Wyrd Sisters

Oh I had so much fun with this book.  I didn't think I would like it, but it was just pure unadulterated fun.  And Terry Pratchett is one of the most clever people I have read.  The witches in this book are such great characters, and the magic of his world is awesome.  It almost seems like a frivolous book until you really think about some of the themes on the written word and drama, subtle nods to Shakespeare, and more.  I will definitely pick him up again.  Definitely worth 4 Stars.

The Weird Sisters

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!   I loved how different the sisters are and how real they were portrayed, both the beautiful and the ugly pieces of their characters.  I was totally hooked and engaged - ready to follow them on their journey and find out how it would turn out for each of them.  I found pieces of myself in each one of them.  The family dynamic is so unique and I love how they all have Shakespeare references for everything going on in their lives and is how they interact with each other.  The author is also extremely creative in using a chorus of the sisters as the narrator - the "we" totally works once you get used to it.  Fabulous novel all around.

Outliers

Rating: 4 stars

I read this book back in July 2011, and cannot believe I forgot to write about it on here.  It was a fantastic read, and I plan to read all of Gladwell's work at some point.  I love how he sees things - he overlays seemingly typical situations with his unique viewpoint and turns them upside down and sideways.  It certainly changed the way I looked at success, how it can be created, and what factors are involved....and they were rather unexpected.  It was easy to read and he has a really unique way of making his ideas easy to understand, even when they are not always simple.  I highly recommend!

The Bedwetter

Rating: 3 Stars

This book was selected in my book club, and I actually ended up listening to it, thinking I didn't really want to read it and that way I could fit it into my other activities (taking the place of my podcast proclivities for a time).  Well, it turns out I really did rather like it.  I think this was partly because I expected to NOT like it.  I have a hard time watching shows that make me cringe and Sarah Silverman's show is SO cringe worthy (she says the most awful things), I kind of put her in a box that was defined by her often distasteful humor (to me personally at any rate). But she surprised me.  Her story is actually interesting, thoughtful, often hilarious, and I found that I quite liked her as a person - outside of her humor.  So it was a enlightening lesson for me in that regard.  The book is still not for the faint of heart (and thus I cannot recommend it for everyone, certainly not my mother), but it made me laugh out loud a lot and have a new perspective, and I really appreciated all of that.  I also have to say that I think my ability to like this was enhanced by listening to the book, as it was narrated by her and her inflections were funny - I have a feeling I wouldn't have liked it quite the same if I had read it myself and inserted my own inflections and impressions.  Thanks for making me laugh Sarah Silverman!

State of Wonder and Bel Canto

Ratings:  Three Stars

State of Wonder is the second of Ann Patchett's books that have made it under my belt (Bel Canto being the first), and I am glad for it.  Her writing is beautiful.  Gorgeous.  It is what propels me through the slow parts in her novels, and is absolutely what makes her worth reading.  To be fair, her stories are interesting do pick up pace by the end, and her character development is remarkable.  I can't help but love, dislike, and feel like I know them.  With her as my guide, I was more than happy to visit Manaus and the Amazon to hunt for resources, and be among nationalists taken hostage by local South American terrorists (Bel Canto).

P.S.  I am doing two in one because I forgot to write about Bel Canto, which I read in May 2011)

A Handmaid's Tale

Rating: Four stars

It turns out that I have an emerging love for dystopian novels, and I could not get enough of this book.  Atwood's tale was totally believable, totally horrifying, and extremely creative.  Imagine if the most right-wing extremist Christian sect you can think of took over the U.S. government in one fell swoop, relegated women to "their place", and on top of everything, there was a global fertility problem.  The solution being for the few fertile women that existed to be made Handmaids, and  given to the leaders and their wives.  My overly succinct summary does not do it justice!  I promise it's worth reading.

The Stranger

Rating: Three Stars

This book was not at all what I thought it was about.  But after spending almost the entire reading time with a look of consternation on my face, I did end up liking it, quite a lot.  It helped also to discuss it with my sister.  I mostly like that it showed what it would be like to live life in such a different way - which is exactly the whole idea of the existential movement of that time.  It also helped to attempt to put it in context and remember the place and timeframe it was written in - which was France right at the beginning of WWII when the Germans were starting to occupy there.  But the main character's apathetic and almost sociopathic behavior was what was most fascinating...especially if compared to the things that made him actually have an emotional reaction, as he did toward the end.  Along those lines, here is one of my favorite quotes, showing off Camus' beautiful writing:  

(spoiler alert, stop here if you don't want a hint at the ending)

"As if that blind rage has washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, I that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much life myself - so like a brother, really - I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again. For everything to be consummated, for me to feel less alone, I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate."

Beatrice and Virgil

Rating: Two Stars

It was ok.  I really liked Life of Pi, so Yann Martel's new book seemed an easy one to throw to the list of books to read for our book club.  Unfortunately this book left me with an unpleasant, dark, sad, unsatisfied feeling.  For several sections of the book I felt confused and in sometimes outright bored…not sure where he was going or why, but often disturbed by some of the imagery of violence to animals.  Note - I had not looked up the story, the plot or anything about it, and casually disregarded some of the early foreshadowing in the story.

I liked the main character, which seemed perhaps a literary avatar for Martel, so I was willing to go with him on this weird, seemingly random journey to hang out with an antisocial taxidermist who's writing a bizarre play about a donkey and a howler monkey (Beatrice and Virgil).  Toward the end, as the ultimate meaning and direction he was going started to dawn on me, I began to brace myself.  I don't particularly enjoy something as awful as the Holocaust sneaking up on me - preferring instead to be given the chance to gear up for the desperateness of the event.  This is not to shy away from it (because it  should be faced), but merely for a little protection of the mental and emotional jarring experienced with going from lightheartedness to evil.

That said, I believe I understand his point (survival during evil times, and a unique perspective of the Holocaust), and thus why he did it.  As it all came together the book did have more meaning, and I will say it was craftily done (which is why it isn't getting one star). The other positives are his ability to turn out truly beautiful sentences and compositions….and I really did like Beatrice the donkey and Virgil the howler monkey.  But the last fifth of the book is extremely dark - visiting both the evils of the Holocaust, and then a deeply unsatisfying disconnected climax with no resolution…at least for me.  Again, I understand that such an ending is the literary device he chose to use to illustrate his idea….but such is not my cup of tea.  I suspect if I had known it was about the Holocaust from the beginning, I would have been able to appreciate it a little bit more, given the art and allegory used to craft the tale.  But too late.

Bossypants - Tina Fey

I've always really liked Tina Fey, and I really enjoyed her book.  She is a mother, a writer, an actress, a wife, and she describes it all.  She made me laugh out loud several times - I loved her easy writing style and total honesty.  It was a fascinating look into the world she works in, and I totally loved her insights into her family.  There were certain parts of the book that felt a little forced, but I still really enjoyed reading it.  Three and a half stars!

ROOM

I read this today in one sitting. I couldn't put it down...literally. I loved this little five-year-old boy and Ms. Donoghue did an amazing job telling the story entirely from his perspective. This little boy only knows his Room because he and his mother are being held captive there...but he doesn't know anything is wrong, he just knows he lives in Room, sleeps in Wardrobe, and eats at Table. The story of the mother and son is beautiful, even though it's sad. Being with him as he learned and processed everything that happened was the best part for me....it was rather eye-opening. I gave this book 4 stars.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary

Weird, hilarious, upsetting, confusing, creative and awesome. That's pretty much this little book in a nutshell, David Sedaris' books keep doing that to me. But I think that is how they are designed! He always keeps me guessing and while sometimes it is clear he is making a social commentary, sometimes he makes me snort with laughter. Well, I don't really snort, but I do laugh out loud. I have to say that while a little unnerving at times, it was fun to read about all of these symptoms of society from the viewpoint of these crazy animals. I gave this book 3 stars.

The Bell Jar

I was really glad that I read this so close to The Catcher In The Rye. Their stories are similar, only this is a female version of the confessional type story. Only in m opinion this one is a little bit more tragic as it follows the main character's mental break with reality. Even more sad that it is semi-autobiographical and Ms. Plath ended up taking her own life. But I found her journey still compelling - a young woman, achingly trying to figure things out in that society and for herself, another example of just how hard that can be. It was also pretty interesting to read of the practice of psychiatry at the time. Once she got around to describing what the title meant in relation to the story, the bell jar became one of my favorite literary images. I won't spoil it, but do think it could apply to everyone in one way or another, not just those with mental illness. All in all, a very worthwhile read.

The Catcher In The Rye

This book was not at all what I thought would be. All I knew going into it was how controversial it was, that it is still high up on the banned list, and was carried by the assassin who killed John Lennon when he fired the deadly shot. Given all that, I expected something totally outrageous, borderline (if not outright) offensive, and practically a promoter of anarchy. I was pleasantly surprised - to me, it was none of these things.

What it turned out to be is a well-written, funny, realistic and relatable story of male teenage angst and desperation in 1950s New York. I really quite liked Holden Caulfield, angst and all. I appreciated his totally raw thought processes and his acute self awareness. I appreciated his intolerance for phonies, and his love of his little sister. There is some language, and a few F-words at the end, and sex is a very casual topic (though not sexually explicit). From what I have read these are a few of the reasons it is such a controversial book, and I personally don't quite understand it. I for one, am very glad I read it.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

A fabulous book with an unlikely name. It was so fun to read…written almost entirely in the unique perspective of a reading the characters' written correspondence. It was an interesting way to follow a story, but still compelling. I had never heard of the island of Guernsey, and the history of the German occupation in WWII on a British Isle was interesting. But the characters are really what make this book…they are truly delightful. I wanted to be Juliet, have a boss like Sydney, and be friends with all of the islanders. Most of all, it made me really wish we still wrote letters like that!

The Hunger Games Trilogy

I was lucky enough read these only once the whole trilogy was released. I devoured all three in about 2 weeks. I'd had friends try to explain the premise (as I have since), and it always comes out confusing and paltry compared to the actual story. Suzanne Collins does a wonderful job sucking you into this post-apocalyptic world with it's wilting dystopian society. The story of Hunger Games about knocked me over with its innovation...it is very clever and imaginative. Though it did made me think a wee bit of a kid version of The Running Man. I was also impressed at how Ms. Collins did not shy away from the violence and awfulness given the age of her target readers, but instead made them matter-of-fact, a tool for pulling you along. I also of course LOVED her main character - a very strong, smart, totally kick-ass girl, and yet one with significant faults. She is so unlike other leading love-sick female characters of recent fame, it was almost refreshing. Though that in itself makes it more ironic that she ends up in an entertaining love-triangle, another aspect of what keeps pulling you along.

The first two books were definitely the best, in my opinion. Her descriptions of the societies, the mix of just surviving with the futuristic aspects woven in was well done. Everything leading up to the Hunger Games was absolutely fascinating, then the Games themselves were enthralling - totally messed up of course, with the whole kids killing kids thing - but I think that's partly why it was so captivatin. Not to mention the other characters of the book you couldn't help but get attached to. You were just pulling for Katniss to win, and yet somehow figure out how to save everyone else you cared about. So well done.

The third book was very different...since I was able to read all three together in such a short amount of time I think it helped me see more of the continuity of the story, and I think maybe it had to be quite different by nature. And there were definitely things I loved (the parts in the Capital for instance), but it mostly seemed so sterile compared to the others. And it was missing characters that kind of helped make the first two a hit. I also thought the ending came pretty fast and wrapped up a little too neatly, but I still didn't mind it too much, it would be difficult to find a perfect ending to such a story. All in all, I still highly recommend!

Three Cups of Tea

After hearing a million wonderful things about it, this took me a while to get into. It's very slow starting and I really struggled with (and didn't love) the odd perspective that was created out of having two authors that way. Eventually I got used to the writing style, the story picked up and I ended up really, really liking it! I was impressed with Greg Mortensen's tenacity and single-mindedness, not to mention empathy. It was inspiring and really did make me feel like anyone can do anything. I also very much enjoyed getting to know Pakistan, its people, and its main religion - I have a new deep appreciation of all three.

A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana

This book was positively delightful and charming. It made small town America just seem SO fun, and I absolutely loved being in the mind of this young child. It made me want to be a little girl again, and wish that I had been half as spirited and tenacious as she was. I just loved, loved, loved it. The author - Haven Kimmel, is writes about her own experiences in such a wonderful way - she makes you feel you're right in the middle of those exact experiences feeling what she felt. I cannot recommend this highly enough - it's just a perfect, fast, fun read. Her other book, The Solace Of Leaving Early has also come highly recommended, and I will definitely pick it up soon.