Jillian Larkin: Vixen

While the cover is beautiful, it is misleading and disheartening.  There are 3 main characters, and EACH should be on the cover.  They are each VERY different, and this cover makes them seem like they all blend together and have no individual characteristics.

I tried to avoid the negative reviews on GoodReads, and I am glad that I did.  I enjoyed this book.  I enjoyed being taken back in time to flapper days and the prohibition.  Lorraine bothered me, Clara intrigued me (though her secrets and story perhaps were too drawn out, but I know why Larkin did what she did), and Gloria was the one I wanted to be.

I am nervous for what will come in book two due in 2011, especially with the way Lorraine and Gloria's stories left off, and interested to see how one of the final events will play off in the next book.

The story did seem familiar--think Titanic's love story only with no boat, during the 20's and an African American piano player versus Leonardo DiCaprio.  And some of the scenes, while completely essential, seem almost too contrived (Lorraine showing Gloria how to fire a gun, individual, hands-on music lessons with Jerome, Marcus falling for the girl instead of staying true to the "plan," etc), but overall this was a really fun read, and a fun time period.

I wish more was developed with the flapper lifestyle versus the socialite lifestyle, but I think that book 2 will bring that since it appears that one character may be on the lam.
I did love the vernacular.  "Cats pajamas,"  "flibbertigibbet," and "barney mugging" --LOVE IT!! I also was envious of the time period where flat-chested women with short, bobbed-hair  were the epitome of flapper beauty--women taped themselves to ensure a flat chest and true flappers cut their hair off rather than just pin it up.

I am looking forward to book 2, even though the title (Ingenue) might not get the appreciation it deserves. 
One thing about this book though--recommending this book to students will really require knowledge of the student--a student with good vocabulary, an interest in history, and a student who will look up unknown things--speakeasies, Chicago in the age of prohibition, flappers, etc. 

The three-person narration makes the length manageable and it was a pretty quick read--even for 417 pages!!!

Amy Efaw: After

Meh...I had really high hopes for this book. 
Yes, it was extremely well written--excellent descriptions, different imagery employed, interesting story--but the manner in which the story was conveyed is hard to fall in love with. 
Then again, the subject matter isn't one to fall in love with.
From page one, the reader is confused.  Action occurs immediately, and I tried to figure out what was happening.  I understand that Efaw wants the reader to experience what Devon experiences, but later in the text there is just too much left out, too many holes, too many unanswered questions that the technique isn't as successful as it could have been. 
It isn't a secret that this book is about Devon, a straight-A amazing soccer player who is sent to juvinile detention for putting her baby in a dumpster after its birth.
The book spans 8 days, but in mini-flashbacks, what happened with Devon and IT is painfully and slowly revealed.  And the end of the book? Seriously?  Irritating isn't a harsh enough word, but I understand the attempt. 
Overall, I am not sure if I can sell this book to my students because of the odd structure and the fact that I didn't totally get into the book until mid-way.  I gave it more of a chance than many would.  But I really wanted to like it. 

Jennifer Brown: Hate List

Read this over the duration of my flights yesterday.

Really, I can't say much more than what Brown did in her Author's note, her conversation/q&a session, and on her website.

Valerie was bullied the majority of her school years. When she met Nick, she thought she had met the one person who truly understood her. Just like she was, Nick was bullied, was an outcast, had a crappy home life, and felt like a loser. After another incident in which Valerie was the target of a bully, she starts writing a list of people and things she hated--which grew into the "Hate List" that she shared with Nick.

But Nick took this list seriously. And Valerie, in an attempt to escape who she was and what her life was, didn't see the signs. When Nick opened fire May 2nd, 2008 picking off people on the list, people who had hurt him, who had hurt Valerie, the one person he was closest to had no idea what he had intended to do.

This isn't the story of another school shooting. This is Valerie's story of survival, of redemption, of healing, and letting go and moving forward.

The reader will loathe the way Valerie's family treats her--even though Valerie was the one to stop Nick from killing more people when she dove in front of popular Jessica--Valerie's 2nd biggest enemy--saving her life, and taking a bullet in the leg before Nick turned the gun on himself. Brown's reasoning at the end of her book for the horrifying behavior of her family makes perfect sense--Valerie has to find her inner strength on her own. Fight her fight by herself. Find herself by herself.

Amazing. Unsatisfying ending, but actually perfect for Valerie.

I am looking forward to Brown's next book which deals with a teenage abusive relationship.

James Dashner: The Maze Runner

2 Days. Yep. Almost as good as The Hunger Games.

But, it did take me a while to get used to the language that the Gladers created and immediately forced the reader to try to decipher--much like Thomas' experience. Well, exactly the same since he is the character that we follow.
Thomas wakes up with no clear memory as to who he is or where he is. We come to learn that he has been dropped into this society of young men who have created their own society with one focus: to learn how to escape the maze that is outside the stone walls that close every night.
There are mechanical/bloblike creatures that live in the maze (Grievers) whose "sting" requires a serum that triggers memories of the past for the victim. And the memories aren't good.
I still don't know what has happened to the world, and there was a total tear-jerker moment.
Luckily, there was ONE female character introduced to the book, but her role isn't big until the last third or so.
I will have to say that I might not have picked up this book had I known it is actually a trilogy with book 3 not due until next year some time!! ARGH. This book leaves the reader in a lurch because it includes two chapters of The Scorch Trials (book 2) and gives a HUGE cliffhanger.


I am going to have to get book 2 this weekend. BLARGH.

Julia Hoban: Willow

Wow. Amazing. I finished this in two days. Willow has experienced something that no teenager deserves. Her parents drank too much at dinner and asked her to drive them home. It was raining and she lost control of the car. And she lost her parents in the accident.

To deal with her pain--which equates to avoiding her pain--Willow cuts herself.

I loved Patricia McCormick's Cut, but Willow's story is so emotional--I bawled throughout the second half of the book. The way Hoban describes the turmoil Willow experiences is realistic and I actually feel like I have a better understanding of why cutters choose to manage their pain in this fashion.
There is a "first time" scene written very well, and Hoban blurs the fine line between passion and pain, love and hate, and while this book is very young-adult friendly (they will love how Willow and Guy's relationship develops), any adult who may work with teenagers or know of cutters, should read this book because of the way this method of control is described. Awesome awesome awesome book.

Sharon Draper: Copper Sun

Wow. I am so sad I haven't read this book sooner. Draper's language is AMAZING.
This is the anchor text the class I am subbing in uses for the "Survival and Perseverance" unit.
Amari's story (an African slave) alternates with Polly's (a white indentured servant).
The horrors Amari survives, and the journey the two of them must endure are extremely powerful. Draper's extensive research is completely evident, and I learned that there were safe-havens for runaway slaves beyond the underground railroad and "north."
Really an amazing tale, with super characters and beautiful descriptions. Awesome vocabulary with strong context clues, and while there are many horrifying incidents described within this text--they are essential to the overall text as a whole.

Shannon Hale: The Goose Girl

SLOWWWWWWWWW start. Ani/Isi is a pain in the royal petutie. But then, she starts to get a personality, and gain courage in who she is--not what she thinks she should be or what others want her to be. And then I couldn't put it down. There is action, fighting, murderous plots and interesting and dynamic characters and relationships. While I probably should have seen one of the twists coming, I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with the ending. I know that this is book one of a "trilogy," but book two is about Enna (Ani/Isi's friend) and told from her perspective, and book three is from the perspective of a boy character who makes an appearance at the end of book one.
I am not in a rush to finish the trilogy, but I am very glad that I FINALLY read this one. Note this cover--this is the cover I own. The reprint editions are cheeseball with more "realistic" cover models. Bleck. Give this book at least 120 pages, it will pay off!

Suzanne Collins: Mockingjay

I am so sad that this series is over.
I read this in one sitting--about 4 hours--and I bawled.
So much of what I was moved by are spoilers, so I won't be too specific, but know that this is an excellent and VERY satisfying conclusion.
I wasn't expecting many of the twists and turns, and the tension throughout is so palpable I am beyond envious of Collins' ability to craft an amazing story.
I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK!!!

Jessie Redmon Fauset: Plum Bun

Amazing. I am so glad to have finally read this, and I am really looking forward to discussing this at book club tonight.
Fauset crafts this story around Angela, a biracial woman who is light-skinned "enough" to pass for white. Her journey to self-discovery is fascinating, frustrating, and phenomenally written! (Fauset uses alliteration in such a masterful way, my attempt in no way matches her successful manipulation of words.)
Themes of loneliness, friendship, relationships, family, gender inequities, and racism are unmistakable, but not shoved down the readers' throats.
Angela is one of the strongest women from this era I have ever read. I wish I would have read this in college as an undergraduate. I connected with Angela's yearning for something more, even though what she truly wanted was always within her; her attempts to ease her loneliness, even in a lively, huge, bustling city made so much sense to me. The confusion in what society expects versus what a woman really wants--resonates tremendously.
I LOVED this book. The racial inequality and Angela's constant battle within herself and outside herself would be an excellent classroom discussion. The vocabulary is extremely intellectual--extremely valuable for students preparing for the SAT. My next goal is to try to get a classroom set of these books so I can teach this text.
Loved it.

Garth Nix: Abhorsen

Reading #2...
The last in the series usually makes me cry. Even as the second reading, and even though I didn't love it like I did the first go-round, I still bawled at the end.
I had the same problems with this text that I did with Lirael. The only thing that was worse with this text is that there are three perspectives that Nix switches between. Two of which I couldn't stand. Again, I just wanted more of Lirael and less of everyone else.

Overall, this is a decent trilogy, a decent fantasy, and a decent read. I am not as super-gung-ho as I was with my first reading, but I think I could sell these books to certain students. These are definitely not as female-centered as I originally would sell...

There is more action in this final book, and certain students could really love this aspect.

Garth Nix: Lirael

2nd reading...This one made me angry. I forgot how Nix intertwines Lirael's story with Prince Sameth's--who may be the biggest whiner of them all.
This text was frustrating and infuriating because of all the complaining and whining and non-action. Because this is the second in the trilogy I should have expected this, but I remember being more captivated and liking this book WAY more than Sabriel the first time I read it.
Not this time. I had to skip the endless description, and I really didn't want to read the Sameth chapters. I would find myself reading and I'd check every other paragraph how much more of Sameth I'd have to read.
YUK.
I kept thinking how this could have been so much more. Lirael's experiences in the library would have been so much more awesome to read about-I know why Nix had to switch the perspectives, I just didn't like it.

Truman Capote: Breakfast at Tiffany's

Meh...
Not sure how I feel about this text. I am glad that I read it, and yes, Holly Golightly is a pretty unique persona, but the ending was a downer. I also wonder how much of ANY of the text I trust--how reliable is the narrator? His object of affection isn't reliable, and those are the two major voices--so it was hard to really LOVE this book when I didn't trust ANYONE.

Haruki Murakami: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

I am still trying to figure out what exactly to focus on with this text.

Christy and I agreed that we need to speak with Shelbi about this one though.

Garth Nix: Sabriel

So, I have read this before. It has been over 5 years and I needed a mental vacation, so I decided to re-read the trilogy.
I LOVED this series when I read it the first time. I remember being captivated and thrilled that the female heroine was so strong.
This was my first introduction to the fantasy realm after a long absence, and one of the first YA books I read with a strong heroine in the lead.
That being said, re-reading this, especially after Cashore's texts, didn't impact me in the same way that the first reading warranted.
Sabriel is whiny, and Nix rambles at times when a more concise description would be more appropriate. With this text, it is evident that a man is writing in the voice of a female, and with a second reading I realized that it really isn't that successful.
Now don't get me wrong--the world that Sabriel exists in is extremely unique (at least for me), but I wanted a little bit more than what is produced overall. The action is good (when it is there), and I appreciate the focus on Sabriel and Sabriel only.
Overall, I am glad that this series did inspire me to venture out more into the fantasy realm--otherwise I'd have never read Graceling...

Robin McKinley: Sunshine

Well, I finished it.
Yep. All 405 pages.
This is one of the first books that after completion, I know there isn't ONE student that I could recommend this to.

I had REALLY high hopes for this. I'm not going to say it was ALL due to the title of the text, or the Neil Gaiman's comment "Pretty much perfect." But, I had hope. Yes, it did say it was a "vampire book," but I know of McKinley's other texts, and she isn't Stephanie Meyers by any means.

But I didn't realize how superfluously wordy McKinley actually is. At least with Sunshine.
This story had SO much potential. Set in the future, magical abilities, "Others" inhabiting the earth, but O. M. G. When pages upon pages would go by with the heroine rambling IN HER HEAD about something in the past, or whining about being alive, or whining about dying, or whining about being friends with a vampire--I wanted to give up and throw this book against the wall.
But, I kept going. I wanted SO MUCH to like this book. I just can't do it. I liked about two characters in the book, and neither the old lady landlord or the vampire Constantine are featured enough to justify reading the drivel on the rest of the pages.
I am actually angry that such a great idea was totally wasted on absolutely crap writing.

Anthony Bourdain: Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook

Somehow Louie and I were lucky enough to fall into two tickets to his late appearance (the 8:00 show—21 +older show) at the Bagdad Theatre. In the price of admission, we scored a book—an AUTOGRAPHED book. One of the 1400 he told us he signed that day for us. He also talked about how he loved Portland and mainly recounted some of the anecdotes (truncated) from this book and took questions from the audience. I wish I could have just gone and had a beer with him. He is that cool. Being a dad has really changed him—he is much more mellow and less pompous than I know he would like to think he is. I am glad I got to see him speak and interact (he accepted two shots from two different audience members during his talk) with the “common man,” and even more glad I read the book that started his claim to fame.

I enjoyed Kitchen Confidential—even as a non-industry person. All the horrible and disgusting habits and trends in the industry were fascinating to even contemplate, and the more I become involved in the “foodie” culture, the more I understand the camaraderie within those who have experienced this culture. Even though Bourdain, as he states it, “neither…brilliant [or] talented” (55), the respect he has garnered within the industry is beyond evident (and enviable).

I loved this book. Really, really, REALLY loved it.

Medium Raw showcases how much Bourdain has grown up and changed—for the better. I love how he is unapologetic about his mistakes, but doesn’t want others to make the same mistakes he did—but he knows that mistakes are inevitable and isn’t judgey.

Each chapter easily can stand alone—there are actually two chapters that would be brilliant pairings with Fast Food Nation and Food Inc. (if I were to teach them again)—but Bourdain does drop the F-bomb many times! The anecdotes and descriptions and topics are EXTREMELY fun to read. One chapter he “hero-izes” and “villain-izes” different personalities in the industry, and I wish I could have seen some of the targets’ faces as they read what he wrote about them.

The best chapter by far is “My Aim is True.”

Bourdain writes of Justo Thomas’ skill in portioning and preparing fish for Le Bernardin as an awed and respectful reverie. Bourdain includes details of Thomas’ technique and persona that humanizes and incites equal worshipfulness for Thomas’ craft. Bourdaini is so moved by Thomas, he pulls strings with his friend (part-owner of Le Bernardin Eric Ripert) to break the “industry-wide policy” (248) and takes Thomas to lunch. Bourdain then melds descriptions of the courses presented in the tasting menu they selected, with the wine pairings and contrasts with Thomas’ reactions and Bourdain’s observations of this genius’s reactions to eating the food he is so skilled at readying.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. Read it. Read it now. But you can’t have my signed copy. It won’t leave my shelf. Except maybe for a re-read.

Melina Marchetta: Jellicoe Road

Since this book came out, I wanted to read it. I put it off, and then one of my amazing students did her soundtrack YA project on this book, but warned me that before I read the soundtrack I'd have to read the book so the spoilers wouldn't wreck it for me.
I read about 50 pages last night, and then picked it up at 3:30 today--I didn't put it down until I was done at 6:40. And I bawled the last 70 pages.
At first, this is really confusing and frustrating. I wanted to like it so much, but I couldn't wrap my head around the plot structure. Finally, after about 100 pages things began making sense--the separate but converging story lines, the multiple characters with unique double-names, and the Australian diction and setting were off-putting, but once I sorted things out (had to write names down to keep people straight initially), I couldn't disentangle myself from the book.
Yes, Taylor is a whiny teenager, but she is so much more complex than the ordinary teenage-girl-with-angst, and the story is SO RICH and well crafted!!!!
I haven't read anything like this book--maybe Weetzie Bat or The Body of Christopher Creed, but I feel so much more satisfied after finishing this book than I did with either of the others...
Just a really REALLY good read. Family, friendships, and mad-capped adventures of the warring factions of teenagers.

Carolyn Mackler: Vegan Virgin Valentine

I have wanted to read this since I finished The Earth, My Butt, And Other Big Round Things. Mackler's style is really appealing, and I read this in less than two hours. I like Mara and the transition and growth she experiences in the text is awesome. I don't know if "regular" kids could appreciate it as much as those students who are over-achievers in the way that Mara is, but the family dynamics, high school drama, love story are all really good selling points.
I am glad I read it.

Alexander McCall Smith: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Well, it is a fast read. If you can get past the fact that it is a text written by a white guy in the voice of a pretty cool Botswana woman, then you will like this. The "cases" are cheesey, and there are many unanswered questions--I thought she didn't want to remarry;what happened to her baby; what does bush tea taste like...
But, it will be a very light-hearted discussion for book club. I just wish we could have read a pre-colonialism African perspective.

Daniel James Brown: The Indifferent Stars Above

So, I don't remember learning about the Donner party when I was in school. I am pretty sure I would never forget any mention of people eating people for survival, so I am sure it isn't that I have blocked those memories out.
I have vague recollections of some information that occurred west of the Mississippi, but very little. Moving out west has been very interesting for me on many levels--one of them includes the notion that this interesting conglomeration of different individuals who have converged in Portland, OR truly represent the spirit of the generations before them who searched for a better life.
So this book was for bookclub. I have been looking forward to reading it since I discovered it was about cannibalism, but the more I read into the book, the more frustrated I became. Because of my lack of knowledge of occurrences west of the Mississippi, I had no clue how to visualize the route these people took, or why they would even leave their Midwestern homes (ok, the weather is a darn good reason, but still...)--especially at the time of year they did--and on the misinformation they were presented. But they did. And it was bad. Really, really bad.
I became less frustrated with the book after I printed out some maps of their route to better visualize where they were and where they were camped. I also printed out a timeline, and wiki had a list of all the people who died, what they died from, and what happened to their bodies (i.e. cannibalized; left behind; buried in the snow, etc.).
Overall, this was a tolerable read. I did enjoy the author's melding of scientific definitions with the Donner Party's experiences (snow blindness, hide and die, PTSD, effects of starvation, hyper/hypo thermia, etc.), but there were many moments that weren't great. At one point Brown describes what one of the members of the doomed party would do if she were in New York at the time--like eating at nice restaurants or cooking this meal--really? No duh. And there was one flub that I can't get past--as Brown describes the history of cannibalism he states, "Neanderthals are believed to have chowed down on one another from time to time" (178 emphasis added). Seriously? Chowed down? Thoughout the text Brown remains pretty detached (until the Epilogue), and his diction is quite formal and scientific. This just killed it for me though. Yuk.
While this book is very depressing, it is a valuable text if one has no clue what happened with the Donner Party. Also, if you are fascinated with American history and the power of the human will to survive, this is a great book.
I'm still at the "eh" rating though...

Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Review will be forthcoming (AFTER BOOKCLUB!)

:)

Haruki Murakami: A Wild Sheep Chase

At about page 30, I wanted to throw the book against the wall. In my frustration, I happened upon the first page with all the "Acclaim for Haruki Murakami." When I read this quote, everything became crystal clear: "Greatly entertaining...will remind readers of the fist time they read Tom Robbins or...Thomas Pynchon." Chicago Tribune Damn. I remember reading Gravity's Rainbow and The Crying of Lot 49 for my Gravity's Rainbow graduate class and being confused as hell. After class discussions I'd have slightly more clarity, but basically GR was 776 pages of random confusing plot lines that were connected in the most bizarre way.

So, when I picked the book back in I flew through it, and could appreciate it for what it was. I am amazed at what that tiny piece of schema could do for my understanding/appreciation/tolerance. I am looking forward to book club on Saturday--the conversations will be totally awesome based on the randomness of the plot. And I have some questions that hopefully we can talk about. I am disturbed by the lack of names for key characters (i.e. the main protagonist and his girlfriend) and still confused by who The Rat was. Really, no summary of this book could do it justice--too many random threads that are jumbled up but then somehow find awaytoseperateintoasinglethread. Thanks Sheep Man.

John Green: Paper Towns

I didn't read An Abundance of Katherines...I think I was nervous about the sophomore slump, and after Looking for Alaska, I was worried that John Green might not have another in him...I avoided buying Paper Towns even though I wanted to (I loved the differing covers) for the same reason. I started listening to the book two days ago. I finished it today. AMAZING. Now, it didn't hurt that the reader had different voices (Radar's was my favorite), and that may have increased my love, but I really really REALLY enjoyed this book. Green again goes back to strong allusions to literature (go Whitman!), more "quest" as the focus point, and a really loveable group of friends and a very realistic portrayal of seniors in their final months of high school. If I taught seniors, they would begin listening to this right now. It was really awesome, and even though I wasn't fully satisfied with the ending, the journey (not the planning) was totally worth it!

Howard Dully (with Charles Flemming): My Lobotomy

This is the most horrific story EVER. I can't believe ANYONE would ever be ok with (let alone suggest it) having someone stick ice picks in a CHILD'S orbital sockets in order to SCRAPE THE CHILD'S BRAIN.

Howard Dully was 12 years old when his stepmother and a psychiatrist (Walter Freeman) (and Howard's father) agreed that a lobotomy would be the only way to "control" Howard.

While the vocabulary is extremely basic, and there is a good deal of repetition of basic phrases: "I was always getting in trouble;" "I was always hungry," etc, the story is so heart-wrenching it doesn't matter.

Dully's life was NEVER his own. He was a normal spazzy (probably ADD) kid. His mother died when he was 5, and when his father remarried, Dully's chance at a normal life ended. His stepmother hated him. Why? NO ONE knows. I think that is what I am the most frustrated with. Dully's stepmother died before he was thrown into the midst of the NPR story. We will never know why she was psychotic--and I have no other word for her but that--what else do you call someone who would do this to a baby who wasn't even her own flesh and blood? Dully's father is no better, but at least Dully was able to confront his dad about the experience and ramifications--even if the results were beyond unsatisfying.

What this text is BRILLIANT at: showing the reader that even someone with a HORRIFIC past can overcome and be something. Dully is a kind, compassionate, loving, and caring human being.

I do believe that things happen for a reason. We aren't given anything we can't handle. While Howard Dully DID NOT in any way shape or form deserve to have his "brain scrambled," who he is, what he has overcome, and what he has done for others through his journey might, in a very real sense, be the best thing for the world. We are very lucky to have his voice tell such a story.

NPR story (Dully's voice too!) (Be careful, it will make you cry...)

P.S. I listened to this on my commute from last Friday until today (I drove when I could this weekend, and listened to it on headphones during my prep because it was so good), and when I got home today, I pulled in my garage with about 3 tracks remaining, and put the car in reverse and drove to Barnes and Noble to buy the book.

I've never done that.

It moved me THAT much.

Truman Capote: In Cold Blood

I am super mad I haven't read this before now. And I didn't even read it, I listened to it. Incredible writing. Seriously incredible.

I loved it.

The story was very engaging, set up phenomenally, and Capote really crafted Perry's story well--to the point that I was more than a little miffed at the truth of the night the Clutters were killed.

Really really awesome story. WOW!!!!

LOVED IT!!!

Gennifer Choldenko: Al Capone Shines My Shoes

I loved it. I don't think my freshmen like it, but I wanted to pick a read aloud book that they might have a connection to. In middle school they read book 1.
I thought Moose, his sister, the convicts, Piper, Jimmy, Theresa, Janet, Darby Trixle, and the Warden are developed much more, and I am really impressed with the actual plot and resolution. AND I am hoping for a book three. This one didn't end as open-ended as book one did, but still left some awesome questions for the reader.
I also love the way the author deals with Nat and her autism. I love how all the prejudices (for mental illnesses and women's roles) are addressed for the time period, but I wonder how much of a connection my students today can make (without serious instruction and exploration--which my students are NOT willing to accomodate nor accomplish).
I liked the book a great deal though!!!

Khaled Hosseini: The Kite Runner

I have wanted to read this book for a very long time. I started listening to it in my car on my daily commute (45+ minutes to school each way), and am really glad I did. I would not have even come close to pronouncing the very Afghan words/names used.

I hated the narrator throughout the entire text, which, I guess is a good thing that the book was able to solicit emotion from me at all. There is an element of redemption in the end, but it is a very sad book.

I am glad I read this, but I feel more ignorant because of my lack of knowledge pertaining to global issues--this book made me look up information on the Hazara people and the Taliban faction that massacred them.

All and all, while I didn't totally love it, I am glad I read it--different story, different culture, and pretty darn good writing.

I would recommend listening to at least a few chapters just to hear the pronunciation of words and lilt and subtle nuances in this type of dialect.

Audrey Niffenegger: The Time Traveler's Wife

So I asked Ms. Wescott which book to read:

The House of Sand and Fog

The Time Traveler's Wife

Running With Scissors

or

The Archivist

Her recommendation

<--

Yeah.

A VERY quick read for a 500+ page book, with a very interesting story (and awesome setting--I remember all the neighborhoods/streets referenced in Chicago!!)

But, overall this book gets an underwhelming "eh."

While I appreciate the originality, the cheeseball romance is definitely not my style. Also, there were points in the book that I wanted to punch the author in the face--the text got off-track and rambled and got to be TOO much. But, I am glad I read this. I don't think I would recommend it though...

Robert Goolrick: A Reliable Wife

So, this is my grown-up women's (no men have shown up--yet) book club. The first book I forgot to read (though I am glad, I don't think I'd have liked it), but I read this one.

Maybe I should have reversed it?

Goolrick can't write.

He overuses appositive phrases, uses "you" at random moments (which is beyond annoying), and since the text takes place in the EARLY 1900s, terms like "Gold Digger" (a la Kayne West) and "Holy Rollers" do not belong.

The story could have been really awesome--great premise--man places ad in paper for a "reliable wife," woman answers ad (lies and deceit abound), and she plans on killing him; he, on the other hand, has other plans for her.

The style takes away from the story and about mid-way through the book, I decided I had to finish it as a challenge to myself, no matter how much I hated the writing, the characters, or the plot.

I AM looking forward to our meeting on the 27th--so far no one likes it. :) It should be an awesome conversation!

Laurie Halse Anderson: Catalyst

I bought this book when it first was released. I just finished it this week. I bought enough copies to have a lit circle group for it, and I am really glad that I did.

This was a well-written text. Set in the same high school that Speak took place. Melinda even makes an appearance.

Kate is an interesting character, but she does confound me. I don't understand why she has to be so stubborn and live in such denial of the truth.

Her father is annoying and static, but I know why he has to be that way.

But the ending is VERY disappointing. There are enough twists and a couple of shockers, but the end of the book really left me bummed out.

I felt more closure and relief and belief in the ending of Speak. BUT, if it weren't for the ending, this would be one of my top YA books. But it's not.