Wither


Wither

By: Lauren DeStefano

Series: Chemical Garden Trilogy, Book 1

Published: 2011

# of pages: 368

Quote: "I don't know how Cecily has the energy to cry so much. I can barely muster the energy to move. Just being alive feels so arduous that all I want to do is climb under the covers and sleep. It seems impossible that I ever had the strength even to walk." -Rhine pg. 304

Official description:

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?

Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

My opinion: I couldn't put this book down! Seriously, I cleaned the house while my kids were awake and then spent their nap time finishing this book. I'm disappointed that the next two books in the trilogy won't be out any time soon seeing as how this one was just published this year. I'll have to wait until February 2012 for the next book, Fever.

I really appreciated the writing style and how the story flowed. It was very natural. The characters are realistic and have conflicting emotions and opinions without seeming flighty or unorganized. The author doesn't force anything on the reader. So many young adult novels are repetitive or have everything spelled out for the reader. Or the main character seems unreasonable. It was refreshing to read a sci-fi novel that is so well written.

It hardly seems like a "young adult" novel. I suppose I need to redefine young adult in my head though. I think it's a great novel for adults to read, the content is mature, but not crude or full of bad language.

Why I gave this book 5/5 stars: Well written, realistic characters, unique setting

Other reviews:

Bookfoolery and Babble
Royal Reviews

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

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My Dear I Wanted to Tell You

My Dear I Wanted to Tell You

By: Louisa Young

Published: 2011

# of pages: 336

Official description:
The lives of two very different couples are irrevocably intertwined and forever changed in this stunning World War I epic of love and war.

From the day in 1907 that eleven-year-old Riley Purefoy meets Nadine Waveney, daughter of a well-known orchestral conductor, he takes in the difference between their two families: his, working-class; hers, "posh" and artistic. Just a few years later, romance and these differences erupt simultaneously with the war in Europe. In a fit of fury and boyish pride, Riley enlists in the army and finds himself involved in the transformative nightmare of the twentieth century.

While Riley and his commanding officer, Peter Locke, fight for their country and their survival in the trenches of Flanders, Peter's lovely and naive wife, Julia, and his cousin Rose eagerly await his return. But the sullen, distant man who arrives home on leave is not the Peter they knew. Worried that her husband is slipping away, Julia is left alone with her fears when Rose joins the nursing corps to work with a pioneering plastic surgeon treating wounded and disfigured soldiers.

Only eighteen at the outbreak of the war, Nadine and Riley want to make promises to each other—but how can they when their future is out of their hands? Youthful passion is on their side, but then their loyalty is tested by terrible injury, and even more so by the necessarily imperfect rehabilitation that follows.

Moving among Ypres, London, and Paris, this emotionally rich and evocative novel is both a powerful exploration of the lasting effects of war on those who fight—and those who don't—and a poignant testament to the power of enduring love.

My opinion:
I was a little disturbed during the first part of this novel. I didn't like it until almost halfway through. I considered putting it down, but stuck with it. I'm glad I did! If you can read through the bad language (did people really use the "f-word" that much in casual conversation during the WWI era??), it turns into a thought provoking story.

I didn't like the characters at first, but when tragedy strikes they all either responded admirably or sympathetically...or both. I found myself really involved and caring whether or not the characters could make it through the war.

I found myself comparing this book to The Gargoyle, which is one of my favorite books. I suppose I like books that really make me think about the importance of physical appearance on relationships. I also liked the fact that one of the major things that happens to Riley at the beginning of the book and that haunts him throughout his military career ends up not being a big deal in the face of near death and the trauma he goes through. And he realizes that.

Why I gave this book 4/5 stars:
Well written, thought provoking story, but not the greatest characters and the story was a little disjointed (plus, the bad language didn't seem necessary).

Other reviews:
Bookfoolery and Babble

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

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Chime

Chime


By: Franny Billingsley

Published: 2011

# of pages: 368

Official Description:
Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.

Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know.

My opinion: The official description makes this book sound a lot weirder than it actually is. Yes, it is a fantasy with fantasy elements, but that's not what the story revolves around. There's a big mystery for the reader to follow with hints along the way. At first I didn't like Briony at all, but the more I read about her, the more I liked her. And Eldric is great!

The cover does not match the book at all. I'm guessing that's Briony on the cover, but that's not what she's supposed to look like. It doesn't match the author's description of her or her personality.

Why I gave this book 5/5 stars: Well written, great characters, unique, interesting twist to the story

Other reviews:
Book Nut

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

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2010 Review!

How sad that I haven't updated my blog in 6 months! It's been just over 3 years since I started this blog. I love book blogging, but obviously I'm not able to keep up with it and a one year old (and another on the way!).

I've still been keeping track of my books, just not on here. So here's my 2010 review!

Challenges I participated in:
Young Adult Challenge (finished 2 of 12)
TBR Challenge (finished 1 of 12)
What's in a Name? Challenge (finished 1 of 6)
First in a Series Mini Challenge (finished 5 of 6)
Read Your Name Challenge (finished 2 of 6)


My favorites (in the order I read them): Five Quarters of the Orange by: Joanne Harris
The Help by: Kathryn Stockett
Gentlemen and Players by: Joanne Harris
Mockingjay by: Suzanne Collins
The Knife of Never Letting Go by: Patrick Ness

# of books I read in 2010: 30 (down from 81 in 2007, 48 in 2008, and 38 in 2009) For the record, there's a possibility I missed some that I read. For awhile I wasn't keeping track and went back and added to my list. But unfortunately this is close enough. :-(

Least favorite: Thankfully all of the books I read this year weren't so bad. If I had to choose I'd pick On Becoming Babywise II by: Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam. It's a non-fiction book and while not horrible, it was kind of pointless since it doesn't have much to say that the first book doesn't already make clear. Also, it's horribly written (ever heard of hiring a proofreader!?).

Repeated authors:
Joanne Harris (2)
Helen Fielding (2)
Cornelia Funke (2)
Kelley Armstrong (2)
Robert Bucknam/Gary Ezzo (2)

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The Heretic's Daughter

The Heretic's Daughter

by: Kathleen Kent

Published: 2008

# of pages: 352


I've been meaning to read this for awhile now, but was a little afraid to after all of the books I've looked forward to and then been disappointed in. There's so many "book club" books that I wait on hold for months to check out at the library and then I read them and wonder why are they so popular? For example, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. I knew The Heretic's Daughter was on a similar topic (the Salem Witch Trials), so I was even more nervous.

However! I was NOT disappointed! This book is very well written and tells of the Witch Trials from a unique point of view.

The story follows Sarah Carrier, whose life is changed forever when she is 10 years old and her family flees their home because of a small pox outbreak. She goes to live with her uncle, aunt, and cousins for several months while her family is quarantined. When she returns she discovers that nothing is the same. She no longer accepts her quiet, removed father and her strict mother.
The family lives not far from Salem and continues to make a life for themselves as rumors and a foreshadowing of the Witch Trials reach them. Finally the madness of Salem reaches their small town and Sarah's mother (Martha Carrier) is accused of being a witch. Once again, Sarah's life and her perception of her family is turned upside down.

Like I said, this book is very well written and does a great job of placing readers in this horrible time of American history. I want to say that it's one of my all time favorites, but I can't because it was a little too well written. The Salem Witch Trials horrify me for multiple reasons. Maybe it's because I've visited Salem a couple of times, but I think it's just the fact that "normal" "Christians" could cause so much pain and suffering. I suppose it's similar to the Crusades or other times throughout history when people were murdered just because they weren't religious or were simply different.

I recommend this to adults who enjoy historical fiction, are interested in this period of history, who want to read some great literature, or who enjoy books that are thought provoking. This book may be appropriate for high schoolers, but is a little intense for younger ages.


Other Reviews:

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

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Bridget Jones's Diary

Bridget Jones's Diary

by: Helen Fielding

Published: 1996


Once again, a book I picked up at a used book sale to read for fun! I'd never seen the movie either, but was curious about the story. It seemed like it would be an easy read and sure enough, it went quickly.

The story is about Bridget Jones, a single woman who decides to journal her life for a year. She makes up several New Years' resolutions and keeps track of her "progress" in the journal. She wants to drink less, quit smoking, lose weight, and start a serious relationship with a good guy to name a few of the resolutions.

The reader is immediately pulled into the story because of the humorous point of view. Bridget is an independent woman, but also has a need to please people and a hard time saying "no." That puts her in countless awkward situations, but also makes her an endearing character. The book is funny, but there's also a serious undertone. Bridget's life is shaken by family problems as well as personal problems. She very much wants certain things and it's hard for her when they always seem out of reach.

I think it's safe to say that this is based off of the novel Pride and Prejudice (including a character named Mr. Darcy!). I liked this modern twist and recommend it to adults who want an easy read, something funny and (for the most part) lighthearted, fans of chick lit, and those who enjoyed the movie. Which, by the way, is almost as good as the book.



Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

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Peony in Love

Peony in Love

by: Lisa See

Published: 2008

# of pages: 297


I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan many years ago and remember enjoying it. I was eager to read Peony in Love after finding it at a used book sale. The first part of this novel is s.l.o.w. Once I was past the first section (which is, unfortunately, quite long) it really picked up and I enjoyed it a lot. It was very different from Snow Flower, but I liked it!

Peony is a young girl growing up in 17th century China. She is betrothed to a young man that she has never met and will soon turn 16 and begin preparations for her wedding. Her father is a scholar and is putting on a play, "The Peony Pavilion," in their home. Peony is excited that she will be permitted to listen (and catch glimpses of) the play from behind a screen along with her female family members and friends.

She attends the play, which is a love story about a maiden who dies from love sickness and who is destined to roam the earth as a "hungry ghost." She finds her true love (whom she recognizes from a dream) and appears to him as a ghost. They fall in love and she reveals to him that she's a ghost. He takes the necessary actions to bring her back to life and they fall in love in the real world and live happily ever after.

On the first night of the play (which is told over 3 nights), Peony accidentally runs into a strange young man. She has never before seen a man who wasn't a family member and is mortified. But he's handsome and wants her company, so she talks to him and agrees to meet him on the remaining 2 nights of the play. They fall in love, but there's one problem. Both of them are engaged. After they are separated by the end of the play and the departure of the family's guests, Peony becomes obsessed with "The Peony Pavilion." She sees it as a way to connect to the young man she fell in love with because he was also fascinated with the play. Little does she know, her life will soon make very close parallels with the play. Her real life love story doesn't turn out the way she wants it to, but she is closer the the play than she ever imagined she would be.

The first section deals with Peony's obsession with the play. It is slow because of all the references to the play and other literature. I felt that it was a little choppy and that Peony's thoughts don't always flow naturally. She sounds so immature, but perhaps that's what See was trying to convey. In the remaining two sections, she seems more natural and the action picks up since she is no longer confined to her family's estate and doing nothing but pine for her lost love.

Overall this is a unique love story that is also an interesting historical fiction. I recommend it to adults who are interested in Chinese history, historical fiction, Gothic/ghost tales, and See's other novels.


Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

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Baby Books

My mom buys Evan books for every holiday (so far). I love all of these books, especially now that he's grown older and participates in reading time more. So I want to


share her choices...



























Birth -




by: Sandra Magsamen









Christmas -














Valentine's Day -





Peek-a-Boo, I Love You! by: Sandra Magsamen








Easter -























It's hard to pick favorites, but probably Peek-a-Boo, I Love You is the most fun (Evan grins the entire time we read it to him) and my favorite illustrations are in Peter Rabbit: Show Me Your Ears. BEAUTIFUL illustrations!

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Eat Pray Love

Eat Pray Love

by: Elizabeth Gilbert

Published: 2006

# of pages: 334

Quote: "And the 'highways' are horrible, made surreally dangerous by the dense, mad prevalence of Bali's version of the American family minivan - a small motorcycle with five people crowded on it, the father driving with one hand while holding the newborn infant with the other (football-like) while Mom sits sidesaddle behind him in her tight sarong with a basket balanced on her head, encouraging her twin toddlers not to fall off the speeding motorbike, which is probably traveling on the wrong side of the road and has no headlight." -p. 289 (thanks Elizabeth Gilbert for describing so perfectly what I always try to tell people about my travels to Indonesia!)



I've been hearing about this book for about a year now and have always been intrigued. Mainly by the title and the cover, but I sort of knew what the book was about and it sounded interesting too. I went to a used book sale a couple of months ago at the school my mom teaches at (it was a fund raiser). I saw this book and immediately grabbed it because it's one I've been meaning to read, but haven't felt motivated enough to check it out at the library and really get around to it. We just went on a vacation to New Orleans and I was unable to make it to the library before the trip. So I went to the pile of books I bought and this one called out to be read first.

This is a memoir by a woman who left her husband, her home, and her country behind to "find herself." Finding herself meant finding her place (physically, emotionally, and mentally), what she enjoys, and how she connects to God. After her divorce she travels to Italy (eat), India (pray), and Indonesia (love).

In Italy, Gilbert...eats. It's her pursuit of pleasure and as most of us would do if we wanted to solely pursue pleasure, she ate and relaxed. She made lots of friends, did some traveling, and ATE. It makes me want to go to Italy and eat too!! I also admire how she was able to put aside the guilt that often accompanies American women while eating. She does say that she was underweight before she arrived in Italy, but she also admits that she more than made up for it and even had to buy more jeans because she grew out of her regular pairs! I think she did a great job in Italy.

In India, Gilbert goes to an ashram (a place of Yogic devotion) where she spends the entire 4 months learning to pray and meditate. She does make some friends, but her conversations with those friends mainly consist of discussions of prayer and meditation. Although she does discuss more of her past... and how it is getting in the way of prayer and meditation. Blah. I wish I could say I enjoyed this part or admire Gilbert for her accomplishments, but I mostly found it boring. I was also a little annoyed that although she claims to believe that all paths and religions lead to God (they just all go about it in different ways according to her), she seems to be condescending about Western Christianity at times. If it's equal to Yoga or Hinduism or whatever other religion, then why seem to sneer at it? I noticed that Gilbert seemed to scoff at several things American in the book though. Part of me understands this, sometimes I feel that Americans don't have the same grasp of reality that the rest of the world has, but then again, I don't think I'd go around claiming that all things are equal and have God in them and then do that. I am an open minded person and although I don't believe that all religions and spiritual paths lead to God, I do understand why other people believe what they believe and I don't expect them to be the same as I am.

In Indonesia (Bali), Gilbert tries to find a balance of pleasure and the discipline of meditation. I think she does a great job. She spends part of each day in prayer and meditation, but doesn't let it consume her life the way she did at the ashram. She's secure enough that she can also make friends and spend a lot of time hanging out with them or relaxing with a book or traveling around town. She connects to people a lot more in Bali, making two friends in particular, Wayan and Felipe. Because she's so secure in who she is at this point, she's able to give to these friends without getting lost in them. I found the descriptions of Bali to be fascinating!!! Their culture and the way they live...it's so unique. I've been to Java before (Jakarta and a coastal town) and expected Bali to be like Carita, the beach town I visited. However, Bali is not predominantly Islamic and it has its own customs and traditions.

Overall I was disappointed in the book after hearing all of the hype. Gilbert's writing style seemed almost juvenile at times. Sometimes it seemed pointless how selfish she was being. But I guess that was the path she HAD to take (although she didn't really HAVE to, but she felt like she did, so same thing I guess). I'm just glad that not everyone needs to do that. It kind of makes me sad that she felt she had to do all of that stuff just to find happiness and contentment and her place in the world. Also that she had to do so much WORK to find God. But she did have an amazing adventure and met so many great friends, so even if she went out of her way to find God and happiness, at least it was worth it just for the friends she made.

When I was almost done with the book I saw the preview for the movie. I had no clue there was a movie in production!! I was watching it and suddenly realized why it seemed familiar...."I'm reading that book!" I'm actually really excited about the movie, I think it's going to be better than the book. Of course, I'm a Julia fan, so that helps. But I think that the movie will take the best of each section of the book. Hopefully it won't go into so much detail with the meditation...after all, they don't want the audience to be bored watching someone chant and meditate. Anyway, definitely looking forward to that.

I recommend this to adults who enjoy memoirs and the contemporary non-fiction "finding yourself" genre. I also recommend this to people who love traveling/other cultures and enjoy reading about other people's travels.


Other Reviews:

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Under the Dome

Under the Dome

by: Stephen King

Published: 2009

# of pages: 1072

Quote: "'Cinnamon graham crackers rock,' Aidan said. 'I love you, Caro.'
Carolyn smiled. She thought no poem she'd ever read had been so beautiful. Not even the Williams one about the cold plums." -p. 851



I have to admit, this is only the second Stephen King book I've read. A few years ago I read Cell. My mom was reading this a couple of months ago and I was intrigued and had to check it out. I'm glad I did, but it was disturbing, more so than Cell.

The story is about a small town in Maine that is suddenly and mysteriously covered by a impenetrable dome. As anyone can imagine, the appearance of the dome causes many tragic accidents which are followed by confusion and speculation. There's a myriad of characters in the town, including a corrupted power hungry "second town selectman," his psycho son, an ex-military lieutenant working as a cook in the town's diner, a determined newspaper woman, a caring physician's assistant, a twisted preacher, a confused preacher, and a cool geek genius teenager as well as many others.

As you can tell from the presence of two preachers in the list of main characters, religion plays a big (and not so great) part in the book. I think it's a motif of King's to use twisted religious characters (??). They claim to be great Christians, but often they end up being horrible bad guys who use religion as a cover up or even as an excuse to do wrong. It kind of bothered me since I'm a Christian. Most of the time this use of religion in stories and movies doesn't bother me because I think it can be more original and, unfortunately, it is often true that bad people claim to be Christians and even quote the Bible while doing terrible things. However, something about this book did kind of bother me. I felt that King went out of his way to convey bitter personal opinions. Of course, this is the only book I've read that has that, I'm just basing this speculation from watching "The Shawshank Redemption." lol

Anyway, after the town accepts the presence of the dome, the second town selectman, Rennie, uses the citizens' confusion to take control and create a police presence (controlled by him) in the town. A few people decide to stand up to him and to try to find the source of the dome and hopefully discover how to make it disappear. Barbie is the ex-military lieutenant who got on Rennie's bad side after fighting with the selectman's son, Junior. He leads the resistance along with Julia, the newspaper woman who stands up to Rennie and pays the price. Rusty is a physician's assistant at the local hospital who suddenly becomes a leader in many ways after the dome appears. He tries his best to help everyone and still be a good husband and father. These characters join up with other characters trying to help and solve the town's problems and they all face dangers together in the days following the dome's appearance.

Not only is Rennie trying to take over the town, but there's a crazy drug addict, The Chef, living on the edge of town who feels it is his job to punish everyone for their sins. He's a hidden threat that people only slightly understand, which makes him even more dangerous. There's also a band of thugs roaming the towns streets and hurting anyone who gets in their way. Add to the mix the bad air, lack of rain, and other environmental hardships and you have a pretty miserable town.

Overall the book is very depressing and graphically violent. It's very detailed and a lot of terrible things happen to innocent people. There's also a lot of nasty language. I don't really know why I kept reading it, but it is a very fascinating story that keeps you hooked. There's some great characters and there were a few characters I was rooting for and wanted to find out what happened to them. There was one character in particular that I found myself attached to. I told myself that if that character died I would put the book down and never pick it up again, even if I only had a few pages left. I'll go into more details below so that I don't spoil the book for those interested in reading it! Needless to say, I finished the book. :-)

Anyway, I only give this book three stars because there wasn't quite enough in there to make up for the violence and language. There was also one thing about the plot that bothered me. I will also go into details below so I don't spoil it. This is a sci-fi book that might be a little too "out there" for some, but I recommend it to fans of the sci-fi genre, fans of King's novels and stories, and those who like an action packed (but LONG) book!


Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

*SPOILER ALERT*
The character I became attached to was that of Little Walter Bushey, an 18 month old boy. He doesn't play a major part, but I just couldn't stand the thought that anything would happen to him. There's several times in the book that he's in a dangerous situation, but thankfully he survives!!! lol I don't know why I felt so strongly about his safety that I'd actually stop reading if he didn't make it, but I did.

Also, the part of the plot that I thought should have been slightly changed was when Rusty finds the box generating the dome and then makes the connection shortly after that the "leatherheads" are children "playing" with the town. He didn't seem to have any concrete feeling about it, it was just an idea. Then another character sees the leatherheads and confirms that they are children. I felt like it would have been more natural if Rusty discovered the leatherheads, but then another character had a strong feeling that they were children. THEN Rusty could have made the connection to his past friend who would torture ants. Anyway, not a big deal, but I just felt like their discovery was rushed and a little too convenient.

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Wife, mother, bookworm.
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