Books
What to Read
More recommmendations from some of our loyal Blue Mountain News readers.
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- The Tender Bar-A Memoir by J.R. Moehringer
- The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
- Don't Try This at Home: Culinary Catastrophes From the World's Greatest Chefs by Witherspoon and Friedman & Serious Pig by John Thorne
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Recommended by Josh Westbrook – Walla Walla resident and Manager of the Prescott Branch of the Walla Walla County Rural Library District.
Sherman Alexie's young adult novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a great fictional story heavily based in fact. A quick read aimed squarely at a teen audience, it won the 2007 Nation Book Award for Young People's Literature. Through the eyes of Junior, a Native American teenager, Alexie writes of his own experience growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington.
Junior struggles to break free of the life he feels he is destined to live if he stays on the reservation, and decides to attend an all white school in Reardon, Washington. He soon starts to feel like a "part time Indian" as he is an outsider at school but is also seen as a traitor for turning his back on the reservation. Alexie successfully deals with issues surrounding community, poverty, alcoholism and stereotypes through the eyes of a teenager trying to be more than what is expected of him - on and off of the reservation.
I highly recommend it to teens who may feel stuck in their current situation without any control and can't see a way out. Alexie is a
great example of someone who overcame many obstacles to become a success while honoring where he came from.
The Tender Bar-A Memoir
Recommended by Michelle Conner – A Walla Walla native employed by Baker Boyer Bank. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys woodcarving, book club discussions, acting in local theater productions and shopping.
The Tender Bar is an honest account of the evolution of Moehringer from a hopeful and eager boy into an intelligent, humorous and self-aware success. Each recollection and observance is tied together by the consistent thread of the neighborhood bar and the souls that are the inhabitants. Each person that has touched Moehringer's life is examined, valued and revered for their intelligence and individualism.
Every chapter is so creatively titled that you are eager to devour it to see how "Sinatra", "Mr. Salty" and "Father Amtrak" fit together in one story. It is refreshing to see the tenderness that exists between the flinty and rugged souls of The Tender Bar.
I began recommending this book to everyone I spoke to as soon as I finished. Moehringer manipulates language to create a very vivid picture of his life and the lives of those he loves. A truly great read-especially for the masculine bracket of the species, anyone that has "regulars" in their lives and appreciates the joy and knowledge found in the common, everyday occurrence. Keep in mind that the language and subject matter are reflective of the setting so an expletive and off-color comment should not come as a surprise.
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Recommended by Jan Cronkhite – Waitsburg resident. Jan manages the Weller Public Library in Waitsburg when she's not rescuing stray animals, digging in her garden, reading or acting in area theater productions.
Kids' books are not just for kids anymore. Many young adult titles have been discovered and enjoyed by adults. I credit Harry Potter with this trend. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart is a fun and enticing story with a sympathetic quartet of mislaid, misfit, overlooked orphans who discover a plot to brainwash and control the world. It's a big order, maybe impossible, but drawing on each of their very special talents they form The Mysterious Benedict Society. As the puzzle evolves, the reader enjoys rooting for these kids while the challenge propels them into all kinds of egregious mazes, secret codes, mind-boggling puzzles to solve, and mind-less minions after them, as they infiltrate the lair of the evil genius. Finally they must hope for a precipitous rescue to save themselves and the world and … to be continued in the next volume. I can't wait to read it.
Don't Try This At Home: Culinary Catastrophes From the World's Greatest Chefs
& Serious Pig
Recommended by Tiffany Cain -
A former partner in Dayton's Weinhard Cafe, Tiffany and her husband, David, now own Colville Street Patisserie in Walla Walla. Tiffany is an avid gardener and lover of all critters.
Because I'm a cook, I was pretty tickled with Don't Try This At Home. It's a fun easy read full of snarky tales of catering mishaps, ingredient nightmares and crazy personalities. Even if you're not much into cooking, this is a guilty pleasure written with a lot of humor.
The only thing better than eating is reading about eating, in my opinion. In Serious Pig, John Thorne seeks out grub and its lore between Maine, Louisiana and Texas. As my brother said, "Bean holes, smoked meats and pancakes. Best book about food I have read."
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