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By bethany (dreadlockgirl), 1,January,2010 22:44

In 2009 I read 100 books. I was trying to make it to one hundred,and I scrounged to get there. Because of homeschooling, crafting and cooking there are tons of odd books on my list. That is just the way life is right now, and I make no excuses because I wouldn’t want it any other way. Sometimes (many times) after a long day of “working” around the house it has been hard for me to want to pick up a deep book or thought provoking one. What you see is what I read, for better or for worse. I wish I had some more intelligent books there-but I haven’t wanted to ready them so I don’t. Yep, that is that. Still I have some great favourites from what I read this year. I’ll have to think about which are the top of the top, there are many that I loved this year.

For now, some cover art.

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By bethany dreadlock girl, 14,March,2009 21:26

Plain Truth
by Jodi Picoult
432 pages
Washington Square Press (2001)

Katie, an eighteen-year-old Amish girl sneaks out at 2 am to give birth in her family’s barn. After the newborn is found dead, there are many questions that need answering and Katie and the rest of her Plain people don’t seem to do any answering. Ellie Hathaway, a cousin of Katie is disappointed by the superficiality of her life in the city and she moves to Paradise, Pennsylvania to live with their common aunt. She has no idea that the two cultures that she is a part of, city living and the Plain Paradise of the Amish will collide with such force, pinning her in the middle. What is the truth? Who is telling it? It will be Ellie’s responsibility to find the answers, the answers that no one is giving.

I read this with my book club, and we all seemed to agree, it was an entertaining read, but not much more than that. The writing was not amazing. To me it felt more like a movie than a book, probably just because of the different twists in the plot, it felt like it was set up for film. I have to say that because I am fascinated by the Amish customs and mindset, that aspect of the book really did make me think. I am interested in why they do what they do, and how it works for them. I know this was fiction, but when it came to the culture Picoult tried to stay factual as far as the Plain people go.

Final analysis of my first Picoult experience: it was entertaining and interesting to learn more about the Plain people, but beyond that it wasn’t something any of us will wave around in the air telling our friends and family to read it. It was okay, and I don’t see the need to seek out any of her others at this point.

Have you read Plain Truth? Which is your favourite book by Jodi Picoult? How many of hers have you read? What did you think?

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By bethany dreadlock girl, 13,March,2009 04:19

Slumdog Millionaire (India)
Written by Vikas Swarup (novel) and Simon Beaufoy (screenplay)
Directed by Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan (co-director: India)
Awards, 8 Oscars as well as 71 other awards and 26 nominations (see here for complete list)
Released: 23 January 2009 (USA)

The Mumbai slums kid Jamal K. Malik (actor Dev Patel), possesses only the answers- nothing more. He is honest even if it will kill him despite his harsh life experiences. Jamal makes it to the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”. The film flashes back and forth between how he knows the answers, each being a gruesome experience (death, tyranny, betrayal) but each enables him to commit a fact to memory thus enabling him to answer another question correctly. Because of his success on the TV show his is thought to be a fraud, a cheat. For that reason he is interrogated, and with each blow any onlooker (as well as the interrogators) can see that this is no regular teen, his inner strength awes with a jaw-dropping force.

Love is a key element in Slumdog Millionaire. Jamal is loyal and faithful in his pursuit of one unattainable girl Latika (Actress Frieda Pinto)as children, as youths and still as teens. He encounters her over and over throughout their young lives only to have her taken from him just a second too soon. Are they meant to be, is it destiny?

I saw this movie almost a week ago and I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t. I loved it on so many levels. I hated the violence, and it wasn’t Hollywood violence, it was street kid raw gore. I disliked the villains in this film and that they made it their life goal to destroy Jamal, who I loved from the first second I saw him. As harsh as his past is, he becomes beautiful despite it, I am a believer. Oh, and the music is really fun!

Slumdog Millionaire easily earns a full-on 100% recommendation from me. I saw it in the theater and I will buy it when I see it out on DVD. My only slight warning is that if you can’t handle violence, well you still should go, just be sure to cover your eyes, and go with someone who can nudge you when it is time to look again. It didn’t bother me, but I was allowed to watch Die Hard as a 7-year-old. It is written: THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST SEE.

Slumdog Millionaire trailer:

I reviewed this film as part of the Orbis Terarrum Film Challenge.

Other Books I’ve read and reviewed about India:

Bitter Sweets by Roopa Farooki
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer

Comments (9)

By bethany dreadlock girl, 12,March,2009 16:10

Miles from Nowhere
by Nami Mun
304 pages
fiction
Riverhead Books
Challenges: Orbis Terarrum, South Korea

Joon sees herself as a regular Korean girl until her father leaves her mother, then her mom ignores her- to the extent of not talking to her, acknowledging her and pretending to be dead. Obviously a cry for help that a very young girl can only handle for so long. Joon goes to find her dad and try to get him to return, he turns her down as greener pastures seem to be calling his name. Soon after that, out of desperation Joon runs away. Her life on the streets goes from dark to darker and then when you think it couldn’t get any worse it goes to darkest.

There is plenty of sexual stuff, drugs, well really substance abuse of every type is discussed and abused in this book. Drug activity is high, very high, talk of shooting this, smoking that, cutting, being high, and all this as a young teen. Each time the reader can see the surface and almost feels allowed to come to breathe air, Joon dives down deeper to the despair of the reader.

Well, I don’t know what that description does for you, but if you don’t like reading the description, don’t read Miles from Nowhere. However to its defense, it is different than any book that I have been able to finish to this day. Several times I just couldn’t handle the intensity of its graphic nature and had to skip a page, but I kept coming back because Nami Mun is an amazing writer, really she is great, almost humorous at times.

I would love to read a lighter book by her, and really hope she chooses to go that route next time, more cultural and less mental illness-teen pregnancy-suicideish. Yes, so I did think her writing was very good, however not good enough for me to feel that I can recommend this with a clean conscience. I can’t. I just say sit this one out and wait on what she brings to the table next time. That is my opinion anyway.

How do you do with books that carry too much gore for their own good? Have you had some that you think really excellent writing, but you just can’t bring yourself to recommend them for their content?

Miles from Nowhere

Make sure you enter my current giveaway!!

Comments (5)

By bethany dreadlock girl, 11,February,2009 17:37

Title: Sundays at Tiffany’s
Author: James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Genre: fiction
Type: Audio Book
Yearly Count: 8
Pages: 320

An imaginary friend, a protector who watches out for your when you are little- could he be your only true love? I didn’t pay much attention to the writing in this book, or if it was realistic, seriously does that first sentence sound realistic!? No. So it is more like super-hero imaginary friend tale, a story of a girl who lives her life pretty parallel (ie neglected) to all those around her, not by her choice by theirs. The only person who has stayed in her memory as loving and true. Jane’s mother is famous, or at least too famous for her daughter and has had men in and out, four husbands- all men who didn’t end up being good enough for her. Jane feels she will never measure up either, never dressed right, always eating too much, saying the wrong things and below par.

She catches a glimpse of her childhood imaginary friend and the story moves right on from there. I was so entranced by the story that I didn’t worry if it seemed realistic, or if there were major flaws, I enjoyed it and while I was reading (and listening to it on audio book) I only cared about what happened, how Jane would end up and if she would love and be loved. There are twists that I wasn’t expecting, but they made the story even more interesting. I didn’t read this novel for its literary prose, or the picturesque portrayals- I read it to entertain me, and that it did.

I was actually really surprised at the completely mixed reviews this has gotten on Amazon. I tend to be right in the middle of where everyone else is rating the book, this time we are all over the map! I was caught up in it- entertained. I enjoyed reading this from cover to cover, it was different, lovely and mysterious and far-fetched, still wholly pure delight. Seriously this guy/angel/imaginary friend knows everything about Jane and loves her still. That is so precious, so unconditional and just what we all need. He loves to see her eat, to see her enjoy life, to see her happy- who of us wouldn’t want that!?

Audiobook version:

I read (listened to) the audio version of this for most of the book. This was an audiobook done well, I loved the reader’s voice (actress Ellen Archer) and I thought she did an exceptional reading. I can’t imagine a better voice to read this book, it was sweet. Yay for Hachette Audio!

Are there books where you didn’t worry about the style, the prose, the descriptions? For me it happens when I don’t mean for it too, I just get caught up and forget to be critical. That could be a good thing right? I know that I am a book reviewer, but more importantly I am a book reader and a book lover. Do you always notice flaws? Which books have you gotten caught up in so much so that you didn’t think to criticize?

Giveaway:
I have 5 copies of the paperback Sundays at Tiffany’s to giveaway (thanks to Hachette Book Group) as well as 3 copies of the audiobook version by Hachette Audio. It is almost Valentine’s Day, this is the perfect time to read this amazingly sweet and improbably romance.

Comment on this post and let me know if you would rather win the paperback version or the audio version, if you don’t care tell me that too. No PO boxes, US and Canada residents only, and peeps I am so sorry about that. You have through the 18th to comment with an answer to this question: What was your best date ever? Explain why. (If you don’t have the perfect date to describe- make up the perfect date!

ps. I don’t notify winners via email, so if you want to know if you have won make sure to check back that day, or better yet- add me to your reader and you won’t miss any giveaways!

Comments (16)

By bethany dreadlock girl, 29,January,2009 07:21

Title: Bitter Sweets
Author: Roopa Farooki
Pages: 372
Genre:International Fiction
yearly count: 7

A tale of a family who’s only facts are interwoven with deceit and false pretensions. Starting out with the lies told in order to become an actress, the grandmother in this story filles her lips with words that are not true in order to capture he ticket out of the country. Once this one ancestor allows lies to be such a central aspect of her life, she not only impacts her own life, but the life of her deceived husband and passes it on in different forms to the generations that follow. A history of falseness is all that the future generations have to live up to. Love, loss, change and growth are themes of Roopa Farooki’s Bitter Sweets novel. A family’s story through three generations of learned deception and what it takes to break free from the expectation to cover-up and pretend– to lie.

No matter how much lying the characters are doing to eachother, the truth stood stronger and spoke louder than any lie. This was a great interesting, fun read and was so good. I have read some reviews that said it was superficial, I don’t agree. I felt the author did an excellent work with her characters, settings and working in beautiful and timeless themes. This is the story of an Indian family, that is split between two nations but could be the story of so many as the daily lives they lead are very easy to relate to. I did enjoy this book throughly.

Roopa Farooki brings up questions of love, true love and arraigned marriages, however in this book truth is the strongest theme. Where would your family be without truth? She brings up and interesting concept, that truth can sometimes be told at the expense of hurting our loved one only to selfishly clear our own conscience. I loved reading Bitter Sweets, it was interesting to see how things took place.

What do you think? Is it truth at all costs or does it depend? It seems to me that truth may hurt for an instant, but mending is on its way….while lies form a web of guilt and pain that smothers love. What are your thoughts? Farooki portrays the Indian culture as valuing appearance over honesty, I would say the same is true in many parts of America (if not all). What do you think, does our culture value appearance over truth? Which wins here politeness or honesty?

Comments (10)

By bethany dreadlock girl, 23,November,2008 02:06

Hey OT peeps!

We are going to be finishing up the time for the first Orbis Terrarum Challenge next month!! I know many of you have finished already. If you have a couple left, there is still plenty of time. Keep-a-readin’.

I am going to be hosting this challenge again next year for sure and I would like any suggestions you have. After the 20th of December, when the OT challenge is officially over I will have the last giveaway. All links to book reivews or thoguhts on the Mr. linky
will count as an entry, and at the end of the challenge I will ask you all some questions for the improvement of next year’s challenge. You will also get an entry for giving me some answers and helping me make some great changes for next year. You can make suggestions now if you’d like, just comment below! I ‘d love to hear what you think!!!!

Here is a glimpse at 2009’s Orbis Terrarum challenge button, if you want to snag it already
I will start sign ups the month before we start reading, in March.