Spine Creases

Review: Heart and Soul (Maeve Binchy)

2010-08-05T16:25:00.000-04:00

(image from Goodreads)

Title: Heart and Soul
Author: Maeve Binchy
Publisher: Anchor, 2010
Notes: I received this book for free from a Fodor's Travel Twitter giveaway.

A brief summary: With the insight, humor, and compassion we have come to expect from her, Maeve Binchy tells a story of family, friends, patients, and staff who are part of a heart clinic in a community caught between the old and the new Ireland. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts: For some reason, I've been wanting to write my reviews in relation to other popular media. If you liked Love Actually and enjoy watching the American TV show Private Practice, you'll undoubtedly like this book. However, if you don't like either, don't let that be a deterrent.

This book is written from different characters' perspectives, though I would say that Dr. Clara Casey is the primary character. She's the string that ties all the characters together, weaving their complicated lives into something of a community. I think you'll find the changing points-of-view interesting, though sometimes frustrating too. There were times when I wanted the book to continue from one character's perspective!

That being said, I think that the story is showed more than told. I feel a bit torn on how to approach this book; while I, at base, liked the plot and the characters, I felt at times that they lacked emotion or realistic responses; some, with the exception of Clara and Declan, felt a bit flat. This book started strong but seemed to wane a bit as it progressed.

Rating: 3 stars

Musing Mondays: July 26

2010-07-26T09:15:00.006-04:00

MizB at Should Be Reading asks, Do you review books? If so, for who?

As many of you know, I do review books! I'm a huge fan of the Goodreads First Reads opportunities. I've won a handful of books from that, and I review each one. I've also been lucky enough to review ARCs and recently published books thanks to publishers and contacts within the publishing industry.

My reviews are never biased in favor of the books I get for free versus the books I seek out at the library or the bookstore.

What about you? Do you review books?

Review: A Wretched Man (RW Holmen)

2010-07-24T11:47:00.000-04:00

Image found at Goodreads

Title: A Wretched Man
Author: RW Holmen
Publisher: Bascom Hill, 2010
Notes: I received this book from the publisher to review. Despite this, my review is not biased in favor of the book. Any opinion offered here is completely my own.

A brief summary: "Jesus authored no writings. Nor did any of those who followed him in the Galilee or during his fateful pilgrimage to Jerusalem. It fell to an outside to become the movement's reporter, memorialist, essayist, interpreter, and promoter—despite the opposition of James, the brother of Jesus. Paul the apostle. Paul the one untimely born. This is the story of Paul, a wretched man." (back cover blurb)

My thoughts: I approach books like these very carefully. I did a bit of background about Holmen before I started reading the book, and began in earnest after I satisfied my curiosity.

This book is a number of things. It is well-researched; Holmen clearly has a solid background in early Christianity and religious history. It is also well-written. When reading about Paul—or Paulos, as he is referred to in the novel—I felt that I had a more personalized understanding of who Paul was. Often accused as being anti-Semitic or a problematic Jewish Christian, Holmen addresses these issues. But more importantly, he presents Paul as human. Paul is as subject to human desires, human complexities, and human experiences as the rest of us. The best kind of book, in my opinion, is one that prompts you to think more, to pursue more knowledge. This book definitely incited that curiosity in me.

Some readers may worry that this book revolves around Paul's purported conflicted sexual orientation, but even devoutly religious individuals will find Holmen's handling of the matter to be deft. Some may even find Paul's reluctance to engage in supposedly unclean acts to be a testament to his faith. I would say that if this matter is the issue holding you back from reading this book, it shouldn't be. You may be pleasantly surprised.

While it might help to have some understanding of this time period or the religious and political issues at hand during and immediately after Jesus' death, it's not necessary. I found this book to actually be quite a good accompaniment to my studies of Jesus as a social revolutionary, upsetting the status quo. I felt like I gleaned a new understanding of the early Judeo-Christian world, which is pretty astounding after having taken four years of academic religion classes.

Moreover, I'm curious to speak to the author. What's next after this? How did his background inform his writing of A Wretched Man? I'd be curious to see how Holmen would approach Saint Augustine, but alas, I doubt he is that interested in Augustine, as Holmen is Lutheran.

Rating: 5 stars

Review: Crashers (Dana Haynes)

2010-07-23T13:35:00.001-04:00

Image found at Goodreads

Title: Crashers

Author: Dana Haynes

Publisher: Minotaur, 2010

Notes: I received this book as an ARC from the Goodreads First Reads program.

A brief summary: "Whenever a plane goes down in the U.S., a 'Go Team' made up of experts is assembled by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate. Those people—each of them a leading expert in a specific area—are known informally as 'Crashers.' When a passenger plane, a Vermeer One Eleven, slams into the ground outside Portland, Oregon, 'The Crashers' quickly assemble to investigate the cause." (from Goodreads)

My thoughts: If you like TV shows like NCIS:LA or fast-paced action movies, you'll be hard-pressed not to like this book. The plot is interesting—what happens during a major plane crash, and how does the NTSB investigate the cause of a crash?—and the shifting perspectives between the bad guys, the good guys, and the questionable guys keeps the book moving forward. Add in the layer of a possible second attack, and you have a great plot.

My one critique about this book actually causes me to give it 3.5 stars is the characterization. Haynes tries to deliver a cast of characters who are diverse and capable, while also providing suitable background. However, when it's actually written out, I felt as though the characters were overdone and the writing clunky. Had the characters been better established by focusing on one, primary character—sticking to writing the 'good guys' section just from Tommy's perspective, perhaps—the writing would have been tighter. Instead, the narration is somewhat omnipresent and omniscient, but poorly done. Like I said, if you like NCIS:LA, you'll probably like this book, because some of the characters are similar. (NB: I like NCIS:LA, but didn't love this book.)

All of that being said, I think the plot is worth reading, and it sounds like Haynes did a healthy amount of background research while writing this book. Just try not to get as distracted by the characters as I did!

Rating: 3.5 stars

Book Blogger Hop: July 22

2010-07-22T21:11:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! I took a much needed mini-hiatus, but I'm back now!

Time for the Book Blogger Hop! The prompt that Jen at Crazy-for-Books has presented is, "Tell us about the book you're currently reading."

I just started reading Maeve Binchy's Heart and Soul. I'm enjoying it so far!

What are you reading? Anything good?

Review: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (Aimee Bender)

2010-07-22T12:04:00.007-04:00

Image found at Goodreads

Title: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

Author: Aimee Bender

Publisher: Doubleday, 2010

Notes: I won this book from a fellow book blogger's giveaway, and received the book directly from the publisher.

A brief summary: "On the eve of her ninth birthday, unassuming Rose Edelstein, a girl at the periphery of schoolyard games and her distracted parents’ attention, bites into her mother’s homemade lemon-chocolate cake and discovers she has a magical gift: she can taste her mother’s emotions in the cake. She discovers this gift to her horror, for her mother—her cheerful, good-with-crafts, can-do mother—tastes of despair and desperation. Suddenly, and for the rest of her life, food becomes a peril and a threat to Rose." (from Goodreads)

My thoughts: I had high expectations for this book, because the premise sounded unusual and fascinating. I was pretty disappointed with the book overall, though, for several reasons.

First, I have some difficulty with non-standard punctuation and prose, and Bender's lack of quotation marks in dialogue made this book frustrating to read at times. I'm not a big fan of stylistic creativity in that way, though I can see that it lent a certain disconnectedness to this book.

Second, I felt as though many of the plot lines were left uninvestigated. Rose's father remains a mystery for the majority of the novel, though that is somewhat resolved by the end. The circumstances of Rose's brother Joseph remain alarming, unfinished, and unusually vague. Bender's world is magical reality; things are both like we know them and not, but there's not much clarification as to why or how.

This book was not charming or humorous, as some reviewers have said. I found a surprising lack of humanness in this book, which is also contrary to what many have said. Instead, I found it largely underdeveloped and flat.

Rating: 1 star

Want to see another opinion? Check out Lynne's review! She gave The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake 4 stars!

Updates

2010-07-11T12:18:00.004-04:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

I'm currently reading Ellis Peters' A Morbid Taste of Bones. I just finished Dana Haynes' Crashers for the 2010 Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge, and that review—along with some other great ones!—will be up this coming week.

What are you reading this weekend? Send me the links of some of your favorite reviews!

Book Blogger Hop: July 8

2010-07-09T11:02:00.002-04:00

Time for the Book Blogger Hop! The prompt that Jen at Crazy-for-Books has presented is, "Tell us about some of your favorite authors and why they are your favorites!"

My favorite authors are John Steinbeck, J.K. Rowling, and Steve Kluger. Steinbeck is a fantastic American author with epic novels that really get to the core of humanity. His books are some of the few 'classics' that I still pick up and read, again and again. J.K. Rowling crafted the series that was, essentially, my childhood. (And speaking of which, I really need to reread Harry Potter!) Steve Kluger writes delightfully funny novels, both adult and young adult, about love.

How about you? What are your favorite authors?

Thanks for ~~stopping~~ hopping on by!

Review: The Happiness Project (Gretchen Rubin)

2010-07-07T13:55:00.007-04:00

Image found at Goodreads

Title: The Happiness Project

Author: Gretchen Rubin

Publisher: Harper, 2010

Notes: I took this book out of the library.

A brief summary: "Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. 'The days are long, but the years are short,' she realized. 'Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter.' In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project." (from Goodreads)

My thoughts: Prior to reading this book, I had read Gretchen Rubin's blog (also titled The Happiness Project) and read many of her peers' work online. I was fascinated by the idea of happiness studies, mostly because the idea of studying happiness seemed so random and scattered.

This book is a personal journey—a memoir—where Gretchen Rubin both enhances her blog's content and adds new material. Her family is mentioned by name and given character and personality. You get a sense of Gretchen's personality as the book develops as well. I can kind of relate to her; I'm a list-maker, a task-doer, someone who likes structure and order.

At the same time, I always felt that Gretchen's blog was too hokey. I felt like it was preachy, and at times it seemed to miss the whole point of happiness. Spontaneity and fun and laughter seemed planned, stinted, or stiff.

This book isn't like that at all. But what I did find is that this book seems to speak more to the issue of mindfulness. Perhaps one of my 'splendid truths' is that mindfulness begets happiness. When a person is more mindful, he is more cognizant of his behavior and his actions.

I also think that this book sounds like a personal quest to feel right and to feel in control of one's own emotions and behaviors. I think the word 'happiness' makes cynics everywhere feel automatic scorn for the concept or the reasoning behind this book, but the undertaking is well-developed and actually quite interesting.

I find Gretchen to be an interesting and engaging narrator, though she certainly takes her happiness seriously. Even her lighthearted fun is quite serious in nature.

Rating: 5 stars

Review: The Purity Myth (Jessica Valenti)

2010-07-06T09:40:00.005-04:00

Image found at Goodreads

Title: The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women
Author: Jessica Valenti
Publisher: Seal Press, 2010
Notes: I took this book out of the library.

A brief summary: "The United States is obsessed with virginity — from the media to schools to government agencies. In The Purity Myth Jessica Valenti argues that the country’s intense focus on chastity is damaging to young women. Through in-depth cultural and social analysis, Valenti reveals that powerful messaging on both extremes — ranging from abstinence curriculum to “Girls Gone Wild” infomercials — place a young woman’s worth entirely on her sexuality. Morals are therefore linked purely to sexual behavior, rather than values like honesty, kindness, and altruism. Valenti sheds light on the value — and hypocrisy — around the notion that girls remain virgin until they’re married by putting into context the historical question of purity, modern abstinence-only education, pornography, and public punishments for those who dare to have sex." (from Goodreads)

My thoughts: I read this book in a day, because I couldn't put it down. I'm not someone who usually stands up and declares herself a feminist, but the issues that Valenti covers in her book really got me thinking. Here is one such example:

"The desirable virgin is sexy but not sexual. She's young, white, and skinny. She's a cheerleader, a baby sitter; she's accessible and eager to please (remember those ethics of passivity!). She's never a woman of color. She's never a low-income girl or a fat girl. She's never disabled. 'Virgin' is a designation for those who meet a certain standard of what women, especially younger women, are supposed to look like. As for how these young women are supposed to act? A blank slate is best." (p. 30)

Valenti has a strong voice, citing statistics and facts with ease—but without getting overly technical. She reminds us that this obsession with virginity is connected to submission and youth, with a renewed interest in keeping women under thumb. But virginity in our contemporary society has become a commodity, with the commercialization of abstinence balls and virginity vouchers. How can we make virginity into a commodity, though, when there's no actual definition for it? Valenti's discussion of the definition of virginity—or lack thereof—is especially interesting.

One theme that I noticed in this book was this interesting dichotomy between clean and dirty, good and bad. While this is a common thread throughout history, it makes me wonder if this focus on ordering the world (to give it meaning) emerges out of the post-materialist world.

I agree with Valenti that it's extremely worrying that teenagers receiving abstinence-only sexual education are unprepared for their sexual relations and lack any sexual health knowledge. As Valenti remarks, teenagers with abstinence-only sex ed are still having sex. But they're also not using condoms, believing them to be ineffective, or any other forms of birth control. This problem of misinformation is rampant and worrying.

Valenti argues that despite the virginity movement's obsession with "hookup culture," it's not as widespread as one might be led to believe. Young women are still dating, getting married, and having children. She says, "It's just another figment of the virginity movement's very active (and sexually obsessed) imagination. It's telling Americans what they want to hear—salacious stories about young girls having lots and lots of sex—under the rhetoric of helping women." (p. 60)

The virginity movement has its own arsenal of weapons against sex and filth, including purity balls. I had only heard of them nominally in the past, but reading about them really creeped me out. In purity balls, young girls (as young as eight years old) go on "dates" with their fathers, pledging their virginities to their fathers for safe-keeping (bringing to mind images of either incest or property ownership), and commit themselves to remaining pure for their husbands. Reading about purity balls made me feel like I was reading a modern-day Flowers in the Attic or some other V.C. Andrews novel.

I was also saddened by Valenti's chapter on rape and sexual assault. It was terrible to read how women have been dehumanized, particularly through the media's coverage of sexual violence. I have to admit that I often find myself thinking, "well, that was a poor decision to be doing x, y, and z." But being in the wrong place at the wrong time is no reason for women to be abused! This goes back to another issue that Valenti focuses on, which is that much of sexual assault prevention is placed on women, not men.

I do have a couple of qualms with the book. One is that I perceived some disdain from Valenti regarding religious beliefs and purity. I think that while purity balls and chastity commitments are creepy, religions all have elements of purity to them. She focuses considerably on Christianity and chastity, with sex never being for pleasure. But I'd like to see her recognize sex in other religious traditions, like Judaism and Islam, where men and women are recommended to have sex for pleasure. They could have a strong role in Valenti's recommendations for the future, especially in education and counterculture.

Moreover, sometimes I think her sarcasm and frustration can be a bit distracting, sometimes making generalizations.

I won't go much farther, since I don't want to give the entire book away. This is a fantastic read, and extremely thought-provoking, regardless of where you stand on the issues. The resources and discussion questions at the end of the book are useful for reflecting and finding more information about women, sexuality, virginity, and health. Having read this book, I'm looking forward to getting back to Mary Douglas' Purity and Danger after having read this book.

Rating: 4 stars

Review: The Wings of the Sphinx (Andrea Camilleri)

2010-07-05T18:11:00.004-04:00

Image from Amazon

Title: The Wings of the Sphinx

Author: Andrea Camilleri

Publisher: Penguin, 2009

Notes: I checked this book out of the library.

A brief summary: "Things are not going well for Inspector Salvo Montalbano. His relationship with Livia is once again on the rocks and-acutely aware of his age-he is beginning to grow weary of the endless violence he encounters. Then a young woman is found dead, her face half shot off and only a tattoo of a sphinx moth giving any hint of her identity. The tattoo links her to three similarly marked girls-all victims of the underworld sex trade-who have been rescued from the Mafia night-club circuit by a prominent Catholic charity. The problem is, Montalbano's inquiries elicit an outcry from the Church and the three other girls are all missing." —Goodreads summary

My thoughts: This is the first book I've ever read by Camilleri; I saw it in the new mystery section at the library and thought I would give it a shot. My first impression is that it's a bit difficult to jump into the middle of this series without knowing the characters prior; I occasionally had some difficulties trying to remember who was who. (This was especially the case when Camilleri would refer to someone by their last name for six or so pages before someone refers to the person in passing by their first name. Quite difficult to discern who the person in question was! But that may be a translation issue more than anything else.)

I had high hopes for this book, but was a bit disappointed. The first 70 pages—roughly a third of the book—were extremely slow. The murder occurs, but there's no progress toward finding the killer. Instead, Inspected Montalbano (the protagonist) is featured prominently—or more accurately, his relationship problems with a woman named Livia, with whom he has had an on-again off-again relationship for years.

This book is heavily male-oriented. By that, I don't mean that only men would enjoy this book. But the primary characters—eccentric and almost cracky—are all men. Tommaseo works with Montalbano, and he's obsessed with victims' sex lives (or sex in general). Meanwhile, Catarella—kind of the police lackey—speaks with a hokey accent. (For example, he says "poissonally in poisson" a lot, or "personally in person.")

Montalbano is kind of an interesting protagonist. In this book he seems rather gloomy, but passing references to other events and other cases implies that he's not usually so glum. The weather and access to fresh fish seem to affect his moods greatly, and he takes pleasure in a good mid-day meal, regardless of the cases he works. I found Camilleri's inclusion of Montalbano's internal monologues to be quite funny as well. He also plays a crazy cop with unusual "interrogation" techniques in the examination of one suspect, and yells out multiplication tables to get the suspect to stop crying—an extremely funny scene.

I felt that the plot twisted and turned but ended up sort of where you would expect, despite some surprising instances that interrupt one's first thoughts. I would like to read the first in this series to get a better sense of Camilleri's writing and characters before passing further judgment; I found this book a bit difficult to follow at times.

Rating: 2 stars

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T10:21:00.001-04:00

Happy Independence Day to all of my American readers! Have a wonderful day, and I hope you enjoy wonderful weather, some good books, and the company of people you love.

I'll be back later today with a new book review. Sorry for the delay; this weekend has been quite busy!

Book Blogger Hop: July 1

2010-07-01T21:04:00.004-04:00

I'm participating in my first (real) Book Blogger Hop today! The question that Jen at Crazy-for-Books has asked is, "What is your name and why did you start blogging?"

My name is Jess, and I'm 21 years old. I'm a recent graduate and I'm attending graduate school this fall. I began blogging a couple of weeks ago because a group of friends from the College Students group on Goodreads and I decided to form a group book blog, which inspired me to start blogging on my own! I think that book blogging will be a good way for me to meet new friends, remember the books I've read, and think more critically about my reads.

WWW / New Beginnings Wednesday

2010-06-30T11:28:00.007-04:00

To keep the momentum for the week going, I'm doing both of MizB's memes today!

What are you currently reading? I'm about to start reading Brian Jacques' Mossflower for the Goodreads College Students Spring/Summer Challenge! I loved the Redwall series when I was younger, and I can't wait to reread this classic.
What did you recently finish reading? I just finished Suzanne Collins' Catching Fire, which was unbelievable. This trilogy is absolutely amazing, and I can't wait until Mockingjay comes out in August! I also just recently finished rereading both Linda Howard's Duncan's Bride and John Steinbeck's East of Eden, both of which are phenomenal books in their own way.
What do you think you'll read next? After I finish Mossflower, I'll probably start reading Dana Haynes' Crashers, an ARC I received on Goodreads that I will be reviewing here at Spine Creases!

How about you? What are you reading lately? Post a link to your blog in the comments, or just list them!

The second meme of the day is a non-book related one...

Basically you list your New Year's resolutions, and then every Wednesday you check in to see how you've progressed. Click here for more details on how it works!

My New Year's resolutions this year were pretty simple:

Yoga three times per week. I was pretty consistent with this through April, often times doing yoga 5-6 times per week. That has dropped off considerably since I've started running (at the end of April). I do want to roll out my yoga mat more often, so this will be good motivation to do so. However, I also think it's good that I've picked up a new favorite sport—running! I've never been more fit in my life.
Live simply. This is kind of a silly resolution because it's more of a life motto pertaining to simple living, minimalism, and happiness. However, I have to say that I live this every day.
Go somewhere new (by plane, preferably). The only new place I've traveled to this year (so far) has been Columbus, Ohio. More about that...
Get a job or get into grad school. I did both! I have a summer job at my alma mater, working as a project assistant for a department I worked for as a student. I also got into grad school at Ohio State and I have a paid internship lined up there as well.
Read 50 books. I blew this resolution out of the water. I'm at something like 90 some-odd books right now!

How are you doing on your New Year's resolutions?

Review: The Crisis of Islam (Bernard Lewis)

2010-06-30T10:21:00.002-04:00

Image from Amazon

Title: The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror

Author: Bernard Lewis (Web site)

Publisher: Random House, 2004

Notes: I checked this book out of the library.

A brief summary: "After the terrorist attacks of September 11, many Americans yearned to understand why Muslim extremists felt such passionate animosity toward the Western world, particularly the United States." (Quote from Goodreads.) This book aims to explore the historical bases for this animosity.

My thoughts:I read Bernard Lewis' The Crisis of Islam as part of a seasonal challenge at the College Students group on Goodreads. I have never embraced Lewis' approach to the Middle East—or more specifically, the Arab World—or Islam, thinking that he often takes a reductionist point-of-view that serves to reify Westerners' beliefs about Arabs and Muslims. I would not recommend this book to anyone who does not already know some basics about Islam or the Middle East. Lewis confirms American suspicions of the region and the religion instead of breaking down barriers to understanding.

Lewis starts out by stating that former President Bush was involved in a fight against terror, but not Arabs or Muslims, yet Osama bin Laden was in a fight against the United States. While this is true to an extent, it ignores the historical and political realities. Bin Laden utilized religious rhetoric to create an "us" versus "them" dynamic, but ultimately he is concerned with geopolitical issues like invasion and occupation, which one could read in his writings, Messages to the World.

Moreover, Lewis spends a good portion of his book relating Christianity and Islam before stating that there are, despite these similarities, profound differences. I start first by saying that Christianity is a faith-based religion (not practice-oriented, with the exception of Orthodoxy and Catholicism, to some extent). Islam is both orthodox and orthoprax, meaning that there's emphasis on both "right faith" and "right practice." Judaism tends more toward orthopraxy. Given the elements that Lewis focuses on—religious authorities' perspectives on justice and morality, apostasy, etc.—it would probably have made more sense to compare and contrast Judaism and Islam.

Lewis also spends an enormous amount of time talking about jihad. Jihad is a word that loosely means "struggle," and for religious Arabic speakers, it usually refers to a personal struggle (sinfulness, indulgence—the same sorts of things that plague "us normal Christians"). However, Lewis discounts this, saying that progressive Muslims like to say that jihad means a personal struggle, but that throughout Muslim history it refers to holy war. But what, you might ask, does he think about the Crusades? He argues that while jihad is embedded in early Muslim history, the Crusades are a departure from good Christian society and behavior. I am flummoxed by this conclusion. Additionally, Lewis discusses apostasy; he cites that the penalty for apostasy in Islam is death, which is harsher than any other religion. I cannot be sure that this is in the Qur'an or not, but my guess is that some Muslim leader or scholar once said this. However, these pronouncements need more evidence to be compelling, at least for me. I think that the uneducated reader or one looking to reaffirm his beliefs in the evil of Islam will take this at face value, which is quite unfortunate.

To be fair, Lewis is well-read in the area of Middle East and world history, and employs this knowledge in his argument. He even recognizes the importance of jizyah (a tax installed for recognized non-Muslim communities in Muhammad's time and in the early years of Islam) for the dhimmi (recognized non-Muslim communities).

Rating: 1 star

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'd Want on a Desert Island

2010-06-29T12:29:00.005-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish, a blog to which I contribute. Everyone is welcome to join in!

This week's 'top ten' topic is, Top Ten Books I'd Want on a Desert Island!

Here's my list...

1. The Harry Potter series: I count this because there's a paperback set that fits in one box. There is nothing about this series that is old to me. I've re-read each book countless times, and I would be hard-pressed to get sick of this series.

2. The Qur'an: I'm a (former) Religion major, and my concentration was on Islam. However, I've never read the Qur'an straight through, and I really want to! I keep putting it off, reading only chapters at a time. A desert island would give me the opportunity to work through the entire volume. As an added bonus, almost all Qur'an have the Arabic calligraphy, so if I get really bored I can continue my efforts to speak Arabic aloud!

3. East of Eden (John Steinbeck): This is one of my favorite books of all time, with rich characters, a beautiful setting, and fantastic themes and symbols. This book is chillingly good.

4. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas): I read this last summer—the unabridged version—and I loved it. I really savored it, and enjoyed Edmond Dantes as the hero of the book. I also like the theme of prevailing despite the circumstances! Plus, long books like The Count of Monte Cristo and East of Eden would keep me sane.

5. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand): When else but on a desert island would it be a fantastic idea to read a book about the individuality of self and Objectivism? Well, actually, maybe that's not the best idea. But it's a long book, and a thought-provoking one—so I'm told—so it sounds like a good idea.

6. The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein): I would bring this book because it's a contemporary novel—unlike many of the others on my list so far—and it covers almost every human emotion. This book made me simultaneously sad and happy, and I absolutely loved it.

7. Why I Wake Early (Mary Oliver): A volume of poetry is never a bad thing. Oliver's poetry would remind me of the beauty around me.

8. Any of the Little House on the Prairie books: I cannot define my youth without thinking of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. Perfect for keeping me sane.

9. Redwall (Brian Jacques): I almost forgot about this series. I used to read this series religiously. Who doesn't love warrior mice, royal badgers, and evil villains?

10. Season of Migration to the North (Tayeb Salih): I would bring this book to remind me of history and imperialism. I read this book for a class two years ago (and actually plan to read it later this summer—watch for my review!), but I would definitely want a stimulating, brutal novel to read like this one.

Musing Mondays: Hyped-Up Books?

2010-06-28T12:52:00.003-04:00

This week's musing from Should Be Reading asks...

What do you think of books that receive a lot of hype? (think of the Twilight saga, or Harry Potter, or The Da Vinci Code). Do you read them? Why, or why not?

I actually like a lot of the books that are "hyped-up." With the exception of the Harry Potter series, I used to hate them. I thought popularity meant that they were simple, for simple people who didn't know good literature when they saw it. (This is also how I felt about music.)

A note on Harry: The Harry Potter series is one that I grew up with. I had just turned 10 when I received Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for my birthday, and I devoured it—only to read it several more times before realizing I should move onto other books. There is something really incredible about that series that I will not stop loving.

What's changed? I think that the appeal of these books is more broad. They have themes that appeal to people's understanding of humanity, their capacity for love, and their ability to change. More recently, I've read all three of the Stieg Larsson novels (which were unexpected favorites), the Flavia de Luce books (ditto), The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, and The Help—all of which I loved and would gladly pick up again. I also hesitated on reading Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle, but I was so happy that I finally did; Walls' writing is beautiful, evocative, and particularly heart-wrenching at times.

However, there are some books that received a lot of hype that I'm tired of. Twilight is like poorly written fanfiction in my mind. I thought the characters' names and plot to be especially trite, and wouldn't waste my time reading any future novels in that series. It's also given way to that atrocious vampire trend. I also feel that Khaled Hosseini's books are good, but depict one facet of Afghanistan that popular culture and media have obsessed over. Time to move on and find something fresher.

Sneak Peek: Crashers (Dana Haynes)

2010-06-26T14:12:00.004-04:00

I had something excellent in my mailbox today—a book, of course! I finally received Dana Haynes' Crashers, which I had won on Goodreads.

Since the book was released on June 22, 2010, I thought I would provide the cover image and summary (courtesy of Goodreads). My review will be up in the next couple of weeks.

Synopsis: Whenever a plane goes down in the U.S., a “Go Team” made up of experts is assembled by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate. Those people—each of them a leading expert in a specific area—are known informally as “Crashers.” When a passenger plane, a Vermeer One Eleven, slams into the ground outside Portland, Oregon, “The Crashers” quickly assemble to investigate the cause. Under the leadership of the IIC (Investigator in Charge), Leonard “Tommy” Tomzak—a pathologist who recently quit the NTSB—the team gets to work as fast as possible. Usually the team has months to determine the cause of a crash. But this time it’s different. This time, the plane was brought down deliberately, without leaving a trace, and this was only a trial run. In L. A., Daria Gibron—a former Shin Bet agent, now under the protection of the FBI—spots a group of suspicious-looking men. Missing her former life of action, she attaches herself to them only to learn that, somehow, they were responsible for the plane crash and are preparing for another action. While her FBI handler tries to find her and save her, Daria risks her life to try to get close enough to learn what’s going on and thwart the coming terrorist action. But time is running out and her cover story is running thin. A fresh and utterly compelling thriller, an original mix of action, investigation, and a brilliant cast of characters that grabs the reader in the way few novels can and fewer do.

Blogged: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag (Alan Bradley)

2010-06-25T14:40:00.003-04:00

In the mood for a good mystery? My first review at The Broke and the Bookish is up! Alan Bradley's The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag received 5 stars from me. Click here to find out why!

Review: The Simple Dollar (Trent Hamm)

2010-06-24T12:32:00.005-04:00

Image found here

Title: The Simple Dollar: How One Man Wiped Out His Debts and Achieved the Life of His Dreams

Author: Trent Hamm (Web site)

Publisher: Financial Times Press, 2010

Notes: I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher, Financial Times Press. I have reviewed it honestly and personally. As part of this opportunity, I was also asked to apply one chapter from Trent's book to my life, which you can read about here.

A brief summary: Trent Hamm is best known on the Web as the man behind The Simple Dollar, a popular personal finance blog. In The Simple Dollar, Trent explores personal finance in his own life, offering many personal narratives, as well as constructive, useful techniques for readers to apply to their own lives.

My thoughts: I am a long-time reader of The Simple Dollar, and so when the opportunity came about to receive an ARC from the publisher, I jumped on it. I was curious to see how this combination memoir/self-help book differed from others, and if Trent's fantastic blogging personality would come through in the book.

Trent's book is well-written and to-the-point, which is consistent with his blog style. I like the personalized anecdotes and interesting tidbits. One thing I'm curious to see is if the aesthetic nature of the book changes with publication; it seems very textbook-like in paper, font, and plain book style. (The book is published by a subsidiary of Financial Times Press.) Most memoirs or books similar to this are published with a more reader-focused, audience-oriented feel. This is not so (though I do recognize that my copy is an ARC, so I'll have to compare after publication).

As much as I liked the book, I think it repeats a lot of what Trent already discusses on his blog. I also think that his writing is especially well-suited for blogging because he proposes questions and is able to engage the audience in a different way. Much of the same material is covered in his blog, but in fact the blog posts cover it at much greater length and with a greater number of resources.

Overall I think Trent's book is a worthy, wonderful read. It has given me new perspective on where his writing comes from, and where the motivation to get financially fit, originates. I especially think that people who have not yet read Trent's blog will benefit from the book in a major way.

Rating: 4 stars

Review: The Penderwicks (Jeanne Birdsall)

2010-06-23T17:05:00.006-04:00

Image found here.

Title: The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
Author: Jeanne Birdsall (Web site)
Publisher: Yearling, 2007
Notes: I found this book at the library. I decided to check it out because someone on the Goodreads' College Students group had mentioned it.

A brief summary: Mr. Penderwick (the father) and his daughters Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty take a vacation, thinking of a rundown cottage. They come to a small cottage on an estate property called Arundel, owned by Mrs. Tifton, with whom the four girls battle. The four Penderwick girls, along with Mrs. Tilton's son Jeffrey, a dog (Hound), two rabbits, and a gardener, have many exciting adventures in three weeks.

My thoughts: If you liked Little Women but wished there was a more contemporary version, this book is definitely for you! I found all four girls delightful in their separate ways, and they had very complimentary personalities. Rosalind is the oldest and seems to view life with a more serious lens, especially since she remembers their deceased mother the best. That being said, Rosalind's life certainly gets more interesting at Arundel. Skye is the second-oldest; she's a bit more fiesty and tomboyish, though she adores math and minimalism. Then there's Jane, who is a romantic, and dreams of becoming a published author. She writes her own book series, featuring a character named Sabrina Starr, and persists in her writing. Finally, there is four-year-old Batty (short for Elizabeth) who is so delightful and charming you can't help but love her. I felt, as I was reading, that each girl needed her sisters. This book is full of adventure, love, and loads of youthful fun. Mrs. Tifton, the property owner, makes the perfect childhood enemy. She is unfriendly, near obsessive about her gardens, and rigid. You will grow to both dread and anticipate the Penderwicks' interactions with her!

Mr. Penderwick is an interesting character. A plant-lover, he spends quite a bit of time speaking in Latin or wandering off into the fields to research plants. He's certainly not a neglectful father, but his parenting approach (and strange interests) reminded me of Haviland de Luce, Flavia de Luce's father, in the mystery series.

Because of this, as well as the character names, it was difficult to remember that this is a contemporary book. It certainly doesn't have the same feel as Little Women, but I could easily see this being prim-and-proper England during the mid-20th century. Perhaps modernity has tainted my perception of children; it's hard to imagine inventive games, physical activity, and technology-less families anymore. This book certainly recaptured that experience for me, though. However, the scenario seemed at times slightly improbable for modern-day Massachusetts.

Despite the dichotomy between the setting and the plot, I adored the characters in this book, and I'm planning to check out the next installment of the Penderwick adventures when I'm at the library. The Penderwicks is a lovely, heartfelt novel that children and adults alike will love.

Rating: 4 stars

2010 Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge

2010-06-23T16:10:00.010-04:00

I figured I would start my new blog off with a challenge! I stumbled across the perfect one:

Timeline: 01 Jan 2010 - 31 Dec 2010

Rules: To read TWELVE (12) thrillers in 2010

For more information, click on the image above!

1. Crashers (Dana Haynes)

2. A Morbid Taste for Bones (Ellis Peters)

I will update this page as I read and review books for this challenge, and link back to it frequently.

Review: 52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust (William Alexander)

2010-06-23T13:56:00.010-04:00

Image found here.

Title: 52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust (Web site)
Author: William Alexander (Web site)
Publisher: Algonquin Books, 2010
Notes: I found this book at the library. It appealed to me because I've always been interested in baking my own bread, and the cover jacket had an excellent, humorous summary.

A brief summary: William Alexander once tasted delicious peasant bread and committed himself to replicating it. Dedicating himself to one loaf per week in the calendar year, Alexander aims to bake his peasant loaf from scratch. This includes growing wheat, harvesting it, and milling it. It takes him to Morocco and to France. He breaks two ovens.

My thoughts: This book definitely makes me want to get back in the kitchen and attempt making bread again. Alexander's memoir is utterly hilarious—the true example of laugh-out-loud funny. (There were times I dropped the book, laughing.) I can't give any hints as to what entertained me so much without giving away crucial points of Alexander's journey. Part of the humor lay in his ability to set his life so open to us readers, as well as his relationship with his wife. But it's not all simple laughter and humor in this book; Alexander's experiences at Abbaye Saint-Wandrille left me feeling peaceful and recharged, much like the film Die große Stille left me.

I did select a quote to share with you, from the end of the book. It appropriately and accurately conveys, I think, Alexander's mindset as to this entire journey:
"Choose one thing you care about and resolve to do it well. Whether you succeed or not, you will be better for the effort." —323

I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for an excellent summer read. It's a well-written, funny food memoir that also encompasses the meaning of long-term commitment and persistence. Make sure you have some delicious bread nearby, as you will most likely feel munchy as you read!

Rating: 5 stars