Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

ISBN:   9781565125605
Grade:   A+
Recommended for:  anyone and everyone

Rarely do I think a book is deserving of all its hype, but Water for Elephants is worthy of the hype and then some.  This is also one of those rare books that is even better the second time around.

Water for Elephants is the story of Jacob Jankowski, a circus veterinarian, told in alternating time frames of present day and back in the 1930s.  We meet the 90 or 93 year old Jacob living in a nursing home and learn about what his younger life was like and what led up to him joining the circus.  Jacob was a veterinary student at Cornell when his parents were killed in an accident.  His parents had spent every cent they had on his education, leaving him less than nothing after their passing.  Not knowing what else to do, Jacob leaves vet school and starts walking until he stumbles upon a circus train.  The circus is second rate at best, full of sleazy characters and less than ideal living standards.  As if a tale of Depression era circus life wasn't enough, there's also a little romance. 

The characters are so well rounded and written that you can easily picture them in your mind as you read.  Sara Gruen did an amazing job researching circus life and her depictions are spot on perfect.  She covers the good, the bad and the downright despicable conditions and abuse the animals and employees went through.  Some people found the abuse to be too much, but it's nothing worse than what you would read in the newspaper.  The romance is not overdone so as to only appeal to women and get the story shelved with the bodice ripper books. 

Don't even think about asking to borrow my copy!  It's so good that you should go out and buy your own copy.  If anyone has read Ape House by Sara Gruen, let me know what you thought of the story. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

ISBN:   9780385512107
Grade:   A+
Recommended for:  Anyone and everyone, even non-readers.

After being disappointed with too many books from last year, and thus the absence of posting, I have decided that 2012 will be a year of only good books.  Not to mention the fact that I have boxes of books that I've purchased over the years and still have not read.  Fair warning for those who have not read this book, if you're even slightly OCD this book will give you a complex, albeit temporary, and make you feel like you could be autistic.  In no way am I making light of autism or Asperger's, so put away your pitchforks and torches.  What I am saying is that once you read Christopher's do and don't list, you will likely be saying "oh my god I do that too".      

Shame on me for taking this long to read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time!  This was absolutely fantastic and one that I could not put down.  It is a story about Christopher Boone, an autistic teenager who has trouble reading people's emotions.  Late one night he discovers his neighbor's dog Wellington dead after being stabbed with a garden fork.  Christopher sets out to determine who killed Wellington and write a mystery book about the investigation.  Christopher knows each prime number up through nearly 8000, cannot have his food touching other food on his plate and despises the color yellow, knows all the capitals of the world, and relates well with animals.  He also hates being touched and is a huge Sherlock Holmes fan.

This book could have easily been terrible had anyone else written it.  Mark Haddon writes perfectly from the point of view of an autisic teen.  Nothing in the story felt unbelievable.  Other authors night have come across as having pulled out every stereotype that ever existed for autism.  It can be a struggle at times to find books that appeal to me and Mr. Shelley (don't tell him that I just called him that).  Mr. Shelley still has yet to read this, as he's too engrossed with his Mad magazines and Astronomy magazines.  This is one of those rare books that I just want to shove into the hands of everyone I talk to.  Highly recommended!   

The Winters In Bloom by Lisa Tucker

ISBN:  9781416575405

Grade:   F

Technically this book was started in November, but it has taken this long to finish.  The grade speaks for itself.  This is hands down the worst book I have read since the abominations known as My Sister's Keeper, The Time Traveler's Wife, and The Weird Sisters.  The book felt like a lot of tell and no show.  Don't tell me this and that happened and then this happened.  Show me what happens instead.  You know the concept that every English teacher from the junior high level and up preaches.  The writing also felt really disjointed almost like each chapter was an afterthought.  

The book's premise sounded fantastic.  Overprotective parent Kyra and David Winter have a young son who disappears from their backyard one afternoon.  Each parent has someone they suspect of taking their son, and each has some serious skeletons in the closet.  What I expected was a gripping page turner about family secrets.  What I got was chapter after chapter of random characters with no continuity from the previous chapter's character or timeline.  This happened, that happened, this happened again, and finally this girl (me) got bored and no longer cared what happened to the little boy.  My interest faded after 50 pages and there was nothing in the remaining pages that made me glad I finished the rest.  

If anyone else has read this and liked it, please tell me what I'm missing.  There was so much hype about this book that I just cannot understand.  This could have been a decent book in the hands of a different writer or at the very least a different editor.  Definitely not recommended.

Don't Sing at the Table by Adriana Trigiani

ISBN:  9780061958946
Grade:   D

Is it gravy or marinara sauce?  

Don't Sing at the Table is the story of Adriana Trigiani's grandmothers Lucy and Viola from the time when they were just young immigrants to their last days.  The book is about the life lessons both women taught Trigiani from finances to family.  Included are black and white photos of both women throughout their lives.

Obviously from my rating, this was not one of my favorite reads.  I wanted so badly to love this book but it just fell short of my expectations.  Given the author's last name I thought there would be more of Lucy and Viola's personalities included.  The Italian Americans that I've met have been rather animated to say the least, and I'm not being stereotypical...every Italian I've known has been that way (and I should know considering I am part Italian).  Passionate about food, family, and their heritage is how I've come to know anyone of Italian descent.  While I appreciated reading about the lives of these hard working women, I felt like they were being filtered.  The nostalgic black and white photos were a phenomenal addition and probably the only thing that made me finish the book.  There is something about those old photos where no one smiled that's such a kick for me and makes me wish certain styles of eyeglasses would make a comeback (cat's eye glasses are an obsession of mine).

Overall I felt preached to in this book.  If I wanted to hear what a bad wife and woman I am because I'm not a stay-at-home-mom, yadda yadda yadda, I'd ask my own grandmother to lecture me.  Maybe I'm just too much of a feminist to enjoy this book.  I'd love to hear what you guys think!      

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante

ISBN:   9780802119773
Release date:   July 5, 2011
Grade:   B+
Recommended for mystery fans, thriller fans, fans of Lisa Genova's Still Alice, those dealing with Alzheimer's.

Turn of Mind is one heck of a story and an impressive debut from Alice LaPlante.  Dr. Jennifer White is a 64 year old retired orthopedic surgeon who stands accused of murdering her best friend and neighbor Amanda.  Not only was Amanda murdered but four of her fingers were expertly amputated.  The only problem is that Dr. White has early onset dementia and doesn't remember what happened.  Her memories come from the brief snippets of time that she can remember and what has been written down in a master notebook.  This notebook is where her caregiver Magdalena, son Mark and daughter Fiona write down their conversations with Jennifer.  The story is told from the once sharp and now deteriorating mind of Dr. White and takes us along one family's journey through dementia.

At times this book was a bit unsettling as it rings so true for what a patient with dementia goes through.  The fits of anger, rage and aggression are spot on as are the moments of lucidity.  Writing this well about dementia requires medical training, personal experience or supernatural powers.  Dr. White reminded me of some of my patients in nursing school on the Alzheimer's floor.  The only thing missing was being cussed at in Polish and German which I am thoroughly grateful for.  This book is also a stellar example of how to effectively illustrate the setting without inundating the reader with frivolous details (pointing my finger at Audrey Niffenegger).  What was expertly captured was the family dynamics with having a sick parent.  The stress placed on Dr. White's children felt real as did that of Magdalena.  The suspense keeps building until the end that will surely shock.  I highly recommend this for nearly everyone.  If you loved Lisa Genova's Still Alice, then Turn of Mind will definitely be as appealing a read.  If this is Alice LaPlante's debut novel, the next books should be equally as compelling.

Thank you NetGalley and Grove/Atlantic for my advanced copy!

The Raising by Laura Kasischke

ISBN:   9780062004789
Grade:   D

The Raising is a novel with such potential to be a dark and chilling ghost story.  A year ago there was a tragic car accident that left college freshman Nicole Werner dead.  Her boyfriend Craig, the car's driver, escaped unscathed.  The only witness to the accident was Shelly, a faculty member at Nicole's college.  Shelly called 911 and soon discovered that the accident she witnessed was not what was printed in the papers.  Craig's roommate Perry thinks that something fishy is going on with the sorority and the school and together with Mira, a professor of death folklore, set out to find the truth about what really happened to Nicole Werner.

I really wanted to love this book as the description hooked me and it is from Harper, one of my favorite publishers, not to mention there is a character named after yours truly minus an extra e.  My problem with the book was that it felt like a rough draft in need of some editing.  Shelly should have been introduced as a lesbian either from the get go or not at all.  The fact that we learn quite a bit about her and then boom she's a lesbian felt like an afterthought.  The continuity of the book felt choppy to me, like it was written without using an outline.  The transitions between all the characters seemed a bit abrupt and at times added unneeded confusion to the plot.  The story took some time to develop, something like 250 pages before the plot really got rolling.  That being said, there were two fantastic parts of the book.  The impeccably researched bits of info about all kinds of death folklore were so much fun to google.  The ending was also near perfection and made me wish the rest of the book was written that well.

Would I recommend this book...possibly to those who want the creepy ghost/zombie/vampire details and don't mind that the story is just okay.   


Thanks NetGalley and Harper for my copy.

The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott

ISBN:   9780385534420
Grade:   C-
Release date:   June 7, 2011 (already available in England)

The Upright Piano Player is the first novel from David Abbott which makes it's US debut early this summer.  The book opens with a gruesome day in the life of Henry Cage and then we get to read in reverse about his life prior.  He is retiring from a white collar executive job, finds out his ex-wife is terminally ill with cancer and his relationship with his son barely exists.  While he is out for a New Years holiday, he becomes the victim of a violent attack.  His attacker then turns into his stalker while we get to read about a whole slew of side characters.  The side characters at times were confusing as they seemed to be inserted randomly into the story and had me flipping back to remember what was happening.
 

What a strange little book this was.  The beginning chapter was excellent, the middle was a challenge to care about and the ending was just meh.  I think there could have been quiet a few passages omitted as they didn't add anything to the story and I kept wondering why they were included.  Not to mention a rather disgusting event involving a dog and a masonry nail that almost had me pulling the bookmark in disgust.  That scene was even more gruesome than the beginning and very nearly turned my stomach which is saying a lot since I've read tons of Joyce Carol Oates and she doesn't write happy stories about kittens, rainbows and fields of poppies.  David Abbott can write rather well and his descriptions are excellent.  Some of my favorite parts were the mentions of various landscaping.  There's something about living vicariously through someone else's garden that just warms my soul.  The storyline on the other hand just didn’t tickle me, or maybe I should say didn't grab me.  I felt no attachment to any of the characters which is likely the author's intention, but still there should be something to keep my interest besides just wondering how in the world and when is David Abbott going to wrap up this story.   

The cover is without a doubt near perfection.  It reminds me of a Rockefeller work of art, this time reinterpreted by a watercolor artist.  Hopefully this is the final cover.