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Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman

2012-01-21T08:42:00.006-07:00

Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher, Year: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1985
Other Works: The Sunne in Splendor
Flags: Moderate language, Adult themes, Explicit references
Rating: A, or Great Read
Challenge: 100 Books
Premise: A King's daughter is married to a neighboring country's Prince as a token of peace. However, new family ties prove difficult when conflicts arise.

First off, it took me six months to finish Here Be Dragons. You read me right. It feels decievingly light, small enough to fit in a handbag. Although it couldn't be construed as a "light" read—all you have to do is flip through to realize that it's quite substantial—this book reads heavy.

Penman chronicles the lives of Llewelyn the Great of Wales and King John of England. These two leaders connect themselves through the marriage of John's illegitamite daughter, Joanna, to the much older Welsh Prince. She lives with Lewelyn and learns the customs and ways of the Welsh. Family ties are strained however, as Lewelyn's existing children try to accept his new wife and when English interests conflict with Welsh ones, leaving Joanna caught in the middle.

Penman's extensive research of her chosen topic could not be better demonstrated. She could never be accused of not being thorough. This skill has pros and cons, however, because it makes some sections read more like a history text than a novel. But, after awhile—because you'll have the time—Penman's storytelling style becomes more comfortable. The first onslaught of names and titles causes disorientation, but then it becomes more of a parade of people, gently making their way in the background, and only the most important and memorable characters stand out. They make themselves known; there's no need to "keep track."

What I love about Here Be Dragons is similar to why I love Tracy Chevalier—an author who takes a piece of artwork, together with a few loose facts, and lets the imagination run riot. Penman does the same thing with a list of names and dates. She takes what history provides and adds motivations, political ambitions, loyalties, love. And the result is a plethora of amazing characters and carefully entangled relationships. She leads us through the spectrum of emotions: the contended bliss of a happy marriage to the endless despair of betrayal to the urgent violence of war to the heartbreaking frustration of disappointment. And I have to say that I don't know that I've ever felt so enveloped in a new world as I did in this book. I've been sucked into books before, but never have a felt so at home there, so informed. As if it were natural for me to be there, watching the events unfold.

This is not a story of a couple incidents, tied together by a few main characters. This story is a saga. And really, when you try to boil it down (if that's even possible), Here Be Dragons is about the tested and tried love between Llewelyn and Joanna. A love that thrives in the cracks of the concrete, flourishing under impossible circumstances, nurished only because neither will accept failure. Fraught with hardship, they find a way, and in their determination, a hope for the future is born. Although, in the end, I suppose the same could be said of Llewelyn and his fierce loyalty to the land, Gywnedd, to his people—in a way, he was wed to her, too.

This book is one of those that you could never sit down and read hour upon hour, although I wouldn't call it one that was easy to put down. More because of its sheer density. It's one that had to be digested in sections. It requires time to ponder. Just “one more chapter” before bed will find you reading in the wee small hours. For me, it was absolutely worth the commitment, and I am looking forward to tackling the other two books in the trilogy—sometime soon.

Vocab Workshop: Diurnal

2012-01-12T07:00:00.001-07:00

Learn English--that's my goal. =)

From: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
"Perhaps, too, something in the languor and softness of her usually haughtily erect form, her diurnal broad-shouldered definiteness, kept my own eyes open."

{di·ur·nal} \dī-ˈər-nəl\ (adj) - (1)a : recurring every day, b : having a daily cycle; (2)a : of, relating to, or occurring in the daytime, b : active chiefly in the daytime, c : opening during the day and closing at night.
— di·ur·nal·ly adverb

I am more of a nocturnal night owl, rather than a diurnal creature.
Cleaning is among my many diurnal tasks.

Are they great sentences? Eh. But they are true!

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Vizzini: HE DIDN'T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE.
~
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

100+ Books in a Year Challenge

2012-01-10T21:12:00.001-07:00

Join the challenge here.
Ends: December 31, 2012

1. Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

2012-01-10T08:08:00.001-07:00

Genre: Fiction, historical mystery
Publisher, Year: Little Brown, 2005
Other Works: Debut
Flags: Adult themes, tenuous references
Rating: A+, or Must Read Now!
Premise: A young girl finds some curious, old documents, which point to the past. When she asks her father about them, she unknowingly re-engages a journey that began many years ago.

I’ve been wanting to read this one for a long time and finally got the chance to do it. I kept putting it off because of the sheer volume—it’s a heavy lifter, this one. I do wish, however, that I’d read it in the fall—it’s a perfectly creepy Halloween book. Perhaps I’ll tackle Bram Stoker’s classic next year? Mmm, perhaps.

A historian’s daughter, who remains unnamed, finds a mysterious book and some old letters one day while looking through her father’s library. Inside the book there is a woodcut of a medieval dragon with one word: Drakulya. As she asks her father about the books origins, she learns the truth of her own origin: the circumstances under which her parents met, and the deadly journey they embarked on many years ago to uncover an ancient mystery.

First off, I loved everything about this book—every page. Most of the book is written in letters from various sources. You do have to suspend some disbelief in this because to read all those letters would have certainly taken up much of the searching time. But, in this, I am able to concede. The book is too brilliant to be bothered by it.

You can definitely tell that Kostova is an academic—her detail-oriented nature is deftly demonstrated. She is nothing if not thorough. And although I learned a lot more about medieval Transylvania than I really cared too, in the end, I found all that detail to really enhance the story. Until the end, you don’t see how that historical backdrop is necessary for the reader to really understand the characters—their motivations would be stilted without all that detail. And what characters they are. I loved each one. I read one criticism that said that the characters voices were not distinct enough (a common problem with multiple narrator novels), but I must disagree. I found Paul’s voice to be very different from his daughter’s and completely separate from Helen’s or Rossi’s. The characters in this book are very distinct. Paul is your inexperienced, shy, sweet hero, caught up in something so big, yet he can’t abandon it. Helen, the cold, hardened woman, with brick-wall defenses. The two of them, an unlikely team. And our brave narrator, naïve, yet bold—she never backs down—a little bit of both her parents. I loved every moment with each of them. The title is still, as yet, puzzling to me. Not that it’s not fitting, but I’m still not sure who THE historian is. Is it Paul, Helen, Rossi, Paul’s daughter? Or is it the master himself? There’s no telling.

I haven’t said anything about the most important character: Vlad, himself. Do you get to meet him in the flesh, horribly preserved? Well, you’ll just have to read it to find out. But I can tell you this. Nothing about this book disappoints. Nothing.

Follow Friday: Resolutions

2011-12-29T22:54:00.001-07:00

I love a new year. A fresh start, full of potential. I try not to bog myself down with resolutions too much, because then I can't keep up with all of my good intentions, and that makes me sad. It also makes my fresh, new start sad . . . very, very sad.

What I really need to work on this year is simply posting more often. (haha) Easy enough. I love to read; I like to write. Those aren't the problem. The problem is time. Like the tide, it waits for no man, and it doesn't pause for me while I'm writing my new post, hoping my teething toddler will stay asleep just one more half hour. So, I want to start getting up an hour (yes, I'm giving up my sleep!) earlier than normal and using some of that time to keep up with blogging and to spend more time reading. This may fuel a caffeine addiction, however.

What sort of resolutions are you working on this year?

parajunkee

Buy a Book, Give a Book Virtual Advent 2011

2011-12-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

I love to give books as presents. I usually try to give books that I’ve already read, just so I know exactly what I am recommending, but sometimes it’s very tempting to go over to that new release shelf and pick up one of those freshly bound volumes. When the temptation is too much to bear, I turn to these sources to try to get it just right. The perfectly suited gift for my intended recipient. So, have a look at the ones that I found most intriguing!

Catherine the Great: Portait of a Woman by Robert Massie

I don’t read a ton of nonfiction, but when I do, these are the type I like to read: really well done historical biographies. This one sounds good enough to devour.

“The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and The Romanovs returns with another masterpiece of narrative biography, the extraordinary story of an obscure young German princess who traveled to Russia at fourteen and rose to become one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history.

Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into Empress of Russia by sheer determination. Possessing a brilliant mind and an insatiable curiosity as a young woman, she devoured the works of Enlightenment philosophers and, when she reached the throne, attempted to use their principles to guide her rule of the vast and backward Russian empire. She knew or corresponded with the preeminent historical figures of her time: Voltaire, Diderot, Frederick the Great, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, Marie Antoinette, and, surprisingly, the American naval hero, John Paul Jones.

Reaching the throne fired by Enlightenment philosophy and determined to become the embodiment of the “benevolent despot” idealized by Montesquieu, she found herself always contending with the deeply ingrained realities of Russian life, including serfdom. Catherine’s family, friends, ministers, generals, lovers, and enemies—all are here, vividly described. The story is superbly told. All the special qualities that Robert K. Massie brought to Nicholas and Alexandra and Peter the Great are present here: historical accuracy, depth of understanding, felicity of style, mastery of detail, ability to shatter myth, and a rare genius for finding and expressing the human drama in extraordinary lives.

History offers few stories richer in drama than that of Catherine the Great. In this book, this eternally fascinating woman is returned to life.”

Also check out an interview with the author on NPR here.

The Sense of an Ending
by Julian Barnes

This one sounds like the absolutely not-to-miss pick of the year. It won the Man Booker Prize this year. As they were discussing it, it reminded me a little of Paul Auster’s The Book of Illusions, where a main theme, as alluded to in the title, deals with reality vs. illusion: what we think we understand as truth vs. what is really true, and how those may not always line up. Here’s a quote from The Sense of an Ending that made me thirsty for more: “History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfection of memory meets the inadequacies of documentation.”

“By an acclaimed writer at the height of his powers, The Sense of an Ending extends a streak of extraordinary books that began with the best-selling Arthur & George and continued with Nothing to Be Frightened Of and, most recently, Pulse.

This intense new novel follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he has never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance, one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. Tony Webster thought he’d left all this behind as he built a life for himself, and by now his marriage and family and career have fallen into an amicable divorce and retirement. But he is then presented with a mysterious legacy that obliges him to reconsider a variety of things he thought he’d understood all along, and to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.

A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single sitting, with stunning psychological and emotional depth and sophistication, The Sense of an Ending is a brilliant new chapter in Julian Barnes’s oeuvre.”

There’s an interview with the author available through NPR for this book as well. Check it out here.

The Art of Fielding
by Chad Harbach

Although seemingly a baseball book, this novel actually uses the sport more as a backdrop. The book really delves into that quest for self-identity. It was also one of the New York Times Book Review's Top 10 Books of 2011.

"At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended.

Henry's fight against self-doubt threatens to ruin his future. College president Guert Affenlight, a longtime bachelor, has fallen unexpectedly and helplessly in love. Owen Dunne, Henry's gay roommate and teammate, becomes caught up in a dangerous affair. Mike Schwartz, the Harpooners' team captain and Henry's best friend, realizes he has guided Henry's career at the expense of his own. And Pella Affenlight, Guert's daughter, returns to Westish after escaping an ill-fated marriage, determined to start a new life.

As the season counts down to its climactic final game, these five are forced to confront their deepest hopes, anxieties, and secrets. In the process they forge new bonds, and help one another find their true paths. Written with boundless intelligence and filled with the tenderness of youth, The Art of Fielding is an expansive, warmhearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendship and love, and about commitment—to oneself and to others."

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

This novel sounds fascinating. It’s George Orwell’s 1984 meets Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. If that doesn’t sound promising, I don’t know what does. =)

“The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo.

A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’ A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.

As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.

A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s—1Q84 is Haruki Murakami’s most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers.”

The Voice of the River
by Melanie Rae Thon

I picked this one out of the list because it just sounded so sweeping and ethereal, yet grounded in mother earth. It jumped out to me, and I just have a feeling that if I read this one, it would become an easy comfort read.

“Missing: seventeen-year-old Kai Dionne and his dog Talia.
The search for these two spans a single day, morning twilight to late evening, from the time Kai leaps in a half-frozen river to save the dog to the hour he and Talia are recovered. Each person who comes to the river brings his or her secret needs and desires; each has known loss, and all are survivors: a homeless boy tries to find himself, his lost twin, his double; a childless mother grieves for her son and daughter; a man who shot his father recalls a tender, intimate night “when the father was kind, and not afraid, and not angry.” Kai and Talia belong to, and are loved by, a whole community. As strangers work together toward a single cause, they become family—bound by love not only to the ones lost, but to all who gather.

The perceiving consciousness is oceanic and atmospheric, embracing all living beings, swirling around a person, a bird, a bear, trillium blooming in dark woods, snow, stones, pines singing—moving closer and closer, loving, finally merging, sensing and knowing as one, before lightly whirling out again to embrace and love another. This powerful current of shared memory and experience, this ceaseless prayer, is a celebration of life, all life, mystery and miracle within an immense animate landscape, a song of praise, the voice of the river.

Melanie Rae Thon opens a new genre: call it Eco Avant-Garde, a confession of faith, and a love song to the world.”

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg

I love an anthology, and that’s what this is, of sorts. There’s a long list of awesome authors who contributed to this book: Sherman Alexie, Lois Lowry, Kate DiCamillo, just to name a few. And the illustrations are, of course, amazing. See inside the book here. This is a great one to get if you just can't seem to find the right fit in the bookstore. I imagine there are few who wouldn't be drawn in by this book and still fewer who wouldn't be delighted to receive it as a gift.

"For more than twenty-five years, readers have been puzzling over the illustrations by this enigmatic artist. Thousands of children have been inspired to weave their own stories to go with his intriguingly titled pictures. And now, some of our most imaginative storytellers attempt to solve the perplexing mysteries of Harris Burdick.

Enter The Chronicles of Harris Burdick to read this incredible compendium of stories: magical, funny, creepy, poignant, inscrutable, these are tales you won’t soon forget.

Filling in for Harris Burdick here is an esteemed collection of highly decorated authors. Among the many accolades bestowed upon this illustrious group include one Pulitzer Prize, five Newbery Medals, three Newbery Honor awards, two Caldecott Medals, one Caldecott Honor award, three National Book Awards, eight National Book Award nominations, one Printz Award, five Boston Globe—Horn Book Awards, eight Bram Stoker Awards, five Coretta Scott King Awards, two Hugo Awards, and two O. Henry Awards. They have had an untold number of New York Times bestsellers."

Death Comes to Pemberley
by P.D. James

So, I haven’t had a lot of luck with P&P sequels, and I’ve even tried an Austen “mystery” before and it did not work. At all. However, this one comes highly recommended, and I’m really interested to see if I can finally chance on one that does the original justice. And, let’s be honest, I’ll probably keep trying just because I’ve always got hope . . . just a little hope. =)

“A rare meeting of literary genius: P. D. James, long among the most admired mystery writers of our time, draws the characters of Jane Austen’s beloved novel Pride and Prejudice into a tale of murder and emotional mayhem.

It is 1803, six years since Elizabeth and Darcy embarked on their life together at Pemberley, Darcy’s magnificent estate. Their peaceful, orderly world seems almost unassailable. Elizabeth has found her footing as the chatelaine of the great house. They have two fine sons, Fitzwilliam and Charles. Elizabeth’s sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; her father visits often; there is optimistic talk about the prospects of marriage for Darcy’s sister Georgiana. And preparations are under way for their much-anticipated annual autumn ball.

Then, on the eve of the ball, the patrician idyll is shattered. A coach careens up the drive carrying Lydia, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister, who with her husband, the very dubious Wickham, has been banned from Pemberley. She stumbles out of the carriage, hysterical, shrieking that Wickham has been murdered. With shocking suddenness, Pemberley is plunged into a frightening mystery.

Inspired by a lifelong passion for Austen, P. D. James masterfully re-creates the world of Pride and Prejudice, electrifying it with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly crafted crime story, as only she can write it.”

You can also listen to NPR’s review here.

And lastly, the clothbound classic penguins that have been out for awhile always make for beautiful gifts! I have yet to start collecting them, although I always gawk at them and touch their covers at Barnes and Noble. Just beautiful. =) Check them all out here.

And here are the wonderful resources! You can listen to Radio West’s full Holiday Book Show here. And also see Ann and Michael’s Holiday Book Buying Guide here.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

2011-12-10T08:30:00.003-07:00

Genre: Young adult, contemp fiction
Publisher, Year: Dutton Books, 2005
Other Works: An Abundance of Kathrines
Flags: Strong language, Adult themes, Explicit references
Rating: A+, or Must Read Now!
Challenge: Countdown
Premise: A boy starts new at a boarding school. He makes new friends, all of whom love to work and play hard. A tragic event changes everything.

I've been meaning to post this review for awhile. I think I read this book almost two years ago and loved it immediately, along with it's quirky author, John Green. This book definitely made a lasting impression on me.

Miles Halter, nicknamed "Pudge," arrives at a new boarding school, full of expectation. He's looking for something, something big, and finds it in the embodiment of a girl, Alaska, and a group of friends who, like him, are just trying to get things figured out, and have a little fun besides. The whole story pivots around one event: one painful and troubled realization, one hasty decision that leaves lasting scars. Before this event, there is adventure, discovery, and the same mistakes teens have been making and learning from for centuries. After—nothing is the same, regrets abound, and, felt most deeply, nothing can be done to change it.

Miles meets with a group of intelligent, misfit teens who like to do those things that all kids that age do—drink life to the lees and damn the consequences. Up to this point, Miles has had little opportunity to be reckless, and with his new life, he’s also ready for new experiences, led by a high-spirited, slightly damaged, beautiful girl. Alaska represents to him every excitement that the world has to offer, and he can’t help himself around her. He’s entranced, with the innocence that envelops every first love.

Amidst all of these physical and emotional discoveries, Miles is also looking for something more, something intangible, what he call the Great Perhaps. Although it may seem like a lot of fun and games—kids being kids, goofing off, and all that—Miles and his ramshackle group are each finding their own paths, grasping for answers to life’s biggest mysteries, the unfairness of it all and what it all means. I can understand why some don’t like this book. I suppose on the surface it could seem like the chronicles of a bunch of over-enthusiastic, irreverent, and under-supervised kids wreaking havoc, but it really is so much more than that. It’s a heart-breaking tale of a heart-breaking time in life. For me, it put into words so much that makes sense about being a teenager, about big choices and even bigger questions, about accepting adulthood. About the frustration of realizing that some questions just don’t have good, solid, scientific method answers. About making sense of the senseless.

This is one I’m definitely putting on my list of what to read with my daughter when she reaches teenagehood. Not only was it brimming with meaning, but was also a joy (and a sorrow) to read. Green is an excellent writer, and the story was well-paced, creative, and compelling. I’m looking forward to reading his other books.

Follow Friday: Peevish

2011-12-02T06:00:00.001-07:00

If you are new to the #FF fun, Feature & Follow Friday is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Here's this week's question.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don't like love triangles or thin plots. Tell us about it.

This may be because I'm sitting next to a YA novel I just finished, but I'm going to say that what frustrates me is when an author takes a pretty creative plot and junks it up with a lot of stuff (for lack of a better term), so at the end, I want to say it was good, but it really wasn't. What junk am I taking about? Here's an example: Breaking Dawn. The first thought Edward would have of a child with Bella would be to "get that thing out"? Wolf pack explosion, do I really care what every single wolf is thinking all the time? Do we really need to start calling Jasper "Jazz" in the forth book? Did we really need the characters to actually mention that there were so many vampires that it would help to have an index to keep them straight, and then add a footnote to said list? Would Bella really have named her child that, I mean, really? And don't even get me started on the final battle scene.

But the most disappointing thing about all of that, is that the story could have been so much more. It started out great, and then went way downhill, and then up and down, and over again. The ideas behind it were awesome, but the execution of those ideas left much to be desired. And just simply cutting out a lot would have been a start. I just have to shake my head and say what a shame! Anyway, that's about it. That's kind of a downer, sorry! Hopefully I'm not offending anyone's deep and abiding love for the Twilight series. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I have a sort of love-hate relationship with some of these books because the creativity is up here, while I feel the interpretation of that creativity into words can sometimes be down there.

Ender's Game by Orson S. Card

2011-12-01T07:02:00.002-07:00

Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi
Publisher, Year: Tor Books, 1985
Other Works: Shadow series, Homecoming series
Flags: Moderate language, teen angst
Rating: A+, or Must Read Now!
Premise: Alien attack! A young boy is slated to save the world.

"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man stupid and blind in the eyes." Haha. I have to agree, Mazer. Just a little random quote for you. I don't read a whole lot of science fiction, but I've heard for years that I had to read this book. And, I have to say that it didn't disappoint.

In this book, we’re transported to a future where the earth is under an imminent attack of an alien species that threatens to wipe out humanity. To prepare for the coming war, the government trains special children, kids who exhibit the “right” qualities to be successful military commanders, to fight their enemy. Ender, at a tender age, is taken from his parents and sent to Battle School. He has a rough go of it. The adults deliberately prefer him, so most of the kids at the school hate him and he’s bullied from the beginning. As the adults at the school push him to the brink, they force him to learn (and learn fast) at an accelerated level. Ender also learns what he’s made of in his experiences, and it is punishing to him, mind and body. In the end, the fate of the human race lies squarely and heavily on his shoulders.

This book addresses a lot of heavy topics: ones that left me with a lot of questions. Ender is a full-on intricate character, and seeing the world from his view was an interesting ride. On a purely entertainment-value level, I was completely sucked in by Battle School. It took me a little while to catch on, but then I could hardly put the book down. When Ender became commander, I was riveted by his army's battles. I think Card did an excellent job of describing something so well that I could enjoy every aspect of the action even though I've never had any experience with the military. It had a sort of Lord of the Flies appeal in that Ender was more or less left to his own devices, especially in his social relationships, which was particularly unfair since the adults used tactics to make Ender's peers hate him. In growing up, there’s the moment when you realize that your parents may not actually know everything, that being an adult doesn’t automatically make you wise. Ender is forced to this realization much too early, so he has to develop resources to react to his environment—the ordeal he’s being put through—and also figure out who he is and what he wants at the same time. And even though the children in the book are so young, and seemingly too mature for their age, I don't actually think it's too far off considering what children go through during war time. Of course, perhaps in a different way, since we don't see armies being stocked with children much, but I think there are events that when children are forced to experience them, they grow up very quickly. (Notwithstanding the potty humor which was certainly true to form in my opinion!) Ender is a child in body, but what he’s experienced in his short life—what he’s forced to by his circumstances—outweigh his immaturity. As I've gotten older I've learned, that the hierarchical struggle for popularity/power doesn't end with junior high or high school. It's not a childish thing, it's a human phenomenon.

That Ender's social life should be used as a tool to mold him into a leader and a killer was very interesting to me and not one that I had considered. At first it didn't make a lot of sense to me, but in the end I understood. And it left me with questions. Is it really necessary? What if the adults had been kind to Ender? What if they hadn't isolated him or pushed him to the brink of his limits? Is such treatment really needed to order to glean talent? And yet, he was still able to make friends, but only in a way. What the adults also took from Ender was the ability to trust another human being. As a child, he innately trusted adults, who are supposed to be the people who look out for you, help you. But that trust his forever breached, and it has a devastating effect on Ender, who quickly turns from an impressionable child to a wary and careful one. And the result is that there wasn't one relationship in Ender's life that wasn't dysfunctional. So, they end up with the exact mix of what they need in a battle leader, but what of the personal expense?

With the stories final twist (it’s a goodie!), I was left feeling conflicted and empty. War is complicated, and in the end, it’s about people. Part of me wishes the book could have played out like your run of the mill alien action movie, because then the answers to hard questions would be straight forward and easy. The aliens are pure evil and want to annihilate humans, so you get ‘em where you want ‘em and bang!: big smiles, slaps on the back, cigars, fade to black. But you know, that's not real life. In a real war there are always two sides. There are families, cultures, languages, civilizations, on both sides. It's never so cut and dry: good guys vs. bad guys. Though that's the way it is often portrayed. Bad guy beats on good guy, good guy struggles, good guy kills bad guy, everyone is happy. With war comes responsibility and difficult burdens.

Final note: this book has zero love interests. Still loved it.

Vocab Workshop: Propitious

2011-11-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

Learn English--that's my goal. =) (Also, I forgot to write down where this word came from. it's a fun one to say.)

{pro·pi·tious} \prə-ˈpi-shəs\ (adj) - (1) favorably disposed : benevolent (2) being a good omen (3) tending to favor : advantageous
— pro·pi·tious·ly adverb
— pro·pi·tious·ness noun

That my husband brought home chocolate ice cream is a propitious sign.
I finally found a propitious moment to finish the laundry.

Are they great sentences? Eh. But they are true!

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"Sporadic means once in a while. Try using it in a sentence."

~
"Be seeing you..."
"Yeah, I hope not sporadically."

Follow Friday: Turkey Day

2011-11-24T16:51:00.010-07:00

Eat lots of turkey!

Then find a corner and a pillow and bury your nose in a book. =)

I'm just thankful for this outlet--to be able to write about books and read others' thoughts who feel just as strongly about the written word as I do. Since I stay at home with my daughter now, it's nice to be able to have that kind of interaction with other book lovers. =) I guess, just to name a couple names, I'll have to say I'm thankful for Angie at Angieville for introducing me to so many great YA novels and Trish at Hey Lady! for always making me laugh. And so many others . . . =)

Two of my favorite books discovered this year are Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, which if weird because I'm not that big on sci fi, but I really loved that book. And The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which I read for the Dewey Read-a-thon, last year, actually, but it's close enough. =) And I'm so so so excited (and thankful) to see the movie soon!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Short Stories on WednesdaysImpulse by Conrad Aiken

2011-11-23T12:17:00.011-07:00

Over at Breadcrumb Reads, Risa reads a short story every Wednesday. She says:

"From almost the beginning of this year I had been looking for a good short story meme to take part in, mainly because I have so many short story books sitting on my shelf, and had no incentive to read them. The short story form is rather under-appreciated, and it would be nice, I think, to draw more people to the genre. I know I’ve spent the last few months enjoying my short story sessions!"

Conrad Aiken 1889-1973

I thought it would be fun to read along. So, here is my first contribution:

Impulse by Conrad Aiken

Storyline
Michael Lowes thinks of himself as overworked and under-appreciated. He dodges his wife and an ever-increasing stack of bills to play a regular card game with a group of friends. At the card game, the men discuss the idea of impulses: wanting to get something at the store, to kiss an attractive woman, to hit somebody you dislike. Normal, natural, human impulses that we all get, yet we all suppress. His friends pose the question: What if you were to give into these impulses? On his way home from the game, Michael mulls over the conversation and can't stand the temptation to try it out. He goes into a store and steals something. He gets caught and goes to jail. When he insists that the whole thing was a silly bet, his friends deny knowing of it. His wife decides to leave him. In short, his whole life is turned upside down.

Thoughts
This story begins by describing a pretty normal, run-of-the-mill existence for a lot of people. A working man giving his sometimes-understanding wife an excuse to play cards while worrying about paying bills, feeling like he deserves a break. After the first paragraph or two, most people could still relate to our main character.

However, as his card games gets underway, we learn more about Michael. When that fateful discussion of impulses takes place, he suddenly becomes obsessed. His memories of exciting childhood exploits tempts him into what he thinks of as a harmless prank. He steals.

We don't know how much the item costs that he steals, but for a drugstore, it seems an expensive one. The events that follow do seem drastic, compared with what he's done, especially for a first timer. He's sent off to jail, his friends and family abandon him. We may be seeing Michael through the same rose-colored glasses through which he sees himself: a good man caught up in a horrible misunderstanding. However, if we look closely, an entirely different man is revealed.

Michael himself states at the beginning of the story that his so-called friends are "cheap fellows, really--mere pick-up acquaintances." Not the sort of loyal people who would come to someone's rescue if that one was found in trouble, certainly not for one they barely knew. His wife leaves him, not because of one tiny little mistake, but one that finally tipped the scale, which was already full from previous offenses: "All this time she had slowly been laying up a reserve of resentment. She had resented his inability to make money for the children, the little dishonesties they had had to commit in the matter of unpaid bills, the humiliations of duns, the too-frequent removals from town to town . . ." He clearly pardoned himself of these wrongs, each time they were committed, and gave himself a clean slate, not realizing that his wife would not do the same.

And then when he learns that his friends had the same desires to take what they wanted, damn the consequences, he was emboldened: "He had often felt these impulses. To know that this was a kind of universal human inclination came over him with something like relief." He was "amused" and "fascinated," even "thrilled," by the idea of really letting loose, removing his inhibitions. Then he made that fateful mistake of believing that giving into an impulse, committing a crime, could be taken back as easily as it was carried out. He thinks of himself as a "thief by accident"--but is that really true? He insists he is not a criminal, but by what reasoning? A criminal is a person who has committed a crime. Why does he believe that the reasons he gives (ie., It was a silly joke! Mere jest! I have a wife and kids!) somehow exempt him from the consequences of his unacceptable behavior?

Even before his incarceration, he insists that life was always unfair to him, when in fact, he's been quite unfair to life. He is obviously the type of person who wants more than he's willing to work for and will always believe that he deserves more than he's got. He's tricked himself into thinking that the world owes him something, and he got the full effects of what the world offers: cold, hard facts of life. In the end, he's forced into self-reflection, but he's only left with disappointment. His last thoughts show that he's still in denial, trying to convince himself that he's been wronged, that he really is a decent person: "His whole life seemed to be composed of such trivial and infinitely charming little episodes as these; and as he thought of them, affectionately and with wonder, he assured himself once more that he had really been a good man."

The Gendarme by Mark T. Mustian

2011-11-19T08:18:00.001-07:00

Genre: Fiction, historical flavor
Publisher, Year: Amy Einhorn/Putnam, 2010
Other Works: Debut
Flags: Adult themes, explicit references
Rating: A-, or Good w/ Minor Problems
Premise: An old man is troubled by disturbing dreams--memories of a past he has never known as a gendarme, forcing Armenians out of Turkey. As the dreams continue, he is given a full picture of a past life, including a beautiful Armenian woman, who he loved. As he comes to the end of what he remembers, he is left with many questions. Questions that haunt him.

I found The Gendarme equal parts interesting and disturbing. I knew nothing about the Armenian genocide, and although I was glad to be enlightened to those events, it was definitely a tough read. But, this book left such a lasting impression that I’m glad I kept enduring.

Emmett Conn fought in WWI and was injured. Through some sort of twist of fate, he ends up recovering and moving to the United States, and he gets married and has children—a normal, unremarkable life by many. However, in his old age, as he’s becoming ill, he is beset by strange dreams where he’s remembering a past life. At first, he can’t understand how the cruel gendarme from his dream, ushering suffering Armenians out of Turkey, could be him. But the dreams begin to paint a picture that he knows must be true. And at the center of these memories lies a beautiful woman.

I thought this was a creative plot line, and although not a page turner, it kept my interest as I was shifted back and forth between present and past. With the amnesia, we were able to get inside a war criminal’s head without the inherent evil and hate. This fact leaves the reader with a difficult conundrum: what to do with Emmett? Do we hate him, or can we forgive him? By all accounts, Emmett led an ordinary life after his accident, even a benevolent one, considering that he faithfully took care of his ailing wife for so long. But, after he comes to know of his past, and us too, it’s hard to look at him in the same way. And yet, he’s still the same person. That dichotomy is what makes him such an intriguing character. I wonder that the author is somehow illustrating that piece of human nature—that we all have this part of our personalities there, ready to be activated . . . or deactivated, as with Emmett. Are we all of us capable of such heinous crimes? No matter what good a person does in the world, could that same person be capable of the same level of action on the opposite, the evil, side of the spectrum?

And then there’s Araxie, this arrestingly beautiful Armenian woman. Emmett somehow comes to believe he must protect her at all costs. And his dreams do not put his mind at rest about what’s happened to her. What should he do with this information now, that he’s in his 90s? What could he hope to do for her now? How could he go his whole life long, practically, as one person, to find out that he’s someone else entirely. Someone who probably should have spent his life in prison. He is decent enough to know that. He hasn’t abandoned all the values and morals that govern human decency just because he once had none. And yet there are sparks in his character, in his sordid past, that make you stop and wonder where in fact he went wrong. What along his path led him to be vicious, when he is capable of compassion, at least in Araxie’s case. Perhaps compassion could only be compelled from him in the face of a strong and beautiful woman. Although if he was to be as he should have been, as a gendarme I mean, a pretty face should have only made him the more cruel. It is his love for Araxie that becomes his saving grace. It redeems him as a character. When normally I would find him repulsive, in fact it is hard not to do so, I find his determination to save one woman very courageous.

By the book’s description, I was expecting the main part of the text to be somewhat of a travelogue. For Emmett/Ahmet to find out his true identity and make for Turkey in search of Araxie. To spend weeks and months there, leaving no stone unturned, and then learn of himself and his past as he went from place to place. But, I have to say that I find Mustian’s creation much more realistic and meaningful. What Emmett spent his whole life looking for, his past, is both terrible and beautiful. It’s a perfect puzzle, one which he will never be able to untangle. One he can only vaguely believe. One he will always regret. Perhaps that is the reason his dreams make him act crazy.

I have to say, this book took dedication to finish. It’s none of it easy to read. I enjoyed the pace, although I found some parts starting to lag. Overall, I found it a very thoughtful read, and I’m sure I’ll be thinking about it for some time still.

Shoutout Friday: Hey Lady!

2011-11-18T08:17:00.001-07:00

Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? is another one of the first book blogs I ever discovered. Trish has really diverse tastes, and I'm always interested to see what she's reading next. Another plus, she is High Larious. I love her sense of humor--she can be sarcastic, yet light-hearted. You can tell that she doesn't take life too seriously. She blogs about all sorts of things, and it's always entertaining. She had a baby awhile back, which made for some of the funniest posts I've ever read. =) Her blog is a gem, be sure to check it out.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

2011-11-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

Genre: Young adult
Publisher, Year: Harper Collins, 2007
Other Works: Rumors
Flags: Teen angst, tenuous references
Rating: B-, or Not Sorry I Read It
Premise: The goings-on of upper class, turn of the century New York society girls.

This book is just plain fun. Another book club pick, and I’m glad because I don’t know that I would have read it otherwise. The description just didn’t appeal to me: Manhattan socialites wending their way through their charmed lives. But, it turns out that I “can be taught.” It kind of makes me giggle, this book.

The story opens with the funeral of Elizabeth Holland, the older daughter of a prominent family. We get first glances of each character as they make their way in. Then the story rewinds, and we are privy to the action as it plays out, knowing what is ahead. There are several narrators, each telling their story from their one-sided perspective, which makes for plenty of dramatic irony. A surprise engagement resolves some problems, while causing others, and sends some characters into a tailspin. As tempers and stakes rise, all leads up to that dreadful event.

I can see why there would be those who didn’t like this book. The writing is fine, and gets the job done, but there’s not much memorable about it. I usually don't like books that have too many narrators—it just ends up being confusing, and sometimes I think it's just lazy writing. However, I liked it for this book because it built up the tension that was sure to explode. I found it very amusing.

Surprisingly, I actually liked this book from the start. I liked Elizabeth, even though she was a somewhat flat character, because I wanted her to listen to her heart. And although she makes a command decision in the end, which I have to say can’t come as a shock to anyone who is even mildly paying attention, she is a rather weak character. Although she frequently thinks about taking a stand, she never really does and allows herself to be influenced by practically everyone else. The real main character was Diana, who I found funny, although she acted like she was trying a little bit too hard. I enjoyed her lust for life—she was ready to rough it on the streets of New York and go “bohemian” if they lost their fortune. She’s got spunk, although that optimism could definitely use a dose of reality. I also liked that the book wasn’t chuck full of Penelopes. There was just one Penelope, and let’s face it, in a book like this, you need one mean girl with no soul. Most of the characters were on the weak side, but I felt that many were exhibiting some potential in the end, especially Henry who I spent despising pretty much the whole time. I am even tempted to pick up number two. I could definitely picture myself cuddling up with this series with a nice hot cup of cocoa on the many upcoming cold winter nights. Overall, not what you would call high art, but entertaining enough.

Wishlist Wednesday

2011-11-09T04:43:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to read Patchett's Bel Canto for a long time now and have never found the time. A recent trip to Hey Lady! has given me a sense of new found urgency. Her newest, State of Wonder, sounds equal parts amazing and gruesome, full of conflicting situations and interesting questions. I really have to get a move on!

State of Wonder
by Ann Patchett

Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist with a Minnesota pharmaceutical company, is sent to the Amazon to find her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who seems to have disappeared while working on a new drug. No one knows where Dr. Swenson is, and the last person sent to find her died before completing his mission. Plagued by trepidation, Marina embarks on an odyssey in hopes of finding answers.

Now in her seventies, the uncompromising Dr. Swenson dominates her research team and the natives with the force of an imperial ruler. But while she is as threatening as anything the jungle has to offer, the greatest sacrifices are those Dr. Swenson asks of herself, and will ultimately ask of Marina, who finds she is still unable to live up to her teacher’s expectations.

Replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, and cannibals, State of Wonder is a tale that leads you into the very heart of darkness, and then shows what lies on the other side.

Bel Canto
by Ann Patchett

Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening — until a band of gunwielding terrorists takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, a moment of great beauty, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different continents become compatriots, intimate friends, and lovers.

A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass

2011-11-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

Genre: Young adult
Publisher, Year: Little Brown, 2003
Other Works: Leap Day, Jeremy Fink
Flags: None
Rating: B+ or Mostly Good
Premise: Mia is a girl with special abilities--she sees color where others don't. She struggles to find out what this ability is and what it means to her.

I really liked the idea of this book, the main character being a girl, Mia, who sees color in numbers and words. At first, I didn’t realize that this phenomenon, named synesthesia , is a real thing—something that occurs in the actual world in which I live. I thought it was the invention of a creative author, and that the story would unfold similarly to a fantasy novel where the main character has special powers. Although Mia does sort of view her colors as magical, her condition is definitely real. And very cool. I loved Mass’s writing style, somewhat matter-of-fact but very smooth and moving at times. And she really made middle school come alive again for me! Whether that’s a good thing, I’m still not sure. My favorite “middle school” passage includes a schoolmate who covers a so-called “dirty book” with a paper sack cover and a description of a group of boys eating disgusting combinations of foods at lunch, ending with one going to the nurse because he swallowed a dime. Oh how I don’t miss those days!

Mia has a secret. She has seen colors connection with letters, numbers, words, and sounds since birth, but she’s never revealed this to her family since a bad experience in the third grade. Finally, she decides she has to tell her parents. Many trips to doctors ensue as her parents try to make sense of something that seems so strange. Mia feels no less nervous because she’s waited so long to know what causes her colors. As she learns more about synesthesia, Mia learns more about herself and she gets caught up in what her ability means for her, ignoring everything and everyone else in her life. Then something happens that teaches her an important lesson.

I loved Mia’s family. I felt Mass did a wonderful job describing each one and their quirks, her goofy dad, too-cool-for-school older sister, superstitious little brother, and a mom who just doesn’t seem to understand (isn’t it always the way?), then last but not least her loveable, wheezy cat. I have two cats of my own and couldn’t help feel connected to the pet-love plot line. Sometimes it’s weird to think how domesticated animals become part of the family, but they really do.

I loved the beginning and the end of the novel, but the author sort of lost me in the middle. Although her discovery of her “ability” was definitely a good thing, I felt the story sort of dwindled for me, and I started to wonder what the book was really about. I had a hard time figuring out what the purpose of the book was. Was it supposed to show how Mia was discovering herself in finding out her own abilities and seeing them as strengths? Learning about how her synesthesia could be enhanced by certain activities was interesting for me, but I was left wondering how it furthered the themes in the story. Throughout, I had an increasingly harder time liking Mia as she became more and more self-absorbed. Perhaps I was wanting this book to be something it’s not.

I still found many moments to enjoy in this novel. Mass is a gifted writer, and although this book may not have been my favorite, I’m interested to see if I might like one of her other books better.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2011-11-02T15:43:00.000-06:00

Genre: Fiction
Publisher, Year: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, 2009
Other Works: Debut
Flags: Moderate language, Adult themes
Rating: A, or Great Read
Premise: A young college grad collects stories from black maids working in 1960s Mississippi. As she tries to work on the sly, conflicts arise.

This was a book club pick, and I was able to get it read right before the movie came out. I actually got the book at our Christmas party, so it was ready and waiting for me in hardback, which I rarely buy.

Skeeter, a level-headed girl who doesn’t quite fit in, returns home after graduating college. Even though her mother hounds her to get married and her friends seem interested in little else besides their families and the goings-on in their small southern town, Skeeter wants to be a “serious” writer. When she learns that her beloved maid has mysteriously quit without a word, she decides to look into it and finds inspiration. She decides to give the black maids in her town the chance to speak their minds and see their stories in writing. But as she works with the maids and tries to stealthily find a way to publish the book, racial tensions mount.

I quite liked this book. Although it wasn’t a page turner for me, I really fell in love with the characters, especially the two main maids, Aibileen and Minny. Aibileen is a simple and wise woman. She’s experienced her own personal tragedies, which although difficult, have solidified her trust in God and her belief in herself. She’s a courageous, yet loving woman. Where Aibileen is quiet, Minny is loud. They are opposites in many ways. Although Minny knows how to speak her mind, she is still ruled over by a drunken husband, who finds a way to take out his frustration on her. She’s the no nonsense sort, though she considers consequences, weighs their importance, and always sticks her neck out for those she trusts and cares for. For me, the topic of racial inequality holds so much suffering that Minny provided a level of vengeance that I found satisfying.

The only complaint I could have is a sort of perpetuation of the white savior attitude. But with this book, it’s hard to determine if it was intentional, or if that idea even fits as it does with other books and movies. The black characters are given a voice only through Skeeter, a white woman. However, she doesn’t doctor what they say or editorialize. Other than wanting their stories to be heard and wishing she could live in an equal world, I don’t know that she’s really swooping in to save the day. However, the maids are still maids, while Skeeter is trying to make a name for herself (in a way) through their sacrifice. And although the situation for Skeeter is uncomfortable, it’s nothing in comparison to what the maids have to fear. It’s just something that didn’t quite sit right with me.

This book has many narrators, which I think can sometimes be a mistake. But Stockett was able to create very different voices with each of the characters, so that each was distinctly recognizable. I really admire that ability and find it to be rare. The writing was very polished and felt true to life. Although I didn’t live through the time of civil rights, I felt I could relate to the characters and their experiences. Their voices resonated with me, each in a different way. Overall, a good experience.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

2011-11-01T21:34:00.001-06:00

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher, Year: Scholastic, 2009
Other Works: Lament
Flags: Teen angst, Tenuous references
Rating: B, or Decent
Premise: A teenage girl obsesses over a wolf in the woods. This isn't just any wolf--the animal saved her from a terrifying experience as a child. One day, she finds out that her wolf has a secret.

I went into this book with very little expectation. I had heard it was Twilight-esque in many ways, which is a fair categorization, I would say.

The story opens with a girl, Grace, remembering when she was brutally attacked by a pack of wolves. One wolf in particular, she remembers clearly—the wolf who has been watching her from the woods behind her house ever since. He stalks her and she stalks him right back. A local tragedy sets events into motion that will reveal a secret and change Grace’s life forever.

It’s not too difficult to figure out that Sam, the mysterious wolf, is actually a werewolf—part human, part animal. I thought the rules that Stiefvater invented for her wolf species were very interesting and unique, considering that the subject of werewolves is a variation upon a theme as so many fantasy books are. I enjoyed reading about Sam because he was so consistently conflicted. His wolf life, although not the nature to which he was born, has become so a part of his being, that although it is somewhat of a curse, it is slowly becoming a comfort. He has been so often a wolf, that that form is beginning to feel like home. His loyal family, his good memories, most of his joys as a being are tied up in running with his wolf pack. All except for one—Grace.

Grace as a heroine, however, I felt was lacking. As with Twilight, I felt like the lead female role was not a strong one. By the end of the book, I didn’t feel as though I knew her well, and what I got to know of her wasn’t very appealing to me. She was at times wishy-washy and getting mad over seemingly insignificant things. And although the book starts from the premise that Grace and Sam have been “dating” over six years by watching each other as woman and wolf, I didn’t find that premise very convincing. It seemed like the two were automatically “in love” without the falling part. I would have enjoyed a little more of the getting to know each other and a little less description of passionate kissing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for a love story. But, I would have liked to see them know each other and connect on an emotional level.

Stiefvater definitely had moments of brilliance in this novel. I could really feel the slow creeping of winter’s cold hand. I’m all too familiar with the dreading of snow, and I think she captured that beautifully. The violence that the cold triggered with the werewolves was really mesmerizing and was so tangible for me. Through her words, I felt the pain as the wolves experienced it. That is the beauty of the split narration of the novel, which I think fit just right.

I’m interested to see what the next books will bring, as there is a sort of momentum from this first novel. I definitely liked it enough to keep reading!

Support Your Library Challenge

2011-11-01T20:53:00.001-06:00

Join the challenge here.
Ends: December 31, 2012.
Challenge Level: Level 4 (37+).

1.

Read Your Own Books Challenge

2011-11-01T14:52:00.001-06:00

Join the challenge here.
Ends: December 31, 2012.
Challenge Level: Level 2 (6 to 10).
Challenge: Read books you own that you haven't read yet.

1. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
2. Villette by Charlotte Bronte
3. Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
4. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
5. A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Books to Movies Challenge

2011-07-01T15:11:00.001-06:00

Join the challenge here.
Ends: December 31, 2011.
Challenge Level: Straight to Video.

1. The King's Speech by Logue and Conradi
2. TBA

Matched by Ally Condie

2011-06-28T14:53:00.005-06:00

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher, Year: Dutton Juvenile, 2010
Other Works: Crossed (out in 2011)
Flags: Teen angst
Rating: A, or Great Read
Premise: A teenage girl begins to question the things she's always accepted as fact when her Society's proven method of "matching" up marriages seems to go awry.

I went into this book sort of tentatively because there was someone I talked to who had read it, I can't remember who now, but they said that it was a creative story, but the writing wasn't that great. I couldn't disagree more. I thought the writing was excellent! A breath of fresh air, honestly. Condie's writing is smooth as silk. It has a musical quality to my ear.

Imagine a place where the Society (central government) directs every aspect of its citizens lives: what to eat, what to wear, where to go, and especially those important decisions like who to marry and what career path to follow. We first meet Cassia, a teenage girl getting ready for her all-important Matching Ceremony, where she will find out who she will marry one day. She is thrilled and surprised to discover that she’s been matched with her best friend, Xander. Such a match doesn’t happen often as most couples are formed from different areas of the country where you’d have no opportunity to know anything about your match before the fated day. However, when Cassia enters the chip into her computer to learn what it says about Xander, a new face flashes across the screen. Another boy she knows, Ky, and now her curiosity about him cannot be suppressed. As her mind is filled with questions, she begins to realize that perhaps things she has accepted since childhood about her surroundings are not all that they seemed to be. +/-

Although I liked Cassia overall, I liked Ky as a character much better. He is a person true to himself. While Cassia is still trying to figure out who she is, Ky has never been more certain of the metal he’s made of. As Ky’s past unravels, I find myself, along with Cassia, greedy for more. He was just the right mixture of vulnerability, strength, and mystery. I loved how Cassia had to figure out in stages what his game was. How he wasn't always what he appeared to be.

I am always amazed how these writers can come up with such an interesting alternate reality. At first, it takes a little time to buy into it. To accept the terminology, the system, and the pills without raising an eyebrow. However, once I was on board, the story and all its little intricacies started to come together, and I realized how creative it was. I have always had this experience with these type of books, and I really am happily surprised that there are writers out there who can keep reinventing the dystopic wheel.

Although I enjoyed the novel, I wish there had been stronger motivation for Cassia to start thinking outside of the box when it came to the Society. I think in several cases, her loyalty to what she’d been taught since birth about her country/government would have been more difficult to break. I had a hard time believing that Cassia would flip on the society so quickly when she'd been brought up with its ideals for so long.

Secondly, I tire of these love triangles sometimes, especially when both parties don’t get a fair shake. Honestly, I can't say whether I like Xander because I simply don't know enough about him. Cassia and he obviously have a long history together, which she knows, but we aren't privy to. I don’t feel like, for me, the inner tension between the two characters is strong enough. I need to really waffle between the two, and, at least from my perspective, there is a clear choice. If there's going to be a love triangle, then I'd at least like the opportunity to weigh both on their merits equally and see which is really the one found wanting. Perhaps this one-sided-ness is by design, and we will get to hear more about Xander as the story continues; I hope so.

Overall, Matched is a fantastic story, a quick and easy read, but one you can really sink your teeth into. A real winner in by book. And the sequel is out this fall!

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

2010-04-13T11:22:00.007-06:00

Genre: General Fiction
Publisher, Year: Little Brown, 2002
Other Works: Lucky
Flags: Adult themes, tenuous references
Rating: A+, or Must Read Now!
Challenge: Countdown, Library
Premise: A young girl is murdered. She narrates the story, looking down from heaven on her family and friends as they cope with her loss.

I’ve been meaning to read this book for some time now, but I’ve been almost scared to pick it up, given the premise. I was afraid it would disturb me, in a Law and Order SVU–sort of way. Really, you can’t broach the subjects of rape and murder without disturbance, but I was impressed with Sebold’s take. She definitely pushed the envelope, but in a way that made life just that much more meaningful and precious. I still can’t stop thinking about it.

The book starts out with an introduction: “My name is Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.” A sinking feeling of dread follows this proclamation, as we know when Mr. Harvey approaches Susie and asks her to follow him that she won’t be coming back. But, she knows it, too. As she relates the story, she tells us, in hindsight, what she should of done and how she should have acted, if only she’d known. It’s heartrending, it really is. And there’s nothing to be done to change it. Unfortunately, it won’t be the last time, as the reader, that you’ll feel the burn of regret. +/-

Susie finds herself in heaven after the tragic assault. She can’t help but look down on her family almost every moment, to see how they are coping and living their lives after her demise. They try to move on, to get past it, without forgetting Susie. But, Susie never gets any older, never says or does anything new--she’s simply a presence and lurks in the dark corners of their minds. It’s hard for Susie to watch and be able to do nothing--all while her killer runs free.

It’s a heart-pounding tale; one you will find yourself unable to put down or stop thinking about. Although this book centers around a terrible death, the story is really about life and family and loved ones. It’s about making connections with others. It’s about how sadness can break us, and then faith puts us back together. Those relationships are never quite the same, but they are significant because they were not easily formed--that’s what makes them lovely.

Dewey's 24-hour Readathon!

2010-04-11T18:07:00.002-06:00

Completed!

The Dewey 24-hour Readathon was everything I hoped it would be. =) The most surprising thing was how fast the time went by! But, still I could only hold out until midnight, so I read until hour 19, and then fell asleep. Next time I hope to make it the full 24. If you'd like to participate in the future, you can check the website here for details. They are held in April and October!

Learn about the challenge here.
Took place: April 10, 2010 (starting at 6 am MST).

To see my final stats, click here. To view all my updates from the readathon click here.

Update Seven: The Final Chapter

2010-04-11T00:03:00.003-06:00

Well, I'm succumbing to sleep. I really wanted to stay up the full time, but I've got to teach a class of six 4-yr-olds tomorrow, and my brain just feels fried. =) Good luck to all of you who are carrying on!

I finally realized that there was no way I could read through the density that is My Life in France, so for my final round of reading, I decided to switch to a "picture" book with The Brontes at Haworth. Remarkable book if there are any Bronte fans out there. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it.

To all a good night!! =)

The final stats:

Title of book(s) started: Invention of Hugo Cabret, Catcher in the Rye, On the Street Where You Live, My Life in France, The Brontes at Haworth
Number of books finished: 2
Pages read since last update: 51
Running total of pages read since you started: 963 (AL-most 1000...not quite)
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 140 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 810 minutes (13.5 hours!)
Mini-challenges completed: 7

Update Six: Nightfall!

2010-04-10T21:54:00.004-06:00

Well, I decided to put my Mary Higgins Clark aside since the sun has set. (I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to scary stuff--although, I grant you, Clark is pretty tame.) I'm now starting on Julia Child's My Life in France, so I probably won't be finishing any more books for the remainder of the readathon. I want to make it a few more hours at least, so we'll see how long I hold up!

Here's my continued progress:

Title of book(s) started: Invention of Hugo Cabret, Catcher in the Rye, On the Street Where You Live, My Life in France
Number of books finished: 2
Pages read since last update: 50
Running total of pages read since you started: 912
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 90 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 670 minutes
Mini-challenges completed: 6

. . . One More Challenge

2010-04-10T19:23:00.007-06:00

Ok, I had to take part in the one! The Lost Entwife wants you to:

Here is your question: Think of your favorite book – has it been made into a movie? If not (and maybe you’ll need to go to your 2nd favorite book and so on), tell me if you’d like to see it made into a movie and pick one character from the book and give me information on which actor you’d love to see cast in the part. Make your post as fun as possible, tell me why you think the movie would be amazing and why the actor/actress you chose would be perfect in the part!

I could have a great time with this one! Here's my choice. This may not be my favorite book of all time, but it's one I would die to see made into a movie. I would pick (and I feel sort of sheepish because I just picked Shannon Hale for another one, but still) Shannon Hale's Austenland! I just thought this book was so much fun. I've been looking for a fun "modern" twist on being "sucked into" the Austen world, and I had read a few others that were totally underwhelming. But Hale, she never disappoints. The funny thing is, as I was reading this book, it sort of FELT like I was watching a movie. I was completely charmed and entranced, and I just about flipped at the ending, it was great. It would be fantastic on the big screen!

So . . . I've got to cast Mr. Darcy's "twin," Mr. Nobely, because seriously, that's the most fun. So here he is--drumroll please:

HUGH DANCY!Is it just coincidence that his name is Darcy, just one letter off? I think not! =) I think he would be perfect, with that great chiseled face. He was the male lead in Confessions of a Shopaholic, and even though that part isn't really close to Mr. Nobley, I think he could do brooding quite well. Yeah, most definitely. I can just see him with some long sideburns and a great tailored jacket--delicious!!

And if this book has been made into a movie and I just missed it somehow... somebody tell me!! =)

Update Five: Evening upon Us

2010-04-10T18:52:00.006-06:00

A couple fun challenges coming at you . . . here's a meme:

1. What are you reading right now? On the Street Where You Live
2. How many books have you read so far? On my 3rd
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? I little light reading! A good murder mystery (M. Higgins Clark) instead of high school English class (JD Salinger)
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Nope, my husband has been very good. Although I think the cats are feeling sort of neglected. =)
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Not really. Although I didn't do a great job planning snacks, so I've had to spend some time in the kitchen
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How incredibly FAST the time flies by! I wish I could read faster!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? hmm... not really. This is my first time participating and it seems incredibly well organized and so fun!
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Definitely plan better!
9. Are you getting tired yet? Not to bad actually. I got tired around 3, so I just went outside for a sec.
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? Try to spend a couple hours reading outside--the fresh air and change of scenery helped me a lot.

And then a great mini challenge from Star Shadow. She wants to know:

So you know how there are those books out there where... a boy and a girl are friends... only to find out at the end they have loved each other the whole time and its just soooooo amazingly beautiful. Well, Thats the basis for this challenge.... I want you to pick out your favorite book or series where there is a boy/girl boy/boy girl/girl couple that fall in love.

For my couple I chose
Dashti and Khan Tegus
from Shannon Hale's Book of a Thousand Days
The reason I like their relationship is because I really think it's one of the best I've read in the friendship growing into love category. I like how Dashti is just a normal girl, who has integrity and strong character. She's not the most beautiful girl in the world, but she is honest and true and kind. And the khan, although royalty, notices these things about her right away because they are things he values. Yet, they are both conflicted (with a bit of mistaken identity), and their love grows over a long friendship as they learn to value each other for their strengths and accept each other's weaknesses. Yeah, I just think they are great characters. =)

And finally, here's my update:

Title of book(s) started: Invention of Hugo Cabret, Catcher in the Rye, On the Street Where You Live
Number of books finished: 2
Pages read since last update: 100
Running total of pages read since you started: 862
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 140 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 580 minutes
Mini-challenges completed: 5

Update Four: Almost Done with Catcher

2010-04-10T15:52:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone! I'm getting verrry hungry! Time to hit the fridge for more snacks. Also, on to another mini-challenge. This one comes from Nomadreader:

Welcome to this hour's mini-challenge! I loved Trish's mini-challenge at the last read-a-thon showing where we all were actually reading, and it gave me the idea to make a map challenge showing where the book(s) we're reading today take place.

Check out the map here!

I'm definitely slowing down a bit, but here's where I am!

Title of book(s) started: Invention of Hugo Cabret, Catcher in the Rye
Number of books finished: 1
Pages read since last update: 71
Running total of pages read since you started: 762
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 100 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 440 minutes
Mini-challenges completed: 3

Update Three: Here Comes the Afternoon

2010-04-10T13:53:00.003-06:00

Ok, I'm too caught up to do any mini-challenges right now. Trying to power my way through Catcher in the Rye, and I'm getting closer! Although I did have to take a break because my husband made a delicious breakfast, and I just couldn't put off a shower any longer. lol.

My husband wanted me to write that in honor of the readathon, he read the take out menu from our favorite Polynesian food restaurant from front to book. (Good job, dear!) Haha. He's such a kidder. However, he has read Catcher before, so I'm having a good time reading out funny or weird snippets from the book (of which there are many).

Here the update:

Title of book(s) started: Invention of Hugo Cabret, Catcher in the Rye
Number of books finished: 1
Pages read since last update: 96
Running total of pages read since you started: 691
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 140 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 340 minutes
Mini-challenges completed: 3

Update Two: Making It through the Morning

2010-04-10T09:54:00.006-06:00

Some mini-challenges coming at ya!

Till We Read Again wants to know:

Listed below is a series of questions. Please put your nominees for the following categories.

Favorite Female Character in a book: Sarah (These Is My Words)
Favorite Male Character in a book: Rudy (The Book Thief)
Favorite Side Kick in a book: Gosh... I don't know... let's say, Alice (Twilight series)
Favorite Couple in a Book: Katherine and Healthcliff (I'm a sucker for that book)
Favorite Book Series: The Hunger Games (currently)
Favorite Author: hmm... Jane Austen, Shannon Hale, Nick Hornby, to name a few
Favorite Book Cover:
I don't know why I love this cover, I just think it fits the book so well, and it really drew me in. I love old books. ---->
Favorite Book of 2009: The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson (although, technically, that's 2008)

And here's my reading update:

Title of book(s) read since last update: Catcher in the Rye
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update: 293
Running total of pages read since you started: 595
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 100
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 200
Mini-challenges completed: 3
Other participants you’ve visited: Flamingo House Happenings
Prize you’ve won: 0

Update One: Kickoff Successful

2010-04-10T07:51:00.008-06:00

Well, I've officially been reading two hours now. I actually feel sort of nervous, like if I'm not really careful, I'm going to miss out on something important. And that I need to read really fast... lol. I think I need to relax a little. But, I'm enjoying my first book! The Invention of Hugo Cabret. And it's a nice, quick read, and I'm almost done with it.

Miss Remmers' Review is doing a mini-challenge, but I'm afraid I don't have a great answer!

In this challenge we would like you to write a post on your blogs about your kick off strategy. What have you surrounded yourself with for these early hours of the challenge besides your books? Is there a coffee thermos, lucky book mark, snacks, pillow.... We want to know how you have prepared so you do not have to leave your cozy reading space (by the way - we'd like to know what is too.... (are you still in bed, a chair, the couch.....)

I decided not to try to plan too much for the readathon since it's my first time participating. I just got up in enough time to start reading by 6 a.m. And I'm in my pj's still and my bathrobe. Maybe I'll stay like that all day? Haven't decided yet. =) I'm also still currently on the couch, trying not to let myself get to comfortable!! I saw other posts of people who had packed nice little snacks. I'm definitely thinking about doing that next time! But, it's kind of fun thinking I can pick up any book I want next!

I did pick up some Dr. Pepper however to help in those last hours when I'm getting tired . . . we'll see if it works. =)

Ok, here's my Hour 2 update!

Title of book(s) read since last update: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Number of books read since you started: 0
Pages read since last update: 302
Running total of pages read since you started: 302
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 100
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 100
Mini-challenges completed: 2
Other participants you’ve visited: Literate Housewife, Beach Reading, Ashley
Prize you’ve won: 0

Ready, Set, Go!

2010-04-10T05:54:00.008-06:00

Let the reading begin! =) I'm a little nervous of falling asleep! I've never really read this early in the morning. I'm going to try to make sure that I don't get too comfortable, so the nodding off isn't as much of a factor.

I'm wishing now that maybe I'd planned a little better. I've got a stack of books, and I'm not sure what to start with. I think I'm going with The Invention of Hugo Cabret. So, here goes! See you in a couple of hours!

Hour One Meme

Where are you reading from today? The great state of Utah

3 facts about me …
1. I love avocados
2. I want to learn to play the drums
3. I put together a foosball table for my husband for his birthday

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? 7

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? hmm... not really, just playing it by ear.

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time? I'm a newbie! In need of advice! =)

Pride of Baghdad by Brian Vaughan

2010-04-08T17:56:00.001-06:00

Genre: Graphic novel
Publisher, Year: Vertigo, 2006
Illustrator: Nico Henrichon
Other Works: Ex Machina (BV), Fables (NC)
Flags: Adult themes, tenuous references
Rating: C-, or Major Problems
Challenge: Library
Premise: Lions escape from the zoo after the bombing of Baghdad.

I’m trying to read more graphic novels, and this one seemed promising. I'm sorry to report that this one did not go over as well as the first. Although the good has to be weighed with the bad. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all I was hoping for, and it left me scratching my head a little, wondering exactly what the author was really trying to do with this book.

Pride of Baghdad documents the adventures of a group of lions once they’ve been sprung from the zoo during the bombing of Baghdad. The group consists of a male, two of his ladies (one old, one young), and a little cub. Conflicts arise as they leave the smoldering heap that used to be their home and venture into the city. They have to find food and shelter, all while not quite understanding what has happened. In the end, the lions fail to find a better life. +/-

First, I have to say that Nico Henrichon's artwork in this book made it for me. I wish I could give the illustrations a different rating because, honestly, they were the best part for me. The facial expression of the lions was really wonderful, even their eyes were expressive. I still can remember those vivid red and orange colors splashing the pages. It made the events more tangible.

However, the writing for me was a little . . . strange. That’s really the only word I can think to describe it. Vaughan made his characters into such a bizarre mix of human and animal, that I wasn’t sure at all what he was trying to get at. He decided to include the idea of gang rape in the book, clearly not something found in the animal world (at least to my understanding), and yet, there’s another scene of “lion sexuality” that seems distinctly animalistic in nature. Honestly, both seemed rather extraneous to me. In another part of the book, the lions pontificate over whether they should eat an obviously dead human being, but then leave an entire bear carcass to rot, because they want that particular individual to “suffer.” Are they driven by hunger, or not?

The book is obviously a thinly-veiled metaphor of the Iraq war, but I found the characters confusing. And the moral-driven plot becomes so abundantly clear in the end, it kind of made me gag. I mean, really? Is the Iraq conflict so cut and dry? I don’t know, maybe I just didn’t get it, but this one just didn’t do it for me.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2010-04-07T17:30:00.000-06:00

Genre: Young adult, fantasy
Publisher, Year: Scholastic, 2008
Other Works: Catching Fire
Flags: Teen angst, adult themes
Rating: A+, or Must Read Now!
Challenge: Library, Countdown
Premise: A new government controls what used to be North America and holds the Hunger Games, a gladiator-style, to the death fight between competitors, as punishments for the districts' rebellion. Each year, families are forced to send one teenage boy and girl to the games and watch them die on television.

In my opinion, this book is worth all the hype and attention its received and then some. It’s an easy and fast read, but the topics and issues it discusses are deeply relevant and probing.

Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12, a part of the new government of a war-torn North America Panem. Because of the districts’ failed rebellion, as a constant reminder of their weakness and total lack of control, the government invented the Hunger Games. A Roman gladiator–style, pseudo reality TV program, where “tributes” (two teenagers from each district selected at random) are forced into an “arena” (some destitute place, rigged with manipulatable traps and cameras) where they fight to the death until one person is left standing. When Katniss’s sister, Prim, is called to step forward and join the games, her protective nature forces Katniss to volunteer to take Prim’s place. She, along with Peeta, her companion male tribute, makes her way to the Capitol to fight for her life. +/-

Like everyone else on the planet, I instantly fell in love with this book. It’s a heart-pounding tale from beginning to end. Katniss is a strong and powerful heroine, flanked by a stellar cast of supporting characters, from her loyal co-tribute Peeta to her hunting companion Gale to her unlikely friend Rue. She is a woman who knows how to take care of herself, having grown into the leadership role of her family after her father’s sudden death, her mother completely incapacitated with grief and her little sister too young and frail to fight. She enters the arena with important skills: knowledge of edible plants, successful hunting techniques, and living on very little. These things make her strong, but the limits of that strength will be tested to a breaking point.

Throughout the story I just kept turning over in my head why the tributes couldn’t just refuse to participate. How come they couldn’t just ban together and find a way to keep alive until the audience would tire of the game? This book answers that question in lots of ways; it’s almost like an experiment of force and control. The whole point of the games is the psychologically manipulate an entire population of people by demonstrating their ability not only to kill them, but also to convince them to kill each other.

And the reality TV aspect cannot be overlooked. After putting this book down, it really made me rethink the reasons why I like the shows I do. I’ll never look at The Biggest Loser the same. In so many ways these shows are rigged for drama, because that’s what we love to see. We want to witness shouting and fighting and people losing control. Perhaps we haven’t gone so far as fighting to the death—but could we really rule that out as a possibility?

I quickly set out for the second book in the series, and it will be a trilogy when all is said and done. I also think this book has great potential for a prequel at some time. We know there’s been a war and that this civilization is the result of it, but we really are given very few details, especially about a mysterious District 13, which was completely eradicated during the rebellion by the Capitol. I would love to get more back history on this place. Hopefully, the author might consider it. =)

I think this book has been placed in the correct categorization, being young adult, but it’s a really great story for any age, and adults can learn just as much from it as teenagers. If you haven’t read it yet, amend your ways! A really great read.

Yes, I Digress: Banned Books Week

2010-04-07T17:06:00.009-06:00

I recently finished Looking for Alaska by John Green, and I really enjoyed it. (You'll see . . . in forthcoming review.) I went looking at his website afterwards to get an idea of what John Green is all about. Interesting fellow. I ran across, in his archives, a post he wrote two years ago about a school in New York that was planning on teaching his book, but had an outcry from the community. The school was going to send home permission slips, detailing controversial content, to parents and have them decide whether they would have their kids read the book. If the parents didn't want their kids reading the book, an alternative book would be given. But this wasn't what the "public" wanted; they insisted that it be banned. He does a pretty stellar job explaining it.

And interesting idea, banning. Honestly, I don't understand how these people even hear about these sorts of things. How they even know what's going on with a particular book. I mean, I consider myself a bookish person, and I'd never even heard of this one until about 6 months ago. In most cases, I would suspect they don't know firsthand, but instead heard from a friend who heard from a friend (etc, etc) that such and such a book was filth. Secondly, don't they know that banning a book is pretty much a sure fire way to make its popularity SOAR!? These are teenagers we're talking about here! What happens when you say: "You can't do that, I forbid it!" +/-

Which brings me to another story. In high school, my class was reading Catcher in the Rye like every other 17 year old in the nation. I tried to hide it from her, being one of those kids who didn't like to stick out too much, but my mom was ready for this. I was the third child. She had A Separate Peace all dusted off and ready for me. I didn't relish in being the only kid "not allowed" to read Catcher in the Rye, but I went along with it. Unfortunately, the alternate had changed in the five years it took for me to get to 11th grade, and it was now Grapes of Wrath. My teacher handed me the tome much to my great displeasure.

Granted, I should have taken it as an opportunity to read a great Steinbeck novel, but instead I borrowed my best friend's copy of Catcher and read it on the sly. I was even brazen enough to take it out and read it during the middle of English one day (since I was not participating in any class time involving the "banned" book), and I was found out. The coveted novel was taken away, and I got myself and my friend in trouble. So, I've never actually read any of the three books, but this year, I'm going to do it--I'm going to read Catcher in the Rye. Every last banned word. (Sorry, mom!) It's going to feel so wicked!

Anyway, point being, banning a book produces the direct opposite effect of what people are going for! If they'd never banned it in the first place, people might not be itching to get their hands on a copy. That book might just become another unacknowledged gem that few find. But then, I guess we should be thanking those banners--for pointing out what we've been missing. Aladdin in the desert: a diamond in the rough.

So, this year I'm gearing up! I'm going to recognize that week in the fall. Mark your calendars for September 25 to October 2, and do something crazy and rebellious. Like reading a book. Read more about it here.

BC Consensus: Silent in the Grave

2010-04-06T11:19:00.003-06:00

Would you like to crème de la crème from our book club dicussions this month? You are in luck! In March, we discussed Deanna Raybourn's Silent in the Grave. Here are some of the comments our members made about the book:

“I looooved the descriptions of Julia's beautiful clothes! I found myself lingering over the words, re-reading them even. Such sumptuous descriptions. The story itself was very easy to read and somewhat engaging.”

“About 1/3 of the way through, I realized how much progress I'd made and was like, 'This is suh-LOW! for a mystery.' Halfway through, stuff started getting predictable and a little trite. The Brisbane/Julia foil was awkward. I did enjoy the book and Ms. Raybourn's writing, and will actually probably pick up her next two books to see if she's gotten less trite and more gripping. I have high hopes for her!” +/-

“So much thanks to whoever recommended this book for many hours of enjoyment! Whether the story was believable or well-written or not, I liked watching it unfold. Give me a mystery, and I'm going to want to know the end of it, I guess. More than liking Julia, I think I was spurred on to see what would become of Brisbane. The first book leaves open the mystery of Mariah Young and the second books leaves open questions that don't get answered until the third book.”

“Like you guys, I really liked Julia's crazy and eccentric family. I loved seeing how Julia changed inwardly and outwardly after her husband died. I thought the descriptions of her clothing and appearance were really fun to read. I believe in the concept that the right clothing can help a person feel more confident. I loved the Victorian time period the book was set in.”

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

2010-04-02T17:04:00.001-06:00

Genre: Young adult (historical/fantasy)
Publisher, Year: Random House, 2003
Other Works: Rebel Angels, The Restless Dead
Flags: Teen angst, tenuous references
Rating: B+, or Mostly Good
Challenge: Library, Countdown
Premise: A teenage girl discovers she has magic powers. She and her friends find that although these powers are great and exciting, there is also an unfortunate side effect--a dangerous creature out to capture that power.

Another pick for the Countdown Challenge, I'd been meaning to pick up something by Libba Bray for awhile, having heard great things about her. I have to say that I enjoyed the read, but I was not blown away.

Gemma desperately wants to go to London. When her mother tragically dies, she gets her chance, and her life is suddenly and forever altered. Then, she notices an odd change taking place--as magic touches her life in the form of visions. Now she's on a hunt to get down to the bottom of these mysterious happenings, all while trying to fit in at her new rigidly Victorian private school. +/-

I enjoyed Bray's writing style. She weaves together a wonderful tapestry of color and sound. The ambiance in this book is very haunting--read with a flashlight under the covers. I also enjoyed the cast of characters for the most part: Kartik, the protective and darkly handsome foreigner; Gemma and her fiery red hair; Brigid, the quirky, loose-lipped maid. Bray also does an excellent job recreating a believable, yet mysterious, Victorian private school--complete with strict headmaster and corsets that pinch.

However, I didn't feel like I could become completely invested in the story. I found the fantastical world a bit beyond my suspension of disbelief. I could not get carried away in it the way I would have wanted. I never did quite understand what it was exactly that was after the girls, although I knew the creature's name. And I could not get a handle on whether Gemma's family were for or against her. That brings me to the interesting little gaggle of girls who Gemma calls her "friends" in the book. Major flashbacks of Rachel McAdams's "Mean Girls" attitude in this book. Although Gemma's three friends--Felicity, Pippa, and Ann--are pitiable, I could not find it my heart to sympathize. Felicity most of all, with her strange outbursts and wild accusations. But I suppose it's really not far off from what teenage girls do in school to one another--the pecking order becoming apparent. All the same, I still found it tiresome.

Minus the faults, I do think Ms. Bray is quite a talent. I did enjoy her brand of language and style. It would be remiss not to seek out another of her novels and give her a second chance.

New This Month: April 10

2010-04-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

Imperfect Birds
by Anne Lamont

Rosie Ferguson is seventeen and ready to enjoy the summer before her senior year of high school. She's intelligent-she aced AP physics; athletic-a former state-ranked tennis doubles champion; and beautiful. She is, in short, everything her mother, Elizabeth, hoped she could be. The family's move to Landsdale, with stepfather James in tow, hadn't been as bumpy as Elizabeth feared.

But as the school year draws to a close, there are disturbing signs that the life Rosie claims to be leading is a sham, and that Elizabeth's hopes for her daughter to remain immune from the pull of the darker impulses of drugs and alcohol are dashed. Slowly and against their will, Elizabeth and James are forced to confront the fact that Rosie has been lying to them-and that her deceptions will have profound consequences.

This is Anne Lamott's most honest and heartrending novel yet, exploring our human quest for connection and salvation as it reveals the traps that can befall all of us.

+/-

Every Last One
by Anna Quindlen

In this breathtaking and beautiful novel, the #1 New York Times bestselling author Anna Quindlen creates an unforgettable portrait of a mother, a father, a family, and the explosive, violent consequences of what seem like inconsequential actions.

Mary Beth Latham is first and foremost a mother, whose three teenaged children come first, before her career as a landscape gardener, or even her life as the wife of a doctor. Caring for her family and preserving their everyday life is paramount. And so, when one of her sons, Max, becomes depressed, Mary Beth becomes focused on him, and is blindsided by a shocking act of violence. What happens afterwards is a testament to the power of a woman’s love and determination, and to the invisible line of hope and healing that connects one human being with another. Ultimately, in the hands of Anna Quindlen’s mesmerizing prose, Every Last One is a novel about facing every last one of the the things we fear most, about finding ways to navigate a road we never intended to travel, to live a life we never dreamed we’d have to live but must be brave enough to try.

Also new this month:

The Bride Collector
by Ted Dekker

Wrecked
by Carol Higgins Clark

A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie
by Antwone Fisher

Wishlist Wednesday

2010-03-31T09:00:00.000-06:00

First my mother-in-law and then a good friend were surprised when I said I'd never read a'one of Miss Mary, Queen of Suspense's novels. I can't say why--I just have never been interested. So here I am, ready to repent with two of their recommendations. They do look delectable, I must say!

Loves Music, Loves to Dance
by Mary Higgins Clark

New York's trendy magazines are a source of peril when a killer enacts a bizarre dance of death, using the personal ads to lure his victims . . .

After college, best friends Erin Kelley and Darcy Scott move to the city to pursue exciting careers; Erin is a promising jewelry designer, Darcy finds success as a decorator. On a lark, Darcy persuades Erin to help their TV producer friend research the kinds of people who place personal ads. It seems like innocent fun . . . until Erin disappears.

Erin's body is found on an abandoned Manhattan pier -- on one foot is her own shoe, on the other, a high-heeled dancing slipper. Soon after, startling communiques from the killer reveal that Erin is not the first victim of this "dancing shoe murderer." And, if the killer has his way, she won't be his last. Next on his death list is Darcy.

+/-

On the Street Where You Live
by Mary Higgins Clark

In the gripping new novel from the Queen of Suspense, a woman is haunted by two grisly murders separated by more than a century, yet somehow, inextricably linked . . .

Following a nasty divorce and the trauma of being stalked, criminal defense attorney Emily Graham leaves Albany to work in Manhattan. Craving roots, she buys her ancestral home, a Victorian house in the seaside resort town of Spring Lake, New Jersey. Her family sold the house in 1892, after one of Emily's forebears, Madeline Shapley, then a young girl, disappeared.

As the house is renovated and a pool dug, a skeleton is found and identified as Martha Lawrence, a young Spring Lake woman who vanished several years ago. Within her hand is the finger bone of another woman, with a ring--a Shapley family heirloom--still on it. Determined to find the connection between the two murders, Emily becomes a threat to a seductive killer . . . who chooses her as the next victim.

If You Liked: The Time Traveler's Wife

2010-03-30T09:00:00.003-06:00

Then You'll Also Like
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

Although one of these books involves actual time traveling and the other does not, you’ll find that they have the same effect. If you enjoyed the excitingly haphazard construction of Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife--never knowing quite what will happen next—you’re sure to get sucked into the bizarre world of Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin. Henry and Clare’s life of unpredictability and confusion is mirrored, although in quite a different way, in the existence of two sisters, Laura and Iris, who never could quite understand one another. The most important characteristic, and what makes each of these novels work, is the purposeful guidance the reader experiences, without even realizing it as the stories are written out of order with numerous interruptions. When at first the placement of events may seem chaotic, they are really carefully and intricately woven in just the right way.

While Niffenegger fills the bill by consistently letting you know age and time and place, Atwood creates the same affect by combining the main plot line with news articles, remembrances, and exotic and violent novellas. Each requires the mind to work out of sync, which will leave you reeling with endless possibilities. So if you liked The Time Traveler’s Wife, try out The Blind Assassin!

Yes, I Digress: Classics

2010-03-23T09:00:00.002-06:00

I recently joined a Classics Challenge that's running through the end of October. I thought Trisha, the challenge owner, did something really cool with this challenge. She asked for everyone participating to post two things in the comments: first, a book they would consider a "future" classic (this list will go toward bonus points in the challenge), and second, a book they would recommend for beginners to classic reading. What a great way to spice up classics! Let's face it, they are sometimes daunting and not always very entertaining. It's been really interesting to look through these lists. She posted the picks from the last two years: 2008 and 2009. I've been scanning through them and furiously adding to my TBR stack.

I also loved the "beginner" classics list. It was fun to revisit books I've already read and loved and then think about which ones I could squeeze in this year that I've never read. And it's nice to know that the people who recommended these reads regard them as "easy." It makes the prospect of tackling them seem a little less painful, no? So, I thought I'd share some with you from the list. If you haven't had a chance to read these, you really ought to make some room in your reading repertoire for one or two this year! I know I am! +/-

Here are some that I have read and can vouch for:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Who doesn't love this book?! By all accounts, one of the best-loved classics ever. And easy-peasy to boot.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - I loved this book in high school. Really a true classic. The black and white film with Gregory Peck based on the book is also top notch. Read, then watch. You'll love it.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Another high school English class pick. Hauntingly fantastic. I also love the movie made of this book with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. Again, I would recommend reading the book first.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - Love Louisa! This book is probably the easiest of the bunch. Wonderful story about family and love. Give it a go!

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - I read this book over a very hot summer at a job I despised. It really lifted my spirits. It's a sweet story of hardship and love.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I've never met a Bronte I didn't like, and this classic is no exception. Adore a Gothic love story, you will too!

And here are some I'm adding to my list:

Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
1984 by George Orwell
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

Here are some others:

Jude the Obsure by Thomas Hardy
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Great list, right? So, get on those classics people! And join the challenge if you'd like. =)

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

2010-03-22T16:32:00.008-06:00

Genre: Graphic novel (memoir)
Publisher, Year: Pantheon Books, 2003
Other Works: Persepolis 2
Flags: Adult themes (violence), moderate language
Rating: A+, or Must Read Now!
Challenge: Library
Premise: A young girl lives in a turbulent world of war-torn Iran.

Another suggestion from Book on the Nightstand, I thoroughly enjoyed Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. And I believe this is the very first graphic novel I’ve ever read or reviewed! And I’m happy to report that it was a positive experience.

Persepolis chronicles the goings-on of a young girl in a turbulent country. The book covers the overthrow of the Shah, the Iranian revolution, and then eventually the war with Iraq. The reader gets a peek inside the life of a well-off family at the time and how events changed their lives and shaped their future, all through the eyes of a child. Marjane sees the protesting and rioting, the institution of the veil, the outlaw of Western influences, and eventually, the bombing of her hometown. +/-

What I loved about this book was how each event made sense to me as what a child would remember about their life. Even though she was experiencing things no child should have to, the things she remembers, down to little details, match her age, and I think it gives the work a real credibility. Not only that, but gives us the opportunity to see something like this from a new, real angle--which always provides enlightenment. At the same time, this book is clearly for adults, not kids.

I also really enjoyed the illustrations. I think this book is a perfect example of what a graphic novel should accomplish. The pictures were straight forward and simple (matching our narrator’s point-of-view) but imparted a well-rounded story that wouldn’t have been as developed with just words. This is such an interesting way to write a biography. Even though it is short and easy to read, I’m sure it took endless hours to whittle the story down to such concise perfection.

I found it an easy read, engaging, and interesting. It made me laugh, made me uncomfortable, and made me cry. I’m eager to read the second installment.

As a side note, Persepolis was made into a motion picture (French), and I am very interested to see it if I can track it down. They actually animated the original graphics, at which I was surprised and delighted. It looks amazing. Check out the website for the movie here.

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

2010-03-20T09:00:00.003-06:00

Genre: Mystery, historical bent
Publisher, Year: Mira, 2007
Other Works: Silent in the Sanctuary
Flags: Adult themes, tenuous references
Rating: B, or Decent
Challenges: Countdown, Library
Premise: Lady Julia Grey employs the mysterious Brisbane to find her husband's murderer.

It wasn’t love at first sight with this book, for me. I was very intrigued by the opening chapters, and I was looking forward to a delicious mystery. Although I think Raybourn is a skilled writer, I’m not totally sure mystery is the right genre for her.

The novel opens with the death, in wonderful mystery fashion, of Lady Julia Grey’s husband Edward. A man of sickly constitution, no one is surprised that he’s met an early end—except for one man, Nicholas Brisbane, who claims to have been hired by Edward to investigate chilling death threats. Lady Grey finally comes to put stock in Brisbane’s story when she finds her own piece of evidence to confirm suspicions. And then, the race is on to find the killer! +/-

First of all, I loved her descriptions! Raybourn knows how to paint a picture with words. I could literally see the dresses and hats as she described them in my mind’s eye, which I think she quite a feat--taking into account that it’s hard to do anyway, but the complicated fashion of the period only made it that much more of a challenge. Julia has a wonderfully strange family who surround her. The bickering, the snobbery, the bizarre characters--I really thought it was a nice backdrop. I liked Brisbane, or maybe I wanted to like him--there was something wonderfully Healthcliff-esque about him. But at the same time, he was so brusque that those few tender moments didn’t seem to fit his character.

There was no lack of twists in this story, but I’m sorry to say that in this case I didn’t find it to be a good thing. I felt like these “shocking” moments started to become contrived and predictable . . . to the rolling of the eyes. But, there were redeeming qualities of that as well. Raybourn calls into question our assumptions about certain characters with these revelations. There’s nothing quite so unsettling as finding out that someone you thought you knew well is actually someone else altogether. I haven’t had this experience much, but enough to understand those feelings of betrayal and disloyalty, not to mention that it makes you question a lot of things about yourself and your life as well. We, as the readers, are forced to reconcile what we know of conflicting reports, and then try to figure out true identities. It gave a nice dimension to the story.

This book was slow moving for me. It was not hard at all for me to put this book down, not even when on the verge of another of Julia’s scandalous discoveries. This book did not have the heart-pounding twists that I’m used to and that I also adore. There were things I didn’t like about the book, but it wasn’t all bad. Anyone who enjoys Victorian-period lit I think would quite enjoy this book. For me, it just wasn’t a homerun.

Classics Challenge

2010-03-19T10:00:00.007-06:00

Join the challenge here.
Ends: October 31, 2010.
Challenge Level: Snack.
Challenge: Read 4 classics. Bonus - Read another book you think will be a classic in the future.

1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
2. Villete by Charlotte Bronte
3. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
4. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
5. TBA

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

2010-03-19T08:30:00.001-06:00

Genre: Fiction, mixed with fantasy
Publisher, Year: Doubleday, 2008
Other Works: Debut novel
Flags: Moderate language, adult themes, explicit references
Rating: A-, or Good w/ Minor Problems
Challenge: Countdown, Library
Premise: A young, handsome man drives off a cliff in a drug-induced hysteria. While in the hospital recovering from major burn wounds, he meets an charismatic and slightly off-kilter woman who claims she was his lover in another life.

I’m really at a loss as to what to say about this book. It’s vastly different from any other book I’ve read before. I picked it up on the recommendation of Ann of Books on the Nightstand, whose opinion I like to take when I’m in the mood for something different or edgy. This books satisfied both criteria.

The Gargoyle is narrated by a man who careens off the side of a cliff and finds himself in the middle of a horrendous car fire, which destroys much of his body. As he recovers, a mysterious young woman begins visiting him and telling him stories about 14th century Germany. The only catch is, she believes he is a character from her story, that they met and fell in love in a medieval monastery, and she’s been waiting for him to come back for seven hundred years. +/-

There is a stark contrast that comes to the forefront during the book, and I’m still contemplating its significance. Before the accident, the narrator was a pornographer, so his livelihood depended upon his sexuality. Not only as a profession, we learn, but for sport as well; meaning, his entire life revolved around sex—like someone with an all-consuming hobby, such as an unhealthy obsession with Star Wars or hobbits. Sex was his hobby, his profession, what he spent all his work and free time doing. However, after the accident, he is no longer capable of those things. Not only is his physical appearance considerably altered, but he has also suffered damage to essential organs for such a profession. Thus, his entire world has been taken away from him. Part of his discovery is thus tied up in how he is changed in the aftermath of the fire--how he is reborn. He has to find new things to live for, and it’s not an easy task. He feels the burning of intense desire without the physical ability to act on that feeling. In his struggle, he also feels a little seed of love take root in his heart.

The mysterious woman, Marianne Engel, becomes his self-appointed teacher. She reveals to him, in parts, a history he can’t remember. He finds out that his latest accident is not the first time he’s been burned, that his heart is ready to remember things he’s felt in past years, a past life. She teaches him through short parable-type stories: a girl in Japan, a Viking in Iceland, an Italian couple, and a husband lost at sea. Each of these stories are wildly creative and tragic, too. Marianne also has a close relationship with religion and God. She believes she has a calling from God to carve gargoyles--to release ugly monster from stone and give them a heart from her own chest. She takes it upon herself to rehabilitate the narrator from the prison he’s created of his heart. Marianne reads to him from Dante’s Inferno, which takes on special significance. The narrator believes his burns present a punishment for his way of life, but it seems also to take on the form of a type of cleansing, a healing power to the pain he ran away from.

I found the writing style to be rather scattered, and it was a slow read for me, not because it didn’t hold my interest, but because of the density of the plot and helter-skelter timeline. For me, it was a necessity to read the book in chunks, so I could toss each episode around in my brain and digest it fully before moving on. By the end, I couldn’t go back and pick out certain parts that made more sense because of the final revelations, but rather, it was like all the events felt like memories, and they converged to create an entirely unique experience. That’s not something you find often, and what was really brilliant about it was that it wasn’t hard. The text was nice and smoothly pressed. It rolled right off the tongue (in my mind’s inner “reading voice”).

Although it’s not one I would have ever picked up on my own, I really liked this book. And it can creep up on you the way some books do--a few chapters in, I wasn’t blown away. But somehow I found myself very involved without realizing it. It’s not for the faint of heart, I will say that. Our nameless narrator had a difficult and painful childhood. He’s also an ex-porn star and is hopped up on drugs when he takes that fateful tumble--not to mention the excruciating descriptions of his accident, injuries, and recovery. And the subject matter can be sometimes disturbing and graphic. Normally some of these things would have turned me off the book, but this time was different, and I can’t exactly put my finger on why. I don’t think this book is for everyone, but I’m glad it was for me.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

2010-03-18T14:20:00.005-06:00

Genre: Memoir
Publisher, Year: Scribner, 2005
Other Works: Half Broke Horses
Flags: Adult themes, tenuous references
Rating: A-, or Good w/ Minor Problems
Challenge: Countdown, Library
Premise: The story of a girl growing up with a nomadic family in poverty--and how she overcame it.

As I was reading through this memoir, I could hear my mother’s voice in my mind, with her nose scrunched in disgust, saying, “I don’t like movies where the child is the mother and the mother is a child.” (We were watching Anywhere But Here at the time.) That line pretty much sums up this book for me. But, I did in fact like the book, it was just frustrating as all get out to watch this little family go down the drain because of two incompetent, selfish people.

Jeannette Walls, at the age of three, cooks hotdogs when she gets hungry. Her mother thinks children should be independent. So, she gets out a big pot, fills it with water, and boils her own hotdogs. One time, she makes the mistake of cooking her hotdogs in a fluffy pink tutu over a gas stove. Delicate tulle plus open flame--I think you can guess what happened next. This is the first occurrence in a long line of neglect, inflicted on four siblings who find solace only in sticking together. By the end of the long and arduous journey out of childhood, I was so anxious for the Walls’ kids to get out from under their family oppression and be a success in life, I couldn’t stop reading until I knew they would be alright. Although I suppose “alright” is a relative term. +/-

Although Walls’s parents have many faults, they weren’t sinister. They suffered from other debilitations. Namely, it seems they were the type of people who just weren’t meant to be adults, not to mention parents. They are so burdened by their lives (raising children, earning a living, managing a household--down to the most basic, like eating, taking a bath, cleaning their clothes, etc.), that they just run from responsibility at every turn. But what really got to me was the ways in which their selfish needs manifested, such as Dad quitting his job to work on a “machine” to mine gold (the supposed “answer to their poverty”) and Mom spending what little money they had on chocolate bars while her kids ate from the cafeteria trash at school, not to mention hiding the chocolate so only she could indulge herself. It seemed everything they did just shouted, “We’re the ones who need a mom and dad! We can’t take care of ourselves—it’s too hard!”

As I was reading through these dreadful tales, only becoming more and more desperate by every turn of the page, I began to wonder why the author would want to air this story in front of the world. What compelled her to share this story? I’m sure writing the novel must have been cathartic in that no one could really escape such a past unscathed, but maybe it also had something to do with her love for her parents. Even though they can be pretty despicable, the author doesn’t pass judgment. In some moments, she writes about them as tenderly and caring as any loving daughter, especially her father, who gave her intangible gifts of knowledge and self esteem—and a star in the sky at Christmas. His love was clouded by alcoholism, but that didn’t make it less real to Walls. They are certainly not ideal, but they are her parents. She knows for better or worse, she’s influenced by them, and not all the things they did or taught her were bad.

The Glass Castle is a house that Walls’s father always wanted to build. He spent painstaking hours perfecting the designs. He wanted to take care of his family and be a good parent, he just could not get the motivation to really do it. He dreamt big, but he lived small—very small. I think Walls took a lesson from that. That you can’t just dream big, you have to live big, too. And she did. She worked hard and never let her desire for more get in the way of her responsibilities or her success. And maybe she has her parents to thank for that.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it’s not one I’d ever want to read again. The author is a compelling storyteller, which makes the novel hard to put down. And although frustrating, once you can accept the inanity of her parents, the book can be quite an inspiring story of overcoming all odds.

BC About the Author: Deanna Raybourn

2010-03-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

A sixth-generation native Texan, Deanna Raybourn graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a double major in English and history and an emphasis on Shakespearean studies. She taught high school English for three years in San Antonio before leaving education to pursue a career as a novelist.

During summer vacation at the age of twenty-three, she wrote her first novel. Fourteen years and many, many rejections after her first novel, she signed two three-book deals with MIRA Books.

Her first book appeared in January 2007, Silent in the Grave. The series continues with the second book, Silent in the Sanctuary (January 2008), a classic English country house murder mystery with a few twists and turns for Brisbane and Lady Julia along the way, and continues with Silent on the Moor (March 2009), set in a grim manor house on the Yorkshire moors. +/-

Raybourn will have two more releases this year. The first in March with The Dead Travel Fast, a mid-Victorian Gothic thriller that chronicles the adventures of novelist Theodora Lestrange as she leaves the safety and security of her Edinburgh home for the dark woods and haunted castles of Transylvania. Deanna returns to Lady Julia and her companions with Dark Road to Darjeeling (release planned for October).

Deanna plots her books from her home in Virginia. After one too many hot Texas summers, Deanna and her husband packed up their daughter and moved to the mid-Atlantic state, where they enjoy the fall leaves but deeply miss good Tex-Mex cooking.

You can read more about her and her books on her website: deannaraybourn.com

Jacket Racket: Bill Shakespeare

2010-02-19T10:25:00.004-07:00

I was browsing the other day in Barnes and Noble when I came across their Shakespeare rack. I don't know if these are new, but I'd never seen them before. Little delicious paperbacks--ready to slip into my bag. So simple, yet so expressive. If I didn't already have so many copies, I'd be collecting them all. Take a look. Love em! +/-

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

2010-02-04T09:42:00.001-07:00

Genre: Young adult (fantasy)
Publisher, Year: Bloomsbury, 2007
Other Works: The Goose Girl, Austenland
Rating: A or Great Read
Challenge: Fairy Tales, Library
Premise: Dashti, a young lady's maid, is locked away in a tower with her mistress for seven years. But when hunger and outside dangers threaten their safety, Dashti must find a way to survive.

With this book, I am officially in love with Shannon Hale--platonically of course. =) I can’t exaggerate with her books. This is the third one I’ve read, and it once again exceeded my expectations: the lyrical language, sweeping descriptions, lively characters. I just can’t get enough.

This one is yet another fairy tale re-telling, since I have a really hard time getting away from those lately. They are just too much fun. The fairy tale Hale wrote about in this book is a rather obscure one called Maid Maleen. So, it was in effect like reading a regular novel in some ways because I wasn’t at all familiar with the fairy tale, but it still had all those great qualities that fairy tales have: intrigue, mistaken identity, adventure, and, of course, getting the girl. +/-

Dashti is a lady’s maid and a mucker, she knows how to sing away pain. She works for a princess, Saren, who has been sentenced to be imprisoned in a tower for seven years because she wouldn’t marry the man her father picked for her, the evil Lord Khasar. Saren is a shrinking violet and becomes more reclusive from this cruel treatment. It is up to Dashti, who will also be imprisoned with her lady, to take care of Saren and, eventually, to find a way out. Once the two girls have broken free, however, their elation comes crashing down when they find the world they left has changed beyond recognition.

Hale’s created another cast of unforgettable characters. Dashti is a sweet and accepting girl; she tries to do the right thing though her life is full of conflict, to which her culture gives no right answer. And the adoration induced by Tegus, a khan with a cool smile and simple laugh, is matched by the opposite feeling in Lord Khasar. Hale takes the reader to the brink, showing how the devotion, integrity, and courage of one woman can become a tipping point. Overall a winner in my estimation: compelling story, memorable characters, and a dash of mystery. A great page-turner.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

2010-01-21T09:16:00.006-07:00

Genre: General fiction (historical slant)
Publisher, Year: Riverhead, 2007
Other Works: The Kite Runner
Flags: Adult themes, tenuous references
Rating: A+ or Must Read Now!
Challenge: Countdown, Library
Premise: Two Afghan women a generation apart find their paths converge in war-torn Kabul. Together they find strength to face the cruelty of unjust government.

I loved The Kite Runner when I read it a few years ago, although I regret to say for which I have never written a review. I would have thought it difficult to follow up such a book with another of equal significanc--but it seems an easy task for Hosseini. This book usurped my attention for about a day and half. Yes, folks, that’s how long it took me to read A Thousand Splendid Suns simply because I could not, I did in fact lose my ability to, put this book down. Besides eating and sleeping, I could think of nothing else. Don’t start reading this beauty until you’ve got the time to devote your full attention, well, unless you are a masochist, because I promise you, once you start, it will take an enormous amount of self restraint to stop. (Indeed, I found it impossible.)

Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy man. Because of the shame of her birth, she is hidden away with her mother, who had been a maid in his house, in a small shack in the hills. She dreams of living with a big family and of going to school with her brothers and sisters who she will never get to know. +/-

One day, she gets the nerve to visit her father at his rich estate. Mariam could not imagine how one simple act would change the course of her life forever. Laila is an unique girl, marked for beauty by her unusually light hair and her quick and clever intelligence. She has a bright future and people who love her, although her life is not without its sorrows. But, when war comes and the turbulence of a country in chaos takes its toll, Laila will find herself in an impossible situation, with only one choice ahea--one that will take everything she has to give, and more.

This story is one about courage. The courage of women at a desperate and hopeless time. This book has enlightened me with an entirely new understanding of the word oppression. Ruled over by tyrannical husbands and then by an even more strict Taliban, the courage and endurance of the women of Afghanistan are portrayed through Mariam and Laila, two of the strongest characters I believe I have ever read.

War--it seems there are so many books written based on that topic. It is infuriating to read how the power of a few can wreak the utter destruction of so many. It seems so petty, so juvenile--like a few kindergarteners fighting over the blue crayon or who gets to be first in line at the drinking fountain. But, I have to say, whatever gross crimes were inflicted--and they were just that, not to be marginalized--they paled in comparison with what the Taliban can do. The Taliban took that Little Rascals saying, “Boys rule and girls drool,” to whole new heights. Heights I didn’t even deem possible--that such things could happen, it’s just beyond me.

Incredible, incredible book and not one to be missed. What a beautiful tribute Hosseini has paid with this work. Every paragraph testifies of the author’s respect and devotion toward his chosen subject. In such a time, in the face of all that they were made to bear, these women survived. They found a way to weather the endless night, until the sunrise--until a thousand splendid suns could warm them and bring light to their lives again.

Reliquiae Challenge

2010-01-15T10:00:00.003-07:00

Success! The Reliquiae Challenge completed! And it was so much fun. I had a great time, and now my horizons have been broadened by vampires, ghosts, and goblins!

Read about the challenge here.
Ends: January 15, 2010.
Challenge level: Bite on the neck.

1. Sunshine by Robin McKinley - 10.13.09
2. The Hollow Kingdom by Clare Dunkle - 1.15.10
3. A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce - 1.12.10

The Hollow Kingdom by Clare Dunkle

2010-01-15T09:30:00.002-07:00

Genre: Young adult fantasy
Publisher, Year: Henry Holt, 2003
Other Works: Hollow Kingdom Trilogy, The Sky Inside
Flags: Teen angst
Rating: B or Decent
Challenge: Reliquiae, Countdown, Library
Premise: A beautiful young girl finds herself the object of desire of a grotesque underworld goblin.

I think this is the first book that I’ve read that I could call a true fantasy. (Well, besides the Star Wars book I read.) And I have to say that I quite liked it--although I’ve come to realize that this sort of fantasy may just not be my thing. In other words, I’m not moving on with the rest of the trilogy; however, I think it’s completely conceivable for those whose boats were floated with this tale would be itching for the next installment.

Kate and her little sister Emily, both their parents having passed away, move to the estate that was left in their mother’s name. Their cousin lives there and two of their great aunts nearby. Unfortunately, the cousin is not all too taken with the girls, so they live happily in a small house with their elderly, but feisty, aunts. Kate loves the fresh air, the rolling hills, and the open sky of her new home, and she and her sister spend many hours outdoors, even until nightfall. +/-

One evening, they get lost walking home, and end up running into an unlikely band of people, a gypsy woman and some hooded figures, to ask for help. One of the hooded men, Marak, kindly offers to take the girls home, and although Emily is taken with him right away even without seeing his face, Kate is mistrusting. As they arrive, Kate is finally allowed to see the stranger’s hidden visage, which will set in motion a series of events that she cannot escape.

I really enjoyed the setting Dunkle created of underworld creatures, magical powers, and the mixing of reality and superstition. Although I found a few of the themes unsettling for young women, complete with kidnappings. I guess I would hope for a stronger female heroine, although I think Dunkle did try to alleviate these problems with something different in Kate. She is definitely a live wire, but I suppose I was hoping for a little bit more. I enjoyed the first two sections (Starlight and Lamplight, particularly the latter) much more than the last (Darkness). That last section I felt deviated from the main focus and rhythm of the story, to sort of make it more adventurous and introduce more problems to be solved. I think I would have been satisfied with the first two sections on their own.

Overall, I have to say, even though I’m not terribly interested to move on to the next book in the series, that it definitely had a "can't put down" quality, and it seemed that I couldn't read the book fast enough. I'd say if your tastes run toward fantasy, this one will be a slam dunk for you.

Shoutout Friday: Angieville

2010-01-15T09:00:00.002-07:00

Are you a YA fiction fan? If so, you cannot miss out on Angieville. I had the privilege of working with Angie, and she knows her YA lit like nobody's business. She turned me onto some hits that I now know I can't live without, like Graceling, The Goose Girl, and Madam Will You Talk? I call her my YA guru. When Angie says it's good--you can trust her. =)

One of my favorite of her posts was actually a guest post at another great blog, the Book Smugglers. She wrote about why YA fiction shouldn't be discounted in the world of great literature. Give it a read . . . watch her convince you!

Her tastes run toward fantasy, but she's also interested in lots of other genres as well. And you'll love her sense of humor and witty reviews. She continues to add to my to-be-read stack daily. Check out her blog here.

Wishlist Wednesday

2010-01-13T08:00:00.002-07:00

During my recent trip to the downtown library, I mentioned how Austen-centered many of the displays were. I was delighted to find that the librarians also put out a list of "Austen Adoration Works Inspired by Jane Austen and the Austen Universe." (Great title, don't you think?)

I was so thrilled and have already been checking off ones I'd like to try! Check out some of these titles based on Jane Austen works.

The Lost Memiors of Jane Austen
by Syrie James

Many rumors abound about a mysterious gentleman said to be the love of Jane's life—finally, the truth may have been found. . . .

What if, hidden in an old attic chest, Jane Austen's memoirs were discovered after hundreds of years? What if those pages revealed the untold story of a life-changing love affair? That's the premise behind this spellbinding novel, which delves into the secrets of Jane Austen's life, giving us untold insights into her mind and heart.

Jane Austen has given up her writing when, on a fateful trip to Lyme, she meets the well-read and charming Mr. Ashford, a man who is her equal in intellect and temperament. Inspired by the people and places around her, and encouraged by his faith in her, Jane begins revising Sense and Sensibility, a book she began years earlier, hoping to be published at last.

Deft and witty, written in a style that echoes Austen's own, this unforgettable novel offers a delightfully possible scenario for the inspiration behind this beloved author's romantic tales. It's a remarkable book, irresistible to anyone who loves Jane Austen—and to anyone who loves a great story.

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Jane Austen Mystery series
by Stephanie Barron

For everyone who loves Jane Austen...a marvelously entertaining new series that turns the incomparable author into an extraordinary sleuth!

On a visit to the estate of her friend, the young and beautiful Isobel Payne, Countess of Scargrave, Jane bears witness to a tragedy. Isobel's husband--a gentleman of mature years--is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. The Earl's death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet the bereaved widow soon finds that it's only the beginning of her misfortune...as she receives a sinister missive accusing her and the Earl's nephew of adultery--and murder.

Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to the worst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help. And Jane finds herself embroiled in a perilous investigation that will soon have her following a trail of clues that leads all the way to Newgate Prison and the House of Lords--a trail that may well place Jane's own person in the gravest jeopardy.

The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy
by Mary Street

Originally published in the U.K., Mary Street's ingenious retelling of Jane Austen's classic story now makes its U.S. debut-to the delight of the fans of Austen's comic masterpiece of divine romance. In Fitzwilliam Darcy, Austen created the ultimate romantic hero. Yet Pride and Prejudice reveals little of Darcy's innermost thoughts. Here, Street unveils the true motives and mysteries of Elizabeth Bennet's enigmatic suitor. Through Darcy's eyes we discover the reality of his relationships with his sister Georgiana, his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam, the dastardly Wickham, his friend Bingley, and his formidable aunt, Lady Catherine. And of course, all his memorable encounters with Elizabeth, from that first view of her fine eyes to his disastrous proposal, and then to a pride and arrogance tempered by an unquenchable love.

Some others to try:

Austenland by Shannon Hale
Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Margaret Sullivan
Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce

2010-01-12T11:05:00.002-07:00

Genre: Young adult/fantasy (fairy tale)
Publisher, Year: Arthur A. Levine, 2008
Other Works: Debut novel
Rating: A+ or Must Read Now!
Challenge: Reliquiae, Count, Tales, Library
Premise: The miller's daugther finds herself in a pickle, based on the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin.

I am finding that I’m a real sucker for fairy tale retellings. There is just something about them! I haven’t met a bad one yet. I hope I never do. Elizabeth Bunce’s debut novel was no exception, based off of the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin. Beautifully written, excellent story, creatively crafted. Loved it.

Charlotte is the miller’s daughter. Stirwaters mill has been in Charlotte’s family for generations—although never passed from father to son. There’s a dark cloud that hangs over the business, which only thickens as Charlotte’s father dies and she and her sister, Rosie, are left to try to run the mill alone. Problems keep cropping up: between bad weather and family obligation to machinery repairs and debt collection, Charlotte finds herself hard pressed for solutions. In the superstitious 18th century country town, the sisters happen upon a mysterious and unlikely answer to their problems, and they have to decide what they are willing to pay to save their livelihood. +/-

I was drawn into this story from the first page. Stirwaters is a spooky, yet comfortable place, and I came to love it as much as the Millers. The whole town of Shearing, where Charlotte and Rosie live, comes alive with skillfully written, colorful characters. Uncle Wheeler, Mr. Woodstone, Biddy Tom, and the most unforgettable character of Jack Spinner, round out the cast. You’d think in a novel like this one where you know the main storyline from beginning to end, that it would be hard for an author to bring such a fresh and interesting look to it! But, the book was still somehow full of moments of mystery, intrigue, and surprise.

The author very deftly described the “mill” life, acquiring wool, spinning it into thread, weaving it into cloth, and dying it to make valuable fabric. The whole process really captivated my interest. She breathed new life into this topic, making me wish I could take another trip to Lowell, Massachusetts, where they have textile museums as the trade spread to the United States. There’s nothing that can make a time period come alive like a well-written and -researched historical novel--this one happens to be both.

This book is part historical fiction, part fairy tale retelling, part fantasy. It’ll capture your attention and imagination. I’m definitely looking forward to what else Ms. Bunce may have up her sleeve.

BC About the Author: O. Henry

2010-01-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

O. Henry was born William Sydney Porter in Greenboro, North Carolina. His father, Algernon Sidney Porter, was a physician. When William was three, his mother died, and he was raised by his parental grandmother and paternal aunt. William was an avid reader, but at the age of fifteen he left school, and then worked in a drug store and on a Texas ranch. He continued to Houston, where he had a number of jobs, including that of bank clerk. After moving in 1882 to Texas, he worked on a ranch in LaSalle County for two years. In 1887, he married Athol Estes Roach; they had one daughter and one son (who died shortly after birth).

In 1894, Porter started a humorous weekly The Rolling Stone. When the weekly failed, he joined the Houston Post as a reporter and columnist. In 1894, cash was found to have gone missing from the First National Bank in Austin, where Porter had worked as a bank teller. When he was called back to Austin to stand trial, Porter fled to Honduras. While holed up in a Tegucigalpa hotel for several months, he wrote Cabbages and Kings, in which he coined the term "banana republic" to describe the country, subsequently used to describe almost any small, unstable tropical nation in Latin America. +/-

Little is known about Porter's stay in Central America. After hearing news that his wife was dying, he returned to Austin in 1897. After the death of his wife, he was convicted of embezzling money, although there has been much debate over his actual guilt. Porter entered a penitentiary at Columbus, Ohio.

While in prison, Porter, as a licensed pharmacist, worked in the prison hospital as the night druggist. Porter was given his own room in the hospital wing, and there is no record that he actually spent time in the cell block of the prison. Porter started to write short stories to earn money to support his daughter Margaret. A friend of his in New Orleans would forward his stories to publishers, so they had no idea the writer was imprisoned. He had fourteen stories published under various pseudonyms while he was in prison, but was becoming best known as "O. Henry." According to some sources, he acquired the pseudonym from a warder called Orrin Henry. It also could be an abbreviation of the name of a French pharmacist, Eteinne-Ossian Henry, found in the U.S. Dispensatory, a reference work Porter used when he was in the prison pharmacy.

Porter was released on July 24, 1901, for good behavior after serving three years. He moved to New York City, and from December 1903 to January 1906, he wrote a story a week for the New York World, also publishing in other magazines. Porter’s first collection, Cabbages and Kings, appeared in 1904. The second, The Four Million, was published two years later and included his well-known stories “The Gift of the Magi,” about a poor couple and their Christmas gifts, and “The Furnished Room.” Porter’s best known work is perhaps the much anthologized “The Ransom of Red Chief,” published in the collection Whirligigs in 1910. His humorous, energetic style shows the influence of Mark Twain and Ambrose Bierce. O. Henry's short stories are well known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings. Although some critics were not so enthusiastic about his work, the public loved it.

Porter published 10 collections and over 600 short stories. His last years were shadowed by alcoholism, ill health, and financial problems. He was a fast writer, but drinking on average two quarts of whiskey daily did not improve the quality of his work. In 1907, Porter a woman from his home town. The marriage was not happy, and they separated a year later. Porter died of cirrhosis of the liver on June 5, 1910, in New York. Three more collections appeared posthumously. In 1918, the O. Henry Memorial Awards were established to be given annually to the best magazine stories, the winners and leading contenders to be published in an annual volume.

BC About the Author: Truman Capote

2010-01-03T14:40:00.001-07:00

Truman Capote was born Truman Steckfus Persons in New Orleans on September 30, 1924, to 17-year-old Lillie Mae Faulk and Archulus ("Arch") Persons, a dissolute salesman. Capote's early life was marked by instability and poverty. When Faulk and Persons separated in 1928, he was left to be raised by relatives in Monroeville, Alabama, where he began what would become a lifelong friendship with Harper Lee, later the author of the renowned novel To Kill A Mockingbird (The character Dill was said to be based on Capote). An unusual and observant child, Truman was determined to become a writer. He taught himself to read at age four and by age eight was "practicing" at writing in daily sessions. The details of the rural South, its oppressive poverty and wise, headstrong characters, impressed on the young Capote's imagination. He later drew on his memories of Alabama for some of his most famous writing. +/-

In 1933, Lillie Mae, who then called herself Nina, remarried to a successful Cuban businessman, Joe Capote. Truman soon joined the couple in New York City, where he adopted his stepfather's surname and began an uneven career as a student in both private and public high schools in New York and Connecticut. While Capote was intelligent and highly focused on writing, he was uninterested in academics, and dropped out of his fourth year of high school when offered a 2-year contract position as a copy boy at the New Yorker. There, he attracted the attention of many of the city's literary and social elite, as much for his flamboyant wardrobe as for his mature, evocative prose. In 1942, Capote published his first short story, "Miriam", in the magazine Mademoiselle, which won him the 1946 prestigious O. Henry award for Best First-Published Story. He soon gained a contract with Random House, who advanced him $1500 for his first novel.

Other Voices, Other Rooms, published in 1948, was widely publicized and remained on the New York Times best-seller list for nine weeks. With his first novel, Capote became famous as a novelist and as a controversial figure who had captured the public's imagination. Other works include The Grass Harp (a novella), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (which was quickly adapted into a movie), and In Cold Blood. With the last in the list Capote secured his reputation as one of the most important American writers of the century. A novel-length exploration of the aftermath of the real-life murder of a family in remote Holcomb, Kansas, In Cold Blood required extensive on-site research, and he took over five years to complete the manuscript. It was an international best-seller and pioneered a new genre of literature: the non-fiction novel.

In his time in the public spotlight, Capote was renowned for his social stature and for his contributions to literature. His friends included actors, authors, critics, royalty, and aristocrats, whom he entertained in famous style. In 1966, in honor of Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, Capote hosted the "Black & White Ball", a themed costume party widely regarded as the most important social event of the decade. Capote's natural talent for weaving truth with fiction and his unflinching descriptions of his friends soon led to his rapid descent in popularity in the social circles he had worked so hard to adopt. The rejection of his friends let to his increased drinking and drug use. His lack of continued sobriety in later years was matched only by his lack of work. Capote became more of a recluse and his last work, Answered Prayers (where he offended many of his friends) was published after his death. Truman Capote died on August 25, 1984, of liver failure. Today, Capote's life and works continue to capture public interest, with film versions of Other Voices, Other Rooms, In Cold Blood, and The Grass Harp released after his death. The 2005 biographical film Capote dramatized the author's often difficult process of researching In Cold Blood and was nominated for numerous awards. His presence remains alive in the 21st century, even among today's celebrated caricatures.

You can read more about Truman Capote and his body of works at this website.

BC Discussion ?s: Christmas Stories

2010-01-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

For the month of December, we read two short stories: O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi and Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory. The following are the discussion questions we used:

The Gift of the Magi

1. Jim and Della are not people of means. Is it the time of the year that motivates people to spend beyond their means? Are the expectations of gifts as powerful as they appear to be here?

2. The old adage "it's the thought that counts" is often quoted when something is given that may not quite measure up to the expectation. Does this apply to Jim and Della?

3. Jim and Della each made a selfless-sacrifice of something of great personal value to buy a nice gift for the other. What impact do you think this sort of selfless-sacrifice might have on a relationship?

4. Given the reaction of both Jim and Della concerning the entire situation, do you think that these gifts were appreciated? +/-

5. What can we learn from Jim and Della about receiving gifts? About giving gifts?

A Christmas Memory

1. Which character did you identify more with, Buddy or his friend? Why?

2. What do you think the author would like the reader to come away with after reading his story?

3. Do you think Buddy changes in the end of the story? If so, how?

4. How has this story impacted the way you view or feel about the holiday season?

DystopYA Challenge

2010-01-01T13:00:00.002-07:00

The DystopYA Challenge has ended! Unfortunately, I didn't make it to three, but I finished two and they were both delightful. I'll have to get to Hunger Games later this year. In the middle of our move, I went to our new library to get it and found that I was 500th on the list . . . so yeah, that didn't happen. But I WILL get to it this year--I'm determined. =)

Join the challenge here.
Ends: December 31, 2009
Challenge: Read 3 dystopic young adult novels.

~~1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins~~
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry - 12.31.09
3. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff - 11.15.09

BC Consensus: Pope Joan

2009-12-31T14:49:00.001-07:00

Would you like to crème de la crème from our book club dicussions this month? You are in luck! In November, we read Donna Cross's Pope Joan. Here are some of the comments our members made about the book:

“I don't think I've ever read a book set so early in history, or even imagined what it was like back in the 800s. It was difficult to read about Joan's early life, her father and his unbending ideas, how he treated his wife and his family while undoubtedly thinking he was in the right. Then I watched Joan struggle to be an educated woman and how few people stood behind her. I couldn't even imagine it and it made me think how blessed we are to be women now. I cheered for Joan when she made the transition to John and thought about how brave she must have been all those years to constantly be on guard of who she really was. Donna Cross is an excellent storyteller and her timing was perfect.”

“I appreciated how Donna included the Latin phrases in the book without it seeming to be "dumbed down" for the reader. The explanations, when there were any, were woven well into the story and the ones I don't remember understanding didn't detract me from the story. I am really glad someone suggested this book and that we all got to know Joan a little better. I'll definitely be recommending this book.” +/-

“I would have never read this book (or heard of it) without this book club. So thanks to you all. The beginning of it was so dark and miserable that I really had to make myself keep reading. Thankfully, Joan's life gets easier--not easier, just a lot less miserable--as the book progresses. Then it got fascinating.”

We were able to have an online chat with the author, Donna Cross. She offers this to any group that would like to participate (usually by conference call). Please visit her website for details.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

2009-12-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Genre: Young adult
Publisher, Year: Bantam Books, 1993
Other Works: Number the Stars
Flags: Teen angst
Rating: A or Great Read
Challenge: DystopYA
Premise: A young boy in a perfect society finds his life is not as simple as he thought.

I’ve been meaning to read this book for some time and finally got a chance to as part of the DystopYA Challenge, hosted by Books on the Nightstand. I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would, but I feel like this is a book that could stand for re-readings in the future.

Jonas lives in a perfect community. One that is defined by fairness—a place devoid of pain and fear. The rules that govern this society cultivate the best environment for growth and development as a whole. All decisions are taken care of and every person’s life is set out in front of them, step by step, defined by what is best for everyone. And the people live in a state of unperturbed content. That is until Jonas receives his Assignment--the job he'll perform as part of the community. He's been given a position of great honor, but of also great responsibility. And as he works his way through training, he realizes new things about his perfect life that makes him question everything he's been taught. +/-

I think children are very capable of understanding the importance of such things like individuality and freedom of choice. Although these topics can be heavy, in my opinion, Lowry's bold move to approach these topics in a children’s novel was and is something needed. It encourages critical thinking about life in a new way from an altered perspective. I loved how a part of this perfect society was that there was no color, no music. The pallor of life when all choices have been made and emotions are irrelevant. It’s exactly as I would have imagined it myself—it made sense to me. That without certain things, our existence as human beings would change drastically: our relationships with each other, our feelings toward our occupations, our very nature.

For Jonas, the knowledge he gains not only makes him think and makes him question, it moves him to act. It compels him to change--to risk everything for a belief. If I'm being honest, sometimes that scares me. Because if someone is allowed to act on good and right beliefs, then that also gives rise to extremists or fanatics who are equally as passionate and who can inflict pain. But I think that's an important point in Lowry's work. You can't have one without the other--when you pick up one end of the stick, you can't help but pick up the opposite end. And so the question remains: if you could live happily in ignorance, closing your eyes to unpleasant things, could you? Would you? Or would it be too difficult, once you knew the truth, to go back and close your eyes as before?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The compare and contrast of the needs of the collective and the individual was an interesting one for me, and I enjoyed this more simplified look at a dystopia. It’s one I will definitely recommend.

Fire by Kristin Cashore

2009-12-29T16:00:00.001-07:00

Genre: Young adult (fantasy)
Publisher, Year: Dial, 2009
Other Works: Graceling
Flags: Teen angst, tenuous references
Rating: C or Good Idea Bad Execution
Premise: A young woman with special gifts tries to use her power for good and not evil.

I really enjoyed Cashore’s first novel, Graceling. It was mesmerizing and wonderful and can’t-put-downable. However, I did not feel Fire was able to do this for me. Unfortunately, I found this novel seriously lacking. The idea was a good one, and at the beginning I was interested to see where it would go, but I soon felt so confused that all enjoyment I may have experienced vaporized.

Fire is an anomaly. She’s half human and half monster, named for her unearthly red hair. This brings a lot of problems into her life. First, monsters are extremely attractive to humans—always. Because of this immediate response from humans, Fire has the ability to control humans’ minds and make them do things she wants them too. She can also “sense” the presence of people, depending on how close they are and how well she knows them. Fire is called upon to use her abilities to help in a civil war raging in her homeland. She’s favored by the king and his family, who she believes have the right to the throne. As she struggles with the decision to use her powers to interfere in the war, she faces dangers she never imagined. +/-

This story is so all over the place, I’m not really sure where to start. First, I was under the impression that this story was supposed to be about Leck (a character from Graceling), but found that he really had little influence besides the occasional cameo. I actually found him sort of annoying, as if he was part of an unrelated side story that was clumsily incorporated into an entirely different story in order to connect it to her previous novel. That bugged me. Although, I do admit that I might simply have suffered under a false expectation of what the book was about.

I enjoy a good super power. But, I have to say that I just didn’t get Fire’s supernatural abilities. The “attractiveness” confused me, only because I felt like it was inconsistent. Because of this immediate passion, people react differently to her, meaning some want to have their way with her out of desire, others want to kill her out of hatred, while still others want to torture her out of jealously. But some seemed more affected by her than others. Some seemed pretty much untouched, as if Fire was a regular being, while others were like a mosquito to an electric bug zapper. And then, there’s the question of how she could ever have a real relationship, since her very presence caused serious complications. I also found it slightly creep that Fire became especially desirable during her “time of the month” if you who what I mean, even by other monsters, who could apparently smell her better.

And that was only the beginning. I tired of Fire and felt she was sort of selfish, in a lot of ways. I also tired of a lot of the characters, the obsessive behavior, the “war” and its intricacies. I mean, the “best” archer’s name is Archer. Really? Not to mention, keeping track of who was sleeping with who gave me whiplash.

However, through it all, there are a few moments where I’d read a passage and think, “Yeah, that’s the Kristin Cashore I remember.” She really has a unique way with words, I just think this story needed more cutting down and a lot more work. But, I’m undaunted. I’ll still seek out her next book to see if that one returns to her original brilliance.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

2009-12-29T14:01:00.009-07:00

Genre: General fiction, classical twist
Publisher, Year: Bloomsbury, 2007
Other Works: The Goose Girl, Princess Academy
Rating: A+ or Must Read Now!
Challenge: Countdown
Premise: Unlucky in love, Jane Hayes is looking for a modern Mr. Darcy to jump from the BBC into her life. To get over her unhealthy obsession with one last hurrah, Jane spends three weeks in Regency England. Will she find her own Regency gentleman, or will she finally wake up and smell the stark scent of reality?

I was skeptical going into this book because I’ve been burned by other “modern-day” Austenesque books in the past. But, I still had some confidence because I’ve been wowed by Shannon Hale before. I thought, if anyone can pull this off, it would be her. I’m so happy to report that I was right! If you’re a Jane Austen fan and you haven’t picked this book up yet, don’t delay! Or even if you’ve only seen Austen movies or just heard of Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy, you will be able to love this book. It was a dream from page one! This book is screaming to be made into a screenplay—any takers? +/-

Jane is your typical disillusioned thirty-something, tired of love and tired of men. However, there’s something a little different about her: she’s head over heels for a fictional character of the Austen conjuring, an obsession that’s bordering on neurosis. In other words, Mr. Darcy is taking over her life. If she doesn’t act fast, she’s going to turn into a puddle of longing remorse. Luckily, Jane’s got an observant great aunt who just happens to leave her the chance of a lifetime in her will—a chance to step into a real-life Regency existence.

Pure gold. Seriously. I loved every minute. Somehow Hale is able to take those contrived moments, those catch phrases, and turn them into something new and fun. It was like being swept away in the “Regency” experience without being completely immersed—something that can never happen when “playing” at something. And yet, the experience beings out real parts of Jane and changes her in real ways. The reality versus the illusion: that classic battle.

Nearing the end, I was so hoping for a twist, but I was totally unable to see where one could possibly come from. And then BAM! it shows up—Emeril style. And I had the urge to immediately start reading from the beginning all over again! It was absolute perfection. Perfection, I tell you! This is a must read. It will not disappoint! I polished it off in two sittings. A great read for a day off!

Yes, I Digress: A Day in SLC

2009-12-28T14:46:00.002-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! To kick off my return to blogging, I thought I'd do a little day-in-the-life post. So, this is not exactly what my daily life is like (I wish), but it was an excuse to spend the day reading, so I thought I'd share.

It all started with a perfectly gray morning--the perfect way to begin a bookish day. I started it off right by not missing out on breakfast. I devoured a cinnamon roll roughly the size of my head at this charming cafe.

Then it was time to scope out a good spot to settle down to a few good page-turning hours. So, I found a stately cushioned chair (er, "throne," rather--I was crowned Lord of the Reading for one day), right next to this most-perfect of Christmas trees. +/-

Although this chair looked like a good pick from afar, after about 20 minutes, I had to scope out a new spot. It was not made for short people--my feet kept falling asleep because they barely reached the floor. But, I was in luck because there were chairs for the short-legged nearby. There I spent many blissful hours.

Then, it was time to hit the city for some lunch. So, out I went among the buildings . . . and along several outdoor "hallways" made to detour the public from the construction going on everywhere right now. I love how they've put up these plastic banners with little fake picture windows in them. Each window lets you spy on a cute little holiday scene: a pengiun ice skating, for example, or a little family snuggled around a fireplace. When I was a kid, I used to love cheesey stuff like that. I'd always imagine how cool it would be if the window was real and there was some way I could open it up and step through the portal to a magical cartoon world. Anyway . . . back to lunch.

I really wanted to go to Schlotzsky's, which has been a family favorite (my mother lovingly refers to the sandwich as a "slot-ski"), but because of the construction, I was unsuccessful and had to content myself with a cheeseburger and some chicken nuggets. Not as satisfying, but hey, I didn't go hungry.

Then, it was time to hop the Trax! And head out for the main event: the city library! I got really excited when I saw this picture, and I was not at all disappointed! I'm a lucky girl to be living so close to this beauty!

They have little shops on the bottom floor of the library, and in front of one, they sell used books that have been retired from the library shelves for dirt cheap. Proceeds go to buying more books of course. And, I found an entire Jane Austen shelf. I had visions of collecting as many versions of each novel as possible, and then quickly dismissed it. But it was still a joy to see them all lined up, waiting to be discovered.

The inside was a dream. They have an entire section of graphic novels! I could hardly get my hands on any at our old public library. They also had several displays up to help you find books you would be interesting in: there's a space dedicated to "browsing" only, with different books prominently featured; there's a section of books lined up which have been picked by the librarians who work there, with printed lists you can take with you; they also had little displays for certain authors, and one was, you guessed it, Jane Austen. So fun! I had a great time looking around, and adding more titles to my tbr list, of course.

So, then I picked out some books I've been meaning to read and found a comfortable chair, yet again, to dig in. I read one chapter of each book, round robin, and then over again. And then, I promptly fell asleep, as the afternoon was wearing on and that cheeseburger was sitting heavy in my stomach. =) But after a little cat nap, I was again ready for action. I read until it was time to meet my better half for dinner.

It was sad to leave that beauty of a building, but I took a little of it home with me, on loan of course!

Then, I concluded this day of reading with a little one-on-one time with my husband. A little dinner and a Christmas concert, and we were on our way home. Sigh. Someday I'll do it again. =)

I'm Back . . .

2009-12-23T14:03:00.005-07:00

From the Dead

Ok, not really, but it might of well have been. We moved house, my husband and I, and we couldn't get the internet up and running for much, much, much looooooonger than I had anticipated. Oh to be cut off from the internet--cut off from the WORLD! From civilization! May it never happen to you . . .

And to top it off, I didn't get to finish Virtual Advent OR do my post for it on the 14th . . . groan. So, sorry about that folks--you'll have to find your own favorite bits by visiting their website.

Anyway, problem remedied, and now I'm back on track. Reviews to come shortly!

Also, here's a little preview to my next post! =) Have a merry Christmas!

Pope Joan by Donna W. Cross

2009-12-10T10:17:00.001-07:00

Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher, Year: Ballantine Books, 1997
Flags: Adult themes, Tenuous references
Rating: A or Great Read
Premise: A woman, incognito, ascends to the highest office in Christendom.

I picked up this book when my husband and I wanted to some of quality time with the bookstore. It was on the bestseller’s rack, so I gave it a shot. After the first chapter, I was hooked and had to have it. There is a small paragraph not too far in where Joan describes her mother’s beautiful Saxon blond hair. She said it spilled over the blanket like rich cream. (Not word-for-word, but close.) I don’t know why, but that phrase stuck with me, along with many other superbly written descriptions.

Joan is born to a German canon father and a Saxon mother, whose incompatibilities blare from the page within the first scene, along with her father’s intense sexism, something we learn is not uncommon for the time. And that time is, none other than the Dark Ages. And if “dark” stands for evil cynicism, than that would be an apt description as portrayed by this novel. We follow Joan in her growth from a little girl to an impressionable teenager to an “older” woman (by the Dark’s standards). She shows a keen interest and talent for learning early in her life, but unfortunately, learning is not a woman’s activity at that time. As fate would have it, Joan unexpectedly gets her chance to break free of societal constraints—by taking on the identity of a man. Because of her complex intelligence and progressive thought, Joan soon finds herself in the highest position she could aspire to, and she finds that taking on that responsibility will be her greatest joy as well as her most grievous pain. +/-

I enjoyed almost every moment in this novel. It was cruel and unfair, and in some parts gruesome (all characteristics of the lovely Dark Ages), but I still found so many redeeming qualities of this unbelievable story. Although based on a legend, I find the thought that such a woman could have lived to be an inviting concept. One that I want to believe in.

The author did a beautiful job of weaving together the elements of Joan’s life in a way that was both entertaining and meaningful. There was so much research that went into this novel, and that fact shines through so convincingly. At moments where with some other historical fiction authors I would have been rolling my eyes and wondering which was fact and which fiction, I was instead completely drawn in and not even having to try to suspend my disbelief.

As Joan grows in wisdom and begins to see her destiny shaping in front of her, she meets with some tough choices, and quite honestly, some of those choices are not far from many that women make today. Joan was wedged between two very different worlds, each pulling her in a different direction. She had to make sacrifices that were heavy to carry: she was stuck between her sense of duty and her heart’s secret longings. And for some reason, these two had to sit as separate weights in the balance. It’s a tough thing, I think, to prioritize sometimes. One of those sides had to consume the other; there was no other alternative for her. Most often, I think that’s a tragedy. A woman should not have to choose between passions—a person should not have to choose between them.

This book brings up a lot of interesting issues, the most prominent of course is that endlessly battled question: What is the right place for a woman in society? The thing I liked about Cross’s book is that she doesn’t try to answer this question, really. At least, I didn’t think so. Instead, she puts it out there, and uses Joan as an example. And then she asks, “So what about that?” And I don’t think she expects our reaction to be black or white, but instead some version of grey. Perhaps a different shade for every woman who has lived. =) At least, I think that’s a very comforting thought.

Overall, I really liked this book. I'm not sure it's one I would recommend for everyone, but I think it's a significant piece of historical fiction, in its own right.

*As a side note: Donna Cross has offered to do phone conferences with any book groups who’d like to. All you have to do is go to her website and fill out a form to get a time set up! And then she will contact you. Our book group is online, so we worked out a way for our members to chat with her online! It was a wonderful experience, and if your book group reads this book, I highly recommend doing it! It was a big hit.

Jacket Racket: Nancy Drew

2009-12-08T09:00:00.001-07:00

It's no secret that Nancy Drew is a bit of a franchise. She's morphed over the years--being reinvented time after time as new generations discover her. It made me curious to see how she's evolved over the years.

However, there's a serious following of the "yellow book" originals. I found a challenge recently where those participating must read those specific original texts, with the yellow stamp of approval. =) I'm sorry to say that I've never read one Nancy Drew novel (gasp!), but I think I've been sufficiently entinced. My first book is planned TBR!

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These were some of my favorite "yellow" covers that I came across. Love that 60s hair!

And a million other lucrative Nancy endeavors . . .

Book Awards III Challenge

2009-12-07T13:00:00.002-07:00

Completed! A little late, but oh well. I was all pumped to knock it out December 1, and then so many things got in the way. Better late than never, I guess. I'll have to do better on my other challenges.

This was my first challenge, and I have to say that it was a successful one and a great one to introduce me to the challenge world. I thoroughly enjoyed every single book I picked for this challenge. I definitely would like to participate again in the future.

To see all of the reviews for this challenge, click here. Or, you can click on them individually as listed below.

Read the post here.
Ended: December 1, 2009.

1. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (Printz Award) - 11.15.09
2. The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (Newberry Medal) - 7.26.09
3. The Hours by Michael Cunningham (Pulitzer Prize) - 11.29.09
4. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Faulkner Award)- 12.7.09
5. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Booker Prize) - 11.27.09

Progressive Dinner Party: Creamy Artichoke Dip

2009-12-07T09:00:00.009-07:00

I love the idea of a "virtual" party! So, when My Friend Amy posted about putting together a Progressive Christmas Dinner, I jumped at the chance to participate. She says:

The holidays are for celebrating and what better way to celebrate than with food? Unfortunately, we all live so far apart that we can't get together but that shouldn't stop us from celebrating in style!

Couldn't be more true . . .

So here's my contribution to the dinner! This dip can be enjoyed with crackers or some crusty bread slices (my favorite). Enjoy!

(If you want it spicier, add a little bit of Tabasco sauce.) This one's a crowd pleaser! Hope you like it!

Check out Book Club Girl for her Stilton Watercress Spread and also Angel's Kisses for her Cinnamon Apples with Red Hot Candies and Sugar.

For other great recipes, check out the Book Blog Social Club for all entries!

Happy Cooking!

This is not my original recipe, by the way. Just one I like. =)

Virtual Advent: December 7

2009-12-07T08:30:00.006-07:00

Another great day of Christmasy blog love!
Take some time to check out some of the posts for today.
Make it a cookie day:
"For me, the holiday season is about two things: food and family. This year, I tried combining those things in a new way. This year I got the... um, shall we say ambitious? idea to host a cookie bake with my mother's family, as many of them as could join."

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Oh, those silly family traditions:
"I can't recreate all of my Christmas memories for my children but we do try with some of them. Of course, it is easy to drive around and look at lights and ooooo and aaaaaawwwwww over them. We don't know the people who put up the best light displays now so we can't tell salacious tales, at least salacious to a child, about them though. And given our family's appalling lack of talent in the singing department, we forgo the O Tanenbaum tradition. But I have imposed on my parents to recreate my very favorite tradition of all: chasing the elves away."

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See more Virtual Advent posts, click here.
To learn more about the Adent Blog Tour, click here.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

2009-12-07T07:23:00.004-07:00

Genre: General fiction
Publisher, Year: Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2004
Other Works: Housekeeping
Flags: Teen angst
Rating: A+ or Must Read Now!
Challenge: Book Awards III, Countdown
Premise: A loyal preacher comes to the end of his life and writes a journal for his young son to have as a legacy after he's gone.

I’d heard about Marilynne Robinson’s first book Housekeeping from the Books on the Nightstand podcast and became interested in her. So, when I signed up for the Book Awards Challenge, I decided to make Gilead one of my picks. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish on time, but better late than never! I find it fitting that the last book was the one I enjoyed the most.

Gilead is written as a journal from the perspective of Reverend John Ames. John has a heart condition and know he won’t live long. He married late in life, and so has a young son, about six or seven. And so, he wants to leave his son something of himself behind. Throughout the book, John chronicles the lives of his grandfather and father (who were also preachers), a difficult relationship with his best friend’s son (who was named after him), and his own sad first marriage, where his wife and daughter both passed away in childbirth. Set in Iowa, Robinson takes the reader through several generations of small town life in a turbulent world. +/-

I loved this book down to the final words. What’s so wonderful about this book is that it’s simplicity itself. It’s about a simple man who lived a common life and strived for a peaceful and meaningful existence. In that, there is great beauty and wisdom.

Through each generation, Robinson explores the friction that evolves between father and son. Although times change, relationships do not. As long as the world turns, conflicts will arise. And as long as conflicts arise, fathers and sons will have differing opinions and will hurt and disappoint each other. For example, at one point John reminisces about traveling with his father to find his grandfathers grave in another state. The journey was hard and long and they didn’t have enough food. But, the lessons he learned on the trip were what he remembered: that his father loved him and sacrificed for him. Even though he has many disappointments in his life, I think the uplifting moments are more sacred to him than any disappointments can dispel.

Ultimately, I think Gilead is a book about forgiveness—about acceptance. About leaving history in the past and looking forward to a brighter future. About letting our circumstances be what they are and accepting them with quiet and confident resolve. John’s voice is one that resonates in my head, though I’ve turned the last page—a true American treasure.

Virtual Advent: December 4, 5, & 6

2009-12-04T10:14:00.003-07:00

Somehow I mistakenly believed that on my trip I would be able to find a moment or two to post these advent entries. Yeah -- didn't quite work out as I planned! But, at least I can post them now and get caught up. Don't miss these posts!

DEC 3rd
Children + Poetry = Warm Holiday:
"As many of you know, I teach second grade. Each month of the school year, my students memorize a poem and recite it to the class (or to me alone, if they’re too shy). Poetry is a very important part of my life, (my grandmother was a poet), so sharing poems and listening to 7 and 8 year olds reciting them is a joyful part of my job. My students are busy practicing our December poem, and working on art projects that celebrate light during this cold and dark month."

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DEC 5th
Holiday picks for the kiddies:
"Whatever you end up reading this holiday season, I hope you have fun and create some great memories. This is a great time of year for reading aloud to little ones. So whether you're a parent, a grandparent, aunt or uncle, make some time to cozy up with the little ones in your life!"

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DEC 6th
More delicious holiday reads:
"I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is to read holiday themed books. Here’s the thing about Christmas books…I think they get a bad rap. They’re sort of stereotyped as automatically cheesy, but that’s not always the case. I think there’s something out there for everyone! And so without further ado, here’s a list of Christmas books for everyone!"

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Christmas in Poland:
"Today in Poland, children wake up to presents from St. Nicholas (Święty Mikołaj). I am writing about this particular country because I am a native of it and have only been living in the U.S for 8 years. I figured I would talk about two aspects of Advent and Christmas that are near & dear to me: tradition and religion."

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See more Virtual Advent posts, click here.

To learn more about the Adent Blog Tour, click here.

Virtual Advent: December 2 & 3

2009-12-03T22:12:00.003-07:00

So, I accidentally missed a day because I'm on vacation and didn't get the opportunity to get near a computer. So... here are two days of advent in one post! There were some great entries the last two days. Here are some highlights. To check out more, see the links at the bottom of this post.

DEC 2nd
Two entries about the power of music:
"Hey, I love getting presents but there is so much to be enjoyed during the season. Family. Love. Movies. FOOD. And music. Because really, that’s when it all starts right? So, to celebrate the season, with one of my favorite parts of it, here are a few carols to get us started right."

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"So when I younger I was never a big fan of going to church. In fact, it’s safe to say I hated church- absolutely nothing I can think of that I disliked more except for maybe Lima beans. *Waits to be struck by lightning*"

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DEC 3rd
Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales:
"I worry that by describing A Child's Christmas in Wales as a collection of memories I'm not making it sound terribly interesting to those of you who haven't read it, but the truth is, it is. And the reason why it is so interesting it's because it captures the feeling of Christmas very well, even for those of us whose memories are nothing like the narrator's. There overall tone of the story is warm, but there's also something very nostalgic and bittersweet about it. The language is what gives this story a great part of its charm. It has a very unique rhythm, and I can see this little book becoming One of Those I read aloud to my cats."

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Catching the Christmas spirit with someone to love:
"I haven’t always had great Christmases. Most of the ones I had when I was a kid were good. They weren’t extravagant but they were mostly happy simple times that involved not a lot of gifts but a lot of love, family and yes, a lot of pie. Then I grew up and went on to university in a city that wasn’t very close to home. I went home the first few years but then money started to dry up and the cost of going home for Christmas was half a month’s rent that I didn’t have to spare."

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See more Virtual Advent posts, click here.

To learn more about the Adent Blog Tour, click here.

BC About the Author: Donna W. Cross

2009-12-03T14:00:00.001-07:00

Donna Woolfolk Cross graduated cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1969 with a B.A. in English. She moved to London, England, after graduation, and worked as an editorial assistant for a small publishing house on Fleet Street, W.H. Allen and Company.

Upon her return to the United States, Cross worked at Young and Rubicam, a Madison Avenue advertising firm, before going on to graduate school at UCLA where she earned a master's degree in Literature and Writing in 1972. In 1973, Cross moved with her husband to upstate New York where she began teaching writing in a college English Department. Now writing is her fulltime career. +/-

She is the author of two books on language, Word Abuse: How the Words We Use Use Us and Mediaspeak: How Television Makes Up Your Mind. She is the coauthor of Speaking of Words and Daddy's Little Girl. The product of seven years of research and writing, Pope Joan is her first novel. She is now at work on a new novel set in 17th century France.

Visit her website here.

New This Month: December 09

2009-12-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

La's Orchestra Saves the World
by Alexander McCall Smith

From the best-selling author of The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series comes a delightful and moving story that celebrates the healing powers of friendship and music.

It is 1939. Lavender—La to her friends—decides to flee London, not only to avoid German bombs but also to escape the memories of her shattered marriage. The peace and solitude of the small town she settles in are therapeutic . . . at least at first. As the war drags on, La is in need of some diversion and wants to boost the town's morale, so she organizes an amateur orchestra, drawing musicians from the village and the local RAF base. Among the strays she corrals is Feliks, a shy, proper Polish refugee who becomes her prized recruit—and the object of feelings she thought she'd put away forever.

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Does La's orchestra save the world? The people who come to hear it think so. But what will become of it after the war is over? And what will become of La herself? And of La's heart? With his all-embracing empathy and his gentle sense of humor, Alexander McCall Smith makes of La's life—and love—a tale to enjoy and cherish.

Summertime
by J. M. Coetzee

A young English biographer is researching a book about the late South African writer John Coetzee, focusing on Coetzee in his thirties, at a time when he was living in a rundown cottage in the Cape Town suburbs with his widowed father-a time, the biographer is convinced, when Coetzee was finding himself as a writer. Never having met the man himself, the biographer interviews five people who knew Coetzee well, including a married woman with whom he had an affair, his cousin Margot, and a Brazilian dancer whose daughter took English lessons with him. These accounts add up to an image of an awkward, reserved, and bookish young man who finds it hard to make meaningful connections with the people around him.

Summertime is an inventive and inspired work of fiction that allows J.M. Coetzee to imagine his own life with a critical and unsparing eye, revealing painful moral struggles and attempts to come to grips with what it means to care for another human being. Incisive, elegant, and often surprisingly funny, Summertime is a compelling work by one of today's most esteemed writers.

Also new this month:

Days of Gold by Jude Deveraux

Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession by Julie Powell

Hidden Empire by Orson Scott Card

Virtual Advent: December 1

2009-12-01T10:00:00.005-07:00

I thought this was about the coolest idea ever. Kailana from The Written World and Marg from Reading Adventures want to know why kids should be the only ones to enjoy Christmas treats on an advent calendar. So, they have invented a virtual blogger's advent! Every day until Christmas two to three bloggers will post something about family traditions, recipes, their country's holiday traditions, or a favorite Christmas memory, movie, book, song--or anything else that strikes their fancy! Fun, right?

So, every day until Christmas I'll be bringing you my favorite parts of these advent posts. I'm excited to see what everyone comes up with! And I'll be posting my own on December 14, so watch for that!

Here are today's gems! +/-

A memory of a grandfather, and his special treats:

"My grandfather lived in Holland for as long as I can remember, and when he came to visit us in the States he would always bring us Dutch chocolate. There would be Droste pastilles, bittersweet and milk sharing sides of the same tablet, or chocolate oranges, which were our favorite.

My brother and I would smack the orange and eat as many pieces as we could before my mother put them away in the fridge, allowing us one or two slices a day. At least that way they lasted longer. Those chocolate oranges weren’t available in Illinois in the 1960’s. They were a token of affection meant just for us from our grandfather, and they were extra special because of their rarity."
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A handmade gift is one straight from the heart:

{click here to see more}

For more, check out the Advent Blog Tour Website.

BC Discussion ?s: Pope Joan

2009-12-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

For the month of November, we read Donna W. Cross's Pope Joan. The following are the discussion questions we used:

1. How important is it to this story to believe in its historicity? Are there lessons to be learned from Joan’s story whether it’s legend or fact?

2. Are reason and faith incompatible? What do you make of Aesculapius’s argument that lack of faith leads people to fear reason?

3. What causes Joan’s inner conflict between faith and doubt? How do these conflicts affect the decisions she makes? Does she ever resolve these conflicts?

4. Joan sacrificed much because she loved Gerold. Do you know women who have sacrificed opportunities for love (spouse, child, etc.)? Are such sacrifices justified? +/-

5. If Joan had agreed to leave with Gerold when he first came to Rome, what would her life have been like? What do you think of her choice?

6. What causes any society to oppress womankind? What are the root causes of misogyny? Are they based in religion or in society? Both? Neither?

7. Why might medieval society have believed so strongly that education hampered a woman’s ability to bear children? What purpose might such a belief serve?

8. What similarities or differences do you see between Pope Joan and Saint Joan of Arc? Why was one Joan expunged from history books and the other made a saint?

BC Consensus: Thirteenth Tale

2009-11-30T09:30:00.002-07:00

Would you like to crème de la crème from our book club dicussions this month? You are in luck! In October, we read Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale. Here are some of the comments our members made about the book:

“Wow, this story reached out and grabbed me and wouldn't let go, like something that would jump out at me at a haunted house. I liked the mysterious tone of the novel and discovering the story through Vida Winters' narration. I suppose many families have some secrets and a skeleton or two in the closet, but this family had a baker's dozen! I also enjoyed reading this book and plan to reread it in the future. I'm sure it will leave a haunting impression every time.”

“The cover of the book describes this story as "eerie and fascinating". Perfect description. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I enjoyed her [Margaret’s] relationship with her father. They shared a love for books. I tried to picture their little bookshop. How fabulous to grow up among all those stories.” +/-

“I've heard so many good things about this book, and I wasn't disappointed! While I was reading I could tell that there were some things happening behind the scenes that I hadn't quite figured out yet. The suspense and mystery were fun to revel in. I felt like I was trying to solve a mystery. Miss Winter wants Margaret to tell her story and asks her several times what her story is. Margaret always answers that she doesn't have a story. All of our stories (and theirs) are all intertwined with the people around us.”

"I love the character of Vida Winter--someone I could imagine being intimidated by, like our sweet, young Margaret. She jumped off the page, for me. It was as if I could tangibly feel those inescapable, steely green eyes boring into mine as I read. One thing I like about this book is how the title ties in. There’s this expectation build up around the thirteenth tale, and even I found myself wishing I could get my hands on it throughout the story. And then it finally comes out, just when we expect never to be able to know its identity."

Vocab Workshop #2

2009-11-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

The following words come from The Blind Assassin,

POROUS \ˈpȯr-əs\ adj - permeable to outside influences

LIMPID \ˈlim-pəd\ adj - 1 a marked by transparency, b clear and simple in style. 2 absolutely serene and untroubled.

CONFLAGRATION \ˌkän-flə-ˈgrā-shən\ n - 1 a large disastrous fire. 2 conflict, war.

RECALCITRANT \ri-kal-si-truhnt\ adj - 1 obstinately defiant of authority or restraint.
2 a difficult to manage or operate, b not responsive to treatment.

LUGUBRIOUS \lu̇-ˈgü-brē-əs\ adj - exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful

RIPOSTE \ri-ˈpōst\ n - 1 retaliatory verbal sally, retort. 2 a retaliatory maneuver or measure. +/-

EPERGNE \i-ˈpərn\ n - an often ornate tiered centerpiece consisting typically of a frame of wrought metal (as silver or gold) bearing dishes, vases, or candle holders or a combination of these

WINSOME \ˈwin(t)-səm\ adj - generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence

LUMPEN \ˈlu̇m-pən\ adj - of or relating to dispossessed and uprooted individuals cut off from the economic and social class with which they might normally be identified

DIRIGIBLE \ˈdir-ə-jə-bəl\ adj - capable of being steered

PALLID \ˈpa-ləd\ adj - deficient in color or lacking sparkle or liveliness

ABSTEMIOUS \ab-ˈstē-mē-əs\ adj - marked by restraint especially in the consumption of food or alcohol; also : reflecting such restraint.

STULTIFY \ˈstəl-tə-ˌfī\ - 1 to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical. 2 a to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective, b to have a dulling or inhibiting effect on.

INSOUCIANCE \in-ˈsü-sē-ən(t)s\ n - lighthearted unconcern, nonchalance

RANCOR \ˈraŋ-kər\ n - bitter deep-seated ill will

FILIGREE \ˈfi-lə-ˌgrē\ n - ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper. 2 ornamental openwork of delicate or intricate design.

BALLAST \ˈba-ləst\ n - something that gives stability (as in character or conduct)

MORASS \mə-ˈras\ n - 1 a a situation that traps, confuses, or impedes, b an overwhelming or confusing mass or mixture. 1 marsh, swamp.

Thankfully Reading Wrap-up

2009-11-29T17:06:00.005-07:00

Thankfully Reading Weekend is quickly coming to a close! I was not as productive as I wanted to me with my time, BUT I still think I made a pretty good showing. =) Two out of three ain't bad. I have one more day to finish my Book Awards challenge, so I hope I can make it!

I finished up The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood and The Hours by Michael Cunningham. Great reads, both of them. Although I think I enjoyed The Hours just a bit better. I've gotten some 20 pages into Gilead, and I hope I'll be able to knock it out in the next day or so. Wish me luck! Click here to see my reviews.

Considering I also ate an exorbitant amount of turkey, fit in some family time, and watched a couple movies; overall, I call that a successful weekend! Thanks Book Blog Social Club! It was fun to read what everyone else read, too. And thanks to everyone for comments!

The Hours by Michael Cunningham

2009-11-28T15:00:00.007-07:00

Genre: General fiction
Publisher, Year: Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2002
Other Works: A Home at the End of the World
Flags: Moderate language, Adult themes
Rating: A or Great Read
Challenge: Book Awards III, Countdown
Premise: Three women go through the events of their day--strangers, yet inexpicably connected.

I think if I’d read Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, it would have enhanced my experience with The Hours, but having that background was not essential in falling in love with this carefully crafted novel. I love how the title is so fitting and significant. Everything about this book was just right for me.

The book focuses on the stories of three women, all which are told chronologically, although each woman lives in a different time: Clarissa, a forty-something woman looking after a dying friend; Laura, a young mother in the 50s; and Virginia herself, writer and tortured soul. Through the events of a single day, each woman goes about her duties—seemingly insignificant acts, daily events, nothing special. Cunningham very adeptly shows us that those menial moments that we plow through everyday reveal something within us, an inner commentary, a million daily decisions that shape and change who we are, how we live—and how we die. +/-

The book begins with Virginia Woolf’s suicide. (And, I have to say, if death is not an interesting literary topic for you, this book may not be your cup of tea.) The thing I really admired about Cunningham’s take is how his exploration of the meaning of death also accentuated, by showing it in relief, an exploration of the meaning of life. And without the push and pull of trying too hard. Our lives are composed merely and simply of hour after hour after hour. Some of those hours are filled with a rapturous joy, more are filled with sadness. How does that rapture measure up in conjunction with our miseries? How do we move from the sad hours to the happy hours, and what happens to us during those hours in between the tug-of-war?

Needless to say, Michael Cunningham is indeed a talented writer of prose. The language in this book took me to another place. I didn’t find it a page-turner, per se, but I was surprised when I turned the final page. That is to say—the story ran and I hardly noticed the speed. It is a somber work, but a delight just the same. A contemplative work of art.

Women Unbound Challenge

2009-11-27T18:30:00.003-07:00

Join the challenge here.
Ends: November 30, 2010.
Level: Philogynist.
Challenge: Read 2 books dealing with women's studies, at least 1 has to be nonfiction.

1. The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath 1950-1962 by Sylvia Plath
2. Villette by Charlotte Bronte

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

2009-11-27T12:30:00.001-07:00

Genre: General fiction
Publisher, Year: McClelland and Stewart, 2000
Other Works: The Year of the Flood, Alias Grace
Flags: Adult themes, Tenuous references
Rating: A or Great Read
Challenge: Book Awards III
Premise: An old woman reflects on her turbulent life and that of her ill-fated sister.

The Blind Assassin is the type of reading experience that becomes an event. Although it may seem like chaos at first, it’s actually a perfectly choreographed affair, with every moment accounted for. Atwood brilliantly weaves together several stories, which seem unrelated. It’s as if the author took an old woman’s last memoir, a science fiction book, a private journal, and a bunch of newspaper clippings and threw them up in the air, gathering them into one big mess. Then, slowly, they merge and line up in your mind, and their connections suddenly appear. Then, the jumbledness of the text emerges in sharp focus, and the mismatched accounts seem so correctly in their places.

The book begins with the unfortunate report of the death of a young author, Laura Chase. Then, an abrupt shift to a sort of stream-of-consciousness, third person view into a secret love affair--one of the pair a storyteller. The bulk of the book is told from the perspective of a woman in the twilight of her years, Iris, who feels it’s time to put her memories to paper. +/-

I enjoyed Iris’s voice, accepting yet vigorous and dripping with sarcasm. Although, in the end I hated her. Which is unfair, because the reasons I liked her grew out of the choices she made for which I hated her. I didn’t feel a particular attachment to these characters, but that didn’t take away from my experience with the novel, surprisingly enough. I don’t think the author wanted us to connect with them--it’s like she built a wall there intentionally. So that we could look over it secretly, so we could be conflicted.

I found myself completely sucked in by the science fiction side-story, “the blind assassin,” in a sort of gruesomely creative way. And--what sets Atwood apart from others as one of the greats--she expertly turns something detestable into a tribute of beauty and life and love. However, the main story, Iris’s reflections, proved to be equally as compelling.

Atwood is an amazing connoisseur of language--she wove a web of words for which I’ve never seen the like. She is an unforgettable talent. This book is truly a masterpiece, one I know I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

Thankfully Reading Begins!

2009-11-27T11:55:00.006-07:00

I've started my Thankfully Reading Weekend! I actually started a little early, and I've already finished my first book--although, I was almost done with it anyway. =) I'm hoping to knockout two more before Monday to finish off the Book Awards III Challenge (which I procrastinated a little too long). So here goes! I'm hoping to post my Blind Assassin review later today. Here are my other choices:

Wishlist Wednesday: Christmas

2009-11-25T09:00:00.002-07:00

I've been on the prowl for some good Christmas books this week. There's nothing better to get you in the Christmas spirit then reading a cute and decadent holiday book. But, I haven't always had the best of luck fitting that bill--although I give holiday books some leeway, they still have to come up to a certain level for me. These all looked enticing; I hope I'll have the time to read at least one. Here's hoping!

A Coventry Christmas
by Becky Cochrane

With a scrooge of a boss, her family thousands of miles away, and the only male in her life a hamster, Keelie Cannon is anticipating her worst Christmas ever when her friend Ivy convinces her to spend the holidays with her in the small Texas town of Coventry. Once Keelie arrives, her feelings about Christmas start to change as she not only rediscovers the joys of the holiday season but also of another chance at romance. Cochrane deftly flavors her quirky, character-rich contemporary romance with a surfeit of Christmas charm and sharp humor.

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There's Something About Christmas
by Debbie Macomber

A smalltown Washington reporter learns to love fruitcake in Macomber's chick-lit take on A Christmas Carol. Emma Collins ("kinda cute in an uptight sort of way") hopes that writing obituaries and selling ads for the Puyallup Examiner will lead to a journalism career. Instead, her first plum assignment—interviewing three finalists in a national fruitcake recipe contest—lands her in the cockpit of devil-may-care pilot Oliver Hamilton, whose good looks and charm remind her of her shiftless father.

Despite Emma's fear of flying, Oliver takes her to Yakima, Colville, and the San Juan islands to meet three women who all figure that when life gives you lemons (or anything else), make fruitcake. Emma tastes the thrice-married barmaid's liquor-laden concoction, the tender-hearted widow's chocoholic dreamand the struggling young mother's no-bake graham-cracker confection. While she tries to capture in print lessons learned from the three cooks, Oliver's plane is grounded by a snowstorm.

It all adds up to another tale of romance in the lives of ordinary people, with a message that life is like a fruitcake: full of unexpected delights.

A Redbird Christmas
by Fannie Flagg

With the same incomparable style and warm, inviting voice that have made her beloved by millions of readers far and wide, New York Times bestselling author Fannie Flagg has written an enchanting Christmas story of faith and hope for all ages that is sure to become a classic.

Deep in the southernmost part of Alabama, along the banks of a lazy winding river, lies the sleepy little community known as Lost River, a place that time itself seems to have forgotten. After a startling diagnosis from his doctor, Oswald T. Campbell leaves behind the cold and damp of the oncoming Chicago winter to spend what he believes will be his last Christmas in the warm and welcoming town of Lost River. There he meets the postman who delivers mail by boat, the store owner who nurses a broken heart, the ladies of the Mystic Order of the Royal Polka Dots Secret Society, who do clandestine good works. And he meets a little redbird named Jack, who is at the center of this tale of a magical Christmas when something so amazing happened that those who witnessed it have never forgotten it.

Support Your Library Challenge

2009-11-24T10:25:00.017-07:00

Join the challenge here.
Ends: December 31, 2010
Challenge level: Just My Size
Challenge: To check out (and read) 50 books from my local library.

I am lucky enough to have an awesome library extremely close to my place of residence. We'll be moving soon, and I've already begun scoping out my next book-borrowing options. And they seem promising. I hope I won't cry when we move. I love that dang library . . . like a dog loves to run.

So, here's my way of committing to learn to love that new library as much as the old one. =)

1. The Hollow Kingdom by Clare Dunkle - 1.15.10
2. A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce - 1.12.10
3. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
4. The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale - 2.4.10
5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - 3.15.10
6. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson - 3.19.10
7. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn - 3.18.10
8. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - 3.22.10
9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - 4.3.10
10. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
11. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray - 4.1.10
12. Looking for Alaska by John Green
13. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - 4.13.10
14. This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
15. Dead Until Dark
16. Pride of Baghdad by Brian Vaughan - 4.3.10

To come:
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Once Upon a Time Challenge

2009-11-23T11:00:00.004-07:00

Join the challenge here.
Ends: December 31, 2010
Challenge: Read 5 fairy tale books (not Disney).

1. The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley (Robin Hood)
2. A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce (Rumpelstiltskin) - 1.12.10
3. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (Maid Maleen) - 2.4.10
4. Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell (King Arthur)
5. TBA