May - September Book Reviews

I had a very busy summer reading, and since I chose to focus on young adult books, I was able to read quite a number of them. In order to catch up, I decided not to write full reviews for each book. I gave my personal rating and then just provided a brief description and link for each book in case anyone wants to check them out further. Three stars are fairly easy to come by, so I would more highly recommend any of the four star books.

Break the Skin by Lee Martin, fiction
**1/2
"In “Break the Skin” Lee Martin weaves the stories of two women to explore the evils that can lie beneath the banality of small-town life."
New York Times

The Adults by Alison Espach, fiction
***
"As this first novel's 14-year-old narrator looks on, her affluent suburban family disintegrates."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/books/review/Kucyznski-t.html

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman, middle grade
****
^Printz award, finalist (2001)
"Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot function, relates his perceptions of his life, his family, and his condition, especially as he believes his father is planning to kill him."
Amazon

Teen, Inc. by Stefan Petrucha, young adult
***
"Fourteen year old Jaiden's family is a corporation and his home is an office building."
http://www.amazon.com/Teen-Inc-Stefan-Petrucha/dp/0802796508

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson, young adult
****
"After being sentenced to a summer of character building physical labor following a graffiti prank, [Tyler Miller's] reputation at school receives a boost, as do his muscles."
http://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Laurie-Halse-Anderson/dp/0670061018

Matched by Allyson Braithwaite Condie, young adult
***
"For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined optimal outcomes for all aspects of daily life, thereby removing the 'burden' of choice."
Amazon

Claim to Fame by Margaret Peterson Haddix, young adult
***
"Lindsay Scott, 16, lives a completely secluded life after spending her early years in the spotlight as a child star. Her fame, coupled with an ability to hear all that is said about her by everyone throughout the world, take its toll, and, at age 11, she suffered a nervous breakdown."
http://www.amazon.com/Claim-Fame-Margaret-Peterson-Haddix/dp/1416939172

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen, young adult
***
"Juli Baker devoutly believes in three things: the sanctity of trees (especially her beloved sycamore), the wholesomeness of the eggs she collects from her backyard flock of chickens, and that someday she will kiss Bryce Loski."
 Amazon

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal, young adult
***
"For sixteen years, Nalia has been raised as the princess of Thorvaldor, but one day she learns that her real name is Sinda and that she is part of a complicated plot that would change the future of her country forever."
http://www.worldcat.org/title/false-princess/oclc/432992770

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, young adult
****
^Printz award, finalist (2000)
"In a stunning first novel, Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager."
Amazon

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly, young adult
****
^Newbery honor book (2010)
"A charming and inventive story of a child struggling to find her identity at the turn of the 20th century."
http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Calpurnia-Tate-Kelly-Jacqueline/dp/0805088415

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin, chick lit
**
"Friendships are tested and secrets come to the surface when terminally single Rachel falls for Dex, her best friend Darcy's fiancé."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491152/

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, young adult
****
"Ella is under a spell to be constantly obedient, a fact she must hide from her new step-family in order to protect the prince of the land, her friend for whom she's falling."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327679/

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, young adult
***
"A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs."
YouTube

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak, young adult
****
^Printz award, finalist (2006)
"Ed is a 19-year-old loser only marginally connected to the world; he's the son that not even his mother loves. But his life begins to change after he acts heroically during a robbery."
http://www.amazon.com/I-Am-Messenger-Markus-Zusak/dp/0375830995

Testimony by Anita Shreve, fiction
***
"In her latest novel... Shreve explores issues surrounding teenage sexuality and the long-term ramifications of our in-the-moment decisions. When a video surfaces featuring a 14-year-old freshman girl engaging in sexual acts with three senior boys, Avery Academy in Avery, Vermont is shaken to its core."
The Book Lady's Blog

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, young adult
***
"... the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island."
Amazon

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, fiction
****
"From the #1 internationally bestselling author of The House at Riverton, a novel that takes the reader on an unforgettable journey through generations and across continents as two women try to uncover their family's secret past."
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Forgotten-Garden/Kate-Morton/9781416550549

Gym Classes and the Pumpkin 5K

Last month, Michael and I finally joined a gym. We talked about it for a long time but waited until we could fit it in the budget. There were many factors we took into consideration including price, contracts, location, and amenities. Of course, the gym first had to fit in our budget. Second, we wanted a gym that offered a month to month contract so that we were not locked in. Some people might be willing to travel to a fancy gym, but we preferred something close to home because we knew it would increase the probability that we would actually go regularly. Finally, we hoped to find a gym that fit all those requirements and also provided plenty of equipment, a variety of classes, and a clean, comfortable atmosphere. We were extremely fortunate to find all those at Lifestyle Family Fitness, less than two miles from home. It has totally been worth the investment for us. I've already tried their Zumba and spinning classes, and they offer these LesMills classes (which I had never heard of) that are really good. So far I've checked out BodyPump and BodyStep. Classes are great if you are social and want to meet new people, are looking for a low level of accountability (if you become a regular, you might be missed), if you like sticking to a schedule, or if you just want someone else to guide you through a workout. I can tell these are serious calorie-burners, and I hope to keep going.

The gym has also been a great way for me to supplement my running routine. I signed up for The Great Pumpkin Run 5K, which is next weekend, and have been moderately training for it. I would love to set a new PR, but I've been somewhat sluggish in training, so I don't know how well that will go over. The cross-training and extra strength training I get by going to the gym has definitely been good though.

Time for a Comeback?

So, I'm thinking about blogging again, and I'm just wondering... is it worth it? Did anyone miss me? If I come back, I'm thinking about making a few tweaks to the content. While I enjoy using the blog to update friends and family about life, I'd also like to add some value to my posts, things that might interest or help my readers in some way. I would love to hear your thoughts, so please take my poll and leave a comment. Thanks!

#201 Indefinite Break

To my few and faithful readers:

This is my two hundred and first blog post, and it will be the last one for a while. For various reasons I have decided to take an indefinite break from blogging. I will also greatly reduce the number of tweets and Facebook status updates I post. While I don't intend to share the reasons here, you are more than welcome to ask me about it if you're curious. If you enjoy reading my book reviews, I strongly encourage you to sign up for Shelfari and "friend" me there as I still track my reading and reviews on that site. For those of you who check here to see what is going in my life, I encourage you to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to stay in touch.

Thanks for reading!

I'm Still Here

Surprise, surprise... the world did not end on Saturday as predicted. Whether you heard about it on the news or through your Facebook newsfeed, I'm sure you were somewhat aware of the talk of the rapture occurring over the weekend. To be perfectly honest, I haven't studied much of what the Bible says about the end times. I know it says that Jesus will come back. 

• "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" - John 14:3 
• "'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'" - Acts 1:11
• "so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." - Hebrews 9:28

I also know it says that we will not know when this will happen.

• "'But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.'" - Mark 13:32-33
• "Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2

I know that the details of the rapture are debated among Biblical scholars. There seems to be agreement that when Jesus does return, believers will be "caught up together" to meet Him in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). When this will happen in regards to the time of tribulation and apocalypse seems uncertain. Nevertheless, people are bent on trying to figure it out and predict it. So far, so wrong.

For me, it doesn't really matter one way or another. I don't think that as a follower of Christ I am called to figure it out. I think it is more important to spend my time doing the two things that Jesus said were the most important: loving God and loving others. I do hope and believe, however, that God will use all this talk about the Rapture to get people's attention. I hope it causes people to think about their relationship, or lack thereof, with our Creator. I hope that those of us who call ourselves Christian will help point people to the Cross and remind them that Jesus died for them because He loves them and wants them to be "caught up" to Heaven with Him one day. All it takes is a little faith.

Cap City Half Marathon

Three months of training really paid off when I sprinted across the finish line feeling strong with a time of 2:04:21. My goal had been 2:15, so I was very happy to come in nine minutes faster. I prayed all week that the rain in the forecast would not be a downpour. "Just let it be a mist or light sprinkling," I asked God. He did way better than that. The morning could not have been more perfect. It was cloudy, cool, and totally dry!

Michael dropped me off a few blocks from the starting line at 7:30 a.m. and headed to find a place to watch me near the halfway point. After a little warm-up and stretching, I entered my assigned corral and waited. We were released by corral starting with group A right at 8:00. By the time I crossed the start line (with corral D), it was about 8:07.

I didn't bring my iPod/Nike+ device for fear of rain, and I was a fool who didn't think to use the timing feature on my watch. Instead, my plan was simply to look at the clock at every mile marker and make it my goal to reach the next mile marker in 10 minutes or less. Following that plan should have guaranteed I would finish in 2:15 or better. The first mile went by in a flash, and I think I passed by the third mile marker after only 26ish minutes. Mile four was slow though and took the full 10 minutes. After that, I think I steadied my pace (my average was 9'30). The beginning of the course wound north along Olentangy River Road where there isn't much to see except lots of trees, but I love anything that feels like running in nature, so I enjoyed it. We crossed over Lane Ave. and through the OSU campus area to come back down High St. I enjoyed getting to check out the different restaurants and stores that I usually drive by too quickly to see.

I knew Michael was going to be somewhere around mile 6 or 7, but I wasn't sure where. Just after a refueling station, where I spilled more of the Gatorade down my chin than I swallowed, I decided to lift my shirt to wipe my face. As I brought it down, I heard Michael shout my name and looked up to see him aiming a camera my direction. I laughed out loud and hoped he didn't get a picture of my less than classy moment. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be...

Around mile 7 (not my cup on the ground- I always try to get mine in the trash)

When the route passed south of the Short North, we jogged east for a bit and then headed back south, eventually making our way across the German Village before turning north and heading back up High Street through downtown. I unexpectedly passed a friend around mile 10 and jogged with her for a few minutes as we chatted and encouraged each other. There was a slight incline near the end where I almost wanted to walk, but I had come so far and was making such good time that I decided to just push through. About that same time, a song we sang in the Easter choir suddenly popped into my head: "Victory in Jesus." It was so appropriate as I closed in on the last mile. Often times I use running as a time to pray, reflect, and commune with God, and I've been ruminating lately on the idea of running as a spiritual discipline (I'll probably post about this eventually). For sure, it offers ample metaphors for the spiritual life; as in so many other ways, I relied on God to give me the strength to keep going and finish the race. He did, and I did.

at the finish line

Totally meant to stand under that sign!

April Book Reviews

Title: The Distant Hours

Author: Kate Morton

Genre: Fiction, Gothic

Rating: ****

The Distant Hours is yet another book that caught my attention at the front of Barnes & Noble. I picked it up, read the description, and added it to my "to-read" list. After placing my reserve at the library, I had to wait a few weeks for this new, and apparently popular, title to come in. As fate would have it, several books came in at the same time, so I had to prioritize based on due dates and renewability, which put The Distant Hours at the top of the list. Despite its 576 page count, I fortunately read it quite quickly before having to return it.

A misplaced letter is finally delivered 50 years after it was sent, and it sparks quite a change in Edie Burchill's life. The letter is addressed to Edie's mother, Meredith, and sent from Juniper Blythe. Meredith reveals that when she was a child during World War 2, she was evacuated from London, and it was Juniper Blythe, a wild and eccentric teenager, who picked her up and took her home to Milderhurst Castle where she lived with her older sisters (twins Seraphina and Persephone) and her reclusive father (author of the classic children's book The True History of the Mud Man). Meredith never reveals the contents of the letter though and refuses to share any more about her friendship with Juniper. A few weeks later, Edie gets lost driving through the English countryside and stumbles upon a sign indicating Milderhurst Castle is only three miles away. Her curiosity leads her to the castle gates, and she soon learns that the three spinster sisters still live in the now decaying castle. As she begins to piece together the stories of the Blythe family and her own mother, Edie learns more than she expected. "The truth of what happened in the distant hours has been waiting a long time for someone to find it..."^

I really enjoyed The Distant Hours. It reminded me of The Thirteenth Tale, which I reread last year. Both are modern gothic British mysteries, and books about stories. They are the kind of book that I want to read on a rainy day, in front of a fire, snuggled under a blanket with a cup of cocoa nearby: spellbinding and fulfilling.

^http://www.shelfari.com/books/12336216/The-Distant-Hours

Title: Cloaked and Beastly

Author: Alex Flinn

Genre: Young Adult, Fairy Tales

Rating: ***

Perhaps you've already seen Beastly, a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, that came out in early March. I haven't, but maybe you are like me and have seen several trailers for it. Maybe you are also like me in that you were unaware that it is based on a book of the same name by Alex Flinn. I found out when I was hanging out in a high school library during a free period one day. I saw the librarian checking it in and asked about it. She told me that Alex Flinn has written several modern retellings of classic fairy tales that are pretty good and that I should check them out. So of course, I went home and reserved Beastly and Cloaked from the library.

After writing Beastly, Alex Flinn received fan mail from readers who were unfamiliar with some of the fairy tales she referenced. In an author's note at the end of Cloaked, she explains that she wrote the book out of a desire to bring some of these lesser known tales to life for modern audiences. She combines ideas, quotes, and bits and pieces from "The Elves and the Shoemaker," "The Valiant Tailor," "The Salad," and "The Fisherman and His Wife" to create an original story for Cloaked. In Flinn's fairy tale, Johnny works at his mom's shoe repair shop inside an upscale Floridian resort. When a princess comes to stay at the hotel, Johnny just hopes for a glimpse of the beautiful girl. He could never have imagined that she would speak to him or ask him for a favor. That favor just happens to be to go on a quest to find her brother who has been transformed into a frog by an evil witch. Now Johnny thinks the princess is crazy, but she offers him a large reward that would help his family get out of debt and just might give him an opportunity to make his dream of becoming a high-end shoe designer come true. With a magic cloak in his bag and his friend, Meg, at his side, Johnny takes on the quest and faces giants, transformed humans, and magical enchantments in an adventure that will change his life.

Both Cloaked and Beastly were fun reads. I felt like I was reading a Disney Channel Original movie, like Luck of the Irish or Wizards of Waverly Place. It is CBS Films, however, that produced Beastly, not Disney. I will probably wait for it to come out on DVD, but I'm sure I'll see it eventually. 

Title: I Am Number Four

Author: Pittacus Lore

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Rating: ***

Again, I did not know that the movie I Am Number Four that came out in February was also based on a book. And again, it was because of a sub job that I came upon this title. It was sitting on the desk that belonged to the teacher for whom I was filling in. I naturally had brought my own book that day, but when I saw this one just sitting there, knowing there was a movie that just came out, I just had to pick it up. I started reading it that day and got about 100 pages in. Two months later, I finally got a copy from the library to finish.

Being the new kid in a small town is never easy. Even though John Smith is used to being new, having been on the run since he arrived on Earth as a small child, he has never wanted to fit in before as much as he does in Paradise, Ohio. That might have something to do with the beautiful girl he's falling for, but John has lots of secrets he has to keep, like the fact that he is an alien from Lorien, that he is being hunted by the Mogadorians who destroyed Lorien, or that he is finally developing his Legacies (superpowers that will help him fight). As much as John would love to turn those powers on the school bully, he has to fly under the radar to stay safe. He will soon find that to be impossible and will have to face the danger from which he's been running his whole life.

I don't know if it says more about the book or me that my favorite character is Bernie Kosar, the lovable dog that starts following John everywhere, but he steals the show. The cast of characters is pretty good though, and the reader is drawn in as the relationships develop. The action is well-paced, but the book is more fiction than science. I don't know how the movie will compare, but I think the ya audience will enjoy this read.

Title: The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story

Author: Diane Ackerman

Genre: Narrative Non-fiction, History

Rating: ***

The Zookeeper's Wife happened to be the title chosen at random from the many suggestions for our April book in book club. When I saw it on the shelf of "recommended reads" at Target, I assumed it was fiction, so I was surprised when I went to get it at the library and found it by its Dewey decimal in the non-fiction section. As it turns out, this is a very well-researched account of a real-life woman named Antonina Zabinski and her family during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw.

Antonina's husband, Jan, runs the Warsaw Zoo, and Antonina, with her dog whisperer type of ability to communicate with animals, helps him. With their son Rhys and a revolving cast of pets, Jan and Antonina live in a villa on the zoo's property. When the Germans begin bombing Warsaw and then take over the city, the more dangerous animals are killed lest they escape into the city. The rest of the animals are shipped off to German zoos, but the Zabinskis are allowed to stay on at the villa. This, and a number of other serendipitous events provide them the opportunity to harbor and help Jews making their way from the Ghetto to safe houses.

Like most non-fiction, this was a slow read for me. The narrative format helped a bit, but I still was not immersed. It was really interesting though when I sat down and made the effort to read it, which I did mostly for the sake of book club. When Ackerman would stray off into providing extra background information, I often lost interest. When she focused on either the immediate story involving the Zabinskis or when she shared human interest pieces highlighting both the plight of the Jews and the compassion that sympathizers had for them, I was pulled back in. She did make the realities of occupied Warsaw and the Ghetto come to life for me, which I always appreciate when reading historical narratives.

Title: City of Fallen Angels, The Mortal Instruments Book Four

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Rating: ***

Little did I know what I was getting into when I decided to read City of Bones back in January. When I finished it, I thought there were only two more books making The Mortal Instruments a trilogy. When I finished the third, I discovered a fourth one would be coming out in April. I placed a reserve at the library and was able to check it out shortly after its release date. Only as I finished this fourth installment, City of Fallen Angels, did I discover that there will be SEVEN books in this series. Yikes! It's like Harry Potter all over again, only not nearly as good.

The choices made during the Mortal War have significant consequences for Clary, Jace, and Simon. While Clary's mom is happily planning her upcoming wedding, Clary is trying to figure out why Jace is pulling away from her. Simon not only has to manage having two beautiful girlfriends, but he also has to deal with being homeless when his mom freaks out at the news that he is a vampire. Wherever he goes, others seem to want something from Simon, yet he struggles with strange desires of his own. In addition to their personal trials, the characters are disturbed by the discoveries of several dead Shadowhunters, which may spark a second war between Shadowhunters and Downworlders.

I was slightly disturbed by some of the content that would warrant a PG-13 rating, mostly because I've seen kids as young as eleven reading the first book in the series. I doubt I would want my 11-year-old reading this fourth installment due to its slightly more graphic and passionate scenes, so hopefully parents are aware of what's coming. Despite all that, I enjoyed the book simply for its absorbing plot. When it comes to the YA fantasy genre, people seem to love comparing books and series to Harry Potter and Twilight. As I said, The Mortal Instruments isn't nearly as good as HP, and I think that has to do with weaker character development. However, I find the love story less saccharine than Twilight's and, therefore, more enjoyable. For anyone who likes the fantasy world and action of Twilight but could do without the cloying love story, you would probably enjoy this series.

P.S. The results of the poll are in, and I will continue to post monthly book reviews.