People usually go to thrift stores for clothes, accessories, and even furniture. I go for the books.
I managed to cross out two titles from my Wish List. Also, there was a movie tie-in cover for The Nanny Diaries but I decided to get the hardcover because I have The Nanny Returns in hardcover. Now, if “Harvard Hottie” aka Chris Evans were on that cover…
Also, I’ve been meaning to read Tales of the City since watching the musical in San Francisco.
I have been making good progress with my 2012 Reading Challenge. I finished three easy books over the last week. Coincidentally, two of them have movie versions… that I have yet to watch. Even the book that I am currently reading has a movie version. Is this a theme forming? I could.
Anyway, thank you for the great feedback to Part 1 of this “look back” to 2011. Also, huge thanks to author Max Allan Collins for taking the time to comment and posting a link to that entry on his blog. It means so much to me and it makes all this worth it.
What you will see on this next batch of books are titles that I have reviewed on this blog. It was around this time that I started this little baby. So I probably won’t say all that much about them. So without further ado, here’s part two.
19. The Art of Saying Goodbye by Ellyn Bache *
This was one of the first books that I won off of GoodReads First Reads. I remember it came in the mail wrapped in a cute ribbon. This book was sad but very inspiring. It’s sort of “looking at the brighter things in life” kind of thing when faced with a terminal illness.
20. Daphne and the Silver Ash by Joss Llewelyn *
This was my first author-sponsored review. Meaning, the author contacted me personally and gifted me a copy of his book for review considerations. It is such a gratifying feeling to hear kind words from an author. It is nice to know your work is appreciated.
21. Dominance by Will Lavender *
How much did I love this book? A LOT. The last two-three pages were so worth it. Even my mother loved it. (Yes, we recommend books to each other.) This is the first ever book that I won off First Reads. My ARC of this book is so well-loved. I think it’s with my brother now, in the Philippines. I can’t wait for him to read it!
22. The Orchard by Jeffrey Stepakoff *
I’m not very big into romantic stories. But I liked this one. I thought it was sweet and very feel-good. Like the other books so far, I also won this from First Reads.
23. Love a la Carte by Jeffrey Stepakoff *
I got it for free on the B&N site. A companion piece to The Orchard. I think it was promoted as an introduction/teaser to the novel but I think you’d have to have read that in order to fully understand this.
24. Nowhere to Go by Iain Rowan *
The first of many short story collections that I read last year. And I must say, I enjoyed them a lot. This one in particular was pretty creative. I liked the variety and it was so interesting how it all tied up together.
War Horse / Michael Morpurgo
Published 2007 by Egmont Press (first published 1982)
This is an absolutely beautiful story. BEAUTIFUL. And I absolutely loved it. Children’s literature holds a special place in my heart and this tugged at just the right strings.
The book is about a horse named Joey who started out on a farm. Albert became his master and best friend. During the start of World War I, Joey was sold by Albert’s father to the military to become a war horse. Albert, still too young to sign up for service, promised his beloved horse that one day, they will be together again and he will bring Joey home. Joey experiences – and loses – a lot during this time. Joey journey’s through Europe makes him a captain’s steed, then being a part of the veterinary corps, to being a little girl’s horse, and finally, back to the front lines.
The story is told in Joey’s point of view which I loved. Horses are gorgeous creatures and Morpurgo’s interpretation of what’s going on in their (at least, Joey’s) heads is just breathtaking. It was so innocent and pure, I appreciated it so much that we are seeing the war and what it did to other people through a horse’s eyes. Throughout Joey’s journey, there were laughter and tears, all of it very moving and inspiring. My heart reached out to Joey, through his losses and hardships. He is just the purest soul and I felt for him.
At less than 200 pages, it is a very easy read. And seriously, it is so good, you will not be able to put it down. It will go by so fast and you just want to know what happens next. I will not compare the book to either the stage play or the movie. This is one great book that definitely shines on its own.
Rating: 5/5.
Recommendation: Aimed at the 3rd to 6th grade group but I urge everyone to read it. It’s a small book that leaves a big impression.
Get your copy here.
French Lessons / Ellen Sussman
Published July 5th 2011 by Random House Publishing Group.
Paris. The city of sex. The city of clandestine affairs. Basically, this whole book has “clandestine affairs” as a common theme. And Paris.
The book is about three Americans in Paris and their respective French tutors. They are in Paris for different reasons. And all of them are looking to find themselves in the alluring and romantic city of lights. It starts with Josie and her charming teacher Nico, looking to heal a broken heart. Nico helps her find that closure and at the same time, Josie helps him realize his true love. Riley, an expat’s wife, and her tutor Philippe go into a risky relationship with themselves and each other. And finally, Jeremy’s last day with his teacher Chantal finds the student imparting more lessons to the teacher than the other way around.
It is like a collection of three short stories. The book itself is fairly short, less than 300 pages so it’s an easy read. The stories are very well-crafted and fast paced. It was candid and light. For me, the French characters are more likable than the American ones. All of them are, in some way, tragic and they felt raw. Philippe and Josie, mostly. Some situations were slightly unrealistic but the writing is poetic and beautiful. And a little bit racy. The three couples end up in the same place and that’s the one thing that I didn’t really get.
Paris is such a great backdrop to the story. It’s like a love letter to Paris. I picture it like I was looking through a dreamy haze. I’ve always wanted to visit Paris, to see for myself why a lot of people dream of going there. From all the books that I’ve read about it, it’s seems like a whole new world. Also, I think the French language is romantic. Maybe I’ll get my own French lessons while I’m there.
In the novel, Chantal says, “But sometimes we have to run away from ourselves in order to find ourselves”. I think this is the whole book in a nutshell. And it also rings true for a lot of people. Soul-searching is pretty much getting away from life as we know it to find our true selves. Josie, Riley, and Jeremy managed to find theirs in Paris.
Rating: 4/5.
Recommendation: A light romantic story if you want to be swept off to Paris, even in dreams.
Get your copy here.
