Book Reviews: 16 - 20 of 2018

Like many others, I read Flat Broke with Two Goats because it was the Big Read with the public library. I figured why not, so I gave it a whirl. I must add my opinion to the countless others - who the heck chose this book? More than that, who decided it was good to publish? The author is a typical upper middle class wife before the recession who is suddenly finds out that her husband has been hiding the terrible state of their finances for years and is forced into foreclosure and living in a friend's (amazing by anyone else's standards) cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. She has a waterfall in her front yard. She has acres and acres to herself and a 3 story cabin for only $275 a month. Her kids still get to go to private school and college. Yet she still whines and whines about how terrible her life is and how she just can't take it. I kept reading this hoping the author would eventually hit the "ah ha" moment that most people living through adversity have the opportunity to gain, but nope. She spends her time buying goats with money she doesn't have and drinking $15 craft beers with her husband to wind down at night. The idea of this book had great potential ... if only the author had actually learned something from her experience. Instead she just kept living and thinking the same way she had before, complaining about things that most others would have seen as a God-send in her situation. If you want to be aggravated for a period of time, by all means read this book. I guess I just don't enjoy reading a story where someone creates their own problems and never learns anything from them all while complaining about how everyone else in their life put them where they are. I doubt I will ever read anything with the "Big Read" again. I give this book 2 out of 5 stars.

Thérèse Racquin tells the story of the book's namesake, an quiet orphaned girl who is taken in by her Aunt and cousin. Her aunt, Madame Raquin, has a small inheritance that she uses to endulge her son, Camille's, every whim. This brings them to Paris where Madame Raquin buys a shop in a dingy arcade to pay their bills. Thérèse just accepts her life as it is, working in the shop while her cousin stays in bed due to illness day after depressing day. Eventually Madame Raquin convinces Thérèse to marry Camille, which she agrees to because she is completely indifferent to life and it will secure her a home and livelihood. Life continues in this way until Camille get a job and brings a friend home for dinner. The friend, Laurent, becomes integrated into the family and before long he and Thérèse become attracted to each other. For the first time, Thèrèse has a zest for something in life and a secret affair begins. The two are happy in the beginning, but like most things in life the thrill wears off soon and the two start entertaining the idea of how great life would be if Camille was not in the picture.

I can see how this cautionary tale was considered too vulgar in the 1860s when it was first released. The tale ends in typical Zola fashion - depressing and twisted. The lovers eventually drive each other crazy and their tortured lives affect those around them. The story is interesting, but reading this further solidified my dislike for Zola's style. Everything is the most seedy and dirty aspect of human life. I'm not naive enough to think this is unrealistic, but it's not something I want to put myself into all the time. That said, this is a quick read, and like I said - it's interesting, but you can pretty much see what coming fairly early in the story. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Heart of Darkness is the dark story of a voyage up the Congo river in the 1890s. Charles Marlow comes from England to the Congo to work for a Belgian trading company, piloting the boats up and down the river. Things start out seeming a little strange with the other men he works with, but one night the boat is attacked in the darkness and his uneasy feelings begin to make more sense. The story is based off the author's own experience in the same position as the narrator. At the time of publishing, this was considered a horror story. I found it to be interesting but a bit fast paced to really be scary. It is certainly neat to hear accounts of Africa during the late 1800s. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Everything I Never Told You follows a family in the 1970s who are faced with the suicide of their teenage daughter. The Lee family - James (dad), Marilyn (mom), Nath (oldest son), Lydia (middle daughter), and Hannah (youngest daughter) are a mixed race Asian family living in a small town in Ohio. The parents put demands on their 2 older children in an effort to make them accomplish the things they dreamed of but could not realize in their own lives. James wants Nath and Lydia to be popular and sporty, but they are both antisocial and Nath is obsessed with space. Marilyn wants Lydia to be a doctor to show that a woman can be more than a mother, and Lydia says yes to everything Marilyn throws at her in an effort to keep her mother happy so she will not leave their family. Hannah is an accidental child who is mostly ignored by her parents. When Lydia's body is found in the local lake, all the family members are forced to come to terms with the unhappy life Lydia lead while they were too focused on themselves to notice. The story was pretty much depressing from beginning to end, exploring the various neuroses of each family member and their history that made them this way. Each person is effected by the parenting they had, which then effects how they parent and keep the harmful cycle going. Some aspects were interesting, but it just never really brought it's head up the entire time, which is a little hard to enjoy. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Circe is a novel account of the witch from The Odyssey, told through her own perspective. As the disappointing daughter of Helius, Circe seems to have no God-like abilities until she unknowingly turns the mortal that she loves into a God and then turns a nymph into a monster. She is banished to a secluded island as punishment, where she spends her days honing her craft of herbs and spells.  Circe is woven into the tales of other Greek myths - Icarus, the Minotaur, and Medea. Various mortals land on her island, mostly sea men who see a lone woman and try to take advantage of the situation only to be turned into pigs and trapped by the witch. When Odysseus lands on her island, his men get much the same treatment until he comes to get his crew back. This leads to an affair between Odysseus and Circe while he and his men live on her island for a time. Eventually Circe must make a choice between living amongst the Gods who never cared for her and the mortals she comes to love.

The book was very well written and entwined all these myth together in a flowing way. I enjoyed reading these stories through a central perspective, and Circe's voice is backed up through her own experiences in the book. I enjoyed this new twist on mythology. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Reviews: 11 - 15 of 2018

The Queen of Spades is a classic Russian short story. A young man learns of a woman who was told the perfect combination of cards to play to make her fortune and save her from ruin. The woman is now old, so the young man starts making overtures of love to the old woman's companion. Once he gains access into the house, he surprises the old woman and tries to threaten her into telling him the combination. Much to his dismay, the old woman dies from shock and he is left with guilt and no winning cards. After paying his respects at her funeral, the old woman's ghost comes to him in the night and tells him the cards and how to use them as well as making him agree to the terms that were handed down. The very next night he tempts fate and tries to play the cards to a rather interesting outcome.

I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It's a quick story, but it really is an interesting idea and it really could apply to any period in history. This was my first experience reading Pushkin and it definitely made me want to read more. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The Portable Dorothy Parker is a great collection of her work. The book is made up of various short stories and poems as well as a few articles. The overall tone was snarky and poignant. I really loved The Big Blonde - I think that was the most touching story in the bunch, interesting that it is based off her own experience. Miss Parker is able to look at the women of her time and show them in a sarcastic way that they probably didn't see themselves. The poetry is admittedly of a style our time hasn't really been taught to appreciate. Also the poems were mostly about how death would be, so not something everyone can relate to but an interesting window into that way of thinking. As this is a short story and poem collection, you can just keep listening through anything you don't love and something new will come up soon. It's worth the read for sure. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

State of Wonder is the story of Marina Singh, a medical doctor turned pharmaceutical worker who finds herself on an adventure in the Amazonian rain forest. The company Marina works for has financed a new miracle fertility drug and they need someone to go down to Brazil and check the progress so they have a timeline for a return on their investment. Marina's lab partner went first, but when the company receives word that he died of a fever they ask Marina to go and find out what happened. Marina finds herself in a remote Amazonian village with her old college professor and a tribes-people whose women are able to get pregnant into their 70s. Marina assists in the research while trying to learn more about her deceased partner as well as helping the local tribes with medical complaints so the other researchers can complete their work. Eventually Marina learns to true point of the research and what it can mean for the rest of the world before a pretty interesting twist at the end.

I really enjoyed this book. The idea is pretty crazy - a fertility drug that could let women of any age have a child - yet at the same time feels fairly plausible in our modern world. The book is very well written and I was able to just focus on the plot unfolding. I'll confess that I wanted to read this book after Liz Gilbert's mention of it in Big Magic - I had to see what this story was that the two authors were both inspired by. I was much happier with this book than the other Ann Patchett I read a few years ago. I definitely can recommend this one though - I constantly wanted to know what would happen next.  I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Til We Have Faces is a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. I was intrigued about this book when I found out C.S. Lewis felt this was his best work. The book gives a different take on the myth we are taught, giving the whole story through the eyes of one of her sisters. In this tale the oldest sister loves and raises Psyche after her mother dies. As Psyche gets older, her beauty grows to the extent that the people in her kingdom believe that she is a God. Eventually the town decides to sacrifice her in hopes of appeasing their God and removing their famine and other hardships. They chain her up on a mountain and leave her for the God, assuming she will soon be dead and not worry about her any further. Her sister is stricken by the loss of her favorite sister, so she goes to collect Psyche's remains for a proper burial only to discover that her body is not there. Psyche appears and explains that she is now the wife of a God, but she does not know which one because she is forbidden to look at him. Her sister thinks Psyche is crazy and comes up with a plan to help her see "the truth". She brings an oil lamp the next time she visits and makes Psyche swear she will look at the God, thinking this will show that the God is a monster or not a god at all. Things don't turn out how she anticipates and she has to live with this for the rest of her life.

Overall this was an interesting idea and it definitely humanizes the classic myth. The original story has both sisters jealous of Psyche's husband so they maliciously conspire to wreck things, and I can appreciate this telling much better. This method feels more natural - that the motives are all in the best interest of the victim but that they go horribly wrong. I think this version makes the story more palette-able even for a reader that is not interested in Greek mythology. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Secondhand Time should be required reading. The book is made up of interviews with various Russians who lived through the Soviet regime, covering everything from the revolution to perestroika to the modern switch to capitalism. There are those who miss Stalin, those who hate him, and those who worked with him. There are true Russians as well as those from other Soviet states like Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Georgia, and many more. Alexievich interviews the young and the old alike, which comes across as the indoctrinated and the disillusioned. This book shows the true mix of feelings on the Soviets and opens up about things I never learned about before I read this book. Some of the tragedies people endured were truly heartbreaking, yet they still continue on in a stoic and accepting manner. If you have any interest in the state of modern Russia and how its recent history has brought it to where it is now, you should read this book. It was excellent. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Reviews: 1 - 5 of 2018

Wow - so I haven't posted about any of the books I've read this year, lol. So these are a few I read at the beginning of the year...

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey was a great way to start out my year. I went into reading this expecting a typical self-help book, but I was happily surprised. This book is extremely intelligent and covers basics that make sense no matter what your individual beliefs are. The 7 habits really are universal principles that can help everyone. I was thrilled to discover I was already practicing a few, so I consider myself on my way, lol. Who knows if any of us will ever perfect being "highly effective", but this book certainly gives you the blueprints to make that happen if you work at it throughout your life. I aspire to get better, and I plan on re-reading this periodically as a refresher. This should seriously be required reading. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a true classic that deserves its time honored status. The book follows the story of Raskolnikov, a poor student scraping by in any way possible. He develops an idea that murder can be justified if it benefits more people than it harms, and he also believes that he is intelligent enough to not get caught. He justifies murder by believing that some people are destined to be great men and no one questions those they kill along the way to achieving their greatness. He methodically plans out who he will kill, gets everything ready, then carries it out. Raskolnikov is then haunted by his actions for the rest of the book, constantly worrying about getting caught. I also believe it's very ahead of its time with the lengths he goes to to protect himself from forensic evidence. This is certainly one that everyone should read at some time.  I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote is a novella told through the eyes of a nameless narrator. He tells the story as a memory of his dealings with his interesting neighbor in his first New York apartment - Holly Golightly. Holly is a hopeful social (more-so financial) climber trying to marry into money. She is a model who tries to rub elbows with any man that might make her rich. The narrator falls in love with her, as most men do, and he steps in to try and save her from some of the unsavory situations she puts herself in. Having always loved the film based on this book, I was very surprised at how little in the movie is actually in the book. It's an interesting story, but the film certainly fills in the gaps better than the book does. If you're expecting a written account of the movie, you will be disappointed. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is a story of the future we may inherit. The adventurer creates a time machine and takes himself on a few journeys into the far distant future. He ends up 800,000 years in the future and discovers that the human race has split into two species - the Eloi and the Morlocks. Each of the species embodies a separate side of human nature. The books becomes far more about evolution and analyzing what we as humans represent than any time travel. This is a social commentary. I will say that while the story was interesting, I listened to one of the worst audiobook narrators I've ever heard read this book. It was so choppy that I would have to listen to passages again just to understand the sentences. That made it very difficult to get into the story. I'll have to try physically reading this again some time. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is one of those "Books you must read in your lifetime" that I can now check off my list, but that's the most I can really say for it. I firmly believe that you need to have lived in the time this was written (where everyone had a knowledge of the military and how it is run) or have spent time in the military to fully enjoy this book. I acknowledge that the concept itself of Catch-22 is brilliant, but the rest of the book is full of such ridiculous characters and plot lines that go absolutely nowhere that I just couldn't enjoy it, not to mention the fact that every female character in this entire book is either a loose nurse or an actual prostitute. Aside from a few stories that were entertaining, the rest of the book just seemed pointless to me. I fully realize that there are people out there who would argue the absolute hilarity that was lost on me, some may even thing I'm dumb for not catching it - I'm fine with that. I honestly did not enjoy this book and it was a major slog to get through. At least now I can say I've read it and cross it off the list, lol. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Reviews: 41 - 53 of 2017

Wow - I kind of dropped off the face of the blogosphere for a few weeks! I promise I'm still here and still making things, I just haven't had anything finished to show yet. I have also been reading a great deal, and I made it a point to catch up on my reviews to finish out what I read last year. So if you're not into book reviews, feel free to skip this post. More sewing and knitting fun will be up soon!

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is basically a Jane Austen style story with added magic. The book presents magic as something that is real and was generally accepted in England, but has dwindled into a forgotten practice over 300 years. Mr. Norrell makes it his life's work to bring magic back to England but in a respectable sense - meaning he wants things how he wants them and only those of his choosing can learn the art. Jonathan Strange begins magic because a random vagrant tells him he is a magician (odd), but comes to be the second magician of the age. The two perform feats of magic to aid in the Napoleonic wars, raising magic's standing in society to be a respectable profession. Things are going well until a decision made at the beginning rears up to wreck everything they have accomplished.

This was a great book and very well done to the period. I found the descriptions of English society very believable, and I very much enjoyed the aspect of Fairy very interesting. I loved the constant switch between the real world and the Fairy world. This is one of those "intimidatingly large books" to a lot of people, but I feel it was large enough to properly describe all aspects of the story and characters, which I really appreciated. If you like Regency Era stories and magic, then I definitely recommend giving this a read. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is the type of book that really shows me what was considered a "horror story" 100 years ago is very tame by today's standards. The story is an interesting idea - a man sells his soul to remain young and beautiful while a portrait of himself bares the brunt of aging. He spends his life doing terrible things, which come around to bite him in the end. I feel like it's a tale most of us know nowadays, but reading the book was still enjoyable. I love Oscar Wilde's witty retorts. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

MirrorMask is a Neil Gaiman story that he wrote as a film and then turned into this novella afterward (which I honestly did not know until after I read the book). I can't think of much to say since it's such a short story, but if you're a Neil Gaiman fan it does deliver. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The Lovely Bones has probably been read by everyone but me at this point. This is the story of a serial killer in the 70s told through the eyes of one of his victims after she has already been killed. I loved the perspective in this book - really that took a tale we've (sadly) heard before and made it something above the norm and worth reading. Susie's family is broken in so many ways, and the book did a great job of showing how her death effected each family member and relationship. Things get a bit strange at the end, but overall the book was engaging and kept me wanting to learn what happens. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Believe Me is a memoir by one of my favorite comedians - Eddie Izzard. I listened to the audiobook of this and in some ways it was better and in some ways it was worse. The entire book consisted of "long-windy-footnotes" that I'm sure are not in the actual book, consisting of many little side stories and quips. Sometimes these were hilarious, and sometimes they were tiresome and I just wanted to get on with the story already. I felt there was an arrogant amount of detail given to his younger years - no matter how much I enjoy someone's comedy, I certainly don't need to know what part they played in their school play each year, etc. Also he really felt the need to drive home the "there is no God" notion ad nauseum. I enjoyed this book for the most part, but I feel it is really only to be enjoyed by those who are already familiar with his comedy and therefore care what he has to say on some points. This was like a very long show, so buckle up if you decide to give it a listen. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The Tale of Despereaux is an adorable story of a mouse who wants to be a knight. He falls in love with the princess Pea, and when he hears an ill-intention-ed rat's plot to kidnap her he jumps into action. This was a nice little read and I will definitely recommend it to those with kids. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Ready Player One shows an alternate future in 2045 where life is so bad in the real world that everyone lives their lives digitally in The Oasis. The story follows Wade, a teenager who is obsessed with a video game quest to win the fortune of the deceased creator of The Oasis. Wade spends all of his time trying to discover the hidden clues in the game, and when his name shows up at 1st place on the scoreboard, things really kick off as other players and an evil major corporation try to beat him to win control of The Oasis. The book is full of obscure 80s nerd culture references from movies to music to video games. The story is typical in that just when you think the hero will be defeated, he pulls through (and, of course, gets the girl). The story was entertaining, and it was certainly interesting to have a video game world described in a book. I couldn't help but feel that the book was written with the full intention of being a movie though, so I think it will come across better that way. In spite of my grudge against YA fiction, I did enjoy this book and recommend it to others on the verge of nerd-dom. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Murder on the Orient Express is a classic murder mystery with a slight twist at the end. Hercule Poirot boards the Orient Express simply to travel but finds himself being called into action to discover who killed one of the first class passengers. When the passenger turns out to be a much hated murderer under an assumed name, everyone in the train car has a motive to kill him. The plot unfolds as Poirot notices clues that no one else can see, ultimately discovering the cultprit. If you're a fan of mystery, this si certainly one to put on the list. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

David Copperfield is a story that seems to have heavily influenced the modern idea of what conditions child laborers endured in the mid-1800s. David's father dies before his birth, leaving his simple and lonely mother to care for him with her maid. Eventually, she decides to marry again, giving David the now stereotypical horrible step father. Mr. Murdstone treats his new wife as a know-nothing child, bringing in his unmarried sister to run the household for him. The two Murdstones try to teach David's mother, Clara, "discipline", both for herself and for her son. Eventually the Murdstones cause Clara's death as well as the death of her newborn baby. Upon his mother's death, David is sent to a factory to work for his living at the age of 11. The conditions are horrible and eventually David runs to the only living relative he knows of, walking for a few days to get there. His aunt, Betsey Trotwood, takes pity on him and saves him from the fate of the awful Murdstones' care.

With his aunt, life for David finally looks like it might be ok. She sends him to school in town and pays for his living with the Wickfields, Betsey's solicitor and his daughter Agnes, who become like family to him. By living there, he also associates with Uriah Heep, the solicitor's apprentice, whom is is constantly uneasy about (with good reason as the story unfolds). Eventually, David decides to become a proctor, and Betsey sets him up with Mr. Spendlow. David does not care much for Spendlow, but he falls immediately in love with his beautiful but silly daughter, Dora. Just when David thinks he will be able to propose to Dora, he finds out that his aunt's fortune is completely gone through some unfortunate investing, making him have to go to work. He does marry Dora, but their marriage is never very happy in spite of their love simply because they are such different people (a main theme of the book). I'll stop the synopsis there - suffice it to say that the story has many twists and turns, constantly upending the happiness of poor David and those he loves.

I found this book very interesting. In true Dickens fashion, the characters are just that - characters - many with very one-note existences and mannerisms. For some characters, this is what made them great (Betsey Trottwood) and for others it annoyed me to no end (Dora Spendlow - ugh). The overall message of the unfortunate circumstances of life and making the best of things was a good one, and the lessons David learns definitely make this worth a read. I find it interesting that this book is the most autobiographical that Dickens ever wrote, poor man. This classic certainly earns its place in literary history, but it's not Dickens' best, in my opinion. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Braving the Wilderness - I read this quite a while ago, and when I think back on it the only things I can remember are that she talked about our need for feeling included in our society and how it works to our detriment. I know there was more in there, but having read a few of her other books before this one, they all seem to blend together. I did give this book 4 out of 5 stars, so I clearly thought more of it at the time, lol.

Children Standing Before a Statue of Hercules is a collection of short stories curated by David Sedaris. Some of these stories were wonderful and some I have kind of forgotten about. I loved the Patricia Highsmith story, Where the Door Is Always Open and the Welcome Mat Is Out, as well as Cosmopolitain by Akhil Sharma. This is one that I intend to read again at different times to see which stories resonate with me more as time goes by. This is definitely an interesting collection of stories though. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

To the Lighthouse gives short glimpses into the lives of the Ramsay family while they are on holiday just before the 1st world war as well as years later. The story focuses on helping you to really understand the thinking and motivations of each of the family members while they are basically living an ordinary few days. The first half of the story has the characters all focused on living life while the second half has them all majorly effected by death. The story is beautifully written, even if not much really happens.  I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

In Cold Blood is what started the True Crime genre. Capote chronicles every known detail about the death gruesome murdering of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. The entire story of the town is painted in great detail, so the reader gets a sense that they know and can therefor judge these people. The story keeps you wanting to know what happened and also tries very hard to make you sympathetic to the murderers in spite of there being to valid reason for this crime. I'm not a big fan of this genre in general, but the book is well written and suspenseful. Personally I don't enjoy the glorification of serial killers and the like so I don't much care what their motives were. The book was an interesting read in spite of my personal opinions though. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Reviews: 36 - 40 of 2017

To Rise Again at a Decent Hour was a bit of a wild card books I picked up at random without knowing anything about it. The story follows Paul O'Rourke - a somewhat boring dentist. Life is going on normally until one day Paul finds out that someone has started a website and Facebook page under his name and is commenting with strange religious sounding posts on various articles around the internet. In his quest to discover who is making these odd posts, Paul discovers an ancient civilization and how he is connected to it. This book was kind of all over the place for me. To start with every time I started to think main character has something like-able about him, he would say something inappropriate or awful that made me just not care what happens to him. Also from where this story begins to where it ends up is just a big say wha? It would've been interesting if I cared about Paul O'Rourke, but with it odd segues into the main point of the story I was kind of glad to get this one finished and move on. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Winesburg, Ohio is the classic novel mentioned by classic novelists. I picked this up because authors like Ayn Rand, Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner all have listed it among their favorite books, so I had to see what all the fuss was about. The book is a collection of short stories about a town called Winesburg, Ohio around the turn of the century. There are love stories, rascal fathers, town revenges, and much more in the stories as they show how they are all connected. As far as my own opinion about this book ... I feel like I must have missed something? While this gave an interesting view of life at this in a small town, I really did not enjoy reading this and it was a bit of a slog. I managed to finish it, always hoping that the big moment would be coming that makes everyone love it so much. For me this never came. Maybe I will read it again one day and figure out what others seem to see that I don't. I give this book 3 out of 4 stars.

You Are a Badass at Making Money is a branch off of You Are A Badass, which I read earlier in the year and loved. I really hoped for the awesome pep-talk to connect with me like it did in the first book, but this one just didn't entirely get there. A lot of the advice is to stop saying you hate money and send out the good vibes by having faith that money will somehow appear. When I'm struggling to buy a sandwich for lunch verses making one at home, I find the sheer obscenity of the sums mentioned in this book unfathomable. Sorry but it's not a good personal decision to commit to an $85,000.00 purchase when you can't afford to even fix your $1000.00 car. I get where Sincero is coming from - the "if you build it, they will come" mentality, but while she may have been the 1% success story with that amount of money, there are many people who make very sound investments and still lose it all. Maybe I'm just not there yet, but I just can't let go of rationality quite that much. I do still like her style, and I did enjoy most of the book. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The Light Between Oceans is the story of an Australian couple who take in a baby that washes ashore at the lighthouse they tend. The story develops from an altruistic action into the selfish desperation to have a child very quickly. The Sherbournes have tried several times to have children, and all of them were miscarriages, their last one being born dead just a few weeks before finding this baby on the beach. Isabel is so elated to find a baby and convinces her husband, Tom, not to report the finding so they can pass the baby off as their own. Eventually, the family returns to the mainland and discovers the real family the baby belonged to and the desolation her loss caused.

This was just one of those awful situation stories. Definitely a true test of whether the characters would do "the right thing" when the wrong thing is so much what they want. I really enjoyed this story - it's very sad, but in a very good way. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The 5 Love Languages was recommended to me by my husband and once I read it I could see all the small things he had changed in what he does for me in "speaking my language". I feel like this is one of those books that has been around long enough that most people (especially if you've been in any counselling) know the premise. To cynical me I was hesitant, but I now recommend this book all the time. It's such a simple idea - treat people how they want to be treated to show that you love them - but this can be ground breaking in a relationship that has lacked this type of interaction. I definitely recommend anyone in a relationship (or who hopes to be one day) read this book. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Reviews: 31 - 35 of 2017

I didn't manage to finish all my book reviews last year, so I will be catching up with those before posting the books from this year. If you're not into books, please just wait until later this week when more sewing will post :)

Theft By Finding is a collection of actual journal entries written by David Sedaris from 1977 to 2002. If you've ever read any of his other books, this one is right in line with his style - all his other books are written by consulting his journals for memories. These journal entries are equally hilarious as his stories from his books and with his same wit and sarcastic way of looking at the world. Some of the entries are more introspective, some are just to talk about something he noticed that was ridiculous. I highly enjoyed this book, and I would definitely recommend the audio book - just like most of his other books, this is read my Sedaris himself, so you get the true sound behind the words. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Hedda Gabler is a classic play by Ibsen that I picked up at random. Hedda Gabler is a beautiful, well off woman who marries a man she thinks will be a genius of his time. She soon realizes that he will no climb as high as she once hoped, and due to her lack of any sympathy or moral fiber she starts envisioning other ways to improve her situation. She begins manipulating old friends and finds herself in a compromising position she has not anticipated. All her conniving eventually lead to her demise. I have to say I don't really understand the significance of Hedda Gabler. She is deliberately written as a terrible person, which makes me not really care what happens to her... I can see how this might make for an interesting play to watch, just not super interesting to read. My fault there. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

White Oleander is the story of what happens to the fictitious Astrid Magnusson, daughter of a murderess. When Astrid is young her mother poisons her ex-boyfriend and is put in prison, leaving Astrid in the hands of "the system", passed between group homes and foster care. Astrid is not the typical child to be in this position, so she sticks out from all the other children. She deals with being shot, the death of a beloved foster mother, the interest of an older man, and much more. Astrid tries to reconcile her situation with her mother as she deals with the life she has been thrust into. I picked this book up because I loved the film so much when I was in high school, and I was surprised at how close an interpretation the film is. I enjoyed the books just as much as the film. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Salt Sugar Fat is an exposé of sorts written to enlighten us about what is actually in the food we eat. Big food companies have had little regulation with chemical additives in the foods we eat, letting them take advantage of consumer trust where food is concerned. Large food companies need to have something to make you want to buy their product over the competitor, so the 70s through the 90s became a free for all of added sugar, salt, and fat to improve the flavors of the foods we love, all things that toy with our brain chemistry and make us crave the foods more. This book talks a lot about the science of craving and how it has been studied and exploited. From a business aspect, this is all fair and it's technically our fault for not questioning the things we put in our mouths all along. From an ethical standpoint, it's a blatant breach of public trust. We thought food was food, so how would we question one of the most basic needs of human life when we had no reason to do so at the time? The result of all this salt, sugar, and fat is now one of America's most common health problems: obesity. The end of the book talks about what some companies are doing to help with the childhood obesity crisis, but really isn't it too little too late? We are all completely addicted to these additives to the point that we can't stand the taste of foods without them.

The books poses an interesting argument, but it was a little hard to get over the out and out "vigilante for justice" tone of the book. It's trying too hard to sell you on this idea. I prefer to have the information presented objectively, then maybe add the opinion of the author in the conclusion instead of having it throughout the entire book. This book was written to call out our food producers and government for allowing this to happen, but it in my mind this does bring up how much our personal involvement can be factored in. Did these companies add this junk to our foods? Absolutely. But did we, as consumers, pay attention to what we were eating? No we didn't. We just bought what tasted good, which we still do to this day. There is fault on both sides. In spite of my dislike of the books tone, there is still very good information in its pages. This is definitely worth a read, just keep in mind that you should try to hold off the open persuasiveness of the author. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

The Omnivore's Dilemma is an objective look at what our foods go through before they reach our plate. Michael Pollan does research from plant to plate on 4 separate meals: a modern, processed meal at McDonald's; a modern, processed "Certified Organic" meal; a local, non-processed organic meal; and a non-processed self gathered and hunted meal. The first meal reveals that everything in the McDonald's meal is made of corn in some way, going into detail about our government's ties with our corn producers and how it plays the major role of everything in our grocery stores. The second meal is obtained at Whole Foods with all certified organic products, involving research into the few regulations that actually make something "organic" legally speaking (basically just that no fertilizer was involved). The third meal is obtained from a small farm where the animals are all grass fed and circulated around the land to do the least damage to the ground, also the animals are killed on the premises and go straight to the hands of those who will eat them. The fourth meal is obtained entirely by the hands of the author - hunting for game, gathering plants, doing any additional processes himself.

I really loved this approach to understanding what happens to our food before we eat it - this really broke down some of the mysterious practices of food production as well as explaining the why behind each step. While the author does seem to lean toward the 3rd meal more than the others (frankly, after reading the book I don't see how you wouldn't), Pollan largely keeps his personal opinion out of the meals. He presents the information as it comes to him, but he still eats each of these meals himself. What I really liked was the discussion about the practicality of each meal in our modern society. While it would be great to be able to produce all of our food ourselves, it's just not realistic with the pace of the world today unless you completely unplug, which most of us are not able to do. This book really brings out great questions to ask yourself about what you are paying for and why with food. While it may not change everything you eat, it definitely gives you an honest look at exactly what you are eating. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Reviews: 26 - 30 of 2017

Flowers for Algernon is the story of Charlie Gordon, a mentally handicapped thirty year old man with an IQ of 59. Charlie wants more than anything to be smart after being told he is dumb his entire life. He signs up for a research study to try to increase intelligence and he is chosen as the first human to undergo the surgery. He quickly goes from having the understanding of a 10 year old to surpassing phds and college professors in their ability to understand complex concepts, languages, and much more. All the time that Charlie is improving, he is monitored and put through tests to verify his progress. He has emotional struggles he has never had before, so he must go through therapy. Life in general becomes much more complicated as he overcomes great odds just to be considered "normal", but when he goes past those around him they start to resent him. All the while Charlie is very interested in what happens to Algernon, the laboratory mouse who was the first successful test subject of this surgery before himself, to see what may become his own fate.

This was a very interesting story, and I love the way it was written. The book is first person narrative, and you can easily track the difference in his intelligence just from how he describes the world around him. In his natural (lower IQ) state, Charlie is very superstitious and thinks that everyone he interacts with are his "friends" in spite of the fact that they are making fun of him constantly. As he improves, he loses his "friends" because they feel he's become too high and mighty for them. He also has more and more memories from his childhood come to mind that he had locked away somewhere in his brain, shedding light on why he responds to somethings in some ways. Overall this book is a great look into how psychology works and begs the question of if it is right to give someone the gift of intelligence if it could be taken away. Is it better to be blissfully ignorant to what is considered "normal life" or is it worth knowing what you are missing later on? All good questions. I very much enjoyed this book, and if you are interested in psychology I definitely recommend it. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Into the Water follows the history of a small English riverside town with a dark past. When yet another local woman dies from apparent suicide in the water, investigators are sent in to determine what is going on. Was this suicide or was someone in the town upset that this woman was writing a book about "the drowning pool"? I liked the way the book progresses through each character's point of view. The story itself was definitely reminiscent of her previous book, The Girl on the Train. I like her writing style and it kept me guessing. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Good Omens is a hilarious story by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. It's the story of the apocalypse interpreted in extremely random ways. I don't want to give too much away, but it's awesome and you should read it, lol. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Everything Is Illuminated has been on my "to-read" list since college (when it was new), and I think I might have become too cynical in my years since because I just don't "get" this book. I love the story of Jonathan and Alex's trip through Ukraine - having loved the movie so much, this is the story I expected to read, but better than the film. The side story about the completely fictional history of Trachimbrod on the other hand ... what the heck? I've even gone to the extent of reading the reviews of others to see if there is some big point I missed, but I guess I'm just not in the early 20s mindset to appreciate this section of the book or something. I've read some reviews that say this section is Foer's attempt at philosophy, but I don't see what possible philosophy one could gain from this story. The characters are over-sexualized, as if sex is the only thing that motivates anyone no matter how young. It's just felt so odd and forced. I'm not generally a prude with what I read, but this was a bit over the top. The other, "modern" story makes up for this disappointment though, in my opinion.  I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

We Should All Be Feminists is a very short and to the point essay on feminism. The author really breaks through all the preconceived political nonsense people attach to the word "feminist" and describes it at its core: the fact that women and men should be treated equally. She even speaks out against the excuse of, "Well EVERYONE should be treated equally, so why are you trying to put women above men?" by explaining that of course everyone should be treated equally, but it is only women who seem to need to demand this treatment in order to not be pushed aside. Men don't have this problem. Thus, we should all be feminists. This really put into words the way I have always felt about gender equality. It is not loaded with other hidden motives - it is a basic explanation of the issue we face throughout the word. We should all be feminists, and we should all read this book. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Reviews: 16 - 20 of 2017

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them - I decided to listen to the new audio book of this, and it was lots of fun. The audio book is narrated by Eddie Redmayne (who plays Newt in the movies), and there is a new forward added by J.K. Rowling. I read the actual book back in high school for fun, but the audio book is very cute, with sound effects and growls for different animals. I definitely recommend giving it a listen if you get the chance!

The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko is a book I still reference in conversation all the time. Most lists of financial books everyone should read include this book, and there is good reason. The book is based off the research these two men did about the typical millionaire in 1995-1996. Until that point, most advertisers had a particular flashy lifestyle in mind when marketing to "millionaires", and these men set out to understand who millionaires really are and then sell their info to advertisers. Happily, they decided to use the info to write this book as well, so we can all benefit from the habits of millionaires. The book sets out to dispel the myth that all millionaires drive brand new luxury cars, live in mansions, and make sure to wear the latest fashions. In reality most "millionaires" (meaning that their net worth is over 1 million dollars) are average people who are very good at saving and investing wisely. Most of who we would look at and assume they are millionaires are actually very cash poor and spend more then they are worth to keep up their lifestyle. This book outlines spending habits and characteristics of millionaires, making it seem much more possible for you to become one yourself if you knuckle down and make wise financial decisions. I loved this book, and definitely recommend that everyone read it. Everyone is bound to learn something they can apply in their own life. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a makeshift biography on Chris McCandless, a young man who died in the Alaskan wilderness while living off the land in 1992. Krakauer follows the trail of McCandless' young life from a well-off family of the Washington D.C. area through college and through going "off the grid" to his family and friends for several years before he died on his biggest journey. Chris believed that people were too commercialized and that the only way to live a true existence was to shun modern civilization and make it on your own with what you could find - to live "honestly". He did ok on a few trips by himself, but he underestimated the hardships and desolation of Alaska. He ends up stuck and alone with very little food and eventually becomes too weak and starves to death.

I'll tell you ahead of time: this story is very much biased to try and make you like McCandless. The author, Krakauer, sees similarities in himself and Chris McCandless and tries to add deep meaning to Chris' death. This doting appreciation of a kindred soul couldn't mask the truth of Chris' life and mistakes: that he was a spoiled middle class guy who turned against his family because they live up to his personal ideals. As Krakauer references the few journal entries Chris wrote on his trip, he tries to lead the reader around to thinking Chris saw the error of his ways, but there is no proof of that in the information that was found. I'll confess, I read the book because I found the film interesting, but the book did little to kindle that interest. Obviously this is my opinion, but McCandless seems to have been a pretentious know it all of a guy who committed the same error so many people do in their twenties - thinking they are invincible. Obviously he was not, and now there's this book trying to make people like him when in reality making people like him was the lowest thing on his list of priorities. The book references that Chris was Tolstoyan, but he missed the big messages Tolstoy put into his more famous works: that your life is only as valuable as you are to those you love, and when you live only for yourself you will live a meaningless life. So how could a boy be "Tolstoyan" that renounced his family and the company of anyone and wound up dead in the wilderness only to be found by hikers months later? Doesn't add up to me. Nice try, Krakauer. I still don't like Chris McCandless. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro tells of the events of Darlington Hall, a large English hall from the 1930s to 1956. Mr. Stevens has been the butler at Darlington for all this time, and by 1956s the estate has been sold to an American man. His new employer allows Stevens to take a motoring trip to see some of the country, and Stevens uses it as an opportunity to try and rehire Miss Kenton, a former housekeeper who left the life of service to have a family. The story follows Mr. Stevens' trip and his reminiscences about things that happened both in his personal and professional life before the second world war.

The story's underlying theme for Mr. Stevens is the question of following his love or being what he feels is the best he can be in his profession. Mr. Stevens and Miss Kenton have a very passive aggressive romance over the years, ending when Miss Kenton has clearly waited long enough and decides to marry someone else. All this happens with the backdrop of Lord Darlington, a Nazi sympathizer and owner of Darlington Hall, hosting events with German state officials and other influential people from around Europe and America. The story is beautifully written and gives an interesting look into the classic life of English service. While Mr. Stevens seems to have given up so much in his life, he is happy in his old age knowing he did his duty with dignity. He still seems to wish he could turn back the clock with Miss Kenton though. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Tenth of December by George Saunders was recommended as "a very important book" to me, so I decided to give it a read. The book is a collection of short stories, some that have obvious meanings and some that seem to have no meaning at all. As with any collection like this, some of the stories stuck with me and some are gone. The Semplica Girl Diaries is a strange way to look at how we define what is appropriate commercialism. This story seems to get stranger and stranger once you realize what is happening and why. Victory Lap shows a young, parentally controlled boy's inner turmoil over whether he should help his neighbor who is being kidnapped. Puppy shows what happens sometimes when we think we are making a choice for someone's own good. Escape from Spiderhead is a sci fi story of human experimentation on murderous criminals. While I didn't necessarily understand each story at the time, after they've soaked in for a while I started to see the deeper implications in a few of them. The book will certainly make you think, and probably about topics you've considered but in a completely round about way. I still don't give this book quite as much credit as others, but it's worth a read. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Reviews: 11 - 15 of 2017

Naked by David Sedaris is yet another hilarious collection of his quirky life view. I'm a definite biased fan of most anything Sedaris writes as I just really connect with his dark and somewhat inappropriate humor. This book is no different. I will say that the title story at the end was interesting, but it wasn't as grabbing for me as the rest of the stories in the book. I love the memories of his childhood, and I particularly relate to his mother's treatment of his ticks. All of his reminiscences are funny but sad, which feels more realistic. I love the way he describes the world, and I was definitely entertained once again with this book. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin follows the story of Eilis Lacey, an Irish girl in who immigrates to Brooklyn, New York in the 1950s. Eilis comes from a poor Irish town where job opportunities are non-existent, so her sister, Rose, arranges with a priest in Brooklyn to find Eilis a job and a place to live. The story shows how she adjusts to being alone in a new country. She meets a boy after a few months and things begin to get better for her, then a tragedy calls her back home and has her questioning if her future lies in the US or Ireland.

I enjoyed this story for what it was - a story. I was doing a lot of family history and research at the time I read this, so I call serious foul that anyone in Ireland in the 1940s would name a baby Eilis, particularly when their other kids names are Rose, Jack, Martin, and Patrick. Eilis is a modern, Gaelic style name, not a traditional Catholic name like would've been used back then. There were a few moments in the book that felt unnecessary and were simply added to seem more modern (in my opinion, obviously). Overall the story was good, and it was a nice little escape to a different time and place. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is a classic mystery thriller from the 1930s. A very rich man marries a young nobody after his first wife dies, but the new wife soon learns that things are not all well in her husband's home. Rebecca was his first wife, and while his new wife tries to be sensitive about his loss, it seems she is always doing things wrong that upset him; not to mention the strange behavior of the housekeeper (who adored Rebecca). She begins to feel she is haunted by Rebecca's ghost when she's done nothing but try to avoid it. Eventually the truth of their situation comes to light and they can no longer go on the way they had.

I went into this story knowing absolutely nothing about it, which made for an interesting experience. I didn't even know this was a mystery when I began, lol. That said, the book does a very good job of giving an overall creepy feeling. The book is very well written with very poetic imagery throughout. You are easily able to understand the feelings of the protagonist, even if you think she's a spineless ninny sometimes. While I had a hunch about the big secret at the end, it was very well done and I enjoyed reading it through. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

My Week With Marilyn by Colin Clark is a memoir of a young man who spent a week with Marilyn Monroe while she was filming The Prince and the Showgirl. It's a very short story where Marilyn, put off by the British members of the crew and cast of her movie and having issues with her new husband (Arthur Miller), reaches out for attention from this 20-ish year old 3rd assistant to the director. He obviously idolizes her and feels that everyone really is picking on her, so he strokes her ego to help her along. At first no one wants Colin to see Marilyn because they are worried it will negatively effect her, but the two of them run off together and do a little sight seeing in London. Colin's time with Marilyn ends with a sad miscarriage that is shut up so the others don't find out about it. All in all it was an odd glimpse into the life of the biggest star in the world during her time, though I could never really get over how much Colin fawns over her and feels that she is controlled by these other evil people who only want to mooch off her stardom. Maybe it's my own notion that your life is your own and choices you make put you where you are, but I just couldn't enjoy it like I hoped I would. It was fine for a short escape though. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Kim by Rudyard Kipling is the story of an Irish boy growing up as an orphan on the streets of Lahore City India. Kim's mother died in childbirth, and his father (Kimball O'Hara of an Irish regiment) died when he was about 5, leaving only a "talisman" that Kim wears around his neck always, and instructions that Kim's young mind weaves into the vision of a "red bull on a green field" that will change his fate. Kim meets a holy Lama and becomes his chela, helping him on his holy quest to find a river The Buddha washed in. On their quest for the river, Kim sees a flag that has a red bull on a green field, so he goes to investigate and learn his fate. This leads to Kim being forced into school for white men, but he eventually is able to use his abilities on the streets as well as his English schooling in a big way.

This was a very interesting book, and it would be great for adolescent boys. The story takes a little work to get used to as there is so much Indian slang, but you quickly get into the swing of things. The story moves along very well, which I feel would keep even kids interested. Learning the mystery of Kim and what he will become turns into your main concern, keeping you wanting to read more. I very much enjoyed this story (and I loved the old school Indian insults Kim spouts to everyone, lol). I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.