Everything I Was

Everything I Was by Corinne Demas
Carolrhoda LAB, 2011
209 pages
MG; Contemporary
3.5/5 stars

Source: Received a free egalley via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the cover, I thought this was a horror novel about some teenage sexpot terrorizing a town. That is NOT correct at all.  First the main character is 13, making this an appropriate middle-grade novel. Second the novel is more about family, friendship, and first love in a pretty sweet way.

Irene leads a very privileged life with a beautiful apartment and attendance at a private girls' school in New York City.  Until her dad loses his job and her parents decide to spend the summer with her grandfather in the country because they have little to no money.  Her mom is not at all pleased, having been accustomed to a certain way of life that is no longer available to her.  Irene is confused by the changes and feels hurt that her parents are making decisions without talking to her about them.  However once there, Irene's worldview shifts.  She meets new people like the boisterous loving family including a girl her age Meg and a cute boy Jim.  And she begins to enjoy gardening and a more simple life than she had lived previously.

Content: There was one page where Irene swears twice, which is my only hesitation in recommending this to a younger audience.

Overall: A sweet novel that is mostly appropriate for a MG audience. I didn't hate this book but I didn't love it either.  There were some cute parts but nothing grabbed me. I appreciated the diversion of a few hours and it was pleasant but nothing to shout about.

Cover: I've already shared what the cover made me think of the story; does anyone else get that impression?

March Stats

Info:

I had my first experience with EM Forster and ended disappointed.  Now this is a guy who said, "I am a Jane Austenite, and therefore slightly imbecile about Jane Austen" so I really want to like him but I did not.  Should I still give A Room With a View or Howards End or a different book a try or just give up on him (for now at least)?

I discovered that I have very high expectations for fantasy or paranormal or dystopian YA that tends to result in disappointment; hyped books also tend to make me unhappy although not always. I feel like I hold contemporary to an entirely different standard which you might be able to see reflected in my ratings and reviews. I don't know if it's because I prefer contemporary nor do I know why I prefer contemporary but for me contemporary > paranormal.

I also had some slow reading periods as my schoolwork increased but then really good reading periods such as my spring break.  I still have plenty of reviews planned, largely ebooks from Netgalley and Simon and Schuster's GalleyGrab (an awesome program).  I was also invited to become a part of Amazon's Vine program so I will be reviewing books from that.  And of course I am a frequent visitor at my library.

April also marks the start of judging for the YA Best Overlooked Book Battle of 2011. I can't wait to get started; see this post for more info.

Monthly Stats:

Books Read This Month: 36
Pages Read This Month: 11,133
Average Length of Book: 309 pages
Average Rating of Book: 3.81

Favorite Book: One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde

Least Favorite Book: The Trial by Franz Kafka 

Longest Book: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, 700 pages

Shortest Book: The Manchurian Candidate by Greil Marcus, 75 pages

Year Stats:

Total Books Read: 104

Total Pages Read: 30,177

Average Length of Book: 290

Average Rating of Book: 3.81

By Genre:
Mystery-1
YA/MG-19
Romance-4

Classics-3

Science Fiction/Fantasy-1

Non-Fiction-5
Historical Fiction-3
Short Stories-0
Other-0

Challenge Updates:

Contemps: 4 read, 7 total

Cozy: 1 read, 2 total

British Books: 6 read, 22 total

YA Debut: 1 read, 8 total

Ebook: 13 read, 35 total

Source:

Home Library-0

School Library-14

Own/Borrowed-9

Booksneeze-0

Netgalley-9

Other ebook source-4

Audiobook-0

Read for school: 4

Read for pleasure: 32

Stats for Previous Months: January; February;

Books Read (Link for those reviewed):
69. Found in Translation by Roger Bruner and Kristi Rae Bruner
70. She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell
71. The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher
72. Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell
73. You Wish by Mandy Hubbard
74. The Manchurian Candidate by Greil Marcus
75. One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde
76. Stay by Deb Caletti
77. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
78. Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello
79. Matched by Ally Condie
80. The Making of Star Wars by JW Rinzler
81. The Trial by Franz Kafka
82. Everything I Was by Corinne Demas
83. Catching Katie by Robin Lee Hatcher
84. The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
85. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh (Reread)
86. Bless the Bride by Rhys Bowen
87. Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish
88. Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler
89. The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen
90. Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whalen
91. William and Kate by Christopher Andersen
92. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
93. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
94. Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink
95. Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer
96. William and Kate by Robin Nunn
97. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
98. So Shelly by Ty Roth
99. Cinderella: Ninja Warrior by Maureen McGowan
100. The Making of The Empire Strikes Back by JW Rinzler
101. The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird
102. The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble
103. Entwined by Heather Dixon
104. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

Three Musketeers Wrap-Up Post

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Translated by Anonymous
Barnes and Noble, 2004
700 pages
Originally Published 1844
Classic; Adventure
3.5/5 stars

Source: Bought

Summary: The classic adventure story of D'Artagnan, Porthos, Athos, and Aramis as they fight for king and queen against cardinalist forces and negotiate the battlefields of war and love.

Please also see my first post.

This second part continues much the same as the first part with the 4 continuing their ways.  The focus this time is more on Milady, a mysterious lady who can switch between an English and French character, plots beyond the supposed capabilities of a woman, and is serving the cardinal in opposition to Queen Anne.  She was a fascinating character because of her ability to get men to do almost anything she wanted using anything that was at her disposal.  However she was morally unprincipled and was clearly a villain against D'Artagnan's heroism so she dies in a rather shocking way.

The 4 continue their spendthrift ways, acquiring and disposing of large sums of money fairly quickly, spending it on food, drink (especially drink), women, and gaming.  However Athos is deepened through his back-story, which is intimately connected with Milady's. I guess he would be my favorite although I still don't really like any of them.

The siege of La Rochelle, a Huguenot post in Catholic France,  forms most of the background and there were some clever scenes around that such as when the 4 hold a private discussion in a bastion and then manage to fight off a great horde of invaders through subterfuge and a bit of luck.

Overall I was disappointed because I did not find this book as good as The Count of Monte Cristo. I didn't like the writing as much, I thought it dragged more, and I didn't like the characters as much either.

Additionally the trailer for a film adaptation later this year has been released.  Matthew MacFayden (aka a Mr. Darcy) plays Athos (my fave) but he also makes me think of Alan Rickman in appearance so that's kind of weird.  I'm sure I will see the film at some point although not necessarily in theaters.

Read as part of FITG Challenge.

Best Overlooked YA Book Battle 2011

I just found out that I get to be a judge for the Book Battle hosted by Alyssa at The Shady Glade.  What is the Book Battle? So glad you asked!  This year the theme is overlooked YA books, which means that you get to nominate two of your favorite books that just haven't gotten the love you think they deserve.  Then judges will read them and pick their favorites, culminating in a battle of brackets and one final champion.

So you need to get over there and nominate some overlooked YA books for me to read!  There is also still time if you'd like to volunteer to help out in some capacity (especially as a judge). You can find the links below.

Introduction to Book Battle
Nominate a Book
Volunteer

The Queen's Daughter

The Queen's Daughter by Susan Coventry
Henry Holt and Company, 2010
370 pages
YA; Historical Fiction
4/5 stars

Source: Library

This is hardcore historical fiction; the reader is deeply immersed in the twelfth century following Princess Joan, daughter of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, sister of Richard the Lionhearted and John Lackland.  It's filled with the politics of the period as Joan struggles to be her mother's daughter, to survive in a brutal world, and to maybe find love.

I loved being steeped in this world, about which I know very little, and seeing a woman's perspective.  Obviously Joan is pretty privileged as royalty but she's forced into two marriages at the pleasure of her king and is tormented by her familial loyalties.  Her father and her brothers spent a lot of time fighting as did her parents; both parents used their children for manipulative purposes and the effects of that reverberate throughout Joan's life.

However while I loved the historical aspects, I didn't really like any of the characters.  Sometimes I was able to sympathize with Joan but other times I thought she was making a bad decision.  She is married off to William, King of Sicily and despises him as a weakling unlike her father and brother Richard.  She is attracted to Raymond, a prolific womanizer whose morals I found loathsome. The teachings of her mother permeate her mind despite her inability to always institute those sayings (for example that kindness is weakness, leading to her assessment of William).  But I also found Joan fairly compassionate and doing the best she could in difficult circumstances.

I did love Ermengarde unreservedly, a talkative woman who is sort of Joan's best friend although they are not always able to spend much time together.  Richard is a boorish overbearing conqueror and few other characters are in Joan's life long enough to really make an impression.  According to the author's note, Joan died when she was thirty-four but she certainly traveled a lot (England, France, Sicily, and the Holy Land) for that short life.

I also felt the book as a whole was somewhat unsympathetic to Eleanor, who has been immortalized in my mind as Katharine Hepburn and who I thus adore.  Admittedly the portrayal in the book is far more complex than Eleanor=bad, Henry=good.  Both are presented with their share of faults but I would have preferred a more pro-Eleanor perspective.  I guess I should search out some books that focus on Eleanor for that.

Recommended for people who know this time period and/or people who really love historical fiction.

Cover: I love the cover! I think the rich colors and beautiful dress are very attractive.

Sing You Home

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
Atria, 2011
466 pages
Fiction; Issues
3.5/5

Source: GalleyGrab

Summary: Zoe and Max have struggled with infertility problems for years but now Zoe is twenty-eight weeks pregnant and they feel like they're in the home stretch.  Until she goes into labor and delivers a stillborn son.  Still she has hope and three frozen embryos but Max is done.  He does not want to go through a sixth round and they divorce.
Zoe is devastated and seeks solace in a new friendship with Vanessa which turns to romance.  They get married in Massachusetts and then decide to use the remaining embryos to have a child.
Max meanwhile turned to his conservative brother and sister-in-law Reid and Liddy for a place to live while he relapses into alcoholism until a saving experience with Jesus. Consequently when Zoe needs his permission for the embryos, he's uncertain.  His pastor excitedly uses this opportunity to fan a big court case with media attention attacking gays and their destruction of the traditional family.

Okay, I know that's a long summary but I feel like it all had to be said before I get in to my thoughts.  I usually love Jodi Picoult's novels so I was psyched to get an advance peek at her latest. I didn't know anything about it going in and when I skimmed the summary on goodreads, I read it wrong believing that Zoe ended up wanting a family with the teenage girl she was helping.  Luckily that is not the case!

I really liked Zoe and Max but if I had to choose one of them, I'd pick Max despite him being a much more flawed person.  He's an alcoholic with several falls of the wagon over the course of the novel, he lusts after a married woman, and he's rather indecisive.  But I liked his conversion experience and his deepening understanding of God's character although I wish there had been more scripture than the few instances that refer to homosexuality. I also loved Liddy with whom Max interacts; she made me think of the actress Anna Camp who actually played a similar character on "True Blood."

Meanwhile I did not like Vanessa.  I don't know why.  She was very good at her job as a guidance counselor and their courtship (while much too whirlwind for my taste-about five months from falling in love and marriage to the court case) was sweet. Maybe it was how she and Zoe were incapable of tolerance while demanding it from the pastor?

I know I'm just a college student with a very different set of experiences from forty-year old Zoe and her struggle to get pregnant but I did not understand why she wouldn't adopt or later use Vanessa's eggs and find a sperm donor.  Why was it SO important to have a child with her DNA when the ending chapter demonstrated that family is not just about blood?  I've obviously never been in that position but I know that there are loads of children who would love to be adopted by such a loving person and I wish she had seriously considered that alternative, either with Max or with Vanessa.

I was sad that Christians came off so poorly especially because NEWS FLASH not all Christians hate gay people nor are all Christians against gay marriage and gay rights.  Yet the only Christians shown in the book are very anti-gay.  Admittedly it is clear that this is a super conservative congregation when the pastor says that porn videos should be in kindergarten classrooms because that was the equivalent of the president's sex-ed program.  But there were no liberal or even moderate Christian voices.

One last comment: apparently the finished copy comes with a CD because Zoe is a music therapist and that plays a big role in the story.  My e-copy did not come with any music so I cannot comment on that.

SPOILERS from the LAST chapter: So Liddy and Reid got divorced? Or did Reid die? Cling more to the church while she moved away? Is no one Christian anymore? Because that makes me sad.

Overall: The presentation of Christians really lowered the rating for this book but I think most Picoult fans will be satisfied.

Found in Translation

Found in Translation by Roger E. Bruner with Kristi Rae Bruner
Barbour, 2011
365 pages
YA; Christian
3.5/5 stars

Source: Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary: Kim is a spoiled girl from Georgia on her way to her first mission trip in Mexico.  Upon arrival, she discovers that their mission is far different than she had expected.  They're going to a rural area recently devastated by a natural disaster where no one speaks English...and where none of the mission volunteers speak Spanish.  How can they witness to those with whom they can't communicate?

There were some things I really liked about this book: Kim's transformation in to better person (illustrated by her stopping cursing, ministering to a misguided fellow mission trip, and her work with the villagers); her friend Aleesha, super funny; Anjelita, the little Mexican girl who befriends Kim despite the language barrier; the general pace of the story.  Although Kim begins the story petulant and irresponsible, she quickly resolves to become better and then actually follows through and matures.  After breaking her arm, she feels bad that she can't help rebuild houses but she uses her time to instead do other work and then to read aloud from a Spanish Bible

While I liked the basic story elements, I didn't really like the writing, which is what dragged down the rating for me.  The writing was not bad but it wasn't as good as the writing in other books I've read.  I think the message of the book is the important part though and would be very useful especially to young Christians but also to all Christians.

Recommended: Definitely only for Christians or those interested in becoming a Christian.