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Bridgit's 2010 Reading Log
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45. The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton46. Black Beauty - Anna Sewell
47. The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
48. Rabbit, Run - John Updike
49. Deafening - Frances Itani
50. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
Apparently I am going on a classics run. No idea why this is happening. Its not intentional. At least not so many consecutively. Reading Fitzgerald and Capote now to boot.
Bhumi wrote: "Ooooh, how was Never Let Me Go?"I really liked Never Let Me Go. I thought that it was a really interesting twist on dystopian novels. Its actually interesting, because I unwittingly read Unwind right after, and it is basically the same concept, but for YA.
I do wish that there was a little more information given, both as a follow up - what happened to Kathy? and sort of from the point of view of the non-clones. Definitely it was a great thought-starter!
51. The Bone People - Keri HulmeI'm really confused about how I want to rate this book. For the majority of the book i was COMPLETELY ENAMORED with the characters, with the story, with the whole "mis-en-scene" that Hulme had built. But the last section, the section that is completely different from the rest of the book, it really lost me. I think it went from being a strong 4/4.5 to a 3.5 for me.
That being said, this book had so many magical parts to it. These characters were so beautifully drawn. You loved and hated them all at the same time. In a way, this reminded me of Lolita. The language took over the story and dragged you along on a tale that made you cringe and completely disgusted by the characters, but you can't stop reading it. Because while you hate them/him, you love them. You love them for the love they clearly express for each other. For the beauty of the way they are captured on the page. And you love them in spite of the fact that if you met them in person you would feel nothing but disgust and horror.
But for me, this wasnt just a story about a loner woman, a mute/tormented boy, and his emotionally confused foster father. It was also a revealing look at the Maori culture, which I have always been interested in - ever since planning a trip to NZ a few years ago. I think, as an American, this is a culture that is not only very little known about, very few people even know it exists TO know about.
The end of the book just threw me though. I feel like it could have just ended. It didnt wrap up the things I was still yearning to learn. Those were left hanging. And instead, it made me feel nothing but disappointment and hatred for Kerewin and Joe. and pity for Simon.
Nonetheless, I am glad - very glad - that I read this. I will probably recommend this to quite a few people, but only certain kinds of readers. I'm still struggling with this one though, only having finished it a few hours ago. I reserve the right to change my judgement on this one.
3.5/5 stars
52. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote53. The Diamond as Big as the Ritz - F. Scott Fitzgerald
54. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
55. The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson
56. Julius Caesar - William Shakespeare
57. Human Croquet: A Novel - Kate Atkinson
Mod
And so many great books too!
Lori wrote: "You are reading like a maniac! And so many great books too!"
I know!! This is definitely not sustainable in the long run. Especially now that the weather is getting better...
I am secretly patting myself on the back though in honor of all the 'quality' books i have been reading lately. Who would have thought they became classics becuase they were GOOD and not just to punish high schoolers...
58. The Hunt for the Seventh - Christine Morton Shaw59. The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera
60. The Swiss Family Robinson - Johann David Wyss
61. Suite Française - Irene Nemirovsky
62. Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
63 A Pocket Full of Rye - Agatha Christie
64. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish - Douglas Adams
65. The Help - Kathryn Stockett66. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - David Wroblewski
67. The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova
68. All's Well That Ends Well - William Shakespeare
69. Girl in Hyacinth Blue - Susan Vreeland
70. The Subtle Knife - Phillip Pullman
67. The HistorianThere were parts of this that I really loved: Istanbul, Budapest and Bulgaria. I had been toying with travelling there, but now this has sort of sealed the deal for me.
I also thought it was written really well in terms of the language and phrasing. It read very lyrically and smoothly. If I were to just read each chapter on its own, for its writing ability, I would have been raving about it.
For me, that earned it a starting point of 4.5 stars.
However, the i felt like she gave up when she was 600 pages in. If you are going to put that much work into something and make it be that long, dont rush the climax - or rather, perhaps you should INCLUDE a climax. Minus a full star on the ending. Definitely a nominee for lamest villain of the year award.
Also thought the daughter story arc was a waste. It should have just been the story of Paul and Rossi and Paul's baby mama Helen. The daughter added nothing to the story, and in fact, didnt even warrant a name??
minus a half star.
I guess I am going to give it a 3, but am reserving the right to amend that one. I only finished it about 15 minutes ago and am still pondering things over.
3/5 stars
71. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne 72. The Raw Shark Texts - Steven Hall
73. The Maze Runner - James Dashner
72. The Raw Shark Texts - Steven HallWow. For a novel that is SO about words and theories, words escape me right now. I'm not sure I can really describe this book in a way that makes sense, but I'll give it the old college try.
Eric Sanderson wakes up one morning knowing nothing about himself or his past – a full blown case of amnesia. He finds a note addressed to him, written by past him, directing him to call a psychiatrist. After doing so, he realizes that this isn’t a new thing – he has, in fact, suffered from a complete wiping of his memory ELEVEN TIMES now.
Eric starts receiving packages from his old self giving instructions on what to do, who to trust, how to protect himself, etc. I don’t want to give anything away, but the author plays with concepts and word structure/format on the page. He invents creatures like the Ludovician, a shark that can eat your memory and Mycroft, a megalomaniac that has managed to split himself into hundreds of host bodies in order to live forever. In addition to these crazy concepts and characters, Hall really plays with how the layout of the text complements the story. My favorite part of the story is when the Ludovician first comes after Eric in the “concept water”. For anyone who has read this, you will understand why.
I think something that will resonate with people who have read this is a fact I just learned about the title. The Raw Shark Texts is actually a play on The Rorschach Test – Hall attempted to create a book that everyone could see their own story in – romance, sci-fi, horror, dystopia, etc. I think that is a pretty neat idea.
I do have to say there were plenty of things that I have not been able to figure out, even now that I am done. But as a friend said to me – “it’s not that you lack the brains to figure it out. Its that you lack ‘the crazy’. So I guess I’ll have to be ok with that.
Rating: 3.75/5
74. Time and Again - Jack Finney75. The Vanishing of Katharina Linden - Helen Grant
76. Goddess of Spring - PC Cast
77. The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery
78. Mad Dash: A Novel - Patricia Gaffney
79. Spunk & Bite: A writer's guide to punchier, more engaging language & style - Arthur Plotnik
80. Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card
80. Speaker for the Dead- Orson Scott CardI liked SotD, but not nearly as much as Enders. In actuality, it was probably the better book, with better character development, more depth, focused on more global issues, but Enders Game was just plain FUN. Its like when you watch a serious historical drama and an action flick. Even if both are good, you are probably going to enjoy the one that gets your adrenaline going a bit more.
Rating: 3.9/5 stars
75. The Vanishing of Katharina Linden - Helen GrantI got this book as a first reads book, so was excited to get into it. The opening is really strong, starting out with a great opening line. "My life would have been so different had I not been known as the girl who's grandmother exploded." Needless to say, my interest was peaked early.
The book goes on to tell a really cute story of how Pia is being ostracized at her school becuase they might catch the 'explosion bug'. Then the story takes a turn and refocuses on a series of disappearing girls. The mystery here was never really played up. Instead, the narrative continued to play up the relationahips between Pia and her parents and her friend Stefan.
I think this could have been a great book if there was a little more time taken to get into the actual mystery. As it was, at under 300 pages, the mystery was over and solved before it began.
Overall, I liked it and am glad that I read it. 3.5 stars.
81. Helen of Troy - Margaret George82. Strangers in Death - JD Robb
83. The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien
84. The Birth of Venus - Sarah Dunant
85. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
OOOH-Kay. A few more to add. Went to the Book Expo and picked up a crap-ton of books, galleys and ARCs. Am overwhelmed with selections now. I feel like I am in a bookstore in my own apartment. . .
Newest books I have tackled:
86. The Enemy
87. The Lost World - Arthur Conan Doyle
88. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon
89. A Summer in Sonoma
90. The Dragon Keeper
91. The Map of True Places
92. Storm Front
And for some reviews! 91. The Map of True Places - Brunonia Barry
**spoiler alert** I finished the book last night and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. More so, even, than the Lace Reader (which I also liked). I received Map of True Places at BEA and was able to get it autographed.
My friend lives in Marblehead and my husband and I spent a few days up there for his wedding 3 years ago. I enjoyed reading about both Marblehead and Salem in this book - it really took me back.
**************SPOILERS*************************
I enjoyed following Zee through her journey to find herself. I thought as a character, she was very realistically written in terms of her inabilities to deal with the personal and professional problems she was having.
One of the things I particularly liked about this book was the way the relationship between Finch and Melville was portrayed. So many times in literature homosexual relationships are either caricaturized or are written as dysfunctional. I think Barry did an outstanding job of revealing the depth of emotion, the heartbreak, the respect and devotion that Melville felt for Finch. Obviously during the time period of the novel, it was not necessarily mutual, but when looking through Melville and Zee's eyes it is clear how much Finch truly loved Melville.
The other aspect of the story that really touched me was the caregiver role that Zee was forced into. That touched me deeply, reminding me of my mother and the role she had to play for both my grandfather and my father. It can be such a emotionally and mentally draining (not to mention physically exhausting) responsibility. Being torn between wanting the best for your loved one, wanting to 'fix them' and keep them around for you, and the idea of wanting them to not be in pain and misery is one of the hardest thing a human has to deal with. The choice between the "selfish" act of 'saving' someone becuase you love them too much to lose them and the 'unselfish' choice of letting them out of their misery is incomprehensibly difficult - and I think the book did a fabulous job handling that decision.
On a side note, having never been in therapy or seen a psychologist, this book reinforced my stereotypes of the profession. I doubt this was the intention, but I definitely didnt view either of the psychiatrists in the book as particularly helpful or effective. The 'i can't offer advice' or answer questions policy seems so asinine. The fact that Zee was considered in violation of protocal becuase she tried to actively help a woman being abused disturbed me greatly. Im sure there are many people who stand fully behind the value of psychiatrists, but I have never been one, and this only made me feel just a bit more vindicated.
Some criticism: The amount of coincidences and trajedy that happened to this one woman seemed just a bit far fetched. 1) her mother was bi-polar 2) her father had Parkinsons and developed Alzheimers 3) Her mother commited suicide 4) Her father considered suicide 5) Her patient that closely resembles her mother commits suicide AND she unknowingly develops a romantic relationship with her patient's 'crush', for lack of a better word 6) Her father's gay lover turns out to have met and impregnated her mother befoer ever meeting her father 7) Her attempted rape by the man who drove her patient to commit suicide and framed her boyfriend
Just seems like a lot for one character to deal with in only 400 pages! Other than that slight suspension of disbelief for the above, I really liked how the story unfolded.
Rating 4.0 stars
90. The Dragon Keeper - Robin HobbI received this book as a first reads review copy a few weeks ago and just finished it this weekend. This was my first Robin Hobb, but after hearing many positive things, I was definitely excited.
The story takes place in the Rain Wilds, which is this foresty-type place where people live in trees because the ground and rivers are too 'acidic'( best description i can give). Apparently most of the dragons of the land have died off, with one exception - Tintaglia. And due to a war, all of her babies/eggs (serpents) have been forced to remain in open waters for many many years instead of coming to the beach and cocooning to develop into full dragons. Once the serpents are finally able to come ashore, many are too old and weak to really survive the trip. As a result, of the few that make it, they are all deformed, weak, and/or mentally challenged. None can fly.
The story jumps between the POV of numerous characters, including the dragons. In the beginning, i was most interested in the dragon's POV, but, frankly, the dragon was a conceited bit$h, inasmuch as you can apply that term to a dragon. I quickly lost any attraction to the dragons.
I really didnt sympathize with any of the characters, with the exception of the Rain Wilds girl. I think a lot of the problem I had with this was that I was not impressed with the world-building. The author never explained WHY the Rain Wilds people were born the way they were. Or what the feud with the Chalcedons was about. Or really why the serpents couldnt come to shore for so long. Or who the mysterious King and his crony was that was sick.
Way too many unexplained story lines. And while I realize this is a trilogy, I really dont appreciate books that cant have even the basic story line stand on its own. Absolutely nothing was wrapped up in the book. The end wasn't even a real cliffhanger because there was no climax in this book. The end is so abrupt, that it appears the author just stopped writing when her printer ran out of paper.
I actually don't think I disliked this book as much as it sounds based on this review, but once I get going, its hard to rein it back in.
Rating: 2.5
84. The Birth of VenusI have no idea why, but I was bored to tears with this. This is normally the kind of book I like - I really enjoyed In the Company of the Courtesan - but it just never caught me. Frankly, if I had to read the term "sodomy" one more time, I was just going to give up.
The story follows Alessandra, the youngest child of a wealthy fabric dealer in Medici-Florence as she stubbornly demands the freedom to paint and pursue arts and literature. This makes for a very 'unmarryable' woman back in those days, and her parents, with some help, quickly find a man 3 times her age to marry.
Not based on love, the marriage would be viewed as a travesty under today's lens, however Alessandra gained the freedom to pursue her interests without restraint.
All of this takes place on the backdrop of the end of the Medici-era with a revolution by Puritan/fundamental religious leaders, persecution of heretics, the wealthy and most importantly, sodomites. Torture, STDs, and the plague afflict the Florentines.
Blah. I was much more interested in the background than in the main characters. Would have loved the story of Erila, Alessandra's black slave, infinitely more than Alessandra's pseudo-love rectangle with her husband, brother and the painter living in her father's house.
The scenery and background were the redeeming qualities in this one for me, while the characters remained lackluster.
Rating: 2.75
93. The Evolution of Bruno LittlemoreThe title pretty much says it all. This is the story (the extremely well written story) of Bruno, a chimp living in a zoo in Chicago and how he 'evolved' from a normal every day chimp to a fluent, emotional, artistic, literate 'human'. The book begins with Bruno in jail, narrating his own biography to a journalist. He is a household name, but not in a good way. He tells of his travels through different paths,and how each helped him on his slow progression towards becoming a human. And that is the story in a super super small nutshell.
I freaking loved this book. HOWEVER, not everyone will. If you were uncomfortable with Lolita and didnt like it because of the extreme sexual dysfunction, you should totally avoid this book. Also, it is long. I am of the opinion that people need to recognize that going in to the book. To complain about a book being long when you knowingly picked up a 600+ page tome just seems silly. That said, here is why it was excellent.
The language and lyrical way that Hale writes this novel is just pure magic. Within the first 15 pages I was just plain giddy reading this. The phrasing, the imagery, they word choice - all of it is just so fresh and elegant. I am a prolific reader and have truly not read anything where the language rivaled this, with perhaps the exception of Nabokov.
The story is ingenious. The choice of making the chimp the first person narrator was very clever and is carried off very well. It invites you in and makes you relate to Bruno in a way that a third-person narrator never could. And this is very important. Because Bruno is not easily relatable. Bruno is a chimp that has sex with a human. And he tells you all about it. That it is not bestiality; Bruno has become a human. In the beginning, you are nauseated - and just a little bit intrigued. Which makes you disgusted with yourself and with Bruno. Yet you stick with him as he continues to discover himself and all of his humanness - his emotions, his intellect, his voice.
The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore is a masterpiece, but it is a masterpiece that should only be read by an open, accepting audience. To read this with anything but an open mind is to do the book a disservice.
Rating: 4.5
94. Dreadnought - Cherie Priest95. A River in the Sky - Elizabeth Peters
96. Broken - Karin Slaughter
97. Stranded with the Prince - Dana Morton98. Heart-Shaped Box - Joe Hill
99. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - Katherine Howe
100. The Princes of Ireland - Edward Rutherford
Read this right after returning from a 10-day trip to Ireland, so I was really into the places and historical moments. Took me a while to read, so the enthusiasm waned after about the first 600 pages, but overall, I was a big fan. I have to say I am disappointed that the book cut off before the Potato Famine, particularly becuase I don't know if I am up for another 800 page book on the history of Ireland in the near future.
3.75 stars
101. Virals - Kathy Reichs
Cute, YA book from the author of the Tempe Brennan series. Surrounds her grand niece and her friends that acquire a set of supersenses. I liked that it included a bit of the technical lingo you would expect from Reichs, but was accessible enough for a teen.
3.75 stars
102. The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
103. Almost Perfect - Susan Mallery
104. True Grit - Charles Portis
Really really enjoyed this. Read it for my book club. The Coen brothers are turning this into a movie and i can totally see this being awesome. Very No Country for Old Men / Cormac McCarthy-esque.
4 stars
105. Troilus and Cressida - William Shakespeare
106. The Exiled Queen - Cinda Williams Chad
meh. I definitely think I missed something by not having read the first book in the series. Seems like a magical/fantasy YA version of LOTR, but falls a bit short in my book. Never really related to any of the characters, and just when I started to root for one of them, the book ended.
2.5 Stars
108. Juliet - Anne FortierReally fun adaptation of the classic Romeo and Juliet tale. Didnt get cheesy as it had a high potential to do given the subject matter. Conclusion was a bit convoluted for my tastes, but overall, a great read.
4 stars
Bridgit wrote: "17. Dune - Frank HerbertHas anyone else read this? Thoughts? Worth returning to for a second dose?..."
Bridgit, your reviews are great! Thanks for posting them.
Regarding Dune: I read Dune when I was a teen and absolutely loved it. I've been thinking of a re-read to see if it holds up after all these years.
I also read a number of the sequels and remember that each one got progressively worse and I gave up somewhere in mid-series, thinking "I don't care anymore. This is dumb."
That said, I did get far enough into the series to realize the ultimate plan of Paul's. That took foresight to realize and plan.
I read these so long ago that I don't remember any details; just the basic storyline of this plan being implimented.
Boy am I far behind...here is a list for now. 109. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
110. The Gargoyle - Andrew Davidson
111. The Cold Room - JT Ellison
112. Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry's Extraordinary Ride - Peter Zheutlin
113. Blonde Faith- Walter Mosley
114. Dark Lover - JR Ward
115. Heat Wave - Richard Castle
116. The Glades - Clifton Campbell
117. The Amber Spyglass - Phillip Pullman
118. I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore
119. Storm Glass - Maria Snyder
120. The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga
121. The Windup Girl - Paolo Bacigalupi
122. Vanish - Tess Gerritson
123. McKettricks of Texas: Garrett - Linda Lael Miller
124. The Mermaids Singing - Lisa Carey
125. Learning to Die in Miami: Confessions of a Refugee Boy - Carlos Eire
126. Faefever - Karen Marie Moning
127. Bloodfever - Karen Marie Moning
128. Darkfever - Karen Marie Moning
129. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
130. Dead Beautiful - Yvonne Woon
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For those of you who have read and enjoyed Hunger Games, I highly recommend this book. It is really fascinating and sticks with that dystopian YA theme. The premise is that there has been a second civil war in the US - The Heartland War - which was between pro-choice and pro-life groups. They reach a settlement that agrees From conception - 13 y/o no child can be touched. But from 13-18, parents can basically reverse their decision and 'unwind' their children.
Unwinding is basically a really advanced organ donation program, where every single part of the person is reused, so that they can say that the person never really dies, they are just 'divided'.
That said, it isnt so conroversial or graphic that you shoudl avoid it - it is really a YA book that is highly readable and very fast-paced.
Try it if you like this kind of stuff!
4.5/5 stars