Challenge: 50 Books discussion

MY YEAR AT A GLANCE PART I :

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MY YEAR AT A GLANCE PART 2

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It's been a while since I've updated. Here's the list of what I've read since Nov 23rd:

130. Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler
131. Silent On the Moor by Deanna Raybourn
132. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
133. The Night Watch by Sara Waters
134. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
135. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
136. On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon by Kaye Gibbons
137. Aunt Dimity Takes a Holiday by Nancy Atherton
138. Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende
139. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
140. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier
141. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
142. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes! by Guy Fieri
143. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
144. Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason by Nancy Pearl
145. Swimsuit by James Patterson
146. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
147. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
148. The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore
149. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

150. Stitches A Memoir by David Small

This is my second graphic novel, also done as a memoir, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought the graphics conveyed the sense of darkness and emotional upheaval better than any words could describe. The drawings were chilling and haunting. Small's mother and grandmother were terrifying as he pictured them. If I were seeing them through the eyes of a child as was Small, it would have been difficult to put into words the sinister feelings they evoked. That's why I find this graphic novel so effective. You get the sense that these people are very disturbed, but it's not at first spelled out for you. You can only imagine the things you can't understand.

Towards the end of the novel, when Small's father confesses his guilt about David's cancer, there is a picture of David with a big black blotch running down the center of his face. The blotch appeared to me to look like a Rorschach inkblot, which I thought was clever, because I felt David was saying, "Try to interpret how I was feeling when my father finally told me the truth." Having his ability to speak removed during surgery has not kept Small's from being able to communicate. This graphic novel was well done!

151. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

When I started this book the other night, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to finish it. In the book, a 15 year old girl dies and finds herself on a cruise ship heading to Elsewhere. I was consumed with emotion because an 11 year old girl in my community was abducted and reported missing a couple of days before Christmas. It was immediately determined that a know sex offender was responsible. She was found dead on Christmas day. This tragedy put a blight on holiday festivities and I wasn't sure if I could read about the death of a young adult on the eve of this very real story.

I'm glad I stuck with it though! This was a very reassuring look at life, death, afterlife, and rebirth. It made me smile, laugh, and have good thoughts about passing on. It also was touching and sentimental at times. This is a young adult novel, but I believe it is appropriate for all ages.

152. The Calligrapher's Daughter A Novel by Eugenia Kim
RATING: ****

This was a wonderful story about Korean culture, feminism, and family. The book started slowly for me, but after and hour of two of reading I became caught up in the story. This is the first time I've read about Korean culture, it's traditions and the role of women in their society. I found it fascinating! I also loved the strong character of Najin Han, who tirelessly sacrificed for her family, and won some personal victories of her own. Not only was the book entertaining, but I feel I came away a little more learned about Korea.


153. Half Broke Horses A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls
RATING: ****

I thought Walls fictionalized account of her grandmother Lily was well-delivered in the same short, smart style as The Glass Castle. Told in the voice of Lily, this hardworking, no-nonsense, dare-devil woman jumped off the pages. Walls used a few cliche's to tie the story together and also link it to The Glass Castle, but she also broke a few cliche's about the typical image people have of the West and cowboys. I thought the book was highly entertaining and I kept having to remind myself that while some of it was based on fact, it was still a fiction.