Cry Bloody Murder (book review)

Cry Bloody Murder, by Elaine DePrince, is a true story about love, loss, and the effect AIDS can have on a community. Elaine DePrince, her husband, and her five sons (two biological, three adopted) are a family of hemophiliacs. Their three adopted sons, Cubby, Mike, and Teddy, had hemophilia A. DePrince and her biological sons, Adam and Erik, have a less well-known, yet similar, condition known as von Willebrand's disease. Hemophilia and von Willebrand's disease are conditions in which one's blood cannot clot. In order to prevent them from bleeding to death, DePrince needed to give her sons clotting factor, which would help their blood to clot when they experienced bleeding. However, DePrince was unaware that the clotting factor she gave her children contained the virus HIV--she only found this out after Cubby, Mike, and Teddy had all been affected. The clotting factor, and other blood products--could have been virally inactivated, killing HIV and other viruses in them--but the multi-million dollar corporations making the blood products didn't bother to do this. And as a result, thousands of hemophiliacs and others died, including Cubby and Mike. Cubby was only eleven. Mike was only fifteen. And what makes Elaine DePrince angriest is that their deaths could have easily been prevented, if only an industry cared more about the lives of its consumers than about its profits.
Teddy is still living, thanks to the new drugs available, but DePrince knows that, if not for the drugs, he could have died as well.

Thousands of hemophiliacs have suffered in this way, thousands have lost loved ones. But they cannot get compensation. In many states, so-called "blood-shield laws" have been passed, protecting the product responsible for all these deaths from strict product liability, a legal term allowing a consumer injured by a product to file suit against the manufacturer or seller of the product. As a result, the corporations and the blood banks don't have to pay for what they have done, and the hemophiliacs must suffer on with the ghosts of their siblings, parents, friends, spouses, and children.

This was a wonderful book, but it was also very sad. I would recommend it to anyone interested in AIDS or in hemophilia. The stories pictured in this book, Cubby's and Mike's, as well as those of others with the virus, will inspire you and at the same time, fill you with sorrow, that such wonderful lives had to be lost.

Where the Wild Things Were (book review)

Where the Wild Things Were, by  William Stolzenberg, is a moving account of how species are coping in a world of vanishing top predators. Stolzenberg takes us deep into the Venezuelan rainforest, to the rivers of Yellowstone, and almost everywhere in between. He's trying to say that evidence of disappearing predators is everywhere--most often caused by humans. Where cougars, grizzlies, and wolves once roamed now only coyotes and house-cats hunt. But why does this matter? This is the question Stolzenberg is trying to address. And we will see it in a variety of ways and places, from overpopulation of herbivores to extinctions of whole ecosystems.

This was a great book. It wasn't hard to read at all, and it was very interesting. Stolzenberg had a nice, easy style that grabbed you in at the same time. If you're interested in conservation biology, ecology, or even just in animals, I would recommend this book to you as a great addition to your collection.

All Quiet on the Western Front (book review)

All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, is the moving story of Paul Baumer, a fictional German soldier who enlists in World War I. Young, only twenty years old, already his life is filled with death. He must face it everyday, and somehow manages to elude it even while his comrades and friends fall around him. The book relates various escapades, travels, as well as horrors that this young man and his friends face during their years on the front. As the years go by, Paul realizes that the only difference between him and his enemies, the ones he kills every day, is their uniform, and he decides to do everything he can to help the world avoid future wars--if only he can make it out of this one.

This was a wonderful book, but very sad. Paul, only twenty, was already much wiser about the world than much older men were. He was used to the sight of men without arms, faces, or legs. But he and his friends still found time for amusement. I thought it was very interesting to hear from his point of view, and to learn about what it felt like to actually be there.

Abstract Expressionists (book review)

Abstract Expressionists, by Rachel Barnes, is a collection of short, generally two or three-page biographies of some of the major contributors to the abstract expressionist art movement. Included in this book are men and women such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Helen Frankenthaler. Since it included many different artists, the book couldn't go very in-depth about any of them, but it still gave a good biography of each of them,  along with examples of their work. I would definitely recommend this to people interested in getting a general overview of the famous names we now associate with this movement. It was a quick and easy book to read, and if you sit down and read it it shouldn't take you very long, while still giving you quite a good introduction.

Read-a-thon Post 13

Time: 25 minutes
Pages: 1,123
Reading: Time of the Witches by Anna Myers
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, The Good Dog by Avi, Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Peterson

Read-a-thon Post 12

Time: 40 minutes
Pages: 1,119
Reading: Time of the Witches by Anna Myers
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, The Good Dog by Avi, Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Peterson

The Good Dog (book review)

The Good Dog, by Avi, is the story of a handsome malamute named McKinley. The leader of a pack of local dogs, McKinley has always taken his life for granted--protect the humans, protect the pack. Until a mysterious she-wolf named Lupin shows up, promising freedom to any dogs who wish to join her suffering wolf pack. At first, McKinley feels threatened by Lupin--who does she think she is, anyway? But eventually he realizes that the humans are even more upset by the wolf's appearance than he is. In fact, they are planning to track her down and shoot her. Soon, McKinley and his friends become caught up in a wild race to save one of the last wolves in Steamboat Springs.

This was a very good story. There was plenty of action, and it was a very quick read. It wasn't hard to understand at all. The characters, although inhuman, were easy to relate to, and one establishes a bond with them throughout the book. I would definitely recommend this to fans of the author's novels, and also to animal lovers.

Read-a-thon Post 11

Time: 43 minutes
Pages: 927
Reading: Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Peterson
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, The Good Dog by Avi

Read-a-thon Post 10

Time: 1 hour
Pages: 830
Reading: The Good Dog by Avi
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Read-a-thon Post 9

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Pages: 797
Reading: The Good Dog by Avi
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Love, Stargirl (book review)

Love, Stargirl is the sequel to Jerry Spinelli's beloved novel Stargirl. In this book, which is written from Stargirl's point of view, Stargirl has moved away from Arizona, the enchanting desert, and her ex-boyfriend Leo. Her new life, taking place in a small town in Pennsylvania, at first appears boring. But as Stargirl makes friends with her quirky neighbors and starts celebrating life itself, she discovers that one can find joy in even the smallest of things.

This was a great sequel! It was even better than the first book, in my opinion! Hearing from Stargirl's POV was very interesting, and this was an incredibly moving book. If you have not read Stargirl or its sequel, you should definitely go out and get this book!

Read-a-thon Post 8

Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Pages: 691
Reading: The Good Dog by Avi
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Read-a-thon Post 7

Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Pages: 552
Reading: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Read-a-thon Post 6

Time: 1 hour
Pages: 474
Reading: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites (book review)

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites, by Heather Brewer, is the first book in the Vladimir Tod series. The protagonist, Vladimir Tod, is an orphaned teenage vampire. Living with his mother's old friend Nelly, a human, he is forced to hide his identity from the rest of the world, putting on dollops of sunblock before even stepping outside and disguising the blood he drinks inside of ordinary foods. Vlad's life is about as "ordinary" as a vampire's could be...until he discovers that he is being stalked by a crazy vampire who thirsts for his blood...

This was a wonderful book! It was different from many other vampire books written for teens at this time; despite a little crush Vlad has on his classmate, there is no dark romance, just plenty of action that will keep you on the edge of your seat. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to get the next one! I can't wait to read it!

This book is for the RIP IV Challenge!

Read-a-thon Post 5

Time: 1 hour
Pages: 417
Reading: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Read-a-thon Post 4

Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Pages: 330
Reading: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky

Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles (book review)

Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles, by Kathryn Lasky, is the fascinating story of this young monarch before she became the Queen of France. Lasky tells her story in a diary format, which is very interesting and helps to connect the reader to the main character. We  get an inside scoop on this princess's sheltered life and watch as she makes decisions that will eventually lead to her gruesome death as the Queen. The series this book is part of, Royal Diaries, is an offshoot of Dear America, so readers who enjoy these kinds of books will love this one. I'd also recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction, because it was a great book, informative yet very entertaining.

Read-a-thon Post 3

Time: 1 hour
Pages: 235 altogether
Reading: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
Read: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky

Read-a-thon Post 2

Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Pages: 173 altogether
Reading: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky
Read: None

Read-a-thon Post 1

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Pages: 73
Reading: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky
Read: none

An African Tale (book review)

An African Tale, by Enna Neru, is a mystical folktale-type story taking place in Africa. It tells of Ledimo, a young man who has discovered a mystical stone which gives him the power to control the weather. He becomes a powerful and awe-inspiring semi-god, until people stop believing in him and his powers fade, leaving him mortal. The power of the stone slowly fades from human memory...until Ledimo's two great-grandchildren are born, one in a poor village with no formal schooling and the other in the posh capital city. Their world is going into a drought, and only they can harness the power of the stone and bring water back to the land. The catch? They have to work together.

This was a very enjoyable book. It was short and went very quickly, and at some spots I didn't want to put it down! It was very much like a folktale, filled with fantastical talking animals and wise forest men. The ending suggested a sequel. I'm not sure if there will be one or not, but I certainly hope so!