Book Review – The Betrayers – Contemporary

The Basics:

The Betrayers by David Bezmozgis

Published: August 26th, 2014

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Pages: 240

Where did I get it? : Library

Would I buy it? No. It was a very well written book, and I enjoyed it, but would not read it again.

Synopsis (from Good Reads):

A compact saga of love, duty, family, and sacrifice from a rising star whose fiction is “self-assured, elegant, perceptive . . . and unflinchingly honest” (New York Times)

These incandescent pages give us one momentous day in the life of Baruch Kotler, a disgraced Israeli politician. When he refuses to back down from a contrary but principled stand regarding the West Bank settlements, his political opponents expose his affair with a mistress decades his junior. He and the fierce young Leora flee the scandal for Yalta, where, in an unexpected turn of events, he comes face-to-face with the former friend who denounced him to the KGB almost 40 years earlier.

In a mere 24 hours, Kotler must face the ultimate reckoning, both with those who have betrayed him and with those whom he has betrayed, including a teenage daughter, a son facing his own ethical dilemmas in the Israeli army, and the wife who stood by his side through so much.

In prose that is elegant, sly, precise, and devastating, David Bezmozgis has rendered a story for the ages, an inquest into the nature of fate and consequence, love and forgiveness.

My Review (Spoilers): 

Star Rating: 3/5

I finished this book is two sittings. The plot moved along quickly, was easy to follow, and was written in a manner that flowed from on chapter to the next. David Bezmozgis has a clean writing style, and creates characters you both feel for and question as you uncover the different aspects of their intermingling lives. The one thing I am left with after the closing books is a slight desire for more information. Although the book concluded in a manner that was o.k., I still did not feel completely satisfied. I am not sure why, but I feel like I wanted to know more about what happened once the two main characters returned to their Israeli lives. I guess that is never to be fully known.

The story revolves around Baruch Kotler, a disgraced Israeli politician whom, as mentioned in the synopsis above, refuses to back down from his controversial political stance. As a result of this refusal, his affair with Leora, his much younger assistant, is publically outed. As a result, he and Leora run off to Yalta where, within 24 hours, Kotler is faced with his past. Through a bizarre coincidence, he and Leora take up a room in the house of the very KGB spy and former friend who denounced him, resulting in 13 years in prison. Although Kotler remembers past feeling of anger and revenge, he realizes he just wants to confront this man and is not sure what will come of the confrontation.

The man in question, Tankilevich, and his wife Sveltana, have settled in an out of the way area in order to escape his past as a KGB and one of the most hated Jews in the area. He, after all, was the one who denounced the popular Kotler years ago. Although at first I wanted to hate the man, as you start to uncover his story, you realize that all decisions and actions are made for a reason, and in times of trial and upheaval sometimes difficult decisions are made. Tankilevich is certainly made to pay for his past actions, and he is desperate to end his years of suffering.

In an odd turn of events it is Kotler who much end Tankilevich’s suffering in a way that I did not expect.

My favorite part of the story was learning about the characters different lives, both from the views of others and of the characters themselves. Bezmozgis seems to be a master at making you feel both hatred and sympathy for the characters in the novel, and I appreciated how easy it was to change my mind without feeling bad about it.

I also enjoyed how in-depth Bezmozgis is with the  cultures and cultural mind-sets of the story. It feels real and raw, and transported me into the story that much more.

What did you think of the book?

Have a good one,

JFer

What I Read in August

Hello Hello Everyone,

This August was fairly accomplished in the area of reading for me. I tend to get through a lot of books, as my job is in a library and it is in my best interest to be familiar with as many stories as possible. Last month (August 2014) I was able to get through 11 books. No too shabby at all.

Books Read in August

Number: 11

Titles: 

• The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
• An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life by The Dalai Lama
• Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) by Joe Abercrombie
• Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• Lucky Us by Amy Bloom
• Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World by Janet E. Cameron
• Sailor Moon Volume 1. Naoko Takeuchi
• Sailor Moon Volume 2. Naoko Takeuchi
• Sailor Moon Volume 3. Naoko Takeuchi
• The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
• Courage for Beginners by Karen Harrington
• Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Favorite Book: I actually have a tie for first place here!

• Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Least Favorite Book: The following title just left absolutely no impression on me. I can hardly even remember and I just finished last week!

• Courage for Beginners by Karen Harrington

 

If there are any of these books that you would like me to review, please let me know.

Until next time,

JFer

Book Review – The Prince of Venice Beach – Young Adult

The Basics:

The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson

Published: June 3rd, 2014

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 240

Where did I get it? : Library

Would I buy it? No. Although a generally good read, there was nothing interesting enough to bring me back to the novel again and again.

Synopsis (from Good Reads):

Robert “‘Cali” Callahan is a teen runaway, living on the streets of Venice Beach, California. He’s got a pretty sweet life: a treehouse to sleep in, a gang of surf bros, a regular basketball game…even a girl who’s maybe-sorta interested in him.

What he doesn’t have is a plan.

All that changes when a local cop recommends Cali to a private investigator who is looking for a missing teenager. After all, Cali knows everyone in Venice. But the streets are filled with people who don’t want to be found, and when he’s hired to find the beautiful Reese Abernathy, who would do anything to stay hidden, Cali must decide where his loyalties truly lie

My Review (Spoilers): 

Star Rating: 3/5

This was another super easy read, that I managed to finish in one sitting. The novel is simply written, easy to follow, and was gripping enough to catch my attention for the time it took to whip through the book. 

The book follows Cali, a teen runaway who has managed to make a comfortable life for himself on Venice Beach in California. He has made some friends to hang out with and watch his back, secured a roof over his head in the form of a treehouse in a kind lady’s backyard, and is generally only worried about being discovered and shipped back to where he came from. 

This changes when he decides to pursue a career in private investigation, after assisting a few men in finding missing persons and runaways. Unfortunately, after being requested to search for Reese Abernathy, a beautiful, rich, missing girl, and getting quite a good amount of money for doing so, he realizes that blindly helping every person to find another person could potentially have consequences. He soon confirms that he needs to see both sides of the story when he meets and actually becomes friends with Reese. Is she whom she says she is, or is she as disturbed and lost as her rich, tycoon of a father insists she is? 

I really enjoyed the read, it had a few twists and turns, although nothing too gripping, and it was fun to see the world in such a simplistic way through the eyes of Cali. For him, life is lived day to day, and each little creature comfort and possessions he manages to ascertain is thoroughly appreciated. He seems to want for nothing, even though he has very little, and shares this view with the readers in a charming way.

Although mentioned a few times, I think the book skirts around how hard a street life would be, which I found a little odd. Cali and his friends have their share of troubles, but seem to genuinely enjoy living off their own means.

In general, I would recommend this book as an easy summer type read, or a novel to get lost in for a few hours. As mentioned above, I would never come back to this book, it just did not leave me with that “lasting” kind of impression, but it was fun and an interesting read just the same.

What did you think of this book?

Have a good one, 

JFer

The Basics:

 Half a King by Joe Abercrombie

Series: Shattered Seas, Book #1 

Published: July 15th, 2014

Publisher: Del Ray

Pages: 352

Where did I get it? : Library

Would I buy it? Maybe. As with my last review, I am pretty selective with what I purchase, and will have to read a few more books in the series.

Synopsis (from Good Reads):

“I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.” 

Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains, and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea. And he must do it all with only one good hand.

The deceived will become the deceiver.

Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge.

The betrayed will become the betrayer.

Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could.

Will the usurped become the usurper?

But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi finds his path may end as it began—in twists, and traps, and tragedy

My Review (Spoilers): 

Star Rating: 3/5

 I found this book quite easy to zip through, and was not difficult to follow at all. That being said, although I did enjoy the story, there was something that was keeping me from giving it a four star rating. 

Joe Abercrombie wound a cast of well-written, imaginative characters, and certainly provided enough twists and turns to keep me interested in the story. I think where this book fell short, for me personally, was in the main character. During the first few chapters of getting to know Prince Yarvi, I really liked him. He was training to be a minister, outcast by his royal family because of his deformed hand, and seemed to just want to find his place amongst his fellow ministers.  He was written in a way that, although you felt sorry for him, you also rooted for him and his ability to take what has been dealt. Even as the story continues, when he learns he has to take the throne (to his disappointment) I was on his side. 

After the betrayal, which I will not get into as it is just too much of a spoiler, the character continues to develop into a hard person, which in all honestly he has to become this way, completely bent on the revenge. This is a classic turn taken by many characters, but he seems to miss the point of being a true king, and that to protect and consider the welfare of his people. Not just take down the person who took the throne from him. 

I really enjoyed many of the other characters along the way, and the story really is worth a read. There are many trials and hardships Prince Yarvi comes into in his journey for revenge, including being sold as a slave. He eventually learns to trust a precious few, and makes a few lifelong friends who are willing to fight by his side. This include one particularly rough but useful fellow, who turns out to be his greatest ally. 

I think the greatest thing about this books is it really takes a look at the difficult decisions the characters have to make in the face of betrayal and upheaval. It has some really great reviews from some amazing authors, and is really worth a read.

What did you think of this book?

Have a good one, 

JFer 

Review – Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald – Historical Fiction

The Basics:

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler

Published: January 1, 2013 (?)

Publisher: St. Martins Press

Pages: 384

Where did I get it? : Library

Would I buy it? Absolutely. I absolutely fell head-over-heels in love with this book. I cannot wait to add it to my collection, and will read it again.

 

Synopsis (from Good Reads):

I wish I could tell everyone who thinks we’re ruined, Look closer…and you’ll see something extraordinary, mystifying, something real and true. We have never been what we seemed.

When beautiful, reckless Southern belle Zelda Sayre meets F. Scott Fitzgerald at a country club dance in 1918, she is seventeen years old and he is a young army lieutenant stationed in Alabama. Before long, the “ungettable” Zelda has fallen for him despite his unsuitability: Scott isn’t wealthy or prominent or even a Southerner, and keeps insisting, absurdly, that his writing will bring him both fortune and fame. Her father is deeply unimpressed. But after Scott sells his first novel, This Side of Paradise, to Scribner’s, Zelda optimistically boards a train north, to marry him in the vestry of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and take the rest as it comes.

What comes, here at the dawn of the Jazz Age, is unimagined attention and success and celebrity that will make Scott and Zelda legends in their own time. Everyone wants to meet the dashing young author of the scandalous novel—and his witty, perhaps even more scandalous wife. Zelda bobs her hair, adopts daring new fashions, and revels in this wild new world. Each place they go becomes a playground: New York City, Long Island, Hollywood, Paris, and the French Riviera—where they join the endless party of the glamorous, sometimes doomed Lost Generation that includes Ernest Hemingway, Sara and Gerald Murphy, and Gertrude Stein.

Everything seems new and possible. Troubles, at first, seem to fade like morning mist. But not even Jay Gatsby’s parties go on forever. Who is Zelda, other than the wife of a famous—sometimes infamous—husband? How can she forge her own identity while fighting her demons and Scott’s, too? With brilliant insight and imagination, Therese Anne Fowler brings us Zelda’s irresistible story as she herself might have told it.

 

My Review (May Contain Spoilers)

I absolutely loved this book. It was amazing to read another side of the Fitzgerald’s story, one which has captivated so many people, including myself, for such a long time. As with the majority of people, I always wondered about Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of the author of one of my all time favorite books (The Great Gatsby is you are curious). She is always painted as a somewhat eccentric belle, and perhaps a little crazy. But this fictional work gives you something else to think about. Zelda’s side of the story. Although the story is fictional, it has made me want to learn more and more about the truth behind both Zelda and Scott. Look into some more non-fiction. My GoodReads “to read” list is just getting bigger and bigger.

It is a story of passion, and a love that, although is flawed from the beginning, never seems to be broken by any hardship. It is a story of two individuals, who are much too alike to live any kind of normal life, and as a result end up butting heads their entire lives. The story is written in a way that brings to light many of Zelda’s heartbreaking realizations about her relationship with Scott, as well as her own life, and how she works through these realizations by using her passion and dedication. Two things that seem to be the ruin not only of her sanity, but her fairy tale life with Scott.

This story starts with the time when Zelda, the beautiful, yet reckless belle of Montgomery, Alabama, meets the love of her life, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Zelda is painted as a free spirit, lover of life, and very resistant to the conventions set before her as a girl of the Southern United States during the first World War. She is beautiful and funny, and she knows it, stringing quite a few beau along before, and even after, she meeta Scott. Although she falls instantly in love, she is unsure of the future this solider/writer who dropped out of Princeton University can give her. Not to mention her family does not approve whatsoever.

What ensures is a whirlwind romance, an engagement that is broken off once but reinstated, and a quaint yet exciting marriage in New York city. The Fitzgeralds turn out to be the cream of New York society, and with Scott’s first successful book, from the outside they look to be the perfect couple. What we soon realize is that Scott takes most of his material from their personal lives, even pinching full paragraphs from Zelda’s diary entries. Zelda learns she is expected to play the part of the “First Flapper”, and to act as if she is one of the characters out of Scott’s stories. She happily accepts this role for the first years of their lives, spending money like they actually have it, and taking in all of the 1920’s luxuries.

The Fitzgeralds soon learn New York, and America in general is a little too expensive for their luxurious tastes, and Scott decides to whisk the family, which now includes a baby girl names Scottie, off to Europe. Although on the outside Europe appears to be good to the family, the tumultuous and passionate foundation that Zelda and Scott had built for their relationship, starts to show its cracks. They are swept up into a circle that includes writers, artists, and wealthy expatriates. This circle includes many nights of heavy partying, and Scott takes up even heavier drinking than he had before. He is also becoming less productive in his writing, and more absent from Zelda’s life.

Zelda feels the stress of loneliness, trying to be someone she starts to realize she is not, and eventually meets a man she considers leaving Scott for. When she tells Scott she wants a divorce, and he ultimately convinces her to stay, their relationship forms a void that will never be fixed. Scott starts painting Zelda as the wife who is getting in the way of his success, although he is still passionately devoted to her, and becomes friends with Ernest Hemingway, who develops a passionate dislike for Zelda. Zelda return’s Hemingway’s feelings, and feels she has lost Scott to this new friend.

Zelda starts to delve into painting and dancing, the latter of which she becomes quite good at. She desires to make her own mark in the world, and dedicates every waking minute to dance, even being accepted into the San Carlo Opera Ballet Company in Naples. Scott does not approve, and she declines, throwing herself even further into her passion, and eventually becoming physically and mentally sick.

She is admitted into many mental institutions for the rest of her life, being diagnosed as Schizophrenic, until her last days when she ultimately dies in a fire inside on of the institutions. This sad ending is made even sadder when we find out that Scott and Zelda, although claiming to still be devoted to one another, has not seen each other for over a year before Scott himself has died from a heart attack due to alcoholism in the apartment shared by himself and his mistress during Zelda’s many stays in mental institutions.

I fell in love with Zelda, although she is written in a way that displays her many faults and girlish insecurities. Despite her silliness, you cannot help but feel for her when she starts to realize that she wants to be something more than Mrs. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Living up the the limelight of her husband is something that comes to consume her, and although she is very talented in many ways, Scott will not allow her to pursue any of these talents professionally, and this made me so frustrated  for her. 

Although fictional, it is an excellent read, and beautifully written. Fowler draws the reader into the characters and make you have genuine feelings for the various characters in the book. An absolute pleasure to read.

What did you think about this story?

Talk to you soon,

JFer

Book Review – Dorothy Must Die – YA

The Basics:

 
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
Series: Dorothy Must Die, Book #1 
Published: April 1st, 2014
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 464
Where did I get it? : Library
Would I buy it? Maybe. I am very selective of which books I put on my shelves, and although I absolutely loved this book, I am not sure if I will buy it until I read the rest of the series.

Synopsis (from Good Reads):

I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I’ve read the books. I’ve seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can’t be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There’s still the yellow brick road, though—but even that’s crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I’m the other girl from Kansas.

I’ve been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I’ve been trained to fight.

And I have a mission. 

My Review (Spoilers): 

Star Rating: 4/5
I really had a good time with this imaginative re-telling of the Wizard of Oz. Although it veered on the side of a more dark theme, it was not too depression and quite easy to read. Once I got a few chapters in, I really could not put it down. 

Amy Gumm, the heroine of the novel, it decidedly normal. So much so, in fact, that it is easy to identify with her in the situations she is put in. Thrown into a world she thought was only from a fairy story, she is as confused and scared as anyone would be, but still has that little bit of fight in her that really makes you root for her.

Amy, who is sick and tired of living with her dead beat mother, being labelled “Salvation Amy” at school because of her poor social class, and basically life in general, is ready to pick up and run away. When she is unable to do so, because her mother stole her precious little savings to pay for various addictions, she feels like nothing can go right.

Amy is then whisked away in her trailer home, with her mother’s pet rat Star along with her, in a Tornado while her mother is at the bar. Surprisingly, she survives the ordeal, by being pulled out of the “Tin House” by a strange and handsome boy. She soon finds that she is in Oz. Completely thrown by the fact that Oz, and Dorothy, are real life stories, and that the story is not the happy ending fairy tale she thought, Amy learns that she is going to be hard pressed to find any friends as quickly as Dorothy.

Apparently the way Dorothy’s story ended in the fairy tale was just half the story. Although Dorothy did go back to Kansas, she did not stay long, yearning for the fame she had acquired in Oz. Upon her return, Dorothy sucked up all of the magic that made Oz so great, and took the throne as Oz’s newest dictator.
Amy soon learns that no one goes against Dorothy, and there are dire consequences if you do. Amy also attracts the attention of Dorothy, who is none too pleased to find Amy is from “The Other Place” and Kansas to boot. 

Amy is thrown into prison to await a trail, which will most likely end up in her experiencing a “Fate Worse Than Death”. After being visited  by Pete, the strange boy who saved her from the trailer when she first got to Oz, she is saved by a Wicked Witch, and forced into a pact with the “Wicked”. The “Wicked” is a group of Witches who have all turned “Wicked” to opposed Dorothy’s “Goodness”. Amy is there only hope to kill Dorothy and return Oz to it’s rightful state. But can Amy do it? 

The absolute best part of this book is the way in which Amy responds to everything that is thrown at her. She has no idea who she is, why she was chosen, or what she has to offer, and is extremely wary of trusting anyone. She makes good and bad decisions, and works her way to becoming more powerful and confident, as she decides what she is willing to fight for, and what she isn’t.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an exciting new series, one with believable characters, mixed in with a lot of fantasy. If you love fairy tale re-tellings do not miss this one!

Well that is all for this book, let me know what you think!

Have a good one, 

JFer

My First Book Post

Hello Everyone!

I am so excited you found your way to my little book corner of the world! I have decided to start blogging about my reading adventures, with the hopes of not only sharing and keeping track of what I have read and thought about book, but also to get others interested in reading and exploring new genres!

I am a Librarian in a Public Library, mostly working with Fiction, and I get the opportunity to check out a lot of books. Sometimes an overwhelmingly large amount, but it is really really fun! I basically read ALL genres, including non-fiction, so you will find a little bit of everything here. On that note, I do tend to read a lot of historical and Young Adult fiction, so I guess I would say they are my bias’ in the book world.

Well, as I am not so good an introductions, let’s get this literary journey started!

Have a good one,

JFer

Beginning

Hello Everyone,

Today is the day that I am going to begin my journey into a simpler life. I have been reading blogs, listening to podcasts, and thinking about moving towards a simpler life for quite a while now. What drives me towards this desire? The desire to be free. Free from the pull of possessions, the need to make more and more money in order to be happy, and the stress that money and possessions always seems to cause me. The all consuming “if i only had (blank) I would be so much happier”.

I want to learn to live with what I have, happily and healthily. I want to take care of those I care about, donate more time and energy to those who need it, and just be happy with a little. I want to be excited about each day, even if I am not doing anything planned. I want to be excited to have conversations with loved ones, take walks in nature, enjoy time with my kitty, and not rely on entertainment to be entertained.

I recently read a really motivating article on the blog “Be More with Less“. It discusses the tiny little steps you can take towards making a more simple life. The problem with moving from a materialistically driven life and “happiness” mentality, is that minimalism or simplicity just seems too hard, too boring, not fun. But this article makes it seem like something I can try out. There is always the option of going back, after a solid try, but I have a feeling I will not. Let’s see, let’s start!

#1. Write It Down

The first step in the article is to write down all of the reasons you want to simplify your life. No matter what the reason, write it down. So here I go:

1. Save Money: I am baffled by how quickly I can blow through money, and it is usually on food. I had a large amount of savings at the beginning of the summer (about $1500) and now am down to about $350! Although I did have to do a few car maintenance things, which is fine, the rest is just gone. Where, I don’t even really know. This is worrisome, and it needs to change.

2. I work part-time: I only work a part-time job, a job which I love, but it does not make an incredible amount of money. In my field, it can be difficult to get up to a full-time position, and to be honest, I am not necessarily sure I want to work full time. I love my job, but I also love my free time. I wonder if there is a way to balance this, and perhaps simplicity is the way.

3. Health: In relation to what I said in #1, I tend to spend a lot of money on food. I love food, I always think about food, and I eat a lot of “unhealthy” food. Anything that tastes good. Especially lately. I do not even know why, or how, I actually used to be very healthy, but it has changed. I don’t feel as good. I am more squishy. I don’t look as good in my clothing. It is bad. I am hoping a more simple lifestyle will help lead me to a more healthy lifestyle.

4. Write: I have always had a passion for writing, but have never really put the time and effort into achieving this dream. I have decided that with less stress, less stuff, and less distraction, I will have the time and energy to dedicate towards those things that I truly want to do. This blog is a first step towards that!

5. Reduce Laziness: I have become so incredibly lazy in basically all aspects of my like. Although I am extremely determined, or at least I used to be, it seems that in the past couple of years I have become really lazy. I do cherish lazy moments, but not a lazy lifestyle. In other words, having goals and interests, but just being too lazy to do anything about them. Not cool. Not fun. It needs to stop. 

6. Happiness: Basically all of the things above, plus being able to do the things that I really actually want to do, result ultimately in my happiness.

I will discuss the other steps in future posts. I am excited to start this little journey!

JFer