Tag: genre: fiction

• Book Review: “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green

  Posted at 11:46 am by Laura, on January 11, 2012

  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

  Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs… for now.

  Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

  Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

  A riveting, emotional journey! As I’m from Hazel’s hometown (and also John Green’s), it was wonderful to tour the city through the eyes of fictional characters. It was also exciting to piece together random snippets from John’s videos across several years: his trip to Amsterdam, his musings about fake ruins in a park, and his wife’s job as an art dealer.

  Apart from my familiarity with the city and John’s videos, the long-awaited book left an impact. I’m neither a cancer survivor nor am I sixteen, but I am a girl and I truly felt like I was Hazel. I remember when I met John at a reading how worried he was that as a 30-something male he would not convincingly pull off a teenage female narrator. He accomplished this, without a doubt. The bond Hazel formed with Augustus felt exactly like teenage first love; her conflicting feelings with her best friend, wanting to see her and yet wanting to stay away and prevent any further emotional damage; her intense obsession with a book that spoke to her – down to the serial watching of America’s Next Time Model and her jokes with her parents, Hazel was real.

  This book also enlightened me to the awkwardness of human interaction when a healthy person encounters one with a disability or an illness. We, as humans, immediately resort to pity or embarrassment or an over-eagerness to help. In reality, or at least with John’s characters, they want to be treated without the pity and sad faces and deliberate avoidance of any topic revolving around their situation.

  Looking for Alaska was a good book, but I can say without a doubt that The Fault in Our Stars (published January 10th!) is, by leaps a bounds, a greater story with characters that feel like close friends you’ve known forever, and with dialogue and situations that make you pause and think twice.

  Rating: ★★★★★ of 5

  GoodReads: 4.79 of 5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: fiction, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Death Comes to Pemberley” by PD James

  Posted at 7:04 pm by Laura, on January 7, 2012

  Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James

  The year is 1803, and Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for six years. There are now two handsome and healthy sons in the nursery, Elizabeth’s beloved sister Jane and her husband Bingley live nearby and the orderly world of Pemberley seems unassailable. But all this is threatened when, on the eve of the annual autumn ball, the guests are preparing to retire for the night when a chaise appears, rocking down the path from Pemberley’s wild woodland. As it pulls up, Lydia Wickham – Elizabeth’s younger, unreliable sister – stumbles out screaming that her husband has been murdered.

  As a staunch Austenite, any Austen adaptation or rewriting is generally avoided. However, I’d heard from several of my friends and read reviews from various sources (including NPR) that I became incredibly curious and bought it for my Nook.

  I do not regret it!

  The prologue sums up Pride & Prejudice for any reader who has not read Austen. This certainly helped the story and set the tone for the writing – James brilliantly wrote this novel sounding like Austen wrote it herself! The recap of the novel linked the classic to this murder mystery in such a way that the reader could view this novel in two ways: as an extent of P&P or a novel with similar character names but essentially a stand-alone piece. James excellently mimicked Austen so well that the known characters resembled their Austen counterparts. It was also fun to see a brief mentioning of an “Anne” who was in a “happy marriage with a naval captain” (Persuasion), and later of a “Mr. and Mrs. Knightley of Donwell Abbey…a friend of Mrs. Martin” (Emma). She also included an entirely new cast of characters, which helps to separate this murder mystery from P&P.

  Any “Downton Abbey” fan could find pleasure in this, as well. The new characters included servants, their backgrounds and points of view, lawyers, witnesses, and villagers. Austenites know the elite, but rarely ever hear about or see the “downstairs” group of people. As I’ve said several times already, this aids the novel: one can read it without thinking of James “polluting the shades of Pemberley” with her adaptation.

  In terms of the mystery, I was kept on my toes. Two characters were on my mind up until the trial as suspects, but when the truth was revealed, I’ll admit I was shocked! Yet evidence pointed directly to this character. And, of course, any and all loopholes were tied after the trial as characters relieved their heavy burdens on Darcy and Elizabeth.

  Well-written, historically accurate, mimicked Austen rather well, and could be read separate from or with Pride & Prejudice.

  Rating: ★★★★.5 of 5

  GoodReads: 3.13

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: classics, genre: fiction, genre: mystery, review

• Gothic Literature

  Posted at 8:41 pm by Laura, on January 6, 2012

  This semester, in my final literature course, we’re focusing on the Gothic elements! My favorite genre. Here’s what we’re reading starting next week!

  Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Wilkie Collins’s The Woman in White

  Great Horror Stories, a compilation with Stoker, Poe, and Lovecraft; Sheridan Le Fanu’s In a Glass Darkly; and Classic Ghost Stories, another compilation that includes Dickens!

  Posted in books, Update Post | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: classics, genre: fiction, genre: gothic, genre: horror

• Authors, Directors, and Tours!

  Posted at 2:14 pm by Laura, on January 6, 2012

  • Director Chris Columbus to Write Three-Book Middle-Grade Series – Publisher’s Weekly

  HarperCollins has announced it has preempted rights to a three-book middle-grade series by director Chris Columbus, to be called House of Secrets. Columbus, the director of two Harry Potter movies and many other films, will co-author the books with YA writer Ned Vizzini (It’s Kind of a Funny Story). The first book is slated for spring 2013.

  Read on for some more information about this series! Sounds very intriguing – I think I’d enjoy it, too.

  • Looking for John Green? Find Him on Tour – Publisher’s Weekly

  If you’re a Nerdfighter like me, you probably already know all about John and Hank’s awesome TFiOS van and their tour across the country. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, continue on…

  An abundance of fans (among them, some Katherines) will see Printz Award-winning author John Green on his 17-city tour for The Fault in Our Stars (Dutton, on sale Jan. 10).

  That day the Looking for Alaska writer and his younger musician brother, Hank, will launch their three-week road trip in a Sprinter van, decorated with the cover of the new novel (about two teens with cancer who fall in love) and quotes from Markus Zusak (“you laugh, you cry, and then you come back for more”) and Jodi Picoult (“an electric portrait of young people who learn to live life with one foot in the grave”). As the 34- and 31-year-old siblings travel, they will broadcast shows through their VlogBrothers YouTube channel.

   

  “I’m a pretty introverted person, but I decided to go on tour because I knew it would be good for the book,” says Green, who will leave his wife (a contemporary art dealer) and two-year-old son at home in Indianapolis. “It’s really important to launch the book as aggressively as possible. I also feel really strongly about trying to make the case for brick-and-mortar bookstores…. I think it’s crazy, crazy that book tours lose so much money. They shouldn’t. Book tours should be part of what keeps independent bookstores vibrant and profitable.”

  Side note: I received The Fault in Our Stars early by accident, and am waiting till January 10 to read it just like the rest of his fans.

  See Green on tour! Read TFiOS! Look out for Columbus’s book!
  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: contemporary, genre: fiction, genre: young adult, magazine, news, publishing

• Book Review: “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood

  Posted at 2:52 pm by Laura, on January 5, 2012

  The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

  Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining fertility, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now…

  I was stunned. Dystopian novels are typically not my favorite genre, but this one felt too real, too plausible, believable and futuristic. Everything from the names of the Handmaids (Offred meaning “Of Fred” or “Property of Fred”) to the descriptions of the setting (red brick walls, large football stadium, classrooms, dormitories, everything pointing to an abandoned Harvard), to the backwards and seemingly reasonable feminism left me reeling.

  While reading, I noticed I was most intrigued by the writing style. The reader can become completely absorbed in the tales Offred is telling, and yet nothing about these tales is remarkable. She is merely describing ordinary life. And yet, to the reader, this is not ordinary life at all – there is something completely wrong under the surface.

  Heated topics could be discussed with this book: feminism, women’s rights, sexual freedom or lack thereof. This novel is a warning. I was hesitant to begin the novel, and now I’m hesitant to write a proper review. Words cannot describe my racing thoughts at the close of the final page.

  Rating: ★★★★ of 5

  GoodReads: 3.95 of 5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: dystopian, genre: feminism, genre: fiction, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Clockwork Prince” by Cassandra Clare

  Posted at 12:57 am by Laura, on January 4, 2012

  Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

  The situation at the London Institute has never been more precarious. With Mortmain and his clockwork army still threatening, the Council wants to strip Charlotte of her power and hand the running of the Enclave over to the unscrupulous and power-hungry Benedict Lightwood.

  In the hope of saving Charlotte and the Institute, Will, Jem, and Tessa set out to unravel the secrets of Mortmain’s past—and discover unsettling Shadowhunter connections that hold the key not only to the enemy’s motivations, but also to the secret of Tessa’s identity. Tessa, already caught between the affections of Will and Jem, finds herself with another choice to make when she learns how the Shadowhunters helped make her a “monster.” Will she turn from them to her brother, Nate, who has been begging her to join him at Mortmain’s side? Where will her loyalties—and love—lie? Tessa alone can choose to save the Shadowhunters of London…or end them forever.

  The second book in the Infernal Devices series (and part of the prequel to the Mortal Instruments series) was an excellent mixture of action, adventure, Victorian England propriety, and fantasy. Everything rolled into one in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In comparison to Clare’s first book of the Infernal Devices series (Clockwork Angel), which contained several explanations for the Shadowhunter world and Victorian mannerisms, Clockwork Prince picked up where readers left off with the cast of characters and continued the mesmerizing story.

  Also worthy of noting is the lack of slow pacing. I’ve noticed that the middle books of series tend to read more like fillers and plot development, something to keep readers entertained before the final showdown. While Clockwork Prince does contain elements of this (linking Mortmain from the first book, discovering his past in this book, and possibly his ruin in the next — spoiler?), I felt like I could pick up this book without having read any of Clare’s work and understood it perfectly. That’s what is so great about Tessa’s character: she herself is new to the Shadowhunter world. The reader discovers everything with her, and the explanations are clear and to the point in this second installment. That leaves enough room for the plot to develop, Victorian aspects of life to take over, and of course (what is young adult literature without this?) a touch of romance to flourish.

  EDIT: Also, if you love 19th-century British literature, especially Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Tale of Two Cities, Byron, Tennyson, or Rossetti, you’re in for a treat. Several references, quotations, and parallels throughout.

  Rating: ★★★★.5 of 5

  GoodReads: 4.28 of 5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 6 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Summer Garden” by Paullina Simons

  Posted at 8:00 pm by Laura, on December 31, 2011

  The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons

  Through years of war and devastation, Tatiana and Alexander suffered the worst the twentieth century had to offer. Miraculously reunited in America, they now have a beautiful son, Anthony, the gift of a love strong enough to survive the most terrible upheavals. Though they are still young, the ordeals they endured have changed them—and after living apart in a world laid waste, they must now find a way to live together in postwar America.

  With the Cold War rising, dark forces at work in their adopted country threaten their lives, their family, and their hard-won peace. To regain the happiness they once knew, to wash away the lingering pain of the past, two lovers grown distant must somehow forge a new life . . .or watch the ghosts of their yesterdays destroy their firstborn son.

  The third and last book of the epic Russian trilogy, immensely powerful and moving. It’s difficult to review this as a stand-alone, because I will need to compare it to The Bronze Horseman and Tatiana and Alexander. The first book was extremely detailed, spanning across the beginning of WWII Russia, and mostly revolved around love, heartbreak, starvation, and death. The second dealt with separation, immigration, and the brutality of war. This final one focused on the marriage, spanning across several decades. Tatiana and Alexander grow quickly in this last book – the First Page atmosphere vastly different from the Last Page.

  I enjoyed the trilogy as a whole, but this book alone was not as enjoyable as the first and second. The writing was great, the plot complex and detailed, and Simons excellently drew upon many issues that could/would arise in any marriage. However, one trait that I did not like with Tatiana and Alexander is their passive aggressive arguments. It was reasonable in The Bronze Horseman because they were so young, and most young lovers refuse to get right to the point of an argument so quickly. But in this final book, when their lives span several decades, the did not seem to grow out of it. As someone who likes to get right to the root of an argument, a “just say it!” attitude, I found this a bit frustrating. Beyond this nit-picking detail, The Summer Garden was a good ending to the trilogy.

  Rating: ★★★ of 5

  GoodReads: 4.2 of 5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: history, genre: romance, review

• My Top 3 Books of 2011

  Posted at 9:50 am by Laura, on December 31, 2011

  I scrolled through my 50 Book Challenge list and, despite all the starred ones, three left a lasting impact on me during the year of reading. I’ve limited my list to three new books – plus two favorites I’d reread for 2011. These two books I reread nearly every year, I love them so much.

  

  The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

  By far one of the most chilling and haunting ghost stories I’ve ever read or heard. Today, we find horror films filled to the brim with blood and gore and massacres – so much so that we’ve become immune to the violence. Hill’s story, however, is literally spine-tingling. Set in Victorian England, a young lawyer travels to a manor to deal with the property left by an old woman. Immensely spooky things happen – the classic horrors of strange noises, faint visibility, the sensation of something touching you when you are in an empty room – which left me nervous at night an unable to sleep for a week.

   

   

  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

  I was skeptical to read the trilogy, at first, mostly due to people comparing it to the Harry Potter series (and, as a fan of that from the beginning, I find that untouchable). The summary description also makes it sound like a sci-fi novel, a genre I’m not particularly drawn to. One summer day, I gave it a chance – and I couldn’t put it down! The writing is meant for a younger audience, very simple and to the point, but the plot moves and the characters are fascinating and there are cliff-hangers everywhere. I’ve recommended this book to everyone I know. It truly is remarkable.

   

   

  

  One Day by David Nicholls

  I am an Emma. My closest friend is a Dexter. The trials these two go through, their friendship shrinking and growing with time, the different directions in life – it’s unbelievable how strong they are. They each have immense flaws, and that is what makes their bond so beautiful. It was as if I were looking into several of my friends’ friendships rolled into one. The things Dexter and Emma say to each other, to break the other down or to cheer the other up, is exactly what every person wants to say and needs to hear. Witty, charming, and heartbreaking, I highly recommend this book.

   

  
  

  And now for the books I reread in 2011: two of my favorite classics!

  Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

  While I love Pride & Prejudice to pieces, I find this short and sweet novel incredibly uplifting, cheerful, and entertaining. Mr. Darcy hardly holds a candle to Mr. Tilney – he talks to Catherine! Catherine’s imagination is wild and fun, spinning everything she observes into a horrifying Gothic mystery. My own fascination with Gothic literature is probably why I relate to Catherine on some level. Austen’s typical use of satire pokes fun at the concept of a Gothic novel and the silliness of Bath society. A quick and enjoyable read.

   

   

  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

  My absolute all-time favorite book, and a real Gothic novel. Written like an autobiography, a memoir, and based partly on Brontë’s life, Jane Eyre moves me more than any other book has. I find myself running back to it every year when I need Jane to talk some sensibility into me, to reassure me. Some argue Jane is one of the first feminist characters, what with her self-respect and the independence she asserts to everyone she meets. She is a strong character, regardless of your stance in feminist literature. Beyond her, there’s the dark story behind Mr. Rochester, the hauntingly beautiful setting of Thornfield, and the creepy moans from the walls at night.

  Happy New Year! Read many books!

  Posted in Reviews 2012, Update Post | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: classics, genre: fiction, genre: horror, genre: mystery, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Best-Selling Book in the US

  Posted at 11:03 am by Laura, on December 29, 2011

  According to USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is No. 1!

  Other books that made the Top Five list include The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and The Help.

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: fiction, genre: young adult, news, newspaper

• Book Review: “Sing You Home” by Jodi Picoult

  Posted at 7:11 pm by Laura, on December 22, 2011

  Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

  One miscarriage too many spelled the end of Max and Zoe Baxter’s marriage. Though the former couple went quite separate ways, their fates remained entangled: After veering into alcoholism, Max is saved in multiple senses by his fundamentalist conversion; Zoe, for her part, finds healing relief in music therapy and the friendship, then romantic love with Vanessa, her counselor. After Zoe and Vanessa, now married, decide to have a baby, they realize that they must join battle with Max, who objects on both religious and financial grounds.

  As usual, Picoult shares an exquisitely compelling story by taking a controversial topic and creating layers of complication that grips the heart and questions moral and ethical issues. Several current social issues combined into one with Sing You Home: divorce, gay rights and relationships, Christianity, definitions of “family,” and gender roles. Picoult is with the times, and writes through the perspectives of Zoe, Vanessa, and Max for a polished work. And, as is her style, the court case is gripping, with several twists and turns that had me question my own opinions in the strenuous mess.

  In an effort to stay distant from politics and without pointing fingers in this review, I believe this book excellently outlines the viewpoints of each side of the gay rights issue. Because of that, I would highly recommend Sing You Home to anyone who wants to understand homosexual relationships, who wants to understand why some Christian extremists lobby against such relationships, and to any allies of the gay community.

  It is a terrific read, with several humorous lines, well-developed and lovable (love to love and love to hate) characters, and several fantastic insights to various social communities.

  Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ of 5
  GoodReads: 3.72 of 5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: contemporary, genre: fiction, genre: LGBTQ, genre: romance, review

• 

• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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