The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins

I recently included the first book of this trilogy in my Young Adult Literature class at the University of Texas at San Antonio because I truly admire the world and complexities created by Collins. The characters are multidimensional and believable and their futuristic dystopian society has just enough similarities to our own with its use of television and propaganda, class striation, and exploitation of the poor to be relatable.

I know many parents have criticized the level of violence in this series, but the ultimate message is similar to the one in Jonathon's Swift's Modest Proposal: We need to stop sacrificing our children in our political conflicts. It's no accident that Katniss is seventeen years old when many soldiers in our country and others recruit that age so that they are prime for enlisting by age eighteen. And families who pride themselves on serving their nation for generations in the armed forces are not unlike the career tributes.

Collins's trilogy is anti-war in the same vein as Small Soldiers, a partially animated movie in which technologically advanced toys go to war with one another. But it is also fatalistic in that the rebellion and the Capitol soon become indistinguishable from one another in the same way as Orwell's men and pigs in Animal Farm.

I highly recommend this heart-wrenching, fast-paced series to young and old alike.

February 28, 2013

In the Arms of Stone Angels, by Jordan Dane

Jordan Dane has crafted a fast-paced, emotional roller-coaster of a ride with the story of sixteen-year-old Brenna Nash and a two-year-old unsolved murder in a small town. When Brenna and her mom return to the town to sell Brenna's grandma's house, Brenna is sucked into the case after visiting the friend she turned in for the murder--a half-breed orphan boy with gorgeous, soulful eyes named White Bird. He's been catatonic in a hospital since the murder, but when Brenna shows up, something happens...

The characters and their voices are palpable and distinct. The plot never slows down and, despite the infusion of Native American magic, seems utterly believable. I highly recommend this story.

February 2, 2013

The Mortal Instruments, by Cassandra Clare

The first book, City of Bones, was hard to put down from the moment I picked it up. The plot was very well orchestrated from beginning to end. I liked the contrast between Luke and Valentine as father figures and leaders. The love Clary felt for Luke was so real.

All of the characters were believable, distinct, and memorable, and I could picture them vividly. Both the more-than-friends relationship between Clary and Simon and the blossoming romance between Clary and Jace were palpable. But the ending...

Now that I've read through book five...Overall, I LOVED this series. The character and world building were well done. I adored Simon, Izzy, Luke, Alec, and Magnus. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Alec and Magnus. The relationship between Jace and Clary is steamy, and their love for one another is believable.

This fifth book, City of Lost Souls, was a bit disappointing to me in terms of plot and pace. Some places dragged, and the ending didn't live up to my expectations. In spite of that, I'm glad I read the book, because I truly enjoyed being with these characters in this world and would highly recommend the series.

January 22, 2013

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor

The unique characters pulled me into the story right away. I enjoyed learning about Isa and Brimstone and the other chimera. I also took pleasure in Carou's everyday life as an art student in Prague with her friend juxtaposed with these strange errands she ran through portals getting teeth for a ram-horned beast--albeit a fatherly one.

I love stories that take a preconceived idea only to turn it on its head. In this case a "devil" falls in love with an angel. But devils are not evil and angels aren't all good.

I look forward to reading the next book.

January 16, 2013

Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern

I enjoyed a great deal about this novel. I loved the concept and have never read anything like it, which is saying something because I've read a lot of books. I was also amazed by the author's imagination. Her descriptions of the circus, the clothing, the setting, the rooms, and even the books were so vivid that they felt tangible. I truly was carried away during the scenes at the circus, feeling like a reveur.

I gave the book three stars because, for me, the heart and soul of a good story comes from its characters, and Morgenstern's, though unusual and distinct and memorable, were not developed adequately enough to make me invested in their journeys. There were times when I had to force myself to continue because I didn't care enough to feel compelled to finish.

So was it interesting? Yes! Imaginative? Absolutely! At times, breath-takingly beautiful? No doubt. But a compelling read it was not. Not for me, anyway.

December 12, 2012

The Host, by Stephenie Meyer

Wow. Talk about a wild ride. You get on and there's no getting off. You can't even stop to breathe! The tension is unrelenting. You have to keep going till the end.

I loved the concept of alien parastites taking over humans for "the greater good," at first emphasizing the tendency for humans to be violent and unreasonable, and later defending us as the most desirable companions in the universe.

I also loved the concept of two enemies sharing the same body, forced to get to know one another and eventually coming to love one another. I loved how the two identies occupying the same body have distinct personalities, which is underscored by their being in love with different men. The conflict of the two men both wanting the same body but being in love with two different persons is brilliant.

The ending might have gone on a little too long, but that's my only complaint about this exciting, interesting, and moving read that has made its way up to one of my top picks!

December 3, 2012

Starters, by Lissa Price

Starters is a dystopian novel about a war-torn society in which unclaimed minors struggle to survive without getting caught by marshals, who want to institutionalize them. Because most of the middle-aged citizens were wiped out in the spore wars, the society consists of minors and the elderly. A power-hungry entrepreneur has developed a company called Prime Destinations at which impoverished minors, also called starters, can make money by renting their bodies out to elderly folks referred to as enders. Callie, desperate to help her sick younger brother, becomes a renter when things go wrong. The person renting her body pulls her into an investigation of Prime Destinations and she gets caught in the crossfire where she can't always tell who her friends are.

There were a lot of things I loved about this book. I loved the concept, and thought Price did an excellent job making the technology believable. Other areas weren't quite as believable, in my opinion, and at times I felt like some of the language describing emotional scenes was a bit heavy-handed, but the logistics of switching bodies was well presented. The plot was also compelling. There was never a dull moment.

Overall, I would recommend this story and look forward to the sequel.

November 23, 2012

Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein

This story, about two young women, a Scottish spy and an English pilot during World War II Nazi-occupied France, pulled me in, yanked me around, and left me feeling breathless. The narrative begins in Queenie's point of view, as she writes to literally save her life as a prisoner of war in a French hotel that's been converted into a place of torture by the Nazis. Queenie oscillates between recalling what she knows of the wireless operators working for the resistence and Ally forces--including their codes, locations, and activities--and details about her torment as a prisoner. As a once refined, uperclass student at Oxford, Queenie employs literary devices to dramatize her story for her captors, writing more than required. She also needs to write, to help her deal with her terrifying situation and to return to a time when she was still with her best friend, Maddie.

Maddie, the English pilot, is not refined. At a time when women were discouraged from flying--used only as a last resort--she just wanted the opportunity. Raised by grandparents who own a motorbike store, Maddie has her own motorbike (and independence) and quickly learns how to work on engines. Once her talents are recognized, she quickly becomes the go-to pilot for a French resistence unit flying by moonlight on secret airfields getting people in and out of the country, not far from where her best friend is being held captive.

I don't want to give too much away, but the story continually surprises to the very end while it simultaneously pulls at your heartstrings. The attention to detail--historical, geographical, and mechanical--was sometimes difficult for me to follow, and I would think a teen would have even greater difficulty. I also worry the details about torture might be hard on some teen readers. I often thought while reading that the novel may be more suitable for adults. But maybe I'm not giving young people enough credit.

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Unbroken: A World War II Story, by Laura Hillenbrand

Lovers of history and stories of survival will love this true account of Olympic gold medal winner, Louis Zamperini, and his horrific experiences when he becomes a pilot and bombardier during World War II.

The beginning was slow for me, but I don't blame the author, who had so much information to cover, that it only made sense to summarize Louis's early life, since what happened during and after the war must be told in greater detail. But once Zamperini's plane goes down in the Pacific and he and two other men struggle against starvation, thirst, and the constant threat of sharks, the book takes hold of you to the very end.

Hillenbrand demonstrates a wealth of research as she recounts Zamperini's years as a POW in various Japanese camps, and the people involved come to life on the page. This book made me grateful for my life and the luxuries and conveniences I often take for granted.

September 15, 2012

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn

Gillian Flynn parallels us readers to her characters and indicts us along with them!

Amy, a native New Yorker and only child and the star of a children's book series called Amazing Amy, written by her parents, makes a point of mentioning in her diary that she is becoming the kind of person she used to mock: the domestic, unappreciated wife who'll do anything to keep her man happy. Her point of view alternates with that of her husband, Nick--a native midwesterner who lives his life trying not to be like his misogynistic father. Nick has been babied by a doting mother and fraternal twin sister and so has never been a take-charge kind of guy. This fact about him makes it believable that his life could go so wrong so quickly without him having the slightest clue until it is much, much too late.

When Amy goes missing on their fifth wedding anniversary, we, like the ever vigilant press, sift through the clues to piece together what happened. Although we read from the points of view of both characters, neither are quick to reveal their cards. Like the cops and the press, we oscillate between theories. I never thought I would be the kind of person who would quickly jump to conclusions--just as Amy and Nick thought they'd never become certain kinds of people. They become those kinds of people; I become those kinds of people. And it happens again and again as the story takes on turn after turn.

I think, "I would never be a cheater," and then some new information makes me see why, in a certain situation, I, too might become one. I think, "I would never be a killer," and then I, too, can see myself wanting to kill someone. I think, "I would never stay with someone who treats people that way," and then, once again, I think, yes, for that reason, I would stay, too.

I'm trying to be vague so this review doesn't spoil the wonderful surprises awaiting you! You won't be disappointed!

August 30, 2012

The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein

I found this story to be an easy, engaging look into one man's attempt to negotiate family crises, but what makes it different from other domestic stories is its point of view: an old and loyal dog named Enzo, companion to the real protagonist, Denny. Enzo is the kind of narrator you can't help but love. He offers the best of both third person and first person narration. He can zoom in and out of Denny's story, contemplate it, and add his own hopes and struggles to the mix. I really enjoyed getting to know Enzo.

One other spin on what might otherwise be just another domestic crisis story is Stein's use of the racing metaphor. It's more than a metaphor, because professional car racing is Denny's lifelong dream, and it continually gets held off and challenged because of his wife's illness and his in-laws' overbearing need to have control over his daughter's life. But I loved how the racing plays double duty as this metaphor for navigating through life. The techniques for successfully racing in the rain also apply to making it through the hard knocks in life. You'll have to read the book to find out what those are.

July 25, 2012

11/22/63, by Stephen King

If you're looking for a compelling read, 11/22/63 won't disappoint. I was hooked within the first five pages and, even though this was a long book, finished within a few days. Without giving away too much, our main character, Jake Epping, teaches high school English in a small Maine town, recently divorced, no kids, and satisfied with helping GED students on the side when the owner of his favorite hamburger joint asks him for a favor. It's the last wish of a dying man. His wish is simple: go through the rabbit hole in his pantry, which always takes you back to Semptember 9, 1958, hang out for five years, and save JFK's life.

It turns out to be not so simple.

Poor Jake. I can't begin to tell you all the shit he goes through trying to make this happen, not to mention the ethical dilemma of killing a man who has not yet committed a crime. To make matters worse, he falls in love, and--you guessed it--must choose between the love of his life and saving the president's life.

I won't tell you the ending, though I will say I was hoping for something different from the yellow card man. Read it yourself. You'll love it.

July 9, 2012

The Chaperone, by Laura Moriarty

When Cora Carlisle, an empty-nester in Witchita, Kansas in the 1920's, agrees to chaperone fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks to New York City for the summer, she's looking for change. Cora's life does change--dramatically--but not in the way she expects.

A product of the orphan trains that ran from New York to the Midwest in the late 1800's, Cora wants to accompany the improper, irreverent teen because she hopes to learn more about her own history. Cora's respect for social norms and her feelings of obligation to morally instruct her clearly neglected charge cause constant tension between the two females while they travel and set up home in their small New York apartment.

Although Louise becomes the famous flapper star of silent and talking motion pictures and broadway stages, the real star of this novel is Cora. Her transformation from an unfulfilled but loyal housewife to an openminded, passionate woman was deliciously engaging. The novel does a wonderful job of celebrating the liberal social mores of today by going back in time and liberating a handful of characters whose lives would have been tragic had Cora not abandoned her stuffy, narrow views.

June 17, 2012

Before Versailles, by Karleen Koen

Karleen Koen is to King Louis XIV what Philippa Gregory is to King Henry VIII. I found Koen to be a masterful storyteller, equal in all ways to Gregory, from her compelling plot full of twists and dark secrets, to the realistic characters that break your heart.

We meet Louis at age twenty-two, his young wife, a Spanish princess, newly pregnant with his future heir, both of them pure-hearted and not yet tarnished with scandal. During the four months depicted in the novel, Louis is tested at every front by his family, his friends, his enemies, and his heart. Among those at court, Louise is the lady of the king's brother's wife, and unlike most others, lacks ambition. Discarded by her family and with nothing but tender memories of her father teaching her to ride horseback, she has a talent for helping hurt animals and children. She unwittingly beguiles the king when, unsure of what else to do, she tells him of having stumbled upon, while out riding, a boy in an iron mask hidden away by monks who call the boy "your highness."

As I read the novel, I longed to be the goodhearted and beautiful Louise who attracts the King's heart and helps him uncover the mystery of the masked boy at a time when his kingdom is in great peril. I'm so sad the story is over and can't wait to read another book by this author!

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Wild: From Lost to Found on the PCT, by Cheryl Strayed

Inspired by Oprah's book club, I recently read this beautiful memoir by Cheryl Strayed about finding herself after the unexpected death of her mother and the crumbling apart of her family by turning to the wilderness. Armed with a "monster" of a backpack (weighing more than half of her own body weight) and with a naive understanding of what it would mean to take on such a journey, Cheryl bravely--in a "remotely upright position"--stepped forward, one foot after the other, for three months along the Pacific Crest Trail.

Parts of the story made me laugh out loud, especially the self-deprecating passages that were so honest and so human. Among these was the moment a Texas longhorn charges her, and in a state of shock, Cheryl shouts, "Moose! Moose!" Other parts of the story made me weep with gut-wrenching sobs. One such moment occurs with the approach of a fox, and maybe because she finally recognizes her mother is with her on this journey, she cries, "Mom! Mom!"

Along with the soul-finding experiences of living and breathing the land and its elements, going weeks without showers and anything but dehydrated food and filtered lake water, the book also demonstrates the spectrum of human interactions. The majority of these are warm and hospitable, reminding readers of the prevailing love and compassion people have for their fellow beings. We also see the sensual, earthy, heady kind of interactions and the ominous, threatening, predator kind.

In spite of the scary and painful parts, the book makes me long to connect with the wilderness. I fantasize about getting book club women from all over the country together to follow in Cheryl's footsteps--maybe not for three whole months (we can't all be Cheryl), but perhaps for one month, if our husbands can manage that long without us.

I highly recommend this book.

June 6, 2012

Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides

Although a synopsis somewhere on a website told me Middlesex was about a hermaphrodite's journey beginning as a girl and then, from age fourteen on, as a male, I found it to be about much more.

The narrator, Cal, is indeed a hermaphrodite, born with ambiguous genitalia, with a vagina and undescended testicles and an elongated clitoris (or short penis) he fondly calls his crocus; however, the gender and sexual issues are not as prominent, in my opinion, as the panoramic view of American history throughout the twentieth century. The narrator explains that his story really begins with his Greek grandparents, a brother and sister, who immigrate to America in the early 1920's to Detroit after their village is burned down by the Turks and the British do nothing to help them and the other refugees floundering toward the sea. We follow the incestuous couple through immigration and American assimilation, through the speakeasies and ragtime roaring twenties, through the depression and post-prohibition. We see the birth of his parents, second cousins, who fall in love despite the grandmother's best effort to keep them apart. We witness the impact of WWII, the aftermath, the cold war. We see Detroit rise and fall. At the same time, we catch glimpses of the cinema and music industry, the books and the fashion, and the evolution of the Cadillac. Popular culture abounds through the decades, including the changes in language, religious attitudes, the roles of women, and views on sexual orientation.

Calliope is born in the sixties and by the time she reaches puberty in the early seventies realizes she is attracted to girls. The narrative oscillates between that transformation in the seventies and Cal's first attempt to reveal himself to a woman with whom he is falling in love in present time. This and Calliope's transformation into Cal comprise a small percentage of the actual narrative.

The novel made me laugh and cry multiple times. I highly recommend it.

May 28, 2012

Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy, by E.L. James

I finished the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy and must admit I loved it. Yes, I was curious to read more about what Ana calls "kinky fuckery," silver balls and all, but what was most compelling was the character of Christian Grey and the many layers of his personality E.L. James so deftly--yes, deftly--crafts.

I suppose I stopped whincing after the millionth time she used the phrase "his mouth pressed into a hard line" because I was enamored with her characters. Language may not be this woman's forte, but character building certainly is. While these characters may have originated from fan fiction inspired by Bella and Edward from Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga, they grow into different individuals entirely, individuals I come to care for deeply.

The trilogy begins with a sex slavemaster hoping to subdue an innocent, smart-mouthed college girl into his next submissive and becomes, instead, a story of how the young college girl subdues the beast in him--the beast created by his dark, troubled past with a crack-whore mother and then later a pedophiliac dominatrix Ana calls "Mrs. Robinson." It's empowering to vicariously experience the power Ana ultimately wields over this hot, wealthy, troubled, emotionally bereft man through her compassion and through her ability to stand up for herself and for him when he can't. I admire Ana's courage, delight in her ecstasy, and long to understand what makes Christian Grey tick. E.L. James doesn't disappoint.

I highly recommend this trilogy, and so does my husband, who has benefited immensely from my reading it.

May 4, 2012

The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver

I wish everyone would read this novel about a missionary family moving to the Congo back in the early sixties and the effect it had on both the family and the natives. Maybe people would be less eager to push their beliefs onto others and be more more willing to accept and appreciate cultural differences. I loved learning new things about Africa--its history and culture and language. I especially loved the four sisters and mother, who took turns narrating the story, and others, like Anatol and his intricately carved facial tattoos and Mama Lawanza. I didn't love all the characters. I wanted to jump into the book and strangle Nathan Price, the missionary bent on baptizing Congolese babies in the shallow, crocodile-infested river and neglecting his own babies and their suffering.

I will encourage my children to read this novel, because it is full of so many good things.

I highly recommend this novel.

April 5, 2012

The Tiger's Wife, by Tea Obreht

Although I sometimes felt frustrated by the narrative structure of The Tiger's Wife, overall it was a satisfying read with its interesting characters, fantastical tales, and engaging voice.

The novel depicts the aftermath of a war-torn Balkan region where Natalia, a young doctor, and her family feel affinities to both sides of the new border. Natalia journeys across it to help immunize the children of an orphanage, and, while there, searches for details surrounding her grandfather's mysterious death. The narrative oscillates from her childhood memories of her grandfather, to the legends her grandfather and other townspeople have told her, to her present job of innoculating and searching for answers. It took me a while to realize that the region itself, or its mythology, was the primary protagonist of the story and that Natalia's grandfather, the tiger's wife, the deathless man, Luca, Dursa the Bear, and even Natalia are secondary protagonists. Once I figured that out, I came to enjoy the novel; but in the first half, I kept asking myself, "Whose story is this?"

There were many moments when I could not put the book down. There were other times when I had to force myself to read on. With each new tale, I went through a "warming up" period in which it took a while for me to get into it, like with a collection of short stories that have different protagonists. By the last third of the novel, however, the individual stories started coming together into one satisfying, rich whole that surpassed the investment.

I would recommend this novel.

February 20, 2012

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer

I started reading this novel at my eleven-year-old daughter's elementary school's roaring twenties gala. I knew to take along a book, because at the last school function, a seventies soiree, she asked me not to dance with her. Then I was crushed, but this time I was happy to find a little corner beneath a dim light and submerge.

I thought I would be crying my eyes out, knowing the subject matter was a boy's loss of his father on 9/11, but for the first third of the novel, and then intermittently throughout, I laughed my head off. I forgot I was at an elementary school dance, as I wiped tears from my eyes and threw my head back in uncontrollable laughter. A mother sitting next to me assumed I was laughing at a kid dancing in front of us. "He is hilarious," she said. I pointed at the book. "This is hilarious," but I didn't want to be sucked into a conversation with her, so I stuck my head back between the pages.

Three different narrators, all with issues, are endearing and tragic in their own ways. We have the boy, Oskar, whose father is killed in 9-11; we have his grandma who helps to take care of him and whose family was killed in the bombing of Dresden; and we have the grandpa he never met and who also lost family and loved ones in Dresden, where he knew Oskar's grandma. There are a host of other interesting characters, equally memorable, which add great depth to the story and illustrate the genuine goodness people are capable of along with the evil.

It's interesting to see the parallels between the two tragedies generations apart and the struggle of the survivors to continue to live in a world where such things happen.

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A Reliable Wife, by Robert Goolrick

I read A Reliable Wife in one day. I literally could not put it down. I instantly cared for the characters, even though Ralph beat his son and Catherine was plotting to murder Ralph. Although the novel was written by a man, the internal lives of the characters were as fleshed out as one finds more frequently in stories written by women. One member in my book club said that she thought she was reading the words of a woman. To me, the sex gave the author away. More sensual and romantic than the sex authored by most men I've read, the shear abundance of it signaled to me that a male psyche was behind the story. Someone once told me that men have sexual thoughts throughout the day, and that was certainly demonstrated in this story. But I was not put off by it at all. I sympathized and longed for Ralph to find pleasure.

Everybody in my book club felt that Catherine went too far in her plot to murder Ralph, and that if she hadn't tried so hard to save her sister, her sympathy as a character would have been lost. And Ralph accepted too much. Once the horrible side effects of the arsenic presented themselves, he should have fought back, though I suppose his dilerium might have hindered that.

Tony was also nicely fleshed-out and complex. He was easy to hate, but also easy to understand. I was satisfied with the way the author ended the story, though not as sure as Catherine concerning whose child she carried. I was okay with that. I liked the ambiguity and felt Ralph would want to raise the child regardless.

I highly recommend this novel.

December 29, 2011

The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain

My book club read this novel about Hemingway this month, and every person in the club enjoyed it. Having read most of Hemingway's works, in addition to works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sherwood Anderson, and Gertrude Stein (not to mention The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas--Stein's lifelong partner), I can say with confidence that McLain depicts the essence of Hemingway's life as a young man. The Bohemian lifestyle of the expatriates, the attention to the craft of writing, the struggles with finances, and Hemingway's interactions with other literary figures and their partners all ring true. I also felt McLain was able to show the inspiration behind Hemingway's writing of The Sun Also Rises, with wonderful scenes of the bullfights in Pamplona, Spain.

Told from the point of view of Hemingway's first wife, Hadley, this fictional interpretation submerged me into Hemingway's lifestyle and struggles while presenting me with a good story. I immediately liked Hadley and sympathized with her, feeling crushed by her husband's betrayals. There were moments I hated Hemingway, but McLain does a superior job of keeping him sympathetic to the end.

I highly recommend this novel.

October 6, 2001

Mothers and Other Liars, by Amy Bourret

How would you feel if what you believed to be true about your nine-year-old daughter weren't, and she was suddenly taken away from you even as you attempted to do the right thing? I don't think I could go on living, but Ruby does as she fights to be reunited with her daughter in Amy Bourret's well-crafted novel, Mothers and Other Liars.

With a literary, musical style and vivid characters and setting, Bourret takes us through Ruby's struggle in Santa Fe, New Mexico to avoid prison and protect her precious daughter, not to mention the baby growing inside of her. I found myself sobbing uncontrollably and clinging to my own daughter after sneaking into her room in the middle of night, just to remind myself that she was still there. I can't recall another book making me react so strongly. I could barely read between my tears.

Ruby comes up with a surprising plan to save her daughter, and, I have to say that, as a mother, I would have done the exact same thing! Ruby's actions are entirely believable and sympathetic, and I couldn't have been more pleased with the ending.

I highly recommend this novel.

September 16, 2011

The Magician's Assistant, by Ann Patchett

As in Bel Canto, I was a hundred pages into this novel and still wondering why I hadn't given up. I'll tell you why I kept reading: It wasn't because the plot immediately compelled me. It wasn't because I connected with the characters or even understood them. I kept reading because State of Wonder and Bel Canto changed my life, and I had faith that if I kept going, I wouldn't be sorry.

I was right.

Somewhere between the first hundred pages and the last hundred, I came to care so deeply for the characters, that I couldn't stand to be away from them. Even now, I want to jump back into the pages of the novel and say, "Scoot over. Make room for me. I want to spend more time with you."

I feel so sad that the story is over. I wish I would have dragged it out a little longer. The characters become so personable and intimate, and the plot, which seems insignificant in the first half of the story, has a major surprise by the end. Sabine seems like the kind of woman who has had things happen to her rather than the kind who makes things happen. She's loved a gay man her whole life and seems to have sacrificed her own potential to remain by his side and assist him. She continues to help him even after his death, but, in a surprising twist, is finally able to help herself as well as others. She's finally the kind of woman who makes things happen. How delightful you are, Ann Patchett! I can't wait to read another of your books!

September 4, 2011

Burning Bright, by Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier is one of my favorite authors. I've loved every book she's written, except this one. Although she created believable and endearing characters in Jem and Maggie, she failed to make the real star of the book, William Blake, much more than a friendly blur. If A Girl with Pearl Earring gave me insight into Vermeer, Burning Bright only more confused my understanding of Blake. The children's references to opposites, as an underpinning theme to Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, seemed forced, and most of the recitations of the poetry did as well.

I did enjoy getting to know the children in the story, who were very real and mostly endearing, as well as the English landscape, but the plot was only engaging in a few areas, unlike everything else Chevalier has written. Even my least favorite, Virgin Blue, was better than this one. What a disappointment.

August 14, 2011

Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett

After reading State of Wonder, I immediately returned to the bookstore to find another novel by Ann Patchett. I must admit, I was disappointed, at first. I had trouble getting into the various points of view. I kept wondering, "THIS was a bestseller?" But I knew the whole world couldn't be wrong in recommending this book, so I plowed onward.

Oh...my...God! I am so glad I read this novel! Patchett shows us the beautiful side of humanity and the love we can have for one another in spite of the violence around us. And the catalyst for the bond between people is the joy of music. This story is a study of the role of music, and by extension all of the arts, in bringing the best out of humanity.

I might have written the ending a little differently, but I was very pleased overall and would highly recommend this novel.

August 12, 2011

State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett

I was shocked when I read a description of this novel as "a creepy fountain of youth story." Those words are far from the ones I would use to describe this magnificent adventure story. If you want to experience authentic life in the Amazon jungle of South America; if you want to live among a fascinating tribe mostly untouched by modern civilization; if you want to witness the devotion of doctors to the betterment of humanity; and if you want to see this outrageously dangerous and beautiful adventure from the point of view of a lovely woman dedicated to both her work and her friends; then this novel, nothing like a fountain of youth tale, is for you. The characters and the setting, brilliantly crafted, linger in my mind long after closing the book. I can't wait to read it again.

I highly recommend this novel.

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Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon

I just returned from eating Indian food (since our narrator likes Indian food) at a wonderful restaurant with my book club friends where we discussed this interesting study in point of view. Most of us felt that seeing the world through Christopher's autistic perspective was very enlightening. A few of us are in education and found the novel an important reminder that not all of us learn or understand directions in the same way. One friend had a hard time getting into the story and thought it slow and boring, but the majority of us, including me, loved it. In addition to the interesting point of view, I enjoyed the surprise and compelling twists in plot. At one point in the story, I could not put the book down till I had finished it.

Maybe more than others in my club, I truly enjoyed being shown by the narrator how to work through certain logic and math problems. I especially liked the situation of the three doors, with the prize behind only one of them and how to use logic to choose your door. Very interesting stuff!

April 30, 2011

The Lady and the Unicorn, by Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier has done it again in this realistic look into the French Renaissance through the eyes of several characters living different sorts of lives, but all connected somehow to a tapestry making business. There's love, mystery, betrayal and a lot more in this relatively short read. I absolutely loved it.

April 5, 2011

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson

Most of the members of my book club loved this thriller. I certainly couldn't put it down. But when I look back over the story, I find it reads too much like a male fantasy, kind of the opposite of romance fiction for women. We have a man who is able to attract a young and beautiful, albeit neurotic, woman whom no other man has successfully engaged. This same man solves an old family mystery that no one else can solve. He writes a story that immediately puts every other journalist to shame. And he is desired by all the women with whom he comes into contact, and these women do not expect commitment--they are merely grateful for the opportunity to share his bed. What a man you are, Mikael Blomkvist!

I recommend the novel with reservations.

March 16, 2011

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen

I loved this book that gives such an in-depth look at circus life during the Depression. Well-developed and endearing characters along with a compelling plot make it very hard to put down. I can't wait to see the movie! Has anyone seen it yet? Was it good?

I highly recommend this novel.

March 1, 2011

The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton

It took a while for this book to grab me, but when it did, it grabbed me hard. I was at first put off by the alternating points of view. I would just start to get comfortable walking in one character's shoes when I would be yanked out and forced into another's. But once I adjusted to this yanking around, I loved the story and the characters, though I did find the ending a bit predictable.

I would recommend this book.

February 17, 2011

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

Five stars! I would rank this novel among the very top picks on my list. I loved reading the various points of view during a time in history after slavery but before integration and civil rights. Various perspectives are juxtaposed among the black help and the white female employers who are all struggling against their different forms of oppression.

I would highly recommend this book! Has anyone seen the movie? Can't wait!

January 30, 2011

Winter in Madrid, by C.J. Sansom

I love books that teach about periods in history, and this novel was no disappointment as it depicted Spain and other parts of Europe after the Spanish Civil War with realistic clarity. I found the main character, Brett, to be completely sympathetic, and I was afraid for him as he was pulled further and further into danger when a feeling of obligation puts him in the position of spy for the British Secret Service. Love and intrigue abound, and I could not put this one down. My book club shared Spanish Tapas at my house as we discussed our enjoyment of this book.

I highly recommend this novel.

January 5, 2011

Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert

If you like narrators who can make you laugh and cry within a single page, Elizabeth Gilbert is for you. I enjoyed following her along this journey of self-discovery. I was relieved that she didn't take herself too seriously. No one likes to be preached to, and this book is not preachy. My book club enjoyed discussing what one word we each felt defined us. It was a great meeting and a good read. A few weeks later we saw the movie, which we all thought was well done. Then we went for coffee after to discuss the similarities and differences between the two versions.

I would recommend this book.

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A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini
originally posted: December 18, 2010

This was a brilliantly crafted novel about Afghanistan from the Soviet invasion through the Taliban takeover through the points of view of two very different women. Reading their stories made me grateful to live in a society where women have most of the same liberties as men. I appreciated the insight this story gave me into the worlds of women so different from me. We need stories like this to remind us of how precious basic civil liberties are for all people, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, in order for the pursuit of happiness to be possible.

I highly recommend this book and put it up there among my favorites. I recently read it a second time.

November 15, 2010

Perfume, by Patrick Suskind

Only two people in my book club loved this book, and I was one of them. The others were grossed out by the details of disgusting smells and horrid deeds, but I found the powers of description this author possesses to be absolutely astounding. Many books have made me see and hear and taste and feel unusual things, but this novel makes you smell in a brilliantly artistic way. I've never read a book like this one and consider it a masterpiece as a study of the sense of smell in literature.

I highly recommend this book.

October 11, 2010

The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield

This novel is the perfect combination of heart-strings and eerie. If you are a story-lover, you will love this one in that it glorifies books, authors, and readers. I found the narrator relatable and the woman she interviews titillating. It reads like a ghost story while maintaining a strict adherence to realism. It's part twin story, part family saga, part ghost story, part mystery, and part metafiction. You won't want to put the book down.

I highly recommend this book.

September 5, 2010

Remarkable Creatures, by Tracy Chevalier

Everyone in my book club loved this book. No one had a negative thing to say about it. We all enjoyed learning about this very important time in history when dinosaur fossils were first being discovered and recognized as extinct beings. It was interesting to see the reaction some of the religious had to these discoveries, with questions, such as, "Would a perfect God make a mistake?" It was equally interesting to see how two important women were treated by the male scientists and at geological meetings where women were not permitted to attend. Chevalier's narrator warns that this is no Jane Austen novel with its romantic happily-ever-after marriages, but the ending is still uplifting in different, more realistic, ways.

I highly recommend this book and anything written by this author.

August 20, 2010

Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett

Wow. I feel this book gave me an authentic look into the many kinds of lives lived during the Middle Ages in England. We see the rich and the starving, the religious and the irreverent, the talented and the disadvantaged. We see the role of the clergy, the merchants, the builders, the peasants, the kings and the lords, and the women and children. I feel especially educated now on the importance of cathedrals to Medieval towns because of the work the building of them created.

The ending was extremely satisfying to me, though not all in my club felt the same way.

I highly recommend this book.

July 16, 2010

The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory

I would put this novel up there in my top two or three picks. If you really want an interesting view of King Henry the Eighth and his wives from a new perspective, read this book. It hooks you right away and never lets up. I didn't want to do anything but read till I finished the story, and the details are still so fresh in my head even though I read the book two years ago.

The movie was surprisingly well done, though, understandably, much was left out. The character of the mother was also different.

I highly recommend this novel.

June 2, 2010

I'm Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers, by Tim Madigan

I was not looking forward to reading this book because I'm not one for nonfiction and because I thought I knew everything there was to know about Fred Rogers. Much to my surprise, this book was a joy, not only because it taught me more about Mister Rogers, but also because it portrayed the transformational power of friendship. I cried and laughed and had a ball reading this inspirational story.

I would recommend this book.

May 13, 2010

The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards

Everybody in my book club loved this book but me. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I loved it only so far. The ending was a disappointment to me. I feel too much blame is put on the husband and not enough on the wife, but I was a minority in this way of thinking among my book club friends.

Despite my disappointment with the ending, I would still recommend this book for a tragic look at how Down Syndrome babies were once viewed and how one secret can tear an otherwise loving relationship apart.

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The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafron
originally posted: April 12, 2010

I loved this one so much that I read it twice. This story of a boy named Daniel, whose father deals in antiquarian books and whose mother dies when he's very young, intertwines the world of fiction with the world of reality. I love books that blur those two worlds while maintaining an absolute strict adherence to realism. This book is not mystical, but it brings you to the edge of mysticism.

If for no other reason, you have to read this book just so you can meet my new absolute favorite literary character, Fermin. He is a hoot. He is both tragic and comic and will make you laugh so hard, you'll cry.

March 21, 2010

The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Not everyone in the club loved this book as much as I did, but it sure sparked some really good conversation. This was definitely one of my favorites.

To some of my book club friends, this novel started out slow, but I enjoyed learning about this boy's interest in all religions, about his father's zoo-keeping, and about the differences between the two and three-toed sloths. All of this prelude is so crucial, in my opinion, to the metaphorical significance of the rest of the story, which, once you get to, is amazingly compelling.

I loved this book and highly recommend it. I think this novel is an expression of something Joseph Campbell once said in one of his books, about metaphor being the penultimate truth.

February 18, 2010

The Next Thing on My List, by Jill Smolinksi

Even though this wasn't one of my favorites (I'm not a big chick lit fan), it was still a good read, if you're looking for something quick and uplifting. My book club enjoyed sharing what we would include on a list of things we want to do before we die. Before the meeting, we emailed the author and scheduled a conference call with her during our book club meeting. This part was awesome, because we were able to ask her questions, such as what inspired her to write the book or to create certain characters. Jill Smolinsky is a smart and nice lady.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy chick lit.

January 15, 2010

The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls

I'm usually more of a fiction reader than one of memoirs, but the storytelling in this nonfiction work was captivating. What an intriguing look into the life a girl brought up by eccentric and probably mentally diseased parents who end up homeless and the girl's ability to triumph in spite of it all. It's nice to know that our society makes it possible for this success story to happen, though, more often than not, people like Jeanette fall though the cracks.

I would highly recommend this book.

January 3, 2010

My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult

I had mixed feelings about this novel until a surprise is revealed toward the end that made me love it. I deferred my judgment on the narrator, a thirteen-year-old who sues her parents for rights to her own body, which has been used to harvest replacement material for her older sister Kate, who has leukemia. Anna, the narrator, isn't sympathetic enough to me until I learn the surprise that saves the whole story for me. Everyone in my book club loved this and we plan to read another book by this author.

This is a tragic and beautiful story that I would highly recommend. The movie can't compare and changes the story.

December 10, 2009

The Virgin Blue, by Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier is my new favorite author, but not because of this novel, which is the one of hers that I least like. I was the one in my book club who recommended it, but it received mixed reviews from our members. Most of us enjoyed the historical point of view, but the modern story told through Ella could have been improved. I especially found the section where Ella visits her uncle Jacob lacking. But there were many things about this book I loved, including the character of the librarian, Jean-Paul, and the historical details surrounding the Protestant Reformation and its impact on the lives of everyday families.

I would recommend this novel.

November 8, 2009

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski

Who knew a story about a dog breeding farm could be so powerful? Not only do we have the heart-warming relationship between Edgar, who's mute and speaks only in sign, and his loyal friend Almondine, but we also have the threat of the uncle, Claude, who creates a situation on the farm reminiscent of Hamlet. It's all up to mute Edgar and a few of his unique breed of dogs, a breed that seems to have evolved in a way that makes them able to communicate in a special way with Edgar. This author has excellent descriptive powers that makes the beautiful Wisconsin setting come to life.

I highly recommend this book.

October 7, 2009

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, by Lorna Landvik

This was a great novel to start our book club so many years ago. Not only did it show us how such a club could bring disparate women with different backgrounds, ages, and values together in a heart-wrenching, lovely story, it also gave us ideas for how to conduct our meetings. Most of us were merely acquaintances when we started, and now we are a group of friends who have begun exchanging presents at our December meeting.

The ladies in the novel choose to have meals that relate to whatever novel they are reading, and we've continued to carry on this tradition in our club as well, encouraging us to try some new and yummy recipes.

This novel tells of five different women who each have their own story to share as they bond together through four decades of change. This is an American history novel, a woman's novel, and an inspirational novel. I highly recommend it.

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Eva Pohler has a Ph.D. in English, writes fiction, and teaches writing and literature at the University of Texas at San Antonio where she lives with her husband, three children, and two dogs. She is the author of The Mystery Box, a suspense novel for adults, and a contemporary young adult fantasy trilogy comprised of The Gatekeeper's Sons, The Gatekeeper's Challenge, and The Gatekeeper's Daughter. Her historical novel, Magpies in Winter, and her young adult contemporary thriller, The Purgatorium, are forthcoming.