Her mood spiraled and crashed like a clipped kite.
Nobody truly decided for themselves. There...moreGlobal warming scares the sh*t out of me.
Favorite Quotes
Her mood spiraled and crashed like a clipped kite.
Nobody truly decided for themselves. There was too much information. What they actually did was scope around, decide who was looking out for their clan, and sign on for the memos on a wide array of topics.
Mistakes wreck your life. buy they make what you have. (less)
There was something quietly down-to-earth about this one, even when it wasn't at all down-to-earth. I guess what I mean to say is that it seemed authe...moreThere was something quietly down-to-earth about this one, even when it wasn't at all down-to-earth. I guess what I mean to say is that it seemed authentic.
Keywords: glbtq, philosophy, small town, siblings, airplanes
Favorite Quotes
So...I name him Frank. Frank Socrates. makes him more huggable. Makes his clothes easier to label for summer camp. F.S.
I see I am a nervous dancer. A barely dancing dancer. A robot.
I sigh. I'm exhausted by them. I'm exhausted by me. I'm exhausted by having to be me, with them.
Reminded me of the rigid liberal versus conservative political atmosphere surrounding the most recent election. There's a lot that can go wrong when y...moreReminded me of the rigid liberal versus conservative political atmosphere surrounding the most recent election. There's a lot that can go wrong when you can't see the shades of grey. (No, not that shades of grey, silly.)
The realist in me sees apocalyptic fiction as a very likely possibility, which is probably why I squirmed from start to finish. If I were to take the "which faction are you" quiz, I'd be abnegation or amity, for sure. Dauntless would scare the living daylights out of me.
Other Things I Liked: Strong female protagonist. Thematic connection between bravery and selflessness. Descriptions of post-apocalypse Chicago. (Hey, I've been to Navy Pier!).
P.S. My vocabulary is completely lacking, as I kept having to be reminded what candor, amity, abnegation, dauntless and erudite meant. Good thing this was written for teens.
Favorite Quotes
Decades ago, our ancestors realized that it is not political ideology, religious belief, race, or nationalism that is to blame for a warring world. Rather, they determined that it was the fault of human personality - of humankind's inclination toward evil, in whatever form that is.
There's nothing especially brave about wandering dark streets with no flashlight, but we are not supposed to need help, even from light. We are supposed to be capable of anything.
My ears still raw from the rush of wind, seaweed still tangled in my hair, sea salt still dripping from my eyelids...I was cradled in a wave of words...moreMy ears still raw from the rush of wind, seaweed still tangled in my hair, sea salt still dripping from my eyelids...I was cradled in a wave of words and am having a hard time coming to shore.
So, yes, this one worked its sea magic on me.
P.S. Lots of fodder for a discussion of gender roles. Thought often about the Stepford Wives and The Awakening.
Favorite Quotes
The sea was gray with white dabs of temper all over it; the sky hung full of ragged strips of cloud.
[T]he sun, in a festive fit before it went to bed, sprayed pinks and reds about among a few streaks of cloud.
I wish I were the sun up there, bloodying up the sky, with such small matters as men's ill will and a girl's embarrassment never approaching my vast-burning mind.
The stars teased cloud-veils across themselves and twinkled out brightly again afterward; the ample air of spring spread above, salty, green, teeming with life; the sea lipped and popped at the rock's rim, sighed farther out in its swells and tides and darkness. (less)
Desolate. And I couldn't get over the excessive use of the n-word, even if it seemed authentic to the characters.
Only got about halfway through. Mayb...moreDesolate. And I couldn't get over the excessive use of the n-word, even if it seemed authentic to the characters.
Only got about halfway through. Maybe in a different mood I'll be able to pick it up again.
A fairly quiet book that had a way of injecting small jolts of suspense to keep me turning the page.
Brothers and sisters, childhood friends and unspo...moreA fairly quiet book that had a way of injecting small jolts of suspense to keep me turning the page.
Brothers and sisters, childhood friends and unspoken unspeakables. Somehow, it worked.
Side note: It's such a relief that people can write books with lovely gay characters without having to explain that they're gay and spend the whole book defending it. Progress is a wonderful thing.
Side note #2: I'm not on board with authors injecting a 9/11 theme where it has no place. Not cool.
Favorite Quotes
...although it was keeping the cold at bay, I felt it was simply because the cold stopped as it approached me and burst into laughter, rather than by any practical means. [About an ugly coat...]
[All of page 75. Two friends are singing Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of their lungs to try to drown out the sound of the girl's mother embarrassing herself. Extremely well crafted.]
I strode across the lawn rudely disturbing the frost and entered the forest like the early morning sun, so maddeningly awake.
I looked out onto the lawn thinking that it was covered by a thick layer of snow, but it was actually mist and I could see it rolling up the river valley like white tumbleweed.
...where hills fell into the sea in gestures of despair.
It was strange, both vital and flawed, until I realized that maybe the need to be remembered is stronger than the need to remember.(less)
I just don't think anyone can explain hoarding to me in a way that I will understand.
The scenes where the brothers leave the house were by far my fav...moreI just don't think anyone can explain hoarding to me in a way that I will understand.
The scenes where the brothers leave the house were by far my favorite, like coming up out of a dark tunnel. I always think tandem bikes are hokey, but the idea of Langley leading his blind brother on trips around the city warmed my cold cold heart.
Favorite Quotes
And then there was that feeling one gets in a ride to a cemetery trailing a body in a coffin--an impatience with the dead, a longing to be back home where one could get on with the illusion that not death but daily life is the permanent condition.
And so do people pass out of ones life and all you can remember of them is their humanity, a poor fitful thing of no dominion, like your own.
I picked this off the shelf hoping that it would be serendipitous, that I would love it, that I could be the one to discover the next big thing.....moreUgh.
I picked this off the shelf hoping that it would be serendipitous, that I would love it, that I could be the one to discover the next big thing...
Instead, it's another whiny chick lit fluff book. Oh, well. Guess I'll stick with Goodreads recommendations from now on.
Disclaimer: I only read 3 pages. But it was a painful 3 pages. (less)
There are many reasons to dislike this one. Unlikeable characters. Implausible plot. Uncomfortable setting.
And yet I didn't. I liked the rough and ob...moreThere are many reasons to dislike this one. Unlikeable characters. Implausible plot. Uncomfortable setting.
And yet I didn't. I liked the rough and obscenely practical voice of Dr. Swenson, Marina's "stranger in a strange land" point of view, the oppressive heat of the Amazon, the excitement of a possible medical miracle...
This was by far not a perfect book. But I think maybe it was the serendipity of "right book, right time". I miss vacations and the thrill of discovering something unknown-to-me that hits me in the face like a sudden storm.
(view spoiler)[And I know it was totally fabricated, but the end made me happy. And though Ann Patchett strung a lot of plot threads that she could have tied together nicely, she chose not to use most of them and leave the ending up to the reader, which I can appreciate. (hide spoiler)]
Favorite Quotes
Hope is like walking around with a fishhook in your mouth and somebody just keeps pulling it and pulling it.
Such is your bravery. Such is my good fortune.
She mad the sounds of a person who was trying to wrestle an enormous sorrow to the ground.
Every drop of rain hit the ground with such force it bounced back up again, giving the earth the appearance of something boiling.
Gentlemen, close your books and listen. We have nothing less than the world to consider. (less)
My elementary school teacher brought in chocolate covered oranges, pickles, potato chips and more as a tie-in when our class read this book.
It was aw...moreMy elementary school teacher brought in chocolate covered oranges, pickles, potato chips and more as a tie-in when our class read this book.
I should know never to read any even-slightly-morose anthropomorphic tales. Although it was adorable and endearing and thought-provoking and heart-war...moreI should know never to read any even-slightly-morose anthropomorphic tales. Although it was adorable and endearing and thought-provoking and heart-warming, it made me want to kill all the humans and leave the planet to the apes.
Two words: Sensory overload. The sights, the smells, the sounds...Top notch.
I'm inclined to gravitate toward most magical realism tales, so this hit t...moreTwo words: Sensory overload. The sights, the smells, the sounds...Top notch.
I'm inclined to gravitate toward most magical realism tales, so this hit the spot. My biggest criticism is that there seemed to be a spell cast on all the characters that made them feel distant and unreachable. Isobel and Bailey were the only two I didn't feel that way about.
I love that they make constant reference to the Murray twins. That's me! I'm a Murray twin!
Favorite Details
Chocolate mice with licorice tails The cloud maze Marmalade kittens
Favorite Quotes
[U]mbrellas sprout like mushrooms amongst the graves.
August turns out to be a pleasant, heavyset fellow and Bailey's first impression is that he resembles his house: a squat sort of building with a porch wrapping around the front, warm and welcoming.
Note to self: Theme = The finest pleasures are always the unexpected ones. p137(less)
Minute details of life. Family drama. Reminded me of Anne Tyler, especially in tone and subject matter.
Each scene was turned over on its side to show...moreMinute details of life. Family drama. Reminded me of Anne Tyler, especially in tone and subject matter.
Each scene was turned over on its side to show the perspective of the other characters, again and again. Always useful to be reminded how others do not often view events and actions the way that you intended them to.
A good vacation read.
Favorite Quotes
She preferred to watch it all from a distance, letting the scene pass through her like a ghost.
The act of vacationing in beautiful surroundings always made her turn melancholy, as if in the absence of external annoyances to displease her, she suddenly realized her own inferiority...
She had never met a family so tied up in their own mythology.
She never understood why logic couldn't conquer something as simple and commonplace as love. (less)
Definitely more of a "read it" than a "flip through it" book.
Includes mockups for gardens, but nothing that can be translated for a container garden....moreDefinitely more of a "read it" than a "flip through it" book.
Includes mockups for gardens, but nothing that can be translated for a container garden. Would be better for people with large plots of land to work with. (less)
Wrong book, wrong time? Got to page 75, but it just never quite clung to me.
The premise is an intriguing one: a man follows a friend to a dinner part...moreWrong book, wrong time? Got to page 75, but it just never quite clung to me.
The premise is an intriguing one: a man follows a friend to a dinner party and then locks himself in the hosts' guest room for days (weeks? months?) for no discernible reason.
Favorite Quotes
She had not expected, out in the world, to find herself quite so much the wrong sort of person.
No one had yet solved the way of communicating with the dead. But when they did solve it, the boy thought, what would be the point anyway? All the dead would ever probably say, no matter what you asked them, would be, "Ah! once!"(less)
Crazy or genius? Crazy genius? Most of us fear we are crazy and wish we were geniuses. Chopsticks plays with the dichotomy well.
I knew this was a sto...moreCrazy or genius? Crazy genius? Most of us fear we are crazy and wish we were geniuses. Chopsticks plays with the dichotomy well.
I knew this was a story told in ephemera, but I was surprised by how well the narrative flowed. Unlike the traditional graphic novel, I wasn't constantly having to jump between reading the pictures and reading the text. (Brian Selznick's format fixes this for me, too.)
As for solving the mystery, I see that there are clues, but I don't think I'm expected to be able to put them together. I think it's meant to be ambiguous. Sometimes I appreciate that so that I can opt to hope for the happy ending without feeling like it was sugar-coated and handed to me on a silver platter.
P.S. Does anyone else think that Glory looks like Minka Kelly?
Favorite Quote
La risa es el idioma del alma - Pablo Neruda (Translation: Laughter is the language of the soul.)
Favorite Pages Dueling musical goblets Coney Island Piensa En Mi (less)
What do you do with all of the memories, all of the history you've made with someone once you can no longer share it...moreMy second favorite book of 2012.
What do you do with all of the memories, all of the history you've made with someone once you can no longer share it with each other?
This is probably what plagues me most about breakups. All of that knowledge you painstakingly gather and curate about another person, sitting and gathering dust.
Lemony Snicket, i.e. Daniel Handler puts all of that heartbreak about useless memories in a box and drops it on the reader's doorstep, hoping that the reader will take it in like a lost puppy and love it the way you no longer can.
Favorite Quotes
[I[t was wondering how someone could lose a shoe, just one shoe, and not see it when it was hopeful on the windowsill for weeks.
The roar and the boom was like nothing I'd known, even when I was a freshman and went to the first pep rally because I had the wrong first friends and didn't know any better.
I had such, you would not believe the such a feeling I had. You couldn't film it, it couldn't be captured. It couldn't happen almost, but there it was happening. (less)
The similarities to this and Stitches were striking to me. I seemed to be swimming in a lot of the same thick emotional waters, although the two situa...moreThe similarities to this and Stitches were striking to me. I seemed to be swimming in a lot of the same thick emotional waters, although the two situations are quite disparate.
The illustrations were integral, setting the tone for a sad and powerful story that knocks the wind out of you.
And props goes to one of the best first lines, IMHO: The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do.
Favorite Quotes
Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?
She turned, gave him a flash of starfish hand as a wave, and said, "Be good."
You do not write your life with words, the monster said. You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.
(view spoiler)[You were merely wishing for the end of pain...Your own pain. An end to how it isolated you. It is the most human wish of all. (hide spoiler)](less)
In the end, it lived up to my expectations. The interwoven story between the illustrations and the text works for me, unlike graphic novels, where I a...moreIn the end, it lived up to my expectations. The interwoven story between the illustrations and the text works for me, unlike graphic novels, where I always feel jolted back and forth trying to read the text and the graphics simultaneously.
I would now like to visit the wolves at Gunflint Lake.
Favorite Quote
He wished that he was with his mom in her library, where everything was safe and numbered and organized by the Dewey decimal system. Ben wished the world was organized by the Dewey decimal system.
The strikethrough text seemed gimmicky and the writing seemed trite and the photographs seemed random. But maybe that's because I'm no longer a melodr...moreThe strikethrough text seemed gimmicky and the writing seemed trite and the photographs seemed random. But maybe that's because I'm no longer a melodramatic angsty teenager? Maybe teenage "me" should read this...
A Few Star Moments
You see a photograph and you try to make yourself be there. But you can't. Even if you were there. You can't.
I could feel him gluing the calmness together.
You know one me. Just like I know one you. But you can't know every me, Evan. And I can't know every you. (less)
This is one of the few books that I strongly believe is made infinitely better by watching the movie (many many times) first.
Two Things I Liked Better...moreThis is one of the few books that I strongly believe is made infinitely better by watching the movie (many many times) first.
Two Things I Liked Better about the Book
Fezzik (the Giant) & Inigo Montoya (the Spaniard) are the definition of best friends in this book and it makes me feel all warm inside to have gotten to know them better.
The narrator cracks me up, especially the long intro involving his hatred of all books and reading when he was younger.
Favorite Quote
I am not trying to make this a downer, understand. I mean, I really do think that love is the best thing in the world, except for cough drops. But I also have to say, for the umpty-umpth time, that life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all. (less)
My main gripe is that there was an unnamed teller-of-the-tale who kept referring to modern-day things witho...moreMary Poppins meets Little Red Riding Hood.
My main gripe is that there was an unnamed teller-of-the-tale who kept referring to modern-day things without explanation. A simple "I am going to tell you a tale from long long ago" beginning would have eliminated my confusion.
Favorite Quotes
Clearly, being anxious is a full-time and rather exhausting occupation.
Poetry? It disagrees with me, I'm afraid. All that bum-de-bum-de-bum-de-bum; it's like riding in the back of a hay wagon on a bumpy road.
How easy it was to imagine the worst when one was nervous! (less)
Short. Concise. Impactful. Sentences. Such as, "And for the first time in days, she smiled. Wide. Full. Complete."
Employs a "rolling stone" or "tag, you're it" technique. Every new character that is introduced comes with a small story that sums up their life and explains how they came to be in this story, with these people, who you love. And it all just seems to flow together. I don't know how Holly Goldberg Sloan did that, but I am impressed.
Least Favorite Elements
Bobby. (He started out as misguided but understandable. He ended up a caricature of himself that was no longer believable.)
Jackson 5 song tie-in. Too corny. Too obvious. Too...something.
Favorite Quotes
"Hey..." He said "Hey" back. And then they graduated to two syllables and then three and then sentences. And then whole ideas and the real expression of thought.
And I miss Felix the dog. And I miss the way he smells, which is like wet sweaters. But clean wet sweaters.
What was choosing someone all about, anyway? Did it come down to understanding how the way the person felt about you made you feel about yourself?
Hadn't someone said once that love was attention? No more. No less. But there was attention. And there was obsession. And there was possession. (less)
On the surface, this book is about a man who cheated on his wife. But really it's about reconciling who you've become when it's not who you wanted to...moreOn the surface, this book is about a man who cheated on his wife. But really it's about reconciling who you've become when it's not who you wanted to become, i.e. being true to yourself doesn't mean that you can't change who you are.
(Also, I am now convinced that being a single mother to two young children might possibly be the worst fate in the world.)
So glad I went to see Leah Stewart speak at Thurber House this summer. She's seemed like the perfect blend of who I am and who I admire.
Favorite Quotes:
Why do the same things happen to everyone?
We want to be known when we do, and we want to be unknown when we don't, just like we want someone to touch us and kiss us until we don't anymore.
I resented the hell out of the back of his head.
Living with someone else is all about food...What are you going to eat and when are you going to eat it and who's going to cook it or should you go out.
I was going to click my heels and go home, where life would be, as it is anywhere, a little bit dull Kansas, a little bit great and terrible Oz. (less)
The best stories make you understand the evil and the good and all of the gray in between. This is another one that did that for me.
Surprisingly soph...moreThe best stories make you understand the evil and the good and all of the gray in between. This is another one that did that for me.
Surprisingly sophisticated at times, delving into morality, group dynamics and the nuances of leadership. Yet, there are enough references to flatulence and fighting and space suits and aliens to keep most teen boys fully enthralled.
Wondered about the fact that the Battle School students were almost solely boys. This one line of explanation didn't really do it for me: "A few girls. They don't often pass the tests to get in. Too many centuries of evolution are working against them." What does that mean, exactly?
Favorite Quotes:
It was a lie, of course, that it wouldn't hurt a bit. But since adults always said it when it was going to hurt, he could count on that statement as an accurate prediction of the future. Sometimes lies were more dependable than the truth.
Ender's anger was cold, and he could use it. Bonzo's anger was hot, and so it used him.
I'm your tool, and what difference does it make if I hate the part of me that you most need? What difference does it make that when the little serpents killed me in the game, I agreed with them and was glad? (less)
(view spoiler)["Oh, Jack, that's a different one, says Grandma. There's playgrounds in every town." Lots of the world seems to be a repeat.
Outside has everything. Whenever I think of a thing now like skis or fireworks or islands or elevators or yo-yos, I have to remember they're real, they're actually happening in Outside all together. It makes my head tired. And people too, firefighters teachers burglars babies saints soccer players and all sorts, they're all really in Outside. I'm not there, though, me and Ma, we're the only ones not there. Are we still real? (hide spoiler)](less)
This was an easy read as far as the writing style goes. Lots of dialogue, and I often felt like I was watching a play while reading as it was extremel...moreThis was an easy read as far as the writing style goes. Lots of dialogue, and I often felt like I was watching a play while reading as it was extremely conversational.
But the characters were just too exaggerated for me. I know you're not supposed to like Ignatius, but he sadly reminded me too much of people I know in real life whom I sometimes want to hit over the head with a frying pan.
Only got about halfway through...
Favorite Quotes:
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. (by Jonathon Swift)
Yes I did want to stay as an observer. I am not especially anxious to mingle.
She put three spoons of sugar in her coffee and, holding the spoon in the cup with her thumb so that the handle threatened to puncture her eyeball, she slurped a bit more.
Ignatius, what's all this trash on the floor? That is my worldview that you see.
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