The Book Keeper

I Was Told There'd Be Cake

2011-07-12T22:55:00.003-05:00

Author: Sloane Crosley
Publication Date: 2008
Genre: Essays

"As most New Yorkers have done, I have given serious and generous thought to the state of my apartment should I get killed during the day."

This book came highly recommended from both People magazine (whose movie recommendations I loathe but book recommendations I love) as well as the helpful sales associate at Barnes & Noble. The blurbs written about the book sounded right up my alley, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.
After completing the book, I'm not honestly sure how I feel about it. I didn't dislike it, but I can't say that I wholeheartedly liked it, either. I just sort of went through the motions of reading it without taking anything away from it--if that makes any sort of sense?
I'm now reading the second of Crosley's books of essays, so we will see how I feel after finishing that endeavor, but, for now, I remain unsure.

"I picked up the phone and ordered in sushi."

If You Were Here

2011-07-12T22:50:00.002-05:00

Author: Jen Lancaster
Publication Date: 2011
Genre: Novel

"'No.'"

If you've read this blog many times before, it's very possible that you've heard me mention Jen Lancaster or my undying love for her five hilarious memoirs. Lancaster is one of my most favorite authors, and her books are set in one of my most favorite cities [Chicago], so it seems like a win-win, yes?
That's what I thought (and hoped for) when I heard she was writing a novel. And when I further heard that said novel was heavy on the John Hughes/Brat Pack references/themes, I couldn't have been happier.
You can imagine my sadness, then, when the aforementioned novel turned out to be (dare I say it?) subpar. I found the central characters shallow and utterly unlikeable. Because I didn't like the characters, I didn't care what happened to them and, therefore, wasn't really into the story.
I had such, such high hopes for this book, but, aside from a few sporadic chuckles throughout, I was pretty much disappointed. Ouch. It kind of hurts to say that, if you want to know the truth--like telling your best friend there's a questionable stain on the back of her favorite pair of summer whites. It had to be done, though, I suppose.

"I'm calling it Sixteen Zombies."

All We Ever Wanted Was Everything

2011-06-30T22:18:00.001-05:00

Author: Janelle Brown
Publication Date: 2008
Genre: Novel

"June in Santa Rita is perfect, just perfect."

I must be honest from the start. I was initially drawn to this book because of it's cover design, which features a melting (although still delicious-looking) ice cream sundae. I was intrigued by this image, and I am glad to be able to say that I was not disappointed with the content.
This novel tells the story of a mother and her two daughters, each of whom is dealing with a host of her own issues as well as dealing with the fallout of the family's intertwined issues. Adultery, drug addiction, teen pregnancy, financial ruin, religion, and social norms all influence this story, and it's very relevant for today's society.
I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and seeing how they came together to begin to deal with the many issues present in their lives, and, quite honestly, I was addicted to the juiciness of this story. (Was that ice cream sundae on the cover symbolic of the guilty pleasure this book would quickly become? I think yes...)
This is a great summer read, so if you're looking for something to read at the beach or the pool, give this one a try. It's a steamy summer read with some substance, too, and what could be better than that?

"She closes her eyes and lets the sweet, warm chocolate sauce dissolve over her tongue, and listens to the orchestra of lawn mowers in the distance."

My Fair Lazy: One Reality Television Addict's Attempt to Discover if Not Being a Dumb Ass is the New Black, or a Culture-Up Manifesto

2011-06-13T15:25:00.001-05:00

Author: Jen Lancaster

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Memoir

"'You are not watching that crap.'"

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again: I love Jen Lancaster. Having now finished all of her memoirs (and moving on very soon to her debut novel, of course), I truly feel like I know her as one of my own friends. I find myself referencing her in conversations and comparing things that happen to things she's described in one of her tales. I do this with Friends, too, so maybe I need to get a life? Or perhaps just some real-life, flesh-and-blood friends of my own?

I respect very much what Lancaster was trying to do in this book, for I feel very often that reality television (and all of the junk that comes along with it) has perhaps turned my brain to mush, and I don't even watch that much... really! I can't remember the plot to 1984, but I can sure remember ever twist and turn on last week's episode of The Bachelor, that's for sure. And I love most of all that, as usual, Lancaster challenged herself without ever losing her trademark wit and perspective and, let's be honest, snark.

Jan Lancaster... here, here!

"Never saw that coming."

Commencement

2011-06-13T15:16:00.000-05:00

Author: J. Courtney Sullivan

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Novel

"Celia woke with a gasp."

This book, like so many others, has been sitting on my shelf for a year or so now. I have realized that I am terrible about buying a book that I believe will be really good and then saving it for another day. It's like I don't want to read it right away because then it will be over and I'll have nothing to look forward to. Or something.

Anyway, this book is one of those. I must admit, I loved the Tiffany-blue cover, and I'm a sucker for a one-word title, but this book intrigued me on more levels than just aesthetics. I was drawn in by the idea of a story about friendship, as I can't ever seem to get enough of these.

This book, while dealing with some rather progressive subject matters at times, is really something special. When describing it to others, I compared it to Kathryn Stockett's The Help, in that Sullivan creates characters so rich and alive that you can almost hear their voices, just as Stockett does. Her characters are people I want to know or, even better, people I feel like I already know.

Sullivan has a new book due out this month, so I'm glad I've read this one now, as I'll be picking up her latest, Maine, as soon as I can. If you've ever been a friend or had a friend or needed a friend (and who hasn't) then this book will have something to offer you.

"'It's me.'"

My Boyfriend Wrote a Book About Me

2011-06-05T09:51:00.001-05:00

Author: Hilary Winston

Publication Date: 2011

Genre: Autobiography

"A little background before we go any further together, I am a lady."

As you might imagine, the very title of this book grabbed my attention, and I just had to bring it home with me. I knew that such a plainly stated title was going to lead to somewhere funny, and I was not wrong.

This book, while not being the funniest thing I've ever read, certainly had me chuckling out loud on more than one occasion. Winston's stories are cringe-worthy in many cases and just plain funny in others. Her heart, however, shows through as well and makes this book utterly likeable.

Although Jen Lancaster has a solid hold on the Queen of the Memoir throne in my opinion, I'm willing to investigate other options. Every queen needs ladies in waiting, yes?

"And even though my house smells like cat pee, my friends say I'm a catch."

Admission

2011-06-04T23:42:00.001-05:00

Author: Jean Hanff Korelitz

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Novel

"The flight from Newark to Hartford took no more than fifty-eight minutes, but she still managed to get her heart broken three times."

This book has been on my shelf for a year or two now, and it's been one I've been saving because I knew it would be good. I don't know just what I was saving it for, but I was saving it nonetheless. A few weeks ago, though, I decided I had saved it long enough, and I started to read it. Just a few days later, I had finished it.

It was so, so good.

I have a secret fascination with the world of college admissions, and I have a huge fascination with the world of the Ivy League, and this book centered around those very subjects. I devoured it, and I stood in awe of Korelitz' writing. The prose she wove was gorgeous, and I truly could not put the book down.

This book is something special, and, if you can't tell already, I give it a huge recommendation.

"He said: 'I'm on my way.'"

It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure

2011-06-04T23:33:00.001-05:00

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Memoir

"I just hope there's a sequel."

I've written about six-word memoirs before, and this book is just as wonderful as the one I've previously written. Can you sum up your life in six words? I've tried before but can never quite seem to make it sound as eloquent or meaningful as I hope for. These books, however, inspire me and provoke so many thoughts in me, as well.

I always look forward to reading the next book to come from these editors, and this time is no different. It's no secret that I love memoirs of all shapes and sizes, but the six-word kind might just be my very favorite.

"Am hoping there is an epilogue."

One Day

2011-06-04T23:19:00.001-05:00

Author: David Nicholls
Publication Date: 2009
Genre: Novel

"'I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference' she said."

Super-huge thanks to my friend Summer for bringing this book into my life.
If you haven't read it already, run out and pick it up immediately. Like now. Why? A) It's that good. B) The movie is being released soon and I promise you you'll want to have read it first.
All I'll tell you about this book is that it checks in on two friends one day a year for twenty years. Every July 15, we see what is going on in their lives, and some years things are great. Some years, however, things are not so great.
Don't you want to run out and get it right now?
It's just as good as it sounds. I promise.
And that's all I'm going to say.

"'Goodbye. Goodbye.'"

A Man Named Dave

2011-06-04T23:09:00.000-05:00

Author: Dave Pelzer

Publication Date: 2000

Genre: Autobiography

I must be honest. I was beyond glad to have finally finished the Dave Pelzer trilogy. These books, aside from being wholly depressing, are simply the same story being told over and over again. I devoured the first book, but after that I grew tired of the repetition.

I totally understand that Pelzer's life experiences have been horrifying and he's been examining them from different perspectives in each book, but, by the end of the third book, I just couldn't take any more. I had grown weary and depressed from his seemingly unending cycle, and I felt fortunate to have reached the end.

I will say, however, that I learned a lot from his books and gained a greater appreciation for the struggles of an abused child. There is not another book written like this one, in my opinion.

The Women's Room

2011-04-30T17:44:00.000-05:00

Author: Marilyn French

Publication Date: 1977

Genre: Feminist fiction

"Mira was hiding in the ladies' room."

I feel kind of torn writing about this book. At almost 500 pages, I'm honestly worn out by the sheer volume of it, and the subject matter was relatively heavy, too. Set in tumult of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, this book looks at the realization of the American Dream, the changing roles of women and minorities, the ideas of free love and liberalism and learning for the sake of learning.

On the one hand, I found this book to be incessantly repetitive, far too long and too liberal for my particular taste. On the other hand, however, I found it historically relevant, touching and interesting and spot-on in some cases. As I said, I was torn.

Although many of the references and ideas in this book are, to me, now out of date or out of style, I still think it is a book that matters in society, especially for women. While I don't think I'll allow it to shape and transform my life, I will certainly think about many of its ideas long after I return it to the library.

"But only the tide rolls in."

The Catcher in the Rye

2011-04-11T09:42:00.001-05:00

Author: J. D. Salinger

Publication Date: 1951

Genre: Novel

"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth."

Although I'm beyond glad to finally be able to say I've read this legendary book, and I'm now familiar with the equally loved and hated Holden Caufield, I'm not sure how I feel after finishing this book. I must admit, it was nothing like I had imagined, and, honestly, it was pretty depressing. I find myself wondering just why this book is such a pillar of American literature, and I am honestly somewhat shocked that high school English classes study it.

I do understand, though, and somewhat like that Holden is expressing what I suppose we all feel as teenagers. We never feel like we quite fit in; we never feel like we're comfortable; we never feel like we matter to anyone; we never feel like we make any sort of difference in the world. Not every minute of every day, mind you, but I think we all experience at least fleeting moments of that uneasiness, and I think that's a big reason why teenagers do things like smoke, drink, use drugs, or even have meaningless sex--for they are willing to try anything they can to feel something and to make themselves believe they belong.

I will have to ruminate over this one for a while longer before I know exactly what I think about it, but, for now, I'm glad I've read it, and it's definitely food for thought.

"If you do, you start missing everybody."

It's All Relative: Two Families, Three Dogs, 34 Holidays, and 50 Boxes of Wine

2011-04-11T09:28:00.000-05:00

Author: Wade Rouse
Publication Date: 2011
Genre: Memoir

"When I was very young, Santa Claus used to make an appearance at my house every few years."

I should have known with a recommendation from Jen Lancaster that this book would be an absolute scream... and it certainly was laugh-out-loud funny. As in, laugh-out-loud at the gym funny, laugh-out-loud at the coffee shop funny, and even laugh-out-loud-skimming-through-it-in-the-bookstore-before-you've-even-bought-it funny. Did I mention it was funny?
Wade Rouse speaks with a lot of the dry wit I love, similar to that of Burroughs or Sedaris, but he also has a rather sweet, somewhat sentimental side that makes this book more than just a good laugh. Some of the episodes he describes can be related to by everyone who's ever attended a family holiday gathering, and some are uniquely his.
I look forward to reading more of Rouse's work, for I think I've discovered an author who I will only grow to like and enjoy more and more.

"I guess it with only a few letters in place."

It's Not Me, It's You: Subjective Recollections from a Terminally Optimistic, Chronically Sarcastic, and Occasionally Inebriated Woman

2011-03-28T06:58:00.001-05:00

Author: Stefanie Wilder-Taylor

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Memoir

"I'll admit it."

I had really high hopes about it because I read about it on Jen Lancaster's (one of my favorite favorite authors) blog, and she highly recommended it. I just knew it was going to be laugh-out-loud funny and make me once again proclaim my love of hilarious memoirs and my high hopes of writing my own someday. Sadly, though, I didn't love it; it was actually just sort of ho-hum, for me, I must say.

I didn't hate Wilder-Taylor's stories or her style of writing, but I just wasn't move to laugh out loud, or even chuckle, once during this entire book. Honestly, I didn't find her particularly likeable, whereas with Jen Lancaster I'd like to have drinks and laugh for hours. I'm sad, for I wanted to like this one so much, but it just didn't happen for me this time.

"And just like the Pirate Ship, Jon stood right there by my side, knowing there was nowhere to go and intent on videotaping every moment until we made it to shore."

The Holy Thief

2011-03-28T06:43:00.002-05:00

Author: Ellis Peters

Publication Date: 1992

Genre: Historical crime

"In the height of a hot summer, in late August of 1144, Geoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Essex, deferred to the heat of the sun, and made the final, fatal mistake of his long and opportunist career."

As I think I've mentioned before, I read off a number of different reading lists, one of them being the past books read my aunt's book club. This book was one of their earliest selections, and, I must say, a book I struggled to make it through. In fact, it took me almost a month to muddle through this one, and it is only a 246 page book!

I think perhaps my biggest complaint with this book is the disconnect I felt with the setting and the characters. Set during medieval times, this book is incredibly hard to relate to, and the character's speech as well as the events that take place made little to no sense to me. Perhaps that's a good indication that I should shy away from such books in the future? Maybe, but I feel rather certain I won't be reading anymore about Brother Cadfael, sooner or later.

"'Now, perhaps, he has found all three.'"

Sing You Home

2011-03-21T13:57:00.002-05:00

Author: Jodi Picoult

Publication Date: 2011

Genre: Novel

"One sunny, crisp Saturday in September when I was seven years old, I watched my father drop dead."

I've said it before and I know I'll say it again, but Jodi Picoult blows me away time and time again with her unbelievable webs of stories that she weaves. No matter what the issue, who the characters, where the setting, or anything else, she can always weave a wonderful tale. I may not agree with the issues or the stances, but I can never deny the strength of her craft. The woman is a powerhouse.

Picoult's latest books that tackles the hot topic issues of fertility treatments, religious doctrine, and, most importantly, gay rights is, as with most of her books, not for everyone. Because she tackles such important issues, people have very strong feelings about those issues. I read her works as pieces of fiction and believe my values are intact enough to avoid persuasion from one side or the other; I'm not looking for facts or convincing, and I am able to be transported through her wonderful stories. I know she's dealing with controversial issues, but that's how I approach each of her stories--as just that, stories. Read on here to see my very favorite aspect of this latest book.

Each time I read one of Picoult's books, I continue to marvel at how she draws the reader into the emotions, thoughts, and feelings of the characters and how she presents a 360-degree view of the situation. Her books continue to prove, over and over, that perspective truly does change everything.

This was not my favorite of her books and, at times I did feel that the writing was a little rushed. It seemed to me that the sequences of time got a little out-of-whack and inconsistent at times, and it kind of felt like she was almost rushing to meet a deadline or something. Also, I wished the ending had been a little more drawn out, for, all of sudden, the story just ended with a two-page summation. I was hoping for a little more of an epilogue, or a 'where are they now?', I suppose. Although it wasn't my favorite, I cannot deny her strength of craft, like I said above.

"That, really, she is the luckiest girl in the world."

Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-centered Smart-ass, or Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office

2011-03-21T13:43:00.001-05:00

Author: Jen Lancaster

Publication Date: 2006
Genre: Memoir

"Camille said you stole a bag from a homeless guy."

Could I love Jen Lancaster any more? I know I've said this before, but I wish we could be best friends and go to Target together all the time. I know she would keep me in stitches, and I'm positive I would lose weight because I would never stop laughing. (Who am I kidding? If we were besties we'd eat our way through the city of Chicago and back again.) Seriously, though, I think this woman could make having a lobotomy hysterical.
Although this was her first memoir, I came at it backward, for I had already read three of her other books. Therefore, I already knew how much I loved her style and razor-sharp wit. This one was, of course, no disappointment.

One of my favorite things about Lancaster's writing is that she has something to say while still being fun and funny and light. I fly through her books and love the wild rides she takes me on, but I feel like I've kind of learned a little something at the end, too. At the end of a tiring day, she's the perfect blend of humor and fun and spot-on zingers to make me laugh the day's low points away.

"Our future."

Lowcountry Summer

2011-03-21T13:30:00.002-05:00

Author: Dorothea Benton Frank

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Novel

"It is a generally accepted fact that at some point during your birthday, you will reassess your life."

It's rather unusual for me to out-and-out despise characters in books. I usually love them, or find them fascinating, or deliciously vile, or want to go out and have a drink with them. Hating them? That's something totally new for me. However, I could not stand the narrator and protagonist of this story, Caroline, and, for me, that ruined the entire novel.

I don't think, in all the books I've read, I have ever encountered such an obnoxious, self-centered, ridiculous narrator/character. Flitting about from "tragedy" to "tragedy" (all such an inconvenience to her, of course) (while actual tragedies were treated with flippancy and silliness), she rang completely false and really just made me angry. She was like a dimwitted charicature of a southern lady, and it made me mad at Frank for having written such a wholly selfish and unlikeable character. Unfortunately, this was the first of Frank's novels I had read, and, despite hearing how wonderful some of her other books are, I can assure you I won't be giving her another chance. Harsh? Maybe, but I just know that this utterly despicable character featured in Lowcountry Summer has tainted my opinion of Frank for, well, probably forever. Call me immature, but I just can't move past it.

I wanted to like this one so much (I mean, come on... the jacket design screams "How could you not like me?"), but, instead, I couldn't find anything to like at all.

"I went into the chapel, smiling, with a full heart and without a worry in the world."

The Client

2011-03-21T13:15:00.001-05:00

Author: John Grisham

Publication Date: 1993

Genre: Legal Thriller Novel

"Mark was eleven and had been smoking off and on for two years, never trying to quit but being careful not to get hooked."

Although I knew a good bit about this story before reading it--having seen snatches of the movie for years--I was still totally engrossed in the action within just a few pages. It helped that I had very vivid pictures of the actors in my mind to use from the start, but it wasn't that. This story is just good.

I immediately fell in love and irritation with Mark Sway, and I wanted to hug him and strangle him in the same instant. That's not really unusual with eleven year old boys, though, which is part of what made his character so authentic.

I also loved being able to perfectly picture the action unfolding on the streets of Memphis and New Orleans.

Grisham, as always, wove a wonderful web of intrigue and legal mystery, and I enjoyed having read this novel.

"'Don't thank me,' she said. 'Thank Mark.'"

Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man

2011-02-04T10:17:00.001-06:00

Author: Bill Clegg

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Memoir

"I can't leave and there isn't enough."

I saw Clegg on the today show this past summer talking about this book, and I was entranced by the story he told and the struggles he had overcome. A hard-core crack addict, Clegg details his road to rock bottom in this memoir. I was fascinated by this horrifying account of life as an addict, and I am very glad I read this book.

I do, however, have one question after reading it. Much as I questioned sequences in James Frey's A Million Little Pieces, I can't help but wonder how an addict could have such a clear memory? I don't have any idea what it would be like to be strung out on crack, but I just wonder how he can remember events and happenings so clearly when he had done thousands of dollars worth of drugs in a small period of time. As I said, I have no idea what that would be like, but I just couldn't help but wonder.

I very much admire Clegg for writing this book of his story and for getting help to get his life back on track. I think fighting your way out of drug addiction must be one of the hardest things in this world to overcome, so I very much commend him for getting clean and getting his life back.

"Before, despite, and because of all the things he senses await him, he leans, then leaps, into the wind, away."

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk

2011-02-04T10:09:00.001-06:00

Author: David Sedaris

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Essay Collection, Fiction

"The cat had a party to attend, and went to the baboon to get herself groomed."

This is David Sedaris like I've never read him before. I am a huge Sedaris fan, falling in love with such works as Me Talk Pretty One Day and Holidays on Ice a couple of years ago. This book, however, is not really like those. It's funny at times, but, at times, it's just strange and awkward. I can't begin to guess what Sedaris was trying to accomplish by writing this somewhat fable-like book of animal stories, but, for me, it missed its mark.

As I mentioned above, there were moments of humor. When Sedaris is funny, he is laugh-out-loud funny, and that was what I was hoping for when I read this book. The spots of humor are there, but I very much wish there had been far more of them.

"Even discounting the singing leeches, it really was stunning: this trio of newfound friends, so far-fetched we simply had to be true."

The Pelican Brief

2011-02-04T09:58:00.001-06:00

Author: John Grisham

Publication Date: 1992

Genre: Legal Thriller Novel

"He seemed incapable of creating such chaos, but much of what he saw below could be blamed on him."

I know some people think John Grisham just cranks out book after book of the same story, but I don't think that at all. He's not my absolute favorite author in the entire world, but I do enjoy reading his books. This story definitely had me engrossed right from the beginning, and, within twenty-four hours, I had it finished.

I really admire the complicated stories that Grisham weaves. It's not easy to keep them all straight while you're reading them, so I can't imagine how difficult it must be to keep them straight while you're writing them. Although they are complicated, he still finds a way to make them rather easy to understand when it all comes together. Once you have all the pieces of the puzzle, everything clicks into focus and makes perfect sense.

This is one of my favorite Grisham books I have read, and I look forward to seeing the movie now, as I have heard it is also one of the best movies made of his books, as well.

"Perfect."

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise

2011-02-04T09:49:00.002-06:00

Author: Julia Stuart

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Novel

"Standing on the battlements in his pajamas, Balthazar Jones looked out across the Thames where Henry III's polar bear had once fished for salmon while tied to a rope."

I was fascinated by this book when I stumbled across it in a bookstore a few months ago. The cover was somewhat interesting, the story seemed like it might be funny, and, let's be honest, I was taken with the name Balthazar Jones. Add in the fact that I'm currently eaten up with getting to London, and I was sold.

This story had some very zany moments, and those were my favorite parts of the book. I loved the oddities and the strange happenings of life at the Tower of London, and it seemed rather clear to me that Stuart must have a rather unique and off-beat sense of humor. Some of it I really chuckled at, while some of it, I must admit, I'm afraid went over my head.

It's hard for me to say whether, overall, I really enjoyed this book or if I was just curious to see where the story was going to go. It was sort of a strange mix between history and zookeeping and modern-day issues. Sometimes it came together, and sometimes, as I said above, I wasn't sure I knew what was happening.

"And such was their contentment, neither of them heard the creaks as Mrs. Cook returned from her travels, an odious black feather still caught in her ancient mouth."

Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There

2011-02-04T09:40:00.001-06:00

Author: Lewis Carroll

Publication Date: 1871

Genre: Children's Fiction

"One thing was certain, that the white kitten had had nothing to do with it--it was the black kitten's fault entirely."

If you've read this blog much before, you've probably heard me go on and on about how much I love all things Alice. I can't explain it, but that nonsense just makes me laugh and brings my imagination to life. When I read any of Alice's tales (really any Lewis Carroll, actually), I just feel like a carefree child, and I love it.

I marvel at the fact that these stories were close to 150 years ago. Think about it... 150 years!! That is some serious staying-power, if you ask me. I love to get lost in Carroll's worlds of nonsense and anything's possible ideas.

Can you imagine how much fun (and how very colorful) it would have been inside one of Carroll's stories? Today we're spoiled by movies and pictures to bring his ideas to life, but I love to think of what these stories must have been like when they were first written. Children and adults alike must have been blown away, and I can't imagine how much fun they would have had reading and talking about this together.

"Which do you think it was?"

The Good Daughters

2011-02-04T09:29:00.001-06:00

Author: Joyce Maynard

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Novel

"It begins with a humid wind, blowing across the fields from the northeast, and strangely warm for this time of year."

I read Maynard's Labor Day last year and loved it, so I was very excited to read her latest novel. She certainly did not disappoint. This story intertwines the lives of two seemingly polar opposite girls throughout their growing up and becoming adults. Although I thought I had figured out where the story was going rather early in reading the novel, I still very much enjoyed the development along the way. Maynard speaks very well as two different people, and I enjoyed very much the style in which this book was written, flipping back and forth between perspectives and stories.

While this book has many moments of sadness and even despair, it is also a story of hope and the idea that life can turn in a positive direction even in the twilight years.

"Sturdier stock perhaps, or simply luckier, if you can call us that."

Bliss, Remembered

2011-01-17T11:30:00.001-06:00

Author: Frank Deford

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Novel

"The summer after my mother found out that she was dying of cancer, she asked me to come visit and watch the Olympic swimming on television with her."

Some of you may know, I recently [Vancouver 2010] became enthralled with the Olympics. Therefore, when I saw the Today show where Matt Lauer interviewed Frank Deford about his new novel set against the backdrop of the 1936 Olympics (the "Nazi Games"), I knew it was a must-read. The Olympics and a love story, too? Add that to my cart, without a doubt.

It was just as magical and wonderful as I imagined it to be, with a twist at the end I NEVER saw coming. Seriously, it came absolutely out of nowhere, and I was shocked. Honestly, it's been awhile since I've read a book this good. Sports, history, love--it was all there. I wasn't at all familiar with Deford before reading this book, but I would certainly be interested in learning more about him after this reading experience.

"Or ever after, for that matter."

Twenties Girl

2011-01-17T11:22:00.001-06:00

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Comedy, Chick Lit

"The thing about lying to your parents is, you have to do it to protect them."

I am not a huge chick lit reader, but every once in a while, it's just what I need.

Sophie Kinsella can always be counted on for a good time. I imagine her as someone I'd love to have drinks with because she'd always have a great story and be full of laughs. Her heriones are always fun and funny, full of spunk and heart. Like Sophie, they are people I imagine having many laughs over rounds of drinks.

This book is no different. It's laugh-out-loud funny at times and full of hilarious Briticisms that I absolutely adore. The chemistry between Lara and Sadie is real and genuine, and I just couldn't love that Ed anymore if he was a real man.

Also, in my imagination, the glorious twenties clothing that Sadie wears is enough to make you want to go out and learn the Charleston for yourself. It sounds fun and flirty and just plain glamourous, and who doesn't want that?

"I hope she did."

The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family

2011-01-03T21:48:00.001-06:00

Author: Dave Pelzer

Publication Date: 1997

Genre: Memoir

The sequel to A Child Called "It," this book picked up right where the first left off and followed young Dave Pelzer through his struggles with foster care throughout his adolescence. While this book was not filled with the horrible images that its first installment was full of, I felt it also lost some of the raw heart that made the first book so very moving. I know Dave was older and the experiences different during the time of this book, but I simply felt less invested in the story than I did when reading the first one.

I do think, however, that this book, along with Pelzer's other works, I'm sure, should be a must-read for anyone entering a profession with children and most definitely troubled children. As a school counselor, I know I will come into contact with children living similar stories to Dave, and these books provide an amazing perspective from which to approach these troubled children.

2010's Top 10

2010-12-31T15:52:00.001-06:00

Of the 45 books I've read over the past 12 months, there were quite a few that had real staying power. Some were read by everybody and their proverbial brother, some seemed to have been at the public library collecting dust for ages. None of that really mattered to me, though, because, for some reason, these ten really came alive for me, and I so look forward to what the great reads I know I'll discover in 2011.

10. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
9. The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds
8. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
7. The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees
6. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
5. Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster
4. Garlic & Sapphires by Ruth Reichl
3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I, Claudius

2010-12-30T22:58:00.001-06:00

Author: Robert Graves

Publication Date: 1934

Genre: Historical Novel

I must admit, this was not a book I was particularly excited to read. Historical fiction about ancient Rome. Can you blame me?

I must say, however, that, while this book is certainly one I doubt I will ever pick up again, I consider completing it a great achievement, and I am glad I can say I have read it. It was not as horrible as you might imagine, and it was even (dare I say it?) at times interesting and (brace yourselves) funny. It had an undertone of dry wit that I very much identified with, and I think if the names hadn't been such a neverending plight to undertake, I would have actually really enjoyed parts of the story.

I really loved the male-female relationships in the story and would have enjoyed knowing much more about those and a little less about the military intricacies of every emperor and general.

As I said, I consider finishing this novel an accomplishment in itself, but I won't pretend to have picked up on every detail of the story...

The Rapture of Canaan

2010-12-08T22:04:00.001-06:00

Author: Sheri Reynolds

Publication Date: 1995

Genre: Novel

This was a novel that kind of came out of nowhere and was quite the interesting, unique story. It dealt with sort of an Omish, Menonite-esque culture, and the exploration of religion, rebellion, sexuality, growing up, and developing thoughts was really kind of fascinating to read.

Sheri Reynolds wove a story that really entranced me, and I really could not put this book down. It was a quick but meaningful read, and I am glad I gave it a chance. I enjoyed the style with which Reynolds told her story, and I thought the relationships between her characters were really realistic and meaningful. I loved Ninah's evolution of thought and free will, and I thought the ending was really something special, although I never really saw it coming.

I had never heard of this author nor this book before I picked it out to read, but I was thoroughly impressed and would be more than willing to give another of Reynolds' works a chance.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

2010-12-06T09:28:00.001-06:00

Author: Fannie Flagg

Publication Date: 1987

Genre: Novel

Of course I've seen this movie. Of course I loved it. Of course I knew I would enjoy the story and feel like I was catching up with old friends. All of that is true, but I found a lot more in this book, too.

After reading this book, I feel like I know the characters so much better, and I know far more about the supporting characters like Sipsey, Big George, the Threadgoode brothers, and Ninny herself. The book allows Stump to grow up some, and it focuses on more than just Idgie and Ruth.

I have to ask, are Idgie and Ruth lesbians? I always thought they might be when watching the movie, but the book really portrays them to be more than friends, I thought. Maybe I'm just reading too much into a friendship, I don't know. Sometimes their bond just seemed to go beyond friendship, though.

I feel the same way about Idgie that I did watching the movie: I would love to be friends with she and Grady Kilgore and the rest of the Dill Pickle Club, and I know I would have had a great time hanging out down by the river. I think living during this time period would have been pretty wonderful, too.

In the Dark Streets Shineth

2010-12-04T10:34:00.002-06:00

Author: David McCullough
Publication Date: 2010
Genre: Short Story
This short book looks at Christmas Eve 1941, just after the invasion of Pearl Harbor and the United States' entrance into World War II. I am really fascinated and enthralled with that period of history, so I knew I wanted to read this one. I am also a big fan of David McCullough, of 1776 and John Adams fame.
I was certainly not disappointed by this one. It is filled with wonderful pictures of that pivotal December, and it tells a story of strength in the past and hope for the future, which I would think would have been exactly what our frightened and angry country would have needed at that time in our history.
I loved the detailed look at the history of two cherished Christmas carols, and I loved how McCullough tied them to the situation at hand. The whole book was a really hopeful and inspiring look at our country during a difficult time in its history.

1984

2010-12-04T10:29:00.001-06:00

Author: George Orwell

Publication Date: 1949

Genre: Dystopian Novel, Political Fiction, Social Science Fiction

I feel like I need to go back and apologize to Mr. Hazard, my ninth grade English teacher, for grumbling, sighing and complaining when he introduced the idea of George Orwell. Granted, we were gearing up to read Animal Farm (which I never actually read... I'll get to it, I promise!), but I decided from the first day of the unit that I loathed George Orwell, and I knew I would for my whole life.

It appears I was wrong. George Orwell isn't all bad. He's certainly not cheery or hopeful or pleasant, but he's not all bad. I enjoy his style of writing, and I am always admiring of someone who can create a world totally and completely new and foreign to us. I think that takes real talent as a storyteller and a writer, and I am always glad to find a good one.

1984, is, as you may know, political and futuristic, and, quite frankly, it's a little scary at times. It's a very thought-provoking piece of literature, though, and one that I believe every student, and certainly every person that holds an degree in English, should have read. I'm glad to now be able to say that I have.
Mr. Hazard, I'm sorry it took me so long.

A Christmas Memory

2010-11-22T21:45:00.001-06:00

Author: Truman Capote

Publication Date: 1967

Genre: Short Stories

I really like the way Truman Capote writes. I think he has excellent style, and his choice of words is spot-on most of the time. He has the true gift of a great writer in my opinion--being able to create a complete world for the reader. The smell, the sights, the tastes, the feelings, the clothes, the temperature, the colors--it's all there when Capote brings it to life.

I didn't even know this book of short stories existed until the other day when I was perusing the holiday table at my local bookstore. I'm so glad I discovered it, though, for it was truly a delight to read. I could perfectly picture little Buddy's world as he struggled through Thanksgiving and spent Christmas with his father in New Orleans. I could smell the whiskey they used to make the fruitcakes; I saw Sook's hat with the crushed flowers; I could see that little airplane that Buddy so desperately yearned for from Santa.

Capote is one of America's most treasured writers, and I am quickly coming to understand why. Few people use their words in such eloquent ways as he does, and I love the worlds he brings to life.

The Road Less Traveled & Beyond: Spiritual Growth in an Age of Anxiety

2010-11-14T09:38:00.001-06:00

Author: M. Scott Peck

Publication Date: 1997

Genre: Non-Fiction

As I've mentioned before, I read books of a variety of lists. This book was off of one of my more interesting lists, and it was certainly an interesting choice. I can't say I particularly liked it, but I can't say I hated it, either. Peck makes some points that make me cringe, but he also makes some points that set me to thinking.

Perhaps I just read this book about ten years too late. Not for my own life, mind you, because I wouldn't have had any business reading this book when I was 15. But in the context of the world, I mean. The world has changed significantly in the thirteen years since this book was written, and, unfortunately, it makes a good bit of the content rather obsolete.

I would be willing to give another of Peck's books a try, particularly one of his works of fiction. I can't say how I'll feel about it, but I would be willing to give it a whirl.

The Best Halloween Ever

2010-10-30T08:22:00.001-05:00

Author: Barbara Robinson

Publication Date: 2004

Genre: Novel

I adore the Herdmans and the havoc they wreak on an entire town. I think they are so funny, and I am so glad Barbara Robinson brought them into my life through The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

While, of course, this book is not the instant classic that her first work became, it is still a wild ride and good for several laughs. I am not too proud to admit that I sometimes really enjoy reading children's books, and this is definitely one that I really enjoyed. In addition to being a fun holiday good time, it is, as one might expect of a children's book, short and a very quick read.

As I said, I love the Herdmans, and I love reading about their hi-jinks, so liking this book didn't come a shock for me. I saw at the bookstore that Barbara Robinson also had one more Herdman adventure--The Best School Year Ever-- and one day I'll try that one out, too.

Can't get enough of those crazy Herdmans!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

2010-10-17T21:43:00.001-05:00

Author: Lewis Carroll

Publication Date: 1865

Genre: Literary Nonsense

Of course I know the story of Alice in Wonderland. I love this story. I love the movies and the poems and everything that comes along with them.

I had never quite gotten around, though, to actually reading Lewis Carroll's original work. Well, not until now, that is.

I love so much reading stories I've heard forever and comparing the actual work to the folk lore that exists surrounding the story. This book was a quick whirwind adventure that felt a bit like falling down a rabbit hole itself. The illustrations were glorious, and the nonsense was a riot. I laughed out loud, and I loved everything I found within the pages of this book.

I look forward to another adventure with Alice very soon.

The Oak Inside the Acorn

2010-10-17T21:36:00.001-05:00

Author: Max Lucado

Publication Date: 2006

Genre: Christian Picture Book

I recently read this book to one of my first grade classrooms, and I absolutely fell in love with it. Granted it is a little lengthy for an especially rambunctuous group, but the class I read it to was totally enraptured and sat in awe from start to finish.

I am a huge Max Lucado fan all the way around, and I love his works for children. I think he does a wonderful job of bringing sometimes very difficult concepts down to a child's level, and I think kids are usually interested in his books and stories.

This book serves as an inspiration to both young and old that we all have inside us whatever God desires for us to be, and it is a wonderful example of God's neverending love and purpose.

Ape House

2010-10-17T21:26:00.001-05:00

Author: Sara Gruen

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Novel

Being a huge fan of Water for Elephants, I knew I had to read Gruen's newest novel. While this novel, for me, was not as whimsical, wonderful, and mysterious as Elephants, I still enjoyed reading it.

I enjoy Gruen's style of writing. She's very real and relatable, and I feel like I'm sitting outside having a cup of coffee with her while I'm reading her prose. I generally don't really enjoy books about animals, but both of the books I've read of hers feature humans interacting regularly with animals, and I have actually begun to appreciate and understand the relationships that exist between them.

There are many scientific aspects of this story that, while I have no idea whether they are true or not, fascinated and interested me and, if nothing else, held my attention. I enjoy books that bring new ideas into my head without making me feel like I've been doing a brain teaser. Gruen always manages to do just that.

A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive

2010-09-11T09:34:00.001-05:00

Author: Dave Pelzer

Publication Date: 1995

Genre: Autobiography

This book was assigned to me by one of my counselors in my internship, and I had absolutely no idea what I would find within its pages. I have, of course, read books, seen television shows and movies, and heard accounts of child abuse. Practically everyone on this planet probably has, and many of us have even known first-hand someone who has been involved in child abuse of some sort. However, I have never read about, heard, or seen anything like Pelzer's story. I was truly stunned when I closed the book.

There is some controversy that surrounds the book, and several of his brothers and other relatives have made statements contradicting some of the events that took place in the book. I am not really interested, however, in whether or not every word of this book is true, for it really doesn't matter. Any kind of child abuse is too much child abuse, and in my line of work and study I know that all too well.

This book again opened my eyes to things that could be taking place down the street or to the kid who sits beside your child in class. Child abuse is real, and it happens often. Quite frankly, this book scared me to death.

Pretty in Plaid: A Life, a Witch, and a Wardrobe, or the Wonder Years Before the Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smart-Ass Phase

2010-09-11T09:24:00.001-05:00

Author: Jen Lancaster

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Memoir

As I have said several times before, I am huge fan of Jen Lancaster's work. She is an absolute scream, and I always know I can find just what I'm looking for in her books--laughter, total escape from my everyday life, and a quick, quick read. Her books are the epitome of chick lit, and that's just fine by me

This book dealt specifically with the many metamorphoses of her clothing throughout her life, and it was just as funny as her other books I've read dealing with dieting and life in the big city. Lancaster has a great way of making her life relatable to seemingly anyone, and I think that's the number one requirement of a writer with mass appeal; you've got to truly appeal to the masses.

I am looking forward to reading Lancaster's other two remaining books I haven't yet read, for I know they will be just as fun and full of cocktails as the ones before them.

Little Bee

2010-08-07T16:26:00.001-05:00

Author: Chris Cleave

Publication Date: 2008

Genre: Novel

Like many others who read this book before me, I'm sure, I was hooked by the intriguing blurb on this book's back cover. Hinting that a great story lies within its covers but refusing to give you too much information, you have no choice but to buy the book and find out for yourself.

Which is exactly what I did.

I really enjoyed this book. It was political without being maddening; it was important without being boring or too complex; it dealt with matters of the heart along with matters of reality and bureaucracy; it was a quick read with a lot of depth; it had the cutest kid known to man (yes, I can know that just from reading about his personality).

This book was nothing like I thought it was going to be because I really had no idea what it was going to be. It looked bright and funny and interesting, and it had a picture of a kid in a batman costume on the inside cover, so I thought I would give it a whirl. I'm glad I did because it is really something special.

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

2010-07-30T17:46:00.002-05:00

Author: Kelly O'Connor McNees

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Novel

Louisa May Alcott is one of my all-time favorite American authors, and she may be my most favorite female author. I love her stories and the characters she creates, and I fell in love with that Theodore Laurence (Laurie) the first time he appeared on the page.

Of course, then, I couldn't pass up a novel presenting the possibility that she had one steamy summer with her own real-life Theodore Laurence, in this book the charming shopworker, Mr. Joseph Singer.

Like Laurie, I fell in love with Joseph Singer the moment I first read his name, and I was just as in love with him at the novel's close. This book was sweet and charming and a wonderful window into the world Louisa May Alcott grew up in, and it was a super quick read, at that.

Although Alcott died a spinster, it is believed that she had at least one substantial love affair in her life, and I hope for her sake that she did. No one should be able to write such wonderful characters as Laurie and be unable to experience them in reality. I am so glad McNees wrote this "what if" story, for it was a real joy to read.

Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why It Often Sucks in the City, or Who Are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me?

2010-07-27T23:38:00.001-05:00

Author: Jen Lancaster
Publication Date: 2007
Genre: Memoir
Jen Lancaster is an absolute scream.
This is now my second book to have read of hers in the past few months, and I think she is absolutely hilarious. While sometimes she gets a little carried away and a little out-and-out mean, she, more often than not is saying what we're all thinking. I mean, let's be honest, so many of the things she writes race through my head on a daily basis.
One of my favorite aspects of Lancaster's books for me is that I can absolutely fly through them. I love a good quick, mindless read sometimes, and she is perfect for those times. Her books are laugh-out-loud funny, I enjoy them, and I'm usually through with them in less than three days. I'm not always in a War and Peace kind of mood, and Lancaster's books are perfect for those days when I'd rather use a heavy tome as a doorstop rather than read it.
While I didn't love this one quite as much as Such a Pretty Fat, it was still a great time, and I look forward to more adventures with Jen in the near future.

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

2010-07-17T23:55:00.001-05:00

Author: Elizabeth Gilbert

Publication Date: 2006

Genre: Memoir

If a book is on my ever-growing list(s) of books to read before I die and I see that it is being made into a movie, I always try to get it read before I see the movie. Therefore, as soon as I saw Eat, Pray, Love being made into a major motion picture, I figured it was probably time to go to work reading it.

In all honesty, when I began reading this book, I did not think I was going to enjoy it, and I was so disappointed. I had heard such wonderful things about it; the jacket design is always so appealing and eye-catching; the movie trailor is so visually stimulating, and who can resist Julia Roberts and that great laugh? I wanted to like this one so bad; not liking it never even entered my mind.

However, I continued to push through, and it was not long before I began to really, really like it. Wait... scratch that. I began to love it. Italy sucked me right in, and I never hesitated for another minute. Although some parts of the India section dragged a little bit for me, Italy and Indonesia more than made up for it, and I thought this book was both enjoyable and thought-provoking.

I am now as eager to read more of Gilbert's work as I am to see this movie.

"I have a tendency not only to see the best in everyone, but to assume that everyone is emotionally capable of reaching his highest potential. I have fallen in love more times than I care to count with the highest potential of a man, rather than with the man himself, and then I have hung on to the relationship for a long time (sometimes far too long) waiting for the man to ascend to his own greatness."

Heart of the Matter

2010-07-12T14:57:00.001-05:00

Author: Emily Giffin

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Chick Lit

I am a big Emily Giffin fan. I love that she can make me understand and even side with the villainous female characters I could never imagine myself cheering for--the woman who adamantly refuses and openly hates the idea of having children; the other woman; the best friend who steals your fiancee. I think she spins great yarns, and she usually makes me laugh, too.

This book was not my favorite of Giffin's works. I didn't really feel engaged or involved with the characters, and, therefore, I didn't really care what happened to them--good or bad. I didn't genuinely like any of them, and I found them all utterly forgettable.

I love the ideas of her stories, and I think she comes up with some pretty hilarious one-liners, but this one was just kind of bland, in my opinion. I finished it because I can't stand to not finish a book, but I just didn't absolutely love it.

The Heart of a Woman

2010-07-01T22:29:00.001-05:00

Author: Maya Angelou

Publication Date: 1981

Genre: Memoir

This is the second of Angelou's books I have read over the past few years, and, I must admit, I remain wholly uninpressed. While I admire Angelou's progressive work and admit that she has been a leader of the Civil Rights movement for years, I cannot help but find myself unmoved by her work yet again.

This book, in particular, was difficult for me to relate to and move through, perhaps because so much of the geography and the setting were so foreign to me. I could not picture the people or the places of which she was writing, and I had a hard time hearing the voices of the characters speaking in my head, something with which I usually struggle very little, if at all.
I'm sure this will not be my last foray into the works of Maya Angelou, and I continue to hope that I will be moved by her works as have been so many before me.

Rebecca

2010-06-23T14:33:00.001-05:00

Author: Daphne du Maurier

Publication Date: 1938

Genre: Crime, Gothic, Mystery, Novel, Romance

I first read this book when I was in high school, and it quickly became one of my most favorite books of all time. I loved the suspense and the romance and the way the story was written.

Since then, I have read some of du Maurier's short stories, and I have fallen even more deeply in love with her macabre style and her wonderful method of writing. Reading this story again almost ten years later was as much of a privilege and adventure as it was the first time around.

There are so many intricate details of this story that I admire and enjoy. Things like the fact that the narrator of the story is never named and we never know who exactly is talking to us. There are a lot of little details like this that make this story what it is, and I really love discovering and exploring those details.

I look forward to reading more of du Maurier's works, and reading this book again and again in the years to come. It remains one of my favorite books of all time, and, let's be honest, that's saying something.

House Rules

2010-06-15T19:48:00.001-05:00

Author: Jodi Picoult

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Novel

Jodi Picoult blows me away. I by no means think that her books are the best books I've ever read, but the stories she weaves and the intricate details she holds together truly amaze me sometimes.

This book was particularly interesting to me because of its subject matter--Asperger's syndrom--which is something I know I will be encountering frequently throughout my job as a school counselor. This is such a growing diagnosis in today's culture, and, although I know this book was a work of fiction, I learned a lot of the ins and outs of the disorder through reading this story.

Jodi Picoult's writing never fails to hook from the very beginning and make me laugh and at least think about crying. It tugs at my heartstrings and punches me right in the gut sometimes; I am in awe of her command of a story and the way she can twist language. She has total control and command of the English language, and I marvel at the ways she can speak in totally different ways depending on the point of view from which she is writing.

I am a definite fan of Picoult's works, and I've never read one of her books I didn't like. This was not my absolute favorite of her works for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, nonetheless.

Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral

2010-06-04T21:49:00.001-05:00

Author: Gayden Metcalfe & Charlotte Hays

Publication Date: 2005

Genre: Cookbook, Humor, Memoir

This book has been sitting on my shelf for what seems like years, and I'm so glad I finally read it. I really loved reading all about an area I am personally familiar with, and it was so easy to visualize people I know from Greenville fitting so perfectly into these stories and visualizations.

I am eager to read the subsequent books by these authors, as I know they will be just as funny as just as much of a good time.

Several aspects of this book were so true and so wholly Southern; this one is a real treasure for anyone who lives and loves the South.

Same Kind of Different as Me

2010-06-04T21:40:00.001-05:00

Author: Ron Hall & Denver Moore

Publication Date: 2006

Genre: Memoir

I have been wanting to read this book for awhile, and I am glad I finally got around to it. I thought this was a really great story of two lives that were obviously meant to be intertwined.

This story is such a great example of the ways one life can affect and influence another. Denver's impact on Ron spanned years and appeared to continue to grow as time went on. Further, Miss Debbie's influence continued to live on long after she was no longer on earth.

There were a few aspects of this story that I was not crazy about (the voodoo and the ghosts, for example), but I tried to look past that and not allow those few instances to taint my feelings on the book as a whole. I think this book, overall, is a great piece of work to illustrate the type of spirit we should all strive to have.

The Carrie Diaries

2010-05-14T00:54:00.002-05:00

Author: Candace Bushnell

Publication Date: 2010

Genre: Fiction

Carrie Bradshaw in high school. Not quite what you might imagine but, somehow, not all that surprising, either.

I really liked this book, actually. I am not usually a huge fan of Bushnell's writings, as they usually fall flat and superficial for me, but this one I actually kind of enjoyed. I thought Carrie's thoughts and stories were relevant and explanatory of some of the opinions and things that happen to her later and are seen throughout the Sex and the City saga.

Call me silly, but I really loved the jacket design on this book, and that is actually a big part of what drew me to it. Before I even knew what it was about, I thought how wonderful it would look on my bookshelf. Do I need to get a life, or what?

There are still some pretty huge gaps between the end of this book and the start of the Sex and the City we all know and love, so I wonder if Bushnell is planning another book(s) to fill in those gaps? I hope so, and I hope they feature as cool a design as this one, too.

"When I'm nervous, I use words like 'daresay.' I definitely read too much."

The Plague

2010-05-12T23:15:00.000-05:00

Author: Albert Camus

Publication Date: 1947

Genre: Philosophical Novel, Absurdist Fiction

Because I read off several different lists of great books, I stumble onto lots of things I've never heard of before and would, more likely than not, never pick out of my own accord. This book was certainly one of those selections, and, when I read the blurb about the book on the front jacket, I wasn't quite sure what I was in for.

I was pleasantly surprised, however, when I quickly got sucked into this rather interesting and somewhat horrifying story dealing with a fictional bubonic plague outbreak in the mid-twentieth century. I loved the characters in this story, and I honestly felt smarter having read this book. That is not something I usually look for in my fiction selections, but every once in a while it can't hurt.

I particularly enjoyed the style with which this book was written and the images that Camus used to bring his characters and scenes to life. I actually felt like I was walking the streets with Dr. Rieux, dealing with case after case of this deadly plague. I know it may not sound particularly exciting to everyone in the world, but I was, as I said, pleasantly surprised with how I felt about this book at the completion.

Fahrenheit 451

2010-05-07T22:27:00.001-05:00

Author: Ray Bradbury

Publication Date: 1953

Genre: Dystopian Novel

For me, it is really rare to read a book that is truly unlike anything else I've read. I can usually parallel them at least one other book or story I've read, loosely tying the two together, if for no other reason than to relate them to someone who hasn't read them. This one, however, was totally unrelateable.

And that's why I loved it.

It was written in 1953, close to sixty years ago, and was still unique and imaginative and unparalleled. In my opinion, that's really saying something. I am now itching to read more and more Bradbury, for he seems to be popping up everwhere in my life, oddly enough, and I suppose I'm taking that for a sign from the fates that I should jump onboard.

This book was phenomenally written and excellently executed, and, of course, the concept and subject matter were off-the-charts amazing, if you ask me. I couldn't put it down and flew right through the entire thing.

"The good writers touch life often. The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. The bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies."

The Court of the Stone Children

2010-05-06T12:04:00.002-05:00

Author: Eleanor Cameron

Publication Date: 1973

Genre: Children's Fiction

One of the lists I read off of is a list of the best children's books of all time (according to, well, someone). It is rather unusual that I haven't heard of either the next title on the list or the next author. This one, however, was totally unknown to me. I stupidly imagined Cameron to be some obscure one-hit-wonder in the world of children's literature, and trotted off to my local public library.

Imagine my surprise when I happened onto an entire shelf of nothing but works but Eleanor Cameron. What is this? An obviously popular, successful children's author of whom I have not heard? I was outraged, and a little embarrassed. I wondered just where I had been to have missed her.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although, I thought it would be rather difficult for many children to read. It is rather elevated and talks of many abstract concepts that (because today's children often lack imagination, I'm sad to say) would be difficult for them to comprehend. Perhaps I'm underestimating the youth of today's world; I hope I am.

This book had a little bit of mystery, a little bit of love, a lot of deep thinking, and a kid who outsmarts the adults, which I personally always enjoy. I enjoyed this foray into Cameron's world and am happy to have discovered a new children's author to try out on occasion.

Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, or Why Pie is Not the Answer

2010-05-04T00:16:00.001-05:00

Author: Jen Lancaster

Publication Date: 2008

Genre: Memoir

This book came to me very highly recommended from two of my funniest friends, so, almost before I started it, I knew I was in for a good time. I was certainly not disappointed.

Jen Lancaster is hilarious, and I wish we could be friends. If we ever met, I know we would quickly hit it off and be forever linked. She says the things out loud that consantly whip through my head, and so many of her words felt as if she had stolen them right out of my mouth, or, better yet, my brain.

As a person who has struggled with weight issues for what feels like a lifetime already, it was such a pleasant breath of fresh air to read something related to weight that wasn't laden with inspirational cliches and abstract encouragements. This book was real, and it was hilarious, and it detailed the ugly parts of gaining and losing weight for a person who is committing to a whole new lifestyle. And Lancaster kept a hilarious, fun spirit throughout the entire book.

I am eager now to read other books of hers, for I have heard nothing but good and hilarious things about her other memoirs. I look forward to laughing through more tales with Lancaster, for she appears to be a guaranteed good time.

The Grapes of Wrath

2010-04-30T22:32:00.001-05:00

Author: John Steinbeck

Publication Date: 1939

Genre: Novel

As a lover of books for a long time, an English major for four years, and an American for, well, my whole life, I can't believe I haven't read this book. I personally think all Americans should make it their business to read it, but that's just me.

I can't honestly say that I enjoyed reading this pillar of American literature, but I do feel I benefitted from reading it. I think I learned something about a pivotal period in American history, and I think I better know one of America's most-treasured authors.

This book took me far longer to read than I had really imagined, but it's just so unbelievably heavy that you can't fly through it (or, at least I couldn't...). I had to ruminate over things that happened and let the happenings digest before I could bite off another huge chunk and delve further into the story.

If you've seen the movie and think you know everything to know about this story, let me assure you that there are some pretty substantial differences between the stories; I saw the movie several months ago, and these two variations certainly do not end up in the same place.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

2010-03-31T18:17:00.002-05:00

Author: Jamie Ford

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Novel

It is one of my greatest pleasures in life to pick up a book expecting to be entertained and, instead, be entranced, enchanted, and completely overcome by its story. This book was one of those for me, and it absolutely came out of nowhere.

I must admit, I bought this book last year becuase its title caught my attention and the cover design piqued my interest. I thought it sounded interesting, and I was willing to give it a chance. It sat on my shelf for months until, just a few days ago, it caught my attention again, and I decided it was time to give it a read.

Oh, my, am I glad I did.

This book was magical, and its characters stole my heart. I found myself close to tears several times, and, as I said above, I was totally lost in the world of the story. Set in Seattle during World War II, this story took a perspective I've never known, and I was honored to learn more about the United States during this time as well as read a wonderful tale of young love and hope that lasts a lifetime.

I would recommend this one to anyone who's looking for a wonderful story and a good all-around read. This is a wonderful debut novel from Jamie Ford, and I look forward for good things yet to come from him

The Last Song

2010-03-25T14:44:00.002-05:00

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Novel

In typical Nicholas Sparks fasion, he has woven a touching and, let's be honest, rather unrealistic tale centering around teenage love and, as you're probably used to by now, an element of grief. I wanted to have this one read before the movie comes out next week, and I flew through it, finishing in only two days.

I like Nicholas Sparks. Some may find him embarrassing or utterly ridiculous, but I try to take him for what he is and just go along for the ride. He can dream up the most amazing, utterly fantastic male leads on the face of the planet, and he blows me away with the maturity and perspective he sees fit to give these people that, in real life, seem to be little more than adolescent idiots.

I am eager to see how the movie compares to the book, for I am not much of a Miley Cyrus fan. This is a somewhat intense role to play, and I'm just not sure that Miley will be able to pull it off, but I may be surprised.

A Little Princess

2010-03-11T23:32:00.002-06:00

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Publication Date: 1904

Genre: Children's Novel

So, I read a picture-book version of this story just a few months ago, and I was immediately aware that I needed to read the real version. I don't know why I started with such a silly version of such an amazing story, but at least I have rectified it and read the original now.

Whew.

This story is an absolute gem, and I could not love it more. I know to some it may seem a little archaic, and perhaps the language is a little out of date for today's video game/3-D/cell phone-obsessed youth, but I think it's classic and absolutely brilliant. I so enjoyed escaping into the world of turn-of-the-century London, and I felt as if I was there in the attic with Sara and Becky.

I am so glad I gave this book another, or, rather, a real, chance, for it is absolutely fantastic, and I truly loved every minute of reading it. Burnett is a genius of children's literature--both yesterday and today, if you ask me.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2010-03-06T13:02:00.002-06:00

Authors: Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Publication Date: 2008

Genre: Novel

This is, without a doubt, one of the most charming and delightful books I've ever encountered. I consider it a privilege to have read it, and I count the characters among my friends. I never expected to find this adorable story between the covers of this book, but there it was.

I wholeheartedly adore Juliet Ashton wish I could not only be just like her but also be best friends with her. I would love to roam the shores of Guernsey with her, laughing at her hilarious witticisms and speculating on life on the Channel Islands in post World War II society.

Reading this book was truly like a breath of fresh spring air, which perfectly goes along with what is happening in the world around me as I read. The sun is shining down; the flowers are budding; the cool winter air is slowly warming up; spring is coming to life. It's quite remarkable, actually.

I also adored the character of Sidney, and I wish everyone in the world could have a brother-like friend who loves them as Sidney loved Juliet. There were no romantic feelings there, but they loved each other to the moon and back.

This is a book I think I will pick up again and again, and I rarely do that. It is my usual feeling that there are far too many books I want to read to spend valuable time re-reading, but this is one I think I must experience again. It's just too wonderful to shelve and live only in my memory.

As you can tell, I was wholly swept away by it; I couldn't have loved it more.

"Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true."

A Lesson Before Dying

2010-03-03T10:31:00.002-06:00

Author: Ernest J. Gaines

Publication Date: 1993

Genre: Novel

I thought the concept of this novel was absolutely stunning. Teaching a man on death row one final lesson before he dies, adding in the factors of race and civil unrest in the mid-twentieth century--it had all the markings of greatness. For some reason, though, for me, it just didn't all come together.

I found myself completely uninvested in Jefferson's fate or Grant's struggle throughout the book. Perhaps I read it too fast; perhaps I wasn't paying it proper attention; perhaps the actual writing just didn't grip me quite like the concept did. Who knows. For whatever reason, though, I just found myself rather ho-hum at the end.

I would be willing to give Gaines writings another try, however, as I am always interested in Southern writers, and Gaines tells the stories of his home in Louisiana. As I said, this concept was great, but the execution just seemed lacking. I should probably give another of his books a try before totally writing him off, huh?

Stones for Ibarra

2010-02-25T14:56:00.002-06:00

Author: Harriet Doerr

Publication Date: 1984

Genre: Novel

This was a rather odd little book and not one I would ever in a million years consider a favorite. I did, however, rather like the ending, and I liked how the title was explained in the very end. I wasn't particularly invested with the characters in this book and, therefore, cared very little what happened to them. Further, I felt very diconnected from the setting and the culture being described in the book, for it was so foreign and subjective.

To me, it really seemed like each chapter of this book read more like a short story than a novel, flowing from chapter to chapter. This was a rather new experience for me and not one I particularly cared for.

Overall, as I said, I didn't really enjoy this book, but it did expose me to a world I know little or nothing of, which is always a good and enlightening thing, I suppose.

Six-Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak by Writers Famous & Obscure

2010-02-25T14:47:00.002-06:00

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Memoirs

My mother recently mentioned these Six-Word Memoirs to me and, of course, I couldn't resist until I had my hands on them. They just sounded too enticing, too fabulous for words. They are, however, even more fabulous than I imagined.

There are four books of the Six-Word series (so far) and this is my first foray into readin them. If the others are half as good as this first one, I have found several new favorite books.

I can't really explain what is so amazing about them, but I firmly believe that, once you've read them, you'll understand. They speak to the raw hurt and the sheer exhiliration of human emotion, and some of them will literally take your breath away.

I am so excited to get to readin the other books, and I cannot wait to see what I will discover within those pages. I'll leave you with a few excerpts that I found particularly moving for some reason or another:

Unrequited love is just another addiction.

Overly romantic soul, born wrong era.

Everyone's crazy except you and me.

May I have the last dance?

The Pursuit of Love

2010-02-21T12:54:00.002-06:00

Author: Nancy Mitford

Publication Date: 1945

Genre: Novel

I rather enjoyed this quick snapshot of life and love in Europe during World War II. Mitford's writing has a certain charm that makes it utterly likeable, and I was able to move very quickly through this novel.

I especially enjoyed the nickname of narrator Fanny's mother, the aptly-named Bolter who left soon after her birth and was constantly coming in and out of her life. I also thoroughly enjoyed the love affair between Linda and Fabrice, for I thought it had a distinctly World War II vibe surrounding it, and I love that time period.

This book is the first in what I believe is a trilogy, and I look forward to reading the other books telling of the lives of these characters. This one is not all lighthearted and fancyfree, however, for there are some depressing scenes contained within its' pages--or at least that's how they struck me.

Get Me Out of Here: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder

2010-02-20T20:18:00.002-06:00

Author: Rachel Reiland

Publication Date: 2002

Genre: Memoir

This was an amazing picture of life with Borderline Personality Disorder. While it was a book I read for class, I found it highly informative and really inspiring.

Borderline Personality Disorder is something about which I knew almost nothing before reading this book, but I really learned a lot about what living with this disease must be like. Coined the "I hate you/don't leave me" disease, it really is often a challenge to overcome.

Reiland writes candidly about her struggles as well as both the pain she experienced and the pain she caused her family throughout her therapy. Enduring three hospitalizations and almost four years of therapy, her illness took a huge toll on her life and the life of her family, and this book tells that story.

I am glad to have acquired the knowledge that I gained from reading this in-depth first-hand account of such a rarely-studied illness.

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

2010-02-11T11:51:00.002-06:00

Author: Ruth Reichl

Publication Date: 2005

Genre: Memoir

This book came very highly recommended from my aunt, who is rarely wrong. This is the same aunt who brought The Help and The Glass Castle into my life (among many others), so, by now, I certainly trust her literary recommendations. This one tells the stories of Ruth Reichl, acclaimed restaurant critic for the New York Times for almost the whole of the '90s.

I really, really enjoyed this book, and I absolutely flew through it. Even though I was virtually unfamiliar with all of the restaurants she discussed going to and reviewing in New York, I still had fun going along with her and experiencing her many disguises. Aside from Tavern on the Green (a monstrosity I have now experienced three times; I'm done for life), I have been to only one of the restaurants she very briefly mentions, but I told myself it was because she left the New York Times more than ten years ago, long before I knew anything about anything.

I think I really enjoyed this book because I get what Reichl was trying to find out and saw with her disguises; I've been the nobody at the big time restaurant who was treated like an interloper; I've been the tourist who had saved and saved to be able to eat at this amazing establishment, only to be treated like an idiot, ignored, and brushed aside for someone more important. Haven't we all?

I laughed out loud, and I enjoyed the experience of reading this book as well as the transformation that occurs in her during her time doing the job. I would highly recommend this one to anyone who loves to eat, loves to cook, or loves, well, food.

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water

2010-02-04T09:43:00.002-06:00

Author: Michael Dorris

Publication Date: 1987

Genre: Novel

Although this novel started off seemingly ordinary and almost uninteresting, I found myself liking it more and more as it went along. I always enjoy a tale that tells the same story from different perspectives, for you know there really are two--or more--sides to every story.

This story is told by three generations of women, a mother/aunt, a daughter/niece, and a granddaughter/great-niece. I know it probably sounds confusing, but it's not so much confusing as it is complicated and involved. Throw in the various men mixed up with these generations of men, and you've definitely got yourself a story.

This book also told a story of a people I am almost totally unfamiliar with--Native Americans. I found the descriptions of their lives and their status to be both fascinating and heartbreaking, and, while I don't know if this depiction is true becuase I don't have anything to compare it to, I found myself being enticed by their world and lured into their thoughts and ideals.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book much more than I ever dreamed I would when I started reading it. The thematic element running throughout it is that of the braid--the entertwining of all of our lives and all of our stories. While the book was, for the most part, rather sad and fixated on the past, I thought this was actually kind of an interesting thought and a nice idea.

The Secret Garden

2010-01-27T17:19:00.002-06:00

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Publication Date: 1911

Genre: Children's Fiction

There are some books that I feel privileged to read. They are treasures that, in my opinion, humankind is fortunate to have access to. The Secret Garden (and, truthfully, anything by Frances Hodgson Burnett) is such a book.

The premise of this story was certainly known to me, as I heard it told and saw the movie countless times as a child. However, reading it as an adult is a wholly different experience, one I can only imagine will be topped by reading it to my own child one day. The reason this experience was so profound for me is, I believe, that I was completely immersed in the magic of the garden and its effect on the lives of the characters, and I was, in fact, transformed into a child myself, I think.

I have seen beautiful places, and I have, specifically, seen beautiful gardens. I have never, however, been as entranced by the earth as I was reading this novel. I was there with Mary as she turned the lock for the first time; I was there as Dickon fed the baby lamb; I was there when Colin stood and said he believed he would live forever.

I love this book with my whole heart, and it is no wonder why it has transcended time and lasted almost one hundred years (as I type that, I cannot even really fathom it).

Burnett is a gem, and her books are treasures, as well.

American Wife

2010-01-25T10:56:00.002-06:00

Author: Curtis Sittenfeld

Publication Date: 2008

Genre: Novel

I read Sittenfeld's debut novel, Prep, several years ago, and (although I'm embarrassed to admit that I remember very little about the story) I remember really liking her characters and thoroughly enjoying her prose. The same is true for her most recent novel, which is said to somewhat resemble the life of former first lady Laura Bush.

I particularly enjoyed how the prose and the voice of Alice changed as she grew older and, in turn, the book and the story unfolded. When she was a teenager, she spoke as a teenager, and when she was a sixty-year-old woman, she spoke as a sixty-year-old woman. Her thoughts became more profound, and she became more solid in who she was as time progressed.

This book had a really funny aspect that I highly enjoyed, as well. Most of the humor came from the character of Charlie, Alice's husband, and I must admit that I fell in love with Charlie the first time he walked onto the page. I have him cast in my mind as sort of a Ryan O'Neal character (in the Paper Moon/What's Up, Doc? days, of course), and I find him utterly charming throughout the story. I also find Ella to be one of the coolest kids ever written about, and I had fun getting to know her, too.

At almost 600 pages, this one is somewhat of an investment, but I really enjoyed my time spent reading it.

A Severed Wasp

2010-01-18T00:13:00.002-06:00

Author: Madeleine L'Engle

Publication Date: 1982

Genre: Novel

I started reading this book last May and took an embarrassingly long hiatus, undoubtedly looking for something more exciting. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy this book, but it did, admittedly, take me more than one hundred pages to become fully invested in the story.

This book picks up many, many years after the completion of The Small Rain, which I found to be a disappointing snooze, honestly. Unlike its predecessor, however, this book actually had some excitement and some intrigue, if only a reader doesn't give up before he or she reaches said excitement.

Having read only these two of L'Engle's novels, I have very little to compare them to, but, honestly, I am hugely underwhelmed by this supposedly remarkable contributor to American literature. As I said, A Severed Wasp was certainly more intriguing and exciting than The Small Rain, but neither would knock your socks off, mind you.

I suppose this is my biggest complaint: I find myself feeling rather detached from L'Engle's characters and, therefore, caring very little for them. Therefore, in the end, I care even less about what happens to them, and I am, ultimately, blase about the whole thing.

And love a book or hate it, I can stand anything more than being blase.

The Help

2010-01-09T11:43:00.002-06:00

Author: Kathryn Stockett

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Novel

Wow.

Every female in my family has been hounding me to read this book for months, but I was certain it couldn't possibly be as good as everyone was saying it would be. I must admit that sometimes I am a little stubborn when it comes to my books. I like to be different. I like to read the unread, and I love to love something people have never read or even heard of before. It's silly, I know.

With this one, however, I just kept putting it off, for some reason. However, I finally cracked the spine and dove in, and, heavens, am I glad I did. This was one of the most moving, well-written modern books I've read in a long, long time.

I believe you can always tell when a true Southerner writes about the South. Being from Mississippi, I know what the landscape looks like, I know how life is here. No, I wasn't alive in 1960, but I have studied Mississippi history my whole life, and my family has lived here for generations. I can spot totally bogus (aka: written by "outsiders") accounts in no time at all.

Stockett, however, is most obviously anything but an outsider. Her writing about Mississippi is exquisite, and her characters literally leap off the page and tell you their story. I heavily identified with Miss Skeeter, and I could bring to mind someone in my life to parallel every single on of these characters. Stockett's dialogue, her history, her actions, and her voices ring so authentic, and that is part of the ease and pleasure of reading this book.

I don't remember the last time a book made me laugh and cry, but this one did both--numerous times. I fell in love with these characters and lived their lives beside them for the week that I was reading this book. Stockett's tale is a must-read for all Mississippians, Southerners, and, well, Americans, if you ask me.

To the women of my family: I'm sorry I doubted you, and I'm sorry for all my rolling and narrowing of the eyes, as well as my secret certainty that it couldn't be as good as all of you were heralding it to be. You were totally right; I was being a total book snob.

Seriously, though, read it. I think you'll be anything but disappointed.

Bleachers

2010-01-02T22:07:00.002-06:00

Author: John Grisham

Publication Date: 2003

Genre: Novel

It seems I keep forgetting what continues to frustrate me about Grisham's books. And, no, I'm not talking about the ones that are about law and are seemingly written from a pattern from which Grisham refuses to deviate. The ones I'm talking about this time are the ones that don't deal with the law, the ones that stray to other topics.

I have read several books of this type by Grisham, and I have the same complaint with each of them, I think. They start out really good. He builds a great story, weaves a superior tale, and then, all of a sudden, he hits warp speed and starts flying through the story, blowing past important elements and throwing in people, places, and ideas of which we the reader have never heard.

My latest read of his was no exception. I loved the idea of decades of football players returning for the funeral of the idol-like coach. The character development was well-thought-out and detailed. All of a sudden, though, in typical form, Grisham started flying through the story like somebody was holding a gun to his head. Characters entered the story we had never heard about and important details were blasted through.

I like John Grisham, really I do. As a Mississippian, I am almost required to like him. I support his books, and I know he is one of the most popular authors of modern literature--with the paychecks to prove it. I just wish he would chill out sometimes and give his stories and his characters the credit they're due.

Is that so much to ask?

New Favorites

2009-12-31T23:50:00.001-06:00

The year has only minutes left, but I wanted to quickly share my favorite reads of 2009. This was kind of a barren year for me on the reading front, and I honestly didn't read a whole lot that blew me away. I did, however, manage to find several new favorites. So, of the 39 books I plowed through in the last 365 days, here are the ten that really stuck with me:

10. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
9. Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence
8. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
7. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
6. Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
5. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
4. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
3. Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb
2. The Bride's Farewell by Meg Rosoff
1. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Happy New Year!

Skipping Christmas

2009-12-30T23:22:00.002-06:00

Author: John Grisham

Publication Date: 2001

Genre: Novel

Although this was a welcome break from Grisham's well-worn legal formulas, I was sadly underwhelmed by this novel. I thought the set-up was fabulous, and the first half of the book was a lot of fun, but the ending appeared to be haphazardly thrown together and rushed.

I have read a small army of Grisham's books, and one of the things I always enjoy about them is how well I feel like I know the characters. These characters, however, remained off-the-page and distant, and, therefore, I didn't really care much what happened to them or why it happened.

I certainly agreed with many of the ideas behind this novel, though, for it targeted the materialism that all-too-often surrounds the holiday season and explores the idea of staging an all-out boycott of the holiday season. And, let's be honest, haven't we all thought that might be the best solution at one point or another??

The Gift

2009-12-27T23:02:00.002-06:00

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Novel

I am a big fan of Cecelia Ahern. I love her idealism and her childlike innocence; I love her belief in the power of things seen and unseen; I love her overall messages of devotion and the power of love; her books inspire me and make me smile.

This one did all of those things, but it wasn't one of my favorites of hers. The ending came off a little hurried, and all the pieces just didn't quite come together in the end. However, the message was certainly one we can't be reminded of enough all through the year, not just at Christmastime: time is something we can never regain, so make sure you're spending it with the people who truly matter.

I think part of what I love so much about Ahern's novels is that they are always set in Ireland (as she is the daugher of the former Irish Prime Minister, this comes as no surprise), and I have a secret obsession with Ireland. That, however, is not the only reason I love her, for the hopeless romantic in me is drawn into her stories everytime.

Wishin' and Hopin'

2009-12-27T22:57:00.002-06:00

Author: Wally Lamb

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Short Story

What a raucous good time this story was. I loved getting to know young Felix Funicello in the fall of 1964, and he kept me laughing all the way through Christmas.

Wally Lamb is usually not the cheeriest nor the funniest of authors in my opinion, but this story was just plain fun all the way through. I laughed out loud numerous times, and I thoroughly enjoyed the very process of reading this book, for it was like going to a Christmas party full of the most fun people you know.

If you're looking for a holiday laugh to read over and over, I highly recommend checking this one out.

Matchless

2009-12-10T22:28:00.002-06:00

Author: Gregory Maguire

Publication Date: 2009
Genre: Short Story

As I have never read Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Match Girl," I had virtually no idea what to expect when coming into this story. I tend to like things that way, and this was really no exception. This story was really special, and the illustrations in the book were absolutely breathtaking.

Maguire is a genuis with words. Since first reading Wicked in the summer of 2006, I have devoured his books with gusto. His wit and his ability to spin a wonderful tale have drawn me in time and time again, and he has a special knack for taking well-known, age-old stories and making them seem fresh and invigorating by simply looking at them from a new perspective.

I can always manage to find time to read just one more Christmas story, it seems, and I am glad I stumbled onto this one in the bookstore the other day, for I know it will be one I return to again and again.

You Better Not Cry

2009-12-10T22:21:00.002-06:00

Author: Augusten Burroughs

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Christmas Stories

Why have I waited so long to jump on the Burroughs bandwagon?? I own Running With Scissors as well as Dry, yet I have never read either of them. All it takes is one book of Christmas stories, though, for me to jump right in there and profess my love for this man's hilarious tales and sharp wit.

I would be hard-pressed to declare a favorite, although I did love "Claus and Effect" an awful lot. I can just picture a young Burroughs with his Christmas list consisting of such items as a box of gold nuggets. Also, that gingerbread tenement had me laughing out loud. I could just picture that one, too, and it cracked me up to the core.

If you're a fan of the satirical side of Christmas, then this book is definitely for you. It mocks, mimics, parodies, and makes complete mincemeat out of many of the things about Christmas people hold so dear, and therein lies the beauty of it. Burroughs tells the stories that exist for all of us but get skewed through the fogginess of memory or deleted altogether.

I loved every page of it.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

2009-12-06T20:48:00.002-06:00

Author: Katherine Howe

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Historical Fiction

This book was off-the-charts amazing. I was so hoping it was going to be as good as I had hyped it up in my mind to be, and it totally blew my expectations out of the water. Although the subject matter (witches and descendents of witches involved in the Salem witch trials) could definitely be a little controversial (my mother is appalled at a) my reading this and b) my loving this), I would recommend it without hesitation. It is just a page turner. Kind of a National Treasure all about the witch trials.

Katherine Howe can spin a fabulous tale, and she has certainly done a great job on her first novel. The historical story is great, but the back and forth from past to present is also great, and her portrayal of the romance in the book is phenomenal. She blends the worlds of history and academia perfectly, and her story is utterly believable although totally out-of-this world in nature.

I can't wait to see what gem Howe comes out with next.

Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction

2009-11-22T22:00:00.002-06:00

Author: David Sheff

Publication Date: 2008

Genre: Memoir

Although I have read a fair number of memoirs about addiction, I have never read one from the perspective of someone other than the addict himself. This story was one that held tremendous impact, and, for me, that was becuase it was written by someone who still had to experience all the tumultuousness of the life of an addict but had no power over the situation.

Beautiful Boy tells the story of David Sheff's son, Nic, and his addiction to drugs and alcohol, namely crystal meth. Crystal meth is a drug about which I knew very little, so, when given a class assignment relating to addiction, I gravitated toward this subject so that I could learn more. I am now very curious to read Tweak, which is actually written by Nic Sheff about his own addiction.

Although somewhat of a long read, I was enraptured with the story of this family and the way Nic's addiction affected/influenced all of their lives. As I said, this was a perspective from which I had never heard the story of addiction told, and it was very powerful.

I know it may sound inappropriate to say that I enjoyed this book, I did learn a whole lot from it that I can use both professionally and generally in life. David Sheff's words will stick with me for a long while, of that I am sure.

Labor Day

2009-10-22T21:35:00.002-05:00

Author: Joyce Maynard

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Novel

What an unexpected little treasure this book was.

I picked this one up randomly at the bookstore because (I'm slightly embarrassed to admit) I was enticed by the cover. It seemed interesting, and I thought I might find a good story between the covers.

And find a good story I did.

Maynard weaves quite a tale and uses every one of these 241 pages to her advantage. From the first page, I was hooked on this story, and it did not take long before I was desperate to know what was going to happen to Henry and his more-than-a-little-bit unbalanced mother. (It all seemed very About a Boy in the beginning...)

I was thoroughly shocked and pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel, and it was probably one of the best new works of fiction I've read in a while. It was new and different and not like other things I've read, and that's something that always gets me excited.

I'm quite curious now as to whether I would enjoy Maynard's other works as much, and I think I'll probably have to find that out quite soon.

There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom

2009-10-22T21:29:00.002-05:00

Author: Louis Sachar

Publication Date: 1987

Genre: Children's Novel

I read this book at the request of my mother, a fourth grade teacher who reads it with her class at the beginning of school every year. I figured it would be ridiculous, but, every once in a while, I humor my mother.

This was a good time to humor her, for this book was so cute.

I probably especially liked it because the counselor played such a large role in the story, and that happens so rarely that I definitely have to cling onto it when it happens. In addition, she is painted in a really positive light, which almost NEVER happens.

Way to go, Louis Sachar.
Of course, this book was way juvenile (I repeat, my mom reads it with nine-year-olds...), but it was a really good time. Also, I finished it in a day, which is always a good thing, too.

Dibs in Search of Self

2009-10-19T19:42:00.002-05:00

Author: Virginia Axline

Publication Date: 1986

Genre: Non-Fiction

This was a book I had to read for school, but I really enjoyed it and learned so much from it. Honestly, I think any person who ever intends to have any contact with children (i.e. practically every person on the planet) should read this book and commit its' teachings to heart.

I thought Dibs, once he broke through his shell, was a delightful child and one I would have had a great time getting to know as a therapist. It was clear that, under all of that sadness and uncertainty, he had a truly sweet spirit and an amazing intellect.

Why can't more school readings be truly beneficial and impactful like this one? I read it in just a few days, and I am walking away with much valuable information to add to my arsenal. Too often school-assigned readings are just plain dumb and add nothing to my field of study, but not this one. Not Dibs. Dibs I will remember forever.

The English Major

2009-10-15T20:50:00.003-05:00

Author: Jim Harrison

Publication Date: 2008

Genre: Novel

This one was funny and enjoyable, but it was not off-the-chart great. I, being the English-major-to-the-core that I am, wanted it to be great. I wanted to be blown away by the references and the entendres and the allusions. I was sadly underwhelmed.

I did enjoy Cliff's grappling with the issues of aging and had a good time traveling around the western United States with him. I wanted to hit Marybelle in the face for the majority of the book, for she was just so unbelievably annoying I could hardly stand it. Like I said, I liked it, I just didn't love it.

Never having read Legends of the Fall, I would be willing to give Harrison another chance and try out that highly acclaimed story sometime.

"Was I really this much of a nerd or dweeb, both terms the young use to describe booger-picking nitwits?"

The Bride's Farewell

2009-09-21T18:59:00.002-05:00

Author: Meg Rosoff

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Novel

What an absolute pleasure and joy to read. One of those can't-put-it-down-but-don't-want-it-to-end books. This one truly swept me away.

I thought Pell Ridley was someone I would like to have been friends with, had I lived in "eighteen hundred and fifty something," and I'm quite positive Dogman is someone with whom I most definitely would have fallen in love. This novel, although it is short, moved me in ways I really did not expect.

I felt like I made every step of Pell's journey with her, and it's possible that I learned something about myself in the process. I loved the way that Rosoff made the settings and the landscape characters in the story, and I admired her use of language and description.

My curiosity has been piqued, and I am now itching to read others of Rosoff's works. I don't know, though, that they can usurp Pell and Bean and their journey all about love, family, home, and what each of those things really mean.

Farewell, My Lovely

2009-09-19T20:24:00.005-05:00

Author: Raymond Chandler

Publication Date: 1940

Genre: Crime Novel

In my second foray into the world of Raymond Chandler, I was perhaps even more impressed and echanted than the first time around. This man can weave a fabulous yarn if I've ever read one.

This one had a great twist at the end that I never saw coming, and that's something I don't think we get enough of in books. I'm always looking for twists in movies, but I am usually content with a chronological, logical progression of events in books. Chandler, however, turns my world upside down, for he jumps all over the place and keeps me guessing all along. In theory, I should despise such shenanigans, but (secretly) I love it.

I also love that Chandler's stories were written almost seventy years ago, but they are still just as entertaining and enjoyable as they must have been when first released. To me, that is the true test of American literature: the test of time.

If you ask me, Chandler will remain strong forever

The White Tiger

2009-09-12T11:23:00.004-05:00

Author: Aravind Adiga

Publication Date: 2008

Genre: Novel

It's official.

I am possibly the biggest nerd on the planet.

Not only do I just love the act of reading and the people it brings into my life (for characters in books are people, you know), but I love when a book exposes me to a whole new world, whether real or imagined.

This novel took me to far off India, but not the India of yesterday, there were no Aladdin-esque tales of flying carpets and genies in lamps to be found here. This novel transported me straight in the harsh, cutthroat India of today, where it truly appears to be every man for himself.

After I read something like this, I feel so ashamed of myself and my small complaints, for I see more clearly how so many people on this planet are forced to live. The saddest part about it, however, is that they know no different. This poverty, filth, and squalor has become their way of life, and they wouldn't know how to behave if their lives were any different (which is a big part of what this novel is about).

This is not a novel I would dole out to everyone I pass on the street or rave about as the best book I've ever read, but it definitely had an impact on me and left me thinking, which is one of the main reasons I read. I want to feel something when I read; I want a good strong kick in the gut sometimes, and this book certainly delivered.

The Big Sleep

2009-08-21T19:25:00.004-05:00

Author: Raymond Chandler

Publication Date: 1939

Genre: Detective, Crime Novel

What a good time this novel was.

A classic, who-done-it story in the same vein of The Maltese Falcon or Chinatown.

I liked the fast pace of this story and the way that each event built off of the one before. I enjoyed the language, the fashions, and the style in which this story was written, and it was just really a good time.

This is the first of four books I'm reading of Chandler's, and this one makes me really excited about what else is to come. I think they will all be a good time and will expose me to a world about which I wish I knew more and more everytime I learn a little more.

The Time Traveler's Wife

2009-08-11T10:55:00.005-05:00

Author: Audrey Niffenegger

Publication Date: 2003

Genre: Novel

I had big, big hopes for this novel. It is one of those that sat on my shelf for years, beckoning me, yet I continued to "save it for later," knowing that, once I read it, I would no longer be able to look forward to reading it.

Confusing?

I apologize.

Seeing the preview for the upcoming movie version gave me the kick I needed to get this one off my shelf and read it, and I was hoping for something spectacular (as I do everytime I crack open the first pages of a book, honestly). The story was good, mind you, but the execution could have been so much better.

The concept of this novel deserves greatness, for without great writing its far-fetchedness and unreality meets you at every turn. There are some great moments in this book, but I wanted so much more. I thought a lot of the language was crude and vulgar in scenes that were supposed to be about eternal love and respect. It seemed to me Niffenegger was trying to sound, for lack of a better word, cool in some instances, and it majorly detracted from the story for me.

I will give Niffenegger kudos on keeping the whole story straight, however. There is major fuel for confusion in the backward and forward motions of time mixed in with the actions of the present, and there were several times I had to stop and get everything in order in my mind. How she kept it all straight during the writing process is beyond me.

I am eager to see the movie, for there is potential for a great, great movie here. While the time travel issue is difficult to show in print, it would be much easier to document on film, so I'm very interested to see what the movie makes of this tale.

A Little Princess

2009-08-06T20:22:00.004-05:00

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Publication Date: 1905

Genre: Children's Fiction

I consider myself privileged when I am finally able to read a classic story I have somehow missed in all of my twenty-four years. Many of these stories I have seen on television or the movies, but those are never the same as reading the story that inspired it all.

Reading A Little Princess was a prime example of this, for I adored the movie as a child and would watch it nearly every weekend. Although I had the movie memorized when I was eight, I am sad to admit that I had forgotten most of the details of the story. Reading this story this morning brough it all back, fresh before my eyes.

Written in 1905, this story tells of the life of a young girl in turn-of-the-century London. Seems irrevelant over a hundred years later, maybe? Not at all. Call me crazy, but I think that's why they call them classics.

Sons and Lovers

2009-08-06T20:02:00.004-05:00

Author: D. H. Lawrence

Publication Date: 1913

Genre: Autobiographical Novel

I love the turn of the century. The twentieth century, that is.

I love the situations and the plights of the people and the clothing and the romance. I love it all. D. H. Lawrence only made me love this even more.

I have said many, many times that I believe myself to have been born into the wrong generation; I'm just not sure what generation I would have fit into, for there are several in which I believe I would feel right at home. The generation represented in this novel is certainly one I could get on board with (and they're English. I mean, come on.)

Honestly, I was afraid of Lawrence before I started this book. I mean, the man is a legend of the written word. I quickly learned, however, that there is nothing to be afraid of. The man is pure genius; jump on in.

Out of Africa

2009-07-17T19:03:00.004-05:00

Author: Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen)

Publication Date: 1937

Genre: Memoir

I never would have thought that I would actually enjoy a four hundred page true life account of life in Africa in the 1920s...

but I really did.

This book details life on a coffee plantation and tells much about Dinesen's interaction with the Natives and the animals of the African desert. There is very little dialogue, some passages are written in other languages, and there is next to no human interaction throughout the entirety of the book. I understand if some people might be immediately turned off by that description, for I would have probably been turned off, too. I was, however, very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed experiencing this snapshot of a life I'll more than likely never see.

I know there is a movie of this book, and I can only imagine how gorgeous the cinematography is going to be, for the descriptions of the landscape are breathtaking enough. Visualizing it in my head was easy, and I know seeing it on the screen will only complete the picture.

A Return to Love

2009-07-05T21:42:00.004-05:00

Author: Marianne Williamson

Publication Date: 1992

Genre: Self-help

What a crock.

I read off a number of book lists, and I don't allow myself to skip books, even though they may seem absolutely ludicrous.

Like this one, for example.

It is books like this one that really scare me. If you've ever heard the saying, "Enough knowledge to be dangerous" then you will totally understand what I'm saying here. Often, in mass society and in new age self-help, Christianity and the teachings of the Bible are treated in a sort of buffet fashion. You can take a little here and a little there, leaving behind things you don't care for and filling up your plate with your favorites. In my understanding and my belief, this is not how Christianity and a relationship with Jesus Christ works.

It's not always pretty, and there will be hard days, but it's the way it is.

I fear for people who don't have a solid basis in Christian teachings and pick up this publication of rubbish and others like it. For, as I said above, it takes a little bit of Christian knowledge and skews it to the message it wants to portray.

Not how it works. Sorry.

The only thing I would recommend doing with this book is running it over with your car or using it as a chew toy for your dog.

On Beauty

2009-06-28T22:45:00.004-05:00

Author: Zadie Smith

Publication Date: 2005

Genre: Novel

I was genuinely surprised by how much I like this novel. Although I fear that much of it passed right over my head (for Smith's vocabulary and immersion in the world of academia are nothing less than stellar), I loved the base storyline, and I loved the relations between the Belsey/Kipps characters.

This book had so many fascinating explorations, and I was supremely impressed at how much Smith packed into these 450 pages. Black vs. white; liberal vs. conservative; English vs. American; educated vs. "street"; faithful vs. free; male vs. female; young vs. old. It really blew me away on so many levels, and I think I will be digesting everything I read for a while to come.

I was supposed to have read another of Smith's novels in college, but I skimmed my way through that one. After reading this novel, I feel inspired and excited to go back and read that one, giving it the full attention it deserves. I hope I will walk away from it as pleased as I leave this one tonight.

A Virtuous Woman

2009-06-18T13:06:00.004-05:00

Author: Kaye Gibbons

Publication Date: 1989

Genre: Novel

This is the third of Gibbons' works that I've read now, and I think it's safe to say that she's not my favorite. When the most complimentary thing you can think of to write about a book (or, in this case, all of the author's books I've read) is that it's short, perhaps that's code for: I didn't really enjoy this at all.

It's not that it was terrible; it just was. It wasn't exciting; the structure was difficult to follow; there was virtually no dialogue; and, I was bored throughout much of the book. It was kind of like eating boiled pasta by itself. It doesn't necessary taste bad, it just tastes awfully blah.

As of now, Kaye Gibbons is rather blah for me, and I hate saying that because several of her books have come so highly recommended. Sadly, I will not be passing those recommendations on any further.

The Awakening

2009-06-08T17:21:00.004-05:00

Author: Kate Chopin

Publication Date: 1899

Genre: Novel

As an English major in college, The Awakening is one of those novels I've heard about and heard about but somehow never actually read. Be forewarned, I'm about to say something I despise and wouldn't say unless it was absolutely necessary: I didn't get it.

I mean, I got it, in that I got the story. What I didn't get, however, was what the big deal was. I liked the book, and I enjoyed reading it. In fact, I really enjoyed the last fifty or so pages, when the story actually got interesting and things started to happen. After reading it, however, I still feel like the same person. The Awakening didn't change my life like I expected from all the hype I heard before I read it.

What I really did take away from reading this novel was how it must have been to be a female writer at the turn of the twentieth century, writing about things that I know must have been insanely controversial. I have to give Chopin props for that; she certianly pushed the envelope.

The Summons

2009-06-08T17:14:00.004-05:00

Author: John Grisham

Publication Date: 2002

Genre: Legal Thriller Novel

As I read aloud to my mom after knee surgery, I got a different perspective on it than I think I may have ever gotten on a book. I don't know that I've ever read a book out loud in its entirety. Well, actually I think I did read Summer of the Monkeys out loud to my fifth grade class, but that was too long ago to really remember or count.

Although many people think Grisham is fluff and cranks out form stories again and again, I like him, and not just because he's from Mississippi. I think he weaves a good tale, and I'm always entertained. This one, however, was a better book than the ending gave it credit for being. In other words, I loved the story as I was reading it, but I hated the ending, which put a bad taste in my mouth for the whole thing.

If I have any complaints about Grisham, here they are: many of his characters live off the page, which Brad Vice hypnotized me into believing was a mortal sin of literature. Also, I never feel like I really know enough about the characters to care very much what happens to them. I know this won't be my last Grisham novel, however, for I just seem to keep coming back.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

2009-06-08T17:07:00.004-05:00

Author: L. Frank Baum

Publication Date: 1900

Genre: Fantasy

I can only imagine what this book would have been in 1900. The imagination, the colors, the sights, the experiences-I feel certain they would have blown away both children and adults. Unfortunately, in today's world where even the movie seems a thing of the past, the book shows its age on every page. The language with which the characters speak, the surface level action, and the lack of plot development leave this reader wanting much more.

I am, however, very glad to have read the original work to see where the story began. I believe Baum to be a master of his craft, and I would continue to urge children to take advantage of this treasured classic.