Book Backlog Round Two: Grown Up Reads

I hate to say adult books…..it sounds so dirty!  Anyway, I finally managed to find time to briefly review the adult fiction/non-fiction I’ve been reading.  I still have quite a few more to review and I am working on gathering my thoughts on yoga competition this year.  More to come soon!

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, by Therese Ann Fowler:  This moving novel follows the life of Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, as she goes from southern belle to high New York, European society girl.  The Fitzgerald’s marriage had it’s ups and downs (to put it nicely), and that alone makes for an interesting subject, but adding in the artists, writers, painters and poets with whom they spent their time in France, Italy and New York add so much interest and history to the novel.  While it is fictionalized, the writer clearly did her research and felt a need to share Zelda’s unique voice.  Zelda was spirited, but also intellectual.  She was a writer, painter and ballet dancer in her own right.  I listened to this on audio, and the reader did a wonderful job of capturing Zelda’s Alabama accent as well as the European accents of their friends.  The novel is beautiful, moving and heartbreaking.

Overall Assessment:

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End, by Manel Loureiro: Zombies!  A strange occurrence in Russia, leads to quarantines, and media blackouts.  Soon, reports of strange illnesses and behaviors filter out from places that have had contact from Russia.  The situation gradually becomes worse and news reports become stranger, scarier, and violent.  Watching and recording this from the safety of his home is our narrator, a young lawyer grieving his wife’s death, accompanied by his faithful feline Lucullus (I love a hero who loves a cat…).  At first he blogs about the situation, but as the world and society deteriorate, he switches to a journal.  He records the events of his inevitable escape from his house and the survivors and horrors he finds afterward.

  I get excited about every zombie book I pick up, and Apocalypse Z did not disappoint.  The book never wants for dull moments, Loureiro jumps right in, sets the stage, introduces thecharacters and gets the action moving.  Granted, there were a lot of factors in our narrator’s life that were really quite convenient for surviving the apocalypse, but I can let that go because I he was well developed as a character.  Originally published in Spanish, this is a translation, but the translation is smooth (the last couple translated books I read were a bit clunky, so it’s always worth noting).  It had action and gore, but without that feel of gore overload.  Most important, it had heart to accompany the strong, brisk moving plot.  This was a really great zombie adventure, a must read for fans of the genre.

Overall Assessment:

Will I Read the Sequel? Absolutely!

Bonus Points for Cat Loyalty!

Night Terrors: Sex, Dating, Puberty and Other Alarming Things, by Ashley Cardiff:  All topics mentioned in the title are very alarming things, and Cardiff handles them with honesty, humor and wit.  She discusses the dreaded, meeting of parents, where, in her case, she found constant judgement and comparison.  Public hair, or lack thereof, meeting creepers in bars, and other entertaining stories and anecdotes I can see being told on a girls night out – with the right girls.  She captures the awkwardness of dating and relationships, and everything else they entail, while offering wit, snark and opinion.  This isn’t a book of rants and stories, Cardiff offers a little more and digs a little deeper, offering insights and thoughts that only come through hindsight and reflection.
Interesting, humorous and thoughtful collection of essays that make for an enjoyable read.  Towards the end I was getting ready for things to wrap up, there was a little bit of tedium and repetition, but not enough to detract from the overall book.

Overall Assessment:

Hark! A Vagrant!, by Kate Beaton:  This graphic novel has been on my list for ages, and after many library checkouts and returns, I finally checked it out and read it.  As usual in cases like this, my first thought was, “Why did I wait so long?”  Hark is fun comic romp through history and literature, along with Beaton’s own characters along for the ride.  The entire book isn’t a continuous story; some stories are spread over multiple pages, others only a strip or two.  However, this still feels like a book, rather than a collection.  It feels full and cohesive, with the added bonus of being able to read a strip, fold some laundry, come back read another couple pages, then load the dishwasher.  Beaton’s illustrations are charming and delightful and the stories are goofy, fun and smart.  Absolutely fantastic.

Overall Assessment:
Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies, by Chris Kluwe: Another essay collection, this time by Chris Kluwe, punter in the NFL.  Kluwe’s essays range from gay rights, to time travel, the Pope and Twitter, the second Amendment, and anything and everything in between.  His essays are funny, articulate and passionate, with some profanity sprinkled in just to keep things entertaining.  Since I agree, for the most part, with his opinions, I found most of his essays entertaining and agreeable.  Those who don’t agree, will, with an open mind, be entertained and hopefully informed, because, Kluwe comes across as well informed and read in topics he is passionate about.  Like Night Terrors, I did wish the book was a little shorter, because the essays did become a bit repetitive after a while, but perhaps it felt that way because I’ve been reading lots of essay books lately.  Also, as others have noted, it is quite refreshing to see a football player in a different and positive light.

Overall Assessment:

End of summer…

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain:  I am an introvert and was intrigued by title and concept of the book.  I’ve never really thought about how my being an introvert affected my experience in school, college, relationships, work, etc.  I’ve thought about how individual components of my personality affect things, and often that contemplation begins when something doesn’t go quite right and I start thinking “Why do I always do XYZ?”  However, looking at my behavior, actions and responses as those of an introvert everything makes sense.  Even though I have always known myself to be an introvert, I never thought about it as an explanation or to rationalize my actions, and so behaviors that I know I like (i.e. staying in on a Friday or Saturday night), aren’t signs of me being antisocial or having something wrong with me – that’s just right for me.
Cain, an introvert herself, discusses how introverts have helped shape society, how they function in the high-power, fast-talking business worlds and how they function and learn in school environments.  All of which is both surprising and unsurprising.  She writes about how some of the most innovative artists and business people alike are introverts, and it’s the desire to work alone, uninterrupted, unhindered, and free from prying or judgmental eyes that can lead to wonderful creations and creativity.  We’ve all been in that college or professional seminar where discussion is dominated by the loudest or most aggressive, and often the most knowledgeable are ignored for being too quiet.  She writes about introverts who adopt and extrovert exterior in order to better fit in, especially those in environments, like business or finance, that seem to demand that persona.  Also important are the learning styles of different personality types.  Most striking to me was a study showing that extroverts seem to work just as well if not better when there is some noise or activity going on while introverts prefer a quiet atmosphere.  Immediately I recalled the kids who always swore to their parents that they worked better with the radio on – maybe they really do!   She examines the traits that each type prefers and how these can change when interacting with many personality types – small talk vs. intimate talk, going to a party vs. dinner with a friend.
There are so many fascinating studies and anecdotes that Cain brings into Quiet.  She never pushes to say one personality type is better than the other, but rather they compliment one another.  Both types are equally important and, when working together, can become quite effective.  This is a really well written and well researched work, that would be useful for educators and leaders to examine as well as anyone looking for insight into their introverted friend or themselves.

The Clash of the Demons, by Joseph Delaney:   Tom’s Mam has come home, only to take him to Greece.  Going with her to Greece are many of the Pendle witches, Alice and another Spook, Bill Arkwright.  She intends to take down the Ordeen and needs the help of anyone who can assist, whether they serve the light or the dark.  Mr. Gregory, firmly against ever using the dark, even for good, must reevaluate his principles for the sake of defeating the Ordeen and weakening The Fiend, who is still at large and after Tom.
Overall Assessment: Another solid installment of the series.  The incorporation of Greek mythology was a lovely added element, as was the return of Tom’s Mam.  The series continues to become a bit darker with each installment, but there is always the strong emphasis on hope and staying strong in defense of the light.
Will I Continue?  Somethings gotta go crazy for me to stop reading them this far in!

The Last Princess, by Galexy Craze:  This was actually my new book group’s first pick – at my suggestion – and it was not a good one.  Eliza is Princess of England in the not so distant future, and there were seventeen days when the Earth went nuts.  After that England has been cut off, people died, crops are hard to grow, former prisoners roam around eating people, food is scarce and of course rebellion grows.  Six years after the 17 days, the King is killed and her family is taken hostage.  Eliza makes some dumb decisions (i.e. enrolling in the rebel army with the intent of killing their leader on the first day, only to chicken out and train with the army for weeks or months, time was hard to grasp…or maybe it felt long).  Then she decides to waltz into the Tower and rescue her siblings, and apparently it’s easy to sneak into the tower.  Then ride to Scotland bareback while on death’s bed.  Then almost die of TETANUS.  Then have a Braveheart moment speech.  All while falling in love, only to (*spoiler alert*) be betrayed….or not?  It was just too much of everything – cliche, plot, storyline, plausibility, etc.  The timing felt like it was going so fast, but in reality I would think things take longer.
Overall Assessment:

Will I Read the Sequel? No.
The Longings of Wayward Girls, by Karen Brown:  This is a quiet novel that examines the lingering effects of of one particular summer.  Sadie is set to pass another summer in her idyllic small town in Connecticut, only it is still shadowed by the disappearance of Laura Loomis a few years prior.  However, a summer prank gone wrong and the lingering sadness and confusion of her mother turn the summer of 1979 into one that Sadie is still reeling from over 20 years later.
Brown’s writing is beautiful and the main characters well drawn, all adding to the mystery of that summer.  Some of the secondary, side characters feel slightly flat, but that’s also how they are in Sadie’s life.  The pacing did drag a bit in parts, but the overall mystery and changing atmosphere are enough to pull you through to the end.
Overall Assessment: Quietly engaging, this would be a nice one to curl up with and knock out on a plane ride (plus it’s in paperback – less weight!).

Lexicon, by Max Berry:  Preface – when I attempted to describe this book to Husband, he told me to stop, because my description wasn’t selling it.  Let’s see if I can to better here….  Imagine a school where students went to learn psychology, sociology, neuroscience and linguistics all to learn the art of persuasion.  Students learn to diagnose a personality end employ the proper persuasion techniques to get what they need.  And imagine there are certain words create a series a misfires in the brain, leaving it totally open to persuasion and being under the control of another.  This is the premise of Lexicon.  Told in dual narratives, we meet Emily, a street rat recruited by the Poets (those who run the persuasion school) and Will, who has been kidnapped by Elliot, a poet, who claims that Will is the key to a destroyed town Will has no memory of.
Obviously, there is a lot going on here, but Berry juggled the complex story lines and intricacies of the Poets marvelously.  The writing and pacing are taught and engaging to the end.  Berry keeps the twists and complexity moving to the end, and just when you think you know who the bad guy is and how things will turn out, you get another surprise.  The only negative, was some of the audio.   The story has two narrators, male and female, which was nice, but the female reader’s Australian accents sounded a bit off, almost Irish at times.  When she wasn’t doing the accents though, she was great and the male reader was spot on the whole time.
Overall Assessment: Fun read for anyone who likes mysterious societies, action books or complex mind games.

Book Challenge Update: I’m falling behind – eep!  I’ve read 109 books so far, but Goodreads is telling me that I am 1%, 2 books, behind schedule.  I’m not worried….

Keeping it real….sorta

Nothing like home renovations, yoga challenges (post to come soon!), the Summer Reading Program, and vacations to slow down reading and reviewing.  However, I still managed to get through quite a few and on the whole was very happy with all my reading.

Rebel Heart, by Moira Young: In the sequel to Blood Red Road, Saba and Lugh are reunited and are headed west with the rest of their crew.  After receiving a cryptic message from Jack, who has now joined the Tontons and helped destroy the Free Hawks, Saba runs back to save Jack.  Along the way they discover a new regime is leading the Tonton, under the guidance of the Pathfinder.
I’m very torn on reviewing this book.  I listened to it, as I did the first, because I had trouble reading it.  I believe some books are meant to be listened to and this is one of them – the audio is perfect.  The story is action packed with a lot of tension and great characters.  The one person I didn’t like, and became my frustration with the novel was Saba.  She is very headstrong, determined, has a one track mind and follows her heart – traits that served her well in the first book and should translate into her quest of finding Jack, but I don’t think they do.  She hasn’t learned anything about listening to other people and thinking about her actions and how they affect others.  Even while acting on one person’s behalf, she can still be very selfish because she is potentially affecting others by her stupid, impulsive actions.  She’s also very manipulative and careless with her actions and words, leading on those who care about her without thinking about the consequences.  However, I am willing to forgive some of this and credit it to her emotional distress over the losses she suffered in the first book.  I admire her strength and conviction, and think that she still has the potential to grow into a better person in the next book.
Will I Read the Sequel: Yes – the storyline left a great set-up for a really great conclusion.
My label: Series, YA, Post-Apocalypse, strong chicks

The Testing, by Joelle Charbonneau: The central government takes the best and the brightest students to be tested for entrance to the University.  Little is known about The Testing, except that there are those who never return.  Cia was selected for The Testing like her father was upon his graduation.  His memories were wiped after The Testing, but he has terrible and horrifying dreams and flashbacks of his Testing.  Also, once you are selected, there is no backing out.  Hmmmm,  does this sound like anything else you’ve read?
It’s really hard to read this and NOT think of The Hunger Games, which is unfortunate for The Testing.  There is a lot of action, mystery, intrigue, slimy characters, back-stabbing and, of course, fighting to the death.  It is a super-fast read that is hard to put down.  While there are some surprises, there is also a lot of predictability and standard characters, that seem to be staples in this genre.
Bottom Line: Without comparing to the plethora of YA dystopian novels, this is really great.  When you take into account the other ones out there, it can still stand on it’s own two feet, while sharing certain elements and themes that can be a tad repetitive.  If you are a fan of the genre, a must read.
Will I Read the Sequel? I think so, there was enough mystery left that I still want answered. 
My Labels: Dystopian, series, YA, strong chicks

In Darkness, by Nick Lake:  Wow.  I picked this title up mainly because it won the Printz Award, and it was so worthy of the award.  The novel takes place in Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake.  Shorty is trapped in the rubble of a hospital, and, convinced of his imminent death, he tells his heartbreaking story of growing up in the slums of Haiti, and caught in the gangs and violence.  He is also linked to Toussaint L’Ouverture, the man who led the rebellion against the French to free the Haitian slaves.  Shorty’s story is woven in with Toussaint’s, and the two catch glimpses of the life of the other.
The story is beautiful and raw.  Lake’s storytelling and imagery are beautiful and compelling and juxtapose the ugly realities of war, slavery and gang life.  Even more heartbreaking are the callousness that Shorty and other gang members have at such a young age – it’s a fact of life.  Adding to the depth of the novel is the gang portrayal – you still can’t fully hate the gangs though, because they take care of the people of the city in ways that the government and UN can’t or wont.  Most importantly this is still an accessible novel.  While this is (what I consider to be) a more literary novel, this is one that teens can read, understand and follow.
Bottom Line: Thought provoking and beautifully written, this is an important novel for both teens and adults.
My Label: Historical fiction, realistic fiction, YA, award winners

The Dark Monk, by Oliver Potzsch:  In the second novel of the The Hangman’s Daughter series, Jakob, Magdelena and Simon are investigating the death of the parish priest.  They are caught up in a mystery that has them on a trail left by the The Knights Templar.  Local politics, romantic rivals, lover’s quarrels and a gang of robbers add complications to their attempts to track down the clues and solve the mystery.
The Dark Monk is a solidly constructed and developed mystery.  Potzsch maintains a nice pace that keeps the 500 page novel from dragging and feeling like 500 pages.  The characters are delightful and the setting of this Bavarian village of the 1660s is fascinating and makes it stand out from other mysteries.  Not being a big mystery fan, this is one that I eagerly picked up, and relished.
Will I Read the Sequel? Absolutely!  Perhaps for a nice long car ride and flight, the length will make it last and I expect to be fully engrossed.
My Label: Mystery, historical fiction, series
The Doll People, by Ann M. Martin: This is a delightful children’s novel about a 100 year old  doll family, told through the eyes of 8 year old Annabelle doll.  Annabelle doll is quite restless and curious, not only about the outside world, but about what happened to her Auntie Sarah, who disappeared nearly 50 years ago.  The arrival of a new doll family, The Funcrafts, provides Annabelle with a new friend who offers to help her find out what happened to Auntie Sarah.
This is a delightful little story, perfect for anyone who ever had (or has!) that thought in the back of her mind that it could be possible that the dolls are alive.  Also, quite perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy a lovely story about doll adventures.  Admittedly I initially didn’t plan on reading it because after spending countless reading hours on The Babysitter’s Club, I vowed to read no more Ann M. Martin.  At the encouraging of a coworker I did, so if that is your reluctance, fear not.  This is a perfect read aloud at night, and the audio version, read by Lynn Redgrave, is absolutely wonderful.
Will I Read the Sequel? Probably not.  Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the first, I don’t feel compelled to continue.  There was nothing left hanging and it stands well alone just fine.  It’s nice to just leave something nice alone.  Although, I can certainly see kids looking for and enjoying the series.
My Annabelle: My dog is named Annabelle, so I had to share who I couldn’t help but think about!My Labels: Fantasy, children’s, series

Coming up next: Confessions of a Sociopath, Wrath of the Bloodeye, and The Last Summer of the Camperdowns, and Morning Glories Vol. 4: Truants…..