Fables, volume 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham

Since Nymeth convinced me that graphic novels were worth reading, I've discovered so many great stories. The Fables series is one of these great finds, a series of comics about the fable community in New York. You see, all the fairy tale characters had to move there when their lands were taken by an unnamed enemy. Good stuff.

I read the first volume last year and was hooked. This collection focuses more on the farm nearby New York City, where the fables that cannot pass as human live. There has been some unrest in their community, some of the fables feel trapped and like second-class citizens because they can't live out in the open.

Great story, beautiful artwork. I'm really learning to appreciate this genre more and more. :-)

Challenges: Graphic Novels Challenge, 2010 Countdown Challenge

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

I avoided this Mitch Alborn book for years because it had received too much hype and I didn't think it could measure up. I only decided to read it when my good friend Natacha said that it was her favorite... with a recommendation like that, how could I not try it?

I'm reviewing books that I read months ago now so I won't be giving too much detail, but suffice it to say that I absolutely loved it. The feeling of happiness I had when I finished it was amazing. I loved the idea - that after you die you meet people who somehow made a difference in your life, even though you may not have even noticed them, and they teach you somethings about yourself and the way you lived. Wow.

I loved the writing and style too - short, punchy and always held my interest. Which isn't that easy with a newborn in the house!

Anyway, if you missed this one when it came out like I did, read it now, it's so good!

Challenges: 2010 Countdown Challenge

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

A Swedish crime novel, recommended to me by my friend Pierluigi after I complained about not liking The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson very much... He reads a lot of Scandinavian crime novels and assured me that Larsson wasn't the best writer around. I'm grateful for the tip and the opportunity to read Faceless Killers, I would never had picked it up if it wasn't for him!

Faceless Killers is the first book in the Kurt Wallander detective series. This particular story is about a violent crime and racial hatred - very interesting in the way that the story is put together, including comments on in how far the police can actually help a situation. The crime/detective part was great, I liked Wallander and I liked the way the case was solved. I look forward to reading more of Mankell's books!

A short post this time, I'm trying to catch up on reviews!

Fingersmith

What can I say about Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, the book that everyone is raving about? According to Nymeth, I shouldn't be saying much at all - members of the Fingersmith club don't disclose any details. There's a good reason for this too - the twists in the plotline are so great that it would totally ruin the book for you if I haven't read it yet and I talked too much.

So just a couple of words on my general impressions. As a rule, I don't normally like books set in 19th century London. I don't know what it is, but I never really care for the squalor and filth. Fingersmith is set there though and I must say that I got over my prejudice, at least to a certain extent. The squalor and filth are still there, of course, but the characters are more real than others I have encountered from that time. Not really likeable, but at least real and believable.

I could not see most of the twists coming, which was great. Sarah Waters certainly has a way with plotlines - are her other books like this too?

I didn't absolutely love it like so many of you out there did, but I enjoyed it enough to recommend it to others. Do you like suspense and enjoy creative writing and strong characters? Then pick this up, I think it's worth reading.

Challenges: 1% Well-Read Challenge

Missing reviews

I want to tidy things up before the end of the year, so here are some quick thoughts on the last few books I read... and never reviewed.

Misconceptions: Truth, Lies and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhood by Naomi Woolf

I was looking for something about the misconceptions about pregnancy and early motherhood, since I was finding pregnancy so different from what I expected. This book is more about the American health industry though so, although interesting, didn't do that much for me. (***)

The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

This is ine of those books that I thank the blogosphere for - if I hadn't needed a U author for the A-Z challenge I would have never picked this up in the used bookstore and would have really missed out on a gem. It's a beautifully written heartbreaking story of the realities on life in India - many of you enjoy world literature, seriously, if you haven't read this, put it on your list for 2010. (*****)

Fables volume 1 - Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham

Between Nymeth and Kailana's raving, I couldn't not read this at some point. Charming and original, can't wait to continue the series. Have you watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit, by the way? :-) (*****)

A Break With Charity by Ann Rinaldi

A non-fiction book for teens, I picked this up when we were in Boston earlier this year. It's a story of the Salem witch trials - it had the same characters as The Crucible so I looked things up and it turns out that those characters actually existed! Fascinating. This book isn't exactly well-known and I recommend it for its simplicity and historical interest. (*****)

Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis

The second in the mystery series set in ancient Rome. I like the idea of this series but to be honest I thought that the first book was only mediocre and I couldn't even finish this one... I'm told that it starts getting really good by about book 4. Apparently the historical aspect of ancient Rome is really well-researched and that's very attractive to me so I think I'll persevere... (**)

The Friday Night Knitting Club

This was another recommendation, which unfortunately I was expecting much more from. Kate Jacobs' book was ok, but I found it only that, I wanted to enjoy it more than I did.

The premise is great - Georgia owns a  wool shop and loves to knit. With time, several women become regular customers and end up spending Friday night together, some knitting, some learning to knit. They share and grow and generally have a good time. It works, although they are of different ages and backgrounds and have very different problems.

What was the problem for me? I didn't care enough about the characters... I suppose they didn't jump off the page for me. It's a nice enough light book to relax with, but that's about it. I did love the knitting focus though, so who knows if I won't be reading about the characters' further knitting adventures!

Challenges: 2010 Countdown Challenge, A-Z Challenge

First Among Sequels

First Among Sequels is the latest (fifth) book in Jasper Fforde's brilliant Thursday Next series. I read the first four years ago so really should have re-read them before moving on to this one, but I didn't, so there.

I won't say too much about the plot, but I will say that if you love books and haven't read this series then you're really missing out. Thursday Next lives in a world where moving between reality and fiction is possible - she can literally jump into a book and hang out with the characters. Cool eh? The stories always include some trouble in the book world - someone has kidnapped Jane Eyre, someone is trying to kill Sherlock Holmes etc.

All the books are also a commentary on various aspects of our modern world - including politics, war, consumerism and the decline of reading. This latest one also includes some thoughts on reality tv, which were hilarious. And a bit scary, because they're so close to the truth.

Fforde's use of language is delightful - loads of plays on words and clever phrasing. I think many of you book bloggers would love these books! Highly recommended.

Challenges: Numbers Challenge

The Family Way

I've read Tony Parsons' earlier books, or most of them anyway, and liked them. I picked this one up because the subject interests me at this point in life... the books deals with having kids, becoming a family, whether you can be a family without kids, what happens if your only choice is adoption, how kids change your relationship with your partner etc.

There are many books about these things out there, but I thought that this one was particularly sensitive to all the problems and resulting emotions. I've been reading it on the metro to and from work and I had to hold back tears many times...

I liked all the main characters - three sisters with very different attitudes towards life, love, careers and kids. I thought that each of the characters brought something to the story and they were all realistic. I din't like how some of th plot lines were so neatly worked out, but hey, it's fiction.

If the subject interests you, I recommend this one!

Challenges: A-Z Challenge, Chick Lit Challenge

Forever

I was on my own for Halloween so didn't want to watch or read anything scary... I ended up watching Bell, Book and Candle, a 1950s film about a witch who puts a love spell on her neighbour. It wasn't life-altering, but I did enjoy it and at least it had a witch or two in it!

Afterwards, I read Judy Blume's Forever. I had read it when I was 11 or 12 and I remember it being really racy. It was the only YA book I found that dealt with sexuality and sex. There are many more nowadays but my school library was definitely lacking in this regard.

I liked it this time I read it too, though obviously for different reasons. I thought that the characters were portrayed as both intelligent and too young to know everything, which is a tough balance to get right. Judy Blume is a genius in my eyes though. :-)

Challenges: YA Romance Challenge