11.30.2009

Thoughts on Books


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11.29.2009

Sunday Salon (TBR Organization; Challenges)

Hey Saloners and friends. It has been ages since I've done a SS post. Last weekend I went on a mini vacation for the Thanksgiving Holiday. There was a 92 mile bike trail that we had been itching to do for a couple of years. We failed miserably, but not because of lack of endurance! The universe had ulterior plans - even tho' we checked the weather multiple times before packing up and going, the skies parted and torrential rain poured down on us. A drizzle, perhaps, we could have handled. But, between the cold and rain pelting on our bodies...well, let's just say, we only managed to clock in 60 miles.


Prior to that weekend my only excuse for no SS post is shear laziness and defeat from an overworked lifestyle!

Reviews To Come


I haven't been terribly productive this week after the biking misadventure. An awesome friend of mine mailed me her copy of The Time Traveler's Wife, which I finished and will review sometime this week. I also began Skinny, which I just haphazardly picked up at Target while I was getting the Vampire Diaries books for my classroom (review on that one soon too!)

Organization and TBR


My biggest accomplishment is reorganizing my bookshelves yesterday. It took hours, but I'm happy to say that overall I'm content with the final product. Oh, and while I reorganized, I opened up a separate LibraryThing account and catalogued all of my TBR books that I own. I have 138 unread books on my shelf; I'm hoping to diminish that quite considerably next year. Haha, in fact, my goal is by the end of 2010 to have less TBR books on my shelf rather than more. We'll see how that goes since I have four books coming to me from Bookmooch already and I'm a sucker for BookMarks magazine so my want list grows and grows.

Challenges, Oh My!

I cannot believe that this year is almost over. I have to start considering my top ten books read for 2009. This is going to be so difficult because it was such a great year in reading for me. I was able to read books that i normally wouldn't have checked out and I owe that entirely to the book blogging community. And what has helped with this book discovery? Challenges of course! So here's the thing. I loved me some challenges. Seriously, even though this was my first year blogging, I signed up for challenges left and right. I made lists, I read books,and all was good in the world. But then, I just sorta dropped the ball. I completed most of my challenges: Gaiman, Amanda's GLBT, War thru the Ages, 100+, Library, YA, and a couple more that are not coming to me. But, I was hardly a good participant. I forgot to link posts, I didn't interact as much as I wanted, I forgot to do follow posts. Le-sigh.

Of course I am still signing up for challenges for the year 2010. One of my reading goals will be to make sure I am a better participant. But there are so many good ones out there...so what do you think? Which challenges should I sign up for? What are you signing up for?


Cheers!


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11.27.2009

Crank

Title: Crank
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Pages: 537
Pub Date: 2004
Genre: Poetry, Young Adult,

Kristina is a relatively perfect girl. She's exceptionally bright, plays by the rules, and shy. Her life becomes a bit more interesting when Mom agrees to allow Kristina to visit her father who walked out nearly seven years before.
Kristina meets her dad, and to say that he's a deadbeat father is putting it mildly. Left on her own, she explores and meets Adam. She introduces herself as Bree and a new life is created. "Bree" tries her first hit of Crank (crystal meth), and even smokes with her father. She often refers to it as the Monster.
Eventually "Bree" has to return to Kristina's life, but the Monster has followed. As the Monster takes more up more of Kristina's mental space, the more Kristina loses herself to her creation, Bree.


Crank is relentless and raw. Watching Kristina wrestle with her drug addiction and deal with the aftermath of poor decision after poor decision without remorse made me shudder. Hopkins is an incredible author. Her portrayal of an addict is unquestionable. Kristina's story does not end with Crank, a part two-Glass, continues her life. This was a relief because the ending was rather disheartening (even if a glimpse of realism).


Excerpt:

 Choices, Choices

Life is full of
choices.
We don't
always
make
good ones.
It seems to
Kristina
you gotta
be
crazy
to open your
windows,
invite the
demon in.
Bree
throws rocks
at the feeble
glass,
laughs.
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11.25.2009

Looking for Alaska

Title: Looking for Alaska
Author:John Green
Pages: 2005
Pub Date: 221
Genre: Young Adult, Printz

Miles is pretty bored with his isolated life. He's a quirky guy who likes to collect dying people's last words. One poet, Francois Rabelais, inspires him to look for the "great perhaps". This leads him to a boarding school his junior year of high school. Which leads him to a bunch of firsts - friends, drinks, pranks, love.
Miles immediately falls into a pretty zany group of kids through his roommate Chip, who goes by Colonel. Colonel immediately pegs Miles as Pudge - " 'Pudge', the Colonel said, 'Because you're skinny. It's called irony, Pudge. Heard of it?'"

And then there is Alaska. Alaska is the goddess of Pudge's existence. Alaska is gorgeous, booky, a bit crazy, and elusive. An untouchable, if you will. Which of course, only makes Pudge desire her more.

Looking for Alaska is a beautiful book. This is my second John Green book (first was Paper Towns) and it didn't disappoint. Green captures the voices of his characters with such depth that I often wish I could transport myself into the novel. Really! How many books do you read where you wish that you could hold your breath, tightly squeeze your eyes closed, and try to jump into scene after scene. While Pudge and crew were topping pranks done to them it brought me closer to my own school year memories. Oh and the first kiss from someone that you really had a thing for, the desire for there to be more, the hope that it will conquer all. Yup. Green is one of a kind. I've definitely formed an author crush on this one.


I still prefer Paper Towns. If you haven't read that one, I think that you should immediately run to the book store, library, or online website and pick them BOTH up. I haveThe Abundance of Katherines on my shelf. I think that I will savor it.
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11.22.2009

Hard Love

Title: Hard Love
Author: Ellen Wittlinger
Pub Date:1999
Pages: 224
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, GLBT


She was counting out dollar bills now, so I reached in my pocket for a few of my own. "Do you know what 'coming out' really means?" she asked, looking me square in the face again. "it means you stop lying. You tell the truth even if it's painful, especially if it's painful. To everybody, your parents included."

"I'm not gay," I told her, though I really had no strong evidence for saying so. "At least I don't think I am."

"There are other closets."
John Galardi is pretty miserable. His parents split up and he lives with his mom - who for the first couple of years did nothing but cry and now has begun dating. He visits his dad every weekend in the city, but it's really a ritual that looks good on paper. Every Friday night John and Dad go out to dinner in a very loud restaurant where they don't have to talk, and the rest of the weekend he's pretty much on his own as Dad is hooking up with multiple women.

The time period is the late 90's and the zine scene is pretty big. John decides he's going to write his first edition, Bananafish. Upon 'publication' he goes to a music shop and checks out the competition. John finds "Escape Velocity" written by the self-proclaimed "rich spoiled lesbian private-school gifted-and-talented writer virgin" Marisol Guzman. Of course he has to meet her.

What begins is an interesting friendship. Every weekend Marisol and John meet and chat about writing, life, and love over coffee. Marisol is everything that John isn't - confident, loud, defiant, and on the move. John quickly falls for Marisol, perhaps convincing himself that Marisol's attraction to women will end.

There's a lot of depth to this book. The title Hard Love not only describes what is going on between John and Marisol, but equally with John's parents who he finally confronts.

I enjoyed this book while reading it. My only "eh" is that it's quite forgettable. I'm writing this review weeks after reading it and couldn't really remember why I liked it until I began skimming the book. Then I was able to say, "oh yeah this really was pretty good".
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11.19.2009

Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Pub Date: 2009
Pages: 391
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction/Fantasy


I think everyone already knows how awesome Hunger Games was. Likewise, I am sure it is common knowledge that Catching Fire is the incredible sequel to the Hunger Games and there will be a third book to wrap up the story of Katniss, Prim, Peeta, Gale, and the rest.

So what did I think of Catching Fire? Uh, it rocked. Sure, maybe not in the same rockstar-guitar-and-drum-session that The Hunger Games did, but it was the second in a trilogy, it's suppose to be the transitional book, right?

There were twists and turns and unexpected "are you kidding me" moments. I felt the frustration and chest tightening moments as the triangle between Katniss, Gale, and Peeta builds. Catching Firemaintained the same pace as The Hunger Games - once I started it, I didn't want to put it down. And geez louise, the cliffhanger of an ending. Argh. I have to wait how long until the third one?

(And a side note on series, trilogies, etc. I HATE THEM. I am not a patient person. I get frustrated because I forget important details while waiting in the down time. I felt that way with Harry Potter. And even to this day, I could not tell you what occurred in each book even though I read and watched them all. I have such a short attention span. Remind me next time people when a brilliant series comes out to not read them until they're all published!)
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11.16.2009

Zombie Haiku

Title: Zombie Haiku
Author: Ryan Mecum
Pages: 160
Pub Date: 2008
Genre: Zombies, Poetry


Zombie Haiku uses the Japanese Haiku form 5-7-5 to tell the story of a man who observes his world overtaken by zombies and his eventual demise into becoming one.

I didn't know it actually told a story through the haiku. I just expected funny little poems about eating brains. The tale told in poems really worked and made this not only a fun and spooky read, but a plotted one as well. (Plus, I had just seen Zombieland in the theaters right before reading this quirky thing. I was definitely in the right mental mind).

Here are some fun examples from the book:

I loved my momma
I eat her with my mouth closed,
how she would want it.


Little old ladies
speed away in their wheelchairs,
frightened meals on wheels.

He tends to not flinch
though I'm yelling in his ear
which is in my hand.

Finally, check out his website.

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11.07.2009

Stuck in the Middle

Title: Stuck in the Middle: Seventeen Comics from an Unpleasant Age
Author: (Editor) Ariel Schrag
Pub Date: 2007
Pages: 210
Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir, Young Adult


First I have to say that I love graphic novel collections, and this one is no different.
Stuck in the Middle is a collection of seventeen stories all from the chaotic (and neurotic) middle school years. The front cover of this book is absolutely fan-tas-tic! In the top right hand corner is the old looking lunch lady, with her hair net and smock. There are three or so tables squished together with tons of activity: notes being passed, a spitwad being spat, boys laughing and leaning back in their chairs. And finally, the only colored boy walking in the midst of it all, cringing and appearing absolutely terrified! For someone who lives middle school every weekday, this is exactly what the cafeteria would look like without adult supervision.

Some of the shorts that stood out:

BFF by Veronica Davis ~ the timeless tale of two besties planning on being "friends forever" until a boy comes in between them all. But rather than the friendship ending, we are left to speculate how it will survive.

Snitch by Tania Schrag ~ Poor little Tania tries to defend herself from merciless teasing in class only to be called a snitch and scorned by the rest of her peers. Her days are spent being bullied, ostracized and pushed out to find new friends. The only saving grace is it *is* middle school, and eventually there will be a new snitch.

Plan on the 7 Busy by Ariel Schrag ~ Two "friends" ride together on the public bus to another "friend's" house. Their sole purpose for the visit is to viciously (and slyly) torture the other girl. The catty chit chat is ear prickling and the mean-spirited behavior includes sharp one liners to one and another about each other.

Like a Weed, Joe by Daniel Clowes ~ Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking tales of giving into peer pressure. Young Daniel is stuck with his grandparents for the summer. In the beginning, although he is bored, he appreciates the loving and nurturing quality of his grandfolks. Then, as the summer moves along he pairs up with the 'riff raff' of the neighborhood. A smart mouthed boy with an attitude that screams delinquent. As the days go by, Daniel models similar behavior, ultimately scorning the old people who take care of him.

There were so many other great stories in this collection (The Adventures of Batboy and Starling by Nick Eliopulos was especially amusing) that I wish I had purchased a copy for my personal library. For the most part, I am pretty content with my middle school years (my high school years on the other hand....) but do recall how mean and nasty we could be if you put a group of us girls together in a room for a couple of hours. I think that even though each generation deals with their own demons, the underlying behaviors are pretty universal (base that on brain developments - they're still trying to build connections to their frontal lobe!).

Finally, the comics themselves didn't speak to me as some other graphic novels have, but I believe that has more to do with me and less to do with the artist. I don't have an eye for technique; I just base my opinion on what catches my fancy.
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11.05.2009

Benny & Shrimp

Title: Benny & Shrimp
Author: Katarina Mazetti
Pages: 209
Pub Date: 2008
Genre: Fiction


Brief Summary

Benny and Desiree ("Shrimp") have very little in common besides they're visits to the cemetery. Benny is a hardworking farmer who has concerns about his harvest and finances. He has very little time for any extracurricular activities and desires an equally hardworking woman to run the household. Desiree is mourning the loss of her husband and a relationship that was stable but not passionate. She is well-read and slightly pretentious without meaning to be.
And because of one misunderstanding, Benny and Shrimp begin a relationship.

My thoughts

Aw, this book was exactly what I needed to read. It was simple, beautifully written, and had strong believable characters. The conflict of two mismatched people falling in love is hardly new in the literary world. In order to "pull it off" you need to have strong characters. Benny & Shrimp were just those characters.

In fact, I was saddened when it came to an end. And what an end (Shhh...I won't give it a way, but it was a total cliff hanger). But guess what? Evidently the author is going to make a sequel. I'll be sure to check it out.
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