Slaughterhouse Five

After re-reading this for a fourth time I picked up on so many new elements that I had somehow overlooked the first two times. I know the character, Kilgore Trout, shows up in most Vonnegut novels but I had totally missed the fact that Howard J. Campbell, the American Nazi war criminal from "Mother Night," makes a few brief appearances in here and so does Eliot Rosewater. I feel like an idiot for missing key pieces like that! I'm getting rusty!

Anyways, this is probably one of the best instances of Kurt Vonnegut's literary genius. It's a staple in every collection and is one of the best "anti-war" books there is. Vonnegut is a master at conveying the absurdity of war and does a brilliant job of getting his point across by introducing the unforgettable Billy Pilgrim. Billy has come unstuck in time and "Slaughterhouse Five, or the Children's Crusade" is Billy's journey back and forth through different parts of his life. Billy surviving the fire bombing in Dresden during World War II, Billy marrying his wife, Billy being abducted by aliens, and Billy practicing optometry. The prose and the back and forth of all these moments is brilliant and some of Vonnegut's most memorable quotes are found in these pages.

If you haven't read this already, what are you waiting for?

Inspector Dewey

An adorably illustrated story that kids will keep coming back to. Dewey, rather Inspector Dewey, will delight readers of all ages as he recounts his story of mystery, bravery, and good ol' sleuthing. Dewey may be a cat, but he's no ordinary cat. One night, he was able to put his inspector skills to the test and keep his family safe from a mysterious figure lurking outside. Filled with hilarious phrases "Crusty Cod!", gorgeous illustrations, and intrigue; this picture book is worth every penny. I hope to see more in a series! Intended for readers 3 and up, (younger kids will love the pictures, but may struggle understanding some of the vocabulary).

I received this book for free from iRead Book Tours in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

This is What I Did

So this is a book discussion book that I'm reading with teens in the juvenile detention facility. I'm hoping they really dig the short breezy sections, the absence of chapters, and intrigue. As an adult reading this, I picked up the "twist" fairly quickly. However, hopefully teens who aren't heavy readers will still be surprised at the end. The story follows Logan as he comes to term with his new school, his shitty life, and his past. Something horrible happened last year. Something soo horrible that he can't talk about it or forget it. He should have stopped it but he didn't. And now it's slowly ruining his life and his reputation. All the kids at his new school think there is something horribly wrong with Logan, are they right? Reader's will try to piece together what happened and have to decide how they feel about Logan afterwards. Is everything black and white or are there shades of gray?

You're Making Me Hate You

Corey Taylor's third book is all that it promises and more. He's pulled out all the stops on this one and if you thought he was loud, crass, and in your face in his other books, you've got another thing coming! This time Corey focuses on things that piss him off, namely... YOU (people in general really). It's beyond cantankerous, picture an old man yelling with a beer in one hand and a shotgun in the other, maybe throw in some cigarettes, pit bulls, and expletives and you get the drift. He bemoans all that is wrong with our society, in crass hysterical writing and tries to offer some "humble" advice so we lowly dirtbags don't pass through life being soo moronic and self-absorbed. I should clarify however, that it is not a self help book. It's a big rant, broken into sections that contain observations, advice, and some hilarious stories to help illustrate his many points. Not for the faint of heart, this diatribe is for fans of Corey Taylor, cranky old men, and people who are just fed up with the dumb fucks.

The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears

A very concentrated history covering the Trail of Tears and the decade of failed treaties surrounding it. Being pretty ignorant on the subject other than what I "learned" in school I was excited to immerse myself in a history book that would expand what little I knew. While this was an enlightening book, it was very concentrated and I hate to say it, but a little dry. This is not for the light reader, this is for the dedicated history of Native American scholar. This nonfiction book focused on the numerous failed treaties and betrayal of the American government to protect and care for the Cherokee nation. The actions (rather inaction) of the American government was shameful and appalling and I was impressed that the author didn't do a lot of finger pointing (although it would have been very, very easy to do). An enlightening, depressing read for fans of history and American/ Native relations.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

This is one of those books that I can't believe I've waited soo long to read. Honestly, it's a bit of a travesty that I waited nearly 27 years of my life to get around to reading this. I made the fortunate decision to listen to the audiobook version narrated by Douglas Adams himself and I was not disappointed. He perfectly captured the essence of his work with his fast paced, British, odd humored narration. Perfection. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is the first of its series and hilariously recounts the adventures of Arthur (a human earthling) and Ford (an experienced alien hitchhiker) as they try to muddle their way around the galaxies. Ridiculousness abounds. Excellent, tongue in cheek book and I can't wait to read the next in the series.

Rain

Rain, it inspires kissing, dancing, reading, or glumness, anger, and depression. It can make crops grow or make them die. Depending on where in the world you live it can be a daily occurrence and for many of us, it is never once delved into. Before reading this book I couldn't tell you if I had ever really thought about rain other than, "Damn this is going to ruin my hair." It's something we take for granted. Cynthia Barnett goes into detail and explore the natural and cultural history of rain, and trust me, it's fascinating. Rain is more than just the frowny face on the weatherman's report, it's an essential part of life as we know it. Barnett captures the beauty and mystery of raindrops, thunderstorms, and clouds; and once you read this book it is impossible to look at the sky again. Simply masterful.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.