Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Spectacular! In my top five for the year. I related so much to Gilbert’s spiritual and emotional journey. A few years after getting divorced, Gilbert travels for a year in Italy (pursuing pleasure), India (pursuing God), and Indonesia (pursuing balance). She tells the story of this year with wit and poignancy. I aspire to love myself and God as much as she does. Also, I really want to go to Italy and India now.

Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut
Very good, but then again I haven’t met a Vonnegut book I didn’t like. Wonderful social, artistic and political satire/commentary. I liked the parallels between the characters of Circe and Marilee, and I also loved all the stories of the people in the end painting.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
You may not have heard of this novel, but it’s very good. I think Rowling’s on to something with this wizard stuff.

Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde
I was so excited for this 5th book in the Thursday series to come out, and it was definitely worth the wait. It’s not my favorite in the series, but I did enjoy it, especially once the action picked up. Unlike the others, this one SPOILERWARNINGendsonacliffhangerSPOILERDONE. I went to Fforde’s site and found out he is writing Volume 2 of the Thursday series. The first four books are Volume 1, and FAS is the first installment of the next volume, which will also be four books. In FAS, fourteen years have passed since Thursday’s last adventure. SpecOps no longer exists, but Thursday is working with Bowden, Stig, and Spike on underground SpecOps work. Thursday’s also still working in the Book World, and we find out a lot more about how that universe works. And there’s a Cheese Mafia. Of course.

Smile When You’re Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer by Chuck Thompson (To be published in December)
It’s rare that I have true mixed feelings for a book. I either like, dislike, or am “eh” on most books. I had a rare love/hate relationship with this one, however. It’s divided into three sections which comprise travel essays on various topics. I hated the first section. Thompson comes off as crass, arrogant, and unoriginal. He expects his first few essays to enlighten the travel reader, but honestly, we all know there are prostitutes in Thailand. And drugs in Tokyo. However, he completely redeems himself in the other two sections. His essays are insightful and interesting, particularly the ones on the travel writing industry, the Philippines, not-so-ugly Americans, and oil. If you do want to read this, I say skip the first section but definitely read the rest.

posted by junipar

I apologize for the lack of updates...I have been reading, but life has gotten in the way so I haven't been reading nearly as much.

The past few books are as follows:

Take the Cannoli by Sarah Vowell
I believe this was her first published collection of essays. It's quite good if a bit uneven. My favorite essays dealt directly with her life or with American history. I learned a lot about the Trail of Tears that our fabulous public school system failed to teach me.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
I was wary of reading this, not only because of the length (it could certainly have been a couple hundred pages shorter), but also because of all the mixed reviews. However, I really enjoyed it. It's classically suspenseful and beautifully written, frightening but not horrifying. Kostova gives us well-rounded characters and fascinating Eastern European historical background. Apparently the film rights were bought before the book even came out, so I'm wondering how that will be. I'm not sure if it will translate well to screen.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Another book I missed in childhood. It was lovely! It's clever but not complicated. It's a fun, fast read.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
RUN RUN RUN and get this book NOW.
I got a signed copy at BEA (the author was very charming) and just finished it last night. This is absolutely one of the most powerful, profound books I have ever read. It is narrated by Death, who tells us the story of Liesel, a young girl sent to live with a foster family outside of Munich during World War II. I'm a bit speechless: that is how good this book is. I'll sum up with Zusak's autograph in my copy: "Jennifer - to life, to death and to colors. Markus Zusak." READ THIS BOOK.

Of course, after reading something so elegant and touching, I decided to go for a bit of a palate cleanser so I picked up my ARC of The Art Thief by Noah Charney. This is a galley that was hyped in Publisher's Weekly, and I was excited to grab a copy at BEA. It's about Europe, art, and thievery, so I figured it would be thrilling. It is not. (Disclaimer: I've only read 20 pages, and I will read 30 more for the sake of the 50 page rule. The copy I have is not the final copy. Although I doubt it's going to magically improve by publication.) It is crap. It's pretentious (the author bio alone screams "I'm a tool! Look at me! Are you looking?!") yet poorly written. The descriptions are highly overwrought, and it's offensive not only to those who may not like modern art, but also to women. ("It's not my time of the month!") The characters are all cliches...the whole book is a cliche, as if it's trying to ride the coattails of The DaVinci Code, which, sadly, is why I can see this being popular. I want to send the author a copy of The Book Thief with a note saying, "THIS is how it's done." It comes out in September. My verdict: don't bother.

posted by junipar

My recent reads are behind the ( cut )

My hero died yesterday. As you lit lovers have probably heard, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. left this world at the age of 84 due to "irreversible brain injuries." It's the first time anyone I worship has slipped away and it's left a bit of a shadow over my day. I want to give him a fitting tribute on this book blog, but what can I possibly say that would give the credit due to such an incredible force? I can only say I hope he left life remembering his famous epitaph:

“EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL, AND NOTHING HURT.” – Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five

Rest in peace, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. I will treasure every one of your words, always.

posted by jenza

I completely forgot about The Morning News Tournament of Books until jenza reminded me, and then I completely forgot to post about it. It's already complete, but you can still check out the bracket and previous book showdowns.

Tournament of Books 2007


posted by junipar

Friends, I find myself stuck in a terrible book rut, at the worst possible time - in the lovely warmth of spring - so I ask you to please take pity on me. There is no feeling on earth quite like the one you get with a soft breeze playing at the window, the smell of clean sheets, and a pillow propped under-head "just so" while you immerse yourself in the pages of a captivating story. And while the weather has certainly been agreeable as of late, my problem lies in finding just the right book.

The spring weather brings to my mind certain kinds of literature. I associate the warmer seasons with lighter reads - classic romance a la Jane Austen, clever sci-fi-ish novels from Jasper Fforde or Connie Willis, or a great coming-of-age story like "I Capture the Castle". This month, I've tried to wrap my head around several books including "Red Azalea" for our next book club, a re-read of "Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets" to prepare for the series-end in July, and most recently, Andrea Smith's debut, "Friday Night at Honeybee's," but none of these seem to be working for me.

And so, I turn to you friends (and strangers!) to recommend something that will satisfy my spring reading urges. I want something that is so good I'm still thinking of the characters the next day when I go to work. I want something so good that I start setting aside pockets of time, just to read the next few pages. Help me find something!

posted by jenza

Pride and Prejudice Tops British Reads

I'm currently re-reading Emma, and while it's slow-going, I still love it. The fact that I can remember so much of the characters and plot after ten years speaks highly of Austen. How her characters resonate so well in the 21st century says volumes about the universal human experience. *I* obsess and worry over the *exact same things* Emma does. Craziness! Love it.

In other reading news, I finished The Book of Lost Things which blew my mind. It is so, so good. A boy's journey of grief is intertwined with dark re-tellings of fairy tales in this witty, clever novel by John Connolly. I cried at the end, and I rarely cry while reading. Best book of 2007 so far.

I also re-read Stardust by Neil Gaiman, because I wanted a bit more fantasy after Connolly. The film version is also coming out this year. It's a wonderful book, but I just couldn't get as into it this time as I did when I first read it. I think some books are meant to be read only once, or only at certain points in our lives in order for us to fully enjoy them. Still, I recommend it and am looking forward to the movie.

Finally, I finished Save Your Own by Elisabeth Brink, our March book club selection. It pretty much sucked sweaty goat balls. The story is unoriginal. Of course there is nothing new under the sun, but there is always a unique way of looking at things, and Brink's story of a naive PhD student discovering herself in the real world has been told. Many times. Often on Lifetime. And, and! The main character changes--CHANGES!--a man. All of a sudden this skirt-chaser wants to settle down because the main character (whose name I have already forgotten) is "so different from other girls." I roll my eyes as I type. I'm also pretty sure from the description that this around-the-way dude has a mullet.

And that brings us back to Emma and one of my literary boyfriends, Mr. Knightley. Mmm, Mr. Knightley.

posted by junipar

Four books down...eleventy billion gajillion to go. So far in 2007, I've read:

Big Fish by Daniel Wallace.
Eh. It was not nearly as good as the film, which in most cases is rare. It read like a first draft; it kept me entertained but ultimately I didn't care about any of the characters. There was no through-line or anything that captured me in a way that made me want to keep reading.

The Night of January 16th by Ayn Rand. This play didn't suck nearly as hard as I expected it to. It was melodramatic but held my interest, and Rand's crap philosophy didn't show through too much, so I was able to get through it without rolling my eyes.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. This book of short stories won the Pulitzer, and it is completely deserving of it. I love reading about Indian culture, and Lahiri is an amazing wordsmith. Which lead me immediately to read her novel....

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. So, SO good. The main story is about a boy named Gogol, growing up in America with Indian parents. These characters are some of the best written I've read lately. The way Lahiri portrays America versus India, men versus women, old versus new, freedom versus fatalism is just brilliant. I'm looking forward to the film version, coming out in March (I believe).

I'm currently reading The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly, which I can hardly put down.


posted by junipar

Need a short, witty summary of a classic? Go here. I admit Christmas Carol made me laugh out loud.

posted by junipar

junipar recently posted her 2006 reading summary and her goals for 2007. I considered responding in a comment to her entry, but decided I have too much to say in reply. And so, a new entry.

Like junipar, I did really well this past year. I resolved to read 35 books and I ended up at 42 - much higher than any other year that had no required-for-school reading. I also managed my other 2 goals: finishing off Jane Austen's novels and finally getting through that darned Slaughterhouse Five.

I managed to read a nice range of books this year - some Chick Lit, Children's, Classics, Non-Fiction, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and Travel mixed in there with the usual Fiction - and I had many favorites. I Capture the Castle, Here's Your Hat, What's Your Hurry, To Say Nothing of the Dog, The Doomsday Books, and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe rounded out my top 5 brand new reads, and The Giant's House, a re-read for book club, was just as satisfying the second time around.

I debated about my numbers for the new year because I wanted to push myself to be a better reader, but I didn't want to set my goal too high else I would be upset with myself for not reaching it. I finally decided on 45 books, which will most likely be do-able, as 7 of them will likely be Harry Potter books (I hope to re-read the first 6 in anticipation for the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - woot woot).

As for other goals, I really, really want to read some Graham Greene, work my way through The Chronicles of Narnia, and knock off a couple more from the New York Times list of Top 100 Novels.

Of course, I will keep you posted on my progress here. I'm almost done with book #1 for the year - a re-read of Pride & Prejudice. Oh, how I love Mr. Darcy!

How did everyone do on their 2006 reading goals? I read 52 books, which was quite a surprise seeing as how the most I've read in one year (since I started my book journal in 2003) was (were?) 38 books. Go me!

For 2007, I want to focus on quality, not quantity. This means obeying the 50 page book rule, as well as not reading something because I feel I have to.

For 2007, I'd like to read 4 Jane Austen novels (Emma, P&P, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion). I've read Emma and P&P before, but I'd like to re-read them. I'd also like to read some more Charlotte Bronte. However, if I find myself slogging through or not enjoying it, I will obey the readolution above.

For 2007, I want to give away more books. I don't want to keep what I know I won't re-read, including books that I've kept just because they have pretty covers.

As for 2006:

Favorite new authors: Connie Willis and Myla Goldberg

Book that I'm still thinking about: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. I read it almost a year ago, and clearly it had quite a profound effect. I still think about the plot(s), characters, and story structure from time to time.

Favorite books (in no particular order, and I may be missing some): To Say Nothing of the Dog, Doomsday Book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, Wickett's Remedy, Assassination Vacation, Prep, The Big Over Easy, The Giant's House, From the Mixed-Up Files....

Craptacular books: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, The Inheritance by Tom Savage, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory.

Book I can't believe I'd never read before: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. How did I not read this as a child? Children living in the Met? Best story ever!

Favorite re-reads: The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. I am crossing my fingers that a new one comes out this year.

So...reply in the comments, people! Did you reach your 2006 goals, what were your favorites/least favorites, and what are your goals, if any, for 2007?

posted by junipar

The title has been released! Find it here. No pub date though.


posted by junipar

I'm finally getting around to reviewing the books I've been reading over the past few months.

( Click here for boobies! )

PW's Best can be found here. I got this link via wordnerdy, whose blog I adore. The amount of books she reads far surpasses anyone I know, and she reviews them all. Plus, kittens and cupcakes appear frequently. What's not to love?


posted by junipar

Well, several months and 12 books later, I've come out of hibernation. I forgot for a while about this little journal and intend to do some catching up. So first, a list of the books that have been keeping me occupied over the last several months:

The Wright 3, Blue Balliett (a great follow-up to Chasing Vermeer)
A Study in Scarlet, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (my first and probably not my last Sherlock Holmes)
Lucky Girls, Nell Freudenberger
Secret Society Girl, Diana Preterfruend
Doomsday Book, Connie Willis (so much love - I'd do a full entry on this, but it would mostly be a repeat of junipar's post from earlier this year)
Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut (finally made it all the wya through this one - I love Kurt Vonnegut but I really didn't like this book. I'm glad that this wasn't my introduction to him, else I might not have read any of his others.)
Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of Avonlea, Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson (so long, so annoying - stop trying to create suspense in a non-fiction book!)
A Series of Unfortunate Events - The End, Lemony Snicket (the perfect ending to a fun series - it left me satisfied despite the few loose ends and was just melancholy enough to fit the theme and not leave you wanting to kill yourself)
The Giant's House, Elizabeth McCracken (a second read of a beloved book for Book Club)

And finally, the little book that brought me back here, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a book geared for tweens and teens by John Boyne. I hesitate to go into too much detail about the plot because I think knowing as much as I did about it before reading it took away a bit of its initial impact. It's actually intended to be a surprise for the reader as evidenced by the sparse, teasing jacket description. Without giving too much away, the story centers on 9-year-old Bruno and his gradual acclimation to his family's dismal new home miles away from the place he grew up. In the book, Boyne paints adversity in a way which initially turned me off. I thought, isn't this essentially another Life is Beautiful? But Boyne does offer up a new twist in his portrayal. Life is Beautiful is fundamentally a father's journey and, while the main character spins the events around him to shield his son from the horrors around him, it still offers as realistic a view as any story seen from a comprehending adult's persepective. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, however, shows us tragedy through the naive eyes of a child who never full understands the actuality of his surroundings. It took me some time, but eventually I found the sadness in the pages knawing away at me, all the way up to the inevitable and beautiful ending. It's definitely a book that sticks with you after you've finished it. I hope some of you will read it just so that I can have the opportunity to discuss it in detail!

posted by jenza

This is definitely something we need in the States:

Literary Speed Dating

Sign me up!

(Link found via a long blog link chain.)

Real book update soon, really!


posted by junipar

I have several books I need to post about here, but for now, enjoy these six word stories from famous authors:

Very Short Stories

posted by junipar

Hooray! One of my favorite bloggers ever, Sarah Brown, got a book deal! We should start a Charlotte version of Cringe, b/c my junior high years are a goldmine. I definitely can't wait to read the bad teen poetry of others.

In other news, our first book club meeting is in a couple of weeks, and we'll be discussing The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Anyone else read it? So far I have a lot of thoughts on it, but I'll wait to post them until after the meeting. Let's just say that after reading about gas chambers and home crematoriums, I'd better be rewarded with a waffle cone.

posted by junipar

I read Prep, by Curtis Sittenfeld, in about three days, it was that good.  I could not put it down.  When I wasn't reading it, I was consumed with thoughts of when I could pick it up again.  Despite the not-so-nice things I've heard about the author's personality, her writing is amazing.

Lee Fiora is 14 when she enters an elite boarding school, and the book takes us through her four years there.  I know, I know, it sounds like it would be 400+ pages of teen angst and nouveau riche drama, but it's not.  It's the most realistic portrayal of a middle class teenage girl's life I have ever read.  And by "realistic," I mean:  I wonder how Sittenfeld was able to get in my head and spy on me for so many years of my life.  She perfectly captures those small moments that mean nothing, but you think mean everything, and those days or weeks of panic over a boy who barely knows you, or panic over any situation that really doesn't warrant so much worry.  She isn't afraid to introduce characters who are only around for a chapter or two, never to appear again.  This would usually would grate on my nerves, but how often in our adolescent lives did we have relationships with people who disappeared after only two weeks of camaraderie?

This book is so good that it's one I'm pitching for our newly founded book club starting next month.  Seriously, people, read it.

I also sped through The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett, the sequel to Chasing Vermeer.  I liked it a lot better than CV; the plot was tighter and more interesting, and having conflict between the central characters was a nice addition.  Definitely quality kids' lit.

posted by junipar

Book # 38 (!) for 2006:

Assassination Vacation, by Sarah Vowell, is a look into the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley.  Sounds boring, but it was fascinating.  I am not one for American history, but this book made me want to learn more about it.  Funny and often macabre, Vowell brings to light many obscure facts about these presidents and their final days.

And if that's not enough to get you to read it, here are some highlights:

Insane wives!  Robert Todd Lincoln, aka Jinxy McDeath!  Totem poles!  Cannibals!  Gay statues!  Preemptive war strikes (in 1898)!  And...a nineteenth century sex cult!  

Let's just say I learned a lot about my country this week.


posted by junipar