"A Drink Before the War"-Dennis Lehane

Book Title: A Drink Before the War (Kenzie & Genaro 1)
Author: Dennis Lehane
Version: ebook
ISBN: 9780062015655
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books
Published: July 27th, 2010
First Published: 1994
Number of Pages: 266

SYNOPSIS: Private eyes Patrick Kenzie and Angie Genaro seem to be in very low demand these days. When they get a call from one of the local politician asking them to help out with a small problem he has they jump at the chance, with all dignity of course. The job seems pretty simple at first, they have to find a missing cleaning woman who has been accused of stealing sensitive documents. Patrick gets a picture and address of the woman who is missing, thinking that it's rather 'convenient' that the woman who supposedly stole these documents is black.

As the crack team begin to dig further into the case however they realize rather quickly that this is about more than just missing documents. As they fight battles on just about every side of their lives Kenzie and Genaro find out just how much more dangerous this whole thing really is. What begins as a fishy sounding missing persons case quickly becomes a drug, sex, gang and race related murder mystery. After being shot at, chased and nearly killed on more than one occasion the team has to sit down, take stock and decide just how important figuring this one out is.

To solve this one Kenzie and Genaro have to travel from the high rises of the rich to the seedy underbelly of the very poor all the while trying to stay two steps ahead of the many forces that are hoping to see them fail. As their missing woman turns up and then is promptly killed because of the papers she took the two realize that this isn't going to be just a grab it and go job. What started as a clear path soon turns murky with pain and injustice. In the middle of it all the two partners have to choose between a paycheck and payback.

REVIEW: I read Dennis Lehane's "Mystic River" so many years ago now that they weren't even publicly talking about making it into a movie and I loved it. I then saw the movie years later and loved that too but that's a different review. Since then I have always wanted to pick up more of Dennis Lehane's work. Every time I was in a bookstore I would find myself browsing his section and trying to decide what to read next. I'm not sure what it was that stopped me but I never pick anything else up until now. And I just want to say that I was a fool to wait.

He has a great talent as a writer but also as a storyteller. From the very first line in the first installment of his Kenzie and Genaro series I was hooked. The way he describes a surrounding or a feeling turns everything into this incredible 3D experience. His writing was rich and flavorful and I loved every word of it. He has a beautiful way with words even the words he chooses seems perfectly thought out. And I really, really enjoyed the humor that he put into it. It was subtle and very funny and not just 'someone fell down drunk' stupid/easy funny but intelligently so. I loved it!

The story was intense to say the least, but it wasn't overly dramatic or over done. Mr. Lehane tells the story with a sense of pain and beauty that seems right and not pompous. It's a dark story about very dark things that most people don't want to think about let alone have it shoved in their faces but Mr. Lehane does just that with poise and a strange almost impossible kindness. He tells it so well that you end up wanting to know about it.

Kenzie and Genaro are an incredible team. They are some amazing characters that I found myself liking right away and rooting for the whole way through. With main characters, the heroes and heroines of literature, we always find ourselves as readers rooting for them naturally. With some characters though, at least for me, I find that I root for them more because of their imperfections and humanness rather than because I was suppose to. This team of private eyes is now part of that group. They are an amazing team that look out for each other with love and great amounts of care but they are far from perfect, in fact they are so wrong that you almost wonder 'why these two as our heroes?' I love them and can't wait to read more about them.

All around I found that this was an great book and I really can't wait to get the next in the series. I think that Dennis Lehane has a real winner on his hands with this and I highly recommend it. This is a great start to what I think is going to be a good series and if you are looking for a good mystery that is interesting, full of life, and written incredibly well this is the one for you.

"Killing Kennedy"-Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard

Book Title: Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot
Authors: Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
Version: Hardback
ISBN: 9780805096668
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Published: October 2nd, 2012
Number of Pages: 336
Genre: 'Non-Fic'

REVIEW: If you have ever sat even semi-consciously in a US history class or were born after 1950 you know who John Fitzgerald Kennedy was. He was, in most respects, the hope of a generation. Since the story of who the Kennedy's were and the utter devastation that spread throughout the country when he was assassinated, I felt that I could skip the synopsis part and move straight to my review.

Now I am going to preface this by saying that I am in no way a Kennedy expert, I haven't even done all that much research on them. But I have read a few books about them, and done a bit of research so I know a tiny bit. I am in all honesty morbidly fascinated by the whole Kennedy tragedy. And so because I am curious about all things Kennedy I picked this bestseller up out of pure curiosity. Believe me a lot of people were surprised that I was reading it. Mr. O'Reilly is well known for his now infamous book "Killing Lincoln," which turned out to be a good bit of fiction when it was supposed to be non-fiction. So when I told people that I was reading "Killing Kennedy" I got a lot of raised eyebrows in response. But I was curious, I couldn't help it.

This was an excellent piece of humor. I laughed for a good chunk of it. The problem with that? This wasn't supposed to be funny in any way. But I ended up laughing so hard at some points that I had tears in my eyes and my roommate had to ask if I was doing ok. The thing with this is was it wasn't written well at all and the laughter was from what was said rather than how it was said. Again this wasn't supposed to be a funny book. As an example he went on and on about how many affairs Kennedy had. Sure we know that Kennedy had affairs but the way that O'Reilly described it was as if Kennedy couldn't last long without sleeping with a woman who was most decidedly not his wife.

After reading what turned out to be a poorly written farce about what happened during the years Kennedy was in office and all the events leading up to his assassination, I was in a Kennedy mood and decided to try watching the show "The Kennedys." Now this show was deemed so historically inaccurate that it wasn't allowed to air on the History Channel. The more I watched it the more it seemed familiar to me. Then it hit me, I felt as if I was rereading "Killing Kennedy." I swear I felt such a sense of deja vu that I thought to myself 'ah here is where Bill O'Reilly did his research.' Or more to the point it was as if he took the show and turned it into a book.  

I found that this was a poorly written, poorly researched 'history' book. Of course I wasn't really expecting a lot from this particular book so it wasn't that much of a let down. This is one of those books that you can skip and not worry about it. I don't mean to be rude or petty but this is how I feel about this book. And I did promise to always be as honest as possible.   

"Sad Desk Salad"-Jessica Grose

Book Title: Sad Desk Salad
Author: Jessica Grose
Version: ebook
ISBN: 978006218839
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Published: October 2, 2012
Number of Pages: 304
Genre: Fiction (Most likely 'chick-lit')

SYNOPSIS: Alex Lyons pretty much has just about everything she ever wanted. A cute, on-his-way-to-being-a-huge-success boyfriend, an apartment that is tiny and dingy and that they both love in the city of her dreams, New York, and a job that is right up her alley. Or so she believes. She is an assistant editor on an increasingly popular website called Chick Habit. Basically she gets paid to write on a daily basis, the more hits the better for her career and the bitchier she is the more hits she gets. Despite the fact that she hasn't showered, seen more than the bodega across the street or changed out of the poncho she's been wearing for days on end everything seems to be going great.

As things begin to get more and more tense with her boss demanding more and more page views Alex begins looking for whatever dirt she can on anyone. When she receives an anonymous email with a video featuring the daughter of a very prominent celebrity who is running for office. In the video this young lady is not only scantily clad but also engaging in illegal activities. Alex is suddenly pushed between a rock with shards sticking out of it and a hard place that is slowly closing in. She knows that posting the video would be Chick Habit gold but is she willing to risk ruining this young girl's life just to get a higher number of page views?

The more Alex weighs her options, eventually getting pushed into it, the more she starts to lose sight of what is important in life. She begins staying out all night, ignoring her amazing boyfriend, even ignoring her fabulous mother and generally letting her life crumble around her. But her job life is becoming more and more fantastic, and the question that Alex has to ask herself is which is more important, her job or her sanity?

REVIEW: I don't read chick-lit all that often and now I remember why. Maybe it's just me and my tastes run more towards something with more meat but this was really pretty bad. I mean I read it because I thought that the story sounded interesting and as a blogger my curiosity was peaked. I'm not going to say that it was a bad book but it wasn't necessarily a good book either. I found it lacking, a lot.

The writing was pedestrian and the story wasn't good enough to make up for it. All around the book was not so much a disappointment as it wasn't worth being disappointed in. I guess I'm just not much for this genre because although I read it all the way through I was bored and felt that even the main character was too annoying to care about. There wasn't much to root for through out the book and I feel that with a book such as this you have to have something or someone to root for.

I don't really have that much else to say about the book. I didn't really like it and felt that all around it was boring and eventually not worth it. I say with this one it is ok to skip it and find yourself a different book, maybe one that has a slightly better story or is written better. Maybe even one that has a cast of characters that you want to root for. It's a shame because I think that every once in a while a fun light-hearted book is a great read. This one was just not that unfortunately.

"The Passage"-Justin Cronin

Book Title: The Passage
Author: Justin Cronin
Version: ebook
ISBN: 9780345516862
Published: June 8th, 2010
First Published: January 1, 2010
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Number of Pages: 858
Genre: Dystopian Fiction

REVIEW: This was a long book and a lot happened in it. So much so that I'm not sure what it is that I want to write about and what I want to leave out. With that in mind I am going to skip the synopsis altogether and move on to the review. It was an interesting book, one that I found myself enjoying quite a bit. It had a lot of different flavors mixed in that I enjoyed pulling apart. I felt that it was maybe a tad long for what it was but I enjoyed the richness and fullness of the story.

Justin Cronin's writing was strangely simple but in a good way. There was no overreaching, no trying to get fancier than it was. I enjoyed that aspect of it because although it was simple it was really well done. And the most important part of it was the story was well told. When it comes to a long book the story has to be well told in order for the length to be worth it and this was told very well. For me a great story has to be equal parts character development, description and action, this was a good story in that it had mostly equal parts of everything. The way Mr. Cronin told his story was very well done and I enjoyed it from start to finish.

I found that some of the pieces of the story were familiar to me in the sense that they evoked other works. This was one small negative for me. As much as I enjoyed the story and ultimately the whole book I found myself wishing more of it was a surprise, I don't mean that the plot wasn't new or surprising in a lot of ways, I mean simply that parts of it were exactly like other stories, so much so that I found myself losing what I was reading and instead thinking about what I was reminded of. Other than these few occurances however I have very little to complain about.

Each of the characters, and there were quite a few, were very explicitly described. Even if the characters didn't last very long through out the story they were so full, so rich, so real that even if I only knew them for a little while I found myself fully invested in what happened to them. I really liked that part of the book, that Mr. Cronin took the time to really flesh out his characters no matter how big or small.

All around "The Passage" by Justin Cronin was a really good book. I have the advance of the second in the trilogy "The Twelve" and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next. Justin Cronin has created a world that I really enjoyed spending time in, and it's a world I am anxious to get back to. I look forward to seeing what the next part of this journey is going to be like and I just know that if you go out and pick up "The Passage" you'll get just as wonderfully wrapped up as I did.

"The Casual Vacancy"-J.K. Rowling

Book Title: The Casual Vacancy
Author: J.K. Rowling
Version: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780316228534
Published: September 27th, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Number of Pages: 503
Genre: Fiction

SYNOPSIS: In small town Pagford, England the normal routine of its inhabitants has a wrench thrown into it when Barry Fairbrother dies on the night of his wedding anniversary. As a Pagford Parish council member his death becomes the talk of the town pretty quickly. Howard Mollison, the head of the Parish Council, hears the news with a secret thrill because Barry Fairbrother was his enemy. Now that Barry is dead Howard is hoping to fill his seat with not just an ally but with someone that will follow his lead in all things, his son.

Dr. Parminder Jawanda hears the news in the local deli and finds that her world quickly begins to crumble around her. Barry Fairbrother was her best friend in the whole town and without him she has no one on her side. Krystal Weedon, a teenager from the wrong side of town who had never had any one believe in her, hears the news and feels that it's all over for her. With her mother addicted to drugs and her bad reputation and record at school Barry Fairbrother was the last person she had, had who truly believed in her.

In such a small town the news travels quickly and things begin to go off kilter a bit. The underlying war between Pagford, Yarvil (the neighboring larger town) and the Fields, the small area where the poor, out of work, and drug addicts live, turns into an all out brawl. Howard Mollison wants to move the property lines of the Fields from Pagford Parish into the Yarvil district and close the addiction clinic. And so he begins to rally his troops around him and starts making the moves necessary to put his son on the council. Meanwhile violently trying to save the clinic Parminder and those that are like minded start trying to put one of their own in the seat.

While their parents are grieving and trying to figure out what move to make next the teenagers of the town begin fighting their own battles on many fronts. Including ones with their parents trying to find a certain sense of independence from their various tortures. Hurtling to a dark and frightful head the town finds itself quickly tumbling further and further away from what they know and all that they believed to be safe. Secrets become uncovered and the tightly wound lives of the Pagfordians begin to unwind in the worst ways. All because one man died leaving an open seat on the council, leaving a casual vacancy. 

REVIEW: I'm sure most people that review this book will talk about J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter but I'm not going to except to say this, I really loved the series and her writing and was interested to see what she had to say in a different genre. I was not all that impressed to tell the truth. I knew going in that she had written this for adults, that it was supposed to be dark and that it was 'very English.' I was prepared for all that and went into it open minded. It shut down pretty quickly.

I was confused as to why the first chunk of the book was dedicated to people discovering that Barry Fairbrother had died. I read that book cover to cover and I still don't understand why it was so important how people found out that he died. I kind of get the importance of him dying and all the repercussions of that but it made no sense to me that how people found out was so important.

Her writing was well done as it always seems to be. Intriguing and well thought out, descriptive and poetical in many ways. But the story wasn't anything special and it wasn't all that people made it out to be. Sure there were dark parts to it, and yes there were swear words put in there and she even talked about sex but none of this makes it a good adult book. Now I know that she said in an interview that this book was going to be a very British book and that she wasn't sure if her American audience would like it. I don't want to be rude but that is no excuse. Look at "David Copperfield," by Charles Dickens, "Sense & Sensibility" by Jane Austen, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," by Lewis Carroll all British novels by British authors that translate beautifully. These are books that were meant for their particular time and place (although yes an argument could be made that Carroll's 'Alice' is appropriate whatever the setting), but people are still reading them today and falling in love with them. Being a "British" novel doesn't excuse a poor telling of a story.

Some of the stories within the main framework were indeed dark and sad but the way I heard it I was taken aback but how average the darkness was. I don't mean to take away from the story in any way shape or form but don't expect darkness at every corner it's just not there. And though the characters are all high school age and older, except for one three-year-old, the fact that she adds swearing, sex, and drugs doesn't mean she is automatically now an adult author. Don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE fan of J.K. Rowling and think that she is immensely talented and I eagerly await her next book because I think that she has a great adult fiction in her, but to me right now she is still J.K. Rowling the genius behind the Harry Potter Series.

I'm not going to say don't go get it because that's like saying don't think about a bright pink elephant walking through Times Square because the first thing you'll do is think about a bright pink elephant walking through Times Square. Or you'll think about not thinking about it and let's face it that's the same thing. Sorry tangent, anyway "The Casual Vacancy" is just too much of a mystery to people, everyone is going to buy it. To read it in some form or another because we all have to see what this great woman who has launched something so untouchable like Harry Potter has to say next. But maybe wait until you can borrow a copy from a friend or check it out from the library because I don't know if it will be worth it to you to own. Alright so I mentioned Harry Potter once or twice but I couldn't help it, that is what she is known for and I did say she was a genius and that it was untouchable so really I can't be fined.

I guess what I am saying is this, I didn't love the book and I didn't hate it. It was just ok and I mean that, it was simply and completely ok. But don't take my word on it, after all what do I know? This is one that people are going to read no matter what I say, it's just one of those books, like the Seven Wonders of the World, you have to see it to believe it.

"The Malice of Fortune"-Michael Ennis

Book Title: The Malice of Fortune
Author: Michael Ennis
Version: ARC
Publication Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Doubleday
ISBN: 9780385536318
Number of Pages: 416
Genre: Historical Fiction

REVIEW: Alright I was going to try and do this all proper like with a synopsis and everything. But I just can't, mainly because I read 2/3rds of it and I still don't have a clear idea of what it's about. I went into it thinking that it was going to be a murder mystery that Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli team up to solve. It was also supposed to be the story behind Machiavelli's 'The Prince.' I was kind of excited about the whole thing. But I ended up being severely disappointed. It turned into this complicated, confusing account of something that I can't quite figure out. It's a bad thing when I have read most of the book and had time to think about it and still have no idea what happened.

There were parts that kept me interested and wanting to read more. Those ended up being few and far between unfortunately and the rest was white noise. I honestly found myself blanking out a lot and not remembering what it was that I had read. I really didn't like the way things were put together and the way the story stopped and started so much.

The writing was mediocre and rather confusing with Italian words thrown in with no explanations. The worst part of it was that there was no poetry to it, it was dry and read rather like a textbook, boring. I don't want to be rude but this is how I felt while reading it. I found that I stopped caring what happened and now that I put the book down I don't think that I will ever have to pick it up again. I wanted to read it all the way through in order not only to find out 'who done it' but also to give a fair review. But I just couldn't do it. I read enough to know that I just don't care and I can't recommend it.

It's a shame because it is such a good basis for a story, it had such potential. I am highly disappointed in the whole thing though and feel as if my time was wasted. I know that you are probably wondering if I disliked it so much why did I read so much of it. To answer that I have to say that I was hoping it was going to get better. I had faith and found eventually that I hit a wall and had to stop. And though I gave it only one star on goodreads it wasn't really that I didn't like it, it was more that I just didn't care.

Anyway there that is, a bad review. I was recently asked if I ever gave a bad review and usually the answer is no because if I don't like something I stop reading it. And I don't think that it is fair to give a review off of a few chapters of a book. With this one however I felt that since I did read so much of it I could give my honest opinion and still say I read it. I hope you guys don't mind a bad review but I feel that it is my job here to not only give you suggestions as to what books to read but also to be as honest as possible as to what books to stay away from. Unfortunately this is one of the latter.

Author Interview #2-Jing Suh

A second author interview post for your viewing pleasure! This is paired with the review of "The Falling Rainbow" that I posted yesterday. I hope dear readers that you read both these posts and enjoy. I have fun putting up these interviews and I really hope you enjoy reading them. Without further ado please read on!

 

 

 

1)      What was the inspiration behind “The Falling Rainbow?”

Unfortunately, my initial inspiration for this novel was my friend's death. When she passed away, I had no idea how to deal with it so I just starting writing this short story about someone who was forced to deal with the sudden death of a loved one. Of course, the story takes its own turn, but it certainly helped me cope. By the way, her name is Amanda Palumbo. I never really dedicated the book to her because the book goes in such a different direction but it really does exist because of her. She always did inspire me and, even after she passed, she still seems to.

 

2)         Why did you decide to self-publish?

        I decided that I wanted this book to just find life. The experience of self-publishing is a lot different than I thought but I just wanted this book to be available right away. I also felt that with a published novel, it would make it maybe just a tiny bit easier to find bigger publishing for my next novel because now I've somewhat proven myself.

3)      What was your writing process?

After I finished the short story, I found myself writing about the history of one of the characters. I found him intriguing because he's a dark, sarcastic fallen angel. It was incredibly fun writing about him and allowing his character to take control of the story so I kept going with it. After I was done, I realized I had a novella, so I added another storyline which I managed to connect to everything. I had no idea where I was going with that last storyline, which is about a girl named Symphony who has a price on her head and the reader does not know why. With people trying to kill her, you just naturally root for her. I allowed that part of the story to write itself and it became the most rewarding part. It's also the part I'm most proud of and the one that gets the most compliments. I didn't realize why they were trying to kill her even as I was writing it but then it hit me and it really, in my opinion, makes the book worth it. So, I wrote without much direction in the beginning but, for some reason, it works well for this story.

4)         This was such a unique book, were you consciously trying to write for a small audience?

No, I was just writing to please one person and that was myself. So, actually, yeah! I did consciously write for a small audience of one. Ha! But, I knew that if I felt it lived up to my artistic standards than it truly would be a piece of art first and a novel second and I do consider myself an artist in writing so I was happy with it when it was completed and I felt that if it really was something unique then that in itself would make it special and possibly make it popular in its own way. I've met people who said they would never have read my book if a friend or co-worker or whoever it may be didn't push it on them and now they're glad they did because they really enjoyed it. That makes me feel incredibly happy.

5)        Do you have any authors who inspire you?

I'm not directly inspired by a specific author. My favorite book is a Chinese swordplay book by Gu Long written about 3 decades ago called “Sentimental Swordsman, Ruthless Sword.” I love his style of writing but most of the books that inspire me are ones with depth of character. “Picture of Dorian Gray,” comes to mind, maybe that's more along the lines of my book, actually.

6)        What’s next for you in the writing world?

I'm currently working on a Chinese swordplay novel of my own. Now, this one is more along the lines of a Gu Long novel. It's something like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” in terms of its adventure style but there are a lot of characters and it's been, thus far, a very detailed novel. I'm spending more time crafting this story than I have any other piece of artwork that I've created so I'm putting a lot into it and I'm hoping for a lot out of it but as long as it lives up to my new standards then I'll be happy with it. It's nothing like “The Falling Rainbow,” though that's probably another reason why I'm writing it. During a time where most writers stick to one sure thing, I believe that diversity is the most important trait for a writer to have. Wish others felt that way but maybe I'll be the one who changes their minds.

"The Falling Rainbow"-Jing Suh

Book Title: The Falling Rainbow
Author: Jing Suh
Version: Hardcover
ISBN:9781434359667
Published: September 1st, 2008
First Published: September 3rd, 2007
Genre: Fantasy
Voice: Third
Number of Pages: 272


SYNOPSIS: It all starts with a fall. Angels and demons fighting for the soul of a young woman. Ancient societies searching for a book thought to be long lost. A woman fighting to regain equilibrium after the love of her life died. A wise woman carrying around the secrets of the rain. This makes up the cast of characters of a fantasy tale that has yet to be told.

Samantha has just lost the man she loves more than life itself and is trying to find a way to keep her head above water. As she tries to make a decision about moving on and seeing her husband again she finds herself being counseled by a fallen angel and a woman who seems to know her in and out.

Meanwhile a mysterious woman named Symphony is being chased by different factions of an ancient order hoping to find her and kill her. For as long as she can remember Symphony has been running from these people and now she has a lead on a wise woman who can protect her. A woman who knows the secrets of the rain.

A fallen angel named Antares guards the gates to hell. He takes the souls of those that fall into his hands and turns them into sculptures. Through his evil and hatred there shines a lonliness and a desperation to go home. He is trying as hard as he can to get back into heaven fully forgiven by his Father. But with his long list of indiscretions he is finding the path much more difficult than he imagined it would be.

Together this cast of characters make up a darkly woven tale that begins one place and turns so many times that everyone ends up somewhere unexpected. A tale so intricate and unexpected it will leave you feeling unsettled and wanting more. After all it all ends with a fall.

REVIEW: This was written by a friend of mine. Knowing that I was a reviewer he asked me to read it. I was surprised by it many times over. I ended up really enjoying it which was a truly pleasant experience. I found myself unable to put the book down and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.

Jing Suh's writing was interesting, there was a lot of poetry to it that I enjoyed but it was often mixed with modern slang which at times shattered the illusion. And though it lacked editing, because it was a self published book, I found that the writing was still beautifully done. Heartbreaking at times even and three dimensional at others. The writing was different than what you see out there today and it was a nice change.

The story is something that was utterly unique and I am a sucker for unique stories. It isn't something for the masses, in fact this is a story that will have a very limited audience but I think that it makes it better. It is such an interesting story so rich and full of magic that if it had been tailored for a large audience it would have ruined it. I enjoyed the fact that it wasn't commercial.

The characters are unusual and rather strange but wonderful at the same time. I liked that they were mystical and angelic creatures because it added to the magic of the story as well as the beauty of the whole thing. They were beautiful and rich and full of life in many different ways. I found myself really liking all of them.

This was such a strange book that I'm not sure if I can recommend it. But if you want something totally weird and out there and full of literal angels and demons that I say check it out. It's about angels, heaven, hell, love lost, redemption, and the fight for freedom. It's strange and beautiful and written in a new voice that at times soared and others became hard to follow but new and surprising none the less. "The Falling Rainbow," if you choose to go find it, will surprise you and intrigue you. I can tell you this for sure, it will be like nothing you have ever read before.

"The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible"-A.J. Jacobs

Book Title: The Year of Living Biblically
Author: A.J. Jacobs
Version: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780743291477
Published: October 9th, 2007
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Memoir
Voice: First
Number of Pages: 388





SYNOPSIS: A.J. Jacobs is a father, husband, author of one slightly successful memoir and straight forward agnostic. For him growing up Jewish in New York meant that his family would put a Star of David on top of their Christmas tree. When it came time for Mr. Jacobs to start writing his next memoir he was unsure of what he was going to do. Searching his brain for an idea A.J. remember his ex-uncle Gil. A man that was sort of the black sheep of his family, well really more of a cautionary tale. Gil was a man who according to A.J. "was a spiritual omnivore" (pg. 5.) Gil started out as a Jew, became Hindu, after this Gil appointed himself a guru, sat in silence on a bench in Manhattan for 8 months, started a hippie cult in upstate New York, became a born-again Christian and then settled as an ultra-Orthodox Jew living in Jerusalem. At one point in his religious career Gil decided he was going to follow the Bible as literally as possible. This sparked A.J. Jacobs's interest and decided that this was going to be his next book.

Mr. Jacobs decides to take a year, read the Bible and follow all the rules it contains to the letter. And so with his wife's less than enthusiastic approval he begins. He starts reading the Bible that he has on hand, and then goes on to buy other versions, as well as commentary on the many versions. He lines up experts and Rabbis, priests and pastors. A.J. takes things slowly, beginning with making sure he wears no mixed fibers and from there takes it one day at a time. Some of the rules he finds rather easy to observe, such as the commandment of 'honor thy father and thy mother,' others are more difficult, like the one that says a man cannot touch a woman for a week after their menstrual cycle. This rule becomes even more difficult when living with a secular wife. 

Through the ups and downs, the strange rules and the beautiful ones A.J. Jacobs stays true to his course. He lets his beard grow, changes his diet, does charitable work and tries to be fruitful and multiply. He even prays to God every day hoping to find some connection to this almighty being that has supposedly launched an unprecedented following. A.J. takes a year out of his life during which his wife gives birth to twin sons, he takes a trip to Jerusalem and even begins to understand the whole faith thing.


REVIEW: I found this book thoroughly enjoyable. Mr. Jacobs's story was one that I never thought I would get into at all. I am agnostic myself and so reading about someone reading the Bible didn't appeal to me all that much. However I had heard good things about this book and for some reason I was drawn to it. I guess my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go out and find myself a copy. I went to The Strand used bookstore here in New York and found myself a nice hardcover copy for $7.95 that just happened to be signed. I was now even more excited about reading it. 

A.J. Jacobs's writing was hilarious and well thought out. He had insight, humor, and poetry. I didn't want to put the book down when I was reading it, in fact my half hour subway ride went by in a flash while I was reading, and when I did have to put it down all I could think about was picking it back up. Reading about his journey was moving in itself but the way he wrote it put the whole thing over the top.

The story turned out to be a really good one, it had in it insight and amusing anecdotes that helped moved the whole thing along nicely. I was a little nervous to be honest about reading this mainly because of all the Bible talk but it turned out to be pretty interesting. When Mr. Jacobs learned something new, we learned something new. Sure a lot of the rules in the book are strange and at times even mean to certain groups but if you dig a little deeper than the surface they may have understandable reasons.

By the end of the book I found myself almost wanting to pick up the Bible and read it. That was how powerful his journey was and how well it was conveyed. This is a rather interesting tale and I would suggest it to anyone who is looking for a humorous and well written memoir. It may not be for everyone but it is an excellent book and one that I loved. It is quite the read and a rather incredible journey to follow along with. And I have to admit that it is an interesting way to learn a few things about the Bible.

Humorous Like This:

"How I Paid for College"

    

"Eat Pray Love"-Elizabeth Gilbert

Book Title: Eat Pray Love
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Version: Paperback
ISBN: 9780143038412
Published: January 30th, 2007
First Published: 2006
Publisher: Penguin Books
Genre: Non Fiction Memoir
Voice: First
Number of Pages: 334

NOTE: By now I am sure that everyone has heard about the Julia Roberts blockbuster "Eat Pray Love" and/or know about the book that it was based on. With that in mind (and the fact that I am not at 100% capacity) I am skipping the synopsis portion. Plus it's fun to mix it up every now and again. For a quick synopsis for the few that do not know the story head here.


REVIEW: When I read this book I was at a hectic time in my life, I was working three jobs and living in my own apartment for the first time. I was feeling less then on top of things and in need of some sort of guidance. It sounds maybe a little strange but I was looking for something. Anyway I was told by a friend, that was never a big reader, that "Eat Pray Love" was a very good book. I decided to go and pick it up and see what all the fuss was about.

I started reading it and I found what I was looking for. In some ways while reading about the journey that Elizabeth Gilbert took I felt that I was taking the journey as well. I thoroughly enjoyed every part, from her Italian adventure eating rich and delicious food and learning the language to her spiritual journey in India to finding love in Bali. I loved it all and took it all in like a dehydrated woman finally getting water.

Reading about Italy made me want to hop on the next international flight and start my own food tour through the country. Each dish she described made my mouth water. I have always wanted to travel and reading about Ms. Gilbert's journey through Italy was mouth watering and inspiring. I wanted to follow in her footsteps and do nothing but learn the language, see the sights, and eat the food. It seemed so idyllic and refreshing. 

Making a complete 180 turn Ms. Gilbert then heads to India where she checks into an ashram in order to find a center of spirituality. She is looking for some sort of answer (kind of like I was) and hopes to find it through meditation and reflection. Ms. Gilbert had been to India on a previous assignment and had met a medicine man while there for her praying she went to visit him again. She spends a lot of time with him learning about prayer and meditation, talking to him about God and spirituality. At one point the medicine man draws a picture for Elizabeth and to explain he says "To find the balance you want, this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it's like you have 4 legs instead of 2. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way you will know God." 

I found this quote to be very moving. I do not believe in God but I do believe in faith and that looking at the world through our hearts is a really great idea. It was this section, the section of "pray" was especially moving to me. For some reason reading about her struggle to find a spiritual center was something I understood and for some reason it helped to ground me. I can't explain why but it did help in small ways. 

The third section was great as well. Reading about what she did and how she found love was a heart lifting experience. It made me feel as if it were a possibility for me as well. Finding friendship and eventually love in the most unlikely of places is always a good read. The whole book really spoke to me in weird ways to be sure but it did. And the most important thing about it was that it lifted my spirits. I felt a renewed sense of happiness and hope in my life after reading this book.

This is a book that I feel everyone should read. It is a universal story and one I think that everyone can appreciate. If you haven't already I say go out and find a copy of this book and give it a try. I think that it really is a wonderful story and to top it off it is well written and very entertaining. I loved it and would love to share it with everyone. It's just a beautiful book and an incredible journey, one that should be shared and enjoyed by all.

Intriguing Non-Fiction:

"The Kennedy Detail"

"Another One Bites the Dust"-Jennifer Rardin

Book Title: Another One Bites the Dust (Jaz Parks #2)
Author: Jennifer Rardin
Version: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 9780316043557
Published: August 3rd, 2009
First Published: December 6, 2007
Publisher: Orbit
Voice: First Person
Genre: Paranormal Fiction
Number of Pages: 363


SYNOPSIS: In this second installment in the Jaz Parks series Jaz, Vayl and their brand new team go undercover at the Corpus Christi Winter Festival. On this assignment the team has to find Chien-Lung, a vampire that is slightly off his rocker, and steal back the vital piece of biotechnology that he has stolen. This very special piece of armor, made by Jaz's old college roommate Bergman, renders Chien-Lung invulnerable while wearing it and he never takes it off. Matters are further complicated when Jaz discovers that not only does Chien-Lung believe that he can transform himself into a dragon but worst of all she has to go undercover as a belly dancer.

As the team begins to get settled in their new roles as a travelling gypsy family they find that things are always as simple as go in, retrieve the weapon, do a little dance and then leave. Chien-Lung never takes the armor off, he is guarded day and night by warrior vampires and to top everything off the already pissed Jaz finds out that the festival is being attacked by reavers, ancient fiends who murder innocents by sucking their souls and seem to be invulnerable. However Jaz can see a break in their armor and is able to kill them, which releases some of her pent up frustration. She really doesn't like belly dancing.

As the assignment continues on Vayl and Jaz try to figure out just how to go about killing Chien-Lung in order to get the armor back. With emotions running high, resolve beginning to crumble and the kill looking impossible everyone starts feeling as if they are jumping out of their skin. Jaz and Vayl really have to work hard to not only get the job done but keep all of their people in one piece and safe. The question becomes can they really do everything, or will this mission be their undoing?

REVIEW: I love this series. And this book was just as fantastic as the first. It was full of intrigue and mystery, tension and wonderfully crazy insights from Jaz's many helpful personalities. It was yet another win for Jennifer Rardin!

The story in this one was just as rich and wonderful as the first and at the same time it was fuller. It's something that you have to read to really understand but it had more of a spice to it that I couldn't tear myself away from. I intentionally left the synopsis vague and short because these books have so many twists and turns in it that I didn't want to reveal anything that would spoil the surprise. I'll just leave it at this, the story is great and it's one you can't put down.

Again the writing was superb by Jennifer Rardin. The way she writes is both humorous, without being over the top, and serious without being a big drag. She is brilliant at the way she writes Jaz and her many personalities, each really becomes a separate character and each are undeniably lovable. In fact all of the characters she writes are lovable and so well done it's almost eerie. But I really love it! Jennifer Rardin was a truly talented writer that is the the whole package.

I really, really love this book and after reading it I went right into reading the third one. This is such a good series that I really feel is something that no one else is doing right now. It's not just vampires being all broody it is so much more and that is amazing. I highly, highly suggest this series and this being the second book in the series I recommend it! Go out and find yourself a copy of the first book in the series so that you can zip through it and get to this one because they just keep getting better and better.


MORE FANTASTICAL FICTION:

"Once Bitten, Twice Shy"               "A Discovery of Witches"

"Picture Perfect"-Jodi Picoult

Book Title: Picture Perfect
Author: Jodi Picoult
Version: Paperback
ISBN: 9780425185506
Published: July 22, 2002
First Published: March 21st, 1995
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Voice: Third and First Person
Genre: Fiction

SYNOPSIS: Cassie Barrett seems to have literally hit the jackpot of life. She is world renowned in her field of anthropology, and is married to one of Hollywood's best loved actors Alex Rivers. One night Cassie wakes up on a grave in a cemetery somewhere with no memory as to who she is or what she is doing there. A Lakota police officer named Will Flying Horse and shelters her until Alex shows up to take her home. Despite having no actual memory of life with Alex everything seems perfect when she gets home. As her memories begin to come back to her she realizes that things aren't always like they seem.

Cassie remembers their whirlwind romance on a movie set in Tanzania. How she watched him from afar and slowly fell in love with his wit, charm, good looks and kindness. She remembers how surprised she was when he started showing interest in her, an anthropologist who spent most of her time covered in dirt down a hole rather than on the red carpet. Cassie remembers how Alex literally swept her off her feet and convinced her to marry him. She remembers being sublimely happy and in love and believing that she really had found her prince.

Cassie also begins to remember how Alex would get angry and jealous and would beat her. And when Cassie sees a positive pregnancy test in her bathroom trash she suddenly remembers why it is she finally got up the nerve to walk out on Alex. When she realizes what that means Cassie knows that in order to protect herself and her baby she has to walk away for good. It's figuring out how she is going to do that, that gives Cassie her greatest pause.

REVIEW: You may be asking yourself why it is that I am reviewing an "older" book. Well I love Jodi Picoult and really that is all there is to it. I read this book a long time ago but I felt that it was time to review it because I enjoy going back to review books I read awhile ago. Plus to be honest I have already reviewed all the newest books I've read so here this is.

As always Jodi Picoult brings her beautifully unique voice to a normally untold story. Spousal abuse is something that is unfortunately a very common occurrence in the world but nobody talks about it. And Ms. Picoult looks at this topic wide her eyes wide open and without flinching. At least in the way she writes the tale there is no flinching I'm sure that it was a difficult thing to research. Anyway this is a story that should be told and here it is told in a literal spotlight. The story is tragic and encouraging in turns and making it a celebrity was a stroke of genius on Ms. Picoult's part. As a society we look up to and revere celebrities, especially actors, which makes the story that much more of a draw. 

Ms. Picoult's writing was, as it always is, superb. The way she described the joy that Cassie felt as she was falling in love made me smile. And her ability to write the scenes where Cassie was beaten with just as much poetry made me cringe and want to weep. Her writing is something that is unique and in my opinion untouchable. But in such a down to earth way. It is no wonder that I love her writing more than just about any other author I've come across.

I have said it a few times before now and I am going to say it again. I recommend any and all of Jodi Picoult's novels. This is one of her more memorable for me for some reason. I love all of her novels just about equally but there are a few that really stick with me and this is one of them. It is probably because some of them are deeper and darker than others. I loved this book and I highly recommend it to someone just starting out with Jodi Picoult because it is an excellent preview of all her talent.


More Female Voices:

"Between the Lines"                   "Then Came You"
                                        
                                           

 

"The Handmaid's Tale"-Margaret Atwood

Book Title: The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
Version: Paperback
Published: March 16th, 1998
Publisher: Anchor
First Published: 1985
ISBN: 9780385490818
Genre: Dystopian Fiction
Voice: First Person

SYNOPSIS: "Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

It is the future and the government has been completely overthrown by what can only be called the Christian fundamentalists, those that feel that the Bible should be followed word for word. Especially the parts about women being the inferior sex. There are different classes of women, the Wives, married to Commanders (high ranking officials in the new regime) and with the most in the way of "freedom", Marthas, basically maids and cooks, unwomen, those that have been deemed unworthy and sent to the outer colonies basically to die and the Handmaids, they are the incubators. The Handmaids are put into houses where the Wives can no longer conceive and once a month they go through a ceremony. They lay down in the lap of the Wives with their faces covered in a red veil and the Commanders have intercourse with them. Their hope is to conceive a healthy child so that their lives will be seen as valuable.

Offred is such a Handmaid and lives in such a situation. She is allowed out, to meet up with a second Handmaid, for daily shopping. The shops are all marked by pictures in their windows for women are no longer allowed to read. Although Offred has all the correct greetings and knows how to keep her head down and out of trouble she still remembers what life was like in the time before. She remembers wearing jeans and buying cigarettes on her way to work, she remembers making love with her husband and holding their daughter in her arms. It is in these memories that Offred rebels in her quiet way.  

One night as Offred really steps out of bounds and sneaks into the parlor one of the Guardians, a male chauffeur/guard, comes in and tells her that the Commander wants to see her in his study alone the next night. After this message is delivered everything begins to change for Offred. Her life goes from being quiet and boring to more full and slightly more dangerous. Which makes a nice change for Offred. But it's a change that leaves her having to decide whether or not everything is worth it. Offred has to decide which is more important, being alive or having a life.

REVIEW: This book is my greatest nightmare realized. And the fear and slight disgust I felt in reading this was part of why I loved it so much. It was so well done that the fear I felt was real, palpable and thick through out. I really, really liked "The Handmaid's Tale" as much as I feared and hated the ideas that were in it. But I kind of think that was part of the point. It was Ms. Atwood's warning to everyone of what could happen if one group with a single minded idea was allowed free reign.

The story was depressing and frighting to read about but at the same time it was beautiful in a very dark way. Reading about the way Offred saw the world she was living in was strangely beautiful in its bleakness. It is literally a nightmare version of what the world could turn into. There was nothing redeeming about the story except for Offred and her memories of the time before. But even those are few and far between.

Margaret Atwood is obviously a poet first. Her writing is all poetry. Sweeping lines of beauty and pain, fear and lost time. She mixed the past and present so simply that there was barely a break between the two. There were even times when I was unsure if I was reading about the present or the past but I kind of liked getting lost like that. And Ms. Atwood's descriptions of colors and places, the picture signs in shop windows, the white of a hanged man's hood, is so rich. It's vivid and tangible. There were times that I actually felt shivers race up my spine just from the way something was described. My feelings about her writing boil down to this, it was brilliantly done.

This is an incredible book, writing that leaps off the page and gets under your skin, a story that makes you stop and really think about things and a narrator that pulls at your heart strings. It's a tough story to read but that kind of makes the book fly by. For me I couldn't get enough of the tale and I read it in a few days. After reading it I felt a sense of accomplishment and slight relief that not only was I done but that it really was just fiction. Because it's the type of book that you get lost in and if you aren't careful you begin to fear that the fiction is the reality. It's that rich and thick in all the best ways. It's a classic for sure not only because it is a nightmare version of what the world could turn into but also because of the writing, Offred and her memories and maybe most importantly the way she sees things. She without a doubt becomes our ticket into this world and it is only through her that we are allowed in and out safely. It's a terrific read if you are brave enough to try it.

Just As Dark:

A Density of Souls          The Secret Holocaust Diaries