July Book List

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Usually I post my book list on the first of the month, but since I have no plans to finish anymore books today, I give you my July reviews:

Central Park - Debra White Smith
This author has a set of books that are modern-day versions of Jane Austen's classics. Central Park is a modern version of Mansfield Park (which I've never read/seen before, but now I'd like to). There were some corny and unrealistic situations in this book. Also, one of my pet peeves is when characters don't speak in a way that is normal (21-year-olds with cell phones using words like "mustn't" in all seriousness, etc.), and that was pretty common in this book. It might be just that I'm so unfamiliar with NYC high society, so maybe they all act and talk the way this book indicates? Either way, I still enjoyed the story about a girl who is taken from her poor and abusive home to live with her very rich aunt and uncle, and becomes very close friends with a foster boy they took in. 10 years later, she's in love with him and he brings home a beautiful girl he wants to marry. This is Christian fiction, so there are a lot of references to modesty, character, etc. There were definitely some stereotypes of Christians and nonChristians thrown around, but like I said, I still enjoyed it despite everything that makes my eyes roll.

Tears of a Giraffe - Alexander McCall Smith
Second book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective series. I liked this one more than the first. I think it's nice once the introductions are out of the way. I also felt like this book had fewer unrelated stories and more that contributed directly to progress and the conclusion. I think my favorite part of these books, though, is learning more about African tradition and lifestyle. It's very interesting! And there are some really cute/funny lines that I find charming, like how the secretary looks to her shoe buttons for answers (you have to read it to understand).

The Atonement Child - Francine Rivers
(WARNING: Possibly spoilerish if you're like me and don't like to know much of anything going into the book.) I feel mixed about this book. It's about a Christian girl at a conservative Christian college who gets raped and then ends up pregnant as a result. People all around her are pressuring her to have an abortion. It was good from the start and kept me interested, but I have a few complaints. ( I get a little long on this... )

Whispers- Robin Jones Gunn (reread)
I left my primary book at work one day, so I thought I'd go back to the Glenbrooke Series and read them again. They always make me feel glad to live in Oregon and a little more excited about my life. Whispers is book 2 but it was the first one I read in this series back in 2004, so I remembered the least amount about it. It's about Teri, a Spanish teacher from Oregon, who goes to visit her sister in Hawaii and ends up with more than one guy to consider for a relationship. It's light reading and has some silliness to it, but sometimes that's what a girl needs (actually, that's often what I need!). The Glenbrooke Series is like delicious macaroni and cheese.

Echoes - Robin Jones Gunn (reread)
Book 3 of the Glenbrooke Series. Lauren meets a guy online and they have a somewhat You've-Got-Mail-esque email relationship. This book has corniness and unreality, but I still like it a lot. :) Also, spiritually it encourages me. I finished it last night (7/22) and was feeling very refreshed and hopeful afterwards.

Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
I already talked about my thoughts in a post, but they are very spoilerish. See my journal for that. Here I'll just say that I read this after several of my friends enjoyed and recommended it, and I will now join them in recommending it. It really held my interest from the beginning and had me very thoughtful about some things. Of course I can find things to criticize (my gift, you know), but I still recommend it. It's about a girl who moves to live with her dad in Washington and meets a mysterious and unique family, which includes an intriguing and very attractive guy. :D That's my attempt at vagueness even though most of you probably know what it's about.

Books for July: 6
Books for 2008: 20

July booklist

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I spent most of my birthday weekend reading, and I had some deadlines for finishing some of these ... thus the explosion.

 

( Twenty-three books )

July books

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Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert- Memoirs of a public librarian working in the Los Angeles area. I read this one for work. It is by turns sad, inspiring, disgusting, depressing, and humorous. This book gives a glimpse into what public librarianship is truly like- the highs and lows; the way you can help some people, and yet be powerless to truly help others. That said, I did find the book somewhat depressing (the "powerless to help" parts), and I could have done without some of the more disgusting parts.

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen- 17-year-old Ruby suddenly finds herself in a whole different world when she comes under the care of the older sister she hasn't seen in years. This book was a fast read. I do love Dessen dearly, but I feel like something wasn't quite right with this one. I guess my problem is that, whether consciously or not, nearly every plot point was pretty clearly foreshadowed. Also, the symbolism was a little clunky. Yes, I know the book is aimed at teenagers, and not 20-somethings with B.A.s in literature. But I've really liked Dessen's other books, and I feel like this one didn't quite live up to her other works.

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell- 17-year-old Molly Gibson's world is thrown into upheaval when her widowed father decides to remarry. This is a cozy novel, and if you like Jane Austen, I think you'd like this one. Unfortunately, the author died before she could finish it, but you can pretty much tell how it will end. I also highly recommend the mini-series.

Storm Surge by Rene Gutteridge- FBI agent Mick Kline investigates a suspect's death, as well as the strange case of a death-row prisoner who insists on his own innocence. Now, I usually like Rene Gutteridge, but she's not exactly the greatest at characterization. That really, really shows in this novel. Plus, some of the writing feels unrealistic, and the plot is too predictable to really be suspenseful. Also, the ending of the romantic arc felt rushed. Disappointment all the way 'round.

The World's Last Night (and Other Essays) by C. S. Lewis- Essays on topics including "good work" vs. "good works"; religion vs. science; and the Second Coming. Lewis always makes me think about my own theology, which is good. There was one essay in this book that I didn't really like (or maybe I just didn't get it- I'm definitely not ruling that out; Lewis= way smarter than I am), but for the most part the essays were good. You can see Lewis developing the ideas he would use in Perlandra in "Religion and Rocketry", and "Screwtape Proposes a Toast" is always convicting.