Pleasant Nights

Abandon

There are some authors who never seem to disappoint. I have read a good chunk of their stuff, and it always seems like they are quality authors with something interesting to say. So far, Blake Crouch is one of those authors. I have read The Wayward Pines trilogy and Dark Matter, so when Abandon came across my Kindle, I was really excited to delve in.

Unlike Crouch’s other works, there is no heavy science aspect to this one. And although I find the science stuff interesting, this book doesn’t seem to be lacking anything without it. Basically, everyone in the town of Abandon (clever!) disappears Christmas Day one year in the late 1800s. The story unfolds from the modern era, juxtaposed with the varying points of view from the past. A girl, her father, two paranormal experts, and a couple guides travel through the mountains of Colorado to find the abandoned town. There, they try to solve the mystery of what happened to the townspeople, who seemingly vanished without a trace.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the two perspectives. Layer after layer, you get answers about the past from the townspeople themselves. And simultaneously, the people of the modern day reveal a few secrets of their own. The book’s resolution is satisfying, with no sequels needed. I get tired of cliffhanger books and series after awhile. So far, Crouch is batting 100% in my book, and I look forward to reading more of his work.

Tags abandon, blake crouch, books and reading, reading

The Instructions

Back in 2010, I was a member of The Rumpus Book Club. We were a small group of close-knit people who had a love of books in common. We had never met but formed lasting friendships over our shared interest. I still keep in touch with many of them via social media. Many of us have moved on from the book club (time and money prevented me from staying) but the book club still exists. For $27/month you get a book sent to you every month. You get to read the book together, discuss via a message board, and interact with the author in a Q&A. And the books they select are fantastic. I was one of the first people to read Wild by Cheryl Strayed because of the book club. Fun fact: Strayed was Dear Sugar on therumpus.net for quite some time. Here’s a link to the Book Club if you are interested.

We were warned by our book club editor, Isaac Fitzgerald, (now the Buzzfeed books editor) that we were going to receive a monster book for one of our selections. Shipping was taking longer than usual because the book was gigantic. The only buzz we knew about the book, other than its size, was that it was published by McSweeneys, and involved pennyguns. Intriguing, right? Little did we know the epic we were about to encounter.

The story covers 4 days in the life of Gurion Maccabee, a 10 year old in a Cage program in a Chicago middle school. Gurion may or may not be the messiah, by the way. He is in the Cage program because he has been expelled from other schools and is viewed to be a danger to himself and others. He immediately makes friends with the other Cagers and this is where the story picks up. In these four days, Gurion falls in love with Eliza June Watermark, destroys school property, breaks the heart of another girl, breaks up various fights between friends, starts fights with other friends, loses a best friend, regains a best friend, and aquires a following of Scholars.

Gurion is an Israelite. The religion in the book is woven through in a variety of ways. Not only is Gurion deeply religious, so are many of his followers, especially in the belief that Gurion is the messiah. Gurion never actually states that he is, but he never dismisses it either. And then comes the 11/17 Miracle. This book is over 1000 pages. And, because of the binding and the thickness of the paper, it’s also the biggest book I own. And you spend 800+ pages before getting to 11/17.

The story is written in a unique way. The author, Adam Levin, doesn’t always use quotation marks, so this takes some getting used to. But once you do, the book becomes easier to manage. Over the course of the four days, you get to know Gurion (1st person narrator) well. You learn his wants, needs, passions, and brilliance. To say Gurion is a genius is a mixed bag. He certainly is, but he also causes so much disturbance and emotional trauma to those around him, that he is hard to sympathize with.

There’s no way for me to explain how much I love this book. Even the second time around, the book holds up. There is something lost knowing what the 11/17 Miracle is before you even start the book, but you also go into it loving the characters already. If anyone knows how to contact Adam Levin, please tell him how much I love this book. Gurion is such a rich character. I used to teach gifted and talented kids so Gurion spoke to me on a level that few characters ever do. So, thank you, Mr. Levin, for bringing Gurion to life. WE DAMAGE WE

Tags adam levin, books and reading, judaism, reading, the instructions, the rumpus

books and reading

314 Trilogy

I’m not a big reader of graphic horror. I like Stephen King, and although his books are technically horror, they aren’t as pervasively graphic as some books I’ve read. There have been a few books that I had to skim because the writing was just too much for me to handle. American Psycho comes to mind. I had to skip several pages at a time in that one. And the dentist scene in A Million Little Pieces was quite memorable as well. But I can usually stomach most anything, and even if I can’t, as long as the story is good, I will stick with it and skim if I have to. This is how I made it through the 314 trilogy.

I read the first one for free from Bookbub and knew that I had to read the rest because the first was just so interesting. I skimmed a lot, I’m not going to lie. But the story was captivating. People in the the town of Widowsfield are reliving the same day over and over again, March 14, and at 3:14 PM, tragedy strikes. The Watcher in the Walls and The Skeleton Man come for them and force some to do terrible things to ones they love.

I read the first two books quite some time ago, so I really don’t remember what happened in which book, but the story of Widowsfield unfolds nicely, with more information coming the more you read, and this is especially true in the last book. You learn the origin of the Watcher and where the Skeleton Man lives. And even though the story is impossible and not grounded in reality at all, you still get an answer that seems somewhat plausible.

I was pleasantly surprised how well the books are written. The language and characters aren’t spectacular or unique, but the story itself was quite clever. If you can get past the graphic violence, these books are a lot of fun.

Tags ar wise, books and reading, horror, reading

books and reading

2017 Book Challenge

Popsugar has released their 2017 book challenge!

Here is a clean copy of it. See below for what I am hoping to read in each category

2017 book challenge

Book recommended by a librarian:
Book that’s been on your TBR list for too long:
A book of letters:
An audiobook:
Book by a person of color:
Book with one of the four seasons in the title:
A book that is a story within a story:
A book with multiple authors:
An espionage thriller:
A book with a cat on the cover:
A book by an author who uses a pseudonym:
A bestseller from a genre you don’t normally read:
A book by or about a person with a disability:
A book involving travel:
A book with a subtitle:
A book published in 2017:
A book involving a mythical creature:
A book you’ve read before that never fails to make you smile:
A book about food:
A book with career advice:
A book from a nonhuman perspective:
A steampunk novel:
A book with a red spine:
A book set in the wilderness:
A book you loved as a child:
A book by an author from a country you’ve never visited:
A book with a title that is a character’s name:
A novel set in wartime:
A book with an unreliable narrator:
A book with pictures:
A book with a main character that’s a different ethnicity than you:
A book about an interesting woman:
A book set in two different time periods:
A book with a month or a day of the week in the title:
A book set in a hotel:
A book written by someone you admire:
A book that’s becoming a movie in 2017:
A book set around a holiday other than Christmas:
The first book in a series you’ve never read before:
A book you bought on a trip:

Beloved

There is absolutely no way to do this book justice. No matter what I write, the adjectives I use, the descriptions I provide, they will never be enough to convey the power of this book. This is my second Morrison book this year (see The Bluest Eye review for further opinions on Morrison, most of which are the same as I presented here). For the 2016 book challenge, I was going to select One Hundred Years of Solitude for a 20th century classic, but I was so moved by The Bluest Eye that I selected Beloved instead.

Published in 1987, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, horribly adapted into a movie (please don’t watch. It will ruin you) and censored by stuffy housewives everywhere, this book has no equal. Morrison’s prose is breathtaking. One scene a slave dares to speak his mind, is then whipped, and the owner reminds him that “Definitions belong to the definer, not the defined.” It is rare that a sentence of such magnitude is formed so perfectly with such minimalistic language, yet holds such a profound meaning. This sentence sums up our society today. Labeling another person is a national pastime these days. And Morrison captured this concept perfectly.

The story isn’t an easy one to read. Between the vocabulary, unexpected shift in narrator, non-chronological order, and the plot itself, this book will drain you. But every minute of reading is worth it. Morrison is easily the best writer of our modern era. And sadly, her books are rarely studied because of the aforementioned stuffy housewives who don’t want their special snowflakes exposed to the horrors of the world. Not only is it valuable to expose children to difficult times, it’s also critical so we learn to never repeat our mistakes.

Morrison is considered one of the greatest African-American writers in American history. I agree wholeheartedly and will go on to say she’s one of the most important writers, among the very best of all writers in American history. Her ability is like none other. She is simply the best.

Tags african american literature, beloved, books and reading, reading, toni morrison

books and reading

The Last Town on Earth

I’m usually not a big reader of historical fiction, mostly because the ones I have read just aren’t interesting at all, or are also romance books. So, when I stumbled across this one while looking at various recommendations for dystopian literature, I thought I would give it a shot. Thankfully, the romance is kept t0 a minimum.

Back in 1918, when WWI was happening, the Spanish flu hit the world. Millions died, quickly. Like no other flu, it hit the young and healthy the worst, leaving many children orphaned. Towns did whatever they could to keep their inhabitants safe, including quarantining everyone.

Although this book is a work of fiction, many towns actually did cut themselves off from the rest of the world, prohibiting everyone from entering, banning townspeople from leaving until the flu had passed. Some towns were successful, some weren’t. But this novel takes the quarantine a step farther. While on guard, two men are faced with a stranger on the road before them. The stranger is coughing, but swears it’s because of a capsized ship rather than the flu. He is hungry and tired and just wants a place to rest. Quite the dilemma for the guards on duty, their only job to protect the town.

I don’t want to get too much into the plot because a lot of things happen, all very much because of cause and effect. One decision leads to another which leads to another. Mullen does an excellent job explaining the rationale for each decision, as well. There is a subplot involving the town next over, which just didn’t appeal to me. I feel like it could have been developed a bit more, but overall the book was really great and poses some really interesting questions.

Tags quarantine, reading, spanish flu, the last town on earth, thomas mullen, world war I

books and reading

Music for Torching

I really can’t remember why I bought this book. Someone at some point recommended it to me, I guess. However, this wasn’t one I enjoyed, but only because it isn’t my genre of choice.

I’ve read many dysfunctional family books. More than I can list. And they just aren’t ones I enjoy. I don’t really want to read about unhappy marriages, bratty spoiled kids, or miserable lives. As much as I liked Jeffrey Eugenides’s The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex, I despised The Marriage Plot. It took me months to get through because the characters were just so awful. This book felt very much the same, though I did read it quickly because I wanted to see where the characters were headed.

Let me say this, though, if this is a genre you enjoy, you should absolutely read this book. It is beautifully written with several stab you in the heart moments. I’m not going to dwell on this book because I don’t want to turn anyone off if this is one you think you would enjoy, but it just wasn’t for me.

Tags am homes, books and reading, dysfunction, music for torching, reading

books and reading

After the Cure

I get free books daily. Some aren’t really worth reading, but I download them anyway, because maybe someday someone in my house will read them. But ones that sound mildly interesting, I keep on my Kindle to read at some point. If you remember, I’m using a lottery system to pick my books right now since I have so many that I’ve been meaning to read for years. And the lottery selected this one.

I really liked the premise. Most zombie books are about the initial outbreak and how people survive. But this one takes place after the Infected are cured. The world is divided into two halves, the Cured and the Immune. The fun twist is that the Cured remember what they did while they were Infected. And many can’t live with their actions, even though they couldn’t control themselves. Many of the Immune shun the Cured and refuse to interact with them.

The main plot line involves a trial involving the scientists who created the virus and are now being held responsible for the aftermath. Our main characters are an attorney (a Cure) and a psychologist (an Immune) and their relationship, the discovery of some secret information, and how to handle said info. The story was a bit disjointed (at one point a character is near death and in the next scene the character is up and chatting), but overall, the premise was worth the lack of cohesion. Some of the dialogue was a bit cheesy for my taste, but that’s just my personal preference.

There are 5 books in this series, but only the first is free on Amazon. The others are reasonably priced, though, and I plan on reading the rest at some point. I enjoyed this book and its unique premise.

Tags after the cure, bookbub, books and reading, deirdre gould, dystopia, reading, zombie

books and reading

Revolutionary Suicide

I was dreading having to read a political memoir for the 2016 book challenge. I just had no idea where to begin and I really didn’t want to read anything presidential. It just doesn’t interest me at all. I debated on reading The Motorcycle Diaries by Che, but that was mostly because it was short. However, a friend recommended this one, and given the times, I was willing to give it a chance.

This book is really half political and half memoir. Written by Huey P. Newton, the founder of the Black Panthers, we learn a lot of his history. His childhood, family, upbringing, educational experiences, and his troubles. His first 16 or so years was very formative and shaped his political beliefs. He graduates high school not being able to read, but knew that he needed to teach himself. He used Plato’s Republic as a guide, asking his brother for help, looking words up in the dictionary, and learning all he could. Republic was the first book he ever read. And once most people today have never read. This should tell you quite a bit about the kind of man Newton was.

While in college, he began to speak out of the injustices facing Black people in our nation. He, along with a few friends, began to gather and discuss what they could do about it. They created the 10 point platform which was the foundation for the Black Panther Party. And, much to many people’s surprise, they weren’t a violent group at all. They obeyed the letter of the law because they knew the police were targeting them (and they were…the sheer number of times Newton was pulled over is staggering). They learned the law and what their rights were.

At one point, Newton was pulled over and shot by police, for (as he states) no reason. He was falsely accused of murder and, through a jury of 11 white people and 1 black man, he was sentenced for the crime. He was not given the death penalty, however, he fully expected to spend the rest of his life in prison. He had been in and out of jail for various minor offenses, and because of his fame and reputation with authority figures, he was kept in near solitary confinement. While most people broke down, Newton never did. He kept his mind, his focus, and never lost his soul.

Newton was murdered in 1989. At this point, the Black Panther Party had lost its focus (according to the brief research I have done. This isn’t in the book, of course). It was being targeted as a hate group. However, Newton still worked to help Black communities. His last words were “You can kill my body, and you can take my life, but you can never kill my soul. My soul will live forever!” And this is absolutely the truth. Newton saw real problems facing the Black community in the 1960s. And, you know what, they are the exact same problems facing Blacks today, which leaves me wondering when will we ever learn from our past mistakes?

Tags books and reading, huey p newton, reading, revolutionary suicide, the black panther party

books and reading

Ink and Bone

Thank you Netgalley for another great title! I have been a bit discouraged with the thrillers I’ve read lately. They seem to be lacking some unique quality, jump the shark at some point in a very unsuccessful way, or are just plain boring. Thankfully, Ink and Bone was one worth reading!

When doing a little background research, I discovered that the setting of this story, The Hollows, NY is a fictional town, but there is a town called the Hollow (formerly named Allentown) that was founded by two families that has only recently become slightly modernized, think indoor plumbing a few years ago, but no telephones, and the residents live in near isolation. Here’s a link the Hollow to a NY Times article about the town. In the book, however, the town is a tourist trap with abandoned mines nearby, and the mountain folk aren’t as isolated as you would think. Interesting tie to real life, however.

The main character, Finley, can see and communicate with the dead. A little girl goes missing and, as a last resort, Finley is asked to help find her. The police have no leads, the parents are desperate, and Finley has been hearing a mysterious noise that leads her to the grieving family. I’m not one who believe in this kind of stuff, however, that didn’t really matter in this novel. I took it as a work of fiction from beginning to end and the author did a great job of creating a character to relate to. Finley struggles with her ability. She wants to help families, but she wants to be a normal person, too. She is a college student, with a tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend, a mother who doesn’t understand her, and a grandmother who shares her abilities.

The story is told in multiple perspectives, which is interesting, but a bit hard to follow at times because it takes a few sentences of a new chapter to realize who the narrator is. However, because this is from Netgalley and isn’t an official published copy, maybe some clarification was added to the final version. It’s certainly not a reason to avoid this book, though.

Overall, really great thriller. Goodreads has it listed as horror, but it’s really not. It’s more of a mystery/thriller, and a great one at that!

Tags ink and bone, lisa unger, mystery, netgalley, reading, thrillers