The White Tiger

As Balram begins to tell his story of growing up, surviving and then thriving (this is debatable) in India I wasn't sure I wanted to hear another Slumdog Millionaire story.  I kept reading because the author, Aravind Adiga, threw me a bone, so to speak and then I was hooked.  Balram grew up in the Darkness of India as a smart kid who wormed his way into a job as a driver for a wealthy family.  The bulk of the book is taken up as Balram describes his life and that of his master.  Not his boss, not his employer, his master.  As Adiga describes the injustices in India I wanted to point my finger at India and get very self-righteous about their caste system.  However, my head was also swimming with the questions that I ponder constantly.  How do we keep people in their place here in the U.S.?  How are our social classes actually divided?  Do people from one class actually want to move up to the next class, or do they just want some of the benefits of that class?  The White Tiger is Adiga's first novel and I look forward to reading more from him, as soon as I can emotionally prepare for it.

Admission

There's nothing like a movie based on a book to get me writing again.  When I saw the preview for the new movie Admission with Tina Fey and Paul Rudd I thought, "I think I own that book."  Sure enough I found it in a big stack of "to be read" in my bedroom.  I think Tina Fey is great so I know I'm going to see the movie.  Of course, the way my brain works is that I need to read the book first.  I finished it this afternoon.  Thumbs up, or down?  Hard to say.  I have a feeling Karen Croner (screenplay) will have written what I wish the book had been.  The title is a homonym used in the book to describe Portia Nathan's career as an admissions officer for Princeton University and for the secret that she needs to get off her chest that she's carried for 17 years.  The book is organized according to the cycle of admissions to ivy league universities.  I now know WAY TOO MUCH about admission to ivy league universities.  In fact, the book waxes on so much about the process that I literally thought it was the author's first book.  I was wrong.  So, where was her editor? Other than that flaw, I'd like to say that I like the characters and the setting, etc.  I want to like Portia.  She has some admirable qualities.  Unfortunately, she's just not very likable.  I think the author knows this, as Portia has approximately one friend.  There are a few other likable characters, but only one or two others tied to Princeton.  The author makes ivy league schools seem very disagreeable to someone like me, honestly.  Well, if Tina Fey signed on, then I have faith that the film will be much more enjoyable.  For instance, even in the preview there are a few laughs...whereas the book is most definitely not funny.  In fact, I would say that it takes itself entirely too seriously.

When I'm in the mood for something relatively "light", but thoughtful, usually with some really good quotable lines, I often look towards Nick Hornby.  It's not his latest, but I have recently finished Juliet, Naked, a novel about the art of music appreciation.  Annie and Duncan are in their early 40s and have been a couple in a small seaside town in England for about 15 years.  Duncan is obsessed with an American singer/songwriter who walked away from his craft abruptly in the mid-80s (Tucker Crowe) whom Annie mildly enjoys but humors Duncan anyway.  When an acoustic version of Tucker's most famous album, Juliet, is released called Juliet, Naked Duncan and Annie's competing opinions of the album call to light the problems with their relationship.  I won't divulge how, but Tucker comes into the picture and challenges the opinions of him and his supposed genius and all three of these characters must confront the meaning of appreciating another's art and the impact that appreciation can have on ones own life.  I enjoyed this book for it's good characters and the overt and sometimes covert question, "What have I done with my life?"   

I like the show Criminal Minds so I think I was attracted to the description of Killing Time when I read that the main character is a criminal psychologist.  This man, Dr. Gideon Wolfe, lives in New York in the near future.  The world is completely saturated by information from all forms of technology and Gideon begins to question the quality and accuracy of the information when he is very suddenly swept into a conspiracy.  This conspiracy contains geniuses and authoritative figures from many different disciplines (physics, psychiatry, etc.) and is very appealing to Gideon until he begins to question the accuracy and morality of what even the "good guys" are trying to accomplish.  Caleb Carr does a great job of carrying the reader through the questions that Gideon is asking himself through his adventures around the world including musings about the cure being worse then the disease.

Maurice Sendak

While driving to work this morning I heard the news that Maurice Sendak passed away.  What a loss to the world of literature.  I want to write "children's literature", but according to him he didn't write for children.  The radio station I was listening to played an excerpt from a recent interview with Maurice Sendak from Stephen Colbert.  In it, Mr. Sendak said that he didn't write for children.  He wrote stories and then people would say, "That's for children!"  When asked what he thought of the current state of children's literature he called it "abysmal".  Apparently he was a funny guy.  I believe it.  Who could have thought up characters like Max from Where The Wild Things Are or Mickey from In The Night Kitchen?  They are two of the most stubborn, brattiest, and inventive boys we've seen in books.  Well, Mr. Sendak certainly made his mark and now I hope he is able to rest in peace.

The Magicians

With big nods to The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter series I also found myself thinking of The Catcher in the Rye. The book opens with the main character, teenager Quentin Coldwater, mopey, bitter, and lonely in Brooklyn. He is also secretly in love with a popular children's fantasy series about siblings who discovery Fillory through walking into a grandfather clock. Now here's the Harry Potter part...while Quentin is interviewing for admission to Princeton he has a disturbing and strange experience which leads to him being transported to a college for potential magicians. His ensuing years of college are interesting to read about as he seeks happiness in the world of magic that he had only hoped was real. The annoying part is Quentin's adolescent angst about his parents, girls, and friendship. A constant theme of being happy with oneself no matter where you are is great, but living through that growing knowledge with Quentin can become tedious and I found myself wanting to slap him near the end of the book. That being said, it really is worth the read for anyone who has a tolerance for magic and fantasy fiction. If you don't, you might want to take a pass.

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County

Truly Plaice is the "little giant" in question. After her mother died in childbirth with her, her father was left with Truly and her older sister Serena Jane. After a very unsatisfying childhood marked with taunts and jeers about her size (height as well as weight), Truly begins her adult life still in the shadow of her beautiful sister. Truly is a beautiful person and the relationships between her and her two closest friends, Amelia and Marcus are the best parts of the book. There are mysterious aspects laced into the book, but these do not drive the plot. This was a very enjoyable book that spans several decades, including the Vietnam War, helping the reader to grow up with Truly as she matures.

Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk

The title is a little striking and definitely warrants investigation. So I took the bait and ordered it from my book club. Main character Gabe is an only child growing up as a Jehovah's Witness in the early 80s. His parents converted after they were married (shotgun wedding) and now his dad is an elder in their congregation. Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk takes us from middle school through Gabe's high school graduation. His teen years are marred by embarrassment and confusion about his religion and his constant thoughts of sex. Mostly, this book is about the tragic times of puberty set in the life of a Jehovah's Witness. Writer Tony DuShane dips his foot into the pool of exposing the fraudulent aspects of Kingdom Hall activity in the latter half of the book, but only to add drama to the conflict that Gabe is feeling. There are a lot of references to music from the 80's and San Francisco, which are really fun.

The Likeness

The Likeness is the second novel by Tana French in a "sort of series" about Dublin detectives. This one follows a few weeks in the life of Cassie Maddox, the work partner of Rob Ryan from the first book In The Woods. Cassie receives an urgent call from a murder detective about a dead girl who looks exactly like Cassie and has been using an alias that Cassie previously used while undercover. While assisting with the case Cassie finds herself entangled in the girl's life and leaving her own. I read this novel very quickly because I was on vacation and had a lot of time, but also because I enjoyed it so much. The characters are written well, the plot moves at the perfect pace, and the ending is satisfying. Cassie is a great character (smart, courageous, sensitive) and I mourn losing her.

The Pillars of the Earth

I love historical fiction and the back cover of this book made it seem interesting. There were recommendations for it everywhere I looked. So I thought I'd give it a try. In a word: boring. I kept wondering where Ken Follett's editor was hiding. It's a long book and drags on. There was one scene in which the outcome of a character's wanderings had an obvious outcome. Yet the reader has to endure page after page of the character pulling on doors and walking down corridors. Torture. The plot covers several decades in the building of a cathedral during England's dark times. The main characters include a monk, the cathedral's head builder and his family. They are likable and written well. If the book were at least half its size it could have been better. Great idea. Poor follow through.

The Hunger Games

As I've delved into young adult fiction the past year or so I have had The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins on my radar. A few months ago I took the plunge and read it, much to my satisfaction. Excellent-original-captivating! I couldn't put it down. It did not feel like I was reading a book meant for teenagers. I applaud Ms. Collins for expecting much more from her readers and not dumbing down the themes. The book is set in a futuristic Earth where people are separated into districts. The districts waged a coup on the mysterious Capitol and lost many years before the book opens. Part of the punishment is the annual Hunger Games. Each district holds a lottery and sends two young people to the Capitol as participants. Unfortunately, these games are to the death. Our girl Katniss has grown up in the poorest of the districts and volunteers to go when her younger sister's name is called. Katniss' adventure is related in an intelligent thrilling form that draws the reader in completely. By the end of the Games I didn't know what was going to happen. Unpredictability in story is very important to me so I loved this! You don't have to be under 20 to read this book so go do it now.

Water for Elephants

Jacob Jankowski ran away from his life the week of his final exams in veterinary school after his parents die in a car accident. He jumped a train and found himself working for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. As Jacob worked out his grief on the circus he met the most horrible and wonderful creatures, from Blackie (the working man who throws people off the train) to Rosie (the stubborn and intelligent elephant). Jacob found himself attracted to Marlena, the wife of the crazy head animal trainer, and simultaneously sought her out and avoided her. His struggle to grieve, find his passion, and maintain his sense of morals with Marlene and the animals makes Jacob a compassionate character. Throughout the book I found myself just wanting his life to work out well. The movie version of Water For Elephants opens in April with the wonderful Reese Witherspoon playing Marlena. I'm sure it will be a fine movie, but read the book first.

Her Fearful Symmetry

Who knew that being a twin could be so difficult? In Audrey Niffenegger's latest novel she takes the reader into the lives of Julia and Valentina Poole. An aunt they've never met (their mother's twin sister) has died of cancer and left all of her money and her flat in London to the girls under the condition that their parents will never set foot into the loft. So the twins leave their Chicago suburb and move to London for a year. They have just turned 21 years old. They explore London, meet the other curious residents of their building, including Robert, the boyfriend of their aunt, and experience a supernatural mystery.

I adored The Time Traveler's Wife, but I think Niffenegger wasn't quite as authentically inspired for this latest novel. The characters are drawn almost in black in white in comparison. The story piqued my interest during the first couple of chapters, but took a long plateau in the middle. The end of the plot was easily foreseen more then halfway through, but Niffenegger did a good job of making me question motives and wonder what the future would hold for the characters.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

I think I've detected a pattern in my reading for the last year....mysteries. I've never been attracted to them because I thought they only came in the form of poorly written and cheaply bound grocery store novels. Yesterday I finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and it was wonderful. The protagonist is Flavia de Luce, an 11 year old girl living in post WWII England. She lives in the very large home, Buckshaw, that has been in her family for generations with her two older sisters and her father. Flavia's love is chemistry with an extra interest in poisons. She inherited the lab of one of her deceased uncles and experiments with concoctions to torture her sisters Ophelia and Daphne. Flavia is intelligent, quick-witted, and very curious about the world. She is also lonely and longing for a family bond that doesn't openly exist. When she stumbles upon a murdered man in her family's cucumber patch, she is drawn to discover the killer and rides Gladys (her bicycle) around the English countryside finding answers. Apparently this is Alan Bradley's first novel and he intends to continue with more about Flavia. Oh I dear hope so!

The Thirteenth Tale

As The Thirteenth Tale opens Margaret, a young reclusive woman, receives a letter from a popular author requesting Margaret to be her biographer. The author, Vida Winter, is very secretive herself and is known for lying to reporters whenever asked about her childhood or past. Margaret is unsure about Miss Winter's motives but agrees to write the book. As Margaret moves in with Vida and begins to unravel the mysteries of the Angelfield family and the odd twins Emmeline and Adeline she also takes a closer look at her own childhood and the secret her parents kept from her. I did not feel especially connected with any of the characters in this book, but the story is intriguing and worth finishing.

Life of Pi

Feeling like the last person in the U.S. to read this book, I actually listened to it. I initially checked out the CD audiobook from the library as a way to spend my 20 minute commute doing something more constructive than singing loudly along to Snow Patrol--which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The man who narrated the book as Pi Patel was very enjoyable to listen to. His voice was a perfect match for what I would have wanted Pi's voice to sound like, Hindi accent and all. If you haven't read this book yet, or you did and would love another perusing, I recommend listening to it. That said, I did enjoy the story, but even more, Pi, the main character who becomes stranded in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger. He is intelligent and sensitive, and any reader with half a heart feels nothing but compassion for him. About 3/4 of the way into the book I became desparate for Pi to be rescued and to move on from the Pacific, but that aside I recommend this book.

A Good Man Is Hard to Find

Ain't it the truth? But seriously....before taking on this classic volume of short stories I had never read anything by Flannery O'Connor. I knew she was popular for her Southern-style classic literature, but that was all I knew. Honestly, I have been disappointed. I really didn't enjoy it. I couldn't find anyone in the stories that I cared about besides the innocent children and the dialogue is so annoyingly mid-century southern that it was hard to read-'n' word included. I am completely open to trying her again if someone has a suggestion of another work. Until then, I am done with her. Too many other good books to get into.

Sing Them Home

Oh how I wanted to like this book! I thoroughly enjoyed Stephanie Kallos' first novel Broken For You and eagerly anticipated something else from her. Sing Them Home is long, lacking in sympathetic characters, and not interesting. I think there was supposed to be a mystery, but I didn't even really care and had basically figured it out by the time of the great revealing. Set in Nebraska, the three Jones children (now grown up) are re-facing the disappearance of their mother during a tornado during their childhood. Their father has passed away and they meet for his funeral. Nobody knows what happened to their mother, Hope, and their lives are tainted by her absence and the mystery attached to it. Sounds intriguing enough....but the plot and the character development and the themes just never get 'there'. And did I mention that it's long?

Quote from Gary Shteyngart author of Super Sad True Love Story

"As wonderful as film is, it still requires a camera lens. It does not allow you inside the mind of its creator, whereas a book still does. That experience requires a deep train of concentration and that deep train of concentration is what is being slowly chiseled away at by instant gratification forms of media."

Then We Came To The End

I believe the review that got me interested in this book described it as "hilarious". One reviewer on Powell's Books site referred to it as the best book he's read all year. All I can say is.....Seriously??? The book is set in Chicago in an advertising agency in the early part of this decade. As clients are lost the employees employ tactics to make themselves look busy. Nothing funny there. The unnamed narrator is one of these employees and this person makes observations about his or her fellow co-workers. Most of these people are rather pathetic and there are too many of them to really keep track of and make a connection with. Nothing funny there. Not interesting either. I think Joshua Ferris' has some potential, so I'm not writing him off yet, but I recommend that this one be skipped.