Best Book of the Year?

I know it's only January, but I may have found my favorite book of the year already! I actually listened to it on audiobook, which was fabulous because Elizabeth Gilbert's voice is just so mellow and perfect for reading, Eat, Pray, Love (which, incidentally, I keep calling, "Eat, Love, Pray"). At any rate, the book's premise is this: a 30-something year-old New Yorker goes through a bitter divorce, depression, and general life questioning. She ends up on a three-country tour to find her spiritual identity. Italy is where she learns to eat again (she lost a lot of weight) and indulge in the pleasure of food and life. India is where she learns to pray, meditate, and find God while living in an ashram. And last, she ends up in Indonesia, specifically Bali, where she finds a balance between pleasure and prayer (I won't give away the complete ending).

I loved this book for many reasons. One, I am on a spiritual journey myself, to find what I believe, to learn to pray and meditate and discover my version of God. What I loved about Ms. Gilbert was her awareness that all religions and practices are just different paths to one endpoint. I can't quote directly at this moment, but I recall that she refers to a beautiful explanation (Hopi, I think) that religions are all different threads of the truth, which will eventually be part of one rope that pulls us all together. Or, as Pope Pius the XI, the Dalai Lama, and others state: our world's religions are just different rivers that all end up in the same ocean. So anyway, I am constantly becoming aware of different threads, or rivers, and finding beauty and truth in each one.

Second, I loved this book because her tone was so perfect for the audio version - it was low and mellow, sad and joyful, and not apologetic for her indulgences (which, as I've gathered from others, is something they did not like about this title). Finally, I enjoyed it because it made me appreciate and love all aspects of life - reminded me to stop and smell the roses - and to appreciate and love all people. Following A Year of Living Biblically, this was another winner! Four stars **** (out of four).

I was at work when I spied this title (Love the One You're With, by Emily Giffin (not Griffin - I'm always messing that up, too!). I liked her other works pretty well (Baby Proof, among others) so I grabbed this one. It was an easy read - passionate, realistic (relatively), and addresses that oft-burning question of, "the one that got away." Not bad - I could recommend this but won't go out of my way to tell others. Two and a half stars **1/2 (out of four), maybe three.

I'm reading Savvy, by Ingrid Law, at the moment. I actually picked it up several weeks ago but just found out that it made the 2009 Newbery honor list, so I figured I'd better hurry up and read it now before others requested it!

Finally. I finished a non-fiction spirituality book for the first time in months.
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible.

A.J. Jacobs, writer for Esquire magazine and NPR contributor, caught me with the premise: to try to live "exactly by the word of the bible," for an entire year. Knowing the wacky things that the Bible often proposes (or at least the human's interpretation of its words) I was fascinated to see what Jacobs would find out. I loved the way he went into this so open-minded (for an agnostic, that is pretty good!), and what he took away from it. He especially opened my own eyes as to the Bible's words, and how easily they can be interpreted in so many ways, depending on the reader's intentions and beliefs. It just reinforced my own spiritual beliefs (which are constantly evolving anyway), that people create and find the religious practices that fit their needs, and find God in their own way and that none of these ways is "the only one truth." Of course, laughing out loud every few pages didn't hurt, either! My only concerns were the discussion of animal sacrifice and his experience with the kaparot, where live chickens are swung around your head and then slaughtered in front of you and other humiliating/disturbing practices. Still, four stars for the insight and humility! ****

I also finished Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer, which concluded the Twilight series. I think that this was my favorite out of the four, probably because Bella got married and got pregnant, two things I can relate to! I loved how Bella finally got vampire powers, a backbone, and an active role in what was going on around her. The conclusion was a little unsatisfying - lots of buildup and climax to a blah resolution, but Meyer isn't know for her fight scenes and honestly, isn't it good to have non-violent resolution to some things in life?? Three and a half stars *** 1/2

Slow Going

I feel like I've been reading every spare second of the day, but it seems that I've been reading lots of magazine articles and random chapters from non-fiction books more than I've been reading entire novels. Still, I've managed to get through two YA books over the past couple of weeks. Wish that they had blown me away, but can't say they did. First up, pictured above, was Boy Meets Boy, by David Levithan. This was on my "to read" list, given to me by my employer several months ago. Or maybe it was on my Challenged and Banned List. At any rate, I could see why it would make some people uncomfortable, as it discusses (gasp!) love between two homosexual boys. Of course, if you actually read the book, it is more of the platonic kind, with little more than kissing discussed. The point of the story is the strength this one boy finds in his sexuality, and the strength he brings to others who are still struggling with acknowledging their feelings (or struggling with parents who refuse to support or believe in them). It's a decent read - some humor, some depth, satisfying but not perfectly tied up ending. I'd give it three stars (out of four). ***

Then there's this new one, published just last year (but interestingly enough, published in France in 2005): A Bottle in the Gaza Sea, by Valerie Zenatti. It is the story of a teen Israeli girl who decides she's tired of the fighting and bombs, and puts a message in a bottle in the Gaza Sea, to try to contact a Palestinian girl and find out what they have in common. Instead, the bottle finds a teen boy (Palestinian) living in the Gaza strip. Billed as a modern day Romeo and Juliet, I had high hopes for this one, but little happens to the characters and little action actually occurs to invite suspense or create a climax. The author has the characters explain the history behind the Israeli-Palestine conflict, but sometimes it's too didactic. The teens communicate through e-mail and chat, which helps teens relate to the unusual setting (it is set in 2003) but the way that "fall" for each other is a little forced. Overall, I was disappointed - I was hoping to recommend this for our school-library teen book club next year. Two stars **
Meanwhile, I'm working on this adult non-fiction: A Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible, by A.J. Jacobs. I was on the hold list for a while, and since I've been reading (or skimming) so many other things, it's now almost due back and I'm not even a quarter of the way into it. But I'm determined to finish it this weekend. It is tongue-and-cheek at times, serious at others, and I can see that the author will be changed (not just physically - since he has to grow a FULL beard) but spiritually. It kind of mirrors my audio book of the moment: Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert (yup, still working on that). Well, that's it for now. Make sure to leave comments if you've read these titles - I don't need any more recommendations - yagh!

2009 Audiobook Challenge and Breaking Dawn

Last summer, I bought, "Eat, Pray, Love," by Elizabeth Gilbert, with the full intentions of reading it. I was feeling very spiritual (and wealthy) and so I splurged at Border's. However, I still hadn't gotten around to it (due to my ginormous YA "to read" list) when I saw the audio book version at the library where I work. I was in need of a new audio book for my (though short) drives around town and to work, and I thought this was a sign. Happily, I am thoroughly enjoying it - am on the 3rd disc in only two days- especially because of the author's voice. I normally find that authors who read their own books aloud just don't have the experience to do a stellar job, but Gilbert is stunning. Her voice is low and soothing, and I am caught up in her world of images, tastes, and desires every time I start the car. I am missing out on NPR, but I'll just have to (gasp) read the paper or check out CNN online when I am at the desk or at home. Can't wait to hear more! This is a perfect start to the 2009 Audiobook Challenge.

Meanwhile, I am finally posting those pictures of Charlie Swan, from the Twilight movie and (below) his look-a-like, Burt Reynolds. Eerie, huh?

And of course, I zoomed through Eclipse over Christmas and grabbed Breaking Dawn as soon as I could. I am totally hooked. This fourth book is by and far the best of the series. The switching of perspective between Bella and Jacob is a great way to keep from becoming too monotonous (as in New Moon) and it gives you a whole other take on Bella's actions. I can't put it down. It's one of those books that sucks you in and when you realize you have to stop, you are shaking your head, trying to clear it up and return to the real world. The first three were fine, but this one takes the cake...so far. I'm almost halfway through in 2 days!

Twilight!

If you don't know this already, libraries have more than books, and librarians do more than just read them. As a YA librarian, I had obviously read the book, Twilight, already, but hadn't gotten around to seeing the movie. Now that it's been out a while, and the opening night crowds have pretty much dispersed, I figured it was safe to go. I roped another (adult) friend of mine into going to a matinee this past weekend and boy, was I glad I went. It was the perfect movie to see on the big screen (I usually prefer to see them at home, just because I can't sit still, and oh yeah, the outrageous price and you can't lay down or go to the bathroom and you have to listen to everyone talking or making comments and there's no vegan popcorn...but I digress).

I also normally feel like movies don't do the books justice, but not this time. Here are my five reasons why the movie totally rocked:

1) The casting was impeccable. I know a lot of people think that Edward could have been hotter, but I think that he was a pretty decent pick. The other characters were exactly as I had pictured them - not just visually, but the way that they moved and talked and acted. Jasper's stifled yearnings for blood, Rosalie's anger, Carlisle's fatherly and doctorly (but hot!) mannerisms, Jessica's normal teen-bubbliness....I could go on. I loved the more minor characters too, including Jacob (can't wait to see more of him in New Moon!) and Victoria. My only problem was with the casting of Bella's father, whom I thought could have been a little older and more portly looking. Does he remind anyone else of Burt Reynolds? I guess the audience watching this film probably never heard of him...

(pictures wouldn't insert here - I'll try again later)

2) The acting was excellent. I enjoyed the way they portrayed the characters to a tee, as they were described in the book. Alice was bubbly, Jessica was slightly air-headed, Mike - devoted puppy, etc. (see above). You could just feel the attraction between Edward and Bella - it was so palpable.

3) The filming was incredible. It's a shame that there will be a new director for the sequel, but hopefully he'll take some cues from his female predecessor. The visual effects were perfect and not overdone. The way the vampires moved so quickly - jumping, being powerful. The longing looks (there were a few too many of these, but that was the book, wasn't it?). The sparkly diamond-like skin of Edward. The chaos and pain when Bella is bitten. The setting (Portland) was exactly what it should have been - misty, rainy and overcast. Not just well-matched to the book, but a great choice for a vampire movie, period! But did you know that Forks is a real place? When I read this on Stephenie Meyer's website, I was amazed. And the tribe that Jacob is a part of is a real tribe, too. I'm sure most readers already know all this, but check out the links anyway!

4) It left you wanting more. When Victoria walks away, you are just eager to see more of her and to see the sequel come to fruition. Although New Moon was rather slow in the beginning, hopefully the exciting setting of Italy (I think that's where it was) and the werewolves will take it up a notch.

5) It wasn't over-sexed. I think that a lot of films nowadays just have naked people (usually women) prancing around and other stuff thrown in for viewer gratification and also to sell them more. So I think that it's admirable when a film can barely show an ounce of skin and receive such rave reviews. Especially when it's made specifically for teens. Not that teens should be sheltered or that they're naive, just because it's nice not to have to have it in your face at every corner. The producer again did a great job showing the attraction and emotions without skin and overt sexuality. However, this really comes from Meyer's writing. Being a Mormon, I think that this came out in her book. Go to her blog to learn more. It's fascinating to see how her story came to be!

I have to say that I think the movie was really well-matched to the book. There were some minor parts omitted, but having read the book several months ago, I couldn't recall a single one. My only concern? When Edward explains that being a vegetarian vampire is like eating tofu all the time - "you're just never fully satisfied," he states. I yelled "boo" (quietly) at the screen when he said that - what crap! As a long-time vegetarian and vegan, I am always full and satisfied. It's actually the fiber and bulk from grains and plant that fills you up, and fats that satisfy. But anyway - go see this movie now, before it's out of the theaters!

The one book I've read this week is Stray, by Stacey Goldblatt. I can't recall why I picked this up, but one day it was sitting on the holds shelf with my name on it, so I must have requested it! The basic premise is a girl whose father has left (for another woman) and whose mother is therefore a little controlling of her life. Her mother is a vet and her father is a world-famous "dog whisperer." It is no surprise that Natalie (the girl) loves animals, especially dogs. But she is also reserved and un-spontaneous, living under the thumb of her mother but also desperately wanting her mother's approval. Despite all her hard work and virtuous life, her mother can always find something that she could do better.

Enter hot boy, who moves into the room above the garage, to intern with her mother. As you can predict, she falls for him, despite earlier misgivings. This leads to her realization that her mother's desires for her life may not be in match with her own. Natalie tries throughout the book to be true to herself, but realizes she doesn't really know what she wants, believes, or who she is without her mother's rules.

The hot boy turns out to be multi-faceted, thankfully, and not perfect, but the ending was a little too tidy for me. Great book for girls and for animal lovers!

Wow - it's been far too long since I posted here ... Having three blogs and several wikis to write (not to mention Facebook and MySpace and oh yeah, 2 emails) keeps me busy! Lucky for you, I have also been reading a ton. I meant to blog about these two first books, last on the blog, so that you get them in my chronological reading order, but the cut and paste feature of blogger was having problems, so here are the most recent books I've read.... First up, as you can see above, is Chiggers, by Hope Larson. This is a new graphic novel, definitely written for girl readers. The story is about Abby, a teen going back to summer camp, with very different results from last year. Abby is a little young, socially, and the author does a great job showing the thoughts of others and herself, in reaction to the "lame" things she sometimes says. But she is kind and thoughtful, despite her imperfections, and just wants to fit in. Shasta, the other girl pictured on the cover, also finds difficulty fitting in, but she doesn't seem to mind and is really a strong character ... on the outside. She claims to have been hit by lightning, takes medication for what she claims is migraines, and has an older boyfriend. As Abby tries to make friends, learns the social intricacies of girls' circles, and become comfortable with the opposite sex, she grows up and learns a lot about herself. The illustrations are really well-done - they add a lot to the story like a graphic novel should, and Abby's imaginative day-dreaming episodes about her love life are fun and realistic. The only problem I had was how she "re-friended" the two slightly mean girls by the end. Three stars *** and another possible booktalk for next year.

10 Things to Do Before I Die, by Daniel Ehrenhaft was another three star*** but not a graphic novel. This book is told from the viewpoint of Ted Burger (real name) who has just found out that the fries he ate at a burger joint were poisoned by a disgruntled employee. His friends draw up a list of 10 things he must do before he dies on a paper napkin. Clutching the napkin and fighting off spells of violent illness, Ted slowly comes to terms with his lack of spontaneity and lackluster life as he attempts to "live life to its fullest" in his last hours. This is actually a pretty funny book and a quick read overall. The characters are interesting and not too cliche. The "chapters" are really short and broken up with funny titles. I'd give this three stars ***. There was something lacking that I couldn't put my finger on - I guess it just wasn't all quite believable.

Next up, an OK book, The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West, by Sid Fleischman. I had to read this for a mock Newbery awards nomination that the youth librarians in my system are doing. It is a bio, written in the same language as Twain, with humorous stories and great photos. However, it was just not compelling for me. I like biographies just fine, but this one didn't draw me in. It wasn't spectacular and it wasn't horrible. The photos, actually, were a drawback because they were printed on random pages, often interrupting the text mid-sentence. This was very jarring. As I took time to examine the pictures, I then had to go back and re-read the last sentence to remember where I was. This is not very comprehensive, either, as it focuses on his adult life the most. I only give this 2 stars **.

Luckily, I followed that book with this one, The Red Necklace, by Sally Gardner. This was also required reading for another reason - a book lunch club we do with teens at local middle schools. This was an amazing, can't put down, four star **** read. It has nothing to do with the girl, pictured on the front. It is set during the time of the French Revolution, which means there's lots of blood and gore. The main character, is Yann, a fourteen-year-old Gypsy orphan raised to perform in a magic show. He can read people's minds and that's not the end to the magical elements of the book. However, this book also brings in murder, intrigue and the historical setting, to create a truly original story. Sido, the daughter of a rich and obnoxious marquis, is in trouble and her enemy is one that Yann must face as well: a dark and mysterious Count (not Dracula). There is a little something for everyone in this book, no matter what genre you prefer. Pick it up today!

I went for something a little shorter and lighter next: The Plain Janes, by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg. This graphic novel is not just for girls, although it centers around a group of girls, all name Jane. The main character (Jane, of course) has moved to the suburbs after she is caught in the middle of a bomb attack in the city where she lives (her parents freak out and don't even want to go back to visit, but she misses her old life and friends). Jane connects with an unnamed man who is injured during the attack and remains in a coma in the city hospital throughout most of the book. She finds an art journal of his and decides to keep in contact through journaling and artwork of her own. It is Art, in many, various forms, which brings these Janes together, as they fight the typical cliques and obtuse, controlling, and generally misinformed parents. I am considering booktalking this great graphic novel next year when I go to the schools. A strong story, compelling characters (if not a little stereotyped, such as their gay friend, James) with an ending leaving room for many sequels. Three stars ***.

Another graphic novel I stumbled upon (it was about to be weeded) was Mary Jane: Homecoming (Volume 2), written by Sean McKeever and illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa. I thought, "Why not?" and was pleasantly surprised. Mary Jane (of Spiderman fame- he's in it, too) encounters some typical high school drama (boyfriend and best friend trouble) and some not-so-typical drama(Spiderman crashing into the mall where's she's shopping, as he fights the villain of the day). Again, there is some stereotyping of characters, but overall, it wasn't bad. A fun and easy read. Two and a half stars ** 1/2.

I typically read mostly adult and YA, but this Juvenile book was on a list of "must reads for new librarians." The Hoboken Chicken Emergency," by Daniel Manus Pinkwater is short, funny and strange. I can see why it would be appealing to kids. The plot revolves around a boy, Arthur, who goes to pick up the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner but comes back with a live 260-pound chicken when he finds that all the turkeys (and any other dead birds people like to eat) are sold out. I won't tell you how this happens, but the rest of the book is mainly the chicken escaping (after Arthur and the chicken become pals) and running amock in the town. The townspeople are scared to death of this "giant white gorilla," "huge polar bear," and whatever else they take it to be.

As a vegan, I hated the idea that eating a turkey or having meat on Thanksgiving was soooo important that Arthur had to run all over town and was so worried about not having one (we had two Tofurky's this year - yum!). I also disliked the way that Arthur felt compelled to teach the chicken tricks - insinuating that all animals must be (or can be) made pets and used for our enjoyment (whether for entertainment or food - don't get me started on circuses!). But, I can see how this would be a fun book for kids and I have to say, the idea of a "ginormous" chicken is pretty cool. Two and a half stars ** 1/2.

Moving on to my next audiobook ... Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, by Eoin (pronounced "Owen") Colfer. I read the first one in print quite a while back, and when I saw this on the shelf, I just picked it up randomly. I wasn't sure how good it would be, since there are many characters, but I was blown away. The reader, Nathaniel Parker, was excellent. His Irish accent was obvious but not overpowering. He read for all the characters, and each voice was distinct without being overdone. He did Artemis's cool, slightly evil boy voice, Captain Holly's elfish, strong female voice, a great, raspy "red-faced" Julius Root, dumb/creepy goblin voices, and best of all the earthy (gross) Irish voice of Mulch Diggums. The story centers around a plotted overtaking of the fairy kingdom, alongside the kidnapping of Artemis's long-missing father. These two events draw Artemis back into the underground fairy world, this time working with not against his arch-enemies. If you haven't read this series yet, you must read it (at least the first one)! It has action, adventure, great characterization, plot twists and even some gross factor (Diggums and the bum flap). As I was trying to recall all the characters names (it's much more difficult when you hear but don't see the words) I found this great site: http://artemis-fowl.com/gallery/, where you can see different people's artistic renditions of what they think the characters look like. This audiobook earned four stars for sure! ****

Well, that looks like it for this post! I'm working on two other books at this time, so there'll be plenty to come before Christmas!

We're on a roll, I guess, with the princess theme....I had to listen to a Meg Cabot story next. Although I've only seen The Princess Diaries on the TV screen, the flashbacks to it in this fourth story of Princess Mia were not too confusing.

The narrator for this audio edition (Clea Lewis) did a remarkable job capturing the youth, (humorous) ignorance, and overall character of Princess Mia. The other character's voices didn't sound too overdone, yet they were easily extinguishable. Lily's voice (her best friend) had an "artsy edge" to it, while Michael's was soft and calm, while definitely more masculine.

As I mentioned before, this (audio) book flashbacks often to the previous stories, which was good at first, but then got a little overdone. I loved how Mia was oblivious to her "true talent" and the antagonists were not too cliched or underdeveloped. Mia learns that people aren't as easy to categorize as she thought, and learned to have sympathy and even empathy for her hard-core grandmother.

Speaking of audio books, I tried out, Sleeping Freshman Never Lie earlier this year, also in audio book format. The book was highly recommended and I thought that the full cast would be interesting. Well, plainly, it stank. The main character's voice (Scott) was really annoying after a while. The other characters were either hard to distinguish from one another (his many young male friends, for instance) or equally annoying (his mother and father). The worst part of all was the way they added lullaby music to the parts when Scott was writing in his diary to his little brother (who is in vitro). The words, "ball of slime," and, "creepy alien," and other terms he uses before his brother has a name just sound idiotic on audio. However, as this was an ALA Best Books for Young Adults and recommended as hilarious by several other respected readers/friends of mine, I just had to try the print version. Results? Much, much better. The diary part wasn't nearly as annoying, the voices weren't confusing, and I really got into the story as Scott grew up during his freshman year. I still wouldn't rate this as one of my favs, but it was decently funny and the characters had some kind of depth (although the way that Wesley changed was a little unbelievable).

To broaden my horizons within the genre manga, I picked up Bleach 3: Memories in the Rain. It's the story of Ichigo, who can see ghosts. It's the anniversary of his mother's death, the description of which is not unveiled until about a third of the way through. Not having read the first two, I had to figure out that Ichigo's skill in seeing ghosts has allowed him to become a soul reaper, someone who leads the newly dead across. The story jumps back and forth between past and present, and doesn't always stick to Ichigo's point of view, so it can get a little confusing. It was difficult to figure out the characters, jumping in to the third book in this series, so I'll probably get the first to help solidify my understanding of the events in this one. Overall, not bad! Reading backwards feels normal now :)