Book Report
Dec. 11th, 2012 06:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormkeeper_lovesallBook Report time!
Run by Ann Patchett – A novel taking place in modern times and starring several characters: a white politician who has adopted two Black boys (who are now young men), their birth mother, her young daughter, the politician’s biological first-born son who is a total mess-up, and a car accident. What does one say about a novel like this? Patchett is an accomplished writer and each of her characters is fully-realized and fully-developed; there are no one-dimensional characters here. But the plot moved at a snail’s pace, and I think it could have been a way more engaging read than it was. I will say that the narration on this audio book was extremely well done. Grade: C+
Flame of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier – The sixth book in the Sevenwaters series. I’ve reviewed – and gushed over – all the books in this series before, and I don’t want to be repetitive, so I’ll just say that I loved this one as well. Sure, several of the Sevenwaters books are a wee bit similar in some regards, but this one had a big twist that I didn’t see coming at all. I still marvel at Marillier’s talent. She always hits the sweet spot of combining great characters, setting, and plot. Grade: A
More books behind the cut.
Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse – This is a graphic novel about a young white man coming of age in a small town, against the backdrop of the 1960’s civil rights movement. He’s also gay but in serious denial about it. This novel is similar to “Run” in that it had really strong, realistic characters but the plot moved too slowly for my tastes. Also, can I make nitpicky, petty comments about the illustrations? Like how everyone’s chin seemed way too huge and – when shown in full view – their legs always seemed way long compared to the rest of them? I mean, I’ll never be able to draw as well as Cruse but it is a graphic novel so I’d expect the highest talent in terms of, well, graphics. Grade: C+
Inside Rikers by Jennifer Wynn – Someday I need to figure out why I am so intrigued by books about prisons. This one was no less grim than the others I’ve read, but still intriguing. I hadn’t realized that there’s this island off of New York that basically is a huge jail. The author works with a program that tries to prevent inmates from committing more crimes and returning to jail after they are released. She shares the stories of the men she’s worked with, telling us about their lives before, during, and after jail. Wynn has also done her homework: there are plenty of timely statistics in here about poverty and the rising rates of incarceration. Grade: B+
Ice Bound by Jerri Nielsen – This is Nielsen’s true story: she was the only doctor working at the station at the South Pole during a long winter, when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. This memoir tells her fight for survival. I listened to it on audio and it was narrated by Nielsen herself which is interesting – she’s not an actor and she stumbles on the narration several times, and yet I found that I liked it. It kept the book real. I enjoyed hearing the background on Nielsen’s life before and in Antarctica too. I think I crave reading books about people who find community, and she definitely finds her community at “the Pole”. Grade: B+
Books I started reading but didn’t finish:
There is a novel that was a best seller several years ago but which I was unable to finish. I am too embarrassed to write down the name of the book here; I fear that several people will have read it and will think I’m a dork for not finishing it. So I won’t say which it was. I know I can be hard on best-sellers but I read 50 pages into this one and didn’t see where the author was going or why I should finish it.
Run by Ann Patchett – A novel taking place in modern times and starring several characters: a white politician who has adopted two Black boys (who are now young men), their birth mother, her young daughter, the politician’s biological first-born son who is a total mess-up, and a car accident. What does one say about a novel like this? Patchett is an accomplished writer and each of her characters is fully-realized and fully-developed; there are no one-dimensional characters here. But the plot moved at a snail’s pace, and I think it could have been a way more engaging read than it was. I will say that the narration on this audio book was extremely well done. Grade: C+
Flame of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier – The sixth book in the Sevenwaters series. I’ve reviewed – and gushed over – all the books in this series before, and I don’t want to be repetitive, so I’ll just say that I loved this one as well. Sure, several of the Sevenwaters books are a wee bit similar in some regards, but this one had a big twist that I didn’t see coming at all. I still marvel at Marillier’s talent. She always hits the sweet spot of combining great characters, setting, and plot. Grade: A
More books behind the cut.
Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse – This is a graphic novel about a young white man coming of age in a small town, against the backdrop of the 1960’s civil rights movement. He’s also gay but in serious denial about it. This novel is similar to “Run” in that it had really strong, realistic characters but the plot moved too slowly for my tastes. Also, can I make nitpicky, petty comments about the illustrations? Like how everyone’s chin seemed way too huge and – when shown in full view – their legs always seemed way long compared to the rest of them? I mean, I’ll never be able to draw as well as Cruse but it is a graphic novel so I’d expect the highest talent in terms of, well, graphics. Grade: C+
Inside Rikers by Jennifer Wynn – Someday I need to figure out why I am so intrigued by books about prisons. This one was no less grim than the others I’ve read, but still intriguing. I hadn’t realized that there’s this island off of New York that basically is a huge jail. The author works with a program that tries to prevent inmates from committing more crimes and returning to jail after they are released. She shares the stories of the men she’s worked with, telling us about their lives before, during, and after jail. Wynn has also done her homework: there are plenty of timely statistics in here about poverty and the rising rates of incarceration. Grade: B+
Ice Bound by Jerri Nielsen – This is Nielsen’s true story: she was the only doctor working at the station at the South Pole during a long winter, when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. This memoir tells her fight for survival. I listened to it on audio and it was narrated by Nielsen herself which is interesting – she’s not an actor and she stumbles on the narration several times, and yet I found that I liked it. It kept the book real. I enjoyed hearing the background on Nielsen’s life before and in Antarctica too. I think I crave reading books about people who find community, and she definitely finds her community at “the Pole”. Grade: B+
Books I started reading but didn’t finish:
There is a novel that was a best seller several years ago but which I was unable to finish. I am too embarrassed to write down the name of the book here; I fear that several people will have read it and will think I’m a dork for not finishing it. So I won’t say which it was. I know I can be hard on best-sellers but I read 50 pages into this one and didn’t see where the author was going or why I should finish it.
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Date: 2012-12-12 01:26 am (UTC)Btw I am reading the new Carol Anshaw book right now thanks to your previous book report. So far I like it.
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Date: 2012-12-12 02:01 am (UTC)I really hope you continue to like the Carol Anshaw book. Thanks for taking a recommendation of mine!
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Date: 2012-12-12 03:02 am (UTC)Hey, I love reading your reports! You always find such interesting books.
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Date: 2012-12-12 11:12 am (UTC)Thank you for reading my reports! I really appreciate it. It makes me enjoy all the hours I spend reading even more.
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Date: 2012-12-12 01:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-12 02:00 am (UTC)You have a good reminder; not everyone is going to love every bestseller.
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Date: 2012-12-12 02:56 am (UTC)Not every book appeals to every person - there are certainly other bestsellers I've read that have made me shake my head and wonder "WHY? Why is this selling thousands of copies?!"
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Date: 2012-12-12 11:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-12 04:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-12 07:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-12 06:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-12 04:56 am (UTC)As far as illustrations go....I have seen so many AWFUL ones that I won't even buy the comic book because I can't stand the drawing(chicken scribble) that is featured in it. I am sometimes so appalled with the aesthetics that I will not buy a graphic novel that is in plastic wrap. I have to know what I am getting into. I don't care if the story is great if the images are fugly as hell. Nope. Nope. Nope.
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Date: 2012-12-12 11:15 am (UTC)And thanks - it is good to know that this book wasn't alone with the bad illustrations. How does a graphic artists who can't draw get published??
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Date: 2012-12-12 04:32 pm (UTC)I didn't realize you had a thing for prison novels--that is interesting! Have you read Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption yet? I know everyone knows the plot and all by now, but if you like prison novels, it's one of the best. Also Shutter Island--technically an asylum, but it has a lot of similarities.
As for Life of Pi--saw the movie this weekend, LOVED it, haven't read the book yet. My mom's re-reading it right now, and then it'll be my turn. I wasn't prepared for all the religious stuff going in (which is part of the movie as well), but I did feel like it dragged in the beginning, before they get out to the ocean. A LOT of backstory going on there. Definitely worth it afterwards though. Maybe the book is similar?
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Date: 2012-12-12 07:49 pm (UTC)Thank you for the recommendations! Believe it or not, I haven't read them. I will add them to my list. Although, was Shutter Island made into a movie, and is it totally scary?
Hmmmm....now I am re-thining the Life of Pi. Maybe I should have given it more than 50 pages. I don't know. Let me know if you ever do read it.
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Date: 2012-12-13 12:43 am (UTC)Shutter Island is indeed a movie--and one of the most faithful book-to-screen adaptations I've ever seen. It's pretty great. More suspenseful than scary. It's a conspiracy-ish thriller with lots of freaky dream sequences.
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Date: 2012-12-13 01:59 am (UTC)