My goal is to read 100 books by the end of 2013. I just finished book 98.
Undead and Unsure by MaryJanice Davidson
Book 12 in the Undead series
Summary (via the book jacket):
It's no surprise to Betsy that her trip to Hell with her sister, Laura, landed them in hot water. Betsy isn't exactly sorry she killed the devil but it's put Laura in a damnable position: forced to assume to role of Satan (she may have the training but she looks good in red) - and in charge of billions of souls now that she's moved up in the world. Or is that down?
But Betsy herself is in an odd new situation as well - that of being a responsible monarch suddenly in charge of all things earthbound, like her vampire husband, Sinclair, who has gone from relieved to ecstatic to downright reckless now that he can tolerate sunlight. And if Sinclair isn't enough to contend with, Betsy's best friend Jessica is in her - hopefully - last trimester. Considering she's been pregnant for way too many months, Jessica's become a veritable encyclopedia of what not to expect when you're expecting. Oh, the horror...
Everything comes to a head at Thanksgiving dinner, which quickly - and literally - becomes Hell for Betsy and her family...
My Opinion:
This series gets crazier and crazier with each book. While it does keep the story interesting since you never have a clue what direction it will go, it's unsettling to read a book that appears to have been written on the fly with no thought to plot development (backed into a corner? Parallel Universe time!) or cohesion. This series fell apart around the tenth book, and I hope the author takes a moment to calm down and gather her thoughts before the next book comes out.
Will I continue to read the series? Of course. Hopefully with more enjoyment than this book gave me.
Quote from the Book:
"Yes, this was one of the oddest confrontations I had ever taken part in, involving no less than the Antichrist, the beloved aunt of my childhood, an infant, a Civil War scholar, a billionaire, a homicide detective, and a dead physician."
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
Under the Duvet
My goal is to read 100 books by the end of 2013. I just finished book 97.
Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes
Summary:
A collection of nonfiction essays from author Marian Keyes, some of which were previously published in magazines and newspapers and some of which are published here for the first time.
My Opinion:
I really liked all of the fiction books by Keyes that I've read but it's been awhile since I had read anything by her. So as I was scanning my books today looking for a light read, I decided to pull this one out (published in 2004, it's been on my shelf for years) and use the opportunity to revisit her writing.
Although her writing style seems to be a bit better suited for her longer fiction novels (just as the story picked up steam, it was over), I wasn't disappointed with this book. It was a nice reminder for me to see if she's written anything recently that I haven't read yet.
My Favorite Story:
"Till Debt Us Do Part"
Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes
Summary:
A collection of nonfiction essays from author Marian Keyes, some of which were previously published in magazines and newspapers and some of which are published here for the first time.
My Opinion:
I really liked all of the fiction books by Keyes that I've read but it's been awhile since I had read anything by her. So as I was scanning my books today looking for a light read, I decided to pull this one out (published in 2004, it's been on my shelf for years) and use the opportunity to revisit her writing.
Although her writing style seems to be a bit better suited for her longer fiction novels (just as the story picked up steam, it was over), I wasn't disappointed with this book. It was a nice reminder for me to see if she's written anything recently that I haven't read yet.
My Favorite Story:
"Till Debt Us Do Part"
The Execution of Noa P. Singleton
My goal is to read 100 books by the end of 2013. I just finished book 96.
The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth L. Silver
Summary (via the book jacket):
Noa P. Singleton never spoke a word in her own defense throughout a brief trial that ended with a jury finding her guilty of first-degree murder. Ten years later, having accepted her fate, she sits on death row in a maximum-security penitentiary, just six months away from her execution date.
Seemingly out of the blue, she is visited by Marlene Dixon, a high-powered Philadelphia attorney who is also the mother of the woman Noa was imprisoned for killing. Marlene tells Noa that she has changed her mind about the death penalty and Noa's sentence, and will do everything in her considerable power to convince the governor to commute the sentence to life in prison, in return for the one thing Noa is unwilling to trade: her story.
Marlene desperately wants Noa to reveal the events that led to her daughter's death - events that only Noa knows of and that she has never shared with a soul. With death looming, Marlene believes that Noa may finally give her the answers she needs, though Noa is far from convinced that Marlene deserves the salvation she alone can deliver. Inextricably linked by murder but with very different goals, Noa and Marlene wrestle with the sentences life itself can impose while they confront the best and worst of what makes us human in this haunting tale of love, anguish, and deception.
My Opinion:
Wow. This book was outstanding. I can say nothing else because peeling the layers away at your own pace is such an important part of the experience. I'm still recovering. I can't wait for someone else to read this so I can talk about ALL the feelings!
Quote from the Book:
"If I were to offer an explanation of why I did what I did, half of the public wouldn't believe it, and the other half wouldn't think it changed a thing. The only people who would be transformed by a revelation are related to Sarah, and this so-called revelation isn't going to bring her back. So why does anyone really need to know?"
The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth L. Silver
Summary (via the book jacket):
Noa P. Singleton never spoke a word in her own defense throughout a brief trial that ended with a jury finding her guilty of first-degree murder. Ten years later, having accepted her fate, she sits on death row in a maximum-security penitentiary, just six months away from her execution date.
Seemingly out of the blue, she is visited by Marlene Dixon, a high-powered Philadelphia attorney who is also the mother of the woman Noa was imprisoned for killing. Marlene tells Noa that she has changed her mind about the death penalty and Noa's sentence, and will do everything in her considerable power to convince the governor to commute the sentence to life in prison, in return for the one thing Noa is unwilling to trade: her story.
Marlene desperately wants Noa to reveal the events that led to her daughter's death - events that only Noa knows of and that she has never shared with a soul. With death looming, Marlene believes that Noa may finally give her the answers she needs, though Noa is far from convinced that Marlene deserves the salvation she alone can deliver. Inextricably linked by murder but with very different goals, Noa and Marlene wrestle with the sentences life itself can impose while they confront the best and worst of what makes us human in this haunting tale of love, anguish, and deception.
My Opinion:
Wow. This book was outstanding. I can say nothing else because peeling the layers away at your own pace is such an important part of the experience. I'm still recovering. I can't wait for someone else to read this so I can talk about ALL the feelings!
Quote from the Book:
"If I were to offer an explanation of why I did what I did, half of the public wouldn't believe it, and the other half wouldn't think it changed a thing. The only people who would be transformed by a revelation are related to Sarah, and this so-called revelation isn't going to bring her back. So why does anyone really need to know?"
Girl Walks into a Bar
My goal is to read 100 books by the end of 2013. I just finished book 95.
Girl Walks into a Bar...Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle by Rachel Dratch
Summary:
The longer the title, the shorter the summary. Rachel Dratch (most famous for her time on SNL) writes about her attempts at dating, her surprise pregnancy at age 43, and new motherhood.
A quote from her book that sums it up pretty well: "So you're forty-three and think you can't have kids but unexpectedly got pregnant on a trip to Hawaii with a guy you've known for six months who you think is a good guy but the two of you aren't even close to any sort of a commitment".
My Opinion:
A light, enjoyable read. Rachel made me smile without forcing the funny and she is a great storyteller.
Quote from the Book:
"I was forty-three years old and I was actually seeing the benefits of not having kids and was accepting my fate after all those years of struggling. Then, I met a guy in a bar."
Girl Walks into a Bar...Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle by Rachel Dratch
Summary:
The longer the title, the shorter the summary. Rachel Dratch (most famous for her time on SNL) writes about her attempts at dating, her surprise pregnancy at age 43, and new motherhood.
A quote from her book that sums it up pretty well: "So you're forty-three and think you can't have kids but unexpectedly got pregnant on a trip to Hawaii with a guy you've known for six months who you think is a good guy but the two of you aren't even close to any sort of a commitment".
My Opinion:
A light, enjoyable read. Rachel made me smile without forcing the funny and she is a great storyteller.
Quote from the Book:
"I was forty-three years old and I was actually seeing the benefits of not having kids and was accepting my fate after all those years of struggling. Then, I met a guy in a bar."
Sunday, December 29, 2013
The Lady and Her Monsters
My goal is to read 100 books by the end of 2013. I just finished book 94.
The Lady and Her Monsters: A Tale of Dissections, Real-Life Dr. Frankensteins, and the Creation of Mary Shelley's Masterpiece by Roseanne Montillo
Summary (excerpted from the book jacket):
This nonfiction book recounts how Mary Shelley's Victor Frankenstein mirrored actual scientists of the period. Shelley and her contemporaries were artists, poets, and philosophers, united in captivation with the occultists and daring scientists risking their reputations and their immortal souls to advance our understanding of human anatomy and medicine.
These remarkable investigations could not be undertaken without the cutthroat grave robbers who prowled cemeteries for a supply of fresh corpses. The newly dead were used for both private and very public autopsies and dissections, as well as the most daring trials of all: attempts at human reanimation through the application of electricity.
Juxtaposing monstrous mechanization and rising industrialism with the sublime beauty and decadence of the legendary Romantics who defined the age, Montillo takes us into the world where poets became legends in salons and boudoirs; where fame-hungry "doctors" conduct shocking performances for rabid, wide-eyed audiences; and where maniacal body snatchers secretly toil in castle dungeons.
My Opinion:
I started this book November 5 and just finished today. The book is less than 300 pages. That in and of itself is a pretty good indicator of how I feel about this book.
One of the consequences of random reading (and always finishing the books I start) is that a book I pick up on a whim can very quickly turn out to be a book that's not for me. I can't fault the author. Well, maybe I can fault the author a little...the second half of the book was very interesting and full of "fun facts" but I had become so bogged down by the details of the first half that I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.
On the nonfiction spectrum, this is closer to the "textbook" side than the "reads like fiction but happens to be true" side. This is not a criticism, just a note to those who consider reading it.
Quote from the Book:
"As the weeks passed, the critics continued to speculate that either Godwin [Mary's father] or Shelley [Mary's husband] had written Frankenstein. In a way, they were right and wrong at the same time. By birth and marriage, Mary was both a Godwin and a Shelley." ~ one of the things I learned from this book - Frankenstein was originally published anonymously.
The Lady and Her Monsters: A Tale of Dissections, Real-Life Dr. Frankensteins, and the Creation of Mary Shelley's Masterpiece by Roseanne Montillo
Summary (excerpted from the book jacket):
This nonfiction book recounts how Mary Shelley's Victor Frankenstein mirrored actual scientists of the period. Shelley and her contemporaries were artists, poets, and philosophers, united in captivation with the occultists and daring scientists risking their reputations and their immortal souls to advance our understanding of human anatomy and medicine.
These remarkable investigations could not be undertaken without the cutthroat grave robbers who prowled cemeteries for a supply of fresh corpses. The newly dead were used for both private and very public autopsies and dissections, as well as the most daring trials of all: attempts at human reanimation through the application of electricity.
Juxtaposing monstrous mechanization and rising industrialism with the sublime beauty and decadence of the legendary Romantics who defined the age, Montillo takes us into the world where poets became legends in salons and boudoirs; where fame-hungry "doctors" conduct shocking performances for rabid, wide-eyed audiences; and where maniacal body snatchers secretly toil in castle dungeons.
My Opinion:
I started this book November 5 and just finished today. The book is less than 300 pages. That in and of itself is a pretty good indicator of how I feel about this book.
One of the consequences of random reading (and always finishing the books I start) is that a book I pick up on a whim can very quickly turn out to be a book that's not for me. I can't fault the author. Well, maybe I can fault the author a little...the second half of the book was very interesting and full of "fun facts" but I had become so bogged down by the details of the first half that I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have.
On the nonfiction spectrum, this is closer to the "textbook" side than the "reads like fiction but happens to be true" side. This is not a criticism, just a note to those who consider reading it.
Quote from the Book:
"As the weeks passed, the critics continued to speculate that either Godwin [Mary's father] or Shelley [Mary's husband] had written Frankenstein. In a way, they were right and wrong at the same time. By birth and marriage, Mary was both a Godwin and a Shelley." ~ one of the things I learned from this book - Frankenstein was originally published anonymously.
Friday, December 27, 2013
The Paris Wife
My goal is to read 100 books by the end of 2013. I just finished book 93.
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Summary (via Goodreads):
A deeply evocative of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.
Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight year old who has all but given up on love and happiness - until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group - the fabled "Lost Generation" - that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill-prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and his circle of friends into the novel that becomes The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage - a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they've fought so hard for.
A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.
My Opinion:
What made this book engaging was the name recognition of all the characters, but knowing that they were real people added to the overall sadness of this book. Although fictional, the author appears to have done her research and followed the timeline and events as accurately as possible.
I felt so sad for Hadley. Hemingway had his demons and would have been impossible to live with at times, but he seemed to truly love her. Although I don't make excuses for men that cheat, I will say that there seems to be a certain type of man that is very susceptible to women stroking their egos, and the women that deliberately prey on those men make me sick. I don't like admitting it, but a small part of me was pleased to discover that Pauline found herself in the same position as Hadley as Hemingway overlapped relationships and married four times before ending his life.
Quote from the Book:
"You suffer for his career. What do you get in the end?" [Kitty asked]
"The satisfaction of knowing he couldn't do it without me." [Hadley responded]
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Summary (via Goodreads):
A deeply evocative of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.
Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight year old who has all but given up on love and happiness - until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group - the fabled "Lost Generation" - that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill-prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and his circle of friends into the novel that becomes The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage - a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they've fought so hard for.
A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.
My Opinion:
What made this book engaging was the name recognition of all the characters, but knowing that they were real people added to the overall sadness of this book. Although fictional, the author appears to have done her research and followed the timeline and events as accurately as possible.
I felt so sad for Hadley. Hemingway had his demons and would have been impossible to live with at times, but he seemed to truly love her. Although I don't make excuses for men that cheat, I will say that there seems to be a certain type of man that is very susceptible to women stroking their egos, and the women that deliberately prey on those men make me sick. I don't like admitting it, but a small part of me was pleased to discover that Pauline found herself in the same position as Hadley as Hemingway overlapped relationships and married four times before ending his life.
Quote from the Book:
"You suffer for his career. What do you get in the end?" [Kitty asked]
"The satisfaction of knowing he couldn't do it without me." [Hadley responded]
Reconstructing Amelia
My goal is to read 100 books by the end of 2013. I just finished book 92.
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
Summary (via the book jacket):
When Kate, single mother and law firm partner, gets an urgent phone call summoning her to her daughter's exclusive private school, she's shocked. Amelia has been suspended for cheating, something that would be completely out of character for her over-achieving, well-behaved daughter.
Kate rushes to Grace Hall, but what she finds when she finally arrives is beyond comprehension. Her daughter Amelia is dead. Despondent over having been caught cheating, Amelia has jumped from the school's roof in an act of impulsive suicide. At least that's the story Grace Hall and the police tell Kate. In a state of shock and overcome by grief, Kate tries to come to grips with this life-shattering news. Then she gets an anonymous text:
Amelia didn't jump.
The moment she sees that message, Kate knows in her heart it's true. Clearly Amelia had secrets, and a life Kate knew nothing about. Wracked by guilt, Kate is determined to find out what those secrets were and who could have hated her daughter enough to kill. She searches through Amelia's e-mails, texts, and Facebook updates, piecing together the last troubled days of her daughter's life.
My Opinion:
What an incredibly well-written book. It's hard to say I enjoyed reading it because I felt nauseous the entire time, but it definitely kept my attention and I read it quickly to find out what would happen. The entirely realistic portrayal of bullying and peer pressure was difficult to read (and made me want to lock my kids, especially my 3 daughters, away in a tower so I don't have to send them to high school). Although most of the plot points were foreshadowed, it didn't take anything away from the journey and the way everything came together was still a surprise.
Quote from the Book:
"Because in some magical, cosmic way, mothers were supposed to know every important thing about her children. Kate had worried from the start that she might lack this special motherly intuition, but she'd always believed her genuine closeness with Amelia would overcome any shortfall. She'd been so very wrong. That was obvious now."
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
Summary (via the book jacket):
When Kate, single mother and law firm partner, gets an urgent phone call summoning her to her daughter's exclusive private school, she's shocked. Amelia has been suspended for cheating, something that would be completely out of character for her over-achieving, well-behaved daughter.
Kate rushes to Grace Hall, but what she finds when she finally arrives is beyond comprehension. Her daughter Amelia is dead. Despondent over having been caught cheating, Amelia has jumped from the school's roof in an act of impulsive suicide. At least that's the story Grace Hall and the police tell Kate. In a state of shock and overcome by grief, Kate tries to come to grips with this life-shattering news. Then she gets an anonymous text:
Amelia didn't jump.
The moment she sees that message, Kate knows in her heart it's true. Clearly Amelia had secrets, and a life Kate knew nothing about. Wracked by guilt, Kate is determined to find out what those secrets were and who could have hated her daughter enough to kill. She searches through Amelia's e-mails, texts, and Facebook updates, piecing together the last troubled days of her daughter's life.
My Opinion:
What an incredibly well-written book. It's hard to say I enjoyed reading it because I felt nauseous the entire time, but it definitely kept my attention and I read it quickly to find out what would happen. The entirely realistic portrayal of bullying and peer pressure was difficult to read (and made me want to lock my kids, especially my 3 daughters, away in a tower so I don't have to send them to high school). Although most of the plot points were foreshadowed, it didn't take anything away from the journey and the way everything came together was still a surprise.
Quote from the Book:
"Because in some magical, cosmic way, mothers were supposed to know every important thing about her children. Kate had worried from the start that she might lack this special motherly intuition, but she'd always believed her genuine closeness with Amelia would overcome any shortfall. She'd been so very wrong. That was obvious now."
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