The "Warriors" Series Pleases Again

My 16th book of 2010 is the second in the "Warriors" series. "Fire And Ice" by Erin Hunter picks up where "Warriors: Into The Wild" left off. We are once again following Fireheart, the one time kitty-pet who is now a warrior in ThunderClan. In the second book of the series, he is still trying to prove his loyalty to the Clan, all the while dealing with yearnings for his family.

Fireheart is also dealing with feelings of loneliness because he isn't sure who he can trust within his own clan. He is having vivid dreams with mysterious messages of what is to come in the future. He isn't sure what they mean and doesn't know who he can confide in. Something has come between him and his old friend Graystripe, so he can't even turn to him to discuss his suspicions about one of the other warriors within the Clan. At the same time, Fireheart is developing a new friendship where he least expected it.

Like the first book in the series, "Fire And Ice" is a fast read, but has some very tense moments where the reader is on edge wondering where the story is going to go. The end also leaves the reader wanting to read the next in the series to find out what happens. This is definitely a great series for younger readers, but it's not just a series for kids!

Half Way to My Goal With a Cozy Mystery

I'm finally at the halfway mark! I've picked up the pace since returning from Boston, so I should be on track to get the other 15 books read by the end of the year. Three books a month is a reasonable goal and I've got some good ones lined up!

My most recent read, book #15 for the year, was "The Cat, The Quilt And The Corpse" by Leann Sweeney. It is a "cozy mystery" which I was not familiar with, nor was I familiar with the author or her series, "Cats In Trouble" mysteries. I chose this book as part of a book club I came across on Twitter. It was one of three choices for the next meeting and after weighing two of the three titles, I went with this one.

Cozy mysteries are stories that are more lighthearted than other mystery novels. The characters working to solve the mysteries are typically regular people, not detectives, who end up solving the mystery by being persistent. Usually the story is set in a small town and the mystery-solver is a woman.

In this case, Jillian Hart is living in a small town when one of her beloved cats is stolen. Soon, she finds the cat-napper dead in his home. She learns that many cats have gone missing in this little lake town and she is determined to find out what the connection is between the dead man and the missing kitties, despite being dismissed repeatedly by the town's police chief.

The book was fast-paced and had several characters who were looked at as potential suspects. It was fun and interesting trying to figure out who had killed the feline thief and what happened to all of his victims. Jillian and the friends she made along the way were likable characters. She is portrayed as a regular person, kind and bright, who is thrown into an unusual situation and faces it head on.

I really enjoyed how the book flowed and how the story was told by the author. I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series to add to my bookshelves.

Book #12: A Not-So-Cuddly Pet

My twelfth book of 2010 was "Winging It: A Memoir of Caring for a Vengeful Parrot Who's Determined to Kill Me" by Jenny Gardiner. The title of this book is a little misleading, though. Although there are several chapters that focus on Graycie, the African Gray parrot that the Gardiner family lives with, this book is really about Jenny Gardiner's entire family and the ups and downs that come along with three kids and more than a handful of pets.

There are many stories told-some funny, some touching-most of which make me think this woman is a glutton for punishment! She and her family seem to take everything in stride though. She never takes her commitments lightly and she is able to admit her mistakes, sometimes wondering if she has added to the problems unintentionally.

The book was a quick, light read that I found quite enjoyable. I'm not a person who would ever own a bird (they kind of freak me out) but it was interesting to observe this creature from the outside. Even if you're not a "bird person", this is a fun book to read. Big thanks once again to my Twitter friends @BlueberryCat and @KayakGal for sending me this book!

Something More Scientific

My tenth book of the year was "Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior" by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson. This was a book sent to me by my Twitter friend @BlueberryCat, who knows I am an animal lover.

"Animals in Translation" looks at the similarities between animals and autistic people. Temple Grandin is able to give examples of how her life with autism parallels certain animal behavior. She has many interesting theories based on her observances, however I'm not sure if I can completely believe in everything she says until studies have been conducted backing her up. She has clearly done extensive research in the field of animal behavior and has had much success. She has worked with other scientists and the book has a very thorough bibliography. There are also footnotes throughout the book citing her various sources. I believe her to be very well educated and think that even if some of her theories prove to be wrong, the time she puts into study of them will be quite beneficial.

One thing I must note about the book is that even though there is a co-author, Catherine Johnson, the book seems very much to be written with Temple Grandin's voice. That being said, it can be very "staccato". Also, she can go from using very technical, scientific terms right to using elementary phrases to describe an animal or its behavior. I found this to be a bit jarring as I was reading; it seemed to interrupt the flow of the text when it happened.

The book focuses primarily on livestock rather than house pets, so be aware of that if you are hoping for some insight regarding your kitty cat. That is not where the author's specialty lies and she doesn't try to pretend that it does. I did take exception to her discussion of certain types of dog breeds. I think she focused a bit much on Rottweilers, among others, and their "aggressive nature". I am a big believer that most of the time, with the proper training, these breeds of dogs can be trusted completely. This is where she and I disagree.

It took me quite a long while to finish this book. It was slow reading and could be quite repetitive. I also felt at times she went off on tangents by telling a story that didn't quite pertain at the moment. I had been wanting to read Temple Grandin's books because I find her to be very fascinating. This was the first one I read and will not be the last. However, I will go into the next one understanding that there will be little entertainment value and I may have to struggle through it like I did this one.

The Magical, Idiotic 2004 Red Sox Season

Book number 8 was "Now I Can Die In Peace: How ESPN's Sports Guy Found Salvation, With a Little Help From Nomar, Pedro, Shawshank and the 2004 Red Sox" by Bill Simmons. This book is a reprinting of articles the author wrote, with the addition of footnotes that sometimes explain a reference or express his feelings about writing a particular segment. It was worth reading for two reasons: 1) It's about the Boston Red Sox winning their first World Series after an 86 year drought in 2004 and 2)It's incredibly humorous.

If you're a Red Sox fan, you know the story of 2004 and what led up to it. The book goes back over the details starting in October 1998. It was fun to look back and remember the instances Bill Simmons is writing about. It felt wonderful to remember Pedro as the guy that was a guaranteed win, Nomar as the guy you could count on to hit and El Guapo for being known as El Guapo. It was reassuring to read that I wasn't the only person who called Everett "Crazy Carl" or that I thought no city Clemens played for really respected him after he turned his back on them. It's also great to read about the things I didn't know about or couldn't understand since I'm a long-distance Red Sox fan and don't get the daily barrage of the Boston media scene.

The humor is not just in how Mr. Simmons writes about the team, but the references he adds to his articles. He mentions Rocky IV, the New England Patriots, old Italian superstitions, and of course, Shawshank Redemption. And it makes complete sense when he does it!

He is also able to capture the pain of being a Red Sox fan. He describes the heart-wrenching 1986 World Series from the perspective of a kid. He brought back painful memories of Game Seven of the 2003 ALCS. For me, it was like it was happening all over again: How could Grady leave Pedro in there?? Then the Aaron Boone homerun off of Wakefield. It played in my mind so easily as I read about it and it hurt just as much as it did back then.

Mr. Simmons is definitely a regular "sports guy" and it creates a natural connection with the reader. It was like he was talking to me, telling me the stories of how everything happened and how he felt about it as it occurred. I never felt talked down to or that he was claiming to be an "expert". He is simple a fan, just like me.

My New Favorite Book-#7 for the Year

This is honestly my new all-time favorite book. It is "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein. When I bought the book, I was drawn to it simply because I thought it was about a dog. It was about so much more than that!

Enzo, the dog, tells the story from his point of view looking back over his life. He lives with Denny, a race car driver who adopted him when he was a puppy, Denny's wife Eve and their daughter Zoe. Enzo longs to be a human and knows that in his next life, he will be reincarnated as a man. He studies as much as he can in this life by watching TV and listening intently to Denny's stories, hoping to take what he has learned into his next life, when he will finally have opposable thumbs!

The story itself is a tear jerker at times (I was crying on page four), but always wonderful. More than that, however, is that the book is wonderfully written. In fact, many times while reading I noted to myself that I wish I was able to write the way Garth Stein can. I know nothing about auto racing and never cared to, for that matter. Mr. Stein writes about it so perfectly that I can imagine exactly what it is like: I can see the driver in the car, I can smell the rubber when the tires get hot, I can sense how the driver is feeling and I can feel the rush of air as the car goes whizzing past. At one point, Denny takes Enzo for a ride on the track. He instructs Enzo to bark twice if he wants to go faster. I was able to feel Enzo's exhilaration at taking the turns at speed. I felt the same desire to go one more lap with them.

Enzo watches as Denny moves through life, whether he is enduring hardships or experiencing great happiness. Enzo takes it all in, then tells us what happened and what his take is on it all. He is a brilliant dog with deep love and loyalty to his family, especially Denny. He yearns to be able to talk, to tell what he knows, but he can't. He has to wait until his next life. He learns, of course, that as much as he wants to be human, being a dog is pretty wonderful too.

The ending didn't happen quite as I expected it to, but it was better than I expected. Thank you Mr. Stein for that bitter-sweet surprise. This is going to be the one book that I tell everybody about and the one book that I grab if my house ever catches fire.

Book #6 Proves that Girl Cops Rock!

My sixth book of the year was "History in Blue: 160 Years of Women Police, Sheriffs, Detectives, and State Troopers" by Allan T. Duffin. I was not aware of the book (it was just published this year) but some good friends of mine on Twitter, @blueberrycat and @kayakgal, know that I am in law enforcement and that I enjoy reading, so they sent me a copy of the book. A big thank you to them for being so thoughtful and kind!!

The book was very enjoyable. It starts in the mid-1800s with women working as prison matrons and follows all of the transitions that women made in the law enforcement field working as police matrons, in special units as protectors of women & children, as meter maids, and finally as full-fledged, weapon-carrying police officers. There is not only the history of the female cop, but there are wonderful anecdotes as well. The stories told by these women and their colleagues come from all across the United States and cover all levels of law enforcement. It shows the progression of women fighting for equal chances to be hired as a patrol officer, on up to women being appointed chiefs of police.

Reading this book made me appreciate what the female law enforcement officers before me had to do to get where they did. For me, there was no struggle at all. I have been very fortunate in my job. I have not experienced any sort of discrimination because of my gender; neither from the other law enforcement officers I work with nor the public I deal with on a regular basis. I can thank all of these brave women, from as far back as 160 years ago. Because of them, I am allowed to have a career that is seen as a "man's job" and can continue to prove that it is a "woman's job" too.

Finally! A Book I Love!

After two really crappy reads, I got to read a book that was fun and entertaining. Book number five was "Warriors: Into the Wild" by Erin Hunter. This is the first in a series of books about clans of cats living in the forest. It tells the story of Thunderclan cats and their interactions with rival clans, Windclan, Shadowclan and Riverclan.

Rusty, a kittypet, leaves his Twolegplace to join Thunderclan. He begins as a warrior apprentice and struggles with not only his training, but the doubt the other cats have about him not having warrior blood in him. He is a brave and thoughtful cat who wants to prove himself.

There are many characters to keep track of, but it didn't bog down my reading. There was a handy guide at the beginning of the book describing the different cats, their roles in the clan and different places in the forest, including maps.

This is a young reader's series, which makes it an easy read. It is not, however, without tension. There are some battles described in the book that end sadly and really draw you in. The end of the book wraps up part of the plot, but also contains a cliffhanger. I can't wait to get the second book in the series to see what happens to one of the young apprentice cats in Thunderclan.

If you're looking for something quick and easy, but not just fluff, give it a try!

Book #3 Was A Big Disappointment!

My third book of the year was "The Poe Shadow" by Matthew Pearl. To sum up how I felt about this book: UGH. What a let-down!

I read Pearl's other two books, "The Dante Club" and "The Last Dickens" and loved both of them. This fell into the same category as the others, a historical novel, so I figured I would love this one as well. Boy, was I wrong!

"The Poe Shadow" talks of the mysterious death of Edgar Allan Poe and his fan, Quentin Clark, who is determined to find out what really happened to his favorite author and to protect Poe's already tarnished reputation. (Sounds cool, right?)

As it turns out, Clark is not a very likable character. He is obsessed with Poe's death and doesn't seem to care about anything else in his life. He ignores his work as a lawyer and neglects the girl he is engaged to marry without much turmoil. If he had in fact felt guilty about the people he turned his back on in real life while he was out chasing ghosts, I would have been much more sympathetic. Instead, I had a very hard time feeling sorry for him when all of his troubles came to a climax.

The book was repetitive, which did not help in trying to trudge through it. I did not need to read entire paragraphs over again, however, I was subjected to just that! Because it was so slow moving, I would go days without picking it up. I almost convinced myself, when I was not yet halfway through the book, to just give up on it. What kept me going was the curiosity of how Pearl would play out the circumstances of Poe's death and what a possible answer was to this nearly century and a half old mystery.

I'm not sure it was worth it.

One book down, 29 more to go!

I finished my first book of 2010 in just 3 days. Which, for me, is awesome. I can get so easily distracted by the other things that I "need" to do, I find it hard to stay focused on reading for a long period of time. This book made it easy though.

Book #1 of 2010 was While I Was Gone by Sue Miller. I have had this book for probably 10 years and had just never read it. It's been so long since I bought it that I couldn't even remember what the premise of the book was! It was, I quickly found, a wonderful surprise. It read quickly and easily. It kept me enthralled and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

While I Was Gone is about a middle-aged woman, Joey, and the obsession that she develops when a friend from her past re-enters her life. The friend loosens many old memories from the recesses of her mind. Some of the memories are warm, memories about a time in her life when she was freer. Other memories were disturbing, like the death of her roommate that brought that time in her life to an end.

The book delves into the relationships she has with different people in her life; relationships with her husband, children, coworkers and friends. It also explores how Joey feels about her life now, her conflicting feelings of contentedness versus her feelings of disconnect.

I would absolutely recommend this book to my friends. If you have read it already, let me know how you felt about it as well. Just remember to add a spoiler alert if you are going to reveal anything!

2010 Reading Goal

I'm not one to make resolutions, but I was very recently inspired by a person I follow on Twitter, @mamajoan. She mentioned that by the end of 2009, she would have read 43 books that year. "Wow," I thought. "She really loves to read and must make time for it." That's my problem. I don't make reading a priority like I used to. That, however, is going to change this year.

I decided to see how many books I could read in 2010. I soon realized that I was not really challenging myself at all by saying that. Would I get to December 31, 2010 and only have read 5 books? Then what? I would have seen the goal as a complete failure. I knew I had to set a number to read and hold myself accountable for it. At first I thought 20 books sounded reasonable, but I really want to push myself. So the official goal is to read 30 books in 2010. Along with that, I will add a goal of writing 30 blog posts. One to review each book I have read.

Another of my Twitter friends, @paulrharvey3, had mentioned a website, goodreads.com, so I checked it out. It's a pretty cool site that allows you to keep track of books you are reading, books you have already read and books you want to read. You can search for books and read reviews from other readers. I'm going to use this site to help track my reading through the year. If you want to follow along on that site, I'm BoSoxAmy there as well.

Now, not all of what I will read this year will be challenging. I like to alternate what I read, so don't be surprised if what I have read is complete fluff. I think it's nice to stick in a quick, easy read after I have read something substantial or emotionally draining. It's fun to read something silly now and then!

Feel free to send recommendations for books or to add your own reviews if we happen to read the same thing. I'd love to have friends join me on this journey!