Book Me In

A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton

2012-01-24T18:32:00.000-05:00

As a student I find, if I attempt to access them, my resources are almost infinite! I have a school library that has too many books to count in. Yet I only read something if it truly interests me.

I have had no prior philosophical education (apart from indenting the first few pages of the works of Plato, and failing on an epic proportion!) So I decided to pick up this introduction and have a very brief flirtation with philosophy. Let me state this book is very accessible but one must be willing to devote time and mental energy or else be willing to give up in the tedious sections.

It represents the best philosophies and their theories; it is very useful for reference as it is in chronological order from Socrates to Singer. Each philosopher has more or less a chapter with the exception of Kant and a few others claiming more. The ending chapter is devoted to Peter Singer, as a vegetarian I found this particularly interesting as it tells us of animal rights.

Selling complex ideas to the learned public is a hard job, and despite not doing it with the sexiness of Brain Cox it manages to fit it all in there.

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Keith Richards - Life

2011-10-11T08:12:00.001-04:00

Don't go into this one expecting a lighthearted autobiography that you can bang out in a day or two as we've come to expect (or so it seems) from the celebrity type. "Life" at times felt as long as the road Richards is taking us down yet I didn't feel like it was time wasted, because on that road I learned about things i never really expected going in and that, for me, is always a good thing about any type of book.

Keith talks extensively about music; not just the Rolling Stones but the music in his soul, that which has inspired him throughout his lifetime and journey as a musician and a writer. I think the book does a great job of revealing Keith Richards as a true songwriter and not just someone who takes a credit for doing so, a craftsman who bleeds for his craft.

Yes, there is extensive talk of the drugs but not in the way I think I expected to read. It's easy to go into this book thinking it would primarily be a journal of drug use and the after effects - instead, we learn how they became a part of his life and how they affected each area of his life without clouding the telling of those stories to the point where the drugs become the main character.

I feel like there is an automatic perception of Keith Richards that paints him as a very simple guy - almost a caricature of the Rock and Roll druggie stereotype but what this book does, is prove that there is a complexity, wit, intellect, substance and heart to this guy.

Autobiographical Briefs

2011-08-29T19:24:00.000-04:00

I read two autobiographies recently that were highly anticipated for a number of reasons and I thought I would share a few thoughts on each here with all of you.

I saw Rob Lowe on a few of the talk shows while he was out promoting this book. Aside from the stories he told on the talk shows that implied the book might be interesting, being roughly the same age and having watched all of the "Brat Pack" films (because it was something you did in the 80's) and wanting to know more about the culture of that group of people in that time and place - I opted to give this book a read. While it wasn't the worst autobiography of all time, and there were some sincere moments that had a rare humanizing effect on a celebrity, it just didn't ring as a cohesive piece of storytelling for me and I was left feeling like it may have been okay to just leave it be with what I saw on the talk show circuit.

Tina Fey captivated me on SNL and then again on 30 Rock. She's witty, intelligent, and powerful but also has, for me, a remarkable charm that I simply can't get enough of. This book not only offered the story of Tina Fey from then till now but it was punctuated with the witty humor that makes those of us that love her, lover her. I laughed so much while reading this book that I'm smiling just writing about it. Fey doesn't take herself so seriously that she isn't willing to be self-deprecating almost to a fault. If you are a fan of Fey, this is a must read.

Jamie's Italy

2011-08-16T08:50:00.001-04:00

I have a crush on Jamie Oliver. Also, I'm Italian.

This is not why I chose to review this book and I promise that I'm not being biased about it either.

For me the glue that binds any cookbook to the recipes inside of them are the pictures. Okay, granted the pictures don't tell you how to cook the meals. HOWEVER, the pictures are what makes the recipe look oh so very nom nom nom.

I bought Julia Child's cookbook because it's French cuisine and it's Julia Child. Also, I had just finished watching the movie Julie & Julia and became very inspired. Upon perusing the recipes, it wasn't just the size of the book or the font of the words that scared me off of it ... it was the lack of photos! And those little pencil drawings do not count. Needless to say, I didn't spend hours pouring over each recipe as I did with Jamie Oliver's book. There was just no appeal to me.

I will admit that what drew me to this book is that it was filled with recipes from my motherland (maybe I am being biased). But, look at the cover of this book. Look at how vibrant the colours are ... they just pop right off the page. And that is what you can expect from the entire book. Every photo shows amazing details of not only the prepared dish, but of the individual ingredients that go into making each dish so mouth-watering.

It doesn't get much better than having a homemade glass of wine with a plate of pasta and enjoying it in some rustic town sitting next to a beaten up VW Beetle. Talk about simple pleasures.

Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed are the stories that it told ... where the recipes came from ... the origins of the towns he visited ... the stories of the people who live there. He not only brought these meals to life, he brought the little towns to life as well. This wasn't just a cookbook, it was a journey.

If you can appreciate good food, a good cook and fantastic stories and photos, this is the next cookbook you need to have in your kitchen. All of your senses will thank you.

Room

2011-07-15T21:34:00.003-04:00

The book “Room” was written by Emma Donoghue.

It’s a book that had me wanting to read it, but for some reason the jacket description wasn’t enough to make me want to purchase it. Also, the fact that it was a hard cover hindered me even more seeing as hard covers are usually more expensive and I had put myself on a strict book budget because my shelves runneth over. But my book club chose this book, which kind of gave me the green light to splurge on the hardcover (you know, since I had no choice – borrowing from the library is pretty much something I’m not willing to do).

As happy as I was to finally have a legit excuse to read this book, I’ve got to say that it took me awhile to get into it. I read the first twenty or so pages and then stopped reading it for a few weeks (also, life got in the way). The language was a little tough to wrap my, oh so intellectual, brain around. It dawned on me that this book was probably written in the voice of five-year old Jack when I read sentences such as, “Ma moves Bunny around real slow to better the picture with his ears and head,” or, “Ma does the hotting up on the two rings of Stove that go read, I’m not allowed touch the knobs because it’s Ma’s job to make sure there’s never a fire like in TV.” In translation? The first one reads, “Ma moves the antennae on the television around until the picture on the television is more clear,” and the second one reads, “Ma turns on the stove so we can cook our dinner.”

Like I said, it took me awhile to get used to this particular voice.

I do believe that telling this story in the voice of a five year old was a good choice. If you noticed in the two sentences above, there are some common nouns that are capitalized as if they were proper nouns. This is because Jack has almost, in a sense, humanized all the objects that were in this room in which he was born and raised. This room was all he knew. His mom (and Old Nick – the protagonist) were the only people he knew. That room and his mother were his life. He knew of nothing beyond that. So stove was not just an object; it was the proper name for the thing that “hots up” his food. Bunny didn’t just fix the picture on the television; it was a part of his life.

The gist of the story is that Old Nick is the person who abducts Jack’s mom. He hides her in this shed that he built specifically for someone he would keep prisoner. He takes her and eventually fathers two children with her (Jack and a stillbirth baby). He limits her world to four walls and a sky light. She tries to escape before Jack is born, but after Jack, her only tactic is survival. She is captured in this room for 7 years. To Jack, this room is his world. It’s all he knows. But to his mom, it is a prison cell. She keeps her spirits up for Jack and tries to make this be a regular life for him since this is her only option. Old Nick at least ensures that their basic needs are met.

Once Jack turns five, his mom starts telling him of the real world. She plots an escape with Jack as the hero. Fortunately, this five-year-old boy with no experience in the outside world pulls it off. The last half of the book is one where she becomes reacquainted with her old life and one where Jack needs to adjust to it.

This book continues to focus on Jack and his outlook on the situation. He finds himself missing Room as, in this (literally) big and scary world, it has become something of a security blanket for him. The book was well written (despite stupid me not realizing it was kid-speak at first). Emma Donoghue did a superb job at capturing all the raw emotion that one would definitely go through if placed in a situation such as this. It shows that in the end, Jack saved his mom … not the other way around. This book proves how strong and resilient one can be even if you don’t have a lot of experience with life. The human spirit is a tough one and it can overcome even the most horrific of events. If you believe in survival and making the most of what you have, then this book is for you.

The Language of Letting Go

2010-12-22T03:49:00.000-05:00

I suspect this book might be a departure for Book Me In but it's worth putting it out there. The book is "The Language of Letting Go" by Melodie Beattie. I was never a big fan of self-help books and generally hate the "daily devotional" mentality that most of those books have.

That being said, this book is a treasure to me. Meant more for the loved ones of drug and alcohol abusers than overly-emotive 20-somethings, the book did help me overcome heartbreak and was quite literally forced into my hands by a dear, dear friend who was tired of seeing me crying. At the core of this book and it's daily passages is the message my therapist was keen on saying to me over and over again - "They're your emotions. You're allowed to feel them. So feel them!"

Beattie doesn't get too preachy or too religious. She blends just the right amount of tough love and best-friend support.

My main point of sharing this book with the Book Me In community is that at one point or another in everyone's lives we can all either benefit from a book like this ourselves or know someone who would benefit from it.

have one baby for the Führer

2010-11-14T12:04:00.001-05:00

Last night, I finished a really interesting book- I flew through this one, I literally couldn't put it down. Lately, I've been reading a lot of Holocaust fiction and this one, My Enemy's Cradle, by Sara Young, certainly fit the bill.

From amazon-

From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. Children's-book author Young (who, as Sara Pennypacker, penned the celebrated Stuart series) makes a stunning adult debut with this beautifully told and heart-wrenching novel set in WWII Europe. Cyrla, half-Jewish, is no longer safe hiding in the home of her Dutch relatives under the increasingly harsh Nazi occupation. When cousin Annika, whom Cyrla closely resembles, becomes pregnant by a German soldier, Annika's father enrolls her in a Lebensborn, a birthing center for Aryan children, where the slogan is 'have one baby for the Führer.' In a tragic turn of events, Cyrla discovers her only chance of survival is to hide in plain sight: she must assume Annika's identity and live in the German Lebensborn until rescued. Within the Lebensborn's walls, mothers-to-be receive proper nutrition and medical care until their children are taken from them for adoption into Aryan families. The horrors Cyrla witnesses are softened only by her resounding optimism and strength.

I have read a good deal on this subject, but hadn't read anything like this before. I knew very little about the idea of a lebensborn, but isn't the purpose of a good book to introduce you to something new?

This book had a good deal of twists and turns and while I have read enough about the Holocaust to know that it was far from a pretty time in history, there were still passages that shocked me, that made me close my eyes for a monent in horror.

A lebensborn would house girls as young as 14 and 15 who were expecting babies. The fathers were Nazi soldiers, and in many cases, the girls didn't know the father at all. They only knew that they wanted to produce as many children as they could, because that is what was expected of them and that was their contribution to the cause. The children were taken from the young mothers and adopted out to German families. Before entering the lebensborn, the young mothers-to-be were tested to be sure that they were pure in the sense that Nazi Germany was looking for- blond, blue eyes, Aryan. Perfect.

Cryla was an intriguing character. I found myself talking to her throughout the book, urging her to look a certain way or think a certain thought. Maybe this was because I know the tragic history of Nazi Germany, or maybe I found myself identifying with her in some mysterious way. That might sound like a bizarre thought, as I did not grow up in WWII Europe, but I can identify with her passion for life, what she thinks is right and her fierce determination to protect the ones she loves the most in this world.

Possible Side Effects By Augusten Burroughs

2010-11-11T09:36:00.000-05:00

I just recently re-read Possible Side Effects and I still laughed aloud the second go around. And I'm not really a laugh aloud sort of person when reading or watching movies. I really have to be taken by surprise. For example, when Augusten, at age 11 mails his grandmother all of her heads which he cut from the family photos and adds a note stating "you keep your bitch bald heads", I nearly died. These books are witty, funny, and heartbreaking. Just the way I like them. I bought this book on the way home from Tampa, and read it straight through before I even got back to Nebraska.

Now, my sister would say that Augusten is the knock-off of David Sedaris, and I see it the other way around! If you liked "Me Talk Pretty One Day" and "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim", you will probably also appreciate the insane memoirs of Mr. Burroughs. To tie in some of his other books, "Running with Scissors", "Dry", and "Magical Thinking" are also very good memoirs. I bawled at the end of Dry. This man makes me laugh, cry, hurt, and understand that other people feel defective sometimes too. He's brutally honest and endearing. And I like the way his mind works. Its nice to know other people have similar quirks and theories about life that only make sense to ourselves! I highly recommend this book. And sister, its on. My man against yours! Either way, we both win now that we have these two men in our lives.

Article Submission By: Natasha Haqim

2010-11-06T07:44:00.001-04:00

I am prone to losing things.

This is why I don't ask my parents for jewellery on birthdays.

I know, at the back of my head, "Someday, I am going to lose this ring/bracelet/necklace, and I'm gonna get yelled at for quite some time. So why do I want to put myself through one of Mama's long lectures on 'The Importance of Taking Care of Your Belongings' for the umpteenth time?".

So since I was thirteen, at almost every birthday, I asked for the same thing: Books.

I adore my books. And I have enough sense to buy a pretty wooden bookshelf so that each of them has a permanent home (much less I can say about my CD collection). And on rainy Sunday mornings, like how some young women lay out their shoes on the floor to admire, I sit in front of my bookshelf and caress my precious books.

Swear - if my house ever caught on fire, I'd somehow, someway, will summon enough energy to rescue all my books! They are the loves of my life, my windows to which I see the world and learn about people and places. Have you ever felt that way about anything in your life?

Books have defined who I am; and I honestly believe that if I had not read particular authors, I wouldn't be me now. Here's a glimpse of my bookshelf, if you ever do decide to read these authors, I hope you find them just as fascinating and life-changing as I did:

Malcolm Gladwell

Okay, so I know he looks kinda wacky, but this man is a genius! He's written three books, The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers and I have been educated and entertained through all of them. If you're a big picture kinda person (macro-economists, take note!), he is your guy. I swear to God, after reading The Tipping Point, I saw society in a completely different way. Even browsing through advertisements and window shopping, I find myself having a sense of awareness of the way consumer behaves. I think it saved me from falling into the trap of becoming brand-conscious for no apparent reason except to 'keep up'! If not for The Tipping Point, I would never have developed an interest in all things marketing, advertising and branding - the one extra knowledge I pursued independently that I believe has truly helped me secure what I want from life. I would even go as far as to say that Gladwell taught me how to 'think outside the box'. He was in London for a talk (nerd-concert) at the Lyceum Theatre last November, but I was occupied then - it was my biggest regret that I didn't get to see him Live! Darn it. :(

Haruki Murakami

Another man I have great respect for. To read every single thing written by Murakami is one of my Life Goals, and I'm happy to say that I'm more than halfway done. I'm reluctant to recommend Murakami because I don't think everyone will enjoy his style of writing. If you're into practicality, then I'd say "No Entry" to Murakami world. Don't even bother reading the synopsis to any of his books, because it tells you nothing of the adventure you're about to experience! I just buy any title, and let the book tell me whatever it wants to tell me. Sometimes, it makes no sense at all and I just go with it. And most times, the ending will disappoint you - because it has No Ending. It's like it's just hanging there, and you're like "What the hell was this story about?". With a Murakami masterpiece, you can't put it down, yet you have no idea what it is you're reading, and yet, when it ends, you feel overwhelmingly satisfied. I am drawn to his books because of the main characters - I relate to them very strongly, and it was only through his memoir, 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' that I realized his personality is much embedded in the characters I adore so much. They all indulge in solitude and find enjoyment in their own company, much like myself. If you do wish to give Murakami a shot, I highly recommend 'Norwegian Wood' and 'South of the Border, West of the Sun' because they have a romance element to it that makes it easier to relate to.

Elizabeth Gilbert

I've only ever read one book by this author, 'Eat, Pray, Love' but it was a real eye-opener. I envied her experience of dedicating months to traveling for soul-searching. Since then, I've been obsessed with the idea of solo travel; something I'd really, really love to do when cash permits. I have this deep, strong desire to visit Naples, Italy and taking a crash course in pizza-making while there! And I'm determined to find the pizza place Gilbert was talking about - it made me drool all over the pages of my book because she made the pizza sounded absolutely 'to-die-for'! It's fun to read, and while some might think the author was selfish, her bravery for self-discovery was still something to be admired.

Nick Hornby

If you noticed, a lot of really good movies out there have been adapted from books by Nick Hornby: High Fidelity, Fever Pitch and About A Boy. I've only read High Fidelity but it's definitely a must-read! (especially if you're a lad, you enjoy music and you're nursing a broken heart) I don't particularly enjoy romance novels and chick lits because I find them cheesy and cliched, but I love to read romance from a male point of view - it's so much more subdued and real, not wishy-washy and fairytale-like as most female authors approach them. I guess I'd say Hornby is my window to understanding the male psyche. Once I'm done with all my Murakamis, Hornby will be the next author I attempt to stalk-read.

Roald Dahl

I grew up with Dahl - Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Witches! Wonderful books, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was possibly my first experience in knowing that books could have a profound effect on the reader. I remember at fourteen, I finished the book at 9 o'clock in the evening, and begged my mother to drive me to the nearest 7-Eleven so I could get my hands on a piece of chocolate bar! I savoured that Cadbury like I've never had a chocolate bar before - truly changed my chocolate-eating experience.

Francine Pascal

It's not fair that the previous authors I mentioned gets applauded for writing good literature, but Francine Pascal didn't get the credit she well deserved: For making reading accessible and fun for the young beginners! If it weren't for Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield from Sweet Valley, I would never have loved reading in the first place. The Sweet Valley Twins series, remain until today, my guilty pleasures - I can't count the number of times I've read 'Lila's Secret Valentine'! If you ever need a quick picker-upper and something light, fun and just entertaining, you know you can always count on the Wakefield Twins. ;)

This Charming Man

2010-07-15T21:57:00.000-04:00

I bought this book last summer in Greece because I'm a sucker for chic literature and I needed something that I knew would be a page turner for me while I lazied about on the beach. I never did wind up reading it while in Greece, which is actually good for me because you know ... I WAS IN GREECE LAZYING IT UP ON THE BEACH AND I NEEDED TO SOAK IN THAT FACT.

Sorry, didn't mean to yell there.

I finally got around to reading the book this past week. I've been doing a lot of heavy reading lately and needed to give my brain a bit of a break and figured this read would be the perfect distraction.

This isn't the first book I've read by Marian Keyes. She has a tendency to really jam-pack her stories and this book was no exception; it's over 700 pages long. I really like her writing style. I just throw on my Irish accent (in my head -- like I'd embarrass myself by saying it out loud where people could potentially hear me) and jump right into the story.

This book is written in the voice of four women.

First we have Lola, the woman who opens up the book. She just found out through the media that her boyfriend (an esteemed politician named Paddy) is getting married. To someone else. Obviously she goes through all of the expected emotions and behaviours, including stalking. I'll admit this: her voice was hard to read. It was very detached and improper and would it kill you to speak in a complete sentence kind of style. I damn near wrote a letter to the editor to alert them of all the grammatical errors in case a newer edition came into print.

I'm glad I saved myself the embarrassment, because we finally move on to the voices of the three other women who speak in complete (albeit psychotic) sentences.

Meet Grace, Marnie and Alicia. These three ladies knew Paddy when he was a cocky teenager, but he still strikes a chord with all three of them.

Here's some of the story to get you intrigued enough to buy the book:

Paddy is this great-looking, charismatic politician. He's also an asshole. The fact that he's a politician should have tipped you off to that fact. We don't find out he's an asshole until about the middle of the book. He dated Lola while getting engaged to Alicia. Alicia was friends with Paddy (and Grace and Marnie) when they were all in high school and Paddy dated Marnie. Grace was also interested in Paddy, but he wound up with Marnie. Grace's twin sister. Got all that?

Without giving too much away, this book touches upon issues of alcoholism, rape, physical and emotional abuse and cross-dressing. I'm sure I missed something in there. You're probably thinking, how could this be a light chic-literature read when these massive issues are playing a role? My answer is your guess is as good as mine. It just is.

Keyes has a way with words that literally will grip you and hold you tight until you read the final word on the final page. Like I said, it took awhile for me to get into the book and fully understand everyone's roles, but once I did, I could not stop reading. It was funny and endearing and in the end, like every good chic-literature novel, the good guys win.

Been Too Long

2010-03-27T11:26:00.001-04:00

Wow, has it really been 6 months since the last book review was posted?

If anything, at least I should be updating this site, considering the insane number of books I read.

But, with my selections of choice lately, I feel that it might go over the heads of the readers. I should probably review those books anyway since this is my blog. I should really look into that.

Well, enough of that sad introduction after the 6 month long hiatus. There are no excuses for being away this long. I promise that, in the least, I will make more of an effort to review the books that I have been reading on here. Sometimes, I just really feel like my reviews will not do the books justice.

But, I should just get over myself.

So, without further adieu ... here is my next book review.

(In the following post)

Love in the Time of Cholera

2009-09-18T12:40:00.002-04:00

I'm a sucker for a love story. A love story that spans fifty-three years, seven months and eleven days and nights? Be still my beating heart.

Love in the Time of Cholera is beautiful. In the beginning, I had a hard time keeping track of the characters (mainly because a) I suck at keeping names straight anyway and b) I was only reading bits at a time on the train in the morning). Soon though, it became hard to put down. I wouldn't mind the Boy being a bit late to pick me up from the train station at the end of the day on his way home, just because I could get in a few more pages of Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza.

Gabriel García Márquez is a beautiful writer and provides visuals that make you feel like you're there with the characters. Márquez' One Hundred Years of Solitude is on my booklist still, and I'll be picking it up sooner rather than later.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

2009-07-08T09:29:00.004-04:00

First of all, let me preface this book review with a quick little disclaimer. I heart vampires and vampire stories. I have a bit of an (unhealthy?) obsession with these creatures of the night. I'm not sure why, but I do. That being said, I shall proceed.

Dead Until Dark is the first in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. I don't know why I'm just now reading these - what with my obsession with vampires and all. But I guess I was a little wary of another vampire series. I tried reading that series by Laurell K Hamilton and just wasn't able to get into them. And I enjoyed Twilight to an extent but had issues with Bella and Meyers kind of jumped the shark with the last book. So I held off on this series, but after looking for something quick, easy and fun to read, these were suggested to me (my friends know of my vampire penchant) and I've fallen in love.

But I digress. As I was saying, Dead Until Dark is the first of a series. We are introduced to Sookie Stackhouse from Bon Temps, Louisana and she has a special ability to hear people's thoughts, though she tries to block them out as much as possible. She's a waitress at a local bar and is extremely excited when they get their first vampire customer. See, vampires are "out of the closet" in this series - they are integrated with humans for the most part, but a vampire in Bon Temps is a pretty exciting deal considering how small the town is.

Sookie quickly realizes that this vampire, Bill Compton, is special - different - she can't hear his thoughts! And he realizes that she's not like most humans. So begins the love story. But it's not all sex and lame romantic stuff. No, there's murder and humour and mystery and a cameo by a supposed dead "King" (which made me laugh hysterically)...it's just a damn good story. Well, a damn good story for someone who hasn't read an actual book in almost 9 months at any rate. Plus? I actually like the heroine of this story. This is rarity with me but Sookie rocks. She has her flaws (as any good protagonist does) but she more than makes up for them.

READ THIS BOOK. Then, go watch the HBO series True Blood. The plot of season 1 basically follows this first book...loosely. And for the first time, I actually enjoyed both the book and the TV adaptation - even though the TV series has quite a bit of differences than the book I never once uttered "that didn't happen in the book!" And if you don't fall in love with Sookie and Bill (seriously, how could you not?) and all the others of Bon Temps then...well then I'm just sorry for you. But if you tire of Twilight's immaturity and Edwards creepiness and Bella's annoyance and want some good vampire stories - read this now.

Ms. Taken Identity

2009-07-04T17:20:00.000-04:00

I must admit, I'm very picky when it comes to chick lit; for every excellent story, there seems to be 100 "Babysitting for the Very Vuitton." What attracted me to Ms. Taken Identity wasn't the cute cover or even the plot, it was that it was written by a guy. And that, admittedly, is 100% why I chose to read it.

Ms. Taken Identity is about Mitch, a college professor and PhD student working on his epic novel. After being rejected by every publishing company, he has a moment of inspiration and a chance meeting. Seeing the popularity of chick lit books, specifically those done by the fictional author Katharine Longwell, he decides that it can't be that hard - that he, himself, should try to write his own novel. This is made even better when Katharine herself agrees to review the book after randomly meeting Mitch at a cafe. The only problem? Mitch told Katharine that his female cousin wrote the book - not him. And so starts a series of lies that spiral around until, of course, the end.

To get into the female mindset, Mitch reads magazines, watches Oprah, and joins a dance class under the pseudonym Jason. There, Mitch meets, and naturally falls in love with, Marie - a hairdresser who is more than the stereotypical girl Mitch is writing about. She's also his roommate's sister. And thus sets up the tale of Mitch - a slightly pretentious 27 year old who learns that sometimes you have to look past everything, every hang up, to see who you really are. And what you really want.

I must admit - I really liked Ms. Taken Identity. At 272 pages, it's an incredibly easy and short read (I got through it in two days). Full of pop culture references, the book absorbs you and messes with each emotion. Dan Begley does a fantastic job of telling a guy's story that will appeal to girls. The book, somewhat autobiographical (to the point that he, too couldn't sell is book so he decided to write a chick lit novel) sheds some light on why guys do what they do and think what they think. And, like every other girl, each decision still frustrated me. There were parts that I wanted to smack Mitch for being so stupid, but his decisions were so real - because it's what a guy would do in each situation. And that one element made it incredibly interesting.

What I liked most about the book was what it said about chick lit. There's one passage that specifically got to me:

In regards to the genre, Katharine states: "Even those stories that merely entertain us have the power to touch us and delight us, and that goes a long way toward making us more human."

Even I felt punched in the stomach there. Because it's true - like Mitch I was jaded by the genre for a while; it was too girly, to fanciful for me. But it still tells stories - ones that people truly love to hear. So what if every character ends up with the perfect person in the end, that's fun to read! And just as the realization hit me, it hit Mitch as well.

It was fun watching Mitch work through his novel, his lies and, even more so, his relationship with Marie. The characters were illustrated wonderfully - from the eccentric Rosie (who, admittedly, was my favorite) to the vulnerable father, each character was real.

Ms. Taken Identity is a great book for anyone who wants a quick, entertaining (albiet frustrating at times), and truthful read. It's a wonderful beach read and a perfect book to share with a friend. It's one that sticks with you for a while.

If interested, here's a passage from the book.

L.A. Candy

2009-06-20T17:37:00.003-04:00

LA Candy by Lauren Conrad.

I found this to be quintessential read of the summer for anyone who aspires. Yep, just anyone who aspires. Maybe you are a frumpy English lass with a voice of gold (kinda like the movie "Little Voices" only actual people) or a snotty brat from Colorado who is tortured by NBC (and who isn't these days?) if you have ever dreamed a dream, or not, this book is for you.

Ok, I'm joking! I haven't read this book (yet). I just spent $200 on books and realize I never write about what I read, BUT I do read your reviews...

Thanks for keeping my book list growing!

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People

2009-06-13T10:18:00.000-04:00

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People
By Farahad Zama

What does an Indian man with a wealth of common sense do when his retirement becomes too monotonous for him to stand it? Open a marriage bureau, of course!

Thus starts The Marriage Bureau for Rich People, a fantastic book that tells the story of Mr. Ali and his small, yet extremely popular, marriage bureau. What starts out as a part time endeavor, flourishes quickly. The book showcases a brilliant cast of characters including Mr. Ali, the careful and kind business manager; Mrs. Ali, his strong and maternal wife; Aruna the full-time assistant to the bureau who's working through her own family-and non-existent marriage-problems; and a slew of people looking for the perfect match.

The customers, albeit important, are just the background to the true story. The young Aruna cannot get married due to her family's financial problems. She works to support them and without her salary, they cannot get by. And without money, they can't pay for the elaborate wedding or necessary dowry the husband's family will expect. While that is happening, Mr. and Mrs. Ali deal with their son, Rehman, a freedom fighter who's trying to stop a giant conglomerate from building on farmers' lands. As he fights for the rights of others, he forgets the feelings of his parents. And in India, you never disrespect your elders.

An underlining theme of the book is what makes a marriage work. To this day, the caste system is still going strong in India. One doesn't marry outside of their caste, and one very rarely marries for love. Instead, through family members, an appropriate match is made. But what's better? A marriage that appeases the family, or one that appeases the husband and wife?

What I found most endearing about the book was the role of Mrs. Ali. It's common to think that the man runs the household, that he leads. But, it's the wife's job to decide if she wants to follow or not. And although Mrs. Ali doesn't go against her husband, she's extremely well spoken and does what she sees as best, even if her husband doesn't understand at first. Mrs. Ali ultimately brings two important people together - not through a marriage bureau, but through love.

Farahad Zama tells the story beautifully with rich words and vivid elements. You could almost taste the halwa Mrs. Ali cooks, see the green sari Aruna purchases, or feel the ripe mango plucked from the tree. Zama doesn't leave one description out. I can't be alone in thinking this - Zama recently won the Melissa Nathan award for comedy romance. He is the first male writer to receive it.

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People is a delightful tale that's an extremely fun read. It made me laugh out loud at parts, and tear up with happiness at others. I loved how it concentrated on important elements of India, but presented them in a lighthearted manner. It's an excellent novel for anyone looking for a quick, enjoyable and interesting literary trip to India. I can't wait to read it again. I'll definitely be checking out the other books Zama has in store.

Slam by Nick Hornby

2009-06-12T23:29:00.005-04:00

I read the blurb of the $13.59 copy of Nick Hornby's 'Slam', and my eyes didn't go wide with fascination, nor did my feet eagerly scuffle to the cash register. It was nothing new - teen pregnancy in the father's point of view, unsure of where his responsibilities lie and what is important. However, he is a bestselling author and I thoroughly enjoyed another three books of his, and so as a loyal fan, I ended up walking home with a plastic bag from Borders.

The little snippets of reviews from newspapers were quite promising, as was one of my friend's response to the novel. I began to read it, and instantly, I felt as if I'd known Sam for years. Yes, Sam is the main character; a sixteen-year-old skateboarder (or as he says, the more artistic term - skater) and the son of divorced parents, living with his mother. His family has been known to constantly screw up, and he's their biggest hope, but blood takes over all in the end - he gets his girlfriend, Alicia pregnant.

As I read on, having a nice chortle in between almost every paragraph, I could imagine Sam's every move and every facial expression. It did not occur to me as if it was a novel written by a fully-grown Englishman, but a friend sitting right next to me, telling me his life story over an ice cream. Despite a rather cliché plot, there were moments in the book where you thought, "Hah, he's definitely gonna do _____ next," and the character would do nothing like that at all.

In the end, I figured out that the story was not about the ordeals of dealing with teenage pregnancy, but that Hornby only used that as a vessel to convey a much bigger picture. Through Sam's dealings with the situation, Hornby slowly and handily, was able to encompass the process of growing up in only 342 pages, with the vocabulary of a teenage boy.

It started off as a not-too-promising novel, but with the charm and genuineness of the characters, the splashes of humor, and an experience everyone can identify with - it turned out to be quite worth my while. I think Nick Hornby's going to remain a favorite author of mine for the time being.

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

2009-06-03T09:44:00.002-04:00

Religious Symbolist Robert Langdon is back in this DaVinci Code prequel when he is called in by CERN (world's largest physics laboratory) after one of their top scientists, Dr. Vetra, was murdered. Upon his arrival at CERN, Langdon discovers that the killer left behind a clue that shows that the ancient brotherhood of the Illuminati may have resurfaced after being in hiding. At the same time, Vetra's daughter discovers that a container of anti-matter (an experiment she and her father was working on) had been stolen during the murder. Both of these elements lead Langdon to be swept up in to going to the Vatican to help destroy a plot to blow up the entire city.

It just so happens that the a beloved Pope had just died in preceding days and the Cardinals were beginning to start conclave to elect a new Pope. Just as the Cardinals head to conclave, four Cardinals go mysteriously missing and the Illuminant's vow to execute a Cardinal on each hour at the four altars of science. With the threat of the antimatter hidden somewhere in Vatican City/Rome and thousands of people gathered in Vatican Square, Langdon and his team must race against the clock to find the antimatter and discover the hidden clues that lead them to the ancient Illuminati altars of science.

This was a fantastic read and I really wish I had it read it much earlier before now. I finished the book before I headed off to the theater to see the film and I thought that the film was pretty decent. They left out quite a bit of detail surrounding the history of the Illuminati, CERN, and Vatican City in general but there so only so much you can do in a movie. I'd read the book just specifically for those elements. They also changed a bit about some of the ending details but the basic elements were there and I can see why they did what they did. Overall though, I found the book much more exciting. But, isn't that always the case?

Important Artifacts...

2009-06-02T13:42:00.001-04:00

Important Artifacts and Personal Property From The Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion and Jewelry - Leanne Shapton

Important Artifacts... is quite possibly one of the most creatively done books I've ever read. Shown though an auction catalog, the book tells a story of two lovers (Doolan and Morris) through notes, gifts, books, clothes, and more all being auctioned off due to the fact that the relationship has ended. That's right - the story is told through pictures and explanations of each auctioned item.

Starting with the first time they met, each lot contains a memento from their four year relationship (2002-2006). From the invitation to a Halloween party where they mutually attended (dressed as Harry Houdini and Lizzie Borden) to dried flowers kept by both parties, the story of their love emerges. The items progress as the relationship does - from love notes hidden between pages of old paperbacks to angry e-mails sent from across the sea. The book shows what's left behind after a relationship ends.

Leanne Shapton, the art director for the New York Times Op-ed page, excellently puts together this story. In a fantastic interview with the New York Times, she states: “It’s sort of about how reliant we are on our things to define us,” Ms. Shapton said, acknowledging that there is a strain of what she described as somewhat “suffocating discernment” running through the protagonists’ lives. “But I wanted to balance that with a pretty genuine love of very private meaning,” she said, adding that most of the things put up for sale are “those kinds of things that mean everything to the person who owned them and nothing to anyone else.”

The book ends with the breakup, of course, but starts with hope. As a preface to the catalog, a recent postcard from Hal states that he and his current girlfriend broke up. That he'd like to see Lenore once again. It leaves the book open for another shot at love, or, another auction.

Important Artifacts... is a brilliantly done quick read that shows the transgression of a relationship. And how little artifacts can really tell a lot about a person or a time period.

Watch a clip with Shapton here and read an interview here.

The book's movie adaptation is currently in progress, staring Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman.

The Hour I First Believed

2009-06-02T09:44:00.003-04:00

I have read, and loved, all of Wally Lamb's books, so I was anxiously awaiting the release of his newest novel, The Hour I First Believed. At first, I thought the book was going to disappoint, as it got off to a slow start, but after thinking back to his first novel, She's Come Undone, I remembered the feeling the same way, so I hung in there and continued reading. Lo and behold, the book took off and gripped me so that I could not put it down until I was finished. I'll admit the story line is somewhat depressing, describing in full detail the events of the Columbine shootings and the emotional aftermath of these events. The story is told through the eyes of a high school teacher who survives this ordeal and his wife, the school nurse, who struggles with post traumatic stress disorder following the event. As does his second novel, I Know This Much is True, the story includes a diary that provides a second subplot of historical fiction adding extra dimension to the tale. Overall, Lamb's writing is explosive, with a real feel for the broad ranges of human emotion. I wonder, sometimes, if he wasn't a psychologist or sociologist in a past lifetime. I highly recommend his work to anyone who enjoys digging deeper into the human psyche, and encourage readers to hang in there through the slow start. It's highly worth it!!

The Soloist

2009-05-31T16:32:00.003-04:00

I received a copy of this book a couple of weeks ago at professional day on campus. It was announced that The Soloist would be next year's "One Book" and they wanted the faculty and staff to have copies so they can read it over the summer if they choose.

At the time I received the book I had no clue that it had already been made into a movie, and starring one of my favorite actors (Robert Downey Jr.), but the buzz seemed interested so I shelved it until I finished the book I was already reading.

After reading the very first "One Book" selection a few years ago, a biographical account of growing up in South Boston called "All Souls", which totally sucked, I've been hesitant to read and of the selections since but I am certainly glad that I took the shot with this one.

The book chronicles a period of approximately two years in which Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez came to know a man named Nathaniel Anthony Ayers; a homeless man with a story and a gift - and an illness.

Ayers had been a student at the prestigious Julliard School in New York City thirty years prior and as a result of mental illness, Lopez finds him in spot on "skid row" playing a beat up violin. Whatever it was that sparked this chance meeting had sparked Lopez's interest to where he wanted to know more. At first, it was about writing a column but as time went on, a very special bond was formed and this book tells the story in long form.

There wasn't a moment of this story that didn't have my interest at its peak and there were a number of occasions where the emotional impact of the story was almost too much. This is a story that will stay with me for a very long time I am sure and I highly recommend this wonderful book.

Atlas of Unknowns

2009-05-29T13:38:00.000-04:00

Atlas of Unkowns by Tania James

Atlas of Unknowns was actually nothing like I thought it would be. And that's a good thing. Set in Kerala, India, this beautiful written and incredibly involved story introduces us to two sisters Linno and Anju, and their unknown past and future. When Linno was 7, and Anju just a baby, their mother Gracie died in the ocean. Being raised by their father Melvin, they faced another tragedy when Linno burns her hand badly with a firecracker. Trying to surpass their sad history, Anju, the brilliant one, applies for a scholarship that will take her to New York City, where she will study for 10 months. Lucky for her, she receives the scholarship, yet only by staging a lie - one that reveals itself a few months into her stay in the city.

The story continues to revolve around the girls and how they will one day be reunited again. As Anju tries to get a green card and works in a beauty salon, Linno earns money to get her Visa by creating handmade invitations. Juxtaposed by the story of their mother's past, everything comes together at the end when two separate tales are joined.

I really enjoyed Atlas of Unkowns. The book was incredibly engrossing - jumping from story to story, it was a nonstop page turner. As James's first novel, she weaves a beautiful, yet heartbreaking tale of two sisters and how much they'll risk to set things right. James' descriptions of rural India are so vivid that you could see the multi-colored saris and taste the spicy foods. What she portrays most interestingly, however, is Anju's time in the city. An outsider trying to fit in, Anju learns how to push her way into the subway, talk to people in department stores and make friends with classmates. I also loved the descriptions of Linno's innvitations. Seeing her create an object out of nothing was especially inspiring.

The story is deep, with many layers detailed different generations of the family. Each substory is important, each relates back to the present. Each section is told by a different main character, which is especially important. With that, you learn each side of a story, every part of a never forgotten tale. Additionally, every character is given an incredible amount of detail-enough that you feel as if you know them. Of those Bird is the most important, with her motherly protective ways towards Anju.

My main problem with the book is that it doesn't wrap up in the end. Yes, things are resolved, however so much more is left out. Characters are dropped and plot lines are avoided. Although none of them are as essential as the main story, I would have liked to see what happened afterward. I suppose this book isn't a story though - it's about a life. A life can't be wrapped up after 300 pages; it keeps going.

Regardless, Atlas of Unknowns truly is a beautiful book that I recommend to anyone who has an interest in Indian lifestyles, cultural studies or coming of age tales. I look forward to whatever else Tania James writes.

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

2009-05-29T03:16:00.000-04:00

I'm a little behind on reading (and reviewing) this amazing book, as it was released in 2005 by Curtis Sittenfeld and was a very successful first book for this amazing author. I started reading it when it first came out and for reasons that are unknown to me today, I did not finish it. However, after reading American Wife, Curtis Sittenfeld's third and newest novel I knew I had to pick Prep back up again.
Boy, oh boy am I glad I did! Prep's main character is teenager Lee Fiora from South Bend, Indiana who decides to apply to the prestigious boarding school, Ault in Massachusetts after seeing a glossy brochure featuring old brick buildings, pristine lawns and preppy coeds. Lee is accepted into the school and offered a scholarship, so her parents allow her to go for the great opportunity. Lee quickly learns that the East Coast is definitely very different from the Midwest.
Lee is a quiet girl that doesn't draw attention to herself, she's not considered popular but she's not considered nerdy either. In my opinion she's the girl that is everyone's friend, but maintains an aura of mystery around her at all times. She is extremely observant of her classmates and even of students in the classes above her. She studies the yearbooks and knows everyone's names as well as their bios.
It's hard not to relate to Lee (even if you were the most popular girl in school - which, lets face it, most people weren't) she's unsure of herself and questions everything. All she wants is to be normal, but at Ault she anything but normal. Her classmates are made up of almost entirely East coast kids that come from wealthy families. Lee is from a lower middle class family in Indiana. Her classmates send out their laundry to be cleaned for a "small" fee of $3000 per year, Lee does her laundry herself. Her classmates don't think about tuition or how to pay for it, while Lee is there on a scholarship.
My favorite part of the book is during her junior (or sophomore year, not quite sure) she does a favor for the most popular girl in school. By chance the most popular boy in school (and coincidently Lee's crush) is there as well. During the little amount of time she spends with these two students, who are regarded as the same level as celebrities, Lee realizes that they are just as weird as she is. Essentially, realizing they are no different from one another.
The problems Lee faces during her four years at boarding school are not unlike any problems that a typical high school student faces. It's hard to be confident at this time in your life when you're not sure who you are.

I definitely suggest reading this book if you went to a public or private high school, everyone will find a reason to identify with Lee whether popular in high school or not.

The Beach House

2009-05-20T14:50:00.005-04:00

I've talked about enough James Patterson books on this blog to not have to go to much into detail here.

If you like thriller/murder-mystery type books and you would like to have something that you can bang out quickly (I started it on a Saturday afternoon and finished it on a Sunday afternoon), this is a good selection.

It would almost seem impossible, at least to the untrained author such as myself, to develop characters as deeply as he does because these stories just fly by but for me to invest such a short time and be so deeply involved in these fictional lives is very gratifying.

The Flash of Lightning Behind the Mountain

2009-05-12T13:23:00.004-04:00

"The Poet Laureate of Skid Row", Charles Bukowski usually falls into one of three categories with people: Love him, hate him, and who the fuck is Charles Bukowski. If you fall into the third category, do me (and yourself) a favor, read this book and then pick one of the first two.

Released a decade or so after his death, this collection of poems, many of which were written near the end of his life, truly defines the author in the context of his own life. I became a fan in the late 80's after seeing Barfly with an ex-girlfriend and then reading a few compilations of his poetry.

Of all the poems that were great in this collections, and there were many, I chose to include one here that I thought might best exemplify my words thus far. The essence of this poem defines Bukowski for me and is the reason why I think he is so amazing at what he does.

feeling fairly good tonight

Thou shalt not fail as a writer
because the vultures are waiting in the wings ready
to swoop down and sign their
“I told you so’s.”

Thou shalt not fail as a writer
because the very act of writing is the best protection
from the madness of the
world.

Thou shalt not fail as a writer
because it 's the finest form of self-entertainment
ever
invented.

but Thou shall be finished as a writer
upon the hour or day of your
demise

only to have thick new books of yours
appear for years afterwards compiled
from the stockpile of poems you
left behind for your
publisher.

let it be so:
these wisps of magic
wrested from the clutch
of
death.

Outliers

2009-04-13T11:00:00.004-04:00

Malcolm Gladwell, author of the brilliant works "The Tipping Point" and "Blink delivers another compelling study related to the concept of Outliers; which in the context of this book describes an individual who has achieved a measure of success that would be considered extraordinary.

The premise of the book is to explode the idea that the success of outliers such as Bill Gates (whom he cites as an example - which makes perfect sense because everyone knows who he is) is not as simple as a measure of the individual but also the circumstances, often random circumstances, that happen to occur and exist around the individual.

Gladwell has a very unique writing style that not only is pleasing to read but much like a good suspense writer, it is both engaging and filled with the subtle yet effective use of literary devices that create a unique form of page turner.

When the Wind Blows

2009-04-04T09:20:00.005-04:00

I'd like to take a sentence of this to thank everyone, especially Airam, for keeping this blog going. It's been a while since I've posted so here goes...

Originally released in 1998, "When the Wind Blows" is a departure from the commonly themed stories the Paterson churns out. Patterson's readers often become invested in his characters because they run through so many of his books, it's easy to stay invested in them. Here, he proves that his character development skills are in top form as are his storytelling skills.

Not only do we get drama, but throw in suspense, thriller, and even a touch of science fiction make this a page-turner that I couldn't put down. Written in the classic style of Patterson, you'll leave this book wanting more but loving what you got.

The Monsters of Templeton

2009-03-24T15:01:00.001-04:00

The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff

When this book came out in 2008, the cover instantly made me want to read it. And then, after seeing much talk about it, I finally picked it up. In the end, I'm incredibly glad I did. The Monsters of Templeton is about a girl who returns home from graduate school after a disastrous event to find her small, idealistic town turned slightly upside down. It turns out that in the lake she used to run by and play in, they discovered a monster. A real one. A giant one. The thing is, that's not at all the monster the title is referring to.

While home, at a place she never wanted to visit again, Willie tries to re-coop and reconnect with her hippie mother who's found religion. While doing this she learns of her mother's greatest secret: apparently Willie was not the product of a faceless father during her mother's reckless days in San Francisco, oh no, instead she's the product of one of her Templeton neighbors. One that may, just may, be related to her way back down the line.

And so starts The Monsters of Templeton an intricate tale that follows Willie as she does intense research to find how who her real father is. As the chapters fly by, you read accounts by each person from her family, from old letters to diary entries. Her family tree has so many branches that I created my own genealogy chart to follow it correctly. And it ends with one welcome understanding.

What I was most impressed with was Groff's voice. This being her first novel, she has a very sophisticated story telling ability. For each character she portrays within the novel, there's a new character voice. She creates so many personas and so many histories it's incredibly impressive and addictive. In the end, you just hope that everything she wrote was true and that Templeton (actually based off of the real city Cooperstown, NY) is exactly how you imagine it to be. I do agree that some subplots were a bit much and a bit overwhelming, but that didn't matter in the end. I devoured this book quickly, really loving it, which is why I'm trying to stop myself from tracking down the author who coincidentally lives right by my boyfriend. I'm definitely excited to read her new short story collection Delicate Edible Birds.

The Monsters of Templeton is about reconnecting with your past and learning from it. Going back and reevaluating the monsters and the heros. Learning enough from it to form a future that the next few generations can research and maybe even inspire to be like.

Thanks for the Memories

2009-03-23T11:23:00.001-04:00

Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern

Oh Cecelia Ahern, we meet again. While in London, I picked up a paperback copy of Thanks for the Memories since it doesn't come out (in hardback!) until next month here in the states. The Irish writer has made quite a name for herself and I'm always excited to read her next novel. I suppose that's why I was slightly disappointed with this book.

Ahern is known for starting her books in the middle of a tragedy and this book is no different. It opens with the heroine, Joyce, laying at the bottom of a staircase after a terrible fall, one where she miscarries her baby. Elsewhere, Justin, after suffering from a painful divorce, meets an attractive woman who somehow manages to convince him to donate blood. From there, the story weaves these two characters together through chance meetings and magical realizations. Ahern is known for giving her stories a fairy tale sort of feel and this one is no different.

My problem with this book was that it was incredibly predictable, right down to the ending. The characters were illustrated well enough, you liked them and understood their actions, however that was it. My greatest compliment for this book is that it's well written in typical Ahern style. It is grabbing, definitely, but it left me feeling nothing, regardless of the happy ending.

If you're looking for something that's a quick read (despite its 400 pages) with surefire happiness, then this is the book for you. If you're looking for something a bit deeper, a bit more like her last few novels, than wait for her next book The Gift which seems to be getting better reviews. Despite my lack of love for this book, I'll definitely still check it out. I like her writing too much to give up.

Lost and Found, by Carolyn Parkhurst

2009-03-02T14:55:00.000-05:00

I thought this was a very good book. The idea behind it (a mother/daughter go on a reality tv show in order to repair their relationship) is something interesting, something I hadn't come across before. The book goes back and forth, narrated by both Laura (the mother) and Cassie (the daughter), as well as several of the other contestants on the show. At first, that bothered me, becase I found it a bit hard to keep track of each of them, but I soon found myself intrigued by their characters as well. There were twists throughout the book, to keep up the entertainment value, I suppose and the book was a bit better then I expected, to be honest. I found myself picturing the scenes in my head, which is a sign of a good book, in my opinion. Lost and Found, the name of both the book and the tv show they are competing on, is a similar idea to The Amazing Race, which is one of my favorite shows, so I am sure that helped me like it even more.

It was an easy read- I read it in less then a day, but I'd surely recommend it to others.

Everyone Is Beautiful

2009-02-21T10:25:00.004-05:00

Back in December, I was contacted by Laura Ford, who is an editor at Random House Publishing. She must have come across my review of Katherine Center's first novel, because in her email, she asked if I would like to receive an early edition of Katherine's second novel. Her exact words were, "May I send you a galley?" My words back to her (although not exact) were "Hell yeah!"

So, I had the honour of having a reader's edition of this book. I would be lying if I said that I didn't excitedly wait for this book to arrive on my doorstep. The book itself didn't officially come out in bookstores until February 17th. And of course I urge you all to go to your nearest book store and purchase the book if you haven't already done so.

Without giving too much away, this book is about Lanie Coates who is a young wife and mother to three children. Her life is uprooted across the country when her husband gets accepted to a grad program for music (his dream).

Ever the supportive wife, she willingly packs up her life's belongings into a U-Haul to make the big move. Things are changing and it's never more apparent when she finds out that her parents have not only sold her childhood home, but are moving to a different country/time zone.

In an effort to make sense of her life (and find herself while she's at it), she decides to make some changes, including joining a gym and signing up for a photography class. While she is snapping photos of the world around her, her own little world is beginning to slowly come back into focus.

Of course this doesn't come easily. There are a few obstacles that she'll have to overcome ...

This was a great read and yet another winner by Katherine Center.

The Wonder Spot

2009-02-03T13:01:00.001-05:00

The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank

I found this book for $1.50 at a used book store. Having previously read Bank's other book, I was tempted to buy it, especially at that price. It was, quite bluntly, not a good choice, even at $1.50. Sophie Applebaum is our heroine, an everyday Jewish girl. The book illustrates small parts of her life from age 12 through 30-something. Each piece has a different impact on her life and is important in one way or another. The thing is, you never know why they're important. I suppose I expected everything to come around, for things to be explained, but they never were. Sophie kept going with her job she hated and love life that never went her way, but she never changed. Instead, she complained. She never grew or became someone better. And because of that, I really didn't like her. The ending left me confused and wondering what, exactly, the point of the book was. To give Bank credit, though, her writing is good. Her descriptions are fantastic and the book is engaging. It's just not worth it in the end.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

2009-02-02T16:25:00.001-05:00

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Released within the same year as The History of Love, there was a minor controversy started when this book came out. Both have young and naive starring characters, both have influential older Jewish characters who've been through traumatic events relating to the Holocaust, both have the characters searching for something, someone. And, most importantly, they're written by husband and wife. Foer, who is previously famous, crafted with this novel one of the most interesting looks at 911. The story follows Oskar, who's father died in the World Trade Center. As the novel starts up, Oskar discovers a key in his father's closet. Thinking it will bring closure to his father's death, he is determined to find the lock. And thus starts the epic story that has him all over NYC, meeting people and finding his way. At the same time, Oskar's grandmother is writing letters about her life growing up and how she had to flee after the bombing of Dresden. How she falls in love. How she falls out of love. Much like The History of Love, Extremely Loud... takes you on a journey through different lives, all of which come together in the end brilliantly. Told with pictures and various typographies, the book is an adventure and highly addictive. It has one of those endings where everything hasn't changed, however it gives you an interesting feeling of hope. I really liked it.

The History of Love

2009-02-02T16:23:00.000-05:00

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.

Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl. The History of Love is far from what you expect it to be - it is not a simple love story about two people falling in love, breaking up, getting back together and living happily ever after. It's far from that , actually. The History of Love is a beautifully written intricate tale of the fate of two very different strangers and how their lives connect. It takes you from Nazi invaded Poland, to current day New York City. Story number #1 centers around Leo Gursky, an old, old, old Jewish immigrant just trying to live until tomorrow. He reflects often about a girl he loved back in Poland and wants to be remembered. Story #2 shows young Alma who is trying to make her mother happy and fall in love. Her mother, a book translator, lost her husband, Alma's father, many years ago and her only companion is an old book called "The History of Love." Knowing that, Alma tries to find information about the book. The story is heartbreaking and beautiful. You're involved in it up to the very last word. In a book where many stories take place, all separate, it's amazing how they all connect together lovingly in the end. I'm really excited to read every other book Krauss wrote and will write.

Marley and Me

2009-01-15T13:51:00.004-05:00

When I was just a little girl, I thought I was more of a cat person than a dog person. I’d spend hours while pretending to do my chores, mainly focused on playing with the kitties and searching out new ones in the barn. They’d get so tame, that if you went pick up a bale, they’d scurry on to it to get your attention; or you decided to sit down for a rest, they’d climb right up on to you. I was personally hurt when my brother took to torturing the poor things, swinging them around by their tails and whatnot.

When my sister scoured the want ads and listened to “Swap Shop” on the radio religiously to find a suitable dog for the farm, I wasn’t too interested. When “Katy” arrived on the scene, I was annoyed that I couldn’t run barefoot on the lawn, or lay outside without the slobbering Collie all over me. She was a dumb dog. She stood in the middle of the road and barked at traffic. She climbed up the stairs on to the school bus. She got hit by tractors, the slowest moving vehicles on the planet. I was not her biggest fan.

When a lovable Golden Retriever/Labrador cross took her place; however, I changed my tune. Nelly was (and still is, as far as I know) a beautiful dog. A hot blonde. Gentle, more intelligent, so adorable that everyone in the family began giving her treats for the hell of it. If I decided to lay in the grass, she’d sit beside me with her tail thump-thump-thumping away.

It’s because of Nelly that Marley and Me by John Grogan was such a wonderful reading experience. It was easy to relate to the demeanor of Labs, the way the Grogans fell in love with the little pup, the unconditional love when Marley devoured the house and failed out of dog training. While our experiences with our beloved family pets were quite different, I couldn’t help but love this tale.

Before I start to gush too much, I feel the need to inform everyone that I haven’t seen the movie. A co-worker loaned me the book with her own story about how tears sprung to her eyes at opportune moments, warning me that if I was a crier (which I totally am) I was doomed. I don’t know if it was the fact that I carried this book around everywhere with me on the off chance that I’d get to read a couple pages here and there that prevented me from tearing up at the end of the story or not, but I didn’t cry. However, the fact that I wasn’t moved to tears didn’t ruin my impression of the novel.

Marley and Me is a relatable story about the impact a family pet can have on your life. Certainly, for anyone who had a dog growing up, or has one now, it’s easily to nod your head as you read about the trials and tribulations the Grogans face with Marley. Though we all come from different backgrounds, different family situations, and experiences, Marley and Me is the type of story that brings people together. This is probably why when John Grogan wrote the obituary for his pet in the paper he worked at, he received more calls, e-mails and letters than he had for any other piece of his career.

I spoiled it, but c’mon, you had to know that was coming.

Do yourself a favour, pick up Marley and Me and remember your own favourite childhood pet as the story unfolds.

A Bed In Heaven

2009-01-06T10:28:00.008-05:00

::Peace Turkey waves "hello" to the Book Me In community::

I found this short, amazing novel by Tessa de Loo on the "featured reads" shelf at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh on a rainy, boring day when I was taking a break from studying last fall. Six months after finding this book, it's sticking with me like few books have.

A brief 128 pages in length, I gobbled up this book in one sitting in a dark, isolated corner of the library that day. And I've reread it many times since.

A cross between historical fiction and a family drama, A Bed in Heaven is the story of a Jewish Hungarian family deeply affected by World War II. Focused on Kata, the daughter of a man given shelter from the Nazis by a stranger at the height of the war, this novel broaches controversial topics about which novels are rarely written - incest, the power of female sexuality and a frank look at oft overlooked effects of war.

de Loo's writing style is sparse but descriptive at the same time. Certain sentences haunted me and made my heart ache. I would reread whole passages over and over again. If you feel like taking a break from the light-hearted, easy reads we're all wont to read during the holiday season, A Bed In Heaven is a great book to start with. Get your Kleenex ready and have a teddy bear or loved one on hand as you reach the last page. You're going to need a hug when you're done with this one.

I Just Want My Pants Back

2008-12-26T18:24:00.004-05:00

Meet Jason Strider. He lost a pair of his favourite pants to a girl he "made love" to in a refrigerator (she wore them home and never returned them). Now normally losing a pair of pants shouldn't be THAT big a deal, but it is to Jason because those pants are one of three that he owns. He lives in New York and works as an assistant (pay is horrible) and also drinks like a fish and smokes doobies like it's going out of style. Oh, and he needs to eat too. So he doesn't exactly have a lot of money to throw on a pair of pants. (Even though he probably should.)

His is the perfect case which proves that getting an education at an Ivy League college doesn't necessarily mean that you will make the most out of it. His English degree is not one that he uses to help him rake in the dough. The only time he exhibits his use for it is when he text messages his friends or sends them emails. Which happens very often throughout the day since his assistant job doesn't really leave him with much to do where actual work is concerned.

His days are spent running late for work, drinking a lot of alcohol, hanging out with his friends, trying to get laid, smoking up, and going to bed super late despite the fact that he needs to wake up early to start the cycle all over again.

The only bright side there is to his living situation (although, it could be worse ... he could not only look the part of homeless dude, -- which he totally does -- but also play the part as well) is that he befriends his neighbour, Patty. She is much, much older than him but has lived the same lifestyle as he is living now (pot, drinking, frequenting bars until dawn, dead end job) so she is a "cool" older neighbour. You definitely wouldn't mistake her for being somebody's grandma.

This debut novel was written by David J. Rosen. I don't read a lot of books written by dudes, but this is exactly what I would've expected. It was laced with cringe-worthy humour ... you know, the type that you chuckle at but then mentally berate yourself for having laughed in the first place because it was "below the belt?" That kind of humour ... very boy's locker room. I mean ... he writes about sex with a girl in his refrigerator and has his character think in the middle of it, "What a fantastic e-mail this is going to make tomorrow." So something a guy would say. And do.

He eventually gets his pants back, but I felt that the book kind of progressed from him trying to find his pants, to him trying to find his life. I read this book last year (and actually wrote this review last year as well) so it's hard for me to elaborate any more without re-reading. I do remember enjoying it and getting through it quickly. If you're looking for a change of pace with what you're reading, pick this up.

Holidays on Ice

2008-12-23T10:44:00.003-05:00

I love David Sedaris. I love his writing - it's witty and amazingly observant. His commentary on daily life is brilliant and I'm quite certain that if we met in real life, we'd be best friends. It was because of this that I was interested in finally, after all these years, reading his Christmas collection Holidays on Ice. Sadly, in the end, I'm very torn with the book.

Some essays are hilarious, like "SantaLand Diaries" and "Dinah, the Christmas Whore." They share memories from his past Christmases worth mentioning (working as one of Santa's Elves at Macy's, having a prostitute join his family for Christmas). Some were published in other books of his, so I've already read them, such as "Let it Snow" and "Six to Eight Black Men" (which are both terrific, nonetheless). And then some (three to be exact) I really didn't care for. They were okay, sure, but not written in his usual style. Rather than being first person narratives, he assumed the role of someone else and wrote their story (a angered wife, a rich competitive man, a TV executive) I didn't care for those stories and found myself skimming the pages rather than indulging. When it got back to his voice, I was comfortable again.

The book didn't exactly get me into the holidays spirit, but it did bring out the jaded side of me. And that's just as good, right?

Um...what's wrong with wanting to read The DaVinci Code?

2008-12-18T12:55:00.003-05:00

I recently read an article in New York Times about Book Club troubles. I guess I had no idea what a serious business book clubs were. Click the link to read the article for yourself as I make a bit of commentary on this article.

First of all, if looking at Jocelyn Bowie standing there all high and mighty doesn't make you want to punch her in her mouth, maybe this quote will:

The last straw came when the group picked “The Da Vinci Code” and someone suggested the discussion would be enriched by delving into the author’s source material. “It was bad enough that they wanted to read ‘Da Vinci Code’ in the first place,” Ms. Bowie said, “but then they wanted to talk about it.” She quit shortly after, making up a polite excuse: “I told the organizer, ‘You’re reading fiction, and I’m reading history right now.’ ”

Oh. My. GAWD. A book club wanting to read a book and talk about it? What kind of madness is this? Hey. Ms. Bowie. Get off your high horse and quit acting like you're too cool for school. Maybe your group didn't want to look past Oprah's picks because you were condescending about suggesting new titles? Perhaps? And who's to say that these books that you look down your nose at won't be deemed "literary classics" someday?

Second...how do I get Esther Bushell's job?

"...Esther Bushell, a professional book-group facilitator who leads a dozen suburban New York groups and charges $250 to $300 a member annually for her services."

I want that job. But I think I would be better at it because I wouldn't have any "moral obligations" (WTF???) and would gladly take money to lead discussions about The Devil Wears Prada. Because even though it's labeled a "chick-lit" book (meaning some think that it's below them to even peek past the super sweet cover), there are things to take away from it and discuss (like rivalries between women and how we tend to sabatoge ourselves by doing this or how the movie wasn't as annoying as the book...just to name a few).

Maybe I am over-simplifying this, but it shouldn't be this hard - or petty - to have a book club. Seriously, who the hell would want to join a book club whose guidelines includes "no therapy talk, no chit-chat and no skipping meetings."? Me thinks that some people take things and themselves waaay too seriously.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

2008-12-09T10:09:00.004-05:00

When the title of the final Harry Potter installment came out in the spring of 2007, everyone was a buzz with questions.

"What are the Deathly Hallows?"

These questions were answered July 21, 2007, when we all were finally able to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The answer was found in a book Dumbledore left Hermione: The Tales of Beedle the Bard which are basically fairy tales or fables for witches and wizards.

After finishing the final Harry Potter book, J.K. Rowling actually started writing her own version of The Tales. At the time only seven copies were made - they were all handwritten and illustrated by Rowling. Six were given as gifts to those who helped the most with the Potter series and the seventh was sold at auction with the proceeds going to a charity.

When news of this book being written hit the streets, people demanded to be able to read the stories. But at the time, there was absolutely no intention of the books being released publicly, much to the dismay of many a Potter fan.

So imagine my surprise* when I received an email from Barnes & Noble this summer announcing the public release of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. I reserved my copy and on December 4th, I headed to my local Barnes and Noble and purchased my copy.

Along with The Tale of the Three Brothers (the story featured in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Rowling brings us The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, The Fountain of Fair Fortune, The Warlock's Hairy Heart and Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump.

The stories themselves are entertaining with lessons to be had by all who reads them - much like the fairy tales and fables we have grown up with. The best part of the book, however, is the "extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore." Rowling has managed to reignite the Potter magic and create more questions and desire for more stories outside of Harry Potter**! I also believe that she has created a book that our future generations will use the same way our parents used Hans Christian Anderson or Aesop's Fables.

Even if you're not a Potter fan (to which I say, "say what?") the book is worth the read - especially if you have children who are of the age to appreciate and understand the lessons to be learned. Plus, all of the proceeds of the sale of the book go towards a charity.

*So not surprised at all even though Rowling stated that Harry Potter's story is over.

**There are so many side stories to be had here, people! Prequels and such...and people will buy them! Rowling would be crazy not to cash in on that.

Veil of Roses

2008-12-03T15:10:00.003-05:00

Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald is about Tamila, a 27 year old Persian girl, trying to make a life in America. Born in California, Tamila and her family moved back to Iran while she was an infant. Upon moving back, her family's passports were ripped up, never permitting them to travel again. Now, after quitting her job as a teacher, as a birthday gift, her parents present her with a limited three month visa. She's to return to America, live with her older sister, and find the freedom she deserves.. and ultimately needs.

From trying on her first Victoria's Secret bra to ordering coffee at Starbucks, you watch Tami grow. Sometimes failing, she never gives up and always continues her walk home, her awkwardly worded conversation, or quest to find a husband in order to stay in the states. The book's overall theme was hope - hope for a better future. Eye opening in many ways, you learn about the Persian lifestyle and, ultimately, about yourself. As Tami realizes that she could, in fact, sit with men and drink coffee out in public, you realize that in some countries, it's outlawed. As she realizes that she can make decisions on her own, you realize that somewhere people can't. Tami is endearing and fun loving. The book lets you cheer on her quest for a better tomorrow.

Q&A

2008-11-19T15:56:00.004-05:00

Q&A by Vikas Swarup focuses on the life of 19 year old Ram Mohammad Thomas, a poor server in Mumbai, India, who somehow wins a billion rupees on India's equivalent of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Convinced that he cheated (and unable to pay the winning prize amount), the producers try to jail the boy until an attorney interrupts. And that's just the first chapter.

The rest of the book tells the story of Ram's life. Each chapter starts with him discussing with the attorney a certain memory from his past. Each chapter ends with a video clip of him answering a question from the quiz show correctly. Each story he tells correlates perfectly with the question and you learn how he answers each question perfectly. You cheer Ram on as he narrates his tale. His life is full of crazy episodes (living with has-been celebrities, learning about India's red light district, giving tours of the Taj Mahal illegally), but the crazier the better. The ending is far from disappointing, as Swarup delivers an interesting and shocking twist. Every person Ram meets throughout his life is important, every scenario memorable. The book is beautiful, addictive and incredibly entertaining. The writing is spot on and the heartbreaking and warming tale is one to be remembered. Ram is a character who lives on with you, weeks after the last page is closed.

(The film adaptation, Slumdog Millionaire by director Danny Boyle is now out in selected theatres. It focuses more on the love aspect, but still it looks incredible.)

American Wife

2008-10-16T18:37:00.008-04:00

"American Wife" is a novel that made headlines when it came out- not just because the author (Curtis Sittenfeld) is a celebrated writer who had many fans eagerly anticipating her next work, but because her book, "American Wife" was sold as work of fiction, based loosely on First Lady- Laura Bush, a woman who is often in the public eye but has remained largely out of the spotlight.

"American Wife" is the story of Alice Lindgren, a bookish, thoughtful woman who marries a wealthy, carefree Charlie Blackwell- a man from a political family who is so similar to George W. Bush, you can almost here G.W.B reading the lines of Charlie as you read. There are many more parallels between the novel and the life we know of Laura Bush- both grow up Democrats, both have beginning careers as librarians, both are involved in car accidents that result in death, both marry men who have addictions to alcohol and later become President, both of their husbands are fighting an unpopular war... and the list could continue.

The genuis of Sittenfeld's writing is that she creates characters that are so flawed, so entrenched in personal drama yet still relatable- still likeable. Though Charlie Blackwell is thoughtless and often selfish- a man who puts his country into an unpopular war, I still found myself drawn to his character. Charlie's parents (who you cannot read about without immediately thinking of George Bush Senior and Barbra Bush) are portrayed just as you would imagine the REAL couple to be- a highly political couple who are deeply aware of 'appearances' and 'proper behavior' but who have been peppered by Sittenfeld with enough charm that they become likeable.

One of the greatest moments of the novel was how Sittenfeld shows how love can change politics, and how politics cannot change personal beliefs. Laura Bush (like Alice Lindgren) has been asked about abortion and has shown in interviews to be pro-choice. I had always wondered how a pro-choice First Lady could resolve herself to marry a man who she knew was pro-life, and could (or would) affect policy to reflect his belief. Sittenfeld expertly answers this in her book, through a paragraph that stands out to me both for it's simplicity and thoughtfulness. It is shortly after she has decided to marry Charlie Blackwell.

If I were to tell the story of my life (I have repeatedly declined the opportunity)... I would probably feel tempted to say that standing that night just inside my apartment, me in my nightgown and Charlie in jeans and a red shirts, I made a choice: I hose our relationship over my political convictions, love over ideology. But again, this would false honesty; it would once more contribute to a narrative arc that is satisfying rather than accurate. My convictions were internal- I'd rarely seen the point in expressing them aloud, and if I had, my entire political outlook could have been summarized by the statement that I felt bad for poor people and was glad abortion had become legal. And so I didn't choose anything in this moment. I had met Charlie a matter of weeks before, and already the idea of living without him made me feel like a fish flopping in the sand. To go from being a Democrat to a Republican, or at least to pretend, through smiling obfuscation, that I had- this was a small price to pay for the water washing back over me, allowing me to breathe.

Along with her ability to clearly capture the best and worst of humans and find yourself rooting for characters who remind you of people in your 'real life' that you cannot fathom liking, and her ability to give explanation to choices often not discussed, Sittenfeld manages to expertly weave in political commentary, with issues such as class, race, homosexuality, love and wealth and the result is a beautiful, thought provoking novel.

I admit, it's long (over 500 pages) but it's a quick read and book that makes you feel sad when it's over. And isn't that the measure of a good book?

Gossip Girl

2008-09-04T15:26:00.005-04:00

Okay, I admit it. I love the TV show Gossip Girl. It started as a guilty pleasure, something I watched secretly every week, hidden in my bedroom, but soon it grew. Since I enjoy it so much, I decided to check out the book series it's based on, penned by Cecily Von Ziegesar (an Upper East Side name if I've ever heard one.) Now, I'm going to be honest here and say that the first book was absolutely terrible. So bad, in fact, that I refuse to continue the series. And here's why.

1) The characters are terribly written. Each character is a complete stereotype. There's the brooding poet, the hot rich girl, the sex-crazed guy friend, and so on. And not one is likable. It's hard to feel bad for them when you can't stand them. From start to finish, the characters never learn or grow, they just stay the same. Yes, this is high school, I get it, but it's also a book. Give me some depth! The book has none.

2) The plot is everywhere. I wasn't exactly sure where the book was going. Was there a climax? Was I excited about anything? No, not really. The author writes a typical day fine, but that's the problem with the book. It's all very...boring. And when something "big" happens, it's nothing of note.

3) What was the purpose of "Gossip Girl?" A various blogger called "Gossip Girl" intermittently adds various pieces of information about the cast of characters. None of it is important though. I suppose it's showing that we live in a digital age, but it doesn't help the story progress, nor does it matter.

I hate saying that a TV show is better than its literary counterpart, but that's the case here. I think Ziegesar should take a few notes from the creator of the show, Josh Schwartz, and liven up the books a bit. Bring some truth into them, make the characters relatable. Because the first book is like a thrift store t-shirt. Trendy to get, but not always perfect. Clean it up and accessorize a bit and then you'll have something special.

The Bright Side Of Disaster

2008-08-17T11:41:00.007-04:00

I read this book in a day. This is Katherine Center's first novel and I think she did a really good job with it.

It was easy to get sucked into the story line and the characters were portrayed in such a way that you automatically felt like you knew them and could picture them in your mind.

This story is about Jenny who is having her fiancé's baby. They are set to get married a month after her due date ... things went a little backwards but it seemed to work out for them. Dean and Jenny met five years prior when he was trying to woo Jenny to show her he's a nice guy so she would give him her friend's phone number (the girl who he was really after). The friend wasn't interested and it was after the rejection that Dean noticed Jenny was "kind of pretty too."

Things seemed to be going well, however Dean (an office worker by day and "in a band" by night), began to get a little distant. Perhaps he wasn't ready to be a father or to settle down. In any case, he chose to deal with this situation and his feelings by leaving her high and dry with a note that explained "it wasn't his fault he wasn't in love with her anymore."

The next day she gave birth to their daughter.

The rest of the story portrays how this single mother went from feeling as though her situation was hopeless to rising from the ashes and making the best of it for the sake of her baby. With the help of her own mother, some new mommies she met at her birthing class, and a cute, attentive neighbour, John, who was there for when she was on the brink of sinking, she was able to get through this ordeal. Dean returns home after 7 months (of course the night she comes back from her first date with the new neighbour) and a whole slew of issues arise.

I really liked how the story progressed but wished that the ending didn't seem so concise and to the point. I would've liked to have seen the ending be drawn out for a few more pages. I really liked the voice that she used throughout the novel. Her next book is due to be published in the Spring of 2009 and it's one, based on this book, that I can see myself wanting to read.

How To Be Single

2008-08-13T23:02:00.010-04:00

I just finished reading this book by Liz Tuccillo. She co-authored the book He's Just Not That Into You with Greg Behrendt which some women have dubbed The Dating Bible (and which is in production of becoming a movie, apparently). I have to say that I do own that book and after reading it, things started to make a lot more sense and I stopped taking crap from guys. But that's another post for another day.

How To Be Single. I had seen this book many months ago and picked it up but never bought it. Even though it seemed like a good read and not your typical chic-lit book (sassy is not chic-lit), I just didn't want to read it because of the title. There, I said it. I don't want to know how to be single. I've been single for a long time. I know how to be single and it sucks (sometimes). I'll admit, the not having to check in on anyone and having the freedom to do what I want, when I want without the need to think of my boyfriend first, is kind of liberating. But the flip-side is that I don't have a guy that I can kiss when I feel like it. There is always a down side to that bright side.

But I digress.

I didn't get this book at first because I didn't want to read a book that would give me advice on how to do this (be single) accordingly. But when I finally picked it up, I had a hard time putting it down. Before I get into the story, I need to say that Liz Tuccillo is a fantastic writer. It makes complete sense that she was an executive story editor for HBO's Sex and the City. The book felt like it could have been a complete season of Sex and the City. It was witty and funny and clever and heart-wrenching and joyous all at the same time. As soon as I turned over the last page, my immediate thought was that I would read that book again sometime soon. And I don't do that. Especially with the looming pile of books that seems to never end.

Again, I digress.

Tuccillo had some interesting research to be done for this book and she was able to travel around the world to get the information that she needed ... mainly, how women coped with being single in different countries in the world.

The narrator of the book, Julie, embarks on a similar journey while she leaves her four friends in New York to deal with how to be single in their own lives. Before Julie takes this trip, she and her friends go out to try and get Georgia's mind off the fact that her husband had left her for a younger Brazilian tango dancer. She pulls in reinforcements (her other 3 friends) to help Georgia have fun. This night is something of an epiphany to Julie. Here she is, sitting with her beautiful and successful late 30-something friends, and they are all alone. And she doesn't know why. The night ends with a trip to the hospital and it's there that she meets two Parisian women who give her some insight as to how women from other parts of the world deal with their relationships (or lack thereof) in much different ways. This is where her idea of traveling to interview single women is born. Throughout her travels, she comes to some insights of her own as her friends do the same back home. Her four friends were only acquaintances with eachother, their tie being Julie, but by the end of the book they are friends who have been there for each other and not only for a good time.

This story celebrates friendship and heartache -- heartache that is necessary to see what you have when you have it (and what you deserve and shouldn't settle for) and friendship to see you through it. It teaches us that no matter what life throws at us, or no matter how despondent our situation may seem, there is always love to be had, you are not alone, and miracles do happen.

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-10T10:19:00.004-04:00

(If you plan on reading the Twilight Series, you may not want to read this review, as it discusses moments in the previous books.)

For starters, I admit that at the age of 24 I still enjoy young adult literature. There's something about the Twilight Series, by Stephenie Meyer, that's ridiculously addictive. The plot is enticing, the characters are so well drawn out that they become friends, and the overall books are satisfying. With that being said, the last book in the series, Breaking Dawn, is a bit underwhelming.

Eclipse, the third book in the series, leaves off with Bella's ultimate choice. After almost being murdered by a gang of young and angry vampires, she finally chooses that her love for Edward, her vampire boyfriend, is stronger than her friendship with (and possible love for) Jacob, her werewolf best friend. With that, she rejects Jacob and agrees to marry Edward. Breaking Dawn starts on a hopeful, gentile, and happy note: preparations for the wedding and honeymoon. There, Bella will, as planned, finally join her future husband in a life of bloodlust as a vampire.

Naturally, there are some complications. These early set complications, along with previously noted problems, all culminate to lead up to the climax 700 pages later.

In my opinion, the problems with the book start with the voice. Between Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, Meyer penned a book out of the series entitled, The Host. Although the characters in The Host sound exactly like those characters we've grown to love in the Twilight Series, some of her writing style changed and with that, left Breaking Dawn different. She lost some of her characters, giving them new personalities and new motivations. Jasper becomes friendly and winks at Bella. Rosalie becomes angrier than normal. Also, what's with the nicknames? Since when was Jasper "Jazz" and Emmet "Em"?

A third of the way through the book she changes voices completely. Rather than having Bella narrate the middle chapters, she has Jacob. The reason is unknown. After three books of learning, accepting, and loving Bella's narrative, this new voice is different and irritating. Important at times, definitely, but there could have been ways to explain what happened without changing the voice. And most importantly, it's not very masculine. Meyer tries too hard to make him sound like a teenage boy, which results in dialogue even movies wont use. Thankfully, the narration is changed back to Bella's at a very crucial part.

I think the biggest problem Meyer faced, however, were her fans. It's not unknown that these books have created quite a following. With millions of fans aching to read the last book, message boards were filled with predictions, hopes, and fears. Wanting to suffice every fan, Meyer created a plot that lacked the passion she originally had in the series. Wanting to appease the fans, she lost many.

The plot itself was endearing at times, yet ridiculously over the top at others. My wildest prediction was proved to be true, something I truly hoped would not happen. Sure, a story of a vampire, human, werewolf love triangle is a bit out of the ordinary, but that's acceptable compared to what she proposes in the book.

Complaints aside, the book was decent. Not nearly as satisfying or complete as the others, yet still good and still very enjoyable. It had moments where I couldn't put the book down, moments that I reenacted in my head while at work. Moments that made me smile because it reminded me WHY I loved the series so much. With liking the characters as much as I do, I wanted to keep reading. I wanted to love it. And because of that, I did enjoy it. I did like how it ended, a happy ending, as she promised, and I liked what happened with each character. It was a solid ending to the series.

The Queen of the South by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Andrew Hurley (Translator

2008-08-06T09:15:00.001-04:00

It is not unusual for me to read books in translation. I am drawn to works by French, Italian, and Russian authors. For some reason, one day I picked up The Fencing Master and found myself hooked on the writing of arturo Pérez-Reverte. Being an avid reader and regular consumer of mysteries and intrigue, the works of this Spanish author are not my normal book selection, but once I start reading, I am swept
> up in the pros, the language, and the unfolding of the story. The Queen of the South did not disappoint.
The book opens with a phone call - a call expected but not desired. A call that will change many lives, primarily that of Teresa who is now on her own; alone to find her way. From these opening scenes, Teresa is on the run. Brought up in poverty, formerly the woman of a drug dealer, she is forced to escape Mexico and live off her wits; to find her own way.
Through wonderful pros, the author spins Teresa's tale as seen through her eyes and those of a reporter who is attempting to tell her story. Teresa flees Mexico to land on her feet in Spain where she develops as a person and yet remains isolated from everyone. As Teresa states, "It might be that ambition, plans, dreams, even bravery, or faith-even faith in God, she decided shivering-didn't give you strength, but took it away. Because hope, even the mere desire to survive, made a person vulnerable, bound to possible pain and defeat" (206).
Relationships are a vulnerability to Teresa as is hope. She finds peace in books and the sea while artfully building and controlling a drug transport business and becoming the Queen of the South. The book provides insight into a world that, for many of us, seems far removed and foreign. Through Teresa's story, the reader moves through the world of narcotics at the highest levels. The politics, the thirst for power, and the corruption are described in vivid detail. It is a world of cold hearted characters with each doing everything
> possible to survive and prosper.
I have heard this book described as a mystery and a thriller, though I am not sure I would describe it as either. There are some exciting chase scenes and others in which I found myself wanting Teresa to survive but not fully understanding why. If you are open to trying something new, it is a good read.

The Other Boleyn Girl

2008-07-21T13:56:00.013-04:00

I read this book back in January when I saw a preview for the movie in the theatre. Being a true geek, I decided that I wanted to read the book before watching the movie.

I've never been one to be drawn to historical novels, but the plot of the movie intrigued me, so off to the bookstore I went. I'm glad that I bought it because it was a story that was fascinating for me to read.

While Philippa Gregory states that the story is a work of fiction, it is based loosely on what happened in England in the 16th century. I was completely drawn into the story and my imagination ran wild, as I pictured such a time of turmoil so clearly in my head.

The story is that of the rise and fall of the Tudor court. The narrator is Mary Boleyn (otherwise known as The Other Boleyn Girl) and she tells a story of love, heartache, mischief, slander, crime and punishment. She and her sister, Anne, are ladies of the Tudor Court, both beloved by King Henry VIII. Mary has fallen for the King and bears two children (while being married to another man). All the while, her sister, Anne, betrays Mary and commands the king's love and devotion while Mary is carrying his first child. The Boleyn parents are very short-sighted and see their hunger for sovereignty as a good excuse to use their daughters beauty and wit to charm the king.

In a nutshell, Anne manages to win not only the King's love but the throne as Queen of England (using deceitful means - overturning Queen Catherine's rights). She betrays her sister by adopting her son and denying Mary and legal rights as his true mother (she does this so that if she cannot conceive a son with Henry, she will have her sister's son as an heir to the throne). Anne sees that her husband, the King, has a roaming eye and is afraid that he will fall for another courtesan, which would leave Anne banished from the throne, just as Catherine was. Anne is desperate to have a son (she did give birth to a girl, Elizabeth, who ended up being one of the most powerful Queen's in England) thinking that this will keep her place on the throne. She is unsuccessful as her many miscarriages would show, and has even resorted to drastic measures (incest) in order to conceive a boy (this obviously ended very badly).

In the end, Anne was arrested for the crime of incest (among others) and was executed by way of beheading. Mary, on the other hand, lives her life with her new husband peacefully within the country, turning her back on the courtesan life.

This book was well written and kept me engaged throughout. It took my about three weeks to read this book (which is a long time for me when reading a book I actually want to read), but I enjoyed it very much.

Born Standing Up

2008-07-04T12:19:00.005-04:00

This memoir tells the story of Steve martin's life as a stand-up comic starting with his childhood aspirations and beginnings and ending literally at the end of his stand-up career.

Steve Martin ended his stand-up career in 1982 so some his fans who are under 35 may have no clue he was ever a stand-up or at least not know much about that part of his career. I for one, remember it well and was quite interested to learn whatever I could about the genesis of that material and why it ended completely.

The book is a quick and interested read and did offer insight into a breadth of comedy material that was both unique and entertaining. Having since had a successful film career, written a couple of novels, and dabbled in other areas of the arts, Steve Martin's memoir is a worthy read if you have any recollection of that period in his career.

Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews

2008-07-01T13:08:00.002-04:00

In Andrews' newest book, Gina Foxton stars as the the chef in a regional cooking show called Fresh Start. When she discovers that her producer boyfriend slept with the wife of the show's sponsor and here show is doomed to be canceled, she believes her life is over. A new opportunity soon opens up as she discovers that The Cooking Channel is looking to add a new show and they are interested in her. However, they are also interested in another regional cooking show called Vittles, which is hosted by wildly popular Tate Moody. The tension builds between both Gina and Tate as the network decides to turn their battle for The Cooking Channel spot into a reality show competition. This takes them both to an island off the coast of Georgia where things not only heat up in the kitchen but with each other.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Andrews's series featuring Savannah residents Weezie and BeBe, I was excited to hear that she was penning a new book. I was actually reminded a bit of the Weezie and BeBe characters with Gina and her sister Lisa in this book. I had a hard time putting this one down as I got caught up in the cooking competition between Gina and Tate. I've heard mixed reviews on this book as some just don't like it at all. But, I thought it was quite enjoyable and a good choice for summer reading.

What Happened

2008-06-22T20:06:00.003-04:00

I had been eagerly awaiting my copy of this book, thinking it would fill in missing gaps, answer questions, firmly end all (or at least some) of the 'what actually happened?' questions I had about Iraq, the Valerie Plame Wilson leak and Scooter Libby.

In short, this book gives you no insider details, no memorable quotes, no revelations that pull back the curtain and show you 'inside the White House'. Instead, you get pages of Scott McClellan talking about how he stood up to hazing in his university days, how Scott felt confused at times, and endless quotes Scott puts in from pundits and reporters alike who repeatedly call Scott a 'good man'.

Don't get me wrong- I DO think he was put in a difficult position, I do think that he did the best job he could- given the administration he worked in and the hand he was dealt. But does this book deliver anything new? Not at all.

The hype for this book was far better than the book itself. I finished reading it feeling like the movie trailer of this book (because let's face it- they will turn this into a movie at some point), will be the best part of the film. There's just not ENOUGH in the book for the book to be worth reading. Scott hints at possible areas of interest- Colin Powell's views on Iraq, Condi Rice and her enabling ways, the secrecy involving Dick Cheney and just how out of the loop George W. Bush really was on some issues (hello Katrina? I'm talking about you)- but never follows through with any of them. As soon as you find yourself getting interested in the book, it backs away and returns to the dry narrative of Scott discussing yet another time he was "in the Oval".

I suspect if you want a book to lecture you on how to improve Washington, this may be a winner for you. If you are looking for a book that gives you dirt on what happened during formative Bush years in the White House- skip it. I highly recommend Bob Woodward's trilogy "Plan of Attack", "Bush at War" and "State of Denial" instead. These books are far superior in regards to information shared, insider views and writing style.

What Happened, indeed.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2008-06-15T15:51:00.005-04:00

In preparation for the upcoming film, I recently read F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. As a long time Fitzgerald fan (I was an English major, it's in our blood to love him), I was utterly impressed by this work. The story is about Benjamin Button and his strange life. Born as an old man, he slowly ages backwards as the story progresses. Obviously, this causes many issues, especially concerning school (someone who looks fifty simply can't go to college with seventeen year olds!), women, and his family's status in society. Not only does he look old as a child, but he's educated as such, thus as he ages, not only does he become younger, but his brain and maturity change as well. The tale is dark, at times, naturally, but Fitzgerald tells it well.

Fitzgerald is known as a proper wordsmith, weaving a story with an imaculate amount of analogies and word play. His sentences flow easily, keeping the reader intrigued. His description of life in 1860 was written so well that it's almost relatable at times. We still suffer from similar situations, such as wanting to fit in.

As mentioned, the film comes out soon, directed by David Fincher. At first I was worried, wondering how they could expand on this story, however judging by the beautifully done trailer, I think they have it under control.

Read the book online here, or download the audio book here. Both are for free.

Radio On

2008-06-11T21:45:00.005-04:00

Once upon a time, radio was a sound salvation. It played all the time, in the kitchen, in the bedroom, on the pool deck, in the car. The tinny pop chug-a-lug wired the air around it with bright-minded echoes of retro romance and fakey fun, filling up the empty blue space that envelops all suburbia with the simplest of all possible remedies for boredom: a beat. - Gina Arnold, Route 666

Sarah Vowell's first book, Radio On is a diary of sorts that documents her experiment: listening to the radio every day for a full year. To some, this may sound simple, but she doesn't simply listen, she engulfs it, understands it, and somehow becomes the radio. Listening to everything from the top ten hits to obscure Native American chants on AM stations, she documents every song and every commercial listened to. An interesting anthropological study of her, if nothing else.

The book was written in 1995, a year after Kurt Cobain passed away and that's what sets the the book on the first page. Being a long time fan of the band Nivana, Vowell discusses how the band didn't just play music, they influenced it, along with a generation of followers. Throughout the book she touches on other musicians she likes (Courtney Love, Smashing Pumpkins) and abhors (Alanis Morissette, Hootie and the Blowfish). She addresses the idea of selling out and how most bands are completely overplayed, leaving the radio full of repetition and nothing new.

As stated, she doesn't just listen to music. Being a great hater of Rush Limbaugh, she frequently tunes into his program to see what he's ranting about. It's an interesting social commentary, listening to her opinions of him, juxtaposed by her vision of Clinton and the time, a president who she didn't always agree with, but ultimately supported. Along the way, she tuned into NPR frequently, namechecking greats such as David Sedaris and Ira Glass (individuals who she later in her life became friends with and works with currently on the program This American LIfe).

What was most interesting to me wasn't just her analysis of the radio (which she, ultimately, gets sick of half way through, yet trudges through like any good writer would), but how the book is very dated. Taking place in 1995, she addresses radio and CDs as the only medium of music. In one scene, during an early recording of This American Life, she notes a new, unfamiliar piece of equipment, a minidisc. Ultimately, I'd love to know what Vowell thinks of the radio today. Although, mostly, it hasn't changed, we still have Rush, we still have repetative top ten hits, but it's not nearly as influential as it was back then. In days of sirius radio where you can listen to whatever you want whenever you want, ordinary channels seem out of date. And regarding politics, I wonder what she thinks of the situation nowadays, or what she thinks of Mrs. Clinton running (and losing) for the democratic candidate.

As a long time Vowell fan, I will admit this was my least favorite of her few, however I did enjoy it. It was an interesting journey through the world of this medium, something that, admittedly, I rarely listen to. If nothing else, it inspired me. Inspired me to put down the itunes and ipod and turn on the radio for at least right now. Who knows what I'll find on it.

New Moon

2008-06-05T21:58:00.005-04:00

I've noticed recently that there are reviews for both Twilight and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer on this website, however none for the second book, New Moon. With the fourth book in the series, Breaking Dawn, coming out in less than two months, I figured I'd add the missing review, hopefully convincing others to join me in enjoying this series.

(As a general warning, if you plan on reading the "Twilight" series, please don't read any further as this post may give away some key plot points. I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone.)

Before starting New Moon, my roommate Megan simply told me to get through the book and that Eclipse (the third book in the series) is much better. I doubted her, wondering how a book that continues the wonderful tale could be disappointing? Boring even?

Megan, like always, was pretty much right.

New Moon continues where Twilight left off. Bella is starting her senior year of high school in Forks. She and Edward are deeply in love and everything seems more than perfect. That is, until a disastrous accident occurs during her birthday party. Edward sees it smart for him to leave her, to get her away from vampires and danger. Naturally, this doesn't sit well for her.

As she learns to piece herself back together, as hard as it is, she becomes rebellious, lost, and friendly with the boy Jacob Black. She learns that cheery Jacob might have some secrets of his own, ones that might effect everything around her.

As I was reading reviews for this book, the most common complaint was that Edward wasn't in it nearly enough. Pathetically, I have to completely agree. I found myself flipping pages to see if I could find his name later on, if I could see any of the Cullens mentioned. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the story between Bella and Jacob, it's just that it wasn't right. Juliet should be with Romeo, not Paris.

The story moved slow and I believe that was the main problem. It wasn't bad, it was still interesting and I was still deeply addicted, but it didn't grab me nearly as much as Twilight did. However, Bella's emotions were very relatable. Which brings me back to my highest compliment for Meyer. She writes characters exceptionally well. They're very real, to the point that you feel like you know them. Or are them. I give her so much credit for that. She said on her website that the characters write themselves. I can almost see that happening.

The Giving Tree

2008-05-19T19:00:00.002-04:00

You knew the review on a picture book was coming, right?

I absolutely and positively LOVE picture books. Sometimes I feel as though I get more meaning out of reading a 20 page picture book than reading a 500 page novel.

This book was written by Shel Silverstein, one of the more prominent writers in children's literature. His books always have a hidden meaning behind them ... a lesson to be learned. This book was first published in 1964 and it is one that I read to my students every year. This book definitely has staying power.

In essence, this story is about a boy who is friends with a tree. This tree gives the boy everything that he asks for without expecting or wanting anything in return. As the boy grows older, his time with the tree is less frequent, and he finds himself going to the tree ONLY when he needs something. In the end, the tree is reduced to a mere stump. When the boy returns, a wary old man, the tree is sad that it has nothing left to offer. When the boy/man says he just wants a place to rest ... the tree offers its stump, pleased that it can at least offer that.

This is a story of unconditional love and generosity. The tree loves the boy so dearly that it will give everything it has, just to see the boy happy. One might compare the relationship that the boy and the tree have as that of a parent and its child. Like a parent, the tree embraces this boy, even when he grows up and spends less time with it. The tree is never bitter that the boy doesn't spend more time with it ... it is just happy with the time it is given.

Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

2008-05-08T15:07:00.001-04:00

Patterson co-writes this book with Charbonnet as he returns to writing a new romance novel. In an interview, Patterson described this book as a "fairy-tale for grown-ups." I was somewhat skeptical of the premise, basically a woman falls in love with her imaginary friend, and wondered how in the world he could even write such a book.

The plot begins as young Jane is having dessert with her imaginary friend, Michael in a New York hotel. Jane's mother, a highly successful Broadway producer, is very strict while Jane's father is essentially non-existent. Michael is her very best friend. On Jane's ninth birthday, Michael must leave Jane as that is just what he must do. He tells Jane that she will eventually forget him as all the children he's worked with eventually do but, Jane never does. Next, we find Jane all grown-up, working for her mother, and fresh from having huge success with a stage play based on her childhood relationship with Michael. At the same time, Michael arrives in New York for vacation before he receives his next assignment. By chance, the two find each other again but can they ever really be together?

The entire story is so far-fetched, sappy, and definitely a "fairy-tale" but I actually really enjoyed reading this one. I think it is simply because of the fast pace in which Patterson writes that makes me want to keep turning the pages. I just have to see what happens next. Good read and possibly a good beach read for the summer.

There's No Place Like Here

2008-05-03T18:25:00.001-04:00

It's common to lose things and never find them again. A pen tossed in a bag that somehow fell out. A sock lost in a dryer, forever dooming its pair to be shoved in the back of a drawer. But what about people who go missing? Those who are gone, without a trace nor motive. Those who were expected at school, work, a friends house, but just never show up. Where do all of these things go? That's exactly what There's No Place Like Here by Cecelia Ahern covers.

Sandy Shortt was the complete opposite of her name. Donning long dark hair and standing at a staggering height, she stood out her entire life. One day, at the age of ten, the girl across the street (and her eternal bully) went missing. She just disappeared, never to be seen again. Rather than mourning the girl's loss, Sandy asked herself one question: "where do things go when you can't find them?" At the age of ten, she committed her life to finding these items.

The slightly psychological disorder took over her life. Her search was never over, always retracing steps to find lost socks, journals, toys. And, later on in life, people as she started her own Missing Persons agency. She was committed to her job, she lived by her job, and because of that, her personal life took a back seat.

But what happens when Sandy, the person committed to finding things, goes missing herself? What happens when she finds herself in a place called Here, a place where all missing things go. A places where she's among her lost socks, toys, and possibly even the people she's been looking for her whole life.

With a unique premise, There's No Place Like Here is instantly engrossing. Juxtaposing the story of Sandy's struggle in a new area and her past that led her there, you see how she got to that point and cross your fingers that she'll get out. She's an interesting character, Sandy, one that you don't always like, but somehow in some ways relate to. And that's what attached me to the book.

Always involving, the book takes you through a journey of discovery as you learn that it's possible to be lost in life as well. That it's possible to commit yourself so thoroughly that you lose yourself along the way. It also asks the question...can we be found again?

The book is a quick and easy read. Ahern rightly so maneuvered her way from classic chick lit to fiction as she combines a magical element to the story. Although far from her best book (which I'm still convinced isLove, Rosie, it is still very enjoyable. My only complaint has to be the ending. Although it offers hope and, possibly, an answer, it leaves you wondering about other characters.

If you're looking for a fun book to read, I definitely suggest it. Because, in the end, the book is relatable. We all get lost at times...but only some of us are willing enough to be found.

Something Borrowed

2008-04-20T14:29:00.016-04:00

Before I start my review, I just wanted to welcome our brand-spanking new reviewers, Amber, Lauren, and Elisabeth. Thanks for taking an interest ladies! Your reviews have been awesome!

Okay ... about the book.

This book was written by Emily Giffin and I believe this is her first novel. I read this book a couple of years ago and I found it was something I could relate to, not because I was sleeping with my best friend's fiancé (like that would ever happen), but because of the age-group of the ladies this book focused on. These women are turning thirty, in the prime of their lives, have great careers and great friends and are living life the way it is meant to be lived: to the fullest.

Of course with every friendship you have the under dog (Rachel) and the alpha dog (Darcy). Darcy is the "look at me!" girl while Rachel is the girl who stands in Darcy's shadow. She is the type of girl who will bite her tongue when it comes to Darcy's antics, because, well that's what best friends do, right?

Darcy is pretty dependent on Rachel. Rachel is ambitious. She's a NYC lawyer and Darcy isn't anything really. Darcy followed Rachel to NY and, considering she didn't really have any work background, managed to snag a glamorous job which paid amazing dollars. But then again, Darcy is the kind of girl that doesn't really have to work to get what she wants. Yes ... she's THAT pretty.

Long story short, Rachel hooks up Darcy with this guy she went to law school with named Dex. At first Dex didn't really show an interest in Darcy (much to her shock) because he kinda sorta liked Rachel. Since Rachel wasn't really confident, she dismissed his feelings because he couldn't possibly want someone like her. Dex and Darcy began to date and wound up getting engaged, with Rachel appointed to maid-of-honour status. On the night of Darcy's surprise 30th birthday party, Darcy goes home pissed drunk and Dex and Rachel end up sleeping together.

This is where it gets interesting. They vow to keep that as a one night thing but the problem is that they can't stop thinking about each other and it continues on to be something ... more. And it's a weird dynamic because Darcy is important to the both of them. This affair comes to a head when Rachel can't stand the lies and being the other woman when she feels she should be THE woman. She tells Dex that he either needs to call off the wedding or they can't continue what they're doing (duh). Strangely enough? I was totally rooting for Dexter and Rachel. Even though they were having an affair. Trust me if you read this book, you would be too.

I loved this book. It was so well written and not hard to read at all. I loved how Emily wrote the story ... her style was awesome. Read this book. It's such a fun read (and it has a sequel!) and it took me about a day to finish it. And I re-read this book. That's how much I liked it (but truth be told, I only re-read the steamy parts).

Mistress of the Elgin Marbles

2008-04-18T17:34:00.003-04:00

Two hundred years ago a young woman from a wealthy Scottish family married newly appointed British ambassador Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin. Shortly after their wedding the two set off to the heart of the Ottoman Empire. The journey, which would take them from Istanbul to Athens to France, would eventually bring countless treasures from ancient Greece to London. The young bride was Mary Nisbet, the subject of Susan Nagel’s biography Mistress of the Elgin Marbles: A Biography of Mary Nisbet, Countess of Elgin. This book is a rich and fascinating biography of a powerful woman with an infamous tie to nineteenth century art history. The name Elgin is the eponym for a collection of marbles in the British Museum and in this book Nagel recounts the events of the taking of 2,000 year old Greek sculptures from the perspective and letters of Lady Elgin.

Nagel’s book fleshes out the life of this extraordinary ambassadress who could be an intellectual peer of Dolley Madison and Abigail Adams. Many of the storied events in Lady Elgin’s life are described in Nagel’s well executed writing. When Mary was twenty-two years old she oversaw the delivery of vials of the smallpox vaccine to the Persian Gulf, Baghdad and India. She became a celebrity in both Europe and Asia and was credited for saving many lives through her unofficial medical diplomacy. She broke cultural barriers by disguising herself as a man to enter into ceremonies at the Turkish court.

Nagel successfully integrates the life of this complex woman with the well known accounts of how treasures of ancient Athens made their way into the British Museum. After returning to England Lord Elgin began pursuing a divorce from Lady Elgin, not because she had been having an affair, but because she refused to have more children. Nagel praises this as just one of her progressive stances in the early history of women’s rights. When the two divorced the loss of his wife’s wealth forced Lord Elgin to sell his collection to the trustees to the British Museum. Mistress of the Elgin Marbles presents the story of a notable woman, and enriches the history of one of the most controversial collections of art in world history.

The Shadow of the Wind

2008-04-18T09:42:00.005-04:00

Whenever I decide that I want to become a writer, I read a book that's so amazing, so wonderfully done, that it quickly diminishes that thought. My writings can never be comparable to the greats, and I believe this Carlos Ruiz Zafon just fell into that category. The Shadow of the Wind immediately lures you in due to its unique and engrossing plot. A bookseller takes his eleven year old son to a building hidden among the debris in post war Barcelona called The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. There, in the literary mausoleum, Daniel, the boy, is allowed to choose one book to make his own--one book to give life to again. Following the maze of shelves and dusty books, he chooses The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. Little does he know how much Carax's novel will change is life. How it will lead him to uncover the truth and solve a mystery that has been hidden for thirty years throughout the streets of Barcelona.

Zafon tells the tale through Daniel's eyes. You learn with him, through his investigations and prying. The story takes bold turns and gives shocking revelations that lead up to the "eyes open wide, holding my breath, don't disturb me" finale. You care for Daniel, for his friends, and for Carax. And you learn that everyone is connected in one way or another--for better or for worse.

The book, originally written in Spanish, is a true masterpiece and deserves its renowned recognition. Although the 485 pages may seem daunting, the prose is so beautiful, you don't seem to notice. The plot progresses slowly, but every description and every detour is completely worth it and almost always important. Just keep track of the characters. Admittedly, I had a hard time doing that at some points.

I highly recommend the book for anyone who is interested in tale that weaves mystery, danger, love, and life together brilliantly in a cobweb of disguise. Or, as Daniel puts it towards the middle, "It's a story of love, of hatred, and of the dreams that live in the shadow of the wind."

The Post-Birthday World

2008-04-12T15:05:00.004-04:00

I've found that as my life has begun to get crammed full with work and weddings, friends and family, I've gotten more choosy with my book selections. I'm a huge book whore, but I just don't have time to waste on books that aren't really doing it for me.

Which makes me glad I picked up "The Post-Birthday World" by Lionel Shriver.

Anyone who's watched the movie "Sliding Doors" and saw how tricky it can be to follow two stories being played out simultaneously will appreciate this book. It's far more detailed and funny than the movie it shares much in common with.

It's the tale of an American artist, Irina McGovern who lives in London with her long-time boyfriend. They are friends with a famous snooker player named Ramsey Acton, and celebrate Ramsey's birthday together every year. One year Irina's boyfriend Lawrence cannot make the birthday dinner- and Irina and Ramsey meet for dinner alone. They get drunk and kiss. Or, they get drunk and Irina goes home without kissing Ramsey.

Each chapter continues on- one story follows Irina as she lives a life of guilt for having cheated on Lawrence and deals with the eventual break up and her new romance with Ramsey. The other follows Irina and Lawrence as they deal with their relationship, one filled with surprises and heartbreak.

I promise it's not as complicated as I'm making it sound. My favourite part of the story is how the author ensures that many of the same events happen, the same lines are said by a character but depending on which path Irina chose (to kiss or not to kiss..) the context is completely different.

It's a choose your own adventure for the adult world- a well written, richly worded account of what happens when you follow down both the path you chose and the road not taken.

Miracle on the 17th Green

2008-03-22T20:49:00.006-04:00

I must admit that even James Patterson can't make me like golf and the fact that this book has a golf theme made it a scary one to start and jump into. I must also forewarn you to learn what the following terms mean:
Par, Eagle, Birdie, Bogey, Double Bogey. You can find them all here in the WikiPedia Golf Glossary.

As much as I resisted, because of the golf theme, the story kept me in there and by the time it was all through I was hooked. The story's main character, Travis McKinley, takes us deep into his mid-life crisis including the near meltdown of his marriage, his losing a job, and taking a stab at a dream. The end result is a beautiful story about possibilities and believing in yourself.

At 149 pages, not having enough time is no excuse so grab a copy, a steaming cup of licorice spice tea and a cozy throw and find your favorite easy chair. Enjoy.

My Sister's Keeper

2008-03-08T14:10:00.005-05:00

"Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood."

This was the first book I’ve read by Jodi Picoult and I have to say, the story line totally pulled me in. It was fascinating, heartbreaking and hopeful wrapped in suspense. She managed to write this story in the voices of all the main characters, which only enhanced the story because the reader is able to look at the plot from different angles … a sort of placing oneself in the shoes of everyone involved.

There are 7 main characters (7 voices) that are involved in this story. Anna and Kate (the sisters), Jesse (their brother), Sara and Brian (their parents), Campbell (Anna’s lawyer) and Julia (Anna’s guardian at litem).

When Kate was 2 years old, she was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Her only chance of prolonging her life was if she could find a donor. Because this alone could take years (and she didn’t have years), her parents decided to fashion her a sister who would be a genetically perfect match through in vitro fertilization. A year later, Anna was born and made her first contribution at attempting to restore her sister’s life, by donating the blood from her umbilical cord. This was supposed to be her only contribution, however when Kate’s leukemia returned, Anna donated blood and bone marrow. Fast forward to Kate being 16 years old and Anna being 13. Kate’s kidneys are failing and Anna is expected to donate one of hers to save her sister’s life. Instead of going through with this, Anna does something that is unthinkable. She retains a lawyer (Campbell) to be medically emancipated from her parents and gain the right to make the decision herself.

Throughout the novel, we hear the voice of Anna who goes through with this for what the reader might think are selfish reasons (but the truth comes out at the end why she even initiated this lawsuit in the first place), the voice of her father, Brian, who loves both of his children and can understand Anna’s point of view, but still would do anything to save Kate, the voice of her mother, Sara, who is beside herself when the lawsuit comes to be and can’t understand why Anna would do such a thing, the voice of Jesse, the kid who in the midst of his sister’s illness has been cast aside by his parents, deemed the lost cause. We also hear the voice of Campbell and Julia, who happened to be past loves, and in their fight for a just cause, find their way back to eachother.

This book was so well written and had me hooked from the start. The twist at the end was so devastating and so unexpected (but I won’t give that away), but it also served to save that family and pull them back together. It was a fantastic read and one I would definitely recommend.

The No Asshole Rule

2008-03-03T09:57:00.006-05:00

This book is so important, so relevant, that I am even going to show you the back cover in this post. Written by a Stanford University professor, this book serves multiple purposes: asshole detection (in oneself and others), how to deal with assholes (we all must deal with them regularly), and how to not be an asshole (dare I say we've all had our moments, I have for sure).

The title, clearly controversial, really puts the content into perspective but I suspect there will be those who stray away thinking that this is just some kind of a joke or tongue-in-cheek (that sounds gross related to this title) quip containing nothing of serious value. The reality is a wonderful guide and should be offered free to all if not all as they climb the management ladder as a reminder that the people you are an asshole to while climbing are the same people who just may treat you like the asshole you are on your way back down.

While entertaining, the grim realities this book observes cover situations we all find ourselves in and offers real methods of coping. For even more assistance with the chronic asshole or to determine whether or not you are one, the author's blog offers an Asshole Rating Self-Exam (ARSE); I scored a 5 (not an asshole). This book is an enjoyable (though frightening considering the truths it makes reference to) read, I also listened to the unabridged audio version which was a special treat hearing a professional sounding guy say asshole a bunch and once again, dare I say, a must read?

Hide & Seek

2008-02-29T20:17:00.003-05:00

Released in the mid-1990's this book is easily my favorite of the more than 20 books I've read thus far by James Patterson. With brilliant character development and a cleverly crafted story, this book will take you in, have you feeling genuine emotion for Maggie Bradford, the main character, and completely absorb you in its twists and turns.

It has been quite a while where I got so lost, so completely in a work of fiction. This book was probably where Patterson's now formulaic reader friendly writing style really began to come into its own. I just can't say enough how much I enjoyed this and I don't want to give any of it away so I am going to leave it to you to give it a whirl. Like most of his books, this is a quick read and well worth every exhilarating moment.

The Everything Book of Home Recording

2008-02-25T13:21:00.002-05:00

I got this book from the library because I wanted to try to get a bit more sophisticated and polished with my podcasts and wanted to explore ways of using recording equipment to do so.

This book is geared specifically to the musician looking to build a basic recording setup at home and it does a very good job at touching on all of the levels of equipment and how they fit into such a plan.

The text was written very similarly to that of the famous "Dummies" books so it was easy to read and had plenty of illustrations. Where I got lost is on the parts geared specifically toward musicians that used musician lingo that I am not all that up on. However, I did find it useful to learn about microphones, mixers, and the smaller scale multi-track machines out there and felt it was a good primer for jumping into the mix.

If you are a musician who has been itching to record on the cheap and/or learn about how to get started in recording, I definitely would recommend this book. While it did serve my purpose, it was a bit overkill for me but being a geek and someone utterly frustrated at having no real musical ability, I didn't mind so much.

Preacher Vol.1-Gone to Texas

2008-02-14T22:12:00.002-05:00

This was the first graphic novel I ever read and I would like to say the last, but I enjoyed the story enough to give volume 2 a go at some point.

Here's what convinced me to give this book a shot in the first place, "Do me a favor, get a hold of the first book of Preacher. Yeah, it's a graphic novel, and yeah it is basically blasphemous, but I still think you'd 'get' it." That was my blogger bud Mike's recommendation and I am glad that I took him up on it.

This is not a story for the faint of heart or for the ultra right-wing closed minded conservative bible belter. The three main characters are a Preacher, an Irish vampire, and a hot chick with an itchy trigger finger and a "past' with the preacher. If you don't have a weak stomach, because this really does put the graphic in graphic novel, and you are open minded enough to let fiction be fiction without limits, you might enjoy this very well written story.

Regarding the graphic novel concept, well, it's just like reading a comic book. Ididn't enjoy it at all and would rather the story be just words and the pictures be controlled by my own imagination. That being said, Steve Dillon's artwork is quite brilliant and quite complementary to Garth Ennis' story.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

2008-02-13T15:05:00.001-05:00

Dexter Morgan is a blood splatter analyst for the Miami police department with a secret, he's a serial killer. The twist is that he only kills that bad people that slip through the cracks of the system. With an uncanny sense to anticipate the killer's moves, his job puts him in the perfect position to track them down. In this first book in a series by Lindsay, there is a killer on the loose that Dexter feels strangely connected to as the killings are much like his own. Both intrigued and frightened, the killer lures Dexter into a game he can't refuse.

Showtime is running a show based on Lindsay's novels and I recently finished Season 1. Being a fan of Michael C. Hall (he plays Dexter) since he was on Six Feet Under and hearing about the premise of the show, I knew I had to check it out. It wasn't until later that I discovered that there were "Dexter" books. So how does the book compare to the show? It's similar but the book focuses more on the main killer rather than little side stories of Dexter tracking down a bad person like on the show. The book version helped me see inside Dexter's head a bit more but the show actually lays down more of a storyline about his past. There are also some plot differences but I won't go into them here since some of you might want to read the book or check out the show. In fact, CBS will begin airing Season 1 this Sunday night. I'm rather shocked that they are choosing to do this honestly because it's pretty gruesome. I'd imagine that the network would have to cut quite a bit out.

Read My Book You Hockey Puck!

2008-02-02T19:50:00.001-05:00

The first important thing to know before deciding to read this book is being familiar enough with it's subject. My own guess is that you probably would need to have been born before 1973 at the latest to really know Don Rickles. That is, unless you have an older relative who has exposed you to this rather unique entertainer.

Take a moment to study the cover photo and I mean study, don't just gander or look. If you know who Don Rickles is then you know that Peggy Sirota, the photographer, is clearly one of the best photographers in the business because this photo really captures the essence of Rickles - a genuinely funny guy with a clear "devilish" side and a heaping helping of warmth and friendliness.

Considering that he has been in show business for more than 50 years and recently celebrated his 80th birthday, you might expect and autobiographical work to clock in at more than the 239 pages (including pictures). Written as a collection of very brief stories presented chronologically, it reads more like an anthology of talk show appearances over a very long time than a book. There was always a part of me that felt like there was not just something, but a whole lot left out in between the stories (leave it to me to make a comment like that). That being said, the stories presented were very entertaining and the whole book only takes a couple of hours to read and I felt it well worth the time invested.

If you know who Don Rickles is and have been entertained by him at some point, the book is a fun glimpse. At $24.00 list, you may want to head to the library unless you are looking to build a library of your own. In hindsight, studying that cover photograph was almost worth the price of the book itself (especially since I got mine from the library).

Julie and Julie: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

2008-01-29T14:18:00.001-05:00

When visiting her parents in Texas, Julie, a frustrated temp working in New York City, rediscovers a worn copy of her mother's Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child that she once use to thumb through as a child. Inspiration strikes and she decides that she will work her way through every recipe within a year. Determined to prove that anyone can master the art of French cooking and tracking down all the ingredients, including the obscure, Julie begins to blog about her experience. Things begin pretty well despite a move to Long Island at the beginning of the project. Soon, however, the project eventually takes over her life. With the encouragement of her husband, friends, family, and many readers of her daily blog, Julie pushes through all the triumphs, disasters, and just plain ickiness of some tasks.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and at times laughed at loud at some of her adventures. Although, I must admit that I spent the majority of the times cringing at some of the tasks she had to perform. From trying to get marrow out of a bone, to killing her first lobster, to the state of her kitchen on a daily basis (hint: dishes piled high and sink that backed up quite a bit). I had to stop reading this while I was eating because I nearly threw up my turkey sandwich the day I read about the kitchen pipes backing up. The details were a bit too much for lunch-time eating. In the end, it was great to see her finish her task, visiting Julia Child's kitchen at the Smithsonian, and ultimately getting a book deal so she could quit the government job she hated.

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

2008-01-25T17:01:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how to write a review about a book such as this especially when the subject is one of such legend as Benjamin Franklin. I'd bet that just about everyone that grew up in the US can almost instantly conjure up some image of Franklin or something that has an association with him at the mere mention of his name.

I remember when this book first came out a few years back I wanted to read it and somehow time got in the way and I put it off, until now. I found it interesting to see the bits and pieces of stories that I've always conjured upon mention of his name come to life in the context of the period in time in which they occurred and the actual way they happened.

I'm not sure the book is for everyone. While very well written and interesting, a 500 page book of non-fiction set in the 1700's in three different countries isn't everyone's idea of a good time. However, if it remotely sparks your interest, I say take it for a spin...Franklin was a remarkable and interesting man and this story was nothing short of fascinating to me.

So, how'd I do? Did I manage to write a cohesive review of such a book? Peace.

The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth

2008-01-18T10:04:00.000-05:00

The Will of Wisteria was released either late summer or early fall last year but I recently picked it up as a Christmas gift for myself and saved it as my first book of 2008. I was completely surprised when I began the book, having just returned from Charleston, to find out that it was set it...yep, Charleston, SC. With my mind fresh with historical and visual details of the city, I just lost myself in the story.

Set in Charleston, SC, the book follows a year long journey of four self-absorbed and somewhat estranged siblings of the Wilcott. The story begins on the eve of the reading of their father's will as they discover that their inheritance is not going to be as easy to come by as they thought. Demanded to quit their jobs and use their talents to perform pro bono work for a year prior to receiving their inheritance has left them shocked, paranoid, and in disbelief. Determined not to let the other win, they each set out on a very special journey.

Hildreth has the most amazing way of grabbing you and her writing is just so darn smooth. She has really started to develop as a wonderful writer and this book really shows off her talent. I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to see what else she cooks up in the future.

Tony and Me: A Story of Friendship

2007-12-31T15:55:00.000-05:00

I've had this book sitting in a "to read" pile for longer than I expected and certainly when I came across it on the very last day of 2007, I had no intentions of starting it - but I did - I also finished it because I couldn't bring myself to put it down until there was nothing left to read.

Tony Randall and Jack Klugman are best known as Felix Unger and Oscar Madison respectively, a role they played on Broadway, but more famously on television for five seasons in the early 1970's.

Growing up, I would drive my dad crazy as we watched The Odd Couple together and I would say the dialogue of the whole show just before the characters. It took years, but they are finally releasing the seasons on DVD and I've jumped on them. Even as a kid, I sensed that there was something special about this show.

Completing the book in a single sitting isn't all that tough, it's141 pages in total, many with pictures. The text however is far more than the story of two actors who shared a very special friendship, which was interesting to me as a fan. I took with me a lesson in genuine friendship, one that truly saw no boundaries, one of true devotion. What really drove it home was to see this lesson through the eyes of two people who have achieved the level of fame that these men have.

It's so rare to take a positive message from the celebrity world. This book offers one and I am glad I read it today of all days as it is a beautiful and necessary message to take into a new year.

Twilight

2007-12-30T23:01:00.003-05:00

It's been a really, really long time that I've bought a book and read it from cover to cover in about 2 days (and this book is over 500 pages). This book brought me back to my old ways of getting lost in a story very quickly. From the first page of the first chapter, I was immersed immediately into the lives of these unknowns.

I must've passed by this book everytime I visited my bookstore a hundred or so times. And everytime I passed it, I would stop, pick it up, and put it back down. For some reason, I picked it up yesterday and decided I'd get it. My only regret is that I didn't buy the other two books that followed it as well.

This story is about vampires who live among humans. The concept of vampires has always fascinated me for as long as I can remember. I particularly am drawn to stories of vampires who have human characteristics about them. The ones who are able to quell their desires to drink human blood. The ones who fall in love and have relationships. Vampires are always perceived to be monsters, so when I read the back cover of this book, I knew that this was more than just vampires who sucked blood. I'm just a sucker for a love story I suppose.

This story is about a 17 year old vampire, (although he's more like 108 years old), Edward, who falls in love with a girl named Isabella (Bella for short). She is new to the town of Forks, Washington and has moved to live with her dad while her mom can travel freely with her new husband (who is looking to be signed to a minor league baseball team and isn't exactly stationed in one particular town). At first Edward tries to avoid her because he genuinely fears for her safety (he is afraid that he will give into temptation and drink her), but he takes precautions so that he can be with her. And she is utterly and completely intoxicated with him and, her learning what he is makes her feelings for him grow even stronger. His family is accepting of his love for her and go to great lengths to save her from a possible savage death by another vampire who tries to kill her. By the end of the book, Bella wishes to be transformed into a vampire so that she can spend eternity with Edward but he refuses to subject her to that. But, there are two other books that follow so who knows what will happen.

This is the author's (Stephenie Meyer) first book and I have to say that she did a really good job in getting the reader involved in the lives of these characters right off the bat. I couldn't put the book down. The love story she created was so forbidden, yet so beautiful and sacred at the same time. She created Edward to have such amazing human qualities that it was no wonder Bella could fall for him so easily ... I could not blame her one bit.

Well you can bet that I will be buying book two and three of this series. It was that captivating.

(Eclipse - the third book - was reviewed by Pam.)

Eric Clapton: The Autobiography

2007-12-27T20:55:00.000-05:00

I've been a fan of Eric Clapton since I first heard him play. There are a select number of musicians whose passion for the music and their instrument are evident beyond all else. Clapton's storied career came at a price however and he himself introduces us to his personal demon's and openly discusses how they affected him and how he treated them.

In reading this book, I felt an attachment not to the legendary and brilliant musician, but to the human being that is Eric Clapton. I fell like I was confided in by someone who has reached a point where honesty and connections to the people take precedence over the fame.

So yes, we hear the stories about drugs, we hear the stories about womanizing, we hear the stories about alcohol and suicidal tendencies. What made this book different for me was the connection that he so clearly wishes, and succeeds to make with the reader and quite frankly, the sheer beauty of his recovery into sobriety and a beautiful family life. Somehow, I sense that when I go back to listen to his glorious body of work, this time, I'll be ready to hear it for the first time.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

2007-12-25T12:26:00.000-05:00

Keep reading ...

I Killed - True Stories of the Road from America's Top Comics

2007-12-22T22:06:00.000-05:00

I am a huge fan of stand-up comedy. Stand-up is an art-form that I am certain most people just don't fully comprehend and I say this as someone who has dared to stand in front of an audience yearning to laugh and being the one who attempted to make that happen.

While I have enjoyed the comedy of many of the performers who contributed, it was really fun, and of course funny (mostly) to read about their life on the road.

I think to most, especially those who've not tried to achieve any measure of success as an entertainer, the perception of life as an entertainer is mostly positive. It's hard for a layperson to see beyond the "success" of a performer. This book does a great job of humanizing the struggle of a performer and taking the reader on a journey as the passenger as they tell of their travels. If you like to laugh and you like stand-up comedy, there's a great chance you'll know many of the more than 2o0 contributors and that you will enjoy this book immensely.

The Guy Not Taken

2007-12-21T13:28:00.001-05:00

Oh how disappointed I am, let me count the ways...

When it comes to 'chick-lit' I'm picky. I'm not a fan of the Shopaholic series, nor did I find Bridget Jones life changing. But I have always enjoyed the writing of Jennifer Weiner. "Goodnight Nobody", "In her Shoes", "Good In Bed", and "Little Earthquakes" are all books I loved and have read more than once. So it was with a bit of excitement that I picked up "The Guy Not Taken" a collection of short stories by the author as a nice holiday treat to myself.

I should have bought myself a fruitcake.

It's not as though Jennifer's writing takes a completely different tone in this collection, she still is able to write a sentence I am envious of, but it's everything else that falls by the way side- the stories, the mood, and most importantly- the characters.

The first few stories center around a family who has been abandoned by their father. The narrator is funny and dry, but her domineering sister takes over the tale and is perhaps- the most annoying character to ever been created. She's greedy and thoughtless and it's never made clear why the narrator (or anyone else really) ever REALLY sticks up to her. It's only after she's ruined the inside of her grandmothers car (by leaving in food that gets infested by maggots) that you see anyone get upset with her. I found myself skimming the book early on just to save myself the trouble of reading about her.

And when you are skimming pages early on, it's never a good sign.

The stories do improve as the book goes on, but I couldn't help but think I would have preferred to re-read one of her old works than invest time and money in this one. Even her best stories in the collection ("Dora on the Beach", "Buyers Market") aren't enough to pull the book out of the mediocrity that she falls back into with this piece of work.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

2007-12-03T19:23:00.000-05:00

I've heard buzz about this book for some time and I can't begin to tell you how many times I've picked this one up in the bookstore to gaze at its cover only to put it down. So, when a co-worker brought the book in to me recently proclaiming that I just had to read it, I decided then that I must finally stop and read this one. Disappointed, I was not! Having been craving a wildly exciting book for months, I was delighted when I was immediately captivated after turning the first page.

This story follows Jacob Jankowski as he recounts his days in the circus during the Depression. We are first introduced to Jacob as he is in his nineties and living in a nursing home facility. As word of a circus being set up near the nursing home spreads, the residents begin watching the set-up and Jacob is transported back to the 1930s where he was in college studying veterinary medicine. Through an unfortunate string of events, Jacob joins up with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth where he meets owner Uncle Al, animal trainer August, August's wife Marlena, and many of the circus crew. A page-turner and full of delightful imagery, I simply could not put this book down. I especially enjoyed the interview with the author at the end of the book where she recounts how she began writing the book along with her detailed research. I highly recommend adding this one to your wish list this holiday.

Nineteen Minutes

2007-12-03T13:32:00.000-05:00

Sometime last year "My Sisters Keeper" by Jodi Picoult was THE book to read. I joined the masses, read it it- and loved it. I've read a few more of her books that ranked high for me but none which came close to the love I felt for "My Sisters Keeper"- until now.

Ninteen Minutes is the story of a school shooting. In keeping in traditional Picoult fashion, the story jumps narrators and time. In many books I find this a distracting quality, but in this one, it makes sense and leads the reader to the conclusion necessary to end the book satisfied.

Picoult expertly tells the tale of a teenager named Peter- who within the first pages of the book goes on a shooting rampage in his school killing students and a teacher. You naturally despise him, but as the story continues- you learn his history, the constant bullying straight from kindergarten until highschool and the you begin to wonder if endless years of bullying and torment can ever justify a murder, and if they can't- what can they justify?

Though Peters story could be it's own book, the author also weaves in the story of Josie- Peter's first and only friend in kindergarten who grows up to join the 'popular crowd'. How she deals with popularity, with Peter, with the pressures of watching someone get bullied and doing nothing is as interesting as Peters own tale. Also present are Josie's mother- who is a judge assigned to the case, and Peter's mother- a woman dealing with the realization her son has done something that she cannot help him undo.

I enjoyed this book on many levels. I appreciate a writer who is able to combine a controversial issue in a way that lets the reader see ALL sides of an argument without feeling like they are getting a one-sided account. As a teacher I adored it, I think any book that can raise awareness about school bullying is important and the way that it's done in this book- without apologizes or restraint makes me thankful that I was never in a position that Peter faced. Also, as a former student it appealed to me. The choices that Josie has to make- to preserve herself in a environment ripe for bullying, while still never succumbing to the bullying that others around her participate in- is one that I never really thought about. How guilty is someone who watches and does nothing?

Table Where Rich People Sit - Byrd Baylor

2007-11-21T13:38:00.001-05:00

The Thanksgiving before my daughter was born, my mom gave me this book. At that time, I thought that reading it each Thanksgiving would become a tradition in my house. It hasn't, but the sentiment that lies within the book is one my daughter and I live daily.

Mountain Girl finds herself aware of all that she doesn't have. her family is poor. They lack the material riches that she so desires. She wants more than she has; like many, she wants to keep up with her friends. She wants to be rich."

But what does it mean to be rich?

That is the question that this short, but poignant book ponders. Is being rich about money or is about something less tangible or concrete?

Mountain Girl questions her family about being poor. Her mother and father respond by pointing out that they are not poor. In fact, they are rich. Together, mother and father point out all the ways in which they are wealthy beyond compare.

During the seasons of Thanksgiving and Harvest Feasts, it is nice to sit down with this book - to take a few minutes to ponder and consider all that makes each of us rich. Wealth is not about how much money lies within your savings account or in the stock market... but it is about the treasures that surround each of us throughout our daily lives.

The Gospel According to Starbucks

2007-11-16T22:16:00.001-05:00

I don't know too many people who think Starbucks is alright. Most either really like it or really hate it. The title is somewhat deceiving but at least the disclaimer on the bottom of the cover and the brief on the back cover are honest.

The book was written by a Christian minister and professor of evangelism. Ultimately, it's goal revolves around religion and Christianity but along the way, Leonard Sweet offers through his passion for coffee and Starbucks insight into the corporate culture and philosophy of the company.

It was almost disturbing how much Starbucks was mentioned in the first four chapters, almost to the point of disturbing and leading me to a pet name for the author, "The Reverend Shill". Oddly, as chapter 5 really toned down the Starbucks mentions I began getting upset that there were so few references to the leader of lattes.

In the end, the book did provide some great points for a book discussion at church and I really enjoyed learning about Starbuck's philosophies. However, this is really something of a "self-help" book using Starbucks and their philosophies as a model for living our spiritual life.

This book quite franky is not for everyone. While it has its moments, I'd rather read a book specifically about Starbucks than one that uses that as a framework for a different purpose. While I did enjoy the book, I think what threw me most is that I kept wanting to separate the coffee talk from the rest and just read about the coffee talk in greater detail.

Added Saturday during a more coherent moment that when originally authored:
While I don't have a problem with books on spirituality or on books that like to use metaphorical references to pop-culture, in this particular case I did. I must admit there were several points that really were exceptional at geting one to stop and think. I don't want to give off the impression that there is nothing to be gained by reading this book because there can be. I do think it is important to be up front about who the author is and the context in which this book was written.
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Harry Potter: The Series

2007-11-11T22:13:00.001-05:00

I thought that I'd kick start this site back up again. It's been a long time since a post has been put up here and even longer since I've put up a post for it. I believe the last post I had didn't do too well in the comments section so I am determined to write a post for a book (or books) that I actually adore.

There's not much I can say about the Harry Potter series except to read it. Not a very good book review is it? Allow me to elaborate then as best I can (and HP fanatics, please feel free to add to this review). The series is 7 books (I am currently working my way through the 7th and final book). There are three main characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They are students of the Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizadry, which incidently, is a 7 year program. These three characters forge a very special friendship as they grow and learn about magic and potions and spells. They also learn of their impending fate, which is to abolish Lord Voldermort, who's main focus is to destroy Harry.

Harry becomes an orphan when his parents are killed at the hand of Voldermort. Harry is able to escape, unscathed except for his distinct thunderbolt mark on his forehead. This escape has brought awe to the wizarding community because not only does Harry escape (being only 1 year old) but he essentially destroys Voldermort as well. As the series develops, the readers (and Harry) learn that Voldermort may not exist "in the flesh", but still exists in spirit. Before his mission to destroy the Potter's, Voldermort divided his spirit into 7 ... 1 remaining in his body, while the other 6 are scattered in unknown places, being held inside Horcruxes. The locating and destroying of these Horcruxes is key to Harry's demolishing Voldermort for good (which he learns in book 6). At first Voldermort is merely a spirit who feeds off of the blood of unicorns to sustain himself. Eventually, he returns to his full power (and his own body) with the help of one of his followers ... the person who betrayed the Potter's and led Voldermort to them when Harry was just a child. Voldermort is slowly gaining power as he casts Imperius spells on members of the wizarding community as well as the Ministry of Magic so that they can help him in his reign.
Until the age of 10, Harry has been living with his inattentive and emotionally abusive aunt (who is the sister of his mother), uncle and cousin. His extended family are not a part of the wizarding community and lead Harry to believe that his parents perished in a car accident, fully intending to keep the truth from him. Unfortunately for them, Harry is summoned by Hagrid (who has a fondness of dangerous creatures and works at Hogwart's) that he is of age to attend Hogwart's. This is much to the surprise of Harry as at this point, he still did not know that his mother was a witch and father a wizard. He readily accepted his fate and ventured on his journey into the world of magic. He meets some characters at Hogwarts that eventually play an important role in his life. As usual, there are the enemies: Severus Snape (a professor at Hogwart's) and Draco Malfoy (a fellow student) to name a few.

As you delve into the series, there is no question that the books become darker. There are attempted murders ... and some that are successful. Betrayal. Love. Denial. Acceptance. Bravery. It is no wonder that these books are loved by people of all ages. It is no wonder that the series is wildly successful. The imagination that seeps through these pages just blows my mind. I was skeptical at first when it came to Harry Potter. I thought it was "just for kids." Boy was I wrong. I absolutely loved the story and plan on re-reading them ... and I usually don't plan to re-read books before I'm actually through reading them!

So if you haven't read these books or have been living under a rock and don't know of the series. Go. Buy. Them.

You won't regret it.

The World Without Us

2007-10-05T14:50:00.000-04:00

What would happen if every single human on the face of the Earth disappeared tomorrow? What buildings would be still standing in a thousand years, what animals would become extinct, what fingerprints would be left to prove humans had once existed?

These are the questions that Alan Weisman tackles in his book, "The World Without Us". He doesn't go into the why all humans would disappear, but picks up on the moment after- what would happen next, and it's fascinating.

Two portions of the book are dedicated to New York City and to Africa, and those were the two most engaging parts of the book for me. In the New York Chapters, he clearly details how the New York subway system would be a major contributer to the collapse of the city. What buildings in New York would surive the years, which would be the first to collapse (I was left surprised by the predictions). In the Africian section, he talks extensively about which animals would survive, and why big game animals that once covered North America are extinct, but have lived on in Africa. The answers may surprise you.

There's an excellent chapter on pollution, what the world would be like without humans continuing to clutter the planet with our love of plastics and paper. It doesn't get preachy, but it clearly confirms the idea that our careless treatment of the environment has caused horrible results. While outlining what we've done, it also gives hope to the idea that we can still make a change and alter the course we are on, in regards to hurting the animals, oceans and forests. (how's that for preachy?!)

I was worried that fascination felt for this book would be bogged down by scientific talk, and in some ways it was. There's an entire chapter dedicated to polymers that caused my eyes to glaze, and the chapter on farming was a bit of a struggle. Over all though, the book is engaging and one that I would recommend, especially if you are a reader who can skim read over a chapter on polymers and not lose sleep.

Roasting in Hell's Kitchen: Temper Tantrums, F Words, and the Pursuit of Perfection by Gordon Ramsay

2007-09-21T09:18:00.000-04:00

As a huge fan of Hell's Kitchen (and most any cooking competitive show), I was anxious to read this one. Some people see Ramsay as extremely mean and perhaps a bit "showy" with his antics on TV. Who's really to say what's the real truth but after reading his book, I feel as if I can see where he might be coming from now. Sure, he is a perfectionist yet, I believe he is hard on his young chefs because he wants to see them succeed and be proud. As the book begins, Gordon tells of his extremely humble beginnings, damaged relationship with his father, love for football (soccer), working his way through the food industry, his family, and finally, his rise to media fame. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down. Overall, great revealing read.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned by Alan Alda

2007-09-21T09:16:00.000-04:00

I spotted this book several weeks ago at the used bookstore and it immediately caught my eye. I liked M*A*S*H and I love memoirs so I added it to my cart. In this book, Alda talks about his childhood and traveling with his parents who were in a burlesque troupe and latter, vaudeville acts as he watched his father perform from the stage wings and how significant of an impact this made on him. Alda, while fascinated with anything science, eventually decides to become and actor himself and the book follows his tough career of finding stage roles, scraping by with his family, and generally finding his voice. After filming a prison movie in Utah, he gets a call about doing a pilot in L.A. about a bunch of doctors in Korea. Alda actually considered turning the part down because he would be separated from his wife and kids but his wife encouraged him to go for it. While reading the section about his M*A*S*H experience, you get the sense that Alda finally found his voice. He was able to write and direct many episodes and finally felt as if he "fit in" as the cast was a huge family to him.
Overall, I thought that parts of the book were really great. However, Alda would go off on these tangents of talking way too much about acting methodology, etc. I found myself rolling my eyes quite a few times and generally wanting to skip portions of the book in order to get to the story. I was let down when reading this book because I think I had a different impression in my head of what it was going to be. It's not that I thought it was all going to be about M*A*S*H, it's just that I wish it flowed better and I didn't have to read about every single thought regarding acting methodology that passed through his mind, which I felt I was doing. It drove me crazy and I thankful when I finally read the ending.

The Blood Doctor - Barbara Vine

2007-09-19T10:43:00.001-04:00

Let me first apologize. I am no longer able to post at work and my computer at home is, well, a dinosaur of sorts. Thus, if it is okay with everyone, I will not post a picture of the book until/unless I can figure out how to do it correctly via e-mail!

The Blood Doctor.

Based upon the title, my immediate thought was that this was about a vampire or something to do with a hospital. If I hadn't enjoyed the previous Vine book, I am not sure that I would have started reading this one. But I did.

Martin Nanther, Vine's main character, finds himself in the midst of a mystery involving his great grandfather in Victorian England. Nanther is a biographer. He has chosen, for his current subject, his great grandfather, Henry Nanther, who served as a doctor in the court of Queen Victoria and was a specialist in the field of Hemophilia. Henry appears to be an upstanding citizen in his time. Queen Victoria thought so highly of him that she gave him (and his family) a seat in the House of Lords.

As Martin performs his research - combing through letters and interviewing relatives, he discovers that there is information missing. The pieces of the puzzle that is Henry do not fit together as nicely as they should. A missing notebook, a murder, interaction with a family and marriage into that family from below his station, children dying, and his desire to learn all he can about Hemophilia - each fact leaves Martin searching for answers that may be lost in the passage of time.

While Martin attempts to uncover the truth about Henry, his position as a Lord is in doubt as the House of Lords evolves and his wife battles with infertility. Martin must come to terms with his past, his present and in future as represented in the three storylines.

This book was neither fast paced nor a page turner. The characters were well developed as was the primary storyline - the mystery surrounding the life of Henry Nanther. I enjoyed the plots, but also the descriptions of the House of Lords and Victorian England.

The Blood Doctor is a book worth checking out!

Tyrannosaurus Canyon - Douglas Preston

2007-09-18T13:16:00.001-04:00

The title intrigued me, Tyrannosaurus Canyon. Not being a fan of science fiction or dinosaurs in general, I was hesitant to pick it up. But I did based on the author and the promise of a good read.

Well written, this book asks the reader to suspend belief in reality, just a tad. It is escapism, pure and simple.

Tom Broadbent is riding his horse through the Canyons of New Mexico when he hears a gunshot. Fifteen minutes later he finds the dying prospector, is given a secret notebook filled with specific columns of numbers, and promises to give it to the man's daughter.

Nothing is ever as easy as it seems it should be.

The prospector is not one who searches for gold or gems, or even archeological artifacts. This man searches for dinosaur bones.

The book evolves into a race against time. Tom must find the daughter while the sheriff attempts to solve a murder. A paleontologist in New York needs the dinosaur and has hired someone to find it at all costs. Finally, the US Government sends a classified unit into New Mexico to ensure that nothing is located.

Despite an abundance of characters and locations, the book is well written. It moves fairly quickly, and I didn't skip too many pages!

However, if you are looking for a serious read or a "that could happen," this is not your book.

*Note - an actual tyrannosaurus bone, with soft tissue, was actually discovered.

Crazy Ladies by Michael Lee West

2007-09-07T12:53:00.001-04:00

I didn't know what to expect when I picked this one up but I was pleasantly surprised. While I was being distracted quite a bit while reading this one, I was always anxious to get back to where I left off and find out what else one of these women did next.

Set in the South, this book is about three generations of "crazy" women spanning from 1932 to 1972. The story begins with Miss Gussie as a murder is committed and she works hard to conceal the truth. As the story continues, we hear from Miss Gussie's maid, Queenie, her daughters and eventually her daughter's daughters. Their lives intertwine lots of craziness ensues with tons of highs and lows, and the story wraps up with a conclusion to the murder concealment at the beginning of the book.

Since each chapter is told from a different woman's view, I wondered how well the author would be able to set each tone apart. Surprisingly, I thought the author did a remarkable job. While reading her biography online, I discovered that she hold a nursing a degree from my alma mater. Apparently, according to the alumni website, her parents didn't think English was an acceptable major. Therefore, she practiced nursing and wrote on her stories on the side. This was the first book I've read by this author and I will certainly check out some of her other books.

Freakonomics

2007-09-01T10:40:00.000-04:00

Written by by University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt and New York Times journalist Stephen J. Dubner, Freakonomics is a cavalcade of statistical exploration of things that you'd never imagine, but make perfect sense when all is said and done; Hmmmm.

I met Levitt recently in Boston at a conference after a keynote speech and was instantly intrigued by his work. I knew after hearing him speak I'd need to read the book and was pleased, though not surprised at the four word endorsement on the cover "Prepare to be dazzled." The endorsement was written by one of my favorite non-fiction authors I've read in the last few years, Malcolm Gladwell; who interestingly enough was the keynote speaker at the same conference the previous year.

While the subject of economics for me has both interesting and boring aspects, this book isn't a traditional view of economics but rather uses economic theory to explore socio-economic phenomena. Would you ever have considered that the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion could be linked to crime rate? How about the link between popularity of names and socio-economic status? These and a number of other extremely unique studies had me constantly using the phrase, "Holy Crap!"

I'm a nut for statistics and the fact that Levitt and Dubner have the ability to not only make them interesting, but captivating make this book a hit in my eyes. If you are interested in a preview, click the picture of the book. Incidentally, I mentioned Malcolm Gladwell earlier, he's authored two fascinating books entitled, "The Tipping Point" and "Blink" both of which are amazing reads.

Because of Winn-Dixie - Kate DiCamillo

2007-08-29T14:46:00.001-04:00

Are there books that take you back to your childhood? Those books that you cherished, read time and time again, and possibly saved? Those books that you would, if you want children, love to share with your children?

I have always been an avid reader. I recently shared the Ruth Chew books with my daughter. She didn't love them as I once did, but she did enjoy them. Unlike my childhood self, she doesn't truly have a favorite book, except for Because of Winn-Dixie.

Many people saw and loved the movie. At the time of its publication, many read the book. For all those who have not read it, it is worth a read. For all who have read it, it is worth reading again.

Winn-Dixie is a dog - an unattractive dog of unknown age and breed. He befriends Opal shortly after she and her father arrive in their new town. Opal can identify with Winn-Dixie, they are both motherless, friendless, and seemingly alone.

Because of Winn-Dixie, all of this changes. Winn-Dixie helps Opal learn about her family, herself, and the town. Together they open their hearts to the various characters of the book - each with a story to tell.

The book is about friendship, love, discovery, laughter, tears, and the idea that people are multidimensional. Opal learns that love is more than a list of things. It is much bigger and is about the entirety of a being, the good and the bad.

For my daughter, this is a text form of comfort food. She took it to first grade when she was asked to bring in her favorite book; she reads it on airplanes; and she has parts of it memorized. I too have read it numerous times. It has yet to lose its charm.

Because of Winn-Dixie is a book that can be red and loved by readers (and non-readers) of all ages. If my daughter were to have kids, I know that she would want to share this book with them. I know that she would want to share it with you.

And if you don't want to read it based on that review, how can you resist Winn-Dixie himself!

The movie is good, but the book is wonderful.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

2007-08-28T14:04:00.002-04:00

I somehow got sucked into Meyer's Twilight series this past Spring. I blame the captivating cover for drawing me to the book on the shelf and then with the words "I found out he was a vampire" on the back cover sealed my fate. I flew through Twilight and quickly purchased New Moon to discover that the third book, Eclipse, would be released in August. Without giving too much of the series away, the story is set in northwest Washington State where it centers on Bella Swan and her relationship with the Cullen family (vampires), friends at her high school, Jacob Black, and Jacob's tribe on the nearby reservation. Anxious to revisit these characters, I could not wait to get this third book in my hands. Unfortunately, I simply thought that this book in the series was just mediocre. While Meyer does pace her stories slowly, the build up to the climax point in the book fell flat for me as there was not enough action and too much focus on back stories in my opinion. However, Meyer did a good job at both ending Eclipse and opening a doorway for the next book in the series. In the end, despite the slower pace of this book and those complaints, I enjoyed reading this one if only just to "catch up" with the goings-on with Bella in Forks, Washington.

Minotaur by Barbara Vine

2007-08-27T13:38:00.000-04:00

It is nice to find a book that catches me off guard; one that casts a spell within the first chapter, enticing me to keep reading. the Minotaur proved to be such a book.

When I woke early Saturday morning I finished one book and reach to the stack to find the next entry on my "must read" list. It was the Minotaur. I don't remember getting this book. I didn't remember anything about the book. Based upon the book cover, I honestly wasn't sure why I picked the book as I am a bit leery of mysteries set in the English countryside. (There are some great books based in England, but there are some that I don't like as well). I will usually give each book in my stack a chance. I am very glad I did.

The Minotaur caught me off guard. I read the entire book on Saturday. I simply had to find out what happened. The twists and tangles of this book are subtle with more attention being given to the psyche of the characters than on violence (of which there is extremely little for a thriller/mystery)

Kerstin Krist travels to England to spend a year working for John Cosway at his family home, Lydstep Old Hall in rural Essex. John was diagnosed with childhood schizophrenia. IN order to "control" him, the family doctor and his mother have him kept under heavy sedation. Kerstin is brought in to the house to accompany John on his walks. She quickly finds herself in the midst of a house of cards, fragile and ready to collapse.

The story is told through Kerstin's eyes - flashing between the 1990's (now) and the 1960's, when the incidents occurred. Through Kerstin's eyes, the reader explores the varying relationships, power plays, personalities, and the shadows that play throughout the plot. As family secrets are revealed, the plot twists, and the wind blows shifting the ground upon which the house is built.

Is John truly suffering from schizophrenia? Does he commit the acts of which he is so quickly accused? What motives drive the actions of each character? Will there be a happy ending? Can there be a happy ending?

Vine did a wonderful job with this book - just enough to tell the story while leaving some out for the reader to envision. The story is well told, characters are well developed, and the plot offers enough to hold ones attention.

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

2007-08-26T18:34:00.001-04:00

I have an over-active imagination. For as long as I can remember, it’s always been that way for me. I’m afraid of the dark (I can’t go from one room to another without leaving a trail of lights – turn light B on before turning light A off…), I’m convinced that there is always a monster (or worse – a murderer) under my bed and it will grab me when I have to get out of bed in the middle of the night (though now my bed has no space between the floor and the box springs, so that fear isn’t as strong as it used to be), and I’m always creating different dream worlds in my head. So after a week of reading Lisey’s Story, my mind is all over the place. Reading a Stephen King book is always hard work for me – not because they’re poorly written but quite the opposite. He writes so fantastically and detailed that it takes up every ounce of energy to read his books because of my imagination. Lisey’s Story was no exception for my mind feels like mush now and I think that I might need a few days of recovery before I jump into my next book.

Lisey Landon is a widow of a celebrated author. Two years after his death, she has finally decided to take on the daunting task of going through her late husband’s papers and books. But it turns into more than just going through mementos…she also has to delve deep into memories she has buried deep into the recesses of her mind. Memories of her husband’s horrifying childhood and the secret place he would go to escape and to recover. These memories are only accessed by finding clues left by her deceased husband and are important for they are the only things that can help save her sister…and, more importantly, herself.

Lisey’s Story is more than King’s typical horror book. Even though there were some pretty freaky parts where I was sitting with my feet curled under my body, biting the inside of my lip and chewing on my fingernails, there was more to it than that. It is a beautifully written story, with clever play on words and plots circling around marriage and sisterhood and the importance of these two relationships. It's a love story as much as it is a nail-biter and the strength of the main character is one that makes you want to cheer her on and hug her at the same time. Whether you are a King fan or not, I highly recommend this book.

Alice, I think

2007-08-24T12:37:00.000-04:00

I admit- I judge books sometimes on their cover. I also judge them by the reviews plastered on the front page. When I picked this book up Meg Cabot's (of "Size 12 is not fat" fame) name jumped out from the cover along with her quote "I laughed until diet soda came out of my nose". I threw it in my cart and hoped for the best.

At just under 300 pages, Susan Juby has managed to cram at least one laugh on every page. Alice, I think is the story of a teen aged girl named Alice who is painfully awkward but keenly observant on society. On her first day of grade 1 her hippie parents let her go to school dressed as a hobbit, and she never recovered. She grows up home schooled and unpopular, but with a comforting confidence in herself that makes you wonder what she will do next. Along with trying to discover her personal style, she works on completing her 'life goals list' (#2 Increase contact with people outside immediate family. Not friends necessarily, but least superficial interaction of 'hi, how are you variety'...).

The majority of the book centers around Alice when she's 16 years old. Through her story you witness her mother get in a hilarious fist-fight with Alice's (grown up now) enemy from grade 1, a fish show, some serious fashion disasters and a stunning comparison to an ex-boyfriend I dated. (Hint- Aubrey).

I almost didn't want to write a review for this book because I knew I wouldn't be able to capture just how funny it is. I understand now why it's a national best-seller, with every age group enjoying it. It's short and lighthearted but with a main character who you care about. I think the only way to illustrate the book is with this: Alice's mother, has a best friend named Geradline. Alice doesn't like her but says "the only cool thing about Geraldine is that she looks like James Woods.".

How can you not love a book that says that?

Truth & Beauty

2007-08-21T17:44:00.000-04:00

Recently I fisnished reading Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett. This book is one of the best I've read in a long time and I'll tell you why.

For one, it's a story about friendship. It's about two writers who meet back in college, go on to be roommates in grad school, work together, and become the closest of friends, experiencing life, love, illness, etc. together throughout their lives. I was first told about this book by another blogger actually, and was excited to read it, as I had heard such great things about it from her.

Lucy Grealy is the main character in the book, a woman who died before the book was published (I'm not giving away anything, dont flip!). Lucy has a rare form of jaw cancer, and because of such had surgery after surgery through her youth and adult life, and Ann was by her side through all of this. The author adds in little excerpts of letters that were written to her from Lucy over the course of their friendship, and I found this to be a really sweet touch.

I'd say this book is probably more geared towards women. Not than men wouldn't enjoy it, and it's not a "chick lit" type thing either. I think it would be like if I wrote about my friendship with my roommate. How we met in college, that night we drank a bottle of gin and then hid in a coat room at a cocktail party. How I go to family bbq's at her house, how she borrowed my black camisole when we went out for martinis on Wednesday night, and how we stay up for hours talking about men with good heads of hair. Sure, some men might like to read bits of it, but I'd suspect that it's just generally a more woman type thing. But frankly, what do I know? The book just struck me more as something a woman would enjoy. That's all I'm sayin.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. So much so, that I then sought out a book by Lucy Grealy, Autobiography of a Face, which she wrote about her struggle with cancer. I havent started that one yet, but I'll be back to report in on that at a later date!

If you're looking for a quick, equally funny and bittersweet read this is a good go to.

**I had this all spaced out nicely, but apparently blogger (my old friend!), isn't cooperating.**

The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell: A Novel by Loraine Despres

2007-08-18T16:14:00.000-04:00

I purchased The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell when I was in Texas in May. I thought it looked like a good summer chick-lit read. I finally got around to reading it this week and was surprised to find that it was more than just chick-lit. There was an amazing message that even in today’s world needs to be remembered.

Bad Behavior is a period piece set in Louisiana in 1920. Prohibition was at its height, women had just been given the right to vote, and the Klu Klux Klan was starting to take hold of not only the South, but also the entire country. In the middle of all this is born-before-her-time Belle Cantrell. A recent widow and new part owner of the largest farm in Gentry, Louisiana, Belle is a huge advocate of the woman suffrage cause and is not afraid to speak her mind on most topics; much to the dismay of the Southern Genteel folk.

While the book is fun and sassy and, at times, down right sexy, it also reminds you of how intolerance was widely accepted in our country and that speaking out against said intolerance caused people to fear for their lives to the point to where many just kept quiet. “It’s not our fight,” was just one of the responses Belle received while trying to help stop an attack on her friend. With some of the same intolerances seeping into our society today, this book struck quite a chord with me. And all while reading it, my favorite Martin Luther King Jr. quote replayed in the back of my mind. “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

The Dive From Clausen's Pier

2007-08-18T15:35:00.001-04:00

This is easily one of my most favourite books. This is a story that reminds us of how precious life is and how easily (and tragically) it can change. There will be a time in our lives where we will be faced at a cross-road and we must decide which route to take knowing that this can be a life-altering decision. Do we choose the path that is to our best interest, or do we choose the path where we assume the role of martyr (placing ourselves in our own personal and suffocating hell), where the needs and wants of those around us will forever come before our own?

Sometimes people fall into a monotonous pattern in their life. This is something that could work perfectly for some, but in time can prove to be trying for others. You grow up with the same people around you. The same friends. The same hang outs. You date your highschool sweetheart, go to college with your highschool sweetheart, and become engaged to your highschool sweetheart because it just seems like the logical step to take. You haven't set foot out of your home town because everything you have or would ever want is right there, so why leave? Why explore? For some, this life could be the most comforting in the world. But for others, and for the main character of the story, Carrie Bell, this could prove to be a life that you can't get away from fast enough.

Carrie is engaged to her high school sweetheart but has fallen out of love with him. She is devastated by this discovery because the last thing she wants to do is hurt him. And funnily enough she feels torn since they share the same friends and doesn't want to hurt that dynamic as well. When she finally comes to grips with how she feels and finally decides that she can't go on living this lie and that she must tell her fiance, tragedy hits in the most unexpected way. They, along with their friends, are spending time at Clausen's Pier. Mike (her fiance) senses Carrie is slipping away. He decides that he's going to dive off the pier in an attempt to impress her. Only he doesn't realize that the water is not that deep and there are rocks at the bottom of the lake. He shouldn't be diving head first. Only he does, and he becomes paralyzed. A quadriplegic. People expect Carrie to be the caregiver for Mike, but unable to justify it to herself and unable to shake the feeling that she doesn't belong there (and having wanted to leave before the accident), she goes to New York to find herself. She has hurt a lot of people in the process who feel she is running away from her responsibilities, but it is something she must do for herself.

This story is about Carrie's journey to self-realization. It is a story about taking responsibility not because you HAVE to but because you WANT to. Eventually, Carrie's past catches up with her and she is forced to make a decision of what is best for her and for the situation at hand. Is she able to forget the past and start a new life? Or are her roots too deeply embedded?

Here is an excerpt of the book:

When something terrible happens to someone else, people often use the word "unbearable." Living through a child's death, a spouse's, enduring some other kind of permanent loss–it's unbearable, it's too awful to be borne, and the person or people to whom it's happened take on a kind of horrible glow in your mind, because they are in fact bearing it, or trying to: doing the thing that it's impossible to do. The glow can be blinding at first–it can be all you see–and although it diminishes as years pass it never goes out entirely, so that late some night when you are wandering the back pathways of your mind you may stop at the sudden sight of someone up ahead, signaling even now with a faint but terrible light.

Mike's accident happened to Mike, not to me, but for a long time afterward I felt some of that glow, felt I was giving it off, so that even doing the most innocuous errand, filling my car with gas or buying toothpaste, I thought everyone around me must see I was in the middle of a crisis.

Yet I didn't cry. The first days at the hospital were full of crying–Mike's parents crying, his brother and sister, and Rooster, maybe Rooster most of all–but I was dry-eyed. My mother and Jamie told me it was because I was numb, and I guess that was part of it, numb and terrified: when I looked at him it was as if years had unwound, and I'd just met him, and I couldn't stand not knowing what was going to happen. But there was something else, too: everyone was treating me so carefully and solicitously that I felt breakable, and yet I wasn't broken. Mike was broken, and I wasn't broken. He was separate from me, and that was shocking.

A national bestseller, Ann Packer was definitely able to write this story in such a way that can make you want to both root Carrie on in her attempts to find herself during such a tumultuous period and want to simultaneously hit her upside the head.

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything across Italy, India and Indonesia - Elizabeth Gilbert

2007-08-17T13:06:00.000-04:00

I have never truly "reviewed" books before, but I thought it might be fun to give it a try. Airam was kind enough to allow me to experiment on this site. Thus, without further ado... well, maybe a bit more ado...

When I am bored at work (and that does happen more often than I would like) I browse through the online bookstores in search of fun, light, interesting, entertaining books to read. I am a voracious reader, and feeding this habit can be quite challenging.

This spring a book popped onto my radar screen "Eat, Pray, and Love. " The title alone caught my attention.

Thus, I had to read it. And you have to read it too!

I am not sure what I was expecting when I first started the book. Despite reading the reviews, I had no preconceived notions as to what lay between the covers. Thus, I am not going to give you much information here, I don't want to spoil the experience for you.

Gilbert writes of a year long journey that she took in her early thirties. Having suffered through a very bitter divorce and embarked on a journey of self knowledge, she leaves her home in New York and her career to... experience, discover, and grow; to Eat, Pray, and Love.

The book is written with a realistic tone - a mix of comedy and self discovery. I found myself craving such an experience.

First, Gilbert travels to Italy in search of pleasure, then to India to explore prayer and ascetic rigor, and finally to Bali where she attempts to balance her life, past and present; new and old. Along the way she is introduced to various characters that become friends, challenges, teachers, etc. Challenges abound as she attempts to quiet her mind and find answers to her questions - to become content, and forgive. There is something for everyone in this book.

This book takes the reader on a journey that is worth the price of the ticket!

What are you waiting for? Pack your bags and go forth!