Sunday, September 1, 2013

You're something of an open book.

Book Reviews

It was a busy, exciting, totally awesome summer. And because of that I didn't read as much as I normally do. But I still have some books to share with you.


Product Details
The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates

The Story:
Set in Princeton at the turn of the last century, the tranquil college town is beset by mysterious happenings. A strange death, a ghost, etc.

The Review:
It all sounded really good and intriguing. But I only made it halfway through the book, because it was crazy long (700 pages) and really really slow. I can't recommend it, but I also can't say definitely don't even try it, because I didn't get through enough of it.


*****

Product Details
How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers

The Story:
This is a collection of short stories by Eggers. They cover a variety of topics and styles. Eggers is post-modern, so they are all very post-modern, meaning he breaks down writing and comes at it in new ways.

The Review:
Loved it! I have two favorite stories from this collection, "Notes for a Story of a Man Who Will Not Die Alone" and "On Things He Should Keep to Himself." I don't want to give too much away, but for an idea, the "Notes for a Story" is literally that. Eggers begins the story as an outline or brainstorming of what he will write in this tale. As he goes through the basic plot, he writes the things that he will flesh out later, but we don't get to see that, all we see is the beginning of the process. So for example, he talks about the Man's son -- David, Derek, Dennis -- and then later calls him Derek. I thought it was a great look at the process of writing a story. Because they are short stories and the collection itself is slim, this is a quick read. I highly recommend it. And more Eggers' books are on my "to-read" list. 




*****
Product Details
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

The Work:
This is a non-fiction look at Eating Animals. Foer begins with the question of should we eat animals and then spends three years researching whether or not we should. As he does the research, he is approaching the question from a lot of different angles and perspectives. The book works to present his research and findings and ultimate conclusion. 

The Review:
I have had this book on my list for a while and was really glad that I took the time to read it. I was fascinated. Full confession here: I'm vegan. I began it for my own personal health reasons. Because of my eating habits and my perpetual interest in food, I have read several books and watched several documentaries about vegetarianism, veganism, and food in general (such as Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food and Alicia Silverstone's Kind Diet). 

In contrast to those, I thought that Foer's work was a more complete look at eating as a whole. He didn't focus only on how food and food processing has changed over the years and he didn't focus only on the impact animals have on our health or on the environment. He incorporated all of that. 

What struck me more was his honest discussion of his own feelings and the quandary he felt caught in that led him to begin researching. He described how he felt personally about eating animals and then how that was constantly tested by trying to eat with his family, friends, coworkers and in society in general. I really appreciated that he acknowledged that society is based around food and any variance makes things much more difficult. 

I highly recommend this book. Although I will add the caution that Foer describes (he's a beautiful writer) in detail the atrocities that occur in factory farms and slaughterhouses. And part of me wants to say, if you can't stand to read it, maybe you shouldn't be eating it. 


*****
Product Details
Pride's Prejudice by Misty Dawn Pulsipher

The Story:
A retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. 

The Review:
I read it during the two hours I was riding the train to the Bronx. It was fluffy and easy to not be too caught up in so I could watch for my stop, but also interesting enough that the crowded parts of the ride didn't distract me. 

That said, it was not good. It was a boring rewrite by which I mean not creative in any way. It was also deeply flawed on the logical side. In trying to update the story, she made changes that just logically did not make any sense, and would never be how something was approached. 

Don't read this. Just read the original.


*****
Product Details
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Story:
A 16 year old girl, Hazel, has been battling lung cancer her whole life. She had a radical treatment that has bought her a few years, and as her parents encourage her to get out, she meets Augustus a 17 year old boy at the cancer support group. 

The Review:
I really enjoyed this. As most young adult fiction is, it was a fast read and had me sucked in to the characters and their story from the beginning. Both Hazel and Augustus are kind of quirky, but not in a completely unbelievable way. 

Honestly, I sobbed through the ending. Heather came home one day, and I wiped the tears off my face long enough to open the door, but then she said, "How are you?" And I just started bawling all over again. It was awful and hilarious at the same time. 

That being said, I recommend this book, but only read it at a time when you can cry. Unless of course, you are so cold-hearted that you don't cry at books. 


*****
Product Details
Seriously... I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres

The Work:
Ellen writes a book. She talks about all kinds of random things and is generally hilarious. 

The Review:
Again, I read this while riding the subway. And quickly became the weirdo who laughs out loud on the subway under seemingly no provocation. ... Fortunately that still didn't make me the weirdest person on the subway in New York City. 

I chose this book because I love Ellen and I really enjoyed Tina Fey's Bossypants. The book was great and light and entertaining. She writes a lot about writing the book and about being a CoverGirl. And is always funny. 


*****
Product Details
The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton

The Story:
It's 1968/1969 and Frankie moves with her husband and children to Palo Alto, California. She quickly meets four other women at the park and they form a group of friends as they meet almost daily to take their kids to the park. One day their talk turns to the things that they would have done if it had been acceptable for women, and they discover that several of them wanted to be writers. So they form a writing group and meet every Wednesday to discuss their writing. 

The Review:
This was a great story about friendship between women. They move through their lives and trials together and are always encouraging each other. But they are also critical enough to make each other better, in their writing and in their lives. I was most interested in how their lives are shaped and changed by what is happening in the world around them. They see the Apollo landing, etc, and their world changes because of the changes in history. 

I recommend it. 


*****
Product Details
Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

The Story:
Yes, the PBS show is based on a book. It is a memoir that tells the tale of a group of midwives working in England's East End at the end of World War II. They are dealing with people in abject poverty, and Worth tells the tales of things that she saw. 

The Review:
I was only able to finish half of this before I had to return Carla's Kindle to her. But I want to go back and finish the rest (or maybe I'll just watch the show) because the stories are fascinating. The writing is quick and engaging and draws beautiful pictures of the people and the surroundings without being so detailed about the births that I couldn't keep reading. 


*****
Product Details
Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen

The Story:
Isak Dinesen is a pen name for Karen Blixen who writes this memoir about her time running a coffee plantation in Kenya. She tells about the land, her plantation, her experiences with the Africans who work for her and live near her. 

The Review:
The book starts out really really slow. Dinesen writes lush and detailed descriptions of everything and it is easy to get bored and bogged down with that. The descriptions are beautiful, but sacrifice the action. In addition to the lengthy descriptions, Dinesen doesn't write in a linear style. So she'll start into one story and then veer off to tell you all about one character and then veer off to another and then finally, eventually circle back around. While it's an interesting way to tell the story, and truly reflects how our minds and memories work, it added to the slowness of the story. 

The book is divided into four parts. I felt like the first two parts were so slow and I really didn't think I would ever be able to get through the book. But then I hit the third part, and she shifted into short (and super short) vignettes. Each vignette would focus on a different character or scene and then would quickly shift into something else. I was able to just fly through part three. 

In part four, Dinesen returned to her previous style and told about having to leave Africa. I was shocked to find that suddenly, I was completely engaged in the novel and was truly sad that she was having to leave. 

Despite the initial slowness, I think this is a worthwhile read because she so poignantly conveys her love for Africa.