March Books

Spring Break gave me lots of free time to read some great books this month!

(15) Unwind by Neal Shusterman

To appease escalations of war between the pro-life and pro-choice sides of the country, the military offers an option: retroactive abortion of children between the ages of 13-18. Essentially, abortion of the unborn is illegal, but children who are still unwanted or have difficulties with their families or communities by acting out are sent to a facility to “unwind” their bodies where all of their tissues are reused in individuals who pay for their new body parts. This story follows three children who have been designated for unwinding, and follows their attempt for escape from certain doom.

One of the great successes of this dystopian novel is that the pacing and mystery about this society continues throughout the entire book. I’ve noticed some dystopians, especially “Divergent,” that aren’t paced well enough to allow the reader to continue to be interested; not enough tantalizing details about this strange new world sprinkled throughout. In “Divergent,” the author lays out most of the details about the society in the first 30-50 pages, and the rest of the novel turns into a coming of age story and then oddly and abruptly, the tone shifts into a violent war story. In “Unwind” Shusterman maintained my attention even through the action scenes (which typically bore me) because he kept revealing more details about this society in which life is undervalued. It is difficult to gage whether the intention of this book is to be a pro-life or pro-choice message; I think his primary goal is to make the reader think about how we feel about children and teenagers. This was a satisfying young adult book! (Finally!)

Content Rating: Appropriate for young adults; deals with pro-life & pro-choice issues

Length: 352 Pages

Format Read: Library Book

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

(16) I Want It Now! By Julie Dawn Cole

This short memoir is about the life of Ms. Cole, who as a young actress was cast as Veruca Salt in the classic film: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. As a huge fan of Willy Wonka, I was massively interested to read about the secrets and stories of the set of Willy Wonka. And certainly, the middle part of this memoir, devoted to retelling her experiences on set, were fascinating to an avid fan of the film. However, this book was short, and I’d say only about 30% of the length of the book was spent telling stories about the experiences on the set. About 25% of the length of the book was an index/reference section (unsure why that needed to be included), and the rest of the book talked about her life prior to and after the film. She is has lived an interesting life with her film and television career and humble beginnings, sure, but I wanted more about Willy Wonka--not about her television and fitness career. Unfortunately, the memoir seems focused on glazing over the part of the story that most people who picked up this little book would be curious to read about, and I felt disappointed that there wasn’t more funny stories and insights about the making of the film. Luckily, I didn’t pay for this novel as I got it as my free book through Amazon Prime, but I’m surprised that the publisher has the audacity for charge $10 for the kindle version and a tidy $22 for the book with a index that makes up 25% of the novel. There are many full color photographs and scans of letters and mementos from cast members, so I chose to read this on my kindle fire rather than my kindle.

Happily, I was amused that the “Snozzberry” wallpaper had been flavored with jam. I’d always wondered what the actors tasted as they licked that wallpaper.

Content Rating: Nothing

Length: 252 Pages

Format Read: Kindle Version (Amazon Prime Free Book)

Genre: Non-fiction film memoir

(17) The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht



A young woman’s reflection on the life of her recently deceased grandfather is told here through her work dispensing vaccines to orphaned children. She retells two tall-tale stories that were told to her by her grandfather about the tiger’s wife and the deathless man. My interest in this novel stemmed from the fact it was on some of the “Best of 2011” lists and Amazon kept recommending it to me. The cover looked interesting enough, reminded me a little of “Life of Pi” so I waited two and a half months for my kindle library version to be delivered to me. The writing in this novel by a very young author is absolutely exquisite; the story is painfully dull. I kept on reading through ten percent, twenty percent, thirty percent, thinking “The writing is so good, the story has got to get better. I just need to give it more time. It’s on all these best of lists, what am I missing?” By the time I was at seventy percent, reading it was like an high school exercise with a book you’ve been assigned but have no interest in finishing. I figured, I’ve come all this way, I better finish it. Can’t comment on it negatively if I don’t finish it. So I finished it, and now I can tell you, the story here is sluggish, lacks interesting characters, and I do not recommend. Such a huge disappointment.

Content Rating: Language
Length: 352 Pages
Format Read: Library Kindle Book
Genre: Family Saga Fiction

(18) The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

This book is an adult version of “Unwind.” Instead of teenagers being harvested for organs, childless adults who reach age 50 (women) and age 60 (men) are declared “dispensable individuals” and are sent to the Unit where they begin to donate kidneys, corneas, and participate in supposedly humane scientific studies until it is their turn to submit to the “final donation.” This book is about friendship, relationships, and the value of life. The tone of this story is achingly haunting and sad, and it was one that I kept thinking about days after I finished it. I think one of the most striking themes of this book is undervaluing of the single person or the non-parent. In this society, having children is the epitome of life, and if you never have the opportunity to be a parent, you have no choice but to meet your fate at the Unit. The short length of this novel was also great for proper pacing with this simple and effective story. Also, even though it is a translation from Swedish, the writing has a nice and easy to read flow to it, unlike some translations I’ve encountered. Recommend to adults.

Content Rating: Sexuality, language, adult themes
Length: 272 Pages
Format Read: Library Kindle Book
Genre: Adult Dystopia




(19) The Maze Runner by James Dashner

A 16-year old boy wakes up in a box, his only memory is his name. He finds himself living among a group of boys with the goal of finding a way out of the area they appear to be stuck in. The only apparent exit is a giant maze whose walls shift and change every night, guarded by strange robotic creatures. This book will easily become classic dystopia along with The Hunger Games. Students warned me, and I agree, that the very beginning is a little slow. Rather than using traditional swear words, Dashner develops his own euphemistic swear words which I felt brought authenticity to the speech of teenage boys. However, it takes a little getting used to, but after awhile you realize, oh, that word is supposed to be THAT, and then the dialogue flows better. It reminds me of the use “frack” in Battlestar Galactica, which at first sounded silly, but now that I’m four seasons in, I do think it does give more edge to the series without actually having to listen to real language. This book is mostly fast paced, dynamic characters (reminds me of Lord of the Flies, slightly) with an interesting cliff-hanger ending. My only complaint I really have is that I felt the only female character is the book is under-utilized in the story, but I definitely got the feeling that this book was written for a male audience. Another great young adult dystopia I feel I can actually recommend!

Content Rating: Appropriate for young adults, euphemistic language
Length: 400 Pages
Format Read: Library Kindle Book
Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

(20) The Road by Cormac McCarthy

With a curious writing style, this is a story about the desperate survival of a father and son set within a muted horror novel. Little explanation is provided about how the country fell apart and why most of the human population has died, but this isn’t a dystopian novel trying to warn its audience about where we could be headed to if we don’t watch ourselves and values; the post-apocalyptic world is merely a vehicle to tell a story about father and son. This is mostly a survival tale in a land that is falling apart. Most of this dismal story is about the father and boy’s search for food and warmth. Some parts are slow, but the pacing allows you feel their hunger, fear and their frostbitten, bloody and mangled feet. I recommend, but there are some graphically violent images conjured up by the text that may be bothersome to some people.

Content Rating: Violent images, small amount of language
Length: 287 Pages
Format Read: Library Kindle Book
Genre: Adult dystopia/survival story



(21) The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau

The City of Ember is meant for 5th-7th graders, so I had low expectations when I started. It was found on best dystopian novels lists on GoodReads, so I requested it from Overdrive. I was surprised at how good the story development was--fast paced, immersive setting, quick and to the point storytelling. Unlike some books for kids, I felt the story was easily accessible by adults; they wouldn’t feel that it was too juvenile. I do think the character development was a little shallow; but for a short kids chapter book that was okay. There are several sequels, and although I had both the second and third checked out, I never got to them before they were due.

Content Rating: Appropriate for children
Length: 270 Pages
Format Read: Library Kindle Book
Genre: Children’s Dystopian



(22) Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda is one of my favorite children’s books, and I look forward to reading it to Lotte one day. I kept having a craving for re-reading this story, so I revisited it this month. I remember being a ten year old, laying on my parent’s couch and devouring this book over and over in one sitting. As an adult, I was extremely impressed with the humor; I kept giggling aloud and reading parts to Greg that were especially absurd. The artwork adds so much to the story as well; the story would not be the same without Quentin Blake’s silly drawings. I do feel it starts stronger than it ends--the beginning part that tells the story of Matilda traveling by herself to the library and loving the classics (as a four year old) is the strongest part of the story. If you had an awful childhood because you missed out on reading Matilda, then it is one you should pick up.

Content Rating: Appropriate for children
Length: 240 Pages
Format Read: Library Book
Genre: Children’s Fiction




(23) The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

I waited so long on the library hold list for this book! Having read (and loved) the Virgin Suicides and Middlesex by Eugenides, I was excited to see his new book on the “Best of 2011” book lists. The protagonist is a graduating college student trying to navigate her love life and future after college. I felt she was very relatable; took me back to being a college student at Scripps. Some reviews I read stated that they felt the book was pretentious due to the frequent literary references, but I wonder if those reviewers had been in a rigorous humanities or core program in college where you do read those types of works.  Following her graduation, the story takes a turn to examine mental health and relationships. Examines questions like: When do you walk away from a relationship when your partner is not healthy? Do you sacrifice yourself for others? For me, this was an immersive, engaging and enjoyable read. It was also great to read something that wasn’t a young adult book!

Content Rating: Sexuality and language
Length: 416 Pages
Format Read: Library Book
Genre: Adult Fiction

(24) The Scorch Trials by James Dashner


This is the second novel in the Maze Runner trilogy, and for all the reasons I liked the Maze Runner, this book unfortunately lacked. The Maze Runner’s story focused on mystery and decoding the maze, so as a reader your interest is high because you want to know how these boys are going to find their way out of their puzzling enigma. The second installment does not have the same level of mystery, and so it ends up being a book about boys walking across the desert, running into predicaments. There is an underdeveloped and strange love triangle mixed in the story, which felt out of place. No more questions are answered, and are left for the third book. I suppose I’ll read the third book to get my questions answered, but I was disappointed with this one.

Content Rating: Appropriate for Young Adults
Length: 384 Pages
Format Read: Kindle Library Book
Genre: Young Adult Dystopia


(25) When the Killing’s Done by T.C. Boyle

Oooo, a book about dueling ecologists, sign me up! The obsessed PETA activist fights against the killing of invasive species on islands off the coast of California. A Ph.D. works hard to protect the native species and certainly destructive from rats and pigs that have been delivered by previous sailors and visitors to the islands. This book was custom made for me. T.C. Boyle is the author of “Tortilla Curtain,” a politically charged novel about immigration, and one of my favorite books. I also read T.C. Boyle’s “Friend of the Earth,” but was disappointed with the story within that one (probably my expectations were too high). Boyle is an amazing writer--awesome with symbolism and dealing with difficult topics in an honest, frank and fair way. I recommend this one if you have an interest in ecology, animal rights or environmental issues--and not necessarily on one side of the fence or the other. I think a carnivore might enjoy this one more than a vegetarian.

Content Rating: Language & Sexuality
Length: 384 Pages
Format Read: Kindle Library Book
Genre: Adult Fiction


(26) Amazing Grace: A Dog's Tale by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff

Amazing Grace is a short non-fiction story about Dye's relationship with his deaf dog Grace, and how her finicky eating habits lead him to create the Three Dog Bakery with Beckloff. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories of Gracie growing up and learning about the world with a doggy disability. I cried through the ending (it's a dog book--you know what HAS to happen in the end). I got it as the kindle special of the day for .99 cents, which was a super deal! Right now it is only $1.99 at amazon and it is well worth more than that. 


Content Rating: Nothing 
Length: 248 Pages
Format Read: Kindle Book
Genre: Non-fiction

Some Favorite Children's Books

Lotte has more books than I can count since my mom kept all my children’s books. Here are some of my old and new favorites:

What Happened to Patrick’s Dinosaurs?

By Carol Carrick

Illustrated by Donald Carrick

Published 1986

Ever want an easy answer to explain the disappearance of the dinosaurs without all those creation/evolution bothersome details getting in the way? This book is your solution! This is a sequel to “Patrick’s Dinosaurs,” but this one has always been my favorite of the two. I love the silliness of the this story, but the certainty of Patrick’s explanation makes you wonder, maybe the dinosaurs really did pack their belongings and take off on a space ship because people were too bossy.

A Woggle of Witches

By Adrienne Adams

Published 1971

An essential Halloween children’s book, this tells the story of the party habits of witches on this night of celebration. The best parts of this book are the delightful illustrations and yelling “Wheee!!!!!” and “Zoooooom!” when read aloud. Although the colors used in the pictures are very dark, and the witches look very much like scary (smiling) witches, this book is whimsical and fun.

Say Hello To Zorro!

By Carter Goodrich

Published 2011

I don’t care if you have children. If you like dogs, you must own this book. This perfectly captures a dog’s approach to life, and is cute, clever and charming. I read it at Barnes and Noble and knew I’d have to own it about 2 pages into it. I’ve read it to Lotte so many times that I nearly have it memorized. “Shift position, and nap some more time!”

By the way, the second book, "Zorro Gets an Outfit," will be out this May. That will definitely be on Pre-Order from Amazon for me.

Little Bear’s Trousers

By Jane Hissey

Published in 1987

This is a story about a little stuffed bear’s quest to find his lost pants. I love Hissey’s books for their enchanting and realistic illustrations of animated stuffed animals. I have an art print from one of the Old Bear books framed in Lotte’s room. The story is a little long, but I love flipping through it just to look at cute Little Bear and his friends.

Benjy’s Dog House

By Margaret Bloy Graham

Published 1973

Graham illustrated “Harry the Dirty Dog,” but I prefer this story. Poor Benjy gets banished to his ugly barrel dog house, and decides to explore the village he lives in. A run in with a scary cat and a binge-on-meat-pies induced nightmare teaches his family a valuable lesson about not leaving your dog outside. This books stirs up a lot of nostalgia for me, and I think that’s why I love it so much.

Go Dog Go

By P.D. Eastman

Published 1961

Best children’s book of all time, without question. Nothing else to say.

Found this when doing a google search...thought it was appropriate:

February's Books

This month was a stressful month for reading because I discovered the awesomeness of Overdrive library books, set up two accounts, put about 10 books on hold, and then didn’t know what to do with myself when 4 or 5 books all arrived within days of each other on my kindle. Had a few false starts here and there, but I certainly have a sense of relief that I won’t have to depend on library books to get to the titles I want to read. I don’t like the heaviness of a book or the burden of having the flip the page, and now my kindle reading habit is much more affordable with the library e-book service. Another check mark in the “why the kindle is great” column!

8. Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull

I loved Fablehaven, couldn’t finish Candy Shop…so where does Beyonders fall? Somewhere in the middle. Mull’s imaginative writing continues in Beyonders, but is more sporadic than in Fablehaven. It is also more violent, and focuses on a male protagonist rather than a sister/brother sharing of the story. There is a female sidekick character, but she is left out of the story for long parts of the book. I’ll read the sequel, as it left me quite unsatisfied with a cliffhanger ending.

Content Rating: Violent at times, for older children

Format Read: Library Book

Length: 496 Pages

Release Year:  2011

9. The Visible Man by Chuck Klosterman

I was walking out of the library with a stack of books I really never intended on reading, and this book caught my eye on the “New Arrivals” shelf. I will admit, I am notoriously awful at judging books by their cover. I loved the font and the ambiguous picture. I read about three sentences of the summary on the inside cover, threw it on top of my stack, and checked out. After finishing Beyonders (also in this stack), I was anxious to begin reading this little short gem. This is an odd book, as a female therapist recounts her experiences working with an intelligent man with a unique secret. I found the development of their relationship fully engaging, and I loved his writing. The ending was only so-so, but I forgave it since it was such a fun story while working up to it.

Content Rating: Language, mild descriptions of sexuality

Format Read: Library Book

Length: 240 Pages

Release Year: 2011

10. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

As I read this novel, I couldn’t help but observe how similar it felt to the literary style of John Irving.  I love John Irving—he’s my second favorite author, and I’ve read the majority of his works. The remarkable events that happen with the family in this story by Verghese seemed like it could have been easily inspired by “The World According to Garp” or “Until I Find You.” As I clicked quickly through the final acknowledgements, I stopped abruptly when my eyes glanced the words “John Irving.” And there was his thanks to John Irving, for his friendship, help and inspiration. So I’ll say this book was good—but not as good as if Irving himself had written it. The graphic descriptions of the surgeries got under my skin. I see that as a good thing—watching surgical procedures on DiscoveryHealth channel doesn’t phase me, but reading a description gave me the willies, certainly effective!

Content Rating: Smidge of language, coming-of-age sexuality, graphic descriptions of surgical procedures

Format Read: Library Kindle Book

Length: 667 Pages

Release Year: 2010

11. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I knew nothing about this book besides it was popular and critically acclaimed. Its Wikipedia page says it is one of the best selling books of all time. This is really a self-help book about going after your vague dreams masked as a novel. I liked the first half of the story, but once he began his travels across the desert, my interest waned and my focus was just on finishing it so I could be done with it. I am not a fan of the idea of “if you can believe it, you can achieve it!” Oh, so I can be an NBA star if I just think about it hard enough? Really?

Content Rating: Nothing I can remember

Format Read: Library Kindle Book

Length: 208 Pages

Release Year: 1988

12. Divergent by Veronica Roth

Another dystopian young adult novel that isn’t as good as Hunger Games or the Giver. I liked the idea of the 5 societies that Roth creates here, but the writing either wasn’t good enough or developed enough for me to be engrossed and captivated by the setting. The writing didn’t transport me there. I just needed more. There is a sequel planned, but I think I’ll probably skip it.

And for that matter, why does every young adult book have to be part of a series? Just write one good, solid story, people! I’m getting tired of starting books, and realizing in order to get the whole story, I’ll need to commit to 2-4 more books. (And you know that most of the time the sequels are far worse—ahem Hunger Games, Uglies…)

Content Rating: Young adult but mentions of sexuality

Format Read: Library Book

Length: 496 Pages

Release Year: 2011

13. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

This is Twilight for intellectuals. Except, most intellectuals will be turned off by the silliness of the story, and so I’m not exactly sure whom this book is for. I commented to Greg about halfway through that I’m getting tired of the vampire character being the perfect, hunky and passionate lover. Can’t vampires be scary anymore? However, however, I did enjoy this story overall. It is a long read and the plot moves rather slowly, but it was a fun diversion and I’d recommend, especially if you didn’t despise Twilight.

Content Rating: Fairly clean, little bits of sexuality that might be too much for a young adult

Format Read: Library Kindle Book

Length: 592 Pages

Release Year: 2011

14. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

I had no idea I’d be reading two books about witches back to back when I started this! I saw this sitting on a student’s desk, and they said I should read it. I felt the teenage love story between the main characters was authentic and real; made me feel like a high-schooler again. There was great tension created by the townspeople as they respond to the “new girl” at school. As a critique, I do think it was overly long for the story told. I grew bored with the climatic action scenes at the end, but enjoyed the story overall.

Content Rating: For mature teenagers due to a little mild language

Format Read: Library Kindle Book

Length: 592 Pages

Release Year: 2009

The Poor Souls that I Didn’t Finish (yet)

Like I mentioned, I had too many books made available at once, and so two books I started got cast aside. First, “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest,” the third in the Millennium trilogy, got pushed aside for “The Stand.” Do you have any idea how long “The Stand” is? It is 27044 locations! That’s longer than the unabridged Count of Monte Cristo! I actually made it through 7214 locations of “The Stand” before I gave up. I just don’t have the time for that book while I have so many other books I need to read. Also, you only get the kindle library books for two weeks with no option for renewal, and I knew I couldn’t finish it in two weeks AND finish the other books that were becoming available. I nearly made it through the first book of “The Stand”, so maybe I’ll finish the first part and return later. 

January 2012 Books

January 2012 Books

Here’s a quick review of the books I read this past month!

1. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

This was a Kindle deal of the day, and I was delighted to see it was a dystopian novel. Modern in tone and themes, this book deals with the impact if there was not a separation between church and state and also with fertility rights. I kept checking Wikipedia to make sure it was actually published in 1985, because her commentary on digitalizing of all media, the slippery slope of the Patriot Act, and the overthrowing of women’s rights seemed hauntingly modern day. Frightening without necessarily meaning to be.

Content Rating: Adult for bizarre (not graphic) sexuality

Format Read: Kindle

Length: 4412 Locations / 324 Pages

2. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson

I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to read this book and continue with the series, but after I saw the movie of the first book, my interest in the story reignited. This continuation of the story is interesting, but the middle drags and makes it extremely slow paced. I enjoyed the beginning of the novel best as he describes Lisbeth’s travels and fascination with math theory.

Content Rating: Very Adult

Format Read: Paperback Book

Length : 630 Pages

3. Wishin’ and Hopin’ by Wally Lamb

I purchased this book months ago with the intention of reading it during the Christmas season, and then promptly forgot about it. By my favorite author, this short Christmas gem is a fun look at youthful Russian immigrant girls, the antics of a sophisticated French woman teaching at a strict Catholic school in the 1960’s and a nativity pageant where everything goes wrong. One reviewer mentioned that it reminded him of the film “A Christmas Story.” I read this in one evening in about three hours, so it isn’t a huge commitment of time. Can’t really ever go wrong with Mr. Lamb!

Content: Adult for language and mentions of sexuality

Format Read: Hardback Book

Length: 288 Pages

4. The Giver by Lois Lowry

This was a re-read, as I read it when I was in the 7^th grade for a book report project. I like to think of this as a great “starter dystopia” novel to help kids think about how different the world would be if their basic freedoms were to be taken away. One of the great successes of this novel is how easily it allows you to suspend your disbelief. As you read, there are some plot holes that aren’t quite worked out, but it doesn’t affect the story or reading experience. I also read this in one evening, so it is a fast, easy read meant for young adults.

Content: Suitable for anyone

Format Read: Kindle

Length: 2554 Locations / 179 Pages

5. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Since discovering last year that I actually do like science fiction, I’ve been trying to find more of the classics that have been omitted from my reading lists in years past. This is another book whose published date confused me, and I kept checking the front to makes sure it really did say 1950! Told in a set of short stories, Asimov weaves a picture of the trouble that can occur with the three laws of Robotics. I enjoyed each of the chapters, except I found the very last story a bit dry and dull. I wish it had ended with a bit more punch.

Content: Suitable for anyone

Format Read: Library Hardback Book

Length: 256 Pages

6. 11/22/63 by Stephen King

This book exemplifies why the Kindle was invented! I didn’t want to pay the $15 Kindle book price tag, so I ordered a copy from the library. It arrived quickly and I went over gleefully one Saturday morning to my library to pick up my held copy. And there it was on the shelf, all 849 pages that felt like they were lined with some dense compound just meant to increase the mass of the book. Luckily I had it finished by the following Monday night, but that thing dug into my stomach, as it was far too heavy to hold for long periods of time.

With that said about the weight of the book, I adored this story. The basic gist of the book is a man discovers a portal that drops him in the late 50’s. He decides to live there until he can stop the Kennedy assassination. Much of the novel are his stories living in that time era (and dealing with the lack of internet and cell phones, but loving the food) and in a way had a little “Mad Men” feel to it. There is also a bit of a sci-fi twist to it that unfolds. Sometimes when I read a long book, I go through a mourning phase after completion because I miss the characters so much. I’m still dealing with the end of this book—wish it could have gone on forever. Worth the long read, but buy the Kindle version and save yourself some awful hand/arm cramps from holding the dang thing.

Content: Adult for language

Format Read: An extremely heavy library hardback book

Length: 849 Pages

7. Girls of a Tender Age by Mary-Ann Tirone Smith

Every now and then I check on Wally Lamb’s web site to see if there are any upcoming projects. When I checked this month, I was sad to see no new updates about more books, but I did find a list he posted of books he enjoyed. This memoir was one of the books listed, and so I ordered it from the library. I really loved the first half of the book, told through the eyes of herself as a child recounting stories of the absurd things her family would say and do. The book then shifts into a different kind of memoir, one designed so a little murdered girl would not be forgotten. I’m not sure if I would recommend it, it seems jarring that the tone and focus dramatically changes in the middle of the book. I did enjoy it and had no problem finishing it, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Content: Adult for violence and sexual abuse

Format Read: Library Hardback Copy

Length: 289 Pages

Books that Didn’t Make the Cut

I made it through about 80 pages of both Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull. The first part of Unbroken was interesting, but the second that the story shifted to World War II planes and battles it pretty much became torture for me to read, so I stopped. I don’t think it was a bad book or story, I just can’t stand books about war. I also was unable to read past about page 100 of Seabiscuit—by the same author. I think I need some dialogue.

The Candy Shop War was too juvenile for me; I don’t mind books about teenagers, but stories about 5^th graders are not going to engage me.

In Progress

Although I didn’t like The Candy Shop War, I am nearly done with the first Beyonders book by Brandon Mull and still slowly working my way through Middlemarch by George Eliot. Hopefully I’ll be able to complete as many books in February as I did in January!

I am always looking for good book suggestions! Please let me know what you’ve enjoyed recently. 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo versus The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo versus The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (plus the Artist, to make things interesting)

Greg’s response to my first blog posting was something along the lines of “interesting read—but I didn’t like all that stuff you said about the flaws of movies.” Granted, I knew as I was writing those comments that I was intentionally trying to get under his skin to cause a bit of controversy between us and keep things interesting. Since Christmas day, Greg and I have seen two movies in the theatres—The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Artist, which also turned out to be a perfect combination of movies that will help to prove my point, which I have flushed out a bit more—movies are not replacements for books. I suppose the origins of my mocking of the limitations of film are this statement: “Oh the book was good? Cool, I’ll wait for the movie to come out!” (Sidenote: Mr. Dickson would like me to clarify that this is has not been quoted from him, and he freely admits that books are almost always better than their film counterparts.)

Stylistically, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not the type of book I normally read. Why? I don’t typically read crime/courtroom dramas or mysteries. I think these stories are better told through the film medium. And it is not because I inherently dislike these types of stories; I just don’t think the writing is very good in this genre. But, everyone was reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so I didn’t want to be left out. I was surprised at how mainstream the book is considering the multiple explicit scenes depicting sexual assault. I get it though—the story is about the abuse of women and it is not like he can pretend that there are not truly awful things that men do to women. You really have to have those scenes to tell this story.

Now months after finishing the book, Greg and I see the more than two and a half hour film version by director David Fincher. Aside from a couple of minor changes to the storyline (which have been obviously made to streamline the pacing of the film and not to change Larrson’s purpose) the film stuck to the book. Except, I felt like I was watching the story with the fast forward button jammed in. Especially towards the beginning, I felt my brain screaming “WAIT! Slow down!” The mood, theme and story were accurately captured and the acting performances were spot on (great casting overall)—and yet, it felt like it was rushed. The fault of the director? No, he did a great job condensing that story into a reasonable run time. The fault is placed, in my opinion, on the limitation of film itself. The richness of the story told in Larrson’s own words could never be matched by the film. In this case, I left feeling like anyone who hadn’t read the book prior to seeing the movie really took the easy way out. Books made into movies: is it the lazy way? The visual cliffnotes version of the book?

I’ve informed Greg that I won’t see Hunger Games with him unless he reads the book. He’s going to have to earn that one. You hear that, Greg?

A few days later, Greg and I see The Artist. This is a delightful, black and white silent film telling the story of a silent film star and his downfall as talkies are introduced into his industry. The lack of dialogue and folly-staged sound effects enhanced this story and did not detract. As I watched, I kept thinking, this is what good movies should be about. Emotions told through facial expressions and body language. Beautiful sets with symbolic elements. Gorgeous black and white photography. Complete commitment to the era and themes explored.

During some movies, I find myself staring at the ceiling of the theatre to examine how it was constructed and put together, which is a sad state of affairs for a film that the theatre’s ceiling is more engaging than your awful script, direction, acting and set design. During The Artist, I kept leaning forward in my seat as if it would put me even closer to the wonderful story that was being told to me. Just a few silent movie cards here and there help to clarify plot. Words are not necessary here to tell an impactful and moving story because the director is actually using the benefits of film to his advantage. Perhaps authors should stick to words, and directors should stick to visuals. 

Stephanie's 2011 Book Review

At the end of 2010, I realized I had not read a fiction book the entire year. Spending most of 2010 with extreme morning sickness or adjusting to being a new mom distracted me from my favorite and most satisfying hobby. Even my family started to notice--my mom, concerned, asked me why I wasn’t reading anymore. I was out of the habit and didn’t know if I would allow myself the time to sit down and actually focus on this task. I had a hard time sitting through a movie without worrying about the housework around me--bottles to wash, laundry to fold, dishes to wash, plus the never ending pile of grading, lesson planning and paperwork that comes with my job. If I couldn’t even focus through a two hour movie, how could I sit for hours to finish a novel?

At the end of 2010, I decided that my New’s Years resolution would be to read more books in 2011 than I did in 2010. Which, honestly, was pretty much the easiest resolution I could have made since I hadn’t read any books in 2010. So on New Year’s Day last year, I started “The Help.” I finished it by the 3rd (easily, since I was still on Holiday vacation from work), and I had fulfilled my New Year’s resolution that simply! Reading it was difficult initially; I had grown so used to the ease of watching stories told through the film medium, which doesn’t require much mental challenge. But what I had forgotten was the immersive nature of reading. Even when you are watching a great film, you are still just watching images that the director has decided you should see. The film doesn’t engage my senses entirely. It is easy for me to grab my iPhone, play Cut the Rope, and have the film on in the periphery. It doesn’t challenge me to feel and see everything with my own eyes. It doesn’t force me to to feel and emphasize with the inner and deepest most feelings of your protagonist. Certainly, many films pull on your heartstrings; just think about that ultra manipulative scene in “Up”--but it is still a limited form of story telling. Books don’t have the limitations of budget or running time or actors abilities. 

After completing “The Help,” my mom gave me a few newly published books to keep up my initial momentum of reading. Not all of them were favorites, but reading had become part of my daily routine once again. And I continued from there.

For mother’s day, my mom got me my kindle book reader. When first researching electronic ink readers, I had the same hang ups that I’ve heard repeated by others--but I love the feel of paper! I love having my physical book library to lend to others! But honestly, five minutes with a kindle erased any reservations I had about the device. In my opinion, my kindle is the most pleasant and easy way to read. If you read frequently, don’t mind paying for books or like to read classics, then I would highly recommend acquiring a kindle. I do not like reading library books, for reasons that are revealed in my nickname for them: “bugar books.” Even last week when reading a school library copy of the “Pretties,” there was some yellow mystery food/biological matter speared over several pages. Just not hygienical. So I don’t mind paying for my books. I also compare the price of a movie ticket with the cost of a book. I don’t mind paying $7.50 (plus popcorn--mandatory) for a 2 hour movie ticket, so I really don’t mind paying $5-8 for a book that will provide 5-10 hours of entertainment. 

So, as the end of 2011 is near, I am very proud to say that I have finished 38 books this year. Such a difference from last year! I’d like to share some thoughts about my favorites this year. I’d like to thank everyone who posted on my facebook statuses with recommendations. Aside from “Ms. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” every book I read this year was based on some sort of recommendation. I’d also like to thank Greg for being so supportive while I morphed from his movie watching buddy into the girl who goes into her cave every night to read with her brown noise pumped into her headphones. I won’t say that his new love for watching the Price is Right has been very helpful though...

Books Read in 2011

1 The Help by Kathyrn Stockett

2 Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

3 Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

4 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

5 The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb

6 Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

7 The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

8 The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank

9 Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel

10 The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

11 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

12 Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

13 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

14 Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard

15 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

16 The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

17 House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

18 Dracula by Bram Stoker

19 Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs 

20 Northanger  Abbey by Jane Austen

21 Villette by Charlotte Bronte

22 Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs 

23 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

24 Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

25 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

26 Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs 

27 Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

28 Fablehaven 2: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull

29 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

30 Anthem by Ayn Rand

31 Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

32 Fablehaven 3: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull

33 The Shining by Stephen King

34 Fablehaven 4: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull

35 Fablehaven 5: Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull

36 Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

37 Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

38 Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I devoured this absolute gem in two evenings. Poor Greg had to deal with my running into our loft every 15 minutes to read excerpts from the book without much context of what was going on. I think my heart pounded through this entire novel--one of the most amazing reading experiences I’ve ever had. However, I realize this book will not be everyone’s cup of tea. This dystopia novel centers its story around a virtual reality environment called the OASIS and the ultimate game for the creator’s inheritance. Because of my childhood experiences with the Zelda Nintendo games and my massive playtime with World of Warcraft, this book filled with 80’s cultural references within an advanced MMORPG was just the perfect fit for me. 

BEST SERIES OF THE YEAR

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

I thought I didn’t like fantasy novels. I tried reading the first “Lord of the Rings” book after I saw the movie and it did nothing for me. This series is simply good, clean fun. And Mull is great at describing his exotic characters so that individuals like me, without much imagination, can actually picture what is happening at this reserve. 

BEST CLASSIC OF THE YEAR

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

I love Monte Cristo sandwiches, so I decided to read this on my kindle. I read the unabridged version, with 24681 kindle locations, was a daunting undertaking. To put that number into perspective, Hunger Games has 4700 locations. Completing this took me three weeks of intense reading to finish. When an author takes that much time to develop every character and situation in this revenge story, it is so much fun to see how everything weaves together so perfectly in the end. I have no idea how the book could be abridged, when it seemed like each mundane detail ends up being an important plot point later in the book. Beautifully constructed and written.

MOST ANTICIPATED (and didn’t disappoint)

The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb

I made Greg drive me to Barnes and Nobles the day this came out, and I bought the hardback at full price. I had been waiting years for a new Wally Lamb release, since “This Much I Know is True” is one of my absolutely most favorite books. However, if you look at the publish date of this book, you’ll find that it was released November 2008. So why such a huge delay in me finishing this book? I was about 100 pages into it when I broke my ankle--and following my surgery I was in too much pain to complete it. Then, I seemed to have a mental block about finishing it because I associated it with that period of time in my life that I don’t really like to revisit, so it sat sadly ignored on my shelf for years. I finally pulled it off the shelf and started from page 1--and it is another masterpiece by Mr. Lamb. A character driven story told from the perspective of a teacher whose wife is changed after enduring the trauma of the Columbine shootings. 

OTHER BOOKS I HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Shining by Steven King

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

BOOKS THAT WERE DUDS

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Thanks for reading! I am always, always, always looking for more book recommendations. Please let me know of your favorites and must-reads.