amckie's 2010 reading

Last year I read a little over 200, but I think I will stick with the 100 book challenge group so that I don't feel any pressure to read shorter books or lighter books just to reach a goal. This is where I will record my thoughts on each book.

1. Santamaria, Jason A. - The Marine Corps Way *** 02/01/10
2. Manji, Irshad - The Trouble with Islam**** 03/01/10
3. Michael Stanley - A Carrion Death ***.* 04/01/10
4. Thom Hartmann - The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight ***.* 05/01/10
5. Aprilynne Pike - Wings ** 09/01/10
6. Mary E Pearson - The Adoration of Jenna Fox **** 09/01/10
7. Carrie Jones - Need ***.* 09/01/10
8. Beverly Lewis - The Shunning *** 09/01/10
9. Beverly Lewis - The Confession *** 09/01/10
10. Beverly Lewis - The Reckoning *** 10/01/10
11. The Daring Book for Cats *** 19/01/10
12. Robyn Scott - Twenty Chickens for a Saddle ****.* 20/01/10
13. Elizabeth Gilbert - Eat, Pray, Love *** 22/01/10
14. Neesha Meminger - Shine, Coconut Moon ****.* 23/01/10
15. Sharman Apt Russell - Hunger: An Unnatural History ***.* 23/01/10
16. Robert Darnton - The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History **** 01/02/10
17. Kate Summerscale - The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: Or The Murder at Road Hill House **.* 04/02/10
18. Mark Steyn - America Alone: The End of the World as we Know It *** 06/02/10
19. Joshua Ferris - The Unnamed ***.* 06/02/10
20. Annonymous - The Epic of Gilgamesh **** 07/02/10
21. Carolyn Turgeon - Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story **.* 07/02/10
22. Mike Madrid - The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy and the History of Comic Book Heroines *** 12/02/10
23. Michelle Moran - Cleopatra's Daughter ***** 13/02/10
24. Arthur Conan Doyle - The Hound of the Baskervilles **** 14/02/10
25. Agatha Christie - The Pale Horse ** 15/02/10
26. Jim Beaver - Life's That Way *** 17/02/10
27. Kelly Gay - The Better Part of Darkness **.* 19/02/10
28. Dubravka Ugresic - Baba Yaga Laid an Egg ***** 03/03/10
29. Mary Wollstonecraft - A Vindication of the Rights of Women ****.* 04/03/10
30. Ruth Rosen - The Lost Sisterhood:Prostitution in America, 1900-1918 ****.* 06/03/10
31. Elizabeth Strout - Olive Kitteridge **** 07/03/10
32. Laurie Faria Stolarz - Deadly Little Secret ***.* 08/03/10
33. Laurie Faria Stolarz - Deadly Little Lies ***.* 08/03/10
34. Harry Dolan - Bad Things Happen **** 09/03/10
35. Indu Sundaresan - The Twentieth Wife ***** 10/03/10
36. Aldous Huxley - Brave New World **** 11/03/10
37. Jonathan Safran Foer - Eating Animals **** 11/03/10
38. Lara Bordin - The Train to Djibouti **.* 13/03/10
39. Corrine Maier - No Kids: 40 Good Reasons not to have Children **** 18/03/10
40. Carrie Ryan - The Dead-Tossed Waves **** 19/03/10
41. L.J. Smith - The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls ** 20/03/10
42. Elissa Stein and Susan Kim - Flow: A Cultural Story of Menstruation ***** 20/03/10
43. Budge Wilson - Before Green Gables ***** 21/03/10
44. Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell - Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History **** 23/03/10
45. Ngugi Wa Thiong'o - Weep Not, Child **** 24/03/10
46. Seyyed Hossein Nasr - The Heart of Islam **** 24/03/10
47. Steve Ettlinger - Twinkie, Deconstructed ** 26/03/10
48. Thomas Trofimuk - Waiting for Columbus ***** 27/03/10
49. Carrie Jones - Captivate **.* 28/03/10
50. Erika Ritter - The Great Big Book of Guys **.* 29/03/10
51. Julie Anne Peters - Define "Normal" **** 30/03/10
52. Nick Hornby - Slam *** 31/03/10
53. Alan Bradley - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie ***** 01/04/10
54. Ahdaf Soueif - In the Eye of the Sun ****.* 03/04/10
55. Nicolas Dickner - Nikolski ****.* 04/04/10
56. Sebastian Barry - The Secret Scripture ****.* 06/04/10
57. Alan Bradley - The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag ***** 07/04/10
58. Orhan Pamuk - Istanbul ***** 08/04/10
59. George S Classen - The Richest Man in Babylon **** 09/04/10
60. Dambisa Moyo - Dead Aid ***** 11/04/10
61. Catherine Orenstein - Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked ***** 11/04/10
62.

The Marine Corps Way: Using Maneuver Warfare to Lead a Winning Organization by Jason A. Santamaria ***

This book was lent to me by a co-worker in the US. The book claims that using maneuver warfare techniques and practices can help bring success to your business. It brings out the 7 main tenets of maneuver warfare and gives examples from war and business to prove each case.

I have to preface this with a warning that I am anti war. The fact that over half of the 'examples' throughout the book were based on battles and wars did not keep me interested or win me over. I also found the business examples to be skimmed over and flat. There didn't seem to be any ideas that jumped out as new to me (I have a B.B.A.). Overall, interesting ideas but not new or very in-depth.

The Trouble with Islam: A Wake-Up Call for Honesty and Change by Irshad Manji ****

In this book Manji talks about growing up Muslim in Canada and how she challenged her faith. She talks about the things that she dislikes about it as well as what she likes, and then takes faith head on in an investigation to what I would call 'the heart of the issue'. She calls the book an open letter to Muslims and Non-Muslims and inspires both toward dialogue and Muslims in particular toward a place and a world where all citizens are empowered and independent thought is not condemned.

I found the author's writing style a bit too forceful and angry by times - I think her message would have a much wider impact with a little less rant. That being said, however, she made many (many) good points. She talks about historical facts, the Israel / Jew question, intolerance, and dialogue. She makes many points about misinformation that is propagated and how Wahhabism might not the best thing for Muslims as a whole.

My favorite line: On pg 27, a quote from University of North Carolina past student body president Jennifer Daum "My feeling is that if you're not prepared to read ideas that are not your own and you might disagree with, you do not belong at an institution of higher learning." Well said Jennifer, well said.

A Carrion Death: Introducting Detective Kubu by Michael Stanley ***.*

This was a mystery / crime novel set in modern day Botswana. The book begins with two men finding hyenas eating a corpse at a waterhole, and follows Detective Kubu through the case. The story was well written and though I felt it dragged a bit by times it kept me interested. While some parts of the mystery were more easily solved, it kept me guessing until the end.

I liked the setting and the fact that the local language and customs were worked in to the novel. It deals with the mining industry in the country as well as the politics of big business in Africa.

I can't say I will be rushing to get the sequel, but I will definitely read it at some point.

The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: Waking up to Personal and Global Transformation by Thom Hartmann ***.*

This book is hard to classify. It dealt with environmental, anthropological, and spiritual topics. Hartmann begins in part one by outlining the state of the Earth. He talks about the oceans being polluted, waterways being polluted, chemical use, global warming, tree cover being lost, and garbage, among other topics. Part one of the book gives a really good overview of the state of the Earth since inception through to current days. He talks about when things started to change, and why.

Part two is a more in depth look at cultures and what changed. Hartmann points out that until about 7,000 years ago cultures were more tribal based and believed in using what was available. These cultures are called the 'Older Cultures'. While many were wiped out, there are still some remaining. At some point the 'Younger Cultures' started emerging. These cultures emerged where wealth started being accumulated, power started being sought after, and people started to see other humans and the world as simply things to be taken over and dominated. This culture is damaging because it believes that the natural resources are there simply for their benefit.

On the spiritual side, we see the ideas that 'Younger Cultures' try to assimilate others to their culture. 'Older Cultures', however, see the diversity of peoples and beliefs as a good thing. They believe that you are born into a tribe and you remain in that tribe. They believe in seeing the world around you, including other animals and plants, as sacred and worth taking care of.

One point which was interesting is that the way we view things is based on 'stories'. Growing up we hear 'stories' about life and events and they shape the way we view the world. Hartmann says that if enough people get 'new stories' or go back to the 'old stories' the world could be a much better place. We need to focus though on thinking in other ways.

The book finishes with a look at what we can do. In part three we see ideas for how we can change to go back, in some ways, to more 'Older Culture' views. Hartmann does not promote giving up everything to live as people did 7,000 years ago. He says that we can do little things like trying to see the sacred, live more sustainably, live in communities, and move to empower women.

While there were some great points, I found the writing style hard to get in to with this book. Each part was comprised of numerous small sections. The sections didn't always flow one to the next, and seemed more like random thoughts that were explored and then dropped. Some things also seemed to be repeated again throughout the book - instead of referring to something he would fully spell out the whole thing again. If it was written more as a full work rather than small points I would have found it much more engaging.

Wings by Aprilynne Pike **

I've seen this book numerous times in my 'recommended for you' for my Kindle so many times I thought I might as well try it out. Unfortunately, I was very dissapointed. I found the story flat and unbelievable. The actions and events seem too fake to be able to get into it. I can't explain why, it was partially the writing and partially the story itself. Either way, definitely not an enjoyable read.

The story is about a young girl who is beautiful, vegetarian, has never had a pimple, is smart, and had been homeschooled but now has to go to real high school. Her family has just moved to a new town and are trying to sell their house. One day, she finds a bumb on her back. And then she grows petals. The story follows her and her friend Daniel who is helping her as they try to find out what is happening. I found it all just too... plastic.

Luckily about half way through the story finally starts moving and we get less of the fake seeming actions and small talk and we get a little bit of action. The story finally started drawing me in at that point, though still far from a favorite.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson ****

Jenna Fox is a young teenager who has just woken up from a coma that lasted a whole year and a half. After waking, however, she can't seem to remember anything. Not her name, her parents, her home, emotions, even how to do basic things like walk. She watches videos to remember her life, and it seems to work well. As she remembers though it seems that everything is not quite what it seems.

I loved this book! Jenna herself was a great character, her struggles really drew me in. The rest of the story was great as well, the author did a really good job at presenting tough medical ethical questions in a young adult book and making the issues easy to comprehend. Definitely a favorite in the YA category for me.

I read The Adoration of Jenna Fox last year and absolutely loved it! There's a lot of really interesting YA near-future sci fi going around right now.

I agree - I used to read a little bit of YA but not a whole lot until mid last year. Now I am hooked!

Oooh, and I see you have another one up next! I'm really curious to see what you think of Need - there have been a lot of YA faerie books going around, but I've yet to find one that I thought was really great. Can't wait to read your review!

Need by Carrie Jones ***.*

Another great YA read. This book follows the story of a young teen, Zara, who is sent to small-town Maine to live with her grandmother after her father dies. In Maine she quickly makes friends, but things aren't quite what they seem and soon she and her friends are dealing with things they didn't know existed.

When her new friends tell her she is being stalked by a pixie she takes it a little bit too easily to be truly believable, other than that the story was great. It was a nice, light read that kept me interested until the end. I am definitely looking forward to the sequel.

The Shunning, The Confession, The Reckoning by Beverly Lewis ***

This was an Amish / Christian Romance series recommended to me by two co-workers in WV. It follows a member of the Amish Plain community in Pennsylvania named Katie. It was a light read and not a bad way to spend a weekend, but it was incredibly predictable. Everything worked out, by the end of the series, pretty much exactly like you thought it would.

Twenty Chickens for a Saddle by Robyn Scott ****.*

This book covers the 15 years that Robyn Scott and her family lived in Botswana. Her family moved there when she was 7 and from then on they have adventure after adventure. They lived in the bush (Robyn, her brother, sister, and parents) being homeschooled (quite erratically) by her mother while her father worked as a flying doctor with various clinics around the country. The stories are hilarious, they got in to every type of odd situation, and there are always lessons learned.

Written in to the memoir is historical information, discussions about racism in South Africa, and the reality of AIDS in Botswana in the early years of the disease. I also loved the addition of Afrikaans and Setswana words which made you feel even more a part of the story.

I loved the account and found myself wishing that I had some of those experiences growing up. Other experiences I was glad to only be reading about though. It isn't until about half way through that we understand the title of the book, long after I was already hooked on the beauty and history that is written in each page.

Here's hoping I will get to see some of the places that the author talks about when I get to Botswana next week!!!!

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

In this travel / spiritual memoir the author discusses her failed marriage and romance and her trip to three countries to find and explore different parts of herself. In Italy she searches for pleasure while making friends, travelling, eating good Italian food, and learning Italian. In India she searches for spirituality at her Guru's Ashram learning to let go, to meditate, to be still, and to listen to herself. Finally, she travels to Indonesia to learn balance. In Indonesia she learns new meditation techniques, learns from a Balinese Medicine Man, makes friends, and learns to trust herself and move on.

I admit I found the book pretentious at points. While I agreed with many of her points, and I love the idea of people of other religions listening to each other and not fighting, I still couldn't get truly in to her book. I admit the book made me interested in the idea of meditation, but still. It made me think of a self-help book and I often wanted to just yell at her saying 'It's not all about you!' or 'Move on!' or 'Get over it!'. But alas, fellow travellers might have been upset, and the author wouldn't have herad. By the end of the book she does get there, but it seems like a slow journey and the book itself is too narcissistic.

I did still give the book three stars, because it is a good read. Also, I am prejudiced against these 'help-yourself', 'feel-good', 'super mainstream popular' books that I always feel must lose out on content in order to please and pertain to the mass market. Still a decent book though. I would recommend it to anyone who is dogmatically religious as the author makes some great points about religion and religions in general.

Nice review. I must admit, I've been wondering if this one was worth reading. I think it's slipped a bit down the list now. (I do agree with your tastes on 'help-yourself' etc books...)

Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger ****.*

I heard about this book through the Social Justice Challenge, and am I ever glad I picked it up!

The story is told from Sam's point of view. Sam (Sameera) is an American teen of South Asian (Sikh, Indian) descent. She lives alone with her mom, who has made sure that she has fully integrated in to the American culture. When her uncle shows up on her front door Sam realizes how little she knows and decides that she wants to learn more about her family and her heritage. The book also deals with being a minority in the US after 9/11 and the harrassment that is faced by many, including Sikhs.

Although there were a lot of issues dealt with in a short book, for a younger audience, the story worked. Nothing felt contrived or added just to get the issue covered. Sam's struggles to learn more about her history and to deal with the racism she was starting to face - along with every day teen drama of over protective parents and boyfriends - were woven into the story in a believable and touching way. You really got to learn about being a minority as well as about the culture. It promotes multi-culturalism and respect for other cultures, as well as providing a look at a religion that I really hadn't known about previously.

We often talk about religious intolerance in other parts of the world but this book, I think, highlights the need to do more about religious freedom at home as well!

Hunger: An Unnatural History by Sharman Apt Russell ****

A look at hunger through the ages. Ms. Russell starts by looking at our fascination with hunger and those who can go without food for long periods of time. She discusses the saints and the anorexics. She breaks the book out by time frame - 18 hours, 36 hours, 7 days, 30 days, and then moves on to social reasons such as hunger strikes, diseases, experiments, and famine. With each section she expands upon why people go without food for so long, what this hunger does to our bodies (both good and bad) and gives stories and examples. It was a fascinating look at a complex subject and the way the chapters were broken out really made it clearer.

I read the book on a midnight flight and kept thinking I should sleep, but just kept picking it back up. The stories and examples were very interesting, though some were also heartbreaking. It is interesting to hear about why our bodies respond to hunger the way it does (defense mechanism to make us eat as much as we can when food is available) as well as the ways that hunger has been used through history (from religious saints to hunger artists to hunger strikes) as well as the medicinal benefits that can come from short fasts (regulated by a doctor). The last was especially interesting to me given the issues I have been having with certain foods!

The sadder and harder to read parts came from the discussions of diseases and especially of the stories of research done in the Warsaw Ghetto and the discussions of how pervasive hunger changes cultures and peoples.

Overall, a great read that I would recommend to anyone interested in general studies or interested in hunger in particular. All parts were well researched and well written, and full of facts about every aspect of hunger.

The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History by Robert Darnton ****

In this book the author takes several surviving documents from eighteenth century France by people in different walks of life and applies historical and anthropological study to reach conclusions about the culture at the time. It was an interesting method and one that was quite enjoyable to read. The sections are:

1. The folktales told by the peasants.
2. A tale of the 'Great Cat Massacre of Rue Saint-Severin' written by an artisan named Nicholas Contat.
3. A description of the city of Montpellier by a (bourgeois).
4. Police files on the Republic of Letters (bureaucracy).
5. The tree of knowledge in the encyclopedie by Diderot (philosophe).
6. Letters by a reader / businessman named Jean Ranson to a publisher about Rousseau.

Based on these six different types of people the author teases out a variety of facts, norms, and idioms from the culture. By comparing the documents to other historical documents from France and from other countries he gets even more clues to the culture and the values of the people.

I found the book a little slow in parts, but still very interesting. The subject and the way the author drew out facts from such old documents was fascinating. Some of the titles and words were in French, and while I know some French it still made it a little bit harder for me to really get it. As well, not having a history or an anthropology background some of his terms went over my head as well. Overall though, a great, interesting read and I definitely learned a lot about French culture in the eighteenth century!

Also, an interesting quote from section six on reading by Johann Adam Bergk which sums up the reading style promoted by Rousseau:
"We must relate everything we read to our 'I', reflect on everything from our personal point of view, and never lose sight of the consideration that study makes us freer and more independent, and that it should help us find an outlet for the expression of our heart and mind."

Phew, finally caught up! Let's see if I can STAY caught up now! In Janaury I did not read as much as expected. Work kept me busy, as did the travel. I managed to read 15 books for a total page count of 4400.

February is looking to be equally slow as I am on the road almost the entire month. Hopefully I will get a few more good reads in though - I did load up the Kindle before leaving home so my excuse can't be a lack of good books!

Some really great reviews. I must admit you have piqued my interests with #19, although I think it might go completely over my head!

Thanks! The title really grabs you doesn't it? A lot of the terms went right over my head, but I was reading it on the Kindle which has the nifty built in dictionary feature so I just had to scroll up to the word and PRESTO, definition! It was quite helpful. Of course, a lot of the terms were French or just not in the dictionary, but oh well!

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: Or The Murder at Road Hill House by Kate Summerscale **.*

In this historical, true-crime book we get a look at one of the most sensational murders in Great Britain - the murder of 4 year old Saville Kent in 1860. The author uses historical documents and memoirs to put together the full chain of events including the family past and what happened afterwards. The murder itself was shocking because it had to be a member of the house who committed the crime, and it allowed the public to see in to the inner workings of the Victorian family.

While the story was interesting, there were way too many facts and anecdotes provided that had no relevance to the murder case itself. I assume that this was necessitated to make the book longer as the actual murder and numerous trials took less than half of the book. What was most interesting for me were the numerous references to authors and late nineteenth century novels that were based on the characters or the story of this murder, it definitely added to my wish list in that regard.

I would recommend this book if you are interested in the crime and detective novels from this time period and want more information about sources used for the plots and characters but it is definitely a slow read that doens't often stay on track.

#22 I do not own a electronic book but when I have read a book online, I love the quickness of looking up words or even getting links to footnote explanations. Such a little break from the story is a joy Mind you not having an ereader I do get side tracked reading online!

#22 I normally enjoy a physcial book better than my eReader, but I love the the built in dictionary and miss it when I'm reading a regular book.

>25 clfisha: I can imagine reading online would get distracting!
>26 loriephillips: I prefer physical books too, but the eReader is definitely great for travel. I got it as a gift and was worried I would hate it, luckily I am loving it so far - albeit only as an addition to real books, definitely not as a replacement!

I often read with my phone browsing Wikipedia or Dictionary.com to help with some of the difficult words.

This morning on the bus, however, I ran into a workmate who is from Columbia - and I was reading a short story set in Columbia! He gave me translations on the spanish slang words, which was brilliant. (I'd gotten a fair few just from the context, but it was nice getting a more precise - and occasionally more correct! - translation.)

Ahhh a 'primary source'! They are always the best :)

The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris ***.*

This novel tells the story of a man with an unknown and rare (i.e. he is the only known person with it) in which his body will sometimes just make him keep walking. He struggles with his body, the walking, and how to deal with his job, wife, and daughter while suffering from it.

I had read numerous raving reviews for this book around the blogosphere so was very excited to get started. It reminded me quite a bit - in the first half at least - of The Time Traveller's Wife. Only I liked The Time Traveller's Wife much more. I found the main character, Tim, so self-centered. I just wanted to shake him sometimes and say 'think of your family!!!'. Other than that, though, the book really makes you think about what it would be like with a rare disease or disorder that you can't explain. You suffer the effects and consequences but you have no way to explain or rationalize them to others in order to live your life.

Overall I would say it was interesting, but the high hopes I had for it definitely left me feeling a little bit dissapointed.

I've been hearing a lot of people express that disappointment. Which is a shame, because I really loved Then We Came to the End.

I haven't read that one yet, but might have to try it out at some point. Also, in the book's defense, I did quite enjoy it and I would have enjoyed it much more if I didn't go in to it with such crazy high expectations.

The Epic of Gilgamesh by Annonymous, Introduction by N. K. Sandars ****

This was a Penguins Classic with a broad introduction covering numerous topics including: the history of the Epic Cycle; the tablets and their translation; the impact of this tale on other peoples and civilizations; an introduction to the deities mentioned; as well as remarks about the sources used and the way she has structured this version of it. Having this introduction really helped to understand the story itself. I also enjoyed the way the story was put together as straightforward narrative combining the different versions found and translated. It made it easy and enjoyable to read.

The story itself is about Gilgamesh who is 2/3 god and 1/3 human, and his friend Enkidu. It covers Enkidu's origin, the slaying of Humbaba in the cedar woods, Enkidu's death and Gilgamesh's resulting search for everlasting life and eventually his death. It shows Gilgamesh as a hero, and ultimately as human. The epic also contains a description of the great flood.

It found it a short but great read. I enjoyed the introduction to the deities and about how the story has survived almost as much as the story itself. As for the story, it is full of intrigue and myths and even though the introduction gives away a lot of the plot and happenings, it was still very interesting and full of surprises. It is hard to believe that the characters and story are from so long ago. I highly recommend it, especially this Penguins Classics version.

Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon **.*

Lil is an old lady working in a bookstore in downtown New York. She lives in a small appartment in the Garmet District and is quite alone with no friends. Lil also has a secret - she is a Fairy Godmother. In fact, she was Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. Unfortunately, she failed in her duties and was banished from the fairy world to live as a human, and now she feels that she might finally have a chance to redeem herself through a new match between some new friends.

This book was odd. I hated it and loved it in different parts. I am having a hard time pinning down my definitive thoughts on the book... It was slow to get in to, though the author did a good job of switching back and forth from present day New York to the original Cinderella tale. I found the characters just a little bit flat and the story a little bit contrived. I don't want to say anything that would ruin the ending so I will just say that it completely turned me off of the story, which I had finally started to get in to. Overall, a dissapointment.

The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie **

I've always heard a lot about Agatha Christie but I had never read any of her books. The guest house I am at has a small bookcase right outside my door featuring a lot of her books. I decided to grab one this morning on my way out for some light reading while waiting for buses and the like. I have to admit that the book was quite what I expected it to be. A light, easy read. I seem to be reading a lot of mystery / detective novels lately which is out of the ordinary for me, and most of them leave me with the same meh feeling. Note to self, you don't like them, might as well stop trying!

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ****

Another mystery, though I read this one previous to the Agatha Christie novel. Oh how I do enjoy Sherlock Holmes though. I loved the mystery presented with the hound, the superstition, and the many twists and turns. Sherlock Holmes is so classic, and Watson is hilarious. I am, though, still curious as to the hound! This was a nice, quick, light read for a flight!

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran *****

Finally, a five star read! This was SUCH a long time coming!! This novel tells the story of Cleopatra and Marc Antony's children. It focuses on Cleopatra Selene, their daughter. The story begins with the fall of Greece and the death of her parents, and follows their trip to Rome and then growing up in Rome with Ceasar / the Octavian family.

The novel seems to be quite true to actual historical events, though with some extra thrown in. It was full of mystery, drama, romance and intrigue. The characters were well created and believable, and the story was captivating. I loved it and can't wait to read more novels by Michelle Moran!

Baba Yaga Laid an Egg by Dubravka Ugresic *****

I loved the previous book I read by this author - it made my top reads list last year. For that reason, I was a little nervous to try another in case it disappointed. This book definitely did NOT disappoint!

The novel is a retelling of a classic Russian / Eastern myth about Baba Yaga. I hadn't heard the story of Baba Yaga before, but that did not matter. The novel is broken out in to three parts. Part one tells the story of an old woman and her daughter, and her daughter goes to Varna for her to see the city and get pictures of what it looks like now. Part two is three old ladies who take a holiday to a spa in the Czech Republic and what happens to them there. Part three is written by a folklore expert in a university responding to a request for information about Baba Yaga. It is written as if someone (one of the three lady's daughters, perhaps) has submitted this manuscript (part one and two of the novel) that she had found written by her mother. The expert is explaining the mythology of Baba Yaga and how the story relates to it.

Ugresic has such an incredible style of writing and of pulling threads together and making clear and cutting points about so much in current popular culture. While part three had a lot of information, it really pulled the story together. She takes the mythology and gives it a feminist slant, showing where and how these myths have come from and evolved and why women are portrayed the way that they are. The book is a story of old age, of aging in particular, of death, and mainly, of women.

One of my favorite quotes, from page 93, where the author is talking about one of the minor characters in part two is copied below. This character runs a business selling different formulas that he markets as nutritional, enhancing, aiding in weight loss, and other claims which we see so often in our world today:
'In the absence of all ideologies, the only refuge that remains for the human imagination is the body. The human body is the only territory which it's owner can control, thin, reduce, pump, increase, shape, firm and adapt to it's ideal, whether that ideal is called Brad Pitt or Nicole Kidman.'

> 36 That sounds really interesting! *adds to wishlist*

> 37 I definitely recommend. The other book I had read is Thank You for Not Reading. Hilarious. I definitely cannot wait to read more by Dubravka Ugrešić.

The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay **.*

What can I say, it appears that I much prefer my fantasy in teen format. This novel had too much of a romance angle for me, I think. The novel tells the story of Charlie Madigan, a divorced mother in Atlanta, Georgia. Only it isn't Atlanta as we know it. Scientists have discovered parallel worlds and now being from those worlds are here in ours. Charlie works as a cop in the special Integration Task Force along with her hunky (of course :P ) partner Hank who is actually from one of these parallel worlds.

I liked the portrayal of Charlie as a divorced woman getting ahead and still being a great mother to her 11 year old daughter. I liked the descriptions of the worlds and the setting. I liked the political intrigue behind the story which was well done. I disliked the romance angle. I also could not get in to the story in the same way that I jump in to teen fantasy. It was almost too tough, I didn't like the 'came back from the dead' part, and I did not like the whole part at the end, though I don't want to give too much away!

An alright read, if you like adult fantasy you would most likely enjoy, but I will stick to my teen fantasy from now on I think!

Life's That Way by Jim Beaver ***

I am finding it hard to write a good review of this book. I did not know anything about Jim Beaver, Cecily Beaver, or any of their family so I have to say that it was a hard read by times. Probably wouldn't have read it in an airplane if I had known! While I found the honesty and the discussion of relationships and families through sickness very touching and engaging, I couldn't help but keep thinking "... and you are famous and fairly rich!" I felt like saying no, you can't complain about costs because so many people go through the same illnesses and have nothing. I found that part very hard.

While I am not trying to spark a big debate here, I am going to go ahead and say this anyway. Being from Canada with our free health care system I cannot imagine having to pay to see a doctor. I am always shocked by how vehemently Americans reject such a system when the current system creates such an ever growing gap between rich and poor, between haves and have nots. The less fortunate who are most likely to get sick are also less likely to get good treatment. This book for me just underlined that fact even more. If a couple living in Hollywood, both well known in the film and TV industry, both making great money, cannot afford cancer, how can the average American? While I know this is definitely not the story Jim Beaver is trying to get out it is the one that caught my attention.

Aside from that, the memoir is a very touching and heartbreaking look at how illness can come between people, how illnesses are faced and dealt with in a relationship, as well as how life progresses afterwards.

#36> Oh, I *love* the Baba Yaga fairytale! I'll have to search that book out, thanks for the review!

What book did you read the Baba Yaga fairy tale in? I am interested in reading it now!

I can't quite remember anymore! I thought it was a lovely edition of Russian Fairy Tales I've had since I was a child, but on re-reading it as an adult, nope, it's not in there. The other option is that it was in one of Ruth Manning-Sanders (no touchstone, but the page is here: http://www.librarything.com/author/manningsandersruth) fairy tale compilations that I devoured as a child, but I don't own them any more to be able to confirm this!

The Lost Sisterhood: Prostitution in America, 1900-1918 by Ruth Rosen ****.*

When I request books on Bookmooch I usually check what else that user has that I might enjoy. I found this book in that way and am I ever glad I did. This is a look at prostitution in the United States of America during the late 1800s and early 1900s and the different campaigns to regulate and abolish it. It begins with a historical look at the trends in the 1800s including the campaigns for and against the regulation of prostitution. It then discusses the changes in the late 1800s early 1900s that contributed to the visibility of and the rise of the commercialization in prostitution. It then talks about the rise of the abolitionist movement and the various laws enacted to 'stop' prostitution and their effects on the prostitutes themselves.

One of my favorite things about this book was the way in which different opinions were covered. The author talks about the feelings and findings of the abolitionists but she also talks about the feelings and lives of the prostitutes themselves. She also talks about the variety of reasons that prostitution existed. The author was careful to note where she did not have a lot of information or where inferences were drawn but it was a very well researched and laid out book. Despite the lack of information from many sources (such as the prostitutes themselves) she uses all available material to cover as broad a range of opinions and peoples as she can.

It was interesting to see the variety of people working together to enact these laws against prostitution. The difference in opinions and end goals of the men and women (in general, there were some men and women who agreed with the opposite, of course) were so very different - men simply wanted to punish the prostitutes while the women thought the social fabric of society should be changed so that women could earn enough to survive in regular jobs and that the clients rather than the prostitutes should be punished. However, the women helped to enact the same laws as the men and failed to see the long term effects of these laws and how they simply hurt the prostitutes rather than help them in any way.

It is impossible to read this book and not imagine how differently so many lives could have been if this portion of history had played out differently. Instead of pushing prostitution underground and making it so much more unsafe for the prostitutes, punishing so many and putting so many in jail, what if society had instead worked to eliminate some of the reasons women went in to prostitution and punished those who profit from and who frequent prostitutes. Punish the corrupt police and politicians who were charging bribe money. Punish the pimps and cadets who recruit these women, sometimes by force. Punish the clients. Stop perpetuating the double standard where the woman is 'evil' and has 'loose morals' but it is perfectly acceptable for the man.

One thing that saddened me was the chapter on White Slavery. She talks about the forced prostitution and sexual slavery back in the early 1900s, but she also talks a little bit in the ending about the white slavery today. To me, sexual slavery is sexual slavery whether the victim is white or not and why is it that we, as North Americans, seem to care more about the traffic in white slaves than those of other races?

>43 wookiebender: Thank you for the recommendations! I have added both to my wishlist. Even if the Baba Yaga tale isn't in either, they still sound interesting :)

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft ****.*

It being International Women's Day today I thought I should get this review written as well!

Mary Wollstonecraft has been credited as being the first modern feminist with this book being the first piece of modern feminist literature. I am not sure if this is truly the case or not, but either way it definitely interested me in the book. This book was published in 1792 as a passionate stand against the common teachings of the time regarding women, their education, and their characters. My copy is part of the Penguin Books - Great Ideas collection.

While short, this book contains such a multitude of ideas and criticisms that, for the time of writing, would have been so very new and crazy. The author critiques the literature of the time that had been written on the subject of women and the education of women and offers her own idea. She says that women need to be given some independence and that they need to be educated the same as men or else men cannot complain about their lack of character or virtue.

Because it was written so long ago most of the ideas she puts forth seem so very common sense and every day to us now, but it is really interesting to read her arguments about why they need to be implemented and to know that she was, in the end, very correct about what was needed. Some of the things she says also make you roll your eyes and say 'yeah right!' (i.e. women should still focus solely on raising their families and managing their households), but I suppose it was the 1700s!

Saying that, though, there are many places in the world today where her ideas would still be crazy and women don't have the rights that I know I, at least, often take for granted. I so hope that women around the world will someday soon have all of the same rights and privileges that I have - both those mentioned in this book and those that Mary Wollstonecraft couldn't even imagine.

Lovely review, you really make me want to track down and read it! It has always been one of those "one of these days.." books that I never seem to read :)

I hope you can find it, and that you enjoy it as well!

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout ****

This novel is a collection of short stories from various residents of a small town in Maine. Each short story is either directly about Olive or just mentions her in passing. No narrative is complete, we only see snapshots of the lives of these narrators but it was a remarkable way to tell of a life.

What I found most interesting was the way in which small towns work - every body knows every body else and their business, but also how one person can affect so many others without even realizing it. It makes you think about the little things you do every day and who may be affected by them or remember them for years to come. While Olive certainly had issues and wasn't portrayed as the most lovable character, at the same time I felt that made her (and by extension the story) more real. Her flaws made made her that neighbor or teacher you had growing up.

I loved this story and the way it was told. I would highly recommend it though with the warning that it is isn't the most action packed book you will ever read!

The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines by Mike Madrid ***

Well... While I fair number of books on issues relating to women, I have to admit that this is a little bit outside my normal reading. The only comic books that I have ever read were the Archie comics, Garfield, and Calvin and Hobbes which weren't even discussed in this book as they don't exactly contain superheroes. Not only that, we weren't allowed to watch much TV as kids so I hadn't seen the cartoon versions of these comics nor have I seen the movies for most.

Given that though, and the obvious fact that most of the characters talked about I had never heard of, it was still quite interesting to note the progression of the women characters through the years. Women superheroes haven't received nearly the same amount of attention as the men have and often times if they do it is only as girlfriends or side kicks. Through the years though there has been a definite progression that followed the times. The characters have usually had to fight crime wearing bathing suits, miniskirts, and evening dresses with little or no armor though men have been covered. They have been leading double lives for fun and excitement, they have been the girlfriends of the main superheroes, they have fought for justice in the wars, they have given up their powers for families, and they have gone through various costume changes to keep up with the rules and the times.

Besides the costume change and lack of readership for the super heroines there were a few other things that jumped out at me. One was the names. Where men could be, for example, BatMAN, SuperMAN, etc often times the women superheroes were always known as GIRL. No matter how old she got, she was always BatGIRL or SuperGIRL. The other big thing were the powers. Super heroines tend to be, more often, given powers that they control from afar through their mind or a flick of their wrist. Instead of getting in to fights they often stand back (with an alluring pose, obviously) and point. Sure it is a power, but there certainly seems to be a clear difference between the types of powers each sex are given.

While not a topic I know much about the book still kept me interested and I learned a lot about the comic book industry. The treatment of the women heroines mimics the treatment of the women in real life. This means that the super heroines who have lasted have adjusted to the culture of the time and changed personalities, careers, histories, and most of all costumes multiple times since they were first introduced. The less fortunate have come and gone with specific periods.

I have to say that Supergirls book sounds fascinating! I remember when Mr Bear (about five years old at this stage) asked me who my favourite super hero was, and I automatically answered "Wonder Woman". He refused to believe such an entity as a super *woman* existed! Yeesh.

(And I lied. The Green Arrow is actually my favourite. Wonder Woman is #2 on my list.)

Lol, too funny about Mr Bear! You'll have to make him read the book ;) (Not really though, a little dry, especially if you don't know comics!).

The Train to Djibouti by Lara Bordin **.*
If you have been following for long you may have noticed that I like reading books by authors from other countries. I feel it gives a great introduction to a culture and a place, and it is cheaper than real travel – also helps narrow down where to go next! While visiting a friend recently I asked his Ethiopian roommate if he had any good recommendations and he lent me this book. I also came away with a few more additions to the wishlist (i.e. the black hole).

This novel is written by a British lady who lived in Ethiopia and researched Ethiopian history extensively before writing this book. It tells the story of a British woman who is contacted by an Ethiopian family to look in to the disappearance of their son. The mystery grows as we learn that there are some men searching for King Solomon’s gold. They travel to and around Ethiopia trying to find the son back and

While the descriptions of Ethiopia were lovely as were the cultural references, the mystery itself was quite easy. Most of the time you knew what would happen and had reached all conclusions long before they had. The way the characters interacted a lot of the times also felt stilted and fake. I would say this is a good book if you just want information about Ethiopia and its land, culture, and people but not if you are looking for an actual great book.

Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan *****

I am not a fan of mysteries (though I have read many this year, so you might not believe me!) but I LOVED this book. I don’t even know if I can provide a decent review. I just want to know why I haven’t seen any reviews of this yet. That is all.

The main character is a guy named David Loogan, who seems to be a shady character. In fact, the story begins with him buying a shovel. Why, exactly, a shovel? Well, you would have to read to find out! We come to find that he had been hired as an editor for the magazine Gray Streets which puts out short stories by various authors. A lot of the stories are mystery stories. While he was working there, someone turns up dead, and then another someone, and it begins to looks like a story straight from Gray Streets itself. The mystery deepens and the mystery authors are all possible killers.

I was completely pulled in to the mystery and could not put this book down. There is a lot of dry humor, a lot of literary references, great characters, a mystery that kept me guessing: what more could you ask for?

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley ****

A classic dystopian read, I'm not sure what took me so long to read it. Aldous Huxley paints a picture of a possible world where we have allowed happiness and order to be the main things in life. Science has become the controlling factor.

In this novel babies are all created and born in test tubes, they are specifically made to have certain characteristics including look and intelligence, families do not exist, and everyone is programmed to think certain ways. When two characters go to a reserve in North America to see the 'natives' who have not adopted this new lifestyle they end up taking a savage home with them.

It is interesting the changes in this new society as well as the things that remain similar. Looking at our society you can see indicators of why Huxley thought this as a possible future - mainly, I think, our reliance on technology. It is also interesting to see the interaction between the savages and the main characters and what they find most shocking about the other lifestyle / culture.

Great read, I can see why everyone recommended it!

No Kids: 40 Great Reasons not to have Children by Corrine Maier ****

I’ve always said that I don’t want kids. Being single and in your mid-twenties though, no one really takes you seriously. I’ve always been told that I will change my mind. I have always wondered what the obsession is with children, why is it that it is not socially acceptable in our society NOT to want to have them? Because of that, when I saw this short, humorous book in the sale bin I had to pick it up.

In this book the author lays out 40 reasons not to have children. And the author is a mother herself so she KNOWS, as she says in the introduction. It was hilarious and short with gems as ‘Labour is torture’, ‘You can’t get away from your kids’, and ‘Why wear yourself out for a future that doesn’t include you?’. I will point out that I have nothing against kids or against (other people) having kids, but this book still had me cracking up and also nodding my head by times.

A quote that I loved from page 105 (reason 33: Motherhood is a trap for women): “If until recently women have held such a minor position in the history of human culture, it is quite simply because they’ve been handed the dirty work, having to go through the pain of childbirth and to raise the brood.”

Maier perhaps puts a bit too much trust in immigration and has quite a few not so subtle political jabs about the state of affairs in the EU and France in general. Hilarious read, but maybe not for everyone ;)

Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson *****

Ever since I was little and first read it, I have loved the Anne of Green Gables series. I have since read (almost) all of L.M. Montgomery’s books, my favorite being The Blue Castle. Even though it promotes the fact that you have to be married to be fulfilled, it is still just such a lovely story – and plus it was written way long ago so I will forgive her that I had seen this authorized prequel to the Anne series around for quite some time but was nervous to try it. This weekend I finally picked it up and I am so happy that I did!

In Before Green Gables Wilson tells the story of Anne’s parents and her life from when she was born through to when she finally arrived in Prince Edward Island to live with the Cuthberts. While it has been years since I have read the Anne books I felt Wilson stayed very true to Anne’s voice. From the death of her parents through a series of hard and unhappy homes she always kept her optimism and her love of learning. I loved the way she was so happy, and learning where and how she picked up some of her later sayings and quirks. I did find it a little bit hard to believe how quickly she grew and matured, but that didn’t take away from the story at all, for me at least.

I will definitely be re-reading the series soon if I can get my hands on it If you loved Anne, you will love this prequel.

Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell ****

Flawless tells the story of the largest diamond heist in history when between 100 to 400 million euros worth of diamonds, cash, and other gems were stolen from The Diamond Center in the heart of the Antwerp secure diamond center. The book was FULL of facts which made it a slower read for me, but it also made it more interesting. I had no prior knowledge of the diamond industry so the discussions about how they do business was just crazy to me! It makes me wonder how conflict-free we can really expect diamonds to be, what with all the possibilities available to the sellers.

I also had no prior knowledge to heists, really, unless you count a few Hollywood movies. The authors mention the difference between movies and real life and wow, are they ever right. The amount of time and planning that went into this by the perpetrators was incredible. The amount of planning though made the few mistakes they did make seem even sillier, but I suppose the book wouldn't exist if they hadn't made the mistakes and been caught! Or, it wouldn't have been as detailed anyway. It is incredible the amount of information that they were able to get, I am impressed!

Another great book read.

The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls by L. J. Smith *

Horrible. Or you want more? Poorly written, way too long and filled with unnecessary explanations, fake seeming chats to herself by the main character, and poorly followed character development.

I also have an issue with stopping mid series. I just need to know what happens next! I am hoping that after the latest (and worst yet) installment in this series I can manage to avoid the next installments... I think I am so disappointed, in part, because much as I found the first Vampire Diaries series fluffy it was still decent. With the new installment (The Return series) I feel almost like the author is trying to make it a little bit more mature and less fluffy, but what we were left with, to me, just seems like it tried too hard and failed.

Looking at LibraryThing I see that it is rated fairly high and loved by many, so don't take my rant too seriously, but I just couldn't keep it in.

Thanks for the review of Before Green Gables. I think I'll give it a try!

Weep Not, Child By Ngugi wa Thiong'o

I believe I’ve said before that I enjoy reading books by authors from other countries. I find you get such a great view inside a culture and you get the nuances so much more than just with a non-fiction. This is my first Kenyan read, and I have had a few of Thiong’o’s books on my wishlist. I finally got this one in the mail and how perfect is that – starting off with his first book! This book was published in 1964 as part of the African Writers Series (which I love!).

This is a very short book, at only 136 pages, but it is quite powerful. The story follows a young boy named Njoroge through his childhood and school years. This is the period of the rise of the independence movement and then the Mau Mau war. The book is a powerful look at the effects of this war on individuals and families, as well as a look at the effects of colonialism. It starts of on such a hopeful note with Njoroge’s mother telling him that he will get to go to school. The rest of the story, in a way, follows his dream and his years in school and the eventual ramifications of the war on his studies.

I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read more by this author. I’m glad Devil on the Cross is already on my tbr bookshelf (yeah, no piles here!).

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan ****.*

I don't know if I've mentioned but I have a blog where I post all my reviews. I reviewed this book as a buddy review with a friend. We each put up 3 questions and answered them. I thought I would keep the same format here.

If you aren’t familiar with the series, here is a quick re-cap. In The Forest of Hands and Teeth we are introduced to Mary who lives in a small village surrounded by a fence. On the other side of the fence is the forest, and the Unconsecrated (or the undead). Life is ruled by the Sisterhood, and the Guardians protect the village. Mary thinks there must be more to life than just their village, based partially on stories her mother has told her of the ocean. When her mother is infected everything she knows is lost and Mary ends up having to take matters into her own hands.

The Dead-Tossed Waves is the story of Gabry, a young girl who lives in a lighthouse on the edge of the ocean. For her the forest is scary and she has no desire to ever leave the village where she lives. When her friends convince her to go outside the fence for a night of partying her world changes. The rest of the story spirals out based on the events of that night. (Phew, hard to write without giving any spoilers for The Forest of Hands and Teeth!)

And now on to my answers:

1. What were your thoughts on Dead-Tossed Waves compared to Forest of Hands and Teeth – do you have a favorite? I find it hard to rate books in a series against each other. I always get stuck in the loop that book two couldn’t exist without book one. That being said, I felt The Dead-Tossed Waves had more answers than The Forest of Hands and Teeth, but I preferred the ending in The Forest of Hands and Teeth. So I guess I am still tied as to which is better

2. Did you like Gabry as a character? I had a hard time getting in to this book in the first chapters because I was having a hard time liking Gabry. Once I got over the first 50 or so pages though I found myself liking her. The difference between her as the main character compared to Mary in The Forest of Hands and Teeth was what took me a few chapters to get over – they are so different! Once I got used to her, I loved her.

3. Catcher or Elias – who would you choose? I don’t understand the constant need for ‘triangles’ in the YA fantasy genre, but I did like both characters. I would definitely choose Elias – even though Catcher had definite selling points I didn’t like that he made her risk her life so many times. Elias had her wellbeing at heart and did a lot for her.
4. What was your favourite scene in the book? I loved the part in the book where she realizes what her Mother meant by “follow the light”. The uses of Shakespeare was brilliant – I love when authors can tie in other literary works especially in such clever ways. Second favorite scene would be when she finds the history of the village – I loved that it played a role in this book as well.
5. Without giving anything away, what did you think of the ending? Hmm… when it comes to the ending, without giving anything away I think I can really only say one thing: ARGH! I loved the sequence of events throughout the book, but it definitely left me hanging.

6. Will you be reading the next book? I will definitely be reading the next book! Now when does it come out?? After that ending she had better not make us wait too long… I am so impatient with series when I have to wait – I love when you get in to a series late and get to read them all in a row.

Now go read Kailana’s answers!

Thanks for that great round up of The dead tossed waves. I am very keen to read it and am feeling happier now that you have been so positive abou tit.

Slam by Nick Hornby ***

Slam is the story of a young boy in high school. He is a skater (skateboarder, obviously) and Tony Hawk is his hero. He lives with his mother, and is life is going just perfectly until the BIG DISASTER that changes everything.

I found this a well written book with good characters, but it was very reminiscent of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Did anyone else read this and get that from it? I thought the issues brought up were dealt with in a good way, though the whole talking to a poster thing was a little bit odd!

*SPOILER ALERT*

Why oh why do books aimed at teens always imply that if you have sex ONCE without using a condom the whole time you will get pregnant. This is not the case. Believe me, I know. And I don’t think I’m the only one who can say this. Especially having just read FLOW (:The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim) I can tell you that this is what we are told to believe, but isn’t actually fact.

So yes, the book deals with good issues, but I wish he hadn’t written it to seem like sex will always equal a baby especially if you don’t put on a condom every time.

Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters ****

Define “Normal” is about a young girl named Antonia. She is a straight A student, a ‘ya-ya’ as a friend once said. What most people don’t know is that her mother is ’sick’ and it is all Antonia can do to keep everything together while taking care of her brothers. When she decides to volunteer as a peer counsellor she is not impressed to be paired with Jazz. Goth, dark, definitely not normal Jazz. But sometimes, the girls learn, appearances aren’t everything.

I remember loving this book as a kid and it definitely held up on re-reading. Peters makes each character in this book very real and believable. The conflict between Antonia and Jazz as well as the problems they are both having are well written, as is the ending. While there is a lot going on the story flows very well and it never seems like the author is trying to do too much. She does a great job of pointing out that appearances can be deceiving and that we shouldn’t judge a people by how they look.

The Great Big Book of Guys by Erika Ritter **.*

This book was not what I thought it was going to be. Actually, I am not sure what I thought it would be. I expected something light and funny that talked about boys, I guess. It is light, and talks about boys, but not so funny.

This book is more of a memoir of her life though written around male figures in her life – father, grandfather, boyfriends, friends, husbands, ex-husbands, and etc. Each chapter is a letter of the alphabet, so the book starts with Amigos and ends with Zealots. In between we see such characters as Imaginary Men, Noncommitals, and Underdogs. Some chapters seem to push it a bit, such as Ken Dolls which is about male (children’s!) toys.

What I wasn’t a fan of with this book is the way that everything is centered around a male. It isn’t so much her life with men, in a lot of parts it is her life through men. Not that this is how she lived, but this is how it reads. I am impressed that she was able to come up with a male related theme for each chapter and somehow relate it to her life but I wish there had been a bit more humor and also a bit more living without men.

Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk *****

Wow. I really am unable to write any kind of coherent review for this book without giving everything away. All I can say is that it was definitely one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and that you need to go pick it up! I will do what I can though, in hopes of convincing you.

Here is an excerpt from the book jacket:

'In this captivating novel, a moan who believes that he is Christopher Columbus looks into a two-way mirror in a contemporary Spanish mental institution and says: “It’s time, Nurse Consuela, that you knew the story of how I got my boats.”'

The novel then follows their story as ‘Columbus’ tells Nurse Consuela his story and she gets drawn in more and more. She finds herself listening for clues as to what caused him to break from reality and also finds herself becoming more and more attached to this strange man.

Again, from the book jacket:

'Waiting for Columbus is a vividly imagined, emotionally rich novel abuot the fragility of the heart and the resilience of the spirit; a masterful exploration or love, loss, and hope by a writer at the height of his powers.'

Couldn’t have said it better myself. The book was very well written and kept me on the edge of my seat. And kept me up way too late reading. I am definitely hoping to get my hands on the other books Trofimuk has written as this was incredible.

Captivate by Carrie Jones **.*

*Spoiler Alert – If you haven’t read Need, skip this paragraph!* In Need Zara moves to Maine to live with her grandfather after her step-father dies. When she gets there strange things start happening and it turns out that pixies exist, and her father is the pixie king. He is trying to force her mother to be the pixie queen. After Zara finds out that her grandmother and friends are weres they trap the pixies inside an iron barrier. This is where Captivate begins.

In Captivate Zara is forced to consider the morals of what they have done. Are all pixies bad? Are all weres good? What makes pixies different from others? A new pixie king is around and is convinced that Zara is his queen. He claims to be a good pixie, but can that be true? This book brings in a lot more mythology, but it also follows the ‘things are too easy and believed too easily’ trend that was started in Need.

I wish there was more complexity to the characters and the story in this series. I enjoy it, but the characters tend to get on my nerves with the things that they do. While it isn’t that they go out of character, it is that they are too simple sometimes, they do the predictably stupid things that you know they will, and they don’t have a lot of depth. That being said, I do enjoy the mythological aspect. I find the series aimed more toward a younger audience than most YA books that I read – more middle grade than high school, perhaps. I am still looking forward to the next in the series though.

This was my first audio book and I found it very different. It was a very light, easy book so it was easy to listen to, though the voice was a little too annoying to listen for long periods. I enjoyed the audio aspect and will definitely be getting some more.

Istanbul: Memories and the City by Orhan Pamuk *****

Another great read, I am so glad I picked this up. I love travel and eventually want to go everywhere. That being said, there are always those places that pique your interest without even knowing much about them. Istanbul is one of those places for me (though there are many!). Just the name, the small amount that I know about it, it all sounds so wonderful.

This book is a memoir about Pamuk’s younger years, but more so it is a memoir of his city. It is brilliantly written, full of incredible pictures that show the scenery which he describes. I could see what he was describing and feel it. I felt like I was there, or had been there, or at least that I very much wanted to go there. He talks about the changes that the city and its people have gone through in the last 150 years or so, especially focusing on the last 60 odd years that he has been alive.

And how could a great writer describe a city without mentioning its other great writers? In describing Istanbul and his memories of it he talks a lot about Western writers and artists who have written of Istanbul (Antoine-Ignace Melling’s paintings, the writing of Theophile Gautier, Admondo de Amici, and Gerard de Nerval, among many others). He also talks of the great writers and artists of Istanbul itself (especially Yahya Kemal, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar, Resat Ekrem Kocu, and Abdulhak Sinasi Hisar).

One thing that Pamuk talks about is hüzün. Hüzün, he says, is akin to melancholy but more than that. It is the collective melancholy of a people living in a defeated city. I am not going to try to describe it further as I can’t ever hope to match his beautiful writing, but here is a quote from page 103/104:

'Istanbul… carries its hüzün by choice. And so it finds its way back to the melancholy of Burton, who held that “All other pleasures are empty. / None are as sweet as melancholy”; echoing its self-denigrating wit, it dares to boast of its importance in Istanbul life. Likewise, the hüzün in Turkish poetry after the foundation of the Republic, as it too expresses the same grief that no one can or would wish to escape, an ache that finally saves our souls and also gives them depth.'

In discussing hüzün he talks about how the Westerners often miss it, but what a central role it plays in the lives of Istanbullus and how the local writers have found it and used it. I don’t want to give anything else away so I will just say that if you enjoy his other works, or are interested in the city of Istanbul, or just want to read a really great book, I highly recommend this one!

re post#63: I've always found (both from personal experience and lots of anecdotal experience) that having sex once is like eating just one potato chip. It just doesn't happen; so I think the whole unprotected sex once thing is a sort of a metaphor.... i.e if you have unprotected sex, you will almost certainly eventually end up pregnant.

@68> Nice review of Istanbul. My wife and I went to Turkey for our honeymoon and absolutely loved Istanbul. Its a city seeped in so much, and so many kinds of history. We promised ourselves we would visit again someday down the line.

>69 clif_hiker: True, and I suppose it is something like that. I still wonder at the message that it gives to teens though. Not that I think they should be having unprotected sex, but being as sex ed no longer seems to teach facts it makes me more leery of exaggerations in fiction. If that makes sense!

>70 iftyzaidi: Oh nice, jealous! If you don't mind me asking, how did you like the rest of Turkey? What was your favorite thing in Istanbul?

Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked by Catherine Orenstein *****

I love how tales and myths have changed over time yet at the same time they maintain constants. We have all these tales and myths as part of our ‘common knowledge’ that we expect everyone, or at least most, from our culture to know. But where did they come from? Why do we tell them? What do they tell us? Are they unique to our culture? Books that answer these types of questions, especially in terms of mythology and folk tales always get my interest. The book contains a great quote that sums up my feelings on why these stories are important on pg 232: "The fairy tale is, in essence, a human code that we ingest in the form of a story."

In Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked Orenstein takes one familiar tale, that of Little Red Riding Hood, and picks out ten different texts of the basic story and examines them. In this book Orenstein talks about the different cultures and how they have affected the story, the evolution including why and how the tale has changed, as well as sexuality and gender norms in each version. She begins with the original Perrault version from Mother Goose Tales, to the Victorian era Grimm version, on to the much older version uncovered which shows the females as stronger and able to take care of themselves. This older version also showed that common themes in the story weren’t necessarily so common. From pg 71:

"with the discovery of “The Grandmother’s Tale” and its variants, it became evident that many of the so-called “archetypal” motifs that scholars had latched on to, including the beloved red cloak, were not universal at all but on the contrary relatively recent and unrepresentative inventions."

She continues to discuss how the common psychoanalysts findings on the tale, in the broader historical context, cannot be seen as historical facts as they focused on only one version. On pg 75 she says that: "The relevation about Little Red Riding Hood’s oral sisters delivers two lessons: the danger of interpreting a tale without knowing its history; and the importance of examining its broader folkloric patterns."

She also points to Darnton who made this mistake by using one version of the tale, and not necessarily the most common version of the time, in his analysis in The Great Cat Massacre which I had read previously this year.

After another older tale, that of Stubbe Peter, which discusses werewolves and the laws in the 1500s the book progresses to twentieth century versions including Little Red as she has been used in advertising and popular culture. In this section we see Feminist rewritings, and we see more fluidity in the roles – Grandma might fight back, or Little Red, or the Wolf might be a cross dresser, or the hunter might be useless. I really had to laugh when the author mentions that in one version, by D. W. Prosser (pg 162): "the heroine unloads a 9-mm Beretta into the wolf. As she tufts of wolf fur waft down, she sends the hunter off to a self-help group, White Male Oppressors Anonymous." Quite a change from the Little Red of Victorian times who had to be rescued by the hunter!

In one chapter Orenstein talks about Little Red as she has appeared in pornography. In this chapter she likens porn to fairy tales in that it too changes over time as our morals and cultural norms change. She mentions, on pg 212, that: "Upon reflection it seems obvious that fairy tales should fuel the fetish films. These films make explicit fairy tale’s obsession – and our fascination – with rules, obedience, and punishment."

and also, on page 217-218, in conclusion about the fluidity of gender roles in fairy tales and the fact that it has been filmed with almost any combination of who is stronger than who: "Gender, power and fairy tales – all are malleable – and the multiplicity of messages in the images of fairy-tale porn are complicated and reflective of society… in our theaters of fantasy – both porn and fairy tale -no one scenario of man and woman, weak and strong, can last forever."

The last version the book looks at is the movie Freeway. In this version the author is critiquing society and its prejudices and stereotypes but it still maintains the same story. This is also another version that goes against our expectations of gender roles in fairy tales. Rather than being a passive hero waiting for someone to save her, Vanessa takes care of herself.

In conclusion, (pg 236): "The fairy tale’s plot functions remain fixed in perpetuity, but motifs are subject to endless variation, and are all read against a kaleidoscope of social and cultural patterns. Thus a story like “Little Red Riding Hood” both retains and challenges its “traditional” meanings over the centuries with each retelling, and the fairy tale code is passed down, like cultural DNA, from one generation to the next."

I found the book fascinating. I hadn’t read or seen a lot of the versions mentioned in the second half of the book and I was very interested in the newer re-tellings. They definitely challenge the earlier version but, as Orenstein shows, they also maintain the same tale and the same characteristics.

… And on a slightly unrelated note, after reading I just had to go listen to Fairytale by Sara Bareilles. It definitely went with the book, in a ‘different take on fairy tales’ type of way :)

@72> Sorry for taking so long to reply! So, what was my favourite thing in Istanbul? That's a tough one, because there's so much there. We were there for several days, before driving down along the Meditarranean coast visiting various Ionian city ruins etc. But one thing both my wife and I agreed on was that we definitely should visit again, and spend more time in istanbul because there's so much to do there. Next time we go, we also definitely want to visit Cappadocia.

In Istanbul, the two places that I probably loved the most were the Haggia Sophia (or Ayasoffia) and the Basilica Cistern. The first is simply awe-inspiring and worth going to with an experienced tour guide who can give the tour and the history and various stories behind different features etc. The Basilica Cistern is an underground cistern for holding water built in Roman times. I loved the atmosphere of the place and just wandering through the shadowed pillars. Its also completely different to anything else there.

We also went to the Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Spice Market, and well, that didn't really do anything for us, since we have seen similar sort of Souks and Bazaars in other countries (Egypt, Syria etc.) and beyond buying souvenirs (Nice jewellery) there's not a whole lot there. Possibly one of the walking tours may have been more interesting.

Topkapi Palace is of course a must-see. We didn't go to the Domabache Palace (which was built in the 1900s and has a more European feel to it), that's one for us to visit next time I suppose. Another place we were keen to visit but missed was the Princes' Island. Of course we did take the Bospherous cruise which was nice because one got a sense of the lovely, distinctive city skyline (and the beautiful ivory-white minarets!).

We also went to the Blue Mosque (the Sultanahmet Mosque) and the Hippodrome and nearby museum. Also worth visiting for the experience are some of the traditional style coffee houses with their courtyards surrounded by the galleries on all sides.

We attended a Whirling Dervish performance at the old train station. I say performance because it was a very formalised, stylised affair, which was more of a performance than a devotional exercise. My wife, who has been to dervish devotional dances in Egypt was somewhat disappointed. It certainly didn't have the same absorbed fervour of devotional festivals I've been to at sufi shrines here in Pakistan. But I still enjoyed it. We both did enjoy the music, and after the event we actually spent a bit of time chatting with some of the musicians, who were an interesting bunch indeed.

Wow, thank you so much! It sounds like such an incredible city. I do hope I can make it there and see some of the places (or all of the places!) that you mention.

Just a note, I've been lax at posting reviews here, and I've decided to stop cross-posting. All books I read are reviewed on my website here:

http://amckiereads.wordpress.com/

I had been copying and pasting them over, but as you can tell I am way behind. I hope it doesn't cause an inconvenience to anyone who may have been following along here. Do come find me at my blog and please feel free to comment :)