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.