The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (#17, Young Adult)

Loved it. I know how I made a big stink about how Pullman's His Dark Materials series was not Harry Potter, but this book makes it worth suffering through The Subtle Knife. Of the three, The Amber Spyglass was my favorite. It not only handles multiple, converging story lines deftly, but the characters somehow become the kind of characters you never want to say goodbye to. I was afraid of the end of the book because I didn't want to see Lyra and Will and Serafina Pekkala and Iorek Byrnison go. 

While I did find the religious concept matter a bit off putting at times, it didn't really affect my enjoyment of  the book. There is so much more I want to say about it but I don't want to spoil it for others who haven't read it. Seriously, if you liked Harry Potter, you will enjoy Pullman's venture into what some might consider blasphemous fiction. You should run to your local library and check out all three books. Now! 

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder (#20, Nonfiction)

Now this is nonfiction. What a great book it was, and rather on point for my current 9-5er. Although I am working at a "non-profit" and doing work for the "good of national health," I don't think it is quite on par with the work of Dr. Paul Farmer. Not So Much.

You have to read this one to really appreciate it--you can only be told so much about the amazing life Farmer leads, and the amount of lives he has saved. But to read and see how he moves about the world on a daily basis giving away pretty much every penny he makes to cure diseases in populations that have been left to die slow, painful deaths is ridiculously inspiring. It kind of made me want to be a doctor . . . you know, other than all that blood, cutting and germy stuff. :)

A must read for anyone who wants to be inspired and humbled that: yes, my life is good, and no I am not doing my part.

The Girls by Lori Lansens (#16, Fun)

I received Lori Lansens' The Girls as a birthday gift last year and just now got around to reading it. One of the hardest gifts to give is a book--you have to really know the person to be able to pick something out that they will like and enjoy reading. Unless you know for sure that they want the book it's pretty much like trying to pick out clothing. You have to know the size they wear and the styles they like. 

I liken the art of giving a book as a gift to the art of recommending a book to someone; it is pretty much the same thing because in all essence, you are trying to find something that you think the other person will enjoy reading. I have a poor track record when it comes to recommending books. Becky is of course my victim and I admit to sending her down the Prep road when I knew full well how bad it was. I think I was testing her though--she claimed to be a big reader, a sensible reader and Prep was her hazing. And perhaps I wanted someone else to endure the torture of reading that slop so that we could pick it apart. Curtis Sittenfeld, Booknymphs has no respect for you! 

That said, as a gift, The Girls entertained. I was resistant to liking this book because frankly, I have not had a book picked out for me that I actually enjoyed in a long while. But Lansens is an excellent writer. The characters were real to me and I liked reading about the conjoined twins Ruby and Rose. And while I admit that it was the shock factor that drew me in, the reason I stayed in it was for Lansens' portrayal of sisterhood. Rose and Ruby may be conjoined, but they are first and foremost sisters, the girls of their family. And from someone who is apart of her own girls subset, that is a very powerful, distinct thing. Lansens captures it well.  

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy (#19, Classic)

For years I've been told that Thomas Hardy is as good, and maybe even better, than Jane Austen. In my mind that is a very bold statement, especially since the recommendation came from a loyal Austen fan.

I am sad to report back that my expectations were too high. I spent the first one hundred pages comparing the scenes, characters and dialogue to Austen, and it wasn't the same! Big surprise, right, it is a different author. I complained a bit; thought the characters and time period were "too provincial" feeling. And then, I started to let the story stand on its own, or maybe it began to stand on its on, because Hardy is a great author, and it is a great story!

The book is a bit darker than Austen's novels, but still has a lot of comic relief. The setting is what really differentiates the two authors--Austen's scenes are set to the back drop of stately manors, balls and sitting rooms while Hardy is more pastoral, plain and impoverished.

On one hand I really liked the protagonist, Bathsheba, and I really related to her--can we say fiercely independent? :) But it took me a loooong time to stop thinking Gabriel Oak was a love-sick puppy. I suppose his constancy with his feelings, and Bathsheba's flighty whims, can be compared to some people I know . . .

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (# 18, Cult Religious Book)

An International Phenomenon is what those little words on the top of the book above the title say. An International Phenomenon--sort of like, An International Waste of My Time.

Really EC? Crazy? Singer/Songwriter? THIS is the book you pick as "the best, most inspirational" book ever? I might as well have read, "Who Moved My Cheese" or some equally lame excuse for a NOVEL.

Shut your eyes and stop reading now if you don't want the end of the story to be ruined for you. The book is about a young boy named Santiago who is a Shepard. He is sleeping in a church with his sheep when he has a dream about treasure, so he sets out into the world to find this treasure. He gives up his sheep, and home and travels around continuing to bump into "prophets" who send him on a chase for the treasure. He meets people, he gets mugged, he travels, he works, he falls in love . . . but he's always on the move to find the treasure. He finally gets to the pyramids (where he is certain the treasure is hidden) and is digging when he meets up with some pyramid rif raf. Santiago has to tell them he is searching for treasure and about his dream--in return one of the rif raf says he had a dream about a treasure in the very church Santiago had his dream. Guess where the treasure is? Come on, just take a guess. And what is the moral of the story while you're thinking?

It was really cheesy, and especially when I read the interview at the end with the author, it becomes clear, that this is basically a cult book about religion. NO THANKS.

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (#15, Young Adult)

You know me by now--I love any type of series, especially if it involves children as the heroes and a world where magical things can happen. The Subtle Knife is the second book in the His Dark Materials series and it picks up right where The Golden Compass left off. I blazed through Book II because I wanted to know what was going to happen to Lyra and Will. 

While I enjoyed The Golden Compass very much, this book left much to be desired. As the middle installment in a trilogy, there is always that danger that it will merely serve as a filler--a bridge to get you to Book III. Sadly I found The Subtle Knife to be just that--a filler to get you to point C. I can't decide if it was the weakened plot or the fact that there wasn't enough background thrown in about Lyra to really make it satisfying. 

This is no Harry Potter but it is amusing. I am onto Book III to find out how it all ends. 

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates (#17, Contemporary Literature)

The family experience, hopeless monotony of the 'burbs, and the bitter irony and disappointment between a couple--all themes you will "happily" find in Revolutionary Road. If you know me at all, you can probably venture a guess about my overall impression of the book. Generally, not my genre, but as I write the post and think about the book it is growing on me--in a very academic/philosophical way.

The book is about a young couple living in the 50s, but wanting to "break the mold" and not be like all those "other people." April and Frank Wheeler were different--they turn their nose at the American Dream, and the suburbs, and the traditional roles of men and women. Or did they?

Revolutionary Road is about the human experience. What I've learned from my "Professor" is that a book of this genre is good if it becomes timeless--meaning can people, over countless generations, continue to relate to the characters. Can I relate to the Wheelers? Yes and no. If you asked me, "how old do you picture this couple?" I would quickly answer--much older than me. Wrong answer--29. They are both 29. So, no, I can't relate to being married, with two kids and living in a house with a picture window. But on the other hand, I can relate because they were 29, with two kids, living in a house with a picture window and wishing that wasn't their life.

The book is sad in one of those utterly depressing, "is this all there is to life" type ways. And it makes you wonder about love and happiness--can these be timeless too?

Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would be Human by Elizabeth Hess (#16, Nonfiction)

Dear Ms. Elizabeth Hess,

You are not a good writer. You don't know how to tell a story. Maybe you should have spent more time learning how to write nonfiction than getting the life story of 100's of characters you felt the need to jam down your readers' throats in 300 pages. You are probably a very nice person who likes animals and advocates for animal rights, but maybe you should focus on stopping animal testing rather than writing about Nim and his extended family (or writing about anything for that matter).

Sincerely,

Someone who now fears reading nonfiction

Okay, so, maybe a little harsh, but THIS BOOK WAS SO BAD ! ! ! ! ! Don't get me wrong, it's a VERY interesting story, she just destroyed it in translation. It was excruciating trying to get through this SHORT book. I heart animals, but I don't think I would have ever read this book on my own--it was picked for a book club I attend. I kept plodding through, trying to understand why I disliked it so much--generally I really enjoy nonfiction. After some consultation with my "professional writer contact", I was informed that all books, and EVEN NONFICTION, need DIALOGUE. When an author just goes on and on telling the history of events, it gets BORING and REPETITIVE. And for some, makes them want to bang their head against metro poles.

The book rekindled my dislike for zoos, animal testing and the domestication of wild animals. In book club we had many a discussion about the catch-22 of animal testing--who else would we test drugs on to make sure products are safe for humans? HUMANS?!? I don't know, it's hard--are we talking about some Revelon Eyeliner or antibiotics? And what about zoos? Some people argue that without zoos children wouldn't get to see exotic animals, and therefore never develop a desire to protect or study them. I say F*%$ that. Those animals don't belong in cages. In what world does it make sense for a polar bear to be in Florida? Habitats for injured animals and those unable to be released into the wild--Yes, we should have those, but I could care less if snotty nosed little kids can't go to the zoo.

How about we put people in cages and see how they feel.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi (#14, Young Adult)

Where would I be without Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle? I might not be half the reader I am today had I not stumbled upon this tale of adventure told my the perspective of a strong female narrator. I wish I knew how old I was and how I found this book but I know I was already re-reading it in the sixth grade. Did my childhood best friend Carly recommend it to me? Perhaps, or maybe I saw it on the list for Accelerated Reader and took a chance on it. Whatever the reason, Charlotte Doyle remained a staple in my literary diet for several years after that initial reading.

I checked it out of the library on a whim last time I was there, eager to plunge into a world of rough seas and callous sailors set to corrupt the young Miss Doyle. It was the same satisfying read but I came away wishing there was some sort of romantic element to the plot. I remembered there being one for some odd reason--I must have confused it with the Ann Rinaldi books I read though for there was not one bit. I must have read this before my romantic phase.

All young girls should read this book. It's about independence, speaking your mind and staying true to what you know is right even if it goes against authority.

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (#13, Self Improvement)

I was initially put off by the layout of this book. I took one look at how there are strange little blurbs here and there throughout and decided that I didn't want to have to work that hard to get through each chapter. But then I realized that this is not your traditional self-help book--it doesn't have to follow the rules. Byrne can make it as scatterbrained as the readers who are likely to believe what can be found on the inside of The Secret.

That said, I guess I will admit to being one of those scatterbrained individuals. I was really skeptical at first but when I caught the episode of Oprah where they talk about this book I changed my mind--a little. There were concrete examples of people who used the secret to their advantage. The law of attraction is a powerful thing and I do believe there is something to it. I have even seen the results in my own life. I really do believe we attract the things we truly want. I mean how many times have you been thinking about someone and then you run into them at the grocery store? Or they call you one day out of the blue? I am pretty good at attracting people to me when I want them by simply thinking about them. It's eerie when you think of someone and then all of a sudden they are everywhere you go. Is this the secret at work? Is this the universe hearing you ask for something and then arranging it so that you can have it? It is an interesting concept and definitely one that I will be exploring in the future.