Gregor and the Code of Claw

By Charlotte

Book Review: Gregor and the Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins (Book 5 in The Underland Chronicles)

Official FC Rating:

This review was originally posted on my personal blog, To Harriet Louise.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote up a little review of how I felt about the fourth book in The Underland Chronicles - Gregor and the Marks of Secret. I loved it and thought it was a good continuation of the series, if a little slower paced than the other books. I also mentioned not remembering quite as much detail since it's been months since I've read the books... it's obviously the same deal with this book. But I think I can still give a pretty decent idea of what this book is about and whether or not you should read it (you should!). 

Like I've said in each of these reviews, this series is amazing. (For those who like kidlit/have kids and are familiar with it: this series is better than Percy Jackson but not quite as good as Harry Potter.) It tackles discrimination, oppression, war, right vs. wrong, morality, and this time, fate. By now Gregor has fought in Underland several times, trying to do what is right (and to be honest, just trying to figure outwhat is right). He learns of a prophecy that calls for his death (this story line is sort of getting old? I say this as though it ever stops me from reading anything...) and must decide if he's still willing to fight. I guess I won't give the answer away but it's pretty obvious considering it's a novel... 

But anyway. We once again deal with Solovet and her grimy tactics. She's basically America. She wants to look good and fair and all, and she says she stands for justice and peace, but... she tries to "achieve" justice and peace by, like, violent tactics. So... 

Gregor is not a fan. 

A lot of this story is simply battle. We still have some issues and we're not entirely sure who is bad and who is good. I think the ending is mostly a morally sound one. We do not get to know every detail about what happens once the novel is over (big things like "does peace last?" and small things like "what happens to Luxa and Gregor?"), which annoys me a bit. But I thought we were given some clarity on the war and on morals and I think the "right" things happened. (I'm trying and failing to describe this without giving anything away.) Essentially, none of the bad guys truly win. The morally bad characters - whether obnoxiously, Donald Trump-esque bad like Bane or more subtly, Hillary Clinton-esque bad like Solovet are ultimately seen for what they are. It is a dark, hard ending. There are major losses. I cried and I imagine it'd be difficult for kids, but that's true of this story in general once we hit the third book. I'd want to read it with a kid instead of them reading it alone. 

So this whole time we have one species fighting another species, some species driving other species out of their homes, species trying to kill off other species, etc. etc. And throughout this whole thing we see some members, particularly of the oppressor groups, employ awful means. There is little regard for life by these characters, and especially for life that doesn't resemble their own. (Sound familiar? Regalia is America, for real.) And at the very end of the series, our young hero Luxa and the scrappy Ripred, a rat leader, do something completely unprecedented and totally moving (to me, anyway) to change the way things are done and I don't think Collins could have given us a better ending. I don't want to spoil it so I can't say much more, but I think Collins just ended it on such a good and appropriate note. 

Overall as a series these books teach readers to question war, to stand up for the oppressed, to wonder about free will, and to choose good. I don't think it gets much better. I really think I might like this series better than The Hunger Games. I 100% recommend it.

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Char

Reviews for earlier books in The Underland Chronicles:

Gregor the Overlander (Book 1)
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Book 2)
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Book 3)  

Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Book 4)

Gregor and the Marks of Secret

By Charlotte
Book Review: Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins (Book 4 in The Underland Chronicles)
Official FC Rating:

This review was originally posted on my personal blog, To Harriet Louise.

Whoa. It has been nine months since I posted the review of the third book in this series. Nine months! I could have gestated a child in the time it took me to get my act together enough to post this review. A HUMAN CHILD. That's how long I've procrastinated. 

And unlike a child, which would have grown stronger and more defined over time, the nine month break means my memory of the book is fainter, the impression it left lighter. Which makes for a lackluster review. Lackluster, my middle name.

Despite all that, my overwhelming feeling toward this book is that it was fantastic. I don't remember as many details as I did two minutes after reading it, obviously (and my computer did me a solid and deleted my general review of the whole series). But I remember the plot well enough (and was smart enough to dog-ear pages with quotes that struck me) and I definitely remember the themes Suzanne Collins explores and I know that I finished this book feeling like I absolutely needed to get my hands on the fifth book. I appreciated Collins even more than I already did after reading this book. I still am awed by her ability to talk about war and politics in ways that are appropriate for kids (and still interesting for adults). Somewhere between reading the third book in this series and the fourth book, it occurred to me that I might like The Underland Chronicles more than I like The Hunger Games.

The fourth book, Gregor and the Marks of Secret, is a bit different from its predecessors in that we don't have a direct prophecy or end point this time. The plot is a bit more mysterious and open ended. Basically, Luxa (I gave some character descriptions here), the future queen, is sent a message of distress and she and Gregor go searching for an answer. They find out that the mice of the Underland are once again being driven out of their homes by a more powerful species. (Sound familiar? Collins' stories are political ones.) But when she and Gregor explore, they realize that (spoiler alert - though this isn't a huge reveal and won't ruin the series for anyone, probably...) this time, the mice aren't just being driven out of their homes; they're being murdered. It's a genocide orchestrated by the Bane and the rats. We see some more character development in this one, especially with Luxa as she begins to truly come into her role. Ultimately, she declares war on the rats.  

Needless to say, this book is dark. It's the darkest in the series, in my opinion. If I had kids, I'd want to read it with/to them. I wouldn't want them to read it alone. That said, I still think it's an age-appropriate exploration of war and politics and hatred and fear.

And if you happen to be reading it now, be prepared for some scary real-life parallels:

"He will find followers, because he’s the Bane. He’s got the white coat, and the size, and enough hatred brewing inside him to wipe out the Underland as we know it. Most rats will overlook the fact that he’s unbalanced, because he’ll be telling them exactly what they want to hear. They’ve been starved too long, and then so many died from the plague... especially the pups. No, the gnawers won’t care who he is or what he does if he brings them revenge."

Familiar, right?

While it's a not as conclusive as the previous books, it's still pretty excellent. It's sad, of course. But we get to watch as our characters consider whether there are things worth going to war over, if there are things that justify killing. (And as the series goes on, I tend to think that most of the "good" characters make the right decisions, which is why I think this series is so good for kids. Like it or not, we're currently living in a war-obsessed country and I think it's great for kids to question such values. This book will prompt those questions.) It's also nice to see the characters face trials bravely. Obviously courage and bravery and sacrifice are good things in books and good things in real life.

Neville knows. He would like The Underland Chronicles.

So basically, loved this book. I didn't love it as much as the third book, but it's an important step in the series and sets us up for the fifth and final book. It doesn't work as a stand alone novel, though, so you'll have to start from the beginning. A very good place to start.

You won't regret it. Go pick up this book/series, pronto.

__

Char

Reviews for earlier books in The Underland Chronicles:

Gregor the Overlander (Book 1)

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Book 2)

Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Book 3)  

The Royal We

By Charlotte

Book Review: The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Official FC Rating:

Is it weird that I feel a pang of guilt whenever I give books I enjoyed a three star rating? If I find a book relatively pleasant and engaging, I automatically want to give it at least four stars. But then I have to remind myself that I can't give every single book I read a near-perfect rating, or this whole site would be useless. This book was fun to read, but it's not like I came out of it any smarter. Or better. 

This book is a love story. It's based almost entirely on the royal family (obviously) and Will and Kate's relationship. Which means... I may or may not have been embarrassed that I had interest in the book at all. I mean, it's cheap entertainment, right? 

Yes, probably right. 

But I grabbed my nose straight out of the air and pulled it down a bit. I read a free preview on le kindle, and... wanted more. I mocked myself and Liz mocked me, too. This book is definitely much meatier than a regular old romance novel, but it's not hefty. I swore I'd dedicate time to read the classics and here I am with a book about the royal couple. I read it nonetheless. Here are my thoughts: 

The writing itself was fine. I wasn't blown away, but I wasn't rolling my eyes, either. It was nice.

The characters were actually fantastic. I didn't love the protagonist, to be honest. (I didn't dislike her, though.) The supporting cast, as it were, was awesome. There's a core group of friends and each one has a distinct personality and dialogue, which is a pleasure to read. In truth, I think my favorite thing about the book is the way the secondary characters interact. Also, they've got great names (Gaz! Bea!) and excellent nicknames (Lady Bollocks. Best. [I think Gaz is a nn too, but it's what he's always called throughout the book.]). 

The story was predictable, but interesting and exciting. I think it speaks to the author(s) whenever this is the case. When you can pretty much guess the line but your attention is still grabbed? That's a mark of talent, I think. 

I would definitely recommend this book if you're into love stories and/or easy reads. It was a good pace (for the most part - I did skip 5-10 pages during [spoiler] Bex and Nick's short lived break-up - it got redundant for a bit there). It was fun and at times hilarious. It was often charming and sweet. Read it for the background characters. Hell, read it for the main characters. They are, after all, based on real people and if I'm being honest, I click on almost every Buzzfeed post I see about the royals. (Shame. I know.) So it makes sense that I'd want to read this book. 

And if you don't read it for yourself, here's a spoiler-filled recap:

American girl studies abroad to see the world and take artistic opportunities.

Girl, Kate Bex, meets boy, embarrasses self. 

Bex finds out boy is Prince William Nick. Feels even worse. But turns out, Nick is a cool guy. 

I find this so fun to watch, it's embarrassing.

Bex is deemed trustworthy, and she and Nick become friends who watch nerdy shows and stuff. 

They largely keep their goings-on a secret, lest anyone find out they love cheesy tv shows.

Nick and Bex both have meaningless romantic relationships with other people. 

A bunch of stuff happens and Nick and Bex start dating after Bex blabs that she loves him (it's clearly mutual), but they keep it mostly private. 

Things are dandy. At first. 

Of course, there are some who doubt the relationship can last. (Lady Bollocks, ahem.)

But most of their friends are supportive. 

Oh my gosh. I forgot to mention! Bex has a twin sister, Lacey. Lacey is supportive, if sometimes bitter. (She can't be with Nick's brother, Harry Freddie, because a Porter sister with both the heir and the spare is too much.) Lacey is more outgoing than Bex, and likes to have more fun. 

Nick's dad is awful and Nick feels too much pressure to keep things secret and he gets tightly wound. 

Nick and Bex break up. 

Nick and Bex are both sad. Lacey and Bex are sad. A bunch of random stuff happens, we see more of the friends, they date other people, there's some family bonding time, etc. Lacey and Bex's dad dies. Nick decides fuck it, he wants to be with Bex, regardless of his family and the public. 

Bex agrees.

There's still some drama, though. Bex and Lacey stop talking (now Lacey is really mad - partially over Freddie, partially over other things. I won't ruin it all for you). Nick is away for a long time and Bex gets extremely lonely and sad... 

spoiler ahead

...so she turns to Freddie. 

OOPS. They're both remorseful and agree not to tell Nick. Then things go a little calm, and then a little nutty. And I'll say Lacey and Bex make up:

But I won't say what, if anything, happens with Nick and Bex. You'll have to read it yourself. And, it's being turned into a film by Lauren Graham!! So there's extra incentive to get thee to a library and read this book. You won't regret it. 

__

Char

The Kite Runner

By Charlotte

Book Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Official FC Rating:

I read The Kite Runner a few months ago. It's been recommended to me countless times over the years and it's just been sitting on my shelf, neglected. I picked it up one night, resolved to read "anything but Harry Potter, come on Charlotte," and tore through it over the next twelve hours. Needless to say, it was good. It was gripping. I couldn't put it down - you get it. All that good stuff. 

But. 

But. I don't know if I can say I loved it. I remember sending messages to Liz that said things such as, "I can't remember ever hating a protagonist this much before," and "I know he's a kid but I HATE HIM." Amir was not my favorite. 

(Plot details and spoilers coming. You're warned.)

Amir is always a little (nay, a lot) jealous of his friend, Hassan. Amir's father is good to Hassan, and Amir wishes his relationship with his father was different, better. Cool, I get it, and everyone's a little envious from time to time. I'm not gonna hate the kid for that. (And I know Hosseini was specifically interested in exploring family and familial relationships with his book.) But Amir was a terrible friend and child. I don't remember every specific example, but Amir taunted Hassan, dared him to do awful things, and was overall just mean. Have I mentioned how much I hated him at this point? It only got worse. Amir witnessed Hassan getting raped and beaten and he did nothing to help. Part of me is disgusted by this, and another part of me thinks he was a kid, what was he going to do? But there's no excusing the fact that he didn't run for help, that he treated his friend poorly after that, and that he ultimately made Hassan and his father leave. Oh man. The hatred I felt for him. 

The story afterward is one of guilt and redemption. I'm all about redemption... but I don't think Amir ever fully redeemed himself. Hassan dies and his son is in trouble and Amir sets out to save him (though sort of grudgingly at first). He succeeds at great personal cost - he gets the crap beat out of him. Like, hospital/almost dead/ICU level beating. In my mind this was a step forward but it wasn't total "redemption." He still kept the secret of what he did to Hassan to himself. He didn't fully apologize. When I was reading it felt more like an attempt to assuage his own guilt and to do the right thing in the present. For me redemption also involves confessing and apologizing, so.. the story felt unfinished. Toward the end of the book I still wasn't too fond of Amir. I don't like not liking the protagonist of a book I'm reading. Finally, Amir confessed his actions to his wife. This felt a little more full-circle to me, though... I don't know. I can't remember if he ever truly apologized? 

A story that's specifically about redemption, to me, needs to include actual sorrow, confession, and an apology. Amir seemed more concerned about his own guilty mind than he did about the wrongdoing itself. I would have liked more sincerity in his confessions, as well as a true apology. That's ultimately why I gave this book three stars (maybe three and a half if I'm feeling generous). 

That said, it was a good book. It was an exciting read that pulls you in. Some of the characters were lovable (I'm looking at you, Baba and Ali and Rahim Khan). It was interesting and thought provoking and pulled at the heartstrings. As far as I can remember, the writing itself was good. 

Final say: I'd recommend this book. I mean, don't expect to feel all cheerful while reading it. And maybe expect to spend most of it hating the main character. But read it nonetheless. It's good. 

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Char      

A BOOK ABOUT HARRY POTTER, YAY HARRY POTTER

By Charlotte

Book Review: How Harry Cast His Spell: The Meaning Behind the Mania for J.K. Rowling's Bestselling Books by John Granger

Official FC Rating:

There is one major spoiler in this review. If you haven't read or watched Harry Potter, you might not want to read this.

I am slightly obsessed with Harry Potter, guys. Ever so slightly. So I was giddy as a gargoyle when I got my hot little hands on this book. I first heard of it while I was reading one of my favorite blogs - Carrots for Michaelmas (or at least.. I'm pretty sure that's where I first heard about it). I headed over to Amazon and soaked up the reviews, knowing this book would be perfect for me. It is a trifecta of good topics: Harry Potter, writing, and religion. Swoon. (And the author's name is Granger! Like Hermione! Insignificant but mildly fun, yes?)

I enjoyed this book very much. Granger makes the argument that so many people are drawn to the Harry Potter series because of its Christian symbolism and meanings. Not in an "oh! It's Christian! We need to read it!" way, rather in a subtler way. The books never mention Christianity, but they're filled with Christian themes, whether or not readers immediately recognize them (I didn't catch every Christian symbol while reading them by a long shot). Granger argues that people are drawn to these themes because they are true and good. (Side: I agree, and I think it's important to clarify: I don't think things are true because they are Christian - I think things are Christian because they're true. So for example, if I'm reading Catholic doctrine I don't go, "oh! The Catholic church is telling me this is good, so it must be true!" Instead it's "This thing is good and so the Catholic Church proclaims it to be true." The church doesn't make things true - it proclaims the truth. ANYWAY...) So yes. I get what he's saying here. Whether or not we identify as a certain religion or believe in God, we're all drawn to God and goodness which flows from Him. I dig it. That's his main argument in the book: it is chock full of Christian symbols and stories and we're therefore drawn to it.

Using bc Christians are thought to be the most judgmental bastards. eek. 

Now, when I first told my friend about it, she hypothesized that Granger probably just nit-picked parts he wanted from the books to make it seem like it was Christian, or at least stretched certain situations to fit his own theories. I admittedly worried about this myself when I first bought the book. But there were very, very few instances where I thought Granger was really stretching it to make something fit his case. Also, he mentions several instances where Rowling herself said she was using Christian symbols or that she specifically studied alchemy (which is tied to Christianity) while writing Harry Potter, so Granger's arguments are, I think, valid.

Some things he wrote about were obvious - there's no doubting the Christianity of Harry's decision to walk into the forest and sacrifice himself to save everyone else. But there are so many other things I hadn't noticed!!! They seem obvious now, of course. Example: In Sorcerer's Stone, Harry woke up three days after his struggle with Quirrel/Voldemort. Sound familiar?

Even if you don't dig the premise, the book is still worth the read. You can disagree that everyone is drawn to God in literature and still dig the really cool meanings throughout the books. Also! Granger talks about interesting names of many characters, how the characters interact with one another and how that relates to alchemy, and so much more. I don't want to give much away by describing everything I liked.

As for the things I wasn't wildly fond about.......

Sometimes (not throughout the entire book) the tone would become slightly patronizing. Not even in a very condescending way, but definitely in an "I know more than you" kind of way. It wasn't often enough to make me dislike the book or the author, but it did annoy me. Another thing, and this happened at the end of every. single. chapter., instead of smoothly transitioning into the next chapter (or just.. not mentioning the next chapter until the next chapter actually started...), Granger would say things like, "Turn the page to see what we think about ____!" or "Keep reading to find out how Goblet of Fire ______!" Unnecessary! SO UNNECESSARY. And again, while most of his examples of Christian symbolism or meaning were solid, there were a few stretches (but very few - five at most).

Over all though, I loved this book so much! I thought the structure was smart and made sense (divided into chapters like "alchemy," "names," "magical creatures," etc and then moving into the meanings of each individual book). Other than the occasional patronizing, the tone was light and fun while still being smart. It was also really helpful to me since I'd like to write a book. And most of all, it made me love Harry Potter even more, if that's possible! I ended up rereading some of the HP books while/after reading this one because I was eager to delight in even more of the meaning than I usually do. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to write, anyone who loves Harry Potter, and people who enjoy religion.

You can never have too many Harry Potter books, after all.

xoxo
Char

  

A Self-Help Book Worth Reading

By Charlotte
Book Review: Meet the New You: A 21-Day Plan for Embracing Fresh Attitudes and Focused Habits for Real Life Change by Elisa Pulliam
Official FC Rating:

Ah, the wonderful world of self-help books. You know I've been there. Most of the self-help books I've read have been so-so. Nice talk, but no clear cut directions. (Others have been downright awful.) The very best author I've read in the genre is Gretchen Rubin (cue realization that I've not written a review of any of her books, slacker). So on a scale from 1 to Gretchen, this book is somewhere around a 6 or 7. I know it shows 3 stars up there, but really it's more of a 3.5.

Pulliam rises above most other self-help authors in that she doesn't just offer up happy stories and pretty, encouraging rhetoric. Sure, she mentions repeatedly how beautiful life can be and how it's never too late to change or to form good habits, but she also gives us stories of her own experiences. Moreover, she gets groovy with list-making and question-answering! I don't know about you, but for me it's pretty essential that self-help or guide books have very detailed info, examples, and prompts. This is where Pulliam is similar to Rubin. They don't just talk about change, they put the tools in front of you. I like to think I'm a "big idea" person........ but that's definitely not the case when we're talking about self-improvement and self care. I like bullet points, targeted questions, good instructions, etc. Can anyone relate? 

So Pulliam's book really excels with that. Another thing I really like about that book is that it's rooted in faith. She draws inspiration and guidance from the Bible and other holy writings, which can be really terrific if you happen to be Christian. Would I recommend the book? Yes, absolutely. My one caveat would be that it might not be your flavor if you're not religious. Could an atheist glean insight from this book? Yep! But if you don't believe in God, I can see this book being frustrating. The entire thing is rooted in faith. Good for me, yes. Good for you? Maybe! (I guess now is a good time to mention - this book is specifically aimed toward women. But never fear, menfolk, I shall review Gretchen Rubin's book soon.)

Overall, I count this book a success and am glad I read it. It's not often I find a truly good self-help book. 

xoxo 

Char

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from theBlogging For Books program in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

By Liz

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Official FC Rating: 

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I started reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I saw the movie a couple years ago and was blown away by it, but, not surprisingly, I heard from many that the book was way better. So, when I came across cheap copies of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the second book in the series, The Girl who Played with Fire, in an antique store, I snatched them up.

Explained simply, the novel is a murder mystery. Mikael Blomkvist, our protagonist, is publisher and co-founder of the magazine, Millennium, and is charged with libel against a billionaire industrialist, Wennerstrӧm. Because this case is widely publicized throughout the country, Blomkvist catches the eye of Henrik Vanger, a competing CEO of Wennerstrӧm’s. Vanger lures Blomkvist to investigate the cold case of his missing niece, Harriet Vanger, by promising him that he has evidence against Wennerstrӧm that Blomkvist can use. As the investigation into Harriet’s disappearance gets too challenging for Blomkvist to handle himself, he ends up partnering with one of the best investigative researchers and hackers in Sweden, Lisbeth Salander. The closer the two get to solving the mystery, the closer they also find themselves to imminent danger.

Let me start explaining my feelings about this novel with this: Lisbeth Salander is all that matters. Lisbeth Salander is everything. I mean it- she’s one of my favorite female characters I’ve read in a novel in my adult years, and she’s undoubtedly the best thing about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and, I assume, the rest of the Millennium Series by Stieg Larsson. “Bad ass” is probably the best way to describe Salander, but to break that down, she’s incredibly intelligent, clever, unconventional, and takes no shit from any man. Basically, I want to channel her energy in my daily life.

Salander is significantly more interesting than Blomkvist. To be frank, Blomvist is pretty boring, and I couldn’t figure out his allure. Nearly every female character he has some sort of close relationship with sleeps with him. Sure, there are some redeeming qualities about Blomkvist, but I genuinely get the sense that this character is a “Gary Stu,” the male equivalent of the “Mary Sue.” Blomkvist is described as kind, sensitive, intelligent, handsome, and, obviously, a ladies man.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is frequently described as a feminist novel. Undoubtedly, this was the intent of Stieg Larsson, and I don’t disagree that the novel is in many ways empowering. The original Swedish title of the novel is “Men Who Hate Women.” The novel is also filled with various statistics about violence against women in Sweden. It was made clear that Salander has faced sexual violence in her past and is generally untrusting of men because of this. Without spoiling too much, Salander is faced, again, with sexual harassment and assault by a man with power over her in the novel. Despite the novel addressing this horrendous aspect of the patriarchy, I wouldn’t say the writing is all that feminist.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s problematic that Blomkvist is the “good guy” trope and every woman consequently wants to sleep with him. Additionally, the female characters that are featured the most in the novel have no strong friendships with other women or each other. In fact, because each of the main female characters have slept with Blomkvist, there is this gross jealousy that ends up taking place between them. For a novel that’s supposed to be about the empowerment of women, there isn’t a lot of solidarity seen between the women in the novel.

The physical descriptions of the women are much more in depth than any for the men, in my opinion. I could really picture the women, but not nearly as much with most of the men, including Blomkvist. The women are also, of course, described by a man’s narrative in most cases and thus described in a moderately sexual manner.

Feminist critique aside, I loved this novel. I enjoyed the detail and how I was able to envision the characters and the scenery. The plot was really exciting. Because it had been a while since I had seen the movie, I couldn’t remember entirely who was responsible for Harriet’s disappearance, so new information and plot twists were thrilling. In written form I was able to retain more details about the case and the various suspects. Some people told me that the book was really confusing for them and hard to follow, which wasn’t the case for me, but that could be because I saw the movie first.

And because I know people will be dying to know which I liked better, I definitely have to say that I liked the book more. That being said, I really do think they did a great job with the movie! The hardest thing about seeing a movie version of the book before reading it is being able to envision your own images of the characters and scenes instead. In the case of this book though, I thought the casting was pretty great. Rooney Mara was cast as Lisbeth Salander, and I really think in both appearance and acting Rooney was an excellent fit. Rooney wasn’t a perfect physical match to the description of Salander, so I was able to picture her a little differently. Daniel Craig was cast as Mikael Blomkvist, which, given how mediocrely the character was described physically, was probably a fine fit, but personally I think Daniel Craig is so blah looking. If Blomkvist was described better maybe I could have done a better job creating my own mental  image, but, try as I might, god damn Daniel Craig’s face kept popping into my head.

In conclusion, this book gets 5 stars because of Lisbeth Salander mostly, but also because the book was too good to put down. I’m hoping I enjoy The Girl who Played with Fire just as much! 

A Snazzy Jazzy Read

By Charlotte

Book Review: 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino

Official FC Rating: 

*Spoiler alert: I don't reveal what happens at the climax of the book, but I do talk about the occasional plot point. I wouldn't really consider them spoilers, but just a heads up in case you like to jump into a book without knowing any of the plot beforehand. 

I won't lie, I didn't have high hopes for this book. I don't really know why. Maybe it was the corny title, or maybe it just seemed a little too cutesy for me based on the synopsis. 

I was mostly wrong. 

This book was good. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. We're given a few different story lines that continuously intersect (or at least run parallel to one another) and get to follow along as our three main characters deal with life, hopes, and dreams. There's Madeleine, a "sassy" little kid with a hard life who really just wants to sing. We've got her teacher, Sarina, who is recently divorced. And then there's Lorca, owner of The Cat's Pajamas, a dying jazz club. Their stories are, for the most part, separate. They just occasionally intersect. The three will, at 2 A.M. on Christmas Eve, find themselves at The Cat's Pajamas. 

The stories were alright. Madeleine's was sad. She's described as sassy but mostly she's just rude. For readers, she's easy to empathize with but hard to particularly like (for me, anyway). She's not a bad character, just... I thought the surrounding characters were better and infinitely more exciting. But yes. Her backstory is a sad one. Her mother is dead and her father, well, let's call him ill. She's on her own, being primarily taken care of by friends of her mother. She is a talented singer, but due to her ornery attitude and her principal's dislike of her, she can't often share her talent. When she finds out about the historic Cat's Pajamas, she knows she must go there to sing. 

Lorca is the owner of the club. He's an alright guy, but not attentive enough to his relationships, whether it's with his son or his girlfriend. He spends most of his time with his music friends. He avoids responsibility outside of music and the club. But the club is dying. On top of that, he gets citations and must pay thousands of dollars in fines to keep the Cat's Pajamas open. Much of his story focuses on this particular struggle and his efforts to raise the money. But we also get a look at his personal story and his flailing relationship with his son. 

Then there's Sarina, to me the most likable of the three main characters. She's divorced, she's very kind and empathetic. She's a bit unsure of herself, something she should probably work on. But overall she's an intriguing and amusing character, and her story is the funnest to read. She walks the city with an old fling, not sure if things can go anywhere. She, of course, will end up going to a club with said fling. 

I liked the book because it was touching at times. The stories were interesting, if not completely enthralling. Some of the characters were lovely. (I especially liked the minor characters.) Bertino did a great job with pacing. The book was written in such a way that I was never bored and I always was hoping to find out what happens next. At some point, I became invested in the stories, even though they weren't life and death scenarios. It was a sweet and charming book. 

There are a few reasons I gave it four stars instead of five. First, the writing was a little too flowery at times. I love metaphor an imagery and every other literary tool and technique, but I do think it can be overdone. It got better as the book went on, but in the beginning, I thought the writing was too pretty, it was taking away from developing the story. Secondly, I didn't feel particularly strongly about most of the characters. They were far from lackluster, but they weren't exceptional, either. Lastly, do you remember in school how we were all taught the different parts of a story? Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution/conclusion. The first two parts were done wonderfully. The climax wasn't incredibly surprising or exciting, but it was good. But the last two parts - the falling action and resolution, they were just okay. 

Overall, I sort of recommend the book. It's a good story and a fun and quick read. I enjoyed it a lot. But you're not going to die if you don't read it. If you're looking for a light, charming book, absolutely pick it up. If you're looking for the stuff of giants, though, you can skip it without worry. 

__

Char    

  

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Blogging For Books program in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own. 

The Bookshop

By Liz

Book review: The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald

Official FC rating: 

I’m actually disgusted with myself for having been deceived by this book, because the back of the book describes it perfectly. It’s a book about a widow, Florence Green, who “risks it all” to open a bookshop in her small seaside town. From the onset, when the people of her town hear that she is opening a bookshop it causes a stir of rumors. Her bookshop slowly becomes a success, but small-town politics create hostility since the shop is seen as impractical. Only until it is too late (for both Florence and the reader) does she realize a town that doesn’t have a bookshop doesn’t necessarily want one.

Shocker: the book ends with Florence leaving the town she has lived in for ten years of her life because the town never wanted a bookshop.

And that’s it. That is literally all this book is about. All 156 pages are about the small-town politics and economics of opening, and eventually closing, a bookshop. I actually didn’t bother reading all 156 pages once I got to the half-way point and came to my senses that this book was not going to get any better. So, I skipped to the very end and was not remotely shocked by the depressing AF conclusion.

This novella was so even keeled. I got past the half way point and was like, “oh…this book isn’t going to have a climax…because there’s hardly any direct conflict…” Penelope Fitzgerald, did you think straight up not using plot devices that typically hook readers was going to work out for you, or what?

I have no idea why I expected this book to be more exciting or interesting. Maybe I had high hopes for this book because, in the back of my mind for years, I’ve had dreams of one day owning a bookstore or working in a library (like when I retire or something).

The kicker is that Florence isn’t even that into books. She describes herself as a trained retailer, not a person who understands the arts or whether or not a book is a masterpiece. WHY EVEN OPEN A BOOKSHOP THEN??? (Maybe the ending was poetic justice, then. I just don’t know).

I thought maybe this book will be a deeply thought-provoking commentary on how society is more interested in money and technology than literature and the arts. To some degree, the book probably was about that a little- but mostly it was about small-town politics and how they generally suck.

I will grant that the author has captured the nastiness and pettiness of small-town politics well, but I don’t need to read a book about small-town politics- all I need to do is visit my hometown in rural, Upstate New York for that. And frankly, the small-town politics of my hometown are more interesting than this damn novella.

Small-town characters have the potential to be interesting and have a lot of personality (not a book, but see Gilmore Girls as an example). Like the style of writing itself, the characters were given little description and were also boring.

If you would like to read passages about bookkeeping, taking out loans, and random details about a small town in the UK, then by all means, read this book. Otherwise, don’t waste your time. 

Murder on the Orient Express

By Liz

Book review: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Official FC rating: 

My first Agatha Christie novel was And Then There Were None, and it was fantastic! It was your perfect mystery- a bit scary, difficult to predict, and atmospheric. Dame Agatha Christie isn’t called the “Queen of Crime” for nothing, after all.

Both Charlotte and my partner, Sean, love Agatha Christie, so Sean stocked me up with a few of her novels from his collection, and I decided a mystery novel would be perfect to read in October. Thus, I chose Murder on the Orient Express.

Wikipedia summarizes the novel as follows (I’d summarize it myself, but I am a lazy mother effer this evening):

Upon arriving at the Tokatlian Hotel in Istanbul, private detective Hercule Poirot receives a telegram prompting him to cancel his arrangements and return to London. He instructs the concierge to book a first-class compartment on the Orient Express leaving that night. After boarding, Poirot is approached by Mr. Ratchett, a malevolent American he initially saw at the Tokatlian. Ratchett believes his life is being threatened and attempts to hire Poirot but, due to his distaste, Poirot refuses. "I do not like your face, Mr. Ratchett," he says. 

On the second night of the journey, the train is stopped by a snowdrift near Vinkovci. Several events disturb Poirot's sleep, including a cry emanating from Ratchett's compartment. The next morning, Mr. Bouc, an acquaintance of Poirot and director of the company operating the Orient Express, informs him that Ratchett has been murdered and asks Poirot to investigate, in order to avoid complications and bureaucracy when the Yugoslav police arrive. Poirot accepts.

Murder on the Orient Express didn’t grab me as quickly as And Then There Were None. And Then There Were None had a chilling element to it that I loved, but Murder on the Orient Express lacked that completely. I felt that the beginning of the novel sort of dragged, but I pushed through (Sean insisted that it got better). I would say the book finally caught me not long before the actual murder takes place.

Once the murder happens, it’s a whirlwind of information. As I was reading I was thinking to myself, half seriously, “should I be taking notes? Is this like ‘Clue’?” I’m terrible at solving mysteries, so naturally my first instinct is to suspect everybody, or to suspect the one person one would assume is the least likely to have committed the crime.

SPOILERS AHEAD. DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU PLAN TO READ THIS BOOK.

I should’ve just continued to suspect everyone because, Agatha Christie, looking to fuck with us all, made EVERY SUSPECT GUILTY OF THE CRIME. Almost every suspect stabbed Ratchett, except, of course, the person with the best motivation to kill Ratchett.

I literally laughed at the ending. It was great. I enjoyed that the novel has humor now and then at various parts. For example:

Such sass, Poirot.

“I DON’T LIKE YOUR FACE.” Man. I just need to channel that in my daily life. #PoirotGoals?

Christie’s character descriptions are both a great strength of hers, but also a great flaw. She creates unique characters that are easy to envision, but she also relies heavily on racist and anti-Semitic descriptors. I noticed this in both And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express. In Murder on the Orient Express she type-casts the lone Italian character as brusque, thick, burly, and mafia-like. There is at least one Jewish character in Murder on the Orient Express, but, thankfully, I did not see any overt anti-Semitism. In And Then There Were None, however, the character, Lombard, describes a young boy as “Jew-Boy,” and characterizes him as sneaky and conniving.

To be honest, when I noticed Christie’s anti-Semitism in And Then There Were None, I almost put the book down vowing to never read her books again. Of course, that didn’t happen. I enjoy her writing, and her books are easy reads. However, Christie is undoubtedly one of those authors that I could never be friends with. In fact, I’d probably hate her.

In summary, I enjoyed this novel, and I’m looking forward to reading another novel of Christie’s. I’d recommend her books to someone, but I would always be sure to let them know that Christie is a racist, anti-Semitic piece of trash.

Pie in the Sky

By Charlotte 

Book Review: The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book - Uncommon Recipes From the Celebrated Brooklyn Pie Shop by Emily Elsen and Melissa Elsen

Official FC Rating: 

This book was given to me as a Christmas gift and I love it. There are so many great things about it.  The authors are sisters who run a pie shop and the way they write about their family, their history, and their work is really endearing. It’s also well organized, which is great for me. I’m easily distracted and I tend to feel a little overwhelmed if I don’t have clear cut ways of doing things.  IT’S SO HARD TO LIVE. But yeah, the book. The recipes are organized by season! It’s so terrific to not have to go real nutsy looking for a recipe and just turning to that season’s page instead. Boom: right there, right now.

Another terrific thing? It’s aesthetically pleasing. I know that’s not the single most important thing, but for me it adds to the overall quality of a book, especially a book of this nature. ~eat with your eyes~ This book is really beautiful. I won’t lie, I’m known to just randomly pluck it off the shelf to look at it for no reason. It’s just so lovely.

I should win an award for this stellar photography.

I use recipes for meals from the internet fairly often, but I enjoy using recipes from books more. That’s true for all kinds of food, but definitely for desserts. I don’t know, it’s a quirk. This book includes over 60 recipes (around 50-ish for pies and some more for different kinds of crusts) and so is a great resource to have on hand at any moment.

And lucky thing, because I love pie. LOVE PIE. So there is really no better thing than a big fat book filled with all the info I need. BECAUSE I LOVE PIE.

See? I love it.

(Also, do you love Gilmore Girls? You SHOULD love Gilmore Girls. And if you're a true fan, you know pie is a beloved dessert of the GG. Lorelai would buy this book. She'd never use it, but she'd have it. Sookie would use it. If you love Gilmore Girls, you should probably own this book.)

If you want a general dessert book, I don’t know if this is the book for you because it’s just pie. No cake or muffins or anything. But if you know where it’s at and have recognized that pie is THE prime dessert anyway, then good gravy, go buy this book! There are pies for EVERY season. It’s perfect for any kind of party you might be hosting.

This book was so good, you might say.... it's to pie for.* 

xoxo

Char 

*sorry