After the heaviness of Poisonwood, I ripped through this book in a day. This is another YA.
In this book, a high school boy receives a mysterious package of 7 cassette tapes (what are those?). When he pops in the first tape, he hears the voice of a girl he once kissed as she explains why she killed herself.
I go back and forth on whether or not I like this book. I think it's probably good that kids are reading it, because it does a good job of showing how little things can make a big impact on teens. But, it irritated me at times that this girl who committed suicide is so torn apart by little tiny things and blames a lot of people for her decision to kill herself. Can you really blame someone who says you have the nicest ass of the Freshman class? I mean, how terrible is that, really?
It was a very quick read and pretty interesting. I guess if you've got a day and an interest, I would read this.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Book 31-The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
This book will go on my list of best books of all time. Normally, I take some time with books before reviewing because I need to marinate on them for a while before I make my recommendation. Not with this one! I finished it at 11:00 at night and immediately knew that it had been an amazing ride. With soooooo much to think about and ponder and WOW!
This is the story of a family of missionaries in Africa (Congo, to be exact) told in different voices. We hear from the mom and try to decide if she is a strong character or a big weenie. We hear from Rachel, the oldest daughter who is more obsessed with her mirror and her hair than in finding food to eat in the Congo. We hear from Leah, the "whole" twin who learns many lessons from living a rough life alongside the Africans. We hear from Adah, the "half" twin who was born with only half her brain working and refuses to talk, although she is the only one in her family who has learned French, the language of business in their area. And finally, we hear from the baby, Ruth Mae. The author does an amazing job of giving us 5 very distinct voices to read and experience the story through.
I loved this book. Loved loved loved this book. Read it!
This is the story of a family of missionaries in Africa (Congo, to be exact) told in different voices. We hear from the mom and try to decide if she is a strong character or a big weenie. We hear from Rachel, the oldest daughter who is more obsessed with her mirror and her hair than in finding food to eat in the Congo. We hear from Leah, the "whole" twin who learns many lessons from living a rough life alongside the Africans. We hear from Adah, the "half" twin who was born with only half her brain working and refuses to talk, although she is the only one in her family who has learned French, the language of business in their area. And finally, we hear from the baby, Ruth Mae. The author does an amazing job of giving us 5 very distinct voices to read and experience the story through.
I loved this book. Loved loved loved this book. Read it!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Book 30-Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
I really liked this book because it took me to another time and place: China in the days of footbinding. This book gave me a great understanding of women's places in this time period, the geography of life, and so much more.
This is the story of Lily, from around age 6 to her death, and her relationship with her "old same." An "old same" is, as far as I understand it, another girl from another town who is contracted to be a lifelong best friend. This is also the story of women in China, from their secret language to their losses and the ancient stories and songs that get passed down through generations.
I found a lot of similarities between this book and Memoirs of a Geisha...it's a fascinating look into a culture and time period that I was completely ignorant of. The footbinding story was unbelievable to me and I had to look up pictures online before I could really picture what Lily and her friends were going through. Yikes!
This is the story of Lily, from around age 6 to her death, and her relationship with her "old same." An "old same" is, as far as I understand it, another girl from another town who is contracted to be a lifelong best friend. This is also the story of women in China, from their secret language to their losses and the ancient stories and songs that get passed down through generations.
I found a lot of similarities between this book and Memoirs of a Geisha...it's a fascinating look into a culture and time period that I was completely ignorant of. The footbinding story was unbelievable to me and I had to look up pictures online before I could really picture what Lily and her friends were going through. Yikes!
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