Tuesday Book Club–Spanking Shakespeare
There are few pleasures in life like a book that makes you laugh out loud, so please let me introduce you to one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long, long time:
Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner. It’s about 17-year-old Shakespeare Shapiro, a young man who lives up to both the promise and the weirdness of his name. The book is his senior class English project–a memoir that he’s hoping will win him girls. Any girls.
Just a brief sample from Shakespeare’s early childhood:
“Sally Hill was the most precocious five-year-old in my kindergarten class. She had been reading books since age three, could spell words like elephant and bumblebee, ate sushi with chopsticks at lunch, and most astounding, had begun to experiment with sarcasm. If someone said something stupid, she would say, ‘That’s so brilliant.’ If someone brought an orange peel or a scribbled-on piece of construction paper for show-and-tell, she would nod her head and say, ‘I wish I had one of those.’ Most of the kids thought she was being nice, but I knew better.”
I can’t get that image out of my mind–some little girl nodding at some piece-of-crap show-and-tell and saying, “I wish I had one of those.” I laugh every time I think of it.
I’ve had Spanking Shakespeare on my TBR pile for months. In fact, I have two copies of it, one an ARC and one the published version, because two different people were so enthusiastic about the book they made the effort to shove it into my hands. “You won’t be able to put it down after the first page,” each of them told me separately. A few nights ago I was cleaning up my office and accidentally read the first page, and they were so right. I read as much as I could that night, finished it the next day. Fast, hilarious, touching at times–this is a total winner of a book. Consider this post my version of shoving the book into your hands. I don’t get this bossy this often, but seriously, people. READ IT.
My other great read for the week was Ellen Klages’s The Green Glass Sea, winner of the 2007 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Talk about both ends of the YA spectrum. The Green Glass Sea is quiet and contemplative and sad and hopeful. It gives us a slice of life of a child living in Los Alamos at the secret research station where her father and other scientists are working on developing the atomic bomb. Ellen does a fantastic job letting us see inside those lives. I don’t know about you, but it’s a part of history I haven’t thought that much about. And to see it from a child’s perspective–really extraordinary.
So I’m calling that an excellent reading week from my end. How about you guys?
Technorati Tags: Tuesday Book Club, Reading Clubs, Book Clubs, Reading, Books, Book Recommendations, Book Reviews, Spanking Shakespeare, Jake Wizner, The Green Glass Sea, Ellen Klages
You sold me on Spanking Shakespeare. Can I add it to my by-the-end of the year list?
I’m still reading Evil Genius. I don’t normally read a book this slowly–I’m a book gulper–but I’m treating this one like a nightly bedtime story. Just a chapter (max two, if I beg for it) and then lights out. It’s a relaxing way to read a book.
Ever since I met Ellen at the KidLit Conference, I’ve wanted to read The Green Glass Sea. Or maybe before that, when I read her O’Dell Award speech, courtesy of Fuse 8.
Man, my end of the year list is growing. Thank goodness for that extra hour we get from daylight savings this month.
Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale. A funny, but mature YA. (The MC has sex, but it is behind closed doors.)
I really did not like the MC at first, thought she was way too self-absorbed. But she did redeem herself. I enjoyed the read.
Oh, I loved The Green Glass Sea – definitely one of my best books of the year. I thought the way she gave the ethical questions through the overheard arguments and partial observations of the two girls was amazing. And I’ve added Spanking Shakespeare to my find it now list.
Can’t remember exactly where I was last week, but I finished Eva Ibbotson’s The Morning Gift – which was just lovely, and have started on Maureen Johnson’s Girl at Sea. The Johnson is funny and smart so far, and I’m betting it’ll end up being more than that, though that’s nothing to sniff at.
And I got the fun of a totally successful book push, which isn’t exactly off-topic for the Tuesday book club, right? I sent my sister Eat, Pray, Love as she’d said she’d like to read it, and decided to include Dairy Queen, though she’s not really a children’s/YA book reader. She loved both, and loved Dairy Queen so much she was going out the same day to look for The Off Season! Happiness.
Since I was a part of a read-a-thon over the weekend, I managed to get two entire books read this week! Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen & Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry.
I’m also about halfway through Wuthering Heights and I really don’t like it.
Lady-S, I loved Girl at Sea.
I read nothing this week. Too busy revising and wedding planning. I started EXTRAS last night, though.
I came to this blog later in the year, and I must confess that I have already read well over 100 books in 2007, so I haven’t really put anything on my Must Finish This Year List. I felt like I should confess that to all of you. I like playing along on Tuesdays, though.
This past week, I read Virgin Time by Patricia Hampl, which I didn’t really care for. I’m also still reading some L’Engle. But I didn’t get as much reading done as usual, because . . . this was our weekend to travel to New York to meet J.K. Rowling! Let me see if I can link to my blog post about our adventures, which has pictures. If this doesn’t work, you can just use the general blog link on my name.
My reading mind has been taken over by Ken Follett’s World Without End(which may hold me back from the End of the Year list but then again,maybe not). It’s such an addicting book,like having a bottomless bowl of chips to devour at your leisure!
Kimmy,I’ve read Wuthering Heights once and that was enough for me-in my opinion,Charlotte was the real talent amongst the Brontes.
Oh,and I do have a copy of Spanking Shakespeare,so I might give it a try at some point(if I can come up for air after WWOE).
I couldn’t agree more, Lady T. I loved Jane Eyre! I am struggling to make it through Wuthering Heights. I can’t make myself stop though, I have to at least finish it.
This week I read (courtesy of audiobooks!) a little book written by Robin Brande. Maybe you guys have heard of it.
Seriously, it rocked Robin! Sorry it took me so long to read it, but I’m glad I finally got around to it.
Beth
Beth, yahoo!! You’re the first person I’ve heard from who listened to the audio! Thanks for listening, and thanks for telling me!
Kimmy and Lady T, I was a total sucker for Wuthering Heights during my overwrought high school years. Sigh. Read it again in the overwrought college years, same thing–sigh. Guess you just have to be in the overwrought mood (which means I’m happy for both of you that you aren’t/weren’t).
Lady T, I love your description of getting sucked in by a book–bottomless bowl of chips indeed! I’m so happy you’re enjoying yourself.
Kari, I totally forgot that you won a space to go see J.K. Rowling! You lucky dog! I’ll go read your blog and check out the report. So cool!
Diana, not to freak you out or anything, but you’re getting married in a WEEK AND A HALF. That’s right, I know you probably forgot, but WHEE!!! What fun you’re going to have at your own wedding!
Lady S, glad to see you spreading the Eat, Pray, Love word. And dang it, I HAVE to read The Johnson. She may have to go on my end-of-year must-read list. Thanks for the reminder.
Heather, thanks for the heads up on that one.
Sara, yes, please do add Spaking Shakespeare to the end-of-year list. And Ellen’s book. It’s so nice to read something by someone you’ve met, don’t you think?
I’m reading a book about an Ugly girl named Tally.
I seem to have misplaced my wedding invite – or it was lost in the mail or something….
I finally finished Eat Pray Love! Although the love section wasn’t quite what I expected. I dug “eat” and “pray.”
I just started AJ Jacobs’ Year of Living Biblically. I’ll tell you, that man can hook me. His openings are so grabby and fun.
I read The One Where the Kid Nearly Jumps to His Death and Lands in California by Mary Hershey (co-blogger of Shrinking Violet Promotions) in one sitting.
I’ve overwhelmed by the mere thought of picking a year-end list. I am planning to spend some time reading this coming weekend, though. Most recently I finished Extras, by Scott Westerfeld. I’m also nearly done with The White Lioness, by Henning Mankell (adult mystery, Swedish author, very dark and atmospheric). I love the Mankell mysteries – this was an early one in the series that I somehow missed, and it’s nice to go back to it.
After this I have SO MANY amazing titles that I want to read that I don’t know where to start. But I picked up Linda Urban’s A Crooked Kind of Perfect today at a reading, and her excerpt has left me wanting more. So that might be next.
Katie, I didn’t love the “love” section, either. I was kind of ambivalent about Eat, Pray, Love overall, but I definitely liked things about the first two sections more than the third. The solitude in Rome and the peace and meditation in India resonated more with me than her time in Indonesia.
And I really liked The Year of Living Biblically. I hope you do, too.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. She spoke at our local independent bookstore on Saturday and it was great to meet her and hear her speak. I’m looking forward to the next books in the series.
I just finished The Curse of the Campfire Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales by David Lubar. His “weenie” books are full of fun short stories to read aloud to kids before Halloween.
That book sounds really good Robin I’ll have to read it!
Lady-S: I’m having trouble getting into Dairy Queen does it get better soon?
Kari: OMG I just found out about the dumbldor thing from your blog post and OMg i just WOW! XD I was totally caught off guard!! I can’t believe it! And I totally understand about the getting what you say to the auther thing right!
That’s such scary feeling! Luckly you don’t get to talk to your favorite authers that much so i’s not a lasting feeling! O_O
This week I’ve been shooting through so many books! I finished Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson…. (Thank GOSH! I dunno if I could stand having to spell that out again! ) AND I absalutly LOVED it! It was so awsome! at first I didn’t find it as funny as my friend said it would be, but it got SO funny! I almost started crying a few times! XD it’s just awsomeness!
Then I finished To Kill a Mocking Bird! My mom read it to me, I wanted to read The Subtle Knife because we had just finished The Golden Compass BUT she said we needed to read somthing off our list thing and it’s one of her favorite books so though I was totally agenced it…. we read it. BUT I must say even though it wasn’t my first choice, it was a really good book! …and now we’re done and can read a subtle knife! XD
ALSO I finished The Great Gatsby which was good but kind of hard to understand in some parts.
SO that’s my long post for the day! If you read all that…wow thanks! if not I totally don’t blame you!
I don’t know, Dylan – it was a year ago or so that I read it, and I can’t remember if I loved it from page one (I think so) or if I got into it more after a while. I do know I loved it though! As did my daughter.
Cool – I put a book on Robin’s end-of-year list! Or some list sometime.
Technically I finished reading Uglies after midnight last night, so which week do I count it in? Do I have to wait until next Tuesday to say that I finished Uglies?
Man, Spanking Shakespeare is so on my TBR list. It’s sitting here staring at me.
Ok Lady S well I’ll keep pushing through it! Thanks for the advice!
Now I have two more books to add to my list. Those books sound great, Robin.
I’m still working through Eclipse. I’m a bit sad that it doesn’t have the same oomph as Twilight.
Since last week, I’ve finished rereading The Golden Compass (fantasy, by Philip Pullman.
At work, I’m about halfway through rereading The Crossroads of Time (SF, by Andre Norton), and at home I’m almost finished with Mimi and Toutou’s Big Adventure (WW I, by Giles Foden) – I’ll finish it tonight before bed.
I will definitely buy Spanking Shakespeare. As soon as I read that bit about the little girl’s sarcastic quips, I laughed out loud. I will buy just about any book that keeps me laughing, and so will my husband. And there are a couple of sarcastic girls in this household that will enjoy this book too.
I’ve been reading Gavin Dawes’ Prisoners of the Japanese. This is for research; for pleasure I’ve been reading a couple of Kate Atkinson’s latest.