Book Review Musings: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Goodreads description:

The extraordinary debut novel that became a modern classic

Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose remarkable gift for companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. Edgar seems poised to carry on his family's traditions, but when catastrophe strikes, he finds his once-peaceful home engulfed in turmoil.

Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the Sawtelle farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who accompany him, until the day he is forced to choose between leaving forever or returning home to confront the mysteries he has left unsolved.

Filled with breathtaking scenes—the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain—The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is a meditation on the limits of language and what lies beyond, a brilliantly inventive retelling of an ancient story, and an epic tale of devotion, betrayal, and courage in the American heartland.

My Review:
I really enjoyed this novel. It was fairly slow moving and deliberate but in a good way. I just reveled in the language, how well-written it was. The story was crafted so well and I loved how David Wroblewski put his words on a page. He took the time to set up the people and places of the novel in a quiet, restrained way which I loved. The pace was a nice change - slow, meandering, and beautiful. But, never boring in any way.

If you like to read - if words are wonderful and you enjoy...more I really enjoyed this novel. It was fairly slow moving and deliberate but in a good way. I just reveled in the language, how well-written it was. The story was crafted so well and I loved how David Wroblewski put his words on a page. He took the time to set up the people and places of the novel in a quiet, restrained way which I loved. The pace was a nice change - slow, meandering, and beautiful. But, never boring in any way.

If you like to read - if words are wonderful and you enjoy excellent writing, then you will love this one.

Edgar Sawtelle is one of those unforgettable characters - one that stays with you and gives you a feeling of knowing that is impossible as he is fictional. I loved reading about his journey. All of the characters are complexly drawn, three-dimensional and the story itself is highly emotional and inspiring.

I can't recommend this one enough ...


My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Book Review Musings: Candor by Pam Bachorz

Goodreads description: 

Oscar Banks has everything under control. In a town
where his father brainwashes everyone, he's found a way
to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. He's got them
all fooled: Oscar's the top student and the best-behaved
teen in town. Nobody knows he's made his own Messages
to deprogram his brain. Oscar has even found a way to
get rich. For a hefty price, he helps new kids escape
Candor, Florida before they're transformed into
cookie-cutter teens. But then Nia Silva moves to Candor,
and Oscar's carefully-controlled world crumbles. 

My Review:

Although I think the premise of this book was incredible and had so much potential, I wasn't WOW'd  by the execution. I liked it. It was very readable but it could have been so much more. Which, as a reader, I found very frustrating! The whole brainwashing/messaging element of the book was very interesting and thought-provoking. The idea of what takes place in the book is very creepy and frightening. My primary issue with the book was the character development. Although Oscar was very well written, in many ways he was the only character that I ever felt that I completely 'got' during the novel. The others were fairly weak and let me wanting more. For example, Nia is a critical person in the novel but I never really felt like she was given the substance that a critical character requires.  The relationship between Oscar and Nia felt very contrived to me and I never really felt the relationship was fleshed out properly. Which made me feel on a number of occasions that I must have missed a page or two. I wish I could have given this 3 1/2 stars but I don't feel like it deserved 4. I enjoyed the novel and would recommend it but it didn't blow me away as I'd hoped.

My rating - 3 out of 5 stars

Review Musings: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Goodreads description:

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is black. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.
Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as they could remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.
The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl springs up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might be able to find their way home . . . wherever that may be. But it’s looking more and more as if the maze is unsolvable.
And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

My review:

I really liked the premise of this novel ... the execution, not as much. The story had a great deal of potential but it didn't quite live up to that potential, in my opinion. I enjoyed the process of reading the novel - it kept me interested, it went fairly quickly. But, there was something missing that I couldn't quite put my finger on as I read.

As I've given it some thought, I think there were two things that got into the way of my fully enjoying this book. One, the character development was lacking. I just never felt like I really cared about them or who they were or what they were going through. They were almost a secondary consideration to the conceptual pieces of the book which were intriguing. I never really became engaged with ANY of the characters. They were very flat and not particularly engaging. It's strange - I didn't dislike them but I didn't really care either way what happened to them. Which is not a good feeling when reading a book that I think in many ways centers around your rooting FOR the very characters that just aren't leaping off the page. Secondly, the 'slang' from the world that Dashner created was very distracting to me for some reason. It just didn't seem to blend well with the narrative. It felt almost like a JOLT every time that I came across yet another slang word in the dialog which took me out of the story.

Perhaps my feelings about this book were colored by the fact that I've recently read some really great YA dystopic novels - The Hunger Games for instance. Maybe if I'd had more distance, I'd have appreciated this one a bit more.

I struggled with the rating on this one - I'd really have liked to have given 3 1/2 stars but I ultimately went with 3 stars since it really had some flaws that detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I understand that this is the first in a series of books about this world. I am planning to give the 2nd Maze Runner book a read ... the world Dashner creates is very intriguing so I'd like to revisit it but I do hope that some of the flaws in this one are resolved for the second in the series.



My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book Review Musings: House of Stairs by William Sleator

 Synopsis from Goodreads:

 One by one, five sixteen-year-old orphans are brought to a strange building. It is not a prison, not a hospital; it has no walls, no ceiling, no floor. Nothing but endless flights of stairs leading nowhere -- except back to a strange red machine. The five must learn to love the machine and let it rule their lives. But will they let it kill their souls? This chilling, suspenseful indictment of mind control is a classic of science fiction and will haunt readers long after the last page is turned.

My review:

I read this book for the two Young Adult Dystopia Reading Challenges that I'm participating in for the next few months. Ann Kingman from Books on the Nightstand talked about this book during the podcast where she introduced the challenge and I thought it sounded intriguing. It sounded vaguely familiar but I had not read it when I was younger. 

This was a very quick read and it is written in a very simplistic style. But, the content is incredibly creepy and disturbing. As I read the book, I sometimes felt a bit claustrophobic, imagining a world of stairs all around me. Very creepy.In addition to the creepy factor, I loved how it also intertwined a very clear message without feeling didactic. I remember being a pre-teen/teenager and being amazed at how cruel the other kids could be to each other and how difficult it can be to rise above that with the pressure there is to 'go with the crowd'.

The idea of a house of stairs with a small machine conditioning kids to behave in a certain way is rather creative and an interesting world to be involved in during the read. I enjoyed the psychological aspects of the novel and how the author introduces them to the young adult reader throughout the novel.

I'd definitely recommend this to young adults because it has a very interesting story that is both compelling and educational. I also think this might be a good book to give a reluctant reader as its very simplistic and might draw in those who aren't as compelled to read on their own.

Another YA Dystopic Reading Challenge

Well, I just can't help myself. I signed up for another YA Dystopic Reading Challenge. Since I'm already committing myself to so many YA Dystopic books for the BOTNS challenge, I thought I'd go for it and join in on this one as well - Bart's Bookshelf is hosting a YA Dystopian Reading Challenge. So, I'm going to use my 7 books for BOTH challenges!!! See the previous post HERE for a list of what I'll be reading ... So, if you're going to do one of the challenges, why not do both?  Go check it out ...

Books on the Nightstand Reading Challenge: Dystopian YA Fiction

Books on the Nightstand is offering up a Dystopian YA Fiction Reading Challenge and I'm definitely going to be in on this one! I love dystopic literature and I agree with Ann Kingman's statement that some of the best in dystopic literature comes in the form of the Young Adult novel! I've read a lot of dystopic novels but there were a number of new to me novels mentioned on the Podcast where they introduced the challenge. I'm really looking forward to this challenge. So, here are the details & I'll sum up this post with which books I'm planning to read before December 31st for the challenge. I hope you check it out HERE and join me!

So, first, let's define dystopian fiction - according to Wikipedia it is defined as follows: The utopia and its offshoot, the dystopia, are genres of literature that explore social and political structures. Utopian fiction is the creation of an ideal world, or utopia, as the setting for a novel. Dystopian fiction is the opposite: creation of a nightmare world, or dystopia. Many novels combine both, often as a metaphor for the different directions humanity can take in its choices, ending up with one of two possible futures. Both utopias and dystopias are commonly found in science fiction and other speculative fiction genres, and arguably are by definition a type of speculative fiction.

 

The Rules of the Challenge (as indicated on the challenge post at Books on the Nightstand):

There are always rules in dystopic societies. We will be benevolent despots in the running of this challenge. Your participation is voluntary and we will be deactivating the Reading Challenge Police, so you are on the honor system.

1. You must do as you are told. You are hereby commanded to read 3 works of dystopic fiction that were written or published primarily for young adults. Books must be read between October 5, 2009 and December 31, 2009 in order to count for the challenge.

2. Secret activities are forbidden in dystopic societies. You must post your reading list and/or your review(s) of the books that you've read. Reviews can be formal or informal, as you like. You may post them one at a time or all at once, it's up to you. If you have a blog, please post there. If you do not have a blog, there are two options:

• A. (Preferred) - use one of the special discussion threads we've set up on Facebook or Goodreads.
  
  
• B. Post your reading list and/or reviews in the comments on this post.
  

3. A dystopic society controls the spread of information among its citizens. If you have teens or tweens in your life, tell them about this reading challenge, and consider doing it together.

4. Dystopic governments control your behavior with a system of rewards. So, there will be prizes!We'll do a random drawing from all participants at the end of the challenge.

5. Dystopic governments can track the identities of community members. Post the URL of your list/review in the Simply Linked box below. If you posted at Goodreads or Facebook, include the URL of the discussion post.

 Doesn't this sound FUN? I think so ...

And, so, after giving it some thought, I'm going to be reading the following books (yes, I'm planning to read more than 3 - always the overachiever, I guess):

#1 - The Maze Runner by James Dashner  
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is black. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.
Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as they could remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.
The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl springs up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might be able to find their way home . . . wherever that may be. But it’s looking more and more as if the maze is unsolvable.
And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

#2 - Candor by Pam Bachorz
Oscar Banks has everything under control. In a town
where his father brainwashes everyone, he's found a way
to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. He's got them
all fooled: Oscar's the top student and the best-behaved
teen in town. Nobody knows he's made his own Messages
to deprogram his brain. Oscar has even found a way to
get rich. For a hefty price, he helps new kids escape
Candor, Florida before they're transformed into
cookie-cutter teens. But then Nia Silva moves to Candor,
and Oscar's carefully-controlled world crumbles.

#3 - House of Stairs by William Sleator

One by one, five sixteen-year-old orphans are brought to a strange building. It is not a prison, not a hospital; it has no walls, no ceiling, no floor. Nothing but endless flights of stairs leading nowhere -- except back to a strange red machine. The five must learn to love the machine and let it rule their lives. But will they let it kill their souls? This chilling, suspenseful indictment of mind control is a classic of science fiction and will haunt readers long after the last page is turned.

#4 - Gone by Michael Grant  
In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.
Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

#5 - The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future - between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

#6 - Feed by M.T. Anderson  
 This brilliantly ironic satire is set in a future world where television and computers are connected directly into people's brains when they are babies. The result is a chillingly recognizable consumer society where empty-headed kids are driven by fashion and shopping and the avid pursuit of silly entertainment--even on trips to Mars and the moon--and by constant customized murmurs in their brains of encouragement to buy, buy, buy.
Anderson gives us this world through the voice of a boy who, like everyone around him, is almost completely inarticulate, whose vocabulary, in a dead-on parody of the worst teenspeak, depends heavily on three words: "like," "thing," and the second most common English obscenity. He's even made this vapid kid a bit sympathetic, as a product of his society who dimly knows something is missing in his head. The details are bitterly funny--the idiotic but wildly popular sitcom called "Oh? Wow! Thing!", the girls who have to retire to the ladies room a couple of times an evening because hairstyles have changed, the hideous lesions on everyone that are not only accepted, but turned into a fashion statement. And the ultimate awfulness is that when we finally meet the boy's parents, they are just as inarticulate and empty-headed as he is, and their solution to their son's problem is to buy him an expensive car.
Although there is a danger that at first teens may see the idea of brain-computers as cool, ultimately they will recognize this as a fascinating novel that says something important about their world.

AND, that is what I"ll be reading between now and the end of the year! I'm so excited! I've already got a couple of them on my nightstand, waiting for me. And the rest are on their way from the library! And I'll be coming back periodically to post my reviews, etc. I really do hope you'll consider joining in the challenge - I think its going to be fascinating!

In closing, I thought I'd give you some other dystopic fiction (YA and adult) recommendations. I've read each of these and highly recommend them all ...

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Lord of the Flies by William Golding

1984 by George Orwell

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins 

And there is a pretty cool list of dystopic fiction compiled on Wikipedia - HERE.

Book Review Musings: The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine

Goodreads Description of The Blue Notebook:
A haunting yet astonishingly hopeful story of a young Indian prostitute who uses writing and imagination to transcend her reality.

An unforgettable, deeply affecting tribute to the powers of imagination and the resilience of childhood, The Blue Notebook tells the story of Batuk, a precocious 15-year-old girl from rural India who was sold into sexual slavery by her father when she was nine. As she navigates the grim realities of the Common Street—a street of prostitution in Mumbai where children are kept in cages as they wait for customers to pay for sex—Batuk manages to put pen to paper, recording her private thoughts and stories in a diary. The novel is powerfully told in Batuk’s voice, through the words she writes in her journal, where she finds hope and beauty in the bleakest circumstances.

Beautifully crafted and deeply human, The Blue Notebook explores how people, in the most difficult of situations, can use storytelling to make sense of and give meaning to their lives. All of the U.S. proceeds from this novel will be donated to the International and National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children (http://www.icmec.org).

My Review:
This may be one of the most difficult books I've read in a long time. It certainly took me back to my days working with sexual assault victims all day. Heartbreaking, poignant, beautiful, compelling, and riviting. I finished it 2 days ago and wasn't really able to review it until now because the images from the novel have stuck with me and given me so much to think about.

This is certainly not a pleasurable read but it is definitely one that will open your eyes to the issue of violen...more This may be one of the most difficult books I've read in a long time. It certainly took me back to my days working with sexual assault victims all day. Heartbreaking, poignant, beautiful, compelling, and riviting. I finished it 2 days ago and wasn't really able to review it until now because the images from the novel have stuck with me and given me so much to think about.

This is certainly not a pleasurable read but it is definitely one that will open your eyes to the issue of violence against children. I feel fairly educated on the topic given my years of work in the field, but I got a great deal out of this book. The beautiful way that this story is written makes Batuk and her experiences come alive. There were moments that I felt I was there with her, in part because of how well the author was able to describe each moment with simplicity and brilliance. I don't tend to cry as I read. I tend to be emotional, yes, but not to the point of tears. This book was an exception. There were moments that I just had to lay the book down and cry for this girl and all of the other girls like her in the world. There were other moments where I was sick to my stomach to see what this girl went through - how powerless she was to control her body, her life, her future. It was truly heartbreaking. But, I am so glad that I read this story and got to know this amazing (fictional) girl.

I don't think this is a book for everyone - if you are uncomfortable reading about brutal, uncomfortable situations then you may want to avoid it. Ultimately, this is a book about child prostitution, sexual abuse, physical abuse and violence in general. It is not a happy book. It is not an uplifting book. It is, however, a wonderful story that gives you insight into the day to day life of a girl who (like many, many other girls throughout the world) is essentially a slave to the wants, needs and desires of the people around her. She finds what little control she can in the world around her through writing.As difficult as it is to read, I think its important for us to all see the raw ugliness that is not unusual in our world. And to think about what WE can do to try to help eliminate this kind of violence against children.

In addition, 100% of the American proceeds of the book will go to the International and National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

Review Musings: South of Broad by Pat Conroy

Goodreads Description:

The one and only Pat Conroy returns, with a big, sprawling novel that is at once a love letter to Charleston and to lifelong friendship.

Against the sumptuous backdrop of Charleston, South Carolina, South of Broad gathers a unique cast of sinners and saints. Leopold Bloom King, our narrator, is the son of an amiable, loving father who teaches science at the local high school. His mother, an ex-nun, is the high school principal and a well-known Joyce scholar. After Leo's older brother commits suicide at the age of thirteen, the family struggles with the shattering effects of his death, and Leo, lonely and isolated, searches for something to sustain him. Eventually, he finds his answer when he becomes part of a tightly knit group of high school seniors that includes friends Sheba and Trevor Poe, glamorous twins with an alcoholic mother and a prison-escapee father; hardscrabble mountain runaways Niles and Starla Whitehead; socialite Molly Huger and her boyfriend, Chadworth Rutledge X; and an ever-widening circle whose liaisons will ripple across two decades-from 1960s counterculture through the dawn of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

The ties among them endure for years, surviving marriages happy and troubled, unrequited loves and unspoken longings, hard-won successes and devastating breakdowns, and Charleston's dark legacy of racism and class divisions. But the final test of friendship that brings them to San Francisco is something no one is prepared for. South of Broad is Pat Conroy at his finest; a long-awaited work from a great American writer whose passion for life and language knows no bounds.

My review:

I should start by saying that Pat Conroy is one of my all time favorite writers. And his previous novel, Beach Music, is one of my all time favorite books. Hands down, Pat Conroy's prose speaks to me. I feel it physically and emotionally. And, I think he's one of the most amazing Southern writers.

And onto South of Broad ... I really tried to not compare this novel to Beach Music because I was concerned that it could never live up to my feeling for that book. And, ultimately, it did...more I should start by saying that Pat Conroy is one of my all time favorite writers. And his previous novel, Beach Music, is one of my all time favorite books. Hands down, Pat Conroy's prose speaks to me. I feel it physically and emotionally. And, I think he's one of the most amazing Southern writers ever born.

And onto South of Broad ... I really tried to not compare this novel to Beach Music because I was concerned that it could never live up to my feeling for that book. And, ultimately, it did not. However, it came fairly close which I was a bit surprised at, to be honest. The first few chapters were not as tight as they could have been which made me feel initially that the book certainly couldn't live up to Beach Music. So, if you are reading it and not sure about the first section, please keep going. It's worth it. I promise. It smooths itself out in time.

Conroy's Charleston, SC just jumped off the page ... I have never been to Charleston but I now feel like I have. His descriptions were so fantastic, so amazing that I felt like I was there ... experiencing it all. Again, this is tied to Conroy's ability to truly paint a picture with this words. Amazing. That's all I can say ...

The unfolding of the plot and the characters in this novel is breathtaking. The layering of the experiences within the prose is difficult to explain but pure heaven while reading it.

The characters are what I cannot stop thinking about ... I felt connected to each and every one of them. As if I were a member of their group of friends. I love that Pat Conroy's men and women are always real - good, bad and the ugly - and true to life. They are not predictable, they shock you with the words they say, they make you cry at the things that they do. They are simply wonderful to read about.

In terms of dialogue, I've heard a lot of people criticize Pat Conroy (for this and other books) in terms of the way people in his novels talk to one another. There seems to be some who dislike the very cleverness that I adore. I love reading the dialogue among these characters ... the things that they say are yet another way that you come to love them all as if they are in your own life. For me, no one does this quite as well as Pat Conroy! And I revel in each and every word!

All in all, South of Broad gives the reader an impressive group of characters to learn about and come to care about. The numerous story lines come together in themes of prejudice, privilege, friendship and love. It moves from Charleston to San Francisco and makes you FEEL both places.

I truly believe that Conroy is a master of American fiction and this novel is yet another example of his impressive skill! I love his books and will be purchasing this one for my ongoing collection of Conroy novels that I love to return to over and over again!

Reading Musings

As most of you know, I'm an avid reader. I spend a great deal of my free time reading. So, I thought I'd share a few of the books I've read recently in case you're interested in checking them out ... And I'll probably continue to do this on occasion.   I'm going to intentionally include a variety of genres from literary to mystery to paranormal to young adult and so on. That way there will be something for everyone!

First, I wanted to tell you about an incredible podcast about books and reading that I absolutely LOVE. I look forward to their weekly discussions and if you're a reader, I suspect you'll enjoy their perspective as well. The podcast is done by Michael Kindness and Ann Kingman who work in the publishing industry.Their passion for books is evident and I've loved every single recommendation that I've tried from their podcost. The Books on the Nightstand website has regular blog posts about books as well as posts about each podcast. You can access the podcasts at their site or via I-Tunes. I definitely recommend that you check them out.

Secondly, I spend a gerat deal of time at Goodreads which is an amazing site for those who love books and reading. It is how I track my reading lists - what I've read, what I want to read. I also participate in a number of book groups over at the site which has been great since I no longer participate in a book group since moving to Missouri.  Goodreads describes itself this way: "Goodreads is the largest social network for readers in the world. We have over 2,400,000 members who have added over 57,000,000 books to their shelves. A place for casual readers and bona-fide bookworms alike, Goodreads members recommend books, compare what they are reading, keep track of what they've read and would like to read, form book clubs and much more. Goodreads was launched in December 2006."  So, I definitely recommend that you check it out if you enjoy books and reading.

Okay, onto some books that I recommend ...


The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - 

As described on Goodreads -
"Hailed for its coiled eroticism and the moral claims it makes upon the reader, this mesmerizing novel is a story of love and secrets, horror and compassion, unfolding against the haunted landscape of postwar Germany.

When he falls ill on his way home from school, fifteen-year-old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. In time she becomes his lover—then she inexplicably disappears. When Michael next sees her, he is a young law student, and she is on trial for a hideous crime. As he watches her refuse to defend her innocence, Michael gradually realizes that Hanna may be guarding a secret she considers more shameful than murder."

I read this book just last week in part because I want to see the movie that was recently made of the book (and I hate seeing movies based on books without reading the book first!). I'm a huge Kate Winslet fan and she received a lot of accolades about her role in the film. Anyway, I really enjoyed the book. It's written in a very straighforward, sparse style which added to the experience of the novel. It was very thought provoking but it definitely wasn't as heavy as it could have been given the Holocaust theme.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong - 

As described by Good reads -

"Chloe Saunders sees dead people. Yes, like in the films. The problem is, in real life saying you see ghosts gets you a one-way ticket to the psych ward. And at 15, all Chloe wants to do is fit in at school and maybe get a boy to notice her. But when a particularly violent ghost haunts her, she gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. Her seemingly crazed behaviour earns her a trip to Lyle House, a centre for 'disturbed teens'. At first Chloe is determined to keep her head down. But then her room mate disappears after confessing she has a poltergeist, and some of the other patients also seem to be manifesting paranormal behaviour. Could that be a coincidence? Or is Lyle House not quite what it seems...? Chloe realizes that if she doesn't uncover the truth, she could be destined for a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse...? Can she trust her fellow students, and does she dare reveal her dark secret?"

I listened to this book by audiobook on my way to and from work each day. First and foremost, this is a young adult series with a paranormal focus. I'm a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series and was intrigued at the idea of her writing a young adult series. I really enjoyed this story and absolutely adored every moment. I was literally sad when it was over.  WOW. I really enjoyed this story. I listened to the audiobook and absolutely adored every moment. I was literally sad when it was over. The narrator was excellent. The first 20 minutes of the book felt 'off' but as soon as I got past that I was intrigued and amazed. I love Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series and this is just as amazing. The characters were wonderful - very well thought out and intriguing! Kelley Armstrong made each character come ALIVE! The best part ... its a seri...morThe narrator was excellent. The first 20 minutes of the book felt 'off' but as soon as I got past that I was intrigued and amazed. I The characters were wonderful - very well thought out and engaging! Kelley Armstrong made each character come ALIVE! The best part ... its a series so I just picked up the Awakening which I plan to begin listening to immediately!

 My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist -

As described at Goodreads:

"One day in early spring, Dorrit Weger is checked into the Second Reserve Bank Unit for biological material. She is promised a nicely furnished apartment inside the Unit, where she will make new friends, enjoy the state-of-the art recreation facilities, and live the few remaining days of her life in comfort with people who are just like her. Here, women over the age of fifty and men over sixty--single, childless, and without jobs in progressive industries--are sequestered for their final few years; they are considered outsiders. In the Unit they are expected to contribute themselves for drug and psychological testing, and ultimately donate their organs, little by little, until the final donation. Despite the ruthless nature of this practice, the ethos of this near-future society and the Unit is to take care of others, and Dorrit finds herself living under very pleasant conditions: well-housed, well-fed, and well-attended. She is resigned to her fate and discovers her days there to be rather consoling and peaceful. But when she meets a man inside the Unit and falls in love, the extraordinary becomes a reality and life suddenly turns unbearable. Dorrit is faced with compliance or escape, and...well, then what?

The Unit is a gripping exploration of a society in the throes of a system geared toward eliminating those who don't contribute by conventional means, in which the "dispensable" ones are convinced under gentle coercion of the importance of sacrificing for the "necessary" ones. It also looks deeply into the nature of the female psyche, at its resilience and creativity under dire conditions. Ninni Holmqvist has created a debut novel of humor, sorrow, and rage, that explores love, the close bonds of friendship, and a cynical, utilitarian way of thinking disguised as care."

This was a book that was recommended by Books on the Nightstand during a podcast about dystopic novels. I tend to be drawn to those novels and the worlds that they create (other excellent dystopic novels that I would recommend include The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood). I found this particular social dystopia novel to be wonderful. I didn't want to put it down. It was fascinating reading. The concept was interesting and intriguing. The world created by Ninni Holmqvist was striking in part because of the detachment inherent in society and the Unit. The prose was very sparse and not particularly elaborate but I felt it added to the overall feeling of the novel effectively. The entire idea of being dispensable gave me a great deal to think about ... the relationships among those on the Unit were heartwarming and interesting. I really became engaged in their world, feeling as if I were walking those halls and experiencing it all myself. Overall, a very touching and thought provoking novel.  

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson  

As described by Goodreads - 

"A publishing sensation across Europe—two million copies sold and months at the top of best-seller lists. A spellbinding amalgam of murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue.

It’s about the disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden . . . and about her octogenarian uncle, Henrik, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder.

And it’s about Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently at the wrong end of a libel case, hired by Henrik to get to the bottom of Harriet’s disappearance . . . and about Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-four-year-old, pierced, tattooed genius hacker, possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age—and a terrifying capacity for ruthlessness—who assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, an astonishing corruption at the highest echelon of Swedish industrialism—and a surprising connection between themselves.

A contagiously exciting, stunningly intelligent novel about society at its most hidden, and about the intimate lives of a brilliantly realized cast of characters, all of whom must face the darker aspects of their world and of their own lives."

This is another Books on the Nightstand recommendation and it may be one of my favorite books of the year. This was so well written and each character just came alive until I truly felt as if I knew them. I'm so glad that I found this book. And I'm thrilled that this is the first of a trilogy so that I can revisit this world again in the next two books. Although I loved this book, I've just begun the second book of the trilogy and I'm loving it even more than this one ... which is saying a great deal. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a book that is within the mystery genre but it so well written and intelligent that it blows most mystery novels out of the water!

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars