Introverted Reader

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Posted:Review of Linger by Maggie Stiefvater Review of The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder Character Connection featuring Wizard Howl Review of The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver Read:Passing by Samaria by Sharon Ewell Foster The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason The Odyssey, adapted by Gareth Hinds 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff Currently Reading:Blameless by Gail Carriger Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts by Julian Rubinstein Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady by L. A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren (I had to try the audio after Sheila's recommendation!) Up Next:I temporarily stopped listening to When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris because I will be going to the Decatur Book Festival this coming weekend and I thought my husband might enjoy listening to it with me on the drive. I'm thinking The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende will be my next print read. Events:I'll be attending the Decatur Book Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Is anyone else going? I went last year and had a great time! I saw The Help on Sunday and loved it! I'll try to get a review up this week. What are you reading this week? I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's, my local independent bookstore located in downtown Asheville, NC; and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.

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August 29, 2011

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: Book Review

The Poisonwood Bible is about a Southern Baptist family that decides to go be missionaries in the Congo in 1960, just before the country was supposedly granted its independence from Belgium. The Prices didn't bother with language or culture training, they just took off to spread the word about Jesus. Of course they weren't prepared for what they found, so of course they got in a lot of trouble. I can't exactly put my finger on what I didn't like. I just know that it felt like it dragged on and on and on and on. I sort of expected the book to end when they finally left the village, but I still had another 150 pages to go. It could be that I never really cared much about any of the characters, although I was glad when it was Adah's turn to tell part of the story because I did like her wordplay. I gathered from the forward that the author spent time in the Congo as a child, so she is telling a story that she has some first-hand knowledge of. And I was left wondering when we in the US are ever going to learn to keep our nose out of other countries' business. We are not painted in a very flattering light in this book. All I can say is that this was not the book for me. I'm rapidly reaching the conclusion that I should stay away from Oprah's books because I don't think I've really enjoyed any of them. That being said, if you like Oprah's books, you will probably like this one also. Reviewed September 5, 2007 Let me add that I have enjoyed the other Kingsolver books that I have read. Read an excerpt. Find author Barbara Kingsolver on her website. Buy…

Introverted Reader Features

Character Connection: Wizard Howl

Howl from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, is a bit of a difficult character to pin down. Early in the book, he strikes fear in the heart of the people of Market Chipping. They believe that he's there for evil purposes involving the hearts or souls of beautiful young women. He's obviously powerful. I mean, he lives in a moving castle, for goodness sake. He can exit into any of 4? 5? worlds out his front door just by turning a dial. But he can be awfully childish at times. When he gets a good fit of the sulks, he starts causing goo to ooze everywhere and other people have to run away or try to clean it up before it swallows them whole. Mature reaction there, right? He's got a good heart though and he can be counted upon to fight on the Good Side. It seems like his fights take an awful lot out of him and leave him a little closer to the Darkness than is strictly good for anyone though. He takes in strays like they're going out of style. He picks up Sophie, a young lady enchanted to look like an elderly woman, and kind of lets her run roughshod right over him. He puts up some fights, but mostly she does what she wants. His assistant is only 15, but he's an orphan whom Howl picked up nonchalantly. He just sort of showed up and Howl never told him to leave. I just looked through the quotes on GoodReads and here are some good ones about Howl. "You must admit I have a right to live in a pigsty if I want." "I assure you, my friends, I am cone sold stober." "'I feel ill,' [Howl] announced. 'I'm going to bed, where…

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August 25, 2011

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa: Book Review

The Professor is a brilliant mathematician who suffered some brain damage in an automobile accident years ago. He can remember his entire life up until the accident, but afterwards, he only has a memory of the past 80 minutes. Luckily, his sister-in-law steps in to help care for him. She hires housekeepers to come in to his little cottage and cook his meals. Needless to say, the Professor scares off many of these women. But then The Housekeeper comes along. She's something of a specialist in difficult cases. She is patient with the Professor and introduces herself to him every morning, respects the days when he is thinking, and generally wins him over again every day. This is an elegantly-written novel. There aren't any wasted words, but it is still beautifully written. Every word seems to be chosen with care. I can't say that a lot happens in the story itself. There's no big, romantic love, no adventure, no heartbreak. But the story is beautiful too. These are characters that I learned to care about. The Professor is overwhelmed by the world and seeks solace in his orderly numbers. He obviously has a huge heart. He adores the Housekeeper's son, and really all children in general. The Housekeeper is a single mom doing the best she can and finding the time to care for and about this slightly damaged man. They are both lonely and they find each other and they form their own unique kind of family. It's a beautiful story and I loved it. Quite a bit of the book revolves around mathematics. Don't let that put you off. The Housekeeper tells the story, and she is not a mathematician. None of that is overwhelming. I wouldn't change a thing about the book, but I do have to…

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater: Book Review

**POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR SHIVER** You have got to be kidding me. This is where it ends? Beck has made some new wolves to care for the pack now that the older members are not shifting into humans anymore. One of the new wolves is Cole St. Clair, a gorgeous rock star. It's not exactly easy for him to blend into the crowd, especially when his body just won't stay in the shape of a wolf. Sam feels that he has to watch Cole to make sure that he doesn't take the pack with him in one of his self-destructive moods. And then there's Grace. Something's just not right. She's running a fever, she's got a headaches, she aches all over, but doctors can't find anything wrong with her. Confession: I have been walking around with that "Linger" song by The Cranberries circling, maddeningly, through my head. It just dawned on me yesterday that it's because of this book. Doh. Anyway. This hooked me. There is some teen angst in here, which generally irritates me, but these teens have issues to be genuinely angsty about. I would be more irritated if they were happy and perky. Grace and Sam--hmm. I really am rooting for them, and I really do like reading about them as a couple, but neither really grabs me as an individual. Grace is the center of a lot of things, but it doesn't seem like she actually does a whole lot. I think I liked Sam slightly more in this book than I did in Shiver. He's not quite as Sensitive. In other words, he's starting to grow a spine. I do love Cole and Isabel. I didn't really know that I still had a thing for rock stars, but apparently I do. Cole, even with his sarcasm,…

Bookish Miscellany

Weekly Update for August 22, 2011

Welcome to my weekly update for August 22, 2011! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey [...]

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August 22, 2011

The Woods by Harlan Coben: Book Review

Paul Copeland's sister disappeared into the woods of their summer camp one night twenty years ago. The bodies of two of her friends were found. She wasn't. Now, the past is surfacing and the mystery is begging to be solved. Eh. Had this been my first Coben book, I would've loved it. As it is, this is my third or fourth and the whole thing felt like familiar territory. I'm not saying that it was just another book regurgitated with a different title, or even that it was unsurprising. But enough things had happened in other books that it just felt familiar. There were lots of twists and turns, some of them surprising, and I really didn't see the very, very end coming. I feel like I should have, but I didn't. I liked Paul overall. But whenever he threw his prosecutor's badge around to intimidate people, he lost big points from me. I'm not a fan of bullies. That might be part of my problem with the book right there. I dislike bullies and they're in here. I dislike rich people throwing their money at problems and that's in here. I mostly dislike courtroom dramas and that's in here. All that was missing, or at least not as evident, in the books of his that I did really like. He mentions lots of songs in here that I want to check out. I have a feeling that this book actually has an awesome soundtrack! This would be a good Coben to start with. If you love Coben, you'll love this one. If you're like me, and you mostly just kinda like the guy, you might be a little disappointed with how familiar this feels. Reviewed November 15, 2010 Read an excerpt. Find author Harlan Coben on his website, Facebook,…

Introverted Reader Features

Character Connection: Temeraire

Temeraire is the title dragon from His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik. Temeraire isn't supposed to be fighting for the British. He just happened to be commandeered as an egg after the French ship that was transporting him lost a battle. He hatches on board the British ship and sort of imprints on Captain Will Laurence. In this world, dragons are huge and used in the Napoleonic wars. The smaller ones can be likened to fighter jets and the bigger ones are more like bomber planes with big crews running around on them. As Temeraire grows, he develops more personality than anyone else in the books. Well, at least in the first two in the series, which is all I've read so far. He has the dignity of a cat. He expects to be fed when he demands it. He doesn't understand waiting on anyone else. He wants to be pampered and adored. But he also has a little bit of--oh, let's say Labrador Retriever about him. He's unfailingly loyal, he loves a good rub, and he likes to go fishing. It's an odd mix but it works in him. Like all dragons, Temeraire does love his bling. He's a free thinker. He never accepts an answer like, "That's because it's always been done that way." He wants to know why. If he thinks he has a better way, he won't let his idea go. I believe he got interested in books when Captain Laurence started reading to him. He starts requesting books and learning about literature and mathematics. When he goes to China he learns to write. A dragon interested in self-improvement. Who knew? When he goes to China, he gets all kinds of radical ideas. The dragons there aren't treated as glorified weapons of war. They have useful…

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August 18, 2011

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson: Book Review

Major Ernest Pettigrew is literally reeling around his house in shock on the morning his younger brother dies. A knock comes at his door and it is the lady from the village shop--Mrs. Ali. Mrs. Ali is there to collect money for the paper boy, but she takes one look at the Major and decides that someone needs to assist him. She helps him back inside, makes him a hot cuppa, and just listens as the Major begins to work through his grief. She only leaves when she is sure that he's going to be alright. She comes to his rescue again on the morning of his brother's funeral. The Major makes it out to his car in plenty of time to drive to the funeral, even with traffic, but once he gets in the car, he just can't get going. The world starts spinning. Mrs. Ali happens by, checks on him, then convinces him to hitch a ride with her. Once the Major's thoughts stop swirling from all this loss, he starts to think about the kind woman who gave of herself to him so freely in his hour of need. They've talked books, and they've both lost their spouses. He starts to look for reasons to spend time with her, a fact that does not go unnoticed in this small English village. I absolutely adored this book! It's an easy 4.5 stars. I can't say if it was Peter Altschuler's fabulous narration, the Major's dry wit, or the unexpected relationships that made this book a gem, so it must be the whole package. The characters are just fantastic. There was so much more to the Major than I expected. I expected some sort of repressed "Right-o, carry on then" kind of bore. To paraphrase another character, the Major…

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Young Tristran Thorn (who's birth is maybe not as...aboveboard...as Victorian society would like) is desperately in love with Victoria Forester. He screws up his courage one night to ask her to kiss him or marry him or just--something! He is met with laughter. In desperation, he offers to slay dragons and bring back treasures for her, each adventure more outlandish than the last. Finally, as they see a shooting star, he offers to bring back the fallen star for her. She accepts. And so Tristran goes over the Wall for which his village is named and into Fairyland. Tristran is woefully unprepared for what he finds there, but he's an adaptable boy. Maybe suspiciously adaptable? He finds the star and sets off with her toward home and Victoria. That's right--her. In fairyland, the stars are beautiful young women. Tristran's particular star is named Yvaine, and she is unwilling to help him on his quest for true love. Other, more sinister, people are looking for her as well, and many an adventure and near-miss follow. I have loved this book since I first read it when it was a new book at my local library. I had to have my own copy, and this has to be at least the third or fourth time I've re-read it. I love the adventure and the unexpected romance, the ghosts of Stormhold, the desperate witch, the humor, the quirky inhabitants of Fairy, and the way that wishes granted rarely turn out as we expect. Tristran grows so much as a character. He goes from a shallow boy whose head is turned by a beautiful face, to a man who places others' happiness before his own. He follows Gaiman's own Instructions about offering aid or accepting help as the situation dictates and finds that things…