Favorite Reads of 2016

Looking over the list of books I read in 2016, I decided to pick out 5 most memorable ones. If you do not have a lot of time for reading, and would prefer to read just a few really good books, please consider one of these (you can see my more detailed reviews of each of them by clicking on the title):

1. Mary by Vladimir Nabokov

This book was a surprise. It was Nabokov's first published novel and I did not have high expectations. However, after reading this novel I do so clearly see why certain authors make it into the category of classics. Their work truly stands the test of time. The writing is amazing, the structure of the novel is really interesting, the characters are extremely well fleshed out. The main protagonist is complex and relatable, and the entire novel is permeated with a tangibly painful sense of nostalgia. I am definitely planning to read more Nabokov in 2017.

2. Summer Crossing  by Truman Capote

2016 was the year I discovered Truman Capote. I read a book about him in January (The Swans of Fifth Avenue) and became very curious about his work. If you've never read anything by him, you are missing out - he is a true master. Capote is another author I plan to keep reading.

3. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

I read Gilead as part of my 2016 reading challenge. It fit into the category of a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. This was another gem that reminded me why reading is worth our time. Robinson did a wonderful job writing from a point of view of an old country preacher. The book is filled with wisdom, humility and forbearance. I highly recommend it.

4. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel. Even if you feel that you are over the entire genre which has inundated our shelves and TV screens, I would still give this one a shot. It is not just about surviving an apocalyptic event. It is also about preserving one's humanity, it's about unexpected connections, and vicissitudes of fate; it is startlingly realistic in its portrayal of an end of the world scenario and perseverance of human spirit.

5. A Gloom is Cast Upon the Ancient Steps by Alexander Chudakov / "Ложится мгла на старые ступени" А.П. Чудаков

I do not have a detailed review of this book as it is not published in English. But this book has a very deep personal meaning to me. The author was born in my home town, and in this novel, he relates the story of his own family and the story of many others displaced by the Russian revolution, wars or Stalin's purges. The novel received the Russian Booker Prize in 2011, and would be of interest to anyone interested in the Soviet history, and in particular Siberian deportations.

Checking in on my 2016 reading goals

Goals for 2016	End of Year Status
Read 85 books in 2016	So far I have read 107 and will most likely complete another one bringing the total number of books read in 2016 to 108.
Read 10 classics	Surpassed this goal as well - I read 11 classics in 2016.
Review 12 ARCs	I have reviewed 11, and I do have one more to review, but the release date is January 3, so I will probably start reading it tonight or tomorrow. It is unlikely I will finish it this year, but overall I did well on this goal.
Read mostly the books I own	Out of 108 books read this year, 60 came from my local library. Even though I am a big fan of public libraries, I do have a lot of unread books on my shelves and in my e-reader. So I could definitely do better in this area next year.
Reading challenge (52 books of various themes and genres – see the link)	Completed. I read 52 books to meet this challenge: one per each category. I did not count any books toward more than one category.

"Aerie" by Maria Dahvana Headley

Aerie is a sequel to Headley's Magonia, which I read and really liked last year. This is a young adult fantasy novel where birdlike creatures live high in the sky in the country of Magonia and hide from humans in weather patterns. In the first book, the main protagonist Aza Ray discovers that she is Magonian, travels up to her native country and learns about her heritage. In Aeire Aza Ray's story picks up about a year after the events of the first book. She is back on earth living with her adopted family and in a relationship with her childhood friend Jason. Unbeknownst to her in Magonia her enemies regroup and plan another deadly attack on earth. Aza Ray, her adopted sister Eli and Jason all find themselves embroiled in this conflict and the story takes off from there. The plot itself is pretty straightforward and somewhat predictable. However, I do love the world Headley created and there is something about her writing that keeps me enthralled and wishing for more. Her books do not have the best ratings on goodreads, but I enjoyed both of them and gave them 5 out of 5 stars. They are light, easy to get through and filled with fantastical creatures. I am not sure if she will write any more books in this world. Aerie does have a nice rounded off ending and does not require a follow-on. However, I would definitely like to read more books by this author. Oh, and can we just a take a moment to appreciate the gorgeous cover this book has!

"Mary" by Vladimir Nabokov

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am currently trying to finish up my 2016 reading challenge. The next category was “a popular author’s first book.” I ended up running a google search for this and picked Vladimir Nabokov’s Mary.  Up to that point, I had only read his Lolita and had very vague ideas about his works in general. Mary was a pleasant surprise. It is a real gem of a novel. At 89 pages, it is quite easy to get through. It is also beautifully written. Set in pre-WWII Berlin, the story is focused on a boarding house where Russian emigres tended to get lodgings. The main character Gleb quite accidentally discovers that his next door neighbor is married to his first love – Mary. Moreover, she is scheduled to arrive in Berlin in a week’s time. Most of the story is focused on Gleb’s reminiscences of his youth and first love. It is very nostalgic and beautiful. Another interesting thing about the novel is that Mary who occupies the main character's every thought, and bears the name of the novel, never makes an appearance except in Gleb’s memories. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

"Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice

Since we are almost to the end of 2016, I decided to go back to the reading goals I set for myself back in January and see if I can make the final push to complete them.  One of the challenges on the list was “read a book that came out the year I was born”. My choice for this category was Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. I had tried reading this book a few years ago and had to set it aside. So this time, I wanted to really push myself and give it a chance. So many people love Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles that I really wanted to see what the fuss was all about.

I must say it took me a while to get through this relatively short novel. I can see the appeal this book might have for others. It could be viewed as very sensual and even lyrical. To me, big chunks of it just seemed morbid.  I guess I am just over the whole vampire thing. The book definitely had its moments. There are unexpected twists in the story which held my interest. But overall, it is not my cup of tea. I will not be reading other novels in the series.  I must say that the writing is really good. 3 out of 5 stars - mostly for the superb writing as I was not a fan of the story line.

"Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson

I read Gilead as part of this year's reading challenge that included reading a Pulitzer Prize winning novel. I knew absolutely nothing about the book or the author and was pleasantly surprised on both accounts. Set in rural Iowa, Gilead is a letter of an old country preacher to his young son. Reverend Ames feels the approach of death and decides to write a letter to his seven-year old son in an attempt to record instruction, words of wisdom and family lore which he won't be around to share with him as the boy grows older.

Robinson did a wonderful job impersonating an old country preacher. The book is filled with wisdom and historical details about Kansas and Iowa in the late 19th- early 20th century. Biblical quotes and theological issues are also raised and discussed throughout the book. Reverend Ames does not pretend to know all there is about God and religion. He humbly admits his flaws and mistakes. The love he feels for his wife and son and the sorrow about leaving them are palpable and deeply moving. The narrative itself is slow and on the surface not much is going on in the sleepy little town where it is set. But then Reverend's long estranged godson and namesake comes back to town, which seems to threaten the peace of the Ames' household and brings back the memories of long-forgotten past.

Needless to say, I very much enjoyed this short novel. It is a real gem and deserves all the praise and awards it has received. I also discovered that Robinson has written two more companion novels: one focusing on the Reverend's wife and the other on his best friend Boughton. I might check those out from the library.

"Faithful" by Alice Hoffman

During her senior year in high school, Shelby and her best friend Helene get into a car accident. Helene ends up in a coma and Shelby goes through a period of complete emotional breakdown. She is ridden with survivor's guilt and self-loathing. She turns to drugs for escape and is generally set on a path of self-destruction. However, the book overall has a very hopeful message. No matter how bad things are for Shelby, the universe continues to send to her messages of love. Shelby does not recognize them immediately. The only thing she does hold on to are one-liners she receives on anonymous postcards. Only those messages (Say something, Remember something, Want something, etc) give her hope. But as she heals emotionally, she starts recognizing the love that surrounds her: the all-consuming love her mother feels for her, the tender and unrequited love of her boyfriend Ben, the unconditional devotion and adoration of her dogs, the warm regard of her friend Maravelle and her three children. Shelby slowly opens up and starts loving herself and begins to feel warmth toward others. This book made me cry, terrified me, and made me re-think how I view various relationships in my life. Do I show love to those who matter to me the most, or am I so wrapped up in routine, non-essential things, that I forget to say "I love you"?

This book truly surprised me. I enjoyed every second of it and I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

"The Other Einstein" by Marie Benedict

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and was immediately intrigued by the description. This book is historical fiction focused on Mileva Maric - Albert Einstein's first wife. Mileva was very well educated. In fact, she and Albert met in Zurich where both of them were studying physics at the Polytechnic. Mileva dreamed of dedicating her life to science and her contribution to Einstein's theory of relativity is still debated. Was she simply a sounding board for his brilliant ideas, or did she in fact author some of them?

Whatever the case may be, she was his supporter, his helpmeet, she gave birth to his children and took care of the housework. On the other hand, it is unquestionable that her relationship with Albert derailed her own scientific aspirations. She became pregnant out of wedlock during the last year of her studies; and even though she had been a promising student, she failed her final exams and never finished her dissertation. She had to flee in shame to her parents' house in her native Serbia, while Albert desperately tried to secure a job which would allow them to marry.

Her marriage to Albert was an unhappy one. Their first daughter died of scarlet fever, and according to the book, Albert never saw her. Mileva and Albert had two more children, on of whom later succumbed to a mental illness. The marriage that started as a love story and a scientific partnership of two brilliant minds, degenerated into a union where two people bitterly resented and barely tolerated each other. Mileva was also deeply disappointed to be shut out of Albert's later scientific work.

As Marie Benedict aptly noted, Mileva's story is not unlike that of many brilliant women who forego their own professional aspirations and end up living in the shadow of their husbands. I also could not help but wonder, would we know the name of Marie Curie if her husband had not been such an adamant supporter of her work but claimed all of their shared ideas to himself? I highly recommend this book. It does show Albert in less than favorable light, but the story itself feels very real and I could truly relate to Mileva's sad story. 5 out of 5 stars.

"The Last Star" by Rick Yancey

The Last Star is the conclusion of Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave trilogy. As I wrote in my reviews of the first two books, I have really been enjoying following the story, and the first two books were excellent. When I started reading the third book, I quickly realized that I needed to go back and reread the first two. Some details and secondary characters were fuzzy for me and I felt like I was not getting all the references. So I reread the first two books (still excellent, no complaints there), and finally dove into the third one. I read it in three days and must say that Yancey wrote a very satisfying and realistic conclusion to the trilogy. I cannot recommend it enough. I know the first book was really popular and then lots of readers were disappointed in the second one. Personally, I liked all three. Having just read all of them back to back, I must say that the story flows flawlessly from book to book. There is outstanding character development, and as I already said, a very satisfying conclusion. So if you like end-of-the-world, alien invasion type stories, you should give this trilogy a go. I also think the first book might give an erroneous impression that it is a YA romance story. It is not. There is very little romance especially in books 2 and 3. Five out of five stars.

"My Brilliant Friend" by Elena Ferrante

Ferrante's Neapolitan Quartet is very popular and I was curious to check it out. I decided to at least read book 1 and see how it goes. All I knew about the book going in was that it was about friendship between two girls. The book is written from the point of view of one of the girls - Elena. She and her friend Lila are growing up in post-war Italy and live in a poor neighborhood of Naples. Elena's father is a porter and Lila's is a shoemaker. In elementary school, it becomes obvious that Lila is far better at reading, math and other subjects than the rest of the students. While Elena has to work hard just to stay second best, learning comes easily to Lila and she seems to make no effort at all. Unfortunately, Lila's parents forbid her to continue studying after she graduates from elementary school. Elena continues on to middle school and high school.

The girls' friendship is complicated and at times painful. Elena constantly feels inferior first in intelligence and later in looks and love life. She truly feels Lila is the smarter and more beautiful of the two of them. However, this competition with her best friend is what pushes her to study harder, to always aim higher and to continue dreaming of a better life. We never get to glimpse what goes on in Lila's head, but at one point in the book, she turns to Elena and calls her "my brilliant friend" - the words Elena would just as readily apply to Lila. Ultimately, both girls do everything they can in their own, albeit different, ways to escape poverty and the confines of the neighborhood plagued by violence, jealousy and settling of scores. The book ends with Lila's wedding. At 16, she marries the neighborhood grocer - a seemingly successful match that will take her out of poverty. However, Elena realizes that getting out of their circumstances is not that easy. She also feels more acutely than ever before that she does not belong in the neighborhood. She has no one to talk to about the things she learned at school, and even Lila is no longer interested in intellectual pursuits.

I must say it took me longer than I thought it would to get through the book. It is a slow read, and some sections in the middle of the book felt too drawn out. However, the narrative picked up and got more interesting towards the end, and I am curious about the rest of Elena's and Lila's story. 4 out of 5 stars. Definitely worth reading.

"My Beloved World" by Sonia Sotomayor

I found Sonia Sotomayor’s book very inspiring for several reasons. Sonia came from a very difficult environment, growing up with an alcoholic father and a mother who was so focused on providing for her family that she did not have a lot of time to dedicate to her children. Sonia also has struggled with incurable disease from early childhood. However, poverty, illness, and family problems did not deter her from pursuing her life’s dream of becoming a judge. I was also struck by her humility and sincerity. She talks about difficult and very personal subjects in a very unassuming and approachable manner. I felt like I could really relate to some of the circumstances of her life. She also tackles and provides her take on such topics as affirmative action, bi-lingual education and status of Puerto Rico. Her book helped me better understand issues surrounding these topics and see the situation through her eyes. I also appreciated the way she described the role her extended family played in her life: particularly her grandmother, as well as aunts and cousins. I do believe Sonia’s story could be a great inspiration for girls everywhere, especially those who come from diverse backgrounds, difficult family and economic situations, as well as those who struggle with a chronic ailment. I read this book for a book club we have at work. I think this book is great for discussions on a whole range of topics. I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

"Station Eleven" by Emily St. John Mandel

"Station Eleven" is a sci-fi novel written from the point of view of several different characters whose lives become intertwined as the human race faces a pandemic unlike any other. The Georgia Flu in effect wipes out 99% of population in a matter of weeks. Humanity is reduced to scattered settlements that are forced to regress to primitive life of hunters-gatherers and subsistence farmers. The novel jumps around in time - going back 30 years before the pandemic, recounting days and hours right before the disease strikes North America and days and weeks following the disaster, and then jumping 15 and 20 years into the future.

Right before the Georgia Flu overtakes Toronto and the rest of North America, a famous actor dies of a heart attack while performing King Lear on stage. A man from the audience who is training to become a paramedic unsuccessfully tries to bring him back to life. An eight-year-old child actress witnesses the death on stage. The novel then retraces the history of these three and follows the two surviving characters as humanity fails to stop the advance of the Georgia Flu.

The apocalypse aspects of the book are very realistic. I couldn't help but admire the author's well-thought out scenarios described in the book. I also really enjoyed the unexpected connections among various characters in the novel, and the way art influences, shapes or destroys them. All the main characters are extremely well fleshed out and easy to relate to. The book is both atmospheric and realistic. I was fully immersed in the world and could not put the book down. Definitely one of the best books I read in 2016. 5 out of 5 stars.

"Ivory and Bone" by Julie Eshbaugh

I really enjoyed this book. I first heard about it from someone on booktube who described it as a Pride and Prejudice retelling set in prehistoric times. Such description immediately piqued by interest. I love everything related to Pride and Prejudice. and a prehistoric setting just sounded super unusual and interesting.

The book does have an overall romantic plot line that is reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice but the gender roles are reversed. The male protagonist Kol is a bit "prejudiced" like Lizzie and the female character Mya is arrogant and proud like Mr. Darcy. However, the book also has another unique plot line that has nothing to do with Pride and Prejudice. It is Mya's backstory and how it affects the present and future events. It is a story of two clans and animosity between them. In fact, the name of the novel Ivory and Bone refers to Mya and Lo's story (Lo is another female character in the book). So the romance is a prominent, but not the main point of the book.

I did love the prehistoric setting. Eshbaugh did a great job describing the everyday life of hunters/gatherers, their culture, traditions, beliefs and views on life. It is certainly not a sophisticated historical fiction, but I was impressed with the level of detail that the author was able to weave into the story. 4 out of 5 stars - an excellent read.

"Glass Sword" by Victoria Aveyard

Glass Sword is the second book in the Red Queen series.  I read the first book over a year ago and you can read my review of it here. As I mentioned in my last year's post, some readers really love this series whereas others feel it is filled with tropes and lacks originality. Personally, I liked the first book and really wanted to like the second. I think Glass Sword is well-written and well thought out, but I had a lot of problem getting into it. I was not excited about sitting down to read it at the end of the day and it was a real struggle to make any sort of progress with this book. It took me over a week to read a 440-page book that has large line spacing. I think it is because as a reader I am a bit tired of YA fantasy/dystopian genre. Even though these books have different characters and settings, their plots tend to follow the same general pattern: e.g., a lowly-born nobody is suddenly found to be super special. The fate of the world is somehow now in the hands of this character. They feel misunderstood and unappreciated, have to make tough choices and suffer some losses, etc. So I think I was getting bored and that is why getting through this book was difficult. At this point, I am not sure if I will pick up the sequel. This series does feel like a cookie cutter to me and I am not that interested in it anymore. I rated this second installment of the series 3 out of 5 stars. If you have not read a lot of YA dystopian/fantasy, you might just enjoy it. I just feel that I am ready for something more original and profound.

Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite First Sentences

I have not done a top 5 Wednesday post in a while simply because I have not seen any topics I liked lately. I do really like this week's topic though - favorite first sentences. Below are the five that I chose. As usual, if you'd like to know more about Top 5 Wednesday, it is a Goodreads group and the link to the page is here.

1. Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen's beloved classic tale famously begins with: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." I just love this beginning. I think it is the epitome of Austen's humor and sets the tone for the entire novel.

2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

This is another favorite of mine. It opens with: "There was no possibility of taking a walk that day." She goes on to describe a rainy cold day which sets a wonderful gloomy tone for this Gothic romance.

3. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I know it is popular to criticize this book, but even haters have to admit that Meyer's epic vampire love story reinvented the entire YA paranormal romance literature as we know it and got scores of teens into reading. I also think most people will recognize the first line in this book: "I'd never given much thought to how I would die..."

4. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

This is one of my favorite sci-fi novels, and the first line definitely gives you a taste of what is to come: "Everyone my age remembers where they were and what they were doing when they first heard about the contest."

5. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

This is not the first sentence in the book because there is a one-page intro. But it is the first sentence of Chapter 1 in Part 1: "Aliens are stupid." I just love this line.

"Sex, Lies, and Handwriting: A Top Expert Reveals the Secrets Hidden in Your Handwriting" by Michelle Dresbold

This is one of those rare times when I read and enjoyed a non-fiction title. Michelle Dresbold is a handwriting expert who often works with law enforcement agencies helping them profile and identify criminals based on their handwriting. The book is fairly short and is definitely meant for those who enjoy reading true crime stories. Dresbold provides the basics of identifying one's character and proclivities based on their handwriting and then uses handwriting samples of well-known serial killers and famous personas to support those principles. Ted Bundy, Bonnie and Clyde, the Ramseys and Jack the Ripper all make an appearance throughout the book. Dresbold also includes her take on some famous cold cases based on handwriting analysis. I really liked her theory on who Jack the Ripper was and the analysis of the note left behind in JonBenet Ramsey's case. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in handwriting analysis and true crime. I am usually not someone who reads about serial killers, but I did like the examples Dresbold used in this book. Four out of five stars: a very interesting and informative book.

"Truthwitch" by Susan Dennard

Susan Dennard's Truthwitch is the first book in a new YA fantasy series, and has been out for a few months now. In fact, the second book is scheduled to come out in January 2017. I believe the series will have 5 or 6 books total. I have seen very positive reviews of this novel so decided to give it a go.

This book definitely did not blow me away but there are a few things that I really liked. First of all, the female friendship in this book is amazing. Normally, in YA and adult romances, the main female protagonist gets so wrapped up in her romantic interest that she has no time for friends. Or, if she does have friends, they end up turning against her, betray her or create some other negativity around her. Not so, in Truthwitch. Safiya and Iseult share a very strong friendship bond and continue to care and protect each other and put their friendship above all else no matter what is happening around them.

The second aspect of the book that I really enjoyed was the political intrigue and the magic. I thought it was very interesting and well-done. I do however, agree with some other reviewers, that this book would really benefit from a glossary of terms. For the first 50 to 100 pages, things are really confusing to the reader because the author simply plunges into the world without explaining much about it. There is wisdom in not including long world building narratives that tend to get tedious and feel like info dump, but a nice concise appendix listing the main characters, kingdoms and types of magic would really be helpful. I hope this will be added in future books so things do not get too confusing.

Overall, the book is very well written and thought through. Once I got through the first 100 pages, I started to really enjoy it. 4 out of 5 stars. I will definitely be picking up book 2.

The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry

I think most people read at least the first book in Lowry's quartet at school. I never did. The only thing I knew about it was that it was a dystopian YA story. I own the first book and decided to give it a go. Needless to say, I enjoyed it so much that I ended up reading the rest of the books in the Giver quartet.

The first book The Giver is set in a distant future in a commune where everything is centrally planned and the life of citizens is highly structured, efficient and void of any emotion. The main character Jonas is nearing his twelfth birthday, the time when members of the community find out their assigned occupation for the rest of their active life. Some kids are assigned to be nurturers who take care of newborns, others are birth mothers tasked with "producing" children, third work in a fish hatchery, etc. The assignments are made by the Elders committee who everyone unquestionably trusts to make the right choice. Jonas however, gets singled out during the ceremony and gets assigned the job of the "receiver". At first he is baffled by this job. No one else in the community seems to know what that is other than it is really important. Thus, Jonas meets "the Giver" who explains to him that Jonas is to become the Receiver of Memories. No one else in the community remembers the past and the Receiver is the one who bears this burden. As Jonas receives these memories, he realizes the depravity of the society he leaves in and decides to act.

Overall, the first book is very reminiscent of George Orwell's 1984. Although, Lowry's world is much more orderly, void of any emotion and in a way simplistic compared to Orwell. There is also a magical (or unexplained) element to the story. Jonas' special gift of being able to see beyond is never fully explained. Lowry also never provides any backstory for how this community became what it is with memories being passed only to one person.

The second book Gathering Blue shows us a completely different society in the same world. The life in this village is highly primitive. Most people live in simple dwellings and cannot read or write. the main character Kira has a physical defect from birth and now that her mother died, some villagers want to banish her since she cannot work as well as healthy people and thus presents a burden to the entire community. Kira, however, like Jonas in the first story,  has a special gift. She is a talented weaver and the pieces she makes tell the story of what is or will happen soon. Also like Jonas, she wants to change the established life in her village.

In the third book, Messenger, the characters from the first two stories come together and we get a bigger picture of the world. Even though this is the shortest of the four books, I thought it was the most emotionally charged. I did however feel that a lot of things were unexplained, and ended up rating this book lower than the first two.

Finally, in the fourth book, we go back to the community that we originally saw in the Giver, but we follow a different character. Her name is Claire, she is only three years older than Jonas and she is a birth mother. Claire gives birth to a boy, but unlike other birth mothers, she has a difficulty during the birthing process and gets reassigned to a different job. In the process, no one prescribes to her the love-suppressing pills that everyone else in the community takes, and she ends up getting emotionally attached to her newborn. This is a story of her journey to reunite with her son and of the sacrifices she makes to find him. Her son Gabe also has a special gift and ultimately, it is he who ends up defeating a great evil and saves Claire's life.

The fourth book does tie everything nicely together. We get to see what happens to all the main characters from the quartet. However, the supernatural aspects of the world are never fully explained. It is almost as though some aspects of the story are purely metaphysical and generally deal with the nature of good and evil. I did like the fourth book better than the third. But it is still not as strong as the first two in my opinion. Overall, I highly recommend reading the entire quartet to get the full picture of the world and additional information about all the characters.

Jane Steele by Lindsay Faye

I was intrigued by this book as soon as I learned that it was a Jane Eyre re-telling. Moreover, the main heroine - Jane Steele - was supposed to be a serial killer. Naturally, I had to check it out.

The first 100 pages or so were really frustrating for me because the book read more like a spoof than a retelling, and I did not enjoy a mocking of my favorite novel. However, the novel got better once Mr. Thornfield appeared on the scene. From that point on, Jane was much more likable, the plot picked up in pace and originality, and I found myself enjoying the book.

The novel also had surprising historical details about the Sikh wars and the Punjab region and culture. Another surprising thing about the book was the whole business of Jane being a serial killer. Jane does end up murdering 5 people throughout the novel, however, all of them were such scum that she did a world a favor by ridding it of them. Overall, I ended up rating this novel 4 out 5 stars and am looking forward to checking out Faye's other novels.

Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag

I saw this tag going around YouTube and I thought it was a good way to review my reading progress this year. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find who created this tag originally, but I really like the questions, so let's jump right in! I have reviews for most of the books listed below, so you can click on the title if you want to know more of my thoughts on them.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2016. 
The Stranger by Albert Camus

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2016.
The City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to.
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.
The Fate of the Tearling, the third book in the Queen of the Tearling trilogy

5. Biggest disappointment.
The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye

6. Biggest surprise.
The WondLa trilogy by Tony DiTerlizzi was truly delightful. I did not expect to like it as much as I did

7. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)
Truman Capote. I read a new release about him in January (The Swans of Fifth Avenue), and have been fascinated by his writing ever since.

8. Newest fictional crush.
I don’t think I’ve had any recently. The closest that comes to mind is Gabriel from Omens by Kelly Armstrong

9. Newest favorite character.
Eva Nine from the middle grade WondLa series.

10. Book that made you cry.
Easy by Tammara Webber

11. Book that made you happy.
First & Then by Emma Mills. It’s about football

12. The most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)
If they mean the cover and binding here, then it’ll have to be The Crown’s Game

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
Looking over my goals for the year and progress to date, here is where I stand:

Goals for 2016	Progress to date
Read 85 books in 2016	So far I have read 69. So I will definitely surpass the goal.
Read 10 classics	7 read so far – doing great.
Review 12 ARCs	8 reviewed and one more will be read in July - well on target here.
Read mostly the books I own	I have to admit I am not doing that great with this one. I keep borrowing books from the library and ignore the books on my shelf and in my e-reader. As of right now, out of 69 books that I’ve read so far, 42 came from my local library.
Reading challenges (52 books of various themes and genres – see the link)	I have met 30 out of 52 challenges at this point, so I am pretty confident I will complete all 52 by the end of the year.

"Tonight the Streets are Ours" by Leila Sales

This book was not what I expected and I was pleasantly surprised. Frankly I thought this was going to be another fluffy YA romance. So I prepared myself for some mindless reading and dove in not expecting much. This book turned out to be much deeper than I thought. It is about love, but this is not a romance novel. Rather, Sales tackles the subject of what it means to love someone: a friend, a family member, a boyfriend. Does love mean complete and utter surrender of self or as she puts it, "reckless loyalty"; or is an essential part of loving others the love towards oneself. This would include honoring one's own interests, self-respect and allowing others to make mistakes and learn to be independent.

The main character in this book is a seventeen year-old Arden. She has a loving family, a best friend, a nice boyfriend, she is a good student and is well-liked by her peers. However, there is one character trait, from an early age carefully cultivated by her mother, that she keeps struggling with: she calls it giving someone a blank check. This means that once she commits to a friendship or a relationship, she is willing to do pretty much anything to make the other person's life easier.  Her mother struggles with the same issue. Because her entire life has been focused on being the best mother she can possibly be, her husband by definition can never meet her standard of a perfect father/husband. She also feels unappreciated by her family and eventually has to leave them in order to come to a realization that everything in life needs to have a balance. Yes, it is important to care for you kids and to make sure they are safe, but is it really necessary to make every meal from scratch or sew their Halloween costumes?

In the end, Arden does learn some important lessons about friendship and relationships and begins to love herself as much as she loves her friends and family. The issues raised in the novel might seem self-evident and not worthy of a book, but I thought they make a good subject for a YA novel and represent a nice topic of discussion. Many times young people tend to become so co-dependent on their love interest or so desperate for another's approval, that they forget to consider their own interests, sacrifice self-respect and ultimately stop loving themselves. This novel was surprisingly deep and I really enjoyed it. 4 out of 5 stars.

"And I Darken" by Kiersten White

Unlike some of my other reviews, this one will be brief. And I Darken is a new YA fantasy novel by Kiersten White (officially releasing today in the United States). The setting is the 15th century Ottoman Empire (before the fall of Constantinople), and the main character is the female version of Vlad the Impaler (who famously inspired the character of Dracula).

What I liked about the book:
I loved the historical context and the vivid descriptions of culture and every day life in the Ottoman Empire. I also really liked Radu's character (he is the younger brother of the main character Lada). In addition, White did a very good job describing the treatment of women during the Ottoman rule, the politics and even war tactics of the day.

What disappointed me:
I did not connect at all to the main female character. Lada from the very first pages is presented as ugly, ferocious, senselessly violent and cruel. She appears to care for her brother, yet she never shows her love for him even in private. She acts cold or cruel towards pretty much everyone and yet, everyone seems to adore and respect her. She appears to win this respect based on brutal force alone and perhaps some knack for military strategy. I did not like her character and frankly, in some parts of the book, she was boring and predictable.

What I take away from this book:
New YA releases are increasingly disappointing. I am mildly curious about the rest of the story (two more books will be coming our way). However, I am not sure I will be picking up the sequels.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. My rating is 3 out of 5 stars: worth reading if you are interested in this historical period.

"First Comes Love" by Emily Giffin

I got an advanced reader's copy of this book from Netgalley. The official publication date is June 28th, 2016. Prior to this, I had read three other novels by Emily Giffin. I enjoyed all of them and decided to get this upcoming release a go also.

First Comes Loves is a family drama examining the relationship of two sisters in the aftermath of their older brother's untimely death. The novel is written from the two sisters' alternating points of view: one chapter is from Meredith's perspective and the next one is from Josie's. The two sisters are quite different and, as is often the case among the closest family members, get on each other's nerves and disagree on pretty much everything. Both sisters are in their mid- to late thirties. Meredith is married and has a four-year older daughter; and Josie (the older of the two) is single and desperately aware of her biological clock ticking away. As both sisters re-examine their lives and priorities, it becomes clear that neither one has gotten over their brother Daniel's death. That tragic event of 15 years ago influenced many of the important decisions they made through the years and continues to hang over everything they do and say to each other. There are a couple of twists in the story and I will not go any further about the plot for fear of revealing anything. I do want to say that Giffin does a good job foreshadowing and building up the reader's expectations for a big reveal.

Overall, I liked this novel. I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars. I think Giffin made some good points about relationships and marriage and the choices we make in life. I also admired the two sisters for their bravery to pursue happiness despite having to make difficult decisions along the way. The only reason for docking a star is that the plot did drag a bit in a few places, and I felt like I was powering through those sections rather than simply enjoying them.

"Easy" by Tammara Webber

I normally do not read New Adult, however, this one caught my interest because of the subject central to the plot. The main character Jacqueline is attacked in the parking lot while leaving a frat house party on campus. She barely escapes being raped when a stranger pulls the attacker off of her and knocks him out. Jacqueline decides not to call the police as she is hoping her attacker had learned his lesson. She also knows him: he is the best friend of her roommate's boyfriend and had never before been anything but nice to her. The novel takes off from there.

Aside from the purely "new adult" elements, the novel does a good job examining the issue of rape from several different angles. First of all, it is important to realize that in majority of cases the perpetrator is someone the woman knows: a neighbor, a friend, or a relative. Webber also goes over techniques of how women can protect themselves and the importance of knowing basic self defense. I loved how strongly and in several places throughout the novel she emphasizes that rape is not something the victim should feel guilty about.  It is never the victim's fault.  Knowing where the blame needs to be placed should help with realizing the importance of reporting any sexual assault.

I think this book is great for raising awareness about sexual assault and the issues surrounding it, especially among high school and college readers who do enjoy the New Adult genre. I rated this novel 4 out 5 stars.

"Omens" (Cainsville #1) by Kelley Armstrong

Omens is an adult thriller/mystery with some supernatural elements. It is the first book in an on-going series. Three books are currently out and the fourth one is coming out later this summer. Kelly Armstrong is a very prolific writer and has written series for both adults and young adults. I learned about this book on booktube and decided to give it a go.

The main heroine is Olivia Taylor-Jones, the only child of a wealthy Chicago family that owns a department store chain. She is in her early to mid-twenties, Yale educated and is engaged to be married to a young, highly successful businessman with political aspirations. Things cannot get any better for her. The only dark spot in her life is the recent death of her father. As you might have guessed, things go downhill for Olivia from here. She suddenly learns that Taylor-Joneses are not her biological parents. She was adopted when quite young and was never told about the adoption. She also learns that her biological parents are both convicted serial killers and doing life sentences in prison. The media goes crazy with this news and Olivia has to flee Chicago and hide out in a small town of Cainsville.

Things get even stranger from here. Olivia discovers that she can read omens. In addition, Cainsville itself seems to be a very peculiar town: with a resident fortune teller, disappearing gargoyles and omnipresent elders who seem to know everything about everyone in town. Armstrong introduces some foreign words and terminology that she does not explain until the end of the book or even the following book, but if you google them you can get clues about Cainsville's residents. The town reminded me of the town in the TV series Once Upon A Time. It has the same atmosphere: lots of residents have no idea that their town is different from anywhere else and most of them have another identity that they know nothing about.

The plot is quite complex. There are also multiple characters and it is simply not practical to talk about all of them in a brief review. All I can say is that I enjoyed this book and did not see any flaws in it. I rated it 5 out 5 stars. It you like mysteries with a supernatural twist - check this one out.

"The Crown's Game" by Evelyn Skye

I had such high expectations for this book: two enchanters dueling to the death, 19th century Russia, the author who supposedly knows Russian history and culture and thus ensures a historically accurate setting - what's not to like?

Unfortunately the best thing about this book is the gorgeous cover. The characters fell completely flat for me. None of them were remotely interesting or exciting. I did not feel attachment to any of them. The plot also felt like a weak re-imagining of The Night Circus. I did like the enchantments - those were probably the strongest parts of the book, and the reason I rated this book at 3 stars and not lower.

The author also failed in the historical accuracy area - I wish she did not claim this from the outset. There were glaring mistakes like repeated (and unnecessary) focus on the pastries ("oreshki") that did not even exist in the 19th century or references to pews when anyone who's ever been to Russia knows that Russian churches do not have pews - standing room only! In addition, Kazakhs in the early 19th century (aside from highly educated nobility) did not speak Russian or owned taverns in St. Peterburg! I also cannot imagine the tzar ever traveling to the steppe - much less forming a liaison with a common Kazakh maiden. I do think the author deserves credit for weaving Kazakhs into the story but please do not claim to be historically accurate!

The plot was mediocre, unoriginal and the ending was just awful. Sounds like there will be a sequel but the way the author described the writing of it in a recent interview does not give me any confidence that she knows where to go with the story line. I should really stop buying new releases.... Very disappointing. 

A Series Review: "The Search for WondLa" by Tony DiTerlizzi

                 

The Search for WondLa is a three-book middle grade series set in a distant future. We follow the girl named Eva Nine who is born in a high tech underground sanctuary and is raised by a Multi-Utility Task Help Robot (Muthr). It took me a while to get into the first book simply because for most of it, the reader (along with Eva Nine) have no idea where she is and what is going on in the world. Basically, while she is a child, Muthr prepares Eva Nine for the day when she will leave the sanctuary and integrate into the life on the surface. However, their life is completely turned upside down when one day a terrible beast breaks into their sanctuary and Eva Nine has to flee and fend for herself in the wild. What she finds above ground is totally different from the instructional videos she had watched her entire life. The world is populated with strange plants, animals and even aliens who act like Eva Nine is the one out of place. For most of book 1, I honestly had no idea whether Eva Nine was on earth or on some other planet. Everything becomes clarified in the last third of the book, and then the series really take off at a nice pace. Books 2 and 3 are simply amazing. There is a lot of action, mystery, and political intrigue. I also thought that for a children's book, the series have some profound spiritual messages that I really appreciated. For example, here is one quote from Book 3 that I really liked:

We are born, we live, and we perish, perhaps to be born again in some other form... Galaxies are but one living entity burning with the energy from all of us. Life and death are but siblings who turn the universe continually. Endlessly.

Another aspect of these books that has to be mentioned is the fact that the author is also the illustrator for the series. The books have beautiful illustrations throughout. Tony DiTerlizzi has created an unbelievable world with completely new creatures, animals and plants, and all of them are not just described in his books, there are also full page illustrations that bring his imagination to life.

I highly recommend this series not just for children but also for adults. I rated book 1 at 4 stars and books 2 and 3 were both 5-star reads.

"Lady Midnight" by Cassandra Clare (The Dark Artifices No. 1)

Lady Midnight is the first book of a new trilogy set in the Shadowhunters world by Cassandra Clare called The Dark Artifices. It follows Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn of the Los Angeles Institute who were first introduced at the end of the Mortal Instruments series. Five years have passed since we saw them in Idris during the Dark War. Emma and Julian are now 17 and have become parabatai, or warrior partners bonded through rune magic.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and will definitely continue reading this and other upcoming series set in the same world. However, the more I read paranormal YA series, the more critical I become of plots, characters and writing. Since the market is now saturated with novels in this genre, the most popular and better-written ones definitely need to set a certain standard of writing. This is not to say that this book had major flaws. It did not. However, there were some things that to me did not quite live up to the standard I have come to associate with Cassandra Clare's work.

First of all, it was hard to get into the book in the first few chapters. This was partly because some things were repeated too many times (e.g. the fact that Julian took care of his siblings was rehashed from multiple angles). In addition, a lot of information was provided about the events of the Mortal Instruments books, the magic, magical beings and the world itself. I understand that this might be useful for refreshing the readers' memory, but it could have been done in a more subtle way.

The overall mystery/plot line for this first installment was excellent. I had no idea who the killer was and really enjoyed all the twists and action. The only weak point for me was the blackout at the Institute. So they could not use the phones to contact the Clave, what about a fire message? I thought Shadowhunters were not supposed to rely on mundane devices anyway. It would have been nice if this was factored in. In addition, the whole parabatai romantic love prohibition was emphasized way too much especially since this was never emphasized in the previous books. I realize this is the whole point of this trilogy and needed to be believable, but it was a bit forced since other books never focused on it. Or if it was mentioned, it was in passing.

I am also not sure how I feel about the ending. I am not a fan of lying and breaking someone's heart for the sake of their own good. This seems like such an overused trope. In addition, Julian, I believe, is being set up to somehow turn evil, or borderline evil. Clare refers to him as "ruthless" way too many times". He already is "an expert liar" and now the girl he loves decides to hurt him "out of love".  I do prefer complex characters. Life is not black and white. And I hope Julian will continue being an interesting character instead of going all evil.

I rated this book at 3.5 stars. Cannot wait to read book 2.

The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers by Gary Chapman

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I do not usually read any kinds of self-help or parenting books. However, I do have a twelve-year old and in the past few months I was thinking that I should probably educate myself a bit more on the upcoming teen years. Thus my purpose for reading this book was to prepare and educate myself so I can be a better parent as my daughter starts navigating the troublesome teenage years.

If you are like me (i.e., have a pre-teen or a teen and do not normally read parenting literature), I definitely recommend this book. Some of the criticisms I've seen about this book are that it is a regurgitation of Chapman's other 5 Languages of Love books or that it does not provide any earth-shattering advice. I had never read any of his other books, and I also was not looking for any parenting tricks or magic methods. But for me, this was a great concise guide on how to be a parent of a teenager.

What I liked most is that Chapman clearly lays out the approaches that will allow parents to understand their teen better, to show their teenagers that they are loved and to learn how to effectively set rules and discipline their teenagers. Nothing in the book was confusing or impractical. All of his recommendations were cogent, to the point, very doable and supported by multiple examples from his counseling practice. I also appreciated the statistics quoted in this book and the fact that he did not shy away from difficult subjects such as alcohol and drug use and teen pregnancy. I would say Chapman wrote this book in a very loving manner to both parents and teens, without sounding preachy or condemning anyone but offering practical steps to foster better relationships.

I am very glad I read this book. If you are going to read just one book on parenting teens, please read this one. 5 out of 5 stars from me!

"The Girl from Everywhere" by Heidi Heilig

I have recently discovered that I really enjoy books featuring time travel. Earlier this year I read Into the Dim and quite liked it. The Girl from Everywhere is also a fantasy novel that involves time travel. In fact, it has most of the elements that I love in an adventure story: historic settings, a pirate ship, a heist, mythical and/or fairy tale creatures and elements, and of course time travel.

Our main character is a sixteen-year old girl named Nix whose father is the captain of a time-travelling pirate ship. The captain and his crew are roaming the seas of time in search of a map of Hawaii depicting the island as it was back in 1868, the year Nix's mother died. The captain is determined to go back in time to save the love of his life.

I really enjoyed the story line in this novel. Heilig did a great job weaving in myths and magic into historical settings. Her descriptions of places and people are vivid. I felt transported into the settings that she described. The plot itself is very interesting and the end was unexpected for me. Since the main character is a sixteen year old girl, there is some romance in the story, but it is not the main focus of the book at all. As a teenager, Nix is very aware of the young men around her and ready to fall in love, but it is not a stereotypical YA romance novel. I also liked the well-researched myths and legends and the fact that the book has an appendix in the back that further expounds on the ideas that formed the foundation of the book.

This was a real treat of a read. 5 out of 5 stars. I cannot wait for the sequel.

Top 5 Fictional Moms or Maternal Figures

As I was thinking about fictional moms, I realized that a lot of books have really bad mothers/mother figures.  It seems having a terrible mother (or no mother, or an evil stepmother) is one of the most common literary devices. Nonetheless, I have come up with a list of five fictional mother figures that I think embody the best parental qualities that help the main character grow and develop.

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre is an orphan and her aunt who becomes Jane's guardian is an epitome of an evil stepmother. She is absolutely horrid to Jane and ends up sending her to a boarding school for poor girls. At the school, Jane meets the first person (and there will be several of these in Jane's life) who really steps up and becomes a role model and a mother figure for her. I am talking about Jane's teacher Miss Temple. She helps clear Jane's name of wrongful accusations, encourages her curiosity, inspires her and becomes a really good friend. I think in a lot of ways Miss Temple is Jane's ideal and the influence she has on Jane propels her to aspire to more in life and continue to see the good in others.

2. Wild by Cheryl Strayed

This is not really a fictional figure. Wild is autobiographic in nature. But the entire plot and the reason why Cheryl Strayed ends up hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is because she needs to deal with the grief she feels after losing her mother. Cheryl's mom was an amazing woman. Barely educated and without the means to support herself, she finally finds the courage to leave her abusive husband and raises two kids by herself. The love she feels for her children is palpable and I really admired her as a strong woman and mother.

3. The WondLa series by Tony DiTerlizzi

I have not reviewed this middle grade series on my blog yet as I am about to start reading the last book in the trilogy. However, this book definitely has one of my favorite maternal figures. In the series, a little girl Eva Nine is being raised by a robot named Muthr - a Multi-Utility Task Help Robot. There are no other humans around and Eva regards this robot, who is her primary caretaker, as her mom. This non-human Muthr is definitely one of the most admirable mother-figures you'll ever read about. Not only does she do a superb job of caring for the child, she multiple times sacrifices herself to keep Eva safe, and does things that are beyond what she was originally programmed for.

4. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Well, even though Harry himself is an orphan and his aunt definitely falls on the "evil stepmother" spectrum of things, Ron Weasley's mom is one of my favorite fictional mothers. It is in her house that Harry finally experiences what a loving home feels like. She is kindhearted, generous, caring, selfless and if necessary, ready to die for her family.

5. Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Here is a story of another orphan - a little boy raised by animals. My favorite character by far in this book is Bagheera the panther. She is lethal to her enemies and deeply protective and caring of those she loves. She also shares little nuggets of wisdom with the little boy and teaches him to be brave and smart.

"Unhooked" by Lisa Maxwell

This is going to be a different kind of review. As I got through about two thirds of the novel, I realized how similar this book is in its "feel" to Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Even though Novik's novel is Slavic fantasy and Unhooked is a Peter Pan re-telling, the main heroines have quite a bit in common. They both in the beginning do not know about their powers, both get whisked away from their normal surroundings and both get attracted to a dark and borderline evil character. Their powers are also similar in essence - very earthy and primal, something that is a part of them, not something that can be taught or followed as a formula. In addition, the narrative is somewhat slow-paced in both novels and is meant to be savored rather than devoured in one sitting. So obviously if you enjoyed Uprooted, I think you will like Unhooked.

Now if you have not read Uprooted and need more convincing, please read on. As I already mentioned Unhooked is a retelling of Peter Pan, but much darker than the story we all know. Maxwell's Pan is definitely not a hero and Captain Hook is not quite the villain painted in the original story. I think Unhooked is very imaginative and unique. There are some unexpected turns in the plot that I did not see coming. I also liked the way Hook's backstory is woven into the book. The main character Gwen is very believable. The reader sees everything through her eyes, and goes through the same confusion as she does.

The only unanswered question for me was Pan's origins story. I do realize the book is more focused on Hook, but I wish there was at least a little bit of a backstory on Pan. Overall, a very enjoyable read. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

"A Tyranny of Petticoats" edited by Jessica Spotswood

I was intrigued by this book the moment I saw it in upcoming releases. It is an anthology of 15 short stories set in different historic periods beginning from 1710 and ending with 1968. I loved this book. First of all, I am a big fan of historical fiction. On top of that, I love to read books featuring female protagonists particularly those who are not afraid to act in a non-conventional way and challenge the established order of life. In addition, I am fascinated by the life of ordinary people in various historic settings, e.g. books that talk about the life of a common Roman soldier or a Greek housewife, etc. And this book gives us glimpses of what life was like for young women and girls throughout history.

All 15 stories are written from the point of view of their main heroines. They come from different social classes, racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds and have different sexual orientation. We thus get to hear diverse voices of fifteen young girls living in different historic periods, but united by similar goals: a desire to pursue dreams, to take charge of their lives, to make the world a better place and to have equal opportunities.

Every story in this anthology is wonderful. I did not dislike any of them, and some of them, I thought were too short and could be developed into full-length novels. I also believe the authors did a good job researching the historic periods that they chose to write about. In fact, each story is followed by an author's note that details what inspired them to write the story, and some even provided information for further reading and research. I highly recommend this book. 5 out of 5 stars.

Top 5 Wednesday: Books with "Hard" Topics

I have not done a top 5 post in a while as I did not feel I had anything to contribute to the topics that were suggested. However, I have definitely read some books recently that deal with extremely difficult subjects and could not pass the opportunity to talk about them.

I would also like to say that some subjects for me are much harder than others. For example, I tend to avoid books dealing with WWII because I find them emotionally difficult to read. For this reason I have not read Unbroken - I saw the movie though and it was very difficult to watch. I think books with hard subjects are very important for raising awareness and some of them also make great survival stories and celebrate the strength of human spirit, but I can only take such books in small doses. It literally takes me days and sometimes weeks to get over them.

Now finally, to my top 5 recent reads with difficult topics.

1. Little Bee by Chris Cleave

The blurb on the back of this book is extremely vague, and I went into this not knowing what I was getting myself into. This book is about a young Nigerian girl who flees her home country to escape the horrors of "oil wars" - deliberate killings of entire villages whose only infraction was having a home in the area of rich oil deposits. So this is a story of what happened to her family and her struggle to find basic safety in this world. This book deals with some extremely difficult subjects. Trigger warnings would include violence, rape and utter despair. I have a full review of this book here.

2. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

This is another book which I picked up without fully realizing the effect it would have on me. It's the story of two sisters living in Shanghai whose father ends up gambling away the family fortune and sells them as brides to America. This is also the time when China is at war with Japan. Terrible things happen to these girls before and after they leave China. This book was so difficult for me that I never picked up the sequel. I am literally scared to find out what happens next because I got so attached to the main heroines. A trigger warning for this one is rape.

3. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

First of all, this is Christian fiction. It is loosely based on the Book of Hosea in the Bible. In it, God tells a righteous man to marry a prostitute, and he obeys God's direction. Redeeming Love is set in the 1850s in California. The main heroine is Angel, a high-priced prostitute, who one day meets Michael Hosea and ends up marrying him. The book is about Angel's tough journey from being an unwanted illegitimate child, who at the age of 8 gets sold to a brothel, to someone who not only allows herself to feel deserving of being loved, but also sets out to help other women in desperate circumstances. I cried a lot reading this book. The main heroine truly goes through hell. However, the ending in her story is beautiful and full of hope. I highly recommend this novel. Trigger warnings include rape and child abuse. I have a full review of the book here.

4. Rumble by Ellen Hopkins

This was another very recent read. It was also my first Ellen Hopkins' book and I absolutely loved it. This book deals with sibling suicide, bullying, betrayal and overall, growing up and dealing with difficult circumstances.  Reading it felt at times like riding an emotional roller coaster. This book is also tackling the subject of why. As in, if there is an all-powerful and good God, why is life so cruel... How can deity allow this to happen? etc. A great read. I have a full review for this one also.

5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This is a sad story of two drifters travelling around California and picking up odd jobs during the Great Depression. One of them has a mental illness and ends up getting in trouble. Even though the book is very short, it packs a powerful punch. It tackles such issues as the place of people with mental illness in society and our ability to both keep them from trouble and ensure they live good lives. This book is not as heart-wrenching as some of the others on this list, but it is very profound and sad.

As usual, if you'd like to know more about Top 5 Wednesday, it is a Goodreads group and the link to the page is here.

"The Stranger" by Albert Camus

One of the items on the reading challenge I am trying to complete this year is to read a book that was originally written in a different language. In addition, I have been trying to read a classic a year. Thus, Camus' The Stranger seemed like a perfect choice to accomplish both of these goals. This is quite a complex novel and I apologize in advance but this is going to be a bit long.

The book is set in Algiers which in itself was very interesting to me. I almost never come across books set in North Africa. Here is a brief summary of the plot. The main character Meursault finds out about the death of his mother and travels to the country for her burial. Upon returning to Algiers he becomes somewhat close with Raymond, a resident in the same apartment building, who himself is embroiled in a bit of a feud with a brother of an Arab girl he used to date. Through a set of unfortunately circumstances, Meursault ends up shooting the Arab man and gets arrested. The book is divided into two distinct parts: the first one recounts the events leading up to the murder and the second part is mostly focused on Meursault's inner musings during incarceration and throughout the trial.

What struck me the most in reading the first part of the book was how detached Meursault was from the world. As the title suggests, he views the events as a stranger, or an outsider, without being emotionally involved. His comments are limited to his physical needs, comforts or discomforts and to cold recounting of events as they unfold. His reactions are logical and rational but lack any emotion or any sense of morality. For example, he does not show any grief upon hearing about his mother's death. In fact, he is more worried about annoying his boss since he has to take two days off from work. At the funeral, he focuses on how hot and tired he was and makes no mention of how he felt about his mother's passing. When Raymond beats up his girlfriend, Meursault has no reaction to the beating itself. Instead, he rationalizes that she probably "deserved" the beating. The clipped sentences Camus uses in the first part of the novel reinforce the feeling that someone devoid of any human emotion, almost a robot, recounts the story.

In part 2 of the novel, Meursault is in prison. The narrative is focused on how humans can get used to any environment with enough time and effort. He learns to pass the time in jail, and even here shows no feeling or yearning for freedom. In fact, he comes to the logical conclusion that since he committed a crime, he should be punished, and loss of freedom is sufficient punishment, until one gets used to life in prison that is. The only thing that somewhat shakes him (but not for long) is the fear of execution. He finally starts to show some emotion, although it is more of a survival instinct than a true feeling. Even under these circumstances, Meursault rationalizes that one's life comes to an end sooner or later. Therefore, what does it matter when one dies: in a day or in twenty years?

I do agree that the trial is quite absurd. As Camus himself noted, Meursault is basically on trial for not showing any grief at his mother's funeral. At the same time, even if what is being discussed in the courtroom is absurd, Meursault himself does not feel repentant about taking a human life. He exhibits no guilt, and overall gives little thought to the murder itself. So perhaps the whole point of the book is about the danger of losing one's humanity. Even though on the surface, Meursault is an honest and hard working individual, his lack of emotional involvement robs him of any sort of moral compass. He is truly dangerous without ever realizing it. His mother dies - what a bother. A friend abuses his girlfriend - she probably deserved it. I shot a man in cold blood for no reason - I was just feeling hot and the sun was in my eyes. No feeling, no remorse, just logic. A great book that really makes one think. 5 out of 5 stars.

"The Promise of Forgiveness" by Marin Thomas

The Promise of Forgiveness is a family drama. The main character Ruby is a 31 year old single mother, who's had a string of unsuccessful relationships, and just recently learned that she'd been adopted as a baby. Ruby's adoptive parents have been dead for some time, and she was contacted by her birth father who wanted to meet her and invited her over to his ranch. In addition to dealing with feelings of abandonment and resentment towards her birth parents, Ruby has to resolve ongoing problems with her teenage daughter.  She also becomes embroiled in a local feud over her father's land ownership and meets an attractive cowboy who has plenty of emotional baggage of his own.

As you see, the novel definitely has a lot of different facets to it, and the story was very engaging and interesting. I liked the way relationships were presented in this novel. In particularly, Ruby's interactions with her birth father and with her daughter are touching and at times heart-wrenching. Joe's background story was also sad and poignant. I liked watching the family come together and each individual start healing and moving towards reconciliation.

The things that did not quite work for me were the writing style, Ruby's mother's story and the entire drama around ownership of Hank's ranch. I thought the plot line about Ruby's birth mother was not well developed. It painted her mother as very one-dimensional especially compared to the main characters. It was hard for me to understand why Hank and apparently many other men fell head over heels for her. The fact that she was a prostitute and then abandoned her family to go back to prostitution just added unnecessary drama to the already jam-packed story line. The same with suspense/local crime drama around Hank's ranch - a completely unnecessary and unbelievable plot line. In the little town where any rumor spreads like wild fire, several things were apparently so well concealed that it took Ruby's arrival to uncover them. Finally, the writing was a bit choppy for me. Unfortunately, I picked this up right after reading Truman Capote, and it was hard not to compare Capote's impeccable style to anything I read right after.

So overall, I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars. I did enjoy reading it, and the story has some good points about it, but it is no great literature.

I received an advanced copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

"Summer Crossing" by Truman Capote

Ever since I read The Swans of Fifth Avenue, which tells the story of Capote's rise and fall in the high society of New York, I've been interested in reading some of his work. Summer Crossing has an interesting background. It was never published during Capote's lifetime. In fact, a box with the notebooks containing the manuscript was discarded after his death and then later resurfaced and was purchased by the New York Public Library at one of the auctions. It is not clear to me what Capote thought of this work. The fact that he never submitted it for publishing tells me that he was either still working on it, or did not quite like it and decided to set it aside. Nevertheless, Summer Crossing is in print now and I am very glad I read it.

Capote's writing is beautiful. He is a true master of metaphor and his characters are very well fleshed out. In fact, his writing is so good that after I finished Summer Crossing and picked up something else, I was immediately struck by how jarring the language was in this other book. Even though in some places the narrative seems to jump around a bit, it did not take anything away from the story. I cannot even imagine what his polished work would look like.

Summer Crossing is a coming of age story. It is also a book about beautiful dreams and bitter disappointments. Our main character Grady is the daughter of a New York financier who talks her parents into leaving her in New York for the summer while they sail to Europe. What her parents do not know is that Grady is having a secret affair with a parking lot attendant from Brooklyn. This book gave me the same feel as Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby. Summer Crossing is about crossing social lines, crossing from childish dreams into the reality of adulthood, crossing from friendship to love and from hope to disappointment. As you see, I really like the title of the book. I think it reflects the multiple facets of the story with surgical precision.

Overall, I really enjoyed the writing and the story. Now that I read Capote's unfinished work, I cannot wait to read his famous writings. What a gem! I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars for me.