Book Review: The Thief at the End of the World

So I've been reading quite a bit and I vowed to start writing about it again. It's good practice and it makes it easier to remember what I did and did not enjoy, and why!

Joe Jackson's book The Thief at the End of the World: Rubber, Power, and the Seeds of Empire caught my eye in a huge pile of Advance Reader Copies (seriously, 200) that I picked up a few months ago. I set it aside because I thought it was something my uncle would appreciate, but right before I went to give it to him I decided to take a look at it myself, thinking I wouldn't be interested. Turns out I devoured it in four days.

I could not have anticipated enjoying this book as much as I did. It's history, and it's the history of rubber for goodness sake. How exciting could that be? As it turns out, the history of rubber is totally fascinating, and the gentleman (Henry Wickham) responsible for one of the most globally influential acts of piracy was a big dreamer with a habit of failing at everything he tried. Somehow this makes him both lovable and loathsome as the history of rubber growth and consumption unravels amidst tales his many trials (and few tribulations.) Jackson offers up an interesting mix of economics, politics, science and travelogue in order to give the reader a sense of the whole picture of rubber and the people and places that were consumed by their want for it.

Honesty Policy

#32 The Reader

Book: The Reader (Movie Tie-in Edition) (Vintage International) by Bernhard Schlink
Pages: 218
Entertainment Rating: 4/5
Snooty Rating: 4/5
Total Rating: 8/10
Books Read Total: 32/50
Pages Read Total: 7066/15,000

A solid story of love, loss, secrets, discovery, horror, and some sort of forgiveness. I found this book very readable and I read it straight through (it even prompted me to spend an extra 20 minutes on the treadmill this morning) but I never quite felt like I got what I was looking for. The plot is great, but I got lost in the execution. I didn't feel particularly sympathetic or angry or really any sort of emotion, despite the emotionally driven plot, and it seems to me that that's a fairly significant shortcoming. I wouldn't say don't read it, because it is an interesting book, but I can't quite agree with the LA times when they say that it "ensnares both heart and mind". Unless maybe my heart is made of stone (which we know is not the case from the emotional gushing that sometimes appears on this blog).

#27 Knitting with Balls by Michael del Vecchio

Book: Knitting with Balls by Michael del Vecchio
Pages: 150
Entertainment Rating: 3/5
Snooty Rating: 4/5
Total Rating: 7/10
Books Read Total: 27/50
Pages Read Total: 4942/15,000

I got this book from the library in hopes of finding something to knit for my brother for Christmas (how forward thinking of me, right?) This book is wonderfully thorough! Much like the Stitch 'n Bitch books this one has all the information you need from start to finish, but written in "man" language. Occasionally the wording is a little bit cheesy and over-the-top but it's mostly endearing. I especially enjoyed the breakdown of different yarn weights, the tips and tricks (I never thought to use a card or post-it to mark my place in a chart!), the how to knit continental or english, and the bit in the back about altering patterns. The actual projects didn't do much for me, but I did check them out, and they offer a great range from basic onward and cover a variety of techniques. This book would make a great gift to anyone (male or female) who's looking to start knitting more. It's also a good source for quick guy-gifts (unless that guy is my brother!)

#26 Melting Stones by Tamora Pierce

Book: Melting Stones by Tamora Pierce
Pages: Audiobook
Entertainment Rating: 4.5/5
Snooty Rating: 3/5
Total Rating: 7.5/10
Books Read Total: 26/50
Pages Read Total: 4792/15,000

I actually finished this book a couple weeks ago, but somehow never got around to writing about it. A part of a series called The Circle Opens, I found this book as enjoyable as I found the preceding books so many years ago. Interestingly, this book was released in audio before it was printed. The actors did a lovely job, and the story is quite entertaining, if a bit over the top at times. I enjoyed this book, but I think much of my enjoyment was nostalgic. These are great YA books, but do not quite take that step beyond. Fun and quirky!

#24 + 25 The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Book: The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Pages: Audiobook
Entertainment Rating: 5/5
Snooty Rating: 5/5
Total Rating: 10/10
Books Read Total: 24/50
Pages Read Total: 4220/15,000


Book: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
Pages: 572
Entertainment Rating: 5/5
Snooty Rating: 2.5/5
Total Rating: 7.5/10
Books Read Total: 25/50
Pages Read Total: 4792/15,000

Pullman is fabulous. Each time I experience his storytelling I think about it for days afterwards. While listening to this audiobook (narrated by Pullman himself) I was also reading Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and couldn't help but draw parallels between the two. While I recognize that Brown and Pullman play in two different arenas I think that in terms of depth of character and thought-provoking plots Pullman definitely has the upper hand. While he does have the advantage of a trilogy's worth of pages to build his story I feel he has been true to those pages and made use of each of them. He's neat. He cleans up after himself, if you know what I mean. While Brown (miserably, albeit with some witty bits) shoves a weak love subplot in to attempt to add some depth to his action packed adventure, Pullman captures the anguish and complexity of what love really is, but without disrupting the story in any way. As I said, he's neat.

I am by no means "hating on" Brown's book. I read all 572 pages in a matter of days (a feat for someone as busy as me) and I hated putting it down each time I forced myself to sleep. Brown can tell a suspenseful story, to be certain. There are no good places to stop, and when it comes to plot twists he has a field day. Still I find that when I'm on the hunt for content the most surefire place to find it is in a Young Adult or even a children's book. Somehow these authors have taken responsibility for the power they have to captivate young and old alike, and they have put it to good, thought-provoking use.

#23 The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

Book: The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Pages: 345
Entertainment Rating: 4/5
Snooty Rating: 3/5
Total Rating: 7/10
Books Read Total: 23/50
Pages Read Total: 4220/15,000

Funke tells the captivating story of two orphan boys on the run from their evil aunt who make their way to Venice, their mother's fairytale. The characters were quite commanding, and it was very easy to take sides. Almost too easy, I think. Unlike Nancy Farmer, Philip Pullman, or Madeleine L'Engle to name a few, Funke tells a good story, but doesn't present much else. It was a fun, quick read, but did not have the subtly (or not so subtly) challenging subplots that many successful children's authors manage. It is, as one Amazon review puts it, "a solid adventure story". I'd put it with Harry Potter. Some coming of age, some teen angst, some wonderful friendship, and lots of bad guys and adventures.

#21: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Book: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Pages: Audiobook
Entertainment Rating: 5/5
Snooty Rating: 4/5
Total Rating: 9/10
Books Read Total: 21/50
Pages Read Total: 3875/15,000

Sara Gruen has a vivid set of characters, to be sure. Jacob Jankowski recalls the most influential year of his life, one that began his career as a circus veterinarian, from his confines in a nursing home at the age of "90, or 93". He alternates between venting his frustration at being trapped in an old man's body, and vividly remembering his past experiences. I am 100% in love with this old man. Gruen did an exceptional job of wrenching my heart in every direction, aided no doubt by the fabulous voices of David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones. A moving, informative story not only about the circus but also about the Great Depression, growing old, and elephants. This book opened up an entirely unfamiliar topic for me, and I've enjoyed reading about it since I finished the book last week.

#20 Sugarcane Academy

Book: Sugarcane Academy: How a New Orleans Teacher and His Storm-Struck Students Created a School to Remember by Michael Tisserand
Pages: 192
Entertainment Rating: 4.5/5
Snooty Rating: 5/5
Total Rating: 9.5/10
Books Read Total: 20/50
Pages Read Total: 3875/15,000

This book may be small, but it packs a punch. Riding on the wave of emotions from my recent trip down to NOLA this book could not have come at a time when I was more vulnerable. Frequently I found myself in tears over the hugeness of it all. The hugeness of the hurricane and the aftershocks, the hugeness of the indignities forced upon so many citizens, and the immeasurable outpouring of awareness on the part of those capable of giving something to the people who had nothing. In a society where education is so bound by rules and regulations, this small section of a community banded together to give families what they needed. This is education as it should be: active, responsive, aware. What these children needed was not a standardized test or even a normal classroom. They needed time and space to express their experiences, to learn about their relations to the world around them, and to make sense of all that they experienced in such a short time. Much was lost during Hurricane Katrina, but the disaster laid bare the strength, courage, determination and love that human beings are capable of giving.

#19 The Land of the Silver Apples

Book: The Land of the Silver Apples by Nancy Farmer
Pages: 495
Entertainment Rating: 4.5/5
Snooty Rating: 4/5
Total Rating: 8.5/10
Books Read Total: 19/50
Pages Read Total: 3683/15,000

This book is the sequel to The Sea of Trolls. I can't remember the last time I had such a hard time putting down a book as I do with Farmer's. Even Harry Potter doesn't hold the control over me that she does. Her stories are excellent, witty, vivid and fun.

In Silver Apples Jack's little sister Lucy disapears, and saving her is up to him and his new "friends", a recently freed slave with a "froggy" face by the name of Pega, a wishy washy guy named Brutus, a monk named Aiden and some newly acquired skills. Together they experience the beauty and danger of the magical world of the silver apples, where time never passes. Their quest is filled with surprises, both good and bad, and the end results may not be what you think!

As a sequel this book was excellent, just enough plot overlap to be related, but a totally new adventure and many new characters. Also, way less of the bratty Lucy dialog! The religion humor is excellent, as always. I really admire Farmer's even keel in that regard. She makes fun of everyone's gods equally, while never actually putting any of them down, and giving all opinions without seeming contrived. Another great book!

#16 The House of the Scorpion

Book: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Pages: 380
Entertainment Rating: 5/5
Snooty Rating: 5/5
Total Rating: 10/10
Books Read Total: 16/50
Pages Read Total: 3188/15,000

From Amazon.com:
"Fields of white opium poppies stretch away over the hills, and uniformed workers bend over the rows, harvesting the juice. This is the empire of Matteo Alacran, a feudal drug lord in the country of Opium, which lies between the United States and Aztlan, formerly Mexico. Field work, or any menial tasks, are done by "eejits," humans in whose brains computer chips have been installed to insure docility. Alacran, or El Patron, has lived 140 years with the help of transplants from a series of clones, a common practice among rich men in this world. The intelligence of clones is usually destroyed at birth, but Matt, the latest of Alacran's doubles, has been spared because he belongs to El Patron...[Spoilers]"

Goodness this woman is great! It's extremely rare that I keep reading books from the same author unless they're in a series. (Tom Robbins and John Steinbeck are exceptions) Nancy Farmer has my undivided attention! While her books are technically "Young Adult" I'm finding that I don't feel the least bit guilty reading them instead of the work required for my various GE courses. I took this book out of the library on Tuesday, and I finished it last night, despite attending all my classes and spending a great deal of time in the studio. I couldn't put it down! I carried it (hardcover) around in my bag all week, catching bits here and there when I had a free moment. The characters and the plot are captivating and exquisitely crafted, though the ending leaves room for another book. I just discovered that there's a sequel to Sea of Trolls called Land of the Silver Apples that must have just been released, so maybe that's where she's headed with this one!

LOVED IT!

#15 The Sea of Trolls

For the YA Challenge.

Book: The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer
Pages: 455
Entertainment Rating: 5/5
Snooty Rating: 5/5
Total Rating: 10/10
Books Read Total: 15/50
Pages Read Total: 2808/15,000

"The Sea of Trolls is a historical fantasy novel set in a fictional version of 793 C.E. in Anglo-Saxon England, Scandinavia, and Jotunheim. It begins when Jack, a young Saxon boy and the protagonist, is accepted as the village bard's apprentice. Jack loves learning from the bard who teaches him to better see, hear, and sense the world around him. Jack is content until Northmen invade his village..." Wikiplot

I absolutely cannot say enough good things about this book! I read the first 100 pages or so last night and the rest of it today. All 350 pages or so. I had to make myself put it down when my body demanded that I eat something (that may also be because I can't taste anything so I don't want to eat). This book was just so...tight. Well constructed. Engaging. I'm amazed I hadn't heard of it before, because it could kick Harry Potter's ass. Rich in mythology and magic, the author does a beautiful job of addressing all the many beliefs existing at the time and it seems to me she remains unbiased about them all (though I think we all know Norse gods were a lot more fun). I was impressed by the appendix in the back, as I hadn't realized just how much research went into this book. In retrospect it makes perfect sense.

GREAT BOOK!

#14 The King of Ireland's Son

What I do when the flu's got me? I read, and read, and knit, and watch movies, and read. And drink more tea than I thought humanly possible. I should also mention that the flu is a great diet plan, I can't taste, so I don't eat!



For the YA Challenge.

Book: The King of Ireland's Son by Padriac Colum
Pages: 275
Entertainment Rating: 5/5
Snooty Rating: 4/5
Total Rating: 9/10
Books Read Total: 14/50
Pages Read Total: 2353/15,000

I remember being completely obsessed with this book when I was very young. My babysitter would read it to me and to her youngest children on rainy days. This book wasn't exactly as I remembered it, for some reason I've jumbled it in my head with another book that has Baba Yaga in it. (In retrospect that's silly of me because Baba Yaga is Russian and this is a book of tales from Ireland) Never the less it's a great book of classic folktales from Ireland constructed in a creative manner, a story of a story within a story, rather than just listed one after the other. Really a great book, I recommend it to anyone with children, looking to entertain children, or who simply enjoys children's books!

I'm currently reading Nancy Farmer's The Sea of Trolls and I love it!

#13 Fahrenheit 451

Book: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Pages: Audiobook
Entertainment Rating: 4.5/5
Snooty Rating: 4/5
Total Rating: 8.5/10
Books Read Total: 13/50
Pages Read Total: 2410/15,000

I listened to this book in the studio yesterday and I have to comment on the way that the book I'm listening to effects my work. Saturday was bleak. Of Mice and Men had this feeling of doom that never lifted. At times there was a feeling of hope, but it was always overshadowed with fear.

Actually, even as I wrote the above my opinion changed. Both books are really very similar! Each is about a man (or two or three) realizing that they're trapped in a cycle they aren't happy in. Each is striving to find a way out, George and Lennie with their farm, Guy Montag with his interactions with Clarisse. The emotional rollar coaster pretty much follows the same track. What changed the way I was feeling was the endings. I'm not going to say what happens, but Steinbeck definitely left me feeling deflated, while Bradbury gave me some hope.

All that said, this was a very interesting book. I think it's a great example of a heavily constructed story that actually works. Everything about it seems very intentional, and in my eyes at least it all holds up.

Given the fact that I'm supposed to be writing an essay today I would hope I could find better words with which to express myself, but I'm feeling sick and my brain is mush. Damn it. In short, I quite enjoyed this book!

#12 Of Mice and Men

Book: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Pages: Audiobook
Entertainment Rating: 4.5/5
Snooty Rating: 3.5/5
Total Rating: 8/10
Books Read Total: 12/50
Pages Read Total: 2410/15,000

The wikiplot: Two migrant workers in California during the Great Depression – George Milton: small in stature, intelligent, and cynical, but caring; and Lennie Small: physically strong, but a mentally limited man – come to a ranch in Soledad, California to "work up a stake". They hope one day to fulfill their shared dream of settling down on their own piece of land. Lennie's part of the dream, which he never tires of hearing George describe, is merely to have soft rabbits on the farm, which he can pet.

I have not decided how I feel about this book except that I love Steinbeck and his ability to create such emotions in his readers! My copy was recorded by Mark Hammer, and he did an incredible job! I listened to this entire book while in the studio today and there were many moments where I had to stop what I was doing because I was too emotional to focus. The relationships between the men of the farm are so painstakingly and precariously built as they begin to realize the companionship they've been missing. Hopes soar and plans are made, but the entire thing is overcast by a feeling of impending doom. A complicated roller coaster of emotions! It was an intense 4 hours!

#11 Girl with a Pearl Earring

Book: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Pages: Audiobook
Entertainment Rating: 4.5/5
Snooty Rating: 3.5/5
Total Rating: 8/10
Books Read Total: 11/50
Pages Read Total: 2410/15,000

I quite enjoyed this book! I finished it last Friday, but haven't had the time to sit down and write about it until now.

From the website: Girl With a Pearl Earring tells the story of Griet, a 16-year-old Dutch girl who becomes a maid in the house of the painter Johannes Vermeer. Her calm and perceptive manner not only helps her in her household duties, but also attracts the painter's attention. Though different in upbringing, education and social standing, they have a similar way of looking at things. Vermeer slowly draws her into the world of his paintings - the still, luminous images of solitary women in domestic settings.

I wouldn't say that this book is particularly mind boggling, but it's a truly entertaining story! I love the author's imaginings of the weird quirks of Vermeer and the lovely images of his studio, and the descriptions throughout the book were what really held my attention. It's a fluffy story with enough substance to hold some merit. I'm excited to see the movie!

#10 The Kalahari Typing School for Men

Book: The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith
Pages: Audiobook
Entertainment Rating: 5/5
Snooty Rating: 3.5/5
Total Rating: 8.5/10
Books Read Total: 10/50
Pages Read Total: 2410/15,000

This is (I believe) the 4th book the in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, which means I missed the third one. It doesn't particularly matter though, as all the books are entertaining and don't rely entirely on one another. In this book the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (the detective agency of a woman in Botswana named Mma Ramotswe) faces some competition, religion, typing men, cheating men, charming men, and forever strong women. I loved listening to the audio because I could hear the pronunciation of all the names and places! It was perfect for the gym and the studio. I think I went through this book in about three days. Highly recommended for during those activities when you may be distracted occasionally, but want to be entertained.

I've only just discovered the amazing(ly free) wealth of audiobooks available at my library, and I went back last night to get a new one and ended up coming home with 4, having cut back from 8. Last night I picked up The Girl With the Pearl Earring, Fahrenheit 451, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and Bless Me, Ultima. First up is The Girl With the Pearl Earring. I'm also reading (for the YA Challenge) an old childhood favorite called The King of Ireland's Son.

#9: Shame of the Nation

Book: Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America by Jonathan Kozol
Pages: 332
Entertainment Rating: 1/5
Snooty Rating: 3.5/5
Total Rating: 4.5/10
Books Read Total: 9/50
Pages Read Total: 2410/15,000

From Publishers Weekly:
"Public school resegregation is a "national horror hidden in plain view," writes former educator turned public education activist Kozol (Savage Inequalities, Amazing Grace). Kozol visited 60 schools in 11 states over a five-year period and finds, despite the promise of Brown v. Board of Education, many schools serving black and Hispanic children are spiraling backward to the pre-Brown era. These schools lack the basics: clean classrooms, hallways and restrooms; up-to-date books in good condition; and appropriate laboratory supplies. Teachers and administrators eschew creative coursework for rote learning to meet testing and accountability mandates, thereby "embracing a pedagogy of direct command and absolute control" usually found in "penal institutions and drug rehabilitation programs." As always, Kozol presents sharp and poignant portraits of the indignities vulnerable individuals endure. "You have all the things and we do not have all the things," one eight-year-old Bronx boy wrote the author. In another revealing exchange, a cynical high school student tells his classmate, a young woman with college ambitions who was forced into hair braiding and sewing classes, "You're ghetto-so you sew." Kozol discovers widespread acceptance for the notion that "schools in ghettoized communities must settle for a different set of academic and career goals" than schools serving middle-and upper-class children. Kozol tempers this gloom with hopeful interactions between energetic teachers and receptive children in schools where all is not lost. But these "treasured places" don't hide the fact, Kozol argues, that school segregation is still the rule for poor minorities, or that Kozol, and the like-minded politicians, educators and advocates he seeks out, believe a new civil rights movement will be necessary to eradicate it.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. "

This is a complicated book. I've been struggling over the past few days to decide what I will write about it (both here and in the paper I'll have to write for class) and I still haven't decided. There is no denying that Kozol has devoted his adult life to fighting for the rights of inner city citizens, however I can't help but feel that his attitude towards the people he is writing about is condescending at best. His writing is completely inaccessible to anyone without some form of higher education, and even then it takes hours to wade through, by which time much of the inspiration and rage has dissipated to frustration. I don't see how this book will do much to help when his final call to action is to the teachers in these schools. They don't have time to read his book, as he's already proven page after page throughout this book. As a reader I was frustrated by the intensity of his use of statistics. There were some wonderful (and heart wrenching) chapters in this book about the schools, the teachers and the students, and those were the most effective chapters. Then there were pages and pages of straight up statistics, during which I had to fight to keep my focus because numbers are really just numbers. They lose their meaning quickly.

The content itself is something I've encountered before, and it never fails to break my heart. With each year that we fail to resolve this issue the problems deepen and become less reversible. There were definitely parts of this book that made me want to drop everything and devote my life to the children in these schools, while other parts brought the realization that Teach for America (a program I've wanted to participate in) may not be all the peace and love it seems to be. So long as we make these schools settle for uncertified youth as teachers we deny them the resources they need in the form of strong, seasoned educators. In the end I'm torn. Can I, from my position, help this cause? How can we activate the teachers? How can we educate the parents on how to demand what is best for their children? How can we show these students that they can have better, of they're willing to fight for it?

#8 Take a Thief

For the YA Challenge.

Book: Take a Thief by Mercedes Lackey
Pages: 448
Entertainment Rating: 5/5
Snooty Rating: 2/5
Total Rating: 7/10
Books Read Total: 8/50
Pages Read Total: 2078/15,000

I wasn't at all surprised to find this book enjoyable as there are very few of Lackey's Valdemar novels that I haven't enjoyed. I'm a sucker for fantasy. She's easy to read, entertaining, and her characters are always strong and witty. Skif, a young thief, is no exception. Orphaned by his mother's death he is under the thumb of his skimping uncle and working in his inn in the slums under the watch of an abusive and slow-witted cousin. His only escape is in the mandatory lessons taught by the temple and the chance to keep out of the way. This story details the path he takes to a new life, the people he meets, the skills he earns, and the adventures that find him. The "street" speak was a bit hard to follow at times, but eventually I got used to it. Fun book!

I've got about 30 pages left in Jonathan Kozol's book Shame of the Nation. I'm not sure what I'm going to read next, though I'm sure my classes will control my decision.

#7 The Worthing Saga

Book: The Worthing Saga by Orson Scott Card
Pages: AudioBookEntertainment Rating: 2/5
Snooty Rating: 2.5/5
Total Rating: 4.5/10
Books Read Total: 7/50
Pages Read Total: 1630/15,000

This book was hell. So violent, dark, angry and depressing. Somehow I couldn't stop listening, despite the anxiety it caused me. I think had I been reading it myself I would have put it down a long time ago, but having paid for it and spent the time downloading it I felt like I had to hear it out. The storytelling is pretty good, not as wonderful as Ender's Game, but it's fairly well done. I just wish it wasn't so unbearably oppressive. There's a bit at the end from the author about how the book came about, and how it's a collection of stories he wrote when he was first beginning. It's a very angsty, fire and brimstone collection.

I really don't recommend this one at all.

#6 The Tears of the Giraffe

For the What's in a Name? challenge: A book with an animal in its title

Book: The Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith
Pages: 240
Entertainment Rating: 4/5
Snooty Rating: 3/5
Total Rating: 7/10
Books Read Total: 6/50
Pages Read Total: 1630/15,000

There's something very quaint and comforting about Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books. The writing is simple and the story line is straightforward and to the point. The characters are lovable and sometimes surprising. I never feel frustrated or like I've wasted my time when I read these books, and yet there is nothing about them that is exceptionally striking. Read them on the beach, on a rainy day, or in the bath (if you're prone to reading in the bath, as I am).

P.s. I thought it was fitting to put "Marginalia" one of my favorite poems, in the margins of my blog. (Haha, get it?) Check it!