Winter Reading Challenge 08/09 Wrap-Up

I have completed the Winter Reading Challenge. I originally set a minimum of 6 books for the challenge (see original post) and I doubled that. Hooray for me.

Here's the final list:
1 Just After Sunset - Stephen King (completed 12/30/08)
2 Inkspell - Cornelia Funke (completed 1/15/09)
3 Playing with the Grown-Ups - Sophie Dahl (completed 2/24/09)
4 Doubt - John Patrick Shanley (completed 12/27/08)
5 The Reader - Bernard Schlink (completed 1/03/09)
6 The Thief Lord - Cornelia Funke (completed 1/29/09)
7 Chistmas Jars - Jason F. Wright (completed 1/02/09)
8 Disquiet - Julia Leigh (completed 1/01/09)
9 He's Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo (completed 3/06/09)
10 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne (completed 3/07/09)
11 The Host - Stephanie Meyer (completed 3/11/09)
12 Dirty Little Angels - Chris Tusa (completed 3/14/09)

 

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

We all know Stephanie Meyer from her Twilight series... but to my surprise, she can write a mean alien book too.

In this story, planet Earth has been overtaken by aliens called “Souls”. These Souls are parasite-type aliens who implant themselves into the human brain and take over - thus the human race is practically extinct.

In comes Melanie Stryder - part of the human resistance and someone who has evaded capture for several years - she is captured by the Seekers (Souls who search for renegade or “wild” humans) and is implanted with a Soul named Wanderer. Wanderer is like a celebrity within the Souls. She is very old and strong and she has lived many life cycles on different worlds. Upon implant, Wanderer is surprised when Melanie’s consciousness refuses to fade away. Melanie fights and is a voice in Wanderer’s head. Through Melanie’s memories Wanderer is able to see what being human is about - the good (love, laughter, friendships) and the bad (fear, jealousy, rage, anger). Eventually Wanderer and Melanie have to learn to live together, and they go off on a very dangerous mission.

I liked the fact that we get to hear Wandarer’s (eventually nicknamed Wanda) point-of-view. It was Invasion of the Body Snatchers - from the unique perspective of one of the Snatchers.

I will say though that the first 80 pages or so were a bit slow and difficult to get through, for me, but once I passed that I was completely hooked and devoured the remaining 500+ pages.

In conclusion, The Host is definitely a must read! You’ll stay up till the wee hours of the night reading it, I know I did. It also leaves a perfect opening for any sequels and Meyer has already mentioned that she is working on a follow-up that will be appropriately titled “The Soul”, as well as a possible third book she would like to call “The Seeker”. If The Host does spawn a series I know they will be loved just as much as the Twilight Series and I can say that I will be one to stand in line to get one of the first copies available.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

The story is told through the point-of-view of Bruno, a 9 year-old boy who is sadly naive to what the situation in his country is. When Bruno’s family moves from Berlin, he leaves behind his three best friends and his beautiful 5-story home, making him a very unhappy young man. Bruno detests his new home at Out-With (Auschwitz). At Out-With there are no other children to play with other than his older (12) sister "who is a lost case" and the house only has 3-stories and barely any windows, not to mention they are somewhere in the country and not in a big city like he is used to. His family has to move after The Fury (The Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler) comes to dinner at their Berlin house with a beautiful blonde lady (Eva Braun) to give his father a promotion. At Bruno's new house he can't see all the way across Berlin from his window (like he did in his old home) but he can see into a "farm" surrounded by a tall barbed wire fence with lots of boys milling about. He becomes jealous of these boys because they have lots of friends to play with, and he doesn't, and they get to wear striped pajamas all day, every day, while he has to wear all this fancy clothes all the time. All these are examples of how naive Bruno is, which is beautiful and so sad at the same time.

As any 9 year old would, Bruno loves to explore. So, to keep himself occupied he begins exploring through their backyard. Through these daily adventures he eventually comes to a fence where he meets a young Jewish boy named Schmuel. Although Schmuel is on the other side of the fence, this does not deter the grand friendship that ensues.

I found it a bit shocking how the author mixed innocence with violence in a very peculiar way. The writing style is simple, yet profound. A quick read; because you will not want to put it down, and a heart wrenching ending that will keep you thinking long after you've finished the book. 

On a side note: I also saw this movie about two weeks ago and it does not disappoint. It stayed true to the book on almost everything. It was a little different at the end but it still got its point across. It's a touching story and one that you shouldn't miss out on.

M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

In this collection, we have a variety of short stories that go from funny, to creepy, to fascinatingly clever. Although M is for Magic is aimed at the YA audience I guarantee these stories are great for any adult to enjoy.

Here’s an overview of the stories:

The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Little Jack Horner is hired to solve the mystery behind the death of Humpty Dumpty. - I personally loved this one. Detective stories always suck me in.

The Troll Bridge
Hands down this is my favorite of the bunch. Upon a stroll through the forest, a young boy encounters a troll under a bridge who wants to eat his life.

Don't Ask Jack
A very short and creepy tale of an old Jack-in-the-Box.

How to Sell the Ponti Bridge
Not one of my favorites but still a great crime story.

October in the Chair
Also one of my favorites. The months of the year hold a gathering to tell their stories.

Chivalry
Fine... this one is also a favorite. When an old lady finds the Holy Grail at her local thrift store a dashing stranger on a magnificent horse comes a knockin’.

The Price
Quite creepy really... this is the tale of stray black cat that fights the devil every night to protect the family that took him in.

How to Talk to Girls at Parties
ehhh... Didn’t do much for me. But nonetheless, it was still worthy. Two boys walk into a party where they realize the kids aren’t everyday average teens.

Sunbird
A gathering of Epicureans who have become bored having tasted everything there is to taste. They are enticed into seeking the legendary Sunbird of Suntown... for a taste that is to be richer than peacock and lusher than duck.

The Witch's Headstone
This is an excerpt from The Graveyard Book. It tells a story of Bod getting into trouble outside the graveyard while trying to help the ghost of a witch.

There's always something great about short stories; the satisfaction of being able to read something as a "whole" in a few hours. Yet, as always with short stories, I always want more.

Mr. Gaiman does not disappoint with this collection. This was quite an enjoyable read no matter what the age.

Playing with the Grown-Ups by Sophie Dahl

This novel tells the life experiences of a young girl (Kitty) on the cusp of adulthood and her self-destructive "mummy" Marina. It is a beautifully written coming-of-age tale which develops quite a gritty sting in the latter half while describing Kitty's teen years. Throughout the story we read about Kitty’s idyllic life in the country with her grandparents, mummy, aunts, siblings and nanny, her stay at boarding schools, the moving back and forth between England and the U.S., her friendships, drugs, alcohol, sex, and just the wildness of it all. Yet, I enjoyed this even when it became a little harrowing.

I found the ending a bit disappointing. After all that we went through with Kitty, it just leaves you to imagine what she has to overcome in order to lead a better life. You obviously know that she was able to overcome her mother’s influence and eventually make a life for herself in New York, but you just don’t read how she was able to do it (you know this from the first chapter - so I’m not giving anything away). It would have been nice to read how she was able to get herself out of the hole she was in and better herself and her life.

Moving, well-written, tender-hearted coming of age/mother-daughter relationship story. Utterly charming and I couldn’t help wondering if some parts were autobiographical. I think anybody who had a slightly unconventional childhood will be able to relate to this in some way.

And just in case you were wondering, Sophie Dahl is Roald Dahl’s granddaughter.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

Prosper and Bo are on the run from their aunt and uncle who want to separate the brothers by having the young Bo live with them while shipping the older Prosper off to boarding school. With hopes of staying together, they flee to the magical city of Venice where they are taken in by a mysterious boy who calls himself the "Thief Lord". With the help of their Thief Lord they are able to reside in an abandoned movie theater with other young runaways - who they consider family and the dilapidated theater a home. Along the way we also meet Victor Getz- the detective hired by Bo and Prosper’s aunt and uncle to help find the boys (and by far my favorite character).

This story was such a fun, action-filled, fast-paced adventure! I loved all the details and descriptions of Venice. The characters were full of wit and quite funny. The story itself is well-written has the perfect combination of magic, imagination, and reality.

For those of us who love adventure, twisty plots and witty characters - this is really a treat.

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

Inkspell holds all the love of books, magic, and adventure that Inkheart did. What a fantastical sequel. In this one, Meggie, Mo, Resa and Farid are actually in the Inkworld. With them, we travel the Wayless Woods, see the Castle of Night, meet the Adderhead, the Laughing Prince (Prince of Sighs) and even Cosimo the Fair.

For some reason it took me a while to get into it and I struggled with the first 100 pages or so, but once it got going I couldn’t put it down. I liked the budding romance between Meggie and Farid. All the new characters introduced made the story all the more enjoyable. With a new nemesis and some of the old one’s being back, Inkspell takes us to a higher and more dangerous level. The ending was a bit sad (why did it have to be my favorite character?) - but I have high hopes that Inkdeath will turn it all around and wrap it up to my satisfaction. :D

The Reader by Bernard Schlink

The Reader is the story of a young man's association with an older woman. It is the story of how relationships can affect and eventually structure our lives. Michael Berg (15 y/o) meats Hanna (36 y/o) and has a short but life-changing affair with her. Years later, he is a witness to her trial for crimes commited during the Holocaust.

Not for the squeamish, this book hits hard and will stay with you later. To oversimplify it, it comes down to one step affecting the next and the subsequent deterioration of moral structure.

I like the way it ruminates on the mixed feelings of guilt, enlightenment, culpability and self-righteousness of Germany’s second generation following the generation that perpetrated the Holocaust.

Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright

Keep some tissues on hand for this one. This was such a beautiful, poignant story with such a heart-warming message. This is the story of Hope - Hope Saunders that is. Hope is a journalist with one goal - to get one of her stories on the front page of her newspaper. On one fateful Christmas Eve, her home is burglarized and through her grief and anger she finds a bit of happiness - someone has left a jar on her porch filled to the brim with money. And thus, the story commences.

It is amazing how we do not realize what an infinite effect we can have on other peoples lives with small random acts of kindness. This story was so inspiring that we now have our own Christmas Jar. This is a quick read that is life-altering. Don’t miss this one!

Disquiet by Julia Leigh

Disquiet was such a sad and haunting story. It is the story of Olivia, (referred to mostly as "the woman" throughout the book). She has left her abusive husband and takes her two children to her mothers chateau in France. There is also the story of Marcus (Olivia’s brother) and his wife Sophie - they have just returned from the hospital with an infant that was stillborn. The hospital gave them the infant so that they could "get to know her" prior to the burial. I really enjoyed Ms. Leigh’s journalistic style throughout the story. Her sentences and paragraphs were short yet she chose the appropriate words to describe the scenery and emotions without overly doing it. I did feel somewhat unsatisfied throughout the novel. There were certain areas that were not entirely expressed - where you just had to somewhat piece together what was going on. I also did not get very attached to the characters as I felt that they were holding back or kept at a distance. Other than that, the title says it all, tragic, disturbing, but mostly, disquieting.

Just After Sunset by Stephen King

Although I haven’t read much Stephen King in the past couple of years, I thought this book might make up for it since there were about 14 short stories that prove Mr. King still remains a master of his genre.

There really isn’t much I can write without giving too much of each story away, but I will say that I was absolutely terrified reading N. . Biting my nails to the quick while reading The Gingerbread Girl. Feeling sad and tearful while reading The Things They Left Behind and The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates. Stationary Bike and Mute were amazing - they had me on the edge of my seat and A Very Tight Place was just too grisly for me. Each story evoked a different feeling, they were all unique and special.

Also, as an added bonus, the last couple of pages are King’s personal thoughts on what prompted him to write each story. I love reading insider/behind-the-scene details like this - so this was very cool.

As always, my only complaint about short stories is that they are just tooo short =) There were many instances were I just wished the story would keep on going. But all in all this book was classic King and a must-read for any of his fans or lover of the horror genre.

Doubt by John Patrick Shanley

What a powerful piece. There are only 4 spoken characters in the whole book - yet so much goes on in such a short story/play. It is riveting and superbly written - considering it's only 60+ pages long.

The play takes place in a 1960's Catholic Church School where a nun suspects the priest is molesting one of his students. It's a story about doubt. Did he do it? Was she wrong? Right? You just don't know. You are left with DOUBT. I found that the ending was well suited for this piece and I highly recommend it.

Winter Reading Challenge 08/09

The Winter Reading Challenge runs from December 21st, 2008 through March 20, 2009. There are 13 weeks in Winter and I will probably end up reading one to two books per week. Some of the books may cross over into challenges that begin 2009. This is going to be a very casual challenge much like the Fall Reading Challenge, so please join me.

The rules are very flexible:
1) Choose any number of books you would like to read and post them on your blog.
2) They can be fiction and/or nonfiction including e-books and audiobooks
3) They can overlap with other challenges.
4) To sign up, click here. (Hosted by My Two Blessings)

I'll set myself a goal of 6 books for this challenge but I'm sure I'll be able to do more than that. (keeping fingers crossed)