Show Me 5 Saturday: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

From That's A Novel Idea and Find Your Next Book Here

1 book I read: Fahrenheit 451

2 words that describe the book: Dystopian literature

3 settings where it took place or characters you met:

Guy Montag - The main character, a firefighter in the future whose job it is to set fires, not put them out. He spends most of his life going along with the sentiment that books are evil and should be burnt, but meeting a young girl who moves in next door begins to change his perspective.

Captain Beatty - The ultimate government patsy, he enforces the rules to a T. He suspects Montag's leanings almost before Montag knows them himself, and he executes his orders.

Clarisse McClellan - A 17-year-old free-thinker who moves in next door to Montag. Her conversations with Montag, centering around thinking and talking instead of passively having things fed to you, are what gets Montag to rethink his way of life.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

I liked how I could actually (frighteningly) picture this world coming into existence. We're really not that far off from this possibility, which is scary.

I didn't like how it seemed to take a long time for Montag to make his mental "switch," but once he did, it all went lightning-fast. It just seemed like a big build-up for a super-quick payoff.

I liked Captain Beatty, as reprehensible a character as he is. He's the personification of censorship, and he does a good job putting the fear of God into those around him.

I liked (No, LOVED) the ending. Such an amazing concept. I think more people need to put this into practice right now, because it almost seems like we're losing a lot of crucial books to a lack of readership.

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 5 stars. An absolute must-read.

The Whys and Wheres: Personal library

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge; 451 Challenge

Show Me 5 Saturday: Push by Sapphire

From That's A Novel Idea and Find Your Next Book Here

1 book I read: Push

2 words that describe the book: Overcoming boundaries

3 settings where it took place or characters you met:

Claireece "Precious" Jones - A 16-year-old severely overweight black girl living in Harlem, Precious is pregnant with her second child by her father. When she gets kicked out of her public school, Precious enrolls in an alternative program that teaches her how to read and write, and gives her a way out of the abusive, poverty-stricken life she has always known.

Blue Rain - Precious' teacher at Each One Teach One, she pushes the young women in the program to write something every day, no matter what it is or how incoherent it may seem. She becomes Precious' champion and her daily conversations with Precious, through a journal, help get the young girl moving in the right direction.

Abdul Jones - Precious' infant son and her motivation for learning to read and write, moving out of her mother's apartment, and working toward a better life for both of them.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

I liked that, although Precious' life up to the beginning of the novel is absolutely horrible and she seems to be caught in a cycle that will never end, Precious still maintains some hope that she'll be able to find a better life for herself. She just needs someone who cares about her (Which she finds) and who knows how to move Precious in the right direction.

I disliked how the entire novel was written in dialect. I know it's Precious' story, and that's how she speaks and thinks, but it just made parts of the book really difficult to read through because I had to figure out what was being said.

I liked the Each One Teach One class's stories written out at the end of the book. We got allusions to where the other girls in the class came from background-wise through Precious' story, but hearing their lives in their own words was interesting.

I liked that the book ends with a lot of hope. It's often easy to write about people in dire situations and leave the book with there being very little hope that the characters will crawl out of it, but not here. Precious has a better life on the horizon, and you know it.

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 4 stars.

The Whys and Wheres: Personal library

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge; Take Another Chance Challenge (Challenge 2 - Blogroll Roulette)

Show Me 5 Saturday: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

From That's A Novel Idea and Find Your Next Book Here

1 book I read: To the Lighthouse
 
2 words that describe the book: Modern fiction

3 settings where it took place or characters you met:

The Hebrides, on the Isle of Skye - This is the location of the Ramsay family's summer home and the place where the entire novel unfolds over the course of several years. There's really not much else to say about the Hebrides besides showing you a picture:

Source

Gorgeous, isn't it? Sigh...




Lily Briscoe - Not a member of the Ramsay family, Lily really is the main character in this novel. She begins a shy young painter who takes too much to heart the ramblings of Charles Tansley that women shouldn't be painters. She spends most of the novel doubting various things, most often her abilities. There's an idea for a painting bouncing around in her head for a decade, and the painting finally is finished at the end of the novel.


Mr. Ramsay - A rude, self-centered man, he worries too much of his legacy and his impact in the world. He takes out his insecurities on his wife and children, bullying them into submission. He also is very much a modern character who questions Victorian practices and ideals, but only when they serve him.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

I liked, as always, Woolf's writing. She's one of those writers who could compose a sketch on grass growing and make it beautiful. There's no one that compares to her in my book.

I liked Mrs. Ramsay's character. She's kind and hopeful, buoying up her husband and children when necessary, and protective of the children's innocence. She has a very Romantic view of the world, appreciating beauty and believing it should be preserved.

I liked Woolf's experiment with the second section, showing the passing of a decade. It's a tough section to slog through if you're not paying attention, but the payoff is great.

I greatly disliked Mr. Ramsay's character. He reminds me of all those overbearing, chauvinistic patriarchs that are represented in history and literature. He really had no redeeming qualities to him, in my opinion.

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 5 stars. This is a classic everyone should read.

The Whys and Wheres: Personal library

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge; Take Another Chance Challenge #3 - 100 Best Books

Show Me 5 Saturday: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

From That's A Novel Idea and Find Your Next Book Here

1 book I read: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2)

2 words that describe the book: Young adult dystopian (Three, but it works!)

3 settings where it took place or characters you met:

Finnick Odair - One of the former tributes from District 4, Finnick initially comes off as pompous and confident, qualities which make Katniss dislike him. Eventually, during the Quarter Quell Games, he shows that outside appearances aren't all they seem to be.



President Snow - Although we heard of him in the first book, we never actually met the man at the head of the Capitol. He's just as cruel and sadistic as he's portrayed from afar, and the worst of him is yet to come.


Mags - Another victor from District 4, Katniss takes pity on her advanced age and teams up with her early in the Quarter Quell Games. She proves to be much more useful, and incredibly self-sacrificing, than Katniss originally thought she was, once again proving to Katniss that she can't always trust first impressions.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

I liked that, even though things seemed horrible and bleak in the first book, they just keep getting worse. I know this sounds really terrible of me, but it's the whole "The night is darkest before the dawn" thing: Things can only get worse before they get better, and people have to be tested to their absolute limits to find out what they're made of.


I liked that, in the midst of all the horrible things brought on by the Capitol, Katniss still has time to worry about "typical" teenage things such as love. It made the horrors of Panem seem a little less relentless.

I liked that there are hints of what's going to happen in the final book of the trilogy, but you don't actually piece together the puzzle until you've read it all. That thread of the story is what makes other series, such as Harry Potter, so appealing.

I liked that Katniss evolved as a character, even though less than a year elapses between the end of the first book and the start of this one. She's even more jaded and angry than before because of what she witnessed during the Games, but her experience also taught her to hold her loved ones a little bit more close.

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 5 stars. Although I can't put it exactly into words, this was my favorite book of the trilogy.

The Whys and Wheres: Personal library

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge

Show Me 5 Saturday: The Final Solution by Michael Chabon

From That's A Novel Idea and Find Your Next Book Here
 




 
1 book I read: The Final Solution: A Story of Detection

2 words that describe the book: Detective fiction

3 settings where it took place or characters you met:

Setting: England

The 89-year-old Detective: It's never fully said, but it's very obvious that this once-famous detective-turned-beekeeper is the Sherlock Holmes of legend. He still retains much of his mental acuity and deductive reasoning, but loses a lot of the quirks that made him so interesting in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's canonical works.

Linus Steinman: A 9-year-old mute whose past includes seeing some hideous things. When his parrot pet disappears, it's up to the Detective to find out what happened and what's made Linus lose his speech.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

I liked Chabon's writing. I've never read anything by this Pulitzer Prize-winner, but his prose is the stuff of legends. He's a master of the clever turns of phrase and immense vocabulary.

I liked that the mystery centers around a set of numbers that could be anything: A code, a math problem, a phone number. I don't know why this was so intriguing to me, but I think I enjoy it most when the mysteries in books are a little more brainy and a little less whodunit.

I didn't like the way Chabon basically ruined all that was good about Sherlock Holmes. This may sound harsh, but I have a HUGE fond spot in my heart for the eccentric detective (I'm also not a fan of Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of him, but that's another story for another day) and I don't like seeing the things that once made him so interesting just gone. Sure, he's older and retired, but he should not lose the ability for witty repartee that made him so intriguing in the past.

I liked that Chabon wrote an entire section of the book from the parrot's point of view. It was, in my opinion, the most charming part of the book. I wish there would have been more of it!

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 3 stars. I was just disappointed in this one. It would've rated higher if Sherlock Holmes hadn't been so lame.


The Whys and Wheres: Library

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge; Take Another Chance Challenge (Challenge 11: All in the Family)

Show Me 5 Saturday: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) by Lemony Snicket

From That's A Novel Idea and Find Your Next Book Here
 




 

1 book I read: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1)

2 words that describe the book: Juvenile suspense

3 settings where it took place or characters you met:

Violet Baudelaire - A 14-year-old who, along with her two younger siblings, is suddenly orphaned by a house fire. But, that's not the worst thing to happen to the Baudelaires in this book. Violet is smart and cares deeply for her siblings, something you don't often see in juvenile or young adult literature.

Count Olaf - The Baudelaires' mysterious distant relative, Count Olaf is an eccentric, mean man who wants only the children's money. He forces them to cook and clean his house, and even attempts to trick Violet into marrying him. He's one of the biggest creeps I've ever met in literature.

Justice Strauss - Count Olaf's next door neighbor, she has a gorgeous library to which she allows the children access. She cares for the Baudelaires, but she's just another oblivious adult who only does what the law says is right.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

I liked that Snicket didn't talk down to the readers in this book. He didn't simplify the language, yet he offered up explanations and definitions when he used a larger word. I think it's important for children's literature to challenge the readers instead of just being a breezy good story.

I liked the Baudelaire children. They are great characters who I just wanted to spend the entire book rooting for.

I didn't like that nothing really good seems to happen to the Baudelaires. I know that's the premise of the book, as this is a "series of unfortunate events," but it was just one bad, depressing thing after another. I don't think I can read the rest of this series if it's just all going to be this way.

I didn't like how creepy Count Olaf was. I'm sorry, but in a book aimed at older juveniles (Ages 8-12), I don't think it's appropriate to have an old man try to trick a young girl into marrying him, no matter that it doesn't really happen. Just a little too disturbing for me.

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 3 stars. It was well-written, but there were just too many things I didn't like about this book for me to rate it higher.


The Whys and Wheres: Library

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge

Show Me 5 Saturday: The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory (The Cousins' War #2)

From That's A Novel Idea and Find Your Next Book Here
 




 

 




1 book I read: The Red Queen (The Cousins' War #2)

2 words that describe the book: Historical fiction

3 settings where it took place or characters you met:

Setting: England

Margaret Beaufort - Henry VIII's grandmother knows that she has one main purpose in life: To bear a son to assume the throne of England. And, she's not letting anyone or anything stand in the way of her ultimate goal. Although much of the book is fabricated, Gregory did a lot of research into Margaret and her court, and you can almost see the hunger in her eyes as she preens her son for the throne.

Henry VII - Margaret's son who is (If other competitors can be eliminated) next in line for the throne of England. He's young when the main battles start, but with the help of his uncle, he steps ably into the role of military commander.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

I liked Gregory's writing and everything that goes into it. Not just is her writing mechanically fabulous and easy-to-read, but she so thoroughly researches her subjects that you can't imagine that they lived any other way. She really knows how to re-create historical periods and figures.

I liked that Gregory is filling a need, of sorts, in historical fiction with this new series. She and many authors like her have tackled the Tudors and the Elizabethan era, but it's nice to see some historical fiction about this family's predecessors (Yes, I know there's other historical fiction about the Yorks and Lancasters out there, I just haven't seen as much of it as Tudor and Elizabethan historical fiction).

I didn't like that I didn't like Margaret. This is, however, a credit to Gregory's skill. Even though I found Margaret conniving and cold-hearted for the vast majority of the book (I liked Elizabeth Woodville from The White Queen much better), I still overall loved this book. That she was able to make such a repellent character the center of her novel and still make the novel enjoyable on the whole is an achievement.

I liked that, even though a lot of it is fabricated, we get to see some of the more minor, but still crucial, players in history. I'm thinking mostly about Jasper Tudor, Margaret's brother-in-law and Henry's uncle. I knew he was part of the real events, but have never looked closely enough at him as a person. Now, I want to do more research on him!

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 5 stars. As always, Gregory pulls out a fabulous work of historical fiction.


The Whys and Wheres: Library

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge

Show Me 5 Saturday: Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie

From That's A Novel Idea and Find Your Next Book Here
 




 

1 book I read: Shalimar the Clown

2 words that describe the book: Literary fiction (I don't have much insight beyond that!)

3 settings where it took place or characters you met:

Settings: Kashmir, India and Los Angeles, California

Max Ophuls - The former ambassador to India is murdered, in broad daylight, on the front steps of his daughter's apartment building by his new limousine driver. Ophuls, a larger-than-life man who holds the secrets of the underground intelligence world, isn't exactly as gregarious and innocent as he first appears. Throughout the novel, we learn the long series of events spanning nearly three decades that led to his murder.

Shalimar the Clown - A native of the Kashmir region of India, Shalimar mysteriously appears at Ophuls' door one day, looking for work as a chauffeur. We know from the beginning that he is Ophuls' murderer, but it's not until we are taken back through a story of deep love and devastating loss do we understand why.

4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it:

I liked, as always, Rushdie's writing. It's disjointed enough to make his books a challenge, but has a fluidity and a beauty that is unparalleled. There's a reason I've been leading a (joking) Facebook campaign for nearly five years to get the man a Nobel Prize for Literature.

I liked the character of Shalimar, even though he is a murderer. I didn't like him right at the beginning of the novel, but he was pretty quickly thereafter established as a sympathetic character whose plight we were meant to understand.

I liked the glimpse we get of a world I've never seen. Sure, Rushdie's portrayal of Kashmir may not be totally faithful to reality, but he makes the region and its people come alive.

I didn't like (and this is probably a failing of myself as a reader) that the book is blurbed as a work of magical realism. I didn't really get that part of the story, even though I was looking for it!

5 Stars or less for your rating?

I'm giving the book 4 stars. I would recommend this book to any fan of Rushdie, those who like literature set in India, or anyone looking for something interesting and complex.


The Whys and Wheres: My bookshelves

Challenges: Read 'n' Review Challenge