The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This book already holds a spot among my favorites. The writing is beautiful and elegant, and yet still grounded. The characters are deep and complex and yet still light hearted and fun. The intricacies of how the characters fit together, and the unique presentation of the timeline all resemble the cogs and gears of a finely tuned, extremely detailed and complicated machine- much like the clock commissioned for the circus that enthralls any who look upon it. And though it is hard to discern how the small pieces can fit together to create such a magnificently constructed machine, when viewed as a whole the final effect is breathtaking.
Two magicians pitted against each other without their consent or knowledge of how the contest works, who their opponent will be, or why they are competing. Two instructors who will do anything to provide their contestant with the advantage. And the night circus, the battlefield upon which they are meant to showcase their talents.
When Celia finally realizes who her opponent is, and how in love with her he is, the contest becomes impossible for them to abide, and instead they collaborate and combine their talents to create beautiful enchantments and attractions. The contest, however, is not something they are able to opt out of, as they are magically bound to finish it in one way or another. And while both Marco and Celia are willing to sacrifice the victory for their lover, neither will allow the other to do so.
This is a remarkable story of love, magic, skill, and dreams. It is phenomenal and quite unlike anything I have ever read before. I can say without a doubt that I will read this book again, probably several times.The "Circus of Dreams" will stay with me forever.
6.04.2013
6.03.2013
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
- by Robin Sloan
This is a truly magical book. At first I felt like the reviews were exaggerated and generous... The story is interesting but certainly there are no earth-shattering insights or deep, provoking statements that cause you to question your entire existence. This book is actually more of an affirmation that your life is being lived right if you embrace friendships and try to remain optimistic. I like the message, and I enjoyed the story quite a bit. I love the mysterious plot that centers around books and letters and codes, and the hopes and desires of so many different people to discover a secret message about life within an ancient book is really beautiful. Overall, a phenomenal book, although sometimes the main character was a little complain-y and boring for my tastes. The writing style is also very plain, realistic, and choppy- I think this was a great choice for the style of the book now that I'm done reading, but while in the middle of the book I was kind of frustrated with it. The plain realism and the short choppiness are sort of the morals of this story, so the writing style reflecting that was magical in a completely different way. Overall, worth all the buzz and definitely deserves a spot on your to-read, and more than likely it will end up with a spot on your bookshelf as well.
4/5 stars
This is a truly magical book. At first I felt like the reviews were exaggerated and generous... The story is interesting but certainly there are no earth-shattering insights or deep, provoking statements that cause you to question your entire existence. This book is actually more of an affirmation that your life is being lived right if you embrace friendships and try to remain optimistic. I like the message, and I enjoyed the story quite a bit. I love the mysterious plot that centers around books and letters and codes, and the hopes and desires of so many different people to discover a secret message about life within an ancient book is really beautiful. Overall, a phenomenal book, although sometimes the main character was a little complain-y and boring for my tastes. The writing style is also very plain, realistic, and choppy- I think this was a great choice for the style of the book now that I'm done reading, but while in the middle of the book I was kind of frustrated with it. The plain realism and the short choppiness are sort of the morals of this story, so the writing style reflecting that was magical in a completely different way. Overall, worth all the buzz and definitely deserves a spot on your to-read, and more than likely it will end up with a spot on your bookshelf as well.
4/5 stars
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review
The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky
This is the quintessential coming-of-age, "no one understands what I'm going through" Teen Novel. And there is nothing wrong with that... This is a great book that causes you to empathize with the characters and with adolescence in general, as if we need any reminder how terrible it was when we went through it. I understand all of the hype and glowing reviews surrounding the book, but sometimes I think the excitement is just parroted along. I have read many books very similar to this, although this may be the best example of that specific combination of outsider-teen-with-haunted-past, makes-friends-who-accept-him-for-who-he-is, but-then-he-messes-it-up-and-things-might-get-really-almost-suicidally-bad, but-then-it-is-ok-in-the-end books. The writing is clipped and purposely unemotional, which I think reflects Charlie really well. And since the novel is epistolary, the style of writing of the character is the most important thing. Chbosky does a great job of keeping his own voice out of the narrative, and the reader really feels that he is reading Charlie's personal letters and thoughts.
As far as the plot, I honestly was not very impressed. Charlie is a kind of freakazoid kid (something I am all too familiar with from my own adolescent days), who suffers from some mental deficiencies that aren't explicitly described, and only occasionally hinted at. He, I think, finds it hard to understand emotions and social interactions, because he describes them in a technical, clinical, detached manner. He is very much the troubled young adult searching for someone to understand him. And he does eventually find a group to fit in with, although his limited understanding of teenage interactions, romantic and otherwise, causes several problems that threaten to rip the circle apart. I like this representation of a circle of friends who are brought together by their distinct other-ness and intelligence, but who are fighting hormones and shitty boyfriends and controlling parents, and even each other occasionally. Meanwhile, Charlie develops a special bond with one of his teachers who fosters his love of books and intellectual pursuits, and their bond becomes more of friends than simply teacher-student. That was my high school experience in a nutshell.
The distinction of "young adult" comes from the rather mature situations and complex relationships that push an adolescent into the world of responsibility and complicated reality. Charlie and his older friends are no longer in the realm of children, however, as all teenagers know (until they are old enough to have teenage children themselves) they are still treated as such by their parents. The sad fact is, children have to deal with sexual assault, physical and sexual abuse, ostracization, the discovery of their sexual identity, pregnancy, suicide, abortion, drinking, drugs, death, and other hard choices all the time. These issues are very real and present in the lives of teenagers and the reality is that without a guide to look to, many times these kids will make the wrong choices out of ignorance or misguided emotions. Books like The Perks of Being a Wallflower can act as a guide to teens who might not have anyone else to turn to, and can help them navigate situations they are unfamiliar with. Even more importantly, books like this show teens that they aren't alone, even when they are considered an outsider by everyone they know. Because kids like Charlie can be interacted with through reading, teenagers can have at least one person who understands what they're going through, even if it is just a fictional character. Teenagers can turn to self-mutilation like cutting, doing drugs, drinking, and suicide when faced with these situations, and I think that feeling like you aren't alone is probably the best deterrent for that self-harming behavior. Teenagers need to read about boys like Charlie and Patrick, and girls like Sam and Charlie's sister, so that they can see that their problems are universal, and they can be navigated successfully.
Anyway, I gave Perks 5 stars. I think it deserves that rating for the characters, the showcase of the all-too-real issues that are thrust upon teenagers, and the good music and books that Charlie describes and falls in love with.
** Join me on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/beetle1211
This is the quintessential coming-of-age, "no one understands what I'm going through" Teen Novel. And there is nothing wrong with that... This is a great book that causes you to empathize with the characters and with adolescence in general, as if we need any reminder how terrible it was when we went through it. I understand all of the hype and glowing reviews surrounding the book, but sometimes I think the excitement is just parroted along. I have read many books very similar to this, although this may be the best example of that specific combination of outsider-teen-with-haunted-past, makes-friends-who-accept-him-for-who-he-is, but-then-he-messes-it-up-and-things-might-get-really-almost-suicidally-bad, but-then-it-is-ok-in-the-end books. The writing is clipped and purposely unemotional, which I think reflects Charlie really well. And since the novel is epistolary, the style of writing of the character is the most important thing. Chbosky does a great job of keeping his own voice out of the narrative, and the reader really feels that he is reading Charlie's personal letters and thoughts.
As far as the plot, I honestly was not very impressed. Charlie is a kind of freakazoid kid (something I am all too familiar with from my own adolescent days), who suffers from some mental deficiencies that aren't explicitly described, and only occasionally hinted at. He, I think, finds it hard to understand emotions and social interactions, because he describes them in a technical, clinical, detached manner. He is very much the troubled young adult searching for someone to understand him. And he does eventually find a group to fit in with, although his limited understanding of teenage interactions, romantic and otherwise, causes several problems that threaten to rip the circle apart. I like this representation of a circle of friends who are brought together by their distinct other-ness and intelligence, but who are fighting hormones and shitty boyfriends and controlling parents, and even each other occasionally. Meanwhile, Charlie develops a special bond with one of his teachers who fosters his love of books and intellectual pursuits, and their bond becomes more of friends than simply teacher-student. That was my high school experience in a nutshell.
The distinction of "young adult" comes from the rather mature situations and complex relationships that push an adolescent into the world of responsibility and complicated reality. Charlie and his older friends are no longer in the realm of children, however, as all teenagers know (until they are old enough to have teenage children themselves) they are still treated as such by their parents. The sad fact is, children have to deal with sexual assault, physical and sexual abuse, ostracization, the discovery of their sexual identity, pregnancy, suicide, abortion, drinking, drugs, death, and other hard choices all the time. These issues are very real and present in the lives of teenagers and the reality is that without a guide to look to, many times these kids will make the wrong choices out of ignorance or misguided emotions. Books like The Perks of Being a Wallflower can act as a guide to teens who might not have anyone else to turn to, and can help them navigate situations they are unfamiliar with. Even more importantly, books like this show teens that they aren't alone, even when they are considered an outsider by everyone they know. Because kids like Charlie can be interacted with through reading, teenagers can have at least one person who understands what they're going through, even if it is just a fictional character. Teenagers can turn to self-mutilation like cutting, doing drugs, drinking, and suicide when faced with these situations, and I think that feeling like you aren't alone is probably the best deterrent for that self-harming behavior. Teenagers need to read about boys like Charlie and Patrick, and girls like Sam and Charlie's sister, so that they can see that their problems are universal, and they can be navigated successfully.
Anyway, I gave Perks 5 stars. I think it deserves that rating for the characters, the showcase of the all-too-real issues that are thrust upon teenagers, and the good music and books that Charlie describes and falls in love with.
** Join me on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/beetle1211
6.01.2013
May 2013 Books
The total number of books I read this month was 20. That brought my total for the book challenge up to 56.
1. Paradise- Toni Morrison *
2. Smith of Wooten Major/ Farmer Giles of Ham/ Leaf by Niggle- J.R.R. Tolkien *
3. The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl 3)- Eoin Colfer
4. Pandemonium (Delirium 2)- Lauren Oliver
5. The Mabigonion- Sioned Davies*
6. Requiem (Delirium 3)- Lauren Oliver
7. The Opal Deception (Artemis Fowl 4)- Eoin Colfer
8. The Road to Middle-Earth- Tom Shippey *
9. The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl 5)- Eoin Colfer
10. The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl 6)- Eoin Colfer
11. The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl 7)- Eoin Colfer
12. The Last Guardian (Artemis Fowl 8)- Eoin Colfer
13. The Writing Class- Jincy Willet
14. Lament (Books of Faerie 1)- Maggie Stiefvater
15. Ballad (Books of Faerie 2)- Maggie Stiefvater
16. Fallen (Fallen 1)- Lauren Kate
17. Torment (Fallen 2)- Lauren Kate
18. Passion (Fallen 3)- Lauren Kate
19. Rapture (Fallen 4)- Lauren Kate
20. The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky
Join Goodreads for recommendations based off your favorite books, and add me as a friend: http://www.goodreads.com/beetle1211
* noted for coursework reading
3. The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl 3)- Eoin Colfer
4. Pandemonium (Delirium 2)- Lauren Oliver
5. The Mabigonion- Sioned Davies*
6. Requiem (Delirium 3)- Lauren Oliver
7. The Opal Deception (Artemis Fowl 4)- Eoin Colfer
8. The Road to Middle-Earth- Tom Shippey *
9. The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl 5)- Eoin Colfer
10. The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl 6)- Eoin Colfer
11. The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl 7)- Eoin Colfer
12. The Last Guardian (Artemis Fowl 8)- Eoin Colfer
13. The Writing Class- Jincy Willet
14. Lament (Books of Faerie 1)- Maggie Stiefvater
15. Ballad (Books of Faerie 2)- Maggie Stiefvater
16. Fallen (Fallen 1)- Lauren Kate
17. Torment (Fallen 2)- Lauren Kate
18. Passion (Fallen 3)- Lauren Kate
19. Rapture (Fallen 4)- Lauren Kate
20. The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky
Join Goodreads for recommendations based off your favorite books, and add me as a friend: http://www.goodreads.com/beetle1211
* noted for coursework reading
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