Mercy (↓)

I must say, this is the first (and hopefully) only time I will be giving a bad review to a Jodi Picoult book. I don't know whether I just wasn't in the mood to read, or if the book didn't grab my interest like the others, but I really didn't enjoy it. Of course it's well written, I wouldn't expect anything different from her, but for me, it seemed to stray from the original story-line. Maybe I just wasn't reading deep enough and if I thought about it a little bit more, I could come up with some connection.

This novel is called Mercy by Jodi Picoult. It's about a man who smothers his wife and kills her because she is terminally ill and she asked him to do it. It's also about a police chief who has an affair. I don't really see the connection, but there might be one somewhere.

The one thing this novel did make me do was think about my own relationship with Andrew. If he and I were married, and he was terminally ill and would not get better, would I have the strength to kill him if he asked me to? Would he do the same for me? There was also a part in the novel which seemed to ring true. A relationship is never 50-50. There's always one person who loves or gives a bit more than the other. I believe this is true. I hate to admit it, but I almost think that A. gives more than I do for this relationship. It's certainly not fair, but what can you really do about it? I think that this is also what makes me think about whether I actually love him or not. But I must. I consider him in all of my decisions concerning my future, I think about how difficult things will be for us when I'm gone away to school, and how I will go about telling my parents that we will be living together...

This blog posting as turned a little more personal than I had hoped, but I think that's a good thing. Anyway, now I'm going to read a book of a different genre. More suspense/mystery. Until next time, Happy Reading!

Nineteen Minutes (↑)

I've finished another Jodi Picoult book, this one being Nineteen Minutes. It's an amazing book, and truly thought provoking. It delves into the social hierarchy of teenagers and children, and what kind of psychological damage it can cause to the unlucky folk who are considered the social outcasts. When I went to school, I wasn't bullied, but I definitely wasn't popular. People liked me yes, but I was one of those weird kids. I had a few friends, but none who I could call my 'best friend'. I think back on it, and honestly, all I remember from high school was the work, I don't remember the fun I had with friends, I remember the feelings of being left out when we had to work in partners, and how I didn't want to work with the weird kid in our class because I didn't want it to seem like I actually LIKED him (even though I did consider him a friend). I'm just as bad as they were for teasing him. While reading this book, I ran into a girl I worked with and knew from high school, and it seems that she has changed. She actually stopped me in the grocery store to ask how I was doing, what I was up to and whatnot. I was amazed that I was the one fidgeting and trying to escape, while she was fine with talking to me. It almost seemed as if she cared about what I was saying and doing, which is a change from high school.

I also wonder if this has changed from high school. As in, in the real world, does this social hierarchy still occur? Only instead of being popular, it's your job that allows you to stay at the top of the chain? I almost feel like attempting to write a story about it, and see how it turns out. We'll see if that occurs.

This novel follows the aftermath of a school shooting in New Hampshire. Exploring the secrets that each of the characters harbour, and trying to see how it might play a part in the shooting. The one thing I didn't really enjoy about the novel is that, Picoult mentions the shooter's older brother being killed by drunk driver, but that's about all. She doesn't explore the idea that perhaps the older brother played a part in the fatal accident, but of course, this might actually draw away from the story itself, so I suppose it's better left undiscovered. Of course, there is a twist at the end of this novel, but for me, it's one I was actually expecting. I kind of had a feeling that it was leading up to this conclusion. Either way, it was another novel by Picoult that I just couldn't put down. Well done!

I'm trying to decide whether I should start another one of her novels, if it would be better if I moved on to something else. But honestly, I think I want to read the last new novel I have of hers, and then move onwards to another author. Until next time, Happy Reading!

Handle With Care (↑)

I attempted to read another book before this one, and I just couldn't do it. It was as if the author was trying to make the novel as suspenseful as she could, but instead, it made the novel just seem silly. Suspenseful novels are suppose to be natural, not forced, and that one was definitely forced. Anyway, this past weekend I went on a trip to Maine, and during that trip I read a Jodi Picoult novel, Handle With Care. It was a magnificent novel. Although, I had to read most of it while listening to Blue Collar Comedy Channel while we were driving. I'm not one to read with music (nonetheless talking) occurring, I wasn't able to focus very well. I was still able to get the gist of what was going on in most of the chapters I read. This novel deals with a controversial subject (like most of her novels do), and she handles it perfectly! She didn't force me to choose sides within the novel, but rather allowed us to come to our own decisions about the outcome.  I doubt many people would become offended (hopefully anyway) but it's hard to be sure.

Anyway, this novel is about a family who had a child born with a severe bone abnormality (osteogenesis imperfecta) which caused her to have severe disabilities during her life. On a family vacation, something comes about that causes the mother to decide to sue her obstetrician (who's also her best friend at the time) for wrongful birth. Wrongful birth means that parent was not given the choice to abort the child because they were not informed of the child's deformities before birth, and the severe disabilities the child would have. Although it sounds like a horrible lawsuit, the mother was really only doing it for the money so that her daughter could lead a fulfilling life she should be allowed to live. Anyway, it follows the family throughout the lawsuit, switching between the characters, all talking to the little girl, explaining their thoughts on the matter, along with what's happening.

The one thing I didn't really enjoy about the novel is that it follows a very standard style, that Jodi Picoult established in her previous novels. It always follows a mother who's doing what she does to protect 1 of her children, while ignoring the other. It also always finishes with a twist, and a quick one, as if she didn't know how to finish it, or didn't want to finish it with a happy ending. This complaint is only a minor one, so I can't hate her novels (mostly because I enjoy the subject matter too much). All in all, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to my friends. I'm going to read another one of her novels for the next blog. Until then, Happy Reading!

The Forgotten Garden (↑)

I've finished another novel. It's a mystery. But not like others I've read which are about solving the mystery of a serial killer, or something. It's more the unravelling of an unknown past. I'm always amazed at authors and how they are able to create intricate stories in a way that I wouldn't be able to. I've tried writing stories, but most of mine tend to be fluff, no real substance, no intricate details, or twisting plot lines. I suppose if I had a really vivid imagination, or just put my mind to it, I'm sure I could come up with a lovely little tale, but I really have no urge. Anyway, this novel didn't really have many faults. Sometimes I found that it dragged on, and it was one of those books that you really have to read about 100 pages before you're really into the book. I also found at times that it was a tad long (500+ pages), but I wasn't ready to count down the pages when I was nearing the end.

I guess I should introduce the novel by saying what the title was and the author's name. It's The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. The novel follows a woman named Cassandra who is attempting to unravel the unknown past of her grandmother after she passed away. It starts out in Australia, but moves to a coastal fishing village in Cornwall. It involves the story-telling of 3 generations of that family, and it switched between 3 times: early 1900's, 1970's and the present (well 2005). It's told incredibly well, and has many twists and turns along the way. Although it was a mystery, I figured out the main mystery quite easily and before the main characters, but of course, I found out mostly because I had the background story to go from, unlike Cassandra who only had information of family members, and other minor characters to go from. The minor details I didn't figure out until the very end, not that that really mattered much.

All in all, it's a well written novel and I would recommend it to friends who want a good old fashioned family mystery novel. Anyway, until next time, Happy Reading!

Gentlemen & Players (↑)

I've finished another book. I attempted to read the 2nd novel in the Outlander series, and I just couldn't do it, so I gave up, and picked up this hardcover novel that I had found in a used book bin at either Frenchie's or the used bookstore. Anyway, this novel is called Gentlemen & Players by Joanne Harris. It was an amazing book, and I would definitely recommend it to friends. It's kind of a suspense novel, but really, I'm not sure how to categorize it. It's strange, but it seems that every random novel I find that is cheap and doesn't appear to have many reviews, is typically the best novel I've read in a long time, while when I spend good money on a popular novel, I end up hating it, and sending it to the used bookstore anyway.

Anyway Gentlemen & Players is about this person who wants to get revenge on a posh private school. They plan out this huge plot, and follows through with it all. At first, I wasn't sure what to expect, but slowly, I really started to like certain characters (however, sometimes I had a hard time keeping their positions within the school straight), and at the end, I was so surprised by the turn of events and changes in character, that I couldn't help but like it! It was so unexpected, that you had no idea that it was going to happen.

I know I kind of keep things aloof for the synopses, but that's mostly because I don't want to give anything away and I want you to go out and read it for yourself. Alright, I'm gonna attempt to read another (or at least start) book. It's going to be a busy weekend, so we'll see how far we get. Until next time, Happy Reading!

Outlander (↑)

I decided to re-read the Outlander series again. So the book I just finished is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I always find the first few novels of the series are much better than the last ones. I think it's because the characters are new and fresh, and you don't have top situations that have occurred in previous novels. I mean, I like the later novels in this series, but I still enjoy reading the first few, especially when they are still in Europe and haven't gone to America yet.

This novel is about a woman named Claire Randall who, when touching a stone in a circle of stones in Scotland, gets transported back in time. She then falls in love with a young Scottish warrior, Jamie Fraser, and she follows him throughout this travels. I like how she introduces all the characters, and I also really like the sex scenes. Makes me sound perverted, I know, but they're just good. You just have to read the novels to understand, ha ha ha.

Anyway, I'm going to attempt to read the rest of them. At least I know that if I get bored of them, I can stop at any time and not feel guilty!

Until next time, Happy Reading!

An Echo in the Bone (↑)

I've finished another book. This one is part of a series I read about 2 years ago. It's a new book in the series (only came out last year, hence the huge break between reading the last one and this one). It's called An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon. It's well written and I'm sure well researched, but it's really really long which can make reading it tiresome. And also because it had been so long since I read the previous novels, I had to work even harder while reading it in order to remember what had happened previously along with trying to remember all the characters and such.  But that's certainly not the book's fault, more my fault. Either way, I really enjoyed reading it.

Basically, this book continues the story of the time-traveller Claire and her Scottish husband Jamie (who isn't a time-traveller) as they have their adventures through the American Revolutionary War. It also follows Claire and Jamie's daughter Brianna and her husband and their children's adventures in modern day (they are also time travellers). It also follows the story line of Lord John Grey (who also features in quite a few of the other novels in this series, along with novels in a separate series, starring only him) and his son William. In the end almost all the storylines tie in together.

Now I have to make the decision as to whether I want to re-read the whole series over again (not including this book) or if I want to read other books instead. I think the problem I would have with re-reading this series is mostly that all the novels are 700 + pages, so it will take forever. But it's not like I have much else to do at the moment. Either way we'll see I suppose.

I recommend this novel only to those who want to read the Outlander series (I can list the books later) mostly because otherwise they won't understand the ties between most of the characters. Anyway, until next time, Happy Reading!