Category Archives: Books

Shantaram

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Book: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Pages: 936, Paperback

Shantaram is one of my favorite books of all time.  It’s been a long time since I’ve read it, so I decided to give it another read.

I found that I didn’t like it as much as I had the first few times I read it.  Don’t get me wrong, I still like the book (a lot) and it’s still one of my favorite books of all time.

But this time, it seemed to go on forever.  Granted, the book is over 900 pages long but at times, the narrator, Lin, rambled on for a little too long.  Here’s a quick summary of the book: Lin escapes from a prison in Australia, escapes to India, and starts a new life there, working as a member of the mafia in Bombay and establishing a medical clinic for the people in one of the slums.

The book was (very loosely) inspired by real life events- Roberts escaped from a prison in Australia and escaped to Bombay, where…he was a street soldier for the Bombay mafia.  It’s a super-fictionalized version of his own life and while certain events have ended up in the novel (and quite possibly some of the people he met), it is by no means a memoir or an autobiography.

I did love the characters, especially Prabaker.  I think Prabaker is my favorite character in the whole book; however, I think Lin is my least favorite character.  He offers more than his fair share of wisdom, and it got very tiresome after a while.

It’s obvious Roberts loves India, and I felt like I knew what it was really like to live in the slums and villages after finishing the book.  There is a lot of detail, but I could have done without most of the descriptions of Karla and how beautiful she is.  And it would have been nice if it were a tad bit shorter: while I appreciate the fact that he loves India and his time there, it would have been nice if he had left out a few details and some of the descriptions.

While it is a good book, I think it would be better suited as a movie.  As for a rating, I would have to give it a 3 out of 5.  I liked it, and there was a good balance between interesting characters, adventure and romance.  But condensing it would have been nice.

Fast Food Nation

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Book: Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

Pages: 399 (Paperback)

Fast Food Nation is an interesting book.  I first read it for a sociology class years ago, and I decided to read it again. 

It’s about the fast food industry, and how it’s changed over since World War 2.  He also talk about marketing to kids and what it’s like working in the slaughterhouses. 

The part about the meat-packing industry was interesting and yet disturbing.  He describes what it’s like working there and what happens to the animals.  The workers work in terrible conditions, with injuries not being reported.  If they are, then a lot of them are falsified so the slaughterhouses don’t get into trouble.  And the workers that keep working no matter how sick they felt and no matter how bad any injuries were sustained.

I’ve had my copy for several years now, so I’m sure some of the statistics are out-dated.  And while I loved the book the first time I read it, this time, it was just okay.  We all know fast food is bad for us, but the book felt like a one-sided argument on why fast food is evil.  It’s definitely implied that fast food is the reason for all of society’s problems.   

It is fairly well-researched, though, and it did make me think about where my food comes from and how it’s processed.

I would give it a 2 out of 5.  It felt one-sided, and not terribly focused, but it does get points for making you think.

Killer

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Book: Killer by Sara Shepard

Pages: 343 in hardcover

The tales of the Pretty Little Liars continue in book #6 of the series.  The girls learn that Ian, the man they thought was responsible for killing their childhood best friend Ali, was framed.  Emily has sex with her boyfriend Isaac, and it leads to their break-up because his mom finds out and tells Emily that she can no longer visit.  Aria falls in love with Ali’s brother Jason but he becomes cold and distant.  Spencer meets Olivia Caldwell, who she thinks is her biological mom.  Spencer attempts to move to New York, but finds out it was a scam and loses all of her college money.

There is an opening party at the Radley hotel, which was a former haven for “troubled youth” and Emily finds out that Jason used to be a patient there.  All of the girls come to believe that Jason had something to do with Ali’s death, and Ian confirmed their suspicions that Jason and Officer Wilden had something to do with Ali’s murder.  Someone sets the woods behind Spencer’s house on fire and the girls see someone they believe to be Ali running away.

For a book that’s only a few hundred pages long, a lot happens in this book!  I liked it a lot better than the previous book, and I should have known it really wasn’t Ian.  Who is A and why are they only sending texts to Emily?  What is Wilden up to?  And most importantly, if Ian didn’t kill Alison, who did?  And Ali died, so how on earth did they manage to see her?

The mystery definitely continues, and I honestly don’t see any of the revelations coming.  Just when you think you know who the killer is, or what’s going on, it turns out that you’re wrong.  It’s been a fun read, though, and I want to know what happens!  Is Ian really alive and hiding or is it all a ruse by the police because they screwed up and don’t want anyone to know?  I have the feeling that Officer Wilden may not have been involved, but then again, he could be.

It gets a 4 out of 5.  It’s fun and Shepard is pretty good at keeping the mystery alive!

The Luxe

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Book: The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Pages: 433 (Hardcover)

The Luxe is about the Holland family in Manhattan during 1899.  The Holland sisters, Elizabeth and Diana, discover that their family is poor after the death of their father.  Elizabeth has to choose between true love and an obligation to help her family by marrying Henry Schoonmaker.  However, Elizabeth is believed to be dead after her carriage overturns near the East River and her younger sister Diana is left to pick up where her sister left off.

It was okay, and it only got interesting the last 3 or 4 chapters.  I loved the idea of a novel set during the Gilded Age, on a time when appearances and the social structure and code rule all.  But good lord, this book was boring!  It really didn’t feel like it was set in 1899- like the characters were pretending that they had gone back in time, instead of actually living during the Gilded Age.  It felt fairly shallow, and the characters had no depth- Diana does get some points for having a little more depth than everyone else, but the characters overall didn’t feel too developed.  Godbersen seemed to rely on stereotypes and cliches- it was pretty predictable, and Elizabeth certainly didn’t turn out to be the nice girl that was portrayed in the prologue.

I love the idea of the novel, and the cover was absolutely beautiful, but it didn’t grab my attention at all.  The only reason why it’s getting a 2 out of 5 is because I liked the cover and the fact that each chapter was preceeded by a short blurb of how people were supposed to act or a piece from the local (and fictional) newspapers.

Fruits Basket, Volume 12

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Book: Fruits Basket, Volume 12 by Natsuki Takaya

Pages: 192 Pages, Paperback

Summary and Review: In Volume 12 of Fruits Basket, Yuki meets the rest of the student council.  Tohru also meets with Kazuma (Kyo’s adoptive father) and asks how to break the curse of the zodiac.  He doesn’t know how to break it, and tells Tohru that it is hard for the members of the zodiac to resist Akito because of the blood bond they have.  Kyo and Kagura have a date, and she takes him to the place where she first saw his true form.  She admits that she clung to him because she felt guilty that she had it easy in comparision to Kyo.  Her love for him was based on pity, but Kyo tells her that he cannot love her.  She gives up on him, even though she still loves him.  We also see some of the parent-teacher conferences- Tohru is going to get a job after graduating, while Kyo is uncertain, because he doesn’t know what wil happen when he graduates. 

It’s getting really good, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!  I mean, I know what happens, but I’ve sorta forgotten, so I’ll be reminded.  The artwork is great, and we learn about the year of the monkey.  Plus, the fan art is really interesting to see, and there’s even a poem included in the fan art section. 

There really isn’t a whole lot to review in this volume, because there really isn’t a lot that happens, but the series is pretty consistent.  There’s a good story and some great illustrations.  It’s really interesting to see the characters grow throughout the series, and the characters are definitely different from when we first met them.  The relationship between Rin and Hatsuharu is interesting, as is the one between Kagura and Kyo.  I always found Kagura’s love of Kyo to be somewhat amusing in previous volumes, but in this one, you get the reasoning behind it, and you feel a little bad for Kagura. 

Rating: 5 out of 5.  I really do love the series, and I’m curious as to how Tohru breaking the curse will work out.

Wicked

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Book: Wicked by Sara Shepard

Pages: 310 (Hardcover)

My Review: Wicked is the 5th book in the Pretty Little Liars series.  In book 5, a new A appears, sending the girls threatening texts.  They think it’s a joke because Mona (who was A) dies, and so they don’t take it seriously until they find Ian in the woods.  Emily falls for Isaac, a boy she met at a church event, and feels confused about her sexuality, but eventually comes to terms with the fact that she’s bisexual.  Hanna starts a new clique with Naomi, Riley, and her stepsister Kate.  Aria has feelings for Xavier, who she met at an art show, but he ends up dating her mother, whom he met through an online dating website.  And Spencer realizes that she might be adopted because her grandmother left her money to her “natural-born grandchildren.”  Ian still denies the fact that he killed Alison, and the girls discover that he was murdered by A after discovering his body in the woods.

So far, this is my least favorite book in the series.  I liked it, but it was slightly harder to get into.  We figured out who A was in Volume 4, but then A/Mona died in Volume 4, and suddenly a new A appears?  The girls just can’t get a break!

It didn’t really add anything new to the series, and I expected something more interesting since so much was resolved in Unbelievable.  But Wicked was more of a repeat of what happened in Unbelievable.  But it was still a good read, with a lot of intrigue and the murder of Ian will certainly make the next book really interesting.  In all honesty, it felt like it was written to make the publishers happy.  Like, the first 4 are doing well, so why don’t you write another one to keep it going?  It really felt like an afterthought.

Rating: 3 out of 5.  I liked it, but I just couldn’t get into it.

Unbelievable

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Book: Unbelievable by Sara Shepard

Pages: 352, Hardcover

 Summary and Review: In Unbelievable, #4 in the Pretty Little Liars series, Hanna survives being run over by A but doesn’t remember who A is.  Emily gets sent to Iowa to live with relatives after catching her with Maya at a party.  Emily runs away, but goes back home to her parents when they tell her they accept her sexuality.  Aria has to move in with her father and with Meredith, who announces she’s pregnant and getting married to Aria’s father.  As for Spencer, she tells her parents that she cheated on her Golden Orchid essay, but they want to keep it quiet.  Spencer admits that she’s scared she killed Alison.  We also learn that Jenna and Alison plotted to get rid of Jenna’s brother Toby.  As for the mysterious A, we finally learn that it is Mona, Hanna’s best friend and a girl that the 4 plus Alison used to pick on before Alison’s death.  Mona found Alison’s diary and used it against the 4 girls, and she also knows the truth about the Jenna thing because she and Jenna used to be friends.  Spencer accuses Mona of killing Alison, but she denies it.  She also says it’s Ian, because he was afraid the Alison would reveal it to Melissa, Spencer’s older sister.  Spencer and Mona get into a fight, and Spencer accidentally kills Mona.  There’s also a scene where Ian pleads not guilty to killing Alison at his court hearing.

There’s a lot that happened in the book, and I thought a lot of the loose ends were tied up really well.  I enjoyed it a lot, and things were definitely changing for the girls and in Rosewood.  It was pretty hard to put down, because I wanted to know what was going on.  In fact, I think it might be my favorite out of the four.  As for A, I didn’t see it coming AT ALL, and yet it wasn’t a surprise to me.  It could have been a number of people, but Mona as A made a lot of sense. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.  It did seem a little rushed, but apparently it was supposed to be the last one in the series.

Book #100: Catching Fire

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Book: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Pages: 391 Pages (Hardcover)

What Did I Think? Catching Fire is the 2nd book in the Hunger Games trilogy, and I was as impressed with this one as I was with The Hunger Games.  In Catching Fire, Katniss and Peeta go on the Victory Tour that all previous Hunger Games winners go on, and they are forced to participate in the Quell Games.  The Quell Games are a special version of the Hunger Games that are done every 25 years.  There are hints of a rebellion until the end, when we learn District 12 (the district Katniss hails from) is completely destroyed- but her mom and sister manage to escape, as does her friend Gale. 

It wasn’t as striking as the first book, but I still found myself wanting to see what happens next.  Much like The Hunger Games, there were issues with the global economy, and how District 12 teaches it’s trade of coal mining in comparison to the other districts.  I still found myself slightly disturbed by the idea of the Hunger Games, but there was hope that things would get better and that the districts would band together and overthrow the Capitol. 

President Snow was creepy, with breath that smells like blood and roses.  And the arena for the Quell Games was interesting, with a clock and the same things happening at specific times.  And the symbol for the rebellion being the Mockingjay, and Katniss being the face of the rebellion- as long as she’s alive, the rebellion lives on. 

The pacing was great, I loved the characters, and there’s something about this book that fascinated me.  The cliffhanger…I have no idea what to say, but I want to know more about District 12 being destroyed, and how Prim and Kat’s mom managed to get out.  Are they in District 13, which we now know exists?  Are they on their way to District 13?  Will Peeta be okay and be able to get away from the Capitol?  This was a hard book to put down, and I can’t wait to read the 3rd book!

Rating: 5 out of 5.  I loved it and it definitely made me think.

Wildflower Hill

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Book: Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman

Pages: 544 Pages (Paperback)

A Review: This review is based on a copy of Wildflower Hill that was won through a goodreads giveaway.

Wildflower Hill is about the intertwined stories of Beattie and her granddaughter Emma.  Upon Emma’s forced retirement from her career as a ballerina, she returns to Australia, and learns that Beattie left her a farm in Australia.  We learn more about Beattie, and her story unfolds.

I loved it!  There was something compelling about Beattie, and I found myself wanting to skim over Emma’s story just to get to Beattie’s story.  Emma does learn about her grandmother and the life she led before settling down and getting married. 

I don’t want to discount Emma, but she seemed a little cold and her story was a little boring.  This is in comparison to Beattie, whose life had so many hardships and yet she managed to be very successful and happy.

The narrative itself was very strong, and the 2 stories went together so well.  The 2 “voices” were very distinct, and you had no problem knowing who was narrating.  Plus, the weaving of the 2 stories was really well done.  There were several parallels between Beattie and Emma, and there were definitely some issues scattered throughout the book, like being a single parent and racism in Australia in the 1950’s. 

I loved the detail that Freeman put into Wildflower Hill and it was a very vivid and rich book.  The characters were very vivid as well, and I could picture everything so clearly. 

Review: 5 out of 5.  I loved it!

Thoughts on Books

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I’ve read a lot this year- an amazing 98 books.  I’ll definitely hit 100 next month- if I read anyway, which I probably will.  Knowing me, and my obsessively large (495 books and counting) to-read list, I’ll definitely read some number over 100.  I need to start making a dent in that to-read list after all.

A majority of the books I’ve read this year can be classified as either children’s books or young adult books, and there’s something I’ve noticed.

Why does everything seem to have at least a sequel?!  Some books have had a sequel, others are a part of some sort of series.  Some of the “Adult” books I’ve read have been a part of series too, so it’s not just children/young adult arena that’s guilty of this.  But children/young adult being the largest genre I’ve read…that’s probably why I’m noticing it.

*Random, but very important note: From here on out, a series will refer to books that have at least 2 books in it.

How hard is it to come up with an idea that’s contained in one book?  Why is there a need to have so many series?  It’s really overwhelming, especially since a lot of them don’t seem to have some kind of numbering or ordering system.  Like, the Vampire Academy Series or the Pretty Little Liars series.  There doesn’t seem to be any indication on the covers as to which number in the series it is.  At least there’s a “here’s what’s coming next” at the end of each Pretty Little Liars book.  But since I’m requesting a lot of books from other libraries, I’m utterly clueless as to which book is first and second and so on.  I seriously need to have a list of the order right next to me.  Google and Wikipedia help, since I can google the series to figure out the order.  It’s really not that much work, but it’s still frustrating.

But back to why everything I’m reading seems to be part of a series.  Is it because series are just insanely popular, or is it the types of books I’m reading?  I am reading a lot of historical fiction/fantasy/historical fantasy and supernatural/paranormal books.  Do these genres lend themselves to being a part of a series or are young adult authors really unable to wrap up their story in a few hundred pages?  Some of the authors I’ve read or want to read seem to have multiple series.  It’s like their mind works in series, and not in something that stands alone.  A combination of all of these questions seem likely- a mix of reading certain genres, series being popular, storylines that can’t be wrapped up in one book, and quite possibly marketing.  Honestly, I don’t want to think about the role marketing has.

And why is there a lot of title: a novel?  Is adding a novel after the title necessary?  I think not, because I feel like I’m pretty good at figuring what is a novel and isn’t a novel.  Is it a way of distinguishing themselves from all the series out there?  Or is there some other reason?  I just don’t understand!

I think that’s enough ranting and raving for now…I’ll need to save up my ranting and raving energy for November, when I’ll need it the most!