skrouhan's 2015 Category Challenge!

Hello fellow readers! I've been following the 2014 category challenge for a while now, and have decided to take the plunge in 2015. This will be my first ever Category Challenge, and I am super excited for January!

I plan to read 8 books in each category (2+0+1+5). I decided to base my categories off some of my favorite animated movies from childhood:

1. Beauty and the Beast: Bookworm Belle - New York Times Bestsellers
2. Up: Up, Up and Away - Traveling and new places
3. The Hobbit: There and Back Again - Known favorites (titles and/or authors)
4. Lion King: Hakuna Matata - Feel-good animal stories
5. Cinderella: A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Love stories
6. Alice in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit Hole - Fantasy
7. Toy Story: Straight from the Toy Box - Reliving childhood favorites and YA
8. Pocahontas: Steady as the Beating Drum - Female protagonists and/or authors
9. Snow White: Eating the Poison Apple - Good vs. evil I decided to join the HorrorKIT, so these books will go here!
10. Balto: Saving Lives - Health/Medicine
11. Winnie the Pooh: Hundred Acre Menagerie - A book with an appearance by any animal from Winnie the Pooh (either in the pages or on the cover)
12. 101 Dalmatians: Black and White and Read All Over - "Hot off the press" new books
13. Land Before Time: All About Yesteryear - NF histories or historical fiction
14. Charlotte's Web: Radiant, Terrific, Humble - The Classics
15. Little Mermaid: Whozits and Whatzits Galore - "shiny baubles" that catch my eye at work

Good luck to everyone else out there! More to come soon.... :)

Bookworm Belle - New York Times Bestsellers, either current or previous

Read:
1. Leaving Time - Jodi Picoult FINISHED 3/20/15
2. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn FINISHED 4/4/15
3. The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty FINISHED 4/26/15
4. Still Alice - Lisa Genova FINISHED 4/30/15
5.
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
The Buried Giant - Kazuo Ishiguro

Up, Up and Away - Traveling and New Places

Read:
1. Tokyo: Underground - Haruki Murakami FINISHED 1/28/15
2. Amazon Rainforest: The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey - Candice Millard FINISHED 4/2/15
3. The AT: A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson FINISHED 4/14/15
4. Australia: In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson FINISHED 5/25/15
5. Belgium: Cataloging the World: Paul Otlet and the Birth of the Information Age - Alex Wright FINISHED 9/30/15
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
Without Reservations - Alice Steinbach
People Who Eat Darkness -Richard Lloyd Parry

There and Back Again - New titles by favorite authors

Read:
1. Revival - Stephen King FINISHED 1/5/15
2. Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood FINISHED 1/30/15
3. What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty FINISHED 2/8/15
4. The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood FINISHED 2/15/15
5. MaddAddam - Margaret Atwood FINISHED 2/22/15
6. Go Set a Watchman - Harper Lee FINISHED 7/15/15
7.
8.

Possibilities:
Joyland - Stephen King
Ape House - Sara Gruen
The Long Walk - Stephen King
The Best Supernatural Tales of Arthur Conan Doyle - Arthur Conan Doyle

Hakuna Matata - Feel-good animal stories

Read:
1. We Bought a Zoo - Benjamin Mee FINISHED 4/4/15
2. The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein FINISHED 8/19/15
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
Babylon's Ark - Lawrence Anthony
An Unlikely Cat Lady: Feral Adventures in the Backyard Jungle - Nina Malkin
Dewey: A Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World - Vicki Myron
Alex & Me - Irene Pepperberg

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Stories about love, passion, relationships, marriage

Read:
1. The Paying Guests - Sarah Waters FINISHED 12/20/14
2. A Spool of Blue Thread - Anne Tyler FINISHED 8/5/15
3. Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng FINISHED 6/17/15.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins
Bel Canto - Ann Patchett
Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
Stardust - Neil Gaiman
If I Stay - Gayle Forman
Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

Down the Rabbit Hole - Fantasy

Read:
1. The Bone Clocks - David Mitchell FINISHED 4/25/15
2. Pines - Blake Crouch FINISHED 8/11/15
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time series, book 1)
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
Doomsday Book - Connie Willis
The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
Ella Minnow Pea - Mark Dunn
The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
Little, Big - John Crowley
Jackaby - William Ritter

Straight from the Toy Box - Reliving childhood favorites and YA

Read:
1. In the Night Kitchen - Maurice Sendak FINISHED 9/26/15
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
Harry Potter and the Socerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling. (Lets be honest, I'm probably going to end up reading the whole series...)
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version - Philip Pullman
The One and Only Ivan - Katherine Applegate
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Into the Woods - Stephen Sondheim
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle

Steady as the Beating Drum - Female protagonists and/or authors

Read:
1. Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty - FINISHED 1/1/15
2. Yes Please - Amy Poehler - FINISHED 1/12/15
3. Orange is the New Black - Piper Kerman - FINISHED 3/11/15
4. Let's Pretend This Never Happened - Jenny Lawson FINISHED 5/11/15
5. Luckiest Girl Alive - Jessica Knoll FINISHED 8/15/15
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Help - Kathryn Stockett
The Life of Elizabeth I - Alison Weir
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister - Gregory Maguire
Cinder - Marissa Meyer
The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman

Eating the Poison Apple - Good vs. evil HorrorKIT!

Here is the current schedule for the HorrorKIT... I hope to tackle 8 out of 12 months, at the very least.

January: Traditional/classic Gothic works
February: Supernatural
March: Victorian Gothic
April: Graphic novels & short stories
May: Women & non-English
June: Gothic Pulp & weird fiction
July: Hauntings/ghost stories
August: Psychological
September: Southern Gothic
October: Slasher/thriller
November: Light/humorous
December: Contemporary/modern Gothic

Read:
1. Supernatural February: Coraline - Neil Gaiman FINISHED 2/28/15
2. Graphic Novels April: Locke and Key - Joe Hill FINISHED 5/2/15
3. Short Stories April: 20th Century Ghosts - Joe Hill FINISHED 5/10/15
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
January: Traditional/classic Gothic works -- I decided to skip this month, as I've essentially read all of the traditional Gothic works I'm interested in! An acquired taste that, for the most part, I don't have.
February: Supernatural: NOS4A2, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Coraline, Spook, The Little Stranger
March: Victorian Gothic: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
April: Graphic novels & short stories
May: Women & non-English: Bellefleur, The Little Stranger
June: Gothic Pulp & weird fiction: something H.P. Lovecraft
July: Hauntings/ghost stories: The Small Hand & Dolly
August: Psychological: The Silence of the Lambs; American Psycho
September: Southern Gothic
October: Slasher/thriller: Bird Box (right category?)
November: Light/humorous
December: Contemporary/modern Gothic

Saving Lives - Health/Medicine

Read:
1. Dr. Mutter's Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine - Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz. FINISHED 6/17/15
2. The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly - Matt McCarthy FINISHED 6/29/15
3. Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science - Atul Gawande. FINISHED 9/21/15 A recommended reading from my husband's medical school.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer - Siddhartha Mukherjee
Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech's Brave New Beasts - Emily Anthes
The Poisoner's Handbook - Deborah Blum -- BB from LibraryCin

Hundred Acre Menagerie - A book with an appearance by any animal from Winnie the Pooh (whether in the pages or on the cover)

Read:
1. The Bees - Laline Paull - FINISHED 12/16/14
2. Mark of the Grizzly - Scott McMillion - FINISHED 2/3/15
3. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Kate DiCamillo - FINISHED 2/16/15
4. The Predator Paradox: Ending the War with Wolves, Bears, Cougars, and Coyotes - John Shivik FINISHED 5/28/15
5.
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
Wesley the Owl - Stacey O'Brien
Watership Down - Richard Adams

Black and White and Read All Over - "Hot off the press" new books

Read:
1. The Only Words Worth Remembering - Jeffrey Rotter - DROPPED 2/13/15. Read for Early Reviewers
2. The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins (BB from RidgewayGirl, alongside all the rave reviews from library patrons!) - FINISHED 3/15/15
3. The Stranger - Harlan Coben - FINISHED 5/7/15.
4. Missoula - Jon Krakauer FINISHED 6/13/15.
5. Finders Keepers - Stephen King FINISHED 6/23/15.
6. The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House - Kate Andersen Brower FINISHED 7/3/15
7.
8.

Possibilities:

All About Yesteryear - Historical fiction or NF histories

Read:
1. Fingersmith - Sarah Waters - FINISHED 1/18/15
2. The Museum of Extraordinary Things - Alice Hoffman - FINISHED 3/7/15
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
The Wives of Henry VIII - Antonia Fraser
The Memoirs of Cleopatra - Margaret George
The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers - Margaret George
The Seamstress - Frances de Pontes Peebles
The Beekeeper's Apprentice - Laurie King
All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
Life After Life - Kate Atkinson
Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel

Radiant, Terrific, Humble - The Classics

Read:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
1984 - George Orwell
Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll
Night - Elie Wiesel

Whozits and Whatzits Galore - "shiny baubles" that catch my eye at work, and book bullets

Read:
1. A Matter of Breeding - Michael Brandow - FINISHED 3/22/15 Early Reviewers
2. Dad is Fat - Jim Gaffigan - FINISHED 3/22/15
3. Food: A Love Story - Jim Gaffigan - FINISHED 3/24/15
4. Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel - (BB from RidgewayGirl) FINISHED 4/7/15
5. Inside the O'Briens - Lisa Genova - (BB from LittleTaiko) FINISHED 7/29/15
6.
7.
8.

Possibilities:
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry - Gabrielle Zevin
84 Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff
Underground - Haruki Murakami
Elizabeth is Missing - Emma Healey
Garlic and Saphires - Ruth Reichl - BB from RachelLeah

What a fun idea for your challenge! This is my first year in the category challenge as well. There are some very clever challengers in this group. I am looking forward to the first of the year when the reading begins. Meanwhile, here's to all of us: Cheers!

Great idea, great categories too. Good luck with your first year in the challenge. I look forward to popping in next year.

Welcome aboard! I love this setup! Will be following your Beauty and the Beast / 101 Dalmatians categories in particular. ;)

Love your categories! Hope you have a fun filled reading year!

Good luck with your challenge! I hope you will enjoy your first as much as I do.

So glad you're here this year. I hope you have a great time and enjoy lots of great books!

Welcome! Hope you enjoy your time with us. It can be addicting.

Welcome! That's a great theme - and love the illustrations!

Welcome to the Challenge, you've got a great theme going and I'm looking forward to seeing you fill your categories.

I've been too anxious to jump aboard the Category Challenge train, that I started early. Whoops! Oh well, I've rationalized this by telling myself since I'm new to this, it will probably be harder than I think, so I should get a few days (ahem, weeks...) head start. So, without further ado, my first 2015 challenge book!

A relatively lukewarm review, but ya gotta start somewhere...



The Bees by Laline Paull

Have you ever read a book where throughout the entirety of the novel you debate putting it down vs. seeing it through to the end? This was one of those books. The premise was interesting enough - Flora 717 is a worker bee born into the lowest caste, Sanitation, yet we immediately learn she is different from the others. Although loyal to the Queen, she is not as compelled by the "Accept, Obey and Serve" motto of the hive, and is able to do things that only the higher up classes can do. Through her rebellion, she is granted opportunities to explore different jobs of the hive, encountering various sorts of encounters and perils. Soon, she develops a dangerous secret that goes against everything she is allowed to do, forcing her to question the meaning of loyalty, devotion, and love. Although the beginning of the novel is ever so slightly reminiscent of Divergent, it doesn't stay that way for long.

Although there are clear threads that tie the entire plot together - which I won't spoil for the rest of you! - I felt like the novel jumped around quite a bit. At times, it seemed like Flora's role changes were simply a convenient way for the author to explore different aspects of a hive. While I did enjoy reading about the different kins and their responsibilities, and most of Flora's dangerous encounters (i.e. wasp fights, cunning spiders, etc.), the plot itself seemed a little jumbled.... I don't know, maybe I would have enjoyed it more if there were a few different character narratives. Honestly, there were times when I found myself enjoying the author's writing style more than what was actually going on in the plot... but something about Flora made me keep reading through to the end.

Laline Paull opens an interesting discussion on society and politics, repression, religion and hierarchy - and arguably even love - that I found intriguing, although certainly themes I've read before. The most creative and captivating thing about this book, in my opinion, is simply the amount of work that went into creating the bee environment.

In short: if unusual dystopian novels really tickle your fancy, I would recommend picking this one up. I think I'll stick with Atwood.

Don't blame you for wanting to get started. As a fellow newbie I'm chomping at the bit as well. The only thing holding me back is that I have one more book to finish in 2014. For a number of reasons I can't count it toward 2015 unless I don't finish it in December! Anyway, you're off and running!

Welcome, and good for you starting early. You aren't the only one who has! Great categories. I expect many book bullets.

There are a bunch of us who start early, so you're in good company :) I will be starting mine this weekend.

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit. Set in England in 1922, the story follows Frances, a 26 year old self-prescribed "spinster" who lives with her elderly mother. Due to their diminishing income, they decide to take in a young married couple as lodgers. As their lives begin to intertwine, a passionate relationship develops and Frances finds herself subject to secrets, both romantic and deadly, of her own and of her "paying guests."

This was my first novel from Sarah Waters, and it is clear that she excels in both character development and narrative. This is a hearty book, over 500 pages, and yet I found myself zipping through it in only a couple days. I will admit it probably could've been ~50-100 pages less... but that being said, it is definitely an enjoyable read. It isn't particularly fast paced, but the way Waters handles complex characters with intriguing interior motives and conflicts is worth reading. This is absolutely one of those books that will have you question, "What would I do?" especially in the second half.

I'm definitely interested in reading more by Waters, particularly those books that are even better reviewed (such as Fingersmith), as it seems those reviewers who often read her novels felt like there was something missing from this particular book. You may be seeing more from Waters in this challenge!

Great theme idea and welcome to the category challenge!

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Golly, did I enjoy this book! I picked it up on a whim, having never read Liane Moriarty before. The book follows three kindergarten moms - Madeline, a flashy, do-anything-for-your-friends type who is dealing with a rebelling teenager and life in the same town as her ex-husband; Celeste, a beautiful, wealthy woman with a seemingly perfect family life; and Jane, a newly-arrived single mom, desperately attempting to overcome her past while trying to fit in with this new community. When Jane's son, Ziggy, is accused of bullying another child, the entire community erupts. Lines are drawn and sides are taken - until someone ends up dead.

This is an incredibly fun read, yet focused on very serious topics. Moriarty has great style, and I enjoyed the reflection snippets from the various secondary characters in each chapter (meant to be taken from an interview with a journalist after the death). Although you learn very early on that someone is murdered, you don't learn who was killed, why, or who did it until nearly the end of the book - which was quite a hook! The book was filled with twists and turns - I was constantly changing my mind about what I knew or predicted about the murder. I simply couldn't put it down. I think I may have stumbled onto a new favorite author!

>32 skrouhan: - so excited to see your review as I'm about to start reading this for one of my book clubs. Loved The Husband's Secret so was already intrigued by her next book. Your review helped cement my interest.

>33 LittleTaiko: I'm glad my review helped! I think I ended up reading this one in a day and a half. I'll probably end up reading The Husband's Secret within the next few weeks - and I've heard good things about What Alice Forgot too!

Big Little Lies sounds like a fun read! I am always on the look out for fun books. Adding both the book and the author to my 'future fun reads' list!

Ohh, my first book bullet of the year! I am adding Big Little Lies to my wishlist.

I love your theme and categories, Sarah. I have Paying Guests somewhere, glad to hear you enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to following along.

I think your Categories are excellent! Belle is my favorite Disney Princess.....

The Paying Guests is on my radar, but it'll be a while before my number comes up at the library. I'm glad to know you enjoyed it!

Great start and fun theme; you had to do it, now I have THE song in my head : Hakuna Matata ! Mind you, I don't need a lot of incentive to sing it aloud at every opportunities :)

Well, I am dropping a star because you've already read and reviewed three books on my wish list!your reviews will help me sort out what to prioritize.

>38 Dejah_Thoris: Belle is my favourite too! :D

Thank you all for your wonderful welcome! I'm really enjoying this challenge so far, although deciding what to pick next has become a much harder task than it used to be! After enjoying The Paying Guests, I've decided to read another by Sarah Waters (Fingersmith) so I will be cracking that one open soon... I'm also waiting for a few of Liane Moriarty's novels to come back to the library. Seriously though, the number of books I have checked out is ridiculous.

>42 skrouhan: What's ridiculous for me at the moment is the number of books I have on hold! Oh well - it's good for my branch's circulation numbers.

Revival by Stephen King

Revival follows the life of Jamie Morton and his "fifth business," Charles Jacobs. Jamie is six when he first meets Charles, the new minister of his small New England town. Jamie soon bonds with Charles and his wife and son. When a tragedy befalls the Jacobs family, Charles ridicules religion, God, and the entire idea of a "greater plan," and is kicked out of the Church and town. As Jamie ages, he continues to bump into Charles, and learns he has become obsessed with what he refers to as his "secret electricity." Their fates become entwined with each other, with severely significant consequences for them both.

I'm not sure if this is a spoiler, but it is part of the story's ending: the novel is reminiscent of Shelley's Frankenstein, but with its own story and twists.

I've been a fan of Stephen King for quite a long time, but lately it feels like we are on a rollercoaster. His newer works have by and large disappointed me - and yet, some fantastic gems have arisen, too... I've heard good things about Joyland, and I loved Mr. Mercedes and 11/22/63. When someone at the library recommended Revival, saying she enjoyed it even more than Mr. Mercedes, I was pumped. The first quarter of the book was intriguing, and I was drawn in. Then, somewhere towards the middle, it completely lost whatever spark it first had. I put it down for a few days, hoping I would become more interested. The final disappointment was the completely predictable climax - it was just eh. All in all, it was not as good as I had hoped, and definitely not what you would expect from a writer like King.

Too bad about the latest King novel. I think the "rollercoaster" metaphor applies to his entire career. He is wildly inconsistent - I went through a big King phase in high school and remember ditching just as many of his books as I managed to finish. I love Salem's Lot, The Shining, and The Stand, but then I remembered picking up Firestarter, Thinner, Needful Things, and Cujo, and hating them all. I suppose you can't crank out one or two new books a year and always be amazing! On the plus side, it looks like his next book is a sequel to Mr. Mercedes.

Thanks for the review of Revival - I'll give it a pass.

I don't read much horror, so I've never been a big Stephen King fan. In fact, The Stand is the only one I've gotten through - I'm fond of a good plague book, lol. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy this one more.

Great theme and categories! I have a soft spot for animated movies. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite.
Big Little Lies sounds very interesting. It must be pretty popular. I just checked my library and there are 381 people on hold for the e-book edition.

Ok, Big Little Lies is going on my BB list. It sounds great. I have been tempted to read The Husband Secret too, but didn't get to it.

>45 Cait86: Yeah, I definitely agree with you about the rollercoaster of his career. I've certainly read some stinkers, even from his older years. Lately I feel like he has run out of material.

>46 Dejah_Thoris: It's funny that you've only ever gotten through The Stand - that one is such a huge undertaking!

>47 staci426: & >48 Roro8: Yeah, a lot of people have it on hold here too - luckily we have a "bestsellers" section which is first come, first serve! Of course, now that I'm interested in checking out The Husband's Secret, its checked out and has holds...just my luck!

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

For most people, I think you will either like it - or you won't. There's not much of a middle ground here, and I think this is sort of true for Amy Poehler's humor in general. If you find Amy Poehler funny, you will probably enjoy her memoir. If you can't really stand her, then what are you doing even picking it up?!

I'm in the Poehler camp, so I enjoyed her book. It is not like your typical memoir - it's more like a collection of essays, letters, thoughts and blurbs. I believe she self-prescribes it as a sort of "scrapbook" of her life. Some of her essays are sentimental, some are outrageous, and all of them have the Poehler touch. Because of that, it's not particularly cohesive. You can jump ahead, or go back. You can put it down, then pick it back up again a week later (although I don't know how you could, I read it from cover to cover in a day!). Some people might not like its format, but personally I think it works.

Some of my favorites include "Gimme That Pudding" (on not winning awards and performing bits with other nominees - lesson learned: George Clooney really is the best thing there is), "Plain Girl vs. the Demon" (about that little voice inside our heads telling us we are ugly/fat/fill-in-the-blank, something that really hit home for me), "Humping Justin Timberlake" (concerning SNL and special guest stars) - but honestly, pick it up, open it to any page, and you will get an enjoyable read.

In short, I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Poehler - check it out from the library, and take it on a plane ride or trip with you.

I will close with a few of her plastic surgery haikus:

"I have no idea
If you are angry or sad
Since you got fillers"

"Can I be honest?
You look like a lady from
The Broadway show Cats"

"Hey, shooting poison
In your face does not keep you
From turning fifty"

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Okay, so I very obviously picked this one up because I enjoyed reading The Paying Guests... but seriously, this book was incredibly good. Similar to my initial reaction to a novel by Sarah Waters, I do think she can be a bit wordy - this was another +500 page book, that probably could've been ~100 pages less. But the plot's twists and turns are so incredibly fabulous, you almost don't notice it.

In Fingersmith, the main character Sue is an orphan who is uniquely raised with loving care by Mrs. Sucksby, a baby farmer, in her house of thieves. When Sue is 17, they are visited by "Gentleman" - a successful con man who often stays at the house, and is well-liked by its residents. Gentleman has a proposal for Sue - if she can become a lady's maid to the "naive, country gentlewoman" Maud Lilly, and assist Gentleman in seducing Maud into marriage, Gentleman will share a portion of Maud's inheritance with Sue and the rest of the house. Once married, Gentleman will suggest his new wife Maud has gone mad, and bring her to an asylum - thus securing the entire inheritance for himself, and Sue. It seems like the perfect con - until things start to go wrong, and Sue has to decide how she feels, and what she really knows about those around her.

The recipe for this book would probably be something as follows:
A dash of love story
A sprinkle of gripping suspense
A gallon of Victorian Gothic, Dickensian atmosphere
A whole can of "I did NOT see that coming."

Definitely an engaging and enjoyable read - I may end up purchasing this one for my shelf.

And now I promise to give Sarah Waters a little break.... at least for the rest of the month ;)

>51 skrouhan: sounds like the perfect recipe. Reading your reviews is very dangerous for my Wishlist.

Your reading is about one month or two ahead of some of my book club reading! First it was Big Little Lies (which I loved) and now Yes, Please. You're definitely making me more and more interested in reading Sarah Waters too.

Glad to see that you loved Fingersmith. I thought it was fantastic when I read it. I am going to be reading The Night Watch by her next month as she is one of featured authors in the British Author Challenge, and i am really looking forward to it.

>52 Roro8: What a compliment! I see I've already given you a BB... seriously, it is so dangerous reading everybody's threads. My to read list is growing exponentially!

>53 LittleTaiko: That's a riot - what else is on the list? Let me knock them out for you ;)

>54 DeltaQueen50: I think Tipping the Velvet is next for me - have you read it?

So far I have only read Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, but Tipping the Velvet, in fact, all her works are planned for my future!

I'm planning to try Sarah Waters next month, but I'm not sure which one! Thanks for the great review.

>55 skrouhan: Ha! Well, here's the list so you can get started on your reading. :)

Neighborhood Book Club
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott
Birds/Frogs by Aristophanes
A Sudden Light by Garth Stein
An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Service League Book Club
The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
These is My Words by Nancy Turner
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Let the People In by Jan Reid

Theater Book Club
Jason and the Golden Fleece by Apollonio de Rodas
Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

>58 LittleTaiko: I've heard really good things about Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy. I checked it out today, so a review should be coming soon! :)

>51 skrouhan: - I plan on reading Fingersmith in February as part of the British Author Challenge. Your review and the 'recipe' you mention tells me I have something to look forward to!

I feel like I've been absent from this thread for weeks, although it really hasn't been that long! I did finish a few books, and will work on getting the reviews up here.

Before posting my first review, I just wanted to share what I've been up to this week.... making pickles! This is something I've never done before - never even seen done, the closest my family comes to canning is making the same raspberry jam over and over again - so I was nervous to do it. Of course, that meant checking out every single pickle book my library owns... all my coworkers are now calling me the "pickle lady." Could be worse!


Ta Da! Dill pickles!

I won't get to try them for another four weeks. Hopefully they don't grow some sort of bacteria in the interim.... Do any of you have experience making pickles?


Underground by Haruki Murakami

I picked up Underground as a recommendation by a coworker. She loved the book, and said it was in her Top 5. I am not quite as enthralled/passionate in all things Japan as she is, and knew very little about the Tokyo gas attacks. I decided to try it out, figuring that at the very least I could learn more about what happened. In short, while I am glad that I read it, I don't think I enjoyed it nearly as much as she did.

The author Haruki Murakami provides an interesting account of the viewpoints and perspectives of the various people involved in the attacks. The first half of the book (which I understand was first published as a separate piece) focuses on interviews Murakami gives of different passengers, subway workers, family members, and doctors/emergency personnel. The second half involves conversations with the terrorist group Aum.

I started out strong, but I think I lost a little steam when many of the interviews began to sound extremely similar - although I did appreciate the work Murakami put into the book to give each voice its own character/background. I found myself towards the second half of the book doing a little more skipping around and skimming the interviews. In my opinion, this is definitely a good book for someone interested in the Tokyo attacks specifically, or Japan culture in general.

I will say that what I found most interesting was how the victims' overall reaction - especially those from the passengers themselves - differed so much from what I would expect should something like this happen in the U.S. Many people "smelled something weird," (later determined to be the poison gas), but simply covered their noses and stayed in their seats - even when people on the same train began to exhibit severe physical ailments, passing out, losing sight, etc. A common observation was that nobody rushed to the exit - much to the frustration of the subway employees - and even when discovering they were going blind/having trouble breathing, their mentality was "oh well, I need to get to work." Even the medical response was lackadaisical (few/no ambulances, doctors having to learn about what is happening through TV only, etc.) although many people seem to be extremely irritated about that. In this regard, the book provided an interesting comparison in culture, especially with regards to emergency response.

I've never made pickles, I should though as we grew so many this year that most of them rotted on the bush. I hope yours taste great next month when you get to eat them. With all that research you did I doubt that you will be growing any bacteria. They look great.

>61 skrouhan: I can't recall ever making pickles myself but my mum and grandma have made tons of batches of pickled cucumber and I've never heard of bacteria growing in the jars. As long as the jars are squeaky clean when you fill them it'll be fine. Plus, it's (even) less risk than with jam because the ph-level is so low - very little survives that! (And stuff you put in the pickling fluid counteracts bacteria and stuff too - a lot of spices are antimicrobial and salt works against most things.

No pickle making in my background, but yours look wonderful!

My grandfather grew so many cucumbers we had to make pickles and they always lasted a full year with no problems. The main thing is to properly sterilize the canning jars.

>61 skrouhan: - Those look good!

>62 Roro8:, >63 PawsforThought:, >64 Dejah_Thoris:, >65 hailelib:, >66 lkernagh: - Thank you for your comments! I look forward to giving them a try in 4 weeks. I will let you know how it goes... I was extra careful with sterilizing the jars, so I'm pretty sure they should turn out okay... the question is going to be whether or not they taste good! I made half a batch with peppers, and half without. I'm curious to see how intense the spiciness gets.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

I will start by saying that I love Atwood, and so far have not read anything from her that I did not enjoy. Oryx and Crake is no exception, and I look forward to the remaining two books in the trilogy.

I don't want to give too much away, as I personally enjoyed stumbling on the various details and plot twists. So in an attempt at being vague: we meet Snowman, the narrator and only known surviving human being after a disaster destroys mankind. He is tasked with the care of the "Crakers," genetically altered beings that are essentially evolutionarily perfect. Primarily through flashbacks, we slowly learn what has happened to the rest of the world, who these "Crakers" are, and what role Snowman, Oryx and Crake played in all of it.

While the plot is very good, the way Atwood portrays the technological advances of the "near future," and how they affect humanity, is my absolute favorite thing about this book. She creates a very unsettling and all-too-real dystopia... slightly reminiscent of A Handmaid's Tale. In typical Atwood fashion, the writing is excellent. Some people do find Snowman irritating (lazy, annoying), and I definitely see where they are coming from - but he didn't bother me as much as he bothered others.

If this sounds at all interesting...if you are a fan of Atwood, or if you enjoy a good dystopian novel.... pick this up! Looking forward to reading #2!

“All it takes,” said Crake, “is the elimination of one generation. One generation of anything. Beetles, trees, microbes, scientists, speakers of French, whatever. Break the link in time between one generation and the next, and it’s game over forever."







Mark of the Grizzly by Scott McMillion

So I have this weird obsession with bears. I absolutely love them - I could (and have) watch them for hours. I'm also terrified of them. The only nightmares that I continue to have from childhood are ones where I am running from bears. On trips to Yellowstone, Glacier, or any national park with bears, I am both thrilled and horrified at the idea of seeing a bear. Its definitely a mixed relationship.

So of course, I had to pick up this book.

In each chapter, Scott McMillion begins by describing the circumstances surrounding a bear mauling. The who, the when, the where and (most times) the why are all discussed. He then attempts to address the larger issue, whether it has to do with human error (i.e., hiking quietly and alone) or controversial practices (i.e., does a bear develop a "grudge" if it is constantly trapped and relocated?). Although he attempts to be somewhat neutral, he clearly wishes his readers to have an understanding about why bear attacks happen, and what practices should be used to make the chances of a mauling significantly smaller.

The writing is very good. It was definitely a book I enjoyed reading. I would have rated the book higher if he spent a little more time discussing grizzly behavior, policies, and arguments - at times it felt like we were spending a lot of time discussing what the victims' bodies looked like - but I realize that many people are drawn to the gory details, and this may be a good way for McMillion to get more readers and thus promote his message to a wider audience. It's definitely not for the weak minded - I don't consider myself a squeamish reader, and I had trouble at a few parts. Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone interested in why grizzly attacks happen.

And for the love of god people, don't feed the bears!

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

This book is the second in the MaddAddam trilogy. Rather than picking up where Oryx and Crake left off the timeframe is roughly parallel to the first novel, and we are introduced to two new protagonists: Ren and Toby. In a similar style as Oryx and Crake (flashbacks), we begin to understand that the pandemic, and everything leading up to it, is much bigger than the events that took place in the first book - bigger than Crake's vision and Jimmy's world. We also learn more about God's Gardeners and MaddAddam. The book ends around the time where Oryx and Crake left off, although from a different perspective.

I was a little hesitant going into this one, since others seemed to like it less than the first. I do think I liked Oryx and Crake a little more - however, I think the characters in The Year of the Flood are more likeable, and the plot itself is great. Atwood does a great job weaving in little details that tie things to the first novel - details that only the attentive reader would pick up. Although you could probably read The Year of the Flood before Oryx and Crake (and some people have), I personally wouldn't recommend it. Although the plot lines themselves are not dependent on each other, there is information gleaned from the second book that can only be truly understood by those readers with a fundamental understanding of the world, the characters, and what happened in the first. And, honestly, I wouldn't give up those "Ah-ha!" moments I had while reading The Year of the Flood.

This book is more focused on religion than science, although not necessarily "religion" as we know it. Rather than worshiping a central God figure, the Gardeners see God in all life - plant, animal, insects. I admit that I did skim through Adam One's sermons/hymns (present in the beginning of each title section of the book, about a page and a half). I understand what Atwood was accomplishing by including this, but for me, it wasn't really necessary.

Some people may find this book a frustrating sequel, as it's linear nature provides no conclusion for the first book - but personally, this didn't bother me at all.

It just so happened I was at the right place at the right time - the third and final book of the series, MaddAddam, was on sale at my library for $2 on Saturday! Perfect timing. Looking forward to reading it next!

The Only Words that are Worth Remembering by Jeffrey Rotter

I also read The Only Words that are Worth Remembering for Early Reviewers. I made such an effort to finish this book, but in the end, I just couldn't do it. I really wanted to enjoy it - the premise seemed fun - but there is only so much time I can waste on dull books. Clearly Jeffrey Rotter is a good writer, and I would certainly try reading him again someday. But that is pretty much the only positive feedback I can provide. The plot is unfocused and rushed, the characters are unlikable. You get the impression that Rotter is trying too hard. Somewhere out there, someone might really enjoy this book. But it isn't me.

>69 skrouhan: I'm planning to read MaddAddam for the March SFFFCAT. Glad you enjoyed Year of the Flood!

>71 rabbitprincess: I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

What a sweet story! A moving tale about a somewhat self-centered china rabbit who becomes separated from the young girl who loves him. Over a number of years he encounters many different types of people, and slowly learns the importance of love. Although written for children, it's a wonderful quick read for adults.

I'm currently reading MaddAddam to finish up Atwood's trilogy, then I may pick up The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman!

MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood

I'm rating this book four stars because overall, it was a good read. The writing, as usual, was excellent; the characters were interesting and dynamic; the plot and backstories were enjoyable. However, that being said, overall I'm a little bit disappointed with this ending to the MaddAddam Trilogy. The first two books really seemed to be building up to a worthwhile ending - yet to me, the conclusion was very narrow and almost unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Where was Atwood's typical big-picture social commentary? What was the point of writing these books?

Also, in my opinion Toby's character took a new direction in this book. Her jealousy over Zeb intensifies, making her somewhat whiny and unlikeable. I just wanted to shake her and tell her to get ahold of herself! Additionally, I agree with other reviewers - how is it possible that the only people still alive all know each other? It just seemed a little unrealistic. This book is definitely more similar to The Year of the Flood than Oryx and Crake - so if you liked The Year of the Flood, you will at least enjoy the story that unfolds in this book.... and may possibly enjoy how the trilogy concludes. I was just hoping for something more.

Whole MaddAddam Trilogy:
3.5 Stars. Although I rated each individual book with a higher rating, taken as a whole I was disappointed with the storyline.

(If you are still curious about the book, take a look at rlycox's review for MaddAddam - it is perfectly worded, and echoes a lot of things I felt while reading the book.)

I open the pickles this week! I am really excited to see how they turned out!

Let us know how the pickles turned out! And I have got to get to the MaddAddam trilogy.

OFFICIAL PICKLE UPDATE!

I am so surprised - they turned out absolutely fantastic! I made two different "kinds" - ones with hot peppers and ones without. I can't really stomach spicy things, but my husband loves anything with a kick. Turns out I didn't put enough peppers in to make them actually spicy - they just have a little zing to them, and I actually like them more than the ones without the peppers. I also added grape leaves, which is supposed to help keep a crunch to the pickle - and it did! They are perfectly crunchy little pickle spears. I am so picky when it comes to pickles, and was really nervous I was going to dislike them - but they turned out to be my perfect pickle!

Hurrah! That's great! It is always gratifying when a culinary experiment turns out successfully :D

Your pickles sound delicious!

Congratulations! It's so much fun when one's experiments turn out so well.

I'm curious why the grape leaves keep them crunchy and were they fresh or preserved?

Congrats on the pickles! Like mamzel, I am intrigued that grape leaves help keep a crunch to the pickle.

>77 rabbitprincess:
>78 DeltaQueen50:
>79 -Eva-:
Thank you! I wish I could share them with you! It does feel really great when you are successful trying something for the first time.

>80 mamzel:
>81 lkernagh:
Apparently grape leaves inhibit the enzymes that make pickles go soft... although some say that removing the blossom ends also does this, and makes the addition of the grape leaves potentially unnecessary. Since I prefer my pickles super crunchy, I decided to do both just in case. The grape leaves I added were preserved, and I added 1-2 per jar.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Feeling neglected by her overworked parents, Coraline is thrilled when she discovers a secret doorway in her home that leads to what appears to be a parallel world, with her "other mother" who happily gives her the attention she has been missing. But Coraline soon learns that not everything is quite as it seems, and her "other mother" might not be quite as wonderful as she appears...

Although clearly written for an older children/young adult audience, Coraline was so delightfully spooky, it even gave me the creeps. It was a fast, fun read with a strong protagonist and a few life lessons learned along the way. It definitely has many elements of the horror genre, and although the storyline is dark, the way Gaiman writes allows the story to be slightly tamer than it would be if written for adults. The handful of illustrations were frightening.

I ended up watching the movie after finishing the book, and definitely found the movie more "kid-friendly" (and less enjoyable) than the book... but certainly worth a watch, if you enjoy the book.

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

Although a story about love, The Museum of Extraordinary Things is not really a love story. In fact, the main characters do not properly meet until over 230 pages into the book (I forget the exact page number, but I remember being surprised!) Instead, it is a novel about people - from the main characters Coralie and Eddie, to the museum's "freaks," hardworking immigrants, the wealthy, the poor...all sorts of early 20th century New Yorkers. I completely agree with the synopsis in the book that, "With its colorful crowds of bootleggers, heiresses, thugs, and idealists, New York itself becomes a riveting character" This to me was the most interesting part of Hoffman's storytelling.

The plot occurs roughly between two extraordinary fires in 1911. We follow Coralie, a young woman who has been raised in the Museum of Extraordinary Things on Coney Island. Due to a disfigurement she has had since birth, she is forced to become a mermaid on display at the museum. We also follow Eddie, a Russian immigrant who has a troubled relationship with his father, not to mention a fairly sizable chip on his shoulder. Eddie is an amateur photographer who is good at finding people, and is hired to look for someone's daughter after the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.

I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of this book at the library, but I must say, I was somewhat disappointed with it. Although a strong start, about halfway through I found myself losing interest. The character development was strong, the plot was ok... but somewhere along the way it just lost me. One thing that really bothered me was that it is love at first sight for the two main characters - two characters who, until that point, felt they would never find love. But then, they lay eyes on each other and BAM. Not much work put in there. Also, narration in each chapter flip-flops between Coralie and Eddie - which is something I enjoy in a book - but at times, it felt like there were details being hammered into us again and again, as if Hoffman believed we completely forgot about them from the previous chapter(s). Overall, I just felt sort-of meh for most of the second half.

If you particularly enjoy Hoffman, you might enjoy this book. It certainly isn't horrible. It just didn't do it for me.



Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Let me preface my review by saying that:
1) I studied criminal justice in undergrad, so the subject matter obviously interests me and
2) I was told by many friends that the book was nothing like the show - most of my friends were very disappointed that the book focused so little on characters they love. I knew not to expect appearances from Crazy Eyes, Red, Taystee, Pennsatucky, etc. However, after reading the book, you do find the source of inspiration for these characters, so they aren't completely absent from the memoir.

Overall, I think the memoir was good. The writing can be a bit random at times - it often felt like I was bumping from story to story, rather than having a complete, well-rounded chapter. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Piper, so I had to put it down for a few days at a time - I just got tired of listening to her.

Keep in mind, this is not a fully accurate portrayal of life in prison, so if you are looking for something more fact-based, there are plenty of other books out there better than this one. She definitely nails it on the head when she says that she is incredibly lucky for the support system that she has, and the ease for her re-entry... her experiences in and out of prison are unique, and certainly not representative. But, if you are looking for something a little on the lighter side that discusses life in a federal prison, give this one a whirl.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I picked this one up after hearing all the rave reviews, and I'm glad I did! The Girl on the Train was exactly what I needed: a real page-turner, something to keep me up at night reading. Gives a "Gone Girl" vibe, but definitely has its differences. Probably not a "favorite" book, but definitely one I would recommend to others.

Although the book follows three women - Rachel, Megan, and Anna - the book primarily focuses from Rachel's point of view. Struggling to deal with her recent divorce and unemployment, Rachel finds solace in two things: alcohol, and watching the same beautiful couple from the train as she passes by their perfect home. When Rachel sees the wife, Megan, kissing another man, she becomes emotionally invested in the situation - and when Megan goes missing, Rachel feels like she holds the key to the entire mystery. The only problem - the night Megan went missing, Rachel was utterly, black-out wasted, and can't remember what, if anything, she did/saw. To make matters worse, Rachel's ex-husband Tom and his wife, Anna, live just down the street from Megan. The relationship between Rachel and Tom did not end well, and Anna views Rachel as a violent drunk and a threat to her family (which is not entirely unfounded). Any conversations or appearances by Rachel are viewed as hostile.

I actually enjoyed that the characters in the book are all flawed. As a reader, you want to like the protagonist - but in The Girl on the Train, it's hard to fully like Rachel. Rachel is dangerous. She's unreliable. She's a jealous, crazy, obsessive drunk. In a similar vein, Megan is self-absorbed and selfish; Anna is a smug, snobby bitch. These women are certainly far from perfect, and it can be a little hard to sympathize with the characters. Yet for some reason, it worked for me.

The writing is good, the plot is great, and the fact that Rachel is such an untrustworthy witness adds another level to the novel that I really enjoyed. I will admit that I figured most of it out by the middle of the book, but I had fun seeing it through to the end. I look forward to seeing what Paula Hawkins does next.

>85 skrouhan:, so your review has finally pushed me to reserve this popular book from my library. I am number 123 on the list of people waiting. Lucky there are 21 copies, so maybe in about 3 months I will get my hands on it.

>86 Roro8: It definitely seems like a lot of people are hesitant to read this one because its so popular... but I definitely liked it. Luckily it's on our "bestseller" list, so the copies are first-come, first-served! Otherwise I probably wouldn't have gotten a copy for months either! I hope you enjoy it :)

A Matter of Breeding by Michael Brandow

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I was very happy to receive it through Early Reviewers, as it is definitely up my alley. I've worked with a variety of animal rights non-profits, and consider myself well educated regarding the damage produced by breeding "pedigree" dogs. I enjoyed learning more about the history of breeding, and hearing Brandow's well-stated arguments. I definitely fall into the "never buy from a breeder" category.

However... I do have a few problems.

For starters, this book is very well-written for those readers who have similar sentiments to Brandow; yet given his strong feelings regarding this issue, I feel like this book would go further in influencing the opinion of others if it was slightly less dry and more user-friendly for the average dog owner. He is very quick to point fingers at who is responsible for the problems we have today, but less focused on discussing the actual problems at hand and proposing solutions. At times, he is simply being snarky and argumentative. The beginning/end of the book feel stronger than the middle, and there were many times where he was simply repeating himself from earlier chapters.

In short, Brandow clearly knows what he is talking about, and he makes some very valid points. However, if he cares about enacting any sort of actual change, he needs to turn his book into something that will be more easily picked up... with a lot less blame, and a lot more significance for our dogs.

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan

I just love Jim Gaffigan. Honestly, I prefer clean humor to the more common offensive/sexual humor, and Jim Gaffigan nails it. He can make me laugh so hard about camping, bowling, or yes even HOT POCKETS, so that I have drink coming out my nose. When I realized he had not one, but TWO books at my library, I jumped on them. It took me about a day and a half to get through them both.

These books are great. Actually, these books are fantastic. I would love to give them five stars, because honestly, Jim Gaffigan is laugh out loud hilarious. Obviously, I knew Jim Gaffigan and his humor before reading these, so I could hear him telling the jokes in each of the chapters/essays. That being said, if you DON'T know Jim Gaffigan, you may or may not find these as wonderful or funny as I do.

The reason I couldn't bring myself to give these books five stars, aside from the fact that my enjoyment might stem partly from being familiar with his joke-telling demeanor, is because some of the jokes are actually word-for-word from his stand up. I understand re-using material, and I probably would do it too. But as a reader, I found a few chapters needed a little refresher.

I also thought Dad is Fat was slightly better than Food: A Love Story. I don't know if this is because Dad is Fat was his first book, if he put less energy into the second book, or because it was about his family rather than food. Whatever the case may be, I definitely laughed out loud more with Dad is Fat.

>89 skrouhan: Death pockets!

Well, I have a little updating to do here! It's amazing how quickly you can fall behind in reviewing. My husband had his spring break from medical school this past week, so we decided to take a vacation and camped around in Georgia. We primarily stayed on Cumberland Island and the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. It was our first time going to both, and we had a fantastic time!


Our campsite while kayaking in Okefenokee.

Of course, I didn't let a vacation keep me from my books! I was able to read a few while on vacation, to keep on top of my challenge.



Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

I always enjoy reading Jodi Picoult. Although this was not necessarily one of my all-time favorites, it was an enjoyable read with the classic Picoult twist. In this story, we follow thirteen year old Jenna Metcalf, who decides to actively search for her mother, Alice, a elephant researcher who has been missing for ten years. She enlists the help of a psychic, as well as the detective who was originally on the case. Overall, I thought the majority of the book was good, but not her best. Picoult's style seemed slightly different than usual, although I couldn't quite put my finger on why. I admit that I did not see the ending coming, so this was probably the best twist for me. I do believe I actually gasped, so that's a good sign! Somewhere between 3.5-4 stars.

The River of Doubt by Candice Millard

We listened to this audio book during our camping trip - it was certainly a fitting tale for our adventure! The book focuses on Theodore Roosevelt's journey in the Amazon, where he successfully attempts to navigate through uncharted territory known only as the River of Doubt. What a story! Even though I knew he would survive, the facts are so amazing, you simply can't believe some of the things that occurred. Definitely a page turner. The only downside for me was a few sections where the author went into elaborate background detail for unrelated (or semi-related) concepts, which I selfishly admit I enjoyed when I cared about the topic, and was slightly bored when I didn't care as much. With regards to the audio - we both really enjoyed this particular narrator. He has a good speaking voice, and did a great job differentiating between the characters.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Okay, I know this book gets a lot of hype, but it is so good! I actually did something I try very hard not to do - I watched the movie first (gasp!) to see if I cared to read the book. That's how concerned I was about all this hype. And despite the fact that the movie starred Ben Affleck, who I personally do not enjoy watching (although he fit this role perfectly), I really enjoyed the film. And the book is (of course) even better. The plot is just so insane, and I'm fairly certain I drove my husband up the wall with how much I talked to him about it. I will say that you will despise almost all of the characters in this book, and if that is something that drives you crazy, you will not enjoy the experience of reading this. I can't wait to read more from Gillian Flynn!

We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee

I also "read" this via audio book. As far as audio books are concerned, the narrator was just ok. Who knows, with a better narrator I might have enjoyed it a little more. But overall, it was a good story about Benjamin Mee and his family, and their unusual purchase of a rundown zoo in England. There were certainly heartwarming moments, particularly when Benjamin talked about his wife, Katherine, or the animals. He spends the majority of the book discussing the hard work that went into fixing and renovating the zoo, in an attempt to regain their license. It was a nice story, and I look forward to watching both the movie and the BBC special.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Yes, it is an apocalypse book, and we've all certainly read enough of those (I mean heck, didn't I just review the Maddaddam trilogy?!). But something about this particular novel is a bit different. For starters, when dealing with the pandemic it focuses slightly less on the "why" and more on the "what now" for many of the characters, which was refreshing. It also had nothing to do with zombies - not that I don't enjoy a good zombie book, but it seems nowadays they are constantly hand-in-hand. The main characters are well developed, and I like that the book focuses more on the characters and their emotions and reactions to their environment (whether pre- or post-apocalypse). The timing of the chapters keeps you on your toes - one chapter focuses on the day of the pandemic, the next chapter, it's twenty years later, and the characters themselves tie it all together. There are so many themes and nicely written passages. Not to mention, I loved the idea of a traveling symphony. The only downside for me was that the ending just seemed to happen - it was almost anti-climactic. But that being said, I'm still glad I read it and would definitely recommend it.

Looks like you had a great vacation! :) I have Candice Millard's Destiny of the Republic on the TBR and keep meaning to read it. The River of Doubt sounds interesting too.

Sounds like you had a wonderful trip and read some great books. I felt the same way about Gone Girl and thought it was an excellent book. I am not a big fan of Ben Affleck either, but I had no trouble picturing him in the part of the husband.

The twist in Leaving Time got me too. I also think that this was a bit different to her other books. I think this is due to the nature of that twist we are talking about. As for Gone Girl, I am in agreement with you. Another great book. I am tempted to read others by Gillian Flynn but I'm not sure if they will be just as good or a disappointment.

Beautiful shot of your campsite! Good review of Station Eleven and "Yey" for no zombies! Makes for a refreshing apocalypse experience. I am still not sure about Gone Girl as it fits the type of book that takes me outside of my comfort reading zone. ;-)

>92 rabbitprincess: Thank you! I've heard good things about Destiny of the Republic, so it's also on my TBR. Once you get around to reading it, if you enjoy Candice Millard's writing voice, I would definitely suggest trying The River of Doubt!

>93 DeltaQueen50: Right?!! There's just something about Ben Affleck that screams Nick to me. He was pretty close to perfect for the role.

>94 Roro8: Yeah, the twist was the best part of the book in my opinion. I personally haven't read any other Gillian Flynn books, but a very close friend finished Dark Places and is currently in the middle of Sharp Objects. Her general opinion is that they are also good, but not quite as good as Gone Girl. I will probably give her other books a shot at some point - there is just wayyy too much on my current TBR!

>95 lkernagh: Thank you! It was a beautiful spot and had plenty of wildlife to keep us amateur photographers busy. I enjoyed reading your review of Station Eleven - you're right, it is so refreshing to not have zombies. I also agree with what you said about calmness - I felt the same, but couldn't quite put a finger on it as well as you did! I'm glad you enjoyed her other books, and I might have to give them a try - do you have a favorite between The Singer's Gun and Last Night in Montreal?

>91 skrouhan: Your campsite and also the surroundings look beautiful!

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

A fun memoir by Bill Bryson, detailing his experience hiking the AT. This was an enjoyable (and often hysterical) read, and something I buzzed through pretty quickly. I had a slightly different expectation going into the book - I thought he was a "thru hiker," and did the entire trail all in one go, but he actually was a section hiker who ended up accomplishing less than half of the trail (which is still an incredible feat, something I highly doubt I will ever do, and I consider myself a pretty avid hiker). Bryson also packed his book full of interesting and historical facts, although at times they dragged his narrative a bit. Personally, I found part one to be a lot better than part two. Definitely a book I would recommend to anyone interested in the AT, or hiking trips in general.

>91 skrouhan:
What a beautiful place to camp!!

How were the mosquitoes? I seem to be the main course whenever there are any to be found.

>100 mamzel: You know, we actually had very little issues with mosquitoes for the entirety of our trip! I'm not sure if it was because we went so early in the year or if we just got lucky. At the site in the picture above, we actually had what seemed like hundreds of dragon flies, so they probably ate most of the pesky mosquitoes. There was only one night during the week away that we even noticed the presence of mosquitoes, and it really wasn't bad. I'm not sure if people visiting in June will have quite the same experience!

>96 skrouhan: - I preferred Last Night in Montreal but they are both good stories.

Welcome May!

It's been a bit since I've last checked in, but as the weather warms I'm finding it harder and harder to be indoors! I took a few days off to visit my family in NH/MA last weekend, and am now catching up on spring cleaning. I have a few pots I need to get plants in this week, and my husband and I have made the decision to get a dog so we are also puppy proofing the house! Busy busy!



Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

Amazon Summary:
Following a fight with her mother over her boyfriend, fifteen-year-old Holly Sykes slams the door on her family and her old life. But Holly is no typical teenage runaway: A sensitive child once contacted by voices she knew only as “the radio people,” Holly is a lightning rod for psychic phenomena. Now, as she wanders deeper into the English countryside, visions and coincidences reorder her reality until they assume the aura of a nightmare brought to life. For Holly has caught the attention of a cabal of dangerous mystics—and their enemies. But her lost weekend is merely the prelude to a shocking disappearance that leaves her family irrevocably scarred. This unsolved mystery will echo through every decade of Holly’s life, affecting all the people Holly loves—even the ones who are not yet born.

After hearing a LOT about this book from various reviewers here, I decided to give it a shot. Having never read a book by David Mitchell before, 600+ pages was certainly a big first bite - but now I see what all the fuss is about! Mitchell's writing style is incredibly unique and engaging. I really like the structure - six novellas that could be considered somewhat independent from each other, but with interweaving threads that combine into one fantastic book. I think the entire premise of the novel was creative, although some parts of the plot were more interesting than other parts. It took me a minute to really get into the battle (the 5th section), but overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I will probably pick up Cloud Atlas at some point.

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

Amazon Summary:
Imagine your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not only the life you have built together, but the lives of others as well. And then imagine that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive…
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything—and not just for her. There are other women who barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they, too, are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.

After reading Big Little Lies and loving it, I finally got around to picking up The Husband's Secret. A lot of people seem to prefer The Husband's Secret over her newer book, but I happen to disagree. Although I really quite enjoyed this one, it didn't have as much of a surprise factor for me as Big Little Lies. I had a hunch pretty early on that Rachel was going to end up taking matters into her own hands and go after Connor, so that wasn't much of a surprise for me... and although I didn't know that Polly was going to end up getting involved, I assumed there would be other consequences involving Rachel's choice. Although the "secret" was obvious to me in the beginning, it was fun watching the path Cecilia took to get there. Overall though, this is definitely a book I would recommend to others, especially those interested in this type of fiction. It is a quick, easy read that is entertaining until the very end.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Amazon Summary:
Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty years old, she’s a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children. When she becomes increasingly disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her life—and her relationship with her family and the world—forever.

I completely, absolutely recommend picking this one up. I love that the narrative is from Alice's point of view - which makes the book slightly more heartbreaking, but genuine. It is definitely a light book on a heavy subject - something that will be quick and easy to finish, but will stay in your thoughts for a while afterwards. Genova does a great job showcasing different reactions family and friends have towards the disease, as well as from a personal level as someone going through it. If you know anyone who has gone through this (or something similar), it would be a particularly good read (but grab the tissues). I actually wrapped this one up for my mother for this mother's day, as her mother went through a very similar illness and passed in August.

The Stranger by Harlan Coben

Amazon Summary:
The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world. Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life. Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne’s deception, and realizes that if he doesn’t make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he’s stumbled into will not only ruin lives—it will end them.

I picked this one up on a whim in my library's Bestseller section. Harlan Coben is one of those authors I see around a lot, but never feel inclined to pick up... until this one. Although the plot was a bit predictable at times, and I didn't have any *gasp* moments, I will say this was an enjoyable thriller. Good for a summer read.

Wow, you just read four books that I've read and enjoyed, especially Still Alice. Great reading!

Some excellent reviews there. I think you've just given me the final nudge to read Still Alice.

>104 LittleTaiko: Yes! I had a very good reading week. Still Alice is definitely one of my all-time favorites.
>105 Roro8: Do it! It's such a quick read, if I remember correctly its under 200 pages (hardcover).

I just read her latest - Inside the Obriens and it's a very close second to Still Alice for me out of her novels.

>107 LittleTaiko: Adding that to my TBR list! :)

Things have certainly been busy around here. Meet our new little one, Kili!



Kili is a "borador" (Border Collie/Lab mix) and is 14 weeks old. We adopted her on 5/16, and what a handful she has been! Obviously, my reading has fallen a bit to the wayside... but she's worth it :)

A quick update regarding the few books I have been able to get to....

I was able to finish 2 books for the April HorrorKIT. The theme was short stories and graphic novels, so I did one of each: 20th Century Ghosts and Locke and Key, both by Joe Hill.



20th Century Ghosts - Joe Hill

I really enjoyed this short story collection. As with most collections, I liked some stories better than others - but I have to give props to the author for his creativity/originality with all of them. Personally, my favorites include:

Best New Horror - an editor trying to track down the author of a unique horror story. I particularly enjoyed the way it ended.
20th Century Ghosts - a somewhat sad story about a haunted movie theater
Pop Art - a unique tale about a boy and his best friend, who happens to be inflated
Last Breath - a museum of last breaths (predictable ending, but a unique concept!)
Voluntary Committal - what might happen when a cardboard fort becomes something more...

Many of the stories do not actually fit the horror genre, so if you aren't big into horror, this is still a worthwhile gem to pick up. I admit, I did notice that all of the stories in the edition I checked out were all male narratives, if that sort of thing bothers you.


Locke and Key - Joe Hill
I read the first volume in this graphic novel series. After their father is murdered in their California home, the three Locke children move to Massachusetts with their mother to start anew. Little do they know, the house has plans for them...

Other reviewers have called this a "shockingly violent supernatural thriller," which I think is pretty much spot on. The premise is good, and the artwork is phenomenal. The only issues I have with it are personal - I just have a hard time truly getting into graphic novels.

--

I was also able to get to three books for the category challenge -



Let's Pretend This Never Happened - Jenny Lawson

I picked this book up on a whim - I thought the cover was silly, and the summary sounded good. Oh. My. God. This was a HYSTERICAL book! I knew absolutely nothing about the author or her blog, and let me tell you - I have been missing out. This memoir is now one of my all-time favorites.There were so many crazy, hysterical, LAUGH OUT LOUD moments for me. Now, for full disclosure, I will admit that there were a handful of times where I felt like Jenny was trying a bit too hard to be funny (or perhaps, was slightly showy about how funny she is...) - but I am more than willing to overlook those moments for all the times she made me genuinely enjoy reading her book. I would highly recommend this memoir for a good laugh (just don't say I didn't warn you if you decide to drink while reading it). I will certainly pick it up again.



In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson
I decided to give Bill Bryson another try, as I enjoyed his writing style in A Walk in the Woods. In this travel memoir, Bryson heads to Australia, providing readers with his experiences and a bit of history concerning a country that (the author argues) goes fairly "unnoticed." Unfortunately, I had such high hopes for this book, but my expectations seem to have fallen flat. While the narration is good, and the history of the country is interesting to read about, I am so disappointed by the meat of Bryson's personal experiences. In my opinion, the bulk of the personal portion of his book is simply him wandering from town to town, trying to find pubs and decent hotels. Although he does spend some time sharing the information he learns about in various museums/displays/etc., I was hoping for more about his experience traveling in the country. I give him credit for going to the Great Barrier Reef, but the experience he shares is essentially him sputtering about like he is drowning, deciding he is unable to snorkel, and sunbathing instead. Seriously?!! Although he talks about the wildlife, he doesn't go out of his way to see any of it himself. He doesn't really spend any time in the Bush, or with Aborigines - although he does give the history of these subjects. All in all, a disappointment. I guess I was expecting something more.



The Predator Paradox - John Shivik

I received this book for Early Reviewers, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Another full disclosure moment: in case you haven't already noticed, I am a little biased when it comes to books with animal topics. I have worked for a number of non-profits dealing with animal rights, welfare and conservation, so keep that in mind when reading my reviews! ;-) When I picked this book up, I was expecting an argument that was dry, uncreative, and offering little in the terms of solutions. I thought the author would focus on what we were doing wrong, and not what we could do to fix the problem in a realistic way. I could not have been more wrong. I was pleasantly surprised by the ease with which I was able to understand the material - yes, the text is not as captivating as it could be, and that is certainly its biggest fault, but it is definitely digestible to the average reader. I would argue that in order to be picked up by the ideal audience, it should be rewritten to be slightly more engaging (it sometimes reads a bit like a thesis or journalistic paper). BUT, that being said, Shivik knows what he is talking about in this book. He lays it all out - the problems with our current relationship with predators (wolves, bears, cougars, and particularly coyotes), current solutions developed for predator management, and the issues with those solutions. He offers hands-on ideas and ways we could tackle this paradox, and talks about the different factors that go into the "war" concerning our co-existence. It was an excellent and informing read.

A few passages that I enjoyed (and subsequently bookmarked and read to my husband):

"Another western bumper sticker reads, 'Earth First! We'll log the other planets later.' Why would someone with such a sentiment care about trophic cascades? Why would this person care about loss of species, other than species with economic value? Ecological arguments are irrelevant in such a context. All hope is not lost, however. The chasm between the various camps is not too wide to cross, but reaching solutions will require an acknowledgement of, and respect for, the idea that other value systems may be as valid as one's own. We must acknowledge our own internal biases too."

(After discussing study findings indicating that bears will return to the same spot over and over, even if unrewarded each time after the first)
"Bears learn and remember well. Cabin owners and campers should remember this: people have to leave food out only once. It could be a forgotten bag of pet food on the porch or bits of meat on the grill. If a bear finds the food and eats, then stopping the bear from returning is far more difficult than just cleaning up the next time."

"The researchers also came to understand that coyotes that killed sheep were also better at avoiding human control methods. Coyote control preferentially removed the "good" coyotes, but left the repeat offenders, and the most destructive coyotes had become the most difficult to kill...the number of coyotes that were removed had no correlation with lamb loss; predation continued regardless of widespread removal until the actual culprit was taken."

Awwww! Adorable! What a sweet face.

Your new puppy is very cute. I hope she is being a good girl and not chewing on your books ;-)

I want one!! What a cool mix. I predict a really smart pup.

Kili is adorable, but I can imagine quite a handful right now. My favorite dog ever was my father-in-law's border collie, they are so intelligent. And labs are simply born to be loved. Enjoy your puppy.

Oh, she's so cute!!! Happy dog days!

Puppy!!! So cute! :)

>109 skrouhan:
Oh, my goodness, what a wonderful lump of cuteness overload!!!!

Wow, what a whirlwind summer! It has been absolutely ages since I've checked in last. We have had so many guests visiting and various trips, plus the puppy to top it all off! I can't believe how fast its flown by.

I've tried to keep up with my reading, although it has been with a slightly slower pace than usual! Over the next week or so I will try to update my thread with my summer reading reviews.

I hope you all had an equally wonderful summer, and I will visit your threads to see what you've all been up to! I'd love to hear what has been your favorite book over the past few months!

Great to see you back. I've had a number of great reads this summer so far with top marks going to the classic crime story, Before the Fact and just this weekend, I really enjoyed the coming-of-age graphic novel, This One Summer.

Looking forward to those reviews! :) This summer I've been indulging in mysteries, particularly of the Scottish kind, and historical fiction. The Poldark series is my latest discovery.

Nice to see you back! I've been reading a lot of science fiction and fantasy the past couple of months. The Goblin Emperor was one book I really enjoyed.

A few reviews to get this party started! Here are books about people that I really enjoyed this summer:



Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng

Adapted from Amazon:
“Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos. A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.

I can see why people are raving about this book. For those readers who prefer novels that are more about the characters and less about the plot, this is definitely a book for you. I found it to be a quick read, certainly something that could be read on the beach or while traveling.

The book follows the Lee family, a Chinese/Caucasian family in 1970s Ohio. After discovering their teenage daughter's death, each member of the family tries to handle/cope with the loss, and the dark truths that are subsequently revealed about themselves and each other. Family dynamics and racial tension are some of the overarching themes.

My favorite thing about this beautifully written novel is just how human it feels.



Inside the O'Briens - Lisa Genova

Adapted from Amazon:

Joe O’Brien is a forty-four-year-old police officer from the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts. A devoted husband, proud father of four children in their twenties, and respected officer, Joe begins experiencing bouts of disorganized thinking, uncharacteristic temper outbursts, and strange, involuntary movements. He initially attributes these episodes to the stress of his job, but as these symptoms worsen, he agrees to see a neurologist and is handed a diagnosis that will change his and his family’s lives forever: Huntington’s disease. Huntington’s is a lethal neurodegenerative disease with no treatment and no cure. Each of Joe’s four children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting their father’s disease, and a simple blood test can reveal their genetic fate. While watching her potential future in her father’s escalating symptoms, twenty-one-year-old daughter Katie struggles with the questions this test imposes on her young adult life. Does she want to know? What if she’s gene positive? Can she live with the constant anxiety of not knowing?

I have to agree with other reviewers of this book - Lisa Genova's newest book is bit disappointing when compared to Still Alice. Perhaps I would've found it more compelling if I had read it first, and didn't have Still Alice to compare it to. The characters were somewhat mediocre, and the setup felt very similar to Still Alice, yet it seemed like Genova didn't really express the full horror that is Huntington's Disease. Personally, I wanted her to delve deeper into it.... the disease itself felt less important than the discovery of the disease and the decision to get tested or not. I liked that we got to see two sides to the story - the father, who originally is diagnosed, and the daughter who has to deal with the diagnosis and decide whether to get tested herself. Overall, it was a good book, but not quite as good as Still Alice.



A Spool of Blue Thread - Anne Tyler

Adapted from Amazon:
The Whitshanks are one of those families that radiate togetherness: an indefinable, enviable kind of specialness. But they are also like all families, in that the stories they tell themselves reveal only part of the picture. Abby and Red and their four grown children have accumulated not only tender moments, laughter, and celebrations, but also jealousies, disappointments, and carefully guarded secrets. From Red’s father and mother, newly arrived in Baltimore in the 1920s, to Abby and Red’s grandchildren carrying the family legacy boisterously into the twenty-first century, here are four generations of Whitshanks, their lives unfolding in and around the sprawling, lovingly worn Baltimore house that has always been their anchor.

I actually liked this book more than I thought I would. I tend to lean towards plot-oriented novels, and this is very much a character-driven book. In fact, I would argue that almost nothing happens in the book, aside from witnessing the few ups and downs of life. Perhaps I picked it up at just the right moment, and was in just the right mood. I simply enjoyed reading about the Whitshank family. This is a family that is ordinary, unremarkable - yet I relished in the partial truths and the family dynamics Tyler put forward. As the novel progresses, we jump earlier and earlier in time - and I clung on to every conversation, every situation. I totally breezed through this book, a book that I almost didn't bother picking up. The writing quality had a lot to do with my enjoyment, so I guess I should keep my eyes out for more from Anne Tyler!



The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House - Kate Andersen Brower

Adapted from Amazon:
America’s First Families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the President and First Family.
...
Combining incredible first-person anecdotes from extensive interviews with scores of White House staff members—many speaking for the first time—with archival research, Kate Andersen Brower tells their story. She reveals the intimacy between the First Family and the people who serve them, as well as tension that has shaken the staff over the decades. From the housekeeper and engineer who fell in love while serving President Reagan to Jackie Kennedy’s private moment of grief with a beloved staffer after her husband’s assassination to the tumultuous days surrounding President Nixon’s resignation and President Clinton’s impeachment battle, The Residence is full of surprising and moving details that illuminate day-to-day life at the White House.

A detailed look into the lives of those who work behind the scenes in the White House, from chefs and florists, to butlers and maids. I found this to be a very interesting read, very Downton Abby. I particularly enjoyed learning about the steps that go into transition from president to president, something I had never really given much thought. This is not a "nag on the weird habits of former presidents," in fact I would almost argue that the loyalty shown by current and previous employees lend the stories to be too positive and probably sugarcoated. Overall though, I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic or the Upstairs/Downstairs dynamic.

Looks like some good reading so far this summer!

>120 mathgirl40: I've heard good things about that one! It's on my TBR list. For some reason its never on my mind when I'm ready to pick up a new book.

Happy to see that you liked Everything I Never Told You - the most perfectly named book.

Too bad that you didn't like Inside the O'Briens more since I loved it. As yiu said, it's no Alice, but it is my second favorite of hers.

>124 LittleTaiko: I really waffled between 3.5 and 4 stars for Inside the O'Briens... I think what did it for me was the way she tackled the disease. I feel like with Still Alice, I got a better understanding of the disease and how it affects a person. With the O'Briens, I feel like I understood more about how it tears into someone's life and their family, but only in the first section with Joe did I really feel like it tackled the disease, its symptoms, and how this affects someone. Granted, part of this might be because with Alice, we saw the start to end of the disease, but we didn't with Joe. It also could do with the fact that we switched between Joe and Katie, two people in very different life stages. But overall, it left me wishing I knew more about Huntington's and I don't think that's what Lisa Genova intended. That being said, I would still recommend anyone who liked Still Alice to try Inside the O'Briens.

I also have to admit, I have a personal connection with Alzheimer's, and I don't with Huntington's. So that probably doesn't help.

(Also, shame on me for comparing these two books - if I was an author, I would hate that!)

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

I agree with a lot of the reviewers on this one. I despised the main character, Ani. She is shallow and self-obsessed, definitely not someone I would spend any time with in real life. And yet, I still ended up reading the book in a day. I absolutely do not think it deserves to be compared with Gone Girl, or Girl on the Train, but it is certainly an interesting, fast-paced debut novel. Although I ended up predicting most of the events/"twists," I still enjoyed reading them...although after the "secret" is revealed, the narrative lags a bit.

One comment I'll make, although I don't know if others will agree, is that I felt like the ending was a little out of character. While Ani ultimately bettering herself and becoming a more worthwhile human being is a fabulous way to end her story, her sudden self-redemption during her wedding makes no sense to me. She has been obsessed with how people think of her from childhood, not to mention judgmental and superficial are engrained in her personality. It would be one thing if it was all an act, but as a reader I truly felt like deep down, this is who Ani is, and I just don't think it would be so easy or simple for her to completely turn her life around.

Overall, a fun summer read, if nothing else. I think Jessica Knoll certainly has what it takes - now we just have to wait for her to really give it some oomph!

Pines by Blake Crouch

I picked this book up after a friend insisted I read it. Although I am not nearly as obsessed with the story as my friend, I will admit it is a very intriguing idea for a novel, and it sucked me in immediately. It is very hard to discuss this book without giving anything away (and part of the fun is figuring out what the hell is going on) - so I won't say too much, for fear of ruining it!

Essentially, Ethan Burke is a Secret Service Agent who travels to Wayward Pines, Idaho, in order to locate two federal agents who went missing. However, immediately upon arriving in Wayward Pines, he is involved in a serious accident. He awakens in a hospital with no ID or cell phone, and the staff seems odd. He leaves, hoping to quickly discover what happened to his colleagues, but gets more questions than answers. Why can't he reach his family, or anyone else outside of Wayward Pines? What is the purpose of the electrified fences surrounding the town? Why can't he leave?

My primary reservation with this book is the writing style. It is a bit clunky and novice, and certainly wouldn't win any awards. But it was a fun summer read, and I will probably read the rest of the trilogy!

Missoula - Jon Krakauer

Adapted from Amazon:
A DOJ report released in December of 2014 estimates 110,000 women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four are raped each year. Krakauer’s devastating narrative of what happened in Missoula makes clear why rape is so prevalent on American campuses, and why rape victims are so reluctant to report assault.

Acquaintance rape is a crime like no other. Unlike burglary or embezzlement or any other felony, the victim often comes under more suspicion than the alleged perpetrator. This is especially true if the victim is sexually active; if she had been drinking prior to the assault — and if the man she accuses plays on a popular sports team. The vanishingly small but highly publicized incidents of false accusations are often used to dismiss her claims in the press. If the case goes to trial, the woman’s entire personal life becomes fair game for defense attorneys.

In Missoula, Krakauer chronicles the searing experiences of several women in Missoula — the nights when they were raped; their fear and self-doubt in the aftermath; the way they were treated by the police, prosecutors, defense attorneys; the public vilification and private anguish; their bravery in pushing forward and what it cost them.

This is the second book I've read by Krakauer. I continue to be impressed with how thoroughly he researches his topic, providing readers with an addicting page-turner of a book. Having studied domestic violence and rape in college, most of the information presented in this book was not new to me - although I did learn a lot about the specific situation in Missoula, and how horribly it was handled. Although Krakauer isn't necessarily unbiased in his journalism, I think he does a good job of at least acknowledging the other side of the story. This is a must-read for anyone planning to attend/enrolled in college.



The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly - Matt McCarthy

Adapted from Amazon:
This funny, candid memoir of McCarthy’s intern year at a New York hospital provides a scorchingly frank look at how doctors are made, taking readers into patients’ rooms and doctors’ conferences to witness a physician's journey from ineptitude to competence. It offers a window on to hospital life that dispenses with sanctimony and self-seriousness while emphasizing the black-comic paradox of becoming a doctor: How do you learn to save lives in a job where there is no practice?

Being a wife of a medical student, I was very interested to read a memoir about someone's intern year (possibly preparing myself for the road ahead!). I enjoyed reading about the struggles in turning academic understanding into actual practice, as this is something I am already very familiar with (ask a room full of medical students if there's a medical professional in the room, and they will all step back and say, "uhh...."). Dr. McCarthy accurately portrays the stress and pressure medical interns experience, and is able to describe the overwhelming nature of medicine in a voice that is funny and easy to read. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read, and I'm glad I picked it up!

>121 skrouhan: You liked the Tyler book better than I did.

>128 skrouhan:, I'm glad you liked The real Doctor will see you shortly as much as I did. He certainly wrote in a very readable style.