Reviews, Glorious Reviews

Let's ease back into things with some book and movie reviews shall we?

I read Loving Frank by Nancy Horan back in August and I loved it.  The story is about the architect Frank Lloyd Wright - married with children - who takes on a job for the Cheney family, only to fall in love with Mamah Cheney - also married with children - and the two run off together. Despite the incredible scandal and headlines this created, the two remain together. The ending nearly brought me to tears.

There were two things I loved about this book (from what I remember). First, how the time period (the early 20th century) was all about thought, philosophy, art, painting... all of these beautiful intellectual things that I wish still existed today. And second is the independence Mamah showed throughout the entire book.  She was on a path to find herself - sometimes that was with Frank, sometimes that wasn't. But she needed to travel, to write, to study, to do whatever it is she felt in her heart would help her discover who she really was. I truly admired her passion for life and for the world around her and found myself wondering if I could be like that someday.

I highly recommend this book which is based loosely on Frank and Mamah's real life affair and ensuing relationship.

Otherwise, I've filled my time with other books that haven't required much thinking, namely by the author Nora Roberts. She is a pretty standard romance novelist and her books Blue Dahlia, Black Rose, and Red Lily did the trick. A little romance, a little mystery, a ghost - they're not anything I'd recommend (and frankly I'm slightly embarrassed to admit I spent like three hours one Saturday completely engrossed in one of them) but, like I said, fit the "I really need something mindless that isn't TV right now" bill.

Nora Roberts also writes a series of mysteries under the pen name J.D. Robb and I read the first one of these and it was pretty good. My best friend has read pretty much all of them and swears by them so I'll keep going to see what keeps happening to Lieutenant Eve Dallas.  The books are set in the future, but you can't really tell that right off the bat. This was the only gripe I had. I wish there had been more of a description of what had happened and how this futuristic world functioned, but instead it was just fragmented pieces here and there. Apparently though you get more of an idea of what happened (there was some kind of human uprising) and why as well as background of Dallas as the books continue.

Right now I'm starting The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and this book is fantastic so far. It's a young adult book which kind of surprises me because the premise is that each year the Capitol randomly selects teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18 to compete literally to the death in a live televised match. But I'm really hooked in to this one and will most likely finish it tonight.

I have internet again in my apartment - hooray! - so I've been streaming on Netflix a lot more and am working my way through 30 Rock which is hysterical. I've also been working through Gossip Girl and that show is pretty good too. I've had the DVD of The King's Speech for close to two months, but need to just return it. I can't bring myself to watch it on my terrible TV.  Good thing my parents are kicking in some cash so I can go out and buy a new one! More on that later.

I swear I've been doing more than just reading and watching movies. But we'll hear all about that in my next post...

Kindle Review: Dragonfly in Amber

Dragonfly in Amber
Author: Diana Gabaldon

So first and foremost, I've ditched the final Harry Potter book.  I know, I know but hear me out. My intention was to read the whole thing before going to see the final movie.  Well I didn't do that so now I've seen both 7.1 and 7.2 and I have zero interest in picking HP back up to finish reading it because I figure I already know how it all turns out. Maybe some day I'll finally do it, but I just have other books I'd rather read.

Like this one...

So this is book two in the Outlander series which outlines Claire Beauchamp, an army nurse who is transported back in time through a rock formation in Scotland and winds up in Scotland in the 1700s. While there she meets and falls in love with Jamie Fraser and in this book the two of them are trying to thwart a possible war against the Scottish Highlanders.

There's more to the story than that, but I don't feel like I can give much more away without revealing a lot of details and maybe someone actually wants to read this series.

Here's the thing. I'm pretty much reading this because I just need to know what's going to happen to Claire and Jamie. It's like The Bachelorette. I'm kind of underwhelmed by it all, but I still want to tune in.

A lot of this book revolves around this war that Claire and Jamie are trying to prevent - a war they know is going to happen because Claire is from the future. So a lot of it is strategy, inner monologue, Jamie and Claire plotting together and inferring. Sometimes things weren't exactly super clear. And there were a lot of characters so I had a hard time keeping track of certain people.

But I will say this. Ladies, Jamie Fraser is our Edward. Forget Twilight - Jamie Fraser makes Edward and Jacob look like even bigger tools than they already are. He's like the Scottish version of Ryan Gosling in The Notebook. I know.

The ending to this book was pretty incredible. And by ending I mean from 93% remaining on since it's on Kindle. I stayed up til 1 last night finishing this and I couldn't "next page" fast enough. I almost teared up at one part. Almost.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars but I'm determined to finish this series out just to see what happens with Claire and hot Jamie.


Coming Up Next: Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
The story of architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his illicit affair with Mamah Borthwick, the wife of one of his clients told from the point of view of Mamah.

Not sure where I heard about this one, but it sounded pretty interesting and I've been looking forward to it for a while. 

Book Review: The Help

The Help
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Genre: Fiction
Number of Pages: 464
Where I Got It: A friend got it for me

First line: "Mae Mobley was born on a early Sunday morning in August, 1960."

Told from the point of view of three different women, Kathryn Stockett's NY Times bestseller is an absolutely captivating story.

Set during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Minny and Aibileen are two African-American women who work as maids in the homes for two wealthy white families for women who have no problem letting them raise their children, yet can't fathom the idea of sharing even a bathroom with them.  Meanwhile, Skeeter (real name Eugenia and shoot I'd go by Skeeter too if that was my name) is recently graduated from college and is ready to do some really big things, which is tough to do when you're stuck in a town where all the women are in a hurry to just settle down and start having kids.

I know I just did this with my review of Columbine (which got a comment from the actual author!!), so here we go again.  Go out and buy and read this book immediately if you haven't yet.

I couldn't get through this one fast enough and will be adding this to both my list of all-time faves and my list of books I will most likely re-read sometime in the future.

The narration shifts throughout the story between Minny's voice, Aibileen's voice and Skeeter's voice and it worked perfectly.  Speaking through their different voices, Stockett really captured the fear, pride, love, frustration and every other feeling these women experienced throughout the story. I found myself smiling, close to tears, and with a racing heart at all of the appropriate times which I think speaks highly to how well-written this book is.

I really loved this book and can't recommend it highly enough.

Apparently they are turning it into a movie with Emma Stone (Superbad, Easy A) starring as Skeeter.  I am not happy with that decision mainly because in the book, Skeeter is described as being super tall and gangly with unruly frizzy hair - overall she's awkward.  Emma Stone is not. I'm very hesitant to see this movie after how much I loved/gushed over this book.

Carry on.

Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars (duh)


Coming Up Next: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (aka HP7)
Do I really need to put a synopsis here?  It's the last book of the Harry Potter series.

Five years after it was originally published, I am finally reading the last HP book.  NOTE TO READERS: Do not get cute and tell me what happens in the book.  I have gone five years without any idea as to how it all ends and if you ruin this for me, I will probably end our friendship. Real talk.  I have to read this now because the movie comes out on the 16th and all of my best friends in Sac are having a movie marathon leading up to going to see the last movie. 

Book Review: Columbine

Columbine
Author: Dave Cullen
Genre: Nonfiction
Number of Pages: 464
Where I Got It: Library

First line: "He told them he loved them."

Journalist Dave Cullen spent 10 years collecting as much information as he could to piece together what really happened on that fateful day at Columbine High School.

If you think you're just getting another account of the shootings that happened at Columbine High School in April 1999, think again. Cullen has researched every main character, personality trait, supporting cast, event, and detail of the months leading up to and after the shootings that this book casts a whole new light on what happened, who was involved, and most importantly, why it all went down.

The most fascinating part of this book for me was how Cullen, a journalist who's written for the NY Times, the Washington Post and the Guardian, dispelled all the rumors that the media latched on to and ran with.  And let me tell you, there were a lot of them. With virtually no facts to back themselves up, reporters cast Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris as members of a Gothic cult called the Trenchcoat Mafia who targeted jocks and had been picked on and bullied throughout all of high school.  It was amazing how their rumors and misinformation led everyone astray, even the detectives of the case.  They relied heavily on the reports of the confused and shocked teenagers which made for missing facts and unreliable information.

As someone who works with the media almost daily, I've seen firsthand how one tiny piece of misinformation can snowball so to get inside the head of a journalist as he picked apart his own kind was captivating.

This book is just fantastic. It's raw and emotional and Cullen leaves literally no stone unturned nor does he leave any detail out in this NY Times Bestseller.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


Coming Up Next: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Amazon's summary: Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it.


My friend Hailey bought this book for me for my birthday or Christmas or something and swore it was one of the best she's ever read.  Hailey has never steered me wrong and has recommended some of my new all-time faves so I finally decided to pick it up and dust it off. I'm about 150 pages into it and I can already tell I'll be adding it to the list of books I will love forever.

Book Review: The 19th Wife

The 19th Wife
Author: David Ebershoff
Genre: Fiction/Mystery + Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 544
Where I Got It: Library

First Line: "In the one year since I renounced my Mormon faith and set out to tell the nation the truth about American polygamy, many people have wondered why I ever agreed to become a plural wife."

David Ebershoff juxtaposes two stories in his third novel: that of Ann Eliza Young, who became Brigham Young's 19th wife in 1875 then set about trying to bring down the institution of polygamy and that of a modern murder mystery set in a polygamous compound in Utah.

I read "Under the Banner of Heaven" last year which prompted a curiosity in polygamy and Mormon fundamentalists. This book was just okay for me though.  The story of Ann Eliza was told really well and really differently as Ebershoff used all different formats to tell her story: Wikipedia pages, academic research papers, newspaper opinion pieces from the years when she was traveling the country telling her story. It was a very interesting look into how she broke away from the church and fought for the rights of the wives and children in these plural marriages when it was all so new and so strictly controlled by Brigham Young.

But the second part of the story, the fictional mystery part, left much to be desired. The story wasn't very developed and a good 3/4 of the book was dedicated to Ann Eliza's story anyway, so suddenly you're back into this murder mystery for just a few pages before being taken back to 1875. The book would have been so much better for me if it was just about Ann Eliza told via all the different formats.

 Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars


Coming Up Next: "Dragonfly in Amber" by Diana Gabaldon (on Kindle)
The second book in Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series, "Dragonfly in Amber" continues with the story of Claire Beauchamp and Jamie Fraser who met in the first novel when Claire traveled back in time to 18th century Scotland.  The year is now 1968 and Claire is trying to learn what happened to Jamie since returning to the present day and leaving him behind.

Book Review: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Author: Betty Smith
Genre: Fiction
Number of Pages: 528 pages
Where I Got It: Library

First line: "Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York."

Francie Nolan is growing up in bright, vibrant, turn-of-the-century Brooklyn alongside her strong, hardworking mother, her sweet yet tragic father who she completely idolizes, her precocious younger brother who she can't ever seem to compare to and a cast of characters.

I. LOVED. This. Book.

Loved it.

I haven't read a lot of "classics" to be honest as I think I got completely turned off by having to read and analyze all of the feminism at my all girls high school in LA. But man am I glad I decided to give this one a try.

The best part of this book is that it's just so simple. Francie is about 11 when the book starts and simply talks to us about her life, her family, the city she lives in, the people she knows and the daily interactions that ultimately shape her life.  As she grows up, the tone changes from that of an innocent, inquisitive child to one of a matured adult who has experienced some of life's greatest trials and tribulations.  Yet at the end of the book, Francie is only 16 years old.

Francie and her family go through a LOT of challenges - hunger, poverty, an alcoholic father just to name a few - and yet instead of being and angry over her situation, Francie takes great joy in life's simple pleasures and has an overall optimistic outlook that is so refreshing and engaging.

The characters are very real and I immediately connected with Francie and felt all of her emotions because they were all situations that I could completely identify with.

I highly recommend this book.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


Coming Up Next: The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
So I'm pretty much over halfway through this book because I fell behind in my posting, but so far it's just okay.  The author juxtaposes two stories of polygamy. The first is the expulsion of Brigham Young's 19th wife, Ann Eliza, from the Mormon Church and the second is a modern-day murder mystery set in a polygamous compound in Utah. Last year I read "Under the Banner of Heaven" which prompted an interest in this subject, but so far this book isn't doing that much for me.

Book Review: Alice I Have Been

Alice I Have Been
Author: Melanie Benjamin
Genre: Historical fiction
Number of Pages: 400
Where I Got It: Library


First line: "Off with their - legs."

You've read the story (or seen the Disney movie) millions of times, but have you ever wondered who exactly is Alice in Wonderland? Melanie Benjamin tackles that very question, mixing historical facts with fiction to create the character of Alice. As Alice grows from a young girl to a wife and mother and then to an elderly lady, she is constantly haunted by her second identity as Alice in Wonderland and it's an identity she'd rather not be associated with. As she constantly tries to denounce her association with the book and with Charles Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll, she finally realizes that perhaps as much as she tries to fight it, she really is Alice after all.

I can't quite figure out why I liked this book so much, but it was fantastic. Great character development, great storyline, with just a bit of mystery and honestly a creepy undertone throughout the story. Throughout the entire book, you have a feeling that there's something that's just not right when it comes to the relationship Mr. Dodgson has with Alice and her sisters, but Benjamin never outright lays out anything specific that occurs between Mr. Dodgson and Alice. Instead, she depicts their "friendship" through the innocent eyes of Alice whose childhood affection for Mr. Dodgson overshadows any disturbing and inappropriate relationship that might be implied. Yet, you're still left with uncomfortable feelings that something isn't quite right.  It's pretty brilliant.

Secondly, Benjamin stays really close to try facts and historical events and that makes the story even more fascinating. There is a long note at the end of the book that discusses what is fact and what is fiction and that alone made me want to research who Alice was and the life she lived.

Overall, a very creative and well-written story that had me drawn in from start to finish. Highly recommended.

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5


Coming Up Next: A Tree Grow in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The book follows Francie Nolan and her family in Brooklyn in the early 1900s. At the start of the book, Francie is 11 in 1912 and the story continues through her 16th year. Francie's family is poor - her mother is a maid and her father is a singing waiter who works when he is sober enough to get a night's pay. So Francie and her younger brother Neely learn the hard way about just how tough the world is. But they also learn about life's simple pleasures and what beauty lies in the small things.

Book Review: Admission

Admission 
Author: Jean Hanff Korelitz
Genre: Fiction
Number of Pages: 464
Where I Got It: Own it

First line: "The flight from Newark to Hartford took no more than fifty-eight minutes, but she still managed to get her heart broken three times."

Portia Nathan is an admissions officer at Princeton who lives a quiet, ordinary life with her partner of 16 years Mark. She travels to different schools on the East coast, pitching Princeton to students and then sorting through thousands of applications to choose the best of the best. Then she runs into John, a man who remembers her  from when they both attended Dartmouth, and their meeting forces Portia to revisit a part of her past that she has buried deeply.

I kind of hated this book.

The parts where the admissions process is described was really fascinating.  To get an inside look at this exclusive process and the thoughts that go through someone in Portia's position was really interesting and even motivates me to read more about that.

Then there was the rest of the book. Just when I thought we were getting into something good, it fizzled out. There was too much self-reflection and inner monologue.  Too much of Portia analyzing the system of admissions, the system of admissions at Princeton, the meeting with John, the repercussions of that meeting... the overanalysis just seemed to make the story drag so much.

The final big reveal was a letdown as well - a bit too unbelievable for my taste. Overall, I just didn't enjoy this book.

Final Rating: 2 out of 5


Coming Up Next: Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
Blending fact with fiction, Melanie Benjamin weaves together the story of who is Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Born into a Victorian family of privilege, free-spirited Alice catches the attention of family friend Dodgson and serves as the muse for both his photography and writing. Their bond, however, is misunderstood by Alice's family, and though she is forced to sever their friendship, she is forever haunted by their connection as her life becomes something of a chain of heartbreaks. As an adult, Alice tries to escape her past, but it is only when she finally embraces it that she truly finds the happiness that eluded her. Focusing on three eras in Alice's life, Benjamin offers a finely wrought portrait of Alice that seamlessly blends fact with fiction.

Book Review: Under the Dome

Under the Dome
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Fiction, science fiction, mystery
Number of Pages: 1,074
Where I Got It: Library

First line: "From two thousand feet up, where Claudette Sanders was taking a flying lesson, the town of Chester's Mill gleamed in the morning light like something freshly made and just set down."

It's a typical day in Chester's Mill, Maine until suddenly and without warning an invisible force field surrounds the town, effectively sealing it off from the rest of the world.  The race is on - not only to free Chester's Mill from The Dome and rescue its inhabitants from deteriorating environmental and ecological conditions, but to also stop religious fanatic Big Jim Rennie who likes the idea of an isolated community all for his domination a little too much.  As Rennie continues to exert his power, Iraq veteran Dale "Barbie" Barbara and his allies start on a nonstop thrill ride to figure out the riddle of The Dome.

There are two things that will immediately scare you about this book.  One is the fact that it comes in at a whopping 1,000-plus pages.  The second is the lengthy list of characters, including Dogs of Note, that King maps out before the story begins. It's a lot to take in all at once and even made me think twice about picking this one up.

Wow am I glad that I did.

This book is genius.  This is my first try with anything by Stephen King (I know, a book-a-holic like myself never having read Stephen King is pretty blasphemous) and I am kicking myself over and over and over for not having tried something of his before.

Here's the thing. I'm not a fan of science fiction and I'm not a horror fan - both genres I immediately associate with Stephen King. This book though suspended all of that for me.  It was so well-crafted and developed so perfectly that I was engaged the entire time.  For all 1,074 pages. In fact, I was so into this book and the "will they/won't they get out of this Dome" concept that I found myself breathless and not able to read fast enough to get to the next part.

You guys. I cried.

I can't rave about this book enough. It took me on a literal thrill ride - I found myself holding my breath at some points - and I haven't felt this strongly about a book in a long time.  

Go. Read. This. Now.

Overall Rating: What do you think?

Coming Up Next: Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Portia Nathan is an admissions officer at Princeton University who scours the country looking for the absolute best of the best, and those that are even better than the best, and lives a pretty standard domestic life. But a life-altering decision from her past sneaks up on her and just as thousands of students wait to hear about their own admission, so too must Portia make the decision to make an admission of her own.

And now a movie review...
Role Models - Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott are sentenced to community service at the Sturdy Wings mentoring program and are paired up with two kids who couldn't be more different. McLovin from Superbad is in this and is hysterical as a teenager who is obsessed with a fantasy world where everyone role plays characters from medieval times. Paul Rudd is one of my favorite actors and his one-liners are always hilarious. Overall this was a pretty good and funny movie and I recommend it. One thumb up, one thumb sideways.

Book Review: American Wife

American Wife
Author: Curtis Sittenfeld (who is a woman)
Genre: Fiction but apparently based on some real events
Number of Pages: 555
Where I Got It: Own it.

First line: "Have I made terrible mistakes?"

Alice Lindgren is a normal girl who grows up in normal suburbia Wisconsin when a terrible tragedy turns her life upside down.  As she moves past it and begins to establish her adult life, she meets Charlie.  They fall in love, marry and Alice finds herself the doting wife of a man who eventually becomes President of the United States. She discovers that she is married to a man she both loves and fundamentally disagrees with - and that her private beliefs increasingly run against her public persona.  As her husband's presidency enters its second term, Alice must confront contradictions years in the making and face questions nearly impossible to answer.

So it's been said that this book mirrors the life of Laura Bush and it's pretty apparent, especially when "Charlie" finally does become President and Alice is talking about life in the White House.  September 11th, the decision to go to war, and the ensuing criticisms are all discussed in detail so it becomes pretty easy to figure out who the author is really painting a picture of.

This book did make me want to learn more about the life of Laura Bush because if the events in the book really are that similar to her real life, she lived a pretty interesting pre-First Lady life. Will we ever get the real answers for how she felt about the decisions her husband made as President? Probably not.  But if the parallels this book draws between Alice and the real Laura Bush are that similar, then I'm really fascinated by Mrs. Bush's story.

Otherwise, the book was up and down for me.  Some parts were great and really emotional and I got really drawn in to the characters and what Alice went through.  Then some parts made me feel like I was reading straight chick lit and I didn't like that at all. Then I'd be back in Alice's head following right along as she watched Charlie make decisions that affected the whole country that she didn't necessarily agree with and I was sucked in again.

Don't rush out to pick this one up but it's decently interesting and a quick read for a plane ride or something like that.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars


Coming Up Next: Under the Dome by Stephen King
On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when — or if — it will go away.

Book Review: Shanghai Girls

Shanghai Girls 
Author: Lisa See
Genre: Fiction with some history thrown in
Number of Pages: 336
Where I Got It: Library
First Line: "Our Daughter looks like a South China peasant with those red cheeks," my father complains, pointedly ignoring the soup before him.

In 1937, Shanghai is the Paris of Asia, and thanks to the financial security and material comforts provided by their father’s prosperous rickshaw business, twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree . . . until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth and that in order to repay his debts he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from California to find Chinese brides. As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, one that will take them through the Chinese countryside, in and out of the clutch of brutal soldiers, and across the Pacific to the shores of America. In Los Angeles they begin a fresh chapter, trying to find love with the strangers they have married, brushing against the seduction of Hollywood, and striving to embrace American life even as they fight against discrimination, brave Communist witch hunts, and find themselves hemmed in by Chinatown’s old ways and rules. 


So remember the last episode of "Friends" when Ross is listening to his answering machine to Rachel arguing with the flight attendant about getting off the plane?  And for a little bit we don't know if she made it off?  Then she announces that she did and he turns around and she's there and everyone cheers?


Now imagine that same scene, except this time we never find out if Rachel got off the plane. Ross is still staring at his answering machine, asking himself if she did and then the show just ends.


That was the ending to this book.


Let me start from the beginning.  This book is A-MA-ZING.  Seriously it just became one of my faves.  Pearl and May are amazing characters and author Lisa See is a pretty brilliant writer.  I was completely engrossed from start to finish and felt so connected to all of the characters. I couldn't get through some of the pages fast enough! 


Which is why I was SO frustrated by the ending.  Literally I was like oh man here we go, Pearl is going to find Joy and something with Z.G. is about to go down.  I turn the page and...


Acknowledgments?! 


I literally yelled "You have got to be kidding me" in my bed then immediately BBMed the following to James: "The book I just finished has the shittiest cliff hanger ending.  Wtf I am super pissed."


Then I calmed down and I thought about it and realized it was actually a really really good ending.  The book was about May and Pearl - sisters who had been through some of the most difficult episodes anyone could ever go through.  It wasn't about anybody else's relationship in the book.  At the end of the day, May and Pearl had a bond that would get them through anything and that was the message, essentially, of this book.  No matter what they had been through and what fights and jealousies and resentments they may have harbored, at the end of the day they were sisters and that was it.


I can't recommend this book highly enough and I can't wait to read more of Lisa See's novels.  Please do yourself a favor with this one. 


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


Coming Up Next: American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
American Wife is the story of Alice Lindgren, a middle-class woman (and registered Democrat) from a small town in Wisconsin who grows up to become a children’s librarian but then falls in love with an impish young dilettante from a famously rich and political family and eventually finds herself the unlikely First Lady of the United States.  The story is apparently loosely-based on the life of Laura Bush.

KINDLE Review: The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Author: Stieg Larsson

This is officially the second book I've finished on the Kindle.  I promise the novelty will wear off soon, but I love this thing a lot so bear with me.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the final book in the Millenium trilogy by Stieg Larsson.  This book picks up right where the second one leaves off and concludes with Lisbeth Salander finally getting her life and freedom back.  The book resolves the whole trilogy perfectly and the ending closes the door on the whole saga really well, allowing Lisbeth to finally be at peace with herself and her new life.

Not much of a synopsis I know, but these books are hard to write any plot details about without giving away major spoilers.

The third book is a little less action-packed and we see a lot more plotting, scheming and actual criminal investigation work than we have before.  But Larsson still has a way to keep you fully engaged throughout. The back-and-forth between what the bad guys are trying to do and how the good guys are catching on and figuring out how to stop them is really interesting.  There's high-powered corrupt government officials, the FBI, regular blue-collar cops, and investigative journalists all asking questions, following leads, and putting the pieces together.

Which leads me to the same gripe you've heard before from me about these books: the entirely too large cast of characters. There are 13 "main" characters, most of which are investigators working for completely different police organizations, plus supporting characters everywhere. There are two magazine/newspaper staffs, officers of the Stockholm police force, officers in the Swedish version of the FBI, members of the secret police group that exists within the Swedish version of the FBI. I mean it's at least 20 other names to remember and sometimes they're referred to once, then not mentioned again for another few chapters.

Another issue I had with this book was that the author mixed in random subplots that I felt didn't need to be there.  They took away from the overall storyline and, again, I never understood the purpose of them or what they were supposed to bring to the big picture.

The trilogy as a whole starts out pretty explosively with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and the second book holds its own as well but now that I've had time to think about the books, there's definitely a steady decline in plot, character development and overall draw.

I'd still take the time to read these and enjoyed my overall experience.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars (too many characters again and the unnecessary subplots)


Coming Up Next: For now, I'm sticking with a regular book but have the following downloaded onto the Kindle for whenever I need it next:
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
World Without End by Ken Follett
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

Book Review: Gilead... Plus Some Movies

Gilead
Author: Marilynne Robinson
No. of Pages: 245
Where I Got It: Library

First line: I told you last night that I might be gone sometime, and you said, Where, and I said, To be with the Good Lord, and you said, Why, and I said, Because I'm old, and you said, I don't think you're old.

As soon as I read that first line, I knew I was doomed.  I have no idea why I chose to read this book.  Maybe because it's a Pulitzer Prize winner. Maybe because I didn't read enough reviews before taking it off the shelf at the library. Either way, I messed up big time with this one.  It was awful.

The premise is that a 76-year-old preacher is writing a collection of letters to his son who is 7.  Yes he is 76 and his son is 7.  His wife is like 30 years younger than he is as well.  So he's writing these letters to his son because, well, he's pretty much going to be dead soon.  And that's pretty much it.

I didn't even finish this one.  In fact, I made it to page 40 or something and I just couldn't even keep going.  I had every intention of finishing it. I even went to renew it from the library online but somebody else had placed a hold on it so I wasn't able to.  Yeah good luck with that buddy.  You can have this one.

There was no dialogue, no other characters, it was just this guy talking about where he had grown up and giving anecdotes that were sprinkled with Bible verses.  I couldn't stay focused and had to keep rereading pages over and over.  No bueno.

Go ahead and skip this one.

Rating: 1 of 5 stars (1 star for the pretty cover)


Coming Up Next: Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
In 1937, Pearl and May live a fabulous life as "Beautiful Girls" in Shanghai.  Their faces are used to sell everything from soap to cigarettes and their world is full of glamorous parties, clothes, etc.  They live a carefree life until their father loses literally everything he has through gambling.  To recoup his debts, he sells the girls to a man who lives in Los Angeles as wives to his two sons.  They struggle and face many hardships as they adjust to their new way of life.

And now for some movie reviews:
Up: This movie was really cute, but it made me kind of emotional!  This should surprise no one honestly.  But I did find myself tearing up at the end.  The relationship that grows between the grumpy old man and the little boy is so fun to watch develop.  Another Pixar classic! Two thumbs up.


I Love You, Man: Paul Rudd is about to get married and, after overhearing his future wife's friends talking about him, sets out to find himself a guy friend.  He meets Sydney (Jason Segel) and they hit it off instantly.  The relationship has its ups and downs throughout the movie, but of course everything is solved at the end.  Although the storyline of this one was pretty predictable, Rudd and Segel are hysterical.  The one-liners and comedic timing are pretty perfect and I found myself laughing out loud a bunch of times.  One thumb up, one thumb sideways. 


Gossip Girl - Season 1: Everyone was talking about this show and I never got into it so I decided to try it out for myself.  I'm pretty pleasantly surprised.  The cast and acting is really good and although the plot line is sometimes too hard to believe, I can definitely overlook that to see what happens on the next episode.  I've worked through them pretty quickly and am halfway through season two which is also really good.  One thumb up, one thumb sideways.

As always, feel free to recommend any movies, TV series, documentaries, etc. that you think I'd like!

KINDLE Review: The Girl Who Played with Fire

The Girl Who Played with Fire
Author: Stieg Larrson

This is officially the first book I have finished on my Kindle, which I got earlier this summer as a super early birthday present from my parents.  It could also have doubled as a "Here's a new toy because we think you're kind of depressed" present.  Either way, they are the best.

I love this thing.  It is so handy and convenient, especially since I've been doing a lot of traveling this summer and fall.  I've used it at the pool and fitness center in my complex and, most recently, have taken it to go eat solo lunches by myself to clear my mind during the work day.  My parents got me a little carrying case to go with it and it all fits right in my purse.

Next, the screen isn't like a computer screen at all which was my main hesitance in getting one anyway.  I stare at a computer screen a lot during the day and I didn't want that same feeling when I tried to read a book.  The Kindle isn't a computer screen, but rather it uses e-Ink and it's fantastic.  It literally looks like you're reading a page in a book which I love.  Plus when you're out in the sun, there's no glare so you can keep on reading.  That commercial where the guy's trying to read his iPad by the pool and can't see anything but his own reflection while the girl is reading her Kindle perfectly fine is 100% true.

This is the Kindle I have.

It has wireless built in which means you can access the Kindle store directly from the device itself to buy a new book.  I think the wireless can also do some other fancier things but I haven't learned how to do those yet.

A few drawbacks.  For me personally, buying a new book is so easy that I tend to forget that this is actual money I'm spending and not just a free download.  You link it up to an account you set up on Amazon and with one click, you have a new book in literally 3 seconds and it bills your credit card on file.  Books can range from free (usually super classics) to as high as 15.99 for longer and newer books.  I still think this is a great discount as compared to what you'd pay in stores.  A great idea would be for them to somehow come up with Kindle coupons...

Next drawback is that it doesn't have a light but they have external ones that you can hook up to the device.  Also for some reason you have to hold the on/off switch for a really long time for it to shut completely off otherwise it just goes into this sleep mode and then you don't realize it's in sleep mode so then you go to the gym or pool to use it and the battery is completely dead.  The sleep mode is hysterical though because up comes a picture of some famous dead author or some other random literary image and it's always a new one every time.

But overall, I love the Kindle.  Really love it.  So now here's my review on the book I read.

The Girl Who Played with Fire is the second book in Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy and is just as fast-paced and action-packed like the first.  This time the story focuses more on Lisbeth Salander, a bad ass 4-foot-10 expert computer hacker with a photographic memory.  I really liked the book a lot and even found myself gasping in surprise at a few twists and turns.  The story gets a little graphic at times as it deals with illegal prostitution and the abused victims so heads up on that.  Also there are a looooot of characters and all of their Swedish names tend to be really confusing.  For example, there's a Neidermann and a Neierman. Thanks Mr. Larsson. Overall though it was a great read and I definitely recommend it.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (for too many confusing characters)


Coming Up Next: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
Considering I finished The Girl Who Played with Fire while on my flight to Colorado this weekend, I very conveniently turned on the wireless and downloaded the third and final book and dove right back in.  Is this illegal on a plane? Possibly.  Was it awesome? Definitely.  I'm not putting a synopsis because all the ones that I usually jack from online give too much away.

Book Review: The Given Day

The Given Day
Author: Dennis Lehane
Number of Pages: 720
Where I Got It: Library

First line: On a wet summer night, Danny Coughlin, a Boston police officer, fought a four-round bout against another cop, Johnny Green, at Mechanics Hall just outside Copley Square.

This epic historical novel is set in Boston at the end of World War I and follows several characters throughout some of the most pivotal moments in American history.  From the police strike to the Boston Molasses Disaster, Lehane expertly intertwines the political and social unrest going on in one of the nation's biggest cities at the time with that of the lives of two families - the Coughlins and the Luthers.  We also meet some of the most famous personalities of the time - Babe Ruth, Calvin Coolidge, Mitchell Palmer and more - as the two families fight to make it through the increasingly turbulent times.

By the way, wrote that myself.  Pretty good synopsis.

This book was AMAZING.  I really love Dennis Lehane's mysteries (namely Gone Baby Gone but he also wrote Shutter Island which I haven't read yet) and this book was so different, yet still so so good.

The characters were extraordinary.  At times I will say that there were a few too many people to keep track of, but the main players in the book were so well-developed, I couldn't help but become completely engrossed in each of their stories. I wanted them to succeed, I was sad when they failed, I got angry when wrong was done to them. I nearly cried at some parts because of the emotional connection I made with these characters.

For someone who doesn't really know a lot of history, and a lot of American history at that, this book enlightened me to some otherwise unknown moments that happened during the early days of our country.  I had no idea that gallons and gallons of molasses had once covered the entire city of Boston, creating absolute mayhem and chaos, nor did I know much about the police strike in 1919.  Not only does Lehane do an incredible job of describing these events, but the suspense he creates leading up to the events (especially with the will they/won't they of the police strike) plus the description of the aftermath of these events is tense and action-packed.  I felt my heart racing at times as I read about the rioting in Boston after the announcement of the police strike.

Seriously, do yourself a favor with this one.  Although a daunting 720 pages, the book will fly by.  Very highly recommended and a new favorite.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars


Coming Up Next: Gilead by Marianne Robinson
The narrator, John Ames, is 76, a preacher who has lived almost all of his life in Gilead, Iowa. He is writing a letter to his almost seven-year-old son, the blessing of his second marriage. It is a summing-up, an apologia, a consideration of his life. Robinson takes the story away from being simply the reminiscences of one man and moves it into the realm of a meditation on fathers and children, particularly sons, on faith, and on the imperfectability of man.


Audio Review
Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson - I didn't even make it through disc two of this audiobook.  Oh my goodness this was seriously terrible.  The premise is that this woman Jennifer's grandmother who she calls Sam writes her a bunch of letters about her life and when Sam goes into a coma, Jennifer finds them and starts reading them.  Cheesy background music, terrible narrators (Anne Heche's voice sounds even more like a 16-year old's than mine does) and a horrible plotline just made this too hard for me to get through.  No bueno.

Book Review: Whatever You Do, Don't Run

Whatever You Do, Don't Run
Author: Peter Allison
Number of Pages: 264
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Where I Got It: Library

Synopsis: At age 19, Australian-born Allison headed to Africa for challenge and adventure, planning to stay no more than a year; having found work as a safari guide, he's still there some 13 years later. In this fun, fearless memoir, Allison shares his experiences taking "guests" through the African wilderness, trips that often don't go quite as planned-due especially to the unpredictability of the animals around them.

This book was really great for so many reasons.  It was just a collection of stories and anecdotes compiled by Allison from his time spent as a safari guide in Africa.  Simple to read, I flew through the pages wanting to know what adventure or mishap Allison gets into next.  From suffering a lion attack to watching an elephant he had seen on the savannah for years give birth, each story is filled with just the right amount of humor, suspense, or touching emotion to leave their own imprint while you read.

Allison also manages to work in some completely fascinating facts about the animals he encounters while on safari.  I learned about animals I had never even heard of before and I loved it.

I want to go on a safari now because of this book.  Highly, highly recommended.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Coming up next: The Given Day by Dennis Lehane
Set in Boston at the end of the First World War, The Given Day tells the story of two families--one black, one white--swept up in a maelstrom of revolutionaries and anarchists, immigrants and ward bosses, Brahmins and ordinary citizens, all engaged in a battle for survival and power.  Here, too, are some of the most influential figures of the era--Babe Ruth; Eugene O’Neill; leftist activist Jack Reed; NAACP founder W. E. B. DuBois; Mitchell Palmer, Woodrow Wilson’s ruthless Red-chasing attorney general; cunning Massachusetts governor Calvin Coolidge; and an ambitious young Department of Justice lawyer named John Hoover.  Coursing through some of the pivotal events of the time--including the Spanish Influenza pandemic--and culminating in the Boston Police Strike of 1919, The Given Day explores the crippling violence and irrepressible exuberance of a country at war with, and in the thrall of, itself. 


Audio Reviews
Heat by Bill Buford: Tells the story of a writer who decides to become a chef in the kitchen of Mario Batali.  This was an okay audio book.  Not very memorable though and I had to rewind a lot.  Plus the author's voice was kind of weird and all the talk about the Italian food kept making me hungry.


The Reader by Bernhard Schlink: A 15-year old begins a love affair with a woman twice his age, they separate, then he is reunited with her when she is on trial for some WWII crimes.  Fantastic story and this audio book's narrator, Campbell Scott, was really great.  

Book Review: The Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Number of Pages: 543
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Where I Got It: Library

I read this book in high school as required reading, but use the term read very loosely as I did my usual wait till the last minute then skim like hell to get the general gist routine that allowed me to squeak by.

Hailey told me I should go back and read it as this is one of her all-time favorites, if not her number one fave, and she has great recommendations so I tried it. And am I ever glad I did.

The story is about the Price family who move from Georgia to the village of Kilanga in the Congo in 1959 as their father, a devout Baptist minister, has taken a job as a missionary. As the family tries to acclimate to their new and completely different lifestyle, they also must deal with the political ramifications of the Congo moving toward democracy and independence from Belgium.

The story is told from the point of view of all five women in the Price family: the mother Orleanna and her four daughters Rachel, Leah, Ada and Ruth May.

The writing is absolutely beautiful. While the family is struggling collectively to adapt to their new situation, each individual character has their own inner struggles to deal with. They each evolve completely differently and each have their own completely different realizations about who they are and where their life is headed. Kingsolver makes each character their own complete person, even down to 5-year-old Ruth May.

I think this book is one that you will either love or hate and I loved it. It made me laugh at certain points, it almost brought me to tears at one point, and I got a mini-history lesson out of it. At times it was a bit too long. But everything about it is really genius. Too much to describe or try to explain... you'll just have to find out for yourself.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (for being a bit too long)

Coming Up Next: Whatever You Do, Don't Run by Peter Allison

Peter Allison took a trip to Africa at the age of 19 and never left. In this memoir, Allison shares his stories as a safari guide and his encounters with the African wilderness. From charging lions to drowning his jeep in a lagoon full of hippos, these hilarious true tales takes you to where the wild things are and introduces you to a place where every day is a new adventure!

Book Review: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Author: Junot Diaz
Number of Pages: 352
Genre: Fiction
Where I Got It: Library

In this Pulitzer Prize winner, author Junot Diaz focuses on Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd who dreams of becoming the Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the Fuku-the curse that has haunted Oscar's family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love.

It's really hard to do this book justice with just a mere description of the summary. The center of the story is about Oscar and how he struggles with growing up and being so very very different from his peers. It's a coming-of-age story. But beneath that are so many other layers. There is the classic rebellious daughter vs. typical Latin American mother conflict and the fights that ensue between them. There is the coming-of-age story of Oscar's mother and her struggle to fit in despite being Oscar's exact opposite. There is also the story of the Dominican Republic as a country trying to survive under the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo.

I think what hit me the most about it is the language of the book. Diaz chooses to write some of the book in first person, using English and Spanish slang and some Spanglish, then some other parts in third person but the diction and tone is what really develops each of the characters. It's not so much the words, but more the way the words flow together that really puts you inside the book and inside the lives of these characters. I was completely drawn in and felt pain when the characters were hurt and happiness when they triumphed.

At first glance, the book seems like it will just be a story about a nerdy kid trying to make it through the awkward adolescent stage of life but this couldn't be farther from the truth. These characters won't be forgotten anytime soon and despite sounding a bit depressing, there is an untraditionally optimistic ending that left a smile on my face.

I would definitely recommend this book, but it is fairly tough to get through. The point of view changes around pretty dramatically and at times I had to ask myself "Who are we talking about?" before realizing that the chapter was now the mother's story or the sister's boyfriend's story or whatever. The book forces you to slow down a little as the language is a little bit complex to follow. But it's so worth it in the end.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Coming Up Next: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
In 1959, Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist, takes his four young daughters, his wife, and his mission to the Belgian Congo -- a place, he is sure, where he can save needy souls. But the seeds they plant bloom in tragic ways within this complex culture. Set against one of the most dramatic political events of the twentieth century -- the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium and its devastating consequences -- here is New York Times-bestselling author Barbara Kingslover's beautiful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable epic that chronicles the disintegration of family and a nation. (from Google Books)

I read The Poisonwood Bible in high school but don't really remember it. A friend of mine randomly told me it's one of her alltime faves and because she's had such great recommendations in the past I decided to give it another shot.

And now time for some audio books...

My Life in France by Julia Child: Terrible audio book. I didn't even make it through to the end. The narrator's voice was good but I felt really lost the whole time, especially when she randomly started speaking in French. Two thumbs down.

The Soloist by Steve Lopez: Incredible story and a great audio book. The narrator's voice was excellent and the story itself was amazing. It's the true story of LA Times columnist Steve Lopez who discovers a homeless man playing violin in the streets of downtown LA. After researching further, he discovers this man was an extremely accomplished musician who spent time at Juilliard before dropping out. Lopez works with the man to get him back on his feet and it's a really great story. It's also a movie with Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. that I have on my Netflix. Two thumbs up.

Book Review: Under the Banner of Heaven

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
Author: Jon Krakauer
Number of Pages: 372
Genre: Nonfiction
Where I Got It: Barnes and Noble's website (hooray coupons!)

Because I still can't talk about the Spain debacle this morning, we're going to continue our recent trend of non-World Cup posts and go with a book review.

This book centers around brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty and the brutal double murder they committed in 1984 against their brother's wife and baby daughter under the claim that they were acting on direct orders from God. Woven through the events leading up to, during and after this horrible crime, Krakauer explains the development and beliefs of Fundamentalist Mormonism, of which the Lafferty brothers were members, and how it differs from mainstream Mormonism, particularly in the belief and practice of polygamy.

I was left with a lot of mixed emotions after reading this book even though I am certainly glad I read it. Call me naive/unworldly/innocent, but most of all I could not believe that this type of religious fanaticism exists in the United States in the year 2010. I mean have you seen the iPad? It is amazing to me that in this day and age and in what is supposed to be the most powerful and advanced country in the world, practicing polygamists still exist and innocent people are murdered in the name of religion. It kind of blew me away. I had to keep reminding myself that the events Krakauer described and the interviews he conducted were all taking place within the last 25 years, not the last 250 years.

Furthermore, I spent a lot of the book thinking and hoping I guess you could say that readers wouldn't lump mainstream Mormons in with this group of fundamentalists. My grandma's best friend is Mormon and my dad was raised right alongside them and their kids and went on camping trips and water skiing trips with them for as many summers as he can remember. They're very loving, caring and overall awesome people. I'll definitely say that I find Mormonism to be strange but the group that Krakauer centers his book around is a very different, very extreme, and very creepy group.

I highly recommend this book. Krakauer's research is extensive and includes first hand accounts from both Fundamentalist Mormons and those who have left the religion. There are a lot of characters - and I mean that both literally and figuratively - when discussing the history of Mormonism and Krakauer does a great job of keeping everyone straight. The book will certainly open your eyes and educate you, so do yourself a favor.

Coming Up Next: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
In this Pulitzer Prize winner, the first novel from author Junot Diaz focuses on Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd. From his home in New Jersey, where he lives with his old-world mother and rebellious sister, Oscar dreams of becoming the Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the Fuku-the curse that has haunted the Oscar's family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love. Oscar, still waiting for his first kiss, is just its most recent victim. Diaz immerses us in the tumultuous life of Oscar and the history of the family at large, rendering with genuine warmth and dazzling energy, humor, and insight the Dominican-American experience, and, ultimately, the endless human capacity to persevere in the face of heartbreak and loss.

Bonus: Audio Book Reviews
I've been listening to a lot of audio books because I have a decent 25-30 minute commute to work every day and got rid of satellite radio so it's a nice way to fill the time. Here are some quick reviews:

Playing for Pizza by John Grisham - A third-string quarterback gets lit up in an NFL playoff game and is promptly released. No team in the NFL wants him, so he ends up playing for a team in Italy and loves it. With a good narrator and great storyline, I stayed engaged with this one all the way through. Two thumbs up.

Rosie Dunne by Cecilia Ahern - A chick-lit choice about Rosie and Alex, best friends who eventually realize they're in love with each other, but can't ever be in the right place at the right time to realize that love. Don't worry, everything works out in the end. This one used multiple voices to narrate which was a good choice I thought. The other strange part of the book is that it's written entirely in the form of emails, letters, instant messages, and I think text messages as Rosie and Alex and the rest of the characters all communicate with each other. They pulled it off in audio style. One thumb sideways for not much of a plot and for being too long.

Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich - Even though this book is one in a series featuring bounty hunter/detective Stephanie Plum, I was able to follow along without having ever read any of Evanovich's other books. Great narrator and a great mystery story about a crazy who steals Stephanie's coworker's identity, kidnaps his daughter, then seeks out Stephanie to complete his fantasy. Two thumbs up.

Review: One Fifth Avenue

One Fifth Avenue
Author: Candace Bushnell
Number of Pages: 464
Genre: Fiction, Chick-Lit
Where I Got It: Library

My summary:
A bunch of people live in this super swanky apartment building on Fifth Ave. in NYC and are jerks to each other.

If you couldn't tell by my glowing summary, I pretty much hated this book.  This is the second book I've read by Candace Bushnell and I just don't like her style.  And I know most of you are thinking "Well Amanda... it is chick lit after all"  But the thing is I've read chick lit that wasn't terrible.  There was a plotline, there was character development, there was a conclusion that resolved something, there was a little bit of humor mixed in.  Jane Green, Sophie Kinsella, and Marian Keyes are a few of the authors I've read that have made me want to keep reading this type of fiction.

I couldn't connect to any characters in the book and then just when it seemed like something substantial was about to happen, it just sort of fizzled out.  The "big" moments in the book ended up being pretty anticlimactic and the ending left much to be desired.

The characters in the book were pretty annoying all the way throughout.  When the rich occupants of One Fifth weren't catfighting with each other, they were trying to one up each other. Then you had a few characters who were completely unhappy with their lives and were constantly either complaining about it or figuring out how to get rich quick.

Then again, it made me think that maybe this was Candace Bushnell's whole point.  That at some point, people who live this kind of lifestyle can think about only two things: what they have and what they have not.  Even though I thought there was so much lacking, it also made me realize that that was exactly the point that the author was trying to make.

I get what she was trying to do, but the story could have been a lot better and still made that point.

The last thing I'll complain about is this.  Usually women's fiction or chick lit or whatever you want to call it has a couple of sex scenes scattered throughout.  That doesn't bother me so much.  But the scenes in this book were so graphic and some of the language that was used was so specific that it just became kind of crass and tasteless after a while.  This time I didn't get it.

Overall Rating: 1/5 (it gets a 1 because there was exactly one character that I could tolerate)


Coming Up Next: "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Krakauer
In 1984, Ron and Dan Lafferty murdered the wife and infant daughter of their younger brother Allen. The crimes were noteworthy not merely for their brutality but for the brothers' claim that they were acting on direct orders from God. In Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer tells the story of the killers and their crime but also explores the shadowy world of Mormon fundamentalism from which the two emerged. The Mormon Church was founded, in part, on the idea that true believers could speak directly with God. But while the mainstream church attempted to be more palatable to the general public by rejecting the controversial tenet of polygamy, fundamentalist splinter groups saw this as apostasy and took to the hills to live what they believed to be a righteous life. When their beliefs are challenged or their patriarchal, cult-like order defied, these still-active groups, according to Krakauer, are capable of fighting back with tremendous violence. While Krakauer's research into the history of the church is admirably extensive, the real power of the book comes from present-day information, notably jailhouse interviews with Dan Lafferty. Far from being the brooding maniac one might expect, Lafferty is chillingly coherent, still insisting that his motive was merely to obey God's command. Krakauer's accounts of the actual murders are graphic and disturbing, but such detail makes the brothers' claim of divine instruction all the more horrifying. In an age where Westerners have trouble comprehending what drives Islamic fundamentalists to kill, Jon Krakauer advises us to look within America's own borders. (from Amazon)