approach to the writing, and I can't wait to visit Greece to see the sights myself.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a mother, a daughter, a fan of Greek history, a writer, someone who is searching for his or her spirituality, someone who has experienced depression, and anyone who has come up to a transition point in their life and can't quite see the way forward just yet.

Reviewed by: Katherine
Age Group: Adult
Class: Nonfiction (collective memoir/travel)

Rating: A

J. Edgar

J. Edgar
Sycamore Public Library call number: DVD JED

The movie begins in 1919 when eight high profile government officials’ residences are bombed by radical subversives. J. Edgar is working for the Justice Department in New York at the time and he believes that there is a communist plot to take over the United States. He maintains this belief throughout his life which affects all of his actions. In 1921 he becomes Acting Director of the FBI and in 1924 Director.

A short time into the movie J. Edgar, near the end of his career, begins dictating his story to a young agent. The movie then alternates between the stories of the past and the present.

J. Edgar was determined to make the FBI excel and be the envy of everyone and did whatever was necessary, even if it meant violating the law and ruining people. He did not care who he alienated or offended in the process, including all eight presidents he served. He was a very insecure individual and by the end of the movie I found myself understanding him a little better, even feeling sorry for him, but not excusing his illegal actions.

Leonardo DiCaprio does a remarkable job portraying J. Edgar Hoover and as he ages it was hard to believe that it was DiCaprio playing the part.

J. Edgar served as Director of the FBI for 48 years.

I highly recommend this movie.

Submitted by: Nancy
Class: Adult (Entertainment/Fiction)
MPAA: Rated R for brief strong language

Rating: A

Chomp

Chomp
by Carl Hiaasen
Sycamore Public Library call number: J FIC HIA
on disc: JCD FIC HIA

Tell us about it: Is a name like Wahoo this boy's biggest problem? No, his father has been hired to wrangle wild animals for a TV survival show. He has a new friend, Tuna, who is on the run from her father. And, Derek Badger, the survivalist, is completely clueless. Follow Wahoo through the Everglades in this funny and exciting adventure.

Why did you pick it up? New book by the author of Hoot, Flush, and Scat

“Mystery, action, humor, and exotic animals and settings, all tied together by a writer with an exceptional grasp of language, makes this a sure hit with any mystery-loving readers.”--School Library Journal *Starred Review*

“Hiaasen’s best for a young audience since Newbery Honor Hoot (2002) features a shy, deep-feeling protagonist who’s also a pragmatist and plenty of nature info and age-appropriate cultural commentary…. Humorous adventure tales just don’t get any more wacked…or fun to read than this.”--Kirkus Reviews *Starred Review*

Would you recommend this? Why or why not? This is great book. Not only is the story exciting, Hiaasen adds facts about endangered animals and the condition of the Everglades today. Just as good for adults as upper elementary school readers.

Name: Linda
Age group: Juvenile
Class: Fiction

Rating: A

Bad Haircut

Bad Haircut: Stories of the Seventies
by Tom Perrotta
Sycamore Public Library call number: FIC PER

Bad Haircut is Tom Perrotta's first book. In many ways, it is his best. Although I love the cynical, worldly, disturbing shadow that casts across Election [reviewed here] (as black-comedy), Little Children [reviewed here] (in a there-but-for-the-grace-of-God-go-I sort of way), Joe College [reviewed here] and The Wishbones (both in the sense of the regrets of overgrown teenagers who can't seem to force themselves to grow up), Bad Haircut is beautifully written and nostalgic without falling prey to anything too heavy. It's just a charming book of connected stories about the pressures, joys, pitfalls and pleasures of youth, as seen through the eyes of a boy named Buddy.

• "Perrotta eschews sentimentality and overt philosophizing, crafting in Buddy's voice a sensitivity to pregnant moments that remain unexplained and a knack for delicate, unobtrusive metaphor. Forgoing the easy irony of disco and vintage TV, he delivers a convincing portrait of a time of life, illuminating all the profound cruelty and tenderness of adolescence."--Publishers Weekly
• "As Buddy matures story by story, he moves on to his first encounter with racial hatred, time on the football team, loss of virginity, senior prom, and so on until he is ready for college. Buddy has struggled into the adult world. In the last story we find a nice young man who would be easy to like should we happen to meet him. Perrotta, a new, young, fresh writer, remembers how it was to be young and writes with humor and clarity. Recommended."--Dawn L. Anderson, North Richland Hills P.L., Tex., Library Journal
• "Perrotta's young hero is sweet, generous, honest, and patient. If you've been lucky, you've known a Buddy or been one. As Perrotta's amusing title suggests, these coming-of-age tales are set in the dithery seventies, but he plays Buddy's genuineness against the era's grittiness without a single cliche. His well-made, unpretentious stories are as tight as brick bungalows, plain and serviceable on the outside, radiant within, full of life's sorrow and wonder."--Donna Seaman, Booklist
• "Stories, like those of J.D. Salinger, based on the kind of truth that spans generations."--Hartford Courant

This book is highly recommended for anyone who likes coming-of age stories, books about the 1970s, gently humorous fiction, and of course the other books written by Tom Perrotta (or the movies that came from them).

Reviewed by: Amy
Age Group: Adult
Class: Fiction (short stories)

Rating: A

Only Time Will Tell

Only Time Will Tell
The Clifton Chronicles, Book 1
by Jeffrey Archer
Sycamore Public Library call number: FIC ARC

The story begins in l919 in Bristol, England and continues to the eve of WWII in 1940.

The main character is Harry who was born in l920 and lives an impoverished life with his mother, Maisie, his uncle and his grandparents. At a young age Harry has been told that his father, Arthur, was killed in WWI but before long before he realizes that is not possible.

Harry’s hates school and would rather be down at the docks. Frequently he skips school and Maisie tries desperately to keep him in school but often fails. Old Jack Tar, a decorated WWI veteran, lives as recluse at the docks and befriends Harry, eventually becoming his mentor.

Life begins to improve for Harry when a music teacher realizes his gift of singing. This opens doors for better schools and through the years he attends some of the best schools. At the first school he attends he meets and becomes friends with Giles Barrington, son of Hugo Barrington who owns the shipping business at the docks. Harry and Giles remain friends much to Hugo’s displeasure.

The connection between the Barringtons and Cliftons and their secrets is a main theme in the book as is the disappearance of Arthur Clifton.

The story is told by six characters whose lives are all connected: Maisie, Harry, Hugo Barrington, Giles Barrington, Old Jack Tar, and Emma Barrington. Each individual’s story builds on the previous one and as the book progresses more details are given.

This was an easy read and I enjoyed it.

The second book in this series is being released soon.

Submitted by: Nancy
Class: Adult Fiction

Rating: B+

The Duke's Perfect Wife

The Duke's Perfect Wife
by Jennifer Ashley
Sycamore Public Library call number: ROM FIC ASH

The Duke's Perfect Wife is the final entry in Jennifer Ashley's Highland Pleasures series (the review of the first three books is here). It is the story of Hart Mackenzie, Duke of Kilmorgan, the eldest of the four Mackenzie brothers. He has devoted his entire life to ensuring the safety and security of his family, but at the cost of his own happiness. As a younger man, he was engaged to the lovely Lady Eleanor Ramsay, but their relationship ended scandalously. Only now, after Hart's brothers have all married and started families, might it be possible for them to start again.

"well done"--Mandi Schreiner, USA Today

This is a fitting end to a detail-packed series about a closely-knit family. If you've read the first three books, you will definitely want to read The Duke's Perfect Wife and find out how it all ends.

Reviewed by: Grace
Age Group: Adult
Class: Fiction (romance, historical)

Rating: B

Imagine

Imagine: How Creativity Works
by Jonah Lehrer
Sycamore Public Library call number: 153.35 LEH

I checked out Imagine because I wanted to figure out the roots of creativity. I wanted to understand why some people are most comfortable staying within the lines of the pre-printed coloring pages, while others will draw anywhere they can, including the walls. I also wanted to know if there is any way to change each of those ways of thinking, to adapt and become "more creative."

It turns out that I had vastly underestimated the book's scope. It's not just about creativity in the traditional sense (music, poetry, art), but about the way that one--one's brain--approaches life. Creativity comes when one finds a problem and, whether through inspiration or tenacity, finds a solution that was not immediately obvious: creating a solution. In Imagine, Jonah Lehrer explains how our brains can do that, and gives examples of how it works in the real world.

"[an] upbeat, far-ranging study of how ideas emerge from brain impulses to become a work of art or a marketable new mop. Creativity begets creativity."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Not many writers can make plausible links among musicians Bob Dylan, Yo-Yo Ma and David Byrne, animators at Pixar, neuroscientists at MIT, an amateur bartender in New York, entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and Israeli army reservists. Not many reporters do research about an expert surfer who has Asperger’s, information theorists, industrial psychologists and artists. But Jonah Lehrer is such a writer-reporter, who weaves compelling and surprising connections based on detailed investigation and deep understanding. He says that working memory is an essential tool of the imagination, and his book is an excellent example of how a dynamic storehouse of captivating information feeds creative thinking and writing....Imagine doesn’t offer a prescription for how we are to become more imaginative, but it does emphasize some key ingredients of a creative culture: taking education seriously, increasing possibilities for human mixing and cultivating a willingness to take risks. Lehrer practices what he preaches, showing an appetite for learning, a determined effort to cross fields and disciplines, and a delight in exploring new possibilities. Reading his book exercises the imagination; the rest is up to us."--Washington Post

Those interested in neuropsychology, business management, the creative arts, and traditional memoirs will enjoy this fast-paced, engaging book. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by: Amy
Age Group: Adult
Class: Nonfiction (Psychology)

Rating: A