The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (Book Review)

"I may how found a solution to the Wife Problem."

Review: Wow, did I love this book and did I need this book as well! That's probably why I read it in just 5 days time! This year has been pretty slow for me in the reading department so I figured I would try something a little out of what I've been reading lately. I think I made an excellent choice. I felt about this book the way I felt after I read The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. I just felt good. Sometimes we need that feel good book the way we need that feel good movie.

I just wanted to stay in the frame of mind that this book gave me for ever and ever. It's how I feel at the end of Sleepless in Seattle or Notting Hill. Two movies that were mentioned in this book by the way. It's essentially how I feel sometimes when it comes to "dating" and why go through the hassle of it. 

There's this guy named Don, who I swear is me if I were a nerdy guy. He analyzes everything and his social skills are seriously lacking. Except, again this is like me to a T, he counteracted that by being the class clown in school! That's totally what I did. Instead of allowing others to pick on me I made myself funny to others before they could do it to me. Anyway, this book, is the guide to my life, and probably to the life of others because he decides to devise a questionnaire in order to find the perfect life partner. Why didn't I think of that? Oh, I know, because it would never work! But Don thinks he's created a questionnaire that will quickly eliminate unsuitable women as well as those who may not be 100% truthful in their answers. 

He has all of two friends, a married couple, Gene and Claudia. The husband sleeps around on his wife but "it's okay" because they are in an open relationship. I don't have to tell you what happens there! Anyway, Gene, (as a joke I guess?) sends Rosie to Don, who thinks she is meeting with him as a possible candidate to be his wife. Of course, Don has tried out his questions on several other women and social meeting settings, all of which have failed. Except for Rosie who fails the worst out of all the applicants. But, there is just something about her that makes Don start breaking rules and creating reasons for needing to be around her and near her. Thus romance and happiness and love follows.

Unlike most romantic love stories though, this one isn't as clear cut and simple as you might expect, which is why I love it. It's not all that mushy yet it does have a feeling of romance and reality that I can appreciate. It's been optioned by Sony Pictures (I think) so I hope to catch it as a movie very soon.

Summary: THE ART OF LOVE IS NEVER A SCIENCE

MEET DON TILLMAN, a brilliant yet socially challenged professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. And so, in the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers.

Rosie Jarman is all these things. She also is strangely beguiling, fiery, and intelligent. And while Don quickly disqualifies her as a candidate for the Wife Project, as a DNA expert Don is particularly suited to help Rosie on her own quest: identifying her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on the Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you.

Arrestingly endearing and entirely unconventional, Graeme Simsion’s distinctive debut will resonate with anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of great challenges. The Rosie Project is a rare find: a book that restores our optimism in the power of human connection.

The Rosie Project

by Graeme Simsion

292 pages

Simon & Schuster, 2013

Fiction

Read in 5 days

Rating: ★★★★★

Amazon | BN

To learn more about Graeme Simsion visit his website here.

Come Back, Little Sheba / 1952 (TCM Presents)

TCM's Star of the Month is Burt Lancaster. Mark this movie down as the FIRST Lancaster movie I've ever seen.

First things first, he was WAY too young for the role! I knew that even before I looked into the background of the movie. And probably what made him seem all the more young for the role was the fact that Shirley Booth (whom you'll probably know from the hit television show Hazel) was the right age. So immediately, putting them together, you'd find it difficult to think Lancaster and Booth are married and have been for twenty years?! But it gets even weirder as the movie progresses believe me!

If you've ever seen "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" I felt like this movie had that kind of vibe and feel to it. Both were originally stage plays that became such hits on Broadway the only thing left to do was film it. I say they were similar because in both Virgina Woolf and Little Sheba, they have four very dynamic characters who individually are a bit unhinged, but when they are thrown together they're downright insane!

I got that insane vibe right away from Lola (Shirley Booth) whereas Doc/'Daddy' (Burt Lancaster) was a bit aloof and frigid with his wife. This is understandable since it's revealed pretty early on that they got married young because she got pregnant by him. But the marriage quickly turned sour when she lost the baby but not until after they quickly got married. For whatever reason they never divorced. Probably because he felt sorry for her? Anyway, she becomes unhinged during their marriage, not so much from losing the baby, but from the loss of her dog that up and disappeared one day. Every morning she'd wake up and expect the dog to come back home. Guess what he dogs name is? Yep, you guessed it, Sheba. WTF?! Here I'm looking for Little Sheba to be one of the main characters names and turns out it's the name of some dog.

But upon deeper reflection I came up with something. What if Lola transferred the loss of her child into the dog disappearing and that's why she is so hung up on the dog? It's her way of staying attached to the baby. The only reason why someone like Doc married someone like her in the first play. Now, she claims she was very beautiful when she was first dating Doc. We find this and other little stories about how they met and how he courted her through what she shares with a young female lodger named Marie. She is the catalyst that moves the story along.

See, Doc takes one look at this young pretty thing and instantly is attracted to her. She is pretty and a bit flighty with men. One man in particular. A guy by the name of Turk (she calls him Turkey every once in a while). Now Turk is this rugged, blonde headed, handsome kind of guy who has a deep and powerful sexual desire. At the moment he desires Marie. Lola, the weirdo that she is, seems to "get off" on watching those two love birds go at it. She even reveals to her husband that she's watched them being intimate with each other. Of course, at that time, pre-marital sex was a no-no so we're to believe she meant kissing and such when she says she watched them together. Doc on the other hand is VERY jealous of Turk and wants Marie to break up with him. He doesn't necessarily voice his opinions for fear his secret desire to have her for himself will be discovered.

Here's how the rest of the story plays out. Turns out almost half the town are alcoholics. You should have seen the AA meeting! Packed house! And a separate cake for each member to commemorate how long they've been sober. Doc was just one year. That quickly got thrown out the window though when he suspects Marie is having sex with Turk. He drinks and drinks plenty. Goes out on a bender leaving his cooky wife to worry. He comes home only to accuse his wife of knowing what goes on in that bedroom they rent out from time to time and actually condoning it. Basically accuses her of being a "madame"! Anyway, after trying to kill her he collapses and is put in a "mental" facility where he remains for a while to detox. In that time Marie finds ANOTHER man, marries him, and leaves. Doc comes home and begs forgiveness from his wife. And promises that as long as she stays with him he'll be a better husband. The End.

Yep, that's about it. A pretty crappy ending really. But when you think about how plays were written back then it's just about what I expected. No fuss no muss. Their lives go on. And most importantly she moves on from expecting Little Sheba to come back home. You'll have to see the movie to discover how we know she moves on. I'm not about to spoil the WHOLE movie.

This is Shirley Booth's debut into the film world and after seeing her performance it's no wonder she was nominated and won the Academy for Leading Lady in this movie. Unfortunately, unlike other leading beauties of that era, she was not able to make a go of being a movie actress which is how she became Hazel. A role she owned and enjoyed playing.

The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett (Book Review)

The Bookman's Tale: A Novel of Obsession

by Charlie Lovett

347 pages

Penguin Group, 2013

fiction/history

Read in 5 days

Another Review

My Rating: ★★★★★ 

Amazon.com / BN.com

"Wales could be cold in February."

Review: If you are a lover of books, history, and the 90's then this is the book for you. I truly marveled at the way Charlie Lovett was able to weave together the history of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century with a love story from the 1980's, culminating into a deadly mystery in the "present" time of the mid-nineties. For a story that jumped around to three different time periods as well as locations I never once found myself confused as to where one story left off and where it was being picked back up several chapters later. Moving from the WAY past to the closer past and to the present actually worked in the authors favor. I became more invested in where the story was going as more and more of the mystery was revealed.

Basically this is truly a novel of obsession about a man who loves only two things in his life: antique books and his wife. The only thing that could make his life even more happy is if he were to discover the book sellers version of the "Holy Grail." That of course differs depending on what exactly you would be trying to prove or disprove. In the case of Peter Byerly (our main character), in trying to cope and move on from the sudden and tragic death of his wife, he stumbles upon proof that William Shakespeare is in fact the author of his many plays and sonnets. Strange that there happens to still be so many who believe he did not exist, let alone single-handedly write all those brilliant plays. I won't go into the reasons behind these conspiracy theorists theories but they do exist. Anyway, a very old and ancient mystery is awaiting Peter to solve and in doing so he is able to finally close the book on one of his major loves: his late wife.

Discover a mystery like you never thought possible. Fall in love with not just the words but the history behind the binding and the meticulous detail that I believe is still today put into the books we read. So many of us, myself included, take for granted the words we read and most definitely the binding and paper that keeps those words together. After reading this book I have gained a new appreciation for first editions, only editions, and most of all the care and respect that was given to books long ago when having a book printed, then sharing it or passing it along to loved ones was more than just a way of life, it was worth dying for.

Summary: A mysterious portrait ignites an antiquarian bookseller’s search through time and the works of Shakespeare for his lost love 

Guaranteed to capture the hearts of everyone who truly loves books, The Bookman’s Tale is a former bookseller’s sparkling novel and a delightful exploration of one of literature’s most tantalizing mysteries with echoes of Shadow of the Wind and A.S. Byatt's Possession. 

Hay-on-Wye, 1995. Peter Byerly isn’t sure what drew him into this particular bookshop. Nine months earlier, the death of his beloved wife, Amanda, had left him shattered. The young antiquarian bookseller relocated from North Carolina to the English countryside, hoping to rediscover the joy he once took in collecting and restoring rare books. But upon opening an eighteenth-century study of Shakespeare forgeries, Peter is shocked when a portrait of Amanda tumbles out of its pages. Of course, it isn’t really her. The watercolor is clearly Victorian. Yet the resemblance is uncanny, and Peter becomes obsessed with learning the picture’s origins. 

As he follows the trail back first to the Victorian era and then to Shakespeare’s time, Peter communes with Amanda’s spirit, learns the truth about his own past, and discovers a book that might definitively prove Shakespeare was, indeed, the author of all his plays.

To learn more about Charlie Lovett, visit his site here.

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi (Book Review)

Through the Ever Night

by Veronica Rossi

341 pages

Harper Collins, 2013

fiction/young adult

Read in 3 days

Another Review

My Rating: N/A 

Amazon.com / BN.com

"Aria was here."

Review: It's just not gripping me the way Under the Never Sky did. Then again, that book wasn't all that riveting to me either. I find this book to be lacking in story line so it's trying to make up for it with the love story which seems a bit forced to me. I'm trying to remember this is a young adult book so it doesn't necessarily have to have a stellar story to sell millions of copies. Unfortunately, I think my interest in the series will end with this book.

I think I would have liked it more if the relationship between Aria and Perry didn't exist. YES, I know they are the main characters and if not for their meeting in the first book there wouldn't be a need for a second and third book. However, the relationship Perry has with Cinder paralleled with the relationship Aria has with Roar, this book could actually have potential to survive. There is nothing wrong with the characters. In fact, I even like the bitchy ones because their reasoning for bad manners and terrible attitudes is understandable.

I will go back to this book and finish it, but at a much later date and time, when I feel I can give it the proper attention it deserves. Do not let my lack of interest in finishing the book at this time deter you from reading it. There is something here, I'm just not in the right frame of mind right now to pick up on it. I urge you to click on the link above for "Another Review" where I've come across a review that puts the book in a much better light and gives me hope that I will come to appreciate the book when next I pick it up.

Synopsis: It's been months since Aria learned of her mother's death.

Months since Perry became Blood Lord of the Tides, and months since Aria last saw him.

Now Aria and Perry are about to be reunited. It's a moment they've been longing for with countless expectations. And it's a moment that lives up to all of them. At least, at fi rst. Then it slips away. The Tides don't take kindly to former Dwellers like Aria. And the tribe is swirling out of Perry's control. With the Aether storms worsening every day, the only remaining hope for peace and safety is the Still Blue. But does this haven truly exist?

Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and sci-fi elements to create a captivating adventure—and a love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

To learn more about Veronica Rossi, visit her site here.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Book Review)

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

180 pages

Scribners, 1925

classic American novel

Read in 3 days

Another Review

My Rating: ★★

Amazon.com | BN.com

"In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since."

Review: At 180 pages I found this book a massive and utter bore, but I didn't come to this conclusion until the last word of the last line was read. So I suppose that should make it a good book? Why it is considered one of the great American novels is beyond me. Let me begin by stating a few specifics of the book. It's told from the point-of-view of a man named Nick Carroway who ends up occupying a flat right next door to "the great" Gatsby. His house, unlike Nick's, is quite lavish and always seems to be very busy with guests (most of the uninvited or unknown variety) who show up and stay till all hours of the night.

So who is this Gatsby and what is all the fuss about? Beyond his looks and the stories that seem to spread rather quickly about him (most of which are untrue as well as unbelievable), to me, there really isn't much to be impressed about the man. In truth, he is just a man. Turns out he's a man obsessed by a woman. So much so that he spends a great many years of his poor, uninteresting life, making something of himself. Why? Because this woman he's madly in love with, Daisy, is someone accustomed to the finer things in life. Something he could never have provided her when they first met. But while he is off making money (mostly dealing with shady and corrupt people) she found herself marrying another. This all culminates in the hear-and-now of the book. Mr. Gatsby learns that Nick is acquainted with Daisy since they are rather distant cousins. He then takes it upon himself to use Nick to let Daisy know that he is not only able to care for her now, but is intent on taking her away from her horrible cheating husband!

Are you getting interested yet? Finding reason for this book to be called a classic? I didn't think so. Anyhow, I mentioned Daisy's cheating husband earlier. His name is Tom Buchanan. He is, for lack of better words, a hypercritical dirtbag. I say this because he is the kind of man who thinks it's appropriate and expected of him to have a little action on the side but utterly inconceivable for this wife to be cheating on him! In any case, the side stories are mildly entertaining but wholly unecessary since they serve no real purpose in moving along a rather boring story. I honestly could care less about this Gatsby who everyone seems to be interested in when alive but completely forget when dead. Oops, did I spoil the ending?

**SPOILER ALERT**
The woman Tom is having the open affair with ends up being killed by his very own wife! Talk about soap opera drama right there. And the only one who knows the truth? Nick, our very own narrator. But for whatever reason he says nothing to Tom when he sees him a good two years after that whole scene takes place. I'm sure I missed a few things that were explained in the last chapter because it was mostly description and very little dialog, but the last time we see or hear of Daisy is when Gatsby himself tells of her turning out her bedroom light the night Tom's mistress was struck dead by a speeding driver. She being the speeding driver. Gatsby ends up being killed by Tom's mistresses husband who, in a rage, takes a gun and enacts his revenge. Then finishes himself off afterwards.
**END OF SPOILER ALERT**

No real lessons learned here. This story pretty much left me with unanswered questions that, after careful consideration, I realized I didn't really care to know the answers to. I like to read a novel, whether classic or otherwise, that leaves me with a sense of fulfillment if not mentally then emotionally. This book left me drained of my emotions and like I wasted precious time on the lives of people I neither liked nor cared enough about to dislike. I can honestly say I'm not sure I'll read another Fitzgerald book, but if I do I sure hope it turns out better than this one!

I feel I aught to say SOMETHING nice about the author since I had nothing nice to say about the story itself. His ability to give me a vivid picture of the surrounding sites and sounds in the book were exemplary. Otherwise, the dialog was a bit repetative and predictable, if not, awkward and unfeeling. Fitzgerald seems to do his best work when he's being descriptive or telling the story through Nick's mind than when the characters are engaged in conversation.

As love stories and great romances of all time go I would, and probably will, never put Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan on my list. She seemed like a woman confused about what it means to love another and his obsession with her was so great he was imagining love, not really living it in the present. They both were adults in age but not in thoughts or actions.

And one last thing, is Nick's character supposed to be bisexual? First I thought he was straight on gay. I'm still inclined to think that since I think the reason he thought he was in love with Jordan (a golf player) was because I imagined her looking a bit "manly" in stature and demeanor. Just a passing thought of mine...

What did you think of The Great Gatsby? Have you seen any of the now 4 versions of the movie that were made?

Summary: The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,” it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.

The Great Gatsby is one of the great classics of twentieth-century literature.

The timeless story of Jay Gatsby and his love for Daisy Buchanan is widely acknowledged to be the closest thing to the Great American Novel ever written. 

To learn more about F. Scott Fitzgerald, visit his wikipage here.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (Book Review)

The Age of Miracles

by Karen Thompson Walker

269 pages

Random House, 2012

young adult/fiction

Read in 4 days

Another Review...

My Rating: ★★★★

Amazon.com | BN.com

"We didn't notice right away. We couldn't feel it."

Review: What amazing storytelling! In a nutshell, what would you do if to Earth suddenly started spinning at a much slower rate than it already does, thereby causing time to take longer to pass by? We all say how much we'd love to have more hours in the day. But, as this story proves, that is, until we actually get those hours. It starts off small, adding a half an hour at a time then continuing until this "slowing" begins to disrupt the lives of society.

This book is told through the point of view of a twelve year old girl living with her parents. She's having a hard enough time going through those changes young girls go through without throwing this phenomena into the mix! Not to mention the revolution that begins to take place among those who refuse to do as the government tells them which is to continue as usual. They go so far as to get heavy black curtains to block out the sun when it's a longer day than normal and get bright lights to put up when it's dark for a long time. Of course you can imagine what this does to the farming industry? Imagine taking every natural disaster you can think of in someones mind and watch everyone scatter to make underground shelters or buy up all the groceries they can. There are a few blackouts as well as a few make-out sessions that happen as the story progresses too. The cynicism is dripping in this book as well as the parallels of this unreal world with the one we are all really living.

Without telling too much of the story and possibly ruining certain parts for you, it's a book anyone can read. There are moments anyone can relate to or at least understand when it comes to Julia's (the main character) life and those around her. There are plenty of secrets as well as lessons learned here as well. I found it easy to follow and never got bored with it at all. The ending is wide open for perhaps a sequel?

Otherwise, there is sadness, death, and a lot of possible truth to what this world and those who inhabit it would be like if there was a constant fear of an impending end.

Summary: Spellbinding, haunting, The Age of Miracles is a beautiful novel of catastrophe and survival, growth and change, the story of Julia and her family as they struggle to live in an extraordinary time. On an ordinary Saturday, Julia awakes to discover that something has happened to the rotation of the earth. The days and nights are growing longer and longer, gravity is affected, the birds, the tides, human behavior and cosmic rhythms are thrown into disarray. In a world of danger and loss, Julia faces surprising developments in herself, and her personal world—divisions widening between her parents, strange behavior by Hannah and other friends, the vulnerability of first love, a sense of isolation, and a rebellious new strength. With crystalline prose and the indelible magic of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker gives us a breathtaking story of people finding ways to go on, in an ever-evolving world.

To learn more about Karen Thompson Walker, please visit her site here.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Book Review)

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak

550 pages
Knopf, USA / March 2006
historical fiction
Read in 7 days
Another Review...

My Rating: ★★★★★

Amazon.com / BN.com

"First the colors."

Review: This book, I don't mind or hesitate in saying, is the best book I've ever read in my entire life! I never thought I'd ever find a book that would touch my heart and soul as much as this one did. From the opening lines of "death" introducing himself to us and taking us on a journey with him as he scoured the small towns and neighborhoods during WWII when the Fuhrer was in power and Jews were being slaughtered by the thousands. The sheer idea that must have gone through Markus' mind when coming up with this story is unfathomable to me. He is definitely someone I would love to have a table discussion with on the evolution of this book.

The characters in this book! The whole book, while narrated by death, is told through the moments in Liesel's life. It's the story of a young German girl, living in a small town with foster parents who take in a Jew and hide him for his safety. But there is SO MUCH MORE to the story than just that. There are the lives that are forever changed and transformed by events that take only seconds to happen but last a lifetime in the mind and especially in the words of the book thief.

I almost found myself unable to properly review this book, which I found ironic since this book takes us through stages of literature really, and the love so few get from it. It starts out with Liesel's curiosity in wanting to learn how to read, so her foster father, Hans, teaches her. Then it develops into storytelling, which she masters really from Max, the Jew who her foster parents hide in their basement. The next step is increasing her vocabulary. She accomplishes this by soaking in the unbelievable library shown to her by the mayors wife. Which leads to the final part, but really the beginning, taking all she has learned and turning the words she's read and spoken and writing them down into her own story. The story our narrator finds in his journey of picking up souls to carry over to the other side, as is his job.

Again, I feel like I'm not giving this book the accolades it deserves because there are so many layers to peel back and examine. This is a book that can be analyzed in the classroom. It's a book that can be discussed in any family dynamic. It's also a book that can be dissected among friends on several levels. I will forever recommend this book and I know I will end up having read it multiple times before MY time on this Earth is done.

Synopsis: It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

If you want to learn more about Markus Zusak, please visit his site.

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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (Book Review)

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Diaz

352 pages
Riverhead, 2007
fiction
unfinished
Another Review...

My Rating: n/a

Amazon.com / BN.com

"Our hero was not one of those Dominican cats everybody's always going on about--he wasn't no home-run hitter or a fly bachatero, not a playboy with a million hots on his jock."

Review: This is not the first book I have been unable to finish and it certainly won't be my last. It is however, my first review of a book I have been unable to finish. Just to give you some perspective, the last book I was unable to finish was 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James and before that was Me by Ricky Martin. Otherwise, it's rare for me to start a book and NOT finish it. This means it takes A LOT for me to put down a book and be resigned to leave it unfinished.

This book, as a male friend described to me, is like a modern-day Catcher in the Rye. I am inclined to agree with him. This is a boys book. It's not to say a female couldn't or shouldn't read it, I'm just saying that some books tend to be more girly than others, therefore men won't be drawn to it. The same can be said for this book. Although I've more women reading it than men. If I can be more specific, I've seen more Hispanic women reading it.

My review of the book will only come from the first 150 pages since that is all I read before giving up entirely. One of the factors that caused me to stop was how long it was taking me to read it. If I'm headed into the second week and I'm not even at the half-way point then something is not right. The story of a man coming into his own through various life experiences is a good one. I was a little confused with the character change from Oscar's point of view to his sisters. I'm sure there's a valid reason for this and there probably is a going back and forth between different characters point of view, I just found it distracting.

The dialogue is a mixture of English and Spanish, something else that turned me off to the book. I've never read a "Spanglish" book before and I don't think I ever will again. It helped that I know Spanish quite fluently but to the average person who might not know Spanish but wants to read this book because it's a bestseller and everyone else is or already has read it, I suggest having a handy English/Spanish dictionary with you. Some of the dialogue, if you don't know Spanish, could be easy to decipher based on the surrounding sentences, but I'm usually not looking for a book that has me over analyzing the words instead of the meanings behind them.

Then there's the footnotes. And I'm not talking one or two sentence footnotes, I'm talking paragraphs so long the footnotes go on to the next page and even then might take up more than half of it. I understand there is some important facts that run parallel to the timeline of the book, but it was too much and confusing to have to go forward one page to finish the massive footnote then turn back a page to find where the indication of that footnote was, so you can pick up where you left off.

Lastly, I must mention the lack of quotation marks around the dialogue. I'm guessing there was a specific reason for this that someone who has heard Junot Diaz speak would have the answer to. I would be surprised if during some Q&A he wasn't asked about this very thing. Now, maybe I'm not as smart or well read as I think I am, I have read many classics and bestsellers in my day, but this one was just not to my liking. I'd say it's a hit or miss with this author but in reading other peoples reviews they tend to lean the same way I am, so I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Maybe after I've read a few other books that are more to my liking I will give "Drown" a try which was his first published book, a collection of short stories. In the meantime, I will add this book to my short list of those I have left unfinished.

Synopsis: This is the long-awaited first novel from one of the most original and memorable writers working today.

Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd. From his home in New Jersey, where he lives with his old-world mother and rebellious sister, Oscar dreams of becoming the Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the fukú – the curse that has haunted the Oscar's family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love. Oscar, still waiting for his first kiss, is just its most recent victim.

Diaz immerses us in the tumultuous life of Oscar and the history of the family at large, rendering with genuine warmth and dazzling energy, humor, and insight the Dominican–American experience, and, ultimately, the endless human capacity to persevere in the face of heartbreak and loss. A true literary triumph, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao confirms Junot Diaz as one of the best and most exciting voices of our time.

To learn more about Junot Diaz, please visit his site.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (Book Review)

Under the Never Sky

by Veronica Rossi

374 Pages
HarperCollins, 1/3/2012
Young Adult
Finished in 5 days
Another Review…

My Rating: ★★★★

Amazon.com / BN.com

 

"They called the world beyond the walls of the Pod "the Death Shop."

My Review: Although this has a bit of a love story towards the tail end of the book it isn't overwhelming at all. It took me longer than usual (five days) to finish this book but only because my entire life cannot be devoted to reading books. I wish it could be!

Back to the story, it's written from the third person but the point-of-view goes back and forth between the main characters. Aria, the Dweller girl, who starts out a scared, weak and naive girl, but who quickly finds herself becoming a strong and independent woman in the end. Then there's Peregrine, Perry, the Savage and worlds away in attitude and personality from Aria.

They live on the same planet but two different worlds. Aria has lived underground all her life with the rest of society which went down there to stay away from the 'aether sky' which appears to be destroying the planet in more ways than one. It is this sky that Aria dubs the 'never sky' because it never does what you need or expect it to do. In any event, their paths cross, more than once, and although they seem to hate each other, they quickly realize they need each other to get what they want.

Of course you can easily guess they end up falling each other. And as most tragic love stories go, they really shouldn't be together.

Aria is seeking her mother as well as answers to questions that keep piling up along the journey. Perry is searching for his nephew as well as retribution for the guilt he's held inside for as long as he's been alive. Together they will get some answers and as the reader I was glued to wanting to take the journey with them every step of the way. I'll probably add Through the Ever Night as a February read now.

Synopsis: Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

In her enthralling debut, Veronica Rossi sends readers on an unforgettable adventure set in a world brimming with harshness and beauty.

To learn more about Veronica Rossi please visit her official website.

My Overstuffed Bookshelf Challenge, 52 Books in 52 Weeks & A to Z Challenge

The Pigman by Paul Zindel (Book Review)

The Pigman

By Paul Zindel

166 pages

Harper Trophy, 1968

Young Adult literature

Finished in 2 days

Another Review...

My Rating: ★★★★

Amazon.com | BN.com

"Now, I don't like school, which you might say is one of the factors that got us involved with this old guy we nicknamed the Pigman."
My Review: I remember when I was a pre-teen and I would call my grandmother a few times a week and read to her. She didn't care what I read really, I think she just loved how much I loved to read. I figured that out when one Christmas she gave me Sue Grafton's A-P series in one shot! But I'm straying off the subject. I mention this memory of mine because every time I read The Pigman I am reminded of the time I read it to her over the phone. I miss her very much which is probably why I jumped at the chance to read it right away.

This story is a sad one but it speaks to the heart of anyone who reads it. The idea of writing a story where two completely different personalities (Lorraine and John, the main characters) take turns writing a chapter, telling the story of how the Angelo Pignatti changed their lives forever, I would imagine, is not as easy as it sounds. You have the level headed female who happens to be friends with the stubborn, yet handsome, male. They are teenagers which is a difficult age as it is, who happen to have difficult home lives already. It is because of these difficult home lives that they instantly become attached to the Pigman. He could easily have been a grandfather figure for them but he wasn't. Instead, he was more the father and mother John wish he had and the mother Lorraine needed as well. And although both of them lied to get into his life in hopes of using his kindness for their favor, they quickly realize just having an adult around who truly loved them and never put them down or hindered their individuality was all they ever truly wanted.

This book is truly a timeless classic anyone at any age can read. I would recommend it as required reading in school where parents should read it with their child(ren). Their is humor, seriousness, and truth hidden in every page.

Synopsis: A Most Unusual Friendship

When sophomores John and Lorraine played a practical joke a few months ago on a stranger named Angelo Pignati, they had no idea what they were starting. Virtually overnight, almost against their will, the two befriended the lonely old man; it wasn't long before they were more comfortable in his house than their own. But now Mr. Pignati is dead. And for John and Lorraine, the only way to find peace is to write down their friend's story — the story of the Pigman.

Singin' in the Rain (1952) (Movie Review)

Title: Singin’ in the Rain

Director: Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen

Screenwriter(s): Betty Comden & Adolph Green

Producer: Arthur Freed

Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

In Theaters: March 27^th, 1952

Run Time: 103 minutes

Color: Technicolor

Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, & Debbie Reynalds

Genre(s): musical/romance

Storyline: In 1927, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are a famous on-screen romantic pair. Lina, however, mistakes the on-screen romance for real love. Don has worked hard to get where he is today, with his former partner Cosmo. When Don and Lina’s latest film is transformed into a musical, Don has the perfect voice for the songs. But Lina - well, even with the best efforts of a diction coach, they still decide to dub over her voice. Kathy Selden is brought in, an aspiring actress, and while she is working on the movie, Don falls in love with her. Will Kathy continue to “aspire”, or will she get the break she deserves?


Movie Trailer:


My Review: The experience of going to see a movie like this in the movie theater, especially when it’s sold out, can never compare to watching it on DVD at home. It sold out in two theaters actually. The movie is definitely larger than life and one of the first movies directed by Gene Kelly himself. I learned from Robert Osborn before the movie started that Kelly actually never wanted to be in front of the camera, he wanted to be to musicals what Hitchcock was to suspense and thrillers. He wanted to be the guy who “tried that first.” The staple for how future dance and music was choreographed and filmed for the big screen.

Unfortunately for him the audience loved him when he performed. Gene Kelly, you could say, took over, where Fred Astaire left off. I think one of the main differences between the two dancers was that Gene danced alone more than with a partner and Astaire was the opposite. Kelly like big numbers full of color and scenery while Astaire had you on the edge of your seat by just his dancing alone.

As the movie goes, not one member of the cast went to waste. From the up and coming Debbie Reynolds to the exhausting Donald O’Connor this movie was packed with comedy, romance, singing, and of course, dancing. Gene Kelly could do it all and as Jean Hagen famously says in the movie, in a voice few can mimic just right, “I can’t stand him!”

Here is the most memorable song and dance routine performed by Gene Kelly, along with 2 of my favorite songs from the movie as well.

Singin’ in the Rain - Gene Kelly


Good Mornin’ - Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds & Donald O’Connor


Moses Supposes - Gene Kelly & Donald O’Connor


My Rating: A+

TCM Presents...The Two Mrs. Carrolls

 



Title: The Two Mrs. Carrolls

Director: Peter Godfrey

Screenwriter(s): Thomas Job & Martin Vale

Producer: Jack L. Warner & Mark Hellinger

Distributor: Warner Bros.

In Theaters: March 4th, 1947

Run Time: 99 minutes

Color: B&W

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Alexis Smith, & Nigel Bruce

Genre(s): crime/drama/film-noir/thriller

Storyline: Struggling artist Geoffrey Carroll meets Sally whilst on holiday in the country. A romance develops but he doesn’t tell her he’s already married. Suffering from mental illness, Geoffrey returns home where he paints an impression of his wife as the angel of death and then promptly poisons her. He marries Sally but after a while he finds a strange urge to paint her as the angel of death too and history seems about to repeat itself. Written by Col Needham

Movie Trailer:

My Review: According to Robert Osbourne this is one of the Bogart movies that many critics felt he over acted. I would disagree. The man was portraying a mentally ill person, bordering on schizophrenia in my opinion. Back during this time period when there were no green screens, the actors relied on their ability to make a facial expression worth a thousand words. So many actors from the 30’s-70’s were experts at moving the story along through the expression on their face. Humphrey Bogart simply over exercised his facial muscles in, what he probably assumed, was the only way to let the audience know he was insane. For me, it worked brilliantly.

Ms. Stanwyck was superb in the scene when she discovers her husband whom she loves deeply is poisoning her in the same fashion that he poisoned his first wife. The first Mrs. Carroll. I appreciate Barbara Stanwyck’s performance in this movie because it further emphasizes what I knew about her all along. She’s a damn good actress. Her voice, for me, is the most distinct feature about her. I could close my eyes and recognize her voice instantly. It’s very deep and sultry and commands to be heard. In her library of movies this is a good addition to showcase how broad an actor she was.

There are a few minor players surrounding the two main characters as well. Alexis Smith for instance who plays the woman who Bogart has chosen to be his third wife after he’s gotten rid of his current wife of course. What amazes me is that no other person around him sees just how crazy he really is but her and she still is willing to love him and live with him. It just goes to show that women see what they want to see and when it comes to love they are blind to what’s right in front of their face.

His daughter, for me, is the most vital part of this movie. Without her the audience can easily forget just how human he is. True he is crazy, but when it comes to his daughter he is attentive, loving, and caring. She also is the only woman in his life who knows and understands his work as a painter better than even he knows it. She is supposed to be no older than 12 yet she speaks like that of a 40 year old woman. There is nothing she is afraid of. I believe she secretly knew her father was slowly killing her mother. That scene where he’s about to administer what will be the final and lethal dose to his first wife and his daughter says to him, “I will follow you anywhere and do anything you want me to do because I know what you’re doing is in my best interest.” I’m paraphrasing of course. It was her way of letting him know that she understands and will love him always no matter what he does or who he kills, even if it is her biological mother. That girl is the anomaly in the whole movie yet without her there would be no story.

If you’ve never seen Humphrey Bogart or if you’ve only seen him in a role of the cool guy, this is a great movie to see. It will open your eyes to just how great an actor he is, being able to play a role that no one would have ever imagined he’d be able to play.

My Rating: A

Aleph by Paulo Coehlo (Book Review)

Aleph

by Paulo Coehlo

288 pages

Knopf Doubleday, September 2011

fiction

Read in 6 days

Another Review… 

My Rating: ★★★1/2

Amazon.com | BN.com

My Review: This book is only the second of Paulo Coehlo’s books I’ve ever read. The first was The Alchemist that I read just about one year ago at the behest of a friend of mine. It’s where I learned about destiny and journeys and how, no matter how far you may go or travel, and how many experiences you might gain and grow from, what you are looking for most may be what’s been in front of you all along. So much irony in that thought. But it’s not the destination that should be our driving force when we live our lives, but the journey. That is the important life lesson learned in this book. I believe this is the first, most personal account, he has given of his life. By that I mean it is written from his point of view.

He decides to go on a book tour, saying yes to any country that invites him, in hopes he should find his “fire” again, his reason for being. Somewhere along the journey of his life he found himself losing that spark he had decades ago. Don’t we all feel that way as we get older? I know I am feeling that way. Where do we go from here? What’s the point in continuing? Why am I doing this? These are all questions that have their own different and unique answers depending on when and who is asking the questions.

The first half of this book, I felt, was easily relate-able to myself. I was able to take those pearls of wisdom he sprinkles throughout whatever he write and apply them to myself with no problem. But as the book progresses passed the mid-point it begins to take on a more personal tone, dealing with a very ancient love affair he acknowledges having with a perfect stranger who shows up during his book tour and insists on completing the journey with him. Hillal is her name and she is only 20 (I think) which makes those who actually ARE traveling with Paulo raise concerns about why he is allowing her to travel with him while his wife has opted to return home, feeling he needed to continue on this journey without her. What is discovered and what exactly the “aleph” is, I will leave for you to discover on your own. We all have our own paths to create. If you were looking for a time, or at least a starting point, any Paulo Coelho book, especially this one, is a good way to start.

Summary: Transform your life. Rewrite your destiny.

In his most personal novel to date, internationally bestselling author Paulo Coelho returns with a remarkable journey of self-discovery. Like the main character in his much-beloved The Alchemist, Paulo is facing a grave crisis of faith. As he seeks a path of spiritual renewal and growth, his only real option is to begin again—to travel, to experiment, to reconnect with people and the landscapes around him.

Setting off to Africa, and then to Europe and Asia via the Trans-Siberian railroad, he initiates a journey to revitalize his energy and passion. Even so, he never expects to meet Hilal. A gifted young violinist, she is the woman Paulo loved five hundred years before—and the woman he betrayed in an act of cowardice so far-reaching that it prevents him from finding real happiness in this life. Together they will initiate a mystical voyage through time and space, traveling a path that teaches love, forgiveness, and the courage to overcome life’s inevitable challenges. Beautiful and inspiring, Aleph invites us to consider the meaning of our own personal journeys.

To learn more about Paulo Coelho, please visit his site.

The Little Red Guard by Wenguang Huang (Book Review)

The Little Red Guard

By Wenguang Huang

272 pages

Penguin Group, April 2012

family memoirs/history/Chinese/biography

Read in 8 days

Another Review… 

My Rating: ★★★★ 1/2

Amazon.com | BN.com

My Review: The author tells a pretty unbelievable story and I suppose that is what makes this true story all the more fascinating to me. Up until this book I knew very little of the Chinese culture during Mao’s reign and once he was gone. I’ve known that China was a communist country and that communism wasn’t a good thing. When it came to government structures I was aware of the distinct differences between our “Western” culture and that of China’s. But this book gave me a first hand account of it through the lives of what many might consider to represent a typical Chinese family.

Aside from his telling about his father who worked tirelessly to abide by his mother’s wishes, this was just as much a coming of age story for Wenguang. The title and the description lead you to believe this story is simply about a family trying to figure out how they would get away with burying the grandmother without getting caught and suffering permanent punishment. This is not the entire story at all. In fact it’s a small part. To me the coffin is a red herring for the true purpose of this book. The author needed to tell this story for his grandmother who was too concerned with reuniting with her husband back in their home town where he was fortunate enough to be buried before the ban on burial came into effect. For his father who he firmly believes died much too soon (of cancer) because he was overwrought with doing his mothers wishes of being buried and not cremated. His own mother who resented the relationship her older husband had with his mother, feeling like he sacrificed for his own mother but would never do the same for her. And in telling their story he ends up telling us his own story. 

Having lost both my grandmother and my grandfather I can relate to what he was going through all too well. It reminded me how anyone, no matter where we come from, take our choices for granted, feel and die the same as anyone else. This was truly a book that was better than I ever imagined. I learned so much about a new culture and was reawakened to my own at the same time.

Summary: Three generations of a family living under one roof reflect the dramatic transformations of an entire society in this memoir of life in 20th century China

When Wenguang Huang was nine years old, his grandmother became obsessed with her own death. Fearing cremation, she extracted from her family the promise to bury her after she died. This was in Xi’an, a city in central China, in the 1970s, when a national ban on all traditional Chinese practices, including burials, was strictly enforced. But Huang’s grandmother was persistent, and two years later, his father built her a coffin. He also appointed his older son, Wenguang, as coffin keeper, a distinction that meant, among other things, sleeping next to the coffin at night.

Over the next fifteen years, the whole family was consumed with planning Grandma’s burial, a regular source of friction and contention, with the constant risk of being caught by the authorities. Many years after her death, the family’s memories of her coffin still loom large. Huang, now living and working in America, has come to realize how much the concern over the coffin has affected his upbringing and shaped the lives of everyone in the family. Lyrical and poignant, funny and heartrending, The Little Red Guard is the powerful tale of an ordinary family finding their way through turbulence and transition.

Mame (1974)

Title: Mame

Director: Gene Saks

Screenwriter(s): Paul Zindel & Patrick Dennis

Producer: James Cresson & Robert Fryer

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Production Company: ABC

In Theaters: March 27th, 1974

Run Time: 132 minutes

Color: Technicolor

Starring: Lucille Ball, Beatrice Arthur, Robert Preston, & Joyce Van Patten

Genre(s): Musical

Storyline: The musical revolves around the antics of Mame Dennis, a fun-loving, wealthy eccentric with a flare for life and a razor sharp wit. Her life is suddenly changed when she becomes the guardian of her late brother's only child, Patrick Dennis. Her adventures take us from the speak-easies of the roaring 20's to the depression following the great Stock Market crash. She is rescued by a wealthy Southern plantation owner, marries and is widowed suddenly, and through it all, manages to keep things under control. With some help from her dearest friend, Vera Charles, she helps keep things at 3 Beekman Place a rousing free-for-all. Written by John Deming

Movie Trailer:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh7VHNYHxFU]

My Review: There are two kinds of people when it comes to this movie. Those that have seen the stage play starring Angela Lansbury and feel Lucy ruined the movie version? Or those that loved the non-musical version Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell? Well, prepare to scream because I was not born yet when Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur were nominated in the Tony Awards for Mame and I honestly prefer the musical to Rosalind Russell. With that being said watching this in cinemascope on the big screen was an experience I would not trade for anything. I smiled and sang along to every song! I never realized just how many songs are in this movie until tonight but I appreciate every single one. And if the music isn't enough to grab your attention, I learned something new tonight that I didn't realize before. The screenwriter is Paul Zindel! I've read every single one of his Pigman books! I did not know he wrote screenplays as well! But back to the music. There is so much of it riddled throughout the movie I feel I must share my favorites with you. So which are my favorites?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUxZd1exbmw]
The South Will Rise Again - Mame

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E5u5xO8t68]
Bosom Buddies - Mame (Lucille Ball & Bea Arthur)

If you get anything out of this movie, let it be that you live each day to the fullest. It's the one life lesson Auntie Mame wants to impart on Patrick (her only living relative who is charged with looking out for him). She teaches him more than the average 9 year old boy learns even by today's standards! It's an amazing time to be had by everyone, young and old.

What Mame says to her nephew I say to you: You know what your problem is? You don't know how to live! Life is a banquet and most sons of bitches are starving to death!

And just because I don't want to leave Angela Lansbury out of this musical review, please enjoy this performance she does with her stage co-star Bea Arthur at the Tony Awards:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilV5K8tw_6o]

My Rating: A

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (Book Review)

Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)
by Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess

313 pages

G. P. Putnam’s Sons (amy einhorn books), 2012

humor/auto-biography

Read in 4 days

Another Review...

My Star Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Amazon.com or BN.com

"Call me Ishmael."

My Review: I found The Bloggess through Twitter and instantly took a disliking to her! No I’m kidding, I instantly was a HUGE fan because she did what I thought no one else in the business of blogging would do (remove dirty thoughts now!) she answered my questions! Mind you, some may have been dumb at the time but I appreciated her taking time out of what I’m sure was an adventurous and purely unplanned day, to answer my questions. Jenny, I thank you, again…

Now onto my review. It ties into the fact that she was in New York City the day her book was released for a book signing. I honestly would not have known about it had I not been at the B&N on 86th street weeks before and instantly noticed her picture up on their big screen advertising her up and coming book signing. If you know The Bloggess at all, her photograph of her hair in curlers is easily recognizable. Initially I was not planning to arrive early for the signing (to my own stupidity) but I’m glad I did because way before it started (promptly at 7pm as advertised and for that I thank you Jenny again! Not everyone is as “on time” as you when it comes to book signings) there was standing room only. I think her event was one of the largest book signings I’ve been to (not counting the two former Presidents of the United States book signings I’ve been to: Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton). To me that’s saying something. I was unaware just how powerful the blogging world can be and how supportive they are until this day.

Okay, seriously, NOW onto my review of her book! I started reading it on my way home from said book signing. After listening to her read and entire chapter to us I absolutely had to start reading her book. As a small sample (if you have no idea who she is or have never read her blog before) here is the title of the chapter she bravely read to us: The Psychopath on the Other Side of the Bathroom Door

As she says throughout her book, MOST, if not ALL of what she shares with us about her life from childhood to adulthood, really truly happened. I’ve read her blogs and as unbelievable as they may sound, I have grown to not only believe her but to appreciate that no matter how messed up I find my life to be I’ve never gotten my arm stuck up inside a cows vagina! Yes, that actually happened to her! Read her book if you don’t believe me!

I laughed till I cried and couldn’t keep reading because the tears were in my way. When I finished wiping my tears away I’d read a few more sentences and there they would return! If it wasn’t for the laughing till I was crying and this crazy job I have that insists I work from 8:45am-5:15pm during the week I probably would have finished this book in less that 4 days. I’m ashamed of myself for pausing from reading this book to do life things as well, like bathing and eating and sleeping. Although I did read while I was eating so I guess I can be partly forgiven because at least I tried to read it in less than four days!

I recommend this book for the sarcastic, for the one who loves humor (especially when you know all this stuff is true and not made up!), and for those of us who need a change of pace from those books with proper sentence structure and correctly spelled words and crap! They are SO overrated!

It’s so good I wish I could read it to you right now and just not stop till I was done (or at least till you begged me to because you found it genuinely funny and promised to go buy your own copy). Instead, I’m going to share with you the opening paragraph of her first chapter and if that doesn’t make you want to rush out and buy a copy or download it on your e-reader (I hate those damn things by the way!!) then I give up on you entirely! Weirdo!

I Was a Three-Year-Old Arsonist

Call me Ishmael. I won’t answer to it, because it’s not my name, but it’s much more agreeable than most of the things I’ve been called. “Call me ‘that-weird-chick-who-says-“fuck”-a-lot” is probably more accurate, but “Ishmael” seems classier, and it makes a way more respectable beginning than the sentence I’d originally written, which was about how I’d just run into my gynecologist at Starbucks and she totally looked right past me like she didn’t even know me. And so I stood there wondering whether that’s something she does on purpose to make her clients feel less uncomfortable, or whether she genuinely didn’t recognize me without my vagina. Either way, it’s very disconcerting when people who’ve been inside your vagina don’t acknowledge your existence. Also, I just want to clarify that I don’t mean “without my vagina” like I didn’t have it with me at the time. I just meant that I wasn’t, you know…displaying it while I was at Starbucks. That’s probably understood, but I thought I should clarify, since it’s the first chapter and you don’t know that much about me. So just to clarify, I always have my vagina with me. It’s like my American Express card. (In that I don’t leave home without it. Not that I use it to buy stuff with.) - Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess (Let’s Pretend This Never Happened)

If you want to know more about Jenny Lawson, please visit her site.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Book Review)

Mockingjay (Hunger Game Series #3)

by Suzanne Collins

290 pages

Scholastic, August 2010

science fiction/young adult

Read in 6 days

Another Review...

My Rating: ★★★★

Amazon.com | BN.com

My Review: While this trilogy does not compare to the Harry Potter series, and I was pissed and cursing this book with every page I turned, I cannot deny my inability to put it down. I was sucked in from page one and if not for having a life outside of reading, I would have finished this book in half the time.

I will try to leave no spoilers since this is an ending that will truly keep you shocked at every turn. The first two books were TOO predictable for me. Suzanne Collins probably did that to lull her readers into a false sense of security so that when we get to the epilogue we are so exhausted by the ride we don’t know whether to be pissed or pleased. I finished the book feeling a healthy dose of both emotions.

If you came to this Trilogy looking for something other than teenage confusion, deep loss, senseless murder, and unresolved relationships, you came to the wrong place. This book, on it’s own, is full of all that I just mentioned and then some!

My only criticism, on just this book, without giving away much of the ending, is how she chose to wrap up the relationships that we got to know from the very beginning.

I recommend this Trilogy to anyone who is looking for a quick, fascinating, and (for some) satisfying read.

Summary: The greatly anticipated final book in the New York Times bestselling Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Who do they think should pay for the unrest?

Katniss Everdeen.

The final book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins will have hearts racing, pages turning, and everyone talking about one of the biggest and most talked-about books and authors in recent publishing history!!!!

If you want to learn more about Suzanne Collins please visit her site.