Last Winter We Parted

Last Winter We Parted Fuminori Nakamura Translated by: Allison Markin Powell 2.5/5	Published October 21st, 2014 First Sentence "It's safe to say you killed them... Isn't that right?"
Publisher's Description: A young writer arrives at a prison to interview a man arrested for homicide. He has been commissioned to write a full account of the case, from its bizarre and grisly details to the nature of the man behind the crime. The suspect, while world-renowned as a photographer, has a deeply unsettling portfolio—lurking beneath the surface of each photograph is an acutely obsessive fascination with his subject. He stands accused of murdering two women—both burned alive—and will likely face the death penalty. But something isn't quite right, and as the young writer probes further, his doubts about this man as a killer intensify. He soon discovers the desperate, twisted nature of all who are connected to the case, struggling to maintain his sense of reason and justice. What could possibly have motivated this man to use fire as a torturous murder weapon? Is he truly guilty, or will he die to protect someone else? The suspect has a secret—it may involve his sister, who willfully leads men to their destruction, or the "puppeteer," an enigmatic figure who draws in those who have suffered the loss of someone close to them. As the madness at the heart of the case spins out of control, the confusion surrounding it only deepens. What terrifying secrets will this impromptu investigator unearth as he seeks the truth behind these murders?
Dear Reader, This book made me flash to that song on the top 50 radio station, "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys. You must have heard this song, the chorus is just over and over "This girl is on FIIIIRRREEEEE, Ohhhh Oooh Ooooh". Anyways, yeah... probably a horrible thought for such a dark subject. Moving on... to the actual book.... I was SO frustrated that Last Winter We Parted didn't give me what I wanted from it. It was such a quick read and from the start I was really enjoying it, but the last 1/3 of the book took the longest jump into a pool of blah, EVER! I just wanted that last chapter to end. I'm so sad because I devoured the first part so quickly.  Putting my disappointment aside, I did like a few things enough not to throw the book off the train (yes, I finished this on the train). The first person we meet is the investigative journalist who is compelled to interview and write a book about this well known photographer who set some of his models on fire and photographed them. He visits him in jail and hears a little about his side of the story. From there we're brought to various individuals attached to the case, one of these includes his sexy sister that seduces the investigator. It's like Melrose Place up in here. Okay, maybe not that bad but it definitely treads that line of "what just happened?", which can be really entertaining or annoying as heck. This started getting pretty darn annoying. The beginning of the book was chock full of insightful and thoughtful ideas surrounding photography and the psychology that can be attached to the art. Much talk surrounding the idea of capturing the essence of someone in a photo, or even how a snapshot captures a small moment in time and can be kept for eternity. All this talk of philosophical ideas behind a photograph brought me straight back to right after High School, I had a bout of insomnia at the time right after my best friend passed away from a tragic accident. I was distraught and during that time had enlisted in a few classes at the local community college (one of them being photography). I was deeply saddened and affected by my friends passing, I couldn't sleep. So what do you do at two or three in the morning on the fourth sleepless night? Go outside, inhale the night air, bring your camera and start taking pictures. It was a combination of the realization that life is too short and also a way to release that pain in a creative way. Ali (the friend who passed) and I were the top picture takers in our group of friends, so when the time came to gather what we had in memorial for her, I had tons to contribute. The things is this, I started to realize how important photos can be and I wanted to make sure that I documented EVERY important thing that happened in my life AND all those things that didn't seem to be important but might turn into something significant. I would look back on those photos and it would bring me closer to her, keeping her memory and essence alive. I think that's why the main characters idea of capturing the essence of someone in a photo is astoundingly similar to the realization I had come across at such a young age. Once I made that kind of connection to this book, it was hard for me to admit that it was going downhill. Like I said before, it had such promise but the end felt so rushed. I thought the second to last chapter was just one big last ramble to tie everything together. I just wish the Author would have taken his time and kept the story a little more bizarre and not so mainstream. I liked dipping into this world of characters that look at things askew and find profound things in the simple. Maybe it got lost in the translation, who knows. I'd love to see how others felt about this book, I'll be scouring the internet for the reviews. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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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

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The Enchanted

The Enchanted Rene Denfeld 5/5	Published 2014 First Sentence "This is an enchanted place."
Publisher's Description: The enchanted place is an ancient stone prison, viewed through the eyes of a death row inmate who finds escape in his books and in re-imagining life around him, weaving a fantastical story of the people he observes and the world he inhabits. Fearful and reclusive, he senses what others cannot. Though bars confine him every minute of every day, he marries magical visions of golden horses running beneath the prison, heat flowing like molten metal from their backs, with the devastating violence of prison life. Two outsiders venture here: a fallen priest, and the Lady, an investigator who searches for buried information from prisoners' pasts that can save those soon-to-be-executed. Digging into the background of a killer named York, she uncovers wrenching truths that challenge familiar notions of victim and criminal, innocence and guilt, honor and corruption-ultimately revealing shocking secrets of her own. Beautiful and transcendent, The Enchanted reminds us of how our humanity connects us all, and how beauty and love exist even amidst the most nightmarish reality.
Dear Reader, This has to be one of my favorite books I've read this year. What a great year for books, I've had more 5 stars this year than I would have ever thought. I wonder if this has to do with the blog and getting more involved in the literary world. My "to-read" list has grown so fast in recent years and the recommendations keep rolling in. I've noticed that I hardly ever read a book I hate and if I do, more than likely... it's left unfinished. You'll notice that our reviews for 1-2 star ratings are VERY few (a handful at most). I mean, think about it... if you read the premise, the book has a recommendation from someone, and you have some inkling to read it... you would suppose that you'd like the book at least a little, right? Ugh, this has to be one of my biggest digressions yet (on this blog), and I apologize. I think the bottom line is this, I pick the books I read and I think I'm getting better at picking them! This book, alas, I did not pick. RJ Julia Bookstore can take credit for that. This bookstore has a first edition, signed copy, club that you can join and get the book shipped to your door every month. Great selection, really! Check it out. Enough about that, can we finally talk about the book? Okay, sorry... entirely my fault. The Enchanted is all about the secrets people hold, and this is all set in a prison. The term "magical realism" definitely applies here. Even though this is set in modern time, whenever we're transported into the prison via the characters, you almost feel transported back through time. The prison itself is ancient, the tone always seems very old fashioned. This is really hard to describe to you, I think you'd better just read it yourself, hehe. The story goes back and forth between the perspective of an inmate, a "lady" investigator and the warden (plus a few minor characters here and there). We get to know these characters very intimately, as we're told their backstory (and a few others). We start to feel the pressure of the jail cell walls and that impending doom of death knocking on those jail bars. The tone of all of this is very dark and mysterious. You can't read this without feeling the magic it holds. Think of it like this, you're in a dark and wet cellar that has row after row of damaged books... and when you open one of them, you find the pages come to life and they reach out and grab hold tight to drag you inside. At first you feel unsettled by the story but then you start to empathize and yearn for closure. Each prison inmate has that story to tell, and we get to see a glimpse of that from two of them among others who come and work within the prison. The stories are tragic, honest, powerful, beautiful, and terrible all at the same time. The Author uses fantasy mixed with the bitter and disgusting reality of the prison system, telling a tale of magical horror. Don't be scared, don't turn away, read everything because there is a very serious lesson to be learned here. I've never read anything like this and I think everyone should experience it. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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