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I've had this book on hold at the library for quite some time now. I first dismissed it as a simple YA book, but when TIME Magazine included Suzanne Collins in The 2010 TIME 100, I knew I had to find out for myself why her books were being given so much praise.
The story starts out with the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, volunteering to take her sister's place in the Hunger Games, a yearly tournament run by the Capitol, which controls all of the districts in Panem. Katniss, who lives in District 12, realizes her act is equivalent to suicide, but her love for her sister is paramount. She, along with Peeta, the other "tribute" from District 12, set out for the Capitol, where they will fight to the death with 22 other tributes to win ultimate glory. The object of the Games is simple: make sure you are the last one alive. Katniss battles many obstacles in the Games arena, but it is ultimately her love for others and her resistence to give in to the Capitol's inhumane mindset that seals her fate. I have to stop at this point before I give anything too important away.
The Hunger Games kept me at the edge of my seat for a good day and a half; I simply could not put it down (which resulted in my getting a B on my Anatomy quiz, but it was worth it). While the writing is not absolutely remarkable, Collins does a very good job conveying the emotions running through Katniss' head. I also enjoyed the parallels to today's society that Collins illuminates; she certainly opened my eyes. I would recommend this book to everyone. Seriously, I cannot think of a single person who would not find some sort of value in it. As for me, I am anxiously awaiting my copy of Catching Fire, the next book in the trilogy.
Dandelion Wine chronicles the summer of two boys, Doug and Tom Spaulding, in Green Town, Illinois. At the beginning of the book Doug realizes what it means to be alive and this realization shapes the rest of his summer. The boys travel back in time with the help of an elderly neighbor who tells them stories from the Civil War. They learn that happiness comes from within. Each chapter of the book tells of a different adventure, yet they all come together to tell the story of the town and of the boys.
If you have read any of my previous posts, you know that I'm a huge fan of Bradbury, and this book did not disappoint in the least. While it can't be said to be a particularly action-packed work, it does teach a different lesson with every adventure. In this way, it largely reminded me of The Illustrated Man, save for the fact that the stories are more woven together in Dandelion Wine. Bradbury's prose is, as always, indescribably beautiful and vivid. I would recommend this book to any avid Bradbury fans such as myself and also novices.
I realize I haven't posted a review in quite some time. I apologize, but what with senior year starting this week, college and scholarship applications, and trying to juggle my insane schedule, time for reading has been scarce. I have also been in a bit of a reading rut. The book I am currently trying to read, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, is proving to be a slower read than I anticipated. I'm on the verge of moving on to another book, but I'll see if I can't stick with it. In the mean time, check out some of the other amazing blogs I follow :)
I recently learned about a fellow blogger who is giving away a copy of Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Games series. I haven't actually read the series myself, but I've heard it's fantastic. Along with the book, she is also giving away a beautiful gold mockingjay pin. You can enter the contest here.
Havana Harvest tells the story of the hidden dealings between the CIA and the Cuban government. The CIA is trying to frame the Castro regime with accusations of drug trafficking so that the Cuban government will crumble. In order to carry this out, they take advantage of a senior Cuban military official, General Patricio Casas, who has become disillusioned with the Castro government. The CIA sends Robert Lonsdale on a mission to find proof linking the Cuban authorities with the drug trade, but what Lonsdale finds instead is evidence of the Agency's unethical behavior and allegations of corruption in the highest ranks. Lonsdale soon sets out to extricate Casas from Cuba and publicly expose corrupted officials within the CIA.
I decided to review Havana Harvest because I'm usually a fan of spy thrillers and action stories. But with this book, I was just not able to get interested in the story, and the 400 pages felt like 1600 pages. I think this was largely due to the fact that the book contained too much detail. Usually that's not a bad thing, but in this case, I honestly didn't care what the characters were doing every waking moment. I would much rather have read about the significant bits of the story rather than the day-to-day pasttimes of the characters. Lonsdale also seemed a bit two-dimensional, and although Landori tried to build a personal side to the protagonist, I felt like I was reading about a robot, not a human. Havana Harvest would be an alright read for those who are particularly interested in US-Cuban relations, but for those looking for a simple spy thriller, it doesn't make the cut.
Note: This book was sent to me by the author for review through the third party Bostick Communications.
After reading A Visit from the Good Squad (click here for my review), I was so impressed by Jennifer Egan that I decided I must read more of her writing. So I picked up The Keep at my local library, and I can assure you, I was not disappointed.
The story begins with the introduction of Danny, one of the two protagonists, on his way to a castle in a remote village. He is summoned to help his cousin, who has bought the castle, renovate it and make it into a hotel, or, more specifically, a technology-devoid retreat, meant to foster creativity and imagination. Danny is not particularly enthusiastic about the idea, but he accepts his cousin's offer due to some trouble he has gotten into in New York. In addition, Danny is not excited to see his cousin because of a practical joke he played on him when they were kids that turned out to have serious psychological impacts, the guilt of which still bothers Danny. Nonetheless, Danny makes the journey to the castle and meets his cousin, whom he finds to be very much changed from the insecure teenager dwelling in his memory. In the next few chapters we discover that the narrator of the story is Ray, a prisoner taking a writing class. As in Goon Sqaud, the story changes between Ray and Danny every few chapters or so. Ray, who is in prison for murder, is infatued with his writing teacher, Holly, but is also frustrated because Holly refuses to acknowledge him as more than a pupil. He writes Danny's story in order to impress Holly and continue to have some sort of connection to her. We soon discover that rather than just creating fiction, Ray is telling a story that has a significant impact on his own life.
Jennifer Egan has done it once again! I was thoroughly impressed by this book (which, by the way, was written before Goon Squad). The dual story lines keep the story very interesting, and there is a very unforseen plot twist at the end. At the same time, Egan has not stretched herself too thing, and both stories still retain their dexterity and beauty. The characters are rich and very well developed, especially Ray. Egan's style of writing lends itself to a very easy understanding of the thoughts of the characters. (I especially enjoy the lack of quotation marks which, as paradoxical as it may seem, actually make the reading easier.) This is another five-star literary work by Jennifer Egan, who has most definintely secured a place on my favorite authors list.
Ahh, Shakespeare! How I love thee! So I decided to pick up Macbeth, mainly because of the the superstition that surrounds it. Don't you dare utter the name in a theater! Instead, it is referred to as "the Scottish play." Intrigued, I decided to find out for myself what all the fuss was about.
Macbeth is a brave general in King Duncan's Scottish army. While returning from the battlefield with his friend Banquo, Macbeth encounters Three Witches who prophesize three things: 1) Macbeth will be thane of Cawdor, 2) Macbeth will be king, 3) Banquo will not be king, but his children will be. When Macbeth meets up with King Duncan, he discovers that he has indeed been promoted to thane of Cawdor. The King then informs Macbeth that he will be spending the night in his castle. So Macbeth rushes home to alert Lady Macbeth about the King's arrival and also about the prophesies. Lady Macbeth realizes that her husband is too kind and will never have the courage to get what he wants. Thus, she suggests killing the King in his sleep and blaming the murder on his servants, ensuring that Macbeth will ascend to the throne. This plan is carried out, but with misgivings on Macbeth's part. Soon the Witches' second prophecy also comes true and Macbeth is crowned King. But rather than enjoy the luxuries of his position, he is constantly haunted by the consequences of his actions.
I enjoyed Macbeth very much, although it is not my favorite Shakespeare play. I was especially impressed by the way in which Shakespeare conveyed the spooky surroundings and how well they tied in with the plot. If you are looking for a quick classic, Macbeth is a good option; I finished it in about 2 days, and probably could have finished it more quickly if I hadn't been so busy. My only complaint would be that as I got closer and closer to the end, the plot line became more and more predictable, but it was still an enjoyable read. I also made it easier on myself by reading Barron's Simply Shakespeare edition, which provides modern line translations.
The Lake is one of those stories which I would classify as plausible fiction. What would happen if we found a real Fountain of Youth, one that would eradicate disease? What would the political and social consequences be, and how would the proper authorities go about dealing with them? This is the premise of the story. The protagonist, Jeff, is at the center of the action, acting as a liason between the water company that owns Crowley Lake (the source of the magic water) and the government. His romantic interest, Kate, is an Irish reporter who doesn't quite understand why everyone being healthy is so bad. Along the way, the reader meets various other characters who are all affected by the magic water in some way or another.
While I enjoyed thinking about the concept presented in The Lake, the writing itself was not very engaging. I felt as if the main characters lacked depth, and while new characters were constantly being introduced, Crawford failed to adequately develop them. Because of this, as paradoxical as it may seem, the plot was good, but the story fell flat.
Note: This book was sent to me by the author for review through the third party Bostick Communications.
Again, a classic. I do love my classics, and I'll post this review just in case someone wants to know my opinion.
As the title indicates, this book is a collection of Stevenson's short stories, the main one being Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The story begins with the protagonist, Mr. Utterson, discovering a creature known as Mr. Hyde committing certain atrocities. He further investigates and links the man to his good friend, Dr. Jekyll. He soon discovers that Dr. Jekyll has succeeded in creating an alter ego in Mr. Hyde that allows him to seperate his good and evil inclinations and house them in seperate bodies. What happens next is truly horrifying, but you must read the book to find out; I'm afraid I may give too much away if I keep explaining. I must admit that I have not read Stevenson before, and I was pleasantly surprised by his ability to depict horror without boring or disgusting me, as modern horror literature often seems to do. For those who enjoy mild horror, not quite Poe-level, Stevenson would be a good fit.
The other stories are quite good, although none as good as Dr. Jekyll, in my opinion. One story in particular that I did enjoy was The Misadventures of John Nicholson. I was quite amused by the many misfortunes that the poor protagonist had to suffer through; it would be perfect for those looking for a quick and light read. A Lodging for the Night was also funny, but in a more satirical way. My only complaint would be the dialect used in Thrawn Janet, it was difficult to decipher at times, especially with the additional slang terms. But otherwise, I really enjoyed this collection of short stories and would recomment them to everyone.
No Good Like It Is tells the journey of Lieutenant Dobey Walls through the Civil War and, when the war ends, to find his family. On the way he encounters Native Americans, slaves, and even love.
For me, this book was hard to get through. For someone who already knows a great deal about the Civil War, it would be perfect, but for someone who knows just the basics, like me, it's simply too jargon-filled and complicated to follow. Although the writing style was not bad by any means, the content of the book simply didn't capture my interest. I also felt like too much time was wasted on fighting scenes. Although this is a great read for Civil War history buffs, it might prove too difficult of a challenge for the average reader.
Note: This book was sent to me by the author for review through the third party Bostick Communications.
A Visit from the Goon Squad is about the passage of time and its effects on Sasha and Bennie, the two protagonists. The plot jumps between Benny and Sasha, showing them first as their present day selves, then delving into their pasts to explore how they got to their current situation, and finally progressing with them through their lives. The reader is introduced to a host of characters, who may seem trivial at first, but all come back to play a role in the protagonists' lives later on. In this way, Egan's book can only be described as a literal interpretation of life itself in its most raw and basic form.
Shamra Divided follows the tale of the ancient Shamra civilization and specifically the generations of the ruling family. The Shamra have survived through many hardships but each one has taken a toll on the people. Dara, the headstrong protagonist, has been prophesized as the only hope they have for further survival. The Shamra's greatests enemy, Chaos, is after them again, and only Dara has the tools to defeat him. The time period moves between the past and the present as Briana, Dara's friend, tells her about the history of her family. Shamra Divided is the second book in the Shamra Chronicles.
This book was definitely a very easy and enjoyable read. The writing was engaging and the plot line itself was fascinating. I have not read the first book of the series, so I was apprehensive as to whether I would be able to follow the story, but I was pleasantly surprised. While allusions were made to the first book, they were not so intricately woven in that I could not understand the story. The underlying threads of feminism were very pleasing to my ideals, so thank you Barry Hoffman for that. My only complaints are that it was sometimes hard to keep all the characters straight, and I really don't like the cover art, it seems juvenile compared to the content of the book.
Note: This book was sent to me by the author for review through the third party Bostick Communications.
I realize this book is a classic, but I decided to post a review anyway, in case anyone was interested.
Of Mice and Men follows the journey of two friends, George and Lennie, as they attempt to fulfill their American dream of owning their own land. George and Lennie work as temporary farmhands who move from ranch to ranch as they look for work. Lennie, who is not intelligent, sometimes complicates the process by getting them into trouble, but rather than abandon him, George sticks up for him and protects him. Just when George and Lennie are the closest they've ever been, a tragedy interrupts their plans. You'll have to read the book to find out what it is!
I have read Steinbeck before and so am familiar with his writing style, but this book is one of my favorites. Steinbeck has an ability to capture a grand story in a short book, something I admire very much. Again, this book is a very short read and a great introduction for the beginning classics reader and a great break for the practiced one.
Hanging by the Thread is a suspense thriller that follows five friends as they attempt to save the United States from the evil intentions of a secret society known as The Thread. Along the way, readers are treated to lessons in history and economics, courtesy of Dr. Isaacson, a professor at Brigham Young University.
As I strive to be honest in my reviews, I have to say that I did not enjoy this book. The writing was amateur and did not keep my attention. The message, while intended to be inspirational, was laced with right-wing propaganda. The writer seemed to be saying that anyone who supported any sort of economic regulation might as well become part of The Thread, as they were committing grave crimes against America. Although I am not opposed to religion in books, the way that Christianity was brought up again and again did annoy me a bit and diverted my attention from the plot line. I might have enjoyed this book had the writing contained more depth, the message not been so biased, and the plot not been so muddled.
Note: This book was sent to me by the author for review through the third party Bostick Communications.
Green Pieces is a collection of cartoons about the inhabitants of a typical pond. The main characters are Iggy, a claustrophobic turtle, Radic, an annoying bug, Cabby, an intelligent frog, and Roc, a scavenging raccoon. The book is divided into four sections, one for each of the seasons. The main theme of the book is the effect of human interferance on nature, but from nature's perspective rather than man's.
This book is a great way to educate the public, especially children, about the importance of protecting nature rather than harming it. The characters are lovable and hilarious, and you really start to sympathize with their plights after a while. But rather than preaching, Aquilina spreads his message with humor, a much better method in my opinion. My favorite cartoon was when the characters were being sued for not wearing clothes. A close second was Cabby's numerous attempts to outsmart NASA. My only complaint was that it was sometimes difficult to distinguish when one cartoon was ending and another was beginning, but as they were all related, it didn't prove to be that big of a problem. I would definitely recommend parents to buy this book for their children and teacher to buy it for their classrooms.
Note: This book was sent to me by the author to review through the third party Bostick Communications.
Making A Family Home is a guidebook to creating an inspirational home, one that brings warmth and comfort to its inhabitants and guests. The book focuses on each specific area of a home, such as the kitchen, bathroom, fireplace, bedroom, etc., and the characteristics of that place. These characteristics define how the room should be decorated in order to maximize its effectiveness. Honeybloom places special emphasis on children and the kind of environment they need to foster healthy development. She not only considers sight, but texture, smell, and harmony when advising her readers.
Although I was not expecting this book to be particularly riveting, I was pleasantly surprised. As a high schooler, I do not have a family, so I didn't think this book was going to be important to me. I was proved wrong as soon as I started reading. Honeybloom doesn't just talk about the elements of a house, but the effect of these elements on her family, something that I had never really considered before. The best way to describe this book would be a parenting book for the homemaker. I also loved the photographs, and my compliments to Skip Hunt, the photographer. I would definately recommend this book to anyone who has kids, or wants to learn about the way our environment affects our well-being.
"Creating a home is a process of imbuing our space with soul and spirit, surrounding our family with love, care, comfort." - Shannon Honeybloom, Making A Family Home
Note: This book was sent to me by the author for review through the third party Bostick Communications.
Let me start by saying that Absurdistan is one of the most bizarre books I have ever read. The writing is very frank and sharp, but also very funny. The tone is satirical and sarcastic, which threw me off at first, but I began to enjoy it more as I continued reading. The only real complaint I had was the amount of sexual references. In my opinion, there were far too many. I understand that they can sometimes provide comedic relief, but I found myself getting annoyed by them, especially at the beginning of the book, when they seemed to have no relevance. Other than that, this book was very amusing and an entertaining read to say the least.
Warning: I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of 16. It can be very graphic at times and some of the material is rather mature.
I realize this is a classic, and so has been reviewed for many years, but I just finished reading it, so I thought I'd post a review in case anyone wanted to know my thoughts.
The story starts out with Mr. Lockwood, the tenant at Thrushcross Grange asking Nelly Dean about the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights, Heathcliffe, Cathy, and Hareton. Nelly proceeds to tell him the story: as a young girl she worked for Mr. Earnshaw, the owner of Wuthering Heights. He had two children, Catherine and Hindley, but one day he brought home another child, Heathcliffe, that he had discovered abandoned in the countryside. Soon Catherine and Heathcliffe become playmates, and as time goes on, inseparable companions. The rest of the story tells of Catherine and Heathcliffe's romance and the obstacles they must overcome to be together.
Though the beginning of the book was rather dry, I did begin to enjoy it about a third of the way through. My only complaints are that it was sometimes hard to keep all the characters straight and deciphering Joseph's (the servant) dialect was rather difficult. Other than that, the book kept my interest, especially with the new dynamic that each character brought to the story. I don't want to give away the ending, but I did love the conclusion of the story, especially the dynamic that builds between the two main characters (not Heathcliffe and Catherine, but a new set of characters that I don't want to spoil for you). Oh and Nelly Dean was the perfect narrator, I couldn't help but trust her judgement.
All in all, Wuthering Heights was one of the easier pieces of British literature to read. And for those of you who haven't read Bronte, I would definitely recommend reading this book. Enjoy!
Well let me start off by saying that scifi is not usually my cup of tea, but when it comes to Bradbury, I simply can't resist. I knew I would probably enjoy this book because I've read The Martian Chronicles (another great scifi read) and absolutely loved it. The Illustrated Man is a collection of short stories about the future of mankind. It serves as a sort of premonition of things to come, were humans to continue down the destructive path that we are traveling upon. The premise of the book consists of a man who is tattooed with various illustrations, and the illustrations move and make stories, which are of course the stories told in the book. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that I every single story left me breathless. Bradbury did in eight pages do what some writers take an entire novel to do. This collection is stunning, and a quick read for any one who enjoys psychological dilemmas as well. I would like to leave you with the introductory passage of the book:
"There are the vast reaches of outer space - the infinite black nothingness that holds the galaxies, where men in rockets move from the green hills of earth to the rain-glutted forests of Venus to the canals of Mars, and still farther...even farther...
And there is inner space - the bottomless well of fears, longing, hope and the complex emotions of the frail human creatures who challenge the universe - those who in turn must face the peril not only of that vastness but also of their own sometimes terrible inventions..."
A truly haunting book. Enjoy!
Bonjour to all you avid readers out there! As I consider myself somewhat of a bookworm, I decided to start a blog about my favorite pasttime, and what better time than summer to begin this endeavor? Feel free to offer any suggestions, advice, etc. I am a novice blogger and would appreciate all the help I can get.
P.S. I would like to give a shout out to my friend Zara for giving me this great idea! You can check out her amazing book reviews at http://thisbookishlife.blogspot.com Thanks, Zara!
