Jacqueline's comments (member since Mar 31, 2009)

Jacqueline's comments from the Cyber Book Club group.

Sometimes I ignore my TBR list in favor of a familiar book-friend. :)

So I've been really busy lately and haven't been updating my list, but I have five more books to add.

21) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
22) The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
23) Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
24) The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

I haven't had a lot of GoodReads time, but I graduated and commencement was yesterday! I keep looking at my degree to make sure it's real. :D

25) The Giver by Lois Lowry

This is our first BotM I just tackled. I've never read it before, which surprised my youngest brother, who is very familiar with Lowry's work because he had to read it in middle school. After my first Lowry book, I think Lois Lowry is like the George Orwell for YA. (Not that young adults shouldn't read Orwell, because they probably should.)

I had to burn through a lot of easy reads, rereads, nonfiction, etc. This book was quite a whammy.

Happy Birthday, Fiona!

No, it's my second. :)

Books are always different, sometimes dramatically, through rereads because I already know what's happening. It was so much more melancholy this time and made me appreciate the happier moments more. Plus I knew so much more about molecular biology when I read it the this time that I was considering aspects about CDO that the author wouldn't have had available when she wrote it, and that was fun.

20) The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger


I'm going to cry every time I read this book. This novel is definitely on my top 10. Maybe even my top 5.

19) Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease by Sharon Moalem


This was an entertaining read if you're into evolutionary and molecular biology. It had a funny narrative and posed questions in a clever and crazy way that made me want to keep reading.

18) Beast by Donna Jo Napoli



I also just realized that I forgot to add Brida when I originally made this list, a novel I read during my dreary long flight to Buenos Aires in February. It's so hard for me to sleep on planes that I read it in one go and easily overlooked it while listing my 2009 books. It was a great book though. ;)

16) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson



The second April BotM down. :)

I'm lucky I had it on my eReader because I heard it was a gigantic book, difficult to curl up with.

This book was intelligent and vivid. It also gave me bizarre dreams. I won't go into much because I already did on the group thread and in my own review, but I did like the novel. I hope more people enjoy it and are interested in reading the next one.

I thought all of the characters were richly complex. And while I feel sorry that Lisbeth didn't get her happily ever after at the end of the novel, I also expected it. It was nice that such a troubled, yet strong and intelligent, young woman was able to open her heart, but I wouldn't have picked Mikael as her Prince Charming. As much as I love Mikael, we saw him having casual affairs with three women in the novel, one of which we were told broke up his marriage in the past. I actually think he and Erika suit each other, with her easy acceptance of his flaws and her open marriage.

I also had a lot of problems with the author's depictions of violence. But what bothered me was Larsson's political support of vigilante justice through his characters. Don't get me wrong, I hate the fact that women are treated so poorly in Sweden and that adult guardianship is practiced, but it didn't sit well with me. During the actual scene, I was cheering for Salandar, but afterwards, when I actually digested what happened, I was divided. What can ya do.

Anyway, I really liked the book. It was complex, charming, and vivid. It was also grotesquely ugly, but in an expected way. I'll certainly check out the sequel when it's available. I hope it has the same translator.

I didn't read your spoilers, but I'm interested in reading "The Likeness" now because it reminds you of "The Secret History". I loved that book!

15) The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman


I'm a HUGE fan of Alice Hoffman. :D

I was listening to this book off and on since December. Occasionally my eyesight gets really bad and I can't read things off a page and have to listen to books instead.

Maybe it was because I was listening to them and they were written in second person, but a lot of the prosy sections on love and family really resonated with me.

I'm growing fond of Cupid. Anyone else watching it? I was excited to hear Rob Thomas was working again. I've missed him since Veronica Mars was canceled.

The funny thing about sand is its uncanny ability to get everywhere in less than a second.

I like that idea, Dominique. I vaguely recall reading the beginning of Honeymoon with My Brother: A Memoir in an airport and liking it so I'm on board with that. I've also always wanted to read the travel essay collections edited by Jennifer L. Leo, like Sand in My Bra and Other Misadventures: Funny Women Write from the Road. Has anyone read those?

We could go for nonfiction this month, like a memoir, or a book by a well-known creative essayist like Barbara Kingsolver or David Sedaris.

14) Spinners by Donna Jo Napoli


Fun, quick read for anyone who likes fairytale retellings like me. :) I gave it four stars instead of three just because I've never seen a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin before and this one was creative.

Jayne, I just finished catching up with Supernatural. Let me just say, the last two episodes were awesome! I laughed so much. XD

I'm starting a trend! Sweet.


I'm four episodes from the latest, Miss Jayne. Almost caught up. But that one sounds hilarious! I can't wait to see Sam's faces. XD

Jayne, don't worry about being brave - you actually must be since you went on a whole Picoult stage. I couldn't imagine reading several of her books in a row without a crippling emotional overload. ;)

I hope you get a chance to read Change of Heart in time.

13) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Yay, one Book of the Month down. (Which I will hereafter refer to "BotM" :D) Talking about emotion overloads? This book was an amazing one. I'm crazy about the unique, prosy narrative Zusak used.

On to the next one... when I'm not distracted by trying to catch up in watching Supernatural. I can't believe how awesome this show is.

I really got sucked into Markus Zusak's prosy narrative, especially since it was Death, who was struggling trying to understand human nature and how it could be so beautiful and ugly. Especially during such a nightmare.

I agree with Lisarenee about the portrayal of German people who didn't support the war, but couldn't do or say anything our of fear. Leisel was truly brave in that regard, especially when she ran out to Max during one of the marches.

This book really broke my heart. I was crying so much at the end, especially when Leisel kissed Rudy and when she gave Papa back his accordion.

As for whether or not Leisel married Max, it's true that it isn't clear but Sydney was a pretty big clue. It seems fitting since there was no one else either character loved alive in the world.

Thanks ladies, I'll definitely add it to my wishlist. :)