A Tale for the Time Being

I loved this book for various reasons. I plan on re-reading it and I hardly ever re-read books. It's a story about a young bullied girl in Japan who starts writing a journal. This story is interwoven with the story about the woman who finds the journal as it washes ashore on the coast of an island near British Columbia. Even within these two stories are stories about a WWII kamikaze pilot and a Buddhist nun. I found the stories well written and intriguing enough that I never really lost interest. The novel does take a turn towards magical realism towards the end. I anticipate that some readers will lose interest at that point if that's not your "thing", but that portion of the story is precisely why I want to re-read it. It's a meditative, yet entertaining, story. It's hard to explain why I loved it so much, but I highly recommend it! 

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Oddly enough, I came to this book via one of my more recent guilty pleasures - KDramas.  I started watching Korean Dramas last year. One of them, called My Love From Another Star, has a main character who reads this book frequently. That piqued my interest so I picked it up from the library.  I loved it. I love the message in it and I love the story as a whole. It's written in such a beautiful, simple way that there's no way you could hate it.  Although it seems to be for children since it's illustrated and extremely easy to read, it's really for all ages because the moral is applicable to everyone. Open your heart to love and be hopeful of the journey. I won't get into the details because I just want you to go and read it for yourself.

This is now one of my personal favorites and I will be purchasing a copy from the bookstore.

Side note: 

The Korean drama that led me to this book is also about a journey to love. If you're interested you can catch all 21 episodes of it here.

Love in the Time of Cholera

This is the first book by Marquez that I have ever read. I fully intended to read One Hundred Years of Solitude first because I've heard more about that one, but life intervened. I was looking for books to read while in Costa Rica and thought about getting this book. I ended up reading other books, but I pushed Love in the Time of Cholera up on my list to read early this year.

Finally got a hold of it at the library (of course) and started reading it about a month ago. I know recently I've been lamenting about how long it takes me to read non-fiction, but it took me a little over a month to read this and it's fiction. The big difference here is that I purposely read this slowly. It's a story that is so deserving of your time. The story takes place over almost sixty years and it's about love, life, commitment, human nature, deferred dreams, and patience. The oversimplification of the plot is this: boy falls in love with girl, girl seemingly falls in love with boy, girl's father rejects boy, girl then rejects boy, boy waits patiently for fifty-plus years to once again express his undying love for girl.

The book spans the lives of these two individuals as they live them separately, but always with the notion of the other person coloring their thoughts directly or indirectly. The longer chapters and the span of the story practically implore you to take your time reading and absorbing the details. There are so many layers to the story, I can't even begin to dissect it or it would turn into a PhD dissertation. Marquez writes beautifully, lyrically. Even when a character does things that may seem deplorable, you can't help but feel empathy and sadness for the pitiful state of affairs. Sometimes when I was reading the book, I thought about Lolita. That was another book in which the writing is so beautiful that regardless of what happens in the story, you have to continue reading. In the end, the book makes you seriously think about love, life, death and what defines each of those ideas.

Bel Canto

This is one of the most beautifully written books I've read this year.

Even though the author was inspired by real events, I completely read it as a work of fiction and enjoyed everything about the book, except the epilogue.  I wish I didn't read the epilogue, because it seemed so incongruous to everything that preceded it.  Until the epilogue, I was all in.  The story is about a group of international individuals who are attending the birthday party of a Japanese CEO at the home of a South American vice-president.  Just as a world famous opera singer (who was invited specifically by the birthday boy) is completing her final aria, a group of terrorists invade the home and take the guests hostage.  You would think because terrorists and hostages are involved that this is going to be a story about violence, anger, torture and murder.  It is the exact opposite.  It is a story about finding yourself, friendship, love and forgiveness. Violence against women is so prevalent in today's world that it was a breath of fresh air to read a story where no women were raped or beaten!

The story covers the duration of the hostage crisis from the perspective of both the hostages and the terrorists keeping them. Some unlikely friendships and romances develop even in the midst of everyone not speaking the same language.  There is conveniently a polyglot translator among the hostages and he is a key character.

The writing is lovely and this is a story that cannot be devoured quickly. Opera is a main character in the book and the book is reminiscent of a tragic opera. Sometimes you can see a book becoming a movie as you read it, but this one you could see becoming an opera. A very beautiful, tragic opera.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

I really love the fact that it's a novel for adults but it reaches back to childhood and the reason why so many of us love to read stories.  We like to escape and imagine worlds that are full of adventure, excitement, and danger.  At approximately 180pages, this book is a quick read that will take you on a fantastic ride.  The boy in the story, who remains unnamed, is a shy bookworm with no friends.  One day a boarder at his family's home steals the father's car and kills himself at the end of the lane. When the boy and his father go to the end of the lane, they meet the Hempstock women.  They boy is seven years old and he meets Lettie Hempstock who is eleven years old. The two become quick friends and end up having an adventure that could mean life or death for one or both of them. I'm just going to leave it at that because this is a book that has to be enjoyed, not explained.

When we sometimes think of magical books or fantasy books, we think of Harry Potter or something similar.  This is a different kind of magic.  It's the kind that doesn't have answers and is closely intertwined with the real world in plain sight. That was one of the reasons I enjoyed it. You may never look at a full moon or the night sky in the same way after reading this book.  Is what we see on a daily basis real? Is your reality a mirage? Memory is a tricky thing.  When you remember something from your childhood, how sure are you of its veracity?

You can easily read this book in one day.  I suggest a nice quiet spot with your preferred warm beverage (coffee, tea, cider, cocoa) and a baked good.  If you can, get the physical book. Stay off social media, turn your phone/laptop/tablet off and enjoy!

The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow

This is one of the most beautiful books I've read this year.  Since this year is almost at a close, I think I can also say that it it's one of the most memorable books I've read this year.  It's set in 1950s Louisiana and the author uses such magical language in her descriptions of settings, thoughts, and emotions that you almost feel like you are right there cloaked in magical realism.

The protagonist of the book is Bonaventure Arrow who was born mute. He doesn't speak, but he has extra-sensitive hearing. He can hear the stars being born and the spices in the kitchen tell their stories about being used for gumbo.  He lives with his mother and paternal grandmother.  They are both shrouded in a deep, grieving sadness stemming from the death of Bonaventure's father. Ultimately, it is up to the spirit of the deceased father, Bonaventure, and Trinidad Prefontaine (a Creole woman with the power of healing and prophecy), to bring healing to all the characters. This story has layers that go beyond healing, though. It's also about our actions and how they affect others immediately and indefinitely.  It's also about taking the time to listen to others and to the world around you.

There are many layers to the plot, but I won't go into much detail because I really want you to read it. It's so beautifully and vividly written that I think you will get drawn in as quickly and easily as I did.

Half of a Yellow Sun

It was time for me to revisit one of my favorite authors, Chimamanda Adichie. I'm waiting for the library to deliver my next book for the little web class I'm taking so in the interim I picked up an older Adichie book. I read her most recent book in July, and if you read my post about it then you already know I have a mild obsession. I actually thought I read Half of a Yellow Sun before, but I didn't.  I think I bought it in the past, but I may have loaned it out prior to reading or lost it in a move or donated it. Either way, I read it now and yes I enjoyed it immensely.

When I was reading this book, I was so vividly transported to Nigeria that the reading environment around me (coffee shop, my apartment, the park) would dissipate. I would look up and blink a few times and remind myself I was not currently in Nigeria or Biafra. The book also permeated my non-reading life in odd ways. For example, I made a stew the other day. While I was making it, I cut the meat for it into very small bits because I wanted to make sure there was meat in every bite.  In the book there is a lot of discussion about whether or not people have meat in their soups because there is a war going on and subsequent food rationing. Here I was cutting up meat for a stew thinking "I am glad I have meat in my soup".  That is a testament to the power of good writing. Adichie does this for me in all her writing.  She has a way of pulling you into the story and the story into your life.

The book is beautifully written. The story follows five main characters, Olanna and Kainene (sisters), Odenigbo and Richard (their significant others), and Ugwu (the houseboy) as they start off in a united Nigeria and are thrown into the Biafran war in the late 1960s.  It has all the expected drama of war; bombs, deaths, evacuations, displaced family, famine, starvation, and so on.  However, the personal experiences of each character and how they respond to their rapidly changing environment is the real story. I admit my knowledge of African civil/ethnic wars is abysmal. After reading this story, I did more research into Nigerian history and the Biafran war.  It made me appreciate the story so much more.  I am truly a fan of Adichie's work and I expect I will be a lifelong one.  If I taught a literature class I would make this required reading.  I highly recommend it.

Of note: I get very uneasy with the subject of rape and sexual exploitation and there are several descriptions of it in the book as a weapon of war. This was not unexpected, but I always like to give people a heads-up about it if you have uneasiness like me.  However, there are tender love scenes between the couples as well so the contrasting effect is helpful. 

The Fault in Our Stars

In May of this year, I completed an earlier book by John Green called Looking for Alaska.  I had lukewarm feelings about that book.  This book, The Fault in Our Stars, received rave reviews and I was on the library waiting list forever and a day.  Finally it came in for me this week and I devoured it in two days.  Hands down, for me, this book trumps Looking for Alaska ten-fold. As I was reading the book, I already told myself that I would re-read it one day.

I don't want to give too much away, but the story is about two teens who are both cancer survivors. They meet at a support group and their story goes from there.  The fact that there is cancer involved should tell you that there are going to be some rough patches. If you are a parent, you will cry when you read this book.  If you aren't a parent, you might cry too or at least get a little misty eyed.  While I didn't cry, there were some moments when my emotions were being tugged in several directions.  My disclaimer is that since I work in pediatrics, it takes a lot for me to cry when I hear pediatric stories.  I get too wrapped up in the medical.  Fair warning though, the "tear-jerker" factor of this book is pretty high.

Speaking of emotions, I think I really enjoyed the book because of the emotional maturity of the main characters.  Green doesn't write about teens who play the victim. They are very observant and astute.  They read literature and have existential thoughts about it.  Whenever I read a book that was written for a young audience and find that the characters are smartly portrayed, I breathe a sigh of relief.  The girl isn't playing dumb and coy and the boy has more going for him than looks.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think it deserved the wonderful reviews.  I may have picked it up from the public library, but I think it's worthy of purchasing for my personal library.

Walden on Wheels

I count myself as one of those who is frugal.  Some of my co-workers will tell you that I can't go a few days without mentioning how getting out of debt is my top priority in life.  I hate how owing someone money makes me feel.  So when I came across this book and read the brief description I put it on hold at the library immediately. While I was waiting for it to arrive at the library I downloaded the free sample to my Kindle.  Initially, based on the sample, I thought it would be a decent read, but I wasn't running to the library to pick it up once notified about its arrival.  So much for me judging a book based on a free sample, because I should have gone and picked this book up the minute it arrived.  I realized I was hooked this past Wednesday when I spent the majority of my day off voraciously reading the first 200 pages of the approximately 300-page book.

The book is a true account of the author, Ken, who initially has $32,000 of student debt after earning his undergraduate degree. This staggering amount makes him very uncomfortable and he proceeds to aggressively pay it off over the next few years.  In the process of paying everything off, he goes to Alaska and works a variety of grunt jobs that teach him a lot about life, nature, consumerism and capitalism (all of which he discusses very well). He vows to never go into debt again. The story takes an interesting turn when he decides to return to graduate school.  Keeping to his vow about zero debt, he buys a van and lives in the van during his entire graduate school experience. The book covers it all perfectly. A parallel story also develops about his best friend who owes $62,000 in student loans but follows a different, more arduous path in order to pay it off. His friend's story is, in some ways, the typical story that most of us are living but afraid to admit.

I loved this book, because of the inspirational tone.  At this point in my life, it was a message I was ready to hear and open to receiving.  I am motivated to continue to aggressively pay my own debt down as well.  I'm not quite at the point where I would live in a van, but I respect the author for sticking to his newfound values. The book was also pretty funny!  I wasn't expecting that and found myself laughing unexpectedly on several occasions.  I enjoyed the book so much more than I expected. Actually, this is one of the best books I've read this year. Also, if you want to read a book about finances, but don't want a book that feels too much like economics, this is it.

Americanah

I will confess that I am mildly obsessed with this author recently. I subscribe to The New Yorker fiction podcast.  One of the episodes is Adichie reading a story by Jamaica Kincaid. Her voice is mesmerizing.  It's built for story telling. Then I saw a TED talk she gave regarding "The Danger of a Single Story". Again, her voice, combined with the fluidity and beauty of her words, was mesmerizing to me. In March she had a short story published in The New Yorker, which I found out was actually a part of this novel. So, a few months ago in May, I found out she was going to be presenting her book Americanah at one of the Free Library's author events. Of course I went and bought the book and had it signed. She complimented my hair you guys!!!  But I digress. The point is, I am a total fan girl so this review may be skewed.

The book spans about fifteen to twenty years and follows two Nigerians, Ifemelu and Obinze. The two were a couple in high school and throughout their early university days.  However, as political conditions cripple the education system in Nigeria, Ifemelu finds her way to study in America.  Obinze is supposed to follow, but fate places him on a different path.  The two tell their stories in separate interwoven chapters and the common thread is that they have never forgotten one another.  But is this a love story? In some ways, yes.  As you read it though, you realize it's so much more. The themes that Adichie touches upon are black hair, immigration struggles, internal transitions, race, and fidelity.  The love examined is both the love for one another as well as the love of one's country. The work is beautifully written. It's lyrical and introspective.  The observations are poignant and sentimental. I greatly enjoyed the book, but again this may be because I already loved the idea of it from the beginning.

Here is a link to The New Yorker story if you want to get a taste of her writing.
Here is a link to the Free Library podcast from her Author Event.
Here is a link to her TED talk: The Danger of a Single Story.

Wild

Having read A Walk in the Woods last year, I was hesitant to pick up Wild.  I enjoyed Bill Bryson's book but also at times the historical facts would have my eyes crossing. I was worried that Wild would be more of the same, but maybe not as good.  I had no reason to worry. Wild is only similar to Bryson's book in that there is a long hike involved, nature is appreciated and the author manages to insert some humor into the story. The similarities pretty much end there.  Strayed's impetus for hiking along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is her mother's death. The death is just the beginning of a downward spiral that she can't seem to escape.  By her own admission, her spiral includes a fair amount of extramarital sex and heroin.  She is hovering over rock bottom when a book about the PCT catches her attention and she decides to hike it and deal with her personal problems.  This is the first book of 2013 that I loved. I highly recommend it and I plan on re-reading it in the future. The story is so well written that I felt like I was hiking with her. I felt like I her demons were my demons.  I wanted so much for her to succeed and become whole again after being shattered. This book reminds us once again that it's not about the destination. It truly is about the journey. I know that's cliché but clichés are usually cliché because they are true so I'm not afraid to use one when applicable.  Get this book and fast-track it to the top of your reading list. 

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

First let me start by saying the hardcover dust jacket glows in the dark.  While some may say "so what?" I thought it was an awesome feature. When I was reading at night, I would put the book on my nightstand and turn off the light so I could go to sleep and there it was beckoning me to keep reading. The story was great because it does three things that you want a story to do.  First, it draws you in, then it keeps you interested and, finally, it gives your mind something to chew on long after it's over.  The premise of the story is that a young man works at an odd bookstore with odd patrons.  Curiosity soon gets the better of him and he dives into the mystery of Codex Vitae.  Along the way there is always this undercurrent of technology vs. old-school learning.  We depend so much on technology now that one has to wonder if we are actually losing knowledge that is right in front of our eyes by chasing the next new thing instead.  I know it's only the fifth day of the new year, but I think this is going down as one of my favorites.

The Poisonwood Bible

Finally!  I have wanted to read this book for years.  I don't know why I didn't get it from the library or purchase it sooner.  Anyway, I broke down and bought it a few weeks ago and started reading it a few days ago.  I finished it last night and it was a book that kept me up afterwards.  I had about 50 pages to go and thought "Oh I'll finish it tomorrow".  I turned out the lights and tried to fall asleep, but couldn't.  So I turned the lights back on and plowed through the last pages.  After the last page was turned and the book was closed I lay there for about an hour just thinking about everything that happened.  The last time that happened was with a book I finished in July 2011, One Day.  July must be my month for books that make me think in bed.

So on to the review.  The basic premise of the book is that an evangelical white Baptist preacher sets off on a missionary trip to the Congo in 1960 and takes his wife and four daughters along with him.  What happens while they are in the Congo then serves as the crux for character and story development.  I absolutely loved the book up until the fifth section.  The fifth and sixth section went on too long (150 pages of pseudo-epilogue). Then there is a small six-page section that, in my opinion, serves as a true epilogue.  Everything that was conveyed in both the fifth and sixth sections could have been combined and condensed into just a fifth section spanning no more than fifty pages.  After that, the true epilogue of six pages could have followed. That is my only complaint about the book.  Otherwise I loved the story and the way it was written. The prose is quite lyrical and poetic at times.  There were two scenes that made me teary-eyed.  For me, that says a lot because I am not often moved to tears by writing unless it's exceptional. I definitely recommend it, but just know that it runs a little long at the end.

The Story of Beautiful Girl

I read the description of this book and put it on my "to read" list.  Shortly after that, I purchased a Nook and took advantage of the feature that allows you to read any e-book for free for one hour while you're in the store. When I got to the end of the sample for this book, I couldn't wait to keep reading.  That's pretty much how it was for the rest of the book.  The story captured and held my attention mostly because the protagonists are very likable and you will find yourself feeling hopeful for them. That hope makes you keep reading. It's a love story, but it's also an expose on the poor conditions of institutions where physically and intellectually disabled people were housed for decades, hidden from public view.  The beginning may seem a little contrived because it does open on the proverbial dark and stormy night.  However, what happens on that dark and stormy night is the impetus for everything that happens afterwards.  

Two residents of the local institution have run away.  One is a young blond woman who doesn't speak and who recently delivered a baby while on the run.  The other is a deaf-mute African-American man.  They come to an elderly widow's home looking for refuge.  The police and institution personnel catch up with the couple at the widow's home within a few hours.  The young woman is taken back to the institution, the deaf man escapes into the woods, and the newborn is left hidden in the attic.  The remainder of the book traces what happens to each of these individuals over the next 43 years. The humanity woven throughout the story is very touching and makes you rethink your own perceptions about certain topics. The author does an excellent job of focusing on the humanity of the individuals.  She demonstrates that even in dire circumstances, we are all human and all capable of kindness, forgiveness, and love.  It's a very lovely, well-written work.   

The Book Thief

Well this is the first book of 2012 that got me misty-eyed.  If I were to over simplify it, this is a book about love.  First love, familial love, community love, agape love. The narrator of the novel is Death, but he/she tells a lovely story.  Set during the beginning of WWII, we follow a young foster child and the years she lived with one particular family on a moderately poor street in an unassuming German neighborhood.  At the beginning of the book she is illiterate, but has one book in her possession.  As she starts to learn how to read she is insatiable in her quest for more books. This desire leads to many poignant relationships in her young life.  I am hesitant to give too much of the story away because there are several sub-plots that are tied together quite well in the end.  If I discuss one sub-plot, I will feel compelled to discuss the entire plot and give some key information away.  Instead, I will leave it up to the reader to grab a copy of the book and let the story envelope you.  It's haunting, but very memorable.

To Kill a Mockingbird

"As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it---whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash." (pg. 295)

I first read this book in high school as an assignment. I also vaguely remember seeing the movie at some point.  I decided it was time to revisit it because all I could remember was the trial and unjust verdict, but not much else.  Now that I have fully experienced this book as an adult, I can honestly say it is one of my favorites.  I think as a high school student I was overly focused on the trial.  Now reading it as an adult with more life experience, I can relate to and better understand the story as a whole and the numerous themes that are addressed.  I can better absorb the small nuances of growing up in a Southern town in the 1930s and the broader goal of the story.  In my mind, I always thought the trial was the whole book.  I thought starting from page one it was all about the trial.  However, the trial is not even mentioned until almost halfway through the book.  This is more a story about basic human kindness than anything else.  Atticus Finch is now one of my all-time favorite fiction characters.  Sometimes I re-visit a book from high school and think "why the heck is this considered a classic???".  With this book, there is no doubt in my mind that this book most certainly belongs in the "classic" category.

Me Talk Pretty One Day

I first read this book when I lived in NYC and I remember laughing out loud during my commute on the train.  Well, I still laughed out loud here and there so I guess this book has still got "it".  I also think the stories about France were more significant and hilarious to me this time around since I have actually traveled to France in the interim and can relate.  The book is a collection of very short stories/essays from the author's life that cover just about every topic from being forced into speech therapy for a stubborn lisp to the experience of talking like a toddler when speaking a foreign language in a new country (hence the title).  There is a funny, often sarcastic, spin put on all the stories. If you don't like sarcasm, you may not like the stories.  However, I enjoy a good dose of sarcasm and wit so I had a good time with this book.

The Book of Awesome

From the moment I started reading this book I found myself saying "YES! THAT *IS* AWESOME!!" and laughing out loud just from reading the topic of certain blurbs (I see you 3-paycheck month!).  I think everyone should read this book because humor and laughter should be a part of everybody's life.  Everyone can relate to the subjects in the book that make life AWESOME!  If you are feeling down or you need a break from the rat race.....pick this book up and start laughing. You will improve your day 1000%.  This one definitely goes on my "best of" list.

Unbroken

This book is phenomenal.  I am finding it hard to describe how I felt while reading it because at any given time I felt several feelings at once. Joy, despair, hope, fear, disgust, and other emotions all swelled up in me  fighting for dominance. In the end, what I felt most was an immense gratitude and humility.  In no way could I ever fathom going through what the men in this book went through. There were nights I couldn't put the book down.  Whenever I did put the book down I was worried for the men, distraught over what they endured, and frantic to see what happened.  It is a true account of one man's particular horror, but throughout the story you get glimpses of the darkest hour of several men's lives as POWs during WWII.  It is haunting, inspiring, and impressive. One of the best I've read this year.

The Night Circus

This book was truly magical! There really are no other words to describe it.  I did think about Water for Elephants a few times while reading this, but it really is a different type of circus book.  It is much more about the magic in our world that we fail to see on a daily basis.  It's about that childhood belief that life can still have elements of awe.  The very basic premise is that two illusionists are pitted against each other in a competition that is played out in a circus for all the world to see.  But does the world see it or is your illusion a solitary pursuit? I completely expect this will be made into a movie (there is a fabulous opportunity for whomever designs the fashion and the set of the circus), but nothing can compare to the world you envision in your own mind.  Yes there is also romance in this book, but it is both a romance of the carnal kind as well as the romantic feeling you get when you fantasize about something that was wonderful, yet ephemeral.  This is one of the better books I've read this year. Highly recommended!