Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Jamie Ford
Edition Published 2009

Growing up we always tend to misunderstand our parents. Even their best intentions are often met with derision.  In Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the reader follows Henry Lee as he opens the Pandora box of his life when he searches through belongings left behind by Japanese families forced into internment camps during World War II.

Henry reminiscences of his adolescence growing up in a strict Chinese household and finding friendship with a young Japanese girl also trying to survive as the odd one out in a white world.  Henry's family forbids him to have any Japanese relations, which creates a "Romeo & Juliet" plot line.  Asians are often lumped together as the enemy following Pearl Harbor.   In addition a distrust of the Japanese after their invasion of China, Henry's family also fears any association with the Japanese may cast suspicion on them, ruining the life they have created for themselves in America.

I had heard too much positive feedback on this book, so of course it kind of fell flat.  All I could think as I read was, "Why didn't I think of this?"  It didn't help that the supporting characters weren't believable.  His budding romance serves as a vehicle for Henry to have many experiences that just didn't seem realistic.  And I just wasn't able to buy into the fantasy.

I suppose it is a good beach book, but so much more could have been done.  I like to think that I'm not just saying this because I did my Senior Thesis on Japanese Internment Camps, but maybe I am.  It is certainly an area of American History that was too quickly forgotten.

Booth's Sister

Booth's Sister
Jane Singer
Edition Published 2008

Asia Booth Clarke's brother killed Abraham Lincoln.  If you look at her picture, you can see the dark brooding eyes that her family was famous for.  In Booth's Sister, Singer writes about Asia and John's relationship, from illegitimate children romping through the woods to confidants living lives on separate sides of the Civil War divide.

Intrigued?  So was I.  Maybe I had too high of expectations, but I was disappointed.  I knew that it was historical fiction, but there was just something too unrealistic about the story.  Whereas Singer's characterization of Asia started out strong, it sort of petered out as the book went on (it was only 228 pages) and John's character is weak throughout the entire book.  I know that this is still a controversial aspect, but if you are going to tackle it, why not pile drive it into the ground?   I think I would have been better off just reading Asia Clarke's autobiographical account. 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
J.K. Rowling and Mary GrandPré
Edition published 2000

Mock me if you will, but I intend to reread the series now that I have a new found appreciation.  That being said, I don't have the attention span to sit down and read them back to back.  I am sure that I would despise Mr. Potter as much as the Malfoys.

 In Book 2, Potter returns to Hogwarts in an unconventional way after a miserable summer in the Muggle world. With the introduction of a new flamboyant professor and a dramatic ghost, Harry and his friends once more save the school while dealing with adolescence and all its trappings.

I love watching the characters grow up and how their relationships evolve. While Rowling has crafted a great adventure story, she has shown how important friendship is, even with all of its quirks.  But it did leave one mystery to be solved: What role did Mary GrandPré have in writing this book?

The Scandal of the Season

The Scandal of the Season
Sophie Gee
Published 2007

It's 1711 and newly celebrated poet, Alexander Pope is invited into society life in for the "season" in London. His unique perspective, especially the scandalous love affair between Lord Petre and Arabella Fermor, inspires his satirical poem, The Rape of Lock.

In her debut novel, Sophie Gee gives the back story of The Rape of Lock.  Although the book is historical fiction, Gee did her research.  As a PhD in English, her mastery of Lock's poem is a given, but she crafts a face to the Jacobite Revolution and Catholics living at this time.

For all those positives, I found the book lacking.  If you have read my previous posts you know a book's worth is measured by my ability to connect with the characters.  Maybe it was the haughty nature of the characters, but I could not bring myself to empathize with Arabella's heart break or Lord Petre's dilemma to choose life over love.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Max Brooks
Published October 2007

No, I don't get it either.   What the heck is up with zombies?  But, as I strive to stay en vogue, I have another zombie themed book under my belt.


In the not so distant future, the world will be plagued with the scourge of the living dead (Thanks, China.).  Countries  mobilize their forces to defeat this new enemy.  This is the story of those who lived through the war in various functions/places as written by a man hired by the government to compile accounts of the event.  Because if there is anything my government loves, it's paperwork.

This was a fast read and entertaining, but it was definitely written for a male audience.  I feel that if I had an extra boost of testosterone, I would have liked it much better.  Brooks definitely has the new zombie genre down: the book isn't gory; it's more of a satire of the living. And let me tell you, that's scary/funny enough.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Dyed HeLa cells

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Rebecca Skloot
Edition Published February 2010


In an unmarked grave, lies Henrietta Lacks, whose cells have made monumental contributions to science, but not without controversy.

In 1951, a young black woman named Henrietta Lacks died from cervical cancer leaving five children behind.  Yet, cancer cells taken from her body (named HeLa cells) live on and have almost single-handedly revolutionized cellular science and the pharmaceutical industry.

While Skloot's book does cover the science aspects of HeLa cells, it is mainly a quest to get to know Henrietta Lacks and her other contributions to the world, namely her children. A memoir of Skloot's quest to delve deeper into the story, the book is unlike anything I have ever read before.  I opened it expecting one thing, and found myself confronted with a reality I never conceived.  For me, the book explored the mother-daughter bond and the heart wrenching tale of a black woman trying to feel connected to a mom she couldn't remember and yearned so desperately for.

Cells, once removed from the body become the property of the scientist/doctor conducting the research.  As such the Lacks Family has not benefited financially from the HeLa revolution.  And although Skloot's book will not improve the day to day lives of Henrietta's children: she has set up a fund to provide for the educational needs of the Lacks' children.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone ready to conquer reality, in all its splendor and squalor.

 

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Oskar is convinced this is the last photograph of his father

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Jonathon Safran Foer
Edition Published November 2011

Oskar Schnell is a nine year old boy struggling to come to terms with his father's death on September 11. A thing no one should have to come to terms with.  Oskar is an unusually intelligent boy (with some other unusual quirks) who finds a mysterious key in his father's closet and becomes obsessed with finding the lock the key goes to and perhaps a bit of his father he lost.

The destruction of the World Trade Center is a personal and sensitive area for most Americans, including myself.  I was instantly drawn to Oskar's pain, but his personality quirks and the far fetched nature of his quest made it hard for me to completely lose myself in the book.  It certainly had its poignant points, especially the final images, but it lacks something that I could relate to.  But I am happy that Foer tackled the subject.  He opened the door and allowed us to see the pain through an innocent child. I just wish that child had been more relate-able.

Upheaval in Charleston

MUSC following the earthquake

Upheaval in Charleston: Earthquake and Murder on the Eve of Jim Crowe
Susan Millar Williams and Stephen G. Hoffius
Published June 1, 2011


In case you missed the memo, I love history.


On August 31, 1886, an earthquake struck Charleston, SC shaking a city still reeling from the Civil War off of its foundations.  Williams and Hoffius explore Charleston and its biggest egos as it struggles to rebuild itself and find its identity in post war America.  Looming over reconstruction is newspaper editor Francis Dawson, a South Carolina transplant that has become the embodiment of the "American Dream."   He started with nothing to become a wealthy man with amazing sway in a city where outsiders aren't often welcome.  Dawson's "liberal" views and political meddling run him afoul of the good ole boy network.  When Dawson is murdered, corruption reigns supreme as his murderer is acquitted.  Racial tensions run high as freed slaves struggle to establish themselves in a "white world."  The relief effort exposes the inequities between the races as well as a conservative view of welfare that is still prevalent in modern day South Carolina (and America in general).

Earthquake bolts

Didn't know about the Charleston quake?  Don't feel bad, neither did I, and I make it my business to know.  Seismic knowledge was in its infancy in 1886, so there isn't much known about the earthquake.  With an estimated magnitude of 7.3, the earthquake killed 60 people and caused millions of dollars of damage.  "Earthquake bolts" can still be seen in period buildings around modern day Charleston. 

As history books go, Upheaval was an easy and very interesting read (though it did take me longer than normal to get through).  Williams and Hoffius mesh multiple plot lines together seamlessly. As a historian, I feel too much credit was given to the accuracy of personal accounts of the earthquake.  I find it hard to believe that an amateur geologist could accurately time the duration and direction of an earthquake that jolted him from his slumber.  Still, that is my opinion.  It does not detract from the facts of the book on a whole. 

Look at the Birdie

Look at the Birdie
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Copyright 2009

 I was in my late teens when a boy gave me Cat's Cradle.  I never told Drew how much the book affected me.  I became a Vonnegut junkie.  I saw so much of myself in him.  Vonnegut was a sullen smart ass that the world loved (still waiting for my adoration).  I have read all of his books, have several signed books, and God Bless You Mr. Rosewater is still one of my favorite books.  Despite my voracious appetite for all things Vonnegut, Look at the Birdie sat on my bookshelf for a long time.

Look at the Birdie is a compilation of fourteen of Kurt's unpublished short stories.   For the most part the stories reveal the chink in the armor of human nature.  They are tales of paranoia, pride, envy, and loss.   I think most of the stories must have been written while Vonnegut was in a dark place, they have a pessimistic quality.  I felt intrusive reading them.  Some of these stories were written a long time ago, there must have been a reason he didn't publish them.  Maybe they were just his idea of therapy, never meant to be read.  He spent tedious amounts of time editing his published works.  But the stories in Birdie are rough, lacking the tale tell Vonnegut humor (though others claim to see it).  None of the stories really stood on their own, but together they certainly provide a glimpse of raw Vonnegut. 

Because I relate to Vonnegut so well, I think his pessimism struck a chord with me.  Especially in its harshness.  I saw too much of my own negativity in his stories.  Now, I must work up the courage to read While Mortals Sleep. 

Lies I Told My Children (and Other Stories)

Lies I Told My Children (and Other Stories)
Karen McQuestion
Copyright July 2009

A book of cute short stories that I think most every parent can relate to.  McQuestion's stories kind of reminded me of The Bloggess, just  on a more PG scale.  From the safety of Metallica concerts for teenage boys, to just realizing you can't control everything, I had a smile on my face most of the time.

And you may lend it out on the Kindle, so I will gladly share.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Kindle Edition 2009

True fact:  I hate Victorian romance novels.  Jane Austen and The Bronte Sisters bore me to death.  (This coming from a girl who reads historical papers for the heck of it.)  I'd be a pretty crappy librarian if I said I never read any of their works (not for lack of trying on my part).  And so, how better to hook me than to add in a few zombies here and there?  I had no idea if this would work, but it did.

I now understand and appreciate Lizzy and Darcy's love story and it also helps that they just don't lounge around the countryside, but rather bond over slaying the undead.  Elizabeth kind of reminded me of Uma Thurman's character in Kill Bill.  In fact, the whole book had a sort of Tarantino-esque vibe to it.  Does that make for good literature?  No, but it was entertaining.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J.K. Rowling
Copyright 1999

Okay, so this one was a reread.  My five year old daughter has been asking about Harry and wants me to read it to her, but I had to reread it before I curled up next to her and took her down Diagon Alley.

No, this is not a book for five year olds.  At least not my five year old.  She is way too sensitive and easily spooked by "bad guys" for me to make this our bedtime read.  Nor was it the book for me when I read it all those years back.  Too be honest, I didn't like it and couldn't understand the hype (isn't that the way it usually is with things that are hyped up?).  But now, a decade or so later (wow), I can genuinely appreciate it for what it is.

So, what is it?  To me, it is a fun catalyst for the imagination and a book that turned a whole generation on to the joys of reading.  Doesn't every kid dream at some point that they are more than what others say they are? With the exception of maybe the prefects, everyone at Hogwarts was a misfit in some way.  Kids could find someone they could relate to.  (For me, it was Hermione.  And wow, I am annoying.)

Is it a masterpiece of prose?  Heck no!  But, I will keep reading the series, because it grows with and on you. 

The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Kindle Edition 2010 

I am enjoying the opportunity to catch up on these classic books I've never read.  And I must say I am pleasantly surprised by how good they are.  I was expecting to be bored, but find myself eagerly anticipating what the next page has to offer.

The Hounds of Baskerville is part of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes Series. It was genuinely a good story.  The ending wasn't a shock per say and I may not have been captivated by Holmes as a character, but that didn't matter.

Holmes and his genius play a minimal role (only to save the day in the end. Which I suspect may be his style) as we follow Watson to the estate in the English countryside.  Watson's duty is to protect the latest Baskerville as he attempts to reestablish the family's mansion following the death of his uncle.  The Baskerville family has been plagued by a curse for generations following the heinous behavior of one of its patriarchs.  Was the curse to blame for the uncle's death, or something more sinister?  Da...da..dum....

This is Where I Leave You

This is Where I Leave You  
Jonathon Tropper
Copyright 2010

First off just let me say, this book rocked.  I am not a mushy kind of girl, well I won't admit to being one at least, so you wouldn't think that a book about a man who has just lost his father and walks in on his cheating wife would be for me.  But, Tropper injected the story with such sarcasm and realism that it hooked me. 

This is Where I Leave You is a coming of age story for us 30 year olds.  The main character thinks he has settled into life, only to have everything turned on its head.  Yea, I know there are soooo many other books about the same thing, but they all lack the finesse of this book.  Trust me, they do....

Another note to fellow Kindle readers:  Three years ago when my husband bought me the Kindle for Christmas (Thank You)  it was with the promise that I would stop collecting books in every nook and cranny.  But, just how am I supposed to keep that promise when the paperbacks are cheaper???  Any solutions?

Blogging for Dummies

Blogging for Dummies
Susannah Gardner
Copyright 2012

 Curiosity got the best of me when I picked up this book for my Kindle.  Every computer science book that I have ever bought has either been way too in-depth for my needs, or just skims the surface.  Unfortunately, this book was no exception.

Blogging for Dummies is a great primer.  Gardner excels at introducing the technology and all its accoutrement in an easy to follow and entertaining style.  But, for those of us who know Blogger and WordPress, the book is lacking that added oomph.  I don't know what aha! moment I wanted, but this book just didn't give it to me.  Not for lack of trying.  Gardner encourages bloggers of all sizes and genres, but to me, her advice was somewhat trite: Get out there, write often, and have fun.  Well, that's a no brainer.  In fact, its my life motto.

A quick note to the Kindle users, the "Dummy" format doesn't  translate all that well. It was hard to differentiate text for sidebars and vice versa.

We, Too, Are Americans

We, Too, Are Americans
 Megan Taylor Shockley
Copyright 2003



Caveat:  I am friends with Megan, so this "review" holds little merit, other than to record that I read the book.  :) I am a dork...  I will read historical non-fiction for the pure thrill of it all.  So it helps to have friends in high places.

We, Too, Are Americans discusses the organization of African American women to improve their socioeconomic status during WWII, specifically in Richmond, VA and Detroit, MI.  It helps the reader to create a picture of race relations in the 1940's by contrasting two cities on opposing sides of the Mason-Dixon Line.

A well written and thorough treatise, the book explores an oft-forgotten segment of social history.  Many people, myself included, were unaware of the efforts of middle class African American Women to minimize the the inequalities between blacks and whites during the Jim Crowe Era.  But logically it was the ideal time to strike: America was in crisis and African Americans were working as hard on America's behalf.  For their effort, middle class black women lobbied for jobs and improved conditions through organizations such as sororities and other social groups.  Shockley's research shows how the stage was set for the Civil Rights Movement on the foundation created by the groups.

The Fifty Shades Trilogy

The Fifty Shades Trilogy
E L James
Copyright 2011

Okay, so, wow!  Erotica goes mainstream.   I blew through these books (no pun intended), so it just made more sense to write about them in a single entry.

The female protagonist is another Bella 

Swan.

Deemed "The Twilight for married women," this book lived up to the hype:  It was poorly written, with insipid characters, but you just couldn't put the book down.  I blushed and greedily wanted more.  Maybe I was just desensitized as I read, but the first book seemed more sexually graphic than the others.  It definitely put those "throbbing member" Harlequin books to shame.

The series revolves around the tempestuous love story of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele (gag me with a spoon).  Grey is a dashing, young, business mogul with a kinky side and a hellish past.  Steele is a beautiful, naive, recent college grad who is able to resist the charms of all the men she meets until she meets Grey.  And of course she is a virgin a waiting her deflowering.   Trite, you say?  I agree.  To spice it up, Grey includes sex scenes on every other page.

Why James went the way she did on the second novel, I don't know.  She tried too hard to inject romance and suspense into the tale.  But here's the kicker: I STILL COULDN'T STOP READING.

But by the time I got to the end of the third book, I was done. I think it was the last chapter that ruined the series for me.  She spends three books trying to get the reader to empathize with Grey, and undoes it in a single chapter by offering the reader Grey's interior monologue from his first meeting with Anastasia Steele.


From my husband's viewpoint, this was definitely worth the read (for me) as he reaped the rewards.

*** Up Next: We, Too, Are Americans by Megan Taylor Shockley***