The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by: Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Published: 2008

# of pages: 274

Quote: "I knew that all children were gruesome, but I don't know whether I'm supposed to encourage them in it. I'm afraid to ask Sophie if Dead Bride is too morbid a game for a four-year-old. If she says yes, we'll have to stop playing, and I don't want to stop. I love Dead Bride.
So many questions arise when you are spending your days with a child. For instance, if one likes to cross one's eyes a lot, might they get stuck that way forever - or is that a rumor?" -Juliet to Sidney pg. 175


Great book! It's very well written and interesting, especially for lovers of literature and writing. What stuck out the most to me was how unique this book is. I've never read anything like it. I had never heard of the island of Guernsey and never heard of the Channel Islands and what life was like there during the German occupation during WWII. The entire book was an interesting view of WWII, one that is made even better by the variety of characters and their different experiences.

The book is completely written in the form of letters. Most of the letters are from or to Juliet Ashton. She is a writer in London in the 1940s who receives a letter from a random man on the island of Guernsey. Little does she know, but that is the beginning of multiple correspondences and friendships that she forms with an entire group of people on Guernsey. This group of friends accidentally started a literary society during the German occupation. While most of the members had never read books for pleasure before, they all discovered a love of literature that reflected their personalities. Juliet is intrigued and decides to learn more.

It took me a little while to really get into the book, mainly because I'm not usually fond of the letter format in novels. However, the second half of the book grabbed my attention and I fell in love with the characters. Juliet's letters are full of humor, there were several times where I laughed out loud. The novel has a little of everything - adventure, mystery, romance, humor... I definitely recommend it to all adults, especially if you are interested in the WWII era, literature, or historical fiction in general. Some older young adults may also enjoy this, but it may be a little intense, plus there is some mild bad language.

Let me know what you thought of this book if you've read it! And I can imagine that this may be made into a movie someday...what would you think about that?


Other Reviews:
Booknotes by Lisa
Dolce Bellezza
BookBound

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The Amaranth Enchantment
by: Julie Berry

Published: 2009

# of pages: 306


This cute young adult fairy tale fantasy is about a 15 year old girl named Lucinda whose life is changed forever when two strangers enter her uncle's goldsmith shop one day. From then on, one thing after another happens and Lucinda is forced into the adventure of her life. The book has everything from a "witch," a nasty aunt, a mischievous thief, an evil lord, and (of course!) a handsome prince.

I enjoyed the book and read it in less than a day because it was so fast. However, I felt like the story was very disjointed, especially towards the end (after page 250). After that it really didn't flow very well. Also, it was confusing how Lucinda sometimes jumped from one conclusion to another and contradicted herself. However, I've found that to be a common trait in many young adult books. I think YA authors try to be simple and so don't always explain the process the character goes through to make decisions.

All in all, this is a unique retelling of a fairy tale (based on Cinderella), if not a little strange in parts. It's definitely geared towards young adults, not all adults will be able to enjoy it. I recommend this to young adults and fans of young adult fantasy.



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The Shack
by: William P. Young

Challenges: TBR Challenge, What's in a Name?

Published: 2007

# of pages: 248

Quote: "Trying to keep the law is actually a declaration of independence, a way of keeping control."
"Is that why we like the law so much - to give us some control?" asked Mack.
"It is much worse than that," resumed Sarayu. "It grants you the power to judge others and feel superior to them. You believe you are living to a higher standard than those you judge. Enforcing rules, especially in its more subtle expressions like responsibility and expectation, is a vain attempt to create certainty out of uncertainty. And contrary to what you might think, I have a great fondness for uncertainty. Rules cannot bring freedom; they only have the power to accuse." -Sarayu & Mack pg. 203


Well I finally read the very famous novel, The Shack. Emphasis on novel. After reading it, I have a hard time seeing what the controversy among Christians is about. It's a fiction novel, a man's opinion on how a weekend with God might go. I don't think he's claiming that anything in it is gospel, I think several of the statements that "God" makes in the book are ones that can be interpreted in different ways. I'm conducting this review from a Christian viewpoint since that's what I read it with and how I think of it, even though it is just a novel.

That being said, I didn't enjoy reading the book, it wasn't fun or even terribly interesting to me. It was a lot like going to hear a sermon, minus the jokes that the pastor at my church throws in. However, I'm glad I read it because at least now I can participate in the conversations about the book and know what all the hype is about.

I'm sure most of you know what the novel is about, but here's a brief plot summary. Mack's daughter, Missy, is abducted and evidence of her murder is found in a shack in the middle of the wilderness. Several years later Mack receives a note from God inviting him to spend a weekend at the shack with him. Mack arrives and meets God. God has taken the form of a black woman for Mack at first. Jesus is there and so is the Holy Spirit in the form of an Asian woman named Sarayu. The 4 spend the weekend together and Mack learns about God's true nature.

Unfortunately, I imagine that some people find this book controversial just because God takes the form of a black woman and the Holy Spirit takes the form of an Asian woman. Too many people I grew up with would probably find this "wrong." However, God is not a black woman, he's taking the form of a black woman because at that point in time, that's what Mack needs in order to accept God and what he has to teach. As a matter of fact, God asks Mack to call him "Papa," even while he's in the form of a woman. Same with the Holy Spirit, it's just a form that is comforting to Mack, it doesn't mean the Holy Spirit has a set form or really is an Asian woman.

There were a few things here and there that I thought, "Ah ha! I don't think that's Biblical!" but then after thinking about it for awhile realized that it could be interpreted differently and therefore not contradict the Bible. For example, at one point God talks about hierarchy within human institutions and relationships and how it's not what he wants for us. My immediate thought was if God doesn't agree with hierarchy among the human race, why does he assign different people different levels of authority within the church in books such as Ephesians (ch 4) and 1 Timothy (ch 3)? However, one interpretation of the novel is that God's original plan for humans (before the garden of Eden) didn't include any kind of hierarchy. But our sin and the evil that followed makes some sort of accountability structure necessary, even within the church. Unfortunately, humans will never allow equality in any system, including the church, but I'm sure God would prefer us to all be equal and not have to be forced into institutional structures. Also, in a church the pastor has the gift of being able to lead, but that doesn't give him more power. He's still accountable to the entire congregation. We are all different parts of the same body, we're all supposed to be working together, no one is more important than another because one part cannot function without the help of all the other parts (Ephesians). Also, I think many parts of the modern church have taken church structure, rules, and traditions too far, forgetting that a relationship with God really doesn't take that much work to maintain and that the church body should be more equal than they allow it to be. That's just my way of interpreting it, but Young could very well have meant something else. I just think there's no reason to get too upset or defensive when it could mean anything.


Anyway, I haven't done all the research and I'm not going to. It's just a book to me, I only thought deeper about some sections because I've known some people who have claimed it's very contradictory to the Bible and I wondered how exactly. Some things can be interpreted in different ways, so how can we feel strongly that it means just one? I don't know exactly what Young was thinking, but does it really matter? It's all fiction and his opinion anyway, even if it does contradict the Bible. I think the book is great for people who are struggling with loss. Different people need to hear and believe different things during times of deep loss, and this could be just what some need. I think it really brings home the fact that following Jesus isn't work, we can all do it. If you aren't familiar with a true relationship with God then this book can be very inspirational and share new concepts (and will be more interesting than if you already know or understand this relationship).



Other reviews:
Booknotes by Lisa

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The Daughter of Time
by: Josephine Tey

Challenges: What's in a Name?

Published: 1951

# of pages: 206


Don't ask me how this ended up on my TBR list. It's been on it for years though, I can't remember what made me put it on there. I have to say, I was disappointed when I finally read it!

The story is about Inspector Grant of Scotland Yard, who was injured during a case and is in the hospital...bored out of his mind. One of his friends decides to help him find something to do to pass the time and gives him a stack of portraits since he likes to analyze faces so much. Grant is immediately drawn to a portrait of Richard III, ruler of England in the 1400s. Richard was known as being a "monster," but Grant is struck by the fact that he looks so respectable in his portrait. Convinced that he isn't seeing the face of a murderer, he decides to discover what really happened over 400 years ago that left Richard with a grisly reputation.

What I didn't like about this book was the fact that the reader doesn't get to know the characters, even Grant, very well. However, I discovered that Tey wrote several other books that feature Inspector Grant before The Daughter of Time. This is a stand alone novel, but I think that by the time Tey wrote this novel she no longer had to introduce the characters as much. So perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I read her other books first.

Also, while the historical facts are very interesting, I felt like they could have been conveyed even better. The majority of the book is dialogue about history. There's so much information in so few pages. I would read and feel like I had read so much, only to realize that it was only 3 pages worth. I think that there could have been a better way to present the information. Maybe spread it out more, only put what was really relevant to the mystery, or just make it more interesting by putting more of the modern day story about Grant in between to break it up.

Anyway, the good thing about this book was that it does cover an interesting subject that I didn't know anything about before picking it up. Now I'm interested in Richard III and have even done a little bit of extra research to find out more about him and what people in our modern time think of him (Wikipedia counts as research, right?). It was neat how history is presented in a mystery form and that Inspector Grant goes about solving it just as he would a crime case assigned to him by the Scotland Yard. I was also interested to read on Wiki that Richard III was actually given a modern day "trial" in 1997 to formally decide whether or not he was guilty of the crimes attributed to him. Apparently Inspector Grant wasn't the only one who wondered more about this mysterious historical figure.

Overall I don't rate this very high because I feel like it could have been written in a more agreeable and interesting way. I recommend this to lovers of history, especially medieval history.



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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
by: John Boyne

Challenges: YA Challenge

Published: 2006

# of pages: 216

Quote: "And were they really so different? All the people in the camp wore the same clothes, those pajamas and their striped cloth caps too; and all the people who wandered through his house . . . wore uniforms of varying quality and decoration and caps and helmets with bright red-and-black armbands and carried guns and always looked terribly stern, as if it was all very important really and no one should think otherwise.
What exactly was the difference? he wondered to himself. And who decided which people wore the striped pajamas and which people wore the uniforms?" -Bruno pg. 100


If I had to describe this book in one word it would be: powerful. The descriptions of the Holocaust are vague and the reader doesn't really get involved, and yet, I can't stop thinking about this book. It doesn't have to be detailed and we don't have to connect to the main character to still be affected by the story.

The story takes place in Nazi Germany. Bruno is the main character and the story begins with his family being transferred to "Out-With" so that his dad, a high ranking Nazi officer, can run the camp after receiving a visit from "the Fury." Bruno finds the move a hard adjustment, one that is made even more confusing by the fact that he doesn't understand where he is and what's going on. One day he meets a boy the same age as him and they start up a friendship unlike any Bruno has ever had before. The boys can't play together because they are separated by a huge fence. So instead they talk, and as they talk, they discover how much they have in common...and how much they don't have in common.

It's fascinating how Boyne made this book so innocent when it is discussing a topic that is so NOT innocent. It's eerie to see everything through a child's eyes. Bruno mispronounces and doesn't understand words and so comes up with the terms "Out-With" and "Fury" instead of their proper pronunciations. I knew what "Out-With" was right away, but for some weird reason, it took me awhile to realize what "the Fury" was. However, in both cases I couldn't help but see how Bruno's versions of these words are actually more appropriate than the true pronunciations.

My copy of the novel has an interview with Boyne at the end and I was pleased with what he had to say. He's very aware not only of the injustices of the Holocaust, but of the countless genocides that have taken place since then. The reason why I would recommend this book to ALL people, regardless of age, is because I feel like it still applies to our lives today. And that's exactly what Boyne wrote it the way he did. We can learn lessons from the novel, lessons that are important for adults and children to learn. So although the subject of the Holocaust can be touchy because of the violence, I still think that children should learn about it at a young age to learn about injustice so that they will recognize it if it ever comes up in their lifetime. This book can be a tool in teaching them this lesson because of it's young adult style. However, although the story is simple, it's also one that adults can relate to, no matter how many other books they have read on the subject.



Other Reviews:
Booknotes by Lisa
Bloggin' 'bout Books

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The Blind Assassin
by: Margaret Atwood

Challenges: What's in a Name?

Published: 2000

# of pages: 521


I don't really know what to say about this book. I didn't really like it most of the way through. For awhile in the middle I was interested, then it seemed slow again, but after reading the very last part I kind of liked it. I think that reading it in bits and pieces over a long period of time was not the way to go. However, I just couldn't motivate myself to read more and when I received the opportunity to read The Hunger Games, I took time off to read that. So perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I read it all at once. That's definitely what I recommend others do!

The story is told by Iris Chase Griffin, an old lady who is looking back over her life at the age of about 82. She remembers her family and the tragedies that occurred when she and her sister were young. It's all very tangled because she tells about her current life and her past while there are also articles from the local paper and chapters from the book (a book within a book) The Blind Assassin. Everything comes together at the end and I was pleased that I solved all of the mysteries ahead of time. That's one reason why I liked it at the end. I finally completely understood everything and my suspicions were all correct!

The novel is very dark and it made me sad that so many of the characters in the book go through life without ever experiencing true love. Not just romantic love - true love in general. A couple of the characters think they are in love...or maybe they are really in love, but it's just not what love should be. Not only is the story dark in this way, there are many other disturbing things that crop up such as suicide, death, manipulation, lies, insane asylums (this seems to be a theme in many books I've read recently - The Woman in White & The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox), affairs, incest, etc.

I recommend this book to fans of Atwood (I don't think I am a fan...I liked The Handmaid's Tale, but didn't care for Cat's Eye) and "deep" thought provoking novels. I only recommend this for adults, there's a fair amount of bad language and sexual descriptions.


Other reviews:
things mean a lot

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The Hunger Games
by: Suzanne Collins

The Gargoyle
by: Andrew Davidson

Challenges: TBR

Published: 2008

# of pages: 465

Quote: "You are mine, I am yours; you may be sure of this. You've been locked inside my heart, the key has been thrown away; within it, you must always stay." -pg. 461


This is a hard book to review because I loved it so much. I want to convey the tone of the book and the feelings I had while reading it, but I know I won't be able to do that. It took a few chapters to get into the book. The main character isn't a good person, as a matter of fact, I was disgusted by him. He reminded me of Florentino in Love in the Time of Cholera, a perverted man who may have seemed successful in the eyes of the world, but was really alone and unfulfilled. Thankfully he changes in a wonderful way.

The narrator, who remains unnamed (it's fascinating, I didn't notice that he is unnamed until page 419, almost the end of the book...I normally always noticed an unnamed narrator) begins his story with his hospital stay after he's been in a horrifying car accident that leaves him burned beyond recognition. Such an accident would be bad enough for anyone, but it's devastating for him because of who he was before the accident - an incredibly handsome porn star. He's left without a career and without friends. He plans to kill himself after being discharged from the hospital, but an unexpected visit from a woman named Marianne Engel changes everything.

Marianne Engel claims that they were lovers in 14th century Germany. He brushes her off as crazy, but continues to humor her visits and slowly comes to look forward to them so that he can spend time talking to her about any and everything and to hear her stories about their "past life" and the other people she claims to have known from many different places and times throughout history. She also reads Dante's Inferno to the narrator, a piece of literature that is entwined throughout The Gargoyle.

Not only is the present day story of the narrator and Marianne fascinating, Marianne's stories of the past are also captivating. They all have a common theme - true love that requires great sacrifice and lasts beyond death. The historic details are incredible, it's obvious that Davidson did a lot of research while writing this novel and it sure pays off. The stories all come together towards the end of the book and now that I've finished they are sticking in my mind. This would be a great book to read for a book club and then discuss. For example, it's interesting that the narrator remains unnamed, but Marianne Engel is referred to by her first and last name almost every time she is mentioned. Also, how does the story of Siguror fit in at the very end of the novel, with the narrator and Marianne's story?

This is now one of my all time favorite books and I recommend it to all adults. The novel is graphic in the descriptions of the narrator's burns and his sexual past and contains some language, so I don't recommend it to young adults.

Other reviews:
book-a-rama
Tripping Toward Lucidity
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The Alchemist
by: Paulo Coelho

Published: 1988

# of pages: 177

Quote: "When he looked into her dark eyes, and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke - the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert." -Santiago & Fatima pg. 97


This novel was short, but it didn't lack for substance! I was amazed that every other page had such insightful descriptions and observations about life. I wouldn't say that it really taught me anything, but it did make me think about things more and I was amazed that Coelho obviously thought more about the "little" everyday things than I ever have!

The story follows "the boy" Santiago. He dreams a dream that changes his life. From then on he's on a quest to fulfill his destiny by following omens and listening to his heart. In the process, he travels the world and meets many friends...and enemies. I liked Santiago and was interested in his quest and the outcome. There's twists and turns on his journey that made it more interesting and made me wonder more than once what exactly he was going to find at the end.

All of the deep thoughts he has were very repetitive and sometimes seemed contradictory. That as well as his conversations with some of the other characters. I was very interested how all of the new agey sounding concepts mixed with religious concepts. I don't really get how they go together even after finishing the book. This book does mix many different religions and world views though. Christianity, Islam, and what I felt was a magical or kind of new age spiritualism.

If you decide to read this book I definitely recommend trying to read it in a short amount of time in as few readings as possible. Every time I picked up the book I would feel a moment of frustration at how repetitive and unnecessarily philosophical it was. However, after getting into it for awhile I was able to look past the parts that were full of cliches and pick out the parts that interested me and the core story of Santiago's adventures. At first I was also concerned about whether or not I was fully understanding the book or if I was missing important symbols, etc. But I think that it was fine to just read it for what it was. It did make me think more about life in general, but I didn't feel like it was truly any deeper than what was written on the page. The only thing I would be interesting in reading more about was the whole religious aspect of the book and what other people think about that.

That being said, I think this is a good book for the story and it is quite inspiring (although very unrealistic!). It's appropriate for young adults and adults alike. Let me know what you thought of it.

The Onion Girl
by: Charles de Lint

Challenges: TBR Challenge

Published: 2001

# of pages: 508


I've heard so much about Charles de Lint, mostly about The Onion Girl. So it's been on my TBR list for the longest time. I also heard about Dreams Underfoot, which I believe is a collection of short stories. Now I realize that I should have read the stories before The Onion Girl, a novel. The stories and the novel take place in Newford, a city where magic and reality mix. I think that the stories introduce you to the characters and the world better than the book. Too late, I read some reviews that said not to start out the Newford books with The Onion Girl because it can be confusing. I wouldn't say that I was confused, but I did feel like something was missing. I felt like I didn't have a connection that the author assumed his readers had.

There are a lot of characters, but I didn't find them hard to keep track of. There are a few characters that are mentioned over and over, but never make an appearance. It's as if the reader is already supposed to know them. So I definitely recommend reading de Lint's other stories first, but The Onion Girl can definitely be read alone and still be understood and enjoyed.

The book concentrates on the character of Jilly. Jilly is in an accident that leaves her paralyzed, not a great experience for anyone, but especially not for an artist. She is also forced to confront her horrible past as she attempts to heal physically. She has the support of many, many friends who live in Newford and who are all involved in the artsy scene. I found it a little annoying that almost ALL of the characters are artsy. Can't a housewife, waitress, or business woman recognize and appreciate magic as much as poets, painters, and musicians?

Jilly's accident physically affects her in many ways, one of which she is suddenly able to visit the magic parallel world in her dreams. Many of her friends go there in her dreams or physically go there and her one comfort after the accident is that she can travel there. Although she visits there in a dream state, it's a real world that exists at the same time as "The World As It Is," the normal world. When she visits the magical world she meets many interesting creatures and characters. I enjoyed reading of her visits and thought that de Lint did a great job in creating an entire world that is original and unique.

I recommend this to adult lovers of fairytales and fantasy. There are many disturbing scenes about the abuse Jilly and other characters suffered as children. There's also several sexual scenes and bad language, so I don't recommend this to young adults or people who are sensitive about such things. However, even though there's so many disturbing things, the book is still full of hope and Jilly's strength is even more apparent. I'm giving the book three stars because although it was good, I don't think I'll ever read it again. It didn't hook me although I suspect it's because I wasn't properly introduced to the Newford characters. I'm definitely planning on reading Dreams Underfoot and maybe I'll change my mind after that. Anyone here read these books? What do you recommend I read next?

Other reviews:
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