I couldn’t put this one, by Rita Golden Gelman, down. At all. For one thing, she’s a completely captivating writer and story teller. For another, her stories are completely capitvating. She truly is a remarkable woman. In 1986, at the age of 48 and facing an impending divorce, she gave up all her posessions and decided to live in third world countries, experiencing what the natives experience. This is her story. I was completely in awe and amazed at the things she was willing to try, and succeded at; the people she met; and the lives she’s experienced. It’s way beyond a travel book; it’s a life book. And an amazing read. If you’re curious, she did eventually set up a permanent web “address“. Check it out.
Author: booknutgirls
Inkheart
The planets aligned and conspired to get me to read this one. First, Joey’s review on Bookworm impressed me enough to put it on my “to-read” list. But, the exact same day (see what I mean about planets aligning?) my daughter brought it home from the library. She never got to read it.
I absolutely loved this book. I had read Cornelia Funke’s first book, Thief Lord, and wasn’t all that impressed. It was good, but it just didn’t captivate me. So, while I was aware of Inkheart (and her most recent one Dragon Rider) I just wasn’t impressed enough to pick either one up. So, thanks Joey.
First and foremost, this is a book-lovers book. I think that’s what I enjoyed most about it. I loved the way the characters loved books. I loved the fact that there were little quotes at the beginning of each chapter from books that I’ve (mostly) read. (Though my husband spoiled this one for me — to a certain extent — by mentioning that Stephen King did that too. Ugh.) I loved that the whole premise of the book is that characters could be brought into this world from books. (There’s a great little bit near the end about Tinker Bell…) Probably, if I really thought about it, I would find plot holes and loose ends, and if I really wanted to be a spoil-sport, would complain that then ending was messy. But I didn’t care. This book had me captivated from the first page, and I couldn’t wait to pick it up again after I’ve put it down. If my daughter didn’t have to return it, I would have started it again right after finishing. And I never do that.
I Was a Rat!
There wasn’t much to this book by Philip Pullman (I thought I’d give him another try, especially since other people have raved about His Dark Materials…). Great premise: a boy goes around saying he used to be a rat. Who believes him? What does he do? How did he get to be a boy? Not a lousy execution, but definately a minimalist one. I think Pullman was trying to satirize tabloids (and in some instances, I did “get” it), but along the way he forgot to have an engaging plot. Perhaps this book would be better read out loud. I did like the ending, however, which made up for a whole lot.
Memory of Earth
Julie, who has read (by her own admission) most everything Orson Scott Card has written, was appropriately shocked when I had no idea what Basilica was when she mentioned it in a comment a while back. After informing me it was the city in Memory of Earth, she “assigned” me to read it, hopefully before we met up for not-coffee in Ann Arbor last weekend. Well, I didn’t quite make the deadline, but I did read it.
My first reaction on picking up the book was: “Oh, yeah, this one.” I was in college when it came out and I remember when it hit the bookstore. I took one look at the book jacket, and was put off by Card’s blatant stealing of the Nephi story in the Book of Mormon. I didn’t want to give it the time of day; the man plagerized scripture (or what I believe to be scripture) after all.
Now, though, I’m glad I was encouraged to give it a chance. Yes, the plot for any good, church-going, scripture-reading, LDS member is completely predictable. I knew what was going to happen, especially as the book got going. That said, the way Card adapted and fleshed out the story was completely fascinating. Basilica is truly a fascinating place; what city that has existed for 40 million years (my mind can’t even begin to wrap itself around that one) isn’t? But beyond that, I found that the motivations for Elemak and Mebbekew to be completly believable; no longer are they just punk, bullying older brothers. And Nafai’s whole “conversion” process is understandable. Of course he would have questions and doubts. Okay, there were some weak spots (aside from the obvious plot hangups) and Card did spend a lot of time on probably needless details. And Gaballufix wasn’t excatly totally believeable as a bad guy. But overall, it was a decent read. I haven’t decided, though, whether to read the others or not.
The Swallows of Kabul
I found this one while searching for The Secret Life of Bees; it was right on the shelf where the Bee book (which I will get around to reading, someday; I’ve been meaning to for ages, so many people have talked about it, but it’s never in. I know, I know: why don’t I put a hold on it? I don’t know. ) was supposed to be.
Anyway, it’s a thin book, about two couples in Kabul under the Taliban written by Yasmina Khadra (which turns out is an alias for Mohammed Moulessehoul, who was an Algerian army officer). Sounded interesting. And it was. It’s beautifully written and very evocative. I could vividly picture an Afghan summer and the oppressive heat that mirrors the opressive actions of the Taliban. It’s a great English class image. Where the book fell short was in the characterization. Two couples — Atiq and Musarrat and Mohsen and Zunaria — are dealing with trials, life under the Taliban, and failing marriages. They both manage in different ways, and I’m not sure I got the motivations behind all their actions. Atiq was bursting with rage toward everything, but I’m not sure I understood why. Mohsen was an incompetent and confused. He was a bit easier to understand, but I’m not sure if I fully grasped the meaning of his actions. Zunaria was full of suppressed anger towards the Taliban and took it out on her husband. Musarrat was dying, and was, really, the only humane character in the book.
I think the author was operating on the assumption that his readers would understand more about Islam as a religion and a life than I do. Perhaps if I did know more, I would have enjoyed this book more. Still, I’m not sorry I read it.
Mrs. Kimble
I had three reactions to the book: the first section depressed me; the second enraged me; and I was resigned to the fate of these women by the end of the third. What a book.
So. The story: three different women (the Mrs. Kimbles) marry, in succession (not at the same time; that might have provided some interesting plot points), a man who is, by all counts: a pig, a jerk, a liar, a manipulator, and a crook. I suppose the real draw of the book is figuring out why all these women marry this guy. I wasn’t impressed. The first wife drank herself into oblivion after Mr. Kimble left her. She couldn’t hold a job, she couldn’t remember to buy food, and the biggest crime in my book, she couldn’t remember that she had kids to take care of, and therefore a reason to get going in the morning. I felt depressed and repulsed by this character. I know I’m supposed to be on the woman’s side, because the guy was a jerk — he had an affair and left her for the other woman — but how can I be if she’s so despicable?
Second wife wasn’t much better. She convinced herself that he was a Jew (he wasn’t), and married him. Fell for all his tricks because she was suffering in silence from a mastectomy and was vulnerable. She thought he loved her and she loved him for that. Okay so far. Then she up and convinces him to kidnap his kids. WHAT? Thankfully, she dies pretty quick of breast cancer so he can inherit her millions and go on to his third wife.
The third wife was the only one that I actually felt sympathy for. She was the babysitter for him and his first wife and had a crush on him. Anyway, they cross paths, he pays for surgery to correct her major facial birthmark, they get married. But, she’s the only one not to have any delusions about him, at least after 15 years of marriage (Why did he stay wtih her that long?? No answer.). She’s the one who has an affair (though I assume he’s had ones, too), and in the end, she manages to hold on to her life and even make it a happier one, after he does the predictable thing and bolts.
Honestly, I would have never read this book if it wasn’t for the book group. I don’t go in for the divorced/men-are-pigs/women can’t seem to get on with their lives/Oprah-self-help books. I don’t enjoy the feeling of “well, at least I’ve got it together” once I finish a book. So, I’m not exactly happy I read this one. Thankfully, it was a quick read so I didn’t have to spend too much of my time involved with these people.
The Hounds of the Morrigan
I first saw this book recommended over at Bluestocking (not by Laura, but by someone else posting a comment), but then someone else mentioned it on the Fiction Book thread at Times and Seasons. I checked it out at Amazon; the description lent me to believe it was a comic Celtic epic fantasy. And given all that, I figured I ought to read it.
I finished it Saturday evening, and I spent most of the day Sunday trying to figure out what I thought of it. It’s a good book — a Tolkein-esque Journey by two children to save the world from Evil. They meet lots of fun and interesting people along the way, the evil Goddess Morrigan (prounounced More-ree-an) was sufficiently terrifying and evil, and while I think I missed out on the “comic” parts, it was enjoyable to read. But, as I went along, something bugged me: the kids — Pidge and Brigit — never did anything. They walked, and things happened to them. They walked and a donkey lead them into faery land. They walked and someone else showed them on the way. Their pursuers — the hounds of the title — got to close and the Dagda (the great God) resuced them. They got in a jam, and an earwig they were nice to got them out. Get the picture? These kids never did anything but walk. And it bothered me.
That, and I don’t think Pat O’Shea spent enough time with the hounds. I think she was building up some sort of betrayal of Morrigan by the hounds, but she never quite got there. Now, that would have been an interesting, exciting and somewhat fulfilling ending. The ending she wrote was nice, but not exactly fulfilling.
That said, Frodo’s journey consisted mostly of walking, too, and people consider Lord of the Rings to be a classic (as do I). So, maybe action is overrated. I did enjoy the book. I just wish the kids would have done more.
Moving up??
No, that’s not a book title either.
It seems I’ve gained a bit of a reputation for being a children’s literature buff, and my husband’s co-bloggers over at Times & Seasons asked me for book recommendations. That turned into a very long email which turned into a guest post… at any rate, you can see it here. Drop by and leave a few suggestions, if you feel so inclined. 🙂
A Dilema
No, that’s not the title of a book.
I was in the library on Friday, looking for books to check out, and realized something. Everything on my “gotta read” list is either serious or long. Neither of which I was in the mood for on Friday. I wanted something light, fluffy, fun, funny, non-serious to read. And nothing sprang to mind. (Granted, we have a very limited library, so if there was something on my list, the libarary may not have had it anyway. But that’s beside the point.)
So, I figured that I needed to put a non-review up and see what happens. Maybe I can get some recommendations for books that I can read when I’m in a non-serious mood.
Either that, or I’ll just have to wait until my requests for Peter and the Starcatchers or Mrs. Kimble come in. Though I’m supposing the latter is both long and serious… sigh.
The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn
I can’t remember how this made it on my “gotta read” list; chalk it up to “old” age and kids, right? Anyway, I wasn’t disappointed. This book, written by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler, is geared toward middle-age readers, but that didn’t stop it from being incredibly interesting. It’s set in 18th-century Japan, the age of the samurai and the shogun, and is a great Sherlock Holmsian mystery. A 14- year-old boy, Seiki, the son of a tea merchant, longs to be a samurai. But, because he’s the son of a merchant, it’s not possible. That is, until he witnesses a “ghost” perform a theft at an inn he and his father are staying at. Seiki falls in with Judge Ooka (who was actually a real person), and assists in solving the crime. It’s an engaging book, with lots of great detail on samurai life and life in Japan at that time in general. A good book.
The Book Nut 