Book Review: Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi

Genre: Historical fiction
Date Published: June 2016
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 320 pgs/13 hours

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: A novel of breathtaking sweep and emotional power that traces three hundred years in Ghana and along the way also becomes a truly great American novel. Extraordinary for its exquisite language, its implacable sorrow, its soaring beauty, and for its monumental portrait of the forces that shape families and nations, Homegoing heralds the arrival of a major new voice in contemporary fiction.
Two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle's dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast's booming slave trade, and shipped off to America, where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery. One thread of Homegoing follows Effia's descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonization. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day, Homegoing makes history visceral, and captures, with singular and stunning immediacy, how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation.
Generation after generation, Yaa Gyasi's magisterial first novel sets the fate of the individual against the obliterating movements of time, delivering unforgettable characters whose lives were shaped by historical forces beyond their control. Homegoing is a tremendous reading experience, not to be missed, by an astonishingly gifted young writer.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being a very good debut novel!

Book Review: Bag Of Bones, by Stephen King

Genre: Horror
Date Published: September 1998
Publisher: Scribner
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 529 pages/21.3 hours

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Synopsis: Stephen King's most gripping and unforgettable novel, Bag of Bones, is a story of grief and a lost love's enduring bonds, of a new love haunted by the secrets of the past, of an innocent child caught in a terrible crossfire.
Set in the Maine territory King has made mythic, Bag of Bones recounts the plight of forty-year-old bestselling novelist Mike Noonan, who is unable to stop grieving even four years after the sudden death of his wife, Jo, and who can no longer bear to face the blank screen of his word processor.
Now his nights are plagued by vivid nightmares of the house by the lake. Despite these dreams, or perhaps because of them, Mike finally returns to Sara Laughs, the Noonans' isolated summer home.
He finds his beloved Yankee town familiar on its surface, but much changed underneath -- held in the grip of a powerful millionaire, Max Devore, who twists the very fabric of the community to his purpose: to take his three-year-old granddaughter away from her widowed young mother. As Mike is drawn into their struggle, as he falls in love with both of them, he is also drawn into the mystery of Sara Laughs, now the site of ghostly visitations, ever-escalating nightmares, and the sudden recovery of his writing ability. What are the forces that have been unleashed here -- and what do they want of Mike Noonan?
As vivid and enthralling as King's most enduring works, Bag of Bones resonates with what Amy Tan calls "the witty and obsessive voice of King's powerful imagination." It's no secret that King is our most mesmerizing storyteller. In Bag of Bones -- described by Gloria Naylor as "a love story about the dark places within us all" -- he proves to be one of our most moving.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being a good ghost story

Book Review: The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, by Neil Gaiman

Genre: Magical Realism
Date Published: June 2013
Publisher: William Morrow Books
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 181 pages/5 hours 45 minutes

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.
Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.
A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being an enchanting read

Book Review: Inheritance (Inheritance #4), by Christopher Paolini

Genre: Young Adult Epic Fantasy
Date Published: November 2011
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 849 pages/31 hours

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: It began with Eragon... It ends with Inheritance.
Not so very long ago, Eragon — Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider — was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.
Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chance.
The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?
This is the spellbinding conclusion to Christopher Paolini's worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being a good conclusion(?) to an epic series.

Book Review: A Gentleman In Moscow, by Amor Towles

Genre: Historical fiction
Date Published: September 2106
Publisher: Viking
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 462 pages/18 hours

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: He can’t leave his hotel. You won’t want to.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility—a transporting novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel.
In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.
Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For warming my heart.

Book Review: Eldest (Inheritance #2), by Christopher Paolini

Genre: Young Adult Epic Fantasy
Date Published: 2005
Publisher: Knopf Books For Young Readers
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 668 pages/23 hours and 30 minutes

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: Darkness falls... Swords clash... Evil reigns.
Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesméra, land of the elves, for further training in magic and swordsmanship, the vital skills of the Dragon Rider. It is the journey of a lifetime, filled with awe-inspring new places and people, each day a fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and Eragon isn't sure whom he can trust.
Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle back home in Carvahall – one that puts Eragon in even graver danger.
Will the king's dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life...

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For doing a good job of continuing the story

Kaleidoscope (Madame Karitska #2), by Dorothy Gilman

Genre: Paranormal mystery
Date Published: 2002
Publisher: Ballantine Books
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 256 pages

Goodreads

Synopsis: Next to the incomparable Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman’s best-loved character is the mysterious Madame Karitska, who is blessed with a powerful gift of clairvoyance that attracts to her a stream of men and women craving help with their misfortunes, desperate to know what the future holds. . . .

When a brilliant young violinist dies in a horrific accident, Madame Karitska has only to hold the victim’s instrument in her hands to perceive the shocking truth. But when an insecure wife asks whether her husband will abandon her to join a sinister cult, Madame Karitska–as wise as she is lovely–chooses not to reveal all that she foresees. And when an attaché case is suddenly dropped into her lap by a man fleeing a crowded subway, she knows it’s time to consult her good friend Detective-Lieutenant Pruden.

A nine-year-old accused of murder, a man dying a slow death by witchcraft– for the hunted and the haunted, Madame Karitska’s shabby downtown apartment becomes a haven, where brilliant patterns of violence, greed, passion, and strange obsessions mix and disintegrate with stunning, kaleidoscopic beauty.

Once again Dorothy Gilman exercises her own uncanny power to render readers spellbound.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being a fun (if slightly disorienting) sequel

Book Review: A Spool Of Blue Thread, by Anne Tyler

Genre: Contemporary fiction
Date Published: February 2015
Publisher: Bond Street Books
# Of Pages: 358 pages

Goodreads

Synopsis: "It was a beautiful, breezy, yellow-and-green afternoon." This is how Abby Whitshank always begins the story of how she fell in love with Red that day in July 1959. The Whitshanks are one of those families that radiate togetherness: an indefinable, enviable kind of specialness. But they are also like all families, in that the stories they tell themselves reveal only part of the picture. Abby and Red and their four grown children have accumulated not only tender moments, laughter, and celebrations, but also jealousies, disappointments, and carefully guarded secrets. from Red's father and mother, newly-arrived in Baltimore in the 1920s, to Abby and Red's grandchildren carrying the family legacy boisterously into the twenty-first century, here are four generations of Whitshanks, their lives unfolding in and around the sprawling, lovingly worn Baltimore house that has always been their anchor.
Brimming with all the insight, humour, and generosity of spirit that are the hallmarks of Anne Tyler's work, A Spool of Blue Thread tells a poignant yet unsentimental story in praise of family in all its emotional complexity. It is a novel to cherish.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For surprising me with how much I liked it

Book Review: Warbreaker, by Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Fantasy
Date Published: June 2009
Publisher: Tor Books
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 592 pages/25 hours

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: Warbreaker is the story of two sisters who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn't like his job, and the immortal who's still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago.
Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.
By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery; and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being a really good and creative read

Book Review: My Mrs. Brown, by William Norwich

Genre: Fiction
Date Published: April 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
# Of Pages: 288 pages

Goodreads

Synopsis: From William Norwich, the well-known fashion writer and editor, an unforgettable novel about a woman with a secret who travels to New York City on a determined quest to buy a special dress that represents everything she wants to say about that secret…and herself.

Sometimes a dress isn’t just a dress.

Emilia Brown is a woman of a certain age. She has spent a frugal, useful, and wholly restrained life in Ashville, a small town in Rhode Island. Overlooked especially by the industries of fashion and media, Mrs. Brown is one of today’s silent generations of women whose quiet no-frills existences would make them seem invisible. She is a genteel woman who has known her share of personal sorrows and quietly carried on, who makes a modest living cleaning and running errands at the local beauty parlor, who delights in evening chats with her much younger neighbor, twenty-three-year-old Alice Danvers.

When the grand dame of Ashville passes away, Mrs. Brown is called upon to inventory her estate and comes across a dress that changes everything. The dress isn’t a Cinderella confection; it’s a simple yet exquisitely tailored Oscar de la Renta sheath and jacket—a suit that Mrs. Brown realizes, with startling clarity, will say everything she has ever wished to convey. She must have it. And so, like the inspired heroine of Paul Gallico’s 1958 classic Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris, Mrs. Brown begins her odyssey to purchase the dress. For not only is the owning of the Oscar de la Renta a must, the intimidating trip to purchase it on Madison Avenue is essential as well. If the dress is to give Mrs. Brown a voice, then she must prepare by making the daunting journey—both to the emerald city and within herself.

Timeless, poignant, and appealing, My Mrs. Brown is a novel for every mother in the world, every woman who ever wanted the perfect dress, and every child who wanted to give it to her.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For making me cry

Book Review: A Murder In Time (Kendra Donovan #1), by Julie McElwain

Genre: historical mystery thriller
Date Published: A[ril 2016
Publisher: Pegasus Books
# Of Pages: 492 pages

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: Beautiful and brilliant, Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI. Yet her path to professional success hits a speed bump during a disastrous raid where half her team is murdered, a mole in the FBI is uncovered and she herself is severely wounded. As soon as she recovers, she goes rogue and travels to England to assassinate the man responsible for the deaths of her teammates.

While fleeing from an unexpected assassin herself, Kendra escapes into a stairwell that promises sanctuary but when she stumbles out again, she is in the same place - Aldrich Castle - but in a different time: 1815, to be exact.

Mistaken for a lady's maid hired to help with weekend guests, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the time period until she can figure out how she got there; and, more importantly, how to get back home. However, after the body of a girl is found on the extensive grounds of the county estate, she starts to feel there's some purpose to her bizarre circumstances. Stripped of her twenty-first century tools, Kendra must use her wits alone in order to unmask a cunning madman.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being a good debut mystery novel, with a time-traveling twist and a lot of spunk!

Book Review: Elantris (Elantris #1), by Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Fantasy
Date Published: May 2005
Publisher: Tor Fantasy
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 492 pages/28 hours 45 minutes

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: Elantris: gigantic, beautiful, literally radiant, filled with benevolent beings who used their powerful magical abilities for the benefit of all. Yet each of these demigods was once an ordinary person until touched by the mysterious transforming power of the Shaod. Ten years ago, without warning, the magic failed. Elantrians became wizened, leper-like, powerless creatures, and Elantris itself dark, filthy, and crumbling. The Shaod became a curse.
Arelon's new capital, Kae, crouches in the shadow of Elantris. Princess Sarene of Teod arrives for a marriage of state with Crown Prince Raoden, hoping—based on their correspondence—to also find love. She finds instead that Raoden has died and she is considered his widow. Both Teod and Arelon are under threat as the last remaining holdouts against the imperial ambitions of the ruthless religious fanatics of Fjordell. So Sarene decides to use her new status to counter the machinations of Hrathen, a Fjordell high priest who has come to Kae to convert Arelon and claim it for his emperor and his god.
But neither Sarene nor Hrathen suspects the truth about Prince Raoden. Stricken by the same curse that ruined Elantris, Raoden was secretly exiled by his father to the dark city. His struggle to help the wretches trapped there begins a series of events that will bring hope to Arelon, and perhaps reveal the secret of Elantris itself.
Elantris is fleet and fun, full of surprises and characters to care about. A welcome breath of fresh air, it is a rare epic fantasy that doesn't recycle the classics and is a complete and thoroughly satisfying story in a single volume. It's also the wonderful debut of a welcome new star in the constellation of fantasy.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being a great debut novel.

Book Review: Crucible Of Gold (Temeraire #7), by Naomi Novik

Genre: Historical Fantasy
Date Published: March 2012
Publisher: Random House
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 325 pages/9 hours and 56 minutes

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: Naomi Novik’s beloved series returns, with Captain Will Laurence and his fighting dragon Temeraire once again taking to the air against the broadsides of Napoleon’s forces and the friendly—and sometimes not-so-friendly—fire of British soldiers and politicians who continue to suspect them of divided loyalties, if not outright treason.
For Laurence and Temeraire, put out to pasture in Australia, it seems their part in the war has come to an end just when they are needed most. But perhaps they are no longer alone in this opinion. Newly allied with the powerful African empire of the Tswana, the French have occupied Spain and brought revolution and bloodshed to Brazil, threatening Britain’s last desperate hope to defeat Napoleon.
And now the government that sidelined them has decided they have the best chance at negotiating a peace with the angry Tswana, who have besieged the Portuguese royal family in Rio—and thus offer to reinstate Laurence to his former rank and seniority as a captain in the Aerial Corps. Temeraire is delighted by this sudden reversal of fortune, but Laurence is by no means sanguine, knowing from experience that personal honor and duty to one’s country do not always run on parallel tracks.
Nonetheless, the pair embark for Brazil, only to meet with a string of unmitigated disasters that force them to make an unexpected landing in the hostile territory of the Incan empire, where they face new unanticipated dangers.
Now with the success of the mission balanced on a razor’s edge, and failure looking more likely by the minute, the unexpected arrival of an old enemy will tip the scales toward ruin. Yet even in the midst of disaster, opportunity may lurk—for one bold enough to grasp it

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For improving on the re-read

My Thoughts:

The last time I read this, I gave it 3 stars. This time however, I think I'll upgrade it to 4 stars.

There is a lot going on in this novel, so I can understand why I didn't like it so much the last time, but I can that this time around it was easier, and more entertaining, to follow.

Temeraire is a forever enjoyable character, along with Laurence (he's loosened up quite a bit in this novel). And I think I like Iskierka even more in this novel, she's such a fiesty character with so much gumption. It was very amusing watching her make all sorts of rash decisions without consulting anyone.

I can definitely see how much Laurence has changed in this novel. He's not as rigid about following orders as he used to be, and he's more outspoken about what needs to be done. It was nice to see that.

Anyway, I'm two books away from finishing the series, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. On to the next book!

Book Review: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Fiction
Date Published: February 1999
Publisher: MTV books/Pocket books
# Of Pages: 213 pages

Goodreads

Synopsis: The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky, Perks follows observant “wallflower” Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being a very good coming-of-age novel that I want my future kids to read

My Thoughts:

Okay, this had been on my TBR for a long long time. I never read it because I was never in the mood to read about high school issues. Reading challenges definitely help with the motivation, I guess.

I really enjoyed this novel, and the ending really surprised me, especially since my knowledge of mental disorders is practically slim to none, and I didn't recognize the signs for what they were.

I loved the characters in this novel. Sam, Patrick, Charlie, they're all very well done. As an adult, I sometimes get annoyed reading about teenage problems, but the problems these kids experience were written very well. The writing style seems mechanic and toneless at first, but the descriptions of what is going on in these kids' lives are so intricate, that you get sucked in and you want to find out what happens next.

If I had one complaint, it's that there are almost too many serious teen issues in this novel. The book is only 213 pages, yet there's suicide, multiple counts of drug abuse, rapes, abortion, child molestation, parent abuse, closeted homosexuality, .... it goes on and on. Every high school has students who have experienced at least one of these issues, and maybe I was too goody-goody and sheltered that I didn't notice all of them, but I don't remember there being so many problems at my high school.

This is a good book that I do want my future kids to eventually read someday. There's a strong The Catcher in the Rye influence, but I think I enjoyed this book better (it's been a long time since I read The Catcher in the Rye however, I think I should read that book again soon).

If you've been like me, and keeping this book on your TBR shelf for years, you should definitely take it off this shelf now. It's worth reading, even if you don't like it as much as I did. If you are currently a teenager, you should really read this, because there are lessons to learn in this book. Strongly recommended.

Book Review: Tongues Of Serpents (Temeraire #6), by Naomi Novik

Genre:Historical Fantasy
Date Published: July 2010
Publisher: Del Rey
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 274 pages/9 hours and 47 minutes

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: A dazzling blend of military history, high-flying fantasy, and edge-of-your-seat adventure, Naomi Novik’s Temeraire novels, set in an alternate Napoleonic era in which intelligent dragons have been harnessed as weapons of war, are more than just perennial bestsellers—they are a worldwide phenomenon. Now, in Tongues of Serpents, Naomi Novik is back, along with the dragon Temeraire and his rider and friend, Capt. Will Laurence.

Convicted of treason despite their heroic defense against Napoleon’s invasion of England, Temeraire and Laurence—stripped of rank and standing—have been transported to the prison colony at New South Wales in distant Australia, where, it is hoped, they cannot further corrupt the British Aerial Corps with their dangerous notions of liberty for dragons. Temeraire and Laurence carry with them three dragon eggs intended to help establish a covert in the colony and destined to be handed over to such second-rate, undesirable officers as have been willing to accept so remote an assignment—including one former acquaintance, Captain Rankin, whose cruelty once cost a dragon its life.

Nor is this the greatest difficulty that confronts the exiled dragon and rider: Instead of leaving behind all the political entanglements and corruptions of the war, Laurence and Temeraire have instead sailed into a hornet’s nest of fresh complications. For the colony at New South Wales has been thrown into turmoil after the overthrow of the military governor, one William Bligh—better known as Captain Bligh, late of HMS Bounty. Bligh wastes no time in attempting to enlist Temeraire and Laurence to restore him to office, while the upstart masters of the colony are equally determined that the new arrivals should not upset a balance of power precariously tipped in their favor.

Eager to escape this political quagmire, Laurence and Temeraire take on a mission to find a way through the forbidding Blue Mountains and into the interior of Australia. But when one of the dragon eggs is stolen from Temeraire, the surveying expedition becomes a desperate race to recover it in time—a race that leads to a shocking discovery and a dangerous new obstacle in the global war between Britain and Napoleon.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being enjoyable and making me want to read more.

My Thoughts:

My Thoughts: Like with the previous installments, this book improved on the re-read. It still isn't my favorite in the series, but it was still pretty enjoyable, especially the beginning and the ending.

The middle was the slowest bit (but not too slow). The 2-month flight across the continent of Australia didn't have much going for it, in my opinion, although there were some occasional parts that were exciting to read. I also enjoyed reading about the hatching and harnessing of Kulingile; it's one of those triumphant stories about overcoming the odds, which I feel saved the middle section of the book.

Temeraire is still my favorite. It's clear that Naomi Novik is using him to include modern ideas in a historical setting. He's our gateway to understanding what early 19th-century life is like, and he's such a fun character to follow. I'm glad Novik has continued to write parts of the novel from his point of view, and I hope she'll continue to do so (I can't remember, it's been two years since I read the series).

All in all, a fun read in a new place. The culture comparisons continue to be interesting, the action still grabs my interest, and I want to read the rest of the series. So, on to the next one!

Book Review: Victory Of Eagles (Temeraire #5), by Naomi Novik

Genre: Historical Fantasy
Date Published: January 2008
Publisher: Del Rey
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 352 pages/10 hours and 29 minutes

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: Naomi Novik's triumphant debut, His Majesty's Dragon, introduced a dynamic new pair of heroes to the annals of fantasy fiction: the noble fighting dragon Temeraire and his master and commander, Capt. Will Laurence. Now in the latest novel, they soar to new heights of breathtaking action and brilliant imagination.
It is a grim time for the dragon Temeraire. On the heels of his mission to Africa, seeking the cure for a deadly contagion, he has been removed from military service - and his captain, Will Laurence, has been condemned to death for treason. For Britain, conditions are grimmer still: Napoleon's resurgent forces have breached the Channel and successfully invaded English soil. Napoleon's prime objective: the occupation of London.
Separated by their own government and threatened at every turn by Napoleon's forces, Laurence and Temeraire must struggle to find each other amid the turmoil of war and to aid the resistance against the invasion before Napoleon's foothold on England's shores can become a stranglehold.
If only they can be reunited, master and dragon might rally Britain's scattered forces and take the fight to the enemy as never before - for king and country, and for their own liberty. But can the French aggressors be well and truly routed, or will a treacherous alliance deliver Britain into the hands of her would-be conquerors?

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being thoroughly entertaining

My Thoughts:

I think this is one my favorite books in this series.
Once again you've just gotta love Temeraire; he's such a great protagonist whose opinions make you laugh without him intending to be funny. And now you finally get to read the story from his point of view. For the first time in the series, Naomi Novik splits the narration between Laurence and Temeraire, rather than just Laurence. And personally, I prefer Temeraire's POV. He's considerably more open-minded, while Laurence has too much a sense of duty to his country.
The plot is more fun in this novel as well. Previous installments involved a lot of travelling to distant countries, which sometimes slowed the plot down. This time, however, Temeraire and Laurence are staying quite firmly in England while Napoleon takes over London (pretty sure this never actually happened in our real history, but hey! Things change when you get dragons involved). There's a lot more action, and a lot more politics, which kept my interest for the entire novel.
I also loved Temeraire's triumphs in this book. He's finally able to make progress on establishing more rights for his fellow dragons, going so far as to create an army of unharnessed dragons to help defeat Napoleon. I think that's why I really like this book: after watching both Laurence and Temeraire lose so much, it was nice to see a bit of a win for a change.
Overall, this one was fun to read, albeit a little sad at times (I blame Laurence for that). But still a good read. Still think this is a great series, so if you haven't read it yet, go back to the first book ([book:His Majesty's Dragon|28876]) and check it out!

Book Review: World And Town, by Gish Jen

Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Date Published: January 2010
Publisher: Knopf
# Of Pages: 386 pages

Goodreads

Synopsis: Hattie Kong—the spirited offspring of a descendant of Confucius and an American missionary to China—has, in her fiftieth year of living in the United States, lost both her husband and her best friend to cancer. It is an utterly devastating loss, of course, and also heartbreakingly absurd: a little, she thinks, “like having twins. She got to book the same church with the same pianist for both funerals and did think she should have gotten some sort of twofer from the crematorium.”
But now, two years later, it is time for Hattie to start over. She moves to the town of Riverlake, where she is soon joined by an immigrant Cambodian family on the run from their inner-city troubles, as well as—quite unexpectedly—by a just-retired neuroscientist ex-lover named Carter Hatch. All of them are, like Hattie, looking for a new start in a town that might once have represented the rock-solid base of American life but that is itself challenged, in 2001, by cell-phone towers and chain stores, struggling family farms and fundamentalist Christians.
What Hattie makes of this situation is at the center of a novel that asks deep and absorbing questions about religion, home, America, what neighbors are, what love is, and, in the largest sense, what “worlds” we make of the world.
Moving, humorous, compassionate, and expansive, World and Town is as rich in character as it is brilliantly evocative of its time and place. This is a truly masterful novel—enthralling, essential, and satisfying.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being a well-written story about acceptance and belonging

My Thoughts:

This is my first time reading this author, and I like her style!

The protagonist is a fun character. Hattie's a widow who's able to laugh at herself. She's a retired woman by the time this book starts, but that's not a bad thing from her point of view. She's had a fulfilling life, and, even at an older age, she's an independent woman.

Hattie, however, is still feeling out of place in her town of Riverlake. She lacks a sense of identity, something that has plagued her for decades, being half Chinese, half American. And that's how she gets involved with her new Cambodian neighbors, another group of people who are feeling displaced and unsure of where they belong, which gives Hattie that sense of feeling needed.

The theme of this book is definitely about identity and belonging in a community. You follow different characters as they try to find the place/community they can belong to, and watch as they either fail or succeed.

Another major theme also seems to be mourning the past and the people each character lost. The Cambodian family in particular had a really terrible experience in their home country, something that still affects the father, Chhung. I don't know if I really like Chhung, but I definitely feel sorry for him.

What makes this book really good, however, is the writing style. The author tells the story from three points of view: Hattie (our elderly protagonist), Sophy (the teenage Cambodian daughter who feels like she should have never been born), and Everett (a local farmer who finds himself completely displaced by his wife of 37 years). All three characters are completely different from each other, and you can see it in how they narrate their part of the story. Gish Jen did a brilliant job changing the style of narration to fit each character: Hattie's thoughtful pondering, Sophy's fast-paced rambling, and Everett's steady and ordered opinion. This is the first time I've seen an author successfully depict a character's personality in their writing style, with the ability to change the style from one character to the next. Absolutely genius!

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It has some dark and sad parts, with flawed characters that you're not sure you can like, but with some excellent writing, and an insightful look into Chinese, American, and Cambodian cultures. This is certainly a novel that I will read again; it feels like the kind of book that you'll get more out of on the re-read. Definitely an unforgettable story.

Book Review: Empire Of Ivory (Temeraire #4), by Naomi Novik

Genre: historical fantasy
Date Published: September 2007
Publisher: Del Rey
# Of Pages/Listening Time: 404 pages/11 hours and 6 minutes

Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: Tragedy has struck His Majesty’s Aerial Corps, whose magnificent fleet of fighting dragons and their human captains valiantly defend England’s shores against the encroaching armies of Napoleon Bonaparte. An epidemic of unknown origin and no known cure is decimating the noble dragons’ ranks–forcing the hopelessly stricken into quarantine. Now only Temeraire and a pack of newly recruited dragons remain uninfected–and stand as the only means of an airborne defense against France’s ever bolder sorties.
Bonaparte’s dragons are already harrowing Britain’s ships at sea. Only one recourse remains: Temeraire and his captain, Will Laurence, must take wing to Africa, whose shores may hold the cure to the mysterious and deadly contagion. On this mission there is no time to waste, and no telling what lies in store beyond the horizon or for those left behind to wait, hope, and hold the line.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For maintaining my interest in the series.

My Thoughts:

This is the second time I'm reading this, and I'm upgrading this book to 4 stars. It was certainly more exciting this time around, and I'm beginning to appreciate this series in the same way I appreciate the Dresden Files, although for different reasons. The Dresden Files is funny and action-packed, while the Temeraire series is interesting in a more cultural and historical way, but both series are the same in that they are genius in maintaining the readers' interest.

I felt sorry for Temeraire in this installment. He wants to promote better conditions and equal rights for his fellow dragons in England, but this is a time period where a lot of the English are still trying to hold on to slavery, much less considering that dragons should be viewed as more than just beasts, so a lot of Temeraire's ideas are falling on deaf ears.

The ending was sad too, because England was proving to be too stubborn and ungrateful, and you know that Laurence and Temeraire have to take drastic action. It definitely ended on a very negative note, making you feel like the world won't ever change for the better.

Overall, though, this was a very interesting read, and I'm excited to read the next one

Book Review: Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Genre: Classic literature
Date Published: May 1852 (this annotated edition: September 2006)
Publisher: John P. Jewett
# Of Pages: 472 pgs (my edition)

Goodreads

Synopsis: Although the American anti-slavery movement had existed at least as long as the nation itself, Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) galvanized public opinion as nothing had before. The book sold 10,000 copies in its first week and 300,000 in its first year. Its vivid dramatization of slavery's cruelties so aroused readers that is said that Abraham Lincoln told Stowe her work had been a catalyst for the Civil War.

Today the novel is often labeled condescending, but its characters still have the power to move our hearts. Stowe's Tom is actually American literature's first black hero, a man who suffers for refusing to obey his white oppressors. Uncle Tom's Cabin is a living, relevant story, passionate in its vivid depiction of the cruelest forms of injustice—and the courage it takes to fight against them.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For completely breaking my heart

My Thoughts:

Man, this book was rough! Now I remember why I didn't finish this when I was young.

This book took so long for me to finish--not because it was a dull read, but because the story was so heartbreaking. I ended up switching to the annotated edition so that the footnotes could give me a bit of a break from the tragic lives these slaves had to endure.

Harriet Beecher Stowe is brilliant when it comes to creating an emotional scene. You can't help but feel for the characters as their lives are torn apart. The parts that really touched me the most were the story of Cassy and her life, along with the scene of Emmeline being sold to Simon Legree. Stowe wrote these chapters with women readers in mind, and it worked. When I finished the chapter where Cassy told Tom her past, I had to put the book down and try not to cry. And poor Emmeline! The trauma of being examined and sold like that! What's worse is the knowledge that these things are based off of true stories. It amazes me that people actually condoned these actions and saw them as normal.

But here's the really brilliant part: Stowe is able to show how and why Southerners saw slavery as normal. She not only describes the horrors of slavery, she also creates different characters with different views on slavery. She has benevolent slaveowners alongside cruel owners. She has some people who see blacks as childlike, some who view them as equals, some who hardly see them as people, and some who view them as people but still retain prejudices against them. Stowe is able to depict each and every opinion of that time period within this book, and truly demonstrates just how tangled the issue of slavery is. When I was a kid, I couldn't understand why the South couldn't just agree to free all the slaves, why a civil war had to start before slavery could finally end. Now I can see their point of view: I don't agree with it, but I understand it.

Stowe doesn't just stop with criticizing slaveowners, though. She also criticizes the North for their part in slavery: they may be free states, but, thanks to their prejudices, they aren't doing anything to help end slavery.

Overall, this is a book everyone must read. Once. Once is enough. I don't think I'll be able to read this a second time. Maybe years down the road when my future children are assigned to read this in school I'll read it again with them. But I won't willingly read this again. It's a very good story. Really too good, because the stories are so emotionally disturbing. I can't bring myself to repeat the experience. It will forever haunt me.

If you haven't read this yet, you need to read it. It's famous for good reason. Just be prepared. You're not just reading classic literature, you're reading a horror story. A horror story about our country's dark history. I strongly recommend the annotated version; it helps with harder sections.

Book Review: Nobody's Fool, by Richard Russo

Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Date Published: May 1993
Publisher: Vintage
# Of Pages 549 pages

Goodreads

Synopsis: Richard Russo's slyly funny and moving novel follows the unexpected operation of grace in a deadbeat town in upstate New York—and in the life of one of its unluckiest citizens, Sully, who has been doing the wrong thing triumphantly for fifty years.

Divorced from his own wife and carrying on halfheartedly with another man's, saddled with a bum knee and friends who make enemies redundant, Sully now has one new problem to cope with: a long-estranged son who is in imminent danger of following in his father's footsteps. With its sly and uproarious humor and a heart that embraces humanity's follies as well as its triumphs, Nobody's Fool is storytelling at its most generous.

My Rating:

 ★★★★

.....For being an entertaining, rambling read.

My Thoughts:

Have you ever read a book and felt that you really liked it, but you still want to punch it in the face?

This is the second novel by Richard Russo that I've ever read, the first being his memoir. His memoir had the feeling of being loving and nostalgic (it was about his mother after all). This book has the feeling of being an interesting smart-ass.

The tone and writing style brilliantly has the exact same feel as the town it's set in: rambling, run-down, but with enough life in it to make you stop and check things out. You find yourself a visitor for a few weeks to a tiny, dying town, and you subsequently become enveloped by the drama of it's residents.

Sully is quite the character. He never lets up and puts himself in comically ridiculous situations for the sole reason that he can, so what the hell. He drives everyone a little nuts, but he still remains likeable. You want things to work out for, yet at the same time you're resigned to the fact that he's going to mess it up, because he always messes up.

The other characters are also pretty memorable, although there were quite a few I didn't like. They all have striking personalities, components of which we can all recognize within ourselves. I think my favorite side character is Will, Sully's grandson. He's so sweet, and I love seeing him slowly triumph over his fears.

The pace/plot of this story is both frustrating, and yet interesting and appropriate for this novel as a whole. Like I said before, you feel like you're coming in to this strange town for a little visit. You stick around for a little while because the people living there are kind of ridiculous and you want to see what they do next. Then comes a dry spell, where nothing of not happens for a little while; days blend in with each other, and you start to get a little bored. But then, just as you start to decide that things are boring and you want to leave, something outrageous happens, and you get sucked back in to this small-town drama.

Overall, this book is both brilliant and odd. The tone and pace of the novel are perfectly suited to the blue-collar setting of this tale, but Sully is still an odd, albeit funny, duck. I really enjoyed this book, despite not liking some of the people in it, and despite my frustration when reading some of Sully's bizarre antics. You're going to want to slap some sense into some of these characters sometimes, yet the fact that you want to is proof that you're getting into the story, thereby making this book an intriguing piece of literature.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction, particularly of the small-town-soap-opera variety. It's not a book with a cookie-cutter plot; instead, it's a story with a life and spirit all of its own. Check it out!