Category: Book Club

Unabridged Podcast January 2019 Book Club - Justina Ireland's Dread Nation

1/6/2019

Quick Summary: This is a novel set during the time period of the American civil war, but in the story, during the war, the soldiers become the undead, and through bites, they contaminated more people. In the years that follow, teens of color are put into combat schools to learn to be attendants for wealthy white people. Jane McKeene is a teen participating in the combat training program, but when she is abruptly shipped off to a settlement out west, she discovers even more challenges in their unstable world.
My Take: I loved this novel. I wasn't sure how I would feel about it because "zombie books" aren't typically my favorite, but I adored Jane's forthright, courageous character from the beginning, and I was captivated by the horrendous circumstances put in place by the white, privileged people in power in the society.
My conclusion: This is a powerful read - fast moving with rich characters and complex circumstances. Jane McKeene is one of my all-time favorite YA characters - she's clever, sassy, and determined. Most importantly, I love the way that Justina Ireland provides insightful commentary on the ways that American culture has systemically and mercilessly oppressed people groups in order to further the causes of the few privileged people within the society (who use their privilege to maintain the hegemonic social structure) and the fierce bravery of those who stand against that structure. 4/5 stars.
Favorite Quotes:

“It’s a cruel, cruel world. And the people are the worst part.” - While the society was being overtaken by the shamblers (their term for the undead), it's clear throughout the book that the evil and corruption plaguing them lies within those in power, not the undead.
“The day I came squealing and squalling into the world was the first time someone tried to kill me. I guess it should have been obvious to everyone right then that I wasn't going to have a normal life.” - I loved Jane's perspective and sense of humor throughout the novel. She understood the complexities and cruelties of the world around her, and while she did not sit passively by and accept the status quo, she also did not begrudge her life. She accepted it with courage, levity, and determination, and she forged onward toward a better future.

What I added to my TBR list: Jen talked about Patrick Ness’s The Knife of Never Letting Go, and that reminded me that all three of those books are on my shelf (thanks to Green Valley Book Fair!) and await my reading of them. Maybe I'll tackle them in 2019 - this year I'm really focusing on The Unread Shelf project and reading what I own.
Teaching Tips: This would be an awesome book to use for lit circles. It is a great read for teens and would work well in any class from grades 9-12 (and could be handled by some middle school students as well). As far as lit circles go, this book could be in a group with other books about the civil war era, but it could also fit nicely with books about oppression, justice, and the power of young people to change the world around them.
Podcast Highlights: I particularly loved the discussion about Jane as a protagonist who is more complex and real than many of the female teen protagonists we see in dystopian or apocalyptic YA novels. I think Sara was right that Jane is more real and richer in depth than many of the female protagonists in YA novels.

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Unabridged Podcast Episode 29: Blake Crouch's DARK MATTER

7/3/2018

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Quick Summary: In this episode, we’re discussing Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter. It is a story about Jason Dessen, a physics professor, husband, and father, whose life is turned upside down when he is kidnapped and transported to a different world--one where his wife is not his wife, his son is not there, and he is profoundly successful as a physicist and has accomplished seemingly impossible things. As Jason struggles to figure out what is real, he works to find his way home. The protagonist must face the fragile nature of his reality as he struggles to reunite with his family and his world.

My Take: This was a fast-paced sci-fi book that grabbed me and kept moving. There are parts that were truly mind-blowing. Some of the details of the plot itself left me a bit perplexed, but it was a good read overall.
My verdict: The premise of this captivated me. As things unfolded, I found myself a bit skeptical of some of what came, but it was really enjoyable and fast-moving. 3/5 stars.
Favorite Quotes: There were lots of quotes I enjoyed in this fast-paced novel.

"It occurs to me that if I do survive, I'll carry a new revelation with me for the rest of my days: we leave this life the same way we enter it--totally alone, bereft. I'm afraid, and there is nothing Daniela or Charlie or anyone can do to help me at this moment when I need them more than ever. They don't even know what I'm experiencing." -- This novel really makes you think about what it means to be your true self and what reality really is. There are many moments of isolation and alienation that make the reader ponder existence.
"It's like we get so set in our ways, so entrenched in those grooves, we stop seeing our loved ones for who they are. But tonight, right now, I see you again, like the first time we met, when the sound of your voice and your smell was new country." -- One of the things I loved about this novel is the gratitude that the narrator feels for his life and all of the tiny, simple moments that make reality what it is.

What I added to my TBR list: I'm dying to read Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng that Sara recommended! As I mention on the show, I LOVED Everything I Never Told You so very much, and I look forward to Ng's next novel. That one keeps getting pushed down the pile a little bit because of more pressing reads, but I can't wait to get to it!
Teaching Tips: While I would not teach this whole class, it could work in lit circles. It could also work well in a creative writing class since the narrative structure is fascinating!
Podcast Highlights: I loved/ felt mortified by listening to us try to work through some of the theoretical physics that are completely foreign to us! It's always humbling to discuss something completely outside of one's field of expertise. My cheeks are burning now just thinking about it!

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Unabridged Episode 17: Siobhan Fallon's The Confusion of Languages

4/24/2018

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Quick Summary: This novel depicts two women who are army wives stationed in Jordan. The book comes from both of their perspectives, and it revolves around the challenges of dealing with life in a country in which daily life centers on a different culture. Cassie, who has lived in Jordan for years, tries to advise Margaret, a newcomer on how to live successfully. Fallon reveals the truth of their stories through Margaret’s journal and Cassie’s own reflection on their time together.

My Take: Phew, this one was not what I had anticipated. In a lot of ways I wound up feeling disappointed and frustrated, but there were some things I enjoyed -- the language was lovely in places, and the characters' strong personalities really resonated.
My conclusion: While I appreciated some aspects of the novel, and I definitely found myself wanting to find out what was going to happen, I found myself disappointed by the end. I wanted to like both of the main characters a bit more (though I so appreciated something Roxanne Gay says in Bad Feminist -- we shouldn't (I'm paraphrasing here) be reading books to find characters that are likeable! I this that is an excellent point, but I couldn't relate to either of the women in this story enough.) 3/5 stars.
Favorite Quotes:

"We depend on this give-and-take when living abroad. You can’t exile yourself from your homeland and not always feel that tidal pull of return. Those minor details, the commercial jingles and pop songs, the chain restaurants and decade-defining shades of our blue jeans, are details you don’t even think about until you are face-to-face with a society that has very little to do with your own. Suddenly those one-hit wonders become a secret language, the very vestiges of American culture." - I so appreciate the commentary in the novel about being an expat and being in a foreign land. There is a truth to those experiences that the women have that really resonated with me.
"Only a man could separate his life into that sort of divide and choose to put Work in the important category and family in the not. That’s why men rule the world." - The male/female dynamics in the book were fascinating, and it was painful and striking to see how the men in their lives really ruled the choices that both Margaret and Cassie made throughout the novel.

What I added to my TBR list: I've heard so many great things about Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand, and I loved what Jenni had to say about it. It's now a definite yes on my (ever-growing!) TBR list.

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Unabridged Podcast

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