Something Borrowed && Something Blue

Something Borrowed
June 2004

Something Blue
May 2005

Emily Giffin
Reading Level: Adult

Summaries:

Something Borrowed tells the story of Rachel, a young attorney living and working in Manhattan. Rachel has always been the consummate good girl---until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend, Darcy, throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiancé. Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for the one guy she should run from. As the September wedding date nears, Rachel knows she has to make a choice. In doing so, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk all to win true happiness. Something Borrowed is a phenomenal debut novel that will have you laughing, crying, and calling your best friend.

------

From the New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed comes a novel that shows how someone with a ‘perfect life’ can lose it all—and then find everything.

Darcy Rhone thought she had it all figured out: the more beautiful the girl, the more charmed her life. Never mind substance. Never mind playing by the rules. Never mind karma.

But Darcy’s neat, perfect world turns upside down when her best friend, Rachel, the plain-Jane “good girl,” steals her fiancé, while Darcy finds herself completely alone for the first time in her life…with a baby on the way.

Darcy tries to recover, fleeing to her childhood friend living in London and resorting to her tried-and-true methods for getting what she wants. But as she attempts to recreate her glamorous life on a new continent, Darcy finds that her rules no longer apply. It is only then that Darcy can begin her journey toward self-awareness, forgiveness, and motherhood.

Something Blue is a novel about one woman’s surprising discoveries about the true meaning of friendship, love, and happily-ever-after. It’s a novel for anyone who has ever, even secretly, wondered if the last thing you want is really the one thing you need.

Review:

Let's start with Something Borrowed.

Rachel is somebody that probably 99% of all women can relate to. Most women have probably felt at some point in their life that they are being overshadowed by their best friend. I know I've felt this way, and it sucks.

The other 1% of the female population is composed of the Darcys. These are the women who live to win and must always be the best at everything.

Obviously this is not scientifically proven, but you get the idea.

I would say that most people are somewhere inbetween the two characters. There are times when you are the shining star, and there are times when you're the scruffy friend.

But what you have in Something Borrowed is a situation where opposites attract- literally. They are the extremes, and it's amazing that it works so well, but it does.

Rachel is so easy to like, because she is relatable. Darcy just the opposite, she is easy to hate.

I loved this book because it was so easy to cheer for Rachel to triumph in the end. You knew she was in an impossible situation-- a best friend or boyfriend situation-- and yet you hoped she could keep both.

Something Borrowed was fluffy and fun, and it explored the intricacies of the adult female relationship. I was happy with it overall. I liked Dex, I liked Rachel, and I loved to hate Darcy.

Then jump forward to Something Blue, where you're forced to listen to Darcy's side of things. Ugh. I almost didn't bother reading it because I hated Darcy so much, and I'm sure a lot of lovers of the first book felt the same way as I did.

To those readers, I have a message: read Something Blue!

The beginning is almost unbearable, because it's impossible to take Darcy seriously, but obviously the point of a book is to show the growth and transformation of the main character, and Something Blue is no exception! I loved seeing her struggle, and seeing her become a better and stronger person.

While these two books are companions, not necessarily a series, they obviously both focus on the same two characters, and over the course of the two novels you get to love them. I enjoyed seeing them change and grow, and at the same time got swept up into the magic of big city living and an adult world that I have yet to experience. This is chick lit at its finest!

The Host

The Host
Stephenie Meyer
May 2008
Reading Level: Adult

Summary:

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans, is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

Review:

I have to say this first and foremost:

THE HOST IS NOT TWILIGHT.

Just in case anyone out there says, "Oh, Twilight sucks so I'm not even going to bother reading The Host, because I'm sure that sucks just as bad."

The Host totally blows Twilight out of the water. Where Twilight is all fluff and bad writing, The Host is intellectual and captivating and thoughtful.

I read it when it first came out in 2008, and I loved it then. I read it again recently, and once again I was struck by how wonderful this novel is.

The uniqueness of it really strikes me. You would expect someone who started the whole vampire craze to lack imagination and stick to preapproved subjects, but Meyer does something completely different. While it is dystopian, it is not like other dystopian novels.

The relationships in the novel are so powerful, and that's the main reason I love this book so much.. Nothing is black and white.. With two "people" inhabiting one body and one mind, it's impossible to draw clear and distinct lines, especially when it comes to strong emotions such as love and hate.

This book also takes a good look at what it takes to be human. One of my favorite parts is when a character states that The Wanderer (who is not human) is more human than other actual humans. It shows that being human is more than skin deep. This is something that's hard to articulate, and yet Meyer shows it clearly through The Wanderer's interactions with the humans she lives with.

While I'll admit the book has a slow start, I would highly encourage anyone to push a little harder if they are struggling. The book picks up so suddenly, and it's impossible to put down once you get into it. 

Angels and Demons

Angels and Demons
Dan Brown
2000
Reading Level: Adult

Summary:

World-renowned Harvard symboligist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization - the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra. Together they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive vault on earth . . . the long-forgotten Illuminati lair.

Review:

Having read Deception Point last year and loving it, I had to give Dan Brown another try. However, I am sad to say that I don't think I'll be reading any more of his books.

 The one thing that I think really ruined my opinion of the book is something I did to myself: I went online and I looked at reviews. And all of the negative reviews said that there are inaccuracies in the book, and so I looked at a list of inaccuracies and it just made the book seem so ridiculous, because apparently Dan Brown doesn't do his research. However, as a work of fiction I can kind of overlook that. Kind of. It's hard to respect a book when the author doesn't do his research.

If I hadn't read any reviews, and if I had just gone and read the book, I probably would have still thought it was just alright. My main problem is that the main character, Robert Langdon, gets out of EVERY sticky situation with hardly a scratch, it seems. This whole book takes place over the course of a day, and I know that if I had a day like he did I would be scarred for life. But everything is peachy. The book goes like this: impossible situation, repeat x 1,000,000, throw in some sexual tension, then end with a twist, and then some love making. Voila, that's Angels and Demons. But of course there's the religious aspect, but I'm ignoring that because it doesn't matter to me. All that matters is that the story was a little exciting, but predictable because by now I've learned how Dan Brown operates, and I'm sure all of his other books are remarkably similar.

Overall: it was okay. But I wouldn't recommend going on a Dan Brown reading spree, because they'll start to blur together and get boring after 2 or 3.

Emma && The Mill on the Floss

If you're anything like I was 6 months ago, you're probably reading the title and thinking, "Oh, I know Jane Austen... but who the heck is this George Eliot person? And why are they being grouped together?"

Well, I'll tell you this: George Eliot (AKA Mary Ann Evans) wrote novels in the 1800s. And whatya know, so did Jane Austen. And also, remarkably enough, there are some incredible similarities between the two novels mentioned in the title. Since I had to read both novels for my English class this past semester, and since I wrote a compare and contrast essay on them for part of my final exam, I feel like I should write my reviews in a similar way.

So, without further adieu, please let me introduce:

EMMA VS. THE MILL ON THE FLOSS

It's only fair that I start with the similarities between the two novels. Both feature strong female leads living in 19th century England, and both females come from prominent families. Both characters are stuck living a life that does not suit them. Emma tries to overcome this by playing with her friends and making matches to add a little entertainment to her life. Maggie Tulliver (the protagonist in The Mill on the Floss) wants desperately to be loved by her brother, but at the same time she wants to be something more than the obedient and, well, boring woman that she is expected by her family to be. 

The two novels are also remarkably similar in writing style. The narrator in both novels is constantly critiquing the events of the novel. In Emma, the situations are always laughable, and the narrator makes sure that the reader sees the humor clearly. In The Mill on the Floss, the narrator is a bit more scolding, almost like it wants to make sure the reader doesn't jump to silly conclusions. The narrator's commentary really makes both of the books memorable.

However, there are a number of differences between the two novels that are important to keep in mind. First: Emma is a comedy. You are meant to laugh at the events, and you are meant to read the book knowing that it will end happily, with a marriage of some sort where two happy people ride off into the sunset, or whatever it is that newlyweds did back in the 19th century.

The Mill on the Floss is not a comedy, or at least not predominantly. It is a tragedy, from beginning to end. You see Maggie's impossible situation from the first page, where you learn what is expected from the spirited little girl. You know the only possible outcomes would be for her to either succumb to societies expectations of her, which will crush her spirits and leave her unhappy, or to live her life as an outcast from her own family, which would make her unhappy because of her extreme desire to please her brother Tom. You know that there is no fairytale ending.

Okay, so that's the end of my analysis. Even though there are similarities and differences between the two novels, they are both really good in their own ways. Emma is hilarious if you let yourself get lost in the ridiculousness of the characters, and it's really just a fun novel that you can't help but love in the end. The Mill on the Floss is also amazing. There is a bit of humor, but it's mostly heart-wrenching and tear-jerking and you find yourself rooting for Maggie the whole way. It's a long book, I'll give it that, and at times it can be difficult to read it, but once you get through it you can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

I would recommend BOTH of these novels to anyone looking to expand their literary pursuits. I loved them both, although I have to say The Mill on the Floss has a truly special place in my heart. You should definitely give it a try.

The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife
Audrey Niffenegger
September 2003
Reading Level: Adult

Summary:

Audrey Niffenegger's innovative debut, The Time Traveler's Wife, is the story of Clare, a beautiful art student, and Henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-three and Henry thirty-one. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.

The Time Traveler's Wife depicts the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare's marriage and their passionate love for each other, as the story unfolds from both points of view. Clare and Henry attempt to live normal lives, pursuing familiar goals -- steady jobs, good friends, children of their own. All of this is threatened by something they can neither prevent nor control, making their story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.

Review:

The Time Traveler's Wife is a book that is hard to describe. It's different than any other love story I've ever read, and for that reason I completely love it.

Clare has known Henry since she was a little girl, and she knew almost from the beginning that she would end up married to him. It is this detail that makes the novel so interesting and the love so different: as a reader, I was constantly wondering how Clare could handle such a life, because she could never be sure that her love is true, or if it was simply an obligation to be fulfilled. While it's clear that Henry and Clare's love was strong, there was always something more behind it.

The story itself is a different take on time travel as well; instead of seeing it as something supernatural, it's simply a fact of life that must be worked around and suffered through. And personally, I've always loved time travel stories, so this love story was right up my alley.

While I feel the book got off to a slow start- too much dialogue, I would say- it definitely picked up and rocked my world. I was so into the story that it was impossible to give up, even after I'd turned the last page. I'd definitely recommend it to someone who's looking for a good, solid romance. 

Water for Elephants [book review]

Water for Elephants
Sara Gruen
May 2006
Reading Level: Adult

Summary:

An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of Riding Lessons.

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.

Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

Review: 

I had heard from a number of good friends how amazing this book was, and I know it's extremely popular with the movie, so I borrowed it from a friend and read it.

I didn't find the book to be quite as magnificent as I was hoping. This is probably due to the extreme hype around it, though. There were a number of things that I really enjoyed about it. I loved the switching points of view between old Jacob and young Jacob. That definitely added something magical to the story. I also loved the idea of the circus; it's not something you come across too often, and so it sparked my interest and kept me entertained throughout the novel.

Others might find it to be magical, but I was not completely awestruck. However, the unique plot and likeable characters kept me involved and interested from beginning to end. This was not really what I was expecting, but it was still good enough not to be too big of a disappointment.

Deception Point

Deception Point
Dan Brown
December 2001
Reading Level: Adult

Summary:

When a new NASA satellite detects evidence of an astonishingly rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory...a victory that has profound implications for U.S. space policy and the impending presidential election. With the Oval Office in the balance, the President dispatches White House Intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton to the Arctic to verify the authenticity of the find. Accompanied by a team of experts, including the charismatic academic Michael Tolland, Rachel uncovers the unthinkable - evidence of scientific trickery - a bold deception that threatens to plunge the world into controversy...

Review:

This book had me riveted from the very start. This book was a complete page-turner, and I absolutely could not put it down.

After reading The Da Vinci Code, I was convinced that Dan Brown's books were just not for me. However, one of my friends (who is a huge Dan Brown fan) assured me that most fans of his think that The Da Vinci Code is his worst book. That, combined with the fact that reading materials were sparse during my study abroad trip, convinced me to read Deception Point.

I am SO GLAD I did. As I've already said, the book was riveting. I enjoyed every moment of it, and I couldn't wait to find out what was going on. The suspense was insane, and it was all just so incredibly interesting that I couldn't help but fall in love with the story and the characters.

However, the book is not without flaws. The one thing that bothered me is the complete impossibility of it all. I wasn't even halfway through the book when I came across the first instance of utter ridiculousness, and many times throughout the book I said to myself, "That is impossible, she should be dead." Rachel just seems to get out of every horrible life-threatening situation without a scratch, and after awhile it just seemed to get a little bit silly.


Still, if you're a fan of fast-paced thrillers, and are not too picky about little technical details, then I would pick this up. Also, if you hated The Da Vinci Code, you might like this novel better. I would say that it's a great book just to pass the time, and it offers something unique and fun that you don't find in a lot of novels (or at least, not novels that I've read).

Summer Sisters

Summer Sisters
Judy Blume
1998
Age Level: Adult

Summary: 

No writer captures the seasons of our lives better than Judy Blume.  Now, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wifey and Smart Women, comes an extraordinary novel of reminiscence and awakening--an unforgettable story of two women, two families, and the friendships that shape a lifetime.

When Victoria Leonard answers the phone in her Manhattan office, Caitlin's voice catches her by surprise.  Vix hasn't talked to her oldest friend in months.  Caitlin's news takes her breath away--and Vix is transported back in time, back to the moment she and Caitlin Somers first met, back to the casual betrayals and whispered confessions of their long, complicated friendship, back to the magical island where two friends became summer sisters.

Caitlin dazzled Vix from the start, sweeping her into the heart of the unruly Somers family, into a world of privilege, adventure, and sexual daring.  Vix's bond with her summer family forever reshapes her ties to her own, opening doors to opportunities she had never imagined--until the summer she falls passionately in love.  Then, in one shattering moment on a moonswept Vineyard beach, everything changes, exposing a dark undercurrent in her extraordinary friendship with Caitlin that will haunt them through the years.

As their story carries us from Santa Fe to Martha's Vineyard, from New York to Venice, we come to know the men and women who shape their lives.  And as we follow the two women on the paths they each choose, we wait for the inevitable reckoning to be made in the fine spaces between friendship and betrayal, between love and freedom.

Summer Sisters is a riveting exploration of the choices that define our lives, of friendship and love, of the families we are born into and those we struggle to create.  For every woman who has ever had a friend too dangerous to forgive and too essential to forget, Summer Sisters will glue you to every page, reading and remembering.

Review:

I sort of picked this book up on a whim; I was in a thrift store, and I have no reading material with me, and so I decided to give this a shot.

Overall, I would say it was a decent book. It was written well enough, and the story had me interested and I could sympathize with Vix and her deep feelings of friendship for Caitlin. However, I just don't think that it was a story that was really worth reading about.

The book is set over quite a lengthy period of time, from when Vix is a young girl to when she is a grown adult. It basically follows her life, and most especially her friendship with Caitlin. The reason I'm not really a fan of this book is because I feel like it is something that every girl has experienced in her life; the gaining of a great friend, and then the gradual loss as they grow older and grow apart. I suppose that is why this book is easy for women to relate to, but at the end I found myself with a "So what?!" feeling.

That's not to say that it isn't an interesting story; Caitlin is the type of person who captivates you, and Vix is easy to relate to because she's just your everyday girl, so the story is entertaining. However, I don't feel like I've gotten anything from the story. It's a good beach read, for sure, but nothing like what I was hoping for.

Jane

Double Review: Beloved & The Bluest Eye

Beloved (1987)

The Bluest Eye (1970)

Toni Morrison

No summaries are going to be posted: please click the book links for info on each particular book!

Review:
I decided to review both of these novels together because there is a lot to be said about Toni Morrison's writing in general, and because they both deal with some very similar themes and ideas.

I'm sure Beloved is the novel that most readers are familiar with; it is a contemporary classic. It was my favorite between the two, but The Bluest Eye still brought something new to the table: a different take on the effects of slavery and racism on black families in the United States. Taking place during the Great Depression, the slaves have all been freed for many years: but there are still racial issues, just as there still are issues today. The Bluest Eye was a great novel because it explored the racial issue in a different time period than it is normally looked at, and it did so through the use of a variety of perspectives. By telling the story from different character's positions, the reader is able to get a real idea of how things were, and the circumstances that led each character to where they are in the story. I found myself sympathetic to each and every character (with only one exception) and I loved the truth behind the story.

Beloved tackles the theme of racial issues that Morrison is famous for, and is set right after the Civil War. I loved this book because it deals with a very sensitive issue: slavery and motherhood. Is it better to keep a child in this world knowing that he/she will end up a slave, or is it better for the child to die so they don't have to live that way? That is a decision that is impossible for me to imagine: I am not a slave and I am not a mother, and so the whole concept is completely foreign, which is possibly why it appeals to me. Sethe, the main character who was faced with the choice to accept slavery for her child or not, ultimately chose to kill her baby. This book focuses on this choice, and whether you agree with it or not the story is fascinating.

Both books contain such great writing, with the changes in POV that I mentioned earlier, great imagery, and the exploration of important issues that would otherwise remain under the radar. I completely understand why Morrison is one of the greatest authors of our time, and I feel that everyone should read Beloved (and Morrison's other novels, which are perhaps not as perfect but still interesting) at least once in their life.

Jane

Everyday Psychokillers

Everyday Psychokillers
by Lucy Corin
February 2004
Age Level: Adult

Summary:

In Everyday Psychokillers spectacular violence is the idiom of everyday life, a lurid extravaganza in which all those around the narrator seem vicarious participants. And at its center are the interchangeable young girls, thrilling to know themselves the object of so much desire and terror.

The narrative interweaves history, myth, rumor, and news with the experiences of a young girl living in the flatness of South Florida. Like Grace Paley's narrators, she is pensive and eager, hungry for experience but restrained. Into the sphere of her regard come a Ted Bundy reject, the God Osiris, a Caribbean slave turned pirate, a circus performer living in a box, broken horses, a Seminole chief in a swamp, and a murderous babysitter. What these preposterously commonplace figures all know is that murder is identity: "Of course what matters really is the psychokiller, what he's done, what he threatens to do. Of course to be the lucky one you have to be abducted in the first place. Without him, you wouldn't exist."

Everyday Psychokillers reaches to the edge of the psychoanalytical and jolts the reader back to daily life. The reader becomes the killer, the watcher, the person on the verge, hiding behind an everyday face.

Review:

For required reading, this book was actually extremely entertaining, and not at all what I was expecting. The title "Everyday Psychokillers" is a perfect title, but it also made me think the book was going to be much more creepy than it actually was. The basic idea is this: everyone has the potential of being a psychokiller.

That sounds pretty presumptuous, but after reading the book I have been oddly enlightened. Corin did an excellent job combining myths and little anecdotal stories to create a book that explores the idea of the everyday person as a psychokiller. The stories included were all interesting and thought provoking, and the imagery was incredible.

I'm not sure who I would recommend this book to, but I know that if there are definitely some interesting ideas and concepts brought up in the book. If you're feeling inclined enough to read it, I'd say go for it.

Jane

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Stieg Larsson
May 2010

Summary:

The stunning third and final novel in Stieg Larsson’s internationally best-selling trilogy

Lisbeth Salander—the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels—lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

Review:

Oh, my. How do I even begin to write this review?

Personally, I find it hard to write reviews for books in a series, simply because I feel like I'm expressing the same opinion over and over again. While this wasn't the case between the first book and the second book (if you recall, I enjoyed the second one much more than the first), it is true when comparing the second and third installment. Picking up right where The Girl Who Played With Fire left off, I found myself completely riveted from beginning to end. I can't really describe what draws me into these books... maybe the characters? Lisbeth, of course, who is the driving force. And then Mikael, of course, who helps her on the way. And add to that a huge government conspiracy theory and I'm sold.

That being said, I'm not going to ramble too much. This series is really good for mature readers (adults, mostly, but being a mature teenager I'd also recommend it to others like myself). Highly recommend this series.

Jane

PS. I heard that there is a fourth novel that Larsson was writing when he died, and that someone (a relative, maybe?) was going to finish it up and it's going to get published. Not sure where I heard that or how credible it was, but I sincerely hope that happens :)

The Girl Who Played With Fire

Please see my review for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

This book was significantly better than it's predecessor for two very important reasons:

1. It didn't take too long to get into. The one thing that really irks me about some of the books that I read is drawn out and boring introductions. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo had an introduction that for me was nothing but dull and lengthy. The Girl Who Played With Fire did not have that. The prologue set up the readers for an exciting and intriguing novel, and it did not disappoint.

2. Dragon Tattoo focused a lot on characters that are not the main characters. While Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander were quite obviously the main characters, much of the story focused on the Vanger family and their history. That bothered me with the first book, because I didn't get as much of a grasp on who the main characters were.

That being said, Dragon Tattoo was good. But The Girl Who Played With Fire completely blew me away. I wasn't even planning on reading it, until I was put into a situation where I didn't have a book to read and I was stuck at work for two hours with nothing to do. I bought this book on a whim: I figured, it's cheap and I don't have to try and get into a whole new story.

I am SO GLAD that I decided to read it. TGWPWF is such an improvement on Dragon Tattoo. With Dragon Tattoo I felt like it was far too out of my comfort zone to really enjoy. Fire just got me sucked into the story and I couldn't put it down. The story focused on Lisbeth Salander, rather than on an outsider, which I loved. I also loved how fast-paced everything was. While the beginning started out somewhat slow (although not as slow as Dragon Tattoo) once the conflict was introduced I found myself obsessed with finding out what was going to happen.

This book was a real thrill ride. The only downside is the abrupt ending. While some aspects of the story were concluded, the reader was left with a lot of unanswered questions, including the unanswered question that was brought up at the ending of the last book.

Despite the very few downsides, I would definitely recommend this sequel. I would especially recommend it to those who, like me, were a bit skeptical about the first book. This book didn't disappoint, and while it might take me awhile to get to the third and final installment, I will most definitely be reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Restored Hope

Restored Hope is a book that you know from the summary exactly what it will be like: cute, fun, and maybe a little sad.

That was exactly what this book was like for me. It starts out with the perfect family, and then quickly things spiral out of control: there is sibling rivalry, accidents, abandonment, etc. Basically: things suck. And Camilla/Samantha is left to try and repair her life.

This book is about Samantha's journey through life, and how she manages to take a crappy situation and turn it into a happily ever after. This is not a bad concept. I really liked how Sam's life turned out... it wasn't too mushy mushy, and it wasn't too horrible either. The ending was picture perfect, just like the beginning, and I finished with a smile on my face.

That's not to say there weren't flaws. One thing that irked me while reading this novel was how quickly things happened. One page I was reading about a wedding, and the next page a child is born... so many things happened, and I didn't feel like I got to really know the characters themselves. All I knew was their life story.

The basic idea of this novel is a good one, but I don't know if I'm a fan of how it was pulled together. Instead of Sam's life story, it would have been better if it focused on a certain period of her life. Maybe the introduction could be the traumatic events of her childhood, and as she's growing into an adult she can come to terms with everything... the end. I felt like there was a lot happening, and I didn't really get a good grasp on what I was supposed to be following.

Overall, not bad. I have read much worse. But not superfantastic either. If anyone is looking for a quick, happy book, I'd say give this one a try.

Jane

PS. Thanks to Brenda Youngerman for sending this review copy!

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

This novel was definitely not what I was expecting... not that I had any expectations. I still found myself pleasantly surprised with what this novel turned out to be.

The summary itself is intriguing enough (see this post for a summary and quote). The idea of a modern black woman traveling back to a slave plantation is one that I had never even thought of... it's such an interesting concept, and I'm really interested in looking into more novels like this one.

One thing about this book is that from the very beginning, it keeps you wanting to know more. I can guarantee that anyone who reads the prologue will want to read the rest, if only to figure out "how did this happen?!" And if you aren't pulled in by the prologue, I know that the first couple of pages will definitely get your attention. This book doesn't waste time in getting to the point: it goes right into the story, and the action doesn't stop until the very end. Once you pick this up, you will not want to stop reading... there are very few points in the novel where you can set it aside without wanting to pick it right back up again. In fact, two nights in a row I stayed up much later than I should have, just because I had to know what happened right then... it couldn't wait.

The other part of this novel that I absolutely loved is the characters. The thing about a novel like this is that the characters have to play their part. And damn, did Octavia Butler deliver. The MC, Dana, was true to who she was: a modern black woman who didn't belong on a plantation. She didn't suddenly develop superhuman strength and overthrow her white "masters". It was apparent that she didn't fit in from the very moment she arrived: she was educated, dressed differently, and had endured none of the abuse and suffering that black people in slavery had to endure. While her experiences on the plantation changed that for her, she never did fit in.

Her (white) husband also was a very believable character. Due to events in the novel, he was forced to spend an amount of time living in the early 1800s... and it affected him. If he would have come out of it unaffected, I would have laughed at the ridiculousness of this novel. However, he showed change, and I doubt that he or Dana ever truly recovered from their experiences.

I also loved that this novel didn't have what you might call a "happy" ending. Dana didn't go back in time to change the world... she went back in time to change a person. And this was all done in a very believable way.

Overall, this book was COMPLETELY AMAZING. It has been on my mind since I finished it, and I will definitely look out for more Octavia Butler books.

How Starbucks Saved My Life

I had very few expectations for this book when I started it. What I expected was this: a simple book about a guy's experience working at a Starbucks.

This book was exactly that. This book is written about the author's own experiences: he started out his life as a very upper-class, snobby white man. Throughout the course of the book, he changed his views on life. He faces his racism issues, and he learns to accept the lower class by becoming one of them.

I have to say, I wasn't terribly inspired by this book. I wasn't fond of Gill to begin with, and while I'm glad he learned a few truths about life, I still don't think that the story held much of an emotional impact.

I also didn't appreciate the name dropping. The purpose was possibly to emphasize just how important Gill and his family were, but I got sick of hearing about "that one time with the Queen of England" or "when I met Frank Sinatra". Those are interesting life experiences, but it annoyed me and I didn't feel like the experiences contributed a whole lot to the story.

Overall, this book was just okay- my college could have picked a book far worse to make the freshman read. But I don't think I've learned any valuable life lessons or anything.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

I decided to read this book after reading about it in my favorite magazine, Entertainment Weekly. The never ending praise by this magazine, and also the fact that the book was very obviously displayed in every bookstore I walked into, made me buy it.

I knew right from the start that this book would be a challenge. However, I enjoyed it and I'm glad I gave it a try.

My review for this book will come in three parts.

1. The beginning. The beginning of any book is without a doubt the most important part of it. Every book needs to have an attention-grabbing opening. Without that, an average reader could easily get bored or disinterested and move onto something more exciting. I came thisclose to giving up before the story got under way. Why? Because of the mumbo jumbo. I have no interest in the stock market or economics, and so when this book started out with some long explanations about some financial scandal, I had half a mind to give up right then and there.

2. The middle. This is the bulk of the book, and the only reason why I stuck with it. Once the story got going (and it took a little too long for my taste) I decided that I really wanted to see what happened. The character of Mikael Blomkvist didn't interest me too much, but the story he was investigating did. I found myself pulled in by the murder mystery that the book was trying to solve. I also became very intrigued by the idea of Lisbeth Salander. True to my expectations, she was as bad-ass as everything I had heard about her, and naturally that made her my favorite character.

3. The ending. Besides the part where the main mystery of Harriet Vanger's murder was solved, I skim-read the end. It was more mumbo jumbo, and a whole lot of something I didn't feel like reading. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the very last page, and the incredible cliff-hanger that was presented. Is it enough for me to read the sequel? Maybe.

Overall: This book is not for everybody. If you think you can handle a book with a lot of backstory, I'd say go for it. I also have to add that there are some very graphic sexual abuse scenes, so this is not a story for a young reader. The best person to read this would be an adult with an open mind, and a desire to read an interesting and different story.