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1dianestm
Was having trouble loading the first page so I figured it was time to get a second thread started.
My first thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/52763
My first thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/52763
2dianestm
Book No. 98
Red Rage by Brigitte Blobel
4 stars
Sometimes 15-year-old Mara loses control. She strikes out at people, then runs. Often, she can't recall what she's done. She knows losing control is dangerous, but she also feels that somehow the rage protects her, making her invincible.
Then she meets Tibor, a sweet guy who's not put off by her attitude or her messed-up home life. There's also a teacher at school who sees a better future than Mara's ever imagined for herself. The teacher even gets Mara a volunteer job in a preschool.
But the anger is never far away. The day Mara spots Tibor on his motorcycle with another girl, the rage takes over. Mara tracks the girl down and beats her senseless.
Horrified, Mara finally seeks help for her behavior. But salvation isn't that simple. The injured girl is Tibor's sister. Devastated by the news, but determined to make amends, Mara takes her first steps toward a life free of violence.
Filled with raw emotion and unflinching honesty, Red Rage is a vivid portrait of one teen lost in a vortex of her own violence.
Red Rage by Brigitte Blobel
4 stars
Sometimes 15-year-old Mara loses control. She strikes out at people, then runs. Often, she can't recall what she's done. She knows losing control is dangerous, but she also feels that somehow the rage protects her, making her invincible.
Then she meets Tibor, a sweet guy who's not put off by her attitude or her messed-up home life. There's also a teacher at school who sees a better future than Mara's ever imagined for herself. The teacher even gets Mara a volunteer job in a preschool.
But the anger is never far away. The day Mara spots Tibor on his motorcycle with another girl, the rage takes over. Mara tracks the girl down and beats her senseless.
Horrified, Mara finally seeks help for her behavior. But salvation isn't that simple. The injured girl is Tibor's sister. Devastated by the news, but determined to make amends, Mara takes her first steps toward a life free of violence.
Filled with raw emotion and unflinching honesty, Red Rage is a vivid portrait of one teen lost in a vortex of her own violence.
3Whisper1
Red Rage sounds like a very powerful book.
You have read 98 books thus far in 2009! WOW! That is incredible!
You have read 98 books thus far in 2009! WOW! That is incredible!
5alcottacre
Found you and starred you!
6girlunderglass
just starred you - I'm a lurker on your thread, haven't really said mch - but I do read it :)
8dianestm
Book No. 99
Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
3 stars
Parker Fadley used to be the perfect high achieving student, head cheerleader and popular. Something happens to change all this and Parker takes the destructive route. She starts drinking, steals from her boyfriend and tries to kill herself.
This story begins with Parker being put on suicide watch by her parents, and the school counsellors have set very strict conditions that she must abide by if she wants to graduate. As the story progresses we slowly begin to understand what has happend to Parker to make her self destruct. Of course it comes complete with the predictable meltdown conculsion.
This was an okay read but I found it very similar to Speak which I thought was better written.
Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
3 stars
Parker Fadley used to be the perfect high achieving student, head cheerleader and popular. Something happens to change all this and Parker takes the destructive route. She starts drinking, steals from her boyfriend and tries to kill herself.
This story begins with Parker being put on suicide watch by her parents, and the school counsellors have set very strict conditions that she must abide by if she wants to graduate. As the story progresses we slowly begin to understand what has happend to Parker to make her self destruct. Of course it comes complete with the predictable meltdown conculsion.
This was an okay read but I found it very similar to Speak which I thought was better written.
9dianestm
Book No. 100
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
4 stars
Alice is 15 years old. She has not always been Alice. Until she was 10 she was a happy little girl living with her family. When she is 10 she is abducted and forced into a life she does not want. Now that she is getting to old, Ray tells her that she must help him find her replacement. Alice knows that when this happens Ray will kill her. While at the park, looking for a replacement, she encounters someone that is able to help her situation.
This is a horrible but compelling story. Horrible because unfortunately in the world, situations like this occur. All through the book you are rooting for Alice to get out of the situation she finds herself in.
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
4 stars
Alice is 15 years old. She has not always been Alice. Until she was 10 she was a happy little girl living with her family. When she is 10 she is abducted and forced into a life she does not want. Now that she is getting to old, Ray tells her that she must help him find her replacement. Alice knows that when this happens Ray will kill her. While at the park, looking for a replacement, she encounters someone that is able to help her situation.
This is a horrible but compelling story. Horrible because unfortunately in the world, situations like this occur. All through the book you are rooting for Alice to get out of the situation she finds herself in.
12Cauterize
Hey! Just saying I found your new thread. I've been lurking for awhile and I'm enjoying your reviews.
13loriephillips
Congratulations on book 100. Living Dead Girl sounds really heavy. I'll have to check it out.
15dianestm
Book No. 101
The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman
4 stars
The nameless narrator is a librarian, has just moved from New Jersey to Florida when she's hit by lightning - not a metaphorical bolt from the blue, but a full-wattage flash that leaves her bald and colour-blind.
Encouraged to join a self-help group for recovering patients, she learns about Lazarus Jones, a fellow strike victim rumoured to have survived 40 minutes without a heartbeat. Irresistibly drawn to a man who has cheated death, the librarian drives to his home she discovers a 25-year-old loner with eyes the colour of ashes.
The last half of the book details her redemption where she begins to thaw and ends up making sense of life.
The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman
4 stars
The nameless narrator is a librarian, has just moved from New Jersey to Florida when she's hit by lightning - not a metaphorical bolt from the blue, but a full-wattage flash that leaves her bald and colour-blind.
Encouraged to join a self-help group for recovering patients, she learns about Lazarus Jones, a fellow strike victim rumoured to have survived 40 minutes without a heartbeat. Irresistibly drawn to a man who has cheated death, the librarian drives to his home she discovers a 25-year-old loner with eyes the colour of ashes.
The last half of the book details her redemption where she begins to thaw and ends up making sense of life.
16alcottacre
#15: That one looks very good. I will put it on the Planet. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane.
18dianestm
I agree with Whisper, Alice Hoffman is great.
Book No. 101
Irish Chain by Earlene Fowler
3 1/2 stars
The second book in the Benni Harper Mysteries. Love the way that Benni spars with Gabe and the eccentric characters. Very easy to read.
Book No. 101
Irish Chain by Earlene Fowler
3 1/2 stars
The second book in the Benni Harper Mysteries. Love the way that Benni spars with Gabe and the eccentric characters. Very easy to read.
19alcottacre
I am a big fan of the Earlene Fowler Benni Harper series. I hope you continue to enjoy them, Diane.
20loriephillips
I've got The Ice Queen on the TBR pile and need to bump it up. I've yet to read a book by Alice Hoffman that I didn't like.
21dianestm
#20. I'm with you there. I have really taken to Alice Hoffman. I am about the start on The Story Sisters. Will let you know what its like.
22Whisper1
I haven't heard of The Story Sisters. Is this her latest? Thanks for the post regarding this book.
I've read all, but this one.
I've read all, but this one.
23dianestm
#22. The Story Sisters is published in 2009. Its next on the pile and the expectation is all good.
24dianestm
Book No 103
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
3 stars
Richard Mayhew is an ordinary young man working in London, with a fiancee, Jessica, a small flat and a life more-or-less figured out. Everything in his life is turned upside-down when he stumbles across an injured girl on the footpath who asks for his help. By involving himself in her life, her world, he becomes invisible in his own. He gets caught up in her mission to find out why her family was murdered and who wants her dead.
I thought it was just ok. It is fast-paced and peopled with numerous eccentric characters. I grew to like Door, and even Richard. The book itself is a bit predictable at times, but not enough to spoil it.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
3 stars
Richard Mayhew is an ordinary young man working in London, with a fiancee, Jessica, a small flat and a life more-or-less figured out. Everything in his life is turned upside-down when he stumbles across an injured girl on the footpath who asks for his help. By involving himself in her life, her world, he becomes invisible in his own. He gets caught up in her mission to find out why her family was murdered and who wants her dead.
I thought it was just ok. It is fast-paced and peopled with numerous eccentric characters. I grew to like Door, and even Richard. The book itself is a bit predictable at times, but not enough to spoil it.
25dianestm
Book No. 104
The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman
4 1/2 stars
Elizabeth, called Elv, Meg and Claire Story live with their mother in a small town on Long Island. Their parents are in the middle of a bad divorce, and it has affected the girls deeply. When they were young children, Elv (whose nickname connotes the fairy-like elves) created a fairy tale world, Arnelle, which had its own language. It slightly concerned their mother Annie when they would continue to speak this language, even as they grew out of childhood. Annie's mother Natalia warns her that this behavior could isolate the girls from the real world.
The sisters are so close that they sleep in the same bedroom, and are each other's best friends. The horrors of the real world intrude on the girls of Arnelle when a bad man hurts Elv, who braveley saves the younger Claire from his clutches. They never tell anyone about that day, not even Meg. This bad thing, and her reluctance to tell her mother, causes Elv to act out.
Elv begins to believe "that evil repelled evil, while good collected it", and she is determined to become evil in order to expel it from her life. She uses drugs, becomes promiscuous, steals- everything a young woman with low self esteem does to dull her pain. Meg is angered by her sister's behavior, but Claire vows to remain loyal to Elv. Elv's behavior breaks the bonds of sisterhood she so tenderly nurtured.
This is a moving, haunting novel that will make you cry. There is so much sadness, so many tragic things that happen, but ultimately it is a story about sisters who learn to let love into their lives.
The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman
4 1/2 stars
Elizabeth, called Elv, Meg and Claire Story live with their mother in a small town on Long Island. Their parents are in the middle of a bad divorce, and it has affected the girls deeply. When they were young children, Elv (whose nickname connotes the fairy-like elves) created a fairy tale world, Arnelle, which had its own language. It slightly concerned their mother Annie when they would continue to speak this language, even as they grew out of childhood. Annie's mother Natalia warns her that this behavior could isolate the girls from the real world.
The sisters are so close that they sleep in the same bedroom, and are each other's best friends. The horrors of the real world intrude on the girls of Arnelle when a bad man hurts Elv, who braveley saves the younger Claire from his clutches. They never tell anyone about that day, not even Meg. This bad thing, and her reluctance to tell her mother, causes Elv to act out.
Elv begins to believe "that evil repelled evil, while good collected it", and she is determined to become evil in order to expel it from her life. She uses drugs, becomes promiscuous, steals- everything a young woman with low self esteem does to dull her pain. Meg is angered by her sister's behavior, but Claire vows to remain loyal to Elv. Elv's behavior breaks the bonds of sisterhood she so tenderly nurtured.
This is a moving, haunting novel that will make you cry. There is so much sadness, so many tragic things that happen, but ultimately it is a story about sisters who learn to let love into their lives.
26alcottacre
#25: Great review, Diane. I will look for that one!
27Whisper1
Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors.
Thanks for your excellent review! I've already added this one to my tbr pile.
Thanks for your excellent review! I've already added this one to my tbr pile.
28loriephillips
I'm another Alice Hoffman fan. The Story Sisters sounds like a good one and I'm adding to the wishlist. Thanks for the excellent review.
29Whisper1
We must not be in the minority regarding Alice Hoffmann. I am #16 on the waiting list at my local library for The Story Sisters.
30dianestm
Book No. 105
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
3 1/2 stars
Mia has everything to look forward to, a promising cellist education, a loving family and boyfriend. On a snow day her family takes the opportunity to visit family when tradegy occurs.
Mia has an out of body experience where she sees her dead parents and follows herself being transported to hospital, operated on and visited by family.
During the course of this book, Mia recounts her life and the struggle to make a decision - should she follow her family or stay.
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
3 1/2 stars
Mia has everything to look forward to, a promising cellist education, a loving family and boyfriend. On a snow day her family takes the opportunity to visit family when tradegy occurs.
Mia has an out of body experience where she sees her dead parents and follows herself being transported to hospital, operated on and visited by family.
During the course of this book, Mia recounts her life and the struggle to make a decision - should she follow her family or stay.
31dianestm
Book No. 106
Forever by Judy Blume
3 stars
Katherine meets Michael at a New Years Eve Party where the instant attraction takes hold. Katherine and Michael think that their love will last forever and they eventually decide to have sex. At least Katherine does the responsible thing and takes steps to ensure she practises safe sex.
When summer approaches, Katherine's father decides that she must take a 7 week summer job and Katherine and Michael are separated. During this time Katherine comes to realise that there are other people in the world that she is attracted to.
The main characters appear very shallow, as you would expect from 17 year olds, and the storyline is very average.
As I was very tired, this story was about all I could manage to read, not something to read if you want to think.
Forever by Judy Blume
3 stars
Katherine meets Michael at a New Years Eve Party where the instant attraction takes hold. Katherine and Michael think that their love will last forever and they eventually decide to have sex. At least Katherine does the responsible thing and takes steps to ensure she practises safe sex.
When summer approaches, Katherine's father decides that she must take a 7 week summer job and Katherine and Michael are separated. During this time Katherine comes to realise that there are other people in the world that she is attracted to.
The main characters appear very shallow, as you would expect from 17 year olds, and the storyline is very average.
As I was very tired, this story was about all I could manage to read, not something to read if you want to think.
32alcottacre
#31: I think I will give that one a pass. I hope your next read is better for you.
33dianestm
Book No. 107
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
5 stars
An absolutely wonderful book. The characters are so realistic, the letters are both sad and funny. A gem of a book that was hard to put down.
Thanks to everyone on LT who recommended this book.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
5 stars
An absolutely wonderful book. The characters are so realistic, the letters are both sad and funny. A gem of a book that was hard to put down.
Thanks to everyone on LT who recommended this book.
34alcottacre
#33: One of my favorite reads last year! Glad you enjoyed it.
35avatiakh
#31 I read Judy Blume's Forever last year after reading about it in Everything I needed to know about being a girl I learned from Judy Blume. Back when it was first published in the 1970s it was fairly controversial and it continues to get banned in the US. There is a good article here about the book. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/jun/08/booksforchildrenandteenagers.sarahcr... I had read her children's fiction but none of her teen books but my youngest daughter has been reading everything by her.
I also loved reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and passed my copy to my mother who also loved it.
edit: touchstones
I also loved reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and passed my copy to my mother who also loved it.
edit: touchstones
36dianestm
Thanks for the link Kerry, it was an interesting article. Very controversial book to have published 30 years ago. I can understand why it was banned back then. My mother would of had a fit if I read something like Forever back then.
37dianestm
Book No. 108
Kansas Troubles by Earlene Fowler
4 stars
The 3rd book in the Benni Harper Myster series. As with each book I am enjoying the characters more and more and the mystery is quite good as well.
Kansas Troubles by Earlene Fowler
4 stars
The 3rd book in the Benni Harper Myster series. As with each book I am enjoying the characters more and more and the mystery is quite good as well.
38dianestm
Book No. 109
Missing Sisters by Gregory Maguire
3 1/2 stars
Alice is an orphan in the care of loving nuns. When she is sent to camp she discovers that there is another girl just like her with another name, Miami. She convinces a novice to give her the contact details of Miami and then when she gets an opportunity she manages to get to Miami's house.
Miami has been adopted twice. Has a younger brother, two sisters and a baby on the way. There is no way the Shaw's can adopt another child. Alice and Miami spend time together getting to know each other.
This story is all about family and how important our families are. This is a lovely feel good story.
Missing Sisters by Gregory Maguire
3 1/2 stars
Alice is an orphan in the care of loving nuns. When she is sent to camp she discovers that there is another girl just like her with another name, Miami. She convinces a novice to give her the contact details of Miami and then when she gets an opportunity she manages to get to Miami's house.
Miami has been adopted twice. Has a younger brother, two sisters and a baby on the way. There is no way the Shaw's can adopt another child. Alice and Miami spend time together getting to know each other.
This story is all about family and how important our families are. This is a lovely feel good story.
39dianestm
Book No. 110
Vision in White by Nora Roberts
4 stars
I enjoyed this one. This is a fun light read. Absolutely fell totally in love with Carter! This book made my day, I had a grin on my face nearly the whole time I read it. Great internal and external dialogue with both Carter and Mac.
I thought Mac's character at times was brilliant. I thoroughly cheered when she finally took her stand and I totally related to her hurt feelings. It is never easy to confront someone you love with your own boundaries. To know that your feelings matter. I just loved this whole storyline. I also totally enjoyed the dialogue and interactions between the 4 friends at Vows.
This is a great fast read. Not one of NR's in depth or intense books but a great read all the same. Am now looking forward to the next in the series.
Vision in White by Nora Roberts
4 stars
I enjoyed this one. This is a fun light read. Absolutely fell totally in love with Carter! This book made my day, I had a grin on my face nearly the whole time I read it. Great internal and external dialogue with both Carter and Mac.
I thought Mac's character at times was brilliant. I thoroughly cheered when she finally took her stand and I totally related to her hurt feelings. It is never easy to confront someone you love with your own boundaries. To know that your feelings matter. I just loved this whole storyline. I also totally enjoyed the dialogue and interactions between the 4 friends at Vows.
This is a great fast read. Not one of NR's in depth or intense books but a great read all the same. Am now looking forward to the next in the series.
40Whisper1
110 books? WOW, congratulations.
I always enjoy visiting your thread. And, I agree with you regarding The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I loved it!
I always enjoy visiting your thread. And, I agree with you regarding The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I loved it!
41dianestm
Book No. 111
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
4 1/2 stars
Everything should be great for Lauren, she's going out with Dave, a guy who's perfect in every way. What's more, he's absolutely devoted to her. So why does she feel so strange around Evan, a boy from her complicated past? Slowly Lauren starts to realise that she's been holding back, that when she's with Evan everything feels different and she likes the person she is around him.
I loved the central premise of this book - the way that many relationships are not what they seem on the surface, both for Lauren and the supporting characters. It's unusual to read about a boy character who's so consistently respectful and nice to everyone around him, the way that Dave is, but it still came across clearly that he wasn't right for Lauren. Lauren's friendship with Katie was also very interestingly developed. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Lauren gradually began to understand relationships and make new friends.
Overall, a very good easy read.
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
4 1/2 stars
Everything should be great for Lauren, she's going out with Dave, a guy who's perfect in every way. What's more, he's absolutely devoted to her. So why does she feel so strange around Evan, a boy from her complicated past? Slowly Lauren starts to realise that she's been holding back, that when she's with Evan everything feels different and she likes the person she is around him.
I loved the central premise of this book - the way that many relationships are not what they seem on the surface, both for Lauren and the supporting characters. It's unusual to read about a boy character who's so consistently respectful and nice to everyone around him, the way that Dave is, but it still came across clearly that he wasn't right for Lauren. Lauren's friendship with Katie was also very interestingly developed. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Lauren gradually began to understand relationships and make new friends.
Overall, a very good easy read.
43dianestm
Book No. 112
Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott
4 1/2 stars
Meet Danielle. (Or Dani). Though if you were to meet her yourself, she would probably be using a different name. Danielle and her mother are professional burglars. Her mom raised her daughter to be a criminal, a thief. Silver rules their lives.
It wasn't necessarily easy to make a thief a sympathetic heroine. Though eighteen, Danielle has spent her whole life being manipulated, crafted and trained to do her mother's bidding. Danielle knows that her life is wrong. She's aware that this is the last thing she should be doing. She wants a normal life, a normal family, a normal everything. She just doesn't know how to break away from her mother. She doesn't know how to say no, to reject this lifestyle without rejecting her mother.
Life is complicated. Danielle learns this perhaps for the first time when she and her mom enter the town or community of Heaven. This is the first place where Danielle gets a glimpse of what life could be or should be. A glimpse of what it would be like to have a friend, to have a boyfriend.
It was a good, solid read.
Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott
4 1/2 stars
Meet Danielle. (Or Dani). Though if you were to meet her yourself, she would probably be using a different name. Danielle and her mother are professional burglars. Her mom raised her daughter to be a criminal, a thief. Silver rules their lives.
It wasn't necessarily easy to make a thief a sympathetic heroine. Though eighteen, Danielle has spent her whole life being manipulated, crafted and trained to do her mother's bidding. Danielle knows that her life is wrong. She's aware that this is the last thing she should be doing. She wants a normal life, a normal family, a normal everything. She just doesn't know how to break away from her mother. She doesn't know how to say no, to reject this lifestyle without rejecting her mother.
Life is complicated. Danielle learns this perhaps for the first time when she and her mom enter the town or community of Heaven. This is the first place where Danielle gets a glimpse of what life could be or should be. A glimpse of what it would be like to have a friend, to have a boyfriend.
It was a good, solid read.
44judylou
Hi Diane, I'm finally catching up with your thread. As usual you have loads of very interesting books on your list. I have had your No 100 book on my tbr list for some time now and have recently added your no 105 book. Apart from those two, I have added a few others from your list too! I am enjoying your reviews.
45alcottacre
#112: That one looks good! Thanks for the recommendation.
46mckait
I too like Hoffman. Your review does a lot more for the book the the description at Amazon. I will have to read this one too...
some really great reviews here Di
some really great reviews here Di
47dianestm
Book No. 113
Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott
4 stars
Hannah is a 17 year old girl trying to be invisible in school. She has an aging playboy father who only wants contact with her when his reality show needs a ratings boost, and a mother that is content to host an internet chat site dressed in her underwear.
Something, Maybe is the a love story, but it's not just a romance. It's a story about loss, family, acceptance and forgiveness.
I was totally drawn in to Hannah's world. When Hannah feels frustrated with her father, I felt frustrated. When she was upset, I was upset and when she was happy I cheered with her. I really emotionally connected with the story and the characters.
Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott
4 stars
Hannah is a 17 year old girl trying to be invisible in school. She has an aging playboy father who only wants contact with her when his reality show needs a ratings boost, and a mother that is content to host an internet chat site dressed in her underwear.
Something, Maybe is the a love story, but it's not just a romance. It's a story about loss, family, acceptance and forgiveness.
I was totally drawn in to Hannah's world. When Hannah feels frustrated with her father, I felt frustrated. When she was upset, I was upset and when she was happy I cheered with her. I really emotionally connected with the story and the characters.
48alcottacre
#113: Sounds like a terrific book. I will look for that one. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane!
49Whisper1
Ditto what Stasia said. I like your comments about the way in which you connected to Hannah.
50dianestm
Book No. 114
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
4 stars
I initially found this book to be absolutely repulsive - the narrative was suffused with this sense that something was hideously wrong, and the devices that Anderson was using to describe narrator Lia's reality hinted at a disturbing mania. As it turns out, this is exactly right - Lia's sense of self was damaged even before her former best friend Cassie died alone and in pain. Their partnership was a deathly one; both girls aspired to be the skinniest as they struggled to grasp their way into adolescence, both traumatized by events from the past. Lia's choice was starvation. Cassie's was purging. Now that Lia is left to pursue the goal alone, ghosts rise up unbidden and voices haunt her days and nights. The loudest and most horrific is, of course, Cassie reminding her that they have a pact and that she is waiting for Lia between the veil of this world and the next.
Anderson does an incredible job of portraying mental illness and eating disorders, opening a door for readers into the inner hell of sufferers.
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
4 stars
I initially found this book to be absolutely repulsive - the narrative was suffused with this sense that something was hideously wrong, and the devices that Anderson was using to describe narrator Lia's reality hinted at a disturbing mania. As it turns out, this is exactly right - Lia's sense of self was damaged even before her former best friend Cassie died alone and in pain. Their partnership was a deathly one; both girls aspired to be the skinniest as they struggled to grasp their way into adolescence, both traumatized by events from the past. Lia's choice was starvation. Cassie's was purging. Now that Lia is left to pursue the goal alone, ghosts rise up unbidden and voices haunt her days and nights. The loudest and most horrific is, of course, Cassie reminding her that they have a pact and that she is waiting for Lia between the veil of this world and the next.
Anderson does an incredible job of portraying mental illness and eating disorders, opening a door for readers into the inner hell of sufferers.
51suslyn
Wow the whole place changes when I'm gone for a few weeks! ;->
ETA Glad to see the Fowler books have been enjoyable! Must get the earlier ones in the series to see how the characters developed up to the book I have.
ETA Glad to see the Fowler books have been enjoyable! Must get the earlier ones in the series to see how the characters developed up to the book I have.
52dianestm
Book No. 115
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
4 stars
Set in Germany during WWII. I didn't love this book like I expected but it was a very good read.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
4 stars
Set in Germany during WWII. I didn't love this book like I expected but it was a very good read.
53dianestm
Book No. 116
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
3 1/2 stars
Auden was always the responsible, perfect child while her older brother Hollis was the wild and crazy one. But, the summer before college Auden impulsively decides to spend the summer at the beach with her Dad and his new family. At first Auden thinks she might have made a mistake, but slowly she starts to make friends and enjoy her time there. And when she meets Eli, a guarded and mysterious guy, Auden’s experiences really begin to open up. Along for the Ride is a book about second chances and learning to live in the moment.
I have had a very tough week at work, reading has been slow, and I think this has had an effect on the enjoyment factor of this book.
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
3 1/2 stars
Auden was always the responsible, perfect child while her older brother Hollis was the wild and crazy one. But, the summer before college Auden impulsively decides to spend the summer at the beach with her Dad and his new family. At first Auden thinks she might have made a mistake, but slowly she starts to make friends and enjoy her time there. And when she meets Eli, a guarded and mysterious guy, Auden’s experiences really begin to open up. Along for the Ride is a book about second chances and learning to live in the moment.
I have had a very tough week at work, reading has been slow, and I think this has had an effect on the enjoyment factor of this book.
54alcottacre
I hope your workload eases up soon!
55dianestm
Book No. 117
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
3 1/2 stars
Arnold Spirit is a freshman at a high school on the Spokane Indian reservation in northwest Washington. All his life he’s been picked on because he looks strange: his head is large because he was born with hydrocephalus, he has seizures, too many teeth and he wears thick glasses. But Arnold is very smart, and he likes drawing. When a teacher counsels him to find hope in the form of attending a white high school off the reservation, Arnold makes a bold move toward a future he didn’t think was possible.
Through Arnold’s eyes we see the problems faced by many on modern Indian reservations: alcoholism, poverty, lack of opportunity and despair. Yet, we also find acceptance of the shortcomings among those we call family and a way to follow your dreams without denigrating those you leave behind.
Arnold’s story is for anyone who chooses to follow a different path than the one clearly laid out before him.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
3 1/2 stars
Arnold Spirit is a freshman at a high school on the Spokane Indian reservation in northwest Washington. All his life he’s been picked on because he looks strange: his head is large because he was born with hydrocephalus, he has seizures, too many teeth and he wears thick glasses. But Arnold is very smart, and he likes drawing. When a teacher counsels him to find hope in the form of attending a white high school off the reservation, Arnold makes a bold move toward a future he didn’t think was possible.
Through Arnold’s eyes we see the problems faced by many on modern Indian reservations: alcoholism, poverty, lack of opportunity and despair. Yet, we also find acceptance of the shortcomings among those we call family and a way to follow your dreams without denigrating those you leave behind.
Arnold’s story is for anyone who chooses to follow a different path than the one clearly laid out before him.
56Whisper1
I really liked The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. It was funny; It was heart breaking; It was wonderful!
Your review is great!
Your review is great!
57dianestm
Book No. 118
So Long at the Fair by Christina Schwartz
3 stars
Although Schwarz's forte is usually in her character development that carries the story, this novel lags as far as having a really gripping and interesting plot. We never quite get to plumb the depths of the characters' motivations or thoughts as the story evolves, briefly sizzles, and then sputters to an unsatisfying conclusion.
The events of this novel take place on a single July day. Jon, an advertising executive is having an affair with a co-worker, Freddie. His wife, Ginny -- a landscape designer, is clueless and blunders on about her business after a morning argument with Jon. Meanwhile, he is on his way to a summer fair with his new love. Jon is trying to decide what to do about his predicament -- should he leave Ginny and be with Freddie? Ginny is clueless about the adultery even though Jon's business partner is about to sabotage the situation. The point of view jumps back and forth between the main characters, but an annoying side plot emerges -- and involves confusing situations from the past lives of their parents.
The conclusion is unclear and the purpose of the story is not made evident to the reader who is left, hanging, at the end.
If you want to read this book, I strongly suggest you borrow it and not purchase a copy.
So Long at the Fair by Christina Schwartz
3 stars
Although Schwarz's forte is usually in her character development that carries the story, this novel lags as far as having a really gripping and interesting plot. We never quite get to plumb the depths of the characters' motivations or thoughts as the story evolves, briefly sizzles, and then sputters to an unsatisfying conclusion.
The events of this novel take place on a single July day. Jon, an advertising executive is having an affair with a co-worker, Freddie. His wife, Ginny -- a landscape designer, is clueless and blunders on about her business after a morning argument with Jon. Meanwhile, he is on his way to a summer fair with his new love. Jon is trying to decide what to do about his predicament -- should he leave Ginny and be with Freddie? Ginny is clueless about the adultery even though Jon's business partner is about to sabotage the situation. The point of view jumps back and forth between the main characters, but an annoying side plot emerges -- and involves confusing situations from the past lives of their parents.
The conclusion is unclear and the purpose of the story is not made evident to the reader who is left, hanging, at the end.
If you want to read this book, I strongly suggest you borrow it and not purchase a copy.
58alcottacre
#57: I think I will just pass on that one. Thanks for the review, Diane.
59dianestm
Book No. 119
Mother's Day by Laurence Fernley
4 stars
Maggie works hard to support her children and grandson as a caregiver. When she is assigned a new client she finds a musical connection but tradegy is just around the corner.
At times I found Maggie to be completely stupid and naive when dealing with her children. Life for Maggie was hard and I hoped all through this book that she would find the positives in her life and I was not disappointed.
A moving novel that contains warmth, love, affection and hope.
Mother's Day by Laurence Fernley
4 stars
Maggie works hard to support her children and grandson as a caregiver. When she is assigned a new client she finds a musical connection but tradegy is just around the corner.
At times I found Maggie to be completely stupid and naive when dealing with her children. Life for Maggie was hard and I hoped all through this book that she would find the positives in her life and I was not disappointed.
A moving novel that contains warmth, love, affection and hope.
60dianestm
Book No. 120
The River King by Alice Hoffman
3 stars
Not as enjoyable as others I have read from Hoffman. An average read.
The River King by Alice Hoffman
3 stars
Not as enjoyable as others I have read from Hoffman. An average read.
61Whisper1
I agree, The River King is not one of my favorites of hers. And, I've read them all except her latest, which I now have reserved and waiting at the library.
62dianestm
Book No. 121
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
4 1/2 stars
The story is simple: Pappa, in his eighties and two years a widower, has fallen in love with Valentina, a Ukrainian woman fifty years his junior. Valentina has large breasts and a penchant for green satin bras. Pappa has been rejuvenated by love-cum-lust, but his two daughters, Vera and Nadezhda, recognize a con-woman’s spell at work.
The resulting conflict between the daughters, Valentina, and Pappa is both hilarious and touching. Nadezhda, our leftist narrator, is a sociology professor who wrestles with her own conflict: she is certain Valentina is on the make but also wants her father to be happy. Nadezhda is in conflict with her sister, Vera, the cynical “divorce expert,” who does everything she can to bar Valentina from what little money Pappa has. For his part, Pappa is deliriously happy, as Valentina and her son move into his modest home and feed him “boil in the bag” meals. But things quickly turn sour.
What ensues is a battle of wits: the daughters try to get rid of Valentina while Valentina tries to manipulate the situation so she can stay in England. Pappa, meanwhile, writes his history of the tractor, an agricultural opus that takes us on a fascinating trip down memory lane.
Recommended.
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
4 1/2 stars
The story is simple: Pappa, in his eighties and two years a widower, has fallen in love with Valentina, a Ukrainian woman fifty years his junior. Valentina has large breasts and a penchant for green satin bras. Pappa has been rejuvenated by love-cum-lust, but his two daughters, Vera and Nadezhda, recognize a con-woman’s spell at work.
The resulting conflict between the daughters, Valentina, and Pappa is both hilarious and touching. Nadezhda, our leftist narrator, is a sociology professor who wrestles with her own conflict: she is certain Valentina is on the make but also wants her father to be happy. Nadezhda is in conflict with her sister, Vera, the cynical “divorce expert,” who does everything she can to bar Valentina from what little money Pappa has. For his part, Pappa is deliriously happy, as Valentina and her son move into his modest home and feed him “boil in the bag” meals. But things quickly turn sour.
What ensues is a battle of wits: the daughters try to get rid of Valentina while Valentina tries to manipulate the situation so she can stay in England. Pappa, meanwhile, writes his history of the tractor, an agricultural opus that takes us on a fascinating trip down memory lane.
Recommended.
63avatiakh
I read A short history of tractors in the Ukraine last year and thought it was a fun read.
64alcottacre
#62: Another one around my house somewhere that I still need to read *sigh*
65kiwiflowa
Hi Diane,
I've read mixed reviews of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian but after reading your opinion I think I'm going to give it a go - it sounds like a hoot!
I've read mixed reviews of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian but after reading your opinion I think I'm going to give it a go - it sounds like a hoot!
66suslyn
Glad you've had some good reads while I was gone. You've reminded me that I still want to read A Short History of Tractors...
67Prop2gether
I loved A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian and thought it was funny and poignant.
68dianestm
Book No. 122
The Rapture by Liz Jensen
4 stars
This book is an unusual though frighteningly scientifically plausible take on the apocalypse. The first half of the book builds slowly, as it focuses more on developing Gabrielle and her relationship with the physicist. Bethany is supremely dislikable all throughout, but more so at the beginning.
Even with these minor complaints, however, Liz Jensen writes a story that’s full of scientific accuracy in a way that sucks you in. While I found the pacing of this novel a little odd—too slow in the beginning, too quickly building to its climax towards the end—it is still a masterfully suspenseful read in the end.
The Rapture is not for the faint of heart, and it focuses more on Gabrielle’s emotional damage and the apocalyptic possibility of Bethany’s predictions than the actual psychological aspects of their relationship. However, for those who love speculative fiction and similar geological horror/thriller movies, this will be a good read.
The Rapture by Liz Jensen
4 stars
This book is an unusual though frighteningly scientifically plausible take on the apocalypse. The first half of the book builds slowly, as it focuses more on developing Gabrielle and her relationship with the physicist. Bethany is supremely dislikable all throughout, but more so at the beginning.
Even with these minor complaints, however, Liz Jensen writes a story that’s full of scientific accuracy in a way that sucks you in. While I found the pacing of this novel a little odd—too slow in the beginning, too quickly building to its climax towards the end—it is still a masterfully suspenseful read in the end.
The Rapture is not for the faint of heart, and it focuses more on Gabrielle’s emotional damage and the apocalyptic possibility of Bethany’s predictions than the actual psychological aspects of their relationship. However, for those who love speculative fiction and similar geological horror/thriller movies, this will be a good read.
69dianestm
Avatiakh & Prop2gether, glad to see you enjoyed A Short History of Tractors....
Kiwiflora, Alcottacre, Suslyn - its a must read, definitely to be added to your TBR lists.
Kiwiflora, Alcottacre, Suslyn - its a must read, definitely to be added to your TBR lists.
70dk_phoenix
>68 dianestm:: I just started reading this one last night... I wasn't sure about it when I received it, but now that I've read your review I think I'm more compelled to plug all the way through. Seems like an interesting premise... I think that was why I requested it in the first place. I'll try to remember to come back and compare thoughts with you!
71dianestm
#70 Will be interested to see what you think of it.
Book No. 123
Touch by Francine Prose
4 stars
This is the story of trauma and its ability to manipulate the truth. Maisie has three very good friends - Shakes, Chris, and Kevin. They've been friends since preschool, and even though this friendship between one girl and three guys may seem strange to some, it totally works for them. That is it works until the year Maisie goes to live with her mom and stepdad.
Things would probably have just gone back to normal, except while living in Wisconsin, Maisie has blossomed as a young woman. She returns feeling the same but looking a bit different. She has boobs. Her three childhood friends have changed a bit as well. They now have a young man's appreciation for things like boobs. Although they try to resume their friendship as before, it is strained at best.
Maisie becomes the subject of cruel gossip and speculation because she seems to have allowed the three boys to stray beyond the bounds of decency.
Francine Prose takes readers into the mind of a confused young girl. Maisie is trying to justify her actions and the decisions that led to those actions. She battles her angry feelings toward her friends, her parents and stepparents, her fellow classmates, and herself. Coping with trauma and moving on are the central issues of Touch.
Book No. 123
Touch by Francine Prose
4 stars
This is the story of trauma and its ability to manipulate the truth. Maisie has three very good friends - Shakes, Chris, and Kevin. They've been friends since preschool, and even though this friendship between one girl and three guys may seem strange to some, it totally works for them. That is it works until the year Maisie goes to live with her mom and stepdad.
Things would probably have just gone back to normal, except while living in Wisconsin, Maisie has blossomed as a young woman. She returns feeling the same but looking a bit different. She has boobs. Her three childhood friends have changed a bit as well. They now have a young man's appreciation for things like boobs. Although they try to resume their friendship as before, it is strained at best.
Maisie becomes the subject of cruel gossip and speculation because she seems to have allowed the three boys to stray beyond the bounds of decency.
Francine Prose takes readers into the mind of a confused young girl. Maisie is trying to justify her actions and the decisions that led to those actions. She battles her angry feelings toward her friends, her parents and stepparents, her fellow classmates, and herself. Coping with trauma and moving on are the central issues of Touch.
72dianestm
Book No. 124
Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles
4 1/2 stars
Laine hated her, and wished many times that Leah would die and leave her alone. She didn't understand Leah, or why Leah chose her to be her best friend all those years ago. She didn't understand the things that Leah did to her in the doll closet, or why Leah would torment her with that knowledge and the shame that Laine felt. As they grew older, she didn't understand the problems that Leah faced, or the impact that they had on her behavior. As their English teacher told them once, you only hate what you don't understand.
Now that Leah Greene has died, Laine forces herself to try to understand Leah, and the things that Leah taught her about friendship and secrets. Friends are forever, Leah told her. Permanent just like the ink that Leah used to stake her claim on Laine's hand back when they were young. Laine must now face the impact of what "forever" really means, and how it has affected her own aspects of the world.
Jo Knowles has penned a stunning book that takes an introspective look at the scars of childhood abuse at the hands of a child's peers.
Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles
4 1/2 stars
Laine hated her, and wished many times that Leah would die and leave her alone. She didn't understand Leah, or why Leah chose her to be her best friend all those years ago. She didn't understand the things that Leah did to her in the doll closet, or why Leah would torment her with that knowledge and the shame that Laine felt. As they grew older, she didn't understand the problems that Leah faced, or the impact that they had on her behavior. As their English teacher told them once, you only hate what you don't understand.
Now that Leah Greene has died, Laine forces herself to try to understand Leah, and the things that Leah taught her about friendship and secrets. Friends are forever, Leah told her. Permanent just like the ink that Leah used to stake her claim on Laine's hand back when they were young. Laine must now face the impact of what "forever" really means, and how it has affected her own aspects of the world.
Jo Knowles has penned a stunning book that takes an introspective look at the scars of childhood abuse at the hands of a child's peers.
73LittleWish
Books 123 and 124 look like good reads.
Thanks i have added both to my wishlist
Thanks i have added both to my wishlist
75jane1104
dianestm, I really appreciate your review of The Rapture. Have you read Wastelands by King? It's on my "To Read" list and it is supposed to stress international politics within the stories. I found this list of books on http://www.ranker.com to prepare us for the Apocalypse. I'm not sure I agree with it... but it is someplace to start: http://www.ranker.com/list/home.htm#mainlistid=54888
76dianestm
#75 I haven't read Wastelands, in fact I haven't read Stephen King in such a long time. There was a time when I devoured King and Koontz but not for a long time. I am in no way religious and are not really sure I believe in the Apocalypse but I am not adverse to reading a good story.
Checked out the link and its very interesting to see what people will write lists of.
Checked out the link and its very interesting to see what people will write lists of.
77dk_phoenix
I finished The Rapture yesterday, and spent the rest of the day feeling a little "off"... the book really shook me, likely because of my aversion to extreme weather. I'd rather face down the barrel of a gun than see a tornado heading my way... I haven't reviewed the book yet on my thread (soon!), but I agree with just about everything you said in terms of pacing, accuracy, and the fact that it truly is not for the faint of heart.
78dianestm
Book No. 125
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
4 stars
Teenager Miranda tells the story via diary entries of what happens when an asteroid hits the moon, shoving it closer to Earth. It is a disaster with drastic consequences for earth where changes in the ocean tides result in tsunamis that kill multitudes of people and eliminate cities. Previously inactive volcanoes erupt with the ash blocking the sun and destroying air quality. Earthquakes are unleashed, worldwide.
Miranda changes from a girl who worries about school, grades, and swim team performance to one who must struggle to survive as options narrow. The lack of sunshine means crops can't be grown.
Electricity is a pleasure of the past, and heating oil is no longer available. Will the family freeze before they starve? And what has become of Miranda's dad and his pregnant second wife? Little do Miranda and her family know that their troubles are just beginning.
It is a terrifying story made even scarier not only because natural disasters are so often in the news but because the reader feels she knows Miranda and her family. Although some of the details are grim, Miranda and the reader are uplifted by a realistically small yet true hopefulness.
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
4 stars
Teenager Miranda tells the story via diary entries of what happens when an asteroid hits the moon, shoving it closer to Earth. It is a disaster with drastic consequences for earth where changes in the ocean tides result in tsunamis that kill multitudes of people and eliminate cities. Previously inactive volcanoes erupt with the ash blocking the sun and destroying air quality. Earthquakes are unleashed, worldwide.
Miranda changes from a girl who worries about school, grades, and swim team performance to one who must struggle to survive as options narrow. The lack of sunshine means crops can't be grown.
Electricity is a pleasure of the past, and heating oil is no longer available. Will the family freeze before they starve? And what has become of Miranda's dad and his pregnant second wife? Little do Miranda and her family know that their troubles are just beginning.
It is a terrifying story made even scarier not only because natural disasters are so often in the news but because the reader feels she knows Miranda and her family. Although some of the details are grim, Miranda and the reader are uplifted by a realistically small yet true hopefulness.
79avatiakh
I've also recently read this one and I have the next book The dead and the gone which is about a different family, but didn't feel like jumping straight into it. I've just finished The Carbon Diaries 2015 which has more humour in it even though the weather gets pretty grim.
#68 The Rapture looks interesting though I've been getting it mixed up with Nikki Gemmell's latest The Book of Rapture which is currently on display at my local bookshop.
#68 The Rapture looks interesting though I've been getting it mixed up with Nikki Gemmell's latest The Book of Rapture which is currently on display at my local bookshop.
80dianestm
I didn't realise that there was a second book. Will be tracking down The Dead and the Gone when I get a chance. Thanks.
81kiwiflowa
Wow Life As We Knew It sounds interesting but also a little grim.. I'm not sure if I want to give it a go?
82alcottacre
#78: I have that one home from the library now. I am really looking forward to it.
84dianestm
Book No. 126
Misconduct by Bridget Van der Zijpp
3 stars
Simone has just broken up with her boyfriend, is approaching 40 and has lost a longed for baby. After exacting some revenge, Simone takes up a friends offer to housesit for an elderly relative in a quiet beach setting. There she meets and is drawn into the community by her elderly neighbours.
A novel about a womans search for love and friendship.
Misconduct by Bridget Van der Zijpp
3 stars
Simone has just broken up with her boyfriend, is approaching 40 and has lost a longed for baby. After exacting some revenge, Simone takes up a friends offer to housesit for an elderly relative in a quiet beach setting. There she meets and is drawn into the community by her elderly neighbours.
A novel about a womans search for love and friendship.
85avatiakh
Diane - I read Misconduct a few weeks back and really enjoyed it. Loved the way it all works out.
86dianestm
Book No. 127
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
3 stars
I decided to read this on the recommendation of others and the good reviews it has received.
I found this book to be average, slow paced and with a predictable storyline. Deals very well with how people manage to survive a war and the aftermath of their decisions.
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
3 stars
I decided to read this on the recommendation of others and the good reviews it has received.
I found this book to be average, slow paced and with a predictable storyline. Deals very well with how people manage to survive a war and the aftermath of their decisions.
87alcottacre
#86: I thought it was about average, too. I expected to like it a lot more than I did when I read it earlier this year.
88dianestm
Book No. 128
Probable Future by Alice Hoffman
4 1/2 stars
The Sparrows are a family of women who've lived in a small Massachusetts town since colonial times, their lives enlivened by a magical gift (different for each of them) that first manifests itself on their thirteenth birthdays. As is often the case with magic, the term "gift" is applied here fairly loosely. In the present day, Elinor always knows a lie, her daughter Jenny experiences other people's dreams, and granddaughter Stella, just turned thirteen, has developed the ability to see how people will die. The relationship-wrecking potential of the first two gifts is of course blindingly obvious, and the third would be a heavy burden for anyone to bear—especially a thirteen-year-old who's not speaking to the mother who's screwing up their relationship by trying to avoid all of her mother's mistakes.
These are well-drawn characters who often inspire, simultaneously, the desire to give them tea and crackers and the desire to knock their heads together. Jenny is completely justified and utterly wrong-headed in her resentment of her mother; so is Stella. Jenny is absolutely correct in having concluded, after having it pounded into her head repeatedly, that Stella's father, Will Avery, is a lying, cheating bastard who can be relied on only to let everyone down. Stella is also right in believing him to be a loving, devoted parent who actually listens to her, which her mother does not.
There is a plot in here, involving Stella's gift of seeing deaths accidentally landing Will in jail, charged with murder, but the plot is not the point. The focus of this book is the engaging, and ultimately optimistic, story of the tangled relationships of the Sparrow women and their friends and relations.
Probable Future by Alice Hoffman
4 1/2 stars
The Sparrows are a family of women who've lived in a small Massachusetts town since colonial times, their lives enlivened by a magical gift (different for each of them) that first manifests itself on their thirteenth birthdays. As is often the case with magic, the term "gift" is applied here fairly loosely. In the present day, Elinor always knows a lie, her daughter Jenny experiences other people's dreams, and granddaughter Stella, just turned thirteen, has developed the ability to see how people will die. The relationship-wrecking potential of the first two gifts is of course blindingly obvious, and the third would be a heavy burden for anyone to bear—especially a thirteen-year-old who's not speaking to the mother who's screwing up their relationship by trying to avoid all of her mother's mistakes.
These are well-drawn characters who often inspire, simultaneously, the desire to give them tea and crackers and the desire to knock their heads together. Jenny is completely justified and utterly wrong-headed in her resentment of her mother; so is Stella. Jenny is absolutely correct in having concluded, after having it pounded into her head repeatedly, that Stella's father, Will Avery, is a lying, cheating bastard who can be relied on only to let everyone down. Stella is also right in believing him to be a loving, devoted parent who actually listens to her, which her mother does not.
There is a plot in here, involving Stella's gift of seeing deaths accidentally landing Will in jail, charged with murder, but the plot is not the point. The focus of this book is the engaging, and ultimately optimistic, story of the tangled relationships of the Sparrow women and their friends and relations.
89alcottacre
#88: Another Hoffman for which I need to look! Thanks for the recommendation, Diane.
90dianestm
Book No. 129
The Woman Who Walked into Doors by Roddy Doyle
4 stars
Set in Dublin, the story tells of Paula Spencer and of her relationship with her husband and the life that she leads as a result. He, Charlo, is a petty criminal who has a penchant for keeping Paula in her place.
Written from a first person perspective, it is astonishing how Doyle has perfected the emotional confrontation suffered by such woman as Paula. Its also a warm and charming account. Given the nature of the subject, it might come as a surprise to find it is also very funny in places as well as being deeply upsetting in others.
The characters, settings, drama, laughter and tears are all in perfect unison, so as to sweep the story along with a verve and vigour that is breathtaking.
The Woman Who Walked into Doors by Roddy Doyle
4 stars
Set in Dublin, the story tells of Paula Spencer and of her relationship with her husband and the life that she leads as a result. He, Charlo, is a petty criminal who has a penchant for keeping Paula in her place.
Written from a first person perspective, it is astonishing how Doyle has perfected the emotional confrontation suffered by such woman as Paula. Its also a warm and charming account. Given the nature of the subject, it might come as a surprise to find it is also very funny in places as well as being deeply upsetting in others.
The characters, settings, drama, laughter and tears are all in perfect unison, so as to sweep the story along with a verve and vigour that is breathtaking.
91judylou
Wonderful review of The woman who walked into doors. I read it recently and thought it was an excellent book. I have a few more of Doyle's books on the tower, and look forward to reading them as well.
92Cait86
I really need to get around to reading some Alice Hoffman - your descriptions of her books always sound so interesting!
93dianestm
Cait86, you will not be disappointed with Alice Hoffman. She's a must read.
Book No. 130
Made In Heaven by Adele Geras
3 stars
Zannah and Adrian are planning to marry, add two sets of parents, a sister, a daughter and an ex husband into the mix and you end up with a predictable story line.
I was not at all surprised by the twists in the story and predicted the outcome by page 50 of the book. Average.
Book No. 130
Made In Heaven by Adele Geras
3 stars
Zannah and Adrian are planning to marry, add two sets of parents, a sister, a daughter and an ex husband into the mix and you end up with a predictable story line.
I was not at all surprised by the twists in the story and predicted the outcome by page 50 of the book. Average.
94dianestm
Book No. 131
Of Woman Born by Gilda O'Neill
3 1/2 stars
This book concentrates on the illegal trafficking of people, in this case mainly women for the sex trade. It's thankfully not too graphic but certainly doesn't hold back on the sleaze and violence in the lives of these women in their frightening and degrading situations. The O'Donnell and Kesslers are still key in this book but we are now into the grandchildren of the originals from Sins of Their Fathers. This book is gripping, fast paced and violent.
Of Woman Born by Gilda O'Neill
3 1/2 stars
This book concentrates on the illegal trafficking of people, in this case mainly women for the sex trade. It's thankfully not too graphic but certainly doesn't hold back on the sleaze and violence in the lives of these women in their frightening and degrading situations. The O'Donnell and Kesslers are still key in this book but we are now into the grandchildren of the originals from Sins of Their Fathers. This book is gripping, fast paced and violent.
95dianestm
Book No. 132
Trouble by Jesse Kellerman
3 1/2 stars
Trouble tells the story of Jonah Stem, a twenty-something medical student living and working in Manhattan. Overworked and a bit of a pushover, Jonah’s life is upended when he comes upon a woman being stabbed in the street and makes the fateful decision to intervene. In the process of saving the woman’s life he accidentally kills her attacker.
The woman whose life he saved buys him a thank-you drink that leads to a passionate love affair. Jonah’s happiness is short-lived however, as her masochistic tendencies rise to the surface and are only further inflamed when Jonah attempts to end their relationship. Finding himself relentlessly stalked, Jonah’s life quickly begins to unravel, rapidly descending from complicated to all-out nightmare.
For the first half of the novel Kellerman ably crafts a narrative of mounting tension that envelopes both the reader and his protagonist Jonah Stem. Yet in the second half he allows the story’s tension (as well as the reader’s concern for Jonah) to slowly deteriorate to near nothing, rendering any attempt to portray Jonah’s wavering grip on his sanity as forced. By the time Kellerman comes to the novel’s abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion, the reader is so far removed from the characters that little, if any, of the emotional impact Kellerman is reaching for is felt.
Trouble by Jesse Kellerman
3 1/2 stars
Trouble tells the story of Jonah Stem, a twenty-something medical student living and working in Manhattan. Overworked and a bit of a pushover, Jonah’s life is upended when he comes upon a woman being stabbed in the street and makes the fateful decision to intervene. In the process of saving the woman’s life he accidentally kills her attacker.
The woman whose life he saved buys him a thank-you drink that leads to a passionate love affair. Jonah’s happiness is short-lived however, as her masochistic tendencies rise to the surface and are only further inflamed when Jonah attempts to end their relationship. Finding himself relentlessly stalked, Jonah’s life quickly begins to unravel, rapidly descending from complicated to all-out nightmare.
For the first half of the novel Kellerman ably crafts a narrative of mounting tension that envelopes both the reader and his protagonist Jonah Stem. Yet in the second half he allows the story’s tension (as well as the reader’s concern for Jonah) to slowly deteriorate to near nothing, rendering any attempt to portray Jonah’s wavering grip on his sanity as forced. By the time Kellerman comes to the novel’s abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion, the reader is so far removed from the characters that little, if any, of the emotional impact Kellerman is reaching for is felt.
96dianestm
Book No. 133
The Screaming Tree by Phil lovesey
3 1/2 stars
William Dixon is a very mixed-up lad - and as well he might be. Victim of a childhood trauma he struggles to understand the tricks his mind is playing on him as he grows up. His subconscious strives to protect his sense of self by constructing a series of bizarre and vivid false memories. These are so powerful that they seem quite real and indistinguishable from normal experience.
As events unfold, real and imaginary happenings become intertwined in a horrifying way. The narrative becomes dark and unsettling; William's experiences prompting the reader to ponder the validity of his or her own memory. The question being how can we obtain verification and acceptance of personal recollection? What happens when our version of events, our sense of reality and therefore of who we really are, do not match up with that of others?
The book's clear, easy-going and matter of fact style hides a menacing and disturbing undercurrent of self-doubt and existential confusion. William's powerful and devious subconscious is frequently personified by the author.
This is British crime-writing that is philosophical and open-ended. A book which after reading it makes you think, encourages doubt and leaves an uneasy, lingering tingliness long after the final pages have been turned.
The Screaming Tree by Phil lovesey
3 1/2 stars
William Dixon is a very mixed-up lad - and as well he might be. Victim of a childhood trauma he struggles to understand the tricks his mind is playing on him as he grows up. His subconscious strives to protect his sense of self by constructing a series of bizarre and vivid false memories. These are so powerful that they seem quite real and indistinguishable from normal experience.
As events unfold, real and imaginary happenings become intertwined in a horrifying way. The narrative becomes dark and unsettling; William's experiences prompting the reader to ponder the validity of his or her own memory. The question being how can we obtain verification and acceptance of personal recollection? What happens when our version of events, our sense of reality and therefore of who we really are, do not match up with that of others?
The book's clear, easy-going and matter of fact style hides a menacing and disturbing undercurrent of self-doubt and existential confusion. William's powerful and devious subconscious is frequently personified by the author.
This is British crime-writing that is philosophical and open-ended. A book which after reading it makes you think, encourages doubt and leaves an uneasy, lingering tingliness long after the final pages have been turned.
97dianestm
Book No. 134
The Blue Lawn by William Taylor
3 1/2 stars
Two young men, David and Theo, meet in a small town and find themselves unexpectedly attracted to each other. Their feelings complicate and even spur several changes occuring in the way they view and treat the world. David has to deal with the hopes that have been placed on him by so many, and begins to define himself outside of their vision of him. Theo on the other hand focuses on their relationship and the impact it will have on their future. These issues are explored in a way that brings out the boys' great understanding, sensitivity and humour despite their being at an age when the hormones of adolescent frustrations zing through their system with almost too much urgency for forethought.
The Blue Lawn by William Taylor
3 1/2 stars
Two young men, David and Theo, meet in a small town and find themselves unexpectedly attracted to each other. Their feelings complicate and even spur several changes occuring in the way they view and treat the world. David has to deal with the hopes that have been placed on him by so many, and begins to define himself outside of their vision of him. Theo on the other hand focuses on their relationship and the impact it will have on their future. These issues are explored in a way that brings out the boys' great understanding, sensitivity and humour despite their being at an age when the hormones of adolescent frustrations zing through their system with almost too much urgency for forethought.
98avatiakh
I thought The Blue Lawn was pretty good too. Have you read William Taylor's Jerome?
99dianestm
#98. No, this is the first William Taylor book I have read. The book was in a box brought and I had no idea what it was about before picking it up.
Jerome looks like a powerful read. Will be on the lookout for it. Cheers
Jerome looks like a powerful read. Will be on the lookout for it. Cheers
100avatiakh
William Taylor has written a lot of humorous books for children such as Agnes the Sheep and The Porter Brothers but I really like his realistic books for teens. His Land of Milk and Honey is about British war refugees, children, sent out to live (work) on New Zealand farms during WW2.
The Blue Lawn was/is a banned book in the USA.
The Blue Lawn was/is a banned book in the USA.
101dianestm
#100 Find it funny that its banned in the USA. I didn't think it was that controversial.
Book No. 135
The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by Thaddeus Carhart
3 1/2 stars
An interesting insight into pianos and their history.
Book No. 135
The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by Thaddeus Carhart
3 1/2 stars
An interesting insight into pianos and their history.
102dianestm
Book No. 136
Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
4 stars
Enjoyable read for anyone who loves traditional, old-fashioned murder mysteries (e.g., Sherlock Holmes, Josephine Tey). Good character development - requires some patience for those accustomed to page-turning thrillers, but the detail allows the author to paint a vivid picture of the city and civilian life in Venice.
Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
4 stars
Enjoyable read for anyone who loves traditional, old-fashioned murder mysteries (e.g., Sherlock Holmes, Josephine Tey). Good character development - requires some patience for those accustomed to page-turning thrillers, but the detail allows the author to paint a vivid picture of the city and civilian life in Venice.
104avatiakh
It is generally school libraries that have books challenged by parents when their children bring home books they consider inappropriate, especially to their beliefs. The Blue Lawn was banned because it was about 'boy meets boy'.
Here are a couple of links where you can see many classic books have had repeated challenges and bannings.
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclas...
100 most banned books 1990-2000 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxqbRRQtaLc
Here are a couple of links where you can see many classic books have had repeated challenges and bannings.
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclas...
100 most banned books 1990-2000 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxqbRRQtaLc
105dihiba
There is a site online that lists books that have challenged in Canada. I think most libraries have to keep a record of this. Most of the challenges were pretty weak - others had some merit (appropriateness for age), and some just seemed to be politically driven.
It's an interesting topic. There are books that offend me (for many reasons, including horrible writing) but I have an issue with censorship. I don't like it, but I do see in some extreme cases, it might be applied.
The things that get attention here are more likely to be about Political Correctness than sex.
It's an interesting topic. There are books that offend me (for many reasons, including horrible writing) but I have an issue with censorship. I don't like it, but I do see in some extreme cases, it might be applied.
The things that get attention here are more likely to be about Political Correctness than sex.
106TadAD
>103 dihiba:: "Banned in Boston" is actually a catchphrase in the U.S.
107Cauterize
I'm always amused by the stories that some parents try to get Harry Potter banned from schools because they "promote witchcraft". I don't think many schools want the massive headache and ill will if they did ban them.
108dianestm
Book No. 137
When the Snow Fell by henning Makell
4 stars
Joel Gustafsson is reaching his 14th birthday. He lives in the north of Sweden by an icy river with his father Samuel. They have very little money and winter is here and the snow is falling.
But Joel is growing up and he makes 3 new year resolutions.
His first is that he wants to live to 100, and in order to do that he must toughen up his body.
His second is that he wants to see the sea. He knows in order to do this he needs to persuade his father to move away and that will not be easy.
His third and the most difficult for Joel is to see a girl naked.
The story tells of Joels daily life which revolves around his desire to implement his new year resolutions. To move away he will need money and he knows two ways of making it, selling caravans or becoming a rock star, now which will be the easiest........How can he make his body tougher...... and which girl shall he choose and how will he persuade her.....
A charming story which I recommend to anyone from 14 to 104. It is only 219 pages and you will not want to put it down until you finish. Guaranteed.
When the Snow Fell by henning Makell
4 stars
Joel Gustafsson is reaching his 14th birthday. He lives in the north of Sweden by an icy river with his father Samuel. They have very little money and winter is here and the snow is falling.
But Joel is growing up and he makes 3 new year resolutions.
His first is that he wants to live to 100, and in order to do that he must toughen up his body.
His second is that he wants to see the sea. He knows in order to do this he needs to persuade his father to move away and that will not be easy.
His third and the most difficult for Joel is to see a girl naked.
The story tells of Joels daily life which revolves around his desire to implement his new year resolutions. To move away he will need money and he knows two ways of making it, selling caravans or becoming a rock star, now which will be the easiest........How can he make his body tougher...... and which girl shall he choose and how will he persuade her.....
A charming story which I recommend to anyone from 14 to 104. It is only 219 pages and you will not want to put it down until you finish. Guaranteed.
109Prop2gether
The Gustafson books are charming--there are several. I love Mankell's Wallender series, but his children's books are delightful. There are several set in Africa which are written for children about horrific issues such as land mines and AIDS, but which don't "talk down" to the audiences Mankell is writing about. Glad to find another reader!
110dianestm
Book No. 138
Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vida
4 stars
This is a haunting novel that will stick with the reader long after the last page is turned. The writing is beautiful, in its own unique way. Instead of being lush and verbose, it is very spartan and completely clean. Vida doesn't mince words or cloak her story within the folds of weighty prose. Everything is laid bare; the words are almost raw with emotion and power. Through the stark writing, Clarissa's confusion and pain becomes very clear to the reader.
There isn't much character development in Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, but then, there doesn't need to be. Clarissa is confused about who she is, so how can Vida develop her for the reader? The book is about discovering the past, not creating a future for the character. Eventually, when Clarissa discovers the truth, she becomes a whole, developed character and can focus on the future. But the novel itself isn't about taking a character and developing her. Instead, it's about taking a character who is already mostly developed and dealing with the holes that can no longer be ignored.
At its core, Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name is about finding yourself. Does where you came from matter, in the grand scheme of things? What determines the person you are now, and the person you will become? These are great questions and Vida tackles them very well.
Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vida
4 stars
This is a haunting novel that will stick with the reader long after the last page is turned. The writing is beautiful, in its own unique way. Instead of being lush and verbose, it is very spartan and completely clean. Vida doesn't mince words or cloak her story within the folds of weighty prose. Everything is laid bare; the words are almost raw with emotion and power. Through the stark writing, Clarissa's confusion and pain becomes very clear to the reader.
There isn't much character development in Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, but then, there doesn't need to be. Clarissa is confused about who she is, so how can Vida develop her for the reader? The book is about discovering the past, not creating a future for the character. Eventually, when Clarissa discovers the truth, she becomes a whole, developed character and can focus on the future. But the novel itself isn't about taking a character and developing her. Instead, it's about taking a character who is already mostly developed and dealing with the holes that can no longer be ignored.
At its core, Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name is about finding yourself. Does where you came from matter, in the grand scheme of things? What determines the person you are now, and the person you will become? These are great questions and Vida tackles them very well.
111alcottacre
#110: Sounds intriguing. I will look for it. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane!
112dianestm
Book No. 139
Cruel Summer by Alyson Noel
3 1/2 stars
Colby's parents are getting divorced and think Colby would be better off visiting her Aunt Tally on the small Greek island of Tinos. Colby arrives at Tinos to find Aunt Tally does not have internet, television or cell phone coverage. Things improve when Colby meets a local boy who shows her life on the island is not all that bad.
Fairly predicable young adult summer tale. Easy to read with likeable characters.
Book No. 140
The Mediator by Meg Cabot
3 1/2 stars
Suze has a special gift: the ability to see, talk with and the ability to help ghosts move on to the afterlife.
When Suze's mother marries Andy and moves to the other side of the country, Suze thinks she might have a chance to have a normal life. This does not prove to be the case when she arrives at her new home to discover a ghost sitting on her window seat and another in her school.
Fairly predictable story line and easy to read.
Cruel Summer by Alyson Noel
3 1/2 stars
Colby's parents are getting divorced and think Colby would be better off visiting her Aunt Tally on the small Greek island of Tinos. Colby arrives at Tinos to find Aunt Tally does not have internet, television or cell phone coverage. Things improve when Colby meets a local boy who shows her life on the island is not all that bad.
Fairly predicable young adult summer tale. Easy to read with likeable characters.
Book No. 140
The Mediator by Meg Cabot
3 1/2 stars
Suze has a special gift: the ability to see, talk with and the ability to help ghosts move on to the afterlife.
When Suze's mother marries Andy and moves to the other side of the country, Suze thinks she might have a chance to have a normal life. This does not prove to be the case when she arrives at her new home to discover a ghost sitting on her window seat and another in her school.
Fairly predictable story line and easy to read.
113dianestm
Book No. 141
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
4 stars
Annabel Greene's family looks perfect on the surface but in reality it is anything but. Annabel's sister Whitney is battling an eating disorder, which has the whole family unbalanced, while Annabel hides a big secret as well. Annabel hates to confront others, so instead of telling them how she really feels she tells them just what they want to hear, even if it makes her unhappy.
At the end of the previous school year Annabel and her friend Sophie get in a fight. Annabel does everything she can to avoid telling others what really happened resulting in her spending the summer alone.
When the new school year starts she meets Owen, a guy who shows her that telling how she feels is more rewarding then keeping it in. Just Listen is a thinking-provoked novel that shows how much listening, and standing up for yourself, can make a world of difference.
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
4 stars
Annabel Greene's family looks perfect on the surface but in reality it is anything but. Annabel's sister Whitney is battling an eating disorder, which has the whole family unbalanced, while Annabel hides a big secret as well. Annabel hates to confront others, so instead of telling them how she really feels she tells them just what they want to hear, even if it makes her unhappy.
At the end of the previous school year Annabel and her friend Sophie get in a fight. Annabel does everything she can to avoid telling others what really happened resulting in her spending the summer alone.
When the new school year starts she meets Owen, a guy who shows her that telling how she feels is more rewarding then keeping it in. Just Listen is a thinking-provoked novel that shows how much listening, and standing up for yourself, can make a world of difference.
114alcottacre
#113: I have never read anything by Dessen, although I have heard good things about her writing, so Just Listen moves to the top of Planet TBR. Thanks for the recommendation.
115dianestm
Book No. 142
Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum
4 stars
Don’t Look Back opens with the disappearance and apparent abduction of a six-year-old girl. A second shock follows when the drowned corpse of a teenage girl is found at the edge of a nearby lake. With scant clues and no witnesses or motive, the detectives examine all the aspects of the victim’s life hoping to uncover the reason for her murder. What was it that changed the girl’s attitude so markedly in the past several months? Did she know something that someone wanted kept quiet?
Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum
4 stars
Don’t Look Back opens with the disappearance and apparent abduction of a six-year-old girl. A second shock follows when the drowned corpse of a teenage girl is found at the edge of a nearby lake. With scant clues and no witnesses or motive, the detectives examine all the aspects of the victim’s life hoping to uncover the reason for her murder. What was it that changed the girl’s attitude so markedly in the past several months? Did she know something that someone wanted kept quiet?
116alcottacre
#115: Looks like a good one. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane.
117Whisper1
Hi Diane
I'm catching up on your thread and note your wonderful review of Alice Hoffman's boo The Probable Future. She is one of my all-time favorite authors. The Probable Future is one of the few I haven't red. After reading your comments, I'm prompted to do so.
It may sound weird, but I like her books so much that I've waited to read this one feeling like a child at Christmas who eagerly awaits a present and then when it is opened and the day is finished, there is a sense of disappointment because the day is over...
make sense?
I'm catching up on your thread and note your wonderful review of Alice Hoffman's boo The Probable Future. She is one of my all-time favorite authors. The Probable Future is one of the few I haven't red. After reading your comments, I'm prompted to do so.
It may sound weird, but I like her books so much that I've waited to read this one feeling like a child at Christmas who eagerly awaits a present and then when it is opened and the day is finished, there is a sense of disappointment because the day is over...
make sense?
118ChocolateMuse
I for one know EXACTLY how you feel, Linda!
I tried Blackbird Hill and didn't enjoy it. Does this mean Hoffman isn't for me, do you think?
I tried Blackbird Hill and didn't enjoy it. Does this mean Hoffman isn't for me, do you think?
119akeela
Hi Diane. Catching up, too. Love your review of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka at #62 above. I also enjoyed it thoroughly!
120dianestm
Linda, I know exactly what you mean. I picked up Second Nature two days ago and I have put it at the bottom of the pile. I am determined to read the two I already have first and keep the treat for now.
Know exactly what you mean, the only problem with her books is the disappointment when you get to the end of the book. I feel it too.
I discovered her books this year and have really taken to her.
Know exactly what you mean, the only problem with her books is the disappointment when you get to the end of the book. I feel it too.
I discovered her books this year and have really taken to her.
121Whisper1
Diane
She deals with difficult subjects in a magical way. She is one of the few authors that I can honestly say, after reading all but a few of her works, never disappoints. Each book is wonderfull written with clear, crisp, magical story lines.
http://www.alicehoffman.com/
She deals with difficult subjects in a magical way. She is one of the few authors that I can honestly say, after reading all but a few of her works, never disappoints. Each book is wonderfull written with clear, crisp, magical story lines.
http://www.alicehoffman.com/
122dianestm
Book No. 143
Gardens of Water by Alan Drew
4 stars
This was a very good read. The book shows some of the problems of the Middle East. One family, in particular, are at odds with everyone. They are Muslims/Kurds and are displaced refugees in Turkey. The teen-age daughter is fighting a moral battle with her Muslim values and the freedoms of the West.
It is a very insightful novel showing the problems Christians bring when they come to save the Turkish after the tremendous earthquake that brings destruction to the Turkish people.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes stories of other cultures.
Gardens of Water by Alan Drew
4 stars
This was a very good read. The book shows some of the problems of the Middle East. One family, in particular, are at odds with everyone. They are Muslims/Kurds and are displaced refugees in Turkey. The teen-age daughter is fighting a moral battle with her Muslim values and the freedoms of the West.
It is a very insightful novel showing the problems Christians bring when they come to save the Turkish after the tremendous earthquake that brings destruction to the Turkish people.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes stories of other cultures.
123alcottacre
#122: I will look for that one. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane.
124dianestm
Book No. 144
Second Nature by Alice Hoffman
4 1/2 stars
Robin Moore is a divorced woman living on an island with her 16-year-old son Connor. Nothing is going right in her job as a landscape artist. Everything she touches seems to die.
Then one day while visiting her brother Stuart, a psychiatrist in New York City, she sees a man shivering on a bench. Hearing his plea, 'don't let them take me noplace,' Robin impulsively snatches him out of the jaws of danger and takes him home with her. Stephen, called the Wolf Man in the hospital, was three-and-one-half years old when his parents died in a plane crash in the Michigan wilderness. He was raised by a pack of wolves. Although this former feral child still recalls running free with his four-footed brothers, he is intrigued by his new life with Robin and her son. They tell neighbors he is a foreign exchange student studying horticulture.
In the spirit of Alice Hoffman's other novels, Second Nature has the vivid textures of a mesmerizing dream. This fairy tale draws us into the moist magic of mystery, passion, fear, and dread. Here we encounter the wild as something more than dark, ferocious, and dangerous. Stephen is capable of romantic feeling and caring for others. In addition, the Wolf Man helps Robin and Connor get in touch with unopened rooms inside themselves.
Second Nature by Alice Hoffman
4 1/2 stars
Robin Moore is a divorced woman living on an island with her 16-year-old son Connor. Nothing is going right in her job as a landscape artist. Everything she touches seems to die.
Then one day while visiting her brother Stuart, a psychiatrist in New York City, she sees a man shivering on a bench. Hearing his plea, 'don't let them take me noplace,' Robin impulsively snatches him out of the jaws of danger and takes him home with her. Stephen, called the Wolf Man in the hospital, was three-and-one-half years old when his parents died in a plane crash in the Michigan wilderness. He was raised by a pack of wolves. Although this former feral child still recalls running free with his four-footed brothers, he is intrigued by his new life with Robin and her son. They tell neighbors he is a foreign exchange student studying horticulture.
In the spirit of Alice Hoffman's other novels, Second Nature has the vivid textures of a mesmerizing dream. This fairy tale draws us into the moist magic of mystery, passion, fear, and dread. Here we encounter the wild as something more than dark, ferocious, and dangerous. Stephen is capable of romantic feeling and caring for others. In addition, the Wolf Man helps Robin and Connor get in touch with unopened rooms inside themselves.
125Whisper1
Diane
I read Second Nature a long time ago. Your excellent review brings it back to me! Thanks very much! I remember it as a sad book that was excellently written.
I read Second Nature a long time ago. Your excellent review brings it back to me! Thanks very much! I remember it as a sad book that was excellently written.
126dianestm
Book No. 145
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
4 1/2 stars
North of Beautiful is a beautifully written story about identity, love, and inner beauty. Terra’s character begins as an insecure girl who lets a birthmark and fear of her father dominate her life, but through meeting Jacob and traveling to China, she grows into a more independent, self aware, and confident young woman. Terra’s story is such an inspirational one, because Terra is able to learn to love herself despite having been ridiculed nearly all her life, especially by someone so close as her father, for something as insignificant as a physical characteristic.
Justina Chen Headley brings the story and most of her characters to life by presenting both the negative and positive qualities of each situation and person, showing that even good people make mistakes and that even the bad guys can have some good in them.
Recommended
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
4 1/2 stars
North of Beautiful is a beautifully written story about identity, love, and inner beauty. Terra’s character begins as an insecure girl who lets a birthmark and fear of her father dominate her life, but through meeting Jacob and traveling to China, she grows into a more independent, self aware, and confident young woman. Terra’s story is such an inspirational one, because Terra is able to learn to love herself despite having been ridiculed nearly all her life, especially by someone so close as her father, for something as insignificant as a physical characteristic.
Justina Chen Headley brings the story and most of her characters to life by presenting both the negative and positive qualities of each situation and person, showing that even good people make mistakes and that even the bad guys can have some good in them.
Recommended
127Whisper1
Diane
Just when I vow to try to contain myself and not add more books to the pile, I visit your thread and here I go again.
I'm adding book #145 to the list.
Just when I vow to try to contain myself and not add more books to the pile, I visit your thread and here I go again.
I'm adding book #145 to the list.
129judylou
Diane, I have just added quite a few to my list. I wish I could read at twice the speed I do now.
130mckait
Some good books mentioned here... and I agree about Hoffman. Very few misses in my book. I think I have read all but her ast two..
131dianestm
Book No. 146
Seventh Heaven by Alice Hoffman
4 stars
This book uses its setting and characters very effectively to show how the looks of the American dream can be deceiving. When the main character moves to 1960s suburban American, her very presence makes life less perfect and yet somehow more real for the other people who live there. Like most Hoffman, this includes elements of magical realism, including a ghost who haunts not her killer, but his brother, and a mother who uses old spells to keep her child save at school.
Another good read.
Seventh Heaven by Alice Hoffman
4 stars
This book uses its setting and characters very effectively to show how the looks of the American dream can be deceiving. When the main character moves to 1960s suburban American, her very presence makes life less perfect and yet somehow more real for the other people who live there. Like most Hoffman, this includes elements of magical realism, including a ghost who haunts not her killer, but his brother, and a mother who uses old spells to keep her child save at school.
Another good read.
132alcottacre
Hoffman is already on my list of 'you have to read everything they ever wrote'. I have to get busy!
133mckait
ditto stasia... I haven't read this one yet...but will very soon. checked to be sure.. and I guess I have read it .. a while ago...
134dianestm
Book No. 147
The Island by Victoria Hislop
4 stars
This is not a story about, Alexis, a young career girl who is headed to Greece with her boyfriend on a vacation, but her mother's family and the past which is never discussed at home. Sofia gives Alexis a letter for an old friend in the small village of Plaka who tells Alexis the story of her family for the past three generations.
We follow Eleni, who is torn away from her family when she develops leprosy and sent to the Spinalounga the island off Plaka where all the lepers in Greece are sent. We then hear the story from what happened to the family on both sides of the water. Her daughters grow up, the older one Anna gets married and eventually has a daughter, Sofia. Just when her life is looking good, Maria the younger daughter is torn away from happiness with leprosy, but is she really set up for the same fate as her mother.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, but parts of it did drag at times and it seemed the author got carried away with giving details at times.
The Island by Victoria Hislop
4 stars
This is not a story about, Alexis, a young career girl who is headed to Greece with her boyfriend on a vacation, but her mother's family and the past which is never discussed at home. Sofia gives Alexis a letter for an old friend in the small village of Plaka who tells Alexis the story of her family for the past three generations.
We follow Eleni, who is torn away from her family when she develops leprosy and sent to the Spinalounga the island off Plaka where all the lepers in Greece are sent. We then hear the story from what happened to the family on both sides of the water. Her daughters grow up, the older one Anna gets married and eventually has a daughter, Sofia. Just when her life is looking good, Maria the younger daughter is torn away from happiness with leprosy, but is she really set up for the same fate as her mother.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, but parts of it did drag at times and it seemed the author got carried away with giving details at times.
135dianestm
Book No. 147
The Island by Victoria Hislop
4 stars
This is not a story about, Alexis, a young career girl who is headed to Greece with her boyfriend on a vacation, but her mother's family and the past that is never discussed at home. Sofia gives Alexis a letter for a old family friend and asks that her families history be passed on to Alexis. In the small village of Plaka an old family friend tells Alexis the story of her family over the past three generations.
We follow Eleni, who is torn away from her family due to leprosy and sent to the Spinalounga the island off Plaka where all the lepers in Greece are sent. We then hear the story from what happened to the family on both sides of the water. Her daughters grow up, the older one Anna gets married and eventually gives birth to Sofia. Just when her life is looking good , Maria the younger daughter is torn away from happiness with leprosy, but is she really set up for the same fate as her mother, and what will happen to Sophia Anna's young daughter.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, but parts of it did drag at times and it seemed the author got carried away with giving details at times.
The Island by Victoria Hislop
4 stars
This is not a story about, Alexis, a young career girl who is headed to Greece with her boyfriend on a vacation, but her mother's family and the past that is never discussed at home. Sofia gives Alexis a letter for a old family friend and asks that her families history be passed on to Alexis. In the small village of Plaka an old family friend tells Alexis the story of her family over the past three generations.
We follow Eleni, who is torn away from her family due to leprosy and sent to the Spinalounga the island off Plaka where all the lepers in Greece are sent. We then hear the story from what happened to the family on both sides of the water. Her daughters grow up, the older one Anna gets married and eventually gives birth to Sofia. Just when her life is looking good , Maria the younger daughter is torn away from happiness with leprosy, but is she really set up for the same fate as her mother, and what will happen to Sophia Anna's young daughter.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, but parts of it did drag at times and it seemed the author got carried away with giving details at times.
136alcottacre
Looks interesting. I will see if I can locate a copy. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane.
137Whisper1
ditto what Stasia said. Ppps..I returned and edited my original message to say how great it is to have another LT member who loves the writings of Alice Hoffman.
138dianestm
Book No. 148
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson
4 stars
A very intelligent and interesting YA look at bioethics and identity. I thought I had the story figured out before I even read it, but things were not as I imagined. Very complex, thought-provoking and very delicately handled, and not preachy.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson
4 stars
A very intelligent and interesting YA look at bioethics and identity. I thought I had the story figured out before I even read it, but things were not as I imagined. Very complex, thought-provoking and very delicately handled, and not preachy.
139avatiakh
#138 Yes, I really liked The Adoration of Jenna Fox as well. Thought provoking indeed, a great read for teens.
140Whisper1
The Adoration of Jenna Fox is one of my favorite reads of 2009. It is a book that I tell people about...often!
141dianestm
The Adoration of Jenna Fox is probably not a book I would have read without the recommendations of a lot of people on LT.
My reading this year has been influenced a lot by others on LT, which is a good thing, as I have read some amazing books I might otherwise have missed.
My reading this year has been influenced a lot by others on LT, which is a good thing, as I have read some amazing books I might otherwise have missed.
142Whisper1
I agree!
If not for Stasia and Alaskabookworm, I would not have heard of The Wednesday Wars which then led me to Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy -- both excellent books!
If not for Stasia and Alaskabookworm, I would not have heard of The Wednesday Wars which then led me to Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy -- both excellent books!
143dianestm
Book No. 149
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
4 stars
Odd Thomas sees dead people and has strange psychic abilities. He might be odd but apparantly his girlfriend, Stormy, is gorgeous. His home town is inundated with evil shadows (bodocks) which spike his weird meter and sets Odd on a mission to find out what is going on. This is typical Dean Koontz - way out there but enjoyable nonetheless. I usually like Koontz's writing and this was no exception. Odd is a quirky guy but also loveable, caring and kind. There is a few murders in it but no really graphic details. Even the squeamish should be able to read this one. The ending is very sad and unexpected. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Book No. 150
Head Case by Sarah Aronson
3 1/2 stars
After a drunk-driving accident, two people are dead and 17-year-old Frank, is, well, "a head." He is a quadrapolegic, a survivor, and based on that, the people in his town clamor to see him punished further. As a survivor, Frank has to decide how he must live as this short novel takes us through eight weeks of Frank's post-accident life.
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
4 stars
Odd Thomas sees dead people and has strange psychic abilities. He might be odd but apparantly his girlfriend, Stormy, is gorgeous. His home town is inundated with evil shadows (bodocks) which spike his weird meter and sets Odd on a mission to find out what is going on. This is typical Dean Koontz - way out there but enjoyable nonetheless. I usually like Koontz's writing and this was no exception. Odd is a quirky guy but also loveable, caring and kind. There is a few murders in it but no really graphic details. Even the squeamish should be able to read this one. The ending is very sad and unexpected. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Book No. 150
Head Case by Sarah Aronson
3 1/2 stars
After a drunk-driving accident, two people are dead and 17-year-old Frank, is, well, "a head." He is a quadrapolegic, a survivor, and based on that, the people in his town clamor to see him punished further. As a survivor, Frank has to decide how he must live as this short novel takes us through eight weeks of Frank's post-accident life.
145dianestm
Book No. 151
Tethered by Amy Mackinnon
4 1/2 stars
Clara Marsh, is an emotionally fragile woman who works as an undertaker in Brockton, MA. She does not believe in God. When asked what she does believe, she responds by saying "I believe it is important to breathe". She spends her solitary life among the dead, preparing their last baths and bidding them farewell with a bouquet from her own garden. Her carefully structured life shifts when she discovers a neglected, possibly abused young girl playing in the funeral parlor, desperate for a friend.
Clara's ordered life changes even more when a detective starts questioning her about a body she prepared three years earlier. The body was of an unidentified young girl found murdered in the woods nearby. Unclaimed by family, the community christened her Precious Doe. Is there a link between the young girl who seeks the funeral parlor as a sanctuary to the same people who killed Precious Doe?
Wonderfully written and very compelling. Read in one sitting.
Thanks to everyone on LT for their recommendation of this one.
Tethered by Amy Mackinnon
4 1/2 stars
Clara Marsh, is an emotionally fragile woman who works as an undertaker in Brockton, MA. She does not believe in God. When asked what she does believe, she responds by saying "I believe it is important to breathe". She spends her solitary life among the dead, preparing their last baths and bidding them farewell with a bouquet from her own garden. Her carefully structured life shifts when she discovers a neglected, possibly abused young girl playing in the funeral parlor, desperate for a friend.
Clara's ordered life changes even more when a detective starts questioning her about a body she prepared three years earlier. The body was of an unidentified young girl found murdered in the woods nearby. Unclaimed by family, the community christened her Precious Doe. Is there a link between the young girl who seeks the funeral parlor as a sanctuary to the same people who killed Precious Doe?
Wonderfully written and very compelling. Read in one sitting.
Thanks to everyone on LT for their recommendation of this one.
146Whisper1
Diane
I agree! Tethered is an incredible book. I found it on Stasia's thread. Without giving it away, please tell me if you were surprised by the ending.
I agree! Tethered is an incredible book. I found it on Stasia's thread. Without giving it away, please tell me if you were surprised by the ending.
147dianestm
Linda, the ending was a little surprise. I predicted part of it to happen but was pleased that full prediction was not realised. Always good to have a different ending to what you expect.
148dianestm
Book No. 152
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
3 1/2 stars
Like most sequels to a great novel, this one does not meet the expectation that the first novel inspired, but was still entertaining. This book also lacked the level of suspense in the first.
As Odd works to free a friend from the clutches of a madwoman, he finds her true intent is to have him (Odd), so that she can use his powers for her own benefit. There just isn't as much at stake here, though the twists and turns are rewarding.
Of most value is the writing, which is contemporary, quick and perfectly befitting a character in his early twenties. Full of quirky momentary thoughts, Odd manages to magically spin these into backstory and metaphors that educate and entertain in a delightful way.
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
3 1/2 stars
Like most sequels to a great novel, this one does not meet the expectation that the first novel inspired, but was still entertaining. This book also lacked the level of suspense in the first.
As Odd works to free a friend from the clutches of a madwoman, he finds her true intent is to have him (Odd), so that she can use his powers for her own benefit. There just isn't as much at stake here, though the twists and turns are rewarding.
Of most value is the writing, which is contemporary, quick and perfectly befitting a character in his early twenties. Full of quirky momentary thoughts, Odd manages to magically spin these into backstory and metaphors that educate and entertain in a delightful way.
151dianestm
#149, Judy you add to my TBR mountain on a very regular basis. It's nice to be able to return the favour.
#150, Susan good to see you here.
Book No. 153
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
4 stars
Ginny Blackstone’s journey of geographical and self discoveries in this story is one that we all dream of. Who wouldn’t want to be sent on a backpacking trip across Europe and do things we’ve never thought we were capable of doing?
Ginny’s free-spirited artist aunt, Peg, died from a brain tumor. After Peg’s death, a package containing 13 sealed blue envelopes is delivered to Ginny. They send her on various missions across the seas in foreign lands. All of a sudden, Ginny finds herself lugging a heavy purple-and-green backpack onto a plane and into the London flat of a man named Richard.
Peg’s instructions in the envelopes further mess with Ginny’s once passive existence as they instruct her to, for example, find a struggling artist whose work she admires to give money to. Despite the crazy, un-Ginny-like adventures she’s having, Ginny still has doubts every once in a while of what the heck exactly is she doing in Europe. Will Ginny ever come to terms with the fact that she IS capable of everything her aunt had once done?
13 Little Blue Envelopes is more than a fun ride through several European countries. It’s a journey of self-discovery for Ginny, as a shy girl learns exactly what she is capable of.
#150, Susan good to see you here.
Book No. 153
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
4 stars
Ginny Blackstone’s journey of geographical and self discoveries in this story is one that we all dream of. Who wouldn’t want to be sent on a backpacking trip across Europe and do things we’ve never thought we were capable of doing?
Ginny’s free-spirited artist aunt, Peg, died from a brain tumor. After Peg’s death, a package containing 13 sealed blue envelopes is delivered to Ginny. They send her on various missions across the seas in foreign lands. All of a sudden, Ginny finds herself lugging a heavy purple-and-green backpack onto a plane and into the London flat of a man named Richard.
Peg’s instructions in the envelopes further mess with Ginny’s once passive existence as they instruct her to, for example, find a struggling artist whose work she admires to give money to. Despite the crazy, un-Ginny-like adventures she’s having, Ginny still has doubts every once in a while of what the heck exactly is she doing in Europe. Will Ginny ever come to terms with the fact that she IS capable of everything her aunt had once done?
13 Little Blue Envelopes is more than a fun ride through several European countries. It’s a journey of self-discovery for Ginny, as a shy girl learns exactly what she is capable of.
152dianestm
Book No. 154
Kyla by Frances Cherry
3 stars
Every teenager’s worst nightmare comes true when Kyla’s beloved grandmother dies suddenly – and Kyla is left with nobody to look after her. Kyla’s aunt Caroline reluctantly takes her in, but it means Kyla has to leave all her friends and move to Wellington. Kyla and Caroline find it very difficult to accommodate each other. Kyla retreats into a world of make-believe and tells lies to the girls at school about her family and background. When she’s caught out she simply can’t cope any more, and she runs away. Her attempt to return to Auckland is fraught with difficulty and danger but it’s actually a blessing in disguise – she is forced to accept that she can never go back to her old life.
Kyla by Frances Cherry
3 stars
Every teenager’s worst nightmare comes true when Kyla’s beloved grandmother dies suddenly – and Kyla is left with nobody to look after her. Kyla’s aunt Caroline reluctantly takes her in, but it means Kyla has to leave all her friends and move to Wellington. Kyla and Caroline find it very difficult to accommodate each other. Kyla retreats into a world of make-believe and tells lies to the girls at school about her family and background. When she’s caught out she simply can’t cope any more, and she runs away. Her attempt to return to Auckland is fraught with difficulty and danger but it’s actually a blessing in disguise – she is forced to accept that she can never go back to her old life.
153dianestm
Book No. 155
The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil Mcneil
3 1/2 stars
The story is about a Jo, a woman whose husbands announces he wants a divorce but is killed in a car accident before he can file, leaving Jo a widow raising two young sons on her own. She moves to the country and takes over her grandmother's yarn shop, rebuilding her life as she builds up the business.
It started out a little slow but got better. It was more like a "year in the life of..." book. There were funny parts and touching parts. It did get the point across though that you can do anything and get through anything if you put your mind to it.
The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil Mcneil
3 1/2 stars
The story is about a Jo, a woman whose husbands announces he wants a divorce but is killed in a car accident before he can file, leaving Jo a widow raising two young sons on her own. She moves to the country and takes over her grandmother's yarn shop, rebuilding her life as she builds up the business.
It started out a little slow but got better. It was more like a "year in the life of..." book. There were funny parts and touching parts. It did get the point across though that you can do anything and get through anything if you put your mind to it.
154alcottacre
#151: That one looks very good. Thanks for the recommendation, Maureen.
155dianestm
Book No. 156
The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
4 stars
Holling Hoodhood is exasperated when he finds out that he is going to be spending every Wednesday afternoon with his teacher, Mrs. Baker. He knows that she hates his guts, why else would she make him read Shakespeare? Over the course of 7th grade Holling grows and learns that sometimes things are not always what they seem.
I thought that this was a good book - I read it because of the recommendations from others on LT. I enjoyed the characters, but found the beginning of the book a little lacking in the entertainment department, nevertheless I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to my friends.
The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
4 stars
Holling Hoodhood is exasperated when he finds out that he is going to be spending every Wednesday afternoon with his teacher, Mrs. Baker. He knows that she hates his guts, why else would she make him read Shakespeare? Over the course of 7th grade Holling grows and learns that sometimes things are not always what they seem.
I thought that this was a good book - I read it because of the recommendations from others on LT. I enjoyed the characters, but found the beginning of the book a little lacking in the entertainment department, nevertheless I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to my friends.
156dianestm
Book No. 157
Mr and Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels
3 stars
College students Lily and Pete meet each other outside a sperm bank/fertility clinic where they have donated in order to pay for their college tuition. They meet again years later while on their way to their college reunion. Neither one has ever made peace with their donations since they both feel that something was sinister about the clinic. When they return to California, they decide to investigate the clinic and a recent school shooting that they believe is related. I thought the story was ok despite one character who gets advice from his dead friend (read: ghost). I was a little disappointed because I think Fern Michaels' books are usually better than this one.
Mr and Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels
3 stars
College students Lily and Pete meet each other outside a sperm bank/fertility clinic where they have donated in order to pay for their college tuition. They meet again years later while on their way to their college reunion. Neither one has ever made peace with their donations since they both feel that something was sinister about the clinic. When they return to California, they decide to investigate the clinic and a recent school shooting that they believe is related. I thought the story was ok despite one character who gets advice from his dead friend (read: ghost). I was a little disappointed because I think Fern Michaels' books are usually better than this one.
157alcottacre
#156: I think I will skip that one. Thanks for the review, Diane.
158dianestm
Book No. 158
A Step From Heaven by An Na
4 stars
A Korean family emigrates to the United States in search of a better life. Told from the viewpoint of the daughter, the story follows her from age four to age sixteen. She and her family encounter language difficulties, feelings of isolation, a struggle for identity, and an abusive relationship with her father. Young Ju, the daughter, goes to school with no understanding of English, and develops into one of the top members of her class. Apa, the father, begins to resent her acquisition of English and her successful assimilation into American culture. He resents those who understand English, mistrusts the intensions of Americans, and becomes abusive with his family. Uhmma, the mother, adapts much more readily, is able to stay focused on the dream of becoming American and allowing her children to live a better life. She and the children join a church, in order to become more accepted and further assimilated into the culture. Apa; however, holds the family back, punishing them for their successes. Eventually, the struggle to fit in becomes too much for Apa, and he moves back to Korea. The rest of the family remains in America and is finally allowed to develop as Americans.
The book exhibits especially unique literary quality. It challenges the reader through Young Ju’s translation of English, particularly in the early chapters. The intermixing of Korean and the youth of the narrator also provide credibility to the story. Young Ju’s life experience, or lack thereof, pose additional challenges to both the reader’s and Young Ju’s understanding of various situations. In spite of the challenges, the story is engaging and clever. The division of chapters into small vignettes about the family’s experience helps the book flow without seeming too disjointed.
I really enjoyed this book. There were sections that were difficult to get through, such as the various abusive scenes with the father, but by that point in the story, I was so interested and vested in the story that I couldn’t stop. This book would appeal to YAs because of the format of short chapters, which makes is more accessible. Also, the fact that Young Ju doesn’t feel as though she is part of her own family is something that some YAs might identify with fairly closely. The most interesting aspect of the book is the way the reader can see Young Ju’s literary and verbal growth and grasp of English as the story progresses. I would absolutely recommend this book to YA and adults.
A Step From Heaven by An Na
4 stars
A Korean family emigrates to the United States in search of a better life. Told from the viewpoint of the daughter, the story follows her from age four to age sixteen. She and her family encounter language difficulties, feelings of isolation, a struggle for identity, and an abusive relationship with her father. Young Ju, the daughter, goes to school with no understanding of English, and develops into one of the top members of her class. Apa, the father, begins to resent her acquisition of English and her successful assimilation into American culture. He resents those who understand English, mistrusts the intensions of Americans, and becomes abusive with his family. Uhmma, the mother, adapts much more readily, is able to stay focused on the dream of becoming American and allowing her children to live a better life. She and the children join a church, in order to become more accepted and further assimilated into the culture. Apa; however, holds the family back, punishing them for their successes. Eventually, the struggle to fit in becomes too much for Apa, and he moves back to Korea. The rest of the family remains in America and is finally allowed to develop as Americans.
The book exhibits especially unique literary quality. It challenges the reader through Young Ju’s translation of English, particularly in the early chapters. The intermixing of Korean and the youth of the narrator also provide credibility to the story. Young Ju’s life experience, or lack thereof, pose additional challenges to both the reader’s and Young Ju’s understanding of various situations. In spite of the challenges, the story is engaging and clever. The division of chapters into small vignettes about the family’s experience helps the book flow without seeming too disjointed.
I really enjoyed this book. There were sections that were difficult to get through, such as the various abusive scenes with the father, but by that point in the story, I was so interested and vested in the story that I couldn’t stop. This book would appeal to YAs because of the format of short chapters, which makes is more accessible. Also, the fact that Young Ju doesn’t feel as though she is part of her own family is something that some YAs might identify with fairly closely. The most interesting aspect of the book is the way the reader can see Young Ju’s literary and verbal growth and grasp of English as the story progresses. I would absolutely recommend this book to YA and adults.
159avatiakh
I've been meaning to read A step from heaven for ages, sounds really good.
162alcottacre
Count me in with those adding A Step from Heaven to the TBR lists!
163dianestm
Book No. 159
The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
3 stars
This was a very good book from a literary standpoint. It is however, not a "fun" read. It is a Printz award winner for the best book of the year for young adults, and deservedly so.
It is a tale of a teen from England who gets taken on a surprise trip to Antartica with her uncle. Symone's (Sym) story quickly turns into a survival tale, as she deals with an increasingly manic uncle.
What helps Sym get through is her imaginary relationship with a long dead artic explorer. This character is more real to her than most of the people she is traveling with.
Sym is very naive about what is acutally happening during this trip. She fails to question her "genius" uncle when the spontaneous trip to Paris turns into an Antartic expidition. She blindly accepts all the assurances of her uncle, even as they become more suspect to a reader. On one hand, Sym's cluelessness is irritating. On the other hand, as we learn more about how Sym's uncle has manipulated her all of her life with an increasingly disturbing series of lies, her ignorance and the choices she makes because of it become plausable.
Eventually, pulling on strength she didn't know she had, Sym opens her eyes to her uncle's maniacal plans. She is able to resist him, and more importantly, survive the Antarctic expidition.
In many ways, Sym's uncle is one of the most disturbing characters I've encountered in a long time. Sanity of all the characters is in question throughout the tale. It's a good read, but not one to pick up in a blue mood.
The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
3 stars
This was a very good book from a literary standpoint. It is however, not a "fun" read. It is a Printz award winner for the best book of the year for young adults, and deservedly so.
It is a tale of a teen from England who gets taken on a surprise trip to Antartica with her uncle. Symone's (Sym) story quickly turns into a survival tale, as she deals with an increasingly manic uncle.
What helps Sym get through is her imaginary relationship with a long dead artic explorer. This character is more real to her than most of the people she is traveling with.
Sym is very naive about what is acutally happening during this trip. She fails to question her "genius" uncle when the spontaneous trip to Paris turns into an Antartic expidition. She blindly accepts all the assurances of her uncle, even as they become more suspect to a reader. On one hand, Sym's cluelessness is irritating. On the other hand, as we learn more about how Sym's uncle has manipulated her all of her life with an increasingly disturbing series of lies, her ignorance and the choices she makes because of it become plausable.
Eventually, pulling on strength she didn't know she had, Sym opens her eyes to her uncle's maniacal plans. She is able to resist him, and more importantly, survive the Antarctic expidition.
In many ways, Sym's uncle is one of the most disturbing characters I've encountered in a long time. Sanity of all the characters is in question throughout the tale. It's a good read, but not one to pick up in a blue mood.
164dianestm
Book No. 160
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
2 1/2 stars
Overall, I just can't understand why this book won the Newbery, unless it was a sad year for children's lit. It's certainly not a book I would recommend to my brother or any other kid that was the recommended age. It just wasn't that great and it certainly wasn't memorable. It will likely be most remembered for the wild publicity and protests that the inclusion of the word "scrotum" caused.
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
2 1/2 stars
Overall, I just can't understand why this book won the Newbery, unless it was a sad year for children's lit. It's certainly not a book I would recommend to my brother or any other kid that was the recommended age. It just wasn't that great and it certainly wasn't memorable. It will likely be most remembered for the wild publicity and protests that the inclusion of the word "scrotum" caused.
165Whisper1
Diane
One of the great things about LT is the sharing of opinions and thoughts/feelings about certain books. For example, I really liked The Higher Power of Lucky. I thought Lucky was a spunky little girl.
Have you read Missing May by Cynthia Rylant? You might like this Newbery winner.
Thanks for your excellent review of The White Darkness. It does sound like a deep subject for a YA book, but then again many YA books do contain heavy topics.
Happy Saturday to you.
One of the great things about LT is the sharing of opinions and thoughts/feelings about certain books. For example, I really liked The Higher Power of Lucky. I thought Lucky was a spunky little girl.
Have you read Missing May by Cynthia Rylant? You might like this Newbery winner.
Thanks for your excellent review of The White Darkness. It does sound like a deep subject for a YA book, but then again many YA books do contain heavy topics.
Happy Saturday to you.
166dianestm
Linda
I haven't read Missing May yet but will be on the look out for it. This one looks good.
Hope you have a good weekend.
I haven't read Missing May yet but will be on the look out for it. This one looks good.
Hope you have a good weekend.
167dianestm
Book No. 161
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Schlitz
3 stars
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! is a collection of monologues (and two dialogues), portraits of medieval children and adolescents. With each character, from the lord's daughter Isobel to the shepherdess Alice to the beggar Giles, the reader learns a little bit more about life in a medieval village. The illustrations by Robert Byrd are playful but reminiscent of medieval manuscript. There's a delightful map of the author's village that includes each of the characters in miniature - it was fun to refer to the map after reading each monologue and envision them getting along in their little world.
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Schlitz
3 stars
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! is a collection of monologues (and two dialogues), portraits of medieval children and adolescents. With each character, from the lord's daughter Isobel to the shepherdess Alice to the beggar Giles, the reader learns a little bit more about life in a medieval village. The illustrations by Robert Byrd are playful but reminiscent of medieval manuscript. There's a delightful map of the author's village that includes each of the characters in miniature - it was fun to refer to the map after reading each monologue and envision them getting along in their little world.
168dianestm
Book No. 162
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
4 stars
While the beginning is a bit confusing, it's well worth pushing through until things start to become clear - for the reader and for Taylor. It's only appropriate, really, for the beginning to confuse us, since Taylor is sort of lost herself. Since she is telling us the story as she struggles with her role at school, her missing mother, the disappearance of a favorite adult, and needy peers, we see her frustrated state of mind. There are intriguing hints of a story that took place a generation before, and slowly the two stories connect. The ending is an unexpectedly forceful tearjerker, with happy and painful moments crushed together. At its heart, it feels like a story about how character and friendships can be formed at an early age, and how those moments never really leave a person - but it never turns the story into anything cheesy. I do think that this focus will appeal to teens who are in that intense friendship stage. This begs to be reread.
Recommended to readers looking for an emotionally gripping story who have the patience for a slow start.
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
4 stars
While the beginning is a bit confusing, it's well worth pushing through until things start to become clear - for the reader and for Taylor. It's only appropriate, really, for the beginning to confuse us, since Taylor is sort of lost herself. Since she is telling us the story as she struggles with her role at school, her missing mother, the disappearance of a favorite adult, and needy peers, we see her frustrated state of mind. There are intriguing hints of a story that took place a generation before, and slowly the two stories connect. The ending is an unexpectedly forceful tearjerker, with happy and painful moments crushed together. At its heart, it feels like a story about how character and friendships can be formed at an early age, and how those moments never really leave a person - but it never turns the story into anything cheesy. I do think that this focus will appeal to teens who are in that intense friendship stage. This begs to be reread.
Recommended to readers looking for an emotionally gripping story who have the patience for a slow start.
169avatiakh
On the Jellicoe Road is a great book, I love her work though still have to read her fantasy Finnikin of the Rock which is on my 1010 challenge list.
170alcottacre
#168: Adding On the Jellicoe Road to the Black Hole. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane & Kerry!
171dianestm
Book No. 163
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
5 stars
It follows three stories - four, if you include the cellist's - of trying to survive and retain one's humanity while living in Sarajevo during the 1992-96 siege. The two men's stories (Keenan and Dragan) are particularly poignant and thought provoking: One man, a husband and a father, who is getting water for his family - a death defying act - and the other man who is trying to cross the city to get bread and have a meal. I've never lived in or through any situation even remotely like what is described, but reading this book makes these situations eerily real.
The writing is incredible - Mr. Galloway is a genius of just the right phrase without showing off. Reading this book reminds me of looking at a beautiful marble sculpture where just exactly just the right amount - no more, no less - has been chipped away. In this case, just the right number of words and the exact choices of words laid in a row in just the right order. Truly a work of art, while being very human and accessible at the same time.
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
5 stars
It follows three stories - four, if you include the cellist's - of trying to survive and retain one's humanity while living in Sarajevo during the 1992-96 siege. The two men's stories (Keenan and Dragan) are particularly poignant and thought provoking: One man, a husband and a father, who is getting water for his family - a death defying act - and the other man who is trying to cross the city to get bread and have a meal. I've never lived in or through any situation even remotely like what is described, but reading this book makes these situations eerily real.
The writing is incredible - Mr. Galloway is a genius of just the right phrase without showing off. Reading this book reminds me of looking at a beautiful marble sculpture where just exactly just the right amount - no more, no less - has been chipped away. In this case, just the right number of words and the exact choices of words laid in a row in just the right order. Truly a work of art, while being very human and accessible at the same time.
173alcottacre
#171: I loved that book, too - it is on my memorable reads list for the year. I am glad to see it has found another fan.
174Whisper1
The Cellist of Sarajevo has been on the tbr list since Stasia's wonderful recommendation...I'm heading to the library today to get it...I'll try to forget that I have 30 library books waiting to be read.
175dianestm
Book No. 164
Criss Cross Lynne Rae Perkins
3 stars
Have you ever made a wish? Did it come true?
Debbie’s wish did, but her wish was simple—that something happened.
Things do happen, but nothing earth-shattering. Just your regular stuff.
Criss Cross is story about boys and girls, growing up, falling in love for the first time, and finding friends. Debbie’s wish sets off a series of seemingly unrelated events, that, when taken together, connects a group of young kids lives in a “criss cross” way. Many parts of the book are funny, especially the illustrations. One chapter is written almost entirely in haikus. Some parts are sad, and scary, and others down right weird. In other words, just like in real life.
Criss Cross Lynne Rae Perkins
3 stars
Have you ever made a wish? Did it come true?
Debbie’s wish did, but her wish was simple—that something happened.
Things do happen, but nothing earth-shattering. Just your regular stuff.
Criss Cross is story about boys and girls, growing up, falling in love for the first time, and finding friends. Debbie’s wish sets off a series of seemingly unrelated events, that, when taken together, connects a group of young kids lives in a “criss cross” way. Many parts of the book are funny, especially the illustrations. One chapter is written almost entirely in haikus. Some parts are sad, and scary, and others down right weird. In other words, just like in real life.
176dianestm
Book No. 165
Monster Walter Dean Myers
4 1/2 stars
Monster is a great read that explores mature themes such as moral equivalence and the question of guilt. Using the notebook to create a film script and then having Steve film himself from many angles after the trial shows the ambiguities of self.
I wasn’t at all distanced from the main character. The scenes with his younger brother were very humanizing, as was Mr. Sawicki’s comments about Steve’s films about his neighborhood at the trial:
“His film footage shows me what he’s seeing and, to a large extent, what he’s thinking. And what he sees, the humanity of it, speaks of a very deep character (p. 236).” All the more thought-provoking when considering Steve’s decision to go into into the drugstore.
I saw Steve as a complicated, intelligent, creative youth trying to find an identity.
Monster Walter Dean Myers
4 1/2 stars
Monster is a great read that explores mature themes such as moral equivalence and the question of guilt. Using the notebook to create a film script and then having Steve film himself from many angles after the trial shows the ambiguities of self.
I wasn’t at all distanced from the main character. The scenes with his younger brother were very humanizing, as was Mr. Sawicki’s comments about Steve’s films about his neighborhood at the trial:
“His film footage shows me what he’s seeing and, to a large extent, what he’s thinking. And what he sees, the humanity of it, speaks of a very deep character (p. 236).” All the more thought-provoking when considering Steve’s decision to go into into the drugstore.
I saw Steve as a complicated, intelligent, creative youth trying to find an identity.
177dianestm
Book No. 166
The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins
5 stars
Katniss lives in a dystopian world where teens between the ages of 12-18 are all possible candidates for what are called the Hunger Games, a contest to the death.
When her younger sister's name is chosen, Katniss takes her place. With her hunting and tracking skills, and her fiery temper, she captures the imagination of the viewing public. But can she bear to kill her competitors, and her partner from her own region in order to win?
Gripping futuristic adventure that starts out strong and never lets up. You can tell there's much more story to mine from this world - we don't know how the stratification between the wealthy privileged city folks and the 12 regions happened, or why the Hunger Games are accepted as tradition.
This made me think of Shirley Jackson's story The Lottery, while giving us a heroine to root for, and a touch of hopefulness.
The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins
5 stars
Katniss lives in a dystopian world where teens between the ages of 12-18 are all possible candidates for what are called the Hunger Games, a contest to the death.
When her younger sister's name is chosen, Katniss takes her place. With her hunting and tracking skills, and her fiery temper, she captures the imagination of the viewing public. But can she bear to kill her competitors, and her partner from her own region in order to win?
Gripping futuristic adventure that starts out strong and never lets up. You can tell there's much more story to mine from this world - we don't know how the stratification between the wealthy privileged city folks and the 12 regions happened, or why the Hunger Games are accepted as tradition.
This made me think of Shirley Jackson's story The Lottery, while giving us a heroine to root for, and a touch of hopefulness.
179alcottacre
Glad The Hunger Games has found another fan! I loved it.
181dianestm
Book No. 167
Suite Scarlett Maureen Johnson
3 stars
Suite Scarlett was a cute read - it was fun, frothy and focused on the apple of every YA blogger's eye, Spencer. It has a nice heart, some nice introspection but it failed to rock my world.
First of all, Spencer is great in that he's the male focus of this novel, being the big brother rather than the love interest. He's funny, he's charming, he's flawed. I found the protagonist (Scarlett) to be a little blah. Johnson tends to overwhelm her leading ladies with swirling events and larger than life secondary characters. Ultimately, it is these characters that you remember, the kooky Spencer, the dramatic Mrs Amberson and the tantrum-throwing Marlene.
While I have been critical, I did enjoy Suite Scarlett. The protagonist learns that her brother is fallible, her older sister isn't an icicle and her little sister has a heart. The love interest Eric is blandly tolerable, which is kinda the point with the events that occur. I couldn't help but wish the novel was from Spencer's or Lola's point of view, which could be a reflection of my age. Regardless, it was a fun, light read.
Suite Scarlett Maureen Johnson
3 stars
Suite Scarlett was a cute read - it was fun, frothy and focused on the apple of every YA blogger's eye, Spencer. It has a nice heart, some nice introspection but it failed to rock my world.
First of all, Spencer is great in that he's the male focus of this novel, being the big brother rather than the love interest. He's funny, he's charming, he's flawed. I found the protagonist (Scarlett) to be a little blah. Johnson tends to overwhelm her leading ladies with swirling events and larger than life secondary characters. Ultimately, it is these characters that you remember, the kooky Spencer, the dramatic Mrs Amberson and the tantrum-throwing Marlene.
While I have been critical, I did enjoy Suite Scarlett. The protagonist learns that her brother is fallible, her older sister isn't an icicle and her little sister has a heart. The love interest Eric is blandly tolerable, which is kinda the point with the events that occur. I couldn't help but wish the novel was from Spencer's or Lola's point of view, which could be a reflection of my age. Regardless, it was a fun, light read.
182dianestm
Book No. 168
The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte
2 stars
The Club Dumas is an interesting mystery revolving around Lucas Corso's attempt to authenticate a couple of manuscripts. One is a chapter of "The Three Musketeers" apparently handwritten by Alexandre Dumas. The other is a copy, perhaps "the" copy of "The Book of the Nine Doors to the Kingdom of Darkness," rumored to be co-authored by none other than, um...Satan.
Perez-Reverte does a commendable job in at least one aspect; the character of Corso is one of the best I've come across. Being a rare book finder and authenticator is no job for a saint. He bends rules when necessary, but avoids dirtying his hands with some of the more unsavory aspects of job. In fact he's rather cowardly, only willing to attack those weaker or unsuspecting. Nonetheless I found myself pulling for him right away, even if it was just to see how far he might get before the inevitable smackdown. Corso drives the book and makes it bearable to read.
The plot however starts to lag toward the end. Some have accused the Dumas plot line of being anti-climatic; but maybe that's the point the author was trying to make. However, The Nine Doors plot fell apart. I was expecting a lot more from that particular thread and it just seemed to stop without any resolution.
Read it and enjoy Corso's exploits, but don't bank on a lot of bang at the end.
The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte
2 stars
The Club Dumas is an interesting mystery revolving around Lucas Corso's attempt to authenticate a couple of manuscripts. One is a chapter of "The Three Musketeers" apparently handwritten by Alexandre Dumas. The other is a copy, perhaps "the" copy of "The Book of the Nine Doors to the Kingdom of Darkness," rumored to be co-authored by none other than, um...Satan.
Perez-Reverte does a commendable job in at least one aspect; the character of Corso is one of the best I've come across. Being a rare book finder and authenticator is no job for a saint. He bends rules when necessary, but avoids dirtying his hands with some of the more unsavory aspects of job. In fact he's rather cowardly, only willing to attack those weaker or unsuspecting. Nonetheless I found myself pulling for him right away, even if it was just to see how far he might get before the inevitable smackdown. Corso drives the book and makes it bearable to read.
The plot however starts to lag toward the end. Some have accused the Dumas plot line of being anti-climatic; but maybe that's the point the author was trying to make. However, The Nine Doors plot fell apart. I was expecting a lot more from that particular thread and it just seemed to stop without any resolution.
Read it and enjoy Corso's exploits, but don't bank on a lot of bang at the end.
185dianestm
Book No. 169
Skellig David Almond
4 stars
The main character, a young boy named Michael, finds an almost decomposing creature in the garage of his family's new house. The creature can barely speak, demands aspirin and Chinese takeout, and seems to be made of crumbling porcelain. As Michael's family struggles to keep his prematurely born infant sister alive, Michael struggles with whether or not his discovery of the creature is reality or a symptom of insanity. The author cleverly quotes William Blake, a brilliant man who claimed to see angels in his back yard and had his own struggles with reality. Mina, Michael's new neighbor, is home-schooled and lives by the Blake line "How can a bird that is born for joy/Sit in a cage and sing?" The rest of the novel sees Michael learning to answer this question, and his growth is both intriguing and touching.
Skellig David Almond
4 stars
The main character, a young boy named Michael, finds an almost decomposing creature in the garage of his family's new house. The creature can barely speak, demands aspirin and Chinese takeout, and seems to be made of crumbling porcelain. As Michael's family struggles to keep his prematurely born infant sister alive, Michael struggles with whether or not his discovery of the creature is reality or a symptom of insanity. The author cleverly quotes William Blake, a brilliant man who claimed to see angels in his back yard and had his own struggles with reality. Mina, Michael's new neighbor, is home-schooled and lives by the Blake line "How can a bird that is born for joy/Sit in a cage and sing?" The rest of the novel sees Michael learning to answer this question, and his growth is both intriguing and touching.
187alcottacre
#185: I read that one last year and enjoyed it very much. Glad to see it has found another fan!
188avatiakh
It's been a few years since I read David Almond's books but I remember really liking everything he wrote. I've got his Clay on my tbr pile.
189Whisper1
avatiakh
Clay is a dark tale. It isn't one of my favorites, still I would recommend reading it.
Clay is a dark tale. It isn't one of my favorites, still I would recommend reading it.
190dianestm
Book No. 170
Hard Love Ellen Wittlinger
4 stars
John Galardi hasn’t been touched by his mother since his parents’ divorce when he was ten years old. In truth, he hasn’t been touched by much of anything since the unpleasant event. Then he meets Marisol, a fellow zine writer and a self-professed lesbian virgin, and his perceptions of himself and his world are blown open. This text is a complex story of alienation, creativity and self-knowledge.
Hard Love Ellen Wittlinger
4 stars
John Galardi hasn’t been touched by his mother since his parents’ divorce when he was ten years old. In truth, he hasn’t been touched by much of anything since the unpleasant event. Then he meets Marisol, a fellow zine writer and a self-professed lesbian virgin, and his perceptions of himself and his world are blown open. This text is a complex story of alienation, creativity and self-knowledge.
191dianestm
Book No. 171
Stuck in Neutral Terry Trueman
3 stars
Shawn McDaniel suffers from cerebral palsy to the extent that he cannot communicate at all. But even with this severe handicap, Shawn is happy. He is brilliant. He remembers everything he sees and hears and feels. He has imagination. But his father, who left the family soon after he was born because he couldn’t take the pain of having such a needy son, is rationalizing euthanizing such people, and Shawn is convinced his father will kill him--out of love. The ending is a cop out. The book is fairly frank with Shawn’s fantasies about a beautiful aide and his sister’s pretty friend and contains some profanity/swearing. Positive and worth reading because of its attempt to capture what it would be like to be totally captive in your body, and what would make life living in such a situation.
Stuck in Neutral Terry Trueman
3 stars
Shawn McDaniel suffers from cerebral palsy to the extent that he cannot communicate at all. But even with this severe handicap, Shawn is happy. He is brilliant. He remembers everything he sees and hears and feels. He has imagination. But his father, who left the family soon after he was born because he couldn’t take the pain of having such a needy son, is rationalizing euthanizing such people, and Shawn is convinced his father will kill him--out of love. The ending is a cop out. The book is fairly frank with Shawn’s fantasies about a beautiful aide and his sister’s pretty friend and contains some profanity/swearing. Positive and worth reading because of its attempt to capture what it would be like to be totally captive in your body, and what would make life living in such a situation.
192dianestm
Book No. 172
Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
3 stars
Georgia Nicolson records her often hilarious exploits of her fourteen year old life. She struggles through trying to find a way to hide her large nose, learn how to kiss and get Robbie (AKA the Sex God) to notice her.
This was a fun read but it did take me a while to get into it. By the end, after knowing the characters I was really enjoying the story. The book a was a bit smuttier than I was expecting but I guess it has been a long while since I was a teenager. There was British swearing which didn't bother. Georgia seems a bit young for a seventeen (almost eighteen year old) boy to like. Overall, a fun read with an entertaining heroine and some fantastic situations for comedy.
Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
3 stars
Georgia Nicolson records her often hilarious exploits of her fourteen year old life. She struggles through trying to find a way to hide her large nose, learn how to kiss and get Robbie (AKA the Sex God) to notice her.
This was a fun read but it did take me a while to get into it. By the end, after knowing the characters I was really enjoying the story. The book a was a bit smuttier than I was expecting but I guess it has been a long while since I was a teenager. There was British swearing which didn't bother. Georgia seems a bit young for a seventeen (almost eighteen year old) boy to like. Overall, a fun read with an entertaining heroine and some fantastic situations for comedy.
193avatiakh
I really liked Stuck in Neutral, thought it was exceptional, I also really liked his other book about schizophrenia Inside Out.
194dianestm
Book No. 173
Butterscotch Lyn Loates
3 1/2 stars
Butterscotch is part historical, part mystery and part family saga with an obsessive event at its core - the 1954 Parker Hulme murder case in Christchurch.
Helen Mainyard was eight years old when her father suddenly moved the family from their Christchurch, NZ home to Melbourne, Australia and she always believed that this move was in response to the high profile murder. When she is twenty-one she discovers the real reason which causes her to revisit her childhood.
Set largely in Christchurch, but also in Melbourne, London & Cambridge, and covering mainly the years 1952-1984, this impressive work is peopled with a large array of characters, likeable and not, all wonderfully drawn.
Butterscotch Lyn Loates
3 1/2 stars
Butterscotch is part historical, part mystery and part family saga with an obsessive event at its core - the 1954 Parker Hulme murder case in Christchurch.
Helen Mainyard was eight years old when her father suddenly moved the family from their Christchurch, NZ home to Melbourne, Australia and she always believed that this move was in response to the high profile murder. When she is twenty-one she discovers the real reason which causes her to revisit her childhood.
Set largely in Christchurch, but also in Melbourne, London & Cambridge, and covering mainly the years 1952-1984, this impressive work is peopled with a large array of characters, likeable and not, all wonderfully drawn.
196alcottacre
#194: Looks like one I would enjoy. Thanks for the review and recommendation.
197dianestm
Book No. 174
The Body of Christopher Creed Carol Plum-Ucci
4 stars
This is a great mystery about the disapearance of a teenage outcast. While Christopher Creed was invisible during life, his vanishing turned the entire town upside down as everyone starts pointing fingers at each other as they speculate what happened to him. I loved the character development of the narrator and thought it had a brilliant ending.
The Body of Christopher Creed Carol Plum-Ucci
4 stars
This is a great mystery about the disapearance of a teenage outcast. While Christopher Creed was invisible during life, his vanishing turned the entire town upside down as everyone starts pointing fingers at each other as they speculate what happened to him. I loved the character development of the narrator and thought it had a brilliant ending.
198dianestm
Book No. 175
Local Girls Alice Hoffman
4 1/2 stars
Another awesome book by Alice Hoffman. Her writing style is so unlike any other I've read. What's even more interesting with this particular book is that each chapter does not take place directly after the previous chapter. Sometimes days have gone by, sometimes years. This really makes sense because not every day of someone's life is noteworthy.
The story is about two girls, Gretel and Jill and their families and lives. Both of their moms are ill albeit in different ways and Gretel's brother turns from scholar to a nobody. There are some very sad parts in the book but I found the whole thing gripping.
Local Girls Alice Hoffman
4 1/2 stars
Another awesome book by Alice Hoffman. Her writing style is so unlike any other I've read. What's even more interesting with this particular book is that each chapter does not take place directly after the previous chapter. Sometimes days have gone by, sometimes years. This really makes sense because not every day of someone's life is noteworthy.
The story is about two girls, Gretel and Jill and their families and lives. Both of their moms are ill albeit in different ways and Gretel's brother turns from scholar to a nobody. There are some very sad parts in the book but I found the whole thing gripping.
199alcottacre
#197/198: Adding both of those to the BlackHole. They look very good!
200Whisper1
Local Girls is one of my favorite books written by Alice Hoffman, but then again, I've read all but two of her books and each one is exceptional!
201dianestm
Book No. 176
The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman
4 stars
A great blend of the funny (the tombstones!) and the creepy (that opening sentence!) The chapters had a fairly episodic feel, but each moved the story along as well, and I was surprised to find myself all choked up at the end. I almost really liked the illustrations, since they added nicely to the mood of the book, but any time a character was depicted, the illustrations clashed with the images in my head. I would definitely recommend this to kids who can handle a little creepy. The premise is really great - a boy being raised by a graveyard - and I'm happy to say the execution lives up to the premise.
The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman
4 stars
A great blend of the funny (the tombstones!) and the creepy (that opening sentence!) The chapters had a fairly episodic feel, but each moved the story along as well, and I was surprised to find myself all choked up at the end. I almost really liked the illustrations, since they added nicely to the mood of the book, but any time a character was depicted, the illustrations clashed with the images in my head. I would definitely recommend this to kids who can handle a little creepy. The premise is really great - a boy being raised by a graveyard - and I'm happy to say the execution lives up to the premise.
202avatiakh
Which version did you read? The UK edition had Chris Riddell illustrations and the US had Dave McKean. I'm interested because I thought the Dave McKean ones were great and Chris Riddell's style seemed set to appeal to a younger reader.
203dianestm
Illustrations were done by Chris Riddell. I would be interested to see McKean's illustrations to compare the two.
204avatiakh
Check this out: http://www.thegraveyardbook.com/illustrations/
The cover illustration here is different from the hardback edition, I like the original one better
There is a really good overview of his illustrations in general on this blog interview from earlier this year http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=1599.
The cover illustration here is different from the hardback edition, I like the original one better
There is a really good overview of his illustrations in general on this blog interview from earlier this year http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=1599.
205alcottacre
#204: The copy of The Graveyard Book that I read last year had the illustrations by Dave McKean.
I like the cover of the hardback edition that I read better than the one mentioned in your first paragraph, Kerry, so I am in agreement with you there!
Thanks for the link to the blog. I will check it out.
I like the cover of the hardback edition that I read better than the one mentioned in your first paragraph, Kerry, so I am in agreement with you there!
Thanks for the link to the blog. I will check it out.
206dianestm
Thanks for the link.
I agree with your comments after comparing the two sets of illustrations. McKean's are more how I would imagine Bod and the graveyard to be.
Cover illustration is very good also.
I agree with your comments after comparing the two sets of illustrations. McKean's are more how I would imagine Bod and the graveyard to be.
Cover illustration is very good also.
207dianestm
Book No. 177
True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff
3 1/2 stars
True Believer is a fascinating young adult novel. It's the second (and only one I have read) in the "Make Lemonade Trilogy." The book is written in poetry form, though it reads like prose. The chapters are short. It was fabulously easy, perfect for teenagers who like stories but hate all the words necessary to get the story told.
The protagonist, LaVaughn, is in high school, and she wants to go to college. She is bright and determined, but she struggles in a school with regular shootings and metal detectors at the doors. Few of her peers are interested in college. Some have even died on the violent streets of her neighborhood. But she pushes through it and works hard in her classes, applying what she learns to other things in life.
Her mom, a widow, has started dating again, and naturally, that is hard for LaVaughn. Even though a new man is in the picture and threatens to alter the life LaVaughn knows, her mom is always there for her, loving her, and supporting her in one way or another.
Her best friends are into a form of Christianity and it confuses LaVaughn and pushes her away from these friends, but also causes her to think about God in new ways. She has a crush, but things aren't going as well as she would like. She is being pushed in school by people who see her potential. She wants to live up to it, but life sometimes gets in the way.
Wolff, the author, captures the essence of being a teenage girl. Some kids will be able to relate to the environmental issues LaVaughn faces, but I think all teenage girls will relate to the internal and social struggles- changing friendships, curiosity about God and life, boys who interfering with every other thought, and the occasional opinion or question about kissing and sex.
True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff
3 1/2 stars
True Believer is a fascinating young adult novel. It's the second (and only one I have read) in the "Make Lemonade Trilogy." The book is written in poetry form, though it reads like prose. The chapters are short. It was fabulously easy, perfect for teenagers who like stories but hate all the words necessary to get the story told.
The protagonist, LaVaughn, is in high school, and she wants to go to college. She is bright and determined, but she struggles in a school with regular shootings and metal detectors at the doors. Few of her peers are interested in college. Some have even died on the violent streets of her neighborhood. But she pushes through it and works hard in her classes, applying what she learns to other things in life.
Her mom, a widow, has started dating again, and naturally, that is hard for LaVaughn. Even though a new man is in the picture and threatens to alter the life LaVaughn knows, her mom is always there for her, loving her, and supporting her in one way or another.
Her best friends are into a form of Christianity and it confuses LaVaughn and pushes her away from these friends, but also causes her to think about God in new ways. She has a crush, but things aren't going as well as she would like. She is being pushed in school by people who see her potential. She wants to live up to it, but life sometimes gets in the way.
Wolff, the author, captures the essence of being a teenage girl. Some kids will be able to relate to the environmental issues LaVaughn faces, but I think all teenage girls will relate to the internal and social struggles- changing friendships, curiosity about God and life, boys who interfering with every other thought, and the occasional opinion or question about kissing and sex.
208dianestm
Book No. 178
Indigo Alice Hoffman
4 stars
Sweet, strange story about a town where everyone dreads water except for Martha’s two friends (who have webbed fingers and toes). Martha, trying to escape her own family problems, decides to run away with these two, just at the time that the rains come. The book is very short, so will appeal to reluctant readers because of that. Charming with definitely positive themes dealing with family values and family love.
Indigo Alice Hoffman
4 stars
Sweet, strange story about a town where everyone dreads water except for Martha’s two friends (who have webbed fingers and toes). Martha, trying to escape her own family problems, decides to run away with these two, just at the time that the rains come. The book is very short, so will appeal to reluctant readers because of that. Charming with definitely positive themes dealing with family values and family love.
209Whisper1
Indigo is one of the few Alice Hoffman books I have not read. I hope to read it soon.
Your description is enchanting.
Your description is enchanting.
210dianestm
Book No. 179
The Foretelling Alice Hoffman
3 1/2 stars
A story about the Amazon culture of women. A young girl must find strength to become Queen one day, despite confusion and misgivings about her life and her own mother's sorrow over her birth. A lovely read, filled with all of Alice Hoffman's gifts: the power to create magical worlds on paper and transform characters with strength and love.
The Foretelling Alice Hoffman
3 1/2 stars
A story about the Amazon culture of women. A young girl must find strength to become Queen one day, despite confusion and misgivings about her life and her own mother's sorrow over her birth. A lovely read, filled with all of Alice Hoffman's gifts: the power to create magical worlds on paper and transform characters with strength and love.
211Whisper1
"the power to create magical worlds on paper and transform characters with strength and love."
What a wonderful way of describing Alice Hoffman's writing!
What a wonderful way of describing Alice Hoffman's writing!
212judylou
This is the thread I come to when I need a guaranteed good read! You have some excellent books here and I have just extended my list of TBRs by about 15!
215dianestm
Book No. 180
Kit's Wilderness David Almond
3 stars
Kit is a young man in transition. He and his family have moved to a remote mining village in England to take care of his ailing Grandfather who moves in and out of moments of reality and dreams. Kit loves the stories of the village's past. They are tales of suspense and adventure of former souls who roamed the surrounding wilderness. Viewed as an outcast in his new school, Kit makes friends with the eccentric Allie Keenan and draws the attention of the mysterious Askew.
The stories of his grandfather are woven into the maturation of Kit as he sees the spirits of the village's past. What he must figure out is why these spirits have found interest in him and what they mean to his future. Drawing from the friendship of Allie and his growing curiousity, Kit begins to search for the meaning of his life and ultimately tries to define the terms of death.
This book is extremely well written. The author Almond does an amazing job of writing such a suspenseful story for such a broad audience. The one weakness of the book is that it will take a reader a few chapters to really get involved with the story. Kit's introverted personality does not allow the story to take off until he develops his friendship will Allie. The first chapter will tease the taste for suspense, but the opening chapters following move rather slowly. Despite this flaw, the book is still outstanding and would be enjoyed by most audiences.
Kit's Wilderness David Almond
3 stars
Kit is a young man in transition. He and his family have moved to a remote mining village in England to take care of his ailing Grandfather who moves in and out of moments of reality and dreams. Kit loves the stories of the village's past. They are tales of suspense and adventure of former souls who roamed the surrounding wilderness. Viewed as an outcast in his new school, Kit makes friends with the eccentric Allie Keenan and draws the attention of the mysterious Askew.
The stories of his grandfather are woven into the maturation of Kit as he sees the spirits of the village's past. What he must figure out is why these spirits have found interest in him and what they mean to his future. Drawing from the friendship of Allie and his growing curiousity, Kit begins to search for the meaning of his life and ultimately tries to define the terms of death.
This book is extremely well written. The author Almond does an amazing job of writing such a suspenseful story for such a broad audience. The one weakness of the book is that it will take a reader a few chapters to really get involved with the story. Kit's introverted personality does not allow the story to take off until he develops his friendship will Allie. The first chapter will tease the taste for suspense, but the opening chapters following move rather slowly. Despite this flaw, the book is still outstanding and would be enjoyed by most audiences.
216Whisper1
David Almond is one of my favorite YA authors.
219dianestm
Book No. 181
Novel About My Wife Emily Perkins
2 stars
I don't really know what to say about this book. While the story is about a tragic-ish woman's downward spiral as recalled by her sad sack of a husband, it IS funny in a few (as in 2-3) places, hence the two stars. Most of the time I felt like I was watching the boring parts of the sad lives of two people who are financially irresponsible and childish. Don't feel bad about skipping this one.
Novel About My Wife Emily Perkins
2 stars
I don't really know what to say about this book. While the story is about a tragic-ish woman's downward spiral as recalled by her sad sack of a husband, it IS funny in a few (as in 2-3) places, hence the two stars. Most of the time I felt like I was watching the boring parts of the sad lives of two people who are financially irresponsible and childish. Don't feel bad about skipping this one.
220dianestm
I haven't picked up a book in over a week now and have been going through withdrawls (guess this means I am addicted to reading). I have been very busy with moving 6 hours north to Hamilton.
Joy, joy, joy - I went to the library today, signed up and got some books to read.
Joy, joy, joy - I went to the library today, signed up and got some books to read.
222avatiakh
Hi Diane - I'll still have to try Novel about my wife as it won Book of the Year, though I've read a couple of nonenthusiastic reviews.
Wow, Hamilton - so have you checked out their great used books shop, Browsers, in Victoria Street? My favourite book place in Hamilton now that The Crows Nest has closed. My mother lives in Hamilton, so I visit from time to time.
I'm just getting into Butterscotch after much delay.
Wow, Hamilton - so have you checked out their great used books shop, Browsers, in Victoria Street? My favourite book place in Hamilton now that The Crows Nest has closed. My mother lives in Hamilton, so I visit from time to time.
I'm just getting into Butterscotch after much delay.
223alcottacre
Congratulations on signing up at the library - tons of books to read there :)
I hope the move went well!
I hope the move went well!
224dianestm
Kerry - I walked past it yesterday with my husband, who groaned! Will visit it on my own when the house is unpacked and I have a free minute or more accurately hours.
The furniture truck arrives tomorrow so I am spending the day giving the house a Diane clean. Last people did a terrible job of cleaning up before they left. The cat is still crazy, jumps at very noise, hasn't eaten and I haven't yet let her out of the house. Might try that today.
Started Here on Earth last night so it was really good to read. I feel almost normal again.
The furniture truck arrives tomorrow so I am spending the day giving the house a Diane clean. Last people did a terrible job of cleaning up before they left. The cat is still crazy, jumps at very noise, hasn't eaten and I haven't yet let her out of the house. Might try that today.
Started Here on Earth last night so it was really good to read. I feel almost normal again.
225porch_reader
Diane - I love that you signed up at the library before your furniture truck had even arrived. We moved a couple of years ago, and the kids and I had cards at two nearby libraries before we got a washer and dryer. Both my kids are boys and don't complain about re-wearing a pair of slightly dirty pants!
I hope that you get settled in easily!
I hope that you get settled in easily!
226dianestm
Furniture arrived today, couple of broken items (covered by insurance), house is complete disaster, everyone exhausted.
I have to fly back to Wellington next week to help my ex employer complete end of month processing and I still have to do christmas shopping.
I have to fly back to Wellington next week to help my ex employer complete end of month processing and I still have to do christmas shopping.
228alcottacre
I just moved last year, so I know how stressful it can be at any time of the year, but around the holidays it must be unreal. I hope everything goes smoothly for you during this transition time!
229dianestm
Book No. 182
Here on Earth Alice Hoffman
4 stars
Another good book by Alice Hoffman. The characters have a lot of depth and are brought to life with her vivid words. Her writing style in this book is very descriptive and sometimes poetic. The way she describes love is so profound, it’s not the sort of description that is lengthy and you want to just skim over, no, it’s lyrical and holds your interest.
My distaste for March and my strong dislike for Hollis are established early on in this story. I hate how this woman treats her life so carelessly. There are times you just want to smack her for being so selfish! And Hollis, he is so revengeful and mean. There are times we feel sad for the little boy that he was but the grown man he becomes is shameful. Hank and Alan you just want to mother. Gwen you want to give a big hug and tell her how proud you are of her. Hoffman does a wonderful job in forming her characters and allowing us to see their past, their emotion, and even who they will become in the future.
Here on Earth Alice Hoffman
4 stars
Another good book by Alice Hoffman. The characters have a lot of depth and are brought to life with her vivid words. Her writing style in this book is very descriptive and sometimes poetic. The way she describes love is so profound, it’s not the sort of description that is lengthy and you want to just skim over, no, it’s lyrical and holds your interest.
My distaste for March and my strong dislike for Hollis are established early on in this story. I hate how this woman treats her life so carelessly. There are times you just want to smack her for being so selfish! And Hollis, he is so revengeful and mean. There are times we feel sad for the little boy that he was but the grown man he becomes is shameful. Hank and Alan you just want to mother. Gwen you want to give a big hug and tell her how proud you are of her. Hoffman does a wonderful job in forming her characters and allowing us to see their past, their emotion, and even who they will become in the future.
230dianestm
Thanks for your words of encouragement and for stopping by.
Feel a bit more normal today. Most of the boxes won't be unpacked as we are moving again in a weeks time to our permanent address. Actually cooked tonight - first time in over a week. Enrolled the kids in school for next year, signed up at doctors and dentist today and I managed to finish a book - so definitely on the up at this end.
Now I just need to find a job!
Feel a bit more normal today. Most of the boxes won't be unpacked as we are moving again in a weeks time to our permanent address. Actually cooked tonight - first time in over a week. Enrolled the kids in school for next year, signed up at doctors and dentist today and I managed to finish a book - so definitely on the up at this end.
Now I just need to find a job!
231alcottacre
Sounds like with everything going on, you already have a full-time job!
232dianestm
Book No. 183
Black Boxes Caroline Smailes
4 1/2 stars
Black Boxes is a story focusing on a woman called Ana and her family. It's told as though the reader is investigating the wreckage of Ana's life with Alex, trying to figure out where and how it all went wrong.
Ana is all the more heartbreaking for being very aware of all the mistakes she has made over the years. She is picking over the ruins of her life with Alex, trying to blink away some memories and hold onto others; trying to find out where she went wrong, aware that if she doesn't find them soon she may never discover the truth. In some ways her story reads like a play; with silences and sound effects which give depth to what she is saying.
Pip has to take care of herself and Davie, her younger brother, because Ana has withdrawn from them both. Ana can't bear to hear them speak, so they learn to spell words with their fingers. Some words are spelled out in Pip's diary; I had to flip backwards and forwards to the key provided in the front and back covers, giving some idea of how strained communication must be - not just between Pip and Davie, but between all the characters in this story.
Ana, Pip and Davie are beautifully drawn characters. I cared deeply about their fate. The final words, spelled out in signs at the end of the book, almost broke my heart.
This is an excellent, beautifully written, gut-wrenching book. Definitely recommended.
Black Boxes Caroline Smailes
4 1/2 stars
Black Boxes is a story focusing on a woman called Ana and her family. It's told as though the reader is investigating the wreckage of Ana's life with Alex, trying to figure out where and how it all went wrong.
Ana is all the more heartbreaking for being very aware of all the mistakes she has made over the years. She is picking over the ruins of her life with Alex, trying to blink away some memories and hold onto others; trying to find out where she went wrong, aware that if she doesn't find them soon she may never discover the truth. In some ways her story reads like a play; with silences and sound effects which give depth to what she is saying.
Pip has to take care of herself and Davie, her younger brother, because Ana has withdrawn from them both. Ana can't bear to hear them speak, so they learn to spell words with their fingers. Some words are spelled out in Pip's diary; I had to flip backwards and forwards to the key provided in the front and back covers, giving some idea of how strained communication must be - not just between Pip and Davie, but between all the characters in this story.
Ana, Pip and Davie are beautifully drawn characters. I cared deeply about their fate. The final words, spelled out in signs at the end of the book, almost broke my heart.
This is an excellent, beautifully written, gut-wrenching book. Definitely recommended.
233dianestm
Book No. 184
The First Part Last Angela Johnson
4 stars
You're 16 and you and your buddies love nothing more than pal-ing around the city of New York. Basketball. Food. Girls. Pranks. But then comes the news every teenager says he's not ever going to be stupid enough to hear: "I'm pregnant."
That's what Nia tells Bobby in this brief tale of a pregnancy, a possible adoption, and a tragedy. The structure is simply divided between "Then" and "Now" chapters which eventually meet at the end. A quick read with a lasting moral.
The First Part Last Angela Johnson
4 stars
You're 16 and you and your buddies love nothing more than pal-ing around the city of New York. Basketball. Food. Girls. Pranks. But then comes the news every teenager says he's not ever going to be stupid enough to hear: "I'm pregnant."
That's what Nia tells Bobby in this brief tale of a pregnancy, a possible adoption, and a tragedy. The structure is simply divided between "Then" and "Now" chapters which eventually meet at the end. A quick read with a lasting moral.
234alcottacre
#232/233: Adding both of those to the BlackHole! Thanks for the recommendations, Diane.
235dianestm
Book No. 185
Salvage Jane F Kotapish
2 stars
This is the story of. Um. Actually I have no idea. WHile Kotapish can go on for pages about the earthy smell emanating from her mother's womb as her unborn sister germinates, she seems to not want to waste too many words on an actual plot. After a lot of heavy prose and piecemeal snippets it appears that the protagonist had witnessed some awful subway incident and left her ill described hectic Manhattan life to park herself in Virginia suburbia. She has a crazy mom, Lois, whose flirtation with deluded insanity is all the more confused by the author's confusing prose.
Phantom baby, named Nancy, is the absolutely most disturbing character and seems to only want to destroy things. She speaks in weird poetic fragments and contributes nothing to the story.
More often than not this seemed to be about the author and not the plot and the author was so obviously in love with her own writing. For example, she (protagonist) mentions how at age eight she loved her friend's dad because of the beautiful sentences he composed.
Anyway other than being rather beautifully composed, as a long poem, this book stank.
Salvage Jane F Kotapish
2 stars
This is the story of. Um. Actually I have no idea. WHile Kotapish can go on for pages about the earthy smell emanating from her mother's womb as her unborn sister germinates, she seems to not want to waste too many words on an actual plot. After a lot of heavy prose and piecemeal snippets it appears that the protagonist had witnessed some awful subway incident and left her ill described hectic Manhattan life to park herself in Virginia suburbia. She has a crazy mom, Lois, whose flirtation with deluded insanity is all the more confused by the author's confusing prose.
Phantom baby, named Nancy, is the absolutely most disturbing character and seems to only want to destroy things. She speaks in weird poetic fragments and contributes nothing to the story.
More often than not this seemed to be about the author and not the plot and the author was so obviously in love with her own writing. For example, she (protagonist) mentions how at age eight she loved her friend's dad because of the beautiful sentences he composed.
Anyway other than being rather beautifully composed, as a long poem, this book stank.
236avatiakh
Good review anyway - not one for me by a long shot. Hope you get onto something good.
I have a prose novel home at the moment that looks good - The way through doors by Jesse Ball, only I have so many books out from the library I don't think I'll get it read.
I have a prose novel home at the moment that looks good - The way through doors by Jesse Ball, only I have so many books out from the library I don't think I'll get it read.
237alcottacre
#235: O-K . . . does not sound like one I want to rush out and read.
I hope your next read is better for you, Diane!
I hope your next read is better for you, Diane!
238dianestm
Book No. 186
The Corner of Your Eye Kate Lyons
2 stars
Flo, runs away from home. Her mother, Lucy, is convinced that the creepy neighbour Bellingham has something to do with her disappearance. Six months pass and when Lucy receives a package in the post she returns to the city to try and track down Bellingham and her missing daughter.
Not a lot happens in the book and I'm not sure why I continued to read this all the way through. A definite meh book.
The Corner of Your Eye Kate Lyons
2 stars
Flo, runs away from home. Her mother, Lucy, is convinced that the creepy neighbour Bellingham has something to do with her disappearance. Six months pass and when Lucy receives a package in the post she returns to the city to try and track down Bellingham and her missing daughter.
Not a lot happens in the book and I'm not sure why I continued to read this all the way through. A definite meh book.
239alcottacre
Well, it does not sound like that one was any better than your last read was. Here's hoping you do not have 3 bad ones in a row!
240dianestm
I have just picked up An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.
This has some good reviews, has been recommeded by others on LT and I have already read a couple of his books before. I am hopeful that this one will be better than the previous two. Will let you know.
This has some good reviews, has been recommeded by others on LT and I have already read a couple of his books before. I am hopeful that this one will be better than the previous two. Will let you know.
241alcottacre
I really liked An Abundance of Katherines when I read it last year. Some people are put off by the math in the book, but since I am a math nerd at times, it did not bother me.
If you like that one, I would also suggest Green's Looking for Alaska although the books are quite different.
If you like that one, I would also suggest Green's Looking for Alaska although the books are quite different.
242dianestm
Book No. 187
An Abundance of Katherines John Green
4 stars
In an attempt to understand and/or outrun the albatrosses in his life, Colin Singleton takes a road trip after graduating from high school. He needs to leave behind the nineteen girlfriends (all named Katherine) who dumped him, and eighteen years as a prodigy crushed by people's expectations of him. Traveling with his best friend Hassan, they decide to swerve off their scheduled path to visit an unlikely tourist attraction, the Duke Ferdinand of WWI fame's alleged grave site. This detour takes Colin away from his normal life and with a bit of luck, lands the pair in Gutshot Tennessee, where Colin gets deeply involved with the lives and lore of the locals.
Through it all, Colin's focus remains on the big picture: developing a scientific theory / mathematical formula (described, like the footnotes in the book, in tongue-in-cheek detail) to explain his failed relationships. Filled with footnotes and including an appendix explaining the formula, Green's book is built on an abundance of wit, empathy, and insight.
An Abundance of Katherines John Green
4 stars
In an attempt to understand and/or outrun the albatrosses in his life, Colin Singleton takes a road trip after graduating from high school. He needs to leave behind the nineteen girlfriends (all named Katherine) who dumped him, and eighteen years as a prodigy crushed by people's expectations of him. Traveling with his best friend Hassan, they decide to swerve off their scheduled path to visit an unlikely tourist attraction, the Duke Ferdinand of WWI fame's alleged grave site. This detour takes Colin away from his normal life and with a bit of luck, lands the pair in Gutshot Tennessee, where Colin gets deeply involved with the lives and lore of the locals.
Through it all, Colin's focus remains on the big picture: developing a scientific theory / mathematical formula (described, like the footnotes in the book, in tongue-in-cheek detail) to explain his failed relationships. Filled with footnotes and including an appendix explaining the formula, Green's book is built on an abundance of wit, empathy, and insight.
243alcottacre
#242: Glad to see you enjoyed that one!
244dianestm
Book No. 188
Fat Kid Rules the World K L Going
4 stars
Troy Billings is an overweight, unhappy seventeen-year-old contemplating suicide when a dirty, skinny stranger distracts him. The teenager identifies himself as Curt MacCrae, a local high school legend and phenomenal musician. Troy is fascinated by Curt’s strange behavior, and drawn to him out of awe for his talent and also because Troy doesn’t have any friends. Curt convinces Troy to join his band, even though he hardly knows how to play the drums. Troy is sure Curt will dump him, but against all odds and in spite of Troy’s urging to the contrary, Curt is determined to be Troy’s friend and teach him to play the drums. But Curt has problems of his own; he is homeless and addicted to drugs. Troy knows he has to do something, or Curt will die, but he is afraid he will lose his only friend and the purpose and direction he has found as a member of a punk band.
K.L. Goings does an impressive job of depicting the emotional, physical, and social difficulties of being an overweight teenager. Fat Kid Rules the World is a quick read with a lot of humor that is equally funny and heartbreaking. Overall the theme is a typical one, a teenager trying to find their place and voice, but I enjoyed the change in scenery via punk band instead of through a boyfriend/girlfriend or sports. I also though Going’s treatment of a teenager struggling with addiction was honest, only simplifying the seriousness of the disease just a little. Overall a very enjoyable read.
Fat Kid Rules the World K L Going
4 stars
Troy Billings is an overweight, unhappy seventeen-year-old contemplating suicide when a dirty, skinny stranger distracts him. The teenager identifies himself as Curt MacCrae, a local high school legend and phenomenal musician. Troy is fascinated by Curt’s strange behavior, and drawn to him out of awe for his talent and also because Troy doesn’t have any friends. Curt convinces Troy to join his band, even though he hardly knows how to play the drums. Troy is sure Curt will dump him, but against all odds and in spite of Troy’s urging to the contrary, Curt is determined to be Troy’s friend and teach him to play the drums. But Curt has problems of his own; he is homeless and addicted to drugs. Troy knows he has to do something, or Curt will die, but he is afraid he will lose his only friend and the purpose and direction he has found as a member of a punk band.
K.L. Goings does an impressive job of depicting the emotional, physical, and social difficulties of being an overweight teenager. Fat Kid Rules the World is a quick read with a lot of humor that is equally funny and heartbreaking. Overall the theme is a typical one, a teenager trying to find their place and voice, but I enjoyed the change in scenery via punk band instead of through a boyfriend/girlfriend or sports. I also though Going’s treatment of a teenager struggling with addiction was honest, only simplifying the seriousness of the disease just a little. Overall a very enjoyable read.
245alcottacre
#244: I will give that one a try. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane.
246dianestm
Book No. 189
Practical Magic Alice Hoffman
4 stars
Practical Magic is about 2 sisters who are very different but who are able to help each other through the worst of times. Once again, we see how holding onto old and outdated childhood views of ourselves can keep us from being happy in the present. But you can get there with some persistence. I loved the 2 main sister characters and their elderly aunts who are also sisters. Entertaining and fun.
Practical Magic Alice Hoffman
4 stars
Practical Magic is about 2 sisters who are very different but who are able to help each other through the worst of times. Once again, we see how holding onto old and outdated childhood views of ourselves can keep us from being happy in the present. But you can get there with some persistence. I loved the 2 main sister characters and their elderly aunts who are also sisters. Entertaining and fun.
247avatiakh
I loved Fat Kid Rules the World too, I'm fond of reading fiction that revolves around music. You've reminded me that I should read more by this writer.
248dianestm
Book No. 190
Dark Places Gillian Flynn
4 1/2 stars
The protagonist of this story is a woman, who as a 7-year old child, escaped the brutal massacre of her mother and sisters. One would think these circumstances would almost automatically make this character sympathetic. But somehow, Flynn makes this woman entirely unlikable. When I started the book, I thought I would not like it because Libby was such a dreadful parasite of a person. In fact, I was quickly drawn into the mystery. Libby's testimony as a child helped put her brother in jail for the murders of her family. Libby heard the murders, but didn't actually see them. The psychologists and lawyers managed to convince her, however, that she had, and this was how she testified. Now she begins to question her brother's guilt. Flynn unfolds the mystery bit by bit. I'd sort of figured out part of what happened, but the end definitely held some big surprises. By the end of the book, while I was still disgusted by Libby's character, I felt I understood her a little better, and felt more sympathetic of her despite her many flaws. The writing is dark, kind of disturbing, and very unique. I'd be interested to read more of Flynn's work.
Dark Places Gillian Flynn
4 1/2 stars
The protagonist of this story is a woman, who as a 7-year old child, escaped the brutal massacre of her mother and sisters. One would think these circumstances would almost automatically make this character sympathetic. But somehow, Flynn makes this woman entirely unlikable. When I started the book, I thought I would not like it because Libby was such a dreadful parasite of a person. In fact, I was quickly drawn into the mystery. Libby's testimony as a child helped put her brother in jail for the murders of her family. Libby heard the murders, but didn't actually see them. The psychologists and lawyers managed to convince her, however, that she had, and this was how she testified. Now she begins to question her brother's guilt. Flynn unfolds the mystery bit by bit. I'd sort of figured out part of what happened, but the end definitely held some big surprises. By the end of the book, while I was still disgusted by Libby's character, I felt I understood her a little better, and felt more sympathetic of her despite her many flaws. The writing is dark, kind of disturbing, and very unique. I'd be interested to read more of Flynn's work.
249Whisper1
I recently finished Dark Places. It was a very haunting and dark book.
Like you, I plan to read more of Flynn's work, but not during the holiday time.
Like you, I plan to read more of Flynn's work, but not during the holiday time.
250dianestm
Book No. 191
A Northern Light Jennifer Donnelly
3 stars
The story was pretty good and the writing was good. The constant shift between time lines was irritating and often served no purpose. As a plot device it was only beneficial twice in the entire book. It is apparent that the author had no confidence in the strength of her story so wanted to hook the reader in by using events from the end (chronologically) in the story that she saw as more exciting/intriguing. The story would have been excellent told straight through chronologically and much less confusing. There were times the author drifted from the story just to show off the research she did. The descriptions did flesh out the environment some, but it was not done very smoothly and got old really fast.
A Northern Light Jennifer Donnelly
3 stars
The story was pretty good and the writing was good. The constant shift between time lines was irritating and often served no purpose. As a plot device it was only beneficial twice in the entire book. It is apparent that the author had no confidence in the strength of her story so wanted to hook the reader in by using events from the end (chronologically) in the story that she saw as more exciting/intriguing. The story would have been excellent told straight through chronologically and much less confusing. There were times the author drifted from the story just to show off the research she did. The descriptions did flesh out the environment some, but it was not done very smoothly and got old really fast.
251alcottacre
#250: Sounds like I can safely give that one a pass. I hope your next read is better for you Diane!
252dianestm
Book No. 192
I Choose to Live Sabine Darbenne
3 1/2 stars
Written by one of the two survivors of the 'Monster of Belgium', Marc Dutroux, I Choose To Live is an unsettling, upsetting but genuinley interesting account of what happened to Sabine Dardenne in her 80 days incarcerated in a hideout built into a cellar.
Whilst being very interesting, and I recommend you read this book for a viewpoint not often seen (that of the actual victim of the killer/kidnapper), it isn't a literary masterpiece. It is, however, a quick read that will horrify and sadden you, but grimly astound you also, as it is hard to believe that this actually happened, and is still happening today.
I Choose to Live Sabine Darbenne
3 1/2 stars
Written by one of the two survivors of the 'Monster of Belgium', Marc Dutroux, I Choose To Live is an unsettling, upsetting but genuinley interesting account of what happened to Sabine Dardenne in her 80 days incarcerated in a hideout built into a cellar.
Whilst being very interesting, and I recommend you read this book for a viewpoint not often seen (that of the actual victim of the killer/kidnapper), it isn't a literary masterpiece. It is, however, a quick read that will horrify and sadden you, but grimly astound you also, as it is hard to believe that this actually happened, and is still happening today.
253dianestm
Book No. 193
The Keep F Paul Wilson
3 stars
In an eerie mountain fortress in Transylvania, two Nazi officers seek help from outside when an unknown killer sucks out the light and warmth from a room, leaving only bloodless mutilated corpses behind. The Nazis must bring in a Jewish local folklore expert to help them.
The battle has begun: On one side, the ultimate evil created by man, and on the other...the unthinkable, unstoppable, unknowing terror that man has inevitably awakened.
I don't read too much horror, but this book was okay.
The Keep F Paul Wilson
3 stars
In an eerie mountain fortress in Transylvania, two Nazi officers seek help from outside when an unknown killer sucks out the light and warmth from a room, leaving only bloodless mutilated corpses behind. The Nazis must bring in a Jewish local folklore expert to help them.
The battle has begun: On one side, the ultimate evil created by man, and on the other...the unthinkable, unstoppable, unknowing terror that man has inevitably awakened.
I don't read too much horror, but this book was okay.
255dianestm
Book No. 194
Sharp Objets Gillian Flynn
4 1/2 stars
Chicago reporter Camille Preaker’s assignment: to visit her Missouri hometown and come back with career-making coverage of the recent murder of two young girls. However, despite her knowledge of the town, Camille may not be the best person for the job. A self-mutilating cutter not long out of a psychiatric hospital, she requires liberal amounts of alcohol to cope with her painful memories of the younger sister who died on the cusp of adolescence. And the reunion with the rest of her family is no less troublesome … there’s Camille’s half-sister, the mercurial bully Amma. And her cold and very un-motherly mother, who was nevertheless strangely close to both of the murdered girls … In the end, Flynn’s novel is not just a great thriller, it’s a searing portrayal of the damage a dangerously narcissistic mother can inflict on her children.
Sharp Objets Gillian Flynn
4 1/2 stars
Chicago reporter Camille Preaker’s assignment: to visit her Missouri hometown and come back with career-making coverage of the recent murder of two young girls. However, despite her knowledge of the town, Camille may not be the best person for the job. A self-mutilating cutter not long out of a psychiatric hospital, she requires liberal amounts of alcohol to cope with her painful memories of the younger sister who died on the cusp of adolescence. And the reunion with the rest of her family is no less troublesome … there’s Camille’s half-sister, the mercurial bully Amma. And her cold and very un-motherly mother, who was nevertheless strangely close to both of the murdered girls … In the end, Flynn’s novel is not just a great thriller, it’s a searing portrayal of the damage a dangerously narcissistic mother can inflict on her children.
256alcottacre
I definitely need to get to that one in 2010!
257Whisper1
Interesting that you should note this book. I obtained it from the library this morning. I finished Dark Places last week. Narcissistic mothers are not so great...I speak from first-hand experience. Luckily, I was born with a strong will to overcome adversity.
258tloeffler
I bought Sharp Objects as soon as I finished Dark Places. I need to get that on a short pile very soon. I love the way Gillian Flynn writes!
259dianestm
#257, I can relate to your comment re your mother. I don't have a relationship with mine at all, my choice, due to her very unique mothering techniqes.
#258, Will be interested to see what Gillian Flynn produces next. Her writing is very easy to read and very addictive, I found it very hard to put the books down and pay attention to hubbie and kids.
After all the hectic moving in the last couple of months we (husband and two kids) are having a quiet Christmas at home. I have some very good books to read if I find the time. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and I will catch up with everyone on the other side.
#258, Will be interested to see what Gillian Flynn produces next. Her writing is very easy to read and very addictive, I found it very hard to put the books down and pay attention to hubbie and kids.
After all the hectic moving in the last couple of months we (husband and two kids) are having a quiet Christmas at home. I have some very good books to read if I find the time. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and I will catch up with everyone on the other side.
261dianestm
I had a very good christmas with the family and we are now enjoying some time off. We have a wedding to go to soon back in Wellington and I have to take Hayley, 12, shopping for a new dress.
Book No. 195
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson
4 stars
At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book since it starts off with a bunch of financial mumbo-jumbo about a dodgy industrialist and Mikael Blomkvist's trial gone wrong, and it was a little slow for me. But then the book switches gears to the mystery of the long ago disappearance of a young girl from a seriously dysfunctional but wealthy family. And because of those two plots, Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander are brought together and from there the book takes off. This was one of those books that made me stay up way too late at night trying to read as much as possible and kept me guessing along the way. And Lisbeth is one of the most interesting characters I've seen in a long time. She kicks some major butt.
Looking forward to the next installment in the trilogy.
Book No. 195
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson
4 stars
At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book since it starts off with a bunch of financial mumbo-jumbo about a dodgy industrialist and Mikael Blomkvist's trial gone wrong, and it was a little slow for me. But then the book switches gears to the mystery of the long ago disappearance of a young girl from a seriously dysfunctional but wealthy family. And because of those two plots, Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander are brought together and from there the book takes off. This was one of those books that made me stay up way too late at night trying to read as much as possible and kept me guessing along the way. And Lisbeth is one of the most interesting characters I've seen in a long time. She kicks some major butt.
Looking forward to the next installment in the trilogy.
262alcottacre
I really liked The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so I am glad to see it has found another fan!
263dianestm
Book No. 196
A Song in the Daylight Paullina Simons
4 1/2 stars
This is a wonderful, and extremely absorbing story as it follows the life of a wife and mother named Larissa who has a life-changing meeting with an interesting man in a supermarket parking lot.
It was very well written with believable characters, but everyone suffered so very much and it was just so heartwrenching at times. Simons manages to avoid all of the clichés that seem to drive this sort of fiction and creates one of her deepest and richest tales. This is certainly one of her most thoughtful books, and it somehow also manages to be one of the most emotionally powerful. The last section of the book is unforgettable, positively haunting.
This book is not for the faint of heart, but it is up there as one of the memorable books of 2009. I will be thinking about this one for a while yet.
A Song in the Daylight Paullina Simons
4 1/2 stars
This is a wonderful, and extremely absorbing story as it follows the life of a wife and mother named Larissa who has a life-changing meeting with an interesting man in a supermarket parking lot.
It was very well written with believable characters, but everyone suffered so very much and it was just so heartwrenching at times. Simons manages to avoid all of the clichés that seem to drive this sort of fiction and creates one of her deepest and richest tales. This is certainly one of her most thoughtful books, and it somehow also manages to be one of the most emotionally powerful. The last section of the book is unforgettable, positively haunting.
This book is not for the faint of heart, but it is up there as one of the memorable books of 2009. I will be thinking about this one for a while yet.
264alcottacre
I have read several of Paullina Simons' books, but not that one. Thanks for the recommendation, Diane. I will look for it.
265dianestm
My Best Fiction Books of 2009
Cellist of Sarajevo Steven Galloway
Water for Elephants Sara Gruen
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society Mary Ann Shaffer
Rebecca Daphne du Maurier
Sonata for Miriam Linda Olsson
Best Young Adult Books for 2009
Hunger Games Suzanne Collins
I Am The Messenger Markus Zusak
Thirteen Reasons Why Jay Asher
Speak Laurie Halse Anderson
Green Angel Alice Hoffman
Worst Books of 2009
The Heavenly Village Cynthia Rylant
Salvage Jane F Kotapish
The Corner of Your Eye Kate Lyons
Novel about My Wife Emily Perkins
The Club Dumas Arturo Perez Revertz
I have had a really good years with my reading and wish to thank all LT members for their recommendations and comments throughout the year.
My 2009 challenge can be found here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/79095.
Look forward to the next years reading.
Cellist of Sarajevo Steven Galloway
Water for Elephants Sara Gruen
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society Mary Ann Shaffer
Rebecca Daphne du Maurier
Sonata for Miriam Linda Olsson
Best Young Adult Books for 2009
Hunger Games Suzanne Collins
I Am The Messenger Markus Zusak
Thirteen Reasons Why Jay Asher
Speak Laurie Halse Anderson
Green Angel Alice Hoffman
Worst Books of 2009
The Heavenly Village Cynthia Rylant
Salvage Jane F Kotapish
The Corner of Your Eye Kate Lyons
Novel about My Wife Emily Perkins
The Club Dumas Arturo Perez Revertz
I have had a really good years with my reading and wish to thank all LT members for their recommendations and comments throughout the year.
My 2009 challenge can be found here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/79095.
Look forward to the next years reading.
