Lucky - Alice Sebold

I had to read ONE MORE BOOK for the Twenty Ten Reading Challenge. One that had to have come from a charity shop. Frankly, I doubt if anyone really cares if I finish this challenge or not, but it is like a burr in my britches to leave one on the table that I could realistically cross off my list. So here you are, on New Year's Eve. Is that an echo I hear out on the blogs today? Is anyone out there?

If you have read either "The Lovely Bones" or "The Almost Moon", I suspect you finished them and asked yourself something like "What kind of person could possibly write such a thing? This author is coming from a dark, dark place." Alice Sebold's books are completely polarizing. Some loved them. Some were completely enraged. She has an edge that many authors can't come close to emulating - she takes what is acceptable in polite society and pushes the boundaries out a couple miles. One thing you can't take away from her though...she is a compelling writer. Whether you are cringing, or crying, or screaming in outrage, you can't put her books down. This book gives you a peek inside Alice Sebold's young life, offering a few explanations.

Synopsis: When Alice was 19 and a freshman at Syracuse, she was brutally raped and sodomized. She was a virgin at the time. This book tells the story of this attack. Every stomach-churning detail, from the way the attacker smelled, every degrading action and word, every punch, every repulsive invasion. Alice recalls her experience with her friends, who supported her and who avoided her, her time at the hospital, the police headquarters, the difficulty of calling her parents.

Then begins the journey to recovery, through a life that will never be the same. Alice returns home for the summer to recover. She fills us in on her family history. Her father's emotional distance. Her mother's nervous attacks that she calls "flaps". Her sister, the over-achiever. When Alice returns to school the following fall, life doesn't get any easier. She suffers self-loathing. She is paranoid. She attempts to get her life back together. She attempts to act strong to ease the discomfort for those around her. Drugs and alcohol cushion the way.

Then she sees her assailant on the street and all hell breaks loose. There is a trial, and she must face her biggest fear - to stare down the man that ruined her life and call him by his name. Then she must destroy him.

"I let it come now, the thing that had been burning at the corners of my temples the night before and boiled beneath the surface all that year: rage."

My thoughts: Everything that is addictive about Alice Sebold's fictional work has been put to good use in what I would call "a journal from a rape survivor". Sebold doesn't hold anything back. She is fearless with this memoir. I warn you that at times it isn't easy to read. Rape isn't pretty, and it affects the victim in more ways than physical. Family members and friends are also collateral damage. It destroys one's sense of safety, one's sense of control, and sense of self. I guess I've always known this, but never has it been more evident than in reading the words of a very eloquent survivor.

It is important to know that she is the furthest thing from pompous or self-satisfied about her survival. She admits her fears, her irrational behavior, her digression into drug abuse. But she also acknowledges her desire to not back down against the despicable man who did this to her. Girlfriend kicked ass.

Despite the fact that this is a very tough subject, Sebold comes out the other side with a self-realization of her own courage, strength, and the ability to use her words to help others. After all, anyone who would use the title "Lucky" for a book like this has something to offer the world.

"But it is later now, and I live in a world where the two truths coexist; where both hell and hope lie in the palm of my hand."

For anyone who has been a victim of rape, or knows someone who has, I'd say this book is required reading. Even those not directly affected by rape will take something from this memoir as well too. Post-traumatic stress finds its way into lives through many cracks and crevices.

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Store - Bentley Little

As the year winds up, I find myself trudging like a sad sack towards my reading challenge goals. Some are going to crash and burn, and some may yet be saved. I found one particular challenge, The Twenty Ten Challenge, amusing. You must read twenty books, two from each category, such as Young Adult, Older Than You, or New in 2010, for example. I had two books left to read to complete my mission...books from charity shops. Obviously I'm not all that charitable in my literary purchases. Anyway, I decided to put on a burst of speed in the last stretch and make this happen.

For some reason, I grabbed this book. I was turned onto this author by Uncle Stevie, who touted Little as capable of providing a good scare (note the blurb at the top of the cover). And in the scare department, who wouldn't trust the master?

Synopsis: Bill Davis is a regular guy, with a wife and two daughters and a good job, who lives in a regular small town in northern Arizona. Life is hunky dorey. Until a large corporation called The Store moves into town, plows over a scenic meadow, and builds a large structure intending to sell everything one would need at a low, low price. Their promise of jobs gains them a supportive city council, tax breaks, and the unspoken license to control anything and everything in town. Family-owned businesses fail. While many townspeople have blindly bought into The Store and what it offers, Bill Davis is not happy.

There is something more sinister going on here, however, that goes beyond the ruination of a small town. When Bill's daughters apply for jobs at The Store, we are given a peek at the humiliating and almost cultish hiring process. Once a monopoly has been achieved, The Store begins to sell items that pander to it's customers darker desires. Then there are the Night Managers, who stay in the basement until The Store closes. What purpose do they serve?

My thoughts: I am not sure what I expected when I turned the first page of this book, but it wasn't this. I will grant you that there were parts of the plot, especially in the beginning, that seemed really corny. A pathetic attempt at foreshadowing I suppose. The Store was built faster than an ordinary structure, and that gave Bill a bad feeling. There were no windows in the structure, and that gave Bill a bad feeling. They decimated a pretty meadow, and that gave him a bad feeling. Please! I'm not a 10 year old sitting around a campfire.

But as the story got rolling, it seriously began to chill my blood, because it all sounded so familiar. A multi-billion dollar corporation that sells tires, groceries, clothing, eyeglasses, sushi? At prices that put everyone else out of business? And subjects their employees to questionable business practices? A company not only after our business, but a town's jugular or it's soul? We're already there folks. Little pushes the envelope to a slightly drastic scenario (dystopia maybe?), and incorporates a dash of the demonic supernatural to get his point across. But it left me wanting to step back and cast a discriminating eye on who the hell is behind the wheel of this bus.

I did some poking around about Little as a person, and it was no surprise to find that he is a disciple of King, distrusts and dislikes large corporations, and refuses to operate an official website. You have to appreciate the man for sticking by his principles.

4 out of 5 stars

The Singer's Gun - Emily St. John Mandel (Kindle)

It has been over two weeks since I've read The Singer's Gun. Generally, within a few days of reading a book, I become inspired
to write a review, but not this time. The book almost defies description. But the review must be written, so at this stage, I have to just dive in and go for it. Hope it works out.

Anton Waker has gone missing, much to the irritation of the police force, who suspect him of human trafficking and selling illegal social security numbers. His parents are distraught. Is he dead? Is he gallivanting throughout Europe? A seemingly straight-forward mystery is underfoot.

We flashback, and are introduced to Anton months earlier. He works for a prestigious consulting firm, is a Harvard graduate, is engaged to a famous cellist, and has a close, slightly flirtatious relationship with his lovely secretary. Mandel peels back a layer of the onion, and reveals a few more facts...Anton's illegal family business, a fiance that keeps cancelling the wedding, a vicious and money-hungry cousin, a falsified college degree. We squirm. Another layer is peeled back, and we see a secretary blackmailed to spy on Anton, a life unraveling, and a tortured man wanting and attempting to live a clean life. We read even faster.

We travel from New York, to the frozen tundra in the far reaches of Canada, to a tiny, beautiful island off the coast of Italy. There is a gun. There is one last deal to make. The tension continues to build, and we are hooked.

For those looking for an action-packed thriller, you may be disappointed. Instead, Mandel has delivered more of a restrained, literary mystery that builds slowly and subtly, that pulls the reader quickly into a noirish tale of lost souls. The characters are flawed but endearing...Anton even loves and misses his adoring, one-eyed cat, which pretty much sealed the deal for me. Inequities are present and don't resolve themselves. People die. The ending is wide open. The story is enigmatic.

I read the book in one sitting, and folks, this rarely happens. If my description above appeals to your senses, add it to your list quickly.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Smile - Raina Telgemeir

A minor detour was required amidst serious reading. My daughter bought this insanely popular book "Smile" at the book fair, and she assured me I could read it in about 20 minutes. Turns out, it took about an hour, but was a wonderful diversion. A little bonus? It was a graphic novel! I haven't started whittling away at my Graphic Novel Challenge yet. My intent was to have a month of graphic hedonism sometime this summer. But why not see what all the fuss was about? There had to be something to it if Emma has read it three times already.

The book is an autobiography of sorts by Raina Telgemeir, a comic illustrator who has been nominated for various Ignatz, Cybil and Eisner awards, as well as the adaptor and illustrator of Babysitter's Club graphic novels. The story follows Raina from 6th grade into high school. It documents her 4 1/2 year journey through dental torment, including reconstruction, retainers and braces. We also see her progress through boy troubles, judgemental friends, a devastating earthquake (in her hometown of San Francisco), acne, homework, and family dynamics. She learns to stay true to herself and not allow her peers to walk all over her.

In the middle grade and young adult literary environment of vampires, teen sex, foul language and bullying, this novel is a breath of fresh air. It just reconfirms that you don't need trash to entertain a 12-year-old. If I sound a little edgy, that is because I am. I recently read a very positive review of a book that I ordered from the library for my daughter to read...it sounded like it was right up her alley. Only to have my her tell me it was full of foul language and inappropriate behavior (she is pretty good at policing herself!). Shame on me for not reading it first. (I DO intend to read it by the way, so I talk her through whatever damage has been done.) She is a pretty mature 12-year-old, and understands the difference between right and wrong. Does this mean that she should read this stuff? I think she would choose not to. It makes her uncomfortable and finds it distasteful, and prefers books that make her feel like a happy, normal 12-year-old.

It is refreshing to read a book with a wholesome message. Ultimately, the proof is in Emma's attitude towards this book, which, as I said earlier, she has read three times and has rated it with quite a bit of love.

Emma: 5 out of 5 stars
Me: 4 out of 5 stars

Read the Book/See the Movie: Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston (audio)

When I first signed up for the Read the Book/See the Movie Challenge, hosted by my friend James (Ready When You Are, C.B.), I came up with a list of potentials to complete the required four movie/book minimum. I have yet to make good on any of them. See, I get drawn into an unplanned read, am blown away by the book, then realize there's a movie that goes with it. Voila! This is what happened with Fingersmith, Shutter Island, and the latest inspiration, Their Eyes Were Watching God.

My curiosity got the best of me. Folks are quite proud of Zora Neale Hurston down here in Central Florida. She grew up in Eatonville, Florida, (just north of Orlando) the first all black town incorporated in the US, and is heralded as a great African American folklorist during the Harlem Rennaisance. Every year in Eatonville, they have a huge festival celebrating Zora's life. It was only proper that I appreciated her contributions to the literary world.

The story is narrated by Janie Starks, a woman with a reputation around town. She's beautiful and elusive, and has been widowed twice in her young life, which inspires the townsfolk, sitting on their front porches, to speculate and envy the woman. Having just returned from the Everglades to her home in Eatonville, she tells her story to her friend Phoebe. Through her eyes, we see the development of Eatonville in the early 1920's...the establishment of the town store, the town's first street lamp, the town's first mayor. We witness the famous flooding of the Lake Okeechobee as a result of a hurricane in 1928. Jamie make not always make the wisest decisions when it comes to men, but we witness her finding love and finding herself.

I found the story compelling in the hands of Hurston. Florida's fascinating black history came to life - history of the area in which I live to which I was clueless. Janie, her husbands, and the townsfolk, were vivid, entertaining characters. The men dominating over their wives, the "porch drama", the love of baseball, life in a farm camp in the Everglades, and the immigrant Bahamian music. But the main attraction above and beyond all is Hurston's writing. It is rich and poetic, and oh so beautiful. This woman had some MAD writing skillz! It nearly put me into a trance, sort of like the intoxicating smell of night jasmine or gardenia.

There is quite a bit of dialect, and it took a little while to get used to listening to it. I'm not sure how easy or difficult it would be to read in print. In the care of the narrator, Ruby Dee (who was also in the movie) it was like watching a movie with my ears. It was breathtaking. This sets some pretty high standards for the movie, but I had to give it a go.

***************

They filmed part of the movie in Orlando and in the Everglades, which caused a stir at the time. In fact, my parents, who had a home in a fish camp in the Everglades back then, had a Seminole Indian friend who had a bit part (the Indian who warned Janie and Teacake about the coming hurricane). Everyone down here was talking about the movie. We even taped it, but I never ended up watching it.

It was a made-for-TV movie (by Oprah), so who knew what we were going to get. On the other hand, the beautiful Halle Berry starred as Jamie, with her almond eyes, high cheekbones and long curly hair. She was the perfect Janie! I found the movie to be generally similar to the plot of the book, but it took much of the emotional, jagged parts of the novel and smoothed it over. Like the translation of book to film in Fingersmith, there is just no way the poetic beauty of the words can translate. This was Zora-Lite.

Besides Halle Berry, there are also cameo parts played by Terrance Howard and Ruby Dee. These are not parts that would ever gain your attention, but it does signify the support of this film by the African-American acting community.

Is the movie worth seeing? Yes, absolutely. But don't expect it to even come close to the masterpiece of the novel.

Book: 5 out of 5 stars

Movie: 2.5 out of 5 stars

How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly - Connie May Fowler

I doubt there is a living, breathing follower of my blog out there that doesn't know I am a huge fan of Connie May Fowler. In 2009, I consumed everything she had published, and delighted in watching her evolve as a writer...from some of the darker works of her earlier days (Sugar Cage, Before Women Had Wings), to her cathartic memoir When Katie Wakes, to the lighter, ethereal novels of Remembering Blue and The Problem with Murmur Lee.

You will understand then, why I was indescribably excited when Connie contacted me late in 2009 and offered me the opportunity to review her upcoming book, How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly. The only downside in the whole scenario was that I would have to sit on it for three months, squirming to let the cat out of the bag! This book isn't just brilliant, it is a wild ride a mile above the ground that takes us flying right along beside Clarissa. It is also obvious to me that Connie is having one heck of a lot of fun.

Clarissa Burden is a woman on the edge. She is an acclaimed author, but has a bad case of writer's block. She is married to a detestable, chauvinistic artist that shamelessly draws (and sleeps with) nude models. In fact, Clarissa has frequent fantasies of the various ways she might kill the bastard. Pulled down by insecurities instilled in her childhood, she assumes all bad things in life are her fault. But deep down in Clarissa, there is a slow burn that is about to erupt.

On the summer solstice of 2006 (coincidentally my 40th birthday - how cool is that?) we hang with Clarissa, and watch her journey of self-discovery and awakening. She doesn't travel down what we would consider the expected, traditional path however. She almost haplessly wanders around her rural, northern Florida town, receiving subtle inspiration from a housefly, her internal voices (called the ovarian shadow women, assuming the personalities of Bea Arthur, Christiane Amanpour, the Wicked Witch of the West and Ethel Merman), a soft-hearted, one-eyed, slightly dude-ish fisherman, a handsome writing colleague, a used car salesman, a fallen angel, an abandoned cemetery full of forgotten women's souls, and the spirits of a murdered family who once lived in Clarissa's house.

Ha! Did you do a double take? I did too. One might assume this is your typical "woman busting out of her chains and becoming empowered" kind of yarn, but it's not. She does an uncanny job of taking you to a place where Everywoman has been. You know, down in the muck that threatens never to let go, where you question yourself and are scared to let yourself be beautiful. But at the same time, Connie takes it to a spiritual, other-worldly place, introducing a very unexpected and precious supernatural element.

As if I thought Connie May Fowler couldn't get any better, or move me any more than she already has! She doesn't just fly, she soars, and she took me with her.

5 out of 5 stars

My Cousin Rachel - Daphne Du Maurier

I learned this late in 2009...if you ever want a creepy, atmospheric, character-driven piece of literature, you can usually find what you are looking for in a Daphne Du Maurier novel. Probably best known for her short-story The Birds, or her sweeping tale of Manderley in Rebecca, she is a master of suspense and storytelling. This is not the stuff of Stephen King; her art is much more subtle and seems to have a knack for leaving you hanging at the end, asking "wha???".

The story centers on young Phillip Ashley, orphaned at a young age and raised by his beloved older cousin Ambrose. While on vacation in Italy, Ambrose meets a cousin named Rachel, falls in love and gets married, all the while writing to Phillip, providing a detailed account of the whirlwind courtship. Suddenly, the letters become scarce, and start to sound like ravings of a paranoid madman, calling his new wife his tormentor. Concerned, Phillip travels to Italy to visit his cousin, but finds that he has passed away, apparently of a "fever" caused by a brain tumor. Hmm...

A few weeks later, Rachel comes a-callin', under the guise of delivering Ambrose's effects. Phillip is determined to despise her, but just cannot resist her easy manner, her beauty and vulnerability. He falls and he falls hard, acting like a complete lovesick fool, ready to offer Rachel a limb or whatever it takes to win her heart. It is under this disability that Phillip must answer some tough questions. Is he being used? Was Ambrose's death accidental? Just who, exactly, is this Rachel? What are her motives and are they pure? These are questions you will be pondering for days after you've turned the last page.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the plot of this book. In fact, if you have any sense of Du Maurier, it all becomes clear within five or six chapters. Still, this doesn't lessen the fun of the journey. The entire story is narrated by Phillip, who is definitely not without bias. We live inside his heart and breathe all of the emotions that a first love can bring...self-doubt, elation, jealousy, paranoia, depression. It's not long, though, before you begin to question his judgement. This is the thrill of "My Cousin Rachel" really - in figuring out the truth. To me, there is no better exercise for the mind. After finishing this one, you might just feel like you've run a few laps, envigorated and ready for more.

4 out of 5 stars

A Black Tie Affair - Sherrill Bodine

Unlike most review copies, this book came to me in an usual way. My mom (a huge Facebooker) told me recently that one of her rediscovered high school chums was an author! How cool is that? So through a few e-mails, Sherrill and I hooked up, and she sent me her most recent novel, and also sent me one for my Adult Literacy League silent auction. Her generosity is so greatly appreciated!

Athena Smith is a young, beautiful fashion curator in Chicago. To her delight, some vintage gowns have been discovered in a secret vault that belonged to Bertha Palmer, one of the founding women of Chicago. While Athena is examining the gowns, she is affected by toxic fumes coming from the gowns, which acts like a truth serum. Incoherent, she is rushed to hospital, exulting her undying love for Drew Clayworth, the studly heir of the prestigious Clayworth family fortune. And, in the middle of the fuss, the gowns are stolen. Athena must use all her industry connections to try to locate the missing gowns. Just look for the persons revealing their innermost secrets right?

But here is the catch. Athena has a history with handsome Drew. Young love, a misunderstood breakup, unresolved feelings. Now that he is back in her life temporarily, will they work out their differences? Or will they end it once and for all? Plus, there is this tricky issue, a undisclosed secret, about why Athena's father was accused of defrauding the Clayworth investments. Athena will not submit to choosing between Drew and her father.

I'm not necessarily a connoisseur of romance novels. I have a slightly cynical heart, so throughout most romances, I have a little snarky woman living in my ear whispering "yeah, but he's a cheater...he'll never change!" or "happily ever after by rear end!". For this read, though, I banned snarky woman to my big toe for a few days so I could fairly review this book. (Tasha at Heidenkind would be proud.)

This is a light-hearted romance infused with a little Chicago history, a little glitz and glamour, and a little tongue-in-cheek fun (tracking down the missing gowns by finding crazy-acting socialites!). There is even a guest appearance of Rebecca from Bodine's first novel "Talk of the Town". There are no twists and surprises here, but I'm guessing this is not a need romances are designed to fill, am I right? There is even a loose strand or two at the end, which is a nice touch. Room for a sequel? Perhaps. So book yourself an appointment at the spa, or a day at the beach, in between a murder thriller and a WWII novel (NOT while you are renovating a bathroom), and allow yourself an indulgence.

3 out of 5 stars

Brooklyn - Colm Toibin

I was compelled to purchased this book on my last trip to Chicago, after reading Simon's glowing review. In fact, Brooklyn was Simon's favorite book of 2009, and I wasn't going to let it slip through my fingers.

The story is an immigrant's tale, set in the 1950's. 20-something Eilis Lacey lives in her small Irish town, living with her widowed mother and vivacious and successful older sister. She willingly stands in the shadows of all around her, including her friends. She aspires to be a bookkeeper, and lives to please. Her life is disrupted when her sister and an American priest arrange for Eilis to travel to Brooklyn, where there are jobs and opportunities for girls with her work ethic and intelligence. Despite her inner doubts, she goes.

Eilis gets a job working for a department store. She goes to school at night to become a certified bookkeeper. She volunteers at church functions. She does as she is told. She meets a clean-cut Italian boy who adores her. She allows herself to be swept along by his love, and convinces herself she is a better person with him in her life. But when a family emergency calls her home to visit, she is faced with some tough choices. Does she continue to make her decisions based on what everyone else wants, or what is in her heart?

Like I said, this is the perfect story of an immigrant. One that could represent that of my husband, my great-grandparents, or our forefathers. In his gentle prose, Toibin paints a picture of hard work, the desire to succeed, the drive to be the best. It is the stuff this country was built on.

It is also a period piece. Toibin gives us a peek into post-war Americana - the chasm between the proper and the hip, the development of an urban society, and discrimination of Jews, Blacks, Italians and Irish in an immigrant melting pot. Mind you, these issues were just barely touched upon. Toibin could have developed this into an 800 page book. But he held back for the sake of simplicity.

Most importantly though, this is the story of a girl struggling with her coming of age. You admire her for her singular focus and determination, yet she can't quite seem to break free of this notion that she must follow the rules. I found it incredibly frustrating, yet I loved her just the same.

There has been much said about the ending of this book. Book clubs might debate it for hours. Is it satisfying? Is it what you expected? It is what you wanted? Is it realistic? My answers would be no, probably, no and yes. I truly wanted to cry from disappointment. I wanted to hunt down Toibin like Annie Wilkes, lock him in my house, and make him re-write the ending. I guess I have to respect him for his creative decisions, though. It was an otherwise subtle and beautiful novel.

4 out of 5 stars

Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life As We Knew It has been an overnight sensation on the blogs lately. It is the first book in a Young Adult trilogy about what could perhaps be the end of the world. Seems like heavy stuff, and it is. But after reading the reviews from Lisa (Books on the Brain), Carrie (Books and Movies), Amy (My Friend Amy) and Nymeth (Things Mean Alot), YA connoisseurs all, could there be no doubt that I was missing out if I did not read it? Yet another impulsive library request...

In fact, my daughter got her hands on it before I did. She was visibly shaken by the book but at the same time couldn't put it down. I happened to be finishing up "Brooklyn" at the time, and she asked me at least once a day whether I'd started this book yet. She was anxious to talk about it.

And for good reasons. This was an incredible, unforgettable book. The setting is in the current day, and our narrator is a 16-year-old girl named Miranda, who is keeping a diary. Her parents are divorced but amiable. Her father has remarried and is expecting a new baby. Her older brother Matt goes to college, and her younger brother Jon is in middle school, and lives with Miranda, their mother and the family cat. Typical family these days.

Nobody thinks twice when the news reports that an asteroid is going to collide with the moon. In fact, it is sort of a media event, like an eclipse. But upon impact, everyone understands, with a sickening fear, that the situation has been underestimated. The moon is pushed closer to the earth, disrupting the gravitational balance. Tsunamis are the first catastrophic result, wiping out everyone living anywhere near the coast (Florida and California are always getting the short end of the stick!). Then there are the earthquakes, volcanoes in unlikely locations, the heavy ash, the deadly communicable diseases...

Because of Miranda's mother's survival instincts, quick reflexes and desire to protect her family, they secure plenty of food, water, gasoline and warm clothing. But how long will the supplies last? When will things be back to normal, or will they ever be normal again? Miranda documents their daily struggles, which include food rationing, communicating with long-distance loved ones, gun-wielding bandits, death, and finding one's own personal space in an ever-shrinking world. Despite conflict, the family works out their problems and stays strong for each other. They begin to take pleasure in the smallest of blessings...ice-skating at a nearby pond, a game of chess, an old forgotten box of baseball cards. In what is an incredibly dark story, there are shards of hope:

"I never knew I could love as deeply as I do. I never knew I could be so willing to sacrifice things for other people. I never knew how wonderful a taste of pineapple juice could be, or the warmth of a woodstove, or the sound of Horton (the cat) purring, or the feel of clean clothes against freshly scrubbed skin. It wouldn't be New Year's without a resolution. I've resolved to take a moment every day for the rest of my life to appreciate what I have."

Miranda is a delightful protagonist. She is like any other teenage girl in how she longs for a boyfriend, needs her personal space, and is defiant of her mother (they have a few fights that are doozies). But she digs deep and finds strength within herself that she never knew she had. She loves her family and would make any sacrifice to help them. You can help but love her.

The overall premise is terrifying. It does not appear there is so much science behind Pfeffer's books as there is intuitive consequences (based on her blog here) but it is believable enough to keep you up at night. With the rains, the unusual cold temperatures, and earthquakes, you'd think it was starting now!

As I speak, I have "The Dead and the Gone", the second book of the trilogy, is on order from the library. It is my understanding that the book centers on another teen in New York City during the same time period. My daughter and I wait anxiously!

My daughter's rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Read the Book/See the Movie: Fingersmith - Sarah Waters (Kindle)

I've read The Little Stranger and Night Watch, both by Sarah Waters, and was mesmerized. And everyone that has reviewed Fingersmith has been mesmerized. So there were some high expectations involved here, and I was a little nervous. Not to worry, however. From the moment I sat down to read Fingersmith, I was dumbstruck. I was infatuated. I was stunned. The intrigue! The plot twists! The writing! The Victorian atmosphere! I needed resuscitated when I was finished.

Nymeth (Things Mean Alot) says that the first rule of The Fingersmith Club is that you shan't talk about it. And I understand why, I do. It is a house of mirrors. But I at least need to say enough to lure people to read it. So I shall be brief.

Susan Trinder has been raised her entire life in Victorian London by a ragtag group of thieves assimilating a dysfunctional family. One day, a thief acquaintance arrives at their door, proposing a scheme. He and Susan will befriend a young heiress, Maud Lilly (Susan will become her maid, he will become her boyfriend). He will marry Maud, and they will make off with her money, and commit her to an insane asylum. But as they will, things don't go quite as planned. And there I will stop. Have I protected the goods? I think so.

Waters is a master. She could make tax code interesting with her brilliant storytelling and her compelling prose. This story is riveting and beautiful and haunting. It made such an impact on me, I couldn't walk away from it just yet. I had to see the movie, a BBC production.

*********

The movie was a BBC production, with a running time of 3 hours. Most of the actors are unknown, with two exceptions. Mrs. Sucksby is played by Imelda Staunton, who is delightful as always. Susan is played by Sally Hawkins, a British actress best known for her lead role in Happy-Go-Lucky. The casting, based on my mind's eye, worked well (Susan could have been just a wee bit cuter, but there you go. She had a rough life, after all.) The writers of the screenplay and director are obviously Waters admirers, as the production is very true to the story...there was no embellishment for the sake of a thrill. The sets were magnificent, depicting the beauty of the gothic Briar estate, and the squalor of inner city London.

Did I like it? I did, immensely! However, if you've read anything by Waters, you know the beauty of her story lies within the words and the writing. I'm not sure any movie ever adapted from a Waters novel could ever quite have the same...essence. If you are a fan of the story, though, you won't be sorry.

Book: 5 out of 5 stars
Movie: 4 out of 5 stars

The Liar's Club - Mary Karr (audio)

Memoirs can be a dicey business. It has almost become standard fare these days to find yourself slogging through tales of childhood abuse, molestation, alcoholism, and drug addiction...some true stories, and some fabricated. And for anyone who has read The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, the standard has been set for tell-all excellence. Mary Karr's name kept coming up though, and eventually I couldn't ignore it. Her latest release "Lit" was ranked as one of the top non-fiction books in 2009 by Entertainment Weekly. I soon learned that it was the third in a loosely-formed trilogy about the author's life. "The Liar's Club" focuses on Mary's childhood, "Cherry" on her adolescence, and "Lit" on her adult life. Far be it for me to read things out of order, so I ordered the first book on audio from the library.

There really are no surprises here - it is your garden variety dysfunction. Mary recounts her life, spent growing up in Texas with a brief stint in Colorado. Her parents both drink and fight, her mother just a few cards short of a full deck and prone to bouts of depression and psychosis. She fondly remembers her hapless, doting father spending countless hours at the lodge with a group of other petroleum factory workers, deemed The Liar's Club, drinking and telling tall tales, often with Mary in tow. When Mary's bad-natured grandmother is diagnosed with cancer and comes to live with them, the tide turns for the worse, which ultimately results in the equivalent of an implosion in the Karr family.

Mary also finds herself battling against a lifetime supply of unanswered questions regarding her mother's behavior, actions and secrets, always imagining that she was to blame somehow. I found it to be rewarding to witness Mary's eventual reconciliation with some of the demons which drug her down paths already traveled by her parents.

Mary uses level-headed, slightly dry-humored southern prose to lay out her life before her readers. Whether she is telling about being raped by a neighbor boy when she was 7, molested by a babysitter at 8, witnessing her mother making a bonfire out of family possessions, or digging food stamps out of the garbage in order to redeem them for a gift for her father, she never permits despair or martyrdom to consume her. She reports it all as matter-of-fact, with a touch of sardonic humor. Her voice is incredibly entertaining.

But compare this to The Glass Castle I must. While The Glass Castle inspired outrage as a reaction to the behaviour of Jeanette Walls' parents, I wasn't nearly as emotional with this memoir. The Liar's Club never found itself wallowing in self-pity, but there wasn't quite the wisp of hope I would've liked to see either. I guess understandably, Mary has two more books of crappy life experiences to share before she hoists herself out of the quagmire! (Which I will absolutely be reading in the near future.)

4 out of 5 stars

When Teachers Talk - Rosalyn S. Schnall

A couple of months ago, I was contacted by Amy at Phenix & Phenix about the opportunity to review "When Teachers Talk". I was intrigued by its premise...that the book uncovers the real reason for the dismal state of the public school systems in America. Our schools are so bad in Orlando, my husband and I have opted to enroll our children in a private school. There are hundreds of theories on the underlying issues, and I was interested to hear another.

Schnall's claim is that the primary reason for the decline in public schools is abusive principals. She has interviewed 500 teachers, primarily from the Chicago area, and has transcribed these interviews, word for word, without edits, placing the topics in various categories...teacher's health affected, teacher attrition, unbelievable abuses, etc. This is dense information - over 500 pages worth. Pages and pages of teachers, varying in tenure, having their day in court, so to speak. Tales of power-hungry principals, asking teachers to falsify answers on standardized tests, covering up crimes that occur within the school walls, destroying teachers' classroom projects, and demeaning the teachers in front of other staff and students. As a result, children are not receiving quality schooling because of these distractions.

I experienced several different emotions while reading this book. First, I would like to validate the book's message. Yes there are issues here - ones we've all heard about in the news. The danger of standardized testing and linking principal compensation and school grants with the results of these tests. The absence of checks and balances. Poorly compensated teachers. The list goes on.

I believe, however, it is an over-simplification to blame it all on the bad boss. Because let's face it. There are bad bosses out there. In corporate America, where I worked until a handful of years ago, there were 10 bad bosses to 1 good one. Bosses that asked you to do things that were not only uncomfortable, but sometimes downright illegal. Bosses that were high on a power trip. Bosses that demeaned you in front of others, spread rumors, harassed, maligned and bullied. If you ever ask me why I quit my job, I'll give you an earful. It is not unique to the school systems, it is everywhere. This, folks, is the human condition. The unfortunate consequences of this condition, as it applies to schools, however, is that it does affect our children.

The book is chock-full of horror stories, but stories that are fraught with spelling and grammatical errors. Ones that often are not clearly-defined, but rantings and ravings of people on the edge. It is pretty intense, and must be read in small doses.

Missing from the interviews are the students and the principals' perspectives. There are always two sides to a story. How can one really get to crux of the complaints without it? How do we know if the teachers were meeting performance expectations, had attitude problems, or if they were exaggerating? I had plenty of experience with problem employees, ones that did not perform, made repeated errors, and led what I liked to call the "bad attitude club". If you would have interviewed them at any given point, you would have thought I was the Wicked Witch of the West, if I were not allowed to offer my side of the story.

I'm not saying that I don't believe the teachers' stories. But I think to provide validity to the argument, we need to hear from everyone.

Schnall has collected a tremendous amount of data that would serve well on a larger study. There is obviously a pervasive issue here, and we've only seen the tip of the iceberg. After reading this book, I discussed it with my husband and had hours of compelling discussion on the topic. There are no easy answers, but I applaud the author for this monumental undertaking.

2.5 out of 5 stars

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins (audio)

The kids and I listened to The Hunger Games this past March on audio, and were completely entranced by this compelling story. It is against this novel that all Young Adult novels shall be judged. In fact, it could stand up to many works of adult fiction as well. It was physically painful then for us to wait for the release of the second installment of the trilogy in September. Throw in a healthy waiting list for the audio at the library, and here we are, in late December, with Catching Fire behind us, banging our heads against the wall, waiting now for book number 3.

I have no idea how one goes about reviewing this book without spoilers. So I guess you won't get much of a synopsis. I'll see how far I can go without crossing the line...

Katniss and Peeta return from the Hunger Games to their home district, presumably to a heroes' welcome and life of luxury. There is some spirited love triangle action going on between Katniss, Peeta and Gayle, as you would expect, but other than that, they are getting settled back into their routines. The government, however, has their knickers in a knot. Sensing district unrest, they are becoming more militaristic, more brutal, more manipulative, than ever before. And they have a few bones to pick with Katniss.

It is with some anticipation that Panem awaits the next round of Hunger Games, which will mark the 75th anniversary. Every 25 years, they hold a special Hunger Games called a Quarter Quell, each with their own sadistic little twists and special rules. What will the government have up their sleeves this time? Let the games begin.

If there is one thing I hate, it is being able to figure out plot twists before they happen. I am pleased to announce that this DID NOT HAPPEN in Catching Fire. In fact, we didn't quite know what hit us. We laughed at the ironies, screamed with our arms upraised at the evil, the twists, the unfairness of it all. Was this book as good as The Hunger Games? Not quite, but almost. The premise is no longer new, and you just can't get that magic back once you've traveled down that path. Still, our expectations were met and exceeded.

Now we are back to Harry Potter. I'm not sure if our little hearts can stand all this excitement!

4.5 out of 5 stars

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - Haruki Murakami (audio)

Believe it or not, but I still have not read any of the amazing novels by Murakami. Kafka by the Shore and Wind-Up Bird Chronicles still sit on my shelves, intimidating me with their size. But time was ticking down on Bellezza's Japanese Reading Challenge, so in a moment of panic I started browsing my library's audio archives for a Murakami, and came up with this. Initially, I had no idea what I had stumbled upon. Then the clouds parted, and I was enlightened.

What you have before you is a peek inside Murakami's brilliant mind, a memoir of sorts. His life as an author, and the influence running has had on every facet of his author's existence. My first reaction was "Well, great. I used to run, but my knees gave out on me years ago, so I'm not sure how interesting this could be." It was riveting, in fact.

Murakami reflects on the parallels between writing and running...the requirement of endurance, training and practice, the solitary nature of both activities. How both force you, if you want to achieve your potential, to work through the "toxins" to get to the good stuff. Despite Murakami's insane schedule of touring, speaking to groups, and writing his novels that have a cult-like following at this point, he always makes time to run. It is his lifeline.

Murakami shares with us his life before running. He owned a jazz bar, working unhealthy hours, smoking over five packs of cigarettes a day. But one day, he decided, out of the blue, he wanted to write, and entered a contest (of which he won of course.) Later, he took a leap of faith, closed the bar, and started writing full time. He began running about the same time, for no other reason than because he wanted to, and this prepared him for the focus and the stamina he needed to become the success he is today.

He laments the effect of aging on his body. He admits that he is bull-headed, stubborn, a loner, and doesn't think he is a very likable person. He is hyper-sensitive but brutally honest about his faults with an endearing, self-deprecating humility. He tells us about his running a double marathon (over 60 miles?!), and about silly mistakes he's made when competing in triathalons. He examines his own fears and frailties, measuring their impact on his life. All of the sudden, this author, who is already on a pedestal in my book (without having read word one), is now real and human. I can only imagine the insight this may give me when I read his works of fiction.

Don't let the title of this memoir scare you. It makes no difference whatsoever if you've never jogged a mile. (In fact, it kind of makes you want to try!) What it does is provide an intimate view into the mind of an amazing author. If you are a Murakami fan, this one is not to be missed.

On a final note, the title of this book was inspired by a collection of short stories written by one of Murakami's heroes, the late Ray Carver, entitled "What I Talk About When I Talk About Love". Just as another form of proof that what you are reading here is nothing short of words from the heart.

4 out of 5 stars

The Body Scoop for Girls - Jennifer Ashton

When Lisa @ Books on the Brain contacted me and offered me the opportunity to review this book for a TLC Book Tour, I didn't hesitate. While this is not the type of book I normally read, I do have a daughter who is about to turn 12. I'm entering scary territory here people! She and I had the period talk a couple of years ago, and that, by itself was wrought with angst. My daughter is a worrier, so I had to convince her, at least fifty times, that she wasn't going to die from the pain, and arrange a secret code word that she could whisper to me over the school phone if she ever had a period emergency.

But then the school chose, this past summer, to send out Catholic-sanctioned booklets about sex to the parents of all the upcoming sixth graders. The intent was that the parents read the info, then discuss it with their kids. Now you know, and I know, that there are parents who, rather than have the difficult discussion, simply handed the booklets to their kids and told them to have at it. So essentially the cat was out of the bag, and therefore forced my hand. And this is a slippery slope. You talk about sex, then you have to talk about reproduction, disease, peer pressure, the whole bit.

The Body Scoop for Girls was a breath of fresh air. Written by an OB-Gyn that specializes in adolescents, this lady is hip and current. She wears leopard-print skirts and strappy heels. She gives her patients lattes and fuzzy robes! I want to go there! She also, in concise, no-nonsense language, tells is like it is to a generation of girls who are growing up under a different set of circumstances than we did.

All the bases are covered. She covers the basics, such as breast development, periods, body hair and changes in the appearance of the body. But she also addresses waxing and grooming, piercing, excessive cramping, infections, breast exams, drugs, alcohol and smoking, the importance of eating healthy and about body image. But the heavy stuff? A good third of the book is dedicated to sex. A list of reasons to wait until you are 18. Safe sex, the dangers of oral sex, how to talk to your boyfriend about your decisions, birth control A to Z, and STIs. No stone is left unturned. Yes, it is all bound to curl our hair as parents, but I don't think we can hide our heads in the sand. There is too much at risk.

The book is written as if Dr. Ashton is speaking directly to the teen. Will a teen really read it? Perhaps not the entire thing, because there is alot of information here to digest at once. But the language is not preachy and not overly technical, so it would be easy enough for a 14 or 15 year old to comprehend. Practically, I think the book is perfect for a parent to read, and armed with the facts, speak with their daughter about the topics that are applicable. Maybe even have them read a chapter and then talk about it afterwards.

One particular aspect of the book that demonstrates Dr. Ashton's progressive attitude is that she answers questions as they pertain to those girls who are lesbians. Nobody is left out in the cold with Dr. Ashton.

I'd like to thank Lisa and Beth at Avery for the opportunity to review this book, and keep as a very important reference and guide to get me through the minefield of the teenage years.

4 out 5 stars

The Given Day - Dennis LeHane (audio)

Boston has always been on my radar as a city full of history and raw energy. I've never visited this fine metropolis, but my best friend was born and raised there, and the Bumbles live there. What else do I know about Boston? Well, they have good seafood, I think maybe the band Boston is from there, and of course there's the Sox. There's the tea party thing, they have cool accents, there are alot of Kennedy's meandering around that neck of the woods, and they are supposed to have dirty water. When I read an author interview (don't know where and I don't know what author - ha!) where the author confidently told readers they must read The Given Day, a book about Boston in the early 1900's, I grabbed the opportunity to broaden my horizons beyond my inane, bits and bobs of trivia.

The difficulty comes in really summarizing this 20-disc chunkster. I've put the review off long enough, so I'm just going to have to move on and take a stab.

The story is focused on three individuals, representatives for the turmoil of the decade.

One is Babe Ruth. He pops in and out of the narrative, and we get a glimpse of him early in his career with the Sox. We see him up close, presumably through some mix of historical fact and the author's musings...the drinking, the womanizing, his determination in being the best and the highest paid. Does it add to the overall plot? No, not really, except that he is such an icon for Boston in this time period.

The second character is Luther Lawrence. Luther is a black man who has grown up with little to propel him through life but his smile, his love for watching and playing baseball, and his determination. But when his girlfriend gets pregnant, he loses his job, and they head out from Columbus to Tulsa where there are lots of theoretical jobs for people of color, he falls into the wrong crowd and makes some tragic errors in judgement. He leaves Tulsa and his now pregnant wife in the middle of the night, escaping certain death, and attempts to start fresh in Boston.

Our third protagonist is Danny, son of an Irish police captain, and a policeman himself. Danny marches to his own drum, feels oppressed by his father's God-like reputation and pride, is secretly in love with the family's Irish maid who's engaged to marry his brother, courageously defends the underdog, and has a strong sense of right and wrong, and doing right by that sense, no matter what the cost.

Though all three begin the story with independent lives, they soon cross paths serendipitously and intertwine.

Through Luther and Danny's eyes, we experience a number of significant events in not only Boston history, but US history. The devastating effects of the influenza pandemic. Terrorism and the Bolshevik Revolution. The creation of and the rise of the unions, and ultimately, the famous policeman's strike. After some browsing through Wikipedia, it appears LeHane has stayed true to historical figures and facts throughout, making me feel as if I were there, watching people die by the thousands from the flu, feeling the bomb explosions ignited by the radicals, and witnessing the chaos of the riots that resulted in the strike. The Irish Mob, one of the oldest organized crime groups in the US, is thrown into the mix as well, planting its roots deep into the Boston chronology.

LeHane's character development is intense and complex. Luther and Danny are, at times, pitiable and flawed. You question their decisions, you recognize their weaknesses and immaturity, but you grow to love them for their desire to do the right thing. You admire their humanity and loyalty to each other, despite the rules that state clearly they are to reside in two different stratospheres.

Narrator was fairly entertaining. My only hangup was that he strangely sounded like Obama...not that he doesn't have a lovely voice, but not in this context.

Complaints? Not too many, except that at times it seemed to drag. 20 discs isn't a short read, and while it is no Outlander, it took every ounce of my patience at times to keep plugging along. My bottom line, however would be that the overall experience was well worth the effort. After all, now I know a few more pieces of trivia about the home of the Dropkick Murphys.

4 out of 5 stars

The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Mary E. Pearson

Well, I didn't stand much of a chance of NOT reading this book after all the gushing love it has received. I heard about it first from Catherine at Words World and Wings. She DEFIED me to put the book down. Then Amy at My Friend Amy gave it five stars. Not long after that, Carrie at Books and Movies went all crazy over it. Alright already. I succumbed and ordered the book from the library.

So here is the deal. I am bound by the Book Blogger's unwritten rule of etiquette to not spoil anything. And this is just one of those books that, under these rules, will allow maybe three sentences. Let's see:

It is sometime in the not-so-distant future. Jenna has emerged from an 18-month-long coma after a devastating accident. She doesn't recognize her surroundings, her parents or grandmother, and she remembers nothing. She watches home videos of her life, a life in which she was the perfect, adored child, grasping at any thread that might reveal her past, her history. She is awkward in her movements, and awkward with her limited social interactions. She can't eat solid food. Her parents are stiff and uncomfortable and protective, and will tell her next to nothing. There are so many unanswered questions.

Well, that was a few more than I thought. Still, I must stop here, and tell you that despite the fact that this book is less than 300 pages, it is stuffed full of beauty, humanity, and questions that should make us all pause in thought. How far will a parent go to protect their child? Where do ethics end and desperation begin? What is the ultimate cost of these actions, these ethics?

You will be immediately sucked into the intrigue and the beautiful, delicate prose, and won't be able to put the book down (Catherine was quite right about that.) You will fall in love with Jenna, and her determination to go her own way. While the answer to the mystery isn't all that difficult to solve (I had a pretty good idea of what was going on by page 40), it was still amazing and slightly creepy to watch it play out. The most terrifying thing of all? That the future in which Jenna lives is not too difficult to fathom from where we stand right now. We are on this path people. The idea is nightmare-worthy, presented here in the most delightful package.

This is one of those rare novels that you will not forget anytime soon. Read it. Love it. Adore it.

5 out of 5 stars