September Book Club Reviews
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Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
“‘Vimes ran a practised eye over the assortment before him. It was the usual Ankh-Morpork mob in times of crisis; half of them were here to complain, a quarter of them were here to watch the other half, and the remainder were here to rob, importune or sell hotdogs to the rest.’
Insurrection is in the air in the city of Ankh-Morpork. The Haves and Have-Nots are about to fall out all over again.
Captain Sam Vimes of the city’s ramshackle Night Watch is used to this. It’s enough to drive a man to drink. Well, to drink more. But this time, something is different – the Have-Nots have found the key to a dormant, lethal weapon that even they don’t fully understand, and they’re about to unleash a campaign of terror on the city.
Time for Captain Vimes to sober up…”
Guards! Guards! is an entry in the epic series called Discworld, a satirical fantasy set in a world where the planet is a flat disc sitting on the back of four enormous elephants standing on the back of a giant turtle. The Discworld series was written over three decades and consists of over forty novels. Still with me? It’s also a shockingly accessible set of books to get into. While the world is detailed and complex enough to support countless characters and ongoing politics, the tone is ultimately satire and reflects our world. It’s possibly as dense as the world of JRR Tolkien, but it still feels like it’s only a step away from this world. That allows readers to jump in anywhere in the series and not have to worry about reading a textbook’s worth of history to get what’s happening.
Guards! Guards! is the first book in a set of Discworld novels that follow the city guard of a place called Ankh-Morpork. Essentially, it is the part of the Discworld series that is a police procedural. It just happens to be in a city with dwarves, ogres, dragons, and wizards. This book follows Carrot, a human raised by dwarves, as he joins the city guard. I don’t want to give too much more of the plot away since this is, at its core, a police mystery. But this book covers police force corruption, political intrigue, and conspiracy (there may also be a giant dragon that eats people). I’m picking this one because I think it’s both wildly divergent from anything that the book club has tackled and also something that will surprise you.
Review by Adam
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
September 18-24th is banned book week, so I wanted to take this time to talk about one of my favorite, most frequently challenged, and banned young adult books, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Melinda Sordino starts her freshman year at Merryweather High School, a friendless outcast after busting an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she can finally face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her.
Based on the author’s own experiences as a teenager, Speak is a novel about trauma, recovery, and finding one’s voice. Anderson writes the story in diary format, with a nonlinear plot that mimics Melinda’s trauma. Throughout the book, Melinda struggles with wanting to repress the memory of the event while also wanting to speak about it but not knowing how. Using her art as therapy, she can slowly deal with what happened to her and face her problems, empowering her to reclaim her identity. Speak is not a plot-heavy book but is instead character-driven, examining how Melinda’s thoughts, feelings, and relationships change as she deals with her trauma.
Speak has a long history of being challenged and banned. Since it came out in 1999, Speak has been on the ALA’s list of Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books every decade. In 2020, Speak was named the fourth most banned and challenged book in the United States “because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint and it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity.” In 2006 Anderson spoke up against censorship, saying, “…But censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. Quite the opposite. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them.”
Why do I recommend this book to adults? I think it is a book everyone should read at some point. Speak is a revolutionary story about sexual assault, exploring how trauma and PTSD affect a person’s life. For those unfamiliar with the feelings, it provides insight into a rape victim’s mind. For those who are more familiar, it serves as a voice for rape victims, particularly those who feel at fault or are scared and embarrassed by what happened. Honest, authentic, and real, Speak is a novel that will continue to play in your mind long after you finish reading it.
Trigger/Content Warnings: bullying, rape, racism, self-harm.
Review by Liz
Best. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends his Homeland by Dave Barry
I have been a Dave Barry fan since I was about nine; I only recently discovered that this is not exactly typical tween behavior but that there is a niche for others like me. Within a few minutes of reading one of Barry’s essays or books, you’ll know if you mesh with his sense of humor. Barry is literally laugh-out-loud funny and has somehow managed to write new columns, books, gift guides, blogs, and yearly recaps for over forty years. His last few books, this one included, continue to have his same hilarious voice while also showing a bit more maturation as a writer and human.
This book, published in 2016, takes on the topic of America’s craziest state from the point of view of a man who has lived there for decades. While it contains some factual information about Florida, no one would call it a travel guide. Instead, Barry weaves together loosely connected chapters about different areas or myths of Florida, with some actual information, entertaining photos, and amusing anecdotes, all sprinkled in with his trademark wit. Overall, it’s a really fun and easy read – perfect for extending your summer.
Review by Shelly
A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña
Kamilah Vega is a chef who is determined to save her family’s Puerto Rican restaurant from being pushed out by the new modern restaurants taking over their Chicago neighborhood. Liam Kent is determined to win a national competition to put his family’s distillery on the map. Kamilah and Liam’s grandfathers just happen to be best friends who are up for a bit of matchmaking mayhem. They threaten to sell the building that houses both establishments if Liam and Kamilah don’t get married. Liam and Kamilah team out to outwit their grandfathers and find themselves more tangled in each other’s lives than they had intended.
The cover of this book caught my attention first, and then when I read the synopsis, I knew I had to add it to my To Be Read list. It seemed like the perfect summer rom-com, and it was. Kamilah is complete chaos, but she is full of good intentions, which get overlooked in the wake of her energy. Liam is laid back and calm compared to Kamilah, but they fit so perfectly together. They can balance each other out, something their grandfathers knew since their grandchildren were childhood friends. We are introduced to the large Vega family, which sets up future stories of this big, loud Puerto Rican family, and I cannot wait.
Review by Amelia
Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir and Myisha Haynes
This graphic novel retelling of Anne of Green Gables transports Anne Shirley from the Cuthbert farm in Canada to the West side of Philadelphia in this adaptation of a classic. Anne’s personality is a force to be reckoned with as she settles into home and school. She makes new friends in Diana and eventually Gilbert when they are paired up for a STEM robot challenge to win a scholarship to Queen Academy.
I thought this was a charming adaptation of the beloved classic. Young readers can easily relate to Anne and her struggles to fit into a new place and make friends. I enjoyed the tea party’s updated storylines and Anne’s technology and coding skills. I thought this was a charming read that kept the spirit of the original novel without being a faithful copy plot point for plot point. I enjoyed seeing the tea party, the hair mishap, and the way Anne starts to really feel comfortable with herself as she is accepted and loved by those around her.
Review by Amelia
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault, Abortion
1947 In The aftermath of World War II, Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being disowned by her very proper family. When Charlie’s parents send her to Europe to have her “little problem” taken care of, Charlie sneaks away and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war. Charlie follows a lead to someone in London who can help and finds herself on a journey with Eve, an older, often drunk woman with a secret past.
1915 A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans. While working as a “file girl” in a law office, she is approached by Captain Cecil Aylmer Cameron to become a spy for the Crown. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she’s trained by the mesmerizing Lili, code name Alice, the “queen of spies,” who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy’s nose.
The Alice Network is set both in 1947 and 1915, the pieces brilliantly linked together throughout two world wars. I ended up loving both women, but Eve, the stuttering secretary-turned-spy, stole the show. Read the author’s note, where she talks about how the book is based on actual events. I highly recommend The Alice Network to fans of historical fiction set in WWI and WWII and fans of historical fiction in general.
My favorite quotes from The Alice Network:
“There are two kinds of flowers when it comes to women,” Eve said. “The kind that sit safe in a beautiful vase, or the kind that survive in any conditions . . . even in evil. Lili was the latter. Which are you?”
-Kate Quinn, The Alice Network
“Hope was such a painful thing, far more painful than rage.”
-Kate Quinn, The Alice Network
Review by Sai