2002 Books

Yet another book that I heard off of NPR and became interested. If it is as good as it sounds then it may just produce a rootbeer float. -Will

The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint is one of the rare books that makes you feel as though you’re living your life alongside the characters. I could plainly see Edgar, and I was hoping the entire time that good things would happen to him. This book is definitely the story of journeys. Edgar journeys both physically and emotionally in this book. Many unfortunate things happen to Edgar, and he has to learn to live with these hardships—oftentimes on his own. The book makes you question things in your life and think about all of the actions you and others take. As a result, you appreciate what Edgar goes through and overcomes and also what you have overcome and what others have done for you along the way. I unquestionably consider this book an up-and-coming classic, and it is among my required readings.

'The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint' has been easily the best book we have read for the book club. It combines an amazing story with the deep thoughts of life. The ending is outstanding and made me realize that I actually loved Edgar. I emotionally hoped and prayed for Edgar to get what he needed and wanted. When he did finally find his needs, I was overwhelmed. I can only think of a few books that pulled me in emotionally to the story and characters. 'The Miracle Life Edgar Mint' is a testament to written word. I still ponder why the author broke traditional style by adding third and first person writing in places. It tripped me up in the beginning, but soon I was able to follow the flow of Edgar being himself and Edgar viewing himself from outside. There isn’t a single book like it.

With the inventive acuity of John Irving, this riveting picaresque novel chronicles the hopes and heartbreaks of Edgar Presley Mint. Half Apache and mostly orphaned, Edgar's trials begin on an Arizona reservation at the age of seven, when the mailman's jeep accidentally runs over his head. Shunted from the hospital to a school for delinquents to a Mormon foster family, comedy, pain, and trouble accompany Edgar through a string of larger-than-life experiences. Through it all, readers will root for this irresistible innocent who never truly loses heart, and whose quest for the mailman leads him to an unexpected home.

Well, Kyle has been trying to get this book added to the book club for some time now. I have finally let in, and I am sure that it will be a wonderful book. -Will

East of Eden is a great look into the history of America and the steps we had to take to get where we are, both the good and the bad. Steinbeck does a great job of weaving separate families into one story, with many twists and turns. The job he does to intertwine a well-know biblical story into the novel is also a great feat. While this book did not pull me in, I constantly wanted to know what would happen next—and what happened next was often a surprise. While I do not consider this a “great book,” it was definitely worth reading.

This was a good book but I cannot rave about it. I enjoyed wondering about Adam Trask’s life with its ups and downs. The characters were very fascinating and the story line easily fit many of the characters into the events naturally. Yet, in this day and age, there seems little astonishing about the book. The whorehouse and the description of Cathy/Kate are heard everyday from city life. I hear about more unusual lives from the morning news. Yes, I know unusualness was not the purpose of this book. It was written so that we can see how relationships, lies, and love affect the normal and abnormal person (if there is such a thing). Relationships become the corner stone of our lives and build us to our full potential or in some cases break us down to nothing. So, choose your friends and family wisely.

Novel by John Steinbeck, published in 1952. It is a symbolic recreation of the biblical story of Cain and Abel woven into a history of California's Salinas Valley. With East of Eden Steinbeck hoped to reclaim his standing as a major novelist, but his broad depictions of good and evil come at the expense of subtlety in characterization and plot and it was not a critical success. Spanning the period between the American Civil War and the end of World War I, the novel highlights the conflicts of two generations of brothers; the first being the kind, gentle Adam Trask and his wild brother Charles. Adam eventually marries Cathy Ames, an evil, manipulative, and beautiful prostitute; she betrays him, joining Charles on the very night of their wedding. Later, after giving birth to twin boys, she shoots Adam and leaves him to return to her former profession. In the shadow of this heritage Adam raises their sons, the fair-haired, winning, yet intractable Aron, and the dark, clever Caleb. This second generation of brothers vie for their father's approval. In bitterness Caleb reveals the truth about their mother to Aron, who then joins the army and is killed in France. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Kristi, my sister, suggested this book since Jacob, my nephew, really enjoyed it. We found it in the bookstore and decided upon it since Kyle was having so much trouble finding the books that he wanted me to read for our next trade. - Will

When is the last time that you took an interest in the child who was standing beside you at the grocery store? Did you take a look and think that he might be in trouble in some way, yet turn your head because it would just be too hard to try to do anything? We oftentimes become so involved in our own lives that we do not show concern for our fellow humans. A Child Called It, while doing many things, was very good at bringing this to life. Dave Pelzer, a young boy at the time of the book, was noticeably in trouble. He was abused by his mother, and the signs could easily be seen by others. Neighbors, friends of the family, teachers, and even family members themselves could see the effects of his brutal mother. However, no one did anything to help little David. People closed their eyes to the violence…probably because they saw it as too hard to help put a stop to the horrible acts. Not until a teacher went the extra mile was something done that might help David. It is just too bad no one was willing to do that sooner. If you need an eye opener, this book is an excellent choice. It makes you thankful for the wonderful life and family that God gave each of us, and it makes you realize that every person needs to be ready to stand up for others who can’t stand up for themselves. This book barely skimmed the surface of child abuse and David’s specific cases, and it left me wanting (as upsetting as it often was) to know more.

‘A Child Called It’ is a very intriguing story of abuse and misconceptions. This fast read left much unexplained. While I zoomed through it I was left with so many questions that I wished the author had put more description and time into this book. Yes, this is only the first part of the series, but I don’t see any of my questions possibly getting answered in the next book. I don’t understand why David would not portray his life with the full dramatic feel that it must have been. Don’t let me get you down though, this is a great book that deserves you reading it. If you like this book you might check out our review of ‘The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint.’

David J. Pelzer's mother, Catherine Roerva, was, he writes in this ghastly, fascinating memoir, a devoted den mother to the Cub Scouts in her care, and somewhat nurturant to her children--but not to David, whom she referred to as "an It." This book is a brief, horrifying account of the bizarre tortures she inflicted on him, told from the point of view of the author as a young boy being starved, stabbed, smashed face-first into mirrors, forced to eat the contents of his sibling's diapers and a spoonful of ammonia, and burned over a gas stove by a maniacal, alcoholic mom. Sometimes she claimed he had violated some rule--no walking on the grass at school!--but mostly it was pure sadism. Inexplicably, his father didn't protect him; only an alert schoolteacher saved David. One wants to learn more about his ordeal and its aftermath, and now he's written a sequel, The Lost Boy, detailing his life in the foster-care system. Though it's a grim story, A Child Called "It" is very much in the tradition of Chicken Soup for the Couple's Soul and the many books in that upbeat series, whose author Pelzer thanks for helping get his book going. It's all about weathering adversity to find love, and Pelzer is an expert witness.

We have switched books once again. This time Kyle is reading one of my favorite sci-fi books, 'Ender's Game,' while I had the pleasure of reading 'The Day Lincoln was Shot.'

While this book is sci-fi, the book was so intelligently written that I almost forgot. From the beginning you are taken into a world that seems shocking to us—a world that among other things has come together in peace to fight a common enemy. The only problem with this fight is that it will take the most intelligent person in the world to win it, and this level of intelligence is found in a young boy. But how far will this very intelligent boy be able to go? His training may be just a game, but will the game break him before he has the chance to save the world from destruction? Is the way he is being trained unfair and wrong? Can the world really survive peacefully? All of those questions and more are answered…in the “end.”

One of my favorite books of all time. An amazing look at gifted children and teaching techniques. An exciting and tactical look at war and military training. A thought provoking idea on the limiting of the World’s population and how it could backfire. Look for all of the concepts in this book to be a part of our future as science fiction writers are often our crystal ball.

Intense is the word for Ender's Game. Aliens have attacked Earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses -- and then training them in the arts of war... The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of 'games'... Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games... He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet?

We have switched books once again. This time Kyle is reading one of my favorite sci-fi books, 'Ender's Game,' while I had the pleasure of reading 'The Day Lincoln was Shot.'

I first read The Day Lincoln Was Shot when I was in high school. My historical craze had already been formed, and this book definitely fueled that fire. I had been to Washington, DC the summer before, and I had seen Ford’s Theatre and Petersen House. This book brought the events that happened there to life, and it let me learn more about this great President and his assassination. This book has to be one of the best-written biographies, as the entire book covers the course of basically one day. More details are woven into the book than could be imagined, and you come away learning more than you could ever imagine.

All history books should be written by Jim Bishop. He is able to bring the past to life with wonderful story telling that doesn’t lose any details. This book taught me more about Lincoln than I have ever gotten out of classes and lessons. I had no clue that he disliked his wife and that John W Booth had failed so many times in his attempts. The deep research involved in such a writing must make it almost impossible to create history books in its image. Yet, we could do with less encyclopedia-like accounts of our past so that we keep our heritage instead of trying to wade through it. I will make sure to add Bishop’s other masterpieces to my collection as soon as possible.

As the Civil War draws to a close, on April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln spends the day attending to the many tasks as he prepares for the reconstruction of the Union after four years of bitter conflict. With the fall of the Confederate capital in Richmond, VA, and Lee's surrender at Appomattox, peace in the Nation is at hand, but for one man's plan.... Enter John Wilkes Booth, handsome, dashing and the darling of the theater, his hatred for Lincoln knows no bounds. On the night of April 14, 1865, Booth would make his last and most infamous performance upon the stage, playing a role which he had dreamed of for years: the assassin.

Sometimes you want to be the one who recommends a book that few others have heard of. In order to do that, you have to be willing to just pick up a book and start reading. So, I stopped by the “new” section during our last visit to the bookstore. The Corrections is the result… -Kyle

This book was a great book dealing with believing and persevering. You had to believe that eventually the book would end and only by persevering through it would you finally be able to move on. That is quite literally the best thing I can say about it: it ended. Which, for this 576-page book, was quite a feat. It seemed to drag on, never really ever getting to any sort of point. Yes, I will give the author credit for telling the stories of all the different characters and having them all intertwine together in the end of the book. The book dealt with a dysfunctional family that never could get it together. Taken from this perspective, I would be treated every once in a while to a slight glimmer of hope that the book might finally be worth reading, but that would quickly be put aside. You struggle to get through the flashbacks and returns to present time (never with any warning at all) just to get more upset with the author’s vivid detailing of everything mentioned in the book, which is usually never necessary. If this book puts Franzen “on the literary map,” I’m moving!!!

Enjoyment is like the tingle you feel when you place your hand on the fresh ice at the bottom of an ice rink. The Corrections is the book that turned the ice rink into a swimming pool because it drained all of the enjoyment out of reading. Franzen has an amazing talent in creating metaphors out of nothing that give nothing, tell nothing, and prove nothing. He leads the reader into side views that go off nowhere and breaks ones ability to concentrate on anything that could remotely help the plot. Was this book trying to make a point? If it was it failed. This book tells a story about each of the children of Alfred and Enid. Each one of the characters is an extreme in bad lifestyles and what not to do. Without a grounded character and with no true climax this book will rest unopened on my shelf as the epitome of poor writing.

Jonathan Franzen's exhilarating novel The Corrections tells a spellbinding story with sexy comic brio, and evokes a quirky family akin to Anne Tyler's, only bitter. Franzen's great at describing Christmas homecomings gone awry, cruise-ship follies, self-deluded academics, breast-obsessed screenwriters, stodgy old farts and edgy Tribeca bohemians equally at sea in their lives, and the mad, bad, dangerous worlds of the Internet boom and the fissioning post-Soviet East.

All five members of the Lambert family get their due, as everybody's lives swirl out of control. Paterfamilias Alfred is slipping into dementia, even as one of his inventions inspires a pharmaceutical giant to revolutionize treatment of his disease. His stubborn wife, Enid, specializes in denial; so do their kids, each in an idiosyncratic way. Their hepcat son, Chip, lost a college sinecure by seducing a student, and his new career as a screenwriter is in peril. Chip's sister, Denise, is a chic chef perpetually in hot water, romantically speaking; banker brother Gary wonders if his stifling marriage is driving him nuts. We inhabit these troubled minds in turn, sinking into sorrow punctuated by laughter, reveling in Franzen's satirical eye:

'Gary in recent years had observed, with plate tectonically cumulative anxiety, that population was continuing to flow out of the Midwest and toward the cooler coasts.... Gary wished that all further migration [could] be banned and all Midwesterners encouraged to revert to eating pasty foods and wearing dowdy clothes and playing board games, in order that a strategic national reserve of cluelessness might be maintained, a wilderness of taste which would enable people of privilege, like himself, to feel extremely civilized in perpetuity. Franzen is funny and on the money.'

This book puts him on the literary map. --Tim Appelo

I have always wondered how you kill a mockingbird. - Will

To Kill A Mockingbird reminded me so much of my upbringing in the deep South in the 1930’s. That is, if I had been brought up in the Deep South in the 1930’s, I’m sure it would have. Something happens as we age. When we are children, the world seems clear. Every person is our equal, and each one is a friend. We do not understand why those who are different than ourselves in the way they look or the way they live should be treated differently than we are. For some reason, though, we lose this clearness and rationality when we age. The meeting of adult and child attitudes is personified in To Kill A Mockingbird.

This book deserves to be called a classic. The story flows wonderfully and produces plot twists and turns that make it very interesting. This book obviously teaches us a great lesson on racism, but hidden is the lesson taught on fatherhood. Atticus is the type of father all men should strive to be. He is truthful, loving, and puts his neck out to teach his son good morals. Take this book for an enjoyable read and come back enlighted without even feeling that you were taught.

Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up.

William and I have often commented on how many things are attributed to Benjamin Franklin. It seems like every time you turn around, you hear about something he invented or hear someone quote something he said. The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin has been cited by many as a great biography about this great man, so it had to be my choice—we can learn a little about this man and everything that he has given to our world. - Kyle

I had always heard so much about Benjamin Franklin. He is one of the most-respect men in American history. However, I never knew exactly how great of a man he was and how much he had given to our country, even before we were a country. His inventions and discoveries and philosophical ideals were no match to what he truly had: vision and courage. He had the vision it took to see the American colonies and their people for the potential they truly had. He had the vision to help mold a new country that would be following his ideas over 200 years later, and he had the courage to make those things that seemed impossible possible. His greatness was not without blemish, however, and this book brings also sheds light on the less-than-grand side of Franklin. I guess not everyone can be perfect.

'The First American' is an amazing book about the most amazing character ever to live in America. Benjamin Franklin is the hands-down leader in the shaping and development of our U.S. country and culture. He is still the most well known scientist of our time. He also contributed to our winning of the Revolutionary War and the development of our democratic process that we hold dear. Our country owes him gratitude for his creation of libraries, universities, and fire fighting. We are touched everyday by his innovations in science. The list of his accomplishments goes on and on. Unfortunately, so does this book. I often found myself struggling to get through fluff and a writer who at times finds it necessary to be long-winded. Yet, this book confirmed my praise to a man that always deserves more credit. The only reason I am giving this book a four is that I believe that the normal American would have a difficult time finishing it. All Americans should read the life story of a man that helped develop the freedom that we cherish. It should be required reading in college, and it should fill high school libraries.

He was the foremost American of his day, yet today he is little more than a mythic caricature in the public imagination. Benjamin Franklin, perhaps the pivotal figure in colonial and revolutionary America, comes vividly to life in this masterly biography. Wit, diplomat, scientist, philosopher, businessman, inventor, and bon vivant, Benjamin Franklin was in every respect America’s first Renaissance man. From penniless runaway to highly successful printer, from ardently loyal subject of Britain to architect of an alliance with France that ensured America’s independence, Franklin went from obscurity to become one of the world’s most admired figures, whose circle included the likes of Voltaire, Hume, Burke, and Kant. Drawing on previously unpublished letters and a host of other sources, acclaimed historian H. W. Brands has written a thoroughly engaging biography of the eighteenth-century genius. A much needed reminder of Franklin’s greatness and humanity, The First American is a work of meticulous scholarship that provides a magnificent tour of a legendary historical figure, a vital era in American life, and the countless arenas in which the protean Franklin left his legacy.

I am a little worried that this may not contain anything new to a Christian that has heard the story many times before, but I am interested in this book because of the author. Jim Bishop did a wonderful job with "The Day Lincoln was Shot." I am betting he can do the same with this book. -Will

Yes, yes, we’ve all heard the story so many times. We’ve read the Bible, but this book seems to make the “Christmas story” into a novel. But does that tear away from the inspiration and awe you feel when you read it in the Bible? This book makes the story just like any other book. Oh, but it’s not just like any other book. It’s the story of the birth of Christ, and Jim Bishop does a great job of presenting it and making us really look at exactly how the birth of the Messiah took place. Yes, I knew the story, but I don’t think I had ever looked at it in this way.

This book was well researched and well written. It took a subject that is often confusing and frustrating and made it truly a story. A story that is understandable and not forgettable. Could this story be more accurate than the short ones we have read in the Bible? Jim Bishop skillfully brought together historical data from archeological digs, literature, and linguistics that may give a well-rounded account of what really happened. The four authors in the Bible have provided our best view of the amazing birth until this book was written with the help of thousands of researchers. Before any person tries to tackle the Biblical story, this book should be read thoroughly.

A reissue of the classic retelling of the Nativity. "Written with dignity, unerring taste, and with no straining for effects."--Chicago Sunday Tribune

This book was first recommended to me over Christmas Break 2000. I heard several little things about it after that, though it was only recently that it started showing up in quite a few places. It’s taken me two years to get around to read it, and I certainly hope it was worth the wait… -Kyle

A well-written book, complete with surprises, Frazier was able to weave several separate stories and show us the lives of many different people. While I can understand why many people consider this a great novel, it doesn't quite reach that point for me. The book's main character, Inman, a Confederate soldier, spent most of the book searching for his love, Ada, after he was being wounded in battle. The people he met and the problems he encountered along the way did help pull me into this novel, but I could not get past his over romanticized (as I saw it) search for Ada and his former home near Cold Mountain.

'Cold Mountian' was a book of great character development, but contained little else. When we first decided to read this book, both Kyle and I noticed that we could find many copies of it at the used bookstores that we frequented. This is usually a bad sign that we did not notice. Most of the story is occupied by the adventures of Inman on his odyssey home as he turns-tail from the fighting during the Civil War. He meets many interesting characters that always seem to cause problems for his journey following his overcome of the last troublesome situation. While the story of Inman hogs the book, the side account of Ada and her pursuit to revive the family farm gives us a glimpse of how 'Cold Mountain' might be a National Award Winner. The character development of Ada and her helping-hand, Ruby, is much more elaborate and enticing to the reader. I would feel better about seeing that gold sticker on the front cover of this book had I been able to focus my attention on Ada and Ruby instead of the overwhelming conflicts of Inman.

One of the most acclaimed novels in recent memory, Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain is a masterpiece that is at once an enthralling adventure, a stirring love story, and a luminous evocation of a vanished American in all its savagery, solitude, and splendor. Sorely wounded and fatally disillusioned in the fighting at Petersburg, Inman, a Confederate soldier, decides to walk back to his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains and to Ada, the woman he loved there years before. His trek across the disintegrating South brings him into intimate and sometimes lethal converse with slaves and marauders, bounty hunters and witches, both helpful and malign. At the same time, Ada is trying to revive her father's derelict farm and learn to survive in a world where the old certainties have been swept away. As it interweaves their stories, Cold Mountain asserts itself as an authentic American Odyssey--hugely powerful, majestically lovely, and keenly moving.

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