The Book Challenge discussion
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Amanda's Book Challenge 2012 - Finished Challenge
January
Going to Hawaii in Feburary so I may be reading these this month:
Unwritten Literature of Hawaii by Nathaniel Emerson
The Secrets and Mysteries of Hawaii by Pila of Hawaii
(1) Moloka'i by Alan Brennert 4 stars“Fear is good. In the right degree it prevents us from making fools of ourselves. But in the wrong measure it prevents us from fully living. Fear is our boon companion but never our master.”
The only thing I didn't like about this book was that it made me cry about every five minutes. Seriously. It's an excellent example of historical fiction that's heavy on the historical but also gives you an incredibly interesting fictional main character that could have existed. Quick read, well written, maybe just a teeny bit too long (but in a good way). Must read Honolulu (and hope happy things happened there).
(2) The House of Pride and Other Tales of Hawaii by Jack London 3.5 starsI suppose if Jack London is sticking with his "elemental struggle for survival" style then you could say in Hawaii they struggled not with the land but with culture clash ("The House of Pride", "Aloha Oe" and "Chun Ah Chun") and leprosy ("Koolau the Leper", "Good-bye, Jack!" and "The Sheriff of Kona"). He still managed to make these Hawaiian snippits exciting and insteresting though so kudos to Mr. London. "Aloha Oe" and "Koolau the Leper" were the best, the others were solid.
(3) A Feast For Crows by George R.R. Martin 4 stars“Needle was Robb and Bran and Rickon, her mother and her father, even Sansa. Needle was Winterfell's grey walls, and the laughter of its people. Needle was the summer snows, Old Nan's stories, the heart tree with its red leaves and scary face, the warm earthy smell of the glass gardens, the sound of the north wind rattling the shutters of her room. Needle was Jon Snow's smile. He used to mess my hair and call me "little sister," she remembered, and suddenly there were tears in her eyes.”
Oh George R.R., must you be such a tease? Only giving us half the story, shame on you. But seriously, that plus all the repetitive little "words are wind" and the new characters and the character chapters without a name so it takes you a bit to figure out who this person is. That stuff was annoying George. This wasn't as good as the others and started out slooooowly. But about halfway through we picked up the pace a little and I got all excited and distracted again. Looks like I'll be dancing with dragons on vacation. And then there will be tears since I'm spoiled and used to just picking up the next book and not waiting a decade or so. I suppose that'll be a good excuse to read these again...
(4) Honolulu by Alan Brennert 2.5 stars“Hawai'i is not truly the idyllic paradise of popular songs--islands of love and tranquility, where nothing bad ever happens. It was and is a place where people work and struggle, live and die, as they do the world over.”
I agree with just about everyone who has read both that Moloka'i is the better of the two Brennert novels about Hawaii. From her early life in Korea to the Hawaiian plantation, the life of Jin/Regret is both preditable and unoriginal. The story does start to pick up when she makes it to Honolulu though it seems like her life is arranged around the incorporation of actual people and events in Hawaiian history. How Jin manages to be on the sidelines of all of these events and to know all of these people is pretty impressive (and annoying). Brennert is a good writer but let's hope he tells a better story next time.
(5) George Eliot in Love by Brenda Maddox 3.5 starsThis was more biography light than the big scholarly work I was expecting (or wanting). Regarding her work as a writer she does little more than give a quick summary of each book and a few details of how she works her life into her fiction. To be fair it does specify that Maddox is focusing on the relationships in Mary Ann Evans life and not on her work so in that respect Maddox deserves kuddos. If you know basically nothing about Eliot this is a good place to start. I didn't realize her novels incorporated as much of her own feelings and experiences as they do, or that she felt so strongly that she needed to be with someone who was completely hers as she was his. This was a short but soild biography, more of an introduction to the life and works of George Eliot than anything else. But Maddox does give a good jumping off point (and recommendations for further reading). Time for an Eliot novel? I think so.
(6) A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard 4 stars“I don't believe in hate. To me it wastes too much time. People who hate waste so much of their life hating that they miss out on all the other stuff out here.”
My first thought: how can anyone review this book? My second thought: I hope this was a bestseller so she can check it off her bucket list. Written from her perspective at the age she was during each chapter and then reflected on by her adult self was, I think, and excellent and therapeutic way to go about it. It was almost so personal you feel like you shouldn't be reading it. It really shows how she grows and and starts to heal and that she's going to be okay so yay for her for sharing.
(7) The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings 5 stars“I bet in big cities you can walk down the street scrowling and no one will ask you what's wrong or encourage you to smile, but everyone here has the attitude that we're lucky to live in Hawaii; paradise reigns supreme. I think paradise can go fuck itself.”
“I'll never be ready. Yet at the same time, you always want to reach the end. You can't fly to a destination and linger in the air. I want to reach the end of this thing, and I feel terrible about it.”
I love it when you randomly choose a book you've never really heard of and don't know much about (it's set in Hawaii, George Clooney movie that's nominated for best picture...ok, good vacation book) and you end up reading something spectacular. I've never heard of Kaui Hart Hemmings but I'd definately read anything else she puts out. The story isn't new or unpredicatable but the characters and dialogue are spot on and all together it actually is a "heartbreakingly funny" book. Family dealing with the wife/mother in a coma could easily be Hallmark material but this is far from it. Eeee, good books are so exciting.
(8) The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey 2 starsSometimes you spur of the moment choose a book and it ends up being awesome (see The Descendants) and sometimes it ends up being a huge disappointment (see The Flight of Gemma Hardy). Maybe I'm a little to partial to the source material (see Jane Eyre) and should have expected that that would be disappointing (in my opinion) but I was really open to the idea of a "homage". There are probably many books out there that have taken a page from Bronte yet are still original and super good (see Rebecca). This one is neither of those things. In my humble opinion, a "homage" should take inspiration from some aspect of the story, the characters, the setting, the mood, etc. It should not be an exact copy of the story line of the source material with extremely weak characters set in the future. Gemma Hardy was in some ways the complete opposite of Jane Eyre, and her relationship with Mr. Sinclair was just flat (as was his character). Ugh, so disappointing because I actually did want to like it ( I even bought it)!
(9) North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell 4 stars“I wish I could tell you how lonely I am. How cold and harsh it is here. Everywhere there is conflict and unkindness. I think God has forsaken this place. I believe I have seen hell and it's white, it's snow-white.”
“He shrank from hearing Margaret's very name mentioned; he, while he blamed her--while he was jealous of her--while he renounced her--he loved her sorely, in spite of himself.”
I'll admit I was naughty and read this immediately after watching the miniseries (but I was sick! and bored!). This was a good one and I feel bad for neglecting it until now. I also feel bad that I was distracted and so probably didn't give it the proper amount of tlc while reading because (I know, I know) who cares for industry or social injustice (very good bits of the book) when there is romance! Another thought: the relationship between Margaret Hale and John Thornton was very similar to Lizzy and Mr. D in Pride and Prejudice. But the roles were kind of switched. So I kept thinking, 'yep thats P&P-ish' which was slightly distracting. Still, they were strong characters, as was Higgins (soft spot in my heart for Higgins). I think Wives and Daughters is still my favorite Gaskell, but this is a worthy competitor.
(10) The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale 3 starsSince I knew absolutely nothing about the Kent case or Mr. Whicher I was ready to happily devour this one, especially since these people apparently had such a profound impact on Victorian literature. And the material wasn't disappointing: 3 year old murdered in the middle of the night! Family secrets! First great detective figure! So for all that it's worth the read but it's not the best non-fiction I've read lately. The subject is obviously the Kent murder and the detective who worked on the case but it seems like Summerscale didn't have enough material to make a book out of it, so she adds tons and tons of distracting details and information. It's interesting to see exactly how the case inspired sensation novels and detective fiction but that information is almost randomly thrown in instead of given a proper place. Summerscale provides lots of facts, more than you want, but you never really feel like you know much about the Kent family or Mr. Whicher.
(11) The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson 4.5 stars"It was so easy to disappear, so easy to deny knowledge, so very easy in the smoke and din to mask that something dark had taken root. This was Chicago, on the eve of the greatest fair in history.”
Sorry Mr. Whicher but this book is a good example of non-fiction perfection (or at least near perfection). At times you almost forget it's non-fiction from the way it's written but Devil is packed with facts and interesting tidbits and just oozes well researched-ness. I (unlike a surprising amount of people) think the White City of the World's Fair + the devil that was H. H. Holmes, the most dastardly, yet most charming serial killer (ever) were the perfect pair of a subject, much like chocolate and vanilla or peanut butter and jelly. Obviously I'm far too fond of this book, so I'm going to stop while i'm ahead and make this note: it's a keeper. Now let's read about Hitler.
(12) The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot 4 stars“I desire no future that will break the ties of the past.”
“Her future, she thought, was likely to be worse than her past, for after her years of contented renunciation, she had slipped back into desire and longing; she found joyless days of distasteful occupation harder and harder; she found the image of the intense and varied life she yearned for, and despaired of, becoming more and more importunate.”
*whistles* George Eliot very successfully played a card from the Thomas Hardy book with the story of doomed brother/sister duo Tom and Maggie Tulliver. I will not hide the fact that this was most certainly a tragedy from anyone who happens to read this rambling note to myself because George Eliot makes that clear from page one and reminds you every so often so you don't forget. Thomas Hardy would be proud. Poor Maggie: she's beautiful, passionate, intelligent and has the worst luck ever. Her relationship with brother Tom (her complete opposite) is the high point in the novel, especially when you know that this is the autobiographical element (George always throws some of that in). So we get to cry for Maggie and Mary Ann with the consolation being that at least they made it up with their brothers. This was really a 5 star story but a 4 star book. Because 500+ pages? Really? George could have done with a good editor because her mind seems to wander a lot and I couldn't make myself enjoy those bits. Final thought: Why didn't I write that paper in college comparing Maggie and Jane Eyre? I'm almost dorky enough to research it anyway...
(13) In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson 3.5 stars“In Germany, Dodd had noticed, no one ever abused a dog, and as a consequence dogs were never fearful around men and were always plump and obviously well tended. "Only horses seem to be equally happy, never children or the youth," he wrote. ... He called it "horse happiness" and had noticed the same phenomenon in Nuremburg and Dresden. In part, he knew this happiness was fostered by German law, which forbade cruelty to animals and punished violators with prison.
"At a time when hundreds of men have been put to death without trial or any sort of evidence of guilt, and when the population literally trembles with fear, animals have rights guaranteed them which men and women cannot think of expecting."
He added, "One might easily wish he were a horse!”
Another highly interesting page turner from Erik Larson. This time with Hitler. I'm starting to love this guy. I didn't find this one quite as facinating as The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America but that's a hard one to top. The story of the American Ambassador in Berlin is a good one and centers around the changing opinions of Ambassador Dodd and his daughter, Martha. I felt for Dodd, who later gets credit for being a stand up guy/Ambassador but constantly has to deal with those "Pretty Good Club" guys during his day. Stupid rich people, Hitler is bad. Obviously. Martha Dodd seems to be the real subject of the book, the beautiful (I don't see it) daughter who flirted with all the bad Germans (and slept with a fair few it sounds like) before finally realizing (after everyone else) this modern Germany is bad and these men are pretty damn evil. I'm sorry but Martha, despite her modern ways and tons of famous writer friends was very annoying and very whorish. Of course she marries some rich guy and lives happily ever after (sort of). Still, this a good look at the early Nazi Germany and American public opinion (for shame).
(14) A Night to Remember by Walter Lord 4.5 stars"Iceberg right ahead!"
Since it's almost that time of the year/century, I couldn't resist this splurge. Apparently this is "the" primary of primarist sources on the Titanic (I see where you got your info movie makers). Or at least the sinking part. And I must agree, Lord does an excellent job of reconstructing the events that led to the sinking and since his primary source was many of the survivors that account is probably a (fairly) accurate one. This is a short (157ish pages?), quick read and Lord is an excellent writer so I finished this off in a day wishing there was more. Since this was written in the 50's I think there are probably plenty of newer, longer, more scientific books on the subject but nothing can top this one for capturing the sinking through the eyes of the survivors (especially not you James Cameron).
(15) Nicholas and Alexandra: The Classic Account of the Fall of the Romanov Dynasty by Robert K. Massie 5 starsSo Massie has a son with hemophilia, does a little research and comes to the conclusion that without hemophilia there would be no Rasputin, and without Rasputin there would be no Lenin (or something along those lines) which is obviously the perfect thing to write a book about and bam we get this awesome tome. Having that son with hemophilia Massie might be a teeny tiny bit biased and supportive toward the poor Nicky and Alikey, their four daughters and the sickly little Tsarevich "Tiny"/"Baby"/Alexis. And so are most of the people who read his book (I hope) because yeah he sucked as a ruler and yeah she was all around Rasputins little finger but that is a terrible reason to murder people in a basement. Massie really makes the point (almost too well) that if tiny little plot points in this real life story had worked out differently (damn Queen Victoria, spreading that hemophilia all over the place) no one would have been murdered in a basement. Except maybe the bad russians and who cares about them. But seriously, this is an excellent history on the Romanovs and unlike with all those critical historian types we see them as a happy family with a weak ruler at the head who made the mistake of listening to his wife who made the mistake of listening to the extremely creepy Rasputin (and don't get me started on him *shudder*). Aside from the sense that this revolution was totally preventable most of the sadness (for me) was centered around poor Alexis, who made it through 13 years (and 600 pages), often writhing in pain because he was far too rambunkshus and kept getting injuries and almost dying to make it to a basement where they just shoot him in the head. Don't they know how much work it took to keep him alive for 13 years! Damn Russians. They should have just exiled them to Canada. Wouldn't that have been enough, really?
(16) Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love by Matthew Logelin 2 starsOh boy. So this is the story of Matt and Liz, high school sweethearts who finally have the perfect life and are ready to start a family. 27 hours after Madeline is born Liz literally drops dead. To deal, Matt speads lots of time with his baby, learns how to be a good father/single parent, grows as a person, starts a nonprofit dedicated to Liz, and writes this book. Go Matt for all of that, we feel for you and your sad story and appreciate your efforts to make the world a better place. This would have made an excellent article in Women's Day magazine and I would have cried. As a book written by you Matt Logelin, not so much. In a review, someone called you a "pretentious hipster snot" and I'm sorry to have to agree with them. Everything that happens to Matt "fucking sucks", from death to spilled milk. Fucking is very obviously his favorite word. He likes to write poetry and share song lyrics that fit his distraught mood. He likes to describe his thrift store plaid button ups and concert tshirts. But most of all, he likes to tell us about how he burst into tears everytime any little thing reminds him of Liz. It's hard to feel very sorry for this guy who was a lazy bum before his wife died then had to "mature", which means learning how to not barf at the sight of poo and how to dress baby stylishly so Liz would be proud while maids clean his house and he and baby travel the world and he cries a lot because that tree reminds him of Liz. I'm sorry Matt, but you are just fucking annoying and by the end of your memoir I just wanted to slap you and tell you to grow a pair and for jesus sake stop bawling like a big baby!!! Fuck.
(17) When She Woke by Hillary Jordan 3 stars“Was that all her religious beliefs had ever been then, a set of precepts so deeply inculcated in her that they became automatic, even instinctive? Hear the word God, think He. See the misery of humankind, blame Eve. Obey your parents, be a good girl, vote Trinity Party, never sit with your legs apart. Don't question, just do as you're told.”
If The Scarlet Letter and The Handmaid's Tale had a love child, this would be it. Jordan has created a futuristic, dystopian version of Scarlet Letter where punishment for crimes comes in the form of monocroming. So Hannah, who has an abortion to protect her baby daddy, a very sexy (but married) Reverend in one of those super churches, is punished not with a scarlet letter but a scarlet skin. Now an outcast, Hannah goes from a shelter that forces her to carry a doll around and treat it like the baby she killed (which she calls Pearl of course) to bait for the Fist (KKK of the future). In a Handmaid's Tale-esque twist she makes her way to the freedom of Canada and a great big ? future (but a better one of course). A well written solid story, but nothing really memorable.
(18) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 4.5 stars“Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.”
I couldn't resist reading this one again after watching the movie so I could compare the two. And unlike most movie versions this one was up to the challenge. I was surprised that they really made very few major changes to the story (which is the part that always pisses me off). They did mess with the ending slightly and I felt like the movie version could have been stronger. Casting was spot on. If they didn't the physical appearance right (which they usually did) they still captured the character (Woody Harrelson was pretty much perfection). I can't picture anyone else as Katniss now so I'm sorry I ever doubted you Jennifer Lawrence. This is one of few movie adaptations I'm really happy with. Yay! More please.
(19) Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins 4.5 stars“You know, you could live a thousand lifetimes and not deserve him.”
I couldn't resist this one either.
Good luck on your book challenge. I haven't read any of Suzanne Collins' books yet.(:
Hattie wrote: "Good luck on your book challenge. I haven't read any of Suzanne Collins' books yet.(:"Thanks! You should because they are awesome :)
Megan wrote: "When did you go see Hunger Games?"Mom made me go with her. She cried a lot. It was embarassing. Want to go with me this weekend? I think Tman is working. I must see it again!
Lol poor Sharon. I cried too and my mom laughed at me. I didn't make a scene or anything though so I shouldn't embarrass you. Yes ma'am I do! What day and time?
Megan wrote: "Lol poor Sharon. I cried too and my mom laughed at me. I didn't make a scene or anything though so I shouldn't embarrass you. Yes ma'am I do! What day and time?"I was thinking this weekend but I have to go to a funeral so I'm not sure what time I could go. You busy Saturday or Sunday night?
(20) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 4. 5 stars“You love me. Real or not real?"
I tell him, "Real.”
“What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.”
Of course I had to refresh my memory on how it all ends. *sigh* I love that Peeta.
(21) Divergent by Veronica Roth 3 stars“Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it.”
Okay, in a world where everyone chooses a faction based on a test that tells you which faction you should choose, one girl has inconclusive test results and is !divergent! which she has to hide because this a bad thing for a mysterious reason.
I agree with a lot of people that this one gets off to a shaky start but picks up in the second half. The world here is a bit much, the factions, how they operate, what they believe, how they should be, how they actually are, the training of the kids, etc. is just a little too much. Once we get past all that business and really focus on divergent Tris the story gets good. She's an interesting enough character to get you excited for the next book without the the added bonus that we don't seem to know all it is to be divergent yet and I'm very curious. And Four *sigh*
(22) Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James ? stars“- "Why don't you like to be touched?"
- "Because I'm fifty shades of fucked-up, Anastasia”
I really don't know what to think about this. It's like the train wreck you can't look away from. Much like Twilight its "inspiration" the writing was horrible and the story was silly but I couldn't stop reading. Ana, the clumsy college student who doesn't know how beautiful she is, talks like a 13 year old. Christian, the tortured yet handsome, rich, and sexy object of her affection, talks like he's from the 19th Century. And Europe, not Washington. The dialogue was laugh out loud cheesy at times. And I still actually enjoyed it. Damn "mommy porn". And yes I immediately started reading the next one. And not just because I accidentally bought it on my Kindle (but it was an accident, I promise!).
(23) Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver 4 stars“Maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe for you there's a tomorrow. Maybe for you there's one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around it, let it slide like coins through you fingers. So much time you can waste it.
But for some of us there's only today. And the truth is, you never really know.”
The popular way to describe this book seems to be mean girls + groundhog day. Which I get. Popular high school bitch who dies and is forced to relive the same day over and over, that is this book. So I didn't start out with the highest of expectations but in the end I found myself mentally giving a bow to Lauren Oliver. Maybe a lot of that 4 stars is because I can't resist a book that leaves me sobbing. But I also thought she made more of her subject that a lot of young adult writers could or would. Her writing at times is really beautiful and she takes Sam Kingston from a hated character to a respected one. If only more mean girls could have groundhog day experiences...
(24) How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff 4 stars“And after awhile of this my brain and my body and every single inch of me that was alive was flooded with the feeling that I was starving, starving for Edmond.
And what a coincidence, that was the feeling I loved best in the world.”
I hardly know what I think of this. I suppose it's a dystopian/apocalyptic fiction of sorts, although without knowing the setting is a future world war you'd be more likely to think it was set during the forties. American Daisy (who isn't coping so well with her anorexia or her evil stepmother) is shipped off to live with her strange British cousins on a farm of sorts. Cut off from the world by war, Daisy and (odd, telepathic?, SMOKER) cousin Edmund fall in love and are eventually separated, Daisy with cousin Piper, who thankfully has some survival skills. After some odd years of different hells all are back at the farm, more damaged than they began but "home" and although we get no happy endings, this is "how i live now" as Daisy says. Daisy narrates with long, unpunctuated, quote-less dream like run-on sentences. Which is I suppose how one thinks when one knows not enough/too much of the "horrors of war". Perfect and necessary I think.
(25) The Giver by Lois Lowry 5 stars“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”
Had to reread this to try and picture it on the big screen. Can't do it.
What?! They're making The Giver into a movie?
Supposedly with a 2013 release date and starring Jeff Bridges with David Yates (Harry Potter movies) to direct. So that kind of sounds like a dream team if anyone could do it. But I'm just not seeing how it would work as a movie. Too abstract.
(26) Hawaii by James A. Michener 5 stars"Therefore, men of Polynesia and Boston and China and Mount Fuji and the barrios of the Philippines, do not come to these islands empty-handed, or craven in spirit, or afraid to starve. There is no food here. In these islands there is no certainty. Bring your own food, your own gods, your own flowers and fruits and concepts. For if you come without resources to these islands you will perish... On these harsh terms the islands waited."
I was impressed enough with this massive piece of historical fiction on sheer size and volume alone to give it 5 stars. Then I spent four months off and on reading it and was impressed again that a fictionalized history of Hawaii from creation of the islands to modern day could be so damn good. I didn't find it dull at all, but it was so dense (1000 pages of tiny print), really epic in scale that i kept needing a break from it before I could tackle it again. Michener begins with the formation of the islands and then gives their history through the different groups of people that make up modern Hawaii. From the original migration of the group from Bora Bora to the Missionaries, Chinese and Japanese, down to their modern day descendants Michener creates an impressive cast of characters. I'd go into more detail but my mind hurts. Missionary Abner Hale, Chinese immigrant Char Nyuk Tsin, and the war hero Sakagawa brothers are high points. Must now read something mindless. And I miss you Hawaii...
(27) Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer by Robert Swartwood 3.5 stars"The Return" by Joe R. Lansdale: "They buried him deep. Again."
"The Lover's Regret" by Tess Gerritsen: "They are now grown up, the children I abandoned to be with you. They hate me. But not nearly as much as I hate you.
I'm torn. I can't believe I spent $10 on this book that I read in an hour. 25 words is not many words at all and I think Mr. Swartwood really could have put a few (or a lot) more "stories" in. Plus this feels a bit gimmicky. On the other hand, 25 word stories are so much fun! Most were either funny or depressing (or both). True it only takes a few seconds to read them but they leave you thinking.
(28) The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston 3.5 stars“We all have a Monster within; the difference is in degree, not in kind.”
I actually finished this one a few days ago and all I'm thinking now is that this book about a writer and a journalist tracking an infamous serial killer in Florence (a) made the law & order of Italy look really, really incompetent (b) this will make an excellent George Clooney movie and (c) damn it Italy you really, really suck at catching bad guys and now we'll never know who the &^$%%$&^*&( killer is!!!!
This was actually really good but those thoughts are currently clouding my ability to write or think good things about it.
(29) Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks 3.5 stars“Despair is a cavern beneath our feet and we teeter on its very brink.”
Perhaps that "novel of the plague" bit should have been a tip that this one might be just a little bit depressing but I suppose I wasn't paying attention. But yes, this was depressing. It was also beautifully written ( must read more Geraldine Brooks). Yes the pace was slow but it works with the daily pre-plague life before *bam* 75% of people start to die and poor Anna has to deal with all that sickness and death. If we'd ended with Anna adopting some poor little orphans and setting up as the new town midwife that would have been a good ending Geraldine Brooks, not exciting maybe, but it would fit. Instead we get murder, sex, attempted murder and and escape in a ship to a far off place. That was a little bit crazy Geraldine Brooks and I didn't like it one bit. Let's work on those proper endings!
(30) The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent 3 stars“Life is not what you have or what you can keep. It is what you can bear to lose.”
Why I immediately picked this up after Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague I do not know. Again we have slow pace, this time set by pre-witch hunt daily life around the same time period. Then by the second half things pick up when Martha and her 9 year old daughter Sarah (the narrator) get tossed in jail. An interesting take on the Salem witch trials written by a descendant of Martha Carrier.
(31) On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves 4.5 stars“I don't fit in your world."
"Neither do I," he said, his expression tender yet resolute. "So let's make our own. We've done it before.”
Don't you love it when you're in a book reading funk and then you randomly buy some fluff as a treat and it ends up being the best thing you've read lately? It's hard to believe this is a first book for Ms. Garvis-Graves as her writing is excellent, like so-sucked-in-you-forget-you-are-reading-a-book-at-all good. You'd think a book about a hot tutor and her teenage boy pupil being stranded on an island would be a little much at times but this was never a "steamy romance novel" or anything stereotypical at all really. Please write some more good fluffy reads for me Tracey as reading this in the tub yesterday was like a mini-vacation.
(32) Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James 2 stars“I don't know whether to worship at your feet or spank the living shit out of you.”
I had no idea what to rate Fifty Shades of Grey so I just gave up trying. It was badly written, a sexy take on Twilight of all things and Ana said "Oh my" far too much. But I couldn't put it down and when it wasn't doing anything for me (and it usually was) at least I could enjoy laughing at it. But this book was just one book too much. Yes new things happened and yes there was actual character development but I was already bored with how many ways Ana and Christian can have sex before I started reading. So really it's no better or worse than the first book, I just couldn't make myself care.
(33) Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris 3 stars“The world seemed a bad and terrible place, all its denizens suspect, and I the lamb
wandering through the valley of death with a bell around my neck.”
“Woo woo, secret vampire stuff!”
It's hard to to really think about what you think about a book when you read it after watching the the tv/movie version. Because (unless they really screwed things up) it's more like rereading the book than reading it for the first time (aside from the bits they changed). So I enjoyed it, it was the fun sort of read for sure. Sookie is a good character to base a series around (aside from her tendency to describe her clothing far too often). Bill, on the other hand, is more stalker/perv than romantic hero/southern gentleman in my opinion. Um hello Sookie, Sam sounds super hot and sexy! I think he will follow me around as a collie in my dreams tonight. Or maybe Eric. But not as a collie.
(34) Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris 3 stars“Sookie, my little bullet-sucker"
Eric, my big bullshitter”
More of the same but still juicy (even though I know what happens). I must say I'm shocked over a certain characters death. Even though she didn't do much with him he had such potential. *sigh* Am I the only one who finds pretty much all the other male characters more attractive than Bill? At least I can rest (pretty much) assured that ol' Sookie will get rid of him (at least temporarily) in a book or two. *yay*
So are you going to keep going with reading the series or do you think you're going to give up after two books like me? I really need to catch up on True Blood while we still have HBO (we only subscribe to it while Game of Thrones is airing - because we are cheap nerds like that).
Megan wrote: "So are you going to keep going with reading the series or do you think you're going to give up after two books like me? I really need to catch up on True Blood while we still have HBO (we only subs..."Well Game of Thrones is the best thing HBO has to brag about for sure. I'm interested enough to keep going for now but I really like the show better (can't believe it, but it's true). I'm annoyed that some of the best characters are barely in the book and then quickly killed off. And Charlaine Harris just constantly repeats information. I can see doing that at the beginning of the book as a little catch up but she does it all. the time. and it's driving me nuts. And Bill just sucks. He's so boring. I mean he is in the show too but even more so here. And kind of creepy. Come on Sookie, how about Eric! or Alcide! They make me drool!
(35) Club Dead by Charlaine Harris 3 stars“I don't like having feelings," Eric said coldly, and he left.
That was a tough exit line to top.”
See the above comment for my thoughts/feelings on this book. And pretty much all of the Sookie Stackhouse books. Despite the constant repetition of information and killing of the characters with the most potential the story lines are enough to keep me interested. Or maybe I'm just waiting for the Eric and/or Alcide action I know (or at least hope) is coming. Plus I got the books used at Hastings so I just have to read them!
(36) Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris 3 stars“It's probably a bad indicator of your lifestyle when you miss your ex-boyfriend because he's absolutely lethal.”
Oddly enough, this was my least favorite season of True Blood but probably my favorite Sookie Stackhouse book so far. Sookie turned her bad-ass-ed-ness up a notch, there was lots of steamy and graphic Eric action and best of all, almost no Bill!
(37) Bring Back Beatrice!: 1,108 Baby Names with Meaning, Character, and a Little Bit of Attitude by Jennifer Griffin 3 starsThis book had lots of good names and fun lists so points for that. But for a book that only discusses around a thousand names that have "meaning" "character and "attitude", Jennifer Griffin lists tons of dated names, most of which she says are too dated to use. Shouldn't you be listing names that aren't then? Once she steers you away from out of style, overused and trendy names there isn't much left to work with.
(38) Beyond Ava & Aiden: The Enlightened Guide to Naming Your Baby 4 starsI'm not sure if I feel enlightened but this book has lots of ideas in lots of catagories so this would be a solid baby naming book pick. It also has some strange ones that make me wish I had a few new pets to name. Time to get back to the serious reading. Like Sookie Stackhouse.
The Book Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Where We Belong (other topics)The Lucky One (other topics)
Safe Haven (other topics)
One Pink Line (other topics)
The Winter Sea (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Nicholas Sparks (other topics)Nicholas Sparks (other topics)
Dina Silver (other topics)
Susanna Kearsley (other topics)
Jonathan Safran Foer (other topics)
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1) Read at least 100 books
and
2) Finish my Book Addicts! Reading Group Challenge for 2012 AND 2011 (better late than never)
2011 Reading Group Challenge
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje2011Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov2011The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The World According to Garp by John Irving
Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Lucky by Alice Sebold2012Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See2011The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham2012The Red Tent by Anita Diamant2012The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett2011The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides2012Alternates:
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams20122012 Reading Group Challenge
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel BarberyOctober 2012The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCulloughNovember 2012The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
The History of Love by Nicole KraussDecember 2012The Bell Jar by Sylvia PlathDecember 2012The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko OgawaSeptember 2012The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan BradleySeptember 2012The Winter Sea by Susanna KearsleyThe House at Riverton by Kate MortonJune 2012The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Alternates:
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha MukherjeeJune 2012The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan DidionOctober 2012