Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

Title: Ender's Game
Author: Orson Scott Card
Date Finished: June 12, 2008 #31
Pages: 226
Rating: 4.25/5

*Note: this post does contain my thoughts on the book, but I'm taking the scenic route to get there:

I heard of this book through blogging--I'm not sure that I had heard of it before then. But then my sister read it this year for her sophomore English class and a coworker listened to it and I realized I needed to pick it up soon--even given my apprehension of science fiction novels.

While at the bookstore with hubby, he expressed some interest in this one and I jumped at his interest since he hates reading. I've mentioned before that he is dyslexic and struggles with the difficulty and frustration of reading. Harry Potter was actually his first book--one that I loaned to him when we were next-door-neighbors in college.

So, we got the book and when we were driving to my dad's over Memorial Day weekend (a one a and a half hour drive each way), he suggested that I read it to him instead of reading my book to myself. Last summer I read Harry Potter 6 to him while on our various cartrips--a re-read for both of us before the new one was released--and even though reading aloud is exhausting, it makes the trip go much faster for each of us.

During that weekend and then this past weekend on our three hour cartrip to his parents house, I read much of the book to him. My mouth gets tired and I get tongue-tied, but I love love love reading to him. Because this is a part of my life that I rarely get to share with him, I revel in the moments when we can discuss the book and get excited over the same parts in the novel--speculating what will happen and exploring the themes presented. I was sad when we got home on Sunday with 40 pages left in the book, especially when he decided to finish the book without me.

The bottom line is that because I read most of this book aloud, my experience was very different from if I had read the book to myself, by myself. We got to know the characters together, I got to explore the voice of each character when trying to bring each alive. My favorite parts were when the characters were in heated discussions or when little Ender was having personal moments of crisis and both of us were able to hear the passion that comes out of the text. Although I have found that my mind wanders too much for listening to audiobooks, I have fallen in love with the experience of reading aloud.

Thanks for indulging me. :)

Ender's Game is the story of Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, a young child of six who is taken away from his family in order to attend Battle School. There he will learn the skills he needs in order to fight the Buggers who are threatening earth with destruction. He leaves behind an abusive brother and a loving sister to join a world he knows nothing about--one where he will have to grow up rather quickly.

At the Battle School, Ender is pushed to his limits, but his brilliance shines through and he quickly excels through school leading groups of other children in battle simulation--or games--and shows the adults his promise as the one who could save the human race from the Buggers. Back at home, tensions are building in the world as the Russians and the countries of the Warsaw Pact are putting pressure on the other nations. Ender has a lot resting on his shoulders--will he be The One that can save the world and defeat the Buggers? If so, will peace between the worldly nations hold or will hell break loose without the common fear of the Buggers holding the different factions together? And will it ultimately cost him his childhood?

As I mentioned before, the characters come alive in the novel. It is difficult not to fall in love with little Ender (who doesn't seem very little after he stops acting like the child he truly is)--he is vulnerable and afraid, he loves and is passionate, he feels and has hope. And while we don't get to see too much of his brother, Peter, and sister, Valentine, these characters develop throughout the novel providing a strong foil to Ender. There is also a wide cast of other characters that I loved getting to know through their interaction with Ender. Hubby and I had some great laughs over the dialogue--and we were reminded often that first and foremost, these characters were children when they called each other names such as fart eater. :)

I have two qualms with the novel. First, because I am not a visual person I had a tough time imagining some of the battle or game scenes in the novel. This is where hubby came in because he is incredibly visual. I would stop reading and he would explain to me what the students looked like while in battle. If I hadn't read these parts aloud--having to read every single word--I probably would have done a lot of skimming. I found myself doing this while reading the remainder by myself and didn't get quite as much enjoyment. Second, I was a little disappointed with the almost ending. Hubby was telling me about the huge twist, but when I got to it I wasn't surprised by it. However, a few pages later my twist came and I was rewarded with chills. We didn't agree on liking the ending, but I loved it. The ending is beautiful and hopeful (sort of) as it brought everything full circle.

So, thanks to those who reviewed it before me:

Nymeth from Things Mean a Lot
Kim from Bold.Blue.Adventure
Debi from Nothing of Importance
Raidergirl3 from An Adventure in Reading
Jeane from Dog Ear Diary

Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury

Title: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Author: Ray Bradbury
Date Finished: June 9, 2008 #30
Pages: 215
Rating: 4.5/5

Laura from Reading Reflections recommended this one as a "future" classic for my classics challenge, and since it is relatively short, I thought I'd squeeze it in and see what it is all about. My only other Bradbury book so far is Fahrenheit 451, and while this one is very different, I enjoyed it just as much.

Will and Jim have always lived in close proximity--both in age and as next-door-neighbors and companions. When a carnival unexpectedly blows into town in the middle of the night, right before their birthdays, it becomes clear that the two boys are very different from one another in what they desire and wish for. As the mysteries of Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show begin to unravel, Jim becomes intrigued by what he can become while Will becomes frightened and urges Jim to use his common sense. Will it be too late for Will to help Jim see the truth, or will he make a mistake that will change his life forever?

Right away I was sucked into this little novel. Bradbury uses suspenseful language that drives the plot and kept me turning the pages. He doesn't give anything away too quickly, so the book retained its air of mystery until the last page. There were even a few times when hubby walked in on me reading the book and gave me quite a startle! In addition to Bradury's use of mystery, he also provides a vivid description of the events and the surroundings to paint a colorful picture of the novel. From a scene at the beginning of the book as a storm is rolling in:

"But by the time the last stroke of nine shook everyone's fillings in his teeth, the barbers had yanked off the sheets, powdered the customers, trotted them forth; the druggist's fount had stopped fizzing like a nest of snakes, the insect neons everywhere had ceased buzzing, and the vast glittering acreage of the dime store with its ten billion metal, glass and paper oddments waiting to be fished over, suddenly blacked out. Shades slithered, doors boomed, keys rattled their bones in locks, people fled with hordes of torn newspaper mice nibbling their heels" (16).

This is the type of book that contains so many themes and motifs that everyone reading it could come away from something different. Because much of the book has to do with enjoying one's life, the message that I took away was live now--don't wish to go back, don't wish to go forward. Be happy and don't take life too seriously or you will find your soul withered away. Laugh and sing and don't fear death.

Dolce Bellezza reviewed it
Let me know if you've also reviewed it and I'll add it on. :)

The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory

I logged onto my Google Reader this morning while eating breakfast and almost choked on my Special K. 177 posts? Seriously? I’ve taken a little bit of a break from blogging first because of a trip to Salt Lake last weekend where I was Internet-less at Grandma and Grandpa’s and second because I haven’t felt like blogging lately. I’m reading a fabulous book right now [Snow Crash], though, so I think my funk might be coming to an end (not that reading less than fabulous books was responsible for my funk). I try try try to be a good blogger and keep up with everyone’s posts, but I can’t. So, I’ll do what I can to try and make up for my lost time. :)

Title: The Other Boleyn Girl
Author: Philippa Gregory
Date Finished: March 23, 2008
Yearly Count: 15
Pages: 661
Rating: 3.75/5

I read this book because I enjoy the time period (can't wait for Tudors to come back on this weekend!), but also because my sister was reading it. I don't belong to a IRL book club, but it's fun to be able to call Brooke up and talk to her about what's happening in the book. This time it was a lot of fun because we were both reading it together in Salt Lake last weekend.

Mary, a naive thirteen-year-old, is introduced into Henry's court as a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon. But, her ever scheming and social-climbing family pushes her into a different role when she catches the eye of Henry--the role of his mistress. With the help of her sister Anne and brother George, Mary wins the heart of the King of England. But can she maintain the King's desire? We all know the story of Anne of Boleyn, so I'll leave my summary at that. !!

I won't lie--thick books scare me. I think it is because of my fear that one day I will run out of time to read all of the books that I want to read, so by reading some of the shorter books I will be able to get to more of them. Silly, I know. So, I have a whole stack of long books (long for me is 400+ pgs) haunting me everytime I look at my bookshelf. A more reasonable fear would be that my bookshelf topples over from the weight of all those big books and crushes me. Oh well.

But this book held my attention all the way through. Maybe because I wanted to finish it while in Utah so I was reading it rather quickly. I don't know. Gregory certainly puts enough detail in this book to paint a rather vivid picture of the goings-on in Henry's court. I enjoyed most of it, but sometimes the details were redundant and I felt as if I were reading the same thing over and over. Probably a good 100+ pages could have been cut out of the book with no significant loss.

I enjoyed reading about the relationships of the different characters and getting a glimpse into their minds and motivations. Gregory's thesis is an interesting one that I had not heard before, but the whole subject of Henry VIII has always fascinated me. I can remember visiting the Tower of London several years ago--I simply can't imagine the atrocious things that happened there at one point in time. But, I guess atrocious things happen all over the place--even today.

Well, my thoughts are all over the place and I don't feel up to editing, so off to the gym I go. I'll simply say that if you are interested in this time period, the book should be a delight--or even if you aren't interested I still think it's a fun read. Some sex talk that I didn't care for, but I guess it was all part of character development. I've been keeping my eye open for a second-hand copy of The Boleyn Inheritance and I own a few other Gregory novels that I look forward to reading. But, I have no interest in the movie. If you saw it, I'll be interested in hearing your thoughts. I don't believe Natalie Portman as Anne--she just seems too meek. Ok...I'm through!

The House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros and Negativity Meme

Title: The House on Mango Street
Author: Sandra Cisneros
Date Finished: March 14, 2008
Yearly Count: 13
Pages: 110
Rating: 3/5

Esperanza is a fourteen-year-old Latina whose family has just moved to a run-down flat on Mango Street in a Latino neighborhood of Chicago. The House on Mango Street is comprised of several short vignettes about Esperanza's coming of age and coming to terms with her place in society and how she yearns for change.

The book is a quick read, but it is filled with literary imagery that help explain the expectations of a poor Latina and the dreams that Esperanza has of overcoming those low expectations. I loved the ending of the book--and even pulled out my pencil to make a few notes, something I haven't done since grad school. The copy I have was marked up by a highschooler, so I didn't feel too bad about leaving my own mark. This is one that I could see myself revisiting in a few years.

NEGATIVITY MEME

Jeane at Dog Ear Diary tagged me for this meme (which I believe can originally be found at The Hidden Side of a Leaf)

1. When you dislike a book, do you say so in your blog? Why or why not?

My blog is my reading journal--I used to keep a hard copy, but I can type a lot faster than I can handwrite. Because of this, I wouldn't necessarily call what I do reviewing but rather creating a record of my thoughts for my personal use. It's just an added bonus that I've met all of you! Because of that, yes, I do say so in my blog if I don't like a book. I especially try to explain *why* I don't like a book.

2. Do you temper your feelings about books you didn’t like, so as not to completely slam them? Why or why not?

I try to be fair in my judgments. In the last review I wrote of a book I didn't like, I also explained that it was a book I didn't understand (The Left Hand of Darkness). I am not a book critic, so I am not qualified to determine whether a book is bad literature or not. So all I can do is talk about how the book made me feel and why I liked it or didn't.

3. What do you think is the best way to respond when you see a negative review about a book you enjoyed?

It happens! I would never lash out on the reviewer, though. People's opinions are so different.

4. What is your own most common reaction when you see a negative review of a book you loved or a positive review of a book you hated?

A little bit of disappointment, but again, it happens--why dwell on it? A few weeks ago I read the same book as my sister: Water for Elephants. I didn't like the book, but she loved it. I told her how I felt, but I didn't try to convince her that my reasoning was better. I felt awful that I didn't like it as much as she did, but we tried another book last week and both really liked it.

5. What is your own most common reaction when you get a comment that disagrees with your opinion of a book?

Like Jeane says, I find it interesting to read everyone's different opinions. I only had one comment that was offensive--but I have a sneaking suspicious the commenter was a lot younger and wasn't taught manners. Also, they commented that the book that I didn't *love* was their favorite book by a particular author, but it is the only one they've read by the author. Take it with a grain of salt and move on. I appreciate diversity, but I also appreciate when it is done with respect.

6. What if you don’t like a book that was a free review copy?

It hasn't happened yet because I don't get ARCs. You can't like *every* book, though.

7. What do you do if you don’t finish a book? Do you review it or not? If you review it, do you mention that you didn’t finish it?

If I don't finish a book I won't review it. Typically, though, I will pick the book up later and finish it. I don't like to leave things lingering for too long (lingering half-read, that is).

Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

Title: Water for Elephants
Author: Sara Gruen
Date Finished: February 19, 2008
Yearly Count: 9
Pages: 331
Rating: 3/5

I really really wanted to like this one, especially because its the first time my sister and I read the same book at the same time. She picked it out and urged me to move it up on my reading list. So, I feel awful that she loved it and I didn't--especially because she enjoyed it for the same reasons that I didnt--mostly the writing.

Water for Elephants is the story of an elderly man, Jacob, who reflects upon his time as the animal vet at a struggling circus during the depression era. He joins the circus after a disasterous moment in his personal life when he has nowhere else to turn. He is taken under the wing of several people in the circus, including August who is the animal handler and his wife Marlena who performs with the animals. As the prologue details, the story is about a murder that still haunts Jacob--a murder that he has never discussed with anyone.

The prologue certainly gained my attention, but unfortunately my attention began to wane quickly thereafter. The story was fine, but it wasn't gripping or riveting or compelling--any of the adjectives that have been used to describe the book. Everything juicy was in the first 5 pages of the book--which also meant that the reader knows what is going to happen at the end.

Basically the novel was utterly anticlimatic. I didn't feel that the characters were well developed--many of the supporting characters blended together--and the writing was sparse and bland. Urg, I hate writing stuff like this about a book!! After finishing the book, I read some of the author's interview in the back of the book and noticed that she has done a lot of technical writing, and it fit with her style. I expect writing to be rich (not over the top!), but even the dialogue (of which there is a lot) was without feeling and predictable.

Would I recommend it? It's a pleasant enough story, certainly very easy to read, but there's not a whole lot there. But I didn't dislike it--just didn't love it. The pictures are fabulous and I enjoyed reading about the circus, especially in the 1930s when times were tough, people got thrown off the train, the workers went weeks without pay, and prohibition and bootleg whiskey were in full swing. And who could forget Rosie, the mysterious and loveable elephant. Pick it up if you're looking for something light. And after browsing Amazon reviews, I'm definitely in the minority with this one.

Plain Truth - Jodi Picoult

Title: Plain Truth
Author: Jodi Picoult
Date Finished: Jan 25, 2008
Yearly Count: 5
Pages: 405
Rating: 3.75/5

Yes, I am procrastinating on my Book Thief thoughts. Grrr. But this book is much simpler to write about--sort of. :)

Plain Truth is my sixth Jodi Picoult book (and since I've recently purchased two more, not my last). At the beginning of the novel, a young girl gives birth to a baby, falls asleep, and when she wakes up the baby is gone. The young girl, Katie, is unmarried and Amish. When the baby is found dead and the police arrive to question the residents of the home, Katie exhibits no knowledge of just having a baby--although physically it is obvious. Even though Katie does not remember having the baby, she is implicated for the murder.

On the other side of the spectrum is Ellie, a high-powered, big-city attorney, who escapes to Lancaster County, PA, at the beginning of the novel for a break from the courtroom. However, her rest is cut short when she inadvertently becomes involved in Katie's defense as she is persuaded to be Katie's attorney and "guardian". Because Ellie must be with Katie at all times, she also must live with Katie's family within the Amish community. As Ellie adapts and adjusts to the Amish lifestyle, she enters into a tangled web of truth and lies, Plain morals versus English morals, and just how far the Amish will go to protect their own--and how quickly they will turn their backs on those who have done wrong.

I felt engaged by this story, but not until halfway through the novel. After six novels, I'm starting to feel as though the characters and stories from all of her books are beginning to blend together. Ellie could have been any number of women from the other novels--and her love problems could have been the love problems in any of the novels. Woman goes through a period of uncertainty. Woman meets man. Woman becomes more assured by the end of the book. Even when it switched from omniscient to first person (Ellie) perspective I had a difficult time discerning between the two (except for the use of "I"). HOPEFULLY I'm wrong and I won't continue to have these feelings with her other books. :(

But, I did like the book, and Picoult continually allows the reader to dive into the story for total immersion with her details and knowledge. I loved reading about the Amish culture and its complexities. I think I'm in the minority because many people have said they rank this among Picoult's best, but it still doesn't beat out The Pact, My Sister's Keeper, and Keeping Faith as my top three picks.