The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks is a well-known romance writer. Many of his novels have become movies: The Notebook, The Last Song, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, and Dear John. His books are not the Harlequin-type novels you might think. They are serious, tragic, and passionate but always tasteful. Sparks books focus on true-love, and true-romance, not just passion and sex. The Notebook tells the story of Noah and Allie whom have an unlikely summer romance. They both come from very different worlds. Allie's parents are not impressed by Noah and expect their daughter to marry into an upper-class family like themselves. While their summer love is more than a fling, they are pushed apart. Years later they reunite when Allie is engaged but cannot hide her feelings for Noah any longer.

The Notebook is not the type of  book I would normally read. I am not really into that mushy romance stuff.  But I enjoyed the book and I liked the movie. It was a very sad story and I have heard that a lot of Nicholas Spark books are like that. I give this book a Thumbs Up.

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Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Eclipseby Stephanie Meyer is the third book in the Twilight series. Bella is determined to become a vampire so she can be with Edward and the Cullens forever. She is concerned that she is getting older but Edward wants to get married first and encourages her to continue her education. In the midst of these difficult decisions Victoria returns to Forks to hunt and kill Bella. The Cullens and the Quileute werewolves temporarily set aside their hatred for each other so they can protect Bella.

This third book seemed similar to New Moon except that Edward was back in the picture. There is more jealousy and drama over who loves Bella more . . . Jacob or Edward and who is the best partner for her. I thought there was more action in this book than the first two but somehow to not keep my attention as much as New Moon had. I think there is too much fighting over Bella and I was expecting the story to be more involved and in-depth by now.

Overall, I did not like this book more than New Moon but I did like it more than Twilight. I was contemplating giving it a Thumbs Down because it did not meet my expectations and did not keep my completely engrossed as New Moon had. But I somehow still found it quite enjoyable and think it just narrowly deserves a Thumbs Up.

Stay tuned for the my review of the final book of Twilight!

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Cold Skin by Albert Sanchez Pinol

Cold Skin, by Spanish author Albert Sanchez Pinol, takes place after World War I. A man, whom remains unnamed, goes to an Arctic island to live for one year as a weather official. He is looking forward to a year of solitude with his books. But as he arrives by ship the crew is surprised that the previous weather official is nowhere to be found. This was just a subtle sign of the events he would have to endure. His first night on the island he is attacked by a swarm of monsters.

It may sound like a cheesy horror flick but it's not. It's actually classified as fiction, not horror. It is philosophical but still a quick and easy read. I couldn't put the book down.

Cold Skin was an unexpected find. It was so compelling; full of suspense and action. It was overall a really messed up book. It probably won't be a bestseller any time soon as the general public might find it too strange and eerie.

It was a really cool book and is definitely a favourite. I give this book a Thumbs Up.

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In Search of a Distant Voice by Taichi Yamada

vIn Search of a Distant Voice was written in 1986 by Japanese author Taichi Yamada then translated into English in 2006. The story evolves around the life of a young man named Kasama Tsuneo. He has a steady career as an immigrations officer and soon becomes engaged to be married. While his life is somewhat mundane, at least it seems to be under control. That is until one day, on the job, he has an incident in a graveyard when a suspect gets away. From that day his life is changed. He has several strange emotional fits and begins to hear a woman's voice call out to him. Kasama thinks it is a ghost communicating with him from the graveyard. Kasama and this mysterious woman have regular conversations. He wants to know more about her and he eventually wants to meet her in person.

This novel dealt with the struggles and stresses of Japanese life in the 1980's. Kasama was a workaholic and very dedicated to his job. He felt his life was okay, and typical, and he was satisfied with that. He had even found a suitable bride. His friends and coworkers thought the stress of his career and upcoming marriage were beginning to take their toll on his mental health. Throughout this story the reader wonders who this woman is. Is she really a spirit from that graveyard, a figment of Kasama's imagination, or something else entirely?

In Search of a Distant Voice is eerie and mysterious like Yamada's Strangers. Any reader interested in Japanese culture or horror movies should read these books.

I give this novel a Thumbs Up.

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Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

      In Shanghai Girls Lisa See takes readers farther ahead in time to 1937 China. At this time Shanghai was the "Paris of Asia". Pearl and her younger sister, May, have glamorous lifestyles. They go to parties, have great clothes, and pose for artists. Their life is wonderful until their father announces that he has gambled away their savings. To help pay back his debts he sells his daughters as wives to Chinese men from Los Angeles. When it seems like things couldn't get worse, a war breaks out. Now the sisters must travel alone as refugees to America facing many obstacles and making many sacrifices. Once in America they seek out their husbands and try to build a new life in San Fransisco as immigrants.

I have become a fan of Lisa See's novels. In Peony in Love and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, See writes about the struggles of Chinese women in the 17th and 19th centuries. Shanghai Girls explores the lives of women in the 1900's bringing to light different and new obstacles. While marriage is still a main theme it has a much different approach.

Shanghai Girls was a fast read and the end left an opening for a sequel. I give this book a Thumbs Up! 

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Travels in the Scriptorium by Paul Auster

In Travels in the Scriptorium an old man, referred to only as Mr. Blank, awakens in a white room with no memory of who he is or how he arrived there. There are only a few items in the room: a bed, a telephone, a desk, and chair. On the desk is a manuscript about another imprisoned man in a world unlike his own. Slowly, with the help of a stack of photographs and a few visitors, Mr. Blank begins to unravel the truth about his dark past.

I picked up this book because it was a great bargain and I thought it seemed very interesting. I really like books that are strange, eerie, and much different than the bestsellers. The beginning of this book definitely had my attention. It is very similar to the beginning of Butler's Fledgling. The main characters in these novels are disoriented and have no idea who they are. So you learn about them and their surroundings along with them. The book started to lose my understanding/interest when Mr. Blank starts to read the manuscript. I was confused the whole way through and I didn't even understand the ending that ties everything together.

It took me so long to read the book because I lost interest. So I give this book a Thumbs Down.

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New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

New Moon is the second installment of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight saga. In this book the reader learns more about Jacob Black. Jacob and Bella become best friends and spend a lot of time together. Bella is comforted by Jacob's presence and her father, Charlie, couldn't be happier that she is spending so much time with Billy's son.

I thought this book was better than the first one. It was more interesting and had more going on. It moved away from the school scene and had moments of action and suspense. I found this book took the reader through more emotions than the first. It expanded from the simple romance between Edward and Bella and made the characters' relationships more complicated.
New Moon introduced new characters and explored some in-depth. However, learning more about the characters isn't always a good thing. For example, I think if Bella was a real person, I would not get along with her because of certain personality traits. But even though I am not fond of Bella, she is more realistic. It is refreshing to read a book that has such a different take on the protagonist. I don't think main characters should be perfect, cookie-cutter people all of the time.

New Moon kept my attention from the beginning. It was better than I expected (compared to the first one), so I give this book a Thumbs Up.

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Peony in Love by Lisa See

Peony in Love is a historical fiction about a young girl in 17th century China. Peony's parents believe that unmarried girls should stay in the home at all times. But on one special day, she is allowed to view a play on their property; protected from sight by a screen. She is able, though, to glimpse a man whom she instantly becomes infatuated with. Tragically, Peony has been arranged to marry another man she has not met. Overtime, Peony falls so deeply in love with this man that she becomes heartbroken when her wedding day draws near. It affects her so much so that she becomes deathly ill. "So begins Peony's unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow-as Lisa See's haunting new novel, based on actual historical events, takes readers back to seventeenth-century China, after the Manchus seize power and the Ming dynasty is crushed."

Peony in Love is based on accurate historical events and cultural aspects. In this book, Lisa See again explores the roles of women in China. I was happy that the cultural traditions were not repeats of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. See added a twist by including the traditions and rituals of the after-life.

I thought this book was even better than Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. It began with some heavier historical content and Chinese language but quickly became much easier to read. The story was beautifully written and very tragic. There was a twist close to the beginning that I was not expecting and it made the story so much more interesting! I give this book a huge Thumbs Up.

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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

In The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, Susie Salmon is murdered. However, the reader is able to see Susie's perspective of the afterlife. Susie describes the mysterious place she finds herself living in and watches over her family. Her father attempts to solve the murder case with little support from others. And everyone tries to heal and cope with the grief.
 There was nothing "lovely" about The Lovely Bones. I thought it was boring and very depressing. It was supposed to be an amazing story about a girl helping her father solve her murder case from beyond the grave. It was supposed to be uplifting and thought-provoking. But I just thought it was a big downer. I just didn't understand it and it wasn't what I expected. Thousands of people love the book but it just wasn't what I was expecting. I took me forever to get through this book and I had to push myself just to get to the end. I give The Lovely Bones a big Thumbs Down.

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Being Dead by Jim Crace

In Being Dead, Joseph and Celice visit Baritone Bay, their special place, to rekindle a lost flame. While enjoying a picnic they are brutally murdered. Crace traces back their history from the day they met as college students up until their tragic deaths.

Throughout the story, Crace vividly describes what happens to their decomposing bodies, from bugs to the effects of the weather. Then flashes back to when Joseph and Celice were alive and works up to how they died. It sounds confusing with the time changes but it was easy to follow.

I had wanted to read this book years ago when I was into horror novels and the somewhat grotesque. When I couldn't find it in store I reluctantly settled for Crace's The Pesthouse. I just recently ordered Being Dead and was so excited because I had waited so long.

Unfortunately I waited too long to get this book. My taste in books has drastically changed and broadened since then. I found that the writing was good but the description of their decomposing bodies made me very squeamish. And the story of their life was equally depressing. They had a fairly mundane, passionless life and were not given the chance to redeem themselves.

I found this book to be boring, disgusting, depressing, and not nearly as imaginative and engrossing as The Pesthouse. I think I was so disappointed because I had waited so long to read it and I was so hyped. I give this book a sad Thumbs Down.

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Strangers by Taichi Yamada

Strangers was written by Japanese screenwriter Taichi Yamada and translated to English. The 47 year old main character Harada has recently divorced and is living in his office. On his birthday he decides to visit his hometown that he has not been to in years. While he is there he finds a couple that looks exactly like his parents at the age they were when they died (in their 30's). He spends time with this couple trying to understand who these people are.

Harada struggles with his tragic past and his current loneliness.He finds comfort in this couple with whom he feels like a kid again. But this happiness could only last for so long before it began to take a toll on his health.

I couldn't put the book down. I loved the story, suspense, mystery, and shock-value. At the end of the book the whole story comes together and it leaves you wanting to read more. It's only 200 pages long so it is a fast read. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes Japanese and Korean films, especially ghost stories.

I give this book a Thumbs Up!

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