The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - E. Lockhart

Title: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
Author: E. Lockhart
Published: 2008 Pages: 342
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Rating: 4.25/5

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is one of those books that I heard about all over the blogosphere and finally grabbed my own copy at Borders Bookstore from one of their bargain shelves. I'm kind of funny when it comes to reading reviews--I don't read a lot of summaries and I have a terrible memory, so I often go into books not knowing very much about them except that others really liked them. The case was the same for this one--and what a delightful surprise!

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks besides having a terribly long title is the story of Frankie Landau-Banks during her sophomore year of high school when she decides to take down the school's secret society. After living in her older sister's footsteps during her freshman year, Frankie finally makes a breakout during her sophomore year and becomes involved with some of the cooler and older kids at school. One of the seniors, Matthew, begins courting her and thus begins a whirlwind romance as well as her secret involvement in the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, the secret male-only society. Upset about the continual lies, deceit, and hypocrisy, Frankie decides to take down the Loyal Order one prank at a time.

Mostly this book was just a lot of fun. Although Frankie is not the narrator, the narration focuses around her thoughts and actions, so we get to know her really well throughout the book. Frankie is a little insecure and eager to be accepted among her peers. Her mother still thinks Frankie is her little "Bunny Rabbit" and is constantly undermining her abilities and intelligence. Even in her involvement with Matthew, Frankie shows how important it is for her to make a name for herself and to be taken seriously.

The meat of the book comes from Frankie's growth and development throughout the book and her desire to become her own person. Frankie shows that she is every bit as clever and quick-witted as her male counterparts, but she must do most of this through a covert cover and the leader of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, Alpha, quickly takes credit for Frankie's work--even as the pranks become more and more serious. My favorite bit about Frankie, though, is her playfulness with the English language:

"[Matthew] got up from the desk, walked over to the couch on which she sat, and kissed her on the lips. There was nothing else around.

'Mmmm,' she whispered. 'Now I'm gruntled.'

'What?'

'Gruntled. I was disgruntled before.'

'Why?'

'It's drizzling, there's nothing to do but study, the vending machine's broken. You know, disgruntled.'

'And now you're...'

'Gruntled.'" (110).

Frankie is such a likeable character, and while some might be annoyed by her antics, I think Lockhart portrays Frankie as many teenaged girls are--someone who is just looking to become a part. My only regret about the book is the ending when although Frankie has learned a lot and accomplished a lot, she's still the teenaged girl who second guesses herself. This book has received some mixed-reviews, but generally I would recommend it. I certainly really enjoyed it!




On a side note: I'm taking a bit of a blogging break. I'm tired of whining about blogging, so I'm making this announcement kind of quietly. And who knows--maybe in a few days I'll change my mind. Ideally I'd still like to get my pending reviews written and posted, but I fear that otherwise I might be a bit sparse around the blogosphere. I've felt that blogging lately has become a lot of pressure and I'm trying to alleviate some of that pressure (mostly self-induced) and until I can figure that out...I'm in a state of avoidance. :)

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka

Title: A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
Author: Marina Lewycka
Date Finished: March 14, 2009 #12
Published: 2005 Pages: 294
Rating: 4.5/5

I had heard good things about this book from Bethany and Corinne, but I didn't expect to fall in love with the characters and story like I did. Isn't that always a pleasant surprise? Plus, I just realized today that this is on the 1001 Books list! I'm on a roll so far this year!

"Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamorous blond Ukrainian divorcee. He was eighty-four and she was thirty-six" (1). Thus begins A Short History of Tractors. As Nadia, the narrator, and her older sister, Vera, begin to investigate their father's new romance, they realize that Valentina, the Ukrainian tramp, is probably seeking marriage in order to obtain a UK visa. But their father is hell bent on marrying his little Ukrainian strumpet--the one with the marvelous chest. The story is a battle between logical reality and very illogical romance as the daughters watch their father's situation go from bad to worse.

While the premise sounds amusing, A Short History is full of deceptively heavy themes. Lewycka tells an endearing story of two daughters trying to take care of their father, but the daughters themselves don't get along. Nadia begins to discover that while she is a "Peacetime Baby," her sister suffered much in labor camps as a "War Baby" after her parents fled Soviet controlled Ukraine and before they found refuge in the UK. Nadia and Vera have polar opposite views of immigration, social reform, feminine rights, marriage and divorce, education, post-colonialism, really anything where one can take a definite side. Nadia seeks to discover her heritage while Vera does everything in her power to keep the family history in the past.

Even while this slim novel surprisingly contains so much meat, it is Lewycka's writing style that endeared me to the book. While the writing is in many ways simple and fluid, Lewycka also plays a great deal with the language, especially as Nadia's father and Valentina are not native speakers of English. Nadia herself has such a personable voice that beckons the reader to take her side, to like her and trust her despite her continued impatience with her father and her continued disdain for Valentina. In a sense the writing is very intimate, like listening to a best friend's narrative about her childish father.

I don't think I'm doing this book justice. In a few words this book is funny and heartbreaking, endearing and thought-provoking. I'd definitely recommend A Short History, and while it didn't take too terribly long to read, I'll be remembering the characters for a time. This book is my first for the 2009 Orbis Terranum Challenge (Ukraine--although Lewycka was actually born in a refugee camp in Kiel, Germany).

**Also reviewed by Bethany ~ Corinne ~ Tricia ~ Hedgie ~ Trixie--if you've reviewed it too, let me know and I'll include your link!


ORBIS TERRANUM CHALLENGE 2009
*The Inheritance of Loss - India
*Cry The Beloved Country - South Africa
*Doctor Zhivago - Russia
*Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Ukraine
*Suite Francaise - France
*Graceland - Nigeria
*The Horseman's Graves - Canada
*Septembers of Shiraz - Iran
*Possession - UK

The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin

Title: The Left Hand of Darkness
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Date Finished: February 29, 2008
Yearly Count: 10
Pages: 301
Rating: 1.5/5

I'm writing this post with the awareness that I cannot do this book justice--mostly because I didn't understand it. Great way to start, huh? Science fiction is a genre I consciously steer clear of, and perhaps with some more exposure it is a genre that I can learn to appreciate. Certainly I can appreciate many aspects of this book, but overall my experience with this book was not an enjoyable one.

I'll start with the back cover of the book (I realize this is SO lame):

"On the planet Winter, there is no gender. The Gethenians can become male or female during each mating cycle, and this is something that other cultures find incomprehensible.

The Ekumen of Known Worlds has sent an ethnologist to study the inhabitants of this forbidding, ice-bound world. At first he [Genly Ai] finds his subjects difficult and off-putting, with their elaborate social systems and alien minds. But in the course of a long journey across the ice he reaches and understanding with one of the Gethenians [Estraven]--it might even be a kind of love..."

What I liked about The Left Hand of Darkness: Le Guin's language is exquisite. After coming off of Water for Elephants, I really appreciated the insight and careful look at humankind through Le Guin's thoughtful and strong command of her storytelling. One of my favorite parts of the novel is when Le Guin explores the inherent roles of men and women, especially as the Gethenians are not necessarily either man or woman. There is a poignant section (my pages 234-5) that discuss the differences between men and women and the difficulties that Ai has in verbalizing the different characteristics. I believe this book would have been best read (for me) in a college course where I could have teased out some of the themes (gender, societal evolution, crime and punishment, etc).

What I struggled with: While the book had many very interesting sections (namely the section where Ai is in prison and then when he and Estraven make their journey back to Karhide together), the book became very dense in other parts. Le Guin provides a detailed mythology of the planet and the different cultures that I often got lost in; the language (specific words) and culture were difficult for me to get past because they are utterly foreign. Also, the book is a sort of compilation of different artifacts (some myth, some from Estraven's journal, some from Ai's journal, etc); because of the different points of view and the lack of voice, I had a difficult time discerning who's point of view I was reading. This was a difficult read for me, but I'm glad I finished and can move on.

The Giver - Lois Lowry

Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Date Finished: January 13, 2008
Pages: 179
Rating: 4/5

The past couple of books I've read, including The Book Thief which I'm currently reading, have all come as recommendations from other bloggers (see my new tag below "BloggerRec"). When I was in fourth grade I read Number the Stars and loved it, so I was particularly interested in reading this book. I finally picked it up last weekend (despite my book ban) and read it on our trip to Oregon--mostly in one day on the plane.

I liked this book a lot, but something is keeping me from loving it--perhaps the ending (no--I won't give anything away). The book was a very quick read, but unlike some recent YA lit that I've read, the ideas were pretty complex and the writing more developed.

The Giver is the story of a young 12-year-old boy, Jonas, who is about to receive his community calling (in other words his occupation). At first the community Jonas lives in seems like a perfect one--one with little pain and great happiness, but at a closer glance it becomes apparent that the society is greatly manipulated so that everything is the same (Sameness). There are strict rules and regulations, and if these are broken, the offender will be "released" from the society.

When Jonas is given his calling, he is selected to become the "Receiver of Memory" - a role that means he will hold not only the community's memories, but the memories of all time. Because Jonas will hold these memories, the community does not need to. For example, instead of the community having memories--whether actual or learned--of things like war, only Jonas will carry these memories--and the pain that goes along with such memories. In addition to bad memories, though, some of the good things have also gone away such as colors, music, sunshine.

During Jonas's training to become the next Receiver of Memories, and as he learns more about how is community is compared to how it once was, he starts asking questions about whether or not Sameness is the best way to live life. Will Jonas be able to make a change in the community? The Giver is a touching story and I would recommend it. Now if I can just get my little brother to pick it up (I haven't had any luck interesting him in any of the YA lit I've read recently...).

Thunderstruck - Erik Larson: A Review

Title: Thunderstruck
Author: Erik Larson
Date Finished: June 24, 2007
Pages: 401
Rating: 4/5

Erik Larson has a knack of taking two moments of history and finding their intersection in time to tell his story. While not quite as compelling as The Devil in the White City, Larson in this novel is once again successful at paralleling two seemingly unrelated events.

Thunderstuck tells the story of Marconi and his quest to send wireless transmissions first from shore to ships and finally across the Atlantic. The other half of Thunderstruck tells of Dr. Crippen, the gentle-hearted man, who brutally murdered his wife. The relation of these two events (or stories) is unclear for most of the novel, and I often found myself growing impatient with how they were going to be connected, but at the end the connection becomes evident--which at once shows the horrors of the mystery murder as well as the race for communication made available by Marconi (no, that was not an attempt on my part of make the connection clear).

What I like about Larson is his ability to delve into history. I saw this more with The Devil, but he not only gives the details about the subject at hand, but he also gives other details of the times--sometimes related sometimes as a little bit of a digression. Some of the information and history he provides in his novels are fascinating. Larson also has a way of taking a piece of history and spinning it into a mystery. While I knew the outcome of the novel before beginning, there was a still an air of suspense within the writing--allowing me to keep turning the page.

On the other hand, some of the details became a little confusing, and Larson has a habit of giving a detail and saying that it will be relevant later, but the connection for me was not always made. It was too much work to flip back to see if something was a detail he had promised to reveal earlier in the book. (Does that make sense?).

Recommendation: I would recommend this to anyone who likes history and mystery. This isn't my favorite by Larson, but I will definitely pick up his next book. If you haven't read anything by Larson yet, read The Devil in the White City--whether you like non-ficiton or not!

* Picture courtesy of www.npr.org