my books. my life.

 Title: Habibi
Author: Craig Thompson
Genre: Graphic Novel
ISBN: 0375424148
Length: 672 pages
Year: 2011
Publisher: Pantheon
Source: Library
Rating: 4/5

My Thoughts:

I’m not really sure how to review Habibi. It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever read before. It tells the story of Dodola and Zam, two child slaves who find freedom in each other. Dodola, only 9 years older than Zam, raises him in the desert until they are suddenly torn apart. Weaved in between their story are the stories of the Koran (familiar to all of us of Abrahamic religions).

Habibi is harsh and sad and beautiful all at the same time. Unlike Thompson’s other books, I read it very slowly, savoring the details. The art is incredible – half the emotion is in the images. Seriously, just look at that cover! (even the librarian commented on it when I checked it out). And the amount of research that must have gone into this book is amazing.

The book never went where I thought it was going to go, and there were some real surprises that completely changed my perspective.

Habibi is not for the faint of heart. But it really is a beautiful story despite its shocking realness.

Buy It Now: IndieBound

Dodola learning to write.

When I think back to my best concert experiences, The National easily jumps to the front. I saw them last fall and I think I was on a concert-high for three days. I’ve already blogged about it actually.

They closed the fantastic night with an sing-a-long version of Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks which might be my favorite concert experience ever. This is the video from the show I was at in Orlando last year:

And, because that video doesn’t give you an accurate taste of everyday The National, here is the totally-strange music video for Conversation 16:

Thanks to Ginger at Greads! for hosting Tune in Tuesday.

Sunday again. I am enjoying a lazy weekend which has been full of more Felicity on Netflix than reading but hopefully today will be a little more productive. I finished Habibi in print and Their Eyes Were Watching God in audio. I’ve actually really started Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close now and returned to the audio of The Poisonwood Bible.

My biggest blogging achievement this week was finally creating a Facebook page. You can now “like” my book. my life. on Facebook here.

That’s about it for me this week. Oh, and I also basically finished my Christmas shopping which I’m feeling pretty good about (did you know Christmas is in two weeks?). How is YOUR shopping coming?

I’m not going to “review” North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. I always find it difficult to write reviews for classics, and this is no exception. So here are some random thoughts from my reading of North and South.

First, the story (if you don’t know) is about Margaret Hale, who moves to the fictional northern manufacturing town of Milton from her father’s country parsonage outside of London. Got it? That’s the north and the south part. Margaret doesn’t take to the manufacturing life very well and has many run-ins with Mr. Thornton, who owns one of the plants and happens to be in love with Margaret. See where this is going?

I have to confess that it took me AGES AND AGES to read North and South. Like 6 months or so of an on-again/off-again relationship. This clearly affected my opinion of this book (the longer a book sticks around on my nightstand, the less I like it).

I wanted to love North and South. If I’d read it 5 years ago, I might have. Back then I actually read classics in fewer than 6 months and really enjoyed them. But my attention span isn’t want it once was. I blame the internet. Classics are now a lot of work for me.

There were things I liked (though nothing that is jumping out at me right now) and things I found difficult (the dialect/slang!). I found the debates about workers vs. factory owners to be interesting (might be that labor and employment law thing) and I was very intrigued by the side story of Margaret’s brother and his mutiny/exile (now THAT would have made an exciting book).

And just when I was getting into the book, it became the SADDEST THING EVER. At one point I told twitter that I was going to stop reading if one more person died. Seriously. It was like the end of a Shakespeare tragedy.

So my experience with North and South was not what I hoped it would be. But I am glad that I read it because it was one of those books I felt like I MUST read someday. But perhaps I will go back to my beloved Russians for my next classic. I’ll pick Tolstoy over Gaskill any day.

(You all are going to tell me to go watch the BBC mini-series, right? I started it after finishing the book but more North and South was not what I needed just then. I will return to it – I swear.)

Title: Liesl & Po
Author: Lauren Oliver
Narrator: Jim Dale
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Pages: 320
Audio: 5.9 hours
Year: 2011
Publisher: Harper Audio
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

Liesl’s father just died and she is trapped in the attic by her evil step-mother. That is, until Po (with his pet, Bundle), visits her from the Other Side. With the help of Po, Liesl decides to bring her father back to the home they once loved.

Meanwhile, Will, the alchemist’s apprentice, makes a terrible mistake and flees to the country. He has loved Liesl from afar and finally their paths cross in escape.

My Thoughts:

I already knew Lauren Oliver was talented. She impressed me with Before I Fall and then wowed me with Delirium. This is her first middle grade book, and Liesl & Po solidifies her place among the new generation of writers for young readers.

Liesl & Po is magical. The story-telling is suberb, pulling you in from the start with Liesl and Po’s first conversation and not letting you go until you know the last little detail.  For a middle grade book, it deals with some deep issues and doesn’t underestimate its potentially young readers. This book is smart and entertaining at the same time.

Reading Liesl & Po was a bit like being in a classic middle grade book (think Roald Dahl). Misfortune leads to adventure and happiness with the help of a bit of suspended belief on the part of the reader and impeccable timing on the part of the characters. In a world of very-real-contemporaries and vampire-filled-paranormals, it was refreshing.

Beautifully written, lovely, and charming, this is one for the whole family (and would make a lovely holiday gift).

Audio Thoughts:

Once I discovered Jim Dale was the narrator, I knew this was an audio, not a print, book for me. Jim Dale was fabulous as expected. He is so good with the different voices and really brings the story to life.

Others’ Thoughts: Fiction Folio; Presenting Lenore

Buy It Now: IndieBound

Although I always look forward to listening to her selections, I’ve never participated in Tune in Tuesday at GReads. But I happen to love this month’s theme: the Concert Edition. So I am going to share with you a few songs this month from the best shows I have ever been to. This week is a band I adored in college and was lucky enough to see before they morphed into Jack’s Mannequin, etc. Here is Konstantine by Something Corporate:

It’s hard to believe but December is here and it’s time to recap November (and soon 2011 – yikes!). Considering how little time I had to spend reading (due to a busy schedule and feeling pretty awful), I was pleasantly surprised to see I finished 5 books in November. Not only that, but I reviewed every print book I finished. I am definitely not on par to hit 100 for the year  anymore (which really wasn’t ever my actual goal anyway) but there is always next year.

In November, I read:

• The Radleys by Matt Haig
• Fallen by Lauren Kate (audio)
• Leisl & Po by Lauren Oliver (audio)
• Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
• Saving June by Hannah Harrington

November Favorite: Saving June (but many of these were really very good). What was yours?

Now I am off to do a million things, which includes decorating for Christmas (yay!). Have a wonderful Sunday.

Title: Saving June
Author: Hannah Harrington
Genre: Young Adult; Contemporary
ISBN: 9780373210244
Pages: 336
Year: 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

Everyone thought June was the perfect daughter and Harper was the troubled one. Until June kills herself, leaving her mess of a family to deal with the ramifications. June always wanted to go to California, so Harper, her best friend Laney, and June’s mysterious friend Jake end up taking her there. The three have quite the adventure as they cross the country, finding a little more than they bargained for along the way.

My Thoughts:

This book was so many things. It was sad and heartbreaking at times while lighthearted and hopeful at others. The road trip takes both the characters and the reader through ups and downs as the story crosses the country. I adored everything about this book.

Harrington created complex characters that grew and stumbled and grew some more. Harper, Laney, and Jake are flawed teenagers grieving the loss of  June while dealing with all of the normal adolescent angst.

But Saving June isn’t all emotion; there is plenty of adventure. From protests to rock concerts, the trio stumbles into plenty of action along the way.

One of the best things about Saving June is the music. Music is weaved into the story so that it is almost its own character. Jake’s music influenced June so much that a mix cd of his was playing when she killed herself. Likewise, Jake uses music to break through the barriers Harper’s put up. A road trip wouldn’t be complete without music and this road trip doesn’t disappoint on the front (Bonus: listen to Jake’s “Saving June” playlist here).

On a personal note, I almost didn’t want them to leave Michigan in the first place. I always enjoy spending time in my home state in books, especially when I’m so far away from it in real life.

I can’t recommend Saving June enough. Harrington has talent and I am anxious to see what she does next.

Memorable passages:

“Without music, life would be a mistake.” p. 175*

“These songs tell me I’m not alone. If you look at it that way, music…music can see you through anything.” p. 185

“It’s like I’m on the cusp of something desperate and dangerous, but I don’t know what it is.” p. 187

Others’ Thoughts: GalleySmith; KellyVision; Fiction Folio; Anna Reads; GReads!

Buy It Now: Amazon; IndieBound

*Note: Page numbers refer to the advanced reading copy and may be different in the published version.

Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Genre: Young Adult; Paranormal
ISBN: 0062085484
Pages: 352
Year: 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Jen kindly sent me her copy
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Juliette’s touch kills. She’s locked up in an institution for a crime she never meant to commit. All she ever wanted was to fit in and be loved. Instead she is destined to a life alone. Until Adam. When Adam is thrown into her cell as a roommate, her whole life changes. Soon she is the pet project of a power-hungry army leader who wants to use her power for torture. In a world left in decay, can Juliette find her place?

My Thoughts:

I heard A LOT about this book before I read it, but it came pretty close to living up to the massive amounts of hype. I loved Juliette and Adam. I hated Warner. They were all great characters. The book kept me on my toes. I had no idea where it was going to go.

The world-building is subtle. There is a lot Juliette doesn’t know, so there is a lot we don’t know. But it works. I am looking forward to subsequent books to learn just what this world is like (yep, this appears to be another series).

And, wow, can Mafi write a makeout scene. If you are looking for tame YA, don’t look here. These scenes are HOT.

Personally, I found the strike through portions a little annoying. When Juliette had a thought that she didn’t really want to put out there, it would be crossed out. Like this. My brain was tempted to skip over those, which is pretty much the opposite effect I think Mafi was going for. But that may just be me.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced novel with a little romance, a bit of paranormal, and a hint of dystopia, definitely check out Shatter Me.

Others’ Thoughts: KellyVision; Good Books & Good Wine; Makeshift Bookmark

Buy It Now: Amazon; IndieBound

Well here we are. The last day of this wonderful little Thanksgiving break. My dad is still visiting until tomorrow and it’s been very nice having him around (and not traveling myself). Despite my guests, I still managed to finish two books this week, which – let’s face it – is kind of amazing. I finally finished Shatter Me and I read Saving June. I’m currently reading Habibi and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close in print. In audio I’m taking a little break from The Poisonwood Bible to read Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Yesterday’s excitement was The Game. Michigan finally beat Ohio State for the first time since 2003. Ben thought it would be fun for me to explain everything I’ve done since that time, but it turns out it’s just a little bit sad. In between wins over OSU, I…got engaged…graduated from college (at Michigan)…got married…went to law school (at Michigan)…watched my husband move to Florida…spent a summer in California…graduated from law school…moved to Florida myself…passed the bar…elected a president…got my first job as a lawyer…started a book blog and met all of you…tweeted 30,000 times…traveled to DC, NYC, Vegas, Europe, Boston, St. Louis, Pittsburgh (some of these more than once) and many other places….and, finally, decided to start a family. Let’s just hope the time between now and the next win is a bit shorter.

Today we are going to the Salvador Dali museum in St. Pete. How are you spending the last day of your vacation (or weekend)?