Book #42 – Watership Down (final thoughts)
When I joined the Back to School Challenge a couple months ago, I added Watership Down by Richard Adams to my list in a heartbeat. And while I read other books for the challenge, and various books in between, I had this one in the back of my head. I couldn’t wait to read it. I can’t tell you how much I wanted to like it.
*Very vague plot summary ahead*
The book starts off in a large, established warren. Everything seems okay, but a small rabbit gets a bad feeling about their current living situation, so he and his brother take off with a bunch of other rabbits to start their own warren. After some trials and tribulations, they settle down in a nice place and it looks like they have a good thing going for them. However, brother rabbit realizes that this good thing may not last very long – they’re all guys. What they need are some womenfolk. So, they go in search of some womenfolk.
*Vague plot summary over*
I don’t want to say I didn’t like it, there were parts that I really did enjoy. However, I couldn’t get into it, I couldn’t get myself to care about the story. If it weren’t for my obsessive need to finish any book that I start, I could have easily put the book down unfinished. I wish I knew where it went wrong for me. Maybe it was because I had seen the movie a couple times when I was younger and knew what was going to happen. Although, the book is less about plot and more about narrative. So maybe at the time I needed to read something that was more plot-driven.
It seems that every other person who has read this book has loved it, and I very much wanted to be one of those. But, while I’m glad I read it, Watership Down just wasn’t for me.
My rating: 6/10
Back to School Challenge: 3/4 complete
Related:
Teaser Tuesday #1
Teaser Tuesday #2
Soundtrack Saturday
Book #41 – Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married (final thoughts)
When her coworkers convince her to visit a psychic with them, Lucy Sullivan isn’t expecting much, other than a few laughs. And she can’t help but scoff at what the psychic tells her – that she will be married a less than a year. You see, Lucy has never had much luck with men. She doesn’t even have a boyfriend, not even any possibilities waiting in the wings. She’s ready to write the whole thing off, but then her coworkers’ predictions start coming true. Will Lucy finally meet the man of her dreams?
Marian Keyes is by far one of my favourite authors. She writes chick lit that deals with tough subjects without making them seem trivial. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every book I’ve read by her and expected the same experience when I picked up Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, at least not for the first part. The first half of this 600+ page book infuriated me so much I almost stopped reading and it became my inspiration for last week’s Booking Through Thursday post (Is life too short for bad books?). The story seemed a bit wobbly, but it was Lucy who drove me up the wall. To people who were nice to her, she really couldn’t have been meaner. I think she was supposed to come off as a tease, but it wasn’t funny to me. Instead, she welcomed in people (read: men) who used her and treated her horribly. But she was completely oblivious to how they acted and thought they were wonderful.
Like I said, I almost gave up on Lucy, but Keyes hadn’t let me down in the past and I didn’t want her to now. So I kept on reading. And I am so glad I did! Keyes’ charm came out in full force as Lucy was required to see some situations as they really were. I finally found that I could rally behind her and cheer her on. At one point I almost wanted to use the phrase “You go, girl!” Almost.
It took me a week to read the first 300 pages, but I flew through the last 300 in about two days. I so enjoyed watching Lucy grow up that I couldn’t put the book down. The realizations she came to weren’t always easy for her (or the reader) to swallow, but I was completely drawn into her life. I won’t say how the book ended, but I will say that at one point I thought my heart was going to burst with joy, it was so wonderful.
My rating: 6/10. Rating would have been much higher if not for the beginning of the book.
Have you had a similar experience with a book, where one half of it didn’t work for you at all but you really enjoyed the other half?
Related:
Teaser Tuesday
Booking Through Thursday
Soundtrack Saturday
Book #38 – In Her Shoes (final thoughts)
Rose Feller spent her childhood trying to protect her younger sister. Now 30 and working at a big law firm, she’s still trying to protect her sister by cleaning up her messes – unpaid bills, evictions, drunken dates gone wrong.
Maggie Feller never had her big sister’s brains, but she has something else – looks and a fantastic body. Maggie might not have a steady job, but at least she won’t ever be lonely like Rose.
1000 miles away, Ella Hirsch has thrown herself into volunteering in and around her Florida retirement community. Maybe if she helps enough people, her good works will make up for the daughter she lost and the granddaughters she allowed herself to be separated from.
Jennifer Weiner has been on my to-read list for a long time, but for some reason I put off reading any of her stuff. However, a few months ago, while channel surfing, I came across the movie In Her Shoes. It was pretty good and since the book is usually better than the movie, I finally decided to take the book out of the library.
Rose, Maggie and Ella all get a chance to tell their side of the story in In Her Shoes. The point of view changes from chapter to chapter, something that I really enjoy when it’s done well, and Weiner does it well.
It’s already been a while since I saw the movie, but I still had the basic plot in my head while I read the book. So, I had a pretty good idea of what was going to go down. I spent the first third of the book waiting for The Incident to happen, the big thing that causes some changes to start taking place in all three characters’ lives. I don’t know if it was the waiting or the story, but the first part of the book dragged a bit for me. It was okay, it just didn’t pull me in.
The story really took off right after The Incident, that’s when I was pulled in. I loved watching both Maggie and Rose struggle and take chances and grow. Some of the solutions they reached may have been a bit far-fetched, but Weiner does a good job convincing the reader that these things really could happen.
At this point I thought I would walk away having really liked this book. But then the last third happened. I do like how Maggie’s story carried on and resolved itself, but Rose’s seemed contrived. I really wanted to get on board with the whole love interest thing, but I just couldn’t.
Overall, it was an okay, but enjoyable read. I probably would have liked it more if I hadn’t already seen the movie.
My rating: 7/10
Book #36 – Holly’s Inbox (final thoughts)
Almost exactly one year ago today, I came across a little website called Holly’s Inbox. It was an inbox, with email after email chronicling Holly’ Denham’s start as receptionist at a corporate bank in London. I thought I would take a little peak and then continue on with my day. But I couldn’t stop. I was hooked. I think I read all the emails in about two days. That’s three months worth of emails. Ever since then I’ve been wanting to read the book, but for some reason it took its sweet time making its way across the Atlantic.
When I finally had it in my hands, I was a little bit worried. Could an internet obsession really translate to a book, and do it well? Plus, this thing is so freaking big! 665 pages! I gasped when the librarian heaved it off the ‘hold’ shelf. Could a bunch of emails keep my interest for over 600 pages?
Turns out they can. I had absolutely nothing to worry about, because this book is so much fun! So. Much. Fun. I was flipping through it like nobody’s business. I even read in the rain today, huddled as much as possible under a dry spot, while waiting for the bus.
Just like the website, Holly’s Inbox is told through emails only. We meet Holly on the first day of her new reception job and we follow her emails, the good and the bad, for the next 5 months. Along the way we learn about office politics (read: gossip), about her two best friends, her crazy family, and how Holly came to work in reception. Some of my favourite emails were those from her Granny, who could give Grandma Mazur a run for her money in the crazy/lovable Granny department.
This book is light and fun and totally addictive. Did I mention it was fun? Because, really, it is.
Apparently the sequel is out in the UK already, and it sounds like it might be even better than the first. When will you be coming back to Canada, Holly???
My rating: 8.5/10
Book #35 – Breakfast at Tiffany’s (final thoughts)
The Modern Library edition I found at my library. I thought this classic would be dressed in something a bit fancier. Not saying that Capote isn't a good looking guy.
I only found out a few months ago that Breakfast at Tiffany’s was originally a novella by Truman Capote. The movie seems to have overshadowed the book, which is a shame because it’s a wonderful story in its own right.
The book begins with the narrator (who remains unnamed throughout the book, other than the odd nickname) returning to a neighbourhood he used to live in. After an interesting update from the local barman, he starts to reminisce about the year he lived in a brownstone apartment down the street; the year he knew Holly Golightly.
At the time of story, the narrator is a struggling author and Holly is a society girl with a preference for older, wealthy men. The two strike up a friendship after he moves into the building, which was never lacking in ups and downs.
On Friday when I shared the first line of Breakfast at Tiffany’s as part of the Friday Firsts meme, Allison left a comment saying that it had a nostalgic feel to it. As I finished the book, I realized that the whole story is enveloped in bitter-sweet nostalgia, which is what makes it so endearing. Capote captures the feel of that year in the 1940s so well that these recollections could have been shared at any point in the last 50 years and still be just as moving. Not just in 1958, when it was originally published. Even though their friendship wasn’t always pretty, there’s a tenderness in the narrator’s voice as he shares his story that shows he really did care for his flighty, unique, naive friend.
I’m so glad I took the time to read this book. It’s one I need to add to my library.
My rating: 9/10
Book #34 – Pride and Prejudice (final thoughts)
Pride and Prejudice is one of those books I always thought I should read, but never really wanted to read. I mean, it’s so old, there’s no way it would be relatable, right? Oh, how wrong I was.
After reading Emma earlier this year, I wanted, needed, to read Pride and Prejudice. Finally I found myself without an excuse not to read it, as I had a copy of it in my possession and I had included it in a challenge I was already behind in.
It’s easy to understand why this is such a beloved novel. It has memorable characters, scandal, mistaken intentions, and, of course, true love. What I was least expecting to find within it was the humour. Can I say humour for a classic like this? The only word that really seems to fit is ‘wit.’ I’m sure quite a few of the quips flew right over my head, but there were so many subtle phrases that popped up here and there about characters and situations, that at times I realized I was reading with a big grin on my face. I knew whenever Mr. Bennet was in a scene that a great line would be coming up.
It’s impossible to pick what I loved most about this book. The plot was engaging, but I think it was the wonderful characters Austen created that made the book all that more special. Of course everyone loves Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, but even Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine De Bourgh provided so many great, albeit cringe-worthy, moments. I found this chart on wikipedia which shows the relationships between all the characters, but I think it just made me more confused!
Pride and Prejudice sucked me right in – into the story and into the characters lives. Sometimes, when I’m really into a book, I start narrating my life in my head in the same style as the book I’m currently reading. The weird thing is, it doesn’t happen right after I put the book down. No, it happens when I’ve had a little break from reading, such as when I’m walking to the train in the morning. So, for the last two weeks, I’ve suddenly found myself narrating my mornings in 18th-century English. Mostly by using lots of double negatives.
My rating: 9/10
Back to School Challenge: 1/4 complete
Book #33 – The Lit Report (final thoughts)
Nobody’s life is all one way – tragic, comic, fantastic – it’s all just a big spicy jambalaya of absurdity, even without visitors from Tralfamadore. (p. 184)
The Lit Report by Sarah N. Harvey
Julia Riley and Ruth Walters have been inseparable since the age of four, combining Julia’s commonsense and Ruth’s creativity to make an awesome team. When Ruth gets pregnant at 17, they know for sure that her conservative parents will send her away, messing up all their great post-graduation plans, so it’s time to take action. The solution? Hide the pregnancy, delivery the baby in secret, and leave it at Ruth’s dad’s church, where it will be discovered and loved by a good family. Foolproof, right?
You have to suspend some belief while reading The Lit Report. It’s narrated by Julia, and she makes the story enjoyable. Her quick wit, love for the classics (and their first lines), and her commitment to her best friend make you want to root for her. But the adult in me also wanted to shaker and say “Don’t do it on your own! Tell a parent!” Yes, yes, I can be a spoilsport.
The biggest problem I had with the book was it’s portrayal of all Christians as brainwashed nimrods, who are either spineless (women) or immovable (men). This changes a bit at the end of the book, but the continual reminder of Harvey’s opinion throughout the rest of the book became somewhat grating.
Overall, it was a quick, light read – just what I was looking for this week!
My rating: 7/10
