Birthday Book Haul 7/25

I celebrated my 22nd Birthday last week Saturday. I received a copy of American Sniper from my parents as a gift, and then my mother and I hit up our local Christian Thrift Store to check out their selection. As it turn out, they were having a 50% off deal on all of their novels! Here's what we brought home:

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

American Sniper by Chris Kyle

Amigoland by Oscar Casares

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes

Cat & Mouse by James Patterson

Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession by Julie Powell

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells

River, Cross My Heart by Breena Clarke

Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris

The Bingo Palace by Louise Erdrich

The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton

The Rain Before it Falls by Jonathan Coe

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Travels with Charlie: In Search of America by John Steinbeck

Happy book hunting fellow bilbiophiles!

"Icy Sparks" by Gwyn Hyman Rubio

Title: Icy Sparks
Author: Gwyn Hyman Rubio
Published: 1998
Genre: Fiction

"Rural Kentucky in the 1950s is not an easy place to grow up, and it's especially hard for ten-year-old Icy Sparks, an orphan who lives with her grandparents. Life becomes even more difficult for Icy when violent tics and uncontrollable cursing begin -- symptoms brought on by a troubling affliction that goes undiagnosed until her adulthood. Icy's adolescence is marred by the humiliation of her illness, and its all-too-visible signs are the source of endless mystery and hilarity as everyone around her offers an opinion about what's troubling the girl. Eventually, Icy finds solace in the company of Miss Emily, an obese woman who knows what it's like to be an outcast in this tightly knit community. Narrated by a now-grown Icy, this novel shimmers with warmth and humor as it recounts a young girl's painful and poignant journey to womanhood -- and the many lives she touches and enriches along the way."

Anyone who has ever felt that they don't fit in will instantly relate to Icy Sparks, the protagonist in Gwyn Hyman Rubio's novel of the same name. As a young child, Icy has always had the unique ability of being able to "pop" her eyes out when she gets excited or frustrated, earning her the nickname "Frog Girl". But when the tics and outbursts increase and become more violent, she and those around her realize that something is wrong. Since no one knows what exactly is wrong with the girl, she becomes an outcast with only her grandparents and friend Miss Emily, a fellow outcast, for company, and even they struggle to understand Icy. Only later in adulthood does Icy learn the name for the disorder that she suffers from -- Tourette's Syndrome.

Another big conflict besides girl vs. Tourette's is good vs. evil. Icy creates a divide within herself; one half is good, and the other is bad. Her bad self puts her at odds with God, and her God-fearing grandmother. She  can't give herself over to Him, because a bad girl and God can't be in the same company. It's a constant inward struggle for her to figure out what side will define her.

While, in general, I enjoyed the story being told, I ran into road blocks along the way. One was that I sometimes lost track of what was going on, particularly when Icy was experiencing one of her fits. Things would get weird whenever she was having an attack, and it was hard to tell whether what she was seeing was real life or a result of her syndrome. The other moment that left me baffled contains a spoiler, so cease reading this minute if you don't want to know what happens.

*******

At the end of the novel, Icy experiences a spiritual awakening. It's a long, drawn-out moment featuring lots of hymns and various choir robes. I'm sure it's a metaphor for something, but I was so confused about what was going on that it was lost on me. Basically, Icy lets herself go and finally learns to accept herself and her mysterious syndrome, as well as coming to realize that she is loved by many people, including God. 

Here's why you should read this book:

1. Rubio's writing style features witty Southernisms that will make any reader smile.

2. The story comments on the human condition and the inward struggle between good and evil.

3. The coming-of-age themes present in the story will resonate with many readers.

Kaylee says:

"Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys

Title: Between Shades of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Published: March 22, 2011
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction

"Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother's was worth a pocket watch."

'Lithuania, June 1941: Fifteen-year-old Lina is preparing for art school and looking forward to summer. In the dark of night there is a knock at the door and life is forever changed. Soviet secret police arrest Lina her mother, and her younger brother, tearing their family apart. The three are hauled from their home and thrown into cattle cars, where they soon discover their destination: Siberia. Separated from her father, Lina embeds clues in her drawings and secretly passes them along, hoping they will reach her father's prison camp. In this dramatic and moving story, Lina desperately fights for her life and the lives of those around her. But will love be enough to keep her alive?'

I have always been a fan of Historical Fiction, especially stories about WWII. Almost everyone knows about the Holocaust and the atrocities that Hitler committed during the war. What made me want to read this particular book is that it deals with a little-known facet of the war. Hitler wasn't the only leader to transplant and murder millions of people. Joseph Stalin, the leader of Russia at the time, also displaced people who were considered to be anti-Soviet from the countries of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. This included doctors, military servicemen, teachers, lawyers, business owners, and their families. Many were forced into work camps located in Siberia, and those who weren't killed outright, succumbed to the crummy conditions.

Sepetys' novel is written from the perspective of Lina, one of the many who were arrested and taken form their homes.  The book chronicles her journey from prison camp to prison camp, detailing the hardships and loss faced by her and her family. The things she faces are horrifying to read about, and when you consider for a moment that they are based on true facts, it's difficult to not feel a tinge of sadness. 

Lina's character is one that I love to read about in YA novels. She's brave, rebellious, loving, but also distrusting of others who aren't in her immediate family. She is the kind of character that YA readers will find themselves rooting for. Throughout the book, her strong-willed nature and animosity towards the Russians who occupied her country get her into trouble. However, Lina comes to find that things aren't always black and white; she learns instead that world is a more complex shade of gray, which is a lesson that I think we all need to be reminded of once in a while.

The strong characters and wonderful storytelling, in combination with a fascinating historical period and a dash of romance, make Between Shades of Gray a compelling read that any YA and Historical Fiction fan should add to his/her reading list.

Kaylee says: