Tag: Fiction

Fiction

The Godfather

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Title: The Godfather

Author: Mario Puzo

Page Count: 448

Series: Mario Puzo’s Mafia, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: March 1, 2002 by NAL (first published March 10, 1969)

Format: Paperback

Review: The Godfather is my best friend’s favorite movie, and she was adamant that we should read the book together.  I must preface this review by stating that this is not my usual type of read, but from time to time I like to try something new, and a classic seemed like just the ticket.

After reading this book, I understand why it is so revered.  Puzo is an excellent writer, and the world of violence, loyalty, and cunning he describes is positively fascinating.  I found myself thoroughly engrossed while reading on my lunch breaks, and was always eager to find out what was going to happen next.

There is a lot of bloodshed in this book, yet at the heart of it, it is a tale of family, morality, and strength of character.  I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this book glamorized crime, but it certainly put organized crime in a new light for me.  What I found most intriguing about the character of the Godfather was that he was so well esteemed because of his reasonableness and respectfulness.  He was exceptionally generous, and expected generosity in return, but he never asked for more than people could give.  I found myself liking him immensely and I thought the author did an excellent job of crafting his character.

I highly recommend this book.  As I said before, I do not usually read books in this genre, yet I cannot say enough good things about it! The edition I read had a foreword written by the author’s son, and I really enjoy the fact that the character of the Godfather is actually based off of Puzo’s mother.  I would have loved to meet her, as she sounds like she was a true tour de force of a woman.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fantasy · Fiction · Young Adult

Tempests and Slaughter

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Title: Tempests and Slaughter

Author: Tamora Pierce

Performer: Ariadne Meyers

Length: 16 hrs, 1 min, 21 sec

Series: The Numair Chronicles

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2018 by Listening Library

Format: eAudiobook

Review: There is no disputing that Tamora Pierce is an excellent writer, but this, in my opinion, is not her most enthralling book.  For fans who are interested in the origin story of the great mage Numair, this will probably have more appeal.  I am not as familiar with his character because it has been many years since I read Pierce’s other series.

This is a very strong read-alike to the Harry Potter series.  It is about a young mage of extraordinary power who has a penchant for getting himself and his friends in trouble.  There is no clearly defined conflict in this book, and I would say it is more like vignettes of various things that happen to young Arram over the course of his years in mage school.  The pacing is very slow, and I often found my mind drifting away during the reading.  On several occasions I had to rewind the audiobook, so that I could re-listen to the parts I missed.  The dramatic title, Tempests and Slaughter, implies that this is going to be an action-packed book, but that is not at all the case.

The performer has a very soothing voice, and I thought she did a great job voicing the various characters; however, I was a little surprised that they chose a female reader for this story because it is told primarily from the perspective of a male character.  The voice worked fine when he was a young boy, but it didn’t work quite so well once he became a young man.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Non-fiction

ECORenaissance

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Title: ECORenaissance: A Lifestyle Guide for Cocreating a Stylish, Sexy, and Sustainable World

Author: Marci Zaroff

Page Count: 272

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: August 14, 2018 by Atria/Enliven Books

Format: Paperback

Review: I didn’t even get past the first few chapters of this book, but boy do I have a lot to say about it.

What really drew me to this book was the gorgeous cover.  When I read the synopsis, I thought that I would be the perfect audience for this book.  I was absolutely wrong.  From the start, the book comes off as pretentious, and has a very “I did it before it was cool” vibe.

This author name drops like crazy, and she even has a small section that gives a shout out to Beyoncé…why?  Because apparently Beyoncé encourages people to recycle, use public transit, and other “green” things that I am sure she does not do herself.

I was also thoroughly disappointed that there were not more pictures inside the book.  Because the cover is so gorgeous, I assumed that the rest of the book would have equally artistic gems spread throughout.  Instead, the pictures were few and far between.  Most are portraits of the author in various sensual poses showing off her Ecoconscience attire.

The author makes it abundantly clear that she coined the term “ECOrenaissance” and uses the word as much as possible.  I kept hearing Regina George on a loop in my head saying, “STOP trying to make ECOrenaissance happen.  It’s NOT going to happen.”  The word is just too mouthy and difficult to spell, and I doubt that it is going to catch on.

I will say that I admire what the author is trying to do, and fundamentally I agree with most of the contents of this book, however, I thought it was too much of a vanity piece, at least at the start, and I quickly became bored reading it.  Perhaps the content gets better later in the book, but I just could not bring myself to finish it.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fiction · Romance

Fumbled

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Title: Fumbled

Author: Alexa Martin

Page Count: 320

Series: Playbook, Book 2

Publishing Date/Publisher: April 23, 2019 by Berkley

Format: eBook

Review: This was one of those books that teetered between a 3 and 4 star rating for me.  The story is very cute, and there were certain aspects that I thought were worthy of note, but there were also a few places it fell short for me.

The main character, Poppy, was great and I loved how down to earth she was.  However, I personally did not think that there was enough build up leading to her rekindled romance with TK.  He did not have to work very hard to be back in her life, and the attraction between them seemed mostly sexual.  I would have loved to see them connect on a deeper level beyond their shared child.  I did, however, really like that TK idolized her post-pregnancy body.  This really spoke to me, because I have struggled with accepting the permanent changes in my body post-pregnancy, and it made me feel good to see stretch marks, saggy boobs, and a few extra pounds portrayed as desirable and beautiful.

I also don’t think that the author ever really provided an explanation as to how TK missed out on the news regarding Poppy’s pregnancy.  It is implied that this was a machination of his meddling mother, but it was not explained how she got to his text messages before he did.  And who was the girl that answered his phone?  I suppose we may never know.

This is actually the second book in a series, and I like how the author incorporated characters and storylines from her first book into this one.  From early on, it seemed pretty obvious that her next book will focus on a romance between two supporting characters, Maxwell and Brynn, and I think that will be fun.

It should also be noted that the author spent 8 years as an NFL wife, so I assume that her depiction of what life is like for the wives and girlfriends of players is pretty accurate.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Goldhalf star

Fiction · Young Adult

And We Call It Love

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Title: And We Call It Love

Author: Amanda Vink

Page Count: 200

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: June 1, 2019 by West 44 Books

Format: eBook

Review: I have not read many books in verse, but this one caught my attention because it is being marketed as a hi-lo reader.  This is appealing to me because we have many teens that visit my library branch that have a very low reading level.  It can be difficult to find suitable reading material that is not only appropriate for their current reading level, but also contains subject matter that is of interest to them.

This book was great because it contained teen characters and teen themes, but did not use overly complicated verbiage.  I really liked that the story went full circle and addressed sensitive issues in a relatable and easily comprehensible way.  There was also some excellent use of analogy, which I very much appreciate.

I had some difficulty following the formatting, and I am not sure if this is typical of verse style writing or if it was just the formatting on my eReader.  It did not prevent me from understanding the material, but it did take some adjustment on my part.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

Only a Breath Apart

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Title: Only a Breath Apart

Author: Katie McGarry

Page Count: 368

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: January 22, 2019 by Tor Teen

Format: eBook

Review: This was a very sweet love story that tackled the very difficult topic of abuse.  Both Scarlett and Jesse have been victimized by a parent, causing deep and lasting trauma.

At times this was a painful read, because it really shows how devastating and self-perpetuating the cycle of abuse can be.  Sadly, it is not uncommon for a victim of abuse to blame themselves, and many are trapped in a toxic relationship because of fear, love, finances, and/or a misplaced belief that the abuser can change.

This story also demonstrates that there are different types of abuse, and that emotional/psychological abuse can be equally as damaging as physical abuse.

Scarlett and Jesse show that it is possible to heal, and that reaching out to people we trust can help us transcend a dangerous situation. There are many other important lessons to be found in this story and I think that makes it is a great reading recommendation for teens.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fantasy · Fiction · Historical · Young Adult

Dread Nation

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Title: Dread Nation

Author: Justina Ireland

Performer: Bahni Turpin

Length: 11 hr, 56 min

Series: Dread Nation, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: April 3, 2018 by HarperAudio

Format: eAudiobook

Review: This book is fantastic, and I loved every minute of it.  Bahni Turpin did an excellent job reading it, and I have come to expect nothing less from her than a stellar performance.

Shortly before finishing this book, I browsed through some of the reviews posted on Goodreads and was surprised to find that there has actually been some controversy regarding this book.  After reading through these criticisms, I strongly believe that many people misunderstand the difference between author opinion and writing a story that is true to the era in which it is taking place.

Many people took issue with the fact that people of color are spoken of negatively in this book and did not like the way they were portrayed.  I saw words like “colorism” being thrown around because of the way the main character describes herself and other people of color, but it is important to remember that people of this time period had been indoctrinated with a very negative view of people of color.  It is not surprising that many people of color internalized this negativity, and it deeply affected the way they viewed themselves and others.  This is largely the reason that colorism exists, and I think this book was a powerful commentary on how damaging that type of rhetoric is.

It also confused me that so many people considered this an LGBT+ representative book.  Some people consider Jane bisexual, but I think that this is a stretch.  I think it can be argued that she is curious, but her strong attraction to men is made apparent throughout the book.  I understand that sexuality can fall on a pretty broad and fluid scale, but it does not seem that she considers herself to be particularly attracted to women.  It is also stated by reviewers that another central character, Katherine, is asexual, but I think this is also a stretch.  She admits that she has not experienced attraction to anyone, however, considering her traumatic upbringing and the near constant barrage of sexual harassment she experiences on a daily basis, I do not find this to be especially surprising.  My point in all of this is that this book should not be touted as LGBT+ literature.  Perhaps this topic will be explored more deeply in the next book, in which case I may change my mind.

There are so many positive things to say about this book.  It features strong female characters who are equally clever and badass.  It is a truly original story and the character development is quite good in my opinion.  The author even hit me with a twist at the end that I did not see coming at all.  I feel good about the ending, and I am so excited for the next book in this series!

 

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fiction · Young Adult

Belly Up

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Title: Belly Up

Author: Eva Darrows

Page Count: 384

Series: Unknown

Publishing Date/Publisher: April 30, 2019 by Inkyard Press

Format: eBook

Review: There are so many things I love about this book.  Most importantly, there are the characters.  Darrows’ characters are full of personality and spunk and the dialogue between them sometimes had me snickering out loud.  Bottom-line, I want all of them in my life for reals.

Teen pregnancy books often fall into the realm of “issue” fiction, but this is so much more than just a cautionary tale.  Certainly the main character, Sara, has to come to terms with the repercussions of a single night of indiscretion, but she finds strength in herself and the people in her life as she navigates through some tough choices.

There is a whole lot of representation in this book.  The main character is biracial and bisexual/questioning.  Her best friend is asexual, another friend is transgender, and her boyfriend is demisexual.  I have to admit that I had to look up several of the terms and identifiers used in this novel because I had no idea what they meant.  The story really covers a wide spectrum of gender and sexuality, and it is rare to see that kind of fluidity represented in YA fiction.

I highly recommend this book.  It is smart, it is funny, and it really shows how important it is to surround yourself with supportive and loving people…people who will be with you through thick and thin (pun intended).

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fiction · Young Adult

Letters to the Lost

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Image result for letters to the lost

Title: Letters to the Lost

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Page Count: 391

Series: Letters to the Lost, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: April 4, 2017 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Format: Hardcover

Review: I actually really enjoyed this book.  The premise reminded me of the movie You’ve Got Mail in that the two main characters connect anonymously through letters.  In actual life, they are initially at odds but slowly start to fall for each other.

This type of book can be infuriating due to all the near misses of “AHA” moments between the two characters, however, I never found myself feeling that way.  It takes predictably long for the characters to realize that they are writing to each other, but I nevertheless found myself really liking the story.

There are a some twists in the plot.  Some I saw coming from a mile away, but others caught me by surprise.  I would definitely recommend this book to young readers because it is a very sweet story that handles topics like grief, trauma, and betrayal in a sensitive and relatable way.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fiction · Young Adult

My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

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38491757

Title: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Author: Rachel Cohn

Page Count: 352

Series: Unknown

Publishing Date/Publisher: December 18, 2018 by Disney-Hyperion

Format: eBook

Review: This is a cutesy Cinderella-esqe story about a girl who is lifted out of an American foster care system and whisked away to a faraway land by her absent until now, incredibly rich father.

It goes about how you would imagine, with Elle acclimating to a new life in a new place where she does not speak the language.  Conveniently she is enrolled in an expat private school where classes are taught in English, but she still has to learn how to navigate through a nuanced culture that is vastly different from what she is accustomed to.

I like that fact that the author made Elle a multiethnic character, and it adds some conflict to the story as her “otherness” initially makes it challenging for her to ingratiate herself with her very traditional Japanese family members.  It is also interesting to see how she adapts to a mostly homogenous world where customs and etiquette are a very important part of everyday interactions.

I felt like I learned a lot about Japanese culture (I am trusting that the author did her research), and I thought that overall it was an enjoyable read.  I will be recommending this to readers who enjoy loose fairytale adaptations and gossipy teen dramas.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold