1984

Wow! This book scared the shit out of me. And not just because of the torture and the idea of Big Brother always watching you and being able to read your thoughts, but because I can see this eventually happening and that terrifies me. George Orwell may not have guessed the correct year in which this would take place, but I'm pretty sure he hit the nail right on the head with what will happen someday.

I can't even imagine living in a world where everyone just accepts everything they see, hear, and read as fact when those "facts" are constantly changing. How can anyone believe that they were always at war with one country and always allied with another when a week ago you knew the opposite to be true? This type of mind control and seduction will, I hope, never be possible en masse, the way this book portrays, but it does make me wonder about the power of mind control. Who wouldn't be able to rule the world if they have the ability to control the thoughts and emotions of those living in it?

One thing I love and hate about books like this is that it shows how bad things can get if power is put in the wrong hands and technology is poorly utilized, but it also shows those who want this kind of power what they need to do in order to gain it and use it wisely. It blatantly shows the weaknesses of the human race and how easily our minds can become corrupt.

A good read for those who want a glimpse of the future and don't mind seeing something truly horrifying. Sci-fi always shines a light in the darkest of places. I hope we know what to do when the time comes that these things are possible and possibly happening. I want to wish the world luck.

Ender in Exile

Ender in Exile, Orson Scott Card's newest addition to the Ender series, claimed to be a direct sequel. I would have to disagree with this claim due to the details given and left out of this book. There were many instances where the impact of his words would have been lost on me had I not read the rest of the series previous to reading this new installment.

It was very well-written, and I was giddy with the number of Shakespearean references and parallels. I had been yearning for this branch of the story to come about. I had always been curious about Ender's life directly after Battle School and the end to the Formic Wars. Despite having this information, however, I still think there's room for another book set directly after this one. I hope Orson Scott Card has another masterpiece in the works.

Ender's time on the ship was very well done, but I would have liked more of his time on Shakespeare to have been fleshed out more. The last part seemed to be over much too quickly. There had to have been more for him to say about that time of Ender's life. Though, I supposed due to his extensive travels throughout his lifetime, a two-year stint on Shakespeare may prove less significant than his other stays on the planets he visits in the other novels.

I am not yet sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing that the storyline that stuck most in my head was the interactions between Alessandra and her mother.

The Invisible Man

The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells was just one of those classics I felt I had to read. And I'm glad I did. It had me laughing the whole way! I'm not sure if this was Wells' intention, but that's surely what happened. I just couldn't stop imagining this man running around naked because he'd be seen if he were wearing clothes! I can't imagine how frustrating that must have been for Griffin, the invisible man. He thought up this great idea of how to turn himself invisible, but he can't be invisible completely unless it's a sunny day or pitch dark night....and he's naked.

Aside from the fact you have to live life naked, if you do put clothes on, your face is still not really visible and that's a problem for the average person. So, you're a person stuck between two worlds: never able to fully belong to either (at least not comfortably or without freaking people out).

And if that wasn't enough, he starts to go mad because of this inability to live his life. The rawness of this character opens insight into the psyche of humans. What would any of us have done in the same situation? Unable to show ourselves as we truly are and unable to live a life of secrecy. Running from the world that wants to destroy you because you created something no one else can even imagine. The readers are swept up into a whirlwind of emotions from the side of the invisible man himself and the people affected by his actions. A true tale of what could happen if too much power is put into anyone's hands.

The Lovely Bones

You have to be in the right mood to read The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I don't think I was in the right mood going into it, but once you start, it's difficult to put down to try again later. I wouldn't necessarily say you need to read this with a box of tissues next to you, but if you've recently lost a loved one, you probably should keep some Kleenex handy. Also, if you've buried (forgive me) some memories of loved ones that you'd rather not have peck to the surface quite yet, then you're not ready to read this book.

The perspectives shared in this novel are inspiring. As one who has never been sure of the idea of heaven, this book paints a picture of a heaven I can get on board with. Instead of this big white fluffy cloud filled heaven with absolutely everyone who has ever died and made it up there, there's a personal heaven where there are others like you who share the same idea of what their heaven should hold.

Throughout the novel you can literally feel the pain this little girl is in as she's watching her family fall apart below her. It's the story of a journey, difficult to follow and even harder to stay away from, just like the deceased Susie is unable to turn her eyes away from her family and the lives of those connected to her and her death. Imagine knowing your murderer and having to watch your family fall apart from not knowing. The agony is incomprehensible.

The Lovely Bones is a wonderfully well-written story of a little girl who died too young and never got the chance to do all that a girl should. It brilliantly outlines the transition from childhood to the maturity needed to let your family get along without you and the sadness felt at seeing a sister growing up doing things you wish you could do.

As I feel with most books turned to movies, I think it's a shame someone tried to turn this book into a movie. It's too powerful to put in anything other than the words on these pages. Imagination is 1000 times more powerful than anything we can ever put on screen.

The Good Sister

The Good Sister by Diana Diamond was different from any other suspense novel I have ever read (and I have read probably 70% of the Mary Higgins Clark books out there). Keep in mind "different" doesn't necessarily mean better or worse than any other suspense novel. It didn't get my heart racing making me wonder what was going to happen next. It did have me questioning my ability to read the actions and words of the people involved in the novel.

The entire time I agonized over which sister was the "good" sister and which was the psychopath narrating the beginning of each section. There were so many times where I could have sworn I was sure about which sister was the killer, then something would happen that made me question everything I had been thinking previous to that moment.

There were shocks around every corner, but not ones that really make you question the author's decision. Each change made sense to the characters' personalities and quirks. Yes, they were shocks, but not unbelievable ones like you sometimes get. Psychopaths can't act normal all the time. But then again, it's difficult when reading, to see the difference between psychotic and sisterly rivalry. I have sisters who fight more often than not, whether they mean to or not. Neither of them would kill each other like in this story, but their rivalry is fierce and difficult to understand unless you are in their shoes. So, the sisters in the story never seemed too out of line with reality. Until the end when you realize what one of them was thinking the entire time and the things she did throughout her life.

Normally, I don't like stories that go back and forth between a character being the narrator and having an outside narrator, but that was the hook that pulled me through the whole story. I kept reading if only for a glimpse of thought from the crazy sister to see why she was doing the things she did, how she could think the way she did.

Then, of course, there was the HUGE twist at the end that I never would have guessed!

What Was She Thinking: Notes on a Scandal

What Was She Thinking: Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller made me feel alone. I related a bit too much to the narrator, Barbara. I saw myself in her in 30 years when I'm still single and have only a small number of close friends. In some ways it was refreshing having someone talk about how things really are for everyone, married and single people alike. Both envy the life of the other. Both make mistakes and errors in judgment.

The book addresses the subject of love on numerous occasions and I am delighted in the fashion it was mentioned. Sheba swears undying love for her student while still having love for her husband. But, the author shrewdy implies the student was just acting out of lust instead of love when he pursued his teacher. His nonchalance about the whole relationship showed his indifference toward his lover. It pains me when Sheba does not realize how much Connolly (her student) does not care about her. She is just a passing fad in a young boy's life, a boy who is only starting to make the shift to manhood.

What Was She Thinking lives up to its name. Throughout the entire unfolding of the story, I couldn't help but think, "what was she thinking" for Barbara as well as Sheba. I recommend this book to readers who don't mind seeing life as it is. Just promise me you won't delusion yourself the way the characters have if you find yourself in a similar situation. It was painful watching Sheba destroy herself while believing she was doing it for true love even though it was clear her lover was no longer interested.

The Glass Castle: A Memoir

What can I say about The Glass Castle? I was telling my mom a little bit about it and when I told her it started from when the girl was 3 years old, my mom did not believe it could truly be a memoir. "Who remembers when they're three?" Well, perhaps a little girl who caught fire would have some pretty clear memories from when she was three.

From the beginning to the end, I was in shock, and yet not. Jeannette Walls told her story in such an off-hand way that it did not seem to matter that her life wasn't what people would expect. Don't we all expect people to have "normal" lives? We want children to have a solid home, toys, a father who is not an alcoholic and a mother who willingly works if she has to. But not all children have lives like this. Jeannette or "Mountain Goat" had what most people would consider a rough life, but she was clearly loved, which is more than what some children receive.

I moved around a lot when I was growing up, but it was nothing compared to the life Jeannette Walls lived. I had a sturdy home to live in each time we moved, and for us, it was never to do "the skiddadle" as Jeannette and her family had to do several times. And "several times" is an understatement.

I literally could not put the book down. Every spare second I had, I was reading this book. I finished more than half of it in one sitting. It was one of those books you can get so lost in that you don't hear the clock chiming in the background even though it rings every fifteen minutes.

To Jeannette Walls: I'm glad you found a place to call home. I am still searching, though my life has not quite been the adventure yours has been.

He's Just Not That Into You

Inspired. It was an easy read, but it was entertaining, if nothing else. I'm not really a dater. If I meet a guy I like and we start going out, great, but I don't actively seek dates in bars or other social venues. But this book was still interesting to me. It provided fun insight into the world of men, which is a bit confusing to more than just a handful of women that I know. We all know that men and women are different; we just don't see things the same way or act the same way about almost everything. The challenge is differentiating between the bad guys and the good guys. He's Just Not That Into You does a great job of slapping you in the face with reality. It really does what has needed to be done for years! It even helped me realize that my most recent relationship wasn't as happy and perfect as I had thought even before he and I realized we weren't meant to be together. I was in it deeper than he was, and I was too blind to see it. I didn't want to see it, which is our biggest problem. We want every guy we are with to be Mr. Right, and it's tough to see that he's not, especially if we've been dating for a length of time longer than a month. We all assume the guy must love us if he's still around after a year of dating, but the truth is, he's probably just afraid to tell you the truth because he doesn't want to hurt your feelings. So, he sticks around and things start to crumble and then you finally decide things aren't where they should be if you're both happy, and you break it off. I recommend this book to men and women alike. For men, it could be a helpful guide to know what women are really thinking, so maybe they should think twice before acting like one of the guys described in the book. And for women, it is a helpful guide to keep you away from the guys who aren't treating you the way you should be treated in a loving relationship. For women, this book is an upper more than anything. It is very reassuring when it comes to complimenting women on their fun, sexy, amazing features that we don't get complimented on nearly enough times throughout the day/week/month/year. Everyone should read this book!

The Amber Spyglass

This was less than enjoyable. The layout of the story did not make much sense and was just frustrating. I understand that the author was trying to be creative in how he did the end of the chapter italics-inside-Lyra's-head thing, but it just bit. In a Kindle it was even more frustrating than if it was in a hard copy, but I'm pretty sure I would have enjoyed it just as little if I had read it in paperback or hard cover copy. Cutting someone off in mid-sentence and then starting it up again at the end of the next chapter only to cut someone off mid-sentence again was pointless and aggravating! At first I thought it had downloaded improperly when I ordered it on my Kindle. Then I just realized that was how it was meant to be.

The only good part was when that stopped happening. But even then, the plot lines were frustrating to follow as well. There were too many to follow to the point where I couldn't remember there were other characters until they were randomly brought to the front again. Some of the plot lines ended poorly as well. It was as if there was all this build up to have a lame ending because the author couldn't think of anything more creative to do with that segment.

I cannot express how deeply disappointed I was in this end of the trilogy. And the "amber spyglass" wasn't even mentioned by that name until 70% of the way through the book. And the other times it was mentioned before then it didn't seem to have that important of an implication; it certainly didn't seem as life-changing as the "golden compass" and the "subtle knife". Those objects were the sole attention in the previous books by those names. The amber spyglass did not even fit into the greater scheme of things when it came to what was going to happen at the end of the story. It basically turned out not to matter if it was made at all. The one character who used it was able to see "Dust" but she still couldn't tell what she was supposed to do through that. It could only confirm that Dust actually existed and that there was a disturbance with its flow.

All-in-all, The Amber Spyglass was my least favorite book in the series, which is why it took me so long to read. It got to be frustrating how long it was taking me just because my heart wasn't really in it. When I started the book, I was excited because it was the finale of the series, and for the most part, those are the best books because it wraps everything up so well that you can't help but applaud the author in the ingenious of it all. But that did not happen here. I would recommend the first two books, but certainly not the last. Even though you want to know how it ends. It was too painfully executed to enjoy.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Fascinating. Truly fascinating. I had read the original Pride and Prejudice about five years ago and couldn't quite remember details, but I think that made reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies that much more enjoyable. The concept of zombies roaming Netherfield and Pemberly is unusual at first, but reading the book made it seem like this is the way it was always meant to be. It was as if Seth-Grahame Smith had insight into what Jane Austin really wanted to write. It was only natural for Elizabeth Bennett to be sitting in a corner of the room polishing her gun, and of course, Mr. Collins is unable to see past his own nose and notice his wife is turning into a zombie. The additions made were flawlessly done. Nothing seemed out of place; nothing seemed like it didn't quite fit. All I can really say is, well-done Seth-Grahame Smith! Well done!

Kindle and Crime and Punishment

Ah...Kindle. The magic little box that carries all the books I could ever desire.

My parents and oldest sister bought me a Kindle for my birthday/Christmas. Secretly I had wanted one, but I didn't want to ask for it because I knew how expensive it would be. Imagine my shock when I opened my birthday presents to reveal the slick little eBook holder. To accessorize and protect it, I also received a leather cover and an LED book light. And to top it off...a $25 gift card to Amazon. I was in my glory! Since then I have purchased a number of books, all of which I intend to read and post about here. I will write reviews of the books I have read thanks to this little wonder.

I admit, I had slowed in my reading since I had been in high school. College kept me too busy to allow adequate reading time, and while I always had a book with me, it would take upwards of two months to complete one. The Kindle truly did rekindle my love of reading and my interest in books. Sometimes we need that little extra push to get us back on track to the things we truly love and care about.

I am happy to say that since receiving my perfect little gift, I finally finished reading Crime and Punishment (a book I intended to read since Freshman year, but had just started a month before the Kindle appeared in my life). Lucky for me, Crime and Punishment happened to be one of those public domain books and was therefore free for me to download onto my Kindle. The following will be my first review of a book:

Crime and Punishment by Fydor Dostoyevsky frustrated me a great deal in the beginning. I knew what was going on, but I couldn't for the life of my figure out the significance of it. Granted, it did take me a month to read the first half of the book and only about a week to complete it. However, I was mystified and confused as to why I should continue reading. Being a faithful reader that I am, the book did interest me enough to see through to the end. In fact, it was so intriguing I had no choice but to go on. I was frustrated, yes, but by no means was I bored. It piqued my curiosity more than I had expected. I have had many classics recommended to me in the past, many of which are too boring to get me past the first few pages, but this one was different. It was a classic that wasn't dry in any sense of the word. The reader was dropped inside someone's head (a difficult task for any writer to do well) and the reader is instantly wondering the same things the character is wondering. The one drawback of the book was the longwinded speeches made by the main character Raskolnikov and his friends. The speech would literally go on for pages, oftentimes repeating notions he had previously brought up. Though even these were necessary for the success of Crime and Punishment. It was phenomenal in the way it played with the reader's mind. The reader being shoved into a crime and wondering how no one else notices the strange behavior of the character and becoming suspicious of everyone he comes across. It really felt like I was along for the ride, and what a ride it was. The ending was somewhat predictable, but getting there was the fun part anyway. The whole time one wonders where the next twist will be, who will be the one to discover the true suspect of the crime. A wonderful tale about the tricks a mind can play on itself when guilty of something truly appalling. I recommend it to those interested in the psychology of someone who is driving him/herself slowly to insanity. I recommend it to those who would be fascinated by watching the fall of someone who had seemed so in control of his/herself until the moment a crime is committed. All in all, an excellent read.