‘Reading’ Category

  1. Book Review Catch Up, Pt. 4

    December 6, 2011 by sassenach

    Looking for Alaska by John GreenLooking for Alaska by John Green
    This is a pretty good book, but I found the second half to be far better than the first half, which felt somewhat random and uninteresting. I wanted to enjoy the characters, but found them largely unlikeable, with the exception of the narrator. I didn’t like Alaska at all–she had the potential to be more, but the vagueness of her story caused her to be distant and unattainable.

    I also didn’t like how the boys in the story mythicize her; they seem to worship her for no reason in particular and that really bothered me. But still, the book asks some very relevant questions at the end (about death, potential suicide, and the like) but the inconsistency of the writing kept me from loving the book more.

    Lastly, I should mention that this book was on a lot of awards lists back when it was first published–it even won the Printz Award in 2006. I have to say that I don’t really get it. It’s an okay book, but personally I don’t feel it lived up to all the hype surrounding it. I guess that just goes to show that award winners aren’t necessarily for everyone–or maybe I just wasn’t clever enough to understand this one. ;)

    – – –

    Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing HahnDeep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn
    I read this in a day. It’s kind of a standard-issue ghost story. Nothing spectacular or terribly surprising here (including the ending, which is obvious from the start).

    What I really liked about this book is how the author drew her characters–especially the character of Sissy. I felt Ali’s frustration with her because Sissy is one of the most annoying characters I’ve ever read. I wanted to smack her repeatedly. So if nothing else, the author succeeded in getting me to sympathize with her protagonist and cheer her on.

    As I said, the ending is super predictable, but I still found the writing very suspenseful and I would call this a page-turner. I wouldn’t mind reading another book by this author.

    – – –

    The Westing Game by Ellen RaskinThe Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
    An enjoyable, fast-paced mystery. The story reminded me of the movie “Clue” with less slapstick (though there’s plenty of fun and comedy in this book). The characters are diverse and interesting, so much that I found myself wanting to know more about some of the supporting characters.

    I wasn’t expecting an epilogue type of ending–those can be tricky sometimes because they can feel rushed and sometimes hokey, but I found this one satisfying.

    I kind of wish I had read this as a child, but then again I might not have appreciated it as much. There were a lot of humorous bits that probably would have gone right over my head as a kid, but as an adult I was able to enjoy the humor much more.

    – – –

    The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen ChboskyThe Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
    Love, love, love this book. It touches on numerous themes; at its core, it’s yet another coming-of-age story, but it’s very well done. Charlie might be one of my favorite characters ever. At times he is kind of annoying, but in the overall scope of the story, I understood why. He’s just so awkward and unsure of himself, but at the same time really aware and in tune with the emotions of people around him. He is strange and paradoxical that way.

    Apparently, the author drew from The Catcher in the Rye, which is okay with me (even though I HATED Catcher). I guess you can think of Charlie as a much more likeable version of Holden Caulfield.

    When I got to the pretty big reveal toward the end, it really changed my perception of the story as a whole. In fact, when I finished the book, I went back to the beginning and flipped through to reread certain portions. I think this is a book that will get better with each read and it’s definitely one I plan to read again.

    – – –

    Smokin' Seventeen by Janet EvanovichSmokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
    Yeah, this book is pretty lame.

    Let me back up. I read this for work and while it’s enjoyable in parts, my overall feeling can be summed up in the word “meh.” The plot is holey as Swiss cheese and the situations are highly unrealistic, but I guess that’s the point of a book like this. It’s sort of a guilty pleasure for some, I guess. Also, the dialogue is super cheesy and really annoying. The strong profanity didn’t bother me at all, but I did get sick of countless dorky euphemisms for sex organs.

    I should also mention that I haven’t read the preceding books in the series (because my reading of this was for work and I didn’t have the time to read 16 books in less than a month). I thought I would get lost in the plot, but considering how goofy the plot is, there isn’t much to get lost in.

    Lastly, the big reveal at the end isn’t a surprise at all. I figured out who the killer is about halfway through because it’s that obvious.

    – – –

    Sorry to end the post on a negative note, but that last book was one I really disliked! I feel like I’ve read a lot of books in 2011, but not a whole lot that I enjoyed enough to read more than once. hmm. Not sure if I’m going to set a specific reading goal for 2012. We’ll see.

    Category: Reading, Reads of 2011 | Tags: | No Comments

  2. Booking Through Thursday (on Saturday): Moods

    December 3, 2011 by sassenach

    Booking Through Thursday Do you find that your mood affects the things you read? Like, if you’re in a bad mood, do you tend to indulge in reading that will support it or do you try to read things that will cheer you up? Do you pick different types of books on dreary, rainy days than you do on bright sunny ones? For that matter, does your mood color what you’re reading, so that a funny book isn’t so funny or a serious one not so deep?

    I tend to drift toward depressing literature, which is why I love Anita Shreve and Edith Wharton so much. But sometimes I need a palate cleanser, so to speak, which is why I read so much YA–it’s usually fluffy and light and I don’t have to think too deeply about what it all means.

    Also, whenever I’m going through tough things in real life, I tend to seek stories that I can get lost in–paranormal and science fiction usually serve the purpose for me. I just looked back at my Goodreads library to see what I read in August when things were really crazy. My reading was kind of all over the place, but I was just grateful to have an escape.

    I think I’m more likely to ‘wallow’ in sadness through movies, rather than books. When I’m feeling down, I’ll watch a sad movie just to get it all out, cry, whatever–but for books, I usually try to take my mind off of reality for a while.

    Category: Q & A, Reading | Tags: | No Comments

  3. Book Review Catch Up, Pt. 3

    December 2, 2011 by sassenach

    It’s day 2 of blog-a-day December! I’m going to try not to write too much about work (if at all) because there are some seriously f-ed up things happening right now. But suffice it to say that hopefully things will work out very soon. How about another book post instead?

    – – –

    The Woman in Black by Susan HillThe Woman in Black by Susan Hill
    I read this solely because of the forthcoming movie starring Daniel Radcliffe. I was not disappointed.

    This is a quick, sufficiently creepy read. I consider this more of a true ghost story than The Haunting of Hill House (which left me disappointed). I really enjoyed Hill’s writing style–she’s very good at creating atmosphere, at making the bleak marshes a type of character in themselves. I questioned the direction of the story a few times–there were moments when I doubted that I had things figured out. But it turned out that the ending wasn’t very surprising after all–there’s quite a bit of foreshadowing–nevertheless, it was still a good story overall. I can’t wait for the movie! The trailer is soooo creeeeepy.

    – – –

    Eden Close by Anita ShreveEden Close by Anita Shreve
    Wow, so…this is a mighty depressing book. I love Anita Shreve’s work–she’s one of my favorite authors and I’m working my way through all her books. However, Eden Close is not one of my favorites by her. The characters are largely unlikable, with the exception of the narrator, Andrew. Eden becomes somewhat likable, but it’s toward the end of the novel and I had felt sort of indifferent to her throughout the majority of the story. There aren’t many surprises here, plot-wise; there’s quite a bit of foreshadowing, so one of the big “reveals” at the end wasn’t shocking to me at all.

    I wouldn’t read this again, but even so, Shreve’s writing is just lush and I love it so much.

    – – –

    Girl Parts by John M. CusickGirl Parts by John M. Cusick
    I didn’t have very high hopes since this book has lukewarm reviews on Goodreads, but I liked it just fine. The writing was decent, the characters were okay, and the plot wasn’t as formulaic as I expected.

    I suppose I could read into the themes (which many people on Goodreads have done) and derive all kinds of symbolic meaning about the modern disconnectedness of human interaction due to technology, but…eh…I just can’t be bothered. For me, it was a pretty light read and I enjoyed it well enough on face value.

    However, the characters weren’t particularly memorable and I basically forgot about the book once I finished it. It just didn’t stay with me at all, so I wouldn’t read this one again.

    – – –

    Fahrenheit 451 by Ray BradburyFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
    This is another one of those classics that I never read in school. Now I understand why it’s such a classic.

    Bradbury’s afterword and coda confirm that it’s a book about censorship but it’s also about how technology alienates us from each other. This was first published in 1953, so it’s strange and eerie how prophetic this novel turned out to be.

    As for the censorship elements, it’s fitting that I finished reading this on the first day of Banned Books Week 2011. That was serendipitous. :)

    Long live free speech!

    – – –

    Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David LevithanWill Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
    I love this book!

    At first, I wasn’t too sure–the characters seemed so witty for teenagers, kind of in that Dawson’s Creek way where everyone speaks far too articulately for their age–but that feeling soon passed. The characters became endearing very quickly. There’s a portion of the book toward the end that’s kind of cheesy/hokey…but I really enjoyed it despite that fact.

    It’s funny and sweet, it’s about heartbreak and friendship, it has some pretty amazing characters…basically, you should go read this now.

    – – –

    Wow, putting all these reviews together is making me realize how many books I’ve read this year. Yay :)

    Category: Reading, Reads of 2011 | Tags: | 2 Comments

  4. Book Review Catch Up, Pt. 2

    December 1, 2011 by sassenach

    It’s day 1 of my blog-a-day December! Also: HOLY CRAP IT’S DECEMBER. And M’s birthday is on the 6th and I haven’t gotten him anything yet :eek: and Christmas is just around the corner. Happily, I am not knitting things for my family this year and that’s a HUGE relief. I just didn’t have the time or motivation, honestly. Pretty much everyone is getting gift cards this year, I’m not-so-sorry to say.

    Anyway, I am still behind on my book reviews so here’s another catch up post :)

    – – –

    Inside Scientology by Janet ReitmanInside Scientology by Janet Reitman
    Oh boy, where to start? If you’re at all familiar with me, then you know that I am staunchly anti-Scientology. I think it’s not a religion–it’s a cult–and people who get involved with it are basically brainwashed.

    So, suffice it to say that I went into this with the opinion that Scientology is a crock, and the book only served to reinforce that opinion. It’s really appalling how much of a ripoff the “church” of Scientology is. I put that word in quotes because it’s much less of a church and way more of a money-making scam. L. Ron Hubbard was a swindler and science fiction author–not a prophet. Stay far, far away from this so-called religion, but do read this book. It’s certainly eye-opening, especially if you’re not familiar with all the history of the movement. I found myself continually facepalming because it’s so ludicrous that people actually believe (and throw thousands of dollars at) this bunk.

    (P.S. If any random spam commenters try to leave me some crazy-ass pro-Scientology comments, don’t waste your time because you will be deleted, mofos.)

    – – –

    Forbidden by Tabitha SuzumaForbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
    Ok, so…I was working at the library by myself one day, skimming the shelves, when I came across Forbidden. I read the inside flap copy and literally went, “WHAT?!” when I discovered that this book is about incest. I went to Goodreads to see what the reviews were like and was surprised to see it has such a high rating. I thought, all right–I’m in. I checked the book out that day.

    It’s really easy to read, which is kind of shocking considering the subject matter. It’s obviously a taboo, controversial topic to write about, but Suzuma has a truly lovely way with words. As for the characters, I found the majority of them likable, for the most part. That being said, I don’t think it would have been possible for me to finish this if I had a brother (which I don’t). Honestly, I think the story would have grossed me out in that case. Overall, it’s a very good book but I would caution anyone who’s got a younger reader. This is shelved in the Young Adult section and it’s marked for 16 and up on the inside flap, which sounds about right to me. But personally I was stunned at some of the scenes because they are written in a decidedly adult manner. Pretty graphic, in my opinion. At times, I had to keep reminding myself that this is technically a YA book.

    As with many YA novels, the conclusion felt rushed to me, but the writing was very good and made up for the somewhat hurried ending.

    – – –

    Fear by R.L. StineFear by R.L. Stine (Editor)
    Meh, these stories were just okay. It’s not very accurate to call them horror stories, though some are suspenseful (as suspenseful as a YA novel can be). The rest really belong in the science fiction genre. I only enjoyed a couple of the stories–the others were quite mediocre and not creepy at all.

    Also, the amount of typos and/or grammar issues annoyed me greatly. This book needs a decent copy editor. It really irks me when I read a book and it’s filled with errors! I can’t take the book very seriously when no one’s bothered to run spell check prior to going to press, for crying out loud. I know that’s a nit pick and doesn’t have much to do with the quality of the writing, but it’s very distracting for me as a reader.

    – – –

    The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley JacksonThe Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
    Hmm, I have mixed feelings. I liked Jackson’s short story “The Lottery,” so I had high hopes for this book. While I enjoy her writing style (and her knack for shocking endings), the pace of Hill House was a little too slow for my liking. There were moments when the story became slightly scary, but Jackson didn’t go the extra step and take me into ‘I’m afraid to go to sleep now’ territory.

    In fact, for me, I got halfway through the book before it even started getting creepy. There was a lot of back story and character set up to deal with. Lastly, I think the supporting characters could have been used a little better (other than simply to wind up at that fateful ending). I don’t know, I just felt that the book was unsatisfying. It was like I kept waiting for something to happen, but it just…didn’t. Sure, the ending was shocking, but it’s almost like it was an afterthought to the slow pace of the overall narrative.

    – – –

    Delirium by Lauren OliverDelirium by Lauren Oliver
    Ah, at least I can end this post on a positive note! Delirium is a pretty good book with a really awesome ending. Unlike many other readers, this is the first book by Oliver that I’ve read–I haven’t read Before I Fall yet. She writes beautifully–her narrative is often poetic, but at times I felt that her characters ramble on a little too much. The story is told through Lena’s point of view and so much takes place within her own internal monologue. I feel that the book could have been edited down somewhat while still retaining the essence of the story. But I appreciate that Lena is a decently fleshed-out character–she has a best friend (other than her love interest) and they have a great dynamic together. However, I got a little weary of Lena’s “I’m so plain, I’m nothing special,” Bella Swan-esque lamentations. Lena isn’t quite as bad, but she got a little annoying for me at times.

    Despite that, I adore the central message of the book: that love is the chiefest of all things in this world–in this life–and no one can ever take that from you. There is truly something admirable about that kind of story. I look forward to reading the sequel.

    – – –

    Phew! I’m still not up to date, geez. Remind me not to procrastinate ever again!

    Category: My So-Called Life, Reading, Reads of 2011 | Tags: | No Comments

  5. Book Review Catch Up, Pt. 1

    November 28, 2011 by sassenach

    Wow, so…apparently, for a few months, I forgot I had a blog! Hi there. I’m going to try to do a better job of posting–maybe I’ll make a point of writing at least once a week, like on my day off or something. Today happens to be my day off, so I’d better get this posted before I forget again!

    I’m sorely behind on my book review posts, but not for lack of books being read. I’ve been doing so much more reading this year than I did in 2010 (but less knitting than I did last year, sadly). But I haven’t posted any book reviews since the July/August timeframe, eek! I’m going to break this up into multiple posts, but here are some of the books I’ve read in recent months.

    – – –

    Ice by Ice-TIce by Ice-T
    Surprisingly poignant and relevant. I knew next to nothing about Ice-T prior to becoming a Law & Order: SVU fan, so this memoir was very enlightening for me. I didn’t expect him to have so much insight into life in general, but there’s a quality to the book that just feels real and genuine. Also, it reads like Ice’s actual voice–I hope that means that he actually penned the majority of the book, rather than merely parceling it out to his co-writer.

    At any rate, by the end of the book, I felt like I was reading the words of a motivational speaker, but not one of those cheesy, obnoxious ones that makes me roll my eyes. What he said actually made sense. I’m definitely a huge Ice fan now.

    – – –

    Darkness Under the Sun by Dean KoontzDarkness Under the Sun by Dean Koontz
    A pretty good scary story. This was my first time reading anything by Koontz, so I figured I’d start with a novella in case I didn’t like his writing style.

    Koontz is a pretty popular author, but to be honest, I always stayed away from him because he reworked the Frankenstein story and I just thought that was unacceptable because I really loved the original Frankenstein.

    While the writing itself here isn’t terribly remarkable, the mood/tone of the novella is definitely creepy. I thought the ending was a little corny but not overly so. I’d like to read more from Koontz since this is definitely not his best-known work.

    – – –

    Flipped by Wendelin Van DraanenFlipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
    An incredibly sweet story that surprised me. I expected this to be another fluffy, fast read. While I did read this rather quickly, the story lingered with me after I finished it. It comes across as sentimental at times, but also has moments of deeper meaning.

    The two main characters alternate as narrators for each chapter–sometimes with other books, this technique doesn’t work but in this case, Juli and Bryce both have very distinct voices. I liked Juli as a character much better than Bryce. It’s so refreshing to read a strong female character (especially one who is so young). I found Bryce rather annoying at times, but I think that was part of his journey as a character. He was hilarious to read, though. Lastly, I really liked the ending in that it wasn’t clearly spelled out. I’m pretty sure that I know how it ended, but I liked that it wasn’t overly sappy. I’m also glad that the author didn’t drag this book out into a series, which she probably could have done easily. The book has more impact as a standalone novel. I definitely recommend this one.

    – – –

    Carrie by Stephen KingCarrie by Stephen King
    This is the first full-length King novel I’ve read; my first experience reading King was with the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, which I adored because I love the movie so much.

    As for Carrie, it’s disturbing and kind of brilliant. King somehow managed to capture the essence of what it’s like to be a teenage girl–but not just any girl, a telekinetic reject. I won’t even begin to compare my adolescent experiences with Carrie’s, but suffice it to say that I sympathized with her social status as an outcast and freak. I suppose I should have felt sorry for the fates of her schoolmates, but I felt worse for Carrie. I think it’s because when you strip the novel of its supernatural elements–telekinesis aside–Carrie’s story is all too realistic and heartbreaking.

    – – –

    Rage by Stephen KingRage by Stephen King (Writing as Richard Bachman)
    I enjoyed Carrie so much that I picked another King title to read immediately.

    I have this morbid (but hopefully not overly creepy) interest and fascination with school shootings, probably because I was still a teenager when the Columbine shootings (and the subsequent rush of other school shootings) happened. Rage is a story about a school shooting, which makes it disturbing for all the right reasons. It’s also out of print now. At first, I didn’t agree with King’s decision to pull this from print, but after having finished the book, it makes sense. (Besides, it’s his work and he’s Stephen freaking King, so he can do whatever he wants, right? Anyway, Wikipedia has more backstory.) As an adult, I found Rage to be a very important book, but I’m not sure what my response would have been if I’d read it as a teenager.

    – – –

    Whew! I have at least three or four more of these catch up posts to do before I’m up to date with my book reviews, so I’ll work on those and hopefully it won’t be 2012 before you see another post from me! :)

    Category: Reading, Reads of 2011 | Tags: | No Comments

  6. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

    July 26, 2011 by sassenach

    Uglies by Scott WesterfeldThis is going to be another super short review because I really disliked this book.

    Actually, not only did I dislike it but I was also disappointed by it. The premise was really interesting and had the potential to be so much better–think another Hunger Games type of story. But I think the author failed in his execution. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, which is rare for me because there’s usually at least one that I can relate to or identify with in some way.

    Also, the writing wasn’t particularly engaging. I found myself nodding off quite a few times. The story got so boring that it literally made me fall asleep.

    There are two three more books in this series, but I have no plans to read them and don’t recommend this one.

    Category: Reading, Reads of 2011 | Tags: | 2 Comments

  7. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

    July 26, 2011 by sassenach

    A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer EganAll right, I admit it–I read this because it won the Pulitzer. I don’t think I would have read it otherwise. However, this is going to be a really short review since I had mixed feelings about the book.

    I like the spirit of A Visit from the Goon Squad, but I found it really hard to follow. There are a lot of different characters and interlocking narratives; I found myself having to flip back and figure out who was related to whom, who was married to whom, who was friends with whom, etc. I liked how everyone was connected in some way–it reminded me often of the show Lost–but I found the progression between chapters confusing.

    By the time I got to the PowerPoint chapter, I was glad for a break and I found the slides really fun and interesting. I had been kind of skeptical as to how a story could be told effectively through PowerPoint, but surprisingly, the technique actually worked.

    I guess I didn’t love the book because it left me feeling…off. I enjoy somber books (even depressing ones, and too often, probably), but this one just left me with a weird aftertaste, so to speak. It had very funny moments, but other parts that were truly bleak. Despite all this, I still enjoyed Egan’s writing style and would read other books by her. Unfortunately, I just didn’t love this book the way that so many others do.

    Category: Reading, Reads of 2011 | Tags: | No Comments

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