In One Person by John Irving- Amazing book. Really getting to love this author. The narrator is Billy a young man who is bisexual and we follow him through his adolescence in a small town and through his adulthood on his journey. I loved that the book spanned over such a long time so we got to see the world views changes as Billy did. I really liked too the genetic components discussed in his eccentric/ dysfunctional family which had may views on his bi sexuality. It was so interesting to hear the struggles and joys from the narrator who did a great job sharing his experiences and feelings, particularly the confidence and confusion that came along with his identity. This author just has a great way of making you as a reader connect to the narrator and want to see them succeed in their troubles.
The Little Bride by Anna Solomon- Did not like this book. I thought it was going to be a modern day "90 day fiance" type story. Instead it was a bit little house on the prairie in the 1800s but which you don't know until your almost finished with the book. The whole story was just odd and I don't know why I kept with it but I did and then I really didn't like the ending. I couldn't relate to the characters and wasn't invested in what would happen to them. Not my cup of tea.
Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian- Reverend Stephen Drew, Heather, and Katie are the narrators of this great book. The Reverend is caught in a scandal as one of his parishioners is murdered the night after she is baptized by him. At first it seems this is a tragic domestic violence murder/suicide of Alice and her husband, parents of teen Katie. As the book goes on nothing is as simple as it seemed. Heather is an author touring the country and not really related to anything happening except she happens to be in the area when the deaths occur and she herself was a child when her father murdered her mother and committed suicide. She has since moved forward and writes books about angels. Each narrates a piece of the story, Katie the ending. I really liked the twists and turns and how much this book kept me guessing. Love this author but usually his books take me a minute to get into and then I like them, this one was different in that I was sucked in right away and wanted to know what happened next. The ending wasn't terribly surprising by the time you got to it but it was still shocking enough to hold it's own.
Room by Emma Donoghue- Really liked this book. So much so that I literally couldn't put it down. I thought about canceling a coffee date with a friend just to be able to finish it but took a break for that and then came home and finished it. It's not a long read so it's doable in a few hours but it was just so mesmerizing and I wanted so badly to know what happened. This is the story of Jack a boy who turns 5 at the beginning of the novel. Jack narrates the story, which I liked so much even in later chapters and really commend the author for choosing this so deliberately. Jack lives in room with ma and doesn't know anything about the whole world outside of him. We learn quickly as adult readers that his mother is being held against her will and raped by her captor which is how Jack came to be. Jack knows nothing outside of the tiny space that is his whole world and is confused when ma tries to explain the world outside to him. I was so afraid the book would end with them stuck in the room still but the first part of the book is all about their existence in the room, the second about their escape (which Jack plays such an amazing role in) and the third part is about the new world for both of them. Again, I just couldn't put it down, what an amazing concept for a story and the author really did a good job. I highly recommend.
Chose the Wrong Guy Gave Him the Wrong Finger by Beth Harbison- Really started to like this author for easy light reads about women's friendships, relationship troubles, etc. This story is about main character Quinn who runs a bridal shop. Coincidentally she walked away from her own wedding years ago after finding out about allegations of her fiance cheating on her. She heard these allegations from her almost brother in law who she then runs away with for a few days. Now 10 years later she is an independent woman running her own business having put the brothers behind her. The story shares her struggle to come to terms with all that happened in the past and finally be able to move forward. Not my most favorite from this author but her books aren't meant to really have substance, it's just a fun light easy read that's pretty predictable.
We are All Called to Rise by Laura McBride- Really liked this novel. It was a little slow but the writing was so good I wanted to keep reading and then it sped up pretty quickly and connected all the dots. We have numerous narrators from the Las Vegas area whose lives all wind up connecting over an unimaginable tragedy. There is a middle age woman stuck in an unhappy marriage who had two kids but live didn't go the way it was planned to. A very young boy who is first generation and who's parents cultural differences leave him proud and confused. A soldier wounded and working on his PTSD in DC but from Vegas and who was a pen pal while in Iraq to a child in Vegas. I didn't know how their lives would wind up connecting but each narrator held their own piece of the story and left me wanting to know more. When the big twist played out I was then racing to the end to see how it would all work out for each of the characters. A great book about all the things that really do matter in the end.
Landing by Emma Donoghue- Great story about Sile and Jude two women who meet by random circumstance on an airplane and form a love connection. Problem is they live countries and oceans apart. I like this author and this story was a great novel of what we sometimes leave behind for love and how we form relationships that sometimes aren't the most convenient. I liked both characters pretty immediately and was hoping for their romance to somehow work out despite all the odds. I liked the realistic moments of the story and I also mostly liked the ending.
A Sudden Light by Garth Stein- Not my usual kind of book but there was something about this story that kept me turning the pages. This story was about the Riddell family, particularly 14yo Trevor who narrates the story. It's part mystery, part family drama/dysfunction, and part putting the past to rest to move forward. Trevor's father left his family home many years ago and they return now to try to move his grandfather into assisted living and sell their expensive property to developers. Add in an eccentric aunt, a family curse, and some ghosts not ready to move on. Again usually not my thing but this writer is just so good I kept turning the pages. I'm still not 100% sure I liked the ending but I also can't think of how else it could have ended really. I liked the overall theme of trying to repair the nuclear families over generations.
The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe- This is the story of the friendship of Mia and Lorrie Ann. Mia is our narrator and struggles with a hard home life and numerous hardships during her early years. Lorrie Ann seems to be from the "perfect" family and have no difficulties. As they get older and enter young adulthood Mia has to start to see things aren't always as perfect on the outside as they seem. The girls seem to almost cross paths and as things get better for Mia, Lorri Ann enters hard times. The ways their friendship at first endures and then grows apart is difficult for Mia to grasp and grieve. I liked the realistic pictures painted rather then the often sappy perfect friendship novels, but I also struggled a bit with the ending. I felt a bit like some pieces of the puzzle were missing in the story and didn't lead to the road we ended up on. Overall I liked the writing and I think this was the first book by this author but I would happily read another.
Meeting Rozzy Halfway by Caroline Leavitt- Our narrator is Bess she is the younger sister of Rozzy who was always a bit different when they were growing up. Bess grows up in her shadow but also having to sometimes be the bigger sister and take care of Rozzy. Rozzy goes through numerous events and diagnoses and Bess is there for all of them. The connection between them goes into young adulthood and eventually Bess has to figure out how to live her life on her own or lose herself in Rozzy. It was a good book and I really like this author lately and this was one of her first (maybe first?) books but felt worth tracking down due to it's subject. I was certainly not disappointed.
102 Books in 2014, quite the accomplishment and means my goal of 4 years ago is finally met.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Saturday, January 17, 2015
November 7
Girls in Trouble by Caroline Leavitt- This was such a unique story. I found it hard to put down. There were parts I didn't like because I didn't find them to be realistic, but overall I forgave this because the writing was so good and the story was so interesting. This story follows 16yo Sara who is pregnant and giving her baby up for adoption but not entirely by choice. We start with Sara being bonded to the new adoptive parents, George and Eva, and getting set up for an open adoption of her baby. While everyone has good intentions things do not go as smoothly as planned. Once the baby arrives Sara and Eva's relationship drastically changes. Coupled with Sara's strained relationship with her own parents, Sara makes a very poor decision which ultimately leads to Eva and George moving with the baby far away without a forwarding address. The book shares both families journey over the next years as the baby, Sara, and Eva all grow and change. I really got invested in these characters and what would happen next. As I said some pieces felt a bit contrived, but for the most part this book was just great and I loved reading about the characters mistakes and growth. I think overall the message, one I say all the time, is parents aren't prefect and make many mistakes but they do the best they can. Sometimes it's enough and sometimes it falls short, but in the end we all have to grow up and decide for ourselves who we want to be.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein- What a book. If your a dog/pet lover go read it this minute. This story is uniquely narrated by Enzo, a dog. Denny, Enzo's master is a race car driver, hence the title. We learn about Denny and his hardships through Enzo's view. There were parts that were so dog like they made me laugh out loud. There were sad parts that were so heart warming through the dog's eyes that they made me emotional. Overall this is a great read which made me add other books by this author to my list. This book also makes you think, if you haven't before, about what goes on in our pets minds and what they think of their humans. A beautiful and heart breaking/warming story.
The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger- This book wasn't quite what I expected it to be but I think overall I enjoyed reading it. It's the story of Amina and George. Amina is from Bangladesh and George is living in America. It's a bit mail order bride but with technology twists and Amina winds up married to George and adjusting to American life. We follow the newlyweds through adjusting to cultural/religious differences, married life, and leaving their pasts behind to figure out some sort of future together.
The Summer We Fell Apart by Robin Antalek- Four siblings: Amy, George, Kate and Finn narrate this story about the summer after their father dies. Each sibling takes us through pieces of their childhood in a dysfunctional family and how it has affected their adulthood in present day. The parents in the Haas family weren't very involved and each adult child has had to find their way on their own. The book shares the story in some ways of how they found their way back to each other. I didn't like how chopped up the book was and I struggled to like the characters until the narrated but overall there was something appealing about the book and the way the family was trying to pick up the pieces.
Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison- What a cute story. By far not the best book ever but a cute easy read about 4 women who are bonded by their addiction to shoes. Lorna, Helene, Sandra, and Jocelyn are strangers until their addiction to shoes and a common size brings them together, sort of. Lorna is in debt due to her addiction and places the internet ad that brings the ladies together. Helene is married to a high powered man and living the high life but with her own secrets she pays a high price to have her "perfect" marriage. Sandra lacks the confidence to be herself but challenges herself to go to the original meeting and we watch her transform throughout the book. Jocelyn is a nanny for a not so nice family and is hiding some secrets of her own from the group. I loved reading this funny story about the women forming friendships and making changes in their lives.
Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison- A follow up to the book above which was also a cute story about women and their friendships. We have a reappearance of Sandra who helps her sister Tiffany and her friends Abby, and Loreen. The book starts with the women, aside from Sandra, on a school trip with their kids to Las Vegas. There Tiffany gets in a little trouble trying to make herself over by shopping for a new wardrobe that she can't afford but also can't return. Abby is a minister's wife but her secret past finds her in Vegas and follows her home. Loreen is recently separated and mistakenly hires a prostitute (poor girl thought the man was interested in her). The women all need to make money fast to cover up their mistakes and Sandra helps them by sharing how she works for a phone sex hotline and makes a lot of money. Though some parts of the book were a bit silly/unrealistic the overall theme of the women coming together and fixing the issues themselves was great. It was fun to read about their adventures and see where each of them would move forward to.
Who by Fire by Diana Spechler- Really liked this book. I thought about it long after I put it down. Bits and Ash are the main characters and are now adults but when they were children their little sister Alena was kidnapped. Now all these years later they and their mother, Ellie, narrate pieces of the story. Ash is living in Israel trying to be an orthodox Jew. Bits is unable to commit to any relationship and playing middle man between her family members. Ellie is a grieving mother and still overly anxious about her remaining children. The women of the family have been trying to get Ash to return, believing he will outgrow this new change but also worrying for his safety. When Alena's body is at last found so many years later, the family is determined to get Ash home for the funeral. I did not see the twists and turns the story took coming and really enjoyed turning the pages to find out what would happen next. There were pieces I found a bit much or unrealistic but overall each character held their own and conveyed their story in a way that you wanted each of them to win.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein- What a book. If your a dog/pet lover go read it this minute. This story is uniquely narrated by Enzo, a dog. Denny, Enzo's master is a race car driver, hence the title. We learn about Denny and his hardships through Enzo's view. There were parts that were so dog like they made me laugh out loud. There were sad parts that were so heart warming through the dog's eyes that they made me emotional. Overall this is a great read which made me add other books by this author to my list. This book also makes you think, if you haven't before, about what goes on in our pets minds and what they think of their humans. A beautiful and heart breaking/warming story.
The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger- This book wasn't quite what I expected it to be but I think overall I enjoyed reading it. It's the story of Amina and George. Amina is from Bangladesh and George is living in America. It's a bit mail order bride but with technology twists and Amina winds up married to George and adjusting to American life. We follow the newlyweds through adjusting to cultural/religious differences, married life, and leaving their pasts behind to figure out some sort of future together.
The Summer We Fell Apart by Robin Antalek- Four siblings: Amy, George, Kate and Finn narrate this story about the summer after their father dies. Each sibling takes us through pieces of their childhood in a dysfunctional family and how it has affected their adulthood in present day. The parents in the Haas family weren't very involved and each adult child has had to find their way on their own. The book shares the story in some ways of how they found their way back to each other. I didn't like how chopped up the book was and I struggled to like the characters until the narrated but overall there was something appealing about the book and the way the family was trying to pick up the pieces.
Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison- What a cute story. By far not the best book ever but a cute easy read about 4 women who are bonded by their addiction to shoes. Lorna, Helene, Sandra, and Jocelyn are strangers until their addiction to shoes and a common size brings them together, sort of. Lorna is in debt due to her addiction and places the internet ad that brings the ladies together. Helene is married to a high powered man and living the high life but with her own secrets she pays a high price to have her "perfect" marriage. Sandra lacks the confidence to be herself but challenges herself to go to the original meeting and we watch her transform throughout the book. Jocelyn is a nanny for a not so nice family and is hiding some secrets of her own from the group. I loved reading this funny story about the women forming friendships and making changes in their lives.
Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison- A follow up to the book above which was also a cute story about women and their friendships. We have a reappearance of Sandra who helps her sister Tiffany and her friends Abby, and Loreen. The book starts with the women, aside from Sandra, on a school trip with their kids to Las Vegas. There Tiffany gets in a little trouble trying to make herself over by shopping for a new wardrobe that she can't afford but also can't return. Abby is a minister's wife but her secret past finds her in Vegas and follows her home. Loreen is recently separated and mistakenly hires a prostitute (poor girl thought the man was interested in her). The women all need to make money fast to cover up their mistakes and Sandra helps them by sharing how she works for a phone sex hotline and makes a lot of money. Though some parts of the book were a bit silly/unrealistic the overall theme of the women coming together and fixing the issues themselves was great. It was fun to read about their adventures and see where each of them would move forward to.
Who by Fire by Diana Spechler- Really liked this book. I thought about it long after I put it down. Bits and Ash are the main characters and are now adults but when they were children their little sister Alena was kidnapped. Now all these years later they and their mother, Ellie, narrate pieces of the story. Ash is living in Israel trying to be an orthodox Jew. Bits is unable to commit to any relationship and playing middle man between her family members. Ellie is a grieving mother and still overly anxious about her remaining children. The women of the family have been trying to get Ash to return, believing he will outgrow this new change but also worrying for his safety. When Alena's body is at last found so many years later, the family is determined to get Ash home for the funeral. I did not see the twists and turns the story took coming and really enjoyed turning the pages to find out what would happen next. There were pieces I found a bit much or unrealistic but overall each character held their own and conveyed their story in a way that you wanted each of them to win.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)