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.