Audio Book Review: "The War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells

Ah, the classic "Martians are invading Earth" story.  Actually, I believe that it is one of the first.  We follow the story of our narrator, who tells of his experiences from first seeing "something" leave the surface of Mars, to the arrival of the strange cylinders, and then the incredible destructive force of the Martians and their machines.

I became first acquainted with this story in elementary school.  It was a favorite of several teachers for "movie day" in several grades in a row.  It didn't matter that we'd all seen it before; it was a great story.  I had no idea at the time that the original book had been written in 1898!  It is timeless, and has been updated most recently in 2005for a Tom Cruise/Dakota Fanning film.

I really liked how the narration was presented as a scientific documentary, not really like a fictional novel.  It helped set the tone, and make the emotions more pronounced when discussed.  The narrator is never named, nor his brother who tells his story of the invasion for a few chapters.  The brother kind of disappears though, after his few chapters, and I thought that was kind of strange.  My biggest complaint is that I really really wish Wells had found different ways to describe the chaos other than constantly saying "to and fro".  Everything always went "to and fro" and sometimes "here and there".  It really annoyed me, to the point I would start laughing each time it was said and started to envision a drinking game.  Maybe it only seemed so bad because I was listening to an audio version, but .... it is what it is.  The ending was kind of blah too.

Hmm...  now that I'm writing this out, I don't think I liked it as much as I thought I did.  Strange.  It deserves major points though for being so imaginative and timeless.  There is one passage which I thought was very interesting - where our narrator comes across another survivor, and they are discussing how the human race could possibly survive.  It is a great discussion regarding the Darwinist theory about survival of the fittest and society.  So I guess I'm more about the ideas presented, and the way they are presented, but not so much about the rest of it.

*****
The War of the Worlds
by H.G. Wells
Narrated by James Spencer
Telltale Weekly, 2005.  Originally published 1898.
5 hours, 53 minutes
Source:  Library
*****
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Getting Ready for Armchair BEA!

Next week is BEA - Book Expo America - the biggest book conference in the country, and it is held in New York City.  Yet again, I will not be there.  I would be all sorts of upset by this, but last year I found Armchair BEA and it definitely helped ease the jealousy I was feeling.

So I thought I would write a quick post letting you all know about this week-long online event!  There are topics to write about every day, TONS of giveaways (I am giving away an ARC of Myra McEntire's TIMEPIECE), and plenty of helpful information to add to your book blogging experience.  This year, the online event has partnered with BEA to provide us with insider and "backstage" information.

All the information you need can be found at armchairbea.com - Check in the top left corner to sign up!  You MUST sign up to be eligible for giveaways!!  The calendar for the daily topics can be found in the right sidebar, and right now there is a general book blogging survey that they are asking us to fill out...  they will share the results at the end of the week.

While I still wish I were heading to NYC next week.... this really is the next best thing.

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Book Review: "Grow Up" by Ben Brooks

Jasper is just living his life. He is seventeen years old, and there is a lot going on for and around him right now. He is supposed to be studying and taking his year exams, but there are a lot of parties, drugs, casual sex and therapist visits to schedule in. He also needs to find the evidence that proves that his step-father murdered his first wife. His best friend is in a sad state after her boyfriend broke up with her... and a one night stand just might be pregnant with his child. It really is a lot to deal with, and he is supposed to be considering his future as well?

This book took me longer than usual to get into, and I think it mainly had to do with my becoming acclimated to the British euphemisms employed by this author... not to mention his particular style of humor. The narrative seemed to ramble on from one thing to another and not really get to any big point. It was entertaining and humorous along the way, but I'm not sure what the goal was - which, in hindsight, is probably exactly the author's intention here. Grow Up is a look at the current lost generation of British youth, with technology and drugs at their fingertips and no clear ambition for their future. This book touches on several major social issues facing teens today - those I've already mentioned as well as cutting and suicide. There are so many issues - too many issues - that only one (cutting) is dealt with appropriately and sincerely. Is that all a person can handle at once, with so much being thrown at him?

I did like Jasper - up to a point. He is a well-developed character, which is great. He is funny and imaginative - yet I wish he had more respect for women. I wish that point didn't make him more believable as a teenage boy, but unfortunately it does. Overall, the book is entertaining and fun, but I really could take it or leave it. This would be fine if you are not easily offended - especially by an overabundance of sex and drugs - and are just looking for something rather light to read.

*****

Grow Up

by Ben Brooks

Penguin, 2012

272 pages

Source: Publisher for honest review

*****

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Top Ten Tuesday: Non-Bookish Sites

This week on Top Ten Tuesday, The Broke and The Bookish ask us to share our favorite non-book related websites.  I think this is a great topic, because as I love all things bookish - it is kind of important to keep some semblance of balance in our lives.  That said, I've been having trouble naming ten websites I visit regularly that don't have anything to do with books!  So I clearly need to visit some of the other Top Ten lists this week for some ideas!!  Here is what I've come up with though, in no particular order:

Suburban Snapshots:  This blog is written by my very funny friend Brenna.  I just love her, and her blog.  I think her post a couple years ago entitled "Why Having a Toddler is Like Being at a Frat Party" is what put her on the "map", and she's only gotten better.

Pintrest:  Oh my, do I waste a lot of time find a lot of great ideas here.  I especially love finding funny or poignant quotes and delicious recipes.  I have actually made several meals from Pintrest (my favorite being root beer pulled pork) but absolutely no crafts.  Someday....

Twitter:  I am typically very active on Twitter, and love how easy it is to connect with others, or to find out the latest news.  Granted, most of my connections there are with other bloggers or authors, publishers and publicists...  but not completely, so it counts for this Top Ten List.  Right?

The Bloggess:  I started reading Jenny Lawson's hysterical blog long before I read her hysterical book, and I think you should read her blog too.  She's too much and I often cry from laughing.

Least Helpful:  A compilation of the worst and not helpful reviews from the interwebs.  This is fun to just check every once in a while and find something funny.

Private Group:  Can't post a link to this, but it has been a big part of my life for the past 8+ years.  It started through a wedding planning social site, and developed into so much more.  There are over 30 women involved in this group, and we live mainly in the north east, but not in the same city or state.  We have been there for each other though just about everything - weddings and marriages, divorce, remarriage, births of our children, miscarriages and all the troubles trying to have children.  Family illness and the deaths of our parents, changing or losing jobs, and crazy family members.  We communicate mostly online, but have had many picnics, parties, happy hours, and other such get togethers.

Funny or Die:  I love this site.  My current favorite is "Republicans, Get in my Vagina" , although just going to get that link shows me a few new ones I'm going to have to check out! 

Facebook: Yes, I use it for the blog, but I also use it to communicate on behalf of my son's PTO....  and like billions of others in the world - to keep in touch with family and friends.  I know, not very original...

I think that is pretty much it.  There are other sites that I look at once in a while, but not enough to really list them here.  OK - I'm off to check some lists...  please let me know of any sites you think I'd enjoy!
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Book Review: "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel

Long ago in the De La Garza family history lived Mama Elena and her three daughters - Rosaura, Gertrudis, and Tita.  According to family tradition, the youngest daughter was destined to care for her mother until the day Mama Elena died, and Mama made sure Tita knew it.  This tradition became even more of a punishment when Tita fell deeply in love with Pedro, and was forbidden to marry him.  Pedro therefore married Rosaura, in an attempt to at least remain close to Tita.  Tita was still heartbroken, and found solace in the kitchen.  She poured her emotions into the delicious meals she prepared... and those who feasted were then able to feel what Tita was feeling.

To further support the connection between Tita's story and food, the book itself if told as part of a recipe of the month cookbook.  The recipes are traditional Mexican dishes, and each recipe plays a role in the overall tale.  However Tita is such a passionate woman, that her emotions literally have an effect on the taste of the food and the moods of those who eat it.  It is all just brilliantly laid out, and puts this novel on the map as a great example of magical realism - the combining of magic and normal everyday life in literature.  I remember studying magical realism in Spanish classes in high school and college... and even saw part of the movie version of this book then (as well as House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, another great book).

This is simply a wonderful love story.  Granted, the two who are in love are kept separate, but the love and longing is all there and written beautifully.  I just loved it.  I just kept wanting something good for Tita, and felt crushed for her every time something (or someone) was denied her.  The ending is magnificent, just magnificent.  I don't want to give it away, but I was definitely responsive, out loud, in regard to the ending.  I think it is always a good thing to get so wrapped up in a character's story!

*****
Like Water for Chocolate
by Laura Esquivel
Translated by Carol Christensen and Thomas Christensen
Anchor Books, 1995.  First Published 1989.
246 pages
Source:  Purchased Used
*****
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Audio Book Review: "Around The World in Eighty Days" by Jules Verne

It all begins with a discussion at the esteemed Reformers Club in London.  A recent bank robbery has Phileas Fogg and his friends at the club discussing how far a person on the run could get in a matter of days, given the funds to do so.  It is thought that with the state of the world's current development and transportation systems, a person could theoretically travel around the world in eighty days.  The patrons of the club think this is absurd, but Fogg - a no-nonsense, somewhat arrogant and quite eccentric man thinks this time frame is absolutely accurate.  The wager begins, and Fogg sets out with his servant Passepartout to prove his theory correct - and win twenty thousand pounds in the process.

From here, Verne spins a wild adventure tale for the reader to enjoy.  And it is wild - everything from stormy seas, elephant rides, kidnappings, missed connections.... you name it, and it probably happens upon this journey.  They pick up a follower - Mr. Fix, who is following Fogg believing him to be the original bank robber from London.  Fix interferes with the travelling almost as much as the environment does.  It is a fun journey, and as they near the end, you just can't but help to cheer them on through the latest obstacle.    As far as sightseeing goes, Fogg is not one to explore any more than is necessary.  Thankfully, Passepartout shares his impressions of the various countries and cities they visit.  These descriptions are in some cases completely inappropriate by today's standards, but interesting see from the mid-19th century perspective.

This is my second audio book experience, and I enjoyed as much as the first time.  The narrator was fantastic - performing the different voices with such personality!  So much fun!
*****
Around the World in Eighty Days
by Jules Verne
Blackstone Audiobooks, 2004.  First Published 1872
Narrated by Frederick Davidson
Source:  Borrowed from the Library
*****
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Book Review: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer

It has been two years since 9/11.  Oskar Schell is ten years old, and lost his father Thomas in the tragedy, and he is obviously still dealing with his loss.  Who wouldn't be?  But one day, Oskar finds a key among his father's belongings and believes it is one last mystery his father had left for him to solve.  As Oskar searches for the lock that will fit the key all over New York City, he slowly heals and allows himself to feel his grief.

I think this is the first novel I've read that deals specifically with the aftermath of 9/11.  I can't believe that it has been almost 11 years since that terrible day when thinking about it, remembering still hurts so much. My heart just aches.  Oskar puts a face to just one of the stories of those directly affected - sure he is a fictionalized character, but it isn't a tough stretch to believe in a kid who lost his father; his father who just happened to have a meeting in that building that morning.  The way that Oskar's grief manifests itself in his personality is heartbreaking.  He is carrying so much inside of him.  His mother, his grandmother, his therapist all so their best to help...  but it is this challenge that is metaphorically and literally the key to Oskar's grief.

A secondary story line is uncovered that involves Oskar's Grandmother, her husband, her sister, and the thousands of lives lost in the bombing of Dresden at the time of her youth.   There is also an elderly mute man who factors into the story, and with Oskar's as well.  I'll admit that this subplot was confusing to me at first, then made me feel sad, and finally all out depressed.  Balancing the bombing of Dresden against the bombing of the World Trade Center (with a tangent concerning the horrors seen at the atomic bombing of Nagasaki) pushed me right past my emotional threshold.  I began to feel so much, that I finally felt hollow and spent.

For this reason, I did not enjoy reading this book at all.  Each time I went to pick the book up to continue, I did so with trepidation.  What horribly sad thing was to happen now??  The writing is awesome, the characters are more than you could hope for... and it is all so great that reading was not a likable experience for me.  I should also mention, in the interests of full disclosure, that while I was reading this book, there was a sudden death of a beloved family member.  That upended my state of emotional well-being, and I think that my opinion of this book has been affected by that as well.   In fact, I do remember finding humor in some of Oskar's conversations and thoughts when I had first started the book...  but I lost them, after.

*****
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer
Mariner Books, 2006.  First published 2005.
326 pages
Source:  Borrowed from my cousin
*****
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Book Review: "Such a Pretty Girl" by Laura Wiess

Meredith expected him to be gone for nine years.  That would have given her the time she needed to not only turn 18 but also to go off on her own.  She needed the chance to get away from the nightmares, the whispers and the stares.  But the parole board let him out after only three years.  So he is back.  Her father, the pedophile.  Her mother, unable to accept the truth, is thrilled he's home again.  Meredith hopes that she might be strong enough to defend herself this time.

I picked up this book on a whim, struck by the cover and remembering how much I liked Ordinary Beauty by the author last year.  This starts off in such a way that I just couldn't look away.  I was immediately drawn to Meredith, frightened by just how broken she was - and how she got to be that way.  She has developed survival instincts that she shouldn't have had to and that broke my heart.  She also has some great friendships that help her get through her days.  Some of these characters have been developed a bit more clearly than others, but it all works pretty well together.  I truly admired and believed in Meredith's strength and growth as the pages turned.  The whole story is hauntingly realistic, and is quite disturbing.  It is a very fast read, but certainly not forgettable.  Have some tissues ready though!



*****
Such a Pretty Girl
by Laura Wiess
MTV Books, 2007
212 pages
Source:  Purchased New
*****
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Book Review: "Bloom" by Kelle Hampton

Open this gorgeous book and experience the journey this young mother takes from utter heartbreak to cheerful heartwarming love for her new baby girl. In this emotional memoir, Kelle Hampton shares the story of falling in love with her second child - a child who is discovered at birth to have Down's Syndrome. Kelle was heartbroken with the diagnosis, falling into despair as she realized everything she dreamed and hoped for her new daughter became fear and doubt. She even had trouble bonding with her baby girl, named Nella Cordelia. But through the love and support of her family and friends, Kelle worked through this initial sadness and fell deeply in love with her baby girl.

This book takes the reader through the first year of young Nella's life, as well as recounting some of Kelle's own personal history and telling the story of her first born daughter Lainey. I was amazed at the brutal and naked honesty with which Kelle shares her heartache and sadness. She is one very brave woman to open herself up like this, but also marks just how much she has been changed by Nella. The person at the beginning of the story is vastly different from the person at the end, and I can only imagine how much she continues to grow and love just by being Nella's mother.

I really liked the basic look of the book in general. It is filled with photo after beautiful photo of Kelle, Nella, and Lainey.... not to mention the rest of their family and Kelle's amazing group of friends. It feels like you are looking at a scrapbook, and the text is a casual conversation Kelle is having with you; telling her story. Because this is Kelle's story, not necessarily Nella's. This is not a book about Down's Syndrome, but rather about a mother loving her daughter who just happens to have Down's Syndrome. I think you will fall in love with Nella too.

*****

Bloom

by Kelle Hampton

William Morrow, 2012

288 pages

Source:  Publisher for honest review

*****

Links for purchase:

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