Rocky Mountain Readers: 2011

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, 493 pages - Fiction
The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness -- in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua, 229 pages - Non-fiction
Totally at odds with Western parental indulgence, Amy Chua has made an iron-willed decision to raise her daughters the Chinese way. The Chinese belive that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future and arming them with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence. Neither girls were allowed to attend a sleepover, have a playdate, watch TV or play computer games, get any grade less than an A, play any instrument other than the piano or violin, not play the piano or violin. This book has been all over the news lately because of its controversial subject. It would make for a great discussion - what type of parenting makes for successful and happy children? This is the unerringly honest, often hilarious, and always provocative story of one mother's adventure in extreme parenting.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, 541 pages - Fiction
This is an epic tale of two brothers (identical twins) who are the children of a famous surgeon and a nun in Ethiopia. After the mother dies in childbirth and the father all but disappears, the boys are adopted by a pair of Indian (expatriate) doctors. Through the tale of these boys growing up and becoming doctors themselves, we learn not only about life, but about medicine--and its limitations--in Ethiopia. While the details of the medicine and the foreign country/culture are intriguing, it is once again the relationship among the various people that draws you in and makes you want to know what happens to all involved.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen, 447 pages - Non-fiction
From Amazon's review: Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that The Devil in the White City is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. Burnham's challenge was immense; his efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related. The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. Combining the stories of an architect and a killer in one book, mostly in alternating chapters, seems like an odd choice but it works. The magical appeal and horrifying dark side of 19th-century Chicago are both revealed through Larson's skillful writing. --John Moe -- Reads like a fascinating novel. Amazing that it's true!

East of Eden by John Steinbeck, 601 pages - Fiction
This is a classic everyone should read or reread! It is set in the time period between the civil war and WW1. It is a modern-day retelling of the biblical story of Cain and Abel. But there are many other twisted and complex relationships throughout the novel. There is tons of symbolism and discussion material! It is my daughter's favorite book that she has had to read in high school! Of all the positive points on East of Eden it is very long! But I think it's worth it.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, 288 pages - Fiction
At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem to be in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery as she tries to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way. Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you'll ever read. Gail Carson Levine's examination of traditional female roles in fairy tales takes some satisfying twists and deviations from the original. Ella is bound by obedience against her will, and takes matters in her own hands with ambition and verve. Ella Enchanted has won many well-deserved awards, including a Newbery Honor.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, 326 pages - Fiction
Adult/High School-Oskar Schell is not your average nine-year-old. A budding inventor, he spends his time imagining wonderful creations. He also collects random photographs for his scrapbook and sends letters to scientists. When his father dies in the World Trade Center collapse, Oskar shifts his boundless energy to a quest for answers. He finds a key hidden in his father's things that doesn't fit any lock in their New York City apartment; its container is labeled "Black." Using flawless kid logic, Oskar sets out to speak to everyone in New York City with the last name of Black. A retired journalist who keeps a card catalog with entries for everyone he's ever met is just one of the colorful characters the boy meets. As in Everything Is Illuminated (Houghton, 2002), Foer takes a dark subject and works in offbeat humor with puns and wordplay. But Extremely Loud pushes further with the inclusion of photographs, illustrations, and mild experiments in typography reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions (Dell, 1973). The humor works as a deceptive, glitzy cover for a fairly serious tale about loss and recovery. For balance, Foer includes the subplot of Oskar's grandfather, who survived the World War II bombing of Dresden. Although this story is not quite as evocative as Oskar's, it does carry forward and connect firmly to the rest of the novel. The two stories finally intersect in a powerful conclusion that will make even the most jaded hearts fall.

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser, 356 pages - Non-fiction.
This book educated me on how the fast food industry dominates farming, legislation, and advertising. I was fascinated by how the McDonald brothers turned their drive-in restaurant (a hangout for teenage boys with cars) into a cheap family restaurant when contemplating how to fix cheap food without paying the high price for a well- trained short order cook (no training is needed to cook the food now). Ray Kroc (a friend of Walt Disney’s in WWI) walked into the McDonald Brothers restaurant to sell a shake machine and instantly recognized the possibilities of franchising the new concept. Because of Disney and Kroc, a new consumer was born (our kids), and their ability to coax us is endlessly analyzed by ad firms. Schlosser uses the growth of Colorado Springs as his model city throughout the book and talks about how it was also the birthplace of bringing coke and junk food into the schools (quickly followed by Cherry Creek Schools). You may want to skip the chapters on meat packing.

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, 1000 pages - Historical Fiction
Gone With the Wind is a long book which is why I suggest we discuss it in August so we will have two months to read it (we don't meet in July.) This is my favorite book - absolutely riveting to the point of not being able to put it down. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1937 and is considered one of the most popular books of all time. Don't make the mistake of thinking of it as just a romance. Great discussion points include the Civil War, feminism, the will to survive, peer pressure from Society, slavery, and relationships between the races. It's a "Here Be Dragons" for the Civil War and its aftermath.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo, 208 pages - Non-Fiction
A young boy emerges from life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to heaven. Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us. Told by the father, but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle. I saw this little boy on the news and his story was
remarkable. This book has been on the NY times bestseller list.

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, 256 pages - Non-fiction
Corrie ten Boom is an amazing woman of faith that lived through the horror we call WWII. Her family lived in Holland and courageously took in Jews trying to escape the Nazi roundup to concentration camps. For this bravery, Corrie and her family were sent to the concentration camps themselves. Her courage, faith, and forgiveness lasted through that harrying experience and continues today in her story found in The Hiding Place.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, 384 pages - Non-fiction
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a story about science and so much more. Lacks died unaware that doctors would be using her cells to further advances in the scientific community and cashing in on such developments and never received a dime. In search of justice, Skloot seeks out Lacks’s descendants to learn if they’re aware of the famed cells and to see if they’ve derived any benefit from the important contribution to science their relative made. A fascinating discussion of the enduring legal and ethical questions that human-tissue research raises, Skloot’s debut is a gem.

In His Steps by Charles M Sheldon, 284 pages - Christian
I read this in a class in college. Don't worry, It is not an LDS book. I was not too excited about it at first, but it quickly became a favorite of mine. It is a very inspiring and quick read. It's about a preacher who asks people in his congregation to take part in an experiment: to not do anything until they ask "What Would Jesus Do". The book goes through the life-changing transformations of several very different types of influential people. Even if we don't read it in book club, I highly recommend this book to everyone!

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom, 369pgs - Fiction
Orphaned while onboard ship from Ireland, seven-year-old Lavinia arrives on the steps of a tobacco plantation where she is to live and work with the slaves of the kitchen house. Under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her adopted family, though she is set apart from them by her white skin. The Kitchen House is a tragic story of page-turning suspense, exploring the meaning of family, where love and loyalty prevail. Think Jane Eyre mixed with The Help. Now there is some rape'n and pillaging, BUT it is implied more than explicit. This book is fast and addictive.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, 209 pages - Non-fiction
When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza, 436 pages - Non-Fiction
This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It is about Rwandan native Ilibagiza 22 years
old when the death of Rwanda’s Hutu president sparked a three month slaughter of nearly
one million ethnic Tutsis. She survived by hiding in a Hutu pastor’s tiny bathroom with
seven other starving women for 91 days. This searing firsthand account of Ilibagiza’s
experience cuts two ways: her description of the evil that was perpetrated, including the
brutal murders of her family members, is soul-numbingly devastating, yet the story of her
unquenchable faith and connection to God throughout the ordeal uplifts and inspires.

Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman, 130 pages - Biography
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president and one of the most beloved figures in American history. This book gives an in-depth look at Lincoln's life, both personal and political, while being engaging, entertaining, and easy to read. Lincoln overcame countless obstacles, brought the country together, and forever changed this nation. A fast read and one of the best biographies you'll find on Lincoln, this book will take you inside his life in the White House, his thoughts, views, and nightmares to view the man that we all love. Filled with period photograps and drawings, each one helps create a different and more complete picture of the man you learned about in history class that helped bring the nation together and enforce freedom for all.

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan, 400 pages - Historical Fiction
Don't let the length deter you. It is fascinating and easy to read. This book is about Frank Lloyd Wright and his relationship with the woman who was not his wife, Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Wright's towering ego is well known and well documented. By choosing to look at Wright and his work through the eyes of Mamah, his lover, in this fictionalized historical tale, Horan brings new insight into the demons and angels that inspired his vision. Wright's well-documented narcissism and inability to control himself personally is examined as well, but not as the fatal flaws offered by most biographers, but as components of an immensely complex and genius personality. The end to their love story will be known to those who have studied Wright but was a complete surprise to me.

March by Geraldine Brooks, 280 pages - Historical Fiction
"March is Geraldine Brook's fictional account of what happened to the father of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Ms. Brooks has an afterword and explains that she took some of the missing details—the father being gone—and combined them with some anecdotes from various books she read and on Louisa May Alcott's father, who held radical ideas for the time and was much-published. From his writings, she drew part of her character of Mr. March, the girl's father, even though she plays with the timeframe and makes Mr. March 40-ish whereas Mr. Alcott would have been sixty-ish at the same time. So from Little Women and many other sources, she creates the fictional world of Mr. March's experiences during the Civil War.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner, 375 pages - Fiction
Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.

The Middle Place (A Memoir) by Kelly Corrigan, 266 pages - Fiction
For Kelly Corrigan, family is everything. At thirty-six, she had a marriage that worked, two funny, active kids, and a weekly newspaper column. But even as a thriving adult, Kelly still saw herself as the daughter of garrulous Irish-American charmer George Corrigan. She was living deep within what she calls the Middle Place—"that sliver of time when parenthood and childhood overlap"—comfortably wedged between her adult duties and her parents' care. But Kelly is abruptly shoved into coming-of-age when she finds a lump in her breast—and gets the diagnosis no one wants to hear. When George, too, learns that he has late-stage cancer, it is Kelly's turn to take care of the man who had always taken care of her—and to show us a woman who finally takes the leap and grows up.

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison, 320 pages - Fiction
Jane and Savannah are sisters and great friends, until Jane "accidentally" steals Savannah's boyfriend, and right before prom! When Savannah finds a teenage fairy godmother with pink hair and sunglasses in her bedroom, she wishes that her life could be like a fairytale with a handsome prince waiting at the ball and everything working out right in the end. Little does she realize that her fairy godmother has not yet earned her wings, she is simply a "fair" godmother, since she didn't do very well in godmother training school. Savannah is an extra credit project to convince her teachers not to flunk her this year! When Savannah finds herself in the middle ages with everyone thinking she's Cinderella, she knows she has to get out of this, but her wishing soon causes even more trouble and now other people are involved too! Can she figure out how to get back to Virginia and fix everything she's messed up? A funny, quick read about saving yourself and being happy with what you've got!

One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus, 304 pages - Historical Fiction
***Some Violent and Graphic scenes***
Based on an actual historical event, "One Thousand White Women" tells the story--in diary and letter form--of a young woman, who in 1875, travels to the American West to marry Little Wolf, the chief of the Cheyenne nation. The covert and controversial "Brides for Indians" program, launched by the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, is intended to help assimilate the Indians into the white man's world. Toward that end May and her friends embark upon the adventure of their lifetime. Jim Fergus has so vividly depicted the American West that it is as if these diaries are a capsule in time.

The Painted Veil by W Somerset Maugham, 290 pages - Fiction
Young and beautiful Kitty Fane is discovered having an adulterous affair by her husband, Dr. Walter Fane. Consequently, he forces her to accompany him to the heart of a cholera epidemic in rural China. Isolated from friends, family, and society, she learns about herself, life, compassion, and love. Inspired by Dante's Purgatorio, William Somerset Maugham sets his novel in 1920s England and China.

Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, 562 pages - Fiction
In 1959 a Baptist minister, his wife, and four daughters go deep into the Congo on a mission to save the unenlightened souls of Africa, confident that their culture is far superior to the village of Kilanga. Their first miscalculation of superiority comes when their “demonstration garden” grows lush and huge, but none of the plants bear fruit because the African Bees are the wrong size for pollination. The women in the family are changed by their new environment, but their father is unwavering. When the country gains independence and they are urged to evacuate, he refuses, causing the women in the family to stay alive by the knowledge they have learned in Africa. My take away from the book is that we can’t enter a culture and impose ourselves on them, each action has consequences we can’t understand.

Rebecca by Daphe DuMaurier, 416 pages - Classic Gothic Mystery Novel
Rebecca was listed #9 on the Mystery Guild of America's "Top Mystery Novels of All Time" list. The novel centers around the isolated estate of Manderley. A young woman meets and quickly marries Maxim de Winter, a recent widower who is apparently struggling to get over the unexpected drowning death of his first wife, Rebecca. As the novel progresses, the secrests of the house and its former mistress are uncovered. Moody, beautifully atmospheric and filled with tension, de Maurier's magnificent writing immerses the reader in a dark tale of love and hatred. Rebecca is the definitive gothic novel where the house becomess just as much a character as the people. Spooky and convincingly rendered, it is a book which enchants from beginning to end.

A Return to Modesty by Wendy Shalit, 244 pages - Non-fiction (social commentary)
From Amazon's review: The 23-year-old author first heard of "modestyniks"--Orthodox Jewish women who withhold physical contact from men until marriage--while a freshman at Williams College. She was initially fascinated by the way in which they cleave to old ideals, especially amid a sexually saturated contemporary world. In her thoughtful three-part essay, the author probes the cultural history of sexual modesty for women and considers whether this virtue may be beneficial in today's world. In an age when women are embarrassed by sexual inexperience, when sex education is introduced as early as primary school, and when women suffer more than ever from eating disorders, stalking, sexual harassment, and date rape, Shalit believes a return to modesty may place women on equal footing with men. This was an eye-opening look at an issue we, as women and mothers, all face.

Room by Emma Donoghue, 321 pages - Fiction
Being recognized as one of the best books of 2010, Room will definitely create an interesting discussion. Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.
Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand, 399 pages - Non-fiction
This is a beautiful story about a horse with crooked legs that became a champion. I had no idea all of the intricacies that were and are involved in horse racing. What is involved in training, what the jockeys endure, and how much the horses LOVE the race...I was truly fascinated! So much so, that soon after reading the book, we visited Pasadena CA where the main racing track is located and the highlight of my trip was seeing the Seabiscuit statue that is standing on the grounds. The writer did an awesome job researching the true events and experiences of this horse. She then writes it in a fun and very "page-turning" way.

The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar, 321 pages - Fiction
This book tells the story of an older (65) servant and her wealthy employer in modern Bombay, India. The story highlights the differences between the Indian castes and people's roles in society while depicting the everyday life of people living in slums with a level of detail that can only leave one wondering how people survive. But, the real story is how similar the emotions and strains on the lives of these two women really are and how dependent they are on their positions in life (the accident of birth). The older servant has taken in her orphan granddaughter and is hopeful for her rise above her own circumstances, but as the granddaughter has an unplanned pregnancy, those hopes are dashed and the servant is confronted with having to decide what loyalty to her employer versus her family really means.

Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman, 320 pages - Non-fiction
During a two month separation from her husband, Rita Golden Gelman heads off to a Zapotec village in Mexico, hoping to satisfy an old craving for adventure and, in the process, rejuvenate herself and her marriage. When she comes back and finds her husband has decided on divorce, she chooses to make a new life for herself. Since 1986, Gelman has had no permanent address and no possessions except those she can carry. She travels without a plan - randomly choosing where to travel, guided by instinct, serendipitous opportunities, and a remarkable ability to connect with people. Gelman's easy writing describes how she observed orangutans in the rain forests of Borneo, canoed in Indonesia, ate psychedelic mushrooms in Mexico, and skirted landmines in Nicaragua. Her amazing adventures will take you to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Israel, Indonesia, and the Galapagos Islands, but more importantly, will introduce you to amazing cultures, families, and a desire to pick up and travel with her.

The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle, 368 pages - Fiction
The realization that life is perpetually unfair and disappointing is the common thread that connects an illegal immigrant couple named Cándido and América Rincón and an upscale, yuppie couple named Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher. Both couples have their own version of the American Dream, and both find their dreams to be merely illusions, even though one couple has reached its goals and the other is still fantasizing about them. Though the premise of the American Dream in this novel is based on fantasy, the realities that are addressed within the context each are relatively true to life. Both couples have placed so much stock in the American Dream, that they are wholly unprepared when their ideals eventually “crash”.

True Grit by Charles Pontis, 215 pages - Fiction

True Grit, first published in 1968 and the basis for the movie by the same name starring John Wayne, tells the story of fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross. A coward going by the name of Tom Chaney shoots her father down in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and robs him of his life, his horse, and $150 in cash money. That's when Mattie fearlessly heads out to avenge her father's blood, convincing one-eyed Rooster Cogburn, the meanest U.S. Marshal there is, to accompany her. But their plans run into an obstacle -- namely, a Texas Ranger who is also investigating the murder, and whose idea of justice is vastly different from Mattie and Rooster's.
Like Mattie herself, True Grit is eccentric, cool, straight, and unflinching. This is an American classic through and through.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, 368 pages - Fiction
This is a very romantic novel written in flashback form. It is set in the depression era in a traveling circus. The circus stories are amazing and the characters are incredible. It is also rich in American history, so I felt like I was learning something as well as reading a love story. There's a few wonderful morals throughout the book that would lead to a great discussion for book group. I know we've read some books in the past with mature themes.....this would be one of them as there are some sex scenes and language.

Monday, December 26, 2011

January Book Club

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

December Book Club

Thursday, August 25, 2011

September Book Club

Monday, August 8, 2011

Gone With the Wind Article

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Monday, May 30, 2011

June Book Club

Monday, April 25, 2011

Tiger Mom Blogs

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Book Club Changes?

Monday, March 28, 2011

Costco Books

Saturday, March 19, 2011

April Book Club

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

March Book Club

Thursday, February 24, 2011

2011-2012 Book List!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Book Choices for 2011 - Remember to Vote Above!