Educated: A Review

The last biography I read (though not a recent release) was “Teacher Man” by Frank McCourt. Being in the education sector, I was able to relate to his trials and travails, joys and jubilations over being a teacher. When I read the synopsis for “Educated”, I was intrigued. Another aspect of education, it’s a story of triumph despite the circumstances and obstacles along the way to success. I was curious as to how Tara Westover, inconsistently “homeschooled” and indoctrinated into the evils of the secular world, was able to achieve a Ph.D., and find success in a world outside of Buck’s Peak in rural Idaho. But beyond just the regular storytelling and biographical anecdotes, Tara’s accounts touched on many topics that are popular in today’s media culture and in other age-old issues that (hu)mankind has had to deal with.

(Watch out for spoilers!)

Religion

“This story is not about Mormonism.”

-       Tara Westover, Author’s Note in “Educated”

-        

The author’s family is of the Mormon faith. She recounts how an ancestor of hers came to be baptized in the faith. Readers who are limited to the Mormon interpretation of an old South Park episode will be surprised that even within, there are divisions that separate mainstream Mormons from the kind of Mormonism that Westover’s family practiced. This clarifies that the way her family does things (doomsday prepping, holistic and herbalistic medicine, homeschooling) is not commonly practiced by others who also recognize Joseph Smith as their prophet. She makes clear that her story is about the people, the characters who may so happen to be Mormons (or not!). That being said, it touches on issues that even non-Mormons may encounter and experience.

Fatalism

“Remember when Luke burned his leg?” Dad said, as if I could forget. “That was the Lord’s plan. It was a curriculum. For your mother. So she would be ready for what would happen to me.”

This sort of fatalism is prevalent in many folk religions and more common in the olden days when people back then did not have access to the technology we have now to combat diseases and to predict the next weather disturbance so that we may be better prepared for it. The fact that this thinking is still prevalent in this day and age seems to indicate the unwillingness to take personal responsibility for situations that could have been prevented. While I admit that there is also a group of parents who “over-parent” and try to avoid any harm to come to their child, it shouldn’t be an excuse for not giving proper care and medical attention when needed. In Tara’s family, they never went to the hospital and would avoid seeing the doctors no matter how badly hurt they may be. Everything is “cured” holistically which actually led to her mom’s home business of selling herbal medicine and essential oils taking off as a big commercial venture. Whether this is divine intervention or simply a lucky twist of fate, it doesn’t excuse the fact that they failed to give the care needed when sickness and injury occurs, which is tantamount to neglect.

Role of Women

“The next morning I found Dad in the kitchen, dumping flour into a glue-like substance I assumed was supposed to be pancake batter. When he saw me, he dropped the flour and sat at the table. “You’re a woman, aint’cha?” he said. “Well, this here’s the kitchen.”

The role of women in Tara’s family was clearly defined. Dictated by very old-fashioned traditional gender roles, it also defines the wife’s and the husband’s roles.

“That’s wifely work,” Dad said. “I’ve never heard of a man writing cards.”

-       on writing thank you cards to guests at the funeral

Tara also bucks the role that she is expected to play. She realized that if she stayed in Buck’s Peak, she would simply be having babies and her mother would be the tending midwife. This didn’t appeal to her and she was encouraged to take the American College Testing (ACT) by an older brother who was able to escape their little neck of the woods and the stranglehold of their family’s beliefs.

Many other cultures still hold traditional gender roles as sacred. Is this due to religious or cultural beliefs? Is it subjugation of women by men? Are men intimidated by how much women may accomplish given the opportunity? Whatever the reasons are, this is not isolated to the Westovers of Idaho.

Family Loyalty

“Every time I suggested that Shawn was violent or manipulative in any way, Dad shouted at me: “Where’s your proof? Do you have proof?”

Tara describes how she has been estranged by half of her immediate family because she refused to admit that she may have been wrong about how her brother treats his siblings and his wife. The great divide was between those who had pursued higher education and those who had not; between those who had moved and lived outside of their little neck of the woods and those who stayed and worked for the family business.

“But when my own mother didn’t believe me, I stopped believing myself.”

-Audrey, Tara’s sister, on reporting to her mother

     about Shawn’s treatment of her

Though broken, Shawn was physically violent and unstable. Instead of defending the victims, the parents chose to defend the abuser—saying that he was “broken” and needed the support and understanding of his family. But in doing so, the parents alienated and failed to acknowledge that they had other children in the family who literally suffered under his hands. Though there seemed to be moments when the mom seemed torn and seemed to show support for Tara, in the end, for whatever reasons she may have, she would fold and harp the same beliefs that her husband would espouse leaving Tara hanging dry.

I gritted my teeth when the author described these moments, and I thought myself lucky that I was merely a passive reader than an actual character in the scene unfolding. Then I realized that Tara’s experience is not all that uncommon. How many times have we been told to sweep things under the rug rather than expose a family member for the mental illness that they may have? How many times have we suggested a family member get professional help only to be scoffed at for even suggesting we pay a total stranger for listening to personal grievances? And should you dare rock the boat and break the status quo, you’re persona non grata. You ruined the “peace and quiet” in the family, and YOU’RE the troublemaker although you’re the one trying to help nip the situation in the bud and prevent something worse from happening.

Same thing with Tara. She refused to play the “quiet” game, the “let’s-just-all-pretend-Shawn-never-really-did-that” game since there was no hard evidence that he did what they said he did. And in doing so, she has been cut off by her parents, some of her siblings and family members who, unfortunately, are still tied to the family some way, somehow.

Mental Health

“But sometimes I think we choose our illness, because they benefit us in some way.”

Tara’s mom acknowledges in one scene that her husband may be suffering from mental illness—a surprise admission which fizzled into nothing towards the end of the book. Instead of taking action for her husband’s possible bipolar disorder, she chooses to accept her husband for who he is and refused to seek help. Despite the negative effects on her own children and on herself, she goes along and keeps the status quo. In more ways than one, it is not just about a wife trying to put up with an abusive husband from which she cannot escape from. It could be about having no other options because they have grown dependent on the abuser or they have been conditioned to fear the unknown outside of the life she is already familiar with. We’d rather make excuses for a very bad situation rather than be thrust into an unknown place.

Often times, the person suffering from mental illness is aware and may use it to manipulate the people around him/her to either get what s/he wants or to make excuses for bad behavior towards other people without having to apologize and make amends for it. It is a convenient excuse to have, really, especially since the onus is on the others to understand that you have “something else going on” rather than to take a hard look at yourself and make the difficult decision of dealing with the issues.

Unfortunately, for those in the family brave enough and unwilling to withstand such abuse means they may be estranged with the family they grew up with.

         With everything that the author went through, she found her way out by getting herself educated. With enough metacognitive skills and courage to teach herself and to learn concepts above her head, she was able to open other doors that led to a world outside of scrapping and slaving for her parents. In taking charge of her education, she learned to take care of her mental self, and slowly heal from the emotional scars that cut far deeper than the physical scars she acquired from gathering metal and scraps for her father. It is a story of triumph and victory, and although her relationship with her family is far from ideal at the moment, she has at least reconnected with herself and made herself whole again.

To purchase a copy of this book from Amazon, click here. Sales proceeds help go toward the maintenance costs of The Mama Travels website.

ICYMI: Mike Rowe's Author Event in Baltimore

     When Mike Rowe announced on social media that he was having an author event inside a church in Baltimore, I figured it would be a smaller, intimate crowd of fans waiting for a chance to get an autographed copy of his new book, “The Way I Heard It”, and a photo opp. Not being familiar with the Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore, I crawled into the parking lot to witness a long line of people waiting patiently on one side of the circular sidewalk of the front of the church with people making a U-turn once that line reached the curb to wrap around onto the driveway. I was grateful that a parking attendant directed me to park on the grass as there were no empty spots left in sight. I ended up getting premium parking as a result. I wasn’t very lucky when I got inside. Upon entry, I was greeted by a colorful stained glass display of vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges; the fall colors provided the perfect backdrop for an October book signing event. However, I also couldn’t find a place to sit despite flying solo that evening. So I skedaddled to the side, noting where the chair intended for Mike was facing and tried to find a spot close enough to stand without obstructing anyone’s view. Although it was 30 minutes past the time it was supposed to start, the audience didn’t seem

perturbed by it as Mr. John Rowe, Mike’s dad, suddenly appears with his tablet in both hands, stands in front of the church, and snaps away to document the night’s turnout. Not long after, Mrs. Rowe could be spotted off to the other side of the church, and Mike Rowe strides in in a blue button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves and blue jeans, the same color and style scheme as the clothes he wore for the cover of his book. Mrs. Rowe was tasked to introduce her son for that night’s event, and she quickly dived into her role by citing HER accomplishments as a bestselling author. After a few minutes of “shameless”, humorous plugging of her book, she finally talked about her son—about how in the 80s, she and her husband would miss Sunday service (and to admit it inside a church nonetheless) in order to catch Mike’s opera performances. In the 90s, she supported her son’s QVC gig by staying up at 3 a.m. to catch her son’s latest gaffes and drools as Mike product-tests a mattress he was trying to sell and actually falls asleep on it (Mike denies this, but Mrs. Rowe claims that mothers know best.). But through it all, you can sense the pride she has in her son and in all his accomplishments, and through it all, she never failed to acknowledge the man who has been at her side through all her son’s ups and downs, her Prince Charming, John Rowe.

     Mike finally took the mike (ahem!) and was able to field questions raised by the host. She started out with a question during his time with the opera, which led to questions about his time with QVC, and Mike probably won’t be able to avoid talking about Dirty

Jobs as this is what really made him a household name. She finally talked about what she termed as the “odd” structure of the book. Each section starts out with a mystery of a real person (in the format of his podcasts) which he later connects to something in his real life. This mishmash of stories, somewhat unheard of, and perhaps indeed “odd”, may be the formula for the next spate of bestsellers to come as publishers will see how well Mike’s book does in the coming weeks. As of October 17, somebody had already posted on his social media page that he is #4 on Amazon.

Since the event started late, the host was gracious enough to shorten her time to give room for audience Q & A. What struck me was the number of people who had to drive long distances just to attend the book signing. My drive took around 40 minutes which I considered a relatively long drive coming from two counties away. But the first question went to a man from Michigan (that’s at least, more than two states away, let alone count the counties in between!) who asked about Mike's possible return as Tim Allen’s brother in Last Man Standing which led to Mike talking about Tim’s challenge to getting their prostates checked, and Mike talking about his doctor’s finger up in the nether regions (The venue for the event never changed and this talk still happened inside the church.). Then the mike went to an audience member from Virginia (depending on which part, that could at least be a couple of hours’ drive) who asked how he has been able to keep his private life private in the public eye (“By not saying anything,” Mike advises.). This is then followed by a lady from Delaware (you get the picture!) who wanted a shirt donation from Mike so she could make a teddy bear for a very sick friend. He obliged after a brief mental tug of war on the appropriateness of taking off his shirt in a sacred sanctuary (showing good self-restraint). A man from Carroll County wanted advice for his son who is going to trade school where he launched into a story that didn’t directly address the question (or was forgotten somewhere as he delved into his story). A woman talked about how his Returning the Favor show affected her and effectively showed her that there are so many good people out there. And the last question of the night went to an 11-year old girl who is a fan of a show that ended when she was 4 years old. She asks Mike that out of all the dirty jobs he did for his show, which one would he choose if he weren’t a TV personality. Keeping up with the theme of “free association” and losing track of the original question as he ventures a little off-tangent in telling his stories, he does the same for this last question—a question he answered by deflecting back to why he did the show in the first place, which is to honor his grandfather whom he obviously admired and could never aspire to even come close.

The night ended with another long line to have a picture taken with Mike Rowe in the narthex of the church. I quickly read the first three stories while waiting and as I got closer, I saw that there will be no opportunities for a quick question and conversation as they were trying to have everyone smile, click, and pass out the card for people to just download the photo in the comforts of their home. I don’t blame them as there were more people after me, still waiting for their turn.

On my way out, as I pulled on my jacket as the air was nippy, I decided to take one last walk in with the intention of taking one more picture of a poster of the book for blogging purposes. As I did, I noticed that Mike’s dad, John Rowe, was still in the building. He’s no Elvis, but I actually thought he and Mrs. Rowe may have already retired for the night. I approached him to make small talk, and he was very kind and courteous in answering my questions about when his wife’s second book was coming out. I thanked him and left the venue on a high note.

     What struck me was how much positivity there was in the room and how people do need a touch of levity in light of today’s negative news environment. Although I knew most of the Mike stories that were told and retold during the night’s events, the delivery is what makes them still funny to listen to. One gets drawn into the obviously warm relationship Mike has with his parents as he speaks glowingly of them returning the favor of his mom’s adoring introductory remarks of him. This proves the popularity of the Rowe family as they show how they maneuver this journey called life through respect, humility, optimism, and plenty of good humor to pass around.

More Book Reviews (ca. 2011)

This review first appeared on June 22, 2011, on my old Multiply blogsite.

So, it's been a while since my last book review. So, I figured it was time to share with you some of the more memorable books I have read. To start off (although the order of books is not in any kind of order), I got into the Percy Jackson series mainly because I knew the movie version of it came out (so it got some buzz) and upon reading the summary, it was kinda interesting. It mixed Greek mythology (which I absolutely loved when we took it up in high school) and modern-day setting (USA) and buzzwords (like ADHD). The whole series was well-written and the plot and details were in sync. Naturally, the author took some liberties with some of the demigods and mythical beings, but overall, it was still entertaining and it even introduced me to mythical monsters I had not previously heard of. Unfortunately, the movie was a disappointment because they totally veered away from the main storyline. The acting wasn't that great either, but there will be a movie sequel, maybe by next year, and from what I've read from the comments, people were saying they had better stick to the book.

On to more mature audiences..."Water for Elephants" is also another movie tie-in and it was shown recently. I have not watched it yet, but I definitely plan to.  It is a love story but what made it unique was the setting. It's set in the Big Top, the circus life during the Prohibition. I normally don't go for the whole romance genre anymore but this was definitely a nice twist to an age-old romance plot. I would recommend it for the novelty of it.

"The Help" is one of the nicer and even funny books about the life of African-Americans in the South, particularly Jackson, Mississippi. The movie will be released in August, and it will be one on the top of my list to watch. It talks about how the black womenfolk worked as servants for the rich white households. It talks about how they are treated and how they coped. It's an interesting read because it talks about another aspect of African-American history that is not focused on slavery and plantations. It was an eye-opener and worth the read.

"The Secret Life ofBees" is another interesting read about African-American ladies taking in a white kid who ran away from home. The book was interesting in the sense that the characters' lives seem to always cross paths at certain points or through common people. It's a good feel-good story about African-Americans helping out a white kid for a change, as most movie plots always revolve around black kids being "saved" or mentored by white people. The movie, I do not recommend. It was slow and dragging whereas the book seemed to have more "spunk" and action to it. Definitely read the book first if you are planning to watch the movie (starring Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Dakota Fanning).

Now, on to something a little more exotic and different from what I usually read. I decided to read this series when I heard that the author, Alexander McCall Smith, was going to be at the public library to give a little talk and book signing. Of course, by the time I found out, the venue was already packed and I couldn't get a seat. Nevertheless, it piqued my interest since the title was already familiar as I would often see it while browsing the bookstores, so I figured, what the heck, let me try it. Been hooked since then. It talks about a Botswana woman named Precious Ramotswe who opens the No. 1 LadiesDetective Agency. She solves mysteries and crimes through common sense. No high tech James Bond type of gadgets and no weapons. This is not to say that she did not dabble with dangerous cases. Set in the Botswana wilderness and the capital of Gaborone, she encounters her fair share of ruthless people. HBO actually produced a TV miniseries based on the book. Unfortunately, after 7 episodes, it got canceled. Based on the comments, viewers and followers of the series made a very good point that it is sad that a show that DOES NOT portray Africans in the usual stereotyped roles should be canceled because it was a good, "mellow" show. Fans of Precious Ramotswe will miss her old-fashioned values and common sense.

Ahhh... the series that had disturbed characters in an equally disturbing storyline. Filled with violence and perverseness, these books are not for the faint at heart. Lisbeth Salander had a lot from her past to deal with which overhangs into her present and future. She is a professional hacker and gets herself embroiled in Mikael Blomkvist's affairs. Originally written in the author's native Swedish, it has since been translated to English where it reached a much wider audience and was on the bestseller list for months! There is a Swedish movie adaptation of the book and there have been talks of a Hollywood version though nothing final yet. The author actually passed away before seeing how successful his books became in the international market. If you like adventure and action, this series is for you.

On to lighter stuff. "Holes" by Louis Sachar was a surprise hit for me. Again, I've heard about it, I've seen it in bookstores and finally decided to go for it. Yes, it's a kid's book and Disney produced the movie version, BUT the topic, plot, and setting is definitely not your typical "kids' stuff". Set in a "boot camp" for juvenile delinquents, juvies have to dig holes according to certain specifications as part of their "reformation" and "character-building". Little do they know that the vast wasteland they were on has a rich history that will be fulfilled by the present characters. It switches from the back story to the present until it all ties in very well at the end. Surprisingly, the movie was well done, too. Shia Labeouf played Stanley Yelnats, the main character, before hitting it big in "Transformers". Very good entertaining piece. I also read the sequel called "Small Steps" which is a spin-off of one of the other juvies. The approach was a little bit different but still entertaining enough.

Now, I saved the best for last. This is by far, one of the more, if not the most, entertaining books I've read in a while. After finishing off the Harry Potter series, I haven't really had one of those "I-can't-put-this-book-down" kind of feeling. Well, the Hunger Games series (which includes Catching Fire and Mockingjay) is a real page-turner. It is set in a dystopic setting where what used to be America is gone and in its place is Panem. Thirteen districts exist to provide for the needs of the Capitol and to show the Capitol's supremacy over them, each district sends two teenagers in a survival type of test where in order to survive, the others had to die, including your district partner because there can only be one winner. Although it is being touted as the next TWILIGHT, I must loudly object to this because they are TOTALLY different. Whereas, Twilight was basically a very sappy love story and Bella Swan couldn't decide who to choose, Katniss Everdeen is a totally strong-minded, independent girl who was oblivious to the love and affection of the boys around her. Well, when you are the main hunter in a game to help your family from starving to death, love and romance are probably the least of your concerns.  Whereas Bella had "extraordinary powers", Katniss had real-life survival skills that don't make the whole storyline seem so "out there". The best part is that Katniss doesn't throw herself at the boys like Bella would do. I would say, Katniss is the anti-Bella, and that's probably why I enjoyed the story more.

It's not all fiction and popular reads though.  Lately, I had also been able to take one book out of retirement--the Bible. All my Bibles are back in the Philippines and someone gave us the New American Bible two Christmases ago. I've picked it up mainly to look at certain passages and although I don't read it from cover to cover, it is filled with powerful words that are a gentle reminder of what is true and good in this world.

"Oh, What a Night!"

This blog first appeared on February 19, 2011, on my personal Multiply site.

I have not watched a play in, oh maybe, two years now. The last one was in New York, and it was even an off-Broadway show called "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change". So when I heard the "Jersey Boys" was playing at the Hippodrome Theater in Baltimore, I couldn't resist the chance of watching it.

How do I know it's worth watching? This is not one of the more classical musicals like "My Fair Lady" or "Sound of Music". When I first bought my Rav-4, it came with 3 months of free XM Radio. I stuck to the Broadway channel for the most part and was able to get caught up on the more recent releases. The song "Big Girls Don't Cry" came up, and since it was already a popular song, I was intrigued as to which musical featured it. True enough, the commentator said it was "Jersey Boys". So I hop on over to the public library and borrow the CD. 

It's a pretty sweet deal.  We come to the show prepared because the songs are familiar and we pretty much get the storyline. So now, it's a matter of how they execute the story on stage.

So we headed over to another part of Baltimore. Me, in a nice little black dress, and a purple shawl. It was a beautiful night out on the town. For once, none of us had to wear a winter coat!!! As we got out of the parking lot, we were greeted by the lights of the Hippodrome. Outside, it looked elegant, classical yet modern. The big picture windows let you see the theatergoers mingling inside, just as the people inside can see the gawkers outside. 

The inside did not disappoint. The inside of the theater had paintings (frescoes, maybe), and it was huge. Typical of most theaters though, the seats were small and close together. I had the misfortune of sitting next to this lady (who came by herself), probably in her 40's, whose elbow kept bumping into me and she didn't even say sorry. During the show, which is based on the group the Four Seasons and Frankie Valli, she started singing along (OFF-KEY!) to "Walk Like a Man", "Sherry", and "Oh, What A Night". At one scene, she yelled "OMG!" when she was surprised by a gunshot sound effect. No, she did not say "Oh, my God!". She said "O-M-G!" Yeah, and trust me when I say she looks way older than me... Not only did she break all the rules of play-watching etiquette, but she also started acting like a groupie and would raise an arm in the air and move it with the music. I'm like, "OMG! She's at the wrong show." Of course, I thought about this in my head, because I'm not gonna start LOLling and acting like a teenager. Fortunately for me, and the other person on her other side, she didn't come back after the intermission. We didn't have to put up with her singing off-key to "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". She may be passed out in the bathroom or something (because she sure acted like she may have had a little too much to drink).

All in all, it was an amazing show. The actor who played Frankie Valli had an amazing falsetto and the harmony was just great. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring another part of Baltimore. We don't do this very often (go out on a work night) and we were exhausted when we got back home. But as the French would say, "Ces soiree-la!".

Tears for Fears: Concert Review

This blog first appeared on August 24, 2010, on what was once the Multiply blog site. 

Roland Orzabal said at last night's Tears for Fears concert at the 9:30 Club in DC: "We're not only a classic 80's band.... [pause]...oh yes, we are!"

It was truly a remarkable concert. Yes, yes, I know some people will say, "But that's OLD." Hey, Elvis is old and some people still like him, right? Why? Because they are CLASSICS in their own way.

If you think of the '80s, it speaks of a whole genre of music. Yes, it was "pop-py" and it was a decade of one-hit wonders, but people have so much nostalgia for this time. This was the decade of my teens.... yes, the teen angst stage, trying to look "cool" by listening to top 40 music and watching, at that time, Video Hit Parade. I shunned going to family engagements in favor of sitting in front of the radio, on standby, waiting to record my favorite song as soon as it came on. The result of which were dozens of tape recordings with radio DJ's commentaries cut off, either at the beginning or at the end.

And one of the bands that definitely stood out in that decade was Tears for Fears. In fact, as much of a huge Wham! fan that I was, the first cassette tape I bought was the Tears for Fears album, "Songs from the Big Chair". Yes, it cost PHP75 at that time, but if you're not getting a big allowance, that was a lot of saving up that I had to do.

The concert we watched was worth the $50 something we paid for each ticket. They did not disappoint in playing their greatest hits like "Mad World", "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", "Head Over Heels", "Pale Shelter", "Break It Down Again", etc., etc.  Even the songs they played from "Side B" (or even "Side C", as Roland Orzabal called it) did not sound awful or grating at all. In fact, they both sounded crisp (especially Roland) and their voice quality did not change despite being older in years. THEY JUST SOUNDED REALLY GOOD!

This is only my second concert here in America (the first one was around 3 years ago for a John Mayer-Sheryl Crow back-to-back concert in Virginia, which wasn't that great), and my first concert at a club. There are definitely some pros and cons to it.  A club is smaller, more intimate, so the musicians are closer to you, BUT it is basically standing room only, so we just positioned ourselves at the stairs so we can get a better view (unless somebody taller stood in front of you). The club is not like the night club we have back in the Philippines (just to clarify! hehe!), but it's more like a smaller performance venue where there are a few tables for people who get there early enough and can order drinks while waiting or watching.... (They actually serve coffee also, and not just alcohol.).

I actually had to go out of my comfort zone to agree to watch this show. Yeah, I like Tears for Fears but on a school night? On a Monday night? On my first day back at work? For it to be starting relatively late at 9 pm? There were definitely more arguments against watching a concert that I might not enjoy because of all the above-mentioned factors. But after hearing about the success of TFF's jaunt in Manila, I couldn't pass it up. Who knows when they'll get together again for another concert? A few more years, I may deem myself too old to be hanging out at a club on a weeknight. So I took that leap and just said, "Let's do it".  And I am SO glad I did.

If a band's a CLASSIC, there's a reason why they are. You just don't get tired of listening to the songs because they will always sound good and "fresh" for you. When we got back from the concert, we played the other songs that they didn't play from the concert on my iPod, and we are still "high" from it....

Blast From the Past

The following reviews were first blogged by me on the now-defunct Multiply site. With a little editing and proofreading, I have refreshed some of my old reviews.

Book Review 
As first blogged on Multiply on August 16, 2009 

My one achievement this summer was that I was able to read a lot more books than I have ever had since I came to America. In fact, I've read more books now than I did before coming here (when I was still in Manila).  Trying to save money by not traveling has allowed me the luxury of time to read. And read, I did. Granted, the reading material is mostly light and easy reads, but when it's summertime and I need a break from work, it's something that eases the mind and is just relaxing.

So here are some of my reviews of the books I have read this summer (warning: spoilers):

Note: Unfortunately, the author has used some
of the funds for his charity for personal
expenses leaving his reputation in tatters.

I started reading this book either last year or early this year.  Because of all the craziness at work, I only got to finish the book in early summer. Why is that? Well, the first part talked about mountain climbing and all that stuff which could get technical and a bit dragging. But once it started talking about the hardships the author had to go through in order to get his first school set up, it became a lot more interesting. I liked his notion that education was the main weapon to combat extreme Muslim groups in Pakistan and even Afghanistan. He was able to explain how people in that region could be drawn and recruited by the Taliban and how important it was to educate people, especially the women in order to fight against the brainwashing that can sometimes occur with extremists. He did portray also that non-extremist Muslims share mostly the same values of education, peace, hard work, etc. as the rest of the Christian world. Once the school-building got started, I got more into it. It is a very inspiring story that there is hope amidst all the terror in the world right now, and an individual CAN make a difference.

According to some news sources, they say the author is being considered for the Nobel Peace Prize this year... (Note: Obama won that year and donated $100,000 of his cash prize to Greg Mortensen's Central Asia Institute. If nothing else, Mortensen did set up schools however, the misuse of funds certainly placed a damper on his message of education in order to fight extremism.)

So that was my "heavier" read for this summer. Now onto the "lighter" section... If my former student from Iloilo, Philippines had not asked me to order some Twilight merchandise to sell in Iloilo, I would not have thought to read the series. I am not a "young adult" a.k.a. teens/early 20s, and so I am commenting on this based on my mental age (whatever that is!).

Admittedly, it's a vampire love story, but honestly, I have never met a sappier guy than Edward Cullen. "Take care of my heart, because I left it with you..." [puke]. "I like watching you sleep...." [creepy]. "You're like my own personal drug...my own brand of heroin...." [uh-oh, drug pusher]. Seriously, no matter what year you were born in (he was supposed to be 17 years old in 1918), if you were a guy and you said that, wouldn't that be too.... over-the-top saccharine-filled mush that any practical, sensible, AND realistic woman would know that it's just a line? Ha! 
The books also give misconceptions on what love is. First of all, the girl is pretty much a loser with no life and no friends, and she has her world revolving around this one dude. Unhealthy and pathetic, don't you think? Secondly, teenagers are reading this and Bella is pretty much throwing herself at Edward and wanting to engage in intercourse. Yes, yes, Edward insisted on waiting till after they get married, but I sure hope this is not a reflection of teenage girls of today and/or start giving teen girls ideas that it is perfectly acceptable to throw yourself at guys. Also, the whole idea of "imprinting" seems to give readers the idea that love is NOT a choice. That love just happens and you have one soulmate and that's it.  There's nobody else. And once you've been imprinted, nothing else matters. Hmmm... do I see a trend here? I sure hope readers are smarter and can discern these things better...
One critique is how the author just totally changed the concept of vampires and werewolves...oops! I mean, shapeshifters... (how politically correct). Vampires now glisten in the daylight and they don't just come out at night anymore. Will the next generation still remember the classic vampire persona literature has embodied prior to the Twilight series?  When I read "Breaking Dawn," it actually seemed more like X-Men than a vampire story because of all the "supernatural" powers the vampires had (like they weren't supernatural enough already!). The ending was anticlimactic. The author built it up well and readers expect a close fight between Volturi and the Cullen camp, but nah! They just talked their way out of it...  Chicken!
All in all, it WAS an entertaining enough read, but you have to get past all the honey-dripping pages to get to some kind of action.  Also, being the teacher that I am, I cannot help but be distracted by several grammatical errors and missing words... She needs to get a better editor, considering her background is also in English Lit, you would expect she would proofread a little before she turned her work into the publisher.

Here is a funny clip from Buffy the Vampire Slayer mixed in with scenes from Twilight the movie.  It illustrates just how weird Edward's character is...


That was such a long rant that I should have just made a separate review just for the Twilight series (and yes, I finished reading all four books!).

Now onto children's books. I have always loved children's literature and I really got into the fairy tale genre this summer. I've had "Fairest" sitting on my bookshelf for the longest time (I got it on sale), but I only had the opportunity to read it now. No real complaints except she tried to be creative with gnome-speak by having it written backward like sarhT. It would have been better if it were still an actual word just written backwards like retteB for better.  So there were definitely a lot of nonsense words that you can't even say. It's as if she just randomly ran her fingers over the keyboard to come up with a bunch of scrambled letters  Since it was entertaining enough, I noticed that I had  "Cinderellis and the Glass Hill" in a box full of my classroom library books. I quick read it in less than an hour. Again, it was entertaining, lighthearted reading.  

Another book just sitting on my shelf for some time now (yes, I bought it on sale) is  Book 1 of The Mistmantle Chronicles. It looked very kiddie, but it's surprisingly not kiddie (IMO) because of the violence. It actually touched on topics that are akin to abortion and euthanasia. There were definite killings in the book and talks of darkness and evil. It's definitely not something you'd want to read to an 8-year old before bedtime. I actually found the book engaging and yes, maybe next summer, I'll read Book 2 of the series. (I think there are 4-5 in this series so far....).

I nearly forgot that I also read the third installment of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw." Its comic style and easy read make it entertaining enough that my nephew who isn't a bookworm like his Irish twin older sister has this on his reading list. This is one of my "fast food" reads. 

Not a bad haul considering I spent the early part of the summer vacation playing on my Nintendo DS (darn those addicting puzzle games).

I don't know how much reading I can squeeze in this school year, but I do look forward to next summer especially since I am really tapping into local resources (i.e., the public library). So I guess the summer was not a total waste, and my one regret is that I wish I had read more.