Sunday, December 19, 2010

Ah, The Holidays

The holiday season is a wonderful time,  filled with traditions, shopping, baking, and visiting with loved ones.  But one thing the holidays are not good for is reading.  With the busy schedule that accompanies a full life with two active tween/teenagers, adding holidays and all their "special" events into the mix means collapsing into bed at night, not savoring a new book.  

I've tried to read, really I have.  But sadly, anything more taxing than a shopping list or a day planner has been beyond me in the last two weeks.  With Christmas right around the corner, my wish will not be for peace on earth or good will towards men; it will be for several uninterrupted hours to get back to my stack of books.

But until then, I will savor those holiday moments, which go by so quickly.  With that in mind, for those of you with children in your life, here is a list of our family's favorite Christmas stories.

Santa Mouse, by Michael Brown
How The Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr. Seuss
Olive, the Other Reindeer, by Seibold and Walsh
Auntie Clause. by Elise Primavera
Toot and Puddles' I'll Be Home For Christmas, by Holly Hobby
Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve, by Jan Brett
And our newest favorites:  The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming and The Lump of Coal, both by the fabulous Lemony Snicket

I wish you happy holidays and a new year filled with great books.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

All About Apes

Even with my list of "waiting to be read" growing by the day, I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into Sara Gruen's latest book, Ape House.  Gruen's earlier novel, Water for Elephants, remains one of my favorite books of all time, and I had high hopes for this book as well.  Gruen did not disappoint; Ape House is going in my Top Favorites of 2010.

Ape House deals with many interesting subjects - Bonobo apes, reality television and animal activism, among a few - that converge into a thrilling story.  Scientist Isabel Duncan works with a group of highly intelligent Bonobo apes at research facility, until an explosion in the lab seriously injures her and the apes are set free. The apes, who can communicate fluently through sign language, are sold off and made part of a reality TV show called "Ape House."  To reveal any more would spoil a perfectly wonderful book. 

Particularly interesting was the back story about Gruen's interest in the Bonobo apes.  She learned of a Bonobo research facility in the Midwest while writing Water for Elephants.  The experience of meeting and communicating with these highly intelligent animals left it's mark, and Gruen felt compelled to turn her encounter into a novel.

Gruen's Ape House will do more to raise awareness of Bonobo apes than any nonfiction account could, which I believe is part of her goal. But whatever message Gruen is trying to convey, Ape House is a great book - easy to read but gripping, and highly entertaining.