Red Planet

Red Planet

by Robert A. Heinlein

As a preface, I'm kind of about to harsh all over this book, but there were a lot of aspects of it that I really enjoyed, as well. I have some super mixed feelings about this book. It was originally written in 1949, but was reissued later in 2009. To start with, I adored the Martian creatures. All of them. The roundhead bouncers, the three-legged, flap-handed Martian natives, and the Elders. I felt like they were well handled, and beautifully created. Love these guys. I also love the setting. I love his envisioned Mars colonies, the cities they have set up, the cities the Martians set up - they're beautiful.  As for the human characters though, I felt like many of them who became important weren't well handled. We know very little about some of the people who become main characters, but the two students, Frank and Jim who we follow for the entire story, are decently well written. 

When it comes to the plot, this novel was incredibly predictable. Not much happens that is unexpected, and the story plods. I kept hoping that something would happen that was unexpected and surprising, but made it to the end of the book without. I anticipated most of the things that would happen, and kept waiting for something to be surprising. Then, tragically, the ending was wrapped up with very little real conflict. Heinlein set up a situation that could have had a very dramatic and exciting conclusion, but instead, it just tapered off, and all the loose ends were tied up in neat little bows. Granted, it's written for kids, but it still felt like he went too far in the "easy" direction. 

Lastly, for such an imaginative and futuristic premise, Heinlein's views on gender roles were very 1950s. Which, considering when he wrote it, isn't surprising...but still incredibly frustrating. The comments about how boys are considered men when they can carry guns and girls are women when they can cook and care for babies, or when Jim comments about not being able to trust women with anything important...The only women characters are Jim's mother and sister (Phyllis), and Mrs. Pottles. Jim's mother and Phyllis are there only to flesh out Jim and his father's characters slightly more - literally as soon as there's a crisis they go and lie down and leave the men to handle it, and Mrs. Pottles is the hysterical, annoying, women who is there only to make a point. 

Despite these things, I didn't hate the novel. I did enjoy it, and found Heinlein's idea of the colony on Mars fascinating, though I probably won't read it again. 

-Cat

This book was a reread for me...sort of. I read this back in 6th grade, and for those of you playing along at home, that was a long time ago. When I put this one on the list, I couldn't remember much more than the title and the setting, and Willis.

Heinlein wrote this book in a different time, and it shows. The things that Frank and Jim say are quite dated at this point, though Heinlein did throw in some of his own slang (to "burn" someone meaning to shoot them with a raygun). Gender roles are super prominent here, though I'm glad to see adult men thinking it's ok for Jim's sister to get her own gun. Small victories, right?

Anyway, the story. THE STORY. I'm going to have to agree with Cat, it's pretty simple and straightforward. Really cool setting, the Martians are pretty nifty. The conflict isn't terrible, but it's resolved pretty quickly. I remember really loving this book in 6th grade, and I can see why. All these years later, though, and it's just a book.

Red Planet is not bad by any means. It's a sci-fi book written for younger readers. It's well-written and coherent. It is, perhaps, too safe. If you're looking for an easy science fiction romp, you could do far worse than Red Planet.

--Mikie

The White Boy Shuffle

The White Boy Shuffle 

by Paul Beatty

Okay, so I adored this book. This book is hilarious, and condemning, and vivid, and reflective. The language Paul Beatty uses is lyrical and I felt myself pulled head-first into his reality. Every single line, word, thought is so carefully crafted so as to be both uproariously funny and beautifully poignant. It's a satirical take on taking black power and autonomy into black hands - while constantly fighting the "whiteys praying for their black poet god." 

I feel like getting to read this book made up for the misery of putting myself through Proof of Heaven. I wanted to take out a pen and mark up my book on every page - which would have been tough, since I read on my phone. The choice of words - like "shtetl" and "chutzpah" and "bombastic" and "prestidigitator" and "eleemosynary" gave me shivers, and to see them surrounded by casual slang was beautiful and haunting. 

I genuinely loved this book, and completely geeked out over it - I highly recommend it! 

I think, though, that this is the first time Mikie and I have been in disagreement over one of our booklist books...so take that as you will. Also, this is one of those books that I would have LOVED to have a discussion over, and I'm super looking forward to reading Mikie's take on the story. Definitely missed my roommate during this one!
-Cat

It's interesting, Cat and I both had very different experiences with this book. I did not enjoy this book. I think I would have enjoyed it more if Cat & I were co-located during its reading.

Ok, so was it a total loss? Absolutely not. The author's writing style was fresh, and I enjoyed both Beatty's word choices and phrasing. It was hard to read more than a couple of sentences before some interesting use of language demanded to be heard.

The story overall was interesting...to a point. This might be a book I'll have to revisit in a few years. It's something that just didn't resonate me, and it became a slog to get through. Beatty's exceptional use of language is reason enough to read it, even if I didn't enjoy the story.
--Mikie

Proof of Heaven

Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife

by Even Alexander

I have to admit - this book was not my favourite. This book is about Eben Alexander, an American neurosurgeon who survived bacterial meningitis and had a Near-Death-Experience, or NDE. As a neurosurgeon, he understands the brain in a different and deeper way than most of us, so the book deals with his disease and the science behind what was happening to him very well. 

The novel also deals with Eben Alexander's experience during a coma, while physically his brain was pretty much in shut down. He writes of his memories of visiting with the divine, and journeying to a realm beyond Earth. I had a hard time getting through this novel - it took me weeks, and for a very short book it should have been finished in days. 

In my opinion, the book was far too heavy on 'heavenly cliches'. While there wasn't a "bright white light", at least, it felt like any other NDE story, and considering Eben Alexander's background, I was hoping for more than that. 

-Cat

The premise of the book is what made me want to read it: a neurosurgeon goes into a week-long coma where the parts of his brain that are responsible for consciousness are pretty much dead has vivid visions of the afterlife and now feels that Heaven is real. Cool premise, based on a true story...

Dude's a better neurosurgeon than author. Like Cat, I should have finished reading this quicker than I did (although I did finish before her 😛). There was a lot of repetition, and I feel like a lot of the terms he used jive a little too closely with other NDE stories, which reduces credibility.

I'm glad I read it, but I think I'll only read this one once.
--Mikie

Ready Player One

Ready Player One

by Ernest Cline

Well hey there! It's been a loooong time. I went on a trip to Canada last month, and then Mikie moved back to the US, so there's been lots of upheaval in our lives the last couple months! We're a few books behind on our blog now, so let's jump right in with Ready Player One. 

Ready Player One was an awesome book. I've never read anything like it, and it was really cool. If you're into 80's pop culture, or gaming, you will LOVE this book. I had a hard time following many of the references (I'm not an 80's baby...), but that didn't mean I couldn't enjoy the story. It's a future-dystopian book, that imagines a world ruled by a virtual reality technology. Ernest Cline creates a vived, and scarily realistic possible future, and I was fascinated. 

The book was incredibly detailed, and really fun! Interestingly, there is now a Ready Player One movie being made, which is something I didn't think would be possible, so it'll be interesting to see how that turns out! 

-Cat

Holy crap, this book was a nerdgasm on every page for me. The references to '80s and '90s pop culture made me smile a lot. I knew almost every video game that Cline mentioned in the game (a few of the older PC games weren't familiar to me because we grew up with Atari, not PC games). The point is I found myself marking out on every page, and that made it even more awesome.

"What if I'm not a nerd?" you ask. Shame on you! Also, Cline gives enough information so that the important references have meaning, and the lesser ones can be taken in without much confusion.

The juxtaposition of the idyllic Oasis and the crumbling real world gives the quest in the book some interesting layers of meaning. I don't want to give anything away, I really want you to go read this.

And holy crap, how the heck are they making this a movie? The licensing issues alone would be a nightmare! I really hope Ready Player One will be more than one movie, because otherwise they'll have to cut lots of stuff.
--Mikie

The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale

by Margaret Atwood

So a couple weeks ago we finished The Handmaid's Tale (we're so bad at updating the blog...). This book was such a great read. It was tough to read in some places - mostly because the things Atwood wrote about are much too close to our current reality. It's amazing to think she wrote this book in 1985.

The Handmaid's Tale is written about a dystopian future, in which, through humanity's own folly, fewer and fewer children are being born. An extremist Christian community took over the United States, and created "Gilead", a city run by the Commanders, and revolving around women's roles. Their roles are based around women in stories in the bible (Martha, Jezebel, Bilhah & Rachel), and there are many other Biblical allusions (the Rachel and Leah center, the Angels), which actually make the story an incredibly creepy read, particularly in the current climate. 

In all, though, this book was incredibly thought provoking and it was an amazing story. My cousin & aunt told me that there's a new show based on the novel - I'm definitely going to be looking into that!

-Cat

I love dystopian lit. While I definitely need to read more of it, Atwood's book is easily one of my favorite dystopian stories. The world that Atwood crafted is really interesting and just a little bit frightening, in that it's plausible. Gilead is an extreme nation based heavily on the Bible, and I know there are many people in the States today who would welcome such a regime. The way Atwood slowly reveals more and more of the truth, and the ending itself, are masterful.

The TV show is, as far as I understand it, exclusive to Hulu. I might have to subscribe to Hulu once I'm settled in the States just to watch it, because I would love to see some of the things in this book brought to life on the small screen. Until then, y'all should read this.
--Mikie

Redwall

Sorry for the late update, I'll take the heat on that one.

Redwall

Brian Jacques

I think the first time I read this I was in middle school. 7th grade, perhaps. I don't know, that's ancient history at this point. Fast forward to 2017 and this reading of the story. It's still just as beautiful as I remember it. Honestly, I think it's better than I remembered. There were a few parts where I had to stop and reread a paragraph, marveling at my middle-school self's ability to comprehend these things. There were other lines I reached and thought, "damn, this is a kid's book, right?"

If you've never read Redwall, please do. It's a fantasy novel with woodland creatures. Cluny the Scourge was--is--one of my favorite villains ever. Matthias is an interesting and believable protagonist. The tale may be aimed at a younger audience, but it is thoroughly enjoyable as an adult. The various subplots are interesting and engaging.
--Mikie

ohhhh myyyy goodnesss you guys! How long has it been since these were the "it" books? I can remember reading these and trading them around between my three best friends (and co-AR Stars!) at Rasco Middle School! Brian Jacques' Redwall was such fun to reread. It's been more years than I can count since I first read these books, and while I remember bits and pieces, reading this story felt new again to me. 

The characters - all the mice of Redwall, Constance the badger, Ambrose Spike the hedgehog, Basil the hare - are so much fun, and all are unique. The writing is beautiful, and each animal has it's own dialect or vocabulary to suit it. I had the same kind of moment as Mikie did when we first picked up the book, where I couldn't help but think "I read this in fifth or sixth grade??? Really? Dang I'm smart!"

Honestly such fun and enjoyable books, and if you missed the craze back in the day, read them now!
-Cat

I Am Nujood

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

by Nujood Ali with Delphine Minoui

Where do I even begin? This was a book I couldn't put down. It was a difficult read, however, but knowing that Nujood managed to come through things ok makes it easier to read.

I don't want to give away any plot details because I WANT YOU TO READ THIS BOOK. You can already guess a lot just from the title. That "divorced" part is key. It's amazing to me that she had the guts and the fortitude to get the help she needed, against all odds, at such a young age. I look at my students who are her age and I cringe thinking of them in her shoes, yet I wonder if they'd be able to do what she did. It's a scenario I pray never plays out.

That's the mind-boggling part, though. She was 10. I know 10-year-olds. That anyone ever should have to suffer what Nujood did is beyond awful, but that one so young did is sickening. She wasn't the only one--in reading about what happens to Nujood, you read about what happens to countless women all over the world.

This is a fantastic read. I would love to use this in a classroom someday. I want more and more people to read Nujood's story, to marvel at her strength, and hopefully make the world a safer place for young girls.
--Mikie

I wanted to hug my girls while reading this book. I wanted to gather up all my students and hold them close and let them know just how special they are, and how lucky that they live in a country where this will never happen to them. 

This book was so eye-opening. It's one thing to know that this happens objectively, and another thing altogether to read a first hand account. Nujood is the author of this book. These are her words, her experiences, and that makes it harder to take. She is a beautifully positive young girl, who doesn't dwell on the horrible dark past that she lived through, but instead uses it to empower herself, and to motivate herself. I

Mikie and I read this book in about a day and a half (on working days, nonetheless). It's the kind of book you can't put down - you have to know what happens next. And it's not just Nujood. The rest of her family has different (and also awful) troubles that they are living through, and there's constantly something to push you onwards. 

Like Mikie, this is a book I think everyone should read (we're saying that a lot...but really. READ THIS ONE.) If you only ever pick up one book off our list, let this be the one.
-Cat