Bookish Sundays: The Cuckoo's Calling

Title: The Cuckoo's Calling
Author: Robert Galbraith
Synopsis [℅ B&N]: "A brilliant debut mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide.

After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.

Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, thelegendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.

You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this."

℅ Barnes & Noble

Review: I usually tend to review books in the order that I read them, but this particular novel is fresh behind the eyes and could do with a little talking about.

As another of JK Rowling's attempts to branch away from Harry and Hogwarts, I was a little hesitant to pick Cuckoo up.  Her last novel, Casual Vacancy, was an epic fail (in my opinion, at least).  This one, however, is definitely a go to.  If you're a fan of whodunnit crime fighter private eye types, go ahead and give this a whirl; you won't be disappointed.  Set in England, of course, you may face the occasional lingo or turn of phrase that doesn't quite translate to our American ways, but Rowling does a much better job at using worldwide phrasing this time around.  This isn't your typical love story (although I thought for a minute it would be and was groaning in horror), but does incorporate heroic military types, jaded famous starlets hopped up on drugs, mothers on the edge of death, secretaries hanging onto the coat tails of adventure, and more.  

Alas, our beloved Cuckoo has thrown herself from her balcony…or has she?  Hired private eye, Cormoran Strike, has recently left his fiancee for the last time, and is now living in his office, a fact that both mortifies and intrigues his temporary hired secretary.  As Strike begins to unravel the mystery of why Lula (Cuckoo) either killed herself or was killed by someone else, he meets a very interesting caste of characters.  Thrown into a world of the elite combined with the dredges of humanity, he must figure out who amongst Lula's friends and associates would push her off the edge.  Could it have been the power hungry neighbor?  The coke-head boyfriend?  Perhaps the diabolical uncle or the unsuspecting homeless girl?  Strike's job isn't easy, but he's the best of the best.  Not every single bit will be a page turner, but it will make up for it in the end.

As always, if you happen to read, please let me know what you think!  I enjoy hearing other perspectives.  

Bookish Sundays: The Casual Vacancy

Title: The Casual Vacancy

Author: J.K. Rowling

Category: Fiction, British Humor

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]: "When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the town's council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults."

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Review: When I heard Rowling was publishing a new book for adults, I was full of both trepidation and excitement.  How could my favorite childhood author switch from a world where anything is possible, to the average and ordinary life of regular human beings?  And would I even like this new style?  I put off reading The Casual Vacancy for quite a few months, but eventually couldn't resist any longer and decided to get it over with.  

With a humorous cast of characters faced with small town problems, it's very easy to relate to certain aspects of the novel, especially if you're from a small town yourself.  While the main topic of conversation in Pagford is to get rid of the poorest section of town along with its drug rehabilitation center, there is much more to the level of animosity than that.  The desire for power, to hide secrets, to rebel, or to present a front of perfection forces the characters into unpredictable confrontations.

While the novel is superbly written, and is definitely entertaining, be aware that it is decidedly English.  There were some parts that I could tell were supposed to be humorous that I didn't understand, or colloquial terms that went pretty far over my head.  Combined with a cast so large it can be difficult to keep track of, the book isn't perfect but it isn't horrible either.  Could be a good read if you like intrigue and watching housewives get what's coming to them.

Bookish Sundays: Anansi boys

Title: Anansi Boys

Author: Neil Gaiman

Category: Fiction, Mythological fiction

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]: "When Fat Charlie's dad named something, it stuck. Like calling Fat Charlie "Fat Charlie." Even now, twenty years later, Charlie Nancy can't shake that name, one of the many embarrassing "gifts" his father bestowed -- before he dropped dead on a karaoke stage and ruined Fat Charlie's life.

Mr. Nancy left Fat Charlie things. Things like the tall, good-looking stranger who appears on Charlie's doorstep, who appears to be the brother he never knew. A brother as different from Charlie as night is from day, a brother who's going to show Charlie how to lighten up and have a little fun ... just like Dear Old Dad. And all of a sudden, life starts getting very interesting for Fat Charlie.

Because, you see, Charlie's dad wasn't just any dad. He was Anansi, a trickster god, the spider-god. Anansi is the spirit of rebellion, able to overturn the social order, create wealth out of thin air, and baffle the devil. Some said he could cheat even Death himself."

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Overview: I wrote a while ago about another Neil Gaiman novel called American Gods one of my all time favorite books.  Anansi Boys is yet another example of Gaiman's extraordinary talent, and another one of my top ten favorites.

This is the story of Fat Charlie, a very plain and unassuming wall flower that tries to get by without gaining attention.  Nothing ever works out for Fat Charlie, especially nothing that has to do with his father or newly found brother.  But, after his dad dies, Charlie must tie up some loose ends, and therefore manages to dive headfirst into a lot of family drama.  He learns more than he wants about bro and dad, and manages to find himself in the process.  Gaiman manages to interweave reality and mythology in a way that leaves the reader wondering if perhaps this world actually does exist.

Gaiman, as ever, absolutely enthralls me with his writing styles.  If any of you took my advice and perused Good Omens, then you'll know that his way with words will have you doubled over in laughter.  He not only entertains with humor, but develops the characters in a way that makes them seem like family or dear friends.  The reader watches them grow, and at the end of the novel, sighs with contentment as if they had anything to do with the amazing results.  Extremely well written, hilarious, and definitely a must read.  Let me know if you enjoy it!

Bookish Sundays

Sometimes, I wonder why I pick up a book when I know I'm not going to like it.  This is one of them...me + romance = no go.  Ever.  But, because I feel obligated to share novels from all fiction categories, and not just my go-to Fantasty, I figured I'd share it with you all just in case someone decides it's up their alley.

Title: Dark Lover [Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, #1]

Author: J.R. Ward

Category: Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]: "In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.
The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams."

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Overview: This series is a conglomeration of Fifty Shades and Twilight.  A little vampirism, dash of naughty behavior, and the never ending misunderstood love angle.  Don't worry, it has a happy ending [haha, literally ;)].  

Stepping back from the fact that I really just don't like the story line, I suppose the book has a decent author.  The writing style okay, and she manages to cast the characters very well.  Descriptive angles are thought out, and casts a different spin on the vampire/human love angle.  Even better; there's some action involved as the vampires of this super-elite brotherhood team up against their arch rivals, the Others.  The series has a total of ten novels, with an eleventh on the horizon, and I know from experience that the novels tend to drag as the series progress.  But this first one is a great way to start out the story line.

As mentioned, definitely not my cup of tea, but if you decide to try it out, let me know what you think!

Bookish Sundays: World Made By Hand

Title: World Made By Hand

Author: James Howard Kunstler

Category: Fiction, Post-apocolyptic

Synopsis [c/o B&N]: "With World Made By Hand Kunstler makes an imaginative leap into the future, a few decades hence, and shows us what life may be like after these coming catastrophes—the end of oil, climate change, global pandemics, and resource wars—converge. For the townspeople of Union Grove, New York, the future is not what they thought it would be.  Transportation is slow and dangerous, so food is grown locally at great expense of time and energy. And the outside world is largely unknown. There may be a president and he may be in Minneapolis now, but people aren’t sure. As the heat of summer intensifies, the residents struggle with the new way of life in a world of abandoned highways and empty houses, horses working the fields and rivers replenished with fish. A captivating, utterly realistic novel, World Made by Hand takes speculative fiction beyond the apocalypse and shows what happens when life gets extremely local."

via

Overview: In a small town of New York, the citizens that have survived disease and plague are left to fend for themselves.  No widely known recognized government exists, no transportation, no outside food supply; they are forced to band together and do the best they can to keep living.  As with all disasters, the bandits are out in full force to take advantage of the weaker members of the scattered society, forcing the people of Union Grove to become people they never thought possible in order to overcome the abuse.
Um, not my favorite novel.  Very well written, but the story line just didn't appeal to me, even as much as I love apocalyptic stories.  The main characters are a diverse bunch, and very easy to relate to, but the eventual elected 'leader' just seems a little too human for my taste.  We are generally attracted to strong and decisive people to lead us during crises, but this man seems to kind of fumble along despite the masses that need him to stand up and fight.  Although Kunstler did a fantastic job presenting his tale, and while I'm sure it appealed to a different audience, my recommendation is to not waste your time.  There are better books out there.

Bookish Sundays: Next

Title: Next

Author: Michael Crichton

Category: Fiction, Science Fiction

Synopsis [c/o B&N]: "Welcome to our genetic world. Fast, furious, and out of control. This is not the world of the future— it's the world right now."

via

Overview: In an attempt to promote full disclosure, this book has terrible reviews.  Like, horrible.  No one likes it [ahem, except for me].  While I'm not a huge science fiction fan, mostly because I don't understand the terminology, I did like this novel.  Not for superb writing skills or amazing portrayals that boggle the mind or anything of that sort.  It just makes me think.
In a world where scientific revelations are a daily occurrence, and technological advances have drastically revolutionized our lives just over the past ten years, it's no wonder that this novel introduces a community in which the science community has gone haywire.  Patenting genes, and thus inhibiting others from receiving medical care?  Not being able to claim samples taken by doctors because you don't "own" the rights?  How much more ridiculous can the medical and scientific community get?
In a world where religion and science clash on a daily basis, this novel not only forced me to consider how little I know of science, but how drastically different science and religion have become.  I realize that there are quite a few contradicting messages in either "doctrine" [for lack of a better term], but weren't they partners at one point?  How have we drifted so far in our beliefs that we cannot take fact and belief together at one sitting?  
I'd love to hear your thoughts, not only on this particular novel, but on your thoughts when reading books that deal with science fiction, yet holds quite a bit of truth.

Bookish Sundays: Lullaby

Title: Lullaby

Author: Chuck Palahniuk

Category: Fiction

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]: "Ever heard of a culling song? It’s a lullaby sung in Africa to give a painless death to the old or infirm. The lyrics of a culling song kill, whether spoken or even just thought. You can find one on page 27 of Poems and Rhymes from Around the World, an anthology that is sitting on the shelves of libraries across the country, waiting to be picked up by unsuspecting readers.

Reporter Carl Streator discovers the song’s lethal nature while researching Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and before he knows it, he’s reciting the poem to anyone who bothers him. As the body count rises, Streator glimpses the potential catastrophe if someone truly malicious finds out about the song. The only answer is to find and destroy every copy of the book in the country. Accompanied by a shady real-estate agent, her Wiccan assistant, and the assistant’s truly annoying ecoterrorist boyfriend, Streator begins a desperate cross-country quest to put the culling song to rest.

Written with a style and imagination that could only come from Chuck Palahniuk, Lullaby is the latest outrage from one of our most exciting writers at work today."

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Overview: If you were not a fan of Fight Club, then you probably shouldn't read any of the author's other books.  Since I happened to enjoy both the movie and the novel, I thought I'd give Palahniuk a go; and I was not disappointed.  Easily just as messed up and trippy as Fight Club, you'll read Lullaby with a sense of disbelief and awe.  A song that kills people?  It's a tragedy that leaves more than one unsuspecting character with a feeling of loss.  Thankfully, one reporter is willing to track down and rip out the page that holds this lullaby, and thus rid the world of one more evil.  Will he succeed?  No one knows.

You may think that I'm a tad loony for liking such twisted story lines; you may actually be right.  But in my defense, even if the novel had an awful plot, I would still love it.  Palahniuk is an amazing author, and writes in such a way that captures the reader from the get go.  If you're willing to try something different and decide to read the suggested novel, let me know how you enjoy it.  Or, if you'd prefer, pick up one of his other novels, such as Airplane, Survivor, Choke, or many others.  Some are pretty awesome, some not so enjoyable, but I'll leave the decision up to you.

Bookish Sundays: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Title: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Author: Jonathan Safran Foer

Category: Fiction

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]: "Jonathan Safran Foer confronts the traumas of our recent history. What he discovers is solace in that most human quality, imagination." "Meet Oskar Schell, an inventor, Francophile, tambourine player, Shakespearean actor, jeweler, and pacifist. He is nine years old. And he is on an urgent, secret search through the five boroughs of New York. His mission is to find the lock that fits a mysterious key belonging to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11." An inspired innocent, Oskar is alternately endearing, exasperating, and hilarious as he careens from Central Park to Coney Island to Harlem on his search. Along the way he is always dreaming up inventions to keep those he loves safe from harm. What about a birdseed shirt to let you fly away? What if you could actually hear everyone's heartbeat? His goal is hopeful, but the past speaks a loud warning in stories of those who've lost loved ones before. As Oskar roams New York, he encounters a motley assortment of humanity who are all survivors in their own way. He befriends a 103-year-old war reporter, a tour guide who never leaves the Empire State Building, and lovers enraptured or scorned. Ultimately, Oskar ends his journey where it began, at his father's grave. But now he is accompanied by the silent stranger who has been renting the spare room of his grandmother's apartment. They are there to dig up his father's empty coffin.

c/o B&N

Overview:  Written in a style that reminds me very much of The History of Love, Foer's main character is forced to deal with an untimely tragedy that shakes his entire world.  While witty and charming, it is also heartbreaking to watch someone so young try to hold on to the memory of his father.  The growth and development of the characters are phenomenal, if overly unbelievable.  But each member of the cast in his/her own way helps Oskar in his search, and are in turn affected by his quirky personality and innocent purity.  Definitely a must read.  

Have you seen the movie? Is it worth watching?  And thank you, Talia, for recommending this to me.  Definitely as great as you said it would be!

Bookish Sundays: Things Fall Apart

Title: Things Fall Apart

Author: Chinua Achebe

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]: "Things Fall Apart tells two intertwining stories, both centering on Okonkwo, a “strong man” of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first, a powerful fable of the immemorial conflict between the individual and society, traces Okonkwo’s fall from grace with the tribal world. The second, as modern as the first is ancient, concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of Okonkwo's world with the arrival of aggressive European missionaries. These perfectly harmonized twin dramas are informed by an awareness capable of encompassing at once the life of nature, human history, and the mysterious compulsions of the soul.

A classic of modern African writing, this is the tale of what happens to tribal customs and old ways when white man comes."

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Overview: I was required to read this novel for an online class this past spring, and as I usually do when reading class novels, I fell in love.  This isn't the type of book I would normally pick up, but after reading it, the storyline and messages relayed by the author are amazing.

Following the life of the main character, Okonkwo, we see as he visualizes a very successful future in his village, and works to attain it.  However, after an unfortunate incident, he is exiled from his village for a number of years, forced to live among relatives in another town in the lowest position in society.  Once he is able to return to his village, he once again seeks to attain greatness, but the arrival of white European missionaries halts good intentions, and "things fall apart."  A very in depth look at how religious emissaries from wealthy nations attempt to reform African society and culture, pitting brother against brother and sister against sister, renovating their ideals of religion and confusing tradition.  Okonkwo is unable to watch his fellow countrymen be degraded, and hangs his head in shame.

As a fan of historical novels, especially those concerning European conquests, this novel was a great look into yet another overtake of the white man's ideals, no matter how negatively they would impact the surrounding economy.  Written in traditional African cadence, it's mesmerizing, intriguing, and a fantastic learning experience. 

Bookish Sundays: History of Love

Title: The History of Love

Author: Nicole Krauss

Category: Fiction

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]: "A long-lost book reappears, mysteriously connecting an old man searching for his son, and a girl seeking a cure for her widowed mother's loneliness.

Leo Gursky taps his radiator each evening to let his upstairs neighbor know he’s still alive. But it wasn't always like this: in the Polish village of his youth, he fell in love and wrote a book… Sixty years later and half a world away, fourteen-year-old Alma, who was named after a character in that book, undertakes an adventure to find her namesake and save her family. With virtuosic skill, and soaring imaginative power, Nicole Krauss gradually draws these stories together toward a climax of “extraordinary depth and beauty.”

Overview: A quirkily written novel of love, loss, age and experience.  Krauss has an amazing ability to draw together supposedly unconnected stories into one meaningful tale of acceptance.  I wish I could describe the book in better detail, but honestly, there are no words.  Let me just say that as soon as I put it down, I felt as though I lost a best friend.  It's the kind of novel that I never want to end; not particularly full of happy endings, but lessons abound.  Let me know if you decide to pick it up, and are able to relay the pages better than I.

Bookish Sundays: Sarah

Title: Sarah

Author: Orson Scott Card

Category: Fiction, Religious

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]: "In Sarah, author Orson Scott Card uses his fertile imagination and uncanny insight into human nature to flesh out a unique woman - one who is beautiful, tough, smart, and resourceful in an era when women get short shrift in life as well as in the historical record. Sarah takes on vivid reality as a woman desirable to kings, a devoted wife, and a faithful follower of the God of Abraham, chosen to experience an incomparable miracle. Set in the splendor and excess of Egypt and the starkly beautiful desert landscapes of the Sinai peninsula, Sarah is an altogether believable and provocative drama. This first novel in a trilogy on the women of Genesis illuminates the hardships and the triumphs of a woman destined for greatness."

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Overview: I came across this book in a used book store, and was a tad taken aback; the author of Ender's Game writes Christian fiction?!  In my own mind [and not for any particular reason], Sci-fi and religious works are completely at odds with one another.  Therefore, I decided to give this novel a try to see exactly what it was about, and to sample some of Card's other writing abilities.

The novel was much more than I thought it would be.  The story of a woman who lived during a time when women were subject to their husband's rule, traded like cattle to a man with the highest position and best price, and expected not to complain.  Sarai [as she starts off in the book being called] is married by Abram and thus lives in the desert, roaming from place to place in the hopes of finding enough pasture to feed their herds.  Most of you have heard of the story of Abraham from the Bible, so I don't need to go into much detail.  However, if you would like to hear the point of view from the strong and opinionated woman who guided Abram, turned down Pharaoh's offers for marriage, and faced the inability to have children with noble pride and determination, then Sarah is definitely a great read.

In my own opinion, the book was a tad slow and poorly written.  The ideas and themes seemed to be intended for an adult reader, but the wording and vocabulary were definitely for someone younger.  A slight lack of fluidness between paragraphs also had me a little irritated, but overall a great story.  While I'm not completely sure of the factual content behind it, I did love the idea that a woman can be strong and guide a household while still being deferential to her husband.  If you happen to pick it up, let me know what you think!

Bookish Sundays: The Road

Title: The Road

Author: Cormac McCarthy

Category: Fiction, Post-apocolyptic

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]: "A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food-—and each other.The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation."

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Overview: There isn't much to be said that isn't already covered in the synopsis.  It's an amazing novel of perseverance, survival, and greatest of all, the love that motivates two people to accomplish the impossible.  It never fails to move me to tears; the absolute bond that tethers father to son is unbreakable even in the worst of times, and is so heartbreakingly sweet to watch as they care for one another.

Possibly not up most people's alley.  If you've seen the movie, you'll know that it is a very depressing story, and does not have a particularly happy ending.  However, if you are fond of post-apocolyptic scenarios [thing The Book of Eli movie], of enduring hope and dreams, of constant threatening danger, then this is definitely the novel for you.  It is amazing, sweet, sad, and horrible, all rolled into one.  

Only issue I had with the novel is lack of explanation; there is some cataclysm that destroys the US as we know it, but the reader is never informed on what exactly happened.  Having that information would neither add to or take away from the story, so I know it is simply my own dying curiosity that ruins the plot for me.  Also, don't be confused if you start reading and notice that McCormac doesn't give names for the two main characters; no one in the novel is named, which to me gives it a more "end of the world" flavor since names are no longer necessary as there are not enough people around to call them anything.

Bookish Sundays: Birdsong

Title: Birdsong

Author: Sebastian Faulks

Category: Fiction, War History, Historical Fiction

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]:  "Published to international critical and popular acclaim, this intensely romantic yet stunningly realistic novel spans three generations and the unimaginable gulf between the First World War and the present. As the young Englishman Stephen Wraysford passes through a tempestuous love affair with Isabelle Azaire in France and enters the dark, surreal world beneath the trenches of No Man's Land, Sebastian Faulks creates a world of fiction that is as tragic as A Farewell to Arms and as sensuous as The English Patient. Crafted from the ruins of war and the indestructibility of love, Birdsong is a novel that will be read and marveled at for years to come."

Overview: ^^Kind of a crappy synopsis.  Thanks, B&N.

Since experiencing my very safe and non-violent period with the military, I've been a little obsessed with war novels.  Let me clarify: I've never seen battle.  I've never fired a weapon at anything other than a stationary target on a range.  I've never seen anyone hurt, killed, wounded, anything in action.  I was simply a supporter of those going to do all that; I believe technically I'm considered a veteran, but you will never ever hear me say that.  I also think technically that my deployment is considered "going to war" but you won't hear me say that, either.  I had a very lucky experience, but have always been curious to know exactly what sort of life I'm supporting.  Hence the war novels...they give me just a tad more insight into what it could be like on the front, even though the novels I'm drawn to are from wars past and not present.

So, Birdsong is a WWI war story.  However, to get to that point, we watch as the main character, Wraysford, falls in love and seduces a married woman.  Life explodes with enough force to convince them to leave, live together, and be happy.  Unfortunately for Wraysford, he seems to have picked the one woman who was attracted to the devilish inappropriateness of their relationship, and was not actually in love with him.  His reaction to her abandonment shows face as the novel flashes forward to the future, a time in which he is now an officer on the French border, battling German forces.  He has no heart; he has no cares; he is completely emotionally detached from all of his surroundings, but his time fighting forces him to realize that he may actually want to live, and he may want to live for a reason.

Birdsong also includes excerpts from present day characters, introducing a young woman who is desperate to unlock the mysteries of her family's past by decoding journals set by a young English soldier.  She believes that by understanding what the war was like, she can also understand herself.  She finds out that the past is not always what it seems, and even heroes can be unhappy.

I'm sort of in love with this novel.  It was absolutely captivating; the details of the war front, the complete shell that men become when faced with so much horror, the bonds of companionship that are in constant danger with every shriek of a inbound bomb; none of it is pleasant to read, but Faulks forces the reader to comprehend exactly how terrible and mind-numbing war can be.  It wasn't about how great you are in the trenches wielding a weapon; it was all about luck.  I may again be reading too much into the novel, but the precursor to war including the young woman that Wraysford falls in love with shows the exact power that women are capable of holding over men, twisting them this way and that according to whim.  It broke my heart to watch a young, in love man become a shadow of what he once was just because of a woman.

I would definitely recommend this novel.  If you are a fan of war stories, intrigue, deception, love, and heartache, this book will definitely fulfill all of your expectations.

Bookish Sundays: The Piano Teacher

Title: The Piano Teacher


Author: Janice Y.K. Lee

Category: Fiction, Historical Fiction

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]:  "In the sweeping tradition of The English Patient, Janice Y.K. Lee's debut novel is a tale of love and betrayal set in war-torn Hong Kong. In 1942, Englishman Will Truesdale falls headlong into a passionate relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But their affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the Japanese as World War II overwhelms their part of the world. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong to work as a piano teacher and also begins a fateful affair. As the threads of this spellbinding novel intertwine, impossible choices emerge-between love and safety, courage and survival, the present, and above all, the past."

source

Overview: Before I talk about the book, I'd like to point out that when I have a physical copy, I try my hardest to take original photos of it.  However, my SD card is overloaded with recent photos of other enjoyed things, so I have to borrow from Barnes & Noble instead. 


I found this novel sitting on a forlorn shelf in the base used book store.  I don't think it particularly caught my eye, but rather happened as I searched for novels that I would not normally pick up to read.  This seemed like one of the ones I would typically overlook in search of something more up my alley [dystopian, apocalyptic, fantasy, war novels, etc.]  I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started to read it, but it definitely surprised me in the end.


Do you ever finish a novel and wonder if you're smart enough to grasp the underlying meaning?  This happened to me with The Piano Teacher.  I was adequately entertained throughout the entire story, finished, put it down, and wondered...what was the purpose?  It seemed as though the point the author was trying to get across eluded me the entire time.  I was even desperate enough to find questions book club members had posed in order to try and understand the meaning.  I still don't quite get it.


Despite all of that, I did enjoy the novel.  Whether or not the author intended for the reader to comprehend it this way, I felt that the story displayed a sort of untypical feminist movement.  Instead of forcing society to make way for womanly desires, or crying out for equality, the main female character instead invents her own way of getting what she wants by playing on the feelings and goals of those around her.  Her very survival lays on the actions of two men; one who can save her from the other, one whom she must please in order to live.  She does not try to become independent; instead, she tries to make herself indispensable to others.


The story is also one of struggle, of heartache, of bravery and cowardice.  People thrown together by fate, and forced to deal with their actions in the past, present, and remember those same decisions in the future.  Set in Hong Kong, two worlds collide as the outbreak of WWII threatens the very lives of both Chinese and Westerners alike.  If you are a fan of historical fiction, especially that of Asian variety, this is a wonderful combination of British and Chinese presence warring for foothold.  And if you happen to finish the novel and understand what Lee was trying to say, I would definitely appreciate your insight!

Bookish Sundays: Looking for Alaska

Who's been a horrible blogger?  This girl.  Who's really behind on replying to wonderful comments?  Sigh.  I have some plans and posts lined up for this week to make up for all of that, some serious and some not so serious ideas.

Title: Looking for Alaska


Author: John Green

Category: Young adult fiction

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]: "Before. Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave “the Great Perhaps” even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . . After. Nothing is ever the same."

source

Overview:  I first saw a review on this book when reading Katie's blog.  She gave such high recommendations for it, I thought I would check it out.  I was sincerely impressed with the level of writing, the superior skill Green shows in telling a story, how well developed the characters are, and even the deeper message that he strives to get across.


Looking for Alaska tells the tale of a inconspicuous teenage boy who runs into a group of students at a boarding school that not only bring him out of his shell, but impact his life forever.  While friendships form around pranks, plans, and the ever tumultuous Alaska, the author slowly reveals that not all is as it may seem; even the most vivacious and outgoing of teenagers hide personal issues and problems that eat away at them from the inside out.  One singular event occurs, forcing the characters to look deep within themselves to answer some of life's most challenging questions.


Although this novel is identified in the young adult section, and is definitely written on a young adult level, I wouldn't recommend it for younger teenagers.  [I understand that drugs, sex, and alcohol are regular components of average high school life, but hopefully we can shelter the ones we love for just a little longer?]  Normal teenage angst is slightly involved, causing me to gnash teeth while I'm reading about love sick 16 year olds, but there is definitely a deeper message from the author that is difficult to find in most young adult novels.  Green has the reader contemplating death, guilt, life, happiness, and the facade that covers it all.  Older teenagers who are struggling with some internal battle may be able to read this and come to terms with whatever they are dealing with.  Fantastically written, flows extremely well, amazing character development; definite recommendation for those who are looking to get a little more out of a read.

Bookish Sundays: All the Vampire Novels in One Post

If you've been around long enough, you know that I'm not a Twilight fan, or any other vampire story fan for that matter.  Yes, I've probably read most of them.  No, I don't like very many of them.  But, they're a trending style in today's secular book world [not to be confused with literature world], so here are all the ones I know of in one easy to find post.  If you click on the captions below each photo, will take you to the Barnes & Noble site with overviews of each one.

1.  Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Do I even need to cover this one?  If you haven't read the books, chances are you've seen the movies.
And while reading about a 16 year old fall in love with someone is not exactly fun in my opinion, it's at least better than watching Kristen Stewart act.  Sorry, but true.  The books cover a little more detail than the movies, and help the reader dive a little more thoroughly into Bella's thoughts.  If you're a fan, read the books.  It would be worth it, and they're even decently written.

c/o Barnes & Noble

2.  House of Night Series by Kristin Cast
Another teenage drama filled with high emotions, angst, and the ability of one girl to get into more trouble than anyone I know.  Not very well written, definitely aimed toward the pre-teen age group.  Has the tendency to repeat the same catch phrases on almost every page.  Got to book three, don't think I'll be reading the rest.

c/o Barnes & Noble

3.  Immortal Series by Alyson Noël
Okay, not really a vampire series.  But have you seen Vampire Diaries on WB?  I swear they stole some ideas from these books.  While they have no vampire characters, there is a different sense of immortality.  I'd be giving a lot a way if I tell you more, though, so I'm going to leave you in suspense.  However, it does parallel quite a bit between Vampire Diaries and Twilight.  Young girl, falls in love, must make some desperate choices regarding her fate, gets into tons of trouble, losing virginity a big deal. You know the story already, I suppose.  Decently well written, and pretty intriguing story line; not original, but still unique.

c/o Barnes & Noble

4. Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead
Out of all the vampire novels I've read, this has to be my favorite series.  Main character isn't a vampire, but her world is linked to them out of mutual survival instincts.  Young adult novel, still manages to get into tons of trouble, but at least this main character is capable of fighting back.  Contains more than just drinking blood and staying out of sunlight; also involves a tad bit of magic [which I'm a sucker for], a little love, and general badassery action.  Definite recommendation if you like vampires.

c/o Barnes & Noble

5.  Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris
Also known as the Sookie Stackhouse Series.  Everyone knows True Blood, right?  Highly inappropriate yet riveting HBO series?  These books are what the TV show is based off of.  And if I'm going to be completely honest, you're much better off sticking with the show instead of reading these novels.  Not a fan at all of the writing, and each novel ends as though it's the last in the set...and it's not. Harris doesn't seem to know how to quit while she's ahead.  The books are quite a bit different than the show, but no where near as good; for instance, Lafayette sticks around all 5 seasons.  He doesn't quite make it that far in the books.  And he's one of the best characters!  It's completely up to you, but I wouldn't waste my time with these ones.

c/o Barnes & Noble

6.  Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward
Did you like Twilight?  How about Fifty Shades of Grey?  This could possibly be the next series for you.  Black Dagger is a cross between Fifty and any other vampire novel out there.  Sexy, racy, and actually has some action in it as well.  Each novel covers one of the main characters, and each character has their own style...in the bedroom.  So while Fifty leans toward the more racy, this series has absolutely everything you can think of in it.  It does tend to drag a little, especially as Ward adds more books, but decently written and well diverse in all aspects.  Can be cheesy though, especially as she covers the historical periods of some of the characters.  There are battles against enemies, battles against internal demons, overcoming odds, ghosts, gods, etc.  But an okay set of novels.  Definitely NOT a young adult book...this one is related at least R, if not higher.

c/o Barnes & Noble

There you have it.  All the vampire novels in one easy to find post.  Have any others to contribute to the collection?

Bookish Sundays: The Talisman

Title: The Talisman


Author: Stephen King & Peter Straub

Category: Fiction, Suspense, Fantasy

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]:  "Why had twelve-year-old Jack Sawyer’s mother frantically moved the two of them from Rodeo Drive to a New York City apartment to the Alhambra, a fading ocean resort and shuttered amusement park in New Hampshire? Who or what is she running from? She is dying . . . and even young Jack knows she can’t outrun death. But only he can save her—for he has been chosen to search for a prize across an epic landscape of dangers and lies, a realm of innocents and monsters, where everything Jack loves is on the line."

Overview: Remember last week when I recommended Black?  I told you that I had another novel similar to that one to share.  The Talisman is another novel that tells the story of an alternate reality, one in which our actions share consequences.  Following the path of a young boy traveling across the country in an effort to save his mother, the reader also discovers that there is more to the situation than meets the eye; for little Jack is more than a twelve year old holding on to love as only a child can.  He is also a tool, the likes of which certain adults are more than happy to use for their own fulfillment.  Complete with mystery, intrigue, action, and more than a little evidence of King's scary imagination, this novel is definitely a page turner, if you like those types of stories.


I'm usually not a Stephen King fan at all.  Up until maybe four years ago, I avoided his novels like the plague.  I'm almost positive this was one of the first I attempted to read, and was pleasantly surprised.  While it's not full of rainbows and butterflies, it is also loads less creepy than his horror stories.  The Talisman definitely has a darker twist and nightmarish characters only King could dream up, nor is it a novel for those with tendencies toward the predictable and light hearted.  But if you're in the mood for a great read with horrific detailing, Talisman is definitely worth it.

Bookish Sundays: Black

Title: Black [Circle Series, vol. 1]

Author: Ted Dekker

Category: Christian, Fiction, Fantasy

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]: "Fleeing assailants through deserted alleyways, Thomas Hunter narrowly escapes to the roof of a building. Then a silent bullet from the night clips his head . . . and his world goes black.

From the blackness comes an amazing reality of another world where evil is contained. A world where Thomas Hunter is in love with a beautiful woman.

But then he remembers the dream of being chased through an alleyway as he reaches to touch the blood on his head. Where does the dream end and reality begin?

Every time he falls asleep in one world, he awakes in the other. Yet in both, catastrophic disaster awaits him . . . may even be caused by him.

Some say the world hangs in the balance of every choice we make. Now the fate of two worlds hangs in the balance of one man's choices."

c/o Barnes & Noble

Overview: I didn't realize this was a Christian series until halfway through the second novel in the series.  I felt kind of slow after that epiphany...the whole first book would have made a lot more sense if I had noticed it sooner.

The Circle Series is a fantasy/fiction collection that focuses on the physical and religious journey of one man who must save the world.  He flickers in and out of two worlds, unsure of which one is reality.  They are connected to each other in the fact that events that happen in one world effect the other's well being.  Caught in a web of intrigue, power, and disbelief, he comes to the realization that the two realities are so intertwined, that if he dies in one...he dies in the other as well.  This is no dream state for Thomas Hunter; both are tangible, although polar opposites, and the fate of both existences rest on his shoulders to make sure they are not overcome by evil.

In my opinion, this series could be considered The Chronicles of Narnia for adults.  Although in Narnia the adventures and actions taken by the four children do not effect the world they live in outside of the wardrobe, the fact that God has taken a different form than the one we are used to, follows similar story lines, and has the same underlying message creates a familiar background setting.  It also puts to mind a Stephen King novel [even though King is decidedly not a religious author] that I will cover next week to show similarities.  

This series can be potentially confusing due to the state of two worlds existing at one time, characters overlapping, and the beginning lack of clarity on whether one existence or the other is actual reality.  All in all, a great read and well written with religious overtones.

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Bookish Life

I started the Bookish Sundays series a while ago, and although I have not been completely dedicated to posting a new novel every single week, I feel as though I have done a somewhat decent job.  I love this series because not only am I sharing some favorite [or not so favorite] books with you all, but it challenges me to broaden my horizons and continuously read new novels so I don't run out of material. I don't share all the books I read on a normal basis on Sundays, and some of the ones I review I read years ago and they just stuck with me.  But thinking back on the past six months [can you believe it's already July?!], I realized that I have read tons of books.  Here is a list of novels that kept me entertained or irritated since the new year:

*Note: I honestly can't remember every single book, so this may not be a completely accurate depiction


A Song of Fire and Ice [series] by George R. R. Martin - 5 books [technically, have read them twice since January]
The Circle Series by Ted Dekker - 3 books
Skin by Ted Dekker
Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Immortals Series by Alyson Noël - 6 books
Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead - 6 books
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins - 3 books
The Uglies [series] by Scott Westerfield - 3 books
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
The Black Dagger Brotherhood Novels by J.R. Ward - 9 books
The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner - 3 books
Shatter by Elizabeth C. Mock
Render by Elizabeth C. Mock
Seven Realms [series] by Cinda Williams Chima - 3 books
A World Made by Hand by James Howard Kunstler
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
The Broken Spears by Miguel León-Portilla
Micro by Michael Crichton & Richard Preston
Harry Potter [series] by J.K. Rowling - 7 books

A total of 61 books that I can remember.  I do know that there was a James Patterson novel in there somewhere, plus a couple that I disdained so wholeheartedly that I have banned them from memory.  And before you gasp in awe, please realize that a couple of these series/books were written for young adults/teens and are extremely easy reads that you can fly through.  It doesn't help that I'm a speed reader and can finish even the most ridiculous of novels in one to two days.  [I don't have a job.  School's done.  Husband's gone.  I have nothing else to do]

61 books.  6 months.  An average of 10 books a month.  I feel extremely accomplished.  I may be bragging a little [but seriously; 61 books?!], but mostly just to give you an idea of how much of a book worm I am, and how seriously I take Bookish Sundays.  I love reading, and I love sharing my love with others. That's a lot of love.

p.s. Is it sad that my Bookish Sundays are prewritten for the next 6 months?  I'm so tempted to start doing book reviews multiple times a week, but I think that would be overload...

Bookish Sundays: The Pushcart War

Title: The Pushcart War


Author: Jan Merrill
Illustrated by: Ronni Solbert

Category: Kid's Fiction

Synopsis [c/o Barnes & Noble]: "The pushcarts have declared war! New York City's streets are clogged with huge, rude trucks that park where they want, hold up traffic, and bulldoze into anything that gets in their way. The pushcart peddlers are determined to get rid of them. But the trucks are just as determined to get rid of the pushcarts, and the result is chaos. The pushcarts have come up with a brilliant strategy that will surely let the hot air out of their enemies. The secret weapon-a peashooter armed with a pin. The target-the vulnerable truck tires. Once the source of the flat tires is discovered, the children of the city joyfully join in with their own pin peashooters. The pushcarts have won one battle, but can they win the war?

The outbreak of a war between truck drivers and pushcart peddlers brings the mounting problems of traffic to the attention of both the city of New York and the world."

c/o Barnes & Noble

Overview: I know I don't have kids, and I know that this blog is read by adults.  [Well, I hope it is anyway.  If it isn't, then I need to start watching my language.]  Despite this, I figured I could do just one cover of a children's book because it's one of my all time favorites, especially while I was growing up.

I don't remember the first time I read it, but I was probably somewhere between the third and fifth grade.  I do remember loving it so much that I reread it dozens of times, fascinated by the idea that something that is potentially so weak could stand up to a bully.  Every child's dream is to be the hero, right?  In this book, the hero is an unlikely lot of pushcart owners; you know, the pretzel, hotdog, or roasted peanut carts that line the sidewalks of large cities.  Turns out, the semi-truck drivers have started to cross boundaries and overtake their turf.  Usually the bullies would be allowed to get away with their behavior, but not this time.  The pushcart owners have taken matters into their own hands with peashooters, an idea that spreads chaos and havoc among the truck drivers.  Who wins the war?  Read the book and find out.