It was fun to read both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire back-to-back for the read-a-thon. I’m glad I didn’t have a long wait between the first two books of the trilogy, but obviously I’ll have a longer wait for the third book to come out. The bad part is, the cliffhanger between 2 and 3 is quite a bit greater than from 1 to 2 in my opinion. I do look forward to reading the next book.
I liked this sequel about the same as the first book and both books received a rating of 4 stars. As I said in my post about The Hunger Games, though, I still feel there are some better written young adult dystopian books out there. However, this series, though a bit dark and violent, will definitely keep you going until the very last page.
2009, 391 pp.
Disclosure: I received this book from a promotional company (but after I had already purchased The Hunger Games).
Avi’s Newbery-winning book of an orphan boy known at first only as ‘Asta’s son’ is a familiar one, but it is also entertaining. When his mother dies, ‘Asta’s son’ soon finds himself on the run and is forced to flee the only town and home he has ever known. Leaving with only the clothes on his back and his mother’s lead cross, he does find some people who are willing to help him, but are they truly friendly, or do they only want to find out who he really is and why he’s being tracked?
This book contained adventure, mystery, and history, and I really enjoyed it. Both of my sons read the book a few years ago, and I know they really liked it as well.
I read this book because I needed an ‘I’ author and another book that fit the Canadian Challenge. This short novel is essentially about two sisters’ obsession with Yoshi Takahshi, their Japanese concert pianist neighbor. I love classical music so I was hoping music would play a big part in the story. Although music obviously plays a role, the bulk of the plot centers around the girls’ adoration of Yoshi.
The girls use every excuse they can to visit him and even start to decorate their rooms in a spartan, Japanese style. Yoshi encourages the girls and even invites them to accompany him on an overnight trip to one of his concerts. As you can probably guess, a s*xual situation develops. The book flashes back and forth from when Jean and Collette were young teenagers and both had crushes on Yoshi to the present in which they are now grown. Even as adult women, their obsession continues.
I most enjoyed the parts of the book where it concentrated on Jean’s struggle to continue on with her own music — especially the conversation she has with her father, also a musician. This book was the basis for a Canadian film called The Pianist (different than the film with the same name starring Adrien Brody).
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway is a moving story based on fact. It chronicles the few days in Sarajevo during 1992 when the real “Cellist of Sarajevo,” Vedran Smailovic, played his cello for 22 days in the exact spot where 22 people had been killed while waiting in line for bread.
In the novel, a counter-sniper, Arrow, is assigned to keep the cellist from getting shot and killed. Arrow is the best at what she does but still wrestles with the moral dilemma of having to take another’s life. She wonders if she is any better than the men in the hills trying to destroy her city.
We also meet Kenan, a man on his way to fetch water for his family, and we follow his life-threatening journey as well as his thoughts, fears, and hopes for the future. Another character, Dragan, misses his family, whom he helped to get out of the country. All of them are waiting. Waiting for help that never comes.
Told in a simple but unforgettable style, Galloway captures this unfortunate moment in history in a way that will break your heart for all victims of war.
This book will be released on May 15 from Riverhead Books.
I loved this book, perhaps even more than The Handmaid’s Tale, which I also rated 4.5. Whereas The Handmaid’s Tale was mostly a cautionary tale about men’s subjugation of women, Cat’s Eye is about girls subjugating and intimidating other girls. Elaine Risley as an adult is a successful artist, but as a little girl she was bullied by her friends and their ringleader, Cordelia. What makes little girls (and big ones!) do this, and why do the ones being tormented let them do it?
In an interview in the back of the book, Atwood states this is her most autobiographical novel, and she states the theme of the book as follows:
Cat’s Eye is about how girlhood traumas continue into adult life. Girls have a culture marked by secrets and shifting alliances, and these can cause a lot of distress. The girl who was your friend yesterday is not your friend today, but you don’t know why. These childhood power struggles color friendships between women. I’ve asked women if they fear criticism more from men or from other women. The overwhelming answer was: “From women.”
In typical Atwood fashion, there were also themes concerning male-female relationships. In one painting of Elaine’s, called Falling Women, she describes what was meant in the artwork:
There were no men in this painting, but it was about men, the kind who caused women to fall. I did not ascribe any intentions to these men. They were like the weather, they didn’t have a mind. They merely drenched you or struck you like lightning and moved on, mindless as blizzards. Or they were like rocks, a line of sharp slippery rocks with jagged edges. You could walk with care along between the rocks, picking your steps and if you slipped you’d fall and cut yourself, but it was no use blaming the rocks.
That must be what was meant by fallen women. Fallen women were women who had fallen onto men and hurt themselves. There was some suggestion of downward motion, against one’s will and not with the will of anyone else. Fallen women were not pulled-down women or pushed women, merely fallen.
Definitely one to read if you’ve enjoyed other Atwood novels.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon is a very fun, unique book to read- especially if you are interested in mathematics and logic. Christopher is 15, has a form of autism, loves math, and hates the colors yellow and brown. He sees the world through logic and those around him can only reach him through logic. One night he discovers his neighbor’s dog has been murdered and sets out to find the killer. This leads him not only to the perpetrator but also to a personal adventure as well.
I really admire this book. Haddon made Christopher a completely convincing character, and I would love there to be a sequel.
The Cloud of Unknowing by Thomas H. Cook is a 2007 Publisher’s Weekly Best Mystery. Cook is a favorite author of mine, so I was looking forward to reading this book.
David and Diana are brother and sister whose father had schizophrenia. Diana’s son has recently drowned, and her behavior is becoming more and more erratic. She starts researching about strange ancient murders and starts suspecting her husband in their son’s death. David is worried that she is starting to develop schizophrenia as well. He even begins to wonder if he should put her away for her own good. Was Diana’s son murdered or was it an accident?
I was a little disappointed in this book. My two favorites of his are Breakheart Hill and the Edgar-winning The Chatham School Affair. If you’ve never read Cook before, I suggest you start with one of those two.
I read this quite awhile ago, and I did review most of the stories. I’ll add the rest of the stories in the next few days, but I wanted to get this post up because I have completed 18 decades in the Decades Challenge, and I am ecstatic about it. I’m very proud of myself for that accomplishment. All the stories in this book were published in the 1830’s.
Here are the stories I’ve reviewed so far, and I’ll add the rest later:
“The Fair at Sorochintsy,” a story from Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka
A peasant goes with his wife and daughter to a fair to sell wheat. What’s so scary about that? Well, for starters there’s a haunted barn, a devil on a quest for his lost red jacket, and other evil happenings. I wasn’t frightened much at all (actually, I like it that way–I’m a wimp), but it was still a very entertaining story.
“Saint John’s Eve” and “A May Night, or the Drowned Maiden,” stories from Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka
All three of Gogol’s stories so far have contained the devil in human form. It seems that Gogol’s mother warned him repeatedly about the evil one’s devilish schemes. I think the stories must have scared him to death when he was a youngster! They definitely had an impact on his imagination.
“Saint John’s Eve” is decidedly creepier than the “The Fair at Sorochintsy,” which was the first story in Evenings. Boy loves girl and uses the devil to obtain her. What the devil requires as payment is a heavy price to pay, but when the deed is done, boy doesn’t remember what he did to obtain girl. After they marry, he knows there is something he should remember, and he is obsessed with trying to figure out what it is and doesn’t even enjoy life with his wife. Does he ever remember? Read it and find out.
I didn’t like “A May Night, or the Drowned Maiden” as well as the first two. I had a little bit of a hard time following the story, and it was also longer than the other two. It is another tale of boy wants girl, but in this one, the father of the boy also wants the girl. Once again, the devil plays into it, as well as a witch with drowned maidens in a pond by a haunted cabin. This story wasn’t that scary, and it even had some funny parts in it.
“The Lost Letter“, “Christmas Eve”, and “A Terrible Vengeance,” stories from Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka
Of these three, “The Lost Letter” is the weakest. Grandfather must take a letter to the Czarina. He stops by a tavern, gets side-tracked, and loses the letter. The tavern owner tells him how to get the letter back by going into a certain area of the forest. When he gets there, he has to play a card game with some witches and win the game to get the letter. Impossible task, or maybe not. I wonder who outwits whom. . .
“Christmas Eve” once again has the devil in human form being used to get a girl. This time, though, it is the most pious man in the village “using” (outwitting) the devil to do it. Another witch is involved, as well as a snowstorm, and the Czarina’s slippers. Oh, yeah, and some sacks full of other “devils,” too.
“A Terrible Vengeance” was the creepiest of the three stories. A Cossack and his wife try to fend off the wife’s father, a sorcerer. What the father wants to do is the creepy part, along with some scary cemetery imagery.
Dickens’ Cricket on the Hearth was his third published Christmas book, after A Christmas Carol and The Chimes, and it outsold them both.
John the Carrier and his wife Dot are a couple with a new baby. Included in their home is a cricket on the hearth, who might turn out to be more than just a cricket. They are a happy couple until a misunderstanding arises, but of course, all is well in the end. Other characters include a toymaker and his blind daughter; the toymaker’s boss, Tackleton, who is a Scrooge-like character; and a young girl May (who is supposed to marry Tackleton) and her mother.
The book was quite humorous at times and heartwarming. Although I appreciated this novella at the end, I had a hard time getting into this book at first. In fact, whenever I tried reading it, I would fall asleep. That might have something more to do with me than the story, though. Ordinarily I love classics. The book I read the story in also includes A Christmas Carol and The Chimes, so hopefully I’ll get to read those two titles next year.
I listened to this on CD with my kids. It was narrated by the author, and I must say he did a fantastic job. I will definitely be reading more by Gaiman. I hope to read Stardust before the movie comes out.
Coraline is an only child who lives in an apartment with her work-at-home parents. She’s a bit bored and is always looking for something to do. One day she unlocks a door that has a brick wall behind it–only the brick wall isn’t there anymore. She goes through the door and finds what looks like an exact replica of her apartment–including her parents. I will stop here because I don’t want to spoil the plot. Let’s just say I highly recommend it! Thanks to those in the Once Upon a Time Challenge who recommended it as well.
I simply adored this book! I’ve had Stardust in my hand the last two times I’ve been in the bookstore, but opted for American Gods and then M is for Magic. I’m guessing the third time will be the charm. Of course, I really to need to read the ones I did buy at some point, huh?
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”
It was fun to read both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire back-to-back for the read-a-thon. I’m glad I didn’t have a long wait between the first two books of the trilogy, but obviously I’ll have a longer wait for the third book to come out. The bad part is, the cliffhanger between 2 and 3 is quite a bit greater than from 1 to 2 in my opinion. I do look forward to reading the next book.
Avi’s Newbery-winning book of an orphan boy known at first only as ‘Asta’s son’ is a familiar one, but it is also entertaining. When his mother dies, ‘Asta’s son’ soon finds himself on the run and is forced to flee the only town and home he has ever known. Leaving with only the clothes on his back and his mother’s lead cross, he does find some people who are willing to help him, but are they truly friendly, or do they only want to find out who he really is and why he’s being tracked?
I read this book because I needed an ‘I’ author and another book that fit the Canadian Challenge. This short novel is essentially about two sisters’ obsession with Yoshi Takahshi, their Japanese concert pianist neighbor. I love classical music so I was hoping music would play a big part in the story. Although music obviously plays a role, the bulk of the plot centers around the girls’ adoration of Yoshi.
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway is a moving story based on fact. It chronicles the few days in Sarajevo during 1992 when the real “Cellist of Sarajevo,” Vedran Smailovic, played his cello for 22 days in the exact spot where 22 people had been killed while waiting in line for bread.
I loved this book, perhaps even more than 
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon is a very fun, unique book to read- especially if you are interested in mathematics and logic. Christopher is 15, has a form of autism, loves math, and hates the colors yellow and brown. He sees the world through logic and those around him can only reach him through logic. One night he discovers his neighbor’s dog has been murdered and sets out to find the killer. This leads him not only to the perpetrator but also to a personal adventure as well.
The Cloud of Unknowing by Thomas H. Cook is a 2007 Publisher’s Weekly Best Mystery. Cook is a favorite author of mine, so I was looking forward to reading this book.
I read this quite awhile ago, and I did review most of the stories. I’ll add the rest of the stories in the next few days, but I wanted to get this post up because I have completed 18 decades in the Decades Challenge, and I am ecstatic about it. I’m very proud of myself for that accomplishment. All the stories in this book were published in the 1830’s.
Dickens’ Cricket on the Hearth was his third published Christmas book, after A Christmas Carol and The Chimes, and it outsold them both.
