The Casual Vacancy- JK Rowling

Out of sheer loyalty and goodwill to the author of my favorite series of all time, the woman who created so many of my favorite literature moments, and characters I love like my own friends, I am determined to like this book, and therefore at least my first comment has to be positive. And here it is- JK Rowling knows how to write characters. I was thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. Wondering what would happen with the people involved.

She is a damn good writer. I will read anything she writes, even after finding this book an extremely depressing look at life and definitely a downer. But she did it in a way that was interesting. In a way that makes you think a little bit more about your every day interactions. With events. How you react to things and take personal responsibility. This book, while mainly a character study based around events that don't really end up all that resolved, does succeed at that.

The biggest problem is, in this character study, every one of the characters were unlikable or pitiable.

I literally cannot believe this book was written by the same person who wrote Harry Potter. Good triumphs over evil? I suppose the characters in this book were mostly terrible and have mostly terrible lives. Faith? It's difficult to see here. Friendship, loyalty, and love? I'm not sure that was present at all.

Clearly my overwhelming feeling after finishing the book is depression. And certainly I am a tiny bit disappointed that my unrealistic expectations for grown up Harry Potter went unfulfilled. But I think after letting some of it set in and thinking a lot about what she was trying to accomplish with this book, I am overall ok with what she's done here.

Sure, it wasn't at all what I thought it would be, but I think that was my biggest problem. First, I was somehow under the impression that the book was a thriller based around a small English town politician's death. Nope. Political and small town gossip based around a death. Second, my hopes were sky high and comparisons to HP were inevitable, which does not lend itself well to a book like this. And third, reading a book about the unpleasant side of humanity while also being aware that this is the same woman whom I idolized for creating characters and a story that spanned nearly 15 years of my life, is extremely unsettling.

That being said, I stayed up late to finish it, I read 500 pages in less than a week, and at 1130 at night on a Tuesday I was writing down my thoughts and trying to define how I feel about it. Which I think is kind of the point, and yet another reason that I think Rowling is one of the smartest writers of our time. Despite the depressing forage into adult books.

Bottom line: I can't say I liked this book because of the depressing subject matter. I can admit that if this was another writer I'm not sure I'd be putting such a spin on it or giving the author so much credit. But I like what it's doing. I like where she's gone with it. I like the writing. And I like JK Rowling. End of story. If that isn't a muddled review, I don't know what is. I didn't even know what rating to give it. In the end, I went with 4, because I think I'll eventually read it again, even though it was pretty unpleasant.

All I can say is don't expect Potter.

The Rook- Daniel O'Malley

September’s book club selection, The Rook, was extremely impressive. Imagine first a world where people have incredible abilities… a bit like every sci fi show you’ve ever seen, then imagine them in a CIA-like setting. That’s what you’re getting here.

Of course it’s about more than that, as at the beginning of the book we meet “the second” Myfanwy Thomas, Rook in the secretive Chequy, (the organization described above) and a woman who can control people's bodies with her mind. Myfanwy has lost her memories, a direct result of a traitor in the organization, and finds herself standing in the rain, surrounded by dead people wearing white gloves. “the first” Myfanwy has left her letters upon letters, meticulously documenting day to day life within the Chequy, and leaving the second Myfanwy to choose whether to continue her life and find the traitor, or run away.

You can see how this might go.

I was really pleased with this book, which has come seemingly out of nowhere. I’m really glad it was recommended to one of our book club members and picked, because otherwise I never would have heard of it, and this book is right up my alley. Thriller, fantasy, intrigue… awesome. I had no idea for most of the book who the traitor was, and loved that it kept me guessing as Myfanwy goes about her job while working alongside people she didn’t know or trust. Genius. I hope the author continues to write.

I had initially given this book a 4, but now having realized how much I really liked it and have gushed on about it, I may have to update to a 5. I loved it, plain and simple, and when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it and what might happen next. it’s the first book in awhile that really got me.

Middlesex- Jeffrey Eugenides

Middlesex is a book told from the point of view of a transgendered man (formerly woman) that brings the reader on a journey. Documenting every step in lives that lead to him, from grandparents and onward, Cal tells us how he was made, and how he became that way. Incest, broken engagements, sexual confusion, and multiple distressing doctors appointments lead the reader to the man he is today.

Initially I decided I wanted to read this book (technially I listened to it via audiobook) based only on the author. Jeffrey Eugenides wrote The Marriage Plot, which I enjoyed back in January, and Middlesex is his first novel, written to great acclaim. I don’t really think I knew what I was getting myself into. On the one hand, the writing style was excellent, with the narrator speaking as if he was directing a movie, showing instead of telling the story of his life and his ancestors. On the other, portions of the book were alternately discomforting and boring. Not to mention the parts that were so explicit that I felt that I needed to turn it off. I was very uncomfortable for probably half of the book, but I also think that’s sort of the point.

In the end I’m giving it a 3, if only for Eugenides’ writing. He truly is fantastic, even if the subject matter was not exactly something I want to read at length about.

Deadlocked- Charlaine Harris

As usual, I’m not going to get too much into this sequel, what seems like Sookie Stackhouse’s one millionth book. If you’ve read one, you know what you’re getting into, and as usual it was entertaining, cute, funny, and full of supernatural creatures.

In this case, Sookie has to uncover a plot that seems to be personal, starting with a girl that is found dead outside of Her boyfriend’s house, and ending in a way that is not entirely predictable. Of course I want to know where the next book’s going to go with it.

This may be the briefest review I’ve ever written, but seriously, I’ve got nothing. You like this series or you don’t.

3- mindless entertainment, not something I ever need to read again, but I keep going because I am invested in the characters. God love poor Sookie Stackhouse.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened- Jenny Lawson

Let’s Pretend this Never Happened, a mostly true memoir by Jenny Lawson, was a foul mouthed book of hilarity. In the vein of Tina Fey, Jenny Lawson records her childhood, college years, and adult life in a voice that is unlike anything I’ve ever read in a book. Written as if Lawson is talking to us, with asides, footnotes, and editors notes apologizing/clarifying, “the blogess” lives up to her name, and has gained a new reader.

I’m not sure what else there is to say… Lawson grew up in the country and has had some seriously unbelievable things happen to her in life. Each of these is told in its own chapter, mostly winding its way up to present day. She may actually be a crazy person, but in a good way, an incredibly entertaining way.

Another 4, bordering on a 5. So funny that I can’t do it justice. Read it.

The Next Best Thing- Jennifer Weiner

Jennifer Weiner! Where has this been in the last several years?? The Next Best Thing, her latest, is a return to form. I won’t go quite as far as to say I liked it as much as In Her Shoes or Good in Bed, but it was light, funny, entertaining, and sweet. And considering that I have been fairly disappointed with nearly everything she’s written since she ruined Good in Bed with its sequel, Certain Girls (which I hated), that is a major step up. 

The Next Best Thing tells the story of Ruth, a television writer and showrunner whose pilot based loosely on her own life is picked up for a new season and immediately taken out of her hands. The book chronicles the sacrifices made by her to get her show on the air, good and bad, and her relationships with the other writers, producers, actors, and so on. I was hooked by the beginning, around chapter three. Ruth’s grandma is the best, and I couldn’t believe how fast I loved the character. Unfortunately for Jennifer Weiner, my first thought after realizing that she was the best thing going for the book was how she could ruin it. 

But Weiner proved me wrong and wrote an endearing story of a disfigured girl trying to make it in the entertainment world, with her loving grandmother by her side. Very much enjoyed this one, and it’s up there with the other ones. 4, bordering on a 5.

Brave New World- Aldous Huxley

August’s book club pick, Brave New World is a bit of a different pick for us. Rather than going for a pure entertainment standpoint with lots to talk about, this one was one of the first that we chose that is most likely read in high schools everywhere. Certainly a step up in the intellectually challenging department.

Brave New World is a book about a dystopic future where people drug themselves to happiness, don’t fall in love, don’t feel any major emotions. People are manufactured and conditioned to be in certain social castes, literature is banned, entertainment is only in the form of the “feelies” which are movies that engage all senses. It’s a distressing story of what the human race could eventually become. After documenting the society and its control throughout the first half of the book, Huxley switches things up a bit, and adds a character that resembles humans in society today, who is of course appalled by what he sees. Discussion of art, individuality, and true humanity ensues.

Even a month after finishing, I can’t decide what I think about this book. It was definitely weird, and certainly made me think. It’s unsettling and bizarre, but says a lot about humanity, and the fact that it was written in the 30s says a lot for Huxley’s imagination/perception of the future.

4, I would read it again... I think.

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4)- George RR Martin

And now I’ve arrived at book 4 in Martin’s wildly successful series. Sometimes I legitimately wonder what I’ve gotten myself into with these books, and whether I wouldn’t be better off quitting now to wait until Martin is done writing. This book was the first one that I saw a glimpse of why they drive people so crazy. There are some noticeably absent characters, which is not addressed until the end, in a note from Martin himself. Books 4 and 5 are apparently two parts of the same giant book, and all of the interesting characters are in book 5 (don’t worry, a hold has been placed). The kicker is that the resolutions to the problems characters had in this book may not have even been written yet.

After looking over reviews to see if everyone was as dissatisfied with this book in comparison to the others (the answer is undeniably yes) I realized that despite the note at the end of the book saying that book five is pretty much already written (as this was to be included) and would be out in a year, it was six. I worry about that. But at the same time, I look forward to the same feeling of anticipation for the end game of the series as I had with Harry Potter.

This wasn’t a bad book. Putting aside comparisons to the others and trying not to notice that two of my favorite characters were absent, I can see that I enjoyed it overall and it’s necessary to the series. It’s clearly a transition. I liked it for what it is.

But what it isn’t is as good as the previous three. What it isn’t is book five, which I now have sky high expectations for since all of my favorites will be present and accounted for.

The fact is, despite the similar writing style and intriguing plots, which have become par for the course with this series, this was the first one that seemed to unnecessarily meander. Several of the POV characters were people who were unnamed, or who I didn’t care about at all. Lots of intrigue over who will have the Greyjoy throne, lots of Cierce going crazy. But I still want to know what happens, and that makes the book.

4. Retroactively I went back and gave the first three a 5 rating. These books have definitely grown on me.

Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl was the hot book of the summer, and it totally deserves it. We picked this as our July book club book, and based only on buzz and reviews (but not too many reviews, because I refused to read many on the off chance the plot was even a little bit spoiled), I decided to wait to read this one on my annual beach vacation.

This is not a typical beach book. I mean, usually I want nothing but girly cutesy light books to read while laying next to the ocean. This was decidedly not that. What it is is an engrossing thriller that I was incredibly involved in from the start. Here’s what I’ll tell you about the plot: Amy and Nick are married. Amy disappears. GO.

This was a phenomenal book. I’m going to leave the review short and sweet because to say much more may ruin it. It’s best to go in cold. Gillian Flynn is a fantastic writer and keeps you on your toes throughout the story. The ending was a little bit frustrating, but this book’s still a 5. Highly, highly recommended for thriller lovers. A great read.

Age of Miracles- Karen Thompson Walker

Well, hello anyone who still might read posts on this blog! (hi mom!) It’s been awhile. I kind of lost track of things and stopped writing reviews. Full reviews that is. I had lots of things to say about the books I’ve read in the last two months, but I admit, I’ve been stuck. This book is nearly singlehandedly to blame. Chronologically, it was the book I read after Attachments, so it had to come next. Right? Well, I’m giving up on that. Honestly, I have no idea what to say about it, and a month away from it hasn’t helped things. So. Without further ado, something a little different. Five things about this book and a short summary:

Age of Miracles is about a girl growing up in what is referenced as the end of the world. But it’s not. Something has caused Earth to spin more slowly on its axis, making days and nights longer and time essentially slowing. Intriguing, right? Five things.

1.Lots of wasted potential. Really interesting idea, no follow through at all, no sense of urgency. Basically it’s a story about people living their lives in unusual circumstances. But the unusual circumstances don’t ultimately affect them all that much.
2. So depressing, which I didn’t expect.
3. Excellent writing. Despite the way the review sounds, I did care about the characters. Ultimately this is a story about a teenage girl, and what 26 year old female can’t relate to that?
4. Could have been so much better. See #1.
5. Overall, I don’t think I can recommend this one. Amazon let me down here, which doesn’t happen often. I couldn’t believe this was one of their best books of the year (so far).

3. Overwhelmingly meh.

Attachments- Rainbow Rowell

The opposite side of the trip, the drive back from the Outer Banks, was spent reading Attachments, a surprisingly cute and girly book that I ended up kind of loving. I had heard about Attachments several months ago, but didn’t get around to reading it until now. And now having read it, I’m not sure what took me so long.

Attachments is one of those cutesy books that allow you to view a story through emails, but with the added twist of occasional chapters of narrative that isn’t told through emails. It’s a clever twist. Beth and Jennifer know their emails are being monitored, and yet they still use them for personal reasons (email portions of the book). Lincoln’s job is to notify people using the email system improperly, but instead finds himself engrossed in Beth and Jennifer’s lives, and doesn’t reprimand them (narrative portion). 

I liked this book significantly more than I thought I would, it was a very pleasant surprise. Somewhere between a 4 and a 5 for me. Very enjoyable and adorable. 

The Poet- Michael Connelly

Highly enjoyable and perfect for a long car ride, I read over half of The Poet on a 13 hour ride to the Outer Banks. With The Poet, one of the best crime thrillers I’ve read in quite awhile, I think Michael Connelly has officially taken over from James Patterson as my go-to thriller author.

Jack McEvoy is a journalist who is thrown into a serial murderer case when his brother, a cop, is killed in an apparent suicide while investigating a particularly gruesome case. But McEvoy doesn’t believe that his brother would have killed himself, and instead digs deeper and finds a pattern. From there, he finds himself drawn into the disturbing pattern of The Poet’s murders.

Like I’ve already said, Michael Connelly has really started to impress me… I had accidentally read the sequel to this book awhile back, and knew who was/wasn’t the killer, and I still really enjoyed the book. Next I think I’m going to have to get into his big moneymaker- the Harry Bosch series.

4- really liked it, bordered on loving it.

The Hangman’s Daughter- Oliver Pötzsh

The Hangman’s Daughter, a highly reviewed and marketed English translation from its native German, has been talked about quite a bit on Amazon and Goodreads. I expected it to be this blockbuster of a historical fiction thriller. I was greatly disappointed.

Set in Germany, The Hangman’s Daughter is about Jakob Kuisl, town hangman, charged with the torture and so called trial of a supposed witch, accused of killing several children in the village. Jakob, his daughter, and the town’s doctor become absorbed in the case, and discover that not everything is what it seems.

About ¾ of the way through the book, I was still waiting for it to get interesting. In the end, I skimmed through the last 50 or so pages, just to see who the culprit was. Where was the thrill? I can’t even describe how disappointing the book was. I’m not sure if it’s the translation or what, but instead of being edge of your seat suspenseful, it came off boring and overly detailed.

Initially on Goodreads I gave this a 3, thinking that I really hadn’t minded reading it, and it was ok. But a few weeks removed, when all I can think to talk about is the bad parts of it, I have to drop it to a 2. So disappointing.

The Serpent’s Shadow- Rick Riordan

The Serpent’s Shadow is the third book in Rick Riordan’s Kane Chronicles series. As I’m pretty sure I said in my review of the second book in this series, there’s not a lot to say about these books that hasn’t already been covered. This one is a continued story of Carter and Sadie Kane, brother and sister duo out to save the world from chaos with the help of Egyptian Gods. Basically if you pick up something from Riordan, you know what you’re getting.

That’s not a bad thing at all, though. The Serpent’s Shadow was entertaining, if a bit less engrossing than some of his others. I think my biggest problem with the Kane Chronicles is that they’re no Percy Jackson books, even though they’re trying really hard to be. It seemed like when I was reading those, I always could remember the supporting players and what happened in the previous books, even if I needed to look up a summary online it jogged my memory enough. With the Kane books, I have problems remembering who everyone is and what has already gone down in their version of the world, even when I look up a plot summary. Not a ringing endorsement, I suppose, but that being said, I did enjoy reading this last book in the series.

3- Good, not great. Not something I need to read again. Percy Jackson’s got this series beat, and judging by the fact that series is still going strong and this one has ended, I think Riordan knows it too.

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)- Cassandra Clare

Suddenly faced with an unexpected afternoon off, a pleasant day (in the shade!), and a library due date, today I finished City of Bones, which as of this morning I could not have been more than halfway through. Worth it.

City of Bones is a book not unlike many other YA series out at the moment, full of supernatural beings, heroes, villains, romance, and suspense. This particular one focuses on Clary Fray, who witnesses a murder at the beginning of the book and is suddenly wrapped up in the comings and goings of the Shadowhunters, humans that devote their lives to hunting demons and policing the part human, part demon citizens known as Downworlders (which is where the expected werewolves and vampires come in).

Admittedly, the book started slow. It took longer than I’d like to get into it, but it certainly finishes with a bang. This is another series I can see myself getting sucked into pretty easily. It’s not quite up to Harry Potter or Hunger Games level, and I would even say that I liked Divergent more, but I enjoyed it at least as much (if not more) than the Sookie Stackhouse books and Twilight. Definitely more than Matched. (enough YA ranking? I think so).

Another solid 4, thanks mostly to the ending. I’ve already put a hold on the sequel.

A Storm of Swords (a Song of Ice and Fire #3)- George RR Martin

Well, somehow I was up about an hour and a half past my bedtime reading the end of this one, and I think that tells you what you need to know about it.

As usual with sequels I’m not going to get into a lot of details on the plot of Storm of Swords, but this one keeps with the pattern of those previous. Multiple view points, battles, blood, love, romance, honor, kings, houses, and supernatural gods. It was just fantastic. With this one even more than the other two, I am astounded with Martin’s ability to write characters. How do you take someone like Jamie Lannister, Kingslayer, someone that you’ve grown to dislike throughout two books and make him sympathetic? It happened. I am shocked to report that I now actually LIKE the person that was set up to be the biggest villain in the first two books. it is truly impressive.

I still have some trouble keeping characters straight in these books, and of course the 1000 page length with multiple characters telling the story through multiple settings and countless events doesn’t help with that. I think that’s the only thing keeping this book from a five. But at the same time, I’m not sure I would like these books as much if it was just one narrator in third person explaining everything, or told from just one character’s point of view. I think my sudden turnaround on Jamie is proof enough of that. Sometimes I think I could be one of those people that read the books over again in anticipation of a new one coming out, but other times it seems completely overwhelming when I remember that I’ve already read nearly 3000 pages about Westros, with probably around 4000 to go. (seven books in the series, I think)

Regardless, aside from that small complaint, I am loving these books, and I put the fourth on hold at the library within five minutes of finishing the third one. This is somewhere between a 4 and a 5, my favorite one so far.

I’ve Got Your Number- Sophie Kinsella

I went back and forth several times about whether or not I would have enjoyed this book more if I was reading it instead of listening to it. I think it certainly lost some humor due to footnotes and text messages being read to me instead of reading them myself.

Possibly the bigger problem is that I was irritated with the main character though. Because that is by far my main issue with any given Sophie Kinsella book… her main characters that we are supposed to sympathize with are inherently unlikable. As with the Shopaholic books, I was constantly wondering whether it was worth it to keep reading, because I was disgusted with the main character, Poppy Wyatt, who loses her engagement ring at the beginning of the book. Then has her phone stolen, then finds another phone in a trash can, which is how she meets Sam, the owner of the phone, whose life she immediately becomes entrenched in.

The entire engagement ring debacle was horrible. The weakest part of the book, by far. But once that was resolved, about halfway through, I found that the main character was less insufferable, the problems were more realistic, and when the book focuses more on Sam and his issues, it is far more entertaining.

All in all this is a 3. I think if the whole book would’ve been like the second half it would’ve been up there with Remember Me, but as it is, this is comparable to the Shopaholic books (although I have to admit, I think I like it a little better… let’s face it, I really don’t like Becky Bloomwood and half the time don’t know why I read those books). Worth the read in the end, but difficult to get through the first part.

Baking Cakes in Kigali- Gaile Parkin

June’s book club selection, Baking Cakes in Kigali, is essentially a collection of short stories about a baker, Angel Tungaraza, in Rwanda, Africa, in the wake of the horrifying genocide. Through several celebrations, momentous occasions, and trials and tribulations, we get to know Angel, her family, and the people living near and with her in the compound where she lives.

Angel has had a difficult life, marred by disease and tragedy, but it’s really quite touching to see the way that the character lives despite all of that. She has a hand in most of the things that happen around her, and steers other people to live their lives to the fullest, to be content. She keeps an open mind, is kind, and believes in balance.

Honestly there’s not a lot to say about this book, it was a cute one about life and making your way past tragedy to see the good in things, but also had its occasional dark side. It was a good book club pick for discussion, and overall I’m definitely glad that I read it, and I would read it again. Solid 4.

The Appeal- John Grisham

When I read a cheap thriller, or a legal thriller, as this one is marketed, I expect to be entertained, ultimately pleased with the book and the plot, but know that it’s not great literature. My expectations for thrillers and chick books are the same: Entertain me. The Appeal started out well, but by the end had completely tanked, and I am not very pleased that I spent my time listening to it.

First of all, the book has too many characters and too many cases. Way too many. Most of the book centers around one case, but in a way that allows it to meander about, going through elections, political corruption, small cases that affect none of the book's events, etc. All of the characters that I cared about got very little time focused on them, and there were too many corrupt jerks to keep track of. And isn’t this called the appeal? Shouldn’t the main focus be on, I don’t know, an appeal? Not the corruption of big business and buying a supreme court seat. I mean don’t get me wrong, it was interesting enough, but not at all what I was expecting, and could have and should have been better.

Second of all, worst ending ever. WORST

Third of all, if this is how our justice system works I am concerned for the state of America. The entire thing was disheartening.

All in all, I was really unhappy with this one. The only thing that saves it from being a 1 (or a zero) is that the beginning was decent. I didn’t get disgusted with it until halfway to three quarters of the way through, but the end just ruined it so thoroughly that I can’t justify giving it anything better than a 2. Honestly this is probably a 1.5.

Insurgent- Veronica Roth

Spoilers for Divergent below!

The sequel to Divergent, Insurgent was every bit as engrossing and entertaining as its predecessor. Set in the same future world, the factions are now at war, with several of them having to choose sides throughout the book, and no clear line for many. Tris Prior, as the Divergent that stopped the hostile takeover of one of the factions, is now dealing with some serious PTSD, as well as the fallout from her choices in the previous book on her life and her relationship with Four (Tobias). Insurgent is very different from Divergent in several ways, much more about politics, secrecy, and war than a coming of age story, but even though it is different, it is still incredibly good.

I don’t know how much to go into here, because I think that if you’ve read Divergent you have an idea of what you’re in for, and I don’t want to spoil anything, but trust me, this is a good one. Roth is very good at keeping the reader engaged, with twists and turns that are occasionally predictable, but ultimately (relatively) satisfying. Unlike the other Hunger Games wannabes I’ve read in the last few years since my discovery of that book, this one is holding its own, and I have to admit that I’m impressed. Insurgent is one of the first books in awhile that I’ve been disappointed to finish, and I’m upset that I have to wait another year for the third book in the trilogy and to see where Roth goes from here!

4, but this is another one that is really close to a 5

Daughter of Smoke and Bone- Laini Taylor

My latest audio book was one of the rare books that I’ll listen to and then want to read, feeling that instead of enjoying the book as completely as I could in audio format, the best way to have encountered  this book would have been to read it. Notable other books that have made me want to read them, even after having listened to the whole story already: Unbroken and Ready Player One. It’s in good company.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is, at its most basic, a story about love, loss, and otherworldly creatures. Set in a human world, Karou is an art student who keeps company with both humans and the mysterious Brimstone, who has raised her from a baby, but is decidedly not human.  He is a monster, part of another world all together, and is in the midst of a raging battle, which we learn about piece by piece as the book unravels. Along with this war, we also discover the truth about Karou, her past, and her life, all of which has been a puzzle to her for the last seventeen years of her life.  

I do have to admit, this was a weird one. The Amazon description of this book barely hints at the depths at which it goes, and it expects a lot of suspension of reality. Not that it’s that difficult. In stark contrast to my last audio book, Shades of Grey, I bought into this world hook, line and sinker. This is the way it should be done.  I very much enjoyed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and eagerly await its sequel!

4, but pretty close to a 5. I’ll have to reread this one for sure!

Jeneration X- Jen Lancaster

Jeneration X, Jen Lancaster’s latest, is a return to form after her disaster of a novel.  Nothing groundbreaking here, and in fact, I think I’ve actually read some of these stories before (on her blog? In her columns?), but I’m mostly ok with that, because I’m just so happy to be back to where we were before If You Were Here.  Let’s pretend that didn’t happen, ok?

Look, if you’ve read one of Jen’s memoirs, you know what you’re getting into with this one. My favorite remains Bright Lights, Big Ass, but I’m starting to think that it’s just because that’s the first one I read. Jen is hilarious, sarcastic, and an outstanding writer, but all of her memoirs are very similar, just with different themes to the collections of stories. Don’t get me wrong, I am absolutely not saying that’s a bad thing, because I look forward to reading her books and have read all of them (except for Pretty in Plaid) more than once. And I’m thrilled that her desire to write novels didn’t keep her from writing memoirs. I’m just saying that there’s not much for me to review here.

4- I went between a 4 and a 5 on this one. It’s entirely possible I’m going to end up buying it. Jen is funny and entertaining, and I read this in about two days, so obviously I really liked it. 

Crossed (Matched #2)- Ally Condie

Crossed, the second book in the Matched dystopian series, picks up where we left off, with Cassia off in search of Ky, Ky’s life in question in the Outer Providences, and with the beginnings of a rebellion against the dictatorial Society.

Like with Shades of Grey, one of the biggest issues is that I don’t buy into the main premise. Why would the Society force these things on people? None of it makes any sense. This shouldn’t surprise me though, because the Society is not the main plotline of the book. That is of course, the love triangle.  As with Matched, Crossed’s biggest focus is on the Ky-Xander-Cassia issue, instead of on the more interesting rebellion against the Society. This rubs me the wrong way, and is my biggest complaint about the series. It’s clearly geared towards the Twilight crowd, but with even less of an outside plot and not very interesting writing (Cassia and Ky love each other SO MUCH! But Cassia might also love Xander! But Ky and Cassia write and recite poems to each other! They love art! The Society doesn’t like it! These seem to be the things that the author most wants us to focus on). 

It is also really irritating how the author constantly refers to things that the reader doesn’t know about.  Instead of keeping me invested, like it does with most other books, it frustrates me. When half of the book keeps referring to “Xander’s secret” like it’s some life changing thing with the stupidest, most obvious explanation being a “big reveal,” I am not interested, I am annoyed.

Yet, here I am, finishing the book in mere days. I don’t understand how this happened.  

2- for some reason I still flew through this book, despite all the complaints. I still want to know where we’re going to end up in this series. Don’t ask me why because I don’t know. I think it’s because I am a sucker for any YA book about a dystopic future.  I’m still not in a hurry to read the next one though.  

Genghis: Lords of the Bow- Conn Iggulden

The second book in Conn Iggulden’s series about Genghis Kahn, Lords of the Bow details the war of the Mongol tribes against the Chin Empire. Picking up where the first book left off, Genghis marches on his enemies throughout the book and begins his total domination.

I loved the first book in this series. It really impressed and surprised me, and I couldn’t believe that I was enjoying a somewhat fictionalized book about a war leader so much.  In this one, Genghis has become someone to be feared rather than someone to root for, which is probably the biggest difference between this book and the first one.  It was still fascinating, but I wasn’t as engrossed as I was with the first one, when he was more of an underdog.  I feel like Iggulden wants me to get excited about the big battles, be invested in their outcome, and root for continuing dominance, but I would much rather read about the family and the politics. Those were by far the parts of the book I like the best. 

In the end, I still found myself rooting for Genghis and enjoying the story. Probably because of how despicable his enemies are as well. Among everyone, the least deplorable person turns out to be Genghis, even if he is brutal and generally terrifying.

3- didn’t like this one as much as the first, but still an enjoyable read. I’m definitely going to keep reading the series. 

Shades of Grey- Jasper Fforde

Set in a future world where people are classified by which (and how much) color they can see, Shades of Grey is a bizarre book about Eddie Russet, Red swatchman’s son and likely future prefect.  In general I didn’t really care for this one.  Throughout listening to the book (although the reader was very entertaining and excellent), thoughts kept popping into my head that prevented me from truly enjoying the story. 

Look, I can suspend reality like a champ. People living in fear of a tyrannical government that makes children fight to the death as a form of keeping rebellions at bay? People classified into factions based on a dominating personality trait? Wizards, witches, gods living among us? Done. For some reason with this one I couldn’t get past classifying people by how color blind they are. Why does that matter at all? Who gives a crap? If that was the only thing I would have had to accept as weird in the entire book, maybe I could have gotten past it. But in combination with things like spoon shortages (really? Is that supposed to be satirical? It makes no sense), colors fixing ailments and getting people high (sorry, what?), and night terrors (because they can’t see colors? Why?)? I just couldn’t. And that bothers me a little, but that’s how this went. Over and over. Instead of enjoying the book for what it was I kept catching myself questioning the author’s choices and not getting involved in the story or escaping into the book. It was all too convoluted and there was too much going on that I needed to just accept.  Maybe that’s the point. But I think what is meant to be satirical and funny only irritates me.

It did finally get me near the end, so not all of it is bad. I still had the same problems accepting a lot of what I was being told, but I did want to know what would happen, which remains the book’s saving grace, and the reason I gave it a two instead of a one. 

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) – George RR Martin

A Clash of Kings is the second book in the Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin, and is just as excellent (and long!) as the first one. Continuing the stories and character arcs set up in the first book, Game of Thrones, this portion of the series is focused on the struggle for power between the houses of Baratheon, Lannister, and Stark, while also keeping us up to date on how things are going for Dany Targaryen, the last of the past king’s line.

I think what I like so much about these books is that aside from a few obvious examples, I have no idea who I’m rooting for. There are rarely clear heroes and villains.  The case could be made that so far the good guys are the people in House Stark, while the bad guys are the Lannisters, but there are so many twists and turns that I can’t help but put bias aside and just enjoy where the book takes me. My favorite chapters throughout the book were from a Lannister point of view, which goes completely against what I just said about who I think the villains are. And that is what makes this so enjoyable.

This one’s a solid 4, although if I keep enjoying these books so much it could retrospectively become a 5, when I buy the whole series to read again!

Moneyball- Michael Lewis

Moneyball is about Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland A’s, a small money baseball team in a world where teams like the Yankees and the Red Sox buy championships. The story details strategy for winning with less money, drafting well, and, as the subtitle says, “the art of winning an unfair game.”

I was always going to like this one.  I’m an avid Reds fan, a team that hasn’t won a world series since 1990 and hadn’t made the playoffs in 15 years when they made it in 2010. Which gives me perspective on both small money baseball teams and teams that don’t win when they have big names (see: Ken Griffey Junior).  It is fascinating to read about Beane’s strategy in drafting new players, how he makes decisions based on stats, the fact that he would never keep a player that eats up half of his payroll. Which of course makes me nervous about the huge contracts that Votto and Phillips have just signed, but I digress.

Without getting into the extreme details of the book, I’ll just say that I really enjoyed the read. I loved thinking of how this applies to my favorite team and players in the game today.  I’m not totally sure I agree with everything that Beane lives by (specifically that he has no interest in defense- I don’t care how good your pitcher is, no one pitches perfect games every time out, you’ve got to have someone to field the ball and make outs!), but I will agree that he changed my mind a little bit, and definitely made me think a lot more about a sport that I love. 

4- definitely one I will read again. And even though it’s not my usual type of book (non-fiction and full of stats), I think I have to see what else Lewis has done.

The Power of Six continues the story of John Smith from I Am Number Four. I don’t feel like I can say a whole lot about this one without ruining I Am Number Four, but suffice it to say that I enjoyed it as much as the first one. Spoilers for I Am Number Four ahead!

This one was a little bit different than I Am Number Four, but then again, it has to be, since now John can no longer stay in one place as he’s been exposed for the alien that he is. Travelling from city to city, Four and Six train together with an eventual goal of taking on the Mogadorians, with Sam along for the ride.

Interspersed with Four and Six’s story is that of Seven, Marina, living in Santa Teresa with her guardian, who has given up on the Loric cause. Both stories are equally interesting, and the narrators of both did a very good job.  

All in all, this one was an extra good three as well. I’m really looking forward to the third book in the series coming out this summer!

I Am Number Four- Pittacus Lore

My latest audiobook, I Am Number Four is another one of those YA books that I am a sucker for. Intrigue, excitement, fantasy, I’m all in. Let’s be real here, any YA fantasy book series that is good enough to have a movie made out of it, I’m going to read. Or in this case, listen to.

I am Number Four is the story of John Smith, Loric alien, who is being hunted by the mortal enemies of the Loric (and Earth), the Mogadorians. Nine Loric guard made it off of the planet and to Earth before the Mogadorians took it over, and those nine are being hunted and killed. Through a protective charm on the nine guard, they can only be killed in order. Three are dead, and John is number four.  

This was a fun book, and I immediately downloaded the sequel once I finished it. It’s about what you’d expect for what it is, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s an excellent 3. 

11/22/63- Stephen King

As my first Stephen King novel ever, I wasn’t sure what to expect from 11/22/63. The fact that it had a reputation as being different from his other ones, I admit was part of the reason I was interested in reading it. I’m not really one for books like It and Carrie. However, if that’s a broad generalization on my part, and more of his books are like this one, perhaps I’ll be reading more of King in the future.

11/22/63 is kind of an oddball book. Not that that’s a bad thing, by any means. Jake, the main character, is a teacher confronted with an interesting choice: if you could go into the past (via an anomaly in time) to change anything, what would it be? Along with some help from a supporting character, obviously, Jake chooses to go after Lee Harvey Oswald and attempt to save JFK.  With 850 pages, multiple trips into the past, and timeline reboots, I’ll make the comment that it was just a bit too long. There are entire portions of the book that are changed and made irrelevant, and though I understand their importance in the overall storyline, I wish they had been a little briefer. That’s my only complaint though.

In the long run 11/22/63 was an interesting and very good book. I really enjoyed the time that Jake spent in the past, living his life until it was time to change history, and also the ripples that he inadvertently causes. It’s a cool concept. What if JFK had never been shot? How would life change? Without giving anything away, I’ll just say that the dilemmas that Jake encounters are very thought provoking.

This is another solid 4- very good and worth reading again. If it wasn’t so long I probably wouldn’t mind owning it. And like I said, maybe I’ll have to look into more of Stephen King’s books. 

The Lock Artist- Steve Hamilton

The Lock Artist is a book about a young, damaged boy who has a way with locks. Traumatized from an event that we do not learn about until late in the book, the boy, Michael, does not speak, but has a unique talent, one that gets him into trouble from page one.

Told in alternating chapters about his education as a “box man” (safe cracker), and his escapades after learning the trade, The Lock Artist was an interesting and entertaining audio book. Michael is introduced as the golden boy, the miracle boy, the boy who survived a disturbing event that is alluded to but not explained right away. And this is part of the reason that the book was so captivating. Hamilton gives you just enough information to keep you wondering, and enough events with their own resolutions to keep it from feeling like a trick. Chronicling Michael’s life from 9 years of age until just past his 17^th year, we see him grow up, become the lock artist, fall in love, face danger, and resolve his problems, one way or another.

This was a really good audiobook. The narrator was, on the whole, easy to listen to. I had one complaint: the way he read the dialogue of the Ghost, but that was minor. Overall this is another 4- I would read or listen to it again. 

The Night Circus- Erin Morgenstern

After all the hype about The Night Circus, I have to admit that it was a book I was really looking forward to reading. Top of the bestseller list, fantasy, romance, what’s not to like? But it was different than that, and also more. This was a book that surprised me.

The Night Circus is essentially the story of two young magicians locked in a duel that both were entered into without their knowledge. The setting of their duel? The mystical, fantastical night circus, which is unlike any circus that anyone has ever been to, because it is sustained by real magic.  Celia is an “illusionist,” who doesn’t need sleight of hand or distraction to create her illusions, one of the main events of the circus, who travels around from city to city. Marco is the assistant to the circus owner, supervising from afar and constantly adding attractions, while being tied to it through the circus’ constantly burning bonfire. The book is the story of Celia and Marco’s dance around each other, their duel, their mutual admiration, and their eventual love. But only one of the participants can survive the contest.

I really liked The Night Circus. I was expecting more action in a book centered around a magician duel, but all in all, this is more of a book about the circus itself, and beauty and magic. It’s very well written and engrossing. There was a spot around the middle where I started to get tired of the constant additions to the circus with seemingly no outcome or events that even affected the participants, but near the end I was sucked back in.  The way the story is told is somewhat scattered, jumping from time period to time period, interspersed with brief pages of description as if the reader is a participant in the circus, but somehow it works.

4- very good and I’d re-read it, but the slow part in the middle kept it from being a 5.

Moonwalking with Einstein- Joshua Foer

Moonwalking with Einstein was yet another venture outside of my comfort zone. A book about memory, more of a memoir than a self-help book, Moonwalking with Einstein takes the reader (listener in my case) through Josh Foer’s journey from regular guy who can’t remember where his keys are to US Memory Champion.

I have to admit, this was much better than I was expecting. It’s been on my radar awhile, after being a best seller on both Amazon and NY Times. Before I impulse downloaded it to listen to, I thought there would be no way I’d ever pay attention to a book about memory tricks. But it’s so much more than that.

I can’t believe how interesting it was to hear about Foer’s training and tricks. The information unearthed through his studies of and with the various experts in the field was captivating. It’s remarkable what the human brain can do. Even now, I can remember the various list of random nonsense that was the one example Foer walks you through how to remember (pickled garlic, cottage cheese, peat smoked salmon, six bottles of white wine, three pairs of socks, three hula hoops, scuba diving gear, dry ice machine, email Sofia, skin colored cat suit). Are you kidding? That’s nonsense that I memorized and I listened to that part of the book a week and a half ago. Incredibly impressive.

I gave this a 3 based on my rating system (3 = liked it but won’t read it again) but this one was one that almost breaks the scale. I don’t need to read it again but I was really impressed with it. So much different (and so much better!) than I expected!

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Jonathan Safran Foer

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close… I’m almost not sure what to say about this one. I was afraid to read it for awhile, because all I knew about it was that it was a book about a boy who lost his father in the attacks on September 11th. But I’m glad I did. I think it might have been my favorite book of the month (if not for Ready Player One). Bear with me on this review, it’s going to be different, just like the book.

It’s clear from the beginning that the narrator for most of the book, a young boy named Oskar Schell, has some kind of mental issue. Maybe it’s autism, maybe it’s OCD or ADD, maybe it’s just depression or a coping mechanism. Something’s going on. But you go with it, because it’s interesting and unexpected. The writing style is fast paced and close to a stream of consciousness with his sections, which are interspersed with letters from people you don’t make a connection with until about the middle of the book. The way this story is told is unlike anything I’ve ever read, and about 75 pages into it I was hooked. It’s purposely cryptic and draws you in. It keeps you involved, but it’s also obnoxious because you constantly feel like you’re missing something.

Oskar’s dad died in 9/11, and after his death, Oskar finds a key hidden away, and makes it his mission to find what it goes to. It's sad and upsetting, but not in the way you'd think. I’m still very conflicted about it. It's a story of recovering from loss. A story of hope. A story of enduring. A story about love and loss. About family and friendship. About life.

All in all, I don't know how I feel about it. I thought I wanted to see the movie but now I'm not so sure. I'm upset but ok. I gave this a four because I like the writing style and the book. I didn’t give it a five because I was unsatisfied with the ending, although there’s something to be said about how he did that as well. 

How’s that for cryptic?

Matched- Ally Condie

Matched is a young adult/borderline children’s book that wants very badly to be either The Giver or The Hunger Games. Set in a futuristic world remarkably similar to that of Lois Lowry’s The Giver, all of our free will as a human race has essentially vanished. Calories and food are predetermined, jobs are assigned based on relative strengths, and romantic relationships are determined by the appropriate match of personalities. Cassia is 17 and headed to her Matching Banquet, and to her delight, is matched with her best friend Xander, in a match that everyone classifies as perfect. But the next day, just for a split second while reviewing her “courtship guidelines” the face of another boy shows up, and she knows him too: Ky. So, the question becomes, somewhat predictably, does she go with what is planned and reliable: Xander, or what may actually be her perfect, but unauthorized Match, Ky?

First, let me say for the record that I liked Matched. I like the concept, I like the main character, I like the future world. I was annoyed by the love triangle. Where Divergent was clearly a Hunger Games wannabe and I could not have cared less, this one is more obviously trying to target the audiences of mainstream teen books with its teen love triangle. I wish the author had focused more on the world around the characters, the choices Cassia and her family do have to make that aren’t already predetermined, and the ethics of having a Society that makes your life easier but steals your free will. It’s an interesting concept. I wanted to know more about it.

All in all, a good book and a good use of my time overall. I’ll be reading the sequel eventually, I’m sure. This one was somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me. But in order from favorite to least favorite of the recent dystopic fiction trilogies, my ranking would be: Hunger Games, Divergent, Matched.

Where She Went- Gayle Forman

Where She Went, the sequel to If I Stay, is my typical type of audio book. Not complex by any means, but a good and engaging story, something that I had no problem listening and paying attention to. Spoilers ahead for If I Stay, which is a YA book that I read several years ago.

Where She Went continues the story of If I Stay, picking up several years after the tragic accident that left Mia without an immediate family. This book is told from the point of view of Mia’s high school boyfriend, Adam, who, we discover fairly quickly, is not with Mia anymore, but is still pining away for her. He has made it big with his band, Shooting Star, but is unrecognizable as the character from If I Stay. Throughout the book, we find that he has become a shell of his former self without Mia, and has very little joy in life, until a chance encounter with her brings him back.

I liked this book, but it was really nothing special. It was interesting to see the fallout from the accident, of course, and to see the way that the characters of If I Stay were affected. It was a good amount of closure for the first book. Solid 3.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks- Rebecca Skloot

Henrietta Lacks was a poor black woman whose cancerous cells were taken in a sample at Johns Hopkins and grew to become the most prolific and first “immortal” strain that science had seen. With Henrietta Lacks’ cells (HeLa), scientists have cured polio, and made other unbelievable advances in medicine. But how were these cells collected? Why doesn’t anyone know the story behind the woman who made all of this possible? Rebecca Skloot is a white journalist who takes us on the journey of discovering who Henrietta was, why her cells are so important to science and history, and takes a (mostly) objective look at the ethics of what has been done to her and her descendents in the name of scientific progress.

This book was our book club’s March pick. It’s not something that I would usually read, as for the most part I’m a fiction kind of girl. But I’m very glad that I was out of my comfort zone and reading this one. I’ll admit, for the first half of the book or so, I was a little bored. The reporting of Henrietta’s background and her family was fine, but a bit bland. When we discovered things like the unethical treatment of African Americans at Johns Hopkins, and how cancer radiation was treated back then, I was downright disturbed. But I admit all of this was necessary to have the third part of the book, a look at Henrietta’s immortality, and questions about the ethics of how HeLa is used and distributed, which was much more engaging, in my opinion.

I’m still not sure I have a strong opinion either way on the events of the book. In general I think today the biggest problems of the situation are more regulated: informed consent, privacy laws, etc. I won’t go into it now, and will let you draw your own conclusions. Suffice it to say, this book made for good conversation at our book club meeting. Highly recommended if you have someone to talk it over with.

I’ll give it a 3- I liked it more than I thought I would, and I’m happy I read it.

Ready Player One- Ernest Cline

Fast paced, well written, and very original, Ready Player One is my favorite book of the year so far. I haven’t been sucked into a book like this one in a long time… maybe since I discovered The Hunger Games. What is truly astonishing to me, is that this was my latest audiobook, and I blew through it so quickly that I was done with 13 parts all over an hour long within a week. It was an obsession. I want to purchase it and read it over and over again. Go read it now.

You’re still here? OK, how about a quick summary? Ready Player One is a book set in the not so distant future, around 2040, where society is basically run through a virtual reality/ online multiplayer game called the Oasis. People work and go to school in the Oasis, make money there, essentially live there. The best part? It’s free for anyone to use. So when the creator of the Oasis dies, leaving his billions to whatever person who finds an Easter Egg within the Oasis first, the world goes a bit crazy. Wade Watts, the protagonist and narrator, is one of the many treasure hunters looking for the egg, and we follow his journey throughout the search as he solves puzzles, plays games, and sifts through millions of 1980s references (the creator’s obsession), all the while trying to stay clear of the sixers, the villains of the story, who are desperate to win control of the Oasis and monetize it.

This book was unbelievable. I loved it so much. Even without knowing and catching on to a lot of the 80s references, I was along for the ride the entire time and completely engrossed.

5- you have to read this. Go right now.

Game of Thrones- George R.R. Martin

This was the third time I’ve tried to get into Game of Thrones. The cast of characters, events, and relationships are so complex and numerous that the first two times I stalled and lost interest. But everyone has to love this series for a reason, right? This time I made my own character chart, stuck it out, and was happy that I did.

I actually think this being the third try on this book helped immensely, as I picked up things this time through that I hadn’t understood in the slightest the first two times. The charts and discussion of characters at the end? Didn’t help me at any point, which is why I made my own, which is available if anyone else needs the help. Ha.

As you can tell, Game of Thrones is a fantasy novel full to the brim of interesting characters that are all interwoven in a medieval England- type world. Most emphasized throughout the book are the Starks, Ned and Catelyn, their children Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon, as well as Ned’s bastard son, Jon Snow. The book rotates perspectives between the majority of the Starks, as well as several other characters from the other families. At its core, this book is about power, and ruthless characters who will do anything to get it. I almost can’t even say any more than that, because to explain further would be to take away some of the genius of the book.

4- really liked this one, finally, although it’s definitely not for everyone. It’s long and complex and bloody. But in the end it’s pretty fantastic. I’m definitely going to keep reading the sequels!

The Magician King- Lev Grossman

The sequel to The Magicians, The Magician King, by Lev Grossman, has some of the same spark as the original. Alternating between one of the new main characters, Julia’s origin story and continuing the adventures of Quentin and company from The Magicians, this one could be pretty comparable to Harry Potter becomes King.

I can’t say much about this one without giving away the events of the Magicians, but I will say that I didn’t like it quite as much. Maybe it’s because I didn’t like Julia the way that Grossman wanted me to, maybe it’s because I was less interested in the overarching plotline of the book than the individual adventures, I don’t know. But for some reason this one didn’t grab me quite as much as the first one did.

3- I’m glad I read/listened to it, and I’m sure if there is a third book to come I’ll be interested in that one too, but I don’t need to read it again.

1Q84- Haruki Murakami

There is literally no other word that can be used for this book other than just flat out weird. To be completely honest with you, I have no idea how this book got on the best seller’s list at all, let alone stayed there long enough to get on my radar. This book was used for our book club’s second meeting, and I am not alone in saying that it was just completely strange.

1Q84 is an immense and sprawling novel of almost 1000 pages (more on that to come), interweaving the stories of Aomame and Tengo, our two main characters that knew each other as children and find themselves wrapped up in a bizarre situation that involves a book being rewritten, an alternate universe, and multiple murders. I can tell that this is supposed to be a romantic story of two people that fell in love as children and never forgot each other, but what charm that portion of the book could have had is lost in the unbelievable amount of verbiage.

1Q84 could have been about 500 pages shorter, and still got the message across, in my opinion. I have read a lot of reviews that say this is just the author’s writing style, but frankly, I found it tedious. At one point, after reading the description of an ugly supporting character for what felt like the 15th time, I turned off my kindle in disgust, thinking that I would never get through this book.

Having said that, there are some redeemable qualities. I can appreciate how weird it is, how intricate the author had to get to tie everything in together, I just wish he would have gotten on with it instead of dragging it out. I’m not going to say I hated this book, but I’m not going to read it again, if only because the time involved in getting through it was hardly worth the payoff. I think it’s somewhere in between a 2 and a 3 for me.

Genghis: Birth of an Empire- Conn Iggulden

Genghis is not a book that I would typically read. I’ll grab a historical fiction book every once in awhile, but for the most part, fictional books based around history are not usually my books of choice. History was hardly my favorite subject in school. But every once in awhile I come across one that completely makes me change my mind. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet was one. The Help, if you can count that, is one of my favorite books of all time. Genghis is, to my surprise, a good one as well.

Before I started this book (and even now that I’ve finished it) I couldn’t even pretend to know anything about Ghengis Kahn, so I’m going to give you as much background on this book as I had: basically nothing. A quick Wikipedia search on the subject explains that he was an emperor, who came to power by uniting several wandering tribes in Asia.

So, given that amount of information, you’d think that since I know nothing about the subject matter, I wouldn’t like the book right? But my friend’s husband insisted it was a good one, and I’m not one to turn down a recommendation. And good job, Patrick. This was so much better than I expected. I want to read up and find out what really happened and what was embellished, it’s all so crazy that I can hardly believe any of it’s true. I’m sure I’ll read the rest of the series and probably Caesar as well. It’s very well written, very engaging, and unbelievably interesting.

I think the only thing I didn’t like was the flip flopping of perspectives within chapters or paragraphs. Occasionally that would throw me off and bring me out of the story, but that’s really about it. Well, you know, other than the obvious and fairly alarming violence that you’d expect in a book about the early life of a brutal emperor who came to power by uniting tribes that already had leaders. So there was that. But overall, such a good book.

4- I think I want to learn some more about Genghis Kahn and then re-read it to figure out what was real.

Divergent- Veronica Roth

Divergent is a book that’s obviously trying to capitalize on the popularity of the superior Hunger Games trilogy. But you know what? I don’t care. It was worth the read, and I’m really excited to read the next one.

Divergent is the story of Beatrice Prior, a 16 year old living in the future, dystopia version of Chicago. In this future, the human race is split into five factions, each of which values a different trait: Abnegation (selflessness), Amity (kindness), Candor (honesty), Dauntless (bravery), and Erudite (intelligence). When a teenager turns 16 they decide whether to remain with their families in the faction that they grew up in or switch to a new one based on one monumental test. Beatrice makes a difficult decision, and then is put through initiation.

This book reminds me strikingly of Ender’s Game, which is one of my favorite fantasy novels of all time. I think between the parallels of that book and the Hunger Games, I was pretty much never going to dislike this one, and I can’t wait for the sequel to come out in May to continue Beatrice’s story. The end of Divergent was non-stop action packed, and things are definitely going to be different in the sequel.

I read this one in three weeknights, which tells you something right there. The only complaint I have is that in my opinion, some of the so-called “twists” were easy to predict, and the writing is not as good as that of Orson Scott Card (Ender’s Game), or Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games). That being said, I definitely thought the plot was interesting and the writing was good enough to keep me involved. I flew through it.

Another solid 4- no serious complaints here.

The Magicians- Lev Grossman

The Magicians is the first audio book I’ve listened to in awhile that was not a re-listen of the Harry Potter books. Come to think of it, it’s not actually that big of a change. At first glance, Lev Grossman’s book is somewhat like Harry Potter goes to College.

Quentin Coldwater is the protagonist of this book, known mostly throughout the early part of the book as a quirky semi-weirdo who likes to do card tricks and is obsessed with a series of books about a fictional magical place called Fillory, which draws obvious parallels to C.S. Lewis’ Narnia. Little does he realize that magic is real, and soon he is a pupil at the magic school of Brakebills, a college for magicians.

This was a very interesting book, and as soon as I finished it I picked up the sequel, The Magician King, to continue to hear about the adventures of Quentin and his friends. The audiobook was especially good due to the man who did the reading, who was entertaining without being obnoxious, which is a trap that a lot of audio books seem to hit. It was nice to hear distinction between the characters without getting really awful voices.

4- highly recommend. Especially as an audiobook.

Explosive Eighteen- Janet Evanovich

Once again, I’m not sure what there is to say about the 18th book in a series when you’ve read 17 before that. Anybody reading this knows what they’re getting into. I’m probably never going to stop reading these. They’re entertaining, and I enjoy all of the characters. That’s all there is to it.

The last time I read a Stephanie Plum novel I argued that Evanovich knows she has a winning formula and knows what to do with it. She knows what the fans like, the way to write ridiculous, klutzy Stephanie and her insane life, and she knows how to write Morelli and Ranger. This time it’s more of the same, although Stephanie had finally gotten herself into a truly preposterous case, and most of the stuff surrounding it made no sense at all. Somehow that doesn’t bother me though, because like I said, I know what I’m getting into. Still funny. Still hilarious characters and nutso skips.

3. I like all of these books, but I’m pretty sure I’m not going to reread any of them.

A Million Little Pieces- James Frey

Anybody who hasn’t heard of this book has probably been living under a rock. I’ve been avoiding it the past few years because of the controversy around it (marketed as a memoir, embellished to the point that it’s not), but after a lot of discussion with a few of my friends, I finally decided it was time to read it.

And I have to say, I’m glad I did. A Million Little Pieces is a pretty unique book. The writing style is weird but intriguing, most of it is plausible enough to have been true, and it’s an incredibly blunt, somewhat amazing look at a 23 year old man going through withdrawal and rehab.

I don’t know what I can say that hasn’t already been said. When I finished I went immediately on the internet to look up what was true and what wasn’t, the infamous Oprah interview with the author, and general reaction. I would think that’s a pretty reasonable reaction. But even putting aside the things in the book that weren’t true, this is an incredible account of life within a rehab center, and it was worth the read.

4- I can see myself reading this again, and I liked the style enough that I want to check out the next book from Frey- My Friend Leonard.

Girls in White Dresses- Jennifer Close

Girls in White Dresses is, at its core, a story about growing up, a story about a group of friends who have graduated from college and have no idea what to do with themselves when faced with the real world. I think that, essentially, is why I liked it so very much.

I admit that when I started this book I was expecting something entirely different. Something like J. Courtney Sullivan’s Commencement, which was about four college roommates and their lives during and after school. This has the same pretense, but is even more identifiable. It’s more of a collection of short stories like The Imperfectionists, but it revolves around the same group of friends, who are all adjusting to life after college. I would have liked slightly more cohesiveness, because I couldn’t entirely keep up with how each girl was related to the other ones. But that is a pretty minor complaint, and once I stopped trying to figure out their relationships, I had completely given into the book and was loving it.

I constantly found myself nodding along or completely identifying with the characters. The kindle version of the book is highlighted right and left with sentences that sound like me, or sound like something that I have thought in the past.

5- I highly recommend this to any woman in her 20s trying to figure out what to do with her life after college. I still can’t really believe how many parts of this book were so perfect. When I finished this I wanted to buy it in hard copy so I could keep it on a bookshelf forever and read it whenever I feel lost and like I have no idea what I’m doing with my life. If only so I know that I’m not the only person who has ever felt that way.

The Imperfectionists- Tom Rachman

The Imperfectionists is a book about an English language newspaper in Rome. Told as a collection of short stories about the employees interwoven with the origin of the newspaper itself, it was a really well done book that was entertaining and highly enjoyable.

This book was put on my radar after I read A Visit from the Goon Squad, and I can completely understand where that recommendation comes from. This one is 100% more my style. Instead of skipping around in time and in character, we only skip through different characters, all of whom overlap, as those in Goon Squad did.  I really liked Rachman’s writing. Each chapter starts out with a headline from whichever character you are about to read about, a headline that is usually written as a direct result of the story, which was a genius idea. 

My biggest complaint about Goon Squad was that just as I was getting invested in the characters, Jennifer Egan switched things up on me. That is still a complaint here, but at least with this book’s storytelling you end up with some closure for each of them. And the overlap between characters still produces people who are recognizable as those you’ve already read about, rather than identifying them as some random person in the past lives of whoever you’re currently visiting.

Strangely, the part I didn’t like was the story of how the paper was founded, and the politics between the originating journalists. I say strangely, because I expected that I would like something that’s more like a typical novel, as it started at the beginning and ended in present time. But instead I was always eager to get back to the current staff of the paper, and didn’t care much about those who had already taken part in it.

The end was a bit depressing, but I suppose I should have seen that coming. I wish he had mixed up the stories a little bit though because the last two were probably my least favorite. But I’m glad at least that we got closure.

All in all, this was an excellent book, and one I would definitely read again. 4.

The Marriage Plot- Jeffrey Eugenides

The Marriage Plot is a book that’s been on the best seller list for awhile now, and was the first book chosen (ok, I chose it) for a newly formed book club. On the one hand, it was perfect for it, because we had a lot to talk about, but on the other, I think I was the one that liked it the most, and I was really just ok with it.

Madeline Hanna is the female protagonist in this book, caught between two men: emotionally unstable and manic depressive Leonard, and friendly, lost, Mitchell. The book follows her through college and the years after, including her relationships with both men. She and Mitchell, with one memorable chapter from Leonard, narrate the book as we watch them try to identify who they are and who they are becoming. That’s really the entire premise: Just a few years in the life of three characters.

I say I was ok with the book. Honestly I think the more that I think about it, the less I liked it. Nearly every character met within the pages was unlikable, with Madeline chief among them. It’s hard to like a book when you can’t identify with or even much care about the characters, but for some reason I couldn’t stop reading. I liked it against all odds, and it was only after finishing it and talking it through with the book club that I realized that it was really not that likable.

But I also think that was sort of the point. Everyone sucks, but everyone is also captivating in their own way. Basically I have no idea what I think of this book anymore, and I’m not sure I would recommend it. At the very least it had a lot of stuff in it to talk about, which made it a good book club pick, but I’m not sure I’m going to read it again. 3.

Thanks for the Memories- Cecelia Ahern

Another pretty typical chick book, Thanks for the Memories is a story of boy meets girl with a twist, which is what most of the books I’ve read from Ahern have been since I read and loved P.S. I Love You. I think I ruined Ahern’s chances of ever writing another book I was going to love by reading that one first.  All of the rest have been merely ok in comparison.  This one is no different. 

The story starts with a pretty disturbing accident and miscarriage for the main character, Joyce. After this event, the book flashes back to a month previous when Justin Hitchcock is donating blood. Spolier alert, Joyce ends up with Justin’s blood, and this leads to some pretty surreal experiences in her life. Suddenly she can speak languages fluently, knows an absurd amount about architecture and art, and other events occur that are obvious to the reader both through Ahern’s writing and common sense that they are shared experiences and hobbies from Justin.

This was a really cute book. But like I said, I think I’m ruined for Cecelia Ahern’s books unless she comes up with something past cute, a la P.S. I Love You. So another good, not great book.  One that I liked and found entertaining but won’t be reading again.  3.