Wednesday 29 April 2015

Winger by Andrew Smith

This one concludes my awesome 3-day weekend reading spree!

Ryan Dean West is 14 years old. He is also two years younger than everyone else in his grade. This year he has promised things are going to be different. Of course there are the usual and unusual problems a kid his age faces at school: he is in love with his best friend who thinks he is a cute little boy, and his roommate is a massive block of stupidity with bullying tendencies.

At the beginning I found myself wondering if I had, yet again, picked up another overhyped book. It was catchy and fun, yet not much different from books like Spud. The protagonist was also really smart and also at a disadvantage compared to the other boys in his class. But the difference was that Winger was a fighter - if that is the right word.

I giggled through many frivolous parts, wondered multiple times how the hell boys ever learn anything at school if they are that obsessed with sex, and found myself rolling my eyes with frustration as once again, Winger did something really dumb. But there were definitely some scenes that put this book into the rare 5 star category for me - scenes that not many other YA books I have read dare tread on. Yes, there are many YA books that have gay characters in them, but I have never read one that viewed it quite like this. I thought it had some really mature moments that were really quite thought-provoking.

I found most of the characters interesting. They were really a mismatched bunch: the good, the bad and the ugly. I am not sure if I quite got the vibe from some of the characters as to just how far they could go, but I suppose that had a lot to do with the first person narration and Winger not knowing - or believing it.

I would really recommend this book to teen readers - and some adults too, if they can get past pages and pages of a horny teenage boy's dialogue. In particular, people who enjoyed Spud by John van de Ruit would probably enjoy Winger - or vice versa.

This is the 19th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.
I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads for YA readers. For an adult, I think this might be closer to a 4 star rating, although there are some very mature parts that could warrant the 5.

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King

Don't you love it when people actually listen to you? My mom clearly was listening when I was rambling on about books I wanted, because this one pitched up, nicely wrapped for my birthday! Yay! (I also got The Stand by Stephen King - I hope that doesn't mean I am in for a HORRORible year!)

It is early in the morning. The sun is just starting to lighten the sky. People have been standing in a queue all night, waiting for a job fair to open. They are desperate. And then a Mercedes comes ploughing through them, killing many, injuring more. A year later, Detective Hodges, now retired, gets sent a taunting letter from the Mercedes Killer. Duh duh daaaaaaaah.

I loved every second of this! By the third page I was hooked! And what an ending! The last third of the book! I don't think I even breathed! I had to force myself not to read too fast because I was starting to miss things! It was thrilling and intense and bloody brilliant!

OK, I will breathe before I continue writing this. King is masterful at plot development, suspense and character. There was absolutely nothing I didn't enjoy in this book. It was a ride from the beginning right through to the end. The dual perspective between Hodges and the killer also added so much to the plot and the suspense! I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

I don't think I can count this one for my TBR challenge, as I only owned it for one week before reading it. Awww... Oh well.
I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads. I think any crime novel enthusiast would enjoy this one.

11.22.63 by Stephen King

Yay for long weekends! I started this book on holiday, but this as the term from hell for me, as I have over twenty assessment tasks (twelve of them being exam papers) to set in a ridiculously short space of time, I do not really have a ton of time for reading. This weekend though, my head decided it was going on strike and refused to do anything more productive than read. I did not complain.

Jake Epping, high school English teacher, is given an interesting opportunity. He can go back in time and stop a tragedy from happening - the assassination of JFK.  There is at least one catch: the trip to the past takes him to one particular date, so the job is going to take five years... A lot can happen in five years.

This was really entertaining. The plot was nail-biting for the most part. King really manages to carry an ominous tone throughout. I must confess that when I reached the middle part, I got a bit impatient for Jake/George to get on with the big plan - but then I fell in love with the place he was at and the characters he was with, and suddenly, the plan was no longer my priority. I just wanted to continue living with the people and seeing what happened to them in the future. In fact, this is one of the few books that I would literally like to see. I wonder if they will ever make a movie of it?

Stephen King is really good at bringing worlds and people alive. This story thrilled me, broke my heart, shocked me and left me wanting more. I would recommend this to almost anyone, although I could see how an impatient reader might find it a bit slow in places.

This is the 18th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge. 
I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

Thursday 16 April 2015

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

I took this one with me when my mom and I went on a road trip holiday together. It was up against amazing competition. It was also up against really high expectations - never a good thing for a book.

I finished it over a week ago and have since spent a fair amount of time wondering about the review I gave it on Goodreads. I think I was particularly harsh. I didn't have one good thing to say about it. While I don't think that the book was dreadful (I did actually find it a quick read, which is a good sign that I enjoyed the reading experience), I don't really want to change my initial response, because it was honest and filled with emotion. A week later, my feelings have dimmed. But I still stand by my comments I made.

I can't say that I liked any of the characters - but that does not mean that the book was bad - at least from that perspective alone. The mother, Vivi, was frustrating. I found her too self-obsessed, narcissistic, weak and never made a single attempt to solve the issues in her life. She gave up after the first big hurdle and settled, and then drank because she was miserable. Surprise! That didn't solve anything. The daughter's character was better, even though she too came across as being weak. There were so many opportunities for her to stand up to her mother, to stand up for herself, but instead she kept slinking away to feel unloved and sorry for herself. Yes, yes. That was probably the point. A difficult parent is not the same thing as having someone who is difficult, say, at work. The responses and reactions to situations and each other are probably so built in they could be genetic. And I am not even going to say anything about the men in this, because they were either non-existent or prince charming. As I said, though, unlikable characters are not enough for me to dislike a book. Sometimes the most unlikable characters make a book.

Having said that though, the chapters about the Vivi and the Ya-Yas were far more entertaining to read. I was curious to know what happened - what made the mother the way she was. I was disappointed with the outcome though. The feeling in the story about the mother is that she is strong - but she was not. The chapters with the daughter, Siddalee, I particularly didn't enjoy. I felt that some of the scenes were trying to create a magical connection between her and her mother and failed. I also got tired of reading about her reading. (It isn't a spectator sport.) I was also frustrated with the scenes with her fiance. I could not really see the point.

I can't really claim I got much out of the story. The blurb says it is about forgiveness being more important than understanding. Really? I did not pick that message out. Not if the characters remained true to the people that had been created throughout the book.

I gave this 3 stars. It was for the most part an 'ok' read. It had some good parts, and it really did keep the pages turning. But it was not spectacular and in many ways, felt cliched.

This was the 17th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge. Yay! I am making progress (or I would be if I could stop buying books!)

Monday 6 April 2015

Dodger by Terry Pratchett

I am going to keep this one short because, surprise, surprise, my mom and I are going on an impromptu trip tomorrow for the rest of the week. So I need to get off the pc and start packing! What the hell does one take to the Karoo? Anyway, I will figure that out in a moment. Let me get on with my short and shabby review.

A girl is attacked in the downpour by two men. A young man jumps out the manhole and saves her life. He is Dodger, and in a matter of minutes, he is to meet Charlie Dickens and his friend, Henry Mayhew...

A fun quirky adventure written in the hilarious and brilliant style expected from the late and great Terry Pratchett. If you have read Pratchett, then you know exactly what I mean. If you haven't - don't start with this one.

While this is not my favourite Pratchett, Dodger was still delightful. Any reader familiar with Dickens's works will find easter eggs throughout the books which just add to the fun. The social commentary of the times was spot on, and although the story was funny, the lives of the poor during Victoria's reign was not romanticised - unless talking about Dodger. I liked that Pratchett referred to this as historical fantasy. There were so many allusions: I caught many, acknowledged that some were allusions but that I didn't get them, and probably missed a gazillion others completely.

Dodger's character was fun. He was totally unbelievable and larger than life, but enjoyable. I constantly found myself wondering what on earth he was going to do next. I also found a spot in my heart for his friend Solomon and, oddly enough, the dog Onan , original scent and all.

I am not too sure how successful this book is as a young adult book. There was far too much history and far too many allusions to assume that the average teen would be familiar with it. I must also say that the slang of the times got a bit daunting in places. But for every other reason, it was still an enjoyable read.

I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads and it is the 16th book completed for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

OK, now I am off to pack. Forget the clothes. Which books should I take???

Sunday 5 April 2015

Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus

Crime novels are my guilty pleasure and it is really refreshing reading novels that for once don't cover American crime procedures. It is also quite nice to have a novel set somewhere I have never read about. This one is set in a small town outside Frankfurt.

The story starts with Tobias Sartorius being released from prison. Eleven years ago he was found guilty of the murdered two girls. The conviction was based purely on circumstantial evidence and the bodies were never found. At the same time, a construction crew unearth a skeleton. Later that day, a woman falls from a bridge onto a motorway. A witness claims that she was pushed. If that is the opening chapter, imagine what all has happened by the half way mark! Needless to say, though, Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver von Bodenstein have their hands full trying to figure it all out.

Nele Nauhaus is quite talented at weaving a tangled story. She reveals yet conceals at the same time. It keeps one guessing through to the end. I enjoyed just how tangled her story line was. She really is very good at building suspense and keeping it going. If you enjoy trying to solve the puzzle in who-dun-its, then this one might be a good choice.

I have a feeling that something is lost in translation when it comes to the writing. But then, there really is no need for mass market crime thrillers to be works of literary art. It does what it needs to do, and it does not detract from the experience.

This is the second book I have read by Neuhaus and I have a strong suspicion that it will not be the last. I gave it 4 stars on Good reads. It is the 15th book completed for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

Saturday 4 April 2015

Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith

I am a child of Africa - as a result of colonialism - but still a child of Africa. It is a strange position to be in: not being African but not being anything else either. It only takes the briefest of skims over the headlines to realise that I am not wanted here, and only an attempt to go somewhere on holiday to realise that I am not welcome anywhere else either - just in case I decide to stay, illegally.

But there is something to be said for being raised here, besides fabulous spidey-senses that can pick up a dodgy bloke from quite a distance away and a certain amount of paranoia that sees all my fellow countrymen tied into their cling-wrapped luggage at international airports so they can nap while they wait 7 hours for a connecting flight. What am I talking about? I am talking about the world that happens outside of the newspapers, the world of animals and the world of true ubuntu (human kindness) which unfortunately is becoming so scarce. I am talking about the world shown in the books by Alexander McCall Smith.

“There was far too much interest in the past, she thought. People were forever digging up events that had taken place a long time ago. And what was the point in doing this if the effect was merely to poison the present?”

― Alexander McCall Smith, Tears of the Giraffe

Tears of the Giraffe is the second book in the Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. It follows a growing cast in Gaborone, Botswana who are in some way connected to Mma Precious Ramotswe, the owner and founder of The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. The title of the series is perhaps a little deceptive. This isn't a crime series - well, at least not the typical crime series one expects. There are some clients who come to the agency for assistance, and we do follow Mma Ramotswe as she solves them, but they are not the main focus of the books. The focus of the books is African life in Gaborone.

They paint such a beautiful, optimistic view of African culture and the African country side. Unlike most books which have a hard plot structure, this one is a gentle meandering tale that it weaves itself along more realistically. Some things are left without a conclusion while other things are tied up nicely. But it is not a slow read by any means, as the characters are so interesting and their innocence so refreshing, it is easy to complete the story in one sitting.

As I said above, these stories have a growing cast. The first book is all about Mma Ramotswe, while this one spends a lot of time with Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. I found most of his scenes delightfully funny. I also enjoyed that Mma Makutsi, the secretary at the Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, got a larger role in this story too.

While not being preachy in the slightest, these tales manage to balance traditional gender roles with a more modern view of gender equality. I also thoroughly enjoyed the innocent wisdom that comes from the characters and the moral philosophy that the book raised.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads. It is the 14th book completed for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

Wednesday 1 April 2015

March 2015 Wrap Up

Ten books! Seriously! How on earth did that happen!

This month started with the Readathon that I organised for school. Although I still had a lot of work to do during the week and my brother came to stay for a few days, I still managed to read 1643 pages. During that time I finished World War Z by Max Brooks and the first two books in the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. I also started the third book in said series.

Now World War Z was brilliant. I can see why many folks wouldn't enjoy it. For a zombie novel, it doesn't really focus on zombies, multiple action scenes etc. It is a collection of short interviews with people from around the world, sharing what happened. It spoke volumes about politics, society and human nature - and not necessarily in the 'we will overcome' way either. Humans can be real scum, and that was also pretty evident.

I can't say I was thrilled with the Infernal Devices series. In fact, I have sworn off reading all future books by Cassandra Clare. Although I think her plot ideas are good, there are too many other elements in her books that are my pet peeves. For example, love triangles. Have I mentioned just how much I hate them? Well, take a look at the global devastation of that dude leaving One Direction, and you might get an idea of the strength of my dislike for them. Yip. That much. There were other things too, but I covered them briefly in my review. There is no need to subject you to rereading it here.

After the readathon I manged to get a whopping load of novels finished in class with the kids. We saw the end to Romeo and Juliet, Animal Farm by George Orwell and The Outsiders by SE Hinton. Now I didn't do reviews of these here although I was tempted (time was short, work is a killer, sleep is my best friend when I can find time for it) so I will share a bit more than a brief summary.

Romeo and Juliet depicts beautifully how I like to see all instant love relationships end. Although the kids did not agree, they also (thankfully) saw the madness that took place. We had multiple debates on whether they were really in love with each other, and I am proud to say that only the staunch idealists are left believing they were. As I am a firm believer that it is good to develop one's own opinions, they are lucky as all they need to do is substantiate their point of view. More seriously though, with regards to teaching RnJ, it does start very slowly. It took a lot of effort to get them involved through that first act especially. It did produce good opportunities for gender bias discussions as the class unanimously declared that Romeo needed to grow a pair. (Why isn't it right for men to express their feelings? Why are you comparing him to a girl?) Over all, I gave this 4 stars.

Animal Farm. I love teaching this one. It becomes so much more than a literary lesson on satire, propaganda and parody etc. but a real life lesson on history, current politics and how one needs to actually make sure that they do not become one of the sheep, OR another Benjamin - the one who knows what is going on but does nothing about it. This book encourages huge discussions and even I learn something new each lesson. With teaching this book, I can really see how the kids are growing and what type of adults they will make one day. This is also proof that if the kids can be coaxed into connecting books into real life, they tend to find them far more interesting. Five stars all the way for this one.

The Outsiders was my pick for my Grade 9 class this year. When I selected this book for this year, I did so with my fingers crossed. Basically, there was no time in which to reread it to confirm my memory that it was good. I did know, though, that many other schools taught it at that level. So I went ahead and chose it. What an awesome choice it was. Forget my thoughts on the book. Let me tell you about my class - kids who DO NOT READ. I started them off with the first chapter. The next day, one boy arrived with his nose in the book, half way through it. By the next week, three others had joined. By the time we had finished it, only 3 kids had not read ahead and finished it on their own. This was their thoughts on it. They loved that Ponyboy was not a bland goody-two shoes. They liked that there was no typical moral lesson, but felt that the themes of the book applied to them and they thought it was wise. They loved the idea of the greasers (they proved this by pitching up at school, dressed as greasers, for World Book Day). I am so glad I didn't read this before choosing it. My school has conservative ideas and I think I would have chickened out of choosing this book if I had. It was weird reading about a 14-year-old protagonist who smokes cigarettes, was involved with hoodlums, etc. in front of a bunch of impressionable teenagers. But it raised many debates and conversations and I think we have all come out the other end, wiser, a bit more observant and a bit more empathetic. I raised my rating up to 5 stars after the reread.

Then I read Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. I enjoyed this one, although it isn't my favourite thriller going. There were some aspects, particularly the 'condition' the protagonist suffered from, that I found intriguing and added a lot to the story. I can't say the outcome was surprising, and it was a bit slow, so I only gave it 4 stars.

Next was Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. While this was not a thrilling read, it was definitely insightful. The pacing of the book is very unbalanced though. The first part is the biggest section and it is just a collection of incidents in the village involving the 'protagonist'. It is only the the latter sections that things start happening and then 'falling apart'. It was unusual to have such a flawed main character too. I was expecting a man who was heroic, and was completely disappointed with him. I gave this 4 stars, because, although it was very though provoking, it was not exactly enjoyable to read.

Lastly, I finished The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I had heard great reviews about this one on Book Tube, and caved when I went book browsing after a particularly horrid day and bought it. This is actually a very fast read. I did it in a day. I liked the way the book was set out and I found the point of view of an alcoholic very interesting. The plot was slower paced than thrillers usually are, but I think in this case it added to the narrators. I gave this one 4 stars. I was also highly delighted to mark off a writer born and raised in Zimbabwe for this one.


Not Completed in March


Can you guess? Yes. I am still stuck on The Great Train Robbery. I think I read 10 pages this month. I really should DNF it, but I am being stubborn. Other than that, I started another Nele Nauhaus book, Snow White Must Die. I am trying to alternate light, fun reading with more intellectual books, and I am currently in the mood for adult crime. Guilty pleasure. I am also enjoying reading European books. I am tired of reading books that are mostly from the US. I am not American, and it is nice to read about how crime is dealt with from another legal system for a change.

Totals for March


Total completed: 10 books
Started: 2 books
Books cleared from TBR pile: 5 (This is for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.)
Books added to TBR pile: 13 (How.... did... that.... happen??????) Maybe I should do a book haul post...