Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Please Ignore Vera Dietz


Please Ignore Vera Dietz
A.S. King
3.5 / 5

Published 2010

First Sentences
"The pastor is saying something about how Charlie was a free spirit. He was and he wasn't."
Publisher's Description:
Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.
 

Dear Reader,

This was my second experience with this author, and I am glad I gave her another shot. My first was I Crawl Through It, which I REALLY wanted to like, but just could NOT get into. This one, however, felt more real to me, which perhaps contributed to why I enjoyed it more. I could identify with Vera, a teenage girl who feels a bit adrift. Vera is coping with the recent loss of her best friend (and secret love) on top of she and her father having been abandoned by her mother a few years back. She kind of coasts through school (it doesn't play a big role in her life), and most of her story is centered around her job at the local pizza delivery joint, the town's notable Pagoda, and the hiking trails near her house. While she navigates these places, she also slowly unravels the mystery of her best friend's death, and learns how to come to terms with the loss. Vera was a unique and memorable character who definitely marched to the beat of her own drum, and I liked that about her, particularly in a YA protagonist. She was smart and witty and did her own thing, others be damned. (Which, admittedly, sometimes wasn't the best idea. But still.)

I did particularly enjoy how Vera's and her father's relationship developed over the course of the book. Neither had dealt very much (at all?) with the leaving of Mrs. Dietz, and their small family was strained because of this. Charlie's death - a second loss - pushed them to acknowledge that they needed to figure out how to be a family in this new landscape. It felt very believable.

This book was part of one of the Quarterly boxes that Book Riot sent out before I put my subscription on hold. I don't know if I would have sought it out otherwise, but I'd been meaning to get to it since it arrived in my mailbox. It was an enjoyable weekend read.

Yours,
Arianna


Please Ignore Vera Dietz

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Thursday, January 21, 2016

And Again


And Again
Jessica Chiarella
3/5


Published January 2016

First Sentence
"Maybe it's like being born."

Publisher's Description:

In the spirit of Station Eleven and The Age of Miracles, this exciting literary debut novel imagines the consequences when four ordinary individuals are granted a chance to continue their lives in genetically perfect versions of their former bodies.

Would you live your life differently if you were given a second chance? Hannah, David, Connie, and Linda—four terminally ill patients—have been selected for the SUBlife pilot program, which will grant them brand-new, genetically perfect bodies that are exact copies of their former selves—without a single imperfection. Blemishes, scars, freckles, and wrinkles have all disappeared, their fingerprints are different, their vision is impeccable, and most importantly, their illnesses have been cured.

But the fresh start they’ve been given is anything but perfect. Without their old bodies, their new physical identities have been lost. Hannah, an artistic prodigy, has to relearn how to hold a brush; David, a Congressman, grapples with his old habits; Connie, an actress whose stunning looks are restored after a protracted illness, tries to navigate an industry obsessed with physical beauty; and Linda, who spent eight years paralyzed after a car accident, now struggles to reconnect with a family that seems to have built a new life without her. As each tries to re-enter their previous lives and relationships they are faced with the question: how much of your identity rests not just in your mind, but in your heart, your body?

Dear Reader,

This was a unique read. I'm a science fiction fan and I love books that can delve into that genre without being TOO much sci-fi (if you know what I mean). This was kind of like that except it didn't go far enough, I'd categorize it as "Literary Fiction with a dash of Science Fiction". What was nice about the whole thing is that this book is one I can definitely see myself recommending to those readers trying science fiction out (pretty perfect for that). The story is all about this exclusive group of people who have been selected for a trial (think clinical trial) to test out being uploaded into a clone body. Each of the characters had a reason to be selected (some terrible illness) and each got a new purpose to live. How they decided to run with it was their own.

I enjoyed getting to see all the perspectives of what would/could happen if you had a second chance to live your life. Each one of them was on the brink of such a terrible illness that this chance should have been entirely positive. That was not the case. What would happen if you got downloaded into a new body? Would you enjoy the youthful new skin or would it freak you out? The Author does an excellent job going over all the little nuances that might come up if/when this type of procedure comes about. We have the Artist who can't paint the same way... is it her or the new body? What about the woman who was stuck inside her body for years with no way to communicate except for blinking... how can she cope in the world after all that time shut up? Or the actress who wants to make a comeback after being hidden from the world from her illness... will she be able to pick up where she left off? The most complex of them all being the Congressman, the one who gets picked or did he buy his way in? So many questions and the Author addresses them each.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read "what if" tales... this fits into that category perfectly.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

P.S. - Thank you Netgalley and Touchstone for giving me the opportunity to read and review this title. 

And Again

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Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Circling the Sun


Circling the Sun
Paula McLain
4 / 5

Published 2015

First Sentence
"The Vega Gull is a peacock blue with silver wings, more splendid than any bird I've known, and somehow mine to fly."
Publisher's Description:
Brought to Kenya from England as a child and then abandoned by her mother, Beryl is raised by both her father and the native Kipsigis tribe who share his estate. Her unconventional upbringing transforms Beryl into a bold young woman with a fierce love of all things wild and an inherent understanding of nature’s delicate balance. But even the wild child must grow up, and when everything Beryl knows and trusts dissolves, she is catapulted into a string of disastrous relationships.

Beryl forges her own path as a horse trainer, and her uncommon style attracts the eye of the Happy Valley set, a decadent, bohemian community of European expats who also live and love by their own set of rules. But it’s the ruggedly charismatic Denys Finch Hatton who ultimately helps Beryl navigate the uncharted territory of her own heart. The intensity of their love reveals Beryl’s truest self and her fate: to fly.

Dear Reader,

I requested this book from Netgalley several months back, despite my having been pretty lukewarm about The Paris Wife. However, I enjoyed this book far more than McLain's previous work. I was almost immediately drawn in by Beryl Markham and her unique life story. I am curious to know how different this book was from Markham's own autobiography; does it explore a different part of her life? I will have to read her own book.

In any case, what a remarkable woman Ms. Markham was - especially given the time and her situation! Moved to Africa as a child by her father and then left there by her mother, it is understandable that she grew into the "tomboy" and feminist that she did. At a time when women didn't do what men did, Beryl continually proved that they could. She became one of the first female horse trainers and aviators. Her love of Kenya's land shone through in this story.

Having seen Out of Africa, I knew more about Karen Blixen's story than Beryl Markham's, of course. So it was fascinating to see the colonial African world through another pair of eyes. I was surprised by how little appeared, in this novel, to be racially driven. More, it focused on alliances and the many, many infidelities which seemed de rigueur for society Europeans living in Kenya during Markham's time.

Overall, this was an enjoyable audiobook to spend several days on. I was disappointed to leave Markham's world upon completion. And now I look forward more eagerly to more historical fiction from Ms. McLain.

Yours,
Arianna


Circling the Sun

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Saturday, January 16, 2016

Tournament of Books Shortlist 2016



The TOB 2016 shortlist is here! The shortlist is here!




Happy days!

So, I might be just a WEE bit excited that I now have over 12 books to read before March (ahem... I should probably say try to read). I've only read THREE books from the list, last year I definitely had a leg up. Here is the official list:

I've read so far: (only 1 reviewed)
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
The Story of my Teeth by Valeria Luiselli

Currently Reading:
The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra (I have a signed copy from BEA - Shame on me!)
The Sellout by Paul Beatty (started the audiobook yesterday and I am loving the narrator)

The Others:
Ban En Banlieue by Bahnu Kapil (just purchased through RJ Julia - this was hard to get!)
The Turner House by Angela Flournoy (bought for my kindle during an online sale)
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
The Book of Aron by Jim Shepard
The Invaders by Karolina Waclawiak
Bats of the Republic by Thomas Zachary Dodson (Ordered this already - can't wait!)
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
The New World by Chris Adrian
Oreo by Fran Ross
The Whites by Harry Brandt

It's a little too early for me to be doing predictions but I'm obviously a HUGE fan of A Little Life. Now off to chip away at that list.

Happy Reading & Happy TOB,
AmberBug


Thursday, January 14, 2016

Alt-TOB Judging (Sweetland vs. Under the Udala Trees)


My Alt-TOB Judging (Sweetland vs. Under the Udala Trees)


Hello!

I've been VERY busy reading lately. You might have noticed my lack of reviews, but I promise, I have been reading. I'm a member of a group on Goodreads that follows the Tournament of Books every year. This group is very active and has a wonderful array of readers who love to talk and break down literary books throughout the year. Two of the members, Jennifer & Poingu, decided it would be fun to host our very own Tournament of Books (while we wait for this year's list). It has been a blast! The list they came up with is masterful and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my time then with this great group of people discussing some excellent novels. I also volunteered to be a judge, something I was very nervous and apprehensive about. However, after spending the time reading the books, judging them came naturally and I had so much fun. The two books that came to my hands for judging were, "Sweetland" by Michael Crummey and "Under the Udala Trees" by Chinelo Okparanta. Here is my judging and if you would like to join this awesome group, click here.

Under the Udala Trees Vs. Sweetland

I feel so lucky to get two books that I enjoyed so much. I have to give mad props to Jennifer & Poingu for picking such great books, I know I wouldn’t have picked up some of these. The craziest thing about all of this... the amazing discussions taking place in the group! I think we have quite a special group of book lovers following along with such broad range of opinions (which surprisingly, everyone respects).

Okay, enough gushing about how awesome all of us are… you came to read about “Under the Udala Trees” and “Sweetland”. Moving forward, I will refer to “Under the Udala Trees” as UTX2 since the title makes my fingers all twisted. Where to even start?! Well, one book left me with a broken heart and the other had me punching pillows from so much injustice. I savored the time spent with Sweetland without stopping to analyze much, but with UTX2 I was highlighting passages like it was my job. Let’s just say that my reading experience was very, very different with each book. I could go into the similarities - how both books deal with emotional topics or how both main characters overcome struggles. Or what about the differences? Sweetland is lyrical and poetic while UTX2 is basic but in your face. However, I just don’t think comparing these books is the way to go. Instead, I’m going to break down the books separately because ultimately the winner succeeds on its own merits with no comparison needed.

I’ll start with Sweetland which I found much harder to write about. This book just about broke my heart. You have this older guy, completely attached to this small island ALL of his life and one day the government comes and tries to take it all away. Well, bless his heart, he just refuses to budge and is one of two people left on the island who won’t sell. The island begins to turn on him and slowly he starts to feel the pressure to sign. He doesn’t give in until tragedy strikes and breaks down his resolve. This is where it gets a little strange, everyone leaves the island BUT him. Yes, he signed those papers but did he comply? Nope. What happens when everyone abandons ship and you get left stranded with meager supplies and nobody to talk to? Crazy as a loon. What broke your heart before he signs, only shatters it into a little million pieces once Sweetland chooses to stay behind.

There is something so tragically beautiful to the writing that makes this story feel so alive, makes the characters seem so real. You can see the fog roll over the island, feel the warmth of the dog pressed against your back, hear the echoes of the ghosts who haunt the island. This one is a difficult one to write about, it’s so hard to articulate exactly what had me so enchanted, but I can’t deny the magic.

Under the Udala Trees was a story that felt very familiar at first. We start with a family struggling during the war and what follows reflects the path of any war story; loss, death, fleeing, rebuilding. At first, I did groan a little, “another war story, great”. I feel like I have been worn down by reading so many of these that they’ve become a genre of their own. Very rarely does one come around with a unique take, something that doesn’t follow the formula (which is probably the formula for what REALLY happens during war times - so I can’t really knock that). Thankfully, UTX2 took a different turn and the true reasoning behind this book took form.

After fleeing from their home, Ijeoma’s mother decides to send her to a family friend’s home for safety. Ijeoma meets a girl and begins a friendship that turns into something else. This relationship builds until they take the next step but get caught in the process. Both girls are subjected to Bible studies to convert them and change their mind frame. During this time, we get a glance at what is going on inside Ijeoma’s head and it’s during these moments that the Author shines. Despite her doubts, Ijeoma follows her mother's advice and marries a man (after another relationship with a woman). The husband was a conundrum for me, sometimes he was the perfect example of a gentlemAn but the next chapter has him lashing out at Ijeoma, with a little more oomph than is believable. While the subject at hand is extremely important, I felt the characters and the relationships felt flat. I didn’t believe Ijeoma had any strong connection to any of her “love?” interests.

Despite all of that, my favorite parts of the story had nothing to do the relationships but the way the Author utilized actual verses from the Bible to formulate her message. Yes, the Bible says this… but should it be taken so literal? Maybe there is another message here. The Author even played with religion as a whole, giving some very convincing reasoning as to why religious institutions might have an ulterior motive. The husband tries to relay his thoughts about religion based upon his occupation as a businessman. He states,

“See, I’m a businessman. And if you’re a businessman, than one thing you know is that business is all about gathering as many customers as possible and retaining them. Religion is basically a business, a very large corporation… The Church is the oldest and most successful business known to man, because it knows not only how to recruit customers but also how to control them with things like doctrines and words like ‘abomination’. Bottom line is, take your abomination with a grain of salt.”.

I like the balance she played with in regards to religion and the beliefs people have. She brings up strong points for various arguments on multiple sides.

I was completely emotionally invested in Sweetland and felt more from his actions than I did with Ijeoma. Although her struggle falls under a topic I feel strongly about, I didn’t feel that connection to her character. I also didn’t feel there was a true “love” interest. It felt more like she was just starting to discover her sexuality - and in doing so met whoever happened to be nearby with the same sexual preference as her. Her loss was more about losing her freedom to live a life she wanted to live (if she was true to herself). Sweetland selected the opposite, and because he stayed true to himself, ended up staying on the island with nobody to talk to and very few supplies to live off of. Both of these characters made choices that begat hardship very different from one another, but both teach an important lesson.

The strength of Under the Udala Trees is in the message whereas the strength of Sweetland is the characters and writing. I don’t think UTX2 has a chance of winning when it lacks that strong connection to the readers through the characters, or even pulls them in with the author’s words. I really thought both books had very strong stories. UTX2 might have a stronger, more meaningful message, but Sweetland makes you “feel” more of the story, gives you the punch to the gut, makes you care. I was left a little cold reading UTX2 and because of this, I have to go with my “feels” on this one… Sweetland has my heart and the win.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Why I Stopped Reading 2 Books Around the New Year




Books I DNFed Around New Year's 2016
(and Why)


Dear Reader,

I try not to DNF books, but sometimes you just have to. And as I realize life isn't getting any longer, and I have to prioritize my time, and I am not getting around to some of the books I want to read because I am getting distracted by shiny covers or rave reviews, I realized I needed to take a step back and reassess my reading. I may post more like this as the year goes on; I've had a lot on my mind lately and I am thinking a lot about what to prioritize in my life. This has actually meant a lot less reading, for various reasons - I know it would sound crazy to some that I feel in a sort of "withdrawal from books" because I haven't read in something like 3 whole days, but that is how I feel. Kind of at sea. I'll go more into that stuff at a later point, but this post is about why I stopped reading two specific books:

The Way of All Flesh
Samuel Butler
1903
This book is one of those oft-mentioned classics (although I have certainly had that experience where someone questioned the title with a smirk!) that can be found in 1001 Books to Read Before You Die and the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels, among other such lists. I picked it up on a whim, largely because it was available via Daily Lit. But, I quickly got behind in my installments, and ended up picking up the book from my library. I got a bit further that way, but ultimately realized it was going far too slowly for me. I found myself not wanting to pick it up, so I decided to pass on it for the time being. The book was actually engaging and the writing pretty good (there are scenes I think I will remember for a while), but it often devolved into religious discussions, which I found rather dry. I realize this book was risqué for its time; it questioned a lot of Victorian values and really riled people up. However, it wasn't that startling to me - I realize I didn't get far in it - and I just didn't engage, overall. I've marked my place, and may return to it another day...

Seeing Further
Bill Bryson (ed.)
2010
This book fascinated me, but I only got through the first few essays before I decided it wasn't my current cup of tea. I love the concept - writings about the Royal Society and its long and colorful history - but I just didn't get into it, and as I've mentioned before, there is so much else to read. I know I would love it and learn so much if I stuck with it, but right now it just isn't the book for me. I think there is a lot to be said about the timing of our readings - and I don't think anything should be forced. So I am going to put this one aside, as well, for now. (Well, return it to the library. But, you know.)

(If I owned it, I think I would keep it on my nightstand to pick up once in a while; it seems like that sort of a book. But because I don't, I'll give it another shot at another time....)

I think this is the right choice for me, right now. I will of course let you know, Dear Readers, if I ever do get around to picking these up again!

Yours,
Arianna

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

The Guest Room


The Guest Room
Chris Bohjalian
4/5


Published January 2016

First Sentence
"Richard Chapman presumed there would be a stripper at his brother Phillip's bachelor party."

Publisher's Description:

When Richard Chapman offers to host his younger brother's bachelor party, he expects a certain amount of debauchery. He sends his wife, Kristin, and young daughter off to his mother-in-law's for the weekend, and he opens his Westchester home to his brother's friends and their hired entertainment. What he does not expect is this: bacchanalian drunkenness, a dangerously intimate moment in his guest bedroom, and two naked women stabbing and killing their Russian bodyguards before driving off into the night. In the aftermath, Richard's life rapidly spirals into a nightmare. The police throw him out of his home, now a crime scene; his investment banking firm puts him on indefinite leave; and his wife finds herself unable to forgive him for the moment he shared with a dark-haired girl in the guest room. But the dark-haired girl, Alexandra, faces a much graver danger. In one breathless, violent night, she is free, running to escape the police who will arrest her and the gangsters who will kill her in a heartbeat. A captivating, chilling story about shame and scandal, The Guest Room is a riveting novel from one of our greatest storytellers.


Dear Reader,

The premise behind this book is a little disturbing. A private bachelor party gone bad. I’m guessing all men try and tell themselves that the “entertainment” for a bachelor party will be “some girl from Sarah Lawrence or Fordham or NYU with a silly, mellifluous made-up name making a little money for tuition”. It makes them feel better. I wonder how many of these parties actually hire unknown sex slaves, something might seem a little off to them but nobody will stand up and say anything to protest it.

I have some personal experience with it. I was hired to be a bartender for a bachelor party a few years ago (no names given) and I really shouldn’t be telling this story… but I think it’s important. The girls hired for the party looked like they were definitely “ON” something, which didn’t seem so “sexy”. On top of that, this was hosted at a “hall” and was more private than a normal strip club visit… so the girls did a show… a little more than stripping. After interacting with one another, I believe there was a little action on the side going on but I can’t be certain (it seemed like it to me but more hush, hush). I don’t know if these girls were slaves? Maybe? I didn’t think about it at the time but after reading this book, It would definitely cross my mind today.

The party felt wrong in my gut and after speaking to a few of my guy friends from the party, I wasn’t alone in that feeling. Everyone has that friend who will pressure the others to the “dark” side… so why does society put the pressure to step over the line like this? I love that Bohjalian wrote a book that brings such a common practice into light. This is a story of a typical bachelor party and the guys could be anyone you know… imagine, your friendly middle class neighbor might be attending a sex slave party this weekend! Put it that way and people might do a double take.

Another great part of this book was seeing things from the perspective of the girl. It was terribly heartbreaking to follow her life, watching her fall into the wrong hands. I’m still disgusted that this is a practice that completely gets ignored in the media, we don’t hear enough about these terrible circumstances. I’d much rather have my man going to the strip club for a bachelor's party than a private party, especially now knowing what I know.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

P.S. - NetGalley & Doubleday graciously gave me an advanced copy to read and review, thank you!

The Guest Room

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