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Hitting the PBT High Notes
Hitting the PBT High Notes - 2013And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini - 4 Stars - 1/2/17
And the Mountains Echoed opens in an Afghan village in 1952 where Abdullah and Pari plead with their father to tell them the legendary story of a div (evil giant) who knocks on the door of a poor family's house and demands the man give him his favorite child. The child is thrown into a sack, taken away, and never seen again. Years later the father, still consumed by grief, goes in search of his child and finds him living in the lavish palace of the div. Given the choice, should he take his child back, returning to him to a life of hard toil and misery, or leave him in luxury?
The next day Abdullah's father takes him and his sister to Kabul where he leaves one of them with a wealthy childless couple in the hope of helping his family make it through the harsh winter. The separation of the siblings leads to a novel built as a series of stories, each told in a different style and from different viewpoints. At first it's a bit confusing because it skips backward and forward in time, as well as with multiple characters.
The author was skillful at turning this complex, multi-stranded plot into one long sweeping novel rather than a collection of short stories. I've owned this book since it's publication and for some reason have never picked it up. Maybe it's because A Thousand Splendid Suns was one of my very favorite books and I didn't want to be disappointed in a possibly over hyped book. I'm glad I finally took the opportunity to read and enjoy this beautifully written story.
Olivermagnus wrote: "Hitting the PBT High Notes - 2013And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini - 4 Stars - 1/2/17
And the Mountains Echoed opens in an Afghan village in 1952 where Abdullah and Par..."
Loved this book.
AJ wrote: "Hitting the PBT High Notes 2013
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
4 Stars
I have never read a book by Kate Atkinson, I think I will again. Maybe the companion novel to this. I am n..."
One of my favorites. Loved the follow-up A God in Ruins
AJ wrote: "Hitting the PBT High Notes 2013
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
4 Stars
I have never read a book by Kate Atkinson, I think I will again. Maybe the companion novel to this. I am n..."
Just finished A God in Ruins. A great book. I think I like it even more than the first one.
Hitting the PBT High Notes - 2011
by Alan Brennert - 5 stars and a <3This book can best be summed up in a quote from Sister Catherine, "I've come to believe that how we choose to live with pain, or injustice, or death is the true measure fo the Divine within us...I use to wonder, why did God give children leprosy? Now I believe God doesn't give anyone leprosy. He gives us, if we choose to use it, the spirit to live with leprosy, and with the iminence of death." (pg 307)
Set in Kalaupapa, a "leper colony" on the island of Moloka'i, the story spans the years 1891 -1970. Seven year old Rachel is discovered to have Hansen's Disease (leprosy). By edict of the Board of Health, Rachel is torn from her family and sent into exile on Molokai. Under the care of the Franciscan Nuns (seemingly abandoned by most of her family), Rachel grows up in the colony, builds a family, and becomes part of a community.
Brennert does an excellent job of integrating historical characters into a fictional story that was beautifully written. He does justice to those who championed to make Kalaupapa a place where people could "come to live and not come to die". It certainly makes me want to learn more. Furthermore, Brennert shows the struggle between two cultures at crossroads, particularly as it related to traditional customs vs. introduction of Christianity to the island. Through this story the reader can learn of Hawaii's rich history, the culture of the island, and some wonderfuly mythology. You see the advancement of technology and pop culture as it is slowly introduced to the colony with each wave of new patients.
This was a re-read for me for my f2f book club. I had wondered if I would enjoy it as much the second time around because one thing I love in historical fiction is when I'm introduced to a new concept. The first time I read it head I was completely taken in by the manner in which authorities approached those with this disease and the colony. However, I found the story the second time around was strong enough to carry it. The character development and the portrayal of relationships is excellent. I still love it.
Regina wrote: "Hitting the PBT High Notes - 2011 by Alan Brennert - 5 stars and a <3This book can best be summed up in a quote from Sister Catherine, "I've come to believe that how we..."
I agree with your heart on this one!
Hitting the PBT High Notes - Year 2015
by Yōko Ogawa 5 stars and a <3The housekeeper, a single mom of a pre-teen son, is assigned work to a professor who has suffered a traumatic head injury. Due to the head injury, the professor can remember everything prior to the accident in 1975, and has an 80-minute bandwidth for time thereafter. This makes for a difficult work environment since his sister-in-law, the employer, instructs the housekeepers to handle all issues on their own. This housekeeper is the tenth in line that didn't last. Once the professor discovers the housekeeper has a son he insists that she bring the boy with her to work. What ensues is an opportunity for the professor to share his passions - mathematics and baseball.
This is absolutely just a beautiful little story about the power of human interactions. There's not a lot that happens in the story but the way the three of these characters come to love each other is simply heartwarming. The housekeeper is not highly educated and the professor is brilliant, but she takes the time to show an interest in his work and that means something, something big. I've read people ponder on whether if those who don't share the same level of appreciation for the sport of baseball will enjoy the novel as much. I enjoy going to baseball games but I can't watch them on television, and I didn't feel that level of affinity was necessary to appreciate the story. It didn't really matter that it was baseball that three shared it just mattered that in their world's that were so different they could find something in common. On the other hand, there is a lot of math theories, and I do love math. I loved many of Ogawa's turn of phrases but I really loved this one - “Math has proven the existence of God, because it is absolute and without contradiction; but the devil must exist as well, because we cannot prove it”. But, I can see where that might frustrate some readers. But, I don't think it took away from the story at all. If you aren't a math person I would say try to not focus so hard on the fact that it is math. It is more important that the housekeeper took the time to try and understand the professor's passion.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in great characters and heartwarming stories.
Hitting the PBT High Notes - Year 2008
THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE - Audrey Niffeneggar
4 stars (4.5 really)
520 pages
I'm so glad that I finally took the time and read THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE. This book is a wonderful romance and just a really well written good book. I don't quite feel it was a 5 star read, but I would give it 4.5 stars if I could.
Henry is a time traveler - the book explains (with the help of a weird doctor) that it occurs because of a gene mutation. He disappears from the present and reappears at different points in his life, naked and not knowing where he will be. He becomes an expert at finding clothes and money wherever he goes. He even goes so far as to hide clothes in his office (for when he travels there), and there is a hidden box in the meadow behind Clare's house, where he travels often and gets to meet her as a small child and a teenager. Clare eventually becomes his wife.
I did not like the ending of this book. Talk about SAD. Really sad. Plus (spoiler.........) when Henry dies we never get to see what Clare does with the rest of her life, as she is only 35 at the time. Plus, there is a character in the book, Gomez, who is pretty creepy. He's a good friend of Henry and Clare and married to Clare's best friend, but we get the idea that he would just run off with Clare if he could and I hate that.
However, this book was a "can't put down" for me. I even read it at my lunch break at work, which I really never do. I would classify it as reality science-fiction - a story of a real life but with something impossible thrown in. Something happens to Henry on one of his later "trips" that is just so awful that I know it was put in the book as a sign of doom.
Still a really good book - I will remember it always and isn't that the point of a really good author and book?
Hitting the PBT High Notes - 2013
Constellation of Vital Phenomena – Anthony Marra – 4****
I had considerable difficulty getting into this novel. Perhaps it was because I was listening rather than reading, but Marra’s moving back and forth in time, and changing points of view, just confused me. I did not connect to the characters at first and didn’t understand their relationships and connections. But that, I suppose, is Marra’s intention. We do not often know why someone crosses our path, what connections she or he brings, what influence he or she will have on our future. We do not know when hope and grace, courage and dignity may find their way into our lives. We can only pray that they do.
LINK to my review
Hitting the PBT Hight Notes - 2010(Cross posted to Jan: Bonus Admin tags)
Room by Emma Donoghue
4.5 stars
The premise of this book is pretty disturbing, so I had avoided when it first came out. From the GR description, Jack and his mother are confined to a single room. Jack is 5 and the narrator of this story. He has lived in the room his entire live and his mother has done her best to give him some normalcy. When the two put together a daring escape plan, neither is prepared for the consequences.
I did not realize that the story was told from Jack's perspective until I started reading it. It took a bit of time to get used to his speech patterns and at first, they were charming, but I will admit that he really started to irritate me. However, I decided to switch to audio (which was excellent) and found it less distracting. I don't want to spoil anything about the story, but it highlighted a lot of things besides the obvious about Jack and his mother's situation. I think that Donoghue did an excellent job of showing things through the perspective of a 5 year old which, in some ways diminished the awfulness of the situation since he didn't know any other kind of life. I am now looking forward to seeing the movie.....although I will wait a bit to let the "book settle".
For 2008The Giver 4 stars
Jonas grows up in a community where the goal is sameness. At his ceremony of turning 12 instead of being assigned to a job like everyone else his age Jonas is picked to be the new receiver of memory for the community. Jonas begins receiving memories from the giver and learns of things like color and snow. I found the premise of the book to be interesting and I really like the giver and Jonas. The book is very short and the ending is a bit abrupt but I can definitely see why it won the Newbery Award.
For 2015The Girl on the Train (4 stars)
A highly enjoyable psychological thriller, with some effective differences. Full review here
Regina wrote: "Hitting the PBT High Notes - Year 2015 by Yōko Ogawa 5 stars and a <3The housekeeper, a single mom of a pre-teen son, is assi..."
Finished this a week ago and absolutely loved it.
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus3 stars
2008
In the spring of 1875, President U.S. Grant was approached by the chief of the Cheyenne tribe to trade 1000 white women for 1000 Indian ponies. The chiefs goal was to bring these women to his tribe as brides so that they would bear children who would be able to assimilate into white society. Although the deal was never struck, author Fergus has written an historical fiction novel that follows some of the brides, especially May Dodd who wrote extensively in leather-bound journals of her life with the Cheyenne. While it is an interesting concept, and at times the storytelling is breathtaking, I found my mind wandering quite often; after all there are only so many birds, plants, wildlife and land formations that need to be described. It was a good book with a spectacularly capable heroine.
2008 A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini A remarkable and powerful book about hope and friendship in the midst of hell. Review here
Hitting the PBT High Notes ~ 2008To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee *****
The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.
I absolutely loved this been. I feel that everyone reads certain books in different season. I guess this is my season. I feel like I should have read it several years ago....but I guess it wasn't my time.
I think our current state of our nation drew me into this book. What true human behavior looks like? What it means to fight for what you believe is right and not always win?
I was really drawn to Scout...she let nothing get in her way and voiced her opinion. She was also compassionate but also a fighter. Reminds me of my young 10 year old that I am raising.
Hitting the PBT High Notes ~ 2012Unbroken: A World War II story of survival, resilience and redemption -- By Laura Hillenbrand *****
On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.
The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.
Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.
In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.
Another book I just absolutely loved. I experienced every emotion possible. I would come home daily and share with my husband (a history nut) about what I had heard and ask the same question daily....Why?
I listened to this book. I played it during my daily walks. It kept me focused and didnt' make me think on my 3 miles.
Louis was a fighter and not one to every give up. I think his track training helped to prepare him for the years a head of him.
My favorite quote was from Louis's brother Pete; "Don't let 'em clip your wings." In other words, don't let anyone tear you down or tell you that you can't do something.
2011. I've read them all, so this is from the PBT top 100Their Eyes Were Watching God / Zora Neale Hurston
2.5 stars
This book follows African-American Janie as she goes through three husbands during the 1920s? 1930s? in Florida.
So, it seemed, to me, like it started off with a bunch of gossipy women. Shortly after, we went back in time to hear about Janie’s life and her three husbands. I wasn’t at all interested in the first husband and I remember nothing of what happened with him. The second husband was slightly more interesting, but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out if she was married to “Joe” or “Jody”. It was only at the end of that section that I finally realized that they may have been the same guy. Her third husband, Tea Cake was more interesting, but I zoned out for parts of that section, as well.
I was ready to rate it 2 stars until the surprising ending. That, combined with the slightly more interesting Tea Cake brought up my rating to 2.5 stars. I do know that part of why I “missed” (that is, I wasn’t interested, so wasn’t really paying attention to what I read) much of the book was that the dialogue was written in a dialect that you really have to focus on to figure out. At least, it didn’t come easy to me, and I have a hard time slowing myself down to follow it better, so I missed much of the dialogue, but I know that wasn’t all, as there were other parts that I missed out on, as well.
I know so many people loved this, but sorry, not me.
Oh, and this isn’t this book alone, nor does it reflect this story, but once again, I HATE when publishers put an introduction, preface, foreword, etc of a classic where they pretty much reveal the entire plot!!! I started reading it, but when they started mentioning plot, I skipped the rest and read the book. I then went back and read the intro. Why, why, why do this? Why give it all away before one has even read the story!? Put these comments in an afterword…
2009. Also from PBT top 10084, Charing Cross Road / Helene Hanff
3 stars
This is a series of letters sent between the author in New York and a bookseller in England (and some of his staff), from 1949 to 1969.
It was ok, but I didn’t see anything special in this. I didn’t particularly like some of Helen’s interactions (chastising the bookseller for not sending the *exact* thing she wanted). I found the mailing of meat overseas a bit odd. I realize there was a shortage and rations, but still odd. At least it was quick to read.
2012: The Shadow of the WindI adored this book - right book, right time, right mood. A page-turning story, delightful characters and an all-round sense of satisfaction and time well spent. Thanks for all the recommendations! My review here
2014: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
by Emily St. John Mandel - 4.5 Stars rounded to 4Thrice divorced and famous actor, Arthur Leander, dies of heart attack on stage while performing King Lear. Jeevan, in training as a paramedic rushes on stage to perform CPR while the young, aspiring actress, Kristen, looks on stunned at losing the kind, fatherly Leander. Once everyone leaves the theatre a slow realization that a pandemic is spreading throughout the world. The Georgia flu ends society as it is known.
Post-apocalyptic tales can fall into a routine structure. Station Eleven, however, resists that danger. The back story of Miranda, Leander's first wife, is creative and provides an interesting element to the story. There is a robust cast of characters and Mandel adeptly loosely ties their lives together in a way that is satisfying. I found myself thinking of the characters often at the conclusion of the tale, even dreaming about them one night. Ultimately, the story of the importance of relationships that sustain us is central because "survival is not sufficient."
Good book for anyone who enjoys this genre.
2012: Divining Women
by Kaye Gibbons - 2 StarsTold from the perspective of Mary, a young woman from a wealthy Washington D.C. family, Mary relates the tale of her Uncle "Troop" and his wife, Maureen, life in North Carolina. Maureen is expecting their first child. Mary goes to stay with the isolated aunt through marriage to assist through her delivery and in the aftermath of the baby's arrival. She's appalled by the treatment inflicted on Maureen by her uncle and provides the emotional support Maureen needs to change her life.
I picked this audio book up from the library and it was brutal. The book is read by Kaye Gibbons, the author. She's from North Carolina so one would expect a southern accent, but the reading came across as either her exaggerating the accent or over enunciating every syllable. It was distracting and it is a shame because there were a number of lines that were incredibly witty and made me chuckle. Further, I don't typically have a problem with detestable characters, but, egads! Troop is awful. He's narcissistic, cruel, and you just want Maureen to strangle him. Since she seems incapable of standing up to him I, in turn, wanted to strangle her. This is an issue I often have with "feminist" literature. I go into it expecting a strong female character but often they are weak and assuming. Finally, I found the side story of Mary's brother, Daniel, a distraction and really didn't get how it tied into the larger plot.
I know this is a favorite of many readers here. I really think I would have liked it better had I actually read it. The audio was definitely distracting
by Erin Morgenstern - 2 StarsThe circus comes to town. It arrives one day with no publicity. It just simply appears. It only operates at night and once inside it is like no other experience. As the circus travels around the world two young illusionists, Marco and Celia, are being trained separately for a competition by masters who treat them more like puppets.
I know a lot of people love this book. In all fairness I'd be warned by many of them this was not a book that would appeal to me. They were right. While I recognize Morgenstern has a gift with language, I found the story wholly unsatisfying. I did appreciate the magical atmosphere she painted with words but that was the only thing I liked about the book. I found the competition overly drawn and the love story underwhelming. If she had focused more on the love story I think this book would have been enjoyable. I mean who wouldn't want to fall in love with all that magic floating around?
In the end, I can see why people enjoy the book but it wasn't for me.
For 2016The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra 4 stars
A series of interconnected stories all involving interrelated characters. The first story involves an art censor in Russia in the 1930's with the remaining stories taking place primarily in Russia throughout various periods of time in the 1900's and 2000's. I like that Marra's sens of humor showed mor ein these stories than they did in A Constellation of Vital Phenomenon. Some of the stories were depressing but all were gripping, altogether a great read.
PBT High Notes - 2016 (CROSS POSTED to Climbing the PBT Stairs and monthly tag)
A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman – 5*****
What a joy this book is! Backman peoples the novel with an assortment of quirky characters, who form a community, and despite himself, Ove joins with them. I laughed aloud so often, and I felt for Ove’s. I also rejoiced at his triumphs, and marveled at his strength of character. I worried about him and cheered him on. I absolutely fell in love with Ove.
LINK to my review
2016: Hot Milk
by Deborah Levy - 4 StarsSophia is a young woman who was abandoned by her father at a young age and has been left to care for mother with a mysterious illness that manifests itself in inconsistent ways. In one more attempt to find answers after a twenty-five year investigation they have traveled to Spain from the UK for another opinion. In addition to looking for answers for her mother, Sophia continues to try and understand herself and battle the loneliness she feels. Her entire self-perception is tied to her mother’s well-being. “Truest love will be her first language. She will learn to say ‘Papa’ from an early age and mean it. I have more of an ear for the language of symptoms and side effects, because that is my mother’s language. Perhaps it is my mother tongue.”
What a subtly brilliant work this is. It resonates strongly with any adult child of divorce who has dealt with the confusion of mingling desperation for parents’ affection, loneliness, and fear of responsibility as a result. The relationship between Sophia and her parents has greatly impacted the way Sophia leads her life. She’s educated but can’t seem to find her way in the world with an uncompleted PhD in anthropologist but working as barista. She’s so desperate to be someone’s “beloved” and to live a bold life that she takes risks and chooses relationships unwisely. The writing is beautiful but not in a sweeping manner. It is simply heartbreaking and understated, but direct. “It was my special skill to make my day small so as to make her day bigger.” The work is full of irony. “If she let me turn the chair, she would be staring at the night stars. It would be the smallest movement to change her view but she is not interested.” But, the symbolism is poignant. It isn’t allusive or pretentious. I often don’t pick up on symbolism in literature, but this was powerful.
Great work; I probably would have never read it based on the description of the novel had it not been for reviews from people in PBT.
Jan 1- Feb 9 Roundup for Joi's Hitting the High Notes ChallengeAll review cross-posted to appropriate folders
2010: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, 4 stars
This book was a bit of a down-then up for me. The first 10 chapters (around 200 pages) albeit important backstory- I found extremely boring and dull. Once the mystery and the action started around the 11th chapter, I was hooked. The pace picked up, I cared about all the characters, and I wanted to know more about what happened to Harriet, what will happen to Lisbeth, and how Mikael will uncover and deal with everything.
The problem with reading a book about 8 years too late is there are so many preconceived notions. I do wish they kept the original title of "Men who hate woman" because I feel it portrays and warns the reader much better than "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". I was disappointing because I thought this was mainly going to be about the girl-Lisbeth, and ended up being much more about Mikael. I cared much more about Lisbeth than I do about Mikael, and wanted more of this to be about her. I think my other judgments going into the book actually helped me to enjoy it. I heard how misogynistic this is, I heard how torture porn-y it was, I heard that it gets a little bible-y. This helped me be prepared for all these things, and I was able to enjoy the entire novel more since all I was already expecting the "bad stuff". And frankly, I thought the "bad stuff" was going to be much worse than it was, leaving me pleasantly satisfied with it.
The ending was great, love the climax scene. However after the mystery was solved everything seemed hurried and rushed. Throughout the whole book I found that there were many "explaining scenes"- where characters summarized what happens in the last chapter in case you missed it. I found these actually really helpful at the end, because there was so much going on it was hard to keep up. I'll definitely be continuing the series.
I actually watched the movie (American one with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara) last night, the same day I finished the book. With the exception of Mikael-none of the characters seemed like or looked like how I portrayed them in my mind. They changed a ton of stuff, and it was often confusing. I felt like I only understood what was going on because I had read the book. I enjoyed the movie but boo hiss I wanted it to be more like the book!
2015: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, 4.5 Stars
If I had to describe this in one word, I would use the word lovely.
All the Light We Cannot See follows two stories. I only wish they converged sooner. The first story follows Marie-Laure and her family. She turns blind, and her and her father have to flee Paris during the Nazi Occupation to the city of Saint-Malo, where her uncle lives. The second plot shows Werner and his sister Jutta grow up in an orphanage. Werner gains knowledge and skill as a radio fixer, and get's into an elite Nazi school.
The descriptions in this book were great. I enjoyed the plot, I think the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because I found parts of the middle to be a little slow moving. I understand why it's slower- to give more definition to what is happening at the moment and describe things with justice. The characters build and grow- you can see their inner turmoil and their feelings played out by their actions and lack of action. There's definitely some heavier subject matter being war and all, but it was all done very though out to the situation and how the characters perceive what is going on.
What I REALLY thought was impressive were so many different uses of the word 'light' and the phrase 'cannot see'. In comparisons to blindness and vision, in comparison to the spoken word, in ignorance or "turning a blind eye", so many more. I loved the layers and meanings unfolding of the presence and absence of light. Very thought out and poignant.
2016: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, 4 stars
Everyone I know has given this 4 or 5 stars. I had pretty high expectations for this, and they were met. I wouldn't say this book will last with me forever, and it didn't make me laugh and cry out loud like I expected. Perhaps I didn't relate to this on a level that most did. I've never had a grandfather, nor a much older pseudo 'grandpop'. But it was cute, heartfelt,I'd still recommend it, and will continue to read Fredrik Backman.
I'm sure everyone knows the premise- old cranky man's wife dies, and he has to "learn how to survive" without her- not only living, but becoming a "better person" along the way. I loved the interspersing of Ove's 'previous life' and his younger days. The revealing of the personal stories along the way really made Ove grow as a character, and made him much more likable and relatable. I really enjoyed the side characters as well- Parvenah was lovely, and the stories of Sonja are so great.
I'm not going to lie- I'm not a fan of cranky old men. I've worked in hospitality for 5 years now, 2 of those being a front desk manager for a hotel of mainly guests between 50-80 who had PLENTY of cranky old men who were NOT cute- and in fact were just plain assholes. Yes, this book made me think- "Maybe these guys do have a cool life story, and a reason to be grumpy". But no- that is not an excuse to verbally abuse my staff or threaten to not pay for services rendered. This made me really hate Ove for the first quarter of the book (that iPad buying story- I can see it being played out in my head and feel bad for the salesperson!). But as I said before, he develops, he learns, he grows, and I hope all grumpy asshole old men can learn from Ove's experience and give life from another viewpoint and attitude a chance.
Reading my first High Note of the year now - A Constellation of Vital Phenomenon.
Joi wrote: "2016: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, 4 starsEveryone I know has given this 4 or 5 stars..."
I may be the first not to rate it a 4 or 5 unless something changes soon. I'm a good chunk of the way through the audio, and unless something changes, it's looking like 3 stars (ok) for me. (Just to add another to the list of books that everyone else loves that I am finding lukewarm!)
LibraryCin wrote: "I may be the first not to rate it a 4 or 5 unless something changes soon"I'm not sure how far you are but I thought it would be a 3-star read for me as well- the heartwarming-ness at the end pulled it up to a 4-star read.
LibraryCin wrote: "Joi wrote: "2016: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, 4 starsEveryone I know has given this 4 or 5 stars..."
I may be the first not to rate it a 4 or 5 unless something changes soon. I'm a good ..."
I wasn't crazy about Ove at first. Like Joi, I'm not necessarily a fan of cranky old men. But I saw things working on him and felt there was going to be a change. I loved many of the characters in his neighborhood as their stories were revealed. This will be a favorite of mine for this year.
I love how the top 10 list for 2017 is going to be filled with the high notes from the last 10 years. That's my prediction. Very few new ones will make the cut.
Amy wrote: "I love how the top 10 list for 2017 is going to be filled with the high notes from the last 10 years. That's my prediction. Very few new ones will make the cut."I disagree - Many of those books have already been read by our long term members.; I'm struggling to find books I haven't read and have a number from the Honorable Mentions and the PBT 100 and I suspect that many others are doing the same. A number of books repeat for a few years in a row. Given that the majority of our members have been involved for many years I would think that we will find several new books on the list. I already have one from this year that will probably make the list.
Jennifer P. wrote: "The Nix? Loving it!"Thanks! I probably will go with the one that is longest. I like to do longer books with audio and I know The Nix is longer High Dive and maybe I can do both.
Kristel wrote: "Jennifer P. wrote: "The Nix? Loving it!"Thanks! I probably will go with the one that is longest. I like to do longer books with audio and I know The Nix is longer High Dive and maybe I can do both."
Loved The Nix
Joi wrote: "I'm not sure how far you are but I thought it would be a 3-star read for me as well- the heartwarming-ness at the end pulled it up to a 4-star read. ..."I have about an hour left in the audio. I can't see it changing, even if the ending is better than the rest of the book has been. I've just not been interested and my mind has wandered through much of the book.
There is one particular character who I quite like, though: Parvanna (sp?).
2015A Man Called Ove / Fredrik Backman
3 stars
Ove is a grumpy old man. Well, only 59, but still grumpy. He has lost his wife and new (foreign!) neighbours move in, Parvaneh and Patrick. They have two young daughters and a baby on the way.
Not much really happens. Ove just grumps about everyone (mostly people), while Parvaneh and her daughters always seem to be around. I was listening to the audio and there was a lot of jumping around in time, so I was often lost as to whether we were back in time or present-day (unless Ove’s wife, Sonja, was alive – in that case, it was obvious). It just really didn’t hold my attention all that much. Parts were ok, but it wasn’t anything special for me. There was a small surprise near the end and I briefly thought I might increase my rating, but overall, it wasn’t enough. I did enjoy Parvaneh’s character, though. Not matter how gruff Ove was to her, she just took it all in stride.
Kristel wrote: "Jennifer P. wrote: "The Nix? Loving it!"Thanks! I probably will go with the one that is longest. I like to do longer books with audio and I know The Nix is longer High Dive and maybe I can do both."
Thank goodness, the Nix is what I'm taking on vacation. Along with my quirky book. If I can ever finish my dang 1001 book which is very short and yet somehow taking FOREVER.
I'm enjoying reading these High Note reviews . . .so interesting
2008: Love Walked InLove Walked In by Marisa de los Santos - 3.5 Stars Rounded down to 3
Cornelia hasn't lived up to the expectation of most of her friends and family as the manager of a coffee shop in Philadelphia. When a Carey Grant look-a-like walks into the shop one day she thinks her dreams of a romantic fairy-tale relationship off of one of her favorite classic movies is about to ensue until one day he shows up with his eleven year old daughter, Clare, of whose existence Cornelia is unaware. As the story of Clare's abandonment by her mother unfolds Cornelia discovers Martin is less than ideal and Cornelia wonders if she can ever really love such a man.
I've gone back and forth on whether to round up or down. I definitely enjoyed this book more than I thought. I have to admit I had very low expectations for this read. However, the book is much deeper than the summary on the back cover. The book is told from alternative perspectives, swapping chapters between Cornelia and Clare. I thoroughly enjoyed Clare's point of view. Your heart can't help but to go out to this precocious young woman. She's brave but damaged by watching her mother spiral our of control. But, Cornelia is just too perfect, to the point that she didn't come across as authentic for my liking. She's a single woman with no children yet she knows exactly what to do and say at exactly the right moment with this scarred and scared eleven year old who unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep one day with the exception of one, single outburst? There's also a lot of references to movies with which I'm completely unfamiliar. I might would have had a deeper appreciation for the references if I were a movie-goer.
But, a book that exceeds expectations is a nice surprise. Even though I don't share the affinity many others do I'm still glad I read it. It is a solid story with a good pace about love, friendship, and the affects of mental illness.
2015Ready Player One, 5 Stars
This book, like all the best video games is completely addictive. I couldn't put it down, reading it in one evening. Set in a post-apocolyptic future in which fossil fuel sources have been exhausted, the power grid nearly running on empty, and people live in shanty towns comprised of towers of mobile homes known as the stacks this book was a trip down memory lane for anyone who grew up in the 1980s. It is lousy with pop-culture references; music, movies, tv, computers, and video games. I was very young during this time-frame, but still most of the references were quite familiar to me. Cline lost me on the video games and computers, but everything else I knew.
During the near-future setting of this book, people seem to live much of their lives in a virtual-reality environment known as OASIS. When the creator of this program, James Halliday, dies his will announces that he has created an Easter Egg and whomever finds this egg first inherits not only his vast fortune but OASIS itself. From there we are introduced to a cast of characters known as gunters, short for egg hunters, who pretty much live within OASIS, spending every waking moment trying to solve the clues left behind. Five years after Hallidays death, most have given up, but interest is renewed when an unremarkable gunter finds the first key and clears the first gate, only to have four others do so as well within a few short days.
I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did, but it is the most fun I have had reading a novel in a long while. It wasn't perfect, but the pure enjoyment I received while reading it overshadows its imperfections. If this is the sort of book I can expect from Ernest Cline I will definitely make a point of reading everything he decides to write.
2016The Nightingale / Kristin Hannah
4.5 stars
Vianne and Isabelle are sisters, but are not close. Vianne is married and has a daughter and lives in rural France, while Isabelle prefers Paris. Vianne’s husband goes to fight in World War II, and Isabelle goes to live with Vianne. The sisters are opposites. Vianne wants to not rock the boat and just wait for Antoine to come home. Isabelle is furious and wants to help stop the Germans, so she gets involved with some underground resistance. In fact, Isabelle is very involved and it is very dangerous. Meanwhile, Vianne’s home is “confiscated” by the Germans when the town is invaded and a German soldier stays with them. This is dangerous for everyone…
The book goes back and forth between 1995 and 1939-1945. I think I’ve only read one other book (that comes to mind, anyway) that is set in France during the war (Sarah’s Key), so between the two books, I am learning more of what happened in occupied France. At first, I found Isabelle’s story more intriguing (we also went back and forth between what was happening with each sister), but as time went on, things were happening on both ends. Despite the length of the book, it was a fast read for me. Very, very well done and very interesting and heartbreaking, at times.
Hitting the High Notes - 2015
The History of Love– Nicole Krauss (5 stars) 2/22/17
Alma Singer, 14, tries to find someone to make her widowed mother less lonely, but each connection doesn't pan out. Then her mother is asked to translate an obscure book that Alma's father loved and is the reason she is named Alma. She tries to make a connection between Jacob Marcus, the man requesting the translation, and her mother. But the book itself keeps drawing her in and she begins trying to find out about the author and the character of Alma.
The alternating story is that of Leo Gursky, a man at the end of his life reminiscing about his lost love and the books he wrote about it, not realizing that they survived.
This was an amazing story of lost love and loneliness in all its manifestations. Leo was a curmudgeonly old guy who would not necessarily have been easy to deal with. Alma and her brother Bird are misfits at a difficult point in their lives, both of whom you hope find their way. Highly recommended.
Hitting the High Notes ~ 2010The Book Thief by Markus Zukas 5 stars
It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
What a wonderful book. I listened to this on audio and I was so drawn in. Leisel would do just about anything for her books, then later for her friends and finally for her foster family. I really didn't want this book to end.
2010:
by Dave Cullen - 5 StarsOn April 20, 1999, both of my children were in school. I remember being frightened about various things when they were growing up. When they were babies it was would they stop breathing in the middle of the night, as toddlers it was chocking on a toy or food, as children it was "stranger danger," then school shootings emerged as a danger. This was particularly scary because it was completely beyond my control. "Columbine" definitely stands out as one of the most vivid incidents of this stage.
“We remember Columbine as a pair of outcast Goths from the Trench Coat Mafia snapping and tearing through their high school hunting down jocks to settle a long-running feud." According to Cullen, a reporter who began covering the incident on noon the day of event, almost none of this is true. I was shocked. I consider myself a fairly well-informed individual and this was my impression starting this read but I would add to those myths two more. One, the killers were products of detached parents. Secondly, a school culture of bullying perpetuated by a "turn the blind eye" school administration. Cullen, systematically and convincingly tears down every single assumption and takes to task his colleagues in the media industry. Instead, Cullen portrays Eric as a psychopath who easily manipulated a bi-polar and suicidal Dylan and planned, rather than "snapping", the mass destruction of the entire student population (as opposed to the targeting of bullies) for well over a year. Can I just say I really came to adore the principal Mr. D? After reading this, while one may take issue with Eric's dad's approach to discipline you certainly cannot attach "detached" parent to him.
Ya'll know I'm an avid non-fiction reader. Kudos to Cullen for writing one of the most objective and analytical books I've ever come across. Most students of history recognize and take into account author biases because all humans are prone to some sort, as well as the reader. However, if Cullen harbors them they are almost undetectable. The only place where it might be found is with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. But, while mistakes could be understandable a systematic cover up cannot. It would still be interesting to dig into the department's account just to compare. I thought we were going to see some bias in the religious community's response early in the book. But Cullen redeems himself with the treatment of the Barnell's and the Kliebold's pastor. That's one of the things I appreciated the most. Cullen doesn't paint pure heroes or villains. He relates the humanity of everyone involved with a great deal of sensitivity, including the killer's parents.
The book is difficult to read at time and sometimes it is inspiring. I appreciated finding out how some of the survivor's lives played out in the years since the incident. But, I think it is an important work in our culture. It goes without saying it is tragic. But, one of the tragedies is in missing the one opportunity to avert, or at least delay the opportunity for, this event to happen. I guess it could be argued that since Eric was a psychopath even if he'd served time for the felony for which he was arrested he would have eventually followed through with a similar event. But, it still feels tragic.
2008 - The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory - 5 Stars - 2/18/17
This book is told from the perspective of Mary Boleyn, younger sister of the infamous Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII. She was married at thirteen to William Carey, a courtier at Henry’s court. Mary serves Queen Katherine and comes to the notice of Henry who takes her as his mistress. Mary has no choice in the matter as her uncle, the future Duke of Norfolk, wants the family to acquire power and land from the king. Even Mary's husband is given land and title in this arrangement. When Anne returns from France, the ambitious family sees a way to promote her to the king's attention, but as a wife and queen, not a mistress. Mary's story then follows the ups and downs of Anne's relationship with the King, as well as her role in the events.
I don't believe there is a lot of historical accuracy in the book but I was fascinated by the way the author chose to portray Mary in this book. We see the fierce rivalry between the two sisters and in every case Mary comes out the loser. The loser until the end, when she is the only one of her family that didn't die in obscurity.
Some readers have mentioned that the book is historically inaccurate but that didn't bother me at all. I was more interested in the fiction part, since I've read several other books about Anne Boleyn that were quite accurate. I think there is enough historical fact sprinkled around to make the story very authentic. While Mary seemed just a touch too naive for a member of the Boleyn/Howard family I enjoyed witnessing history through her eyes.
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
The Giver (other topics)A Man Called Ove (other topics)
Ready Player One (other topics)
Tell the Wolves I'm Home (other topics)
The Girl on the Train (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Boris Pasternak (other topics)Marisa de los Santos (other topics)
Kate Atkinson (other topics)
R.J. Palacio (other topics)
Lisa Genova (other topics)
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Read one book from each of the PBT Annual PBT Top 10 lists. If there are honorable mentions included, they do not count toward this challenge.
Please post your reviews below and clearly indicate the year that you have read for at the top.
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2016 -- coming soon!
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
Some books are listed for more than one year, but books cannot serve double (or triple or quadruple) duty! A different book must be read for each year for a total of 9 books.
If you have read all of the Top 10 books in a given year, then you may read a book off either the Honorable Mentions List (if there is one) or a book off one of the PBT Top 100 lists. You can find the PBT Top 100 lists on our group bookshelf.
Want an extra challenge? Read more than one book per year!