Book Review: Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells

Title: Little Altars Everywhere 

Author: Rebecca Wells

Publication Date: 1996

Page Count: 224

From Goodreads.com
"Author Rebecca Wells alternates between setting her short stories in the 1960s, when Siddalee Walker, daughter of Vivi, is growing up, and the early 1990s, when Sidda is grown and dealing with the consequences of her turbulent childhood. It is the prequel to Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Each chapter is narrated by a different person."


My Review:
This was a okay book. However, I did feel kind of depressed reading how dysfunctional the family was as a whole. It didn't impress me as much as it's sequel The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. 


Wells, in my opinion, made a poor choice telling this story for multiple vantage points. It made it feel like none of the characters fully developed.  I have read many books that do this well, but I don't believe this was a success. I wish it had been different, and it made the story choppy and inaccessible to me as a reader.


Like a previous review, I Love You Like a Tomato, this book was based in seemingly the same time about very similar to the same subject matter. A mom who treats her children poorly. Very depressing when you get right down to it.


I also don't feel like Wells stayed true to who the characters were in the second book. If they were to be like they were in Altars, then I don't think YaYas would have had the success it did. The mother Viviane, was unlikable and depressing. 


I wouldn't reccommend picking up this book, unless you want to be disapporinted.


Overall Rating: 4/10


Next Review: Leipua of Love by Senitila McKinley

Book Review: The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Title: The Devil Wears Prada
Author: Lauren Weisberger
Publication Date: 2004
Page Count: 360
Genre: Chick-Lit


From amazon.com
Charmingly unfashionable Andrea Sachs, upon graduating from Brown, finds herself in this precarious position: she's an assistant to the most revered-and hated-woman in fashion, Runway editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly. The self-described "biggest fashion loser to ever hit the scene," Andy takes the job hoping to land at the New Yorker after a year. As the "lowest-paid-but-most-highly-perked assistant in the free world," she soon learns her Nine West loafers won't cut it-everyone wears Jimmy Choos or Manolos-and that the four years she spent memorizing poems and examining prose will not help her in her new role of "finding, fetching, or faxing" whatever the diabolical Miranda wants, immediately. Life is pretty grim for Andy, but Weisberger, whose stint as Anna Wintour's assistant at Vogue couldn't possibly have anything to do with the novel's inspiration, infuses the narrative with plenty of dead-on assessments of fashion's frivolity and realistic, funny portrayals of life as a peon. Andy's mishaps will undoubtedly elicit laughter from readers, and the story's even got a virtuous little moral at its heart. Weisberger has penned a comic novel that manages to rise to the upper echelons of the chick-lit genre.

My Review

I have known of this books existence for a long time, I just never picked it up to read. When I was reading it, both my mom and my sister said ... "You haven't read that book yet? That's surprising!" While reading, I too realized it was surprising that I hadn't picked this book up previous to now.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was nothing life altering (chick-lit rarely is), but it was entertaining throughout.  I was only slightly frustrated with the meanness that Miranda Priestly's character showed toward her assistant, Andy Sachs (but that is the whole point of the book, and it wasn't so frustrated it made me want to put the book down. 

Andy's character is likable enough, and I only recently found out that this may have been written more as an expose of sorts (similar to Nanny Diaries) as the author worked for a high-maintenance magazine editor in her past.

I will note that the movie does a really good job of capturing the book. Typically, movies do not do justice to the book they are based on, but I would say this is an exception. The book was harder to read with the comedic flare that the movie gave to it, so I think that it made it a different sort of story. In the movie, I felt sorry for Andy's characater, but chalked it up to more "slap-stick", "oh-no-not-her-again" attitude. In the book I felt much more invested into the character and felt more deeply affected by Miranda's rudeness and meanness.

I would recommend this book to anyone who was interested in a quick read. Don't go in expecting the sun, and you will be happy with the outcome!

Overall Rating: 8/10

Next Review: Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells

Book Review: Hip to be Square by Hope Lyda

Title: Hip to be Square
Author: Hope Lyda
Publication Date: 2005
Page Count: 336
Genre: Christian Chick-Lit


From goodreads.com

On her twenty—ninth birthday, Mari Hamilton, a worn-out recreation director at Golden Horizons Retirement Home, is convinced that leaving social work will improve her social life. So she seeks and receives a stylish position at a new and fabulous luxury spa. In addition, after countless bad first dates at hip clubs, Mari meets the perfect guy at Golden Horizon's anniversary party (of all places!). But a funny thing happens to her on the way to a life makeover—a forced stopover in her past where she admits to the unadmittable...

Through all her work and dating adventures and misadventures, Mari realizes that it was in her old life that God was doing a new and incredibly hip thing.

My Review

I got this book about a year ago at the Friends of the Library Book Sale. I didn't read in depth about what this book was about, but was intrigued enough by the back cover that I gave it a shot. 

I never realized that Christian Chick-Lit was even a type of book, it seems crazy specific. While it was not much different to regular chick-lit, it still is an obvious difference. It didn't have the swear words or the more risque subject matter and the author talked about bible study, and God's plan for the main character's life, etc, etc. 

The plot was nothing terribly exciting, and I predicted most of the turns with ease, but it was an entertaining read. I enjoyed it enough to track down the second in the series. I am curious enough about the characters that I want to know what happens to them. I may or may not be disappointed, but it is worth the shot.

I don't have a super in-depth review for this book, but would recommend it to anyone who wanted some light fast reading that want to stay away from the trashy romance.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Next Review: The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Book Review: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Title: The Host
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publication Date: 2008
Page Count: 665
Genre: Science Fiction

From goodreads.com
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.

My Review
I have been putting off this review for quite sometime now. I gave myself a little time to digest the story and decide if I really didn't like it as much as I thought I didn't like it.  I was giving Meyer the benefit of the doubt here... and when all is said and done, I shouldn't have. This book was 660+ pages just because. There was no need for it to be this long. I think Meyer just wanted to be able to say... "hot damn, look at that, my book is the biggest on the shelf!" It was boring, slow moving and the end was a joke.  Amazing how she tied everything up neatly in a bow and we all go on our merry way.... yea, not so much. How ridiculous.

Meyer is at it again. Her story line was all over the place, her characters are one-dimensional, and she writes a lot of words for not saying much. This could have worked better had she fleshed out more the the story with half the words. She is overly descriptive in a "Last of the Mohicans" kind of way (read: 6 pages to describe a tree.) I don't know what the infatuation with Meyer is. I don't believe she deserves the hype.

Meyer says this book is aimed more at the adult than the Twilight series which is aimed at the young adult crowd, but I disagree.  The characters are so similar to Twilight it felt like just another extension of that world. I read a review that said... "I would like someone tell me what [Meyer's] fascination is with sappy, overly dramatic dialogue, 17-year old girls and over-protective older men who carry them while running?" This made me laugh out loud, partly because it is funny, and partly because it is very true. In the two Twilight series books I have read and The Host, the similarities are striking.

It is safe to say that this is the last Meyer book I will be reading. And I hope for the sake of young readers out there, they find a better author to obsess over. Please.

Overall Rating: 2/10

Next Review: Hip to be Square by Hope Lyda

Book Review: With or Without You by Carole Matthews

Title: With or Without You
Author: Carole Matthews
Publication Date: 2004
Page Count: 380
Genre: Chick-Lit

From goodreads.com

Romantic comedy heads for new heights -- in this case, the Himalayas -- in this charmer by USA Today bestselling author Carole Matthews. Matthews excels at weaving the mundane problems of modern life, jobs, love, and relationships into something fresh and funny, and this one is no exception. This time, the focus is on Lyssa, a 34-year-old Londoner whose hunky boyfriend has just walked out after their fourth, most grueling attempt at IVF ended in failure. Aching to get away from hormone injections, her job at My Baby magazine, and the mounting fiascos of her life, Lyssa sets out on a monthlong sabbatical in the Himalayas, to her family's surprise. The change of pace and the attentions of an American tour guide gives her a new perspective on her life and her baby obsession, but when it comes time to pick up her old life again, will it seem like the right thing to do?

My Review

This was a majorly fluff book, and often my favorite type to read. With or Without You was, in a way, like Eat, Pray, Love but in my opinion better. I wasn't a huge fan of EPL, I found it pretty boring, and overly whiny.  This book had similar themes: leaving home, leaving what you are comfortable with to find yourself in a far off land. The main character was likable, believable and funny.  

This book is originally published in the UK, (some of my favorite chick lit books are written by Englishwomen). I don't know why I enjoy Brits novels so much, but of the 10+ or so that I have read by Brits, I am almost always happy with the choice to pick up those books. 

I found Matthews story-telling to be very entertaining and kept me turning the pages. One of the best things about books like this is usually you aren't surprised by any of the happenings. While I like books that keep me guessing until the end, I do like books that are predictable and cheesy, just like a romantic comedy movie.  Sometimes it is nice when books don't make you think too hard, but they are just pure entertainment.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Next Review: The Host by Stephenie Meyer (ugh!)

Book Review: The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

Title: The Tenth Circle
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publication Date: October 2006
Page Count: 386
Genre: Fiction

From goodreads.com

Bestselling author Jodi Picoult's The Tenth Circle is a metaphorical journey through Dante's Inferno, told through the eyes of a small Maine family whose hidden demons haunt every aspect of their seemingly peaceful existence. Woven throughout the novel are a series of dramatic illustrations that pay homage to the family's patriarch (comic book artist Daniel Stone), and add a unique twist to this gripping, yet somewhat rhetorical tale. 

Trixie Stone is an imaginative, perceptive 14 year old whose life begins to unravel when Jason Underhill, Bethel High's star hockey player, breaks up with her, leaving a void that can only be filled by the blood spilled during shameful self-mutilations in the girls' bathroom. While Trixie's dad Daniel notices his daughter's recent change in demeanor, he turns a blind eye, just as he does to the obvious affair his wife Laura, a college professor, is barely trying to conceal. When Trixie gets raped at a friend's party, Daniel and Laura are forced to deal not only with the consequences of their daughter's physical and emotional trauma, but with their own transgressions as well. For Daniel, that means reflecting on a childhood spent as the only white kid in a native Alaskan village, where isolation and loneliness turned him into a recluse, only to be born again after falling in love with his wife. Laura, who blames her family's unraveling on her selfish affair, must decide how to reconcile her personal desires with her loved ones' needs. 

The Tenth Circle is chock full of symbolism and allegory that at times can seem oppresive. Still, Picoult's fans will welcome this skillfully told story of betrayal and its many negative, and positive consequences.

My Review

My first finished book of 2011.  My first book by author Jodi Picoult. I wasn't terribly impressed with this book. It makes me curious to know why she is such an acclaimed author. If her other books are similar to this, I don't think I would be able to handle it over and over again. 

This book was 386 pages of way too much storyline.  She put way too many implausible plot twists throughout the pages, some of which felt like they were added simply for the shock and awe factor. The book centers around a family, the Stones, Daniel, Laura and their daughter Trixie. Trixie's character gets raped (or does she? it never really is clear?) She attempts suicide. She cuts herself. Laura (the mom) is having an affair with one of her grad students, who turns out to be the one who sells drugs to high school students (which is barely referred to, you really have to be paying attention). The dad, Daniel, is from an Eskimo village in Alaska, and has dealt with a pretty horrific tragedy that he ran away from. There is a story line of murder, of Eskimo culture, of comic book writing, of Dante's Inferno, and that just scratches the surface. 

Because there were all of these different aspects of the book, none were well-developed. If I had been Picoult, I would have probably made this into a series of books which could have really helped flesh out some of the story lines and given me more to hold onto (and probably made her more money, heh) The way she wrote this book, it made the end abrupt and uninspired. There were several lose ends that were tied so quickly (or not at all) that I was left with a bad taste. 

I may or may not attempt another Jodi Picoult book (I don't have any on my shelf at this moment), but I do know that I will most likely read reviews before I choose one. I also have heard that this book was made into a lifetime movie.... figures. :)

Overall rating: 6/10

Next Review: With or Without You by Carole Matthews

Book Review: I Love You Like A Tomato by Marie Giordano

I

Title: I Love You Like a Tomato
Author: Marie Giordano
Publication Date: July 2003
Page Count: 382
Genre: Fiction


From goodreads.com
ChiChi Maggiordino will do anything to get God's attention. She will hold her breath, stand on tiptoe for an hour, walk a mile backward, climb all stairs on her knees.... anything. When her grandmother teaches her how to use the Evil Eye, telling her it's how Jesus Christ made his miracles and how the Italians got rid of Mussolini, ChiChi realizes it's what her prayers have been missing. Now she can get started on the business of making her mother happier by helping her find love, and healing her brother's weak lungs. But ChiChi's family lives in Minneapolis, and it's the 1950s. For an Italian immigrant family, sometimes it seems like nothing can make life easier. ChiChi's mother still pines for her husband, a long-dead American soldier; ChiChi's brother is disdainful of her sacrifices and penance--he doesn't understand what his older sister already knows, that sometimes God needs to be bribed. When her grandmother passes away, ChiChi steps up her search for meaning and happiness, but it seems to be fruitless. And she struggles, the way so many women do, because her love for her family is suffocating, even while it fulfills her. It's not until she meets two Italian dwarves, and they teach her of the ancient clown tradition, the commedia dell'arte, that she comes to understand that in order to make everyone else happy, she herself must be happy. But first she must find her own way in the world.... and learn to accept that not even the power of the Evil Eye can keep people from changing.

I should start by saying that this book took me entirely too long to finish.  I was working on another project that took my attention away from reading, which is really too bad, but there are only so many hours in the day...

This book was disjointed anyway, and it probably wasn't the best one for me to start and stop. I was confused by the characters and their actions in certain situations... The narrator (ChiChi) was incredibly unreliable, and it required me to read between the lines quite a bit.  Because the story started out with her so young, I was left with her point of view and her understanding of the happenings around her.  Her mom was not always great woman, but in the eye's of a very young daughter, we weren't presented with that outright. We had to connect the dots to realize that her mom may not have been as upstanding as ChiChi thought. This is a difficult way to read a book and it is the hardest part of books written in first person.

While I didn't dislike this book, I wasn't blown away enough for a recommendation.  It is also hard to know because it took me so long to read the book that that was why I wasn't moved by the book, or because the book itself just didn't show itself. ChiChi's character is likable enough, she is silly and funny and entertaining. On the other hand, she is sad and desperate and confused. Overall, I would say that this book, had I read it more quickly, I would have probably enjoyed it more, but I doubt it would have ever been a 10 out of 10.

Overall Rating: 
6/10

Next Review: The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult