A Double Recommendation

Title: People of the Book
Author: Geraldine Brooks
Did I like it: Calm, peaceful, thoughtful, but also exciting, yes I liked it.
Should you read it: It might be too slow for some, but people who enjoy fiction will enjoy this book.
Synopsis: The long-lost Sarajevo Haggadah is found again in war-torn Sarajevo.  This book is a work of historical fiction...

Recommended to me by two great literary friends several months ago, I finally got around to reading this book after ordering it from the library, then not picking it up in time and then ordering it again.  The book definitely moved, but at its own steady pace.  It was intriguing and now I want to know more about the history of the haggadah.  The characters are also rich, and the author successfully juggles a large cast.  

I don't think this should be the first book a person picks up in years, but for someone who reads every now and then, this is a great book.  Its especially good because it doesn't serve a niche community like most of the scifi things I read.  This is straight up fiction, historical fiction at that, a genre I don't usually enjoy.  I'd definitely suggest this book to others. (And if you do like historical fiction, try Girl with a Pearl Earring and Devil in the White City)

I'm a big fat liar

Three books in three days, reviews to come soon.

Title: Laddertop
Author: Orson Scott Card and Emily Janice Card
Did I like it: Its by Card so I liked it, but its definitely kid material
Should you read it: Don't bother unless you are 10.
Synopsis: Some kids are chosen to work at the tops of huge elevators into space given to mankind by aliens.

I only read this because I'm kind of on an unofficial mission to read everything Card has ever written.  Please don't read it.  Its a graphic novel for kids.  Maybe buy it for that kid who needs a holiday gift who likes scifi. But get the kid Ender's Game too.

Title: Stonefather
Author: Orson Scott Card
Did I like it: YES!  Prequil to The Lost Gate which I read earlier this year, very nice.
Should you read it: Unless you are as obsessed with Card as I am, don't.
Synopsis: Runnel leaves his unloving family and ends up living with a stonemage...

I need to read The Lost Gate again.  I love Card, seriously.  This book was cute, not quite as skillful as most of the stuff he writes, but it was a nice little taste of his writing, which I love and miss.  I wouldn't really recommend it to others though.  Like I said, its not his best work, if you are going to read anything by him at least try The Lost Gate, or Ender's Game.  For Card lovers though, its a nice morsel. 

 

Title: Room
Author: Emma Donoghue
Did I like it: Slightly addictive, interesting POV
Should you read it:  Probably more mainstream than most of the stuff I read.  Realistic fiction. You might like it.
Synopsis: Jack and his mom live in Room and that is their whole world...

This was an interesting and different book...  Definitely playing on the whole sensationalist thing of kidnapped-girl-raped-and-found-with-her-kids thing.  Because of that the story is compelling.  The writing isn't awful though, unlike so many other books with this 'compelling' nature, so this would probably make a great airplane or beach read.  (Readers of this blog must live far away indeed if they are going to the beach now!)

Long, and not awful!

Title: World Without End
Author: Ken Follett
Did I like it: While it petered on for a while, I did enjoy it.
Should you read it: Alone it might not be great but after Pillars of the Earth it is nice.
Synopsis: Follows the lives of descendents of favorite characters a few centuries after the end of Pillars of the Earth.

I was expecting a nice peaceful and engrossing read similar to Pillars of the Earth.  I didn't quite get that, but the book was definitely about halfway there.  Parts of the book felt a bit random.  You know the saying 'tying up loose ends'?  Well it felt like the author was juggling his loose ends back and forth just to see where they would go before he had to end the book.

That being said, the book definitely had its charming moments.  I wouldn't suggest this for inexperienced readers because it is fairly slow.  However a reader looking for a calming read might try this after Pillars of the Earth.  

Not sure why I even bothered.

Title: A Clash of Kings
Author: George R.R. Martin
Did I like it: It just went on and on and on...
Should you read it: If you got hooked by the first, otherwise stay far far away.
Synopsis: The war set up in the previous book continues...

I really should have stopped while I was ahead.  Reading this book took me FOREVER and I hated that.  Also I now have 40 cents of overdue fines from the library because this book JUST WOULD NOT END!

The plot felt very much all over the place.  There was nothing that really pulled it together for me.  (They say this all the time on Food Network shows and I never understand it there, but I really felt the lack of a unifying thing in this book)  After I finished I read synopses of the remaining books on Wikipedia (I know this sounds horrible, but I wanted to know what happens without the torture of reading the rest of the books) and it really just gets more absurd.  

That being said, there were parts of the book I liked.  I guess specifically there were characters that I really enjoyed reading about.  I thought all the Arya chapters were very compelling and I miss her.  Jon, Daenerys, and Tyrion were also very interesting characters and I always enjoyed starting their chapters.  I pretty much hated every other chapter in the book though.  If Martin had just told their stories and cut out the rest I might have enjoyed the books.

In conclusion:  Don't read this book.  Don't even start the series.  I feel seriously let down especially as this 'year of books' is coming to an end.  I don't want to close the year on a low point and I feel like I've wasted so much time suffering through these awful books.

The Oh-Shit-The-Book-Is-Due-To-The-Library-Tomorrow-And-I-Have-300-Pages-Left Book

Title: Game of Thrones
Author: George R.R. Martin
Did I like it: It was OK
Should you read it: If you are a fantasy fanatic and need to read all the popular books, go for it.
Synopsis: In the land of the Seven Kingdoms, the King's Hand had just died and the King needs a replacement, setting off a cascade of political shtuff

I don't know if you were aware, but this book was promo'd like CRAZY.  There is a TV series about it, it was in the front of all the bookstores, on the top of everyone's list, sold out from used bookstores...  and there was a HUGE wait from the library.  I waited several months for this book.  Not even Hunger Games took that long to come. 

For all that wait and suspense, was this seriously what was supposed to be such an amazing fantasy book?  SERIOUSLY?  Its not a bad book, I'm going to read (am currently reading) the second book, but its not as good as you'd think based on the publicity.  There are too many characters introduced too fast I got them all mixed up, they are fairly clearly divided as Good and Evil, and I didn't feel like the book was a well rounded story.  Where was the beginning middle and end??  

Also, when I was about halfway through the book I got a notice from the library that it was due in 2 days and I couldn't renew it because it was so highly requested.  And thus began 2 days and 2 nights of nearly non-stop reading.  It was due yesterday and I returned it this morning before the library opened.  I win!

Oh, and should you read it?  Like I said above, basically if you feel the need to read it because you've been hearing about it left and right, give it a try.  Otherwise, leave this one on the shelf.

Calming

Title: The Pillars of the Earth
Author: Ken Follett
Did I like it: Yes!
Should you read it: It wasn't fast but it was fulfilling.
Synopsis: Many lives are lived as a cathedral is built in the 1100's in England.

I loved this book.  It really captured me, and I felt very involved in the lives of all the characters.  I also felt that most of the characters really had depth and were well rounded people, not just text on the page.  

The premise might sound sort of cliche, you know, pick some event and describe how several people's lives intertwine around the event, bla bla bla... And yeah, thats been done, but Follett really does it well.  This felt like reading a slice of life, and I had a short but very effective history lesson in the process!

This book might frustrate newer readers because it does move along at a steady but sedate pace.  I would suggest it for anyone who loves to curl up with a good book (especially now that its cooling down outside, this is the perfect curl-up-in-bed-with-fuzzy-socks-thick-blanket-and-steaming-mug-of-hot-chocolate book.  The best part is that its huge so it really puts off that awful 'damn the book is over' feeling!)

More to come soon... I just keep forgetting these!

Title: The Other Wind
Author: Ursula Le Guin
Did I like it: Yeah :)
Should you read it: It's a niche book but soooo good!
Synopsis: We return to Earthsea as one man is having dreams of the wall that separates the living and the dead...

Ok so I suck and its been almost a month since I originally posted these...  I loved The Other Wind, something about the way Le Guin writes fantasy feels so poetical to me.  It was very nice to read this and return to the world of Earthsea (I read a few other books in the series last summer)

Recommended for scifi and fantasy readers, but not for others... this is definitely deep in the fantasy genre.   

 

Title: Are you there God?  It's Me, Margret
Author: Judy Blume
Did I like it: SO CUTE!  What a slice of life!
Should you read it: Again, you won't all like it.  American women might like it because its reminiscent of childhood.
Synopsis: Margret is 11 going on 12 and learning what it means to be in 6th grade.

This book was TOO CUTE!  It really captured a lot of what it was like to be an 11/12 year old in America (and maybe elsewhere too?).  Some things were slightly different obviously because it was written a while ago, but somethings apparently don't change.  For example, I too was in a secret club which we called MMCD after the first letters of the secret names we gave ourselves.

Apart from being a good book for tween American girls, its a really cute and funny book for older women to look back and see how ridiculous we were back then.

Picking up speed again

Title: The Host
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Did I like it: Yeah in a trashy-book kind of way
Should you read it: Its good to fill your reading schedule with something quick in a pinch
Synopsis: Think Animorphs only told from the Yeerk's perspective.

Yeah yeah I know she wrote the Twilight books.  (And yeah yeah, I've read those too)  This wasn't quite as bad as Twilight.  It definitely held my attention.  Also being a huge Animorphs fan, I liked the similarities.  (When I was 10 I won 3rd place in a nationwide Animorphs writing contest!)  It is true that sometimes the writing felt forced and her characters seemed to be intentionally acting dumb in order for the plot to work out correctly.  Think Bella in the entire 2nd Twilight book. 

So basically don't come into this expecting a luxurious experience full of depth, but if you need something to pass the time, this is your book

Title: A Clockwork Orange
Author: Anthony Burgess
Did I like it: It took a bit for me to get into it, but in the end I liked it.
Should you read it: I'm 50/50 on this one.  Don't try it if you don't read often.
Synopsis: The daily life of a teenager in a dystopian future.

About 1/4 of the way into this book I felt as though I'd been reading it forever.  My slew of slow books was never ending and I was seriously considering putting this book down in order to start something I knew I'd like, such as Ender's Game.

But I'd already done that enough recently (100 Years of Solitude I'm so sorry I just couldn't do it!)  and I stuck with it.  I'm so glad I did!  When I finished this book I felt like it had changed my life.  Maybe thats a bit over dramatic especially because I couldn't tell you quite HOW it did that, but it certainly left an impact.  I also find myself referring to friends as droogs, guys as malchiks, and so on.  I want to watch the movie soon too, but I hear it is quite trippy... 

I'd suggest this book in the opposite of the situation I suggested the previous book, its definitely not for when you need something to pass the time! 

Slow Books Lately!

I seem to keep picking up slow books lately... 

Title: Blindness
Author: José Saramago
Did I like it: I didn't dislike it but I didn't really like it either.
Should you read it: If you are a literary type, sure.  Otherwise probably not.
Synopsis: Blindness is spreading in the city like a disease... 

This is supposed to be a good book.  And its not that I didn't like it, its just that I found it very very slow.  It took me a very long time to finish, and I really wasn't in the mood for a slow book.  So I would suggest you read it, but don't expect a quick paced book.

Title: The Diamond of Darkhold
Author: Jeanne DuPruau
Did I like it: At least it wasn't as bad as The Prophet of Yonwood!
Should you read it: Skip the Yonwood book and come straight to this one.
Synopsis: Lina and Doon decide to venture back to Ember one last time...

I was really worried for this after the complete and utter failure of the Yonwood book.  Thankfully it wasn't quite that bad!  It was nice to hear from Lina and Doon one last time, and interesting to re-visit Ember.  Of course the writing isn't spectacular, and everything works out a little too well, but if you liked the other Ember books I'd suggest checking this one out too.

Title: The Ritual Bath
Author: Faye Kellerman
Did I like it: It held my attention
Should you read it: Its not the best thriller novel in the world, so probably not unless you are interested by the Jewish twist.
Synopsis: A woman is raped just as she is leaving the mikvah (ritual bath)...

My aunt lent me this book while I was visiting her and had nothing else to read.  Oddly I kind of liked it, even though I don't usually like cop/thriller/mystery type books.  I was interested by the Jewish stuff, but also kind of annoyed by it because I thought some of it was wrong (but then again I could be wrong)  Some people might be annoyed by the occasional Hebrew without translation, but its very very simple Hebrew that even I could understand.  So if you are looking for something new/different, maybe try this book.

 

Title: Changing Planes
Author: Ursula LeGuin
Did I like it: Yeah, it was a cute little book!
Should you read it: Be aware that its sci-fi, if thats OK with you, I'd definitely recommend it.
Synopsis: While waiting for your plane in the airport you can travel to another plane...

I read a series but Ursula LeGuin last summer and was enamored by what I would call her very classical writing.  (Classical scifi/fantasy that is...)  So I was willing to give this book a try.  It seems to be a sort of funny and entertaining book to read while waiting in the airport.

I really liked this book, there was a good mix of serious and funny.  I don't know how to describe her writing style other than to say it feels luxurious.  If you are bored and want an entertaining read, this book will definitely help you!  And if you aren't bored, look at it anyway, you might like it!

 

And as a disclaimer, my current book is another slow one...

Lost my momentum

Title: The People of Sparks
Author: Jeanne DuPrau
Did I like it: It was so-so
Should you read it: If you liked The City of Ember, why not?
Synopsis: The people of the city of Ember finally escape their underground city...

I was interested to see what happened to the people of Ember once they got above ground... I suppose the book was OK, but it very childish... appropriate I suppose given that it was a kids book?  If you want to know what happens after the first book, check this one out, its not an awful read.

Title: The Prophet of Yoonwood
Author: Jeanne DuPrua
Did I like it: No, I really didn't.
Should you read it: Only for real Emberites... The book itself was awful and didn't add anything to the series.
Synopsis: Pre-Ember, in the not-so-distant future, we see a bit of what lead to the destruction that was in the past in The People of Sparks

Ugg this *was* an awful read.  The premise is completely absurd, the characters were shallow, the book is totally unrelated to the rest of the series... really, why would you read it?  

I've been caught in a book slump for a while now...  Ever since those Card books maybe?  I just picked up some promising books from the library but I have to finish slogging through my current book first.

A dip in blog enthusiasm

Title: Oryx and Crake
Author: Margaret Atwood
Did I like it: On a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 best, I'd call it a 7ish.
Should you read it: I'm so-so about this one.  Not a good book for beginners, but interesting and unusual for readers.
Synopsis: A few days in the life of Snowman and a lot of reminiscing about his past when he was Jimmy.

I'm starting to feel like I'm reading for the blog a little bit, which isn't very good.  I feel more pressure to finish books that I would usually put down.  I am enjoying the current plethora of books though!  Its really nice to have library access again, and I hope to never be without in the future.  I have started to think of the future of the blog beyond this year.  Originally I'd planned to just keep doing the same, but now I'm thinking of ways to scale it down.  We'll see what happens in a few months.

I'd read The Handmaid's Tale at one point in the past so I had high hopes for this book!  While it wasn't a bad book, it didn't quite capture me in the same way.  I suppose I prefer one type of a dystopian future to another!  (I hope that doesn't give away too much about this book) At points there were also bits of science that bothered me, and at other times, I felt that the book became very very slow.  

Definitely not the best book I've ever read, or even best book I've read this year, and honestly I'll probably never read it again.  But it was interesting and I'd definitely suggest you give it a try if you've liked books like 1984, The Giver, etc. 

MORE BOOKS!

Two books this time because I forgot one last time.

Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Author: Tracy Chevalier
Did I like it: Yeah, I've read it a million times.  Plus the painting is one of my favorites.
Should you read it: If you like historical fiction, YES YES YES.  If you don't like books, don't start with this one.
Synopsis: Due to misfortune, Griet needs to start working in the house of the painter Vermeer... 

I love this book, I find the story enchanting and catching every time I read it.  Also the look of the girl on the cover absolutely haunts me, even now as I'm typing and looking down at her face staring up at me from my desk.  I guess the only fault is that its not the greatest book in the universe (huge fault really) so you won't necessarily love it, or even like it if you aren't a book type.  But I love it, I feel like its good in the way Shadow of the Wind is good, but just not quite THAT good.  (I seriously need to re-read that book I keep going on and on about it...)

Title:  The Lost Gate
Author:  Orson Scott Card
Did I like it:  DUUHHHHHHHH.  Card better keep writing and never die I am ADDICTED.
Should you read it:  Well if you love Card as much as I do, then you should, and I really can't tell you NOT to read it because he is my favorite author of all time ever, but being more sane, there are people out there (whoever doesn't like fantasy) who won't like this book.
Synopsis:  Danny North seems totally untalented in a family full of magical talent, and therefore his family will probably kill him soon, but one day...

What can I say?  I love Card, and this book just solidified my amorous feelings.  Every last little thing he writes I love.  Now I have two new series of his that I need new books from:  This and Pathfinder which I read in February.  Really when it comes to Card you should just not listen to me because you know what I'll say.  I think most (but not all) people like Ender's Game/Shadow, but fewer people like the Alvin Maker series or the Homecoming series (yes I've read all of those) and even fewer would like this book or Pathfinder.  I think I liked Pathfinder better now that I think of it.  I still can't help but recommend this book though.  Of course not everyone will like it, and if you've been reading this blog at all (which apparently some people actually do!)  then you'll know that non-readers and non-scifi/fantasy types shouldn't even try.

Lastly:  I've officially read 5 books this month, likely to be 6 since there is about a week left in the month.  School and moving really slowed me down!

 

 

Progress

Two Posts at once... whatever shall you do with me?  I just wanted to update on my progress now that half the year has gone by (where has it gone?) A graphical representation, because thats what scientists do:

 

As you can see I read a ridiculous number of books in January (mostly due to the killer cold that wouldn't let me sleep) and significantly fewer books in March and April due to the Thesis-Of-Doom illness, a symptom of which was Stay-In-Lab-All-The-Time.  May was difficult too because of my move, but I'm looking forward to having TONS of time to read now!  (And some to juggle too :P) 

Settled

Title: The City of Ember
Author: Jeanne DuPrau
Did I like it: Yes, I really enjoyed it, but I wouldn't call it a high quality book.
Should you read it: If you like reading YA fiction books like The Hunger Games (or if you are YA-aged) you'll probably like this.
Synopsis: Lina and Doon live in a city where the only light comes from lamps on the buildings, but blackouts are happening more and more often...

I mostly enjoyed this book a lot.  It seemed a lot like a slightly-more-poorly written Hunger Games (except that the story is 100% different)  I found this book in a list of utopian/dystopian fiction books, which I usually love (I'd read all of the first few books on the list including 'We', a dystopian book that actually preceded and partly inspired 1984)

Its clear that I'm finally really starting to settle into my new apartment because I found the library (2 blocks away!) and I have a big stack of books to read and a big list of books to order from the library.  My branch has the 3(!) sequels to The City of Ember and I'm very excited to go check them out after I finish the other 4 books I need to read first.  In conclusion:  I would definitely recommend this book to YA readers who are willing to put up with some frustration over the writing, I enjoyed it and I hope you do too! 

Another Circumnavigation Book!

Title: Dove
Author: Robin Graham
Did I like it: I liked the book, its a cool adventure book.
Should you read it: You might like this if you like adventures, but if you are a non-reader it might not hold your attention.
Synopsis: Young boy sets off to sail around the world...

After reading True Spirit I remembered reading this book for 7th grade geography.  I decided to give it a try again.  It was a pretty quick read and I definitely got more out of it this time around!  His descriptions of his leisurely path around the world were very romantic and nice to read.

I was kind of mad at the author/main character sometimes.  Maybe this is a sign of a good book but since its non-fiction and I was mostly mad at him for being dumb, maybe its not such a good thing?  I also think that a person would not be able to duplicate his journey today.

Either way, I wouldn't exactly call this a beach read.  Pick it up if you read often and are looking for a change of pace.  I don't generally read non-fiction but this is one of the few NF books I'd recommend (although not with great enthusiasm.  For great NF enthusiasm try A Long Way Gone by Ishamel Beah)

Its been a while!

I can't believe its been so long since I last finished a book!  The cause is a combination of bad book choices (I decided to put down not one but TWO books halfway through) and life craziness including senior week at school (fun!) and moving into my new apartment (exciting but somewhat less fun)  Anyway things are finally settling down so I finished a book just last night.

Title: Fragment

Author: Warren Fahy

Did I like it: It (mostly) held my attention but it was very generic.

Should you read it: Don't, you can find other books that will be much more exciting and unique.

Synopsis: A boat full of biologists featured on a reality TV program find new creatures on an isolated island...

So like I said this book was perfectly sufficient as something to hold your attention, but it was one of the most cliche and ridiculous things I've read in a long time.  The book included a lot of boring and unnecessary talk and many  plot turns were predictable in their absurdity.  I'm not going to read it again and it has already faded into the background of my reading past.  Don't bother with this one.

As Promised!

TONS OF BOOKS!  So here we go:

Title: The Book Thief

Author: Markus Zusak

Did I like it: Its a holocaust book so its depressing, but I did like it.

Should you read it: If you are OK with holocaust books, then yeah, its one you should read.

Synopsis: In 1939 a girl is on a train with her mom and brother being taken to a family who will adopt her.  Story is about the next few years of her life with the adoptive family.


I'm not usually into holocaust books what with their depressive nature but this one hooked me in.  (And was recommended by a friend who insisted it was good) The book is narrated in a unique way and also approaches the holocaust from an unusual angle.  


Its a holocaust book so, duh, its depressing.  But its also good!  I couldn't put it down even when I had been traveling for 24 hours and was still in an airport.  Definitely check out this book.

Title: Many Waters

Author: Madeleine L'engle

Did I like it: Even more than last time I read it!

Should you read it:  Oh please do!

Synopsis: Sandy and Dennys, two side-characters from her other books, get transported to a 'warm sparsely populated place' by their father's experiment, and then...


Oh what a wonderful book!  An amazing adventure mixed with a sort of antique feeling which I love.  I think its the least trippy of her books that I've read.  In this one she really gets the mixture of wishy-washy new-agy-ness and adventure-y-ness just right.  I've read this book over and over since I was little and I've loved it every time.  Odds are you will too!

Title: True Spirit

Author: Jessica Watson

Did I like it: It was alright

Should you read it: If you like uplifting stories of human triumph, go for it.

Synopsis: Young girl decides to sail solo and unassisted around the world... and does it.  (True story)


So oddly, this book suggestion comes from the PI (aka the professor) of the lab one of my friends works in at school.  I suggested he read Shadow of the Wind and he suggested this in return.  I'd read a book called Dove in 7th grade about a similar story and had liked it so I inter-library-loan-ed this one.


And its OK.  Exactly what you'd expect from a book written by a 16 year old who recently finished sailing solo & unassisted around the world.  Its kind of an interesting adventure and uplifting and she tries to sound inspiring sort of, but shes also 16 and, not to minimize her achievement, its a huge deal, but it sounds like she kind of got lucky with weather conditions most of the time.  Its not an awful book though, check it out if you are jonesing for something to read but can't decide on anything.  Sooo, I'll end this post now before you all die of comma overdose...

Update

So you may have noticed that I've been slightly delinquent lately.  This is because I have to give a thesis talk on Monday and I'm slightly (read: majorly) freaking out and my response to that is to spend even more time in lab.  (I go days at a time without seeing my roomates, its a little scary)

That said, I will be done with everything (well, just college really) on Monday at 5(!), so you can look forward to soon hear about the books I've been reading in the meantime:  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Many Waters by Madeleine L'engle (who's name is not pronounced Legeney, which I thought as a child), True Spirit by Jessica Watson, and soon Fragment by Warren Fahy.  (Still working on The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl as well, but seeing as that needs to be returned to the school library in order for me to get my diploma, I may not finish it any time soon...)

Have a good week everyone (yes, all of you who read my blog so regularly!)

Lots of love books these days

Title: The History of Love

Author: Nicole Krauss

Did I like it: Yup, but it felt more frivolous than Shadow of the Wind

Should you read it: Its interesting and unusual, I'd say go for it.

Synopsis: Mainly following the lives of a funny old dude and a young girl both living in the same city.


This was a good book, a nice read, I was drawn into it, and was sad to finish it.  However it doesn't even come close to Shadow of the Wind.  This book was lent to me by the same friend who lent me SotW, so maybe thats why I'm comparing them in my mind, because really they are very different books.  I suppose they are both about love, but they approach that topic in different ways, are set in different times and places, and have very different types of characters.


Regardless, SotW was an amazing book (which you should read) which means that even though this book isn't quite as good, its still really not a bad book.  Actually, its a pretty good book.  At times it was very funny, at other times sad.  I really liked the 'old dude', enjoyed his morbid humor.  I just didn't fall in love with him the way I did with Fermin in SotW.  You should read this book though.  If every book you read was amazing you wouldn't appreciate them as much.


Side notes:


Apparently the author is married to the guy who wrote Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, another book you should definitely read, which is interesting because 1) the books sound similar now that I think of it and 2) my brother's friend who was staying with us while I read this book was reading that book. Also, I read this book in Israel.  I'm trying to remember where I started it, probably the first night I was there, but I've found that jetlag-induced sleepyness makes my memory bad.  Anyway, it'll be interesting to come back and read it when I'm not in a different country.


Lastly, this is not the book that I mentioned in my previous post that was boring me.  I left that book at school over break.  Maybe I'll pick it back up when I get back, I do hate stopping books in the middle, but it was making my nighttimes boring.

A meta book

Title: Among Others

Author: Jo Walton

Did I like it: Yes, but I'm not super excited about it the way I was about Shadow of the Wind

Should you read it: Bibliophiles will like it, and others may as well.

Synopsis: A teen who loves to read and sees fairies starts at a boarding school following a mysterious incident.

I think my favorite part of this book was the discussions of other books.  The book is overdue, but I'm going to sit and make a list of all the books mentioned before returning it because the discussions were so enticing!  The only unfortunate thing is that the book is set in '79/'80, so no recent books are mentioned.  

I personally didn't like the mentions of fairies but perhaps that is because the fairies are difficult in the book, and I'd prefer them to be easier.  There were also parts of the book that were painful to read, but in a good way, a way that books need in order to feel like you read something worthwhile instead of something frivolous.  

Like I said above, if you like reading, especially scifi, definitely check out this book. I feel like I'm sort of glossing over this post and I feel bad about it.  I finished the book a while ago at this point but just haven't had the time to post because of my thesis, and the book has already faded into my past.  On top of that I'm really not enticed by my current book and may (gasp) stop reading it and switch to another...  We'll see.

Almost a New Favorite

Title: The Shadow of the Wind

Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Did I like it: I was seriously considering making this my new favorite book, so yes.

Should you read it: Yes. If you only read one book this month (or semester or whatever), read this one.

Synopsis: A complicated weave about books, reading, writing, love, relationships, and the landscape of life. Also beautiful writing.

You may have noticed that its been a while, almost three weeks in fact! There are a few reasons for that. In part I was busy relishing this book, in the same way I take a lot longer to eat a good pickle. In other part I've been deep in the trenches of the job application process and a draft of my thesis is due on Wednesday, so I've been incredibly busy.

I absolutely adored this book. The writing was vivid, direct, and connecting. I didn't just fall into this book, I also admired the skill of the author. The story was also enrapturing, sentimental and sometimes surprising. The characters feel like real people and I miss them. I have a favorite character even though I don't usual feel so strongly about one character. I also spent a great deal of time being very mad at one character, another thing that doesn't usually happen to me.

You should read this book. No matter who you are, whether you like fiction or non-fiction, scifi or cookbooks. Whether you read regularly or have (somehow) never read before. This book was an experience for me, and I hope that you can have that experience too.

(As an end-note, it is not my new favorite but I don't want to say why because I don't want to influence your opinion of the book before you read it. If you read it and still want to talk about why its not my favorite, get in touch with me.)

Meh

Title: Watchmen
Author: Alan Moore
Did I like it:  It was good but I'm not sure it lived up to the hype
Should you read it:  Probably.  Its always interesting reading in graphic novel form, but the book isn't riveting 100% of the time.
Synopsis:  The stories of a group of people brought together by their desire to anonymously help humanity.

While this book is very different from the one I read before it (The Attack), for some reason the tone almost felt the same to me.  Maybe I was still subconsciously caught up in The Attack, but that sort of foreboding tone made the book a bit less enjoyable for me.  That said, I did like this book, I thought the plot was creative and I really enjoyed the way the many different plotlines wove around each other.  I also thought that the graphic novel medium was used really well, and allowed the story to be told in a way that wouldn't have been possible without the pictures.  

Ok, now I want to say something else about this book but I hate it when people say stuff like this to me, so I'll give you an opportunity to not read this next part.  Its not a spoiler, but please skip the next paragraph if you plan on reading this book.

I didn't like the ending of this book.  I think I always initially don't like endings that are drastic with unpleasant implications like this one (maybe I'm squeamish or blindly optimistic about the way the world really is, and these sorts of endings shatter my blinkers...).  The ending left an unpleasant aroma in my mind and since I was about to go to sleep, that sort of overshadowed my day today.  (I hate it when people tell me stuff like this because then I spend the whole book looking for the thing the person told me about.  It changes my reading experience.)

Ok you can start reading again now.  Overall, I'd suggest this book to people who read at least semi-often and don't mind a tiny bit of scifi.  Its good and entertaining and parts of it are really fun too!  In the vein of graphic novels, I'd highly recommend Maus (by Art Spiegelman) and Persepolis (by Marjane Satrapi).  Both are wonderful and meaningful books and I'd say both are easily better than Watchmen.  Now I want to read Maus... I guess thats another book for the list!

Also, for anyone keeping track, we are in the 9th week of the year and I've read 13 books so far, for an average rate of 1.44 books a week.  

A Book and a Tangent

Title: The Attack
Author: Yasmina Khadra
Did I like it:  I liked it but may not read it again for a while.
Should you read it:  I'd say its definitely worth checking out, but probably not as your first book in a year.
Synopsis:  A terrorist attack sends many victims, including Dr. Jaafari's wife, to the hospital where he is a surgeon.  Shortly after realizing that his wife is dead, he is told that she is the prime suspect in the attack.  Cue depression.

This book was written very well.  I folded page corners throughout the book whenever I found a particularly wonderful sentence.  Here are a few:

"With a movement of her chin, she directs me to the living room, where a wicker chair and a worn old leather armchair are staring daggers at each other."

"By now her cigarette's just a twig of ashes suspended in the air."

"In Jenin, Reason has a mouth full of broken teeth, and it rejects any prosthesis capable of giving it back its smile."

This book was interesting because it narrated a side to the mess in the middle east that I personally don't encounter very often.  To be honest though, I don't really keep up with the news.  I'm generally far more interested in Tuesday's Science Times than in the front section of the paper any day of the week.  In that regard while the new perspective was intriguing, in some ways reading this book felt like work (or, as my mind puts it, like school).  I read to have fun, to relax, to be peaceful and quiet, and (cliche I know) sometimes to escape from parts of my life.  This book didn't really allow me to do that, so I probably won't read it again until I go literary (which does happen some times).  I did like it though, and would recommend it to the right type of person.

And now a story about how I got this book that you don't need to read because its not really relevant but that I think deserves to go here anyway.  I took a year off school before entering college.  One of the things I did that year was work part time at a Borders in D.C.  I loved that job.  At the time I didn't have very much to compare it to, and while I still haven't done much job-wise, it remains my favorite job with lots of fond memories.  The work was alright, but the people I worked with are really what made the experience what it was.  

I didn't buy so many books that year because we were allowed to "check out" the books in the store as if it was a library, but I decided that I was going to make the most of my employee discount while I had it and buy a bunch of books right before I left for school.  I asked a lot of people for suggestions and wandered around the store for a while with a V-cart picking out books I liked.  I don't remember exactly how many books I got or how much I spent, but I do remember that I definitely needed the V-cart because I couldn't carry them all at once, and that getting home that night wasn't easy.

I've since read all the other books I got that night, "The Attack" is the last one.  It still has the Borders sticker on it which tells me that it was printed on April 30th, 2007, and the triangular 3 for 2 sticker that I probably put on the book myself.  A close friend who was one of my coworkers at the bookstore at the time recommended it to me.  Recently Borders declared bankruptcy and the store I worked at is closing.  I think its sort of appropriate for me to be finishing the last of those books now as the store is being liquidated.  I'm sad to see the store closing and hopeful that my friends who are still there will find new jobs soon.  I feel like I need a concluding sentence here, but I don't know what else to say...  If you called a bookstore and someone answered the phone with "You've reached Borders at 18th and L home of the waffle, how can I help you?"  what would you say?

:)

Title: Pathfinder

Author: Orson Scott Card

Did I like it:  Yeah, I really really liked it.

Should you read it:  Yes, unless you have a deep deep hatred of scifi.  (not just deep, deep deep)

Synopsis:  Rigg goes on a journey in his wallfold, meets people, has adventures, and lays the groundwork for a second book in the series.

Let me begin by saying that I am biased in my review of this book.  Orson Scott Card is my favorite favorite author, so of course I liked this book.  Then again, he is my favorite author because for every one of his books that I have read, I have found myself engaged in the story, wanting to read more, and (a phrase I have used a lot this past week) addicted to his books as if they were crack!  So perhaps it is not that I am biased, but more that this book fit in with my observation-based expectations.  (I am a scientist, remember)

So, yeah, I loved this book.  I found myself reading a chapter or more before bed every night, I carried it with me to read in free moments during the day even though the book is kind of huge, and I simultaneously wanted to find out what happened, and wanted the book to never end.  When I finished the book I had a wonderful feeling of happy contentedness, similar to that "ahhhh" feeling you get when you arrive home from work and sink into a comfortable chair. 

Here is the deal though:  Not everyone should read this book (it kills me to say that though).  This book deals with some pretty heavy scifi topics.  If you have never read a scifi book before, don't start with this one.  If you scoff at silly things like wormholes (not saying that there *are* wormholes in this book, just an example) don't read this book.  However if you have read a few (or many) scifi books, then please read this book, you will like it.  

Also:  I'm taking book suggestions!  Post in the comments what books you think I should read.