Age Level: Adult
Format: Book
Olive Kitteridge, a school teacher living in Crosby, Maine, is known for her emotional outbursts and opinions. Her life revolves around doom and gloom, partially thanks to being raised by an emotionally disturbed father. However, as Strout shows in this collection of short stories, under Olive's cool demeanor is someone who shares the same joys, concerns and feelings that are representative of people she knows. Olive appears in each of the thirteen short stories, either as a main character, a minor character or just simply a passing name in conversation; each of these stories show how Olive's existence plays on the characters, whether it be a former student reflecting on Olive's classroom mannerisms to her husband contemplating a deep love for an employee and its effect on his marriage. Emotionally charged with themes such as depression, suicide and love, these stories bring into the foreground life's insecurities and how each of the characters play on their strengths and weaknesses to overcome or succomb to their thoughts.
This is a very powerful book and one that I would not normally pick up to read. However, the fact that this book won the Pulitzer Prize changed my mind. I'm glad it did. Despite her shortcomings, it's rather easy to sympathize with Olive and to see how she has touched the lives of those around her, in both a negative and positive light. The short stories span a few decades, watching Olive and her family growing older and facing tough situations, such as bad communication and health scares. This is a view of small town life and how so many of the townspeople connect with one another. It's just simply amazing.
Those who enjoyed reading The Grace That Keeps This World by Tom Bailey or Plainsong by Kent Haruf should try this book.
Reviewed by Jessica
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Girl in a Blue Dress by Gaynor Arnold
Age Level: Adult
Format: Book
Catherine Dickens released early letters from her estranged husband Charles to the public so that "...the world might know that he loved me once."
From debut author Gaynor Arnold comes a fictional story based on Charles Dickens' marriage. The great Alfred Gibson has died. While the rest of London mourns the death of one of the greatest literary geniuses the public had seen, his estranged wife Dorothea sits in her small apartment, uninvited to the funeral, and reminisces about her marriage to Alfred. These recollections bring to light a marriage that looks happy on the outside but has devastating problems internally.
I was amazed by this novel! Arnold brings readers to Victorian era London, where customs and society's mores play a huge role in the actions of the characters. Dorothea is presented as a sympathetic character, whose husband preaches for family morality and yet banishes her from the house in order to strike up an extremely friendly acquaintanceship with a young actress. Through Dorothea, Arnold gives Catherine Dickens a chance to replay life after the death of her husband, reexamining the events that shaped the marriage and having the courage to confront those who played a part in the marriage's downfall. Fans of historical fiction should take a look at this novel. Even fans of Charles Dickens may appreciate this different portrayal of the man. I must admit, I'm not a huge fan of Dickens' works, but after reading this novel, I really want to pick up a Dickens biography and see how he really lived.
Reviewed by Jessica
Format: Book
Catherine Dickens released early letters from her estranged husband Charles to the public so that "...the world might know that he loved me once."
From debut author Gaynor Arnold comes a fictional story based on Charles Dickens' marriage. The great Alfred Gibson has died. While the rest of London mourns the death of one of the greatest literary geniuses the public had seen, his estranged wife Dorothea sits in her small apartment, uninvited to the funeral, and reminisces about her marriage to Alfred. These recollections bring to light a marriage that looks happy on the outside but has devastating problems internally.
I was amazed by this novel! Arnold brings readers to Victorian era London, where customs and society's mores play a huge role in the actions of the characters. Dorothea is presented as a sympathetic character, whose husband preaches for family morality and yet banishes her from the house in order to strike up an extremely friendly acquaintanceship with a young actress. Through Dorothea, Arnold gives Catherine Dickens a chance to replay life after the death of her husband, reexamining the events that shaped the marriage and having the courage to confront those who played a part in the marriage's downfall. Fans of historical fiction should take a look at this novel. Even fans of Charles Dickens may appreciate this different portrayal of the man. I must admit, I'm not a huge fan of Dickens' works, but after reading this novel, I really want to pick up a Dickens biography and see how he really lived.
Reviewed by Jessica
Friday, October 23, 2009
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Age Level: Adult
Format: Book
**This is the 2009 One Book One Community selection**
In 1996, Hanna Heath, a rare book expert, travels to war-torn Sarajevo to conduct the job of a lifetime: analyze and conserve the famous Sarajevo Haggadah. During her initial analysis of the book, she discovers little artifacts - an insect's wing, wine stains, salt crystals and a white hair - that add to the remarkable history of the Sarajevo Haggadah. Brooks takes her readers through an imagined history of the Haggadah, linking Hanna's artifacts with the path the Haggadah has taken through generations. Along the way, Hanna learns some life-changing aspects about her own family and its past.
People of the Book is an amazing book. Brooks takes the little knowledge known about the real Sarajevo Haggadah and constructs a plausible history of the book. The narrative switches between contemporary times and early periods in history, chronicling the journey of the Sarajevo Haggadah and the reasons behind the little artifacts Hanna finds in the book, which provides an excellent connection between present time and past times. It was very hard for me to put the book down - I wanted to keep reading about the Haggadah's journey. Brooks is an outstanding storyteller. Those who like to read historical fiction should give this book a try!
Reviewed by Jessica
Format: Book
**This is the 2009 One Book One Community selection**
In 1996, Hanna Heath, a rare book expert, travels to war-torn Sarajevo to conduct the job of a lifetime: analyze and conserve the famous Sarajevo Haggadah. During her initial analysis of the book, she discovers little artifacts - an insect's wing, wine stains, salt crystals and a white hair - that add to the remarkable history of the Sarajevo Haggadah. Brooks takes her readers through an imagined history of the Haggadah, linking Hanna's artifacts with the path the Haggadah has taken through generations. Along the way, Hanna learns some life-changing aspects about her own family and its past.
People of the Book is an amazing book. Brooks takes the little knowledge known about the real Sarajevo Haggadah and constructs a plausible history of the book. The narrative switches between contemporary times and early periods in history, chronicling the journey of the Sarajevo Haggadah and the reasons behind the little artifacts Hanna finds in the book, which provides an excellent connection between present time and past times. It was very hard for me to put the book down - I wanted to keep reading about the Haggadah's journey. Brooks is an outstanding storyteller. Those who like to read historical fiction should give this book a try!
Reviewed by Jessica
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Intertwined by Gena Showalter
Age Level: Teen
Format: Book
Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:
One can time-travel.
One can raise the dead.
One can tell the future.
And one can possess another human.
With no other family and a life spent in and out of institutions, Aden and the souls have become friends. But now they're causing him all kinds of trouble. Like, he'll blink and suddenly he's a younger Aden, reliving the past. One wrong move, and he'll change the future. Or he'll walk past a total stranger and know how and when she's going to die.
He's so over it. All he wants is peace.
And then he meets a girl who quiets the voices. Well, as long as he's near her. Why? Mary Ann Gray is his total opposite. He's a loner; she has friends. He doesn't care what anyone thinks; she tries to make everyone happy. And while he attracts the paranormal, she repels it. For her sake, he should stay away. But it's too late....
Somehow, they share an inexplicable bond of friendship. A bond about to be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann for his own, and a vampire princess Aden can't resist.
Two romances, both forbidden. Still, the four will enter a dark underworld of intrigue and danger but not everyone will come out alive...
I will admit, when I first picked up this book I was a little skeptical. I'm over vampires. I've read way too many books lately that have dealt with vampires. But from the first page, I was hooked on this book. I couldn't put it down. The sub-plots with the vampire princess and the werewolf were interesting, but there was so much in the relationship between Mary Ann and Aden. I loved those two characters from the first moment I met them and I wanted to know how it was that Mary Ann could silence the voices.
All in all, this was a very good book. There were many unnecessary plot-lines and characters, but overall it was very interesting. Read it for Aden and Mary Ann. Not for the vampire princess and werewolf.
Reviewed by Sara.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Age Level: Teen
Format: Book
Every time I talk about SHIVER I get chills. Wait, was that sentence incredibly cheesy? Yes! Did I mean every word of it? Yes! Should you read SHIVER? Yes!!! Oh, you would like to know why other than the fact that I practically just begged you to.
SHIVER, the first in a planned trilogy, is Grace and Sam’s story. As a child Grace was attacked by a pack of wolves. Ever since then she has been enamored by the wolves residing in the woods beyond her backyard. One wolf, her wolf, the one with yellow eyes, in particular.
Sam, the boy with yellow eyes, is sensitive to the temperature. When the weather starts to change so does he. During the summer months he is human and in the winter a wolf. Yes, the same wolf that silently lingers at the edge of Grace’s yard. Until one day due to unusual circumstances Sam finds himself injured, human, and naked on Grace’s back porch... And no way am I going to spoil the rest for you by telling you what happens next.
Told from two alternating points of view SHIVER is a beautiful love story that will simply break your heart. Stiefvater’s writing is magically lyrical and wonderfully descriptive in a way that the characters and events feel real. Plus, the print is blue! Blue, people! Not every book black, but blue! If that’s not enough to spark your interest I’m not sure what will.
Gorgeous cover and fun print aside SHIVER is a novel you’ll want to read, reread, and recommend to all your friends. Not only is it one of my absolute favorites, but also a New York Times Bestseller. Go, read SHIVER, and join me in my great anticipation for its upcoming sequels LINGER and FOREVER!
I award SHIVER five plus snowflakes (instead of stars).
Reviewed by Kaila
Format: Book
Every time I talk about SHIVER I get chills. Wait, was that sentence incredibly cheesy? Yes! Did I mean every word of it? Yes! Should you read SHIVER? Yes!!! Oh, you would like to know why other than the fact that I practically just begged you to.
SHIVER, the first in a planned trilogy, is Grace and Sam’s story. As a child Grace was attacked by a pack of wolves. Ever since then she has been enamored by the wolves residing in the woods beyond her backyard. One wolf, her wolf, the one with yellow eyes, in particular.
Sam, the boy with yellow eyes, is sensitive to the temperature. When the weather starts to change so does he. During the summer months he is human and in the winter a wolf. Yes, the same wolf that silently lingers at the edge of Grace’s yard. Until one day due to unusual circumstances Sam finds himself injured, human, and naked on Grace’s back porch... And no way am I going to spoil the rest for you by telling you what happens next.
Told from two alternating points of view SHIVER is a beautiful love story that will simply break your heart. Stiefvater’s writing is magically lyrical and wonderfully descriptive in a way that the characters and events feel real. Plus, the print is blue! Blue, people! Not every book black, but blue! If that’s not enough to spark your interest I’m not sure what will.
Gorgeous cover and fun print aside SHIVER is a novel you’ll want to read, reread, and recommend to all your friends. Not only is it one of my absolute favorites, but also a New York Times Bestseller. Go, read SHIVER, and join me in my great anticipation for its upcoming sequels LINGER and FOREVER!
I award SHIVER five plus snowflakes (instead of stars).
Reviewed by Kaila
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