The Giver by Lois Lowry

Today I had an unexpected afternoon off, and decided I would spend it catching up on my reading. I was closest to finishing The Giver and so I started with that. Wow. I knew from about the halfway point that this book would make an emotional impact on me, but did not expect it to be so powerful.

Here's the summary from Amazon.com:

In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price.

I read this book as part of my own Dystopian Challenge. (heh, I was putting it off cause I thought I'd chosen it for the Newbery Challenge. I'm getting my lists confused!) For the first half of the book or so, Jonas' world seems perfect, very rule driven, very orderly. The people are happy. There aren't any secrets. At his 12th December, he is assigned his career, and from then the book takes a turn. The truth of the happiness is revealed, but only to Jonas.

I can't say much more without giving away plot points, so I'm going to jump over here with a some spoiler points that I need to say outloud. If you have not read the book, and plan to, I would not read these.

This is my first finished book for the Dystopian Challenge.

Monday Math and other notes

47 in, 18 read, 29 behind.

Did you all see that The Road won the 2007 Pulitzer? I might have to add that to my Challenge list.

Speaking of the Challenge, I put a big ol' link to it over there in my sidebar. The original post is slipping off the screen soon.

Weekend update, including The Mediator 1: Shadowland by Meg Cabot

Yes. It's True. I finished a book. Granted, it was a fairly short young adult novel, but hey, it counts! I read The Mediator 1: Shadowland by Meg Cabot. This is my 3rd Cabot and I'm really glad it wasn't my first! The plot is interesting, but the writing is pretty bad. The premise is that Suze is a mediator- she sees ghosts and helps them move on. (Shadowland was published in 2000. The Sixth Sense came out in 1999. Hmmm.) Suze has just moved to a new town and hopes for a new start at a new high school (a la Buffy), but wouldn't ya know it? There's a ghost problem. The book has great potential. I liked the characters just fine. My problem is with the violence. Ok, that's not actually correct. I don't mind the actual violence in the book. I dislike Suze's propensity to threaten to punch (or fantasize about punching) anyone who annoys her. It seems childish. This is a young adult novel, but really, it's not needed at all. If this had been my first Meg Cabot I'd probably stop here. I won't be recommending this one to others and I won't be adding the rest to my wishlist. I might one day check them out of the library, but as it is, I have way too many books to read.

As for other reading, I've read another 50 pages or so of The Book Thief and it is still excellent. I haven't read anything with this style of writing in a long long time. It's just beautiful. I'm in no hurry to finish because then it'll be over. I also started Plum Lovin' by Evanovich today and will likely wrap it up tonight. I did not read any of The Inheritance of Loss for the group discussion. Oops.

I've been doing a little crocheting, and frogging and trying again. I want to make a little something for the new baby in my family, but can't get in a groove.

The most exciting thing of the weekend (of the bookish weekend anyway) is that my awesome husband made us this little logo for my Dystopian Challenge. If you looks really close it's the opening of Fahrenheit 451. How cool is that? Now if he'd just tell us what books he's planning to read for the challenge...

Dystopian Challenge, part 3.

EDITED May 5, 2007 - Mr. Linky wasn't working. Go HERE for reviews instead. I'll invite you all as soon as I figure out how...

Ok, I have no creativity for these things, so I have named my challenge the ever-inspiring: Dystopian Challenge. Like it?

In case you missed the first post, the rules were as follows:

1. Pick any number of books you wish to read that fall into the Utopia/Dystopia genre.
2. They do not have to be books you've never read, but hopefully they aren't books you last week.
3. Challenge is open now, and will last until November 6th.

I followed that up with post #2, which has some lists of books and links to lists.

A couple of brave souls actually agreed to play along with me! Ok, so there aren't many, but at least I'm not alone. I plan to convince my husband to join in too. I had a hard time narrowing down my list, without it being the first 5 books listed. I think I have it now though.

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry. (I really want to read Lowry's Number the Stars too, but it doesn't fit the challenge. Or really, any of her books. )
2. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. (I read this in 10th grade and loved it so much. It was the first books that really made me *think*. Then I had to do a presentation to my class, much of which revolved around sex and drugs, and I was mortified.)
3. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. (I've also read this before, but I'd like to read it again as an adult and mother.)
4. Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm. (Susan at West of Mars keeps recommending it, so I chose it.)
5. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. (This one was on the list at wikipedia and looks interesting.)
6. Either Animal Farm or 1984 by Orwell. I have not decided which.

Those of you who are gamely playing along, post your list in comments and I'll edit it into my post here.

Gina's List:

1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry
3. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
4. Animal Farm by George Orwell
5. Brave New World and
6. The Island by Aldous Huxley

Michelle's List:

1. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
3. 1984 by George Orwell
4. (and possibly) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip Dick
5. Jennifer Government by Max Barry
6. Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Maggie at Maggie Reads is playing, she's starting with The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

Mercy's Maid over at Random Musings is only unoffically playing. If she WERE playing, she'd start with:

1. 1984
2. The Handmaid's Tale
3. Animal Farm

Raidergirl3 at an adventure in reading is planning to tackle:

1. The Giver
2. Never Let Me Go
3. The Road by Cormac McCarthy or Cloud Atlas
4. Brave New World
5. Fahrenheit 451

Paige is planning to read:

1. 1984
2. Brave New World
3. The Giver
4. The Road
5. Oryz and Crate

Amy at The Sleepy Reader's list comes from the YA field:

1. The House of the Scorpion by Farmer
2. Feed by Anderson
3. Gathering Blue by Lowry
4. The City of Ember by DuPrau
5. Among the Enemy by Haddix
6. Among the Free by Haddix

Wendy at Caribousmom is reading:

1. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
2. The Road
3. The Handmaid's Tale
4. In the Country of Las Things by Paul Auster ( I can't find a link for this?)

Camille at Dabbling Dilettante has signed up for:

1. The Handmaid's Tale
2. The Postman by David Brin
3. A Canticle for Lebowitz by Walter M Miller Jr.
4. Fahrenheit 451 (re-read)
5. The Road
6. Children of Men by P.D. James

Nattie at Nattie Writes! is planning to join.

Dana at Think Pink is going to read:

1. Fahrenheit 451
2. A Brave New World
3. Oryx and Crake
4. Shade's Children by Garth Nix
5. The Road
   

Denise W at not-so-deep thoughts posted her list:

1. Brave New World
2. When Late the Sweet Birds Sang
3. The Road
4. The Giver

Chris at book-a-rama is joining with:

1. Oryx & Crake
2. Brave New World
3. and maybe more!

Teabird at Tea Reads will be back with her list!
And here it is:

1. Children of Men
2. Oryz and Crake
3. Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Michelle at 3M's Booklist will read:

1. A Scanner Darkly by Philip K Dick
2. The Messenger by Lois Lowry
3. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
4. The Handmaid's Tale
5. Never Let Me Go

And possibly:
6. Oryx and Crake
7. Children of Men
8. Cloud Atlas

a.book.in.the.life's list:

1. The Road
2. Animal Farm
3. Brave New World
4. The Handmaid's Tale

Stephanie at Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic:

1. The Giver
2. Uglies
3. Brave New World
4. Fahrenheit 451
5. The Road
6. Cloud Atlas

lovelyloey:

1. 1984
2. Animal Farm
3. The Giver

Megan:

1. We - Yevgeny Zamyatin
2. Utopia - Thomas More
   
3. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
   
4. The Hideous Strength - C.S. Lewis
   
5. The Time Machine - H.G. Wells
   
6. The Island - Aldus Huxley
   
7. Herland - Charlotte Perkins Gilman