Category Archives: Book Reviews

In which I review books!

May 10, 2013

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley

relishYou all know I love food. And I love graphic novels. And I really enjoyed Lucy Knisley’s book French Milk (review). So, as you can probably bet, this was a match made in heaven for me.

This was SUCH a match made in heaven for me.

Relish is Lucy’s story of her life with food. Lucy may be more obsessed with food than I am! With a mom who is both a chef and gourmand, she had little choice! After her parent’s divorce, Lucy and her mother move to the country. There, her mom starts gardening, working at the local farmer’s market, and even starts a catering company. Lucy, at first, resents the move and misses the big city with its plethora of food opportunities, but soon comes to appreciate what her mother has brought to her. Her trips back to the city to visit with her father, who only eats at restaurants, are a nice contrast to this home grown attitude of her mom’s. The memoir follows her through growing up in the country, into her move to Chicago to go to art school and her introduction to all the different kinds of foods available there.

Be careful though. This book will make you hungry.

I love Lucy’s attitude toward food. I try to eat healthy. I’m trying to teach my children to reach for that carrot stick instead of a French fry. Lucy’s mom tried to instill the same thing in her. Yet, Lucy has other ideas, and I agree with them. Every once in a while, you just gotta get that McDonald’s cheeseburger! Yes, it is not nutritionally the best thing to pick. But it tastes good! And one, every once in a while, isn’t going to hurt. I love that she’s not stuck up about food.

I love the way she draws out her recipes. It (quite possibly strangely) brought to mind The Pioneer Woman and how she photographs EVERYTHING in her recipes. All the ingredients. All the steps. And the results. (also, *drool*) Lucy’s drawings are cute and the recipes sound (and look) delicious.

Yeah. This is a must own.

What do you think of foodie memoirs? What do you think of them in a graphic novel format?

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
By Lucy Knisley
Rated: 5/5
Publisher: First Second
Published 4/2/2013
192 pages
ISBN: 9781596436237
Acquired from the library, but I will be buying myself a copy

 

 

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May 7, 2013

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

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I don’t know about you, but I get nervous when books are compared to others. I get REALLY nervous when books are compared to books I love. I find that, for the most part, this leads to a letdown.

Between Shades of Gray has been compared to The Book Thief.

I completely and totally love The Book Thief. With, like, most of my heart. So, naturally, I was also completely and totally nervous about Between Shades of Gray.

I’ll say this right now. I needn’t have been. While in many ways, Between Shades of Gray is not like The Book Thief, in others it is. And I have nothing but love, now for both of the books.

Between Shades of Gray has war, and prisons camps, and family, and strength, and hope, and love. So much love. Oh geez, I’m going to cry again. Just let me get to what the book is about:

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they’ve known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin’s orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously-and at great risk-documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father’s prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

That last part? About how Between Shades of Gray is novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart? THAT IS SO TRUE. I was slightly surprised by just how much. On the surface, it seems like I wouldn’t have a lot in common with Lina. She’s 15. I’m 35. She’s Lithuanian. I’m American. She has a loving family life with her parents and brother. I had a loving family life with my grandparents, and now my husband and children. She was sent to a labor camp in Siberia. I’ve never had such treatment. We DO have art in common, and we’re both girls, but that’s about it. Yet, thanks to Sepetys gorgeous writing, I felt I came to know Lina so well. I could understand her. I could imagine what I would do in her place. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be nearly as strong as she was.

After all I’ve said, I bet you’re thinking, “But Heather, this book will make me cry!” Well, yes, it probably will. Books about war are sad, especially when told through the eyes of a young person. However, there is so much HOPE in this book. Lina. Never. Gives. Up. Through the worst things that could happen to a person, she never gives up hope, she never gives up love, and she never, ever, gives up her strength. I’m telling you; Lina will steal your heart, just as surely as she stole mine.

Frankly put, this book is not to be missed.

Notes on the reader: Emily Klein was perfect. Her voice was soft, young, and just absolutely perfect for Lina. At first, I wasn’t too sure, but she completely won me over.

Favorite bits:

“Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother’s was worth a pocket watch.”

“I left the jutra to chop wood. I began my walk through the snow, five kilometers to the tree line. That’s when I saw it.

A tiny silver of gold appeared between shades of gray on the horizon.

I stared at the amber band of sunlight, smiling.

The sun had returned.

I closed my eyes. I felt Andrius moving close. “I’ll see you,” he said.

“Yes, I will see you,” I whispered “I will.”

I reached into my pocket and squeezed the stone.”

“Sometimes kindness can be delivered in a clumsy way. But it’s far more sincere in its clumsiness than those distinguished men you read about in books. Your father was very clumsy.”

“Andrius, I’m…scared.”

He stopped and turned to me. “No. Don’t be scared. Don’t give them anything Lina, not even your fear.”

Between Shades of Gray
By Ruta Sepetys
Read by Emily Klein
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Publication date: 4/3/2012
Pages: 368; Time: 7 hours, 47 minutes
Acquired from the NC Digital Library

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May 3, 2013

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

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Some of my bookish besties were talking/discussing/raving about this book in an email the other day, right before the readathon, so on a whim, I bought it. I read it during the readathon, with barely stopping to eat, go to the bathroom, and even doing my hosting duties. Yes, it is that good. Thank you Chris and Ana.

Now, onto what it’s about. Besides being about awesomeness.

Gosh. Where do I start? I know! The summary!

”Bono met his wife in high school,” Park says.
“So did Jerry Lee Lewis,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be,” she says, “we’re sixteen.”
“What about Romeo and Juliet?”
“Shallow, confused, then dead.”
”I love you,” Park says.
“Wherefore art thou,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be.”

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

Hmm…that doesn’t really say enough. Okay. The book starts on the school bus. Park, half-Korean fan of comics and punk and New Wave, is listening to music, pointedly ignoring the clueless bullies behind him, when on walks Eleanor. The New Girl. Eleanor immediately stands out for her red hair, her odd clothing, her size, and by the fact that she can’t seem to find a seat. Finally, out of impatient kindness, Park lets her sit beside him. Days of silence between the two stretch on until one day, Park notices something. Eleanor is reading the comics in his lap. Slowly, their relationship deepens to conversation, and then feelings. Oh, the feelings.

Eleanor’s home life is heartbreaking. She shares a room with her four siblings. They are forced to tiptoe around their violent step-father. Her mother turns a blind eye to the things happening right under her nose. Park, and the world he represents, becomes Eleanor’s haven. Things are not good for Eleanor, except for her relationship with Park. Told in alternating voices, it is impossible to not fall in love with Eleanor and Park, separately and together. They are, to be cliché (which they hate), quite adorable.

And I don’t want to say much more than that. I went into this book not knowing much more than the summary above and that my readerly friends loved this book. Hopefully you will trust me as much as I trusted them. Rainbow Rowell’s writing is exquisite. I loved every syllable of this novel. She pulled me in, she kept me there, and she made me reluctant to leave. She took what could be misconstrued as a typical young adult romance and made it into so. much. more. And she gave me Eleanor. So tough. So fragile. And Park. So kind. Two teens with so many awkward, typical teenager tropes, and made you fall in love with them. Hopelessly.

Favorite bits:

“I love you,” he said.

She looked up at him, her eyes shiny and black, then looked away. “I know,” she said.

He pulled one of his arms out from under her and traced her outline against the couch. He could spend all day like this, running his hand down her ribs, into her waist, out to her hips and back again…. If he had all day, he would. If she weren’t made of so many other miracles.

“You know?” he repeated. She smiled, so he kissed her. “You’re not the Han Solo in this relationship, you know.”

“I’m totally the Han Solo,” she whispered. It was good to hear her. It was good to remember it was Eleanor under all this new flesh.

“Well, I’m not the Princess Leia,” he said.

“Don’t get so hung up on gender roles,” Eleanor said.”

“You can be Han Solo,” he said, kissing her throat. “And I’ll be Boba Fett. I’ll cross the sky for you.”

“What do you want to show me?”

“Nothing, really. I just want to be alone with you for a minute.”

He pulled her to the back of the driveway, where they were almost completely hidden by a line of trees and the RV and the garage.

“Seriously?” she said. “That was so lame.”

“I know,” he said, turning to her. “Next time, I’ll just say, ‘Eleanor, follow me down this dark alley, I want to kiss you.’”

She didn’t roll her eyes. She took a breath, then closed her mouth. He was learning how to catch her off guard.

She pushed her hands deeper in her pockets, so he put his hands on her elbows. “Next time,” he said, “I’ll just say, ‘Eleanor, duck behind these bushes with me, I’m going to lose my mind if I don’t kiss you.’”

She didn’t move, so he thought it was probably okay to touch her face. Her skin was as soft as it looked, white and smooth as freckled porcelain.

“I’ll just say, ‘Eleanor, follow me down this rabbit hole…’”

He laid his thumb on her lips to see if she’d pull away. She didn’t. He leaned closer. He wanted to close his eyes, but he didn’t trust her not to leave him standing there.”

Title: Eleanor & Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Published: 2/26/2013
ISBN: 9781250012579
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I got it from Barnes & Noble with my own monies.

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March 25, 2013

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

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I Hunt Killers
By Barry Lyga
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published 4/3/2012
Pages: 359
ebook
Gift from a friend (Thanks Andi!)

I have so many thoughts on this book that, even a couple months after I read it and cogitated on it, I still don’t quite know what to say. It is a conundrum.

Firstly, let me tell you what the book is about, if you haven’t heard of it already.

Since I can’t seem to think of a way to describe it without giving too much away, here is the description from the book:

It was a beautiful day. It was a beautiful field.
Except for the body.

Jazz is a likable teenager. A charmer, some might say.

But he’s also the son of the world’s most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, “Take Your Son to Work Day” was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could–from the criminals’ point of view.

And now, even though Dad has been in jail for years, bodies are piling up in the sleepy town of Lobo’s Nod. Again.

In an effort to prove murder doesn’t run in the family, Jazz joins the police in the hunt for this new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret–could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

From acclaimed author Barry Lyga comes a riveting thriller about a teenager trying to control his own destiny in the face of overwhelming odds.

Goodness me, but I am unforgivably conflicted over this book. Or was. I had a hard time coming to terms with my feelings about this story. I admit to having that tendency (one I’m working on, believe me) of seeing someone as just plain evil, these people who just love to kill people, and not seeing them as having a mental illness. This is unforgiveable of me, and like I said, something I’m working on. The dichotomy of Jazz and his father actually perfectly mirrors this. Jazz’s father just seems to glorify in his evilness -he loves it – while Jazz struggles with the mental illness of this compulsion to kill. Billy Dent loves his “profession.” Jazz wants to do everything he can NOT to end up like Dear Old Dad. And, while not many people have to fight a compulsion to kill exactly, they do have other compulsions to fight; lying, cheating, stealing, eating, greediness, laziness, etc., etc. So I can see where readers could identify with Jazz – if they can get over the distaste of a character who daydreams about knives, blood, and what it would be like to marry the two. I was able to get over that distaste simply because Jazz is such a great character. Brilliant, charming, and more than a little troubled; Jazz is the ultimate conflicted, unreliable character. We all have a capacity for violence, for temptation, for desire, for love, for hate, and we all have the capacity to fight it…or not. It’s our choices that make us what we are. Jazz is constantly fighting his compulsion, he chooses to be good, he chooses to fight by catching killers. There is something amazingly enthralling about that. I felt… all the feelings… for Jazz, mainly because he never quite believes he IS good. I can’t wait to read the next book to see how he’s doing.

Barry Lyga did some intricate plotting with this novel. All the little details like the reason Jazz dates Connie, his best friend Howie with his blood disorder, Jazz’s crazy grandmother,

Favorite bits:

Jazz hadn’t given her many details of exactly what life in the Dent house had been like, but he’d told her enough that she knew it wasn’t hearts and flowers. Well, except for the occasional heart cut from a chest. And the kind of flowers you send to funerals.

Jazz spent a chunk of the day fantasizing about ways to kill his grandmother, plotting them and planning them in the most excruciating, gruesome detail his imagination would allow. It turned out his imagination allowed quite a bit. He spent the rest of the day convincing himself–over and over–not to do it.

“This is why I forgive, but I don’t forget. When you forget someone, the forgiveness doesn’t mean anything anymore.”

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March 18, 2013

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones,

9781616201425_p0_v1_s260x420Vasilly hosted her 2nd African American Read-In last month. This year’s pick was Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones. I am tardy, as usual, in getting my thoughts up, but I loved this book so much, I didn’t want to forget until it was WAY TOO LATE. SO.

Silver Sparrow tells the story of Dana Lynn Yarboro and Buddy Chaurisse Witherspoon, sisters who don’t know each other. This is not a spoiler. The first line of the book is ““My father, James Witherspoon, is a bigamist.” Dana knows about Chaurisse, but Chaurisse has no idea. HER mother is the one legally wed to their father and he is desperate to keep Chaurisse’s mother from finding out.

Here are the discussion questions from Vasilly, and my answers.

1. There is so much talk these days about fatherhood—contrasting the deadbeat dad with the Bill Cosby-type father. How do you evaluate James Witherspoon, who is both?

It is probably somewhat heartless of me, but I have little sympathy for James. While he does struggle to be a good dad to both girls, he really only succeeded in giving both less than they deserved. And he also gave Laverne and Gwendolyn less than they deserved.

2. Is Laverne’s life better or worse for having married James? What about Gwen? Does James love Laverne or Gwen? Does he love either one of them?

Laverne. I got the impression she had a lot of potential, if her teacher in school is to be believed. However, I’m not sure she would have been so successful without James. Without his determinatiin to better himself, Raleigh, and her, I doubt she would have had her own business. However, in the love department, I was ne er convinced she loved James, just didn’t believe she could live without him.

As for Gwen, I think she would have been fine without him. She practically was anyway. Gwen is completely Laverne’s opposite. Strong, educated, beautiful…she doesn’t really need him. In fact, despite little evidence of how she fared after he picked Laverne, I’m sure she WAS fine.

I think, for a man like James, he enjoyed Laverne’s dependance on him and also having a woman like Gwen actually interested in him. I’m unsure that he actually loved either one.

3. Why do you think Raleigh is so loyal to James?

He loved him. He was his brother. Despite not agreeing with some of the things James did, itdidn’t change Raleigh’s blind affectionof him. He would not be Raleigh without James.

4. Should Gwen have married Raleigh when she had the chance?

I want to say yes, for Raleigh’s sake, but it would have never worked. I think if she had married Raleigh, it would have been just to get back at James, which is a poor reason to marry anyone. And it would have been so unfair to Raleigh (my favorite character.)

5. Where you surprised to read about Gwen confronting Laverne?

No. I figured it would come to that. I didn’t like the way she did it though.

6. Did you have a favorite character? Did you have a least favorite? Which characters would you like to know more about?

Raleigh. Throughout both sides of the story, he was a constant. They both saw him the same way. And he was definitely the most kind-hearted.

7. Were you surprised at the ending? Was it ever possible for this story to have a happy ending?

There was no way it was going to end well. And no, I wasn’t surprised. James consistently picked Laverne and Chaurisse over Dana and Gwen.

8. Overall, what did you think of the book?

I loved it! It was so well written and I continue to be impressed with how Jones made both sides of women equal parts…villanous and loveable.

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February 22, 2013

Pantomime by Laura Lam

15797050Pantomime
By Laura Lam
Osprey Publishing, February 2013
400 Pages
4/5
Got it from NetGalley! And that’s ALL I got!

As soon as I saw the title, and cover (I have serious feelings for this cover), for this book, I knew I had to read it. While looking around on NetGalley one day, it popped up and I immediately requested it. I was so tickled when I got the notice I was approved and immediately dug in.

And then, I couldn’t put it down.

This book has many of my necessary requirements for a great story. Mystery. Magic. Subterfuge. Feisty young girls looking to prove themselves. Feisty young people looking to prove themselves. And then, dang it, a blatant To Be Continued… at the end.

*sigh*

Iphigenia “Gene” Laurus is the daughter of a noble family from Ellada. Gene is something of a Tom Girl. No, make that a complete TOM GIRL. She hates crinolines. She hates corsets. She loves running and playing and climbing trees and just generally being one of The Boys. And Gene has a secret, one that she can never tell anyone, for it would be the downfall of her family.

Micah Grey is a runaway living on the streets. He can’t seem to catch a break in regard to finding food, living quarters, or a job. When he sees aerialists perform at R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic, Micah finally sees what he wants to do. He fights to join the circus and soon, is a rising star. Yet Micah has to be very careful, for he has a secret that could ruin it all for him.

I can’t tell you how much I wanted this to be an awesome book for me. We have a great cover, a great premise, a TOM GIRL, a self-made acrobat, and a circus. And mysteries and secrets and subterfuge. It sounds awesome, right? Yet, somehow, there is something keeping me from the butt-crazy love affair I was hoping for. After, well, weeks, eh, maybe months (when did I read this book???) after finishing, and taking the time to puzzle it out, my main problem comes down to the main characters; Gene and Micah. I had a hard time with them. I shouldn’t have any trouble identifying with Gene (to a certain extent, which I will not divulge here. I believe it’s intended to be a bit of surprise and I don’t want to ruin it inadvertently) being that she is a Tom Girl (I was a Tom Girl) who is not comfortable in her skin, let alone the awful constricting corsets and dresses she’s forced to wear (Dude, do I hate a dress? Yes.). Throughout the book, despite this characters’ honesty with the reader (again, not going completely into this…let’s just say she has a HUGE secret), it felt like Gene was holding back. Or maybe I was holding back, who knows. I just felt like I never got to really KNOW Gene like I was supposed to do. I never connected to her. Or Micah for that matter, although I feel like I know Micah better. OMG this is so confusing and if you have read the book, I expect you know what I mean.

And then, there is of course, that part of me that feels like this disconnection was part of the intent. On some level, I feel like this is the case. Obviously, I need to think on this some more. 

So, despite that problem, never connecting with the characters and all, I did enjoy the book enough to be curious about the next one in the series. The life of the circus was fascinating, and the love story (there is always a love story, yeah?) was actually well done. I liked Micah’s crush the most of all the characters. I enjoyed the fantasy and steampunk elements. And Lam did an amazing job building the world of the circus. As I said, I had trouble putting this book down. And I really admire what Lam was trying to do with Gene and Micah. I’m hoping this was first novel jitters and that the sophomore novel will she she’s worked out the kinks. There is tons of potential here.

Favorite bits:

“I’ll prove it to you, sir,” I said, and broke away from the clown and dashed toward the ladder to the tightrope. The circus folk jeered and catcalled. Their cries spurred me on. I clambered onto the small wooden platform and my head spun as I looked down, though I had climbed much higher than this in the past. I looked up at the trapeze and began to judge the distance.

—

People trickled in. Grubby little children grinned and pointed at the rings in the center of the stage. Courting and married pairs strolled, the men with their cravats and the ladies in the bonnets and bustles. Hawkers wasted no time and circled and weaved through the rows, calling out their wares.

—

The aerialist stepped onto the tightrope. The rope bend slightly under her weight and I held my breath, frightened she would fall.

But her feet were steady as she made her slow, steady crossing in midair. She looked so dainty and delicate as she walked, pointing her toes when she lifted a foot, holding the parasol aloft, as though she could bend her legs, propel herself upwards, and fly away. The light filtered through the lace, shadows dappling her skin. When she finally made it across, I let out the breath I had been holding and clapped as loudly as I could.

—

They also read it: Bookshelves of Doom, Book Briefs, Dark Faerie Tales, and more…. 

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February 12, 2013

Not Exactly a Love Story by Audrey Couloumbis

Title: Not Exactly a Love Story
Author: Audrey Couloumbis
Published: December 11, 2012 by Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 978-0375867835
Pages: 288
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Got it from NetGalley!

1977. A Not-Very-Good-Year for Vinnie Gold. The parents the thought perfectly happy surprise him by divorcing. Then his mom decides dating his GYM TEACHER is perfectly okay. Then it’s just fine to go and marry the guy, then force Vinnie to leave his beloved Queens for Long Island.

Things are definitely NOT perfectly okay.

Then, Vinnie meets the girl next door.

Patsy is everything you expect of a girl-next-door type. She’s beautiful, popular, smart, and completely oblivious to Vinnie’s existence. Vinnie is completely smitten. And his method of actually, well, talking to her is unusual. To say the least. By a complete stroke of luck, Vinnie gets Patsy’s number. And he calls her. At midnight. Without telling her his name. At first she thinks he’s a complete jerk. Well, he IS a complete jerk, but instantly regrets it and goes about setting things right. It takes time. And patience. And watching the girl of his dreams go out with the biggest jock/loser in the school. What Vinnie does to finally get Patsy to “see” him will take everything he’s got and will lead him to finally become the kind of guy who, well, maybe gets the girl.

I would imagine telling a story from the point of view of a guy, when you’re NOT a guy, can be kind of difaficult. Couloumbis didn’t have any problems. Vinnie felt completely believable to me. His feelings of inadequacy, coupled with his desire to overcome these feelings, were admirable, especially in a YA book. I liked the way Couloumbis handled the divorce and remarriage. Just the right amount of awkwardness and pain. Patsy, despite appearances, isn’t exactly “the girl next door.” Couloumbis spent a lot of time giving her nuance and personality. And Couloumbis’s writing was fresh and witty. My ONLY real problem was the whole calling at midnight plot felt slightly stalkerish. Okay, more than slightly. Despite that, I enjoyed this easy read quite a lot. This Cyrano retelling was fun.

Favorite bit:

I couldn’t seem to recover from one blow before another followed. No one tells you how things really are. Everything coming in waves, one rolling in after the other, and in case you’re thinking that doesn’t sound so bad, keep this in mind: that’s how huge rocks, boulders, become sand on the beach.

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February 8, 2013

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

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Anna and the French Kiss
By Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Publication date: 12/2/2010
Pages: 384
Acquired from the library

Y’all, Anna and the French Kiss is about as charming a book as they come and I fell head over heels for it. I couldn’t help it! It was out of my control! Completely!

Lemme ‘splain.

Anna’s father is a Nicholas Sparks wanna be and thinks his daughter (as daughter of such an author should, obvs) needs more CULTURE. As such, he has decided she needs to go to boarding school. In Paris. For senior year. Away from her best friend, her awesome job, and her crush-who-may-be-something-more-and-possibly-soon. Also, she doesn’t know French. So yeah, very UGH for Anna.

Anna is less than thrilled, but as is the case in such situations, she can’t do anything about it. She’s off to gay Pah-ree! Whether she wants to or not.

Once there, Anna meets Meredith, Josh, and Rashmi, and *dreamy sign* Etienne St. Clair, possessor of great hair, adorable Britishy-Frenchy accent, and…a girlfriend. Anna’s life is full of stereotypical teenager/high school type angst, but somehow, it didn’t annoy me like it usually does. The witty banter, the delights of France (Which are on full display! I wanted an éclair or a crepe every time I put the book down.), the lovely language, and the characters more than make up for the predictablicality. (Yes, I just made that word up, isn’t it great?) (I’m thinking this is an ellipses kind of day) ( which are the best kinds of days) (okay, I think I’m done). I couldn’t help but adore all the characters, especially Anna and St. Clair. Anna is so smart and sassy, my favorite kind of girl character, and St. Clair so witty and sweet. Meredith, Josh, and Rashmi could have been a little more fleshed out, but even as periphery characters, they were fun.

Anna and the French Kiss is a wonderful, feel good book, that you put down with a smile on your face. Great fun and a great diversion. I admit it, I hugged this one when I finished. Incidentally, I think this would be a great beach read.

Favorite bits:

“I wish friends held hands more often, like the children I see on the streets sometimes. I’m not sure why we have to grow up and get embarrassed about it.”

“I love you as certain dark things are loved, secretly, between the shadow and the soul.”

“Boys turns girls into such idiots.”

“I mean, really. Who sends their kid to boarding school? It’s so Hogwarts. Only mine doesn’t have cute boy wizards or magic candy or flying lessons.”

“Girl scouts didn’t teach me what to do with emotionally unstable drunk boys.”

I moan with pleasure.
“Did you just have a foodgasm?” he asks, wiping ricotta from his lips.
“Where have you been all my life?” I ask the beautiful panini.

The only French word I know is oui, which means “yes,” and only recently did I learn it’s spelled o-u-i and not w-e-e.

They talked about it too: Write Meg!, Bart’s Bookshelf, Steph Su Reads, Proud Book Nerd, Galleysmith, and many, many more.

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January 22, 2013

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The more I try to think about what I want to say about this novel, the more one thought becomes crystal clear. Everyone in this book is completely crazy.

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I mean, every one. Except maybe Morrel. That’s. It.

I read this when I went through my I-love-France-and-French-literature-and-Imma-gonna-read-it-all phase in my teens. I’m completely certain at this point that I read some sort of extremely abridged version, because all I remember is that I loved it and I read it extremely fast. This time, it took me over 2 months. And it was painful. I mean, really;

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It got to the point where I was just, ugh.

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Get to the revenge business already. Thank God, Dumas got some of that hot air out and got down to it. Were there editors in France at this time? Because there should have been.

Alas, another favorite is no longer a favorite. I didn’t hate it. I just wish it had been about 600 or 700 pages shorter. It would have been such a better book with quite a lot cut out. *sigh* At least I still have my beloved Three Musketeers. It hasn’t been that long since I reread it, so I know I still love it. Now, I’m curious about Victor Hugo. Will I love him as much as I did back then, if I reread some of his work? I’m almost afraid to try….

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November 29, 2012

Enclave by Ann Aguirre, read by Emily Bauer

Title: Enclave: Razorland #1
Author: Ann Aguirre
Read by: Emily Bauer
Published: April 2011
ISBN: 9781427211200
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Acquired from the publisher

Introduction:

This dystopian novel has a lot going for it. And little bit NOT.

Plot:

It is I Have No Idea How Many Years into the future. Humanity has taken to living underground, it was appears to be the subway system of New York City. Humans don’t live long. The age of twenty-one is considered old age. Deuce, our heroine, was born underground. She has never seen the sun, by all appearances has never even heard of it. Deuce is a Huntress. She takes to the tunnels to hunt meat and protect the enclave from what they call “Freaks”. Freaks are, best I can tell, something of a cross between zombies and feral humans. Her hunting partner, Fade, was not born in the enclave. He was found, young and alone, in the tunnels, and the enclave took him in. Deuce is a loyal member of the enclave. Fade, maybe not so much, but, since he’s her partner, she is also loyal to him. Yet, when Fade, and circumstance, make Deuce stand up and take notice, she realizes things are maybe not what she thought.

When Deuce and Fade are exiled from the Enclave, and forced to go “topside”, Deuce learns, well, a lot. More than she ever dreamed possible.

Characters:

Deuce is excellent. She’s strong. She’s smart. She relies on herself and with good reason. She can kick ass! She’s a little naive (what female character in YA isn’t any more?) and a little too trusting. She is ignorant, but only because everyone in the Enclave (except for perhaps the Word guy) is ignorant.

Fade was weak, especially compared to Deuce. The basics (and this really doesn’t give anything away!) is that he’s two years older than Deuce. He was born above ground (where the people of the enclave believe you’ll burn up if you were to walk up there) and he knew his father. He’s a wicked good fighter, he has a tendency to go feral when fighting, and he’s quiet. He’s fiercely loyal to the few (like, one, maybe two) friends he has.

Strengths:

  • Liked the main girl, Deuce, very much. She was very appealing in a Katniss/Katsa kind of way.
  • The world building, while sometimes a little far fetched (I have a hard time believing that the same world that is so far gone that paved roads are little more than rubble also has canned food that is edible), is also (besides that) rather well done. For instance, I liked that Aguirre made sure to make Deuce very sensitive to the sun and she doesn’t just let that go. Deuce has to worry about the sun constantly and I think that’s very true to how a girl who has only lived underground would be.
  • The story was good, if not as strong as I’d like. I kind of wonder if this isn’t a symptom of an adult writer writing a YA?
  • Strong, fast pace, which is good for the genre
  • The girl knows how to fight!

Weaknesses:

  • Could improve on character development. I felt Fade was weak; well, really every character was weak besides Deuce.
  • The plot could have been better developed. It is compelling, but I was left wanting more meat in the story (no pun intended), it’s a case of show me, don’t tell me.
  • The “love triangle” was weird. I haven’t mention the other guy. There is ALWAYS another guy. I don’t even remember his name, only that I didn’t like him. I mean, I REALLY didn’t like him. See next bullet.
  • Didn’t like the serial-rapist-and-rape-accomplice-suddenly-turned-good character (THIS is the other guy. I know. Gross.). You don’t just flip a switch on a personality like that. He makes creepy Edward Cullen look like a saint.
  • The world building is a little weird. It feels like the event-that-is-not-defined happened a very long time ago, long enough for streets to be rubble from rain and erosion, yet they can still eat food from cans? That food should be beyond rancid if it’s been that long ago. Not that we would know.
  • Didn’t care for the reader that much. She sounded way too young.

Conclusion: 

While it had some problems, Enclave was a decent dystopian novel. I am intrigued enough to read the next in the series. I think Deuce is a terrific character and I’m anxious to see if some of the problems I had with Enclave are resolved in Outpost.

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