Guardians of Ga’Hoole Series by Kathryn Lasky

Review by Jennifer (mywolfalways)

There’s something about the hidden lives of animals that sparks the imagination.  Over the years many authors have used animals to create worlds that would not be possible with human or human-like characters.  Lasky creates an imaginative world with a dedication to providing accurate information to the various species of owl, along with a cast of inspirational characters.

In book 1 of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, The Capture, the reader meets Soren, the middle chick in a clutch of three.  Inspired by the stories told to him every night by his Da, Soren decides that he will discover where the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, the heroes of the Owl world, reside and become one himself.  His dreams are cut short, however, when he is kidnapped from his nest and taken to a terrible place called St. Aggie’s, an academy for “orphaned” owls.  The books follow Soren’s escape from St. Aggie’s, his search for the Great Ga’Hoole tree, his training, his friendships, and the battles against the enemy.

Book 7, The Hatchling, leaves Soren to follow Nyroc, Soren’s nephew.  Breaking free from his abusive mother, he seeks to escape her reputation and become his own person.  While Soren’s battles were more to do with enemies and the hostile environment, Nyroc has to face many internal struggles and outside prejudice.  His perseverance through the difficult journey to find freedom is an inspiration that many will find relatable.

Books 9 thru 11 are a prequel trilogy that tells the tale of Hoole, the founder of the Ga’Hoole, his upbringing, the origin of the Ember, and his taking of the crown.  Often an author is not given the opportunity to tell readers about the origins of the world they create, so these were a delightful treat.

Book 12, The Golden Tree,  returns to Soren, Coryn, and the familiar cast of characters.  They search out new lands to seek alliances with owls and other animals, including wolves and polar bears.  These alliances come into play as they face the new threat of the Hagsfiend, a creature of myth and dark magic that has come to destroy Owldom as they know it.

Even though the series is listed for readers of age “9 and up” many of situations and events that take place are intense.  While not detailed, they can be unnerving.  The antagonists in the series utilize brain-washing techniques and they are regularly abusive.  Many other difficult subjects come up, such as manipulation, crowd mentality, peer pressure, censorship, and even pacifism in the midst of war.  I feel that this series is great for both young and old alike.

Highborn by Yvonne Navarro

Review by Barbara S. (barbsis)

Not at all what I expected.  The story had a kind of “pay it forward” feel.

Highborn fallen angel Astarte was a very successful demon for many years, finally escaped Hell and in an effort to be reinstated in Heaven, is trying to turn over a new leaf.  As a human Astarte has taken a human sounding name, Brynna Malak but she has no ID, no home, no friends and no money.  She did retain her angel “psychic” ability as well as her demon strength and other demon capabilities which she must keep under wraps so that Lucifer and his minions don’t find and kill her.

Almost immediately Brynna comes to the attention of Chicago PD detective Eran Redmong and though he is suspicious of her (no ID, no residence etc), he’s also fascinated by her.  Brynna is a “tough girl” and survives by stopping petty criminals thereby earning the loyalty of those she saves.  (Hence the earlier pay it forward comment.) She isn’t out looking for trouble but no matter where she is or what she does, it finds her.  Brynna thinks this is divine will or fate so she just follows her angelic instincts.   This is sort of a rambling “day in the life” tale with Brynna stumbling through with the occasional help of Eran.

Chicago has a serial killer targeting nephilim (of course, the police don’t know this tidbit) on the loose with seemingly no connection between the victims.  Eran is hoping that Brynna can help him and though she is aware of the baddie, for her own reasons, she isn’t giving the cops that information.  Once the various demons enter the picture it gets harder for Brynna to keep relevant details from Eran.  The fun part is trying to convince him that she is telling the truth.

I liked this series starter though it’s slow start took real effort to get through.  Brynna is an intriguing character and it will be interesting to see how her “human” growth progresses and if her efforts are enough to appease an angry God.  And I wonder if after experiencing a human existence and having a lover, Astarte will actually want her just reward or if she will decide to remain in this new life.

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Unlikely Friendships: 50 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom

by Jennifer S. Holland

Review by McGuffyAnn M. (nightprose)

I fully believe animals have much to offer to each other, and to humans, in many ways. We can learn from them. This book illustrates this fact.

Jennifer Holland has captured 47 truly incredible stories of bonds between animals. These are stories of true, heartfelt connections. Accompanying each story is amazing photography of the animals showing their bond.

Some of these unlikely friendships are those between a cat and a lizard, a monkey and a dove, a dog and a fish, and even a friendship between a pit bull, cat and baby chicks!

Most people have heard the classic story of Koko, the 230 pound gorilla who had been taught sign language. It was a surprise when she signed that she wanted a pet kitten. Koko’s favorite stories were “Puss in Boots” and “The Three Little Kitten’s”. For Koko’s birthday, she was allowed to choose her pick of a litter of kittens. She chose a tail-less grey kitten, who she named “All Ball”. Koko then treated him as a mother gorilla would her own infant. The entire story is beautifully recounted in this book.

I am reminded of my dog, Maisie, a Shetland Sheepdog. In her 16+ years, Maisie was surrogate mother to many kittens and bunnies that I rescued. We called her “Auntie Maisie”.  She did everything for them, but feed them. It made no difference to her that they were not puppies (or that she was spayed). She was patient and loving, and she knew that was what they needed.

Auntie Maisie, photo by McGuffyAnn

That is the theme of this book: love and the connection that it offers. Love goes beyond species and breed. It is the common thread of life, holding us all together. The need for love is universal, promoting growth, healing and well-being.

Each and every story here will leave you feeling refreshed, restored, and renewed. Yes, indeed, we have much to learn from the animal kingdom, if we only would watch from our heart and listen with our soul.

This book is for all ages, all people, and one to be enjoyed through the ages, again and again. There should be sequels. This is a very special book.

Young Maisie Grace, photo by McGuffyAnn

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Review by Susan R. (Sue-in-AZ)

Story Synopsis

This book tells the story of two generations of an Indian family in America. The first generation are immigrants, the second generation is born and raised in America.  This is a classic American story of the generation gap compounded by a cultural gap between parents and children.

The story primarily follows Gogol Ganguli, the son of Indian immigrants.  The cultural gap between Gogol and his parents start when he is only days old.  The hospital will not allow the Ganguli’s to take their new son home without a birth certificate – which must include a name.  But the Indian tradition is to give children a pet name until they are older and can be given their real name – usually when they are old enough to start school.  The parents solve their dilemma by agreeing to assign the pet name to the birth certificate, with plans to change the name later.  They fail to change Gogol’s name, leaving him to change it himself once he’s old enough.  The contrast between his birth name and his chosen name highlights the cultural conflict through the rest of the book.

The story follows the sometimes dual life that Gogol leads – Indian at home and American everywhere else.  As a young adult, he is clearly searching for an American family to attach himself to.  Events in his family lead him to try to live a more traditional Indian lifestyle.  Both efforts lead to mixed success. Finally near the end of the story, Gogol has found some peace within himself, shown in the book as a willingness to live alone.

The book also shows a smoother path for Gogol’s younger sister, who has the benefit of parents who’ve learned many things the hard way with the older son.  The lives of the immigrant parents are also depicted with sympathy and understanding.  It’s impossible to not fall in love with this family.

My Review

This book was extremely well-written. The author is a former Pultizer Prize winner, and her talent shines in this book.

The story of children being more American than their immigrant parents has played out with many nationalities throughout American history.  In this case, the immigrants are from India.  They make the classic immigrant choice of helping to build their own Indian community, and their friendships and associations revolve around that community.

With the parents often baffled by American culture, the children are sometimes required to figure things out on their own.  In this case, the parents are loving and supportive, but in many ways unable to help Gogol find his way.  Gogol does the best he can, making decisions that veer from great to disastrous.

I really enjoyed this book.  I work with a large number of Indians at work – most of whom have moved here as adults. Books like these help me understand and appreciate their situation and point of view.