The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Rating: 4/5 stars

Oh Stieg, how will I ever survive without you?  Just finished the last installment of the Millennium series and am sad that Stieg had to die so young and without finishing his series.  (I believe there were supposed to be a total of 10 books).  How will I survive without Lisbeth, one of my favorite characters in modern literature?  Where will I find comfort reading about cheese sandwiches and endless pots of coffee?  Who else will fight for justice in Sweden if Mikael Blomkvist is no longer?

Despite my sadness, the third book in this series was great (I personally loved #1 and #3 and am the odd ball for not liking #2 as much as others....as mentioned in previous review, has to do with my protectiveness over Lisbeth.)  It gets to the heart a corrupt sector of a federal police organization in Sweden and we learn how and why Lisbeth was been so mistreated.  But will she get justice after having been wronged?  What will happen with her and Mikael?  Mikael and Erica? (Erica leaves Millennium for a bigger press and gains a stalker in this novel.)  What about Lisbeth's brother (the giant Niedermann who can feel no pain.)?

Great literature doesn't always provide the answers.  In fact, the best books make us develop our own conclusions, and Larsson's untimely death forces this upon us as well.  The Millennium series introduced Americans (and the world) to Swedish literature, Swedish politics and a great suspense writer.  It has made its mark in literary history, and the world lost a special author when Larsson passed at the young age of 50.  Let's hope that the American movie series lives up to the books.  Lisbeth Salander, I will miss you.

American Psycho

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Scott has been bugging me to review this book online since I finished, but I've had such a crazy work schedule that I managed to develop a sinus infection and further put off my review writing.  But now that I have  a breather (....get it...breather?...nevermind), and the Nasonex/Astepro are starting to work, I shall share my thoughts on this controversial novel.

I mentioned after finishing Pillars of the Earth that I needed a lighter read, mainly physically, so I picked up American Psycho- paper back, 399 pages.  Yes, I had seen parts of the disturbing movie. Yes, I knew the book was about a deluded rich-boy serial killer, but even that didn't prepare me for what this book had in store.

The book, in a word, is genius (no, this does not mean I sympathize with serial killers or any other killer for that matter).  But Patrick Bateman's narration is incredible, whether it's describing a designer outfit (never forgetting even the slightest name-brand detail) or a dinner (which ALWAYS includes an appetitzer and an entree, no questions), you are sucked into his warped world of stature and luxury.  It takes a while for details of the killings to start to take place.  You, the reader, are being wined and dined, learning men's dress etiquette, and even reading a full chapter on Patrick's adoration of U2.  Interesting enough, you learn very little detail of Patrick's job on Wall Street except for the fact that he makes boat loads for doing close to nothing.

Patrick glazes over his nasty little habit (about which he does not appear to feel the least bit remorseful) until maybe halfway through the book when you finally see what a monster Patrick really is.  There are gruesome details that the average human could not even imagine until Bret Easton Ellis puts them on the page.  (Kind of makes you wonder where he came up with all of these ideas.)  There are more and more stomach churning scenes (prostitutes, dates, coworkers, etc are killed) and about 3/4 of the way through the book I started thinking enough!  Too much!  This is just blatant, over-the-top, in-your-face violence towards innocent(?) individuals, and I've read it once and I get it.  He's psycho.  But you keep reading, and you're glad you do because you further watch Patrick unravel until you're unsure the line between reality and imagination, real life and fantasy.

Patrick is one of the most amazing narrators in the history of American fiction.  Part of you likes him, even though he is so obviously a huge asshole to others.  You can almost see the faintest shimmer of goodness in him, especially in regards to his relationship with his secretary, Jean.  And then you're reminded that he tortures small animals for fun, eats human body parts (after having sex with them), and has a more grotesque imagination than I ever believed possible.

This book is not for the faint of heart.  But to search the depths of such a mentally deranged narrator's mind and to be entertained, even to laugh out loud at many passages, leaves you feeling guilty and intrigued at the same mind.  Plus, I can never turn down a book about luxury New York life in the '80s.  Steer clear of the Bolivian Marching Powder, but if you have the guts, pick up this book.  It will blow you away (if you make it through...).

Pillars of the Earth

Rating: 4/5 stars

By now, most of you know how I feel if it takes me more than two weeks to finish a book.  It's upsetting to me.  Scott and I have such an abundance of books to read (blame it mostly on Goodreads Swap) that I feel guilty spending so much time on one.  That being said, Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth is worth reading!  (It is in fact on my mom's top 10 which is saying something.)  While it's not a quick read, nor is it a difficult read.  What might make people put the book down is the extensive amount of details, especially architectural details as the book centers around the building of a cathedral in the medieval England.

This almost 1000 page book (which took me 2 weeks and 5 days to read) spans the years 1123-1174 and revolves, as mentioned, around the building of a cathedral at Kingsbridge Priory, home of the Kingsbridge brotherhood of monks.  In the beginning of the novel, the priory is in decay, being lead by declining and disorganized prior.  Shortly, the prior is taken over by young Prior Phillip, though not without cost.  When the failing priory's cathedral burns to the ground in an "accident", Phillip thinks all is lost.  But Tom the builder and his family save the day as Tom fulfills his dream of designing and working on a grand cathedral with his son, Alfred, and step-son, Jack.  Other characters play significant rolls as well.  What epic novel is complete without a conniving villain or two? In this case, Bishop Waleran and William Hamleigh who are powerful men of England and try everything to prevent the building of the castle and in William's case, the happiness of his former wife-to-be, Aliena (daughter of the captured Earl of Shiring).  English politics weave into the mix to make for a great historical novel and a good read.

Long story short, read this book if you are interested in the following:
1) Architecture (especially medieval)
2) Medieval History
3) Corrupt priests (as well as goodly ones).
4) Medieval love stories
Or, if you have a lot of patience and enjoy detail.

Now I have moved on to something lighter...at least physically.  I'm pretty sure I broke my back from carrying this book around for almost 3 weeks!  Thanks to Aunt Elaine for the great recommendation and for lending the book.

#92 Swamplandia!

Rating: 3/5 stars

365 Blog Challenge: Post #92

Perhaps something is wrong with my taste in books.  Swamplandia, by Karen Russell, is her debut novel, and has gotten tons of critical praise.  It was a Booklist starred review, it was longlisted for the Orange Prize (literary award), it got praise from Stephen King, Oprah and Carl Hiaasen.  But I didn't like it.

Here's the thing: It's obvious that Karen Russell is an excellent writer.  Her prose are suburb, her descriptions make you feel as if you're experiencing the thing for yourself.  But the subject matter?  While I really wanted to like this book, I just found it too absurd. ("Too quirky for its own good" is the description I found in a reader review that just about sums it up.)

The book begins with the main character, Ava, describing her life in Swamplandia!, the "number one gator-themed park and cafe in the area" (the area being the gulf side of southwest Florida.)  It sounded to me quite funny.  And at times it was, mostly it was just odd.  Ava's mother, Hilola Bigtree, who is the star performer at Swamplandia! has died of ovarian cancer at the young age of 36.  Ava, 13, (though it took me reading a review just now to figure that out) and her sister, Osceolla, 16, and brother Kiwi, 17, are left alone on the island with their father "Chief Bigtree", the family's eccentric patriarch who is determined to keep the theme park going despite declining numbers of patrons.

Finally one day, the ferry which carries patrons over from the mainland doesn't show up, and Ava learns that this is because there were no passengers.  Swamplandia! is becoming obsolete.  From here the story breaks into that of Ava, who at 13 seems a little too clueless to be believable (though she did grow up on an island away from other kids her own age), and her secret plans to save Swamplandia, and that of Kiwi, as he escapes Swamplandia! for life on the mainland working a minimum wage job at World of Terror (a competing theme park) trying to earn money to get the family out of debt.  In the mean time, Chief Bigtree leaves Ava and Osceola alone on the island to attend to some "business matters" on the mainland, more or less abandoning the two teenagers.  Osceola, a silly, yet caring girl, has found interest in communicating with ghosts and claims she has become engaged to a former dredge man who just happens to be dead.  When Osceola disappears, Ava thinks she is the only one who can save her from the Underworld, where she plans to flea with her dead dredge man, and dreary adventure ensues.

My problem with this book is that I felt very disconnected from the characters.  Maybe they were too out of touch with their own feelings for them to express them meaningfully, but I just found a lot of the characters odd, and wanted to know more.  Also, as mentioned before, Ava is almost unbelievably naive which I may believe of a character 3 or 4 years younger than her, but at 13, her naivety is questionable.

The one thing I will say for this book is that the writing of Ava's adventure in the last 50-or-so pages is excellent.  Without giving too much away, she begins to get disoriented from lack of hydration along with other factors, and you can sense that in Russell's writing.  I felt the path twisting and turning under my feet as if I was with Ava while she walked.  I felt starts and stops of consciousness and remembering as Ava fades in and out of reality.

Russell is obviously a very talented writer.  She was listed as one of the New York Times 20 under 40 (she is only 29).  But I found her subject matter a little too absurd, and her characters a little too impersonal at times.  I do understand the concept of showing and not telling, which I think Russell does well. But maybe too well. Something it just felt too disconnected for me.  I may or may not give Russell another try in the future.

#90 Firefly Lane

Rating: 4/5 Stars

365 Blog Challenge: Post #90

During our cruise, I read a book that my mother-in-law recommended to me, Firefly Lane, by Kristin Hannah.  Since the recommendation was made to me, I have seen Hannah's books and name popping up everywhere.  I don't know how long she has been popular, but I must say that this book was a PERFECT vacation read, and I really enjoyed it.

Firefly Lane is the street where Kate Mularky grows up, and where she meets her best friend, Tully Hart.  The story follows these two women through their teen years to adulthood, highlighting careers, men, and priorities.  While Kate dedicates her life to her children and family, Tully throws herself into her career as a broadcast journalist.  Both are successful in their own plights, though both question their decisions throughout the book.  I had to keep myself from crying as I finished this novel in the Fort Lauderdale airport.

I would compare Kristin Hannah's writing to that of Jodi Picoult, though perhaps this book addresses less of a universal social issue, and more personal issues which we each must solve for ourselves.  It is mostly a light read though there are emotional parts of the book. The writing is strong though not amazing, but the story is endearing as are the characters and the message.  A great break from heavy books, and quite the page-turner.  Thanks Judy for recommending!

#82 Firestarter

Rating: 3/5 stars

365 Blog Challenge: Post #82

During our cruise I finished Firestarter by Stephen King which I found not as good as "Under the Dome" but not as bad as "The Gunslinger."  The book was made into a movie starring former child actress Drew Barrymore, though considering this book was originally published in 1981, you probably already know that.

The story involves Andy McGee and his daughter Charlie, and it begins when they are on the run from "The Shop", a secret government agency who is interested in the pair due to their supernatural abilities.  Andy, who during college was involved in an experiment in which he was injected with "Lot 6", developed the power of mind domination (which he calls "Pushing") though his ability causes him physical pain when used too much.  6-year-old Charlie, daughter of Andy and Vicky (another Lot 6 participant) seems to have a gift of mass destruction- pyrokinesis, being able to start fires with her mind, sometimes purposefully, other times when her emotions get the better of her.  Since The Shop killed Andy's wife, he and Charlie have been on the run to avoid similar fates, or at least to avoid being locked up for the rest of their lives as science experiments.

Once Charlie and Andy are eventually caught, the sinister Rainbird, a government hit man who captured the pair, takes an interest in Charlie and feeds his sick morbid fantasies by imagining what it will be like to kill a child.  All of this is under the watch of the emotionally-strained Captain J. Hollister who becomes very vulnerable to Andy's capabilities.

I enjoyed the action in this book.  The chase and the fire scenes kept me coming back.  I became slightly bored once Charlie and Andy were captured because basically there was a lull in the action.  I still think that Stephen King is a hell of a story teller and has a true talent in weaving characters and themes throughout his novels.  However, you can see how much he has matured as a writer when you compare this book to Under the Dome which is so much more epic and intricate.

Next up- Firestarter- the movie!  Looking forward to pre-rehab Drew playing Ms. Charlie McGee.

#78 Cruise Reading Material

365 Blog Challenge: Post #78

As we plan to spend a lot of time lounging by the pool during our cruise, we figured we'd do a lot of reading.  Therefore, Scott and I each packed 4 books, and just in case, there is a library on board.  Chances are we'll each finish one, if even, because I find myself dozing easily in the sun.  But we made an effort to stay on top of our reading material.  Here's what we brought:

Four books on the left are mine: Firestarter-Stephen King, Firefly Lane- Kristin Hannah, Discomfort Zone- Jonathan Franzen, The Glass Castle- Jeannette Walls.  Four books on the right are Scott's: American God's- Neil Gaiman, The Eyre Affair- Jasper Fforde, Eating the Dinosaur- Chuck Klosterman,  Stardust- Neil Gaiman

#71 A note on Stephen King

365 Blog Challenge: Post #71

I'm currently reading "Firestarter" by Stephen King, one of his books from the early '80s which was later turned into a film staring Drew Barrymore (pre-rehab).  Reading this book reminds me why writing is so multi-faceted, and that a writer's individual strengths are what make them so incredible.  The first book I read by Stephen King was "Under the Dome", his recent best-seller that totals over 1,100 pages, and while reading "Firestarter", I can see how much King has matured in his story telling.  In his early work, he still has a knack for creating likeable, endearing characters, as well as characters who make your stomach turn.  He knows how to keep you reading, how much to tell you without ruining anything but also keeping you interested.  It's as if he honed his talents throughout the years so that as a veteran author, he can hold together an incredibly complicated book with numerous important characters and plot lines.  He matured enough as a writer to create an epic.  King is described as a master story-teller, and although his writing isn't elegant or beautiful or lyrical, his stories are so great that those things don't matter.  Why clutter a good tale with pretty language when a plainer language allows one to appreciate that tautness of the story?  King seems to know his strengths and weaknesses as a writer, and he doesn't try to be something he's not.  Perhaps this is a key to his success.

#67 A Gate at the Stairs

365 Blog Challenge: Post #67

Rating 3.5/5 stars

This book was a gift from good ol' Jamie Lyn (thanks Jame!), and I have very mixed feelings about it.  Lorrie Moore is an award winning writer who often writes short stories but also has a few novels out there.  In my creative writing class, we read an essay by her entitled "How to Become a Writer", which I loved.  She is so good at observing seemingly non-important things and making them funny, the awkward, the absurd, the subtle.  While Moore carries this writing style into A Gate at the Stairs and for the development of the main character Tassie, it works, her excessive attention to detail at times overwhelmed me and drowned the story a little.

The story revolves around Tassie, a 20-year-old college student who is from a small farm town in Illinois.  Tassie is hired as a "child care provider" for a couple in her college town and accompanies them on a trip to Green Bay, WI to pick up Mary (later Mary-Emma), a biracial child they plan to adopt.  Tassie, an intelligent, funny, yet lonely girl, learns to care deeply for Mary-Emma, and becomes a part of the (dysfunctional) family.  I found Tassie extremely likeable and felt Moore's voice as Tassie was one of the best parts of this book.

Other plot points include Tassie's first romance with a "Brazilian" named Reynaldo, and her brother, Robert's enrollment in the military shortly after 9/11.  I felt that the focus of these other events seemed uneven.  The most compelling and fluid parts of the story revolved around Mary-Emma, racism and the imperfections of Mary-Emma's adoptive parents.  I felt Moore pulled you out of the story for unnecessary amounts of time when she detailed Reynaldo and Robert.

But what do I know?  This book was a finalist for the PEN/Falkner award and named best book of the year in multiple highly regarded publications including the New York Times.  Moore is definitely a quality writer, but I felt this book could have been refined a bit more.  Perhaps her short stories are a bit more taut.

Moore is a professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and she writes quite a bit about the Midwest.

#62 Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

365 Blog Challenge: Post #62

Rating: 4/5 stars

This book was a Christmas gift from Scott, and when I told some of my friends I had received it, they begged me to read it and let me know what I thought.  Not gonna lie. It's pretty amazing.

The book takes place in 18th century China and follows the story of a farmer's daughter, Lily, from foot binding to widowhood.  As a young girl, Lily is matched with a laotong or "old same", another girl Lily's exact age with who she will correspond with letters of nu shu, a written language created by Chinese women.  Snow Flower, Lily's laotong, becomes Lily's closest companion through frequent visits to Lily's home.  Their love is of the deepest type friendship can provide.  However, as marriage and motherhood enter the picture, Lily discovers something about Snow Flower that will change their friendship forever.

Lisa See has a very distinct voice as Lily which is both foreign to an American reader and poetic.  I must say that the chapter on foot binding is probably the most difficult thing I've ever had to read.  I'm a nurse; I can handle blood, guts, poop, pee, sputum, but when bones and tendons are involved, I have a much harder time being stoic.  I could never work on an orthopedic floor.  If you read this book, you'll understand what I mean.

Without giving too much away, the message in this story is what makes it great and universal despite the book's very specific setting.  Just when you think you've decided who is guilty party, you're refreshed with a new point of view that reminds you that we are all human and we all make mistakes and have faults.  We all make presumptions that perhaps should not be made.

#61 Reading Material

365 Blog Challenge: Post #61

I've worked the last three nights and for those of you who know me best, you know I am terrible at three-in-a-rows.  I work 12.5 hour shifts and it takes me 45 minutes to an hour to get home so these shifts allow for nothing but work, food and sleep, literally.  Occasionally, I am able to blog in between shifts while I eat, but I guess since I was getting back in the hang of things after having 13 days off straight, I just couldn't do it this time. Plus, I was crabby.

I did, however, have time to read some interesting articles over the last few days and I thought I'd post them here for your enjoyment:

#1 Sheen is Surrounded by Coterie of Enablers - If anyone has been following celebrity news lately (or even watching CNN's Piers Morgan) they know that Charlie Sheen is a hot mess.  News just came out today that he was fired from Two and a Half Men.  Between drug fueled, hotel-wrecking escapades and berating his producer on national TV, he appears to be in a bit of trouble (though he talks as though HE is fine and dandy...can we talk about denial?)  This article highlights the difficulties in the entertainment industry (i.e. money-making industry) with getting someone help when he or she is making many people a great deal of money.  Priorities?

#2 Why Do Writers Abandon Novels? - We talked about this in my creative writing class (which is now over :(  ).  How can people can get 50, 100, 300 pages into a book and then just give up on it?  I have a new fascination with the writing process so I found this quite interesting.

#3 Go Easy on Yourself, a New Wave of Research Urges - You know the saying "Treat others as you would like to be treated?"  Well for some people, it needs to go the other way, "Treat yourself (and speak to yourself) as you'd speak to a friend."  Apparently being hard on yourself isn't especially effective. (Noted.)

#4 One Way to Encourage Checking Out at the Library - This article reports on a new trend in libraries- dating!  A few libraries across the country even set up speed dating night.  I think it's awesome. especially for those of us who aren't crazy bar goers, and let's be honest, who wants to meet their significant other in a bar?  Ok, ok.  I know there's a few bar success stories but this puritan think meeting your soul mate in a library sounds a little more wholesome.

Let me know what you think!

#60 The Adults in EW!

365 Blog Challenge: Post #60

          As mentioned in post #45 my creative writing teacher, Alison Espach, has come out with her first novel, the Adults.  Scott woke me up to tell me last night that her book is featured in Entertainment Weekly's Bullseye segment this week.  They wrote:

 "This book chronicles a messy divorce you'll actually want to read about."

 What great publicity! And the best part, I got to break the news to her.  She was quite excited.  I bet this will sell some books. Congrats Alison!

#54 Unbearable Lightness

365 Blog Challenge: Post #54

Rating: 4/5 Stars

The first time I saw Portia de Rossi on Ally McBeal, I thought she was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen.  This made her memoir, Unbearable Lightness, all the more interesting as it gives a glimpse of the inner workings of de Rossi's formerly eating-disordered mind.  It's well known that individuals with eating disorders have an altered self-image but never have I had such an in-depth look at this phenomenon.  De Rossi, a former model, doesn't withhold anything in her book, and I was blown away at the brutality of her inner monologue.  She is forthcoming with the gruesome details of her eating disorder such as blood vessels bursting above her eyes after a purge or eating Cheetos so she can keep track of how much she has thrown up (bright orange Cheetos being a marker of mid-binge.) She also goes into detail about her obsession with exercise and her caloric limitations (at one point she was only eating 300 calories a day on a regular basis.)

Not only does de Rossi describe her life with an eating disorder in this book, she tells the story of herself as a closeted gay actor who felt she had to fit a certain mold to be successful in Hollywood.  It is a perfect example of how exterior pressure can wreak havoc on a susceptible individual and create a monster of the mind.   While Portia starved and berated herself, people such as myself were sitting at home thinking what a beautiful, talented woman she is.

The book doesn't give much detail on de Rossi's recovery, which she claims is complete.  The epilogue, which wasn't as well-written as the rest of the book, does give a brief overview of her first serious gay relationship and makes some mention of her relationship with Ellen DeGeneres.  At least this story has a happy ending.  I love Portia and Ellen as a couple.

I was sucked into this book from the start.  I read the first 200 pages in about 24 hours and would have finished earlier if I wasn't spending time with my family.  Though the book does include the occasional clumsy sentence, de Rossi has a distinct voice (It helps that I heard a podcast in which Portia reads an excerpt from her book in her own voice) and an incredible story to tell.  I am lending the book to my mom and sister who can't wait to see what I was raving about.

#50 Palace Council

365 Blog Challenge: Post #50

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

11 days.  That's how long it took me to finish this book.  That in itself is saying something.  I generally read about a book a week, averaging apx 300 pages.  And I find that I pick up speed towards the end of a book.  This book, 510 pages, seemed to drag forever!  Do you know how many Goodreads swap books have come in that time that I want to read??

That being said, I didn't completely dislike this book, written by Yale law professor, Stephen L. Carter.   I picked this book up because Scott and my father-in-law, Steve, really enjoyed it.  Scott was raving about it, and in fact, I found the story itself quite interesting.  The book revolves around the fictional African-American writer, Edward (Eddie) Wesley.  It begins in Harlem in the 1950s, and it gives an interesting account of the wealthy black people of Harlem during that time.  It follows Wesley as the woman he loves, Aurelia, marries another man, and as he discovers the body of a dead, white lawyer, which begins a series of mysterious events that involves the disappearance of Eddie's sister, Junie.  The book is filled with twists and turns once Eddie begins to realize that the death of Phil Castle, the lawyer, and the disappearance of his sister are connected and are associated with Jewel Agony, a radical civil rights group that the FBI is tracking.  The premise is even more complex than this, but it would take me far too long to go into all of it.  The book spans over two decades and includes a bit of historical fiction as certain well known persons appear, e.g. Hoover, JFK, Nixon.

Here's my problem with the book:  While the story is smart and the setting of 1950s-1970s America is an interesting historical time, I felt the writing was a bit flat.  That isn't to say that the writing is poor, but I had a hard time connecting to it.  Certain sentences stood out to me as odd, such as:

"Eddie Wesley opened his eyes from a dream of peaceful eternal darkness to the reality of hard angry whiteness."  

Maybe I need to look past the surface of such a phrase, maybe it's a racial metaphor, but I found it awkward and stiff.  I also don't read a lot of political thrillers and the main reason this one kept my attention is because Eddie is a writer during a remarkable time in American history.

There are people I do recommend this to.  A person that comes to mind is my dad who served in the Navy in Vietnam and was in Millington, Tennessee at Naval Air Station-Memphis (15 miles from Memphis) when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.  I think he'll enjoy such a play on the times, and perhaps will not take issue with Carter's writing.  All-in-all, a decent read, though I don't see myself picking up another political thriller....ever again...

#43 Goodreads Addict!

365 Blog Challenge: Post #43

I am obsessed with books.  I love the feel of books, the smell of books, the look of books, the idea of books.  It is no surprised that I am also obsessed with Goodreads.com.  Goodreads is a website devoted to books.  It is essentially a social network for book lovers.  It allows you to list the books you've read, are currently reading or want to read.  You can rate and review the books you've read so that your friends can see.  You can become friends with the authors of the books you like (e.g. Scott is online buddies with D.R. Haney, author of Banned for Life and Subversia because of Goodreads.)

Two of my favorite parts of Goodreads are the opportunities to win and swap books.  First, the giveaways:
Goodreads adds new giveaways for members everyday. (Being a member is free of course.)  Some are books that have been out for a while, and others are called "First Reads", books that are being published but not yet on the shelves.   This was the case with my most recent win, The Metropolis Case.  I received an uncorrected proof which I kinda like because it makes me feel like a book insider.

Over the last week, Scott and I have become ADDICTED to Goodreads swap.  Essentially, you list the books you own that you no longer want on the site and people request them.   Your only job is to ship them (which costs you nothing unless you want to buy an envelope).  You also can request books that are already listed on swap or you can add a book to your wishlist and the site will let you know when it becomes available.  You simply pay for shipping (which is generally between $3 and $4).  I am also a big fan of going to the library to checkout books because really, who has the room in NY for all the books we want? And who wants to spend all that money?  However, I think swap is almost more amazing than the library.  First of all, you don't have a time limit with the books.  Once you receive the book, it's yours to keep. Also, I love that in the spirit of knowledge and reading, people are sharing their books around the country!  I recently shipped books to Las Vegas, Nevada and New Smyrna Beach, Florida.  Scott just received a book from Baltimore, Maryland.  Book lovers around the country are sharing their love of books with others.  It's a beautiful thing.  Last, those books that you don't feel inclined to keep won't clutter up your precious shelf space.

Yes, I am a nerd but at least Goodreads has provided a great outlet for by book nerdiness.  I suggest you check it out, and friend me while you're at it!

#38 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

365 Blog Challenge: Post #38

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

As some of you book lovers may know, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot was plastered all over the top books of 2010 lists: Publisher's Weekly, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.  It's a New York Times Bestseller.  Long story short, it's been very hyped.  

To be honest, this book did not live up to my expectations.  This non-fiction book tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a black woman who died in the 1950s of cervical cancer.  Prior to her death,  Henrietta's cells were taken from her cervix and given to Dr. George Gey, the head of tissue culture research at Johns Hopkins (where Henrietta was treated in the public ward for her cancer.)  Gey, who had been trying to grow an immortal cell line for future cell research, hit his lucky break when he received Henrietta's cells (deemed HeLa cells) which not only didn't die, they multiplied at a surprisingly fast rate.  Her cells sparked a medical revolution of cell research and aided scientific advances including the polio vaccine, in vitro fertilization.  They took part in AIDs research and of course advances in the understanding of cancer cells and their reaction to multiple chemotherapeutic drugs.  Her cells were shot to the moon and carried in an atom bomb.   The problem, or one of the many problems: Henrietta nor her family were ever asked for the cells.  They were taken by doctors in an era where informed consent did not exist.

The parts of this book that succeeded, I believe, were the parts about Henrietta's life growing up in Clover, Virginia before moving to Baltimore, as well as the story of the family members who were left behind (who by the way didn't even know Henrietta's cells had made such a contribution until they were approached to donate blood to identify genetic markings on HeLa cells compared to other cells hers had contaminated.)  They received no monetary compensation for the cells, and it took many years for Henrietta to be recognized for her contribution to science.  Henrietta's family is poor and her sons and daughter had very little education which sparked a lot of anxiety and confusion among them when they were finally approached by scientists and journalists about the cells.  The best part of the book tells of Skloot's time spent with Henrietta's daughter, Deborah, who seemed deeply effected by the loss of her mother and the presence of her cells without her knowledge.  Deborah is quite the character and I think Skloot paints her beautifully, imperfectly, and compassionately.

The part of this book that failed for me, and made it difficult to want to pick it up time and again, is the information about cell biology, research politics and medical ethics. Snore.  Even though I consider myself a fairly moral person, and I have an obvious interest in medicine,  medical ethics makes me cringe.  I got a headache just reading about the ethical questions left behind by HeLa cells and cell patents and ownership (if you're like me in that fact, skip the entire afterword of this book).  So maybe it's those personal reasons that I didn't love this book, though my friend Mary, another avid reader (of more non-fiction than I), also thought this book did not live up to it's hype.

Skloot's writing is strong, though not beautiful.  However, she did something for the Lacks family, specifically Deborah, that many people had failed to do.  She was honest with them about her work and she followed through with her promises.  Something you learn in nursing is how important it is to develop a patient's trust and give them reason through your actions to trust you.  It's no wonder Deborah and her brothers were so scared and distrustful of so many people who were out for their own personal gain.  Skloot did the family an honor by telling this story with compassion, even if there were parts that bored me to tears.

#32 The Metropolis Case

Rating: 4.5/5

365 Blog Challenge: Post #32

I recently won The Metropolis Case on a Goodreads Giveaway (another reason I love Goodreads.com!), and as usual, was a little skeptical.  Goodreads has book giveaways that range from renown authors like Louis Erdrich to self-published vampire romance novels that look, well, terrible.  You never quite know what you're going to get, but sign up for the ones that sound good anyways.  It's free after all.  In regards to The Metropolis Case, I was pleasantly surprised.

This book is gorgeous, inside and out.  And I can't think of a book whose cover better reflects its contents, poetically and aesthetically, than this one.  This is Matthew Gallaway's debut novel, and it's a story of 4 people, intertwined by a love for music, opera specifically.  It came as a shock to me when reading Gallaway's bio that he was never a singer based on the way he so beautifully describes opera in sound and experience.

The book revolves around Lucien, a young singer in 19th century France; Anna, a rising opera star in 1960s America; Maria, born with "four lungs", a young singer, though an outcast, in 1970s Pittsburgh; and Martin, an HIV+ lawyer in 9/11 era New York who is transformed by watching the towers fall from his office on that fateful September day.  In the beginning of the novel, it's hard to determine how these characters are related, other than a recurring theme of the Wagner opera, Tristan and Isolde.  But Gallaway does weave these stories together in elegant fits and starts until the entire connection is revealed in the last pages of the novel.

The real stars of this novel, however, are the prose.  As written in the NYT's review (so conveniently included with my copy), there is "never a lazy sentence".  I can't imagine the energy it took to write such gorgeous descriptions, and yet, the book flew by.  A quick read.  My favorite passages were those used to describe music, production or one's response to music, such as this description of Maria, now an up-and-coming opera singer, making her debut in a Bayreuth production of T&I with the renowned singer, Leo Metropolis.

"She spent a few seconds analyzing his voice, the way it seemed to weave through the house, around the columns, and under and over the wooden back seats....They shared the love potion, which poured down her throat like hot poison, and then became an open wound of desire that grew more infected with each passing second.  When the act ended, the was ripped from Leo's arms, it was an apocalypse: writhing she had to be passed to her dressing room like a bucket of water by a line of production assistants and there propped onto a couch and spoon-fed sips of tea to keep her throat moist."

An amazing first novel.  Highly recommended.

#19 In The Woods

365 Blog Challenge: Post #19

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Last night, I finished In The Woods, a novel by Tana French, an up and coming mystery author.  I didn't want to write this review last night because #1 Scott was forcing me to watch the Australian Open with him (during which he fell asleep) and #2 I needed time to let this book settle.  

The best part of this book is by far the writing.  The prologue blew me away.  I feel that in this day of mass media mystery novels, writers focus on a formulaic story, memorable heroes and not so much on prose.  French is an exception to this.  Her writing is right up there with some great literary fiction.  She gives mystery writers a standard to strive for.  The story in this book is also intriguing.  The narrator, Rob Ryan (formerly Adam) is the sole witness a mysterious crime committed in 1984 when his 2 best friends mysteriously disappeared from a wood in Knocknaree (Ireland).  In what can only be seen as a defense mechanism, Rob cannot recall any of the events that took place until he was found, the lone survivor, clinging to a tree in fright, blood soaking his shoes.  Years later, a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad, Ryan and his partner (and best friend), Cassie, begin an investigation into another crime committed in Knocknaree, the murder of a 12-year-old girl whose body is found at an archaeological dig site.  I enjoyed the psychological aspects added not only to Ryan's unraveling, but also to Katy's (the 12-year-old victim) family.  It kept me guessing.

My biggest problem with this book was the pacing.  There were parts in the first 200-300 pages where it felt like Ryan, Cassie and Sam (the 3rd detective on the case) hit dead end after dead end.  Maybe this was important was, during this time, we watch Ryan fall apart as the case begins to hit home.  But surely it could have been sped up a little bit. The last 100 pages were quick, exactly the pace I was looking for, but I was disappointed in how long it took me to get there.  Also, without giving too much away, aspects of this book's conclusion left me saddened.  Perhaps I am too optimistic, but when the story wrapped up, I had a empty pit in my stomach, that I was hoping would be filled with some sort of happy ending.

Having said all this, I would eventually like to read another French novel.  Her gift for prose makes it worth overlooking some of the downsides to this first Dublin Murder Squad book, and I think I'll give her another chance.  And perhaps I'm just being too hard on this first one, which was quite critically acclaimed.  My own impatience may plays a role, but I don't feel that suspense should be drawn out to the point of boredom.

#12 The Lost Child- A Mother's Story

365 Blog Challenge: Post #12

I recently finished reading The Lost Child- A Mother's Story, a memoir by Julie Myerson. Myerson is an excellent writer. She's written multiple novels and a couple other non-fiction books. However, I wish I'd read one of those instead of this one. The Lost Child is an interwoven story of a child artist, Mary Yelloly, from the 1800s and the authors son, "our boy" as he is referred to in the book. Mary dies of tuberculosis in 1839, just as her life was getting started. The boy, the eldest of Myerson's three children, has just discovered a life of drugs in which he has begun to spiral downward. He wreaks havoc at home, he is moody, uncooperative, and unreasonable. He is destroying the family he grew up with, and eventually, the author and her husband are forced to kick him out.

What bothered me about this book is that I just couldn't find a reason to care about Mary. The author doesn't describe what prompted her interest in her (I had to read in a review that they are from the same area of England), nor why I should give a hoot about Mary in the first. The Mary sections of the book give more information about Myerson's search for the girl than the girl herself. I learned more about the Yelloly family than about Mary's life. The book could have sufficiently revolved around Myerson's trouble at home. Mary's story takes away from the catharsis of the book. I found myself disappointed when another section about the girl was presented.

Despite my dislike for the Mary sections, there is actually one beautiful last scene in the book about Mary, in which Myerson fantasizes about meeting her. This scene, and the memoiresque portions of the book are truly where we see Myerson's gift as a writer. Maybe the lack of information about Mary is supposed to parallel the lack of information Myerson's son is sharing with his family. Maybe searching for the truth about Mary is supposed to match the search for truth in her own family life or the search for her son's motives and the depth of his problems.

Whatever Mrs. Myerson's motives, I agree with her son's perception when she presents him with the manuscript to this story. He actually is fairly gracious in allowing her to divulge information about his life and his mishaps. However, he reports he didn't much care for the parts about Mary. "To be absolutely honest...I wasn't all that interested in the stuff about the Mary Yelloly person....but maybe you have to be pushing fifty and female."

Agreed. The Lost Child was lost on me.

#5 Banned for Life

365 Blog Challenge: Post #5

Scott had been raving about this book, "Banned for Life" by DR Haney for months when I finally picked it up.  To be honest, I had gotten a brief email from Mr. Haney (who Scott corresponds with online) after I posted in a caption contest related to his new book ("Subversia") on thenervousbreakdown.com.  I decided after Haney's friendly email that I would see what this book was all about. 

            The book is set in the punk rock scene in the 80s and 90s and, at first, I was put off.  It's not that the writing wasn't good.  It was just different.  It's that I wasn’t that interested in punk rock (after hoping to date a punk rocker in high school only to be turned down).  Also, instead of the flowing sea of eloquent words that I have gotten used to reading by authors such as Daphne Du Murier and Anita Shreve , Haney's book was almost conversational, as if the writer were speaking to you instead of putting the words on paper.  (In fact, it's very beat-like).  His writing was more like (and this is not an insult, just work with me) a herky, jerky ride in a broken down car (perhaps one with a failing transmission?).  Once you start to see something nice while looking out the window, you're jerked back into the reality that this is not the smooth ride you were hoping for.  However, as the book progressed, as I began to care for Jason, the main character who is a beautifully honest, semi-successful, mostly failing screenwriter, I started to enjoy this ride.

            The book, which reads as a memoir (though it's fiction...though I question the fiction of some parts due to Haney’s bio) is about Jason's passionate yet unhealthy relationship with Irina, a Serbian woman who is married to another man.  Irina plays a game of tug-o-war with Jason's heart and with his life.  First she's faithful to her husband, despite her flirtatious ways (with many more men than just Jason), then she's in love with Jason, then she's going to leave her husband for Jason, then it's not the right time.  It goes on like this for quite a bit, all the while Jason is also trying to kindle a relationship with Jim Cassidy, a former punk star who was Jason's role model in his youth.  Jim has since become a chain smoking, beer bellied, drunk agoraphobic who lives with his mother.  Very sexy. And have I mentioned Peewee?  Jason’s best friend and band mate who died in a sober driving accident before Jason became a screenwriter? He’s in there too.

            What I came to realize by the end was that not only was Haney following suit with the punk rock theme by not conforming to the pretty, traditional writing styles of today's NYT best sellers, but also, he wasn't covering up reality with beautiful words. He was being gritty and truthful and refreshing, just as Jason’s character is. This is not to say his writing is bad.  His writing is great!  But it is different, and it took this book to put a connection together: that sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zones (in reading and otherwise) to experience something worthwhile.

            A final thought that I had helped me decide that Haney's book is not just a book, but also a work of art.  Perhaps it is more soothing to be drawn along by a string of pretty words and elaborate plot lines, but the waves of that ocean of eloquence sure don’t get you anywhere fast.  That puttering car took me somewhere!  It got me to a place of understanding and inspiration and beauty that I could appreciate for the honest ride that it was.