Book Review: New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

Title: New Moon
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Publication Date: May 2008
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Page Count: 563
Genre: Romance/Young Adult/Sci-Fi (?)

From goodreads.com

Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

What an unfortunate book.  I read this with a pretty open mind... (it wasn't completely open, because I had seen the movie and didn't care too much for it, but I thought I would give the book a try because books are almost always better than the movies). I wanted to know what the hype was about, I wanted to see if I was going to buy into it. To make a long story short, I didn't.

  

All I can say is why?  Why are these books so popular? This book is poorly written, clunky and the plot and the characters aren't well developed.  I can get behind stories written in first person, in fact some of my favorite books are written that way, however, when you are writing from the viewpoint of a 17-18 year old girl, you shouldn't write as if you are 40.  It is not believable.  I think Meyers over-used her thesaurus in most cases.

New Moon is the second in the series of 4 (why, God, Why?!) I have mentioned in another review that I felt silly talking about parts of books to people who aren't currently reading it... what makes me sad is that enough people have read these books that they know what I was talking about when I talked to them.  Really.... there are a million books that are better than this.... I also don't really understand why other authors are trying to be like Meyers.  If you go into a book store and happen into the young adult section (one of my favorites) you will find books and books that are about vampires.... SERIOUSLY! Why would anyone want to be associated with these books? The only thing redeeming is that it is getting people to read, which I am all for... I just want to set up camp at the bookstore and tell people of the better books they could read.... this isn't one of them.

Anyway... I could go on, but I wasted enough time reading the novel.  It is probably obvious, but I won't be reading the second two in the series unless suddenly they are the last books on the face of the earth, and even then, I might say no. I would be curious to hear your take on them? If you like them, why? If not, why? I am so perplexed.

Overall Rating: 2/10

Read this if you want, its good food for thought... 100 Reasons Why Twilight Sucks
  (my favorite reason #81- Threatening/attempting suicide does not true love make.)

Happy reading everyone!

 

Book Review: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Title: Jane Eyre 
Author: Charlotte Bronte
Orginal Publication Date: 1847
Publisher: Pocket
Page Count: 545 pages
Genre: Classic Fiction

From Goodreads.com:

Charlotte Bronte's impassioned novel is the love story of Jane Eyre, a plain yet spirited governess, and her arrogant, brooding Mr. Rochester. Published in 1847, under the pseudonym of Currer Bell, the book heralded a new kind of heroine one whose virtuous integrity, keen intellect and tireless perseverance broke through class barriers to win equal stature with the man she loved. Hailed by William Makepeace Thackeray as "the masterwork of great genius," Jane Eyre is still regarded, over a century later, as one of the finest novels in English literature.

My Review:

I have read this book before, and remember enjoying it.  However, when I picked it up to read it this time, I was struck by a different story than I remembered.  I enjoyed it as much as I remember enjoying it, but it is funny that the story seemed so different to me.  (I may have read it in high school, and was just reading it to get by and not reading it fully for content, who knows?!) 

I find it interesting that a lot of "classic literature" are stories about orphans.  I don't relate to being an orphan, but I find myself drawn to stories that are centered around orphans. The sense of adventure excites me, their can-do, in spite of everything attitude inspires me, their often unconditional love of those who don't like them is humbling.  I think of  Harry Potter, Anne Shirley, Mary Lennox, Tom Sawyer, Cinderella... to name a few. Who do you think of?  Why is this is such a common theme? Do we as humans have that much of a desire to see the so-called 'underdog' prevail, rise up and succeed? (I am sure that many an English thesis has been written about such topic, and funny enough, a book I read about another orphan, often compared herself to the many orphans in literature, so much so that she created a similar list to mine.  I don't claim to be uncovering the big secret to the world of fiction, just an observation...  I digress.)

Jane Eyre is a well-told story of love, loss and life.  It is a bit denser than some other books I have chosen to read, but I honestly felt that this book was well worth the time it took me to read it.  I will probably read it again in my lifetime (even though there are millions upon millions of books I would like to read) because I feel that this is the type of book that depending on where you are in your life when you read it, you may find something new or connect with the character in a way you hadn't before (which I have experienced first hand in my second reading of it).

Bronte's novel has stood up against the test of time for me, and for many others, I presume and will remain a classic for years and years to come.

Overall rating:

9/10

Next Review: New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

Book Review: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Uglies (first in a series of 4)
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publication Date: February 2005
Publisher: Scholastic
Page Count: 425 pages
Genre: Young Adult / Science Fiction

From Goodreads.com
Playing on every teen's passionate desire to look as good as everybody else, Scott Westerfeld (Midnighters) projects a future world in which a compulsory operation at sixteen wipes out physical differences and makes everyone pretty by conforming to an ideal standard of beauty. The "New Pretties" are then free to play and party, while the younger "Uglies" look on enviously and spend the time before their own transformations in plotting mischievous tricks against their elders. Tally Youngblood is one of the most daring of the Uglies, and her imaginative tricks have gotten her in trouble with the menacing department of Special Circumstances. She has yearned to be pretty, but since her best friend Shay ran away to the rumored rebel settlement of recalcitrant Uglies called The Smoke, Tally has been troubled. The authorities give her an impossible choice: either she follows Shay's cryptic directions to The Smoke with the purpose of betraying the rebels, or she will never be allowed to become pretty. Hoping to rescue Shay, Tally sets off on the dangerous journey as a spy. But after finally reaching The Smoke she has a change of heart when her new lover David reveals to her the sinister secret behind becoming pretty. The fast-moving story is enlivened by many action sequences in the style of videogames, using intriguing inventions like hoverboards that use the rider's skateboard skills to skim through the air, and bungee jackets that make wild downward plunges survivable -- and fun. Behind all the commotion is the disturbing vision of our own society -- the Rusties -- visible only in rusting ruins after a virus destroyed all petroleum. Teens will be entranced, and the cliffhanger ending will leave them gasping for the sequel.

My Review:
I read this book with an open mind. I had a vague idea what it was about. I would never have purchased this book on my own. I got it as a Christmas gift from my sister. She said, "this seems like the kind of book you like to read." She was right in some cases, and wrong in others. This book was similar to what I enjoy to read by way of the characters, but it was also radically different by way of the subject matter. I am not a science fiction reader by any means. I have read a few in my day, Ender's Game being the one that I liked the most. (I recommend this to anyone, science fiction reader or not) The science fiction of Uglies was not difficult to understand and I was able to follow what was happening without getting caught up in what certain terms mean (which can happen very easily in science fiction).

My overall impression of this book was good. I enjoyed the characters and found myself rooting for them in the end. I liked the main character, Tally, even though I thought I wouldn't at first. In the beginning she seemed vain and desperate. I changed my mind about her when I started to see her growing up and coming into her own outside of the confines of Uglyville (yes, where they live when they are Uglies.)

A couple of times, while I was reading the book, people would ask me what it was about. In explaining to them, I felt very silly. Talking about a land of 'Littlies,' 'Uglies,' 'Pretties,' 'Specials,' 'Middle-Pretties,' 'Rusties,' and 'Crumblies,' made me sound like a crazy person. But when reading the book, I knew the culture, so it didn't seem as silly to me since I was reading about them. (Note: I fully realized how silly I sounded, when people looked at me funny mid-explanation).

I don't think it is a coincidence that Westerfeld chose to create a world where you were classified as an Ugly when you were ages 12-16. This is a time when most everyone in our world feels this way at some time or another.

I also found it interesting that this world was evolved from the world we live in now. To this new world we are the 'Rusties,' we use too much metal, we rely too heavily on oil. We fight; we dissent. In the land of the Pretties, these issues don't seem to arise. They have found new ways to produce and to build, there is no war, no dissent, everyone is compliant.

Becoming "Pretty" was made into a rite of passage. When you turned 16, your birthday was spent under anesthesiology, making you a Pretty. Without giving away too much, when Tally discovers a secret about becoming a Pretty, there is definitely more reasons that the 'government' wants them to do this. I think that the 'Pretty' piece was/is all just a reason to get people to submit to the procedure. Food for thought.

If any of this review has intrigued you, I would suggest picking up the book. It is a quick read, not a major endeavor at all.

I look forward to reading the other books in this series as soon as I can get my hands on some copies.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Book Review: Hot and Bothered by Annie Downey

                                     From Goodreads.com

She’s offbeat, off balance, and at times off-the-wall, a late-thirties mother of two living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and trying to figure out who she is now that her husband has left her. He’s a rat, anyway, and currently attends Sex Addicts Anonymous. He still comes by the house, though, as do her hippie, macrobiotic mother; her feisty, alcoholic best friend; her God-fearing grandmother; and that Perfect Guy, the one with the beatific son who plays with her daughter, the one who happens to have a winning smile, wild black hair, a professorship at Harvard—and (drats!) a gorgeous doctor girlfriend.

Told in short takes that perfectly mimic the frantic nature of our busy lives, Hot and Bothered follows its heroine through the streets of Cambridge, where she spends far too much time staring into space and sipping mocha lattes with extra whipped cream; to church, where she prays for a little salvation; to Alaska, where she believes a rugged outdoorsman might just be that salvation; and to Cape Cod, where, in a little house by the sea, she might finally see the light. Annie Downey has written an updated Cinderella story for all single moms. 

I picked this book up at the local "Friends of the Library" book sale last April.  Not sure what to expect, it has taken me a long time to decide to read it.  I finally picked it up to read because I am trying to read my older books first and was surprised by the story.

I found myself intrigued by the main character (we don't learn her name until the last line of the book.) Through most of the book she is unstable but I was able to connect with her. Does that mean that I am unstable? I have questioned the things that she questions. I have felt insecure as she feels insecure. I have felt happy as she feels happy.  Granted, there are times when she is a little more wacky than I am, but this character is believably written and I grew to love her. Having read some other reviews of this book, I notice that other readers too have the connection with the main character even if their life did not parallel hers. That is a major accomplishment by the author as far as I am concerned. To be able to connect with your reader even if their lives are not similar speaks volumes for the writing style and the story.

I enjoyed this book very much. It is a fast read and it keeps you turning to the page as the story develops quickly. I can't say a lot about the plot without giving away too much. While my life was not changed in reading this book, I would recommend this book to anyone as I am sure you could get something out of it that you were not expecting.

Book Review: Joy School by Elizabeth Berg

From goodreads.com

Katie has relocated to Missouri with her distant, occasionally abusive father, and she feels very much alone: her much-loved mother is dead; her new school is unaccepting of her; and her only friends fall far short of being ideal companions. When she accidentally falls through the ice while skating, she meets Jimmy. He is handsome, far older than she, and married, but she is entranced. As their relationship unfolds, so too does Katie's awareness of the pain and intensity first love can bring.


I didn't recall the premise of this book, so when I picked it up and read the description, I was excited to see that it was something that really was going to interest me.  I was disappointed at first to find out that this was the second of Berg's books about this character. When I find this out, usually I will put a book down until I acquire the first of the books so I read them as they were written.

I chose not to do this in this case (see Book Buying Ban), so I jumped in feet first to this novel. It was a quick read for me. Berg moved the story quickly, but I don't think she left anything out.  She was able to weave the characters and the story together very well.

I was surprised by the maturity of the main character, Katie, who is only 13 years old. But at the same time there were things she was very naive about. It made me wonder if Berg had difficulty writing from the perspective of someone so young. That maybe she sometimes slipped into the mindset of someone older and wiser, and then remembered that actually the perspective was a 13 year old.

In Joy School, Katie  finds her "first love" an older boy, age 23, who is married with a kid. She invest a lot of energy and mind space to the "future" she and Jimmy will share. How many of us have spent hours and hours dreaming of our "perfect love" and how great the future will be?  I got lost in Katie's imagination, and it was a nice refreshing read to be lost in the young love (read: crush) that she was experiencing.

Near the end of the book, she said, "No one will ever understand this feeling. No one would ever believe that he was the one." I found myself, even after having read the whole story, realizing that I too didn't believe that he was the one for her. I understood her feeling of hopelessness, but I knew she would have feelings for another later in her life. It is interesting to me to read a book, and get lost in the imagination of a young girl, but at the same time not truly believe that she is hopeless when even she says she is hopeless.

Katie's mom has passed away and her father is in the military, so Katie and he have moved around a lot.  What I know of military brats (which isn't a lot by any means) is that they are often less vulnerable and usually are more guarded of their emotions. Katie was completely opposite to this, and I believe Berg did this on purpose. We see a different side of someone who moves around a lot. She had a hard time making friends (typical), and the friends she made were not often the best influences on her (typical), but she shows a lot of emotion with them(atypical). She doesn't seem as reserved as I would expect of someone with her background.

I enjoyed this book, and enjoyed the characters and the story they told. I appreciate Berg's point of view. I have not read any of Berg's other novels, but I am intrigued to do so, and will most likely at least pick up the prequel to this book, Durable Goods.

Overall Rating:  7.5/10

Book Review: Necessary Arrangements by Tanya Michna

Necessary Arrangements by Tanya Michna

From goodreads.com

Asia has always been the serious, got-it-all-under-control Swenson, who protected her sibling from childhood scrapes. Lucy, six years younger, made up for her mishaps with her infectious smile and enthusiasm. Now, giddily in love and about to be married, Lucy has never been happier-until she learns that Asia's breast cancer is back. How can she get excited about planning her future when her sister is fighting for her own?

Friends and family mean more than they ever have to Asia, and lately, her charming co-worker Brandon Peters has been popping up wherever she goes. Talk about timing: could Asia be falling in love for the first time in her life? With Lucy's help, she's going to seize each day-losing herself in giggles and adventures, opening herself up to new relationships and deeper connections. And nothing, absolutely nothing, will stop her from walking down the aisle as her sister's maid of honor.

My review:

This book was not what I had expected. It, too has been on my shelf for quite some time. I hadn't picked it up for whatever reason, but I am glad that I did.  This book details the struggles of a woman with cancer and her sister who is feeling guilty for being happy that she is getting married. 

The book starts out with Asia learning that her cancer has relapsed and worse than before and Lucy getting engaged.

I found this book very heartfelt.  The writer did a good job of keeping the story very real and true.  She mixed humor in with sadness, very much like I think would be in real life.  Her story-telling was well done, and by the end I felt that these people were relatable and similar to people in my own life.

I wouldn't say that this was a life-changing book for me, and I often wonder why a lot of adult fiction deals with cancer in young women (this is the second book I have read with this theme in the last two months). But I think that the story was well written and I would recommend reading this book.  While the subject matter is heavy, I felt that the story had enough happy points and enough laughter that I was not left depressed and down by the end, but hopeful.

The story was told in third-person (not my favorite), but we were given multiple "viewpoints." The story chronicled both Asia (the sister with cancer) and Lucy (the sister who was getting married).  It was interesting to view the story from two different angles like that which would have been more difficult if it had been written in first person.

I enjoyed this book and I would be curious to see if Michna has written other books to see if she writes the same in all of her books.

Overall Rating: 8/10

And so it begins...

Bella from A Girl Reads A Book started a Book Buying Ban in the month of September. I decided to join, because I was seeing my bookshelf slowly quickly begin to fill to its capacity. I love books, and it makes me sad that I have so many on my shelf that I haven't read yet.  The titles mostly stay in the Chick Lit and Young Adult fiction genres, but there are a few Sci-Fi and Literary Classics mixed in.  I am excited for what this month will bring and I am excited to give some attention to books that I picked up quite some time ago and haven't had the chance to read.

While I am excited, part of me is actually a little sad I won't be able to go to the bookstore.  I have chosen to do my best to avoid book stores entirely because I would be too easily tempted. Bookstores are my favorite place... I have often dreamed of owning my own bookstore someday... I would be in heaven. I figured, for the book buying ban, cutting myself off completely would be the only option.

You'll never guess what happened last night though.... I got an e-mail from Borders (AUGUST 31, 11:30pm) offering me a free personal shopping day that must be taken by the 12th of September **insert dagger to heart** and it also told me that I have rewards that I can cash in, but they must be used by September 30 **twist the knife around a little** Are you kidding me?! The night before I start a month long book buying ban, and you go ahead and tell me I have deals waiting for me within the walls of one of my favorite bookstores.  They didn't even send the email early enough that I could have used it that day. That stings. That really stings. I will do my best to be strong. I am gonna do my best to resist, but being tempted in the final hour certainly didn't help.  I will keep you all posted on how well I do.  If you want to keep track of any of the other people participating, our hashtag on Twitter is #TBRmonth.

Happy reading!

Final Count of Books: TBR 92

Currently Reading:
Necessary Arrangements by Tanya Michna

Book Review: On the Road by Jack Kerouac

From goodreads.com:
Three generations of writers, musicians, artists, and poets cite their discovery of On the Road as the event that "set them free."
On the Road chronicles Jack Kerouac's years traveling North America with his friend Neal Cassidy, "a sideburned hero of the snowy west." As "Sal Paradise" and "Dean Moriarty," the two roam the country in a quest for self-knowledge and experience. Kerouac's love of America, his compassion for humanity, and his sense of language as jazz combine to make On the Road a work of lasting importance.

This book has been on my bookshelf for quite sometime. I can't remember where I acquired this book, or even why.  It may have been a time when I thought: "I should read that, it is an 'American Classic'."

Well, I just finished reading it and let's just say, I was underwhelmed. I was left wondering why this was a classic and what importance it really had in the literature world.  There was a lot of stuff "happening" in the book without a lot "happening". I was bored of the characters, and I could not relate to them in anyway.  Some say that it is an enlightening book (?)... I don't know what they were reading, as I was not enlightened in the least.  I was confused most of the time, and could never really get excited about any of the characters.

I found Dean Moriarty pathetic and attention-seeking.  He came into Sal's life at all the wrong times.  It seemed whenever Sal was on the path to get his life together, his "pal" Dean would show up.  In a way it was like Dean was Sal's older brother, and Sal had no way to say no to his "adventures" (which were literally just driving back and forth from Frisco to New York at high speeds either hitchhiking or in stolen cars, with random stops in Denver) for fear he wouldn't be deemed "cool enough."

By the end of this book, I was counting the pages until I was finished.  I agree whole-heartedly with Truman Capote's assessment... "That's not writing, that's typing." It was exactly that.... typing for typing's sake.  I wouldn't bother with this book, and I can't imagine why anyone would assign this book as required reading (and I know a lot do).

Overall Rating: 2.5/10

The Book Buying "Ban" of September

A lot of the blogs I have read are going on "book buying bans" in the month of September.  To ensure that I get through my TBR pile of 80+ I think I too will participate.

This means:
   No contests will be entered
   No books will be requested by me from my favorite site ever Paperback Swap (however, posting and sending books to others is completely acceptable)
   No books will be purchased online or at the bookstore for personal consumption
(Editor's Note: If a book on my wishlist on PBS becomes available within September, I will acquire said book)

Seeing as how I love books, this maybe be difficult for me, however,  I think it is appropriate seeing as how my bookshelf is officially out of room.  I need to pare down the piles and save a little money.

Wish me luck! Here goes nothin'!

Currently Reading:
On the Road by Jack Kerouac

The beginning of my journey.

I have recently been reading more and more book review blogs.  I have decided that I too, have a desire to say something about the books I read.  While I have a full time job, and other obligations in life and I enjoy to read immensely, my usual book reading rate is only about 1 book per week. It is not speedy, but I think it is pretty quick considering.  With a TBR of over 80, I feel I could have something to add to the community of bloggers. I don't stick to one genre only. I try to mix it up, but I tend to always come back to Young Adult books or Chick Lit.

I am not claiming to be a great writer; I hold my own. I don't claim to have fantastic taste; I like what I like. I hope you gain knowledge from my insights and maybe choose to pick up (or avoid) books you may not have otherwise.

I look forward to this journey.

It is the beginning. I hope you enjoy the ride.