Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves
Neil Gaiman (American Gods) and Michael Reaves (Star Trek: The Next Generation) have partnered together to bring a long dreamed-about project to a teen audience hungry for quality science fiction. Interworld tells the story of Joey Harker, an ordinary red-haired boy with freckles who discovers that he has an extraordinary gift: the ability to travel to alternate worlds where an interdemensional war is taking place with Joey and others like him (a lot like him) struggling to keep a balance between the two warring factions. This story will be of interest to both fans of Gaiman and good fast paced science fiction. The sophisticated concepts of alternate universes sometime made my head swim, but otherwise I think teens are going to love a good story about an ordinary boy with extraordinary abilities. 5/6/08

The God Box by Alex Sanchez
I have enjoyed all of Alex Sanchez's (Rainbow Boys) books to date but this one somehow touched me more than all of the others. This book ranks right up with David Leviathan's Boy Meets Boy in my opinion. Set in West Texas, the story is a familiar one; boy comes to new school and upsets the status quo. The twist is that the school is located in a conservative Christian community, and the new boy, Manuel is both gay and deeply religious. Most affected by Manuel's arrival is Paul, a popular boy who is troubled by thoughts that he can't control, but prays nightly to be delivered from. Manuel sets out to change the school's perceptions of homosexuality and how it is often misinterpreted in the bible. He befriends the outcasts of the school's pecking order and helps Paul "get real" with his feelings. I think what touched me most in this book were the recurring themes of love of self and forgiveness. I am not a particularly religious person, in part due to the attitudes held by most Christians about being gay. This book taught me to look at the Bible and some Christians differently, and in the process love myself a little more. 3/31/08

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
This book made a delightful companion on my recent trip to Mexico. I had always wanted to read this, but finally seized the chance when it was dropped off on my desk (presumably because of the birds on the cover!) I started reading and was drawn in immediately by Leopold's eloquent style and passion for his subject matter. The essays on Mexico and Arizona were enjoyable to read, as I was in similar habitat as what Leopold described. Unfortunately the Thick-billed Parrots, or "Guacamaya" as Leopold calls them, have become severely endangered. Hopefully students of Leopold's conservation ethic will triumph over greed and restore this bird to its home in the Sierra Madre. As an avid reader of nature writing I am glad that I finally read this hallmark of the genre. 3/10/08

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You by Peter Cameron
Peter Cameron's Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You is being touted by some critics as a modern Catcher In The Rye, which in and of itself is heady praise, but sells the book short. This book is a pitch perfect literary gem, with a comic precocious hero, James Sveck who is better read than most adults twice his age (this one included). The story spans the summer before James's admission to Brown University, an event which he is loath to contemplate and he is distracting himself from by house hunting in the Midwest over the Internet. James's mother, a woman of a certain age and pedigree with a failing Manhattan art gallery has returned from her third honeymoon, cut short due to her new husbands embezzlement of $3000 from her credit card for gambling and "personal entertainment expenses". She has given James a job at the gallery answering phones, which gives him plenty of time for his voracious reading. James's complete detachment from people his own age concerns his parents enough to put him into therapy. It is in these sessions where James duels linguistically with his psychiatrist, and his visits with his maternal grandmother, that gradually get James to come to terms with his fears and rejoin society at large. What I enjoyed most is the way Cameron challenged my intellect with James's precise use of language, and yet was approachable as he pined for a gallery colleague who was way out of his league. This is a mature read about a mature young man. 2/26/08

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
This was an enjoyable bittersweet novel in the classic coming of age style. Arnold Spirit had everything going against him from the start, being skinny, bespectacled, and prone to seizures. These are setbacks that would doom any ordinary teen protagonist, but that's just the tip of the iceberg for "Junior" Spirit. Arnold's life is further complicated by his life on an Indian Reservation with his loving but dysfunctional family and friends. As with any great hero, Arnold goes on a journey...to the all white high school in a nearby town, where his life begins on an unexpected path. The story is punctuated with Arnold's cartoons, which add dimension and humor to the story. This book belongs on the shelves with other greats in the Young Adult genre. 1/7/08
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Of A Feather: A Brief History of American Birding by Scott Weidensaul
As more and more Americans identify themselves as some form of birder (myself included) in seems only natural that we would seek out some sort of history that defines us. Scott Weidensaul (Living on the Wind) has crossed the continent again and again demystifying the lives of the hemispheres avifauna, and he brings that same attention to detail to the life-histories of America’s premiere naturalists. The chapter that I most related to was Death to Miss Hathaway which confronts the stereotype that many people have of “Bird Watchers” – personified in the form of the character Miss Jayne Hathaway from The Beverly Hillbillies television program. I strongly recommend this book to any birder or anyone who wishes to understand "why are all those people are standing around looking through binoculars?" 12/10/07
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The Elves of Cintra (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 2) by Terry Brooks
Fans of Terry Brooks' Shannara and the Word and Voids series will finally see how it all ends or begins, depending on which series you follow. In what I presume will be the Genesis of Shannara trilogy, Elves seek the long lost elvestones with the aid of Knights of the Word who's mission also is to shepherd the remaining children and their prophet to a yet to be named location in the Pacific Northwest to wait out the coming Apocalypse. Fans of Brooks' work will instantly recognize themes and characters; readers not familiar with his work may want to start with one of his earlier novels, or at least read "Armageddon's Children" -- The First Book in this new trilogy. 10/1/07
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The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir by Bill Bryson
In his latest book, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, author Bill Bryson (A Walk in the Woods) explores the well-explored territory of the 1950's, but brings fresh enthusiasm with his droll, witty observational humor. Part memoir, part social history, Bryson tells the tales of the rise of the supermarket, the fear of atomic annihilation, Soviet space superiority, and the Polio epidemic among the many events of the 1950's. Equally interesting but more hilarious are his sketches of his family life and his coming of age stories; such as his father's penchant for partial nudity and Bryson's quest to view the naked female form. This is a time capsule look at a decade that is far removed from our own, yet echoes with familiarity. 7/2/07
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Green Street Hooligans directed by Lexi Alexander
Harvard journalism student Matt (Elijah Wood) is wrongly expelled for possession of cocaine. He travels to London to spend time with his sister and her new family. After a rocky start, he falls in with her brother-in-law, Pete (Charlie Hunnam), the leader of a local Football (soccer to us Yanks) Firm, the GSE: Green Street Elite. Matt is eventually accepted, even lauded, as he throws himself wholeheartedly into the fanatic world of British football hooliganism. However, internal jealousy sets the stage for a violent showdown with a rival firm that has tragic consequences for all involved. Elijah Wood, leaving his furry feet behind in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, shows exceptional range in this fish-out-of-water film. Matt is without direction when he arrives in the UK, but regains some, as well as a sense of belonging, when he pairs up with Pete and his fellow hooligans. The fast-paced fight scenes are well directed, but the film falls short when its plot relies on cliché contrivances, such as Pete's rival in the firm seeing him enter the local newspaper offices and everyone immediately jumping to the wrong conclusion that he is a "journo." This bogs down the third act of the film and the film ends with a nice tidy conclusion where Matt confronts his past, using skills he picked up from his time with the hooligans. A film that introduces us Yanks to the frenetic world of hooliganism and British football, but with a plot that slows in the end due to its reliance on cliché plot devices. A similar film worth recommending is Bend it Like Beckham (2002), directed by Gurinder Chadha. 4/2/07
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The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch
The Highest Tide is story about a bright, inquisitive boy, Miles O'Malley, whose encyclopedic knowledge of the Puget Sound sea life rivals that of local marine biologists. All this knowledge, however, cannot help him solve the problems that trouble him most -- his parents' disintegrating marriage, an ailing friend, and a local cult that see him as a prophet. I found Miles engaging and readily identified with him as a fellow nature geek. Author Lynch describes the bay which is Miles's home and the sea life within it in good technical detail. A fun, light coming of age novel. 6/1/06
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The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession
by Mark Obmascik
This is Mark Obmascik's telling of the 1998 Big Year, a contest where three birders set out individually to see as many species of birds in one year as possible. The story is wrought with tension, humor, and an edge-of-your-seat excitement. The birders visit the continent's "who's who" of birding hotspots and spy on some of the most elusive of our avian fellows. Anyone who enjoys nature and has a competitive spirt will enjoy this book. 1/4/06
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O Brother, Where Art Thou? directed by Joel Coen
Year of release 2000
This is one of my favorite films of last year. The Coen Brothers take Homer's Odyssey and set it in the Depression era South. Three escaped cons go in search of buried treasure but find redemption instead. An excellent performance by George Clooney, John Goodman, and Charles Durning. The soundtrack is also a hit, featuring a selection of folk and gospel music from the period. 8/7/01

The Wonder Boys directed by Curtis Hanson
Year of release 2000
This also, was one of my favorite films last year. Set in Pittsburgh, the story revolves around the weekend adventures of a blocked author who is currently teaching a writing course; his gifted, yet strange pupil, his harried editor, and the Chancellor of the University who happens to be pregnant with the author's child. An excellent cast, with memorable characters. 8/7/01