"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio

313 pages

I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity. Due to ongoing surgeries and his parents' desire to protect him, he's always been homeschooled and, for the most part, keeps to himself at home with his parents and protective older sister. But now he decides he's ready to try mainstream school, so he begins 5th grade at Beecher Prep. He knows going in that some kids will focus on his startling appearance, but he has no idea how difficult his adjustment will be.  Inside, Auggie feels like an ordinary kid, but his classmates don't necessarily see him that way. The rest of Auggie's fifth-grade story unfolds through his own eyes as well as those of his sister, her boyfriend, and Auggie's peers. 

This book totally broke my heart. Though it's fiction, it definitely reflects the experiences that some children have in real life, and it makes me sad that they have to live through things like this when they just want to play, learn, and socialize like normal. Still, this is ultimately an inspiring and uplifting story. In fact, my one complaint is that it's a little too rosy--I don't think the feel-good ending is very realistic--but in some ways I'm okay with it for this book since it is, after all, written for children. And, to be honest, I just like coming away from a story with a good feeling rather than a bad one. I think Palacio does a great job of creating each character's individual voice and showing how they grow throughout the book. I like that she included other perspectives as well as Auggie's to show how our lives all affect each other's. I loved so many of the secondary characters as well as Auggie, and their relationships feel real--loving but flawed. Overall, a very good story that I will be recommending to adults and teens as well as older elementary school kids and tweens. 

"You Are Not Your Brain: The 4-Step Solution for Changing Bad Habits, Ending Unhealthy Thinking, and Taking Control of Your Life" by Jeffrey M. Schwartz and Rebecca Gladding

368 pages

Jeffrey Schwartz, a leading neuroplasticity researcher and author, and psychiatrist Rebecca Gladding put their minds together to figure out how brain wiring works against us when it comes to bad habits. They studying OCD patients as well as people with social anxieties, self-deprecating thoughts, and all sorts of compulsions. Then they came up with a four-step program to rewire the brain by consciously choosing to weaken the circuits that create the bad habits, decreasing their influence and strength. In this book, they share what they learned through their research and outline their plan for creating more positive and productive thought processes.

The authors do a very good job of explaining their research to laypeople, and their work makes a lot of sense. There isn't necessarily anything earth-shattering, I don't think, but they do offer some good strategies for dealing with bad thoughts and strengthening positive thinking. Of course, as with any self-help book, their plan won't single-handedly revolutionize the mind of someone with a serious mental problem, but it probably can help people with mild anxiety or compulsive behavior, and it could be helpful as part of a bigger treatment plan for someone with a serious issue.

October 2012 Statistics

Hi everyone,

Here's how we did in October:

Most Books
Heather: 19
Jenny: 7
Meggan: 1

Most Pages
Heather: 6697
Jenny: 1679
Meggan: 512

Most Participation Points
Heather: 19
Jenny: 7
Meggan: 1

Total...
Books: 27
Pages: 8888
Participants: 3

I know I've slacked on the challenges lately...how about this? Extra points for anything with a red and/or green cover (meaning more than half the cover is that color) from now until the end of the year. 

Happy Reading!

"The Scorpio Races" by Maggie Stiefvater

409 pages

Every November, the Scorpio Races come to the island of Thisby. Every November, riders attempt to keep control of their water horses long enough to cross the finish line. Some racers live, but others die. Nineteen-year-old stableboy Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He's quiet and keeps to himself, as he's much more comfortable with horses than people. He's never cared much for the races, despite his talent for winning them. But now his harsh employer has given him the chance to buy his best friend/horse, Corr, if he wins. Puck Connolly  has never ridden in the races--in fact, no female ever has. But with her parents dead, her older brother about to leave the island, and her little brother to care for, she needs the prize money. When she gets her first taste of racing during practice, however, she realizes she's in way over her head. Then she meets Sean, who has the knowledge of the races that she needs to know to have a chance. But only one of them can win, and the stakes have never been higher for either of them. 

I've never read a book quite like this before, and I really liked it. Stiefvater did a great job of creating the atmosphere of Thisby--it felt melancholy and beautiful at the same time. I could just see the dangerous capaill uisce and the water's thrashing waves. The plot is a bit slow and definitely predictable, but I enjoyed the writing so much that it didn't bother me. 

The Casual Vacancy

by J.K. Rowling
512 pages

Barry Fairbrother, a town councilman and leading citizen in the community has died suddenly.  This leaves a seat open on the town council and a huge gap in the hearts of many citizens of Pagford.  However not everybody is upset by Fairbrother's passing; his opponents on the town council see it as an opportunity to find a more "suitable" replacement.  Rowling portrays the  effect one person can have on a community, as well as they darker side of humanity.

This is definitely grittier than any Harry Potter novel.  The teenagers portrayed are far more "real" than Harry and his friends.  Drug use, bullying, welfare, and computer hacking play a prominent role in this novel.  This being said, I really enjoyed this novel and hope that Rowling writes more novels for adults in the future.

"The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce #1)" by Alan Bradley

374 pages

Flavia de Luce isn't exactly your average eleven-year-old. Her mother died when she was young, so her father is raising her and her sisters by himself in their decrepit English mansion. More bizarrely, she's a self-taught aspiring chemist with a passion for poison. In the summer of 1950, a series of suspicious events cause Flavia to add "detective" to her list of talents. First a dead bird shows up on the doorstep with a postage stamp pinned to its beak. That night, Flavia overhears her father arguing with a mysterious stranger. Then, only hours later, she discovers a dead body in the cucumber patch. A murder has been committed, and Flavia is determined to solve the mystery--especially after her father is accused of the crime. 

Flavia is my new favorite heroine! I have a feeling that she would totally creep me out if I knew her in real life, but in print she comes across as delightful and charming. It's refreshing to have a young female character who is fearless, intelligent, and more interested in science than boys. Plus, she just cracked me up. The mystery was unique and had enough twists to keep me interested. This is definitely a series that I will be continuing. 

"In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin" by Erik Larson

464 pages

In 1933, a mild-mannered professor named William Dodd was appointed US ambassador and moved from his home in Chicago to Berlin, bringing with him his wife, son, and daughter. At first, it seemed that the vicious rumors about the new chancellor, Hitler, were exaggerated. The Dodds found Germany to be lovely, and daughter Martha especially began integrating into Berlin's social scene. Before long, however, evidence of Jewish persecution became more troubling and more frequent. Dodd expressed his increasingly alarming concerns to the State Department back home but found it to be, for the most part, indifferent. As the atmosphere grew more tense, the Dodds began to see Hitler's true character and ambition come to light.

I thought this story was interesting, but not as fascinating as I expected. I was hoping for more griping first-hand accounts of the Nazis atrocities and an inside look at how such a madman as Hitler could rise to power. I thought this book had too much of Martha's social life and not enough of the real stuff. Larson certainly did his homework on that front, and perhaps Martha's correspondence and such is the bulk of what's still around from the Dodd family at this point (meaning that Larson was forced to make that his focus). Still, I was disappointed.