The first time I read “The One and Only Ivan” it upset me. I grew up spending many, many hours watching Ivan the gorilla at the B&I shopping center in Tacoma, Washington. My grandfather would take me on errands with him, then get himself a coffee and each of us a donut, so we could sit with Ivan for a while before going home. I read all the articles pasted on the walls, saw all the photos, and mostly just enjoyed my time with Ivan. Even as a small child, I knew he didn’t belong there.
Ivan was such a character. Some days he just sat around doing nothing. Other days he threw me balls, wiped boogers on the glass, made faces and played. The days he was quiet I was incredibly sad for him, but the days he was active are some of my happiest memories. He placed his hand on the other side of the glass from mine many, many times. I like to think he recognized us, but that may be a pipe dream. As an adult, I have a sense of guilt about enjoying his captivity as much as I did. I wasn’t the one that captured him. I never teased him, and I always loved him, but I still sat there and enjoyed seeing him. Was that wrong? Probably, but as a child, even though I knew better, my NOT watching him would not have freed him. It’s an eternal dilemma.
My childhood created a lifetime fascination with gorillas. I recently purchased prints of a few of Ivan’s paintings. Upon their delivery, I fell down a rabbit hole of research. This is not the first time I’ve fallen down this particular Ivan deep dive, but it did lead me to reread this book. Having a bit of distance made me more appreciative.
This book upset me the first time I read it because it painted Ivan in abject misery. I didn’t want that to tarnish my happy memories of him. But that’s selfish. How could he have been happy there? I was complicit in his captivity, and although I could have done nothing about it, I can’t be pleased with my nostalgia. Author Katherine Applegate first made me feel guilty, then made me think. That made me mad at first, but isn’t that what good writing is supposed to do? Especially with literature aimed at youth? Continue reading “Reader Review: The One and Only Ivan”
“A Cosmology of Monsters,” Shaun Hamill’s debut novel, is an instant horror classic. The book is a perfect mix of creature-feature horror and a dark, modern fairy tale. The story keeps the reader guessing — just when you think it’s going one way, the story zags in a whole different direction. Yet, the narration is always easy to follow and neither the pacing nor tension ever slacken. Fans of Eldritch Horror will enjoy all the references to H.P. Lovecraft’s short fiction.
Be advised, possible content warnings include: Suicide, mental health, and an adult/minor relationship. There are also a couple of sex scenes. If the story were a film, I’d give it an R-rating. Although the book deals with dark, disturbing subject matter, these subjects are not described with explicit language or overly gory detail. In fact, the juvenile nature of Hamill’s prose is my only complaint about this book. I often felt like I was reading a YA novel right up until the content reminded me that I was in fact not. “A Cosmology of Monsters” is an unpredictably thrilling novel, perfect for fans of the fantasy/horror genre.
Three words that describe this book: Exciting, Clever, Creepy
You might want to pick this book up if: You’re in the mood for a good horror novel.
-Joe
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
For years I’ve been a listener to the podcast “On Being” with Krista Tippett. I’ve listened to the podcasts while sitting in the front yard pulling weeds from my garden, as well as in overflowing classrooms with others who have been mesmerized by her interviews and her thoughts “on being” — those questions about the meaning of our existence on this earth, how we make sense of it, how we find community, how we make sense of the physical and spiritual essences in our lives. So I was intrigued to discover the first spin-off from the On Being Project, a podcast called “Poetry Unbound” hosted by Pádraig Ó Tuama.
I love poetry, but this podcast has taken me deeper and opened my eyes to phrases and words that I would have missed completely — in fact, it has opened the bounds of poems and poetry for me. All of this is because of the way Ó Tuama introduces a poem, reads it beautifully for us, then, after a few seconds of a simple music interlude, begins opening up the poem. He will read a phrase, add a bit of background, nuance, thought, then pause for another musical interlude. After the thoughts are shared, he ends by reading the poem one more time. The podcast is brief, just enough time to sweep the garage or wash the dishes, but oh, the sense of peace it brings, the new thoughts that come to life, the feeling of being alive to the world, to being itself, rather than just going through the chores of a day. Continue reading “Reader Review: In the Shelter”
What a fascinating read! “The Art Thief” is one of those instances where real life is stranger than fiction! If it were a work of fiction, I would suspect most readers would have a difficult time believing the number of thefts and the audacity of the “techniques” used by Stéphane Breitwieser. Author Michael Finkel’s storytelling abilities kept me wanting to turn the page to find out where this would all end. Finkel explores Breitwieser’s psyche — and that of his girlfriend accomplice — while following their trail from the first theft to the resulting courtroom drama.
Three words that describe this book: fascinating, interesting, suspenseful
You might want to pick this book up if: you like mysteries, true crime and art!
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
“American Prometheus” is an extensive look into the life and work of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer is probably best known as the father of the atomic bomb for his work as the scientific director of the Manhattan project.
The book offers a lot of insight into his childhood, education, and pre-war/post-war activities. One of the only reasons to not like the book is that it goes into a lot of detail, more than some people might be interested in. However, the detail was necessary because Oppenheimer was an interesting and complicated man. There was a lot made of Oppenheimer’s supposed connections to the communist party after WWII — this book gives you enough information to let you decide on your own how valid those claims are. There are also numerous sources and quotations used in the text from varied sources, so you can understand Oppenheimer’s interactions and activities from multiple points of view.
One of the reasons I liked this book was because it also gives background about Oppenheimer’s extensive scientific background before the war. He may have lacked some of the calculation skills of his peers but he was also one of the first to understand the significance and practicality of nuclear fission. This was a well researched and well written biography of Oppenheimer.
Three words that describe this book: Historical, Nuclear, researched
You might want to pick this book up if: You’re interested in history, especially nuclear history, including the background on Oppenheimer.
-Robbie
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
“Carrie Soto Is Back” is a fictional story about a record-holding tennis player who is deemed “the greatest” but is not very likable by the public. After taking a few years off after surgery, she’s decided to come back and reclaim her title once again as it’s being threatened by another younger player. At first, I didn’t think I would enjoy this, not knowing much about tennis, but the author does such a wonderful job of building the suspense of the matches that you’re pulled in to the story so easily and rooting for her the whole time.
Three words that describe this book: Perseverance, sporty, relational
You might want to pick this book up if: You like tennis or even into sports in general; you’re looking for a story with the main character overcoming obstacles and having personal growth.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
“The Love Hypothesis” is about a biology Ph.D. student fake-dating a professor from her department to convince her best friend that she’s over another guy. It is charming, funny and very fast-paced. As they go through their fake-dating journey, it turns out that Adam, the professor, has been crushing on Olive, the student, for the past three years. Olive starts liking him too, and they develop a loving relationship. I loved reading it and was hooked instantly. There are some fun reveals throughout the story, and even though it might predictable, the novel is still great. I love it!
Three words that describe this book: Romantic, funny and motivational
You might want to pick this book up if: You like STEMinist novels, enemies-to-lovers trope and funny dialogue.
-Kristina
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
It took me more than a week to get through the first 200 pages of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.” I felt confused and disengaged. Most of the characters were barely related to each other, if at all. All of them felt very self-centered, unsympathetic and uninteresting. Author Stieg Larsson also has a penchant for meandering into subplots every once in a while.
But then, if you persist, something clicks. You are in for a mystery thriller. The foundations of the trilogy are laid down and off you go. It took me three days to read the remaining 400 pages after that.
Three words that describe this book: Gripping, Mysterious, Hacker-punk
You might want to pick this book up if: You want a light yet gripping read for the week. Continue reading “Reader Review: The Millennium Trilogy”
“The Liminal Zone” was a breath of fresh air when it comes to Junji Itō’s work. There are four short stories; Weeping Woman where a man and his girlfriend encounter a professional mourner at a funeral and his girlfriend finds herself unable to stop crying. Madonna, where Catholic schoolgirl Maria is preyed upon by the lecherous principal and becomes scorned by his wife, who believes herself to be the reincarnation of Mother Mary. The Spirit Flow of Aokigahara is a tale of two lovers who go into the forest of Aokigahara to commit suicide, but things in the forest are not all that they seem. And finally, Slumber is a story of a man who has nightmares where he commits violent murders only to awaken and see those murders on the news as having actually happened — but how can this be?
Previously, I had felt that I was growing away from Junji Itō as a writer and artist, but as explained in the afterword of the book, this collection was published through an online publisher rather than print, so page count was not a restraint. All four short stories were compelling, horrific, and entirely original. Each fully captured my attention (which is hard to do these days).
Three words that describe this book: Horror, manga, contemporary
You might want to pick this book up if: You enjoy horror and/or manga or if you were previously a fan of Itō’s work turned off by some of his recent works like “Black Paradox.”
-Victoria
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
Hoover’s exquisite storytelling skills immediately draw you into the world of Lily Bloom, a resilient young woman determined to break free from her painful past. The narrative takes an unexpected turn when Lily crosses paths with Ryle Kincaid, a charismatic and successful neurosurgeon. Their magnetic connection sparks a passionate romance. However, beneath the surface lies a darkness that threatens to shatter Lily’s newfound happiness.
“It Ends With Us” delves into the sensitive topic of domestic violence with unflinching honesty and sensitivity. The story unfolds with a rawness that tugs at your heartstrings, compelling you to empathize with Lily’s internal struggle. The book was able to portray multi-dimensional characters that feel remarkably real. Their flaws, fears, and vulnerabilities are intricately woven into the narrative, making them relatable and deeply human. The narrative balances heart-wrenching moments with tender and uplifting scenes, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. Hoover’s thought-provoking exploration of difficult themes prompts introspection and encourages conversations about love, sacrifice, and personal boundaries. “It Ends With Us” challenges conventional notions of love and pushes readers to confront the complexities of human relationships. Prepare to be moved, enlightened, and deeply touched and ready to dive into the next part of the story with, “It Starts with Us.”
Three words that describe this book: Emotional, Empowering, Unforgettable
You might want to pick this book up if: You like raw love stories that you can relate to!
-Shela
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
