Santa isn't the only making his list and checking it twice. It's Award Season, when everyone and his dog make up "Best of the Year" book lists. This month, Teaching Authors takes a more casual approach; we're talking about the books that were memorable to us.
I read a lot. So how did I narrow down my "memorable" books? They are the ones I could remember the author, title, story and characters, without consulting my reading journal. My number one choice was a no brainer, since I put my life on hold until I finished the book. However, two others were a dead tie for second place. Surprise, surprise, all three are young adult. No grand plan on my part. They are the most outstanding books as far as I am concerned.
In a tie for second are:
Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert--What made this book memorable is that religion is part of the everyday lives of the characters without it being a book about religion. Religion is not viewed in a cynical way, nor is it presented as the answer to life's questions. In fact, the characters
discover religion generates more questions than it "answers." A messy, complicated story that hops around from various points in the past, to the present, but somehow never loses the reader along the way.
Dime by E.R. Frank. Frank is known for her fearless approach to tough topics. She took on a big one this time; teen age prostitution.Dime is a fourteen-year-old, lost in the foster care system. All she wants is a family and someone to love her. She finds it on the streets of Newark--a "daddy" to "take care of her," along with two other "wifeys" who work for Daddy. Dime will do anything Daddy tells her to because he "loves" her. Gradually, Dime sees the truth about her "family." The voices of Dime, Daddy and the wifeys are distinct, and non-stereotypical. To be honest, this book was heavy and intense that I wasn't sure I could finish, especially after I thought I where the story was heading. Dime herself, compelled me to finish. I'm glad I did.
I had misgivings. The book is 450+ pages (70 of which turned out to be documentation and indexes.) I already "knew" what happened: Shostakovich writes writes his Seventh Symphony, the "Leningrad" and the Nazis lose the Siege of Leningrad. Reading this book is truly not about the destination, but enjoying the ride. Even with such a potentially heavy subject, Anderson always finds a touch of humor in events. We see young Dmitri, a sheltered piano prodigy in Czarist Russia, evolve into a master composer within the confines of the Soviet system. We also see his career nose-dive when his work falls out of favor with The Party. What struck the deepest chord (sorry for the pun) in me was that while his physical world was in constant turmoil (messy love affairs, unemployment, starvation, Nazis...and a whole lot more) what gave his life meaning was music. He composed the "Leningrad" during the two and a half years the Nazis first tried to bomb, then starve, the city out of existence. Creativity triumphs all. Shostakovich's story (as well as the city of Leningrad's) has everything I love in a book...suspense, adventure, danger, intrigue, love, and most of all music. You don't have to know anything about Shostakovich, music or even Russia, to be sucked into this impeccably research story.
May 2016 be blessed with such terrific books as those of 2015!
Posted by Mary Ann Rodman
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E.R. Frank, an award-winning children’s books author and psychotherapist, will be publishing her first novel in ten years.
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Imagine drawing while having books read to you. There are no expectations of what you draw, just the freedom to do so. It’s really not such a crazy idea, and yet for so many children, the expectation is that they will sit still and be read to.
I have tried the same, but ran out of patience in the end. My ten year-old makes a great mac and cheese with crescent rolls. My son and youngest daughter will make pancakes.
My husband is an Executive Chef and you would think we would employ the children to help, but in the end a nice risotto is really what we want.
Mmmm, risotto. That's one of my favorites, especially with mushrooms. Maybe while I'm eating yogurt, I can have my characters eat that for dinner. ;)
Sara: I left a note on my blog but just wanted to make sure you know how much I appreciated your comments about HOW TO STEAL A DOG. Thank you.
Barbara
You're welcome, Barbara. I really did love it.
I've read that before somewhere. (Was it here?). SOOOOO tempting to try . . . !