Week Two, Assignment Two: Annotations for two recent reads

"Using mainly appeal factors rather than plot summary, write annotations on your blog for two books which you’ve read and enjoyed."

Guess my review of Growing Up Patton won't cut it, because that would be cheating.  Hmmm ....

I read a heavily illustrated biography of Weird Al Yankovic the other day: Weird Al: The Book, by Nathan Rabin, which I could recommend to W. A.'s fans, and any who enjoy a good humorous biography, with lots of pictures and song lyrics.  The book does give a good review of the subject's life to date, but is mostly entertaining in its use of

anecdotes and goofy pics that may be new to non-hardcore fans
(soft-core fans?). 

In a more serious vein, Laurent Binet's recent historical novel HHhH, on (SPOILER ALERT) the 1942 plot to assassinate SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich, should appeal to readers of espionage and action thrillers, although the thoughtful and innovative style may not be what they're used to.  The pay-off is huge, and the semi-meandering path getting there is strewn with ideas and reveries that you usually don't see in any but "literary" fiction -- but don't let that throw you, it's a well-told, fast-paced story.



Week One, Assignment One: Judging books by their covers

Adult list, got 19 of 24, though I protest that my answer of The Chronicles of Narnia should have counted for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (and not just because I never read the damned things).   Shoulda got Bonus Points for spelling "Chronicles" correctly.
Children's list, 16 of 20.

Assignment Two: Nine of twelve, though I disagree that a woman's torso in front of a Stately Home is indicative of "historical" Realistic fiction -- she doesn't seem to be wearing clothes that fit with any but contemporary times.

Assignment Three: Good advice though when you've been doing this (and participating in BCPL's excellent [not kissing up, it really is] RA training) as long as I have, it's almost second nature -- except I still have a tendency to NOT "keep current" -- I prefer lots of the older stuff I should have read in a previous life.

Assignment Four: I will be checking in with Goodreads for general books recommendations (because I do it already and at this moment, don't have time to establish TWO new routines), and Street Fiction, because Urban Fiction is not something I'm into, and it could be fun.  Have already found that link mentioned in the assignment is broken -- or more accurately, partially disabled.  My link above goes to the intended place.

Assignment Five: The kindergartner's exactly right about Jane Eyre: it IS a book about a gold-mining girl.  Or was that Great Expectations?

I had a friend when I worked in Fort Lauderdale.  She and I would go to bookstores (this was back when they had bookstores) and literally judge books by their covers.  It was a fun way to spend an afternoon!

Protoassignment

Our first selection: Growing Up Patton: Reflections on heroes, history, and family wisdom, by Benjamin Patton (with Jennifer Scruby), 2012. 

Anyone who knows me (and I realize I haven't introduced myself; that'll happen soon enough) knows I have a lifelong fascination with General George S. Patton Jr. (or "GSP"), the tactical genius of the US Army in World War II.  I have read almost everything published on the man and am now expanding that interest into his family.  This book is written by GSP's grandson, Benjamin, who in turn is the son of Major General George S. Patton IV, GSP's son (the numbering is a bit confusing and confused but I'll gladly explain it to you ... some other time). 

This gives great depth to the family saga some of us are familiar with.  George Patton the son gets the lion's share of coverage -- he was, after all, the author's father.  Benjamin never knew GSP, who died 20 years before his birth. 

Well written by Patton and Jennifer Scruby, this is much more than a family memoir.  Lovingly interspersed with anecdotes and short biographical sketches of various friends of his mother and father, there is fatherly advice enough here for a dozen Poloniuses.  (Polonii?)   George Patton IV deserves his own biography one day -- while not as outrageous and publicly loved/hated as his father, the latest General Patton was well-liked and respected by his soldiers and his superiors, and probably actually had more time in combat than his father did, even including his World War I service. 

Recommended for fans of military biography, or for anyone curious about "that Vietnam-era Patton."  Anyone interested in family dynamics would also be a potential reader, but the "military thing" admittedly puts some people off from the start.

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Welcome to Stoddard's Palm Garden, your guide to a selection of the Finest Books Available to the Modern Reader.  We hope you will enjoy your stay.