Quick Hits for April

Read 4/7/13- The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss- Very much enjoyed this book and looking forward to the sequel. Started out a bit slow for me, took some time to get into the story but once it got moving, it stuck with me. Kvothe is such a badass character. I am excited to find out what has been hinted at and what has made him become the man he is as he narrates the book. 4/5

Read 4/12/13- The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald- April’s book club book was a re-reading of the classic, The Great Gatsby. Even better the second time through. I forgot how much I enjoyed this book! 4/5

Read 4/16/13- The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin- I wanted to like this more than I did... Gretchen Rubin's happiness project is a novel idea and has a lot of good things to say, but she says things that are fairly self-explanatory in a way that makes it seem like she has never heard them before or as if they are revelations... For example, that money helps to keep you happy. She is a bit irritating and occasionally insufferable. That said, some good advice here and I'm glad I read it. 3/5

Where'd You Go, Bernadette- Maria Semple

Where’d You Go, Bernadette is quite possibly my favorite book of 2013. And I think that says something, considering I’ve already had a string of major successes that would be my favorite in any other year. Silver Linings Playbook, Language of Flowers, Pillars of the Earth, all were current favorites, and now WYGB has surpassed all of them.

Told in the voice of a 13 year old girl, WYGB is almost entirely unique. It’s honestly like nothing I’ve ever read before. It has bits and pieces of narrative style that I’ve seen done in other ways, but here, it’s taken to a new level. Agoraphobic Bernadette Fox, mother to Bee, has disappeared. For the first half of the book, we are treated to emails, reports, notes, etc compiled to describe the events leading up to Bernadette’s disappearance, interspersed with Bee’s commentary, which is one of the most clever and fun ways of telling a story I’ve ever seen. Then Bernadette disappears. Where did she go? Bee will find out. And the answer is entirely unpredictable, as is every revelation we’re given throughout the book.

Comedy, mystery, emails, technology, architecture, scathing commentary on busybodies and Seattle = one fantastic book, which seemingly has it all.

I really can’t stress enough how much I loved this book. I loved it so much that within weeks of finishing the hard copy I listened to it on audiobook (also awesome, if you’re interested in those kinds of things). It’s a keeper, and one worth reading over and over. 5/5

Language of Flowers- Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Our March book club book was a pretty fantastic pick. Language of Flowers is a book that will stay with me for awhile. It’s told in alternating perspectives: Victoria as a foster child, and Victoria in the current day, beginning with her emancipation into the world at large, and follows her throughout her life, so the reader can see how she got where she starts the book from, to finding her way through life and its struggles.

I don’t want to say much about the plot of this book, as I really enjoyed discovering the facets of Victoria’s life without knowing what was coming. I admit that I’m somewhat of a sucker for books told this way: alternating perspectives or characters, etc, so likely that was part of my gratification with the book. The pacing of the book was perfect, giving away just enough of the mysteries of Victoria’s young life to keep you interested, but simultaneously explaining why she is the way she is in the current day. We had some conversations at our book club meeting about the way it portrays the foster system, Victoria herself, and her choices that, if possible, added to my enjoyment of the book.

Highly recommended. Go read it now. And if you’re looking for a book club pick, start with this one! 5/5.

Quick Hits for March

Read 3/3/13- Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn- OMG. What is the matter with Gillian Flynn that makes her come up with this stuff? Holy crap. Disturbing but riveting. I think I still liked Gone Girl better, but this one was good enough to make me want to check out Sharp Objects. 4/5

Read 3/4/13- The Bungalow, by Sarah Jio- Predictable and somewhat repetitive, but maybe that was more obvious because I listened to this instead of reading it. The plot was decent until it tried to be too much and I saw the ending coming. Disappointing. 2/5

Read 3/5/13- Spin, by Catherine McKenzie- Flew through this one. Quick and entertaining read that reminded me somewhat of Rachel's Holiday, which could be why I enjoyed it so much! 4/5

Read 3/10/13- Genghis: Bones of the Hills, by Conn Iggulden- Third in the series of novels about Genghis Kahn, this one is similar to #2. A good read, definitely interesting, and I wonder how much is true and what is embellished. As with #2, I wish this had fewer battles and more politics. In particular, the relationships between Genghis' sons were well written and engrossing; I could read another few books about them, and will. Worthwhile read, but the first one is still by far the best. 3/5

Read 3/28/13- Spring Fever, by Mary Kay Andrews- Listened to this one and enjoyed it... pretty decent chick lit and I will definitely check out more Mary Kay Andrews books! 3/5

The Pillars of the Earth- Ken Follett

It’s been almost four months since I finished the last available Song of Ice and Fire book, and I have to admit that I have been feeling the absence. Pillars of the Earth, while not completely replacing my interest in getting another book about the people of Westros as soon as humanly possible, definitely has given me a new author to enjoy while I wait. 

Similar to the Song of Ice and Fire series, Pillars of the Earth is told through multiple viewpoints of various characters affected by events that affect the national landscape, as well as in smaller, more personal ways. Spanning nearly forty years in England, where battles between the church and the crown are commonplace, we meet Tom, Ellen, Phillip, Aliena, Jack, William, and a host of other characters, from immediately likable to downright vile. We witness the trials and tribulations of building a cathedral, weathering politics driven by corrupt people, and war.

What struck me the most about this book is how well the characters are written. As opposed to the Martin series, Follett’s Pillars of the Earth has clear protagonists and antagonists, to the point that I’m not sure I’ve been so infuriated by characters and their actions against other, inherently good characters in a long time. At the same time, the protagonists are still imperfect, and you root for them despite their flaws. It’s fantastic writing.

This is definitely a 5. It took me almost a month to read, but it was totally worth it, and don’t let the length deter you, 700+ pages still doesn’t seem like enough. I’ll definitely be reading some of Ken Follett’s other offerings while I wait for George RR Martin to finish The Winds of Winter.