Did I mention I have the best husband ever? He is always on the lookout for new releases for a few series that I read. So last week I finally caught a cold, all winter without one, and then I finally get it when it starts to turn warm outside. I sent him out to get my medicine, which he did, but he also came back with a surprise. This book, the 18th book in my series that was just recently published and I didn't even know that it was out.
These books were a pleasant discovery at the Festival of Books back when they were still at UCLA. I used to love going to the mystery book tents and just picking a new book. Joanne Fluke was there signing her newest book and they had fun covers so I grabbed the first one and she autographed it. By the next Festival of Books, I had caught up and read like all 12 at the time. They are a fun series that center around Hannah Swensen and her Cooking store in a small town in Minnesota. She solves murders and bakes yummy cookies. All the books also have about 20 recepies so you can bake what she is making.
Since I'm caught up with all of the novels I only read them when a new one comes out, about once a year. I thought in the last book it was decided that Hannah was in love with Norman and it was set that they would just end up married, but in this book she is back to being torn between Norman and Mike. I was surprised, and hope that Joanne will make a decision soon since it's overdue. Besides that it was nice to be back in Lake Eden with all of the familiar characters and faces.
This book will get a 93% A
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Fun Book #5 The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James
Thanks to my friend Annalea and her publishing internship in LA a few years back I was introduced to Syrie James with her first novel The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen. I remember enjoying that one and as soon as Daniel saw this new one he knew it would be a winner. So on Valentine's Day- I got this new one.
A missing novel never published, scavenger hunt in a big English estate to find it with a handsome stranger= a great book. Right away I knew this book was going to be a really fun read. First Samantha finds a the letter hinting that their is a missing manuscript, and her being a Jane Austen scholar she has to find the truth. The search begins and when they find the manuscript they read it, so we get to read it too. It's a story within a story. I really enjoyed the missing "manuscript" story. When the novel would go back to present day, it was good too.
This is definitely a book I would recommend to any other Jane Austen enthusiast. It gets an A 95%
A missing novel never published, scavenger hunt in a big English estate to find it with a handsome stranger= a great book. Right away I knew this book was going to be a really fun read. First Samantha finds a the letter hinting that their is a missing manuscript, and her being a Jane Austen scholar she has to find the truth. The search begins and when they find the manuscript they read it, so we get to read it too. It's a story within a story. I really enjoyed the missing "manuscript" story. When the novel would go back to present day, it was good too.
This is definitely a book I would recommend to any other Jane Austen enthusiast. It gets an A 95%
Fun Book #4 The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
This novel takes place in 1982 and is centered around 3 people graduating from Brown University, Madeleine, Mitchell and Leonard and what they do next. At first I didn't really like this novel, probably because I couldn't really sympathize with Madeleine. I didn't like her choices. Then in the middle of the book I started thinking that I really liked it. I felt like I was learning a lot. I was enjoying the ideas and theories that Mitchell and Leonard had and thought it was going to end in a way that I would be happy with. I loved that Mitchell goes to India and volunteers for Mother Teresa and learns a lot about himself along the way. Then I finished the book and was like "WHAT?" really loud in my head.
It was okay, and I do fell like I learned a lot, especially about manic depression. I enjoyed the whole part of Mitchell and his friend Larry, but never really connected with Madeleine and her part of the story. She seemed totally selfish towards Mitchell and her family. She does go above and beyond for Leonard, but doesn't do that for anyone else
I'll give this book as B- 83%.
It was okay, and I do fell like I learned a lot, especially about manic depression. I enjoyed the whole part of Mitchell and his friend Larry, but never really connected with Madeleine and her part of the story. She seemed totally selfish towards Mitchell and her family. She does go above and beyond for Leonard, but doesn't do that for anyone else
I'll give this book as B- 83%.
Book # 88 The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Progress Book 23 of 100
This book leaves a visual impact on the reader. It takes place in the future where the world has gone back to old fashioned thinking and ways. Women are inferior to men, they cannot have money, and have basically no rights. Their place is next to their husbands, or in the kitchen as a cook, or as Handmaid's who only purpose is to bear children. Anyone who opposes this is executed or sent to a colony where they clean toxic waste.
The main character is called Offred and she is a handmaid. She wasn't always one though. The writing style of this novel is from her point of view as you see what her thoughts and memories are. It was hard to understand what was going on, since her memories aren't in any order. Nothing was in real time and it was a little frustrating to read since as a reader you just wanted to know everything. I will say it probably made me read the book faster. Also, there was a twist near the end that I didn't expect and was really new and interesting.
Overall the main ideas of the society and future world was very disturbing. I even had a few nightmares while reading. Since it sticks out so vividly I'll give this book a solid 85% B
This book leaves a visual impact on the reader. It takes place in the future where the world has gone back to old fashioned thinking and ways. Women are inferior to men, they cannot have money, and have basically no rights. Their place is next to their husbands, or in the kitchen as a cook, or as Handmaid's who only purpose is to bear children. Anyone who opposes this is executed or sent to a colony where they clean toxic waste.
The main character is called Offred and she is a handmaid. She wasn't always one though. The writing style of this novel is from her point of view as you see what her thoughts and memories are. It was hard to understand what was going on, since her memories aren't in any order. Nothing was in real time and it was a little frustrating to read since as a reader you just wanted to know everything. I will say it probably made me read the book faster. Also, there was a twist near the end that I didn't expect and was really new and interesting.
Overall the main ideas of the society and future world was very disturbing. I even had a few nightmares while reading. Since it sticks out so vividly I'll give this book a solid 85% B
Book #9 To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Progress #22 of 100
Before reading this book I was sure it was something I’ve
already read in school, and I’m sure we watched the movie. The book I was reading looked so familiar I
was sure it was the same version we read in school. That being said I remembered nothing about
this story. I thought it would start to
become familiar the further I read, but it didn’t. So this was just like reading a completely
new story.
The novel is a seen through the eyes of young tomboy named
Scout. Scout lives with her brother Jem, their father Atticus Finch and their housekeeper Calpurnia. It's a coming of age story set in the South over a few years. Together Jem, Scout and their summer friend Dill get into all sorts of adventures while learning life lessons along the way. The novel deals with many serious topics including race, equality and honor. In the first part of the novel Scout, Jem and Dill are obsessed with their recluse neighbor Boo Radley. They play a game they have made up all day. Jem runs to the house, touches the wall and runs back. They want to catch a glimpse of him and try everything they can. At one point Jem is almost killed. After that incident Jem begins to grow up and start to understand adult issues more. This hurts Scout who is still a little kid and doesn't see the realities of the world yet.
The second part of the novel is centered around a court case where Atticus is the lawyer for the accused.
The whole time I was reading it didn't get familiar at all. There were some really memorable scenes such as Calpurnia taking Scout and Jem to her chruch and Jem helping a neighbor get over an addiction. It was a very touching book and deserves an 95% A
Fun Book #3 The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy by Regina Jeffers
I had high expectations of this book, since I have read two others by Ms. Jeffers The Phantom of Pemberley and Captain Wentworth's Persuasion and I remember enjoying them. As soon as I started reading this novel I discovered there was a book before this that I hadn't read. There were a few characters that I kept getting mixed up with other characters. Every P&P sequel usually has the main people, so they are easy to distinguish, but since this takes place at least 4 years after P&P ends there are others to introduce. Since I'm pretty familiar it's usually pretty easy to get right into things, but there was a new family friend that I kept getting mixed up with Elizabeth's sister Mary, since this friend was also named Mary. I think about 100 pages in it finally clicked.
Anyways, as mentioned above this takes place a few years after P&P. Elizabeth and Darcy have one son and Jane and Bingley have a few children. Georgiana Darcy has recently married their Cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam who has gone to France to fight Napolen. To prepare for his return Georgiana has left Pemberley to ready their Scotish estate. After not hearing from her for a few weeks Darcy begins to worry. From here the novel gets pretty crazy and far fetched. At one point Wickham tries to kill Darcy, and later the novel even has cannibalism. It just went too far and didn't meet my expectations. It's not a P&P sequel I'll be rereading anytime soon.
I'll give this a B- 80%
Anyways, as mentioned above this takes place a few years after P&P. Elizabeth and Darcy have one son and Jane and Bingley have a few children. Georgiana Darcy has recently married their Cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam who has gone to France to fight Napolen. To prepare for his return Georgiana has left Pemberley to ready their Scotish estate. After not hearing from her for a few weeks Darcy begins to worry. From here the novel gets pretty crazy and far fetched. At one point Wickham tries to kill Darcy, and later the novel even has cannibalism. It just went too far and didn't meet my expectations. It's not a P&P sequel I'll be rereading anytime soon.
I'll give this a B- 80%
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Book # 50 Harry Potter (Book 1 of 7) - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
I'm guessing that of all the books on this list Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the one that most people will have read. This is the third time I've read it and I don't really have any new insights into it this time. I loved it before and it is still enjoyable on yet another readings. In only three hundred pages this book sets up all of the elements that play out through the entire series. This book introduces Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Dumbledore, Snape, Voldemort, Quidditch, Hagrid, Hogwarts, Malfoy, Platform 9 3/4, the Sorting Hat, and the Houses of Gryfinndor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Like all good fantasy stories it also has goblins, a dragon, trolls, a unicorn and even centaurs. The only quibble about the novel is that Rowling's writing style can be just a bit plain. Maybe I've only noticed that because I've also been reading C.S. Lewis lately and Rowling isn't quite at that level in this book. Volume one gets an A.
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