#27: Girlchild

I just finished the book Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman.  I found this book to be a pretty quick read.  If you are looking for a "happy" book to read, this definitely isn't it.  This book is very sad, especially the beginning.  I found some of the scenes, like with the Hardware Man, kind of hard to read.  The rest of the book I really liked though.  I loved how Rory's mom and grandma were both determined for her to succeed in life when they couldn't.  Even though they didn't have the best way of showing it, you could tell that they really loved R.D./Rory/Girlchild. 

I also liked how this book was written in really short chapters.  It almost made it feel poetic.  There were some things that I thought would happen in the story that never did.  Overall I really liked Rory's story.

#26: Ender's Game

I just finished Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.  I'm not really a science fiction fan at all, but this book did hold my attention.  I really had no idea what this book was about, but lots of people told me it was good. 

I liked the beginning of the book.  It really made me decide that I loved Valarie and Ender and didn't like Peter.  When Ender went to Battle School, I liked learning about how his mind worked and liked seeing him succeed.  The actual idea of these little kids being thrown "training" was really sad though.  I felt so sorry for Ender throughout the book, and I really think that is what the author wanted.

I was a little disappointed in the ending.  I guess I just wanted more for Ender.  I think the book is set up for the next books in the series and maybe that is why it ended like it did.

I'd give this book about 3 1/2 stars.  It's better than most Sci-Fi that I have read, but I really don't feel the desire to read the next books or watch the movie.

#25: Stori Telling

I am a member of the Friends of the Library Board and we have a book sale room.  I found the book Stori Telling by Tori Spelling for $0.50, so I had to buy it.  I used to love watching Tori and Dean: Inn Love when I had cable.  I know everyone sees her as a spoiled rich girl, but I really love her attitude on her life and how she is able to make fun of herself.

I read the book on the way to Memphis and finished it in one day.  It was a good car read.  Lots of laughs.  I really liked hearing the story of her first marriage and how she met Dean.  It also had some info on the torn relationship she has with her mother.  I know it's all in her own words, but it's kind of fun to see a different side of Tori Spelling.

Currently Reading:  Ender's Game

#24: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

I read The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman this week.  The title is beautiful, so I was expecting a really beautiful story.  Instead what I got, was weird and depressing.  It was actually really violent and gross in some parts.  While I did really like the characters of the boy, Lettie, and her family, I just didn't like the things that were happening.  They very unsettling.  I realize Ursula was a monster, but I was more scared by the way the boys family treated him.  I'm not sure if this was Ursula's power or just really how disconnected the boy was from his family. 

This was a quick read.  Not because I was so enthralled in the story, but because I really just wanted it to yet.

I'd recommend to people who like unique, mythical stories.

Up Next:  Ender's Game and Heart of Darkness (taking both on vacation with us)

#23: Reconstructing Amelia

I just finished Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight.  I didn't want to put this book down and ended up reading it in a day and a half.  I was really drawn to the characters in the book and was very curious about what happened to Amelia.

I really enjoy books that have the perspectives of different characters throughout the book.  I also like when the story is not necessarily in time order.  I think it just makes me read the book faster.  The format of this book kind of reminded me of a Jodi Picoult book, but the writing style was different.

I liked how I was guessing what happened up until the ending.  Some of the twists were not what I would have liked, but I think they were well written and most were a surprise. 

This was kind of a scary subject for me.  I hope my kids never have to deal with this kind of bullying and gossip.  I guess I don't remember this stuff happening when I was in high school, but maybe I just did a good job of avoiding it.

Up Next:  The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

#22: The HIstory of Love

I really loved The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.  The main character in the book is Leo Gursky, who feels all alone in the world.  He does very odd things just to get noticed each day so that somebody will see him the day he dies.  At first we learn about Leo's present and some facts about his life.  We also learn that he loves to write. 

We are then introduced to a teenage girl named Alma, who was named after the girl in The History of Love novel.  Her mother begins translating this book from Spanish and Alma decides she wants to learn more about the character she was named after.  She hopes this will give her more clues about her life and what kind of man her father was.

We also learn the story of Zvi Litvinoff, who was the author of The History of Love in Spanish.  We learn that he has carried with him a deep secret and needs to finally have it known on his death bed.

It's really hard to summarize such a beautifully written book.  I love books that have several different stories inside that all come together at the end.  If I could rename this book, I would call it "The History of the History of Love".  Just because we learn so much about how the book inside this book was written.

Up Next:  Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight