THE DESCENDANTS was the best book I have read in a long, long time. Hemmings’ characterization is spot-on and each character is real, flaws and all. The dynamic between Matt and his daughters, the relationship between the two sisters, the complicated emotions the whole family has towards Joanie, the mother – Hemmings’ nailed it all down to a T. I got completely absorbed in the story, and was able to relate to each character on some level despite the vast differences between my own experiences and the arc of the story. It’s just a great book, and I definitely recommend it to everyone. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I hopefully will be watching it soon.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (2011)
Summary: Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill-prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for. (from Goodreads)

I knew absolutely nothing about Hemingway’s first marriage, so THE PARIS WIFE was definitely an eye-opening read. McLain captures Hadley’s spirit beautifully, and the dynamic between her and Hemingway is depicted realistically (it can’t have been easy to be married to him!). I love how McLain describes 1920 Paris, and the literary circles that Hemingway and Hadley are part of. She also writes about the demise of the marriage beautifully; it sneaks into the story without suspect until it becomes the story, so to speak. A worthwhile read. It’s also made me want to read more Hemingway, as I’ve only ever read THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA. Perhaps to start with THE SUN ALSO RISES, which was one of the novels Hemingway was working on in THE PARIS WIFE?

Nerd Do Well by Simon Pegg (2011)
Summary: Zombies in North London, death cults in the West Country, the engineering deck of the Enterprise: Simon Pegg has been ploughing some bizarre furrows in recent times. Having blasted onto the small screens with his now legendary sitcom Spaced, his rise to the UK’s favourite son status has been mercurial, meteoric, megatronnic, but mostly just plain great. From his childhood (and subsequently adult) obsession with Star Wars, his often passionate friendship with Nick Frost, and his forays into stand-up which began with his regular Monday morning slot in front of his 12-year-old classmates, this is a joyous tale of a homegrown superstar and a loval boy made good. (from Goodreads)

I absolutely adore Simon Pegg, so it is an unfortunate fact that I did not adore this book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a decent enough read. Pegg writes in an easy to read manner with an authentic voice, and there are a few memorable anecdotes scattered throughout the memoir. But in the end, it is ultimately forgettable. There is an uneven balance of half-stories relating his first sexual encounters and deep, in-depth movie analysis of Star Wars (he studied film at school, it shows when he dissects his favorite movies!). NERD DO WELL is as though Pegg isn’t sure what to include in his memoir, so he includes a little bit of everything without including everything (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t). His self-deprecating humor shines throughout, though.

From the few reviews that I’ve read of THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy, there seems to be a general consensus that the best book of the trilogy is the first novel, with quality (for lack of better term) gradually declining throughout the series. I can’t say I disagree. I did enjoy MOCKINGJAY, but there was something about the pacing of the storyline that was terribly off. Collins devoted a lot of time – perhaps too much – describing the planning and such in the first two thirds of the novel, only for things to happen crazily fast in the last third. I did like how characters such as Finnick, Joanna and Peeta were further developed, but there were times when it felt as though Katniss was in a rut and, therefore, so was the book. Having said all that, MOCKINGJAY is definitely worth a read and I was happy with how the series ended.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson (2011)
Summary: The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, Dodd brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha. At first Martha is entranced by the parties and pomp, and the handsome young men of the Third Reich with their infectious enthusiasm for restoring Germany to a position of world prominence. Enamored of the “New Germany,” she has one affair after another, including with the surprisingly honorable first chief of the Gestapo, Rudolf Diels. But as evidence of Jewish persecution mounts, confirmed by chilling first-person testimony, her father telegraphs his concerns to a largely indifferent State Department back home. Dodd watches with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of frightening new laws begin to circulate. As that first year unfolds and the shadows deepen, the Dodds experience days full of excitement, intrigue, romance—and ultimately, horror, when a climactic spasm of violence and murder reveals Hitler’s true character and ruthless ambition. Suffused with the tense atmosphere of the period, and with unforgettable portraits of the bizarre Göring and the expectedly charming–yet wholly sinister–Goebbels, In the Garden of Beasts lends a stunning, eyewitness perspective on events as they unfold in real time, revealing an era of surprising nuance and complexity. The result is a dazzling, addictively readable work that speaks volumes about why the world did not recognize the grave threat posed by Hitler until Berlin, and Europe, were awash in blood and terror. (from Goodreads)

IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS was fascinating. I’ve always been drawn to the history of the years leading up to and including World War Ii, and this novel was a great insight to pre-World War II Berlin. Larson does a great job of allowing documents and accounts of the era tell the story, and it truly is like being there alongside the Dodds are horror after horror occurs. Both Ambassador Dodd and Martha frustrated me at times (Martha in particular, especially with her affair with Boris, the Soviet diplomat) but what frustrated me the most was how no one would act upon the early evils committed by the Hitler regime. I’ve studied the era a little and know about appeasement and all that, but reading actual accounts of the time period just reinforced this frustration for me.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (2005)
Summary: As a child, Kathy–now thirty-one years old–lived at Hailsham, a private school in the scenic English countryside where the children were sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe that they were special and that their well-being was crucial not only for themselves but for the society they would eventually enter. Kathy had long ago put this idyllic past behind her, but when two of her Hailsham friends come back into her life, she stops resisting the pull of memory. And so, as her friendship with Ruth is rekindled, and as the feelings that long ago fueled her adolescent crush on Tommy begin to deepen into love, Kathy recalls their years at Hailsham. She describes happy scenes of boys and girls growing up together, unperturbed–even comforted–by their isolation. But she describes other scenes as well: of discord and misunderstanding that hint at a dark secret behind Hailsham’s nurturing facade. With the dawning clarity of hindsight, the three friends are compelled to face the truth about their childhood–and about their lives now. (from Goodreads)

This novel is deceptively simple at first. There is no hard-and-fast plot; Kathy narrates the story in a nonlinear fashion as her memory recalls different events of her childhood and youth. While I didn’t clue into the fact as to what made Kathy, Ruth and Tommy’s lives at Hailsham so unique and what set them apart from the rest of society until about halfway into the book, it really jolted my comprehension of the story and made me rethink everything I had assumed about these three and those like them in NEVER LET ME GO. The novel ends when Ruth is done recalling her memories, and while there is no grand statement or sweeping generalization made in regards to the overarching themes of the story, Ishiguro writes in such a disquieting manner that Kathy’s story sticks with you long after you’ve finished reading the book. NEVER LET ME GO is definitely a worthwhile read.

Prior to reading this, the only thing I knew about Anthony Bourdain was that he hosts the Travel Channel’s “No Reservations” and that he has a passionate hatred for Paula Deen. After reading this, I have a much deeper appreciation for Bourdain and the passion that he has for food. Bourdain tells it like it is with a no-holds-barred approach. Wickedly funny at times, I greatly enjoyed the chapters where Bourdain advised his readers on what to avoid in restaurants (discount sushi and well-done meat, among other things) as well as what kitchen items to purchase if one wants to cook like a chef (for starters, a great non-stick pan). My favorite chapter was the one that was a “life in the day” type of narration of Bourdain’s experience as an executive chef at Les Halles in New York City.

Kosher Chinese: Living, Teaching, and Eating with China’s Other Billion by Michael Levy (2011)
Summary: In September of 2005, the Peace Corps sent Michael Levy to teach English in the heart of China’s heartland. His hosts in the city of Guiyang found additional uses for him: resident expert on Judaism, romantic adviser, and provincial basketball star, to name a few. His account of overcoming vast cultural differences to befriend his students and fellow teachers is by turns poignant and laugh-out-loud funny. While reveling in the peculiarities of life in China’s interior, the author also discovered that the “other billion” (people living far from the coastal cities covered by the American media) have a complex relationship with both their own traditions and the rapid changes of modernization. Lagging behind in China’s economic boom, they experience the darker side of “capitalism with Chinese characteristics,” daily facing the schizophrenia of conflicting ideologies. Kosher Chinese is an illuminating account of the lives of the residents of Guiyang, particularly the young people who will soon control the fate of the world. (from Goodreads)

Much of the narrative arc of this memoir is typical Westerner-meets-China stuff: attempting to speaking Chinese results in miscommunication due to inability to use tones correctly; experiencing shock and horror at eating foods like chicken feet or dog meat; making acute observations about globalization when noticing the abundance of KFCs and McDonalds; etc. “Kosher Chinese” has all of these and more; however, Levy recounts his experiences in a refreshingly honest manner. He never lectures about right or wrong answers to globalization or “capitalism with Chinese characteristics.” Instead, he asks a lot of hard-hitting questions, but either has no answers or chooses not to disclose them. He also does a remarkable job of explaining dominant themes such as guanxi, which the average non-Chinese reader would not understand. While this book should not be used as an example for a Peace Corps Volunteer experience (Levy barely touches upon that), it did make my heart ache for all that I miss in China, which counts for something.

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins (2009)
Summary: Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol – a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create. Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she’s afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she’s not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol’s cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can’t prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before… and surprising readers at every turn. (from Goodreads)

I greatly enjoyed “Catching Fire,” even though I think the first book in the trilogy was better. It provided needed backstory to a lot of characters, and it also set up a lot of things for the third and final book of the trilogy. I was a little surprised in the direction that the book took two-thirds of the way through as I thought it ran the risk of being repetitive, but it actually worked quite well. Also, the cliffhanger at the end of this book is a killer, but luckily I already had a copy of “Mockingjay” so I got to continue reading right away!

Lust, Caution by Eileen Chang (1979)
Summary: In the midst of the Japanese occupation of China and Hong Kong, two lives become intertwined: Wong Chia Chi, a young student active in the resistance, and Mr. Yee, a powerful political figure who works for the Japanese occupational government. As these two move deftly between Shanghai’s tea parties and secret interrogations, they become embroiled in the complicated politics of wartime — and in a mutual attraction that may be more than what they expected. Written in lush, lavish prose, and with the tension of a political thriller, Lust, Caution brings 1940s Shanghai artfully to life even as it limns the erotic pulse of a doomed love affair. (from Goodreads)

I absolutely loved this novella. Chang’s masterful writing packs so much emotion and history with surprisingly few pages. Tightly written, Chang masterfully explores the intricacies of relationships. This is perfectly demonstrated as she looks at the different levels that comprises Wong Chia Chi and Mr. Yee’s relationship: power, lust, politics, and intrigue. The overarching themes of the novel (politics, revolution, war) are neatly juxtaposed with that of the smaller ones (love, lust, caution). It’s a great read, and compliments quite nicely with the 2007 film.

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin (2005)
Summary: Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones. (from Goodreads)

I had seen the TV show before reading this book, and both absolutely blew me away. The detail that Martin manages to include when describing the world of the Seven Kingdoms and the intrigue of all the Houses that are involved in the “game of thrones” is fascinating. I love how real these characters are, too; none are purely “good” or “evil.” There were a few plot twists with one development in particular that I could not see coming, which always makes for a great reading experience. A must-read for fantasy lovers, and also a great recommendation for those who want to try out the genre. Or for those who just want to, you know, enjoy a good book.

Based on the critical acclaim this book received, I had good expectations for Maisie Dobbs. Unfortunately, the book fell far short of what I had expected. In creative writing classes (or any writing class, really) the number one rule is to show, not tell. All Winspear seems to do is tell, not show; there are so many pages that talk about how brilliant Maisie is, how clever she is, how hardworking she is, etc., and nothing to really back it up besides the side characters expounding on Maisie’s virtues. Winspear does skillfully weave the story between post-Great War England, pre-Great War England, and France during the war, but the whole novel was too much explaining and not enough happening for my liking. Unfortunately, I won’t be continuing on with reading this series.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (2009)
Summary: Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone. Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken. Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own. Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed. In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women – mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends – view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don’t. (from Goodreads)

I read The Help because I’ve been dying to see the movie and I always try to read the book first. It’s a great book; Stockett creates a wonderfully uplifting yet heartbreaking story about “the help” in 1962 Mississippi. Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny are all great characters, each with a powerful, compelling story; Stockett does a great job with her characterization. I became so engrossed in this book that I read the majority of it in one sitting. This book is most definitely worth a read.

The True Story of Ah Q by Lu Xun (1921)
Summary: The story traces the “adventures” of Ah Q, a man from the rural peasant class with little education and no definite occupation. Ah Q is famous for “spiritual victories”, Lu Xun’s euphemism for self-talk and self-deception even when faced with extreme defeat or humiliation. Ah Q is a bully to the less fortunate but fearful of those who are above him in rank, strength, or power. He persuades himself mentally that he is spiritually “superior” to his oppressors even as he succumbs to their tyranny and suppression. Lu Xun exposes Ah Q’s extreme faults as symptomatic of the Chinese national character of his time. (from Wikipedia)

While I am fully aware that I need to be far more well-versed in Chinese history to fully understand Lu Xun’s critique and social commentary of Chinese society and culture, what satire I did recognize was sharply written. Ah Q is the embodiment of all of China’s faults and flaws prior to the Cultural Revolution, and Lu Xun writes it well. It’s kind of comical to read about Ah Q’s journey, and the end of the story makes it clear as to what Lu Xun’s feelings are about the state of Chinese national character at the time.

I first heard of The Hunger Games from a friend who proclaimed he couldn’t put the book down once he had started reading it. This, combined with the movie hype, intrigued me; is the book really that good? The answer: yes, yes it is. In Katniss Everdeen, Suzanne Collins has crafted a heroine that is strong, resilient, and a good role model for girls (Stephenie Meyer, take note). The story reads easily, but that doesn’t make it any less good. It’s a novel that sucks you right in, and each of the characters are vivid and memorable. Not only that, but the world of Panem is well-crafted and sets the tone for the Games. It’s an excellent read, and I’m eager to continue the rest of the trilogy. (I wonder if the movie will be as good as the book?)

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (2006)
Summary: Nine-year-old Oskar Schell has embarked on an urgent, secret mission that will take him through the five boroughs of New York. His goal is to find the lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11. This seemingly impossible task will bring Oskar into contact with survivors of all sorts on an exhilarating, affecting, often hilarious, and ultimately healing journey. (from Goodreads)

Reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close took me on an emotional roller coaster. I laughed, cried, and my heart ached over almost every page. Jonathan Safran Foer has crafted an incredibly unique and distinctive voice in that of Oskar Schell, who is one of the most lovable child characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading. The writing style is experimental, the prose markedly different from anything I’ve ever read. But that doesn’t mean that the themes aren’t universal: love, tragedy, and loss. What is most remarkable about this book is how Safran Foer takes these themes and, even though the narrator is a nine-year-old child, manages to not make this book sappy or a quivering mess of cliches. Rather, it’s sharp and clever and tugs at your heartstrings in a way that reminds you to always tell your loved ones you love them.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (2006)
Summary: Pratchett (of Discworld fame) and Gaiman (of Sandman fame) may seem an unlikely combination, but the topic (Armageddon) of this fast-paced novel is old hat to both. Pratchett’s wackiness collaborates with Gaiman’s morbid humor; the result is a humanist delight to be savored and reread again and again. You see, there was a bit of a mixup when the Antichrist was born, due in part to the machinations of Crowley, who did not so much fall as saunter downwards, and in part to the mysterious ways as manifested in the form of a part-time rare book dealer, an angel named Aziraphale. Like top agents everywhere, they’ve long had more in common with each other than the sides they represent, or the conflict they are nominally engaged in. The only person who knows how it will all end is Agnes Nutter, a witch whose prophecies all come true, if one can only manage to decipher them. The minor characters along the way (Famine makes an appearance as diet crazes, no-calorie food and anorexia epidemics) are as much fun as the story as a whole, which adds up to one of those rare books which is enormous fun to read the first time, and the second time, and the third time… (from Goodreads)

I’ve been recommended this book by friends for so long that I’ve forgotten when I was first told to read it. I’m so glad I read it as this is a really excellent, really funny book. It has a memorable cast of characters and the humor jumps off every page. It reads easily and quickly (I read this in a day and a half) but I almost wish it doesn’t so that the book would have lasted longer! There’s wackiness and unpredictability, and the fast-paced plot means there’s never a dull moment in the story. All in all, a great read. It’s my first time reading anything of Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchett, so perhaps I will look into books by the two men in the future.

Sarah Dessen has been my favorite YA author for a long, long time. However, when comparing What Happened to Goodbye to her other novels, I was pretty disappointed. Aside from Mclean and her parents, the characters in this book all ran together in my head, particularly the girls that Mclean went to school with. Dave is also a weaker character than his role as Mclean’s love interest requires him to be. Both of these things surprised me; Dessen is usually excellent at creating vivid supporting characters that are more interesting than the main character. Dessen’s strengths as a storyteller are most apparent when the complicated relationship dynamics of Mclean and her divorced parents come into play; her weaknesses evident in the too-heavy metaphors found in the closing pages of nearly every chapter. Dessen’s talked about the struggles she had with this book, down to rewriting the second half completely, and unfortunately, it’s apparent. The whole novel follows the Dessen formula down to a T and falls short of her other, far superior novels. What Happened to Goodbye is decent, but it’s definitely not Dessen’s best work.

1984 by George Orwell (1949)
Summary: Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, Orwell’s narrative is timelier than ever. 1984 presents a startling and haunting vision of the world, so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions a legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time. (from Goodreads)

Having lived and traveled extensively in countries that have used (or are using) practices that I could draw extensive parallels with George Orwell’s vision of a totalitarian future chilled me to the bone. As a novel, it’s a little dry. But when viewed as an essay, the sociology, politics, and psychology of 1984 really jump off the page and grab you. More than anything, it demonstrated the true power of the propaganda machine. 1984 is a cultural point of reference for a reason and is definitely worth a read.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson (1991)
Summary: Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book’s categorization to be sure that ‘The Devil in the White City’ is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair’s construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. Burnham’s challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous “White City” around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair’s incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World’s Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. (from Goodreads)

It was hard to remember that this meticulously researched novel was fact and not fiction. Erik Larson makes this clear from the beginning, where he stipulates that everything in quotations are, in fact, what people actually said at the time. The parallel stories of Burnham and Holmes run smoothly throughout the novel, although Larson tries a little too hard at making both stories seem like a suspenseful thriller. Holmes, with the horror-invoking details of his crimes, and the story of his actions during the World’s Fair is definitely material for a suspenseful thriller. But Burnham and his struggles to complete the fair in time? Not so much. Larson’s insistence on trying to carry Burnham’s story as an equally suspenseful/thrilling one to that of Holmes is a weakness of the book, although Larson gives great attention and detail to the architectural history of both America and Chicago.