Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

WARNING: SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SPOILERS!!!!1!1!

Don't say I didn't warn you. Since this is book two in the Hunger Games trilogy, and there were some plot twists at the end of book one that will be unavoidable when talking about book two, there will be some spoilers following. So stop reading now if you are or are planning to read book one. I'll give you a minute to leave...

OK, now that those losers are gone, we'll get down to talking about Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Feel free to refresh your memory on book one by rereading my blog entry here.

We pick up with Katniss back in District 12 a few months after the unprecedented declaration of her and Peeta as duel winners of their Hunger Games. Both have settled into their beautiful new homes in the Victor's Village next door to their friend and mentor (and drunk) Haymitch. And both are preparing for the customary victor's tour of the other districts when Katniss is visited by President Snow, the president of Panem. President Snow is not happy with Katniss. Not one bit. The Capitol, it seems, interpreted Katniss' attempt to commit duel suicide in the arena during the games as a public disregard of the Capitol's authority. And the other districts, it seems, interpreted the same action as a rally cry for revolution. President Snow warns Katniss that she had better be on her best behavior during the victor's tour or bad things could happen to her and those she loves.

So, the next Hunger Games is fast approaching and it seems that the next game is a "Quarter Quell" meaning it's the 75th games. Each 25th game is called a Quarter Quell and a new twist in the tribute selection process is thrown into the mix just to spice things up. For instance, for one of the prior Quarter Quells, four tributes were sent to the games rather than the customary two. Anywho, everyone is gathered around their TVs to hear what special twist will happen this Quarter Quell when it is announced that for the next games the tributes will be selected from each district's current pool of victors. District 12 only has three victors - Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch. It seems that Katniss failed to impress President Snow and she's going back in the arena.

I had wondered how Collins was going to get Katniss back in the arena again for a second book and although this plot devise seemed a bit contrived to me, I'll let it pass. It works fine enough, I guess. And truthfully, the games and the actual time in the arena are a much smaller part of this book. Much more time is spent on the rumors of revolution and unrest in the districts.

Even though the games is a much smaller part of this book, the game twists and arena that Collins dreams up for this book are crazy! How much fun she must have had coming up with some of the stuff that appears in that arena this time around. Burning rain! Tidal waves! Attack monkeys! It was freakin' awesome! I wish I could think up crazy shit like that. If I could, I would be the best selling author, I guess rather than sitting on my couch in my jammies describing the book to all you nerds.

What was particularly intriguing with this book was the way Collins expertly and deftly draws Katniss as the reluctant revolutionary leader. She didn't ask to be the spearhead of a revolution. She didn't plan it and tries to avoid it to protect those she loves. But she also craves freedom and security. Every so often, a leader and revolutionary emerges in Katniss regardless of how hard she tries to suppress it. I have to imagine that many revolutionaries begin this way. You don't just one day decide to risk your safety, reputation and loved ones on a whim. And Collins does an excellent job of showing this inner turmoil in Katniss.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed this book as much, if not more, than the first book (despite the cliffhanger). I burned through it in about two days. It's the kind of book that gets under your skin and you just can't put it down. So, once again, I'm going to give Catching Fire five bows. Everyone just go read these books this instant so I have someone to talk with them about.

The third book in the trilogy, Mockingjay, has a lot to live up to. Hopefully it delivers. I just picked it up at the Scholastic Book sale last weekend and plan to read it after I finish my current book.

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May there be many good books under all your Christmas trees this year!

Animal Farm by George Orwell

I can't quite remember if I ever read this book or just studied it in various literature and history classes. I knew the themes and general plot points but couldn't remember the details which leads me to think I just studied it. Regardless, Rusty the Hubby has been bugging me to read it lately and it seemed like a logical next book after reading The Hunger Games.

Largely considered Orwell's masterpiece (along with 1984 which is also on my to-read list), Animal Farm was published in 1945 as a criticism of Soviet Socialism. Orwell, being the genius that he was, used farm animal characters instead of humans to illustrate his criticism. By doing this, I believe, he was warning that any society could fall prey to totalitarianism unless they were careful.

The book begins with Old Major, a champion boar on Manor Farm, calling all the farm animals to a clandestine meeting in the barn. Old Major had a dream of a farm owned and operated by the farm animals. All work is shared equally to each animal's ability and all harvests are shared equally to each animal's needs. As Old Major sees it, the animals are slaves to the farmers. The animals do all the work while the humans reap all the benefits. Some animals agree wholeheartedly while some are simply happy with the status quo.

Manor Farm is owned and run by Mr. Jones, a somewhat lazy yet comfortable farmer given to bouts of drinking. One evening, after a particularly long afternoon at the local pub, Mr. Jones falls asleep on the couch without feeding the animals. The hungry animals take it upon themselves to raid the feed stores only to be fell upon by Jones and his men with whips. The animals rise up as one and chase Jones and his men off the farm. The animals are now in control of the farm. They rename it "Animal Farm" and create a list of governing rules for the farm, calling the new governing philosophy "Animalism". The rules mostly detail how humans are evil and that animals should never try to emulate them. The overarching theme is "four legs good, two legs bad". The animals take to calling each other "comrade", singing patriotic songs and having regular meetings and parades to celebrate their new freedom.

The pigs, being the smartest animals on the farm, naturally fall into leadership roles. Two main pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, become the driving force behind Animal Farm. However, they can never agree on anything and a power struggle ensues. For a time, things on Animal Farm go smoothly and as planned. The animals all work hard but are happy to do so knowing they are contributing to the good of the community as whole rather than lining Jones' pockets. Soon, though, the power struggle between Snowball and Napoleon comes to a head over the building of a windmill and Snowball is driven off the farm. Exiled.

Here Orwell shows us just how easy it is for a society to slip from communist utopia to totalitarianism. Napoleon takes over sole leadership of Animal Farm. He begins commandeering additional food and resources for he and the other pigs. He takes a new litter of puppies and trains them to be his ferocious guard dogs. And he moves out of the barn and into Mr. Jones' old farmhouse. All the while, the other animals on the farm are kept in submission by a constant stream of propaganda from Napoleon's main mouthpiece, a particularly persuasive pig (say that three time fast!) by the name of Squealer. In essence, Napoleon establishes a cult of fear in the other animals on the farm - fear of Mr. Jones returning to enslave them again, fear of humans unethical influences and mostly fear of Napoleon himself.

Orwell's comparisons to Stalin era Soviet Russia are not subtle. He's basically hitting the reader over the head with his criticism. It's clear Mr. Jones is the Russian royal family. Human society in general is capitalism and Western society. And Napoleon is Stalin himself. As most totalitarianism societies are formed, a charismatic leader overthrows an old and corrupt governing body by promising the citizens wonderful things only to renege on those promises immediately. Such as it was with Stalin. Such as it was with Napoleon the pig.

I believe Animal Farm is timeless in it's warnings against corrupt government. Society as a whole must be ever diligent lest they be lulled into complacency and vulnerability. This is not meant as a criticism of any particular current government official. Much the opposite. American society has the wonderful ability to oust any official we deem not representing the good of the nation as a whole. Not every country has that privilege. Look at Cuba. Look at China. Most notably, look at North Korea. Their leaders are clearly only interested in power and wealth and not the good of the people. Much like Stalin. Much like Napoleon the pig.

Although the book was engaging and adept at getting it's points across, I sometimes felt I was reading a children's book rather than political satire. This may very well have been Orwell's aim - to get his points across in the least threatening and easily to understand way possible and thus get his message out to more people. But at times I almost forgot what I was reading and half expected the spider from Charlotte's Web to pop up exclaiming "salutations!" However, it's a small criticism and didn't really detract from the overall message of the book. Therefore, I give Animal Farm four bows. It was educational and as timely today as I'm sure it was during the Cold War.

Let me know what you thought of Animal Farm or this review in the comments section below. And as always, happy reading everyone!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Good evening fellow book nerds! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

For tonight's blog posting, I bring you The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. My friend Jessica lent me this book pleading with me to read it so she would have someone to discuss it with. Well, I was happy to oblige, as always. I had heard about the book here and there and was interested in reading it anyway. Jessica assured me I would love it and she definitely didn't lie.

The Hunger Games is book one in a trilogy. (What is it with me and trilogies lately? I believe I am at various stages of at least three different trilogies at the moment.) The books take place in a future dystopian society called Panem which is located in what used to be North America. Panem's capitol city - aptly named The Capitol - is located somewhere in the Rockies. The Capitol is surrounded by twelve districts which seem to get poorer and bleaker the farther away from the Capitol the district is positioned.

Our heroine, Katniss Everdeen, lives in District 12. District 12 is located in what used to be Appalachia and nothing has changed much in Appalachia. Everyone is still dirt poor and the main industry is coal mining. Katniss lives with her mother and little sister, Primrose. Her father died in a mine explosion when she was quite young leaving Katniss as the family's sole provider. She hunts everyday in the forest surrounding District 12 in order to feed her family, even though it is punishable by death. In other words, Katniss can take care of herself.

When we meet Katniss, she is preparing for the annual reaping. We come to find out that each year the Capitol stages a kind of lottery in each district called the reaping. Every child between the ages of 12 and 18 are required to enter his or her name in the reaping. At age 12, your name is entered once. At age 13, twice and so on. Any child may also chose to add his or her name to the reaping additional times in exchange for tesserae (a year's supply of grain and oil for one person). And these additional entries are also cumulative. Because of this, poor children's names are entered into the reaping many more times than wealthy kids and therefore have a much better chance of being chosen in the reaping.

This brings us to the purpose of the reaping. Two children's names are drawn each year from each district - one boy and one girl. These children, called tributes, are then sent on to the Capitol to compete in The Hunger Games. The Capitol created the games as a reminder to the districts to toe the line or else. You see, the games consist of the tributes being thrown together into an enormous terror dome and fighting each other to the death live on TV. Last one standing wins and brings wealth and honor to his or her family and additional food and resources to his or her district.

Against all odds, Primrose, with one entry, is drawn as District 12's female tribute. Katniss volunteers to take her young and delicate sister's place. Volunteering is not unheard of in other wealthier districts where children are breed to compete in the games, but in District 12, it's considered a death sentence. However, volunteering has also captivated District 12 and all of Panem therefore giving Katniss a leg up in a competition that is as much a reality show popularity contest as it is brutal blood bath.

Here I must stop myself before I give away every detail of this book. I loved this book so much and was so engrossed by every word that I want to tell you everything. But I'm no spoiler. I will restrain myself.

Games is classified as Young Adult literature. I believe I have to respectfully disagree. The themes and violence are much more adult than young adult. And the writing is far superior to any young adult novel I've ever read, past or present. But maybe my memory is clouded by what I was reading when I was in the young adult demographic - Judy Blume being in the forefront of my mind. But the main characters are teens and maybe that's all a book needs anymore to be classified as young adult.

One guideline I go by when judging how much I like a book is how quickly I read it. And I burned through this book. I keep a bit of a writers journal in which I take notes and jot down thoughts and opinions on the books I read. (Sorry, the English major in me is hard to squash.) I didn't take one note on this book. I couldn't tear myself away! To take notes would mean I would have to stop reading and that was just not an option.

And even without taking notes, I remember every detail, I believe because the details are what makes this book so enthralling. Every detail is logically laid out, a tough task in the fantasy genre where an author could very easily tend toward the absurd. Just when I found myself questioning something, a logical explanation was given. And the world Collins created is so rich and fleshed out that I almost never questioned anything, even when gifts dropped from the sky to help out a tribute during the games. Everything is plausible yet exotic and captivating.

I really can't praise this book enough. I've enjoyed it more than any other book in quite awhile. I took a brief break to read another book (I will blog on it later this week) and have now begun on book two of the trilogy, Catching Fire. I just couldn't wait. It's like the book crawled into my brain and laid eggs. I NEED to know what happens next. And for this I am giving The Hunger Games five bows. It was fabulous and I urge you all to read it at your next available opportunity. If you've already read it, stop on by the comments section and we'll discuss more. Until then, happy reading everyone!

Meeting David Sedaris for the Fourth Time

Last evening, David Sedaris was at the Barnes & Noble on University Avenue in West Des Moines, Iowa for a book signing and short reading. We all know my obsession with and borderline stalking of my favorite author from previous posts here and here. This meeting went 100 times better than the last time in Ames and you will all be pleased to know I was on my very best behavior.

The reading was scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM but I knew from past experience that Mr. Serdaris often signs books prior to as well as following readings. So I rushed home after work, fed the dogs quick and ran on up to B&N, arriving a little before 6:00. Sure enough, there he was seated at a small table just to the right of the front doors.

The line was a mere ten people long when I arrived. He tends to spend a good five minutes with each fan at book signings but the wait was short nonetheless. When I reached the front of the line, he quipped, "And who are you?" We got to chitchatting while he signed my book, having a lovely discussion about our previous meetings. Much to my delight, he remembered me asking a question from the audience at his reading in Ames last month. I nearly fainted! I told him about my bad Black Market Pizza experience that kept me from getting my book signed in Ames. He told me about his dismay with people asking inappropriate questions (oops, I may have been one of those people at one time). We were like long lost friends - in my own deluded mind, at least. I tried not to linger too long and let on my stalker tendencies. Here is a snapshot of my first edition Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk he signed last night:



It says, "To Shannon. We meet again, enchantress. David Sedaris." You hear that people! I'm an enchantress! Squee! I giddily ran off and called everyone on my speed dial who would take my call.

I had some free time then to browse a little and regain my composure before his reading began at 7:00. The reading was to happen at the book signing table and there were no chairs for listeners. People were just expected to mill around while he spoke. After making some purchases (natch, I am at B&N after all), I wandered back to the front of the store around 6:45 and grabbed a prime spot next to the customer service desk. This turned out to be a smart move on my part as the B&N staff turned into nazis about keeping the aisles clear. Anyone who tried to stand in front of me and therefore in the aisle, they would order to the rear or to the railings on the second level. I essentially had commandeered the most prime spot in the house. Yay me!

He spoke for about 45 minutes, reading from Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk as well as his journal. He took a few short questions following his reading and from my prime spot I was able to step right up and ask a question - a literary one that I am not at all embarrassed of this time, too. As always, Mr. Sedaris was utterly charming and delightful to listen to and speak with. Until we meet again, Mr. Sedaris! I will be anxiously awaiting your next book.

John Dies at the End by David Wong

Good evening fellow book nerds! Tonight I am going to tell you all about one of the funniest books I have read in a long time. A least the funniest fiction novel I've read in a long time. Most definitely the funniest sci fi/fantasy book I've ever read.

John Dies at the End is the story of John (the same as in the title) and Dave (the author and narrator). John and Dave are two twenty-something slackers that live in a small Midwestern town Dave calls "Undisclosed for reasons that will become obvious later".

Strange happenings begin to occur in Undisclosed one evening when a levitating Jamaican introduces John to a new drug called "Soy Sauce". The soy sauce provides the user with a heightened sense of awareness. It also opens up a new realm of reality allowing the user to see things normal people can never see with the naked eye - monsters wearing wigs, Ronald McDonald eating his own intestines, demons composed entirely of cockroaches, etc.

Also thanks to the soy sauce, John and Dave become a sort of target for all kinds of super natural beings. They find themselves in a number of different skirmishes with all nature of creatures always accompanied by their super natural creature spotter of sorts, Molly the dog, who at one point in the story explodes but later reappears unharmed. The story culminates in a meeting of the minds between John and Dave and an all-powerful demigod named Korrok who ends up insulting the size of Dave's manhood and calling him gay.

I know I'm not being very thorough with my plot description and I'm sorry for that. It's a hard book to recap. John Dies at the End is really a collection of a number of different smaller stories. It began as an online serial blog posting by David Wong, the pseudonym for Jason Pargin. (Pargin is the editor in chief of Cracked.com, one of my favorite websites. Check it out if you get a chance.) Unfortunately, you can tell the book was a serial. The stories aren't tied together all that well. The main characters are the same but that's about it. It shifts from ghost story to monster story to alien story to alternate universe story and back again leaving major plot holes in its wake.

But, all that being said, this book was freakin' funny. There were just too many one-liners to even mention. At one point John and Dave are battling a demon made of meat (hams, summer sausages, turkeys, etc.) and Dave is worried about being "sodomized by a bratwurst poltergeist". The humor distinctly reminded me of a cross between Zombieland and Army of Darkness. It's crass and juvenile and there is an over abundance of penis and fart jokes but they're funny penis and fart jokes. But I also had to wonder if someone who wasn't so up on pop culture would get a lot of the jokes.

I do know that I could not have found two more different books to read back to back, if you remember my previous blog posting. No one can accuse me of not having eclectic taste in my literature of choice.

All in all, I'm going to give John Dies at the end four bows. It was laugh out loud funny but had some gaping plot holes that I just couldn't overlook. They're filming the movie version now so I am excited to see what they do with it. Until next time, happy reading everyone!

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

OK, so I know I am about 100 years behind popular literature and the best seller lists by just getting around to reading this book now. It's been out and talked about for years. A movie's been made and everything. But, my mom just gave me the book, said she loved it and thought I would love it too. And she was right.

Bees is Kidd's first fictional work. Always one to do things backwards, I read Kidd's second fiction novel The Mermaid Chair a year or two ago after happening upon it at the Planned Parenthood Book Sale. I liked it well enough and always planned to read Bees but I never seemed to come across it until my mom gave it to me recently.

Bees is set in 1960's South Carolina in the midst of the civil rights turmoil of the era. The protagonist, Lily Owens, is a 14 year old girl living alone with her abusive father (a man she can't even bring herself to call "dad" and instead calls "T. Ray") on his peach plantation. Her mother died when Lily was very young - the victim of a very tragic accident. Lily does, however, have the comfort and love of her African American nanny-of-sorts, Rosaleen but has always longed for the love of a family in general and the love of her mother in particular.

After some misfortunes and bad decisions, Lily and Rosaleen run away from home - Lily in search of information about her mom and Rosaleen in search of freedom. They end up in Tiburon, South Carolina. Lily is drawn there by a small icon of a Black Madonna she found with her mother's possession with the town's name written on the back. The Black Madonna turns out to be a honey jar label produced by three African American sisters. Sensing the distress and danger surrounding Lily and Rosaleen, the three sisters - August, June and May - take them in and provide them with the security and sense of family Lily has been searching so desperately for.

Bees is an enchanting coming-of-age and finding-your-place-in-the-world story. Kidd being from South Carolina is able to paint an idyllic portrait of the unique state while at the same time highlighting some of the socials ills that were prolific in the south during the '60s. Racism and the civil rights movement play a central role in the story but isn't presented so harshly as to be a downer, so to speak.

Bees, as you might guess from the title, also play a central role in the novel. The sisters - primarily August, the matriarch figure of the sisters - are beekeepers and lots of bee facts and tidbits are woven throughout the story. I love an author that does his or her research enough that I'll leave a book with a few nuggets of useless knowledge about an obscure topic. Like the bees in a hive will all simultaneously flap their wings to cool the hive down; a form of air conditioning of sorts. Or the fact that a hive of bees will swarm (leave the hive in mass) if they lose their queen.

There were instances, being the cynic that I am, where I questioned the motivation of the sisters for taking in these two complete strangers who knocked on their door. It just seemed a little too convenient for the story's purposes. Although Kidd does try to explain it a bit at that end, it still never seemed quite realistic to me. But I guess that's why we read books. To be entertained. Not to hear stories that we hear every day or see everyday in reality. In Kidd's lovely South Carolinian world, strangers take in, clothe, and feed perfect strangers for nothing in return. You kind of wish stuff like that could happen now without the threat of being strangled in your sleep or at the very least, robbed blind. Oh wait, I guess it does happen now.

Overall, I liked this book a lot. It was a quick, easy read that made me feel warm and fuzzy at the end. I like that feeling. And for that, I am going to give The Secret Life of Bees four and a half bows. I highly recommend it. And let me know what you all thought of the book as I'm sure you all read it year ago. Until then, happy reading!

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris *PLUS* Bonus Commentary on David Sedaris' Personal Appearance

I'm sure everyone remembers my obsession with David Sedaris. As he is one of my very favorite authors, I have been eagerly anticipating his newest book, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, for some time. The book hit store shelves a couple weeks ago and I ran directly over to B&N right after work to pick up my copy.

A departure from Sedaris' normal writings (which consist almost entirely of funny autobiographical short stories), Squirrel is filled solely with anthropomorphic animal short stories. "Strange," you might say. Yes it is, but only if you don't get Sedaris' unique brand of humor.

Each story is written from the point of view of a particular animal. Each animal seems to embody Sedaris' sardonic wit and cynicism. It's almost as if the stories are told by the animal version of Sedaris. We meet adulterous dogs, racist ducks, deluded rats and a very, very accommodating gerbil.

I've talked to some who were disappointed in the book. People want to read about Sedaris' interesting life and crazy family: Amy, the drunk parents and most of all The Rooster. And I do too. But you have to think he is starting to run out of autobiographical material after seven books. If we want to continue enjoying his writing talent, we're going to have to adjust to the transition to fiction. I'm ready for that transition.

However, the book was short. A short book of short stories makes for short reading. I read it in one sitting of just a couple hours. And for that I give Squirrel four and a half bows . If I'm spending fifteen or twenty bucks on a book, I want it to last longer than two hours. And I know, I know. Before you say: "But Shannon, weren't you just bitching about a book taking too long to read?" Yes, I was. But I'm a woman. Incongruity is my birthright so get over it.

BONUS FEATURE

My friend Reeney and I made the trek up to CY Stephens in Ames to hear Sedaris speak last Thursday. This was the third time I heard him speak, each occasion at a progressively larger venue.

Prior to the show, Reeney and I thought we would grab a bite to eat at Black Market Pizza on the north side of town. Adam Richman of Man vs Food visited there in his recent Des Moines episode so we thought we would give it a shot. After chit chatting a bit with the friendly proprietor, Reeney and I split an order of garlic squares (square garlic bread dipped in a light marinara) and shared two small pizzas - a Double Bacon Cheeseburger and a Tree Hugger (ie veggie). The food was only special in the aspect of what it did to us each a little later.

I was quite sick by the time we reached Stephens, which was around 7:00 PM. Show started at 7:30. Sedaris was signing books in the lobby so Reeney held our place in line while I ran not so quickly to the bathroom. Upon returning some time later, Reeney had patiently held our spot and almost reached the front of the line only to be turned away just short of our goal. We were assured, however, that Mr. Sedaris would stay and sign everyone's books after the show.

We made our way to our seats and waited for the show to begin. I was made to feel even worse by the lovely gay gentleman who sat beside us and told us he and his friend had eaten at The Cafe, a restaurant just a few doors down from Black Market Pizza, and told us how wonderful the food was. Nothing makes you more mad after a bad meal than hearing about a just missed wonderful meal.

As for the show itself, Sedaris, as always, was delightful and entertaining. He read a story from Squirrel as well as a few other short stories I had never heard from other publications. Midway though the show, our pizza began to effect Reeney much the same way it had effected me earlier.

Near the end, Sedaris opened the floor up for questions and I will say that one bright spot of the evening was the fact that I was able to ask him a question, albeit a dumb, pointless, non-literary question which I am now quite embarrassed of but couldn't think of anything better to ask at the time.

Faced with an insanely long line and matching stomach ailments, Reeney and I decided to hit I-35 and head back to Des Moines without signed books. So thank you Black Market Pizza for ruining an evening we had been looking forward to for months. You suck.

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman

Hello again all you lovely book nerds! Happy 10/10/10! Today I will be reviewing The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman. This is the first in Hoffman's yet to be published Cale Trilogy - Cale being the hero's name.

I am really not sure what drew me to buying this book. Perhaps it was the super cool cover (exhibit left). Perhaps it was the fact that I was in Kansas City at a giant chain book store called Books-A-Million and was giddy with all the options. I don't know. Nevertheless, this isn't a genre I am normally drawn to. But what that genre is, I can't quite put my finger on either. Is it fantasy? Is it young adult? Is it a thriller? Is it Sci Fi? All of the above, I think.

The book is set in a strange and foreign land. Whether it is medieval Earth, post apocalyptic Earth, or some other made up parallel universe, I don't know that either. Sorry I can't be of more help here. Cale is a young boy (14 or 15 at the book's beginning) trapped in a sort of military monastery called the Sanctuary run by an uber-religious group called the Redeemers. The Redeemers' religion has definite Christian parallels. They have priests and masses and a savior called "The Hanged Redeemer". But the Redeemers' religion isn't quite as benevolent.

The Sanctuary's main purpose is to train young boys, called Acolytes, into becoming fearsome soldiers in the Redeemers' century long battle with their arch enemies, the Antagonists. What the Antagonists ever did to piss the Redeemers off so bad, we never know. And how exactly the Redeemers acquire these young boys (usually at ages as young as 5) we never know either. What we do know is the boys' lives are filled with military training, sparse food and constant beatings with always the threat of a public hanging if they screw up too much.

Cale and two of his friends, Kleist and Vague Henri (although friendship is expressly forbidden by the Redeemers) find themselves in a dire predicament and out of necessity, Cale hatches an escape plot. Very few Acolytes have ever escaped the Sanctuary. And those that did, were never gone longer than 48 hours before the Redeemer search parties found them and executed them. But Cale is not like other Acolytes, as the author is clear to point out early on. He thinks independently and out of the box (another punishable offense in the Sanctuary) and is able to get he and his friends to the large nearby city of Memphis where he proceeds to make a name for himself as a fearsome killer and loose cannon.

I truly went back and forth on my opinion of this book. It varied depending on the page. Hoffman has created an engaging world albeit not all that original. Any ordinary reader will find parallels between this book and The Bible, Lord of the Rings and even Star Wars. Cale is the prototypical hero/bad boy. Raised a killer, he can't deny his nature. But, at the same time, he also has that bad boy heart of gold that's just so irresistible to the ladies. It's very cliche.

I also mentioned this is part one of a trilogy, so, yeah it's a cliffhanger. Grrrrrr! BUT, it's a cliffhanger that may get me to read the second book when it comes out. Circumstances change so considerably at the end of this book, I can't help but be curious as to what happens next.

I think, in the end, I'm just not that into the fantasy genre. I mean, I felt a little ridiculous just describing the plot points above. I know lots of people love fantasy/sci fi and I know it's big business, but I'm not one of those people. Far be it from me to criticize people's literary preferences. As long as you're reading, good on you. So, all that being said, I am giving The Left Hand of God two and a half bows . It's not my cup of tea but I will probably read the follow up book. Feel free to disagree with me, agree with me and/or verbally berate me in the comments section. Until then, happy reading!

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Hello again all you wonderfully nerdy book lovers! I fear I have some 'splainin to do. I have not abandoned my blog as it may have appeared the last couple months. Nor have I not been reading. I unfortunately have a much more embarrassing excuse for why I have not blogged in close to three months. It is simply because I am a slow reader. There. Now you know the ugly truth. Combine that trait with a book that's nearly 1000 pages long and a new Yorkie puppy that doesn't appreciate nor observe reading time and you get a three month lapse in blogs.

So, the original plan was to read The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and have it finished by the time the Starz miniseries premiered. Yeah, that didn't happen. Not by a long shot. Which doesn't really upset me too much now after the fact since Rusty the Hubbie said the acting was really bad and what I did catch was quite different from the book. Regardless, I will try not to make this entry as long as the book.

Pillars is set in medieval era England when the grandest, most beautiful buildings around were the Catholic cathedrals (natch). The book covers many decades and encompasses quite a few characters but it starts with Tom Builder and his family. Tom is a builder, obviously. A master stone mason to be exact. His goal in life is to build the most beautiful and ornate cathedral in all of England. And he gets that chance at Kingsbridge, home to a poorly-run Franciscan monastery. When Kingsbridge's cathedral burns down, the young, resourceful and bright Prior Phillip hires Tom Builder to design and build his beautiful new cathedral.

Parallel to this story is the story of Lady Aliena, daughter of the Earl of Shiring. Headstrong and independent, Aliena turns down the marriage proposal of a local noble's son, William, setting off a chain of events both devastating as well as redeeming for not just Aliena but Tom Builder, Prior Phillips and all of Kingsbridge.

I haven't mentioned probably about a dozen other major players but I feel if I outlined everyone's role in the book, this entry will take me days to write. People are born, people die, people become knights, people become earls etc., etc.

Now, I don't want to give the impression that the book was bad or even boring. It wasn't. It was quite wonderful. It was just very long and complicated. Lots of story lines, characters and locations set over many decades - the length of time it took to build the cathedral. It was, however, frustrating. Bad things just kept happening to the heroes! But it kept me reading. I absolutely could not wait until the villains got their comeuppance. And I couldn't wait to see how it would happen.

One aspect of the book I really enjoyed was the monks lives in the monastery. Being a newly minted Catholic myself, I greatly enjoy reading Catholic history and theology. I have spent time in a Franciscan monastery and I find the life fascinating - whether it be now in the present day Midwest or medieval England. The book gives an interesting look into the politics, hierarchy and everyday life of not only the monks but all ordained Catholic officers.

Overall, I give Pillars four bows. The story was engrossing, rich and fulfilling. The characters were either lovable or detestable, depending on the role. And the subject matter was unique and captivating. Set aside some serious time to read it, however. 1000 pages, people.

How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley

Hey! Look at me everyone! I read a book before everyone else in the free world has read it! Usually the book has been on the bestseller lists for years before I get around to reading it. But I've been anticipating the arrival of this book for some time so I bought it as soon as it hit bookstore shelves.

Sloane Crosley is the author of I Was Told There'd Be Cake which I read probably a year ago and loved. When describing Crosley's work to friends, I always say she's the "female David Sedaris" and we all know how I feel about David Sedaris.

How Did You Get This Number is Crosley's second book of essays. Each essay is a little snapshot of some funny event in her life. From "Take A Stab At It" which chronicles her search for the perfect New York roommate and instead ends up with Nell, the "closet anorexic and casual kleptomaniac", to "Off The Back Of A Truck", an out-of-character touching and poignant, yet still funny, look at a breakup with a boyfriend. All are hilarious yet insightful.

The thing that intrigues me most about Crosley is her ability to laugh at herself. I'm a big fan of self-deprecating humor. It lets us, the readers, know the author isn't taking him or herself too serious. Crosley appears, at first glance, to be the typical cosmopolitan New York It-Girl. Beautiful, stylish and put together. That is until you read her essays. It immediately becomes apparent that Crosley is just like the rest of us getting locked out of her apartment, kicked out of Notre Dame in Paris and hiding in bathroom stalls from childhood bullies. It's a cliche but she really everywoman and that appeals to me.

How Did You Get This Number is a fast read, as most books of essays are, so it would make for great poolside or beach reading. I laughed out loud at nearly every essay. And for this reason I am going to give it an unprecedented five bows!Congratulations Sloane Crosley! You received Iowa Bookworm's first five bow rating! Like she cares...

Up next is Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett. This book is freakin' 973 pages long so it might take me awhile. Until then, I'll try to keep blogging on past books I've read or book related news pieces I come across.

Happy reading everyone!

On My Continued Stalking of David Sedaris

A few weeks ago I learned one of my favorite authors, David Sedaris, was going to be making another swing through central Iowa on a speaking tour. Obviously, I was thrilled and immediately began texting my besties to line up a date or two for the show.

This will be my third time hearing Sedaris speak. My husband, Rusty, claims I am stalking him. This may be so. Especially since last time he was in Des Moines, I may have made some comments that would have justified a restraining order being placed on me.

He was speaking at the Civic Center of Des Moines reading from and promoting his new book at the time, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. My friend Jamie Lou and I went for drinks before hand but upon arriving at the Civic Center we found a recently vacated autograph table. Devastated, I tried to sweet talk the guard into letting me in to meet him since I had a first edition copy and was dying for a signature. Rent-a-cop was having none of it. But he was most helpful in informing us that Mr. Sedaris would be signing autographs after the show too.

Jamie and I slipped out quick after the show and ran down the stairs to beat all the other Sedaris fans to the line. When I reached the front of the line, I handed him my first edition copy of Flames. Summoning all my courage, I asked David Sedaris...to sign my boobs. Yep, I did. I was that chick. Now don't forget Mr. Sedaris is gay and quite reserved. He became quite flustered and politely declined, immediately making me ashamed for having embarrassed him so. That is until I read his inscription in my first edition:



It reads: Shannon, Your story has touched your breasts. -David Sedaris. God, I love that man. This book is now one of my most prized possessions.

This time around, Sedaris will be coming to C.Y. Stephens in Ames and my friend Reeney will be joining me for the show. Reeney was also with me the first time I heard him speak quite a few years ago at Hoyt Sherman. Tickets went on sale this morning at 10:00 and I jumped on Ticketmaster at precisely 10:00 AM. I snagged us 10th row seats. Not bad in my opinion, especially for Stephens. He will be promoting his forthcoming book, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary. From the sounds of it, this book will be amazing. A collection of anthropomorphic animal stories. I will be first in line when the book hits shelves in October.

I have decided, however, I will be on my best behavior this time. I have serious literary questions to ask him. I don't need to be the juvenile court jester all the time, cracking jokes and acting silly. Well, maybe on second thought I'll ask him to fake make out with me for a picture.

A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean

A few weeks ago, Rusty and I came upon A River Runs Through It starring Brad Pitt on Encore. The movie is one of my favorites - it's visually stunning not only in the Montana scenery but in the 1920's period clothes. This unexpected movie viewing reminded me that I have been meaning to read the book the movie was based on for some time. So I ran out to Barnes and Noble and got it.

I was a bit hesitant to read this book. As I mentioned, the movie is a favorite and I was worried the book would not live up to my expectations. Not long ago, I purchased Legends of the Fall by Jim Harrison. This movie is also a favorite. I hated the book. Imagine those gay movie reviewers from In Living Color with their sing-song voices when I say I hated it. (Just don't imagine me wearing a teeny tiny bowler hat, please.) The book was awful. So, since I consider River and Legends to be the same genre (Montana based, family conflict, outdoor activities, Brad Pitt starring) despite their different authors, I was nervous.

*Disclaimer* Once again, please remember I am reviewing the book here, not the movie. There were differences.

River is a short autobiographical novella about Norman Maclean and his brother Paul. It's 1938 and Norman is newly married to Jessie Burns (see differences) and living with her family. Paul is a journalist for a local Helena, Montana newspaper. Norman and Paul are the only children of a Scottish Presbyterian minister. They spent their childhoods on the banks of the Big Blackfoot river near Missoula, Montana fly fishing.

Norman's wife and mother-in-law assign him the task of looking after Jessie's visiting alcoholic brother, Neal. Norman and Paul are to take Neal fishing and by extension, help him with his alcoholism...somehow. Norman has bigger fish to fry, however. (Tee hee! Get it? Bigger fish to fry. It's a book about fishing.) Ahem. Anyway, Norman is worried that Paul may be drinking a little too much himself. But more troublesome, he seems to have gotten himself behind in a shady and dangerous poker game. And as the local police sergeant explains, "It's not healthy to get behind in that poker game."

Just about every major scene in the book takes place on the river. And each theme and concept is given metaphorically in fly fishing terms. Maclean has a very lyrical, almost poetic, voice that is beautiful and mesmerizing. When describing the slow appearance of a big fish in the river water, Maclean says, "Out of the lifeless and hopeless depths, life appeared. He came so slowly it seemed as if he and history were being made on the way." Beautiful, simply beautiful.

Despite the above quote, the fly fishing jargon got a little tedious at times. And a bit technical. I mean, he really gets into the nuts and bolts of fly fishing. But just because I don't understand, doesn't diminish the book in my opinion. I know fly fisher-people are maniacally devoted to the craft so I wasn't surprised the book was so in depth.

Overall, I give A River Runs Through It four bows . It's a short, quick read set against a majestically beautiful landscape. Not exactly identical to the movie but the differences make the book new and interesting. And just like the movie, the book makes me want to move to the Montana area. Someday, maybe.

Happy reading, everyone! And as an aside, drop me a line and let me know what's on all your summer reading lists.

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

OK, so I apologize this post has taken so long. This book took me around three weeks to finish. It's long and complicated - a difficult combination for a slow, analytical reader like myself. So sorry y'all. Let's get right into it.

You may remember my previous review of Stieg Larsson's first book in his Millennium trilogy, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. As an aside, I hear Hollywood is in talks to make an English language Dragon Tattoo movie starring Daniel Craig - 007 himself - as Blomkvist. Yum! And Kristen Stewart from Twilight as Salander. Blech!

Anyhoo, I digress...In Larsson's second installment, The Girl Who Played With Fire, we revisit the lives of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. Just a quick refresher: Blomkvist is an investigative journalist and quite the ladies man. Salander is an emo computer hacker with a troubled past. The book opens with Salander lounging poolside in Grenada. It seems Salander has absconded with a sizable sum of money and taken an extended vacation. This portion of the book is entirely pointless and has no bearing on the rest of the story so I shall move on.

Blomkvist and his magazine, Millennium, have been approached by a freelance journalist with a provocative and explosive story on sex trafficking. The journalist, Dag Svensson, and his girlfriend, Mia Johansson have been researching underage sex trafficking from the Baltics to Sweden for some time. Johansson is researching for her PHD thesis. Svensson's goal is to write an expose for Millennium magazine, with an accompanying book, on the crime. Both plan to personally name the customers keeping the underage prostitute ring in business - many of whom are quite prominent members of society.

That is until Svensson and Johansson turn up dead in their apartment just before the book and magazine go to print. Unfortunately for Salander, her finger prints are all over the gun and the couple's apartment. Also unfortunately for Salander, her court appointed dirtbag legal advocate turns up dead across town in his apartment. Bad day for Salander.

Salander goes underground working from her home computer and incognito to solve the murders before the police investigators catch up with her. Blomkvist, her sole ally, works from the outside to clear her name. Meanwhile, the true murderer is still on the loose and possibly hunting for Salander next.

A few observations first:

1. What is Larsson's obsession with coffee? I mean, really? His books are full of people going to get coffee, making coffee, brewing coffee, pouring coffee, offering coffee to other people. If he left all the coffee references out of his books, they would be 100 pages shorter.


2. What is Larsson's obsession with the minutia of his characters' lives? The above coffee references aside, every crumb of food they eat, every stitch of clothing they put on their bodies and every step they take is described in excruciating detail. I know authors need to paint a picture for a novel to be engaging but there has got to be a line somewhere.

OK, I had to get that off my chest. It's been bugging me.

I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as the first in the series. It was very hard get in to, for one thing. Both books are slow starters but Dragon Tattoo grabbed me much earlier and kept me engrossed, while Fire really drug on without ever snagging me fully.

And to make matters worse, it's a cliffhanger. I HATE cliffhangers. When I finish a book, I want it finished, dammit! This book took me three freaking weeks to read and now I have to read another book the same size or bigger just to see what happens. Never mind that I was going to read the next one anyway. It's the fact that I HAVE to read it that chaps me.

Another problem I had with this book, more so than the first, was the deadend story lines. I mentioned Salanders magical mystery tour of the Caribbean above. I thought maybe something would come of it but nada. There is also a small deadend subplot that involves Salander's studying mathematical theory. We get it - she's a genius. Don't talk about it for chapters on end unless it's going to have some bearing on the plot. My point is Larsson seems to have lost his edit button between the two books. Either that or he was consciencely looking for filler and in that case, he should have nixed the filler and combined the second and third into one book.

All that being said, there are some good things about the book. I know it hasn't sounded like it so far but trust me. It's decent. Thankfully, it's less violent than the first. That's a huge plus. And there are parts of the book that are quite engaging. Larsson can weave a story. The world he has created is exact and precise. Every detail is covered which, as I mentioned, can get tiresome at times. But the man had an imagination, that's for sure. He had the ability to create a world in his brain and put it down on paper to the smallest detail. That impresses me.

Overall I give The Girl Who Played With Fire two and a half bows . There's a good chance I would have given it a higher rating had it not been a cliffhanger. And it was really hard to judge the book on it's own. Comparisons to the first were inevitable so the above rating is really a reflection of my opinion of the second as compared to the first book. Dragon Tattoo was so good. Fire just couldn't live up to it. I am wholly optimistic, however, that the third installment, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest redeems the trilogy. I have already purchased it but will be taking a short respite before reading it - a palate cleanser of sorts - and reading a book or two on the "to read" shelf.

In the meantime, let me know what you thought of the book. I know there's a bunch of you out there that disagree with me. But until then, happy reading!

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

Sorry all you tens of readers out there. I haven't blogged for a week. I'm currently reading The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson and it seems to be taking me a while to get through it. So, I thought I would honor the new True Blood season currently airing Sunday evenings on HBO by talking today about Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris. I will do my best to separate the TV show from the book because there are differences.

First, a bit of background since this is the second installment in Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novel series. Our heroine, Sookie, is a waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie is not like other girls. She can read minds, a gift that she really doesn't enjoy. The world these novels inhabit is rife with supernatural creatures. At the forefront are the vampires who have recently "come out of the coffin". Due to a new synthetic blood called True Blood, the vampires as a community have chosen to enter mainstream society and make themselves known. There are also shape shifters (Sookie's boss, Sam, likes to turn into a collie), maenads, werewolves and who knows what else. Sookie is in love with a vampire by the name of Bill Compton who was turned vampire during the Civil War.

The book opens with a murder. Lafayette, the fry cook at the bar where Sookie works is found dead in Sheriff Andy's car. No one knows what happened, least of all Andy who was actually in the bar tying one on at the time of the murder. Sookie, as usual, feels it's her duty to find the killer. Why the police force in Bon Temps is so incompetent, I don't know.

In the midst of Sookie's investigation/snoopiness, Eric Northman, current vampire sheriff of Louisiana, 1000 year old former viking, proprietor of Fangtasia, the hottest vampire bar in Louisiana, and uber hottie (Exhibit A)

sends Sookie on a telepathy assignment to Dallas, Texas. It seems a local Dallas vampire has gone missing and they need Sookie's special powers to help find him. Bill accompanies her.

As usual, Sookie gets herself in all kinds of trouble. She discovers that a local anti-vampire church has kidnapped the missing Dallas vampire and is planning to sacrifice him at dawn in a ceremony called "meeting the sun". In other words, the vampire will be tied to a stake and left out to burn when the sun rises while a bunch of vampire haters cheer. Sookie offers to infiltrate the church in order to get information but the church has been tipped off to Sookie's affiliations and she finds herself kidnapped too and added to the morning's sacrificial festivities.

Will Sookie escape the clutches of the anti-vampire church? Will Sookie save the vampire from meeting the sun? Will Sookie solve Lafayette's murder? Will we ever get to see Eric in the spandex disguise at the end of the book on the TV show? I know the answers but I'm not talking. Read the book lazy bones!

It goes without saying that Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels are not deep reading. These aren't books that future literary scholars are going to be studying. BUT, they are fun. The characters are wacky and the world Harris has created is captivating. You have to wonder what supernatural creature Harris is going to pull out of her bag of tricks next.

However, I found the story in this novel a little weak, at least compared to the first novel in the series, Dead Until Dark. It was really two stories in one: Lafayette's murder and Sookie's assignment in Dallas. The two were completely unrelated and created a disjointed storyline. Harris obviously didn't have enough meat on either story so she just combined them into one book. I can't fault her that. Overall, I give Living Dead in Dallas 3 1/2 bows It's not Shakespeare but it's fun, mindless reading. I highly recommend it for the beach or pool. Happy reading everyone!

The Douchiest Douche That Ever Douched

Begin Rant-

I happened upon this USA Today article a while ago and I haven't been able to rinse the taste of bile out of my mouth since reading it. This article seems innocent enough. An interview with best selling author Nicholas Sparks and the star of the new movie based on one of his books, Miley Cyrus. I'm not even going to touch Miley here because she actually comes off as the more rational of the two in this interview. And that's not saying a lot. No, my vitriol is reserved solely for Sparks and his obvious delusion of grandeur complex.

You may know Sparks best by the movies based on his novels. A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, and Message in a Bottle among others. I will give Sparks some leeway with his argument that his books are "love stories, not romances". Whatevs. I personally don't see the distinction. But he is quite adamant, much like a politician who argues the difference between having an inappropriate relationship with a woman who is not his wife and banging all the strippers at the Kitty Kat Klub.

But, I have to draw the line when he compares himself to Hemingway. After picking up A Farewell to Arms he says, "That's what I write." Um, no. You don't. Hemingway wrote some of the most simple yet eloquent prose the literary community has ever seen. You write melodramatic (despite his argument in the interview) tripe that's only a small step above Harlequin Romances. And then in the next breath claims "there are no authors in (his) genre. No one is doing what (he) does." Does this choad really think he invented a literary genre? Are young, eager minds at the University of Iowa's Writers Workshop studying his groundbreaking masterpieces?

Don't get me wrong, we all have our dirty little secrets - our secret go-to books when we don't really feel like thinking a lot. The ones we don't want to be seen reading at the corner Starbucks. I read Anita Shreve novels and Sookie Stackhouse books. I'm not entirely proud of it but everyone needs a break now and again. The difference being these authors aren't parading around in USA Today claiming to be the next Hemingway. Most likely because they have the self awareness to know they are not the next Hemingway.

And what's his problem with Cormac McCarthy. McCarthy must have stolen his girlfriend in high school or something.

End Rant-

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis

Some of you lovely readers might not be aware of this, but before Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Touhy in the movie The Blind Side, there was actually a book. Oh yes, I'm not lying. Often times, Hollywood actually makes movies based on books. Crazy I know. And often times, books are written about real live people. Such is the case with The Blind Side.

First I will give a little synopsis of the book and then provide a lot of commentary because this book is not the least bit what everyone thinks it to be. Least of all my boss, Lynnette, who purchased this book to read before she watched the movie. She made it three pages in and then promptly handed it over to me to read. She wanted me to read it first so I could tell her where to start reading it. In essence, where it got good.

Michael Oher was a poor, black kid from the wrong side of Memphis, TN - that is the West side. In a strange turn of events, he lands in an East side, rich, white private Evangelical christian school for his Junior year. Some concessions were made since Michael didn't really have the grades to make the cut at the highly academic school. His free pass came in the form of his body. Michael was 6'5", 350 pounds. At age 16. All the coaches at the school saw a wonderful asset in Michael so he was allowed in.

The Touhys, the rich, white Evangelical family that eventually adopts Michael, entered his life gradually. Michael had no real support system. He was one of 14 siblings to a mother addicted to drugs. Michael mostly slept on whichever friends couch who would have him, up to and including his first semester at Briarcrest, the new Christian school. Sean Touhy, a former Ole Miss basketball star and current owner of 85 Taco Bells, took an interest in Michael. Sean himself was an American success story having come from nothing and made himself a millionaire. He saw a little of himself in Michael.

The Touhys involvement in Michael's life began slowly. Sean set up an account in the cafeteria for Michael's meals. Leigh Anne, Sean's wife, took Michael out clothes shopping since he only seemed to have one pair of jeans and one t-shirt to wear. Eventually, Michael began sleeping on the Touhys' couch. After that, Leigh Anne simply set him up in his own room. Just like that, Michael had become part of the Touhy family.

Eventually, college football scouts got wind of Michael. They didn't care that Michael wasn't particularly good at football (yet). All they needed was one glimpse at his size and they were ready to throw a full scholarship at him. But before that could happen, Michael needed some work. His grades were crap - he was barely able to read. And the position that all the scouts were interested in him playing - left tackle - he had never played before. Sean and the Briarcrest football coaches spent the summer teaching Michael the basics of the left tackle position. Leigh Anne got to work getting Michael a tutor to improve his grades.

Michael's senior year was a glorious success. He was named Tennessee State Football Player of the Year and his grades had improved considerably. He was being courted by all the big colleges and he had been formally adopted by the Touhys. Michael's life had gone from nearly an inner city statistic to future NFL star in a short year and a half.

OK, so Michael's story is really only half of this book, dear readers. Many people don't know that the book is actually called The Blind Side - Evolution of a Game. That game is football and that evolution makes up the other half of the book. The book begins with the story of Lawrence Taylor and Joe Theismann. Anybody who knows anything about pro football knows the story I'm speaking of. Lawrence Taylor (or LT more commonly) is better known these days for his crack addiction and more recently his penchant for sex with underage girls. Joe Theismann, well, he's known for what Lawrence Taylor did to him. If you're curious, google it but don't say I didn't warn you. I'll just leave it at this:

This half of the book is very heavy on football theory and strategy, stats and statistics. I watch football. I'm a fan. I know most of the big name players. I know my way around a football game well enough. I may not know the difference between pass defending and pass interference, or the difference between offsides and encroachment (one is defense, one is offense - I don't know which). This is what I have a husband for and he came in very handy while reading this book. "Honey, what's a blitz?" "Honey, what's spearing?" My point being, I know the basics of football but I still needed help with this book.

Lewis' point was that there was an evolution that had started a decade - maybe two - before Michael Oher even set foot on the football field. That evolution was a need for a big enough, strong enough, athletic enough left tackle to protect the quarterback's blind side. The idea being that most quarterbacks were right handed therefore making their left side their blind side. If that blind side was adequately protected, the quarterback was left free to complete his passes down field.

So, these chapters on football theory and strategy were inserted in between the chapters about Michael's transformation to give the readers some background on what had made Michael such a valuable commodity in the first place. Lewis also, most likely, bored a lot of readers (not the least of which my boss) who picked up the book to read a heart warming rags-to-riches story only to be bombarded with football statistics. I blame this on the movie. I haven't seen it yet but I would venture to guess the movie doesn't mention the improvement of pass completions when going from a traditional offense to a West Coast Offense. God, how do I even know these things now! I need to watch a fashion show and reprogram my brain ASAP!

This book was hard to rate since, as I stated above, half of the book is football theory, the other half heart warming rags-to-riches. I would give the football theory half two bows and the rags-to-riches half four bows so we will go with an average of three bows.If you are an average reader and can get through the history and theory chapters without being so bored as to give up, you'll find the book quite enjoyable. If you're a football scholar, like my husband, you will find the book riveting. If you don't know the first thing about football or sports in general - and don't care - you're screwed. Rent the movie. Happy reading, or maybe this time I should say happy watching!

War of the eReaders

No review today, dear readers. Today I would like to address a very important and life changing decision that has been been nagging me for some time: should I buy an ereader.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, ereaders are basically electronic books. They are little electronic devises designed specifically for storing and reading books, magazines, newspapers, etc. Here are the leading models:



Left to right: Amazon's Kindle, Barnes & Noble's Nook, Sony's Reader and Apple's iPad

Those are just a few of the models on the market right now. Type "compare ereaders" in Google and you'll get an idea of the full scope of the market. Each model varies a tad in their specific features but the concept is the same. You download books directly to the device. The devise marks your place automatically. Some allow you to highlight excerpts to refer back to whenever you like. Some allow you to share books with friends and family who have the same model as you. Amazon and Barnes & Noble specifically provide a large selection of free books (books that are no longer under copyright) to their ereader owners. All provide their owners with an easy and compact way to store all their books rather than cluttering up shelves and taking up valuable space in their homes.

The problem with this decision is that I am a traditionalist. I enjoy my books. Not just reading them. That's a given. I enjoy the feel of the pages in my hand. I enjoy collecting them; filing them on my bookshelves after I've finished; selecting the next one. I love building my library and sometimes go in there for no reason but just to look at all my books.



Yes, I've read all of them and I am almost out of space.

Also, I enjoy attending author readings and book signings. There's no way to have an author sign your ereader now is there. I have two signed first editions in my collection that I prize more than just about anything else I own: David Sedaris' When You Are Engulfed In Flames in which the inscription mentions my boobs and Lisa See's Shanghai Girls. Signed first editions just aren't an option with ereaders.

However, I also see the benefit of these devices and these benefits are what is making my decision so hard. First and foremost is cost. Not the cost of the device itself. I think most run around $250.00 or so. I am speaking of the cost of the books. Needless to say, I spend a LOT of money on books. I love hanging out in book stores and often go in for a one specific book and exit with an arm load. I just find so many other wonderful books I want to read while browsing. To make this habit a little easier on my pocketbook, I have tried to start acquiring my books at discount, second hand stores and fairs such as Half Price Books and the Planned Parenthood Booksale. EReader books are generally significantly cheaper to download than buying a physical book. And as I mentioned above, many have a large selection of free books. FREE BOOKS PEOPLE!

Another benefit is convenience. I take a book with me wherever I go whether it be work or doctors appointments or vacation. There's always a book in my purse. So logically, a compact device that stores many books would be attractive to me. Especially for vacation and travel. My good friend Jamie and I always laugh about how many books we each take on vacation with us. We're like little traveling libraries. Jamie has since purchased a Kindle and loves it. But she travels quite a bit more than I do so the purchase was a bit more easy for her.

Anyhoo, needless to say, I'm no closer to making a decision. As of right now, I think I am going to stick with the centuries old, tried and true method of physical books. But each time I enter Barnes & Noble and see that Nook display and I start playing around with the display model, the 21st century gal in me starts to come out and I start to covet the new technology. If any of you have an ereader and have any further insights, I would much appreciate your input. Until then, happy reading!

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee

Today I will be reviewing The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee. This is Lee's debut novel, having previously been an editor at Elle Magazine. Let's see if she should have stayed in fashion, shall we.

I'm a little unsure where to start with this book since I found it a bit disjointed. But I shall do my best. We will start with the title character. Claire is newly married and newly arrived in Hong Kong where her husband is an engineer overseeing the building of a water reservoir.

The year is 1952 and Hong Kong has recovered remarkably from World War II and been placed safely back into British hands as a colony. Claire barely knows her new husband (she married him to escape her overbearing mother) but being British herself, is quickly introduced into Hong Kong's colonial society. An accomplished piano player, she accepts a position with a wealthy Chinese family, the Chens, teaching their daughter, Locket, the piano.

It is through her position as the piano teacher that she meets Will Truesdale, the Chen's British chauffeur. Will and Claire quickly and unceremoniously begin an affair with each other. However, Claire is blissful ignorant of Will's past during the war. And also blissful unaware that she is, through her relationships with Will and the Chens, inserting herself into a long simmering conflict that is about to come to a head.

The book alternates between Claire's story in 1952 Hong Kong with Will's story in 1941 Hong Kong. Will arrives in Hong Kong with no real plans to stay, until he meets Trudy, a beautiful and vivacious half Chinese, half Portuguese heiress. Will and Trudy fall madly in love and enjoy a life of leisure and privilege together, going to all the most glamorous parties and restaurants. That is, until war breaks out and the Japanese invade Hong Kong. The Hong Kong and British militaries surrender after only a few short days and Hong Kong is plunged into violent Japanese rule. Will, as a British citizen, is placed in a kind of prison holding camp for foreign citizens of governments that opposed the Japanese. Trudy is allowed to stay on the outside due to the favor of a new Japanese "benefactor".

It is here that the book takes a turn toward a more intrigue and war time double cross filled story line. Prior to this point, the book had been more of an insight into Hong Kong colonial society - the dinners, the opulence, the amahs (Chinese female servants). It almost becomes a different book entirely. I guess that could have been the author's intention given that Hong Kong became an entire different place once the war broke out. It could have been a way of paralleling the story to the history.

The book definitely provides a very interesting look into British colonial society. Half a world away from "the Mother Country", British citizens set up their own little mini British communities in these colonies. Hong Kong was no exception. Wealthy Hong Kong Chinese were educated in Britain and often described as being more British than the British themselves. Because of their wealth, they were allowed into the British colonial society but they were few and far between.

The book also provides a startling look into the cruelty and barbarism of the Japanese toward the people they conquered during WWII. I've read a few other novels set during this time period - both in Hong Kong and Shanghai - and none sugar coated the atrocities that occurred at the hands of the Japanese. I'm sure this is the case with all wars, regardless of the nationalities, and maybe it's just the fact that I've read more books about the Japanese during WWII but it seems they were particularly barbaric and inhuman. Truthfully, I don't care to broaden my horizons on this front and actually wonder why I have chosen to read so many novels that deal with these subjects in the first place.

Overall, as I said before, I found the book disjointed. The two stories never seemed to converge logically. Claire, the title character for god sakes, never really seemed to fit into the overall plot and it made me wonder why the author had chosen to include her story at all. The pre-wartime and post-wartime story of Will and Trudy was much richer and more compelling. It was just confusing.

But the writing itself was lovely. Lee has a knack for describing scenes and characters and especially the clothing the characters are wearing but we would expect no less from a former Elle Magazine editor, now would we. So I give The Piano Teacher three bows. It truely was fair to middling. Neither good nor bad, neither hot nor cold. You get the point.