The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (Book Review)

The Age of Miracles
by Karen Thompson Walker

269 pages
Random House, 2012
young adult/fiction
Read in 4 days

My Rating:

“We didn’t notice right away. We couldn’t feel it.”

Review: What amazing storytelling! In a nutshell, what would you do if to Earth suddenly started spinning at a much slower rate than it already does, thereby causing time to take longer to pass by? We all say how much we’d love to have more hours in the day. But, as this story proves, that is, until we actually get those hours. It starts off small, adding a half an hour at a time then continuing until this “slowing” begins to disrupt the lives of society.

This book is told through the point of view of a twelve year old girl living with her parents. She’s having a hard enough time going through those changes young girls go through without throwing this phenomena into the mix! Not to mention the revolution that begins to take place among those who refuse to do as the government tells them which is to continue as usual. They go so far as to get heavy black curtains to block out the sun when it’s a longer day than normal and get bright lights to put up when it’s dark for a long time. Of course you can imagine what this does to the farming industry? Imagine taking every natural disaster you can think of in someones mind and watch everyone scatter to make underground shelters or buy up all the groceries they can. There are a few blackouts as well as a few make-out sessions that happen as the story progresses too. The cynicism is dripping in this book as well as the parallels of this unreal world with the one we are all really living.

Without telling too much of the story and possibly ruining certain parts for you, it’s a book anyone can read. There are moments anyone can relate to or at least understand when it comes to Julia’s (the main character) life and those around her. There are plenty of secrets as well as lessons learned here as well. I found it easy to follow and never got bored with it at all. The ending is wide open for perhaps a sequel?

Otherwise, there is sadness, death, and a lot of possible truth to what this world and those who inhabit it would be like if there was a constant fear of an impending end.

Summary: Spellbinding, haunting, The Age of Miracles is a beautiful novel of catastrophe and survival, growth and change, the story of Julia and her family as they struggle to live in an extraordinary time. On an ordinary Saturday, Julia awakes to discover that something has happened to the rotation of the earth. The days and nights are growing longer and longer, gravity is affected, the birds, the tides, human behavior and cosmic rhythms are thrown into disarray. In a world of danger and loss, Julia faces surprising developments in herself, and her personal world—divisions widening between her parents, strange behavior by Hannah and other friends, the vulnerability of first love, a sense of isolation, and a rebellious new strength. With crystalline prose and the indelible magic of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker gives us a breathtaking story of people finding ways to go on, in an ever-evolving world.

To learn more about Karen Thompson Walker, please visit her site here.

The Great Novel


Everywhere I look this week I see The Great Gatsby in people’s hands. Why? Because they’re like me, scrambling to read the book before they rush to see the movie. And while I’m not a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio I do want to see this movie. I’ve seen so many previews for it for so long I honestly thought the damn thing was out on DVD already. But this is not why I’m changing up my MO of strictly reviewing books with the occasional movie review and memes. I’m writing this because seeing all these people, who probably aren’t avid readers such as myself, actively engaged in reading this classic novel, I wonder how Hollywood can boost the book industry. Without even trying or intending to I’ll wager The Great Gatsby becomes a bestseller (again) because of this movie. 

So why not create more adaptations of classics? I know we recently saw Anna Karenina, Les Miserables, & Great Expectations, to mention a few. But let’s double down and expect more from Hollywood. I know they feel action and CGI is what sells when it comes to making movies. But in the long run I’m willing to bet classic novel adaptations do just as well as action  movies. Hollywood would be surprised to know just how much the average movie goer & eventual DVD/Blu-Ray buyer values a good storyline. What better place than the great novel?

When Les Mis came out there was no real rush to buy the book and read it because for one thing it’s over 1,000 pages no matter what version you buy and for another the movie was based off the Broadway musical. I’m talking about doing something like 1984, or Catcher in the Rye, or how about remaking To Kill a Mockingbird? The possibilities are endless. I notice screen writers and directors rushing to put current NYT’s bestsellers in the movie theaters. I long for more of the classics.

Therefore, even though I can’t stand DiCaprio I will see The Great Gatsby (after I read the book of course) and report back. And if it should turn out to be not as great as everyone had hoped? At least it accomplished one great thing; getting hundreds of thousands of people across the globe to read a great American Novel. 

So if you’re like me and haven’t read this book, go do it now! It’s only 190 pages roughly. That’s two days max. Happy reading!

The Sherlock Holmes Handbook by Ransom Riggs (Book Review)

The Sherlock Holmes Handbook
by Ransom Riggs

203 pages
Quirk Books, 2009
fiction
Read in 2 days
Another Review…

My Rating: ★★★

“The mere fact that you are holding this book allows one to make a number of elementary deductions concerning your disposition: that you nurture an interest in criminals and criminality; that you are at least passingly learned in the literary arts; and, like so many others, that you wish to cast a little light upon (and even emulate) Holmes’s almost preternatural genius for reasoning backward from the thinnest of observed effects to uncannily accurate causes.”


Review: Probably one of the most comprehensive books I’ve ever read on Sherlock Holmes. Granted it’s the first I’ve ever read that was about him the character. I find his persona very intriguing, especially when coupled with the various ways he has been portrayed on television throughout the years. Just for fun (and because I’m sure Ransom Riggs wouldn’t mind) here are a few photographic examples:

Jeremy Brett
Basil Rathbone

Benedict Cumberbatch (PBS)

Robert Downey Jr. (movie)
Now that I’ve introduced you briefly to some of the best known actors who’ve portrayed Sherlock Holmes at one time or another, let me get on with this book. It’s not exactly one that needs to be read from cover to cover on the first go through. It’s more of a “handbook” hence it’s title.

As I said in the beginning, it’s very comprehensive in it’s details. If you’ve never read any of the Sherlock Holmes stories you will find yourself a bit lost because of the attention to detail. Ransom does lay out an exceptional blueprint to success. It’s so detailed and factual I actually believed I could be Sherlock Holmes and solve crimes as easily as he does.

If you’ve ever wanted to know how he is able to deduce and decipher with such ease, then reading this book would be an excellent start. I’d almost say this book can be a reference that I’ll find myself going back to whenever I venture to reread Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s tales of mystery and suspense.

Summary: “My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don’t know.”

This reader’s companion to the casework of Sherlock Holmes explores the methodology of the world’s most famous consulting detective. From analyzing fingerprints and decoding ciphers to creating disguises and faking one’s own death, readers will learn how Holmes solved his most celebrated cases—plus an arsenal of modern techniques available to today’s armchair sleuths. Along the way, readers will discover a host of trivia about the master detective and his universe: Why did Holmes never marry? How was the real Scotland Yard organized? Was cocaine really legal back then? And why were the British so terrified of Australia? Full of fascinating how-to skills and evocative illustrations, The Sherlock Holmes Handbook will appeal to Baker Street Irregulars of all ages.

If you want to learn more about Ransom Riggs, please visit this site.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Book Review)

To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee

299 pages
J. B. Lippincott & Co. / July 1960
fiction
Read in 7 days

My Rating: ★★★★

“When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.”

Review: Let me start by saying I’ve never read this book. I was never assigned it in school and it just never struck me as a book I wanted to read. After having absorbed it so thoroughly now, I can’t imagine why. I saw the movie almost two decades ago so the actors were not in my mind as I read this book. I can tell you I will make it a point to see the movie now.

Starting this book I went into it wanting to know the reason for the title. Why the title over so many others? It’s so obvious yet so complex in so many levels I can easily see why this book can be discussed from an elementary school level up and through college. I guess that’s what makes a classic a classic? When a novel can stand the test of time and still be relevant material today. While our court system has much improved since the time of this book, it still serves as a stark reminder of where we were as a society and how far we’ve come. I’m sure many would use this book to argue we have not come as far as we’d like to think.

In short, this book starts and ends in the same place, being narrated by Scout, remembering a moment in her family’s life that would forever change all parties involved. It was the 1930’s and her father, Atticus Finch, a lawyer, was put on a case to defend a Negro accused of raping a young woman whose family, although white, happen to be one of the lower classes. The Ewell’s are, for lack of better words, uneducated white trash. But that doesn’t stop the town from believing her story, no matter how hard Atticus tries and succeeds in proving his case that the Negro, Tom Robinson, is innocent. It makes no difference to the minds of those white men in the jury box (women were not permitted to serve as jurors back then). There was no way they would side with a Negro over a white man or woman. Even if the evidence showed that girls father, a known drunk to the entire town, was the one who beat her to near death. But I’m telling too much of the story. The trial doesn’t even really make an appearance until the last third of the book because it leads to what causes Jem to suffer a broken elbow. 

The book starts with Scout telling the story of how Jem, her older brother, got his injury. But it also includes the story of a man whom she & her brother have never seen but have heard stories about. That man is Boo Radley. Arthur if we’re to be formal about it. 

There are many heroes in this book that I can count on multiple hands. But in order for them to be considered heroes there must be an almost equal amount of evil they fend off as well. I suppose many would say there was only one real evil in this book, old man Ewell. But look closer, if you’ve read it or plan to someday, and you’ll find more. There are different degrees of doing good and doing bad. Atticus is a single parent trying to teach his children best he can, just how to see those differences in everyone.

Great book. I’d read it again. I’d recommend it as well.

Summary: Lawyer Atticus Finch defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee’s classic, Puliter Prize-winning novel—a black man charged with the rape of a white woman. Through the eyes of Atticus’s children, Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unanswering honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930’s.

Winner of the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Literature, Fiction.

If you want to learn more about Harper Lee please visit this site.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Book Review)

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak

550 pages
Knopf, USA / March 2006
historical fiction
Read in 7 days
Another Review…

My Rating: ★★★★
“First the colors.”


Review: This book, I don’t mind or hesitate in saying, is the best book I’ve ever read in my entire life! I never thought I’d ever find a book that would touch my heart and soul as much as this one did. From the opening lines of “death” introducing himself to us and taking us on a journey with him as he scoured the small towns and neighborhoods during WWII when the Fuhrer was in power and Jews were being slaughtered by the thousands. The sheer idea that must have gone through Markus’ mind when coming up with this story is unfathomable to me. He is definitely someone I would love to have a table discussion with on the evolution of this book.

The characters in this book! The whole book, while narrated by death, is told through the moments in Liesel’s life. It’s the story of a young German girl, living in a small town with foster parents who take in a Jew and hide him for his safety. But there is SO MUCH MORE to the story than just that. There are the lives that are forever changed and transformed by events that take only seconds to happen but last a lifetime in the mind and especially in the words of the book thief.

I almost found myself unable to properly review this book, which I found ironic since this book takes us through stages of literature really, and the love so few get from it. It starts out with Liesel’s curiosity in wanting to learn how to read, so her foster father, Hans, teaches her. Then it develops into storytelling, which she masters really from Max, the Jew who her foster parents hide in their basement. The next step is increasing her vocabulary. She accomplishes this by soaking in the unbelievable library shown to her by the mayors wife. Which leads to the final part, but really the beginning, taking all she has learned and turning the words she’s read and spoken and writing them down into her own story. The story our narrator finds in his journey of picking up souls to carry over to the other side, as is his job.

Again, I feel like I’m not giving this book the accolades it deserves because there are so many layers to peel back and examine. This is a book that can be analyzed in the classroom. It’s a book that can be discussed in any family dynamic. It’s also a book that can be dissected among friends on several levels. I will forever recommend this book and I know I will end up having read it multiple times before MY time on this Earth is done.

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One last thing, Amazon has The Book Thief, in paperback, for just $4.17, if I were you I’d jump on that and buy it ASAP!

Synopsis: 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.

If you want to learn more about Markus Zusak, please visit his site.
I selected this post to be featured on Book Review Blogs. Please visit the site and vote for my blog!

The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket (Book Review)

The Reptile Room
by Lemony Snicket

190 pages
HarperCollins, 1999
gothic fiction/absurdist fiction/steampunk/mystery
Read in 2 days
Another Review…

“The stretch of the road that leads out of the city, past Hazy Harbor and into the town of Tedia, is perhaps the most unpleasant in the world.”

Review: Another 13 chapters down in another easy to read yet highly enjoyable book. The poor Baudelaire children are in for more unfortunate events this time. I seem to think Count Olaf will be making appearances in every book until he (hopefully) meets his own untimely demise. It only seems fair after all the people he’s managed to do away with with no remorse.


I’m a bit surprised that this series would be considered for children considering it’s pretty dark and deadly subject matter but it could be a useful tool in explaining to children the evils of this world in a way they can understand. The author does not hold back in the unfortunate events that happen to these three kind-hearted children. Like I’ve said in my review of the first book, this is definitely a series that needs to be read out loud in order to truly enjoy it.

I recommend this series to people of all ages. You’re never too old to read a classic.

Synopsis: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.
In the first two books alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, a lumpy bed, a deadly serpent, a large brass reading lamp, a long knife, and a terrible odour.

In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likeable and unfortunate children been quite so enchanting, or quite so uproariously unhappy.

To learn more about Lemony Snicket, please visit his site.

Overstuffed Bookshelf Challenge

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (Book Review)

The Bad Beginning 

The Bad Beginning
by Lemony Snicket

162 pages
HarperCollins, 1999
gothic fiction/absurdist fiction/steampunk/mystery
Read in 1 day
Another Review…

My Rating: ★★★★

“If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book.”

Review: I read this book in two hours flat. That should tell you how easy a read it is. But don’t let the fact that most sites will say it’s for ages 10+, in fact, the vocabulary is quite advanced. It was helpful that along the way Lemony Snicket would define those harder words and phrases for the reader.

If you’ve seen the movie, where Jim Carrey portrays Count Olaf, then reading this book will become even faster for you. I saw the characters in my head as I read along. In most cases I don’t find it helpful or I try to read the books before watching the movie. Seeing as how it has been many years since I’ve seen the movie and I’ve only seen it once, I felt there was no harm done.

The story is a simple one, seeing as it’s for children mostly, I think it ought to be. There are these three children, two who are 14 and 12, while the other is just an infant. All of them are very intelligent for their age, raised by two loving parents. Unfortunately they are met with one unfortunate event after another in their very young lives. It all starts when both of their parents die in a house fire. Now, this series is 13 books in total and each one gets a bit longer in length, like the Harry Potter series. This book just covers their encounter with a distant relative who is given guardianship over the children because of his proximity. Of course all he wants is the fortune that the Baudelaire parents left behind. Only hiccup is, it will go to the oldest child, Violet, when she turns 18. The Count can’t wait that long so he cooks up a scheme on how to get his hand on the money.

I would’ve loved my mom reading this to me when I was younger like she did with so many other great books. As I was reading it I found myself getting animated with the dialog. If you have children I recommend reading this to them. And if you don’t, try reading it out loud to yourself. You’ll find you’re reading it very fast and enjoying it all the more along the way.

Synopsis: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.

In the first two books alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, a lumpy bed, a deadly serpent, a large brass reading lamp, a long knife, and a terrible odour.

In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likeable and unfortunate children been quite so enchanting, or quite so uproariously unhappy.

Dear Reader,

The book you are holding in your hands is a short-lived edition of a book that will likely make your life shorter as well. The tale of three Baudelaire children, who find themselves thrown into an unhappy situation containing a treacherous villain with an evil scheme and bad manners, becomes more and more dreadful on each page, and everyone so foolhardy as to read it will find themselves weeping and moaning by the end of the book.

This book is offered at an introductory price, but it introduces the reader to such unpleasantries as a disastrous fire, itchy clothing, a baby trapped in a cage, a plot to steal an enormous fortune, and dusty curtains.

I made a solemn promise to write down these wretched tales, but you have no such promise, and if I were you I would put down a book this terrible, no matter how reasonably priced.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

To learn more about Lemony Snicket, please visit his site.

March, The Wrap-Up

Updates

In the reading department I did much better this month. Of the 6 books I listed to read this month I read through 5 of them! I’m very proud of myself. Although, one of them ended up on my short list of “unfinished” books. Ah well, what can you do? As for movies, as you can see I haven’t reviewed any, doesn’t mean I haven’t seen any on tv or gone to the movie theater. In fact, I saw Identity Thief and The Croods. I will get better this month with reviewing movies! So, without further ado, here’s what I read in March and what I plan to read in April:

Books





Movies



  • NONE








________________________________________________

Number of books read: 5*
Number of pages read: 976*

Number of books read YTD: 16
Number of pages read YTD: 4,518

Coming in April:

  • A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle

  • Amazing Grace by Eric Metaxas

  • The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

  • Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

  • The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

  • Michael Vey 2: Rise of the Elgin by Richard Paul Evans

Also coming in April is a new way that I’m keeping track of characters, favorite quotes, and moments in the different books that I read. I realize I’m involved in several “series” right now and I’d like to start a few new ones as well. That’s a LOT of characters to try and remember when I switch around from one series to another. Through the use of PearlTree I will not have to clutter my mind with all the facts! So look out for my “Book Trees” next month to be added at the end of each book review for those who are reading the same series I am and could use a good guide along the way!
*I’m using Daytum to keep track of my reading for the 2013 year. You can see my progress here.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (Book Review)

Junot Diaz 

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Diaz

352 pages
Riverhead, 2007
fiction
unfinished
Another Review…

My Rating: n/a

“Our hero was not one of those Dominican cats everybody’s always going on about—he wasn’t no home-run hitter or a fly bachatero, not a playboy with a million hots on his jock.”

Review: This is not the first book I have been unable to finish and it certainly won’t be my last. It is however, my first review of a book I have been unable to finish. Just to give you some perspective, the last book I was unable to finish was 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James and before that was Me by Ricky Martin. Otherwise, it’s rare for me to start a book and NOT finish it. This means it takes A LOT for me to put down a book and be resigned to leave it unfinished.

This book, as a male friend described to me, is like a modern-day Catcher in the Rye. I am inclined to agree with him. This is a boys book. It’s not to say a female couldn’t or shouldn’t read it, I’m just saying that some books tend to be more girly than others, therefore men won’t be drawn to it. The same can be said for this book. Although I’ve more women reading it than men. If I can be more specific, I’ve seen more Hispanic women reading it.

My review of the book will only come from the first 150 pages since that is all I read before giving up entirely. One of the factors that caused me to stop was how long it was taking me to read it. If I’m headed into the second week and I’m not even at the half-way point then something is not right. The story of a man coming into his own through various life experiences is a good one. I was a little confused with the character change from Oscar’s point of view to his sisters. I’m sure there’s a valid reason for this and there probably is a going back and forth between different characters point of view, I just found it distracting.

The dialogue is a mixture of English and Spanish, something else that turned me off to the book. I’ve never read a “Spanglish” book before and I don’t think I ever will again. It helped that I know Spanish quite fluently but to the average person who might not know Spanish but wants to read this book because it’s a bestseller and everyone else is or already has read it, I suggest having a handy English/Spanish dictionary with you. Some of the dialogue, if you don’t know Spanish, could be easy to decipher based on the surrounding sentences, but I’m usually not looking for a book that has me over analyzing the words instead of the meanings behind them.

Then there’s the footnotes. And I’m not talking one or two sentence footnotes, I’m talking paragraphs so long the footnotes go on to the next page and even then might take up more than half of it. I understand there is some important facts that run parallel to the timeline of the book, but it was too much and confusing to have to go forward one page to finish the massive footnote then turn back a page to find where the indication of that footnote was, so you can pick up where you left off.

Lastly, I must mention the lack of quotation marks around the dialogue. I’m guessing there was a specific reason for this that someone who has heard Junot Diaz speak would have the answer to. I would be surprised if during some Q&A he wasn’t asked about this very thing. Now, maybe I’m not as smart or well read as I think I am, I have read many classics and bestsellers in my day, but this one was just not to my liking. I’d say it’s a hit or miss with this author but in reading other peoples reviews they tend to lean the same way I am, so I’m glad I’m not the only one.

Maybe after I’ve read a few other books that are more to my liking I will give “Drown” a try which was his first published book, a collection of short stories. In the meantime, I will add this book to my short list of those I have left unfinished.

Synopsis: This is the long-awaited first novel from one of the most original and memorable writers working today.

Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd. From his home in New Jersey, where he lives with his old-world mother and rebellious sister, Oscar dreams of becoming the Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the fukú – the curse that has haunted the Oscar’s family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love. Oscar, still waiting for his first kiss, is just its most recent victim.

Diaz immerses us in the tumultuous life of Oscar and the history of the family at large, rendering with genuine warmth and dazzling energy, humor, and insight the Dominican–American experience, and, ultimately, the endless human capacity to persevere in the face of heartbreak and loss. A true literary triumph, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao confirms Junot Diaz as one of the best and most exciting voices of our time.

To learn more about Junot Diaz, please visit his site.

Top Ten Books I Recommend the Most

toptentuesday (1)


For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

Strangely enough, I’m not asked very often for book suggestions! Which is odd because I read almost every genre and have quite a library of choices depending on what genre you enjoy most. I truly enjoy this Top Ten Tuesday the most. I’ve thought long and hard about all the books I’ve read over the years, from childhood till now, and I think I’ve come up with a darn good list. I hope you all enjoy it!

andthentherewerenone
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

This book is probably the one I’ve read the most. Not only have I read it the most but I also happen to own the most copies of this book. It seems, no matter how many times I come across it in a book store I always feel like I don’t have it (knowing it’s my favorite) so I buy it, read it, then add it with the others. So far I own 4 copies of this book. Aside from the book there are several movie versions as well. Some of them have the same title and others might be called “Ten Little Indians” if you’re interested. It’s a mystery about a group of strangers brought on a deserted island with only revenge in mind.

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Lamb 
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore

While I don’t own several copies of this book (I gave away my first copy and bought a new one which is signed by the author along with ALL his other books!!) I have read it several times. It might not be factual but it certainly will make you laugh till you’re crying. Christopher Moore is by far my favorite male comedic writer alive today. If you haven’t read it AND can take a joke when it comes to religion, I highly suggest this book.

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phantomtollbooth-coverThe Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Yet another great read. Yes, this is more for young adults but I really love this book. It’s one of the few I actually remember my mom reading to me before I went to bed. I loved being read to. This is also a great book for kids in general. It’s got fantasy, adventure, problem solving, great vocabulary words, and of course, what every great YA book SHOULD have, a moral to the story. The movie is pretty awesome as well with this one.

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Animal FarmAnimal Farm by George Orwell

One of the shortest and greatest literary works I’ve ever read. I think it’s shorter than Fahrenheit 451? Anyhow, I read this back when I was in high school and was fascinated with it ever since. It’s one of those that can be read in one day and as you’re reading it, instantly the story comes alive in your mind. I know that there have been several movies done about this book. I’ve never seen them. Why ruin a great thing.

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EloiseAmelia Bedelia madeline

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Eloise by Kay Thompson / Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish / Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

There are at least a dozen reasons why everyone should read these books and every household in America (whether with a child or not) should own a copy of these books. For me, I look at these books, decades later from having first read them, and I can see the evolution of women in books. I’m sure today it would be hard to find an Eloise (the independently minded child), an Amelia Bedelia (the good intentions child), or a Madeline (the opinionated yet understanding child) in children’s literature today. Or if there is I’m sure it’s not quite the same. I own all three, the originals from when I was a child, and I look forward to passing them on to my daughter (if I ever am lucky enough to have one).

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What a treat it was to read this book! Almost as awesome as getting to meet her when she came to NYC the night her book hit the shelves! This book had me laughing till I was crying from the first sentence to the last. No seriously it did. If you’re not laughing from the opening paragraph then you need to have your funny bone examined. She is so truthful about her life and it’s great to read. I hope she is hard at work on her next book cause I’ll be first in line to get it.

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Gone With The WindGone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Probably the longest single book I’ve ever read so far (Les Miserables is on my TBR list for this year!) yet reading it was so effortless. If not for it weighing a ton I would never have believed how long this book actually was. Unfortunately, I had seen the movie several times before having read the book. But for me they both could stand apart from each other. The book is better obviously, but books almost always are when compared to the movie version. Women will probably like and “get” this book (or the movie for that matter) better than men.

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I just finished reading this book this month and it was amazing. That is big coming from me cause I usually don’t read “self-help” oriented books, which this IS NOT. I would recommend this book to all those who are introverts and I would urge any who has a group of workers they manage to read this. It provides helpful hints on how to appreciate being an introvert or knowing someone who is an introvert if you aren’t. I found this book informative and empowering.

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alchemistThe Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I never knew of Mr. Coelho until a friend recommended I read this book. This is definitely one of those that makes you think and you’ll find yourself wanting to take notes. It’s loaded with symbolism and lines you’ll want to quote. I definitely discovered a lot about myself and those I surround myself with. It was a learning experience and I’d recommend this author as well because all he writes is about journey’s to self-discovery.

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Complete Sherlock HolmesThe Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Last but certainly not least, I leave you with one of the greatest mystery writers every who created one of the greatest minds anyone will ever know. Sherlock Holmes made mystery & suspense cool for me. If not for Sir Doyle’s writings I would never have read others like Agatha Christie’s Poirot or Rex Stouts Nero Wolfe, for example. If you want a reason to read the collection of short mysteries I suggest watching Jeremy Brett portray him. For me he was WAY better in performance than Basil Rathbone.

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Well, there they are. I realize as I look at them, I’ve read most of them way before I starting this whole reviewing books I read blog. Perhaps I should revisit old friends? Reread them and review them? Looks like I’ve just added MORE books to my TBR list for this year!

These are what I consider to be the best of the best, for me. You won’t go wrong if you give any of them a try. What would you recommend for me to read? What have you read that left a lasting impression on you?

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Book Review)

Speak


Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
200 pages 
Square Fish, 1999 
young adult
Read in 3 days 
Another Review…

My Rating: ★★

“It is my first morning of high school.”

Review: I can’t remember what made me so interested in reading this book. Perhaps it was the cover? Tremendous cover by the way! At this point it doesn’t matter because this is one of those books any “coming of age” girl should read who might feel no one is listening to her or is going through the same things she’s going through so no one could possibly understand her. Times really haven’t changed much because a story like the one told in this book is still possible and relevant today. That story is the one of a young girl having been raped at a party, not even realizing that’s what happened to her at the time until watching “The Oprah Winfrey Show” (I thought that was an interesting touch). She is then blamed by the whole school for calling the police in a moment of panic which silences her into trying to find the words to tell someone, anyone, what really happened to her. The inner monologue was excellent in portraying the right amount of emotions for Melinda, the main character, without going overboard for me. I also appreciated and connected with her relationships with others around her. I was socially awkward myself all throughout my early schooling until I got to college and became somewhat popular and more sociable. I recommend this easy read to anyone seeking to find a voice and speak out against someone who has done you great harm. I’d like to think it won’t come about the way it did in this book however. Don’t worry I won’t spoil the ending by telling you what I mean. You’ll just have to read it yourself. But to anyone who even might know someone who has been raped and might be too young to know the difference or think they can’t do anything about it, offering them this book just might offer them a voice. My only disappointment was, I thought Melinda was going to reveal what happened to her and who did it through her art assignment with the tree. I probably thought this because as I was reading the book I might have put more stock in the cover than I should have and thought it was a peek into what was coming. Okay, maybe I gave you a little bit of a spoiler there by telling you what DOESN’T happen so don’t look for that. This is definitely a “teaching points” book as well if teachers should decide to delve into this still touchy topic in the classroom. But I’m sure every young adult has read this book already. It was written over 12 years ago and sold over one million copies so I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here. But if you haven’t read it, give it a try. It’s just about 200 pages so it shouldn’t take you more than two days to read.  

UPDATE: It turns out, in 2004, this book was made into a movie starring none other than Kristen Stewart as Melinda! Everyone knows her as the girl in those Twilight movies. I prefer to remember her as Jodie Foster’s daughter in Panic Room. Maybe I’ll watch it someday? Or maybe I won’t…It does help to know that Laurie Halse Anderson helped in writing the adaptation.  

Summary: The first ten lies they tell you in high school. “Speak up for yourself—we want to know what you have to say.” From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself. Speak was a 1999 National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature.

To learn more about Laurie Halse Anderson visit her website here.

Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy…But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread

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If I told you just how many of these books actually exist on my book shelves today! They far exceed 10, but I will simply mention those I really want to get to before this year is out that have been on my shelf for at least the last 6 months if not longer…

A Lion Among Men (Wicked Years, #3) - Gregory Maguire

Out of Oz (Wicked Years, #4) - Gregory Maguire

Michael Vey 2: Rise of the Elgin - Richard Paul Evans

Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings - Christopher Moore

A Dirty Job - Christopher Moore

T is for Trespass (Kinsey Millhone, #20) - Sue Grafton

Amazing Grace – Eric Metaxas

Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? – Steven Tyler

Uglies - Scott Westerfield


Casual Vacancy - J.K. Rowling

What’s on your shelf?

A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L’Engle (Book Review)

A Wind in the Door

A Wind in the Door
by Madeleine L’Engle

240 pages
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1973
Young Adult Science Fiction
Read in 3 days
Another Review…

My Rating: ★★

“There are dragons in the twins’ vegetable garden.”

Review: Oh Charles Wallace! A young boy after my own heart. The best way I can think of to describe what reading this book was like for me is to reference a Magic School Bus episode. Yes, I know, that’s a bit old school but trust me, it reminded me of the one where Miss Frizzle decides to take the class inside Ralphie when he’s so sick he has to stay home. While this book has a sufficient cast of characters, why they enter Charles Wallace’s body is for entirely different reasons. He is sick yes, but his illness could lead to death if his sister doesn’t help him.

With the help of Mr. Jenkins (Charles Wallace’s Principal), Calvin, Blajeny, Louise the Large, Progo, & Sporos, they save Charles Wallace’s life! Don’t worry, that doesn’t exactly spoil the book since you must realize there will always be a happy ending.

I can’t say I enjoyed this book as much as the first one though. I think it’s because of the amount of time spent deep within Charles Wallace’s forandolae or whatever they’re called. It involved a lot of “kything”, a sort of more involved form of mental telepathy. That’s not really my idea of fun reading and it did bore me that almost half the book was spent in that state of mind. I hope the third book isn’t so one dimensional and has a bit more adventure.

Summary: It is November. When Meg comes home from school, Charles Wallace tells her he saw dragons in the twin’s vegetable garden. That night Meg, Calvin and C.W. go to the vegetable garden to meet the Teacher (Blajeny) who explains that what they are seeing isn’t a dragon at all, but a cherubim named Proginoskes. It turns out that C.W. is ill and that Blajeny and Proginoskes are there to make him well – by making him well, they will keep the balance of the universe in check and save it from the evil Echthros.
Meg, Calvin and Mr. Jenkins (grade school principal) must travel inside C.W. to have this battle and save Charles’ life as well as the balance of the universe.

With Meg Murry’s help, the dragons her six-year-old brother saw in the vegetable garden play an important part in his struggle between life and death.

To learn more about Madeleine L’Engle visit her website.

The Narrative of John Smith by Arthur Conan Doyle (Book Review)

narrative-john-smith

The Narrative of John Smith
by Arthur Conan Doyle 

120 pages
The British Library, 2011
fiction
Read in 2 days
Another review…

My Rating: ★★★★

“Gout or rheumatism, Doctor?” I asked.

Review: By page 19 I was hooked. One small passage I’d like to share now made me want to finish this unfinished novel. But before I share the best part of the book allow me to share a few bad points. Honestly, I wouldn’t consider them bad or negative points since this IS supposed to be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s first novel so I’d expect it to seem a bit novice. There is very little sentence or story structure. He quickly jumps from thought to thought without putting those fillers we all grow to hate but realize we need when they are missing. The dialogue wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t mention how a particular visitor arrived other than to have them start talking. And trying to figure out where the inner monologue starts and the two person dialogue ends is almost impossible. Otherwise I rather enjoyed reading it. He had quite a lot to say on varying topics like religion, children, neighbors, doctors, and so on. 

Simply put, this story is about a man, John Smith, who has gout, rendering him unable to go anywhere for at least a week so it can heal. I can see where the idea of Sherlock Holmes may have stemmed from this restless character who’s mind wanders onto different topics of interest rather quickly. He’s also observant and rather witty. In any case, this is what one man does to pass the time till his foot is fully healed. Of course the story was never completed and I’m glad no one came along years later to attempt to complete his work for him. No one could write as he does, even in pretense. It is perfect as it is, completely unfinished, and totally enjoyable.

And now, onto the passage I found myself having read, and then reread, several times:

I confess to one little extravagance - and only one. You see those four squat oak cases, their well-stocked shelves line with rich brown leather stamped with gold. Those books are the collection of a lifetime. Run your eye over them. Petrarch, Ruskin, Boswell, Goethe, Tourguenieff, Richter, Emerson, Heine, Darwin, Winwood Reade, Tertullian, Balzac - truly an august and cosmopolitan company.

There should be a society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Books. I hate to see the poor patient things knocked about and disfigured. A book is a mummified soul embalmed in morocco leather and printer’s ink instead of cerecloths and unguents. It is the concentrated essence of man. Poor Horatius Flaccus has turned to an impalpable powder by this time, but there is his very spirit stuck like a fly in amber, in that brown-backed volume in the corner. A line of books should make a man subdued and reverent. If he cannot learn to treat them with becoming decency he should be forced.

If a bibliophile House of Commons were to pass a ‘Bill of the better preservation of books’ we should have paragraphs of this sort under the headings of ‘Police Intelligence’ in the newspapers of the year 2000: ‘Marylebone Police Court. Brutal outrage upon an Elzevir Virgil. James Brown, a savage-looking elderly man, was charged with cowardly attack upon a copy of Virgil’s poems issued by the Elzevir press. Police Constable Jones deposed that on Tuesday evening about seven o’clock some of the neighbors complained to him of the prisoner’s conduct. He saw him sitting at an open window with the book in front of him which he was dog-earing, thumb-marking and otherwise ill using. Prisoner expressed the greatest surprise upon being arrested. John Robinson, librarian of the casualty section of the British Museum, deposed to the book, having been brought in in a condition which could only have arisen from extreme violence. It was dog-eared in thirty-one places, page forty-six was suffering from a clean cut four inches long, and the whole volume was a mass of pencil - and finger - marks. Prisoner, on being asked for his defense, remarked that the book was his own and that he might do what he liked with it. Magistrate: “Nothing of the kind, sir! You wife and children are your own but the law does not allow you to ill treat them! I shall decree a judicial separation between Virgil and yourself, and condemn you to a week’s hard labour.” Prisoner was removed, protesting. The book is doing well and will soon be able to quit the museum.’

Okay, so maybe arresting someone for dog-earing a book will never happen, but a girl can dream can’t she? I just love this passage because that is SO ME! I love my books as if they are my children and would not think twice to disown a friend who dares to dog-ear or smudge one page of any of the books I own. It’s one of the main reasons why I proudly do not own a library card. And never will!

Summary: Before there was the astute detective Sherlock Holmes and his capable compatriot Watson, there was the opinionated Everyman John Smith. In 1883, when he was just twenty-three, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote The Narrative of John Smith while he was living in Portsmouth and struggling to establish himself as both a doctor and a writer. He had already succeeded in having a number of short stories published in leading magazines of the day, such as Blackwood’s, All the Year Round, London Society, and the Boy’s Own Paper—but as was the accepted practice of literary journals of the time, his stories had been published anonymously. Thus, Conan Doyle knew that in order to truly establish his name as a writer, he would have to write a novel. That novel—the first he ever wrote and only now published for the first time—is The Narrative of John Smith.

Many of the themes and stylistic tropes of his later writing, including his first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet—published in 1887—can be clearly seen. More a series of ruminations than a traditional novel, The Narrative of John Smith is of considerable biographical importance and provides an exceptional window into the mind of the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Through John Smith, a fifty-year-old man confined to his room by an attack of gout, Conan Doyle sets down his thoughts and opinions on a range of subjects—including literature, science, religion, war, and education—with no detectable insecurity or diffidence. His writing is full of bravado.

Though unfinished, The Narrative of John Smith stands as a fascinating record of the early work of a man on his way to being one of the best-known authors in the world. This book will be welcomed with enthusiasm by the numerous Conan Doyle devotees.

To learn more about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle please visit his site.

Top Ten Books On My Spring 2013 TBR list!

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Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn


Fever – Mary Beth Keane


To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee


Insurgent – Veronica Roth


A Lion Among Men – Gregory Maguire


The Zombie Survival Guide – Max Brooks


The Sherlock Holmes Handbook – Ransom Riggs


The Age of Miracles – Karen Thompson Walker


Fountainhead – Ayn Rand


Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 1 – L. Frank Baum


I am looking forward to this Spring and wait till you see what I’ll be reading in this Summer!


What are you reading?