Book Club Roundup- Following Polly The Immortal Life and the Goldfinch

Lack of theme is the theme of this roundup. Whereas my last reads shared a similarity, these are as varied as they come.

First up, I read Following Polly by Karen Bergreen. This was a book club pick that I wasn’t really thrilled about, but it was better than is expected. It’s a quick and compelling read with a few fun twists and turns. It sort of fell apart towards the end for me, and there were a few loose ends that never got tied up, but overall a fun read.

Next was The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. This book has been on everyone’s (myself included) list for a few years now, but it was a different book club (yep, I’m shopping around for a book club I like at the moment) that prompted me to finally download it. I find biology and the history of medical science pretty fascinating to begin with, but I think there’s something for everyone in this book regardless of scientific interest level. I will say though that it’s not for anyone with a weak stomach. There is some pretty graphic medical detail.

That said, it’s a human interest piece at heart. Two things stood out to me in The Immortal life. The first was the author’s passion. This is a subject Skloot has chased doggedly for years, and I just found that so compelling. She was only in her twenties while doing most of the research, which is both incredibly intimidating and inspiring.

The second part that stood out was the level of suspense. I never would have believed a non fiction read about human cancer cells would be a page turner, but it really was. I found myself really interested to know what happened next in both the historical and present day sections of the book.

The only gripe I have with this book is that there are points where it feels exploitative which is especially unsettling considering the entire premise of the book revolves around a family exploited by the scientific community. Still, the story is one that begs to be told, and Skloot was definitely the right person to do so.

Finally we’ve got The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I picked this one up on my own after seeing it on an Amazon book list and liking the cover. It’s the best book I’ve read in a long time. The story is fascinating and took so many unexpected turns, but, honestly, I didn’t care. I just wanted to keep reading Tartt’s words. It was one of those books that I’d sort of ration out to myself so as not to finish too quickly. I’d just go back and re-read pages just trying to take it all in. I’m already looking forward to reading the whole thing again. I loved all the characters (even the awful ones), and I was so invested in the outcome. Fantastic read. Don’t let the 700+ pages intimidate you.

Book Club Review

I sort of dread writing these, -something about trying to capture great (or even just ok) literary works in blog format is daunting- but I like the idea of being able to look back on books I’ve read as time passes, and I forget what they’re about. In an effort to write reviews less frequently, I’m going to try and combine them. Conveniently, my last two reads (sorta) shared a common thread, so it makes for an easy combo.

In the fiction department, I recently finished Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. I stumbled across it on Amazon’s Best Books of the Year So Far list, and it was just lovely. It was one of those books that permeated my entire life, and I found myself thinking about it at random intervals throughout my week. Life After Life is about a girl named Ursula who dies shortly after being born only to be born again. This cycle of death and rebirth repeats throughout Ursula’s life, but rather than travel the same life path again and again, it’s as if mini universes are created each time Ursula is reborn. Each decision she makes leads her down a different path towards a new destiny.

If it sounds as though this book is young adultish, it’s because I’m having a hard time conveying the essence. Really, this book covers some very heavy subject matter. Ursula is living in England through World Wars I and II, and Atkinson does a great job of conveying a variety of experiences and emotions associated with wartime life.

Rather than recount each life cycle from beginning to end, Life After Life zips through some phases of some lives and lingers on others, but I never found the narrative confusing (like, say, The Time Traveler’s Wife). There were so many aspects of this book that I just loved. The complexity of the female characters was wonderful to read. There were a few archetypes, but the three main characters were diverse and interesting to read about. I don’t generally enjoy reading about female leads because so many authors are myopic on the gender, but Atkinson really hits the mark.

I really enjoyed reading about World War I and II. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book set in that time period either, so it was fascinating to read about the World Wars especially from a Western European perspective. You don’t need very much prior knowledge on the subject to become immersed in the story.

I think my favorite part of the book though was the way Urusla’s past lives effected the present one. She couldn’t remember her past lives, but she remained connected to them. Often, when faced with a pivotal situation she had experienced in a past life, she’d experience a visceral reaction similar to Deja Vu. This was so interesting to me. When Ursula ignored her gut in favor of her more rational sense, she seemed to doomed to make the same or graver mistakes, but when she listened to herself, she avoided calamity. I think people -women especially- have a certain sense that alerts them to danger. I think so many of us are quick to ignore that sense because it’s sometimes frightening, and since it can’t be explained, it’s easier to conform to social norms than react to our instincts, but the older I get the more I’m learning to trust my gut. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not. I’d rather remove myself from a situation that feels wrong then stay in order to avoid appearing odd or offending someone’s feelings. Maybe 99% of my instincts are unfounded, but maybe they’re not. This just really resonated with me.

As far as the largest theme, the idea of reincarnations in order to figure out your mistakes and “get it right.” I’m still not sure how I feel about that. I find it both appealing and exhausting. On the one hand, who wouldn’t want another chance to undo some mistakes and relive life’s brightest moments, but on the other hand, you’d also have to relive your lowest points again and again. Plus, the idea of redoing everything until you get it perfect is daunting.

Life After Life was a great read that I’d like to pick up again at some point because it’s a book with a lot of layers worth exploring.

The next read was a non-fiction selection that I never would have opted to read had it not been for my book club. This month’s choice was Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander. It’s been a New York Times Bestseller for a long time, so I had heard of it, but I had no idea what it was about. Eben Alexander is an accomplish neurosurgeon who contracted bacterial meningitis and lapsed into a coma for 7 days. During that time, his soul went to heaven, and when he came back to his body, he knew he had to share his story with the world. I cannot even express to you how far out of my normal range of interest this book falls, so if you’re rolling your eyes, stick with me. This book is a game changer.

Because Alexander is a brain surgeon, he’s as knowledgeable as they come about what the brain is and is not capable of, and he methodically and scientifically details why his experience cannot be explained by any random neural firings. It really is a complex scientific explanation of why science exists, so I don’t want to butcher it here, but while I believe in God, I consider myself a generally skeptical person, and every time I caught myself reading and thinking, “Ok but what about this?” he would explain exactly why “this” couldn’t explain away what he’d experienced. I thought it was a beautiful and uplifting book, and I truly think no matter your thoughts on this subject, it’s worth a read, and it will expand your horizons.

So, there you have it. Death and near-death and after lives and the Afterlife. While I did not plan this intersection, it came at a good time as I’ve been thinking a lot about life and death lately. I don’t mean that in a morbid way though I’m sure it sounds that way. Again, I think I’m just growing up with so much thinking about the future lately, it’s hard to avoid thinking things allllll the way through. These two reads came at a wonderful time for me in that they both present very different views but share the idea that death is not an end point on the spectrum. Maybe there’s no spectrum at all. Maybe it’s a circle or a pendulum. That’s been pretty comforting for me.

Book Club Review: Love the One You’re With

I don’t know if I ever explained where these Book Club Reviews come from. I’m a member of a Jersey City women’s book club. We meet once a month at a different Jersey City spot for wine and dinner and discussions. I love it. I just think book clubs are the greatest thing ever. Granted, we rarely spend much time actually discussing the books, but it’s a great jumping off point when you’re with a new group of people, and it’s always interesting to hear the opinions that are offered.

Another perk of joining a book club is being introduced to books I probably wouldn’t have otherwise picked up. Some past book club picks included The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and Room. Before book club, I had seen both of these book before but they had never jumped out at me. I really liked the Tiger Mother. Room was a different story, but I’m glad I read it.

Both of those books were pretty heavy, so we decided to lighten up for the summer with Love the One You’re With by Emily Giffin.

This is another book I probably would never have read on my own. I like light reads; don’t get me wrong. I’ve read The Hunger Games, the Maze Runner series and … Twilight (I know, I know), but chick lit never sticks out to me. I’m more of a post-apocalyptic/dystopian girl myself. Anyway, I had heard good things about Giffin and was excited to give this book a shot.

This month’s meetup is tonight at Fire and Oak, a Jersey City spot I’ve been dying to check out, so I figured I’d share my thoughts with you first.

 ***SPOILER ALERT***

Synopsis:

The drama (it is a girlie read) in the book began right away. The main character, Ellen, has a casual run in with her ex, the one who got away, and it throws her world into a tailspin. Though she is happily married to a kind man (who happens to be her best friend’s brother), seeing Leo causes a flood of emotions to bombard Ellen and leaves her reliving (sometimes happily, often times painfully) the past and the life that could have been.

Ellen decides not to share the episode with her husband, Andy and becomes determined to forget about Leo and focus on her nascent marriage to Andy. She has a difficult time forgetting the past, and it seems she’s not the only one. Leo contacts her and offers her an opportunity to work with him (she’s a photographer, he, a journalist) on a dream assignment with a celebrity. She tries to decline, but he reels her in and the two end up working together across the country from her loving and clueless husband.

Ellen and Leo remain professional on set, but share a tensely romantic plane flight back. She keeps this incident from her husband as well, although her best friend realizes what’s going on once the article is printed. The friend and sister, Margot, agrees that Ellen should keep the shoot a secret, but sever any other ties with Leo. Ellen manages to push Leo out of her mind and vows to become a good wife, even agreeing to move from New York to Atlanta, Andy and Margot’s hometown.

Unsurprisingly, Ellen finds herself unhappy and restless in Atlanta, and her thoughts return to Leo. Desperate to discover what may have been (or could still be) she arranges another session with Leo in New York and reluctantly comes clean to her husband. Andy is furious. Ellen is self-righteous. She flies to New York, cavorts with Leo and kisses him. Before things completely cross the line, her own sister calls to tell her that she should stop and return to her husband. She heeds her sister’s warning and ends things with Leo.

After making up her mind and calling her husband, she finds that he’s flown to New York to be with her and apologize. The two reconcile and agree to split their living arrangements between New York and Atlanta. Ellen concludes that marriage is a commitment that is not blindly followed but reaffirmed daily.

What I Liked:

At first, I really liked the book and main character, Ellen. It’s exciting but also difficult for me to read books that are set in present day New York City. Living so close to the city, I often feel as if authors either over dramatize or over romanticize New York, but this was an exception. Reading her words, I actually felt like I was walking in Ellen’s shoes through a city I know well.

I also liked the way they explored the concept of wondering “what if?”. Whenever Ellen compared Andy and Leo, she concluded that neither was better or worse. They were just different. She seemed to rightfully appreciate the things she got from each man, and it never seemed like she had just settled for Andy. The book explored Ellen’s feelings regarding just how good Andy was and how it was a bit easier to be with someone as flawed as Leo.

What I Didn’t Like:

Much of the attraction to Leo seemed to stem from the fact that he rejected Ellen. The fact that she could not, and did not, have him seemed to doom her to longing for him. It seemed like a “grass is always greener” situation and sort of a juvenile position for a grown woman to be in. I also can’t stand books or movies where nice guys are passed over simply because they are nice. Andy’s niceness seemed to consistently work against him, which just didn’t make much sense.

I couldn’t stand how dopey Andy turned out to be in the end. His anger with Ellen for lying to him was totally warranted, yet he folded like a house of cards when she decided to stay with him. It seemed out of character, and appeared like the author couldn’t find a better way to resolve the conflict and end the book. I would have liked to read about how they worked through this big issue.

The book glosses over the entire topic of whether or not exes can remain friends. I think it’s a fascinating topic that deserved a little more attention.

Mostly I was just bothered that Ellen seemed to get her way at every turn. She was dumped by a flaky ex and married a wonderful man. When she had her doubts about that man, she was able to revisit the failed relationship with her ex. When the ex turned out to still be flaky and kind of a jerk, she was able to return to her loving, caring husband. Not much of a conflict if you ask me.

Book Club Review: Room

I feel a little aimless after my half marathon. Yesterday I went to the gym for the first time in what felt like forever and just sort of stood there. I didn’t really want to be there. I wanted to be outside running, but, alas, that was not in the cards. I got injured after my last half marathon for jumping back into things to quickly, so I’m trying to play it smart this time around. I decided to just warm up a bit, work my upper body, and cool down, so I did this:

I was happy with the upper body part (I could barely lift my hairbrush today), but I think I overdid it on the elliptical. My knees were getting sore by the end of the workout, and my quads hurt today. It was not smart. I think for the rest of the week, I’ll probably do no more than 20 minutes total on the elliptical seeing as I already walk a lot throughout the day. Chris and I are planning on doing a shakeout run on Friday, and I’m so excited for that, so I’ll take it easy until then. I guess.

After the gym I made a very springy meal.

That’s garlic butter baked fish and spring pea risotto. Truthfully, I only made half this meal. The fish is Gorton’s frozen filets. They’re great because you can’t just pop them in the oven frozen for 20 minutes, and they’re done! They come marinated and everything. The only sketchiness… no where on the package does it say what kind of fish it is. It’s white fish, and it tasted pretty good. That’s all I know. I’m not thinking too much about it.

I did make that risotto! I love risotto. In a cheese-free house, it’s a delight because it tastes super creamy with no actual dairy at all. People shy away from risotto because it seems like a lot of work, but it’s really not. It’s a lot of time in the kitchen but all you do is stir every few minutes. In the mix there was butter, shallots, white wine, arborio rice, chicken stock and defrosted frozen spring peas. I added some nutritional yeast after the picture (because it makes everything that scary neon yellow), and it was creamy and delicious.

We spent the rest of the night watching ridiculous TV. Has anyone ever seen Extreme Cheapskates on TLC? It was very odd. TLC is the place to go for odd TV for sure.

Anyway, on to more intellectual pursuits.

Don’t let the cover image fool you. This is not a cute kid’s book.

From Amazon:

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it’s where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it’s not enough…not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son’s bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

The story of Room is told by Jack, and Donoghue does a wonderful job of channeling the mind of a 5 year old. Throughout the book, you really feel as though you are seeing the world through Jack’s eyes. It’s delightful at times and very frustrating at others. As you read, understanding what Jack is thinking, it’s frustrating to see him repeatedly misunderstood and unable to get his point across.

The story is definitely chilling, but it’s not as frightening as I thought it would be. While about abduction and captivity, it’s really more about the relationship between Jack and Ma. You learn some details of Ma’s kidnapping, and there are a few graphic scenes describing what life under Old Nick is like, but just as Ma shields Jack from the worst parts of the situation, the reader is not exposed to many gruesome details.

It’s a very quick read, but it’s one of those books that will stick with you for a long time. The story itself is very compelling, but the perspective from which it’s told is what makes it worth the read. That’s my general opinion on the book if you haven’t read it. If you have read Room (or aren’t planning to) here’s some more of my thoughts…

*SPOILER ALERT*

At first, I really liked it. I felt deeply sad for Ma as it was evident that she was trying her absolute hardest to put on a brave face for little Jack while in the midst of a truly horrific experience. She was kidnapped at only 19, raped and held captive by an old creep named Nick. He gets her pregnant once, but she delivers a still born. He gets her pregnant again, and she delivers Jack. This part confused me. They briefly hint at the fact that she’s now on birth control,  but why wasn’t she always? Old Nick has no relationship with Jack, so it doesn’t really seem like he wanted to get her pregnant, so why not give her the birth control right away? I wish they had explained that a bit.

The author mentions that Ma tried to escape once before Jack was born, but she failed and Old Nick retaliated by starving her for a few days. I don’t really understand why she doesn’t try again. She seems to have things like knives at her disposal, so it just seems weird that she didn’t put up more of a fight. It also didn’t make a lot of sense to me that Old Nick, who was crazy and evil enough to kidnap Ma, never even looks at Jack. It just seemed a little unbelievable.

I liked that they had days where Ma was “Gone” as Jack would call her. These were days when she was just totally checked out and couldn’t even get out of bed. It was starting to seem odd that she could manage to pretend like nothing was going on for so long without falling apart, so I was glad the author included these mini breakdowns.

The part of the book where Jack and Ma escape was pretty good, although I had a hard time believing it would work that easily, but overall, I think it was interesting.

I found the parts after the escape to be a more interesting read. I was getting a little bored of Room, but the book did pick up once they got to the outside. I liked the parts that centered around what her family did in the aftermath of Ma’s disappearance, and I wish they had focused a bit more on how they were able to rebuild their bonds once Ma returned, but I understand with the book being from Jack’s perspective, it’s difficult to delve deep into the other characters psyches.

I loved Jack’s commentary on how different his experience growing up in Room was from how it appears kids are raised on the outside- no parental involvement, viewed as more of a party gag or downright annoyance. I wish there had been more of that rather than Jack just describing various kitchen appliances that were new to him.

I didn’t like how the character Ma changed once on the Outside. I thought it was weird that she was able to step up to the plate and be such a strong, loving mom (even though she was young) in captivity, but once they were freed she turned into this selfish, distant person. I could relate to her desire to get her old life back and her frustration at having missed so much, but it seemed like having Jack really changed her life for the better, and I wish the author had made her seem less desperate to brush him off. I definitely did not like the grandma. At first you were supposed to believe she was thrilled about having her daughter back, but the way she treated Jack definitely did not fit that mold. It seemed unbelievable to me that so many people would be allowed unsupervised access to Jack with nothing major going wrong. I don’t think it works like that.

There were too many inconsistencies in Jack’s assimilation into the outside world for me. Like, he’s terrified of rain, but he has no problem in elevators? That just didn’t work for me. I wished they had touched a bit more on the psychological fallout of the experience for Jack as well as Ma.

I didn’t dislike the book,  I guess I just wish there were more, and that the author wasn’t so eager to tie everything up in a neat little bow. Emma Donoghue touched on such an interesting subject, but I feel like she fell short of really exploring it. I guess that’s the downside of telling a really serious story from a toddler’s perspective.  It was a quick read, but I wouldn’t have minding reading for longer in order to get into the real issues here. Ultimately, I think the good outweighed the bad on this one, and I’m glad I read Room.

Book Club: The Maze Runner Series

A few weeks ago, I finished the last (? there’s supposedly another book coming out, but this was billed as the last) book in the Maze Runner series. I had high hopes for this series. It was recommended several times from several sources as, “If you liked the Hunger Games, you’ll like the Maze Runner too!” Um. Not so much for me. I was disappointed in these books.

The first book, The Maze Runner, started out strong enough with a lot of mystery. I, like the main character, Thomas, had no idea what was going out for probably about the first 50 pages. I got a little nervous at this point. I don’t really like being kept in the dark too long; it worries me that the backstory won’t live up to all the hype, but I stuck with it. Once Thomas got his bearings a bit, things became more interesting, but there were still many unknowns. The first book asks a lot of questions. Who put these boys in the maze? What’s the purpose? Is WICKED, good? What’s going on with Thomas and Teresa? What’s their past? What’s the changing? Why does it give the Gladers some memories back? Why are these memories so haunting?

See, it’s  a lot of questions. I mentioned before that this book sort of reminded me of the series Lost where they would answer at best 1/3 of all the quetions they asked while totally dismissing the rest. I’m all for well-written, open ended,  thought inducing stories, but I don’t like feeling like the author didn’t have a planned ending  in mind when writing the book.

By the end of the first book, I had a better idea of what the Maze was all about, and I was starting to understand how the Gladers got there. I had a better idea about what was happening in the world the Gladers left behind, but I didn’t really understand how the two were linked. The epilogue to the book was my favorite part. I genuinely had no idea that was coming, and it got me really excited for the Scorch Trials.

I really enjoyed this second book. I think it had a lot more action and excitement. The surprises were more frequent than in the first book, and the remaining characters gained a lot more depth. I finally got a better understanding of what had triggered this end of days situation and what the post apocalyptic world was like, but I wished they had elaborated on that more. I think it’s really important in dystopian novels to have a strong sense of what went wrong.

What bothered me so much about this book was the entire issue with Thomas and Teresa. Without giving too much away, I will say I was shocked to see his opinion of her change that suddenly. I mean, she did try and warn him. His reaction seemed very unwarranted. If the author was trying to make her out to be a true villain, I don’t think he did a very good job because I was pulling for her pretty strongly throughout the book, and I thought Thomas just ended up looking like a jerk by turning on her. Being a rule follower myself, it’s hard for me to see the evil in someone who misguidedly trusted the wrong side and made a big mistake.

The ending to the Scorch Trials wasn’t as compelling as the ending to the first book, but I wanted to know more about WICKED, and I was interested in seeing how the story would end, so I read The Death Cure.

Odd title. Odd book. Odd ending to the saga. The whole series they had been assuring us that WICKED was good, and they kind of had me convinced of it in the end. I mean, their methods were wrong, but their stated mission seemed pretty good. They were genuinely trying to help. I can understand why Thomas and his friends were reluctant to trust them after everything, but it seemed a little odd that they were unwilling to help seeing as they seemed to all be on the same side in the end.

The introduction of the Right Arm was interesting. I was hoping this would turn out to be the better planned alternative to WICKED, but, in my opinion, they were just as misguided.

The whole story line with Thomas and Newt felt really wrong. I wish they could have worked that one out better.

What bothered me the most about this book was the budding relationship between Brenda and Thomas. It seemed a little too convenient that the minute she showed up, Teresa was branded as this evil woman that Thomas could never forgive. Again, they just didn’t do enough to make me dislike Teresa. I ended up feeling really badly for her. I think she got the worst deal of all the characters. It seemed like she and Thomas had a strong history, which he threw away. I didn’t like it. I also wasn’t as surprised as I think the author would have liked with the epilogue to this book. I mean, didn’t that seem like the best solution all along?

Overall, it’s not a bad series, but it’s no Hunger Games. If you really love dystopian novels, and you’re looking for a shallow read, than you might like the Maze Runner. Personally,  I don’t recommend it because it’s a lot of time to devote to a series only to be sort of meh at the end. If there is a fourth book, I might read it just to look for some redemption, but for now, I’m still looking for the next great series.

***

If you read the Maze Runner, what did you think of the series? 

Have you found any great series worth checking out?

March Book Club: The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes

Good morning sunshines!

Last night was the most perfect Friday night I can remember in a long, long time, and I did absolutely nothing! It was wonderful. I came home from work with boundless energy (very odd for a Friday), so  I decided to capitalize on it and hit the gym for a 20 minute spin interval session followed by some full body toning. I love the spin bike. It gets my blood flowing!

I came back home pretty hungry, so I got right to work on dinner which was salmon served over brown rice with roasted broccoli.

The salmon was actually frozen wild caught salmon that I found at Target, defrosted and marinated with the juice of one lemon, one lime, one orange and one teaspoon of brown sugar. I cooked it in a non stick skillet over medium heat about 4-6 minutes per side. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, and was a little nervous when I saw how orange it was, but it tasted great! I would definitely pick that up again. The broccoli was tossed with a  little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder then roasted at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

After dinner we set out on a mission. I’m not usually one to buy into lotto madness, but a day of reading everyone’s tweets and facebook statuses gave me the fever, so we set out to buy my first ever lotto ticket. We picked one set of numbers (8, 15, 22, 29, 18, 5- our birthdays, Miles’ birthday, our anniversary my sisters’ birthday, his brothers birthday) and bought four more random sets of numbers.

We spent the rest of the night eating our weight in M&M’s, drinking wine and watching old school Dane Cook on Comedy Central. I forgot how funny he used to be! “When you die, nothing happens”

We stayed up for the lotto drawing and… we’re NOT millionaires! Come on. Would I really be blogging if we were? No. I’d be on a plane to Bali. Anyway, millionaires or not, we had a really fun night.

This morning was supposed to be our 9 mile long run, but the weather is terrible. Rainy and too cold. Tomorrow is supposed to be much better, so we moved our run to Sunday and enjoyed Pancake Saturday instead!

The pancakes were 3/4 whole wheat pancake mix and 1/4 vanilla protein powder with a fried egg and the saddest piece of burnt gluten free toast I’ve ever made.

On the schedule for today is some cleaning, some errands, a lot of relaxing and a showing of Pulp Fiction at the historic Lowe’s Theater in Jersey City. It’s crazy that I lived next door to this for 2 years and never once stepped foot inside. but I’m really excited for tonight. Also, I saw Pulp Fiction for the first time ever last year (crazy, I know, when I told Chris I’d never seen it, he immediately stopped what he was doing and put it on), and I loved it, so I’m excited to see it on the big screen.

Moving on to book club, thanks to a recommendation from the lovely Julie over at Peanut Butter Fingers this month I read The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain.

It’s the story of a young girl named Cee Cee Wilkes and the decision she makes at 16 that ends up reshaping her entire life. On the surface, it’s a thriller type mystery that keeps you turning pages until long after you should have gone to bed, but on a deeper level, it’s a story about being human. It’s about the ways we deal with loss, the things we do for love (both good and bad) and what makes a group of people a family.

I think this book started out very strongly. I was compelled by Cee Cee’s story. I had no idea what she would end up doing, but I wanted to know more. I feel like I read the first half of the book in a day. After that, things slowed down. The story became less thrilling and more of a detail of the day to day life of an American family.

In a not so radical turn of events, the past comes back to haunt Cee Cee and she is forced, once again, to make a decision between wrong and right. Once she does, the book picks back up again, and you’re dying to read more.

Sadly, the ending of this book sort of ruined it for me. It took an incredibly complicated and loaded situation and wrapped it up way too neatly. I had a hard time believing things could ever actually work out like that. I wished the book had spent less time focusing on the peaceful times and more on the aftermath of Cee Cee’s second major decision.

Overall, I recommend the book. It’s an interesting story that will definitely have you asking yourself, “What would I have done?” It shakes up the concept of family and makes it hard to identify a true villain in this story. Mostly, this book will probably make you want to call your mom and tell her you love her. I’m not a mom, but I know maternal love is a powerful bond, and this book does a great job of illustrating that. The characters are beautiful developed. The story is well written, and it’s a quick, enticing read.

***

Has anyone else read this book? Do you agree?

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother: Review

Before leaving for Florida I finished reading Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. It’s a quick read, evidence by the fact that I finished it in under a week. As I said, I picked it up because it was this month’s Book Club selection, and I didn’t really think I would like it too much. I was wrong. This was a really fun and interesting read. For those who don’t know, Amy Chua is a first generation Chinese American. She sets out with the goal to raise her children in what she refers to as the “traditional Chinese way” as opposed to the,  in her opinion, more relaxed “Western way.” The book is her accounting of just how well that worked, or didn’t for her two daughters Sophia and Lulu.

The book is intense, Chua’s methods are unorthodox at best and bordering on inhumane at worst. It could be a gut wrenching book were it now for Chua’s own sense of humor and honesty. She knows her style is unconventional, and she knows others disagree with her stance on parenting. She’s brutally honest throughout the whole book detailing not only the things she’s done, but the way she’s felt about it through the years.

Going into the book, I was afraid I’d read the bragging manifesto of a woman who bullied her kids into submission, but what shines through most in the book is Amy’s intense love for her two daughters, and the only thing more impactful in the book other than her stubbornness regarding her methods is her ability to admit she may have gone to far.

The book concludes on a sort of open ended book, so the whole thing feels more like musings on parenting than an actual instruction manual. It’s a quick and light read that will definitely get you thinking about parents, children and the goals we set for ourselves and each other. If you’re on the fence, check it out!