Sorry for the absence...

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 :)

Giveaway!

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 - Robert Landori

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.

The Keep - Jennifer Egan

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.