Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor
Category: Lost Book Club
This is a collection of nine short stories, seven of which had been previously published, that was published posthumously. Each is well-crafted, packs an emotional punch, and develops realistic characters in approximately 20 pages. Probably my favorites were "The Enduring Chill" and "Revelation."
I hadn't read any of Flannery O'Connor's writing before this story collection. This was the one that Jacob was reading when Locke fell out of the window, and I can't help but think that (*spoiler warning*) it was a bit of foreshadowing, as most of the stories involve someone's death in the end. I'm interested in reading more of her works. 4 stars.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (44/81)
A tale of love, candy and magic to bewitch even the most skeptical reader... Twenty-seven-year-old Josey is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season, shes a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mothers house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night Until she finds it harboring none other than local waitress Della Lee Baker, a tough-talking, tenderhearted woman who is one part nemesis and two parts fairy godmother. Fleeing a life of bad luck and big mistakes, Della Lee has decided Josey's clandestine closet is the safest place to crash. In return shes going to change Josey's life because, clearly, it is not the closet of a happy woman. With Della Lee's tough love, Josey is soon forgoing pecan rolls and caramels, tapping into her startlingly keen feminine instincts, and finding her narrow existence quickly expanding. But her life is changing faster than she knows...
Well the picture of the cover really doesn't do this book justice ....... It is soooooooo pretty .... And sparkly .......
I read this book in two sitting ....... It is a really easy read ........ And really funny in parts ..... The mean character of Josey is a rich girl who is not what people would call pretty so she is stuck in this life looking after her older mother ....... which to be honest the mother (Margaret) is a real cow !!! .......... The only thing in her life that she enjoys is watching and seeing Adam the mailman every day ........ But her life starts to change after the appearance of Della Lee who for some strange reason is living in her Closet !!! ......... The character of Chloe I loved as well and the special relationship she has with books did make me smile ........ As you read the novel it does focus alot of Relationships ....... Not only the romantic kind but also Friendships and Family .......
I found this book a very easy read and if you love your Chick Lit books you will like this one ... I am rating it 4 **** mainly because in the world of Chick Lit books it is up there .... Light, funny and a no brainer ...... which sometimes it is great to escape to that world for a while ...... It would actually really make a good wee movie ......(Hint Hint - to any production company) ... There are a few swear words in the book but that is mostly to the end of the novel other from that it is just a cute wee read ......
Well the picture of the cover really doesn't do this book justice ....... It is soooooooo pretty .... And sparkly .......
I read this book in two sitting ....... It is a really easy read ........ And really funny in parts ..... The mean character of Josey is a rich girl who is not what people would call pretty so she is stuck in this life looking after her older mother ....... which to be honest the mother (Margaret) is a real cow !!! .......... The only thing in her life that she enjoys is watching and seeing Adam the mailman every day ........ But her life starts to change after the appearance of Della Lee who for some strange reason is living in her Closet !!! ......... The character of Chloe I loved as well and the special relationship she has with books did make me smile ........ As you read the novel it does focus alot of Relationships ....... Not only the romantic kind but also Friendships and Family .......
I found this book a very easy read and if you love your Chick Lit books you will like this one ... I am rating it 4 **** mainly because in the world of Chick Lit books it is up there .... Light, funny and a no brainer ...... which sometimes it is great to escape to that world for a while ...... It would actually really make a good wee movie ......(Hint Hint - to any production company) ... There are a few swear words in the book but that is mostly to the end of the novel other from that it is just a cute wee read ......
I rate this book 31/2 ***
Blue Moon by Scott Westerfeld (43/81)
"Bixby High's late bell shrieked in the distance, like something wounded and ready to be cut from the herd..." (from the first line)This third book of Westerfield's acclaimed series is a tale of pulse-pounding danger, electrifying power, and a race against time that may require the ultimate sacrifice.
When the dangerous, magical blue time that only happens just after midnight makes an appearance during a 9 a.m. pep rally at school, the five midnighters know that something is seriously amiss in Bixby. Born exactly at midnight, Rex, Melissa, Dess, Jonathan, and Jessica, are the only ones who know the freedom and terror that happens when the rest of the town is frozen for one hour. In the third book in the bestselling Midnighters series, the teens discover what is going on before it's too late.
The third book of this series ........ I am not a huge fan of the cover of this book at the front but what you don't see is the clock face on the spine of the book ........... When you put the three books together it makes up a clock face ........ Every cool !!! ........ Anyway I digress back to the story ...
You know things have to get a whole lot worse before they get better !!! So the Midnight hour is now starting to seep through into the daylight hours ....... Which is not good at all because it means if you are normal mortal you could just be standing in the wrong spot and get sucked into their world ........ Which take it from me ........ Not good !!!
So during the book our 5 Midnighters must find a way to stop this from happening ........ I have to say I really enjoyed this series ........ And it is a perfect read for a Young Teen ........ Scott Westerfeld wrote the Uglies Series and you all know I loved that ... well this is just the same ..... It will keep you reading until the wee hours of the morning ......
I rate this book 4****
When the dangerous, magical blue time that only happens just after midnight makes an appearance during a 9 a.m. pep rally at school, the five midnighters know that something is seriously amiss in Bixby. Born exactly at midnight, Rex, Melissa, Dess, Jonathan, and Jessica, are the only ones who know the freedom and terror that happens when the rest of the town is frozen for one hour. In the third book in the bestselling Midnighters series, the teens discover what is going on before it's too late.
The third book of this series ........ I am not a huge fan of the cover of this book at the front but what you don't see is the clock face on the spine of the book ........... When you put the three books together it makes up a clock face ........ Every cool !!! ........ Anyway I digress back to the story ...
You know things have to get a whole lot worse before they get better !!! So the Midnight hour is now starting to seep through into the daylight hours ....... Which is not good at all because it means if you are normal mortal you could just be standing in the wrong spot and get sucked into their world ........ Which take it from me ........ Not good !!!
So during the book our 5 Midnighters must find a way to stop this from happening ........ I have to say I really enjoyed this series ........ And it is a perfect read for a Young Teen ........ Scott Westerfeld wrote the Uglies Series and you all know I loved that ... well this is just the same ..... It will keep you reading until the wee hours of the morning ......
I rate this book 4****
The Magician by Michael Scott (66/81)
The Magician: The Immortal Secrets of Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
Category: YA/Children's
If you haven't read the first book, The Alchemyst, this is a *spoiler alert* for that title.
After going through the ley gate, Nicholas, Sophie and Josh find themselves in Paris. Sophie is Awakened; Josh is not. This puts them somewhat in conflict with each other, even as they find out more about their powers and find themselves up against Machiavelli (yep, he's immortal too).
Well-paced and a fun read. Small things bugged me in this one, like the first, but I'll keep reading because I want to know what happens. 4 stars.
Category: YA/Children's
If you haven't read the first book, The Alchemyst, this is a *spoiler alert* for that title.
After going through the ley gate, Nicholas, Sophie and Josh find themselves in Paris. Sophie is Awakened; Josh is not. This puts them somewhat in conflict with each other, even as they find out more about their powers and find themselves up against Machiavelli (yep, he's immortal too).
Well-paced and a fun read. Small things bugged me in this one, like the first, but I'll keep reading because I want to know what happens. 4 stars.
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (65/81)
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Category: Recommended Reads
Lia's former best friend Cassie has died of unknown causes. Though the girls haven't spoken in months, Cassie called 33 times before she died - and Lia didn't pick up. But Lia can cope. She's strong. After all, she's managed to control her calorie intake and her weight for a really long time now.
Welcome to the world of an anorexic, as eighteen-year-old Lia tells you exactly what's going on in her head. "Enjoy" is definitely the wrong word for this book, but it's powerful and heart-wrenching and I couldn't put it down. Lia's first-person narration makes her story all the more immediate; as a reader, I felt for her while still being able to see her emotional and psychological downward spiral. Highly recommended. 5 stars.
Category: Recommended Reads
Lia's former best friend Cassie has died of unknown causes. Though the girls haven't spoken in months, Cassie called 33 times before she died - and Lia didn't pick up. But Lia can cope. She's strong. After all, she's managed to control her calorie intake and her weight for a really long time now.
Welcome to the world of an anorexic, as eighteen-year-old Lia tells you exactly what's going on in her head. "Enjoy" is definitely the wrong word for this book, but it's powerful and heart-wrenching and I couldn't put it down. Lia's first-person narration makes her story all the more immediate; as a reader, I felt for her while still being able to see her emotional and psychological downward spiral. Highly recommended. 5 stars.
Speaker for the Dead (63/81)
Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
Category: Audiobooks (CATEGORY COMPLETE 5/25/09)
If you haven't read the first book in this series, Ender's Game, this is a **spoiler alert** for that story.
Three thousand years after Ender defeated the Buggers, another alien group is in danger of being eradicated due to a similar misunderstanding. On Lusitania, the "piggies" are kept separate from people, except those few privileged to study their way of life while never giving away anything about human culture or technology. The peace on Lusitania is threatened, however, when one of these humans is brutally killed by the piggies. No one exactly knows why, but one of his apprentices, Novenha, knows it has something to do with information she learned. She calls for a Speaker of the Dead and Ender (who has been traveling a lot at near-light-speed and has only aged to about 29 due to the relativity of time) answers the call.
Perhaps this was not the best book to choose as an audiobook to listen to as I fell asleep, and this certainly had an impact on my enjoyment of the story. First, the particular audio version I listened to had 3 narrators, who switched off based on the point of view the narrative was coming from (it was always third person, but we see events from several different perspectives). So I had to get used to about 3 different interpretations of different people's voices. Secondly, it's a complicated story that took me about three weeks to listen to, long enough that I didn't always remember exactly what happened and didn't have the ability to flip back a few chapters and refresh my memory. Still, I would recommend it to those who had enjoyed Ender's Game and didn't mind something a little meatier. Speaker for the Dead raises ethical questions about leaving different cultures alone to preserve them, and has a lot to say about the power of speaking the truth. 4 stars.
Category: Audiobooks (CATEGORY COMPLETE 5/25/09)
If you haven't read the first book in this series, Ender's Game, this is a **spoiler alert** for that story.
Three thousand years after Ender defeated the Buggers, another alien group is in danger of being eradicated due to a similar misunderstanding. On Lusitania, the "piggies" are kept separate from people, except those few privileged to study their way of life while never giving away anything about human culture or technology. The peace on Lusitania is threatened, however, when one of these humans is brutally killed by the piggies. No one exactly knows why, but one of his apprentices, Novenha, knows it has something to do with information she learned. She calls for a Speaker of the Dead and Ender (who has been traveling a lot at near-light-speed and has only aged to about 29 due to the relativity of time) answers the call.
Perhaps this was not the best book to choose as an audiobook to listen to as I fell asleep, and this certainly had an impact on my enjoyment of the story. First, the particular audio version I listened to had 3 narrators, who switched off based on the point of view the narrative was coming from (it was always third person, but we see events from several different perspectives). So I had to get used to about 3 different interpretations of different people's voices. Secondly, it's a complicated story that took me about three weeks to listen to, long enough that I didn't always remember exactly what happened and didn't have the ability to flip back a few chapters and refresh my memory. Still, I would recommend it to those who had enjoyed Ender's Game and didn't mind something a little meatier. Speaker for the Dead raises ethical questions about leaving different cultures alone to preserve them, and has a lot to say about the power of speaking the truth. 4 stars.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
3 Graphic Novels and the completion of a category
I've gotten a little behind on my reviews. I finished the graphic novels category this morning, and thought I'd quickly review the others in one post:
1. Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale
This hair-lassoing girl doesn't need a prince to do any rescuing for her. Once she finds out that Mother Gothel isn't her mother at all and her real mother is forced to work in the mines, Rapunzel plans her way out of the tree in which she is imprisoned. She then plots revenge on Gothel and the rescue of her mother. Along the way, other fairy tales and well-known characters emerge, re-imagined in this funny, quick read. 4 stars.
2. Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosa
A young child's idyllic life is threatened by the sudden appearance of three "shadows" on horseback. His parents want to help, but don't know what to do to keep their boy safe. On a recent "Book Lust" (Nancy Pearl) podcast, her guest recommended five graphic novels to read, and this was one of them. The artwork, seemingly simple with its lines and shading, manages to convey emotion, sound, fear - and becomes an important element of the story of Joachim and his parents. 4.5 stars.
3. Hatter M: The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier, illustrated by Ben Templeton
If you read The Looking Glass Wars and wondered what happened to Hatter Madigan was while Alyss was in England, look no furhter than this graphic novel series. In volume 1, Hatter Madigan finds himself separated from Alyss in a strange world where Imagination is not often found. He absolutely must find Princess Alyss! Ostensibly the findings of a society, complete with historical artifacts in the back, the story is an excellent companion to the Looking Glass Wars series. The art work is well done, with blurred action sequences and dark cities during Hatter Madigan's wanderings. I look forward to reading more of his adventures. 4.5 stars.
1. Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale
This hair-lassoing girl doesn't need a prince to do any rescuing for her. Once she finds out that Mother Gothel isn't her mother at all and her real mother is forced to work in the mines, Rapunzel plans her way out of the tree in which she is imprisoned. She then plots revenge on Gothel and the rescue of her mother. Along the way, other fairy tales and well-known characters emerge, re-imagined in this funny, quick read. 4 stars.
2. Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosa
A young child's idyllic life is threatened by the sudden appearance of three "shadows" on horseback. His parents want to help, but don't know what to do to keep their boy safe. On a recent "Book Lust" (Nancy Pearl) podcast, her guest recommended five graphic novels to read, and this was one of them. The artwork, seemingly simple with its lines and shading, manages to convey emotion, sound, fear - and becomes an important element of the story of Joachim and his parents. 4.5 stars.
3. Hatter M: The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier, illustrated by Ben Templeton
If you read The Looking Glass Wars and wondered what happened to Hatter Madigan was while Alyss was in England, look no furhter than this graphic novel series. In volume 1, Hatter Madigan finds himself separated from Alyss in a strange world where Imagination is not often found. He absolutely must find Princess Alyss! Ostensibly the findings of a society, complete with historical artifacts in the back, the story is an excellent companion to the Looking Glass Wars series. The art work is well done, with blurred action sequences and dark cities during Hatter Madigan's wanderings. I look forward to reading more of his adventures. 4.5 stars.
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