Review: The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories 2 by Joseph Gordon-Leavitt

via

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 2012

It's about: Christina and Ingrid reviewed volume 1 of The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories last year, a book that serves to prove that "the universe is not made up of atoms; it's made up of tiny stories." In these two volumes, actor Joseph Gordon-Leavitt "directs thousands of collaborators to tell tiny stories through words and art. With the help of the entire creative collective, Gordon-Levitt culls, edits, and curates the massive numbers of contributions into a finely tuned collection." Basically, it's a collaborative effort of poetic, one or two-sentence stories with corresponding artwork.

I thought: I thoroughly enjoyed this book -- more than Christina and Ingrid enjoyed the first. Although I never read volume 1, I'd say from the few selections I've seen from it that volume 2 far exceeds it.

Naturally, as a collaborative effort, some of the tiny stories are insightful, intriguing, or thought-provoking, while others fall flat or come across as desperately emo. But I'd say the former greatly outnumber the latter.

It would make a great coffee table book (or bathroom book... not that I keep mine in the bathroom. Hahem.)

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf

Reading Recommendations: If you are a fan of books such as PostSecret, you will likely enjoy this book.

Warnings: None

What I'm reading next: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

**I received a complimentary review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

still shot from the movie via

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 2001

It's about: Growing up in Pondicherry, India, Piscine Molitor Patel -- known as Pi -- has a rich life. The son of a zoo keeper, Pi is exposed to all types of animals at an early age. He also comes to expose himself to various religions and ends up becoming a Christian, a Hindu, and a Muslim all at once. When Pi is 16, political upheaval drives his father to sell his zoo and move the family to Canada. When the boat carrying his family and many of the zoo animals sinks in the middle of the Pacific ocean, Pi finds himself on a lifeboat as the only human survivor -- though he is not alone. With him are a hyena, a wounded zebra, an orangutan, and a Bengal tiger. If Pi is to survive, he must learn to coexist with this deadly foe.

I thought: I read this book many years ago and didn't remember much about it except that I really enjoyed it. When I reread it last week for my book group, it blew me away even more than it did the first time.

Not only is this a well-written, magical, and magnificent tale, but it's one of those books that gets you thinking, and thinking, and thinking. There are so many themes wonderfully touched on as to incite discussion and analysis, such as religion and spirituality, fear, survival, truth vs fiction, the nature of stories, and the nature of life.

It is at once adventurous, inspiring, and sad. And I think it will make a fantastic movie (which comes to theaters today -- go see it!). As a matter of fact, back in April of 2011, I listed Life of Pi in my Top 10 Books I'd Like to See as Movies. Based on the previews and the overwhelmingly positive reviews, I know I won't be disappointed.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf

Reading Recommendations: I would recommend reading this book with another person, because you will be so blown away, you will NEED to discuss it with someone.

Warnings: none

Favorite excerpts:
"It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith. Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them -- and then they leap. I'll be honest about it. It is not atheists who get stuck in my craw but agnostics. Doubt is useful for a while. We must all pass through the garden of Gethsemane. If Christ played with doubt, so must we. If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the Cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" then surely we are also permitted doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.”

"Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat wearing Muslims.”

What I'm reading next: Judging a Book By its Lover by Lauren Leto

Review: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

author Nicole Krauss

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 2005

It's about: "Leo Gursky taps his radiator each evening to let his upstairs neighbor know he s still alive. But it wasn t always like this: in the Polish village of his youth, he fell in love and wrote a book. . . . Sixty years later and half a world away, fourteen-year-old Alma, who was named after a character in that book, undertakes an adventure to find her namesake and save her family. With virtuosic skill and soaring imaginative power, Nicole Krauss gradually draws these stories together toward a climax of extraordinary depth and beauty (Newsday)"

I thought: While reading this book, I couldn't help but pick up on all the ways it is similar to Jonathan Safran-Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, about which I was rather ambivalent. They both experiment with post-modern elements and feature quirky young narrators. And then there are the similarities in the stories themselves. They're both the stories of children who have lost their fathers and who embark on a hunt through New York to resolve their loss. Mix in both books' elderly immigrants directly affected by WWII, and yeah, I'd say these books are pretty similar.

After finishing the book, I come to find out that Nicole Krauss is married to Jonathan Safran-Foer, and these two, strikingly similar books were released around the same time. Make of that what you will.

Laying all that aside, The History of Love was an enjoyable read filled with beautiful moments of poetry. Although in the beginning I found the various story lines that didn't seem to connect a tad confusing, they eventually come together in surprising and satisfying ways. Perhaps its greatest weakness is the abrupt ending that offers little emotional gratification or conclusion.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf

Reading Recommendations: If you enjoyed Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, there's a pretty darn good chance you'll enjoy this as well.

Warnings: none

Favorite excerpts:
"There are passages of my book I know by heart. By heart, this is not an expression I use lightly. My heart is weak and unreliable. When I go it will be my heart. I try to burden it as little as possible. If something is going to have an impact, I direct it elsewhere. My gut for example, or my lungs, which might seize up for a moment but have never yet failed to take another breath."

"Alberto Giacometti said that sometimes just to paint a head you have to give up the whole figure. To paint a leaf, you have to sacrifice the whole landscape... My mother did not choose a leaf or a head. She chose my father, and to hold onto a certain feeling, she sacrificed the world."

What I'm reading next: I'm re-reading The Life of Pi by Yann Martel with my book group in preparation for the movie's release

Review: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Trevor Peacock as "Old Bailey" in the Neverwhere BBC miniseries via

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 1996

It's about: Richard Mayhew leads an ordinary life with his ordinary fiancee in ordinary London -- that is, until he crosses paths with a girl who has been seriously injured and decides to help her. This one decision turns Richard's life upside-down and leads him on a fantastical journey from London Above to London Below, a world that exists in the sewers of the city, a world with angels and deadly assassins who never die and people who converse with rats.

I thought: I began this book with really no expectations whatsoever. I knew nothing about this book, and I had never read a Neil Gaiman novel, though I suppose I should have suspected the book to be fantastical, since I knew the movies Coraline and Stardust were both based off of Gaiman books. That being said, I was a little off-put at first when characters began speaking to rats and referencing "London Below." Those aren't the types of books I typically read.

However, I stuck this one out, mainly because the writing was so enjoyable, and I must say, I'm glad I did.

Gaiman manages to craft an enjoyable story with believable characters and to keep a non-fantasy reader like myself interested the entire time, which is hard to do, as I personally find a lot of fantasy eye-roll worthy. The writing is easy and wonderfully witty (see the first excerpt below for a taste).

In a word, this book was fun. I had a lot of fun reading it, and I expect to one day have more fun re-reading it with my children when they are old enough to not be completely freaked out by and have nightmares about Croup and Vandemar.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf

Reading Recommendations: I know we just passed Halloween, but this is a perfect Halloween-y read.

Warnings: a few f-words (like, literally 3-4)

Favorite excerpts:

Croup and Vandemar via

"There are four simple ways for the observant to tell Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar apart: first, Mr. Vandemar is two and a half heads taller than Mr. Croup; second, Mr. Croup has eyes of a faded china blue, while Mr. Vandemar's eyes are brown; third, while Mr. Vandemar fashioned the rings he wears on his right hand out of the skulls of four ravens, Mr. Croup has no obvious jewelry; fourth, Mr. Croup likes words, while Mr. Vandemar is always hungry. Also, they look nothing alike at all."

"And then they set foot on Night's Bridge and Richard began to understand darkness: darkness as something solid and real, so much more than a simple absence of light. He felt it touch his skin, questing, moving, exploring: gliding through his mind. It slipped into his lungs, behind his eyes, into his mouth... It felt not so much as if the lights were being turned down but as if the darkness were being turned up."



What I'm reading next: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

Review: The Mask of Motherhood by Susan Maushart

Thought I'd add a little personal touch -- this is me at 26 weeks pregnant

The Mask of Motherhood: How Becoming a Mother Changes our Lives and Why We Never Talk About It

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 1999

It's about: The Mask of Motherhood is a series of critical essays examining the physical, emotional, and psychological effects that motherhood has on women. Its premise is that we have a cultural taboo against discussing any of these radical changes, so new mothers are entering this transformational period completely unprepared for what lies ahead. Different essays specifically examine pregnancy, child birth, breast feeding, new motherhood, the juggling act, and marital relationships.

I thought: I cannot believe I only found this book because I stumbled across it in a thrift store and thought it looked interesting. Why has no one ever told me about this book before? Why has no one ever shoved a copy in my hands and forced me to read it?

As an expecting new mother, I have found myself feeling rather ambivalent about the drastic changes that are about to take place in my life and marriage. At times, I am unbelievably excited and can't wait to hold my baby boy in my arms for the first time. Yet there are plenty of other times I am so overwhelmed and overcome by anxiety that I can't sleep for nights on end, and just the sight of a onesie or a pacifier makes me sick to my stomach with worry.

Up until this point, I have found most resources for new mothers unhelpful, to say the least. Most of them are split into two camps -- 1. the motherhood is so beautiful, babies are such miracles, and when the baby comes, all is wondrous and glorious, and there are lots of rainbows; or 2. motherhood is the most difficult and least rewarding thing a woman can ever do; it's really hard, and it mega sucks. The former seems ridiculous and unrealistic; the latter, hyperbolic and unnecessarily negative.

Somehow, this book strikes a cord somewhere between the two. Maushart manages to communicate the extreme and unexpected difficulties of pregnancy, childbirth, and mothering while not stripping motherhood of its due credit or praise. In other words, somehow Maushart is simultaneously brutally honest and empowering and comforting.

Plus, though it's a series of critical essays, Maushart mixes in plenty of personal anecdotes and humor to make this very readable. I don't necessarily agree with all of her assertions, but it is a thought-provoking, well-researched book well worth a read. As it was published in '99, many of the statistics are over 10 years old, but I think the issues discussed are still very much relevant to the struggles of mothers today.

All in all, this book has better emotionally prepared me for motherhood than all other resources I've encountered -- combined.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf. Just as I believe We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love is a must-read for any person who enters marriage or a serious relationship, I think this book is a must-read for any woman considering motherhood. I suspect it would be a useful read for those who are already mothers as well.

Reading Recommendations: Just read it. Just do it. And then give it to all your expecting friends.

Warnings: none

Favorite excerpts:
"Professionally, financially, socially, and spiritually we are primed for achievement. The more we can do, the more we should do. But the more we do, the worse we feel. And the sillier we look. It is surely worthy of note that the word contemporary women use more than any other to describe the management of their lives is the verb 'to juggle.' The women Friedan described felt as if their lives had been tranquilized... For women in the 1990s, by contrast, life is hyper-caffeinated; it's going so fast we can't assimilate it, let alone enjoy it. Yet when things slow down, we go into withdrawal, panicking that we must be somehow missing out. We are indeed the generation of 'women who do too much.'"

"Childbirth is one day, more or less, in a woman's life; motherhood is forever. Yet like gawkers at the empress's new maternity outfit, we steadfastly resolve not to notice. Other observers have noted that we devote more care to the licensing of automobile drivers than we do to preparing adults for parenthood. It's a point worth pondering. Limiting our education for parenthood to prenatal classes is a bit like limiting driver education to defensive strategies for getting out of the driveway. No one would dispute their usefulness, but they can only take you so far."

"To see motherhood properly, I am convinced, is to see it heroically, which means making full acknowledgment of the pain, the dangers, and the risks and taking the full measure of glory for its exquisite rewards. When we consider the inaugural maternal experience -- the journey we call childbirth -- the epic nature of the undertaking emerges with startling clarity. The drama of childbirth foreshadows both the pain and the power implicit in the journey ahead. Thus, it can function as a kind of prism through which the wider experience of motherhood is refracted."

What I'm reading next: The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy

Review: The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling

Rowling's first book for adults

Reviewed by Connie
*I received a complimentary review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Published: 2012

It's about: (taken from GoodReads) "When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?"

I thought: This book, Rowling's first since the final Harry Potter was published in 2007, has been received thus far with mixed reviews, which I wish to address before offering my opinion of the book.

Many of the negative reviews I have read have thus far have been from Harry Potter fans disappointed that this book is nothing like Harry Potter. Well, guess what, JK Rowling never intended this book to be anything like Harry Potter. Other reviewers have said that the adult content in the book is Rowling's awkward attempt to push as far away from Potter as possible, as though she has something to prove. This, also, is unfair, as it assumes that the more optimistic, kid-friendly, clean style of Harry Potter is the only writing style that comes instinctively to Rowling, and anything else is forced, a sort of teenage rebellion against her "goody goody" Harry Potter days.

Few readers seem to be considering the possibility that maybe, just maybe, Ms. Rowling has more to say about the world than she said in Harry Potter. That she does not go around seeing things exclusively through Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles, interpreting everything she encounters in terms of herbology and wands and dementors. The Casual Vacancy certainly takes a different (and undeniably bleaker) perspective on life, but it should not be written off as inauthentic simply because it differs so greatly from the tone of her previous works.

Now, one comment I will make, which will be the only Potter-Vacancy connection I point out, is that I love the way Rowling rotates the narrative perspective from one character to another throughout this book. She did this at times in Potter (when she wrote from the perspective of Frank, the gardener, or the Muggle Prime Minister), and I always thoroughly enjoyed those bits. She demonstrated a knack for the style in those brief glimpses in Potter, and now, having written an entire 500-page book exclusively in that fashion, her superior talent truly shines.

Rowling has said that this format is her attempt to modernize nineteenth century novels that center in a small town or village. This much is clear. The Casual Vacancy certainly follows in the vein of George Eliot's Middlemarch or any one of Thomas Hardy's novels, and she does the genre justice.

The characters of Pagford are varied, real, and flawed. Though very few of them are actually likable, Rowling writes them with insight, demonstrating an intuitive understanding of people's thought patterns and justifications for their actions. It is truly refreshing, as so many of us are confined to think only as we think without ever successfully putting ourselves in the places of those around us.

The irony of the book, and ultimately what makes it so powerful, is that while Rowling successfully writes from the perspectives of so many characters, thus following the advice to "walk a mile in someone's shoes," none of the characters she writes is ever capable of doing the same.

To me, this is the dominant theme of the book -- the tragedy of missed opportunity. So many times throughout the novel, characters have an opportunity to help or reach out to or really communicate with another character, and pretty much every time, they don't engage. Each character is a megalomaniac of sorts, so tied up with the universe that centers around himself, that no one is able to form any real human connections. That's why Barry Fairbrother's death leaves such a gaping hole in the town of Pagford; he seems to have been the only one capable of doing that.

Though the book is certainly bleak, it ultimately is a book of great compassion. The Casual Vacancy is a book of believable characters, expert writing, and plenty of Rowling's cheeky humor to mix things up.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf

Reading Recommendations: It would not be accurate to suggest that if you loved Harry Potter, you'll love The Casual Vacancy. I'd say a more appropriate recommendation would be if you like the novels of Ian McEwan (Atonement, Saturday), you will probably enjoy The Casual Vacancy.

Warnings: strong language, sexual content, drug use, rape

Favorite excerpts:
"Krystal's slow passage up the school had resembled the passage of a goat through the body of a boa constrictor, being highly visible and uncomfortable for both parties concerned."

"It was so good to be held. If only their relationship could be distilled into simple, wordless gestures of comfort. Why had humans ever learned to talk?"

"Ever since Barry's funeral, Gavin had dwelled, with a sense of deep inadequacy, on the comparatively small gap that he was sure he would leave behind in his community, should he die. Looking at Mary, he wondered whether it would not be better to leave a huge hole in one person's heart."

"What was love, after all? Thought Parminder, as a gentle breeze ruffled the tall hedge of Leyland cypresses that enclosed the Jawandas' backyard. Was it love when somebody filled a space in your life that yawned inside you, once they had gone?"

What I'm reading next: The Mask of Motherhood by Susan Maushart

Review: Sophie's Choice by William Styron

The Gates of Auschwitz via

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 1979

It's about: "Stingo" is a 22-year-old Southerner who moves to New York in 1947 to become a novelist. Not long after moving into his Brooklyn apartment, he befriends an unlikely couple who live above him -- she, Sophie, is a beautiful Polish survivor of Aushwitz concentration camp; he, Nathan, is a charming Jewish research biologist prone to extreme fits of anger. The book follows the intertwining stories of all three characters, frequently including lengthy recollections of Sophie's experiences in Auschwitz.

I thought: I really, really enjoyed this book. It is beautifully done. I love how the story progresses, alternating among Stingo's struggles (to become a great writer, to reconcile his family's history with slavery, and to get laid), Nathan and Sophie's turbulent history, and Sophie's recollections of Germany-occupied Poland and her more than one-year stint in Auschwitz Concentration Camp. It varied the tone and pacing of the book enough to keep me interested for all 600 pages.

Also, it's just great story-telling. Sometimes, you learn something about Sophie's history only later to learn it was all a lie, a lie that Sophie tells Stingo and herself because she can't bear to admit the truth. Her Aushwitz experiences are not presented chronologically but in bits and pieces as Sophie becomes more comfortable opening up to Stingo and revealing her dark past.

Styron has been accused of pretentiousness because of the extensive and frequently obscure vocabulary he adopts in the book. It's true -- there are a lot of infrequently used words, words I haven't seen since studying for the GRE. But I found the prose endearing and well-suited to the voice of the main character, a self-important aspiring writer who even invents rave book reviews for his as yet unfinished, unpublished works.

I also find the elevated prose contrasts wonderfully with Stingo's twenty-two-year old sexual frustration to hilarious effect. For example, take the following passage:

"I was mulling all this over when I was made suddenly aware -- in the room directly over my head -- of a commotion so immediately and laceratingly identifiable, so instantly, to my tormented ears, apparent in its nature that I will avoid a more circumlocutory time might have required obliqueness of suggestion, and take the liberty of saying that it was the sound, the uproar, the frenzy of two people f***ing like crazed wild animals."

It's probably the former English major in me, but I feel like I could write about 10 different critical essays on various topics in this book. For example, I find Styron's comparison of anti-semitic Europe to racism and slavery in America very compelling. I won't share the many other topics I've thought of writing about, as they might spoil one of the surprises in the plot for you.

Perhaps my biggest complaint about this book is that though I find Stingo's sexual frustration generally amusing, there did come a point around page 400 when I found it rather wearying. I found myself thinking, "Oh come on, just lose your virginity already and quit fantasizing about and agonizing over it." Although, I imagine that's how Stingo also felt, so in a way, I was forced to relate to his experience in some way.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf

Meryl Streep as Sophie

Reading Recommendations: I read this book before seeing the Oscar-winning movie adaptation starring Meryl Streep, which I plan to watch in the near future. I'd recommend doing the same, as the meaning of the title isn't clarified until the very end of the book. I imagine it would be harder to work your way through the near 600 pages of the book if you already know the ending.

Warnings: This is definitely an R-rated book. There's no shortage of f-words as well as other profanities used in reference to body parts. There are also several descriptive sex scenes.

Favorite excerpts:
"There are friends one makes at a youthful age in whom one simply rejoices, for whom one possesses a love and loyalty mysteriously lacking in the friendships made in afteryears, no matter how genuine."

"Someday I will understand Auschwitz. This was a brave statement but innocently absurd. No one will ever understand Auschwitz. What I might have set down with more accuracy would have been: Someday I will write about Sophie's life and death, and thereby help demonstrate how absolute evil is never extinguished from the world. Aushwitz itself remains inexplicable. The most profound statement yet made about Aushwitz was not a statement at all, but a response:
The query: 'At Aushwitz, tell me, where was God?'
And the answer: 'Where was man?'"

"I did not weep for the six million Jews or the two million Poles or the one million Serbs or the five million Russians -- I was unprepared to weep for all humanity -- but I did weep for these others who in one way or another had become dear to me, and my sobs made an unashamed racket across the abandoned beach; then I had no more tears to shed, and I lowered myself to the sand on legs that suddenly seemed strangely frail and rickety for a man of twenty-two."

What I'm reading next: The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling (!!!)

Review: Tributary by Barbara K. Richardson

via

Reviewed by Connie

*I received a complimentary advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Published: September 15, 2012 (tomorrow)

It's about: This book follows the life of Clair Martin, who begins life in a Mormon settlement in 1870s Utah. Her life's journey takes her away from the teachings of the Mormon church, all the way to Louisiana, and finally back to Utah as she struggles to define who she is and what she believes.

I thought: I debated with how personal I should get when writing this review, but as the book centers around a strong female character who abandons her Mormon upbringing because it seems too patriarchal, and as I myself am a Mormon feminist, I finally concluded that my most valuable insight into this book is from a more personal perspective. So forgive me for this different style of review.

Clair Martin is certainly what the book blurb professes her to be -- a strong female who will bend to neither man nor religion. Richardson does a fair job of developing her character (though this is not true for the other characters, who tend to be over-simplified). She also does a commendable job writing about the allure and appeal of the Western landscape to those who have history there. However, the list of Richardson's successes ends here.

Obviously, Mormonism plays a huge role in this book, as the heroine begins her journey in a Mormon settlement in Utah and spends the book trying to define her religious beliefs. The author was a practicing Mormon early in life but left the church shortly after starting college in NYC because she found the church's teaching incongruous with her feminist beliefs. As a Mormon feminist myself, I was particularly interested in reading her perspective.

However, after carefully considering her treatment of the Mormons, I can't say that Richardson writes about Mormon history in a thoughtful, circumspect, or carefully considered manner. Instead, she simplifies, reduces, and vilifies Mormon history. For example, there is not a single Mormon character who is genuinely a kind, compassionate person. They are all creeps. All the men, especially, are sex-craved maniacs looking to force women into submission. **some spoilers here** The one character -- a bishop -- who at first appears to be genuine turns into a creep when he asks 18-year-old Clair to be his third wife. And when Clair later finds true love, she loses him when he returns to church activity and runs away to become a polygamist with three teenage wives. Another creep.**end spoilers**

Richardson's Mormon settlement is reduced to one elaborate, patriarchal scheme, headed up by a greedy Brigham Young and perpetuated by perverted men in leadership positions looking for sex and domination.

I would have respected and enjoyed the book much more had Richardson tried to depict Mormon history -- particularly in relation to the women -- more accurately and fairly. It is a complicated and nuanced past that Mormon feminists today still struggle to fully understand. Richardson's reductionist portrayal adds little to the conversation.

Verdict: Rubbish Bin

Reading Recommendations: Readers interested in learning more about the complicated relationship between Mormon beliefs and feminism should turn to more thoughtful books, such as Joanna Brooks' Book of Mormon Girl (read our review here).

Warnings: one scene of rape

What I'm reading next: Still working on Sophie's Choice. It's a long one.

Connie's Top 10 Books that Make Her Think

I'm very excited about this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic, as my favorite books are the ones that make me think. That's why I'm a sucker for a well-executed tragic ending, as those tend to be the most haunting. Here are ten books that I love for the amount of thought they provoked.

10. Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez ~ This one is fresh on the mind, as I read it in a book group this summer, and it resulted in an interesting meeting. Marquez's truly unique love story between a 90-year-old man and a 14-year-old virgin is at times an uncomfortable read and  sparked a great discussion in the group about our dearly held cultural views of love and sex.

9.  Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro ~ I will never forget the experience I had with this book. In case you missed it, read about it in my review here.

8. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien ~ This is the best war book I have ever read. It beautifully examines the mentality of those at war as well as those who are not. Read my review here.

7. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood ~ A dystopia that examines women's role in society? Yes, please. In fact, I look forward to reading this one again, as it gave me perhaps too much to think about the first time around. Read my review here.

6. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens ~ Nothing like an anti-hero to make you question society's black-and-white classification of the "good guy" and the "bad guy."

5. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf ~ Pretty much any book - or journal - or essay - or scribble of Virginia Woolf's is guaranteed to make me stop and think.

4. Native Son by Richard Wright ~ In school (my schools at least), teachers loved to assign us books about racism in America, but they tended to choose books that tip-toe around the issues. When my ninth grade English teacher assigned us this book, I found it shocking and disturbing and a refreshingly new perspective. Wright has since become one of my favorite authors.

3. Orlando by Virginia Woolf ~ Once again, my Woolf obsession. Virginia Woolf has such a unique view of gender, and it's never more evident than in Orlando, in which the character begins life as a man and one day awakes as a woman. Read my review here.

2. We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love by Robert Johnson ~ One part mythic tale of Tristan and Isolde, two parts analysis of our deepest set beliefs and expectations about love, this is truly a fascinating read. You can't help but reanalyze every relationship you've ever had while reading this. Read my review here.

And the number one book that sends my brain into a frenzy is....



1.  1984 by George Orwell ~ Huge surprise to those of you who know that this is my very favorite book. 1984 is brilliant and insightful and haunting. Every read leads me to question everything around and inside of me. And I love that. Read my review here.



And now I'm in the mood to read some more thinkers! Recommendations, anyone?

Review: Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy

Athens, Greece via

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 2011

It's about: Rebecca -- a beautiful, French artist, George -- a drunk American linguist born into privilege, and Henry -- a charming English archaeologist, have all come to Athens, Greece in search of something. Through a series of chance meetings, they find what they have been searching for in each other. Book One of this four-part book details their summer in Athens. The following three books demonstrate how each character is defined by that all-important summer.

I thought: This was a very uneven read, and as such, I cannot give a rave review of this book. The prose is at times very pretty, and the first book is a rather enjoyable read, if not entirely believable (after all, who says literature has to be believable?).

However, the list of this book's positive qualifications ends there. There are too many failings in this book for me to recommend it to anyone. Van Booy very much experiments with form, and I find these experimentations very unsuccessful. For example, in books 2 and 3, the narrative shifts from third person omniscient (which was used in the first book), and the reader "becomes" the character Henry and is addressed as "you." (i.e. "You walked onto the balcony, so depressed you wanted to hurl yourself off of it.") As Henry is undergoing an intense emotional experience in these books, I suppose Van Booy wanted to make the reader feel as if he or she is actually experiencing the same thing, but it didn't work for me. In fact, I found it so irksome, I found myself connecting even less with Henry's experience.

Then, in the epilogue, Van Booy attempts another play with form, and switches to the present tense. Again, a failed experiment. Sometimes playing with form can really pay off, but not in this book's case. Plus, I thought the prose frequently felt contrived. Van Booy forces a lot of strange metaphors that I suppose are meant to seem poetic and insightful but feel unnatural. Take this passage for example, in which Rebecca pins back her hair:

"She held bobby pins in her mouth, and then applied each one like a sentence she would never say. Her hair was dark red, as though perpetually ashamed."

Really? This was one of many eye roll inducing passages for me. And yet, there are other moments of very pretty prose, so each sentence was hit or miss.

Verdict: In-Between

Reading Recommendations: I downloaded this ebook during Harper-Collins' 99-cent ebook sale. I wouldn't pay any more for it than that.

Warnings: sexual content, drinking, a brief moment of mild gore

Favorite excerpts:
"You've learned... that everything you are afraid of will never happen. It's the events you cannot conceive of that happen."

"Athens has long been a place where lonely people go. A city doomed to forever impersonate itself, a city wrapped by cruel bands of road, where the thunder of traffic is a sound so constant it's like silence."

What I'm reading next: Sophie's Choice by William Styron

Review: The Queen by Robert Lacey

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on their wedding day via

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 2012

It's about: This biography of Queen Elizabeth II of England is a consolidation of the many books Lacey has researched and written about his favorite subject. In 150 pages, it covers the major points of her life, from her birth to the end of 2011.

I thought: I must preface my review of this book by saying I'm not a big reader of biographies. If I read non-fiction, I prefer it to be "creative non-fiction," which this book is not. It is what it professes to be -- a telling of the Queen's life "in brief."

That having been established, as far as biographies go -- especially consolidated biographies -- this is a superior one. Lacey has certainly done his research, and he speaks about Elizabeth's life credibly and authoritatively.

However, I would not call this biography unbiased. Lacey clearly adores his subject, and I might even call him a royal apologist. On the subject of any and all criticisms of the Queen over the length of her rule, he firmly positions himself on her side.

Have you ever seen the movie, The Queen, starring Helen Mirren? You know how it tells about Diana's death from the royal perspective? That (fabulous) movie is based on another of Robert Lacey's books, if that gives you some idea of what I mean.

Overall, I didn't find the author's bias unreasonable, and it doesn't detract in any way from the book.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf

Reading Recommendations: If you want a good, (very) quick overview of a fascinating figure's life, this is worth picking up.

Warnings: None

Favorite excerpts: It's a biography... it's pretty straight-forward writing, so no passages particularly stood out to me.

What I'm reading next: Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy


*I received a complimentary review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review & Giveaway: The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D. by Nichole Bernier

via

Reviewed by Christine-Chioma and Connie


The publisher, Crown, is sponsoring a giveaway of this book. Enter to win your own copy at the end of this review.

Published: 2012

It's about: This book juxtaposes the lives of two seemingly simple mothers and reveals their complicated inner struggles, fears, and secrets. One of these women is Elizabeth, an apparently perfect suburban mother content to stay at home with her kids. The other is Kate, a former pastry chef turned stay-at-home mom who is left with Elizabeth's journals after Elizabeth dies in a plane crash around the same time as 9/11. In a spontaneous addendum to her will, Elizabeth leaves the journals to Kate, asking that she start from the beginning and use her sensitivity to determine what to do with them. The book explores several themes, including post-traumatic stress disorder, the struggle between motherhood and career ambition, death, and when we are protecting our loved ones and when we are deceiving them.

Christine-Chioma thought: I devoured this book! I started reading it at seven in the evening and finished it just after midnight. I really enjoyed the way Bernier weaved Elizabeth's old journal entries with Kate's past and present. I felt emotionally invested in all of the narratives and Bernier's characterization was brilliant. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. It was deeper than I expected--without being too heavy. The characters contemplated many of the things we don't talk about: how we're perceived by others, how much we can really know another person, how much we can rely on others. I also enjoyed the overarching theme of the things we share with others and the things we don't. The plot was compelling (and a bit mysterious) while remaining realistic. I liked the book so much I was worried about the ending, but it was satisfying.


Connie thought: When Crown emailed us about this book, they advertised it as "the perfect summer read," and I would agree. After reading so many heavy books this year (Moby Dick, Anna Karenina) and then boring pregnancy books (I'm expecting!), this book was a great way to mix it up. For a beach read, this book's prose is surprisingly good, and the themes are also surprisingly vast and deep -- if not deep for a serious piece of literature, deep for a summer read. While the story is not anything revolutionary, I appreciated that the author strove to depict the complexities of stay-at-home mothers, who are often reduced in people's minds to women who are happy to clean up other people's poop and spit-up all day. Bernier shows the difficulties of choosing one's children over one's career, the insecurities of not living up to other people's expectations, and the nagging, unfulfilled longing in these two SAHMs.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf

Reading Recommendations: Connie says, if you're looking for something lighter without wanting to stray so far from literature as to try, say, Tyra Banks' Modelland, this is an excellent, lighter alternative. Christine-Chioma says, it would be a good book club pick--great discussions!

Warnings: Very clean. Some cutaway sex scenes (meaning no details but you knew when characters had sex) and some mature themes, including death, alcoholism, infidelity, and abortion.

Favorite excerpts:
"A sister was a companion and a competitor, the person who best understood the crucible in which you were formed. One of the few capable of completing you, and if lost, of cleaving you cleanly in half."

"But that's the funny thing about people who don't fit into a box. They grow to infiltrate everything, and when they suddenly go missing, they are missing everywhere."

"I will be okay. But the price I'll pay for not having to do this alone will be never having the certainty that I can count on him."

"There was something reflexive in the forgiveness, but of course, once you knew what made a person into a collection of oddities and defenses. The work to reach that knowing was exhausting, not the forgiving. That seemed to happen on its own."

* We received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

To enter the giveaway for a free copy of this book, leave a comment on this post including your email address. We will leave the giveaway open until 12:00 am on Wednesday, August 8th.

Top 10 Characters Who Remind Me of My Family

I am currently staying with my family on vacation, so as I started this week's top 10 Tuesday, identifying book characters that remind you of people you know, I couldn't help but do my family. It probably won't entertain you as much as it does me (since I know my family), but maybe it will give you a glimpse into what my big ole' family's like. So here they are, from oldest to youngest. 


I also decided to include a couple old school family pictures for your viewing pleasure. But we'll start with a less embarrassing, recent one.

My family today (or last year) L-R
Michelle (Christian's wife), Christian (Peter), Bryan (Rhett Butler), Mom (Elinor), Dad (Captain Wentworth), Brad (Arthur Weasley), me (Hermione Granger), Juli (Elphaba), Jayme (Mary Rivers), Katie (Ramona Quimby)

My dad = Captain Wentworth from Persuasion: Captain Wentworth is, when it comes down to it, an awesome guy, though he is prone to being a little emotional. Remember, he's the one who punishes Anne for turning him down by courting another woman right in front of her. Yep, my dad is prone to strong bursts of emotion, but he's still so lovable and awesome. 

My mom = Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility: Not prone to strong fits of emotion, Elinor is Austen's ultimate level-headed heroine. Anyone who has met my mom knows that she is THE MOST CALM PERSON IN THE WORLD! Nothing, and I mean nothing, shakes her calm demeanor.

Christmas morning, F-B
Katie (Ramona), me (Hermione), Bryan
(future Rhett), Juli (Elphaba), Christian
(Peter), Jayme (Mary), Dad (Wentworth)

My sister, Jayme = Mary Rivers from Jane Eyre: Don't you love St. John's sisters, Diana and Mary? They are single, they are intelligent, they are educated, and they are teachers. Hmmm, sounds like my older sister, a strong single woman about to start her PhD program in music theory.

My brother, Christian = Peter from Chronicles of Narnia: You know the strong, quiet older brother type? Yeah, that's Christian. Calm like my mother, he's a very steady figure who's always watched out for the younger siblings. Well, other than giving his only younger brother a hard time every once in a while :)

My sister, Juli = Elphaba from Wicked: It has been many, many years since I've read Wicked, but I still remember that the entire time I read it, I kept thinking, "This is Juli!" Elphie cares about animals, almost to a fault (when my sister's dog got sick, she stayed home from work to hold him and feed him Pedialite) and has always stood out as a little different from the rest of her family (Juli spent one year of high school with her hair cut into short, bright purple stripes). Ultimately, Elphie/Juli has a lot of heart, and she's very likable.

Katie wasn't born yet, but who doesn't love an old plaid
family picture? L-R Bryan, Dad, Jayme, Christian, Mom,
me (on her lap), Juli

My brother, Bryan = Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind: Can we say, ladies' man? Women love my brother. He's tall, dark, and handsome, much like dear old Rhett. They're both a little coarse and cocky by all appearances sake, but like Rhett, Bryan's all mushy inside. Rhett has a real soft spot for Scarlett and his daughter, and Bryan is a very loving brother.

Me = Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series: I tried to be more original on this one, but honestly, no character is more like me than Hermione. I obsessed over grades in school, I was uber competitive and more than occasionally an annoying know-it-all. But I keep a cool head in perilous situations, I love learning and working hard, and I'm a very loyal friend.

My baby sister, Katie = Ramona Quimby: She's freckled, she's curious, and she's a a little mischievous. I couldn't help laughing when I realized my sister is Ramona Quimby. Katie is the loudest of the family; she was always climbing trees and getting into this and that. She seems really tough, but like Ramona, she's actually very sensitive.

my husband, Brad (Arthur Weasley) and me (Hermione)

And finally, my husband = Arthur Weasley from the Harry Potter series: This was another one that made me laugh. Though they didn't do Mr. Weasley justice in the movies, the guy from the books is a loving family man (but not much of a disciplinarian) with a great sense of humor. Nothing makes my husband happier than hanging out at home with the family. He's a people pleaser and hates to make anyone feel bad. Instead, he's the goof ball always making people laugh.

Review: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

fan with nushu script

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 2005

It's about: "This novel takes place in 19th century China, when girls had their feet bound, then spent the rest of their lives in seclusion with only a single window from which to see. Illiterate and isolated, they were not expected to think, be creative, or have emotions. But in one remote county, women developed their own secret code, nu shu – "women's writing" – the only gender-based written language to have been found in the world. Some girls were paired as "old-sames" in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their windows to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. An old woman tells of her relationship with her "old-same," their arranged marriages, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood—until a terrible misunderstanding written on their secret fan threatens to tear them apart." (taken from the book website)

I thought: The historical aspects of this novel are fascinating. As a woman with a background in literature and women's studies, I was particularly interested in a woman's role in 19th century Chinese culture and the secret nushu script, which I had never heard of. The scenes describing footbinding were especially interesting/gruesome/shocking. I knew they wanted little feet, but did you know the ideal foot size was 7 centimeters, or the size of a THUMB? So they systematically broke all the bones in their feet. HOLY---.

Aside from the interesting historical elements, I was also captivated by the depiction of an intimate friendship between women and the emotional truth with which See tells it. Any female who has had a female best friend will most likely deeply connect with their story. And it's told in very lyrical prose, which adds another dimension to reading about the friendship.

BUT -- there is a but. I found the ending unsatisfying. By the end of the book, I felt like I had invested so much in Snow Flower and Lily's friendship that they -- and I -- deserved more. After really enjoying the entire book, I finished it feeling very unsatisfied, even cheated.

Verdict: Despite the disappointing ending, I would still stick it on the shelf

Reading Recommendations: I'm not sure that most men would appreciate this story, but as a woman, I really connected with it. I would recommend it to a woman who enjoys novels with historical elements.

Warnings: mild references to "bed business" and one pretty mild scene of physical intimacy (not sex) between two young girls

Favorite excerpts:
"Anyone who says that women do not have influence in men's decisions makes a vast and stupid mistake."

"We [daughters] may be worthless. We may be raised for another family. But often we are loved and cherished, despite our natal families' best efforts not to have feelings for us... Maybe as parents we try not to care. I tried not to care about my daughter, but what could I do? She nursed at my breast like my sons had, she cried her tears in my lap, and she honored me by becoming a good and talented woman in nu shu."

What I'm reading next: Memories of my Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

April Classics Challenge: Book Covers

Posted by Connie

It's been a little while since we've posted for the Classics Challenge, but I decided to jump back into it this month. Lately, I have been chipping away at Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, and since I'm in the midst of moving, it's taking me longer than usual, and it's also the only thing I have time to read. Hence my lack of reviews.

Enough disclaimers. On to the discussion. The questions for this month are:

• What are your first impressions of the cover?
• Does the cover reflect the character, setting, or plot?
• If you designed a book cover, what would you have chosen?

Anna Karenina has been released so many times, so it has had many a cover. Here's the one I'm reading (since this is the translation Ingrid recommended):

I am about 65% through the book, so I cannot definitively say this, but thus far, I do not remember an instance when any character has bare legs and holds some flowers dramatically between them. So unless that comes later (and who knows, perhaps it does), I'm thinking this is not meant to be a literal representation of any particular event in the book.

So let's look at it in the abstract. The legs are bare, and though nowadays women parade around in super-mini-skirts, such was not the fashion among high society in 1870s Russia. So between the nakedness of the legs and the flowers, it could be alluding to Anna's affair with Vronsky (her "de-flowering", if you want to get vulgar), or even more abstractly, the loss of her innocence. Also, the purples are in color while everything else is in black and white, making for an overall dramatic and tragic feel -- perfectly fitting the story of Anna Karenin.

Man, I had to pick a hard cover, didn't I? Other Anna Karenina covers would have been a lot more obvious, like these:

 Anna is so sad that she's ruining her life, so she lies dramatically on the chaise.

Anna is beautiful and high society but oh so sad and tragic, so she leans on the table to keep from fainting from the sadness and tragedy of it all.

Anna Karenina is a modern, haute couture model trying desperately to get her picture on the cover of Marie Claire.











All right, you Anna Karenina fans out there, what do you make of the flowers and legs cover?

Review: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

via

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 1927

It's about: To the Lighthouse centers around the Ramsay family as they visit their beach home in Scotland along with their friends and acquaintances in 1910-1920. Little happens, but there is much philosophical reflection and plenty of introspection.

I thought: Virginia Woolf is a literary goddess. Who else can capture the intricacies and subtleties and idiosyncrasies of the mind with such accuracy and truth? To the Lighthouse is yet another powerful example that despite (or is it because of?) her self-proclaimed "madness," Woolf understands the psychology of thought better than any other author to date.

Reading To the Lighthouse feels like reading your own mind. This book is a perfect example of my definition of "literature" -- psychological insight over plot. Little happens in this book, or in any of Woolf's books I have yet encountered, and yet its pages are remarkably profound.

I read this book much more slowly than I read other books, because I savored every last word. Should you decide to read this, I highly recommend doing so when you are at your leisure, and when you have a fully loaded pen ready to underline the crap out of that book.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf

Reading Recommendations: If you are not a fan of stream of consciousness, or you're looking for an exciting, fast read, this is not for you. If you are looking for something beautiful and quiet and brilliant, then by all means, pick this book up.

Warnings: none

Favorite excerpts:
"How then did it work out, all this? How did one judge people, think of them? How did one add up this and that and conclude that it was liking one felt, or disliking?"

"And, what was even more exciting, she felt, too, as she saw Mr. Ramsay bearing down and retreating, and Mrs. Ramsay sitting with James in the window and the cloud moving and the tree bending, how life, from being made up of little separate incidents which one lived one by one, became curled and whole like a wave which bore one up with it and threw one down with it, there, with a dash on the beach."

"A sort of transaction went on between them, in which she was on one side, and life was on another, and she was always trying to get the better of it, as it was of her; and sometimes they parleyed (when she sat alone); there were, she remembered, great reconciliation scenes; but for the most part, oddly enough, she must admit that she felt this thing that she called life terrible, hostile, and quick to pounce on you if you gave it a chance."

"No, she thought...children never forget. For this reason, it was so important what one said, and what one did, and it was a relief when they went to bed."

What I'm reading next: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Review: The Dirty Parts of the Bible by Sam Torode

The Wedding of Sarah and Tobias by Jan Steen, 1660

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 2011

It's about: At the end of the book, the author explains, "this novel is a retelling of the ancient Jewish tale of Tobias and Sarah set in the world of my grandparents, who met and married in Texas during the Great Depression." Mind you, I didn't read that until the end. So I read the story of Tobias, a hormonal, 19-year-old Depression era boy, whose father is a self-righteous Baptist preacher but gets blinded by a bird pooping in his eyes (seriously). Tobias must journey from his home in Michigan to his uncle's ranch in Texas, where his father had buried money years before, to save his parents from poverty. On the way, Tobias rebels against his strict, pious upbringing and gets into all sorts of trouble. Luckily, he makes friends with a hook-handed black hobo, Craw, who shows him the ropes of being a bum, looks out for him, and even teaches him a thing or two. And boy, does Tobias need it -- especially when he meets the lovely farm hand, Sarah.

I thought: The book is entertaining enough. It helps to be familiar with the tale of Tobias, from the Book of Tobit in the Apocrypha, because before I knew it was based on that, I did more than a little eyebrow raising at the blinded by bird crap thing, and the demon Indian man who curses any man who loves Sarah, and the magical powers of catfish. Understanding the premise -- morphing the ancient Biblical story with the author's grandparents' love story -- makes the whole thing seem more harmless and less certifiably crazy.

In fact, reading it as a myth makes me more willing to overlook other shortcomings of the novel as well. Like the rather shallow characterization. Other than Tobias's spiritual journey -- rejecting his father's teachings only to learn bit by bit what he really believes in -- the other transformations in the book are not very fully developed. (spoiler alert) Like his father's -- Tobias leaves for a few weeks, and when he comes back, his father has had a total change of heart. Read as a novel, this is highly unlikely and rather annoying. As a take on a Bible story, however, well, that just happens all the time in scripture, doesn't it? (end spoiler)

"Tobias with the Angel Raphael"
by Pietro Perugino, 1496

Tobias is a likable and pretty believable character. As a young man at the height of his libido, he has a typical boy's dirty mind ("What did I want out of life? Only one thing, really. To make love to a beautiful girl before the Rapture."), but at the same time, he has a very charming sincerity. As a matter of fact, he reminded me a bit of Holden Caulfield in several parts. Like when he accidentally ends up at a whorehouse and just tries to make small talk with the prostitute, realizing that he can have sex like he's always wanted, but that he'd rather get a nice house and raise chickens with her ("Raising chickens with the girl sounded more appealing than screwing her --? What kind of fool notion was that? I knew less about chickens than I did about sex, if such a thing was possible.")

Craw is also a fun character. He represents the guardian angel in disguise in the Bible story of Tobias, and he certainly provides spiritual guidance, but in his own hilarious, quirky way. And the book can be rather innocently funny -- it's certainly irreverent but not mean-spirited.

Verdict: In-between; this was a pretty fun, easy read but not necessarily a book that gets a ringing endorsement.

Reading Recommendations: For Kindle owners and Amazon prime members, this is one of the free books you can rent out every month.

Warnings: This is told from the perspective of a teenage boy, so yeah, there's a lot in here about breasts and sex and swearing -- but all in good fun.

Favorite excerpts:
"Remember this, my boy. The two greatest men who ever lived -- Jesus and Socrates -- were both hoboes." (Craw)

"'The problem with a lot of church people,' Craw said, 'is that they're trying to be holier than Jesus.'"

"I was obsessed with breasts, but I had no idea why. I still am, and still don't. What are they, anyway? Built-in baby bottles. So why are they so attractive? Is it their roundness and softness? If women had only one breast and several nipples, like a goat, would breasts lose their charm? If women had udders on their bellies that swayed as they walked, would men still watch and whistle?"

What I'm reading next: Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor