More mini-reviews - India, dystopia and turn-of-the-century Paris

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
I actually wanted to do a separate post about this book, but I read it back in August and left it so late and I've forgotten all the things I wanted to say. What stayed with me most, I think, is the feeling that I'm very lucky to be living where I'm living. I read this book - with its descriptions of the harsh realities of life in the slums and life as hired help for the rich - while on holiday in a lovely cottage in Wales, so I guess thoughts of gratitude were inevitable. The White Tiger is the story of Balram, a man born into a poor Indian family, but who isn't prepared to accept his fate, but instead dreams of escape. He eventually creates his own truth about what that means and about what successful people are prepared to do to get and keep success - and acts accordingly. A fantastic book, incredibly well-written, tackling interesting issues and exposing parts of the human soul that most of us don't like to think about... What are you prepared to do to get the life you want? The White Tiger won the Man Booker Prize in 2008.

Holes by Louis Sachar
This is what I read in one day when I was sick at home and trying to read A Discovery of Witches. I'm so glad I put that book down and picked up Holes instead, what a difference! Stanley Yelnats is accused of stealing a pair of shoes and is sent to Camp Green Lake as punishment. But Camp Green Lake is nothing like what it sounds - there is a warden who makes the boys dig holes all day, every day. No choice and no way out. Why? What's behind the digging? What's the truth about Stanley's family? Great book - it won the Newbery Medal in 1999 and the National Book Award in 1998, with good reason.

Gigi and The Cat by Colette
This is actually two books, which I didn't realise until I bought it! Gigi is on my 2011 list from Alex a.k.a. The Sleepless Reader - I didn't know the story and I enjoyed the turn-of-the-century Paris story of a young girl who everyone was trying to mould into a woman. I love how she thinks and I love how she turns out in the end. Charming. Strangely, since I'm a total musical fan, I've never seen the movie, but now I'll have to. I've never even heard of the second novella, The Cat, before, but I liked it even more than I liked Gigi! It's about a young couple where the man is more interested in his cat than in his young bride. And the young bride is jealous! I loved the slightly creepy feel to it, especially as the man became more and more like the cat.... Very Kafka-esque. Thanks Alex, for enriching my life with these classics!

More mini-reviews - Japan, female bonding and steampunk

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik

This book was utterly predictable, but maybe that's what made it such a comfort to read. I loved this story of female bonding, the friendship between five women who live in the same neighborhood, their trials and experiences that take them from young age to old. To have a night off from family and home once in a while, the ladies form a book club that one of the husbands calls Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons. But their friendship isn't limited to these meetings, they are there for each other through everything - and I mean that, since the author includes pretty much everything that could happen to people in the story lines. :-) Very enjoyable book that made me feel warm inside.

The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
This is the only book that I managed to read in Polish this year, how appalling. My Mom gave it to me, otherwise I probably would never had picked it up. This is a story of Japan during and after World War II and is incredibly interesting from all kinds of perspectives. First of all, obviously from the historical perspective. My reading on World War II is limited to the European point of view, maybe sometimes the American. I enjoyed learning about this period of time in Japan (just like I enjoyed reading about the war in Hong Kong in The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee), I knew close to nothing about it. Aside from wartime reality, the book has so much interesting detail on Japanese culture, including on sumo wrestling and on traditional Japanese 'Noh' theatre and the art of making the masks the actors wear on stage. I found these truly fascinating. The story read like a soap opera, every tragedy that could befall the characters did so at some point, just like in Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, but I enjoyed the book anyway.

Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
The fourth installment in the Gallagher Girls series was just as much fun. Things are getting darker and darker for Cameron as she tries to cope with spy school, boys and trying to hide from the evil terrorist organization that is after her. And her favorite teacher might be involved too, how can she trust anyone? Great series for when you're in the mood for something light but original.

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
The latest book in the life of Becky Brandon, nee Bloomwood. Becky's daughter Minnie is now two and quite a handful with a will of her own and a taste for the expensive. Becky's having some trouble controlling her and also finding time to plan Luke's birthday party (on a budget!) and trying not to indulge in shopping (she's on a budget!). the usual hilarity results. I know that some people are annoyed by Becky, but I love her voice, maybe because I can relate to her shopping mania. :-) This was a perfect summer book!

Soulless by Gail Carriger
This is my second DNF (did not finish) of the year, I just couldn't get into it. I had such high hopes for this story about an Italian lady without a soul, vampires and werewolves living in Victorian London. But halfway into the book I didn't care what happened to any of the characters and I couldn't force myself to read it any more. Maybe because I don't like the Victorian setting in general? This was my first book in the steampunk genre, I'm now undecided about whether to try another or accept that the genre is not for me...

Mini-reviews - the only way to catch up!

It's time for some mini-reviews again, since I'm so far behind that it's getting embarassing!

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Loved it! :-) I really enjoy entertaining chick lit and this fit the bill. It had the extra plus of being very realistic - even though most of us would never admit it, the story could happen to us all. Rachel is a 30-something with a job she hates, no boyfriend and a best friend who seems to get whatever she wants and catch all the breaks. Until Rachel accidentally kisses her best friend's fiancee at a party. Where can they all go from there? I understand there's a movie of this out now, but from what I hear the book is a thousand times better!

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
I listed to this one on audio and thought it was ok. It's been described as a children's or YA The Time Traveller's Wife, but as a huge Audrey Niffenegger fan, I must say that I don't think they're in the same league. I liked the puzzle structure and I liked the story, but I wasn't 'wowed'. It was a quiet, interesting read for me. Maybe I'm just disappointed because I wanted to be 'wowed', I can't really put my finger on what in the book didn't work for me.

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
Lived it! Stephanie Plum is such a likeable character, no wonder this series is so popular! This is the first book of eight or nine now, I think, and so the one where we meet Stephanie and are told of her family background and assorted issues. The heroine is sassy, the writing is fun and often laugh-out-loud funny, what's not to like?

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison
Disappointing. I liked the premise - the main character, Anna, is one of the children evacuated from London during World War II - but I didn't really care for the execution. I found the characters flat and their motivations lacking. And to be honest, I thought that some of the attachments made in the story were rather creepy... I won't mention details of course, I don't do spoilers. :-) All in all, pretty much forgettable.

YA Mini-Reviews

I read a lot of YA literature. Some of it is the serious, heavy kind that tackles issues that are oh so difficult. And some if it's easy and entertaining and so, so much fun. These three YA books fall in the 'so much fun' category - though some have difficult issues touched upon in them as well.

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen CookHelen and Lauren have been friends forever. Lauren is popular and outgoing and Helen kind of stays in her shadpw. But they remain pretty much inseperable. Until right before they start 8th grade, when Lauren humiliates Helen and leaves her to be judged by her peers. School is horrible for Helen after that and Lauren is no longer a friend. Helen's family moves away and Helen can move on in a different school, but they end up moving back for Helen's senior year of high school. And that's when Helen sets out to ruin Lauren's high school life of glory. This involves some pretty mean stuff, but I really enjoyed reading about it anyway. ;-) Loads of (slightly wicked) fun.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

15-year-old Isabel (or Belly) spends every summer in the same beach house with her Mom, her best friend and two sons, more or less Belly's ages. Conrad, who Belly has always had a crush on, has always been aloof with her and Jeremiah has always been a buddy, someone to hang out and joke around with. But this summer something is different - the boys (and others too) are starting to notice Belly and things are changing. This is a book of discovery, both of oneself and of the world. It's a real book about what growing up feels like. I liked it, though nor enough to continue with the series. 

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

I think this one was my favorite of this bunch. It's the story of 17-year-old Ginny's summer of adventure. Ginny spends a few months exploring Europe but following the instructions left in 13 letters left her by Aunt Peg, a favorite aunt who died suddenly. Ginny has to complete the tasks in each letter before she gets to open the next one. As she goes from task to task, she retraces her Aunt's journey of discovery and makes discoveries of her own. She finds love and meets people who will make a difference to her life and to the way she sees herself. I loved seeing Ginny grow during the book, change from a shy, self-conscious girl to the confident, worldly young woman she becomes. I enjoyed this story immensely - what a fun idea!

Mini Reviews - I'm on vacation!

I'm spending the week in Poland with my parents. As always, it's great to hang out with them and great to see them take so much pleasure out of playing with Shane. Joe is coming to join us later this week and I can't wait. I am lucky to have such a lovely family.

I'm not doing anything interesting - eating, drinking, reading a bit. I've been avoiding the computer, but am now ready to sit down and write something, even if only something simple.

With such a backlog, I think it's time for some mini-reviews.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
I read this as part of the challenge I'm doing with Alex. This was the shortest book on the list she gave me so I guess it's no wonder that it got read first. Tuck Everlasting is a fairytale for adults, about a family who have discovered the secret of eternal youth. I liked the story idea, the characters and the message behind it all. But my romantic nature would have like the ending to be slightly different. ;-) Oh, and the frog? What's up with that? What a waste! That bit kind of pissed me off! I still enjoyed it though and hope that the rest of the books Alex wants me to read this year are just as good. :-)

Fables 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham
So many bloggers (like Alex and Larissa) love this series of comics about a part of New York that's inhabited by characters from fables and fairy tales. This is the third installment and it's still fun to read about the wolf, Snow White, Prince Charming and many others trying to make it in a world that's so unlike the fairy tale world they knew.

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

I love books about Ireland and I love stories about immigrants in New York, so this one was a good fit. I thought it was a strange book. It was realistic, in the sense that I could really see the realities both of the Irish countryside and of immigrant New York. But I didn't like the main character much. I wanted her to do things that she clearly wasn't ready to do. I suppose that's just a difference in personalities, but in this particular book I found it hard to deal with. Brooklyn qualifies as one of my books about New York for the One, Two, Theme! challenge.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
I listened to this as an audiobook and it was fantastic. The narrator, Jenna Lamia, was fabulous and made the strange future world of the story really come to life for me. Jenna Fox is a 17-year-old girl who wakes up after a year-long coma and doesn't remember anything about her life. When she starts to remember, she ends up with more questions than answers and nobody wants to tell her the truth. What are the secrets that her parents are so intent on keeping? One of my favorite audiobooks and definitely on my list of favorite books read this year. Creepy but realistic.

Catching up - Mini-reviews

Being in Poland is great. My parents are loving taking care of Shane and we're loving a bit of peace. Joe is getting more reading time than I am, but I'm getting to hang out with my Mom, which is great. I'm reading too, which is kind of why I'm not blogging... when I have a bit of time, I'd much rather read than sit at the computer!

But looking at my list of books read in 2011, it seems that I have given up reviewing altogether. That's certainly not true, I really enjoy exchanging ideas about books with all of you. It would be difficult to catch up properly though, so here are a few mini-reviews, of books that I have a bit less to say about.

The Princess Diaries, Take Two by Meg Cabot
I really like most of what Meg Cabot writes. The Princess Diaries series is a great light read, I love the charming story that every girl dreams about. This second book was just as good as the first, with Princess Mia holding her own against her Grandmother, who still has very specific ideas about who she wants Mia to be. If you like light YA literature, you'll like this. I just wonder if the rest of series continues to be entertaining, there are so many books in it!

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
This was an audiobook that I didn't finish... I listened to the first book in this trilogy, Wicked Lovely, last year and liked it enough to continue. But the narrator in this one was different and I couldn't get into it. It's very dark and to be honest I found the plot quite repetitive... even though the premise about fairy kings, queens and courts was very cool.

The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble
Sometimes I need chick lit, I really do. I loved the idea behind this book - it was structured around the monthly meetings of a book club. While we listened to the discussions about  their current book club read, we found out more and more about the characters. Just like the women in the club became friends, little by little. I did think that too much about the books was revealed though and I was annoyed because of the ones I haven't read yet and want to... Also, a large part of the action centered around motherhood and the mothers were of the 'my kids come first and nothing else, including my own life and needs, matters' variety, which is something that really annoys me, especially since having Shane. I don't think the author portrayed mothers realistically and I found the characters two-dimensional... Not a book for me.

The Reptile Room (Book Two in A Series of Unfortunate Events) by Lemony Snicket

Book two was just as enjoyable as the first, with the poor orphans trying hard to survive all the misfortune that is thrown their way. Charming and extremely entertaining.

Mini reviews - coming to you from beautiful Poland

We finally made it over. There was lots of confusion as the airport in Brussels was closed for a while because of weather conditions... we had to switch flights and then switch back and it made everything very rushed and hectic. But we're at my parents' house now, which is great for so many reasons. The Warsaw airport was closed this morning so we feel very lucky to have gotten here - having survived a four hour delay at the airport too.

So the next week or so will filled with family time, presents, good food and lots of happiness. Joe and I are even going into Warsaw for a couple of days, without Baby S, to spend some quality time together. Lots to look forward to.

I'm doing some reading, though not tons. Enough. But I still have all my November reviews to post so, this is another mini-review post. I'm getting used to these!

Mary Anne Saves the Day, Dawn and the Impossible Three, Kristy's Big Day by Ann M. Martin (The Babysitters Club #4, #5, #6)
What is there to say about this great series that I loved so much when I was a kid? I am really enjoying re-reading them, especially while taking care of Baby S in the early hours of several November mornings. I don't know if anyone who doesn't already know these books would like them as an adult, but as re-reads they are a great comfort.

Diplomatic Baggage by Brigid Keenan
I soooo wanted to like this, since I too travelled around the world a lot and lived in a couple of more 'exotic' countries. Keenan is the wife of a diplomat and her book is a memoir of their experiences and travels in country after country. I wanted to relate, I wanted to laugh with her at the absurdity of some of the situations you encounter when you move around that often, but I just couldn't. She annoyed me immensely and I found her jokes forced. Sometimes I even wonder if she didn't make them up, they often seemed apocryphal. And did I mention that she really annoyed me?

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
I think 'creepy' is the only way to describe this... Englishman Edward Prendick finds himself stranded on an island with  mad scientist Dr. Moreau and some other beings who don't seem quite human. The story combines science, ethics and the nature of man. It's quite unbelievable that it was written in the 19th century. The science fiction that H.G. Wells produced is incredible. I'd like to read up more about him, it seems that he was quite the champion of free thought and equal rights.

The Bad Mother's Handbook by Kate Long
Three generations of women under the same roof come to terms with themselves and each other. They're each going through a different phase of womanhood and struggling with relating to the others. A chick lit book which looks at what it means to be a daughter and a mother. Very enjoyable and very real, it made me laugh so many times. I think one of the things that made is so wonderfully real is that the point-of-view alternates - we get a glimpse into the minds of all three generations. It doesn't look like much, but it's a keeper, I'd recommend it to all women!