Book Stuff

I read a couple of books recently that I would like to reccomend. The first is I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (ironically, the author of 101 Dalmations). This was one of those rare and extremely well-written books that I wished were twice as long! Since I'm not good at writting compelling book summaries, here is one from Amazon:

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain wants to become a writer. Trouble is, she's the daughter of a once-famous author with a severe case of writer's block. Her family--beautiful sister Rose, brooding father James, ethereal stepmother Topaz--is barely scraping by in a crumbling English castle they leased when times were good. Now there's very little furniture, hardly any food, and just a few pages of notebook paper left to write on. Bravely making the best of things, Cassandra gets hold of a journal and begins her literary apprenticeship by refusing to face the facts. She writes, "I have just remarked to Rose that our situation is really rather romantic, two girls in this strange and lonely house. She replied that she saw nothing romantic about being shut up in a crumbling ruin surrounded by a sea of mud."

Rose longs for suitors and new tea dresses while Cassandra scorns romance: "I know all about the facts of life. And I don't think much of them." But romantic isolation comes to an end both for the family and for Cassandra's heart when the wealthy, adventurous Cotton family takes over the nearby estate. Cassandra is a witty, pensive, observant heroine, just the right voice for chronicling the perilous cusp of adulthood. Some people have compared I Capture the Castle to the novels of Jane Austen, and it's just as well-plotted and witty. But the Mortmains are more bohemian--as much like the Addams Family as like any of Austen's characters. Dodie Smith, author of 101 Dalmations, wrote this novel in 1948. And though the story is set in the 1930s, it still feels fresh, and well deserves its reputation as a modern classic. --Maria Dolan --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

The Universe (PaperbackSwap, Goodreads, Amazon) has wanted me to read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows for a while now. It seems like every "recommended for you" or "must read" list included this book. I don't know why it took me so long to give in. I think some of it had to do with the title (too cutesy like "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-ya Sisterhood" - I liked that one but don't trust "spin off" titles).

Boy I'm glad I finally gave in and read it. It is written in letter format from the perspective of Juliet and is set in just-barely-post WWII England. Here is the Amazon description/review:

The letters comprising this small charming novel begin in 1946, when single, 30-something author Juliet Ashton (nom de plume Izzy Bickerstaff) writes to her publisher to say she is tired of covering the sunny side of war and its aftermath. When Guernsey farmer Dawsey Adams finds Juliet's name in a used book and invites articulate—and not-so-articulate—neighbors to write Juliet with their stories, the book's epistolary circle widens, putting Juliet back in the path of war stories. The occasionally contrived letters jump from incident to incident—including the formation of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society while Guernsey was under German occupation—and person to person in a manner that feels disjointed. But Juliet's quips are so clever, the Guernsey inhabitants so enchanting and the small acts of heroism so vivid and moving that one forgives the authors (Shaffer died earlier this year) for not being able to settle on a single person or plot. Juliet finds in the letters not just inspiration for her next work, but also for her life—as will readers. (Aug.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

On another not-hardly-at-all-related note: I discovered recently that the man who wrote my all-time-favorite children's book "The Paper Bag Princess" ALSO wrote my all-time-least-favorite (like hate, hate, thinks it's creepy and lame) book- Love You Forever:

I ask you- how can this be? Shouldn't the universe implode or something?

Book Review(s): The Dark Divine & The Way He Lived

I realized that that I read a LOT of good books in 2009, so as a sort of resolution/goal I want to tell you about some of them. (I hate making "official" New Year's Resolutions- it is the best way for me NOT to do something.) FYI- I really suck at reviewing books so in lots of cases I'll just tell you what I liked about them and possibly link to a review I thought was good.

I'm a lucky girl. I have talented friends who also have talented friends. The first two books I want to review are two authors that are friends of Kim's. She actually gave me both of these books (one for my birthday and one for Christmas) and I'm super-grateful for them since I'm always on the lookout for good, new authors.

Both books fall into the category of "Young Adult" fiction, but please don't think that they are like the Babysitters Club or something- YA books can give some awesome, thought-provoking and incredible stories (and most of the time they are cleaner than "Adult" books).

To kick things off, I want to talk about The Dark Divine, by Bree Despain. Wow, where to start? I read some reviews that describe it as a "paranormal romance" so I guess that describes it well (although I think that sounds kinda awful... like some crazy bodice-ripper romance genre).

As for the story, here is part of the "official" synopsis:

"Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes. "

I really liked Grace's character- she is a strong lead female, without being obnoxiously "strong". She "walks the walk" by not passively sitting back and waiting for things to happen to her and she actively seeks answers to the mysteries.

I especially like how the relationship between her and Daniel is believable (unlike another "paranormal romance" YA novel I have read- ahem - Twilight). Because Daniel and Jude were childhood friends, and she always had a crush on him, their re-attraction makes sense. I also like how she doesn't just jump headlong into the romance- it freaks her out and it takes her a while to embrace it.

I read this book in a couple of hours (it is a quick read and I'm fast)- it was one of those you don't want to put down because it draws you in and along (but in a good way- not in a gimmicky "I'm going to make every chapter ending a cliffhanger" kind of way). I particularly loved the dialogue- it felt real and flowed naturally.

My only real beef was that the ending felt a little abrupt. After the wrenching, climactic final conflict, it seemed to wrap up pretty quickly without answering some questions, or skimming over others. But mostly it just left me excited for the sequel that I hope is coming since it is lined up so awesomely!

You can read a better review than my meager efforts here. Also, you can go to Bree's website and read the first chapter of the book. I remember linking from Kims blog (?) a while ago and thinking- dang- this'll be good!

Book 2 is The Way he Lived by Emily Wing Smith. This was one of those rare books that have you thinking about it and it's characters long after you are done reading it. I like that. The more I think and reflect on it, the more facets I discover.

Here is the lowdown on the plot from Amazon (I'm really nervous about "spoilers" so I think it is easier to just give you the "official" stuff):

"When sixteen-year-old Joel Espen dies of thirst on a Boy Scout hiking trip, it shakes the small town of Haven, Utah to its socially conformist foundation. And the six teens who were closest to Joel start to view their community--and themselves--in a new light.

Told from six heartbreaking perspectives on love, loss, and faith, this is the poignant story of how the life--and death--of one teen can have a profound effect on the lives of many. "

As you can read- the book is told, first person, from the perspective of 6 characters and they share their thoughts on grief and their idea of who Joel was. Most of them are changed by his death in some way. It was very interesting to read a book from so many unique perspecives on a single person whom the reader never meets. I wish I could say more, but it feels like it would give too much away :)

Another thing I found very compelling is how each character has their own unique writing style that very much reflects their personality. Much kudos to the author for pulling that off!

My only beef with this book was that the 6 different characters felt so uneven. Some (Claire, Tabatha, Lissa, Miles) felt like full fleshed-out people that were very believable in their grief, thoughts and transformations. Others (Adlen, Norah), , felt la little "2-D" to mee and left me wanting them to be a little more "real".

I highly recommend this one. It is a well-written, thought-provoking read that will stick with you (in a good way!). I couldn't quickly find any reviews I liked to link to, but I did find the trailer for the book (it is something all the cool authors are doing these days- making video trailers for books with cool music and images...). Enjoy!

Princess and the Frog

Tonight we cashed in some free movie tickets and took the girls to see Princess and the Frog in the "big girl" movie theater (or so we told them). Our only other previous attempts to take them to the dollar show ended in a bored Birdy who made it about 2/3 through. They were champs and Birdy was laughing and squealing all the way through!

I initally wasn't really interested in this one (in spite of the fact that I love the "traditional hand-drawn Disney movies). The early ads didn't make it too compelling. We got the new edition of Snow White and it had an extended trailer and the first scene from the movie and I was hooked!

Tiana is a driven, smart girl who has a goal/dream of opening her own restauraunt. She makes a satisfying main character. My only beef is that when played against the playboy Prince, she can seem like a nag because she always has to be the "responsible" one.

Of course, her journey is to learn to have more fun, while the Prince learns to mend his playboy ways. The supporting characters were just as much fun as the mains. The music is also so excellent we found a music store in the mall and bought the soundtrack right away. You can't help but want to dance along to the bouncy Jazz tunes and belt out the big numbers! I can't wait until we all learn the words :)

As you can see from this artwork I found, the anamation is beautiful. I love the bayou scenes that include darkness lit by fireflies (a la the Pirates ride?) to the vibrant New Orleans scenes. You just can't beat the classic hand-drawn animation for beautiful artwork, in my opinion.

Of course the big buzz around this move has been a sense of "took them long enough" to feature a black princess. Maybe so. But now that she's here, I can't imagine a better character and story for her! I am very glad that my niece (who is black) will now have a princess to identify with!

The best part of this movie (for me) is that it returns to the "tradition" of Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin in that it has a great message and moral, but it doesn't have a huge, obnoxious social agenda. Tarzan, Pocahontas and other recent Disney (and other) animated movies have been pretty heavy-handed on the "People (that means you kids!) are bad, nature and animals are good" agenda and I find that, for me, it takes away from the story.

EJ says: We went to go to "Princess and the Frog". It was a lot of fun. We got to see our favorite characters. Everyone thought it was great and funny. I love the parts with Tiana. She was a great actress.

Also my favorite part was the frog catchers when Tiana and the prince said they could talk. Talking frogs are funny, I've never seen a frog talk!

Birdy: I like my favorite part- she turned into a princess! The bad guy was scary and there were scary ghosts.

Book Review- America's Women- 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines

I just finished reading America's Women- 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins and loved it.

This is a pretty good sized book (450 pages) but it was a really entertaining read. As the title suggests, it is an examination of American women from the first colonists through today.

The description makes it sound like a history book, or some dry text book you have to read for a class, but it SO isn't. Collins' has a very, read-able style and peppers the book with sly observations.

The thing I liked most about this book was that it wasn't just a dry count of notable or famous women throughout American history. Instead, it is more of a 360 degree view of women. There are many descriptions of cultural things like clothing, medicine practices, childbirth, what their social life was like, and even what they did about "that time of the month" (you know you always wonder...). There are also explorations in the influence and power (or lack thereof) that women had throughout different periods of time.

The historical information is fascinating, and the highlights of individual women (both known and unkown) is really what makes this book so great. I now have great admiration for the struggles of our foremothers. I highly recommend this book!

Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

 

Wow, I'm glad I didn't let Cyndi scare me away from this one. When I posted the list of books I was buying with my birthday booty, she commented that I shouldn't get this one because it was depressing.  I agree, the ending isn't altogether happy, but man, I thought this was a great read.

This story is about a man who involuntarily time travels. It kind of happens like a seizure- he is there and the next min. he is somewhere in time and he doesn't take anything with him- clothes, money, etc.  That made this book a really great read in itself- just the exploration of the time travel and the limits and "rules" of  his world.  However, this book is NOT a science fiction- it is a love story.  The man (I forget his name) meets his soul mate, true love, whatever, during his time travels and pops in and out of her life until they meet in "real time".  Their love story is amazing (and not squicky like you'd think since he meets her for the "first" time when she is in elementary school). 

I definately want to read this one again, and I'd recommend it (as long as you aren't expecting all happy).  There is some strong language at times (the f-word pops up) and some sexuality, so fair warning.