Thursday, December 31, 2015

AmberBug's Favorite Books Read in 2015



Favorite Books Read in 2015 - AmberBug


Happy Holidays,

2015 was pretty eventful at ShelfNotes. Sadly, I lost my friend to the state of NY (Arianna, sad face) but we managed to spend some great quality time at Book Expo America together. Some highlights from that trip:

Author Interviews over at Armchair BEA (Maggie Thrash & Pat Schmatz)
Pre-BEA fun & Literary Adventures
BEA day 2 Recap
Blogger Con Panel: Engaging Your Readers
BEA Author Signatures

Adventures! I just love them. What else do I love? Books. Check out my favorites from this year (read not necessarily published). Clicking on any of the links below will bring you to my review (not all of them have been reviewed).

The 5-Star Rockstar Books:
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Between the World and me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Aquarium by David Vann
Perfume: The Story of Murder by Patrick Suskind, John Woods (translator)
The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

Happy Reading & Happy New Year,
AmberBug


Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Unnatural Selection


Unnatural Selection: How We Are Changing Life, Gene by Gene
Emily Monosson
4/5


Published 2014

First Sentence
"'I see resistant staph all the time,' says nurse practitioner Maggie G."
Publisher's Description:

Gonorrhea. Bed bugs. Weeds. Salamanders. People. All are evolving, some surprisingly rapidly, in response to our chemical age. In Unnatural Selection, Emily Monosson shows how our drugs, pesticides, and pollution are exerting intense selection pressure on all manner of species. And we humans might not like the result.

Monosson reveals that the very code of life is more fluid than once imagined. When our powerful chemicals put the pressure on to evolve or die, beneficial traits can sweep rapidly through a population. Species with explosive population growth—the bugs, bacteria, and weeds—tend to thrive, while bigger, slower-to-reproduce creatures, like ourselves, are more likely to succumb.

Monosson explores contemporary evolution in all its guises. She examines the species that we are actively trying to beat back, from agricultural pests to life-threatening bacteria, and those that are collateral damage—creatures struggling to adapt to a polluted world. Monosson also presents cutting-edge science on gene expression, showing how environmental stressors are leaving their mark on plants, animals, and possibly humans for generations to come.

Unnatural Selection is eye-opening and more than a little disquieting. But it also suggests how we might lessen our impact: manage pests without creating super bugs; protect individuals from disease without inviting epidemics; and benefit from technology without threatening the health of our children.



Dear Reader,

Have you ever thought about evolution and what the human race will evolve to next? I do all the time. I even have this theory that “the spectrum” is the next step in our evolution. What we might think is a hindrance for autistic and Asperger syndrome might actually be an advancement in thinking. Think about it, evolution goes slowly right? Plus it’ll learn from its mistakes. What if we are in the beginning stages and down the line our brain capacity will increase without the social disabilities attached to the syndromes? However, I am digressing and this book mentions nothing about that, it’s just a theory I’ve hashed around. Even though the book doesn’t discuss much of where humans are evolving to, you will learn the evolution of things around us (and scare you to death).

The book does a good job setting us up with a little history of antibiotics, mainly because the points lead to the future of bacteria and the human resistance to potential super-bugs. If the mention of super-bugs doesn’t make you shake, this book will be a cake walk to read. However, if you are ready to hunker down in a fallout shelter, you might want to tread carefully with this information. A great quote from the book that sums up the fear I felt, “We beat life back with our drugs, pesticides, and pollutants, but life responds. It evolves.” Doesn’t that almost seem like a tag line for a horror movie? See, Scary!

Why does the author focus on bacteria to discuss evolution? “The first step is understanding how our choices impact life’s evolutionary course. And so we begin close to home, with an impending public health disaster: antibiotic resistance.” It’s easier to see and understand, we can draw a timeline of how things are evolving because germs, bugs and bacteria evolve faster due to the size and population growth. Humans and animals reproduce more slowly, therefore they will evolve slow, for example, “we won’t see the evolution of tusk-free African elephants in heavily hunted populations or containment-resistant polar bears”.

Let’s just say, the Author is really smart to use infections and antibiotics as the source of discussion, the statistics speak and they don’t paint a very pretty picture. Every antibiotic we swallow brings us closer to a resistant superbug that will be sure to attempt a wipe of humanity. What was once easily treatable is now potentially fatal. We are told that every year “nearly 37 million pounds of antibiotics are used in the United States”. Of that number, only a percentage is willingly swallowed, some of them are being introduced in our livestock. Think again about swallowing those eggs at breakfast, you could be slowly dosing yourself with antibiotics. Actually, not “could be”… I’m pretty sure you are. One of my favorite quotes from this book, “Antibiotics weren’t just for the sick and dying anymore – they had become an integral part of ‘what’s for dinner.’” *Shivers*

I could probably go on and on about this because I have another two pages of notes and highlights but I need to save some of this for you. I’m pretty sure you should read this. The Author has a purpose for this book, “Rather than risk heading off into a near future filled with “superbugs”, we can change how we interact with pests and pathogens, reduce the pressure, and still maintain some degree of control.” I’m hoping the awareness spreads and the Author accomplishes this because this terrifies me. I’m not saying you “have” to read this but I “want” you to read this.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

P.S. - I was graciously given this digital book from Netgalley and the Publishers to read and give my thoughts. Thank you!

Unnatural Selection: How We Are Changing Life, Gene by Gene

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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Mini Reviews Fall 2015 - Funny Memoirs



Mini Reviews
Fall 2015 - Funny Memoirs


Dear Reader,

Time is flying by, I can't believe the Holidays are almost here! I wanted to share with you a few books I've read but haven't gotten around to formally reviewing. I did have thoughts and comments written down, as well as a numbered rating. These two books are similar in theme, being humorous memoirs from internet famous gals. One of them I'm in love with and the other one I hardly knew existed. For those of you who don't know Felicia Day - where have you been hiding? She's ALL over the internet with her badass self. Jenny Lawson, she is famous as the bloggess, check her blog out if you haven't heard of her.



Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir
Jenny Lawson
3 / 5
Funny at times. She definitely has a "style" which can get repetitive, but her stories have 'ring true' moments which I enjoyed. I'm not sure I'd be running out for the next book, but I give her mad props for diving into writing a book about pretty much anything.



You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)
Felicia Day
4 / 5
I clearly enjoyed this - especially as an audio-book narrated by Felicia Day herself. Her background story makes you believe you can do anything if you put your mind to it (but it probably helps to have extremely intelligent genes too). This is a perfect book for a laugh and a must read for any Felicia Day fan



I audio-booked both of these and I would suggest this format, mainly because the Authors narrate and can deliver the humor better than a voice actor (in my opinion). If these two books were to battle it out, Felicia Day would win my vote. What do you think?

Happy Reading,
AmberBug


Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Console Wars


Console Wars:
Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation
Blake J. Harris
4 / 5

Published 2014

First Sentence
"In 1987, Tom Kalinske was at a crossroads."
Publisher's Description:
Following the success of The Accidental Billionaires and Moneyball comes Console Wars--a mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video game industry.

In 1990, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the video game industry. Sega, on the other hand, was just a faltering arcade company with big aspirations and even bigger personalities. But that would all change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske, a man who knew nothing about videogames and everything about fighting uphill battles. His unconventional tactics, combined with the blood, sweat and bold ideas of his renegade employees, transformed Sega and eventually led to a ruthless David-and-Goliath showdown with rival Nintendo.

The battle was vicious, relentless, and highly profitable, eventually sparking a global corporate war that would be fought on several fronts: from living rooms and schoolyards to boardrooms and Congress. It was a once-in-a-lifetime, no-holds-barred conflict that pitted brother against brother, kid against adult, Sonic against Mario, and the US against Japan.

Based on over two hundred interviews with former Sega and Nintendo employees, Console Wars is the underdog tale of how Kalinske miraculously turned an industry punchline into a market leader. It's the story of how a humble family man, with an extraordinary imagination and a gift for turning problems into competitive advantages, inspired a team of underdogs to slay a giant and, as a result, birth a $60 billion dollar industry.

Dear Reader,

Okay, I know that a lot of people are talking this book down because it's written very casually, but I loved it. C'mon, it's a book about video games! It is supposed to be fun, not dry. I appreciate that the author took some liberties and tried to make the stories more entertaining by sometimes dreaming up conversations. Sure, sometimes the "witty banter" got a little old, but overall, Harris made the book a ton of fun to read. And considering it is a book about business at its heart, I'm impressed by what he was able to do!

I received this book from the generous Dey Street Publishers, and alternated between reading that physical copy and listening to the audiobook I'd checked out from my local library - but the reader was so great, I ended up listening to most of it! (I can't pin who his voice reminds me of, but it was reminiscent of an '80s actor all grown up, which made it a really enjoyable listen.)

When I was a little pre-teen, I used to go over one of my best friends ever's house after school (hi, Marsha!) and we'd play Sonic the Hedgehog. This book brought a bunch of nostalgia for the early '90s along with it, which I think was part of the point and certainly part of the draw. The reader got thrown full-force back into the feel of the time, and I was especially struck by memories of certain commercials and ad campaigns that I had forgotten all about, but recalled with fondness.

There isn't much I can say about this book specifically, but I really did like its (largely) fun take on the gaming industry, the competition between Nintendo and Sega, and the story of a console company's rise and fall. I would recommend it to anyone who feels pangs of nostalgia for the 1980s and enjoys their historical fiction written in a novel-type format.

Yours,
Arianna


Console Wars

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Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The Walled City


The Walled City
Ryan Graudin
4/5

Published 2014

First Sentence
"The are three rules of survival in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife. "
Publisher's Description:
730. That's how many days I've been trapped.
18. That's how many days I have left to find a way out.

DAI, trying to escape a haunting past, traffics drugs for the most ruthless kingpin in the Walled City. But in order to find the key to his freedom, he needs help from someone with the power to be invisible....

JIN hides under the radar, afraid the wild street gangs will discover her biggest secret: Jin passes as a boy to stay safe. Still, every chance she gets, she searches for her lost sister....

MEI YEE has been trapped in a brothel for the past two years, dreaming of getting out while watching the girls who try fail one by one. She's about to give up, when one day she sees an unexpected face at her window.....

In this innovative and adrenaline-fueled novel, they all come together in a desperate attempt to escape a lawless labyrinth before the clock runs out.

Dear Reader,

Wow - this book was nothing like I was expecting!

I think I was anticipating a dystopian future novel, which this often had the feel of - but it was steeped in so much reality (and modernization combined with lack of progress - it's so difficult to explain!) that it was even better because of its strange connections to real life. At first I couldn't place the story in any time period, which actually worked well - but despite much of a traditional Chinese feel, the reader could occasionally see glimpses of cars and electronics which indicated that the time period was more contemporary than the setting usually let on.

The story is told from the point of view of three young adults trapped inside the Walled City - which Graudin fictionalized, but which was actually a very real part of Hong Kong for years. Dai, Jin Ling, and Mei Yee are all trapped in different places and in different ways, and the reader gets to watch as their lives all come together at towards suspenseful tipping point. The book is full of the seedy underside of a city - a side which the bigger city largely tries to ignore and keep repressed within its confining walls. The reader travels through brothels and opium dens, noodle houses and trash-filled alleys, following the adventures of the three protagonists - adventures which twist and turn as much as the narrow streets of Hak Nam. I picked this book up when I knew I'd be alone most of Halloween weekend, needing a good diversion, and I found I couldn't put it down!

NB: I was lucky to receive this book both as an ebook ARC from Netgalley and win a physical copy (signed by the author, even!) from the Goodreads First Reads program. Thank you to the publisher and suppliers all!

Yours,
Arianna


The Walled City

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Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot


Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
David Shafer
4 / 5

Published 2014

First Sentence
"The little room was so hot that Leila tried not to move insider her clothing."
Publisher's Description:
One of Time Magazine's Ten Best Books of 2014 Selected by NPR, Slate, and Kirkus as one of the Best Books of 2014 Shortlisted for the Pacific Northwest Book Award
Three young adults grapple with the usual thirty-something problems--boredom, authenticity, an omnipotent online oligarchy--in David Shafer's darkly comic debut novel.


The Committee, an international cabal of industrialists and media barons, is on the verge of privatizing all information. Dear Diary, an idealistic online Underground, stands in the way of that takeover, using radical politics, classic spycraft, and technology that makes Big Data look like dial-up. Into this secret battle stumbles an unlikely trio: Leila Majnoun, a disillusioned non-profit worker; Leo Crane, an unhinged trustafarian; and Mark Deveraux, a phony self-betterment guru who works for the Committee.
Leo and Mark were best friends in college, but early adulthood has set them on diverging paths. Growing increasingly disdainful of Mark's platitudes, Leo publishes a withering takedown of his ideas online. But the Committee is reading--and erasing--Leo's words. On the other side of the world, Leila's discoveries about the Committee's far-reaching ambitions threaten to ruin those who are closest to her.
In the spirit of William Gibson and Chuck Palahniuk,Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is both a suspenseful global thriller and an emotionally truthful novel about the struggle to change the world in- and outside your head.

Dear Reader,

Well, I started and restarted this book a bunch of times, for various reasons. Not because it wasn't good or engaging, just because other things got in the way and I kept having to put it down. (I have a note that I started reading this 10/21/14 - just over a year ago!) But, I am glad I finally stuck through to the end - it was definitely a smart and entertaining romp. The characters were all quite memorable, and I do like how the author starts off with them in entirely disparate settings, only to pull them together through circumstances as the story unfolds. I also enjoyed seeing the characters ultimately redeem themselves, even though most of them started off seeming hopeless.

The reader first meets Leila, an idealistic but frustrated NGO worker trying to deliver a Western public health program to Myanmar. Then we get Leo, inheritor of a board game fortune who seems to be squandering his life because his ideals are too big for the world he lives in. Lastly, there is Mark, a Harvard graduate who is certainly squandering his life by coasting on the success of a self help book he sort of wrote. The three seem rather at sea, each in their own ways. That is, until Leila stumbles across something suspicious in the middle of nowhere, and sets everything in motion.

The book's global conspiracy was deliciously close-to-home, with the SineCo conglomerate being what I figure was a thinly-veiled version of Google. While they explicitly said they didn't identify as anarchists, the underground group fighting back against worldwide corporate takeover was right up my alley.  And while the specifics of everything were left a bit fuzzy, it did seem that the takeover was a real future possibility - terrifying to contemplate. This techno-thriller feel - along with the characters I actually wanted to see succeed - is what kept me picking up the book.

(And on a side note, I did particularly enjoy that I had just been to Portland, OR, so I recognized some of the landmarks mentioned there. That was pretty neat - and wouldn't have happened if I hadn't stretched my reading out quite so long!)

Initially, I did not like the open-ended ending (oxymoron?), but I do appreciate why Shafer left things the way he did - it would be almost impossible to write the subsequent story, and it felt kind of like Children of Men, where the reader/watcher is left open to whatever possibility. It could be good, it could be bad - but that's not really the heart of the story. The story is the story, and it's worth the read.

Yours,
Arianna

P.S. I was lucky to receive this as an ARC way back when, from Netgalley. Glad I finally did get around to it!


Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Modern Romance


Modern Romance
Aziz Ansari & Eric Klinenberg
4 / 5


Published 2015

First Sentences
"Oh, shit! Thanks for buying my book. That money is MINE. But I worked really hard on this, and I think you'll enjoy it."
Publisher's Description:
A hilarious, thoughtful, and in-depth exploration of the pleasures and perils of modern romance from one of this generation’s sharpest comedic voices

At some point, every one of us embarks on a journey to find love. We meet people, date, get into and out of relationships, all with the hope of finding someone with whom we share a deep connection. This seems standard now, but it’s wildly different from what people did even just decades ago. Single people today have more romantic options than at any point in human history. With technology, our abilities to connect with and sort through these options are staggering. So why are so many people frustrated?

Some of our problems are unique to our time. “Why did this guy just text me an emoji of a pizza?” “Should I go out with this girl even though she listed Combos as one of her favorite snack foods? Combos?!” “My girlfriend just got a message from some dude named Nathan. Who’s Nathan? Did he just send her a photo of his penis? Should I check just to be sure?” 

But the transformation of our romantic lives can’t be explained by technology alone. In a short period of time, the whole culture of finding love has changed dramatically. A few decades ago, people would find a decent person who lived in their neighborhood. Their families would meet and, after deciding neither party seemed like a murderer, they would get married and soon have a kid, all by the time they were twenty-four. Today, people marry later than ever and spend years of their lives on a quest to find the perfect person, a soul mate.

For years, Aziz Ansari has been aiming his comic insight at modern romance, but for Modern Romance, the book, he decided he needed to take things to another level. He teamed up with NYU sociologist Eric Klinenberg and designed a massive research project, including hundreds of interviews and focus groups conducted everywhere from Tokyo to Buenos Aires to Wichita. They analyzed behavioral data and surveys and created their own online research forum on Reddit, which drew thousands of messages. They enlisted the world’s leading social scientists, including Andrew Cherlin, Eli Finkel, Helen Fisher, Sheena Iyengar, Barry Schwartz, Sherry Turkle, and Robb Willer. The result is unlike any social science or humor book we’ve seen before.

In Modern Romance, Ansari combines his irreverent humor with cutting-edge social science to give us an unforgettable tour of our new romantic world.

Dear Reader,

It me took forever to read this book! Or rather, it took US forever to read this book: I audiobooked it with Troy, and we started it when it was released back in June. But we tend to audiobook together only when we are taking long drives (and very occasionally, long walks), so we picked it up and put it down so many times! Luckily, it was pretty easy to do that, since this didn't have a continuous storyline - just a bunch of interesting chapters.

So I started listening to the audiobook (which, by the way, is an entirely different experience from the book - Ansari loves to talk to his listeners in asides, especially about how lazy we are for audiobooking!) because I always love to hear authors read their own work wherever possible. But I hit "pause" quickly - I realized that Troy would also love to listen with me, as we were both huge fans of Parks & Rec, and this was a different sort of celebrity book: instead of memoir, it was a study, and I knew that would appeal to us both. So be began to listen together, which then caused a 6 hour book to end up taking us 4 months to finish! Haha.

It might have also taken us so long to read because we were constantly pausing to discuss one point or another! It was a great conversation kindler. Ansari and Klinenberg study people from all ages and walks of life - from an old folks' home in Brooklyn to love hotels in Japan. They explore the world of online dating, of texting (and sexting!), and the huge changes that have taken place both in marriage expectations and in courting rituals in the past hundred years. It was fascinating to consider everything they studied. And Ansari infused the entire thing with his trademark wit, which made even parts that might possibly have come off as dry into humorous episodes!

I think this is a great book for our generation to read: it is important to remember we're all in this very odd, unprecedented moment of coupling together. You're not alone if you've received unsolicited "dick pics" or broken up with someone over texts. It's a strange new world we live in, and one where we are so much more conscious of our choices. Sometimes this can be overwhelming, but it is nice to know we're (mostly) all aiming for love rather than just settling down with some kid from the neighborhood. Or doing it for the donuts.

Yours,
Arianna


Modern Romance

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Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Factory Girls


Factory Girls:
From Village to City in a Changing China
Leslie T. Chang
3.5 / 5

Published 2008

First Sentence
"When you met a girl from another factory, you quickly took her measure."
Publisher's Description:
An eye-opening and previously untold story, Factory Girls is the first look into the everyday lives of the migrant factory population in China.

China has 130 million migrant workers—the largest migration in human history. In Factory Girls, Leslie T. Chang, a former correspondent for theWall Street Journal in Beijing, tells the story of these workers primarily through the lives of two young women, whom she follows over the course of three years as they attempt to rise from the assembly lines of Dongguan, an industrial city in China’s Pearl River Delta.

As she tracks their lives, Chang paints a never-before-seen picture of migrant life—a world where nearly everyone is under thirty; where you can lose your boyfriend and your friends with the loss of a mobile phone; where a few computer or English lessons can catapult you into a completely different social class. Chang takes us inside a sneaker factory so large that it has its own hospital, movie theater, and fire department; to posh karaoke bars that are fronts for prostitution; to makeshift English classes where students shave their heads in monklike devotion and sit day after day in front of machines watching English words flash by; and back to a farming village for the Chinese New Year, revealing the poverty and idleness of rural life that drive young girls to leave home in the first place. Throughout this riveting portrait, Chang also interweaves the story of her own family’s migrations, within China and to the West, providing historical and personal frames of reference for her investigation.

A book of global significance that provides new insight into China, Factory Girls demonstrates how the mass movement from rural villages to cities is remaking individual lives and transforming Chinese society, much as immigration to America’s shores remade our own country a century ago.

Dear Reader,

I don't know what drew me to this book; perhaps it was that I don't feel like I know very much about China in general (particularly modern-day China), and wanted to change that. Partly I selected it because it was available on my library's Overdrive site, and I wanted to select a non-fiction book, because I realized - and was appalled at the thought! - that other than autobiographies, I hadn't read ANY non-fiction this year! Unreal. Usually I have a non-fiction going alongside whatever fiction I am currently reading. Sometimes they complement each other, but usually they are simply two ways for me to look at the world. I enjoy stories, for sure - but I also love soaking up facts about the real world around me.

I also chose this book because I thought it might be more about what we Westerners are always told are the horrific conditions in Chinese factories, as the workers slave away to make us the luxury goods we take for granted. And there was some of that - most factory workers are on 10- or 11-hour shifts, and only get every other Sunday off, for example. But the picture Chang painted wasn't that of despair and grueling conditions - rather, it was of a hopeful young generation of Chinese (mostly women, per the title) who take this factory work as an opportunity to better themselves and their positions in life. Many are the daughters of rural farmers, and become migrant workers in larger cities (many hours or days away by train) because there is no real opportunity for them in their hometown. They embark on very strange lives, which revolve around work and often involve jumping from one job to another. This is a place where resumes aren't very important, and lying about your experience is par for the course. Many workers get jobs that are beyond their level of expertise, but they essentially fake it till they make it! There are so many instances of opportunity of all kinds which are taken advantage of: Chang examines women who work on the factory floor, those who work as secretaries or at other higher levels within the factory, entrepreneurs trying to start their own streams of revenue in a very competitive city, those who choose to study English full time, and even prostitutes. Everyone has their place in this nonstop economy, and if they find themselves unhappy with their situations - either due to interpersonal relationships or ambition - they (seemingly) glibly move on to something new. It was fascinating to see the cavalier way many Chinese approached the job market: it appeared that they never worried, that there was always another job they could take.

(That isn't to say conditions weren't pretty dismal, or that I thought these women were completely content and needn't strive for more - there is A LOT that could be improved in Chinese factory life! But - that wasn't really the story that Chang was telling.)

The author also tried to interweave her own family history in with this story, which I felt was done rather unsuccessfully - it felt somewhat forced. I found myself much less interested in these parts of the book, even though there were many fascinating aspects of her grandfather's story. Perhaps there was just too much of it, and I wasn't certain how it really fit in with the story of today's young migrants.

My favorite parts of the book were probably those times when Chang traveled with the girls to their rural China hometowns. This was where you could really see the contrast between city and country life, and even still some of the after-effects of Mao's reign.  Visiting the hometown alongside them, as the reader, you could really understand what this young generation is trying to escape. Not to say that it's necessary they should - many of the young women, once exposed to capitalism, certainly became more materially inclined (although not nearly to the extent that I am, I know) and who is to say they couldn't have carried on reasonably happy lives in the towns where they had been born? (Although, opportunity for such a life is rapidly disappearing, particularly for young women, so often it was necessary that they leave to seek their fortunes elsewhere.) But it definitely was a marked contrast, and one that is marking an important historical shift in Chinese culture. This mass migration to cities is a relatively new development, and it remains to be seen how these changes will affect China and the rest of the world. I am glad, at least, to be more aware of the situation.

Yours,
Arianna


Factory Girls

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Friday, November 13, 2015

In the Woods


In the Woods
Tana French
4/5


Published 2007

First Sentence
"What I warn you to remember is that I am a detective."
Publisher's Description:

A gorgeously written novel that marks the debut of an astonishing new voice in psychological suspense.

As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children. He is gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.

Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a 12-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox (his partner and closest friend) find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.

Dear Reader,

Have you ever been disappointed by a thriller/mystery? Me too! This is NOT that. I can guarantee you that you'll enjoy this (even if just a little bit). Just look how cool that cover is?! Yes, this is a series and as I've stated before... I'm not that into those. I'm not even sure if I'll continue on with this series (The Dublin Murder Squad) but I'm glad I picked this one up. The most upsetting thing was that the underlying mystery won't be solved in this book (or maybe in any other? Not sure?) ugh, I feel jipped.

The setting for this couldn't be cooler (and by cool, I mean perfect for a murder mystery), a nice little town in Dublin surrounded by a dark forest. While I was reading this, I could almost see the dew soaked air and the thick bands of fog masking the view. I'd expect everything to be damp all the time, but I'm not sure why. Setting aside, the characters had depth but holy smokes I wanted to choke them numerous times. I couldn't handle the love story - if I could change anything in the book, it would be that. I don't want to give anything away and be mad at me all you want if I destroyed this for you by mentioning it has a romance. 

The mystery itself was really well planned out and executed. I was caught off guard and didn't "guess" correctly. I really want to know what happens with Ryan and his past, it almost seemed supernatural but how? That question alone is smart of French to do... holding back because who wouldn't want to find out that mystery? I was mostly reading this wanting to figure out what happened to him... who cares about the girl in the woods? Eh, whatever. I guess I'll have to pick up the next one at some point.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)

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Tuesday, November 10, 2015

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie


The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Alan Bradley
3.5 / 5

Published 2009

First Sentence
"It was as black in the closet as old blood."
Publisher's Description:
It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.

For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

Dear Reader,

What did I think of this book? That is a good question. I guess...I felt mostly ambivalent. It was enjoyable enough, but nothing special. I picked it up because it was another read for the Letter Writers Alliance book club, and it did revolve around postage stamps. But I didn’t end up falling in love with it as much as I’d hoped. The story revolves around young Flavia de Luce, a sort of 1950s British Harriet the Spy. She discovers a dead body in the garden, and works tirelessly from then on out (despite much flack from the local police force) to discover the culprit - especially because her own father has been accused of the crime! Flavia is a great mystery novel protagonist with a lot of potential: she is whip-smart, knows everything about chemistry, and her curiosity and sense of adventure never flag. However, I did find her at times a bit annoying. And the story didn’t compel me consistently. I suppose I was curious about who the murderer was and why, but it kind of felt neither pressing nor all that important in the grand scheme of things. Some of Flavia’s actions didn’t really make sense to me. And - as I’ve complained about in other books - I felt as if I were waiting for it to begin...the entire time I was reading it. 

At least there is this great little quote: “...it occurred to me that Heaven must be a place where the library is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. No...eight days a week.” (I agree!) 

It’s an enjoyable little jaunt, if you want some distraction. Certainly there is some fun to be had. And of course, it may just not have been - pardon the pun, because the book is British - my cup of tea.

Best,
Arianna


The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

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Tuesday, November 3, 2015

A Blind Guide to Stinkville


A Blind Guide to Stinkville
Beth Vrabel
4 / 5

Published October 13, 2015

First Sentence
"Even I could see that Tooter was no Seeing Eye dog."
Publisher's Description:
Before Stinkville, Alice didn’t think albinism—or the blindness that goes with it—was a big deal. Sure, she uses a magnifier to read books. And a cane keeps her from bruising her hips on tables. Putting on sunscreen and always wearing a hat are just part of life. But life has always been like this for Alice. Until Stinkville.

For the first time in her life, Alice feels different—like she’s at a disadvantage. Back in her old neighborhood in Seattle, everyone knew Alice, and Alice knew her way around. In Stinkville, Alice finds herself floundering—she can’t even get to the library on her own. But when her parents start looking into schools for the blind, Alice takes a stand. She’s going to show them—and herself—that blindness is just a part of who she is, not all that she can be. To prove it, Alice enters the Stinkville Success Stories essay contest. No one, not even her new friend Kerica, believes she can scout out her new town’s stories and write the essay by herself. The funny thing is, as Alice confronts her own blindness, everyone else seems to see her for the first time.

This is a stirring small-town story that explores many different issues—albinism, blindness, depression, dyslexia, growing old, and more—with a light touch and lots of heart. Beth Vrabel’s characters are complicated and messy, but they come together in a story about the strength of community and friendship.
 

Dear Reader,

This was a sweet little middle grade book. It was charming and adorable, while surprisingly also tackling a lot of pretty serious issues, such as bullying, disability, racism, and depression. The story centers around Alice, an albino girl who grew up in one place and has never seen her differences as being all that noticeable. When her father moves the entire family across the country, though, things change quickly. Alice's limited vision means she is reliant on her family to get her around; she cannot explore her new world on her own. This forces her into new situations and she begins to learn to become more self-reliant. As she does so, she also begins to forge new relationships with townspeople of all ages. She befriends a girls whose mother works as the children's librarian, an old man who spends his lonely days whittling, and a sweet diner waitress who immediately treats Alice like family. But Alice also encounters some of the less savory locals, and her family is dragged into controversy over their beloved dog. This, surprisingly, helps to bring her strained family closer as they band together to stand up for Tooter. 

One of the topics I thought the book dealt with surprisingly well (outside of the obvious albinism) was that of  Alice's mother's depression. I have not seen many books deal so honestly with the sickness, and especially not YA books. I appreciated that the mother would have her good and bad days as she struggled realistically to overcome those times when she just wanted to stay in bed, using the covers to block out the world she couldn't deal with. I could identify with this mother, despite wanting to shake her into being there for her unhappy children. It was difficult to read but so true to life that I could easily sympathize.

I also liked the character of Alice, a strong young girl who struggled to decide her own character and values as she learned her way around Sinkville. She began to discover herself, something she might not have ever been forced to do in her former life. The book also deals well in balancing Alice's need for independence with the necessity of certain special treatments. I think any kid would do well to read fun this book to understand more about the realities - both the struggles and triumphs - of life.

Yours,
Arianna


A Blind Guide to Stinkville

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Friday, October 30, 2015

The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss


The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss
Max Wirestone
3/5


Published October 2015

First Sentence
"The only time I ever met Jonah Long he was wearing a fake beard, a blue pin-striped captain's outfit, and a toy pipe that blew soap bubbles. "
Publisher's Description:

The odds of Dahlia successfully navigating adulthood are 3,720 to 1. But never tell her the odds.

Meet Dahlia Moss, the reigning queen of unfortunate decision-making in the St. Louis area. Unemployed broke, and on her last bowl of ramen, she's not living her best life. But that's all about to change.

Before Dahlia can make her life any messier on her own she's offered a job. A job that she's woefully under-qualified for. A job that will lead her to a murder, an MMORPG, and possibly a fella (or two?).

Turns out unfortunate decisions abound, and she's just the girl to deal with them.

Dear Reader,

There was SO much good here, geekdom galore! I wish I could say I loved this, but I didn't completely. I loved parts of it, the references, and the nerdy plot. So why didn't it connect? I believe it all started with Dahlia Moss. I'm ALL about a kick-ass heroine (super plus for her geek chic cred) but the more we spent time with her, the more unbelievable she became. Not to mention the hipster sliding the way into the geek culture (NO! Bad Hipsters! You are not geeks or vice versa, thank you very much). Let me rewind a little and give a little backstory... the story revolves around Dahlia when she is hired to investigate a theft (in-game). Everything about this plot was exciting to me since I'm a recovering WOW (World of Warcraft) addict. I could completely relate to how grossly attached people can become to digital objects in a virtual game, I mean c'mon... I sweated it out in that dungeon for over three hours, every night for two weeks to get that thing! Yes, games like this are addicting but can be ridiculously satisfying (especially in the "collection" department). Let's just say that the Author CLEARLY knew who could relate to such a silly concept... but we exist.

Without going much further into the plot, Dahlia becomes overly involved in a murder to boot and she is thrust headlong into a giant investigation of which she is completely unqualified for. She talks straight at the reader sometimes (reminiscent of Veronica Mars) which worked out pretty well in a bunch of situations. While I enjoyed the fact that she is quirky and funny in many ways, it was her believability that held me back. She loosely flirts with all these guys but isn't strong enough to overcome her first love. Ohhh, brother. It's things like this that seem juvenile and after realizing the Author is a male, started to make a little sense. Yes, he tricked me enough to THINK that the main character was written by the reflected gender, but I smelled the fish along the way. However, take away that feminist twitch and the book is going to be very well received by many people out there. I can't even deny the fact that I had quite a few 'snort out loud' moments (SNOL?) which proves that this Max Wirestone knows his way around geeky stuff and comedy (I think that spells out w.i.n. in my book). I would love to see more Authors combine these two genres, and I can congratulate Max for succeeding in making me laugh and commiserate in my online wealth of nothingness. Thank you for that.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

P.S. - Each chapter has awesome headings chock full of unicorns, d&d dice and more!

P.P.S. - The lovely publisher made this available on NetGalley for me to read and review, thank you! 

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

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Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Slade House


Slade House
David Mitchell
4/5


Published Oct 27th, 2015

First Sentence
"Whatever Mum's saying's drowned out by the grimy roar of the bus pulling away, revealing a pub called The Fox and Hounds."

Publisher's Description:

Walk down narrow, clammy Slade Alley. Open the black iron door in the right-hand wall.

Enter the sunlit garden of an old house that doesn't exactly make sense.

A stranger greets you by name and invites you inside.

At first, you won't want to leave. Too late, you find you can't . . .

A taut, intricately woven, reality-warping tale that begins in 1979 and comes to its turbulent conclusion at the wintry end of October, 2015. Born out of the short story David Mitchell published on Twitter in 2014 and inhabiting the same universe as his latest bestselling novel The Bone Clocks, this is the perfect book to curl up with on a dark and stormy night.



Dear Reader,

This is the perfect Halloween treat for any David Mitchell fan. A question I'm sure many people will be asking is if you have to know or like Mitchell to read this? Not at all. I think it'll work great as a stand-alone as well. I'm new to the Mitchell fan group and with every book of his that I read, I'm starting to understand why he has such a following. Even though this book could be read without all the others, I felt a sense of glee when I came across a theme or character that deja vu'd me into his other novels.

Not only was there clear hints from his most recent The Bone Clocks but he managed to write this shorter novella with that same structure. I don't know many Authors that would attempt to write a novella made up of shorter/connected stories. THIS is exactly what I'm not too fond of, short stories but maintain a tight connection or flow between them and I fall in love. Maybe that's why Mitchell is fast becoming a reliable Author to lean on.

Getting down to the plot, it's spooky and gave me a few chills. With each story, the sense of what's happening begins to become clear. Slade House mysteriously opens up a certain time of year and swallows up someone in the process. Each section of this novella follows another person caught in the trap of this house. The best part is... Mitchell does it his style and spans each story nine years. This means we get characters and different eras from 1979 all the way to 2015.Here's the thing, this book can be appreciated by many... horror fans, definitely some creep factors for you... science fiction fans, without a doubt (now go back and read the Bone Clocks)... historical fiction fans, the multiple timeline stories will be your thing. I guess I don't have to state the obvious... David Mitchell fans... you know why you'd want to read this AND you should.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

P.S. - I want to thank NetGalley and Random House for giving me the chance to read this in advance and review it.

Slade House

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