REVIEW: LIFE AFTER LIFE

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Living one life after another is not an entirely new concept, but here it's explored with the free will and abandon of an author that not only has the writing skills to pull it off, but seems to just have so much fun exploring the idea.

The length made me lose track of the threads of the stories sometimes . . . not to seem redundant, but I agree that shortening it by 100 pages or so would have made a big difference. In spite of that, picking out those story threads throughout the whole narrative was kind of fun.

While the constant ending and beginning of Ursula's story is abrupt, the wonderful storytelling and descriptive abilities of Kate Atkinson kind of smooth that over so it's not so jarring. There's a sense of relief and sometimes triumph when she makes better choices, but sometimes also an unavoidable sameness to the stories.

What was really incredible for me was Ursula's fictionalized account of the Blitz. Those scenes are vivid and memorable and great defining moments for a lot of the characters. I loved how they contrasted with the idyllic countryside scenes in Fox Corner--a place that seemed warm and at times, safe from the world. It's fascinating that Atkinson can create a tone that is at the same time bleak and lyrical, with such a strong sense of perseverance and also so British. So on, and all of that.

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EUROPE SUMMER VACATION READS

I just returned from a 3 week vacation to Europe with my family--which explains the lack of new posts! But I wanted to share with you a short curated list of books I took with me. A vacation, to anywhere, is not complete without a short stack of books. (Yes, that picture is from when we saw Christ Church in Oxford, England . . . home of Harry Potter!)

I remember a few years ago I took Bel Canto on a beach-y vacation, and it turned out to be magical. There's something about reading a book in a specific, memorable place that endows it with magic and memories of its own. Looking back, I remember that book fondly, and the sunshine, flavor, and location that enhanced that captivating story. Has this ever happened to you? You read a book at a certain place or time and it takes on an special aura that it wouldn't have if you'd read it in all the normal places. I'd love to hear which books were like that for you . . . and here's a few this past month that achieved that magical status.

TransAtlantic by Colum McCann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've mentioned this one before here, and finally had some time to read it while away. The truly transatlantic feel of the book was an unintended but perfect match for our country-hopping trip, with longer stays in the UK. The stories, all connected by a family line of mothers & daughters in different time periods and places, conveyed a heavy sense of time that I also felt while touring some of the oldest and most historic places in Europe. I honestly could not have picked a better book where that was concerned! And if you're feeling a bit of wanderlust, or wanting to escape a bit, than this book is a good choice. The escape into McCann's absolutely breathtaking writing is worth it too--rhythmic and captivating, with phrases that you'll read over and over again, then hold in your mind for a while because they are just too good to let go of.

The story arc was admirable too, with a few fictionalized accounts of real people like Frederick Douglass. Alcock and Brown, and George Mitchell in the mix, all tied together with the matriarchal line beginning with Lily Duggan. It was amazing how through those stories--which for a good half of the book weren't even about the family, completed a whole picture. Storytelling at it's best. McCann's definitely a favorite.



Unremembered by Jessica Brody
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I brought this book along because I thought it would be a good balance to the other one; a little light-hearted, fast paced YA complements a vacation well.

While the premise of this book--a girl who had lost all memory and record of who she was, finds it again through a love interest and some snappy action scenes--wasn't anything really fresh, it was the twists in the middle and the end of the book that brought it into more exciting and fun territory.

The fast paced action scenes that threw the plot for a couple of unexpected twists were the best parts. You're wondering how it's possible that a girl could survive a plane crash, not be on the passenger manifesto, and not remember anything about anything. Give it few pages and a few action sequences, and you'll be be slightly breathless and wondering something completely different.

While it touches on deep issues such as what it means to be human, it doesn't have a while lot of depth or complexity to it. It's more of a lighter read, which can be good or not enough. So when it gets down to it: not fresh, but still exciting and fun. Fans of The Adoration of Jenna Fox, or Cinder.

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REVIEW: Z: A NOVEL OF ZELDA FITZGERALD

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book touched me in a specific way . . . and it's rare to come across a book that gets you right when you're thinking or questioning the thing that its addressing. Z was this way for me.

It's the story of Zelda Fitzgerald when she started to be Mrs. Fitzgerald. We don't get too much of all the before- when she was Zelda Sayre, because the focus was on her being Zelda Fitzgerald, told from her own perspective. Which was good most of the time--I think I would have preferred if it was told in 3rd person, but I don't think it being told in first person really was detrimental to the story. Sometimes the dialogue kind of lagged, for me, but that was minor.

And wow, what a story. I loved how we saw her struggle with defining herself. A struggle for her entire married life--what does it mean to be a wife? A mother? and how do those roles fit in with being a person? Your own person? This is what struck me the most- her search for her own identity, and how it fit in with everything else in her life. She struggled with this search, and didn't succeed a lot of the time- evidenced by the unhappiness and mental instability that she experienced in periods throughout her life. It was like she was trying to fit the puzzle piece of herself--her identity--in with the rest of the puzzle, but the piece didn't quite fit, and she tried putting it in different ways, and in different places, but struggled to get that snug fit where everything feels in place and in order, harmonious and happy. A lot of that struggle, obviously, came from the often tragic situation of her husband, his vices, his friends, his artistic sensibility and need.

I loved the taste of her life that this book gave. The parties, the salons, the friends, surrounded by art and the beauty and often pain that comes with it. I've never read anything about Zelda before, but I felt connected to her in her struggle--which was so wonderfully showcased in this book--and then just wondered at the dazzle that her life had sometimes. And I felt like this book sparkled . . . in the moments when they were at the height of the success and parties and fun, and also as it examined Zelda herself and her talents, loves, dark places, hopes and determination.

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REVIEW: OUT OF THE EASY

Out of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hindered by her identity as the daughter of a prostitute, Josie is trying to get out of New Orleans and into college. Then there is a suspicious death, and despite her best efforts, she gets tangled in a mess of lies, secrets, romance, insanity, and criminals. Finding her way out of the mess and out of New Orleans means she might have to do things she doesn't want to do, and face truths she doesn't want to face.

Josie was a powerful main character. She was spunky, quick-witted, likeable. She knows what she wants and she is constantly thinking about and working for it. I like how the author in this interview described her character like this:  ". . .we can learn to fly, even if we’re born with broken wings. The idea of that broken, yet beautiful bird became the character of Josie Moraine" (EW).) I really liked that Josie was that kind of character--constantly faced with challenges and getting slammed from all sides sometimes--but she still tries to overcome them and doesn't let things permanently set her back. Those strong characters have a much needed place on bookshelves these days!

Incredible setting. The French Quarter is bursting with life and color, mystery and secrets. Incredibly dynamic place that gives so much life to this story. It seemed like Sepetys really did her research on this one, and so was able to bring all those details of murder, history, the mob, post-WWII America, and the carnival atmosphere of New Orleans into use.

I didn't mind the slow building of the story. You know everything is going to come together at some very intense future scene of action, but the story takes it's time getting there. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially since the vibrant, spicy flavor of the New Orleans setting fills you up while the plot is on a slow simmer.

However, the romance aspect felt a little abrupt. Josie's relationship with both of the gorgeous boys in this book felt a little awkward, most likely because it wasn't built enough. Those relationships felt like they just happened--or like we came in on them as they had already started-- and I would have liked a little more development on that part. Especially in the character of Jesse. He could have been a major hearthrob but we didnt really get to see enough of him! Crazy twist though, that I did not see coming! but which added some of those What?! I can't believe this! moments.

Really, this book did have a lot of twists which kept things interesting and moving along. Overall, a rich story with a strong main character in a backdrop that while almost eclipsing other elements, ultimately provided a quick read full of mystery, lies, secrets, a slow-building suspense, hopes, and dreams.

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Coal Black Horse

Coal Black Horse by Robert Olmstead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have a thing for Civil War books, and quite possibly a thing for Cormac McCarthy too. This book satisfied both of my desires in that sense. Told in a somewhat sparse manner similar to McCarthy, it still had Olmstead's own style of writing that is at the same time poetic (but very descriptive) and haunting. The tragedies of the Civil War stay with you, especially when told in such a raw way in this book. A beautiful read just because of the way he puts words together to form images of a horrible, but meaningful, time. The characters were also memorable. I loved following Robey on his coming of age journey that was so full of development, personal revelations, and also symbolic meaning. I really came to like the boy. I also fell in love with his horse--a powerful, intuitive character that provides a constant in the book.

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ROTH- a commentary on our world

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I feel like I have too much to say about this book to write a review on it that would be short and not go into any kind of great depth . . .Roth really had me believing at times that this had really happened, and I think that just shows the quality of the writing and the amount of research and study that went into this. I also think that it is a magnificent commentary on our world today. That is as brief of a statement as I can give regarding the social/political commentary aspect of this novel- to say any more would require me to really go in depth about this. But, I would say that this book will probably be one of the top ones to read and study because of the social and political commentary about the world that we live in today. Also an interesting expose of the power of not only anti-semitism, but also on how a person would feel if they were a victim of discrimination and fear. I entirely enjoyed the perspective of 9 year old Roth- full of fear and confusion, and confronting the reality that his parents are not the superheroes that every child once though their parents were.

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deja vu?

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book felt strangely familiar . . . it has a lot of the same elements in it as Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons. Really, the setting, the names of the characters, and the ancient society are all that has changed. The characters are the same stereotypical Dan Brown characters: the smart, attractive female, the crazy cult man turned killer, and of course Robert Langdon aka Indiana Jones in disguise (I kind of like this comparison . . ). There are still multiple character perspectives and abrupt switches/revelations of information that throw twists and spin you 180 degrees.

Given all of these well used elements that have been successful in the past and are again repeated and sometimes predictable, I still enjoyed reading it--had to finish all 509 pages!

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monster of a good read . . .

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

My rating: 5 of 5 stars I flew through this book- it's not hard to read and it's not too long and it is incredible!! somewhat depressing at the same time though, because of the situation in which the main character is placed (in prison, at a murder trial). but his character as portrayed through his short diary entries and his perspective of the "movie of the experience" (in which format the book is written) is one that inspires trust and hope. This book is excellently written. I love that the author inspires and invites the reader to examine the decisions that the main character made, or failed to make. This book is excellent and I highly recommend it. View all my reviews >>

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Simply Amazing

Since beginning this blog I have realized how impossible it is to talk about all of the wonderful books out there! But I still feel strongly about sharing the books that have touched my life, and books that I think would touch the lives of others. Here are a few that I have read recently that are simply amazing and eye-opening:

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. This book blew me away. I learned about and came to love these Mirabal sisters for who they are and what they have done. An amazing and moving story that also made me grateful for the freedoms I have in this country. This is the story of the Mirabal sisters, real people who lived in the Dominican Republic. Together they were a large part of the rebellion which brought the horrible dictatorship of Trujillo to an end. They are brave, strong, and beautiful, and just like all of us, scared sometimes, and love their families.

Amazing Grace by Jonathon Kozol. This is an absolutely incredible look at a place so different from mine- the ghettos of the Bronx. It was incredibly enlightening. It was hard to find hope in their situation, except for in the futures of the children. Shocking in the way that life is in the Bronx, and the realities that these children and people have to deal with. VERY powerful.

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