The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery

I can't remember where I first stumbled onto The Soul of an Octopus, but it's been on my Goodreads to-read list for a long time now. I must have found it online somewhere, because I knew about its existence long before I saw a physical copy. When I did happen to see it sitting on a shelf in a bookstore, I recognized it and bought it right away. That was actually only a few months ago, so it hasn't been sitting on my shelf forever (like most of my unread novels, it seems). I'm reading it now as part of my effort to read more nonfiction in 2018.

The Soul of an Octopus is a different sort of nonfiction book. It is partly scientific, in that it describes several facts about the octopus and presents findings from all sorts of studies about them. It is partly anecdotal, in that its author, Sy Montgomery, tells several stories about encounters she has with octopuses in aquariums and in the wild. It is also partly supposition, in that it includes a lot of guesses about octopus intelligence and consciousness. The blending together of all of these elements results in a book that is educational, accessible, and charming. I personally enjoyed reading it very much, although I can see how some of its less-scientific elements might irk some readers.

Most of the novel concerns stories about Montgomery's interactions with several octopuses at the New England Aquarium. She describes observing, feeding, petting, and playing with the creatures alongside the aquarium's expert staff members. Each octopus she interacts with has its own distinct personality. Some are shy and sweet while others are playful and sneaky. I had no idea before reading this that these creatures would enjoy playing with a human, but now that I know this, I really want to try it for myself one day. Montgomery forms close bonds with these animals, and her observations of their behavior lead her into a lot of musings about how intelligent octopuses truly are. They are certainly more intelligent that people think, but Montgomery goes a bit further than that. She supposes that they are conscious of themselves as individuals, which would place them as one of the most intelligent animal species in the world. She gets a little poetic in her thoughts in these sections, which is where more analytical people might roll their eyes, but overall her thoughts are intriguing to read.

She also spends a fair amount of time imagining how octopuses interpret their surroundings. They have evolved in ways utterly alien to humans. Instead of being built with a head on top, their body is on top of their head. They have most of their neurons in their tentacles and taste through their suction cups. If an octopus wraps it's arm around a human's, it can taste things that are in the human's blood, like medications and hormones. They are truly different creatures from us, and they experience the world in an entirely way. Her descriptions of what it must be like to live like they do are intriguing and cause you to think about the animal in a novel way.

Overall, I learned a lot of facts about the octopus from this novel, and it was consistently interesting throughout. Montgomery's writing is engaging and easy to read. Beyond those qualities, however, there is a lyrical niceness about it. Her enthusiasm and love for animals leaps off each page, and her fascination with her subject is a pleasure to read. I felt happier while reading this. It's nice to both learn something new and get a mood boost at the same time. I know that I'll never look at an octopus in an aquarium the same way again, so I count The Soul of an Octopus as a very worthwhile read. Anyone who has ever been intrigued by these unusual and smart creatures will find a lot to like in it.


Challenge Tally:
True Books 2018: 4/18 + 2 bonus books
Clear the Shelves 2018: 6 books donated

Total Books Read in 2018: 12

Find Her by Lisa Gardner

After reading my two nonfiction books for the month of February, I turned my attention back to that infamous stack under my nightstand. The pile of novels that my mother has loaned to me has been steadily shrinking under my efforts since the beginning of the year. Find Her, a crime thriller by Lisa Gardner, is my second-to-last one. I read this while I was away to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon last month. While I was resting up for the big event, I sped through this novel in a little over a day. Happily, it ended up being the perfect book to take on a trip. Full of suspense and well crafted twists and turns, Find Her is a truly enjoyable guilty pleasure read.

To tell too much of the plot would definitely spoil the story, so my summary will be brief. The plot centers around Flora Dane, a young woman in recovery from being abducted and assaulted when she was a college student. She was held prisoner for 472 days before managing to escape her captor, and the experience has left her with deep emotional scars. She's become an expert on criminal behavior, learned survival skills, and become a vigilante. Unable to return to a normal life, she works to find other missing girls who haven't made it home yet. While working on the case of a local abducted girl, Flora disappears herself, and Boston detective D.D. Warren must step in to try and untangle what happened and bring her home.

The narration shifts between characters and different time periods throughout the novel, with some chapters narrated by Flora in the present time, some narrated by D.D. in the present, and some flashing back to the 472 days of Flora's original abduction. Information is revealed at a deliciously suspenseful rate, with enough little pieces dropped consistently to keep readers hooked into the story. All through the reading you can tell that the story is building up to something major, and when the twists finally come, they don't disappoint.

Aside from excellent plotting, the characters in Find Her are well-drawn. Flora is quite compelling in her pain and confusion. She is a women irrevocably damaged by her experiences and struggling to relate to her family and develop a sense of normalcy. Her emotions feel genuine. The other characters in the story mostly function as background players to Flora's story, but they are similarly interesting to read. D.D. Warren is your typical tough, somewhat unpolished detective. Samuel Keynes, Flora's victim's advocate, is a quiet, intelligent, and steady force that you end up wanting to know more about. Jacob X, Flora's original abductor, is sickening in his compulsions and behavior. Everyone was interesting to read about and contributed to the overall engaging nature of the story.

I was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel. Find Her is the perfect read for fans of books like Gone Girl and Girl on a Train. This is one of those novels that's perfect for when you don't feel like picking up something dense and just want to fall into a great story that you can polish off in a few days. This novel is apparently the eighth in a series featuring Detective D.D. Warren, but it most definitely can be read as a standalone. I had no idea it was a series when I started reading it and didn't feel like I was missing anything as I moved through it. I might actually end up picking up some of the others in this collection one day, as I was definitely a fan of this one.

This isn't the sort of book I would have picked up on my own, but I'm glad that my mom saw fit to loan it to me. I must say, I approached her stack of books with more than a little bit of dread owing to how we are such different readers, but I have liked essentially everything she's chosen.This story is no exception.  


Challenge Tally:
Clear the Shelves 2018: 5 books donated

Total Books Read in 2018: 11

Flesh & Blood So Cheap by Albert Marrin

I first head about Flesh and Blood So Cheap at a school training. The keynote speaker mentioned it as a high-interest nonfiction choice for young adults and used some of the pictures from it in her presentation. I'm always looking for interesting informational texts to use in my classroom, so I ordered it right away. I ended up setting it to the side and forgetting about it as I got busy with other projects. Since I'm making an effort to read all of my nonfiction books this year, I dusted it off and finally gave it a shot this month.

Flesh and Blood So Cheap is the story of the infamous Triangle Factory fire that killed 146 people in 1911. It was one of the most lethal workplace fires in American history until September 11th, yet not many people know much about it. Albert Marrin brings the disaster back to life in this novel, and presents it as more than just an accident. He places it into a larger narrative of immigration, poverty, workplace abuses, and safety reforms that give the reader a more nuanced understanding of the event. This is not a story about a random tragedy--it is a story about an appalling outcome of an abusive and corrupt factory system. It is also the story of how one terrible event provided the catalyst for much needed change and regulation in American industry. 

Marrin opens the text with an explanation of immigration patterns in the United States during the 1900s. Since most of the workers that perished in the Triangle fire were Jewish and Italian immigrants, he pays special attention to describing the reasons that those groups were arriving in America in droves during that time period. He continues on to explain how many of these new workers found jobs in the garment district in New York. The jobs (most of which were held by women) involved long hours of sewing, cutting, or transporting garments with very few breaks and very little pay. Workers were forced into overcrowded factory spaces with inadequate safety measures in place to protect them in case of an accident. Workers united behind unions to strike, and met with only partial success in changing workplace practices.

Eventually, the unsafe working conditions culminated in the Triangle Factory fire.  Marrin explains how a stray cigarette ignited a pile of fabric remnants and quickly spread around the 10th story work space. Terrified workers were unable to extinguish the flames due to the emergency water supply being disconnected. Panicking, people then rushed for the emergency exits only to find some doors locked, other doors blocked, and the fire escapes unusable. Many, seeing no other choice, jumped out of windows to their deaths. Others burned alive in the building. Firemen arrived on the scene within minutes, but their ladders were too short to reach the affected floors. Eventually the fire was contained, but many lost their lives.

The closing chapters of the text describe the legacy that the fire left behind. In the aftermath of the disaster, several leaders began to emerge demanding safety reforms in the workplace. Many of these leaders were women, who began taking on larger roles in the government for the first time. Marrin describes that through their tireless efforts, many new regulations to improve workplaces were created. Little things that we now see as commonplace, like lighted exit signs, working fire escapes, regular fire drills, and automatic sprinklers came into being, saving innumerable future lives. While the Triangle fire was a terrible chapter in American history, it was a force for necessary changes in the workplace.

Marrin's style is striking in its simplicity. He is clear and frank with details, and doesn't sugarcoat the facts. At the same time, however, his writing is always appropriate and accessible to a young adult audience. Accompanying the text are numerous pictures of the relevant people and places from the event, which serve to pull the reader further into the text and lend a deeper sense of gravity to the story. It was nice to be able to match faces and buildings to the names Marrin gives. This was a relatively quick read too, another factor that will attract younger readers. Adults might appreciate a more complex analysis of this event, but this novel is a perfect match with its target audience.

Aside from facts, the novel gives readers a lot to think about as well. Many questions of ethics and morals are raised in its pages--perhaps none as thought provoking as what Marrin explores in the novel's final chapter. He describes how, over time, memories fade and history tends to repeat itself. One only has to look to sweatshops operating overseas to see a shockingly similar pattern of abuses and safety violations to what we had in America before the fire. Different disasters are happening now across the world from us. He warns that constant vigilance is the key to preventing more workplace tragedies. It's a heavy subject to think about, but it's one well worth bringing to the minds of young readers. After all, they will go on to become our leaders one day.

Overall, I enjoyed Flesh and Blood So Cheap. It is an interesting and engaging examination of an often overlooked historical event. Enough background details are given to place the Triangle Factory fire in its proper context without being overwhelming or dry, and the description of the legacy that the fire left behind is inspiring to read. I learned a lot from this novel, and I can see my students learning a lot from it as well. That keynote speaker I enjoyed a few years ago was correct in offering this up as an example of an excellent informational text for use in the classroom. I will be donating my copy to my classroom library in the hopes that one of my kids will pick it up and fall into it the way I did.


Challenge Tally:
True Books 2018: 3/18 + 2 bonus books
Clear the Shelves 2018: 4 books donated

Total Books Read in 2018: 10

The Ways of White Folks by Langston Hughes

In honor of Black History Month this year, I decided to read a work by an African American author. I had several options to choose from on my Classics Club list, but I eventually settled on The Ways of White Folks by Langston Hughes. Prior to reading this, I was only familiar with Hughes' poetry. I don't read much poetry in general, but my work as a teacher has brought me into contact with several of his most famous works. Hughes' poems, without a doubt, are beautiful and thought-provoking. I was interested to see how this collection of short stories would compare.

The Ways of White Folks contains fourteen short stories, each exploring different interactions between white people and African Americans in the 1920s and 30s. These interactions run the gamut of human emotions. Some of the stories are humorous, showing white people that fetishize black culture and fail to understand how their fascination with all things African is ironic and silly. Other stories are tragic, showing the naked racism and violence that white people regularly employed to terrorize the black community. Many of the stories fall somewhere in the middle of those extremes, showing the awkwardness, unfairness, and hypocrisy that inevitably arise between two groups on opposite sides of an unequal society. All of the stories, no matter their tone, invite readers to pause and think about how strange and cruel life can be. Hughes is an excellent storyteller, and his keen observations of human behavior feel genuine. One gets the sense that this is an important work with layers of meaning to unpack.

I enjoyed each story in the collection, but a few stand out to me. In"Passing," a young man who is able to pass as white writes a letter home to him mother. In it, he apologizes for pretending not to know her when he saw her on the street. He was with his fiancé, who thinks he is white, so he couldn't acknowledge his mother without revealing his race. He feels bad about this, but knows that if he wants to have any semblance of a nice life, he must keep up the ruse.  It's a clever bit of story construction by Hughes that in order to pass for white, he is forced to literally pass by those he loves.

In "Little Dog," a white woman who lives alone decides to adopt a dog for companionship. She relies on the black janitor in her building to bring her dog food each night. After a while, she begins to have romantic feelings for this man. Her thoughts are entirely inappropriate for more than one reason. Aside from it being unthinkable for a white woman to be with a black man in America during this time period, the janitor is happily married with a houseful of children. She becomes so disturbed by what she feels that she ends up moving away. Her sadness and confusion hit me in a personal way. As someone in an interracial marriage, the idea of pulling away from someone you like based on skin color is especially sad to me.

There are several stories more dramatic and tragic than the ones I mentioned here, but I think I like the quieter ones the best. These little moments of fear, confusion, and sadness are more like the racism I've observed in my own life, so it was easy to make a lot of connections to modern society. One only has to consider the recent rise of white supremacy groups in the United States and the comments about people of color made by our current president to find chilling examples of how the attitudes of whites haven't changed much over the years when it comes to race--they've just gotten a bit less overt. This collection provides an excellent place to start examining these attitudes, and to consider the dark legacy of racism in this country.

I haven't read very many short story collections, so I don't have much to compare The Ways of White Folks to. It is clear, however, that this novel, with all of its humor, sarcasm, violence, and tragedy, is a great work with something important to say. While I wouldn't term this an easy read, it is a quick one that will challenge readers to explore how race relations in the United States have developed over time. This was a fitting choice to celebrate Black History Month, and anyone interested in Langston Hughes would do well to pick this one up.


Challenge Tally:
Back to the Classics (a classic with a color in the title): 3/12
Classics Club (#11 on my list): 24/100

Total Books Read in 2018:9

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

I happen to have a predilection for classic, squeaky-clean children's books. The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, The Chronicles of Narnia, Black Beauty, and Little Women are just a handful of books like this that hold a special place in my heart. I don't know what it is about these innocent little stories that draw me in. Maybe it's the depiction of goodhearted young heroes overcoming the odds, or maybe it's the simplicity of seeing kids being happy and kind to everyone. Maybe it's all the talking animals that tend to pop up. Whatever the root of my fascination, I can't help but fall headfirst into these sorts of books. When I saw that one of the Back to the Classics categories was to read a children's classic this year, I knew that I wanted to find another sweet novel to enjoy, so I chose Heidi by Johanna Spyri.

Heidi is the story of a little Swiss girl who is sent to live with her grandfather after her parents pass away. Heidi is only five years old when she joins her grandfather, who lives in an isolated little hut high up in the mountains. His troubled past and grief over his son's death have made him quite reclusive, earning him the nickname 'Uncle Alp' among the people that live in Dörfli, the nearest village. It doesn't take long, however, for little Heidi, with her inquisitive nature and joyful spirit, to win his heart and soften his gruff exterior.

Heidi spends a few years living with her grandfather in the mountains, enjoying the breathtaking scenery. She runs about all day with Peter, a young goatherd, exploring the forests and playing with the animals. At home, she helps to keep her hut tidy and to make cheese from the milk that Daisy and Dusky, her grandfathers goats, provide. She makes fast friends with everyone she meets, including Grannie, Peter's blind and sickly grandmother, whom she cheers up with her innocent chatter and natural optimism.

Her life takes a unexpected turn when her aunt suddenly arrives on the mountain and whisks her away to become a companion to a sickly, rich little girl living in Frankfurt. Heidi tries to make the best of her new situation, but pines away with homesickness for the Alps, her grandfather, and her friends. The noise and crowded buildings of the city cut her off from the natural world that she had come to love and fill her with sadness. Eventually, seeing her unhappiness, the family she was staying with allows her to return home. What ends up coming out of her time there, however, is a miracle, and this allows Heidi to learn a lesson about how life is full of surprises and generally turns out for the best, even if things seem dark for a time.

Heidi has been adapted into several movie versions and been published in many different languages all over the world. From the first chapter, it is easy to understand how this little story captured the hearts of so many people. It is, to put it simply, a ray of light. Everything in it, from the beautiful setting of the Swiss mountains, to the lovable cast of characters, to the simple plot, is heartwarming. Everyone in the story loves Heidi once they meet her, and all readers who appreciate these sorts of stories will invariably feel the same. Her personality is so sweet, kind, and generous that it inspires you to be a better person yourself. Her example is one well worth following, even if her relentless enthusiasm for everything might be a bit unrealistic.

Her relationship with her grandfather was probably my favorite part of the story. I definitely have a soft spot for nice paternal relationships in novels, and Heidi has that in abundance. To watch mean old Uncle Alp turn soft and caring under Heidi's influence was a treat. He learns a lot of lessons about forgiveness and courage right alongside his granddaughter, although what he learns has a bit of a darker side to it. When we first meet him, he is nursing a lot of pain, anger, and regret over things that happened in his past. While we don't get a lot of detail on his backstory, we do get the impression that he is a man who has made significant mistakes in his life, and he is quite hard on himself and others because of it. I know firsthand from my classroom how the example of an innocent child can inspire adults to change, and the watch it play out on the page made me smile.

Another wonderful aspect of this novel is how well the natural world is described. The Swiss landscape is shown in beautiful detail. Everything from the trees, to the flowers, to the little goats gamboling around the mountainside are lovingly rendered. The imagery is so strong that it made me homesick for a place I'd never been. Spyri based the scenery on a town where she spent many family vacations, and her own, personal connection to the setting shine through. I felt like I was getting a little peek at paradise, and I was suddenly jealous that I wasn't living in a hut in the Alps drinking goat milk and making cheese all day.

Anyone who enjoys sweet, classic children's stories will find a lot to love in Heidi. It is a book where life is beautiful, people love each other, and things always turn out for the best. I think the world could do with a few more stories like this these days, where simple kindness is enough to make everyone think the world of you. This book is a feel-good treasure and a fine addition to my collection of classic novels. I'm glad that I chose it for my challenge this year.


Challenge Tally:
Back to the Classics (a children's classic): 2/12
Classics Club (#22 on my list): 23/100

Total Books Read in 2018:8

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Out of all the books in the stack that my mother loaned to me, the one that I thought I'd like the least was The Rosie Project. I don't read a lot of romance in general, and definitely not modern romantic comedies. She took the time to recommend it to me though, so I felt honor-bound to give it a shot. Imagine my surprise when I ended up loving it.

The plot concerns Don Tillman, genetics professor with quite the quirky personality. He has Aspergers Syndrome, and he lives a life ruled by strict routines based on his incredible intelligence and logic. His skills have led him to become very successful professionally, but he has had less luck socially. He decides that he most efficient way to find a suitable romantic partner would be to create a questionnaire designed to weed out incompatible women and match him up with the ideal person for him.

His questionnaire brings a young PhD student named Rosie Jarman into his world. He immediately disqualifies her as a potential partner, but becomes interested in her personal project of trying to discover her birth father. Strangely drawn to Rosie's unpredictable and carefree ways, Don decides to use his genetics lab to try and help her figure out who her father is. As they work together more and more on this project, Don begins to realize that his interest in Rosie goes far beyond genetic testing, and he is forced to reconsider some of his preconceived notions about love, relationships, and himself.

This story was absolutely charming from top to bottom, and unlike any other romance I have read. Being written from the male perspective was one element that made it stand out, but Don's personality was its most unique aspect. His character is a bit similar to Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, but without the snark and pop culture obsessions. Being inside his head was both funny and a challenge, as you had to take his interpretations of various situations and figure out what social cues he was missing. Don's brain gets him into all sorts of situations--some are humorous, some are completely embarrassing, and some are pretty sad. It all felt genuine. I was completely engaged in the story from page one and was rooting for him to succeed.

Rosie, on the other hand, was less of an interesting character. Her personality, while fun and socially competent, was a bit flat. She had some emotional issues that made her somewhat frustrating to read too. She could be flighty and judgemental at times, and I felt like her interpretations of her stepfather's actions were quite immature. However, Don's character is so enjoyable that he largely made up for Rosie's drawbacks. I believe that Simsion was probably going for a whole "two damaged people meet and help each other" type of narrative, so I didn't let my dislike of Rosie bother me too much.

As far as romances go, this novel is about as PG as it gets. While I loved the overall story and Don's character, I did wish there had been a bit more chemistry between the leads. As Aspergers is a major factor in the romance, however, I understand why the spark was absent. Truthfully, this story is just as much about personal discovery as it is about love. While it is a romance, the relationship is only one part of Don's development. Watching him open himself up to new experiences and grow as a person was a treat.

So, I have to admit, mom was definitely right on this one. The Rosie Project is pure joy to read and is an easy book to recommend to pretty much everyone. It's a very different kind of romance, and I mean that in the best way possible. It's loving without being sappy, unique without trying too hard, and happy without being vapid. It's nice when a story can surprise you, and it's doubly nice when that surprise is so sweet.


Challenge Tally:
Clear the Shelves 2018: 3 books donated

Total Books Read in 2018:7