Book Review: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand is an interesting book.  It is technically a fiction book based on the true story of Louis Zamperini.  The story starts out with his life as a kid getting into trouble.  That trouble gets channeled into running which puts Zamperini into the 1936 Berlin Olympics.  He becomes an airman when World War II breaks out and gets shot down in the Pacific.  Zamperini and a couple crew members find the survival raft and end up adrift until being captured by the Japanese.  Their capture was both a blessing and a curse – a blessing because they would have died before much longer and a curse because they were POWs held by the Japanese.  Most of the rest of the story is about Zamperini’s time in the Japanese POW camps.

I really found this story to be fascinating.  Hillenbrand did her research in finding original sources that documented the true story of Zamperini’s life.  The writing was pretty good for the most part, though I would have edited a few things differently as there were a few spots that felt somewhat tedious.  In the end, it is a fictional account of this piece of history.  One cannot forget that aspect.  Do not expect a completely true story as that is not what this book is.  But, don’t pass it up.  It is still a good book in the end.

Book Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein was a rather interesting novel.  First, it’s told from the dog’s point of view.  This provides an interesting way of telling the story.  The main character is Enzo the dog.  His owner, Denny, is a race car driver/instructor/sales person at a high end car dealer.  Enzo witnesses Denny’s life from the time he gets married to having their first child and the problems that then ensue.

This was a well told story.  You certainly have to set aside the idea that a dog can narrate a story and that he can be as self-aware as he is being a dog.  Get beyond that and look at the story itself.  It is a touching story about the drama of life.  The characters are fairly well developed.  A few of the more minor characters felt a little flat but it wasn’t enough to detract from the story.

I think the only thing I didn’t like as much was the ending.  It just felt a little too predictable.  But, seeing as it is the ending, I can’t say much more or I’ll ruin it.  So, go read it.  It is worth the read.

Book Review: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

This week’s book review is on Life of Pi by Yann Martel.  The story is about a boy growing up in his father’s zoo in India.  Then, when things change in the government, they sell the zoo and plan to move to Canada.  Piscine, or Pi for short, goes with the animals to help relocate them to North America but encounters a bad storm during the ocean voyage.  He is then stranded in a life boat with quite a few of the animals.  The rest of the story is about that experience.

I have to say that I struggled some with this book.  It jumps around some between reminiscing about the events and living the events.  There is also quite a bit of spirituality included in it that gets somewhat convoluted at times.

But, that being said, the story was quite interesting.  The ending was particularly good.  Like usual, I won’t give it away.  You’ll have to trust me on that.  The characters were well developed, including the animals.  And the detail balanced well, for the most part, with moving the story along.

I would say this is a book you should get to, but be prepared for a bit of a challenging read.  And I can’t compare it to the movie as I have not seen the movie so someone else will have to cover that bit for me.

Book Review: Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris

Death in the City of Light, by David King, is the story of a rather prolific serial killer living in Paris during World War II.  The book alternates between Dr. Marcel Petiot’s past, the discovery of many of the bodies, and how the police worked to catch him.  The most fascinating part of this story is how it was really a perfect environment for a serial killer between people going missing all the time anyway and how the Nazi forces hampered the Paris Police in their investigations.

Even though this is a non-fiction work and, as such, much of the ending is already known, I’m still not going to give it away except to say that the ending was quite entertaining.  Yes, entertaining despite the book’s gruesome subject.

Perhaps the one critique I had of the book is that there were times the jumping back and forth in the timeline and in perspective got a little confusing.  It became a bit difficult to keep track of the order of events and, subsequently, what the police knew and when they learned the information.  That being said, this was still an amazing book.  It brought to light a morbidly fascinating event that has been overlooked in the larger picture of the history of World War II.  And I must add the Paris Police did a pretty incredible job despite the odds they were facing in solving this one.  This book is not for the faint of heart, but it is certainly a must read book.

Book Review: I Go to America: Swedish American Women and the Life of Mina Anderson

I Go to America: Swedish American Women and the Life of Mina Anderson by Joy K. Lintelman is an interesting account of the immigration of Swedish women in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Lintelman weaves together the life of Mina Anderson with the history of the immigration in such a way that provides a fascinating look at this point in history.  She supplements some of the history with details from the lives of other Swedish female immigrants as well.

I have to say there are two things I really enjoyed about this book.  First, Lintelman is careful to base most of the book off of primary sources such as diaries, letters, and other personal accounts.  This lent a personal touch and a great balance of color to the history of this piece of immigration to the United States.  The other thing I really liked is that she balanced the drier factual history pieces nicely with the personal stories of Mina and other Swedish women.  These two elements were, for the most part, woven together well in telling the immigration story for these women.

I think my one criticism of this book is that there were a few parts where the history got pretty detailed and dry – hence long as well.  I think there were some details that could have been edited out without losing anything of the overall story.

That being said, I would certainly add this to your list of books to read.  I was surprised by some of the things I learned in this book.  And it is a well written history book that is pretty easy for the most part to get through.

Book Review: School’s Out – Forever by James Patterson

Genetic experiments on kids, government conspiracies, and at least one love triangle thrown in for good measure.  Yep.  Patterson combines all of this into a decent story.  This is the second book in his Maximum Ride series.  The kids, who were experimented on genetically, are still on the run.  They end up being taken in by someone, who turns out to be with the FBI, and are given a semblance of a normal life.  Of course it all gets disrupted because that would be too easy.  And, amidst the action, the beginnings of a love triangle show up.

First, in my opinion, I am glad Patterson didn't take the love triangle thing farther than he did.  I think that would have really put a damper on the whole story for me.  That being said, I also don’t think it really added much to the story as you already knew where things stood without having to have the love triangle paint the picture in neon colors.

The rest of the premise to this book and the series in general, is very interesting and fun to read.  Who doesn't like a government conspiracy with a dash of genetic manipulation and cloning thrown in?

I do have to add that this is a kids’ series.  In that respect, maybe my opinion of the love triangle thing is a bit harsh.  But I also feel that kids shouldn't be treated as dumber because they are younger, and that is, to a slight extent, what I feel is happening with that piece.  I just want to make sure that it is clear not to expect adult level stuff out of this story because, despite the premise being similar to many adult level novels I've read, it is a kids’ series and is well written for this age group.  I would certainly recommend adding this to your list of books to get to eventually, just don’t expect too much out of it.  As a quick, fun read it delivers well.

Book Review: The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates

I have to confess.  The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates is the first, and only, book I’ve read by her.  It is a fascinating book that goes back to 1905.  Woodrow Wilson is the president of Princeton University and not yet President of the United States.  Upton Sinclair just published The Jungle.  And the town of Princeton is about to be rocked by a lynching that triggers a series of events that lead the town to believe in a Curse.

From what I know, Joyce Carol Oates is a pretty high-brow, intellectual fiction author.  I know she has a tendency toward the morose.  In this, she does not fail to deliver in The Accursed.  I enjoyed the book in that it was a great fiction take on historical events.  I also think the mystery of the Curse was sufficiently complex that it took a while to figure out just what all was going on.  There were times I thought the level of detail went a little far.  To be honest, I’m still not entirely sure what the Upton Sinclair storyline in the book contributed other than further historical context.  The rest of the storyline, though, was spot on to me.  I loved the complex interplay between the townspeople of Princeton that fed the Curse beautifully.

All in all, make sure you have some time as this is a long one to get through, but read it.  It is an interesting “ghost tale” of sorts that plays off of an interesting time in history.  Be sure you haven’t read something heavy and prosaic before this if you’re like me and need a break from that at times.  Otherwise, just enjoy!

Book Review: I’m No Monster: The Horrifying True Story of Josef Fritzl

I missed last week’s book review so I wanted to make sure I hit it up this week.  And the book up this week is a doozy.  It’s I’m No Monster: The Horrifying True Story of Josef Fritzl by Stefanie Marsh and Bojan Pancevski.  This is a “true crime” novel, so to speak.  It is the story of Elizabeth Fritzl.  Back before Elizabeth Smart and Jaycee Dugard, there was Elisabeth Fritzl.  She was born in Austria.  Her father, Josef, began to abuse her at age 11.  At age 18, she was taken prisoner by her father and held captive in a secret chamber in their home for the next 24 years while he repeatedly abused her.  She eventually bore him 7 children.  One died shortly after birth, three were allowed to live freely with Josef and his wife, Rosemarie.  The other three remained with Elisabeth.

The story is an amazing tale of resilience and survival.  I felt like the authors treated the case with a decent amount of respect considering the topic.  The writing was not stellar, but it wasn’t painful to read either, unlike the subject matter. 

The biggest thing I want to stress is that this is NOT Elisabeth’s story.  She has never openly shared her side of things.  The authors researched the family history and tracked the story in the press.  They, from what I remember since it has been a little while since I've read it, never got to talk to Elisabeth or other members of the Fritzl family.

Incidentally, Elisabeth Fritzl does not go by her given name anymore and the new town in which she lives in Austria is heavily guarded.  Much of that protection stems from the local townsfolk.

I can’t say whether or not you should read this book.  It is certainly not for the faint-hearted.  But, if you can handle such difficult subject matter, it can give some insight into crimes like this.

Book Review: The Moonball by Ursula Moray Williams

The first thing I want to put out there about The Moonball is that it is an older book.  Therefore some of the language and perspectives in the book are a dated and not considered “politically correct” anymore.  That being said, here goes.

I love The Moonball.  The story starts with a group of town kids that are bored.  Suddenly, during a storm, an unusual object shows up.  At first they didn't even realize it was alive.  But, it brought a sense of adventure, indeed caused some adventure, for the kids.

It is a pretty simple and straight forward plot line.  There are no real twists or surprises.  Like I said, the language is a bit dated, but it is clear and easy to read.  The moonball is the best developed character in my opinion, and it doesn't ever say anything.

All in all, there is something charming and comforting about this book.  Put it on your guilty pleasures reading list.  It won’t take long and I doubt you’ll regret reading it.

Book Review: Inferno by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Inferno by Sherrilyn Kenyon is the fourth book in her Chronicles of Nick series.  Kenyon, usually a paranormal romance author, changed gears a little with this series to write a young adult series.  One of the things I love is that it is still in the same world as her Dark Hunter series.  I also love the voices and characters she creates in this world.

Kenyon has taken one of her more loved characters in the Dark Hunters world and went back in time to tell his story starting as a freshman in high school.  In this installment, Nick, her main character, is working hard not to become a monstrous demon that is his legacy.  Rather challenging when Nick is also sixteen and learning to drive.  He’s also doubting his ex-girlfriend, who is not entirely human and charged with killing Nick but swears she won’t, and questioning the intentions of his best friend who is another demon working for more than one boss.

There are several things, aside from what I’I've already mentioned, that I love about this series.  It is a totally different tone, very appropriate for teenagers.  The characters are still true to the Dark Hunter world that she originally created for adults.  And, there is something difficult to define quality that keeps drawing me back to this world and the characters.

I would definitely recommend this series.  It’s a great, easy read that has wit and humor that draws you in.  And it has zombies, complete with flamethrower wielding zombie hunters.

Book Review – The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic

The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic by Darby Penney and Peter Stastney is an interesting book.  This is a history book about the Willard Psychiatric Hospital in New York.  The story behind the book is just as interesting.

The short version of the story behind the book is that the Willard Psychiatric Hospital, once one of the largest state hospitals in New York, closed in 1995.  It had been open for 125 years and saw literally a million or more patients in its history.  Before some of the buildings were torn down, the New York State Historical Society was allowed to go through the buildings.  Two former employees took historians to an attic where personal belongings had been stored.  In that attic they found rows of suitcases.  The suitcases were carefully lined up awaiting their owners.  Through years of work by historians afterward, the stories behind many of the suitcases were pieced together.  This story was first turned into an exhibit at the New York State Historical Society.  This book followed.

In this book, the authors tell the tales of ten of the suitcase owners.  They selected a sample of suitcases that were fairly representative of the more than four hundred they found.  Most of the stories are tragic.  Knowing that the suitcases never left Willard Hospital, one can conclude what happened to the owners.

This is a fascinating snapshot look at the history of mental health care in the United States in the not so distant past.  It is pretty frank, a bit brutal at times, and an amazing testament to the human ability to survive despite the odds.  I would put this one fairly high up on your list of books to read.  Yes.  It is a history book.  But it doesn't read like one.  It’s almost as if reading diary or journal entries at times.  Don’t miss this one.

Book Review: Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson

The Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson was a pretty interesting read.  The first book, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, was a bit tough to get into at first.  The main character, Elisa, is the chosen one and a spoiled girl who has no self-esteem.  But, as the book progresses, she begins to change.  By the end of the first book she is becoming someone a reader can relate to.

In the second book, The Crown of Embers, she’s reached some of her goals (don’t worry, I won’t spoil it by giving away too much detail).  She’s still struggling, though, to stand on her own.  Then Elisa discovers the threat she thought she’d taken care of in the first book is coming back.  So she sets out on a journey to solidify her power base and stop the threat.

Finally, in the third book, The Bitter Kingdom, Elisa loses someone very close to her in a kidnapping just as she thinks she’s done enough to feel safe again.  She takes off on a daring rescue.  In the process she learns a whole lot about the world and that much of what she believed wasn’t the full truth.

I have to say I liked these books.  Like I said, the first one was hard to get into at first because Elisa wasn’t very likeable then.  But, Carson does a nice job of growing the character into someone much easier to connect to.  I also appreciated Carson’s skill at building tension throughout the series.  Yes, some of the tension was predictable in a way – who wins in harrowing situations, who falls in love, etc. – but it was subtle enough and with the right balance of detail to enjoy it anyways.

I would certainly put this trilogy on your to read list.  Yes, it is another young adult trilogy, but it’s worth the read.

Book Review: The Green Sky Trilogy by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

The Green Sky Trilogy is a rather interesting series by Zilpha Keatley Snyder.  The whole premise is that Raamo, a young kid, is selected to become a new Ol-zhaan (priest) of his people.  When he begins the training he finds out that there is this great conspiracy happening.  His people live in the trees and are never allowed to leave the canopy.  He, through a series of events, does so and finds out the forest floor is not what they’ve been told.

I though these books were interesting.  There were definitely some political overtones to me.  But, from the strict standpoint of the story – it was good.  Maybe the political overtones were just my imagination.  I will admit that.  The characters are likable and the plot is sufficiently complex to make an interesting story.  It is still a young adult’s trilogy and not an adult’s, so don’t go in expecting something more like a Tolkien world.

In the end I would say read it if you have a chance.  It is worth it.

Book Review: Troll’s Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales by Ellen Datlow

Troll’s Eye View by Ellen Datlow was a great read.  It is another advanced children’s/young adult book.  But I loved it.  Datlow takes the traditional fairy tales we know like Rumplestiltskin and Jack and the Beanstalk, and tells the story from the villain’s point of view.  She does a great job of giving these stories a great new twist.  And the bad guy doesn't seem so bad anymore.

As I said, the book was aimed for a younger audience.  In that respect, the stories are somewhat simple compared to what an adult may expect.  The language was on the simpler end as well.  But, the plots and the stories were well written.  The bad guys in the stories became people I could connect to on some level.  They weren't bad guys anymore.  I loved Datlow's take on the other side of the traditional stories we all know.

I would put this one on your must read list.  It doesn't necessarily have to be high up there.  But don’t miss it.  It is a great new take on those well-known stories.

Book Review: Soul’s Gate by James L. Rubart

Soul’s Gate by James L. Rubart is a rather interesting book.  I love the premise that one can, literally, travel into the soul of someone else to help fight a battle against the demons there.  That being said, I was a little taken back by the intense amount of overt Christian beliefs referenced in the book.  Not that I’m against it, but it wasn't what I was expecting when I considered reading this book.

On the positive side, the premise of the book is wonderful.  The characters are easy to relate to and believable.  It reads fairly quickly and doesn't take much work to understand or follow.  The prose is pretty good – not the best I've ever read but by far not the worst.

The biggest down side is that if you have difficulty with things connected to Christianity, this book is definitely not for you.  I think that if I would have gone into reading this book knowing that, it wouldn't have stuck out to me so much.

I am going to reserve judgment on whether or not you should read this one due to the religious piece.  I strongly ascribe to that saying about avoiding religion and politics if you want to avoid an argument.  I feel that it applies here.  Certainly worth a read if you don’t mind the religious piece.  If the religious piece is a turn off, there are thousands of other great books out there, too.

Book Review: Poor Man’s Feast by Elissa Altman

This week it’s a change of pace from what I have been reviewing recently.  Poor Man’s Feast by Elissa Altman is part memoir and part cook book.  As Altman tells her story, she sprinkles in recipes that reflect that point in her life.  She starts out talking about her life prior to meeting her significant other.  At that point, she compares her life to these elaborate, fancy dishes that are difficult to create.  She moves through her life as she meets her significant other and the recipes she shares shows that evolution.  Altman’s significant other introduces her to the idea of more simplistic, homey cooking.  By the end of the book Altman’s recipes show this change.

As far as the memoir part goes, I wasn't terribly impressed.  I struggled at times to follow what was happening as she sometimes wandered a bit.  She also seemed to jump around at times.  But, the pieces she told were wonderfully illustrated memories.  The scenes are rich with the emotion she shares in them.

I have not tried the recipes, but intend to when I have time (maybe when I’m like 102).  Some appear a little daunting for a novice cook.  Others seem easier to prepare.

All in all, I gave this book three stars out of five.  It isn't a book I would go out of my way to find, but certainly worth a read when you get there.  Particularly if you love things culinary.

Book Review – Beastly by Alex Flinn

This week is another book by Alex Flinn – Beastly.  After reading Bewitching, I was intrigued enough to try one more of Flinn’s books.  Once again, she takes a fairy tale and retells it in modern terms.  This one was turned into a film in 2011.

I have to say that I found the same issues in this book as I did Bewitching.  Beauty and the Beast themes were there.  Kendra was absent for most of the book, which I found to be okay for the most part.  The characters were good, nothing special, but not completely flat either.  I think that most of the problem I had was that the book was predictable in more than just the Beauty and the Beast theme.

I would say that this is one to add to a guilty pleasures list for a quick, fun read.  But, don’t have high expectations for it.  Maybe it’s better from the eyes of a teenager, but I gave it 3 of 5 stars.

Book Review: Shadows of the Redwood and The Quicksilver Faire by Gillian Summers

 Yep.  I’m cheating a little by combining these two into one review.  They are the first and second book in the Scions of Shadow trilogy, which is the next part of the Faire Folk Trilogy I reviewed a few weeks back.

These two books continue Keelie’s story as she continues to learn about her father and his people.  She, of course, is pulled into a whole new set of adventures.  This time there is the added drama of teenage dating occurring, not just teenage crushes as in the last trilogy.

Once again, Summers writes in a fairly simplistic and predictable manner.  The characters grow some, but much.  It is fun in that the story continues and Summers explores her union of fantastical and modern America in interesting ways.  She does do a nice job of throwing a twist or two into these two books that separate them from the previous trilogy.  This, to me, keeps the stories from becoming so predictable I put the books down.

It still is not a trilogy I would say is a must read for everyone.  It would certainly be higher on the list for a middle school girl.  Otherwise, I would chalk it up as an to the guilty pleasure list.

Book Review: Shadow Bound by Erin Kellison

Shadow Bound by Erin Kellison is an interesting take on paranormal fantasy/romance.  The premise of the book is that a figure, presumably Death, falls in love with a mortal woman.  A child is born of that relationship.  But, in punishment for that, there are bad guys that are turned loose in the world (think a twist on the vampire idea).

This story is about the daughter born of that relationship – Talia O’Brien.  She has special talents because of her patronage.  She also happens to be the key for Adam Thorne in his quest to cure his brother of this disease/possession/whatever you want to call it.

I have to be honest.  I found the book to be a little more predictable than I cared for.  I enjoyed the spin Kellison put on the vampire, good versus evil and fantasy themes.  She had some interesting ways of looking at these ideas and weaving them into her world in a believable way.  I also think she did a good job of creating some reasonably believable characters.  I wouldn’t say that they were stand outs, but they had dimensionality and life.  Which is better than some books I’ve read recently.  My biggest issue is that I would have liked to see a similar kind of twist to the plot.  But, to me, that didn’t happen.

So, in the end, I would have to say that this is a book to put one the “Get to Eventually” list.  Nothing overly stellar but not one to avoid either.

Book Review: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant, is the story of Dinah as told from her point of view.  She is a daughter of the biblical figure Jacob.  The story is a fictionalized account of Dinah’s life that is only mentioned in passing in the Bible.  It weaves tales of her childhood, growing up with all of the sons of Jacob and the tragedy that became her adulthood.  The most interesting piece Diamant tackles in this book, based on historical documents, is what has become known as the rape of Dinah.  She plays into the vagaries the multiple translations and shifts in meaning languages have undergone since the story was originally documented.

I appreciated Diamant’s story here.  While I think there were pieces of the story that were overly detailed or bogged down some in descriptions, I loved her version of this sometimes overlooked Bible story involving a woman.  I also appreciated the strength she gave Dinah while keeping her fairly true to what women may have lived like in this time period.  Even the alternate explanations she gives for the missing pieces of Dinah’s story are plausible.

All in all I would put this on the list that you will absolutely get to reading.  While it is fiction, it casts this story into a whole new light reminding us that there are more sides to a story than what is written in the history books.  Even when the history book in question is the Bible.