Dear Committee Members

If you’ve ever asked for a letter of recommendation – or had to write one, you can appreciate the humor of Dear Committee Members. I personally have never written one, but had to ask for several when apply to grad school. This book is a collection of fictional hilarious recommendation letters – ranging from job recommendation for their students, to recommendation letters for their coleagues who are sometimes working on new novels, and sometimes up for promotions within their department. Each one is hilarious – and some of them are downright ridiculous.

If you majored in English, or even took an English/literature/rhetoric class and remember how pretentious some professors can be, you will laugh.  The collection of letters is not written by one professor, but the group of professors who work in the same department. The professors are self-important and self-involved, reminding me of some of the worst professors I’ve had, and some that I currently work with. Another thing that is so familiar is the sad state of the liberal arts. Those students who major in liberal arts find themselves upon graduation struggling to find jobs.

“Which I gather is hiring adjunct faculty members exclusively, bypassing the tenure track with its attendant health benefits, job security, and salaries on which a human being might reasonably live. Perhaps your insitutiton should cut to the chase and put its entire curriculum online, thereby sparing Ruefle the need to move to Lattimore, wherever that is. You could prop him up in a broom closet in his apartment, poke him with the butt end of a mop when you need him to cough up a lecture.”

Their department is underfunded, under appreciated, and under respected (if that’s a thing), as are most liberal arts departments. Most of the major funding for colleges and universities these days seems to go to the sciences. And that’s understandable, but there’s an argument in so many of these letters reminding readers just how important English and literature are. And it’s so true – and something I can so relate to. In my own department there have been budget cuts, staffing cuts, as the college has “restructured” degree programs, allowing most students to graduate with fewer liberal arts credits.

Is English dying? That seems to be the conclusion, and the common link between all of these letters. There’s so much snark in everything that was written, the book is pretty hilarious.  I loved this book so much – it’s going to stay on my shelf until one day I need a really good laugh!

Blogiversary

Ok, so let’s try this again.  Last night, while working on this post instead of saving as a draft, this published before I was finished.  So here it goes again.  We are amateurs, and always learning as we go!  Two years ago today we posted our first book review.  We started with a review about Mitch Albums latest book, The Time Keeper.  We loved that one, and a bunch more books since then.  There have also been quite a few books that we haven’t loved.  We’ve grown a small following along the way, and have loved sharing books.

We’re still reading, and writing, and sharing.  We’ve become followers and fans of other blogs as well.  We hope to keep going, and growing.  Here’s to many more good books!

Hand to Mouth

Linda Tirado’s blog post from 2013 set off a hailstorm of responses, some indignant and offended, others supportive and understanding.  I did read the original post when it first hit the web, which went viral, making headlines all over the country. The popularity of the original blog post (both good and bad) led to a book deal. Hand to Mouth is an expansion of the post that sparked so many emotions, of these ideas that Tirado originally expressed online, first entitled “Why I Make Terrible Decisions, or, poverty thoughts”.

Barbara Ehrenreich wrote the forward to the book. As the author of Nickel and Dimed (which is on a long list of banned books), she once gave up everything to live as an (hourly employee). Her book was first published in 2001; it was brave, real and groundbreaking in the way class was examined.

“She tells what its like to be a low-wage worker for the long term, with an erratically employed husband and two small children to raise and support.  She makes all the points I have been trying to make in my years of campaigning for higher wages and workers’ rights: That poverty is not a ‘culture’ or a character defect; it is a shortage of money.”

Tirado is not a journalist, though she has become well-known for her writing. She focuses her efforts here on the plight of the poor, having experienced so many financial setbacks and struggled so much in her own life.

There are no quick, easy-fix solutions on how to fix these problems. She acknowledges that. At the same time, throughout the whole book (and the now-famous essay) she defends the poor. They sometimes make bad decisions, but so do rich people. Sometimes, as is her case, people end up in bad situations – struggling financially, trying hard to find a decent-paying job – because of bad luck.

She is smart, well-educated, and her husband is a veteran. Why does she face such judgement??  So much has been said, debated, and written about the original post – and now the book.  Just a few days ago I read an article that was published in The Atlantic, making essentially the same argument.  The article argues that it is actually expensive to be poor, which is what Tirado explains in a number of different ways in the book.  They both resonate.

Tirado has something important to say, that we should all be listening to.  I enjoyed reading the book and whether you agree with what she has to say or not, she presents a strong argument, and the book is wort reading.

New Fiction Friday: Undertow

Can you handle another teen/vampire/mythical creature romance? The cover of Undertow caught my eye, and only a chapter or two in did I realize that this book was just that. Sigh. I’m so over this genre – and although this book was a little different from some of the many that I’ve read, it still followed a similar formula, and I was disappointed.

Lyric is a high school senior living in Staten Island, NY. She and her parents have lived there her whole life, even after the town was “invaded” by the Alpha. The Alpha are some sort of sea creature, who have escaped the sea and are now living on land. And, just as there are many different creatures living under the sea, there are several different types of Alpha. They have been living there for a while at the point when the book begins, and the young Alpha are attempting to enter into her school, which is when Lyric first meets some of them.

“Over time, people sculpt their miserable experiences into something more aesthetically pleasing, stretching the interesting moments and kneading the uncomfortable facts. What they end up with is no longer a memory but a story, and the two rarely resemble one another. The story of the Alpha’s arrival is just as sculpted. Some still call it an invasion, an act of war, even a sign of the end of days. I can’t say that my story is any less convoluted, but I was there when it happened. I saw it firsthand, not on television and not on some Internet site.”

Following the formula for teen drama with mythical creatures (and/or vampires), Lyric falls in love with one of the Alphas, Fathom. They both reject each other, and their developing relationship.  She had been chosen by her principle to set an example for her fellow students, in accepting and perhaps befriending some of these new students. In attempting to bridge the gap between these two cultures, these two worlds, she learns acceptance and shows her fellow students (and the rest of the community) that they can live peacefully together.

Apparently this is meant to be the beginning of a trilogy. The book ends with kind of a cliffhanger. I honestly wasn’t interested or impressed enough to read the rest of the trilogy though. I was kind of into it – and kept waiting for it to get good, and it just never did.  I am, however, interested in reading Michael Buckley’s other books, which seem to get much better reviews.  This might just be the last book I ever read in this genre (or I’ll at least take a long break!!).

Book to Screen

Hello all, Kelly here.  I’m working on a new series of posts that will begin to appear here.  Amy might just jump in and join me.  When she asked me to review the Astronauts Wives Club tv show I began to think about all of the other books I’ve read through the years since I was a kid that have since become movies, mini-series, and tv shows.  Some of them have been great adaptations, other just ok, and still others are adaptations I’ve turned off part way through or refused to even see.

There has been a trend in Hollywood lately to mine the shelves of Young Adult novels for movies, as a former middle school communication arts teacher, you can bet I’ll have an opinion on many of those movies: Harry Potter, Hunger Games, The Giver, Ender’s Game, and even Twilight.

Come December, yes I know that’s a long way off, be on the lookout for a post or two about Christmas books that became movies or tv specials, including the ever popular A Christmas Carol.

By the way after watching another week of Astronauts Wives Club I have to say I do like it, the second week was so much better and more character focused.  It’s going on my DVR for the rest of the series.

I’m looking forward to taking the opportunity to reread some of these books and rewatch some of the movies too.  Make sure to share with us your favorite and even least favorite book to screen adaptaions.

I can’t wait to read it!

Book to Screen: The Black Cauldron

Disney’s the Black Cauldron is one of the first book to movie adaptations I ever saw.  At the time I saw it though I had no idea it was ever a book, or rather a combination of two books.  I was just a kid and my parents took us in the old station wagon in our pajamas to one of the local drive-in theaters.

The Black Cauldron is based on the first two books in Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles: The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron.  This series and the movie center around the character of Taran, a young orphan boy, Assistant Pig-Keeper to oracular pig Henwyn.

I loved the movie when I first saw it, which I think puts me in a minority.  This was one of those movies that came out during Disney’s “down” period in the 1980s.  It was a darker movie than others Disney had made, and it was PG movie so it didn’t do so well at the box office.

It was years later that I finally read the Prydain Chronicles.  I bugged my husband until he read them and we’ve read them to our son at bedtime at least twice.  I’ve suggested them to many students.

All by itself the movie is good but it is not a good adaptation of the the books just too many changes and seeing as it’s only 80-90 minutes long there is just so much missing.  I still watch it though, on VHS lol.  Actually with this trend in Hollywood to make movies from YA series I would love to see this series picked up and done live action/CG.  I think it could be so good.

All in all I’d say watch the movie first then read the books on this one or you will be disappointed. But hey for those of you that grew up in the 80s as we did, watching this movie is fun as it takes you back to that definitive animation style.

Do you remember the first movie adaptation you saw?

New Fiction Friday: Your Fathers, Where are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever?

I’ve always been kind of intimidated by Dave Eggers. Really long books, or books with heavy subject matter sometimes do that.  But I finally got brave and decided to read this latest book Your Fathers, Where are They?  And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? It was seriously out there – but I liked it! And because I read everything, I believe it’s hard to really shock me, but I was still a little shocked. Thomas is a disturbed individual, and throughout the story kidnaps several people, and has them all housed in an abandoned military base along the California coastline.  Throughout the book he tries to explain and justify his actions, albeit unsuccessfully.

Kevin, one of his former college classmates is the first to be kidnapped:

“You’ve got me chained to a post.

Still. What I did to you was methodical and nonviolent. It was a means to an end. I wanted to talk to you, and you haven’t answered my letters, so I didn’t think I had a choice. I really do apologize for having to do it this way. I’ve been in a strange place lately. I was getting these migraines, I couldn’t sleep. Holy shit, the pressure! The questions were piling up and were strangling me at night. Have you ever had that, where you’re lying there, and the questions are just these asps wrapping themselves around your throat?”

He needs questions answered, questions that haunt him, and won’t let him live in peace.  In order to get these questions answers he kidnaps 6 people, Kevin included. These are the same questions probably have been asked before, flaws in society,  things I know I’ve wondered myself.  He couldn’t understand why the space program lost funding, and why Kev, who had worked his whole life and had done everything right, made it through the space program, and couldn’t by an astronaut. From there the story evolves, or devolves.

His next victim is a congressman and Vietnam War vet, who through a little research was found to have voted against the funding of the space program.  He also kidnaps an old teacher, one that had once been accused of molesting students, a cop one who had been involved in the shooting of a former friend of his, and even his Mom.

I was really surprised by this book – in a good way.  Eggers never seems to portray Thomas in a negative light, even after having kidnapped 6 people.  Instead, his actions seemed justified, and oddly, I’m ok with that.  Although it took me a while to get through the book, I liked it.  It’s not exactly “new”, but was recently released in paperback.

Very Good Lives

J.K. Rowling’s latest project is Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination.  I just finished reading it, and absolutely loved it!  I will read anything Ms. Rowling writes, and here she’s sharing something deeply personal.  Don’t be afraid to fail, that seems to be the most important message. This book was published for the benefit of Lumos, a charity that Rowling works with that benefits underprivileged children. It’s actually a publication of a commencement speech she gave at Harvard a few years ago. I loved reading it, and although it was very short, it was uplifting and inspiring.

She talks about her upbringing, and why her parents didn’t encourage her desire to write. She doesn’t discourage anyone from following their dreams – they had good reason to believe it was the best thing for her to find a career, something that was more tangible, and paid well. There was no way for them to ever know who she would become. Neither of them had college degrees. She recalls not really telling them what her major had been: “they might well have found out for the first time on graduation day.”

She also briefly describes one of the jobs she had after graduation, and how unfulfilling it was. She worked for Amnesty International and was heartbroken over some of her work in Africa. She also seems to understand how important this was on her journey. Life is not without struggle – that’s something too that she mentions in her speech. It’s humbling, and at the same time empowering.

This was such an inspiring speech she gave to these graduates, and it inspires me too.

Book confessions: Part 2!

I shared my book confessions already, now it’s Kel’s turn!

1. Which book, most recently, did you not finish?

I feel so bad to say this but Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.  I’d read the first two books and the the first of a trio of books by Tolkein’s son Christopher about JRR’s process in writing the LOTR books, but much as I love the story that’s just a lot of Tolkein at once.  Anyone who’s read the books knows he’s incredibly descriptive and it can be tough to get through some sections of the books.  The book is still sitting on my nightstand as I am determined to finish it but I’m taking a break right now.

2. Which book is your guilty pleasure?

I don’t think I have any books I’d count as a guilty pleasure, there aren’t any I can think of that I wouldn’t tell people I was reading and to me a guilty pleasure is something you keep a secret, something you maybe don’t want people to know you’re reading.

3. Which book do you love to hate?

The Twilight series and it’s fan fiction turned bestselling series 50 Shades.

4. Which book would you throw into the sea?

Umm see #4

5. Which book have you read the most?

Oh boy um let’s see with my kiddo probably Goodnight Moon or Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, as a teacher The Outsiders or The Giver, personal reading: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton, or the Mitford Chronicles by Jan Karon

6. Which book would you hate to receive as a present?

Oohhh…  Tough one – because generally I will read anything.  I think that if a friend was passing along a book she’d really enjoyed I’d probably read it. (I’m just stealing Amy’s answer here)

7. Which book could you not live without?

Um see # 5 any and all and so many more.

8. Which book made you the angriest?

Recently the angriest I can remember being at a book (and by recent I mean in the last 5 years). Catching Fire SPOILER ALERT, just in case you haven’t read it or seen the movie, I was so mad when Katniss had to go back into the arena I nearly threw the book across the room.

9. Which book made you cry the most?

The first year after my son was born I was reading The Giver with my seventh graders and when we got to the scene with the Jonas’s dad releasing the smaller twin I couldn’t even read it I was crying so hard, my co-teacher had to take over, same thing happened the next year when my then eighth graders asked about the book Night and I started reading it, when Weisel describes Nazi soldiers using babies as targets like skeet shooting, I was done, we read no more.  Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson was a bawler of a book

10. Which book cover do you hate the most?

You know I can’t think of any book covers I hate.  What I hate is when a publisher switches book size in the middle of a series and I know sometimes that’s a matter of the amount of time that passes between books.  Stephen King’s Dark Tower series is a prime example there are three different size books and cover style changes with each size, just bothersome to me when we’re trying to finish our collection and have them lined up on the bookshelf.  Speaking of I have a copy of Ender’s Game that looks nothing like the entire rest of the series I have sequels and prequels, cover style is different and it’s a different size.  I really need to replace it with the matching book.