Remarkable Creatures

My mom gave me this book to read. She bought it at a shop in Cabo San Lucas when she was down there in May. I had never heard of it, or the author, Tracy Chevalier. She told me it wasn't the best book in the world, but an enjoyable read. I agree with her.

Set in 19th Century London, this is a story of a unusual but lasting friendship. Elizabeth Philpot is a spinster whose brother marries and so she and her 2 unmarried sisters are forced to relocate because the sister in law doesn't want them living in her house. She is given 150 pounds a year as "salary", which doesn't sound like much, but she is still part of the upper class. They relocate to Lyme Regis, a small village on the sea.

Mary is a young girl who was struck by lightning when she was young and has always been a little different. Her father is a cabinet maker and so she comes from the lower, working class.

Mary and Elizabeth meet on the shores of Lyme Regis and become friends, tied together by their love of fossils. You have to remember that at this time there wasn't much known about Natural History. I'm not quite sure if Darwin was before or after this time, but I think he was after. The common scientific belief was that everything was created by God and everything you see today is how God created it.

Mary finds a fossil that is unlike any they have seen before. They call it a "crocodile", but it doesn't look like one. There were terms used in the book that I never looked up, I just kind of used my inferencing skills to determine it was probably some kind of dinosaur. Anyway, this find makes Mary somewhat famous and people come from all over the country to find fossils with her. A series of events happen that cause Mary and Elizabeth to have a falling out. But after some years, Elizabeth helps Mary in a way that buries the hatchet.

I enjoyed the setting immensely. The author did a great job creating imagery throughout the book. The idea of being a part of cutting edge science as a woman at that time was interesting to me. Of course the modern woman looks back at that time with disdain, but I have to wonder if I would have gladly accepted the limits placed on me, or if I would have fought them. Not sure?! Although it took me a little while to get into the book, it kept my interest, which is a feat these days!

The Road

I was reading the blog of a friend from high school and she recommended this book. She was an English major, so I thought, she must know what she's talking about.

The literary skill of this author was amazing, there's no doubt about that. But the subject matter was very difficult. I didn't know it was made into a movie until I started telling people I was reading it. I don't know why anyone would want to watch this movie.

The book is so depressing, and me being the casual reader that I am, wanted the author to give me way more information than he did. The setting is in North America somewhere presumably after Armageddon (but you never really find out what happened). It reminded me a lot of I Am Legend, without the zombies. Instead of zombies, there were cannibals, starving just like everyone else, but willing to feed their hunger with humans.

The main characters are "the man" and his son "the boy". The book follows the man and boy across the country toward the coast and warmer weather because they can't sustain life in the place they started. They come across horrific things and nearly starve to death numerous times. It's really a study of human nature and what it means to survive. If you were one of the last survivors, would you keep fighting or give up? Especially when you didn't know what you were fighting for?

It was an interesting concept, but I guess I'm just a weakling. I think I would have given up. Maybe that's because I have a hope for something after this life, a belief in something more than this mortal existence. Or maybe it's because I'm just weak and don't have what it takes. Either way, if you're looking for a book that would cause food for thought, this would be a good one, especially if you like dark drama. If you need something happy in your life, don't touch this one!

My Love/Hate Relationship with a Good Book

I LOVE reading a good book because when I am, I seldom watch TV.

I HATE reading a good book because when I am, I can't put it down and I don't get anything else done.

I LOVE reading a good book because I enjoy the stimulation it gives me.

I HATE reading a good book because when I get a bad book, it sucks in comparison.

I LOVE reading a good book because it gives me something to write/talk/blog about.

I HATE reading a good book because when I'm done reading it, I don't want it to end.

I LOVE reading a good book because it is entertaining.

I HATE reading a good book because I just did (last post) and I haven't read anything since!

YOU?

Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay

I know, I'm a little slow. I just got around to reading these books and people have been talking about The Hunger Games for a couple years now. Well, I'm glad I waited because I read all three in less than a week and I really enjoyed reading them back to back.

Because I read them so close together, I honestly would probably get the plots confused and forget where one book ended and the other began, but here's a brief synopsis of the trilogy:

Katniss Everdeen is the main character, a 16 year old girl who lives in what is known as District 12. There are 12 districts in this fantasy country, supposedly where the United States is right now. The 12 districts basically feed the Capitol. Each district is responsible for a certain industry. District 12 mines coal. In order to keep the districts in line, every year the Capitol hosts "The Hunger Games": a gladiator-like competition where 2 kids from each district (24 total) are thrown in an arena and have to kill each other. The last survivor wins. Clearly the districts don't like participating in this, but have no ability to fight the Capitol, so they send their children each year to this awful spectacle.

I can't really tell you much more, otherwise I'll ruin it. But you can guess that Katniss is a participant in the Hunger Games in the first book, and if she's going to be in the next 2 books, you can bet she wins! Basically she ends up helping the rebels fight against the Capitol to stop their totalitarian control of the country. I LOVED the twist at the end of Mockingjay. I wasn't prepared for it at all and thought it brought a great conclusion to the series.

I wasn't dying over these books like some people are as of late. Apparently, I have read too much young adult fiction. These were just like "Among the Hidden", "The Giver" and even "Ender's Game". Clearly, teenagers really relate to these societies in which the citizens feel no control over the way everything is set up. Teenagers often get really upset at clearly morally wrong things. As an adult reading these books, I can't help but ask more questions like "are there no other countries in this world?". I think that's why they are written as young adult fiction, because adults would demand more explanation and you can keep it simple with young adults.

That being said, they are very well written, full of suspense, and entertaining to read. I highly recommend them. I am so mad to find out they are being made into a movie. Seriously?! Why can't a book just stay a book instead of becoming material for Hollywood? I'm sure they'll make it PG-13 because it needs to be available for the young adult audience, but they are so violent that it really should be R (if it were to be shown exactly how it is written). I think it's so sad that any popular book has to become a movie so the whole country can enjoy it. Why can't people just read the book to enjoy it? I still haven't seen any of the Twilight movies just to boycott the whole thing!

Escape to Zion

I've been on a dry spell as far as reading is concerned (as you can tell from my lack of posts). I needed something to read, and my mom gave me this. I had it for a while before I actually picked it up. I was hesitant because it was clearly an LDS book (don't know why that made me not want to read it--I loved The Work and The Glory). Anyway, so I picked it up and read it in a couple days.

It's a really quick read. I don't know much about the author, but I know in the preface she said she tried to make the book as accurate as she could with a historical fiction. That may be true, but I found her talent pretty lacking. There were some major cheesy parts in the book and the end was the worst ending I think I have ever read. I was really disappointed.

That being said, the plot was actually pretty good. The main character, Maria, was an indentured servant from Germany. Her parents died on the ship ride over to America, so she was sold to pay for the passage. She was supposed to gain her freedom at age 18, but her master at that time was a southern plantation owner and claims she's a slave. He rapes her and she runs away. The entire book he chases her across the continent because he believes she has his child (I'll let you read it to find out if she really did). Anyway, she meets up with some LDS people in Mississippi and ends up joining the church. She travels to Salt Lake City and goes through some pretty trying stuff on the way and after she gets there. I did want to keep reading to find out what happened to her, but honestly, the literary talent was pretty lacking.

If you're looking for a really quick, easy read and are interested in LDS church history, this might be a book for you. The book isn't about church history, it's just part of the setting, so don't let that deter you!

The Help

WARNING: Do not pick this book up unless you have nothing to do for a couple days! It's that good!

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, is a book set in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. The author herself grew up in Jackson, so she had some personal background with the material. This is her debut novel and I can't wait to see what she writes next. She was a fabulous writer. It was so refreshing to read something so well written!

There are 3 main characters in the book and there are sections written in each of their voices. The first is Aibleen, who is a 54 year old black maid. She recently lost her only son and it has affected her greatly. She works for a woman named Elizabeth who has a young girl. Aibleen is basically mother to Mae Mobley because Elizabeth could care less that her daughter is there. She's the consummate southern woman: plays bridge, is a member of The League, etc.

Elizabeth's friend, Skeeter, is another of the main characters. She is a graduate from Ole Miss with an English degree. She wants to be a journalist. She comes back to Jackson and is pretty much the only one who hasn't gotten married yet. She's quirky and awkward, but very loveable. Her maid, Constantine, raised her and mysteriously left when she was at college. Skeeter spends the entire novel trying to locate Constantine and find out the story about why she left.

The final character is Minny. She is hilarious! Definitely the comic relief in the story. Minny is another black maid, with 5 kids of her own. She was working for the mother of one of Skeeter and Elizabeth's friend--Hilly. But Hilly is the town's busy body and b*tch. Seriously, there's no other word to describe her. Hilly fires Minny after a big ta da that you don't find out about til the very end.

The plot of the book is woven around the idea of Skeeter writing a novel about the stories of these maids. She gets Aibleen and Minny to tell her their stories so people can see what life is like for a black woman in the south in 1962. Obviously, this is in the heat of the civil rights movement. It is poignant, sad and makes you think about your own prejudices and the plight of suppressed people everywhere.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I'm on a Roll!

I haven't blogged on this blog in a long time, so scroll down to see what I have read lately.

On a friend's blog a couple weeks ago, she asked for recommendations for a picture book. Here is one of my all time favorites.

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub is written by Don and Audrey Wood. I think my mentor teacher, Shenla Jones, introduced me to it. The illustrations are fantastic (which is why it won an award!) and it's a predictable book, which is always good for the young ones.

Kate and Clark come over and I watch them while Jel does her lessons. We play, eat, sing songs and of course read books. King Bidgood is one of their favorites. One day, we decided to be King Bidgood ourselves.

I put pillows in the bathtub and they played in it for a while. Then they went and got books and had quiet reading time in there. I'd say this is one cool reading corner!

The Bonesetter's Daughter

I loved The Joy Luck Club when I read it in high school (don't ask me what's it's about now because I can't remember!). So, when I saw this one at a used book sale, I thought I'd give it a chance. I started reading it probably over a year ago, but never got past the first chapter. It went back on my shelf until just a week or so ago.

After we moved into this new house, we couldn't get reception for the TV on our digital antennae. It was a real bummer because we had gone so long without dish or cable, and I was glad. Well, we had to do something, otherwise we would have had no TV. So we got cable. And I hate it! I waste so much time watching total trash like "Keeping up with the Kardashians". Seriously, I have way better things to do with my time. One night there was nothing on, so I turned off the TV and went into the office. There I saw this book on the shelf and thought I'd give it another try. I'm glad I did.

The first part of the book is set in current day San Francisco. Ruth is the daughter of a woman who came over from China as an adult. Ruth resented the fact that her mother didn't speak very good English and really didn't get along with her mother at all. She discovers that her mom has Alzheimer's and it really shakes her world. She remembers a pile of papers that Ruth's mother had given her, all written in Chinese characters. She gives the papers to a professor to have it translated.

The second part of the book is the words from those papers. It's Ruth's mother's story told in her own words about what her life was before she came to America. This was the best part of the book. I am fascinated with Asian culture and I really know so little about Asian history. It's quite sad. After reading The Last Empress I wanted to know more, but I hate to admit I still haven't learned much!

Ruth comes to understand and love her mother so much more after reading her life story. I thought to myself, how would reading my mom's journals help me understand her better? Would I love her more? (Would she let me read them while she's still alive?) I know my mom has written many journals, so I hope someday I do get to see a part of her life that I wouldn't have otherwise.

The book ends with Ruth putting her mom in an assisted living place, but it really is a happy ending. I highly recommend this book.

The Wedding

The Wedding by Julie Garwood, was another romance novel. (Not the Danielle Steel kind, more like a romance comedy). I borrowed this book from my mom actually. After reading The Chocolate Lovers' Club, I had stopped reading for a while and really wanted something quick and easy to read.

This was a perfect book for that. It's not the world's greatest literature, but it was interesting and captivating. Set in Scotland in the 11th Century, the setting provided a lot of interest in the book. I've always loved books set in the Middle Ages, and this was no exception. I have no idea how accurate the portrayal of the times was (probably not very), but I didn't really care.

It's a love story between 2 unlikely people, but they end up being a perfect match for each other. The romance was a little mushy, but not explicit (again, an improvement from the Chocolate Lovers' Club). It's your typical romantic comedy, where they fight and hate each other at the beginning. Lots of misunderstandings cause problems, but in the end, everything works out.

If you're looking for a cheap, easy romance to read, I would recommend this one!

The Chocolate Lovers' Club

I read this book forever ago, but just never got around to posting about it. Maybe that's because it wasn't my all time favorite book. It was ok, a very easy read, but not really my cup of tea. I've never seen Sex in the City, but as I read this book, I felt like it was a British version of Sex in the City. (Take that for what it's worth). There are 5 Brits who become friends through their mutual love of chocolate. I love chocolate myself, but not enough to go to an expensive chocolate shop and eat it all the time with my friends.

I guess that's why this book was hard for me; I couldn't relate to a single character. Not one. I don't think it was because they were Brits (actually, there was one American, but she lived there, so whatever!). Anyway, the book is basically about each of their problems and how they help each other deal with them. There's romance, infidelity, comedy, drama, etc. all throughout the book. Even though there was a lot going on, it wasn't like I was dying to find out what happened next.

If Sex in the City is your thing and you like lots of romance and drama, read this book. If not--don't waste your time!

eat pray love

I finished this book ages ago, but never got around to writing about it. I guess I'm better at keeping up my other blog than this one.

Written by Elizabeth Gilbert, this is a story about a year of her life when she travels to find inner peace, essentially. She has just finished a nasty divorce and wants to find herself. The first part of her year is spent in Italy (the "eat" part). She gains a lot of weight as she eats the delicious food and learns a lot from the Italian people while she studies the Italian language. I loved this section of the book. I think her voice is so honest and endearing.

The second leg of her trip is spent in India in her guru's ashram. I of course had heard of gurus, but I had never heard of an ashram and didn't know that Yoga was a religion and not just stretching exercises. In the ashram she has spiritual experiences as she learns to come to terms with her true self through meditation. I found this section of the book very interesting (because I don't know much about the religion), but also I thought there were golden nuggets of truth that were universal to all religions, including mine. I really enjoyed reading and learning from her experiences.

The last section is when she spends time in Bali. She went to Bali 2 years prior and had met a medicine man. He predicted she would come back to live in Bali for a time, so she did. Again, I didn't know much about the Balinese culture (if anything at all), so it was interesting to see the country through a westerner's eyes. Here she meets a man from Brazil named Felipe (and since the section is the "love" section, I'll let you figure out what happens in Bali!). Anyway, I think it served as the perfect ending to her journey because she had found herself and peace before she met a man and fell in love with him. It's my opinion that love works out so much better when you can love yourself first and then give love to the other.

I highly recommend the book, and yes! This is a non-fiction book I actually finished and enjoyed! Maybe because it was more of a memoir/biography than anything else, but I found it very easy to read, engaging and enlightening. I hear they're making a movie out of it (what book isn't these days) and Julia Roberts will play Liz. Should be interesting, but I'm not sure a movie will be able to convey the transformation she goes through as well as the book does. We'll see!

Proust Was A Neuroscientist

This is one of the books that I didn't finish. (Sorry Ellen!) I really meant to, but this was during the time we were packing up our house, finding renters, etc. etc. It was a very interesting book, but I just couldn't finish it.

The author, Jonah Lehrer, writes about various artists who basically understood scientific theories before the science really did. Part of the reason I had a hard time with this book was there were few of the artists I had any experience with. The first one he writes about is Walt Whitman, who I of course had heard of. But I hate poetry, so I didn't really have a lot of experience with Whitman. Another author, George Elliot, I have never read, and after reading this book, I don't really have a desire to either. Same goes for Proust. I guess I'm just not the artsy type! Or you could say, I guess I'm just not the more educated type. Anyway, it really was an interesting book that pointed out interesting ideas.

My favorite chapter was about a famous chef (don't remember his name), but it was all about food and how the chef understood the science behind taste without having to do scientific experiments to get it. He did experiments with food in his kitchen, but learned basic tried and true culinary practices that are still practiced today. I couldn't pronounce half the words, but it sure was interesting and made me think about what I eat and why.

So, if you're looking for a non-fiction to read, this is a good one. I'm just not a non-fiction kind of girl!

The Senator's Wife

I have seriously neglected this blog for the past 3 months. I have read books during that time, but apparently didn't finish any. Until Friday. I finished reading The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller. Definitely not a book I would have chosen myself, but interesting enough that I wanted to finish it, which was a feat these days.

The book is set in New England and switches between the 2 main characters: Delia (the Senator's wife) and Meri (a young married woman who moves in next door). Basically, Delia has lived separated from her husband for the past 20 years after multiple affairs. They stay married and continue to see each other from time to time. It's an interesting relationship to say the least. Meri has just married Nathan who is a college professor in history. He gets a good job and they move to this college town. Meri gets pregnant and deals with all that entails. I don't want to go into too much detail, but reading the book makes you think about what marriage is all about.

Today in church we had a lesson about strengthening marriages. There were a lot of words of wisdom shared, and I contemplated my own. I think I could fill up pages and pages of marital advice, not because I'm an expert, but because I feel like I've had a lot of experiences in the almost 9 years we've been together. Also, Rusty's little brother is getting married this Saturday, and watching newlyweds, you can't help but think of yourself at that stage. They always seem so young and naive--and they are--but so were we. It's just hard to believe we've come this far. So marriage seems to be the topic these days, and without boring you with my awesome words of wisdom, I'll just say this: I love Rusty now more than ever and I've very happy to be married to him. Thank goodness I'm not Meri or Delia, because I wouldn't have wanted either of their lives!