Such Wicked Intent (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein #2) by Kenneth Oppel

When does obsession become madness? Tragedy has forced sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein to swear off alchemy forever. He burns the Dark Library. He vows he will never dabble in the dark sciences again, just as he vows he will no longer covet Elizabeth, his brother's betrothed. If only these things were not so tempting. 

When he and Elizabeth discover a portal into the spirit world, they cannot resist. Together with Victor's twin, Konrad, and their friend Henry, the four venture into a place of infinite possibilities where power and passion reign. But as they search for the knowledge to raise the dead, they unknowingly unlock a darkness from which they may never return.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If I struggled to get through the first book in this series, This Dark Endeavor, it is nothing compared to the way I struggled to finish Such Wicked Intent. Again, I found myself struggling to connect with the characters, especially Victor, the main character. I just found the characters and their development to be so inconsistent. One moment I was able to connect with them and understood their motivations and what made them tick, and the next moment they were doing or saying something that made me either confused or instantly dislike them. This constant flipping back and forth made it difficult for me to fully understand them. 

While I realize this book is a work of fiction, the plot line of this story was so far fetched and bizarre that I had a hard time buying it. For me, fiction works best when it has some (even the smallest bit) basis in reality. I think the first book in the series had that, but this one did not and because of it, I had a hard time buying into the story.

Don't get me wrong, the story wasn't all bad. There was plenty of adventure and mystery, and some parts of the narrative were really good. But as a whole, this book just didn't come together for me in the end. 

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Kim Edwards's stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964 in Lexington, Kentucky, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome.

Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century--in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by the fateful decision made that winter night long ago. 

A family drama, The Memory Keeper's Daughter explores every mother's silent fear: What would happen if you lost your child and she grew up without you? It is also an astonishing tale of love and how the mysterious ties that hold a family together help us survive the heartache that occurs when long-buried secrets are finally uncovered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a hard one for me to review. I really liked the premise of the book. I thought the idea of how one split decision could alter the course of one's life and have a ripple affect was intriguing. However, I had a hard time connecting with a lot of the characters, especially David and Norah. I had an easier time connecting with characters like Caroline and Paul, but even they got on my nerves.

Instead of being wrapped up in the story, I found myself checking the bottom corner of my Kindle for the "percent left" number. At times, the narrative felt like a chore to get through. It dragged and took turns that made no sense. I kept waiting for the climax, the big reveal, the lesson learned, but when it came, it felt incredibly anti-climatic and flat to me. In my opinion, this one was just okay.

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

A sensual and protected young woman, Antoinette Cosway grows up in the lush natural world of the Caribbean. She is sold into marriage to the cold-hearted and prideful Rochester, who succumbs to his need for money and his lust. Yet he will make her pay for her ancestors' sins of slave-holding, excessive drinking, and nihilistic despair by enslaving her as a prisoner in his bleak English home.

In this best-selling novel Rhys portrays a society so driven by hatred, so skewed in its sexual relations, that it can literally drive a woman out of her mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was intrigued by the idea of this novel because Jane Eyre is one of my favorite novels of all time. Despite my many readings of Jane Eyre, I have never really given much thought to Rochester's crazy wife. She was always an obstacle and I'm sorry to say that I probably didn't have as much sympathy for her. I think mostly because her story was told through Rochester's bias. So the idea of getting her story from her point of view drew to this novel.

However, I thought this novel was lack luster. I found the narrative to be convoluted, disjointed, and confusing. Despite being a fairly short novel, it took me some time to get through it. I frequently had to re-read sections in order to understand them. I found most of the characters to be flat and underdeveloped, making it hard to connect with the characters, especially with Antoinette. In the end, I was left with the same indifferent attitude towards Antoinette that I had prior to reading the novel. I was disappointed.

2015 Reading Challenge: A book written by an author with your same initials

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

Every story has two sides. Every relationship has two perspectives. And sometimes, it turns out, the key to a great marriage is not its truths but its secrets. At the core of this rich, expansive, layered novel, Lauren Groff presents the story of one such marriage over the course of twenty-four years.

At age twenty-two, Lotto and Mathilde are tall, glamorous, madly in love, and destined for greatness. A decade later, their marriage is still the envy of their friends, but with an electric thrill we understand that things are even more complicated and remarkable than they have seemed. With stunning revelations and multiple threads, and in prose that is vibrantly alive and original, Groff delivers a deeply satisfying novel about love, art, creativity, and power that is unlike anything that has come before it. Profound, surprising, propulsive, and emotionally riveting, it stirs both the mind and the heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The word I would use to describe this book is TOO (I know, it’s not an adjective...stay with me…).

This book:

• Was TOO verbose, almost to the point of distraction.
• Tried TOO hard to be something it’s not. The narrative attempted to imitate a classic novel, with its flowery descriptions and unique cadence, but it fell short.
• Tried TOO hard to be shocking. 
• Had TOO many metaphors and similes. Almost every sentence had a metaphor or simile attached to it. It was serious overkill.
• Had characters who were TOO much. The characters were ridiculous, selfish, egotistical, and not very endearing.

I thought the second part of of the book, Furies, which focused on Mathilde’s side of the story, was much better than the first part, which focused on Lotto. I thought that Mathilde’s character was much more developed and more dynamic than Lotto’s character, but I still didn’t find her to be a very likable character. Lotto was charming, but his character development felt shallow and superficial. Not one of my favorites.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

On the Road chronicles Jack Kerouac's years traveling the North American continent with his friend Neal Cassady, "a sideburned hero of the snowy West." As "Sal Paradise" and "Dean Moriarty," the two roam the country in a quest for self-knowledge and experience. Kerouac's love of America, his compassion for humanity, and his sense of language as jazz combine to make On the Road an inspirational work of lasting importance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This book is a study in the ridiculous. The characters were ridiculous and the plot line was labyrinthine and pointless. This book is similar to a train wreck - you should look away, but you can’t. The narrative made me laugh, but not necessarily because the situations were humorous. I think I laughed because I didn’t really know what else to do. At first, I hoped that maybe it would get better, but even a quarter of the way in, I knew it wouldn’t. In the end, I was left completing indifferent to the whole thing. I’m not sure why this book is considered a classic.

2016 Reading Challenge: A book about a road trip

Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

kira-kira (kee ra kee ra): glittering; shining 

Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason and so are people's eyes. 

When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop on the street to stare, and it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow, but when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering -- kira-kira -- in the future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had high expectations for this book because it won a Newbery Medal, but I was really disappointed by this book. I thought it had tremendous potential, but the overall narrative fell short for me. It started out well and the relationship between the sisters was endearing and sweet. It became obvious very early that Lynn was sick and was going to die. I thought this would become the focus of the novel, but the illness almost became secondary, existing only in the background, even though it was the catalyst for the many changes the family went through. The characters and plot felt underdeveloped at times and in the end, I was left wanting.

Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined by Stephenie Meyer

Even though the original story has some plot issues, even though the character development is lacking, and despite it being a little “soft” when it comes to vampire lore, I love Twilight. There, I've said it and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I can't believe it's been ten years since the story was first published. Like other fans, I had hoped that the tenth anniversary would mean that we would finally get what we have long been waiting for, a completed Midnight Sun (Twilight retold through Edward’s eyes, which Meyers began but stopped working on when it was leaked to the Internet). What we got instead was a gender bending reimagining.

I didn't like it. I felt that several of the characters lost some of their appeal and essence by having their genders switched. For example, Emmet, who for me is the lovable, protective big brother, just didn't translate as well as a female and everything I loved about the character was stripped away. Beau was even more bland than Bella’s character, and lacked a strong male voice. I think Charlie, one of two characters whose gender was not altered, is probably the only character that was recognizable.

Readers should also be prepared for some serious plot changes. Life and Death is definitely a reimagining and not a retelling. I'm glad Meyers made the changes she did because it ensures that there will be no continuations of this story line, which I wouldn't read even if there were.

This reimagining certainly didn't diminish my love for the original, but I'm hoping that when Twilight turns 20 that Meyers will give her fans what we really want...Midnight Sun.

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

At the heart of this 1930 novel is the Bundren family's bizarre journey to Jefferson to bury Addie, their wife and mother. Faulkner lets each family member, including Addie, and others along the way tell their private responses to Addie's life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know as a self-professed “book nerd” I am supposed to love this book. I mean, it’s written by William Faulkner, one of the greatest American writers. Of course I should love it, right? Right? Unfortunately, I cannot say that I do. I didn’t hate the novel, but I didn’t love it either. I found the basic plot horrifying. This family spends the entire book trying to bury the recently deceased Addie, which takes days upon days to accomplish. The corpse is almost lost in a river, almost burned in a barn fire, and is delayed so much that the sink is undeniable by anyone who passes near it. While I get that Addie’s family was trying to fulfill her dying wish, at some point enough is enough.

I did like how Faulkner continually changed perspective throughout the novel. Each of his characters is unique and had their own parallel story, each I assume represents a way of living or dying. The language takes some getting used to, as he employes a heavy Southern dialect. This book is very “Southern,” not just because of it’s setting, but also because of its religious connotations and ideas of “proper” behavior. This naturally leads to rampant hypocrisy, all done covertly, of course. Nevertheless, the story is at times confusing. Some events lack context, at times the thoughts of characters are jumbled or refer to things that happened but not explained, and I was often left with the feeling that I missed something. I don’t mind having to think about a narrative while I read it. I guess I just prefer to think about it because it is thought provoking, not because I’m trying to put a puzzle together that is clearly missing a few pieces.

While I feel that Faulkner’s writing has merit, it’s just not my cup of tea. Like I said, in the end I am indifferent to this book. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t like it either. I think this novel falls quite nicely into the “to each their own” category. Some people will love it, others will not. You will need to decide for yourself which side you fall on.

Egghead: Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone by Bo Burnham

Like a lost, twisted work of Shel Silverstein, EGGHEAD is an aggressively charming, hilarious and absurd book from one of today's most popular young comedians.

Bo Burnham was a precocious teenager living in his parents' attic in Massachusetts when he started posting funny songs to YouTube. More than 100 million people viewed those videos, turning Bo into an online sensation with a huge and dedicated following. Writer/producer Judd Apatow championed the young comedian, and Bo taped his first Comedy Central special at age 18, the youngest in the channel's history. 

Now Bo is a rising star in the comedy world, revered for his utterly original and highly intelligent voice. In EGGHEAD, his first book, Bo brings his brand of brainy comedy to the page in the form of off-kilter writings, thoughts, poems, and more. Teaming up with his longtime friend--artist and illustrator Chance Bone (real name)--Bo takes on everything from painful breakups to bald barbers. This weird and witty collection will have readers and fans laughing out loud and/or giggling quietly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My brother gave me this book for Christmas, because he read and liked it. If you knew my brother, you would know what a big deal that is. He was the type while in school who pretty much avoided reading the assigned books like the plague. I wouldn't say he hates to read, but he really only does it when he has to. Knowing this about him and the fact that he wanted to share it with me, certainly made me curious about this book. 

I had never heard of Bo Burnham and did a little research on him before diving into this book. He's a young comedian with a unique act. He combines comedy, satire, music, singing, and performance art to create something that I have never seen before. I found some of his material funny, and while I found his material to often be interesting, witty and quirky, I don't know if he's exactly my cup of tea.

I felt the same way about his poetry. It is creative, witty, and quirky. I found some of it to be humorous, but certainly not anywhere near side splitting. I thought the illustrations were interesting, but I don't know if they really added anything to the poems. Sometimes they didn't seem to go together at all. But maybe that was the point? I liked a few of the poems, but for the most part I wasn't crazy about them. 

Beware that this book does contain a lot of crude language and profanity. This wasn't necessarily a strike against it in my book. I don't believe that writers/artists should censor themselves for fear of offending others. It's just something that stood out to me and feel it's something that other potential readers may wish to know.

The work did have a Shel Silverstein-like feel to it (which it has often been compared to), insomuch as there was a poem accompanied by an illustration. There's a lightness to the poems and they were often about seemingly random things, which is also reminiscent of Shel's style. However, I think that Bo's poetry falls short of matching Shel's genius. While it wasn't my favorite, I can appreciate that Bo Burnham is a talented individual. Overall, this was just okay for me.

2015 Reading Challenge: A funny book  

Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord

The state of Maine plans to shut down her island's schoolhouse, which would force Tess's family to move to the mainland--and Tess to leave the only home she has ever known. Fortunately, the islanders have a plan too: increase the numbers of students by having several families take in foster children. So now Tess and her family are taking a chance on Aaron, a thirteen-year-old trumpet player who has been bounced from home to home. And Tess needs a plan of her own--and all the luck she can muster. Will Tess's wish come true or will her luck run out?

Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord offers a warm-hearted, humorous, and thoughtful look at what it means to belong--and how lucky we feel when we do. Touch Blue, sure as certain, will touch your heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book three for Battle of the Books! This is really more juvenile fiction than YA, but I thought it was a sweet story. Even though it deals with foster-care, don't expect a hard-hitting look at the issue, because you won't get it. This book deals with a lot of grown up issues - family dynamics, expectations, luck, bullying, foster care, change - but in an age appropriate way. It's billed as realistic fiction, but things are just a little too perfect, a little too sugar coated for it to be truly reality, but that could just be my jaded, adult-self talking. Overall, it's a sweet story with a happy ending.


2015 Reading Challenge: A book with a color in the title

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

Lottie just knows that her boyfriend is going to propose during lunch at one of London’s fanciest restaurants. But when his big question involves a trip abroad, not a trip down the aisle, she’s completely crushed. So when Ben, an old flame, calls her out of the blue and reminds Lottie of their pact to get married if they were both still single at thirty, she jumps at the chance. No formal dates—just a quick march to the altar and a honeymoon on Ikonos, the sun-drenched Greek island where they first met years ago.

Their family and friends are horrified. Fliss, Lottie’s older sister, knows that Lottie can be impulsive—but surely this is her worst decision yet. And Ben’s colleague Lorcan fears that this hasty marriage will ruin his friend’s career. To keep Lottie and Ben from making a terrible mistake, Fliss concocts an elaborate scheme to sabotage their wedding night. As she and Lorcan jet off to Ikonos in pursuit, Lottie and Ben are in for a honeymoon to remember, for better . . . or worse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since February is all about Valentine's Day, my book club decided to throw our favorite love stories in a hat instead of choosing just one to read for the month. This was my pick, and I was initially excited. I have read one other book by Sophie Kinsella and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I am also familiar with her Confessions of a Shopaholic series from seeing the movie. I remembered her stories to be light romances with a splash of humor, but this one fell short for me. I didn't find the main characters all that endearing, but rather shallow and idiotic. I felt no connection to Lottie, and thought that Ben was a douche from the beginning. I actually preferred Lottie's sister's secondary story line more than hers. The humor in the book often fell flat, and it was way too long. It was a chore at times to keep going. This one was just okay for me.

2015 Reading Challenge: A book set in a different country

Chased Dreams (Chasing Nikki #3) by Lacey Weatherford with Chase Walden

Chase's life is perfect. He is married to his beautiful wife, Brittney, and has a baby on the way. His dreams of playing professional football are on the verge of becoming a reality. After everything he has been through, Chase finally feels like life is starting to go his way...or so he thought. When an injury jeopardizes all of his plans for the future, Chase struggles to figure out who he is and hold his relationship with Brittney together. Chase also finds himself plagued by dreams from the past that stir up confusing emotions. As everything falls apart around him, Chase finds himself wondering if all he has left is chased dreams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was surprised to learn that there was going to be another book in this series. The Chasing Nikki series is an emotional roller coaster from start to finish, and made me ugly cry on more than one occasion. It is a heartbreaking story about love and loss, and I thought it was brought to a perfect conclusion after the last book. I really didn't see a need for a third book, but having loved the first two so much, I didn't hesitate to pick this one up. In retrospect, I think I should have...

This book was written by Lacey, in conjunction with Chase Walden, who is the cover model for the series. While I had absolutely nothing against the writing style, I was not at all happy with the direction the story took in this book. I loved Nikki, and I was devastated by her death, but I also really loved Brittney. Watching Brittney and Chase fall for and heal each other in the second book was emotional and I swear that I went through all the stages of the grieving process right along with them. I has glad to see them get their happy ending. After everything they had been through, they deserved a happy ending.

Then Chased Dreams comes along and obliterates their (and my) happy ending. I don't want to give too much away, so writing this review is somewhat challenging. I have the feeling that people will be of one or two minds after reading this book: they will either love it, or they will hate it. While I think "hate" is too strong a word for how I feel about this book, I was definitely not happy with it. I'm not even sure what the right word to describe the feeling I had upon finishing the book, but it was something akin to betrayal. I felt like everything that I had suffered and overcome while reading the previous two books was for nothing, and as such, I had a really hard time embracing the new ending of this story. In hindsight, I wish I had stopped after book two. However, I know that there will be many out there who will love how this book plays out, and will be thrilled with the new ending. Loving or hating this book really comes down to which ending you prefer.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart tells two overlapping, intertwining stories, both of which center around Okonkwo, a “strong man” of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first of these stories traces Okonkwo's fall from grace with the tribal world in which he lives, and in its classical purity of line and economical beauty it provides us with a powerful fable about the immemorial conflict between the individual and society. 

The second story, which is as modern as the first is ancient, and which elevates the book to a tragic plane, concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of Okonkwo's world through the arrival of aggressive, proselytizing European missionaries. These twin dramas are perfectly harmonized, and they are modulated by an awareness capable of encompassing at once the life of nature, human history, and the mysterious compulsions of the soul.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a hard book for me to review, because I feel like I am missing some essential element needed to understand the greater message of the novel. I had a really hard time connecting to this story and its characters. The plot of the story is sparse. Not a lot happens. Because of this, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and their journeys.

I get why the book is called Things Fall Apart. Events outside of Okonkwo’s control cause his world to fall apart and send him into exile for seven years. His tribe and culture begin to “fall apart” under the outside influences of western culture after the missionaries move in and begin converting tribe members. I can certainly understand this to a point. I have studied colonialism and its effects on different cultures, but having never experienced it myself, I will admit that my understanding is limited. I think that is why narratives like Things Fall Apart are important. It prevents us from, what author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie calls the “danger of a single story” (Sidenote: Check out her TED Talk on this topic here. It’s incredibly powerful). Stories like this are important because they contribute to a broader understanding of the human experience, which is both universal and unique.

There were a lot of times throughout this novel that I had to stop myself from judging the characters through the lens of my own cultural understanding. There were many instances, especially with the main character Okonkwo and his wives, where I found myself getting worked up, forgetting that he exists in a different culture, with different values and social norms. While I personally I don’t think that this is a legitimate justification for his actions, it does help to understand why he acted this way. Even if it makes me cringe.

In the end, I can’t say that I enjoyed this novel. In truth, I read it because I had to. I recognize the necessity of having narratives like this written, published, and read. I just can’t say that this novel did anything for me, but to add a very small piece of the puzzle to understanding a culture quite different from my own. I don’t say this to diminish the novel in any way; I can only speak to my experience. I would encourage others to give the book a chance, despite my low rating. You will be no worse for wear if you decide to pick up this book, and at the very least, you will come away from this novel more culturally aware than before.

Chronicles of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

When Bayardo San Roman returns his new bride, Angela Vicario, hours after their wedding, her disgraced family demands that she name her first lover. Her twin brothers set out to kill Santiago Nasar for the shame he has brought to their family. There is no evidence to support Angela's claim, in fact, nobody can remember ever seeing Santiago and Angela together. The twins make no secret of their plans to murder Santiago, and yet no one in the town intervenes to stop the murder from happening. In the end, Santiago ends up dead, leaving more questions than answers.

This was an interesting novel for me. It has a very journalistic style, and the story is told in a very straight forward manner. The facts are laid out with little to no emotional commentary. It reads more like a newspaper article or crime report than a novel. Although it is clear from the beginning what was going to happen, this book leaves more questions than it answers. I found it interesting that no one intervened to save Santiago, especially when there were questions surrounding the validity of Angela's claim. In fact, other than her saying it was Santiago, there seems to be little evidence that her claims are true.

There are several instances where others could have intervened and prevented the crime from happening, and yet they don't. What was puzzling to me about these instances was that the reasons for their lack on interference are silly when two men are running around with knives, clearly content to carry out a murder. Santiago is not painted as a bad man, someone who people would be glad to see get his comeuppance, yet no one intercedes on his behalf.

This was an okay read for me. I found the style and story intriguing, but I was left indifferent in the end.

The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater

Mr. Darcy is my ultimate book boyfriend. No one holds a candle to him in my heart, but his inner thoughts have always proven illusive, as Jane Austen never made us privy to them in Pride and Prejudice. When I came across this novel, I jumped at the chance to step inside my literary crush's head. My expectations might have been too high, however. I was left rather disappointed by this one.

The Darcy in my head far out paced the Darcy of this book. I found Slater's Darcy rather dull, with the many of his entries consisting of detailed descriptions of what he ate that day. There was an attempt to add some spice with mentions of Darcy's trysts with chambermaids and his attempt to help Bingley get over Jane by setting him up with a kept woman. While not unfathomable, I didn't like the idea of some of my most beloved characters acting in such a manner. It is hardly consistent with the idealized version (complete with pedestal) that I have in my head.

After Darcy's first failed proposal, the novel did pick up a little steam for me, but not enough to make this a worthwhile read. While not the worst I've ever read, I cannot say that you will be missing anything if you don't pick this one up. 

Down To You by Addison Kline

Holly Edgemont thought she had the perfect life – a beautiful home, three wonderful kids, and an adoring husband. She never imagined the turn her life would take. Two years later, Holly finds herself divorced and facing a Christmas (her favorite holiday) utterly alone, as her children are going out of town with Holly’s ex-husband, Brant.

Sloane, Holly’s best friend, is determined that Holly have a little fun this Christmas and drags her to a holiday party where Holly meets up with Chris, the best man at her wedding to Brant. Holly is still very much in love with Brant, but finds herself wondering if it isn’t time to start moving on from him.

Two years ago, Brant made the worst mistake of his life. Unable to deal with devastating news, he walked out on his family. He never stopped loving Holly and has tried to reconnect without success. Now he fears he is running out of time. Desperate, Brant plots to make one more grand gesture, in the hopes that he can win his family back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am a sucker for a good romance. Add Christmas to the mix and you pretty much have me hook, line, and sinker. This was not the case with Down To You. I wanted to LOVE this book, but I just didn’t. I loved the idea of the story line and I loved Holly and Brant. I thought their love story was very sweet, but somewhat lacking and underdeveloped.

I was expecting (and wanting) a whole lot more angst. These two people, who are clearly soul mates, spent two years apart, but their reunion was just a little too simple for me. There was no heartfelt conversation during which Brant explains himself and Holly expresses the betrayal she felt. This just didn’t feel right to me. You spend two years apart – pining for each other and miserable – but when you finally reconcile you don’t talk it out? Really? It felt like Holly just shrugged her shoulders and said, “Okay,” and the two of them moved on without addressing the enormous elephant in the room.

The whole story line with Chris also seemed somewhat forced and unnecessarily dragged out. It was clear that he was never really a contender for Holly’s affections and yet he suddenly turns into a creeper who can’t take a hint? His reappearance towards the end of the novel just seemed superfluous. It might have been an attempt to infuse some much needed angst into the novel, but to me, it just fell a little flat.

The saving grace of this book is the ending. Just like any hopeless romantic, I like my romances to end with a happily ever after that leaves me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Down To You currently delivers in this aspect. So in the end, this book was just okay for me. If you are looking for a simple, sweet holiday romance, then this will probably be up your alley. If you are like me and prefer your romances to be a bit more complex and angst filled, then you may be disappointed.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Stranger by Albert Camus

The Stranger by Albert Camus is a French existential classic about a man named Meursault. Meursault is a man who lives on the fringes of society, who values the truth and refuses to lie. This novel is the perfect example of Camus's philosophical idea of absurdity, meaning that individual lives and human existence have no rational meaning or order, despite our attempts to seek and create meaning and order. The idea that humans can create order when none exists is where the term "absurdity" comes from.

"Absurd" is the perfect word to describe this novel. There is no rhyme or reason to this book or Meursault's behavior or thoughts. When I finished reading this book, I was left with a feeling of indifference, which could have been the whole point. It would be very easy to become frustrated trying to figure this book out, but to me it wasn't worth the effort of even trying to understand it. I can appreciate the literary value of this novel, but I can't say that I really enjoyed this book. I felt no connection to the characters and therefore had a hard time engaging in the story and the lives of the characters. Because of this, I was not invested in the story and at the end all I could do was shrug my shoulders and move on. There was no lingering sentiment. Closing this book was as easy as changing the TV channel. 

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Let me start by saying that I am a fan of Mindy Kaling, especially as Kelly Kapoor on The Office. When this book was released, I instantly added it to my "to read" list, where it quickly got buried in the avalanche of my ever expanding list. So you can imagine my pleasure when my book club selected it for our September book.

Mindy's commentary covers a variety of topics, from her childhood to how she got the job on The Office, to her thoughts on cupcakes. Overall, I have to say that this book was just okay...I had anticipated that this book would be funnier than it was and I was somewhat disappointed. While there were funny stories/anecdotes, I did not find myself laughing hysterically. The book isn't boring and I found some of her stories relatable, I was just expecting more.

Wanted by Amanda Lance

At 17, Addie Battes is a girl who calculates everything and spends most of her time in the library with her nose stuck in a book. When she and her father make a stop at a crowded rest area, she never could have predicted the way her life would change forever. Addie finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, witnessing a truck hijacking, which leads to her kidnapping by one of the thieves.

Addie's life is now in the hands of Charlie Hays, the thief that kidnapped her. Charlie finds himself feeling strangely protective of Addie, and when one of his colleagues tries to eliminate Addie, he comes to her rescue. When she awakens from the attack, Addie finds herself a stowaway on a cargo ship in the middle of the ocean. Addie knows that she shouldn't trust Charlie, but their relationship quickly evolves into something neither one of them expected. Addie and Charlie fall in love, but their future is anything but certain. When Charlie's spurned colleague comes to seek his revenge, Addie and Charlie find their love and lives in danger again.

I honestly don't know how to feel about this book. I really wanted to love it. The description was intriguing, but once I got into the story I had some serious reservations. For one thing, Addie is 17 and Charlie is 29 - that's quite an age gap, bordering on statutory. It made the story less believable and somewhat uncomfortable for me. Charlie is a series of contradictions. He is rough around the edges, lacking a formal education, and yet he is intelligent and artistic. It is clear that he comes from a difficult past, which we get glimpses of, but is never fully explained. While that might normally serve to make his character complex, in this case it left me scratching my head and made it difficult for me to fully embrace him. I liked Addie, but confess that I didn't find anything all that special about her. While description of the book originally intrigued me, the more I read the more clique the story felt to me. I think it had tremendous potential, but ultimately it fell short for me. It is left wide open for a sequel and while I have reservations about the story, I will probably pick the sequel up out of curiosity sake and hope that the story gets better. What can I say, I'm an eternal optimist...  

Perverse by Larry Rodness

The definition of perverse courtesy of Dictionary.com:

Perverse:

1) willfully determined or disposed to go counter to what is expected or desired; contrary

2) characterized by or proceeding from such a determination or disposition

3) wayward or cantankerous

4) persistent or obstinate in what is wrong

5) turned away from or rejecting what is right, good, or proper; wicked or corrupt

Synonyms: 1) contumacious, disobedient; 4) stubborn, headstrong, willful; 5) evil, bad, sinful 

Perverse is billed as a coming of age story with a paranormal twist. It tells the story of Emylene Stipe, a 2nd generation Goth. Emylene's parents own the Pall Bearer's Paradise, a Goth club and hangout, which makes Emylene royalty in the local Goth community. Emylene's world takes a turn for the unexpected after striking up an affair with Stelio, a Geek store owner with a secret. Soon everything Emylene knows will be turned upside down as her world becomes infected by evil vampyres (book spelling), leaving her to fight to save her world.

Perverse was given to me by the author in exchange for a review. I am honestly torn about how to feel about this book. I feel that there were almost two competing stories - Emylene's coming of age tale and the paranormal battle against vampyres - that don't completely mesh together successfully. I'll start with what I feel was the least successful of the two - the coming of age tale. I think my preconceived notions of what constitutes a "coming of age" story might have a lot to do with how I responded to this aspect of the story. When I hear "coming of age" I expect a story that focuses on a character (or small group of characters) and chronicles a journey of discovery and/or transformation. It is a personal story and the story is generally told from the perspective of the character undergoing the transformation. This perspective is essential to the story, in my opinion. It is through this character that we as readers get our cues on how we are expected to react and build a connection to the story. We may not always agree with the character, but seeing the story through their eyes provides the thread through which we can experience the story and come to understand how they view the world around them. To me this is an essential aspect of a "coming of age" story, because without this understanding, it is difficult to see how the character's perspective changes over time.

In my opinion, the biggest obstacle for this part of the story was the author's chosen point of view. The story is told from an objective POV, where the narrator is separated from the story and simply tells the happenings. The story is never told through the eyes of Emylene and it is, therefore, hard to know what she is really thinking and feeling. Because I was never able to get into Emylene's head, it was hard for me to connect with her as a character and understand how she saw the world. She said her parents were overbearing and that she resented the responsibilities their positions in the community placed on her, but why she felt this way was unclear and it made it hard to sympathize with her and understand her need to rebel. Emylene's voice was largely absent from the narrative, making it was hard to understand her and recognize any changes that may have occurred. Aside from being more appreciative of her parents, she really didn't seem all the different at the end of the book. Usually in a "coming of age" story I expect the character to experience some significant change. This may have been a style choice made by the author, as it would certainly be a "perverse" play on the traditional format, but to me it was jarring and instead of intriguing, it left me scratching my head and feeling like I missed something. 

As far as the paranormal aspect of the story, I felt that it was much more successfully executed. It was imaginative and entertaining. This aspect of the book was much better developed and I feel like the book would have been stronger had this been the focus of the book. The ending is left open enough that there could be a sequel, but at this point I find myself hesitant to say that I would be willing to pick it up and continue the story. I just don't feel like I built enough of a connection to the story. I believe this story has a lot of potential, but like some other self-published/smaller publisher books, it suffers from the lack of a good editor.