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.

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite historical romance writers, and this was her first foray into contemporary. It was of course well written because she is a good writer, so I did enjoy it, even though contemporary isn't my favorite. She also wrote in the first person which I generally don't like, but at least it wasn't in the present tense. I read it in one night because I couldn't put it down and I didn't even know until near the end who the hero was going to be. I was disappointed at first until I realized that the heroine made a wise decision. It was so interesting to see how Kleypas described the life of a contemporary character who had a rough life and came out on top. She made the book more than just a romance- it was an actual book about a character, rather than just about the relationship between a hero and heroine. I can't wait to read Blue-Eyed Devil, which is the story of one of the characters in the book.

Taken by Edward Bloor

Edward Bloor's books are always well-written and imaginative in a way that appeals to their target readers, and Taken is no different. In 2036, society is much different- the gap between economic classes is vast and people with money are forced to live behind gates and arm themselves and their servants for protection. In a way that shows just how directly this book is influenced by modern society, reliable medical care is notoriously difficult to come by. Rich people have qualified doctors at their service, while in the poor neighborhoods, anybody can open a clinic and call themselves a doctor, even with no medical equipment, and charge whatever they want.

At the opening of the story, Charity awakes to find that she has been "taken" and is being held for ransom. Being taken is a common way for the lower class to make money, and the kidnappings generally go off without a hitch. Children are taught at school to go along with their kidnappers and that the ordeal will be over within 24 hours, when the parents pay money and get their kids back. So Charity starts out basically unconcerned and is confident that her father will pay the ransom and get her back easily. As the story unfolds though, and alternate between the present and flashbacks, she begins to piece together unsettling details that lead her to believe she may be in over head. The flashbacks also serve to describe the world as it is in 2036, and while kids are basically the same as they are now, everything around them is different.

Eventually scenes of high drama lead to a surprising but satisfying conclusion, as the reader has the chance to think about ways in which our society has led to that of Charity's.

Tangerine will always be my favorite book by Bloor, but Taken was a very interesting story that would especially appeal to middle school age readers.

Town Boy by Lat

This book, the sequel to Kampung Boy, was even funnier even though it lost the charm of the country setting. The main character Mat has begun attending school in town, Ipoh, and his daily adventures are related through words and pictures. It's the 1960s so all the boys walk around with a classic rock and roll swagger that Lat portrays perfectly through nothing more than a series of lines.

The boys all think they're so cool and original, and Lat draws them all standing in a line outside the cinema, each with the exact same rebellious pose which isn't quite so rebellious when it's ten boys lined up, with the only difference between them all their height.

The book spans Mat's teen years and many of the things that befall him during that time. He spends a lot of time in school learning many different subjects, and because he is now in town , there are people with very different backgrounds than himself, especially Frankie, his soon to be best friend who is Chinese. There is of course a beautiful girl that everyone in town likes, and who Mat actually gets the courage to invite to a movie one day. One of the funniest scenes is when the boys are doing this required run for school, which includes crossing the river, and Mat and his friend decide to use the forbidden bridge. Unfortunately, they are ambushed by the principal at the other end and punished. Anecdotes like this would be interesting even if only written on words, but Lat's drawings make the scenes so much richer and even more entertaining.The book spans Mat's teen years and many of the things that befall him during that time. He spends a lot of time in school learning many different subjects, and because he is now in town , there are people with very different backgrounds than himself, especially Frankie, his soon to be best friend who is Chinese. There is of course a beautiful girl that everyone in town likes, and who Mat actually gets the courage to invite to a movie one day. One of the funniest scenes is when the boys are doing this required run for school, which includes crossing the river, and Mat and his friend decide to use the forbidden bridge. Unfortunately, they are ambushed by the principal at the other end and punished. Anecdotes like this would be enjoyable even if only written in words, but Lat's drawings make the scenes so much richer and even more entertaining.