All dogs are Buddhists; even Marley
Angie Barker and Amanda Lester, Bookends
Published Monday, February 23, 2009
Angie: Disclaimer: We are dog people. Not like we turn into werewolves but that we love the canine species.
Mandy: We love them so much we both have two. My family consists of my husband, Riley, and my two dogs. London is a snotty but lovable Yorkie, and Jake is a slightly overweight shih tzu.
Angie: Our little house on Fountain holds five of us. My husband, Josh, my son, Auslund, and our two dogs, Daisy and Lily. Daisy is a lab-collie mix and Lily is a min-pin. We may be Barkers, but it’s in name only. Unless a squirrel, rabbit or bird dares to encroach our humble lot of land. We have boundary issues.
Mandy: Is that why you never let me hug you?
Angie: I’ve never thought about it. Maybe that’s why I strategically placed a book between us in our photo.
Mandy: John Grogan, the author of “Marley and Me,” tells the story of his family through the antics of his notorious dog.
Angie: I gotta say that this was a book that I wanted as soon as I saw it. The picture of Marley on the front called to me across two Target aisles. Once I read the jacket, I knew I wanted to be a part of this dog’s misdeeds. I was hoping the tag line wasn’t kidding and he was the “world’s worst dog.”
Mandy: He really was a naughty dog.
Angie: The book was more than just funny anecdotes about a neurotic pooch. It’s about a family and the struggles of everyday life. Marley was just the exclamation point on their story.
Mandy: “Marley & Me” is a memoir. John and Jenny were newlyweds when they decided to adopt a puppy. Their hope was to one day start a family, but because of Jenny’s tumultuous relationships with household plants, she thought a dog would be a good practice run.
Angie: By the end of the book Marley wasn’t just a member of the family; he was a living life lesson. The charm of Marley isn’t that he was one of a kind, but every family’s dog. Anyone who’s owned a dog can relate to this story and sympathize with the Grogan family.
Mandy: Or laugh with them.
Angie: Or cry. I did twice by page 50.
Mandy: Do you need a hug?
Angie: Only if there is a book between us.
Mandy: You know those posters that say “Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”? Well, they should have ones that say “Everything I Needed to Know I Learned from my Dog.”
Angie: This book is that poster. Marley’s large size made his enthusiasm an obstacle. He was a big dog who loved life. The smells, the sounds, the people; he wanted to be a part of it all. And he met every new situation with a gusto that made me jealous. I wish I had Marley’s zeal. I wish we all did. It would be a much happier world. Grogan had the insight to share Marley’s Zen-like wisdom with the rest of us.
Mandy: Did you know Jake’s middle name is Buddha?
Angie: Shut your face.
Mandy: Really. His breed originated near the Himalayas and he has a round belly.
Angie: I think Daisy is British because she’s so proper. Not well mannered, but polite. I swear signs “thank you” when I feed her.
Mandy: It’s funny how dog owners, including the Grogans, project personality traits onto their pets. Jake and London often have heated political debates, due to the fact that Jake is a liberal and London is a conservative.
Angie: I’m not sure which way Lily swings. Probably both since she’s a hermaphrodite. True story. You can e-mail me if you want further information.
Mandy: The problem with us humans projecting onto our pets is that we take away the simplicity that makes them so appealing. Dogs don’t share the same complex emotions we do. They don’t feel compassion or insecurity. They aren’t angry when we come home late. They greet us with the same fervor whether we’ve been gone for five days or five minutes. They don’t judge. They just accept and love unconditionally. Without remorse or hesitation.
Angie: The allure of dogs is purely selfish. We get pets because we want something from the relationship. Be it something as practical as hunting and herding, or more self-serving, such as companionship. Then they ice the big doggy cake with a gut-rotting helping of staunch loyalty.
Mandy: They let us have our cake and eat it too.
Angie: Grogan was able to see Marley for what he was, he calls him a “mentor.” After reading this book, I too looked to my dogs for perspective. Maybe chasing ducks in the park is true enlightenment.
Mandy: Maybe all dogs are Buddhist.
Angie: Then everyone must have to come back as a dog to reach their enlightenment. Not such a bad fate really.
Mandy: I want to come back as a little dog owned by an affluent lady who’s never had children. And I want to be an only dog.
Angie: You’re coming back as a rich bitch.
Angie and Mandy live in Albert Lea with their canine spiritual gurus. E-mail them at bookendscolumn@gmail.com.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
"Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
‘Breaking Dawn’ is pop phenomenon but it is fun to read the teen series
Angie Barker and Amanda Lester, Bookends
Published Monday, January 26, 2009
albertleatribune.com
Mandy: How did we end up with a book review column?
Angie: Probably cause we asked for one.
Mandy: Accurate. And we’re bookies, not like bookies who take bets. Like a Trekkie.
Angie: They don’t like to be called Trekkies. They prefer Trekkers.
Mandy: Bookers then?
Angie: No. That sounds like something that came out of a hooker’s nose.
Mandy: That’s classy. We’ll just call ourselves avid readers.
Angie: I’m in. On with the reviewing of the books.
Mandy: Since we’ve been obsessing about the “Twilight” saga like…
Angie: Twelve-year-old girls obsessing about the “Twilight” saga?
Mandy: Precisely.
Angie: We both recently finished the final book in the series “Breaking Dawn,” so let’s start there. The first thing you notice is the cover and title. I like that I’ve already made up a fact.
Mandy: I think when you have a column everything you say is a fact.
Angie: It’s terrible to admit but we really do judge books by their covers. What does that make us?
Mandy: Novelists. Definition: the combination of an elitist and a novice.
Angie: I think you’re only a novelist if you’ve gotten money for your work. Or is it not? Now it’s turning into one of those philosophical debates. Cause then anyone could be anything. Like I could be a bartender?
Mandy: You are. You got me this soda.
Angie: The books all have the same color theme with a black background and red and white objects. Very stark and lots of contrast.
Mandy: I think they are mysterious and alluring. “Breaking Dawn” has a chess board with a white queen piece in the front and a red pawn lurking in the shadows. I think the queen represents Bella Swan and the pawn is the Volturi, the global governing body of vampires.
Angie: I think the pawn is Edward Cullen because it’s the piece that is used for protection. For most of the series that is his role; Bella’s protector. I like that both of our theories about the cover could be correct but are not. The chess pieces are representative of Bella’s transformation from pawn, the weakest character, to Queen, the most powerful.
Mandy: Thank goodness for Wikipedia. We almost looked like fools.
Angie: “Breaking Dawn” starts with the main characters, Edward and Bella, getting married. Edward is a vampire who lives with six other vampire “family” members in Forks, Wash. Bella desires to become immortal to stay with Edward forever. He wants her to hold onto her humanity and resists the temptation.
Mandy: They compromise. Edward agrees to bite her if she will marry him.
Angie: He’s a bit of a traditionalist that way. No shenanigans before the wedding day. Abstinence is a major theme in the “Twilight” saga. At one point Edward says that he wants to wait until they are married to have sex to preserve a soul he isn’t sure he has.
Mandy: Bella agrees to the postpone her vampiric life because the end goal is an eternity with Edward. Compromising is another big theme in this book.
Angie: I agree with you completely.
Mandy: This is going to be a boring column if we continue to agree.
Angie: Let’s agree to disagree.
Mandy: That’s just us agreeing again.
Angie: I forgot what we were agreeing or disagreeing about.
Mandy: You know what else is easy to forget? That this series was written for teens. There are a lot of worldly themes in this saga. We’ve already mentioned abstinence and compromise. We haven’t even mentioned commitment, family, love, good vs. evil, abortion, abandonment, or life after death.
Angie: Meyer does a fantastic job of weaving these themes into an engaging story without preaching traditional family values at the reader, which is what the series is ultimately advocating.
Mandy: We’re 29-year-old women.
Angie: Twenty-four.
Mandy: Twenty-three and a half actually.
Angie: Thirty-one.
Mandy: You’re a terrible negotiator. Let me handle this. We’re mature women, and we missed some of the conventional messages until we discussed them out loud with other “Breaking Dawn” lovers. Even though the themes may be viewed as controversial Meyer presents both sides of the issues and lets the reader draw their own conclusions.
Angie: She brings all these issues to teen readers and then writes a version of the consequences. None of the characters is perfect. They are all flawed and make mistakes that they have to live with. What the reader takes from that experience is up to them. It never seems like she is telling us how to feel.
Mandy: Well, I feel this book and series lets me be a part of a pop culture phenomenon. I feel the same way about Edward Cullen as I did about New Kids on the Block.
Angie: Plus Edward is seriously hot.
Mandy: I agree.
Angie: Checkmate.
Mandy and Angie both reside in Albert Lea. Mandy teaches in Austin and Angie works at Albert Lea High School. They are ranking members of the Women Educators Literature League book club. Send e-mail to them at bookendscolumn@gmail.com.
Angie Barker and Amanda Lester, Bookends
Published Monday, January 26, 2009
albertleatribune.com
Mandy: How did we end up with a book review column?
Angie: Probably cause we asked for one.
Mandy: Accurate. And we’re bookies, not like bookies who take bets. Like a Trekkie.
Angie: They don’t like to be called Trekkies. They prefer Trekkers.
Mandy: Bookers then?
Angie: No. That sounds like something that came out of a hooker’s nose.
Mandy: That’s classy. We’ll just call ourselves avid readers.
Angie: I’m in. On with the reviewing of the books.
Mandy: Since we’ve been obsessing about the “Twilight” saga like…
Angie: Twelve-year-old girls obsessing about the “Twilight” saga?
Mandy: Precisely.
Angie: We both recently finished the final book in the series “Breaking Dawn,” so let’s start there. The first thing you notice is the cover and title. I like that I’ve already made up a fact.
Mandy: I think when you have a column everything you say is a fact.
Angie: It’s terrible to admit but we really do judge books by their covers. What does that make us?
Mandy: Novelists. Definition: the combination of an elitist and a novice.
Angie: I think you’re only a novelist if you’ve gotten money for your work. Or is it not? Now it’s turning into one of those philosophical debates. Cause then anyone could be anything. Like I could be a bartender?
Mandy: You are. You got me this soda.
Angie: The books all have the same color theme with a black background and red and white objects. Very stark and lots of contrast.
Mandy: I think they are mysterious and alluring. “Breaking Dawn” has a chess board with a white queen piece in the front and a red pawn lurking in the shadows. I think the queen represents Bella Swan and the pawn is the Volturi, the global governing body of vampires.
Angie: I think the pawn is Edward Cullen because it’s the piece that is used for protection. For most of the series that is his role; Bella’s protector. I like that both of our theories about the cover could be correct but are not. The chess pieces are representative of Bella’s transformation from pawn, the weakest character, to Queen, the most powerful.
Mandy: Thank goodness for Wikipedia. We almost looked like fools.
Angie: “Breaking Dawn” starts with the main characters, Edward and Bella, getting married. Edward is a vampire who lives with six other vampire “family” members in Forks, Wash. Bella desires to become immortal to stay with Edward forever. He wants her to hold onto her humanity and resists the temptation.
Mandy: They compromise. Edward agrees to bite her if she will marry him.
Angie: He’s a bit of a traditionalist that way. No shenanigans before the wedding day. Abstinence is a major theme in the “Twilight” saga. At one point Edward says that he wants to wait until they are married to have sex to preserve a soul he isn’t sure he has.
Mandy: Bella agrees to the postpone her vampiric life because the end goal is an eternity with Edward. Compromising is another big theme in this book.
Angie: I agree with you completely.
Mandy: This is going to be a boring column if we continue to agree.
Angie: Let’s agree to disagree.
Mandy: That’s just us agreeing again.
Angie: I forgot what we were agreeing or disagreeing about.
Mandy: You know what else is easy to forget? That this series was written for teens. There are a lot of worldly themes in this saga. We’ve already mentioned abstinence and compromise. We haven’t even mentioned commitment, family, love, good vs. evil, abortion, abandonment, or life after death.
Angie: Meyer does a fantastic job of weaving these themes into an engaging story without preaching traditional family values at the reader, which is what the series is ultimately advocating.
Mandy: We’re 29-year-old women.
Angie: Twenty-four.
Mandy: Twenty-three and a half actually.
Angie: Thirty-one.
Mandy: You’re a terrible negotiator. Let me handle this. We’re mature women, and we missed some of the conventional messages until we discussed them out loud with other “Breaking Dawn” lovers. Even though the themes may be viewed as controversial Meyer presents both sides of the issues and lets the reader draw their own conclusions.
Angie: She brings all these issues to teen readers and then writes a version of the consequences. None of the characters is perfect. They are all flawed and make mistakes that they have to live with. What the reader takes from that experience is up to them. It never seems like she is telling us how to feel.
Mandy: Well, I feel this book and series lets me be a part of a pop culture phenomenon. I feel the same way about Edward Cullen as I did about New Kids on the Block.
Angie: Plus Edward is seriously hot.
Mandy: I agree.
Angie: Checkmate.
Mandy and Angie both reside in Albert Lea. Mandy teaches in Austin and Angie works at Albert Lea High School. They are ranking members of the Women Educators Literature League book club. Send e-mail to them at bookendscolumn@gmail.com.
"He's Just Not That Into You" by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo
We’re just not into ‘Not that into you’
Angie Barker and Amanda Lester, Bookends
Published Monday, February 9, 2009
albertleatribune.com
Mandy: I’m Catholic, so I must confess, I was fooled this week.
Angie: I’m intrigued. What could have possibly duped Ms. Naïve McGulliablepants?
Mandy: Lots, but the biggest offender: Culver’s. I had a scoop of frozen, delicious yogurt, and when I got home I, being the good Weight Watcher that I am, checked the point value of my supposedly healthy alternative. What did I discover?
Angie: Please, stop. I’m begging you. I don’t want to know. Allow my love affair with frozen dairy products to continue unabated.
Mandy: I believe it’s the role of any journalist to inform the masses, even quasi-journalists like we, so I must. Frozen yogurt is neither low calorie, nor low fat.
Angie: Ah, good bye sweet yogurt in all your frozen scrumptiousness.
Mandy: I hate it when I’m made to look a fool, kind of like I felt when Milli Vanilli’s ruse was uncovered.
Angie: Blame that one on the rain. Yeah, yeah.
Mandy: I was also fooled by perms.
Angie: Who wasn’t? I was bamboozled by country music. It is like the one-night stand you ran away from so fast you left your favorite T-shirt behind. I want that shirt back.
Mandy: Two words, one mistake: Hugh Grant. He seemed so charming.
Angie: M. Night Shyamalan is always full of surprises, but I like it when he fools me. I usually pay him to do it.
Mandy: What about the book we just finished, “He’s Just Not That Into You” by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo?
Angie: That book had me thinking no one was just that into me.
Mandy: It’s a self-help book that can be found in the marriage and love section, and its film adaptation is currently in theaters.
Angie: I hate the term “self-help.”
Mandy: Now I’m intrigued.
Angie: It sounds like you need to save yourself. They might as well call them “life preservers.” It’s just icky.
Mandy: In the subtitle, the authors proclaim the book to be “The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys,” which sounds a lot like Fox News’s No Spin Zone.
Angie: I also hate the No Spin Zone. I seem to really be hating during Valentine’s week. Bummer, man. But I can’t stand it when someone or something needs to tell us how good it is. Except this column, which is great. Seriously, tell your friends.
Mandy: We haven’t gotten into the meat of the book yet.
Angie: Probably because there isn’t any.
Mandy: Its format is ridiculous fake letters — caricatures of single women — being answered by two unqualified individuals. Behrendt is a comedian and Tuccillo is a TV writer, most notably for “Sex and the City.”
Angie: Which makes the book funny, intentionally and unintentionally.
Mandy: As long as you don’t apply it to real life, otherwise we’d both be getting divorces. Which is not funny.
Angie: You think Jamie A. Kyllo, Attorney at Law, would give us a two-for-one deal?
Mandy: We probably wouldn’t even be married because we wouldn’t have gotten that far. If you applied the rules Behrendt and Tuccillo outline in this book to any relationship, the relationship would fail. “He’s Just Not That Into You” oversimplifies men.
Angie: It also suggests women take a passive role in dating and aren’t allowed any control over the future of their relationships.
Mandy: We sound kinda bitter. I feel like I should confess again; I liked this book on first read.
Angie: Me too. Let’s be better, not bitter. I should write a self-help book. I will call it “Life Preservers for the Better, Not Bitter”. Look for it next fall.
Mandy: I like the alliteration.
Angie: I wanted to add butter in there somewhere, but this is a book, not a Saltine.
Mandy: Once you let this book marinate in your psyche, you realize it’s a piece of fluff, no more life changing than an episode of “Two and a Half Men.”
Angie: I hate “Two and a Half Men.” That show is one Steve Guttenburg short of a mediocre ‘80s movie.
Mandy: So, to sum up our Valentine’s Day hate fest, we just weren’t that into this book. Put it in the back of the freezer, next to the frozen yogurt. And Hugh Grant.
Angie: I can’t forget Hugh Grant. Even if I wish I could.
Mandy: This Valentine’s Day celebrate your single status. You’re in good company: your own.
Angie: Curl up with a good book, just not this one. It was entertaining, but that’s it. It may have hooked us in the beginning with its syrupy compliments and witty writing, but we learned our lesson. Fool us once, shame on “He’s Just Not That Into You.”
Mandy: Being fooled so often reminds me of that song by The Who.
Angie: “We fell on our knees and prayed, we don’t get fooled again.”
Mandy and Angie don’t hate Albert Lea, where they live. You can contact them at bookendscolumn@gmail.com.
Angie Barker and Amanda Lester, Bookends
Published Monday, February 9, 2009
albertleatribune.com
Mandy: I’m Catholic, so I must confess, I was fooled this week.
Angie: I’m intrigued. What could have possibly duped Ms. Naïve McGulliablepants?
Mandy: Lots, but the biggest offender: Culver’s. I had a scoop of frozen, delicious yogurt, and when I got home I, being the good Weight Watcher that I am, checked the point value of my supposedly healthy alternative. What did I discover?
Angie: Please, stop. I’m begging you. I don’t want to know. Allow my love affair with frozen dairy products to continue unabated.
Mandy: I believe it’s the role of any journalist to inform the masses, even quasi-journalists like we, so I must. Frozen yogurt is neither low calorie, nor low fat.
Angie: Ah, good bye sweet yogurt in all your frozen scrumptiousness.
Mandy: I hate it when I’m made to look a fool, kind of like I felt when Milli Vanilli’s ruse was uncovered.
Angie: Blame that one on the rain. Yeah, yeah.
Mandy: I was also fooled by perms.
Angie: Who wasn’t? I was bamboozled by country music. It is like the one-night stand you ran away from so fast you left your favorite T-shirt behind. I want that shirt back.
Mandy: Two words, one mistake: Hugh Grant. He seemed so charming.
Angie: M. Night Shyamalan is always full of surprises, but I like it when he fools me. I usually pay him to do it.
Mandy: What about the book we just finished, “He’s Just Not That Into You” by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo?
Angie: That book had me thinking no one was just that into me.
Mandy: It’s a self-help book that can be found in the marriage and love section, and its film adaptation is currently in theaters.
Angie: I hate the term “self-help.”
Mandy: Now I’m intrigued.
Angie: It sounds like you need to save yourself. They might as well call them “life preservers.” It’s just icky.
Mandy: In the subtitle, the authors proclaim the book to be “The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys,” which sounds a lot like Fox News’s No Spin Zone.
Angie: I also hate the No Spin Zone. I seem to really be hating during Valentine’s week. Bummer, man. But I can’t stand it when someone or something needs to tell us how good it is. Except this column, which is great. Seriously, tell your friends.
Mandy: We haven’t gotten into the meat of the book yet.
Angie: Probably because there isn’t any.
Mandy: Its format is ridiculous fake letters — caricatures of single women — being answered by two unqualified individuals. Behrendt is a comedian and Tuccillo is a TV writer, most notably for “Sex and the City.”
Angie: Which makes the book funny, intentionally and unintentionally.
Mandy: As long as you don’t apply it to real life, otherwise we’d both be getting divorces. Which is not funny.
Angie: You think Jamie A. Kyllo, Attorney at Law, would give us a two-for-one deal?
Mandy: We probably wouldn’t even be married because we wouldn’t have gotten that far. If you applied the rules Behrendt and Tuccillo outline in this book to any relationship, the relationship would fail. “He’s Just Not That Into You” oversimplifies men.
Angie: It also suggests women take a passive role in dating and aren’t allowed any control over the future of their relationships.
Mandy: We sound kinda bitter. I feel like I should confess again; I liked this book on first read.
Angie: Me too. Let’s be better, not bitter. I should write a self-help book. I will call it “Life Preservers for the Better, Not Bitter”. Look for it next fall.
Mandy: I like the alliteration.
Angie: I wanted to add butter in there somewhere, but this is a book, not a Saltine.
Mandy: Once you let this book marinate in your psyche, you realize it’s a piece of fluff, no more life changing than an episode of “Two and a Half Men.”
Angie: I hate “Two and a Half Men.” That show is one Steve Guttenburg short of a mediocre ‘80s movie.
Mandy: So, to sum up our Valentine’s Day hate fest, we just weren’t that into this book. Put it in the back of the freezer, next to the frozen yogurt. And Hugh Grant.
Angie: I can’t forget Hugh Grant. Even if I wish I could.
Mandy: This Valentine’s Day celebrate your single status. You’re in good company: your own.
Angie: Curl up with a good book, just not this one. It was entertaining, but that’s it. It may have hooked us in the beginning with its syrupy compliments and witty writing, but we learned our lesson. Fool us once, shame on “He’s Just Not That Into You.”
Mandy: Being fooled so often reminds me of that song by The Who.
Angie: “We fell on our knees and prayed, we don’t get fooled again.”
Mandy and Angie don’t hate Albert Lea, where they live. You can contact them at bookendscolumn@gmail.com.
Friday, February 6, 2009
"The Absitence Teacher" by Tom Perotta
So, I have never read anything by this author before. I have, however, seen two film adaptations of his novels "Election" and "Little Children". They were both stellar films.
When I read a book review about "The Abstinence Teacher", it sounded pretty interesting. The premise goes like this: a human sexuality teacher, Ruth, in a small, eastern town makes a comment that was intended to be informational. An evangelical student tells her parents, who then tell their pastor, who then tells a lawyer about this comment.
Ruth then has to begin teaching abstinence only, wait, no, she has to start teaching a class based on Christian beliefs regarding sex. And, she has to be observed by church/community officials whilst she teaches. She only agrees to do this because, being a single mom, she can't quit.
Enter the recovering addict, Tim. He is a kind man who has some serious demons lurking in his past. After recovering, he joins the local Evangelical church and tries to turn his tumultuous life around.
Ruth and Tim become bonded, not because they have the same beliefs, but because they can identify with the other. It's pretty cool to read about two people trying to improve their lives through such different means.
I give this book 3.5 drops.
Peace out and Word up,
Amanda
When I read a book review about "The Abstinence Teacher", it sounded pretty interesting. The premise goes like this: a human sexuality teacher, Ruth, in a small, eastern town makes a comment that was intended to be informational. An evangelical student tells her parents, who then tell their pastor, who then tells a lawyer about this comment.
Ruth then has to begin teaching abstinence only, wait, no, she has to start teaching a class based on Christian beliefs regarding sex. And, she has to be observed by church/community officials whilst she teaches. She only agrees to do this because, being a single mom, she can't quit.
Enter the recovering addict, Tim. He is a kind man who has some serious demons lurking in his past. After recovering, he joins the local Evangelical church and tries to turn his tumultuous life around.
Ruth and Tim become bonded, not because they have the same beliefs, but because they can identify with the other. It's pretty cool to read about two people trying to improve their lives through such different means.
I give this book 3.5 drops.
Peace out and Word up,
Amanda
Thursday, February 5, 2009
What is this "5 Drops" business, you ask?
A while back (and frankly, I wasn't actually involved) the phenomenal ladies in our book club (Kyllo, Jen, Angie, and Jill) started rating things on the basis of drops. 5 drops is the best. So, there you go.
"Sammy's Hill" by Kristin Gore
One very vital part of my personality is that I have an unhealthy interest in government and all things politico. This addiction, of sorts, has alienated many of my relationships. My husband and I agree on most political issues, but we do not agree on how verbal to be about these issues. I will tell anyone how I feel about any issue, regardless of the controversy that will surely ensue.
So, along with my fiendish reading habits, I am politically aware. That is why I found this book, "Sammy's Hill", and ultimately loved it.
Written by Al Gore's daughter, Kristin, this book follows a young Senate policy expert in her first year of working in Washington, D.C. Sammy, the protagonist, is the quintessentialbleeding heart and idealist (which I identified with), and is also a clumsy mess (which I also identified with). She makes faux pas after ridiculous faux pas.
The most enjoyable pieces in this book are those that refer to the anti-intellectual leader of the free world, President Pile. It's pretty clear that Gore still feels the sting of the 2000 election and is taking literary aim at Bush.
It's a quick read about a smart, flawed,and feisty young lady. I give this book 4 drops.
Peace out and Word Up,
Amanda
So, along with my fiendish reading habits, I am politically aware. That is why I found this book, "Sammy's Hill", and ultimately loved it.
Written by Al Gore's daughter, Kristin, this book follows a young Senate policy expert in her first year of working in Washington, D.C. Sammy, the protagonist, is the quintessentialbleeding heart and idealist (which I identified with), and is also a clumsy mess (which I also identified with). She makes faux pas after ridiculous faux pas.
The most enjoyable pieces in this book are those that refer to the anti-intellectual leader of the free world, President Pile. It's pretty clear that Gore still feels the sting of the 2000 election and is taking literary aim at Bush.
It's a quick read about a smart, flawed,and feisty young lady. I give this book 4 drops.
Peace out and Word Up,
Amanda
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