Books at the Box Office

Recently, I saw a preview for Water For Elephants, a movie starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson and based on Sara Gruen's bestselling novel by the same name.  The movie looks gorgeous, and so I decided to do a post about books that are in theaters now.  Except, GASP, it turns out we haven't reviewed Water For Elephants.  I think Heather and I both read it years before this blog existed. 

*Sigh* 

It was a really good book. 

I hope the movie doesn't mess it up.

Here are several other books we have reviewed 

(other than Water for Elephants) 

that have recently made it to the big screen :

Jane Eyre 

RFS Review - Trailer

 Water for Elephants

Trailer

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

RFS Review - Trailer

I am Number Four

RFS Review - Trailer

Beastly

RFS Review - Trailer

Harry Potter and the

Deathly Hallows (Part Two)

RFS Review - Trailer

Other Movie News

The Help is coming to theaters in August 2011.

Read our reviews of Kathryn Stockett's bestselling novel.

Read our review of The Giver, which is rumored to be in development

I heard they just cast Katniss, Peeta, and Gale 

in the new The Hunger Games movie. 

Read our reviews of the first book in this fast-paced trilogy.

Are there any books you are DYING to have made into movies? 

Have you heard of one being produced? 

Share it in our comments section so we can all get excited!

 

I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore

Summary:  Nine of us came here.  We look like you.  We talk like you.  We live among you.  But we are not  you.  We can do things you dream of doing.  We have powers you dream of having.  We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen.  We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books - but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them.  But they found us and started hunting us first.  Now all of us are running.  Spending our lives in the shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in.  We have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.

I am Number Four.

I am next.

(Summary from book - Image from barnesandnoble.com )

My Review:  I am Number Four is a romantic young adult sci-fi novel and an extremely easy read. It had an immediate hook, with a prologue that caught my attention and a premise that held it for most of the book. It took me about 295 pages before I even thought to write down more than a few sentences of notes (and the book is only 440 pages long).

My favorite part of this book was the emergence of John Smith/Number Four’s supernatural powers and his attempts to navigate a new school without revealing his identity. John’s efforts to control his powers, hone them, and hide them, provided quite a few situations that were interesting and, at times, humorous or surprising. I also liked the moments of initial attraction between John and Sarah and the problems that their relationship created both within the school and for John in general. This book will delight the less discerning YA reader and entertain older fans who don’t mind a little predictability, a few knight-in-shining-armor moments, and some occasionally cheesy dialog.

I am Number Four started out strong, but lost momentum towards the end. I could handle the moments of predictability, but once the Mogadorians emerged as an immediate threat my interest began to wane. They felt cartoonish with their pale skin, pointy teeth, trench coats, and low brimmed hats, and I had a hard time taking them seriously. Also, once John and Sarah’s romance progressed past the initial stages of attraction, I lost the connection between them. It just fizzled out. Oh, there was love professed, but it felt wooden and unrealistic. I think the final battle was my least favorite part of the book. While I loved the addition of another character, the rest was sloppy and rushed with some all out absurdity for good measure.  The ending does, however, provide closure with enough room for the sequel, The Power of Six, releasing August 23, 2011.

Despite its flaws, I can see why this book was chosen for the big screen. It was quite cinematic and held numerous possibilities for action, romance, and impressive special effects. If the Mogadorian’s manage to get their scare on and John and Sarah are well-cast, the movie has the potential to be better than the book. 

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

For the sensitive reader: Some scattered profanity and ever so slightly gory violence.

Sum it up: An exciting premise with less than satisfactory execution.

FlashForward - Robert J. Sawyer

Summary:  The story of a world-shattering discovery at the CERN research facility in Switzerland. The research team of Lloyd Simcoe and Theo Procopides is using the particle accelerator at CERN in pursuit of the elusive Higgs Boson, a theoretical subatomic particle. But their experiment goes incredibly awry, and, for a few moments, the consciousness of the entire human race is thrown ahead by about twenty years. 

While humanity must deal immediately with the destructive aftermath of the experiment — thousands were injured and killed as every single person's body was left unconscious in the here-and-now — the greater implications take longer to surface. People who had no vision of the future seek to learn how they will died, while others seek out future lovers. (summary from jacket cover)
 
My Review:  Do you remember that old TV show called...wait, what was it?  Oh, yes - LOST.  When the show ended Mindy posted some suggestions of books that one might read to help combat the inevitable withdrawal that we "Losties" were facing*.  It was a nice thought, but my plan was instead to find another epic TV show to pine away for week after week - and my show of choice was FlashForward...which of course, was canceled after one season. 

Major frowny-face + whiny voice : I really wanted to know how it ended!

Luckily I remembered that I could perhaps read on occasion and with a few well place hints, Voila! I got this book for Christmas.

Because I had already basically heard this story before I feel a bit biased in my judgment.  I found I wasn't as enthralled with the individual characters in the book as I was with those in the show.  Likely this was because on TV they had more time to develop the characters and to add additional layers (a HUGE conspiracy layer was added in the show).

But hey, visions of the future combined with world-wide catastrophe; as far as fiction goes that is top-notch in my opinion.  Add a bit of intellectual play with quantum theory and I'm your gal.  The book was well-written and kept my interest, even though I already sort of knew what might happen.  And although the details were different between the TV show and the book, the ending of the book gave me just enough ideas of what could have happened that I was able to imagine an appropriate ending to the TV show.

So, as I said - I am probably biased on my opinion, having "seen the movie" before reading the book.  But if you want to "find out what happened" I recommend this one.  And if you have no idea what I'm talking about and continued reading this far despite my incredibly pedestrian obsession with a TV drama I'd guess that you would like the book even better than I did.

One more thing, this book was written in 1999 but set in 2009.  So while the plot and theoretical concepts are ultimately what make this book worth reading it is also amusing to hunt for the author's guesses on what "the future" (ie, our recent past) would look like.  Lets just say, he misjudged on the prevalence of "publish on demand;" didn't guess that Wikipedia or DVDs would be en vogue; and was one more person who didn't for see Great Recession.

My rating:  3 stars (3.5 if you haven't watched the TV show)

Sum it up:  I love reading books really, really quickly - particularly over Christmas, when it is more socially acceptable to abdicate parenting to friends and family.  This was a really good book to do that with.

*The question is - Mindy, have you watched LOST from the beginning yet?  If I had to guess I'd say you were a Sawyer girl...

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

Summary: This novella by English author Charles Dickens was first published by Chapman & Hall on 19 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visitations of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. 

The tale has been viewed as an indictment of nineteenth century industrial capitalism and was adapted several times to the stage, and has been credited with restoring the holiday to one of merriment and festivity in Britain and America after a period of sobriety and sombreness. A Christmas Carol remains popular, has never been out of print, and has been adapted to film, opera, and other media.  (image from virgin media and summary from Wikipedia)

My Review:  Not only is this A Christmas Carol, it is THE Christmas Carol...a story that most Americans have seen in multiple movie recreations or plays and one referred to at Christmas time as often as any bible story or tale of reindeer.  But, have you read it?  I hadn't until it was the book club pick for December.  If you haven't read it, forget about picking up this year's NYT bestselling holiday tearjerker - get this instead.

At 100 pages this book is easily adapted into a movie.  The script is generally taken directly from Dicken's words and you will probably find no surprise plot twists.  It is simply the act of reading that gives this story a greater depth.  In fact, because the visual "imagination" of reading it is unnecessary (I pictured a cross between Mickey's Christmas Carol and Muppet's Christmas Carol...judge me as you may) as I read my mind wandered instead to the whys of the story.  Why did Dickens include certain details?  Why did the ghost of Christmas Present phrase it that way?  And of course the most interesting question of all...how does this apply to me?

The book club discussion was an excellent way to start to the holiday season.  Our discussion focused less on the caricature of hard hearted Scrooge and more on the reasons that young Scrooge turned away from life and towards money.  You see, not many of us are extremely wealthy and frugal business men.  If we are wealthy we spend the money, mostly on ourselves and family, and if we are poor...well, we may be frugal, or we may just be envious and equally self-serving.  And so we talked about how to avoid becoming obsessed with money and about how incredibly blessed we are to live in our luxurious 1st world homes (I say this with no sense of irony as I sit in my 850 sf condo after two years of my husband being partially employed).  We talked about how giving a gift gives you more dopamine than getting a gift.  We talked about wealth as a curse...or not.  We discussed the merits of Santa verses parents as the prime gift giver.  We talked about a lot more questions.  All of this, from 100 pages; from a story I've heard at least thirty times in my life.

This is a story you should READ once in your life...if not every year.  And then discuss it. 

Merry Christmas.

My rating: 5 Stars

Sum it up:  Discuss it over the Thanksgiving table next year in order to influence your gift giving and general Christmasy attitude in 2011.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling

Summary:  Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart--such revelations, battles, and betrayals await...that no fan will make it to the end unscathed....The heart of Book 7 is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself.  (Image and summary from amazon.com)

My Review:  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows picks up where Half-Blood Prince leaves off – with Harry immersed in the search for Voldemort’s mysterious Horcruxes. As the Chosen One, Harry is determined to go it alone and Hermione and Ron are just as determined to come along. The ministry has been infiltrated. People are being cursed, kidnapped, tortured, and killed, left, right and center, and things are finally heating up between Ron and Hermione. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione set out to find and destroy the Horcruxes, they discover more than they ever thought possible about their mission, Albus Dumbledore's secret past, and the legend of the Deathly Hallows.

This book is the darkest and most suspenseful book in the Harry Potter series. Evil walks the streets and many of the scenes in this book feel as if they come from a horror movie. As her previous book proved, Rowling isn’t afraid to kill off major characters, a quality that I both love and loathe, but one which made this book extremely painful to read. At the same time, Rowling offers more light-hearted, humorous, and romantic moments to help strike a balance within the book. It may be cliché, but the term “roller coaster of emotions” is an apt description of the author's ability to take full control of your feelings and yank them around with ferocity.

My favorite aspect of this book is that, as the story unfolds, heroes emerge that have long stood in the background, to fight alongside Harry as he wages war with the Dark Lord. I love, love, loved the parts that they played, and it was wonderful to see true intentions revealed, and to watch so many people take their place in the spotlight. Ultimately, the final book in one of the world’s most popular fantasy series comes down to a gigantic magical death match, full of astonishing twists and unexpected casualties, as J.K. Rowling skillfully weaves a compelling plot, fascinating characters, and long forgotten detail into a seamless and spectacular conclusion. I am so sad it’s over.

(Disclaimer) At this point, JK Rowling can do no wrong in my eyes -- and, let's be honest, I hit that point about four books ago. Wait! Let me qualify that. If she writes another book and decides to impregnate Hermione with a sparkly baby named Ronnesme, I’m going to have to ditch the whole series and start a hate mail campaign. Other than that lingering fear, I’m too far gone to see any flaws that aren’t glaringly obvious. Deal with it.

My Rating: 5 Stars (more if I could)     For the sensitive reader: This book probably contains more swearing (biblical and otherwise) than the last several books combined. There is liberal application of the word “effing” (no, literally, that’s what they say) which might be offensive to some, given its most likely meaning. I wasn’t bothered by it, but did notice the increase in profanity.

Sum it up: A complex and compelling masterpiece of fantasy fiction and the perfect way to end this stunning series!

The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson

Summary: Part blistering espionage thriller, part riveting police procedural, and part piercing expose' on social injustice, The Girl Who Played with Fire is a masterful, endlessly satisfying novel.

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation. On the eve of its publication, two people are brutally murdered and the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to his friend, the troubled genius hacker Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist, conviced of Salander's innocence, plunges into an investigation. Meanwhile, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous game of cat and mouse, which forces her to face her dark past.
Summary from book, cover photo from barnesandnoble.com

My Review: After reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I was anxious to discover what Larsson had in store for his readers in this next trilogy installation. This book is every bit as suspenseful and intriguing as the first. The story is well-paced, interesting throughout with the last hundred pages impossible to tear away from.

Quite fitting, this novel addresses the one mystery that was left open ended in the first book. It deals primarily with the secrets of the lead female character, Lizabeth Salander, also known as the girl who played with fire. There was more depth brought to all the characters in this book, allowing the reader to develop more intimate relationships. New characters, some evil and some good, are also introduced.

While I enjoyed this book immensely, I do have one complaint. The author addresses his characters by their last name the majority of the time and these are Swedish names, many with the same beginning sounds, that I am unfamiliar with. Thus I had a difficult time keeping the secondary faces straight. Just when I thought I had it figured out a first name would pop up leaving me guessing all over again. Really this is a mild complaint considering the brilliance of this novel overall and by the end, when it really mattered, I had it all figured out.

This book closed a bit more open ended than I would have preferred but the main mystery came full circle and was brilliant. Stieg Larsson was one of those writers with creative energy to spare. Both books contain intricately woven plots packed full of drama and betrayal, power abuse and deceit. I am excited to pick up the final book in this trilogy, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, and can only imagine where we will be lead to next.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars, not a book for sensitive readers- sex, violence, language

To Sum it up: A well-written sequel full of mystery and intrigue with compelling characters who will worm their way into you head every waking moment and occasionally into your dreams.

Naked Lunch - William S. Burroughs

Summary: In a convoluted and disturbing string of events, a drug addict flees from the police. His journeys take him across the United States and down into Mexico and beyond. On his travels, he meets up with various members of the underground drug and homosexual cultures. Alongside the twisted narrative runs a counter story about the uses of mind control by governments and psychiatrists to manipulate, destroy and direct the masses. Told in lurid detail that disturbs and disgusts many readers, the novel presents a glimpse into the emerging counter cultures of the 1950s and gives interesting insights into how these forces effect the ongoing development of modern society. (Summary from bookrags.com; cover image from powells.com)

My Review: Many of the books that end up on challenged and banned book lists leave people scratching their heads; few can find anything offensive enough about Harry Potter to comprehend banning it. Not so with Naked Lunch, perhaps the only masterpiece of modern literature ever to be banned from shipment through the U.S. Post Office. It has been burned. It has been banned in cities like Boston and Los Angeles and was the subject of a Massachussets Supreme Court obscenity case. Even today, it’s hard to imagine a school district even considering it for inclusion in a library long enough for parents challenge it.

What does a book have to do to get this sort of reaction? That’s the easy part. Naked Lunch has enough visceral violence, sex, sexual violence, general depravity, and drug use to make even the most jaded reader blanch. But Burrough’s masterpeice isn’t out for cheap shock value. Rather, the disturbing, surreal images serve to underscore the book’s cry for freedom from the invisible prisons of a culture that treats people as merely means to an end. It’s the revelation of our own everyday inhumanity, reflected back to us in grotesque and larger-than-life form, that makes this book hit home.

Naked Lunch is a great book. Not just a Great Book, but actually a fascinating, disturbing, mind-opening and gut-wrenching read. Naked Lunch is also a hard read. Much of it is written in Burrough’s signature “cut-up” style--the literary equivalent of impressionism, if Van Gogh were to paint his worst nightmares, tear the canvases to shreds, and glue them back together at random. Trying to trace the thin threads of theme and motif tying together words, sentences, and scenes quickly leaves the reader bewildered, mentally exhausted, and open to the full impact of the text’s delicate and dangerous poetry.

Star Rating: 5. Caution: This book doesn’t play nice; expect to be appalled.

Sum it up: If ever a novel begged to be banned by the powers that be, this is it. Strike a blow for your own freedom, and pick up a copy today! (Incidentally, the movie adaptation is no more understandable, but other than that it has little in common with the book. Give it a pass unless you're a fan of cinematic surrealism--in which case, you've probably already seen it.)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

Summary: Stieg Larsson's Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel.

Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pieced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.
summary from book, cover photo from barnesandnoble.com

My Review: I had attempted to read this book on two other occasions over the past year. I would stumble over the first 50 pages completely lost and finally give up. The opening just required more thought than I was willing to devote to the book. This reading was no different except that it was a book club read so I felt an obligation to finish it. I'm sure glad I did.

Once I made it past those first couple chapters I was able to dive in, neglecting to come up for air. This book is that addicting. I soon formed a relationship with the characters and was devoted to solving the mystery, a task easier said than done. Actually this book isn't comprised of just one mystery but three. Two come full circle and the next I'm sure will be addressed in the follow-up, The Girl Who Played with Fire.

This novel is what every great mystery should be. It's a race between good and evil with evil in the lead throughout much of the book. Good continues to make progress, occasionally slipping backward and only surpassing in the final moments. When good triumphs and evil's identity is surprisingly revealed the reader finally catches a breath and may even cheer.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Sensitive readers: Violence, language and sexual situations

To sum it up: A great mystery that will have you longing for more. You might as well just buy the trilogy because you are going to want to read the next as soon as the cover is closed on this one.

Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane

Summary: Summer, 1954.

U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels has come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Along with his partner, Chuck Aule, he sets out to find an escaped patient, a murderess named Rachel Solando, as a hurricane bears down upon them.

But nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is what it seems.

Is he there to find a missing patient? Or has he been sent to look into rumors of Ashecliffe's radical approach to psychiatry; an approach that may include drug experimentation, hideous surgical trials, and lethal countermoves in the shadow war against Soviet brainwashing ...

Or is there another, more personal reason why he has come there?

As the investigation deepens, the questions only mount. The closer Teddy and Chuck get to the truth, the more elusive it becomes, and the more they begin to believe that they my never leave Shutter Island.

Because someone is trying to drive them insane ...

Summary and Cover Photo courtesy of Barnesandnoble.com

My Review: A woman has mysteriously escaped from Ashcliffe Hospital on Shutter Island, a location home to only the those who have committed the most horrific crimes and the asylum's employees. Teddy Daniels, U.S. Marshal is sent in to find the escapee but may lose himself in the process. No one gets off this island alive.

This book will grab you from the opening chapter and ceases to release even after the cover is closed. As you travel with Teddy through the asylum you soon find there is more than meets the eye. The place holds a multitude of secrets, each terrifying and the twists just keep turning. There is no telling what will happen next yet each event falls perfectly into place leading to the ultimate climax.

Shutter Island is well-written, it's beautiful words at odds with the horrific story line yet somehow resulting in balanced tale. This book is impossible to predict and equally as difficult to put down. It will have you reading into the wee hours...just be sure to leave all the lights on. I can only imagine how terrifying the movie must be.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars - Sensitive readers: The F-bomb is drop on multiple occasion and there is some sexual detail.

To Sum it Up: A twisted tale sure to leave you shuttering.

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan

Also reviewed by Heather and Kari.

Summary: Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. but to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves. (Summary from book - Image from wswhe.lib.overdrive.com)

My review: This will be the third time The Lightning Thief has been reviewed on RFS (see here and here), so I will keep it brief.

I used to love learning about constellations when I was a young girl and hearing the stories of how they came to be in the sky. This book brought back all that was fun, magical, and mysterious about Greek mythology.

The Lightning Thief has the same exciting feel as Harry Potter, without the extensive plot and character development. This makes it easily suited to younger, less skillful, readers, but it is still sophisticated enough to be enjoyed by adults as well. Even though parts of the story were fairly predictable or too easily explained, the blend of mythology with modern times kept my attention. I read this book in a couple of days (which for the mother of a newborn is quite a heroic feat) and will likely have read the others by the time this review posts.

My Rating: 4 Stars. I don’t remember anything objectionable in this book, but keep in mind, I’m running on very little sleep.

Sum it Up: A great way to pass the time while nursing (or whatever).

My reviews of The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, and The Battle of the Labyrinth will all post today every few hours. You can read Kari's reviews of them here, here, and here. Kari's review of The Last Olympian will post tomorrow.

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan

Also reviewed by Heather and Mindy.

Summary: Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves. (Summary from back of the book and image from Amazon.com)

My Review: I was very excited to see that there was a series out, aimed at middle school students, that taught about Greek mythology. I read quite a bit of Greek literature in college, thus reading the first in this series became a fun review.

Being labeled ADHD and dyslexic, Percy is the bane to every teacher's classroom. I couldn't help but feel empathy for him, even before he (and I) learns this all stems from his half-blood genetics. Like most kids with these labels, they don't want to be different anymore than their teachers want them disrupting their class.

Percy's life drastically changes with everything Percy holds dear taken from him. He now finds himself trying to grasp a strange reality and on a quest to save his honor...and prevent WWIII. Nothing too hard for a 12 year old boy. It stayed true to the depiction of the Greek Gods and their vanity combined with their talents. Pushing past this though, Riordan gave it a modern twist with modern locations and the God's using modern conveniences. It was fun to contemplate what it would be like if Olympus really did exist today. I also liked how Riordan painted humans as only seeing what they wanted to see.

This book had just enough high adventure, history, friendship, and smart-alec fun to be a great book. I only gave it 4.5 stars because as an adult, this wouldn't quite deserve 5 stars. For kids I'd say it definitely could hold the 5 star label. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series, The Sea of Monsters.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Sum it up: A kid-friendly way of learning Greek mythology with a modern twist.

So You Want to See a Movie?

We've reviewed several of the books, whose movies are currently on the big screen, or recently released on DVD. You might have missed them! Here they are, in case you'd like read the book reviews before (or after) you head to the theaters or your local video store...

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan

Dear John - Nicholas Sparks

The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Judi Barrett

(all images courtesy of comingsoon.net)

The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Summary: In 1792, during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, an English aristocrat known to be an ineffectual fop is actually a master of disguises who, with a small band of dedicated friends, undertakes dangerous missions to save members of the French nobility from the guillotine. (Summary courtesy Amazon.com)

My Review: Dashing hero, dangerous setting, beautiful woman, a secret society, crafty viliian. Sigh...all the things needed for an action-adventure.

This book is filled with the delicious suspense of watching the heroine slowly discover who the Pimpernel is and realize how terribly she misjudged her actions. The process is terribly romantic and, if you strip away the "cleverest woman in Europe" and the rich dashing nobleman, the fateful misunderstanding between the two is easy to relate to (effective communication is key in any relationship!).

Wikipedia and I agree that the Scarlet Pimpernel is the Batman of the 1790s with the same gorgeous, arrogant and lazy cover that the newer Batman utilizes. (I'll let you guess who I was imagining as the Pimpernel :)

While not literature, this book is a classic and very worth reading. It is set during the French Revolution and describes the actions of the rebellion in a negative way (its hard to sugar coat the daily murdering of 100+ aristocrat men, women, and children). For that reason it was educational and a reminder that I know very little about non-US history. I am now adding "Tale of Two Cities" to my reading list.

My rating: 4 stars

Sum it up: A quick read if you want to snuggle down with a dashing hero for the evening.

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan

Also reviewed by Kari and Mindy.

Summary: What if the gods of Olympus were alive in the 21^st Century? What if they still fell in love with mortals and had children who might become great heroes -- like Theseus, Jason and Hercules?

What if you were one of those children?

Such is the discovery that launches twelve-year-old Percy Jackson on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction – Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.

Summary and cover photo from www.rickriordan.com/children.htm

My Review: Percy Jackson is a half-blood - born the son of a Greek God and a human mother. As the book opens, the truth about his heritage is unknown to Percy. This is the story of Percy's self-discovery regarding his lineage, his powers, and his fit in the world. As he becomes acquainted with himself, he is sent on a quest to save the world.

This story was creative, exciting and very suspenseful at times. I can see why preteens are so enthusiastic about these novels and I have to applaud any author that arouses reading enjoyment in young people. There was an added benefit of a Greek methodology lesson woven within the story.

While I enjoyed the story, it won't make my favorites list . There were times when I was pulled into Percy's world. But at other times, I was just lost in all the fantasy jargon unique to this story. I found that the thread tying this story to the real world was weak, at times frayed, and more than once completely broke. It's as if the author got a bit lazy while writing this novel. A few more pages of detail would have added an additional dimension to the story, bringing more reality to the characters.

This is just the first of five books in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. A movie is also set to debut next month. While I won't be running out to add these books to my personal library, I have to admit that I do plan on seeing the film as well as reading the rest of the saga... eventually.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars for me, 4+ stars for any young adult

To sum it up: An exciting adventure series perfect for the 10+ crowd.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - Judi Barrett

Summary: If food dropped like rain from the sky, wouldn't it be marvelous? Or would it? It could, after all, be messy. And you'd have no choice. What if you didn't like what fell? Or what if too much came? Have you ever thought of what it might be like to be squashed flat like a pancake? (Image and summary from amazon.com)

My review: My mother began reading this book to me when I was very little. I remember being completely transfixed by the concept of a land where the food came down as weather. The illustrations were captivating - jello sunsets, falling frankfurters, drifts of cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, pea soup fog, giant pancakes that force school closures and so much more. It was all so magical that I couldn't help but love it.

As an adult, this is still one of my all-time favorite books to read to my kids. I love watching their faces as they experience the same kind of wonder that I did when I was little, and in some ways still do. Wouldn't it be great to go out back and hold up your plate and have dinner *POOF* land on it? Or to be able to have freshly fallen orange juice in the morning? As a woman who doesn't particularly care to cook, this book is my dream come true--well, until that whole rogue weather thing. Then, not so much.

There is a sequel to this book, called Pickles to Pittsburgh that isn't quite as good (IMHO) but still gorgeously illustrated and imaginative. It's also been made into a movie recently, but just in case there is any question about it - this book is always and will forever be better than the movie - which other than provided a few good scenes straight from the book, was completely whacked out.

My rating: 5 Stars...or meatballs. Whatever.

Sum it up: A deliciously creative book that sparks the imagination.

The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

Summary: A most untraditional love story, this is the celebrated tale of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who involuntarily travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossibly romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love.

My Review: The storyline seemed simple. Boy meets girl, relationship is tested by his constant time traveling....etc., etc. And I thought that could have been a great book, even in its simplicity. What I found was a novel that absolutely moved me.... to tears, to anger, to the thrill of uncertainty, and most of all the belief that true love can overcome any obstacle.

Before I go on: yes, I am aware that this book is fiction.

The characters in The Time Traveler's Wife come to life very quickly. I consider it great writing when I can't even identify why I liked the characters as rapidly as I did. Henry was handsome, sexy, and struggling with the emotional struggle to end ALL emotional struggles. Although the book touches only briefly on his childhood, he is compelling as both a juvenile as well as an adult.

Clare's childhood, on the other hand, is brought to life with mysterious encounters with a man, later identified as Henry, when she is six, seven, eight and beyond (I can't say more with out spoilers). This sounds like it would be inappropriate, and perhaps in any other novel it would be. But the meeting are beautiful, mystical, and very emotional, especially as Clare comes of age.

Throughout the novel, you see the two deal with not only the normal "married life" problems, but also a whole different set of obstacles that bring out the best and worst they have to offer. Challenging their love, and their very sanity.

If any book could be described as a roller coaster, this is it. It has a way of going and on and on and on.....but you still can't believe it when it is going to end. A wonderful story, beautiful characters, and exceptional in it's eclectic style.

(Side note: don't be discouraged by the confusion that overtakes you during the first chapters, it will all equal out...trust me)

My Rating: 5 Stars (post-edit: For more sensitive readers, there were some moments of extreme profanity in this book.)

Sum it up: This book will be a classic.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith

Summary: The first novel in Alexander McCall Smith's widely acclaimed The No. 1 Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotsw, who is drawn to her profession to "help people with the problems in their lives." Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is that of a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witch doctors.
Summary from book, cover photo from Amazon.com

My Review: When Precious Ramotsw's father passes away leaving her with some extra money, she decides to open a detective agency.Her only knowledge of this field arrives from the Agatha Christie novels she has read, yet Precious is confident she can succeed. She finds a building, hires a secretary and opens the doors to the business she has dubbed the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, a name she can easily claim considering there are no other lady detectives in this small African town. Needless to say, Precious is in for an adventure running her own business and learning her profession along the way.

I have been in a reading slump the past few weeks. I just haven't been drawn into anything I've opened lately. So I was pleasantly surprised to find myself hooked after the first couple paragraphs of this book. Precious is a very charismatic lead character, likable in every way. She is witty, smart, and sassy. She is comfortable in her short size 22 body She is at ease with her gender, regardless of the guff she gets for it. She can poke fun at herself while still remaining respectable. As the helpful mechanic in this novel can attest to, there is nothing not to love about Precious.

And there is little one can find qualms about in this widely encompassing novel. Within these pages the reader is granted a glance into the African culture without detracting from the story line. There are multiple mysteries weaved seamlessly into the story, everything from the cheating husband to the mysterious doctor to a missing boy. The overall effect is an engaging, lighthearted story. This is a quick, entertaining and easy read. This author had a wonderfully relaxed writing style meant for those books you read in the tub or at the beach. He even manages to throw in just a touch of a love story.

I look forward to spending more time with Precious and will most likely be checking out additional books in this series. However there are already ten of them and I know myself well enough to realize that the appeal will be lost on me after the fifth or sixth. Therefore it might be worth just watching the series on HBO.

My Rating: 4 Stars

If I had to sum it up in one sentence (or two): A humorous, entertaining escape that reminds me exactly why I love to read. A gentle mystery without the crudeness found in many mystery stories.

Dear John - Nicholas Sparks

This review was posted in fall of '09, but I thought, seeing as it is now a movie, it deserved another posting.

Summary: An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love—and face the hardest decision of his life. (Image and Summary from nicholassparks.com)

My Review: I have heard many different opinions on Nicholas Sparks novels. I have friends who love his stories(not as much as me...), and I have friends who think he is to: sappy, predictable, heartbreaking....take your pick. But as mentioned, I am a big fan.

I read a lot of mysteries. I read some heavy non fiction. Often, I return to my well read copies of Sparks novels. I enjoy the feeling that they give me. It is nice to watch people fall in love. NO ONE CAN DENY THAT.

After joining the service for reasons known only to himself, John has found himself home on leave and falling in love with a beautiful stranger. That is the very essence of this story. After an intense two weeks of vacation, John returns to duty with a picture of Savannah in his pocket. They part knowing that although two weeks is not much, it was enough. They will soon be together and his time in service will be coming to a close. Then, after one year apart, they can begin their life together. Unfortunately, Sept. 11 and its aftermath threatens to tear them apart.

This novel was difficult to read. It did give me the warm fuzzy, but with an undertone of extreme sorrow. Sparks takes on some very serious subjects, and at times I found myself a little weepy, not so much over the characters, but over the impact the World Trade Center had on them. It brings memories to the surface, as it would for anyone.

A great loves story, intertwined with heavy internal conflict, Dear John is a quiet, emotional read. At times you see little bits of reality, that bring the story home.

I recommend almost all of Sparks novels. They always satisfy. You can find out more about the author and his novels at www.nicholaspsparks.com .

My Rating: 4 Stars

Sum it up: Just a good story, with all elements intact.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling

Summary: There is a door at the end of a silent corridor. And it's haunting Harry Potter's dreams. Why else would he be waking in the middle of the night, screaming in terror?

Here are just a few things on Harry's mind:
--A Defense Against the Dark Arts teach with a personality like poisoned honey
--A venomous, disgruntled house-elf
--Ron as keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch team
--The looming terror of the end-of-term Ordinary Wizarding Level exams

...and of course, the growing threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. In the richest installment yet of J.K. Rowling's seven-part story, Harry Potter is faced with the unreliability of the very government of the magical world and the importance of the authorities at Hogwarts.

Despite this (or perhaps because of it), he finds depth and strength in his friends, beyond what even he knew; boundless loyalty; and unbearable sacrifice.

Though thick runs the plot (as well as the spine), readers will race through these pages and leave Hogwarts, like Harry, wishing only for the next train back. (Summary from book jacket - Image from amazon.com)

My review: I started this book with a slightly heavy heart. Having read it before, I wasn’t too terribly excited to delve back into a book that I remembered as being a bit heavy on the whine and lighter on the humor than I have come to expect from Rowling’s work. However, I discovered on reading it again that it all made a bit more sense to me, and what bugged me before about the book was part of what made it truly amazing. Throughout this book I was completely at the mercy of J.K. Rowlings writing ability as she took me on a roller coaster of human emotions. I laughed out loud and was tied into wicked little knots. I was surprised and unnerved, and I loved every minute of it.

Don’t get me wrong. I wanted to rip pages out of this book (gasp). There are parts of this book that are extremely frustrating but (and you’ll just have to trust me on this because I’m not going to spoil it) they are vital to the plot and while they grated at me so completely, the book would not have been half of what it was without them.

Harry is your typical whiny, volatile teenager. I mean, I understand that he just saw a boy killed and the Dark Lord restored to power, but you’d think he could still manage a little civility towards his friends and family. He’s moody, irritable, and sometimes just plain annoying, though it turns out he has a very good reason that you don't fully understand till the end.

Perhaps the most frustrating part of the book is one of J.K. Rowlings best characters ever – Dolores Jane Umbridge. She is a loathsome, horrific, undeniably misled, and unbelievably aggravating character who is exceptionally well written--so well written in fact that I wanted to crawl into the story and claw her eyes out. I. HATED. HER. I mean, quite possibly more than I was supposed to, as she was near to edging out Voldemort on my “List of HP Characters Who I Want Killed Off.” Incidentally, also on that list is Lucius Malfoy, Peter Pettigrew, Bellatrix Lestrange, and for some reason Pansy Parkinson. What can I say? I knew girls like her in high school. Having to read about Umbridge and her insanity throughout the book was enough to make me want to throw the book across the room. The only thing that kept me reading (other than, well, faith in J.K. Rowling) was a strong desire to see her get her comeuppance.

While Goblet of Fire was darker from a magical standpoint, this book was darker from an emotional standpoint. There is a mysterious connection between Harry and Voldemort that is creating all sorts of turmoil inside Harry, only compounded by outside factors like Dumbledore’s lack of communication, and Umbridge’s reign of terror. These intensely written portions of the book are part of what make it so powerful. The result is that this book is incredibly full of conflict. It definitely has it’s humorous moments, that I adored, but on the whole this book was much more angst-filled than its’ predecessors.

Rowling's plot development is amazingly intricate, with clues and foreshadowing dropped chapters, if not books, in advance that help weave the story together seamlessly. On a second time through, I was more able to pick these things up, and occasionally ended up just staring at the page in slack-jawed amazement at her ability to plan ahead.

Order of the Phoenix allowed me to see more of the intentional flaws in all the characters – Mrs. Weasley’s fears, Hermione’s torrential temper during O.W.L.S., Ron’s inability to overcome his Quidditch insecurities, and Harry’s emerging darkness and deepest fears. It made them more real as characters and ultimately even more likeable. My husband pointed out, and I agree, that one of the best things about this book was that it was the first time where so many characters worked together in the end, actually applying what they had learned at Hogwarts. It was no longer Harry alone. He had people by his side, fighting with him, and it was marvelous!

SIDENOTE : For me, this book (and to be honest, most of it’s predecessors) set to rest the recently argued “Twilight vs. Harry Potter” dispute. Other than a wide fan base, they don’t have much in common. While Meyer is great at pulling at the heartstrings of innumerable women of any age all over the world (I myself have fallen victim to some literary swooning) and transporting us back to that moment in freshman year where we were just going to DIE of love, it is simply no match for the evocative writing, humor, cleverness, foresight, and insane character development of J.K. Rowling. Hands down. Rowling wins. No contest. I’m a fan of both, truly, but I have to be clear on this. Hate me if you will. I can take it.

My rating: 5 Stars. I know I keep saying that each is my favorite. But seriously. Best yet. There was much LESS swearing this time (yippee) and, while still dark in spots focused more on character relationships than dark magic.

Sum it up: An outstanding, entertaining, and frustratingly marvelous work of young adult fiction that emphasized the importance of teamwork, loyalty, friendship, and love.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling

Summary: Harry Potter is midway through both his training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursley's and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasley's. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for hundreds of years. He wants to be a normal fourteen-year-old wizard. But unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal--even by wizarding standards.

And in this case, different can be deadly.

My Review: Nearly double the size of the first or second book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a daunting 734 pages. Rowling needed every last one of those pages to cram this massively, delightfully detailed story into one book. Had it been any shorter (like the movie) I wouldn’t have been able to discover more about the home life of the Weasley family (always amusing) or get the full experience of the Quidditch World Cup. All the extra pages gave Rowling the freedom to stretch her wings a bit and expound on all sorts of unknown facts, important back story, and interesting tidbits of the wizarding world.

The introduction of a number of new and fascinating characters, like Mad Eye Moody, Rita Skeeter, Victor Krum, Fleur DelaCour, Winky and others, allowed for further growth in the series while still keeping things fresh and interesting. Finally, awkward teenage romance between the characters gradually came into play and it was HYSTERICAL.

The only thing that bugged me about this book was the chapter wherein ________ spilled their guts to Harry about just why exactly they were evil and what they’d done to prove it. It was a big monologue and it got a little old. I’m sure the first time I read it my head was just reeling with all the revelation, but on the third time through, all I noticed was just how LONG it was. I wanted to get back to the action.

Goblet of Fire is considerably darker than the three previous books. It’s no secret that this is the first book where an important character dies. We are also given a deeper look at just what the “Dark Arts” entail as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher shows students the Unforgivable Curses (one of which is the Killing Curse that took the lives of Harry’s parents). There is also a dramatic increase in the mild profanity used by major characters. I think it’s important to know this if you’re planning on letting your 8-11 year old read the series, that while 1,2,and 3 might be okay to read unsupervised, this one probably is not.

Dumbledore’s speech at the end was epic. Magnificent. I even got a little teary while reading. I think what I loved most about this book, and many of her others, is J.K. Rowling’s attention to detail. It was the little things that made this book for me. She even goes so far as to give Harry’s owl an attitude/inferiority complex. A pointed look from Hermione, an off the wall comment from Ron, a nosy bathroom ghost, all these details and many more combine to make this story an excellent continuation of the Harry Potter Series.

SIDENOTE: This was a HORRIBBLE read aloud book because, since I’m not capable of affecting a French or a Russian-ish accent, it was hard to vocalize some of the lines. Many of the new characters have accents that are written with a partial lilt “ze horses zat we brought…” so that while you know how to say “ze,” “horses” remains a mystery. I usually just end up sounding really bad.

My rating: 4.5 Stars. Great book, but much more adult than the last three and definitely starting to mature with it’s original audience. This is the first book of the series I probably would suggest parents read BEFORE letting their children under 11 read it as it contains much more “biblical” profanity than the last three and considerably darker themes.

To sum it up: A sometimes hilarious, sometimes emotional, and always fascinating year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.