What's in a Name Challenge 2009 Wrap-Up

I completed the What's in a Name Reading Challenge. Here is the link to my original post. These were the final titles I chose for the challenge.

My list:
1. The Thief Lord - Cornelia Funke (completed 1/29/09)
2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon (completed 1/07/09)
3. The Mistress's Daughter - A.M. Homes (completed 3/03/09)
4. Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts (completed 1/05/09)
5. Summer House - Nancy Thayer (completed - 7/16/09)
6. Blindness - José Saramago (completed 1/11/09)

Summer House by Nancy Thayer

Summer House is told through the viewpoints of three women in the same family. Nona- is the 90 year old grandmother and head of the family. Helen- in her late fifties, she is married to Nona's son Worth. And Charlotte- thirty, she's Helen's daughter and is residing yearlong at the summer house in Nantucket along with her grandmother Nona. The Wheelwright family is all gathering together in their summer house for what they call "Family Meeting" (a meeting where the whole family comes together to discuss their assets, finances, and family matters), Nona's 90th Birthday and well, just to sail, swim, play tennis and relax.

The chapters switch back and forth between all three women:

Charlotte started an organic garden on a portion of her grandmother’s land three years ago - she works long, hard days. She has become rather fond of her garden and her business is blooming. She's the dreamer in the family but her work in the garden has really opened her eyes and you can tell that it is helping her firmly plant her feet on steady ground.

Helen has her share of issues - for one, she has been molded to be the perfect wife and more importantly, a Wheelwright - even if it meant giving up on some of her dreams and aspirations. Over the summer she learns of her husbands unfaithfulness and is questioning if she made the right choices over her life. Not to mention she is questioning her mothering skills - neither of her three of children has accomplished what she and her husband envisioned for them in life. Charlotte is stil not married and is running her garden - with no suitors in sight... but especially no grandbabies. Oliver lives with his partner (Owen) in San Francisco - as far away from the family and the family business as possible. And then there's her youngest, who is an alocholic and drug addict - he shows up at the summer house with news of his marraige and a very pregnant wife.

Nona spends most of her days reliving the past. Her beloved husband Herb passed away several years ago leaving her as head of the family. Although she is 90, she is seen as quite a force and is very respected by all. With the family meeting and the whole bunch reunited at her home she has to give up her peaceful daily routine and be the one to help guide and pacify her crazy family members.

This is family drama at it's best. I loved that there were so many characters (some liked and some not so much) and they all had one problem or another including with eachother. I really enjoyed reading the three viewpoints - the age differences made the same event be seen in three different perspectives. This is the second book I read about Nantucket this summer and I am really considering planning a vacation there. Ms. Thayer creates wonders with her words of what life on Nantucket would be like.

This is definitely the book you want to grab and stuff in your beachbag as you are running out the door - it's a light read full of drama, and plenty of family secrets that keep you guessing... I really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it.

My thanks to Dorothy at Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours for sending me this copy for review.

The Mistress's Daughter by A.M. Homes

The Mistress’s Daughter is a memoir of author A.M. Homes’ journey in discovering her roots. She provides great insight into her life as an adoptee and the experiences of reuniting with her biological parents. I was completely engrossed in the story of her reunion with her birth parents which is as riveting (and sometimes as emotionally and factually confusing) as I would imagine the experience itself would be. This book was written in such an honest, straightforward way.

Here are some quotes that I can say really pulled at the heartstrings:

"---I am not my adopted mother's child, I am not Ellen's child. I am an amalgam. I will always be something glued together, something slightly broken. It is not something I might recover from but something I must accept, to live with---with compassion."

"To be adopted is to be adapted, to be amputated and sewn back together again. Whether or not you regain full function, there will always be scar tissue."

"I have a great fear of attachment and an equally constant fear of loss---"

"Did I choose to be found? No. Do I regret it? No. I couldn't not know."

Although the book started out strong and interesting, mostly dealing with her finding her biological parents are and her dealings with them, the middle of the book made me lose interest. The second half of the story dealt with her search involving her lineage and just felt like a never ending discussion of genealogy.

I think, to a reader who is unfamiliar with adoption - this book may not make too much sense for them. But I loved the writing so much. A.M. Homes has a wonderfully unique narrative style that pulls you in and keeps you there. This novel is pretty universal in the sense that it asks questions that all of us do. Where do we come from? Why are we here? What are our connections to the past and history and family?

All in all, if you’re interested in adoption, genealogy or A.M. Homes, this is definitely a book for you.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

Prosper and Bo are on the run from their aunt and uncle who want to separate the brothers by having the young Bo live with them while shipping the older Prosper off to boarding school. With hopes of staying together, they flee to the magical city of Venice where they are taken in by a mysterious boy who calls himself the "Thief Lord". With the help of their Thief Lord they are able to reside in an abandoned movie theater with other young runaways - who they consider family and the dilapidated theater a home. Along the way we also meet Victor Getz- the detective hired by Bo and Prosper’s aunt and uncle to help find the boys (and by far my favorite character).

This story was such a fun, action-filled, fast-paced adventure! I loved all the details and descriptions of Venice. The characters were full of wit and quite funny. The story itself is well-written has the perfect combination of magic, imagination, and reality.

For those of us who love adventure, twisty plots and witty characters - this is really a treat.

Blindness by José Saramago

Firstly, I want to start by saying that this was one of the scariest books that I have ever read.

A city is hit by an epidemic of "white blindness" which spares no one. Authorities begin by quarantining the blind to an empty mental hospital, but there the criminal element holds everyone captive, stealing food rations and raping women. There is one eyewitness to this nightmare who guides seven strangers. I really liked the way that nobody in the story had a name (i.e.: the doctor, the doctor’s wife, the girl with the dark glasses, the man with the black eyepatch, the thief, the first blind man, the boy with the squint, etc.)... a blind person doesn’t need a name they are only a voice.

The writing style was a bit hard for me at first - there is no use of quotations throughout the whole story so it was a bit difficult to distinguish who was speaking- but I caught on quickly enough.

Saramago has a profound way of getting into the depths of human psychology. I found it to be difficult at times, but very thought provoking. What would you do? The world can no longer function as we know it and we are down to living in the streets and scavenging for food. It is an amazing look at humanity, kindness, and pure despair. I was addicted!

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Christopher Boone has one goal and that is to find out who the murderer of a neighborhood dog (Wellington) is. Although his search is for a dog-murderer, Christopher's quest ultimately uncovers some very important family secrets along the way.

It was fascinating to be able to read thru the point-of-view of an 11 year old child with autism - it definitely made for a compelling read. I loved reading about all the quirks (i.e. his hate of anything yellow or brown, his pain at being touched, how a certain amount of red cars or yellow cars would determine how his day went, how doing "maths" calms him down, etc.). Along the way, you also learn about his daily interactions with his father, teachers and neighbors.

This story provides great insight to those who want to understand what autism is. Most books revolve around people who care for an autistic person and I found this to be a fresh and profound view of living with autism. It was a quick and enjoyable read and an altogether great experience for the insight it provides.

Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

Novalee Nation is seventeen and seven months pregnant when the father of her child abandons her at a Walmart halfway across the nation from anyone she knows. The story of Novalie's life is so beautiful - she overcomes so many obstacles (from being abandoned by her mother as a child to living and giving birth in a Walmart, etc.) yet always looks on the brighter side. She goes through the good, bad, and ugly. I laughed and I cried. It just goes to show that friends can be just as much your family as those who are blood-related to you, sometimes they are even more so. Through Novalee the reader is introduced to a variety of lovable and eccentric characters who teach her that home truly is Where the Heart Is.

What's in a Name Challenge 2009

Rules:

*Dates: January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009

*The Challenge: Choose one book from each of the following categories.

1. A book with a "profession" in its title. Examples might include: The Book Thief, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Historian

2. A book with a "time of day" in its title. Examples might include: Twilight, Four Past Midnight, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

3. A book with a "relative" in its title. Examples might include: Eight Cousins, My Father's Dragon, The Daughter of Time

4. A book with a "body part" in its title. Examples might include: The Bluest Eye, Bag of Bones, The Heart of Darkness

5. A book with a "building" in its title. Examples might include: Uncle Tom's Cabin, Little House on the Prairie, The Looming Tower

6. A book with a "medical condition" in its title. Examples might include: Insomnia, Coma, The Plague.

*You may overlap books with other challenges, but please don't use the same book for more than one category.

*Again, there will be some small prizes scattered throughout. No set schedule, so just be sure to check in once a while. There will also be a prize awarded at the conclusion to one participant who completes the challenge.

*You don't need to decide exactly which books you will be reading ahead of time, though you're certainly welcome to. Either way, I'd love to see your lists of possibilities, and I'll bet everyone else would love to read them as well. To join in, simply leave a link here. Or, if you don't have a blog, simply leave your name (and feel free to share your list in the comments if you'd like).