You Are One of Them by Elliott Holt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am not really sure how I feel about this book. Did I hate it? Love it? I think I just got through it Okay and will make the best of it. I liked the whole idea of the story line but felt kind of robbed... There seemed to be a lot left out or kind of rushed. The ending really wasn't a surprise for me. I kind of expected it. I think the whole book built up to it. A growing period for the main character. It was kind of a stepping stone into adulthood after all she had to go through. The world was not what she thought it to be.

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Frog Music by Emma Donoghue
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Did I miss something??? I was sooooo bored. I just couldn't get into it. I think I will stay away from this author. I didn't really like Room too much either but at least that one I read 'til the end. I was hoping for something more but I got less......

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Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

By chance I brought this book for $1.99 (or less?)a while back and now it has become my GR monthly book club read as well as my work one. I read it super fast and really enjoyed it. It was simple and yet endearing. I never knew of such trains and it is heartbreaking to know that it had exsisted for so many years. I also really enjoyed that it started out on a street (Elizabeth) where I currently live. I, of course, googled it and found so many cool images (one I found later that was in the book at the end).

I highly recommend this book because not only is it an emotional read but it is a great historical insight.

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The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It started very slow but then I got into it once she (Eva) got into the past. I loved the way that it came to an end. A god ending seems rare. Of course there are many things that I over analyzed but all-in-all it was still a good read.

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Review: The Pirate's Daughter - Margaret Cezair-Thompson

Genre: Historical Fiction
ISBN: 9780812979428
Pages: 390
Published October 2007
Format: Trade Paperback
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Read: September 2011
Book Club Read

This book was up and down to me. It was a nice read but sometimes I was missing something. It needed more and less. Does that make sense? There were times when I wanted more information and then there were things that could have been left out and served no purpose. I loved the whole entwining Errol Flynn and Jamaica. How many stories are set in Jamaica? AND the best part was the Bob Marley was not mentioned until page 300. It was a shock! I thought for sure it would have been mentioned in the title.

This was an interesting read and I am glad I read it. I had to google more about Errol Flynn though (In like Flynn). I knew about him and his playboy life but I had to get a better image of him and I think that the author did a great job with weaving fact and fiction. It was what made the book so interesting. Everything else was mere "meh" but because she wove in Flynn it just gave it more magic. It is definitely a good book club book. It makes for great conversation and it is truly a comfort read.

Review: On Chesil Beach - Ian McEwan

Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780307386175
Pages: 203
Format: Trade Paperback
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Read in: July 2011

Just a joy to read. First , it is a good quick read. Definitely a beach read. It is beautifully written and simply "breathtaking". I love the purity of it all and the simple messages it holds. You would have to read it to completely agree. I love the line at the end "This is how the entire course of a life can be changed - by doing nothing." I thought it summed up the whole book and I thought it was a genius way to wrap up the book.

This is such a simple book that carries so much meaning. I really recommend it.

Review: If I Stay - Gayle Forman

Genre: YA Fiction

Pages: 234

ISBN: 9780142415436

Format: Trade Paperback

Rating 4.5/5 stars

Why didn't I give this 5 stars? I am still not sure myself but something unforeseen was holding me back. I really did enjoy the story and it took me seconds to read. I loved it and I would like to think that I would be just like Mia's parents when my girl's grow up except for the whole car crash thing!

This is about a story of a young girl of 17 to has a wonderful life and family and it all ends in an instant when her parents and her younger brother all perish in a car crash. She is lying in ICU and walking between the space of life and death. She sees and hears everything around her but it's up to her if she should live or die. All through her decision making she goes over her life and tells us bits and pieces of her story and it is so compelling and heartwarming and of course sad but it is such a good quick story and I am very happy that it is becoming a series and the next installment Where She Went will be out this April.

I do recommend this book to young adults and adults alike. It is truly a great story and I must admit I was a sucker for it.

Review: The Magician's Assistant - Ann Patchett

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 357

ISBN: 9780156006219

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Not one of my favorite books but it was readable. I liked how it was a different kind of story and not one that you may have found in many other books. It's about a woman named Sabine who married a gay guy who was a magician and of course she was his assistant as well. They have been doing magic together for well over 20 years and she lived with him, Parisfal, and his boyfriend, Phan. They didn't get married until many years later. It was more for legal purposes because he knew he was going to die. There are many more things going on of course but that's the basics. She finds out after his death that is past was not of what he told her. He had another name and another life years before. Why he lied is beyond me. They give an answer why but it doesn't make much sense to go as far as he did.

Sabine meets his family that she thought were dead and blah blah. There was just a lot of things that could have made it better. There were things that were left unsaid and unanswered and I feel that this book had a lot more potential and that's why I continued to read it but the ending made me angry. Some of it was good but I thought that it was leading up to something bigger. I could ramble on and on about what I wanted to hear and what I got but read it for yourself and then we can chat!

The Lotus Eaters - Tatjana Soli

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: Hardcover / Library

ISBN: 9780312611576

Pages: 386

Rating: 3/5 Stars

We read this book for our October book club read at work and I think we all had the same feelings: it was OK. Nothing so fantastic about it. We were all wondering where all these "great" reviews were coming from. I did love how the beginning was the end and you had to keep reading to find out how it got to that point but a lot of it was"really?" I just could imagine a woman going to Vietnam and taking pictures with no real inclination of what war can be, how to load a camera, and let alone culture shock. I understand that she needed adventure and needed to find out what happened to her brother (who died earlier) but I just don't understand...

I did really like the story but there were just things that were hard to believe but then again I don't know Vietnam like others may have. I was the youngest in my book club and they all remembered it and I wasn't even born yet! I did love Linh though, he was by far my favorite character. Helen was OK, and Darrow was unpredictable. At first he was supposed to be this standoffish guy who was a bad-ass per say, but then he was poetic and lovable. I dunno I really did enjoy the story and probably would have gave it a higher rating but because of the above I just couldn't.

The Alienist - Caleb Carr

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: Mass Market Paperback

ISBN: 9780553572995

Pages: 597

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Well, I have finally finished it. I took me pretty much a whole month to read. Not only because it was a large book, but I had a rough couple of weeks and I am working on my thesis, so time really isn't on my side but with that aside I really did enjoy the book. Maybe it would have gotten a higher rating have I not been so exhausted reading (or not reading it for that matter) but this is what it is.

This story is gruesome and mind bending. It is about a crazy killer who does some horrible mutilations it his victim's and brings together many different types of people into a secret investigation to find it's killer. There's a reporter, 2 detective's (who are highly educated and are the first to do fingerprinting), a female cop (which really didn't exist back then), an amazing psychologist (who was very eager and willing to do anything to find out why people are the way they are) and of course Teddy (who was in the police force at the time). There are many other characters in the book that brought their own great personalities and I think it was perfect. Everything in the book needed to be there and it did for a great read.

I love to read about old New York and to feel what it is like to live in the 1800's. Carr did a great job bringing in the characters and historical aspects. I really did like how Carr incorporated so many great things into his book.

Honolulu -Alan Brennert

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: Softcover

Pages: 431

ISBN: 9780312606343

Rating 4/5 Stars

I did very much like this book and at times I just couldn't put it down. It has been some time since I read a good book like this. I have been reading so many YA's lately that it was a nice change. As for Honolulu, I liked it enough to rate it 4 stars but not enough to give it the full 5 because there were times when I felt like I was reading footnotes mixed into the book. I know Brennert had to give more detailed information due to the many mixtures of cultures but at times it just drove me nuts. I also think it was annoying that I didn't really believe the main character, I mean, she didn't have any education and yet she "used" big words and it just didn't sound like it was her voice. I know it may be a problem writing from a man to a woman's voice and although I think he did a decent job I just don't think he did such a perfect one. I did like how he wove in true tales and real people and kinda recreated their former lives. It was very interested to read and I liked how he had pictures of them in the back of the book.

I had the privilege to talk with Brennert a while back in regards to Moloka'i and he was still in the works with Honolulu and he said that he fell in love with Hawaii and also loves their history as well as history in general so I was not surprised when I read Honolulu. He really did it justice and told a wonderful and beautiful story of the real American culture.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

The book was recommended by many people and it was one of monthly reads for a book club that I am apart of on GR so I thought I would give it a good. I figured it was a light YA read but was shocked when I opened it up. First, I knew it was a banned book so I know it was going to touch many issues but for some reason I was not expecting what I dot but I gotta say that I personally enjoyed it and I probably would let my children read it if they were 15+ I doubt I would let them read it earlier than that. I just think that kids are exposed to drugs, alcohol, sex, homosexuality and the like so I don't think I would try to hide it from my kids nor would I push it on them. I would take it as it comes and deal with situations as they arise.

I always hear people say that they don't mind what their kids read so long as they read and others will say that they don't want their kids to read such filth but I say let them be! I will read what my kids read in hopes that we could converse on it and talk about it and maybe then we could tackle all those issues and I could answer any questions they have.Just look at the banned books. Really? There are so many great books on there! People are just too damn sensitive and should really come to reality!

Anyway, back to the book. I really liked it because it has a poetic feel to it and it just made me feel better. It's like you have to have some serious issues to be a genuine person! I wish that I had at least one teach who I could relate to like that. I loved all the people in the book. Each played their role and they played it well. It really makes sense that it is an MTV book because it fits what MTV does best and that is tell the truth of what really occurs in teenage life.

A Long Long way - Sabastian Barry

This was my book club choice book for the month because he is an Irish writer and it is March but I just wasn't in the mood to read a war book so I felt myself getting distracted very easily. I would be reading and then have to go back because I forgot what I just read. I loved the way he writes and at points I felt myself reading it with a brogue. I am sure this book is better than I rated it but as I said I just didn't have the mind set. Maybe I will re-read it in the future when I am more than ready to read such a book.

Book Challenge for the New Year!

Well hello! My goal for the New Year will be to read 60+ books from Jan. to Dec. 2010. I am also doing an ABC title Challenge with the books below. I am going to add in ones that I will be reading for other book clubs as well as ones that I simply with to read. I will keep track of the books on the right sidebar entitled "Book Challenge 2010". Last year I did 63 books from November 2008 until December 2009. I am going to try my hardest which will not be easy because I am taking two classes in the Spring semester.

Wish me luck and check back often to see what I have read.

These are to be read randomly but have to be read within the year.

# - 1984*
A - The Angel's Game*
B- The Book of Lost Things*
C- City of Bones*
D- The Desert Rose*
E- Eat, Pray, Love*
F- Fidali's Way*
G- Grundish and Askew*
H- Hunger Games*
I- Ines of my Soul*
J- Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell*
K- The Kingdom of Ohio
L- Last Night in the Twisted River*
M- Murder at the Library of Congress
N- The Name of the Rose*
O- One Hundred Years of Solitude*
P- The Pillars of the Earth*
Q- Q Road R- Rebel Angels*
S- Shogun*
T- Touching Earth*
U- Until I Find You*
V- Vile Bodies*
W- World War Z*
X- Xiblaba Gate: A Novel of the Ancient Maya
Y- The Yellow Lighted Book Shop
Z- Zipped

* books I already own

The Xibalba Murders - Lyn Hamilton

I love Mayan history so I did enjoy this. I have done lots of research and the like when I was an undergrad. I am fascinated by their culture. I only gave this book 3/5 stars because I am not crazy about how Hamilton writes. Things happened so quickly and I had to go back a little just to see how that happened. I did love how she named the chapters by one of the Mayan calenders and how she explained or compared the day and what it meant. I guess the ending maybe because I was somewhat expecting it but who knows?

This book focuses on the main character, Lara, who is of Canadian descent, and how she studies the Mayan Hieroglyphics. Another Historian called upon her and asked her down to Mexico so search for the "rabbit who writes" so now Lara is on this journey to find out what he means because his visits were always cancelled. I wasn't overly excited about this book but I did think it was alright.

Pretties - Scott Westerfeld

OK. So the beginning totally annoyed me! All that "Bubbly" "-missing", "-making" blah blah blah drove me nuts! But the story was OK. I def like Uglies more than I did this one. I still liked it but I am not going to give it the same rating. I gave it 3/5.

What I love must about this books is the message behind it that beauty is skin deep and the outside should not effect this inside. I am not a young adult (although I sure miss it!) and I know the realities of things but still the whole drinking thing could not sit right with me. It just proves that when my girls get older I am going to have to read their books before they do. Or at least to read it with them. It's like the Twilight Series. All that "sex" drove me crazy. I was fine with it but I did understand that young people would be reading this stuff. Maybe I am just old fashioned (29 is old fashioned?). The Uglies Series is not as bad as Twilight as far as content but Uglies beats Twilight out! I am one of the few who really hated the series!

Anyways....I guess Specials is next in the series. Of course I have other books on my TBR (To Be Read) list but I will get to it soon enough!

Uglies - Scott Westerfeld

So this is one of my favorite Young Adults novels. I never really got into them as an adult but this one was very good. It is also good for young adults to understand that beauty is within and to be different is wonderful. I liked the whole concept and enjoyed futurific quality of it. Uglies is basically about how everyone is "ugly" until their 16th birthday and then they get operations that smooth their skin, fix their thought (making them grown-up) and do complete 360 and make the into the Pretties where life is great and they party all the time. The Uglies and the Pretties don't associate. In fact, they are not even allowed to live with each other. They are separating and until the Ugly becomes Pretty they will have no contact until the transformation.

It is a great concept and I like the style writing. It's fun and it grips you into it. I think that young adults would very much enjoy this. It was a very quick read and now I got to get on the whole series now. Pretties is next. I gave this book 4/5 stars based on my view of a YA novel.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee - Rebecca Miller

I just don't know what to think of this book. I gave it 2/5 stars. I liked it but I didn't love it. There was a lot to the story that I really enjoyed and other parts I just could believe. I loved how Herb and Pippa met but I hated how the book ended. Actually, I just couldn't believe that it could end like that! I just don't know!!! The story just seems so far fetched to me. I mean bottle fed until 16 years old?? Really?? I guess I just expected more from the story. It is now going to be a film to be out very soon. Of course I would have to watch it just to compare. I am hoping that the movie is better. It wasn't such a long book so I am sure they can get it all into one hour-and-a-half film. Robin Wright Penn is to play Pippa and Alan Arkin to play Herb (very surprise to learn Alan's real age!)

I guess I would recommend it to one who rarely reads but I wouldn't recommend it to the avid reader!

The Lie

So I am now reading The Lie by Chad Kultgen. I friend of mine recommended it to my Goodreads book club and I was curious so I took it out from the library and I gotta say it is a bit disturbing but yet fascinating to me and I really can't explain why. Every chapter thus far is in the voice of three different people. One, Brett, who is a very rich and popular kid who doesn't have any regards for women and uses them completely and then there is Kyle, who is a sensitive yet bright guy who happens to be best friends with Brett, although he is not sense in the same financial status, and finally there is Heather, who is the girlfriend of Kyle and who very much wants to attention of Brett. All of them are in college and every chapter is leading up to something but I can only guess that it gets bad and I sense revenge...

I am not really sure why I am interested in this book but something is allowing me to continuously read it and try to avoid putting it back down.

This is Chad Kultgen's second book. His first is called The Average American Male and I might just read it if The Lie doesn't entirely piss me off but I think it is actually going to be a movie - the Average American Male. On the IMDb it is said to be out in but no other information is really available. Kutlgen's books did not get any really good reviews but it is in high demand and they sell out so I think everyone may just agree with me in not truly knowing why we like to read his stuff.

I am only about 100 pages in and I started it only hours ago so I am hoping it will be one of those 1-2 days reads.