More than bananas

Banana Heart Summer by Merlinda Bobis

I have found reading young adult literature by non-American authors is an enlightening experience. Banana Heart Summer was no exception. I do however question the classification of this novel as young adult/teen literature given the fact that the story of the adolescent is told from the 40 + year old perspective of said adolescent. One of the best things about YA lit is that it is in the moment, raw, and uninhibited. The characters make decisions based on how they feel or what they are motivated by in the story. YA Lit is about the minute that something happens to a character during their teen years. Rarely do you find characters who engage in prolific introspection in the way you find Nenita, the story’s protagonist, doing so in BHS. The introspection added an element to the story that seemed unnecessary. This is not to say that I did not enjoy the novel itself, because I did. I just do not really think that this should fall under YA Lit.

Three ways to prepare yourself before reading this novel:

1. Have snacks on hand because you will be hungry as you delve into Nenita’s world. This novel is chalk full of exotic Filopino meal and food description—turones, macapuno, and sweet kundol. I love trying new foods and there was a feast of tasty morsels described in each and every chapter.

2. Watch a movie that centers on child abuse. I know this seems a bit extreme, but there are several moments in the novel where I just cringed and experienced knee jerk reactions, both physically and emotionally, during Nenita’s confrontations with her mother. The summary on the back of the novel gave no indication of this type of relationship between Nenita and her mother.

3. Check out the a tourism site on the Philippines. I have several friends who are Filipino and they have a rich and enduring culture. You will do well to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and flavors of this beautiful island country while reading this novel.

I have to mention one of my favorite quotes from the novel. Page 229 “Close to midnight, when the heart bows from its stem, wait for its first dew. It will drop like a gem. Catch it with your tongue. When you eat the heart of the matter, you’ll never grow hungry again.” Read Banana Heart Summer and you will understand the beauty of the quote.

Let’s Rate It…

The Cover: Those graphic artists know what they are doing. What I really like about the cover is the raised pattern that looks like banana or palm fronds on the front and back of the novel.

Page Turner Worthiness Factor: I was half way through the book, I had to finish.

Coming to a Theatre Near You: What were they thinking, not another moonlight movie? There is just too much to this novel to condense into a two hour movie.

Better than a bowl of ice cream: Chocolate with sprinkles because of all the wonderfully described ethnic dishes.

David's Goliath

The Killer’s Cousin by Nancy Werlin (1998). I just love a good mystery.

How does it stack up to our Off the Charts rating?

The Cover: Ummm…the colors match. O.k., I could not figure out the image on the front of the book even after I finished the novel. It was the next day when it dawned on me what it was. It was the feet that threw me off. Apparently I am not a super sleuth.

Page Turner Worthiness Factor: Oh no, it’s the last page! Something unexpected and noteworthy in each chapter.

Coming to a Theatre Near You: Worth the price of three gallons of gas. I would leave the theatre feeling satisfied and entertained.

Better than a bowl of ice cream: Chocolate with sprinkles. I was eating ice cream while reading this.

I was not always a fan of mystery novels, that is, until I read some classic detective fiction including: Sherlock Holmes and The Adventure of the Speckled Band, Hammett’s The Thin Man, and Christie’s A Pocket Full of Rye. After taking a detective fiction class at the local community college a few semesters ago, I am now a huge fan. While reading TKC I felt like the detective who is always one step ahead of the "criminal" while reading this novel. Only in this case there is no real criminal. This novel is paced so well and the gleaming carrot of truth and knowledge kept me devouring each page. I just had to know what happened in the back stories of David and Lily. I love how Werlin intertwined their lives and suffering. Perfect mystery reading while you sunbath on the beach. Did I mention the novel won The Edgar Award in 1999?

Top Ten Ways to be a Super Sleuth like Miss Marple:

1. Have a Watson in your life—Frank Delgado

2. Know your suspect subject, study them closely.

3. Smell the smoke before the fire starts.

4. Accept that jealously knows no age limit.

5. Work with plausible evidence, not assumptions.

6. Crazy as it may sound listen to the ghost.

7. Realize marriages can hide a multitude of faults and fissures.

8. Use your own past mistakes as an intuitive guide.

9. Trust the prickled hairs on the back of your neck.

10. Never underestimate the power of the 80’s band, Talking Heads.

Our next read is Banana Heart Summer by Merlinda Bobis.

Outside the club Cherry Bomb

Arrgghhh….less than a month into LDIW and I am already shirking my blogging duties. I promise to catch up, really I do. This of course means that you will see blogs on two different books this week and next week. See what happens when summer hits in the North East. All of those summer projects and plans pile up to conspire against my best blogging intentions.

Back on topic…Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman. I have to admit that this was a good read. Going into it I really did not think I was going to like it. It’s not the type of novel I would normally pick up, but in order to expand my YA reading horizons I stepped out of my historical fiction/sci-fi/fantasy/strong fem character box.

I liked the trio of girls who are besties in this novel—Charlie, Sydney, and Nidhi. They are fun and provide humorous moments in the drama that is high school. The guys are a bit annoying, although they do finally grown on you by the end. Wiseman covers a plethora of teen issues in BGOHM including: hazing, underage drinking, relationships, friendship/frenemies, racism, school politics, and bullying while creating a fun and engaging cast of characters.

So here is my top five list of “hazardous material” to avoid in high school:

1. Scary upper classmean athletes whose only goal is to make freshman grovel at their feet.

2. School clubs that support superficial attitudes. Pick the school paper, activism, and community outreach instead—they make you smarter.

3. Frenemies--pick your friends based on how they treat you and not by what their connections you get by association.

4. The cute, but not so smart jock, especially if he exhibits stalking tendencies.

5. Any kind of team building activity that involves a jeep, the devil’s brew, and pizza boy on scooter.

And now for the Off the Charts Rating:

The Cover: Those graphic artists know what they are doing. I have an advanced copy which features a comic bookish cherry bomb with a fuse. It is cute and eye catching and fits the title, but it seems that head mucky-mucks chose to issue the book in January with a guy/girl snuggled up behind a book…?!? So my book gets a good rating, while the other released cover gets an OK.

Page Turner Worthiness Factor: I was half way through the book, I had to finish. It was fun, but I did not devour each page.

Coming to a Theatre Near You: What were they thinking, not another moonlight movie? This would make a better television show on ABC Family or the Disney Channel.

Better than a bowl of ice cream: Just plain vanilla. And you know there is nothing wrong with vanilla. It is a good choice for light, summer reading.