Category Archives: Book Report

Book Report: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Posted on January 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

***Warning! This post contains spoilers!***

Now that we got that out of the way…

I went into this book with high expectations. It was recommended to me by many people and on the bestseller list, so I thought it may be my next favorite. But, as with most things that start with high expectations, I ended up a little disappointed.

Let me start out by saying I think Gillian Flynn is an excellent writer. I admire her ability to tell a tale from two different character’s viewpoints and then add an alternate personality to one of them. I just hated the ending.

The book is divided into three sections. The first starts out with a missing wife. We oscillate between the husband’s point of view, as told in real-time, and the wife’s point of view, as told by her diary entries. As the reader, even though we are hearing from the husband in the first person, you truly start to wonder if he killed her.

In the second section, we actually hear from the wife’s point of view in real-time. We discover she staged her own disappearance, fabricated the diary (making up seven years worth of fake entries, elaborately tying in special events to make it seem believable), all to frame her husband whom she caught cheating on her. We again flip between her viewpoint and her husband’s.

The third section is the wife returning home, clearing the husband’s name, and then an ending that could have been so much more.

As mentioned, I enjoyed the writing and think Gillian Flynn does a good job. I was captivated for the second section, eagerly waiting to hear how everything was going to pan out. But what fell flat was there were not enough examples to show how psychotic was. Because the first section was drastically different, and moved much slower, I would have preferred that part shorter and the second section longer to further detail how nuts she was.

Also, the ending. The husband knows his wife killed a man she knew in order to stage an “escape from a captor.” She then impregnates herself with her husband’s semen, which she had saved in order to do such a thing. Despite all of this, after she framed him, fearing for his life, he stays with her. And that’s it. The book just ends with the two of them as a family. The last entry is from her, “just to have the last word.” I kept waiting for him to get his revenge, but…nope.

If I hadn’t hated the ending, I may have felt different about the overall book. However, it received great reviews from many, so may be worth checking out. I’m also eager to check out other books by the author.

gone girl

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Book Report

Tagged ,

Book Report: The Fifty Shades series by E L James

Posted on December 30, 2012 | 4 Comments

The hype surrounding Fifty Shades is a mystery to me.

I committed to reading the series because my mom and I had tickets to see “Spank!” the 50 shades parody and I wanted to appreciate the play (more on that, later). Without tickets to a sold-out show, I’m not sure I would have made it through. The writing was not worth constantly trying to cover up the title pages while juggling my morning coffee so that fellow Metra riders wouldn’t judge my soft core porn reading material on the way to the office.

There is a plot…sort of. Handsome bad boy with baggage meets girl who is super pretty but doesn’t know it. Girl who is super pretty but doesn’t know it falls for bad boy with baggage. They start a relationship. They have a falling out. They realize they need to be together. They reconcile and have babies. The end.

Whoops, sorry. Suppose I should have put a “spoiler alert!” warning in there somewhere…

…plot aside (and fully recognizing that’s the basic plot line of every chick-flick or chick-lit novel I’ve ever enjoyed) it’s the repetition that kills it for me. The phrase “my inner goddess” is written so many times I had to suppress grumbling out loud a third of the way through book one. And referring to said “inner goddess” doesn’t stop throughout the entire series. Another phrase on endless repeat: “my sex.” And the word “murmur.” And comments on how good Christian’s body wash smells (seriously, no man smells that good all the time). There are websites citing other overused phrases here, here, and many people give us specific phrase and word counts on their amazon reviews.

It also seems as though the main character is biting her lip every other paragraph, only to be interrupted by the next sex scene. Which happens about once per hour, by my calculations. There was a point in the book they had sex so many times, with such lengthy descriptions, that I thought a full week had been covered in the story. Turns out? A day and a half.

There are a few sub-plots. The main character’s BFF becomes engaged the brother of the bad boy. A dude tries to kill the bad boy. There’s some family drama. The main character gets a ton of clothes and cars. She gains some weight so she’s not “too slender” anymore (oh the horror! of being too slender!).

So why did this serious do so well?

I think the basic love story is there, which will always draw in us females. That, and I have to admit – the sex was hot. Until it got lost in the novel. I would have loved a little more focus on a better plot and the characters.

That all being said, the parody was hilarious. And just for that, reading the series was worth it.

50shades

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Book Report

Tagged ,

Book Report: The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

Posted on December 6, 2012 | 2 Comments

This is easily one of my favorite books I’ve read all year.

Initially, I bought it based off a recommendation from a friend. The book arrived and it lazily sat on a shelf for months. After finishing I am Charlotte Simmons, I picked it up hoping for a half-way decent story to entertain my time on the Metra.

I was hooked after just a couple of paragraphs.

The premise of the book is nothing that hasn’t already been written: a young girl, Liesel. Her mother, unable to care for her, sends her to live with a set of foster parents in Munich. The book takes place from 1939 – 1942.

Nazi Germany.

Liesel arrives with little education and many nightmares. Each night, waking up terrified from her dreams, her new papa teaches her to read. Eventually Liesel integrates herself in her new family’s life and begins to trust them. When they hide a Jewish man in their basement to save him, the need for trust becomes mutual.

The plot, the story, is great. The characters are interesting, sometimes admirable, sometimes less than, and evolving as time goes on. They are lovable, flawed, and “real.” And it would have still been a wonderful novel, had the author left it all at that. But there’s an experimental spin on the point of view.

The book is told from the point of view of death.

Death tells us the story of Liesel’s young life experiences as she steals books and he collects souls. The writing style is page turning. Quick-witted, straight forward, and to the point, I couldn’t put the book down. Ironically, seeing as how humans are always trying to make sense of death, it seems as Death is trying to make sense of humans. He becomes invested in the book thief’s life, as will many of the readers.

This is a novel that will have you choking back tears at the final events and missing the characters once you are done reading, and the book is back on the shelf.

bt

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Book Report

Tagged ,

Book Report: I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe

Posted on November 7, 2012 | 1 Comment

My copy of I am Charlotte Simmons is 738 pages. Which equates to a lot of time reading. Which, in this case, equates to a lot of time dragging through a horrible plot, stereotyped characters, and unimaginative writing.

The book came highly recommended. I have never ready anything by Tom Wolfe and was looking forward to occupying my time during the long commutes to and from work.  However, I’m sure the only reason I actually finished it was due to all of my idle time on the Metra.

The concept of the book lends itself to the potential of an interesting, discussion worthy plot about college life, stereotypes, peer pressure, and social class. A non-cultured girl from a mountain town in North Carolina receives a full scholarship to the fictional Ivy league school, Dupont. She arrives with one duffel bag, a full scholarship, and much naivety. Charlotte makes her journey through Dupont facing judgement, wrongfully assuming judgement, and noticing her own judgements forming. She realizes how sheltered her life has been, now exposed to the typical college scene of drinking, popularity, and sex.

And that’s as interesting as it gets.

We are introduced to the snotty roommate, the typical frat boys, the jocks, the dorks, the sorority girls, the coaches, the tenured teachers. No one, not even Charlotte, was a likable character for me.

There are a few dilemmas, and a moment or two when I cared to find out the outcome of a situation, but mostly I just read on to get through it. Events were predictable, drawn out, and did little to captivate the reader. The time period when Charlotte was depressed was conveyed quite well. I truly felt down while reading it. Mostly because I felt depressed about still having more pages to finish reading. The author over-used several graphic words throughout the novel which became an annoying distraction (you try reading a book that overuses the word “loins” and the phrase “mons pubis” throughout).

I appreciated the fictional study referenced in the prologue and tying it in to the main theme of the book. I also appreciated the flawed, human characters, and that the story doesn’t end tied up in a nice bow.

That being said, I think the author could have broken out of some of the stereotypes and clichés, and I would have liked at least one character that was relatable. I was disappointed in the writing and the characters. I’d love to give Tom Wolfe another chance, but this particular novel fell flat with me.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Book Report

Tagged ,

Book Report: Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

Posted on August 12, 2012 | 1 Comment

After finishing Under the Banner of Heaven, I needed something fiction and easy to read. This was the perfect book to pick up next.

I’ve never been a big Picoult reader, but my mother is so I usually end up with her books quickly after they’ve been released. Nineteen Minutes was the most recent thing I’ve read by the author, and I believe her style is very similar in both novels. While I don’t think her writing is particularly riveting, I do find her stories interesting and quick reads.

Handle With Care is about a child, Willow, with osteogenesis imperfecta, otherwise known as OI or brittle bone disease. The book is written from various characters viewpoints, as though they are speaking to Willow. We oscillate from her dad, mom, sister, lawyer, and mother’s best friend Piper, who also was her ob-gyn.

Soon into the book, we enter the lives of each person and learn of their struggles. A trip to Disney-World, which goes awry, eventually leads the family into a lawyer’s office. But the lawsuit they end up filing is not the one they initially intended.

Picoult approaches a tough subject to think about: wrongful birth lawsuits. A lawsuit which states the parents were not provided with information at the proper time to determine if they would have aborted a baby with serious medical conditions. A lawsuit which, if won, could provide money for Willow’s expensive medical care and better her life. But also a lawsuit which, in order to win, her mother has to state she would have aborted Willow if she had been informed of the disease during pregnancy.

After filing the lawsuit, each character is considerably affected. Piper’s confidence in her work is deflated along with her relationship with her now former best friend. Husband and wife are an opposing sides of what’s the “right” way to care for your children. Amelia, the sister, is in the shadows of everything and in desperate need of attention. The lawyer assigned the case is adopted and struggles to swallow her personal feelings about pregnancy termination in order to do her job.

And then there’s Willow.

The book is interesting and the topic is something I’ve never read about. That being said, I was a bit disappointed in the ending. Because of that, I’d have to give it three instead of four stars, but still recommend putting it on your list for an easy weekend read.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Book Report

Tagged ,

Book Report: Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer

Posted on August 12, 2012 | 3 Comments

I’d like to start this post with a disclaimer that I am simply stating an opinion based of a book written from one person’s research. I also recognize that if you were to write a similar book about my own, or any other religion, surprising ‘facts’ and shocking secrets will surface. That being said, I read this book by this author, and that is what I am basing all opinions from.

I knew next to nothing about the Mormon religion before picking up this book. I had heard rumors about polygamy, but knew about that subject from ads for a reality T.V. show more than anything else. So when we chose this book for book-club, I was curious how I would feel about the non-fiction novel. After finally finishing it, I’d say if you’re looking for a good discussion book, this is it.

Krakauer is an excellent writer, composing a book out of three years of research on the Mormon religion, as well as the Lafferty murders. Because I’ve never been one to finish a non-fiction book quickly, it did take me much longer than usual to complete the novel. There are many characters, and twice as many facts and historical stories. Because of this, if you decide to read Under the Banner of Heaven I suggest not putting it down for long periods of time, like I did.

The book starts out with the murders of Brenda and Erica Lafferty, a 24-year-old mother and her 15-month-old baby. The mother and baby were brutally murdered by two of her brother-in-laws. Both fundamentalist members of the Church of Latter Day Saints, the men claimed God spoke to them directly with instructions to carry out the murders. The novel goes on to share the history of the Mormon religion, weaving it into the Lafferty’s historical murder.

Hearing how the Mormon religion was founded was nothing short of interesting. An appearance of an angel, sacred gold plates buried 1,400 years ago on a hillside, and a peep stone. Oh yeah, and the angel gave Joseph some magic specs so he could decipher the gold plates, as they weren’t written in English. When the 116 translated pages went missing, the angel did turn up the plates again in the hillside, but no cool specs this time. So Joseph had to put the peep stone in a hat, block out light, and then the words magically appeared to him. In the dark of the hat. The pages spoke about the history of people on earth, and God’s true message. I was appalled to hear the historical explanations why certain people have different skin color.

And then there’s the history of polygamy. And hearing that Joseph had somewhere between thirty-three and forty-eight wives, some as young as 14, commanding they marry him or face eternal damnation. Plural marriage was a main theme in the book, as that is a huge dividing line between the LDS and the fundamentalist LDS communities. Many fundamentalists believe the church went south when it gave in to the United States government, outlawing polygamy.

Mormons believe in having a direct line to God. This means, at any given time, someone from the church can receive a revelation. Some FLDS also believe in blood atonement. Couple this with a history of feuding (both with the government and within the church itself) and you’ve got an interesting account of history. And, ending the novel with a well-placed interview and quote, Krakauer does an excellent job of telling it.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Book Report

Tagged

Book Report: Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson

Posted on April 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

This book will give you a six-pack.

Not, like, a six-pack of Miller Lite cause that would be weird if a book handed you beer, but rather the sexy abs kind of six-pack. In fact, you will get such a great workout from laughing so hard, I give you full permission to forego all exercise on the days you spend reading this book.

You’re Welcome.

Instead, I invite you to skip the gym and stay in. Amazing abs will naturally occur while reading. Even while also drinking Miller Lite which may or may not be snorted out of your nose several times from laughing so hard you can’t possibly catch your breath or swallow anything liquid like a normal adult.

Or so I’ve heard. From a friend.

Jenny Lawson is the author of the popular and hilarious site The Bloggess. You may have heard about her and her giant metal chicken, Beyonce. And if you haven’t, I suggest immediately heading over to her site because if you like what you see, I promise you will love her book.

Jenny has a unique past and a gifted way of writing about it. Who else could turn stories about road kill puppets, throwing up in deer carcasses, loosing a semen filled turkey baster inside of a cow (but safely removing one’s hand from the inside of said cow), your father throwing a bobcat on your fiance,  a miscarriage, and a chupacabra sighting (or was that Chalupa?), and leave their readers in tears from cracking up?

No one, that’s who.

She takes us from childhood, through an adolescence involving quail (turkeys) following her to school, all the way through marriage and a family. Things were not always easy for Jenny (have you ever had to wear bread-sack-shoes?) but those are the very things that have made her who she is today. Addressing the challenges that come with a general anxiety disorder, she has us appreciating her experiences while laughing along with her at the stories they generate. Above all, Lawson maintains who she is throughout the memoir: witty, charming, and part of a loving family.

And I thank her for sharing her story. Because without it, this past week would not have been so hilarious.

p.s. Thanks for the six-pack, Jenny!

p.p.s. I mean the abs kind, not beer. That would be weird since you never sent me any beer.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Book Report

Tagged , , ,

Book Report: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Posted on March 25, 2012 | 1 Comment

When a tragedy, such as a school shooting, happens…how do you really define who all the victims are?

This is the question I asked from the beginning of Nineteen Minutes until after it was up on the bookshelf.

I still may be pondering that thought for a while. But through her work of fiction, Picoult offers a possible answer to the question “Why?” when a small, safe community suffers through this kind of tragedy.

The novel begins with quickly introducing the main characters, giving us little more than names and occupations. We then are rushed into witnessing a school shooting at Sterling High. A school in a Northeastern community where things like this are not supposed to happen. A detective manages to cuff the shooter just after he has killed his 10th victim. The shooter is Peter Houghton.

Just as quickly, we are taken back 17 years earlier. We learn Peter’s mother, Lacy, is a compassionate mid-wife who tenderly brings life into the world. She befriends Alex Cormier, a local defense attorney, pregnant.

As the novel unfolds, we oscillate between present time (from the moment the school shooting happened and beyond) to past time (starting from 17 years prior), until the two coincide at the end.

Immediately, I felt compassion for the students and teachers caught in the cross fire. And the friends and family of those shot. And the students, teachers, friends, and family of those who weren’t shot, but who were members of the school, or the community. I felt for everyone affected. Everyone, except for the shooter and his family. In my eyes, Peter was a monster.

But going back in time to ride the bus with him on his first day of kindergarten, I surprisingly felt compassion for young Peter. Because on his very first day of school, his brand new Superman lunchbox was stolen and thrown out the window. This happened several times a week.

Thus began Peter’s lifetime of being bullied.

Because of Lacy and Alex’s relationship, Peter later grows close to Josie Cormier, Alex’s daughter. The two children are inseparable through the sixth grade. An incident involving Peter unlocking his dad’s gun rack at home, prompts Alex to cease their relationship outside of school. Later, Josie’s rising popularity creates an ever-growing wedge in their relationship at school.

Now, just to be clear, I am in no way saying I agree with what Peter did. At all. Obviously.  But I am saying the book opened my eyes to the effects of bullying. I was outraged at how the adult’s in his life handled, or didn’t, what was happening to Peter. And though I wasn’t happy with Josie for taking the popular route in life, I certainly remembered high school and the fight to be on top. Especially since I was one of the dorkier kids.

An incredibly powerful part of the novel, for me, was when one of Peter’s friends, a fellow victim of bullying, was called to the stand. While stating he did not take retaliation in the form of a gun shots, he admitted that sometimes…he wished he had.

This was my first time reading a Jodi Picoult book. I did enjoy her writing, but I didn’t feel as connected to her characters as I would have liked. I also would have loved to hear from the point of view of the bullies. There were a few parts of the story that moved slower than others, and I read about the characters factually, vs. relating to them on a deeper level. Perhaps that’s her style of writing, or perhaps that was purposeful for this novel.

Either way, the novel certainly makes you think.

Makes you think about the fine line between allowing kids to fend for themselves to acquire skills needed later in life, and stepping in. Between what is popular and what is right. Between judging other families, and realizing you may not know everything about your own. Between putting up with things, and sticking up for yourself. And when it’s going too far.

About who all of the victims are.

Regardless. It makes you think.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Book Report

Tagged , , ,

Book Report: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Posted on February 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

Ladies and gentleman, step right up! Water for Elephants is a spectacular novel!

The story takes place during the beginning of the Great Depression. In the prologue, we witness a tense conversation interrupted by an act of circus mayhem. The band starts playing “Stars and Stripes Forever,” which is the cue something has gone utterly wrong. In a whirlwind of escaping animals and panicking patrons, we realize Jacob is in love with a woman named Marlena. A murder is committed. A secret is kept.

The story is told from the viewpoints of both 23 year old Jacob, and an older version of himself. Jacob as a grumpy senior is introduced to us at the age of 90 (or maybe 93). Residing in a nursing home and craving normal food, his mind is mostly there but starting to slip. One uneventful afternoon, Jacob and the rest of the seniors find out the circus is coming to town.

We are taken back 67 (or maybe 70) years earlier, sitting with young Jacob during lecture. Here, during his last year of vet school at Cornell, he receives news that both parents have died during an automobile accident. After burying them and learning there is not a cent left to their name, he walks out of his final exams. With nowhere to go, he jumps a train into a new set of rules, personalities, and wonder.

Without realizing it, Jacob has run away to join the circus.

While I would not rate it five stars, I did enjoy the novel. It’s obvious Sara Gruen conducted excellent research on the traveling circus. Once a technical writer, her style is direct, straight forward, and informative. The story itself is unique and interesting. The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth rides from town to town, performing across the nation during a time of prohibition and hobos. A time when many felt lucky just to eat. Mindful that work is scarce, the members of the circus are at the mercy of Uncle Al, the cruel circus owner.

Performers, workers, and animals form a unique family. Trust, love and compassion are not missing from the dysfunctional group.

We eventually catch up to the prologue. However, not without a twist. A quote in the book, placed before the prologue, takes on a new meaning.

During the final chapter, we join 90 (or maybe 93) year old Jacob. The grand finale of his days come full circle for a perfect ending to the performance of his life.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Book Report

Tagged , , , , ,

Book Report: The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

Posted on January 29, 2012 | 3 Comments

After reading The Hunger Games Trilogy, I thought it would take a while to find a book I couldn’t put down. Surprisingly, I found it just two books later. The Kitchen House is beautifully written novel full of despair, tension, history, and innocent love.

The prologue takes place in 1810. We join Lavinia, desperately running through the woods, her daughter in tow. They arrive on familiar land to find the horrific scene of a body hanging from a tree. We are then brought back 19 years earlier, to the year 1791.

Lavinia is brought over from Ireland as an indentured servant and arrives alone. She is cared for by Belle, joining her and others to work in the kitchen house. Initially Lavinia suffers from memory loss, illness, and a desperate need for compassion. Slowly, she regains her memory, health, and ability to speak again.

Hers is a unique situation I have not read in other books – a white girl with frizzy red hair and freckles, joining slaves in the south to work on a plantation. She wholeheartedly considers those she lives and works with as her adoptive family, and each character lovingly accepts this relationship.

Reality through her eyes is not the only child-like purity in the novel. The master’s daughter, Sally, is portrayed as “a generous and fun-loving child, innocent of all pretense. She insisted on bringing along her dolls and china dishes from the big house and always delighted in sharing them” (page 53). But anguish does not discriminate against race, age, or kindness, and not even Sally is protected from tragedy.

Over time, Lavinia’s skin color provides her with opportunity to study academics and social grace with the master’s sister-in-law and her family up north. Her eventual return home is accompanied by a new set of confusing rules and expectations.

The theme of not having control over one’s own freedom is a constant throughout the novel. In addition to the obvious topic of slavery, comes the expectations when playing the role as a wife, as a mother, a child. Which characters are free to escape their situations, and which are not. Unforgivable abuse, depression, addiction, and the exposure and acceptance of vile hatred imprison many. Others are trapped in a history doomed to repeat itself. Relationships are affected. I felt that those who were able to empathize were the most at peace. These characters, such as Mama, were the guiding lights that provided balance and understanding.

Eventually, we catch up to the scene from the prologue in 1810. A tense ending, not without tribulation and heartache, keeps you turning page after page.

Even after the book is finished and up on the bookshelf, you find yourself drifting back to the kitchen house and the characters in Kathleen Grissom’s amazing debut novel.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Book Report

Tagged , , , ,