Sunday, September 29, 2013

Locke & Key, Volume 2: Head Games


Locke & Key, Volume 2:
Head Games

Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez
5/5


First Sentence
"When you said, "Let's go study down by the creek," I didn't think you really meant "Let's go study.""
Publisher's Description:
New York Times bestselling writer Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez, the creators behind the acclaimed Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft, return with the next chapter in the ongoing tale, Head Games. Following a shocking death that dredges up memories of their father's murder, Kinsey and Tyler Locke are thrown into choppy emotional waters, and turn to their new friend, Zack Wells, for support, little suspecting Zack's dark secret. Meanwhile, six-year-old Bode Locke tries to puzzle out the secret of the head key, and Uncle Duncan is jarred into the past by a disturbingly familiar face. Open your mind - the head games are just getting started

Dear Reader,

After reading the first volume of Locke & Key, I wanted more! I reviewed the first one, which you can find here. I found this volume to be a little less grotesque and a little more mind games (which is probably a little noticeable by the title of this one, Head Games). The story continues with the Locke Family after the tragedy that struck them. The first volume revolves around the tragedy and the family moving into Lovecraft, into the old house that has been owned by the Locke's for centuries. It also introduces us to the keys that do unusual things, this volume in particular has a key that does something quite disturbing. I don't want to give to much away for those of you that haven't picked up the first volume yet. So if you haven't read the first volume, beware the spoilers that you might read if you continue on.

In Head Games, we start where Welcome to Lovecraft left off, Zack Wells making an appearance (claiming to be related to the gym teacher). However, we know the truth, Zack was released from the well by Bode in the last volume. We also know that using special keys he can change genders and a particular key in any door which will open to wherever he desires. The story actually revolves more around this new key that Bode finds, one that can be used to open your head (literally) and look inside. The key is inserted into the back of your neck and pops the top of your skull off . The wonderful art of the comic does an excellent job showing us this and Rodriguez (the artist) does an even better job of showing us what is inside a person's head. Brains and Goo? Nope, all our hopes, dreams, fears and more.

I enjoyed this volume even more than the first one. I loved the idea of being able to pluck out memories or put information into your head. Joe Hill really touched upon all the questions that you could think of, what would happen if you did take something out? What happens if you shove in a book about cooking? Would you become a master chef? It really opened up the possibilities of the story. I found this even more horrific than some of the other keys, screwing with peoples memories is no joke. I couldn't even begin to fathom why someone would willingly WANT to mess with their head. This is something Kinsey does right away, with taking out her fear and the ability to cry. We don't see too much repercussion from this yet, but I believe this will be addressed in volume 3. Speaking of, I just downloaded it... thank you Joe Hill for getting me addicted, now enjoy my money. I just know this comic series will make a huge dent in my pocket, will it do the same for you?

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

Friday, September 27, 2013

The Tortilla Curtain


The Tortilla Curtain
T.C. Boyle
4/5
Published 1995


First Sentence
"Afterward, he tried to reduce it to abstract terms, an accident in a world of accidents, the collision of opposing forces--the bumper of his car and that frail scrambling hunched-over form of a dark little man with a wild look in his eye--but he wasn't very successful."
Publisher's Description:
Read by the author.

The author of East Is East replays the tragi-comic meeting of representatives from two different cultures with nothing in common. This book calmly grabs hold with an unexpected suspense.

A Mexican illegal immigrant couple, Candido and America Rincon, seek a better life in Southern California. Candido's freak accident shows the couple's vulnerability and they are afraid to seek help. Each small improvement they are able to make in their daily existence, is quickly erased. They cross paths with Delany Mossbacher, a liberal nature writer who lives in a gated community in the same canyon. The story is artfully told from each character's point of view and the reader is torn between the shifting currents in each world. Cultural misunderstandings and tragic errors create the gripping realization that this may be one story without a perfect ending.

Dear Reader,

This is my first T.C. Boyle book, and it was a very interesting introduction to a novelist I've heard many good things about!  You might be wondering why I chose to read a book that was first published in 1995 and sometimes feels somewhat dated.  Well, it's largely because it was an audiobook, and available from my library's Overdrive offerings, so I figured I'd give it a go - I've been wanting to read Boyle for ages now, and I saw this and downloaded it.  Simple as that.  Like I said, it wasn't probably the best book to start with, but it's too late now, and besides - I still very much enjoyed reading it!  It was especially enjoyable to hear Boyle read his own work; I always prefer when authors narrate, because then I feel like I am truly getting to hear how they wanted every word to be read.

Some might find my initial comparison to David Foster Wallace odd, but it recalled strongly to me the feel of The Pale King, Wallace's posthumously-released (and never actually finished!) exploration into the life and history of an IRS employee.  Perhaps it was Boyle's attention to details about people which struck me as very similar to DFW.  In any case, that first impression didn't last the entire book, but it was something I wanted to make note of, in case anyone else enjoyed The Pale King as much as I did.

The story revolves around the lives of two very different couples - that of white, upper-middle-class Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher compared with that of almost-starving, illegal-immigrant Cándido Rincon and his young wife América.  Their lives cross paths suddenly and unexpectedly one day when Delaney mistakenly hits Cándido with his car as the latter was trying to cross the road.  From there, the story unfolds by taking turns alternating focus between all four of the main adult characters.  Delaney writes a nature column and is stay-at-home dad; he is generally a very laid-back and open-minded kind of guy.  Compare that with his wife Kyra, an ambitious real estate agent who longs for the safety and comfort she believes money can bring.  Meanwhile, the reader gets to delve into the tough and hand-to-mouth life that Cándido and América must endure; the one cannot work because he is hurt, so the other must take odd jobs as she can get them, even though women are much less desirable at the labor pool where all illegal Mexicans congregate every morning in order to offer up their low-cost services to the rich white gringos who want to keep as much of their own money as possible. 

The story begins simply as a recounting of both sides' passions, beliefs, and situations, but then begins to reveal itself for what it really is: a thorough examination of the racial tensions which tore through California during the late 90s.  It was especially interesting reading it as a native New Englander and self-proclaimed liberal, who never had to experience either side of such a difficult situation.  But I did find it fascinating alternating between feeling kind of "above" the Mossbachers' somewhat materialistic lifestyle, and feeling bad for the struggles that the Mexicans had to endure.  However, you do find yourself (or at least, I did!) understanding more about where each side is coming from.  Since the Mossbachers never really get to see what the Rincons are going through, it's easy to understand why they become upset and scared when they lose beloved pets and become victims of vandalizing.  And you can't help but feel a deep sense of tragedy for the Rincons and their situation, which feels like it is always impossible to dig out of, even when they get a break here and there.  

Ultimately, I got the impression that Boyle's novel was about the importance of communication.  The need for all of us not to jump to conclusions about people based simply on their appearance or their actions.  We can never know what situation we will find ourselves in; it does help to try to empathize as much as possible, I do believe.  I think the ending of the book was beautiful, even if it felt somewhat lacking initially - I couldn't believe it was the end, just like that! - but I found after thinking about it that I loved how it stopped where it did.  It left the reader with perhaps a bit of hope, or at least an open-ended question about what could have transpired thereafter. 

I would recommend this book to most readers, even despite some of its dated references and feel.  I think it's always a great idea to walk in someone else's shoes for a little while from time to time.

Happy Reading!
Yours,
Arianna

Man in the Dark


Man in the Dark
Paul Auster
5/5


First Sentence
"I am alone in the dark, turning the world around in my head as I struggle through another bout of insomnia, another white night in the great American wilderness."
Publisher's Description:
Man in the Dark is Paul Auster’s brilliant, devastating novel about the many realities we inhabit as wars flame all around us.

Seventy-two-year-old August Brill is recovering from a car accident in his daughter’s house in Vermont. When sleep refuses to come, he lies in bed and tells himself stories, struggling to push back thoughts about things he would prefer to forget—his wife’s recent death and the horrific murder of his granddaughter’s boyfriend, Titus. The retired book critic imagines a parallel world in which America is not at war with Iraq but with itself. In this other America the twin towers did not fall and the 2000 election results led to secession, as state after state pulled away from the union and a bloody civil war ensued. As the night progresses, Brill’s story grows increasingly intense, and what he is so desperately trying to avoid insists on being told. Joined in the early hours by his granddaughter, he gradually opens up to her and recounts the story of his marriage. After she falls asleep, he at last finds the courage to revisit the trauma of Titus’s death.

Passionate and shocking, Man in the Dark is a novel of our moment, a book that forces us to confront the blackness of night even as it celebrates the existence of ordinary joys in a world capable of the most grotesque violence.

Dear Reader,

This is another wonderfully descriptive novel by Paul Auster. Some people don't like his style but I wholeheartedly adore it, maybe minus the reoccurring characters of cheating men (although maybe he writes what he knows?!? He is on his second wife). His books usually contain unusual situations with a heavy hand of existentialism. This novel is exactly that, it starts off with the main character telling a story in his head about a man who wakes up in a hole with little recollection of how he got there. The first half of this book deals mainly with this story within a story and you don't really learn about August Brill (main character) directly until you get closer to the end. What is unusual about this is that we actually do learn a little of Brill through his own story. You see... the story Brill creates in his head is about a man who must stop the Author (Brill) from continuing on with the story. Confused yet? Auster does a wonderful job with this and trust me... you really won't be confused at all (I'm finding it hard to describe since I lack the graceful way with words that Auster has).

The story within the story is finished halfway through the novel and the we continue with August Brill's reality (not the story). At first I was a little annoyed that the story seemed somewhat unfinished but the reason is there, you start to get it towards the end. I enjoyed both parts equally and by the time I was done with the book I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster. One part of the book actually has a very graphic scene set in Iraq, one that shows the true horror of the war. It was quite hard to stomach and I'll admit it left me in tears.

I understand why August Brill was creating this story, he wanted to dream of a way to change the outcome of his current life. In the story he created in his head, the point was to stop the Author from changing history but wouldn't that mean the characters would then die? Those characters are imagined by Brill, so essentially by killing him... they would die with him. In Brill's reality we have a horrific event (in Iraq) that has changed his whole family and he uses this story to dream of what it would be like to write a different ending. Man, get your mind around that one! It's a fantastic story, both of them. This might be my favorite Auster book yet, I highly recommend it. Take note though, be careful to be in a good mind frame when reading this... I could see the potential it would have to screw with someone at the wrong time of their life. With that said....

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The Returned


The Returned
Jason Mott
3.5/5


First Sentence
"Harold opened the door that day to find a dark-skinned man in a well-cut suit smiling at him."
Publisher's Description:
Jacob was time out of sync, time more perfect than it had been. He was life the way it was supposed to be all those years ago. That's what all the Returned were.

Harold and Lucille Hargrave's lives have been both joyful and sorrowful in the decades since their only son, Jacob, died tragically at his eighth birthday party in 1966. In their old age they've settled comfortably into life without him, their wounds tempered through the grace of time ... Until one day Jacob mysteriously appears on their doorstep—flesh and blood, their sweet, precocious child, still eight years old.

All over the world people's loved ones are returning from beyond. No one knows how or why this is happening, whether it's a miracle or a sign of the end. Not even Harold and Lucille can agree on whether the boy is real or a wondrous imitation, but one thing they know for sure: he's their son. As chaos erupts around the globe, the newly reunited Hargrave family finds itself at the center of a community on the brink of collapse, forced to navigate a mysterious new reality and a conflict that threatens to unravel the very meaning of what it is to be human.

With spare, elegant prose and searing emotional depth, award-winning poet Jason Mott explores timeless questions of faith and morality, love and responsibility. A spellbinding and stunning debut, The Returned is an unforgettable story that marks the arrival of an important new voice in contemporary fiction.

Dear Reader,

What a unique idea The Returned bring us. What would you do if a deceased loved one came back from the dead and returned home to you? And no, this isn't another zombie novel. These people are returned alive and well, exactly as they were. Jason Mott gives us a novel that really makes you contemplate that question, a question that hasn't crossed my mind too much.

The story sticks with one family and one small town. This family is of a close knit southern kind, one that wouldn't have been my favorite pick but I can appreciate these characters none the less. The mother is extremely religious, where as her husband is borderline atheist. This was something that I greatly appreciated Mott for doing, giving us a complex relationship atop of a complex situation. When their son, who drowned in a river a decade ago, comes back to them as one of "the Returned", we see what happens when two different mindsets are given something one can only wish for. However, problems start to come up and we see struggle within society on how to deal with this, issues like overpopulation and even where to put the Returned?

I think the Author really picked something unique to write about and I could see this as being a cross between being a blast and being emotional to write. Personally, I did find myself thinking about what I would do if someone I loved came back to me. I know it would be a strange situation indeed. However, since I haven't lost a parent, child or significant other... the characters were somewhat hard to relate to. I think this might have been the reason why I didn't give this a 4 rating. The book mostly touched on the emotional aspect of this situation and only skimmed the waters of what this might mean to the country or world as a whole. I really respect this Author for bringing us such a unique novel and writing it with a very strong voice, you just know he had lost someone recently enough to give us such a writing performance. If you read the very ending, you'll get a little blurb by the Author that shows you his loss and what sparked him to write this book. I would definitely recommend this book, especially for those of you who've lost someone close to you.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

Monday, September 23, 2013

This Is How: Help For The Self


This Is How: Help For The Self. Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike.
Augusten Burroughs
3/5


First Sentence
"Several years ago when the relationship I assumed was both nearly perfect and my last turned out to be neither and ended car-off-cliff style, I experienced an unexpected and profound personal awakening."
Publisher's Description:
If you're fat and fail every diet, if you're thin but can't get thin enough, if you lose your job, if your child dies, if you are diagnosed with cancer, if you always end up with exactly the wrong kind of person, if you always end up alone, if you can't get over the past, if your parents are insane and ruining your life, if you really and truly wish you were dead, if you feel like it's your destiny to be a star, if you believe life has a grudge against you, if you don't want to have sex with your spouse and don't know why, if you feel so ashamed, if you're lost in life. If you have ever wondered, How am I supposed to survive this?

Dear Reader,

Despite the hilarious and lengthy title of this book, sadly, the humor ends within the first few chapters. What Augusten Burroughs brings to his other books is a dark humor that gives him a unique and interesting voice, this is something I've liked about this Author and something this book is severely lacking in. I'll be the first to admit that I find self help books mostly utter crap and reading one is usually like having to swallow some really nasty cough syrup. I was hoping this would be a satire of one, especially knowing the dark side of Augusten. He only succeeds partially, taking some common self help advice and throwing it under the bus (which made me whoop and laugh along the way). This wasn't consistent throughout the book and which ended up causing the rating to drop to 3 stars (I was also wavering at lowering it even more but couldn't bring myself to give such a low rating to an Author that does bring something to the table).

The first few chapters give some humorous stories that had quite the relatable quality to them. The story of the woman in the elevator might have been my favorite. She criticized Augustens bad mood and basically told him to put a smile on his face because "it couldn't be ALL that BAD". This is where I commend the Author because he tells it like it is, yes... it sometimes IS that BAD, and that IS perfectly OKAY. Another part I loved was his criticism of affirmations, something I loathe. He basically tells us by doing this, we're lying to ourselves. Should we really be lying to straight to our face in a mirror!? He also brings up an excellent point about relationships and dating, how we should only be who we are and not try to be someone we want to be (something I didn't learn until late in my own life). If we only show this "best" side of us on a date, this is also a lie. How is anyone capable of keeping this up? Sooner or later all your faults will come out, and if they weren't shown to begin with than how are we to know if that person is accepting of them? Great advice, truly!

What I didn't love about the book was mostly everything else. I didn't need advice on suicide, drinking, and the vast other tips he had to offer which left me bored through part of the book. I guess this is something that shouldn't be a big deal because somebody could really benefit from this advice, just not me. This is another reason I didn't want to rate this too low because advice is very specific to that person and someone else might get SO much more out of it. This might not have been my favorite book by Augusten Burroughs but he does give a slightly unique perspective to the genre, and I have to admit that I didn't HATE it... which is an accomplishment.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

Button, Button: Uncanny Stories


Button, Button: Uncanny Stories by
Richard Matheson
4.5/5


First Sentence
"The package was lying by the front door - a cube-shaped carton sealed with tape, the name and address printed by hand: Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lewis, 217 E. 37th Street, New York, New York, 10016."
Publisher's Description:
What if every time you pushed a button you received $50,000...but someone you didn’t know died? Would you still push the button? How many times?
"Button, Button", which inspired a memorable Twilight Zone episode, is just one of a dozen unforgettable tales in this new collection by Richard Matheson, theNew York Times bestselling author of I Am Legend and What Dreams May Come. This volume contains a number of stories that were adapted for television, as well as a new introduction by Matheson himself.
This collection of stories features "Button, Button," soon to be a major motion picture starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden.

Dear Reader,

I started this book awhile back but only to read one of the stories, Button, Button, which was made into a movie The Box (I never ended up watching) and was based on a Twilight Zone episode (which I have also never seen). I read the story at Borders (R.I.P.) during my many casual trips to kick back, drink some coffee and browse/read through some books. Yes, I am one of those people... but before you judge, I did end up buying this book to finish it in the end. Although, this time I changed the format to audio-book and I ended up enjoying it that much more. I've never been a short story fanatic but I do love a REALLY good one and Matheson brings us a couple that really brought it. On the flip side, a few seemed a little lackluster. I think I'll break it down for you (hopefully staying clear from giving too much away).

Button, Button: Matheson starts off with the story that this book is famous for, the one made into a movie. The premise is simple, a couple is offered a chance to obtain fifty thousand dollars but the catch is they have to push a button that will kill someone they don't know. Matheson does an excellent job creating a great short with huge psychological ideas behind it. What would you do? You would hope everyone would be the kind, non-greedy person that wouldn't even dream of pushing that button. BUT we all know the world isn't filled with unselfish, considerate human beings... there'll always be some that wouldn't blink, or more interestingly fight their inner self with what society tells us is the right thing to do. I think this is a story everyone should read, even if you don't read the whole anthology.

Girl of My Dreams: This story also follows a couple, a woman with psychic powers through her dreams is involved with an abuse con-artist who exploits her ability for money. We see through the eyes of the con-artist how horrible and manipulative he is, which gives an excellent chill knowing that people like that are out there. Matheson really does such a great job creating nasty characters from the armpit of the human race. Another excellent story but really disturbing to read.

Dying Room Only: Another story revolving around a married couple (some kind of theme starting?). I was listening to this on the way to work and let me tell you... it really got to me. By the time I finished, I had just pulled in the parking lot to my job and I had to sit in the car awhile before I went in. A couple on a road trip stop at a diner in the middle of nowhere when strange things happen. We've actually heard this story all before, without giving much away, but Matheson does such an amazing job with it... I would highly recommend this one along with the first two stories.

A Flourish of Strumpets: Now we start to see Matheson definitely has a theme for this book because this story ALSO involves a couple. This went a little more into science fiction and the stories seem to be flowing that way, which is nice that Matheson thought of each story and placed them accordingly. One day, a couple is interrupted one night with a knock on the door. Who is it? I'll let you read this one to find out, this was another one I highly recommend because it had some humor and a cute little twist at the end.

No Such Thing as a Vampire: Can you believe it? Another married couple, this time set in Romania (if I remember correctly). The wife wakes up one day to find marks on her neck dripping blood. Her husband realizes what this could be and tries to protect his wife at night whatever way he can. This story was solid enough but didn't seem to have that special something that the first three did.

Pattern for Survival: Matheson finally walks away from his "couples" theme. This involves a writer who sends his new story out for publication. I wasn't a huge fan of this story and don't have much to say about it.

Mute: This was the longest story in the collection and could be considered a Novella. A child is orphaned after a house fire, he is then adopted by a neighboring couple who had lost their own child awhile back. This child is very different, he doesn't speak. Why? Read the story because I know you'd NEVER be able to guess why.

The Creeping Terror: A story so crazy you can only laugh at it. What if Los Angeles became a virus that started taking over the rest of the world? Yes, I know how that sounds and if you want to know more... you should read this story. If anything, he gives you such crazy detail on the stereotypes of L.A. that you find yourself with a belly ache from laughing so much. 

Shock Wave: This story was unmemorable for me and I really can't even remember what it was about, that says something.

Clothes Make the Man: Strange story about a man who couldn't function without dressing fully. This story was one of my least favorite, maybe a bit too bizarre for me.

The Jazz Machine: Another unmemorable story, which is funny since it was towards the end and should be fresh in my memory.

'Tis the Season to be Jelly: See above. I wish I could tell you more but really the last few stories didn't really do anything for me. The other stories outshine these ones and if they didn't, my rating would have been lower.

If you don't want to commit to this whole anthology, just pick up the book to read the first three stories, the rest starts to go downhill a bit and unfortunately the ending stories really take a slide. However, if you look at it this way... Matheson actually gives you a ride downhill and most of the stories are pretty excellent if not entertaining, even the worst story of this group isn't terrible. I did give this 4.5 stars which gives you an inkling of how excellent the "good" stories overshadowed the "okay" ones.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The Other Typist


The Other Typist
Suzanne Rindell
4/5


First Sentence
"They said the typewriter would unsex us."
Publisher's Description:
New York City, 1924: the height of Prohibition and the whole city swims in bathtub gin.

Rose Baker is an orphaned young woman working for her bread as a typist in a police precinct on the lower East Side. Every day Rose transcribes the confessions of the gangsters and murderers that pass through the precinct. While she may disapprove of the details, she prides herself on typing up the goriest of crimes without batting an eyelid.

But when the captivating Odalie begins work at the precinct Rose finds herself falling under the new typist's spell. As do her bosses, the buttoned up Lieutenant Detective and the fatherly Sergeant. As the two girls' friendship blossoms and they flit between the sparkling underworld of speakeasies by night, and their work at the precinct by day, it is not long before Rose's fascination for her new colleague turns to obsession.

But just who is the real Odalie, and how far will Rose go to find out?

Dear Reader,

"The Other Typist" is one of those novels that holds your interest mostly from all the small details the author has included. Rindell does a lovely job of describing things that almost feels like you're watching this as a movie instead of reading it. She brings you to New York during prohibition and does this with a variety of settings. The main character, Rose (a typist for a NYC precinct) befriends a rebellious girl, Odalie (the new typist at the precinct) who enchants Rose so much she finds herself experiencing things she would have never before had she not met Odalie.

The story revolves around the prohibition era, right when the Volstead Act was enacted to ban the sale and use of alcohol. This alone brings the level to an exciting and dangerous time, history that is hard to imagine. The main character is a goodie two-shoes that wouldn't even think of picking up a drink or visiting a speakeasy... that is... until she meets Odalie. For whatever reason she becomes enamored with Odalie and can't seem to steer clear of her crazy ways. I still haven't figured out why this is and this might be my biggest gripe with the book and maybe the author wanted you to come to your own conclusion. Without giving away too much of their escapades, we follow these two in the rich underworld of the speakeasies and get to feel what it would be like to disobey the law with a simple cocktail.

Prohibition and speakeasies are only the icing on top of this novel though. You may think reading about a precinct typist might sound boring but you'd be very wrong. It made me look at this profession in a totally different way and I now realize how much power they actually held. This was not a profession for men but the typist of a precinct made society think you had to be a woman with a very strong stomach. I never really understood why, back in the day, everyone thought or depicted females as such delicate creatures? What makes a female from that decade so fragile? I believe society had a hand in this with a little push to force girls to act this way, even if they didn't fit that mold. Rindell shows us two very strong female characters that have extremely different personalities but don't seem fragile at all. I love this about the book!

Overall I give this a four out of five for the informative imaginings and the extremely descriptive and vivid colors the author gives everything in this book. I would think anyone who likes a little history with a fun plot line would enjoy this.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

P.S. Check out what Arianna thought of this book!
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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

The Club Dumas


The Club Dumas
Arturo Pérez-Reverte
1993
3/5


First Sentence
"The flash projected the outline of the hanged man onto the wall."
Publisher's Description:
Lucas Corso, middle-aged, tired, and cynical, is a book detective, a mercenary hired to hunt down rare editions for wealthy and unscrupulous clients. When a well-known bibliophile is found hanged, leaving behind part of the original manuscript of Alexandre Dumas's "The Three Musketeers, " Corso is brought in to authenticate the fragment.

The task seems straightforward, but the unsuspecting Corso is soon drawn into a swirling plot involving devil worship, occult practices, and swashbuckling derring-do among a cast of characters bearing a suspicious resemblance to those of Dumas's masterpiece. Aided by a mysterious beauty named for a Conan Doyle heroine, Corso travels from Madrid to Toledo to Paris in pursuit of a sinister and seemingly omniscient killer. Part mystery, part puzzle, part witty intertextual game, "The Club Dumas" is a wholly original intellectual thriller by the internationally bestselling author of "The Flanders Panel" and "The Seville Communion."

Dear Reader,

This is definitely one of those books that only true bibliophiles will love. I couldn’t get into it myself much for the first section, even though it talked all about rare books and those who love them. I felt like, honestly, the story didn’t really pick up until like the last third of the novel, but you really did have to go through all of the earlier stuff in order to get anything out of the later happenings. You just wish you had known that at the time you had to slog through some of the early material….

However, I did, all-in-all, like the book and how it circled around a lost-to-history book which examined the nature of the devil and centered around nine engravings. I also really loved the Dumas connection, although I’d highly recommend to anyone who was planning to read this book that they ought to read or re-read at least The Three Musketeers (if not others of Dumas’ work, as well) before diving into this adventure, because SO much of the action and content revolves around at least the 3Ms. I am certain I missed many of the references and allusions to Dumas works, as I read the Musketeers when I was something like 14, and even The Count of Monte Cristo (a true favorite of mine) was several years ago, and while easier for me to remember, still only a more distant memory.

The main character was not terribly likable either, although I’m certain that’s what the author meant to do there. And his relationship that developed mid-book did not seem all that believable, but hey - generally the people who fall in love with each other are just as surprised as the outsiders are. So it wasn’t that the story wasn’t believable that bothered me, but something felt slightly off the whole time...although, I suppose that was largely because the entire book was very “meta”, with the protagonist recognizing how things would go were he the main character in a novel. That was probably my favorite part: his omniscient understanding of his role and his place in the story as a character, written in by another. The author did great with that little bit.

Overall, an enjoyable book for a book-lover, that is for sure. I definitely enjoyed the ride, especially when things actually started moving. But, looking back on the book as a whole, I do understand how it all fell together now, and needed to be presented how it was.

Best,
Arianna

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Physical: An American Checkup


Physical: An American Checkup
James McManus
3/5


First Sentence
"The truth is, I don't think I'm going to die."
Publisher's Description:
When hard-living, middle-aged American writer James McManus gets a three-day executive checkup at the Mayo Clinic, he is immediately forced to confront his mortality. Will he survive his own cardiovascular system and genetic inheritance long enough to see his young daughters grow up? With great candor and wit, McManus explores not only his own health but also that of the health care system itself and the political realities that have hamstrung stem cell research--which could help his eldest daughter's diabetes. Physical is an unabashed, wrenching, and often hilarious portrait of unwellness in America

Dear Reader,

This was an audiobook, I feel that fact is important when reviewing because the format of print vs. audiobook can make quite the difference. The Author is a famous poker player who got his fame in the literary world with his informative poker book, "Positively Fifth Street: Murders, Cheetahs and Binion's World Series of Poker". I haven't read that book nor have I heard of James McManus before "Physical". I'm the type of gal that likes to participate not watch when something fun is going on, I hate watching games or sports... I like playing them. Maybe this book has piqued the interested in those who've come across his name through his poker playing skills or his books about the game BUT this book is something entirely different. I would steer those people away from this or at least warn them that without an interest in the medical world or stem cell research, they'd probably be disinterested.

So what does a poker player know about the medical world? Quite a lot actually! As much as his knowledge is vast though, his opinions are even bigger. I can only describe this book as someone who experienced everything first hand and spewed all his passion from this experience straight at us like a lightning bolt. I enjoyed his passion but most of the time I found myself rolling my eyes and hoping he would just tone it down a bit. But this begs the question, if he wasn't so passionate would I have liked the book any more? Probably not. His experience is quite unique and his life is chock full of tragedy. I feel for him and can only be happy he can share this with the world.

I would also advise anyone attempting to read this that he is quite colorful with his words and there's quite a few cringe worthy moments of the book. Particularly, the part about his daughter getting stabbed in the eye with a broken magic wand at a birthday party. I won't spoil the details but it gets quite gruesome. For me in particular, I believe this book held more interest because it had so much to do with the medical world and the controversy behind it. It delved into things that I have been realizing for awhile now, things that if I didn't work in the medical field... might go unnoticed. I'm glad to have read it but I'm not sure I would pick up anything else by him, mostly because reading about poker sounds downright dull.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

The Drowning House


The Drowning House
Elizabeth Black
2013
3/5

First Sentences
"If there was a sign, I missed it.  But I knew I was in Texas when I swerved to avoid a shape by the side of the road."


Publisher's Description:
A gripping suspense story about a woman who returns to Galveston, Texas after a personal tragedy and is irresistibly drawn into the insular world she’s struggled to leave.

Photographer Clare Porterfield's once-happy marriage is coming apart, unraveling under the strain of a family tragedy. When she receives an invitation to direct an exhibition in her hometown of Galveston, Texas, she jumps at the chance to escape her grief and reconnect with the island she hasn't seen for ten years. There Clare will have the time and space to search for answers about her troubled past and her family's complicated relationship with the wealthy and influential Carraday family.

Soon she finds herself drawn into a century-old mystery involving Stella Carraday. Local legend has it that Stella drowned in her family's house during the Great Hurricane of 1900, hanged by her long hair from the drawing room chandelier. Could Stella have been saved? What is the true nature of Clare's family's involvement? The questions grow like the wildflower vines that climb up the walls and fences of the island. And the closer Clare gets to the answers, the darker and more disturbing the truth becomes.

Steeped in the rich local history of Galveston, The Drowning House portrays two families, inextricably linked by tragedy and time.

Dear Reader,

Wow. This book was nothing like I expected. I thought it was going to be a story about the history of a girl who had drowned during a hurricane, he hair entwined in a chandelier. That is what the book’s description led me to believe! However, it was NOTHING of the sort. It was a story about a woman who had lost her young child, and of her journey through finding understanding regarding the rest of her life, particularly her rather messy childhood.

I have to admit, I didn’t particularly like the reader of this book (I was audiobooking it via Overdrive, from my local library). That probably didn’t help endear me to the protagonist. However, I also kept being constantly surprised by this novel, and not in a good way. I kept expecting things to happen that didn’t, and I felt a complete lack of empathy throughout the story, even after finding out the Truth. While I might have felt bad for the protagonist, I certainly didn’t feel much sympathy. It sucked what happened to her, but she was not terribly likable and certainly the story itself was paced in such a way that I kept waiting for things to happen, but when they did, it was kind of a let-down. While ultimately I liked the idea of the story, I didn’t particularly love the execution of it. The narrator basically let things happen TO her, which is understandable in the long run, but doesn’t make you like her much as she relates her tale. Additionally, I couldn’t relate to her reactions to things, nor to her discoveries themselves - they never seemed quite completed, and while they should have perhaps been obvious, the clues felt too muddied, to me. (A bit like this review! - I’m not quite sure what I’m even trying to say.)

I did love the setting of this book: the intriguing island of Galveston, TX. I wanted to visit there, to become one of the looked-down-upon tourists who the narrator and other B.O.I. (Born On the Island) barely tolerate. But the author made the island sound so enticing, despite its decline from its heyday. I want to experience the place, particularly its vivid history which seems to linger long after it’s happened.

Overall, my impression of the book was that it felt somewhat unfinished, which is weird because there were several times when I kept thinking that the story hadn’t even yet started. I wanted to know more about Clare’s photography exhibit, for one thing. And about where she went and what she did after her visit: what happened to her marriage, where did she live? I felt the author was vague and therefore distant regarding these details, ones which I found the most important. Perhaps that just means I was looking at the story the wrong way entirely.

Yours,
Arianna

P.S. By the way?  GREAT first sentence of the novel, though!!!  I loved it.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Hey Nostradamus!


Hey Nostradamus!
Douglas Coupland
3.5/5


First Sentence
"I believe that what separates humanity from everything else in this world -- spaghetti, binder paper, deep-sea creatures, edelweiss and Mount McKinley -- is that humanity alone has the capacity at any given moment to commit all possible sins."
Publisher's Description:
Considering some of his past subjects--slackers, dot-commers, Hollywood producers--a Columbine-like high school massacre seems like unusual territory for the usually glib Douglas Coupland. Anyone who has read Generation X or Miss Wyoming knows that dryly hip humor, not tragedy, is the Vancouver author's strong suit. But give Coupland credit for twisting his material in strange, unexpected shapes. Coupland begins his seventh novel by transposing the Columbine incident to North Vancouver circa 1988. Narrated by one of the murdered victims, the first part of Hey Nostradamus! is affecting and emotional enough to almost make you forget you're reading a book by the same writer who so accurately characterized a generation in his first book, yet was unable to delineate a convincing character. As Cheryl Anway tells her story, the facts of the Delbrook Senior Secondary student's life--particularly her secret marriage to classmate Jason--provide a very human dimension to the bloody denouement that will change hundreds of lives forever. Rather than moving on to explore the conditions that led to the killings, though, Coupland shifts focus to nearly a dozen years after the event: first to Jason, still shattered by the death of his teenage bride, then to Jason's new girlfriend Heather, and finally to Reg, Jason's narrow-minded, religious father. Hey Nostradamus! is a very odd book. It's among Coupland's most serious efforts, yet his intent is not entirely clear. Certainly there is no attempt at psychological insight into the killers' motives, and the most developed relationships--those between Jason and Cheryl, and Jason and Reg--seem to have little to do with each other. Nevertheless, it is a Douglas Coupland book, which means imaginatively strange plot developments--as when a psychic, claiming messages from the beyond, tries to extort money from Heather--that compel the reader to see the story to its end. And clever turns of phrase, as usual, are never in short supply, but in Cheryl's section the fate we (and she) know awaits her gives them an added weight: "Math class was x's and y's and I felt trapped inside a repeating dream, staring at these two evil little letters who tormented me with their constant need to balance and be equal with each other," says the deceased narrator. "They should just get married and form a new letter together and put an end to all the nonsense. And then they should have kids." --Shawn Conner, Amazon.ca (Published 2003)

Dear Reader,

Okay, I’ll admit it - I need to start writing my reviews earlier.  It’s easy to overlook them when you are reading multiple books at once.  It’s difficult to tie yourself into one book, one story, when you are reading several - but I prefer things that way.  Generally, my preference is to read one audiobook, one novel, one non-fiction book at once.  That has been slightly altered by the addition of netgalley, which means I am also reading an ARC on the Kindle at the same time.  So, needless to say, I am caught up in many stories, as well as in my own life.  I like it that way.  But it does make reviews more difficult, so I’ll try to keep on top of them in the future.

This book was so interesting to me because while Coupland wrote it in 2003, the central part of the story - a high school massacre - took place in 1988.  In Canada, too, where one doesn’t really imagine those things happenings (why? -- maybe it’s the universal health care and general contentedness of that country, which I’ve always believed in -- a beautiful place).  In any case, the massacre takes place in 1988: I would have been 7.  The high school massacre that stands out most in my mind is the one that took place in Columbine, in 1999.  So of course I drew connections while reading.  Of course it must have influenced Coupland, who wrote the book between the infamous Columbine and Newtown shootings.  So it certainly rang even more tragic with both in mind.  The book is told from the perspective of four people: Cheryl, who died during the school shootings; Jason, who had been her boyfriend and then secretly-married husband; Heather, who dates Jason later in life; and Jason’s father Reg, who finishes up the book in a brief section.  All play large parts in what I consider to be a story of Jason’s life, ultimately.

The story revolves ultimately around this couple who got secretly (and illegally) married in high school, when they were 17, in Vegas.  They were both part of a Christian club which condemned sex and intimacy before marriage, and therefore the two took a trip to the U.S. in order to use fake IDs to get themselves hitched.  While it was certainly a high school romance, it is one which Jason bases the rest of his entire life on: innocent, beautiful, unsullied love.  He doesn’t love again until Heather, who I truly believe he does have love for.  In the meantime, there is a whole mess of other messed up stuff that happens -- his father blaming him for murder (when he was in fact saving the rest of the school from massacre) and his sister-in-law later involving him in a plot which he spent the rest of his life paying for.  The book was intriguing and difficult to put down, particularly after the “Jason” section began.  The story of this poor boy’s tragic life echo into everyone else’s lives, and plays an important role throughout the book.  I really found myself caring for Jason, a poor boy whose life must have truly stopped once he held his dying wife in his hands in the high school cafeteria.  It’s no wonder that between that experience and his father’s unyielding belief in him (in his own awful way) that Jason never truly recovered from his seventeen-year-old experiences.  The book essentially revolves around this point in his life, for better or for worse.

And the characters are all so sad. Truly tragic figures, lonely to the core every one.  It’s an interesting study of very real humanity.

I think this was a good book, and I do love Coupland and his ability to write characters well.  I think I wasn’t sure how I felt about it as a whole, which is why I rated it at 3.5.  But I was struggling between that and a 4.  It is a very, very human story with very real characters.  My favorite part might have been the imaginary world of adorable creatures that Jason and Heather created and nurtured in order to connect to each other, and also insulate themselves from the rest of the world.

I look forward to reading even more Coupland. His books never disappoint.
Best,
Arianna

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Rules of Civility


Rules of Civility
Amor Towles
4/5


First Sentence
"On the night of October 4th, 1966, Val and I, both in late middle age, attended the opening of
Many Are Called at the Museum of Modern Art--the first exhibit of the portraits taken by Walker Evans in the late 1930s on the New York City subways with a hidden camera."
Publisher's Description:
The New York Times bestselling novel that "enchants on first reading and only improves on the second" (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

This sophisticated and entertaining first novel presents the story of a young woman whose life is on the brink of transformation.  On the last night of 1937, twenty-five year-old Katey Kontent is in a second-rate Greenwich Village jazz bar when Tinker Grey, a handsome banker, happens to sit down at the neighboring table.  This chance encounter and its startling consequences propel Katey on a year-long journey into the upper echelons of New York Society--where she will have to rely upon other than a bracing wit and her own brand of cool nerve.  With its sparkling depiction of New York's social strata, its intricate imagery and themes, and its immensely appealing characters, "Rules of Civility" won the hearts of readers and critics alike. (Published 2011)

Dear Reader,
I finished this book over a week ago, but haven’t had a chance to sit down to write a review until now. That frustrates me, because I feel like the book has already faded enough from my mind that I am not sure my review will do it justice.  However, I’ll certainly give it a stab!  Because the fact that it’s not still pressingly fresh in my mind does not mean it wasn't good.

I really enjoyed this book.  I was intrigued by the framing of the story: the protagonist begins her story in the 1960s, when she stumbles across a photograph which throws her suddenly and full-force back into a life she had long since left - and, until then, forgotten.  From then on, the book follows the story of her adventures during the late 1930s.  

And, adventures they were!  Katey is the epitome of the flapper girl, in my mind: young, single, self-sufficient, adventurous, and full of gumption.  She gets into adventures which at first surprised me, because of her somewhat reserved and introverted personality.  However, as the character developed and took shape, I was able to see that Katey really did crave adventure, novelty, and excitement.  Specifically because it was somewhat contrary to her true nature, I think.  The reader could watch her force herself to step outside of her comfort zone (even while she was perhaps unconscious of this not being really her) on a regular basis.  Perhaps this was partly because she was encouraged in this by her close more wild friend, Eve.  Perhaps it was partly because she wanted to be like Eve, daring and (seemingly) carefree.

The relationships in this book are complex, and often unexpected the way they work out.  You might think one person is a close friend of Katey’s, when in fact she barely knows them.  Another shows himself to be a better person than you first expected, and someone Katey can truly count on.  The complex characters are probably the heart of the book, and they truly create whatever story seems to flow around them.  The characters are larger than the lives that flow around them.  

I loved the setting - New York City in the late 30s - and the truly Golden Age feel of it all; I could see Art Deco abounding in my mind’s eye, and hear F. Scott Fitzgerald’s influence echoing through the city.  A book that will truly stick with me for a while.

Happy reading!,
Arianna

P.S. I really did love the framing of the story within the gorgeous and striking covert subway photographs of Walker Evans; what a brilliant way to develop the story.  I wonder if the author saw the images (and Washington’s notes on civility) and the novel blossomed in his mind from that seed.
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