Gina's Book #17: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Holly already reviewed this book so I'm just going to say that I enjoyed it. I agree with statements I've heard that the beginning is a little dry, but once you get past that it's very good. I will continue on with the series.

Gina's Book #16: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Okay, so a quick summary of this book: It is told through the memory of the 16-year-old protagonist Holden Caulifield as he is at a mental hospital. He is recounting to us a span of several days the previous December. During that period of time he knows he is being kicked out of the prestigious school where he resides (this is not the first, or even the second school, that has asked him to leave due to poor grades) and he is trying to decide what to do the last few days before he will have to return home and face his parents.  After getting into a fight with his roommate over a girl who he has some sort of deep confusing feelings for, he packs up his things and heads to New York, where he figures he will waste time until he must go home.

Most of the remainder of the book is his experience in New York. As he recalls for us the events that take place, he also is going into great detail on what his thoughts and feelings were at the time. He is clearly struggling with the death of his younger brother, who he loved very much and who he feels was a wonderful human being. Holden struggles with accepting his brother's death when he feels most of the people he comes across on a daily basis are idiots or "phonies".  To me, he can't seem to understand why someone as good as his brother should have to die, when everyone else goes on living their lives.

In my opinion the death of his brother was the catalyst for his eventual break down (the reason he is in the hospital as he shares the story with the reader). On top of dealing with the trials and tribulations of being a teenager and growing up, he is trying to work through his feelings about his brother. He feels sad, lonely, different, and unsure of the future. He doesn't want to participate in the the cookie cutter pattern of kids going to school so that they can get jobs they hate in the future, just so they can earn a lot of money. He sees the kids around him at school as fake, or selfish, or disgusting, and he can't seem to make any meaningful connections with them. He longs for someone who can have intelligent conversation with him, but everyone is too caught up in something else.

I won't go into the rest in case anyone wants to read it. I enjoyed The Catcher int he Rye very much. It is a book where you really get to know a character, and in an honest way.

Some of my favorite parts:

Holden on books: "What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish that the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it."

Holden on the death of his brother: "I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it. I even tried to break all the windows on the station wagon we had that summer, but my hand was already broken and everything by that time, and I couldn't do it. It was a very stupid thing to do, I'll admit it, but I hardly didn't even know I was doing it, and you didn't know Allie.

Holden on girls: "That's the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty, even if they're not much to look at, or even if they're sort of stupid, you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are. Girls. Jesus Christ. They can drive you crazy. They really can".

Holden on being fed up with school and life in general: "You ought to go to a boys' school sometime. Try it sometime. Its full of phonies, and all you do is study so that you can learn enough to be smart and buy a goddam Cadillac some day, and you have to keep making believe you give a damn if the football team loses, and all you do is talk about girls and liquor and sex all day, and everybody sticks together, the Catholics stick together, the goddam intellectuals stick together, the guys that play bridge stick together. Even the guys that belong to the goddam Book-of-the-Month club stick together.  If you try to have a little intelligent-"
  "Now, listen," old Sally said, "Lots of boys get more out of school than that."
   "I agree! I agree, they do, some of them! But that's all I get out of it. See? That's my point. That's exactly my goddam point.  I hardly get anything. I'm in bad shape. I'm in lousy shape."

One of Holden's old teachers on why he should care about school: "Once you get past all the Mr. Vinsons, you're going to start getting closer and closer--that is, if you want to, and if you look for it and wait for it--to the kind of information that will be very very dear to your heart. Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll even be excited and stimulated to know.  Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them have kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them--if you want to."



 

Gina's Book #15: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I consider the Bronte sisters two of my favorite authors and am also fascinated by their own personal stories. Charlotte and Emily were two of six siblings and became the most famous of the family. Charlotte is most known for writing Jane Eyre, and Emily for Wuthering Heights. At an early age their father encouraged the sisters to read as much as they could, and soon they began having writing competitions against one another. They would spend hours each night walking around their parlor table and explaining the plots of the novels to come. They planned to open a school together but failed to find students, and their father, who they doted on, died at the age of 31 from drugs and alcohol addiction. To me it does not seem they had a very happy life.

An interesting thing Charlotte said about Jane Austen's writings was that they were more real than her own, but not more true. I think think shines though in Jane Eyre. The main character Jane had a horrible childhood as an unloved orphan, was not considered pretty by any means, and was not social and at ease with people. The man she loved was not handsome, not particularly charming, and had a horrible secret living in the upstairs of his house. The ending is somewhat happy but with a definite sad and depressing spin on it.

Jane is a complex and really somewhat dark character. As a child, everyone around her is always saying how she is a strange, solitary, frightened, and shy thing. She cannot force herself to be happy and sociable like the other children, but she does have a need to be loved and belong. She finds a sense of belonging with Mr. Rochester and Thornfield, and that plays a huge role in her falling in love with him.

I don't feel like going into a full summary. It isn't the easiest read, but a good one. It is a little dark but a definite love story. Those who don't like love stories probably shouldn't read this.

Gina's Book #14: The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

So this book is the first of the Chronicles of Narnia series, a fact some of you may know, and some of you might not.  I bought a boxed set of the series several years ago and I had been surprised at first, because I'd always thought The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was the beginning. I think this is because that is the most popular book, and also all the of movies I know of that have been based of the series begin there.

In any case, this is my favorite out of all seven books. Now to be fair, this series was written for children so there are probably people who would not enjoy reading them. I however love all the books and find them charming and funny, especially this one.

The story starts out introducing us to Polly and Diggory, two children who become neighbors and begin to get into mischief and go on adventures together. In a botched attempt to explore an abandoned flat down the way, they end up coming across Diggory's evil uncle in his private office. Uncle Andrew is an aspiring magician who has been yearning to try out some of his magic, but has had no human subjects to do this with (he of course does not want to subjugate himself to any possible danger).  Having the two children in his attic, he tricks them into trying on his "magic rings" which transport them to an "in between place" that they can use to travel to different worlds. From here I will just quickly summarize and say that the children do explore a different world, wake up the evil witch, and eventually end up in Narnia as a way to get rid of her. The last part of the book is all about Aslan and how Narnia was created, setting up the back drop for the later novels.

Something that does intrigue me about the copy I have of this book, is that the cover portrays the evil witch Jadis.  I would have thought they would choose Polly and Diggory, Aslan, or Narnia.

Polly, Diggory, and many of the other characters are, in my opinion, hilarious, and always say funny things. I also love the writing style and words that are used. I'm going to include some of my favorite parts:

• Talking about Diggory: "The face of the strange boy was very grubby. It could hardly have been grubbier if he had first rubbed his hands in the earth, and then had a good cry, and then dried his face with his hands. As a matter of fact, that was very nearly what he had been doing.

• Talking about Polly:"She had brought up bits of old packing cases and the seats of broken kitchen chairs, and things of that sort, and spread them across from rafter to rafter so as to make a bit of floor. Here she kept a cash-box containing various treasures, and a story she was writing, and usually a few apples."

• Convo between Polly and Diggory as they are hatching the plot to explore the abandoned flat:

           "Then we could get the length of the whole row of houses."

           "So we could," said Polly, "And oh, I say!"

           "What?"

           "We could get into the other houses."

           "Yes, and get taken up for burglars! No thanks."

           "Don't be so jolly clever."

• Diggory talking to Uncle Andrew: "By gum," said Diggory, "Don't I just wish I was big enough to punch your head!"

• Aslan creating Narnia: "Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake.  Love. Think. Speak. Be walking trees. Be talking beasts. Be divine waters."

• Narrator talking about Uncle Andrew:"Now the trouble with trying to make yourself stupider is that you often succeed."

Jamie's Book #20: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This book caught me by surprise. I found myself really disliking the first half or so. It starts off by painting a very depressing but somewhat realistic picture of a married couple who have fallen out of love. The wife goes missing and the husband becomes the prime suspect. It feels like a bad tv show on Investigate Discovery.... until about half way through. Then everything gets flipped upside down and you are left thinking, "whaaaat the h???" At that point, the depressing beginning makes sense and feels worthwhile. I ended up really liking it. Overall, a 7.5/10.

Jamie’s Book # 18: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The fact that shocks me most about Frankenstein is that Mary Shelley began writing it when she was only 18 years old. The second fact that surprised me the first time I read it was that Frankenstein is the name of the man who creates the monster, not the monster itself.

In the novel, Victor Frankenstein is a wealthy young man who believes he is meant to do something great with his life. At his university, he is first ridiculed by his professors for his interest in outdated philosophers and alchemists, but quickly learns and excels in the modern sciences and earns the respect of his peers and mentors alike. While at school, he discovers the secret to creating life. To him, it is so plain he is shocked he is the first to figure it out.

From there, he spends the next few years making his theory a reality. On the day he succeeds and brings his experiment to life, he realizes it was all a great mistake. The first time his creation takes breath, he runs out of the house and hides in his courtyard all night.  The monster is described as “an 8-foot-tall, hideously ugly creation, with translucent yellowish skin pulled so taut over the body that it "barely disguised the workings of the vessels and muscles underneath"; watery, glowing eyes, flowing black hair, black lips, and prominent white teeth.”

For the sake of trying to keep this somewhat short, suffice it to say everything goes downhill for Frankenstein from here. The monster is born basically an overgrown infant, left to fend for himself in a world that despises him simply for the way he looks. He experiences great hardship and loss, and blames it all (rightfully so) on Frankenstein. He seeks revenge, and I guess I will stop here so I don’t give everything away for those who haven’t read it!

A few thoughts:

-Must be nice to go to school for years on end without having to worry about money and never needing to work a real job your whole life, Frankenstein

-Frankenstein is a coward up until the last, when he has lost everything and has nothing to do but chase the monster halfway across the world

-Rich people had a lot of opportunities to have nervous breakdowns and spend months in bed recovering

-Honesty is the best policy. Frankenstein should have fessed up from the start.

-I feel really sad for the monster, who had potential to do good

Anyway, I rate this an 8/10. It’s worth a read just to get the real story straight!

 

Jamie's Book # 17: 1984 by George Orwell

This was the second time I read 1984. The first time depressed me, but I was prepared for the second read through and found a greater appreciation for this classic. Another dystopian novel, 1984 reveals a society where the past can be rewritten, privacy no longer exists, and every day is lived to serve "The Party." The main character, Winston Smith, has managed to escape The Party's brainwashing and lives everyday as a lie. He plays the part expected of him, but hates every second of it. This all changes when he meets Julia and the two begin a secret affair as an act of rebellion. The affair transforms to love over time and gives them both something to real to fight for. The more I reflect on this book, the more it grows on me. I'm surprising myself and giving it a 9/10.

Jamie's Book #16: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Again, I saw this movie before reading the book, so I was familiar with the plot and characters. Another great book. The story is set in the 1960s and follows Skeeter Phelan, a young woman who takes a risk to write something new and controversial in an attempt to jumpstart her writing career. She writes about life in Jackson, Mississipi in the 1960's from the point of view of the help, the African American maids who do the cooking and cleaning for and raise the children of their employers. The story is told from Skeeter's point of view as well as two of the maids who contribute to the book. It's funny, frustrating, and heartbreaking. Overall, a 8.5/10.

Jamie's Book # 15: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

No surprise here, this was a great book. I had already watched the movie, so I pretty much knew the entire plot line. My least favorite part was that the story was told through the memories of the main character in his old age. I've never been a fan of that - not in Titantic or The Notebook. I want to be immersed in the plot line, and that's hard to do when I keep being brought back to the reality that everyone gets old, people you love die and life starts to suck. Aside from that, I really enjoyed this book. It paints a picture of life in the circus during prohibilition that is shocking yet believable. I grew to love the characters - I even loved to hate horrible August. And of course, I'll never forget Rosie the elephant. Over, this is an 8.5/10.

Gina's Book #13: The Death Cure: Last book in series just doesn't hold up.

Well I read this book pretty quickly because after reading the first two in the series I was curious to see how James would bring last book to a close. The beginning was pretty boring to me. It felt like just another maze, this time in the real world. I guess that could have been an interesting spin but I was just bored. I agree with Jamie, you can tell a man wrote this book. Where he takes the love aspect of the plot line was a bit ludicrous and I was quite appalled. I felt like he was taking short cuts. I understand if he didn't want the book to be all romance, but being that he did introduce a love triangle, it was his responsiblity to fully develop it.

This twist in the end did surprise me, but really I felt like the last page could have been turned into a whole book itself and would have been much more interesting than another maze.

Just my thoughts.

Jamie's Book #14: The Death Cure by James Dashner

This is the third and final installment of the Maze Runner series. It kept me somewhat interested through out the entire book, but the big finale fell short. A twist was thrown in without any hints or clues leading up to it. A new important character was also introduced who had a pretty major role in the ending but again, they were not mentioned in the other two books, and I think they should have been... It feels like they were an after thought. I like when the ending comes together and you realize you had all the pieces all along. This felt like Dashner kept a piece of the puzzle to himself until the last page. Additionally, it is clear a man wrote the romance plot. Frankly, it is not very romantic. Overall, somewhat disappointing. 6/10

Holly's Book #16 The girl who played with Fire

After very much enjoying The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo I decided to read the next book of the series, The girl who Played with fire.

Again I enjoyed this book and I was happy that the storyline was just as interesting at the first book of the series while being entirely different. Often I find book series to end up being a bit repetitive but this author was able to keep the same characters but show you a totally different side of them in the next book.

This book gives you MUCH more background on Lisbeth Salander and focuses much more on her then in the last book.

My only complaint is that I found in both books that the author builds up the story and mystery so much that when the big twist of the storyline is finally revealed it falls a tad flat of what you had been envisioning in your own mind. Regardless, the storyline is still interesting and this book was much easier to get into than the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which was a bit slow in the beginning.

I'm currently reading the 3rd book of this series and will let you know my thoughts on that as soon as I finish.

Mamacita's Books #4: MERCURY- An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury

This biography written by: Lesley-Ann Jones was a fascinating read.  From his Parsee roots and Zoroastrian religious background, to the loneliness of his childhood when, at eight years old, he was sent away to boarding school, the author paints a remarkably vivid picture of the early years of Mercury's life, without boring the reader by lingering too long on those days.  She then chronicles his rise to fame and all that came with it, without imposing her own perspective on the reasons behind his lifestyle choices and various relationships.  Unlike many authors, she appears to respect the intelligence of her readers and their ability to draw their own conclusions, by themselves.

The legendary parties, the drugs and the promiscuous lifestyle are all included, but never in that exploitative style utilized by the tabloids to garner their readers. More importantly, she shares the background to the music that the band Queen provided, and the respectful way the band-mates worked together, always mindful of the contribution that each member made towards the band's success.  
She has written an excellent book about an artist whose life was cut too short; a victim of AIDS, who contracted the disease in the early days before its dangers were recognized. The reader is left to make what they will of the mystery of what compels anyone of us to live the life that we choose.  I find that very fitting for a man, that when asked about the meaning behind one of his works, "Bohemian Rhapsody," provided this answer: "Does it mean this, does it mean that, is all anybody wants to know. Fuck them, darling. I will say no more than what any decent poet would tell you if you dared ask him to analyze his work: if you see it, dear, then it's there."

Gina's Books 10 & 11: The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials

I agree with everything Jamie said about the Maze Runner. I found The Scorch Trials a little slower but will read the next book when Jamie receives it in the mail.

Jamie's Book #13: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Again, another classic that surprised me. I thought there was a romance to it, but there is not. The story is told through the eyes of a laywer named John Gabriel Utterson, but of course it is really about his friend Dr. Jekyll, whose experiment to eliminate his inner evil, "Mr. Hyde," goes terribly wrong. Instead of separating from his inner devilish self, he finds that it becomes the stronger and more real version of him. Instead of taking a potion to become Mr. Hyde, he must drink it to remain Dr. Jekyll.

I enjoyed this story. At first I was worried it would be a difficult read, but once you get into it, it's pretty easy to catch on to. I love reading the original, as the story has been diluted by pop culture. I give this an 8/10

“He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I couldn’t specify the point"

"He put the glass to his lips, and drank at one gulp. A cry followed; he reeled, staggered, clutched at the table and held on, staring with injected eyes, gasping with open mouth; and as I looked there came, I thought, a change—he seemed to swell—his face became suddenly black and the features seemed to melt and alter—and at the next moment, I had sprung to my feet and leaped back against the wall, my arm raised to shield me from that prodigy, my mind submerged in terror.

“O God!” I screamed, and “O God!”again and again; for there before my eyes—pale and shaken, and half fainting, and groping before him with his hands, like a man restored from death—there stood Henry Jekyll!"

Jamie's Book #12: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials is the sequel to The Maze Runner. If you try the series, I would plan on reading  one relatively soon after the other. It's been weeks since I read The Maze Runner, and some of the characters and relationships have already gotten fuzzy, thus I felt less attached as I read the second installment. The beginning was slow for me. I had to get past the annoying slang all over again and reconnect with the characters, but at about the half way point I got interested and moved through the rest very quickly (this is exactly what happened to me with the first.) I am looking forward to reading the next book, The Death Cure.

Quick summary: Thomas and gang have barely made it out of the maze when WICKED gives them a new seemingly impossible mission. Their only hope of survival is to play along and hope they make it through the Scorch alive. The Theresa sub-plot takes an unexpected turn that I don't really like, but I will see where Dashner takes it in The Death Cure before I pass judgment!

Rating: 7.5/10

MAMACITA'S BOOKS #3: EXPERIMENT ELEVEN-DARK SECRETS BEHIND THE DISCOVERY OF A WONDER DRUG

This non-fiction book is the story of the discovery of Streptomycin; the antibiotic "wonder drug" that was used against tuberculosis. It details the efforts of Albert Schatz, a graduate student working towards his Ph.D. degree. at Rutgers University, in Selman Waksman's Department of Soil Microbiology.  Through his efforts he discovered streptomycin, while under Waksman's tutelage; however his place in history as the co-discoverer of the drug went unmentioned and unrewarded for almost his entire life, due to his professor's own quest for recognition and financial gain. It tells the surprising and heart-breaking story of how Waksman went on to win the Nobel Prize for Medicine, in 1952, while limiting any mention of Schatz's very significant role in the drug's discovery.
Although Waksman convinced Schatz to sign off on his royalties to the drug and give them to Rutgers University, he himself made a fortune from antibiotic patents, while also working hand in hand with Merck Pharmaceuticals, unbeknownst to his student.  When Schatz discovered this deception he went on to sue Waksman and Rutgers University and received a substantial cash settlement, but lost favor in the scientific community in the process.

It was an interesting read, but not one that I would necessarily recommend to anyone.  It was a very detailed account of the science involved in the discovery which some may enjoy, but, for anyone else, a quick look on the internet can give you the bare basics needed, to learn the story.

Mamacita's Books #2: YOU GOT NOTHING COMING; NOTES FROM A PRISON FISH

The first time I read this book, authored by Jimmy Lerner, I found it so riveting, that, upon finishing it, I immediately read it again!  I am delighted to say that I had the same inclination when I read it this time, several years later, for purposes of this blog review.  Jimmy Lerner was not a famous author when he penned this story; in fact, he had been employed by a telephone company for many years, prior to his writing this  book.  It began as a journal of sorts, designed to help him keep  his sanity, as he served his time in prison, following his guilty plea for voluntary manslaughter.
The book chronicles the journey of the author, a divorced, middle-aged father of two, with no prior criminal record, who suddenly finds himself navigating through some very turbulent and unfamiliar waters, as a prison fish; a term used for inmates incarcerated for the very first time.  Despite the fact that he is white and Jewish, he forges a surprising friendship with his cellmate "Kansas," the young leader of a white supremacist prison gang, and their relationship plays a significant role in his survival. He also befriends members of the black prison population as well, as he somehow manages to stay true to himself, often reflecting on his career at the phone company and his many training seminars, as he applies the strategies, quite humorously, to his life in prison.

This book has humor, but, also, moments of horror, as any honest book about prison life must have.  The author's ability to capture it all, as he jumps back and forth between the language of prison life and the language of his own middle-class upbringing, lends an amazing aura of authenticity to his work.  Definitely two thumbs up, for this fascinating narrative.

amy's (aka mamacita) book #1: THE UNDEAD: ORGAN HARVESTING, THE ICE WATER TEST, BEATING HEART CADAVERS-HOW MEDICINE IS BLURRING THE LINE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

My first book, by Dick Teresi, is a non-fiction work, that shares information regarding the practices involved in organ harvesting.  The author, a science writer and journalist, offers a look into the evolution of organ donation over the years, as well as the very definition of death itself, as it has been viewed through the ages. It enlightens the reader as to the surprisingly, dated methods that are used to determine if an individual is dead, (for example, a brain wave test, known as an EEG, is not mandatory and is seldom utilized in determining "brain death," but the Ice Water Test, wherein ice water is poured into the individual's ears to see if the cold causes a reaction in the eyes making them appear to "shudder" is) and also shows how advocates for organ donation are often a very real presence in our emergency rooms.

Having undergone three major back surgeries, which employed the use of donor bone for purposes of fusions, I am particularly grateful to those whose generosity has improved my life, so immensely.  Their gift has spurred me to become a organ donor myself, and I will remain one, even after reading this book.  I do, however, believe that the author does make a solid case for more transparency, regarding the practices of organ donation, and the possible conflicts of interest that may be involved in procuring those organs.  

The book is certainly food for thought, although the author's perspective does not always feel like that of an unbiased journalist.  The subject matter was not always pleasant, and, at times, the book seemed to include quite a bit of filler, but, still, I am glad that I read it, due to its thought provoking nature.

Holly's Book #15 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Just read Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.  I liked the story a lot although the beginning was a little slow.  I haven't seen the movie yet but this book was made into one. 

I don't want to give up too much of the plot line but this book has a very interesting mystery plot and well-developed characters. I have actually started reading the 2nd book in this series and Im enjoying it just as much.

Holly's Books #12 #13 and #14

These last three books I read are all by the author Janet Evanovich and were the first three books in the Stephanie Plum Series ( One for the money, Two for the dough and Three to Get Deadly)

I actually hadn't expected much from these shorter novels ( each are only about 200 pages) but all three stories were actually quite funny and entertaining.

The plots follow Stephanie Plum as she learns how to become a bounty hunter in New Jersey. These books have an element of romance, mystery and action while being surprisingly comical. It's very rare that a story makes me laugh out loud but I found myself chuckling during all three books, especially the second one.

While these books don't take themselves too seriously, the writing is quite good and you can fly through the books with ease. The first of the series was made into a movie which I have not seen yet but would like to watch now that Ive read the books. There are also a number of other books to this series that I also would like to read.

Great books if you are looking for an easy read that will keep you interested.

Jamie's Book #11: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

I have always wanted to read this book, but it ended up being different then what I expected. I knew the general plot - the story of a futuristic fireman whose job is to burn books, not stop actual fires. I thought the story would be more about the job of the fireman, but in actuality, it's mostly about the fireman's life after he realizes the books he's burning might be the very things that can save him from the meaningless life he lives.

“We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?”

“There must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”

“If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn.”

“Nobody listens anymore. I can't talk to the walls because they're yelling at me, I can't talk to my wife; she listens to the walls. I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough it'll make sense. And I want you to teach me to understand what I read.” 

“The terrible tyranny of the majority.”

8/10

Jamie's Books 9 & 10: Two for the Dough and Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich

Books 2 & 3 in the Stephanie Plum series have definitely kept me interested. The more I learn about Stephanie's character, the more edearing she becomes. As odd as it sounds when referring to a female lingerie buyer turned bounty hunter, there is something very real about her. She has flaws. She loves food as much as I do and hates exercise more than I do. She has awkward moments around guys. It makes her very likeable. Books 2 & 3 also develop her relationship with Morelli further. I like that their story is slow moving. It keeps you guessing. I did like the plot in Two for the Dough better than Three to Get Deadly, though. Overall: Two for the Dough 7.5/10 and Three for the Money 7/10.

Holly Book #10 The Devil In the White City by Erik Lawson

I actually read this book a few years back and wasn't sure if I liked it or not. I thought maybe I was too young to appreciate it so I re-read it this weekend to see if my opinion had changed.

The story itself is very interesting. It juxtaposes the building of Chicago's World Fair against the story of one of the United States most evil serial killers Herman Webster Mudgett. I think the part that is most fascinating is the fact that the story really happened and that the men who built the fair ended up shaping much of America's culture in ways I recognize today.

The author does an excellent job weaving the two stories together and his writing style was a welcome change to some of the poor writing styles I've subjected myself to lately.

My only complaint is at times the story can seem a little slow, the author goes in-depth into the construction of the fair, and I found myself getting bored during some of those parts. I also think that in an effort to use foreshadowing and be clever the author sometimes left me feeling annoyed.

Overall though this was an excellent book and would be a fascinating read for anyone interested in American History etc.

Holly Book #9: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ( Such a bust!)

This book made me so mad! The author of this just wanted to get rich off an already awesome story by ruinign it with zombies that aren't even called zombies ( They call them unmentionables) . Don't get me wrong, if zombies had been used correctly this would have been the best book ever, but it's like the writer just threw them in as an afterthought. They add no new value to the storyline, they're just there and not even very often. I know they are making this into a movie and I hope the screen writer does a better job at incorporating them into the plot because this author did not. I kept waiting for the author to explain how the zombies came about and to just go more in-depth to it or have some conclusion with them but there is nothing. The author just adds zombie fight scenes in randomly and that's about it. In my opinion the author should have strayed more from the original story-line and really added something to the classic. It had so much potential but just ends up falling flat. I was really excited to read this so it ended up being a big disappointment :(

Holly Book #8: Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

After the 50 shades of Grey debacle I wanted to change directions so I read this Pirate book by Michael Crichton. Gina was accurate when she said this was kind of like Ocean's 11 but for pirates. To be honest, I found the story line a little boring and never got very invested in the characters. It was an okay read, but definitely seemed a little under developed for Michael Crichton. I feel he would have made some changes before this was published if he had been alive.

Gina's Book #9: Foundation by Issac Asimov

A few weeks ago I was at Barnes & Noble with Holly and I randomly chose this book from the classics section. The book was wrapped in plastic with nothing written on the back. I truly was judging the book by the cover. The cover was purple with a picture of a strange old man, sitting in what looks to me like a wheel chair. He is wearing a white suit coat and his legs are covered by a funny blue blanket with gold moons and stars over it. Behind him are tall purple structures that are clearly of a different planet.

I had never really thought of science fiction novels being considered classics so I was interested. I also liked the idea of reading a book I had never heard of and hadn't even read a summary on. Even when I opened the book there was no description anywhere.

I have been putting off writing this review because I am not sure how to summarize it without giving away too much. I think it will suffice to say that the book revolves around the plot line of a scientist who develops a science which is able to predict the future by looking at actions of mass mobs of people. Through this science he is able to foresee a collapse of the current empire, a collapse that will lead the universe into 30,000 years of barbarism and a loss of scientific knowledge. By the time he realizes this it is too late to prevent the collapse, but he puts a plan in action to shorten the period of universal anarchy to only 1,000 years. This is all given away in the first chapter.

The story line is fascinating as a whole, but the book itself is a little dry. Each chapter jumps continuously forward into the future so you are constantly meeting new characters and leaving old ones behind. Still, it was a good book and part of a trilogy that I will finish.

Gina's Book #8: Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

I've always been a Michael Crichton fan. Although his books vary greatly in subject matter, he always seems to know exactly what he's talking about whether its time travel, dinsosaurs, or pirates. I usually find his books to be easy reads and to-the-point, and Pirate Latitudes didn't let me down.

The main character is a man named Captain Charles Hunter. He lives in an English colony in Jamaica in 1665.  He is a privateer, which is basically a legal pirate.  If provoked, crews can steal from Spanish ships and split the treasure with the English powers that be back in Jamaica, and not be hanged for piracy.

The plot line follows Hunter as he assembles a crew and attempts to pull off what is thought to be an impossible privateering mission. Sort of an Ocean's Eleven story but with pirates. There is a lot of adventure and little romance, as is common with Crichton's novels.

This book was a nice change from the other's I've read during this challenge.  Sometimes you just want an easy read to take your mind off things. However, it isn't a book that stuck with me after I was finished, and I doubt I will give it little thought in the future. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.

An interesting fact about this book is that it was published after his death. One of his assistants discovered the completed manuscripts on his computer, along with an unfinished novel called Micro.

Holly Book #7 50 Shades Darker ( I no longer have hope for the human race if this is the best-selling book in the world right now)

Well I continued reading the 50 Shades series and I have to say this book was more annoying than the first. The author really loves using the exact same expressions and words over and over again. All the sex scenes seem exactly the same to me in just different places. Idk it's just very hard for me to get past the author's writing style, it seems very middle schoolesque.

The plot line of this second installment is basically whether ana and grey can overcome their differences and make it work. You learn more about Grey's past and their is also some random storyline about one of his exes stalking him thrown in.  The ending is so unrealistic and contrived! I can't get over it, but I guess I need to finish the series now that I started it.

Honestly, I don't understand why this series reached such popularity. I understand that their is a lot of sex in it and sex sells? but it's basically just a normal over the top love story that has been told 100 times before.

I also did some research today about the whole twilight connection, I guess this was originally published online on some fan literature site (where fans of books write their own versions of the story) and all the characters were named the same as twilight characters and then the author moved it to a new website and changed all the names. This is also the fastest selling softcover book in the UK beating out Harry Potter which just astounds me. It basically gives me little hope for humanity if this is the best reading we can do nowadays.

Oh well. Maybe if people spent more time reading they would realize that their are much better stories waiting for them out there and the world wouldn't suck as much as it does.

Jamie’s Book #8: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

This is the first of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels. It’s a fun story, based on a young woman named Stephanie who loses her job and is forced to take a position at her cousin’s bail bonding company to pay the bills. She has absolutely no experience in bounty hunting, and her first big case happens to be a past love interest, now an experienced cop wanted for murder. Stephanie is a likeable, funny character. You’re rooting for her the whole time. I’m hooked on the series and already bought the second and third books. Overall, I rate this a 7/10.

Gina's Book #7: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Two words: Don't bother.

Also the ending has a very strange "Flowers in the Attic" feel.  My advice? Stay far away.

Olivia's Book #3 : 50 Shades of Grey

I honestly can not figure out why this book has gotten the recognition it has. I found very little enjoyable about it and though I finished it relatively quickly, I had  to push myself to get through it. 

Like Holly said, it's about two people "falling in love" who are completely wrong for one another. However, the whole falling in love part seemed nonexistent to me. Neither of the two main characters were  likable in my opinion and I certainly would never swoon over Christian Grey.

The similarities to Twilight are there. Like Bella she has always felt the need to take care of her mother for example, she doesn't realize she's pretty, she falls for someone "dangerous"who wants to buy her expensive things she won't accept and so forth. In addition, both series are written terribly. I can't count how many times I read, "He smelled of body wash and Christian" or the line "Fifty shades".  Even the more sexual scenes had the characters saying the exact same things and in similar situations. 

Unlike Holly, I honestly have no desire to continue on to the next book, though I suppose I will for the purpose of this blog. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone and am disappointed that this is what the world now considers a good read. And if it becomes a movie like it is said to, well I'm just speechless. Bunch of weirdos. 

Holly Book # 6 Stone of Tears

Just finished the second book to the Wizard's First Rule Series. I have to admit about 100 pages in I wanted to quit because I felt like I was reading a plot line that mirrored the first. Good has to defeat evil once again, the good guys must sacrifice everything to save the world, blah blah blah.  However Gina insisted I keep reading and after a few more chapters the story line did get more interesting and went in a somewhat new direction.

Their were a few battle scenes in this book that I thought were pretty interesting and I liked how all of the main characters had very distinct and separate story lines from eachother in this 2nd installment. These new stories don't really get going until a few chapters in but if you stick with it I think you will enjoy it.

I picked up the third book while I was at my sister's today so I will be starting that tonight. While these books are super long I don't mind reading them. This weekend I took a break from this one to read 50 shades of Grey which is a much quicker read, and then started this one back up this evening and finished it.

Holly Book #5 50 Shades of Grey

This weekend I read the recent cult favorite about 50 shades of Grey.  This is definitely not a literary classic but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

If you choose to read this book you're going to get a lot of sex and a bit of romance? Some parts will probably make you laugh at loud and be prepared to get slightly annoyed with the author's writing style, she repeats herself a lot.

At it's core this is a love story between 2 people who have little in common but somehow decide they can't live without each other. This story is completely unrealistic but I think that's why people like it. I guess this has been compared to twighlight, I suppose I can see the similarity. Grey feels he's too dangerous for Anastasia and they both fight their own common sense that says they do not belong together.

It's a quick read and at the end I did feel the need to start reading the next book in the series.

Jamie’s Book #7: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium, the second installment of the Delirium series, is a much better book than the first.  I started it at 7 pm, and was finished before bed. I literally did not move from the living room chair the entire night. As Holly said, Oliver uses some creative writing techniques to keep things interesting (now and then style) although in the beginning, her attempt to be creative and dramatic was a little annoying. She quickly gets over that though, and the book picks up quickly. I felt for the characters, and really connected with the story line. The last page literally made me gasp in surprise and now I cannot wait until the next one comes out, which I believe will be in October. I rate this book an 8/10.

Olivia's Book #2: Clockwork Angel

Since Gina did an excellent job giving a brief synopsis already, I feel that I can skip that part and just go directly into my opinion on this book. I seemed to have enjoyed it more than Gina, maybe it's because I'm younger. Although I suppose there is nothing extraordinary about Tessa, the main character, I liked her enough. I enjoyed that rest of the characters even more though. There is a very Dark Visions type vibe with the two love interests, however in this book both of the boys have troubled pasts and secrets that are intriguing. It makes it much more difficult to decide which character you want to root for, where as Gabriele was the obvious choice in L.J. Smith's series.

This book was able to keep my interest up until the very end. I had gotten to the last two chapters in less than a day but at that point seemed to have hit a wall. I think the author over did the ending by putting in too many elements and twists. It made it so I was just waiting for it to finally be over.

That being said, I wanted to read the second book and am interested in where the series will go. I would recommend this book as a summer read, but not as a novel one would want to read countless times.

Gina's Book #6: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

This is the second book in Cassadra Clare's series Infernal Devices. The plot of Clockwork Prince seems to be set around Tessa and her friends at The Institute fighting the powers that be to remain in control of the institution. To do this they must find the magister, who escaped at the end of Clockwork Angel, and so begins their journey researching the magister's past while uncovering some of Tessa's along the way.  While Clockwork Angel focused more on Tessa's relationship with Will, this novel concentrates on Jem. 

Clockwork Prince was a little bit slower than the first.  There were a few times that I got bored and started skim reading and honestly I have no idea who the Clockwork Prince is. I have a guess, but I don't remember it actually being put into writing, although that could very well be because of my lack of attention at points in the book. I can't decide if I like the storyline where they took Will. It helps make sense of his behavior in the first book, but also annoyed me somewhat.

Still I'm hooked on the series and because these are the only two book printed so far I have to wait a couple months for the next one to come out. I think I read that should be early next year.

I would rate this book a 6 out of 10. I would love to hear some feedback from others on what they thought.

Jamie’s Book # 6: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Quick summary: The  main character Thomas wakes up to learn he has lost all his personal memories other than his name. He can’t remember his age, family, or where he came from. He finds himself in a small development coined the Glade, which is surrounded by an enormous maze with walls that change every night and is home to terrifying creatures called Grievers. The development is run by teens like himself who also have no memory of their past lives. Their only hope is that if they solve the maze, they can escape the Glade and search for answers. Thomas’ arrival sparks a chain of events that change everything.

I seem to be subconsciously hung up on dystopian novels, because The Maze Runner also fits this category. Its intended audience is young adults, which is clear from page one. At times I felt like I was reading a book I was too old for. Often, (definitely in the beginning) the writing style irritated me. For instance, Dashner’s use of made up slang words seemed contrived. Every time I read one it bugged me, which was distracting. It took me a while to get into the plot line, but by about the halfway point, I was hooked and started to feel invested in the characters. The ending sets the stage for the sequel, The Scorch Trials, which I plan on reading. Overall, I would rate this a 6/10.

Holly Book #4 : Wizard's First Rule

If you enjoy Tolkien then this is a great series for you to get into. An adventure story with witches, wizards, dragons, far off lands, magic, evil and of course a romantic love story for you to get lost in.

This story by Terry Goodkind follows the journey of Richard Cypher as he discovers who he really is, falls in love, plays with magic and hopefully saves the world. The tale is fast paced, descriptive and intriguing enough to keep you turning all 900 pages.  While the core of this story is fairly generic, good must conquer evil, love can conquer all yada yada yada the characters themselves are interesting enough to add a new twist.

I find myself using the Wizard's First Rule in my daily life now and I promptly dove into the second book of this series after finishing the first :)

Gina's Book #5: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

A quick summary:

Clockwork Angel is the first book in the series Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.  It is reminiscent of L.J. Smith novels in that there is a secret society of vampires, warewolves, shape-changers, shadowhunters, and many other kinds of creatures that exists beneath the notice of humans. 

The story begins with American Tessa Gray traveling to 1878 London to live with her brother after her aunt dies. Once off the ship she is immediately kidnapped and sent to live with the dark sisters.  The dark sisters claim that she has the power to change, which is the ability to transform herself into someone else, living or dead, by holding onto any item which once belonged to them.  If she doesn't cooperate they threaten to kill her brother, who they say is hidden somewhere safe.  Tessa plays along in order to ensure her brother and only living relative's safety, and is astounded to find out that she does in fact have this power.  After six weeks of developing her ability, the dark sisters tell her she is ready and she learns that she is meant to marry a mysterious individual known as the magister. 

The same day she is meant to meet the magister, a dark and brooding shadowhunter named Will comes and saves her.  She is whisked off to a place known as the institute which is home to other shadowhunters. Shadowhunters are a race of humans born with angelic blood who exist to fight and kill demons. It is their job to protect humans and keep the accords in place that keep peace between downworlders and humans.

Tessa's appearance in London sparks a chain of events that lead to a secret plot that could destroy the accords and their world as they know it.

My take on the novel:

I did like this book, but it is definitely not a classic by any means. The writing isn't anything spectacular. The main character isn't as likeable as I would have hoped, although she does love to read which is probably the best thing she had going for her.  The love triangle is okay, but I don't find myself getting very much attached to either of the boys.  Will and Tessa are constantly quoting lines from their favorite novels and poems, which in the end just made me feel like the author was showing off her extensive reading experience. 

That being said, there is something about this genre of novel that I love and Cassandra Clare was able, in my opinion, to keep all the necessary elements of a secret world in place while putting her own spin on the piece.  I was interested enough that I stayed up later than usual a few nights to keep reading, and I have continued onto the next book in the series, Clockwork Prince.  Besides I can never say no to a love triangle that involves the dark mysterious loner vs the kind and gentle old soul.

Jamie’s Book #5: Animal Farm by George Orwell

 Animal Farm tells the tale of the animals of Manor Farm, who revolt against their human owners and take over their land, renaming it Animal Farm. At first, the animals are much happier on their own, but slowly the corruption and greed of the pigs, who are smarter and more cunning than the rest, lead the animals into a life that is colder, hungrier, and more tired than the last. The story is meant to be an allegory of the events leading up to and during the Stalin era before WW2.

I received this book as a Christmas present from Gina, but I was not able to get past the first few pages until now. I’m glad I did because it’s a classic I’ve always felt I missed out on. You really get attached to the animals! Poor Boxer :(

The preface in my version of the book was also interesting. It was written by C.M Woodhouse. A few of his thoughts that most stood out to me are:

“Orwell called the book a fairy story. It is also a political tract, a satire on human folly, a loud heehaw at all who yearn for utopia, an allegorical lesson, and a pretty good fable in the Aesop tradition.”

“The passage in which the loyal but stupid workhorse Boxer is sold to be turned into glue because he is no longer useful is written out of controlled and icy hatred for the cynicism of the Soviet system – but also out of despair for all deluded people who served it gladly.”

“Those old enough to remember the wartime spirit of the 1940s may be startled to realize that Orwell started work on Animal Farm in 1943. As he discovered when he went looking for a publisher, Stalin’s Soviet Union was so popular that year in Britain and America that few wanted to hear anything critical of it.”

 

Gina's Book #4: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

My first experience with The Hobbit was the 1977 cartoon adaptation.  At the time I was so young I didn't really understand most of the plot, but I remember finding the film fascinating and terrifying all at the same time.  Although I found it interesting, I did not like the movie, and it always gave me a bad feeling in my stomach to watch it.The next encounter I had with The Hobbit was in my 5th grade class. My teacher Mr. Clark would read a chapter of the book to us a day.  He was a great teacher and when he read, he would use accents and get into character as best he could.  I liked the book, but still I think I was too young to appreciate it.

Now that I am older I have read The Hobbit on my own countless times, and never seem to tire or get bored of it.  Of J.R.R. Tolkiens works, it is by far my favorite.  The writing style is much different than The Lord of the Rings trilogy in that I find it a much more fun and humorous read.  The characters are all very likable and endearing in their own ways. When J.R.R. Tolkien first introduces the dwarves, I found myself highlighting their names and numbering them to help myself keep better track of who is who.  My two favorite characters are Frodo and Gandalf. 

Frodo in my opinion is hiliarious, always making witty remarks with his dry sense of humor. He is a creature of comfort that gets talked into going on this crazy adventure. Half the time he is regretting it and wanting to be back home in his hobbit hole, the other half he is coming up with daring plans to get the drwarfs out of horrible fixes and feeling quite proud of himself.

I think everyone would like to have a Gandalf in their lives. Each character looks up to him as someone who gives sound advice and knows everything. He is the voice of reason and every character feels ill at ease when he is not there.  He believes in Frodo and sees in him something no one else sees, not even Frodo, until the very end. 

This book is one of my favorites and I was happy to have a reason to read it again. For those who have not read the hobbit, I would highly recommend it. The triliogy is also worthwhile, although much more of a demanding read and not nearly as fun. Currently a new movie is in the works and you can find updates on it by visiting the following link: http://the-hobbit-movie.com/

Jamie’s Book #4: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

“In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher McCandless He had given $25,000 in savings to a charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet and invented a life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter.”

Clearly, Jon Krakauer isn’t worried about a surprise ending, as this paragraph is on the front cover of the book. “Into the Wild” looks back at the events and decisions that led 24 year old Christopher McCandless to his lonely death in the Alaska wild. It is a true story.

I specifically chose this book because it is not my normal genre and one of my goals for this challenge is to expand my reading comfort zone. I don’t typically like non fiction to be honest, and I was uneasy about this one from the start since I already knew the ending was not going to be a happy one. However, there is no denying this is a good book!

A few interesting things:

Christopher’s final words in his journal: "Beautiful Blueberries."

 A page torn from Louis L'Amour's memoir, “Education of a Wandering Man” was found near his body with the words “"I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!" written on the back.

A note found on the abandoned bus he spent his last days in read: “"S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless.”