Angela, Maddie, and Zoe are the winsome threesome, BFFs, since middle school. The course of the series takes the girls from age 15 to high school graduation, and through various trials and tribulations of high school friendship, including alcohol and drug use, new relationships, gossip, sex, preparing for college, etc. The "thing" for these books is that they're all told entirely through IM chats (although I think the updated versions call them texts; they have screennames, so I don't know who they think they're fooling). I think these books originally came out around the time that I was in high school, although they've recently been updated for ebook and the new decade, which is one of my pet peeves. Even with the pop culture references updated and references to iPhones sprinkled in, the mid-2000s feel is still present enough to make me nostalgic for my days of high school AIM chatting, the inside jokes and BFF group name, the crushes, the worry about growing apart from friends. Myracle hits some of her topics more on the nose than others, but it was great fun to have my hish school experience come rushing back to me with such clarity.
I've heard these books have been banned because of language and the girls' frank discussions of sex. I'm not sure how I would've reacted had I read this when I was a high schooler as well; obviously Myracle's characters will be more advanced than some teens and less than others. In my opinion, these discussions were meant to be more helpful than salacious. Still, something to keep in mind before reading.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Book 57: The Subversive Copy Editor by Carol Fisher Saller
I admit it—I miss studying. Now that I'm out of school, I miss curling up to do assigned reading, taking notes, and trying to remember to apply what I've learned to assignments. Now that I'm out of school and in the workforce, almost like a real adult, most of my learning is either self-guided or of the depressing learn-from-your-mistakes variety. I recently got the urge to read a bunch of books related to my job as a book editor as a sort of less visually stimulating version of a training montage.
Written by the Chicago Manual of Style's online Q&A editor, The Subversive Copy Editor assumes a familiarity with the basics of editing and style and spends the majority of its pages on dealing with authors and coworkers (advice may also be helpful when dealing with self-appointed grammar police). Saller stresses cooperation and flexibility over adherence to any one style, which is a nice reminder if you're in a position in which arguments over comma placement can send you into a rage spiral at any given moment. Saller has a great sense of humor and the book is a surprisingly fun read, given its topic. If you have to deal with writers or editors, or just find yourself frequently mediating grammar disputes, this book's call for compromise makes it a useful addition to your library.
Written by the Chicago Manual of Style's online Q&A editor, The Subversive Copy Editor assumes a familiarity with the basics of editing and style and spends the majority of its pages on dealing with authors and coworkers (advice may also be helpful when dealing with self-appointed grammar police). Saller stresses cooperation and flexibility over adherence to any one style, which is a nice reminder if you're in a position in which arguments over comma placement can send you into a rage spiral at any given moment. Saller has a great sense of humor and the book is a surprisingly fun read, given its topic. If you have to deal with writers or editors, or just find yourself frequently mediating grammar disputes, this book's call for compromise makes it a useful addition to your library.
Top Ten Books I've Read So Far This Year
Top Ten Tuesday topic is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's topic is Top Ten Books I've Read So Far This Year. I expect this list to be vastly different by the time I reach the end of the year, although I'm pretty confident that The Secret History, Ready Player One, and maybe The Rosie Project at least will still be there. We'll see!
1. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
2. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
3. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
4. Reality Boy by A. S. King
5. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
6. The Love Affairs on Nathaniel P. by Adelle Waldman
7. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
8. You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle
9. The Doll and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier
10. I Am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff
This week's topic is Top Ten Books I've Read So Far This Year. I expect this list to be vastly different by the time I reach the end of the year, although I'm pretty confident that The Secret History, Ready Player One, and maybe The Rosie Project at least will still be there. We'll see!
1. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
2. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
3. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
4. Reality Boy by A. S. King
5. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
6. The Love Affairs on Nathaniel P. by Adelle Waldman
7. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
8. You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle
9. The Doll and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier
10. I Am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Book 56: The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye by A. S. Byatt
A. S. Byatt's Possession has been on my to-read list forever, but I found this little gem of a book for only a dollar at a used book store, so I snapped it up. The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye is a book of five stories, like fairy tales for adults.
Each of these stories has a wonderfully dreamlike quality, which makes the book perfect for late night plane rides or vacation readings. The final story, which shares the book's title, is easily the most complex, about a middle-aged divorced storyteller who finds a djinn during a vacation in Turkey. It reads like a love letter to fables and myths.
Each of these stories has a wonderfully dreamlike quality, which makes the book perfect for late night plane rides or vacation readings. The final story, which shares the book's title, is easily the most complex, about a middle-aged divorced storyteller who finds a djinn during a vacation in Turkey. It reads like a love letter to fables and myths.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Book 55: The Doll—The Lost Short Stories by Daphne du Maurier
I love Daphne du Maurier. The House on the Strand, My Cousin Rachel, Rebecca, especially Rebecca. This collection of short stories is incredible.
I had kind of assumed that this collection would mostly be horror stories based on the title story, "The Doll," which is fairly chilling, but most of these stories, the strongest in fact, are about the rise and fall of relationships. A man and woman on a romantic holiday during which feelings change drastically between the ride there and the ride back, a series of letters that reveal the intensity and decline of an affair, it's all so painfully honest and so true to life. She totally captures the odd balance of power that begins and ends relationships.
I had kind of assumed that this collection would mostly be horror stories based on the title story, "The Doll," which is fairly chilling, but most of these stories, the strongest in fact, are about the rise and fall of relationships. A man and woman on a romantic holiday during which feelings change drastically between the ride there and the ride back, a series of letters that reveal the intensity and decline of an affair, it's all so painfully honest and so true to life. She totally captures the odd balance of power that begins and ends relationships.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Book 54: We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt
We Are the Goldens is a book about the strong bond between two sisters, Nell and Layla. Nell has always idolized her older sister and is thrilled to start her freshman year at the same high school at which Layla is a junior. All Nell wants is to follow in Layla's footsteps. So when Layla asks Nell to keep a dangerous secret for her, Nell's loyalty to her sister leaves her conflicted about what to do.
The sisterhood relationship here is super intense, so much so that I was originally a little creeped out by it. Maybe reading The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs has left me a little suspicious of excessively close family bonds; maybe it's just because my sister and I were never this close (and because I'm the oldest of three either, so maybe I can't relate to the younger-sibling hero worship). But thankfully it never turned Rumbaugh creepy, and the intimacy between the sisters really underlines Nell's conflict. It's so easy for the reader to discern the right thing to do, but her reluctance to shake the foundations of her bond with her sister, which has for Nell become shorthand for her personal identity. Loving Layla means betraying her, and before she can do that Nell has to redefine herself as an individual.
I've never read anything by Dana Reinhardt, but I'm interested to seek out more by her. Despite my initial misgivings, I really enjoyed this book. The major characters were fully developed, I loved how Nell grew and matured, and the writing was lovely. I would've liked an epilogue, though, just some hint as to what happened after Nell's reveal. A
The sisterhood relationship here is super intense, so much so that I was originally a little creeped out by it. Maybe reading The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs has left me a little suspicious of excessively close family bonds; maybe it's just because my sister and I were never this close (and because I'm the oldest of three either, so maybe I can't relate to the younger-sibling hero worship). But thankfully it never turned Rumbaugh creepy, and the intimacy between the sisters really underlines Nell's conflict. It's so easy for the reader to discern the right thing to do, but her reluctance to shake the foundations of her bond with her sister, which has for Nell become shorthand for her personal identity. Loving Layla means betraying her, and before she can do that Nell has to redefine herself as an individual.
I've never read anything by Dana Reinhardt, but I'm interested to seek out more by her. Despite my initial misgivings, I really enjoyed this book. The major characters were fully developed, I loved how Nell grew and matured, and the writing was lovely. I would've liked an epilogue, though, just some hint as to what happened after Nell's reveal. A
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Book 53: Climbing the Stairs by Margaret Powell
Another book to scratch my Downton Abbey itch. Margaret Powell's Climbing the Stairs isn't quite as engaging as her previous book, Below Stairs; it has far fewer tales of serving and more stories about how she spent her free time and married life. Still, if you're interested in the time period, this is a great little memoir. It's like having your British grandmother tell you the stories of her life; it's just so cozy and personable.
Books 50, 51 & 52: The Selection trilogy by Kiera Cass
When The One by Kiera Cass came out earlier this month, I started reading it only to realize that I really needed to go back and reread the first two books to fully enjoy the conclusion to the trilogy. It's all good, brainless fun. The worldbuilding is totally lacking, the dystopia is unbelievable, and the plot beyond the love triangle is flat, but damn if it isn't hard to put down. I'm a sucker for fairy tales. some spoilers ahead...
The conclusion to the trilogy was mostly satisfactory. I enjoyed see America grow to take more of an interest in ruling and improving the country. I hated how America was trapped in a room during the final battle; I get that she was never a warrior, but it was still disappointing to have her miss what felt like the climax. Also the backlash from Maxon when he found out about Aspen was pretty anti-climactic. The ending seemed super rushed, so I felt a bit jilted. And Aspen and Lucy was just a little too pat. You can't have a love polygon without a few hurt feelings, Cass!
The conclusion to the trilogy was mostly satisfactory. I enjoyed see America grow to take more of an interest in ruling and improving the country. I hated how America was trapped in a room during the final battle; I get that she was never a warrior, but it was still disappointing to have her miss what felt like the climax. Also the backlash from Maxon when he found out about Aspen was pretty anti-climactic. The ending seemed super rushed, so I felt a bit jilted. And Aspen and Lucy was just a little too pat. You can't have a love polygon without a few hurt feelings, Cass!
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Book 49: Vlad by Carlos Fuentes
In this retelling of Dracula, lawyer Yves Navarro is assigned to handle his employer's old friend's move from Romania to Mexico City. Yves is perfectly content with his middle-class life; he loves his wife and daughter, but he worries that his wife may be dissatisfied and still resents him for the death of their son.
Vlad is a short little novel, only around a hundred pages, but it really packs a punch. The descriptions of Vlad himself are chilling (this vamp is more Nosferatu than Legosi), though Fuentes retains a sense of humor through the horror, and the historical crimes of Vlad Tepes are also explored (if perhaps a bit embellished). Fuentes has distilled the vampire novel down to its purest essence, and Vlad is a macabre look at how the everyday fears and willful blindnesses of middle-class life can leave one vulnerable to unspeakable horrors.
Vlad is a short little novel, only around a hundred pages, but it really packs a punch. The descriptions of Vlad himself are chilling (this vamp is more Nosferatu than Legosi), though Fuentes retains a sense of humor through the horror, and the historical crimes of Vlad Tepes are also explored (if perhaps a bit embellished). Fuentes has distilled the vampire novel down to its purest essence, and Vlad is a macabre look at how the everyday fears and willful blindnesses of middle-class life can leave one vulnerable to unspeakable horrors.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Book 48: The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head by Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan
The premise of The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head: A Psychiatrist's Stories of His Most Bizarre Cases sounded similar to several other cases of psychological oddities, particularly Oliver Sak's The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, which I enjoyed several years ago. This book wasn't quite as good, but it was still an enjoyable read. The author's connections between his cases and his own life were a bit clunky, but I did like reading about the procedures Dr. Small had to go through to treat his patients, and his thought process when diagnosing. So if you're craving more interesting psychiatric case studies a la Oliver Saks, this book would be worth checking out, but if you're new to the genre, start with Saks.
Book 47: Dave Barry's Guide to Guys by Dave Barry
My sweet boyfriend got me tickets to go see Dave Barry in Austin a few weeks ago, and afterward I got the urge to reread one of his books. I loved Davy Barry in high school, and the Guide to Guys was one of my favorites.This has to have been my fourth or fifth time reading this book in ten years, and I still laughed out loud several times.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Book 46: The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos
Whoooa, this book was dark. I was expecting some slightly spooky middle grade story (I think it was the length and paperback cover that led me to this conclusion), but The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs was full-on, Psycho-level freaky.
The titular love curse refers to loving one's mother to an obsessive degree. No incest here, but it's still pretty disturbing. Lots of creepy imagery involving taxidermy. Definitely good, and nothing overtly horror, just a spooky little fable about mother-love, taxidermy, eugenics, and twins. Maybe not one to read on Mother's Day, unless you're of a gothic bent. Monday, May 12, 2014
Top Ten Tuesday: Five Books I Almost Put Down But Didn't
Top Ten Tuesday topic is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's topic is Top Ten Books I Almost Put Down but Didn't. This is a tough topic for me, because I almost never intentionally stop reading a book. Whenever I put a book down, it's always with the intent, however misguided, of picking it back up again. And I will finish them someday! So the books left unfinished have been seared into my brain, whereas the ones I slogged through regardless have just sort of faded into the back of mind. Lately when I come across a book that's giving me trouble, I think of this quote from Doris Lessing:
“There is only one way to read, which is to browse in libraries and bookshops, picking up books that attract you, reading only those, dropping them when they bore you, skipping the parts that drag—and never, never reading anything because you feel you ought, or because it is part of a trend or a movement. Remember that the book which bores you when you are twenty or thirty will open doors for you when you are forty or fifty and vice versa. Don’t read a book out of its right time for you. ”
Sometimes it's best to just put a book down and pick it back up when the time is right, but, for better or worse, I have trouble following Lessing's advice. What if it's just about to get good? So here are five books for which I refused to admit defeat. There are one or two I worry I may have read out of their right time, some that I grew to enjoy once I "settled in," and a few that I suspect will never have a right time for me.
1. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta: I was tempted to abandon this one because the novel seems like such a jumble of different ideas at the beginning, the protagonist herself is so closed off, and there are lots of allusions to events that aren't fully explained until much later in the book. I'm so glad I stuck with it, though, because part of the beauty of Jellicoe Road is slowly watching the pieces come together.
2. The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon: The aphasic nonsense words just kept giving me headaches! And the pacing was a little too irregular to keep me genuinely hooked, but I'm glad I persevered.
3. A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins: We had to read this for high school, and for some reason I was just a total brat about it. I didn't just put it down and walk away; I would throw it across the room. I really just made it more difficult than it had to be, probably because it was school-assigned. I did actually finish it, and although the writing was a little spotty, I came to really enjoy the memoir of a man's walk (part of the way) across America.And I'm always a sucker for an awesome dog.
4. Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr: I got an ARC of this from a former coworker, and the description sounded awesome, but the book just fell flat for me. I finished it begrudgingly, and I probably remember about as much of it as I would if I had stopped reading it less than halfway through.
5. Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes: I read this when I was fourteen, and I was too young! I'm a little torn on this. On one hand, I was proud that I'd stuck with it and finished it, but on the other hand I wonder if it would've been better to have put it down and come back to it a few years later. I should reread this...
This week's topic is Top Ten Books I Almost Put Down but Didn't. This is a tough topic for me, because I almost never intentionally stop reading a book. Whenever I put a book down, it's always with the intent, however misguided, of picking it back up again. And I will finish them someday! So the books left unfinished have been seared into my brain, whereas the ones I slogged through regardless have just sort of faded into the back of mind. Lately when I come across a book that's giving me trouble, I think of this quote from Doris Lessing:
“There is only one way to read, which is to browse in libraries and bookshops, picking up books that attract you, reading only those, dropping them when they bore you, skipping the parts that drag—and never, never reading anything because you feel you ought, or because it is part of a trend or a movement. Remember that the book which bores you when you are twenty or thirty will open doors for you when you are forty or fifty and vice versa. Don’t read a book out of its right time for you. ”
Sometimes it's best to just put a book down and pick it back up when the time is right, but, for better or worse, I have trouble following Lessing's advice. What if it's just about to get good? So here are five books for which I refused to admit defeat. There are one or two I worry I may have read out of their right time, some that I grew to enjoy once I "settled in," and a few that I suspect will never have a right time for me.
1. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta: I was tempted to abandon this one because the novel seems like such a jumble of different ideas at the beginning, the protagonist herself is so closed off, and there are lots of allusions to events that aren't fully explained until much later in the book. I'm so glad I stuck with it, though, because part of the beauty of Jellicoe Road is slowly watching the pieces come together.
2. The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon: The aphasic nonsense words just kept giving me headaches! And the pacing was a little too irregular to keep me genuinely hooked, but I'm glad I persevered.
3. A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins: We had to read this for high school, and for some reason I was just a total brat about it. I didn't just put it down and walk away; I would throw it across the room. I really just made it more difficult than it had to be, probably because it was school-assigned. I did actually finish it, and although the writing was a little spotty, I came to really enjoy the memoir of a man's walk (part of the way) across America.And I'm always a sucker for an awesome dog.
4. Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr: I got an ARC of this from a former coworker, and the description sounded awesome, but the book just fell flat for me. I finished it begrudgingly, and I probably remember about as much of it as I would if I had stopped reading it less than halfway through.
5. Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes: I read this when I was fourteen, and I was too young! I'm a little torn on this. On one hand, I was proud that I'd stuck with it and finished it, but on the other hand I wonder if it would've been better to have put it down and come back to it a few years later. I should reread this...
Book 45: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Jellicoe Road is about Taylor, a girl boarding at Jelllicoe School in Australia, the territory wars between the students, the military kids, and the townies, and Taylor's search for her family history and her guardian, Hannah. Interspersed between all this are excerpts from Hannah's manuscript, about a group of friends living on Jellicoe Road.
I was fairly confused at the beginning of the book; I was unsure about the italicized sections, where they came from, who the characters were supposed to be, and how they related to the rest of the story. I didn't totally understand the hierarchy of the school or the rules of the territory wars. And Taylor herself is rather abrasive and hard to like at the beginning. Everything gradually comes together, and it's really beautiful how it's all choreographed. A
I was fairly confused at the beginning of the book; I was unsure about the italicized sections, where they came from, who the characters were supposed to be, and how they related to the rest of the story. I didn't totally understand the hierarchy of the school or the rules of the territory wars. And Taylor herself is rather abrasive and hard to like at the beginning. Everything gradually comes together, and it's really beautiful how it's all choreographed. A
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Book 44: A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire #4)
I adore this series (and the Game of Thrones tv show), so I'm trying to read these books as slowly as possible since it will likely be quite a while before the next book comes out. I read the third book a year ago, so I was a little hazy on exactly what was going on at the beginning.
I don't entirely agree with how Martin chose to split this and the next book; I think I would have preferred including all the characters and separating it by time rather than having each book cover a different group. But maybe I'm just disgruntled because I am sooo tempted to break my one-a-year rule to find out what happens in book five. But then there won't be any left until the new one is finished! It's quite a quandary.
Anyway, it's Game of Thrones: Characters you love die, new characters are introduced and despite your best intentions you get attached.
I don't entirely agree with how Martin chose to split this and the next book; I think I would have preferred including all the characters and separating it by time rather than having each book cover a different group. But maybe I'm just disgruntled because I am sooo tempted to break my one-a-year rule to find out what happens in book five. But then there won't be any left until the new one is finished! It's quite a quandary.
Anyway, it's Game of Thrones: Characters you love die, new characters are introduced and despite your best intentions you get attached.
Book 43: Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
I'd been hearing good things about Maggot Moon, Sally Gardner's dystopian middle-grade novel, for quite a while, and when I saw it on Diversity in YA's list of Diverse Dystopian YA Books, I decided to bite the bullet and download it to my Nook.
I can see this being required reading in middle school classrooms. It was much more confusing than I was expecting for a middle-grade book, so I think it could really benefit from discussion. I was so eager to find out what was happening in the book, I completely missed that the narrator was dyslexic! And that the story took place in an alternate-history Nazi controlled England. There's a lot here, and I should've slowed down to take it all in, and I should've enlisted a friend to read it along with me.
I liked the alternate history, and all of the space race discussion was pretty awesome. The narrator's POV was unique, and I could cry for how brave he was at the end.
I can see this being required reading in middle school classrooms. It was much more confusing than I was expecting for a middle-grade book, so I think it could really benefit from discussion. I was so eager to find out what was happening in the book, I completely missed that the narrator was dyslexic! And that the story took place in an alternate-history Nazi controlled England. There's a lot here, and I should've slowed down to take it all in, and I should've enlisted a friend to read it along with me.
I liked the alternate history, and all of the space race discussion was pretty awesome. The narrator's POV was unique, and I could cry for how brave he was at the end.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Book 42: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
I went into The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender expecting really great things, so it was probably inevitable that I came away a little disappointed. Normally I love magical realism, and this book, with its protagonist born with wings and its generations of women who turn into birds and bake their feelings, has magic in spades. That might be part of the problem. It just didn't feel entirely genuine to me; the improbable events didn't draw me further into the world of Ava Lavender and her family, instead they alienated me from it. They were just so heavyhanded. I felt like I was just skimming of the surface of the book, but every time I tried to get my hair wet something would slap me back up and out of it.
I want to try to read this book again in a few years, to see if something has shifted and I finally "get it," but I worry that the time I would have truly loved this book would have been limited to when I was sixteen and in love with sobbing over heartbreak and ill-fated love.
The writing is lovely, if a little purple at times. I was a bit surprised at first that the book went so far back into Ava Lavender's family history before getting to her story, but I actually really enjoyed hearing about her mother and grandmother.
Maybe my problem was reading this so soon after Like Water for Chocolate; I was too overloaded on magical realism to begin with. Maybe all of the excellent reviews I read beforehand gave me unrealistic expectations that this book would be one of those few that can read your soul and upend and enhance your understanding of the world. Sadly, it was not that book for me, but I can see how it might be that book for someone else.
I want to try to read this book again in a few years, to see if something has shifted and I finally "get it," but I worry that the time I would have truly loved this book would have been limited to when I was sixteen and in love with sobbing over heartbreak and ill-fated love.
The writing is lovely, if a little purple at times. I was a bit surprised at first that the book went so far back into Ava Lavender's family history before getting to her story, but I actually really enjoyed hearing about her mother and grandmother.
Maybe my problem was reading this so soon after Like Water for Chocolate; I was too overloaded on magical realism to begin with. Maybe all of the excellent reviews I read beforehand gave me unrealistic expectations that this book would be one of those few that can read your soul and upend and enhance your understanding of the world. Sadly, it was not that book for me, but I can see how it might be that book for someone else.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Book 41: Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
This book was incredibly engaging. After her daughter, Amelia, throws herself from the roof of her school, lawyer Kate Baron devotes herself to sifting through her daughter's texts, e-mails, and social media posts to reconstruct the events leading up to her daughter's death. The book is told through the dual perspectives of Kate in the present and Amelia before her death, and it's absolutely gripping to watch the story unfold through the twinning stories. It reminded me quite a bit of Gillian Flynn, though not as gritty. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, but that's a small complaint. A
Book 40: The Body in the Woods by April Henry
This was a nifty little book about teen members of a search and rescue group stumbling across a dead body and then teaming up to find the murderer. Each of the three teenagers has his or her own issues to deal with, and through their alternating viewpoints the author can explore issues like mental illness, homelessness, Asperger's, the war in Iraq, and simply connecting to other people. It's a fast-paced story, and the mystery kept up my interest. Ruby in particular was a great character, and I really enjoyed her story arc. It may be a little scary for younger kids (we also get a few chapters from the murderer's perspective), but the diversity of the main trio could make it a valuable addition to a middle school/high school library.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Book 39: The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon
Print is dead. Will our ability to think die with it? In the near-future, Anana Johnson works for her father at the last American dictionary still in print; all others have long ago sold out to the Word Exchange, a for-profit app for the latest smartphone-style device (the Meme) that supplies definitions for words the user doesn't know. People have grown more and more dependent on the Meme, which anticipates its users needs and desires (a memory of grandma's cookies, for example, will result in the ingredients for the cookies being automatically added to a virtual shopping cart), and some people even have the device implanted directly in their brain.
The last print edition of the dictionary is nearly raedy for publication, but then Anana's father disappears, and a strange word flu (contagious aphasia accompanied by fever) begins to spread.
I'm a little torn on how I feel about the concept of this book. On one hand, I agree with the importance of the printed word. The tactile enjoyment of a good book is highly overlooked, and there's definitely something to be said for looking at something that's not a screen, can't malfunction, and has no load time. But on the other hand, I read this book on an e-reader and am writing this review on a laptop, so there are some definite perks to technology.
Story-wise, this book moves a little too slow to keep the tension running high. Anana's a pretty cool character, a smart everywoman. Bart was interesting enough, although he kinda got on my nerves, and his voice at times seemed a little forced. I wish we'd gotten to see a little more interaction between Bart and Anana; their romance seemed inevitable but lacked a natural progression. It would've been nice to see them working out the mystery together.
The word flu was an interesting plot device, and I have to admit that unforeseen detrimental effects of our over-reliance on technology is pretty scary, as is how vulnerable we may be making ourselves if these devices are tampered with. However, the sheer number of aphasic conversations made the dialogue fairly hard to follow at times. B-
Review based on an uncorrected ARC received from NetGalley.
The last print edition of the dictionary is nearly raedy for publication, but then Anana's father disappears, and a strange word flu (contagious aphasia accompanied by fever) begins to spread.
I'm a little torn on how I feel about the concept of this book. On one hand, I agree with the importance of the printed word. The tactile enjoyment of a good book is highly overlooked, and there's definitely something to be said for looking at something that's not a screen, can't malfunction, and has no load time. But on the other hand, I read this book on an e-reader and am writing this review on a laptop, so there are some definite perks to technology.
Story-wise, this book moves a little too slow to keep the tension running high. Anana's a pretty cool character, a smart everywoman. Bart was interesting enough, although he kinda got on my nerves, and his voice at times seemed a little forced. I wish we'd gotten to see a little more interaction between Bart and Anana; their romance seemed inevitable but lacked a natural progression. It would've been nice to see them working out the mystery together.
The word flu was an interesting plot device, and I have to admit that unforeseen detrimental effects of our over-reliance on technology is pretty scary, as is how vulnerable we may be making ourselves if these devices are tampered with. However, the sheer number of aphasic conversations made the dialogue fairly hard to follow at times. B-
Review based on an uncorrected ARC received from NetGalley.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Book 38: Snobs by Julian Fellowes
I picked up this book because I'm suffering from Downton Abbey withdrawals, so I thought I'd try a novel written by its writer and creator Julian Fellowes. This book is something of a nineties retelling of Vanity Fair, although Becky Sharp is a great deal more clever a social climber than the prevaricating Edith. It's rather fun imagining the Broughton Hall family as a modern-day version of the Downton clan, if their efforts to modernize prove successful. I can totally picture Maggie Smith as Lady Uckfield. The class distinctions and ins-and-outs of the aristocracy are as fascinating and indecipherable to me as ever, and all of the characters are of course snobbish, but that's right in the title. Fans of Downton (particularly the "upstairs" set; no glimpse of servants here) will enjoy the social commentary and subtle humor, but if you're more into plot-driven books you may find this a bore. B+
Monday, April 7, 2014
Book 37: Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
I brought this along on my trip to Mexico because I thought the location would amplify my enjoyment of both the book and the vacation (even if I wasn't really in the same region of Mexico as the book was set).
I loved the recipes, the language, the symbolism, and I'm a huge fan of magical realism. The love story would be questionable if this story were more realistic (John > Pedro), but for this dreamy, fairy-tale of a story it works.
I loved the recipes, the language, the symbolism, and I'm a huge fan of magical realism. The love story would be questionable if this story were more realistic (John > Pedro), but for this dreamy, fairy-tale of a story it works.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Book 36: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
In the year 2044, everyone lives their lives in a virtual universe. The OASIS was introduced in 2014 and grew in popularity as the price of fuel skyrocketed and overpopulation drove up the cost of living and caused global food shortages. The future is pretty bleak.
So when the creator of the OASIS dies, leaving as his will a series of 80s-based riddles (he was obsessed with 80s pop culture, and geek culture in general), everyone is desperate to solve the riddles, find the Easter Egg hidden somewhere in the OASIS, and inherit his fortune. Our hero, Wade Watts, devotes all of his time to the search because his real life is, again, pretty bleak.
Despite that, this book was a lot of fun, like a techie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I loved all the pop culture references, and the author did a great job of raising the stakes at each victory, so tension remained high. I adored the three main characters (especially Art3mis! Gotta love a love interest with goals that don't always involve a relationship with the protagonist) and learning the history of the OASIS's creators. And although I do appreciate the ultimate message about valuing real life over virtual life, the fully immersive online environment, filled with every type of world you can imagine, sounded like so much fun! A
So when the creator of the OASIS dies, leaving as his will a series of 80s-based riddles (he was obsessed with 80s pop culture, and geek culture in general), everyone is desperate to solve the riddles, find the Easter Egg hidden somewhere in the OASIS, and inherit his fortune. Our hero, Wade Watts, devotes all of his time to the search because his real life is, again, pretty bleak.
Despite that, this book was a lot of fun, like a techie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I loved all the pop culture references, and the author did a great job of raising the stakes at each victory, so tension remained high. I adored the three main characters (especially Art3mis! Gotta love a love interest with goals that don't always involve a relationship with the protagonist) and learning the history of the OASIS's creators. And although I do appreciate the ultimate message about valuing real life over virtual life, the fully immersive online environment, filled with every type of world you can imagine, sounded like so much fun! A
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Book 35: The Man Who Sees Ghosts by Friedrich Schiller
Sorry for the long absence! Just got back from a glorious vacation in Tulum, Mexico, so I'm still playing catch-up.
I love reading about Romantic era's obsession with the occult, so the first half of this book, with its mysterious ghost, seance, and ultra-logical unmasking of fraud was great fun. The second half slowed for me a bit, and I'm afraid my history was too rusty for me to grasp the significance of the religious conversion plot until the very end. Still, it's always fun to read a nearly forgotten classic. B
I love reading about Romantic era's obsession with the occult, so the first half of this book, with its mysterious ghost, seance, and ultra-logical unmasking of fraud was great fun. The second half slowed for me a bit, and I'm afraid my history was too rusty for me to grasp the significance of the religious conversion plot until the very end. Still, it's always fun to read a nearly forgotten classic. B
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Book 34: Ordinary People by Judith Guest
I saw pieces of this movie in a college psychology class, so when I saw the ebook on sale at Barnes and Noble, I snapped it up. Conrad Jarrett is coping with his brother's death and his own recovery from a suicide attempt and depression. His father, Cal, is also struggling with the discovery that his perfect family and perfect marriage aren't all that they seem to be on the surface.
This is a great little book about depression and the journey toward independence and adulthood. Guest's depiction of depression is spot on, and her portrayal of the Jarrett family is nuanced and layered. I love how the family dynamic gains more and more depth as the book goes on. I want to watch the movie all the way through now! B+
This is a great little book about depression and the journey toward independence and adulthood. Guest's depiction of depression is spot on, and her portrayal of the Jarrett family is nuanced and layered. I love how the family dynamic gains more and more depth as the book goes on. I want to watch the movie all the way through now! B+
Monday, March 24, 2014
Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Things on my Bookish Bucket List
Top Ten Tuesday topic is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's topic is Top Ten Things on my Bookish Bucket List! I've never thought about making a bucket list for book-related goals, but it was a lot of fun coming up with things. I hope I can cross some of these off soon!
1. Join a book club. My boyfriend and I belonged to a graphic novel book club in NOVA, and it was a really good experience. It was a lot of fun discussing the book together all month (he's not much of a reader usually), then going to the meeting and finding out what everyone else thought. We'd usually turn it into a nice little date night, getting dinner and drinks afterward. Now that I've moved, I really need to find another club that meets on a convenient night. Book People in Austin has a ton of amazing-sounding book clubs; I want to go to them all!
2. Attend a Neil Gaiman book reading. I feel like I always find out about these too late, or I'm away when he comes to my city. I need to keep an eye on my local bookstores' event schedules and see if I can catch him next time he goes on tour.
3. Organize my shelves. Back when I only had two shelves, my books were perfectly organized alphabetically by author, fiction separated from nonfiction. My library's gotten a bit unwieldy since then, but I'd love to sit down one week and get it all organized again.
4. Swap out my old $5 paperback classics for hardbound or leather editions. This one will probably have to wait until I've bought a house, so I can avoid a bit of heavy lifting during moving, but they would look so beautiful on the shelf!
5. Read Ulysses. I named my cat after this book, and I haven't even read it! I've wanted to since college, but I'm so intimidated by it. I want to get this book and a reader's guide to read along with it. This is my Mt. Everest.
6. Write a book. I'd love to do this, but writing's so hard. This is definitely a long-term goal...
7. Read 130 books this year. I love using the Goodreads Reading Challenge every year. Whenever I'd get asked about good books I'd read lately, I'd always draw a blank, and the Reading Challenge really helps me keep track of all the titles I've read recently.
8. Write a brief review of every book I read in 2014. This is the whole point of this blog, after all.
9. Spend less money. Way too much of my salary goes to book buying. I need to check out some local libraries.
10. Buy more books from independent book stores and independent publishers. There's an amazing book store in Austin called Malvern Books that only sells books by independent presses. I love going there and looking through their selection, and because of this store I've gotten addicted to books from Pushkin Press. Something about their books is just really enjoyable on a tactile level; they're the perfect size and shape, and I love the French flaps. Books like that exemplify why I hope printed books never truly die.
This week's topic is Top Ten Things on my Bookish Bucket List! I've never thought about making a bucket list for book-related goals, but it was a lot of fun coming up with things. I hope I can cross some of these off soon!
1. Join a book club. My boyfriend and I belonged to a graphic novel book club in NOVA, and it was a really good experience. It was a lot of fun discussing the book together all month (he's not much of a reader usually), then going to the meeting and finding out what everyone else thought. We'd usually turn it into a nice little date night, getting dinner and drinks afterward. Now that I've moved, I really need to find another club that meets on a convenient night. Book People in Austin has a ton of amazing-sounding book clubs; I want to go to them all!
2. Attend a Neil Gaiman book reading. I feel like I always find out about these too late, or I'm away when he comes to my city. I need to keep an eye on my local bookstores' event schedules and see if I can catch him next time he goes on tour.
3. Organize my shelves. Back when I only had two shelves, my books were perfectly organized alphabetically by author, fiction separated from nonfiction. My library's gotten a bit unwieldy since then, but I'd love to sit down one week and get it all organized again.
4. Swap out my old $5 paperback classics for hardbound or leather editions. This one will probably have to wait until I've bought a house, so I can avoid a bit of heavy lifting during moving, but they would look so beautiful on the shelf!
5. Read Ulysses. I named my cat after this book, and I haven't even read it! I've wanted to since college, but I'm so intimidated by it. I want to get this book and a reader's guide to read along with it. This is my Mt. Everest.
6. Write a book. I'd love to do this, but writing's so hard. This is definitely a long-term goal...
7. Read 130 books this year. I love using the Goodreads Reading Challenge every year. Whenever I'd get asked about good books I'd read lately, I'd always draw a blank, and the Reading Challenge really helps me keep track of all the titles I've read recently.
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| CultureMap Austin |
9. Spend less money. Way too much of my salary goes to book buying. I need to check out some local libraries.
10. Buy more books from independent book stores and independent publishers. There's an amazing book store in Austin called Malvern Books that only sells books by independent presses. I love going there and looking through their selection, and because of this store I've gotten addicted to books from Pushkin Press. Something about their books is just really enjoyable on a tactile level; they're the perfect size and shape, and I love the French flaps. Books like that exemplify why I hope printed books never truly die.
Book 33: The Holy Terrors (Les Enfants Terribles) by Jean Cocteau
I think the draw of this book was probably in the language of the original; Jean Cocteau was just so quintessentially French, and this book is so subtle and atmospheric that it couldn't help but lose something in the translation. I'd love to brush up on my French sometime and read the original. Anyway, this book is about the obsessive relationship between a brother and sister and two outsiders who are drawn into their inner circle, mostly as observers. It didn't really resonate with me personally, but it certainly has literary merit. It probably outs me as a philistine, but B.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Book 32: Reality Boy by A. S. King
This was an engrossing read. Main character Gerald was featured in a reality nanny show (think Supernanny) when he was five, where he became famous for his outbursts. Now in high school, he still can't escape people recognizing him and judging him for his behavior on the show.
Of course, there's a great gaping gulf between reality and reality television, and King explores the truth of Gerald's home life, how the famous scenes from the show played out during filming, and how the editing has negatively impacted Gerald's life. It's something I've wondered about reality stars, especially children who've become famous on reality TV. Alana Thompson, for example, is never going to escape being Honey Boo Boo, and how many of us would really like to be permanently locked in to a persona we wore when we were six?
Gerald has an awful home life and few friends. His oldest sister is abusive, and neither of his parents stand up to her, and his mother actively enables her. Of course, Gerald meets a girl, but Hannah is a fully-fledged character with problems of her own, and she avoids falling into any sort of savior role (in my opinion). Every minor character, in fact, was well realized and integral to Gerald's emotional journey.
This book was a bit darker and more emotional than I'd expected, but I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended. A.
Of course, there's a great gaping gulf between reality and reality television, and King explores the truth of Gerald's home life, how the famous scenes from the show played out during filming, and how the editing has negatively impacted Gerald's life. It's something I've wondered about reality stars, especially children who've become famous on reality TV. Alana Thompson, for example, is never going to escape being Honey Boo Boo, and how many of us would really like to be permanently locked in to a persona we wore when we were six?
Gerald has an awful home life and few friends. His oldest sister is abusive, and neither of his parents stand up to her, and his mother actively enables her. Of course, Gerald meets a girl, but Hannah is a fully-fledged character with problems of her own, and she avoids falling into any sort of savior role (in my opinion). Every minor character, in fact, was well realized and integral to Gerald's emotional journey.
This book was a bit darker and more emotional than I'd expected, but I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended. A.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Book 31: Her Husband's Hands and Other Stories by Adam-Troy Castro
This is a short-story sci-fi collection that covers a range of subjects. Going in I was a little hesitant. The foreword was a little too smug and name-droppy for my taste, and the first story, about a world in which fetuses run the world and life begins at conception and ends at birth, made me a bit apprehensive that the whole book might substitute interesting ideas for controversy-stirring political fables. Happily, this was not the case.
I liked some of the stories over others. "Her Husband's Hands," about a woman whose soldier husband returns home as a pair of hands attached to a back-up memory, had a great deal of emotional resonance, and Castro did a wonderful job of portraying the woman's struggle to adjust to her husband's new life.
"Of a Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs" is quite possible the best story in the collection, about a paradise in which all residents truly love and value life—but at a great cost.
"Cherub," however, is my personal favorite of the lot. In this story, everyone is born with a demon clinging to them, revealing their bad traits for all to see. Rapists, murders, the lazy, all are marked from birth. And then a child is born with not a demon clinging to him, but a cherub. Although a short story, the world-building was well done and convincing, and I was genuinely surprised by every turn the story took. I was still thinking about the ending for days afterward. B
I liked some of the stories over others. "Her Husband's Hands," about a woman whose soldier husband returns home as a pair of hands attached to a back-up memory, had a great deal of emotional resonance, and Castro did a wonderful job of portraying the woman's struggle to adjust to her husband's new life.
"Of a Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs" is quite possible the best story in the collection, about a paradise in which all residents truly love and value life—but at a great cost.
"Cherub," however, is my personal favorite of the lot. In this story, everyone is born with a demon clinging to them, revealing their bad traits for all to see. Rapists, murders, the lazy, all are marked from birth. And then a child is born with not a demon clinging to him, but a cherub. Although a short story, the world-building was well done and convincing, and I was genuinely surprised by every turn the story took. I was still thinking about the ending for days afterward. B
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Book 30: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Sixteen-year-old Mara Dyer awakes in a hospital with no memory of surviving the terrible accident that killed her best friend, boyfriend, and weaselly frenemy. The trauma causes her family to move to Florida, but now Mara is hallucinating her dead friends, and additional inexplicable deaths are piling up around her. Also, there's a cute guy.
This book made me feel old. Poor Noah, I can see how teenage me could have found him totally swoonworthy, but mid-twenties me is just not having it. It is neither believable nor attractive when a seventeen-year-old boy orders for his date in perfect Spanish without even allowing her to look at the menu. On their first date! He doesn't know what she likes! What if she had allergies? What's with the single-minded pursuit of her, anyway? Where are his other friends, his hobbies, evidence of a life or inner monologue in existence before the new girl became his raison d'etre? I suppose this is my psyche's indication that I am moving away from teenagerhood and creeping closer to potential mother-of-teenagerhood (perish the thought!), so maybe that made me extra grumpy, but still! No teenager is this suave. No human on earth could be this suave. The romance comprises a major portion of this story, and I just couldn't believe it because this guy is more unreal than Mara's hallucinations.
I was also a little weirded out that all the warnings of playerism from platonic token-of-all-trades friend Jamie were summarily ignored and then banished from the book without further regard, along with poor Jamie himself, whose only purpose seemed to be the thankless chore of tutoring our heroine in Spanish and algebra.
It was a quick read, and I liked Mara's relationship with her family. Her struggles to deal with her recovering memories and the aftermath as well as her best friend's death were engaging.
I don't know if I can stick with this through the whole series, but I do feel compelled to read at least the sequel at some point. Damn you cliffhanger ending! B-/C.
This book made me feel old. Poor Noah, I can see how teenage me could have found him totally swoonworthy, but mid-twenties me is just not having it. It is neither believable nor attractive when a seventeen-year-old boy orders for his date in perfect Spanish without even allowing her to look at the menu. On their first date! He doesn't know what she likes! What if she had allergies? What's with the single-minded pursuit of her, anyway? Where are his other friends, his hobbies, evidence of a life or inner monologue in existence before the new girl became his raison d'etre? I suppose this is my psyche's indication that I am moving away from teenagerhood and creeping closer to potential mother-of-teenagerhood (perish the thought!), so maybe that made me extra grumpy, but still! No teenager is this suave. No human on earth could be this suave. The romance comprises a major portion of this story, and I just couldn't believe it because this guy is more unreal than Mara's hallucinations.
I was also a little weirded out that all the warnings of playerism from platonic token-of-all-trades friend Jamie were summarily ignored and then banished from the book without further regard, along with poor Jamie himself, whose only purpose seemed to be the thankless chore of tutoring our heroine in Spanish and algebra.
It was a quick read, and I liked Mara's relationship with her family. Her struggles to deal with her recovering memories and the aftermath as well as her best friend's death were engaging.
I don't know if I can stick with this through the whole series, but I do feel compelled to read at least the sequel at some point. Damn you cliffhanger ending! B-/C.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books on My Spring 2014 TBR List
Top Ten Tuesday topic is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's topic is Top Ten Books on My Spring 2014 TBR List! I've got so many books on my TBR list, it's hard to narrow it down to just ten!
1. The Violent Century by Lavie Tidhar: I've got the paperback for this preordered and heading my way in April! I saw a few reviews comparing it to Alan Moore's Watchmen, and I was immediately intrigued. Hoping this will be one I can talk the boyfriend into reading as well.
2. Authority by Jeff VanderMeer: The second of VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, the first book of which I just reviewed. This book comes out in May!
3. Enders by Lissa Price: I read Starters way back in 2012 (I have to admit that I picked it up based solely on its cover, which is way cooler in person, all textured and sparkly), and the sequel got a bit delayed and just fell off my radar, but it looks like it's out now! I'll have to reread the first book before starting Enders.
4. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight: I just had to have this book last fall, and then it sat on my TBR shelf forever. Gotta remedy that!
5. Fiend by Peter Stenson: I overheard a coworker talking about this book last week, and I had to look it up. A zombie novel from the point-of-view of a meth addict? Dying to read it.
6. Sleep Donation by Karen Russell: I haven't read Swamplandia, but this book has been getting lots of good buzz, about an insomnia epidemic. This comes out March 25.
7. Wild Fell by Michael Rowe: This ghost story sounded like it would be right up my alley, so I look forward to finding a dark and stormy night to snuggle up under a blanket with this one. Too bad real stormy nights are such a rarity in Austin!
8. The Archived by Victoria Schwab: This book has been on my TBR list for so long that I forgot about it and tried to add it again! Gotta read this one.
9. The Who FAQ by Mike Segretto: A book on my favorite band by the man behind the excellent PsychoBabble, a blog about retro rock and classic horror. I'm looking forward to reading this when it comes out in May!
10. Drinking with Men: A Memoir by Rosie Schaap: Another one that I just had to buy and then let sit on my shelf for a shamefully long time. I'm still pretty new to Austin, and this book feels like it could be an accessory to my nostalgia about nights out at bars with old friends in previous cities. Maybe I'll be inspired to seek out a new hangout.
This week's topic is Top Ten Books on My Spring 2014 TBR List! I've got so many books on my TBR list, it's hard to narrow it down to just ten!
1. The Violent Century by Lavie Tidhar: I've got the paperback for this preordered and heading my way in April! I saw a few reviews comparing it to Alan Moore's Watchmen, and I was immediately intrigued. Hoping this will be one I can talk the boyfriend into reading as well.2. Authority by Jeff VanderMeer: The second of VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, the first book of which I just reviewed. This book comes out in May!
3. Enders by Lissa Price: I read Starters way back in 2012 (I have to admit that I picked it up based solely on its cover, which is way cooler in person, all textured and sparkly), and the sequel got a bit delayed and just fell off my radar, but it looks like it's out now! I'll have to reread the first book before starting Enders.
4. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight: I just had to have this book last fall, and then it sat on my TBR shelf forever. Gotta remedy that!5. Fiend by Peter Stenson: I overheard a coworker talking about this book last week, and I had to look it up. A zombie novel from the point-of-view of a meth addict? Dying to read it.
6. Sleep Donation by Karen Russell: I haven't read Swamplandia, but this book has been getting lots of good buzz, about an insomnia epidemic. This comes out March 25.
7. Wild Fell by Michael Rowe: This ghost story sounded like it would be right up my alley, so I look forward to finding a dark and stormy night to snuggle up under a blanket with this one. Too bad real stormy nights are such a rarity in Austin!
8. The Archived by Victoria Schwab: This book has been on my TBR list for so long that I forgot about it and tried to add it again! Gotta read this one.9. The Who FAQ by Mike Segretto: A book on my favorite band by the man behind the excellent PsychoBabble, a blog about retro rock and classic horror. I'm looking forward to reading this when it comes out in May!
10. Drinking with Men: A Memoir by Rosie Schaap: Another one that I just had to buy and then let sit on my shelf for a shamefully long time. I'm still pretty new to Austin, and this book feels like it could be an accessory to my nostalgia about nights out at bars with old friends in previous cities. Maybe I'll be inspired to seek out a new hangout.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Book 29: Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (Southern Reach Trilogy no.1)
Four women—a biologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist, and a surveyor—are sent on an expedition into the mysterious Area X. Previous expeditions either come back changed or don't come back at all, and the border between Area X and the rest of the world is expanding. The book follows the biologist, a loner determined to find out what her husband experienced in the eleventh expedition, and determined to find out everything she can about the laws of nature-defying Area X.This book was creepy creepy creepy. I loved it. I was impatient to finish each page; like the biologist, I just wanted to understand as much about Area X as I could before I ran out of time, or rather pages. The book was very Lovecraftian in its creeping sense of dread and the gradual revelations about the horrors of the lighthouse and the wall-scrawling creature that lurked in the Tower. The biologist was the perfect narrator for us to follow into this world—intelligent, focused, driven—and the parallels in the discoveries she made about Area X and her relationship with her husband were emotionally resonant in a character that could easily have been dismissed as cold and emotionless.
I was so excited to read that the rest of the trilogy would be published in 2014 as well! A.
Book 28: The Secret History by Donna Tartt
This book was amazing. It's a perfect example of a book that can speak to you despite the fact that neither the characters nor their situations are relatable. Richard Papen escapes his drab suburban Californian hometown for a prestigious college in Vermont and immediately becomes enamored with an elite group of students in the exclusive Greek program, led by a charismatic professor. But as Richard grows closer to the group, he becomes more entangled in their web of secrets.
The group of Greek students represents everything Richard has dreamed of from his dreary home life in California—wealth, sophistication, intellectualism—and I think one of the main appeals of this book is watching Richard's dream gradually warp into a nightmare. Even if I've never been complicit in the murder of a friend, I'm all too familiar with the sensation of experiencing an ideal crumble.
The writing is tense and compelling, and Tartt's send-up of the pretensions of her her college cast is absolutely on point. A+
The group of Greek students represents everything Richard has dreamed of from his dreary home life in California—wealth, sophistication, intellectualism—and I think one of the main appeals of this book is watching Richard's dream gradually warp into a nightmare. Even if I've never been complicit in the murder of a friend, I'm all too familiar with the sensation of experiencing an ideal crumble.
The writing is tense and compelling, and Tartt's send-up of the pretensions of her her college cast is absolutely on point. A+
Monday, March 10, 2014
Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Ghost Stories
Top Ten Tuesday topic is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's topic is Top Ten All-Time Favorite Books in X Genre, so I picked my top ten ghost story books! Not all of these are scary, so even if you're not into horror you might find something you'd like. :)
1. A Fine and Private Place by Peter S. Beagle: This is one of my favorite books of all time. It's sort of like a grown-up version of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. Both the prose and the story are heartrendingly beautiful.
2. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick: This is the sweetest little story that left me feeling warm and happy. The relationship between Captain Gregg and the widowed Mrs. Muir is adorable. I haven't seen the 1947 film adaptation yet, but it's on my list!
3. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill: By Stephen King's son, Heart-Shaped Box is one of the scariest books I've ever read, but the journey of aging rock star Judas Coyne, who bought a vengeful ghost on the internet, is compelling.
4. A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb: Another favorite of mine in any genre. The love story between the two ghosts is one of the best I've ever read, and the writing is gorgeous.
5. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell: A childhood classic! These stories and illustrations were burned into my subconscious from many a late-night sleepover reading.
6. The Ghost and Goth by Stacey Kade: More funny than spooky, this YA book has humor and heart. Popular cheerleader-turned-ghost Alona and goth loner Will have a great dynamic together.
7. From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury: The inspiration for The Addams Family, this book is best read under covers on a chilly October night.
8. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman: I alluded to this one earlier, but it really is a sweet book . . . about a boy living in a graveyard, befriended by ghosts. Neil Gaiman has a wonderful handle on the parallel sensations of magic and fear that are so integral to childhood.
9. The Shining by Stephen King: You can't mention ghosts without thinking of the infamous Overlook Hotel!
10. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill: The book is much spookier than the Daniel Radcliffe film. Haunted houses isolated by haunted swamps, secret rooms, and tragic histories are the perfect backdrop for a good spine-tingling ghost story.
This week's topic is Top Ten All-Time Favorite Books in X Genre, so I picked my top ten ghost story books! Not all of these are scary, so even if you're not into horror you might find something you'd like. :)
1. A Fine and Private Place by Peter S. Beagle: This is one of my favorite books of all time. It's sort of like a grown-up version of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. Both the prose and the story are heartrendingly beautiful.2. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick: This is the sweetest little story that left me feeling warm and happy. The relationship between Captain Gregg and the widowed Mrs. Muir is adorable. I haven't seen the 1947 film adaptation yet, but it's on my list!
3. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill: By Stephen King's son, Heart-Shaped Box is one of the scariest books I've ever read, but the journey of aging rock star Judas Coyne, who bought a vengeful ghost on the internet, is compelling.
4. A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb: Another favorite of mine in any genre. The love story between the two ghosts is one of the best I've ever read, and the writing is gorgeous.
5. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell: A childhood classic! These stories and illustrations were burned into my subconscious from many a late-night sleepover reading.6. The Ghost and Goth by Stacey Kade: More funny than spooky, this YA book has humor and heart. Popular cheerleader-turned-ghost Alona and goth loner Will have a great dynamic together.
7. From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury: The inspiration for The Addams Family, this book is best read under covers on a chilly October night.
8. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman: I alluded to this one earlier, but it really is a sweet book . . . about a boy living in a graveyard, befriended by ghosts. Neil Gaiman has a wonderful handle on the parallel sensations of magic and fear that are so integral to childhood.
9. The Shining by Stephen King: You can't mention ghosts without thinking of the infamous Overlook Hotel!
10. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill: The book is much spookier than the Daniel Radcliffe film. Haunted houses isolated by haunted swamps, secret rooms, and tragic histories are the perfect backdrop for a good spine-tingling ghost story.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Book 27: John Dreamer by Elise Celine
Seven teens wake up in a white room, completely blank but for seven individually designed chairs, and are told by a mysterious, godlike figure that they're there to help make their dreams come true.
The premise is actually more interesting and less creepy than I made it sound. The group embark on a series of dreamlike scenarios that are intended to help each member overcome one of their fears and develop the strength to achieve their dreams. The only catch is that the teens never know what's real and what's a scenario, or who the scenario is meant to help, and failure to rise to the occasion is always a possibility.
It's a cool idea, and I applaud the message of developing confidence and inner strength. Unfortunately, there were a few problems with this book that kept me from completely enjoying it. The characters were fairly flat, and it was difficult to care about or fully appreciate the transformation that they supposedly had to undergo before leaving the white room.
The main two characters, Andy and John, were especially lacking. Andy, the narrator, was an almost completely blank slate. We find out a bit more about her toward the end of the book, but she's not nearly flawed enough to be interesting or developed enough to be believable. Love interest John is the same way: handsome and kind . . . and nothing else. Andy literally falls for him in eight and a half seconds. (She counts!) I felt like the story would almost be more enjoyable if the author had cut Andy and John out entirely and focused more on the spoiled rich girl, surly rocker, timid wallflower, alien-obsessed nerd, or insecure fat kid. Andy and John were just so static; their characters had nowhere to develop.
In fact, the strongest chapter might have been the one in which the POV switched over to sullen bully Roy. I was actually invested in his character arc, rooting for him to change, and I felt like there was a real risk that he wouldn't be able to.
The book also could've benefited from another round of editing; there were a few awkward turns of phrases ("would have been losing my time" when "would have been wasting my time" sounds more natural) and not-quite-organic dialogue from the teens. I did get this from NetGalley, so maybe the finished version is more polished.
The images and cover were lovely; I found myself looking forward to each chapter break just for the illustrations.
All in all, good idea and good message, but I think another few workshopping sessions and editorial reviews could have transformed this book from mediocre to amazing. C.
Review based on an uncorrected ARC received from NetGalley.
The premise is actually more interesting and less creepy than I made it sound. The group embark on a series of dreamlike scenarios that are intended to help each member overcome one of their fears and develop the strength to achieve their dreams. The only catch is that the teens never know what's real and what's a scenario, or who the scenario is meant to help, and failure to rise to the occasion is always a possibility.
It's a cool idea, and I applaud the message of developing confidence and inner strength. Unfortunately, there were a few problems with this book that kept me from completely enjoying it. The characters were fairly flat, and it was difficult to care about or fully appreciate the transformation that they supposedly had to undergo before leaving the white room.
The main two characters, Andy and John, were especially lacking. Andy, the narrator, was an almost completely blank slate. We find out a bit more about her toward the end of the book, but she's not nearly flawed enough to be interesting or developed enough to be believable. Love interest John is the same way: handsome and kind . . . and nothing else. Andy literally falls for him in eight and a half seconds. (She counts!) I felt like the story would almost be more enjoyable if the author had cut Andy and John out entirely and focused more on the spoiled rich girl, surly rocker, timid wallflower, alien-obsessed nerd, or insecure fat kid. Andy and John were just so static; their characters had nowhere to develop.
In fact, the strongest chapter might have been the one in which the POV switched over to sullen bully Roy. I was actually invested in his character arc, rooting for him to change, and I felt like there was a real risk that he wouldn't be able to.
The book also could've benefited from another round of editing; there were a few awkward turns of phrases ("would have been losing my time" when "would have been wasting my time" sounds more natural) and not-quite-organic dialogue from the teens. I did get this from NetGalley, so maybe the finished version is more polished.
The images and cover were lovely; I found myself looking forward to each chapter break just for the illustrations.
All in all, good idea and good message, but I think another few workshopping sessions and editorial reviews could have transformed this book from mediocre to amazing. C.
Review based on an uncorrected ARC received from NetGalley.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Book 26: The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
I'm often drawn to time-travel books, but I'm usually disappointed by
the execution. It's just too hard to keep a compelling story featuring
time travel moving along without leaving gargantuan plot holes in its
wake (The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes is a notable exception). The Here and Now, by Ann Brashares of Traveling Pants fame, does a decent job bringing to life a stellar idea, but I felt the book left me a little unfulfilled.
Prenna belongs to a secretive community of refugees who fled the tail-end of the twenty-first century to settle in our present day (the book takes place in 2014, though the group immigrated a little earlier). Although the group ostensibly colonized the past to try to change the horrible future facing Earth (carbon emissions increased, leading to global warming; a horrible blood disease turned epidemic and is spread by mosquito bites; and all progress is nonexistent), their leaders are now more focused on staying hidden and preserving the time line as is. One of the major rules is avoiding intimacy with "time natives," but this rule is beginning to pose a problem for Prenna, who finds herself developing feelings for her classmate Ethan. Ethan, unbeknownst to Prenna, saw her as she first appeared in the present day exiting the time stream and has been intrigued by physics and time travel (and Prenna) ever since.
I had a tough time deciding what age group this book was directed toward. The plot was light on the detail and angst I've come to associate with YA, but the mention of sex, though totally PG and appropriate in context, seemed a little out-of-place for middle grade (but maybe I'm just behind the times here). I always enjoy the teenagers-versus-the-establishment plot variety, and I appreciated that Ethan and Prenna were fighting something more important than just their relationship. Both seemed to place greater priority on the lives jeopardized by the actions of the time travel leaders. However, their little vacation detours, although sweet, did kind of detract from the tension of the story. I suppose they were necessary to build the relationship between Ethan and Prenna into something past insta-love. Both characters were likable, although Prenna seemed a little more hesitant, and I liked Ethan's directness and sense of humor. The Traveler One storyline was excellent, although my mind ran in circles trying to keep the alternate timelines straight. And the ending was tragic.
So, great idea, decent-but-not-stellar execution, and lots to think about. It felt a lot shorter than it actually was, which is usually a good sign, but I found myself craving more detail and substance. I think this would be a fun book to read in a book club just because there's a lot to dissect; I'd love to hear other people's thoughts. B.
Review based on an uncorrected ARC received from NetGalley.
Prenna belongs to a secretive community of refugees who fled the tail-end of the twenty-first century to settle in our present day (the book takes place in 2014, though the group immigrated a little earlier). Although the group ostensibly colonized the past to try to change the horrible future facing Earth (carbon emissions increased, leading to global warming; a horrible blood disease turned epidemic and is spread by mosquito bites; and all progress is nonexistent), their leaders are now more focused on staying hidden and preserving the time line as is. One of the major rules is avoiding intimacy with "time natives," but this rule is beginning to pose a problem for Prenna, who finds herself developing feelings for her classmate Ethan. Ethan, unbeknownst to Prenna, saw her as she first appeared in the present day exiting the time stream and has been intrigued by physics and time travel (and Prenna) ever since.
I had a tough time deciding what age group this book was directed toward. The plot was light on the detail and angst I've come to associate with YA, but the mention of sex, though totally PG and appropriate in context, seemed a little out-of-place for middle grade (but maybe I'm just behind the times here). I always enjoy the teenagers-versus-the-establishment plot variety, and I appreciated that Ethan and Prenna were fighting something more important than just their relationship. Both seemed to place greater priority on the lives jeopardized by the actions of the time travel leaders. However, their little vacation detours, although sweet, did kind of detract from the tension of the story. I suppose they were necessary to build the relationship between Ethan and Prenna into something past insta-love. Both characters were likable, although Prenna seemed a little more hesitant, and I liked Ethan's directness and sense of humor. The Traveler One storyline was excellent, although my mind ran in circles trying to keep the alternate timelines straight. And the ending was tragic.
So, great idea, decent-but-not-stellar execution, and lots to think about. It felt a lot shorter than it actually was, which is usually a good sign, but I found myself craving more detail and substance. I think this would be a fun book to read in a book club just because there's a lot to dissect; I'd love to hear other people's thoughts. B.
Review based on an uncorrected ARC received from NetGalley.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Book 25: The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane
Goodness, this book is anxiety-inducing. It really is perfectly crafted, every word perfectly calculated to draw the reader further in; I'm surprised that this is McFarlane's first book.
Ruth is an elderly widow living alone in a house on the beach. She has two adult sons who call occasionally and visit infrequently. Ruth is proud of her independence, and so she is unsure of how she feels when Frida shows up at her door, claiming to be her government-assigned carer. Ruth's meditations on aging, her childhood in Fiji, and her first love are absolutely beautiful, and it's impossible to look away from Ruth's paranoia and gradual unraveling as Frida insinuates herself further and further into her life. A.
Ruth is an elderly widow living alone in a house on the beach. She has two adult sons who call occasionally and visit infrequently. Ruth is proud of her independence, and so she is unsure of how she feels when Frida shows up at her door, claiming to be her government-assigned carer. Ruth's meditations on aging, her childhood in Fiji, and her first love are absolutely beautiful, and it's impossible to look away from Ruth's paranoia and gradual unraveling as Frida insinuates herself further and further into her life. A.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Book 24: Cress by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #3)
I really enjoyed the third entry in this series; I thought it was the best one yet. It was still easy to spot the twists from miles away, but that's not such a terrible problem to have. (If you can't surprise your readers, at least let them feel smart, right?) I love how Meyer has now introduced three (and a brief appearance by a fourth, it seems) major female characters, all of whom have distinctly different interests and personalities, and all of whom manage to be strong characters without falling into the "strong female character" caricature (see these comics by Hark a Vagrant's Kate Beaton for some hilarious examples). Because it's YA, all the characters have love interests, and as I said in an earlier review, I don't really buy the foundations of these relationships, but all of the characters can stand alone, and I appreciate that they all (except maybe Wolf) seem to recognize that they have more important things to do than moon over their love life. Excited to read Winter when it comes out! A
Book 23: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #2)
I was happy to see that this book continued to follow Cinder and Kai even after introducing Scarlet. I don't quite buy the building of the romances in the series (why did Scarlet think Wolf was going along with her to confront the dangerous gang he'd supposedly fled just a few weeks ago?), but they are sweet. I thought this book was slightly weaker than the first, but I like where the series is going. B-
Monday, February 24, 2014
Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Read in 2013
Top Ten Tuesday topic is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
Today is a Top Ten Tuesday Rewind! Since I started this blog in 2014, I chose to do the Top Ten Books I read in 2013 so I'd have a chance to mention some of my favorite books from last year.
1. The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell: About the making of The Room, one of the best bad movies ever! I do love The Room, but this book can stand on its own merits as well. It had me laughing out loud at some passages and tearing up at others. It really does a good job at depicting the utter ridiculousness of Tommy Wiseau's movie-making plans without mocking him or undermining how hard he worked to make his ridiculous dreams come true.
2. Under the Light by Laura Whitcomb: A Certain Slant of Light is easily one of the most beautiful books I've ever read, and the sequel, while not quite as magic, was a joy to read.
3. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick: It was chilling to read these personal stories from former North Korean citizens. It's easy to read, and the personal stories from the six individuals profiled have more impact than any statistic.
4. If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman: These books were so sad but so uplifting at the same time. Good reads.
5. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh: I love Hyperbole and a Half! Brosh is hilarious, and she has a real talent for portraying every nuance of expression with simplified drawings. Her stories about her dogs and her childhood are priceless!
6. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: All of Rainbow Rowell's books were amazing, but Fangirl so far is my favorite. I loved reading about Cath's first year of college, her fears of growing apart from her twin, and her worries about growing up.
7. Tenth of December by George Saunders: This was a Rumpus Book Club pick, and it's probably one of my favorites from there. Lots of complex short stories here; each one gives you a lot to think about.
8. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion: I love zombie movies, but I very rarely enjoy zombie books, so I really wasn't expecting to like this one. I also hate when the monsters that frighten me are turned into saccharine romantic heroes, with neither fangs nor depth. This book was a happy surprise, and though I still prefer my zombies scary, R was certainly endearing.
9. Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple: I love how this book managed to surprise me by humanizing characters that had seemed like one-dimensional nuisances. Books like this always remind me to show more empathy toward people who irritate or antagonize me in real life, which I appreciate.
10. Hild by Nicola Griffith: About Saint Hilda in seventh-century Great Britain. This book felt epic! Definitely a good pick for a fan of Game of Thrones, but maybe looking for some more empowering female characters and some historical accuracy.
Bonus! Pivot Point by Kasie West: Like I mentioned in my review for the sequel, Split Second, I loved the dual points of view from Addie's two diverging powers. I would love to have this super power; I'm so indecisive that I'd probably use it for every tiny decision I had to make.
Today is a Top Ten Tuesday Rewind! Since I started this blog in 2014, I chose to do the Top Ten Books I read in 2013 so I'd have a chance to mention some of my favorite books from last year.
1. The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell: About the making of The Room, one of the best bad movies ever! I do love The Room, but this book can stand on its own merits as well. It had me laughing out loud at some passages and tearing up at others. It really does a good job at depicting the utter ridiculousness of Tommy Wiseau's movie-making plans without mocking him or undermining how hard he worked to make his ridiculous dreams come true.
2. Under the Light by Laura Whitcomb: A Certain Slant of Light is easily one of the most beautiful books I've ever read, and the sequel, while not quite as magic, was a joy to read.
3. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick: It was chilling to read these personal stories from former North Korean citizens. It's easy to read, and the personal stories from the six individuals profiled have more impact than any statistic.
4. If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman: These books were so sad but so uplifting at the same time. Good reads.
5. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh: I love Hyperbole and a Half! Brosh is hilarious, and she has a real talent for portraying every nuance of expression with simplified drawings. Her stories about her dogs and her childhood are priceless!
6. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: All of Rainbow Rowell's books were amazing, but Fangirl so far is my favorite. I loved reading about Cath's first year of college, her fears of growing apart from her twin, and her worries about growing up.
7. Tenth of December by George Saunders: This was a Rumpus Book Club pick, and it's probably one of my favorites from there. Lots of complex short stories here; each one gives you a lot to think about.
8. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion: I love zombie movies, but I very rarely enjoy zombie books, so I really wasn't expecting to like this one. I also hate when the monsters that frighten me are turned into saccharine romantic heroes, with neither fangs nor depth. This book was a happy surprise, and though I still prefer my zombies scary, R was certainly endearing.
9. Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple: I love how this book managed to surprise me by humanizing characters that had seemed like one-dimensional nuisances. Books like this always remind me to show more empathy toward people who irritate or antagonize me in real life, which I appreciate.
10. Hild by Nicola Griffith: About Saint Hilda in seventh-century Great Britain. This book felt epic! Definitely a good pick for a fan of Game of Thrones, but maybe looking for some more empowering female characters and some historical accuracy.
Bonus! Pivot Point by Kasie West: Like I mentioned in my review for the sequel, Split Second, I loved the dual points of view from Addie's two diverging powers. I would love to have this super power; I'm so indecisive that I'd probably use it for every tiny decision I had to make.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Book 22: Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #1)
I've heard so many good things about this book, and I put off reading it for so long because I thought I'd be disappointed with it, but I was surprised to find I actually really enjoyed this. It shouldn't have been such a surprise; I love fairy tale retellings, and years of loving Sailor Moon pretty much conditioned me to sit up straight and pay attention whenever a missing moon princess is mentioned (even if the identity of said moon princess is inevitably easy to discern). The love story didn't really hook me yet (maybe in the sequels? They just don't seem to know each other well enough, and they both have way bigger things on their minds), but the relationships between Cinder and Peony, Iko, and the doctor were believable enough. I liked the futuristic China setting (especially considering that I'd always heard that the earliest known versions of Cinderella are from China), and I like how Cinder had interests and goals that had nothing to do with the prince and resisted typical, ultra-feminine stereotypes (but I cringed all the way through the ball scene! It made me wish a fairy godmother would make a quick appearance). I look forward to reading the next book in the series! B+
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Book 21: Split Second by Kasie West (Pivot Point #2)
I loooved Pivot Point, so I was really excited to read the sequel. I was a little disappointed that Split Second didn't follow the same format as Pivot Point, with the POV alternating each chapter between the two potential paths Addie sees while using her Divergent gift, but the chapters do alternate between Addie and her friend Laila, who totally stole the show. Seriously, Laila was awesome, and her whole storyline with her brother and father and Connor was a lot more emotionally engrossing than Addie's story this time around, although both POVs held my interest. It was also interesting getting to learn a few more of the secrets of the Compound. Not as good as the first book, but solid B.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Book 20: Ophelia's Ghost by Gary Lee Entsminger and Susan Elizabeth Elliott
Surreal and cerebral. It's 1958, and tracker Joe Hill has been asked by a friend to search for Eva, an anthropologist in her thirties who disappeared from her campsite while studying Anasazi ruins in the American Southwest. The plot is really incidental to this book's intellectual discussions, intent on finding patterns in topics a wide-ranging as Shakespeare's Hamlet (Joe's daughter plays Ophelia in a production of the play), the Anasazi, the phases of the moon, flowers and herbal healing, UFOs and government conspiracy, memory systems, folklore of the Southwest, and all sorts of other things It's a good book to just read a few pages at the time and go to sleep with all the strange idea patterns swirling in your head. All of the characters seem to talk in the same voice, likely because their primary purpose is to serve as mouthpieces for the authors' esoterica, but it seemed to fit the book. The ending was very ambiguous, and I'm still trying to puzzle it out.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Book 19: Body and Soul by Stacey Kade (Ghost and the Goth #3)
This is book three of Kade's The Ghost and the Goth series. I'd actually read the first two way back in 2011 when I first got a Nook, and I had no idea that a third book even existed until I looked it up for my Top Ten Tuesday post this week. Pleasant surprise! The first two books were absolutely adorable, and this one was no different. Alona is a more likable Regina George, with far more depth, and Will is just so sweet. This series is a lot of fun without being totally mindless, and it's always a good sign when the last book in a series just makes you want to immediately pick up the first one again. A
Book 18: All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry
Two girls disappeared from their small, Puritan-esque town; only Judith came back, tongueless, unable or unwilling to tell the town what happened to her and her friend. This book wasn't quite what I thought it would be. The story itself actually ended up being a lot less dark than I'd expected. The real flair Berry's story is how the facts of Judith's disappearance are slowly uncovered over the course of the book as she slowly gains the confidence and the urgency to let her story be known, so I'm hesitant to go into detail about any aspect of the plot; I don't want to inadvertently give anything away... I loved Judith's friendships with Maria and Darrell, but I wish they had gone a little deeper; they seem to serve only as the means by which Judith begins to work on overcoming her injury rather than playing major roles during any of the heroine's crises. I groaned a little bit when I realized that whole book was written in second-person narration to Judith's childhood sweetheart, but it actually ended up working really well for this story. Solid B-.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Top Ten Tuesdays: Books that Will Make You Swoon
Top Ten Tuesday topic is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Books that Will Make You Swoon.
1. A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb: I loooved this book. It's impossible not to relate to Helen and James's connection, and the writings is just so beautiful.
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen: All Jane Austen books are swoonworthy in their own way, but the dynamic between Anne and Captain Wentworth is my personal favorite. And that letter!
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Oh, Peeta, Peeta, Peeta.
4. If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman: This duo is so sad, but I totally fell in love with Mia's family, best friend Kim, and boyfriend Adam (I suppose that's why it was so sad).
5. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion: Before reading this book I never in a million years would've considered zombies swoonworthy, but here we are. Even the heavy-handed Romeo and Juliet allusions couldn't keep this book from being absolutely adorable.
6. The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade: I was super-skeptical about this book, but Alona and Will were just so cute together.
7. Anything by Rainbow Rowell: Seriously, Fangirl, Attachments, Eleanor and Park, they'll all make you melt inside.
8. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux: I haven't read this book in ages because I loved it so much when I was younger that I'm afraid it can never live up to my memories of it.
9. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding:I first read this when I was fifteen and even though it's about thirtysomethings it will forever remind me of teenage girl conversations about perfect guys.
10: I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells: I feel a bit creepy putting this on the list since it's not really the warm, feel-good series you'd normally associate with the term "swoonworthy," but what the hell. I picked this, the third in the series, because I loved the dynamic between John and Marcy.
1. A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb: I loooved this book. It's impossible not to relate to Helen and James's connection, and the writings is just so beautiful.
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen: All Jane Austen books are swoonworthy in their own way, but the dynamic between Anne and Captain Wentworth is my personal favorite. And that letter!
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Oh, Peeta, Peeta, Peeta.
4. If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman: This duo is so sad, but I totally fell in love with Mia's family, best friend Kim, and boyfriend Adam (I suppose that's why it was so sad).
5. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion: Before reading this book I never in a million years would've considered zombies swoonworthy, but here we are. Even the heavy-handed Romeo and Juliet allusions couldn't keep this book from being absolutely adorable.
6. The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade: I was super-skeptical about this book, but Alona and Will were just so cute together.
7. Anything by Rainbow Rowell: Seriously, Fangirl, Attachments, Eleanor and Park, they'll all make you melt inside.
8. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux: I haven't read this book in ages because I loved it so much when I was younger that I'm afraid it can never live up to my memories of it.
9. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding:I first read this when I was fifteen and even though it's about thirtysomethings it will forever remind me of teenage girl conversations about perfect guys.
10: I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells: I feel a bit creepy putting this on the list since it's not really the warm, feel-good series you'd normally associate with the term "swoonworthy," but what the hell. I picked this, the third in the series, because I loved the dynamic between John and Marcy.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Book 17: You Look Different in Real Life
I'm a huge fan of the Seven Up documentary series, so when I read a summary for You Look Different in Real Life, I just had to get the book. This novel is about Justine, one of the children featured in a documentary series called Five at Six, which focuses on five children at six years old, and then again at eleven, and so on for every five years. Now it's time to start filming Five at Sixteen, and Justine, one of the viewer favorites from the first two movies, is insecure about coming across as a disappointment in the new film. She has no hobbies, her friendships have imploded since the last documentary, and she's just not where her sassy eleven-year-old self had envisioned she'd be. Every character here has a lot to deal with on individual level, and they're all so likable. I loved the complex relationships, especially between the five kids and their past selves (although Ian, Justine's recently ex-boyfriend, felt a little red herring), and everything just unfolded perfectly. My favorite book this year so far. A+
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Book 16: Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan
I hate how the ebook editions of these have been "updated" for modern readers! Just let the story have happened in the early eighties; that's much easier on my suspension of disbelief than awkwardly explaining away cell phones and e-mails. Stranger with My Face is an atmospheric, spooky book taking place on an isolated New England island (one of my favorite spooky settings). Teenage Laurie is being spotted in places she hadn't been and soon begins seeing a spectre that looks eerily like herself. Astral projection is a rare enough book topic (for me at least) that it held my interest, and I loved Laurie's family and her friends Helen and Jeff.
Book 15: The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P by Adelle Waldman
New York intellectual Nate Piven begins a relationship with "nice and smart or smart and nice" Hannah as a series of interactions with angry, indifferent, or broken-hearted ex-girlfriends (and lovely platonic friend Aurit) prompts him to reexamine his behavior with women. The heart of the book is in the clever conversations and small observations. Reading this book, seeing the love interest through the eyes of the male protagonist, I just kept thinking, "Oh man, I've been there." It was a little uncomfortable reading Waldman's unblinking depiction of Nate watching confident, intelligent Hannah crumble into an insecure, clingy shadow of herself, but Waldman is definitely talented at depicting the crazy-making back-and-forth of power in a relationship. Nate walked a fine line between relatable and despicable, and I really admire how evident Waldman made his faults to the reader even as they remained a mystery to Nate himself. It's not really fun being inside his head, but it's a worthwhile read nonetheless.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Book 14: Gunnerkrigg Court Vol. 4 by Tom Siddell
Another Gunnerkrigg book! I'm always amazed at stuff I catch when reading these in book form that I missed when I read it online. Everyone ought to at least give this series a try, especially since you can read the whole thing free online. It's so good!
Book 13: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Beauty Queens is about a group of teen beauty pageant contestants stranded on a desert island after a plane crash. Over the course of their stay on the island, they discover an evil corporation's secret volcano lair, a marooned ship of pirates, and lots of secrets about each other. This is sort of like Libba Bray's feminist, satirical take on an all-girl Lord of the Flies. Her commentary on consumerism and reality TV I found quite funny, but while I agree with the heart of her message on girl power and sisterhood, it just felt a little too preachy to work for me. It's a weird position to be in as a reader, to be in essence agreeing with the book yet still feeling put off by its tone, which seemed a bit patronizing. I did enjoy learning more about each character and seeing them interact with each other. A lot of the humor fell flat for me as well, but I could see it working for other people. 3/5
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Book 12: Help at any Cost by Maia Szalavitz
I bought this book after reading this Cracked article on the troubled-teen industry, wilderness camps and faux therapeutic facilities that ostensibly help rehabilitate teens with drug problems, eating disorders, behavioral problems, and a whole host of other problems parents might find troubling in their teenaged children. In reality, as Szalavitz reveals, many of these programs have no licensed therapists on staff and are usually run by teenagers themselves, totally unequipped to deal with addiction, and there have been a number of suspicious deaths from the children in their care.
This was definitely not a fun read, but it was engrossing and informative. The individual accounts of the kids that Szalavitz provides are harrowing, especially the long-lasting effects of the therapy/brainwashing. It's incredible that this industry has been allowed to operate under so little regulation for so long, and hopefully by bringing more attention to these programs books like these can help to change that.
This was definitely not a fun read, but it was engrossing and informative. The individual accounts of the kids that Szalavitz provides are harrowing, especially the long-lasting effects of the therapy/brainwashing. It's incredible that this industry has been allowed to operate under so little regulation for so long, and hopefully by bringing more attention to these programs books like these can help to change that.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Book 11: Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks
So cute! So this was the graphic novel book club read I missed when I moved out of Virginia, but Nathan liked it so much he bought me a copy for Christmas, and I'm so glad I have it! This graphic novel is about a formerly home-schooled girl's first year of high school and her relationship with her three older brothers and her new friends Lucy and Alistair. And there's a ghost!
The art is super cute, and the characters are all likable and relatable. Hicks does a great job of portraying all the little tragedies and rivalries of high school in even just a few wordless panels. This is more of a vignette than a story, but it's no less engaging for being a little light on plot. I'd love to read more with this group.
The art is super cute, and the characters are all likable and relatable. Hicks does a great job of portraying all the little tragedies and rivalries of high school in even just a few wordless panels. This is more of a vignette than a story, but it's no less engaging for being a little light on plot. I'd love to read more with this group.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Book 10: The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
Super-interesting book premise: time-traveling serial killer versus his only victim that got away. I generally like time-travel plots in theory, but so many of them seem to start out with an awesome idea, begin to struggle with the conundrums posed by time travel, and finally get so bogged down in trying to work out the rules and details of time travel that the plot drowns (Man in the Empty Suit, I'm looking at you!), but this book manages to avoid that fate.
I also liked how Beukes dealt with the victims. They're only around for a short while, but they're nonetheless fully fledged characters, full of goals and hopes and doubts, which is a bit of a trick to do with any character we see for only a chapter, let alone one we know is not going to survive going in. It just makes their murders all the more senseless and tragic, and I appreciate that their deaths and murder were definitely not glamorized.
And Kirby is great! Smart, snarky, and funny. Her clever banter with Dan is one of the highlights of the book; somehow she's always quick with the witty comeback that eludes most of us until hours after the conversation has ended.
The murders are pretty horrible, so if you've got a weak stomach this may not be the book for you, but it's fast-paced and suspenseful, and I had a tough time putting it down.
I also liked how Beukes dealt with the victims. They're only around for a short while, but they're nonetheless fully fledged characters, full of goals and hopes and doubts, which is a bit of a trick to do with any character we see for only a chapter, let alone one we know is not going to survive going in. It just makes their murders all the more senseless and tragic, and I appreciate that their deaths and murder were definitely not glamorized.
And Kirby is great! Smart, snarky, and funny. Her clever banter with Dan is one of the highlights of the book; somehow she's always quick with the witty comeback that eludes most of us until hours after the conversation has ended.
The murders are pretty horrible, so if you've got a weak stomach this may not be the book for you, but it's fast-paced and suspenseful, and I had a tough time putting it down.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Top Ten Tuesday: Worlds I'd Never Want to Live In
Top Ten Tuesday topic is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Worlds I'd Never Want to Live In.
This one was tough! It's much more normal to read about worlds that are fun to escape to, so I only managed to come up with five.
The Top Five Worlds I'd Never Want to Live In
1. The FAYZ, from Gone by Michael Grant. The FAYZ is brutal, a place where children exploit supernatural powers against one another, completely cut off from adult supervision and the outside world. The scene with Penny and the licorice veins still gives me nightmares. Whether by starvation, psychological torture, or at the mercy of a supernatural immortal deity inhabiting the body of a young girl, I'd probably be dead within a week of living in the FAYZ.
2. Città gazze, from The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman. Città gazze is the city in a parallel universe where Will first meets Lyra. The city is overrun with Spectres, which attack adults but leave children, to whom they are invisible, alone. The town is full of groups of children with no adults, which almost sounds like a child's paradise, but once the children reach adolescence they are attacked by the Spectres, who leave them soulless and zombie-like. The image of the boy on the brink of adolescence, swarmed by Spectres he couldn't quite see but were just waiting to attack, always conjured up a sense of horror in me.
3. Camazotz, from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. The eerie, homogenous alien planet ruled by the pulsating evil brain IT. Camazotz was an example of life on a planet ruled by the Black Thing, the source of all evil which the Murry children's father was fighting. The residents of Camazotz live in total conformity, down to the children of each identical house on a block bouncing balls and skipping rope in total unison, terrified of the consequences of breaking from the rhythm. Every resident is controlled, down to the minutest of actions, by IT. A world without individuality and freedom of expression is definitely not one I'd want to live in. And a disembodied brain with mind-control powers as a leader doesn't sound too appealing, either.
4. Charn, from The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis. Charn is the dying world Digory and Polly visit before traveling to Narnia. It had been governed by an empire of corrupt rulers before Queen Jadis (later to become the White Witch of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) uttered the Deplorable Word, killing everyone in the world but herself, out of spite after her sister won the civil war the two had been fighting. It's pretty clear that Charn is meant to represent a post–nuclear war world. I was always fascinated to read about Charn when I was younger, but it would be terrible to live in a world doomed by the cruelty and spite of its leaders. (Earth still has a good ways to go before we sink that low!)
5. Incarceron, from Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. Incarceron is a living prison, a manmade world sealed off from the outside world. No one ever leaves, and most of the residents are the descendants of the original inmates. It had originally been conceived as a way to rehabilitate prisoners, but something went wrong, and the gateway between the world of Incarceron and the outside world was sealed. Its been a while since I've read this book, so I don't remember too many details about Incarceron clearly. It was vast, containing cells, roads, trees, trains, and only one person, half-legend, had ever managed to escape. Being locked up and left forgotten in a prison is an absolute nightmare (and I can't believe how regularly this happens even in the U.S.!), and that's basically the whole of Incarceron.
This one was tough! It's much more normal to read about worlds that are fun to escape to, so I only managed to come up with five.
The Top Five Worlds I'd Never Want to Live In
1. The FAYZ, from Gone by Michael Grant. The FAYZ is brutal, a place where children exploit supernatural powers against one another, completely cut off from adult supervision and the outside world. The scene with Penny and the licorice veins still gives me nightmares. Whether by starvation, psychological torture, or at the mercy of a supernatural immortal deity inhabiting the body of a young girl, I'd probably be dead within a week of living in the FAYZ.
2. Città gazze, from The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman. Città gazze is the city in a parallel universe where Will first meets Lyra. The city is overrun with Spectres, which attack adults but leave children, to whom they are invisible, alone. The town is full of groups of children with no adults, which almost sounds like a child's paradise, but once the children reach adolescence they are attacked by the Spectres, who leave them soulless and zombie-like. The image of the boy on the brink of adolescence, swarmed by Spectres he couldn't quite see but were just waiting to attack, always conjured up a sense of horror in me.
3. Camazotz, from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. The eerie, homogenous alien planet ruled by the pulsating evil brain IT. Camazotz was an example of life on a planet ruled by the Black Thing, the source of all evil which the Murry children's father was fighting. The residents of Camazotz live in total conformity, down to the children of each identical house on a block bouncing balls and skipping rope in total unison, terrified of the consequences of breaking from the rhythm. Every resident is controlled, down to the minutest of actions, by IT. A world without individuality and freedom of expression is definitely not one I'd want to live in. And a disembodied brain with mind-control powers as a leader doesn't sound too appealing, either.
4. Charn, from The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis. Charn is the dying world Digory and Polly visit before traveling to Narnia. It had been governed by an empire of corrupt rulers before Queen Jadis (later to become the White Witch of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) uttered the Deplorable Word, killing everyone in the world but herself, out of spite after her sister won the civil war the two had been fighting. It's pretty clear that Charn is meant to represent a post–nuclear war world. I was always fascinated to read about Charn when I was younger, but it would be terrible to live in a world doomed by the cruelty and spite of its leaders. (Earth still has a good ways to go before we sink that low!)
5. Incarceron, from Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. Incarceron is a living prison, a manmade world sealed off from the outside world. No one ever leaves, and most of the residents are the descendants of the original inmates. It had originally been conceived as a way to rehabilitate prisoners, but something went wrong, and the gateway between the world of Incarceron and the outside world was sealed. Its been a while since I've read this book, so I don't remember too many details about Incarceron clearly. It was vast, containing cells, roads, trees, trains, and only one person, half-legend, had ever managed to escape. Being locked up and left forgotten in a prison is an absolute nightmare (and I can't believe how regularly this happens even in the U.S.!), and that's basically the whole of Incarceron.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Book 9: Revelations by Genevieve Pearson
I read this book because the author, Genevieve Pearson, was a contestant on the 2013 season of the TBS reality show Revenge of the Nerds. Genevieve was absolutely charming on the show, so when I read that she was an author I was eager to give one of her books a try, and I'm so glad I did.
Revelations is the story of Kyrie, a young woman living with her mother in her small Texas hometown, working a part-time job while she saves up to go to college somewhere far away. As small as the town is, Kyrie immediately recognizes that the well-dressed group of four that walk into her store are new in town, and her intuition warns her they are up to no good. As the story unfolds, Kyrie learns that she is a nephilim, half-angel and half-human, the four strangers are the biblical four horsemen, and Kyrie is the only thing standing between them and the end of the world.
I think the primary charm of the story is the protagonist and her internal dialogue. She's quirky, strong, and fiercely loyal, and many passages had me laughing out loud. It was refreshing to see a character face some dark situations with her sense of humor intact. There were a few questions that I felt weren't quite addressed (the limitations on Kyrie's Silvertongue ability, for example), but overall this book was a pleasant surprise, and I look forward to to reading the sequel and trying the author's other series.
Revelations is the story of Kyrie, a young woman living with her mother in her small Texas hometown, working a part-time job while she saves up to go to college somewhere far away. As small as the town is, Kyrie immediately recognizes that the well-dressed group of four that walk into her store are new in town, and her intuition warns her they are up to no good. As the story unfolds, Kyrie learns that she is a nephilim, half-angel and half-human, the four strangers are the biblical four horsemen, and Kyrie is the only thing standing between them and the end of the world.
I think the primary charm of the story is the protagonist and her internal dialogue. She's quirky, strong, and fiercely loyal, and many passages had me laughing out loud. It was refreshing to see a character face some dark situations with her sense of humor intact. There were a few questions that I felt weren't quite addressed (the limitations on Kyrie's Silvertongue ability, for example), but overall this book was a pleasant surprise, and I look forward to to reading the sequel and trying the author's other series.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Book 8: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
I think I was so disappointed with this book only because I was really excited by the premise: in Range, there are a million souls that have been reincarnated over and over. In thousands of years, Ana is the first new soul to be born. On her eighteenth birthday, Ana sets out to the city of Heart to discover why she was born and what happened to the soul she replaced. It's an awesome idea for a plot, and I only wish the author had stuck with it!
The book wastes the majority of its focus on the love story between Ana and Sam, a citizen of Heart who stands up for Ana to the council. The drawn-out romantic build-up and Ana's total inability to think or focus whenever Sam was around got tiresome, especially given the number of questions left unanswered! The whole thing about the temple and walls with a heartbeat, and the city found millennia ago, ready-made for the people of Heart, and why the dragons specifically sought out Sam and the temple in their attacks, all of these are plot points that I'd hoped would be answered, or at least given more attention by the protagonist. This is the first book in the trilogy, but I haven't decided yet if I want to read the next two. Like I said, really good premise, but disappointing execution.
The book wastes the majority of its focus on the love story between Ana and Sam, a citizen of Heart who stands up for Ana to the council. The drawn-out romantic build-up and Ana's total inability to think or focus whenever Sam was around got tiresome, especially given the number of questions left unanswered! The whole thing about the temple and walls with a heartbeat, and the city found millennia ago, ready-made for the people of Heart, and why the dragons specifically sought out Sam and the temple in their attacks, all of these are plot points that I'd hoped would be answered, or at least given more attention by the protagonist. This is the first book in the trilogy, but I haven't decided yet if I want to read the next two. Like I said, really good premise, but disappointing execution.
Top Ten Things on My Reading Wishlist
Top Ten Tuesday topic is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
Today’s topic is my Top Ten Things On My Reading Wishlist (if you could
make authors write about these things you would. Could be a specific
type of character, an issue tackled, a time period, a certain plot,
etc.)
1. Stories that explore ancient civilizations. Whether set in fantasy worlds or the real world, ancient cities left by a mysterious civilization have always really piqued my interest. Probably has to do with my love for Lovecraft, but it would be great to see a story featuring this topic that, while eerie, isn't straight-up horror.
2. More books featuring alternative paths/timelines. I loved Pivot Point, Before I Fall, and Life After Life, and I want more!
3. I'd like a literary retelling of my favorite fairy tale, The Snow Queen. And/or The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.
4. More focus on plot, less focus on the love story! I don't mind love stories in books, but I hate when a book has a really intriguing plot that's forced to take a back seat to a trite romance. One of the reasons I loved The Hunger Games so much is because it managed to balance this so well.
5. More fantasy stories based in folklore from other cultures. Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix is a good example of this, and I'd love to see more.
6. I want to see more girl-group superheroes, a la my old favorite show, Sailor Moon! I feel like most of today's stories feature one girl with exceptional powers standing alone (or with a boyfriend), and I'd like to see a story that explores the dynamics of a team of extraordinary girls working together to accomplish extraordinary things.
7. Magic at boarding school, as seen in Harry Potter, Gunnerkrigg Court, and A Great and Terrible Beauty. Maybe it's because I never went to boarding school myself, but I love the idea of a group of friends uncovering secrets away from parental supervision.
8. More books featuring characters in their early-to-mid-twenties! Sixteen was a magical age, but I don't see why twenty-six can't be, too. To say nothing of the story possibilities inherent in the college years. I like the idea of the New Adult genre, but so far the label seems like a way to add more sex to the stories, and there just doesn't seem to be much variety in the genres.
9. Kinda ties back to number 6, but I'd like to see more stories with strong friendships between female characters. There are a lot of books that would sadly fail the Bechdel test; either the female friend is more like an accessory than a character, or other girls in the book only serve to antagonize the female protagonist.
10. As a huge fan of Northern Exposure, I'd like to read a book of a similar tone set in Alaska. I've never been there but I'd love to visit, and what I've seen of the state in photos it looks beautiful.
1. Stories that explore ancient civilizations. Whether set in fantasy worlds or the real world, ancient cities left by a mysterious civilization have always really piqued my interest. Probably has to do with my love for Lovecraft, but it would be great to see a story featuring this topic that, while eerie, isn't straight-up horror.
2. More books featuring alternative paths/timelines. I loved Pivot Point, Before I Fall, and Life After Life, and I want more!
3. I'd like a literary retelling of my favorite fairy tale, The Snow Queen. And/or The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.
4. More focus on plot, less focus on the love story! I don't mind love stories in books, but I hate when a book has a really intriguing plot that's forced to take a back seat to a trite romance. One of the reasons I loved The Hunger Games so much is because it managed to balance this so well.
5. More fantasy stories based in folklore from other cultures. Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix is a good example of this, and I'd love to see more.
6. I want to see more girl-group superheroes, a la my old favorite show, Sailor Moon! I feel like most of today's stories feature one girl with exceptional powers standing alone (or with a boyfriend), and I'd like to see a story that explores the dynamics of a team of extraordinary girls working together to accomplish extraordinary things.
7. Magic at boarding school, as seen in Harry Potter, Gunnerkrigg Court, and A Great and Terrible Beauty. Maybe it's because I never went to boarding school myself, but I love the idea of a group of friends uncovering secrets away from parental supervision.
8. More books featuring characters in their early-to-mid-twenties! Sixteen was a magical age, but I don't see why twenty-six can't be, too. To say nothing of the story possibilities inherent in the college years. I like the idea of the New Adult genre, but so far the label seems like a way to add more sex to the stories, and there just doesn't seem to be much variety in the genres.
9. Kinda ties back to number 6, but I'd like to see more stories with strong friendships between female characters. There are a lot of books that would sadly fail the Bechdel test; either the female friend is more like an accessory than a character, or other girls in the book only serve to antagonize the female protagonist.
10. As a huge fan of Northern Exposure, I'd like to read a book of a similar tone set in Alaska. I've never been there but I'd love to visit, and what I've seen of the state in photos it looks beautiful.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Book 7: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
After that last book, I was looking for something light and happy, and The Rosie Project definitely fit the bill. This book tells the story of an Asperger's-y genetics professor and his logical, efficient quest to find the perfect wife. All of the characters were lovely, and viewing them through Don Tillman's eyes was an enjoyable perspective. The author manages to poke gentle fun at the idiosyncrasies of the protagonist without, to my mind at least, mocking him or reducing him to a stereotype. I laughed out loud in quite a few areas. Loved it!
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Book 6: Trafficked by Sophie Hayes
Trafficked is the memoir of Sophie Hayes, a young British woman who was a victim of sex trafficking in Italy. Sophie travels to Italy to spend a vacation with a man she considers her best friend, he beats her, takes her passport, and forces her to work as a prostitute on the streets of Italy. The transition from her normal life to prostitution is terrifyingly sudden, basically overnight, and its unbelievable that this is done to her by a man she's been close friends with, albeit mainly over the phone, for four years.
Equally frightening are all the book reviewers who claim that Sophie must have enjoyed the abuse and sex work because she didn't run away when she had a chance.
I can't really find much about Sophie Hayes online that doesn't relate to the book or the Sophie Hayes Foundation, but there is this interview: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/10/17/exp-freedom-project-sophie-hayes-human-trafficking.cnn.html.
Equally frightening are all the book reviewers who claim that Sophie must have enjoyed the abuse and sex work because she didn't run away when she had a chance.
I can't really find much about Sophie Hayes online that doesn't relate to the book or the Sophie Hayes Foundation, but there is this interview: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/10/17/exp-freedom-project-sophie-hayes-human-trafficking.cnn.html.
Book 5: Dinosaur Planet by Anne McCaffrey
I have to admit the main reason I picked up this book is because you really can't see this cover in a used bookstore and just leave it behind:
I have read a bit of Anne McCaffrey before, and old-school sci-fi is always fun to read, living in the future as we do (food synthesizers and analog tapes!) The book took a while to pick up steam, but I did enjoy the discussions of alien life, especially from Varian's excursions with the children. On the negative side, it seems like all of the really interesting questions go unanswered! Was the crew planted, Why were they on a previously explored world with no information, and why were the dinosaurs on an alien planet???
I have read a bit of Anne McCaffrey before, and old-school sci-fi is always fun to read, living in the future as we do (food synthesizers and analog tapes!) The book took a while to pick up steam, but I did enjoy the discussions of alien life, especially from Varian's excursions with the children. On the negative side, it seems like all of the really interesting questions go unanswered! Was the crew planted, Why were they on a previously explored world with no information, and why were the dinosaurs on an alien planet???
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Book 4: Lost Lands, Forgotten Realms by Bob Curran
A book on legendary places from folklore and literature. It featured the regulars like Atlantis, Lemuria, El Dorado, and the like, but I was surprised at how much was here that I hadn't heard of. The Green Children, for example, was an interesting bit of folklore about an underground city, and as a native Alabamian I found the information about Madoc, founder the legendary Welsh kingdom in Mobile, fascinating. I never knew that Irem, the dark city of Lovecraft's tales, had roots in Islamic folklore either. Lots of fun tidbits here, and the informative yet not-too-credulous tone of the author, an Irish historian, struck just the right chord for me. I only would've liked it better if it went a bit more in-depth on certain legends, but overall it's a nice quick overview for the casual reader.
Book 3: Adventure Time Volume 1 by Ryan North
Another graphic novel, this time a comic book adaptation of the awesome cartoon series Adventure Time. This was actually a Christmas gift for Nathan. Love the show; the comic was cute but didn't measure up. Not enough LSP!
Book 2: Gunnerkrigg Court Volume 3 by Thomas Siddell
The third volume of the webcomic series. I think it speaks volumes to the quality of this series that even though I can reread it for free anytime online, I'm eager to purchase the physical copy as well. The art is just unbelievably beautiful, and the story just has so many of my favorite plot elements: magic, robots, ghosts, folklore, a mysterious school filled with secrets... This volume in particular contains some of my favorite chapters of the series so far, especially delving more into the secrets of Jeanne.
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