Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

     Isabelle and Dorrie take a physical, emotional, and psychological road trip from Texas to Ohio, and what a journey it is for both of them.  Isabelle, a spirited older woman,  must get to Ohio for a funeral as soon as possible, and she has asks her hair stylist, Dorrie, to be the driver. 

     The reader is also in the driver's seat as both learn about Isabelle's life story, and the significant and tragic events that mark her life.  Isabelle was raised in a family of privilege and hired help, and during segregation; however, she learned to think for herself and to make her own decisions, many of which were detrimental to herself and others. 

     With the opposing chapters, the reader sits in the passenger seat with Isabelle to learn more about Dorrie, her mother, and the significant decisions Dorrie has to make about her own children and her life.

     Isabelle recounts her story chronologically starting in 1939 and finishing in 1943; Dorrie is always present day. The alternating chapters provide for a conversation between Isabelle and Dorrie, which makes the pages turn easily.  These women are courageous, strong, and indefatigable (a word that that Isabelle would probably know and just might be an answer on her crossword puzzles!)

Feeling Close To Home in A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

     From what Cash says about himself, he, indeed, has come a long way since his workshop with Ernest Gaines.  He has an excellent debut novel in A Land More Kind Than Home.

     Jess Hall is a young boy whose curiosity gets the best of him and exposes him to situations that he doesn’t quite know how to understand, but he knows there is something wrong happening with his mother and Stump, his younger brother who is mute.  He knows he needs to do or say something, but all he can do is try to protect his brother and to see, for himself, just what exactly pastor Chambliss is doing in that church.

          The story of Adelaide Lyle and the “fear factor” instilled by pastor Chambliss gave me the shivers AND was the compelling hook to keep me reading, while also hanging in the corner of my “peripheral” memory for the remainder of the novel, just waiting to be understood.  Cash then introduces and begins Jess’s story, which is not connected to the pastor, and only reinforces the mystery of Adelaide and her suspenseful experience. 

     Jess and the sheriff tell their story on such a personal level, that I found myself almost listening to them – listening as each shares his story, rather than simply reading their stories.  For the sheriff, his storytelling seems almost therapeutic to let go of past regrets, while developing a perspective for future ethical dilemmas.  The stories of Jess’s parents are told in the third person, and from multiple characters, which develops a sense of sympathy for them both - his mother has fallen under some influence of pastor Chambliss and his father is naïve to the circumstances surrounding his family - and thus, blame cannot be placed on either one for the tragedies that befall the family.  

     He has come to a conclusion about writing, and I would even say, creativity..."As a six-year-old, you're called a liar when you tell a story that you know isn't true.  But if you can keep telling stories and wait just a few more years, people will eventually call you a writer.  Even when they know you're stories aren't true."   

A veterinarian who treats animals "royally" - Dr. Barbara Royal

     Animals are the center of attention and do receive the “royal” treatment from Dr. Barbara Royal, a veterinarian in Chicago.

    
     Her book, The Royal Treatment: A Natural Approach to Wildly Healthy Pets is informative and entertaining, and not to be used as a way to self-diagnosis an issue with your pet. Please do consult your vet. From the raw food recipes to the 10 different types of litter for cats to “connecting” with your pet, Dr. Royal has keen insight on how to interact with and care for your pet, how to keep your pet healthy in a natural way, and some great stories along the way.

     Organized well and easy to read, one could anywhere in the book, and there are great ideas to implement or experiment with immediately and conveniently. 

    
     Her medical practice integrates Western and Eastern medicine, she is certified as an acupuncturist for animals, and she is committed to a healthy environment through natural and green choices for her office.  She is involved with the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and has appeared on several well-known TV shows.

What is Period.8? by Chris Crutcher

     Period.8 by Chris Crutcher has just enough suspense and intrigue to keep the pages turning.

 
     However, I still don’t understand the cover illustration nor the teaser.  The plot thickens as the novel unfolds; yet, the ‘who’ or ‘what’ is behind the scheme is difficult to decipher; there’s no clear explanation of the circumstances that brought these individuals together.  How certain teenagers get involved and why is even more unclear.
     Manipulation, power and control, and trust are major themes throughout the story, and the students of period 8 are not quite sure who to trust, even though what’s said in period 8, stays in period 8.  More focus on the scheme could have provided deeper character development and various perspectives on issues that teens face and difficult decisions they make everyday.

     As with Crutcher’s other novels, Period.8 is a work of realistic fiction; yet, parts of this story are a little too unrealistic to me.  I just could not buy-into this storyline. I may recommend this book to students who like Crutcher. For those new to Crutcher or want a good story, I will recommend his other titles first.         

Imagination, Journeys, and real-life experiences - Summer 2013

According to the calendar, summer, officially, is not until June 21.
With warmer weather, summer break from school, and vacations planned, the season starts in May and early June for most people.

I hope you have some good titles on your list, and would be happy to know what you intend to read, too!

My list of titles to read this summer is long, as usual. A few titles include:

Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy by David Sheff
--author of Beautiful Boy about his son Nick Sheff, who struggled with an addiction to meth

This book looks at legalization of marijuana and the purpose and services of rehab centers

Dear Marcus: A Letter to the Man Who Shot Me by Jerry McGill
I am judging this book by it's cover, and it looks compelling and makes me want to open to the first page. 

 
Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis
--When Ben suffers a traumatic brain injury during a military attack, he loses his ability to walk, talk, or remember anything about himself. The road to recovery will not be easy.

Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande
finalist for national book award
--the reality of medicine – a science that is not able to perform miracles or make promises, with a risk always present, yet an art to this science and in service to others.

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
--Jess is a curious young boy, and has to grow-up faster and earlier than his age would determine. He must gather the will and courage to do what is right and overcome adversity.

The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates

--“In this poetic and powerful memoir, we meet Paul Coates: a Vietnam vet and a Black Panther, an old-school disciplinarian and Aquarian believer in free love…enigmatic god to his seven children, with a mission to carry them across the shoals of inner-city adolescence..”

Calling Me Home by Juile Kibler
Isabelle McAllister and Dorrie Curtis are on a spontaneous road-trip from Texas to Cincinnati, and on this journey Dorrie learns of the elderly Isabelle’s secret past – a past that haunts Isabelle and may provide some answers for Dorrie

Brian Castner takes a Long Walk to Iraq, around the U.S., and to Iraq again

 The Long Walk: A Story of War and the Life that Follows, is now in paperback.
  For more information on Brian Caster, his book, and his work, see his blog: Fever Blog

     Castner and his story have received so many positive reviews and from so many well-regarded sources.  This book could be added to numerous reading lists, including summer reading or class curriculum.  This book could fit into various English classes, including literature and film/psychology,  a course on war literature, outside/independent reading, as well as courses in psychology or sociology, U.S. History, or political science. 
     This non-fiction work is not just the experience of war, it is the experience of "modern" warfare, realities of military leadership, and life after war - a part of a soldier's life that could be more difficult to endure physically, emotionally, and psychologically than events during combat.

      Castner had many long walks in Iraq and the U.S.  In Iraq, he was a leader of a team with the responsibility to disable bombs, along with  many other responsibilities that come with leadership positions; he loved what he was required to do.  He had many long walks back to the U.S. for a new segment of training or an end of tour.  His longest walk, though, was upon his return home after his last deployment.  His honesty and reflections are raw emotion.  His willingness to be that vulnerable certainly is more than a form of therapy for himself; it's a sense of reality and human emotion that shares insight into the psyche of the contemporary soldier.  

     I have more bookmarks in this book than most books I read.  I think I could write a paper on it! As more soldiers and veterans return from the Middle East and elsewhere, hopefully their "long walk" in war and returning home can be a little easier by reading this book, and others of us can try to understand them a little better, too.