Books for April

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

Testimony - Anita Shreve, 3/5, 305 pages
This is a train-wreck of a book. At a very early stage I sensed that this would be an unpleasant book, and wasn't entirely sure I wanted to continue reading it, but when flipping through it, I kept finding passages that caught my eye, and it is very engagingly written, so I kept coming back for more.

In "Testimony" Anita Shreve utilises many of the same writing techniques that I've come to associate with Jodi Picoult - changing POV often, jumping back and forth in time etc. It's confusing until you get used to it, but I actually don't mind, as long as it's well done. Shreve added an extra element here by also switching between first, second and third person narratives. Especially the second person narrative took some getting used to.

I was right in that it was an unpleasant book, but because of the constant jumps in narrator, it actually wasn't as bad as I'd expected, as it concentrated less on the actual events of the plot, and more on different people's reactions to it.

I don't think I'll recommend it, and I definitely don't count on rereading it at any point in time, but I don't regret reading it either, and I guess that at the end of the day, that's the important thing.

Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~5hrs
My first 'read' of "Peter Pan" - of course I already knew the story of Peter Pan prior to reading this, or rather, I knew Disney's version of it, but I'd actually never thought to get hold of the original before now.

That was a mistake!

"Peter Pan" is one of the few 'true' classics I've discovered in recent years. A book written for children that still charms when read for the first time as an adult. I found myself laughing out loud several times, and never got the impression that I needed the rosy tint of nostalgia to fully appreciate it.

It's obviously a lot darker than the Disney version, but I wonder whether children pick up on this, or if it's something you don't notice until reading it as an adult.

Everything is Fine - Anne Dee Ellis, 2/5, 154 pages
Not as much a book as a patchwork of scenes or poems in free verse - each section focusing on a person or an event in Mazzy's life. While there is a red thread as well as some sort of chronology to the story, the events jump back and forth in time throughout the book, and it's more a stream of consciousness than a traditional narrative.

The writing-style isn't my cup of tea, but there's nothing inherent wrong with it, and Anne Dee Ellis uses it well and I think it will appeal to teenagers in the target group. The plot wouldn't have been quite as poignant if told in a more common-place way.

So what's the final verdict? I'm in the odd position that though the book didn't really work for me, I can still see its merits and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others, because it's clearly more a case of "not my type" than a bad plot or a badly written book.

Erec Rex: The Dragon's Eye - Kaza Kingsley, 4/5, 343 pages
Charming YA fantasy that in style seems very much like an alternative Harry Potter with a lot of Terry Pratchett humour thrown in. Actually it was the last part that made it loose a couple of marks for me. I'm not too big a fan of Terry Prachett's style because he tends to try to cram too much humour into too little text, and it therefore becomes disruptive to the plot. I found the same to be the case in the beginning of this book, but it may just have been Kaza Kingsley introducing the universe and "getting into her stride", because it improved greatly the further I got into the novel.

It was obviously meant as the first book in a series, as there were a lot of questions left unanswered, but thankfully no major cliff-hangers.

The Tea House on Mulberry Street - Sharon Owen, 4/5, 357 pages
I was in need of some light Sunday-afternoon reading, and this fit the bill perfectly. It's nothing special plot-wise, but good for a cozy afternoon, where you just want to disappear into a book for a couple of hours with no special effort required.

In style, the book is very similar to a lot of Maeve Binchy's work, although Sharon Owen doesn't possess quite the same charm and freshness as is so typical for Binchy's books. Some of the plot-lines had a bit too much 'tell' and a bit too little 'show', and I therefore felt less sympathetic to those characters than some of the others.

It's obviously not meant as great literature, but as a feel-good novel to while a couple of hours away

Insomnia - Stephen King, 4/5, 539 pages
The best Stephen King book I've read so far, and I totally wasn't expecting that. I'd stumbled across it on my SIL's shelves, but as I'd never actually heard of it before (it's not one of the books most often mentioned when talking about SK), I wasn't expecting it to blow me away. To my great surprise I ended up being unable to put it down, which is definitely a first for a SK novel.

The plot was good, the characters interesting, and the ending satisfying. That's basically all I ask for in a book :-)

My Swordhand is Singing - Marcus Sedgwick, 3.5/5, 220 pages
I had no clue what to expect upon starting this book, yet for some reason I'd gotten the idea that I wouldn't be impressed by it. I think it must have been a mixture of the cover, the lack of a blurb on the back of the book, and just the general 'feel' of the book in my hand. I'm not saying it makes sense, I'm just saying that that's how I went into the book. After the first couple of chapters I was ready to give up on it as a lost cause, but as I'd been asked to read it with an eye on translating it to Danish, I figured I owed it to my boss to stick it out for a bit longer.

I did, and I'm glad. Before I knew it I was sucked deeply into the story, and couldn't put it down until the last page was turned. It's a different take on the vampire legend, but a lot closer to the original of Dracula than most of the YA novels having been published lately. Marcus Sedgwick kept a distance to his characters - something which usually frustrates me, because it means I can't feel sympathetic to them, but here it added to the feeling of eeriness and the sinister atmosphere, and therefore worked really well.

Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading - Maureen Corrigan, 2/5, 184 pages
This is the longest 184-page book I've ever read. I think it took me more than a month to finish, because the writing was just... not captivating is the best way to put it, I guess.

I'd been waiting to get my hands on it for ages, so it was a huge disappointment not to enjoy it, but I just didn't think it was very well written. There was no discernible red thread, and it seemed very random which books Maureen Corrigan chose to write about. I really couldn't figure out what she was trying to say to her readers.

The reasons I did end up finishing it after all was part stubbornness and part research. If I ever should end up writing a book (as highly unlikely as that sounds), it would be something in this genre. Always good to know which pitfalls to stay away from.

The Horse and His Boy - C.S. Lewis*, 3/5, Audiobook ~6hrs
This has always been my least favourite Narnia book, and I therefore hadn't read it in YEARS. I recently got hold of the entire series as audiobooks, and figured it was time to give it a second chance.

Still definitely my least favourite of the books. It just doesn't seem 'right' that so little of the action takes place in Narnia, and Aslan is almost not in it at all. I think I'd love it as a book in its own rights, but as a Narnia chronicle? Nope, not good enough.

A Deadly Habit - Andrea Sisco, 3.5/5, 270 pages
An interesting whodunnit that had me turning pages until the very end. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters, and especially fell in love with Pen's devil-may-care attitude, and her father-in-law's desperate attempts to reconcile Pen and his wife.

My main reason for not rating the book higher was that I felt the ending came a bit out of the blue. There were certain clues, but very vague and easily dismissed, both by the reader and by Pen, until it all suddenly came to a head. I would have appreciated a better build-up, so that the ending hadn't felt as such a stroke of luck, but had given the reader a chance to guess as well.

Traveling Mercies - Anne Lamott, 3/5, 288 pages
(Recommended to me by pinkslit)
This is a difficult book for me to review, because I had no expectations going in, and no real understanding of the authors intentions coming out. As a memoir it was brilliant - interestingly written and engaging. I guess the problem is that I'm too used to Christian non-fiction being meant as books of teaching - that I'm supposed to learn something new about Christianity from them. I didn't here, but that's not because it was badly written or too "simple", but because that simply didn't seem to be the purpose of the book.

It's a great story of one woman's walk with Christ. As it was I couldn't use or recognise too many of her experiences, but if my situation in life had been more like hers, I think it would have been a lot more poignant.

Pirates of the Relentless Desert - Jay Amory, 4/5, 396 pages
I think it's probably because I was ill while reading the first book in the series, and therefore a bit out of it, but I actually thought this was quite a bit better. There was more action, and I found it a lot more difficult to put it down (but the last part is probably especially due to being ill).

I have to admit though, I found Az' story line a LOT more captivating that that of the Grubdollars. They just didn't interest me all that much. Thankfully the focus kept switching back and forth between the plot lines, so I never got bored with either one, but up until they met, it was clear which one of them I preferred.

The one disadvantage of Book Two as compared to Book One is that it's clearly not meant to stand on its own. Whereas Book One was completely self-contained, Book Two obviously makes way for a sequel and leaves a number of threads hanging to be picked up there. Thankfully none that left the book un-concluded (my biggest pet peeve in series), but enough that I wish the third book was actually available.

The Innocent Mage - Karen Miller, 4/5, 608 pages
Asher is a refreshing change from the common fantasy hero - he's neither a long-long son of some king somewhere, nor a diamond in the rough. He's merely rough. The unpolished fisherman who travels to the great city to work for a year, in order to earn money for his old dad. He says what he means and means what he says - and doesn't stop to think that perhaps he should occasionally phrase his comments more politely, in order not to ruffle any fancy feathers.

I really enjoyed the book. The relationship between Asher and Prince Gar (half professional, half friendly) was interesting to follow, and rang true, as both realised that no fisherman could truly be a prince's equal, and a friendship would therefore always be lopsided. I liked that Karen Miller didn't let magic constantly "save the day" but allowed the characters and their personalities carry the plot.

My main reason for not giving the book full "marks" is that it ended with a bit too much of a cliff-hanger. Karen Miller pulled no punches... and then left us hanging. It always frustrates me when a book isn't 'self-contained', and that cost it a star... doesn't mean I'm not still eagerly (and impatiently!) awaiting the next instalment in the series though.

House of Stairs - William Sleator, 3.5/5, 196 pages
A troubling book about an all-too-believable future. It was fascinating and horrifying to see how the five kids reacted to their imprisonment and the conditioning... and frightening to contemplate how I, myself, might have reacted.

The Thirteen Treasures - Michelle Harrison, 4/5, 326 pages
In this debut novel Michelle Harrison goes back to the idea that fairies aren't always the delightful and helpful little creatures Walt Disney would like to have us believe. Instead she relies on the original folklore where the people of the Unseelie Court can be downright vicious, and humans had to watch out that their children weren't changelings. It's a refreshing change and gives the book a more "realistic" feel than the usual fairytales.

I enjoyed "The Thirteen Treasures" very much, even if the ending did trouble me more than I would have liked. I can see why it had to end that way though, and have great hopes for the sequel.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis*, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~6hrs
Next to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, this is my favourite Narnia book. I really like Caspian, and while I miss Peter and Susan, I enjoy following the slow change in Eustace.

For the first time ever I found myself annoyed with the wizard though. It's pretty arrogant of him to leave the Dufflepuds as they are just because he thinks they look better that way. Can't remember ever having been bothered by that before.

The voyage over the eastern-most sea was beautifully described. Made me want to be right there with them.

Addition - Toni Jordan, 2.5/5, 217 pages
(Brought to my attention by krikketgirl - only I kept reading the title as Addiction rather than Addition!) Plotwise a very non-descript novel based on the typical chick-lit idea of "girl meets boy, girl and boy fall in love, girl and boy break up, girl and boy get back together again". I might even have found it rather dull, if it hadn't been for the way Grace counted and calculated... EVERYTHING. I know it was a disabling compulsion, but it was also extremely fascinating to read about.

What annoyed me about the book was that when Grace took the initiative to do something about her compulsion she became even LESS able to function in society, yet nobody seemed to think there was any way wrong with how she was acting, because "at least she wasn't counting any longer". Why must it be so black and white?

Another problem was all the extra information about Nikola Tesla (don't read this book if you watch Mythbusters - she quotes something that's been proved a myth) - at times I wondered if the author really wanted to write a biography, but didn't have quite enough material for it.

Good enough book, but not one I'd rush to recommend.

The Silver Chair - C.S. Lewis*, 4/5, Audiobook ~6hrs
I have to admit the narrator here annoyed me a bit (I've forgotten his name - sorry. I'll look it up if anybody's interested), because while good otherwise he kept saying Aslan with a long second a, which just sounded all wrong to me.

Apart from that I loved the book as much as always. There's a lot more frustration and regrets in this one than any of the others, but I absolutely adore Puddleglum :) And the bit on Aslan's mountain at the end it just beautiful.

What struck me as... if not odd, then at least interesting, is that TLTWTW is the only Narnia book where the kids get to stay for any length of time. In all the others, they're sent back to our world almost immediately after having completed their task. It seems a bit too quest-like. I could imagine especially the Pensieves would have liked to be back "home" for longer periods of time... even if 1000 years had gone by between the first two times.

...but perhaps that's just my adult sentiments talking.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer, 5/5, 240 pages
Thank you SO much for the recommendation, dichroic! This is the best (new) book I've read in a very, very long time! This is a comfort book of the best kind. It's cosy, it's funny, it's well-written and the characters are delightful. In atmosphere it reminds me of many of the books by Estrid Ott - one of my favourite Danish authors.

I've always loved reading books made up of letters, so that's an added bonus to this book, and through those letters I fell completely in love with the different characters - especially Juliet and Kit. Also, reading about WW2 has always fascinated me, so learning about a new, and lesser known aspect of the war was very interesting.

The Music Teacher - Barbara Hall, 3/5, 291 pages
I'll say it straight out - this is not your ordinary book. If you come looking for a traditional plot with a climax and a resolution, you'll be disappointed for The Music Teacher has neither. Instead it has characterisations, thoughts, memories and most importantly, atmosphere.

I have a hard time deciding what I think of the book. My first impression wasn't too favourable, as I couldn't figure out what Barbara Hall wanted to convey to her readers. The lack of plot threw me off. But after having thought about it for awhile, I'm beginning to think that this was her intention. This was never meant to be a cut-and-dried tale with a definite beginning and end, but instead a brief look into another person's life - a life we may or may not be able to relate to, but which demands to be noticed.

Tonni på tourné - Estrid Ott*, 4/5, 141 pages
(Tonni on Tour)
A childhood favourite of mine. I know it practically by heart, yet I still get the urge to read it from time to time. It's quickly read (I think it took me an hour - perhaps an hour and a half), but it's time well spent. Tonni is absolutely delightful, and though somewhat unrealistic, it's a captivating plot, and a cosy way to spend an evening.

Third - Lorna Summers*, 5/5, 965 pages
Third is one of those few books that I really cannot put down - forgoing sleep in order to read just a couple of more pages, not only on my first read-through, but in every subsequent reread. It's LONG (965 pages), but doesn't feel long, because I'm totally drawn in from the very first page. It's well-written, poignant, funny, devastating and just plain fascinating. Though I know what's happening quite well by now, I still alternatively laugh out loud and wipe my eyes while reading it. It has some of my favourite literary scenes, that just break my heart with the beauty and emotion of them.

I love the characterisations - the people become REAL to me, and they draw me in the way few others can. Lorna has managed to make the people three-dimensional, and I ended up caring for all of them and wanting to learn more about their internal relationships, their triumpths and their failures.

Third is still in the final stages of editing and thus not ready for purchase yet. I'll be sure to let you know when that changes.

The Last Battle - C.S. Lewis*, 4/5, Audiobook, read by Patrick Stewart
I love this book for the fact that it makes me feel so homesick for Heaven. The last two chapters moves me every time I read them - especially Aslan's final words to Lucy: "The term is over, the holidays have begun. The dream is ended. This is the morning." It gives me chills just to write them.

The plot is nothing special - probably the weakest of the 7 actually - and it always takes me awhile to get into it, as I don't consider the story as having "started properly" until the kids arrive in Narnia. I'm glad this book shows the return of the Pevensies (Lucy has always been my favourite character), but am always deeply troubled by "The Problem of Susan" - it is beyond me how she who was THERE at the stone table, could deny Narnia like that. It is a comfort to know that it was only Narnia that ended - not our world, and that she may still have another chance.

(If you want to read an excellent fanfic on that topic, I highly recommend The Queen's Return by honorh.)

Patrick Stewart was mostly a good narrator, but unfortunately he sometimes went overboard in doing voices which could make some of the characters a tad difficult to understand.

Grand Avenue - Joy Fielding, 3/5, 399 pages
I went into this book thinking it would be something The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney (which I LOVE), and I think that's why I ended up being somewhat disappointed by it. The Saving Graces is a heartwarming, life-reaffirming novel about friendship, Grand Avenue... not so much.

From the very beginning you know that it's going to end badly, but not how or why, which makes for discomforting reading. The label on the back says, "Warning! You won't be able to put this book down till the last page is turned." and that is very true - you HAVE to know what happens next. It's a powerful book, and extremely well written, even if some parts made me want to turn my head away in disgust and/or horror.

24 books in total and 6439 pages! I have NO clue how I had the time to read so much! 6 rereads as I've been working my way through some of the Narnia books.


Book of the month: "The Guernsey and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer. Extremely sweet and charming book.
Biggest disappointment: "Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading" by Maureen Corrigan. I'd expected so much more from it.

Comments

[myrna-nora.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's a lot of reading!
I agree with your view on Guernsey Literary. For me it was a little slow at the start, but once I figured out who all the characters were I loved it. It is now one of my favorite books.
Narnia is awesome! The Horse and His Boy does seem odd (not being set in Narnia). But I've always liked it. I think Lewis was trying to say: Aslan is in the story, although not always seen. Aslan has been with Shasta, guiding his life even before he knew him.

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

Very good point. I actually liked THaHB more than I thought I would, but then it has been about 15 years since I read it last, so I didn't remember all that much of it.

[hestergray.livejournal.com]

Have you seen the live-action version of Peter Pan? It was made in 2003, directed by P.J. Hogan. It's my favorite movie of all time, so I always like recommending it to anyone. :) But it's much closer to the book story than the Disney cartoon. Still kind of made for kids, but also darker.

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

Not yet, but after reading this I really, really want to. Fortunately (if I recall correctly) one of my friends own it, so I should just be able to borrow it off her.

Thanks for the recommendation! :)

[hestergray.livejournal.com]

I hope you like it!