Picture Book Spotlight: Oliver

Picture Book Spotlight is an original weekly post that will highlight relevant and/or popular picture books and suggest age groups and storytime themes for them. It will also include a mini-review.

Title: Oliver Authors: Birgitta Sir Pages:40 Audience: K-2 Themes: friends

Summary:                                                         
Oliver is different. He enjoys his solitude. He likes playing with his friends, who are puppets, stuffed animals, and other toys. With his rich imagination, Oliver’s day is never dull. There are bridges to cross, sharks to fight, and treasures to find! But maybe toys don’t always give a boy everything he needs. Maybe he needs another kind of companion. Will Oliver discover a way to be, well, different? When his tennis ball rolls across the lawn into the yard of the girl next door, he just might be surprised.

My Thoughts: I adored this book. The muted color scheme, yet rich, detailed illustration style was really appealing. The story of a somewhat quirky and lonely boy finding a lonely, quirky friend is something most children will be able to understand and relate to. Finding Oliver on each page could be fun for storytime, and I liked the way the text needs the pictures to tell the whole story and show how rich Oliver's imagination is.  He will be climbing a "mountain" but we know it is a hill.  This is a very interactive story and would be great for dialogic reading.

Top Ten: most frustrating characters ever

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  

This week our list (brought to you by Becky) is Top Ten most frustrating characters ever.  Brace yourself, because it seems like most people love these characters that I could. not. stand.

1. Bella Swan from Twilight. Is there anything redeemable about Bella?  She is just weak and self-punishing, clingy, awkward, a little bit stupid, self absorbed. 

2. Anna from Anna and the French Kiss.  I think Anna is just Bella without vampires. She is obsessed with having a boyfriend in a way that may be realistic but is pathetic and unappealing.  She has nothing but first world problems.  Just live your life, woman, boys do not matter that much.  

3. Jake from The Last Werewolf.  Ugh, Jake is just a waste of literary space.  He's completely apathetic, revolting in his sexual appetite, and such a whiner. 

4. Every single person in Beauty Queens. Enough said.

5. Jane from the teen adaptation of Jane Eyre.  This adaptation failed to capture any of what made the real novel great.  Jane, as a character, does not translate well to a contemporary time period, at least not here.

6. Patch from Hush Hush.  Really ladies (Randi)? Patch is just annoying and self satisfied and a little bit of a stalker/assaulter.  If you're going to go that route, pick Damon from Vampire Diaries.  HONESTLY.

7. Beth from Little Women.  Beth may have been paralyzingly shy, but I cannot believe any person in the world is that unerringly selfless.  It makes her seem very flat compared to the other sisters.

8. Every single character from Girl in the Steel Corset.  This book should have been published online as terrible fan fiction and left there.  If you can't bring something worthwhile to a classic, I suggest you let it be.

9. Peeta from the Hunger games.  Ok, so I actually like Peeta, but I just wish he'd get over Katniss.  He wastes so much time protecting her and loses so much.

10. Lily from Lies Beneath. I cannot for the life of me understand why Calder fell so instantly in love with Lily. She is completely average and very slow on the uptake.  I'm sorry, but if a human girl is going to rock the life of a supernatural creature, she better have some kind of special attributes.

Review (Randi): SPEAK

Title: Speak
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Publisher: Puffin
Publication Date: January 1st, 1999
Page Count: 208
Genre: contemporary 
Audience: young adult
Source: library
Rating: 5 I'd take my time getting to know this book and would be there for it when it needs me

Goodreads Summary: 
Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

My thoughts: First off, let me begin by saying that I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to read SPEAK. I was amazed by Melinda’s character – she feels so real. Laurie Halse Anderson has a new fan and though I feel like I’m one of the only people who hasn’t already read this work of incredible writing, I’m now going to start recommending it to EVERYONE I KNOW. This should be required reading! While I fortunately have never experienced what Melinda has, Anderson’s writing gives us a look inside the mind and soul of a girl who has been raped. So many times I ached for Melinda, knowing she was hurting and not knowing how to help (THAT’S how real she is to me – it was as though I knew in my BONES as I was reading that the Melindas of the world are out there, and I want so badly to help them through their unspeakable trauma).

Melinda’s character, written so beautifully and so broken (but not irreparably), stands in as the face of the one in five women who, in their lifetime, are raped. I don’t say “victim” because I feel that takes the power away from these women. As we see in Melinda, she has been horrifically traumatized, but with help, like her art teacher for example (who is a superb character), and her internal strength, she begins to find a way to heal. And that is beautiful. Though the book takes place over Melinda’s freshman year of high school, and though it takes her that span of time to find her voice, the voice she speaks with is, I hope, a voice for all women who have been abused. Overall, a superb yet painful read. Melinda is one of the best protagonists I’ve ever encountered.

FTC Disclaimer: All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.

Review (Becky): We Need to Talk About Kevin

Title: We Need to Talk About Kevin

Author: Lionel Shriver

Pages: 400

Genre: Contemporary Realism (literary)

Audience: Adult

Rating: 5 I'd marry this book if it wasn't so ferociously disturbing!

Goodreads Summary:

The gripping international bestseller about motherhood gone awry Eva never really wanted to be a mother - and certainly not the mother of the unlovable boy who murdered seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker, and a much-adored teacher who tried to befriend him, all two days before his sixteenth birthday. Now, two years later, it is time for her to come to terms with marriage, career, family, parenthood, and Kevin's horrific rampage in a series of startlingly direct correspondences with her estranged husband, Franklin. Uneasy with the sacrifices and social demotion of motherhood from the start, Eva fears that her alarming dislike for her own son may be responsible for driving him so nihilistically off the rails.

Thoughts

This was probably the most interesting and disturbing book I've ever read, although Blindness is a close second. I added it to my favorites shelf not because I "enjoyed" it, but because I think it closely examines a topic that most people skim the surface of in a manner that is brutally honest and fascinatingly presented.

The writing style was very unusual. I'm not sure I liked it, nor am I sure I am meant to. We essentially float in Eva's consciousness through the format of her letters to her dead husband, Franklin. Because of this, the plot becomes very lose and stream-of consciousness-like. We are very rarely grounded to either time or place, and the few scenes that are shown as though they are in "real-time" are very short and out of order. Even Eva's tangents have tangents, so it is easy to get lost in her inner dialogue and sometimes it feels self indulgent of Shriver. I found myself clawing my way through Eva's unlikeable personality to get at her interactions with Kevin.

Eva was interesting because while I both scorned and despised her, I also respected her and related to her. She felt very realistically portrayed, and it's hard for me to view this book as fiction, as a consequence. She represents a lot of fears or dark shameful thoughts that many would think and few would admit. Because she is an unreliable narrator even to herself, it's hard to say how much of her story is imagined and how much is real.

Franklin was a bit disappointing as a character. Compared to Eva he looked like a caricature, and I had trouble buying how much Eva loved and missed him. I would have divorced him in a second after Celia was injured, though I probably would never have married him to begin with. Nor would Eva, despite the necessity of her doing so for the plot. I just couldn't swallow it. He was like an unlikable Rob Swanson from Parks and Rec,

Kevin was brilliantly drawn. He was utterly despicable, revolting, and monstrous. He was also ingenious and pitiable. It would have been far too easy to paint Kevin as pure evil, and it is the few moments where he lets his guard down slightly that Shriver really shines. He never becomes understandable, but his crushing apathy is fascinating. I even found myself (horrifically) relating to aspects of his sense of some of life's pointlessness. You can never really comprehend the why of what he did, though you get close, but you also never stop wondering.

I could have done without the explicit and perverted sex-related scenes, but I suppose they did make sense in the story.

FTC Disclaimer

All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.

Review (Randi): JUST ONE DAY

Title: Just One Day
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publication Date: January 8th, 2013
Page Count: 368 (a.k.a. not long enough!)
Genre: contemporary romance
Audience: young adult
Source: bought
Rating: 5 I'd elope with this book and spend my life traveling the world with it by my side

Goodreads Summary: 
A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay
When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

My thoughts:  This book. This book blew my mind. I was psyched to read it of course, because, if you’ve been around the blog for any length of time, you probably know that I love YA contemporary romance. And I love YA books that involve travel (see my review of MEANT TO BE, which I also adored). This has both. I pre-ordered it, and then my friend Amanda (of Letters Inside Out) told me I absolutely had to read it because she thought I would positively love it. And she was right! At this moment, having just finished Just One Day, I’d sell my (hypothetical) firstborn child for a copy of Just One Year, Willem's story. But I have to wait. ARGHHH, the HORROR! Sidenote: finally a YA cover that fits the book! The cover model looks as Allyson is described, the watch is in the book, and the scenery is spot-on.

Anyway, the writing is brilliant – the characterization, the literary (Shakespeare) references, the description of the various settings (though I did find more than a couple grammar errors, which bugged me to no end!). It's more complex than I thought it would be for a YA contemp romance, and I thoroughly enjoyed that fact! Anyway, it took me awhile to warm up to Allyson, our protagonist, but I could not stop flipping the pages. I read this in about 14 hours (counting sleeping). I planned to stay up all night to finish, but to my extreme disappointment could not keep my eyes open. Anyway, Allyson grew on me and I totally fell for Willem right alongside her, though I also questioned his motives right alongside her as well, which just goes to show you how well-written he and Allyson’s characters are. There are several secondary characters of note who are particularly well-drawn: most noticeably is Dee, whom Allyson meets at college & is superb; the people Allyson meets the summer after freshman year (I don’t want to give anything away here!); Allyson’s mom whose characterization is quite deep, I thought (though her father much less so). 

I just can’t explain my love for this book. It made me homesick for travel, especially the descriptions of England since I lived in the UK for a semester, and drudged up all these old memories from my semester abroad – wandering off and finding a church with saint relics in Rome, bicycles everywhere, spotting the American tourists with their white tennis shoes. Warning: this WILL make your heart ache to travel!! But it’s a new favorite. So if you’re like me and enjoy any of the things I’ve mentioned (travel, great characters, an epic romance OR WAS IT?) you have GOT to get yourself a copy of this ASAP. Oh, and warning, there is a sex scene, but it's not graphic. Just a warning for younger readers!

And for any of the powers that be who, in the tiniest probabilities in the universe, may someday stumble across this…I was kidding about offering my firstborn, but I would totally love you forever if I could get an ARC of Just One Year when they become available. J Along with the rest of the reading world…Bahaha! Hey, it's worth a try, right? ;)

FTC Disclaimer: All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.

Review (Becky): A History of the World in 6 Glasses

Title:  A History of the World in 6 Glasses Author: Tom Standage Pages: 311 Audience: Adult Genre: Nonfiction (micro-history) Rating: 4 I'd take this book for Beer, Wine, Coffee, Tea, Soda, and water ;)

Goodreads Summary

A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. Beer was first made in the Fertile Crescent and by 3000 B.C.E. was so important to Mesopotamia and Egypt that it was used to pay wages. In ancient Greece wine became the main export of her vast seaborne trade, helping spread Greek culture abroad. Spirits such as brandy and rum fueled the Age of Exploration, fortifying seamen on long voyages and oiling the pernicious slave trade. Although coffee originated in the Arab world, it stoked revolutionary thought in Europe during the Age of Reason, when coffeehouses became centers of intellectual exchange. And hundreds of years after the Chinese began drinking tea, it became especially popular in Britain, with far-reaching effects on British foreign policy. Finally, though carbonated drinks were invented in 18th-century Europe they became a 20th-century phenomenon, and Coca-Cola in particular is the leading symbol of globalization.

My Thoughts Ah my first history book read for pleasure and not assignment.  Who knew I would enjoy it so much?  I kept pulling people aside and saying "did you know....?" about all the fun facts.  It was probably annoying for them but awesome for me haha, and now everyone in the family wants to read it. This micro-history was a delightful, simple, fast read. The organization into 6 drinks made it easy to follow and get into. 
I was least interested in tea because it was the most political segment and also...I don't drink tea much lol.  My favorite segments were Cocoa Cola and wine, because they seemed to focus more on emotions and cultural connections. While I can't speak to the historical accuracy of any of the book, the author provided many notes and sources for further reading.  It felt like an excellent skimming of history.
 I think perhaps the importance of these drinks was a tad overemphasized, and was perhaps more of a correlation with events and trends that causation, but who really knows. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a beginning book on world history, or history lite as I call it.

FTC Disclaimer

All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.

Twice Baked Thursday: Flipped

Title: Flipped

Author: Wendelin Van Draanen

Pages: 212
Publisher: Ember
Publishing Date: Oct. 9th, 2001

Genre: Contemporary/Coming-of-Age

Audience:  Middle Grade

Source: Library (Randi) Library (Becky)

Rating: 3.5 I'd bid on this book at the Basket Auction so its feelings don't get hurt (Randi) 3.0- I wouldn't notice this book was in the auction

Goodreads Summary:

The first time Juli Baker saw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time Bryce saw Juli, he ran. That’s pretty much the pattern for these two neighbors until the eighth grade, when, just as Juli is realizing Bryce isn’t as wonderful as she thought, Bryce is starting to see that Juli is pretty amazing. How these two teens manage to see beyond the surface of things and come together makes for a comic and poignant romance.

Our Thoughts

Randi in black. Becky in Blue

First off, I love the cover of this book. It's one of those covers that 1) make you pick up the book, and 2) actually fits the book.  I only got a movie cover :(. (There's a MOVIE?!) Plus it's a little bit offbeat compared to other covers. Anyway, moving on. I love the dual narrative, a style that can really make or break a story, depending on how it's executed.  The chapters were relatively short and alternated between Bryce, a young boy growing into himself and figuring out who he wants to be, and Juli, a sweet free-spirited young girl with strong convictions.  I found the short chapters a little confusing paired with the switching between two characters.  It seemed like I just figured out who was talking when it switched again.  Sigh. While Bryce at first seems a little typical of an adolescent boy, I came to like his character by the end of the story. I never did, lol. (Awww, he tries!!) He comes to realize the consequences of his actions, something I wish all middle schoolers learned!  It seemed like he got off pretty light for being a jerk for so long.  I wanted justice. Harsh, Becky, harsh! His grandfather is a pretty cool guy as well. Juli is the kind of girl I would totally want to befriend; she's a little eccentric and not at all stereotypical. I admire her love for the sycamore tree and the way she explains her feelings. Her interactions with David and other family members also made me want to hug her.  I never connected with either character, and I think that was my major problem with the book.  I'm guessing the age difference and lack of serious issues for most of the story were what alienated me.   I also couldn't really relate to either of them. Yeah, I think that may be the "middle grade" shining through! 

I feel like this book has a good lesson - and, indeed, it does feel a bit didactic, (It slaps you in the face with preach, lol) but it's an important message - but, as a middle grade book, it doesn't have much crossover appeal.  It felt somewhat antiquated to me, despite being "contemporary".  Most of the values and actions felt like I went back in time 50 years.  And not in a good way. Examples? The Basket Auction?  The science fair projects.  Trying to save a tree by sitting in it.  Also, just the overall language and characters. :P The Basket Auction felt like a big plot device and also felt like it was tacked on to the end to wrap things up.  I completely agree. Overall, I appreciate the idea that comes out in this story: get to know people and don't judge. I heartily recommend this book to middle school or early high school readers.  It's not so much that I won't recommend this book, as I'll be hard pressed to remember it by next week. Ouch! That's why we write reviews, right? :)

Top Ten: settings I'd like to read more of

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  

This week our list (brought to you by Becky) is Top Ten Settings I'd like to read more of.

1. Iowa I'm an Iowa girl and I hold it very dear.  I want to read books set here, but woe to those who fail to write it convincingly. 

2. Georgia: I find the Georgian accent and lifestyle very romantic.  I very nearly got to visit Savannah, but alas, it fell through.  Someday!

3. Antarctica:  I love the way the landscape in Antarctica is like its own character.  It so unique and alien.

4.New Orleans

I visited New Orleans two years ago and I'm just itching to go back.  It is lush, romantic, haunting, and hot.

5. Prague

thanks a lot Laini Taylor.  You hook me on Prague and then you LEAVE it.  Uncool.

6. France

I love all things Joanne Harris, she makes france seem so atmospheric and magical.  Lets not forget the food, either lol.

7. Fillory
What's that you say?  I can't pick a parallel universe?  I DO WHAT I WANT. I love this gritty magical realm.  Write faster lev Grossman. 

8. England
England feels like the mother country to me, especially after living there for four months. I especially love London.

9. Italy
My parents just went to Italy so now I'm hooked and jealous.  I need to visit vicariously.

10.Spain
My sister is going to Spain for spring break...see above

11.Midwest
If I can't have Iowa, I'll settle for the Midwest.  It's better here, just admit it.

Review (Becky): If I stay

Title: If I Stay Author: Gayle Forman Pages: Audio (4 discs) Audience: Teen Genre: Romance (paranormal/ghost) Rating: 3-I'd follow this book on Facebook

Goodreads Summary

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

My Thoughts
This story felt like the end of the Return of the King movie, where Peter Jackson decides they need to spend half an hour with all the characters expressing how happy they are that everyone is alive while jumping around in a sunlit room. It is sentimentality for its own sake with no real or interesting conflict, studded with cliches.  In the end, I just couldn't bring myself to care if she stayed or went.
 The ending seems evident to me from simply reading the title and I never connected with the characters. They all seemed pretty familiar and un-extraordinary except for their weirdly adult, Mary Sue rationality.  The author often describes these teens and their romance as seeming  to fit an older couple, and I found that to be both true and a major flaw in the story.  The romance seemed effortless and boring to me as well.  It may well be that teens view themselves this way, but it isn't realistic, nor are the parents, who are simultaneously child-like and perfectly understanding. Maybe if I was more into music this would have appealed to me more.  I played an instrument as a teen, but I never liked it nor was I good at it.  I think a lot of teens who do play/enjoy it could probably relate to Adam or Mia more.
  

FTC Disclaimer

All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.

Review (Randi): MEANT TO BE

Title: Meant to Be
Author: Lauren Morrill
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: November 13th, 2012 
Page Count: 304
Genre: contemporary romance
Audience: young adult
Source: library 
Rating: 4.5 I'd take this book for fish and chips and a stroll in Hyde Park

Goodreads Summary: 
Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question. 

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

My thoughts:  Let me say really quick that I love this cover. I probably would've picked up the book regardless even if it didn't feature my favorite genre. And, I ADORED this book. Julia is a very well-drawn character and I really liked following her around London. Morrill’s writing totally brings London to life in this book; I could recognize some of the places she took us – Hyde Park, Piccadilly Circus. It was great (though it made me a little “homesick” for the UK!). The pop culture and literary references are right up my alley. I love when authors do that! This was more than the cute romance contemporary I was expecting. It was hilarious. Jason, class clown, and Julia’s buddy, is endearing, annoying, sweet, and frustrating all at once. (And he’s a ginger – don’t ask me why, but I have a thing for gingers!) Julia learns a lot about herself and her own expectations in this book, and I loved seeing her figure things out. The book takes place over a week, but things never felt rushed (other than the fact that I couldn’t put the book down).

There’s no instalove, though there is Mark, Julia’s MTB – meant to be – who turns out to be a real jerk. Morrill does a great job of creating real and believable characters, particularly Julia, Jason, and Mark. I would have liked a little more depth on some of the other secondary characters, but it didn’t ruin for me. Part of the point is that Julia’s a teensy bit self-centered (aren’t we all?), so it made sense. Plus she doesn’t have any friends on this trip with her. It would have also been nice to get a little more depth out of Jason’s background/history (if you read it, you’ll know what I mean) since that seemed like it would be a bigger part of the book and then wrapped up a bit too neatly at the end. However, the book’s vivid setting, wonderful main character (who has hilarious inner monologues as well as dialogue with Jason), and sweet slowburn romance make up for it. A new favorite that I’m going to need a copy of since, silly me, I got a copy from the library. I should’ve known better! Highly recommended if you like books about travel or if you’re a fan of YA contemporary romance like I am.

FTC Disclaimer: All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.

Review (Becky): Dark Lover

Title: Dark Lover Author: J.R. Ward Pages: 393 Audience: Adult Genre: Romance (paranormal/urban/erotica) Rating: 1-I'd throw this book out of a moving car and laugh

Goodreads Summary

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

My Thoughts
I can see the appeal of this girtty paranormal urban fantasy I suppose, but it does not appeal to me. This was the most ridiculous book, hands down, that I have ever read. Ever. If you like romances where the men are all bad boys with traumatic pasts and grizzled model-like looks but are actually just in need of a good woman to open them up to their emotions....then you might like this. The males in this were so far from any realism that I couldn't help but picture them as women in men's bodies. That seems to be a trend in romance novels. The vampires aren't really vampires, more like some alien species that worships an alien goddess and just wants to live harmoniously alongside the wicked humans and the actually evil demons. Tragically they have no choice but to act really macho and wear a bunch of leather, cut each other with ceremonial blades and engage in some moving bromance. The actual writing was badly done, but I suppose that the focus for this type of novel is not really wordcraft lol. I will not be reading the rest of the series.  

FTC Disclaimer

All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.

Twice Baked Thursday: People of the Book

Title: People of the Book

Author: Geraldine Brooks

Pages: 372

Genre:  Historical Fiction (Jewish/mystery)

Audience:  Adult

Source: Library (Becky); Bought (Randi)

Rating: 4- I'd help this book find its history (Becky) 

                  4 I'd hide this book away to ensure its safety (Randi)

Goodreads Summary:

In 1996, Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, is offered the job of a lifetime: analysis and conservation of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, which has been rescued from Serb shelling during the Bosnian war. Priceless and beautiful, the book is one of the earliest Jewish volumes ever to be illuminated with images. When Hanna, a caustic loner with a passion for her work, discovers a series of tiny artifacts in its ancient binding - an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair - she begins to unlock the book's mysteries. The reader is ushered into an exquisitely detailed and atmospheric past, tracing the book's journey from its salvation back to its creation.

In Bosnia during World War II, a Muslim risks his life to protect it from the Nazis. In the hedonistic salons of fin-de-siècle Vienna, the book becomes a pawn in the struggle against the city's rising anti-Semitism. In inquisition-era Venice, a Catholic priest saves it from burning. In Barcelona in 1492, the scribe who wrote the text sees his family destroyed by the agonies of enforced exile. And in Seville in 1480, the reason for the Haggadah's extraordinary illuminations is finally disclosed. Hanna's investigation unexpectedly plunges her into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics. Her experiences will test her belief in herself and the man she has come to love.

Our Thoughts

Becky in black. Randi in Blue

This was in many ways, a beautiful, powerful book. Yes, yes, yes. It just missed being perfect (in my eyes). I think the reason it didn't get 5 stars from me is partially because it took me so long to read (not the book's fault, just my own personal stuff going on that made it difficult to sit and read). I really loved the detail of how Hanna preserves and partially restores rare books, and I also loved the way that each segment of her work where she made a new discovery was juxtaposed with a segment of the book's true story. Yes! It took me a little while to catch on to what was going on with the shifting points of view and time periods, but it totally worked for me and made the book that much more compelling.

All of the characters were complex and well-drawn, with the exception of Hanna's mother. She seemed like a flat portrayal of a female doctor and career woman who "gave up" on her family.  Her dialog/actions lacked believability for me and felt like they fell out of a soap opera. Yeah, I wasn't a fan of the mom. I really liked Hanna's character, though, as well as many of the characters in the historical flashbacks. Another issue I had was the shifting point of view forms. I found it distracting to switch from first to third. Apparently I didn't notice that! ;) Probably because I took forever reading this book!

 The historical detail and thriller/mystery element made this a good read alike for The Da Vinci Code . (I still need to read that!) While I think the puzzle and scandal makes this book compelling, for me it felt forced, and it detracted from the stories of the characters and the literary quality of the writing. That was the best part!! Ahh, and our differences come to light again, Becky, my dear. ;) A lot of this story my have gone over my head since I have no connection to any of the prominent cultures or religions portrayed/discussed, nor much historical knowledge of the time periods.  That being said, I enjoyed learning more about them. I think that's likely to be the case for many readers, though, about not having a lot of background knowledge on specific events and cultures, particularly because there is such a broad range of events/tensions and cultures referenced. But I think the book does a good job of acclimating the reader to the various time periods and providing necessary information without "info dumping." I'll definitely be reading more from Geraldine Brooks!

(Sidenote: Geraldine Brooks' book March is excellent if you're looking for some literary fiction. It's sort of a retelling of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women but through the eyes of Mr. March during the Civil War. It's awesome!)

Top Ten Tuesday: 2013 Debuts I'm Looking Forward To

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  

This week our list (brought to you by Randi) is Top Ten 2013 Debuts I'm Looking Forward To.

Randi's Picks

SO excited for 2013 books! It seems like the beginning of the year is this explosion of book loveliness. And I read a number of awesome debuts in 2012 (including Something Like Normal by Trish Doller, My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick, and Cinder by Marissa Meyer, to name a few favorites!), so naturally I can't wait to see what 2013 brings. Here are my top 10 anxious-to-get-my-hands-on debuts for 2013.

Three debuts I'm stoked to read made my Most Anticipated Books of 2013 list, so you can see those there rather than me repeating books. ;)

Being Henry David by Cal Armistead. I just visited Henry David Thoreau's Walden Pond (and hiked all the way around it), so though I have yet to read any of Thoreau, I'm even more interested in reading this book now. I love novels that revolve around literary references. (Update since I wrote this post: thanks to Netgalley, I was able to read this one already! Review to come later.)
The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston. I think a YA book about the Witness Protection Program sounds pretty interesting!
How My Summer Went up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski. Morgan Matson's Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is one of my faves, so obvs I'd need to pick up a YA roadtrip book! Something about roadtrips is just...fun.
The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell. I recently saw this title on Goodreads and between the premise and that cover, I am intrigued. Sounds like a little something different!
After Iris by Natasha Farrant. (No cover yet.) I'm a middle-grade fiction fan, and this sounds like a heartfelt novel that I'd really enjoy. 

Uses for Boys Erica Lorraine Scheidt. I love that cover. And after reading Asheley's brilliant review over @Into the Hall of Books, how could I not be anxious to get my hands on a copy?!

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett. I'm pretty sure I've talked about this book before. Unique premise, gorgeous cover, and intriguing title means I'm in!

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch. The premise of a shadowy past pulls me right in. :)

Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson. (No cover yet.) A middle-grade tale about a girl who wants to be a pirate and her little friend the gargoyle? Tell me that doesn't sound like a book you'd want to curl up with!

Leap of Faith by Jamie Blair. (No cover yet.) A kidnapped newborn & her runaway older sister, the kidnapper. The premise makes me think this book will reduce me to tears. Precisely the kind of book that draws me in! 

So which debuts are YOU most excited for in 2013? Link us up, we wanna know!