Book Review: Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck & Harriet Park

Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This had me in the first few pages! I absolutely loved the story line. Of course, I'm a huge fan of reading about futuristic dystopian societies. I think Harriet Parke's writing was tasteful, yet powerful - easily creating vivid images. Even though traditional "Glenn Beck" undertones and pulses were felt throughout, I don't believe it took away from the story. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. It is a quick and easy read - I read it in just under 5 hours.

What I didn't like: The ending to me felt a little rushed; too abrupt. The ending sets us up for a new beginning for the main characters without glimpsing what that might entail. I felt gypped - unrewarded as a reader; it was almost like saying, "And they lived happily ever after."  Then, I saw there was an afterword.

Hope-filled, I read on only to be disappointed that it was an explanation of the book in the form of political rhetoric. I felt duped or tricked as I began to read the afterword because Mr. Beck tells us that he and Harriet Parke knew that "we" (American readers) probably wouldn't pick up a piece of non-fiction or a newspaper article on the same subject, and we'd be more likely to read about Agenda 21 if it were presented to us in the form of a fiction novel. He goes on to write that if we liked the story, we should prompt others to read it, hiding the fact that Agenda 21 is a real proposition, with further instruction not to even mention the afterword. I was offended that Mr. Beck assumes that I am an ignorant person who wouldn't care enough about my society to learn about something like this on my own, and that I have to be tricked into reading about it. Regardless if I agree with you on Agenda 21 or not, Mr. Beck, Give me SOME credit will ya? I only skimmed the rest of the afterword, deciding I could read it on the UN's website whenever I wanted, without all of Beck's political repartee.

Personally, I picked up the book to be entertained, and to feel inspired by the thought-provoking material. To that end, it was a gratifying experience. Now, I want to know what happens next. Ms. Harriet Parke, a sequel please?

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Book Review: Catching Fire

This past weekend I drove to Nevada to pick up my two younger kids.  (They were staying with my parents during their Spring Break -- which incidentally is NOT during the same week as MY Spring Break at the college.) Even though I knew I'd be exhausted from the long 8 1/2 hour drive, I decided to take Book 2 from the Hunger Games series, "Catching Fire" with me, in the off-chance I'd have some down-time.  Besides I just didn't know how much longer I could wait before reading it.  I was even beginning to have dreams about Katniss and Peeta and Gale, haha.

I don't really want to give too much away about the second book, in case some of you are still planning to read it. Some felt the first book was extremely gruesome; I did not.  The second book has even less than the first, although it is just as intense for other reasons.  I felt like I couldn't read fast enough.

One of my friends stated she didn't like the 2nd book at all, while another one hated the first but loved the second.  After reading it, I honestly think it all depends on how you, the reader, perceives Katniss.  Someone commented to me just last week that while they felt the first book portrayed her as strong and confident, the second book made her seem weak and stupid.  Now that I am done with book 2, here are my thoughts on Katniss...

In the first book, yes, she does appear strong in many ways.  But remember that she was a skilled hunter and knew how to survive in the woods.  In the second book however, her surroundings are different; she is not in some ordinary woods.  She is not in "familiar" territory.  She is not simply trying to outsmart other kids.  It's a whole new arena.

Additionally, in the first book she was a confident "girl" who felt comfortable in her own skin when she was in her own environment.  However, she still felt lost when she visited the Capitol, around people and places where she didn't feel she fit in.  In the second book, even though she is still a girl by age, her experiences have propelled her into adulthood in some regard.  However, her lack of other life experiences (i.e., love, raising children) may make her come across as "weak" or "stupid", because she is so unsure of herself in these types of arenas and of course she lacks the wisdom that many adults obtain over the years.

I think the writer did a great job portraying her how any of us might feel in a brand new situation; a lack of confidence and uncertain about many things.    Personally, I do not perceive her as weak or dumb in the second book at all.  I think she is just a girl who is trying to figure out her new "normal", who longs to be comfortable and safe in her own skin once again.

Lots of twists and turns in this one.  The ending definitely leads right into Book 3 and now I'm anxious to finish that one.

Book Review: The Hunger Games

I didn't rush out to buy the book, because I rarely have time to read for "fun" and it looked like a "big" book.  I figured, why read the book and then watch the movie to get all disappointed; instead I'd just watch the movie and be satisfied.  Ignorance is bliss, after all, right? haha.

So I watched the movie and I totally and completely loved it.  It wasn't soooo fantastical that I got lost in the translation or felt it was too unrealistic (I can't seem to get past unrealistic things for some reason).  I also actually LOVED the political rhetoric.  The characters were all superb and I loved watching the movie -- I KNEW there had to be more stuff in the book.  I mean, it's impossible to make a movie exactly like a book and not have it take 6 hours to watch; screenwriters have no choice but to edit stuff out.  I will say that watching the movie actually inspired me read the book.

Knowing I had a trip scheduled for today and knowing that I'd be in the airport or on an airplane going back and forth all day today, I decided today I would read the book.

Synopsis:  If you haven't heard, The Hunger Games is about country called Panem. It's a little futuristic, taking place like 75 years or so after what they describe as a savage revolution, and Panem was basically created from the ruins of North America, which includes the "shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlaying districts.  The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one girl and one boy between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV." Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen is one of two teens representing her district in the Hunger Games.

---Possible Spoiler Alert---

Ok, I will try not to give too much away for those of you who are still planning to watch the movie or read the book; but I do want to discuss a few things.

Things I liked right off about the book:

• I liked that it was a FAST read, even at 375 pages.  I read the entire book today in just under 6 hours.
• It wasn't soooo futuristic that I had a hard time picturing what was going on; it was easy to imagine that something like this could happen.  While many fantasy books enlist the help of "magic" (something I have a hard time reading), The Hunger Games employs modern/futuristic technology, which was a much easier pill for me to swallow.  (call me boring, I know.)
• I liked that there was an underlying jab at what "reality TV" has become today.
• I love that there is so much depth to the main characters.
• I liked the political undertones; a display of what happens when a government becomes greedy.  I have to say that I've seen this first-hand when I was in the Philippines.  The capital city, refined and "rich" and the further you are from the capital, the more destitute the province.  In some places, not even fresh running water, as I imagine is the case in other 3rd world countries.  And as long as there remains corruption and greed in the government and as long as the poor people's only option to "survive" involves lying or stealing, society will never and can never progress.  It's almost savage-like.  I think it's great political rhetoric; showing us what happens if/when government tears down society, breaks down families, and ultimately holds too much power.

I also enjoyed some of the writing conventions the author uses; first thing I noticed in the very first sentence of the very first chapter:  This book is written in First-Person AND Present-Tense.   Not only is writing in one of those styles tricky to pull off, but together?  "Whoa..." I thought.  My second thought was, "Authors never do things accidentally...  so what was Collins' purpose for this particular writing mechanism?"

First-Person Narrative -- that seemed sort of obvious, I suppose.  She wanted the reader to get inside Katniss' head, to feel everything she was feeling and thinking.  Writing in this narrative does pull the reader in a bit more, making it more intense; like you're right there.  In that regard, I think it was a good choice on the author's part.  (Most fiction is written in either 3rd person "close" narrative (based on one characters' perspective, but the author still has flexibility to give us details the character doesn't know) or 3rd person "omniscient" (letting the reader get points of view from other characters).  The "danger" of writing in 1st-person is that you usually limit yourself in what you can reveal to the reader...  you can really only reveal the thoughts of the narrator.

Present-Tense -- Ok, when I read that first sentence in present-tense, I was all, "Nooo!!!  WHY???"  As a general rule, I HATE reading things in present tense.  It's like being in someone's stream of consciousness...It's not the natural way we as a society tell our stories.  "First I do this and now I'm doing that.  And Now I say..."  Well, you get the idea.  But I was committed to at least reading the first two chapters before deciding if I would continue on and in doing so I realized why the author chose to write in the present tense.   Katniss has multiple flashbacks.  As a general rule in writing, you get ONE flashback, and you  can *maybe* pull off more if they are written in chronological order.  Readers like to keep thing compartmentalized in their minds, otherwise the story gets too hard to follow.  But in real-life, our memories are tirggered by all sorts of events and they are not recalled in chronological order.  The author writes the flashback scenes in past-tense and the rest in present-tense so that we the reader know when Katniss is recalling a memory or moving the current story forward.  It only took me those first two pages to get used to the flipping back and forth between present and past, and Suzanne Collins pulls it off pretty seamlessly in my opinion.

Gale as a love interest?- ok, this item seems up for debate by myself and a few friends.  Gale is a slightly older boy from Katniss' district and they are close friends.  In fact, when she introduces him in Ch 2, Katniss explains that she ISN'T into him and that they are "just friends" and she explains this over and over in this chapter.  So, when I read chapter two, my first thought was, "Aww...  she loves Gale!"  Because, for reals...  I've seen it all too often.  Some girl spends entirely too much energy telling us how much she ISN'T into some guy, that it's really like she's trying hard to convince herself.  Why?  Who knows?  Maybe she feels she isn't supposed to love him- like it's somehow socially unacceptable or wrong.  Or perhaps it's fear.  When I mentioned to one of my friends that we get a little bit more of a hint in the book than in the movie of her feelings for Gale, my friend replied, "Not really.  I thought the movie showed it more...  the book didn't even mention she might have feelings for Gale until the end."

But that isn't how I read it.  I feel because the book is written in first-person, the author needed to figure out a way to let the reader understand that Katniss DID have feelings, and since the story is in First-Person Narrative in Katniss's "voice" how does she do it?  By having Katniss repeat that she's not romantically interested in Gale plenty of times, it clues the reader in otherwise.   It's a clever way for the character to reveal something about herself she doesn't even know yet.  I love that the author used that convention; it sets it up quite nicely for us so when Katniss FINALLY mentions it towards the end, we're all like, "Yes!  You are FINALLY seeing that!"  Truly, this author is genius.

So -- those are the reasons I loved the first book and now I am anxious to read the 2nd...  and 3rd.

I Am Not Into Fantasy

I haven't read the Twilight Series. [GASP!] I know, I know. I must be in the minority of the Female Population, especially the Female Mormon Population. That being said, I haven't ever read any of the Harry Potter books either. I haven't watched any of the movies for either as well.

When my oldest was in third grade, the teacher was a Harry Potter fan and really pushed the kids to get into the books. I got him the first 2. I tried to read them to him and with him. I couldn't hardly get through the first chapter without wanting to gouge my eyes out. It's not that the writing was bad; it wasn't. It's just that I do not particularly care for Fantasy books. Once my mother decided to read "The Hobbit" to us. I recall the seven of us children sprawled out on the living room floor with our blankets and pillows and her reading. I remember that while the other kids seemed mesmerized by the story all I could wonder was when we'd be allowed to get up and go play.

I am not a "hater". Just because others like something I don't, I don't go around poo-pooing their book/movie choices. (Incidentally, it bothers me when people do that about food. If I say I like something and someone else says "Eww! Gross!" that bugs. I don't go crappin' all over their food.) I remember my mother teaching us that the proper thing to say is "I don't really care for that" instead. Such a good Mommy. Ok - back to the point. If you like or even love Fantasy, especially the books I've mentioned, I don't think you're weird or anything like that. I realize we all have different tastes.

That being said, what I do not understand is why the SCHOOLS don't seem to get that. I understand the whole encouraging kids to read. I think it's great. What I really don't care for, however, is that there are approved reading lists from which the books are chosen. I get it, that the lists are there so kids will read something age-appropriate and even a bit challenging and not just take the easy way out and read below their age level. I mean, just about any 5th grader can read a 100 picture books in a week, right? Haha. However - here is the problem I have with the reading lists. They don't include enough of the books my kids enjoy reading.

We are a family of humor, or cynicism, irony, sarcasm, witticism, etc. There should be more books like that in the school library or on the "approved reading" lists. The choices on the list for the upper grades usually tend to be the Fantasy, sci-fi or non-fiction works. I remember having the same issue when I was in high school -- finding a book (from the list) that could keep my attention long enough so I could write a book report on it. I guess that was when I sort of stopped reading for fun.

I spoke to the librarian at my kids' school and she told me that if I wanted to donate any books, she would gladly accept them and buy the tests for them. Well, I did donate one or two, but I am not made of money. My daughter had a teacher at the time who used to hand out a blank calendar at the beginning of each month. On it they had to write each day how long they read. She did not put an emphasis on WHAT they were reading. She explained to the parents in the beginning of the year that as long as they were reading, she would count it. "If reading becomes too much of a chore, kids won't do it," she explained. She said she expected a minimum of 15 minutes a day and at the end of the month for each completed calendar they turned in they got a $6 Barnes & Noble gift card. How cool is that? Not that I expect every teacher to buy and hand out gift cards, but the whole concept of reading to ENJOY it was cool! Needless to say, my daughter read so much that she'd often earn 2 gift cards per month. The past few years my daughter has struggled to meet her "reading goals" because once again, she has to read off the list and many of the books do not hold her attention.

Anyway -- through all of that rambling, there was a point in there somewhere; I promise. To end this little rant of mine, I am going to share some of the books my kids and I have had at the top of our list.

When the first book came out, I saw a review for it and just knew LittleDuckling would love it. He was in 5th or 6th grade at the time. He read it in just a few hours and asked for more. Luckily, Jeff Kinney cranked a few more out, and another is still on the way. PrettyPrettyPrincess enjoys these too. Even though LittleDuckling is a little bit old for these anymore, he still enjoyed the movie and will still thumb through the books from time to time.
When my oldest was in 6th grade, he hated nearly every book on the "Approved Reading" list. He loved the book "Holes" so much I thought he might like "Dogs Don't Tell Jokes" too. He was an instant Louis Sachar fan and my daughter read Sachar's "Wayside School" books when she was in 3rd grade and loved it.
I don't know if Feiffer has any other books out, but this was one that FunnyMan loved when he was in 6th grade as well. He loved it so much that we bought an extra copy to put in our school's library.
Although we generally don't read a lot of fantasy, I bought the first book in the Vladimir Tod series for FunnyMan when he was in 8th grade, because I thought he'd enjoy the sarcasm in it. Heather Brewer's series include "Eighth Grade Bites", "Ninth Grade Slays", "Tenth Grade Bleeds", "Eleventh Grade Burns" and finally "Twelfth Grade Kills". I think he outgrew the series by his Sophomore year, but PrettyPrettyPrincess picked them up when she started 5th grade and begged for the final installment when it came out last Fall.
This final author is one of my favorites. David Sedaris. (Many of you may know his sister, actor & comedian Amy Sedaris.) Well, they are both writers. David is witty and clever and I especially love when he sneaks in little memoirs of his childhood. I told FunnyMan it was time for him to start reading Sedaris too.

When I am in the mood for a romance novel, Nicholas Sparks is my little indulgence. Mostly because there is usually a twist to his stories and it isn't "smut" romance. Another book recommendation would be "The Help". If you missed my review you can find it {{HERE}}

My next read is "The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance. A Memoir" by Elna Baker. I'll let you know how it goes.

What sort of books do you love or not love? What's next on your summer list of reading?

2 Books in Review

Don't worry -- you won't find any spoilers here. I just wanted to let you know of 2 books I finished over the weekend. Anyone who knows me, knows that Sparks is one of my indulgences. Of course, with school and work, I only get to read a new Sparks book about once a year! :)

If you're one of my FB friends, you already noticed I've gushed over "The Help". I've heard this book criticized for it's "tone" or "voice", accusing the writer of stereotyping the characters. Well, suffice it to say -- "PHBBBT! I loved it!"

Here are my official "GoodReads" reviews! :)

The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sparks has done it again. I could totally picture the characters coming to life as I read this book. I will admit, I usually hate reading "prologues" but this one was riveting enough to keep my attention. Unlike many of his other stories, this one starts off with twists of excitement. I kept wondering, "If he shows all of his cards now, where else can the characters go and will the climax make enough of an impact? Or is this a case of a story peaking too soon?" Trust me -- it can go places and the climax is great. Even though I had figured out a little bit of the pivotal moment beforehand, there was still the element of surprise and I didn't think the story felt predictable at all. It was great! Loved it!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I completely loved this book. I didn't want it to end, and I wanted to know what happened to the characters years later. This book definitely deals with some raw emotions and it's hard to imagine these were the attitudes only a decade before I was born. The character development in each of the main characters was well executed and I was impressed that Stockett chose a 1st person narrative and chose to tell the story from the point of view of 3 different characters. This is very difficult for a writer to [successfully] pull off. She not only does it, but she does it well. I think writing in the first person helps to pull the reader in. Each section reads almost like a memoir. Despite it's length I found it to be a quick read. I read half of it in about 4 hours and couldn't wait for this past holiday weekend so I could finish it, which I did. The characters have become real to me now, and I feel vested in them and their plight. I am amazed that this is Stockett's first novel and I cannot wait for the movie to come out in August!



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Literary Wit

copied and pasted from FB:

Bro-in-law:

if you get remarried can I call your husband Mr. Nightley?

23:32Me:

why is that?

23:32Bro-in-Law:

apparently Ruth is reading this Book called Emma and it is the character Emma's love interest

23:34Me:

ahhh. cool. yes, then. yes you may. But, ONLY if the guy I end up marrying was at some point in my life my step-father's son, which at some point would mean he was once my step-brother, prior to our parents getting divorced, which would then mean he wasn't my step brother any more =D

The Book that Messed Me Up

I went to Barnes & Noble a few weeks ago. Big-D had to grab a book he had on hold. I was perusing the "Bargain Priced" Section and this book caught my eye...

The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook.

Hmmm, I thought. Interesting. Wonder what sort of stuff is in there? I mean is it like a workbook with problems you have to work through -- like possible scenarios? Or is it more like learning coping mechanisms? I mean, if it is like a workbook that teaches like relaxation or meditation techniques, I'm sure I've already heard it all before; from my counselor(s). Of course, there could be some new stuff in there too, I suppose. I guess I could just pick it up and open it up and look. But if I do that I will then probably see some of the stuff my counselor already taught me, and then I would realize that I was being foolish over having anxiety that the book might have some sort of new secrets that would be revealed unto me. Wait... I think I might be having anxiety over this book right.now. as.we.speak. I mean, I think I am having anxiety over the fact that I might have anxiety over this book. That is so weird, to have anxiety about the awareness of having anxiety... **head spinning. heart palpitating. palms sweating.** I need to sit down. **looks around for closest chair. Sees man in chair looking at me, wondering what the Fudge I am doing???**

I start to laugh, realizing how foolish I probably looked, scrutinizing this book from four feet above and no doubt, my breathing took on a little deeper sighs. I laugh some more, shake it off, and leave to find Big-D. He asks what is funny. I ask to use his camera phone... since my (Blackberry) was dead. I regale him with the story as we walk back over to snap the pic. By now, the guy in the chair is extremely perplexed. As Big-D and I leave and walk over to the other side, I see this guy get up from his chair, and go stand where we were standing. No doubt, he is perusing book titles to see what was so funny. And no doubt, he didn't get it.

Dancing with CATS??? Are you Kidding Me?

I don't really have anything against cats, per say. Well, at least not enough for me to wish any harm on them. That being said, I'm not a cat lover either. I mean, I can take 'em or leave 'em; either way. Perhaps that is why I just do NOT get this.

This little ditty showed up at our girls night white elephant gift exchange. I about peed my pants. And it wasn't just the pictures, but the writing is a little, what I would consider over the top. I just really don't know how else to explain it. And yet, it was/is a best seller? Maybe in New Zealand where it was written... but I still don't get it. Anyway, for your viewing pleasure I have incorporated the "book preview" from google books. You'll have to click on the black arrows to move to the next page.

See for yourself... am I crazy or is this book just BIZARRE???

Who Gives a Mouse a Cookie???

You've probably all read the book by Laura Numeroff...

"If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk..." Way Cute Book. But, I've decided to write my own version.

"If you give a mouse some peanut butter on a trap, you will snap his little neck... " Well, that's the plan anyway! I know... I know! Awful! Well, just be glad there aren't any pics! :)

Apparently we have a mouse... eww! I really need to go and shower now! Bleh!

A Game of Tag ala Bookworm!

How about a game of Tag for today's Festive Friday with Fun on the Blog!

Here is how to play:

1. Open the book closest to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment.

2. Turn to page 56....

3. Write out the fifth sentence, as well as the two to five sentences following.

(I am at work, and the ONLY book I have here is "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis.)

'Not at the moment,' said the Hard-Bitten Ghost. 'But I never saw one of those bright mornings that didn't turn to rain later on. And, by gum, when it does rain here! Ah, you hadn't thought of that? It hadn't occurred to you that with the sort of water they have here every raindrop will make a hole in you, like a machine-gun bullet. That's their little joke, you see.

So, there you have it. Sort of fun, eh? I love things taken out of context sometimes. (whew! It's a good thing the 'closest' book wasn't some smut-romance book!)

Ok - You're Turn! Tag, you're it! Let me know if you plan to play, and I'll be over to check your blog! Or, you can just post the lines from p. 56 of your closest book here in the comment forum - heck it might even be more fun that way! Can't wait!