Enclave by Ann Aguirre

The Skinny: I wish I could reclaim the hours I spent reading this book.

Deuce, our unlikable heroine, lives in underground tunnels with a community of sadistic, strange individuals. Everyone is sorted into various positions when they come of age, and our Deuce is a Huntress. She is tasked with fighting off zombie creatures that also live in the tunnels. Fade, the only normal person in the book, is paired up with Deuce to keep the zombie hamster population at bay. Deuce and Fade are kicked out of the community and forced to live above ground.

I am so thankful that I completed reading this book. It was difficult, but I persevered. It should be something I list on my applications to university – ability to read ridiculous books to completion. It says a lot about my dedication and commitment to projects.

There are so many aspects of this story that I dislike that it is difficult to pinpoint the factor that tanks the story. Perhaps it is that Deuce’s best friends are eager and willing to shun her from the community. No, I think it might be that Deuce is a heartless, ogress who believes that her friend is weak for allowing herself to be raped. Or, maybe it has something to do with Deuce possibly falling for a sexual predator. The book is just tasteless and absurd. The storyline makes no sense, and I found myself wanting to burn the pages while making a sacrifice and praying to Zeus to prevent similar books from being published.

It is beyond me why Deuce and Fade would invite a rapist to join them on their quest to find safety. I am also unsure why this physically and mentally strong female character suddenly lacks ordinary quickness and keenness of mind when it comes to Fade’s falling in love with her. Furthermore, how could Fade fall in love with someone who blames a rape victim? Ah, I forgot that Fade told said rape victim that she might like being back in her prison than being free amongst friendly people. Birds of a feather…

There are many reviews that praise this book, but this is certainly not one of them. There is not a single thing I like about this story.

All the Flowers in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson

The Skinny: If you like Asian historical fiction, this is the book for you!

Feng, the undesirable second daughter, is forced into an arranged marriage after her older sister dies. As she adjusts to her rigid new life, Feng navigates familial politics, marital relations, and elite society. A once shy girl transforms into a social butterfly in this cultural tale of heartache and betrayal.

The first half of the novel, which focuses on Feng’s transition and development, is significantly more interesting than the second bit. Organizing events, relating to characters, and understanding Shanghai were all difficult endeavors. The character development was poor, and I felt letdown after reading the richness of the initial chapters. Feng is so inexperienced that she has no knowledge of the intricacies of a marriage and what it entails. Within a few short chapters, this naïve girl transforms from a petrified rabbit to Dita Von Teese. This development is so unrealistic that I had to reread a few chapters to ensure that my memory was correct. I often felt like I was reading a story of a woman who had a mental illness. Her emotions and actions are frenzied and unpredictable, and I had difficulty understanding her motives.

I really wanted to like this story. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I have not read a lot of literature set in China. Last summer, I went through a Russian literature phase in which I refused to read anything by an author who did not have an N, K, or Y in his name. All the Flowers in Shanghai was set to be my training wheels, but I must confess that I am loath to take up the genre.

Though I did not care for much of the book, Jepson is a good writer and is capable of telling a compelling story. This book was not for me, but I encourage you to read it if you are interested in Chinese culture.

 *The publisher kindly set me a copy to review.

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

The Skinny: I am not sure “enjoyable” is the precise word to describe this reading experience, but I strongly recommend this book.

Ashfall is a post-apocalyptic tale that combines reality and unimaginable horrors.  A volcano in Yellowstone National Park erupts, and the United States is covered with ash.  Alex, a seemingly quiet computer game fan, seeks to reconnect with his family after staying home from a family holiday.  While Alex journeys to his family’s location, he is confronted with every worst case scenario.  Though he receives help along the way, he encounters far too much suffering for a young boy of sixteen.

Young adult literature is a fairly new genre for me, and I have been devouring it since starving myself for years. Dystopian and post-apocalyptic literatures have dominated my recent readings, and the effects are quite unnerving. I have found myself to be a bit more paranoid than usual and desiring nothing more than to hoard food and water. Ashfall did nothing to assuage my fears. In fact, it reinforced my delusional thinking that I need to stockpile supplies. Unlike most post-apocalyptic literature, Ashfall was quite real. The plot, themes, and characters synthesize to create a story that could be reality one day.

When I initially met Alex, I thought he was a quiet, irascible boy.  After the explosion, latent resilience and survival skills emerge, and Alex is shown to prosper in spite of difficulties. This transition is meaningful, because it highlights the change that many individuals experience after surviving a trauma or some sort of arduousness. The need to survive trumps every previous fear and insecurity. I would like to think that I could survive in a similar situation as Alex, but I am not sure. To know that every sunrise accompanies a day plagued with violence and fear might be too much to endure.

Ashfall is a great book, and I encourage you to read it if you are interested in a realistic take on a post-apocalyptic future.

*I received a copy from the publisher for review purposes.

Follow Friday

I avoid romance literature that features scantily clad men and women on horseback. When I read something, I want to learn or imagine a new world. Romance literature would do nothing but create a massive headache from all the eye rolling I would do while reading.

The Odds by Stewart O'Nan

The Skinny: Good writing but story remains undeveloped

In this novella, a couple’s marriage is falling apart in the midst of financial troubles, affairs, and a foreclosure.  The couple decides to visit Niagara Falls to make one last go at their relationship. Awkward moments and frustration mark their holiday, and readers gain an insight into a marriage that is quickly unraveling.

I thought this story was moderately successful.  I appreciate O’Nan’s ability to highly focus on a relationship that is dissolving, but I was unable to connect with the characters and story. Several situations are alluded to, but never described in detail.  I often felt lost while making my journey through the pages. Unlike past events, emotions and feelings are described so well that the reader acutely feels the betrayal experienced by the characters.  The wife’s bitterness is palpable, and O’Nan’s capacity to transmute feelings into words is respected.

The publisher kindly sent me a copy to review.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

The Skinny: One of my favorite stories. You should read it. Run along and pick up your copy.

Divergent is a memorable story about a dystopian society in which adolescents are sorted into thematic factions, including Candor, Erudite, Abnegation, Dauntless, and Amity. Unfortunately, a hat is uninvolved in the sorting ceremony. Adolescents are hardcore in Divergent-land and prefer spilling their blood when making a decision.

Divergent is imaginative and wonderful. If you like dystopian literature, you should read this novel. The characters are well-developed, the plot is unique, and the writing is excellent. I really wish I wrote this story!

Sometimes when I am on a bad date, I think about which faction I would select. I have narrowed it down to Erudite and Amity. I learn and read all day as it is, so Erudite would not be too much of an adjustment. I would spend my days collecting languages and learning new words. Amity sounds exactly like a hippie commune but without all the drugs and promiscuity (bummer). If I were in Amity, I could be lovey, free, and happy year around.

I really enjoyed Divergent, and I highly recommend it

Follow Friday

The craziest thing I have ever done to get a book was wait in line for the Harry Potter books. When it was my turn to pick a location for our family vacation, I selected London so that I could check out all the HP film locations.

Neat Book Animation

Check out this video of Type Books in Toronto. Can you imagine how much time it took for them to stack the books in so many different ways? Brilliant! I have long thought that books play when readers are not around.

Follow Friday!

Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012.

I listen to The Beatles, Bob Marley, Simon and Garfunkel, and Nick Drake. You should also listen to The Weepies. I feel like this song would play during Rose/Dimitri workouts: Notice Me by Alexa Ray Joel, don't you think?

Pure by Julianna Baggott

I was really looking forward to reading this novel when I was given a copy by the publisher. Dystopian literature is quickly becoming my favorite genre.  

In Pure, an elite group of the population was tucked away safely in a dome while the others were left to suffer the effects of detonations that caused deformities, fusions, and other oddities. Pressia, our heroine, helps a Pure find his mother.

The world in which Pure takes place is poorly described, and I often had difficulty imagining scenes. I was unable to connect to the characters and the story, and I often felt ambivalent about the outcome. The storyline lacked cohesiveness and some aspects felt disconnected.

It is apparent that Baggott is creative, but Pure was unsuccessful for me.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Paula McLain's The Paris Wife tells the tale of Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway’s first wife. The novel is best described as Chicago, Part I and Paris, Part II. All is well in Chicago, but as soon as the couple treks over to the land of crepes, macaroons, and impossibly gorgeous, thin women, their little team breaks apart with the help of Pauline Pfeiffer, wife number two and every woman’s worst nightmare.

 As Hadley falls in love with Hemingway, the reader struggles to look past clichés, confusing storylines, and dialogue so cheesy that McLain can put Papa John’s out of business. If you can brush past all of that, though, there is beauty in the novel. McLain has a way with words and can describe situations and feelings like no one else. This extraordinary talent is hidden under the bramble of a story of a woman who was too slow on the uptake.

I must confess that it is difficult for me to discern whether my unpleasant feelings are solely the result of the reality of the story. Perhaps my sentiments are shaped by Hadley’s naiveté. The reader can count on one pattern throughout the novel: Hadley will always turn a blind eye when it comes to her Hemingway. The man can do no wrong in her eyes. Allowing his mistress to sleep next to him while he naps with his wife? Sure. Carrying on an affair for years? No problem.

The first half of the book is good. McLain’s imagery is excellent, and I wish I had an ounce of her talent.

You might like this book if you have read Hemingway, or if you are interested in Paris during the 1920s.

Follow Friday

Question: Go count the number of unread books sitting on your shelf.  How many?

I have 23 books at home waiting to be read, 25 on hold at the library, and 18 ebooks. I am patiently waiting for the Iron Knight to arrive at my house. The year is already starting off wonderfully!

Book Necklaces

This is the perfect item for a bibliophile. These book necklaces are made by an artistic and creative couple. Peg and Awl, the extraordinary duo, find vintage leather to create the little books. Real paper is contained inside the book, so you can write in it if you want.  I purchased a small, blue book necklace last year, and I adore it. The book jewelry is so neat that I had to share it with you.  Check out their etsy shop: TheBlackSpotBooks

Photos: TheBlackSpotBooks