RHS 9th Grade Summer Reading List

RHS 9th Grade Summer Reading List

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The King's Speech by Mark Logue

The King's Speech by Mark Logue

As I have mentioned many times before in relation to the books I read, they are inspired by a movie.  If you have seen the Academy Award winning film you know what a tremendous story this is.  Mark Logue is the grandson of Lionel Logue, the "Man who saved the British Monarchy."  Logue came upon his grandfather's diaries, which inspired the film to be made and this compelling story to be written. 

The King's Speech recounts an inspiring real-life tale of triumph over adversity, when an Australian elocutionist/actor taught a British king with a crippling speech defect how to speak to his subjects.  "Bertie", the younger brother and second in line to the throne, suffers from a severe stammer.  He withstands ridicule from his father, George V, as he grows up.  When his older brother abdicates the throne for the love of Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee, Bertie becomes the reluctant monarch.  Some people seek fame, and others, like George VI, has it thrust upon him. 

This story shows a side of the British royal family, that one seldom sees.  What really brings this story to life is the use of primary sources, the letters, correspondence and photographs between George VI and Lionel Logue.  These letters reveal a very compassionate monarch who cared deeply for his country and its people, as well as the very genuine  friendship, loyalty and devotion he developed with Lionel Logue.  This unique story is so well told that you honestly feel like you have gotten to know these two very different men, who became close friends, and you don't want them to leave.

This is a case where I would highly recommend you see the film as well as read the book.  Don't worry, one will not spoil the other for you.   

The Bullpen Gospels by Dirk Hayhurst

BULLPEN GOSPELS: Major League Dreams of a Minor League Veteran by Dirk Hayhurst

I picked up this book because of Keith Olbermann claiming it was one of the best baseball books ever.  And as an avid baseball fan, I do enjoy reading books written by past players or knowledgeable individuals of the game.  Overall I enjoyed Bullpen Gospels, but there were moments during Hayhurst's narrative that I felt he went overboard in his descriptions.  I have never been a fan of so-called gross out or "toilet" humor, whether in books or movies.  A little bit of this type of humor goes a long way, and Hayhurst could have easily mentioned these moments in his minor league career in fewer words.  It doesn't take much to get the picture when mentioning these examples of "growing up", he didn't need to spend half a chapter describing it.

Overall, Hayhurst does capture the absurdities, the antics, and the bizarre humor that comes out when you spend a summer with a busload of teenage or young adult ball players.  There are moments when you find yourself humbled and chocking up, especially when he describes a phone conversation with his alcoholic brother,  who is asking to be forgiven.  It is these moments of hard-won wisdom that salvages the book for me.

The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg

Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg

Promoted as another Steig Larsson, I was looking forward to reading this novel from a new Swedish author. While it stands on its own as a crime novel, it did not begin to match the intricacy, complexity or the character development that made Larsson's Millenium trilogy so compelling.

Lackberg's novels have become the #1 bestsellers in Sweden. Ice Princess was awarded the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere for best international crime novel. Ice Princess is the first in a series of what will be seven novels by Lackberg set in the Swedish coastal town of Fjallbacka, and featuring her female protaganist, Erica Falck.

Erica has to return home to Fjallbacka after the death of her parents. But things start getting more interesting when an estranged childhood friend is found dead in her bathtub with both wrists slashed. I don't think I would be giving anything away by telling that it is not a suicide. The secrets that lie behind her friend's murder is what will keep you guessing for awhile. Another childhood friend of Erica's, a police detective, Patrik Hedstrom, begins to investigate and naturally a relationship reignites.

But a subplot, involving her sister and brother-in-law, does hold some promise for future volumes. The personality of the brother-in-law could prove to be an interesting villain, if Lackberg chooses to follow that particular thread in future novels about Erica. While this debut novel may offer some promise and possibilities, don't go into this novel expecting anything as intricate or intriguing as Steig Larsson's novels.

Ireland by Frank Delaney

Ireland by Frank Delaney

From just the title of this novel, you would think Delaney has bitten off more than what could be handled in a novel. But in a very unique and creative treatment, Delaney succeeds in telling the story of Ireland, while keeping the reader totally engaged. He employs the use of a somewhat mysterious storyteller (seanchai: Gaelic for storyteller) who travels the length and width of Ireland.

"One wintry evening in 1951, an itinerant storyteller - a Seanchai, the very last practitioner of a fabled tradition extending back hundreds of years - arrives unannounced at a house in the Irish countryside. In exchange for a bed and a warm meal, he invites his hosts and some of their neighbors to join him by the fireside, and begins to tell formative stories of Ireland's history." One of the listeners, the 9 year old boy in the household, Ronan, becomes so entranced by the old storyteller and his tales, that as he grows up, he pledges to himself to track down the storyteller. It becomes a story of self-discovery for Ronan, along with some surprising twists, as we learn more about Ireland and the storyteller.

The Washington Post states, "The stories of Irish history are familiar but still stirring, and Delaney brings a fresh perspective and a depth of understanding to the telling." Delaney succeeds in capturing the magic that is Ireland.

Council of the Cursed

Council of the Cursed by Peter Tremayne I picked up this novel at the Bookshop in Kinsale, Ireland. This particular historical novel is set in 670 A.D. and is one in a series of novels featuring Sister Fidelma of Cashel, a much more engaging protaganist than Bruno, the main character in Heresy (see previous post). Tremayne seamlessly blends church history (e.g., Pope Vitalian's efforts to impose Rome's authority over disparate western churches) and political intrigue (e.g., among Britons, Angles, Saxons and Celts). I enjoyed the independent attitude and tradition of the early Celtic church that Fidelma and her partner Eadulf represents. At that time the religious, monks, priests and nuns, were allowed to marry. In fact one of conflicts being proposed at the Council of Autun in the book is to have each of the christian churches adhere to a new pledge of celibacy. The Celtic church held women in higher esteem than the Church of Rome. So it was difficult for Bishop Leodagar, representing the church of Rome, who had assembled the church leaders for this Council, to ask Fidelma and Eadulf, because of their reputation as sleuths, to help solve the murder of one of the delegates at the council. Leodagar is forced to give Fidelma, a woman, the right to roam the abbey and to question any of the priests or monks in attendance. Fidelma is pressed into service to solve the mystery so the Council to continue their sessions in order to report the results of their unification back to Rome. There is plenty of historical, political and religious conflict to go along with the whodunit portion of the story. Fidelma's ability to best her opponents, whether in argument, strategy or audacity, makes her a heroine for any age.

Heresy by S. J. Parris

Heresy by S. J. Parris

This was one novel that did not live up to its synopsis or its cover. According to the publisher's description, a fugitive Italian monk, Giordano Bruno, a philosopher and heretical scientist, was excommunicated by the Catholic Church, because he questions the Church's stand on issues that are better defined and explained by science. Plus he was in possession of a banned manuscript, which places him in danger of prosecution by the Inquisition. Bruno, based on a real monk, flees Italy one step ahead of the Inquisition. Once again it sounds great, and apparently this part of the novel is based on real events in Giordano Bruno's life. Bruno flees to England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for a debate at Oxford University, which recently underwent a purge of any Catholic loyalist professors. Most of the sitting professors chose to sign allegiance to the Church of England. Bruno is recruited by Francis Wallsingham (advisor to Queen Elizabeth) to watch members of the faculty for any indication of a Catholic plot to overthrow the monarchy. But his mission is thrown off course by a series of grisly murders. My biggest complaint is not with the plot, which does become a little convoluted, and a bit bizarre at times. Instead my problem is with the main character Bruno. Contrary to how the Washington Post says Parris portrays Bruno as, "sly, agile intelligence", I found him to be somewhat hapless and naive, bumbling from one situation or predicament to another. He even bumbles his debate against the Dean at Oxford University regarding the scientific view on Universe versus the religious view of the universe. Skip this novel and save your time for another historical novel, entitled Council of the Cursed by Peter Tremayne.