He mea hoihoi - Interesting Things

It's that time of year again when many of us have more time to read and are looking for great books to download to our ereaders, paperbacks to read on the beach or on a trip, or that hardcover that we've just been waiting to curl up with.

Thanks to all who have contributed great reading suggestions for the last list before summer. Since the list is long, I'm just going to say, Happy Reading!

Shusterman, Neal. Unwind. [F Shusterman]
The setting: the United States, in a future not so distant from now. After a the violent Second Civil War, pro-life and pro-choice sides have reached a compromise. From 0-13, life is sacred. From 13-18, however, parents may retroactively abort or "unwind" undesirable minors. And why not transform societal dross into the good and useful, especially because medical science can use 100% of their bodies for organ transplants? Connor is a rebellious teen whose parents have decided, once and for all, to erase his existence. Risa, a ward of the state and once promising piano prodigy, has fallen short in her musical studies, and due to budget cuts, has been slated for termination. And Lev's devoutly religious family has groomed their youngest son his entire life as a human sacrifice for God and the greater good. Together, the three fight for survival in Neal Shusterman's dark, Swiftian dystopia. A fast-paced, discussion-provoking read, sure to engage even reluctant readers.
-Lara Cowell

Mortenson, Greg. Three Cups of Tea [371.8 M84] and Stones Into Schools [371.8 M84s].
In these two non-fiction accounts, Greg Mortensen, head of the Central Asia Institute, documents how a failed mountaineering expedition serendipitously led to his life-changing grassroots mission to educate the impoverished girls of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and in doing so, promoting peace and stability in the region. Although the pace of both books occasionally bogs down in blow-by-blow details and you'll undoubtedly find yourself reaching for a map to track the peripatetic wanderings of Mortensen and his energetic staff, the narratives are full of wonderful cross-cultural moments, at turns poignant, dramatic, and humorous. Most importantly, Mortensen's work kindles the hope that idealistic individuals can indeed change the world for the better and go where governments and armies fail to tread, one relationship at a time.
-Lara Cowell

Hoffman, Alice. Incantation. [F Hoffman]
Alice Hoffman weaves an elegant, poetic tale of love, betrayal, and secret identity, set during the Spanish Inquisition. Sixteen year old Estrella deMadrigal believes the bond between herself and best friend, Catalina, can never be severed--that is, until she kisses Andres, Catalina's betrothed, and falls in love. Their covert romance ignites a series of harrowing events which unearth the shadowy history of Estrella's family. A novella--only 166 pages long--this is a captivating story, one well-suited for teens: a simple and quick read, yet alluring: rich in passion, emotional intensity, and authorial craft.
-Lara Cowell

Adrian, Chris. The Children's Hospital. [ordered]
I loved this book so much that I almost don't want to tell anyone about it. When, as is bound to happen, someone reads it based on my rave and thinks it's so-so or worse, I probably won't be able to speak to that person again. This is one of those books that just becomes personal, like you think it was written for you. It is basically a modern re-telling of the Noah's Arc story, except that it is a Children's Hospital floating in a post-apocalyptic sea in the modern era rather than the wooden ship of Biblical times. A medical student named Gemma copes with the horrific scenes in the floating hospital, and then eventually learns she is guided and challenged by various avenging angels connected to her family's tragic history. She gains special powers, loses them, and attempts to guide the hospital to some kind of redemptive safety. The book is audacious, funny, sad, and one of the best I have read in a long time.
-Tim Dyke

Smiley, Jane. A Thousand Acres. [F Smiley].
This book from the early nineties is a modern reinterpretation of the King Lear story. A father divides his ranch up and divvies out portions to two of his daughters while alienating the third. It's clever and self-aware in a way that kind of annoyed me, but the story kept me reading.
-Tim Dyke

McCann, Colum. Let the Great World Spin. [ordered]
If you are old enough, or if you watched the movie Man On Wire, you might know that a cagey and diminutive French man danced across a wire between the two World Trade Center towers in the early 1970's. This fictional tale imagines the lives of a handful of New Yorkers, all affected in some way or another by that phenomenal event. The story itself is a kind of high wire act; the reader sees the pieces that work to keep the various stories together, and at any time it seems like those pieces will fall to the ground, but they never do. The whole effect of reading this novel is that you feel connection to a specific time, a specific place, and to a specific set of likable characters.
-Tim Dyke

Hayhurst, Dirk. The Bullpen Gospels. [ordered].
This non-fiction memoir tells the story of a young man from Ohio who struggles as a minor league, mid-relief pitcher in his quest to make the Majors. The story is absolutely hilarious as he describes all the crazy things that happen in the clubhouse, but there is real depth here; the narrator/protagonist has a lot to say about surviving an abusive family, following one's dream, and about all that happens -- good and bad -- when one gets what one wishes for.
-Tim Dyke

Doxiadis, Apostolos and Christos Papadimitriou. Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth. [ordered]
This is a comic book (graphic novel, if you prefer) about Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein. It is not "Logical Philosophy for Dummies;" it is a superhero comic book story, but the superheroes are logical philosophers. The drawing is incredible, and I came to understand things about set theory that I never even knew I didn't know. I would give this to any friend who likes art, math, literature, or philosophy.
-Tim Dyke

Munoz, Manuel. Zigzagger.
This is a book of elegantly written short stories by a man who grew up in a migrant farm worker community in the Central Valley of California. Most of the stories have to do with farm workers and their families, and all of them have some connection to themes of gay male identity. One story that sticks out in my memory is about a middle aged father who shamefully calls his twenty-something son to ask for money. The son lives in San Francisco with an older, non-Mexican male lover; the father doesn't approve of this relationship, but he needs money to go visit his father (the son's grandfather) who is dying in the Mexican town the father fled twenty years ago. The stories are about the complicated connections between family when issues of culture and identity intervene.
-Tim Dyke

Tower, Wells. Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned. [ordered].
When I heard David Sedaris speak this past winter at the Blaisdell Concert Hall, he recommended this book as a good read. The stories here are funny, somewhat morose, and over-the-top crazy. The title story involves a bunch of neurotic Vikings. My favorite story in the collection might be the one about the hippies and the sea cucumber. It's a close call, though; I also liked the one about the chess playing Alzheimer's patient and the Washington Square con artist.
-Tim Dyke

Udall, Brady. The Lonely Polygamist. [ordered]
This is the story of Golden Richards (not the former Dallas Cowboy), a humble man with four wives and twenty three children. Yes, the story sounds like the TV show Big Love, and the author swears he began his novel before the television show ever aired. It doesn't really matter to me which came first. Each is its own thing. This book goes deep into the lives of the children, the wives, and title character himself including flashbacks, internal monologues, and descriptions of unpredictable yet believable family drama. The book reminded me of a cross between The Corrections and Under The Banner of Heaven with a little bit of John Updike sprinkled in.
-Tim Dyke

Niequist, Shauna. Cold Tangerines; Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life.
This is a collection of short memoirs that are heartwarming, funny and well written. They are as refreshing as a cold tangerine on a hot day. They are definitely written from a Christian perspective, but not at all preachy. It is proof that good writing doesn't have to be sad or tragic to be worth reading.
-Diane Sweeney

Korelitz, Jean. Admission. [F Korelitz]
A former Princeton admissions officer tells all about the admissions process. This should be required reading of any college counselor. It is also enjoyable and informative for anyone who teaches college bound kids. Perhaps not appropriate for some students/adults who may be offended by the author's rather descriptive love life.
-Diane Sweeney

Queller, Jessica. Pretty is What Changes. [616.99 Qu3]
A memoir of a women who finds out at a very young age that she has a BRCA mutation (which raises one's probability of breast and ovarian cancer to almost certainty). It paints a picture of how too much information can be troubling and perhaps not always helpful.
-Diane Sweeney

Selfors, Suzanne. Saving Juliet. [F Selfors]
Seventeen-year-old Mimi feels trapped in a life which is not of her choosing. She comes from a long line of Shakespearean actors, and is expected to continue in the family tradition, although she wants to be a doctor. Through the strange power of magic ashes, she is transported back to the Verona of Romeo & Juliet. For Shakespeare fans, this clever fantasy is a real pageturner.
-David Del Rocco

Lili'uokalani. Hawai'i's Story, by Hawai'i's Queen. [HC B L62L2]
Originally published in 1898, the year of annexation, this is a fascinating insight into the life of the last reigning monarch of the kingdom of Hawai'i.
-David Del Rocco

Levitt, Steven and Stephen Dubner. Superfreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitiutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance. [330 L57s]
Entertaining and provocative, this book makes you think about human behavior and economics in different ways.
-Susan Clark

Pink, Daniel. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. [115.15 P65]
Pink examines age old theories and beliefs about motivation and dismisses the old operating system he calls Motivation 2.0 consisting of control, rewards and punishments in favor of an innovative approach- Motivation 3.0.. Assumptions about human behavior and managerial styles are debunked in the business, educational and home settings while emphasis on an updated operating system, using the elements of autonomy, mastery and purpose are encouraged.. According to the author, Motivation 3.0 closes the gap between what science knows and businesses do, by creating workplaces and schools, filled with highly motivated, creative and engaged people.
-Eileen McCool

Mantel, Hilary. Wolf Hall. [F Mantel]
The machinations behind the Anne Boleyn-Henry VIII marriage. Well written, researched and very plausible.
-Ed Moore

Lehane, Dennis. The Given Day. [ordered]
Race relations and the Boston Police strike (1918-1919) are the focus of the novel - along with Babe Ruth (still with the Red Sox). The prologue, "Babe Ruth in Ohio" is absolutely fabulous - you'll love the denouement!
-Ed Moore

Thompson, Harry. This Thing of Darkness. (maybe not available in this country)
Long listed for the Booker Prize, this novel tells the story of Robert Fitzroy, the captain of the Beagle and its voyage with its passenger, Charles Darwin. Mostly about Fitzroy. Superbly researched and written.
(Harry died from cancer just after the announcement of the Booker List. Sad, his dad is a good friend of ours)
-Ed Moore

Merry, Robert. A Country of Vast Designs. [ordered]
The story of James K. Polk's presidency, focused almost entirely on the Mexican War and all of the political and military machinations surrounding it. If you want to get a fuller understanding of Polk, the man, the politician and his presidency, do as I did and read Walter Borneman's Polk first.
-Ed Moore

Meacham, Jon. American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. [B J13me]
Super biography of Andrew Jackson. Meacham also wrote Franklin and Winston which I read a few years back and loved.
-Ed Moore

Leon, Donna. A Question of Belief. [ordered]
Brunetti is back. Lovers of Leon's Brunetti mysteries set in Venice (and if you aren't a lover of them, you lose big time!) will again enjoy the food and the place as Leon captures the gestalt of Venice: the city, the people, the politics and particularly food. Just recently released is a cookbook - coffee table like, but with Leon's stories and great pictures and recipes.
-Ed Moore

George, Elizabeth. This Body of Death.
Thomas Lynley (Lord Asherton) returns to the Met. The usual plot and character twists and turns which characterize George's mysteries and with wild twists in Lynley's personal life. Much of the novel is set in Hampshire with the wild ponies and thatchers (not, however, Margaret!).
-Ed Moore

Cleeves, Anne. Raven Black, White Nights, Red Bones. [ordered]
Cleeves has written a number of mysteries set in Yorkshire. Now she turns her attention to the Shetland Islands, creating a new serial character (there is one more book to come) Jimmy Perez. Delia and I were stoked to discover this series as we spent five days in the Shetlands last summer. A good sense of the place, the people and the culture.
-Ed Moore

McEwan, Ian. Solar. [ordered]
Nobel Prize winner for science at the end of a mediocre career(he wins the prize while young) comes upon (term chosen wisely) a new and revolutionary idea. Stay tuned!
-Ed Moore

Russo, Richard. That Old Cape Magic. [ordered]
He is the author of such GREAT works as Straight Man, Nobody's Fool, Bridge of Sighs, Empire Falls (others that I haven't read). Complicated marital, familial and extra-marital relationships.
-Ed Moore

Kidder, Tracy. Mountains Beyond Mountains. [610.9 K53]
Primarily the story of Dr. Paul Farmer and his work in Haiti to curb TB. Unlike other of Kidder's books, he is in this one as he traveled with Farmer.
-Ed Moore

Greene, Graham. The Comedians. [ordered]
Not one of Greene's best (so say I who am a Greene fan. Read The Power and the Glory, Brighton Rock, The End of the Affair, The Heart of the Matter, or The Quiet American if you want
Greene's best serious stuff). But this is a nice pairing with Kidder's book. The Comedians is set in Haiti during the Papa Doc Duvalier days.
-Ed Moore

Posted by Debra Peterson at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stork, Francisco. Marcelo in the Real World. [F Stork]
I recently read the book Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco Stork. The story is narrated by Marcelo Sandoval, a seventeen-year-old boy on the higher functioning end of the autistic spectrum. He is looking forward to his summer job working with horses and not having much interaction with people when his father insists that he needs to have more exposure to the "real world" and arranges for Marcelo to work in his law firm's mailroom.

Marcelo finds a picture in a file of a girl with half a face that he can't erase from his memory. He starts to investigate the girl's case and finds himself having to make very difficult decisions in a potentially dangerous situation. Written from the perspective of a young man coping with Asperger's Syndrome, this is a thought-provoking book.

Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. [F Haddon]
As I was reading Marcelo in the Real World, I couldn't help comparing it to another book written from the perspective of a young man with autism. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon is about Christopher, a mathematically gifted, autistic, fifteen-year-old boy who decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and finds information about his mother.

Comment: I actually read one of the books on your list - "The Curious Incident of the Dog..." - and loved it, too. I think they should make a movie out of it. If they did it right, I think it could be a great movie. This is the one book that I've read recently that stuck with me because it was so different, surprising and, in it's own way, really heartbreaking. I hope people see it on your list and read it, too. Thanks for the information on all these great books!
-Sandra Hayashida

Both books would appeal to young adults but also are great reads for adults.

I'd like to thank those that took time out of their very busy schedules to send recommendations to add to the blog. You might also notice that I have been working on a very "librarian" type activity and have indexed all the books recommended in the last four years. It was getting hard to remember what books I had already blogged about. Two of the indexes, by author and by title, have been posted. I am still finishing up the index arranged by reviewer. It will be available soon. To access the indexes, there is a new category, Indexes, under Categories on the right hand side of the page.

Here are the recommendations from other Punahou faculty and staff.

Stepp, Laura Sessions. Our Last Best Shot: Guiding Our Children Through Early Adolescence
[305.23 St4]
I found this book through my Chinaberry catalog, which at one point I found to be a good source of book recommendations and reviews. Although I read this book a while ago, I still remember how encouraged and reassured I felt after reading the case-study stories of adolescents meeting various life challenges and opportunities with varying degrees of accomplishment. I selected this book out of good intentions, and found the material to be as entertaining and instructive as a well-done PBS special.
-Malia Ogoshi

Saramago, Jose. Blindness.
This is a parable told as if the events of the fable are really happening in credible, realistic fashion. Blindness spreads through Spain as if it were an infectious plague. Only one woman is spared the affliction, and the story follows her as she and her husband are exiled to live in an abandoned hospital. Escape, redemption, and insight ensue.
-Tim Dyke

Williams, John. Stoner.
I will confess that when I first heard about a book called "Stoner" published in 1965, I assumed it was a drug memoir. It isn't. This novel tells the story of William Stoner who leaves his family's midwestern farm in 1914 to study agriculture at the University of Missouri. Almost against his will he is struck by a deep and unrequited love of literature; he abandons his plans to return to the family farm and embarks on the life of an English professor. What a great book this is for people who love books. What a great book this is for people who wonder how they became the people they've become.
-Tim Dyke

Comment: Tim's recommendation on John William's Stoner is right on. I read it years ago. For one thing it relates the great reticence prevalent among many mid-westerners. It's that silence that, sometimes, seems so unsettling, if not disturbing. Well, Stoner's wife seems a little disturbed. My favorite part (which I quoted in a National Writing Project speech) is when Stoner, for the first time,ignores/ discards his lecture notes and waxes eloquent--springs a gusher of words--expressing his love of literature. It's magical moment that most of us have experienced ourselves in our own way.
-Joe Tsujimoto

Haslett, Adam. Union Atlantic.
Perhaps you read Haslett's award winning and arresting book of short stories, You Are Not A Stranger Here. This is his long awaited follow-up, his first novel. It didn't quite shake and discomfort me like the book of stories, but Union Atlantic kept me turning pages and gave me good insight into how America may have gotten itself into the financial mess that our country finds itself in now. The story follows the life of a man who came of age during the first Iraq War and who grows to be a leading investment banker at Union Atlantic, one of the nation's largest banks. He moves into a palatial estate next to a long-time resident of a sleepy town in Connecticut. This neighbor is a retired history teacher who is losing her mind. She thinks her dogs are the reincarnations of Cotton Mather and Malcolm X. Each of these characters fights to destroy one another using a tragically confused seventeen year old boy as a weapon. The story is simultaneously intimate and sweeping; it aims to tell the story of three complex and personal lives while also attempting to tell the story of post-9/11 America. In my opinion it almost succeeds in making the list of potential first great 21st century American novels, and even its missteps are interesting.
-Tim Dyke

Bray, Libba. Going Bovine. [F Bray]
What do you get when you cross Cervantes with The Catcher in the Rye, and toss in the deadly Creutzfeldt-Jakob pathogen, a pink-haired angel in combat boots, a talking yard gnome, physics, a time-traveling Inuit rock band, and kitschy snow globes? In her latest novel, Going Bovine, winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for young adult literature, Libba Bray delivers a hallucinogenic mix of social satire peppered with allusions from literature, mythology, and pop culture. This dark, brilliantly crafted page-turner is, by turns, laugh-out-loud hysterical, sublimely surreal, and poignantly philosophic.

The basic premise:
When alienated 16 year old slacker, Cameron Smith, is diagnosed with mad-cow disease, he and his "Sancho Panza", a hypochondriac, video-gaming dwarf, Gonzo, embark on a wild road trip to find a cure, with stops in Mardi Gras New Orleans, the Church of Everlasting Satisfaction and Snack-n-Bowl, the Ya! Party House in Daytona, and Disney World. Yet their long, strange journey is a metaphoric one, as well: one of self-examination, discovery, and love.

Don't hurt your happiness. Borrow this addictive book now.
-Lara Cowell

I have to add my recommendation to Lara's. It's hard to believe that Lara is not exaggerating and that it all works together but rest assured that the author, Libba Bray, makes it all work. I'm already ordering additional copies to try to meet student requests.
-Deb Peterson

Atwood, Margaret.The Year of the Flood. 2009.
I enjoyed this suspenseful story, with moments of offbeat humor, of two women who
have survived the end of the world as we know it (along with a few other nice people and assorted bad guys). Plot relates to her book Oryx and Crake, but not necessary to read that first.
-Susan Clark

Kingsolver, Barbara. Lacuna. 2009.
Epic and enjoyable historical novel, centering on a young man who works briefly as an assistant to Diego Rivera, meets Frida Kahlo and Leon Trotsky, and later is called in front of the House Committee on Un-American Activities.
-Susan Clark

Kirn, Walter. Up in the Air. 2001.
I read this before I saw the movie, but even if you've seen the movie it's worth going back to the book if you can take the dark humor and cynicism. Important elements are different from the movie.
-Susan Clark

McCorkle, Jill. Going Away Shoes. 2009.
Touching and funny short stories.
-Susan Clark

Heilemann, John and Mark Halperin. Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime
Political junkies, this one's for you. Gripping, behind-the-scenes drama of the 2008 presidential election. Game Change details the twists and turns of the race and casts new light on the divergent personalities that drove those fateful decisions. It's an eyeopener, even if you think you know the story.
-Carlyn Tani

Munro, Alice. Too Much Happiness
I love Alice Munro and this is a terrific short-story collection. Beneath the precise, lucid prose, Munro's fierce intelligence and imagination shine through, leading to singular characters and dramatic trajectories that are often small yet devastating in impact.
-Carlyn Tani

Posted by Debra Peterson at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. [on order]
Just before Winter Break, I started seeing a lot of references to the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I had also finished the last audio book that I had downloaded to my iPod for "reading" as I ran. So I went to audible.com and downloaded The Help. I loved the audio version with the three narrators all represented by a different reader. The story was interesting as Skeeter, a budding writer who is white, decides to write a book about the African American maids that work for her society friends. In Jackson, Mississippi in 1962, this needs to remain secret and is very dangerous for the maids that are telling their stories. Great book. Since returning from break, I have heard others that have enjoyed the print version. Cooke Library has copies on order but if you are interested, you can put your name on the hold list.

This year, I discovered Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com) which is a social networking site for readers. According to their website, it is "a place for casual readers and bona-fide bookworms alike, Goodreads members recommend books, compare what they are reading, keep track of what they've read and would like to read, form book clubs and much more." Your comments can be private or shared. Check it out.

Thank you to everybody that contributed to this posting.

Continue reading "February 2010 - Good Reads Galore!" »

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I was drawing a blank when I was trying to think of my own book choices for this entry. Then I had a request from a teacher for recommendations for free-choice reading for her students with the theme of identity or "who am I". That request combined with the fact that I just read a riveting book (The Bite of the Mango) reminded me of the following biographies of individuals that have been shaped by their experiences in war-torn countries. The subject is grim but they all show the resilience and courage shown by individuals facing difficult situations.

Kamara, Mariatu with Susan McClelland. The Bite of the Mango. 2008. [B K123]
Mariatu is 12 and living in Sierra Leone when her village is attacked by heavily armed rebel soldiers. She is kidnapped and tortured and then child soldiers are ordered to cut off both her hands before leaving her. Be forewarned - I read this book in one sitting. For a fiction book from the point of view of a boy soldier, read Uzodinma Iweala's Beasts of No Nation. [Fic Iweala]

Ung, Loung. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. 2000. [959.6 Un3]
Loung was the child of a high-ranking government official in Phnom Penh. When she was five, her family fled Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge army in April of 1975. They moved from village to village hiding their former life of privilege. Loung's story of survival still haunts me long after I read the book.

Bok, Francis. Escape From Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity - and My Journey to Freedom in America. 2003. [305.5 B63]
Seven-year-old Francis was captured by Arab raiders in southern Sudan. For ten years, he lived as a slave until he finally escaped after two other aborted escape attempts. He persevered through prison and refugee camps until finally being granted passage to America. What is the What by Dave Eggers is a novel that tells a similar story of a refugee from the Sudanese Civil War. [F Eggers]

Read on for recommendations from other faculty and staff - hopefully not all grim!
-Deb Peterson

Continue reading "Fall 2009 faculty and staff picks" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 8:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As I started gathering my thoughts about the books that I have read and enjoyed lately, I found myself not only coming up with books that I have "read" in the literal sense but also audio books that I have listened to in the past months.

Preparation for the Honolulu Marathon (and just keeping in shape) demands a lot of time spent in solo running. Though I sometimes listen to music, I have discovered that I enjoy taking advantage of the the time and listening to audio books. Here are some of my favorites!

Wood, Patricia. Lottery [F Wood]
Having learned essential life skills from his dedicated grandmother that have helped him overcome his low IQ, Perry finds himself without a caregiver at the age of thirty-one and wins a fortune by playing the lottery, a lucrative windfall that brings him more family than he has ever wanted.

Zusak, Marcus. Book Thief. [F Zusak]
Living with a foster family in Germany during World War II, a young girl struggles to survive her day-to-day trials through stealing anything she can get her hands on, but when she discovers the beauty of literature, she realizes that she has been blessed with a gift that must be shared with others, including the Jewish man hiding in the basement.

Setterfield, Diane. Thirteenth Tale. [F Setterfield]
When her health begins failing, the mysterious author Vida Winter decides to let Margaret Lea, a biographer, write the truth about her life, but Margaret needs to verify the facts since Vida has a history of telling outlandish tales.

McCullough, David. John Adams. [B Ad12m]
Chronicles the life of America's second president, including his youth, his career as a Massachusetts farmer and lawyer, his marriage to Abigail, his rivalry with Thomas Jefferson, and his influence on the birth of the United States.

Diaz, Junot. Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. [F Diaz]
Living with an Old World mother and rebellious sister, an urban New Jersey misfit dreams of becoming the next J.R.R. Tolkien and believes that a longstanding family curse is thwarting his efforts to find love and happiness.

Lahiri, Jhumpa. Interpreter of Maladies. [F Lahiri]
A debut collection of short fiction blends elements of Indian traditions with the complexities of American culture in such tales as "A Temporary Matter," in which a young Indian-American couple confronts their grief over the loss of a child, while their Boston neighborhood copes with a nightly blackout.

Kostova, Elizabeth. The Historian. [F Kostova]
Discovering a medieval book and a cache of letters, a motherless American girl becomes the latest in a series of historians, including her late father, who investigate the possible surviving legacy of Vlad the Impaler. I picked this one to read because it is the book that James Kakos chose for his READ poster. (Thanks, James!)

Not enough time to read and do the 60 minutes of exercise that is recommended each day? Try combining the activities by "reading" on the run.

Here are recommendations by others. Enjoy your break and read or listen to a great book!

Continue reading "What can I read over Winter Break???" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thanks to everybody who took time out of their busy schedules to send book recommendations. I'm anxious for shorter hours for Summer School to allow extra time to catch up on reading. Right now, I am reading Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth (see Tim Dyke's comments below). It is really hard to put it down to do anything else. My television hasn't been on much since I started reading it.

I have been reading other people's suggestions and would like to add my recommendations for the following:
Hirsi Ali, Ayaan. Infidel.
Dallas, Sandra. Tallgrass.
Weisman, Alan. The World Without Us. (I listened to the audio version)

Another one that I enjoyed was suggested to me by Carol Lee but it must not have been submitted to the blog so I'll pass on her recommendation for Tess Uriza Holthe's, When the Elephants Dance. [F Holthe] This is about the Philippines under Japanese occupation during WWII. It centers around one family and what is happening to them just prior to the Americans retaking the Philippines. There are also long stories of the past as the family members hide out during air raids, etc. Very good!

So much for what I've been reading, here are the other recommendations.

Continue reading "Just in Time for Summer Reading" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With Spring Break just around the corner, I asked the Punahou 'ohana for books that they would recommend to others. I have had a lot of great suggestions, so set aside some time to delve into another world while you are on a plane, at the beach, or curled up on your couch.

Continue reading "Spring Break Reads (2008 picks)" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 6:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As we begin a new school year, I asked faculty and staff for their favorite summer reads. Two of my favorites this summer were Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards and Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen. Very different from each other, they were both difficult to put down.

Edwards, Kim. Memory Keeper's Daughter. 2005. [F Edwards]
Memory Keeper's Daughter looks at how one decision changed everything for Dr. David Henry and his family. Forced to deliver his own twins during a snowstorm, he can tell immediately that his daughter has Down's Syndrome and asks his nurse to take her to an institution to be raised. He tells his wife that the baby girl has died.

Gruen, Sara. Water for Elephants. 2006. [F Gruen]
Water for Elephants moves between Jacob Jankowski's time with the circus during the 30s and his current situation in a care home at the age of 93.

For other recommendations, read on!

Continue reading "Summer Picks" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Summer is just around the corner. In Hawaii this may mean beaches, long airplane rides, or simply more time to read. I asked the faculty and staff for suggestions of books that they enjoyed reading and would recommend to others. The recent responses are listed here. For other suggestions, visit my earlier entries.

Continue reading "Summer - Ready, Set, Read" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Looking forward to some time to read a great book over Christmas Break? The following are recommended by the Punahou 'Ohana. Note: If the book is part of the Punahou collection, the call number follows the title of the book.

Continue reading "Christmas Wish List - Item 1 - Time to read!" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thanks for all the suggestions that were emailed to me. If this is your first time reading the blog, you may want to go back to earlier posts for more suggestions of great books. Enjoy!

Continue reading "Too good to miss! Books recommended by faculty and staff. October 2006" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Looking for a good book to read? Try these that were recommended by fellow Punahou faculty and staff. Happy reading!

Continue reading "Summer Reading Suggestions -- Deb Peterson and others" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What are some good books to read over Spring Break?
I heard this question in the cafeteria and was reminded of the wonderful list that the Academy English Department compiled last spring. I was lucky enough to get a copy of the list of their favorite books and much of my summer reading was taken from this list. I especially liked the diversity of genres and tastes represented on the list. The list included books that I may not have picked up on my own.

As I was thinking of ways to share book recommendations amongst the adult Punahou 'ohana, I was reading some library blogs and decided to delve in with one devoted to "He mea hoihoi - Interesting Things." The first post will be devoted to books to read over Spring Break. Please add your own recommendations by adding comments to this post. Please do not give away any endings and do add an annotation about the book and why you enjoyed reading it.

See something you would like to read? See if it is available in Cooke Library or the Hawaii State Public Library.

Continue reading "Spring Break Reads -- Deb Peterson" »

Posted by Debra Peterson at 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)