Take My Poll, Please

Dear Readers,

I hope you enjoy reading my book reviews. I've been enjoying writing them and trying to get better at the whole review thing. As I work on my reviews for April, I am wondering if you have a preference for how often I post. Please take the poll on the right to let me know what you think. Also, feel free to leave me comments if you have any ideas on how I can improve.

Thanks,
Amber

A Proverbial Lesson

When I'm not sure what to read next in my Bible, I use an old standard: read the proverb of the day. There are 30 chapters in Proverbs, so there is one for every day of the month (except that pesky 31st day when it comes around). Recently, I thought it would be a good idea to divide each chapter into twelve segments so that each month there is a specific few verses where I can camp out and focus my thoughts. Here's where that brought me on April 6th:

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest—

11 and poverty will come on you like a thief

and scarcity like an armed man.


For where I am in life right now, I found this very convicting. God has really blessed me with work this school year, and I have had a sub job nearly every day. I have even been fortunate enough to know about most of them at least a day in advance. Nevertheless, there are those few select nights when I climb into bed not knowing if I'll get a call the next morning for work or not. At those times, I am always tempted to turn my phone off, not set an alarm, and just take the day off. I find it so difficult to get up at 5:40am and start getting ready with the hope that my phone rings. Proverbs 6:9-11 is a good reminder to me that God values our hard work. Our work provides food, shelter, and clothing. Work also keeps us from becoming lazy. It is a blessing to be able to put the gifts and talents God has given me to use, and I will try to remember these verses on those dreadful, jobless nights.

A Roommate's Influence

Since moving out of my mom's house at the age of eighteen, I've had sixteen roommates (not including summer projects). While anyone can tell you that living with a roommate can be a great learning and growth experience, what I've noticed is that many of the things I think, do, or like I do so because of a roommate's influence. I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and see just what kind of an impact they've had on me. Because of roommates, I:

• know how to stretch my pants before I put them in the dryer so they don't shrink
• think being a vegetarian is a good thing
• know how to fold fitted sheets
• believe that Democrats and Republicans can actually live together and get along (and Christians and atheists for that matter ;-)
• have seen every episode of Buffy & Angel more than once and can sing along to the musical episode
• own all available seasons of Friends & Bones and know that getting a random quote via text can brighten my day
• value getting up a little earlier to read my Bible and pray
• realize that "eye, pirate, snake" can also mean I.R.S. 
• am aware that one way to conserve water is to follow the motto "If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down."
• am still watching Smallville in its 10th and final season
• wrap my sandwich in a paper towel before I put it in a sandwich bag so that I always have a napkin
• can play scales on the piano
• know that I love bulgogi and Chapagetti but not kimchi (I also know that kimchi is SUPPOSED to smell and should not get thrown out just because it stinks)
• can find my pulse on my wrist (seriously could not do this before)
• can tolerate watching Project Runway. No wait, I still can't do that
• am hooked on Grey's Anatomy
• know what the Millennium Falcon is
• believe Arrested Development should have had more than three seasons
• can't eat a candy cane without evaluating whether or not the curved part really does taste different
• think every trip to Disneyland should include as many silly hat pictures as possible

These are just a sampling of the infinite ways that I am different because of all my wonderful roommates. Thank you all for making me such a TV junkie! Really though, I am so thankful for each and every one of you who have put up with my idiosyncrasies and chore charts and helped make me who I am today. I dedicate this post to you.

Jackie, Jenna, Leah, Tracey, Krista, Beth, Katie, Melissa, Tania, Celia, Laura, Dustin, Mark, and Sharn - I love you all! 

March Book Reviews

Title: Les Misérables (Fantine)

Author: Victor Hugo

Genre: Classics, Fiction

Rating: *****

I chose to read Les Misérables for two reasons: it is a classic, and I love the musical. As an aspiring English teacher and a bibliophile, I try to read a few classics here and there mixed in with the other genres I love so much. I am finding that I enjoy them so much more now that I am older than I did when I felt forced to read them in high school. Les Mis is not a book that I was ever required to read, perhaps because it is so long, but I wish that I had a class on it now.

Because it is such a hefty tome, and because I was not able to renew it from the library, I only finished Volume I, "Fantine." Les Misérables is comprised of five volumes (Fantine, Cosette, Marius, St. Denis, and Jean Valjean), so my goal will be to read and review it in five installments. "Fantine" starts off with the story of the bishop, known as Monseigneur Bienvenu, and describes what a selfless, generous man he is. Nearly everything he has and any money he collects he gives to the poor. He always puts the needs of others above his own, and his door is always open to anyone who passes by. It is upon this door that Jean Valjean knocks after being released from prison having served 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. Though he is spurned by everyone he passes because of his yellow ticket that identifies him as an ex-convict of the galleys, Jean Valjean is welcomed into the bishop's home where he receives a warm meal and a soft bed. Despite this kindness he has been shown, Valjean leaves in the middle of the night, taking the bishop's silver dishes with him. When he is caught and the threat of the galleys looms again in his future, the bishop tells the police that the silver was a gift and he gives Valjean two silver candlesticks as well telling him to use the silver to become an honest man. The rest of the book focuses on Fantine, who leaves her daughter with an innkeeper so that she can return to her hometown and make money to support the fatherless child. Fantine's destiny becomes entangled with that of Monsieur Madeleine, her boss and the owner of the town's factory to which the village owes most of its fortune.

Francis Bacon wrote, "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few are to be chewed and digested." Les Misérables is most certainly one to be chewed and digested.

Title: Lock and Key

Author: Sarah Dessen

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction

Rating: **1/2

A popular YA author, Sarah Dessen tends to pop up often in the middle schools and high schools. I see her books in the libraries and under the arms of kids walking down the halls. The name seemed familiar (I realized later that a couple of years ago I read Keeping the Moon by Dessen), and I wanted to check out her work. The only book of hers available at my local library last week was Lock and Key. 

Seventeen-year-old Ruby thought that she was doing just fine on her own in the months after her mom left her alone in the yellow house, but the social worker who found out about it thought otherwise and transplanted Ruby from her destitute surroundings to the opulent neighborhood where her sister Cora and brother-in-law Jamie live. Cora and Jamie take Ruby in and send her to Perkins Day, an exclusive and wealthy private school that couldn't be farther away from Ruby's comfort zone. After being separated for ten years, Ruby and Cora are unsure how to move forward in their relationship, but Jamie, as always, is ready to make the best of things and make Ruby feel like a part of the family, even as she struggles to define just what that means. To complicate her life even more, Cora and Jamie's neighbor Nate, who also goes to Perkins Day, keeps offering to help Ruby when the last thing she wants is to make friends or be indebted to anyone. However, accepting his help may be just the thing she needs.

Lock and Key was just okay. I didn't really like it or dislike it. It was a quick read, and I think it would appeal to its target market, but that is not me. Unlike most of the YA lit that I read that manages to cross the gap and appeal to adults as well as teens, Lock and Key is too juvenile in how it unveils its themes (Read: it hits you over the head with them.). Nevertheless, I think I remember enjoying Keeping the Moon, so I'm not turned off of Dessen altogether, and I would be willing to try another of her books sometime.

Title: Hoot

Author: Carl Hiaasen

Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction

Rating: ****

I picked Hoot up from a teacher for whom I sub regularly. She has a FABULOUS classroom library that I love to raid. Carl Hiassen is a very popular children's book author (and journalist and columnist), and Hoot is a Newbery Honor Book that I've had my eye on for a while.

Roy Eberhardt is the new kid at school, again. Disappointed with the Florida landscape and missing the mountains and wilderness of Montana, Roy just tries to keep his head down and get through each day without too much trouble from the school bully. When he happens to see a strange barefoot boy running through the yards by a bus stop one morning though, Roy grows curious. His investigation might get him into trouble, but it also leads him to meet Beatrice, discover the burrowing owls in danger of losing their habitat, and have one big memorable adventure.

I thought Hoot was a cute story. I can imagine really loving it as a kid and getting wrapped up in Roy's escapades. The book deals with themes that relate to bullying, the environment, family, and loyalty. Even as an adult, I really enjoyed reading it and can easily see how it is such a popular, award-winning book.

Title: The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero

Author: Rick Riordan

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Rating: ***

I really didn't think I was going to read this book. Though I enjoyed the Percy Jackson series, I thought (at the time) that that was enough Rick Riordan for me and that I would spend my reading time on new and different authors. However, I saw it on the shelf of that amazing classroom library I mentioned above and figured why not?

The Lost Hero features three main characters: Jason, Piper and Leo. Each chapter is told from one of their three perspectives. Jason wakes up on a bus full of troubled kids headed to the Grand Canyon with Piper asleep on his shoulder, only he doesn't know who she is or who Leo is, even though he says he is Jason's best friend. Jason doesn't even know who he is or what he is doing there. He has absolutely no prior memories. The action picks up quickly when the Jason, Piper, and Leo battle storm spirits on the Grand Canyon walkway. Annabeth shows up and takes them to Camp Half-Blood where they learn they are demi-gods and are quickly given a quest to rescue Hera, Zeus' wife, from mysterious danger. If they fail in their quest, Olympus will fall and the earth will be overtaken by the giant king.

Perhaps it is just the length, but The Lost Hero feels a little more grown up compared to Percy Jackson and the Olympians. More Roman mythology was introduced with the Greek, but no prior knowledge of either, or of the Percy series, is needed to understand or enjoy the book. Humor is used to break up the suspense, but the suspense is enough to keep the pages turning. I enjoyed the traditional quest tale and the mythological references.

Title: Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope

Author: Mary Beth Chapman

Genre: Christian, Non-fiction

Rating: *****

At a friend's house recently, I saw this book sitting on a side table. After picking it up and reading the back and introduction (because that's what I do when I see a book laying around), I decided I really wanted to read it. Fortunately, that friend let me borrow her copy right away.

Mary Beth Chapman is the wife of Christian singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman, and in 2008 the two of them faced one of life's greatest tragedies: the loss of a child. Choosing to SEE is Mary Beth's memoir sharing not only that tragedy but the whole roller coaster of a life that she would have never chosen for herself but that she has learned to embrace. She shares how her faith has affected the way she sees the twists and turns of a life filled with fame, family, travel, adoption, and one major tragic event. Though it is not the quiet suburban life she always pictured for herself, it is a life full of faith, hope, love, and redemption.

I remember hearing the devastating news story when it came out: driving up their driveway, Steven Curtis Chapman's son had accidently hit and killed his sister - five year old Maria Chapman. I remember praying for the Chapman family and wondering how they were going to get through such a blow to their whole family. Not only had they lost their youngest child, but it was at the hands of a beloved son. It came as no surprise to me as I read this book, that God gave this faithful family the strength to love each other and stay together through their grief. The book does not focus solely on this event in Mary Beth's life though. She shares parts of her childhood and growing up, how she met and married Steven, and how their family grew in unexpected ways. Much of her life is not the way she had planned it, and she is open and transparent about her doubts and questions along the way. Through it all, she trusts God and reveals how He has been faithful to her every step of the way. Her hope and belief are uplifting and encouraging just like this book.

Title: The Power of a Praying Wife

Author: Stormie O'Martian

Genre: Christian, Non-fiction

Rating: ****

I bought this book over a year ago after my mom suggested it to me. I've been slowly making my way through it ever since.

For each of the thirty chapters in this book, Stormie Omartian writes an introduction to the topic, shares anecdotes and teaching, provides a powerful prayer, and supplies relevant scripture. The topics range from work and family to fears and the future.

The book is actually fairly short and easy to read. The reason it took me so long is that I would only read a chapter at a time here and there. Now that I've finished it, I definitely plan to go back and use the prayers regularly. Most of them can easily be adapted for other people in your life as well, and if you are unmarried, you could easily use it to pray for a future husband, for a father, brother, or friend. Omartian shares how praying for her own husband has worked for her and how others have used prayer to see true transformations. I appreciate that the first chapter is devoted to praying for yourself and getting your heart in the right place as it reminds the reader that prayer is not a magical tool to make your husband act the way you want him too. However, it can be a powerful force in your marriage and a blessing for you and your spouse. I would definitely recommend it.

My Knight in Shining Versa

Polo and I went out for a run on Saturday afternoon. I knew there was a chance of thunderstorms, so I planned to go out for four miles, beat the storm, and finish with three more miles on the treadmill, which is about as much as I can handle indoors. With a gray, cloudy sky above, Polo and I ran down to the Scioto river in the slightly chilly air. I love running along the river and looking out at the gently flowing muddy water and the towering trees lining the banks. At the end of the west side trail, we crossed over the bridge and ran up the east side of the river. As we reached our turn-around point, I spotted numerous small, round white specks hitting the ground and realized it had started to hail. Fortunately, the hail was not coming down fast or hard, so we picked up our speed and headed back to the bridge. In my mind, I kept thinking about various scenarios and what I would do if the storm got bad.


Should I wait it out under the bridge? Should I flag down a stranger and ask for a ride? It would have to be a pick-up truck because no one wants a wet dog in their car. That's probably not safe. Should I run back through the neighborhood instead of by the river so that I can knock on someone's door and ask to borrow their phone and have Michael pick us up? Should I just say 'what the heck' and get soaked?


I did start running through the neighborhood after crossing back over the bridge, though I couldn't really imagine knocking on anyone's door for help. I'm not afraid of getting wet or anything, but last time I got soaked through in a sudden downpour, my Nike+ chip short-circuited, and I had to buy a new one. I also know that though Polo loves the water, he's not a huge fan of being rained on. With about a mile to go, the light hail had turned to a drizzle. We turned left onto the main street that leads into our neighborhood, and I spotted a black Nissan Versa driving toward us. Could it be Michael? He's slowing down. It is! He rolled down his window, and I said, "Hey, can we get a ride?" He was on his way to rent a video for us to watch that night. I put Polo in the back, hopped in the front, and we drove away. Less than a minute later, the sky unleashed a torrent that surely would have drenched us in seconds, but I had been saved by my husband, my knight.

Four Down, Eight to Go

The first three weeks of training for Cap City went surprisingly well. As I mentioned, I've moved up to intermediate level training, and so far I am enjoying the variety in the workouts. In the beginner level training I did for the marathon, I focused mostly on endurance and increasing my mileage. Intermediate training includes a variety of workouts focusing on speed, strength, and endurance. I was worried that my lack of long runs between the marathon in October and starting this training in February would bode ill for me, but apparently the interval, hill, and speed training I did on the treadmill all winter did more for my fitness level than I realized. My average times have been improving overall, and the long runs haven't been as tough as I expected (with the exception of the one discussed below).

Week four was a bit tough. My mid-week runs went okay, but when I took Polo out on Saturday for my 10 mile run, I had to mentally force myself to stay out on the trail. I'm not sure if it was the wind, which was pretty strong and unpleasant, or my inappropriate layering, but I was just really sluggish. We went to Hilliard Rails to Trails, which is a nice, flat, long, straight path that can get somewhat boring after a while. The sun was shining, which was a nice change, and the temperature stayed somewhere in the 50's, not factoring in windchill. I was wearing a sweatshirt though, and while it kept me warm from the wind, it also made me rather non-aerodynamic. At two and half miles in, I wanted to turn around. I told myself I had to go at least seven total, so just another mile would do it. As I approached that half-way point I told myself that just another half mile would make a total of eight, and I pushed on. Then I saw a road that looked like it was just the right distance to make a turn-around point, and I kept going. As I approached the road, I suddenly felt stronger and decided to keep going. As soon as I crossed it, however, I wanted to turn back. After checking in with Pippin (my iPod) and seeing that I was at about four and a half miles, I wanted to push just a little further and set my sights on a telephone pole in the distance. After reaching it, I happily turned around and headed home. The total mileage for the run was 9.75. I'm not disappointed that I fell short of the full ten, especially when I was so close, rather I am pleased that I was able to push myself that far through a difficult run when I wanted to give up so early on.

February Book Reviews

Title: Olive Kitteridge
Author: Elizabeth Strout
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: ****
^winner of the Pulitzer Prize (2009: fiction)

I often peruse the front tables at Barnes & Noble and make note of any books that look and sound interesting to me. I think Olive Kitteridge made that list a while back. Being a Pulitzer Prize winner and a best-seller definitely drew me to it as well.

The format of this novel is a bit unusual. Each chapter is like its own short story, but all the stories involve characters who live in the small town of Crosby, Maine, and Olive Kitteridge makes an appearance in each. Sometimes she is the focus; sometimes she is just a blip.

When I shared with a friend that I had started this book, she told me that she has not read it yet because she had heard that Olive was a rather unsympathetic individual. While I can see why a person might feel that way, I think it comes from a misunderstanding about her character and her purpose in the novel. Olive has many flaws, but the book is full of flawed characters because the world is full of flawed people, and Strout's aim is to help her readers understand a bit more about what it means to be human. Everyone has their secrets, and all relationships have their ups and downs. What Olive Kitteridge does, and does beautifully, is use a collection of "complex, relentlessly human narratives" to provide the reader a glimpse of these secrets and relationships that we might come away more sympathetic and better for it*.

*O: The Oprah Magazine

Title: City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, Book Two)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Rating: ***

Since I enjoyed the first Mortal Instruments book, I decided to continue the series. In City of Ashes, Clary and Jace continue to fight demons and their complicated feelings for each other. As Voldemort is to Harry Potter, Valentine is to The Mortal Instruments. He is the ultimate evil guy that the characters will have to face in new ways in each installment as he tries to collect the mortal instruments and basically rule the world. He also just happens to be Clary's father. I had some conflicting feelings about certain aspects of the plot as I read, but I enjoyed it overall and was ready for the third as soon as I finished.

Title: Safe Haven
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Genre: Romance
Rating: ****

Nicholas Sparks is my guilty pleasure author. In the summer of 2005, I met a girl from North Carolina who is a big fan of his, and she gave me The Rescue to read. Since then, I've managed to read all of his novels, including the memoir he wrote with his brother. Safe Haven came out last fall, so it naturally was added to my list of books to read. I probably would have waited for the paperback to come out, but then my book club picked it as our February/March book. I read it in one day.

Katie moves to Southport, NC because it seems like a safe place to escape her past. While she is content to keep to herself, living in a small Southern town makes that nearly impossible. Her new neighbor, Jo, reaches out to be Katie's friend and to encourage Katie to be open to Alex, a handsome single father who runs the general store and has been showing particular kindness to Katie. However, Katie still fears that her past will catch up to her and ruin any chance she has for future happiness.

If you've ever read a Nicholas Sparks book, then you have a pretty good idea what to expect in any other of his novels. While Safe Haven has all the usual Sparks cliches (ill-fated love, strong father, absent mother, letters, outsiders, death, and of course the small beach town in North Carolina setting), it is still an enjoyable read, and fans won't be let down. I especially enjoyed the last quarter of the book, which was packed with suspense, and I couldn't put it down.

Title: City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, Book Three)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Rating: ****

The third book in The Mortal Instruments series is definitely my favorite. The relationships, love triangles, action, suspense and mystery build throughout and the end is satisfying.

Title: The Subtle Knife

Author: Philip Pullman

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction/Fantasy

Rating: ***

I read The Golden Compass back in 2007, and though I enjoyed it, I didn't feel compelled to continue the His Dark Materials series at that time. However, a couple weeks ago I happened to catch the film version of The Golden Compass on TV and then really wanted to follow up and read the rest of the series.

The Subtle Knife opens with a scene set in our world and introduces an important new character: Will Parry. Eventually, Will's path crosses with Lyra's. Having been the star of The Golden Compass, Lyra now shares the spotlight with Will as the two of them discover new paths and doorways between worlds. "As Pullman moves between his young warriors and the witch Serafina Pekkala, the magnetic, ever-manipulative Mrs. Coulter, and Lee Scoresby and his hare dæmon, Hester, there are clear signs of approaching war and earthly chaos. There are new faces as well. The author introduces Oxford dark-matter researcher Mary Malone; the Latvian witch queen Ruta Skadi, who 'had trafficked with spirits, and it showed'; Stanislaus Grumman, a shaman in search of a weapon crucial to the cause of Lord Asriel, Lyra's father; and a serpentine old man whom Lyra and Pan can't quite place."*

I got a little lazy with writing a summary, yet I did enjoy reading the book. I wouldn't give it the glowing recommendation that Publishers Weekly did, but the characters are well-developed, the plot is well-paced and engaging, and the themes are intriguing. Though some religious groups take umbrage with His Dark Materials because the story is, at heart, about killing God, I think it provides great discussion material. Why do the characters feel like they have to kill God? What are the problems within the church that causes those feelings? What inconsistencies and hypocrisies exist in real-world churches and religious organizations today? What parallels can we draw? Let's use controversial books to spark thoughtful, engaging conversations instead of fights.
*Amazon.com review http://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Knife-Dark-Materials-Book/dp/0345413369

Title: Little Bee

Author: Chris Cleave

Genre: Fiction, British Contemporary Fiction

Rating: *****

Little Bee is one of the many books that caught my eye because it was at the front of a bookstore and had an interesting cover. Even though I was taught not to judge a book by its cover, I have to admit that I do. The truth is that cover artists know how to appeal to certain audiences, and I've learned what kind of art represents books that I will like. Covers are by no means the only thing that I use to choose my books, but a good cover certainly helps. Little Bee is currently #6 on the New York Times Best Seller list for Paperback Trade Fiction.

I am not sure if I should take the advice of the book's editors and not reveal the story to you. What I can do is tell you after the first 30 pages or so, I turned back to read the flap copy because I realized that I didn't know what the book was about. Sometimes I'll read a book's description and put it on my list to read, and then by the time I get around to reading the book I will have completely forgotten what it is about. This was the case with Little Bee, and this is what I found when I turned to the flap:

We don't want to tell you WHAT HAPPENS in this book.

It is a truly SPECIAL STORY and we don't want to spoil it.

NEVERTHELESS, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this:

THIS IS THE STORY OF TWO WOMEN. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again--the story starts there . . .

Once you have read it, you'll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens. The magic is in how the story unfolds. 

This technique may intrigue you or it may drive you crazy. In any case, here's just a little more to go on:

The two women in the story are Little Bee, a refugee from Nigeria who is in a detention center in England, and Sarah, a wife, mother, and editor-in-chief of a British magazine. Each woman takes a turn as the narrator every other chapter, and their stories do intertwine. I loved Little Bee's voice, and I think Chris Cleave did a wonderful job portraying her and developing her character through the events in the novel. The story is touching, poignant, and unflinching. I highly recommend it.

Title: Room

Author: Emma Donoghue

Genre: Fiction

Rating: ****

This was a month for really good books. I usually give most books three stars because I like most books. Some that really move me or engage me will get four stars, and the few that I really LOVE and would reread or buy just to loan to friends get five stars. Room was the fifth book to get four or more stars in February. I remember having heard about the book and considered reading it, and then a good friend gave me a signed copy for my birthday, so naturally, it was automatically added to my list.

Jack, the 5-year-old narrator, has only ever known Room. It is his entire world. He plays with his mom on Rug, sleeps in Wardrobe, eats at Table, and believes that everything outside Room is Outer Space. TV shows him an imaginary world, and he doesn't realize any of it could possibly be real. When his mom finally decides to "unlie" to him, sharing the story of being kidnapped at 19 (She is now 26.) by Old Nick and being made a prisoner in Room, Jack's mind can barely wrap itself around the concept of lots of people existing right outside his Walls. As Jack and his Ma start to feel the burden of their shrinking world, they must face the serious question of what to do next.

Room is a beautiful story, both disturbing and full of hope at the same time. Emma Donoghue's use of Jack's point-of-view is genius. Seeing the world through his eyes opens the reader's to moments of beauty and small joys. This is a truly special story of two amazing people, even if they are fictional.