The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, All Henrico Reads 2012

One of the best things we do in Henrico County is our annual event, All Henrico Reads. This large event is a partnership between the Public Library, the Friends of the Library and the Henrico County Public Schools. I was thrilled to attend my third this week to listen to Garth Stein discuss our AHR title for 2012, his book The Art of Racing in the Rain.

What was great about Stein was that he really focused on the book, he read three passages from it and discussed the character creation and all the struggles he had to get it published.

Since with such a large crowd (easily around 900) it is really hard to answer questions from the audience, so he actually saved us the trouble and answered what he considered some of the top questions he is asked about this book.

1.       Where did the idea come from? No one place, it’s just like making a stew. Inspiration is everywhere and as long as you pay attention it comes together. As far as having the book narrated by a dog, that came from paying attention at an event he was at. He heard Billy Collins read his poem The Revenant, and the narrator is a dog that was just put to sleep. This was the inspiration to have the dog as the narrator for his upcoming book.

2.       How did the dog get the name Enzo? The original name was Juan Pablo, after a famous race car driver, but his wife said no. Later on when she was pregnant he wanted to name the child Enzo, after Enzo Ferrari, but she said no, but suggested that become the dog’s name instead! So Enzo it became.

I really appreciated how funny he was, yet made some great points and really championed the library!

Stein really highlighted the best thing about using a dog as the narrator is that you get to think about life from a very unique and bizarre perspective. For example, "imagine coming home and seeing your husband lying naked on the kitchen floor. You would kick his butt! But you come home to your dog doing the exact same thing? You shower him with love. "

One thing he mentioned that was key to getting the book published was an author dinner he attended in Seattle. There were 35 tables and 35 authors that rotated between all tables during the course of the dinner. Of course the authors got to eat dinner beforehand together. How great would this be if maybe the Virginia Library Association or even the Library of Virginia could get an event like this started in Virginia.

His publicist told him after reviewing the initial draft that there was no way he could ever get this book published. No one would ever be able to sell a book narrated by a dog. So he fired him. It was at this author dinner that he introduced himself as Garth Stein and that he was really frustrated. He had this great book but he couldn’t get it published because it was narrated by a dog. So another author at the table jumped right up and said, contact my publicist, he got my book published and it was narrated by a crow! So he did, and that is how The Art of Racing in the Rain got published. And I for one am glad that it did.

I will leave you with this, one of my favorite points that he made during the evening. "We should treat everyone more like dogs. Think about it. There would be fewer expectations of each other and more unconditional love." Now that is a world I think we would all like to live in!

Shakespeare, Remixed

Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray

Ophelia is just like any other teenage girl, who just happens to be in an on again, off again romance with the Prince of Denmark.  Falling for Hamlet is a modern day retelling of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet told from Ophelia’s point of view. Told in three parallel stories; Ophelia tells you what really happened, what she tells the public and what the government thinks happened. After the King’s death, Hamlet descends into madness, convinced that it was not natural causes that killed his father. As Hamlet spirals deeper out of control, Ophelia is torn between duty to herself and her family and her love of Hamlet.

        

Ray, Michelle. Falling for Hamlet. New York: Poppy, Hatchette Book Group, 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0-316-10162-2. (hardback). Ages 14+

Romeo’s Ex: Rosaline’s Story by Lisa Fielder

We all know the tragic tale of one Romeo and his Juliet. But while Romeo was falling in love with Juliet, there might have been more to the Capulet and Montague tale. Fielder takes the classic tale and uses the original plot as the side story to tell the story of Juliet’s cousin, Rosaline. Who wants nothing more than to be sworn off love and men so that she may focus on becoming a healer. Told from alternating points of view with Rosaline, Benvolio, Mercutio, Tybalt and Romeo narrating the story in a combination of attempted Elizabethan and modern day English, with a few original verses from the play mixed in. With so many versions of Romeo and Juliet around, it was refreshing to read one that didn’t end in death.

Fielder, Lisa . Romeo’s Ex: Rosaline’s Story. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2006. ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-7500-7. (hardback). Ages 12+

I enjoyed Falling for Hamlet much more than I enjoyed Romeo’s Ex, but I believe that if Fiedler was to update her story today, as a modern tale then it would have been much more interesting. What I did love was that she tried to update the Elizabethan English in such a way that it was easy to understand, and I really enjoyed the interspersing quotes from the play. Yes, it could have seemed silly, but since she followed the plot so closely, they provided nice reference points to the play. Unfortunately, there were just a few moments when I was left wondering, what on earth is she trying to do? No matter how hard an author tries, somethings are just not medically possible.

What I loved the most about Ray’s retelling is that she didn’t just take the story and retell it from a different point of view. She updated it to what it would be like if it happened today; with the paparazzi and the media, and the frenzy that follows the royal family. Those who are familiar with the original play will appreciate that Ray left the names the same. Having not read Hamlet before, I appreciated this because I was able to look up the story and compare it very quickly. A great story for a mother and daughter to share with each other! One thing I love to do is compare books with my mom, which is one of the reasons I am such an avid reader to this day. Her memory to remember stories and details, even from books she hasn't read since she was in high school amazes me. So when I handed her Falling for Hamlet, she was able to quickly give me a comparison. Who needs wikipedia when you have mom? I loved Ray's concept, and can't wait to see which stories she retells next.

Love in unexpected places…

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Hazel was only 13 when diagnosed with Stage IV Thyroid Cancer, and now that she is 16 all she wants is to be a normal teenage with a normal life. But being a “kid with cancer” there is no such thing as normal. She feels disconnected to her pre-cancer friends and finds comfort in reading and being a hermit. Forced to go to a Cancer Kid Support Group, she watches the revolving door as new faces enter the group and others pass away. Then one day, her world is turned upside down by the smile of the new boy in the group. Augustus Waters shows Hazel how to live and open herself up to the love of others, despite of her “cancertastic” life.

Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars. New York: Dutton Books, 2012. ISBN-13: 978-0-525-47881-2. (hardback). Ages 14+

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E . Smith

 Seventeen year-old Hadley Smith has been dreading this day for months. She has no desire to go to London and not only watch her father remarry, but participate in the ceremony by being a bridesmaid to a future step-mother she has never even met.  Mad at her dad for breaking up their family and mad at her mom for making her go see it, Hadley’s morning seems like a comedy of errors that makes her miss her flight by four minutes. Then fate intervenes in the form of a young man named Oliver. He is charming, sweet and on her new flight to London.  In the following twenty-four hours Hadley learns what it means to love, lose and accept that it is ok to move on. But what about Oliver and was it really love at first sight?

Smith, Jennifer E . The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. New York: Hachette Book Group, 2012. ISBN-13: 978-0-316-12238-2. (hardback). Ages 13+

** Spoiler Alert** If you want to be surprised stop reading here!
** Spoiler Alert**

What I loved about both of these stories is that love can find you even when you are least expecting it. Hadley and Hazel are two very different young women, both with their own battles and unique life stories. Hazel’s life has been changed forever by her cancer; she has been through more than most girls her age and even many who are older. She would be perfectly content spending her time at home with her parents. But her mom makes go to the support group. There is where she meets Augustus, but she doesn’t expect to have a relationship. The last thing she probably expected was to fall head over heels for him. But Augustus understands her, and the reality of being a “cancer kid.” Hadley’s world has been turned upside down by her parent’s divorce. She feels betrayed that her dad moved across the ocean and fell in love with another woman. Then, when she least expects it, her mom suddenly finds peace and begins to move on. Hadley has spent so much time and energy hating her dad for breaking up their family and then at her mom by making her go and participate in the wedding. Even though it means going to London for the first time, she just can’t see any joy in the experience. Unlike most bridesmaids, meeting a man is the last thing on her mind. So when she meets Oliver, a young Brit, she even wonders if she should just blow him off. But fate seems to have other ideas for her, not only is he sweet and on her flight, but also on her row. After spending all night talking, they get separated as they go through customs. It is only as Hadley is searching for him at the exit that she realizes that she only knows a little bit about where he was going and why. All they exchanged before parting was a kiss, not even a telephone number or email address. As she races to the church for the wedding, and even after during pictures she realizes that she can’t stop thinking about Oliver and decides that she has to find him. It is only after she returns from her search, hurting worse than before she left , that Hadley is able to open up to her dad and begin the process of healing herself.

Both Hadley and Hazel have their lives changed in a brief time by a boy, and are then separated from them in unexpected ways. Hazel’s separation is all too permanent, but you are left to wonder what will become of Hadley and Oliver and will they ever see each other again. I have to believe that they do, even if they don’t end up living happily ever after.