Book Review: Lily and the Octopus

Recently, I decided to look for a new author. I've had so much fun over the years with Steve Alten's novels, and wanted to see if lightning could strike again.

Browsing through the "new authors" section at Barnes & Noble, I came across the first novel by Steven Rowley, Lily and the Octopus.

So, why did I choose this particular book? Was it previously recommended by a friend? - Nope.

There is a dog on the front (and let's face it - dog books are super 'in' at the moment)? - Nah.

The word OCTOPUS is in the TITLE.

That's it. 

That was my main reason.

I am immediately attracted to anything related to the ocean or aquatic life (fresh or salty gladly accepted). I'm still considering reading Saving Fish from Drowning for this exact same reason.

Don't get me wrong - I like dogs. But mostly, I was looking for a good summer read - and to jump ahead I will share that I found one in this book. It is incredibly well-written.

SPOILER ALERT:

The octopus in this book is NOT real. It is a metaphor for a tumor plaguing the beloved dachshund of a young man dealing with the horror of losing his best friend (who happens to be the dog).

There is a nice balance of drama and the main character certainly is relatable to anyone who has ever been through a breakup, struggled to mesh with their parents, or loved a pet so dearly they cannot imagine life without said creature of comfort.

Many different critics note the hilarity within the story. The main character - Ted - talks to his dog. They talk about boys, and play board games. But, I don't find those parts of the book comical. I find it completely realistic and admit to crying before the book's end.

Then... it happened.

SPOILER ALERT - PART TWO:

I was okay with Ted talking to the 'octopus' and Lily. I completely accepted how both the dog and 'octopus' spoke back.

I was not okay with him going octopus hunting in the PELAGIC zone. Yeah, out in the open ocean. The main character has the audacity to claim "I've done my research"! No, sir - you have NOT.

Octopus typically live in areas where they can hide - like reefs. While some are found in the ocean depths, a simple Google search will pop up with coastal and shallow areas.

Here is proof, courtesy of National Geographic Kids:

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/octopus/

You, my dear author, were more likely hunting squid.

Which makes sense, as squid have much nastier temperaments than octopuses.

I shall make the assumption a title of Lily and the Squid was less appealing (although I totally would still have purchased a novel with squid in the title) to the masses, and it was suggested you change it.

Just goes to show how those of us who are emphatically passionate about all things ocean have our pet peeves too. Had it not been so well written, I would have tossed the book in the recycling bin for this very reason.

Perhaps the greatest irony is that I certainly found I had octopus on the brain after reading this book, and chose to express that through the various colorings included in this post.

You KNOW you've read something good when it stays on your mind for weeks, returning now and again as new thoughts churn up.

Now, the Washington Post (according to the book jacket) claims "YOU! MUST! READ! THIS! BOOK!" - and while the style of this sentence makes me smile due to the direct reference of a character mentioned in the very title (not the octopus), you don't HAVE to read it.

But I think you'd enjoy it. Just had to warn you about the pelagic error first. I cannot in good conscience recommend a book and let that slide - sorry.

I also expect to see it as a film within the next 5 years. The paperback published in 2017, so I took a quick jaunt over to IMDB and sure enough - "in development" so HA! Read the book first. Then you can be one of those super cool people who has a copy of the book before the movie poster graced the cover. 

Goodbye, Summer.
Hello, Hurricane Season.

Take care!
- Callie

Book Review: We Bought a Zoo

I purchased We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee back in 2008 when the book was first published. It was one of those "I walked into the book store and there it was" kind of books. But being pregnant and worried about money, I didn't want to fork over the cash for a new hardback book. So instead, it went on my Christmas wish list. I actually got something I wanted that year - courtesy of my awesome husband. (although I must add the disclaimer that he is a pretty awesome gift giver when it comes to me... he can even pick my clothing size for things that I WANT to wear!)

Anyway, I was getting rotund and pregnancy brain (that is a technical term by the way) made it difficult for me to concentrate while reading. With a surprise baby on the way, it was even tougher to read things that had nothing to do with our impending addition to the family. But, ah, not with this particular book.

I was working at a zoo when I bought and read the book, thinking this would be some sort of "how-to" book on running a zoo. Notice the "A Memoir" in the upper right hand corner of the book's cover. NOT an instruction book. There is some irony there though, considering the author made his living as a writer of DIY (Do It Yourself) articles and the like. That does mean, however, that Benjamin Mee is very good at doing research and teaching himself something so that he may write about it and therefore teach someone else. That makes for very smooth and understandable writing.

It is a memoir, but with a beautiful story and setting, particularly for those with a love of animals. Let's face it, many more people love animals than people who actually get to work with animals first hand. So think of the author as someone who found a dream and literally dragged his entire family and their combined life savings into his adventure as well. There are children involved along with general family drama, but don't forget there are crazy animal stories too! Anyone who has had the wonderful opportunity to work with wild animals will have crazy stories to share, but I deeply enjoyed the sincerity and respect by the author to the facility and animals he purchased even though he lacked the formal knowledge of how to care for them.

If you have any doubts about this book, it is now a movie starring Matt Damon and directed by Cameron Crowe. I will actually have to get a sitter and go see this one in the theaters (a precious commodity these days with a 2-year old I assure you). It is set for release in December 2011. Hm, I see another another Christmas gift in the works?

The full price for the hardback copy was well worth the story and I still have it on my shelf. A friend in the zoo-world asked to borrow it and I simply bought her a copy of her own so I wouldn't have to wonder if I would ever get it back. Having said that it's time for the official review:

RATING: ~~~~1/2 waves (out of 5)

STRONGLY recommended for those who want to reach out of the world of fiction and check out a true story for a change without it being a scientific textbook, research based, or anything to do with politics or the price of oil.

I hope to get my time better organized and back on track with reviews, stories, and other interesting or entertaining tidbits.
Happy Mother's Day! So go hug your mom, send her flowers or something if you can't hug her, and if you have lost this opportunity altogether - do something special for that alternate "mom" in your life. Everybody has one!

Book Review: Over in the Ocean

Over in the Ocean In a Coral Reef is a very fun and interactive children's book written by Marianne Berkes. My first reaction was to fall absolutely in love with this book's unique pictures, which are not your traditional illustrations. They are polymer creations (think play-doh) molded into intricate and beautiful scenes. Now, let's add in a tune. The book is written to be sung along with the tune from "Over in the Meadow" that we all grew up singing.

I have sincere appreciation for the fact that the author took care to be accurate. This is one of the best books directed at very small children that will truly entertain grown ups too. And any ocean buff will get extra fun out of the book, I promise.

This children’s book is available in various sizes and paper qualities. I am currently a big fan of board books – they seem to hold up the best against my 1-yr old. If you purchase this book, be sure to flip to the back of the book for interactive tips. These are referred to as "finger-plays" directed towards infants, but that term is just creepy if you ask me.

RATING: ~~~~~ (yep, 5 out of waves) This is really all anyone could ask for in a marine animal focused children's book

If you are intrigued by this book, I can also highly recommend another Berkes's book - Over in the Jungle. This is the same format and artistic style, but with a jungle focus... I'm talking sloths and kinkajous, so it also a very unique book. Maybe she will do one with an Australian theme...?

On a side note, I started a new job recently. One of my responsibilities is actually leading story time every week for small children. Therefore, many more children's book reviews will be coming your way. This particular book is a popular favorite of both the kids and staff. So if you are hanging out in Jupiter, FL - come look me up at The River Center.

-Callie

Jacques Cousteau: Reflection & Review

The 100th anniversary of Jacques Cousteau's birth was June 11, and I am reminded of how much individuals shape the universe by inspiring those around them. As a role model, yes, the man made mistakes, but we must also consider the era in which his career developed and find it in our hearts to forgive those transgressions. The adventures on Calypso impacted, and still are affecting, the attitudes regarding the sea and its wonders. He was a filmmaker who even won an Oscar for the short film "The Golden Fish" back in 1960. This man developed the aqua-lung into the true predecessor of modern SCUBA (nitrox, etc. is excluded, of course). While many of the early practices, for instance, the keeping of multiple sea lion pups on deck in cages to compensate for mortality while filming, would be unacceptable now, in the end Jacques Yves Cousteau was a remarkable individual who managed to bring the ocean to a land-locked world. He eventually became a champion for the message of protection and education about our oceans. He is still inspiring new generations with his work, and I will always be thankful for the motivation his example provided for me as well. I do have the DVD collection of his films, which I will happily share in the future.

As for the book review... I found an old hardback copy of The Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea written by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Philippe Cousteau. It was published in 1970, and Jaws didn't come out until 1975, so I was really interested to check this book out... plus, the extensive alliteration used in the title was amusing as well. Essentially, it is a compilation of shark encounters experienced along with details of how they filmed sharks and other underwater challenges. Both Phillipe and Jacques give narratives, and I found Philippe to be the more scientific and less charismatic of the two authors. There are some cool anecdotal stories, but if you get hung up on factual details matching the descriptive language- well, I would stick to the Philippe narratives.
The photos are almost laughable considering both basic photoshop and the capabilities of digital photography these days. But, hey, for the time this was really amazing stuff. I did find it interesting to compare some of my own photos taken with disposable underwater cameras to the high-tech images found in this book. Made me feel pretty good as a photographer, actually. My favorite part of the book is the Appendix B. Yeah, I know, sounds corny... but it is "Drawings of Ships, Sharks, and Sea-Going Equipment" and I think that stuff is really neat from a historical perspective. I wouldn't be surprised to find the illustration of a shark's eye still in modern textbooks- as our knowledge of sharks has grown, but still remains far short of where it could be.

If you are a marine-history buff, or a big Cousteau fan, it is totally worth the effort to check out this book at a local library. I wouldn't use it for a scientific paper, but if writing a biography on either Cousteau, then it is an interesting and useful work. I found my copy at a garage sale, so really have no suggestions on where to find it... so I looked it up on Amazon.com for fun. At this time there are 4 new copies for $13 and 40 used ones starting for less than $1. I was disappointed to see the 7 reviews for the book gave it an average of 4.5 stars. As for me...

RATING: ~~1/2 (2.5 Waves out of 5) Just because I have mad respect for the authors doesn't mean I've fallen off my rocker when it comes to writing, research, and accuracy. If it's out of date, and this one IS, I can't in good conscience highly recommend it.

Remember your heroes, even when they let you down. Know that we are all human and therefore fallible, but we are also capable of amazing -and positive- actions.
Go inspire somebody!
-Callie Sharkey