36 posts tagged “books”

My first book read in '09 was a dud. After reading Snowflower and the Secret Fan and Peony in Love, I was expecting much more from Lisa See than what I found in Flower Net. I can't put my finger on what I didn't like about it, or what I did like about it. I guess maybe the later was the biggest problem with the book.

I suppose it would be an OK read on a long flight or something, but nothing I'd recommend to a friend.

On to Number Two!

I finished Son of a Witch a few days after Christmas. I loved it almost as much as Wicked. Wicked probably beat it out simply because I empathized more with the female main character in it than her son in the second novel.

There is a third book in the Wicked series called A Lion Among Men, which is about the Cowardly Lion. Initially I was going to pass on it because I just wasn't interested in his story. However, a synopsis of the novel mentioned that it told more of the Wicked Witch's story, so I may have to read it after all. I'll definitely be reading more by Gregory Maguire. I love his writing style, and his characters  have so much depth. It's really great reading.

Hey! I actually finished this book before the end of the year, so I officially get to add it to my "Read in '08" list. Hooray!

Surely the reason I was able to finish this book relatively quickly (I've mentioned before that I'm a really slow reader) is that I was hardly able to put it down. In fact, I stayed up until1 a.m. last night finishing it up. It was wonderful!

I never actually read the book The Wizard of Oz, so I have no idea how accurately the movie portrays it, but this book seemed so much more complex and real than The Wizard of Oz could ever be. The subjects of religion and politics were taken on, as well as civil rights. It was just an amazing read.

The end left me feeling similar to the way I feel when I read Romeo and Juliet. I know they're both going to die, but still, I can't help but hold out hope that this time it will be different and they'll live happily ever after. It was the same for Wicked. I knew before even reading the first page that Dorothy was going to throw a bucket of water at her and kill her, but I wanted so badly for it to end differently for her that I couldn't help but harbor a little hope. So when the Wicked Witch of the West inevitably died at the end, I cried.

I haven't read the teaser at the end for Son of a Witch yet, but I'm going to add it to my Amazon list because I just need to know what happens next. I guess if the last page of a book leaves you yearning for more, that's the sign of a great story.

I finally finished my latest Sedaris book last night, and sadly, all I can say about it is "meh." It was kinda funny in the begining, hence my chortling to myself, but I held out hope that it would get better. Like Me Talk Pretty One Day did. That book started funny, and just got funnier. No so for this one.

The last part of the book is about him going to Japan to quit smoking. Who the hell moves to Japan for a few months to quit smoking? Apparently, David Sedaris does. Anyway, the stuff about Japan was OK, but I think it was just the fact that I could relate to all the funny, weird things you see and hear and experience as a westerner living in Asia. It made me miss Korea. That's about it, though.

I've moved on to Wicked, and I seriously doubt that I'll be able to add it to my pathetic "read in '08 list.' I'm slow. I can't decide what number of books I should take on for the upcoming year. Maybe 15? That's a bit lame, but obviously I wasn't even able to get that many in this year, so maybe I need to take baby steps.

This is just the best kids' book ever. I love it so much. We actually got this book from the zoo in Syracuse last time we went to visit the in-laws. The artwork is beautiful. It's sweet without being sickening. And best of all, Lu now leans in for hugs and kisses with every turn of the page. Awwww.

When I went to Hawaii last September to be in Steph's wedding, another of the bridesmaids had just finished this book, and offered it up to whoever wanted to borrow it. I wanted to borrow it very badly, but knew I wouldn't be able to finish it in the week I was out there. We were so busy all the time, and I was there not only to be in my friend's wedding, but to visit with her as well. I couldn't exactly do that while holed up with my nose in a book. I did, however, keep the book's title in my mind and made sure to add it to my amazon wish list so I wouldn't forget about it. I finally got around to getting it for myself and reading it.

After reading two books in a row that were more of a chore than a pleasure, I was so relieved to find, almost immediately, that I was drawn into the story, empathized with the characters, and didn't want to put the book down. I spent the last few nights reading in bed until my vision blurred and I couldn't keep my eyes open.

The Blood of Flowers is set in 17th century Iran, and is about a young woman with a talent for making beautiful, ornate carpets, a craft that was elevated to a high art by the Shah at the time. It follows her over the course of a few years, and details her rise from a willful, rash child to a talented, independent woman. I found it heartbreaking and hopeful, infuriating and satisfying. The main story is broken up with folk tales, which are used effectively as tools of foreshadowing. Perhaps a little too effectively, as I could sometimes tell what was going to happen a good 100 pages out. It was worth the read, though. The story itself was beautiful.

I'm really coming to love these works of historical fiction, focused on the lives of women. I particularly like that the ones I've read recently have been about places that have histories that are largely unknown to me - China, in the case of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Iran in the case of this book. I'm really hoping that this isn't what is considered 'chick-lit.' I must admit that I really don't know what qualifies a book as 'chick-lit,' but I've just assumed that they were the Candace Bushnell kind of books (not that I've read any of her books, but I do know that she wrote Sex and the City). Those kind of books don't appeal to me in the least, but these beautiful historical fictions do. Regardless of how they may be categorized, I'm sure there's a distinct difference.

This book is basically two stories that are held together by the thinnest of threads. And that's a good thing because one of the stories sucks. And is boring. And has characters that I would not feel one way or the other if they met with violent, untimely deaths. Sadly this crappy story takes up more than the first half of the book. I was very disappointed.

The second story however, was wonderful, and dreamy, and sad, and very, very good. It's unfortunate that this great story, which could have easily stood on it's own, and even been elaborated upon until it was novel-length itself, was attached to the other.

Were it not for my obsessive nature regarding finishing a book once I've started it, I may not have gotten far enough into the book to reach the good part.

On to #7.

It's finally over. Finally. I did not like this book, and it took me ages to get through. That's all.

I'm so behind now on my 25 book goal. Shit.