early chapter books

Over the past couple of months, Lucas and I have been slowly diving into chapter books. Some he reads, some I read and some we both read. He especially enjoys reading books from the Pete the Cat series and books about Superheros.  As his reading improves, I have been encouraging Lucas to branch out and try new books....it keeps things interesting and honestly I can only take so many stories about Pete or Batman before I go crazy!!!  Here are a few early chapter books that we have enjoyed this month.

1. Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin is a series favorite for Lucas. I've been reading Pete the Cat at bedtime since my kiddos were little. Now, Lucas is able to read Pete the Cat and he loves it! The stories are perfect for beginning readers, with an upbeat message and colorful illustrations to keep readers engaged.  Between our home library and local public library, I think Lucas has read every Pete the Cat book. 

2. Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond is the perfect book for young dog lovers learning to read!  Charlie is the lovable, bacon eating ranch dog with floppy ears and short legs. He takes ranch work seriously! I love that Charlie is a Basset hound and  isn't your typical ranch dog. My daughter loves listening to Lucas read Charlie the Ranch Dog out loud...especially when Charlie howls.

3. Stinky Spike the Pirate Dog by Peter Meisel was a new find for us. This book was challenging for Lucas, however he did enjoy the story and was able to answer comprehension questions.  When Spike slips on a piece of seaweed and gets lost at sea, he is rescued by the Captain Fishbeard and his crew of stinky pirates. Spike stays with the pirates as their official super sniffer.  After a few misadventures the pirates soon realize how valuable Spike's super sniffer is for finding lost treasure.

4. The Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne is a fantastic book series!  This is my first time reading the Magic Treehouse books, and I'm enjoying the stories right along with the kiddos. In the series, Jack and Annie find a magic treehouse. The treehouse belongs to Morgan Le Fey and is able to magically transport Jack and Annie back in time. In each book, the kids experience a different time and adventure.

four not-so-scary Halloween pictures books

My earliest memory of going trick-or-treating on Halloween didn't end well. I was about 3 or 4 years old and this was probably my first time going trick-or-treating.   According to my Mom, we stayed within our neighborhood and only went to peoples' homes that we knew.  Everything was going well, until the last house...a friend of my Mom's. By the time we arrived at her home, I was pro...I knew what to do..and what to say. My parents stayed behind at the curb as I walked up to the front door with my cousins. The door swung opened and out popped the biggest scariest witch I've ever seen! Smoke poured out of her house, and her large black cauldron bubbled with an unknown green substance. I screamed bloody murder and ran back down to where my parents were standing with my Aunts and Uncles. After running back to my parents screaming...my memories of what happened next are a little fuzzy, but apparently my mom's friend (who was dressed up as the a witch) felt horrible and gave us all extra candies. I'm sure my parents appreciated the extra candies after I went to bed.

Anyways..

This week at the library we have gathered four of our favorite not-so-scary Halloween books. 

1. The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone is a childhood favorite of mine! I remember my Mom reading this book night after night before and after Halloween. In the story, the lovable, furry old Grover insists that there is a monster at the end of the book and warns readers not to turn the page. Of course at the end of the book it's only Grover himself and not a monster. My kiddos love hearing this book real aloud. It is a fun not-so-scary book that can be read all year long. 

2. How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow? by Wendell Minor encourages young readers to dream BIG! Going to the pumpkin patch is tones of fun! But what if your pumpkin was big enough to be carved into a boat? Or grow up to be a President? This beautiful picture book shows giant pumpkins as national monuments, or competing in contests. My kiddos' favorite part was in the back where it shows picture and real life facts about each of the locations illustrated for the book. Ex: in Vermont people actually carve out real pumpkins into boats and sale them down rivers. 

3. The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams was a fun and random find for us. The story is about a little old lady who while walking the forest comes across a spooky set of clothing. In the end she turns that fear around and uses it to her advantage! 

4. Big Pumpkin by Eric Silverman is a story about teamwork and sharing. Once there was a witch who planted a pumpkin seed. Now it is Halloween night and the pumpkin is ready to be picked. However, the pumpkin is too heavy for her to pick all by herself. The typical cast of Halloween characters (mummy, vampire and ghost) all come and help. However, it isn't until the all work together that the pumpkin finally pops off the vine. To thank her helpers, the witch bakes a delicious pumpkin pie.  Yum!

Afterlife of Stars by Joseph Kertes

I have mixed feelings about this novel and would probably give it a 3 out of 5. It was beautifully written, poetic and thought provoking. However, I struggled to connect with the characters, felt that the story pacing was awkward and the ending contrived.

This book is about a Hungarian Jewish family fleeing the Russian's during the Hungarian Revolution. The story is told through the eyes of Robert, who is 9.8 (decimals are very important to him) and Atilla who is 13.7. The boys witness bloodshed, death and violence all around them in Hungary and during their escape to Paris. Once in Paris, the boys uncover a family secret. This secret leads the boys on a wild goose chase around the city, only to end in more tragedy. 

After reading this book, I learned that the author Mr. Kertes escaped the Hungarian revolution with his family in 1965. It made me wonder how much of this novel was fictional and how much of it was based on events he witness as a child.

I wish Mr. Kertes gave the reader more background information about the Hungarian Revolution. I don't know much about what happened during this revolution, and think that it would have been helpful to know what was going on.

I didn't like the overly sexualized scenes with Babette. I wasn't sure if the author wrote the scenes for a purpose or just because...it was weird.

I hate to say this but...I felt that I've heard this story before - Jewish family narrowly escapes, family is hiding a deep dark secret, family endures much adversity only to arrive safely at said destination.

In Paris, when the boys discover their family's deep dark secret it felt forced. I was less interested in the Beck's family secret and more interested in the life of Great-Aunt Hermina and her husband.  Great-Aunt Hermina's life story would be an interesting read! Maybe a future novel??

Lastly, the author's tone didn't fit with his young protagonist. I had a hard time buying Robert being only 9.8. His stream of consciousness fit more with a mature adult who overtime has been able to process the tragedy and bloodshed. This is what led me to research the author, and I wonder if maybe it is his way of processing everything he experienced as a child through the matured brain of an adult. 

Who knows.

Grandparent's Day

The older I become the more I understand that family is everything. In our home, my husband and I do are best to instill in our kiddos the importance of family. Both kiddos have close relationships with their grandparents, and moving away was hard...for the kiddos and their grandparents. Thankfully, Arizona isn't too far away and Dadi and Dada are able to visit whenever they wish. This Grandparents Day, instead of the usual day spent with Dadi and Dada, we facetimed over the internet...modern technology for the win. Although it wasn't the same, the kiddos enjoyed chatting with their grandparents, sharing about their day and asking for new toys (working on that).

This week at the library we gathered four of our favorite books about Grandparents. Our local library has quite the collection and I've loaded up my amazon wish list for future purchases. I'd love to expand my book collection on this topic and would love recommendations.

Four Favorite Books About Grandparents:

1. How to Babysit A Grandpa by Jean Reagan

Babysitting a grandpa is fun - if you know how. This adorable picture book is written from the perspective of a small child. Written in a "how-to" style, the narrator - the grandchild - shares tips for how to babysit a grandpa. Some of my favorite tips are: Snacks for a Grandpa,  How to Wake up Your Grandpa and What to Draw For a Grandpa.   

A couple of years ago, we gave this book to Dada for his birthday. My oldest son loved reading this book with his Dada. He is older now, but when he saw this book tucked away in my library bag he suddenly asked me if I could call his Dada for a quick chat. The relationship between a grandfather and grandson is special. Having a son, I love finding adorable picture books that show the love between a grandfather and grandson.

2. Because Your Grandparents Love You by Andrew Clements

This picture book is all about the unconditional love between a grandparent and grandchild. I love that this book is set in the country. It reminds me of home. The little boy and little girl in this story make little mistakes here and there..."when you run into the pasture and step right into a big cowpie and you yell GRANDMA!" The grandparents are patient and kind, and absolutely adore their grandchildren. Highly recommend this book!   

3. What Can Your Grandma Do? by Anne Sawan & Sernur Isik

What a fun story! At school, Ms. Appleyard announces to the class that they would be having a special Grandparents day talent show.  Jeremy loves his Grandma, however he isn't sure that she has any special talents to share. Stella's Grandma is a doctor, Celeste's Grandpa is a baker and Theo's Grandpa is an artist. What is Jeremy going to do? What is his Grandma going to do?

The message of this book is that everyone has a talent, no matter how young or old. We can all do something really well. For Jeremy's Grandma it is basketball. And although, Jeremy didn't think that basketball was Grandma's special talent...he soon realizes that in fact his Grandma is a talented player and that talents come in all shapes and sizes. 


4. Llama, Llama Gram and Grandpa by Anna Dewdney

My daughter loves the Llama, Llama book series. We picked this book up several months ago, and since then we have checked it out more then a half of dozen times. It is Llama's first time sleeping over with Gram and Grandpa's and he is a little nervous. Gram and Grandpa help Llama feel at home, however Llama forgets his fuzzy llama and becomes upsets. Instead of brushing off Llama's feelings, Grandpa shares with Llama that "he also had a special toy...Big or little, young or old a llama needs someone to hold."

Happy Grandparent's Day!

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

"These days, loneliness is the new cancer - a shameful, embarrassing thing, brought upon yourself in some obscure way. A fearful, incurable thing, so horrifying that you dare not mention it; other people don't want to hear the world spoken aloud for fear that they might too be afflicted, or that it might tempt fate into visiting a similar horror upon them."

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine...or so she thinks. Socially awkward and quiet, Eleanor is all alone in this world and doesn't have any friends. Her weekends consist of pizzas and vodka. That all changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the IT guy at her work. Raymond becomes a friend, and slowly shows Eleanor how to open up, and encourages her to face her inner demons head-on.

Eleanor's bluntness is both quirky and honest. Ms. Honeyman kept the character real without going overboard. In addition, I was happy that the relationship between Eleanor and Raymond wasn't romantic.  I appreciated that.

After finishing this book, all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around Eleanor and give her a hug. Something that at the beginning of this story, Eleanor had never experienced. This led me to wonder about the Eleanor's in my own life and how by taking the time to be a pal (like Raymond) I could make a difference.

Please, if you haven't taken the opportunity to pick up this book I'd highly recommend it.

July Summer Reading

With temperatures hovering in the triple digits, it has given the kiddos and I ample of time for reading. Mostly picture books about Curious George or Peppa the Pig, or short chapter books about superheros, however occasionally I do find time to read a grownup book for myself. This month I consider myself lucky that I was able to finish three grownup books. I choose The Great Alone and Hillbilly Elegy based on several recommendations from friends and fellow bloggers, and Rembrandt's Shadow at random from the library bookshelf.

I finished The Great Alone in one weekend. I could not put this book down. Leni has lived a fairly chaotic life. Her father,  Ernt is a Vietnam veteran and former POW. He struggles with anger issues, depression, and is unable to keep a steady job. After loosing yet another job, Ernt decides that his family needs a fresh start and they move to a small remote homestead in Alaska. At first everything seems to go well, Leni and her family enjoy the hard work on their homestead, their neighbors are friendly and Ernt is happy. However, as the Starks say - winter is coming- and it is during those long cold dark months of winter when things go south.

This book is heavy. It deals with abuse, depression and what happens when "biggest danger of all was in her [Leni's] own home."

Hannah does a fantastic job moving this story along, giving readers just enough light to get through the dark and ending on a semi-happyish note.

The Hillbilly Elegy was an interesting read. And my final read for July was Rembrandt's Shadow, the story of how one painting saved the lives of 25 Dutch Jews in WWII.  

I really know how to pick a sad stories. 

I'd like to write in more depth about Hillbilly Elegy  and Rembrandt's Shadow at a later date.

Also, I'd like to point out that we have lived in Arizona for six months now.

Orphan Train Girl by Christina Baker Kline

Between 1854 and 1929, trains full of orphans and homeless children ran regularly from cities in the East Coast to farmlands of the Midwest.

This sad, but fascinating time in history has always interested me.

When I was in elementary school, my Mom read to us "Train To Somewhere" by Eve Bunting. The book told the story of Marianne a young girl riding the train and who was finally adopted by an elderly couple in the West. It was a sad story, but not without hope and it sparked my interest in the orphan trains.

"Orphan Train Girl" is the young readers edition of "Orphan Train." If this version is anything like the original one, I'm going to have to read it!

Molly Ayer has been shipped from one foster home after another for as long as she could remember.

After stealing a book from the library, Molly is forced to do community service by helping Vivian, an elderly women clean out her attic. At first, Molly isn't thrilled to be working in the dusty attic of some rich old lady. However, working with Vivian soon reveals that they have some things in common. Vivian, like Molly, was an orphan and was put on the train in New York in 1929 and sent to the Midwest with hundreds of other children. 

As Molly and Vivian work, old memories are uncovered and past hurts are brought up resulting in friendship, forgiveness and new beginnings.

I would highly recommend this book.

Swift Arrow by Josephine Edwards

I want to share a book that the kiddos and I have been reading. At the beginning of the year I promised myself to read more. I've been slowly, but steadily building up steam and tacking my never ending book pile. And with Lucas's reading log for kindergarten it has been a great motivation for us to read more. I'll be back to my usual posts tomorrow, but hang in there with me...this might get interesting.

Swift Arrow by Josephine Edwards 

Swift Arrow was one of my favorites growing up. I loved listening to my Mom read the book aloud. I read the book on my own several times after that and now I'm reading it to my kiddos. The circle has come full.

George Boylan a young pioneer boy is captured by Indians and raised as the son of the mighty Chief Big Wolf. He lives with the Indians for about twelve years learning their ways and living as a member of the tribe. However, never looses the desire to escape and return to his family.

When Big Wolf announces his plan to name Swift Arrow as the next village Chief, and to betroth him to Ewanah, the Chief's daughter, Swift Arrow knows that his escape is now or never.  George is successful is escaping and returns to his family to live a long and happy life.

Although George does not want to be an Indian, or be the Chief, he appreciates the kindness that village show him and learns to love and respect Big Wolf as as his Chief and Father figure.

During a particularly difficult time in the Indian village, George recalls what his father said about God and suffering. "God does cause the suffering. But when things do go wrong, God helps us endure. And God has promised a great reward if we lived right and keep our faith." Great words to live by.

Dig! by Andrea Zimmerman

I'm not exactly sure how this book found its way to my home, but I'm glad that it did. This sturdy board-book tells the story of Mr. Rally and his faithful dog Lightening as they work together on construction projects around their community. I like this book for several reasons 1) Mr. Rally and Lightening have a strong positive work ethic 2) It's also a counting book and 3) The story is catchy and short.

"We're Going on a Bear Hunt" retold by Michael Rosen

"We're Going on a Bear Hunt" retold by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury has been one of my favorite children's books for many years. I bought this book for my husband (at that time he was my boyfriend) eight years ago. We worked at a summer camp together. One of the camp fire songs we sang was "We're Going on a Bear Hunt." It was a fun song with sillyhand motions - a camp favorite among campers and staff. I gave this book to him as an anniversary gift.

Much to my delight Lucas has discovered this book. He loves the part where family tromps through the mud, swims through the river and tip toes up to the bear cave. Hand motions and voices are a must with this fun loving adventure book.

The author's use of repetition is catchy and engaging which encourages young readers to join in. I like how the author uses vivid descriptions -long wavy grass, a deep cold river, and thick oozy mud - to encourage the readers imagination.  The illustrations are beautiful. I like how Oxenbury switches back and forth from black and white drawings to color drawings.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt is a fantastic book for readers of all ages.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker

"Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site"  is a wonderful picture book for boys and girls who love big machinery. The author tells a story of how after a long hard day of "rough and tough construction play" it is time for the machines to "end their fun" and go to bed. As each machine ends their day and prepares for bed; readers get to say goodnight creating just the right atmosphere for bedtime.

The illustrations are fantastic. Using a muted color palette, the illustrator created a world with a classic old fashion feel. I love the attention to detail - from the crane with a nightlight to the cement truck getting a bedtime bath.

Between the cute story, and beautiful illustrations this book has it all!

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

What a bunch of horrible and unlikable characters. I started this novel expecting a romantic love story.  Instead, I got an intense tale of hate, passion, and one man's commitment to a lifetime of revenge.

 The novel is narrated by Nelly Deans a long time family servant currently working at Thrushcross Grange.  I thought it was interesting that Bronte chose to narrate her novel through the eyes of Nelly instead of using an omnipresent narrator.  At times, I wondered about Nelly's intentions. Although she did not like Healthcliff (who would), Nelly's attempts to avoid him were weak at best. Perhaps I am reading into things, but at times Nelly seemed to be in love or at least in awe of Healthcliff.  She involved herself in his twisted life, and in the end moved back to Wuthering Heights.  

I was relieved that at the end of novel, Cathy and Hareton finally fall in love and are able to wed without Healthcliff's manipulative meddling.  Cathy and Hareton did not deserve Healthcliff's hate and I was glad for their happy ending. 

Although Wuthering Heights was not what I was expecting, I enjoyed this novel. A cautionary tale of a love gone wrong, and the damaging effects of what hate does to a person and to those they love. 

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

“Women can change better’n a man,” Ma said soothingly. “Woman got all her life in her arms. Man got it all in his head.”
“Man, he lives in jerks-baby born an’ a man dies, an’ that’s a jerk-gets a farm and looses his farm, an’ that’s a jerk. Woman, its all one flow, like a stream, little eddies, little waterfalls, but the river, it goes right on. Woman looks at it like that. We ain’t gonna die out. People is goin’ on-changin’ a little, maybe, but goin’ right on.”

- John Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath ch. 28 

Whenever I reread a classic I'm struck by how much more I get out of it now than I did when I was in high school and or college. This novel was part of my high school American literature class, but honestly I didn't remember much except that there was a lot of cussing, depressing chapters, and the ending was weird. I simply wasn't ready at age fifteen or sixteen to grapple with the deeper issues addressed by Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath. Now that I am older, and hopefully wiser, I feel that I have a better understanding and appreciation of what John Steinbeck was trying to say in this novel. 

Because there are thousands of excellent online reviews for The Grapes of Wrath, I don't feel the need to go into depth about the themes, motifs and other things about this novel. Instead I want to share a few thoughts I have about one of my all time favorite female characters - Ma Joad. 

Ma Joad is the heart and soul of the book. As the male characters give in to their fear, anger and depression Ma Joad holds them all together with a fierce determination. Without Ma, the Joad family would have fallen apart. She understood the importance of sticking together, working hard and the power of a mother's selfless love. She demonstrated these qualities over and over throughout the novel - Granny's death, protecting Tom at the cotton plantation, and in the families darkest hour towards the end of the novel. I can only hope that Ma Joad's story ended well and that she was able to live out her days happy, well fed and with a roof over her head. 

These Happy Golden Year by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Ingalls family will always have a special place in my heart. As a little girl, I grew up reading (and watching) the Little House on the Prairie series. And now as an adult I'm thrilled to be able to reread and enjoy the adventures of Pa, Ma, Mary, Laura, Carrie and little Grace.

"These Happy Golden Years," which won the Newberry Honor award in 1944, continues the autobiographical account of the Ingalls family. The book starts when Laura is fifteen and ends when she turns eighteen. Laura is now a young lady, and her life is getting interesting. To help make ends meet, Laura takes on a teaching job twelve miles away from home. This is the first time Laura is living away from home and she struggles with homesickness and learning how to be a good teacher. Every Friday afternoon, the handsome and much older Alamanzo Wilder braves the cold weather to take her home. As the story progresses, Alamanzo becomes an even bigger part of Laura's life. Between the buggy rides, the singing school and sledding; soon a friendship turns to love for Laura and Alamanzo ending in their marriage and the start of a new life together.

Laura's romance with Alamanzo is an excellent example of a wholesome courtship without the pressures of modern dating. Should I have daughters I would definitely suggest this book during their tween/teen years. Laura is a fine example for young girls - someone who studies hard, goes out and does what she needs to do, has adventures and along the way finds true love.

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

Life's been busy, I'm going to keep things short today.

This book has been on my "to read" list for years. As a child, I read the kid's version and fell in love with the story of Christian and his fellow companions. Following the example of the March sisters, I would tie a burden on my back and march around the house playing pilgrim - trudging through the Slough of Despond, climbing the Hill of Difficulty, slaying Apollyon and resting at Palace Beautiful.

I was happy to find an unabridge audiobook with modern language of the Pilgrim's Progress. The only downside with my copy is that it does not include Christiana's journey to the celestial city. However, I did want a copy with modern language vs. Old English and so I'm not going to complain to much about the missing second part.

Winter of the World by Ken Follett

Winter of the World by Ken Follett is the second installment of The Century Trilogy and picks up right where Fall of Giants left off. The story starts in 1933, with the rise of the Third Reich and includes such events as the Spanish Civil War, the American depression and World War Two, it concludes in 1949 with hints of the cold war to come. 

I really enjoyed Fall of Giants, and was a bit disappointed with Winter of the World.  It felt like the same story - with different historical events. Even the characters seemed to be recycled - same characters different names. I guess I was really hoping for something new and fresh. 

As a work of historical fiction, Follett has done his homework. The historical events and real life characters portrayed have been well researched. I thought the part about Japan's justification for their need to go to war was interesting. It was a piece of unknown history for me. 

I found it interesting that Follett chose to skip the Holocaust and instead focused on Action T4, the Nazi's euthanasia program for the handicap. Perhaps he felt that the Holocaust had been done before and was looking for something new to flesh out? 

As with all of Follett's books, the bad guys are people to go along with the establishment - the fascists, the communists, the old aristocracy and of course the church. If I had to guess, I'd say that Follett is a socialist, and or a labor party member.  

Sex plays a huge roll in the story. Follett spends more time talking about/describing sexual encounters between characters than he dose on the horrors of World War 2. Characters - male and female- have hearty sexual appetites. Women are often described as having firm tits and round asses, and are ready for a romp in the hay or a blow job to go. Too much sexytime does make me wonder if he is compensating for something???  For the most part the ample amount of sexytime didn't bother me. However, when Follett introduced a 13 year old Jewish girl whose parents just died in a concentration camp he goes into detail describing her round bouncy breasts that clung to her thin tight dress. Why did he have to go into detail about her body? Her parents just died in a concentration camp? The size and shape of her breasts wasn't necessary.  

This book is not my favorite. However, the narrative is quick and absorbing, the characters are interesting and Follett provides readers with a front row seat to many memorable historical events of the 20th century. 

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

After blazing through Words of Radiance, I'm left with wanting more. Unfortunately, the next book - Stones Unhallowed - won't be finished until Spring 2016. This book was hard to review.  There's so much in it, and so much I could talk about. Kaladin is now the captain of the royal guards. Jasnah's death leaves Shallan to make her own way to the Shattered Plains and Dalinar is desperately trying to hold the kingdom together. And on top of everything else the Assassin in White is back!

Each book in the Stormlight Archive focuses on one particular character. In Words of Radiance the narrative is focused around Shallan's story. I liked Shallan's character. I was impressed with her ability to take what little she knew about Lightweaving and Pattern, and be able to use both to her advantage. Shallan's back story was fascinating and yet painful to read. It explained a lot about her character, and how her life's experiences in the end helped shaped her lightweaving ability.

A special thanks goes to Andrew Harrison for introducing The Stormlight Archive to me.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

I enjoyed reading this book. In fact, I think I liked The Way of Kings better than Mistborn and Alloy of Law. The narrative focuses primarily on the three main protagonists; Shallan a penniless lighteyed noblewomen who wants to apprentice herself to a scholarly heretic, Kaladin a former darkeyed surgeon and soldier who is now a slave, and Daliar a highprince and uncle to the king. I'm assuming that eventually, these three characters will cross paths, however currently their story lines are separate. At times the pacing of The Way of Kings was slow. Sanderson included lots of history, philosophy, religion and different cultures in this book. However, since it is the first of a much longer series I will withhold my judgment until the end. For now I'm content to simply enjoy the story.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Arundhati Roy packs a lot in this book and it was challenging for me to narrow down one single topic to discuss here on Thursday's Child. While reading I couldn't stop seeing, smelling and tasting  everything in Ayemenem, and at times that became rather overwhelming. In a society concerned with the "big things" such as the caste system, politics, labor unions, marriage, and disingenuous families, Roy directs the reader to take a closer look at the "small things."  Hence the title of the book. These "small things" are what is closest to our heart. Secrets, promises, sins, insecurities, loss and other things that we do not wish people to see or acknowledge. It is the underlining current that runs in every family, the deep hurt and dark secrets that drag us down. It is the small things that often become overlooked, abused and discarded. Rahel and Estha,  the twin protagonists understand the "small things." The amount of pain they suffer bearing the weight of the "small things" that go on in their family's life; Estha's molestation, Rachel's insecurities that her mother will  love her less, the secret of what really happened to little Sophie Mol, and the death of their beloved untouchable servant Velutha. Only after many years, and sex, do Rahel and Estha finally move past their painful childhood and are able to move on with their lives.

I'm not sure why I keep reading depressing books? I'm thinking that my next read should be something light and fun.

Invisible Man Ralph Ellison

I finally finished this book. It was a tough read, depressing and yet powerful. I spent the first half of the book struggling to stay with it, dreading the turn of each page wondering what other hardships the narrator would have to endure before the end of the story. 

Ellison relies heavily on symbolism, cultural references and literary motifs. Several times throughout this book I had to snoop around the internet researching context to better understand this story. Themes of blindness, invisibility, racism and cultural stereotypes play a role in this story. 

The fight scene from chapter one really stood out to me as horrific and an indication of what was to come for the narrator. In this scene, our narrator has been invited to give a speech to a group of drunk wealthy white businessmen and other important officials.  Before he is able to give his speech, the narrator is blindfolded, given boxing gloves and forced to participate in a "battle royal." The narrator makes it to the final round before his is beat by another fighter. After the fight is over, the narrator is led to a rug covered with money. He lunges for the money, only to discover that the rug was electrified. After this the narrator is able to give his speech. In his speech, he talks about how humility and submission is the key to success for the African American. While choking on blood, the narrator "accidentally" says "social equality" instead of "social responsibility." The drunk wealthy white businessmen and other important officials angrily demand an explanation.  The narrator appoligizes and explains it "was an mistake and that he was choking on blood." He finishes his speech and rewarded with a briefcase and a college scholarship. He was overjoyed about the scholarship and he didn't mind that the gold pieces that he was forced to scramble for on the rug were brass tokens and were worthless.

Would I recommend this book? It depends. I understand the importance of stories like Invisible Man, however I do feel that Ellison was a bit heavy handed. At times I wanted to slap the narrator, and other times I wanted to hug him. I think Invisible Man is a one time read for me.