Book Review: Every Day by David Levithan

Title: Every Day
Author: David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf
Publication Date: August 28, 2012
Source: borrowed from the good ol' public library

Plot Summary from Goodreads:
In his New York Times bestselling novel, David Levithan introduces readers to what Entertainment Weekly calls a "wise, wildly unique" love story about A, a teen who wakes up every morning in a different body, living a different life.

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.
My Review:
I heard a lot of excitement about this book in my online book club, because there are a lot of women there that ADORE all things Levithan.  I've only read one other of his books (The Lover's Dictionary), and while I liked it, I wouldn't say it blew me away.  However, the premise of this book sounded interesting, so I gave it a shot.

And...I am so glad that I did.  Based on the description, I thought this was just going to be a YA romance with a twist.  But honestly, I wasn't thinking it through enough.  I mean, dwell on it for a minute: what it would be like to wake up as a different person every day.  You wouldn't identify as male or female.  You would embody the definition of "walking in someone else's shoes"--you would understand what it is like to be fat, thin, mean, kind, lazy, athletic, pregnant, a nerd, an addict, a musician...the list goes on.  And yes--you wouldn't make attachments or fall in love.  At least not easily.  But what an amazing viewpoint to consider.  Big kudos to Levithan for creating this captivating and unique POV.

This perspective makes the book much more than just a romance.  A and Rhiannon's relationship is extremely complex, and I enjoyed watching them navigate it.  And there are twists and turns of the OMG! variety (I was not expecting that in a romance-based book).  It is certainly a YA novel--the details of A's existence are rather simplistic (ie. he always inhabits a body in Maryland, until he ends up in a body that moves to another part of the country...obviously a very convenient situation for this story).  And there are many messages in the book about peer pressure, LGBTQ issues, drugs, etc. that are not hidden by any means...meant to speak without confusion to the YA audience.  However, I think I'm only gripey about that as an adult reading a YA novel--a young adult would probably find it more thought-provoking and less "okay okay, I get it."  It's appropriately written for the genre.  And the LGBTQ themes were especially well-handled and thoughtfully conveyed.

(While we're talking about the genre--is it just me, or is it way easier to cut class in high school these days than it was 11 years ago?  Seriously, these kids were constantly popping in and out of school like it was NBD.  And apparently every 16-year-old has enough cash to go out to dinner/get coffee/go shopping whenever the mood strikes.  YA novels are so enlightening sometimes.)

The ending got a thumbs-up from me.  This did not get anywhere close to a cheesy teenage romance.  The conclusion was equal parts surprising, fitting, and beautiful, and it leaves you with just enough questions so that you don't feel like the author tied it up too tight.

Overall, this was both a quick read, and an engaging one.  I appreciate Levithan's creativity in shaping A's life story.  I also like the fact that he isn't afraid to hit touchy issues head-on in a YA novel.  You just have to be prepared for the directness in how those issues are handled, with far less nuance than an adult novel.  Even so, I'd recommend this to any high school kid I know, and probably most of their parents.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Can't Believe I Never Read

It's time for a little Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!  Today we get to pick any past topic, so I went with

The Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Never Read

1. Any of John Irving's books

I know, I know.  I really need to get on this.  The World According to Garp is the book that's been on my Goodreads TBR list the longest.

2. Bitter Is The New Black by Jen Lancaster

I hear amazing things about Jen Lancaster all the time!  I love funny books!  Why have I not read this yet?

3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I have it sitting on my bookshelf at home, it's been recommended to me a million times.  I don't have a good excuse.

4. Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Haven't seen the movie either.

5. Salem's Lot by Stephen King

As a King fan, this one is the hardest to admit.  I plan to rectify that soon, in time for Halloween!

6. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

All the Banned Book Week talk about this book is making me feel like I need to move it up the TBR list.

7. The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson

Another book that is recommended to me all the time.  And I loved Larson's In The Garden of Beasts!  I need to get to this.

8. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Apparently I did not have a normal childhood, if I managed to miss this.

9. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle

See above comment.

10. Moby Dick by Herman Melville

It just feels like something I need to read.  As a reader.

So, what books can you not believe you never read?  Also, feel free to leave me shaming comments.  They will motivate me to read these books!!

Junot Diaz reading!

I am really getting lucky with the author events around here lately.  First Dennis Lehane, now Junot Diaz.  Honestly, the last time I saw an author talk in person was in middle school, when Caroline B. Cooney came to talk with my class.  It was cool, but I was definitely too young to appreciate it.  Apparently I had to wait 16 years for my next chance!

When I found out Diaz was coming to the area, I was psyched.  You've probably heared of his Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel, The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao.  I read it a few years ago, and it really is great.  Unique format, memorable characters, and a captivating blend of contemporary fiction with historical fiction. 

He has been making the rounds at the book festivals lately with his new short story collection, This Is How You Lose Her, and I was sad that I missed his appearance at the Brooklyn Book Festival a few weeks ago.  But, lo and behold, he arrives in Albany for an appearance with the New York State Writer's Institute.  The event was hosted at the University at Albany, and free to the public.

The reading was supposed to be held in a small assembly hall, but when I arrived 20 minutes early, no one was there.  Mystified, I waited a few minutes, until someone told me it had been moved to the ballroom down the hall.  The place was PACKED!  I'd say about 50/50 split between people who came from off campus, and faculty/staff/students of the university.  It was especially wonderful to see all the students (especially Dominican students) there to support Diaz and get inspired in their own writing.  At one point, he mentioned that there were no Dominican speakers that ever came to campus when he was a student at Rutgers, and he was hopeful that the Dominican students in the audience would be the future Dominican speakers at college campuses around the country.

Diaz started by taking some audience questions.  He is such an engaging speaker!  First of all, he's very genuine.  If you go to a Diaz event, be ready for a lot of f-bombs...but he doesn't speak that way to get a rise out of you.  You can tell he's just being himself up there.  At one point, he said that at a past event, a woman came up to him furious about the language he had used.  And that made him think about the fact that "most of us spend our lives learning to wear masks...we all wear dozens at any one time."  But "it's hard to speak through masks...and this is as close as I come to being who the hell I am in front of 200 strangers."

Diaz took a lot of questions about the writing process, his inspiration, and how his cultural background influences his status as a bestselling author.  Here's a few quotes from the evening:

On writing about personal life events:
"I do my best work when I'm ice cold...I need 20 years distance from something before I can write it."
"I like to write consequences...the fire doesn't interest me--but how does the fire change you?"

On self-doubt regarding his writing career:
"The only certainty about art is doubt.  This is the greatest faith-based initiative on the earth...you need to keep your faith in a future you will never meet."
"If you want your audience to make your art, you are doomed.  When no one cares, that's when you can play."
"In a culture that wants you to dance, it takes courage to stand still."

On advice for aspiring writers:
"Writers hold out the dream that there's some shortcut to being successful...that's why there's thousands of books about it.  But they are message of consolation."
"The answer to 'how do I become X' is, you f***in' do it." (I loved this quote!)

While talking about This Is How You Lose Her:
"The pain suddenly stopped, and then I knew it was done." (It took him 16 years to complete it!)
"My definition of a full life is, do you put more love back into the world than what you take out?"

After the Q+A, Diaz moved on to the reading.  He read the chapter entitled "Alma", from This Is How You Lose Her.  By the end, I wanted to pay him to come home and read me the rest of the book.  His narration of his writing is that spectacular.  It was a short chapter, but I (and the rest of the audience) spent most of it laughing.

 

Afterwards, he did a very informal book signing (essentially stood next to the stage while everyone with a book flooded him for signatures).  He had announced earlier that he was in a huge hurry and unfortunately had to leave quickly after the event; however, while he did sign the books fast, he was also extremely gracious, giving many of the attendees hugs and handshakes before they left.  I got my copy of Oscar Wao signed...woohoo!

 

Overall, fantastic evening!  I am even more eager to read Diaz's new book now, after hearing him speak. 

 

Has anyone else been to a Junot Diaz event lately?  I know he's been all over the place promoting this book.

Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Title: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Publisher: Crown
Publication Date: June 5, 2012
Source: borrowed from the library via my Kindle

Plot Summary from Goodreads:

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

My Review:

YOU GUYS.  THIS BOOK.  How do I even review it?

If you are a living person with even a passing interest in books, you've probably heard of Gone Girl by now.  It's this summer's most-hyped new release.  It took me forever to read it because I am cheap, and thus do not buy a lot of books, which means I had to sit on the library's wait list for a while before I could get my hands on it.  But it was worth the wait.  I hate admitting that I have given into the hype surrounding a talked-up book, but this book joins Harry Potter and The Hunger Games in my "hype-happy books that I adore" category.

The tough thing about this review is that I can't tell you much about the book without totally giving away the good stuff.  And there is SO MUCH good stuff.

I'll put it to you like this.  The book is broken into 3 parts.  During the first part, I was completely intrigued as it bounced back and forth from Nick's POV, to Amy's diary entries.  I couldn't decide how I felt about the characters, and I spent a lot of time trying to figure that out.  I felt like the author was doing great things with perspective, so much so, that I thought that must be The Reason why everyone loves this book.  I made a lot of notes to myself like "characters have skewed perception of self" and "Nick as unreliable narrator" etc. etc.

And then the end of Part 1 came and it was like

and I stopped making notes to myself, because the time for thoughtful analysis was over.  It was time to devour this book without mercy.

This book is not just great because of its issues with perspective (though that is part of it).  It is great because it is so unbelievably twisted.  I literally said, "OH SNAP!" out loud at least a half-dozen times.  Flynn has done an amazing job creating a thriller/mystery that is not based only on the action.  This is extremely character-driven, which I think is a tough thing to create when you're in the thriller genre.  I'm dying to read some of her other novels now, in the hopes that I can see this writing style replicated, even a little bit.

The ending.  I've heard it debated: some people love it, others hate it.  I am in the love category.  I think the best word I can use to describe it is haunting.  You want to know what comes next, even though you know it's going to be dreadful.  It sticks with you, that's for sure.

I'm leaving my talk about the book there, because I can't give it away.  It's going on my favorites shelf.  You need to read this.  And then you need to discuss it with me, because I want to know what everyone thinks of Nick and Amy.  I have so many opinions to share!

*Also: I already read that this has been picked up as a movie, with Reese Witherspoon producing (and possibly starring).  I desperately want to see this on screen, but I am terrified that Hollywood will ruin it.  Also, I think Rachel McAdams would be a way better Amy.  And Bradley Cooper is the ultimate Nick, amiright?

Audiobook Review: The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

Title: The Mermaid Chair
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: March 31, 2005
Source: borrowed from the good ol' public library

Plot Summary from Goodreads:

Inside the abbey of a Benedictine monastery on tiny Egret Island, just off the coast of South Carolina, resides a beautiful and mysterious chair ornately carved with mermaids and dedicated to a saint who, legend claims, was a mermaid before her conversion. Jessie Sullivan’s conventional life has been “molded to the smallest space possible.” So when she is called home to cope with her mother’s startling and enigmatic act of violence, Jessie finds herself relieved to be apart from her husband, Hugh. Jessie loves Hugh, but on Egret Island—amid the gorgeous marshlands and tidal creeks—she becomes drawn to Brother Thomas, a monk who is mere months from taking his final vows. What transpires will unlock the roots of her mother’s tormented past, but most of all, as Jessie grapples with the tension of desire and the struggle to deny it, she will find a freedom that feels overwhelmingly right.

My Review:

I was initially drawn to this book because I (and much of the rest of the world) enjoyed Kidd's other novel, The Secret Life of Bees.  I'd heard mixed reviews about this one, but gave it a try anyway.

Early on, I felt myself getting drawn into the book's atmosphere.  The narrator for the audiobook, Eliza Foss, provides a wonderful Southern lilt that perfectly fits my imagined voice for Jessie.  She also does a great job providing very distinct voices to all of the other characters in the novel (something that I find can make or break an audiobook for me).  And the fictional setting of Egret Island was beautiful--I wished I could explore the island in real life.

However, it wasn't long before I started to dislike Jessie's character.  She quickly started to come off as selfish, and constantly had an explanation for why everything she did was right.  But what really got me is this: Kidd tries to mask it with flowy prose, but the bottom line is that after 20 years of marriage, Jessie is bored and feeling tied down, so she rectifies the situation by cheating on her husband with another man.  I'm not averse to books that deal with infidelity--but I am not a fan of writing about it in such a way that it seems common, easily forgivable.  This book does that.  Jessie does what she does, explains it away throughout the novel, and maddeningly few pages are given to the way to which it is reacted.

The stated purpose of the book is to explore the connections between "the spiritual and the erotic", but I just don't think this was well-expressed.  I found myself not caring very much about the Mermaid Chair aspect (and while there is an interesting mystery surrounding Jessie's family, I found it's conclusion seemed like it was pulled out of thin air, disconnected from other parts of the story).

I think one of the better points of this novel is that you need to find yourself before you can "give" yourself to others.  I would have enjoyed the book more if that had shined through a bit brighter.  But it was hard for me to focus on that message with the messy way that Jessie's infidelities were handled.

Overall--this book had a lot of promise in the beginning.  Great setting, great voice, interesting family mysteries.  However, Jessie's perspective did not make me feel sympathetic to her in the least, and you need to be able to root for her at least a little bit if you want to put faith in the story Kidd is trying to tell.  An potentially beautiful story with an unfortunate POV problem.

September 2012 in Review

Here's my wrap-up for September...another great reading month!  The blog is definitely keeping me motivated these days.

I read and reviewed 7 books (click links for my reviews):
Sometimes It Snows in America by Marisa Labozzetta
The Confession by John Grisham
The Beach House by Jane Green
Where We Belong by Emily Giffin
A Drink Before The War by Dennis Lehane
Beneath The Glitter by Elle & Blair Fowler
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

I also posted a full review for 1 past read:
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb

And 5 mini reviews of past reads:
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Plus, I met Dennis Lehane, and celebrated my anniversary, my birthday, Bloggiesta, and Banned Book Week.  Does it get any better?

I have a lot of good books I'm looking forward to in October--can't wait to share them all with you!  I'm especially trying to find some good spooky reads for Halloween.

What are your favorite Halloween reads?

And don't forget, my Banned Book giveaway is still going on...here!

Bloggiesta Wrap-Up

Technically, Bloggiesta wrapped up yesterday, but this weekend was crazy!  In between trying to spiff up my blog and connect with more readers, I was cheering on the Hubs at his 5k race, making blanket forts for the Lil Dude, and hosting a big playdate at our house.  There was a lot of cleaning involved afterwards...

Anyway.  Despite all that, I DID get a lot done for Bloggiesta!

-I tried out my new layout, and despite the issue I'm having in the comments section, I like!

-I created a Review Archive for my header

-I made a Gravatar, thanks to Jenni Elyse's mini challenge

-I used HubSpot to grade and evaluate my website, thanks to Smash Attacks Reads' mini challenge

-I challenged myself to do 2 blog-things out of my comfort zone (read/review a steampunk novel, and write to a publisher to request a review copy!), thanks to Jen from YA Romantics' mini challenge

-I started creating a schedule for my reviews and posts, thanks to On A Book Bender's mini challenge

-And I networked with about a billion new readers, thanks to all the Bloggiesta Twitter chats and comments!

Overall, highly productive weekend!  And I'm looking forward to the next Bloggiesta in March.

Until then...any suggestions for a good steampunk novel for someone who's never read one?