Modern views from a time gone by

Below Stairs is a memoir of a woman who entered into domestic service as a kitchen maid at 13 and who saw the injustice of her situation (and indeed of all those in servitude) at a time when conditions were on the peak of changing. At the beginning of the tale, Margaret Powell is at home with her family which is large (typical of the time) and poor (also typical of many families). She must leave home, school, and everything she is familiar with because there is not enough money to keep her. What she discovers at her first place of work in service is that the dichotomy between Them upstairs and the servants below stairs is extremely pronounced despite the whisper of changes on the horizon. As the lowest rung on the service ladder, the kitchen maid (in Margaret's opinion) is treated with the least amount of respect or common decency. The story goes on to describe not only the differences between the classes but also the differences between the sexes. Powell's views are modern and revolutionary for the time period and her wit is absolutely biting. I thought this was a very interesting and entertaining read and I can definitely see how Downton Abbey used this as a reference point (you'll recognize some plot points if you're a fan of the show). I recommend it for anyone who'd like a quick, fun read that's also chock full of history (and cooking!).

Because I have absolutely no restraint when it comes to entering any 'book place' I came back from a visit to the library with Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James. I feel like I heard about this book when it originally came out but for whatever reason I'm just now getting around to it after a recommendation showed up in my email. The main characters of this murder mystery are those beloved individuals from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Really that's all you had to say to me and I would have been intrigued. Frankly, any fan of Jane Austen and/or mysteries would be hard pressed to pass up a book with such a titillating blurb.

Claustrophobia and paranoia OR why I'm now reading a memoir about a kitchen maid

Room is one of those books that will change the way you view the world. What if you had grown up only knowing one room and believing that all you saw on TV was from another planet? What if you were a five year old boy who believe that you and your mother were the only "real" people? I think the author's choice of using the five year old as a narrator was particularly brilliant as the reader got to see Outside in an entirely different light. Donoghue used real cases to build a fictionalized tale about a woman and her son in an impossibly agonizing situation. At times, I had to stop reading just so that I could catch my breath from the intensity and the descriptive power of her words made me feel like I was trapped (probably didn't help that I read a lot of it on the train). I don't want any of this to put you off reading this book though because I thought it was fantastic (even though it ended rather abruptly for my tastes). In fact, I'll be adding some more of this author's books onto my TRL for the future. :-)

I have to admit that this next one caught my eye when one of my favorite bloggers, Jenny Lawson, who you might remember from my review of her book Let's Pretend This Never Happened. She mentioned that she was going to give Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir That Inspired "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "Downton Abbey" by Margaret Powell and it piqued my interest. I find this topic very interesting because I can't imagine living on either side of this divided line. I most certainly wouldn't have been a mistress of a household and I would be a horrendous maid of any kind. What did the "help" really think of their lords and masters? Were they as keen to be of service as they were meant to be by their employers? I suppose that's exactly what I'll be finding out!

Take a chance / Don't be shy / Read a book / Please just try!

Today's title was of course inspired by the lovely book I just finished reading entitled The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss. The author, James W. Kemp, is a retired pastor who often used the stories of Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel, in his sermons because he felt (and I have to agree now) that you can equate many of them to biblical principles. For example, in the story On Beyond Zebra!, the narrator insists that there are more than just 26 letters in the alphabet. In fact, there's quite a bit more after one reaches Z (or Zebra). Kemp compares this to characters in the bible such as Abraham that went well beyond Zebra when they were called to do so by God. Abraham was called many times to go the distance but in one instance in particular he showed his true faith in the Lord when he was willing to sacrifice his only son as an offering simply because he was told to do so. Each chapter of Kemp's book begins with a section of the Bible along with a reference from a Seuss book and following this is the reasoning for the comparison. Not only was it very interesting to see how these tied together but I realized that I am unfamiliar with a lot of Seussian (yes, I've made that up but I'm allowed because it's Seuss) literature. I must remedy this ASAP!

Following this delightful romp, Room by Emma Donoghue is a story narrated by a 5 year old who grows up trapped in a room with his mother who has been held there by a man for seven years. The story was apparently inspired by a real life case of a woman who was help captive by her father in their home's basement for 24 years. The book received multiple honors and a film adaptation of the novel is in the works. I have high expectations for this one but something tells me that I won't be disappointed. Review up soon!


And don't forget that summer time is all about BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS!!

Everybody's reading on the weekend! (I hope you sang that like I did)

When I began to read Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian I really had no clue what sort of impact it might have on me (if any). As I said in my previous post, this book has been lauded for its insight into a culture which has been overshadowed and marginalized by "American society". It has been awarded literary honors such as the National Book Award. It has also been atop the banned books list since its release. People have an inherent fear of what is different from themselves. The "otherness" which is so often a theme in young adult literature because that is the time when we as a species notice the differences in one another. It is not something we are born with but it is something that we learn. Arnold Spirit, the main character in this book, is the very definition of "other". He is an outsider in his tribe and he is most definitely an outsider in the white community that he voluntarily joins. However, he does not let this stop him from pursuing his dreams for something more. This is a book fraught with struggle, oppression, depression, and jocularity. There are many dark themes discussed in this book which is why it has been so contentious among parents. Do these parents think that these things do not or could not happen to their own children? Do they truly believe that every child grows up in a home filled with laughter and rainbows? Do they want to shield their children from the ugliness of this world for as long as they possibly can? Yes, I believe that's the issue right there. Alexie does not shy away from the hard topics but he doesn't eradicate the good either. There is a thread of hope running through this book which I think everyone could benefit from. So if you want a book that will have you alternately laughing and crying then this is the one for you.

The next book was recommended to me by my best friend and once you hear the title I'm almost sure that you'll agree it's right up my alley: The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss by James W. Kemp. On the surface this might appear to be a lighthearted takeaway from a beloved children's author but it's actually quite a bit more. This book discusses the illustrations in his stories as reflections of biblical principles. That's as much as the book jacket reveals to me so I'll have to give you more information in my review of it. Oh the anticipation!!

Double the fun! Also, VICTORY IS MINE!

Doctor Who: Nightshade by Mark Gatiss was an incredibly dark adventure with a most beloved character (in a version I'm entirely unfamiliar with) and his companion (again I have no history with Ace). Centered around a small village, The Doctor and Ace are up against a foe that is ruthless in its carnage and hunger. An entity that reveals itself in the form of loved ones long since dead and buried, it seems nigh on impossible that there is a way to stop its growing into a creature that can devour the planet in its entirety. However, lifelong lovers of the Time Lord with a made up name know that he's nothing if not persistent. I warn you that this book is firmly in the horror genre rather than specifically sci-fi so keep that in mind if you're looking to read it.

I felt that I needed a bit of a break from the macabre so I moved on to Roald Dahl's delightful story entitled Danny, the Champion of the World. As I said in my review of D is for Dahl there are no official biographies of the illustrious author himself but a few of his children's stories are odes to his past and this is one of them. The story centers on Danny and his father, William, who it must be said is one of the greatest fathers known to man. It is a thank you note to all of the fathers who take the time to really get to know their kids and who share parts of themselves in return. A lighthearted tale of a boy who came into his own and at the same time learned to love his father even more (which was quite the feat since he loved him quite a lot). As you'd expect with Dahl it's full to bursting with whimsy and imagination and I dare you to read it and not feel buoyed up with joy.

Finally after I've waited for over 2 years for it to be available in the public library I am proud to say that I'm reviewing The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. A book both lauded with acclaim for its wit and tenacity as well as decried for it's controversial topic, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian naturally rose to the top of my TRL (To Read List). Unfortunately, (fortunately for everyone else) everyone else seemed to have the same idea and it's been checked out and unavailable every single time I've checked for it...until today! I nabbed the one copy available! Okay so let me give you a little peek into the subject matter. Alexie's book chronicles the story of a boy named Arnold who was born with fluid on the brain which left him with a host of issues ranging from an oversized cranium to a stutter. Added to these difficulties, he makes the choice to transfer off of the reservation and into an all-white school where he hopes he can get a top notch education. It is a story of struggle, persistence, and acceptance of one's culture and self. I cannot wait to review this one for you!!

Triviatastic!

D is for Dahl is one of those fantastically quick and fun reads that I think every parent should read with their child (or in my case the adult with the heart of a child). This book is especially fun for those fans of the writer who may not know much about the man himself. He was such a unique, kind individual and that spirit shone through in his writings for both children and adults. To learn about the eccentricities of his private life is to have your estimation of the character of Dahl increase exponentially. For something delightfully funny with a fast pace, this is the perfect book to pick up.

For those fans of either Doctor Who or Sherlock, you'll be familiar with the name Mark Gatiss. He's known as both a writer (and actor) in each of these series but he's also written books...many of them quite naughty. This one isn't (I don't think). The title is Doctor Who: Nightshade and it's set during the time of the Seventh Doctor (played by Sylvester McCoy) and his companion Ace. The Doctor in his companion arrive in a small village which seems to be plagued by something sinister. A large number of deaths have occurred there throughout history and many people are starting to have visions/hallucinations. Is there something supernatural occurring here or is it more extraterrestrial in nature?

Science!! Mystery!! Tuberculosis?

It's no mystery (see what I did there?) to you, dear reader, that I'm a science nerd. I've reviewed enough scientific nonfiction to lend credence to that statement. That being said, I have to give props where props are due. The Remedy was superb. Goetz brings to light the achievements of 19th century scientists that were instrumental in modernizing medicine which at the time was seen as imprecise and oftentimes dangerous. Robert Koch, a man known to science mostly for his methodology postulates, was also one of the fathers of bacteriology alongside his nemesis, Louis Pasteur. Koch's triumphs and downfalls in relation to TB are brought to light right alongside the magnificent story of Arthur Conan Doyle and his journey from dissatisfied doctor to acclaimed author. While these stories seem to have no relation to one another, Goetz illustrates that these two scientifically minded men have more in common than meets the eye. For anyone looking to learn more about ACD's creation of that illustrious detective Sherlock Holmes or for those yearning to learn more about the deadly disease of Tuberculosis, this is the book for you!

PS TB is still a major threat to humanity and kills large numbers of people every year.

To give you all a glimpse into my mind, the next book on the list is just as up my alley as The Remedy. I'm reading D is for Dahl: A gloriumptious A-Z guide to the world of Roald Dahl by Roald Dahl, compiled by Wendy Cooling, and illustrated by Quentin Blake. Roald Dahl is, simply put, one of the greatest children's authors of all time. If you haven't read any of his books then you are truly missing out on an extraordinarily delightful reading experience. Who can think of a more beguiling adventure than a tour through a chocolate factory such as in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Who could possibly be nastier than the Grand High Witch from The Witches? The man was a genius and when his books were joined by the illustrations of Quentin Blake the characters fairly leaped off of the page and into the imaginations of children and adults the world over. Therefore, why wouldn't I want to read random facts and trivia about the man himself (with the bonus of QB illustrations littering the pages)?!