Sunday, August 31, 2014

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald


Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald
Therese Anne Fowler
3 / 5


Published 2013

First Sentences
"Dear Scott,
The Love of the Last Tycoon is a great title for your novel. What does Max say?"
Publisher's Description:
I wish I could tell everyone who thinks we’re ruined, Look closer…and you’ll see something extraordinary, mystifying, something real and true. We have never been what we seemed.

When beautiful, reckless Southern belle Zelda Sayre meets F. Scott Fitzgerald at a country club dance in 1918, she is seventeen years old and he is a young army lieutenant stationed in Alabama. Before long, the “ungettable” Zelda has fallen for him despite his unsuitability: Scott isn’t wealthy or prominent or even a Southerner, and keeps insisting, absurdly, that his writing will bring him both fortune and fame. Her father is deeply unimpressed. But after Scott sells his first novel, This Side of Paradise, to Scribner’s, Zelda optimistically boards a train north, to marry him in the vestry of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and take the rest as it comes.

What comes, here at the dawn of the Jazz Age, is unimagined attention and success and celebrity that will make Scott and Zelda legends in their own time. Everyone wants to meet the dashing young author of the scandalous novel—and his witty, perhaps even more scandalous wife. Zelda bobs her hair, adopts daring new fashions, and revels in this wild new world. Each place they go becomes a playground: New York City, Long Island, Hollywood, Paris, and the French Riviera—where they join the endless party of the glamorous, sometimes doomed Lost Generation that includes Ernest Hemingway, Sara and Gerald Murphy, and Gertrude Stein.

Everything seems new and possible. Troubles, at first, seem to fade like morning mist. But not even Jay Gatsby’s parties go on forever. Who isZelda, other than the wife of a famous—sometimes infamous—husband? How can she forge her own identity while fighting her demons and Scott’s, too? With brilliant insight and imagination, Therese Anne Fowler brings us Zelda’s irresistible story as she herself might have told it. 
Dear Reader,

You know I have a soft spot for historical fiction, particularly that which revolves around a famous figure. This book studied the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, which was probably quite timely, considering the smashing success of the most recent film version of The Great Gatsby. And the novel was pretty good: it was an intimate portrait of a struggling young couple. I think I was a bit put off by many reviewers' assertions that the book wasn't historically accurate in the least, and the Zelda would never have acted this way or that, as she is depicted in the book. I also always felt like The Beautiful and Damned was such a great peek into the Fitzgeralds' life, even though I've since been informed that it's not terribly autobiographical. Ah, well. Anyway - the novel was good in that it kept up a consistent story, one which followed the couple through their ups and downs, over the many decades of their marriage. However, I believe the author intended to vilify F. Scott, as he was consistently portrayed as a selfish, chauvinistic, and self-centered husband. Which, perhaps he was; and this side of his life, viewed through the fictional Zelda's eyes, was fascinating. I often wanted to shake some sense into her husband.

Their story was, also interestingly, not nearly as glamorous as I had always imagined. Zelda was always portrayed as "the original flapper girl", but this novel at least shows her as a more quiet and reserved sort of woman, often in the background of Scott's madness. However, she was also a very strong character, one who fought against the restrictions holding back women at the time - particularly when she was unable to be taken as seriously in her arts (writing and painting) as her husband, or when he was able to put her in a sanitarium simply because she was acting against Scott's wishes.

All in all, this was a very good historical take on Zelda's life, even if it wasn't very accurate (I'm not sure on that point, though - it's only what I've heard!). I have enjoyed a few other historical figure novels more than this one recently, but it was definitely worth a read. Especially for those who have audiobooked The Help - the same narrator, Jenna Lamia, is used in (at least parts of) both, and I do enjoy her work.

Best,
Arianna

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)

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Saturday, August 30, 2014

The Yeti Files: Meet the Bigfeet


The Yeti Files: Meet the Bigfeet
Kevin Sherry
4/5


Published September 2014

First Sentence
"Hi there!"


Publisher's Description:

A hilarious new chapter book series from the bestselling author/illustrator of I'M THE BIGGEST THING IN THE OCEAN.

Blizz Richards is a great guy, a caring boss, and a loyal friend. Oh, yeah...he's also a yeti! He's made it his life's mission to study cryptids like him, hidden animals who have taken a powerful oath to never be seen by the outside world.

So when a photo of Cousin Brian becomes a media sensation, Brian can't handle the guilt and disappears. But it's time for the annual Bigfoot family reunion, and it won't be the same without him. Luckily, Blizz and his devoted team are on the case. Can they find their furry friend before their secret gets out for good?

In Kevin Sherry's hilarious new illustrated series, you'll meet a wide array of weird and wacky cryptids, from goblins and Goatman to skunk apes and Sasquatch--animals that you don't believe exist. And it's up to Blizz to keep it that way!



Dear Reader,

I Loved the drawings and the fonts. The characters are designed really well. The inside of a Yeti is fantastic (the anatomy of one). This book is informative? (Even for an imaginary creature). I guess I'd say the information given is from folklore and who doesn't love learning about that? The Yeti, that mythical creature (what they call a cryptid – a hidden animal whose existence was never proven), I think it’s time for him to be in the spotlight. Move over gnomes and cats, the Yeti is here to stampede all over you. I wonder if all those Bigfoot shows on T.V. have sparked an interest with the wee little ones? No matter the case, I can see the bigfoot/yeti being the next big thing.

What will this graphic novel for kids include? How about a Yeti cave that resembles the “bat” cave from Batman (chock full of fun gadgets and goodies)? Yep, it’s got that. What about a Yeti family reunion? Definitely. The book even has a little “on the edge of your seat” drama. Don’t want to give it away… that wouldn't be much fun. I can just imagine most kids who read this will become obsessed with “looking for bigfoot”. Although, would that be so bad? It would be a fun outdoor activity!

My favorite character in all of this, Gunthar, (super annoying and loves anything that bothers Alexander the Elf) I adore him. The Author/Illustrator is very talented and has a great idea brewing with this. I can see this becoming a big series (Bad Kitty-esque?). Need a good gift for a kid? Want them to read more? This is pretty perfect.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

P.S. - This book was sent to me by the publisher for my honest review.

The Yeti Files #1: Meet the Bigfeet

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Left: Hardcover and Right: E-Book
 

Friday, August 29, 2014

The Ocean at the End of the Lane (review by Arianna)


The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Neil Gaiman
3 / 5

Published 2013

First Sentences
"It was only a duck pond, out at the back of the farm. It wasn't very big."
Publisher's Description:
Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.

Dear Reader,

I dunno. I think Neil Gaiman is brilliant and I always enjoy his work, but there is something about his magical realism that just isn't for ME, exactly. He writes these great fairy tales of stories, and they charm me and enthrall me, but I come away from them a bit uncertain of what it was I was supposed to "get" from them, outside of a brief respite from the real world. Perhaps that's all I'm SUPPOSED to get, and if that's the case, then Gaiman certainly does what he set out to accomplish! I really enjoyed the narrative of this book (despite some disgusting parts that had me cringing!), and the story itself was quaint, original, and perfectly magical. But even the narrator himself agrees that he didn't really grow or change at all during the course of this part of his life, despite all that happens to him. And having been told that explicitly, I came away from the story unsure of what I was supposed to have gotten from it, myself. Even fairy tales tend to have messages. This, rather, was a fantastical little book about a childhood encounter with the supernatural. I enjoyed the characters - especially the narrator as a young boy - and the descriptions were incredible, even those that were very surreal. However, of all the Neil Gaiman I've read thus far, this probably won't be recommended to anyone who isn't already a serious Gaiman fan. Cute, enjoyable, but...just not enough there for me, I guess.

Yours,
Arianna

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)

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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Orange Is the New Black


Orange Is the New Black
Piper Kerman
3 / 5

Published 2010

First Sentence
"International baggage claim in the Brussels airport was large and airy, with multiple carousels circling endlessly."
Publisher's Description:
With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187–424—one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary rules. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of acceptance. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and at times enraging, Kerman’s story offers a rare look into the lives of women in prison—why it is we lock so many away and what happens to them when they’re there.

Dear Reader,

I have just begun watching the TV series that is based on this book, so I won't be discussing much about that. AmberBug gave me this audiobook a few years ago, having received it from a publisher friend. This was well before the show had been made, and so while I was interested in reading it, it wasn't until everyone was talking about the show that I really started to push it up towards the front of my queue. I'm glad I did; it was certainly interesting! A very unique story, really. Piper Kerman is unfortunately forced to pay for a small mistake she made over a decade ago, and must serve time in prison. She is sentenced to 15 months at the Danbury FCI - this also interested me greatly, since until a few weeks ago, I worked at Western Connecticut State University, which is located in the same city. (And, WCSU does get a brief mention! That made me smile.) Kerman is a typical upper-middle-class white woman, which made her experiences so enthralling to me because I would often think about how I might have handled the same situations she encountered while on the inside. Some things she dealt with the way I probably would have; others, she went an entirely unexpected direction, but things always seemed to work out all right. (Which sometimes surprised me!)

What I liked best about the book was how the author concluded by realizing that, ultimately, our American correctional system is broken. People are incarcerated and simply left to their own devices; there is no help to minimize recidivism. I've been seeing this for years with my past work in the Prison Book Program: training programs for convicts are abysmal, for the most part. They don't help prisoners prepare the necessary skills (technology they've missed out on being a big one that Kerman mentions) that they'll need for when they are released, and therefore find it much easier to go back to a life of crime. I think that part is what will stick with me most after having read this book.

The author herself sometimes bothered me, but she kept the book moving with anecdote after anecdote, and managed to make it one cohesive story. Her interactions with the woman who put her behind bars in the first place was the most interesting part to me: I don't know if I could have reacted the same way Kerman did. However, you never do know until you are in that sort of a situation - and I hope to goodness that I never am!

Yours,
Arianna

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)

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Monday, August 25, 2014

The Monster's Wife


The Monster's Wife
Kate Horsley
5/5


Published August 2014

First Sentence
"Life changed when he came to the island, the foreign doctor from further away than anyone cared to know."


Publisher's Description:

(Beware!!! The description below gives things away that i don't think you should know. The parts that I think you shouldn't read are crossed out.)

A startling new sequel to Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein. Told from the perspective of the girl Victor Frankenstein transformed into a Bride for his monster.

To a tiny island in the Scottish Orkneys, peopled by a devout community of twenty, comes Victor Frankenstein, driven there by a Devil's bargain: to make a wife for the Creature who is stalking him across Europe. In this darkly-wrought answer to Frankenstein, we hear the untold tale of the monster's wife through the perspective of the doctor's housemaid. Oona works below stairs with her best friend May, washing the doctor's linens and keeping the fires lit at the Big House. An orphan whose only legacy is the illness that killed her mother, Oona knows she is doomed. But she is also thirsty for knowledge, determined to know life fully before it slips away. As tensions heighten between Victor and the islanders, Oona becomes the doctor's trusted accomplice, aiding in secret experiments and seeing horrors she sometimes wishes to forget. When May disappears, Oona must face up to growing suspicions about the enigmatic employer to whom she has grown close - but the truth is darker than anything she could imagine.

A literary gothic, in the tradition of Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea and Valerie Martin’s Mary Reilly.



Dear Reader,

Before I go into how interesting and unique this book is, I'd like to point out how interesting and unique the Author's bio is. Here is the first part:
Born into a family of eccentrics, I was raised in a haunted house on the outskirts of London. The daughter of a mad scientist and a crime fiction expert, I developed an early obsession with laboratories and monsters. At the age of 4, I wrote and illustrated my first collection of gothic tales, 'Fenella the Witch Fights the Hairy Sea Lion Giant', but struggled to find a publisher.
As you can see, she sounds amazing, right? Even before I started reading the book, I knew I would like her writing (our interests seemed to lie in the same realm of quirks). Kate Horsley, will you be my friend? 

With that out of the way, the book didn't disappoint me... which is kind of surprising since the premise and the Author gave me high expectations. First thing to know is, DON'T READ THE DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK ON GOODREADS, it gives things away that I refuse to talk about in this review (although I'm itching to). The story is written in that "old fashioned" way, very reflective on the original "Frankenstein" novel. You can tell Kate Horsley loves this stuff and wants to honor the original work. The Monster's Wife is almost like a refurbished piece of furniture, keeping that old school charm of the piece but creating a different feel to it, maybe something more comfortable or practical. She takes Victor Frankenstein and places him on a remote island in Scotland, running away from his creation (his original Monster). Victor thinks he has given space between him and his family to keep them safe and hoped the "Monster" would leave them alone.

The other characters of this novel are Oona and May, two local girls who are considered best friends. Oona is still that gangly, homely girl who doesn't have an interest in growing up or boys. While May is the girl who is blossoming and she is actively working on a romance with a boy on the island. May ends up working for Victor Frankenstein as a maid and Oona eventually follows her over and is given her own "job". The first half of the book is solid character development and hardly any action happens. I wasn't opposed to the way the Author handled that though, I love getting connected to the characters before the big bang happens. Without giving away anything, I'd also like to point out how IMPORTANT it is to feel something for both of the girls before you come to the ending, very important. I loved the way the Author has given us this look into Scottish Island life, the words, accents and closeness of everyone. I found the slang to be charming, even though I had to stop and look things up all the time. It felt like a magical world, but I had to keep reminding myself that the island isn't the fantasy part of the book.

Since I don't want to give much away, I do want to let all those scaredy cats out there that this is nothing to worry about. Arianna, this means you! This book has nothing that would make you cringe, jump or even give you insomnia. The idea of a man creating a "monster" with science isn't a new concept and yes, it's a little creepy... maybe more than a little BUT there is nothing super gross or spooky about this. I would describe the "horror" to be more of a thoughtful kind, disturbing to think of as a concept but nothing will pull you under the bed at night. I would recommend this to anyone who loves "Frankenstein" or novels about small communities with a different way of life. I would even go so far and say this has a historical fiction quality about it, but instead of history... the Author pulls from literary history. This will be a favorite of mine and I'll continue to follow Kate Horsley in her literary career like a good cheerleader. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do... since you'll be picking this up when it comes out and reading it, yep.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

The Monster's Wife

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Left: Hardcover - Right: E-Book

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Click


Click: One Novel, Ten Authors
David Almond, Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, Deborah Ellis, Nick Hornby, Margo Lanagan, Gregory Maguire, Ruth Ozeki, Linda Sue Park, Tim Wynne-Jones
3 / 5

Published 2007

First Sentence
"'I can't believe your'e not going to open it!' Jason said. 'Don't you want to know what it is?'"
Publisher's Description:
A video message from a dead person. A larcenous teenager. A man who can stick his left toe behind his head and in his ear. An epileptic girl seeking answers in a fairy tale. A boy who loses everything in World War II, and his brother who loses even more. And a family with a secret so big that it changes everything.
The world's best beloved authors each contribute a chapter in the life of the mysterious George "Gee" Keane, photographer, soldier, adventurer, and enigma. Under different pens, a startling portrait emerges of a man, his family, and his gloriously complicated tangle of a life.

Dear Reader,

I was really excited for this book. It had a lot of promise! So many great authors, and all working for such a great cause. And, I did love most of it - there were some great and beautiful "sub-stories", and the writing was beautiful. However, for those of you who have read A Tale for the Time Being, you'll understand what I mean when I say things got a bit unexpectedly weird. I was hoping for a great resolution to the mystery, but was pretty disappointed by what, ultimately, the explanation turned out to be.

However, the characters almost made up for any of the story's shortcomings. I don't think I'll soon forget the tale of the girl and her mother who live alone on the seashore, or the one of the teenager who feels so alone in her despair until she meets a photographer who captures her story with a large piece of jagged glass. Or the Russian prisoner who receives unexpected kindness. I think the main characters - Maggie and Jason, and their grandfather "Gee" - framed the story really well. I'm quite interested to know if the authors all conceived the entire story together, or if they wrote their chapters in order, with no idea where the book would go (even if they tried to gently guide things one way or another). Knowing that would make the story even more strong to me, I think - knowing one way or the other. I remember trying to write a story like that once or twice in my past, and being disappointed to see where my partner had taken the tale I was trying to tell. Each author only gets so much control over the book, which I found endlessly intriguing - especially because, as a writer, I certainly love having control of my own stories!

I'd recommend this to writers especially, because I think they'd be fascinated to watch how ten different authors approached the same novel. (And luckily, their different narrative styles don't disrupt the flow of the story in any way.) I think it was a very interesting read, just not quite up to the par I was expecting.

Yours,
Arianna

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)

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Friday, August 22, 2014

Bout of Books 11.0 First Update

Bout of Books

I've decided to play along with a blogging "read-a-thon" happening Aug 18th thru Aug 24th, hosted by Bout of Books (another great book blog). 


***UPDATE 1***

I've finished "The Witch and Other Stories Told", review to come middle of September. 




I haven't even picked up "The Dialogue of Dogs" again, I'm halfway through this novella so it shouldn't be a problem?! 




I started Atwood's new story collection but decided I was reading TOO many short story collections at the same time. I've put it on hold until after I finish reading a different ebook I've selected, called....



"The Princess Bride"! Eeek, squeal, bounce,  I'm loving this book. The humor is excellent and matches the feel of the movie *Just makes me think of how WELL the movie did recreating the story from this book*.

 

I've picked up the next ARC from my giant stack I picked up from Book Expo America. I'm super excited for this one and I might just come home today from work and spend the rest of the afternoon reading it! "Station Eleven" by Emily St. John Mandel  






Thursday, August 21, 2014

Neverhome


Neverhome
Laird Hunt
4/5


Published September 2014

First Sentence
"I was strong and he was not, so it was me went to war to defend the republic."
Publisher's Description:

She calls herself Ash, but that's not her real name. She is a farmer's faithful wife, but she has left her husband to don the uniform of a Union soldier in the Civil War. Neverhome tells the harrowing story of Ash Thompson during the battle for the South. Through bloodshed and hysteria and heartbreak, she becomes a hero, a folk legend, a madwoman and a traitor to the American cause.

Laird Hunt's dazzling new novel throws a light on the adventurous women who chose to fight instead of stay behind. It is also a mystery story: why did Ash leave and her husband stay? Why can she not return? What will she have to go through to make it back home?

In gorgeous prose, Hunt's rebellious young heroine fights her way through history, and back home to her husband, and finally into our hearts.

Dear Reader,

Neverhome is a fascinating tale about a woman who sheds her female skin (and life) to leave her farm and husband and disguise herself as a man to fight in the Civil War. This was another book I picked up at Book Expo this year and to be honest, this was one I was searching for and heard a little about before the event. With so many Civil War stories out there, this is a refreshing change. I have yet to read a book that features a female impersonating a male in order to fight in the war. At first this story didn't grip me, it might have been because I was so excited for it. You know when you have something in your mind but it can disappoint you because it's really something else? Well at first, Neverhome did that for me... but then I got over it and went along for the ride that Hunt sends us along. After surrendering to the story, I felt myself starting to connect with Ash (her made-up male name)and got a glimpse into what the Author was trying to convey.

Ash (or "Gallant Ash" as her comrades call her - a nickname given early on in the story) is a strong and brave woman with human characteristics that show in her faults. She is quick to rise amongst the ranks with her sharp shooting skills and fearlessness. She is almost meant for this role and we see this during flashbacks of discussions with her husband (why she has to go and how she feels this urge). As admirable as Ash may be, the Author also shows us that she is flawed which brings her closer to someone a reader can relate to. The rest of the cast in the book comes and goes, some important while others make a small appearance. The real grit lies within Ash and her wandering thoughts of home, war and longing for purpose.

Around halfway through the book, I realized what the Author was trying to say... and I felt like a dolt for not getting it sooner. This book isn't just about a woman making her way through the war in an unconventional way. That only touches the huge iceberg the Author has set this ship on. We all know the hardships and horrible things that have happened during the Civil War through History class or the books/movies we read/watch. But what about the lack of respect women got back in those days. How about the fact that women were oppressed so much that they didn't have much of a voice. The Author must have done research and felt the need for this story to be told. A handful of women back in that time decided to fake their anatomy and fight in the war. The sad part is that if they got caught, they had absolutely no respect from anyone. No war badges or trophies, instead they got jail cells or insane asylums. This war was all about equality and human rights... yet, even the side fighting for those things showed quite a hypocritical view when it came to women. No voting, no fighting, just stay at home and be with the family. Such a sorry, sad and empty feeling but knowing that so many women back then tried to break those barriers, THAT soothes my soul. Neverhome is a new kind of story, a different perspective of the Civil War, but one that should be told and read. I would recommend this to pretty much everyone.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

Neverhome: A Novel

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Left: Hardcover - Right: E-Book (unavailable to pre-order at this time)

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Sweetness #9


Sweetness #9
Stephan Eirik Clark
4 / 5

Published August 19, 2014

First Sentence
"When I say it all began with monkeys, I don't mean to issue another rallying cry in the ongoing Culture Wars."
Publisher's Description:
Fast Food Nation meets The Corrections in the brilliant literary debut T.C. Boyle calls "funny and moving."

David Leveraux is an Apprentice Flavor Chemist at one of the world's leading flavor production houses. While testing Sweetness #9, he notices that the artificial sweetener causes unsettling side-effects in laboratory rats and monkeys. But with his career and family at risk, David keeps his suspicions to himself.

Years later, Sweetness #9 is America's most popular sweetener--and David's family is changing. His wife is gaining weight, his daughter is depressed, and his son has stopped using verbs. Is Sweetness #9 to blame, along with David's failure to stop it? Or are these just symptoms of the American condition?

An exciting literary debut, SWEETNESS #9 is a darkly comic, wildly imaginative investigation of whether what we eat makes us who we are.

Dear Reader,

This book was REALLY interesting. The concept was great! And the jacket description was, surprisingly, pretty spot-on: it did feel a bit like a combination of Fast Food Nation and The Corrections! I really ended up liking the novel, but I understand why AmberBug felt she couldn't quite get into it. I think it took a certain frame of mind, and for some reason I was there while reading this - although it DID take me an abnormally long time to get through.

In any case, I would classify this hands down as a black comedy, which is right up my alley. I loved the book's close examination of the "American dream," with its cautionary tale about how trying to live up to expectations isn't always a good thing. David is an interesting character: a top student in the field of flavor science, who is initially glutted with job offers upon graduation. However, the job he takes is ultimately the one he abandons shortly after starting, due to concerns he has regarding the animal test subjects' reactions to the product he is testing, Sweetness #9. (Not ethically; he isn't worried about their welfare so much as how fat/thin/depressed/etc. they have become after consuming the artificial sweetener.) After serving a stint in a mental hospital (where he begins to question whether he actually saw what he saw), David is approached by another flavor house, this one established by a German expat who is said to have served Hitler his last meal. David settles into work (and a prosperous life) and everything seems to be smooth sailing through the American Dream ... until things start getting weird. I don't want to give everything away, though, so I'll let you read the book!

I loved the historical perspective that this book lent the reader, not only on the WWII front, but also in that David's parents had been killed during the University of Texas clock tower massacre of 1966, which I thought was a very interesting bit to throw into the story. It's something I would never have thought to do as a writer, so I appreciated it immensely from Clark.

Otherwise, this book is a great American Satire dream which spans the 1970s to the turn of the century, and I was especially fascinated because David's children were born around the same time I was, so it made everything much more easy to identify with. The characters in the book were all very vivid and distinct, ones I won't forget anytime soon. I would recommend this to those who enjoy black humor and a good, solid critique of the American industrial complex.

Yours,
Arianna

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)

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Saturday, August 16, 2014

AmberBug has a Goal for Bout of Books 11.0

Bout of Books

I've decided to play along with a blogging "read-a-thon" happening Aug 18th thru Aug 24th, hosted by Bout of Books (another great book blog). 


So the plan is to read, lots. I'm hoping to read everyday (which I already do) but hopefully punch it up a bit on the weekend. During the week I think I've maxed out all my reading opportunities already, so this should be interesting. So, goal... I'm hoping to at least read 3 books in those two weeks. If I surpass that, I'll have to celebrate with cupcakes. I've been averaging a book a week, and the books that are on my "to-read" next aren't all that "small". So, one can only hope, right?

Below is a list of the books I'm planning on finishing and potentially reading for the read-a-thon. Come back during the week to see the progress I've made, and join up with us... this should be fun. :)

Goal #1: Finish this book: The Dialogue of Dogs (I've been working on this for quite some time now).



Goal #2: Devour this book of stories (re-told tales) - sent to me by the publisher. Can we just talk about how awesome that cover is?!



Goal #3: Last but not least... I'm hoping to at least start and ANOTHER short story collection (I feel swimming in these lately) but this one is super special, Margaret Atwood's "Stone Mattress", coming out this Fall. Who doesn't love a little Atwood?!



Friday, August 15, 2014

Coming Clean


Coming Clean
Kimberly Rae Miller
4 / 5

Published 2013

First Sentence
"I have a box where I keep all of the holiday and birthday and just-because cards that my friends and family send me."
Publisher's Description:
A stunning memoir about a childhood spent growing up in a family of extreme hoarders and hiding squalor behind the veneer of a perfect family. Kim Miller is an immaculately put-together woman with a great career, a loving boyfriend, and a beautifully tidy apartment in Brooklyn. You would never guess that she spent her childhood hiding behind the closed doors of her family’s idyllic Long Island house, navigating between teetering stacks of aging newspaper, broken computers, and boxes upon boxes of unused junk festering in every room—the product of her father’s painful and unending struggle with hoarding. In this coming-of-age story, Kim brings to life her experience of growing up in a rat-infested home, concealing her father’s shameful secret from friends for years, and of the emotional burden that ultimately led to an attempt to take her own life. And in beautiful prose, Miller sheds light on her complicated yet loving relationship with her parents that has thrived in spite of the odds. Coming Clean is a story about recognizing where we come from and the relationships that define us—and about finding peace in the homes we make for ourselves.

Dear Reader,

I read this book in a day. I couldn't put it down! I found it to be a fascinating read about a girl's experience growing up with hoarders - especially since, back then, the word and its associated psychological issues were not nearly as commonplace as they are today. Kimberly Rae Miller didn't know that there were others out there like her, who had to live among the unbelievable levels of filth and squalor that she dealt with on a daily basis. I was constantly shocked by the things the author went through as a child - and how, despite everything, she was able to maintain a "normal girl" veneer. I mean, there were times when the family went without heat or running water during Long Island winters!

But, don't read this book for the shock value - this isn't a TLC show where you can gawp at the horrific situations ill people have gotten themselves into. Rather, read this book for the humanity. Miller writes about how it was to grow up alternately loving and almost hating her parents, and how it was to watch her parents struggle to maintain a normal lifestyle. I felt terribly for these people who just could not manage to contain their clutter, despite all their best efforts and many fresh starts. As Miller regularly points out in her book, she simply became used to living a life where nothing really went right. Even when fortune shined down on her, even when her hard work paid off, she would constantly be looking for the cloud that would come to pass in front of the sun - or the piles her father had collected to burst from their containment and begin to take over the house again.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I'm glad that it was written; it certainly humanizes a very real and all too maligned disease, one which clearly needs more light shed upon it. If you'd like to get a better understanding of the struggles that hoarders face, or simply want to read a really very good memoir, pick this one up.

Yours,
Arianna

Coming Clean

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Thursday, August 14, 2014

Best Little Bookstore (Website Review)


I had to share with all our book loving readers this adorable website I came across called: Best Little Bookshop 

The site is currently in Beta and looking to team up with booksellers, flipping through the stock currently offered... I'm charmed. I want to buy so many things on here and I would say they have the perfect gifts for bookish people. This bookshop reminds me of the "gift" area in some of the larger bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders (R.I.P.)

The site is UK but the currency and language can be changed on the upper right hand side of the site. The company plans on including 100+ different countries for delivery and making the site the "go-to" for anything unique and interesting. I love the international aspect of this as well, the ability to view and purchase various books from all over the world (potentially) sounds excellent. 

Check out some of the selection below:









Wednesday, August 13, 2014

The Furies


The Furies
Natalie Haynes
2.5/5


Published August 2014

First Sentence
"The first thing they'll ask me is how I met her."


Publisher's Description:


When you open up, who will you let in?

When Alex Morris loses her fiancé in dreadful circumstances, she moves from London to Edinburgh to make a break with the past. Alex takes a job at a Pupil Referral Unit, which accepts the students excluded from other schools in the city. These are troubled, difficult kids and Alex is terrified of what she's taken on.

There is one class - a group of five teenagers - who intimidate Alex and every other teacher on The Unit. But with the help of the Greek tragedies she teaches, Alex gradually develops a rapport with them. Finding them enthralled by tales of cruel fate and bloody revenge, she even begins to worry that they are taking her lessons to heart, and that a whole new tragedy is being performed, right in front of her...



Dear Reader,

This was not the book for ME. Let me explain this... I think the publisher's description is very misleading, I was under the impression that it would be more thriller than anything else. This was NOT the case. Do not be fooled into thinking this is the next "Gone Girl", because it doesn't even come close. I might end up judging this too harshly because I don't like getting tricked. For example, if you notice above it says, "Finding them enthralled by tales of cruel fate and bloody revenge, she begins to worry that they are taking her lessons to heart, and that a whole new tragedy is being performed, right in front of her..." DUN, DUN, DUN! This statement has a miniscule bit of truth in it but mostly is completely wrong and exaggerated. I don't think this book needs to falsely advertise and give the readers wrong ideas, hoping it will sell books, they will only get disappointed because it ISN'T what they expected. Even if the book is good, the Author won't get the credibility she deserves from her readers if they fall into the wrong hands.

That being said, The Furies does have a lot to say and would be perfect for the teen that is just starting to learn the Greek tragedies/plays. I mean wow, does this book break them down... which is wonderful for someone who HASN'T had classes in the plays before but for the most part I felt I was reliving those moments back in High School. Why would I want to read entire chapters dedicated to discussions that I've already hashed out? I can totally understand a teen being really into this, and the Author does a wonderful job breaking this down for someone to understand the plays better BUT for an adult, I don't think so. This might be one of those cases where I think being a YA book is really meant for a teen and not for everyone. I just wish that the publicity for this book could put it in the direction it needs to go... and not into the readers who expect some big mysterious "reveal".

I did enjoy the 'Dear Diary' parts from Mel (one of the students), her experiences on being deaf are very interesting and her character stood out the most for me. I wish we could have followed her around more instead of having to sit in on "classes" discussing the greek plays. I wanted to feel a stronger connection to all the other characters in the book but I just couldn't see how with all the stuffing given to 'teaching'. To be honest with you, the book had a lot of potential though, the writing is pretty good and the Author does have an excellent grasp on certain themes (life choices, death, tragedy, friendships). She also does a great job picking out those important themes from the plays and giving the reader a lot to think about (as well as the characters). I wouldn't say this book is bad, just picked for the wrong type of reader. I think this might be the perfect book to give my teenage cousin who might be able to relate to the teachings in this book and wouldn't get bored with the many discussions of various greek plays. I know I would have enjoyed this book tremendously at that age. So shame on you, whoever picked the marketing ploys and blurbs that are downright misleading... I can only hope changes are made and the marketing turns directions to place this book in the RIGHT hands.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

The Furies

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Left: Hardcover - Right: E-Book
 

Monday, August 11, 2014

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories


One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories
B.J. Novak
4.5/5


Published 2014

First Sentence
"In the aftermath of an athletic humiliation on an unprecedented scale - a loss to a tortoise in a footrace so staggering that, his tormentors teased, it would not only live on in the record books, but would transcend sport itself, and be taught to children around the world in textbooks and bedtime stories for centuries; that hundreds of years from now, children who have never heard of a "tortoise" would learn that it was basically a fancy type of turtle from hearing about this very race - the hare retreated, understandably, into a substantial period of depression and self-doubt."


Publisher's Description:


From an actor, writer, and director of the hit TV comedy The Office (US version): a story collection that was "workshopped" at comedy clubs and bookstores on both coasts.

B.J. Novak's One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories is an endlessly entertaining, surprisingly sensitive, and startlingly original debut collection that signals the arrival of a welcome new voice in American fiction.

Across a dazzling range of subjects, themes, tones, and narrative voices, Novak's assured prose and expansive imagination introduce readers to people, places, and premises that are hilarious, insightful, provocative, and moving-often at the same time.

In One More Thing, a boy wins a $100,000 prize in a box of Frosted Flakes - only to discover that claiming the winnings may unravel his family. A woman sets out to seduce motivational speaker Tony Robbins - turning for help to the famed motivator himself. A school principal unveils a bold plan to permanently abolish arithmetic. An acclaimed ambulance driver seeks the courage to follow his heart and throw it all away to be a singer-songwriter. Author John Grisham contemplates a monumental typo. A new arrival in heaven, overwhelmed by infinite options, procrastinates over his long-ago promise to visit his grandmother. We meet a vengeance-minded hare, obsessed with scoring a rematch against the tortoise who ruined his life; and post-college friends who debate how to stage an intervention in the era of Facebook. We learn why wearing a red t-shirt every day is the key to finding love; how February got its name; and why the stock market is sometimes just... down.

Finding inspiration in questions from the nature of perfection to the icing on carrot cake, from the deeply familiar to the intoxicatingly imaginative, One More Thing finds its heart in the most human of phenomena: love, fear, family, ambition, and the inner stirring for the one elusive element that might make a person complete. The stories in this collection are like nothing else, but they have one thing in common: they share the playful humor, deep heart, inquisitive mind, and altogether electrifying spirit of a writer with a fierce devotion to the entertainment of the reader.



Dear Reader,

Pure magical comedic genius B.J. Novak had me laughing, pondering, and listening with both ears, waiting for the next story. Why has the universe given him such comedic talent? I'm SO grateful for it though, he has just started his romp in the literary world and I can't wait for MORE! He has a way of taking a simple concept and changing it into something so elaborately complex, it can ONLY be laughed at. Take for example, a story about a woman who goes on a date with a Warlord. The date is just so "casual" and yet, this guy mass murders people for fun... how can anyone not think a story like that not comedic genius? Anyways, you get what I mean now though, right? It goes both ways, a complex idea into the mundane and vice versa. I find when someone uses the disturbingly odd to just "act natural", it might be one of my favorite kinds of humor. Maybe this is why I like Monty Python so much.

So, we've established this book is funny (at least to my sense of humor) but B.J. Novak doesn't just end with the funny, he tells us quite a few somber and thoughtful stories as well. I'll admit that I wasn't as connected to those, they are by no means bad. I think he has a knack for storytelling in general, I just think the stories containing his "humor" might be a little more elevated. Each story does have a nice moral, and I think the serious ones thrive on that moral, bringing them together. He does this thing throughout the book that I absolutely love, continuity and repetitive ideas/characters. Every now and then, you'll be listening to a story from this collection and then *BAM* you get hit with a character or concept from a previous story. This usually only happened during the humourous stories and it really reminded me of a style they used in a few 80's movies I loved (Kentucky Fried Movie and Amazon Women on the Moon). If you haven't seen those movies, go look them up and watch them, totally worth your time but remember they do represent that cheesy 80's feel. So which stories caught my fancy the most? I would have to say the first one is excellent "Rematch", also "Julie and the Warlord", "The Man Who Invented the Calendar", "The Best Thing in the World Awards", and the last story in the collection "J.C. Audetat, Translator of Don Quixote".

Lastly, I want to bring up how much I loved this book in Audio format. The collection of readers he has gathered for the cast is fantastic, take a look for yourself: Lena Dunham, Jenna Fischer, Mindy Kaling, Julianne Moore, Carey Mulligan, Katy Perry, Jason Schwartzman, Emma Thompson, and Rainn Wilson. Yeah? Yeah! That is an EXCELLENT cast. Not to mention that B.J. Novak reads the majority of the book himself, and we all know he can act. He gives the right comedic timing for his jokes and gives the characters the perfect tone. I don't know if I would have loved this book as much in any other form. I would ask WHY?!? would anyone want to read this book over listening to it with all those glorifying bits. So, don't read this book... DON'T! Listen to it instead, I'm sure you won't be disappointed, I think I've just become another B.J. Novak fangirl... watch out.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories

Support Shelf Notes! Purchase your copy of this book here:  OR just go buy the audiobook somewhere because you should totally listen to this one. ;p

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