The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

8 Stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was funny and fresh and gave what I thought to be a very real interpretation of the turn of the century from a young girl's perspective. Not that I was alive in 1900, but you get what I mean. Calpurnia Tate is a heroine that I think any young girl would admire and Jacqueline Kelly was able to touch on some controversial issues without being too preachy, in my opinion. All in all, a very fine read and I would recommend it to anyone. In fact, I personally feel that this book deserved to be the Newbery Winner instead of an honoree...but I digress.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

7 Stars

"When her great-aunt bequeaths her a trip to a role-playing resort called Austenland, Jane must discover whether playing dress-up in Regency clothes can cure her of her [Mr. Darcy] obsession and help her find real love, once and for all." (Synopsis taken from the Superfast Reader.)

My Review:

This book was HALE-arious!

...

Ok, I couldn't resist. Sorry. Seriously, this book was a refreshing read and very funny. Perhaps only funny to those of us that get Austin-humor (when reading section to my husband; not so funny) I thoroughly enjoyed all the awkward moments and the regency air and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone that has seen or read Austin. It was clean and I loved the quirkiness of the main character.

There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale by Sean Astin

7 Stars (-2 for language)

Ok, maybe it's because Sam was my favorite character in Lord of the Rings but I really enjoyed this book. It's been sitting on my shelf for years and I finally read it. I thoroughly enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look not only at the making of the trilogy but of the workings of Hollywood as well (I can safely say that I will never be an actress, thank you very much). However, Astin's humor and his focus on family made this an enjoyable read.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

8 Stars (-2 for mild language and one pretty racy scene)

"When Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn squalor, she quickly begins a secret double life: exceptional schoolgirl during the day, Chinatown sweatshop worker in the evenings. Disguising the more difficult truths of her life--the staggering degree of her poverty, the weight of her family's future resting on her shoulders, her secret love for a factory boy who shares none of her talent or ambition--Kimberly learns to constantly translate not just her language but herself, back and forth, between the worlds she straddles." (Taken from Jean Kwok's web site.)

I found this book fascinating. I think it translates well (no pun intended) to any person emigrating to somewhere new. The cultural difference that Kimberly faces is often met with misunderstanding and even beligerence. But I love Kwok's ability to make a reader unfamiliar with Chinese culture feel companionship and sympathy for the two women's plight as well as inspired by their courage and integrity. There are so many great things about this book, but the content (though not excessive) is still enough of an issue that I couldn't recommend it to everyone. It was definitely a thought-provoking and well-written read.

Harry Potter, 1-4

(okay, so this is books 1-6 but whatevs. Just though we would enjoy some different covers for a change)

10 Stars

Okay, I usually don't give anything 10 stars, but I've been listening to the Harry Potter books as I work around the house and I may be a bit prejudiced. If I were to grade each book individually, I would have different stars though. For example, Book Two would be more like a 7 - it's always been my least favorite. Book Three would get a 9, and so on. But as the whole, the series gets a round 10. I'm excited to listen to the Fifth and Sixth again since I only read them once when they came out and hardly remember anything about them. What do you all think of the Harry Potter books?

David Golder by Irene Nemirovsky

7 Stars

*Please excuse the short review since I'm pressed for time* Even if the characters were unlikeable and the plot slightly depressing, it was so well-written that I couldn't put it down and I actually enjoyed it.

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

8 Stars*

This was my first Shannon Hale book and I only read it because my mother said it was one of her favorite books. It's not that I have anything against Shannon Hale. Who knows why it's taken me so long to read her books? Anyway, I really liked it and if Hale's other books are anything like this I will definitely be giving them a try. I liked the main character's philosophy of life (although I'm probably more like the princess in the story...) I also enjoyed the Asian-esque culture that Hale created. A fine read indeed. Also, check out Amanda's review of it here.

*I decided to start linking the "Meaning of Stars" post to my reviews so that I don't have to keep going back to read it every time*

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

5 Stars

Summary: "Elizabeth has a new job at an unusual library— a lending library of objects, not books. In a secret room in the basement lies the Grimm Collection. That's where the librarians lock away powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales: seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye, Snow White's stepmother's sinister mirror that talks in riddles.

When the magical objects start to disappear, Elizabeth embarks on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before she can be accused of the crime—or captured by the thief." (taken from GoodReads)

Review: I liked this book well enough. I thought the premise was intriguing (who doesn't want to visit a library full of objects instead of books?!) but I wasn't really able to connect with the characters. It had potential but kind of fizzled out a bit. However, it kept me interested enough to finish it so it was worth one read I suppose.

Moon Over Manifest by Claire Vanderpool

7 Stars

"After a life of riding the rails with her father, 12-year-old Abilene can’t understand why he has sent her away to stay with Pastor Shady Howard in Manifest, Missouri, a town he left years earlier; but over the summer she pieces together his story. In 1936, Manifest is a town worn down by sadness, drought, and the Depression, but it is more welcoming to newcomers than it was in 1918, when it was a conglomeration of coal-mining immigrants who were kept apart by habit, company practice, and prejudice." (Taken from Amazon.com)

Continuing on my quest to read all the Newberry nominees for this year, I finally obtained a copy of the winner. I was planning to save it for last, but when you are waiting for books at the library, you take it them when they come your way. At first I wasn't sure why this book and not the previous two that I read was the winner. I found the story not very engaging towards the beginning but it quickly picked up. It was not a fast read in that I felt compelled to read it every second, but by the end of the book it had me thinking about the issues addressed. I also loved the way that the author wove the past and present together so beautifully. In all, it was a very beautifully written book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested.

Turle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

6 Stars

"Eleven-year-old Turtle is not one to suffer fools gladly. And she runs into a lot of fools, especially the no-goods her starry-eyed mother meets. So it's a tough little Turtle who arrives in Key West in June of 1935. She's been sent to Florida to stay with relatives because her mother's latest housekeeping job doesn't allow children. Unfortunately, Mama has neglected to tell Aunt Minnie she's coming, and Turtle gets the stink eye from cousins with monikers like Buddy and Beans. As Turtle soon learns, everything is different in Key West, from the fruit hanging on trees to the scorpions in nightgowns to the ways kids earn money. She can't be part of her cousins' Diaper Gang (no girls allowed), which takes care of fussy babies, but when she finds a treasure map, she hopes she'll be on Easy Street like Little Orphan Annie." (Taken from Amazon.com)

I'm not sure if this was Newberry material but I loved this book. It was a quick and humorous read but what I most liked about it was the setting. It is set in Key West and now I'm craving a trip to Florida. I loved the quirky characters and the cultural touches such as sponge fishing and "cut-ups." My mom lived in the Bahamas for a while when she was a little girl, and while she was not there during 1931, it still reminded me of what it must have felt like to be there. I love all the little quirks about the people and the town, such as the nicknames they were given, the freedom that kids had to wander about, the food they ate, and the way their lives depending on the marine life around them. I very much enjoyed this book though I'm not sure the issues and challenges the characters faced were quite Newberry material. I guess that is why it was an honor book and not a winner.

Apology

Ok, so this is not a book review but an apology. I'm sorry that I have not reviewed any books since September. That is mostly because I have not read any books since September. I have started several but because I haven't finished them I don't feel qualified to review them. However, I will mention them here:

Ok, so I probably read most of this to qualify for reviewing it. However, I haven't read too many birthing books so I can't really judge it against others. But I found it very informative and much easier to read that some others I've been browsing through.



Notice a trend here? This one was very interesting as well as informative. It started out with stories of women and their labor experiences then it went into more of a guide format. Some parts were a little foreign to me but I much enjoyed it.



I actually didn't get too far in to this one. It was recommended to me by a friend and I have heard elsewhere that it is a good read. I found it humorous in a sort of Jane Austin type way and I would like to finish it someday. However, I started reading it right when the holidays came around and that combined with the fact that it is almost 800 pages long. As a reader, I know this should not be daunting, but whatever. I have a life.

As to my last statement of having a life, I may counteract that by putting this book on here. I just got this over the weekend and I absolutely love it. As the title suggests, this is a book about the lands of the Book of Mormon. I realize that this can sometimes be a controversial topic as the geography is obviously not as important as the theology of this book of scripture. However, this is a subject that fascinates me and of which I am very passionate about. In fact, it is this very subject that inspired me to pursue a degree in archaeology in the first place. Therefore, I have found it to be a delightful read.

Like I said, I have not finished any of this books so these reviews are just partial. However, I have read one book cover to cover since September so I will be posting about that soon.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

4 Stars

Summary: Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically gifted, autistic fifteen-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his mother. (taken from this inside cover)

Review:

This was a very insightful look into the mind of an autistic child, which is completely new to me. It was fascinating to see how he processed information and what seemed like little issues were drastically huge issues to him (for example, he hated the color yellow and could not touch it because it made him feel sick). There was also some subtle humor in the dry comments and observations. I did enjoy the mathematical aspects. I always remember Stephen Hawkings when he said that mathematicians see the world completely differently from non-mathematicians, and Christopher's comments reminded me of that. However, to me I just found the theology and the plot too depressing.

-Amy

October Sky, or Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam

10 stars

Summary: NASA engineer "Sonny" Homer Hickam accounts his childhood and high school years as he and a group of misfit boys follow their dreams to reach space and build amateur rockets against all odds.

Review: I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down, even while we were on our vacation to Disneyland. Homer Hickam has such an honest and humorous writing style that I laughed out loud several times. I even have to say that I got a little teary in some sections. It had a more novel-like feel rather than an autobiography. It was also one of those feel-good books that you put come away from feeling like you are a better person for reading. Like Homer Hickam, you come away from the experience feeling like you are empowered to do anything if you work at it. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

-Amy

Towers of Brierly by Anita Stansfield

4 stars

Summary: Haunted by secrets and questions about his birth, Gavin leaves Brierley, returning years later to confront the past. To Anya Ross, Brierley is likely the fairy-tale castle of her dreams. But when her great-uncle is murdered, and the remnants of the MacBrier family torment her every turn, her dream turns into a nightmare. Anya and Gavin are drawn together by the bond of a mottled past they share. But this bond becomes a wedge that threatens to drive them apart as sinister forces confront them at every turn. Only Gavin holds the key to undoing a evil he doesn't even understand--the key that can free Anya and himself from the chains of fear and hatred (taken from the back cover)

Review: Love, death, romance, murder, love, romance, and more romance. If you haven't noticed, this was a romance novel. A woman in a book club Manda and I attend chose this book for the month of August. I enjoyed it well enough but not enough to give it anything higher than a 4 star rating. As my first romance novel, I don't think it was too over the top but it was very predictable. I didn't think that the characters were quite believable enough as they were a bit one sided. There were times when I was so frustrated because of the sappy-ness or the silliness of Anya and Gavin. That being said, it was an uplifting story that focuses on personal triumph and the ability to make due with what we have. It also made me crave bannocks and short bread.