The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Thank goodness for the book closet of Independence School Local 1. I have borrowed so many books that otherwise I wouldn't have read. 

The Old Man and the Sea is one of those books. When I was first year teacher, one of the science teachers I worked with selected this book to read with his advisory. At first it was a desperate solution to the broken down air conditioner in the room (yaaaay Baltimore City), but then the students continued to read the book. When the teacher told me they finished, he said they got into the book. Now, that teacher has a Ph.D in Chemistry and spoke fluent Spanish. He was wicked smart but on another planet, "I can't relate to normal people" smart. Would this recommendation be solid? 

It is a classic, but I never had to read this book when I was in high school. Before reading, I wondered why. It would tie into Latin American culture and it was a novella. It was by a famous author. 

After reading it, I can totally see why English teachers didn't choose this book, or rather, why the curriculum veered from it. It's kind of, sort of... 

ALRIGHT, I'LL SAY IT. IT'S PRETTY BORING. IT'S LITERALLY ABOUT AN OLD MAN, AND THE SEA. I probably should have taken Dr. Young's recommendation with a grain of salt. 

So, in the book, There is also an apprentice who is forbidden to fish with him because the old man has not caught a fish for a long while. One day, the old man decides to travel out further than he normally does to catch a fish. 

And oh man, he catches the biggest fish of all. The big fish is apparently a legend, and the old man and the fish lock horns to see who has the biggest dick of all. The Old man holds the line for like, a week, it seems, and finally, he is able to kill the fish. 

It doesn't stop there. The sharks smell the blood and go after the fish who is strapped to the boat. I guess I don't know anything about fishing, but wouldn't it make sense to just pull the fish into the boat? Is the fish that big that the boat would sink? 

Sadly, the dirty moochers eat the entire fish before the old man could make it back. He comes back to his sleepy town exhausted and his apprentice takes him to bed. The town admires the skeleton that was once the big fish. 

As I perused some reviews of the book, big claims were made like allegories of the evils of capitalism (or is it good?) and themes like death and dying and the race against time. Whereas I cannot see the allegory, I can see the theme of "racing against time." 

I was going argue why that would be a good theme towards the book. HOWEVER, it's quite possible that we should take this book literally. 

HEAR ME OUT. (Stop screaming at your computer.) 

What if it's simply a story about the old man and the sea and... that's it? Hemingway simply chose an old man for the protagonist because he likes to mix it up a little? What if he wrote the sad ending because he felt gloomy? 

Upon further searching, I found this quote!

"There isn't any symbolism. The sea is the sea. The old man is an old man. The boy is a boy and the fish is a fish. The shark are all sharks no better and no worse. All the symbolism that people say is shit. What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know." 

-Ernest Hemingway

I knew it! 

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

So like Anthem, I chose to read The Pearl by John Steinbeck because it was a novella and I thought it would be a simple book to teach word choice, diction and style. Of Mice and Men is a staple in English curriculum in Maryland and I figured that The Pearl would be on the same level as Of Mice and Men. I also chose it because of its indigenous Latin American people and I thought it would relate nicely to Spanish that 9th graders are taking this year.

The book is about a man, named Kino and his family. They live on meager substance and Kino, like his father before him, is a pearl diver. The dark skinned people are kept poor and uneducated, a fact that is personified when Kino finds the most perfect pearl when he goes fishing. The pearl incites much attention from the village, and Kino dreams of a good life for his family and for his son. However, the white people in the area are hell bent on abusing Kino's naivety and aim to take the Pearl from Kino every chance they get. 

There is one catch, however, the pearl has made Kino very greedy, untrustworthy and impulsive. He knows what the white people, like the doctor and the merchants are trying to do, and he goes to great lengths to make sure that the pearl yields good results for him and his family. Which is noble, but it all goes horribly wrong. 

To put it bluntly, the book is kind of boring. The story itself is not boring, but Steinbeck writes in a very straight forward manner, which doesn't lend itself to much imagination. The Pearl is a fable and for me at least, I would like my fables to be full of colorful language and interesting prose. Steinbeck describes the songs that Kino's people sing and refer too, but there was nothing about the songs that stood out. I couldn't even tell you what they sounded like. I know Steinbeck actively chose to write this way due to the nature of how Kino's people interacted with each other (I think the same sort of straightforwardness) but... I didn't enjoy it. 

Good lessons but bad set up. 

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

I read Blink a few years ago and enjoyed it. I normally am not into nonfiction books, but Malcolm Gladwell does a good job of presenting his research in a easily readable way. I acquired The Tipping Point from a teacher who is going to retire at the end of the school year. He has lots of books in his classroom he is trying to give away, and The Tipping Point was one of them.

Side note. His classroom is a mix between Narnia for history geeks and a mad scientist's laboratory. I'm also quite sure there is a family of racoons living in that room. Maybe even a student...

Back to the book. Now, do I know that Gladwell's theories are true? Heck no! I have no idea if his theories are true and if I wanted to read a scientific journal, I would be more concerned with the research presented to actually prove his points. But the last thing I want to do in my free time is read scientific journals.

As I read up on how other people felt about the book, the major criticism was that Gladwell's book ties loosely together. This book came out an article he wrote, and there are some that feels that it should have remained an article. Now, Gladwell, I think is first a writer and a storyteller. His major aim to appeal to the masses and write something that is easily understood.

Now, do I remember everything from the book? No. Do I even remember each trend he refers to in order to prove the theory of The Tipping Point? (See what I did there?) No. But I enjoyed reading it and I feel smarter after reading it. So as long as my ego is soothed, then everything is A-OK.

So on with the book. The Tipping Point is about how an idea becomes a trend. He analyzes the way an idea becomes a trend and then looks the sort of people that carry the idea into a well known trend. He discusses the "stickiness factor" and looks at the following people that the idea "sticks" too: The mavens, connectors and salespeople. He looks at hushpuppies, the midnight ride of Paul Revere and television among other trends that occurred. It was interesting to read about the children's television and the shift between Sesame Street and Blue's Clues. There is also a chapter on The Tipping Point of The NYC subways and how the smaller actions lent itself to the drastic change of the subways.

If I acquire another Gladwell book, I will happily read it. I find him easy to understand and an enjoyable read.

The Red Queen By Philippa Gregory

This is the companion book to The White Queen, a book that I practically stumbled upon a few years ago when I bought a few things at Mina's on the avenue. They offered a free book with every purchase. For the most part, I found the book selection to be lacking, but this time around, I found The White Queen by Philippa Gregory and enjoyed it immensely.

When I went to Ohio, my friend Abbe took us to The Book Loft, a crazy book store in the German Village that had 32 rooms full of books. I was disappointed in the prices of Octavia Butler's books (though no doubt I would have bought them if I lived in the area) and went on my merry way. Philippa Gregory's books resided on a shelf down a long hallway, and The Red Queen caught my eye. It was on super sale for $6.00. DONE. 

Margaret Beaufort, a Lancaster lady and the closest to royal title, is the polar opposite of Elizabeth Woodville, who is the star of The White Queen. Margie (imma call her Margie), throughout her whole life is convinced that God speaks to her and even fancies herself as a English Joan of Arc. She prays on the reg and believes so strongly that God wants her line to succeed.

But let me back up. Margie, at the age of 14, marries Edmund Tudor. This strengthens any future children's claim to the throne. She and Edmund, who is 15 years her senior, do their duty, and about a year later, she gives birth to Henry (Henry the VII). 

You do feel sorry for her in the beginning. She desperately wants to go to convent, pray and study, but her family will not allow it. They call her to be a "brood mare" for the house of Lancaster, something she bitterly hates. Even when she gives birth to her son at the tender age of 15, her mother declares that if it was a choice between the mother and the son, save the son. I think this moment turned Margie Beaufort into hardened lady because really, what else is there to become? 

However, the War of the Roses fucks everything up. The York sons kick the Mad King to the curb and George obtains the throne with Woodville at his side. Margie is pissed, to say the least, and much of the book is her griping about how everyone else has what she deserves. The house of York messes with Margie Beaufort's shit for most of the book. 

Margie, through the book is insanely jealous of Elizabeth Woodville and despite eventually aligning her house with hers, she is not above throwing shade and making alliances to overthrow the house of York. Even though her dreams of becoming a nun are dashed, she still rides the "Yo. God talks to only me and he says Lancasters are here to stay," sort of vibe.

Oh, and she is desperately in love with Jasper Tudor, her first husband's brother. Buuuuut like how all important people are, he loves her from afar and they can never be together. She goes on to have 2 more loveless marriages and she even serves as a lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth Woodville. She's a conniving bitch and I love her. She is victorious in the end. Huzzah!

It was cool to read the companion book years later. I remember some of The White Queen, and it makes me want to read it again. No, there is no sarcasm there. I just, you know, have other books to read first.

Oh apparently there are a whole bunch of issues with Elizabeth of York and Henry Tudor's relationship. Apparently it's not based on truth? Well, I can't blame my home girl Philly for artistic license. She has to make money somehow. I guess I'll have to find out when I acquire The White Princess.

Adulthood Rites (Xenogenesis #2) by Octavia E. Butler

Ok, random fact, the pages of the book were out of order. Like 4-5 pages of the book. I was confused for a moment because the middle of the sentence dropped off and then on the next page it would pick back up on a different spot (is this a new form of writing she is experimenting with?), but then I realized that the numbers were out of order.

For a $19.00 book that BAE paid for, I am disappointed that they messed up the book. It is also the book that Queen Octavia wrote, so the publisher should be more careful in constructing the book. I think I will write them a strongly worded letter.

This is the second book out of the series, Xenogenesis. The first book, Dawn, rocked my world and I was super excited to read the second book. I read it over a long weekend while I went to Ohio to visit a good friend of mine.

The 2nd book picks up where Lillith is on Earth and has given birth to the Oankali-human species, or construct children, they are called. Her youngest child, Akin, is the first male construct to be born of a human woman.

Oh, before I forget, a major part of Dawn and now of  Adulthood Rites are the themes surrounding procreation, sex and relationships. The Oankali do things a littttttle differently than humans. Along with male and female Oankali, there is a third sex, called Ooloi, where the reproduction occurs. The Ooloi in the first book wedged itself into Lillith's and her lover, Joseph's lives and though it is sexless, many men have registered it as a male due to it's position of power. Lots o' male jealousy.

When the Oankali begin to mesh genetics with humans, construct children has up to 5 (!!!) parents. Jesus, I can barely manage 2. The Ooloi are busy blending DNA of both species and Akin noticeably looks a lot more human than it's siblings. Though Akin looks like a baby, he is extremely intelligent and composes himself quite well.

His baby/human like features will be his curse for most of the book. Humans who were saved by the Oankali were sent down to the newly habitable Earth mostly bolted from the grip of the Oankali. However, there is one catch--they cannot have children. Raiders are then in the market to steal construct children for human villages, and they swipe Akin, to mixed results.

This is a strong second novel in the series exploring the idea of consent and the idea of what humanity is, and what it takes to survive. This book and Dawn also gives me the heeby jeebies in being coerced into consenting to mate with something that is not human. Ooloi and the Oankali several times in both books comment on how they studied humans and they know what is best for humans.

Seriously, Butler. What the fuck. Way to mess with my mind and also draw parallels to colonization. I can't wait until I acquire the third book. I wonder how this series will end...

Anthem by Ayn Rand

Oh Ayn Rand. How the conservativeS sing your praises and the liberals denounce your objectivist ways. Your other books have way too many pages for me to even consider reading, but maybe in a few years where my book stack is uncharacteristically low or someone dares me $200 to read The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged. I would even consider reading if a college student offered to pay me to read and analyze one of her books for an easy grade. Well, jokes on you college student, because have you seen my reviews?

Alright, so the only reason I knew about Anthem was that it was one of the books my co-teacher assigned to the 9th grade last year. Why do we have  Anthem in the book room at my school? (Realistically, book closet. The school I teach at is almost a 1 room school house.) Well, the second question I offer you is why do we have ALL the books by Ayn Rand in the book closet?

I will tell you.

The Ayn Rand Institute gives class sets of ALL her books to schools for free.

That's right. Objectivism lives on in free books. Because really, what teacher can resist anything free?

So, back to the 9th graders reading Anthem last year. I grit my teeth and helped my students through the book, though I am in the liberal camp that thinks she is absolutely nuts. We finish Anthem and we go on our merry way. When I get my batch of 9th graders, who practically read everything under the sun that I was going to assign (because really, what 8th grade ELA teacher teaches Shakespeare? KIPP, that's who), I scoured the book closet.

And came across Anthem.

There is no way they read Ayn Rand! Thus begins my slow descent into madness... though not really. In terms of books she wrote, Anthem is pretty tame even while spatting the philosophy of selfishness (you think I'm joking). The protagonist is a hunk of a man by the name of Equality... something something something. There are numbers after his name, and every single person who lives in this distopian universe also has a virtue and a set of numbers after his name.

Equality enternumbershere is so good looking (tall, built, you get the idea. Ayn Rand had an idea of what she wanted her man to be like), that everybody else is jealous of him. All he wants is to study and be smart, but they give him the job of a sweeper, with all the other idiots. Throughout the book, he also refers to himself as "WE" because you know, SYMBOLISM.

Equality talks about his fellow sweeper mates and how even though it's very clear some of them are meant to be street sweepers, Equality numbers here is not. Then all in one day he sees a lady who is very different than the other fuggos she picks food with and he also finds a box with things in it! So after he hits on the pretty lady by the name of Liberty something numbers and finds out that she's 17 and therefore hasn't gone to the house of mating yet (yeah, apparently they just go off to this house to do the deed. If Liberty Bell was made to do that, well then she's a dirty whore), he goes into this tunnel to do experiments on his box.

He creates electricity and desperate to prove that his hotness does not have to get in the way of his smartness and the World Council has nothing to fear, he presents his findings to the society.

And. All. Hell. Breaks. Loose.

It's a novella and has very good lessons on word choice and author's style, which is why this is the next book I'm teaching (ifff we don't have any snow days). Anthem on its own isn't a bad book. However, Anthem could also act as a gateway drug for Rand's other books.

Dawn By Octavia E. Butler

BAE got me this book for Christmas. I'm quite sure he ordered it off of Amazon, which I won't hate.

Dawn  is the second Octavia Butler book I read and boy, it is different from Kindred. It is the first novel in the Xenogenesis series and it is science fiction. Its a definite departure from Kindred but still runs in the same strands of the African American female experience.

Lillith wakes up in a room. The ceiling is made up light and there is no decorations or furniture in the room except a platform where Lillith can sleep. She discloses that she has been "awoken" before and that other times, there hasn't been a bathroom attached to her cell. The reader has no idea who is keeping Lillith, only that she has been Awoken more than once and that she gets pretty terrible food. Also, in the past, she was Awoken with a human boy, whom she is very attached too, but then is taken away later on.

Also, you find out that there was a war between US and USSR that ended with the apocalypse. Lillith had a family who died when the bombs came and Lillith thought she died too until now because

ALIENS.

LEGIT ALIENS ENTER THE PICTURE. Lillith wakes up, (or is Awoken again, I don't remember) and finds that there is someone else in the room. He hides in the shadow. After they talk for a bit, he reveals himself to be a slightly humanoid alien with sensory thingies (I want to say tentacles, but they aren't quite tentacles?) strategically placed all over his body that acts like his senses. Lillith, needless to say, is freaked out.

The Oankali are very interested in Lillith and the human race. Thinking they will just self-destruct if left alone, the Oankali want to help the human race... by combining their genetics. The human race will be no more and the Oankali chosen Lillith to convince the other humans the aliens saved into working with them.

It does not go as planned.

Like Kindred,  I read this book in just a few days. Butler does not falter in her steps in revealing how Lillith, the other humans and even the Oankali develop. I find Lillith a fascinating character and I sympathize with her but at the end of the book, is also repulsed by her. Even the aliens are multi-dimensional where you simultaneously are repulsed by them but feel pity for them as well.

Octavia Butler, you haven't let me down yet.