Juliet, Naked

Ferry rides are very long. To kill some time I tried a new book. Juliet, Naked is actually really well written. It takes a bit to get through the first 2 chapters, but the book starts moving along with a nice readability. It took about 8 hours to finish it. Decent story line starts with a relationship that's very one sided and quite obsessive. Honestly, I can sort of relate. The story takes a different turn when the main character writes a scathing review of an album of this washed up musician. He appreciates the honesty and the real story of the book starts from there. From heartbreak, to bad decisions, to failed marriages, and disappointments with who you have become. It's a great book to read with introspection that doesn't take a lot if you're just looking for a quick read. Bottom line: this book will give you what you put into it.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

This is the second time that I have read Twilight. I did read it not when it first came out but after the second book came out. I really like this book. I read it this second time because I recently watched the movie that just came out on DVD. This book appeals to romantics, whether or not you believe in vampires or if they pique your curiosity. This book is a love story. It is like any typical love story. Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. They get to know each other. They start dating. They fall in love. Then something threatens to tear them apart. They get through it and their bond is stronger than ever. What I left out is the fact that the "boy" is a vampire and that every minute she spends with him could be her last, as he thirsts for her blood. However the love is more powerful than the thirst. I don't want to give away any of the book to anyone who might want to read it, so I won't get into details of the story. The book is written for young adults, so it is fairly easy reading for adults.

Now on to a brief comparison of the book and movie. I like books better than movies because they allow for the time to give background information that there is not time for in a movie. That being said there are some interesting pieces of background information missing from the movie. None that are absolutely critical to the storyline but that are interesting none-the-less. I enjoyed the movie and the parts that were changed in the movie did not affect the essence of the story overall. However, I do enjoy Ms. Meyer's depiction of the story more than the movie.

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

I picked up this book a while back while on a business trip. I found it in the clearance section, so I got it for a steal. I am usually up for a good historical fiction story.

I tried reading it when I first bought it, but was having a hard time being drawn into the story. There is a lot of written French, which I have a hard time with.

I lent the book to a friend, who also enjoys historical fiction and she loved it.

The book has been sitting in my bookcase ever since. I finally pulled it out over the weekend and am not experiencing the same apprehension at reading the story.

It is essentially another grail story, but with a bit of a twist...

I will warn you that it does jump around a lot and it is hard to keep the characters straight, who's good, who's bad, who's who, who's when... (if you read the book, you'll get this).

It was a good book, but I'll need to re-read it sometime to see if I understand the storyline a little better. In my opinion, it would have been better for the author to stick to a couple of storylines, but I understand why it was written the way it was written... I would have just liked to get more involved with the characters than I did...

The Christmas Sweater, by Glenn Beck

We picked up a copy of "The Christmas Sweater" when Glenn Beck was here for his book signing tour, and I read it over New Year's.

The book is a fictional adaptation of some real events that took place in Glenn Beck's life. The story follows Eddie, a 12-yr-old boy, through some of the most difficult times in his life, and how he finally gains the courage to face his personal "storm" and learns to recognize what is really important in life. He also comes to learn that one of the most important steps to finding peace is being able to forgive yourself.

Eddie is at times frustratingly self-centered and stubborn in the book, but given his age and the circumstances, that's not unreasonable. And the lessons he learns are applicable to all of us, regardless of our individual circumstances.

The book made me think about my priorities and appreciate my family. It is a great reminder of the power of love and forgiveness, and of faith. I don't want to give away too much of the story or Glenn's take on it (which he shares at the end), but in my opinion it is inspirational and worth the read.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

I was given this book by "Santa" in my stocking this year. I have been meaning to read it for quite some time as I loved the movie. While the book and movie have a lot of elements that are different they both cohesively portray the friendship of these 4 girls as they start to grow into their selves. The basic plot is centered around a pair of pants that are magical in the fact that they fit all 4 girls perfectly. These pants were discovered at the beginning of a summer when all 4 would be going separate directions for the first time in their lives. They each have their own adventures and discoveries during their time apart but the pants draw them closer and give them the "boost" that they need at the time that they need it. I loved the book. It paints a wonderful picture of friendship and sisterhood that reminds you why your friends are your friends. I believe it to be a must-read for anyone who likes good friendship stories and tales of discovering who you are and those discoveries bringing you closer to the ones you love. It is written for a teenage audience, so it reads easy and quickly. I hope whoever reads it likes it as much as I did.

Tribute - Nora Roberts

I was given a SIGNED COPY of Tribute for Christmas, along with many other NR books (some as JD Robb) and have been reading up a storm ever since.

Tribute is a beautiful story, steeped in suspense and intrigue. You follow a woman who is rebuilding her life by renovating a farm that was owned by her famous grandmother. In the process, she needed to find out the details surrounding her grandmother's death, in order to save her own life. I was rivited. Yet another good NR book.

Sign of Seven Trilogy - Nora Roberts

I loved the books. I love reading Nora Roberts tell a story over 3-4 books.

This story deals with 3 boys, who at the age of 10, inadvertently released a demon when they became blood brothers. Every 7 years, for 7 days, the demon wreaks havoc on their town, causing some people to go mad. It follows what happens when they are at their third "Seven", the strong women they meet, and how they are able to defeat the demon. Each book follows a different guy/girl pairup.

Having read most of Nora Robert's trilogies, they do tend to follow the same general pattern, guy/girl meetup... have to work together to defeat something not entirely good... learn to live life... Even though it is somewhat predictable, I enjoy my time reading these kinds of books. I like to escape into the world she creates and get to know the enjoyable characters.

Waiting to Surface by Emily Listfield

This is another library find. The synopsis on the dust jacket sounded interesting, so I checked it out.

I gave up on this book. After 5 chapters, my attention just wasn't there. I wasn't interested in the story AT ALL.

If you have read this book and found it great, I'm happy for you... I guess it just isn't for me...

"Don't you forget about me" by Jancee Dunn

I found this book at the library, and it looked interesting, so I checked it out.

It's about a woman who is basically just floating through life, until her husband decides that he's unhappy and leaves her. She ends up in a pretty deep depression, her boss makes her take a sabbatical, and she ends up moving in with her parents for a while, at the age of 38.

This coincides with her upcoming 20 yr high school reunion. She basically reverts back to her high school self, reminiscing about how it was the best time of her life. It wasn't until later that she discovers/remembers just how it really was for her, and this basically makes her "grow up."

It's a pretty good book. A quick read. I checked it out on a Saturday, and it was finished by Sunday night, reading sporadically. It's a good nostalgia story for anyone who grew up in the 80's.

"Born on a Blue Day" - Daniel Tammet

I found this book a while back walking through a bookstore and thought "That reminds me of something my husband would say." So, I checked it out from the library.

It is written by a man who has Asperger's and is also a savant. He also has synesthesia, which we learned just recently, my husband has as well. Synesthesia is when 2 or more different sense parts of the brain mix things up (seeing word and/or numbers in different colors, textures, patterns, etc...).

It is very interesting reading his descriptions of how he perceives things, like numbers and words. "Born on a Blue Day" is a reference to the day he was born, which to him, the word is a blue word.

Another interest to me is his descriptions of his life and feelings while he was growing up. He wasn't diagnosed as autistic until he was in his twenties. It shows how, through help from his family, he was able to make a life for himself. He volunteered in a foreign country, teaching English. He moved out of his parent's house to live with his partner. He memorized pi to over 22,500 digits. He was able to overcome some of his sensory issues and travels by airplane.

It's pretty amazing to read about his experiences. I hope that this book helps anyone who doesn't understand what it is like to be autistic, and a light for those who are autistic that they find a way to succeed in this world. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to come away with something they didn't know before.

The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

I found this book in a convenience store while I was stranded for a few hours in Petersburg, Alaska. The teenage boy at the desk was disappointed that I got the last book.

I was drawn into the story early. I found the writing and story telling style different. However, it became slow throughout the middle of the book. The story is told 2nd and sometimes 3rd person through letters the main character is reading. It's not until you get to the last quarter of the book before you start seeing some present-day action.

The book is about a girl, who finds a book in her father's collection that is sinister and mysterious. She persuades her father to tell her about it. He only agrees to do this in small bursts over her teenage years. The reason why is not revealed until late in the book. I won't tell you why, in case you read this book.

The story follows her mother and father through letters she is reading during the middle part of the book, which makes up the bulk of the story. This is where it gets slow and (almost) painful, but there is a lot of information here, it's just hard to get through. I'm usually one to read a book constantly until it's done, sleep be dammed. It was easy to put this book down while I was reading the middle of it. In fact, I've been reading this book off and on for a while now.

Once you get to the last quarter of the book, if you haven't suffered through the middle, you won't get what's happening. This is where I couldn't put it down.

The end was good, if not anti-climactic. Maybe I'm just too used to more action in my books. I thought that because the book is about vampires, that it would be more riviting.

If you have nothing better to read, this is a good time-filler. But there are probably books in existance that are more entertaining.

"The Speed of Dark" - Elizabeth Moon

I found this book as I was looking through the sci-fi section at the bookstore for something new to read, and the title caught my eye.

This is the story of Lou Arrendale, a man with autism living at some point in the future in which an experimental cure for autism has been developed, in the form of risky brain surgery. Within the broader context of a look at this man's life, perceptions, challenges, and relationships, the book explores the conflicts surrounding the "cure" on many levels -- within the autism community, between the NT (neurotypical) and autism communities, and the inner conflict that this man and his friends face.

If you've seen the movie "X-men 3," the conflict is reminiscent of what those characters faced -- the conflict between those who are "typical" and those who are "different" and how some of the "different" people feel blessed to be so and have no desire to change, while others feel ostracized and want nothing more than to be just like everyone else. As for the "typical" folks, some of them feel justified in forcing their "cure" on others, while others respect the right of individuals to choose for themselves.

One of the questions addressed in the book is that of what makes a person who they are? In the autism community the issue of whether "curing" someone of autism (if it were possible, which it is not) would fundamentally change who they are and whether a "cure" should be a goal or not is hotly debated. In the story, early intervention efforts have proven quite successful and so the brain surgery "cure" is really something addressed only at those adults who were born too late to benefit from the early treatments made available to their younger counterparts.

As a mother of three sons with autism, this story touched me on a very personal level. The author is also the mother of an autistic child (teenager) and her knowledge of autism comes through in the book, giving it a genuine feel. I found myself alternately thinking, "wow, that sounds like something one of my sons would say!" and wondering sadly whether my sons would have to face these same kinds of challenges and difficulties as adults. I don't always like stories written in first-person, but I love that this book is written that way, as it gives us great insight to see how Lou thinks and the way he perceives his world.

I won't give away whether Lou chose to have the surgery or what the outcome of his decision was, but I will say that the way it is written, the author simply presents the outcome, without inferring a judgment on whether Lou's decision was "right" or "wrong." Truly, the "right" decision is a very individual thing anyway, and probably not the same for everyone, like many of the decisions we all face in life. It's been a while since I've read this, but Lou's story is one that I won't soon forget -- definitely worth the read.

I haven't forgotten...

I am about 2/3rds of the way through "The Historian." It's taking me a while to read it, so watch for my review (hopefully) in a few weeks.

Strangers in Death - J.D. Robb

I know... it's written by a romance novelist (Nora Roberts, writing as JD Robb), but I love her "in Death" series. I like novels where I can continue to read about characters and the continuations of their lives. It's a fairly easy read. I picked it up this past week and basically read it in one day. It's a book you just read to enjoy the story, the twists and turns, and of course, figuring out who the murderer is and why. There's a little romance in there with the 2 main characters, who are very much in love and married, so it's got the warm & fuzzies happening for it.

I am drawn to these books because the main character is a Lieutenant for the NYPSD (it's set in 2060) who is a very strong, determined woman who has a very tragic past that haunts her. In past books, she hooked up with the richest guy in the world (he owns, like, everything, which is a constant source of jokes between them) who used to be a criminal. He goes straight, convinces her to marry him, and does part time consulting for the police department to help her out on murder cases.

This particular installment has her facing off against the mastermind of 2 murders, which on the surface seem unrelated. I've read so many of these, I can tell when something will be important later, but it's fun to find out how the characters within the story will figure it out.

If I were rating this book based on the movie system, I'd rate it an R, mainly for language, and violence (some of the murder scenes are described in detail). So, if you aren't into reading about that kind of stuff, this book probably isn't for you.

Keep watch for more reviews!

Due to personal circumstances, it looks like I will be able to read more books soon. I'll be able to write more reviews! Yay!

"The Memory Keeper's Daughter" - Kim Edwards

I was given this book a while ago, and finally sat down to read it last weekend. I recently finished it and I loved the book.

It is a book about a choice one man made and the repercussions of that choice.

The book starts out with the man, who is a doctor and his wife, who is about to give birth to twins (although they didn't know it until she was in the delivery room). The first baby born is a little boy, healthy. The second baby is a little girl, born with Down's syndrome. It is 1964. The doctor makes a decision to send the baby away to an asylum to spare his wife the dispair of raising a child with health issues. He instructs the nurse who assisted with the delivery to take the child to the institution. When she gets there, she is appalled by the living conditions, and decides to keep the child for herself. The book follows these 2 seperate lives.

I loved that this book didn't sugar-coat anything. You get to see the downward spiral of the one side, and the progress made on the other. In the end, they reunite. It is a very moving story and one that I relate to on a personal level.

I'm glad I was given this book and I would recommend it to anyone.

The Start of Something New

I like book clubs, but I find that I usually don't want to read the book that has been chosen, or I don't get a chance to read it in the alloted time. So, since I like to read, I decided that I would read what I felt like, and post a review on this blog.

I would like to invite anyone who would like to write a review of a book they've read, to let me know and I'll add you as an author on this blog. That way, you can write your own review.

I'd like to make a suggestion though, that if you review a book that someone else has already reviewed on this blog, that you put your review in the comments rather than another review.