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18. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank340 pages, ★★★★★
I had heard that a more complete edition of Anne's diary had come out since I was in school, but for reasons I will never quite be able to explain, I put off reading it. Now that I have, I wonder why I waited so gosh darn long.
I don't remember Anne being quite this interesting the first time around. I remember identifying with her to a certain degree when I was younger, but this time around I sort of thought she might be my soul mate. The fighting amongst her family and fellow hideaways was so familiar it hurt. Not to mention that I cannot imagine dealing with those teenage hormones in the midst of the horrors she was experiencing.
The older she got, the more introspective. I really think if she had survived the war that she would have made fantastic contributions to society at large. She seemed the kind of personality who could do anything- even remain positive in the face of life and death situations. That the world was robbed of her light and so many others' will be a shadow upon the Western World until the end of time.
If you haven't read this book, read it. If you read it when you were a kid and are now a grown-up like me, read it again. It really adds to the richness of the experience.
Genre: Memoir/Autobiography
Applicable Challenges: Summer 2016 Olympic Challenge, Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, My Favorite Things Challenge, Around the World, Books You Might Have Missed Last Year, Title IX and EMERALD
Demon, Volume 1NPR's Best Books of 201613 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl
32 Yolks: From My Mother's Table to Working the Line
The ABCs of How We Learn - 26 Scientifically Proven Approaches, How They Work, and When to Use Them
The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old and New
Ada Twist, Scientist
Addlands
Alive, Alive Oh!: And Other Things That Matter
All That Man Is
All the Birds in the Sky
All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation
Alligator Candy: A Memoir
American Housewife
American Philosophy
And I Darken
The Angel of History
Another Brooklyn
The Arab of the Future 2: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1984-1985: A Graphic Memoir
Around the Way Girl: A Memoir
The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye
As Good as Gone
The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts
The Ballad of Black Tom
Barkskins
The Beach at Night
Before the Fall
Beginner's Guide: Love and Other Chemical Reactions
Behold the Dreamers
The Best American Comics 2016
The Bitch Is Back: Older, Wiser, and (Getting) Happier
Black Lotus: A Woman’s Search for Racial Identity
Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 1
The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment
Book Uncle and Me
The Border of Paradise
Borderline
Born a Crime
Born to Run
Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution
The Bricks that Built the Houses
Bullies: A Friendship
Burn Baby Burn
By Gaslight
The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture
Carry Me
Central Station
Certain Dark Things
A Change of Heart
Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley
Charcoal Joe
Cheap Novelties: The Pleasures of Urban Decay, with Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer
A Child of Books
Children of the New World: Stories
Chronicle of a Last Summer: A Novel of Egypt
A Collapse of Horses
Commonwealth
Consequence: A Memoir
Crosstalk
Les Diners de Gala
The Dark Days Club
Dark Matter
Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right
Darktown
Death's End
Disappearance at Devil's Rock
Don't Call Me Grandma
Dorie's Cookies
The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe
Dust
Ego Is the Enemy
Eleanor and Hick
Eleanor Roosevelt, Volume 3: The War Years and After, 1939-1962
Elephant Complex: Travels in Sri Lanka
Eleven Hours
Eligible
Every Anxious Wave
Everybody's Fool
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
Exit, Pursued by a Bear
Eyes on the Street: The Life of Jane Jacobs
Faith, Volume 1: Hollywood & Vine
Zero's Familiar: Chevalier, Volume 3?
The Familiar, Volume 3: Honeysuckle & Pain
by Mark Z. Danielewski
Fear the Drowning Deep
Fellside
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race
The Fireman
Floyd Cardoz: Flavorwalla: Big Flavor. Bold Spices. A New Way to Cook the Foods You Love.
Float
Forbidden
The Fortunes
The Fox was Ever the Hunter
Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan
Full of Beans
The Gene: An Intimate History
A Gentleman in Moscow
Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places
Ghosts
The Girl from Everywhere
The Girls
Girls on Fire
The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars
A Great Reckoning
The Greatest of Marlys
Grief is the Thing with Feathers
The Gustav Sonata
Hag-Seed
Hamilton: The Revolution
The Hating Game
The Haunting of Falcon House
Heat & Light
The Heavenly Table
Here Comes the Sun
Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
The High Mountains of Portugal
Highly Illogical Behavior
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
His Bloody Project
Homegoing
Hot Dog Taste Test
The House at the Edge of Night
How to Be a Person in the World: Ask Polly's Guide Through the Paradoxes of Modern Life
How To Be a Tudor: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Tudor Life
Hunters in the Dark
I Am No One
I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life
I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Ida, Always
Imagine Me Gone
Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck
In the Not Quite Dark: Stories
Innocents and Others
Jane Steele
Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph
The Jazz of Physics: The Secret Link Between Music and the Structure of the Universe
Jerusalem
Joe Gould's Teeth
Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul
Kill the Boy Band
King Baby
Knockout
Kookooland
Lab Girl
Labyrinth Lost
Lacunae: Imagined Translations of One Hundred Ancient Love Poems
Landmarks
The Latter Days: A Memoir
Leave Me Alone!
The Lesser Bohemians
Let Me Finish!
Lily and Dunkin
Listen to the Moon
Little Labors
Little Red
The Little Red Chairs
The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone
Loner
Look
Losing It
The Lost Time Accidents
Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams
Lucky Bastard: My Life, My Dad, and the Things I'm Not Allowed to Say on TV
Lucy and Linh
Madonnaland: And Other Detours Into Fame and Fandom
The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047
March: Book Three
The Mayor of Mogadishu: A Story of Chaos and Redemption in the Ruins of Somalia
The Mirror Thief
Missing, Presumed
Modern Lovers
Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening
Mooncop
Moonglow
Mothering Sunday
The Mothers
Multiple Choice
My Marathon
My Name Is Lucy Barton
Native: Dispatches from an Israeli-Palestinian Life
Necessity
The Nest
The Night Gardener
Night Sky with Exit Wounds
Nitro Mountain
The Nix
Noonday
Nutshell
ODY-C: Cycle One
The Obelisk Gate
Olio
The One Hundred Nights of Hero
The Opposite Zoo
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World
The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America
Over the Plain Houses
Panter
Paper Girls, Vol. 1
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
Todo Paracuellos
Party of One: A Memoir in 21 Songs
Patience
Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets
Patsy Walker: Hellcat
Pax
Péplum
Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon
Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk
Plutona
The Point Is: Making Sense of Birth, Death, and Everything in Between
The Portable Veblen
Possession: The Curious History of Private Collectors from Antiquity to the Present
Pretty Deadly #2
A Promise of Fire
The Queen of the Night
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
A Rage for Order: The Middle East in Turmoil, from Tahrir Square to ISIS
Raymie Nightingale
The Reader
The Red Parts
The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem
The Regional Office Is Under Attack!
Reputations
The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between
Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War
Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria and Iraq
The Romanovs: 1613-1918
The Second Life of Nick Mason
Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets
Selected Poems 1968-2014
The Selfishness of Others: An Essay on the Fear of Narcissism
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics
The Seventh Wish
Sex Object
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life
Shock and Awe: Glam Rock and Its Legacy, from the Seventies to the Twenty-First Century
Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman
The Singing Bones
19. 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup240 pages, ★★★★★
What could I possibly say about this book that hasn't already been said? "12 Years A Slave" touched me in a way that very few things do. Solomon Northup's story is as horrifying as it is inspirational. Do yourself a favor and read this book.
The language is superb, powerful and simple in its delivery. There were many passages where I had to stop and re-read it, try to imprint it upon my mind. In some ways it is matter of fact- beatings happen and outside of a few examples, they are just part of the everyday lives of slaves.
Nevertheless, Solomon is incredibly specific as to the life he lived over 12 years. He describes the farming processes they practiced, the huts they lived in, the hours they kept and the few holidays they were allowed to have. It is the most complete window into American slavery I have yet read.
Yet, for all of the cruelty of some of the people around him and the institution itself, Solomon recognizes the goodness of some of the slave owners. He makes it very clear that the institution is horrible, but some of those who practice it tend towards kindness, and that the slaves themselves were as aware of various owners' dispositions, attitudes towards them and the freedoms allowed to them.
I am pretty amazed by how positive he manages to be throughout his enslavement. Of course, there are times when he despairs, but for the most part, he bears it incredibly well. I doubt I would handle it half so well.
I will remember this book for the rest of my life, determined to be a better person than I am. Life changing. You should read it too.
Genre: Memoir
Applicable Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, USA Road Trip and Luck of the Irish
20. The Giver by Lois Lowry180 pages, ★★★★☆
With the exception of the ending, this book was great. I suppose in the sense that the ending left me wanting more, it was very good. However, it never really tells you if Jonas and Gabe make it, or if it is a hallucination or something. It gets very dream sequence-like which makes it more uncertain.
I definitely look forward to finishing this series, though. The community is both comforting and horrifying at the same time. The idea that they would have found a way to take color out of the picture completely is incredible. Of course, it is absolutely terrifying once you figure out what is going on. What "release" means.
Definitely worth reading. Will be recommending this one to my daughters within a couple of years too. Good stuff.
Genre: Science Fiction
Applicable Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Books You Might Have Missed Last Year and EMERALD
21. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry240 pages, ★★★★☆
I was really hoping this one would pick up where the last book left off. Sadly, it did not. Although I can kind of see how they might be related, but the connections are so tenuous that I am unsure.
That said, Kira is a supremely enjoyable character. She is somehow both strong and vulnerable, which I appreciated. The village she lives in and their naming practices are a really interesting detail and makes me wonder what her name would be when she is older. Matt is maybe my favorite depiction of a child ever- his positivity and playfulness are just really fun to read. He so clearly cares about Kira and doesn't seem to want anything but to make her happy.
The society they live in feels really messed up. It was supremely satisfying to learn that she was not going to run away, but try to create a new and better future for her people. I really want to read the rest of the series now.
Genre: Science Fiction
Applicable Challenges: Color Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, Language of the Flowers, Books You Might Have Missed Last Year and EMERALD
22. The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams104 pages, ★★★☆☆
It has been so long since I read a play that I really had to adjust to the format. Once adjusted, it read very quickly.
My heart really goes out to Laura in this story. She is argued over and treated as a victim. Tom and Amanda are both incredibly self-involved in many ways. When Jim romances her and breaks her heart it is devastating.
What I am wondering about is the symbolism of the glass unicorn becoming a horse. Does that signify that she socially adjusts and becomes more like other girls, or does it mean that she is broken permanently? It might be up to the interpretation of the audience. Worth reading though. Would recommend everyone read it at least once.
Genre: Play
Applicable Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Books You Might Have Missed Last Year and WOMEN
23. The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh162 pages, ★★★☆☆
I am not going to lie, this is a weird book. It is supposed to be satire, but maybe because we are in a different time, it didn't quite read as such.
I certainly understood the extreme vanity and Hollywood elitism being described, but it didn't read to me as funny, which usually satire does. There is an argument that the English were the elitists in the novel too. Maybe they were both supposed to be elitist, just one on a physical level and one on an intellectual level? Mostly, it was just morbid and weird, and a lot of it clearly went over my head.
That said, it was strangely fascinating. My interest was definitely held, if only because of the oddities within the story. The suicides and how everything seemed to revolve around death were particularly strange, but also fascinating in that I think there were some real insights to the human condition.
So, maybe worth reading once if you can get your hands on it, just to revel in the oddity. Three stars.
Genre: Fiction
Applicable Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Books You Might Have Missed Last Year and WOMEN
23. The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman352 pages, ★★★★★
This was such a beautiful, gut wrenching story it had me in tears throughout. The basic premise- a couple that was separated by the events of WWII sounded incredibly corny to me initially, but I was won over almost immediately.
The events in this book are incredibly historically accurate, and seeing them through the eyes of those experiencing it was a heart-rending experience. Of course Lenka was a created character, as was Josef, but Richman does a fantastic job of incorporating real Holocaust stories into the tapestries they feel just as real and the characters that surround them. I learned new depths of the mistreatment of the Jews, and of their inextinguishable hope through it all.
Lenka is an artist, so she is forced to create propaganda for the Nazis. The resistance movement around her was real and told in quite an amazing way. The relationships both Lenka and Josef have with others when they believe they have lost each other are so real that it hurts. They don't talk about their pasts and instead try to weave a more positive future. It only serves to make the beginning and the end more poignant. Just lovely.
In summary- read this book. If you like history, the depictions of the Holocaust will appeal to you. If you like romance, there is a fair bit of that, too. If you like stories that give you hope for humanity, it is there in abundance, despite the terrors. Just fantastic.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Applicable Challenges: The Popsugar Challenge. The Color Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, Around the World, Language of the Flowers, Books You Might Have Missed Last Year, The Woman In The Book, Title IX and WOMEN
Just in case anyone was wondering- I have been redoing my floors this month, so my April showing is going to be abysmal. I hope to return to fighting form in May. Now my floors are done, I just have to move everything back in, which will be more time, but it needs to be done. :)
24. Two Lives by Vikram Seth544 pages, ★★★☆☆
This book was far more interesting than I would have given it credit for. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect when I picked it up, I was just told that if I was interested in WWII history that this was a good one to read. Indeed it was. Not great, but very good.
Seth details the lives of his aunt and uncle who helped raise him in this, His uncle, Indian, was a dentist on the front lines in WWII. He fought in Africa and Italy before his arm was blown off in an attack. He then taught himself to do dentistry with his non-dominant hand. Perhaps the most fascinating part of his story is simply his perspective as a man of Indian descent fighting on behalf of Britain in the war. There is a real push and pull there.
However, I have to admit, that it was Seth's aunt's story that really held my attention. She was a German Jew who left Germany just before the cutoff date for Jews to leave. Her mother and sister were killed in concentration camps. All the more remarkable was how Seth had known none of it growing up. She simply didn't talk about it.
There are some definite slow parts in the way this story is told. It is certainly a welcome edition to my WWII knowledge though, so if you have interest in that, read on.
Genre: Historical Biography
Applicable Challenges: Summer 2016 Olympics Challenge, The Color Challenge, The Dewey Decimal Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, Around the World, Clear the Shelves, WHITE RABBIT
25. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness584 pages, ★★★★☆
I went without sleep for this book. I love how Harkness intertwined Elizabethan history into vampire and witch lore. This book was clearly written for me.
There is a ton of character development, which I enjoyed immensely. I felt the last book didn't develop the characters as well, while in this one, even minor characters are really well developed. I like how Diane and Matthew's relationship grows and that everything seems richer.
I am a little concerned that part of what helped this book so much was the time period that it was set in. With characters like Christopher Marlowe and company, every page perked my interest somehow. I worry that in current day there will be more lulls. However, I still look forward to reading it. Good times.
Genre: Fantasy
Applicable Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Around the World, Language of the Flowers, The Sorting Hat, Clear Your Bookshelves and SUNRISES
Whitman County Library Summer Reading ChallengeDuration: June 1st- August 31st, 2017
Read 3 to win a gift card and 7 to be entered into the grand prize drawing at the end of summer!
1. A book recommended by a friend.
2. Any book you desire.
3. A mystery, horror or thriller.
4. A memoir or biography.
5. A book that has been on your "to read" list.
6. A book you loved as a child.
7. A book about someone you admire.
8. A book that was made into a movie you enjoy.
9. Any eBook or AudioBook.
10. Any historical fiction or non-fiction.
11. A book about a topic or subject you love.
12. A book set in the wilderness.
13. An award winning book.
14. A book you chose by the cover.
15. A book that was based on a true story.
16. A book about making a better world.
Total Books Read: 5/16
26. Rites of Passage by William Golding288 pages, ★★☆☆☆
I was completely underwhelmed by this book. The ending saves it a little bit, but Edmund Talbot is a wholly unlikeable character who I have very little sympathy for.
Perhaps it is the difference in language used in the book, but I got the impression that he forced Zenobia to submit to him in this book. There was a phrase in there where he said something like, "it took several attempts but eventually she submitted." The book is back at the library now, but Talbot treating that encounter like it was mutual, when afterwards she was pretty upset. When she demonstrated this, he made fun of her. Then chocked it up later in the book to his assumption that she was a prostitute and that made it okay.
To make matters worse, there is a pastor whom the whole entire ship derides, Talbot among them. The main thrust of the story line has to do with the pastor so I won't go into too many details, but the conclusion is wholly unsatisfying. It is better than I expected, but is nothing that leaves me thinking that Talbot is completely repentant for his abhorrent behavior. Let me be clear- I am not religious, but I do object to the mistreatment of people and Talbot mistreats people all the time and has to be talked into doing the right thing. Then he finds Colley's letter and feels awful for about 30 pages and then seems to go back to not caring because of something that would spoil the book if I told you.
Not sure I would recommend this book except to demonstrate to people exactly how one shouldn't act. Nonetheless it is a classic, so, do what you will. I may or may not finish the series out of sheer stubbornness.
Genre: Classics, Adventure
Applicable Challenges: The Pop Sugar Challenge, TBR Randomizer Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, Language of the Flowers, Clear Your Bookshelves, Whitman County Summer Reading Challenge, BARBECUE and Summer Celebrations
27. The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff210 pages, ★★★☆☆
This book is promoted as between Tolkien and Harry Potter. I would say that is false advertising. Most people associate Tolkien with the Lord of the Rings, which deals with Magical Mythology. Harry Potter, deals with outright Magic and growing of age. This book deals with Roman history, more or less. Now, I know that Tolkien also wrote about King Arthur and British mythology to a degree. Maybe that is what they were going after? I don't know, but at most you get a sense of British mysticism during the times when tribes ruled the area and Rome was trying to subdue them- for about a chapter it is overt, otherwise, it is merely a background to the people. So, fair warning- not magic. At all.
That said, I thought it was reasonably well written. The first six chapters or so are pretty boring, but if you can make it past that to where Esca and Marcus do their thing, then it becomes very enjoyable. Marcus witnesses Esca fight in the arena and buys him when he loses. Yep, master and slave and best friends eventually. Now, before Marcus and Esca leave on their mission (which I will leave vague for purposes of not spoiling it) Marcus frees Esca. And Esca still goes on this mission to risk his life. There is not enough build up to their relationship to justify this and I think the author realized that when near the end she tries to make an issue of the whole slave/master/friend thing, but that bit was absolutely unbelievable to me.
I believe them as friends, but not as slave and master and I don't know how you get from, "I will buy this person because I have respect for the manner in which he lost in the arena during the gladiatorial games," to "I would trust my life with this person" (Marcus). Or, from Esca's point of view- "I resent being kept alive in the ring and then bought by the person who actively tried to make it so I didn't die even though I may be intrigued by why he did it" (he makes it clear that he will runaway should he ever desire to, for Pete's sake!) to "I will risk my life on behalf of the person who bought me and then kind of felt bad about it so he freed me. Then after our adventure is over, I will live with him and help him in all his endeavors."
Given that is the construct of their relationship, it strikes me as complete fantasy. If a person resents being enslaved, they resent being enslaved. Period. It doesn't matter how well-intentioned a master is. Then the other slaves hold zero resentment when Esca is freed and they are not. If you can ignore the unrealistic portrayal of humanity involved in the practice of enslaving/being enslaved, the relationship between Marcus and Esca is nice. But you have to forget that they were once slave and master or else it doesn't work.
So, lots of issues for me in this one, but I enjoyed reading about Marcus and Esca's interactions with all of the different British/Irish/Scottish tribes. That was the cool bit. Marcus is basically a good person and Esca is beyond self-less given the situation he was in when he entered Marcus's life. Marcus is also kind of a terrible person.
Let me explain. The whole reason Marcus and Esca leave on their journey is to find the golden eagle, which went with Marcus's father when his legion disappeared and died (neat concept for an inspiration of a story). When they find it, Marcus and Esca have basically made friends with the group that has it. The decision process that Marcus goes through to do what he does (again avoiding spoilers) strikes me as incredibly selfish. Then, at the end, it basically comes to nothing. That may have been the author's intention. Romans were pretty terrible people, I guess is what we should come away with? That is kind of what I came away with at the end. Marcus, although nice to people he himself cares about, does things on behalf of a civilization that forces itself on other cultures (imperialism is awful guys- big theme of the book as you get to know the tribes) and for his father's honor and therefore himself. This is supposed to be the hero of the book. It falls flat to me. I was expecting an entirely different ending.
So good book, but not great book. A lot of conflicting themes and ideas. It probably would have been better told from Esca's point of view. Just saying. So, worth it if you like history I think, but be prepared for some weird character moments.
Genre: Historical Fiction (ish)
Applicable Challenges: The Color Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, Around the World, The Sorting Hat, Clear Your Shelves, Whitman County Summer Reading Challenge, Summer Celebration and SUMMER CELEBRATIONS
28. Red Rising by Pierce Brown400 pages, ★★★★★
This one sucked me in immediately. First page gripper- it is rare that I have been gripped by the first page. Then, it never. Lets. Go. What do you need to know in order to read this book?
Well, if you like sci-fi, you need to stop what you are doing now and read this book. Darrow, the main character, was BORN ON MARS. In the future. A future that is ruled by a race of golden beings, no less who conquered humanity thousands of years earlier.
If you like philosophy, you will like this book. There are lots of Greek philosophers quoted amongst others. There are some very deep themes concerning power and how best to wield it. Every character is absolutely real- you feel for the bad guys AND the good guys, a mark of the best books, in my opinion.
I would say more, but I really don't want to ruin it for anyone. I definitely don't want to talk about the beginning. First part had me in tears, guys. That is actually all I can say. The rest of the book had my heart in my throat. The sense of danger is real. The victories feel real before they ring hollow given the society the Golds run. I would talk about how well the romances are established and developed, but it would ruin the story for those reading it the first time.
Beyond all that, it is just entertaining as f***. You heard me. I swore. It's that good. You should definitely read it. Seriously. Go read it.
Genre: Science Fiction
Applicable Challenges: The TBR Randomizer Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, My Favorite Things, The Sorting Hat, Clear All Your Bookshelves Challenge, Whitman County Summer Reading Challenge, Summer Celebrations and SUMMER CELEBRATIONS
I got Red Rising on my kindle for cheap. I can't fit it into my plan this year but it's on my list to read as soon as I can. Now I kind of want to change up my plan for it.
Joan wrote: "I got Red Rising on my kindle for cheap. I can't fit it into my plan this year but it's on my list to read as soon as I can. Now I kind of want to change up my plan for it."I know what you mean!
Joan wrote: "I got Red Rising on my kindle for cheap. I can't fit it into my plan this year but it's on my list to read as soon as I can. Now I kind of want to change up my plan for it."Sorry for the late reply. Summer has been insane! I am 14 books behind in my reading challenge for the year- got to get my literary act together.
I HIGHLY recommend reading Red Rising whenever you can fit it in. It is fan-freaking-tastic. Some of the best fantasy/sci-fi I have read in a long time. I did not believe the hype and now I am a convert. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when you get to it.
Susy wrote: "Joan wrote: "I got Red Rising on my kindle for cheap. I can't fit it into my plan this year but it's on my list to read as soon as I can. Now I kind of want to change up my plan for it."I know wh..."
:) Do it! If you have time and like good fantasy/sci-fi. Again, sorry for the late reply, but summer insanity is happening. I am 14 books behind! Makes me so sad. Glad you guys liked the review.
29. The Gunslinger by Stephen King231 pages, ★★★☆☆
This is a book that has been on my list for a long time. That said, I was not as impressed with it to the extent that I wanted to be. There were some really interesting aspects to the book and the sense of mystery was really great. It really is what takes you along for the ride. Who is the Gunslinger? Who is the Man in Black? What the heck is their deal?
So, in that sense, it was kind of great. The Western Magic vibe is just weird in some places though. Not because they haven't really been portrayed together (as far as I know) before, but because it is hard to know what is magic and what is just desert mirage or narrative tricks. I kind of dig that there is very little character description- with the exception of a few of the girls and the Man in Black, you don't get a sense for what anyone really looks like. Vaguely dirty, maybe because times are hard.
I have been told that the series only gets better from here and to expect that this was going to be a weird start, so I will probably read the next book in the series at some point (not this year- I am 14 books behind!). If you like Stephen King or genre-mixing this is probably a book you will enjoy.
Genre Fantasy/Western
Applicable Challenges: The Popsugar Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, My Favorite Things, Whitman County Library Summer Reading Challenge, The Triathalon Challenge and POOLSIDE
30. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey386 pages, ★★★★★
I didn't really have any expectations for this book, and for the first few chapters wondered what exactly I had gotten myself into. It starts out as a book about survivalism- can they survive in Alaska? What will happen to their marriage?
As soon as Faina is introduced, you understand the fairy tale influence. There is a lot of mystery moving forward. Who is this little girl? Where did she come from? Where does she go? Add to that hearts that are healed and broken by her and it makes for quite the compelling story. I really loved it.
The people in this book are pretty incredible. They follow some stereotypes while breaking them in important ways that make them the opposite of stereotypes. There are unexpected things on every page- either in the landscape, described in a way that almost makes you feel cold or in the way someone behaves.
I had some issues with the ending, but I understand what was being done so I will accept it. The rest of the book is good enough to overcome my disappointment. Another tear jerker in places. Worth your time.
Genre: Fiction
Applicable Challenges: The Popsugar Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, USA Road Trip, The Whitman County Library 2017 Summer Challenge,The Triathalon Challenge and WARS
31. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys172 pages, ★★★★☆
Obviously, the ending of this book was not ideal, but I had already read "Jane Eyre" so I had a feeling about what was coming. Holy smokes, this book. What can I say about this book?
I think I liked it better than Jane Eyre. Perhaps that comes from the distance in time periods when they were written, but Rhys embodies Antionette so well that you wonder why Bronte didn't bother. She is such a tragic figure. A feminist icon in many of the same way that Jane Eyre was for her time, but far more tragic. Clearly, Rhys loved Jane because if she hadn't I don't know that she would have been as successful as she was.
Actually, I wonder if I had read this book first, if I would have approved of Jane's decisions as much. I never really understood what she saw in "the master of the house," but I really want a real confrontation against him now. Jane and Antionette, who he calls "Bertha," would have had SO MUCH to talk about. My mind can't stop thinking about the possibilities.
I really appreciated the way the island was depicted. The white women are misunderstood and the natives of the islands are depicted fairly realistically. They resent having been slaves and they make fun of Antionette and her mother in a way that is incredibly believable and pretty historically accurate. Nonetheless, relationships persist. Christophine is the most interesting of those relationships and I feel like she represents the feminist that Antionette longs to be- she stands up for herself and will not be conquered. Antionette, for all the fire in her, simply gives up. Very sad, more so because it seems realistic.
This book is most definitely worth reading if you liked Jane Eyre. It enriches that book to the point where I might re-read it sometime soon. If you are interested in feminist thought or the psychology of the oppressed, this is also worth reading. Very good.
Genre: Fiction
Applicable Challenges: Summer 2016 Olympics Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, Around the World, Triathalon Challenge, Wonders of the World, The Whitman County Library Summer Challenge, Famous TV Neighbors and SUNFLOWER
Stephanie (R-A) wrote: "Joan wrote: "I got Red Rising on my kindle for cheap. I can't fit it into my plan this year but it's on my list to read as soon as I can. Now I kind of want to change up my plan for it."Sorry for..."
So, not sure what my computer did but it copied and pasted a lot off books from somewhere else- sorry about that.
32. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell959 pages, ★★★★☆
What can I possibly say about this book? I know that it has been a classic for ages, and has been reviewed as the essential American novel many times before. In some ways this is true, in some ways it is utterly false, and I hope I can find the words to express exactly why.
"Gone with the Wind" is as unapologetic about plantation life as I have ever seen. The protestations that the slaves were happy throughout this novel seems like it may have been true for a fraction of a percentage of them. However, it is clear via actual history that many of them were beaten and mistreated terribly. I have no soft spot for plantation life. Or for the KKK, which this book undeniably extols the non-existent virtues of. Sorry, I just can't be cool with that level of desire to control a people merely based on the color of their skin.
Scarlet O'Hara undeniably does and is. She is pragmatic, so she learns to cope without. However, what her story encapsulates is a longing for the easy plantation life again. I am sure it was glorious for those white people who owned hundreds of slaves. I think the slaves would beg to differ and one cannot ignore that this book so thoroughly revels in those "glory" days. So, in many ways this is the perfect Confederate novel- which when you think about it, makes it downright Un-American.
Yet, once the war is over and the Yankees move into Atlanta, there is nothing more American than the journeys of Scarlet O'Hara and Rhett Butler. They work hard, sometimes playing against established norms and rules, to set themselves up for the American dream. Scarlet joins a man's world (complaining bitterly about how unfair everyone treats her simply because she is a woman- which is incredibly ironic given she has zero sympathy for the blacks that wanted to be free). However, she does what she needs to do to survive, so that she will never be hungry again. She is, in some ways, a feminist icon. However, her shallowness and selfishness from the very beginning through until the people she cares about most are ripped from her life when she finally begins to look past the surface of things, makes her almost irredeemable to me. I just could not stand her, even if I admired her "gumption." If I were to meet her in real life, I would not tolerate her for a moment.
Rhett simply flaunts Southern norms from the beginning because he is older and sees where things are headed. Actually, Rhett, for (maybe despite) all his flaws, is by far my favorite character in the whole thing. His journey is the most moving, because he goes from being this guy who doesn't care at all- takes advantage of people because he can (although he never tries to pretend to be otherwise, which may be why I liked him so much more). By the time the Civil War is being fought, he is still taking advantage left and right, but it is obvious that he now cares deeply, but aware of societal norms can't show it. Besides, Scarlett would never respect him if he did. By the end of the story he has reached the utter bottom and endures it to almost unbearable ends, to standing on his own two feet on his own again. His is the journey I respect the most, and it is all told from Scarlet's perspective for the most part.
Don't get me wrong, every once in a while the narrative wanders into the minds of other characters, and those characters are incredibly full, real people with many flaws and obvious good intent. You get a peek at Melanie or Aunt Pitty, etc but the world view is of Scarlett's. So, it is shallow. The narration has to point to the dialogue she doesn't understand so that you as a reader will pay more attention, so that you do. This makes Scarlett seem dumb as a friggin' rock and may be why I could never really admire her.
Scarlett and Rhett become rich. Filthy rich. There is no other way to describe it. Yet neither of them are ever truly happy. Maybe that was meant to be. They were the ones that took advantage of both Southern Society and a changing Atlanta under Yankee rule. Perhaps even their creator couldn't forgive them for that (what ever she was when alive, Margaret Mitchell must have been unashamedly fond of the plantation days). Perhaps they are just too singular in their personalities. I never saw Scarlett as dependent on Rhett except when she was scared and I only felt badly for Rhett because he so clearly cared for her when she never really did. It is a far more powerful Romeo and Juliet, except their death isn't physical. And you get the sense that they are so bigger than whatever life will continue to throw at them, that they will go on living forever anyway.
All that said, this was a pretty great book, especially given how horrifically long it was and how much I disagreed with almost the entire philosophy espoused in the book. Given the resurgence of American Nationalism and White Supremacy in modern day America, this book would not be a bad one to read, because I do feel that it explains in a way that I could have never understood before why people still feel the way they do, so many generations later- because this book makes it clear that these Confederates wanted to instill in their families the sense of how unjust what happened after the Civil War was. The sense of white superiority is passed down. I am sure it fades over time a bit, people adjust to the new standards. However, that sense of being better, of feeling like they are being supplanted despite being better, I definitely see where it comes from after reading this.
Now, I am not posting this to start a political conversation of modern day stuff, but it really was revelatory to me in light of some of the attitudes that I just had no concept of where they came from. However, I am firmly of the belief that equal rights does not mean that anyone has more or less rights- it means everyone has the same. No one is being supplanted, but everyone is given equal footing and I just don't see why it shouldn't exist. Because it clearly doesn't, even today.
So this was a pretty good book. I definitely recommend you read it, if only because the themes discussed in it are so relevant today.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Applicable Challenges: Popsugar Reading Challenge, Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, USA Roadtrip, Language of the Flowers, Whitman County Library Summer Reading Challenge, Triathalon Challenge, Wonders of the World, Famous TV Neighbors and SUNFLOWER
33. Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty293 pages, ★★★☆☆
I am going to be honest with you. I wanted more out of this book. I think for some people it would probably have been much better, for me it was pretty meh. It was entertaining as all get out, but there were a lot of inconsistencies that bothered me.
I felt like Serafina's voice was written too young. She didn't feel twelve or thirteen. She felt seven or eight. Granted, she lives a fairly sheltered life up to a point, but I found myself constantly wondering why she wasn't younger. Problem solved.
The plotline was fairly predictable, as things go. I figured out who the bad guy was WAY before the characters did, but withstanding that, the way Serafina and Braedon go about figuring it out makes sense for kids. I feel like the potential for romance was written in, and maybe that is why they were written as older than they felt.
The black cloak was definitely the coolest aspect of this story and I almost want to see it written about under different circumstances. The cloak itself has a presence and I can see a series of short stories written from the cloak's perspective as it hunts. Robert Beatty? Do read these? Can you do that?
The mystery of Serafina and who she is fell a little flat for me. I think this is probably because she is written so young sounding, but not young herself. It distracted me from the mystery. Also, sometimes, the mystery was taken away because of the repetitive wondering Serafina does. I like her relationships with the people around her though.
So there are definitely things to like about the story. I always appreciate an intertwining of real history and fiction. If you have a kid who likes magic this would be a good book for them. I will definitely recommend it to my girls for that reason, but as an adult I find no reason to revisit it myself.
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Applicable Challenges: 2016 Summer Olympics Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, My Favorite Things, USA Roadtrip, Language of the Flowers, Triathalon Challenge, Wonders of the World, Famous TV Neighbors and NEIGHBORS
34. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman336 pages, ★★★☆☆
This book is very predictable, but is funny and entertaining, so I am letting it slide. I could predict almost exactly how this book was going to end, even if I couldn't grasp specifics of the events. I knew that they would all end up on Saint Andrew somehow, I knew who would end up with who and I could see the mixing of Tiger and Grahame Coates.
After reading American Gods, this book was slightly less of an undertaking. However, it is very easy to read. You rarely feel like it goes on too long in any one aspect and it is just so gosh darn funny. Charlie's humor is laugh-out-loud funny at times and you really feel for his conundrum.
The characters overall are really entertaining, although I wouldn't call them "real people" in the sense that they are very developed. Instead they seem like caricatures, but seeing as it all deals with myths and gods it doesn't really bother me. Myths are more about archetypes than "real people" anyway, as long as the lesson is driven home. These lessons are fairly well driven home.
This one is worth reading at least once. Not on American Gods level, but still good. If you like Gaiman, this is a particularly Gaiman book. Good stuff.
Genre: Fantasy
Applicable Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, Around the World, Triathalon Challenge, Wonders of the World, Back to School and EDUCATION
35. The Mirror of Her Dreams by Stephen R. Donaldson622 pages, ★★★★☆
The end of this book is better than the beginning- so bear with it. I found Terisa's name spelling really weird and distracting initially. I know that is a nit-picky thing, but if the idea is that she is from our world, the logical spelling for her name is Teresa. Every time I read that spelling I grimaced just a little bit.
However, on a character level, I really enjoyed this book. Teresa is not an incredibly bright person, but given her personal history that makes a lot of sense and the growth that she experiences throughout the book makes it worth it. There were times when I was screaming at her that she is an idiot though (aloud, like the insane person I am). Which was just annoying. And given the obvious parallels between Master Eremis and her abusive father, her fascination with Eremis made NO sense. I hope it is explained better in the second book, because every time she went all moony for him, I rolled my eyes. It was almost a forced love triangle and was the reason I considered giving the book three stars instead of four.
Geradon is a great character. Really the best character in the book- which is annoying because clearly Terisa is meant to be the narrator. Everything is told through her eyes (except for the weird moments where suddenly you can hear what Castellan Lebbick is thinking- I did not like the point of view changes because they happened so infrequently and were a little jarring). Geradon is the opposite of what you would think a knight in shining armor should be, and yet has all the heart of one and I love it. He is the character that keeps you reading in the beginning. He is clearly loyal and good and a walking disaster at the same time. It's great.
I will now have to read the second book sooner than later as this one ends on the cliff hanger to end all cliff hangers. Seriously, heart in your throat kind of stuff- particularly for a fantasy novel. This one is definitely worth reading.
Genre: Fantasy
Applicable Challenges: Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge, Let's Turn Pages, Language of the Flowers Challenge, Triathalon Challenge, Wonders of the World, Back to School and SILVERWOOD
Stephanie (R-A) wrote: "… if the idea is that she is from our world, the logical spelling for her name is Teresa."I love reading your reviews. This made me chuckle because I know someone named Michell. And every single time I have to delete the second e from the end of her name and I'm like whyyyyyyyy? Did your mother do this just to annoy me?? =P
Nik wrote: "Stephanie (R-A) wrote: "… if the idea is that she is from our world, the logical spelling for her name is Teresa."I love reading your reviews. This made me chuckle because I know someone named Mi..."
Lol. In some ways I feel like I have no right to judge strange spellings of names as I have daughters named Aviana (Ah-vee-ah-nah) and Ilyra (Ih-lee-rah). Ilyra's name is not an obvious spelling because I grew up the only S amongst E's and I just would not have kids whose names started with the same letter. What can I say? If we were to spell it the traditional Eastern European way it would be Aleera (yes, her name was inspired by one of Dracula's wives in Van Helsing). I am a hypocrite in many respects, but what are you going to do? (Imagine a shrug emoji here) :)
I agree with Susy! I generally roll my eyes when parents try to get too creative with their kids' names, but I think you got just creative enough: your daughters' names are beautiful.When I type "shrug," my computer and phone do this:
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
:D
Susy wrote: "Wow, beautiful names!"Thanks! I found Aviana in a baby name book when I was 14 looking for character names and decided that I would keep it for my own kids. Ilyra was my husband's idea, even if it was my idea to change up the spelling. Like I said, Van Helsing, lol. I know I wanted to pick names that would jive with other names of the time- there were a ton of Arianna's, etc around when Aviana was born. So she "went" with the other names, but she stood out at the same time. Which meant that when we chose Ilyra's name she had to jive with Aviana, but not sound too close. Took a long time to get it just right. We played around with Danae and Orielle and landed on Ilyra. Names are an important thing to me (maybe more important than they should be).
I do roller derby now and one of the things they tell you to do is choose an alter ego- a name for the team and judges, etc to call you. It very much feels like a super-hero alter-ego. There is a Lady McDeath, Killipino and Cyanide on my team, just as examples. After almost two months, I THINK I am going with River Strong, with the number 4. So- 4 River Strong "Forever Strong." Also, River Song (Doctor Who) is the alter-ego I want when I am doing derby (I love her so much, badass all the way) and this is a play off of her name. Not to mention I love the metaphor of the river carving the Grand Canyon over time. Persistence pays off and makes you more powerful than anyone would believe, yeah?
Look at me going on. So, yeah. Derby is also a big reason why I don't have as much time to read as I used to. So, I am 20 books behind. Sigh. Such is life.
Nik wrote: "I agree with Susy! I generally roll my eyes when parents try to get too creative with their kids' names, but I think you got just creative enough: your daughters' names are beautiful.When I type ..."
^^^^ Couldn't figure out how to reply to both of you in the same comment...
I love the stories behind your name choices, Stephanie. Thanks for sharing them with us. =) Good luck with the season (does roller derby have seasons?) and "meh, whatevs" on being behind. Roller derby does for the spirit and body what books do for the mind, so I admire your holistic approach to wellness. :D
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
What the Body Remembers (other topics)Norse Mythology (other topics)
The Mirror of Her Dreams (other topics)
The Mirror of Her Dreams (other topics)
The Mirror of Her Dreams (other topics)
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120 pages, ★★★★☆
This one was better than the second one. It really more focused on real human issues over the supernatural- although there was plenty of supernatural. It dealt a lot with the mother's drinking problem and what that does to a family. There is an allusion to something that happened to the mom before the dad's death, which is now high on my want to know list.
Kinsey is newly fearless after the last book and develops a new group of friends. A lot of the story has to do with her, standing up to her mom, being happy to go her own way, really. Tyler is figuring out that just because he knows the information that he's not going to just be able to skate by in life- he has to think beyond just mere facts. Cole keeps getting his mind wiped because horrible things keep on happening. That's where they all are.
At this point I think all the keys have been introduced. You still don't learn a ton about the bad guy- Dodge or Zack or whoever he is. I would like to know more of his motivations because right now he just seems like your standard teenage jerk, but he's supernatural, so I don't really understand.
Overall, though, for its human element and such strong story telling in the emotional implications of what has happened to this family, this is a book worth reading- a series worth reading. I think I will take a break from it for a while, though. Some big, literary things on my plate this month.
Genre: Graphic Novel
Applicable Challenges: Let's Turn Pages, My Favorite Things, Books You Might Have Missed Last Year and EMERALD