 Paul Lambers is a part time employee and works only on Saturday afternoon/evening. Paul helped open our store and his free spirit and quick wit keeps our customers on their toes!
If you ever call the store while Paul is working, you will know it's Paul, as he refuses to answer our phone in what I refer to “in a mundane fashion”! Paul is well read and he mostly enjoys reading classics.
Without further delay, here are Paul’s reviews:
Paul Update: Paul helps only occassionally at The Book Nook these days. He was General Manager of River Bank Books until it closed in December of 2006. He is now working towards a District Manager position with Panera Bread Inc. Stephanie and Paul our expecting a son in mid August!
“The Reivers” by William Faulkner
Faulkners last novel is a coming-of-age story told as a "reminiscence" by a grandfather to his grandson. He tells the story of his own corruption, of succumbing to "non-Virtue," which occurs with his first steps towards becoming a gentleman.
When Lucius’s parents were called out of state for a funeral, leaving him, Boon Hogganbeck, Ned McCaslin, and Lucius’s Grandfather’s new car unsupervised, Lucius quickly devises a series of lies which allow him and Boon to leave town for Memphis largely unsuspected. Ned stows away. They travel through the 1905 Mississippi countryside to Memphis, where Lucius is thrown into the corruption of the big city. Boon’s reason in taking the trip was to visit some of his family. Ned then trades Lucius’s grandfather’s car for a racehorse, and the three become involved in a series of fights, deceits, and gambling.
In the end, Lucius must face his sins, and this difficulty, how to live with ones own bad acts, is the main subject of the novel. The acts cannot be forgotten, for to forget them would mean they were wasted. They cannot be fixed or made to go away through punishment, either. They cannot be simply forgiven. To live with ones bad acts makes you a gentleman. This is the moral of the story. The climatic ending is what really makes this incredible.
Faulker has simple way of writing that sometimes may get on your nerves, however, in this novel it is very appropriate. These are simple people living a simple life and Faulkner does a superb job of drawing them out. You feel as though you are living the adventure with his characters. If you haven’t read a classic piece of literature since college or high school this would be a great one to pick up. I give this book **** stars.
Life of Pi by Author Yann Martel:
The story is engaging and the characters attractively zany. Piscine Molitor Patel (named after a family friend's favorite French swimming pool) grows up in Pondicherry, a French-speaking part of India, where his father runs the local zoo. Pi, Hindu-born, has a talent for faith and sees nothing wrong with being converted both to Islam and to Christianity. Pi and his brother understand animals intimately, but their father impresses on them the dangers of anthropomorphism: invade an animal's territory, and you will quickly find that nearly every creature is dangerous.
Both his faith and his understanding of animals are soon tested to the limit. His family decides to immigrate to Canada; North American zoos pay well, and so they take many animals with them. Unfortunately their ship sinks.
Pi finds himself adrift with an orangutan, zebra, hyena and a Bengal tiger called Richard Parker. The animals are a bit seasick, but the food chain asserts itself, and soon it is just Pi and Richard Parker, for the next 227 days. They wandered aimlessly in the pacific and endured many obstacles; weather, lack of food and water and Pi must fish constantly to keep this enormous Tiger fed so he doesn’t get eaten out of desperation.
I loved this book. Martel writes wonderfully and keeps the reader interested until the end, which is the best part of the book. You should definitely stop in and pick this one up.
I give this book **** stars.
What do porn, marijuana and strawberries have in common? Leave it to Eric Schlosser to find the connection...money. And not just money, but under the table money...black market money that fuels our economy to the tune of billions each year. According to Schlosser those billions are only increasing and its due in part to America's war on porn, war on immigration and its war on drugs. Three failed political agendas that cost far more than they're often worth. Agendas that only seem to exasperate the problem they are trying to fix.
"Reefer Madness" is a book broken into three parts, the war on pot, the abuse of migrate farm workers, and the crusade against porn.
In part one Schlosser focuses mostly on the question of sentencing rights in drug cases. Because of the "War on Drugs" it is not uncommon to go to jail for involvement with marijuana years longer than a rapist or murderer. Such policies have pushed the penal system to the brink, overcrowding prisons and forcing out dangerous criminals while marijuana growers and dealers take their place.
In part two, we learn about a new form of sharecropping that's springing up in California that relies almost solely on illegal immigration and the abuse of these immigrants in the process.
Part three focuses on Reuben Sturman, an underground porno king that defied the U.S. Government at every step, until his greed got the better of him.
The book uses black market money to connect the three essays, and it's a fair connection, but each of these sections really goes off in it's own direction leaving me to think that the essays really are worthy of their own books. Even though I was shocked and angered by Schlossers’ dazzling reporting, it keeps the reader wanting more. Schlosser never really goes into how the FCC is now going after perceived indecency on cable television. He never really looks beyond marijuana in the first section or beyond California in the second. I realize that these subjects are extremely complicated but by paring these brief reports with each other he weakens his overall message or messages. As a result "Reefer Madness" will never have the impact that "Fast Food Nation" had which is sad because it's message is just as, if not more important.
Reefer Madness is very intriguing and informative. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the black market industry in the United States. I give this book three and a half stars.
"Ham on Rye" by Charles Bukowski is dark yet lyrical, sometimes hilarious while horribly sad. This book is Bukowskis' semi-biographical account of a twisted childhood.
Growing up in the overcrowded Los Angeles California, Henry Chinasty must endure an overbearing father without the help of his outspoken mother. Henry's turbulent life keeps getting worse and worse as the years pass by. There are many obstacles, such as his father’s abusive behavior and his adaptation into public schools. Through out this novel you will find a transformation not only with Henry as he ages but also how you relate to Henry and his childhood endurance.
This book will disturb some readers; others will be intrigued. It is both powerful and where appropriate, extremely funny.
***** Five stars. I'm a huge Bukowski fan and this novel is one of my favorites. If you haven't read Bukowski before, this novel would be a great introduction.
 Ben Mikalesen writes with charm and simplicity in his spiritual adventure Touching Spirit Bear. Touching Spirit Bear is about a young boy Cole Mathews who is rebellious in every way thinkable. When Cole lashes out at one of his peers in a fit of rage and nearly kills him he is banished to a remote Alaskan Island. While on the Island Cole is mauled and left to die by a white mythical bear. Cole is forced to face his fears and find his place in the circle of life. Mikaelsen brings the characters to life and makes you feel like you are really there. Touching Spirit Bear is a wonderful adventure and I would recommend it to anyone young or old. If you liked Gary Paulsens HATCHET you will love Touching Spirit Bear. I give ****
Reviews by:
Lisa Bush Reverend Everett Klein Maddie Timmers Zac Pawlowski
Tom Hinken Debra Lambers Erin Lambers Paul Lambers
Surfer Dude
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