2012

The Marriage Plot

2012, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Fiction, Women /

I received a free review copy of Jeffrey Eugenides The Marriage Plot AGES ago. So long ago that I can’t even remember how long ago it was. And we’ve been listening to it for months. A month ago I jokingly said we may NEVER finish listening to it and then yesterday TW said “this is the last disc” and I almost drove the car off of the road because I was so surprised. The last disc? Really? Yippeee!

So why did it take so long to finish this one? No idea. I thought it was just because it’s a really long book but now that I’ve looked at the listing on Amazon and see that it was only 416 page – I’m surprised, I thought it would be easily 600 pages and wouldn’t have blinked at 750. But just over 400? Ugh.

I liked the narrator’s voice and I found Madeleine and Mitchell’s stories interesting.  I found myself chuckling quite often and rolling my eyes from time to time, as well. I really like nothing better than a Eugenides book for his super smart, thinky sentences – pretension included. But, and this is the but that made it take months to finish, I found myself easily distracted and disconnected from the characters. One minute I was super interested in what was happening and the next I had checked out – then I’d turn off the cd and it would be weeks before I’d turn it on again.

Too much of the story revolved around the guys and what they were doing (or not doing) with Madeleine. Her own story line was all about her life as it pertained to the guys. Had she ditched Leonard (and Mitchell) after the conference where she finally decided what she wanted to do next, and gone off and done it – or gone home and really worked to make it happen, that would have been something. But no – she went home, and the story dropped her right back where she was – with no depth, no ego of her own, just a young woman in the 70s still floating along where the guys allow her to float

Still… I’d like to know what happens next to all three characters. I would hope their lives move along without each other and they never see each other again.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Marriage Plot Read More »

The Underside of Joy

1 Comment / 2012, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

This book is a BlogHer Bookclub book but I did not officially read it for the BHBC. Just a bit of a coincidence, really.

I can’t decide if I want to rant about The Underside of Joy or rave about The Underside of Joy. Even the ranting is rally a kind of raving – because I wouldn’t be ranting about the book itself or about the author’s writing or anything else. I want to rant about these characters – particularly about men like Joe. And while ranting, I’ll of course be nice enough to point out that Joe (and men like him) are in part, products of their parents and their childhood who in turn are products of their own childhood etc.

It’s a vicious cycle. That rant would turn into men, like Joe, who are even worse than Joe and I don’t even want to go there, do I?

Nope, I don’t.

So let me just say – great book, quick read, not quite the tearjerker I expected but emotional just the same. And – it ended well.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Underside of Joy Read More »

I am Half-Sick of Shadows

2012, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

Oh Flavia. I am Half-Sick of Shadows caused me to say “Oh, Flavia” and “Poor, Flavia” a lot. And, this might be my favorite book since book one. No, wait – not might be, it is my favorite.

The interactions between Flavia and the cast of regulars felt better developed – probably because we’ve read enough of the background story and we understand the top layer of why these characters feel and think and act this way and now it’s time to dig a little deeper into their psyches.

Whatevs — I loved it. Loved the Father Christmas storyline. Loved the fireworks.

Can’t wait for the next book.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

I am Half-Sick of Shadows Read More »

The Secret Life of Dresses

2012, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Fiction, Women /

The Secret Life of Dresses was a wee bit sadder than I expected it to be. I really wanted a slightly different ending because… sad! I loved the dresses and Mimi, I just wish I’d gotten to know her better – ya know?

I do love how the stories of the dresses came to be – that was fabulous. And I am dying to just surf A Dress A Day for awhile – but I have work to do. Maybe this weekend. J

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Secret Life of Dresses Read More »

A Month of Books – January

1 Comment / 2012, Books in Bed, Reading Lists /

I’m going to try and take do a better job of tracking my book challenges and stuff in 2012 and I thought a good way to do that would be to do a month in review on the last day of every month – so here’s the first shot at it.

–          Audio books – still, yes STILL, listening to The Marriage Plot. (We may never finish – even though I’m enjoying it.)

–          Steampunk – 1

–          Adoption – 0

–          Queer – 2

–          From the Stacks – 1

–          Cybils – 0

–          Nancy Drew – 0

–          1001 Books to Read Before You Die and 1001 Books to Read Before you Get Old – well I looked at both lists. I made a cursory shot at figuring out which ones I’ve read and have determined, nope. Can’t even begin to think about doing either of these.  There are too many books and not enough time. Maybe when I retire. Or something.

Total books read – 11 12

Total books quit – 1

Print books still in progress – 1 0

–          YA – 6

–          Non-fiction – 1

–          Graphic Novels – 1

Oy. I need to pick up the pace a bit, don’t I?

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

A Month of Books – January Read More »

Twisted

2012, Books in Bed, Fiction, Young Adult /

Twisted is another piece of great YA fiction from Laurie Halse Anderson – this one about a boy with a whole lot of problems, most of which are related to dysfunctional family issues.  I wasn’t sure I was going to like the book. It started with a teen boy working off his community service hours after spray painting his high school. Turns out, spray painting the high school was a good decision – compared to the what he really thought about doing.

I liked Tyler. I liked Hannah and Yoda too. And I liked a good number of the adults in the story, as well. And the ending – pretty much perfect.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Twisted Read More »

Mozart’s Last Aria

2012, Books in Bed, Fiction, Mystery, Women /

How did Mozart really die? Was he poisoned? And by whom? And why? Mozart’s Last Aria is about Mozart’s sister and her efforts to find the answers to those questions – and in the process, we see Mozart as a bit of a radical feminist, which was kind of nifty. Fun little whodunit and Madame Mozart is fabulous, as are all of the female characters in the book. The guys aren’t bad, but it’s the women who are best – much like in The Magic Flute…  

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Mozart’s Last Aria Read More »

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt

2012, Books in Bed, Comics & Graphic Novels, Favorites, Feminism, Fiction /

TW and I argued over who put this one in the library bag. I’m sure I did – she’s sure she did, even though she did not bother to read it and was going to return it to the library without reading it (or without giving me a chance to read it. I rescued it from the return bin and I’m darn glad I did.  The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt was the perfect late night read last night, after finishing John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars.

The scrapbook images were fun. The scrapbook text was a lot like a diary, which made it an actual book to read. I liked it. I even liked the happily ever after ending for the Vassar feminist of the 40s.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt Read More »

The Fault in Our Stars

2012, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

I hate kid cancer books. Kind of like the kids in The Fault in Our Stars hate cancer books, ok maybe not like they do – since I’m not a kid with cancer, but still – hate them. I just hate them.

The only redeeming value in this one (and it’s a big redeeming value) is that John Green wrote it. That pretty much says all you need to know. And all I’m going to say since I don’t want to give any spoilers or anything remotely spoiler-ish.

The kids are great. Their parents are nicely written. The stupid author, who is so NOT John Green, is well done. I loved the wish genies. IN the heart of Jesus – brilliant. And yes, I even cried a bit at the end – even though I was SURE I wouldn’t.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Fault in Our Stars Read More »

The Taker

2012, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Queer, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

The Taker is excellent, I’m glad I read it and didn’t just return it to the library because it wasn’t on my original TBR list. It’s not  about vampires, but about people who become immortal through alchemy.  I’ll admit the first couple of chapters had me rolling my eyes about a vampire book that doesn’t have vampires, but it’s better than that. Really interesting and I’m excited about the second book in the trilogy, coming in June. When I finished the book last night, I was left wondering a lot of things – about Adair and Lanore and Luke.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Taker Read More »