Review - Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why

Author: Jay Asher

Released: October 2007

Publisher:  Razorbill

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

Summary

Jay Asher's brilliant first novel is a moving, highly original story that focuses on a set of audiotapes made by a girl before she committed suicide, and which explain to 13 people the reasons why she decided to end her life. Told in a highly effective duel narrative -- alternating between the girl s voice and the thoughts of a boy who is listening -- this honest, poignant story reveals how other people's actions shape, and by extension can ruin, an individual's faith in people. Intensely powerful and painfully real, Thirteen Reasons Why reveals how brutal high school can be, the consequences of spreading rumors, and the lasting effects of suicide on those left behind.

Review:
When I first heard of this book, the idea of reading about suicide didn't appeal to me. Who wants to read something as depressing as that?!  But I have read so many things about it lately that I wanted to know what all the hype was about.

There are two main characters in this book, Hannah Baker & Clay (I can't remember if he has a last name). Hannah committed suicide & left a set of tapes behind detailing the thirteen reasons why she took her life. Clay is the one listening to the tapes & by so doing, allows the reader to listen in as well. The book is laid out with each chapter being assigned the side of an audio tape (13 sides total, or as Clay points out, a Hannah-Baker's dozen). I liked this because it added structure to the book that might otherwise have jumped around between stories without much transition. When I started reading the book, I struggled with the back-and-forth narration of Hannah on the tapes & Clay's inner monologue. I found it distracting & lost track of what was going on in the story. This also made it hard for me to connect to the seriousness of the situation. But as the story continued, & I adjusted to the style, I was able to relate to the characters more & more & understand the deep emotions they were feeling.

The problems Hannah deals with start out seemingly trivial - who hasn't dealt with rumors being spread about them, or been treated unkindly? But as Hannah's story continues with each progressing reason, we are able to see the snowball effect of others' actions towards her & how it leads to her growing instability & ultimate downfall.

With so many teen suicides being reported in the news lately, I really appreciated the insight this book offered into the reasons someone may go down that path. This book reminded me in some ways of Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall in the sense of relating how individual behavior can affect others in ways we don't realize, either for good or bad.

I was glad the author, by allowing us to see things from Clay's perspective, did not condone Hannah's actions, even if he did sympathize with her. This story was heartbreaking, & I kept hoping there would be a miracle at the end, kind of a "Just Kidding!" moment where everything turned out okay, but of course, that wasn't possible. This story . . . Hannah's story, is a cautionary tale in ways, helping the reader know that the things they do or say carry consequences. It reminds us that we can take the time to think of others & treat them well, even if it's going out of our comfort zone to do so. It's a reminder that we don't really understand someone as well as we might think, especially if what we know about them is based on rumors. It's a tragic story that didn't have to end the way that it did, not just because how others treated Hannah, but also because she did not open up fully until she left the tapes - she could have been helped if she would have let someone in.

I enjoyed this book, even if it was a difficult subject matter to read about & would recommend it.

4/5

"You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything." ~ Jay Asher, Thirteen Reason Why

Top 10 Books I resolve to read in 2011

"Top 10" Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & the Bookish.

This week's list:

Top 10 Books I resolve to read in 2011

1. Unwind - Neal Shusterman: I love dystopian fiction, & this one has been calling to me for a while now. It sounds so twisted, but fascinating at the same time!

2. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (translated by Julie Rose): I tried reading this book a couple years ago, & it took me 8 months just to get half-way through! I'm determined to try again but with a different translation. I love the musical & the movie, now I just need to make it through the book!

3. Sense & Sensibility - Jane Austen: I've had this on my shelf at home for the longest time. I finally read Pride & Prejudice this last year & am excited to get to this one. You would think having my BA in English would guarentee that I'd read every Austen, but I was only ever required to read Emma, so I have a lot of catching up to do!

4. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee: I read this back in high school & hardly remember anything about it. So many people mark it as one of their favorites, if not their absolute favorite, so I thought it was about time for a reread.

5. Daughter of the Forest - Juliet Marillier: My mom gave me this book to read a long time ago, & it's been sitting around my house ever since. It's gotten such high ratings, & I've always loved fairytales, so I am determined to finally get to this one!

6. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray: This is another book I've had sitting on my shelf at home for a really long time. I saw the movie & thought it was really good (after some reflection), so decided to read the book as well. There's something I like about stories with anti-heroes & seeing how their choices build up to make an unfulfilling life that could have been prevented.

7. The Road - Cormac McCarthy: I studied & enjoyed All the Pretty Horses in college & decided to try another of McCarthy's books. I've heard this one is disturbing, & people seem to either love it or hate it. I'm hoping I'm in the love it group!

8. Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare: I discovered Clare's Mortal Instruments series this last year & really liked them! I've heard so many people say they like this book even more, so I can't wait to read it & enter the lives of the shadowhunters again (dorky? yes. but I like it!)!

9. A Gracious Plenty - Sheri Reynolds: I read The Rapture of Canaan about 8 years ago & added it to my list of favorite books. This has been on my tbr list for such a long time, & I'm excited to try out another of Reynold's books. Plus it just sounds so eerie!

10. Nevermore - Kelly Creigh: Edgar Allan Poe has always terrified me, but his writing is unbelievably good & twisted! I'm really, really excited to see how they used Poe's influence in this story, & I'm always up for a paranormal love story!

Review - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Title: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Author: Lisa See

Released: 2005

Publisher:  Random House

Pages: 253

Rating: 4.5/5
Purchase

Summary

In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.

Review:
I remember studying Ancient China back in elementary school & always being fascinated by its history. However, I don't remember much from all those years ago. So now when I think of Chinese history/culture, these images come to mind: (click on them to go to a Wiki article)

Reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan showed me a completely new side of China through the lives of two women - laotong, or old sames. Lisa See described in detail the atrocities of war & poverty, but most importantly, the hardships that come with being born a daughter in China. She painted a very realistic & eye-opening picture (at least I was convinced) of women in 19th century China where they were considered wortheless except for their ability to bear sons. It showed an oftentimes startling view of how women were treated & what was expected of them. They were forbidden an education, which led them to using a secret written language, nu shu, to pass stories, poems & messages along to other women. See's vivid description of foot binding (a whole chapter is dedicated to it) left me with my head between my hands, concentrating on my breathing, so I literally wouldn't throw up. (I've never had a book get that sort of reaction out of me!)

See, through her deep & detailed writing was able to beautifully & heartbreakingly portray the relationships of women with those around them: their mothers who showed mother-love (tough love is how I interpreted it), fathers, siblings, husbands, sworn-sisters, matchmakers & laotong. The language used throughout the novel conveyed the poetic & symbolic Chinese tongue, which I greatly appreciated. It made me feel as though I were witnessing the true lives of those from another time & culture instead of getting a fictionalized account of China written by a tourist. It felt genuine.

I also felt a great connection to the main women in the story, Lily & Snow Flower, two friends whose friendship & laotong bond was brought about through unlikely circumstances. They were strong & devoted women in their own way, & through them, the reader was able to feel the significance of such a relationship in a male-dominated world.

4.5/5

"For my entire life I longed for love. I knew it was not right for me — as a girl and later as a woman — to want or expect it, but I did, and this unjustified desire has been at the root of every problem I have experienced in my life."

~ Lisa See, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

"Time Out" from Reading (2) - Anne of Green Gables

"Time Out" from Reading
(click on the link for an explanation of this feature & to join in)

While reading Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery this last week, I kept noticing all the comments about flowers & gardens & was reminded of the fact that all my flowers either die or grow in wild disarray. I always have great intentions - I love flowers & always dream of having the perfect garden, but alas - I get lazy, I don't really like the feel of dirt on my hands (makes me think of chalk), & I'm nervous about all the spiders & bugs waiting to attack, so things get neglected. Enough was enough, & I was going to change my ways! My husband bought me flowers a couple weeks ago, & they've been sitting on the back patio ever since (I figured they'd be fine with all the rain we've been getting). As it turns out, they were starting to look pretty watter-logged & pathetic.

I was so excited last night because today was going to be the day I finally planted my Christmas Cyclamens (who doesn't have aspirations for the New Year)!!! Well, when I woke up this morning, I wasn't counting on the rain (that's what I get for staying cooped up in the house all day yesterday & not paying attention to the weather - but hey, the kid's sick, & I didn't want to get dressed - go ahead, judge me ;).  I looked out the sliding glass door & grudgingly thought I could put off planting the flowers a little longer, but I kept looking at my to-do list, & it really bothered me not to check something off of it! So I put my boy (still in his jammies with a snotty nose) into his new rain boots & rain coat, grabbed our shovels, & we headed outside (the rain had stopped, but it was still soggy & wet . . . & cold). 

I couldn't find my gardening gloves, so I just dug in with my shovel & hands (talk about sucking it up! :) & determined to get those beautiful flowers into my dirt/clay as fast as possible (did I mention it was super cold out, & my hands were shaking? I guess that's just the price you pay for attempting to be the World's Best Homemaker/Domestic/Wife/Mother . . . uh huh, right. Plus, I was determined to have something to post for my "Time Out" feature)!

But I have to admit, even with the cold, the splinters left over from digging in the bark without my gloves, & constantly telling the kid (let's call him Georgie) to stay out of the street, the flowers look beautimous, & I have one more thing checked off my list! This is going to be a good year - I can tell :) And now I feel more like Anne Shirley & Marilla Cuthbert. That's one step in the direction of having my perfect garden!

2011 - Starting Fresh in the New Year!

I admit that I'm both excited & nervous for this upcoming year. It's always great to have a fresh start - I feel like I can accomplish just about anything! But at the same time, setting overzealous goals can cause me to fail before I've even begun. Plus the idea of keeping this blog up & the pressure to make it worth reading is a little daunting, especially since I'm so new to the book blogging world (just a few weeks)! 

So my plans for this year are to set some year-long reading goals (mainly with my challenges), but more importantly, to set smaller, attainable goals & change them each week/month as seems fit. Let's face it, who doesn't feel happy & encouraged when they meet goals, even the simple ones? And if I can meet those, who's to say I can't meet the more lofty ones as well?! It's just about taking it in stride & not getting overwhelmed & burnt out.

Enough of my rambling - here are my goals!

1. Blog at least 5 times a week.
2. Write reviews for more than 2/3 of the books I read.
3. Host giveaways (monthly or every other month?).
4. Complete reading challenges: BIO, Around the World, YA Debut Author.
5. Don't compare myself to other bloggers unless it's to learn from them & improve (& not to get discouraged by feeling inadequate to their stellar blogging skills & creativity ;).
6. Don't let blogging/reading take priority over my family & home b/c when it comes down to it, these two men are much more important.

Reading Plans for January:

Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher
Unearthly, by Cynthia Hand
Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer
Thirteen Moons, by Charles Frazier
Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare
The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me, by Bruce Feiler
The Luxe, by Anna Godbersen
The Lying Game, by Sara Shepard
Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling

What are YOUR New Year's goals?

Through the Pages (2) - Snow Flower & the Secret Fan

"Through the Pages" Thursday is something I hope to do on a weekly basis.  Its purpose is to go beyond reading a book just to check it off a list & build up your number of reads. There is so much to learn from books - background behind its creation, history involved within the story itself (whether true history or mythical), the thoughts & impressions a certain passage may leave us with if we take the time to ponder instead of rush through. The subject matter for "Through the Pages" can be expansive if you just stop to think & let your creativity flow.

(Anyone is welcome to join me with their own current read's "Through the Pages" - just leave a comment w/ a link to the specific post on your blog.) 

I am currently reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, by Lisa See, a book I've been meaning to read for a few years now. I considered posting about the foot binding traditions, but was so disturbed by it, I didn't think I could stomach looking at the pictures & describing how it's done (shudder). Instead, I decided to look into nu shu, or women's writing.

Women in China were not allowed to attend school or receive an education until the early 20th century. Because of this, many were illiterate. Although no one seems to know the origins of nu shu, it is said that a young girl from Southern China created it after being chosen as the emperor's concubine. It was her way of communicating with her mother & sisters back home. Nu shu is a phonetic written language used to write stories, poetry, & autobiographies. It was also a way to write letters & communicate between "sworn sisters" (or friends) & mothers. Unlike traditional Chinese characters which are boxy, nu shu was slanted, long & frail.

Nu shu was a secret language hidden from men & was often disguised to look like art. It was also embroidered onto everyday items & clothes.

 With the increase in literacy among women in the 20th century, nu shu began to fade away & was no longer needed. It is now considered an endangered language.

Information researched on Wikipedia & Lisa See's webpage.

Review - The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Title: The Pillars of the Earth

Author: Ken Follett

Released: February 2002 (1st published in 1989)

Publisher:  NAL Trade
Pages: 976
Rating: 5/5
Purchase

Summary:
An enjoyable historic thriller, well told. A mystifying puzzle involving the execution of an innocent man, the erection of a magnificent cathedral, romance, rivalry, murder, arson, lust, and love. Set in 1135 England.

Tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known... of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother.

Review:
The Pillars of the Earth follows the lives of Tom Builder & his family, Lady Aliena, Prior Philip, Jack Jackson, William Hamleigh & many others in Medeival England. You witness Civil War, heartless Earls, corrupt bishops, famine, the building of a cathedral, endurance, renewed hope, & love.

Even though I'd heard how amazing this book was, I always pushed it aside for something else, partly because I wasn't sure I cared to read about the building of a cathedral, but even more so because of its near 1,000 pages (32 discs on audio!). This book was going to be a commitment! But man, am I glad I took the time for this big boy. This book pulled me in dramatically from the very start. Follett's ability to bring the characters to life was incredible! I came to a point in the book (a couple points, really) when I felt like I'd been punched in the gut & actually mourned for the characters. At other times, I laughed out loud & rejoiced with them. It shocked me to feel so involved in their fictional lives!

This book alternated between different narrators. In some books this is frustrating b/c certain characters' stories are never as interesting as others'. I didn't find that to be the case in Pillars.  I would get so involved with one narration, & then it would switch to another's perspective. I would hate seeing some narrations end, but would quickly get caught up in the new one. There was hardly an uninteresting moment throughout the book. The story completely captivated me!

I also appreciated the research Follett did in writing this, not only about that time in history, the culture, land, laws, . . . but also the actual construction of the cathedral. I found it fascinating!

This is one of the best written books I've read, & I consider it a new favorite. I highly recommend it!

5/5

"Having faith in God did not mean sitting back and doing nothing. It meant believing you would find success if you did your best honestly and energetically."

~ Ken Follett, The Pillars of the Earth