The Oracle of Stamboul

By: Michael David Lukas

Published: 2011

# of pages: 320

Official description:

Ushered into the world by a mysterious pair of Tartar midwives late in the summer of 1877 in the town of Constanta on the Black Sea, Eleonora Cohen proves herself an extraordinarily gifted child—a prodigy—at a very young age. When she is eight years old, she stows away aboard a ship, following her carpet merchant father, Yakob, to the teeming and colorful imperial capital of Stamboul where a new life awaits her.

In the narrow streets of this city at the crossroads of the world, intrigue and gossip are currency, and people are not always what they seem. But it is only when she charms the eccentric Sultan Abdulhamid II—beleaguered by friend and foe as his unwieldy realm crumbles—that Eleonora will change the course of an empire.

My opinion: This is a very well written novel as far as the descriptions and settings go, but I'm not quite sure what to make of it. The whole thing seemed pointless. The characters were hard to relate to, which makes it difficult to become immersed in the book. I kept thinking there would be more, but there wasn't. What was the climax? I don't know. The ending was disappointing. Not the actions of the characters, just that there wasn't more before the ending to satisfy me.

However, as I told my grandmother (who also just finished reading it), it was neat to see the references to other works of literature. I only wish that the main "novel" (The Hourglass) that is quoted in the book was real!

Why I gave this book 3/5 stars: Well written as far as wording and grammar, but not as far as the content and character development.

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Bossypants

By: Tina Fey

Published: 2011

# of pages: 288

Quote: "And should she be a mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.
'My mother did this for me once,' she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby's neck. 'My mother did this for me.' And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a mental note to call me. And she will forget. But I'll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes." - "A Mother's Prayer for her Child" - Tina Fey

Official description:

Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.

She has seen both these dreams come true.

At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon -- from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.

Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.

(Includes Special, Never-Before-Solicited Opinions on Breastfeeding, Princesses, Photoshop, the Electoral Process, and Italian Rum Cake!)

My opinion: I really enjoyed Tina Fey's memoir and I'm glad I did because I was on the waiting list for it at the library for MONTHS. I was surprised to read that she was slashed by a knife-wielding stranger as a child and still has a scar from the attack. At first I thought she was joking when she mentions it early in the book, but she isn't. She talks about it a couple of other times, but I still looked it up just to make sure it was true. It's kind of hard to tell because the whole book is light-hearted, although not all the subjects are light.

A few of the serious topics she discusses include homosexuality, politics, working moms, women in the workplace, and marriage. Let me just say, I don't agree with her on some of these topics but that's okay. It didn't ruin the book for me because she isn't too pushy. Her viewpoint seems to be that everyone is different and what's right for her isn't necessarily right for others.

The only thing that bothered me was I felt she started to ramble while talking about her teen years. It wasn't as interesting and the whole teen life thing seemed immature to me.

I did enjoy hearing what she had to say about her appearances on SNL during the 2008 election. It was great to hear about it from her point of view after having seen the skits 3 years ago.

Why I gave this book 4/5 stars: Humorous, interesting, a little controversial, some parts were rambling.

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I chose "Peril the First" - read 4 books, "Peril of the Short Story" - read a short story, and "Peril on the Screen" - watch a movie or TV show.

And yeah, I didn't finish Peril of the Short Story or Peril on the Screen. :-( In my defense, I would have completed Peril on the Screen but my bummer of a husband didn't want to stay up late to watch "The Haunting" on Halloween like I had planned. I still plan to watch it someday and also read "The Yellow Wallpaper."

For Peril the First I read:
The Moving Finger by: Agatha Christie
The Woman in Black by: Susan Hill
The Lantern by: Deborah Lawrenson
Handling the Undead by: John Ajvide Lindqvist

I'm proud to say that I finished them all in the required time limit! I actually finished Handling the Undead on Halloween.

Handling the Undead

By: John Ajvide Lindqvist

Published: 2010

# of pages: 384

Challenge: RIP VI

Official description:

Across Stockholm the power grid has gone crazy. In the morgue and in cemeteries, the recently deceased are waking up. One grandfather is alight with hope that his grandson will be returned, but one husband is aghast at what his adored wife has become.

A horror novel that transcends its genre by showing what the return of the dead might really mean to those who loved them.

My opinion: For awhile there I thought this novel may be added to my favorites list. However, it took a weird turn towards the end and so I can't say it's a favorite anymore. I feel funny about the book, I want to say that I enjoyed it, but it was really WEIRD. I feel like it was ruined. I typically have respect for the way an author ends the book. I often hear people complain that the ending wasn't happy enough, or that it was too perfect, or that it ended too suddenly, or that it dragged on. I rarely complain. BUT, I am afraid that I am going to complain about the ending of this book.

This is a book about zombies. Dead people come back to life. There are unexplained reasons behind this crazy phenomenon. And then at the end it was all pointless. I wondered at the reasoning behind developing so many characters to just have it.... be pointless. At first I was afraid the book would be scary or gory. Then I started thinking that it was more of a thought provoking novel. What would you do if the recently dead in your city came back to life? Would you want that to happen to one of your loved ones? Where would they all go, should the government be involved, how would it affect living people, etc.

And then it just got weird! I feel like the ending was rushed. I can't tell if that was on purpose or not. But like I said before, it just made me feel like it was pointless to read so many well thought out details only to have it end the way it did.

Why I gave this book 4/5 stars: Well written, interesting concept, thought-provoking, very...unique.

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The Woman in Black

By: Susan Hill

Published: 1983

# of pages: 192

Challenge: RIP VI

Official description:

What real reader does not yearn, somewhere in the recesses of his or her heart, for a really literate, first-class thriller - one that chills the body with foreboding of dark deeds to come, but warms the soul with perceptions and language at once astute and vivid? In other words, a ghost story by Jane Austen.

Austen we cannot, alas, give you, but Susan Hill's remarkable Woman In Black comes as close as the late twentieth century is likely to provide. Set on the obligatory English moor, on an isolated causeway, the story has as its hero one Arthur Kipps, an up-and-coming young solicitor who has come north to attend the funeral and settle the estate of Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. The routine formalities he anticipates give way to a tumble of events and secrets more sinister and terrifying than any nightmare: the rocking chair in the nursery of the deserted Eel Marsh House, the eerie sound of pony and trap, a child's scream in the fog, and, most dreadfully, and for Kipps most tragically, the woman in black.

The Woman In Black is both a brilliant exercise in atmosphere and controlled horror and a delicious spine-tingler - proof positive that that neglected genre, the ghost story, isn't dead after all.

My opinion: This is the type of ghost story I enjoy! The Woman in Black is short, but is still a great example of the Gothic genre. The story has the feel of a novel written in the 1800s, so I was surprised that it was written in 1983. I feel like ghost stories nowadays have to be scarier and scarier, just like horror movies. People have become desensitized, which is reflected in literature and film.

Anyway, I was happy with the amount of supernatural suspense. There were times I was tensed up, just waiting...waiting... feeling so incredibly creeped out! But it isn't overwhelming, just the perfect amount. I highly recommend this well-written ghost story to lovers of Gothic tales, lovers of suspense, and anyone who wants to try reading a story from this genre. It's a good book to start with because it isn't going to be too much for someone who is sensitive.

Oh yeah, and can I just say that I liked the ending as weird as that may sound? It was unexpected and definitely rounded out the novel.

Look for the movie coming out in February 2012! Looks SO creepy, it gives me goosebumps to watch the trailer.

Why I gave this book 4/5 stars: It was very well-written and a great story. In order for me to give it 5 stars, however, I would want it to absorb me so much that I can't stop thinking about it and imagine myself in the novel alongside the main character. This didn't do that for me, so that's why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5.

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The Lantern

By: Deborah Lawrenson

Published: 2011

# of pages: 383

Challenge: RIP VI

Official description:

When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom, their whirlwind relationship leads them to purchase Les Genevriers, an abandoned house in a rural hamlet in the south of France. As the beautiful Provence summer turns to autumn, Eve finds it impossible to ignore the mysteries that haunt both her lover and the run-down old house, in particular the mysterious disappearance of his beautiful first wife, Rachel. Whilst Eve tries to untangle the secrets surrounding Rachel's last recorded days, Les Genevriers itself seems to come alive. As strange events begin to occur with frightening regularity, Eve's voice becomes intertwined with that of Benedicte Lincel, a girl who lived in the house decades before. As the tangled skeins of the house's history begin to unravel, the tension grows between Dom and Eve. In a page-turning race, Eve must fight to discover the fates of both Benedicte and Rachel, before Les Genevriers' dark history has a chance to repeat itself.

My opinion: The Lantern is creepy and mysterious, but not gruesome, gory, overdone, or stupidly fake suspense novel. It fits in with the Gothic genre nicely. I was a little confused at first about the narrating style. There's 2 first-person narrators and then a few sections that are told in third-person, but just about one of the characters. It all makes sense at the end, but at the very beginning it's very confusing, especially the two separate first-person narratives. So I will just let you know, at the beginning there's 2 different women "speaking!"

I wish I could say that this book was awesome, a page turner that I couldn't stop thinking about. However, I felt like it was disjointed and that perhaps the author became sidetracked. For example, one of the narrators seems to hold back while telling her story. But suddenly discusses in detail the process of making lavender into scented oil. It didn't match with the narrator at all. I feel like the author was interested in that process, probably went to visit a factory and learn about the process, and wanted to use all of the information in the novel, even though it didn't fit in.

Also, I found it interesting that the title's object didn't play a large part in the book. I wish it had a different title actually, that way it wouldn't seem that the author meant for the lantern be such a core part of the story. Also, I didn't appreciate how Lawrenson explicitly mentions the connection of this novel to Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. I think the similarities between the two novels are obvious and it was silly that the narrator Eve was telling the reader this.

Overall, even though some of the things about the story bothered me, I enjoyed the overall plot, the characters, and the amount of suspense and mystery. I recommend this to readers who want a modern day Gothic tale.

Why I gave this book 3/5 stars: Neat plot, unique story, not very well written, a little disjointed.

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The Moving Finger

By: Agatha Christie

Series: Miss Marple Mysteries, Book 4

Published: 1942

# of pages: 240

Challenge: RIP VI

Official description:

The placid village of Lymstock seems the perfect place for Jerry Burton to recuperate from his accident under the care of his sister, Joanna. But soon a series of vicious poison-pen letters destroys the village's quiet charm, eventually causing one recipient to commit suicide. The vicar, the doctor, the servants—all are on the verge of accusing one another when help arrives from an unexpected quarter. The vicar's houseguest happens to be none other than Jane Marple.

My opinion: This was my first Agatha Christie book! I don't know if it was the best to start with, but I do know that I really enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down! I can see why Christie is such an acclaimed author. It was short, but very well written and well structured. Apparently this is part of a series, but it didn't make a difference to me. The Murder at the Vicarage is the first in the Miss Marple Mysteries.

Why I gave this book 4/5 stars: Interesting characters, I liked the plot, well written, short but didn't feel like anything was left out. It didn't leave enough of an impression on me and the characters didn't REALLY pull me in enough for it to be a 5 star read.

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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

By: Stieg Larsson

Series: Millennium Trilogy, Book 1

Published: 2005 - English version in 2008

# of pages: 631

Official description:

Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into a complex and atmospheric novel, with an unpredictable style, intriguing scenes, and giant twists to the plot in many places.

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 pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of iniquity and corruption.

It also could be described as another thriller with romantic affairs, that Salander cannot cope with.

My opinion: It took awhile for me to become interested in this book. It wasn't until about 80 pages in that I started enjoying it. I think it may be that way with most readers. The first part concentrates on the character Mikael Blomkvist's financial journalism career, so unless the reader is interested in financial affairs, this part won't be interesting. Although as soon as the mystery started unraveling I was hooked! I'm surprised I enjoyed this book so much because it's very violent and graphic. There's a theme of sexual abuse and violence against women.

However, I loved the mystery. It was intricate, but not too complicated. I was able to work out a couple of the pieces, but the whole thing wasn't spoiled. I couldn't put the book down because I just had to know what happened next!

The only thing I disliked is how there's a story within a story. There's the beginning and end which concentrate on Blomkvist's financial journalism career and then there's the middle, which consists of the mystery. Thankfully the mystery makes up most of the novel, but then again, that makes the end feel especially out of place. I felt like the book had already ended, but I still had to read a lot more before the actual end. It didn't tie together very well.

Why I gave this book 5/5 stars: Very well written (and translated since it was originally written in Swedish), good character development, unique and thought provoking subject matter.

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Shanghai Girls

By: Lisa See

Series: Shanghai Girls (Sisters Pearl and May), Book 1

Published: 2009

# of pages: 309

Quote: "I focus my eyes on my jade bracelet. . . it is an object that ties me to the past, to people and places that are gone forever. Its continued perfection serves as a physical reminder to keep living, to look to the future, to cherish what I have. It reminds me to endure. I'll live one morning after another, one step after another, because my will to continue is so strong." -Pearl pg. 232

Official description:

In 1937 Shanghai—the Paris of Asia—twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree—until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth. To repay his debts, he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from Los Angeles to find Chinese brides. As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, from the Chinese countryside to the shores of America. Though inseparable best friends, the sisters also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. Along the way they make terrible sacrifices, face impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are—Shanghai girls.

My opinion: This is a tragic book, a lot of terrible things happen to Pearl and May. However, I still enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. I related to Pearl and her thoughts and feelings. All of the tragedies add up to an adventure that is hard for modern Americans to comprehend, but that's part of what makes it so hard to stop reading.

I was impressed with See's storytelling and the obvious research she did for the historic aspects of the novel. I like reading about this time period (WWII and the surrounding years) from another point of view. A few months ago I read Snow Falling on Cedars, a book that is written from the view point of Japanese Americans. I learned so much from that book and now even more from Shanghai Girls, which taught me about how the war and politics affected Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans.

I also liked how See brings together both Pearl's and May's opinions and ways of interpreting everything that happened to them at the end. I'm glad there's a sequel to the story because otherwise I'd be unhappy with the ending! Dreams of Joy was released in May 2011, I'm on a LONG waiting list for it at the library!

Why I gave this book 4/5 stars: Well written, realistic characters, interesting story & setting. However, very graphic - violence & sex. It may be too much for readers who are sensitive about these subjects or who have been sexually abused.

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Names I loved from the book:
Pearl
Gordon