Oh my, where did the week get away from me?
Posted by: Alan in Armchair Travel, Book Reviews, Books, Easy Picture Books, Fiction, Politics
Yikes. How did I manage to let a whole week pass without doing a single blog post? It’s certainly not that I didn’t read any noteworthy books this past week. But somehow or other I let the whole week go by without posting so much as a book cover. And everything about this first book is late. I am late getting around to reading it, the library branch where I work was a full year late getting around to offering this particular title and I had not previously read any of Christopher Buckley’s much-praised earlier works.
Boomsday is the story of Cassandra Devine, the young Yale hopeful who learns that her father has invested her tuition money in a dot.com start-up and therefore must serve in the Army in order to earn her way to school, is a comic delight. As Cassandra’s brief stint in the service throws her into the arms of a lecherous Congressman who speeds Cassandra’s way into a power broker position at a hot K Street firm in Washington DC, where Cassandra will go on to offer a ‘modest proposal’ that the Baby Boomer generation agree to "voluntarily discorporate" by age eighty in return for some eye-popping tax benefits. Leading on a shadowy league of activists via her blog at cassandra.net Cassandra and her Congress Critter actually get the darned thing passed, though with so many typically Boomer perks thrown in (i.e. tax exemptions for purchase of Sedgways) that the onerous burden Cassandra had hoped to lift from her own generation is as burdensome as ever. Absolutely laugh-out-loud funny, a Real Treat. Not to be missed.
I have also this past week been doing a bit of Armchair Travel with Ryokan: Japan’s Finest Spas and Inns. Akihiko Seki and Elizabeth Heilman Brooke have written a stunningly-photographed guide to Japan’s many thermal hot springs resorts. The entire country is covered and detailed information and pictures are provided for every property, including most helpfully which of these resorts are capable of dealing with western visitors in English and which do not. This one would be practical for someone actually planning a Japanese hot springs vacation as well as for fellow armchair travellers. Recommended.
Quiet! There’s A Canary In The Library is a 2007 re-release of Don Freeman’s 1969 Easy Picture Book about Cary, a young patron who fantasizes about being the librarian and having a special day for animals to come and use the library. From the canary, the lion and the elephant to the mice, porcupine, giraffe and bear, Cary imagines all of the fuss that might ensue if all of these animals really were in the library. So she urges them all to go and ushers them out of the door, reminding these somewhat noisy creatures to be QUIET! Cary is very embarrassed to have spoken out loud. She very quietly checks out her animal book and leaves the library. Recommended.
In Thesaurus Rex author Laya Steinberg and illustrator Debbie Harter have produced a delightful book of synonyms for the pre-school set. Young Thesaurus Rex begins his day "stretching, reaching, extending, bending. Uh-oh, his pants need mending" through a busy day that includes lots of play "frolic, rollick, frisk and romp. Wow! he’s found a muddy swamp" all the way up to bed time when Thesasurus is "all wrapped up: bundled, covered, tucked in tight. He’ll have happy dreams tonight. Goodnight!" Recommended.
Oh No, Gotta Go! by Susan Middleton Elya and G. Brian Karas is an English and Spanish pre-school book that tells the story of an un-named little girl who Really needs to find un bano. All over the town they drive past closed stores and un-helpful pedestrians befor finally cutting in the long line at the beautiful blue restaurant. After a lovely meal the little girl and her parents return to the car and set off for home when soon comes again the question "Where is un bano?" Recommended.
Tags: Armchair Travel, Book Reviews, Books, Boomsday, Christopher Buckley, Debbie, Don Freeman, Easy Picture Books, Fiction, G Brian Karas, Harter, Laya Steinberg, Non-Fiction, Oh No Gotta Go, Quiet There's a Canary in the Library, Ryokan Japan's Finest Spas and Inns, Short Takes, Susan Middleton Elya, Thesaurus Rex
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July 27th, 2008 at 4:31 am
I’ve almost bought Boomsday several times. I couldn’t decide if it seemed like a really interesting book, or just something that was going to take pot shots at pop culture, but ultimately be shallow. I guess I’ll have to read it now.
The Ryokan book looks interesting as well. I’d love to go to Japan someday and visit places like that, but I’m always afraid I would feel uncomfortable because I wouldn’t know what to do in terms of etiquette, logistics, and just what is “proper.” Someday I’ll get around to it, I hope.