The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo

Title: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo

Author: Amy Schumar

Pages: 323

Genre: Autobiography

Grade: B

Synopsis: Amy Schumar is a comedian who has apparently lived a full enough life to warrant writing an autobiography. The book is mainly a collection of essays and stories of her life trying to make it as a comedian and having as much sex as she possibly can (yes, really).

My Review: I actually found this book to be more entertaining and enjoyable than I had expected.  I'm not sure if I've actually seen anything that shes in besides SNL, so I'm not terribly familiar with her, but the book felt like an honest view into her life interspersed with loads of lame jokes.

My Story

Title: My Story

Author: Elizabeth Smart

Pages: 7 discs

Genre: Memoir

Grade: A

Synopsis: Elizabeth Smart was abducted at knife-point from her bed in her home in Salt Lake City by Brian David Mitchell in June of 2002. She was taken to a camp high up in the Wasatch Mountains  and kept there with Mitchell's other wife, Wanda Barzee, for months before moving with her captors to San Diego, California.  Mitchell, Smart and Barzee stayed in San Diego for about 6 months before hitchhiking their way back to Utah. Their intent was to head back up to the same camp in the mountains, but while making their way north and while walking along State Street in Sandy, UT the police apprehended Mitchell and Barzee and returned Elizabeth to her family after being with her captors for 9 months.

My Review: Most of us are pretty familiar with Elizabeth Smart's horrific story and this book outlines the details of her abduction and captivity. The writing was a little repetitive and at times defensive. I tend to give my highest marks to books that make me feel something or make me want to be a better person and this book fit the bill.  Maybe it was hearing Elizabeth read the words of the book herself on the audiobook copy that I listened to, but when I finished the book I realized that I had been strengthened by Elizabeth's faith, beliefs and toughness.  I want my daughters to grow up with these same convictions and Elizabeth has become a more-than-worthy role model for the young LDS generation.  She suffered from many of the worst abuses imaginable, but as she puts it in the conclusion of the book (and I'm only paraphrasing because I don't have a written copy), "At the time of this writing I am 25 years old.  I've been on this earth for 307 months and of those 307 months I suffered the abuse of Mitchell and Barzee for 9 of them.  The other 298 months have been happy and spent with my family who loves me.  I cannot let those 9 months define who I am."

During the worst moments of Smart's life she was witness to miracles, kindness and generosity from the most unexpected places.  I hope to be able to both recognize these sorts of miracles in my own life (I know they exist!) and to be able to be that miracle in somebody else's life if God is willing.

I donated to the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, and you should too: http://elizabethsmartfoundation.org/donate/donation/

Dorothy Must Die: Stories

Title: Dorothy Must Die: Stories

Author: Danielle Paige

Pages: 392

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B-

Synopsis: This book is a collection of three prequel novellas to the popular Dorothy Must Die series.  The books take place after Dorothy Gale has returned from Oz.  This book contained the first 3 stories, 0.1, 0.2 & 0.3, and apparently there are also 0.4-0.9 as well as the three books of the Dorothy Must Die series.  The stories were No Place Like Oz, The Witch Must Burn and The Wizard Returns.

My Review: For me, The Wizard of Oz is just ok.  It's a story that has been overdone and these books fit into that same mold. The premise was interesting, but I just never caught the bug.

Tiny Dancer

Title: Tiny Dancer: The Incredible Tue Story of a Young Burn Victim's Journey from Afghanistan

Author: Anthony Flacco

Pages: 243

Genre: Non-Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: In the summer of 2001, 9-year-old Zubaida Hasan falls into a kerosene fire in rural Afghanistan.  She is severely burned all over her body and the family lives far from any medical facilities.  Miraculously she survives, even though the local Afghani doctors only suggestions to the parents are for them to pray for her to have a speedy death.  After a few months the scar tissue on her body and face is building up to such an extent that her chin is fused with her torso and it is even pulling the skin from around her eye sockets. (You may have even seen her photo before). Her father is desperate to save her and travels with her to the nearest American Army Base where she is seen on the streets by an American Green Beret who takes pity and begins campaigning for her to get help. Eventually Zubaida is brought to Southern California where she undergoes a series of treatments and surgeries to remove the excess scar tissue.

My Review: This is an incredible true story and a reminder of how blessed I am to live in a country with access to some of the best medical care available. The risks of living and growing up in the USA are far less than are faced by other children throughout the world.  The book was also a nice reminder of the humanity around us. So much of what we hear these days is only the bad and yet there are good people across the globe who are still trying to be good and willing to help those in need.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

Title: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

Author: Dave Eggers

Pages: 485

Genre: Memoir

Grade: B

Synopsis: This memoir is about life after Dave's parents both died within an month of each other. Dave was 21, his older brother was 24, his older sister was 23 and his younger brother Toph was 8.  The responsibility of caring for his younger brother fell largely to him.  He brought Toph to live with him in his small apartment in Berkeley and they existed more like roommates, than a parent-child relationship. 

My Review: I generally enjoyed this book, but after reading it I wasn't sure if it was a memoir or a work of fiction.  My gut tells me that the truth may have been stretched, but that mostly, this was a memoir. It's been a few months, but I believe there was a good amount of language.

The Associate

Title: The Associate

Author: John Grisham

Pages: 373

Genre: Fiction, Thriller

Grade: B

Synopsis: In true John Grisham fashion, this book takes us into the life of a busy attorney working for a prestigious law firm. Kyle McAvoy was a star student at Yale Law School. His father wanted him to stay and work for his firm in Kyle's hometown, but Kyle had his sights set far higher. However, based on some incidents in his past, he is ripe to be blackmailed by some folks with deep pockets.

My Review: It's been a few months since I read this book.  I remember that I enjoyed it just as much as most Grisham books, but that it wasn't specifically memorable. Sometimes it's nice to read a thriller that sucks you in and doesn't let you go until you finish it.

Rant

Title: Rant

Author: Chuck Palahniuk

Pages: 320

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: Buster "Rant" Casey is a serial killer who relies on totally unorthodox methods. He starts an urban demolition derby where drivers and teams roam the city looking to hit and mark other cars involved in the derby (mixed in with the general public).  This weekend event, known as "party crashing," becomes quite a dangerous pastime.

My Review: While I generally enjoyed the book, I spent large chunks of it having no idea of what was actually going on.  This may be one of those books where more and more of it would make sense if you read it a few times but I don't plan on doing that...

A Burglar's Guide to the City

Title: A Burglar's Guide to the City

Author: Geoff Manaugh

Pages: 296

Genre: Non-fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: Geoff Manaugh explores how building design and architecture as well as city planning and design is exploited by criminals in their thievery and other malfeasance. The premise is that criminals and other fugitives see things differently than most people on the street.  Where a regular guy may see an impenetrable bank vault, the thief is considering ways to tunnel into the vault from the sewer tunnels below, or he (or she...) may know where they can be spotted by police helicopters or patrols.

My Review: This was an enjoyable side read.  It wasn't a book on my list, but when I passed by this copy on display in the library it caught my eye and it was pretty interesting.  With my background in working with architects on building design, I found this book to be related to the decisions that architect's are making everyday in trying to design a building that is safe and useful.

The Princess Bride

Title: The Princess Bride

Author: William Goldman

Pages: 398

Genre: Fantasy

Grade: B

Synopsis: Most everyone knows this story at least a little bit.  The most beautiful girl in the world marries the most handsomest prince in the world, but things don't entirely go as planned.  Because the girl's true love is the man in black who will stop at nothing to get her back.  Fencing, fighting, chasing, hate, battles of wits, feats of strength, quicksand, torture, murder and love. The book has it all.

My Review: I only vaguely remember the movie, but as I read the book I was able to recall some of the different parts of the movie that terrified me when I was younger. Generally, I liked the book. What I didn't really love was the whole charade about how the author William Goldman has reconstructed the S. Morgenstern classic book, but removed all of the boring parts. I think that attempt is much better recreated in the movie than the book.  But now I need to go re-watch the rest of the movie.

Everything is Illuminated

Title: Everything is Illuminated

Author: Jonathan Safran Foer

Pages: 12 discs

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: Jonathan Safran Foer (the author) arrives in the Ukraine with a photograph of the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis back during WWII.  He has hired a tour guide and driver to help him get around, but his guide is a terrible translator who mangles the English language and the author is forced to ride in the back of the van with an undersexed dog named after Sammy Davis Jr.

My Review: The book was definitely clever and funny, but a little hard to follow at times.  It is a mix between letters and the narrative of a book being written and response letters, and it was often hard to identify where everything fit in the narrative. 

Disclaimer: There is a good amount of language, so be aware.

The Unpossessed

Title: The Unpossessed

Author: Tess Slesinger

Pages: 306

Genre: Fiction

Grade: F

Synopsis: This book, published in 1934, is about a group of left-wing communist supporters in New York City in the 30's.  They want a revolution, but their best idea for getting one going was to start a magazine.

My Review:  I made it 2/3 of the way through this book before I finally decided that life is too short to spend so much time reading a book that I was simply not interested in and not enjoying. The prose was hard to follow and the characters all blended together and I had a difficult time telling them apart.

The History of Love

Title: The History of Love

Author: Nicole Krauss

Pages: 255

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: The History of Love is a book written by a Polish-Chilean immigrant, but it makes a far reaching impact on a couple of seemingly unconnected people in New York City.  Alma Singer is a young girl in New York City who only knows that she is named after the main character in a Spanish book titled The History of Love.  Leo Gursky is a lonely old man with only one friend, also in New York City, but who will often make a scene when he is out just to have human interaction. Zvi Litvinoff is the Jewish author of the book who fled from Poland to Chile at the beginning of WWII.

My Review: I found this book rather hard to follow as it jumped between three apparently unconnected story lines.  Each of the stories were independently interesting, but my brain had a hard time figuring out just what story was what, until the last chunk of the book.  I did find the ending of the book quite satisfying as it seemed to tie up the loose ends and stories very well.

A Wrinkle in Time

Title: A Wrinkle in Time

Author: Madeleine L'Engle

Pages: 211

Genre: Fantasy, Newbery Award

Grade: B

Synopsis: The unique young boy Charles Wallace and his older sister Meg are surprised by the arrival of some strange visitors on a stormy night.  Their father had been missing for years when researching alternate dimensions and tessaracts. When Meg, Charles Wallace and their friend Calvin have an opportunity to help locate Meg & Charles' father, they jump at the chance.

My Review: I'm certain that I read this book when I was younger, although I do not remember it.  I can handle and enjoy some science fiction, but this book was too strange for me.  Tesseracts and time travel, ok. Pulsing brains and talking and shape changing stars must be a bit too far (although, I did enjoy Dune and that was also a strange one). Ada likes the book and wants to read more in the series.  I'll go ahead and pass.

Mansfield Park

Title: Mansfield Park

Author: Jane Austen

Pages: 381

Genre: Classic, Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: Fanny Price is invited to live with her rich aunt, uncle and Bertram cousins at Mansfield Park when she is 10.  Her own mother married a drunk below her level and has been living in poverty with loads of children ever since.  Fanny was invited to Mansfield Park to help out and to help convince Mr. and Mrs. Bertram that they are good people who do good things. While Mr. Bertram is away with business dealings in Antigua, Mary and Henry Crawford arrive in the area and bring with them a culture of flirting and sometimes questionable actions.

My Review: I'll be honest, this was one tedious book to complete.  I began reading more than 2 months ago and although the book was only 381 pages, it felt more like 700.  This was my first Jane Austen book and went pretty much like I expected.  Big estates, rich people who sit around gossiping, paragraphs that span 2 pages, dinners, balls, carriage rides and everybody judging each other.  Let's just say that I am so glad that we are more easily able to forgive mistakes in this modern day, and that we are not judged on the actions of our siblings, although most of mine are O.K...

From the Book: "(pg.359, the first paragraph of the last chapter) Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore everybody, not greatly in fault themselves, to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest."

if i stay

Title: if i stay

Author: Gayle Forman

Pages: 201

Genre: Young Adult

Grade: B

Synopsis: Mia is 17 years old and is planning to attend Juilliard Music School to continue studying her the violin music that she is so passionate about.  On a day off from school Mia is driving with her family when they are in a terrible accident.  Mia doesn't realize it at first, but she has an extensive out of body experience where she watches everybody who loves her trying to help save her. 

My Review:  The premise of the book is interesting.  We all have beliefs about what happens after we die, but I had never really considered that we may have a say in whether or not we get to stay here on earth.  I didn't love the writing or even care too deeply about the story, but it was intriguing.

Peace Like a River

Title: Peace Like a River

Author: Leif Enger

Pages: 312

Genre: Fiction

Grade: A-

Synopsis: Reuban Land is an asthmatic 11-year-old living in Minnesota.  Reuban's father is a janitor at their school, his younger sister Swede,  loves writing about Western outlaws and his older brother Davy is their protector and kills two men who broke into their house and are threatening the family. As Davy runs from the law, Reuban and his family load up in a trailer and travel across the Dakotas looking for his outlaw brother.

My Review:  This is a book that I actually liked more and more as the story progressed.  The characters are all different and their individual characteristics make them all very likable and relatable. The book puts the reader in a quandary.  Do you cheer for the likable outlaw and hope that he makes his escape or are you pulling for justice and the law?

Inferno

Title: Inferno

Author: Dan Brown

Pages: 461

Genre: Fiction, Thriller

Grade: B+

Synopsis: Our favorite art history and symbology professor is back to save the world yet again.  I'm not sure what we would do without Robert Langdon.  This time Langdon wakes up in a hospital in Florence, Italy with no memory of how he got there.  He has a bullet wound in his head and finds out that somebody is trying to kill him.  Lucky for him, there is a hot young doctor who was treating him and is conveniently interested and able to join him in the clue hunt to backtrack his steps and to find out what is going on and how he can stop a worldwide plague.

My Review: First things first.  I am a total sucker for Dan Brown's novels.  Sometimes the story is a little silly and a stretch to believe, but I just love the geographical, architectural and art descriptions that fill the books.  I often find myself with google open next to me to look up maps of cities, street views of locations, photos of the artwork and wikipedia articles on the locations that make their way into these books.  The world will be in a world of hurt when Robert Langdon retires.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Title: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Author: Jamie Ford

Pages: 290

Genre: Historical Fiction

Grade: B+

Synopsis: The book takes place in Seattle during World War II.  Seattle had a strong Chinese and Japanese presence with areas of the city known as Japantown and Chinatown where people of these ethnicities generally lived.  Henry Lee was a Chinese child who attended the white American/English school where he befriended a Japanese girl, Keiko Okabe.  His friendship was kept in secret as his father hated the Japanese because of the destruction they were causing in China during the war.  When all of the Japanese families in Seattle were gathered and sent to Japanese Interment Camps, Henry works hard to still maintain his friendship with Keiko.

My Review: There are so many books that use WWII as a backdrop, that I sometimes find it exhausting to read another.  However, I found this one interesting and unique because it deals with the Japanese Internment Camps, which is a part of the war that is a black mark on the United States.  That said, it is unfair to judge the nation's response without having been there during Pearl Harbor and the rest of the war. Hopefully, though, we will always remember these mistakes and learn from them. Ok, enough digression on that vein.  It took me a good chunk of the book to get into it.  The story flips back and forth between the 1940s and the modern day and it was sometimes confusing.  Otherwise, a pretty decent book.

Before I Fall

Title: Before I Fall

Author: Lauren Oliver

Pages: 10 discs

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult

Grade: B-

Synopsis: Samantha Kingston is a High School Senior and today is "Cupid Day", where students send each other roses and love notes.  Sam is super popular and has the hottest boyfriend in the school.  After a big party that night she is killed in an automobile accident on her way home..., that is until she wakes up the next morning and finds out that it is Cupid Day yet again.

My Review: Part Groundhog Day and part super annoying teeny bopper book, I didn't love this book.  Too much obsessing about kissing, boys, sex, alcohol and kissing boys and way too many characters were just too annoying.

Orange is the New Black

Title: Orange is the New Black

Author: Piper Kerman

Pages: 298

Genre: Memoir

Grade: A-

Synopsis: Piper Kerman is young and traveling the world with some friends who get their money from lining up drug mules - people who will carry drugs or money across the world inconspicuously in their personal luggage.  Eventually, Piper gets roped into carrying a suitcase full of money to Europe.  While she is not caught then, she gets cold feet and returns home.  Late on, once the drug ring has been busted Piper is fingered as a culprit and she is sentenced to prison.  However, she is not slated to start her sentence until some of the other major players are extradited, in case she needs to testify against them. Eventually, nearly 10 years after her crime was committed, she is sent to Danbury women's prison in Connecticut to serve her sentence.

My Review: I actually really enjoyed this book.  The biggest thing that I took from the book (and which surprised me) was the compassion that I felt for many of the women in prison alongside Piper.  Typically when I hear about somebody in prison, or who has been in prison, I'm pretty judgmental, even when those thoughts only happen in my head.  After reading and hearing Piper's stories I felt a lot more compassion for many of the women.  Very few people wake up intending to commit an egregious crime, but many people make mistakes that land them in the slammer.  Piper, who comes from a middle-class white family was in a class of her own in prison, which is dominated by those struggling on lower incomes.

Disclaimer: There is some language, but I didn't feel that it was excessive.