June, 2014

"Graduation Day" by Joelle Charbonneau         

This is the third book in the testing trilogy.  Cia has uncovered more information about the inner workings of the government, the testing and the rebellion.  Unsure who to trust, Cia is forced to make life or death decisions and become a leader.          

I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy and this book.  It felt fast paced and kept me reading more.  I thought the characters were interesting and I enjoyed watching Cia grow and learn.  This book did take place over a smaller period of time, but I don't think it was slow or lacking.  I hope that the author writes more in this universe.  Overall, highly recommended.

"The Phantom of Fifth Avenue:  The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark" by Meryl Gordon         

Huguette Clark, the daughter of William Andrews Clark, was born into extreme wealth.  As the second family of W. A. Clark, Huguette was largely estranged from her half siblings, instead she spent her childhood with her older sister and mother.  After the death of her sister and father, Huguette and her mother removed themselves from society.  After the death of Huguette's mother, she lived alone, rarely leaving her home.  After being admitted to the hospital for skin cancer, Huguette decided to stay, and spend he last two decades of her life never leaving the hospital grounds.  Taken advantage of by nurses and doctors, Huguette gave large amounts of money away to those around her.  After her death, the inevitable fight over her estate raged on, with relatives crawling out of the woodwork.

What I found to be of interest was how Huguette's legal affairs were completely botched.  I wonder if this was due to naiveté, greed, or just the pressures of dealing with a demanding and narcissistic person.  It was certainly interesting reading about her life and how she ended up.  I think this would make a fascinating psychiatric study, it's too bad she never let a psychologist examine her.  At times the book seemed to move slowly and seemed a bit biased against those around her.  Overall, not a bad read.

"The Girl with All the Gifts" by M. R. Carey         

Melanie lives in a cell and is transported to classes strapped in a wheelchair.  As she tries to find out who she is and what's going on, she discovers that she is part of an experiment to uncover the nature of the "Hungries."  The "Hungries" suffer from a virus, which has mutated them into human eating beings.  A few of the hungries are different, and seem to have cognitive ability beyond the others.  Melanie is one of the thinking "Hungries."        

This was a very interesting read.  It was very well written.  The characters were engaging and I found it hard to put down.  I look forward to reading more books from this author.  Highly recommended. 

"Branded" by Ketner & Kalicicki         

I'm not sure how to review this book.  I thought it was an interesting premise, but the book needs some careful editing.  The author does a horrible job showing the passage of time.  She will describe two days in excruciating detail and then in the next paragraph it says that a week has passed.  In one chapter, Lexi has a serious head injury with over a dozen staples.  Moving makes her nauseous and dizzy.  Two days later she is doing some serious heavy duty physical training without any problems.  I also lost track of the number of times Lexi vomited.  Seriously, not everything needs to end with vomit.  Overall, not a book I can recommend.

"Last Night At the Blue Angel" by Rebecca Rotert         

This is the story of Sophia and Naomi.  Sophia watches her mother  Naomi sing jazz at the Blue Angel nightclub.  Ignored by her mother, Sophia tries desperately to win her attention and take care of the alcoholic, sexually free woman who just wants to strike it big.  Alternating from Sophia to Naomi, the story shifts, showing us Naomi's childhood, and how she arrived at the jazz club.         

Overall, this was a well written engaging book.  I loved how they went back and forth between the mother and daughter.  It made the book vibrant and hard to put down.  I absolutely hated that there were no quotation marks throughout the book.  I found that highly annoying.  Overall, a good book, one I enjoyed, despite the lack of quotation marks.

"Mambo in Chinatown" by Jean Kwok         

Charlie is the oldest daughter of a ballerina and a noodle maker.  An American-born Chinese, Charlie has grown up in New York's Chinatown.  Her limited experiences quickly show when she lands a job as a receptionist at a dance study.  Clumsy and dyslexic, Charlie struggles at her job and constantly makes mistakes.  When she overbooks, she is forced to teach a beginner's dance class, with only a few days training.  The owner and other dancers are quickly impressed with how quickly she picks up the moves and soon she is promoted to dancer.         

Overall, this book was extremely well written and engaging.  I absolutely loved Charlie and the other characters around her.  This was a fascinating blend of eastern and western cultures.  Highly recommended.

"Blue-Eyed Boy" by Robert Timberg         

Serving in Vietnam, Robert was less than two weeks away from the end of his tour when his vehicle struck a land mine.  Severe burns covered his body and face, distorting his visage beyond recognition.  This is the story of his struggle back to health and his fascinating career as a journalist.         

I found this book particularly fascinating because I have never read a memoir about a seriously wounded Vietnam veteran and his struggles after the war.  I found Robert's anger completely justifiable, especially towards other men of his generation who avoided service and then judged those who did serve.  I thought it was a bit odd that Robert barely spoke about his second marriage, it seemed like he was leaving out some important life details.  However, ultimately this was a good read, highly recommended.

"The Girls at the Kingfisher Club" by Genevieve Valentine         

Cloistered at home, Jo and her eleven sisters sneak out night after night to dance in speakeasies and clubs scattered throughout the city.  They come to life while they dance, shedding their sheltered and stifling life.  When their father becomes suspicious about newspaper reports of the "twelve dancing girls" he decides that it is time to marry off his daughters.         

This is an enchanting story, one with many fairy-tale like qualities.  I felt very sympathetic for Jo and her sisters and admired their bravery to cast out into an unknown world.  The writing style was magical and flowed from scene to scene beautifully.  Overall, highly recommended.

"A Sliver of Light:  Three Americans Imprisoned in Iran" by Bauer, Fattal & Shourd         

In 2009, Shane, Josh and Sarah were hiking in Iraqi Kurdistan and accidentally crossed into Iran.  Captured by the border patrol, they spent the next few years in an Iranian prison.  Alternating points of view, the three authors discuss the gritty details of their imprisonment in a poignant and interesting way.  I thought this was a well written book.  It was engaging and fast paced.  I think many will be interested to read about the hikers and their ordeal.

"Three Bargains" by Tania Malik         

In the small town of Gorapur, Madan catches the interest of his father's boss, Avtaar Singh.  Avtaar rules over the town with an iron fist, and his attention can make or break Madan.  When Madan bargains his father's life away to save his sister, he becomes like a son to Avtaar and spends his youth working for him.  After impregnating the daughter of a local landowner, Madan is forced out of Gorapur and is forced to start over.         

This was an interesting look at another culture and the dynamics between fathers and sons.  It was well written and engaging.  It moved at a fast paced and easily drew me in.  Overall, a good book, one well worth reading.

"Going Somewhere" by Brian Benson         

When Brian and Rachel decide to go on a cross-country bike trip, Brian expects the trip to be a journey full of wonderful moments and the highlight of their romantic story.  Instead, he finds himself frustrated with Rachel's pace and complaints.  I thought the book was well written, but I couldn't help thinking of Brian as a bit of a jerk.  I found myself wondering why the two of them were together and hoping Rachel would see the light and break up with him.  Not a bad story, but one I can't see myself re-reading.