Latest Review: Gone Girl

Goodreads Summary:
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

My blabberings:
I know, I know, everyone and their aunt's neighbor has already read and reviewed this book.  Nonetheless, I wanted to just add my two cents into the mix.  I was really hesitant to read this book for one main reason: friends and reviewers repeatedly stated that the main characters are awful people.  Once I heard that I was certain I would hate the book.  It has rarely occurred where I've read a book with despicable characters and still liked the book.  Apparently I have to identify with a character in order to really care about their story...who woulda thunkit?  Anyways, I had already decided that I would just let this book be a buzz-generator that I skipped.   

However, the Btown Booksters thought differently and it was picked for one of our recent reads.  I purchased the novel with trepidation and sat down in my couch nook to read a few pages.  I looked up from my book sometime later and realized I was already several chapters in (this is not a rare occurance).  I ended up finishing the book in two days.  Not, as many others have stated, because it was so compelling that I read through the night, but because I had procrastinated and had exactly that long to finish before our next book club meeting!  That being said, it was a really compelling book, it was just as twisty turny as you would want a suspense novel to be.

Now, to get to my point of contention, the characters...were they so loathsome that I couldn't like the story?  Not exactly.  Was a character or characters absolutely heinous to their very core? Yes.  Once I closed the back cover of the book, I looked over at my husband with wide eyes, shuddered, and said, "whoa."  A novel that can evince that kind of reaction at its culmination must mean that it's good, right?  I don't really know how to answer that question.  Yet, I can say that I was surprised that I didn't loathe this book as I did the character(s).  Suspense isn't my favorite literary category, but I did enjoy the novel and won't be so quick to pass over a book because I'm certain I won't like the characters.

4/5 stars

Latest Review: The Art of Fielding

Goodreads Summary:
At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended.

... (spoilery so I omitted this part)

Written with boundless intelligence and filled with the tenderness of youth, The Art of Fielding is an expansive, warmhearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendship and love, and about commitment—to oneself and to others.

My Thoughts:  
This was one of my vacation reads and I absolutely adored this book!  My admiration of The Art of Fielding is largely due to the realistic characters with an authentic storyline.  One way to compare it would be that it is similar to an indie movie (not one of those ones that's trying too hard but one that is trying to be true to life).

I loved the multiple POV format of this book.  When I first started reading, I thought it would all be from Henry's point of view and was afraid the only way the story could be this long (528 pages) is if it were overly dramatic.  Luckily my fears were soon relieved.  I also thought that the over-arching theme of self-doubt was handled really well with this story and was enhanced by the multiple POV format.

If you love Melville, enjoy collegiate settings, or are a baseball fan you will be over-the-moon about this book.  If you aren't, you will still love this book for the clear writing style and amazing characters!

To conclude, I'll leave you with this quote from my favorite character Owen:

“You told me once that a soul isn't something a person is born with but something that must be built, by effort and error, study and love.” 

5/5 stars.  Highly recommended.

Other reviews:
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Waiting on Wednesday: The Leftovers

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


This week I can't wait to get my hands on The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta.  This sucker comes out in August - yay!

Publisher Summary:

What if—whoosh, right now, with no explanation—a number of us simply vanished?  Would some of us collapse? Would others of us go on, one foot in front of the other, as we did before the world turned upside down?

That’s what the bewildered citizens of Mapleton, who lost many of their neighbors, friends and lovers in the event known as the Sudden Departure, have to figure out. Because nothing has been the same since it happened—not marriages, not friendships, not even the relationships between parents and children.  

Kevin Garvey, Mapleton’s new mayor, wants to speed up the healing process, to bring a sense of renewed hope and purpose to his traumatized community. Kevin’s own family has fallen apart in the wake of the disaster: his wife, Laurie, has left to join the Guilty Remnant, a homegrown cult whose members take a vow of silence; his son, Tom, is gone, too, dropping out of college to follow a sketchy prophet named Holy Wayne.  Only Kevin’s teenaged daughter, Jill, remains, and she’s definitely not the sweet “A” student she used to be.  Kevin wants to help her, but he’s distracted by his growing relationship with Nora Durst, a woman who lost her entire family on October 14th and is still reeling from the tragedy, even as she struggles to move beyond it and make a new start.

With heart, intelligence and a rare ability to illuminate the struggles inherent in ordinary lives, Tom Perrotta has written a startling, thought-provoking novel about love, connection and loss.

Latest Read: The Dashwood Sisters Tell All

Goodreads Summary:
Ellen and Mimi Dodge have never been close, but their mother's dying wish sends them on a walking tour of Hampshire, England, that follows in the footsteps of Jane Austen. Their mother also left them something else: a diary that belonged to Jane's sister Cassandra. These pages shed light on the secrets that nearly tore the Austen sisters apart and inspired one of the greatest love stories of all time. They also bring Jane to life in a way that no one has ever seen before: through the eyes of her sister. As the Dodge sisters embark on their walking tour, they too are drawn together in ways they never expected. They also discover that Cassandra's diary holds secrets, and someone doesn't want Ellen and Mimi to discover the truth. As they stumble on their way toward love, the women learn how Jane and Cassandra Austen inspired the original Marianne and Elinor Dashwood and come to realize that despite their very different personalities, they are a vital part of each other's happy endings.

My thoughts:
This was my first Austen inspired book so I had high expectations...but my thoughts are a bit mixed.  Of course, it's fun to relive a beloved story; yet, the retelling is a bit too similar to the original for me.

Obviously, set in the modern era gives it a new edge but I knew exactly what was going to happen the entire time I was reading - no fun!  Ellen = Elinor, Mimi = Marianne, Colonel Tom = Colonel Brandon, Ethan = Willoughby, Daniel = Edward...and this is not at all a spoiler because the author blatantly models the modern characters after the originals - is this what all Austen-inspired books are like?  Also, Austen's masterful romantic tension is absent in this novel...the relationships just didn't have as much oomph.

If you don't mind basically rereading a contemporary Sense and Sensibility with a few tweaks, then I'm sure you'll really enjoy this novel.  However, if you want the author to take a bit more creative license with the original story, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed with the book.

3/5 stars

So, is this what all Austen-ish novels are like?  Am I not cut out for Austen adaptations?  Just curious...

Friday Finds: Warm Bodies & The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack

Friday Finds is hosted by Should Be Reading and allows readers to showcase books they have discovered over the past week.  This week, both of my finds are fantasy novels:


Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Amazon Synopsis:
R is a young man with an existential crisis--he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.

After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.

Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead, and the blurry line in between. 


The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder

Goodreads Summary:
It is 1861, and Albertian Britain is in the grip of conflicting forces. Engineers transform the landscape with bigger, faster, noisier and dirtier technological wonders; Eugenicists develop specialist animals to provide unpaid labour; Libertines oppose restrictive and unjust laws and flood the country with propaganda demanding a society based on beauty and creativity; while The Rakes push the boundaries of human behaviour to the limits with magic, sexuality, drugs and anarchy. Returning from his failed expedition to find the source of the Nile, explorer, linguist, scholar and swordsman Sir Richard Francis Burton finds himself sucked into the perilous depths of this moral and ethical vacuum when the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, employs him as "King's Spy."

His first mission: to investigate the sexual assaults committed by a weird apparition known as Spring Heeled Jack; to find out why chimney sweeps are being kidnapped by half-man, half-dog creatures; and to discover the whereabouts of his badly injured former friend, John Hanning Speke. Accompanied by the diminutive and pain-loving poet, Algernon Swinburne, Burton's investigations lead him back to one of the defining events of the age: the brutal assassination of Queen Victoria in 1840; and the terrifying possibility that the world he inhabits shouldn't exist at all.

-Also, this year's winner of the Philip K. Dick award

Latest Read: Substitute Me

Goodreads Summary:
Zora Anderson is a 30-year-old African American middle class, college educated woman, trained as a chef, looking for a job. As fate would have it, Kate and Craig, a married couple, aspiring professionals with a young child are looking for a nanny.

Zora seems perfect. She’s an enthusiastic caretaker, a competent house keeper, a great cook. And she wants the job, despite the fact that she won’t let her African American parents and brother know anything about this new career move. They expect much more from her than to use all that good education to do what so many Blacks have dreamed of not doing: working for White folks. Working as an au pair in Paris, France no less, was one thing, they could accept that. Being a servant to a couple not much older nor more educated, is yet another. Every adult character involved in this tangled web is hiding something: the husband is hiding his desire to turn a passion for comic books into a business from his wife, the wife is hiding her professional ambitions from her husband, the nanny is hiding her job from her family and maybe her motivations for staying on her job from herself.

Memorable characters, real-life tensions and concerns and the charming—in a hip kind of way—modern-day Park Slope, Fort Greene, Brooklyn setting make for an un-put-down-able read.

My two cents:
I really enjoyed this book.  I had a few qualms with some predictable (and cliche) turns in the plot.  Yet, I think the gravity of the issues that many women and families face today (juggling work, relationships, and domestic chores) really overshadow those qualms.  It would be a great novel to use for a book club - so many areas to discuss (racial and identity issues, gender issues, and concerns about the modern two-income familial situation).  All in all, I highly recommend this book to folks who enjoy modern general fiction!

4/5 stars

Judging a Book by its Cover: The Classics

Much hubbub has been made about the redesigned covers for several classic novels that seem to draw inspiration from the Twilight cover designs.

Pros:

• May encourage young people to read the classics

Cons:

• Misleading...these works are not imitations of Stephanie Meyers
• Shudder-inducing for some
• Insulting to teen readers...they'll only be enticed if it looks Twilight-esque??

My thoughts are that if it brings more readers to these wonderful books then it's worth it.  Something that I'm not so keen on are the extras included in these editions.  In Pride and Prejudice some of the extras are: "Quiz: Which Pride and Prejudice Girl Are You?" and "What If Darcy and Elizabeth Lived Now and Were on Facebook?" Ugh.

Latest Read: Skeletons at the Feast

While WWII is not a very new subject in fiction, the author sheds light on a relatively untold segment of persons affected by the war.  The story mainly follows the prosperous Emmerich family, a clan of Prussians who are largely ignorant to the atrocities being committed by their German army and society.  They decide to evacuate their farm in order to escape capture by the Russians in the last months of WWII.  The book follows their difficult journey and complex relationships with a Scottish POW, a Jewish man posing as an SS officer, and many others that they encounter.

The book is a bit difficult to get into at first because it flipped back and forth between three different storylines.  Yet, once the characters and stories became familiar, the novel was both engrossing and heartbreaking.  I really liked this book...it might be one of my favorites of the year.  I'm definitely going to be adding more of Mr. Bohjalian's novels to my TBR list.

This would be a really great historical fiction choice for a book club.  So many things to discuss: the historical aspects, the relationships between the characters, their secrets and deceptions, and their guilt and hope for the future.  If you are drawn to WWII books I really suggest picking up a copy of Skeletons at the Feast.

4/5 stars.

Latest Read: Fingersmith

This was my first foray into the lesbian Victoriana of Sarah Waters and I quite enjoyed it!

From Goodreads:

Growing up as a foster child among a family of thieves, orphan Sue Trinder hopes to pay back that kindness by playing a key role in a swindle scheme devised by their leader, Gentleman, who is planning to con a fortune out of the naive Maud Lily, but Sue's growing pity for their helpless victim could destroy the plot.

Twists and turns abound in this gothic novel!  Every time you think you have a grasp on the plot, the next chapter throws it on its head.  This compulsively readable story allows you to view the tale unfold from both the perspective of Sue and of Maud.  The book begins rather slowly at first but soon heats up as unknown plans and motivations are revealed.

I thought the novel was really good but I didn't love it as much as others do.  The plot surprises are fantastic...I think I actually gasped out loud a time or two.  Yet, I thought parts dragged a bit, especially in the beginning.  Despite a few slow moments at the start, I do recommend the novel.  If you like Victorian literature, strong female characters and a gripping story (and who doesn't?) then you will love this book!

3.5/5 stars.

March Madness

All of the NCAA fans out there are tingling with delight today because it marks the beginning of March Madness!  Meh, myself...I could really care less about college basketball (although I do loyally watch IU lose on a fairly regular basis).  What has caught my eye is The Morning News Tournament of Books which comes complete with brackets for people to predict the winning novels!  What an ingenious way to market some of the great books of the year!  Here's the matches that have occurred thus far (winners are in bold):

• Freedom by Jonathan Franzen vs. Kapitoil by Teddy Wayne
• Room by Emma Donoghue vs. Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky
• Savages by Don Winslow vs. The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
• A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan vs. Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
• Nox by Anne Carson vs. Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
• Next by James Hynes vs. So Much for That by Lionel Shriver
• Super Sad True Love Story by James Hynes vs. Model Home by Lionel Shriver 
• The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender vs. Bloodroot by Amy Greene

Now onward to the Quarterfinals!  Last year's champion was Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel which narrowly beat out The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver.  How fun!  I'll definitely be keeping up with this tournament...any guesses as to which books will be in the championship round?

Review Catch-Up: The Clan of the Cave Bear and The Blue Castle

So, I've fallen a bit behind on my reviews as of late and since I blazed through books this past weekend I figure I should do a little two-for-one to catch up. 

First up, The Clan of the Cave Bear the first book in the Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel:

Publisher summary:
Here is a novel of awesome beauty and power.  A moving saga about people, relationships and the boundaries of love.  Through Jean Auel's magnificent storytelling, we are taken back to the dawn of mankind and swept up in the wonderful world of a very special heroine, Ayla.  Her enthralling story is one we can all share.  A natural disaster has left young Ayla alone, wandering, fending for herself in an unfamiliar land.  One day, she is discovered by the Clan of the Cave Bear, men and women far different from her own people.  The tall, blonde, blue-eyed Ayla is a mysterious stranger to the Clan and at first they mistrust her and cast her out.  But as she grows to know them and learn the ways of the Clan, she is welcomed.  And as she leads them in their struggle for survival, the Clan comes to worship Ayla.  For in her blood flows the future of humanity.

The most interesting aspect of this book is the prehistoric setting.  The author obviously did an enormous amount of research as all of the actions and skills displayed by the characters are detailed and seemingly realistic for the times.  I liked it enough that I do still want to read the rest of the series as I became attached to the character of Ayla.  She is such a strong, well-drawn, appealing character and you can't help but want to find out what adventures come her way in the next installment.

I recommend this book to those who like historical fiction or are interested in the dawn of the human race and to those who have a particular fondness for charismatic heroines.

3.5/5 stars.

Secondly, I recently finished The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery (of Anne of Green Gables fame).

"Fear is the only original sin. Almost all of the evil in the world has its origin in the fact that someone was afraid of something."

This quote from her favorite author forever changes the life of the spinsterish Valancy, when one fateful day she decides to take charge of her own existence and defy the customs of her traditional small town and oppressive family.

Now, one has to remember that this was written back in the 1920s, so Valency's emancipative actions would have been quite scandalous.  While it may have been a unique plot-line at the time...it's now fairly obvious where the storyline is leading as the narrative unfolds.  That being said, the plot is so apparent that I was almost surprised when scenes manifest as expected.  It's a lovely and cozy little romance that includes beautiful imagery and reverence of the outdoors.  The main themes are facing one's fears, living in the moment, and not judging others based on appearances...impressive subjects for a slim novel, no?  If you love Ms. Montgomery's Anne series then you'll surely fall for this book as well.

3.5/5 stars.

Latest Read: Still Alice

This lovely book came highly recommended to me by both a friend and my mom.

Summary from Goodreads:
"This may be one of the most frightening novels you'll ever read. It's certainly one of the most unforgettable. Genova's debut revolves around Alice Howland - Harvard professor, gifted researcher and lecturer, wife, and mother of three grown children. One day, Alice sets out for a run and soon realizes she has no idea how to find her way home. It's a route she has taken for years, but nothing looks familiar. She is utterly lost. Is her forgetfulness the result of menopausal symptoms? A ministroke? A neurological cancer? After a few doctors' appointments and medical tests, Alice has her diagnosis, and it's a shocker -- she has early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

What follows is the story of Alice's slow but inevitable loss of memory and connection with reality, told from her perspective. She gradually loses the ability to follow a conversational thread, the story line of a book, or to recall information she heard just moments before. To Genova's great credit, readers learn of the progression of Alice's disease through the reactions of others, as Alice does, so they feel what she feels -- a slowly building terror"

What a compelling and heartbreaking book!  The last several chapters of the novel I spent with steady tears on my face.  Despite the crying, I really did find that Still Alice had some wonderful uplifting moments and is filled with hope even when faced with the tragedy of this terrible disease robbing Alice of her mind.

In a few reviews there was some talk of the inadequacies of Genova's writing.  I would have to disagree with this criticism.  While I would agree that Genova is no Leif Enger, I think her plain, sparse prose was perfect for this book because it allowed the focus to solely shine on Alice, her family, and her disease.  This novel would be a great choice for a book club as there are a myriad of scenes and themes that warrant discussion.  I read this in the span of a few hours and cannot recommend this book enough!

5/5 stars.

Latest Read: The Help

Yes, I've waited far too long to read this one and I'm not sure why.  I think it probably had something to do with the ridiculously long waitlist at the library.  Luckily, on my recent trip to Chicago, my mother lent me her copy and I sped through this book and was finished in two days!

 

As evidenced by my speedy reading of this book, The Help is quite compelling.  The story is told through the perspective of three different women (two black maids and one young white woman) and offers a rich understanding of the relationship between blacks and whites in the South during the '50s and '60s.  I can't decide whether Aibileen or Minny is my favorite character...both are clearly defined and their personalities leap off the pages.  While I do like Skeeter too, for some reason she seems more two-dimensional and flat compared to the black maids.  The only criticism I have of the book is that the ending left much to be desired.  It was somewhat abrupt and made me yearn for further knowledge of what became of these characters since I'd become so attached to their fates over the course of the story.  Overall, it was a absorbing novel and I would heartily recommend to most readers as the book has a very wide appeal.

4/5 stars.

Latest Read: A Discovery of Witches

I loved this book!  Such a fun read and so addictive you won't be able to put it down!

As always, my summary will be short for fear of giving too much plot away.  The book is about a witch named Dr. Diana Bishop, a vampire named Matthew Clairmont and a magical text.  Despite Dr. Bishop's attempts at avoiding magic at all costs, an enchanted manuscript comes into her possession attracting the attention of Mr. Clairmont as well as a host of other supernatural beings.  It is soon discovered that Diana is the only one who can unlock the secrets held within the valuable text.

Great, crisp writing...transports you easily into the world Harkness has created.  The historical and oenophile aspects are enlightening and adeptly showcase the author's extensive knowledge of wine and history (she is a history professor and writes a well-received wine blog).

I love the main characters as well as the supporting cast of witches, daemons and vampires.  Despite being about 600 pages I flew through this book...such a fun read!  There are elements that are somewhat Twighlight-esque - i.e. forbidden love, vampires and other supernatural creatures; yet, the comparison stops there.  The author has a distinct and intelligent voice and it is nice to finally see a non-YA book cover the paranormal (I'm sure there's more out there...this is just the first in my reading experience).

I recommend this to readers who gravitate towards paranormal/fantasy fiction and to those who enjoy books with a historical element.  This novel is the first in a series and I can't wait to find out what lies ahead for Diana and Matthew!

5/5 stars.

Latest Read: I Think I Love You

When I saw praise for this novel I thought it would be a perfect read around Valentine's Day!  I heard this book described as high-brow chick-lit...I hate the term "chick-lit" as it seems inherently demeaning somehow.  Anyways, I don't know how I would categorize this book...but it's definitely not just a tale of friends or shopping or whatever chick-lit is supposed to be about.  It's a really sweet story that deals with identity, fate, and the intensity of a crush on a teen idol.

 

The book has two storylines: one following a Welsh girl named Petra beginning when she was 13 and the other following a young man named Bill starting after college graduation.  Both stories intertwine at points and follow how the character's life is affected by the 70's teen heartthrob David Cassidy.  I think the author does a wonderful job accurately portraying the woes of being a female teenager.  The only complaint I could see people having is that the ending may be a little too perfectly happy...but I rather enjoyed it all the same.  A fun little read!

3/5 stars.

Latest Read: Room

Below is the "trailer" for the book Room by Emma Donoghue.  What a unique premise for a novel...very engrossing and thought-provoking.

The book is about a boy named Jack and his Ma who are trapped in Room (where he's lived his entire life).  Narrated by Jack, you are given a unique perspective of one who's only known captivity and whose reality is shaped by this unnatural occurrence.  It's an extremely quick read and one that will haunt you for quite some time.  I would highly recommend this novel for a book club...it easily lends itself to some great discussion.  In fact, I'm eager for a friend to read this so I can have someone to talk with about Room.  Really recommend this one!

4.5/5 stars.

Latest Read: The Hunger Games Trilogy

It's been awhile since I've read a YA novel...I think the last time was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (which I highly recommend).  I was drawn to The Hunger Games series due to the vast amount of adoration and raving over this trilogy.  I feared that I would once again fall prey to having my expectations too high to be met...but thankfully, I feel these books more than fully deserve their praise!

 

I really can't reveal too much plot without spoiling it for those who haven't read it.   I knew nothing about the books except for their praise and I liked it that way...so I'd rather not talk plot.  I will say that this is a really easy trilogy to read.  Sometimes I'm hesitant to start a series due to the time commitment required...but don't worry about that with these books.  All of the novels are relatively short and incredibly quick reads due to the amount of action packed into their pages.  My favorite book of the three was the first (but all are great...and you won't be able to resist picking up the following novels in the series).  My only complaint about the trilogy is that I wish the author had fleshed out the ending of the last book a bit more...it seemed a tad abrupt (but I still liked it).  Overall, I really recommend...such a fun read, interesting premise, and wonderful characters!

4.5/5 stars.

Latest Read: The Passage

Whoa, a vampire book...how original!  I know that's what you'd probably think after reading a short synopsis of this novel...but really, it's nothing like the Twilights and such of current literature (although I understand the draw of those books).  This is not some teenage angsty romance novel with some vampires and werewolves thrown in for a bit of a twist, rather, it's militarized, glowing, freaky-as-all-get-out vamps.  In the same sense, it's not a quick read, but rather a dystopian saga that will take you through a horrifying apocalyptic reality. The author weaves together many story lines that develop into a tale encompassing one hundred years and almost 800 pages.

I liked it...I did.  Just, once again, given the hype...I thought it would be better (maybe I should just stop believing hype, eh?).  The book is great, really, once you get past 130 pages of intro...and still I was only beginning to be mildly interested. Then, after a bit, I was completely sucked into the story.  But, if it hadn't been for the glowing praise of this novel...I may have given up on it before the narrative drew me in.  So, main complaint: the beginning is too long with too many story-lines (I know they're needed...but there must be a better way to condense all of this information and slim down the book a bit).

The other thing that I think everyone should know about The Passage is that this is the first book in a planned series.  Sooo...be prepared for an unsatisfactory ending in that, it leaves you wanting more.  But really, if you can get over the first 130 pages or so...you will be completely drawn into this story.  I don't want to say too much because, as always, I don't want to give too much away.  I will say that I highly recommend...I'll be interested to see what more Cronin has coming our way!

3.5/5 stars.

Historical Fiction Extravaganza

Holy moly!  I went on an intense historical fiction bender this past weekend.  I reread a favorite book of mine called The Rossetti Letter and soon found myself wanting to read similar books.  So, I quickly downloaded a few recommended titles onto my e-reader and took up a near-permanent residence on the couch.  Historical fiction is such a fun escapist genre...although I think I've finally had my fill (for a little while anyways).  Here's the books I devoured this weekend:

• The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
• A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware
• Island of the Swans by Ciji Ware

Of the three I think I enjoyed A Cottage by the Sea the best...although all were fun reads.  I also thought I'd share a few titles of reads along these same lines that are in my TBR list:

• Frederica by Georgette Heyer
• Silent in the Grave (and sequels) by Deanna Raybourn
• The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

 

I don't know what it is about historical fiction novels...but they truly are one of my favorite genres of books.  Somehow they're both cozy and yet very enlightening.  It's funny, I never much cared for history courses...but reading novels that bring history to life is quite a different matter. 

The New Classics List

So, I came across EW's "The New Classics" list and was appalled at how few I've read (I highlighted them in red and crossed them out)!  How about you guys...have you fared better?

1. The Road , Cormac McCarthy (2006)
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)
3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
4. The Liars' Club, Mary Karr (1995)
5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
6. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)
8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)
9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)
10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)
11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
12. Blindness, José Saramago (1998)
13. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)
14. Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates (1992)
15. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)
16. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
17. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez (1988)
18. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike (1990)
19. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)
20. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding (1998)
21. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)
22. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz (2007)
23. The Ghost Road, Pat Barker (1996)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
25. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)
26. Neuromancer, William Gibson (1984)
27. Possession, A.S. Byatt (1990)
28. Naked, David Sedaris (1997)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
30. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson (2004)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien (1990)
32. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch (1988)
33. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (2005)
34. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)
35. The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst (2004)
36. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
37. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)
38. Birds of America, Lorrie Moore (1998)
39. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
40. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (1995-2000)
41. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)
42. LaBrava, Elmore Leonard (1983)
43. Borrowed Time, Paul Monette (1988)
44. Praying for Sheetrock, Melissa Fay Greene (1991)
45. Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)
46. Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996)
47. World's Fair, E.L. Doctorow (1985)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
49. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)
50. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001)
51. The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcom (1990)
52. Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan (1992)
53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
54. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware (2000)
55. The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (2006)
56. The Night Manager, John le Carré (1993)
57. The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe (1987)
58. Drop City, TC Boyle (2003)
59. Krik? Krak! Edwidge Danticat (1995)
60. Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)
61. Money, Martin Amis (1985)
62. Last Train To Memphis, Peter Guralnick (1994)
63. Pastoralia, George Saunders (2000)
64. Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)
65. The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)
66. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace (1997)
67. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)
68. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006)
69. Secret History, Donna Tartt (1992)
70. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)
71. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)
72. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)
73. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
75. Cathedral, Raymond Carver (1983)
76. A Sight for Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell (1998)
77. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
79. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
80. Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney (1984)
81. Backlash, Susan Faludi (1991)
82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
85. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)
86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)
87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)
88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)
89. Close Range, Annie Proulx (1999)
90. Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl (2001)
91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)
92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)
93. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (1991)
94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)
95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1998)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
97. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson (1992)
98. The Predators' Ball, Connie Bruck (1988)
99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)
100. America (the Book), Jon Stewart/Daily Show (2004)


Wow, 11 out of 100...those are pretty poor stats.  I do have a few of these on my bookshelves (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and The Corrections) and I have read other books by some of these authors (i.e. Allegra Goodman, Kazuo Ishiguro, Nick Hornby, Dave Eggers, Junot Díaz, etc).  But still, that's pretty bad, yeesh!  Some of these are already on my TBR list but looks like I'll need to be adding quite a few more.  What about you guys?  Are your stats better than mine? Do you think this list accurately represents modern classics?