A little of this, a little of that

I've been listening to some great stories the past few weeks. First, a little history. The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell by Mark Kurlansky is the story of a growing New York City and the oyster business. One thing the Europeans discovered when they settled in New York was a huge abundance of oysters in the New York harbors. These oysters were big and tasty and a thriving oyster business soon cropped up. When the railroads connected New York with states further west, New York began exporting their oysters across the country. Unfortunately, oysters were over-farmed and as the rivers and harbors became more and more polluted, the oysters (and the oyster business) died out. Oysters are making a come-back though. In fact, my brother-in-law's father is an oysterman on Long Island (Oysterpond Oysters are DELICIOUS!!!) and hopefully this native New Yorker can make a full recovery. Interesting read for a little local history.

A little legal drama... The Summons by John Grisham. Ray is trying to live a peaceful life as a law professor in Virginia when his father, the Judge, sends him a summons to come home to Mississippi. When he gets there Ray finds his father dead and 3 million dollars hidden in a cabinet in his office. While trying to figure out where the cash came from, Ray is being followed, chased and attacked by someone who wants the money. Did the Judge take a bribe? Was he crooked? Who wants the cash?  And who can Ray trust with this secret? I've listened to a couple of John Grisham's novels on CD and am never disappointed with Michael Beck's readings.

A little murder... Under Orders by Dick Francis. Sid Halley, an ex-jockey who was seriously injured in a racing accident is now a private investigator, finds himself a target in this one. When a jockey, a trainer and a horse all die mysteriously at or immediately after the Chetlenham Gold Cup Halley is called in to figure things out. He gets a little too close to discovering the truth about a gambling ring though and his family and loved ones become targets. If you like a good murder mystery, this one is for you. I love a good who-dun-it!

A little more history... Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill tells the story of a slave known as Dave. Little is known about Dave since there were few records kept about slaves, but we do know that he was an extremely talented man. Dave lived in South Carolina  and was one of the two potters at that time who could successfully make pots and jars larger than 20 gallons. Another thing that makes Dave unique is that he could read and write. He wrote several short poems on various pots and jars that he made.  Some are serious and thoughtful, "I wonder where / is all my relation / friendship to all— / and, every nation." and others are more playful, "On wet days, / heavy with rainwater, / it is cool and squishy, / mud pie heaven.” All the poems are incredible though, just by the fact that they exist at all. The fantastic illustrations by Bryan Collier earned this book Caldecott Honor Award in 2011.

A little dystopian survival... Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi was the Printz Award winner this year. This story takes place some time in the future near what we now know as New Orleans. In this story though, it is just Orleans, since there is nothing "new" about this flooded and destroyed city. Nailer makes his living by scavenging beached tankers looking for anything that can be re-used. His specialty is climbing into the inner-most parts of the ship looking for copper wire. After a hurricaine Nailer and his best friend find a shipwrecked sailboat filled with sellable goods and luxuries with one passenger still alive. This passenger claims to be the “swank” daughter of a shipping-company owner. Nailer decides to help this "lucky-girl" get back home partly because he has feelings for her and partly to get away from his drug-addicted and abusive father. There is lots of action and many memorable characters that keep the story grounded while moving at a fast pace.