Valerie Hurley - "St. Ursula's Girls Agains the Atomic Bomb"

     Soooo, I've not been reading as much this week due to the recent addition of a Blackberry to my life.  It took me SEVEN HOURS just to learn how to use the darn thing!  Ok, I know I'm slow, but give a girl a break, it's my first smart phone (that just so happens to be smarter than me.)


     Ok, on with the good stuff!  I just finished "St. Ursula's Girls Against the Atomic Bomb," a novel about a high school senior (for the second time), Raine Rassaby, and her guidance counselor Al.  Raine is a full-steam-ahead kind or Quixotic girl who is more concerned with ridding the world of evil in the form of atomic bombs than finishing high school.  I like Raine's quirky and "take charge" kind of personality, but could not for the life of me get into this book.            St. Ursula's Girls Against the Atomic Bomb

    The language as well as many of the references were pretty "high-brow" for my idea of how the book should be.  I understand it goes a long way in illustrating how intelligent and well informed Raine is, but I had a hard time getting a grasp on how wading through all of that enhanced the story.  Maybe, again, I'm just slow?

   
     Al Klepatar is her "one step behind" ally that is desperately trying to get her head out of the clouds and into the classroom, but to no avail.  He is involved with turmoil of his own when his wife of 14 years decides to bail.  Instead of forcing Raine to keep one foot on solid ground, he allows himself to get swept into her own little idealistic world.

     I guess it's the story of two wandering souls that meet up at just the right time to impact each other to the fullest, but the plot felt like it wasn't going anywhere fast.  I also didn't get much closure at the end of the book.  There was one pretty good surprise in the middle that became my second wind to get me to the end, but I won't ruin it for you.  Overall, I didn't really enjoy it, but I think there IS something to be said about how it is a beautiful thing when two people on opposite side of the spectrum find a way to meet in the middle and are better for it.

     Now that I have a grasp on the workings of my "smarter than me" phone, I'll be able to plow on through the next one in the stack.

Whew!

Janet Evanovich - "Eleven on Top"

     I was introduced to Stephanie Plum by my husband;s boss.  She said, "You will either love it or hate it by page 25" as she handed me a copy of "One for the Money."  I was not expecting great things, but here I am, devouring each novel as fast as I can.

     "Eleven on Top."  I don't exactly know what it mean, but Mrs. E and Ms. Plum are most definitely on top this go round.  This book is super fast paced with a couple of didn't-see-that-one-coming-twists.  I love twists: lemon, licorice, pretzel, French, and plot; they all keep life exciting.  This is no exception.

Eleven on Top (A Stephanie Plum Novel)

     Spoiler Alert*****  Stephanie has another car blown up. (two, actually)*****  Seriously, what else did you expect?  Most of the usual cast comes to play in this one.  Stephanie is done with chasing bad guys and is still not able to say the "L" word.  Lula is as sassy and spontaneous as ever, especially now that she's a newly promoted bounty hunter. Morelli is super sexy, leery of Ranger, and only has one thing on his mind, even with a broken leg.  Ranger, in this episode, is steamy and good-smelling, like always; mainly because he's Ranger, but also because he's her newly acquired boss.  Some girls have all the luck! *sigh*  Valerie and Albert make a surprising move that ends up leaving Mama Plum giving up the hooch and Stephanie swearing off sugar.  Yeah right.

     What is it about Stephanie that just attracts mayhem that affects her and all those around her?  Whatever it is, that special power keeps me laughing.  The conclusion to this composition caught me pretty off-guard.  I love surprises!  Maybe that's how it's written, maybe I'm just slow on the up-take.  Read it for yourself and let me know.

     I love the way that Evanovich can write a food fight, a steamy "love" story (or two), an old lady who thinks that funerals are the epitome of a fabulous social event, and a mystery/detective theme into one amazing novel.  As always, Mrs. E delivers a hilarious ride to the finish line.

I hear there may be a secret revealed in #12...We'll see!

Ron Hall and Denver Moore - "What Difference Do It Make?"

    Yeah, what difference DOES it make????  Sit back, relax, and find out exactly what kind of difference one person can make.

    What Difference Do It Make?: Stories of Hope and Healing
   
     This is the second book by these two fine gentlemen, the first being "Same Kind of Different as Me."  A man in our church, passed a copy of each of these books around for all to read, and both of them rocked me.  They are a true testament to the ultimate sovereignty and goodness of God.

     Their first book was the story of Debbie Hall, Ron's wife, and how one single, radical person can drastically change the world around them.  Debbie was passionate about loving God and loving others, and through that, she changed the face of Fort Worth, Texas, and the lives of Ron, Denver, and many more, forever.  YOU SHOULD READ IT!  http://samekindofdifferentasme.com/video.aspx

     "What Difference Do It Make" is a follow up to show how the Lord has used that story to make a difference.  It's composed of two different types of content.  1. Biographies: it delves even deeper into the lives of Ron, Denver, and Debbie, both past and present.  2. Real Life Stories: it has passages from readers detailing how "Same Kind" impacted their own lives.  Stories of children reaching out to make a difference, marriages being saved, and entire churches banding together to impact their communities.  Both kinds of content blend into one another to create a heartwarming and inspiring read.

     It illustrates, in real lives, God's perfect plan.  His mercy, grace, and forgiveness are unending, and powerful.  He can use the most "unlikely" people or events to accomplish amazing things.  Things beyond your wildest dreams.  These stories are proof; don't take MY word for it, READ THESE BOOKS!!!!  I love how, like the parables in the Bible, God uses our past experiences and our own unique perspectives on life to reveal magnificent truths to us; He is a personal God.  Denver is one clear example of how the Lord does this.  (The story of Jose in the book is a beautiful illustration of finding the profound in the ordinary.)

     Both works by Ron and Denver are written in an "easy to read" language, that expresses profundities and wisdom everywhere, while still being "real" and letting you in on the weakness of man.  The transparency of the authors is bold and beautiful.

For real, Read these books, and keep a box of tissues handy!

Anna Godbersen - "Envy"

Envy (Luxe, Book 3)

     Aahh, the continuing drama of the early 1900's high society teen queens, what's more entertaining?  This is the third book in the "Luxe" series by Anna Godbersen.  I have to admit that I bought the first book "Luxe" for the cover.  (Shh, don't tell anyone!)  The series is full of money, manipulation, pretty girls, gossip, more money, pretty boys, love, lust, bad timing, good timing, and a bunch of guff pertaining to the "rules of society."

     It's most definitely a result of the latest teeny-bopper idea of the "frienemy,"  you know them; the kind of girl who is your friend for the sake of not rocking the boat amongst your whole group of friends, but is really a horrible passive-aggressive manipulator.  It's all in the same vein as the movie "Mean Girls."  If you have questions, please start your research there with Tina Fey, Lindsay Lohan, and Rachel McAdams. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFP68RpX1Fg&feature=related 

     Ms. Godbersen writes uses very formal language, and a style that keeps you on your toes.  I really like that each chapter starts with a little blurb relating to the contents of the upcoming section.  It's like an amuse-bouche for your literary eyes.  (I can't get away from the dining terms; I relate everything to food, sorry! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amuse-bouche)  Though the chapters generally move forward through the timeline and plot, each one is generally not about the same character or storyline as the one before it.  You never know what (or who) you will get next.  I did have to keep my dictionary handy though.  Kudos for that, Anna!

     The author also does a good job of weaving many twists and turns into the plot, some predictable, some not at all expected.  Her villain, Penelope, is one of the craftiest girls around; there is no end to what she will do to keep herself on top.  She's truly vicious.  One way that Anna keeps you turning the pages is to intermingle a good amount of verbal misunderstandings, visual misinterpretations, as well as unfortunate timing on the part of some of the main players a la the demise of "Romeo and Juliet."  All of these contribute to a tumultuous ride that gives you just a hint of what the characters experience, meanwhile all the characters are stuck within the strict social framework of New York's high-society circa 1900.

     I'm not a huge fan of cattiness, and gossip, so the subject of the book is somewhat hard to stomach, but the way it's presented is amusing.  If nothing else, you can stare at the pretty cover.

It's not always wrong to judge a book by it's cover, just don't make a habit of it...

Sue Monk Kidd - "The Secret Life of Bees"

     Where to begin?  As much as I don't want to admit it, I absolutely loved "The Secret Life of Bees".  I don't like being lumped in with that group of people who buy a book just because the New York Times deems it great, or with the group of "chick lit" readers who only read Nicolas Sparks and Sophie Kinsella novels.  It's not that those groups are bad, I just don't like being told that a book is good by someone else, or buying a book simply because it's part of a particular genre.  Don't get me wrong, the YaYa's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A_TpKeK-Oo) brought me to my best friend.  Maybe I'm just a snob?

     The story is an extremely heart-warming coming-of-age story set in the 1964 in South Carolina.  It's happening just as the Civil Rights Act is signed, so the backdrop of the story is that of increasing racial turmoil....de-segregation, in the South, in the 60's.... Enough said!  Lily is the main character who, for many a reason, runs away from her troubled home toting her nanny, Rosaleen, along.  They arrive at the pink house not knowing it would change their lives forever.

     August, June, and May Boatwright are the occupants of said pink house, and with mixed opinions, open their house, and hearts to the duo.  Just like all good stories, it contains love, laughter, and life lessons along with a few injustices and triumphs.  (Hey, I don't want to spoil it, I just give overviews.)  These three women in their own way all come to embrace Lily and Rosaleen, and to help heal their hurts, as only women can.  My best friend put it this way once, "There's just something about being in the company of women."

     This book is beautifully written, and does a fantastic job of showing how love can transcend race, logic, age, hurts (past or present), and any number of seemingly impossible obsticles.  Ms. Kidd has written a gritty and powerful tale of redemption, and the healing power of the love of women.  It's like a more serious and complexly layered version of "The Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood."  Despite my snobbery, I enjoyed this to the fullest, and recommend you to do the same.

Love your literature.

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thesecretlifeofbees/

 

The Secret Life Of Bees

Elizabeth Kostova - "The Historian"

      Holy Cow, this was an enormous undertaking of a novel!  It's right about 650 pages of Dracula lore, diary entries, and research.  This was Elizabeth Kostova's debut novel, and has won a few awards, which is somewhat uncommon for a first publication.  I truly have mixed feelings about the book.  It was lent to me by a fellow bibliophile, English professor, author extraordinaire, and good friend, one Mr. Rum Fitts.  He also expressed similar mixed feelings. 

     The book is a mixture of narrative by an unnamed teenage girl, oral accounts, journal entries, and written correspondence.  It is also an amalgamation of genres including: adventure, historical fiction, and horror.  It's the story of a young girl living in Amsterdam with her father; together, they travel all over Europe, and have a simple, loving relationship.  One day, she finds an old book in her dad's library that piques her interest, and spurs her desire to purse knowledge of Vlad Tepes, more commonly known by his legendary name, Dracula.  Between her own research, her father's journal, and eventually following in her father's footsteps (literally), she discovers her family history, what really happened to her absentee mother, and a lot of eastern European history and folklore.

                                    HISTORIAN / A NOVEL 

   I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book as light reading, or even as an attention grabber (despite it being a vampire novel, in essence).  The plot starts off at a pretty jaunty pace, but slows to a dreadful crawl somewhere between half-way to two-thirds of the way through.  Don't get me wrong, there are some unexpected twists and turns, but I had to really "want it" to read to completion.  I think overall, if you have nothing better at hand, go for it, but go ahead and carve out a chunk of undisturbed reading time to accomplish this feat.

     Upon beginning the story, I had high expectations of a page turner, and a high adventure story; I was somewhat disappointed in the lost potential.  Also, the climax was definitely not what I wanted.  For all the 600 pages of build-up, I expected more of a "bang."  The plot was well constructed, and well laid out, but there was an unsatisfactory ending that felt hastily "tacked on." 

     I did however; enjoy Kostova's ability to really allow the reader to be present in the settings.  Her descriptions of sights, smells, sensations, and overall scenery were outstanding.  One could really imagine the physical aspects of the scene as it took place.  Good job, Elizabeth!  The thing I liked the most, however, was how every character, from the narrator, to the minor foil characters, and even including Dracula himself had an immense appreciation and deep love of books and all things literary.  Each character in their own way, passionately immersed themselves in research whether historical or otherwise.  How can a dedicated reader not eat that up?

Maybe this book will give you something to do over your spring break "staycation."

Janet Evanovich - "Ten Big Ones"

     Well folks, she's done it again!  Stephanie Plum has blown up yet another vehicle.  Are you surprised?  I'm not.  Here's yet another great book crafted by Janet Evanovich.  In "Ten Big Ones," the plot was a little weaker than are the ones previous, but as always, the characters are truly stellar.

                                              Ten Big Ones (Stephanie Plum, No. 10)

   
     Stephanie is joined by a whole host of notable characters.  Lula, of course is riding shotgun for our heroine, while Grandma Mazur displays her knowledge (or lack thereof) of aliens and gangs.  Morelli takes a bit of a back seat while Ranger moves to the forefront in a sexy, stealthy kind of way.  What has she done now?!?!  I know, I felt the same way, but it works out well...  Also, (drum roll please) Sally Sweet, our favorite rock star in drag, reappears doing what he/she does best, swearing, accessorizing, and looking totally fabulous!                                                                                                 

     One point of interest in this novel is that while hiding from an angry, murderous street gang, Stephanie "stumbles" upon one of the "Rangeman Enterprises" facilities.  Is it the mysterious bat cave we all wonder about?  Hmmmm...

     While not the best plot Mrs. E has crafted, it's most certainly an entertaining, quick read.  I love starting a new Plum novel because you literally have no idea what will happen next.  It's such an adventurous and humorous ride.  I definitely recommend it!

Stay tuned!