Deogratias: a tale of Rwanda by Jean-Phillipe Stassen:

This graphic novel takes place during and after the Rwandan genocide and is told in alternating clips between the present and flashbacks by Deogratias, the title character.

I expected an overview of the war from a more historical perspective, but the book turned out to capture the experience of a single individual, Deogratias, who was affected very profoundly by his experiences. The extent to which he has become disturbed isn’t clear until the very end of the story.

This is a book that requires at least a second reading, once the reader has placed all the characters and the chronology. I felt like I was struggling with the plot for a good portion of the book, but once I had it figured out it made a lot more sense and I realized how sad the whole story really is.

Despite its status as fiction, Deogratias is an important historical work and should be part of any collection that caters especially to teens. With each rereading, I felt like I got deeper and deeper into the plot, deeper even than I was sure I wanted to be. I also came to a new understanding of some of the violence in Rwanda, a subject for which most of my knowledge comes from Don Cheadle.

Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner

My main problem with reading this was that it had been years since I read Good in Bed where Cannie Shapiro was introduced, and then all Weiner’s other books in between, that I had a lot of trouble remembering exactly where the story was picking up in Cannie’s life. Unfortunately, Weiner’s books suck me in so much that I actually couldn’t stop reading Certain Girls long enough to pick up a copy of GinB to reread. Her writing is so delicious and captivating that I always have trouble putting the books down and forcing myself not to skip ahead. I managed to piece enough together from context about Cannie’s life to make sense of the book, but unfortunately it looks like I might have to reread both books at some point in the near future.

Because the story jumps back and forth from the point of view of the now all grown up Cannie and her adolescent daughter Joy, I did have a little bit of trouble identifying 100% with either of them. Weiner effectively portrays Joy’s teenage sullenness and resentment of her mother in a way that is all too familiar, and she also evokes Cannie’s all encompassing maternal love as well as shows her having realistically progressed since the end of GinB.

I felt that Cannie dwells on her weight and appearance too much for it to be interesting. It’s definitely an issue that I can identify with, but it’s too boring to obsess about so much. There are way more interesting things in life. And by this point in Cannie’s life it doesn’t seem like it’s much of an issue to anybody but herself, save for Joy when she feels extra bitchy and embarrassed by her mother.

I felt like near the end of the novel Weiner aims kind of a low blow at the reader, but to be fair this is realistic fiction. I just wish it and life could be more sugar coated. Afterwards though, Joy becomes much more mature and the characters exhibit the human resliiency that makes them believable.

Even though the character of Joy isn’t especially likable on the outside judging by her actions, her narrated sections show her vulnerability and lack of self-awareness so that the reader can’t help but like her and sympathize with her.

Basically, I would read the back of a cereal box if Jennifer Weiner wrote it.

Bone by bone by bone by Tony Johnston

I found this book evocative of Harper Lee’s South, which is a testament to the author that I don’t necessarily think she did it on purpose.

David is the white son of a doctor in 1950s Tennessee, and has been forbidden to bring home his best friend and blood brother, a black boy named Malcolm. His father’s original edict prevented David form even playing with Malcolm, but the boys simply couldn’t resist one another’s company, so his father clarified that Malcolm would be shot on sight if he ever crossed their doorstep.

While respecting his father, David questions his father’s beliefs along with the mores and standards of the society to which he belongs.

Bone is a touching almost coming of age novel that proves that life is complicated and that it’s not always easy to tell right from wrong. The ending is a satisfying yet realistically complicated finish to this short but worthwhile story.

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell

Sarah Vowell of NPR's This American Life indulges her obsession with death and history to write this book exploring presidential assassinations. She road trips around the country visiting museums, libraries, historic sites and plaques while gathering information for the nerd fest that is this book. She shares quirky details as if they related to living breathing people, and convinces her friends to join her (and drive her around) on her quest to find the information that makes history interesting.

Vowell's writing speaks to my favorite thing about history: the fact that people lived day to day lives despite the roles for which they are remembered. She points out that on a historical house tour, the size of Jefferson Davis’ bed and his sleeping habits are discussed with as much enthusiasm as his role in the Civil War. I love reading about history in a way that humanizes it and takes it away from the typical textbook survey.

Almost French by Sarah Turnbull

This Australian journalist has achieved a tone in her memoir of her new life in France that is both humorous and confiding, and makes for a charming mix.

Sarah Turnbull took an impulsive trip to Paris in the 1990s to spend what she thought would be a weeklong visit with a French man she’d recently met. The rest is history. She ended up staying there and adapting to a new life in a city she loved among citizens who didn't necessarily welcome her.

Although the author doesn’t reveal many personal details, especially about her relationship with Frederic, she paints a colorful and descriptive picture of her life, including the language difficulties and her problems finding work. Her optimistic nature comes through though, and the book is always entertaining and envy provoking, even when things aren’t going perfectly.

A People's History of American Empire by Howard Zinn

A graphic adaptation of American history. Much less interesting than I expected.