Introverted Reader

Venom by Joan Brady: Book Review

This book is so complicated, I don't even know where to start with a synopsis. David Marion is an ex-con who receives advance notice of a hit on his life. He escapes and learns that a mega-corporation, UCAI, was behind it. At the same time, Dr. Helen Freyl, who has a complicated past with David, learns that UCAI is trying to get their hands on a patent she holds on some honeybee venom and they'll stop at nothing to get their hands on it. Let me say first of all that I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for review. This is a sequel to Bleedout, which I haven't read, but there was a pretty good explanation of what had happened previously, so I don't think I necessarily needed to read these in order. Helen was my biggest problem. I could not bring myself to like her at all. She was a spoiled rich girl who treated the whole thing like a game until she realized that her own life might be at stake. I can't remember how many others had died at that point, but it was enough for me to think that this was an amazingly self-absorbed woman. She had to be at least firmly into her twenties to have her doctorate, but she tended to act more like a teenager. "Oh, let me smoke in this guy's car just to see if he'll say anything." "Oh, let me order the crazy-expensive caviar at this restaurant just to see if he'll say anything." She just liked to push her boundaries and see what she could get away with. She was a tiger while she was pushing away at someone, but the moment that someone pushed back, she was a thoughtless mess of need. I guess…

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Book Review

Most of you have probably already read The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, but it's my very, very favorite book right now and has been for a while. Liesel Meminger is a ten-year-old girl living in Nazi Germany and being sent to live with foster parents when her younger brother dies. This is the first time she comes to the attention of Death, our narrator. This is also the first time she steals a book. It's entitled The Grave Digger's Handbook. She learns to read using this book, and she begins to feel the power of words. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll keep the rest of this vague. She continues to steal books, she lives, she loves, she endures more loss, and she somehow manages to surround herself with shining souls in a world that is being lost to the dark. I would give this book more stars if I could. I was trying to tell my husband how fantastic this is and I was reduced to a stuttering mess of, "So good...power of words...just...you know... so good...I loved it...she just, you know...I mean...I loved Papa...did I mention that I loved this book? No, I mean, I really loved it." That's how I feel, staring at this big, empty review box, trying to find the words to say why everyone has to read this book that I loved. Just read it. Good enough? Also, this is marketed as a YA book. In all honesty, this is a book that anyone could revisit time and again at different stages in his or her life and pull something different from it every time. Don't be put off by the YA label. I promise you, you'll regret it if you dismiss this as a book for teenagers. It probably actually…

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale: Book Review

As luck would have it, the day Dashti enters the service of a lady is the very day said lady is bricked into a tower for seven years to learn obedience. Dashti goes along with her to keep her company and take care of her. Between fighting off rats, Lady Saren's torpor, and the unsettling attentions of Saren's two very different suitors, Dashti has her hands full. And that's just the beginning. I love Dashti. She grows so much in this book! She starts off a simple girl from a simple way of life, unquestioningly following the laws of the land, and she becomes a strong woman, confident in herself and her abilities. The book is really Dashti's diary, so it was interesting to see her thinking and even her writing style change as she grows into herself. Dashti's is the most obvious transformation, but Lady Saren quietly undergoes some drastic changes. She starts out a weak, irritating, ineffective girl who seems to be nothing but a chain around Dashti's neck, but sometime when you aren't looking she becomes something... more. This is my first time reading Shannon Hale, and if this is any indication of the rest of her work, it won't be my last. I sat down to get started on this before spending a little time on the computer, and the next thing I knew I was finishing it. Seriously. One sitting. There was one part that started to drag just a little bit, but somehow a book about two girls in a tower became a page turner. I enjoyed how Dashti's "voice" changed as she changed, and I'm very impressed with Hale's skill in pulling that off. I was thrilled to read a young adult book with a strong female lead and no love triangle in…

Bookish Miscellany

Surprise Endings: Booking Through Thursday

This week, on Booking Through Thursday, Jackie says, “I love books with complicated plots and unexpected endings. What is your favourite book with a fantastic twist at the end?” So, today’s question is in two parts. 1. Do YOU like books with complicated plots and unexpected endings? 2. What book with a surprise ending is your favorite? Or your least favorite? I do enjoy those types of books, as long as they are well-written and the twist sort of fits. Do you know what I mean? I don't want to see it coming, but once I read it, I want to say, "Oh my gosh! Why didn't I think of that?" or, "So that's what's been going on!" You know--the light bulb moment. As far as the complicated plot goes, I like that too, as long as it's written by an author with the chops to handle it. A complicated plot in the hands of a not-so-good author is torturous. In the hands of an author who knows what he or she is doing, it's huge fun. My favorite surprise endings? The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, and Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. I'm sure there are more that I'm just not thinking of right now. I can't actually think of a least favorite. I've probably just blocked it out of my memory! (Links to my GoodReads reviews) How do you feel about surprise endings, and what book have you found where it was done well?

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January 28, 2010

Truly, Madly by Heather Webber: Book Review

Lucy Valentine has lost the family ability to match people based on their auras, and can now only find lost objects. After some negative publicity, Lucy finds herself in charge of the family matchmaking business for a few weeks. Not realizing what she's getting herself into, she offers to try to find a new client's lost love, then asks the PI in the upstairs office to help her out. Sparks fly as soon as she walks in the door. I'll get my complaints out of the way first. Some of the situations Lucy finds herself in felt very contrived. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll leave it at that. I also saw a lot of the small surprises coming, and I definitely knew what the big surprise/solution at the end was going to be. Overall though, I had a lot of fun with this. It's been a while since I've read a chick lit kind of mystery, and I realized that I've missed it. Lucy was a lot of fun, as was her family, but I have to say that I'm glad Dovie isn't my grandmother. I would die of embarrassment! Sean was hot in all the right ways, but in a personal preference, I wish he wasn't a retired firefighter. I love a man in a uniform, but that doesn't extend to firefighters. Lots of stories there. The chemistry between Lucy and Sean was maybe a little too instant, but that was part of the fun. How many times have I used the word fun in this review? Too many! But that's the best way to describe this book, and I recommend it for a nice little break between heavier reads. I'll be looking for the next book in the series! Total disclosure: My aunt won…

Bookish Miscellany

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

What are You Reading Monday is hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog Finished: Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson--Beautiful--4 stars Truly, Madly by Heather Webber--Fun--3.5 stars Currently Reading: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane--I'm not very far at all, but my husband ripped through this in a matter of days, which is unheard of! Up Next: We'll see what I'm in the mood for. Possibly Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. It's a group read this month for my YA book group on GoodReads, and I'm running out of month to read it in! Plus, I've never read any of Shannon Hale's books and I've heard so many good things about her, I'm excited to get started! What are you reading?

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January 25, 2010

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson: Book Review

Fisherman and WWII veteran Carl Meine is found dead and tangled up in his fishing net one morning. At first glance it appears to be an accident, but the sheriff looks a little closer and starts to wonder. He soon arrests another fisherman, Kabuo Miyamoto, for murder. Against the backdrop of the murder trial, Guterson explores the roots of the conflict that led to the accusation and the lives of the witnesses in a series of flashbacks. Gorgeous. That's really the best word to describe this book. It's just gorgeous. I normally tear through books pretty quickly, eager to know what happened, but this time I found myself reading slowly, savoring each elegant yet sparse turn of phrase. I still wanted to know what happened, but that was secondary to the beauty of the language. Within this story, San Piedro Island becomes almost as much a character as anyone. The isolation, beauty and harshness of island life has shaped the islanders to become a breed apart. They are often silent, self-reliant, and careful in their interactions with each other. It's hard to avoid someone who becomes an enemy when you both live on an island. Set in 1954, the islanders are still feeling the effects of WWII. A lot of the men are veterans and the Japanese residents were shipped off to an internment camp. Feelings between the communities can occasionally flare up, even nine years after the war's end. The flashbacks to the war and the internment camp were mostly what interested me. I don't know why I love WWII novels, but I do. I was surprised to realize that I had one in my hands with Snow Falling on Cedars. One of the main characters, Ishmael, is a WWII vet who lost his left arm in the war.…

Blogger Spotlight

I Won a Blog Button!

The fabulous Parajunkee of Parajunkee Design recently held a contest for a blog button. I was lucky enough to win! Yay! She asked what I would like and I rambled on about baby blue, fantasy, fairy tales, historical fiction, how much I love the design she did for Tina's Book Reviews, how much I love the mountains where I live, and then just generally threw it in her lap. Look what she came up with! I love it! It's like she more than read my mind, because I would never have thought of something this perfect. If you want to jazz up your blog design, go check her out. I definitely recommend her work! If you'd like to grab my button for your blog, you can find the code in my right sidebar. What do you think?

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January 21, 2010

Bookish Miscellany

Guest Post

My uncle Rick recently emailed me with an idea for a blog post. I liked what he had to say so much that I asked if I could use his email as a guest post and he agreed. Check out his reviews on GoodReads. He doesn't have time to write many, but I am always impressed with how elegantly and quickly he gets his point across. Anyway, here's his post!--Jennifer G. There is this poem that had been on a bookmark handed out at the public library when I was a kid. I loved it so much (really captures the essence of why we read) that I memorized it. Years went by, forgot much of it, the bookmark was lost, searched for the poem, even on the web but never found it. Just did another search and HURRAY several people have now put it on line. You may want to feature it on your blog if it speaks to you the way it did to me. Books Fall Open Books fall open, you fall in, delighted where you’ve never been; Hear voices not once heard before, reach world on world through door on door; Find unexpected keys to things locked up beyond imaginings. What might you be, perhaps become, because one book is somewhere? Some wise delver into wisdom, wit, and wherewithal has written it. True books will venture, dare you out, whisper secrets, maybe shout across the gloom to you in need, who hanker for a book to read. The author turns out to be a Harvard fundraiser, David McCord, who passed away several years ago. You can find his bio on the web. I am SO HAPPY to find this poem again. I love it every bit as much now as I did when I was a kid.

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January 19, 2010

Bookish Miscellany

It’s Monday! What are You Reading?

What are you reading on Monday is hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog. Last week, I finished and reviewed: Sent: The Missing: Book 2 by Margaret Peterson Haddix Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater I'm currently reading Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson I'm not at all sure what I'll read after that. Maybe Truly, Madly by Heather Webber What are you reading?

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January 18, 2010