Review: Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

From Goodreads: John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression follows the western movement of one family and a nation in search of work and human dignity. Perhaps the most American of American classics.

My review: Somehow I made it through high school and college without this book being required reading. Now that I have read it, I think that is a travesty. This novel would be the perfect companion to studying American history. Combined with The Jungle a student could see the harsh way of life that was a brutal reality to so many individuals in this country, both immigrant and native.

Reality pressed down on the Joad family hard, and at every bend something was taken from them. That item might be their home, their land, their employment, their food, their family or their own lives. Times were tough and those with the money continued to make it tougher on the poor, slapping them with unexplainable and unethical decisions, prices and hoops to jump through. The Joad’s were lied to, again and again but they had nowhere to go. No other options cause people to sink to new lows, including taking a job that doesn’t pay enough to even eat just because it is a job, any job. The Joad’s weren’t an isolated situation, in fact they were just one family in a large amount of migrant people just looking for work and for food.

The writing flipped back and forth between a general look at society and situations the Joad's would be encountering in the near future with the actual Joad story. It provided insight into society in general at the time, as well as, the people that they might be running into in their trek out West.

Grade: C

Finished: August 25, 2010. 2010 Count: 78.

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is a feature hosted by The Story Siren as a way to share what books we obtained this week.

Here is my loot (plus a few of the Barnes and Noble Classic's free downloads for my nook):

The Hunger Games Series via Amazon

From the Library:

 
The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University by Kevin Roose

American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham

Breathless by Dean Koontz

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

What came in your mailbox this week?

On My Wishlist (2)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.





America and the Pill: A History of Promise, Peril, and Liberation by Elaine Tyler May

From Goodreads: In 1960, the FDA approved the contraceptive commonly known as “the pill.” Advocates, developers, and manufacturers believed that the convenient new drug would put an end to unwanted pregnancy, ensure happy marriages, and even eradicate poverty. But as renowned historian Elaine Tyler May reveals in America and the Pill, it was women who embraced it and created change. They used the pill to challenge the authority of doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and lawmakers. They demonstrated that the pill was about much more than family planning—it offered women control over their bodies and their lives. From little-known accounts of the early years to personal testimonies from young women today, May illuminates what the pill did and did not achieve during its half century on the market.


I added this to my TBR shelf after reading a review on a blog or the NBC, I can’t remember which now, because it sounded very interesting. As a firm believer in the availability of birth control and a pill user myself, I am curious to read about the development and legislation involved in bringing the pill to my Dr’s office.

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl

From Goodreads: Fans of Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me with Apples know that Ruth Reichl is a wonderful memoirist--a funny, poignant, and candid storyteller whose books contain a happy mix of memories, recipes, and personal revelations. What they might not fully appreciate is that Reichl is an absolute marvel when it comes to writing about food--she can describe a dish in such satisfying detail that it becomes unnecessary for readers to eat. In her third memoir, Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, Reichl focuses on her life as a food critic, dishing up a feast of fabulous meals enjoyed during her tenure at The New York Times. As a critic, Reichl was determined to review the "true" nature of each restaurant she visited, so she often dined incognito--each chapter of her book highlights a new disguise, a different restaurant (including the original reviews from the Times), and a fresh culinary adventure. Garlic and Sapphires is another delicious and delightful book, sure to satisfy Reichl's foodie fans and leave admirerers looking forward to her next book, hopefully about her life with Gourmet. --Daphne Durham

My review: This was the August selection for the monthly book on my online book club and isn’t something I would normally pick up to read. I am as far from a food connoisseur as you can pretty much be so I wasn’t really sure I would like this book. I was pleasantly surprised in how much I enjoyed it. I thought this book would be primarily about food but food was only a small part of the entire story. Ruth creates alternate identities to hide herself in while she visits restaurants to remain anonymous so that she doesn’t get unusual and beneficial treatment. Surprising herself, she fell into these new rolls quite well, in fact so well she would respond to questions, to food and to the restaurant’s environment in the way the character would, rather than the way Ruth would. These instances caused her to examine the staff, food and ambiance differently and opened her mind up to what other people experience when visiting the same restaurant.

Almost a story of psychology more than food, some of the more startling aspects of the book were the reactions, responses and the treatment Ruth received as her other characters. From her doorman’s reaction when she dressed a bit more revealing to his caring assistance when she was in character as her mother, the citizen’s of New York City responded in different manors depending on how she was dressed and who she pretended to be, with exception her son. He could see through the makeup, perfume and clothing to find his Mom every time. I found this fascinating and it brings first impression judgments to the forefront. Based off her limited experience, it would appear that people deeply judge by how a person looks, their age and how they talk. I find myself making that same type of judgment of others at times but attempt to reel in my mental judgments by reminding myself that sometimes people just have bad days or are under more stress than they can handle.

Ruth’s view towards food was interesting and above my understanding most of the time. I didn’t know what many of the foods were when she would name them but the way she described them with such color, detail and emotion, I found that I didn’t need to know exactly what the item was to understand and follow along. She includes a handful or two of recipes that are mentioned or that she makes at home. Some of them looked like they would be tasty but far from what normally adorns our dinner table. In all, I thought this was a very unique and interesting book that made me laugh and think.

Grade: B

Finished: August 20, 2010. 2010 Count: 77

Booking Through Thursday - August 26, 2010

From: http://btt2.wordpress.com/: If you're not enjoying a book, will you stop mid-way? Or do you push through to the end? What makes you decide to stop? 

My response: Almost always I finish the book. I know, I know…life is too short to read bad books but I just can't seem to get over the "not finishing" a book. What shelf do you put it on Goodreads? Do you move it back to To-Read or do you move it to Read? Do you rate it even though you haven't finished it? Do you blog a partial review? See, there are too many questions for me to figure out so I just keep plugging through, usually skimming a lot, until I finish it.

Goodreads Win!

I feel like a broken record but I love Goodreads! :) Not only for the organizational abilities it provides to track my reading, or just the community of readers it enables but ALSO for the giveaways!

This time I won: Blue Nude by Elizabeth Rosner - Born in the shadow of postwar Germany, Danzig is a once-prominent painter who now teaches at an art institute in San Francisco. But while Danzig shares wisdom and technique with students, his own canvases remain mysteriously empty. When a compelling new model named Merav poses for his class, Danzig, unsettled by her beauty, senses that she may be the muse he has been waiting for. The Israeli-born granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, Merav is a former art student who discovered her abilities as a model while studying in Tel Aviv. To escape the danger and violence of the Middle East, she moved to California, where she found work posing for artists around the Bay Area. Now challenged by Danzig’s German accent and the menace it suggests, Merav must decide how to overcome her fears. Before they can create anything new together, both artist and model are forced to examine the history they carry. Using words to paint the landscapes of body and soul, Elizabeth Rosner conveys the art of survival, the complexity of history, the form of exile, the shape of desire, and the color of intimacy. Blue Nude is the narrative equivalent of a masterpiece of fine art.

This is right up my interest alley - historical fiction and the Holocaust. I'm really excited to read this one!

Review: Persephone the Phony (Goddess Girls) by Joan Holub (Goodreads Author), Suzanne Williams

From Amazon: AS PERSEPHONE'S MOTHER ENCOURAGES HER to do, she often "goes along to get along" instead of doing what she really wants. But when she meets Mount Olympus Academy bad-boy Hades, she finally feels she has found someone with whom she can be herself. He's the first person who actually listens to her, and she finds herself liking him, despite the fact that the other goddessgirls think he's bad news. But if he makes her feel so special -- and so comfortable -- can he really be all that bad? Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic myths with the Goddess Girls series. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

My review: I was excited when I won this via Goodreads but now that I have read it, I am ecstatic that I won this book! I loved everything about it, really I’m not sure I could find something I didn’t love. The spin on the Greek Gods and Goddesses is unique, creative and well-played in this novel. Persephone’s struggles are those of the target audience, ages 8 through 12, and range from peer pressure, discovering and exercising individuality, independence versus parental involvement, seeing past first impressions and handling emotions. The dialogue and interactions between Hades and Persephone seems plausible for their ages. Their friendship starts the seeds that grow into looking past first impressions and immediate classifications. Persephone sees past his name and home in the Underworld and finds his true nature of a caring and shy godboy. In attempting to get her Mother and friends to look past their initial impression of Hades, Persephone has to decide for herself if she believes the hype. My favorite aspect of the whole story is the silver winged sandals the godboys and goddesses wear to travel at top speeds. They were such a creative twist on the traditional toga’s and sandals.

I plan to buy the entire series for my daughter, Samantha, to have in her library.

Grade: A

Finished: August 19, 2010. 2010 Count: 76

Mothers & Other Liars - Book Tour, Stop #5

Kaity was next up on the Mothers & Other Liars by Amy Bourret book tour hosted here at Life is Short. Read Fast.

Check out her review here!

Review: Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand

From Goodreads: He was a cultural icon. A world-class athlete. A champion who triumphed over terrible handicaps to become a legend of the racetrack. No other racehorse has rivaled Seabiscuit's fame or his sway over the nation's imagination. Now Laura Hillenbrand unfolds the spellbinding story of this marvelous animal, the world he lived in, and the men who staked their lives and fortunes on his dazzling career. A riveting tale of grit, grace, luck, and an underdog's stubbor determination, Seabiscuit is an American classic.

My review: The beginning of this book was very dry and hard to get through. It consisted of the history for all the major players in Seabiscuit's run to fame and how they all came to be on the Seabiscuit team. I found some of it interesting but much went too deep into each major player for me. Once Seabiscuit actually showed up, I really got interested. I loved how Laura Hillenbrand described the relationship between Biscuit and Smith, his trainer. She wrote their relationship in a manor that showed their love for each other, through the highs of their career and the many lows. Biscuit was a horse with personality and thus, had to be treated differently than other horses. Smith picked up on that and found what worked and banished what didn't. This mean enduring harsh criticism from the horse racing world but even under that pressure, Smith and Howard (Buscuit's owner) did what was right for their unique horse.

I was quite surprised by the brutal jockey world this book introduced me to. I knew things were pretty cut throat but I didn't realize the lengths these jockey's would go to in order to make weight or to keep their job. They were a rough and tumble crowd with only a handful who actually loved the horses.

Grade: C

Finished: August 18, 2010. 2010 Count: 75

On My Wishlist (1)

I saw this meme a few weeks ago and thought it would be a fun way to discuss books I want to read! Some will be newer books but many will be older that I have on my TBR shelf on Goodreads. I am hoping that this will help me request some of these books from the library or buy them instead of just staring at my really long list.

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.

I Will Bear Witness: A Diary of the Nazi Years, 1933-1941 by Victor Klemperer

From Goodreads: The second volume of Victor Klemperer's searing diary, kept in secret during the 12 years he suffered under the Nazi regime, covers the period from 1942 to 1945. The humiliations visited on even such "privileged" Jews as Klemperer (whose wife was Aryan) grew increasingly severe, with house searches, arbitrary arrests, and brutal beatings becoming virtually routine. The 60-year-old historian is forced to shovel snow despite his heart condition; hunger gnaws at him as rations are mercilessly cut. Yet he clings to an intellectual life, continuing his reading and making notes on the lies and obfuscations of official Nazi discourse that would become his postwar masterpiece, Lingua Tertii Imperii. "The Russians, who have only just been annihilated, are tremendous and quite inexhaustible opponents," he notes sardonically after reading a mendacious fascist article in 1942. His lengthy account of his escape with his wife from Dresden after the Allied bombings of 1945 unforgettably captures the chaos of World War II's final days and the mixed feelings of a Jew who could never wholeheartedly gloat over the defeat of the nation that had persecuted him. Above all, his unflinching depiction of human nature and society in extremis amply justifies his cherished belief that even the Nazis "cannot prevent language from testifying to the truth." --Wendy Smith

I read his diary of the later years, I Will Bear Witness 1942-1945: A Diary of the Nazi Years by Victor Klemperer previously and immediately put 1933-1941 on my wish list. I actually had it from PBS at one point, but it was a badly damaged copy and we were trying to minimize our books so it went into the have-to-leave-the-house pile even though I hadn’t read it.

Just call me a follower

After hearing all the hype over the Hunger Game trilogy and upcoming Mockingjay release, I caved and bought all three from Amazon today. I got all three in hardback for $26 with free shipping so I just could pass it up. This deal makes hardback books cheaper than buying them in e-book from B&N.

I can't wait to crack them open!

Review: A Touch of Dead (Southern Vampire Mystery Short Stories) by Charlaine Harris

From Goodreads: Every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written—in one special volume—from the New York Times bestselling author.

New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her “spunky” (Tampa Tribune) Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written—together in one volume. Stories include “Fairy Dust,” “One Word Answer,” “Dracula Night,” “Lucky,” and “Giftwrap.”

My review: I have missed reading about Sookie between the Hubster reading the books and watching True Blood. I planned to re-read the series but with only three True Blood episodes left this season, I may put that off until right before next season starts. This collection of short stories was a nice Sookie fix for me and filled in a few gaps in the stories that I had been wondering about. The short story about Hadley fills in a few huge holes that I found while reading Definitely Dead. I remember starting the book and then re-reading the ending of Dead as a Doornail because I felt like I missed a major plot line. I don’t want to spill the beans on what this plot line is so I am remaining cryptic.

Grade: B

Finished: August 15, 2010. 2010 count: 74.

Giveaway Link - Check it out!

Check out the 5 different books featured in a giveaway from Buzzing About Books:

Awesome Giveaway

Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller
The Summer We Read Gatsby by Danielle Ganek
It Takes Two by Patrizia Chen
The Listener by Shira Nayman
Hidden Wives by Claire Avery (Check out my review and my Q&A with Claire Avery)

Review: Roses by Leila Meacham

From Goodreads: Spanning the 20th century, the story of Roses takes place in a small East Texas town against the backdrop of the powerful timber and cotton industries, industries controlled by the scions of the town's founding families. Cotton tycoon Mary Toliver and timber magnate Percy Warwick should have married but unwisely did not, and now must deal with the deceit, secrets, and tragedies of their choice and the loss of what might have been--not just for themselves but for their children, and children's children. With expert, unabashed, big-canvas storytelling, Roses covers a hundred years, three generations of Texans and the explosive combination of passion for work and longing for love

My review: I had added this book to my TBR pile and planned on buying it for my nook later this fall because I knew it was a large book (over 500 pages) but when I saw it at the library on the “new to the library” shelf, I picked it up. I had to find a place for it in my SuBC list but that was an easy adjustment it turned out. I was sucked into this book from the first few pages. Due to the size, I was reading it only at home and another book on my nook for my lunch book/in my purse book. Had I read it at lunches I probably would have finished it in 2 days, it was that good. I was surprised at the amount of suspense as the story wound its way through the generations of Tolliver’s and Warwick’s. Mary and Percy were heartbreakingly selfish but also generous throughout the book so I could never really dislike them for their actions. While their actions cost themselves more than anyone, their actions also deeply impacted those that they loved most. I cried big ugly tears at their anguish, when tragedy struck the characters and when wonderful things happened as well. This was a very involving book for me and I found myself wondering what happened next throughout my day and feeling heartsick for the losses they all had to endure.

The only thing that kept this book from receiving an A from me is the ending. It was too fast, too summarized and too compact. With a book this size, the ending should have been more descriptive and went longer into the future. I had followed some of these characters from their childhood and then all of a sudden, it ended. I wanted more.

Grade: B

Finished: August 12, 2010. 2010 Count: 72.

Mothers & Other Liars - Book Tour, Stop #4

Next up on the Mothers & Other Liars book tour is Lindsey: Check out her review on Goodreads!

Review: Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall

From Goodreads: Previously titled The Carhullan Army. In her stunning novel, Hall imagines a new dystopia set in the not-too-distant future. England is in a state of environmental crisis and economic collapse. There has been a census, and all citizens have been herded into urban centers. Reproduction has become a lottery, with contraceptive coils fitted to every female of childbearing age. A girl who will become known only as "Sister" escapes the confines of her repressive marriage to find an isolated group of women living as "un-officials" in Carhullan, a remote northern farm, where she must find out whether she has it in herself to become a rebel fighter. Provocative and timely, Daughters of the North poses questions about the lengths women will go to resist their oppressors, and under what circumstances might an ordinary person become a terrorist.

My review: I’m still not sure how I feel about this book. It was riveting and intriguing but also dark and well, dystopian. The ending left me wanting more, needing to know more of the “what happens next.” Overall the story was very strong but I wished the emotion was stronger when Sister is talking about leaving her home and running to Carhullan. It felt void of the engrained fear that I expected her to feel. She was scared but it wasn’t as severe as I thought it might be. Maybe she had reached the point of ambivalence, not caring whether she is caught or not, after losing so much of her own person and her way of life. Her life at Carhullan was interesting, not so much Sister’s life, but the actual inner-workings of the farm. The self sufficiency was inspiring and the way the women worked together, each using their own strengths to support the farm was astounding.

I considered giving this book a higher grade for the simple fact that I felt sick to my stomach reading it most of the time. I actually had to put it down at one point because I knew it wouldn’t end happy and that upset me. I wanted the farm to survive and I wanted the regime to topple but dystopian novels aren’t generally uplifting so I knew it wasn’t going to end with ice cream and pie.

Grade: C

Finished: August 8, 2010. 2010 count: 71.

Booking Through Thursday – August 12, 2010

From: http://btt2.wordpress.com/: Have your reading choices changed over the years? Or pretty much stayed the same? (And yes, from childhood to adulthood we usually read different things, but some people stick to basically the same kind of book their entire lives, so…) 

My response: I have fluctuated a lot over the years and in more recent years, I have strayed from my usual paths. I was a Dean Koontz addict in high school and early in college. I loved suspense and horror. I still read those genres but in much lower numbers. Currently, I have been reading many more historical fiction and young adult novels than I ever have in the past. I'm not really sure what inspired the shift in my choices though.

Review: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

From Goodreads: Any talk of The Namesake--Jhumpa Lahiri's follow-up to her Pulitzer Prize-winning debut, Interpreter of Maladies--must begin with a name: Gogol Ganguli. Born to an Indian academic and his wife, Gogol is afflicted from birth with a name that is neither Indian nor American nor even really a first name at all. He is given the name by his father who, before he came to America to study at MIT, was almost killed in a train wreck in India. Rescuers caught sight of the volume of Nikolai Gogol's short stories that he held, and hauled him from the train. Ashoke gives his American-born son the name as a kind of placeholder, and the awkward thing sticks. Awkwardness is Gogol's birthright. He grows up a bright American boy, goes to Yale, has pretty girlfriends, becomes a successful architect, but like many second-generation immigrants, he can never quite find his place in the world. There's a lovely section where he dates a wealthy, cultured young Manhattan woman who lives with her charming parents. They fold Gogol into their easy, elegant life, but even here he can find no peace and he breaks off the relationship. His mother finally sets him up on a blind date with the daughter of a Bengali friend, and Gogol thinks he has found his match. Moushumi, like Gogol, is at odds with the Indian-American world she inhabits. She has found, however, a circuitous escape: "At Brown, her rebellion had been academic ... she'd pursued a double major in French. Immersing herself in a third language, a third culture, had been her refuge--she approached French, unlike things American or Indian, without guilt, or misgiving, ore expectation of any kind." Lahiri documents these quiet rebellions and random longings with great sensitivity. There's no cleverness or showing-off in The Namesake, just beautifully confident storytelling. Gogol's story is neither comedy nor tragedy; it's simply that ordinary, hard-to-get-down-on-paper commodity: real life. --Claire Dederer

My review: This was part two of the two book 25 point immigration task for the SuBC. I’m not sure I could have picked two novels with such different experiences of the new to America life. Ashoke desired so much for his family, so much of his heritage and culture but also so much of the opportunities that America could bring his children. He and his wife attempt to combine both the American lifestyle in with their Indian home culture, which causes a twisty whirlwind of traditions and expectations for their children. Gogol carries that confusion through his life, causing him to turn from his Indian side because he equates that with his parent’s expectations. In that respect, he was very much an American child in pushing his parent’s demands aside to find his own niche. He takes his first step his first day at school demanding he be called by the family name, Gogol, rather than his formal name. This decision haunts him as he learns more about the man behind the name for whom he was named after. He wanders through his romantic life somewhat at a stumble, still trying to figure out who he is and what he wants his world to resemble. Tragedy forces him to really look at his parents, his childhood and what it means to be born to immigrants.

I found myself hurting for everyone within this story because they all carried such strong desires but found them lost within the ample opportunities within America. Gogol’s parents clung to the Indian culture, hoping to preserve them in their children but didn’t realize the impact of America on the children but more importantly on themselves. This was just as much of a story of immigration as it was trying to achieve the American dream.

Grade: C

Finished: August 6, 2010. 2010 count: 70.

Review: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

From Goodreads: Upton Sinclair's The Jungle is a vivid portrait of life and death in a turn-of-the-century American meat-packing factory. A grim indictment that led to government regulations of the food industry, The Jungle is Sinclair's extraordinary contribution to literature and social reform.

My review: This is on the Rory Gilmore Book Club and fit nicely in the 25 point task for the SuBC, so I figured I would tackle two birds with one stone. My thoughts on this book summed in one word would have to be: deplorable. Not only the conditions in which the immigrants lived or how inhumane the stockyards were, but also the treatment from human to human, all were deplorable. The family came to America in search of greener pastures and while we know that those aren’t usually found, the life that they walked into was one of dishonesty from almost everyone around them and absolutely no voice in any matters that affected them. I was heartbroken time and time again to see them battered and abused and wanted to scream at their abusers at how cruel they were. They were taken advantage of left and right, for being illiterate in English, for being foreign, for being poor, for being a woman. Everything gave way to this type of treatment and I felt hollow after finishing this novel. The tragedy that struck this family and many of those in the same shoes was enough to leave any reader feeling void and lost.

In regards to the meat-packing industry of the time, that was just plain disgusting. I can only thank Upton Sinclair for his brilliant window into this revolting environment since he pushed for federal regulations to clean this industry up. They were doing hideous things like reusing spoiled meat and had such unclean working environments the workers were standing and sweating into the items that would go on the shelves. I am sure there is still room for improvement in the current meat industry but the changes brought upon by this book helped move us forward into a better environment and more humane attitudes towards the animals we eat.

Grade: B

Finished: August 4, 2010. 2010 Count: 69.

Review: The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

From Goodreads: A true story as powerful as Schindler's List in which the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo saved hundreds of people from Nazi hands. When Germany invaded Poland, Stuka bombers devastated Warsaw and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski began smuggling Jews into empty cages. Another dozen "guests" hid inside the Zabinskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts. Jan, active in the Polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital. Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and its animal inhabitants otters, a badger, hyena pups, lynxes. With her exuberant prose and exquisite sensitivity to the natural world, Diane Ackerman engages us viscerally in the lives of the zoo animals, their keepers, and their hidden visitors. She shows us how Antonina refused to give in to the penetrating fear of discovery, keeping alive an atmosphere of play and innocence even as Europe crumbled around her. 8 pages of illustrations.

My review: I was less than impressed with the way this story was told. I had such high hopes for this book given that I am fascinated with the time period and thought the zookeeper eliminate would make the story unique. There just wasn’t enough content on the actual family and more on random people that they rescued or helped escape the Occupation. The stories were intertwined leaving me confused on when and where I was reading about. I desired a more complete round up of the cast in the after the war section, instead I was left with brief stories or summaries. The book read as a non-fiction with many times dry descriptions of situations that involved such deep emotions that they could have conveyed to readers. I was horrified with the situation, of course, but I didn’t connect with Jan and Antonina in a way that made me imagine their pain and suffering. It was all written too matter of fact.

If you are interested in reading an emotional non-fiction book about Occupied Poland, skip this one.

Grade: D

Finished: August 2, 2010. 2010 Count: 68.

In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and I thought I would participate this week because I received a ton of books this week! Normally, I don’t receive many which is why I haven’t participated before.

For the nook from Barnes and Noble’s free classics selection of the week:

Room with a View (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) E. M. Forster, Radhika Jones

Wives and Daughters (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Elizabeth Gaskell, Amy M. King

Jane Eyre (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Charlotte Bronte, Susan Ostrov Weisser

Anna Karenina (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Leo Tolstoy, Amy Mandelker

My Antonia (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) Willa Cather, Gordon Tapper


My loot from the Barnes and Noble clearance sale, plus a book from PBS.

Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs, Elissa Wall, Lisa Pulitzer

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, Syrie James

Rachel's Holiday, Marian Keyes

Conception, Kalisha Buckhanon

Vinegar Hill, A. Manette Ansay

Bride Island, Alexandra Enders

The Silver Compass, Holly Kennedy

The Starter Wife, Gigi Levangie Grazer

Annette Vallon: A Novel of the French Revolution, James Tipton

Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, Vendela Vida

The Almost Archer Sisters, Lisa Gabriele

Richard Lourie, Anne Frank

Hobson Brown, Taylor Materne, Caroline Says

East of the Sun Julia Gregson

Review: First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third World Adventure Changed My Life by Eve Brown-Waite

From Goodreads: In this laugh-out-loud funny memoir, a pampered city girl falls head over little black heels in love with a Peace Corps poster boy and follows him —literally–to the ends of the earth. Eve Brown always thought she would join the Peace Corps someday, although she secretly worried about life without sushi, frothy coffee drinks and air conditioning. But with college diploma in hand, it was time to put up or shut up. So with some ambivalence she arrives at the Peace Corps office–sporting her best safari chic attire –to casually look into the steps one might take if one were to become a global humanitarian, a la Angelina Jolie. But when Eve meets John, her dashing young Peace Corps recruiter, all her ambivalence flies out the window. She absolutely must join the Peace Corps - and win John's heart in the process. Off to Ecuador she goes and - after a year in the jungle - back to the States she runs, vowing to stay within easy reach of a decaf cappuccino for the rest of her days. But life had other plans. Just as she's getting reacquainted with the joys of toilet paper, John gets a job with CARE and Eve must decide if she’s up for life in another third world outpost. Before you can say, "pass the malaria prophylaxis," the couple heads off to Uganda, and the fun really begins--if one can call having rats in your toilet fun. Fortunately, in Eve’s case one certainly can, because to her, every experience is an adventure to be embraced and these pages come alive with all of the alternatively poignant and uproarious details. With wit and candor, First Comes Love, then Comes Malaria chronicles Eve’s misadventures as an aspiring do-gooder. From intestinal parasites to getting caught in a civil war, culture clashes to unexpected friendships, here is an honest and laugh-out-loud funny look at the search for love and purpose—from a woman who finds both in the last place she expected.

My review: This was my selection for the SuBC’s peace corp 25 point task after my previous selection wasn’t available at my library. I found this book hilarious and eye opening and really connected with the author. I have always dreamed of taking a two week trip through Africa complete with sleeping under the stars and among the animals. Much like the author, the dream was more of just that a dream and when faced with actually living under such conditions, the reality is much different than the dream. She actually took this to the next level than I have by perusing the dream, even though the reality wasn’t as bright as she imagined. I found the people and stories of hunger heartbreaking and appalling. The amount of mis-information regarding AIDS and other such diseases made me want to scream. Her frustration over trying to get the people to understand the truths and dispel the untruth’s made me frustrated. Her continuing efforts even amid such an environment was awesome. This book was great for learning about the Peace Corp experience because it provided a deeper level of exposure than just the civil service since it followed the author and her husband through raising a child in Africa.

Grade: C

Finished: July 31, 2010. 2010 Count: 67.

It’s Friday! What I am Reading – August 6, 2010

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri – This is on the Rory Gilmore Book Club and it fit right along with The Jungle by Upton Sinclair with the immigration 25 point task for the SuBC. This book seems to be less harsh than The Jungle but still carries the lost in a city of unknown vibe.

Booking Through Thursday – August 5, 2010

From: http://btt2.wordpress.com/ - What is the first book you remember reading? What about the first that made you really love reading? 

My response: I have two books I remember reading as a child but I'm not sure what age I was. The two books were a Rainbow Bright book and a book about being a big sister that I loved because her name was Jenny (not spelled the same as my name but close enough). I think the first books that made me love reading were some of my mom's Nancy Drew books she had from her childhood. I loved reading them and they smelled like basement books, which might be where my love affair with book sniffing originated.

Book Site to Check Out: Flashlight Worthy Books

I just thought I would pimp out a great resource for lists of books, Flashlight Worthy Books. This site combines my love of lists with my love of books. I am digging their Beach Reads section right now with the really warm and humid weather around here.

Review: Dance Upon the Air (Three Sisters Island, #1) by Nora Roberts

From Goodreads: When Nell Channing arrives on charming Three Sister Island, she believes that she's finally found a refuge from her abusive husband - and from the terrifying life she fled so desperately eight months ago... But even in this quiet, peaceful place, Nell never feels entirely at ease. Careful to conceal her true identity, she takes a job as a cook at the local bookstore cafe - and begins to explore her feelings for the island sheriff, Zack Todd. But there is a part of herself she can never reveal to him, for she must continue to guard her secrets if she wants to keep her past at bay. One careless word, one misplaced confidence, and the new life she's so carefully created could shatter completely. Just as Nell starts to wonder if she'll ever be able to break free of her fear, she realizes that the island suffers under a terrible curse - one that can only be broken by the descendants of the Three Sisters, the witches who settled the island back in 1692. And now, with the help of two other strong, gifted women - and the nightmares of the past haunting her every step - she must find the power to save her home, her love...and herself...

My review: I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed this novel. It was the perfect combination of romance, friendship, coastal life and paranormal activity. Mia is a very interesting and intriguing character. Her large heart has made her a town favorite, but she holds anguish and pain within. This is part of the reason I will finish out the trilogy this year at some point. I feel I need to know how the story plays out and how the character’s lives flow. I have too many questions regarding the past and the future and if they will come together in the next two books. Nell’s painful history was well written and her emotions and reactions to strong emotions showed how ingrained her behavior had become after being abused for years. The fear she lived with would be suffocating and this was shown in her actions. I loved that she finally let her true emotions out. She finally allowed herself to feel and to live. It was a powerful part of the book, one that opened the gates to the future.

Grade: B

Finished: July 29, 2010. 2010 Count: 66.

July Wrap Up

I had a successful July with a grand total of 15 books read for the month. I have made a good dent in the SuBC has well. I am hoping to finish the challenge this year...I would love to be one of the first 5 finishers who get to pick a 25 point challenge for the Fall Book Challenge, but I am mainly focused on just finishing it.

Here is my list for July:

Dance Upon the Air (Three Sisters Island, #1) by Roberts, Nora

First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third World Adventure Changed My Life by Brown-Waite, Eve

Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You by Jansen, Hanna

End of an Error by Medwed, Mameve

Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation by Roberts, Cokie

Remember Me? by Kinsella, Sophie

The Widow's War by Gunning, Sally

Hidden Wives by Avery, Claire

Princess in Pink (The Princess Diaries, #5) by Cabot, Meg

Saving Ceecee Honeycutt by Hoffman, Beth

A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle, #1) by Bray, Libba

Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #2) by Stiefvater, Maggie

Belong to Me by Santos, Marisa de los

Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay: And Other Things I Had to Learn as a New Mom by Wilder-Taylor, Stefanie

My Life in Orange by Guest, Tim

Review: End of an Error by Mameve Medwed

From Goodreads: Who can ever forget the lightning strike of first love? Lee Emery has certainly never forgotten Simon, the boy who stole her heart when she was 18 and traipsing through Europe with her Auntie Mame of a grandmother. But that was 25 years ago. Since then, she has married another man, had three children and lives a nice, comfortable life in the very house where she grew up. But after writing a memoir of that summer, in which she describes falling in love with Simon, Lee can't get him out of her mind. 'What about the path not taken?' she wonders. 'What if?' When the opportunity arises for her to see Simon once again,Lee realizes that she must take the trip-and take the chance that everything in her life may never be the same.

My review: I spent the first half of this book trying to figure out where the romance was between Lee and her husband, Ben. Their relationship felt stale, as if they had become roommates along the days as their children grew and moved out of the home. The quintessential empty nest syndrome. I fell in love with Lee around the time she was in Europe with her Aunt. That is also where the writing took on a poetic quality, describing the scenery and events in such a way the emotion and beauty engulfed me. What is revealed through Lee’s trips down memory lane is even more involved than her memoir records, stirring up feelings, questions and desires she has longed to feel in her marriage.

Ben’s attitude is dismissive to her feelings, her dreams and her book promoting. This is especially true in light of his own hopes for a book deal, one that has taken on an obsession in his life, and in their home. I’m not sure if Mameve Medwed wrote his attitude to be this way to force the reader to see how Lee could feel lost in her marriage, but it seemed overstated. It caused Lee to seem small and without a backbone. Although, this might have made the ending even more of pronounced action, one that takes Ben by surprise. I wasn’t as surprised at the ending, having surmised Lee’s emotions, but I felt it was a well-deserved ending. It was a good book, nothing over the top fabulous, but worth the read.

Grade: C

Finished: July 27, 2010. 2010 Count: 65.

Mothers & Other Liars - Book Tour, Stop #3

Vanessa was stop number 3 on the Mothers & Other Liars by Amy Bourret book tour hosted here at Life is Short. Read Fast.

Check out her review on her blog here: Vanessa's Goodreads Review