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Bulletin, Progressive, Record, Reporter Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011 5B
On life, th e u n iv,0000J's e a n d every t, v, i,,g'
WELCOIVIE,
GENTLE IADER.
"Homer's Odyssey" by
Gwen Cooper
No, this is not the work you
read in high school. This
Homer is a very special cat;
or, as the subtitle proclaims:
"A fearless feline tale, or How
I learned about love and life
with a blind wonder cat."
Gwen Cooper already had
two cats when her veterinari-
an asked if she would consid-
er taking on a very special
case -- a lively, lovable little"
black kitten who had had to
have his eyes removed be-
cause of a serious infection
but who was otherwise
healthy and full of energy.
Because the cat had logt his
eyes when he was so young,
he didn't know about sight to
know what he was missing.
And, says the author, "If he
had done nothing more than
become one of the most loyal,
affectionate and courageous
sources of joy and inspiration
I've ever known.., wen, that
would have been more than
enough."
But Homer was not 0nly lov-
ing and loyal, he also truly
deserved to be called fearless.
It's often said that the absence
of one ability sharpens the
others and Homer quickly
learned to navigate the au-
thor's apartment, leaping onto
tables and bookshelves and
climbing up the drapes. Coop-
er writes, "Homer has moved
me, inspired me and flat-out
entertained me over the years.
But perhaps the greatest gift
he's given me is the ability to
find the heroism and
grandeur of my favorite sto-
ries smack-dab in the middle
of my everyday life." Homer is
a genuine wonder cat.
Ruth
Quincy
"Magic Bites" by I1ona An-
drews
At times gruesome, violent,
adventurous and funny,
"Magic Bites" is a wonderful
introduction to the urban fan-
tasy genre.
The story follows Kate
Daniels, a mercenary in At-
lanta, but not today's Atlanta.
Instead, it's a world where mag-
ic has decimated technology,
destroyed buildings and laid
waste to modem civilization.
What remains is a hybrid
way of life -- magic comes
and goes in waves. When the
magic is "up," cars, phones
and other technology cease to
work. When the magic is
"down," the technology that
remains works and spells lose
their potency.
Populating that world are
humans with all of their mun-
dane jobs, mercenaries,
shapeshifters, vampires and
the occasional mythical being.
Kate is on a quest to discov-
er who murdered her
guardian. She must navigate
the politics of various factions,
as well as the very real dan-
gers facing her on the street.
The world building in this
novel is complex and rich
without being overwhelming
and the characters are in-
triguing and varied.
Kate's narrative makes the
book shine. She's sarcastic
• and her quips make even the
darker parts of the story a lit-
tle lighter.
A compelling mix of horror,
fantasy and mystery, "Magic
Bites" is a terrific first install-
ment in a fantastic series.
Amber
Quincy
"A Widow's Story," "The
Fails" and "We Were the
Mulvaneys" by Joyce Carol
Oates
In "We Were the Mul-
vaneys," Oates grapples with
date rape and the ensuing dis-
integration of family in a
compelling and realistic way.
She portrays the family dy-
namic before and after Marl-
anne's rape and allows read-
ers to become the family faced
with collapse and rebuilding.
Her nuanced characters are
well rounded and completely
klelp for abused veterans
°wffln: i2: ::xm:a 1 k: :::::sr u n thh ait e :ct uherr:: CTli: ?: a: iOn
VET Tx
MIKE McLEOD
Division Director, Veterans Services
Although it has existed in
many forms throughout mili-
tary history, more cases of
military sexual trauma (MST)
have been reported and acted
upon in recent times. Much
has changed in our military,
especially now that about 20
percent of the military per-
sonnel are women and inte-
grated into environments that
were once only male. Accord-
ing to VA data, about 1 in 5
women and 1 in 100 men are
seen for MST.
MST is the term that the
VA uses to refer to sexual as-
sault or persistent threaten-
ing sexual harassment that
occurred while in the mili-
tary. Obviously it includes
sexual activity where some-
one is involuntarily involved.
The service person may have
been pressured into sexual ac-
tivities against his or her will
with threats of negative con-
sequences for refusing to be
sexually cooperative or with
suggestions of faster promo-
tions or better treatment in
exchange for sex (quid pro
quo). The veteran may have
been unable to consent to
sexual activities due to
With the diversity of our na- treatment program -- not a
tion's military personnel, men criminal investigation.
and women can be subjected The VA reports that the
to MST during their service as mental health problems most
indicated by the statistics. At
the VA medical facilities, vet-
erans are asked about experi-
ences of sexual trauma. Veter-
ans Health Administration
personnel know that any type
of trauma can affect a per-
son's physical and mental
health. The VA has free ser-
vices to help veterans. You do
not need to have a service con-
nected disability rating to re-
ceive these services and may
be able to receive services
often seen with MST are:
--PTSD.
--Other anxiety disorders.
--Depression and other
mood disorders.
--Substance use disorders
(alcoho! and drug problems).
While the problem exists
and persists in the military,
the enforcement of regula-
tions fails t.o command but
the Veterans Health Adminis-
tration stands by to assist
those afflicted.
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sympathetic -- a fabulously
compelling read.
I read "A Widow's Story,"
Oates' memoir chronicling her
grief and emotional upheaval
following the sudden death of
her husband, by accident.
To be honest, I found Oates'
memoir to be whiney and sen-
tentious. She regales readers
with her emotional turmoil
ad nauseam.
Along the way, she takes a
swipe at "A Year of Magical
Thinking" by Joan Didion,
who preceded Oates in this
genre by several years. More-
over, Didion did it in an up-
lifting way.
What disturbed me most
about "A Widow's Story," was
my discovery that Oates re-
married 11 months after her
husband's death, presumably
while she was still writing of
her emotionally overblown
and self-conscious grief.
That's plain dishonest.
So on to "The Falls."
In 1950, an almost spinster
minister's daughter marries a
young minister and they hon-
eymoon at Niagara Fails. Fol-
lowing consummation of their
vows, the young minister, an
unacknowledged homosexual,
throws himself into the falls.
The Widow-Bride is con-
vinced she is damned and
leads her life accordingly --
self-fulfilling her prophecy of
damnation.
If the protagonist makes me
want to shake some sense into
her, then I have to admit •
Oates has realistically ren-
dered her characters.
I found the novel tedious.
Writing a novel requires
structural reinforcement of
plot and character to support
the storytelling. However, the
structures should not distract
the reader -- an author wants
readers to hear the story, not
the creaking of its bones.
"The Falls" creaks raucously.
I like to read extensively
from an author's body of
work; it provides insight and
continuity into her style.
I'm not nearly as impressed
with Oates as I was. Her writ-
ing reads a little too much
like the smarty pants student
in English 101, expounding on
the inherent existentialism of
angst as a recurring theme
foreshadowing the doom of
civilization in modern Litera-
ture. The capital "L" signifies
the sense of self-importance of
some authors.
My criteria are a bit simpler:
Did I enjoy reading the book?
In this case? Not so much.
Mona
Meadow Valley
JOYOE
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I
Are you looking for education
that's designed to fit your
daughter or son
as an individual ?
Plumas Charter School is a
PERSONALIZED LEARNING School.
We tailor an educational program
to fit each student.
At Plumas Charter School, we're proud of the job we do in paying close
attention to each young person who comes to us. We know that each student
has different needs, interests, talents, and goals, so we offer a selection of
online curriculum, small group classes, state approved textbooks, and a variety
of high quality materials and activities. Our staff of highly qualified teachers
is readily available in person, by phone, and by email to provide the
ongoing guidance students and their parents need.
For further information, please visit our website-
www.nlumascharterschool.org
Founded in 1998. WASC Accredited * Grades K-12
Call 283-3851 (888-509-4146 toll free)for questions, to enrOll;
or to arrange to come in for a visit.
Learning centers in:
Chester, Greenville, Portola, and Quincy