[FOR THE PARENTS] The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane follows the story of a rabbit who doesn't know how to love. Through a series of unfortunate events, he falls into the possession of multiple people and his hard heart begins to soften...

Kate DiCamillo is strongly establishing herself as a must-read for all children. This story is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time as Edward finds himself going through various families and learning the ultimate lesson: how to love.

What I loved about this book is that Edward meets all kinds of people: poor people, sick people, young children, grown men, boys who've lost everything. There is such a message of the importance of all humanity underlying this book. It is not simply about little girls with pretty dolls - it's about life. It can be gritty, but it can also be beautiful. And sometimes in the beauty, there's a little sadness.

DiCamillo's writing style is very easy to read and also very alluring. I found myself flying through this little book but also not wanting to put it down. I felt like a child, taking my new flashlight and reading under the covers in the dark, only I knew I had to wake up for work the next morning. It's been a long time since a book enchanted me so.

The reading level is around a high 3rd to 4th grade level and would be perfect for both avid and reluctant readers. I really can't recommend this book enough. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

BOOK REVIEW | White Soul by Tex Sample

Tex Sample's White Soul is a compelling piece that argues country music is the music that encompasses the life of working class people (mainly white working class people, hence the title). His argument is mostly solid and provides very thought-provoking ideas and questions in regards to working people and their place in society. He also briefly touches upon the place of women and people of color in country music, as well as the sexism, racism and classism that undertones much of the music.

Towards the end of the book, Sample takes a religious turn and discusses how country music can be applied to the church, arguing for a "trashy" church: one where people would be free of a culture that values achievement over moral character. He is trying to convince theologians, and parishioners, to stop using differentiated language and move to a more oral based church, one that would invite working people to attend. He is sure to place a disclaimer that his ideas probably can not be used at this time, and they can't, but they are interesting all the same. He encourages the church to look towards country music to understand the general state of working people and "get on their level", so to speak. His argument is not a new one, but it was the first time I'd ever heard a theologian argue for country music to be added to the listening list in Mass.

In my opinion, the first half of this book was much more interesting than the last half.

There were a few times the book contradicts itself, mostly towards the end. For example, the text mentions that there is nothing in country music to offer anything better, just some comfort to help get people through the night. However, Sample then contradicts this statement later on page 171 when he says that country music offers something "more."

I took issue with a lot of the bias this book presents. Sample's argument is against the elite upbringing and how white collar people (in general) view the arts as something objective, using Immanuel Kant's idea that "art is for the sake of art." While I do agree that working people are more oral than literate (a fact that can barely be argued anymore), it is unfair to suggest that working people have a superior view of the arts, which is what the subtext suggests. In many ways, his own argument can be used against him. While he claims white collar workers are looking down on how working people view music, literature and the arts, he is looking down on the white collar workers for the same thing. The hypocrisy was jarring enough that I missed his message many times and had to re-read for objectivity.

For the most part, this book was a quick and easy read. The words flowed nicely and I enjoyed the break ups of each chapter and part. There were, however, multiple instances when a paragraph or sentence were word so awkwardly that I am still groping to understand what he meant by them.

I also had an issue with the preachy tone the text takes at the end of the book. Throughout most of the text, Sample presents objective and empirical findings on a rather subjective subject - and it was really interesting! Towards the end, however, objectivity is thrown out the window and the last paragraph of this book was one of the most preachy, on-a-soap-box paragraphs I've ever read. This disappointed me because it didn't go with the overall tone of the rest of the text.

All in all, I would recommend White Soul if the reader has never read a book regarding this type of argument before. It was a very interesting case study of working class people and country music and presented information I had not considered before in a new light.

BOOK REVIEW | Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

Free will does not exist.

At least, according to Sophocles it doesn't. Take Oedipus Rex as a perfect example, he hears an oracle predicting his future, a future so horrible that he cannot bear the thought of it. So he packs his bags and leaves his father and mother for fear of killing one and sleeping with the other. However, his fate follows him and he ends up doing exactly as predicted.

The real kicker here is that it's almost as if the gods are playing a joke on Oedipus. First they tell his birth parents that he is fated to kill one of them and then they tell his adoptive parents the same, forcing Oedipus to flee and, in turn, fulfill the prophecy on the way to Thebes. I'm sure the gods knew that this would be how Oedipus would fulfill his fate. He never stood a chance. He never had a choice.

There are a lot of different interpretations for Oedipus Rex, but I think an important aspect lies within these lines:

Pride is the germ of kings;
Pride, when puffed up, vainly, with many things
Unseasonable, unfitting, mounts the wall,
Only to hurry to that fatal fall,
Where feet are vain to serve her. But the task
Propitious to the city GOD I ask
Never to take away!
GOD I will never cease to hold my stay.

Fate has to be achieved somehow, so how, exactly, did Oedipus go about achieving his? It was Oedipus's own pride that kept him from truly heeding the oracle. Yes, he believed it at first and fled from Corinth in fear, but when it was presented to him in the most plain of terms, he could not accept it. Even when it was obvious, without a shadow of a doubt, that he had been sleeping with his mother and killed his own father, he could not believe it until he had been told by one who had witnessed his fate. His pride led to his fall, much as it does for most legends and myths.

Towards the end of the play, Creon says this:

Even you might trust what the God answers, now.

This line further cements my idea that it was pride that led to Oedipus fulfilling his own destiny. Also, I think that this is a hint to Oedipus that it was his own disregard for the gods that brought this upon himself. He was cursed from birth and yet still lived as a king.

The message is simple here: people should not be so conceited to believe that they can create their own fates. Your life is set in stone and there is nothing you can do to prevent what is supposed to happen from happening.

At least, according to Sophocles.

BOOK REVIEW | Native Religions of North America by Ake Hultkrantz

"All religions tend to be conservative, because their sacred authority lies in the sanctity of the past... At the same time most religions remain open to the personal experiences of the spiritual world. The balance between faithfulness to tradition and openness to new experience is what constitutes the religious life."

I am so happy I've read this book. This is exactly the kind of book I was looking for: one that is informative, well-paced and objective. Oftentimes when reading about religions, it is easy to feel preached at. Many religion books portray said religion to be either absolutely horrible or without flaw. Most books in this realm have an agenda and that agenda involves putting down other beliefs. This book, however, did no such thing. Hultkrantz's only agenda was to inform the reader of Native American religions. And inform me, he did.

This is a fascinating trace through general Native American religions with a focus on two in particular: the Shoshoni - a hunting religion - and the Zuni - a horticultural religion. The author did a magnificent job of showing how both descended from a circumpolar hunting mindset, but branched off to become their own entities. The reader gets an in-depth view into the fluid religion of the Shoshoni and the complex religion of the Zuni and it is really a remarkable journey. I especially loved reading about how certain ceremonies have changed since the introduction of Catholicism and how they're still changing today, including new religions like Peyotism.

Hultkrantz is aware of his reader and never once tries to overwhelm you with too much information. Although this is a book centered around the religion of Native Americans, he also throws out some information on their culture and linguistics. I found this quote to be particularly fascinating:

"Some Indian languages lack terms for the past and the future; everything is resting in the present."

Hultkrantz presents the readers with the mythology of the religions focused on in this overview and then their ceremonies that either conflict with the mythology (like the Shoshoni) or use the mythology as justification for their ceremonies (like the Zuni). I really loved that he decided to single out two very different religions to focus on in this book to show the reader that through all of their differences, there is a lot of similarities as well.

Highly recommended to anyone interested in religion or anthropology.

BOOK REVIEW | The Fire Lord's Lover by Kathryne Kennedy

Do you enjoy well-thought world building, protective yet caring heroes, clever heroines, and a tender romance? If you answered yes to those questions, then this book is for you!

I didn't know what to expect going into Kathryne Kennedy's The Fire Lord's Lover. It is the first romance novel I have ever read revolving around elves and I thought it was going to be this whimsical, lovey-dovey, everything-is-so-great kind of story, but it is definitely not. These elves are not two dimensional. They are complicated, with a corrupt political system and a shaky social one. I was a little hesitant at first because this takes place in London and I felt a bit jarred by that. I was expecting high fantasy, not alternate-universe fantasy, and it was a bit off-putting. However, as the story progressed and the world revealed itself, I realized that I really liked what Kennedy had done with London in this universe.

Both the hero and heroine in this novel are intriguing, layered and willing to do whatever they can to protect the ones they love. Dominic, the hero, is a half-elf, half-human bastard son of the Imperial Lord of Firehame. He is the Lord's champion, the general of his army and the son that has never been loved. Elves do not have human emotions and are very cold, treating humans as little more than animals. Dominic, however, has a human heart, something he considers to be a weakness until he meets Cassandra, his bride-to-be and his human emotions become dominant.

Cassandra was a fantastic heroine. She was a strange mix of innocent, clever, naive and deadly and wrapped up into this adorable, tiny package. She holds a strong faith in God and yet never feels preachy. I really felt like she was sincerer in her faith and it was endearing to read about her belief. She is a trained assassin, something that she struggles with considering her faith, yet is completely innocent when it comes to the ways of men. I really, really, really liked that she was clever. She is not necessarily physically strong, but she makes up for that by being extraordinarily bright. In fact, all of these characters were smart and quick to act. I never felt like any of them made stupid decisions. Rash and impulsive decisions, maybe, but I could always understand their reasoning.

One thing I especially loved was the sex in this book. It's not exactly smutty and there's not that much of it. It's not the type of sex that will make you blush or giggle. It's just beautifully described. Kennedy weaves sex into the story so effortlessly and magically that it really felt like I was reading the combining of two souls rather than a physical act. Here's a description of sex that I found to be especially beautiful:

"And then the pain faded and the general taught her a new dance. A dance she never could have conceived of, that held beauty and grace and a desperate longing to somehow make two people become one. A dance so intimate that she thought she felt his very soul."

However, there is still a plot going on besides the romance between Dominic and Cassandra, which, by the way is a great romance. They have to deal with a Rebellion, an Imperial Lord whom they both want to kill, a dragon who rarely talks and when he does he makes no sense, the fact that she is an assassin and a lot more. Overall, this is a fantastic read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the fantasy or romance genre.

BOOK REVIEW | The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

There was a lot that was beautiful about The Forest of Hands and Teeth. The narration, for one, had a subtle and simple way of being poetic and pragmatic at the same time. There was a lot of beauty in the narrator's (Mary) thoughts. I often found myself thinking, "That was a gorgeous way of thinking," or "That's a very quotable line." I enjoyed reading about Mary coming into herself in this poetic atmosphere. It was an interesting contrast -- the poetic nature of the narration but the grim reality of the post-apocalyptic world. And I think that, for the most part, this contrast worked.

However, for all of its beauty and contemplation, the prose had one fatal flaw: it was too vague. There is so much ambiguity in the narration that it eventually becomes exhausting. It's difficult to follow a narrator like that, it's hard to get a grasp on her personality, her character, her world. I could never quite see the world that Mary lived in clearly because it felt like there was a haze over my eyes the entire time I was reading this book. It was like reading with gauze wrapped around my head -- I could make out shapes and movements, but never get the full picture.

On the one hand, this hazy narration suited Mary because she is crazy. I can't think of any way to describe her other than that. At first, I thought she was just whiny and selfish, but as time wore on, I realized her selfishness ran deeper than that. It was an insanity. Nothing was good enough for her; she would get what she wanted only to desire more. It was fantastic to read through the eyes of a girl who is so set on what she wants that she will sacrifice anything -- and anyone -- to get it. I loved reading about a character who didn't realize how deep her selfishness ran, who wasn't aware that she was on the very thin line between sanity and insanity and I think that's what saved this novel for me.

Because, as I said before, it is much too vague. There are scenarios that happen and are never explained. I understand that some questions should be left unanswered in novels, but this one simply had too many. There was no wrap-up. When the novel ended, I found myself thinking: "Wait... that's it?" For example, why did the Sisterhood turn Gabrielle into an Unconsecrated? and did the Sisterhood cause the breach?, or did Mary ever have sex with Harry or Travis? (really, this question drove me crazy because I feel like that would be something important in a young girl's life, no matter what era she lives in. It would not be something that would simply be glazed over.) Also, were Harry and Cas ever saved at the end? Actually, maybe that last one could stay unanswered, but in a world where there was way too much left unanswered it just felt like another what-if in a sea of endless questions. The pivotal questions were never answered. The important aspects never discussed and that is where this book failed me.

 I can't stop thinking about this book, about the way society breaks down and the way people themselves break down when faced with a crisis. I can't stop thinking about Mary and her total insanity and how it resonated with me for some reason. Because this book continues to be in my head and won't leave me alone, it deserves a four-star rating. Clearly, the author was able to portray herself well and it has stuck with me.

BOOK REVIEW | Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Brown's "Hate List" immediately drew my attention with it's premise: the concept of a school shooting basing its victims upon a "hate list" started by the shooter and his girlfriend. I knew it was going to be a grim story, but I hadn't braced myself for the beauty it would unveil between its pages.

The reader follows the protagonist, Valerie, as she journey's from what she was before the shooting into a new skin - who she is after. Valerie and Nick, the shooter, had been dating for three years before Nick let loose his inner demons on the school, killing five students and one teacher. In the aftermath, Valerie is forced to deal with the blame that all of the city is laying on her. She is placed in the psych ward, under careful scrutiny from the police and then returns to the very same school her boyfriend wreaked havoc upon.

Brown did this with careful plotting. I felt that Valerie's acceptance back into the school (and her shunning as well) was spot on. My only critique's are the pacing and the late unveiling. At first, the pacing goes as follows: newspaper article, present day (end chapter); newspaper article, past scene (end chapter). If Brown had stuck to that mathematical equation of chaptering, I would have been content. Instead, somewhere in the middle of the book, it becomes a giant flash back and then we're thrown into the present again for the entirety of the book. For me, it felt a bit skewed and I felt like the careful methods she had been using before was just thrown out the window.

My second critique is the fact that quite a bit of the unveiling of characters and plot isn't revealed until close to the end. For example, the graveyard scene with Duce and the hospital scene with Ginny explain a helluva lot of the story that would have been beneficial to learn early. If Brown had kept to the present/past chapter method she was using before, this could have been exceptionally executed. I was a little sad to see this because it was on the verge of doing so much better. It makes the story a bit dry until the end.

Overall, I very much enjoyed "Hate List" and the ending had me in tears. Brown introduces some eccentric characters like Hieler and Bea to balance out the terrible home life that ensues for Valerie, as well as the hate and isolation she experiences from within herself. I was exceptionally glad to see Valerie realize that by creating the hate list with Nick in the first place, she was one of the biggest bullies of all - but this was barely glossed over. I do wish that they had dived deeper into her own part in the entire thing.

I recommend this book. To anyone and everyone. 

BOOK REVIEW | On Religion by John D. Caputo

This book had an interesting philosophical view. Caputo is attempting to destroy the concept of traditional religion - or rather, he is arguing that such a destruction has already occurred and we now need to learn what the word "religion" truly means. He has a lot of progressive views, but it also feels like a "let's-please-everyone" philosophy. Philosophy is radical and, oftentimes, offensive. This text felt convoluted, watered down and like I was barely scraping the surface of what he was trying to say.

Caputo is arguing that religion is not a set of structures. It is not a hierarchical structure as it touted by all major religions in the world today. It's imperative to understand that the God Caputo is referring to is not the Judeo-Christian God or anything else. In short, God is love. 

"By religion, therefore, let me stipulate, I mean something simple, open-ended, and old-fashioned, namely, the love of God" (Caputo, 1). [Emphasis is my own.]

"Religion, we must always recall, is our doing, not God's, and we should avoid confusing religion or ourselves with God" (Caputo, 93).

"God is a question, not an answer" (Caputo, 117).

(He is very clear that he does not believe that any religion is better than the other, and there is no "true" religion -- however, he also quotes the Bible multiple times, but only the quotes about love. Nevermind that Jesus spoke more about Hell than anyone else in the Bible. Caputo picked and chose his Bible verses from a book that touts itself as the end-all of religion while claiming there's no true religion. It was a contradiction that he either didn't notice or passed over.)

Therefore, religion is loving God, but it is also loving a question. So, religion is loving the unknown. I think what he meant was that religion is just love in general. No matter what you love, the act of loving is God. It is not that God is love, which is what he was saying. I think that the "God is love" argument is not where he was going and he missed his own point. God is the act of loving. Which means religion and God, according to Caputo, are the same thing. Once again, beautiful concept, just poorly presented. 

All in all, if this had been a bit more glossed over, a bit more edited and a bit more thought-out, I would have enjoyed it quite a bit more. As it stands, I feel as if his argument was all over the place and I just flat-out disagree with everything he said. It was not strong enough to make me even consider it for a moment. From what I've read, this was supposed to be an almost colloquial version of his philosophy, so I would be open to reading a more academic version. I think his point was interesting, just not well-defined.

However, I did come across this gem that I think can relate to all of us in terms of reviews and opinions:

"... we have the right to say what we think, to think what we want, to publish what we think, to think or publish or doubt or believe anything, without fear of censorship, excommunication, exile, or execution. The only limits on such rights are the rights of others to do the same and to enjoy the same freedoms" (Caputo, 62).

BOOK REVIEW | Premeditated by Josin McQuein

I listened to the audiobook version of this. 

This book... is a mess. The reader is told the story by a very unreliable sixteen year old narrator named Dinah who is on a mission: destroy the boy who destroyed her cousin. After her cousin, Claire, committed a botched suicide attempt, Dinah found her diary; a diary which contained very detailed events of what had happened to Claire before her suicide attempt; a diary which contained the name of the same boy over and over: Brooks Walden. So, Dinah loses the black hair, the piercings and the gothic clothes and dons knee socks, bleached hair and a clean face all in the hope of enacting her sweet, cold revenge. 

I was addicted to this book for the five days I listened to it. I normally listen to my audiobook CDs in the car, but I shoved my earphones in and listened to this book on my phone while I drove, cooked dinner, went for walks... basically as I lived out my daily life. And it was so worth it. I feel like listening to this book gave me a different experience than reading it. It was like watching a thriller movie. I was on the edge of my seat (or toes) the entire time, yelling at the main character, rolling my eyes and slapping my hand over my mouth in horror. Some books are meant to be listened to.

Dinah made me uncomfortable with her poorly planned vendetta and single minded determination to ruin a boy's life, but I couldn't help but like her a little. This girl certainly doesn't do anything half-assed. I actually liked all of the characters and felt like they all had many different - and interesting - layers to them. I must admit that I saw the "twist" coming from the moment our narrator met her perp, but I have to wonder if that wasn't the author's intention. There were so many clues throughout that it felt like she wanted the reader to know what would happen... we just had to wait for Dinah to figure it out.

Reading a book that like is interesting because it makes it difficult to not get bored when you know what's ahead, but somehow McQuien kept me interested. I liked hearing how far this girl would go to deal out the justice that she thought was so duly deserved, and I also liked hearing about her reservations with her own convictions. Dinah felt very real.

Recommended to people who enjoy thriller stories, YA Contemporary stories or just want to read a well-written YA once in a while.

BOOK REVIEW | The Double Helix by James Watson

James Watson and Francis Crick made arguably the greatest discovery of the 20th century: proving that DNA is the building block of life and providing a solid structure for it. This short autobiographical account written by Watson provides an in depth - and biased - look into the discovery and also reveals the world of science, where fair play isn't always adhered to. 

I remember my mother talking about Crick and Watson when I was a kid learning about DNA in school and telling me how these two men stole a woman named Rosalind Franklin's idea and research and then got all the credit for it, including a Nobel Prize. Well, my ten year old (or so) self was appalled by this. She did all the work and they got all the credit? The injustice! Reading this was eye-opening for me, because yes, Franklin did not get nearly as much credit as she deserved during the time of their discovery (this was later remedied as best as it could be), but I would not necessarily say that they stole anything from her. Although, I suppose when it comes to her X-Ray of the B Form, that's pretty debatable.

Because this was written by Watson, this is simply his perception of how things went during this time of his life. I think that he didn't aim for objectivity in portraying the people around him, but rather tried to give his opinion and point of view. I do not think his portrait of Maurice Wilkins or Linus Pauling were particularly appealing, but they were his greatest rivals in the world of DNA, so he had to villainize them to make himself the hero. As my professor said, he turned Pauling into Goliath so that he and Crick could become the Davids.

It is extremely readable, but I am not its target audience. I have to admit that had I not read this for class, I may have never picked it up. Although my career is in the science field, it is in the world of computers, not biology and genetics. I greatly appreciate the work that Crick and Watson did, as well as Pauling, Franklin, Bragg, Wilkins, Perutz, Kendrew, etc. but I did not truly understand all of the science in this. On the surface level, it is understandable and I don't think any readers will ever feel lost. That's not what I mean. But on a deeper level, understanding the impact that each scientist had on each other, the impact of each step forward, each failed experiment and each successful experiment: I think someone who has a background in this type of science will really appreciate those aspects.

Overall, I'm quite happy to have read this. It provided a detailed account of one of the most monumental moments of modern history. Recommended.

BOOK REVIEW | If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I think that there's a lot in a reader's life that affects the rating of a book. When they read it, the mood they were in, how their day had been, what they had been reading previously, what they plan on reading next, etc. In this case, the stars aligned for my reading experience of Gayle Forman's "If I Stay," because I found it to be a nearly perfect book.

I did listen to this, rather than read it, so that my have affected my experience of it, but I honestly feel as if this is the perfect book to listen to. The reader was phenomenal, and the narration is just meant to be read aloud. The short, poetic sentences that Ms. Forman has woven together flow into each other beautifully. There were never any awkward wordings or sentence flaws that threw me out of the story.

I loved all of the characters in this story, especially the parents. When you're listening to a book instead of reading it, different things become important for you to enjoy your experience. For me, the things that became important were the character dynamics, their relationships and their dialogue. All three were excellent. Mia is a conservative teenage girl who loves her alternative family, her alternative boyfriend and her cello. Being able to hear the story from her point of view, considering she was "strangest" of them all, was really interesting. What it was like to grow up with such liberal parents and off road ways of thinking, what it is like having become someone so very different from her parents, but then falling in love with someone so very like them.

What it's like losing your parents and younger brother in one moment.

This book got to me. I did okay throughout the most of it, but the ending, where she's choosing to stay or go... I couldn't handle it. The tears were streaming down my face. I wouldn't say I was sobbing but there was a continuous trail of tears. The author wanted a reaction and she got one. Kudos to her for being able to weave a story so heartbreaking and full of hope at the same time.

[FOR THE PARENTS] Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward

"Where She Fell" by Kaitlin Ward is about a young girl who falls into a sinkhole. As she journeys farther down into the earth via a cave opening that she escaped into, she discovers a group of people who have made this cave their home. And she quickly learns that the cave wants them to stay... This book was at the book fair my school had recently and a student of mine picked out this book and "Lie to Me," by the same author. After finishing the latter, I thought I would try this one out, too. I actually preferred this book, although my student preferred "Lie to Me." I thought there were a lot of creative elements in the cave dwellers and I was fascinated by the concept of the bioluminescents. I actually wished their origin had been explained a bit more. I enjoyed that, with the exception of the main character, no one feels safe -- I mean that it genuinely felt like any of them could have died, which is a bit of a surprise for a middle school book. What I liked: The main character has social anxiety and seeing her work through that was really cool; it was also nice to have a main character with a mental illness that is represented well. All of the cave creatures. The entire cave colony and its desperate form of government.  What I would warn parents about: Pretty steamy romantic scenes, which might be a bit too much for a middle schooler. It should be based on individuals and not something given to everyone. Blood & gore, although nothing I would say that a middle schooler couldn't handle. Who I would recommend this for: Mature middle schoolers. Reluctant high schoolers who are not on reading level.  Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.  I found it to be creative, adventurous and fun.  I did feel like the cave part dragged ever-so-slightly, however the author had to set the stage for what was to come, so it's perfectly understandable.  It was a very interesting read that I devoured within an hour.

BOOK REVIEW | Looking Glass Friends by E.L. Neve

Looking Glass Friends by E.L. Neve follows the story of a man and a woman who married the wrong people. Neil feels stuck; he’s in a loveless marriage and is on the verge of ending his life when he is saved by a new pen pal, Ellie. Ellie finds herself in an equally loveless and unfulfilling marriage. Through their email correspondences, both Neil and Ellie find solace in each other’s intellect and wit, and soon find themselves falling in love.

There is a lot to like about this novel. For one, Neve knows how to construct a beautiful sentence. The novel is full of imagery, beautiful metaphors and figurative language. I often found myself marveling at how poetic it seemed. Her writing gives the book a dreamy feel, as if what you’re reading isn’t quite real, isn’t quite tangible. Instead, it’s floating among the clouds, which is exactly as it should be, for both Neil and Ellie are the kind of people who would live among the clouds.

That being said, the writing style is a double-edged sword. When it came to Neil and Ellie’s perspectives, it made perfect sense to keep the flowery, poetic style, but I was a bit confused as to why that style remained when the reader was given the point of view of Jake or Fay (Ellie and Neil’s respective spouses). Neither of those characters lent themselves to an imaginative or dreamy mindset and yet the writing didn’t change. I think this book would have been even more powerful if there was a clear cut style to each narrator.

Also, in terms of narrator, it was sometimes difficult to pin point which POV I was reading from. The book starts off as a third-person limited narration style, but then there were a few instances when the book suddenly became third-person omniscient. Why was I reading about Neil’s feelings in Ellie’s chapter? I’m not sure if this was simply a mistake or if the author wasn’t aware which narration style they wanted to go with.

There were a few grammatical errors, but nothing outstanding or jarring. For the most part, I noticed the author didn’t know when the place a period inside or outside of a parenthesis. For example, at 24% in the Kindle edition, we have this line: “(and would fire her, eventually, when the novelty wore off.)” This is written in the middle of a sentence so the period should actually come after the parenthesis. The only time a period goes inside the parenthesis is when the entire sentence is in it as well. There were also a few times the author forgot a comma or used a comma incorrectly inside of a parenthesis. Once again, these mistakes were very minor and if it weren’t for the fact that I’m an English teacher, I may not have even clocked them. None of them were dramatic enough to pull me out of the reading experience.

I believe it’s important to note for anyone interested in reading this novel that there are a few mentions of sex as well as a sex and almost-rape scene. I did not find any of it to be vulgar and it did not make me want to stop reading. There is nothing that is particularly explicit, but if you’re looking for a perfectly clean romance, this may not be for you. However, I would personally classify this as relatively clean.

I believe that hopeless romantics, people who love flowery and poetic writing and those who love literature – there were many references to great works of literature, particularly novels by Ayn Rand – will greatly enjoy reading this. However, those who have had marriages fall apart due to infidelity or who are greatly uncomfortable with the aspect of cheating, even emotional cheating, may want to steer clear.

[FOR THE PARENTS] Lie to Me by Kaitlin Ward

"Lie to Me," by Kaitlin Ward follows the story of a young girl who found herself in the hospital after falling - or being pushed - off a cliff.  The entirety of the book consists of her questioning everyone around her as she tries to find the answers as to what really happened to her.  Was she pushed?  Or was it an unhappy accident?  And if she was pushed, then...who hates her enough to want to kill her?

This was recommended to me by a reluctant reader at the school I'm currently teaching at. She absolutely consumed this book and another by the same author. She's 13, a typical middle school girl and I think the exact demographic that this book is aimed for.

I'm 29, well-read and I figured out the mystery just from reading the back cover. I'm not this book's demographic and it's not a book that is going to transcend ages.  It's very much meant for middle school readers and there's nothing wrong with that. 

I think this is an excellent book for reluctant readers because the action starts from the beginning. It does grab you from the first page and doesn't let you go, which is fantastic for those who find reading boorish.  There's quite a bit of romance and I would even say the romantic aspect is a bit more prominent than the mystery aspect, which I was a bit bummed about, but for young girls, it's certain to keep them entertained.

Most readers will likely gather what the mystery is at least halfway through the book, but there is enough of a creep factor to keep them reading.  

What I liked:

• The heroine and her brother have a nice relationship
• Depression is handled delicately and mental illness in general is not portrayed as anything to be ashamed of.
• Bisexuality is represented well, as is lesbianism.
• The family unit is solid and there is respect for the parents.
• Adults are not made out to be the bad guys and are turned to for help.

What I would warn parents about:

• There is a lot of physical contact; while there is no sex, there is plenty of kissing, handholding, etc.
• There is one scene in particular where she grabs her boyfriend by the belt in her bedroom while they're kissing; it does imply that they could go further, but they don't
• There is quite a lot of mention of homosexuality (bisexuality & lesbianism)

Who I would recommend this for:

• Young people who are questioning their sexuality.
• Reluctant readers. (Her writing style is very easy to read and flows well.) 

Overall, I think this is a nice 7th or 8th grade book for a quick read and might get those reluctant high school readers finally opening a book! 

ANNOUNCEMENT: Blogging Return & Upcoming Series!

Well, hello everyone! 

It's no secret that I've been gone from this blog for quite some time.  I even need to relink my social media accounts so that I can stop seeing those strange smiley faces!  I wanted to re-evaluate the way I wrote reviews; how much subjectivity do I want to place in a review?  How do I feel about the star system? (Spoiler: I don't like it and therefore do not give star ratings anymore unless it's a 5* because it just resonated with me.)  How do I want my reviews to be formatted?  Who am I trying to reach? 

All of these have been on my mind as I've toyed with the idea of coming back to book blogging and book reviewing.  Literature has, and always will be, my first love.  And I'm so grateful that I've been able to translate that love into others through my profession.

I've been having a great time living life and settling into my role as a teacher.  I've been teaching for 8 years now but I've been a middle school teacher for the past 4.  I'm currently finishing my MA and working part-time as an English and History teacher at an Orthodox Jewish school.  (They have their Judaic studies in the morning and their General studies in the afternoon.)  Teaching middle school has really opened my eyes to what students are reading and how much I want to encourage parents to let their students read and read voraciously.  Trust me, middle schoolers know so much more than you think and being exposed to new concepts is only going to help them become better adjusted adults. 

Thus my new series that I'll be starting on here is going to be called FOR THE  PARENTS.  These are going to be reviews of middle school/YA books where I will tell you what I liked about the book while also being open and honest about the content so that you can decide if your child is ready for it.  I do really recommend that parents think long and hard.  Literature is a good thing.  Reading is a good thing.  I hope that these reviews will help parents encourage their children rather than restricting them.

I've also been doing so much traveling, as you can see from some of the pictures I've been placing in this post. (I do have a travel blog here, by the way, if you're curious!)  Traveling and reading are my true passions, my true hobbies.  I've been lucky enough to travel to over 20 countries and teach in 4 of them.  And soon that will be 5!  I am currently in the midst of accepting a job in Kuwait for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year as an English teacher at an American Academy.

So what does this mean for my reading preferences?  On top of the FOR THE PARENTS series, I'd like to also start a BECOMING CULTURED series, where I read works by people of other cultures and about other cultures, whether it be historical or current.  This can include fiction and nonfiction, too.  I have been adoring traveling to new places, learning about events and seeing things for myself - as well as meeting absolutely lovely people - and now I'd like to take my mind there, too, when I'm unable to travel due to work. 

So, that's basically my long winded way of saying I'm back to book blogging & book reviewing and I hope to connect with the community again.  Let's get reading!

BOOK REVIEW | Lord of the Flies by William Goulding

What a pity that so many adults had a bad experience with this novel in  high school that they never want to pick it up again. 

At first glance, this novel seems innocent enough: a group of English school boys find themselves stranded on a remote island and must learn survival skills to stay alive.  However, the direction that the author took this seemingly harmless premise could make anyone fall into an existential crisis. 

Truly, the mastery that went into "Lord of the Flies" is astounding.  There is so much allegory just leaking off the pages that sometimes I think people can get too caught up in the intellectual aspect of the novel.  And there truly is a lot to be discussed.  The island follows the same fate as the Garden of Eden.  As the boys fall more and more into their darker selves, the island itself becomes a character taking on an evil turn.  

In fact, this book has been banned and challenged relentlessly due to the fact that, in the end, Goulding's message is that all of humanity is evil at its core. 

This novel focuses on the murder of reason, the death of goodness and the dark truth of what it means to be human.  So much is condensed into this roughly 200 paged book that it's hard not to find yourself in a deep conversation about the human condition.   However, even though it is a well of conversation starters, as an adult I found myself more and more affected by the boys' deaths and descent into madness.  When reading this as a high school student, I was encouraged to focus only on the academic aspect of the novel.  But when reading it as an adult, I couldn't help but focus on the emotional side of it, too.

There were times when I read this that my blood ran cold.  Other times I felt myself in such shock that my body went numb.  I didn't have any of these experiences when I was a teenager.   I didn't have a connection like this with the book before.

I can't recommend that adults re-read (or read for the first time!) this novel enough.  And I hope in doing so, they'll find more meaning and more emotion than they experienced before. 

BOOK REVIEW | White Noise by Don DeLillo

I don't know, man. DeLillo might be my new favorite author.

There was something really poignant in "White Noise"; something constantly expressed and yet glossed over at the same time. DeLillo's novel is a commentary on our waves and radiation in life: how we never have true silence, we are constantly bombard with technology, how we have faceless voices speaking to us through screens and cracks and telling us what to do. How our life has become a simulated version of itself that is unprepared for disaster. 

Each character is a caricature. They are all overdone and melodramatic. The kids are super modern (for the '80s), the wife is obsessed with health and vitality and the father, our narrator, has an obsession with Hitler. Their dialogue is hilarious, but under all of it is this Lacanian philosophy that comes up every time someone asks, "Why is death?", "What is dark?", "What is light?", "What is...". It is the question of our reality. If our reality is made up of words and words are subjective, then does that mean our reality is subjective, too?

This book just resonated with me for some reason. Each point that DeLillo makes is hidden under the simplicity of his dialogue, the insanity of the character's actions and the hilarity that ensues, but there are so many points to be made in this book that I began to see everything as allegorical or philosophical. The grocery store is not just a store, the mushroom cloud is not just a cloud, Murray is not just a man... and I can back up every single crazy idea and prediction I had in this book with text because it is that kind of book where your interpretation just can't go wrong.

Read it. Even if you hate it, I think you'll understand it.

BOOK REVIEW | Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Just a warning: there are some spoilers in this review that I did not tag, so read at your own risk.

(Also, I feel like I need to say that this review does not reflect what I think of the author herself or of other readers who enjoyed this series.  You are free to love what books you love!  I'm just not able to jump on this bandwagon. D:  Stay chill, my friends. :))

One sentence summary: Celaena Sardothien is now the King's Champion, and must keep up a daily charade of pretending to be his ally while simultaneously plotting to tear him apart; meanwhile she keeps discovering more secrets below the castle, secrets so deep that they could destroy the world.

I once mentioned that a book made me so frustrated that I actually threw my Kindle. Well, this is the book in question. And it was more of a toss. Onto my bed. But the fact remains that I was so flustered and even angered by the ending of this book that I was willing to make my beloved Kindle airborne.

I desperately wanted to love this book, just as I wanted to love the first in the series. Normally when a series becomes wildly popular, I either appreciate the hype or I can at least understand it, but with this series, I honestly just can't. I really do not understand why this series is so popular, and I really do not understand why people prefer this book to the first. I found this book to be worse.

Let me start with what I did like:

∙Celaena's breakdown: This actually happened in the fourth novella as well, which was why it turned out to be my favorite. Her breakdown provided a much-needed vulnerability to her character for the reader. It was very human of her, and for once she didn't seem so vomit-inducingly perfect. It also reminded us that she actually is an assassin and will always turn to bloodlust when confronted with such strong emotions.

∙The underground everything: I was glad to see that the underground passageways were still alive and well, considering they were my favorite part of the first book. The mysteries and discoveries and cool traps and doors and hallways, etc. I do have to admit that it's taking a bit of a weird turn, but I still like it.

∙Celaena actually killed people!: Yay. Because she is, you know, an assassin.

Perhaps the biggest issue is that I simply did not like any of the main characters or the overall plotline; considering these two aspects are what basically make a novel what it is, I may have been doomed to dislike this series from the beginning. Celaena is too perfect, Dorian is too boring and Chaol is too predictable. They all are so stuck in these personality traits that it's hard to see them as three dimensional characters. They are flat and, quite often, unlikeable. I honestly think that Mass has a lot of good ideas, but they're buried underneath her inability to create complex characters and her juvenile writing.

It's not that she's incapable of creating an interesting character, it's just that there's one aspect of them that's so heavily focused on that any other intended trait gets pushed to the side, making them seem like caricatures. Even Nehemia, perhaps the most interesting character, fell prey to this. Maas made her so noble that she seemed almost inhuman. And that's the issue with these characters - they don't feel real. If I'm constantly reminded of how two dimensional a character is, how am I supposed to get into the story?

I'm also extremely unimpressed with the reliance on the shock value, which this book had. I have been in Celaena's head, both as a first person narrator and as a third person narrator. There should be no reason for her hiding the fact that she's a Queen (which wasn't much of a shock) and that she's a faery (which was) from the reader. How could Celaena not once thought of those things? How, as a reader, am I expected to just passively accept this as valid instead of as a ploy to cover up a mediocre story? The thing is, had Maas no decided to pull this, I might have actually enjoyed the book. If she could have just revealed this earlier and relied on her writing to further explain it to the reader while hiding from the characters, she might have had the opportunity to create something fanastic. Instead, she went the cheap route which only served to highlight all of the other instances in the book that felt poorly written.

The ending felt so rushed and so disorganized that I felt like I needed to just buckle down and finish it in order to get it over with. After the original reveal, which is Celaena's faery power, I honestly started finding everything to be ridiculous. Maas seemed to have gone to such lengths to destroy the image of Celaena as a Mary Sue, and then she adds the superhero power onto her, putting the character right back where she started.

All in all, I am still a bit baffled as to why this series is as popular as it is, but I know that I'm very much in the minority on this. I cannot look past being emotionally manipulated by the author and I can't shake the "big reveals" as anything other than a cheap trick to cover up insecure writing.