my books. my life.

Title: Packing for Mars
Author: Mary Roach
Narrators: Sandra Burr
Genre: Nonfiction; Science
Pages: 334
Audio: 10.5 hours
Year: 2010
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Source: Library
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

When Mary Roach decided to write about space travel, she decided to take an interesting approach: how does the human element factor in? Astronauts need to eat, sleep, breathe, bathe, and urinate. It turns out this takes a great deal of planning. Packing for Mars examines each of these issues (and more) in detail.

My Thoughts:

Space is one of my biggest nonfiction interests. I read a fair amount of books on the usual science and history topics. This one gave me a whole new perspective.

We’ve all wondered how astronauts pee. Right? Well Mary Roach will answer this question in SO MUCH DETAIL you may regret asking it (except not really). Roach examines how limited gravity, oxygen, and cabin room affect the people we send to space and takes us through a history of space travel at the same time.

Packing for Mars is highly entertaining, informative, and definitely worth a read.

Audiobook Thoughts:

The audiobook was fine. Sandra Burr was a good narrator. But she just couldn’t capture Mary Roach’s voice and her sense of humor. I listened to the audio because that was the only way I could finally get to it, but I’d probably recommend trying the print if you can.

AND…to help facilitate that, I actually have a signed ARC (I know, I’m horrible to have waited this long) to give away. If you’re interested in reading this one, just fill out the form below to enter the giveaway (or click here to fill out the form here if WordPress doesn’t want to embed this properly).

 

“It seemed like forever ago, like we’d had this brief but still infinite forever.
Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.” p. 233

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Genre: Young Adult; Contemporary Fiction
ISBN: 0525478817
Pages: 336
Year: 2012
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Source: Library
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

Hazel is living with cancer. A miracle drug has given her more time, but she knows she is going to die. Her parents force her to attend a support group in hopes that she might get out and live the life she has left, and Hazel goes just for their sake. But there she meets Augustus, a cute boy who has beaten his cancer by giving up a leg. With Augustus, Hazel finally does start to live. But can a relationship survive when death is always on its heels?

My Thoughts:

How have you guys not forced a John Green book upon me before? The writing is just gorgeous. Sure, Hazel and Augustus speak more like philosophy majors than teenagers, but their conversations are some of the best writing in the book, rather than a simple means to move the story forward. At one point, Augustus tells Hazel, “You are so busy being you that you have no idea how utterly unprecedented you are.” (p. 133). I just melted at that line.

As unrealistic as the dialogue often is, this book is REAL. It is anything but sappy. We see the struggles Hazel and Augustus face in a seemingly impossible relationship where death and illness are prominent subjects. Their pain is actually painful and their happiness, however brief when it comes, made me happy. And I sobbed. And sobbed. And sobbed. It’s a cancer book, however unlike other cancer books it is. Of course it’s going to be sad. But it’s not cheesy and it is SO good.

And for you Young Adult doubters, this is what a YA book can be.

You all need to read this book. John Green has TALENT. I know I am the 2 millionth person to tell you this but seriously. Right now. Go read this book.

Others’ Thoughts: Good Books and Good Wine; Let’s Eat Grandpa; The Avid Reader’s Musings; KellyVision; things mean a lot

Buy It Now: IndieBound

Title: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats
Author: Jan-Philipp Sendker
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
ISBN: 9781590514634
Pages: 336
Year: 2012 (originally published in Germany in 2002)
Publisher: Other Press
Source: Review Copy from Publisher via Netgalley
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary:

Julia’s father, a successful attorney, disappeared four years ago. His path can be tracked from New York City to Asia and then it grows cold. When Julia finds a letter he wrote to a girl named Mi Mi in his hometown in Burma, Julia jumps on a plane to investigate. There she meets U Ba, who tells her the love story of Tin Win and Mi Mi.

Neither Tin Win nor Mi Mi is a complete person to the outside world. Tin Win cannot see and Mi Mi cannot walk. But together they can do anything.

My Thoughts:

I was drawn in immediately. When U Ba calls out to Julia, he grabbed my attention as well. I had to know the rest of the story.

The translation is lovely. I actually had to double-check that it was not originally written in English because the language is just beautiful. But this book isn’t just beautiful words. The love story at its center and the tangential stories within are equally stunning. There are elements that are almost fairytale-like and it is easy to get lost in Tin Win and Mi Mi’s world.

I am keeping my thoughts rather short and annoyingly vague today because I really think you need to experience this book for yourself. I hope a few of you manage not to let this one slip by.

Buy It Now: IndieBound

Title: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns)
Author: Mindy Kaling
Narrators: Mindy Kaling
Genre: Memoir; Humor
Pages: 240
Audio: 4.6 hours
Year: 2011
Publisher: Random House Audio
Source: Audible
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary/Thoughts:

Mindy Kaling, best known in her role as writer and actor on The Office, offers a refreshing perspective on life. In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me, Kaling talks about her life, her family, and her career, as well as sharing her thoughts on random matters like the funniest moments in comedy and the list of things her character Kelly Kapoor would do that she would not.

The thing I liked the most was how real Kaling seems. She doesn’t hide behind any type of Hollywood glamour. She worked hard to get where she is and doesn’t seem to have lost any of herself along the way. I kind of just want to hang out with her (and I also want to hang out with Amy Poehler even more than I did before Kaling described how awesome she is).

This book will naturally be compared to Tina Fey’s Bossypants, but I think Kaling holds her own even in that comparison. This book is entertaining, smart, and funny. I only wish it were twice as long.

Audiobook Thoughts:

Mindy Kaling narrates this herself. That’s really all I need to say. Fabulous audio production.

Others’ Thoughts: Anna Reads; Book-A-Rama; The 3R’s Blog; Reeder Reads

Buy It Now: IndieBound

Title: The Poisonwood Bible
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Narrators: Dean Robertson (not to be confused with Robertson Dean which may be why I picked it up…)
Genre: Fiction; Family Saga
Pages: 560
Audio: 15.3 hours
Year: 1999
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Source: Library
Rating: 3/5

Summary:

In 1959, Nathan Pierce uproots his family (his wife –  Orleanna – and his four daughters – Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth Mae) from Bethlehem, Georgia and moves them to a small village in the Belgian Congo where he will continue his evangelical ministry. The family arrives just in time for major political upheaval they don’t really understand. Told from the perspective of the five females in the family, The Poisonwood Bible is a tale of the family’s time in the Congo and how it forever changed each of their lives.

My Thoughts:

I’ve heard many wonderful things about The Poisonwood Bible. And throughout the first half of the novel, I found myself agreeing with them. Unfortunately, the second half of the novel happened.

This really could be two distinct books. In the first half, time moves slowly, and the family struggles together to adjust to life in the Congo. It is interesting to see it differently through each character and put the pieces together to see how the family as a whole is doing. I really did enjoy this part of the book very much. However, in the second half, time moves quickly and the family is less of a family. All of a sudden Rachel is 50 and I wasn’t really sure how that happened. I think it is the difference in how quickly time moves that is the most jarring but the whole book really becomes something different. It is less about the characters and more about the politics. There is an event that happens that can be seen as the impetus for the change in the story’s direction but I just never adjusted.

Kingsolver is clearly a talented writer who is not afraid to tackle some controversial issues, and I look forward to reading her again. I am glad that I finally got to this one, which has been sitting on my shelf for a long time (never mind that I ended up listening to the audio). I always find books set in the Congo to be fascinating because it has such a volatile political background. Perhaps if I’d known to expect the change in the novel, I would have enjoyed it more.

Audiobook Thoughts:

First point: Dean Robertson is a woman. She is not Robertson Dean. But she did a good job narrating this book. I thought the choice to use one audio narrator for all four narrators of the story was odd at first and was a bit confusing. But once I got to know the characters a bit, it worked. Her matter-of-fact narration allows the listener to interpret the book for herself.

Others’ Thoughts: Erin Reads

Buy It Now: IndieBound

Title: Out of Breath
Author: Blair Richmond
Genre: Young Adult; Paranormal
ISBN: 9780979647574
Pages: 274
Year: 2011
Publisher: Ashland Creek Press
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:

Kat, a runner who is literally on the run, returns to her hometown of Lithia, Oregon with nothing except the clothes on her back. She befriends a woman and her fiance who give her a job at their running store and a place to live. She soon finds herself attracted to Roman, a mysterious actor while also attracting the attention of Alex, who warns her to stay away from Roman. Kat has found a place she thinks she can finally call home, tragedy strikes.

My Thoughts:

Running. Vegans. Vampires. You can see why I picked this one up, right?

It is hard not to compare this book to Twilight. New girl moves to a small town in the Pacific Northwest where she is attracted to two boys who hate each other. And there are vampires. But Out of Breath has a bit more depth. By presenting vampirism and veganism side by side, the book poses a philosophical question for all of us: do we take the lives of lesser creatures to strengthen ourselves?

While at times a bit preachy – there is a scene where Kat argues for her vegan diet with Roman that was a bit over the top (especially when she then reaches for her wine which I’m sure is not vegan) – there is still an entertaining story going on. And I really enjoyed the running culture that provided the basis for much of the character interaction (although it made me long for my pre-pregnancy running days).

If you’re looking for something a bit different in your next vampire book, Out of Breath might have the unique twist you want. Just keep in mind that it is the first in, yet another, series.

Buy It Now: IndieBound

Title: The World We Found
Author: Thrity Umrigar
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
ISBN: 0061938343
Pages: 320
Year: 2012
Publisher: Harper
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Laleh, Kavita, Armaiti and Nishta were inseperable in college, where they were political activists striving for socialism. Over the years they have drifted apart. Armaiti to America, Laleh and Kavita to their comfortable lives in Mumbai, and Nishta to her life of poverty with her socialist-turned-devoutly-Muslim husband. When Armaiti discovers a life-threatening brain tumor, she calls on her three old friends to visit her in America.

My Thoughts:

I thought this book would be about the friends’ reunion in America, but it was actually about the women preparing for it. While it was a different book than I expected, I liked what I found.

The World We Found gives us a glimpse at modern Mumbai – the stark difference between the rich and the poor and the religious intolerance that still exists. Through Nishta, we see the life of a devout Muslim’s wife, forced to wear a burka and trapped in her own home. Through Laleh and Armaiti, the lives of the wealthy on two different continents. And through Kavita, the life of someone who never quite fit in.

At its heart, The World We Found is a story of friendship.  Although this book was more about character development than it was about plot, I found myself frantically turning the last 30 pages not knowing what was going to happen. It is very readable and very worth reading.

Buy It Now: IndieBound

I am wrapping up the Mini-Review Madness with a couple of books recommended by Jen at Devourer of Books. Since I talk to Jen more than anyone else in the world (ask Ben) and she reads about 5 times faster than me, a lot of the books I read are on her recommendation.

I first read both of today’s books in print. Recently I reread them in audio. I liked both a little less this time around, so maybe stick with print.

Two more audiobooks for you today. These really have nothing in common but good narration.