Book Reviews

Hello. Here are reviews of more books I've been reading recently. This time, I talk about two adult books and two children's books. If you read here very often, you may have seen that I include children's books from time to time in my reviews. This is a carryover from when I worked as a children's librarian, where I was made aware of the many good children's books that are out there. (But just like adult books, there is a fair share of not-so-good children's books.) 

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, historical fiction, 2006

This is another book that I'm late to the game to read. Over 10 million copies have been sold, and I remember it being very popular at the library. 

The story follows a train circus during the 1930s Depression era, and switches back and forth between a present-day 93-year-old Jacob and a young 20-something Jacob. Dire circumstances and chance find Jacob working in the circus, and it is a brutal life at times. At the core of the book is a love story, but it also features numerous subplots and rich descriptions of life in a circus. I didn't think the present-day part of Jacob's story was necessary at first, but the past and present weave together for a perfect ending.

The book is well written and very descriptive. You can tell it was well researched. Besides Jacob, the characters surrounding him slowly develop into complex people whom you root for (or hate). However, the book is often difficult to read because circus life at that time was challenging to horrendous for both the animals and the people involved. I almost stopped reading because of that, but I'm happy that I didn't.  

I now understand why this book was so popular with both the public and the critics. Water for Elephants has been made both into a movie and a Broadway musical, neither of which I have seen. However, I recommend the book. 

The Littlest Library: a Novel by Poppy Alexander (pseudonym for Sarah Waight), fiction, 2021

I picked this book up at the library because I am drawn to any book about libraries. I had no idea what it was about except what I saw on the cover.

The story revolves around Jess, who moves to a quaint English village after her grandmother, who raised her, passes away, and she loses her librarian job. Jess is never one to take risks, so this move is totally out of character for her and difficult. She buys an old run-down cottage with a red phone booth on the lawn. She's not allowed to move it, so she decides to turn it into a little library using her grandmother's books. The books bring the town together, and Jess slowly makes friends, including a hunky man whom she initially detests. And in the end, they all live happily ever after.

This was an easy read, and it was just what I was looking for after reading Water for Elephants. I always enjoy reading about bringing a garden and cottage back to life, and this was no exception. The story is predictable, but it had just enough going on to hold my interest. If you're looking for a comfortable read, I recommend this book.

Faker by Gordon Korman, children's middle grade fiction, 2024

Gordon Korman is a prolific children's author whom I enjoy, so when I saw this new book at the library, I picked it up.

Twelve-year-old Trey lives with his father and younger ten-year-old sister. His mother left years ago and is out of the picture. Trey's father is a con artist and moves his family from place to place, relocating when his investors discover that they have been swindled. He uses his children to help him make contacts by enrolling them in private schools or living in the rich part of town. After a gig is up, they discard everything and assume new identities while lying low in a location where the US has no legal jurisdiction. His father justifies the family "business" by saying the rich people they target don't need the money he takes from them.

Moving all the time is hard on Trey because every time he makes friends, he has to leave and never even has a chance to say goodbye. They finally move to a town where he attends public school and begins living in the real world for the first time, and he likes it. Trey starts to question the family business while studying an ethics unit in school. Eventually, he comes to understand that the family business is not as innocent as his father has led him to believe, and Trey gives his father an ultimatum. 

The book had Korman's typical insightfulness into characters' emotions and the complexity of situations. However, I was uncomfortable with the premise of the father raising his kids to believe that his con games were okay. Maybe that's because I'm an adult and a parent. I don't know if a kid reading this would be bothered in the same way, or they would tune more into the emotions of Trey and his disappointment in not being able to develop more than superficial relationships. I didn't like the book's premise, so I don't recommend it. If you're an adult looking for a good children's book, I would recommend Korman's Unteachables instead.

Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah, children's fiction, 2024

Although this book came out last October (probably in time for Christmas), I only recently heard Trevor Noah talking about it on TV. I liked Noah's memoir, Born a Child, so when I saw this on display at the library, I checked it out. 

Noah describes the book as a picture book, but not a children's book. It's a read-aloud book for all ages. A boy and his bear embark on an adventure into the uncut grass because the boy thinks his mother has too many rules. They encounter various creatures (a gnome, a snail, and coins) that teach them life lessons. 

I found the prose engaging, and the charming pictures were the perfect accompaniment to the story. I appreciated that the lessons were not too heavy-handed. The book is printed on high-quality paper and is nicely bound, so I think it would make a nice gift. I will consider giving it in the future.

Until next time...