Librarian Lady

Review: Dogtown

2010-06-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

Dogtown is an uplifting collection of profiles of both the dogs and trainers at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary's revolutionary Dogtown facility. The facility offers top notch training and medical care for homeless dogs, and it is no-kill, which means that any dogs who are not or cannot be adopted can live out their lives at Dogtown. I loved that pictures are included in the book of all the dogs and trainers mentioned; the pictures allow the reader to feel much more connected to the stories. Dogtown is a companion book to the National Geographic Channel TV series of the same name, and I would be curious to see if there are repetitive, or if the book and series cover different material.

It's almost impossible to read this book without wanting to volunteer for or help Best Friends and Dogtown in some way; click here to learn more!

Review: The Dress Lodger

2010-05-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

If I didn't appreciate great writing, I probably wouldn't have made it through Sheri Holman's The Dress Lodger, which revolves around the intertwined experiences of a doctor and a prostitute during the first outbreak of cholera in 19th century England. It is grim, sad, and a bit too gritty for my taste, although this is purely a matter of personal preference rather than a problem with the quality of the novel. The Dress Lodger is redeemed, though, by Holman's masterful way with words. Her writing is exquisite and surprising, as throughout the novel she continues to find new ways to describe her characters' experiences and tell their story.

Holman does not shrink from the reality of life for the poor and diseased in 19th century England, and as such The Dress Lodger is not for the faint of heart. However, readers who are able to work through the harsher elements of the novel's plot will be richly rewarded by Holman's hauntingly beautiful writing.

Review: Garden Spells

2010-05-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

Sarah Addison Allen's quietly lovely debut novel Garden Spells is simply enchanting. It revolves around two sisters whose membership in a family known for having "gifted" women first drives them apart but ultimately brings them back together. It is magical realism at its finest, and Allen's plot and pacing evoke a dreamy mood that allows the reader to become lost in her story. There are notable similarities to Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic and Joanne Harris's Chocolat, but they are not so overt that they make Garden Spells seem unoriginal; rather, Allen's novel feels like a continuation of a wonderful tradition.

I look forward to reading Allen's other two novels, The Sugar Queen and The Girl Who Chased the Moon. I only hope that they live up to the precedent set by her first.

Review: You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up

2010-05-12T19:48:00.001-07:00

Written alternately from his perspective and then hers, You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up is Annabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn's memoir of their marriage. Partially due to its relatively narrow perspective, focusing on the authors' marriage rather than their entire lives, this book is much more entertaining than the average memoir.

Gurwitch and Kahn's marriage has been significantly tested in the thirteen years since their wedding, most notably by their son's major birth defects and subsequent health problems. However, You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up is never maudlin. Instead, Gurwitch and Kahn use their impressive comedic gifts to deliver an occasionally crude but always hilarious view into the inner workings of their marriage and, by extension, marriage itself. It's well worth reading.

Review: Jane Bites Back

2010-05-04T15:45:00.001-07:00

The tagline on the cover of Jane Bites Back reads, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is still alive today... as a vampire." That is the premise of this silly but mildly entertaining novel by Michael Thomas Ford. I simply wasn't able to bring myself to read the popular Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, so I thought I would try Ford's similar offering instead.

While I wasn't disappointed by Jane Bites Back per se, this was largely due to my low expectations. The story requires a significant suspension of disbelief, but the plot and characterization simply aren't strong enough to compensate for the reader's effort. I would suggest that readers seeking novels inspired by Austen try Shannon Hale's delightful Austenland instead.

Reader Stereotypes

2010-04-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

Some authors hold special appeal for certain types of readers. Lauren Leto has expanded upon this concept with her piece "Readers By Author: Stereotyping People By Their Favorite Author." While I may not agree with all of her stereotypes, (Shakespeare = people who like bondage? huh?) the list is undeniably entertaining, and many of the stereotypes ring true (J.K. Rowling = smart geeks).

Check out the entire list here.

Review: The Queen's Governess

2010-04-22T14:44:00.001-07:00

I had a great deal of difficulty becoming emotionally invested in or attached to any of the characters in Karen Harper's The Queen's Governess, which tells the story of lowborn Kat Ashley and the way in which her life comes to revolve around the Tudor family, particularly Queen Elizabeth I. This might have been because of Tudor overload; The Queen's Governess is the third novel about the Tudors I've read in the past year, and I am also currently watching the latest season of Showtime's hit TV series The Tudors. Or, my difficulty connecting with the characters might have been because this novel is largely narrative and, in my opinion, suffers from a lack of dialogue.

Regardless of the reason, this distance between reader and characters made it impossible for me to enjoy The Queen's Governess as much as I had anticipated, despite its exciting plot, which is based largely on historical fact. I felt as if Harper couldn't make up her mind whether she was writing fiction or non-fiction and was therefore not quite successful at either.

Review: Wednesday Night Witches

2010-04-20T18:10:00.000-07:00

If ever there were a novel in need of an editor, it would be Lee Nichols' Wednesday Night Witches. An otherwise innocuous, even potentially charming, story about three twentysomething friends who discover that they have magical powers is almost totally overshadowed by writing that is overly wordy and terribly cliche. The book is also full of grammatical errors which appear frequently enough to distract the reader from necessary suspension of disbelief. The novel's editing (or lack thereof) is, quite frankly, appalling, and I truly don't understand how any publisher could be so lax about quality control.

Perhaps Nichols should consider abandoning Red Dress Ink, which published Wednesday Night Witches, and find a different publisher for her next novel.

Review: Shades of Grey

2010-04-14T11:58:00.001-07:00

Shades of Grey is a departure for Jasper Fforde, one I did not entirely appreciate. It takes place in a dystopic society that revolves around color. Since everyone can no longer see all colors, people are classified by which color they can see; or, if they cannot see any colors they are relegated to the subordinate class known as the Greys. The novel's narrator and protagonist is a Red named Edward Russet. When Edward meets Jane, a Grey, he begins to learn about the darker underside of the society in which they live.

This novel is much darker than Fforde's other works, which include the Thursday Next series and the Nursery Crime series. It also focuses on a new subject, color, rather than the literary inspiration for his other two series. While Shades of Grey still includes the brilliant detail, creativity, and wit that characterize all of Fforde's writing, I missed the lighter tone that pervades his other work. I only hope that the two other novels planned for the Shades of Grey series, Painting By Numbers and The Gordini Protocols, redeem some of the darkness present in this one.

Review: Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

2010-04-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to read Chelsea Handler's new book, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang. Unfortunately, there are more than eighty people on the waitlist ahead of me at my local library, so I decided to read Handler's older book, Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea while I was waiting. I'm so glad I did. This collection of personal essays ranges from mildly humorous to absolutely hysterical. While I am somewhat skeptical that some of the more outrageous aspects of Handler's stories actually occurred, every detail, from the mundane to the unbelievable, is relayed in the same deadpan, nonchalant tone, allowing everything to blend together into one wonderful, hilarious whole.

I highly recommend both Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, and Handler's entertaining nighttime television talk show on the E! channel, Chelsea Lately. I am now even more excited to read Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang when it becomes available.

New J.K. Rowling Book?

2010-04-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

Could there be a new novel by J.K. Rowling coming soon to a bookstore or library near you? Rowling implied that this could indeed be the case, and that the upcoming book might involve the beloved wizarding world of Harry Potter. Read all about the comments she made at this week's annual White House Easter Egg Roll here.

One can only hope that the new venture will be a novel, rather than a disappointing collection of short stories like The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

Review: This is Where I Leave You

2010-04-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

If you're the type of person who is offended if someone laughs during a funeral, this is not the novel for you. If, however, you see the humor in death and every other part of life, you might enjoy Jonathan Tropper's This is Where I Leave You. The novel presents the story of Judd Foxman, whose wife commits adultery with his boss and then tells him she's pregnant on the same day he finds out that his father has passed away. As if matters couldn't get any worse, Judd then learns that his father's dying wish was for the remaining members of the wildly dysfunctional Foxman family to sit shiva for him for a full seven days. Hilarity and heartbreak ensues as Judd and his family attempt to set aside their differences and idiosyncrasies long enough to mourn the family matriarch.

The novel is at its best when Tropper finds the humor in Judd's experiences. Indeed, at times it is laugh out loud funny, particularly during an incident towards the beginning of the story involving childhood potty training, or lack thereof. It falters, though, when Tropper allows Judd to wallow in the admittedly heartbreaking aspects of his situation. I only wish that Tropper would have spent more time relating the hilarity of the interactions between Judd's loved ones rather than the pain those relationships often cause.

Review: The Guinea Pig Diaries

2009-12-29T09:03:00.000-08:00

The Guinea Pig Diaries is A. J. Jacobs's third book, and it centers around the same kinds of life experiments which formed the foundation of his previous two works, The Year of Living Biblically and The Know-It-All. For those two books, Jacobs attempted to live his life adhering to every single law of the Bible and attempted to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, respectively. These were long-term endeavors. In The Guinea Pig Diaries, Jacobs embarks on a series of shorter experiments and devotes one chapter of the book to each. This makes the book faster paced than its predecessors and gives the reader a clearer, more comprehensive view of just how thoroughly these strange experiments have consumed and enriched the lives of Jacobs and his family.

The wide variety of experiments Jacobs undertakes in The Guinea Pig Diaries are immensely entertaining, and his familiar, conversational writing style is perfectly suited to the hilarity which often ensues during his activities. With so many experiments crammed into this third book, though, one wonders what Jacobs will have left to write about in a fourth?

Review: The Lightning Thief

2009-11-20T18:44:00.001-08:00

This popular young adult novel by Rick Riordan is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. It tells the story of young Percy Jackson, who discovers that he is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. With the help of friends he meets at Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for children of the gods, Percy goes on a quest to resolve a conflict between Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades. In the process, he realizes that he also wants to earn the approval of the father he thought was dead.

The Lightning Thief is a quick, entertaining read, and it is easy to see its appeal to younger readers. Percy is an entirely relatable hero, and his exploits supply a healthy dose of adventure. The notion that the Greek gods are real and wreaking havoc on people's daily lives is certainly entertaining.

Unfortunately, the positive attributes of The Lightning Thief which make it so well-suited to a younger audience are not enough to keep an older reader engaged. Adults familiar with Greek mythology are likely to find the novel's basic premise rather unoriginal; in Greek myths the gods were constantly procreating with humans, and the offspring of these unions, the most famous being Hercules, were always having to go off on quests to prove themselves. Riordan's novel does not deviate significantly from that plot beyond simply moving the story to modern New York City. Also, while a younger audience would likely find the novel's characters likable enough, adults may find them somewhat bland and one-dimensional.

Ultimately, though I would not hesitate to recommend this novel to an adolescent, I would advise older readers to look elsewhere for substantive young adult literature. Harry Potter, anyone?

Review: True Compass

2009-11-05T10:58:00.001-08:00

The late Senator Edward Kennedy's memoir covers each period of his life with grace and humility. It details his relationship with his father, his grief after each of his family's many tragic deaths, and his pioneering work in the Senate. It sheds new light on familiar historical events and offers a unique perspective on numerous historical figures, including his brothers and every American president since 1963.

I had mixed feelings about reading this book at this time. Like many others, I was still affected by Kennedy's recent death and wondered if I might prefer to let some time pass before I picked up his memoir. Ultimately, though, I am so glad I did not wait. The immediacy of Kennedy's passing made my reading of the memoir that much more poignant and moving.

True Compass is beautifully written and is a fascinating read for any history buff or Kennedy aficionado. This is truly a great book about a flawed but great man.

Review: The Lost Symbol

2009-09-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to read this novel that I bought a copy the day it came out. I was not alone, as evidenced by the one million copies sold within the first 24 hours of its release. I loved The Da Vinci Code and enjoyed Angels and Demons, so I had high hopes for The Lost Symbol.

I am sorry to report that Dan Brown's latest offering did not live up to my expectations. I am willing to concede that those high expectations may have been partially responsible for my disappointment with The Lost Symbol. Had this novel been written by a different author and published with less hype, I might have had a more favorable reaction to it. As a follow-up to The Da Vinci Code, though, I found it to be distinctly lacking.

Part of the appeal of The Da Vinci Code is the riveting idea that Mary Magdalene herself is the Holy Grail, and that she and Jesus Christ produced a bloodline that survives to the present day. The controversial ideas which play a similar role in The Lost Symbol, while interesting, are nowhere near as accessible or as earth-shattering as the interpretation of the sacred feminine that Brown offers in The Da Vinci Code. Without this important anchor to its story, The Lost Symbol requires a significant suspension of disbelief that is simply not justified by its plot.

I seem to be in the minority with my poor opinion of The Lost Symbol. Both the New York Times and the Washington Post gave the novel favorable reviews. I acknowledge, too, that for fans of Brown's other work The Lost Symbol is worth reading purely to continue to participate in the literary phenomenon that he has inspired. Still, it is best to read this novel without expecting it to attain the heights of The Da Vinci Code.

Review: Idiot America

2009-09-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

I picked up Charles Pierce's Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free because of its seeming similarity to Susan Jacoby's The Age of American Unreason. Jacoby's book is a brilliant discussion of anti-intellectualism in the United States, and I was excited to read Pierce's perspective on the subject. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

While Idiot America does deal with some of the less than rational elements of American society, it does not rise above them as Jacoby's book does. Instead, it indulges in the lamentably common partisan accusations and insults that characterize so many recent works. I happen to agree with many of Pierce's positions on issues like evolution, stem cell research, and others. However, I much prefer Jacoby's objective approach to the reasons behind opposition to these issues rather than Pierce's vitriolic condemnations of the "right wing." I would recommend that anyone interested in Idiot America read The Age of American Unreason instead.

Review: The Wet Nurse's Tale

2009-09-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

Susan Rose is a wet nurse, like her mother before her. She navigates the strict social expectations of women in Victorian society with practicality and a healthy dose of humor. She is a realist who is not afraid to stretch the boundaries of her societal reality in order to obtain the best possible future for herself and her son. The Wet Nurse's Tale is both tragic and funny, much like its heroine.

Erica Eisdorfer does a masterful job of creating a flawed but immensely relatable protagonist. Susan reminded me a great deal of what Chaucer's Wife of Bath might have been like if that iconic character had been created by a woman. Like the Wife of Bath, Susan rises above the cruelty she endures at the hands of her male-dominated society and manages to create her own kind of power. Her story's relatively happy ending is a testament to her determination and ability to survive in nearly any circumstances.

Despite the hardships Susan experiences, The Wet Nurse's Tale is not a sad novel. It is entirely enjoyable and really quite empowering. How could anyone resist a book whose protagonist announces on the first page, as she is giving birth, that labor is like "shitting a pumpkin"?

Review: The Last Dickens

2009-09-08T10:15:00.001-07:00

Matthew Pearl's latest novel revolves around the fictionalized story of the publication of Charles Dickens' last work, the unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Pearl draws from actual historical events to concoct a fantastical account of the fate of the novel's nonexistent second half. The interplay between fact and fiction and the myriad twists and turns of plot devised by Pearl combine to form a gripping read.

Pearl, a former professor of literature at Harvard and Emerson Colleges, wrote two previous novels, neither of which are as accessible, or as enjoyable, as The Last Dickens. My personal preference for this novel over Pearl's others, The Dante Club and The Poe Shadow, may stem in part from my preference for Dickens over Henry Wadsworth Longfellow or Poe. However, it is also undeniable that Pearl's writing has improved with each novel he has published. As such, with The Last Dickens as his new standard, I look forward to Pearl's next work.

Review: A Rogue of My Own

2009-09-03T15:02:00.001-07:00

Johanna Lindsey's A Rogue of My Own follows the romance of Lady Rebecca Marshall, a maid of honor in the household of Queen Victoria, and Marquis Rupert St. John, a spy for the British monarchy. Rebecca and Rupert become embroiled in a web of their own misunderstandings and are wed only after Rebecca becomes pregnant. Of course, by the end of the novel the truth of their feelings for each other is revealed and the two (presumably) live happily ever after.

I love romance novels, but A Rogue of My Own is the kind of book that gives that genre a bad name. The writing is merely passable, and some situations are cliche to the point of feeling contrived. The romance genre has a reputation for cheesiness, and that reputation, while sometimes undeserved, is reinforced by novels like this one.

True romance devotees will likely find Lindsey's novel enjoyable, if a bit too sugary sweet. Any more casual readers of romance novels, though, will undoubtedly be a great deal less than impressed. There are truly wonderful romance novels-- five of which I mentioned here-- but A Rogue of My Own is definitely not one of them.

Review: I'm With Stupid

2009-09-02T10:20:00.001-07:00

Gene Weingarten and Gina Barreca's I'm With Stupid: One Man. One Woman. 10,000 Years of Misunderstanding Between the Sexes Cleared Right Up is essentially, by the authors' own admission, a comedic take on the infamous Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. I'm With Stupid covers most of the classic disagreements between the sexes, with Weingarten representing the male perspective and Barreca the female one. The two writers take turns writing, with the book set up almost like a film script; before anything Weingarten wrote, the reader sees "Gene:" and the same for Barreca.

This format is both a strength and a weakness in the book. I'm With Stupid is at its best when Weingarten and Barreca are engaging in quick, one to three line banter back and forth. Whenever either author writes something more lengthy, though, the book loses some of its momentum. This is especially true whenever Weingarten or Barreca engages in a philosophical diatribe about gender relations. Barreca, a college professor, is particularly prone to these types of tangents.

Gender disparities are inherently interesting and funny, so the subject of I'm With Stupid gives it an immediate advantage. Weingarten and Barreca's take on this popular topic is entertaining and occasionally even laugh-out-loud funny. Unfortunately, the book really doesn't offer any new or original insights; as such, it is largely forgettable.

Review: Supreme Courtship

2009-09-01T11:36:00.001-07:00

Supreme Courtship is a clever satire of the current state of politics and the American legal system. The novel centers around a "what if" scenario of a president nominating a Judge Judy-type TV judge to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, that president is involved in a campaign for a second term he doesn't want, and a Senator turned actor playing the President on TV is running against him.

I decided to pick up this novel after it received a glowing, four thumbs up (the highest rating) review in Marie Claire magazine. I was somewhat skeptical of this evaluation, particularly given the novel's juvenile cover art, but I am so glad I resisted judging this book by its cover! Despite its potentially silly, overblown premise, the novel manages to never overstep the bounds of credulity while still delivering a funny, clearly exaggerated indictment of D.C. maneuvering.

Supreme Courtship might lend itself well to a film version, which is not surprising given that Christopher Buckley is the acclaimed author of the novel Thank You for Smoking on which the movie of the same name is based. Buckley is a master satirist, and after reading this novel I think some of his other work may definitely be worth exploring.

Review: The Means of Reproduction

2009-08-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Michelle Goldberg's The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power, and the Future of the World posits that the struggle for women's rights is the single greatest human rights issue facing the world today. She suggests that ending the repression of women has the potential to solve many of the world's problems. She addresses the issue of women's rights through a number of different facets, including reproductive rights (abortion, contraception, etc), female genital mutilation/circumcision, sex-selective abortion and female infanticide, and mass rape as a method of warfare.

The greatest strength of Goldberg's book is the way in which she illuminates the incredibly complicated and complex nature of so many of the problems related to women's rights. For example, she reveals that the issue of sex-selective abortion and female infanticide in India is motivated largely by economics rather than a simple devaluation of women and female children. The extraordinary economic burden of dowry imposed by traditional Indian culture poses significant financial difficulties to any family with female children. Goldberg explains that the cultural traditions which make female children such an economic liability in India must be altered before the situation of sex-selective abortion and female infanticide can be much improved.

There are some structural problems within The Means of Reproduction, including an organizational system that is sometimes difficult to follow. Still, the enormous importance of the book's subject and the comprehensive nature of Goldberg's treatment of it make The Means of Reproduction a must-read.

Review: Agent to the Stars

2009-08-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

John Scalzi's deliciously clever novel tells the story of an alien race that decides to make first contact with humans with the help of a Hollywood agent. The aliens look like giant blobs and communicate using an endless variety of repugnant odors, so they recognize that they have an image problem that requires the management of an expert. The fate of their relationship with humanity is put in the hands of Thomas Stein, an agent who is best known for his management of blonde bimbo actress Michelle Beck and tempermental pop music B-lister Tea Reader.

This is the best novel I have read since I started this blog. It is funny, smart, and interesting. It's the equivalent of an action/adventure comedy movie in book form. In fact, it probably would lend itself quite well to a film adaptation. I enjoyed it immensely.

Book It Locket

2009-08-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

I love books (obviously) and I also love lockets. So, I am understandably enamored of this adorable necklace from Mod Cloth. Isn't it just so cute?

And, for only $12.99, the price just can't be beat. Get yours here!

Review: Used and Rare

2009-08-12T23:26:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about becoming a serious book collector? If you have, Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone's Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World is a perfect introduction to the strange and wonderful world of book collecting. If you haven't, Used and Rare is still a fascinating account of the eccentric characters and priceless historical artifacts that populate the book collecting world.

Used and Rare relates the exhilaration and excitement of discovering a great "find" and the importance of books to the study of history. It provides details about rare book pricing, particularly the significance of supply and demand. It is also straightforward about the enormous amounts of money spent on rare books as well as the steep learning curve experienced by newcomers to book collecting.

Ultimately, the Goldstones' account of their experiences as book collectors is an interesting and worthwhile read, particularly for anyone who enjoys frequenting their local used bookstore.

Review: How Do I Love Thee?: A Novel of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Poetic Romance

2009-08-06T18:37:00.001-07:00

Like so many of my fellow hopeless romantics, I adore Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnets From the Portuguese and am enchanted by the story of her romance with fellow poet Robert Browning. In addition to my appreciation of her poetry, I have always felt a particular kinship with Barrett Browning that makes me especially interested in her. Nancy Moser's novel blends the facts of Barrett Browning's life with her poetry and Moser's own ideas to create an engaging piece of fiction.

The inclusion of Barrett Browning's poetry in the story of How Do I Love Thee? lends the novel an air of authenticity that would have been difficult to achieve in any other way. The interspersion of the poetry throughout the novel allows for richer character development and a unique perspective on the central love story. It would also serve as a wonderful introduction to Barrett Browning's poetry to readers of How Do I Love Thee? who are not familiar with it.

Though I was attracted to this book in large part because of my affection for Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her poetry, I do think that readers less familiar with her could still enjoy it. It would probably be most appealing to readers who enjoy the romance genre, as the novel is similar to that type of fiction.

Review: Tales from a Dog Catcher

2009-08-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

Lisa Duffy-Korpics worked her way through college as an Animal Control Officer. Tales from a Dog Catcher contains stories of her experiences in that position. The stories range from heartbreaking to laugh-out-loud funny. In many cases, they are as much about the people who come into contact with the animals as they are about the animals themselves.

As someone who loves anecdotal animal stories, I enjoyed this book very much. It is very similar to many other books of animal stories, including Terri Crisp's Out of Harm's Way and Steve Swanbeck's Disposable Dogs, among many others. However, it is most certainly best suited to a dedicated reader of this type of nonfiction.

Review: The Man Who Ate the 747

2009-07-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Man Who Ate the 747 revolves around Wally Chubb, the man eating the 747; Willa Wyatt, the woman for love of whom Wally has undertaken his extraordinary task; and J.J. Smith, the man who has come to verify that Chubb has broken a world record by consuming the entire airplane. Along the way, the novel imparts wisdom about the values of living simply and the true meaning of love.

The Man Who Ate the 747 won an Alex Award in 2001, and it has some of the same features that characterize other Alex Award winners: an original story, excellent writing, and broad appeal. The Man Who Ate the 747 taps into the relatively large audience base for such texts as The Guinness Book of World Records and TV shows like Ripley's Believe It or Not. The J.J. Smith character works for a record book clearly modeled after The Guinness Book of World Records, renamed The Book of Records by Sherwood for the purposes of his novel. Sherwood sprinkles real record holder trivia liberally throughout his story, which will undoubtedly delight fans of the aforementioned book and TV show.

While some of the novel's messages are a bit cliche, The Man Who Ate the 747 is a quick, light read that is a perfect break from heavier literary fare.

Review: The Uncommon Reader

2009-07-13T07:23:00.001-07:00

Alan Bennett's novella tells the story of a fictionalized Queen Elizabeth II, who stumbles into a traveling library one day after her rambunctious corgis and finds herself drawn deeply into the world of books and reading. She becomes consumed with reading, provoking the concern of everyone from her staff to the Prime Minister. There is a clever little unexpected twist at the end of the story.

Though this novella deals with my very favorite subject, books and reading, it was not, unfortunately, as enjoyable as I had anticipated. Frankly, I found it not particularly engaging and even, at times, somewhat dull. In fairness, my reaction may have been related to my relative unfamiliarity with the British royal etiquette which Bennett was satirizing. Nevertheless, this is not a book I would be quick to recommend.

Review: A Curse Dark as Gold

2009-07-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth C. Bunce delivers a sophisticated retelling of the classic German fairy tale "Rumplestiltskin" in her first novel, A Curse Dark as Gold. The novel takes place in the fictional village of Shearing, which surrounds and depends upon its mill, Stirwaters. When the miller dies, his two daughters, Charlotte and Rosie, take over and run the mill by themselves, despite the disapproval of many of the men in their chosen profession and the surrounding society. Yet the male condemnation they encounter is not the greatest of their concerns, because Stirwaters is cursed, and the curse thwarts their endeavors at every turn. When they find themselves in desperate situations, they call upon the mysterious Jack Spinner, who helps them-- for a price.

A Curse Dark as Gold benefits from Bunce's development of a thoroughly believable setting. Though the town of Shearing and the Stirwaters mill are themselves elaborately written, the real genius of Bunce's setting is the time period in which she grounds her novel. She depicts a world on the brink of the Industrial Revolution, which gives the novel a solid foundation in reality from which Bunce bases the more fantastical elements of her story. Bunce also uses the basic dichotomy of the Industrial Revolution to parallel the good versus evil struggle that is at the heart of A Curse Dark as Gold and most other fairy tales. She contrasts the relative benefits of life at Stirwaters, with its fair wages, decent working conditions, and sense of community, with the misery and hardships of life in the industrialized Pinchfields factory. Even with its curse, Stirwaters still clearly offers a better life for the novel's characters than Pinchfields.

Epitomized by Charlotte and Rosie's running of Stirwaters, A Curse Dark as Gold relies heavily on a theme of female empowerment. This theme likely stems from Bunce's dissatisfaction with the original "Rumplestiltskin," which she explains in an Author's Note: "I have always found 'Rumplestiltskin' to be a troubling tale, probably because it violates my sense of justice. The greedy father and merciless king go unpunished" (Bunce 395). She also notes, "I've always found it fascinating that... the heroine is known only as 'the miller's daughter' or 'the queen' while Rumplestiltskin's name becomes a magical talisman" (Bunce 395). Bunce's desire to rectify the problems she has with the original fairy tale manifests itself in her depiction of Charlotte and Rosie's strength and independence in their takeover of Stirwaters and the wisdom and dependability demonstrated by Mrs. Tom, Shearing's midwife, in her tending of the town's sick and her facilitation of the breaking of Stirwaters' curse. The theme is also evident in the prevalence of male characters in the novel who conduct themselves poorly. Charlotte and Rosie's father leaves them in debt, their Uncle Wheeler cheats them, and the Wheeler and Miller family patriarchs are greedy, heartless men who participate in a lynching and are subsequently deservedly cursed.

The novel is rather dark, with its inclusion of curses, ghosts, and violence, but these features only add to its satisfying complexity. It is marketed to a young adult audience, but could certainly make the crossover into adult literature. It is an excellent read.

Review: Three Girls and Their Brother

2009-06-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

This debut novel by playwright Theresa Rebeck tells the story of four siblings, Daria, Polly, Amelia, and Philip Heller, who are caught up in a whirlwind of sudden fame. Partially as a result of their relationships to their famous literary critic grandfather and partially as a result of their gorgeous red hair, Daria, Polly, and Amelia become the subjects of a photo shoot for The New Yorker. This photo shoot catapults them to stardom, and the celebrity of the three female siblings has major consequences for the dynamics of their family. The novel is divided into four sections, and each section is written from the point of view of one of the siblings, giving the reader a clear view of how the novel's unfolding events affect each character.

Three Girls and Their Brother was a 2009 Alex Award winner, and deservedly so. The novel is humourous, fast-paced, and entertaining. The inner workings of the Heller family are entirely relatable, though they are spectacularly dysfunctional. Rebeck does an excellent job of evoking the glorified, circus-like atmosphere of celebrity that has become a source of endless fascination for the American public and a fixture of American pop culture.

Review: My Thirteenth Winter

2009-06-10T19:44:00.001-07:00

Samantha Abeel's memoir relates her struggles with dyscalculia, a learning disability which severely limits her ability to function normally. Though she is now 25 years old, her disability prevents her from being able to perform basic tasks like telling time or calculating change as a customer at a cash register. In My Thirteenth Winter: A Memoir, Abeel relates the difficulties she endured in school, particularly before she was formally diagnosed with her learning disability at age 13. The school system's reluctance to acknowledge her learning differences significantly damaged her self-confidence and emotional and psychological wellbeing.

I originally decided to read this book as part of an assignment for a class I'm taking, Literature and Materials for Young Adults. However, I found Abeel's work to be moving and relatable. Though it is clearly written with a younger audience in mind, Abeel's recounting of her struggles with a learning disability, anxiety, and depression has broad appeal and should be read by anyone who works with children or wants to better understand the experience of daily life for someone with a learning disability.

Review: Blindspot

2009-06-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

This novel is not written by novelists. Instead, it is the work of historians Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore. It takes place in Boston shortly before the American Revolution, and tells the story of an artist in exile from England due to his debts, and his young apprentice who is actually a disgraced high-born woman in disguise.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the novel. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I actually stayed up until 3am one night reading it. Unfortunately, from approximately the halfway point of the novel, everything goes downhill. The plot degenerates from a commentary on gender and race issues in the particular place and time in which the novel is set, to a tawdry attempt at romance which instead reads more like trashy porn.

It is, perhaps, the result of my fondness for the novel's beginning that I was so disappointed by its end. A historical fiction written by such eminent historians has such promise, and the setting the authors chose offers so many rich opportunities for fictional exploration. What a shame, then, that this opportunity was wasted.

Review: When You Are Engulfed In Flames

2009-06-04T16:46:00.000-07:00

This book of essays by humorist David Sedaris lives up to one reader's comment to me about it: that "it's funny, but weird." The essays are all stories of real events that occurred in Sedaris' life, and his experiences led me to believe that my life is actually pretty normal after all. It's certainly nowhere near as odd as Sedaris' existence, with its trips to Tokyo in an effort to stop smoking and its X-rated encounters with truck drivers and taxi drivers.

While the book is entertaining, I found it difficult to relate to Sedaris' jet-setting lifestyle, complete with his fondness for drugs. His writing is funny, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, but it also occasionally feels as if Sedaris is reaching for shock value rather than laughs.

I enjoyed When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and will probably read more of Sedaris' books at some point in the future. Probably what allowed me to appreciate it as much as I did, though, was that I expected it to be even stranger than it actually was.

Review: Royal Affairs

2009-06-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Leslie Carroll's Royal Affairs: A Lusty Romp Through the Extramarital Affairs that Rocked the British Monarchy covers affairs from the Angevins (1154-1216) to the Windsors (1910-present). It reveals the enormous effects the lust of British monarchs, both male and female, has had on the course of British history. Imagine how different the world might be today, for example, if King Henry VIII had not set his cap for Anne Boleyn.

Royal Affairs is Carroll's first foray into non-fiction, and her previous experience writing fiction, including historical fiction, is evident in this non-fiction work. It prevents the book from becoming too dense or droning, as is sometimes unfortunately common in historical non-fiction. Of course, the subject matter may be partially responsible for this as well.

Carroll's inclusion of the monetary amounts the monarchs spent on their various paramours is particularly interesting. Even better is that she converts those amounts into their current dollar value, so a reader can fully appreciate the enormous sums that were spent for the purpose of satisfying a monarch's sexual desires. For instance, the 10,000 pound annual pension Maria Fitzherbert received as a result of her affair with King George IV is much more impressive when one knows that the amount would be equivalent to over $1.4 million today.

While Royal Affairs is certainly interesting, I would probably be more likely to recommend Michael Farquhar's A Treasury of Royal Scandals: The Shocking True Stories of History's Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors. As its title suggests, Farquhar's book deals with historical figures from a multitude of countries, rather than just Great Britain, and it includes prominent people who were not part of a monarchy. Nevertheless, it covers enough of the same material as Royal Affairs to make it a suitable and more entertaining substitute. Farquhar doesn't take his subjects quite as seriously as Carroll does, and given the behavior of these historical figures, this seems a more appropriate approach.

My 5 Favorite Romance Novels

2009-05-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

While I enjoy a good romance novel regardless of the season, summer is the perfect time for a reader less familiar with the genre to pick up one of these much-maligned gems. Romance novels are perfect for taking to the beach or the pool, as they are generally frothy, fun reads with satisfyingly happy endings. For more on the excellent qualities of the romance genre, I highly recommend Dr. Pamela Regis's genius A Natural History of the Romance Novel. If you're ready to jump right in, the following are my five personal favorite romances (in no particular order).

I've enjoyed many of Lisa Kleypas' novels, particularly including Where Dreams Begin. However, Dreaming of You is definitely my favorite. It tells the story of a writer named Sara Fielding and a man called Derek Craven, who is the result of an endearing rags-to-riches upbringing. Sara is a relatable heroine for those with a love of books and/or writing.

Julia Quinn is, without question, my favorite romance novelist. This is one of her newer titles, and it proves that her work continues to only get better. Jack Audley, the hero of this novel, is a highwayman somewhat remniscent of Robin Hood. Like all of Quinn's novels, The Lost Duke of Wyndham features a healthy dose of humor and some of the best writing in the romance genre.

The Black Swan was one of the first romance novels I ever read, and it remains one of my favorites. It takes place in Ireland, which sometimes serves as a rustic and wild setting for historical romances; it's an excellent alternative to the more often used England, and Seymour takes full advantage of the opportunities it offers to enrich her plot. The novel tells the story of Cormac Riordan and Claire O'Donnell, each the product of one of two feuding Irish clans. Their union is threatened by a curse that has supposedly haunted the Riordan clan for generations. The Black Swan evokes aspects of the classic Romeo and Juliet story, but it has a much happier ending!

I love this novel in part because of its significant inclusion of historical events. The heroine, Rosamond Marshal, is the ward of King Henry III's sister. The course of The Marriage Prize incorporates both real events and real people from the history of England's Plantagenet dynasty. There is, of course, also a heartmelting romance between Rosamond and the novel's hero, Rodger de Leyburn, as well as a romantic subplot among secondary characters.

With my great affection for Quinn's writing, it is only natural that more than one of her novels would be featured on any list of my favorites. This novel is just one of the books in Quinn's fabulous series about the Bridgerton family. An Offer From a Gentleman holds a special place in my heart because it is a re-telling of the Cinderella story, but all of the novels in the Bridgerton series are wonderful and should be explored by even the most casual reader of the romance genre.

***Note: My five favorite romance novels happen to all be historical romances. This is due to personal preference, and I encourage readers to try contemporary romances as well!

Future Release: Shades of Grey

2009-05-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

There are few writers I love like I love Jasper Fforde, so I am counting down the days until the release of his next novel, Shades of Grey. A departure from the beloved Thursday Next series and his similar Nursery Crime series, Shades of Grey sounds like it will be darker and more serious. Like all his novels, though, it is set in an imaginative fictional world which satirizes our own while at the same time providing a welcome fictional relief. If Shades of Grey is anywhere near as good as Fforde's other books, it will be well worth the read.

Shades of Grey is scheduled to be released on December 29, 2009. Pre-order your copy today!

Big Cozy Books (aka book furniture)

2009-05-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

I learned about this company, Big Cozy Books, through the American Library Association, and I think its products are so cool! They make me want to re-do my whole apartment using only their furniture.

Maybe when I have a house...

Review: Under the Yoke

2009-05-29T09:59:00.001-07:00

This classic Bulgarian novel was written by Ivan Vazov (pictured at left). It details the 1876 Bulgarian uprising against the Turkish occupation of their country.

In the interests of full disclosure, I must admit that this was not a novel I chose for myself. Rather, I agreed to read it based on the strong recommendation (polite insistence?) of my Bulgarian fiance. Given that personal Bulgarian connection, though, Under the Yoke was far more interesting to me than it would probably be to the average American reader.

The novel offers a glimpse of Bulgarian culture and life in small Bulgarian villages during the 19th century. I am told that many of the portrayals of Bulgarian characters are still relevant depictions of common personalities present in Bulgarian society today. As a foreigner, I certainly felt enlightened about the origins and history of some of the particularities I've observed in my own experiences in Bulgaria and among Bulgarian people.

From a literary perspective, Under the Yoke particularly reminded me of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. Vazov himself seemed aware of this correlation, as he mentions that novel in the text of his own, comparing the feelings of one of his characters to those of Raskolnikov, Dostoyevsky's protagonist. I also felt that there were some minor similarities to the longer works of Dickens, mostly in the sheer number of characters that populate Under the Yoke. As with Dickens, it would probably be to a reader's advantage to keep a running tally of characters while reading in an attempt to avoid total confusion.

Though, as I mentioned before, this novel would probably be of limited interest to most American readers, I feel that it offers a valuable perspective on Bulgarian culture for someone like me, with a vested interest in learning more about Bulgaria. I imagine my experience with Under the Yoke might be very similar to that of a Bulgarian reading Twain's Huckleberry Finn. While I couldn't always relate to a culture so different from my own, it is always worthwhile to partake of the best of a culture's literary legacy.

Upcoming Reviews

2009-05-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

Next on my booklist, in no particular order:

- Royal Affairs: A Lusty Romp Through the Extramarital Adventures that Rocked the British Monarchy by Leslie Carroll

- When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

- The Preservationist by David Maine

- Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

- Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey

- Blindspot: By a Gentleman in Exile and a Lady in Disguise by Jane Kamensky