Shelfari 50 Book Challenge discussion
Sara W's 60 in '16
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The 6th Extinction3 Stars
Responding to an urgent distress call from a remote research sstation in Utah, Painter Crowe and the rest Sigma Force are once again on a mission to save the world. This time they are facing a kidnapped scientist who studies extremeophiles and synthetic biology, a rogue environmentalist, and a para-military group who hunts them all the way to Antarctica. Assisting them is intrepid Park Ranger Jenna Beck and her husky, Niko.
As always, this story is utterly improbable, though it is firmly rooted in real science and history, with information for further research provided in the author's note. While I said when I read the eighth book in the Sigma Force that the format was getting a little tired, I enjoyed this one a bit more. The science really intrigued me, and I will definitely be reading more on those topics. A couple of Sigma Force's team members were either entirely absent, or only peripherally involved, with the introduction of a new computer scientist, Jason Carter (who was actually introduced first in Rollins first novel Subterranean, which is not part of the series) taking their place.
I opted to listen to this one on audio, and wish I hadn't for two reasons. The narrator Christian Baskous was not at all enjoyable to listen to. I didnt like his pacing, how he interjectec emotion, or the voices he gave to any of the characters, especially women and the many Brits. Further, it made it painfully obvious to me that while I enjoy these books for what they are, exciting thrillers, Mr. Rollins is not a highly skilled writer. He does a lot of telling not showing, and some of his phrasing and descriptions are truly cringe-worthy. I have never really noticed it before, so I think it was just brought to my attention because I was listening to this book. In the future, I will stick to the printed word.
Rollins recently released the 11th installment in the Sigma Force series, Bone Labirynth, which I look forward to reading soon.
The Imperfectionists4 Stars
A collection of short stories, The Imperfectionists tells the stories of the men and women working for a struggling international English language newspaper in Rome. While the stories themselves are those of the contemporary employes ranging from the Editor in Chief to the obituary writer and accounts payable, the in-between moments are woven through with vignettes depicting the newspaper's history.
I was rather surprised by this collection. The author set out to write a character driven book, and he accomplished it. I appreciate that he did not go out of his way to make these men and women likable. Which is not to say they aren't, it is just very clear that his intent was to give the reader an inside look at real people, their insecurities, flaws, and imperfections. Too often authors fall into the trap of making their characters too black or white, either all good or all bad, resulting in a caricature of human nature. Rachman does not do that, and we instead wind up with a realistic glimpse into the lives of people who are no different than you or me.
While the story does advance to a definite conclusion, this book is not for the reader who needs their books to be plot driven. It is all about the people who reside in its pages. I also don't think it is for anyone who does not enjoy short stories. Once upon a time, I thought that was me. I have since realized that I was wrong. A short story done well can be every bit as enjoyable and complete as a novel. This collection does a fine job at doing exactly that. If you enjoy short stories and character portraits, then I would recommend you give this book a look.
Happier at Home: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Cram My Day with What I Love, Hold More Tightly, Embrace Here, and Remember Now3 Stars
I picked up this book because I had really enjoyed her previous boo, The Happiness Project. I felt inspired to create my own happiness project though I must admit I never followed through. It was just too much work at a time when I had very young children underfoot all day. Happiness has been a major stumbling block in my life, so now that my kids are older, I thought I might have more time to work on this. But I wanted to prepare myself by reading her follow-up book.
I think I would have been better off skipping this book and just rereading the first. It is a little thin and more than a bit repetitive. It felt like she spent much of the book repeating what she learned the first time, but without the eureka moments. It was more like a reminder. Additionally, she referred to herself throughout as a happiness bully, and that it is certainly true. She is very pushy about what she feels is required to be happy, and despite repeated admonishments that she can only change herself, frequently makes resolutions that require the engagement of others.
In the end, I did not find myself at all inspired by this book, and while it wasn't bad, it also wasn't good. It reminded me of eating a rather bland chicken sandwich. I was really looking forward to her next book, Better Than Before, but I am feeling much less inspired to read it now.
Sara wrote: "The Imperfectionists4 Stars
I actually don't want this book to end . . .that's how much I am enjoying Rachman's writing.
And let me know if you want me to delete this note so you can keep this thread nice and clean for tracking!
Anita wrote: "Sara wrote: "The Imperfectionists4 Stars
I actually don't want this book to end . . .that's how much I am enjoying Rachman's writing.
And let me know if you want me to delete this ..."
No need to delete.
It was a really well put together book. I kept hoping for more stories. I was intentionally only reading one a day.
Sara wrote: "I was intentionally only reading one a day. "That's so funny because I'm pretty much doing the same thing . . .some books just need to be savored, but to be honest, I haven't come across one I felt that way about in awhile.
Wit's End by Karen Joy Fowler1 Star
This book is really awful. I refuse to force myself to finish it. I guess I should have paid more attention to the reviews.
Its coming. It requires lots of thought.
Cloud Atlas4 stars
Like a set of matroyshka dolls, Mitchell has crafted a series of linked stories nested inside each, creating a novel unlike any other I have read. He starts with an American notary aboard a ship returning from Australlia in the 1800s. This tale ended abruptly, mid-sentence, and begin anew with the story of a disinherited English musician. This format is continued three more times before we finally get a complete story set in the distant future of a post-apocalyptic world. Following the conclusion of this story we are treated, in reverse, to the end of the other five stories, so that the structure of the novel looks something like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
I admit that this format comes across as pretentious. If it had been done by a writer with less skill, it never could have worked. However, Mitchell handled it adeptly, deftly moving from historical fiction, epistolary, thriller, humor, dystopia, and post-apocolyptic with both malle and female narrators. I was genuinely interested in each story, and found that despite not being an avid reader of humor or thrillers, those were the two stories I liked best, with the exception of the post-apocolyptic. Mitchell hid little Easter Eggs in each story that referenced back to the previous story. A mention of the American's journal, or a search for copies of the musician's compositions. It connected the stories in such a fashion that they didn't feel entirely like a random experiment in genre and form.
That said there were flaws. I felt that the reincarnation theme that ran throughout was gimicky and really didn't work. Especially the bit about the comet shaped birthmark they all seemed to have, including the genetically engineered clone Sonmi. Its biggest flaw however was in its treatment of women. While you could see a clear progression in the treatment of the races, from the first story where the New Zealand natives were clearly third class members of the populace to the sixth in which the most advanced members of society were dark-skinned while the whites had devolved to war-like tribes, his treatment of women was problematic. Women start their lives as chattel, and even in the most futuristic version of the world, women are still good for not much more than cooking a meal and sex. This really bothered me. If he can tackle racism so adroitly, there is no reason that sexism could not receive equal treatment
I listened to it on audio, and the audio recording was one of the best I have listened to. Each story was provided a seperate narrator, which helped me follow along with the abrupt changes. This may have been more difficult to read in print for that reason, but I imagine there are also advantages. If I were to reread, which is unlikely even though I think that this book would benefit from one, I would do so in print.
Despite its flaws, I thought this was a very good novel. It is not one I would recommend to everyone though. You have to enjoy experimental literature and short stories to get anything from this book. I am definitely looking forward to reading more by Mitchell in the future.
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return3.5 Stars
This novel takes up where the first left off, Marji's departure from Iran for Austria when she was only 14, sent by her parents to pursue both an education and a freedom which she would be forbidden if she remained. Unfortunately, life in Austria didn't go as planned. After only a couple weeks at the home of a family friend she is sent to a Catholic boarding school. She struggles to fit in here, as elsewhere, trying to forget who she is. Eventually she accepts all that she has left behind and upon graduation returns to an Iran greatly changed. For the next 6 years she rebels in the little ways that she is able, marries, divorces, and eventually leaves again, this time for good.
I liked this sequel better than the original. The first was written from the viewpoint of a child, so there was a lot that Marji did not understand. In the second book she is an adolescent growing into adulthood. The conversations and thought processes were more mature and exhibited greater understanding of exactly what was occuring in Iran. As a result I was not only better able to relate, but it answered many of the questions which I had been left with after reading the first. Reading these two books closer together would have likely enhanced my enjoyment of the first greatly.
As after completing the first book, I am left feeling like I have a woefully inadequete knowledge of Iran, and the desire to read more. I really wish that the author had included an author's notes with suggestions for further reading. Overall I would consider it a good introduction to the Iranian Revolution for middle grade to young adult readers.
This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women4 Stars
Based on the NPR program of the same name, this collection features 80 essays written by people both famous and not detailing the core beliefs that define them. Some of these essays were light, funny, and whimsical, while others were deeply spiritual, philiosophical, and politically charged; one even brought me and the co-worker who was listening with me to tears. However, there was not a single one that failed. Each told a unique story about the individual who wrote it.
I had the pleasure of listening to an audio recording of this collection. Each essay was presented by the original author with an introduction by Jay Allison or Edward Murrow who hosted the original 1950s series. Hearing each essay in its authors own voice lent a special quality to this book, so that the listener heard the essay as the writer intended. There was no questioning the meaning and intent behind their words.
Before I had even completed my listen I bought the ebook, as I knew that I would want to go back to reread and reference both the essays and the notes at the end on how to write my own essay. There is something for everyone in this book, and there is not a single person to whom I wouldn't recommend it. In fact the only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because the studio where I work can get noisy and I couldn't clearly hear all of them. There is a strong possibility that as I go back and reread the essays I missed that I will wish I had rated it higher.
The Owl KillersDNF
I have decided to put this one down for now. The plot is interesting, but it is hard to follow. There are several main characters and each of them are told in first person. It is just too confusing and I have been at it too long.
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics5 Stars
Despite being quite the fan of the Olympics and books set during World War II, this is a book I read based purely on the reviews and recommendations of friends whose literary opinions I trust implicitly. Without that push, I doubt I would have ever picked this book up. That is due to the subject matter being rowing. I have never had even the vaguest interest in this sport, so I never would have expected to be so intensly absorbed in the story of of Joe Rantz and the rest of the University of Washington crew team.
Brown met Rantz when the Olympian was in his 90s, invited to meet the old man by his daughter Judy. It is from this first interview that Brown conceived the idea to write this book. It would be a difficult undertaking, as Brown did not have much at his disposal; the memories of a dying man, a few diaries - particularly those of coach Al Ulbrickson -, the biography of master boat builder George Pocock, along with Olympic records, and the Nazi propoganda film Olympia.
I greatly enjoy non-fiction told in the narrative style of Laura Hildebrand and Hampton Sides, so I was not at all disappointed in this book. Brown focused on Rantz's story in particular, beginning with the death of his mother and the frequent abandonment of his father, forcing the young man to learn that the only person he could rely on was himself, all while trying to survive the Great Depression. This struggle to not trust anyone in counterpoint to the need to rely completely upon his crew mates is the core of this book, as each of the boys had to learn how to subsume the individual ego into their identity as a team.
I found myself cheering for these boys with each successive race, fretted on how these rough and tumble boys would come up with the money to continue their education, or fund their trips to race across the country, and eventually Germany, and exahalted when they finally stood atop the podium with gold medals around their necks despite knowing from page one how everything would turn out.
This is not a book just for fans of crew, or the Olympics, or history. It is for anyone who loves a good story about the ability to succeed no matter the odds. I loved this book from beginning to end, and while it had some flaws, it deserved all five stars for its ability to make me care so much about something so unexpected and outside my realm of interest.
The Wind Is Not a River3 Stars
I love when an author can shed light on a little known corner of history. That is exactly what Brian Payton has done here. Following the death of his younger brother over the North Sea, John Easely is determined to make a difference. Few know about the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian islands, it is certainly not discussed in any of the history books I have read. As a reporter for National Geographic, Easely was there when it happened. The government is determined to keep the occupation quiet, but Easley sneaks back to the islands, with a plan to tell the American people the truth. He leaves behind his young wife, Helen. Scared and desperate to bring her husband back home, she conceives her own plan to sneak into the Alaskan territory, in an effort to find him.
This book was both a moving story about the lengths we will go for those we love, and a tale of survival in a war torn land. Told in alternating chapters, we are shown Easley's bid for life, hiding in a cave on a island occupied by Japanese soldiers, and Helen's hopeless search for a man that no one knows is missing. I personally found Easley's story to more interesting, but Helen's search provided a nice counterpoint to the darkness and emptiness. I did find myself wishing for more detailed information on the Japanese invasion and what happened to the Aluets, but given how little is known about this part of the war, I am not surprised that it felt lacking. The love story, however was fully fleshed out, and if that is your thing, you are sure to love this book.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End5 Stars
Every person I know who has read this book has said that it is a must read, the most important book they have read, and that everyone should read this book. I agree whole-heartedly. A practicing general surgeon, author Dr. Atul Gawande, has seen and treated a lot of people living with terminal illness. He has used this book to question if any of those people are truly living and if all these medical solutions designed to prolong their lives are truly benefitting them. His conclusions clearly indicate that medical intervention is not always the right answer.
Using experiences from those he has treated, family, and those he met in the process of researching this book Dr. Gawande paints a moving picture of the medical industry which has little focus on quality of life versus length of life. From assisted living and nursing homes to the hospital room and hospice car, he examines the medical industry with a critical eye. The stories of the real people in this book , personalize it, and invite the reader to draw on their own experiences. I couldn't help but think of my sister who could have been kept "alive" with the benefit of machines while in a coma, grandparents living out their last few months or years in nursing facilities or in the car of a relative, and my own experience volunteering in a hospice facility.
I already have plans in place for myself should anything happen to me, but this book reminded me that I need to have this legally documented. And while I also know and hve my parents wishes documented, I live much closer to my in-laws and have no idea what their plans are or if they are documented. I have tried to open up a line of conversation, but they have resisted. As my husband is an only child, whatever needs they may eventually require will fall to us. Upon completing this book, I know that I need to keep pushing for answers, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation. Andso should everyone else. Put down that book and go do it. It might be uncomfortable in the short term, but in the long term you won't regret it. Just as you won't regret reading this incredibly important book.
The Boy Who Lost Fairyland4 Stars
The fourth book of the Fairyland series, takes us out of Fairyland and away from September. This time we are following a young Troll, spirited out of Fairyland by the Red Wind, to take the place of a young boy as a Changeling. Tom struggles to fit in, to be Normal , the boy his father wishes he could be. But he can't. He is as sure of the existence of magic, and that everything; the chandalier, the ballerina painting in the hall, his scrap yarn wombat, are all alive. When he is twelve, he discovers he is not wrong, and he is not alone. Accompanied by another Chengeling, a baseball, a gramophone, and a stuffed Wombat, he steps through a painted forest and into Fairyland, for the greatest adventure of his life.
I love this series, I love the book, and I love Fairyland. These books never fail to make me feel like a child again. Like Alice in Wonderland, Fairyland is populated by strange and magical creatures, where around every corner lurks adventure and whimsy. Valente has created a world in which the young and young at heart can believe that Fairies and Trolls, Redcaps and Fetches, truly do exist.
Each book has renewed my sense of childlike wonder, but in addition to that, I am blown away at Valente's ability to weave words together to create a magical tale. She is a truly gifted writer, and I am more than bit jealous at how skilled a storyteller she is. Passages like the following never fail to bring a smile to my face and a thrill to my heart.
The Red Wind gently pulled a strand of Hawthorn's mossy hair free of his nightclothes. "A choice is like a jigsaw puzzle, darling troll. Your wories are the corner pieces, and your hopes are the edge pieces, and you, Hawthorn, dearest of boys, are the middle pieced, all funny-shaped and stubborn. But the picture, the picture was there all along, just waiting for you to get on with it."
Or this one:
It was Spring that day, one of the very first warm days, when the sun seems to be trying on Summer for size, turning this wsy and that, blushing and hemming and hawing and opening its top button, just to be daring. The grass shown with dew and damp. The trees all round had just let a few green buds out to survey the situation before any real leaves risked their necks. It was fine, and Thomas felt fine, his bones remembering heat and life and the fun of moving, all those things they had found too depressing to think about while the snow was throwing its weight around and feeling big in the chest.
But my favorite of all of course had to describe books:
As his irises opened up to let all that dusky softness in, Thomas saw that Tamburlaine's house was a house of books
It was not the house of someone who liked books. It did not have a well-stocked library. It was not even stuffed with books. Thomas could not see any part of the house that was not mostly book. Books rose from the floor to the ceiling in unruly, tottering towers. Books held up tables and chairs-- and sat in the chairs, at the tables, as though quite ready for supper to be served, so long as supper was more books. They sprawled over the dining room table like a feast of many colors. Books climbed the stairs, ran up and down the hallways, curled up before the fireplace, were wedged into the cabinets beside cups and saucers, held open doors and locked them shut. They left no room on the sofa to sit, nor in the kitchen to stand, nor on the floor to lie down. Books had already taken every territory and occupied it. Where the books were content to rest on shelves, like other, less ambitious of their cousins, they had been squashed in so tight their spines bulged, and then bowed under the weightof the books stacked on top of their sagging rows. Brick and wood only peeked through in a few places, and where they did, they looked positively embarrassed, apologetic. It's only that someone is borrowing The Picture of Dorian Gray at the moment, you see. The Thousand and One Nights has had an accident involving grape juice and gone on a little trip to the binder's; please don't think anyone left this space empty on purpose, goodness no!
Passages like these always leave me saying that I need to read more by Valente, books written for adults, but you see I am quite unable to leave Fairyland behind. The final book in the series is due out in March, and I have done something quite unusual for me and pre-ordered it. I will be sad to read the final chapter in the book, but I will do so knowing that I get to start it all over again, by reading all of the books aloud with my two younger boys, who I know will be as filled with the wonder of Fairyland as I am. And maybe then, I will finally be able to crack the spine of another Valente novel.
The Midnight Watch4 Stars
Knowing full well that I don't have time to sit and read all day i order to complete the last 260 pages of Rebecca, the title I selected for March's tag, I decided to read something quick and dirty, but in the best possible way. A short story, this midbook installment of the Sigma Force series is a clear set-up for the next full length novel, The Bone Labyrinth. Featuring Jason, Sigma's chief analyst and skilled hacker, and Kowalski, a munitions expert, we are led on a rollicking chase across the National Mall to save an anthropology fellow and her research from Chinese thieves.
I always enjoy Rollins books. Are they best written out there? Not at all, but they are a lot of fun. After my last anguished attempt to listen to one of his books, I stuck to the print this time and will do so in the future. Sometimes audio recordings do nothing but point out the author's flaws and as someone who reads these books when I just need something enjoyable with lots of excitement and explosions, I don't need that.
I am beyond thrilled that this fun little chapter, because if we are being honest that is in fact what this is, featured Kowalski. He is one of my favorite Sigma operatives and it is about time he got his own book and mission. It looks like we may also get to know Jason a bit more. He first appeared as a member of Sigma in The 6th Extinction, but we were originally introduced to him and his family in the stand-alone title Subterranean. I guess I better go pick up The Bone Labyrinth now, because this short did its job and firmly whetted my appetite for more Sigma adventures.
Enduring Love2 Stars
Tragedy can strike in an instant and create in those impacted the strangest of reactions. One spring day while picnicing with his wife Joe Rose's life in upended in just such a fashion. Witness to a balooning accident he and four other men race to the scene to try to avert disaster and one of them looses his life. Another becomes fixated on Joe and his obsession nearly causes another death, while simultaneously destroying the neat and orderly life Joe and his wife have crafted.
I have enjoyed other McEwan novels, and while I found the interjection of a little known psychiatric disorder intriguing, overall this story struck a dull note for me. I was bored throughout much of the book, and often found myself skimming long dialogue discussing Keats or scientific theories that did nothing to further the narrative. This one flop will not sour me on McEwan, but I definitely would recommend that other readers skip this one.
Rebecca4 Stars
This is a book that hardly needs an introduction. It opens with arguably the most famous first line ever penned, "Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again" and from there you are pulled into a sweeping Gothic tale, filled with suspense, mystery, darkness, and love.
I somehow went into this book with absolutely no real knowledge of what happens on its pages and for that I was rewarded. Du Maurier has crafted what in my opinion is the perfect thriller. It builds slowly, the atmosphere charged with electricity, until it reaches a crescendo, and then the fall as the characters, author, and readers alike must untangle this twisted knot.
I love the technique du Maurier used of never naming the narrator beyond Mrs. de Winter. It subtly at first, with an ever increasing stranglehold, forced the reader to understand exactly the power that the dead Rebecca had, even from beyond the grave. This is exactly what allowed the novel to be so successful, as the reader is unable to get a handle on who the shy girl is narrating the story, but certainly knows the sort of person Rebecca was.
As I read the book, it became increasingly clear that not all was as it seemed, but I was still surprised by the big twist in the middle, and from there I could not put the book down. The Afterward included in my edition, as well as other readers, have compared this to another Gothic classic, Jane Eyre. I think that is unfair. This book is primarily a psychological thriller with the love story merely the vehicle used to tell the tale. Jane Eyre, on the otherhand is a romance that employed elements of suspense. In my mind they are two very different novels, and this one the better of the two.
I am not often a fan of Gothic literature, but this one is an exception. I look forward to trying more du Maurier. I also would be pleased to hear recommendation of similar authors to read, though it should be kept in mind I was not a fan of either Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights.
Alice in Wonderland3 Stars
This is one of those few books I have read twice. The first when I was a young girl, this second time as a mother reading it aloud to her children. Everyone knows this story, a crazy dream like tale of a young girl who falls through a rabbit hole and there has many madcap dventures featuring some of the most beloved characters in all of literature - The Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Chesire Cat, and The Queen of Hearts.
Unfortunately for me this did not stand up to my childhood memories. I really think that it is a book best suited to children. It is so utterly nonsensical that only those few adults still retain the innonce and wonder of childhood will be able to read it with the same sense of wonder and imagination that we had as children. My boys were entralled by the story, and particularly loved the illustrations. I think their favorite character was the Cheshire Cat. For me, I just couldn't suspend my sense of reality quite far enough. This is unfortunate because I truly believe that without Alice, my beloved Fairyland series, which also features crazy creatures and improbable adventures, would not exist.
Angle of Repose4 Stars
Lyman Ward, confined to wheelchair by illness, has returned to his family home to write the story of his grandmother. A well-bred woman and accomplished artist she followed her engineer husband across the country as he attempted to make his life in the West. They shared a great love for each other, but their love was equally tainted by great resentment.
I really loved Stegner's use of language. His words were well chosen and while the story moved slowly, it was never boring. I really enjoyed the story of Susan and Oliver Ward, but Lyman's own story was equally interesting. However, it was Stegner's descriptions of the western landscapes that really moved me. As a person who grew up in a western community that began its life as a mining town, it was a bit like coming home.
The book lost a star for me in that the end felt unfinished. I am not a reader that needs everything wrapped up in a neat little bow, but I wanted to know what happened after Susan and Oliver moved to California. I was less bothered by that conclusion, however, than I was by Lyman's story which seemed to just fizzle out with a bad dream. There was no resolution and no answers. The reader was just left hanging and it left a bad taste in my mouth.
The Sleeper and the SpindleAn interesting take on well-known fairytales, we are presented with a queen with skin as white as snow, about to married to her charming prince. She sets off on a journey, accompanied by the dwarves who protected her while she slept deeply. Together they go in search of another sleeping princess, hidden away in a high tower guarded by thorns, while all around them kingdoms fall into a deep sleep.
You may think you know this story, but you would be mistaken. Neil Gaiman, a master storyteller, has turned these fairytales on their head, imbueing them with a healthy dose of feminism that you will not find in the originals. I found the story enjoyable, but it was far too short. It almost felt rushed. In the past I have enjoyed his short stories, but this one didn't measure up, though I loved the concept.
Chris Riddell's ink drawings, however, were nothing short of fantastic. I could look at the pages of this book all day and may buy a copy just to look at it. They are deep, dark, and filled with mysteries. True works of art. If I was rating this book solely on the strength of the art it would be a 5 star book, but in conjunction with the story, which is a solid 3, I have chosen to average it out at 4 stars. I would recommend this book to the Neil Gaiman fanatic or lovers of beautiful art, but if neither of these is your cup of tea, then I definitely recommend skipping this graphic novel
The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way HomeI admit, I cried a little at both the beginning and end of this story. I have grown to love September, Saturday, Ell, and all their friends as if they are my own. I hated to see this story ending, but as Fairyland tells us, stories are never ending. Now I will have the joy of sharing these beautiful adventuring words with my own children, who I can only hope will be carried away by the Green Wind astride a Leopard's back just like their mother.
Few stories have captivated me in the same way that the Fairyland series have. They are full of wonder and daring and beauty, and I dare say you will find them engraved on my heart. Books such as these are exactly why I fell in love with reading at a very young age. They are why I continue to read, even when I put my books down for a while or read a real clunker. So while I can be a bit sad that Catheryne Valente may not return to Fairyland to pen another story, I know that I can and will return many times over
84, Charing Cross RoadCharming. Delightful. A gem. Laugh out loud funny. Can't miss.
I could use any of these well worn words and phrases to describe this treasure (there I go again!) and every one of them would be true. I read this book cover to cover in 2 sittings. It would have been 1 if my son hadn't expected me to put it down and drive him home. I absolutely adored every word of this collection of letters between an American lover of antiquarian books on a budget and the London bookseller who provided them to her. Helene was an absolute riot, and I literally laughed embarrassingly loud at several excerpts. It is a lucky thing that my reading was split between the privacy of my car and my own couch, because I am certain I would have been the object of public humiliation should it have happened somewhere less private.
I cannot believe that I would have missed this book were it not included on the PBT non-fiction list. Whichever members recommended it and those who voted for its inclusion, thank you so much. It will most certainly find its way into my permenant library, and I will be recommending it to every book lover I know.
Anne Bancroft wrote the introduction to my edition in which she tells the story of how a wandering reader at Fire Island, an unknown person to her, said she would love this book and the next day handed her a copy. This reader was so spot on in his recommendation that her husband bought the movie rights so that she could star in it. I have not seen the movie, but I will certainly be watching it soon. I do not know how it could possibly capture the charm of Hanff's letters to Marks & Co but I think it is certainly worth viewing.
In short, read this book. You won't regret it. And if you do, you haven't the soul of a book-lover.
Fables, Vol. 6: HomelandsVolume 6 picks up where the last one left off, Boy Blue has vanished and with him magical weapons of great value and the wooden body of a certain puppet. This collection shows exactly where he has gotten off too, the Homelands in a quest for revenge and rescue. As always there is a secondary plotline which opens the story. This time we follow the adventures of Jck who has also disappeared from Fabletown in posession of items that do not belong to him. However, his only goal is yet another get rich quick scheme in Hollywood as a reclusive studio head.
I enjoyed these comics just as I always have. They are quick and fun twists on the classic fables and fairytales we all know. I rarely rate graphic novels any higher than 3 stars, and this one was no exception. For me they are nothing more than light-hearted diversions. Worth spending a little time to read, but nothing special. If ypu are a fan of graphic novels and the fantasy genre, they are certainly worth the read, but I am not sure I would recommend them to anyone else.
This is the Story of a Happy MarriageBefore becoming an award winning novelist, author Ann Patchett got her start writing pieces for magazines and journals. For years she collected these pieces with the thought that one day she might sort through them for publication as a collection of essays. Tired of hearing someday, a friend sorted them out for Patchett. After some more sorting, Patchett finally put together her essays as a memoir, starting with her childhood desire to be a writer to the controversy over her exploration of her friendship with fellow author Lucy Grealy in the book Truth and Beauty to both her marriages.
As a fan of essays this is a format that really worked for me. The loosely connected order of the essays provided insights into Patchett's life like a memoir, but also allowed her to expand upon themes that would have made a traditional essay come across as unfocused. My favorites dealt with the opening of her bookstore in Nashville and her relationship with her dog Rose. She is not afraid of showing herself in an unflattering light, and while not an expose, she recognized and admitted to her flaws. I rarely read celebrity memoirs, as I am more interested in the lives of ordinary people, however I highly recommend this one.
Between the World and MeThis is quite possibly one of the most important books of this era. Coates, a renowned journalist for The Atlantic, in the guise of writing a letter to his son, explores the theme of what it means to black in America, ranging from his childhood in the Baltimore ghetto to his student years at Howard, to his own son's anger at the events in Ferguson, Missouri that propelled race to the forefront of American conciousness. We see a man who is angry; a man who has through experience come to realize that black and white Americans live in two very different worlds; a man who has discovered that for him and others like him the American Dream is nothing but a sham.
While it was hard to read, hard not to be burned by his anger, even as someone who sees the racism that still pervades society, it was an eye-opening read. As a white woman my experiences are not his. I can never truly understand what it is like to be him, but what I can do is try to educate myself. I can open my eyes to the injustices African Americans face. It is necessary that I do so. If there is ever to be hope of change, it is necessary that we all do so.
Where some see nothing but hopelessness in his words, I see just the opposite. If Coates was truly hopeless, he wouldn't have bothered to write this book and he wouldn't tackle many of the issues he writes about in The Atlantic . By doing so, it shows that he does believe in change, he does believe that matters as they currently stand don't have to stay the same. He understands that we are all in this together and that he has the unique opportunity to educate and inform those of us who are willing and that with each passing year more and more people will listen. As I said this book is one of the most important books of our era. I hope that it, and the current state of the United States can be the flashpoint to turn things around.
The Marriage PlotTwo months, three check outs, and still only eight hours into the audio. It is long past time to call it quits. I thoroughly enjoyed both of Eugendies other novels but this one just didn't work for me. Only one word came to mind as I was listening to this book, pretentious. In addition to this being a book about three students graduating from Brown who are capable of spending the next year finding themselves while they contemplate careers as Victorianists and theologians, it is also the story of a love triangle, with two very different men vying for the affections of the same woman. While this is a theme common to 19th century authors such as Austen and one I enjoy in novels of that era, partly due to the difficulty of women being published at that point in history, it isn't one that works for me in our modern times. But when you stir it with a silver spoon, flat characters with the emotional depth of a piece of paper, and a plodding plot that never seems to go anywhere, then at some point it becomes necessary to move on.
The Elves of CintraContinuing the story begun in Armageddon's Children, Brooks finally commits to the crossover between his Shanarra series and his urban fantasy trilogy, The Word and the Void. In the first book we see a post-apocolyptic Pacifuc Northwest ravaged by demons and once men, inhabited by Freaks, mutant creatures, the citizens reduced to street children, slaves, and the scared residents hiding in compounds. Knights of the Word Logan Tom and Angel Perez struggle to keep the world together, entrusted to save Faerie creatures. Logan Tom is charged with protecting the Ghosts, a family of street kuds, while searching for the gypsy morph. Angel Perez however, is completely unprepared when she is told her next mission is to help save the mythical elves.
I think that Brooks has done something singularly unique with these books, uniting two vastly different series of books, blending urban fantasy with post-apocolyptic fiction and true epic fantasy. The utter originality of what he has done heightens my enjoyment of these books far beyond my normal levels for what is otherwise fairly run of the mill writing. I am completely invested in finding out how he brings us from our current world to that of Shanarra.
God Bless You, Dr. KevorkianBegun as a collection of 90 second 'interviews' for radio broadcast, this slim volume is an insightful commentary on history and society from a humanist perspective. Working with Dr. Kevorkian to die only 3/4, Vonnegaut visits the Afterlife 30 times to meet with various people, both famous (Adolph Hitler, Isaac Asimov) and obscure (Kilgore Trout), each only one to two pages in length, written immediately upon being brought back to life.
This book was both humorous and thought-provoking in equal measure. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, as in the past I have not been a fan of Vonnegut. I think, however, that those who greatly enjoy Vonnegut will get more out of this book than I did.
The Gypsy MorphIn the conclusion of this trilogy, Earth has finally reached its critical moment. Kirisan, the Loden containing all of Arbolorn escapes the demon army with the assistance of Logan Tom, joining up with Hawk, the Ghosts, and a massive exodus of humans - mostly children - along the banks of the Columbia River. Also there is the recovered Angel Perez. They begin their march West, trying to escape the demons and once men who wish to destroy them, all the while hunted by the Klee. Not all will survive, and some will choose to leave the group behind, but in the end the gypsy morph's magic leads them to safety as the rest of the world takes its last breath and dies.
It was a climactic conclusion, and while I had some problems with the book, such as Brooks's characteristically poor handling of battles, I am overall satisfied with how he brought this story to its end. I particualarly liked the side story of the soldier trappec in a bunker below ground. You will spend most of the book wondering what it has to do with the greater story, but it is critical to how events play out, and I appreciated it greatly. I am definitely looking forward to the next series of books, set 500 years in the future that will hopefully answer some questions on how the world emerged from apocolypse.
The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and StoriesMarina Keegan was a young woman, with her whole life ahead of her. Having just graduated from Yale, magna cum laude, she was 22, driven, passionate, a job at The New Yorker waiting for her, she was ready to take on the world. Then it all came crashing down when she tragically died in a car accident on her way to Cape Cod to celebrate her father's birthday.
Her family, friends, and teachers were shocked, but ultimately came together to help Marina's dream of being a writer come true. What they put together is a collection of short stories and essays chosen from all that Marina had to offer. It opens with her title essay, The Opposite of Loneliness, her final essay written for The Yale Daily News , it is then followed by several short stories before returning to her essays.
I personally felt that her short stories were the stronger of the two. Here her youthful voice made sense, allowing her to express how it feels to be so young and just figuring out the world. She did try out writing a more mature character in Reading Aloud and Sclerotherapy , and while they were good, those she wrote with young women at the center read more naturally. I do think she could have been a successful short story author had she lived. Each story was complete without leaving the reader feeling as if there was more to be told. This is not always easy to acheive, and I truly enjoyed each of the stories she wrote.
I did not enjoy her essays nearly as much. For someone who was going to be writing for a publication like The New Yorker I expected something more. While her youtful voice was natural and the right tone for her short stories, here it sounded childish. I do think that with a good editor and more work she could have grown into a better essayist, but I think her strength lied in her fiction.
Overall, this was a good read. While I think the hype surrounding this book exaggerated her skills (The Voice of a Generation is a bit much) and that without her connections and privelage this book never would have happened, I do believe she was a talented writer who would have become a household name had she lived.
Harry Potter and the Cursed ChildIn the highly anticipated continuance of the Harry Potter series, we begin at the end. Picking up where book 7 concluded, the Platform 9 3/4 sendoff for Harry and Ginny's younger son Albus, we return once again to Hogwarts. Unfortunately, for Albus, Hogwarts is not the magical home filled with lifelong friendships that it was for his father. His experience is quite the opposite. As he learns being the son of the most famous wizard of all time is not all it's cracked up to be. His decision to befriend Scorpius, the despised son of Draco Malfoy, doesn't help his situation. Meanwhile, as Albus struggles to find his place in the world, hus father is plagued by nightmarss and the familiar pain in his scar. No one knows exactly what this means, and many once again refuse to believe it means anything.
I quite enjoyed this story. I was surprised by my emotional response to the first scene. It was like being reunited with old friends after a very long absence and discovering that nothing has changed. It quickly becomes apparent that while Harry himself plays a large roll, this story is about Albus and Scorpius. I enjoyed getting to know these two friends and while I found some aspects of the plot utterly contrived, overall I felt it did credit to the series.
I would recommend this play to fans of the book and film series, but I think it is important to remember that this is a script. As such you cannot expect the same sort of character development and descriptive writing you will get from a novel. All of that is expected to come from the acting and stage settings/decor. I think it helps to look at the play more as a continuation of the films, and use your imagination to put yourself in that world. This is not going to be easy for every reader and as a result the reading may suffer.
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and WarIn this history of the Pilgrims, historian Nathaniel Philbrick endeavors to bring alive the first 50 years of the New England colonies beginning with the sailing of the Mayflower and settlement of Plymouth. In the early years the Pilgrims and various others who had traveled with them developed a good relationship with the local tribes, particularly the Pokanket and their chief Massassoit. However, as time passed and new leaders took over in both the colonies and the tribes the relationship deteriorated to such a point that war became inevitable. King Phillips War, named after Massassoit's son and new chieftan, is one of the bloodiest and least known in American history. The results of this war shaped forever how the colonists and later American government would deal with the native peoples and they expanded into the frontier.
I went into this book expecting it to be about the voyage of the Mayflower and those aboard it. However that was maybe 1/3 of the book. Most of it dealt with King Phillips War, an aspect of American history on which my knowledge was woefully lacking. As always Philbrick's history was written in a very readable fashion, though it was still filled with a lot of information. Additionally there about 100 pages of notes and bibliographical information in my edition, so there is much for anyone who wants to learn more to research. I learned quite a bit from this book and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know the true history of the Pilgrims versus the mythology which it has become.
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary GenerationUsing six pivotal moments that helped forge the young American Republic as the basis for this book, author Joseph Ellis, explores how some of the most influential men of the Revolutionary Era guided the 13 fledgling states through the most fraughtful time in the history of the United States. The 1790s saw these men through a tumultuous period in which former friends with competing visions became enemies, as each attemtpted to steer the new nation down a path that would guide it to becoming one of the most powerful and influential nations in the world. Hamilton's famous duel, Washington's Farewell Address, Adams presidency and partnership with his wife Abigail, the backroom dealings that settled the debate over the location of the national capital, Franklin's end of life effort to force Congress to analyze the slavery question so neatly sidestepped in the Constitution, and the correspondence between Adams and Jefferson following their presidencies are each examined and put in their proper place as the moments that made the United States what it would eventually become.
As the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction, I expected a lot from this book. I was not disappointed. Ellis is never dry in his historical analysis, though as I have noted before in past reviews he is also not drawn to the narrative either. I find his interpretation and exploration of the events insightful and educational. His history is concise, never overwhelming the reader, but it is meticulously researched and accompanied by copious notes for those who wish to read more. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the development of the United States post-Revolution. It is an excellent introduction and jumping off point for those with an interest in the formation of the U.S.A. and provides many directions for further exploration.
A Man Called OveI resisted reading this book despite numerous glowing reviews from readers whose opinions I trust. I mean how many books about grumpy but loveable old men can you read and not find that it is the same story, different cover. When my sister told me I had to read it, that it was like reading about our father, I bought the book, but I put it for nearly two months. And then I got it. I got why of all the reviews written by my friends there isn't a single one that give this book less than four stars.
Throughout the book I found myself alternately laughing and crying. Ove's cynicism and gruff demeanor are at the very core of who he is, yet as you continue to read the book his layers are peeled away and his story revealed. By the end of the book you come to love and admire him as much as Sonja, Parvaneh, Jimmy, Cat Annoyance, and a whole cast of characters. You see Ove is not at all who he presents himself to be. He is a man who believes that right is right, that you don't tell tales about others, a man to be relied upon. A man whose heart is too big.
I cried for the last 30 pages. These weren't just the occassional tears either. It was full blown convulsive ugly crying. Some of them, maybe most were sad, but they were mixed with tears of joy and humor. Backman is a master at slowly building emotion, at creating believable characters, and unparalleled wit. I know that he has written other books, but I cannot imagine that they can hold a candle to Ove. This book is destined to be one of, if not the best book I have read in 2016. If like me, you have hesitated to read this book, I am here to tell you that it is every bit as good as everyone says it is.
The MartianI could not finish this novel. Over a week and I only got to page 30. It was a whole bunch of "Problem! Extremely technical science and jargon to the rescue! Witty quip!" I loved the movie, but as a book it was a total fail for me. I think its great that Weir self-published this book and then mnaged to get it picked up a traditional publisher and then a movie. I hope to see him publish future books, but I won't be reading them.
Hot MilkThis book was pure poetry. In it we are introduced to Sofia who is in Almería, Spain with her mother in a last attempt to solve the problem that has haunted her whole life. They have mortgaged their home in England to seek answers at the Gomèz Clinic. An anthropologist with an incomplete doctorate, Sofia has studied her mothers ailment since childhood; it has consumed her to the point that Sofia has no idea who she is, herself or an extension of her mother's numbness.
When I said the book was pure poetry, I meant it. Too many passages to quote took my breath away. This is the type of wordcraft that any author would kill for. It was beautiful, evocotive, and direct. The sparse literature of McCarthy, Haruff, and Watson is not to be found here. Those are men's books with men's words. This novel is all woman. It tells the story that only a woman can, in a language that women will understand. This does not mean a man cannot also read it, that a man cannot also learn something from it, but for far too long women's stories have been told by men, and sometimes we need something of our own. This book gives us that.
Almost from the start I was put in the mind of Kate Chopin's The Awakening and Edna O'Brien's August Is A Wicked Month. While these books do not appear to have much in common, I think the comparison is apt. Each tells the story of a woman trapped by her role in life as wife, mother, daughter. They are journeys of self-discovery that while not always pretty, in fact they are often quite ugly, tell the heartbreaking truth of what it means to be a woman in this world. That is not to say that these are all women's experiences, but I do think that we can all recognize the stories as ones who have lived or seen the women in our lives live.
I have read several great books this year, but this one definitely belongs near the top. Thank you to my friends who encouraged me to read it now rather than wait. It is absolutely a book that will stick with me for years to come. I rarely keep books on my shelf after I have read them due to limited space and a lack of desire to reread, but this one that will be finding a permanent place in my home.
Shelfari 50 Book Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
August Is a Wicked Month (other topics)Hot Milk (other topics)
The Awakening (other topics)
The Martian (other topics)
A Man Called Ove (other topics)
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2. The Imperfectionists - Tom Rachman, 4 Stars
3. Happier at Home - Gretchen Rubin, 3 Stars
4. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell, 4 Stars
5. Wit's End - Karen Joy Fowler, 1 Star
6. Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return - Marjane Satrapi, 3 Stars
7. This I Believe - Jay Allison, 4 Stars
8. The Owl Killers - Karen Maitland, DNF
9. The Boys on the Boat - Daniel James Brown, 5 Stars
10. The Wind Is Not a River - Brian Payton, 3 Stars
11. The Boy Who Lost Fairyland - Catheryne Valente, 4 Stars
12. Being Mortal - Atul Gawande, MD, 5 Stars
13. The Midnight Watch - James Rollins, 4 Stars
14. Enduring Love - Ian McEwan, 2 Stars
15. Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier, 4 Stars
16. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll, 3 Stars
17. Heading Out to Wonderful - Robert Goolrick, 3 Stars
18. Angle of Repose - Wallace Stegner, 4 Stars
19. The Bone Labyrinth - James Rollins, 3 Stars
20. The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J.K Rowling, 3 Stars
21. The Sleeper and the Spindle - Neil Gaiman, 4 Stars
22. The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home - Catherynne Valente, 5 Stars and ♡
23. 84, Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff, 5 Stars and ♡
24. Fables Vol 6: Homelands - Bill Willingham, 3 Stars
25. Fables Vol 7: Arabian Nights - Bill Willingham, 3 Stars
26. Fables Vol 8: Wolves - Bill Willingham, 3 Stars
27. This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage - Ann Patchett, 4 Stars
28. Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates, 5 Stars
29. The Elves of Cintra - Terry Brooks, 4 Stars
30. The Marriage Plot - Jeffrey Eugendies, DNF
31. God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian - Kurt Vonnegut, 3.5 Stars
32. The Gypsy Morph - Terry Brooks, 4 Stars
33. The Opposite of Loneliness - Marina Keegan, 4 Stars
34. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - John Tiffany, 4 Stars
35. Mayflower - Nathaniel Philbrick, 4 Stars
36. The Founding Brothers - Joseph J. Ellis, 4 Stars
37. A Man Called Ove - Frederik Backman, 5 Stars and ♡
38. The Martian - Andy Weir, DNF
39. Hot Milk - Deborah Levy, 5 Stars and ♡
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Reading Stats
Genre
Classics: 2
Historical Fiction: 4
General Fiction: 5
Fantasy: 3
Science Fiction: 1
Dystopia/Post-Apocolyptic: 2
Mystery/Thriller: 2
Short Stories: 4
Graphic Novels: 5
Non-Fiction: 6
Biography/Memoir: 3
Play: 1
Format
Own DTB: 3
Ebook: 14
Audio: 6
Library: 16
Monthly Totals
January: 8
February: 4
March: 1
April: 4
May: 3
June: 6
July: 7
August: 6
YTD: 39